A purified pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) comprises a truncated form of the PspA protein which is immunoprotective and contains the protective epitopes of PspA. The PspA protein is soluble in physiologic solution and lacks at least the cell membrane anchor region of the whole protein. The protein is formed by insertion-duplication of mutagenesis of S. pneumoniae with pspA gene and expression of the truncated protein into the growth medium.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of otitis media, meningitis, bacteremia and pneumonia. Despite the use of antibiotics and vaccines, the prevalence of pneumococcal infections has declined little over the last twenty-five years.
It is generally accepted that immunity to Streptococcus oneumoniae can be mediated by specific antibodies against the polysaccharide capsule of the pneumococcus. However, neonates and young children fail to make an immune response against polysaccharide antigens and can have repeated infections involving the same capsular serotype.
One approach to immunizing infants against a number of encapsulated bacteria is to conjugate the capsular polysaccharide antigens to protein to make them immunogenic. This approach has been successful, for example, with Haemophilus influenzae b (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,538 to Gordon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,574 to Anderson). However, there are over eighty known capsular serotypes of S. pneumoniae of which twenty-three account for most of the disease. For a pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate to be successful, the capsular types responsible for most pneumococcal infections would have to be made adequately immunogenic. This approach may be difficult, because the twenty-three polysaccharides included in the presently-available vaccine are not all adequately immunogenic, even in adults.
An alternative approach for protecting children, and also the elderly, from pneumococcal infection would be to identify protein antigens that could elicit protective immune responses. Such proteins may serve as a vaccine by themselves, may be used in conjunction with successful polysaccharide-protein conjugates, or as carriers for polysaccharides.
In McDaniel et al (I), J.Exp.Med. 160:386-397, 1984, there is described the production of hybridoma antibodies that recognize cell surface polypeptide(s) on S. pneumoniae and protection of mice from infection with certain strains of encapsulated pneumococci by such antibodies. This surface protein antigen has been termed "pneumococcal surface protein A" or PspA for short.
In McDaniel et al (II), Microbial Pathogenesis 1:519-531, 1986, there are described studies on the characterization of the PspA. Considerable diversity in the PspA molecule in different strains was found, as were differences in the epitopes recognized by different antibodies.
In McDaniel et al (III), J.Exp.Med. 165:381-394, 1987, there is disclosed that immunization of X-linked immunodeficient (XID) mice with non-encapsulated pneumococci expressing PspA, but not isogenic pneumococci lacking PspA, protects mice from subsequent fatal infection with pneumococci.
In McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun., 59:222-228, 1991, there is described immunization of mice with a recombinant full length fragment of PspA that is able to elicit protection against pneumococcal strains of capsular types 6A and 3.
In Crain et al, Infect.Immun., 56:3293-3299, 1990, there is described a rabbit antiserum that detects PspA in 100% (n=95) of clinical and laboratory isolates of strains of S. pneumoniae. When reacted with seven monoclonal antibodies to PspA, fifty-seven S. pneumoniae isolates exhibited thirty-one different patterns of reactivity.
The PspA protein type is independent of capsular type. It would seem that genetic mutation or exchange in the environment has allowed for the development of a large pool of strains which are highly diverse with respect to capsule, PspA, and possibly other molecules with variable structures. Variability of PspA's from different strains also is evident in their molecular weights, which range from 67 to 99 kD. The observed differences are stably inherited and are not the result of protein degradation.
Immunization with a partially purified PspA from a recombinant .lambda. gt11 clone, elicited protection against challenge with several S. pneumoniae strains representing different capsular and PspA types, as described in McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun. 59:222-228, 1991. Although clones expressing PspA were constructed according to that paper, the product was insoluble and isolation from cell fragments following lysis was not possible.
While the protein is variable in structure between different pneumococcal strains, numerous cross-reactions exist between all PspA's, suggesting that sufficient common epitopes may be present to allow a single PspA or at least a small number of PspA's to elicit protection against a large number of S. pneumoniae strains.
In addition to the published literature specifically referred to above, the inventors, in conjunction with co-workers, have published further details concerning PspA's, as follows:
1. Abstracts of 89th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 125, item D-257, May 1989;
2. Abstracts of 90th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 98, item D-106, May 1990; PA1 3. Abstracts of 3rd International ASM Conference on Streptococcal Genetics, p. 11, item 12, June 1990; PA1 4. Talkington et al, Infect. Immun. 59:1285-1289, 1991; PA1 5. Yother et al, J. Bacteriol. 174:601-609, 1992; and PA1 6. Yother et al, J. Bacteriol. 174:610-618, 1992. The latter three publications occurred after the filing of the aforesaid U.S. Ser. No. 656,773.
In the specification which follows and the drawings accompanying the same, there are utilized certain accepted abbreviations with respect to the amino acids represented thereby. The following Table I identifies those abbreviations:
TABLE I ______________________________________ AMINO ACID ABBREVIATIONS ______________________________________ A = Ala = Alanine M = Met = Methionine C = Cys = Cysteine N = Asn = Asparagine D = Asp = Aspartic Acid P = Pro = Proline E = Glu = Glutamic Acid Q = Gln = Glutamine F = Phe = Phenylalanine R = Arg = Arginine G = Gly = Glycine S = Ser = Serine H = His = Histidine T = Thr = Threonine I = Ile = Isoleucine V = Val = Valine K = Lys = Lysine W = Try = Tryptophan L = Leu = Leucine Y = Tyr = Tyrosine ______________________________________

DNA encoding a truncated pneumogoccal surface protein (PspA)


A socket connector for connecting a card edge module to a circuit board includes a housing extending along a longitudinal axis between opposed ends. The housing includes a mounting face configured to be received on the circuit board and a slot configured to receive a mating edge of the card edge module. A latch member is pivotably connected to the housing. The latch member is movable between an open position and a closed position. A locking member is positioned on the latch member and configured to prevent movement of the latch member from the closed position to the open position.

The invention relates generally to socket connectors for retaining card edge modules and, more particularly, to a socket connector having features for locking module retention latches on the connector in a closed position to retain the card edge module within the socket.
Computers and servers may use numerous types of electronic modules, such as processor and memory modules (e.g. Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), or Extended Data Out Random Access Memory (EDO RAM), and the like). The memory modules are produced in a number of formats such as, for example, Single In-line Memory Modules (SIMM's), or the newer Dual In-line Memory Modules (DIMM's) and Fully Buffered DIMM's (FB DIMM's).
Typically, the modules are installed in one or more multi-pin sockets mounted on a system board or motherboard. Each memory module has a card edge that provides an interface generally between two rows of contacts in the socket. Conventionally, the card edge interface is a separable card edge interface. These card edge interfaces, however, are generally not high reliability interfaces. The modules are generally held in the socket by latches on the socket and by contact normal forces. These card edge interfaces may fail when subjected to shock and vibration. Under extreme vibration, and particularly with the heavier FB DIMM's, the latches may be jarred open allowing the module to become dislodged. During vibration, the module may also experience sufficient motion within the socket to cause fretting of the gold on gold contact interfaces which increases resistance and may cause failures.
One approach for increasing reliability of the card edge interface is to directly attach the module via an inseparable interface. This is sometimes done when it is desirable that the end user not be able to remove processors or memory modules from the system so that problems that might arise from reconfiguration of the system do not occur; however, this renders the module non-serviceable. The provision of a highly reliable serviceable interface that limits movement of the module within the socket while inhibiting the module from becoming dislodged from the socket remains a challenge.

Socket connector with latch locking member


A method includes generating source code corresponding to a block diagram model and generating hypertext links associating elements of the generated source code with elements of the block diagram model.

Data representation and modeling are an integral part of working with dynamic real-world systems such as electrical circuits, shock absorbers, braking systems, and many other electrical, mechanical and thermodynamic systems. These systems may be modeled, simulated and analyzed on a computer system using block diagram modeling. Block diagram modeling graphically depicts mathematical relationships among a system's inputs, states, parameters, and outputs, typically through the use of a graphical user interface (GUI). Block diagram modeling also graphically depicts time-dependent mathematical relationships among a system's inputs, states and outputs, typically for display on the GUI.
Block diagram modeling may involve automatic code generation, a process whereby software source code is automatically produced from a block diagram model of a dynamic system. The software source code produced by the automatic code generation process may be compiled and executed on a target processor, implementing the functionality specified by the model.
It is common for the code generated by an automatic code generator to include explanatory comments. Typically, such comments act as headers to generated functions or data structures, and provide an indication of how those functions or data structures logically relate to the block diagram model.


