A method of enhancing picture quality of a video signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving an encoded video signal having a plurality of headers; maintaining a plurality of codebooks based upon the differences between a standard definition picture and a high definition picture; and providing a pointer to a particular codebook of the plurality of codebooks when decoding a frame of the video signal.

In 1953, the NTSC broadcast system added a scalable and backwards-compatible color sub-carrier signal to then widely deployed 525-line black-and-white modulation standard. Newer television receivers that implemented NTSC were equipped to decode the color enhancement signal, and then combine it with the older black-and-white component signal in order to create a full color signal for display. At the same time, neither the installed base of older black-and-white televisions, nor the newer black-and-white only televisions designed with foreknowledge of NTSC would need color decoding circuitry, nor would be noticeably affected by the presence of the color sub-carrier in the modulated signal. Other backwards-compatible schemes followed NTSC.
Thirty years later, PAL-Plus (ITU-R BT.1197) added a sub-carrier to the existing PAL format that carries additional vertical definition for letterboxed video signals. Only a few scalable analog video schemes have been deployed, but scalability has been more widely adopted in audio broadcasting. Like FM radio, the North American MTS stereo (BTSC) audio standards for television added a sub-carrier to modulate the stereo difference signal, which when matrix converted back to discrete L+R channels, could be combined in advanced receivers with the mono carrier to provide stereo audio.
In most cases, greater spectral efficiency would have resulted if the encoding and modulation schemes had been replaced with state-of-the-art methods of the time that provided the same features as the scalable schemes. However, each new incompatible approach would have displaced the installed base of receiving equipment, or required spectrum inefficient simulcasting. Only radical changes in technology, such as the transition from analog to digital broadcast television, have prompted simultaneous broadcasting ("simulcasting") of related content, or outright replacement of older equipment.
Prior attempts to divide a compressed video signal into concurrent scalable signals containing a base and at least one enhancement layer have been under development since the 1980's. However, unlike analog, no digital scalable scheme has been deployed in commercial practice, largely due to the difficulties and overheads created by the scalable digital signals. The key reason perhaps is found is in the very nature in which the respective analog and digital consumer distribution signals are encoded: analog spectra have regular periods of activity (or inactivity) where the signal can be cleanly partitioned, while digital compressed signals have high entropy and irregular time periods that content is modulated.
Analog signals contain high degree of redundancy, owing to their intended memory-less receiver design, and can therefore be efficiently sliced into concurrent streams along arbitrary boundaries within the signal structure. Consumer digital video distribution streams such as DVD, ATSC, DVB, Open Cable, etc., however apply the full toolset of MPEG-2 for the coded video representation, removing most of the accessible redundancy within the signal, thereby creating highly variable, long-term coding dependencies within the coded signal. This leaves fewer cleaner dividing points for scalability.
The sequence structure of different MPEG picture coding types (I, P, B) has a built-in form of temporal scalability, in that the B pictures can be dropped with no consequence to other pictures in the sequence. This is possible due to the rule that no other pictures are dependently coded upon any B picture. However, the instantaneous coded bitrate of pictures varies significantly from one picture to another, so temporal scalable benefits of discrete streams is not provided by a single MPEG bitstream with B-pictures.
The size of each coded picture is usually related to the content, or rate of change of content in the case of temporally predicted areas of the picture. Scalable streams modulated on discrete carriers, for the purposes of improved broadcast transmission robustness, are traditionally designed for constant payload rates, especially when a single large video signal, such as HDTV, occupies the channel. Variable Bit Rate (VBR) streams provide in practice 20% more efficient bit utilization that especially benefits a statistical multiplex of bitstreams.
Although digital coded video for consumer distribution is only a recent development, and the distribution mediums are undergoing rapid evolution, such as higher density disks, improved modems, etc., scalable schemes may bridge the transition period between formats.
The Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a.k.a. "Digital Video Disc," format is divided into separate physical, file systems, and presentation content specifications. The physical and file formats (Micro-UDF) are common to all applications of DVD (video, audio only, computer file). Video and audio-only have their respective payload specifications that define the different data types that consume the DVD storage volume.
The video application applies MPEG-2 Packetized Elementary Streams (PES) to multiplex at least three compulsory data types. The compulsory stream types required by DVD Video are: MPEG-2 Main Profile @ Main Level (standard definition only) for the compressed video representation; Dolby AC-3 for compressed audio; a graphic overlay (sub-picture) format; and navigation information to support random access and other trick play modes. Optional audio formats include: raw PCM; DTS; and MPEG-1 Layer II. Because elementary streams are encapsulated in packets, and a systems demultiplexer with buffering is well defined, it is possible for arbitrary streams types to be added in the future, without adversely affecting older players. It is the role of the systems demultiplexer to pass only relevant packets to each data type specific decoder.
Future supplementary stream types envisioned include "3b" stereo vision, metadata for advanced navigation, additional surround-sound or multilingual audio channels, interactive data, and additional video streams (for supporting alternate camera angles) that employ more efficient, newer generation video compression tools.
Two major means exist for multiplexing supplementary data, such as enhancement stream information of this invention, in a backwards-compatible manner. These means are not only common to DVD, but many other storage mediums and transmission types including D-VHS, Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), digital terrestrial television (ATSC & DVB-T), Open Cable, among others. As the first common means, the systems stream layer multiplex described above is the most robust solution since the systems demultiplexer, which comprises a parser and buffer, is capable of processing streams at highly variable rates without consequence to other stream types multiplexed within the same systems stream. Further, the header of these system packets carry a unique Regiestered ID (RID) that, provided they are properly observed by the common users of the systems language, uniquely identify the stream type so that no other data type could be confused for another, including those types defined in future. SMPTE-RA is such an organization charged with the responsibility of tracking the RID values.
The other, second means to transport supplementary data, such as enhancement data of the invention, is to embed such data within the elementary video stream. The specific such mechanisms available to MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 include user_data( ), extension start codes, reserved start codes. Other coding languages also have their own means of embedding such information within the video bitstream. These mechanisms have been traditionally employed to carry low-bandwidth data such as closed captioning and teletext. Embedded extensions provides a simple, automatic means of associating the supplementary data with the intended picture the supplementary data relates to since these embedded transport mechanisms exist within the data structure of the corresponding compressed video frame. Thus, if a segment of enhancement data is found within a particular coded picture, then it is straight-forward for a semantic rule to assume that such data relates to the coded picture with which the data was embedded. Also, there is no recognized registration authority for these embedded extensions, and thus collisions between users of such mechanisms can arise, and second that the supplementary data must be kept to a minimum data rate. ATSC and DVD have made attempts to create unique bit patterns that essentially serve as the headers and identifiers of these extensions, and register the ID's, but it is not always possible to take a DVD bitstream and have it translate directly to an ATSC stream.
Any future data stream or stream type therefore should have a unique stream identifier registered with, for example, SMPTE-RA, ATSC, DVD, DVB, OpenCable, etc. The DVD author may then create a Packetized Elementary Stream with one or more elementary streams of the this type.
Although the sample dimensions of the standard definition format defined by the DVD video specification are limited to 720×480 and 720×576 (NTSC and PAL formats, respectively), the actual content of samples may be significantly less due to a variety of reasons.
The foremost reason is the "Kell Factor," which effectively limits the vertical content to approximately somewhere between ⅔ and ¾ response. Interlaced displays have a perceived vertical rendering limit between 300 and 400 vertical lines out of a total possible 480 lines of content. DVD video titles are targeted primarily towards traditional 480i or 576i displays associated with respective NTSC and PAL receivers, rather than more recent 480p or computer monitors that are inherently progressive (the meaning of "p" in 480p). A detailed description of the Kell Factor can be found in the books "Television Engineering Handbook" by Wilkonson et al, and "Color Spaces" by Charles Poynton. A vertical reduction of content is also a certain measure to avoid the interlace flicker problem implied by the Kell Factor. Several stages, such as "film-to-tape" transfer, can reduce content detail. Interlace cameras often employ lenses with an intentional vertical low-pass filter.
Other, economical reasons favor moderate content reduction. Pre-processing stages, especially low-pass filtering, prior to the MPEG video encoder can reduce the amount of detail that would need to be prescribed by the video bitstream. Assuming, the vertical content is already filtered for anti-flicker (Kell Factor), filtering along the horizontal direction can further lower the average rate of the coded bitstream by a factor approximately proportional to the strength of the filtering. A 135 minute long movie would have an average bitrate of 4 mbps if it were to consume the full payload of a single-sided, single-layer DVD (volume of 4.7 billion bytes). However, encoding of 720×480 interlace signals have been shown to require sustained bitrates as high as 7 or 8 mbps to achieve transparent or just-noticeable-difference (JND) quality, even with a well-designed encoder. Without pre-filtering, a 4 mbps DVD movie would likely otherwise exhibit significant visible compression artifacts. The measured spectral content of many DVD tiles is effectively less than 500 horizontal lines wide (out of 720), and thus the total product (assuming 350 vertical lines) is only approximately half of the potential information that can be expressed in a 720×480 sample lattice. It is not surprising then that such content can fit into half the bitrate implied at least superficially by the sample lattice dimensions.
The impact of this softening is minimized by the fact that most 480i television monitors are not capable of rendering details within the Nyquist limits of 720×480. The displays are likely optimized for an effective resolution of 500×350 or worse. Potentially, anti-flicker filters, as commonly found in computer-to-television format converters, could be included in every DVD decoder or player box, thus allowing true 480 "p" content to be encoded on all DVD video discs. Such a useful feature was neither given as a mandate nor suggested as an option in the original DVD video specification. The DVD format was essentially seen as a means to deliver the best standard definition signals of the time to consumers.
