A method is provided for selecting and optimizing an electric drive system by analyzing critical-to-quality subjects of the electric drive system according to Six Sigma theory. The critical-to-quality subjects include weight, volume, reliability, efficiency and cost. Various design approaches may be evaluated to select an optimal design. The design approaches may include electric machine type, cooling system, electrical integration and electrical-mechanical interface.

The present invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for optimizing electric machines and, more specifically, to apparatus and methods of using Six Sigma theory for selecting and optimizing high performance electric drives.
Electric machines (EMs) for high performance electric drives (HPEDs) play a significant role in the modern aerospace and military industries. This is particularly true in the area of more electric architecture (MEA) for aircraft, spacecraft, and military ground vehicles. The commercial aircraft business is moving toward no-bleed air environmental control systems (ECS), variable-frequency (VF) and direct current (DC) power distribution buses, and electrical actuation. Some military aircraft already utilize MEA for both primary and secondary flight control. Military ground vehicles have migrated toward hybrid electric technology, where the main propulsion is performed by electric drives. Future space vehicles will require electric drives for thrust vector and flight control actuation. These systems must be more robust and will offer greatly reduced operating costs and safety compared to the existing Space Shuttle hardware. Therefore, substantial demand for improved electric drive performance has arisen.
These new aerospace trends have created a significant challenge for HPED systems, including increased operating voltages, and reduced system losses, weight, and volume. A new set of power quality and EMI requirements has been created to satisfy both quality and performance issues. The overall result is a significant increase in the installed EM, creating challenges for utilizing this equipment on the new platforms. Therefore, overall system performance improvement and power density increase are necessary attributes for the new-generation machines. Cost is an additional driver that must be addressed to make the new platforms affordable.
The process of designing EM to achieve these new requirements requires the selection, analysis and optimization of a large number of characteristics. The complexities of the design process may take a large amount of time and effort and may still not result in an optimal design. As can be seen, there is a need for improving the EM design process to meet the increasing demands of new HPED systems.

Statistical method for electric machine optimization used for electric drives


The invention solves the problem of DTMF delay by shifting the delay and in-band signal processing to the receiving packet gateway. The transmitting gateway continues to process and transmit voice packets while also detecting DTMF signals. The receiving gateway's jitter buffer holds voice packets for the worst-case DTMF detection period. As the receiving gateway is about to play out a voice packet it checks to see if a packet has arrived indicating DTMF was present. If not, the voice is played out as usual. If DTMF is present, the voice is muted and a DTMF generator invoked by the receiving gateway to recreate the DTMF signaling. The audio remains muted until no more time periods are marked as containing DTMF. In this way, the delay in voice playout due to the possible presence of DTMF is completely subsumed in the normal jitter buffer delay.

This invention relates generally to methods and systems for communication of real-time audio, video, and data signals over a packet-switched data network, and more particularly to a method and system for minimizing delay induced by DTMF processing.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of the general topology of a packet telephony system 12. The packet telephony system 12 includes multiple telephone handsets 14 connected to a packet network 18 through gateways 16. The gateways 16 each include a codec for converting audio signals into audio packets and converting the audio packets back into audio signals.
The handsets 14 are traditional telephones or any other device capable of transmitting and/or receiving DTMF signals. Gateways 16 and the codecs used by the gateways 16 are any one of a wide variety of currently commercially available devices used for connecting the handsets 14 to the packet network 118. For example, the gateways 16 can be Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones or personal computers that include a digital signal processor (DSP) and software for encoding audio signals into audio packets. The gateways 16 operate as a transmitting gateway when encoding audio signals into audio packets and transmitting the audio packets over the packet network 18 to a receiving endpoint. The gateways 16 operate as a receiving gateway when receiving audio packets over the packet network 18 and decoding the audio packets back into audio signals. Since packet telephony gateways 16 and codecs are well known, they are not described in further detail.
A conventional packet telephony gateway transmit path is shown in the transmitting gateway in FIG. 2. The transmitting packet gateway 20 includes a voice encoder 22, a packetizer 24, and a transmitter 26. Voice encoder 22 implements the compression half of a codec. Packetizer 24 accepts compressed voice data from encoder 22 and formats the data into packets for transmission. Transmitter 26 places the audio packets from packetizer 24 onto packet network 18.
A receiving packet gateway 24 is shown in FIG. 3. The receiving gateway 24 reverses the process utilized by transmitter 14. A depacketizer 30 accepts packets from packet network 18. A jitter buffer 32 buffers data frames and outputs them to voice decoder 34 in an orderly manner. A voice decoder 34 implements the decompression half of the codec employed by voice encoder 22 (FIG. 2).
Low bit-rate codecs 22, 34 typically model the bandpass filter arrangement of the human auditory system, including the frequency dependence of auditory perception, in allocating bits to different portions of a signal. In essence, low bit-rate encoding often involves many decisions to discard or ignore actual information not typically represented in human speech.
Because it is optimized for human speech, voice encoding can produce undesirable effects if the audio signal being encoded is not of this form. Computer modem and facsimile audio signals are examples of such signals; both can be badly distorted by voice encoding. Modems and facsimile machines employ in-band signaling, i.e., they utilize the audio channel of a telephony connection to convey data to a non-human receiver. However, modem and facsimile traffic do not "share" a voice line with a human speaker. Packet telephony systems can therefore detect such in-band traffic during call connection and switch it to a higher bandwidth, non-voice encoding channel.
Other types of in-band signals share a voice channel with a human speaker. Most common among these are the DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) in-band signals generated by a common 12-button telephone keypad. Voice mail, paging, automated information retrieval, and remote control systems are among the wide variety of automated telephony receivers that rely on DTMF in-band control signals keyed in by a human speaker.
Because the signal is carried "in-band" as part of the encoded voice stream, DTMF is poorly encoded by the system shown in FIG. 2 if a low bit-rate coder is used. The reconstructed DTMF signals may be unrecognizable to an automated DTMF receiver. One popular low bit-rate coder, G.723.1, is widely recognized to have very poor DTMF fidelity. Other low bit-rate CODECs also have marginal DTMF fidelity upon decode and are therefore unsuitable without modification for many telephony applications, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
In order to avoid these fidelity problems, more sophisticated packet telephony systems are capable of detecting DTMF in the transmitting gateway in parallel with voice encoding. FIG. 4 depicts a parallel voice-encoding/DTMF detector transmitting packet gateway 38. Transmitting gateway 38 operates a DTMF in-band signal detector 40 on an uncompressed audio data stream 20, in parallel with voice encoder 22. If speech is present in the data stream 20, packetizer 24 will be supplied with a voice-encoded signal from encoder 22. If a DTMF signal appears in the data stream, the DTMF signal, rather than the voice-encoded signal, is supplied separately to packetizer 24. This system allows DTMF signals to effectively bypass the voice codec 22, thereby avoiding DTMF signal distortion. FIG. 4 depicts one of several different schemes where the suppression of the voice is done before packetization.
Although a parallel voice-encoding/DTMF detector packet telephony transmitter 38 can avoid DTMF fidelity problems, this capability comes at the price of higher latency. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standards specify that a valid DTMF signal be at least 40 milliseconds (ms.) in duration. During the 40 ms. duration of a DTMF pulse, the voice encoder 22 is not allowed to ship frames containing voice-compressed DTMF. Otherwise, the receiver could garble the DTMF signal or identify two signals, the first voice-encoded signal and the second DTMF detector-generated signal.
To avoid this problem, voice encoder 22 delays all speech output by a fixed delay of at least 40 ms. to allow the DTMF detector 40 to detect valid DTMF samples. This delay allows the transmitter to switch smoothly from voice-encoding to DTMF transmission without causing confusion at the receiving packet gateway 24 (FIG. 3). Unfortunately, this same delay adds to the call latency perceived by voice callers utilizing the packet voice connection.
The consequence for end-to-end delay in packet telephony system 12 (FIG. 1) is that all speech must be delayed by a minimum of 40 ms. in the transmitting gateway 38. If this is not done, the receiving gateway would first receive 40 ms. of speech which is actually DTMF, followed after an unpredictable interval by the true DTMF packets. The receiving gateway then plays out one or the other or both, resulting in either garbled DTMF, or possibly a duplicated input such as two "9's" rather than one.
Accordingly, a need remains for accurately detecting and transmitting DTMF without adding additional end-to-end delay to the packet network.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for minimizing delay induced by DTMF processing in packet telephony systems


This invention provides novel processes for amplifying nucleic acid sequences of interest, including linear and non-linear amplification. In linear amplification, a single initial primer or nucleic acid construct is utilized to carry out the amplification process. In non-linear amplification, a first initial primer or nucleic acid construct is employed with a subsequent initial primer or nucleic acid construct. In other non-linear amplification processes provided by this invention, a first initial primer or nucleic acid construct is deployed with a second initial primer or nucleic acid construct to amplify the specific nucleic acid sequence of interest and its complement that are provided. A singular primer or a singular nucleic acid construct capable of non-linear amplification can also be used to carry out non-linear amplification in accordance with this invention. Post-termination labeling process for nucleic acid sequencing is also disclosed in this invention that is based upon the detection of tagged molecules that are covalently bound to chemically reactive groups provided for chain terminators. A process for producing nucleic acid sequences having decreased thermodynamic stability to complementary sequences is also provided and achieved by this invention. Unique nucleic acid polymers are also disclosed and provided in addition to other novel compositions, kits and the like.

