A computer controlled elevator system (FIG. 1) including signal processing means for dynamically computing the population spread or density of the buildings, i.e., the number of elevator users in a building on a floor-by-floor basis, including the lobby, and to use such information to compensate for traffic shifts occuring in connection with the up-peak period in which dynamic channeling is used for an elevator car assignment scheme based on prediction methodology, all in accordance with an algorithm (FIG. 3). If, for example, the prediction methodology predicts that the up-peak dynamic channeling scheme should begin but the real time data has not detected any beginnings of an up-peak traffic pattern, the prediction methodology is over-ridden until the real time data finally picks up such a pattern. Additionally, if the floor population spread which is derived from real time data indicates that one or more floors individually have received all of their expected floor population, those floors are devalued to a nominal "priority" basis of "1" in the dynamic channeling scheme, even though the prediction methodology predicts the arrival of additional people for those floor(s) in the remaining up-peak time set by the system. Thus, "too early start" (FIG. 2A) and "too late end" (FIG. 2B) of dynamic channeling are avoided.

Dynamic channeling capability is an important feature in elevator systems to enhance system efficiency during up-peak periods. For further background information, note, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,311 of Kandasamy Thangavelu entitled "Optimized `Up-Peak` Elevator Channeling System with Predicted Traffic Volume Equalized Sector Assignments" of Otis Elevator Company, the assignee hereof, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, as well as others of assignee's patents. Additionally, note is made of this inventor's application Ser. No. 07/508,312 entitled "Elevator Dynamic Channeling Dispatching for Up-Peak Period" filed on Apr. 12, 1990, Ser. No. 07/508,313 entitled "Elevator Dynamic Channeling Dispatching Optimized Based on Car Capacity" filed on Apr. 12, 1990, and Ser. No. 07/508,318 entitled "Elevator Dynamic Channeling Dispatching Optimized Based on Population Density of the Channel" filed on Apr. 12, 1990.
Dynamic channeling provides a way of balancing the building traffic density evenly among the elevator cars in a building. In channeling generally, the floors above the main floor or lobby are grouped into sectors, with each sector consisting of a set of contiguous floors and with each sector assigned to a car, with such an approach being used during up-peak conditions. For dynamic channeling, rather than merely assigning an equal number of floors to each sector, prediction methodology is used for estimating the future traffic flow levels for the various floors every short time interval, for example, every five (5) minutes based on past events or traffic conditions. These traffic predictors are then used to more intelligently and dynamically assign the floors to more appropriately configured sectors, having possibly varying numbers of floors to optimize the effects of up-peak channeling.
Thus, a modern day, computerized elevator system for an office building continuously monitors and records elevator-related, significant events occurring in the building, preferably for every minute or short interval of the day, at least during the normal business day, and every day of the year, at least for every business day. Based on the data resulting from the building's elevator usage, a series of predictions are performed to estimate the traffic density during the next few upcoming intervals, each of which intervals usually is a relatively short period of time, typically of the order of some few minutes, e.g., as noted above, five (5) minutes.
The predictions used are in turn based on two major factor types--"historic" and "real time" based prediction.
Historic prediction typically is done based on the information collected over the past several days relevant to the same instant or period of time. For example, at 9:15 AM, the historic prediction will predict the traffic arrival count at the lobby for, for example, the next two (2) minute interval consisting of 9:15 AM to 9:17 AM. The prediction is based on the data that was collected and maintained during the same 9:15 AM to 9:17 AM interval on, for example, every regular business day, for the last several days, prior to the day of the prediction.
On the other hand, real time prediction is a prediction based on much more recent data collected over a sufficiently short period of time, usually involving some minutes, to effectively be considered "real time" for the time period for which the prediction is being made. It thus predicts traffic based on the events or data of only the past some minutes, rather than the past few days.
Depending on the number of intervals being "looked ahead" and the type of prediction(s) involved, typically a real time prediction uses a number (one or more) of the past intervals prior to the current interval. For example, at 9:15 AM, the real time prediction might use the data collected during the last three, five (5) minute intervals of, e.g., 9:00 AM to 9:05 AM, 9:05 AM to 9:10 AM, and 9:10 AM to 9:15 AM. Based on these three sets of collected data, the real time prediction predicts the expected traffic for the next five (5) minute interval in a way that matches or at least approximates the current traffic arrival curve.
Single exponential smoothing is preferably used in the historic based predictions, while linear exponential smoothing preferably is used in the real time predictions. These smoothing techniques are discussed in general (but not in any elevator context or in any context analogous thereto) in Forecasting Methods and Applications by Spyros Makridakis and Steven C. Wheelwright (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1978), particularly in Section 3.3: "Single Exponential Smoothing" and Section 3.6: "Linear Exponential Smoothing."
A linear combination of these two prediction factors, namely historic (x.sub.h) and real time (x.sub.r), with equal weight being given to the two factors, typically provides the final prediction to be used in having the elevator system initiate or terminate certain elevator dispatching schemes or operations, particularly the initiation and termination of up-peak channeling. This is described in some detail in, for example, the exemplary embodiment of the '311 patent, although variants other than equality of the factors is disclosed in the patent as being possible.
Thus, in accordance with the '311 patent's exemplary embodiment: EQU Final Prediction (X)=ax.sub.h +bx.sub.r
where "a" and "b" are weighing "constants," in which a+b=1 and preferably are equal to each other, namely, a=b=0.5.
This exemplary prediction methodology works perfectly if people keep up the same schedule every day of the week down to the second.
However, in reality, there sometimes will be relatively abnormal variations in people's behavior from day to day, producing passenger traffic shifts. Thus, for example, even though a person or a group of people usually come to work every day at 8:00 AM, some days they are late and some days they are early. This abnormal variance from normal behavior or pattern can produce some out of sync conditions, particularly on the days of the variances, using the previously disclosed, exemplary prediction methodology of the '311 patent, which is based on normal behavior or traffic patterns, which is what exists for most days. Hence, although the '311 patent provided a very substantial advance in the art, it can be further optimized under certain operating conditions.
Thus, if there are any such abnormal or unusual shifts in the traffic pattern from the historic pattern(s) in either direction, i.e., early or late arrival of the passengers from the predicted conditions or events, the prior standard methodology could cause on these some few "abnormal" days the initiation of up-peak channeling at a time not in sync with the actual traffic pattern and/or maintain such up-peak channeling beyond the need for such channeling.
For example, if the system expected the arrival of a group of people at 8:10 AM, historic prediction would start anticipating and tuning the system to the expected destination of the people in the group. However, if this group of people were late for some reason (e.g., a traffic accident or other traffic delay, etc.), causing a temporal shift, to a later time, the system effectively would be "unaware" of the variance.
Hence, even though the real time prediction was then showing, for example, a traffic density of zero, the historic prediction factor would still affect the dynamic channeling to accommodate the historically expected group. However, since in fact there were no people to be served under the postulated conditions, the system operation under those circumstances would not be operating as effectively and efficiently as possible, and a later start of up-peak channeling would be desirable under these circumstances.
Additionally, at the other, terminating end of the channeling time spectrum, further inaccurate predictions could occur when a significant group of people would arrive early with respect to their normal (historic) arrival time. This would introduce another significant temporal shift in time (in this instance to an earlier time) of the real passenger traffic in comparison to the final prediction, when it was based in significant part on the historic factor.
For example, if people on, e.g., floor "ten" of a building historically came to work every day from 7:52 AM to 8:03 AM in the past, then the historic prediction factor would expect and predict the same behavior for today. However, if in fact some, relatively few people changed their habits, permanently or temporarily, then the equally weighted, final prediction methodology could again be out of sync. So, if every one on floor "ten" is on the job by, for example, 7:59 AM, the preferred, exemplary methodology of, for example, the '311 patent did not immediately detect the change(s) and would continue predicting and giving some weight to floor "ten" in continuing to creating dynamic channel(s), even though in fact there was then on that day no further need to do so for that floor. Thus, an earlier finish or end of the up-peak channeling operation would be desirable under these particular circumstances.
It should be noted that, although the '311 patent discussed initially using equally the two prediction factors, it also discussed varying the relative weights to be given to them over time based on the following methodology. As noted in the '311 patent, as a general statement, the relative values of the two prediction factors could be selected in a way which would cause the two types of predictors to be relatively weighted in favor of one or the other, or given equal weight if the "constants" are equal, as desired.
However, the relative values for "a" and "b" preferably were determined as follows. When the up-peak period started, the initial final predictions preferably assumed that a=b=0.5, namely the factors were at least initially to be treated equally. Further predictions were then made at the end of each minute, using the past several minutes data for the real time prediction, as well as using the historic prediction data.
The final predicted data for, for example, six (6) minutes was compared against the actual observations at those minutes. If at least, for example, four observations were either positive or negative and the error was more than, for example, twenty (20%) percent of the combined predictions, then the values of "a" and "b" were adjusted. This adjustment was preferably made using a "look-up" table generated, for example, based on past experience and experimentation in such situations. The look-up table provided relative values, so that, when the error was large, the real time predictions were given increasingly more weight.
An exemplary, typical look-up table suggested in the '311 patent is presented below:
______________________________________ VALUES For ERROR a b ______________________________________ 20% 0.40 0.60 30% 0.33 0.67 40% 0.25 0.75 50% 0.15 0.85 60% 0.00 1.00 ______________________________________
These values were further described as typically varying from building to building and could be "learned" by the system by experimenting with different values and comparing the resulting combined prediction against the actual, so that, for example, the sum of the square of the error was minimized. Thus, the prediction factors "a" and "b" were adaptively controlled or selected.
However, in the above, detailed, "look-up table" example of the preferred embodiment(s) of the '311 patent, if there was a significant late arrival of enough people that otherwise would have been sufficient with that day's actual beginning traffic to initiate up-peak channeling based on the historic data, up-peak channeling would be initiated and dynamic channeling assignments made to the cars for at least six (6) minutes, even though, for example, no significant traffic had yet arrived justifying the initiation of dynamic channeling operation of the elevator system.
This situation, which might be termed "late arrival" from the standpoint of the delayed arrival of the passengers causing the abnormal traffic shift or "too early start" from the standpoint of the pattern being designed to start based on the normal traffic flow, is graphically illustrated in FIG. 2A and could actually delay the service for at least some of the passengers that had in fact arrived, depending on their destination floors and the specific car assignments made as to the assigned floors in the dynamic channeling algorithm.
A like delay in response time for the proper termination of the up-peak channeling operation could occur, if, for example, most, if not substantially all, of the people going to one or more of the floors had in fact arrived earlier than historically had occurred in the past, resulting in these floors still being considered as having traffic to be accommodated under the dynamic channeling algorithm in use, when in fact such was not the case. This situation, which might be termed an "early finish" from the standpoint of the relatively early arrival of the passengers causing the abnormal traffic shift or a "too late finish" from the standpoint of the pattern being designed to end based on the normal traffic flow, is graphically illustrated in FIG. 2B and again would be less than ideal under these specific, relative unique, somewhat abnormal circumstances.
Thus, although, the adaptive approach of the invention of the '311 patent represented a very significant advance in the art, it did not cover all possible variances and in particular did not immediately adjust the initiation and termination of dynamic channeling to fit the currently existing traffic conditions, resulting in less than total optimization under these particular unusual variances.