Prior art interpolation methods can interpolate a standard definition video signal to, for example, a high definition display, but do not add or restore content beyond the limitations of the standard-definition sampling lattice. Prior art methods include, from simplest to most complex: sample replication ("zero order hold"), bi-linear interpolation, poly-phase filters, spline fitting, POCS (Projection on Convex Sets), and Bayesian estimation. Inter-frame methods such as super-resolution attempt to fuse sub-pixel (or "sub-sample") detail that has been scattered over several pictures by aliasing and other diffusion methods, and can in fact restore definition above the Nyquist limit implied by the standard definition sampling lattice. However such schemes are computationally expensive, non-linear, and do not always yield consistent quality gains frame-to-frame.
The essential advantage of a high-resolution representation is that it is able to convey more of the actual detail of a given content than a low-resolution representation. The motivation of proving more detail to the viewer is that it improves enjoyment of the content, such as the quality difference experienced by viewers between the VHS and DVD formats.
High Definition Television (HDTV) signal encoding formats are a direct attempt to bring truly improved definition, and detail, inexpensively to consumers. Modem HDTV formats range from 480p up to 1080p. This range implies that content rendered at such resolutions has anywhere from two to six times the definition as the traditional, and usually diluted, standard definition content. The encoded bitrate would also be correspondingly two to six times higher. Such an increased bitrate would not fit onto modern DVD volumes with the modern MPEG-2 video coding language. Modem DVDs already utilize both layers, and have only enough room left over for a few short extras such as documentaries and movie trailers.
Either the compression method or the storage capacity of the disc would have to improve to match as the increase in definition and corresponding bitrate of HDTV. Fortunately both storage and coding gains have been realized. For example, H.264 (a.k.a. MPEG-4 Part 10 "Advanced Video Coder") has provided a nominal 2× gain in coding efficiency over MPEG-2. Meanwhile, blue-laser recording has increased disc storage capacity by at least 3× over the original red-laser DVD physical format. The minimal combined coding and physical storage gain factor of 6:1 means that it is possible to place an entire HDTV movie on a single-sided, single-layer disc, with room to spare.
A high-definition format signal can be expressed independently (simulcast) or dependently (scalable) with respect to a standard-definition signal. The simulcast method codes the standard definition and high definition versions of the content as if they were separate, unrelated streams. Streams that are entirely independent of each other may be multiplexed together, or transmitted or stored on separate mediums, carriers, and other means of delivery. The scalable approach requires the base stream (standard definition) to be first decoded, usually one frame at a time, by the receiver, and then the enhancement stream (which generally contains the difference information between the high definition and standard definition signals) to be decoded and combined with the frame. This may be done piecewise, as for example, each area of the base picture may be decoded just in time prior to the addition of the enhancement data. Many implementation schedules between the base and enhancement steps are possible.
The simulcast approach is cleaner, and can be more efficient than enhancement coding if the tools and bitrate ratios between the two are not tuned properly. Empirical data suggests that some balance of rates should exist between the base and enhancement layers in order to achieve optimized utilization of bits. Thus if a data rate is required to achieve some picture quality for the base layer established by the installed base of DVD players, for example, then the enhancement layer may require significant more bits in order to achieve a substantial improvement in definition.
In order to lower the bitrate of the enhancement layer, several tricks can be applied that would not noticeably impact quality. For example, the frequency of intra pictures can be decreased, but at the tradeoff of reduced robustness to errors, greater IDCT drift accumulation, and reduced random access frequency.
Previous scalable coding solutions have not been deployed in main-stream consumer delivery mediums, although some forms of scalability have been successfully applied to internet streaming. With the exception of temporal scalability (FIG. 2e) that is inherently built-in all MPEG bitstreams that utilize B-frames, the spatial scalable scheme (FIG. 2d), SNR scalable (FIG. 2c) and Data Partitioning schemes documented in the MPEG-2 standard have all incurred a coding efficiency penalty rendering scalable coding efficiency little better, or even worse, than the total bandwidth consumed by the simulcast approach (FIG. 2b). The reasons behind the penalties have not been adequately documented, but some of the known factors include: excessive block syntax overhead incurred when describing small enhancements, and re-circulation of quantization noise between the base and enhancement layers.
FIG. 2a establishes the basic template where, in subsequent figures, the different scalable coding approaches most fundamentally differ in their structure and partitioning. Bitstream Processing (BP) 2010 includes those traditional serially dependent operations that have a varying density of data and hence variable complexity per coding unit, such as stream parsing, Variable Length Decoding (VLD), Run-Length Decoding (RLD), header decoding. Inverse Quantization (IQ) is sometimes placed in the BP category if only the non--zero transform coefficients are processed rather applying a matrix operation upon all coefficients. Digital signal processing (DSP) 2020 operations however tend to be parallelizable (e.g. SIMD scalable), and have regular operations and complexity. DSP includes IDCT (Inverse Discrete Cosine Transform) and MCP (Motion Compensated Prediction). Reconstructed blocks 2025 are stored 2030 for later display processing (4:2:0 to 4:2:2 conversion, image scaling, field and frame repeats) 2040, and to serve as reference for prediction 2031. From the bitstream 2005, the BP 2010 produces Intermediate decoded bitstream 2015 comprising arrays of transform coefficients, reconstructed motion vectors, and other directives that when combined and processed through DSP produce the reconstructed signal 2025.
FIG. 2b demonstrates the "simulcast" case of two independent streams and decoders that optionally, through multiplexer 2136, feed the second display processor 2140. The most typical application fitting the FIG. 2b paradigm is a first decoder system for SDTV, and a second decoder system for HDTV. Notably, the second decoder's BP 2110 and DSP 2120 stages do not depend upon state from the first decoder.
The scalable schemes are best distinguished by what processing stages and intermediate data they relate with the base layer. The relation point is primarily application-driven. FIG. 2c illustrates frequency layering, where the relation point occurs at the symbol stages prior to DSP. (symbols are an alternate name for bitstream elements). In block based transform coding paradigms, the symbol stream is predominately in the frequency domain, hence frequency layering. The enhanced intermediate decoded symbols 2215 combined with the intermediate decoded base symbols 2015 creates a third intermediate symbol stream 2217 that is forward-compatible decodable, in this example, by the base layer DSP decoder 2220. The combined stream appears as an ordinary base layer stream with increased properties (bitrate, frame rate, etc.) over the base stream 2005. Alternatively, the enhanced DSP decoder could have tools not present in the base layer decoder DSP, and 2217 depending on the tools combination and performance level, therefore only be backward-compatible (assuming the enhanced DSP is a superset of the base DSP). SNR scalability and Data partitioning are two known cases of frequency layering that produce forward-compatible intermediate data streams 2217 decodable by base layer DSP stages 2020. Frequency layering is generally chosen for robustness over communications mediums.
In a forward-compatible application example of frequency layering, detailed frequency coefficients that could be added directly to the DCT coefficient block would be encoded in the enhancement stream, and added 2216 to the coefficients 2015 to produce a higher fidelity reconstructed signal 2225. The combined stream 2217 resembles a plausible base layer bitstream coded at a higher rate, hence the forward compatible designation. Alternatively, a backward-compatible example would be an enhancement stream that inserted extra chrominance blocks into the bitstream in a format only decodable by the enhanced DSP decoder. The original Progressive JPEG mode and the more recent JPEG-2000 are examples of frequency layering.
Spatial scalability falls into the second major scalable coding category, spatial layering, whose basic decoding architecture is shown in FIG. 2d. The spatial scalability paradigm exploits the base layer spatial-domain reconstruction 2025 as a predictor for the enhanced reconstruction signal 2327, much like previously reconstructed pictures serve as reference 2031 for future pictures (only the reference pictures in this example are, as an intermediate step, scaled in resolution). A typical application would have the base layer contain a standard definition (SDTV) signal, while the enhancement layer would encode the difference between the scaled high definition (HDTV) and standard definition reconstruction 2025 scaled to match the lattice of 2325.
Spatial layering is generally chosen for scaled decoder complexity, but also serves to improve robustness over communications mediums when the smaller base layer bitstream is better protected against errors in the communications channel or storage medium.
A third scalability category is temporal layering, where the base layer produces a discrete set of frames, and an enhancement layer adds additional frames that can be multiplexed in between the base layer frames. An example application is a base layer bitstream consisting of only I and P pictures could be decoded independently of an enhancement stream containing only B-pictures, while the B-pictures would be dependent upon the base layer reconstruction, as the I and P frame reconstructions would serve as forward and backward MCP (Motion Compensated Prediction) references. Another application is stereo vision, where the base layer provides the left eye frames, and the enhancement layer predicts the right eye frames from the left eye frames, with additional correction (enhancement) to code the left-right difference.
Enhancement methods that do not employ side information or any significant enhancement layer stream are applied by default in the conversion of SDTV to HDTV. Interpolation, through scaling and sharpening, a standard definition (SDTV) signal to a high definition (HDTV) signal is a method to simulate high definition content, necessary to display SDTV on a high definition monitor. Although the result will not look as good as genuine HDTV content, certain scaling or interpolation algorithms do a much better job than others, as some algorithms better model the differences between a HDTV and SDTV representation of the same content. Edges and textures can be carefully sharpened to provide some of the appearance of HDTV, but will at the same time look artificial since the interpolation algorithm will not sufficiently estimate the true HDTV from the content. Plausible detail patterns can be substituted, but may also retain a synthetic look upon close examination.