The first system described for the successful in vitro exponential amplification of target nucleic acids is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) (Saiki et al., 1985 Science 230; 1350-1354). PCR has been widely used for allele determination, forensic identification, gene analysis, diagnostics, cloning, direct sequencing and other applications. Subsequently, Reverse Transcriptase (RT) was used to transform an RNA molecule into a DNA copy allowing the use of RNA molecules as substrates for PCR amplification by DNA polymerase. In addition, conditions have been described that allow certain DNA polymerases to perform reverse transcription by themselves (Myers, T. W. and Gelfand, D. H. [1991] Biochem. 30; 7661-7666), contents incorporated herein by reference. Finally, Rose et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,178, also incorporated herein by reference) have described the use of inverted repeat sequences as choices for PCR primer sequences, allowing the use of a single primer to initiate polymerization from each end of a target nucleic acid to create a PCR amplicon that in single-stranded form can be drawn as a "pan-handles" with self complementary sequences at each end. In order to utilize targets that lack inverted repeats, this group has also described various methods to introduce sequences into a PCR amplicon, such that the final product would have self-complementary sequences at each end (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,439,793, 5,595,891, and 5,612,199, each of which is incorporated herein by reference).
Both the original PCR amplification system and various improved PCR systems suffer from the limitation of a necessity for expensive dedicated thermocyclers to provide the multiple temperature conditions that are intrinsic to the PCR method. This necessity is derived from the problem that the extension of a primer creates a product that has a stronger association with a template than the primer used to create it. As such, in a system like PCR, temperatures that allow binding of a primer are too low to allow separation of the extended product from its template and temperatures that are elevated enough to allow the separation of the extended product are too high to allow another priming event. The second priming event can not take place until after the first extended strand is separated from its template. As such, in PCR amplification, primer binding to template and the sequential release of the extended primers from the template have to be carried out at separate distinct temperatures and require a thermocycler to provide repeated sequences of distinct thermal steps. The existence of discrete cycles with different conditions also necessitates an optimization of temperature for each individual temperature step as well as an appropriate timing for each step. Similar problems also apply when ligation is used in the LCR reaction (Backman, K. et al. European Patent Application Publication No. 0 320 308, Landegren, U., et al., 1988 Science 241; 1077, Wu, D. and Wallace, R. B. 1989 Genomics 4; 560, Barany, F. 1991 Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 88; 189) where the temperature required for binding individual probes is less than the temperature required to release them after they have been stabilized by a ligation event. All of the foregoing documents are incorporated herein by reference.
Others have recognized these limitations and tried to overcome them by providing means to accomplish multiple cycles under isothermal conditions. Examples of this are 3SR (Kwoh, D. Y. et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 86; 1173-1177) and NASBA (Kievits, T. et al., 1991 J. Virol. Methods 35; 273-286, the contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference). Each of the preceding systems has the limitation of a necessity for the introduction of an RNA promoter into the structure of the nucleic acid being amplified. Consequently, there is also a limitation that these systems are dependent upon a cycling reaction between DNA and RNA forms of the sequence of interest. A dependency upon the production of an RNA intermediate introduces a limitation of susceptibility to RNases, enzymes that are ubiquitous in the environment and are frequently present in biologically derived specimens. In addition, the nature of the design of these amplification systems has the further limitation that they require the presence of four distinct enzymatic activities: DNA polymerase, Reverse Transcriptase, RNase H and RNA polymerase. In the TMA reaction, these activities are provided by the Reverse Transcriptase and RNA polymerase enzyme whereas in 3SR and NASBA they are provided by Reverse Transcriptase, RNase H and RNA polymerase enzymes. Each of these activities is required for the system to be functional, and as such there is a necessity for the manufacturer to test and titrate each function individually, thereby increasing the cost compared to systems that utilize a single enzyme activity. In addition, at a minimum, at least two different enzymes have to be used to provide all the necessary functions, thus rendering these systems more expensive than those that utilize a single enzyme. Furthermore, these systems require ribonucleotides as well as deoxyribonucleotides to be present as reagents for the reactions. The presence of multiple activities also creates more steps that are vulnerable to being inactivated by various inhibitors that may be present in biological specimens.
In the Strand Displacement Amplification method described by Walker et al. (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1992, 89; 392-396, incorporated herein by reference), isothermal amplification is carried out by the inclusion of a restriction enzyme site within primers such that digestion by a restriction enzyme allows a series of priming, extension and displacement reactions from a given template at a single temperature. However, their system has the limitation that besides the basic requirement for a polymerase and substrates, three additional elements are required in order to carry out their invention. First, there is a necessity for the presence of appropriate restriction enzyme sites at the sites where priming is to take place; secondly, there is a necessity for a second enzyme, a restriction enzyme, to be present, and lastly there is a necessity for specially modified substrates, such as thio derivatives of dNTPs to be present. A variation of this method has been described (U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,184, incorporated herein by reference) where the limitation of a necessity of a restriction enzyme site in the target has been eliminated by the use of a second set of primers that are adjacent to the primers with the restriction enzyme sites. However, in this variation, a system is described that has a new limitation of a requirement for a second set of primers while retaining the other two limitations of a need for a restriction enzyme and modified substrates.
Temperatures used for the various steps of full cycle amplification are dictated by the physical constraints that are intrinsic to each step. As such, in prior art the temperature used for complete displacement of extended strands from templates is typically around 92-95° C. This high temperature has been used to insure an adequate efficiency of separation such that an extended strand can be used as a template for subsequent reactions. When PCR was first described, the polymerase was derived from E. coli and as such there was essentially complete thermal inactivation of the polymerase after each denaturation step that required the addition of more enzyme (Saiki et al., 1985 230 1350-1354; cited supra). This problem was addressed by the use of a DNA polymerase from a thermophlilic bacterium, T. aquaticus, in PCR reactions (Saiki et al., 1988 Science 239; 487-491). Each of the foregoing Saiki publications is incorporated herein by reference. Due to its inherent heat stability, enzyme was continuously present throughout the FOR cycles and no further additions were required. Since that time, polymerases from other thermophiles have also been isolated and used in full cycle reactions. However, even though they are more robust in their resistance to thermal inactivation, these polymerases all suffer from a limitation of having a certain level of inactivation after each denaturation step that is dictated by a half-life for that particular enzyme at the temperature used for denaturation. Also the high denaturation temperature can also decrease the levels of dNTP substrates by hydrolysis and lead to inactivation of proteins that may be added to supplement the efficiency or specificity of the reaction.
Full cycle FOR conditions have been modified such that lower denaturation temperatures could be used Auer et al., (1996, NucI. Acids Res 24; 5021-5025, incorporated herein by reference) have described a procedure that used dITP, a natural neutral analogue of dGTP. By this substitution, they succeeded in avoiding amplification of double-stranded DNA that may be present in their samples and only amplified RNA targets. By no means is there recognition or appreciation of a utility for DNA targets. In fact, they teach away since their purpose is to avoid the use of DNA targets as templates. Their teachings have a limitation that the substitution dITP also necessitated a compensatory decrease in the temperatures used for the annealing (50° C.). In addition, the art described by Auer et al. relies upon the use of a nucleotide analogue that is known for a lack of discrimination for base pairing, thereby introducing the possibility of random variations being introduced into the sequence being amplified. When these alterations are in the primer binding area they may cause problems in priming efficiency and when they are in sequences between the primers they may introduce difficulties in detection probes being able to bind efficiently. The present invention is capable of using bases that exhibit normal levels of base pairing discrimination thereby avoiding the mutagenic events that are part of the previous art.
Determination of the nucleic acid sequence of genes and genomes is a major activity in both commercial and non-profit laboratories. The two basic systems that have been employed for this purpose are the base specific cleavage method described by Maxam and Gilbert (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1977, 74, 560-564) and the dideoxy method described by Sanger et al. (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1977, 74, 5463-5467). Both of the foregoing classical papers are incorporated herein by reference. Due to its ease of use the latter method is more commonly used. Both of these methods initially relied upon radioactive substrates for obtaining sequence information. For Maxam and Gilbert sequencing, this was most commonly carried out by end-labeling each strand and then separating each labeled end. For Sanger sequencing, either the primer is labeled or radioactive dNTP's are incorporated during strand extension. Sequence data was produced by autoradiographic determination of the position of radioactively labeled DNA bands of various lengths that had been separated by electrophoresis through a polyacrylamide gel.
In more recent years, sequencing methods have been improved by the substitution of non-radioactive labels. Non-radioactive labeling, potential positions for these labels and applications of their use are disclosed by Engelhardt et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,060, which was originally filed in 1982. Such labels can be in the oligo primer or in the substrates used for synthesis, i.e. the dNTP or ddNTP nucleotides. Signal generating moieties can act directly as exemplified by the use of fluorescently labeled primers (Beck et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 1989, 17; 5115-5123) or indirectly as exemplified by the use of biotin labeled primers (Ansorge et al., J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods 1986, 13; 315-323 and in addition, biotinylated nucleotides could be incorporated during limited primer extension (Sequenase Images™ Protocol Book 1993 United States Biochemical Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio). The foregoing four documents are incorporated herein by reference. A limited extension is required to standardize the amount of band-shifting caused by the modification in the nucleotides.
However, primer labeling has the limitation that there can be secondary structure or problematic sequences in the template strand that can cause inappropriate chain termination events that create ambiguities in the proper base assignment for that position. Incorporation of labeled dNTPs during the extension of the primer also suffers from this limitation. This limitation is valid regardless of whether radioactive or non-radioactive labels are used.
This limitation has been circumvented by the choice of the chain terminator nucleotide itself as the source of the label. This has been described by Hobbs and Cocuzza in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,519 and by Middendorf et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,947 for fluorescently labeled ddNTPs and by Middendorf et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,947 for biotin labeled ddNTPs that were later marked by fluorescent avidin. (For further reference refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,880; 5,346,603; 5,230,781; 5,360,523; and 5,171,534.) Each of the foregoing seven patents are incorporated by reference into this application. By this method, signals will be generated by strands that have incorporated a chain terminator. The presence of strands that have been terminated without the incorporated of a terminator nucleotide is now irrelevant since they are incapable of signal generation. However, this method has the limitation that the presence of additional chemical groups that provide signal generation produce steric or other inhibitory problems for the polymerase directed incorporation of the labeled terminator nucleotide, thereby decreasing the efficiency of the reaction (Prober et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,666, incorporated herein). It has also been suggested that biotinylated dideoxynucleotides could be used to provide signal generation, but these modified terminators were predicted to share the same limitations as their fluoresceinated counterparts, i.e. difficulty in incorporation by most commonly used polymerases (S. Beck 1990 Methods in Enzymology 184; 612-617, also incorporated herein). Some compensation for this inefficiency of incorporation can be achieved by increasing the amounts of polymerase in the reaction and/or by increasing the amounts of template DNA being copied. These compensatory steps suffer the limitation of increased costs associated with higher amounts of an expensive enzyme, DNA polymerase, or with preparation of adequate amounts of high quality template