Predictor elevator for traffic during peak conditions


A system federates heterogeneous monitoring systems to provide end-to-end monitoring information for conveyances with item-layer visibility. A first node of the federated system comprises a first monitoring system and a first port and a second node comprises a second monitoring system and a second port. In parallel with a conveyance being transported between the first node and the second node, the first monitoring system sends an agent to the second monitoring system. The agent comprises logic and/or data necessary to implement processes on the second monitoring agent while the conveyance is at the second port. When the conveyance arrives at the second port, the second monitoring system executes the agent to determine conditions of the conveyance and/or its contents.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to monitoring conveyances and/or their contents and, more specifically, to monitoring physical assets through a network of heterogeneous monitoring systems.
2. Background Art
Ever-increasing global trade underscores a modern global economy which depends on goods transported in a global supply chain. Generally, a global supply chain is a network of international suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and other entities that handle goods from their component parts to consumer consumption. For example, semiconductor testing equipment is exported from the United States to Taiwan, where semiconductors are processed and then sent to Malaysia for assembly into computers. Subsequently, the computers are shipped to warehouses in the United States, and ultimately, to consumer outlets for consumption.
However, heterogeneous monitoring systems along the global supply chain make end-to-end tracking difficult. These monitoring systems are often owned and operated by different non-cooperating entities. Additionally, conventional monitoring systems can run different types of software or different versions of the same software, use proprietary protocols, and the like, thereby making them unable to easily exchange necessary information. Due to such characteristics, a single monitoring system loses visibility in incompatible "blind spots."
Moreover, a shipper and consignee have little or no control over conveyances and/or their contents en route through the global supply chain. Consequentially, nonuniform security standards, physical handling, environmental conditions, logistical information collection, and the like, are susceptible to a lowest common denominator. Conversely, checkpoints within the global supply chain have little or no information about conveyances and/or their contents that they are handling. Generally, goods are not visible as they are nested within several layers of other conveyances. An operator must rely on information written directly on the conveyance, or log-in to a central database. Thus, checkpoints are not able to automatically discern certain conditions about conveyances. Nor are shippers or consignees able to easily send or receive updates on conveyance conditions from checkpoints.
Therefore, what is needed is a robust monitoring system capable of monitoring conveyances and/or their contents across heterogeneous monitoring systems. There is also a need to control the processing of conveyances and/or their contents while present in the heterogeneous monitoring system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Federated system for monitoring physical assets