A metal-free detergent and antioxidant additive comprising the reaction product of an acidic organic compound, a boron compound, a polyamine such as polyethylene imine, and optionally an alkoxylated amine and/or an alkoxylated amide, is provided. The additives of the present invention have higher TBN than similar compounds known in the art.

Metal detergents represent a major source of ash in formulated engine oils. Alkaline earth sulfonates, phenates and salicylates are typically used in modern engine oils to provide detergency and alkaline reserve. Detergents are necessary components of engine oils for both gasoline and diesel engines. Incomplete combustion of the fuel produces soot that can lead to sludge deposits, as well as carbon and varnish deposits. In the case of diesel fuel, residual sulfur in the fuel burns in the combustion chamber to produce sulfur derived acids. These acids produce corrosion and wear in the engine, and accelerate degradation of the oil. Neutral and overbased detergents are added to engine oils to neutralize these acidic compounds, thereby preventing the formation of harmful engine deposits and dramatically increasing engine life.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,666 discloses a lubricant oil composition useful for reducing friction in an internal combustion engine which comprises a lubricating oil basestock and an alkoxylated amine salt of a hydrocarbylsalicylic acid of a defined formula.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,751 discloses that two-stroke cycle engines can be effectively lubricated by supplying to the engine a mixture of an oil of lubricating viscosity and a hydrocarbyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid or an ester, unsubstituted amide, hydrocarbyl-substituted amide, ammonium salt, hydrocarbylamine salt, or monovalent metal salt thereof in an amount suitable to reduce piston deposits in said engine. The mixture supplied to the engine contains less than 0.06 percent by weight of divalent metals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,182 discloses the preparation of magnesium borate overbased metallic detergent having magnesium borate uniformly dispersed in an extremely fine particle size by using magnesium alkoxide and boric acid. The preparation involves reacting a neutral sulphonate of an alkaline earth metal with magnesium alkoxide and boric acid under anhydrous conditions in the presence of a dilution solvent followed by distillation to remove alcohol and part of dilution solvent therefrom. The borated mixture is then cooled, filtered to recover magnesium borated metal detergent, which is said to exhibit excellent cleaning and dispersing performance, very good hydrolytic and oxidation stability, and good extreme pressure and antiwear properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,842 discloses a lubricating oil composition that contains from about 50 to 1000 parts per million of molybdenum from a molybdenum compound that is oil-soluble and substantially free of reactive sulfur, about 1,000 to 20,000 parts per million of a diarylamine, and about 2,000 to 40,000 parts per million of a phenate. This combination of ingredients is said to provide improved oxidation control and improved deposit control to the lubricating oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,052 discloses a lubricating oil composition for gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines includes a major portion of an oil of lubricating viscosity; from 0.1 to 20.0% w/w of a component A, which is a sulfurized, overbased calcium phenate detergent derived from distilled, hydrogenated cashew nut shell liquid; and from 0.1 to 10.0% w/w of a component B, which is an amine salt of phosphorodithioic acid of a specified formula derived from cashew nut shell liquid.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,497,521 and 2,568,472 disclose oil compositions comprising an amine salt of a compound formed from boric acid and certain hydroxy carboxylic acid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,463 discloses a tertiary alkyl primary amine salt of a tetra-covalent boron acid as an additive for lubricating oil. The tetra-covalent boron acid is prepared by reacting boric acid with a polyhydroxy compound or hydroxycarboxylic acid, e.g., salicylic acid which is then stabilized by formation of the amine salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,794, incorporated herein by reference, discloses the reaction products of an acidic organic compound, a boron compound and an alkoxylated amine and/or an alkoxylated amide. Also disclosed are fuel and lubricant compositions comprising these reaction products.

Low ash lubricant and fuel additive comprising polyamine


A vibration body for angular speed sensor has a vibrator that includes vibration pieces, a supporting part for supporting the vibration pieces, and a mounting substrate for mounting the vibrator. The mounting substrate has a seat part for fixing the supporting part and supporting the vibrator and a base part. The seat part has a level difference representing a predetermined height from the base part. The predetermined height is set larger than an oscillation width of the vibration pieces. The seat part also has an edge portion that has a shape of a curved line, and each line in a direction perpendicular to each position on the edge portion determines a mounting angle for mounting the vibrator and has an angle in the same direction as a reference direction defined in the mounting substrate or in a direction at least one being different from it.

An angular speed sensor (a gyro instrument) is employed for an attitude control and a navigation system of a mobile object, such as an airplane and a vehicle, and this sensor detects an angular speed of the mobile object by detecting a Coriolis signal associated with the angular speed.
As for the navigation system, when a current position is detected for the mobile object such as a vehicle equipped with the navigation system, there is known a method of measuring a traveling direction and a travel distance of the mobile object from a predetermined position, in addition to a method of conducting measurement by using the GPS (Global Positioning System). It is also known that in this measuring method based on the traveling direction and the travel distance, the current position, the traveling direction, and speed variation of the mobile object are detected, by using an angular speed sensor and an acceleration sensor.
In the case above, when the direction and magnitude of the acceleration or the like are detected, a detection axis is set for each of the sensors as a reference. On the premise that this detection axis is parallel with the traveling direction (e.g., a road surface), each parameter of each of the sensors is set, and these sensors are installed and fixed within the navigation system. In general, when the navigation system is provided within a vehicle, it is installed and fixed in such a manner as being parallel with a horizontal plane (ground surface) in the vehicle.
Furthermore, in general, the navigation system is installed on a front panel surface such as a central console, for instance, within the vehicle. When the navigation system is installed on the front panel surface such as the central console, it is required to enhance visibility of a display surface provided on the navigation system, as well as enhancing operability of buttons and switches. Therefore, the display surface and the surface including these buttons and switches are configured in such a manner as having an angular position facing slightly upward with respect to the vertical direction.
Therefore, the navigation system is installed on the front panel surface in such a manner that the rear part of the navigation system (forward of the vehicle) is set to be lower position in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the navigation system is installed being inclined with respect to the front panel surface of the vehicle.
The mounting position of this navigation system on the front panel surface varies depending on the vehicle types, options set by a user, or the like, and various positions are possible such as upper side or lower side of the central console. Therefore, depending on where the navigation system is installed on the front panel surface, various mounting angles (the angles with respect to the horizontal direction) of the navigation system are possible. For example, if the navigation system is provided on the lower position on the central console, it is required to improve the visibility, and therefore, the navigation system should be upward leaning much more than the case where it is provided on the upper position on the front panel surface.
When the navigation system is installed on the vehicle at a certain angle as described above, there is a possibility that the angle exceeds an allowable value which is preset in the angular speed sensor.
On such an occasion above, the direction of the detection axis that is preset in each of the sensors in the navigation system may be largely different from the direction (horizontal direction) of the acceleration or the like, which is applied on each of the sensors when detection is actually performed. Therefore, errors such as an offset of sensitivity of the sensor itself may be included, and thereby causing a problem that positioning accuracy as to the vehicle current position and measurement accuracy as to the speed are deteriorated.
By way of example, patent document 1 discusses this subject above and suggests a configuration to solve the problem. FIG. 18 is a sectional view illustrating the central console on which the navigation system is mounted. According to the description in the document, the navigation system 100 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction from the state before mounted on the central console 110 (FIG. 18(A)), so that the display surface 102 is installed facing upwardly along with the inclination of the central console 110. Then, the detection axis 103 of the acceleration sensor 101 is also inclined by θ with respect to the horizontal direction, in accordance with the mounting angle θ of the navigation system 100 (FIG. 18(B) and FIG. 18(C)).
If it is assumed that the vehicle drives forward (rightward in FIG. 18), the acceleration "Ax" is applied to the navigation system in the direction that is opposite to the forward movement. In addition, the acceleration "Az" is applied to the acceleration sensor 101 in the vertical direction, which is caused by the vehicle vibration and an impactive force from the ground.
As shown in FIG. 18(A), when the navigation system is in the state being horizontal, the acceleration sensor 101 receives the horizontal acceleration Ax and the vertical acceleration Az as the accelerations in the respective directions. However, as shown in FIG. 18(B) and FIG. 18(C), when the navigation system in the state being inclined, the acceleration sensor 101 detects the horizontal acceleration, as the vector sum At (=Gx+Gz=cos θ×Ax+sin θ×Az) according to the inclination, based on the horizontal acceleration Ax and the vertical acceleration Az.
Since the resultant acceleration "At" is different from the acceleration "Ax" that is to be actually detected, this error may cause a deterioration of positioning accuracy or the like, as to the current position of the vehicle. As the mounting angle θ of the navigation system 100 increases, the component of the acceleration "Ax" of the vehicle in the traveling direction is more deteriorated and influence from the vertical acceleration "Az" becomes more remarkable, thus leading to a noticeable error.
As for the angular speed sensor, similar to the above acceleration sensor, an error may occur due to the mounting angle onto the vehicle, thereby causing deterioration in the positioning accuracy.
If this error is corrected utilizing software, there is a problem that sufficient compensation cannot be obtained in the initial state, and there is also a problem that when the mounting angle is large, it is difficult to carry out the compensation. In addition, there is another problem in manufacturing cost and the like. Therefore, the patent document discloses a configuration in which a mounting slit is formed at a mounting angle being inclined, in a mounting member which fixedly supports a sensing unit, and the sensing unit is engaged with the mounting slit.
Patent document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-227844