Modified nucleic acid polymers and methods for their production


The invention described here provides a novel method of preventing the loss of focus and range of colors when digital image files are expanded to a larger size. Unlike interpolation algorithms and algorithms using Fourier analysis to create new pixels, the present system uses a combination of pseudo-randomizing functions and user controlled edge detection to enhance edges initially softened by expansion using interpolation algorithms. The resulting images can be optimized to provide a superior approximation to what would be an accurate photographic representation at the larger image size. Furthermore, the flexibility in edge detection sensitivity allows the operator to strongly mitigate the structural artifacts produced by lossy compression algorithms such as the jpeg system and sampling errors widespread in very small images. As a result files as small as 200 kilobytes can be effectively expanded to 250 or even 500 megabytes in many cases.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention described here provides a novel method of preventing the loss of focus and range of colors when digital image files are expanded to a larger size using existing methods of pixel interpolation. It also provides methods of selectively masking structural artifacts introduced by standard digital compression algorithms such as jpeg which defeat the most advanced Fourier transform based methods for expanding images to a larger size.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The challenge posed by the need to expand digital images without loss of image fidelity has prompted the development of several disparate systems for generating new pixels derived from information stored in the original pixels of an unexpanded image. The most widely used algorithms are polynomial interpolation equations that attempt to define values of new pixels by approximating the equations defining a surface in each color of the pixels as a function of position in the image. These algorithms use bilinear or bicubic equations to define a surface of best fit to the values of the original pixels. They suffer from the inevitable decay of edge focus and color intensity as they create an increasing population of pixels with color values intermediate to the original pixels during repeated rounds of image expansion. In contrast, the most successful and sophisticated methods could be characterized as pseudovectorizations. They use Fourier transforms to characterize the variations in color in the neighborhood of each pixel and then use those patterns to generate the intermediate pixels during image scale-up (U.S. Pat. No. 7,218,789; The contourlet transform: an efficient directional multiresolution image representation IEEE Transactions on Image Processing Volume: 14, Issue: 12 pp 2091-2106). These methods works considerably better than the aforementioned polynomial interpolations because 1) they are much more sensitive to complex structural variation in the data; and 2) Because random noise in images tends to be high frequency data with a low autocorrelation coefficient, and Fourier transforms are the most efficient way known to suppress such noise. Thus, the most successful previous attempts at solving these problems have focused on using Fourier transform techniques to characterize functions closely approximating the color variations among pixels adjacent to and at identified edges, then using those functions to properly color the new, initially blank pixels in an expanded image file. These methods have achieved significant advances over systems that average color difference between pixels using interpolation algorithms such as simple spline approximations or the bicubic algorithm, but they suffer from a different basic limitation. In small digital image files complex shapes are crudely sampled, leading to sharply defined anomalies known as sampling artifacts; or, alternatively, lossy compression systems, such as the widely used jpeg algorithms, will create structures, compression artifacts, such as strong edged square tiling that are difficult to logically distinguish from the true edges of the original image. Algorithms that are optimized to retain the color differences among pixels rather than averaging the differences, such as the Fourier transform based algorithms, will frequently maintain and strengthen these artifacts, thereby severely limiting the degree to which the images can be expanded before the artifacts make them esthetically and commercially unacceptable.

Method for retaining edges in an enlarged digital image


According to the present invention, a terminal device has: a transmission unit which transmits, to a robot, operator state information indicating the state of a user operating the robot; a receiving unit which receives, from the robot, robot state information indicating the state of the robot; a sensation imparting unit which imparts a predetermined sensation to the user; and a control unit which, when a delay time required for the receiving unit to receive the robot state information after the transmission unit transmits the operator state information is no longer than a predetermined time, controls the sensation imparting unit so as to impart a sensation based on the robot state information to the user, and when the delay time is longer than the predetermined time, controls the sensation imparting unit to impart, to the user, a sensation based on virtual state information that indicates an estimated robot state.

The present invention relates to a sensation imparting apparatus, a robot control system, and a robot control method.
Telexistence is known as a subset of virtual reality. Telexistence is also said to be a technique that allows a person to have a sense of remote reality or remote presence. Telexistence provides an environment in which a user takes an action, through an avator robot, to an object or person at a remote location in real time while making the user feel as if the object or person is nearby.
In order to operate a robot in real time through a network by telexistence, a high-speed network is required, and the network is required to have a very low latency and not to lose data. However, depending on the network in which data is transmitted, transmission delay or loss of data may occur.
In a case where data to be transferred is one piece of data transmitted in one direction, an influence of the transmission delay and the loss of data can be reduced by temporarily storing the data and stream in a buffer using a streaming algorithm that dynamically controls the rate. Also, by using streaming protocols such as Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) or HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), high-quality audio and video media can be transmitted synchronously in one direction.
The technology concerning remote control is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. S62-29196 and Charith Lasantha Fernando, Masahiro Furukawa, Tadatoshi Kurogi, Sho Kamuro, Katsunari Sato, Kouta Minamizawa and Susumu Tachi, "Design of TELESAR V for Transferring Bodily Consciousness in Telexistence", 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (Portugal), Oct. 7-12, 2012.
In telexistence, it is necessary to transmit or receive multiple media streams bi-directionally and synchronously among a plurality of endpoints on the Internet in order to enable a user to operate a robot as if he/she were in the robot. The plurality of pieces of media may be, for example, motion data, audio data, video data, or tactile data.
In the related art, in a case where a delay occurs between an operation of a robot operator and an action of a robot in telexistence, the control of the robot may become difficult. For example, if the delay is large, the situation assumed by the operator does not coincide with the situation visually recognized by the operator through an image capturing device provided in the robot, which causes dizziness in the operator, making it difficult for the operator to continue controlling the robot.
The delay is, for example, a delay generated in data communication via networks, a delay generated by performing data encoding and decoding processing, a delay generated by performing Analog to Digital (AID) transform processing on data (for example, a delay due to sampling), a mechanical delay, or the like.