A heat exchanger comprises a pair of spaced fittings each having a first opening on one side thereof for communication with a fluid carrying conduit. The fittings are connected to one another by at least one pair of tubes extending from second sides of the fittings in fluid communication with the first openings. The tubes diverge away from one another as they extend from the fittings and may be provided with heat dissipating fins. The tubes are preferably semi-circular in cross-section and in one form of the heat exchanger the tube ends are received by round openings in the fitting. By this construction, the use of header tanks and their associated disadvantages is avoided and a heat exchanger is provided which can withstand high internal pressures and is readily manufactured in a cost effective manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat exchanger construction and, more particularly, to the construction of a heat exchanger which eliminates the need for headers and thus is not only strong and lightweight but also achieves manufacturing efficiencies in its assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heat exchangers of various constructions are in widespread use, for example, in the automotive industry for use as automobile engine coolers, in climate control systems, as transmission and power steering oil coolers and the like. A typical heat exchanger construction for such applications comprises a pair of tanks, or headers, with finned tubes extending between the tanks. The tubes are usually formed flat so that fins may be attached to them as by brazing or other joining process. The flat tubes are inserted into slots formed in the tanks and are brazed in a furnace or welded in place. These tubes must fit tightly into the slots of the tanks or the joints formed therebetween may leak. An example of such construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,454 issued to Creamer et al.
The tanks themselves may be made from one-piece round pipe, or of sheet metal suitably stamped and formed. Generally, for round tanks, the maximum stress that the tank will perform under is represented by the expression Pd/2t, where d is the diameter of the tank, t is the thickness of the tank material and P is the maximum internal pressure of the tank. If the desired internal pressure of the tank if fixed, a heat exchanger with a large diameter tank can only withstand or operate at a lower pressure than a heat exchanger with a smaller diameter tank. Thus, in most cases the tank's material and diameter limit the heat exchanger's operating service pressure which in some applications requires the tank to be relatively heavy in construction.
Another disadvantage of heat exchangers which use header tanks is that the tank forming process typically involves stamping in the presence of an oil lubricant. Also, metal chips may be formed in the stamping process. As a result, the stamping requires a cleaning process to remove oil and metal chips from the tank after it has been formed. This increases costs of manufacture and as a result of the use of oils and cleaning solutions can also create environmental issues. Chips which are not removed from the tanks can contaminate the cooling system of the associated machinery and cause damage.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a heat exchanger which is constructed without the use of header tanks whereby oil and metal chip contaminants need not be removed in a separate cleaning process. It is further desirable to provide a heat exchanger which is capable of withstanding greater internal pressure, albeit with lightweight construction, by avoiding the use of header tanks. Still further it is desirable to provide a heat exchanger which avoids precise manufacturing processes as is necessary with known constructions using header tanks to ensure that the heat exchanger does not experience joint failure in use.


A safety system for a walkway of a locomotive. The safety system includes an operator cabin adjacent to a front end of the locomotive, and a walkway extending from the operator cabin along a first side of the locomotive to facilitate a locomotive operator performing regular maintenance. More particularly, the safety system includes a resistive grid exhaust in a sidewall of the first side of the locomotive for directing hot air along a path from a resistive grid within the sidewall to external the locomotive during a self-load mode of the locomotive. A barrier bar is positioned adjacent to the base of the resistive grid exhaust, and is extendable to an extended position over the walkway during the self-load mode to prevent the operator from walking into the path of the hot air from the resistive grid exhaust. Upon the barrier bar retracting from the extended position over the walkway, the locomotive switches out of the self-mode into a normal mode to shut off the supply of the hot air from the resistive grid through the resistive grid exhaust to permit the operator to safely walk in front of the resistive grid exhaust.

In a conventional diesel-electric locomotive, drive traction motors provide the motive force to move the train. Typically, a diesel engine drives an alternator, which supplies current to drive traction motors, which, in turn, propel the locomotive forward or backward. When propelled as such, a locomotive is said to be motoring.
The traction motors, however, perform an additional function. Once the locomotive is in motion, traction motors may be configured to generate electricity instead of consuming it. As generators, the traction motors convert the locomotive's kinetic energy into electrical energy, thereby slowing the locomotive. Using the traction motors to reduce speed is called dynamic braking. Because there is no suitable storage medium for the generated electrical energy, an electrically resistive grid is used to convert the electrical energy into heat energy, which is vented to the atmosphere through a resistive grid exhaust on one side of the locomotive. The resistance grid exhaust is adjacent to an operator cabin and a walkway used by the operator during regular maintenance when the locomotive is stationary.
While the locomotive is stationary, during a self-load mode, the resistive grid may be used to test load a locomotive's power alternator and diesel engine. The resistive grid is disconnected from the traction motors and connected to the locomotive's alternator, and continues to convert electrical energy to heat energy, which is vented out through the resistive grid exhaust, as in the dynamic braking mode. When the locomotive is stationary, such as in the self-load mode, the operator may walk on the walkway to perform regular maintenance, and thus be positioned in the vicinity of the resistive grid exhaust. Accordingly, there is a need to provide additional safety in the walkway area to address these circumstances.