An ergonomical pillow for head rest, comprising: a pillow surface, a pillow, a shock absorbing and pressure relief cushion, the pillow surface and the pillow are made from soft buffer material, the pillow has at least one hollow pore, the shock absorbing and pressure relief cushion covers top of the hollow pore, the pillow surface covers top of the shock absorbing and pressure relief cushion. The pillow surface and shock absorbing and pressure relief cushion can settle into a groove, where the level of which is subject to user's weight, to provide appropriate support for a body type. The present invention provides excellent extent for coverage and user's head positioning such that the head and neck are settled in a proper position, and guides user to rest his/her shoulder near bottom edge of the pillow to avoid neck muscle spasm, and can offer equalized pressure relief.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a pillow for head rest, particularly to an ergonomical pillow for head rest wherein the pillow can be used to stabilize movement of user's head and provide appropriate support to user according to his/her body type.
2. Description of Related Art
Humans spend on average one-third of his/her whole lives for sleeping. Researches have shown that sleep quality may take toll on our health, for an example demonstrating such discovery, sleep has been confirmed to be the best way to regain vitality, and sufficient amount of sleep is instrumental to youth's growth. Our brain continues to give instructions during our sleep time to different parts of our body for self-regeneration in order to sustain their normal functions. As well, our brain can also put together the information and knowledge we hear and learn during the day, and restructure them so as to formulate a memory block. In summary, sleep is an indispensable and essential component of our daily lives and health, and excellent sleep quality is instrumental to maintaining a good health.
Among other possible attributing factors to sleep quality, the pillow quality itself can be an important one. However, it is to be noted here that the Chinese proverbial saying that goes as "sleeping high on tall pillow keeps worry away" is actually a misleading conception. Under normal conditions, the human body is more adaptable to maintaining a natural posture where the vertebral column is kept in a straight line as looking from the front, but if viewed from a side perspective, the seven vertebrae of the cervical curve will appear in a curve in such a fashion to protrude forward. Therefore, the height of the pillow should also satisfy the arc length of such curve such that the cervical vertebrae can be maintained in a natural condition. Either a overshooting or low-pass pillow height can hardly keep the cervical vertebrae in a natural condition. This has been reported by users to be contributing to neck pain, or the so-called neck muscle spasm.
Medical experts have suggested that the pillow height for users lying with back on the floor to be kept between 5 to 8 cm as a best mode of practice. In another perspective, a majority of people cannot constantly remain in the same sleep posture while sleeping, for which the most common postures are lying on his/her back or on his/her side. As such, the most ideal pillow height, taking into consideration of each person's body type and shoulder width, gender, and age is between 8 to 10 cm. In another perspective, it is commonly known to best place the bottom edge of the pillow close to user's shoulder, and keep away from suspending the cervical vertebrae and back in mid-air. It will be understood to persons skilled in the art that such arrangement is sufficient to provide proper weight support and pressure relief.
Traditional pillows are known to be equal and symmetrical in terms of their shape, and the pillow surface used mainly for supporting user's head (particularly back of head) is a flat surface, and the majority of these traditional pillows tend not to be designed by ergonomical standards and without consideration of adapting to human body curves. Pillow surface highly suitable for back lying may appear to be slightly low for side lying. There has been proposed a memory pillow made from memory cotton, of which the central area is a flat surface, the edge of which has winding protrusions and is higher than the pillow surface such that the edge having protrusions can support weight of back of user's neck. However a disadvantage of the such design is suitable only for the back lying sleep posture because the protruding edge will become higher than the flat pillow surface in the middle, and such arrangement can cause the side of user's head (especially ears) to be turned to an inappropriate downward inclination posture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,380 (hereinafter referred to as "cited reference") discloses an adjustable cervical pillow with depression for a user's ear. The technical feature of the cited reference entails "an adjustable cervical pillow, with beautification properties, for supporting the head and neck of a person. The cervical pillow includes a resilient pillow body with a resilient upper portion that includes a plurality of depressions on a top face of the resilient upper portion for receiving a person's ear during use. The pillow body further includes a central depression and at least one head adjusting shim. The top face includes a raised cervical support region for supporting the neck of a user during use." As those indicated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the pillow is a solid-bodied pillow made from urethane foam, and the top head height adjustment includes raised cervical support region for supporting the base of the skull and neck. As a result, the pillow can support the weight of the user's head by way of the pillow's overall support capacity. However, this design will not work to deliver a shock-absorbing functionality, because it can only provide a structural support to the user's neck. Moreover, the pillow is solid-bodied, as such it is not equipped with a space designed for allowing air ventilation, and therefore it is not capable of distributing heat. The cited reference is designed to only support the user's neck by way of adjusting the height of the user's neck, but cannot offer other benefits including pressure distribution, shock absorbance, and air-ventilation-mediated heat distribution.


A near field communication antenna device of a mobile terminal is provided. The near field communication antenna device includes a window including a display region for transmitting an image displayed by a display and a black mark region formed around the display region, a multi-layer Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) on which a plurality of layers are laminated on the lower side of the black mark region of the window, and a spiral loop-shaped antenna pattern in which conductive lines are formed on respective layers of the multi-layer FPCB and are connected to each other. Accordingly, a near field communication antenna is not disposed in a separated installation space, an antenna pattern width can be reduced, and performance of the near field communication antenna may be prevented from being degraded when a battery cover is made of metal or has a curved shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a near field communication antenna device of a mobile terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a near field communication antenna device of a mobile terminal that is without an exclusive space in which a near field communication antenna is installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as sharing of data, electronic payment systems, and electronic ticketing systems are increasing, more near field communication antenna devices are installed in mobile terminals. This near field communication antenna device has an LC resonance loop antenna utilizing magnetic coupling to perform near field communications of a range of 10 cm to 20 cm using low frequencies of 13.56 MHz (±7 kHz).
The near filed communication antenna should have an overall area greater than 1,500 mm2 and a length of a minor oval axis longer than 30 mm. A plurality of loops formed by an antenna line of the near field communication antenna needs to be formed in order to generate a desired electromotive force. Since a conductive line forming the plurality of loops is formed in a single layer, a near field communication antenna device of a mobile terminal is limited in reducing a width of antenna patterns for forming the plurality of antenna lines. For reference, a width of the antenna patterns described herein is defined as a value in which a sum of widths of portions without conductive lines (which are gaps between antenna lines) is added to a sum of widths of the conductive lines as measured when viewing the near field communication antenna from top. For example, it is assumed that a width of a single antenna line is 0.8 mm and a gap between conductive lines is 0.4 mm. In this case, if a number of turns of a loop formed by the antenna lines is four, an antenna pattern with a width of 4.8 mm is formed, wherein the width is calculated as (0.8 mm+0.4 mm)*4 loops. However, as mobile terminals are made smaller and thinner, it is difficult to secure an adequate area for a near field communication antenna.
Furthermore, in a case where a near field communication antenna is installed or disposed near to or on a battery or a battery cover of a mobile terminal, performance of the near field communication antenna degrades. In addition, in a case where the battery cover is curved, since the near field communication antenna installed on the battery cover does not have a planar shape, performance of the near field communication antenna degrades due to the shape of the antenna.

Near field communication antenna device of mobile terminal


The invention concerns a toothbrush comprising a handle and a brush head, which is equipped on one side with clusters of bristles, a resilient connection being provided between the handle and the brush head. When pressure is exerted on the surface formed by the free ends of the clusters of bristles, the connection allows the brush head to be deflected relative to the handle. This is achieved in that the connection is formed by a hinged rectangle whose axes of rotation extend transversely to the longitudinal extension of the handle and the bristles, and in that the distance between the two hinges closest to the brush head is less than or equal to the distance between the two hinges closest to the handle.