Sensation imparting device, robot control system, and robot control method


A dual function capacitive occupant detection sensor includes a capacitive load cell disposed below a seat cushion, an electric field emitter disposed above the seat cushion and a capacitance-responsive control circuit. The control circuit determines a seated weight of an occupant based on the load cell capacitance, and a coupling of the electric field through an occupant based on the capacitance between the electric field emitter and the vehicle ground. The measured seated weight and electric field coupling parameters are logically combined to detect an occupant and to distinguish between a normally seated occupant and a cinched down infant or child seat of similar apparent weight.

Seat occupant detection is frequently used in connection with air bags and other pyrotechnically deployed restraints as a means of determining if the restraints should be deployed in the event of sufficiently severe crash. A significant challenge arises from the desire to minimize the cost-impact of occupant detection while retaining the ability to distinguish between a normally seated occupant and an infant or child seat that is cinched down against the seat with a seat belt. Unfortunately, the most cost effective sensing approaches such as seated weight sensing cannot reliably discriminate between these two types of occupants because they have similar apparent weight. While it is certainly possible to equip the vehicle with two or more different types of sensors and discriminate between occupant types based on all of the sensor data, the cost of doing so is usually too high. Accordingly, what is needed is a cost-effective occupant detection sensor that can reliably distinguish between a normally seated occupant and a cinched down infant or child seat.

Dual function capacitive sensor for seat occupant detection


A method of killing yeast or fungi which comprises treating the yeast or fungi with a toxic amount of dihydrocarveol.

(1) Field of the Invention
During the study of limonene as a hand cleaner, the applicants found that fully oxygenated limonene is a fungicide. A review of the literature revealed that oxygenated limonene contains several oxidation products including: limonene-1,2-oxide, limonene-8,9-oxide, 1-menthene-9-al, a-2,8-p-menthadiene-1-ol, .beta.-2,8-p-menthadiene-1-ol, dihydrocarvone, .beta.-cymenol, carvone, cis-carveol, and trans-carveol, as was outlined by Bain in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,863,882 and 3,014,047. Blumann listed the compounds formed by the auto-oxidation of limonene in Chemical Abstracts, Volume 63, 1965, on page 1819, which included cis-carveol, trans-carveol, trans-p-menth-8-ene-1,2-diol, limonene 1,2-epoxide, limonene 8,9-epoxide, cis and trans-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol, and perillyl alcohol. Even though it was unexpected, the applicants found that effective concentrations of dihydrocarveol kill yeast and fungicidal concentrations of dihydrocarveol kill fungi.
Dihydrocarveol is a monocyclic monoterpene with the following chemical formula: ##STR1##
Dihydrocarveol is an oil with a terpenic aroma. It is insoluble in water and glycerine. Dihydrocarveol is soluble in alcohol and is miscible in corn oil, olive oil, and soybean oil, etc. Dihydrocarveol has been used as a bactericide, but heretofore, it has never been known to kill yeast nor fungi.
Bain (in U.S. Pat. No.2,803,647) showed his method of producing carveol and dihydrocarveol and their esters. Leffingwell (in U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,164) produced dihydrocarveol from limonene-1,2-epoxide by the addition of small amounts of perchloric acid. In the Indian Journal of Chemistry 1975, 13(11), 1239-40, Misra showed how to make carveol and dihydrocarveol from carvone.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Zukerman studied the effect of auto-oxidized limonene on bacteria. He found it was weakly bacteriostatic, was unstable, and that it lost its bacteriostatic effect on keeping as was discussed in Nature 168: 517 (1951). He never studied oxidized limonene nor dihydrocarveol for fungicidal activity. Kurita investigated the fungicidal activity of several components of essential oils in Biol. Chem.. 45(4), 945-952, 1981, and noted that cineole, anethole, safrole, d-limonene, .alpha.-pinene, .beta.-pinene, camphene, .beta.-myrcene, caryophyllene, .beta.-cymene, d-camphor, benzaldehyde, vanillin, and furfural are not fungicidal while cinnamaldehyde, phenol, perillyl aldehyde, citral, perillyl alcohol, geraniol, citronellol, 1-nonanol, 1-deconal, 1-menthol and borneol have minimal to good fungicidal activity. He never studied the anti-yeast or anti-fungal activity of dihydrocarveol. Peter Tetenyi et al studied essential oils obtained from twelve different specimens of Tanacetum vulgare L. and found eight of the twelve specimens to be bactericidal in a concentration of 100 ug/ml against 85-90% of nineteen different bacteria and 100% fungicidal against sixteen species of fungi in a concentration of 50 ug/ml. He delineated numerous chemical components in the oils but he never studied dihydrocarveol or any of the individual components in the oils for anti-bacterial, anti-yeast and/or anti-fungal activity as was outlined in Herba Hungarica, 1981, Tom 20, No. 1-2, pages 57-74. In the Botanical Gazette 122, 194-8 (1961), R. C. French showed that dihydrocarveol stimulates the germination of wheat stem rust uredospores suggesting that dihydrocarveol promotes the growth of fungi. J. C. Maruzzella and L. Liguori reported the in vitro anti-fungal activity of essential oils in the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Vol. XLVII, No. 4, April 1958, pages 250-4, but they did not study the fungicidal activity of dihydrocarveol. J. C. Maruzzella and Jerry Balter showed the action of essential oils on phytopathogenic fungi in the Plant Disease Reporter Vol. 43, No. 11, Nov. 1959, pages 1143-1147, but they did not study the anti-yeast or the anti-fungal activity of dihydrocarveol. Gauvreau showed a means of producing disinfecting compositions in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,975 by combining cetyl pyridinium with terpenes to form antiseptics. Gauvreau never studied the use of dihydrocarveol alone nor in combination with cetyl pyridinium. Chastain and Sanders discovered a method of making limonene bactericidal and fungicidal as was described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,229, but they never studied dihydrocarveol for bactericidal nor fungicidal activity. A. Morel revealed the sterilizing action of carveol, dihydrocarveol, and their ozonization products in Comp. Rend. Soc. Biol. Volume 115, pages 536-8 (1934). He demonstrated the bactericidal activity of carveol and dihydrocarveol but he never studied their anti-yeast or anti-fungal activity. D. D. Whitehead in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,747 showed the fungicidal activity of several oxo-derivatives of limonene and dipentene, but he never studied the anti-yeast or anti-fungal activity of dihydrocarveol. J. C. Maruzzella et al reported the action of odoriferous organic chemicals and essential oils on wood-destroying fungi in the Plant Disease Reporter Vol 44, No. 10 (1960); dihydrocarveol was never studied. Murdock and Allen showed the germicidal effect of sodium benzoate against yeast is enhanced by orange peel oil and d-limonene (stripper oil), as was reported in Food Technology, Vol 14, No. 9, 1960, pages 441-5. They never studied the action of dihydrocarveol against yeast or fungi. Kellner et al studied ethereal oils for antimicrobial activity, but they never studied the oils nor any of their chemical constituents for anti-yeast or anti-fungal activity as was outlined in Arzneimittel-Forschung 5, 224-9 (1955).
It should be pointed out that the drugs which are bactericidal are usually not fungicidal, and drugs which are fungicidal are usually not bactericidal. In humans, the use of bactericidal antibiotics frequently promotes the growth of yeast. Table A, which follows, exemplifies the anti-bacterial, anti-yeast and anti-fungal activity of several commonly used anti-bacterial, anti-yeast, and anti-fungal antibiotics.
TABLE A __________________________________________________________________________ ANTIBIOTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST ANTIBIOTICS Gm + Bact Gm - Bact A F Bact Yeast Fungi __________________________________________________________________________ A. ANTIBACTERIAL 1. Ampicillin YES YES NO NO NO 2. Cephalothin YES YES NO NO NO 3. Chloramphenicol YES YES NO NO NO 4. Erythromycin YES NO NO NO NO 5. Ethambutol NO NO YES NO NO 6. Gentamicin YES YES NO NO NO 7. Isoniazid NO NO YES NO NO 8. Nitrofurantoin NO YES NO NO NO 9. Penicillin YES NO NO NO NO 10. Rifampin YES NO YES NO NO Streptomycin YES YES YES NO NO Sulfonamides NO YES NO NO NO Tetracycline YES YES NO NO NO Vancomycin YES YES NO NO NO B. ANTIYEAST 1. Nystatin NO NO NO YES NO 2. Gentian Violet NO NO NO YES NO C. ANTIFUNGAL 1. Chlotrimazole NO NO NO YES YES 2. Griseofulvin NO NO NO NO YES __________________________________________________________________________ Gm + Bact = Gram Positive Bacteria, Gm - Bact = Gram Negative Bacteria, A F Bact = Acid Fast Bacteria, YES = Kills Organism, NO = No Activity Against Organism
It should be noted in the table above that none of the anti-bacterial antibiotics kill yeast nor fungi, and none of the anti-yeast nor anti-fungal antibiotics kill bacteria. Thus an anti-fungal or anti-yeast antibiotic is not expected to kill bacteria, and an anti-bacterial antibiotic is not expected to kill yeast or fungi. Anti-fungal antibiotics do not necessarily kill yeast, and anti-yeast antibiotics do not necessarily kill fungi.
Several differences between yeast and fungi are known and are listed. For instance: (1) yeast can be grown in a culture in 24-48 hours while a fungus requires 7-14 days to grow in a culture. (2) Yeast grow on blood agar while fungi grow on sabouraud dextrose agar. (3) The use of anti-bacterial antibiotics in humans promotes the grow of yeast but the use of anti-bacterial antibiotics in humans does not promote the growth of fungi. (4) Several anti-yeast antibiotics do not kill fungi and several anti-fungal antibiotics do not kill yeast.