An x-ray imaging apparatus for mammography. The apparatus places the focal spot of the x-ray source as close as possible to a compression paddle or into a desired region of tissue. The apparatus comprises an x-ray source, a collimator with conditioning optics which focus and direct x-ray radiation to a metal pseudo-target in the collimator or a needle placed along the x-ray beam, paddles for breast compression and a detector. The pseudo-target re-emits monochromatic x-ray radiation with an energy, intensity, and space distribution that are adjustable in accordance with a desired imaging procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an x-ray apparatus for medical radiology. More specifically, the invention relates to an x-ray apparatus for mammography, including receiving tomosynthesis data and obtaining radiological images in galactography (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,566 which is incorporated by reference herein) and angiography. This invention also can be used in computer tomography.
2. Background Art
Mammography is a tool for diagnosing breast cancer. Images of a tumor can be viewed on film or (if it is used a digital detector) on a computer screen. Successful treatment of breast cancer depends on early diagnosis. Mammography plays a central part in early detection because it can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Due to mammography in the United States, the death rate from breast cancer has dropped almost 20% in the past decade, after having been stable for the prior 50 years (Nass, SJ et al, Mammography and Beyond: Developing Technologies For the Early Detection of Breast Cancer, National Academy, pp. 18–19, 2001).
X-ray apparatus for mammography currently exists. It has a typical distance of about 65 cm between the focal spot of an x-ray source and a top paddle. In mammography, the physician would like to have the focal spot of the x-ray source as close as possible to the sternum of a patient to be examined, and thus over the free end—representing the exposure side of the x-ray examination system—of a support provided for the breast of the patient. This permits irradiation of the tissue to be examined as completely as possible, since the x-rays emanate from the focal spot and include the base of the breast, i.e., that region of the breast that forms the transition to the rib cage.
There is also a desire in computed tomography to have the exposure plane, i.e., the plane of the body layer to be exposed, and thus the focal spot of the x-ray source, as close as possible to the actuation side of a gantry, i.e., that side of the gantry at which the physician is located for preparation of the exposure and possibly during examination. The actuation side of the gantry is usually provided with control and/or display elements.
Although mammographic screening for breast cancer has proved invaluable in the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, conventional mammography does not detect all cancers. As many as 20% of the cancers that become evident during one year would not have been visible at screening mammography procedures performed within that year. A major factor contributing to this situation is the "structured noise" created by the overlap of normal structures, which are superimposed on each other in the acquisition of a two-dimensional mammographic projection. This recognition has prompted recent interest in breast tomosynthesis. Breast tomosynthesis acquires multiple images as the x-ray source moves through an arc above the stationary compressed breast and digital imaging detectors. In turn, this creates a need for a monochromatic, easily movable, small size, x-ray source which can be placed in close proximity to the examined tissue.
There exists an x-ray apparatus, including an x-ray source, which can be placed above a top paddle or even implanted into a patient's body for directly irradiating a desired region of tissue with the x-rays (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,940 issued to G. Gutman, which is incorporated by reference). That apparatus delivers monochromatic, low energy x-ray radiation to the examined tissue from an easily movable, small size focus x-ray source.

X-ray imaging apparatus and method for mammography and computed tomography


A background noise inserter server is described that includes a communication interface for communicating with a network, memory for storing background audio, and a processor coupled to the communication interface and the memory. The processor controls the server to connect to a phone call session in response to a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite from a calling device indicating that the calling device is requesting the background audio in the phone call session with a called device. The processor also controls the server to insert the background audio into the phone call session so that the inserted background audio is mixed with audio from the phone call session transmitted to both the calling device and the called device.

In recent years, mobile phones (e.g., Smartphones) have been heavily relied upon to perform phone calls and video conferencing. With this increased popularity has come an increased demand for privacy and comfort while conducting a phone call or video conference call.
Specifically, when conducting a phone/video call, the calling or called party may be in a location that may be noisy or otherwise distracting/uncomfortable due to background audio or lack of background of audio. The receiver of conventional mobile devices may pick up this unwanted background audio or may not pick up any background audio in a quiet environment which may make it difficult or annoying to conduct a video/phone call. Unwanted background audio may also tip the called party to the calling party's location (or vice versa), which may not be desirable. Currently there does not exist a system that allows a calling/called party to insert desirable background audio into a phone call and/or filter out undesirable background audio.

Method for inserting background audio into voice/video call


The invention relates to a noise suppressor unit for installing a common mode choke for a noise suppressor in a power source module onto a circuit board of the power source module, the module being arranged onto a circuit board of a plug-in unit. The noise suppressor unit includes a holder onto which the common mode choke for the noise suppressor of the power source module is arranged, at least one lifting element for an assembly head or the like of an automatic assembly machine for placing the noise suppressor unit onto the circuit board of the power source module with the automatic assembly machine or the like, and at least one surface mounting element for surface mounting the common mode choke for the noise suppressor onto the circuit board of the power source module.

The invention relates to a noise suppressor unit for installing and mounting a common mode choke for a noise suppressor in a power source module onto a circuit board of the power source module, the module being arranged onto a circuit board of a plug-in unit, wherein the noise suppressor unit comprises a holder having a bottom surface and onto which holder the common mode choke for the noise suppressor of the power source module is arranged, at least one lifting element for an assembly head or the like of an automatic assembly machine for placing the noise suppressor unit onto the circuit board of the power source module with the automatic assembly machine or the like, and at least one surface mounting element for surface mounting the common mode choke for the noise suppressor onto the circuit board of the power source module.
A power source module is a separate current delivery device positioned onto a circuit board of a plug-in unit, the device comprising a circuit board for the power source module. Owing to the structure, which comprises two stacked circuit boards, the power source module only allows the use of especially low components in order for the combination to fit into the card slot reserved for it.
The operation of a power source causes much electromagnetic noise.
The European Commission EMC directive (89/336/EEC) on electric devices determines which devices must not be disturbed by other devices and which must not disturb other devices.
In the current and future telecommunications community, the fulfilment of the requirements of the directives is of utmost importance, and also constitutes a competitive advantage. If electromagnetic noise cannot be filtered in the power source module, it propagates and may cause malfunction in the plug-in unit. As a result of this, the operation of the entire system may be disturbed.
For this reason, for preventing the propagation of noise, the interface between the power source and the plug-in unit may comprise a noise filter having, among other things, a common mode choke for a noise suppressor of the power source module. The operation of the noise filter is reciprocal.
Common mode chokes for noise suppressors in power source modules have previously been disposed on the circuit board of a plug-in unit.
Common mode chokes for noise suppressors in power source modules have previously been manually positioned onto the circuit board of the plug-in unit, and the ends of the choke coils have been soldered into openings on the circuit board of the plug-in unit.
When components are assembled onto a circuit board by modern production methods, the above-described conventional method cannot be used. A common mode choke for a noise suppressor in a power source module has to be able to be assembled automatically and surface mounted.
Such packages are commercially available that allow automated assembly and surface mounting of a common mode choke for a noise suppressor in a power source module, but owing to the two-piece holder+cover structure of the packages, the components become too high, and exceed the maximum height allowed for power source modules. One such coil component is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,041.