The toothbrush is still the essential and most reliable aid for indispensable dental hygiene. When using a brush to clean teeth, however, pressure is always exerted on the teeth with the bristles and thus unavoidably also on the gums. This pressure is measured out only with difficulty by human sensation and the hand, so that on one hand, a sufficient cleaning of the teeth and their gaps is brought about, and on the other hand, the gums are not injured by excessively high pressure.
Toothbrushes available on the market, with an elastic brush head and as described, for example, in European Patent No. 0,371,293 A2, do not provide any remedy here since they are constructed in such a manner that the bristle head gives way with the pressure exerted, but the bristle surface is inclined away from the bristle head. This means that when pressure is exerted on the bristle head, the one-sided bristles are inclined away from the cleaning surface, but via the bristles on the side of the handle, the same unreduced pressure is exerted on a substantially smaller bristle surface. These toothbrushes are therefore not to be considered as an improvement but rather are to be evaluated as disadvantageous, since the risk of injury to the gums is not reduced, but rather is even increased by a smaller effective area of the bristle tips.
European Patent No. 0,339,350 A1 describes a toothbrush whose brush head can be moved by a two-part handle, consisting of an upper part and a lower part, in such a way that the surface of the brush head can assume various angles with respect to the handle. The disadvantage of this brush consists in the fact that the inclination must by adjusted by the hand and there is no way of avoiding that either the bristles close to the handle or those of the tip of the brush are pressed more on the teeth and that therefore, there is no uniform pressure distribution over the entire bristle surface. Furthermore, a considerable application of force by the hand, which cannot be controlled and measured out for the desirable purpose, is required to change the angle of inclination.


A borophosphosilicate glass is deposited on a substrate (50) by heating the substrate (50), and contacting the substrate with a mixture of the gases tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, trimethylborate, trimethylphosphite, and oxygen, without the presence of a carrier gas. The first three of the gases are produced from liquid sources by controlled vaporization and flow. The gases react at the heated substrate (50) to deposit the glass upon the substrate. In a reactor (52) for depositing the glass, the tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane and trimethylborate are introduced at a gas inlet location (79), and the trimethylphosphite and oxygen are heated and introduced at another gas inlet location (90). The tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane and trimethylborate mixture flows toward the location where the trimethylphosphite and oxygen are introduced, and whereat the gases are mixed. This gaseous mixture flows past the heated substrate (50) to deposit the glass thereon.

This invention relates to the preparation of substrates coated by borophosphosilicate glasses, and, more particularly, to a methodology for preparing such coated substrates using chemical vapor deposition.
Borophosphosilicate glass is a dielectric material that is used in microelectronic devices as a separating layer between two electrical conductors. The glass is deposited as a film over an existing layered structure of conductors, semiconductors, and insulators, and further layers are deposited over the glass. The various layers are patterned as required to produce the electronic traces and circuit elements of the microelectronic device. The borophosphosilicate glass can be reflowed (fused) after deposition to change the configuration of the glass film.
One preferred approach to depositing a film of borophosphosilicate glass is by chemical vapor deposition. The various constituents of the glass are provided in properly selected, chemically reactive, gaseous compounds. The compounds are mixed and passed as a gas flow through a reactor and over the substrate upon which the glass is to be deposited. The substrate is heated or otherwise energized. When the gaseous compounds contact the surface of the heated substrate, they react with each other to form a borophosphosilicate glass on the surface.
Some or all of the reactive compounds used to form the gas may be first provided as liquids. Gas vapors of the liquids are produced either by applying heat to vaporize the liquids, or by bubbling a carrier gas through the liquid. The gas vapors are mixed and provided to the reactor.
In one commercial approach to depositing borophosphosilicate glass by chemical vapor deposition, tetraethylorthosilicate (having a formula Si(C.sub.2 H.sub.5 O).sub.4), trimethylborate, and trimethylphosphite gases, mixed with carrier gases, are reacted together at the heated substrate surface to form the glass film. The tetraethylorthosilicate is a relatively toxic, hazardous material. Its handling and disposal present major problems for the user. A large, complex, expensive apparatus is required for gas handling, reaction, control, and disposal. Very tight process controls are required to achieve good-quality films of the glass, and the throughput of product can be slow. Moreover, the films produced by this conventional approach may have marginal electrical properties and conformality.
In an another approach, it has been proposed to deposit the borophosphosilicate glass from a gaseous mixture of tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, trimethylborate, trimethylphosphite, and oxygen. This approach has not been commercially successful due to the deposition of impurities onto the substrates and low deposition efficiencies.
There is a need for an improved approach to the production of borophosphosilicate glass films for microelectronic and other applications. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Apparatus and method for depositing borophosphosilicate glass on a substrate