Method of killing yeast or fungi with dihydrocarveol


A heat dissipation device includes a plurality of fin plates (1) and a pair of heat pipes (30). Each fin plate includes a first plate (10) and a second plate (20). The first plate forms a first fastener (15) at an edge thereof and a pair of cutouts (17) at opposite sides of the fastener. A pair of tabs (152) is formed at opposite sides of the first fastener and parallel to the first plate. The second plate forms a second fastener (25) at an edge thereof. The second fastener includes a pair of double-layer latches (252) received in the cutouts of the first plate and interengaged with the tabs of the first plate. The first fastener is located between the pair of latches. The heat pipes are inserted through the first and second plates between said edges. The first and second plates then abut each other at said edges.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat dissipation devices for removing heat from electronic components, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device including a plurality of individual fin plates that are interlocked together.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional heat dissipation devices used for removing heat from electronic components are mostly formed by extrusion of metallic material. This kind of heat dissipation device comprises a base, and a plurality of pins integrally extending from the base. The pins are relatively thick in comparison with distances defined between each two adjacent pins, due to inherent limitations in extrusion technology. This restricts the number of the pins that can be formed, and a total heat dissipation area that can be provided by the pins. Furthermore, a height of the pins is limited to about 13 times the distance between each two adjacent pins, also due to inherent limitations in extrusion technology.
With the continuing boom in electronics technology, numerous modern electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs) of computers can operate at very high speeds and thus generate large amounts of heat. The heat must be efficiently removed from the CPU; otherwise, abnormal operation or damage may result. Conventional extruded heat dissipation devices are increasingly no longer able to adequately remove heat from these contemporary electronic components.
In order to keep pace with these developments in the electronics technology, assembled heat dissipation devices have been gaining in popularity. For example, China Patent No. 2462641Y provides an assembled heat dissipation device having a plurality of uniformly dimensioned individual plate fins evenly stacked together. Each fin forms top and bottom flanges. Each flange defines a pair of indents in communication with a main body of the fin, and forms a pair of tabs extending from outer peripheries of the indents respectively. The tabs of each fin are attached on the corresponding flanges of an adjacent fin in the indents. Thus, all the fins are connected together to form the heat dissipation device. However, the fins are connected together only by the attachment of the tabs of each fin in the indents of the adjacent fin. The fins are prone to be disengaged from each other when the heat dissipation device is subjected to shock or vibration during transportation or in operation. Part of or even the entire stack of fins may collapse.

Heat dissipation device with interlocking fin plates

Fu Zhun Precision Ind. (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


Before a process design stage of judging whether a process flow involves any problems, items and standards of a process PAC, which is a PAC of a process necessary for development of a manufacturing process, and of an element PAC, which is a PAC of an element technology used in the process are set, while linking the process PAC and the element PAC with each other.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing process developing method, and particularly relates to a manufacturing process developing method for a semiconductor and the like.
In development of manufacturing processes for semiconductor products, conventionally, a procedure is dominantly employed in which wafers are processed through a full process, which is a series of manufacturing steps all combined, and then the resultant is verified. However, this procedure requires much time for process development. In detail, it takes about two to three months from the commencement of a full process to the end of verification because of increased number of steps. Further, the verification must be performed plural times, and therefore, a longer time is required for process development as a whole. For example, even for a minor partial change in a manufacturing process, a full process must be run through for evaluation of the change. Thus, process development requires enormous time. For tackling this problem, a method in which a full process is divided into a plurality of modules by step units such as an element isolation step, a wiring step, and a process of each module is developed (see, NIKKEI MICRODEVICES, May, 2003, pp. 91-93, for example). The process development per module unit reduces the time required for verification to about one week per one time though it depends on a module dividing manner. It is noted that each module is composed of a combination of small pieces of steps such as a lithography step, an etching step practically.
However, mere division of a full process into plural modules does not lead to efficient process development with good yield.

Manufacturing process developing method for semiconductor device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In stunning of slaughter animals by means of a box stunning apparatus with stunning atmosphere, boxes (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) are conveyed around after one another to various stop positions by means of a transport system (11, 12). Animals to be stunned are driven forwards in a driveway (2) and into an entrance area (3). The animals in the entrance area are separated from other animals after a group of animals has passed into the area. The group is driven into an empty box (1) that is brought to a halt in the first stop position at the entrance area. The box is then conveyed into the stunning atmosphere. After the animals have been in the atmosphere the box is conveyed out of the atmosphere and is brought to a stop at an emptying area (13) to empty the box of stunning animals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for stunning of slaughter animals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In stunning of slaughter pigs some slaughterhouses use a box stunning apparatus with CO2 atmosphere, e.g. an apparatus of the "Backloader" type from Butina ApS, Denmark. Animals are driven along a driveway towards an entrance area, and when a number of animals corresponding to the box size has entered the area it is closed towards the driveway to prevent other animals entering the area. The group of animals in the area is then driven into a box, which is placed in a receiving position at the entrance area. The box is closed and lowered into a pit with CO2. After the animals have been in the CO2 atmosphere for some time they have been stunned and the box is lifted out of the pit to an emptying area opposite the entrance area. The animals are discharged from the box, and shackled for sticking and bleeding.
In box stunning apparatuses of this type movement of a box depends on the movement of the other boxes, because the boxes are conveyed close after one another in a closed path. This means that the movement of the boxes must be stopped each time a box is being filled.
The ability of the apparatus to supply the slaughter line with stunned animals depends to a great extent on the time it takes for a group of animals to pass into the entrance area, the time it takes to separate the group of animals from the animals in the driveway, and the time it takes to drive the group into a box. The time spent on these work phases varies considerably because of the behaviour of the animals. Some animals walk in of their own volition, or are easy to drive in, while others are unwilling or hesitate, so that the process is delayed. To compensate for this, box stunning apparatuses are designed with excess capacity so that the required number of stunned animals can be provided on the emptying side even when process time on the entrance side is prolonged. However, the result of this is that too many animals are supplied to the slaughter line when the process on the entrance side is smooth, or if the operator puts pressure on the animals to gain time in connection with work breaks. The result is a build-up of animals on the emptying side, which means that the operators there and on the rest of the slaughter line cannot manage to process the stunned animals at the speed at which they arrive.

Method and apparatus for stunning of slaughter animals


A hub and hub-holder assembly for vehicles equipped with a central tire iation system having a rotating joint such that tightness is assured by wear-resistant rigid parts during the inflation of the tires.