Noise suppressor unit for a power source module


This invention relates to the field of therapy and diagnostic methods for ulcerative colitis. Specifically, the method comprises administering a compound or recombinant protein that inhibits interaction between CEP and human tropomyosin. Also included in the invention are methods to screen for drugs useful in treating ulcerative colitis and diagnostic methods for detecting diseases associated with an autoantigen response to hTM in affected tissue.

Various scientific and scholarly articles are referenced throughout the specification. These articles are incorporated by reference herein to describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
The Ca2+ dependence of vertebrate skeletal muscle contraction is due entirely to a set of specialized accessory proteins closely associated with actin filaments. If myosin is mixed with pure actin filaments in a test tube, myosin ATPase is activated whether or not Ca2+ is present; in a normal myofibril, on the other hand, where the actin filaments are associated with accessory proteins, the activation of the myosin ATPase depends on Ca2+.
One of these accessory proteins is a rigid rod-shaped molecule, called tropomyosin because of similarities to myosin in its x-ray diffraction pattern. Like the myosin tail, tropomyosin is a dimer of two identical α-helical chains, which wind around each other in a coiled coil. By binding along the length of an actin filament, tropomyosin stabilizes and stiffens the filament.
Tropomyosins are present in all eukaryotic cells. Different isoforms of tropomyosin, generated through alternative splicing, are expressed in a tissue-specific manner (Less-Miller, J P, et al., Bioassays 1991; 13: 429–37). In human fibroblast tissue, at least eight isoforms of TMs have been identified. These isoforms range in molecular weights from 30–40 kDa (Lin J J-C, et al., Int Rev Cytol 1997; 170:1–38). Classically, tropomyosins are known to remain intracellular because they lack the signal sequence required for membrane insertion and translocation (Less-Miller, supra).
Human tropomyosin (hTM) is a cytoskeletal microfilament protein. A significant number of ulcerative colitis patients show a preferential immune response to hTMs, in particular, the hTM5 isoform. Thus, hTM is a candidate autoantigen in ulcerative colitis. Using lamina propria lymphocytes from mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis and ulcerative colitis sera, an autoantibody response to hTM isoforms has been demonstrated in several independent studies, including that of Das, K M, et al. J Immunol. 1993; 150:2487–93. Such an anti-hTM autoantibody response, however, was not seen in patients with Crohn's disease. Recently, these findings were extended to an animal model of colitis using TCRα−/− mice (Mizoguchi, A., et al. J. Exp Med. 1996; 183: 847–56). Severity of colitis in these mice is directly correlated with the increased titer of anti-TM autoantibodies and the increased number of appendicular B cells producing anti-TM autoantibodies (Mizoguchi, A., et al. J. Exp Med 1996; 184:707–15).
In colon epithelium, the most predominantly expressed hTM isoform is hTM5 (Geng X, et al., Gastroenterology 1998; 114:912–22). It is presently unknown whether hTM5 is accessible to anti-TM autoantibodies, particularly when the target protein is expected to be exclusively intracellular. The possibility of externalization of hTM5 in colon epithelium and likelihood of the passive transport of hTM5 with a secretory protein has been considered. One likely candidate for this chaperone function is a colon epithelial-specific protein recognized by the 7E12H12 monoclonal antibody.
The monoclonal antibody 7E12H12 was raised using highly enriched colonic tropomyosin (earlier named as 40 kDa protein or p40) (Das K M, et al., J. Immunol 1987; 139:77–84). However, 7E12H12 does not react with any of the known hTM isoforms in ELISA or immunotransblot analysis, either from muscle as well as from non-muscle epithelial cells (Das K M, et al., Gastroenterology 1997; 112:A955). However, the 7E12H12 monoclonal antibody recognizes a cell membrane associated protein present exclusively in the colon epithelium (Das K M, et al. (1987) supra; Das K M, et al. (1997) supra). By immunotransblot analyses, CEP has been identified as a high molecular weight (>200 kDa) protein present in colon epithelial cells but not in small intestinal enterocytes. Among the colon cancer cell lines, LS-180, and DLD-1 cells express the 7E12H12-reactive protein but HT-29 cells do not (Hassan T., et al., Clin Exp Immunol. 1995; 100:457–62).

Therapeutic and diagnostic methods for ulcerative colitis and associated disorders

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey


A method and apparatus for processing a query in a database system using index types that are not built into the database system are disclosed. Routines for managing an index structure that is not supported by a database system are generated. Data that identifies the routines are submitted to the database system, thereby "registering" the index types with the database system. In response to statements issued to the database system by a client, the database system calls the routines, causing the routines to create an index structure using data from a data container in the database, and to generate data that indicates which data in the data container satisfies a query issued by the client. The routines of the registered index type extend the indexing capabilities of the database systems and one or more such index types can be registered with the database system. The index structure managed by the routines may be maintained within segments of the database, and the segments may be accessed as index-only tables. Storing a row of data in a database using index-only tables involves storing in a leaf node an index entry that includes a key value along with all other values in the row of data. If the row of data exceeds a predetermined size, then a portion of the row of data is stored in an overflow area. Retrieving a row of data from an index-only table for a user-supplied key involves identifying a leaf node for the key, and reading a row of data from the index entry and any remaining portion from the overflow area when the row exceeds the predetermined size.