In one embodiment of the present invention, a segmented equalizer includes a plurality of feedforward equalizer segments, each feedforward equalizer segment responsive to delayed samples of an input signal {vn}, wherein n is the index of samples, and including a filter block for filtering the delayed samples by using coefficients which are updated based on a step size generated for each equalizer segment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of adaptive equalizers and more particularly, to adaptive equalizers for reducing multipath effects and self-noise and increasing convergence speed when used in wireless data transmission environments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Equalizers are frequently used to correct channel linear distortion. In a wireless channel, linear distortions frequently include multipath and fading. This is due to the fact that the received signals often include signal components that are multiply reflected in addition to the line-of-sight signal from the transmitter. Quite often, these multiply reflected signal components do not have constant signal strengths relative to the line-of-the sight signal, or between themselves. These cause fading in the received signal.
Multipath causes fluctuations in channel frequency responses. Fading further makes these fluctuations time varying.
Adaptive equalizers and adaptive decision feedback equalizers are often used to combat these fluctuations in channel frequency responses. For further details of such equalizers, the reader is directed to following references: "Adaptive Filter Theory", Fourth Edition by Simon Haykin, Prentice Hall, 2002 and "Digital Communications", Fourth Edition by John G. Proakis, McGraw-Hill, 2001.
An adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) equalizer, with length N, using Least Mean Square (LMS) update criteria works in the following manner.
With reference to FIG. 1, a conventional LMS equalizer 100 is shown to receive an input signal sample sequence {vn}, create multiply delayed versions of the signal samples by delay elements 110, then multiply these multiply delayed signal samples by a set of equalizer coefficients c0, . . . , cN−1 131, where N is equalizer length. The results are then summed together, by a summer 115, to form an equalizer filter output sequence {yn}. This is shown in the following Filter Equation:
                              y          n                =                              ∑                          i              =              0                                      N              -              1                                                                    v                              n                -                i                                                                c              i                                                          Eq        .                                                    (          1          )
The output from the equalizer, which is the equalizer filter output sequence {yn}, generated by Eq. (1), then goes through a decision device Q 140 to generate the equalizer decision sequence {dn}. The equalizer decision together with equalizer filter output is used to produce the equalizer error sequence {en} by a difference operator 160 according to Error Equation:en=dn−yn  Eq. (2)
The equalizer error is further scaled by a step size multiplier 150 to form scaled equalizer error. The coefficients of the equalizer are then updated by an update means 120 using the scaled equalizer error and delay line data (from the delay line block 110) according to the Update Equation:cik+1=cik+Δenvn−i, i=0, . . . , N−1  Eq. (3)Where vn−i's are equalizer delay line signal samples, en is equalizer error, and Δ is step size for equalizer coefficients update. cik's (same as ci's) and cik+1's are current set and next set of equalizer coefficients.
FIG. 2 shows a higher level block diagram of the equalizer 100 of FIG. 1 wherein an equalizer filter and update block 290 includes a delay block 240, which is the same as the delay elements 110 in FIG. 1, Equalizer Filter block 210 is the same as multiplying by the set of equalizer coefficients c0, . . . , cN−1 and summation 130 of FIG. 1, the coefficient update block 230 is the same as the update means 120 of FIG. 1. The decision device Q 220 is the same as the decision device Q 140 of FIG. 1 and the difference operator for error formation 260 and error multiplier 250, by step size, are the same as 160 and 150, respectively in FIG. 1.
An adaptive decision feedback equalizer (DFE) using LMS update criteria works in a similar way. Now, the three key equations corresponding to Eqs. (1)-(3) are as following for time index n:
Filter Equation:
                              y          n                =                                            ∑                              i                =                0                                            N                -                1                                                                                v                                  n                  -                  i                                                                          c                i                                              +                                    ∑                              i                =                1                            B                                                                  d                                  n                  -                  i                                                                          b                i                                                                        Eq        .                                                    (          4          )                    Error Equation:en=dn−yn  Eq. (5)Update Equations:cik+1=cik+Δffenvn−i, i=0, . . . , N−1  Eq. (6)bik+1=bik+Δfbendn−i, i=1, . . . , B  Eq. (7)Where N is equalizer length for the feedforward part, B is equalizer length for the feedback part, vn−i's are equalizer delay line samples, dn−i's are delayed equalizer decisions, ci's are equalizer feedforward coefficients, bi's equalizer feedback coefficients, en is equalizer error, and Δff and Δfb are coefficients updates step sizes for feedforward and feedback parts respectively. cik's (same as ci's), bik's (same as bi's) and cik+1's, bik+1's are current and next sets of equalizer feedforward and feedback coefficients.
FIG. 3 shows an exemplary conventional decision feedback equalizer 300 including a decision feedback equalizer filter and update block 330 and a feedforward filter and update block 320. The decision feedback equalizer filter and update block 330 is shown to perform filter function, which is performed by the DFE Filter 302 using feedback coefficients from a decision feedback equalizer coefficient update function 304 and the previous equalizer decision outputs {dn} stored in delay line 303. The block 304 is shown to update equalizer feedback coefficients using equalizer error {en} scaled by a feedback step size Δfb using multiplier 306 as well as previous output of the equalizer decision stored in delay line 303. The feedforward filter and update block 320 similar to block 290 of FIG. 2 is shown to perform filter function by FFE filter 312 using sample inputs {vn} stored in Delay Line 313, and feedforward coefficients from a FFE Update block 314. The feedforward equalizer update block 314 is similar to the block 230 of FIG. 2 for updating equalizer feedforward coefficients.
A feedforward step size multiplier 308 provides scaled equalizer error by feedforward step size Δff to the coefficient update function 314. Similarly, the feedforward filter block 312 is similar to the block 210 of FIG. 2 and its output is provided to a summer 316 for a summation operation with the output of the block 330 and the result of the summation operation, at the output of the summer 316, represented by {yn}, is provided to a equalizer decision block Q 310, which is similar to the block 220 of FIG. 2. The output of the summer 316 is also provided to a difference operator 318 to produce equalizer error {en}. Eq. (4) is implemented by function 312 in block 320, function 302 in block 330 and summer 316, Eq. (5) is implemented by the difference operator 318, Eq. (6) is implemented by the function 314 in block 320, and Eq. (7) is implemented by function 304 in block 330.
When input signal sample data {vn} are sampled at symbol clock rate, the equalizer is called symbol spaced equalizer. When data {vn} are sampled at a clock rate faster than symbol clock, it is called fractionally-spaced equalizer. The sample data, equalizer decisions, and coefficients, can be real or complex.
Besides LMS coefficients updating scheme, there are other coefficients updating schemes such as zero-forcing (ZF), recursive least square (RLS), etc.
After initial convergence, an equalizer needs to continuously update its coefficient to track possible changes in channel response. In multipath and fading environment, channel response can change quite fast.
In the current field of the art, equalizers are typically implemented using devices with finite operating precision in its delay line samples and coefficients. The equalizer typically has finite precision in its filtering and updating operations including multiply-and-accumulation (MAC). This problem of finite precision implementation creates additional noise at the equalizer filter output. This noise is called quantization noise.
During the initial convergence stage and later tracking stage, the equalizer coefficients are moving around their theoretical optimal values. Because of this variation and deviation from their optimal values, the performance of the equalizer differs from its optimal value. This non-optimal feature creates another additional noise at the equalizer filter output. This noise is called self-noise for the equalizer.
Self noise and quantization noise are the two noise factors that reduce the equalizer performance from the theoretically achievable optimal equalizer performance. They affect both initial convergence and steady state performances.
The performance requirement of an adaptive equalizer depends on the channel conditions, output signal to noise ratio (SNR) requirement, as well as converging speed requirement. These requirements determine equalizer length, updating step sizes, and the precisions of its coefficients as well as filter operations. All of these directly affect the cost of implementing the equalizer.
The equalizer's length determines its time span. On one hand, a longer equalizer gives better theoretic steady state performance assuming the coefficients reached their theoretical optimal state. On the other hand, a longer adaptive equalizer requires a smaller step size under the same channel condition. A smaller step size normally results in slower converging speed. Therefore a longer adaptive equalizer has slower converging speed.
For the same step size and channel condition, a longer equalizer generates more self-noise because more coefficients are in non-optimal state.
A longer equalizer also requires larger precision in its coefficients and operations. This is because each of the quantized coefficients and operations contributes a little to the equalizer's quantization noise, and the total contribution to the quantization noise due to coefficient and operation quantization is the sum of each individual contribution. Therefore, in a conventional equalizer structure, the longer the equalizer is, the more severe the quantization noise becomes for the same individual coefficient and operation quantization level. Equivalently, to keep the overall quantization noise level to a desired level, higher coefficient and operation precision is required for a longer equalizer.
A known scheme referred to as Block Floating Point (BFP), as discussed in the publication "Implementation Options for Block Floating Point Digital Filters" by K. Ralev and P. Bauer, 1997 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP'97)—Volume 3 p. 2197, is intended to mitigate the impact of finite precision operations and quantization in data and coefficients. For a true floating point data representation, a value is represented as a mantissa part and an exponent part to represent values with large dynamic range with reasonable quantization precision. BFP uses an exponent for a block of values to achieve similar advantage. BFP essentially use a dynamic scaling for a block of data before quantization to improve the quantization performance.
When an equalizer is implemented in BFP with block size L and number of blocks M, the set of adaptive equalizer equations corresponding to Eqs. (1)-(3) for time index n become:
Filter Equation:
                              y                      n            ,            m                          =                              ∑                          i              =              0                                      L              -              1                                                                    v                                                n                  -                  i                                ,                m                                                                c                              i                ,                m                            ′                                                          Eq        .                                                    (          8          )
The outputs from all blocks are combined using Combination Equation, Eq. (9):
                              y          n                =                              ∑                          m              =              0                                      M              -              1                                                                                y                                  n                  ,                  m                                                                          (                                  a                                      j                    m                                                  )                                                    -              1                                                          Eq        .                                                    (          9          )                    Where c′i,m=ci,majm, a is the base for the BFP operation, jm is the exponent part for block m, and ajm is the equivalent scaling for block m, and its inverse (ajm)−1's is the combination weighting for block m in forming the equalizer output.
The coefficients Update Equation becomes:c′i,mk+1=ci,mk+Δajmenvn−i, i=0, . . . , L−1, m=0, . . . , M−1  Eq. (10)
During the initial convergence and later on tracking, jm's are varying, therefore corresponding monitoring and changing in those equations are necessary.
In general, an equalizer implemented using BFP has better trade off between cost and quantization noise. This approach often leads to a lower overall implementation cost of an adaptive equalizer for the desired quantization noise performance. However, because the effect of Eqs. (8)-(10) are mathematically equivalent to Eqs. (1),(3) except in numerical system representation, the dynamic behavior of an adaptive equalizer implemented using BFP is not changed. Specifically, BFP implementation does not affect the equalizer's self noise, converging speed, or tracking behavior.
In the multipath environment, only some of the equalizer coefficients have significant values and others have zero or near zero values. Fading further makes the values and the locations of those significant coefficients time varying. Over time, some of the previously significant coefficients may become zero or near zero and new significant coefficients may emerge.
For conventional equalizers implementation, these features of multipath and fading environment are not utilized. The equalizers' behavior in converging speed and self-noise are not affected by multipath and fading. This also includes the equalizers implemented using BFP even though such equalizers using BFP might have improved the equalizers' quantization behavior.
Sparse equalizers, discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,910, entitled "Sparse equalization filter adaptive in two dimensions" issued on Jul. 7, 1998 to Cheng-Youn Lu, are introduced to combat problems associated with conventional equalizers. An example of a conventional sparse decision feedback equalizer 400 is provided, in block diagram form, in FIG. 4. A sparse equalizer tries to concentrate its coefficients to a set of effective coefficient locations that have significant values, and remove all "near zero" coefficients. In FIG. 4, this is done by use of the switches 402 and 408, controlled by switch control block 420. The purpose of switches 402 and 408 is to select only those delayed data from FFE Delay 401 and DFE Delay 407 that correspond to the significant equalizer coefficients. Only the significant equalizer coefficients are implemented and therefore effective. All other coefficients are set to zero and not implemented. Doing so reduces the number of required coefficients because the FFE filter block 403 and the FFE update block 404 as well as the DFE filter block 409 and the DFE update block 410 only need to process the effective coefficients, therefore, at least in theory, there is a reduction of the converging speed, self noise, and quantization noise problems mentioned above. These features of the sparse equalizer make it particularly suitable for stationary multipath environment where relatively few effective coefficients are required and the locations of those effective coefficients do not change quickly. A sparse equalizer with relatively few effective coefficients should, at least in theory, behave like a smaller equalizer. So the problems in converging speed, quantization noise, and self noise are all improved compared with a conventional equalizer with the same time span. At the same time, the total implementation cost of a sparse equalizer may also be smaller compared with a conventional equalizer with the same time span.
Two schemes are needed to implement a sparse equalizer, which is discussed in the Cheng-Youn Lu reference, indicated above. One scheme, not shown in FIG. 4, is to determine where to allocate the effective coefficients, and the other scheme is to implement switching mechanisms shown as 402 and 408 to apply those effective coefficients to generate an equalizer output.
The first scheme requires one to either sequentially learn the locations of those effective coefficients or to periodically initialize those effective locations using some training sequence. Sequentially learning the effective locations will significantly slow down the convergence and tracking behavior of the equalizer. Periodical initialization using a training sequence reduces the effective channel bandwidth, adds additional costs to implementation of the equalizer, and reduces the tracking capability and overall performance if the channel changes between training sequences. Both approaches of selecting the effective coefficient locations involve additional cost compared with conventional equalizer implementations.
The second scheme requires significantly adding complexity in the equalizer's implementation. Suppose the equalizer has 500 total possible locations for the coefficients yet there are 100 effective coefficients, then the equalizer needs a circuit that can dynamically switch the 100 effective coefficients into any 100 of those 500 locations. This requirement on dynamic switching capability together with the requirement on selecting effective coefficient locations significantly offsets cost savings due to a reduced number of effective coefficients.
Fading in a multipath environment further complicates the problem for sparse equalizers. For it now has to dynamically allocate its coefficients. Fading causes the signal strength to change in both absolute terms and in relative terms between each signal path of the multipath signal. When the multipath environment changes, the effective coefficient allocations have to change accordingly and immediately. Otherwise, the sparse equalizer suffers significant performance loss.
Because a sparse equalizer has to either periodically re-allocate its coefficients or sequentially try each of the possible locations to see whether or not significant equalizer coefficients are needed in those locations, both of these methods significantly slow down the tracking ability of a sparse equalizer. Therefore, a sparse equalizer performs inadequately in combating dynamic multipath and fading channel, and at the same time adds to the cost of implementation of an equalizer.
Therefore, for the foregoing reasons, the need arises for an adaptive equalizer having fast convergence time, low self-noise and lower implementation or manufacturing costs.