The present invention relates to an assembly of a hub and hub-holder for vehicles equipped with a central tire inflation system and, more particularly, sealing means or rotating joints between the hubs and hub holders of these vehicles.
In order to be able to use tire inflation installation arranged on board a vehicle during the travel of the vehicle, it is necessary to provide each wheel with an air-tight rotating joint in order to assure a connection between an air compressor on the vehicle and each of the tires through the hub of each wheel.
Such rotating joints are described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,656. In that patent, a flexible sealing lip 72 is clamped permanently against its cylindrical sealing surface 68 by a "circular spring 78 which exerts a radial force towards the inside". Accordingly, in this known system, the flexible parts which assure the tightness are always in rotating contact. This arrangement has several drawbacks: a certain amount of power is absorbed uselessly, which causes a harmful liberation of heat; furthermore, the parts in rotating contact wear out rapidly, which impairs their reliability and makes their replacement necessary. U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,027 proposes a device for solving this problem. In this second patent, a toroidal lobe 50 of rubber which is fastened to the stationary hub rests against a cylindrical sealing surface 22 of the movable hub; when the air pressure is high (during inflation), the lobe rests firmly against said sealing surface so as to assure tightness; upon return to atmospheric pressure "the lobes 50 rest against the surfaces 22 with a very slight pressure, or even without any contact pressure at all". This arrangement makes it possible significantly to reduce the contact pressures between the sealing lips and the corresponding sealing surfaces during periods of non-use of the inflation means. However, this arrangement does not permit the use of rigid materials in order to assure the tightness. In fact, the tightness is assured by the radial deformation of a resilient lobe. Accordingly, this lobe and the associated device always present problems of wear and therefore of life.
In the following, the term "hub" will be used to cover all the parts movable in rotation around the fixed hub carrier of a vehicle axle with the exception of the tires and the connecting ball bearings. Thus the term "hub" will include the hub proper, but also the wheel which is rigidly fastened to the hub.
Similarly, "hub holder" will be used to designate all the stationary parts of the axle.

Hub and hub-holder assembly for vehicles equipped with a central tire inflation system

Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin - Michelin & Cie


Patterning is performed in such a manner that an end portion fabricated of a second gate insulating film partially overlaps an end portion fabricated of a first gate insulating film. Then, a surface recovery treatment is performed in the aforementioned state where the first and second gate insulating films partially overlap each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including two types of MIS transistors and a manufacturing method of the same, and particularly is suitable for application to a semiconductor device using a high dielectric constant material for a gate insulating film of one of the MIS transistors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as a transistor whose gate leakage current is small and power consumption is low, a MIS transistor using a gate insulating film made of a high dielectric constant material (hereinafter abbreviated only as a high dielectric constant transistor) attracts attention. However, this high dielectric constant transistor is not suitable for high-speed operation at a low threshold voltage since the threshold voltage shifts to the high-voltage side.
On the other hand, a MIS transistor using a gate insulating film made of a silicon oxide or a silicon oxynitride (hereinafter abbreviated only as a SiO-based transistor) enables high-speed operation since the threshold voltage can be made low although its power consumption is higher than that of the high dielectric constant transistor.
Hence, it is proposed that as a semiconductor device, the high dielectric constant transistor and the SiO-based transistor are mixedly mounted, and the former transistor is mounted on a portion which does not require high-speed operation but requires low power consumption, whereas the latter transistor is mounted on a portion which requires high-speed operation although its power consumption is relatively high. More specifically, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2, after a first gate insulating film made of a silicon oxide is first formed on the entire surface of a substrate, the first insulating film is patterned to be left only on a first active region. Then, after a second gate insulating film made of a high-melting point material is formed on the entire surface of the substrate, including the first gate insulating film, the second gate insulating film is patterned to be left only on a second active region. By this series of process steps, the first gate insulating film and the second gate insulating film can be separately formed on the first active region and the second active region, respectively.
(Patent Document 1)
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-188338
(Patent Document 2)
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-23100
However, in the case of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the second gate insulating film is patterned, surface damage due to etching is inevitably caused to the first gate insulating film when the second gate insulating film on the first gate insulating film is removed by etching. If the transistors are formed in this state, satisfactory electric properties of the transistors (for example, reduction in gate leakage current, operating life extension, and so on) cannot be obtained.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same


Embodiments disclosed herein relate to diversity receive systems and methods. An antenna system may comprise a reflector and a plurality of feed antennas configured to receive a wireless signal from a common source with directional diversity. A receive system may comprise such antenna system in combination with a plurality of receivers and/or demodulators, and in combination with a combiner and/or controller.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to wireless transmit and receive systems. More specifically, embodiments herein may relate to a multi-feed diversity tracking antenna system.
A traditional radio frequency (RF) link consists of both a transmit and receive system. Such RF link may use the digital COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation/demodulation schemes to transmit and/or receive audio, encapsulated data, compressed video, or other information or data. The transmit system takes the information and converts it into a modulated RF signal using a transmitter and radiates that energy into the air via an antenna. The receive system uses an antenna to collect the RF energy and feed it to a receiver which then demodulates the signal back into the original information.
Between the output of the transmit antenna and the input of the receive antenna, the RF signal propagates through the air getting attenuated and bounced off terrain, buildings, or water. As received at the receive antenna, the signal typically should have enough power (from the transmitter) and gain (from the receive antenna) to overcome the attenuation due to the air and to satisfy the threshold signal level required by the receiver. Attenuation due to the air is dependent on a number of factors, such as distance traveled, frequency of the signal (higher frequency signals generally get attenuated more), and atmospheric conditions (hot/cold and dry/wet air may all affect the attenuation). The attenuation can be roughly calculated, but greater attenuation called fading may occur under certain conditions. Such greater attenuation must be accounted for when designing receive systems.
In addition, the receive system may also receive none, some, or all of the bounced signals, which is known as natural multi-path. This natural multi-path presents multiple images of the same signal at the receiver due to paths having varied lengths which are taken by the bounced signals to get from the transmit antenna to the receive antenna. In addition, the system may receive other transmitted signals of the same, or similar, frequency and power levels, known as unnatural multi-path. To receive a desired signal, the system can preferably discriminate against and overcome both forms of multi-path to demodulate the desired signal.
Problems further to those described above may also be experienced when receiving a signal. For example, too much received signal, be it a desired signal or signal from natural and/or unnatural multi-path, can be a problem due to an input amplifier of the receiver being driven into a non-linear region and causing unrecoverable distortions of the desired signal.
A need exists for improved wireless communication systems and methods, for example for use with the transmission and reception of RF signals. More specifically, a need exists for improved receive systems and methods of controlling those receive systems.

Multi-feed diversity receive system and method


A method for creating a customized pet food additive formula for a pet includes receiving, through an electronic interface, a user input including an individual pet profile for the pet, receiving an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, and electronically processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a pet food additive formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.