In typical database systems, users store, update, and retrieve information by interacting with user applications ("clients"). The clients respond to the user's interaction by submitting commands to a database application responsible for maintaining the database (a "database server"). The database server responds to the commands by performing the specified actions on the database. To be correctly processed, the commands must comply with the database language that is supported by the database server. One popular database language is known as Structured Query Language (SQL).
Various access methods may be used to retrieve data from a database. The access methods used to retrieve data may significantly affect the speed of the retrieval and the amount of resources consumed during the retrieval process. Many access methods use indices to increase the speed of the data retrieval process. Typical database management systems have built-in support for a few standard types of access methods, such as access methods that use B+Trees and Hash Tables, that may be used when the key values belong to standard sets of data types, such as numbers, strings, etc. The access methods that are built-in to a database system are referred to herein as native access methods.
In recent years, databases are being used to store different types of data, such as text, spatial, image, video, and audio data. For many of these complex data types, the standard indexing techniques and access methods cannot readily be applied. To provide efficient data retrieval, many database systems that allow users to store complex data types attempt to provide access methods suitable for the complex data types. For example, R-trees are an efficient index mechanism for indexing spatial data. Therefore, a database system that allows users to store spatial data may include built-in support for R-tree access methods. However, attempts to provide native support for all types of access methods are unrealistic because it is not possible to foresee all possible types of complex data that clients may wish to store in a database, much less all types of access methods that one may wish to use with such data types.
According to one approach, clients may be designed to provide their own indexing mechanisms for data types that cannot use the native access methods of the database system. For example, assume that the native access methods of a database server do not include R-tree access methods. A client that uses spatial data would use the database server to store the spatial data in the database, but would maintain an R-tree index structure outside the database. The client would be responsible for maintaining and using the R-tree index outside of the database system environment, while the spatial data itself is maintained within the database environment.
Unfortunately, storing an index outside a database for data that is stored within a database has several significant disadvantages. Specifically, it is difficult to maintain consistency between external indices and the related relational data, support compound queries (involving tabular values and external indices), and to manage a system (backup, recovery, allocate storage, etc.) with multiple forms of persistent storage (files and databases).
Based on the foregoing, it is clearly desirable to provide a database server that supports arbitrary, user-defined data types. It is further desirable to provide a database server that may be extended to support non-native access methods while maintaining the index structures for the non-native access methods within the database itself.

Method and system for processing queries in a database system using index structures that are not native to the database system


A method of producing an economical DC/DC converter that efficiently produces a relatively low output voltage and operates in a high ionizing radiation dose environment such as found in spacecraft and particle accelerator applications. That is, the converter comprises two P-channel FETs, a switching means for switching conductivity between the two P-channel FETs, and output means for outputting an output voltage. The output voltage being a step-down voltage that is unaffected by high-ionizing radiation such that is found in space or particle accelerators.

DC/DC converters are electronic devices that use switching devices to transform voltage from one level into another level. Typically, the output voltage is regulated and protected against short circuits. The input and output potentials may be galvanically isolated from each other or, they may have a common galvanic connection, and so be non-isolated from each other.
DC-DC converters whose input is non-isolated from its output tend to be more power efficient (i.e., have less power loss) than isolated DC-DC converters.
Among many applications, these types of devices are used in spacecraft, satellites and in high energy physics instrumentation. In these specific applications, the DC/DC converters are subjected to many forms of radiation damage.
FETs (Field Effect Transistors) used for power switching are usually enhancement mode types. This means that they are normally non-conducting. When a gate voltage above a threshold is applied, the FET becomes conducting. FETs are available in two gate polarities; N channel and P channel.
DC/DC converters designed for general purpose use are usually constructed with N channel FETs because, for any given die size transistor, the N channel FET has a lower on resistance than a correspondingly sized P channel FET would have.
Presently available radiation tolerant DC/DC converters use specially designed radiation hardened N channel FETs for switching. The principal benefit of these parts is that the gate threshold voltage doesn't change much after being exposed to radiation. However, these parts have limited sources, are expensive and may have long lead times, leading to higher prices and longer delivery times for the radiation tolerant DC/DC converters that incorporate these types of parts.
Over the past several decades, many standard integrated circuits have been developed to provide drive signals for DC/DC converters and switching power supplies. Existing integrated circuits used to directly drive power transistors in DC/DC converter applications are designed to operate with N channel FETs.
When conventional non-radiation hardened N Channels FETs are used in applications where radiation is present, the application tends to fail at relatively low radiation levels because the gate threshold voltage of the N channel FET shifts more negatively, and ultimately falls close to zero. At this point, the N channel FET conducts current with little or no gate voltage applied. Therefore, the part is uncontrollable.
The gate threshold voltage of a conventional, non-radiation hardened P channel FET also shifts more negative as it is exposed to radiation. However, the initial threshold voltage is negative. Therefore, the gate threshold voltage never goes through a region where the FET is uncontrollable, it only goes from a negative value to a more negative value. Therefore, conventional P channel FETs could be more robust to total dose effects than conventional N channel FETs if the proper gate drive signal is provided.

Method for implementing radiation hardened, power efficient, non isolated low output voltage DC/DC converters with non-radiation hardened components


A safety device for a firearm that prevents access to the trigger and, thus, unauthorized operation of the same. The device comprises a frame, a first element on the frame, a second element which is movable on the frame and means for securing the second element on the frame at a selected distance from the first element so as to capture therebetween and render inoperable the trigger. The securing means requires some degree of manual dexterity to operate so as to discourage a child from removing the device from the firearm.

This invention relates to a safety device for a firearm and, more particularly, to a device for selectively rendering the trigger of a firearm inoperative by unauthorized individuals, particularly children.
The number of deaths of children caused by accidental shootings is alarming. Although parents often hide in the home from their children a loaded weapon, the location of the firearm often becomes known and the child is severely injured or killed playing with it. Children could be frustrated and thus discouraged from such activities if they were prevented access to the trigger.
Gun safety devices are presently available which lock the gun trigger in place, usually a locking mechanism that is operable with a key. However, such firearm safety devices do not obscure the trigger so that a child is still tempted to hold the gun in his or her hand and pretend that the gun is being fired. Such handling may lead to an accidental discharge of the weapon, injuring the handler and/or bystanders.


This invention relates to a pectin-modified resistant starch prepared by cross-linking starch with pectin by pectinesterase reaction. Such resistant starch is low amylase digestible and thus is useful in food products, including nutritional supplements, to reduce calorie content and increase fiber content. This invention also relates to a composition containing the resistant starch and a process for the preparation of the same.