Many methods falling under the genre of superresolution can partially restore HDTV detail from an SDTV signal under special circumstances, although to do so requires careful and complex motion compensated interpolation since the gain is realized by solving for detail that have been mixed over several pictures through iterative mathematical operations. Superresolution tools require sub-pixel motion compensated precision, similar to that found in newer video coders, and with processing at sub-pixel granularity rather than whole blocks. Thus, instead of one motion vector for every 8×8 block (every 64 pixels), there would be one to four motion vectors generated by the superresolution restoration algorithm at the receiver for every high-definition pixel. Optimization techniques can reduce this complexity, but the end complexity would nonetheless exceed the combined decoding and post-processing complexity of the most advanced consumer video systems. In an effort to improve stability of the restored image, and reduce implementation costs, several approaches have been investigated by researchers to restore high resolution from a combination of a lower resolution image and side information or explicit knowledge available only to the encoder.
Gersho's 1990 publication "non-linear VQ interpolation . . . " [Gersho90] first proposes to interpolate lower resolution still images by means of Vector Quantization (VQ) codebooks (2410 and 2516) trained on their original higher resolution image counterparts. Prior interpolation methods, such as multi-tap polyphase filter banks, generate the interpolated image sample-by-sample (or point-wise) where data is fitted to a model of the interpolated signal through convolution with curves derived from the model. The model is typically a sinc function. Gersho's interpolation procedure (FIG. 2f) closely resembles block coding, where picture (example shown in FIG. 7e) is divided into a grid of input blocks similar to the grid 7411. Each block (whose relationship to the grid 7411 is demonstrated by block 7431) in signal 2506 may be processed independently of other blocks within the same picture. The mapping stage 2504 models some form of distortion such as sub-sampling of the original signal 2502 to the input signal 2506. It is the goal of the Gersho90 interpolator that the reconstructed block 2518 best approximates the original block 2502 given the information available in the receiver, namely, input block 2506 and previously derived codebooks 2510 and 2516. Input block 2506 is matched to a best-fit entry within a first codebook 2510. FIG. 2g adapts the mapping stage 2604 as a combination of decimation followed by the MPEG encode-decode process, the focus of this disclosure's application. Specifically, the mapping stage is the conversion of an HDTV signal to an SDTV signal (via sub-sampling or decimation) that is then MPEG encoded. While the classic VQ picture coder transmits codebook indices to the receiver, in the nonlinear VQ interpolation application (FIGS. 2f through 2j), the first index 2512 of the matching codebook entry in 2510 serves as the index of a corresponding entry in a second codebook 2516. "Super-resolution" is achieved in that the second codebook contains detail exceeding the detail of the input blocks 2506. Gersho90 is targeted for the application of image restoration, operating in a receiver that is given the distorted image and codebooks 2510, 2516, 2610, and 2616 trained on content 2502 available only at the transmitter.
Gersho's non-linear VQ interpolation method is applied for image restoration, and therefore places the codebook search matching and index calculation routine at the receiver. In contrast, the typical applications of VQ are for compression systems whose search routine is at the transmitter where indices and the codebooks are generated and transmitted to the receiver. The receiver then uses the transmitted elements to reconstruct the encoded images. While in the Gersho90 design, the index generator 2008 is the receiver, the codebook generator still resides at the transmitter, where the higher resolution source content 2002 upon which C*(2016, 2116) is trained, is available.
The principal step of Non-linear Interpolative Vector Quantization for Image Restoration described by [Sheppard97], over the [Gersho90] paper that it builds upon, is the substitution of the first VQ stage (2508,2608) with a block waveform coder comprising a Discrete Cosine Transform 2904 and transform coefficient Quantization stage 2908. The quantized coefficients are packed 2912 to form the index 2914 applied to the second codebook 2716, 2812. Thus, a frequency domain codebook is created rather than the traditional, spatial domain VQ codebook. The significance of this step is many-fold. First, the codebook search routine is reduced to negligible complexity thanks to the combination of DCT, quantization, and packing stages (2904, 2908, 2912 respectively) that collectively calculate the second codebook index 2712 directly from a combination of quantized DCT coefficients 2906 within the same block 2902. Prior methods, such as Gersho90, generated the index through a comprehensive spatial domain match tests (similar to the process in 5400) of many codebook entries (similar to 5140) to find the best match, where the index 2712 of the best match serves as the index sought by the search routine.
Sheppard further overlaps each input block by a pre-determined number of samples. Thus, a window of samples is formed around the projected area to be interpolated, and the input window steps through the picture at a number of samples smaller than the dimensions of the input block. Alternatively, in a non-overlapping arrangement, the projected and input block dimensions and step increments would be identical. An overlapping arrangement induces a smoothing constraint, resulting in a more accurate mapping of input samples to their output interpolated counterparts. This leads to fewer discontinuities and other artifacts in the resulting interpolated image. However, the greater the overlap, the more processing work must be done in order to scale an image of a given size. For example, in a combination of a 4×4 process block overlapping a 2×2 input block, sixteen samples are processed for every four samples that are interpolated. This is a 4:1 ratio of process bandwidth to input work. In a non-overlapping arrangement, sixteen samples (in a 4×4 block) are produced for every sixteen input samples. The overlapping example given here requires four times as much work per average output sample as the non-overlapping case.
Although the DCT method by Sheppard et al does permit larger codebooks than the NLIVQ methods of Gersho et al, it does not address the cost and design of sending such codebooks to a receiver over a communications or storage medium. The application is a "closed circuit" system, with virtually unlimited resources, for restoring images of similar resolution. Thus, an improved system that is designed specifically targeted for entropy-constrained, real-time transmission and can scale across image resolutions is needed.
DVD
DVD is the first inexpensive medium to deliver to main stream consumers nearly the full quality potential of SDTV. Although a rigid definition of SDTV quality does not exist, the modern definition has settled on "D-1" video—the first recording format to adopt CCIR 601 parameters. SDTV quality has evolved significantly since the first widespread introduction of television in the 1940's, spawning many shades of quality that co-exist today.
In the late 1970's, the first popular consumer distribution format, VHS and Betamax tape, established the most common denominator for standard definition with approximately 250 horizontal luminance lines and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the lower to mid 40's dB range. Early television broadcasts had similar definition. In the 1980's, television monitors, analog laserdiscs, Super-VHS and the S-Video connector offered consumers improved SD video signals with up to 425 horizontal lines and SNR as high as 50 dB, exceeding the 330 horizontal-line-per-picture-height limit of the broadcast NTSC signal format today.
Starting in 1982, professional video engineering organizations collaborated on the creation of the CCIR 601 discrete signal representation standard for the exchange of digital signals between studio equipment. Although it is only one set of parameters among many possible choices, CCIR 601 effectively established the upper limit for standard definition at 540 horizontal lines per picture height (on a 4:3 aspect ratio monitor). Applications such as DVD later diluted the same pixel grid to cover a one third wider screen area. Thus the horizontal density on 16:9 anamorphic DVD titles is one third less than standard 4:3 "pan & scan" titles. The CCIR 601 rectangular grid sample lattice was defined as 720 samples per line, with approximately 480 lines per frame at the 30 Hz frame rate most associated with NTSC, and 576 lines at the 25 Hz frame rate of PAL and SECAM. Horizontal line density is calculated as (aspect ratio)*(total lines per picture width). For a 4:3 aspect ratio, the yield is therefore ((4/3)*(720))=540 lines.
Although technically a signal format, CCIR 601 cultivated its own connotation as the ultimate watermark of "studio quality." By the late 1990's, CCIR 601 parameters were ushered to consumers by the ubiquitous MPEG-2 video standard operating mode, specifically designated "Main Profile @ Main Level or "MP@ML". MPEG-2 MP@ML was adopted as the exclusive operating point by products such as DVD, DBS satellite, and digital cable TV. While the sample dimensions of DVD may be fixed to 720×480 ("NTSC") and 720×576 ("PAL"), the familiar variables such as bitrate (bandwidth), content, and encoder quality very much remain dynamic, and up to the discretion of the content author.
Concurrent to the end of the SDTV evolution, HDTV started from almost its beginning as a handful of digital formats. SMPTE 274M has become HDTV's ubiquitous analogy for to SDTV's CCIR 601. With 1920 samples-per-line by 1080 lines per frame, and a 16:9 aspect aspect ratio—one third wider than the 4:3 ratio of SDTV—SMPTE 274M meets the canonical requirement that HD be capable of rendering twice the horizontal and vertical detail of SDTV. The second HDTV format, SMPTE 296M, has image dimensions of 1280×720 samples.
Until all programming is delivered in an HDTV format, there will be a need to convert SDTV signals to fit on HDTV displays. SDTV legacy content may also circulate indefinitely. In order to be displayed on a traditional HDTV display, SDTV signals from sources such as broadcast, VHS, laserdisc, and DVD need to first be up-converted to HDTV. Classic picture scaling interpolation methods, such as many-tap FIR poly-phase filters, have been regarded as the state of the art in practical interpolation methods. However, the interpolated SD signal will still be limited to the detail prescribed in the original SD signal, regardless of the sample density or number of lines of the HD display. Interpolated SD images will often appear blurry compared to their true HD counterparts, and if the interpolated SD images are sharpened, they may simulate some aspect of HD at the risk looking too synthetic.
One reason for SD content looking better on HD displays comes from the fact that most display devices are incapable of rendering the full detail potential of the signal format they operate upon as input. The HD display has the advantage that details within the SD image that were too fine or subtle to be sufficiently resolved by a SD display can become much more visible when scaled up on the HD display. Early on, however, the interpolation processing and HD display will reach a point of diminishing returns with the quality and detail that can be rendered from an SD signal. In the end, information must be added to the SD signal in order to render true detail beyond the native limits of the SD format. Several enhancement schemes, such as the Spatial Scalable coders of MPEG-2, have been attempted to meet this goal, but none have been deployed in commercial practice due to serious shortcomings.
Enhancement methods are sensitive to the quality of the base layer signal that they build upon. To optimize the end quality, a balance in bitrate and quality must be struck between the base layer and enhancement layer reconstructions. The enhancement layer should not always spend bits correcting deficiencies of the base layer, while at the same time the base layer should not stray too close to its own point of diminishing returns.