This invention provides a panel assembly for buildings and the like comprising, in combination with structure supporting the assembly, an array of overlapping elongated metal panels, each panel including a lower edge, an upper flange, and a web including at least one outwardly protruding longitudinally extending stiffening rib. The stiffening rib adjacent the upper flange has an elongated longitudinally extending groove and an extended bearing portion for contacting the structure when the panel is fastened thereto. These ribs provide structural support without purlins, sheathing, or the like. A plurality of fasteners for attaching the panel assembly to the structure pierce the extended bearing portion hold the bearing portion in contact with the structure so that when panels are affixed to the structure with the lower edge of one panel overlapping the upper flange of another panel, the groove forms a space between overlapping panels to prevent water from flowing around the stiffening rib adjacent the upper flange.

This invention relates to assemblies of metal panels for buildings, shelters and the like, such as are used principally for roofs or sidewalls, and to methods for assembling such panels. More particularly, the invention is directed to metal roof Panel assemblies which provide a secure, structurally sound, weathertight roof without use of roof decking or purlins.
In the building arts, building panel assemblies, typically made of a sheet metal such as aluminum or steel, have been used as roofing or siding materials. Where the panel assembly is a roof, a plurality of rafters or roof trusses joined together form the underlying structural support for the roof. Sheathing or longitudinally extending purlins overlie the rafters or roof trusses to brace and interlock the supports. Such sheathing or purlins with metal roofing running perpendicular to the purlins brace the top chords of the trusses and may transfer horizontal loads such as wind and the like to the endwalls and sidewalls of the building by diaphragm action. An example of a seamed rib metal panel assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,356 (Graham). The panels have projecting side flanges interlocked to constitute a seamed rib, and use anchor clips mounted on the supporting structure, such as sheathing or purlins, and held in the seamed rib between interlocked flanges for securing the panels to the structure.
More recently, attempts have been made to provide weathertight roof panels which affix directly to the rafters or roof trusses without first covering the rafters or other frame members with sheathing or purlins before applying the external roofing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,700 (Gustafsson) discusses one attempted effort to provide such a system.


Described herein are compositions and techniques related to generation and therapeutic application of artificial synapses. Artificial synapses are engineered extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, which incorporate sticky binders on their surface to anchor signaling domains against biological targets, such as receptors. These engineered additives can be organized in genetic vector constructs, expressed in mammalian cells, wherein the sticky binders attach to extracellular vesicles such as exosomes, thereby presenting their joined signaling domains which are rapidly taken up by recipient cells. Artificial synapses adopt the hallmark biophysical and biochemical features of extracellular vesicles, allowing for rapid deployment and scale-up. Importantly, this strategy can allow for kinetically favorable signal generation and signal propagation. This includes, for example, increasing density of agonist presentation to support receptor clustering—an onerous barrier for traditional receptor targeting strategies.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role in intercellular communication by transferring microRNAs, lipids, and proteins to neighboring cells. The delivery of encapsulated molecules within EVs is a highly promising strategy as a therapeutic platform in many contexts, exploiting the unique biophysical and biochemical characteristics of extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, there remains a great need in the art for a flexible and dynamic platform, where specific biological signals can be reliably targeted without off-target effects and that provide a robust cellular response to achieve a therapeutic effect, such as modulating inflammation.

Extracellular vesicles comprising engineered fusion proteins


A gauntlet athletic sled for use by football trainers has a sled frame with spaced apart side sections defining a runway between them from a front end to a rear end. A front to rear extending series of readily removable, position adjustable inflated resilient arms project from the side sections laterally into the runway to create a predetermined obstacle path simulating the arms and hands of would be tacklers, which must be deflected aside to permit passage of the runner down the pathway. The varied pressure of arm inflation controls the resistance to passage of the runner proceeding down the runway.

Gauntlet sleds of the general character indicated have been in use for some time, and are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,451,677 and 2,752,155. Responsive to the forward motion of the runner, the projecting obstacle arms are deflected aside to permit the runner to pass, and then spring back to the original position.
The present improvement deals with the concept of providing inflatable, resilient obstacle arms which project randomly into the runway in staggered formation at different heights, angles, and intervals, to simulate opponents tackling the legs and upper body of the runner, and opponents seeking to strip the ball from the arms of the runner. Unlike the prior art spring-biased arms, which have less resistance when the player passes the spring's load point and tend to create pinch points which could injure the runner, the air-filled arms of the present construction put consistent pressure on the ball carrier and are capable of movement in all directions for added safety and realism. The inflatable arms are provided with unique fittings for releasably attaching them to the frame side rails in a manner to permit the height, the angle of projection, and the interval between arm sets or splits to be adjusted to closely simulate anticipated game day conditions.
One of the prime objects of the present inventions is to provide an improved gauntlet sled of the character described which can be used to train running backs and their lead blockers, in particular, to pump their legs while exploding through holes and maintaining balance.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a gauntlet sled wherein one-piece, inflatable, resilient arms, with no mechanical components, provide the consistent resistance necessary to simulate game-day play in a manner which avoids injury.
A further object of the invention is to provide a gauntlet construction of the character described wherein tension or resistance to passage is adjustable by the simple expedient of varying air pressure, and mechanical pinch points, which might cause injury, are avoided.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable arm gauntlet sled in which the inflatable arms have inflated and deformable fist-like ends simulating the grabbing action of would-be opponent tacklers when encountered by the runner.
A further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable arm which can be bent about a relatively rigid arm mount sleeve which has the dual function of adjustably supporting the arm on a gauntlet sled side rail.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable arm mount with interlocking fittings which provide for quick detachment of the arm and its carrier for storage without disassembly of the sled.
Another object of the invention is to provide a very durable, well stabilized gauntlet sled of the type described which is economical to manufacture and assemble, and to maintain.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and the accompanying descriptive matter.

Gauntlet athletic training sled and methods of using and constructing it


What is disclosed is a case-based method which specifies previously created documents as cases in a case base, and provides a generalized method for using these previous documents to create a new desired document. The new problem (i.e., the document you are trying to create) is expressed, using any/all case features (e.g., new problem constraints, creator intent, document-genre, etc.). A matching process is performed in order to retrieve documents similar to the desired document from the case base. A selection process chooses one or several of the best matching cases as starting points for creating the new document. The retrieved document(s) are then adapted to create the new desired document. This new document is optionally stored back into the case base as a new case.