Starch serves as a food reserve in plants and is an important component in the human diet, where the digestion is mediated by α-amylase. Generally, refined starches are quickly and substantially digested by enzymatic hydrolysis and then absorbed by the intestines to serve as the source of energy or be stored in the body. However, some starches resist digestion by α-amylase. Englyst et al. (1992, Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 46 (suppl 2): S33-S50) classified ingested starches on the basis of their probable digestive rate in vivo. They proposed three classes of dietary starch: 1) rapidly digestible starch (RDS), which is likely to be digested in the human intestines; 2) slowly digestible starch (SDS), which is likely to be slowly yet completely digested in the small intestine; and 3) resistant starch (RS), which is unlikely to be digested in the small intestine.
A need has been recognized for a modified starch to serve as a resistant starch, which provides the consumer with low-calorie carbohydrate product. Such resistant starch would thus be an excellent source of carbohydrate for use in food products, including medical foods and dietary supplements, for both diabetic and prediabetic individuals, or be a choice for healthy individuals in order to reduce the calorie of foods or to slow the rate of starch digestion. Such resistant starch would also be useful for individuals wishing to moderate their glucose response or achieve sustained energy release via consumption of foods.
Literatures demonstrate health-related role for slowly digestible starch, as a result of slow glucose release over an extended period. The benefits include increased satiety for longer periods (which would be useful in weight management), sustained energy release (which is useful in enhancing athletic performance including endurance), and improvements in concentration maintenance and memory.
Such slowly digestible or resistant starch could also be useful as drugs, i.e., as mentioned above, for diabetic or prediabetic individuals to reduce the risk of disease. Moreover, such starch may be useful for the treatment of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and the like. It may also be useful for the treatment of obesity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,571 discloses a slowly digestible starch product prepared by debranching low amylose starches by isoamylase and allowing the resultant linear short chains to crystallize into a highly crystalline form. U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,943 discloses a process for physically and chemically preparing a resistant starch. The slowly digestible starch of U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,571 and resistant starch of U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,943 are not pectin cross-linked and accordingly, the dietary fiber contents thereof are not as high as that of pectin-modified starch.
The modified starch in U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,470, which is useful in paper coating and sizing, is prepared by oxidizing a starch with hydrogen peroxide, esterifying said oxidized starch and cross-linking the starch. Such chemically-modified starch is not an ideal edible form.
Accordingly, there is a need for modified starches which are slowly digestible or resistant to digestion and are safe to be used in place of or in addition to conventional carbohydrate products in foods or in medical uses.

Pectin-modified resistant starch, a composition containing the same and method for preparing resistant starch

Food Industry Research and Development Institute


The dielectric ceramic composition comprising a main component including a compound satisfying a compositional formula of (SrxBa1-x)mTiO3 (“x” in said compositional formula is 0.159≦“x”≦0.238, and “m” is 0.997≦“m”≦1.011), and a subcomponent comprising 11 to 25 weight % of CaTiO3, 0.10 to 0.50 weight % of at least one oxide of element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn in terms of FeO3/2, CoO4/3, NiO, CuO, and ZnO, 0.590 to 1.940 mol % of an oxide of element “A” (A is Mn and/or Cr), and an oxide of element “D” where “D” is at least one element selected from a group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Y; wherein a ratio (A/D) of the element “A” with respect to element “D” is 2.250 to 7.450. According to the present invention, the dielectric loss (tan δ) at the wide frequency range can be lowered while maintaining a good capacitance temperature characteristic and the specific permittivity, without including Pb and bismuth Bi.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dielectric ceramic composition used for a dielectric layer or so of an electronic component. Further specifically, the present invention relates to the dielectric ceramic composition and the electronic component using thereof which can lower a dielectric loss in a wide frequency range without including a lead (Pb) which is an environmental harmful material and bismuth (Bi) which the resource price is rising. Also the present invention relates to the dielectric ceramic composition and the electronic component using thereof having a relatively high dielectric constant while having a relatively good temperature characteristic, and also provides at lower cost.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an environmental protection movement in a global scale has become more active, and thus in the electronic component field, it is demanded to reduce an environmental harmful material such as lead (Pb) or so. Therefore, there is a need for a development of an dielectric ceramic composition without a lead (Pb) but having characteristics at same level or better compared to one with a lead.
Also, since an electronic circuit constituting the electronic device has downsized and are more complicated, the electronic component mounted in the electronic circuit is demanded to be even more downsized and to have little self-heating to prevent a malfunction. Thus, even for a ceramic capacitor as one example of the electronic component, it is demanded to maintain a good temperature characteristic while having a high dielectric constant in order for the downsizing, and furthermore to have low dielectric loss in order to lower the self-heating.
On the other hand, due to the rising of the resource price, the manufacturing cost of the electronic component including a rare earth has also increased, however since a great deal of an amount of the electronic components are used in the electronic device, it is demanded to lower the price while maintaining a good ability.
Particularly, bismuth (Bi) is one of the rare earth that the price has recently increased, and it has been a problem for lowering the price of the electronic component. Also, bismuth (Bi) easily evaporates during a firing, and has been causing the characteristics to vary and to deteriorate the furnace material in the firing furnace.
Thus, the dielectric ceramic composition which does not include lead and also bismuth is demanded in order to obtain the electronic component having the high characteristics while satisfying the environmental protection and lowering the price.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3767377 discloses the dielectric ceramic composition having a small dielectric loss within the high frequency range and also having good temperature characteristics. However, this dielectric ceramic composition includes lead and thus did not satisfy the demand of the environmental protection.
As the dielectric ceramic composition which does not include lead, for example Japanese Patent Application 2003-238240 discloses the dielectric ceramic composition obtained by adding at least one element among La, Nd, Ce, Sn, Zr, Ta, and Nb to a main component consisting of BaCO3, Bi2O3, and TiO2. However, the best dielectric loss of this dielectric ceramic composition shown at 1 MHz is 0.1 (10%) or so which is considered high; hence the self-heating was not sufficiently suppressed. Therefore, this dielectric ceramic composition could not effectively correspond to the demand for downsizing and complicating the electronic circuit for a raid-high voltage.
Furthermore, this dielectric ceramic composition includes bismuth, thus did not correspond to the demand of lowering the cost.

Dielectric ceramic composition and electronic component


An onboard forward monitoring system is disclosed in which three television cameras, each supported by a steering mechanism, take picture of a road surface located forward of a vehicle at near distance, a medium distance and a far distance zone to detect white lines which partition a lane on the road surface, thus detecting a vehicle running ahead on the lane which is defined by the white lines. To enable a reliable detection and tracking of the vehicle running ahead in any zone of the road surface even when the road is curved, the individual television cameras are steered so that a vehicle running ahead is positioned at the center of the screen whenever such vehicle is present and so that a center across the width of the lane is positioned at the center of screen when a vehicle running ahead is not detected.