Maintaining a plurality of codebooks related to a video signal


A communication system that comprises call processors, interworking units, and a control system handles a plurality of calls. The call processors process signaling messages for the calls, and in response, transfer control messages for the calls and transfer data messages for the calls. The interworking units receive the control messages and user communications for the calls and interwork the user communications between a first communication format and a second communication format in response to the control messages. The control system receives and processes the data messages for the calls to maintain an active call database having call data for active ones of the calls. The control system receives a query, and in response, processes the active call database to identify one of the active calls that satisfies the query.

Broadband systems provide telecommunications providers with many benefits, including greater bandwidth, more efficient use of bandwidth, and the ability to integrate voice, data, and video communications. These broadband systems provide callers with increased capabilities at lower costs.
The broadband systems may have multiple elements that operate together to connect calls. Some elements may process call signaling while other elements make connections for calls. Alternately, a single element may be used to both process call signaling and to make connections for calls. In either system, there is a need for a system to provide for maintenance and administration of the elements. Such a system should be capable of providing the administration services for local or regional elements. The system of the present invention provides these needs.

System and method for controlling a call processing system


The present invention relates to an optimized interaction method of a WLAN user terminal selecting an access mobile communication network. In this method, after a wireless connection between the WLAN user terminal and a WLAN access network is established, the WLAN access network or the WLAN user terminal initiates an access authentication procedure, and the WLAN access network sends a user identity request message to the WLAN user terminal. After receiving the user identity request message, the WLAN user terminal determines network selection information to be currently carried according to a detecting result of whether the WLAN access network is changed or according to user selection information, and returning a message containing the determined network selection information to the WLAN access network. The WLAN access network then judges whether the network selection information in the received message indicates one of the mobile communication operation networks to which the WLAN access network is currently connected; if so, sends an access authentication request from the WLAN user terminal to a mobile communication operation network indicated in the network selection information, otherwise, the network sends a notification signaling to the WLAN user terminal, the WLAN user terminal completes subsequent operations according to contents in the notification signaling. With the present invention, when being accessed to a WLAN that is connected to multiple mobile communication operation networks, the WLAN user terminal is capable of selecting an optimal mobile communication operation network to access according to the requirements.

With the user's higher and higher requirements for wireless access rate, WLAN which can provide high-rate data access in a small area is being developed. WLAN includes various different techniques, and at present a widely applied technical standard is IEEE 802.11b, which adopts 2.4 GHz frequency channel and can reach a highest data transmission rate as 11 Mbps. IEEE 802.11g and Bluetooth technique also use this frequency channel, and IEEE 802.11g can reach the highest data transmission rate as 54 Mbps. Other new techniques, such as IEEE 802.11a and ETSI BRAN Hiperlan2, utilize the frequency channel of 5 GHz, and the highest data transmission rate can also be 54 Mbps.
Although there are various different wireless access techniques, most of WLANs are used to transmit Internet Protocol (IP) data packets. In a wireless IP network, the adopted specific WLAN access technique is generally transparent to the upper IP. In the WLAN access technique, WLAN user terminal's wireless access is implemented. by using an Access Point (AP), and an IP transmission network is established by means of network control and connection of connection equipments.
With the popularization and development of WLAN techniques, intercommunication between WLAN and various wireless mobile communication networks, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) system, Time Division-Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA) system or CDMA2000 system, is becoming the focus of current research. In the 3rd Generation Partner Project (3GPP) Organization for Standardization, it is prescribed that a WLAN user terminal can be connected to the Internet or Intranet via a WLAN access network, and can also be connected to a home network of 3GPP system or a visited network of 3GPP system via a WLAN access network. Specifically speaking, a WLAN user terminal is connected to a 3GPP home network via a WLAN access network in the case of local access, as shown in FIG. 2; when the WLAN user terminal is roaming, as shown in FIG. 1, a WLAN user terminal is connected to a 3GPP visited network via a WLAN access network, and part of the entities in the 3GPP visited network are respectively connected to corresponding entities in the 3GPP home network. For example, a 3GPP Authentication Authorization Accounting (AAA) agent in the 3GPP visited network is connected to a 3GPP AAA server in the 3GPP home network, a WLAN Access Gateway (WAG) in the 3GPP visited network is connected to a Packet Data Gateway (PDG) in the 3GPP home network, etc. Here, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic diagrams illustrating the framework for intercommunication between a WLAN system and a 3GPP system in case of roaming and non-roaming respectively.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen a 3GPP system mainly includes a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)/Home Location Register (HLR), a 3GPP AAA server, a 3GPP AAA agent, a WAG, a PDG, a Charging Gateway (CGw)/Charging Collection Function (CCF) and an Online Charging System (OCS). WLAN user terminals, all entities of a WLAN access network and a 3GPP system jointly constitute a 3GPP-WLAN interaction network, which can be-taken as a WLAN service system. Here, the 3GPP AAA server is responsible for implementing authentication, authorization and accounting for users, collecting and transferring charging information from the WLAN access network to the charging system. The PDG takes charge of transmitting user data from the WLAN access network to the 3GPP network or other packet networks. The charging system is mainly in charge of receiving and recording user charging information from the network. The OCS is in charge of instructing the network to periodically transmit online charging information according to charging situation of online charged users, as well as in charge of statistics and control.
In case of non-roaming, when a WLAN user terminal expects to be directly accessed to Internet/Intranet, the WLAN user terminal can be accessed to Internet/Intranet via a WLAN access network after finishing access authentication and authorization with an AAA server (AS) via the WLAN access network. If the WLAN user terminal also expects to access 3GPP Packet Switch (PS) domain service, it can further apply to 3GPP home network for Scenario3 service, namely, the WLAN user terminal requests AS of 3GPP home network for Scenario3 service authorization, the AS of 3GPP home network performs service authentication and authorization upon this service authorization request, if successful, the AS will send an access allowance message to the WLAN user terminal and allocate corresponding PDG for the WLAN user terminal, thereby the WLAN user terminal can access 3GPP PS domain service after the channel between the WLAN user terminal and the allocated PDG is established. Meanwhile, the CGw/CCF and the OCS record charging information according to network utilization situation of the WLAN user terminal. In case of roaming, when a WLAN user terminal expects to be directly accessed to Internet/Intranet, the WLAN user terminal can apply to 3GPP home network for accessing the Internet/Intranet via a 3GPP visited network. If the WLAN user terminal also expects to further apply for Scenario3 service and access 3GPP Packet Switch (PS) domain service, the WLAN user terminal needs to initiate a service authorization procedure towards the 3GPP home network through the 3GPP visited network. The procedure is also performed between the WLAN user terminal and the AS of 3GPP home network. If the authorization is successful, the AS will allocate corresponding home PDG for the WLAN user terminal, thereby the WLAN user terminal can access 3GPP PS domain service after the channel between the WLAN user terminal and the allocated PDG is established.
As shown in FIG. 3, in a 3GPP-WLAN intercommunication network, if a WLAN is connected to multiple 3GPP visited networks which mean Visited Public Land Mobile Networks (VPLMNs), namely multiple mobile communication operation networks, at the same time, the WLAN user terminal will select a desirable VPLMN network after being accessed to this WLAN. For example, in China, a WLAN access network is connected to both VPLMN operation networks of China Mobile and China Unicom at the same time, then, a user of China Unicom needs to instruct WLAN access network to access VPLMN operation network of China Unicom when accessed to WLAN.
Taking another example, a French user roams to a certain WLAN in China, if this French user's home network has roaming protocols with both China Mobile and China Unicom, in case of the WLAN access network being connected to both China Mobile and China Unicom, this French user needs to select a VPLMN network to access after being accessed to the WLAN. Regarding how a WLAN user terminal selects a desirable access network and notifies WLAN access network of the information of the network selected by itself, as well as how the 3GPP-WLAN intercommunication network performs the interaction according to information of the network information selected by the WLAN user terminal, a resolving scheme has been put forward in another patent application whose basic idea is that a WLAN user terminal transmits network selection information to a WLAN access network by means of an access authentication request, the WLAN access network identifies the desirable mobile communication operation network to be accessed by the WLAN user terminal according to the carried network selection information and connects the current WLAN user terminal to the selected network for access authentication and subsequent operations.
However, it will consume a great amount of network resources if a WLAN user terminal selects a network every time. For instance, under the condition that a user is roaming in another place and the user's home mobile communication operation network is not directly connected to the WLAN access network in which the user is currently located, if the WLAN user terminal notifies the WLAN access work of the user's home network as initially selected network every time, every access will trigger the network selection procedure, thereby the WLAN network sends network selection information to this WLAN user terminal and this WLAN user terminal will access this selected network after judging and selecting, leading to network consumption and delay of user's access. However, if the last selected mobile communication operation network is simply adopted, as for a WLAN user terminal that has entered a new WLAN network, it may not be guaranteed that current selected network is the optimal PLMN network of this WLAN user terminal. In other words, when a WLAN user terminal is located in a new WLAN network, although the default mobile communication operation network to access or the previously selected mobile communication operation network has roaming relation with the visited network of this WLAN user terminal and may be available, this new WLAN network in which this WLAN user terminal is currently located may be directly connected to a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) or other better VPLMNs. In such a case, since there is already default or selected mobile communication operation network for routing, new network selection is not allowed, therefore, it is not guaranteed that the WLAN user terminal can select the optimal PLMN network for the current WLAN network, such as a HPLMN. So far no one has put forward a specific resolving scheme in terms of the problem as, when a WLAN user terminal is located in a new WLAN, how to guarantee the WLAN user terminal to select a proper optimal mobile communication operation network at any time if a WLAN is connected to multiple mobile networks.