Custom documents are documents that are personalized or tailored in some way to the particular user of the document. Two growing applications of custom documents are in the domain of variable data printing, as well as in web personalization.
Traditional approaches to custom document creation are non-automated and therefore user-intensive, and result in documents that are typically quite similar: the layout is the same for all instances, regardless of the available content pieces. Furthermore, the document creator is responsible for ensuring that the final document adheres to good design principles, and is therefore aesthetically pleasing. Thus the document creator himself typically creates the document template according to his preferred design criteria, which requires knowledge about document design and how to best achieve the desired qualities in a particular instance of the document.
Known methods for automated creation of documents have focused more on the particular types of documents, and not on modeling the problem in a general way in order to address all types of documents. Existing work provides methods for creating diagrams (see Dengler, E. Friedell, M., Marks, J., Constraint-Driven Diagram Layout, Proceedings of the 1993 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages, pages 330–335, Bergen, Norway, 1993), or multimedia presentations (see Rousseau, F., Garcia-Macias, A., Valdeni de Lima, J., and Duda, A., User Adaptable Multimedia Presentations for the WWW, Electronic Proceedings from the 8th International World Wide Web Conference, 1999), or flowcharts and yellow pages (see Graf, W. H., The Constraint-Based Layout Framework LayLab and Applications, Electronic Proceedings of the ACM Workshop on Effective Abstractions in Multimedia, 1995). Others have explored automating the process of web document layout (see Kroener, A., The Design Composer: Context-Based Automated Layout for the Internet, Proceedings of the AAAI Fall Symposium Series: Using Layout for the Generation, Understanding, or Retrieval of Documents, 1999). None of the existing automated approaches use past experience to help generate a new document.
Using past experience to help in the generation of new documents is limited to whatever experience the human creator applies when creating a new document. This experience is not readily transferable from one document to the next, unless that same expert creates all documents, and is able to remember the particulars of his past documents. Furthermore, there is no easy way for a novice creator or programmatic (non-human) creator to draw upon this experience in order to create a document.
What is needed in the art in order to enable an efficient and experience-guided assembly of a custom document, is a means for finding existing documents that are similar to the current desired document, and using the existing documents as a starting point for problem solving.

Case-based system and method for generating a custom document


Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus which arithmetically operates a characteristic amount of content data, including: first arithmetic operation means for using a low level characteristic amount extraction expression to arithmetically operate the low level characteristic amount; second arithmetic operation means for using a high level characteristic amount extraction expression to arithmetically operate the high level characteristic amount; calculation means for calculating an error between the high level characteristic amount and a high level characteristic amount obtained in advance and corresponding to the content data; production means for producing an error estimation expression by learning wherein the error calculated by the calculation means is used as teacher data; and arithmetic operation control means for applying, when the high level characteristic amount corresponding to the content data is to be acquired, the low level characteristic amount to the error estimation expression.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program, and more particularly an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program wherein a characteristic amount of content data is arithmetically operated.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for automatic production of an algorithm which receives musical piece data as an input and outputs a characteristic amount of the musical piece data such as a speed, brightness or liveliness of the musical piece data has been proposed conventionally. One of such apparatus is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Published Application No. 2004/0181401A1 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program


A particle producing apparatus includes a reaction container, an introduction portion for introducing a source gas and a reaction inhibitor generating gas into the reaction container, an inert gas introduction portion for introducing a carrier gas into the reaction container, a heater provided on the reaction container, and an exhaust portion. The growth of particles is controlled using a particle producing reaction and a reverse reaction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a particle producing method and a particle producing apparatus, and more particularly to a particle producing method and a particle producing apparatus for preparing particles in a gas phase using the gas phase reaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
A particle of nanometer size has a large specific surface area (surface area per unit volume) and has a function such as the quantum size effect, which is not provided conventionally. The particle of nanometer size is drawing attention as a substance of new conformation in recent years. The particles of nanometer size are applied to a catalyst, a battery electrode, a visible LED element and a phosphor of display, depending on the kind of particles.
A method for producing particles and a method for controlling the particle size have been described in JP-A-2001-261335.
JP-A-2001-261335 discloses a configuration in which a reaction container has a source gas introduction portion and a surface-adhesion introduction portion separately. Particles are grown while a source gas and a carrier gas are flowed through the reaction container, and produced particles are collected from the opposite side to the source gas introduction portion.
The particles are grown while moving along with the carrier gas within the reaction container.
As a method for producing the particles of desired size, the collected particles may be sieved through a filter. Alternatively, a surface adhesion maybe blown onto the particle surface to compulsorily stop the growth. For this purpose, the surface-adhesion introduction portion is provided on a side of the reaction container.
In the conventional particle producing apparatus with the above configuration, the particle size was controlled depending on timing when the surface adhesion was introduced during growth of particles. Therefore, to obtain particles of a predetermined size, it was necessary to provide the surface-adhesion introduction portion, which was different from the source gas introduction portion (a source gas introduction port).
Moreover, to produce particles of different sizes, it was required to move the surface-adhesion introduction portion (a surface-adhesion introduction port). Alternatively, it was required to provide a plurality of surface-adhesion introduction portions.
Also, even if the surface-adhesion introduction port was shifted, gases in the reaction container had different flow rates and thus, it was difficult to obtain only particles of desired size. To control the size of produced particles means to remove particles of undesired size through the filter. This results in a great influence on the production efficiency.

Particle producing method and particle producing apparatus


A pixel structure including a first active device, a second active device, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, a third pixel electrode, a coupling electrode, and a capacitance electrode is provided. The first pixel electrode connected to the first active device and defines a first to a fourth liquid crystal alignment domain having different alignment directions. The second pixel electrode is connected to the coupling electrode and defines a fifth to an eighth liquid crystal alignment domain having different alignment directions. The third pixel electrode is connected to the second active device and defines a ninth and a tenth liquid crystal alignment domain. The coupling electrode is connected between the first active device and the second active device and extended to pass through the first, the second, and the third pixel electrodes. The capacitance electrode respectively overlaps parts of the first, the second, and the third pixel electrodes.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to a pixel structure, and more particularly, to a pixel structure having a plurality of liquid crystal alignment domains.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid crystal molecules are optically anisotropic and can be driven by an electric field. Different grayscales are presented in a liquid crystal display (LCD) based on such characteristics of liquid crystal molecules. In an existing LCD design, the grayscale presented by each pixel structure is accomplished based on the arrangement and tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules. If all the liquid crystal molecules in a single pixel structure tilt towards the same direction, the viewing angle presented by the pixel structure is limited by the obvious optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules. Thus, a technique in which liquid crystal molecules are tilted in different directions, so as to obtain different liquid crystal alignment domains, through protrusions or different exposure directions on an alignment film has been developed. Through such a technique, wide viewing angle effect can be achieved in a LCD.
However, because the tilting direction of liquid crystal molecules at the intersection (or namely boundary) of two adjacent liquid crystal alignment domains is usually not satisfactory, a desired display effect cannot be achieved, and the aperture ratio of the pixel structure is restricted. When the number of pixel electrodes in the single pixel structure is increased, the intersectional area (or namely boundary area) is also increased. As a result, the aperture ratio of the pixel structure cannot be improved. Thereby, a pixel structure with both wide viewing angle and high aperture ratio is to be developed.


A provided computer system has a variety of additional application functions such as television, audio, video, communication, game, home automation functions, etc., as well as general mathematical computation and logic functions. Also, the system has a switch circuit and a booting control circuit. The switch circuit is used in selecting the additional functions which has a plurality of switches corresponding to the functions respectively. The booting control circuit is operated with a first supply voltage VCC.sub.-- A which allows power supply to apply a second supply voltage VCC.sub.-- B to central processing unit, several kinds of memory units and input/output peripherals when at least one of the switches is on. The central processing unit loads basic input/output system routines into random access memory so as to initialize and check circuits of the computer system, and loads application routines for the additional functions into the random access memory without loading operating system routines when the at least one of the switches is on.