This invention relates generally to methods for manufacturing pet foods, and more particularly, to a process for manufacturing a pet food customized to the health and nutrition requirements of an individual pet.
Retail pet food manufacturers typically manufacture their pet foods in large quantities and in only a limited number of formulations. Most manufacturers offer for example, dog food in several flavors, and in a puppy formula, an adult dog formula, and a mature or inactive dog formula. Some manufacturers offer breed specific or size-specific formulas. In addition, some manufacturers offer more specialized formulas for dogs having specific food allergies or nutrient responsive diseases. Similarly, retail cat food is typically offered in a limited variety of formulas having different flavors or for different stages of development. However, all of the above described food selections are for a totally pre-made product and hence the range of pet food choices is not necessarily compatible with the highly variable preferences and dietary requirements of individual pets. Thus, making a selection to suit a particular pet""s dietary needs is sometimes difficult and sub-optimal. For example, an individual pet may have specific dietary requirements because of an existing illness or disease, or because of a genetic predisposition towards a particular disease. Further, the existing variety of pet food choices typically available at, for example, retail outlets, makes it difficult for pet owners to choose the food which most closely meets their own pet""s nutrient needs. In addition, once a food is chosen, knowing how to feed the food correctly can be difficult.
In one aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing a pet food for a pet comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, obtaining an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a first pet food formula specific to the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis, and manufacturing the pet food according to the first pet food formula.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing a pet food for a pet comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, processing the individual pet profile to create a first pet food formula specific to the user input individual pet profile, and manufacturing the pet food according to the first pet food formula. The method further comprises obtaining a biological sample from the pet after the pet has been eating the pet food manufactured according to the first pet food formula, analyzing the obtained biological sample to obtain information, processing the obtained biological sample analysis information in combination with the individual pet profile to create a second pet food formulation for the pet and manufacturing the pet food according to the second pet food formulation.
In a further aspect of the invention, a method for customizing pet food for a pet comprises receiving, through an electronic interface, a user input comprising an individual pet profile for the pet, receiving an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, electronically processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a first pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis, and manufacturing a pet food according to the first pet food formula.
In a still further aspect of the invention, a method for customizing a pet food for a pet comprises receiving, through an electronic interface, a user input comprising an individual pet profile for the pet, electronically processing the individual pet profile to create a first pet food formula specific to the user input individual pet profile, and manufacturing the pet food according to the first pet food formula. The method further comprises receiving an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, electronically processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a second pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis, and manufacturing a pet food according to the second pet food formula.
In another aspect of the invention, a system for manufacturing pet food comprises a computer, and a user interface including a data entry system. The user interface is coupled to the computer and is configured to prompt a user at the user interface to enter information regarding an individual pet profile of the pet. The computer is configured to receive the individual pet profile information from the user. The computer is also configured to receive information regarding an analysis from a biological sample of the pet. The computer is further configured to process the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a first pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis. The system also comprises a food manufacturing apparatus. The computer is further configured to utilize the first pet food formula to generate at least one control signal to control the food manufacturing process apparatus according to the first pet food formula.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a system for manufacturing pet food for a pet comprises a computer and a user interface including a data entry system. The user interface is coupled to the computer and is configured to prompt a user at the user interface to enter information regarding an individual pet profile of the pet. The computer is configured to receive the individual pet profile information from the user and process the individual pet profile to create a first pet food formulation specific to the user input individual pet profile. The system further comprises a food manufacturing apparatus. The computer is further configured to utilize the first pet food formula to generate at least one control signal to control the food manufacturing process apparatus according to the first pet food formula. The computer is also configured to receive information regarding an analysis from a biological sample of the pet and process the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a second pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis. The computer is further configured to utilize the second pet food formula to generate at least one control signal to control the food manufacturing process apparatus according to the second pet food formula.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for creating a pet food formula for a pet. The method comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, obtaining an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, and processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a first pet food formula specific to the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for creating a pet food product formula for a pet. The method comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, processing the individual pet profile to create a first pet food product formula specific to the user input individual pet profile, obtaining a biological sample from the pet after the pet has been eating a pre-manufactured basal kibble mixed with a pet food product manufactured according to the first pet food formula, analyzing the obtained biological sample to obtain information, and processing the obtained biological sample analysis information in combination with the individual pet profile to create a second pet food product formulation for the pet.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for creating a customized pet food additive formula for a pet. The method comprises receiving, through an electronic interface, a user input comprising an individual pet profile for the pet, receiving an analysis from a biological sample of the pet after the pet has been eating a pet food manufactured according to the first pet food formula, and electronically processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a pet food additive formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for customizing a pet food formula for a pet. The method comprises receiving, through an electronic interface, a user input comprising an individual pet profile for the pet, electronically processing the individual pet profile to create a first pet food formula specific to the user input individual pet profile, receiving an analysis from a biological sample of the pet, and electronically processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a second pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a system is provided for creating a pet food formula for a pet. The system comprises a computer and a user interface including a data entry system, the user interface coupled to the computer and configured to prompt a user at the user interface to enter information regarding an individual pet profile of the pet. The computer configured to receive the individual pet profile information from the user. The computer also configured to receive information regarding an analysis from a biological sample of the pet. The computer further configured to process the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a first pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a system is provided for creating a pet food formula for a pet. The system comprises a computer and a user interface including a data entry system. The user interface coupled to the computer and configured to prompt a user at the user interface to enter information regarding an individual pet profile of the pet. The computer configured to receive the individual pet profile information from the user and process the individual pet profile to create a first pet food formulation specific to the user input individual pet profile. The computer also configured to receive information regarding an analysis from a biological sample of the pet and process the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis to create a second pet food formula utilizing information obtained from the user input individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for suggesting a pet food for a pet. The method comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, obtaining a biological sample from the pet, analyzing the obtained biological sample to obtain information, processing the individual pet profile, suggesting a pre-manufactured kibble that correlates with the processed pet profile, suggesting a pre-manufactured additive that correlates with the processed pet profile, and providing a set of feeding instructions for the pet.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for customizing a pet food for a pet. The method comprises obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, obtaining a biological sample from the pet, analyzing the obtained biological sample to obtain information, processing the individual pet profile to create a pet food additive formula, suggesting a pre-manufactured kibble that correlates with the processed pet profile, and preparing a pet food additive derived from the created pet food additive formula.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for customizing a pet food product for a pet. The apparatus comprises means for obtaining an individual pet profile for the pet, means for obtaining a biological sample analysis of the pet, means for processing the individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis, and means for creating a pet food product in accordance with the processed individual pet profile and the biological sample analysis.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for obtaining a customized pet food product for a pet. The method comprises providing information pertaining to an individual pet profile of the pet, providing a biological sample of the pet, and obtaining a pet food product, the pet food product determined from an analysis of the provided information and the provided sample.

Methods and apparatus for customizing pet food


A finger ring size adjustment device comprises a ring shank and a cradle which is biased radially inward from the shank. The cradle is moveable between a retracted position and an adjusted position for reducing the ring size. The ring wearer thus has an adjustable ring shank for easily sliding over an enlarged knuckle or joint and then to a desired fit on the phalanx portion of the finger. The cradle is biased inwardly toward the adjusted position by a leaf spring in an automatically adjustable embodiment and a lever arm in an alternate embodiment. The manually operable lever arm is slidably engaged with the cradle and rotatably connected to the shank for moving the cradle between the retracted and adjusted positions. The lever arm is stored within the body of the shank when holding the cradle in the adjusted position. The leaf spring is carried by the shank and is positioned for biasing the cradle radially inward from the shank to the adjusted position which position is automatically set by the finger of the user. A feature of the invention includes the biasing member and cradle positioned within the boundaries of the shank for permitting the adjustable ring device to be used in juxtaposition with a second or companion ring and for avoiding the snagging of clothing by the adjustable ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a finger ring size opening adjustment device for enhancing the retention of a finger ring upon the wearer's finger and, more particularly to an adjustment device adapted to the ring shank for permitting passage of the ring over an enlarged knuckle for fitting a digital portion of the finger.
2. Description of Background Art
A well known problem in the fitting of finger rings is a condition where a wearer will have relatively large knuckles compared to the digital portion of his finger. If a ring is sized large enough to fit over the knuckle, it is typically too loose when it is past the knuckle and as a result is not properly secured to the digital portion of the finger resulting in an objectionable loose fit. A variety of devices have been developed that include adjustable shanks and devices for filling space between the inner surface of the shank and the digital portion of the finger.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,075,673 to Segman discloses a finger ring adjustable to different size fingers after the ring has been placed on the finger. A screw threaded shank is disclosed which is secured to and carried within a setting and adapted to be received in a tapped opening in the ring. An adjustable plate is rotatably secured to an inner end of the screw threaded shank. A thumb screw used for adjusting the screw threaded shank is dimensioned to fit outside the shank within the head of the ring or in an alternative for extending outside the shank at a lower portion of the ring shank.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,505 to Olson discloses a finger ring having an adjustable ring guard wherein the ring setting at the upper end of the ring is provided with a centrally located recess beneath the setting. This recessed portion is dimensioned to accommodate an eccentric wheel. The wheel is mounted on a journal which is rotatably received within a blind bore and which extends transversely from one outer side of the ring through the recess. The journal at its outer portion is provided with a slotted end for rotation using a tool such as a screw driver and consequently the rotation of the eccentric wheel by means of a small screwdriver. Upon rotation of the wheel, a plunger extending upwardly into the recess causes a downward movement of a thin resilient metallic strip. The flexible strip is semi-circular in configuration and is provided at each end with two outwardly extending tabs which engage shank sides of the ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,718 to Lodrini discloses a device for narrowing the diameter of a finger ring which includes a short saddle-like insert fitted into the ring finger opening for constricting the opening size. The saddle comprises a moveable arcuate sector that fits around the bottom portion of the ring over shank side walls with spring therebetween.
By way of further example, known adjustment devices include crescent shaped elements hinged to a bottom portion of the shank for pivoting from a first position outside of the ring opening to a second position within the ring opening thus providing the adjustment such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,465,544 to Tucker and 4,215,556 to Mroz. U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,598 to Leone discloses a finger ring with pivotally mounted size adjusting member actuated to reduce the internal ring size after the ring is on the finger so that a maximum ring opening can be provided for placing the ring on the finger. The pivoted element is adapted to be swung to a position in the plane of the ring, thereby decreasing the ring size and to a position at right angles to the plane of the ring, thereby opening the ring to its full original inside diameter.
Even with the innovative ring adjustment devices known in the art, there remains a need for adjusting a ring size that is simply done by the ring user without the need for tools and includes its adjusting elements such that the adjustable ring can be attractively used with a companion ring.