Optimized interaction method of user terminal selecting access mobile network in wireless local area network


An actuator for a valve lift controller linearly driving a control shaft of a changing mechanism comprises a feed screw mechanism including a screwed shaft linearly moving along with the control shaft, and a rotation spindle rotating coaxially with the screwed shaft. The feed screw mechanism converts a rotational movement of the rotation spindle into a linear movement of the screwed shaft. Moreover, the actuator comprises a unit attached to the rotation spindle, an electric power distributor located at an opposite side of the screw mechanism relative to the changing mechanism, and an stopper member restricting a movement of the unit in the axial direction from an electric power distributor to the unit.

In conventional valve lift controllers, several types of actuators are used to linearly drive a shaft of a changing mechanism which controls a lift amount of a valve based on a position of the shaft in its axial direction. For example, an actuator is described in US 2004-0083997A1 (JP 2004-150332A) which converts, by means of a reduction mechanism and a cam mechanism, a rotational driving force of a motor unit into a linear driving force and applies the linear driving force to the shaft of the changing mechanism.
However, the conventional actuator has to use the reduction mechanism in combination with the cam mechanism to make the linear driving force larger. It is therefore difficult to design the actuator to be small. Thus, positions where the actuator can be installed are limited.
The inventors of the present invention have studied a structure of a feed screw mechanism which converts a rotational movement of a rotation spindle to a linear movement of a screwed shaft. The feed screw mechanism can generate a strong linear driving force by means of a simple structure in which the rotation spindle and the screwed shaft are coaxially connected directly or indirectly. An actuator with the feed screw mechanism therefore can be designed to be smaller than the actuator with the reduction mechanism and the cam mechanism.
According to further studies of the inventors on the feed screw mechanism, a problem occurs when the feed screw mechanism is located between the changing mechanism and an electric power distributor for distributing electric power to the motor unit. If the motor unit suddenly increases a thrust force applied to the screwed shaft in a direction toward the changing mechanism, the rotation spindle bumps into the electric power distributor by receiving a strong thrust resistance force toward a direction opposite to the changing mechanism (i.e. toward the electric power distributor). Since such a bump causes breakdown or malfunction of an electric circuit in the electric power distributor, it is better to avoid the bump to improve endurance of the actuator.


There is provided a bioluminescence reagent comprising at least pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase, phosphoenolpyruvic acid, pyrophosphoric acid, magnesium ion or another metallic ions, luciferin and luciferase, which reagent is such that the amount of luminescence is maintained in a high level and moreover stably without decaying for a long time in a bioluminescence reaction, and there is provided a method for quantitatively determining an adenosine phosphate ester or a substance taking part in the ATP conversion reaction in high sensitivity and high accuracy using an inexpensive and simple measuring apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bioluminescence reagent that the amount of luminescence may be maintained in a high level and moreover stably without decaying for a long time in a bioluminescence method, a method for quantitatively determining an adenosine phosphate ester using the reagent, and a method for quantitatively determining a substance taking part in an ATP conversion reaction system using the reagent.
The ATP conversion reaction system in the invention means any reaction system which is composed, for example of a combination of enzymes and substrates, and wherein ATP is formed or consumed at the time of reaction.
For example, it includes, so far known ATP assaying systems each utilizing a bioluminescence reaction (a reaction system wherein luciferase is made to act on ATP, luciferin, dissolved oxygen and magnesium ion to form AMP, pyrophosphoric acid, oxyluciferin, carbon dioxide and light), and an assaying system for an adenosine phosphate ester such as AMP is, ADP , ATP or cyclic AMP disclosed in the invention, and in addition a reaction system wherein another reaction system is combined with such an assay system (reaction system) and in the reaction system after the combination, ATP is formed or consumed at the time of reaction.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Heretofore, there has been known an ATP-quantitatively determining method by a so-called bioluminescent method wherein a bioluminescence reagent comprising luciferin, luciferase and magnesium ions (or other metallic ions) is reacted with a sample containing adenosine triphosphate (hereinafter referred to as ATP) and the amount of luminescence formed is quantitatively determined.
However, although this method has an advantage that ATP can be determined quickly, it has a disadvantage that the stability of luminescence is poor, and more specifically luminescence fades out in a very short time, and therefore it has a problem that for securing sensitivity and accuracy, it gets necessary to control the reaction time strictly and use a luminometer, a measuring apparatus equipped with an autoinjection function for capturing luminescence fading out in a short time.
Heretofore, some techniques for stabilizing luminescence over a long time in this bioluminescence method have been developed, but any of them has problems to be improved.
Namely, in a method which comprises adding coenzyme A (hereinafter abbreviated as CoA) to a reaction system (Patent Kohyo No. 6-500921), a luciferase-luciferin reaction is carried out in the presence of CoA, under a condition of lowering the peak intensity of light formed in the reaction, by a small amount (for example, by about 3 to 30% of the peak intensity under the absence of this condition), and thereby all the amount of light emitted in the reaction (i.e., amount measured by integrating the curve of intensity to time) is increased, and thereby all the light output can be measured more simply and more accurately.
However, in this method, it is compelled to lower the peak (sensitivity) of light formed by the reaction, and the relations between the intensity of luminescence and time get to be curve relations, and the amount of luminescence gradually decays. Therefore, it cannot be expected to maintain the amount of luminescence at a high level stably for a long time.
Further, since a thiol reagent has a SH group on the structure, it, in general, is easily oxidized and has a problem on storage as a solution. Further, since CoA on the market is one extracted from a yeast or the like, it is expensive, and moreover a possibility that ATP, etc. are mixed is noted. The inclusion of ATP is not desired because it causes the increase of the background when ATP is an object to be assayed.
In a method which comprises adding pyrophosphoric acid to the reaction system at the time when a bioluminescence reaction progressed in some extent and the amount of luminescence started to lower, and thereby forming intense luminescence momentarily (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 46, 399-416; 1955), the peak intensity of light is increased again in the middle of the luminescence reaction and thereby the extension of the luminescence time is attempted, but it is impossible to stabilize luminescence over a long time.
In a method which comprises using, in a bioluminescence method, a D-luciferin analog in the reaction system as a competitive inhibitor (Patent Kokai No. 55-13893), although the amount of luminescence can be maintained at a certain level and stably for a long time, the intensity of luminescence is suppressed or inhibited by at least 25%, particularly 50 to 90% by the addition of the inhibitor, and thus the method has a drawback that the lowering of sensitivity is compelled.
In a method which comprises using a polyphosphoric acid compound and a sulfhydryl compound together in a bioluminescence method (Patent Kokai No. 8-47399), the peak intensity of light formed in the luminescence reaction is increased and thereby the extension of the luminescence time is attempted, but it is impossible to maintain luminescence stably over a long time.
Further, as to the above bioluminescence methods, there is no regeneration of ATP in any of them, and they each have a drawback that luminescence decays with time lapse as ATP is consumed.
Therefore, for maintaining the amount of luminescence stably for a long time without decaying, it is compelled to examine the substrate concentrations, enzyme concentrations, pH, temperature, addition of a suppressor or inhibitor, etc., and even thereby sufficiently satisfactory results cannot be expected.
On the other hand, a quantitative determination method of cyclic AMP using a bioluminescence method shown by the following reaction formula is known. ##STR1##
This method is characterized by a method of quantitatively determining cyclic AMP by Reaction 1 wherein cyclic AMP is hydrolyzed with cyclic-3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase to form AMP in the reaction system, Reaction 2 wherein the AMP is reacted with adenylate kinase in the presence of magnesium ion and a trace amount of ATP to convert it to ADP, Reaction 3 wherein the ADP is reacted with pyruvate kinase in the presence of magnesium ion and phosphoenolpyruvic acid to convert it to ATP and pyruvic acid, Reaction 4 wherein the ATP is reacted with luciferase in the presence of luciferin, magnesium ion (or other metallic ions) and dissolved oxygen to form luminescence, and measuring the amount of luminescence formed in Reaction 4 (METHODS IN ENZYMOLOGY 38, 62-65; 1974).
However, in this method, AMP formed from cyclic AMP is converted to ADP by the reaction with adenylate kinase in the presence of a trace amount of ATP, and the ADP is converted to ATP with pyruvate kinase, and therefore, it is required to add a trace amount of ATP in advance to the reaction system.
This additions of ATP is not desirable because when cyclic AMP is the object to be assayed, the ATP causes the increase of the background.
As a result, a blank value corresponding to cyclic AMP of at least 1.3.times.10.sup.-9 M is formed, and thus the method has a problem that cyclic AMP cannot be determined with high sensitivity.
Thus the invention aims to provide a bioluminescence reagent that the amount of luminescence is maintained in a high level and moreover stably without decaying for a long time in a bioluminescence reaction, and provide a method for quantitatively determining an adenosine phosphate ester or a substance taking part in an ATP conversion reaction in high sensitivity and high accuracy using an inexpensive and simple measuring apparatus.