The use of peripheral equipment in computer systems is not new in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,373 for a Field Programming Apparatus and Method For Updating Programs in a Personal Communications Device to Whitley et al. discloses a field programming apparatus and method for updating programs in a personal communications device. A method is provided for automatically loading a new program from the reprogramming card into memory in an accurate, foolproof manner. This is accomplished using a sequencing program stored in the reprogramming card and loaded into the memory portion of the device, where it is executed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,421 for an Interactive Terminal For The Access of Remote Database Information to Palazzi III et al. discloses an inexpensive telecommunications device utilizing existent components located in the home or office, such as a television receiver and a telephone, for creating an interactive display terminal for accessing information stored in remote computer databases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,497 for an I/O Control System for a Plurality of Peripheral Devices to Dewa discloses an input/output control system for a plurality of peripheral devices. A basic input/output system program enables a plurality of peripheral devices to interface with a host computer system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,577 for an Electronic Game Machine and Main Body Apparatus and Controllers Used Therein to Kato discloses an electronic game machine and main body apparatus and controllers used therein. The game is attached to the main host computer in this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,706 for a Computer System Having a Remote Reboot Facility with Both Hard and Soft Reset Capabilities to Farrand et al discloses a computer system having a remote reboot facility with both hard and soft reset capabilities. FIG. 2 shows pagers and a phone can be connected to a console. A plurality of peripheral devices can be connected to a main host computer. A mechanism for re-booting and bootstrapping the peripheral to the host is provided in this invention.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,378 for a Network Computer Workstation With Initial Program Load Control to Sideserf et al. discloses a network computer workstation with initial program load control. A keyboard, mouse, floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, and a display device are all connected to a CPU.
We have observed that with contemporary systems such as those noted in the foregoing paragraphs, that when the peripherals are turned on, the basic input/output system is not rebooted prior to the loading of the operating system.

Computer system with a variety of applications and method for operating the same


In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a brush holder for use with an electric motor, generator, or actuating device. The brush holder includes a body having an upper portion and a lower portion. A pair of flanges separately extends from opposing sides of the lower portion. Each flange includes a channel to provide a method of adjustably attaching the body to the device. A pair of members separately extends from opposing sides of the upper portion and each member includes a curved surface to accommodate coil ends of a constant force spring. A lateral bore is positioned through the body with openings to the bore being positioned about the pair of members. The bore is sized to accommodate a middle section of a constant force spring. An anterior bore positioned through the body transverses the lateral bore and sized to accommodate a carbon brush.

Prior to one or more of the embodiments outlined in the present invention, any type of brush holder utilizing a constant force spring and which was internal to the electric motor, generator, or actuating device (i) consisted of several different complex parts which were fixed in location and position; (ii) was severely limited in range of applicability; (iii) was costly to manufacture; (iv) did not properly receive, position, engage, and actuate the constant force spring; (v) was limited to the utilization of only one spring pressure; (vi) was limited to the utilization of only one size spring; (vii) was limited to only one size, length, or style of carbon brush; and (viii) was not easy to assemble, repair, replace, or maintain.
Since it was very costly to manufacture a brush holder utilizing a constant force spring and which was internal to the electric motor, generator, or actuating device, the range of applicability of such prior art devices was severely limited. One reason for this is due in part because the prior art does not properly receive, position, engage, or actuate the constant force spring so as to optimize its benefits by applying a constant force to the carbon brush. In addition, the prior art does not allow the interchange of different constant force springs of varying pressures and sizes and/or allow different lengths and sizes of carbon brushes. A true constant force was never achieved because the coils of the constant force spring were not properly received, positioned, engaged, and actuated. The prior art typically engaged the coils of a constant force spring by positioning them against a flat planar surface, the result of which was that the contact point was a tangent. Because the point of contact and engagement was a tangent, the constant force spring was not able to consistently achieve its full potential specified pressure nor was it able to achieve a true constant force. The force of the spring would not be constant, but rather, would vary throughout the range of motion, thus negating the well-known advantages of using a constant force spring. This would lead to less than optimal performance, decreased carbon brush life, more frequent and costly replacement of the carbon brushes, and increased maintenance on the electric motor, generator, or actuating device.

Constant force modular integrated internal brush holder


Parameters relating to wireless communication in a wireless network system are set in a printer, which is to be wirelessly connected to the network system anew, from a personal computer that is already wirelessly connected, and the personal computer acquires identification information of the printer and transmits this identification information to an access point. The access point sets up the connection to the printer based upon the identification information that has been transmitted from the personal computer. This makes it possible to connect a new wireless communication apparatus to a wireless network system through a simple set-up operation.

Peripherals such as digital cameras, printers, storage devices, scanners, data input devices and data output devices handled as the peripheral devices of computers are now capable of communicating directly, without the intervention of a computer, using cables. Meanwhile, there is growing demand for the wireless transmission of information that has been performed via cable until now, and wireless communication is starting to be used in communication among the above-mentioned peripheral devices (e.g., see Prior Art 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-218875).
In order to assure security in a wireless network, it is so arranged that wireless terminals that are capable of accessing the wireless network are limited by means such as MAC address filtering at the access point.
The following two-stage set-up operation is required in order to make it possible to connect a new wireless communication device to a wireless network system, and the set-up operation is a troublesome one:                (1) the parameters of the wireless network system are set in the new wireless communication device; and        (2) information concerning the new wireless communication device is registered at the access point as an accessible terminal.
When these setting are terminated, a new wireless communication device can join in a wireless network, and communication via the wireless network can be performed.

Wireless network system, wireless communication device and connection set-up method


A system and method for determining how food products might be portioned includes a scanner for scanning the food product and then using a computer to analyze the scanning data to develop a volume distribution of the food product. The computer operating scanning software carries out modeling to determine potential sets of end products achievable from the initial work product, taking into consideration the possibility of adjusting the thickness of the food product, either before or after cutting of the food product occurs. The computer evaluates the potential yield provided by the potential sets of end products and then one of the potential sets of end products is selected. Thereafter, the present system or a further portioning system is used to cut and optionally adjust the thickness of the food product, either before or after the cutting occurs, thereby to achieve the selected end product set.

Work products, including food products, are cut or otherwise portioned into smaller portions by processes in accordance with customer needs. Also, excess fat, bone and other foreign or undesirable materials are routinely trimmed from the food products. Much of the portioning/trimming of work products, in particular food products, is now carried out with the use of automated portioning machines. These machines use various scanning techniques to ascertain the size and shape of the work product as it is being advanced on a moving conveyor. This information is analyzed with the aid of a computer to determine how to portion the work product into the desired sizes, weights or other criteria being used. For example, if work product portions of a specific weight are desired, the information from the scanner may be employed to control the operation of a crosscutting device to cut the work product into the desired portioning sizes. If the work product changes in width or thickness or other physical parameter along its length, the location of the crosscut made in the work product to achieve a desired end portion weight may be controlled. The apparatus may operate in this manner until the work product has been entirely portioned, which may result in a residual unusable section of the initial work product which is smaller in weight or size than the required weight or size.


A machine for conditioning filled and sealed bags for testing, to assure that the bags are accurately tested without damaging the product contained in the bags, and for packaging the bags that have passed the test in cartons with the longitudinal axis of the bags arranged vertical.

The present invention relates to package handling apparatus for testing flexible packages and packing the acceptable packages vertically into cartons.
The development of equipment that can test and package fragile snack food such as potato chips to ensure delivery to the retail customer in an undamaged condition is the principal objective of this invention. In packaging fragile foods the bag is often inflated so that the sealed bag is in the form of a pillow and the product occupies the space defined by the bubble of air confined within the bag. The pillow like packages facilitates protecting the product from being crushed. If such a properly inflated bag is compressed between two flat surfaces, the bag will resist being compressed beyond a certain depth. This is assuming that the product contained in the bag is evenly distributed over a layer having a depth less than said certain depth. However in the process of filing and sealing the bags the product is dropped into the bag through the open top. As a result the product often becomes clustered in the bottom of the bag. If this concentration of material in the bottom of the bag is thicker than the certain depth then the inflated bag does not protect the product from being crushed. In fact when the product is clumped together it can be crushed and damaged in the test to determine whether the bag is properly pneumatically sealed. Thus concentration of the product into clumps must be avoided and clumps that do exist must be untangled and spread out without damaging the product.
Since the inflated bag can best protect the product when the product is spread over a level layer it is important that all testing and processing of the filled and pneumatically sealed bag be accomplished with the bag in a horizontal orientation.
Fragile foods packaged in inflated bags become vulnerable to being crushed when the bags are packaged in cartons with the longitudinal axis of the bag horizontal. This is particularly true when numerous layers of bags are involved. The weight from the upper bags exert pressure on lower bags which can result in the deflation of some lower bags. These deflated bags have lost their protective cushion and the product can then be crushed. This can be avoided if instead of packaging the bags horizontally they are packaged in a single layer with the longitudinal axis of the bag extending vertically.
A carton filled with vertically orientated bags can receive the maximum number of bags if the product in each bag was arranged in an even layer before packaging and retained in an even layer after packaging. However if during the process of packaging bags with their longitudinal axis extending vertically the product becomes concentrated in the bottom of the bag then a reduced number of bags will fit into the carton.

Machine for conditioning product in a sealed bag