Finger ring size adjusting device and method


The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium, by which DNA coding for a protein having an antitumor activity or DNA coding for a protein having the activity of converting a precursor of an antitumor substance into the antitumor substance is delivered to tumor tissues specifically under anaerobic conditions thereby expressing the protein encoded by the DNA, as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising said anaerobic bacterium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to anaerobic bacteria belonging to the genus Bifidobacterium useful for gene therapy of solid tumors, a pharmaceutical composition containing the same, a method of delivering a gene and a method of treating solid tumors by use of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hypoxic regions are characteristic of solid tumors in animal (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys., 10: 695-712(1984)) and occur with high frequency in many types of human solid tumors (Fischer-Verlag, stuttgart, 219-232(1994), New York). Tissue oxygen electrode measurements (i.e. a membrane examination device capable of measuring dissolved oxygen) taken in cancer patients have shown a median range of oxygen partial pressure of 10 to 30 mmHg in tumors, with a significant proportion of readings below 2.5 mmHg, whereas those in normal tissues range from 24 to 66 mmHg.
Accordingly, gene therapy in solid tumors that targets gene expression to hypoxic tumor cells is currently being investigated (Nat. Med. 3: 515-520 (1997)). As a result, it is known that certain species of anaerobic bacteria, including the genera Clostridium and Bifidobacterium, can selectively germinate and grow in the hypoxic regions of solid tumors after intravenous (i.v.) injection (Cancer Res. 40: 2061-2068(1980) & 15: 473-478 (1955)).
Further, anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridia or Salmonella have been examined for the availability as gene delivery vectors (Gene Ther. 4: 791-796 (1997) & 3: 173-178 (1996), FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 17:357-364(1995), Cancer Biother Radio. 11: 145-153 (1996), Nat. Biotechnol. 17: 37-41 (1999)).
However, these bacteria have pathogenicity in humans and are thus not always safe gene delivery vectors in gene therapy of solid tumors. Actually, some reports have demonstrated febrile adverse reactions as side effects after injection with Clostridium butyricum spores or oral intake of Salmonella typhi (Eur. J. Cancer. 3: 37-41 (1967), J. Clin. Invest. 90: 412-420 (1992), Infect. Immun. 60: 536-541 (1992)).
The genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, on the other hand, are Gram-positive and are domestic, nonpathogenic bacteria found in the lower small intestine and large intestine of humans and other animals.
In particular, Bifidobacterium strains have widely used for preparation of fermented dairy products in many Asiatic and Western countries, and it is now generally accepted that these bacteria are nonpathogenic. In addition, it is known that these bacteria are not only nonpathogenic but also have health-promoting properties for their host. Such useful properties include e.g. an increase of the immune response (J. Dairy Sci. 74:1187-1195(1991)), inhibition of carcinogenesis (Cancer Res. 53: 3914-3918 (1993)) and protection of the host against viral infection (Lancet. 344: 1046-1049 (1994)), etc.
Despite the increasing attention to these bacteria in the fields of food science, medicine and industry, they have rarely been used in gene therapy.
To be able to exploit the potential of these bacteria for cancer gene therapy, detailed knowledge is required about such basic biological phenomena as cellular metabolism, gene expression, protein secretion and genetics. But little is known about genetic properties of the genus Bifidobacterium, mainly due to the lack of efficient and reproducible systems for genetic transfer and adequate selectable markers.
In recent years, however, a system for the convenient and reproducible genetic transformation of stains of the genus Bifidobacterium was developed (Microbiology, 142: 109-114 (1996); Biosci. Biotechnol. Biocem. 61: 1211-1212 (1997)).
However, the development of regulatory sequences including a promoter for highly expressing an introduced gene was still not satisfactory.

Anaerobic bacterium as a drug for cancer gene therapy


Example embodiments perform on-the-fly delivery of PGP encrypted data. A large data file is broken into chunks which are encrypted and delivered to a pipe object. The bytes of a chunk are read from the pipe object in the same order as they were written. Header and footer packets are prepared and delivered.

Encrypted data transfer between computer processors via the internet is widely used to exchange sensitive data among enterprise partners and for other uses. Symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques are both used.
Symmetric encryption techniques utilize a single encryption key value to both encrypt and decrypt data. Accordingly, both a sender and a receiver must have possession of the symmetric key to implement secure data delivery.
Asymmetric encryption techniques utilize a pair of key values called the private key and the public key. Each key in the pair can decrypt date encrypted by the other key in the pair. Typically the public key is distributed to intended receivers and the private key is kept in the possession of the sender.
All public key holders may decrypt a message encrypted by the sender using the private key. This assures the public key holder that only a person in possession of the private key could have encrypted the message. Further, the holders of public keys can use the public key to encrypt private messages that can only be decrypted using the private key.
Another use of asymmetric encryption is to digitally sign a document to assure the receiver that the data originated with the holder of the private key and has not been changed. The document is hashed into a small field of data called the message digest. The message digest is then encrypted with the private key into a signature for the data and sent along with the unencrypted document to the receiver. The receiver uses the public key to decrypt the signature to obtain the message digest thereby assuring that the message was sent by the holder of the private key. The receiver then hashes the received unencrypted document into a message digest. If the two message digests are the same then the data has not been changed.
Encryption using a symmetric algorithm is faster than using an asymmetric algorithm. However, a major problem is distribution of the single symmetric key value to multiple parties. Using an asymmetric encryption scheme greatly reduces the number of keys required and the problem of key distribution.
PGP (Pretty Good Protection) is a hybrid symmetric/asymmetric technique that eliminates the problems and utilizes the benefits of both systems. In PGP a symmetric PGP session key is generated that will be used only for the current session. The PGP session key is a random number generated by a processor in response to user input such as mouse movements or keystrokes.
The sender and receiver use a pair of PGP asymmetric public/private encryption keys to encrypt and decrypt the symmetric PGP session key. At the sender, the symmetric PGP session key is encrypted using the PGP asymmetric public key and transmitted to the receiver in a PGP header packet. The message text is then encrypted using the session key and stored in I/O memory as encrypted text. The encrypted text is then transmitted to the receiver.
At the receiver, the encrypted text is stored in I/O memory. The encrypted symmetric PGP session key is decrypted using the PGP asymmetric private key. The decrypted PGP session key is then used to decrypt the encrypted text stored in I/O memory.


An electrical machine (1). The electrical machine (1) has a commutator (3), a brush (5) and a spring. In this case, the brush (5) is designed to make contact with the commutator (3). The spring is provided for the purpose of pressing the brush (5) against the commutator (3). In this case, the spring is designed as a coil spring (7) with a first coil strip (9) and a second coil strip (11).

Electric motors can be used in many fields of technology. For example, electric motors can be used for pumping liquids. In this case, the electric motors can be operated in a liquid or a liquid can flow through said electric motors.
By way of example, an electric motor can be mechanically commutated with the aid of brushes and a commutator. A corresponding electric motor is known, for example, from DE 10 2006 047 085 A1.
When the electric motor is used to pump fuel, there may be an undesired increase in the electrical resistance between the commuter and the brushes. In particular, there may be an increase in the electrical resistance when the electric motor is used with ethanol-containing fuels and/or during operation at a rated load of the electric motor which is lower than average. This increase in the electrical resistance is called the "filming effect".

Use of double coil-strip springs for electric fuel pumps


Joining data using a disjunctive operator using a lookup table is described. An example computer-implemented method can include receiving a query with a set of conjunctive predicates and a set of disjunctive predicates. The method may also include generating a lookup table for each predicate in the sets of conjunctive predicates and disjunctive predicates. The method, for each row in a probe-side table, may also further include looking up a value associated with that row in each of the lookup tables and adding the row to a results set when there is a match. Additionally, the method may also include returning the results set.

Joins are a fundamental operation in analytic database systems. Furthermore, a hash join operator can be used to compute joins, if the join predicate is a (selective) equality condition. If there is no equality condition or it is significantly less selective than the overall predicate (for example, including a disjunctive operation), then the join degenerates into a cross product with a post filter where each row from the left side is matched with each row from the right side and the predicate is used to eliminate rows from this intermediate result.
A hash join implementation can process the join operation in parallel on multiple servers. It can adaptively switch between broadcasting the build side to all servers and hash-partitioning hash joins based on the size of the build-side. For hash-partitioning hash joins, joins without a conjunctive component in the predicate are restricted to using a single server, reducing the degree of parallelism to one.
In addition, bloom filters and range bloom filters can be used for conjunctive join predicates to eliminate probe-side rows without a matching build-side join partner early: Before scanning a micro-partition (or "file"), the micro-partition's minimum and maximum values of the equality join key(s) are tested against the range bloom filters. Thus, range bloom filters can potentially skip loading files from cloud storage, unpacking and processing them all together.
Furthermore, bloom filters can filter out individual rows (from those files that pass the range bloom filter) so they do not have to be sent over the network (in case of a hash-hash join) and do not have to be probed into a hash table. Both techniques have proven to be very effective in reducing the amount of data that has to be processed.

System and method for disjunctive joins using a lookup table