Bioluminescent adenosine phosphate ester assay and reagent


A display device includes a display panel. A light-guide film is attached to a light-incident surface of the display panel. The light-guide film includes a light reflecting layer, a light exiting layer between the light reflecting layer and the display panel, and waveguide parts situated between the light reflecting layer and the light exiting layer. The light exiting layer has exit openings at positions facing each waveguide part, with each exit opening also facing a sub-pixel unit in the display panel. The display device also includes a light source. An end of each waveguide part is in communication with the light source. The light-guide film replaces a conventional backlight unit such that a thinner design for the display device is possible.

Currently, a liquid crystal display has been widely and popularly applied in TV and computer monitors. In operation, the liquid crystal display requires a backlight unit to provide light. The existing backlight unit needs a substrate and a light-guide member on the substrate, which imposes limits on the thin design of the display device.

Display device comprising a light-guide film having a plurality of waveguide parts that have a refractive index

Beijing Boe Display Technology Co., Ltd.


Methods and compositions are provided for determining ADP in the presence of ATP. These comprise including among the assay reagents at least one of the correcting components creatine phosphokinase and phosphocreatine, pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate, peroxidase and a non-interfering peroxidase substrate, and catalase. One aspect of the method employs formation of hydrogen peroxide from the ADP by pyruvate kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate oxidase. The hydrogen peroxide is then determined. A combined reagent having all of the reagents may optionally include a peroxidase when the hydrogen peroxide is to be enzymatically determined. A peroxidase substrate is added to the sample in conjunction with the peroxidase substrate reagent, the mixture incubated and depending on whether the peroxidase substrate is a fluorescer or chemiluminescer, the mixture may be illuminated with excitation light and the emitted light determined as a measure of the ADP in the sample.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention is assays for detecting ADP presence and formation.
2. Related Art
ATP is ubiquitous as the major power source for live organisms. ATP is used with enzymes referred to as ATPases, such as with kinases for phosphorylating proteins, for glycogenesis, and for metabolizing sugars and fats, to name only a few. In trying to discern cellular pathways and the effect of changes in the environment on these pathways, the ability to measure the amount of ADP is advantageous. Also, one may be interested in the amount of ATP in a sample, particularly where the ATP is to be monitored by the formation of ADP.
One approach for measuring ADP is to use an enzyme-coupled reaction in order to produce a readily detectable signal. Since, in many of the contexts in which one wishes to measure ADP, the amount of ADP will be very small or one will be interested in small differences in the amount of ADP between determinations, sensitive detection becomes an important factor.
In the literature, there has been a description of an enzyme-coupled reaction to determine ADP. In this method, pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate are combined in the assay mixture and react with ADP to form ATP and pyruvic acid. Also included are pyruvate oxidase and its cofactors FAD and TPP, which transform the pyruvate to acetyl phosphate and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is then detected by catalyzing its reaction with the fluorescent dye, Amplex® Red (a fluorescent dye) using horseradish peroxidase.
While the method would appear to be highly sensitive, it suffers from the problems of contamination of the various materials used in the process. Phosphoenolpyruvate spontaneously hydrolyzes to give pyruvic acid, which is involved as an intermediate in the production of hydrogen peroxide. Any adventitious pyruvic acid will result in an augmented determination, indicating a larger amount of ADP than was present. Also, buffers and assay components may be contaminated with hydrogen peroxide. The substrates one employs as the detectable species and other components of the assay may also produce hydrogen peroxide. The method therefore suffers from the potential for numerous introductions of intermediates that will alter the result and provide for erroneous determinations. In addition, it is well known that ATP will spontaneously hydrolyze to ADP and phosphate, so that the ATP may be contaminated to varying degrees with ADP depending upon the manner in which the ATP is prepared, stored and handled. Since adventitious presence of ADP in the assay mixture will substantially compromise the assay, it is important to minimize the amount of ADP present from other than the reaction of interest.
In developing an assay for commercialization, there are a number of considerations that guide the protocol employed. Desirably, the maximum number of agents employed in the assay is combined as a single reagent, so as to minimize the number of measurements and additions that must be performed. The greater the number of measurements and additions that must be performed, the greater the errors that are likely to be produced. Particularly, where an assay requires a large number of reagents, it is especially desirable to be able to combine them in large amounts and mix the reagents homogeneously, so that they are accurately measured in the proper proportions and can dissolve and rapidly interact during the assay.
Because of the importance of the determination of ADP, providing for an accurate, reasonably rapid method of measurement, where one can use the protocol in both medium and high throughput screening, is very desirable.
Relevant Literature
An abstract presented at the SBS 2002 meeting on Sep. 22-26, 2002, by Juan-Manuel Dominguez, et al., in the section Novel Detection Technologies and Assay Formats, ID:2322, states: "A new fluorogenic method for the detection of ADP is described. It is based on the sequential action of pyruvate kinase and pyruvate oxidase to generate hydrogen peroxide, which is utilized by peroxidase to convert non-fluorescent Amplex® Red (a fluorescent dye) into fluorescent resorufin. The method is amenable to on-line kinetics and has proved to be very sensitive, capable of detecting 1 micromolar ADP, and thus suitable to be used to measure kinase activities. To support this idea, bacterial thymidylate kinase has been screened using this method to monitor enzyme activity against a collection of 500,000 compounds. Z-prime values were consistently maintained around 0.80 throughout the whole campaign. As a result, potent inhibitors of the enzyme have been found, yielding IC50 values in the nanomolar range."
Also of interest are Finer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,254, Eiji, et al., "Pyruvate oxidase, its preparation and use," EPA 0,274,425 and Kiianitsa, et al., "NADH-coupled microplate photometric assay for kinetic studies of ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes with low and high specific activities," 2003 Analytical Biochemistry 321:266-271. Japanese Application Publication Number 61-092598, or Application Number 59-214386, "Method of Determining ADP," describes an ADP assay using pyruvate kinase and pyruvate oxidase.

ADP detection using an enzyme-coupled reaction


An integrated current generator circuit operates in conjunction with a known reference voltage and internal and external reference resistances. The current generator circuit includes three operational modes. In the first operational mode, the reference voltage is impressed upon the internal reference resistance to generate one or more relatively inaccurate output currents. In a second operational mode, the reference voltage is impressed upon an external reference resistance to generate one or more highly accurate output currents, even if an internal ESD resistor is used, or if the bonding pad has high series parasitic resistance. An alternative voltage sensing path is included to ensure the accuracy of the reference current. In a third operational mode, the reference voltage is again impressed upon the internal resistance, with the corresponding node voltage being connected to an external integrated circuit bonding pad.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating one or more reference currents, and, more particularly, to an integrated reference current generator that operates in conjunction with an external reference resistor. This application is related to my co-pending application entitled "LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE ARRAY CURRENT POWER SUPPLY INCLUDING SWITCHED CASCADE TRANSISTORS", Ser. No. 07/948,274.
Reference current generators are frequently used in integrated circuits for generating a multiplicity of bias currents that track with temperature, process variations, and transistor gain. Three embodiments of known reference circuits are shown in FIGS. 1-3, although other embodiments are known. Referring now to FIG. 1, reference circuit 10 includes an operational amplifier ("op-amp") 14, and multiple N-channel field-effect transistors ("FETs") 16-20 for generating multiple sink bias currents at the drains of each respective FET. Due to the feedback from node 22 at the drain of FET 16 to the non-inverting input of op-amp 14 and high loop gain, op-amp 14 imposes a voltage at the output node 26 such that the voltage at the inverting and non-inverting terminals is approximately equal. Since op-amp 14 has its inverting input connected to a reference voltage designated "V.sub.REF ", the voltage at its non-inverting input is also equal to V.sub.REF. A reference resistance R.sub.REF is coupled to the non-inverting input of op-amp 14 and therefore a current, designated "I.sub.REF " is generated with a magnitude equal to (V.sub.CC -V.sub.REF) /R.sub.REF. The reference resistance block 80 can be either a simple internal integrated resistance, such as a polysilicon or thin-film resistor, or a precision external resistance coupled to the circuit 10 through an external bonding pad 12. The gate-to-source voltage of FET 16 is impressed across the gate and source of output transistors 18 and 20, producing a current through each substantially similar to the reference current, assuming equally sized devices.
Another embodiment 40 of a reference current generator circuit is shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, reference circuit 40 includes P-channel output FETs 28-32 to provide a multiplicity of source output bias currents. The output of op-amp 14 drives the gates of FETs 28, 30, and 32. In addition, the sources of FETs 28-32 are coupled together and to a source of positive supply voltage, VCC. As in reference circuit 10, the reference voltage V.sub.REF is coupled to the inverting input of op-amp 14. The drain of FET 28 is coupled to the non-inverting input of op-amp 14 because of the inverted gain from the gate to the drain of FET 28. The non-inverting input of op-amp 14 is also coupled to the reference resistance R.sub.REF through bonding pad 12. The op-amp 14 impresses the reference voltage V.sub.REF across reference resistance R.sub.REF, which produces a reference current I.sub.REF equal to V.sub.REF /R.sub.REF. The gate-to-source voltage of FET 28 is impressed across the gate and source of output transistors 30 and 32. Circuit 40, and other similar circuits, are commonly used as LED drivers because each output driver is independent from the other. If one of the bias currents is interrupted or made inaccurate, it has no effect on the other bias currents.
Note that in reference circuits 10 and 40 reference current I.sub.REF flows directly through output transistors 16 and 28. The drain currents of transistor 16 and 28 cannot be used directly but are used to generate the reference gate-to-source voltage. If output transistor sizes are equal, output bias currents I.sub.18 -I.sub.20 and I.sub.30 -I.sub.32 are both substantially equal to I.sub.REF. If output transistor sizes are unequal, output currents are proportional to the respective W/L ratios of the output transistors.
A third embodiment 50 of a typical reference circuit is shown in FIG. 3. Reference circuit 50 includes a single N-channel FET 16, the drain current of which is used to create a reference gate-to-source voltage through P channel FET 34. In circuit 50, op-amp 14 drives the gate of N-channel FET 16, with the non-inverting input connected to V.sub.REF. The inverting input is coupled to the source of FET 16, which is coupled to the reference resistance R.sub.REF. The generated reference current I.sub.REF is equal to V.sub.REF /R.sub.REF and flows through N-channel FET 16 and P-channel current reference FET 34. The drain of FET 16 is connected to the coupled drain and gate of P-channel current reference FET 34, to generate a reference gate-to-source voltage between node 78 and VCC. The gates of output FETs 30 and 32 are coupled to node 78 to replicate the reference current. Circuit 50 is similar to circuit 40 except for the exact manner in which the reference gate-to-source voltage is generated.
In reference circuits 10, 40, and 50, as well as many other such circuits, a reference voltage, V.sub.REF, and a reference impedance, R.sub.REF, are known. The desired current output or outputs are one or more copies of a reference current equal or proportional to I.sub.REF. The ability to accurately control the two known quantities directly determines the accuracy of the resulting desired output reference current I.sub.REF. However, practical limitations in the fabrication and implementation of the reference circuit can have an adverse affect on accuracy of one or both of these quantities. FIG. 4 shows a simplified circuit 40 in which an external precision reference resistance is used. In many integrated circuits, it is desirable to protect output pins with an internal series electrostatic discharge ("ESD") protection resistor, R.sub.ESD. In addition to the ESD protection resistor, a parasitic resistance R.sub.s exists as well. The parasitic and ESD protection resistor R.sub.s are both in series with the external reference resistor and are sources of reference current error. The value of the reference current is therefore modified according to the equation V.sub.REF /(R.sub.REF +R.sub.ESD +R.sub.S). The output reference current is therefore not equal to the nominal design current of V.sub.REF /R.sub.REF. In addition, since the internal resistance R.sub.ESD and R.sub.s can vary widely with process variations and temperature, the corresponding reference current and generated output bias currents can also vary.
Another limitation of circuits 10, 40, and 50 is that they have one operational mode--either a relatively inaccurate internal reference mode or a relatively accurate external resistance mode. However, due to the practical limitations of producing integrated circuit resistances, it is desirable to provide for both an internal and external mode, especially if the internal resistance falls outside a predetermined acceptable resistance tolerance. In addition, a third mode is desired that allows the user to determine whether the internal inaccurate mode falls within the acceptable range of resistances.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a current generator reference circuit in which undesirable variations in output current due to internal series resistance is minimized. Furthermore, it is also desirable to provide a reference circuit having two or more operational modes for use with the external or internal reference resistor, or for test and measurement purposes.


An improved image thinning-out processing scheme includes processes of performing pixel thinning-out operation and compressing image data; and determining a position of pixel to be thinned out along a first direction depending on the position thereof along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image compression/decompression system, in particular, to an image compression/decompression system employing efficient pixel thinning-out and interpolation schemes.
An image compression/decompression system according to the present invention may be applied widely to various image processing application programs, various device drivers (software) such as printer drivers, also, to various image processing apparatus/equipment processing color images.
2. Description of the Related Art
With regard to image compression/decompression techniques, various schemes have been proposed. For example, Japanese laid-open patent application No. 7-221993 discloses a color image data thinning-out method, and a color image data compression method. In the methods, according to change rates in U data and V data representing color components, a size of pixel zone to be thinned out for each image block is controlled. Specifically, as the change rate is larger, the size of pixel zone to be thinned out is to be reduced. On the other hand, as the change rate is smaller, the size of pixel zone to be thinned out is to be enlarged. Thereby, an edge line of an image is prevented from being lost due to thinning-out processing.
Thus, by utilizing a characteristic of human eyes, a thinning-out rate is appropriately selected for a color component according to a color change rate for each image block such as that including 8×8 pixels, 16×16 pixels or the like. Thereby, effective image compression without remarkable apparent degradation in image quality may be attained.
However, according to the above-described methods disclosed by Japanese laid-open patent application No. 7-221993, a considerable time may be required for calculating change rates in U data and V data for each image block.
Furthermore, generally speaking, a natural image is likely to include a lot of thin lines/edge lines extending horizontally or vertically while a few of those extending obliquely. Therefore, when simply pixels arranged vertically are thinned out as disclosed by the above-mentioned patent publication as shown in FIG. 1, a lot of thin lines, edge lines and so forth included in a natural image may be completely lost during image data compressing processing.

Image compression/decompression system employing pixel thinning-out and interpolation scheme


A storage apparatus and its control method capable of reducing load and necessary memory capacity on the side of the apparatus, which are required for management, are proposed. A role of a storage administrator, whose set of storage resources which are management objects is included in a set of storage resources which are management objects of one storage administrator or a union of sets of storage resources which are management objects of a plurality of storage administrators, is set as a first role; and in response to the first request from the management terminal used by a storage administrator who is assigned the role other than the first role, a performance information collection unit is requested to collect performance information of necessary storage resources, acquires such performance information, and the acquired performance information is transmitted to the relevant management terminal and is also stored and retained; and wherein regarding the management terminal used by the storage administrator who is determined to be assigned the first role, an instruction is issued to stop the periodic polling and the performance information is push-distributed to the relevant management terminal at a stage where the performance information of all the storage resources which are the management objects of the relevant storage administrator is acquired.

Conventionally, a method of collecting data relating to the usage status of a storage apparatus from that storage apparatus by means of polling and accumulating the data in a database by using management software, which is made to operate on a management server, and reporting the data accumulated in the database to a storage administrator has been widely used as a method for confirming the usage status of the storage apparatus for the storage administrator to monitor its performance and capacity.
Meanwhile, the storage apparatus may be managed by an administrator team composed of a plurality of sites and a plurality of persons and a storage resource(s) (hereinafter referred as the management object resource(s)) which is/are an object(s) to be managed by each storage administrator may sometimes be duplicate or independent depending on the relevant storage administrator's role.
Therefore, the management software manages both the current performance information of management object resources of each storage administrator and the past performance information of each management object resource, which is required to analyze the usage status of the storage resources, respectively by using the database, combines the data stored in that database, and reports the usage status of the management object resource(s) of the relevant storage administrator to each storage administrator.
Incidentally, PTL 1 mentioned below discloses an invention relating to polling and capable of continuing acquiring and processing data acquired by polling in a distributed environment where a plurality of data acquisition means for acquiring the data by means of polling, even if some communication failures occurs with one data acquisition means.

Storage apparatus and its control method


An injection molding machine comprises a manifold plate, a nozzle extending through the manifold plate, and a gate pad. A valve stem is disposed within the nozzle and is movable between a first position in which the valve stem extends through an outlet of the nozzle, and a retracted position. The gate pad has an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end with a gate aperture. The inlet end is removably attachable to the manifold plate so that the nozzle is received through the inlet opening and the outlet of the nozzle is in communication with the gate aperture, wherein the valve stem seals the gate aperture in the extended position. The outlet end of the gate pad abuts a mold insert and molding material is delivered from the nozzle to a cavity defined by the mold insert through the gate aperture.

Injection molding is a process by which a molding material is injected into a mold and then cooled to form a solid molded article. A molding material, such as, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is placed in a plasticizing unit, which heats the molding material into a molten, flowable state. Molten molding material is then conveyed through a distribution network, often referred to as a "hot runner", and delivered to a mold through a nozzle.
Flow of molding material out of the nozzle is controlled at a gate. A valve stem in the nozzle may be extended to seal the gate and retracted to open the gate. Unfortunately, typical designs are prone to wear due to misalignment and are difficult to service or replace.


A support mechanism for selectively mounting a fixed base or plunge type router on a router table comprises a table plate having top and bottom sides and an opening therethrough having an opening axis, and a carriage beneath the table plate for supporting a router coaxial with the opening axis. Guide posts slidably support the carriage for axial displacement toward and away from the table plate, and adjusting screws rotatable relative to the table plate interengage with the carriage for rotation of the screws to displace the carriage relative to the table plate. The carriage includes a pair of carriage blocks interengaging with the guide posts and adjusting screws, and a router mounting plate which is removably mounted on the carriage blocks. The router mounting plate is provided with a plurality of sets of mounting holes, and each set is for mounting a different model router on the table plate.

This invention relates to the art of routers and, more particularly, to an improved lift mechanism for supporting a router beneath a work supporting surface for adjustment of the position of the router bit or cutter relative to the work supporting surface.
The present invention finds particular utility in connection with the support of a fixed base or plunge router relative to a work supporting surface and, accordingly, will be illustrated and described in detail herein in connection with such routers. At the same time, however, it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to the support of other tools of the character wherein a driven bit, cutter, blade, or the like is supported for vertical adjustment relative to a work supporting surface such as a work bench or table.
It is known, as shown for example in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,659 and in my copending patent application Ser. No. 10/159,356 filed May 30, 2002, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, to support a fixed base or plunge router beneath a work supporting surface such that the router and thus a router bit to be driven thereby is vertically adjustable relative to the work supporting surface. The adjustability provides for accommodating a wide variety of router bit profiles and, as is well known, such routers are used by wood workers in connection with the production of furniture, decorative moldings, picture framing strips, and in conjunction with the joining of wood pieces, the forming of dovetail joints, box joints and the like. High quality work in connection with the use of routers for the latter and other purposes requires not only a good router, sharp bits, good wood, and a skilled operator, but also, precision with respect to obtaining and maintaining a truly perpendicular orientation of the router axis and thus the router bit axis with the plane of the work supporting surface. Further, high quality work requires stability against vibration during a cutting operation, and the ability to accurately and minutely control adjustment of the vertical position of the router bit relative to the work supporting surface.
While the lift mechanisms disclosed in my aforementioned patent and patent application promote the ability to obtain the foregoing desired attributes, the lift mechanisms are structurally distinct and designed to accommodate the mounting and adjustability of just one or the other of the fixed base and plunge type routers. Accordingly, a craftsman, a wood working shop, or the like, must purchase and maintain two lift mechanisms in order to be able to selectively use a fixed base or a plunge router. If the craftsman or shop has only one or the other of the lift mechanisms, then it is obvious that the shop or craftsman is limited to the use of the corresponding one of the two types of routers. In either case, there is a potential for either undesirably high purchase and maintenance costs if two router lifts are desired, or the loss of the versatility afforded by the selective use of the two different types of routers and the ability to selectively take advantage of the unique characteristics of each.


A composite closure for a container having a ring shaped cap with a ring shaped top and an annular skirt depending downwardly from the outer periphery of the top. The skirt is provided with internal threads for engaging external threads on the container neck. A disk shaped lid insert has its outer peripheral edge annularly received in an annular internal lid retaining groove in the cap which permits relative rotation between the lid insert and the threaded cap. An elastic annular seal is received in an annular groove provided in the bottom side of the lid insert for sealing the upper edge of a container.

The present invention pertains to closures or lids for containers or drums provided for multiple use, including the containment of toxic waste or materials.
Such drum type containers are generally constructed of plastic, such as high density polyethylene, and they are corrosion resistant and have adequate mechanical strength combined with light weight such that they provide a light weight safe containment of hazardous or other materials without leaking, despite rough handling during transportation. Such containers when empty are also constructed to be stackable for space saving considerations.
Generally the plastic molded drums or containers in the range of from three gallon to fifty-five gallon capacity are provided with split ring metal chime clamps to facilitate the attachment of the lid to the container. These drums or containers are either employed as drum over packs for containing conventional metal drums therein filled with toxic materials, or they may be employed simply as containers for liquid or solid materials without the inclusion of a metal drum.
For most designs, the split ring clamp is provided with an annular inwardly facing groove that effects a deforming securement of the rim of the lid to the top or neck of the drum wall.
To assure a secured retention of the lid, designs for the lid securing structures are tested. For examples, specifications have been provided by a variety of commercial, international and government entities and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Research and Special Programs Administration. However, the Untied Nations has also set specifications which are even more rigorous.
Typically, drop tests are called for by the test procedures wherein samples taken at random are filled with dry finely powdered or liquid material to an authorized net weight and closed as for use. The containers so filled with dry powder or water, must withstand drop tests of varying heights upon specified parts without leakage or serious rupture. In one such drop, the top chime is dropped diagonally directly onto solid concrete. In another test, the bottom of the container is dropped diagonally such that the bottom chime contacts solid concrete. The drop test heights vary but generally average from four to six feet.
While drum-lid assemblies including split clamping rings have met the specifications as above required, 100% reliance upon split ring clamping assemblies to hold the lid and drum assemblies together during such drop tests has proven to be inadequate when dealing with the larger drums approaching the 55 gallon or higher drum capacity range.
The plastic and closure combination described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,244 and issued to the present inventor, minimizes the reliance upon split ring clamping assemblies to hold the lid and drum together. However, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a safe and reliable closure and container combination which completely eliminates the requirement of a split ring clamping assembly.


A method of facilitating a money transfer to a region for which compliance with a requirement requires execution of a document. The method includes receiving transaction information at a host computer system from a transaction processing device at a transaction origination location. The transaction information relates to a money transfer to the region. The method also includes storing at least a portion of the transaction information as a money transfer record. The record includes a field whose value indicates the status of compliance with the requirement. The method also includes receiving an image of at least a portion of the document, evaluating the document to determine whether the document evidences compliance with the requirement, setting the value of the field to indicate compliance with the requirement, and completing the money transfer, upon request or a recipient, if the value of the field indicates compliance with the requirement.

The present invention relates generally to money transfer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to money transfer systems having a compliance verification arrangement and associated methods.
Many people use the services of money transfer service providers to send funds to other people or purchase negotiable instruments such as money orders and travelers checks. Electronic communication and financial services networks now allow such transactions to have a nearly global reach. Increasingly, however, various laws and regulations impose requirements and/or limitations on money transfers. As a result, money transfer service providers often are obligated to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Thus, systems and methods are needed that assist money transfer service providers to comply with regulations relating to their services.

Regulated wire transfer compliance systems and methods


A combined Gasification, methanation and power island steam turbine system. The system includes a gasification portion, the methanation portion and a steam turbine portion. The Gasification portion includes the new heat recovery design and associated controls for obtaining a desired steam to dry gas ration of 1.1-2.2. The methanation portion includes first, second and third methanation reactors and associated heat recovery integrated with a high-pressure, low-pressure superheater, and HP economizers. The power Island steam turbine includes a High pressure, Intermediate pressure, low-pressure steam turbine having an input coupled to an output of the superheaters in Methanation process.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to methanation and, in particular, to heat recovery in a methanation reaction process, integrated with coal gasification process.
Methanation is a physical-chemical process to generate methane from a mixture of various gases out of biomass fermentation or thermo-chemical gasification. The main components are carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Methanation processes require clean synthesis gas (syngas) to be fed to the reactor with a H2 to CO ratio of 3:1. The syngas is typically produced in a gasifier. In the case that syngas is the feed product, methanation may produce synthetic natural gas (SNG).
At present, most methanation processes are isolated processes that include a gasification portion and methanation portion. Typical gasification processes with partial heat recovery produce a syngas with H2 to CO ratio of about 0.95 to 1.0. A catalytic shift reactor is added downstream of the gasifier for shifting CO to H2 ratio. The shifting requires moisturized syngas with a steam-to-dry gas ratio of about 1.1 to 2.2 (varies with type of catalyst efficiency). Traditionally, steam is added to the shift reaction process because the syngas exiting the radiant synthesis gas cooler (RSC) quench doesn't have enough moisture.

Heat integration in coal gasification and methanation reaction process