An example of such detecting apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 15,605/89 wherein a television camera onboard a vehicle takes a picture of a scene, including a road surface, located ahead of the vehicle, and image data from the camera is displayed on a picture screen defined in x-y orthogonal coordinate system. A derivative of the image data in a direction which forms an angle of 45.degree. with respect to the x-axis is calculated, and locations defined in terms of x- and y- orthogonal coordinates where the derivative exceeds a given value are selected as feature points. A succession of feature points are converted into a thin line, and a thin line or lines having a length which exceeds a given value are picked out. A thin line which satisfies a certain condition determined on the basis of features which are exhibited by a white line on the screen when it is photographed by a television camera onboard the vehicle is recognized as a white line on the road surface. In this manner, a pair of rectilinear lines which represents the white lines defining the left and the right end of a lane on which an own vehicle is running are obtained. A point of intersection between the pair of rectilinear lines is determined, and the presence or absence of an object in a triangular region defined by the pair of rectilinear lines extending between the point of intersection and the own vehicle is detected. When an object is detected, a distance from the own vehicle to such object or vehicle-to-vehicle distance if the object is a vehicle running ahead is calculated.
When the lane on which the own vehicle is running extends straightforward, any vehicle running ahead of the own vehicle on the lane exists in the triangular region. If a roof of such vehicle is displaced out of sight, the base of the vehicle lies within the region. It is to be noted that the pair of rectilinear lines which approximate the white lines on the left and the right end are determined on the basis of an image of these white lines at a location close to the camera. Accordingly, when the lane on which the own vehicle is running is curved near the own vehicle or at a point located forward of the own vehicle, the point of intersection between the pair of rectilinear lines, which can be viewed as a point of infinity for a straight lane, will be displaced to the left of a far point on this lane if the lane is curved to the right, or displaced to the right of the far point if the lane is curved to the left. Accordingly, where the road is curved, the probability that the detection of an object located ahead such as a vehicle running ahead or an obstacle located ahead, in particular, an object located far ahead fails will be high when relying upon only the search for any object in the triangular region.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 276,214/89 proposes an automatic vehicle driving scheme in which a picture of an index along the roadside is taken by a camera onboard a vehicle to produce vehicle position information, which is compared against destination information to determine an optimum route, thus controlling a vehicle speed and a wheel steering in accordance with the route thus determined. It also proposes a two dimensional attitude changing mechanism for the camera for changing the direction, in which the camera takes a picture of the index along the roadside, in both horizontal and vertical directions. However, it will be noted that this proposal premises that the road actually exists in accordance with the optimum route determined and that there is no vehicle which is running ahead of the own vehicle on that road. In actuality, a recognition of the fact that such a road exists in fact and the reliable detection of the presence or absence of any vehicle running ahead as well as vehicle-to-vehicle distance therebetween are required.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 124,345/94 proposes a tracking system which allows a camera to track a vehicle running ahead, by controlling the focal length and zooming so that an image of the vehicle running ahead occupies a substantially constant size on the screen, and by controlling the attitude of the camera in other horizontal and vertical directions such that the image of the vehicle running ahead is located substantially at the center of the screen. While such tracking control must premise a detection and/or identification of an initial vehicle which is running ahead, and also a search for a next succeeding vehicle when the initial vehicle running ahead which has been being tracked takes a different course and disappears from the sight forward of the own vehicle, but there is no corresponding teaching. In addition, there is no teaching about the method to deal with an erroneous tracking which may result when the vehicle being tracked takes a different course and deviates from the direction in which the own vehicle is traveling.
A pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/183,369, filed by Jun SATO et al, entitled "METHOD OF DETECTING LINES APPROXIMATING AN IMAGE" corresponding to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 213,660/94 discloses an apparatus for detecting a vehicle located ahead of an own vehicle in which a camera onboard a vehicle derives an image of a road surface ahead of an own vehicle and displayed on a screen which is defined in x-y orthogonal coordinate system. A rectilinear line appearing on the screen is detected by Hough transformation, and on the basis of the line detected, a distribution on the screen of the lane on which an own vehicle is running is calculated. Subsequently, any vehicle running ahead or an obstacle located ahead on this lane is searched, and a distance to the vehicle which is found by such search is calculated.
The detection of a lane and a vehicle thereon which runs ahead of an own vehicle must cover a long distance for the search because the own vehicle is running. For example, an automatic vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may be conducted in which a vehicle running ahead is detected, a distance from the own vehicle to the detected vehicle is calculated, and a calculated distance is compared against a target distance which is established in accordance with a running speed of the own vehicle, and the own vehicle is decelerated if the detected distance is less than the target distance or the own vehicle is accelerated if the detected distance is greater than the target distance. In such instance, as a simplified example, when the own vehicle is running at a speed on the order of 40 km per hour, it may be tentatively assumed that the safety is assured if the search covers 30 m ahead. However, when the own vehicle is running at a speed on the order of 80 km, it may become necessary to detect any vehicle running ahead over a section of an increased length of 50 m or longer. In any event, because the vehicle runs at a speed over an extensive range, it is preferred that the automatic detection of any vehicle running ahead may cover a long section of 50 m or longer, assuming a high speed running.
However, it will be seen that at short distances, it is preferable to detect a vehicle with a wider angle in order to provide against lateral approach of a neighboring vehicle or to provide for a lane change, and thus it is preferred to use a camera having a wide view angle. However, this degrades the resolution for an object located at a far distance, and hence the accuracy of detection. When a narrow field of view or telescoping capability is chosen for detecting of an object located at a far distance, objects located at a near distance, in particular, a neighboring lane, will be left out, preventing a vehicle which is running on a neighboring lane from being detected. In addition, where the road is curved, a region located beyond the curvature will be removed from the screen, thus preventing a recognition of a vehicle there located.
Accordingly, while it is relatively simple to provide a tracking control of a target which is reliably identified as a vehicle running ahead on a lane on which an own vehicle is running, it is difficult to provide an extended coverage from an area located immediately in front of an own vehicle to a point far ahead which is prerequisite to such tracking control, namely, the detection of a road condition (whether it is curved or straightforward), the detection of the presence or absence of any vehicle running ahead or an obstacle located ahead, and a decision whether the detected vehicle or object is located on the lane on which the own vehicle is running. It is desirable to provide such a detection and decision technique with a high accuracy.

Apparatus for detecting an object located ahead of a vehicle using plural cameras with different fields of view


A cooling device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes multiple air blowers to cool a cooling target provided to the image forming apparatus and a duct to connect with the multiple air blowers and to flow airflow generated by the multiple air blowers therethrough and to have an opening formed thereon and disposed at a position shifted to a part of the multiple air blowers. Respective outputs of the multiple air blowers are different from each other according to respective positions of the multiple air blowers with respect to the opening.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cooling device and an image forming apparatus including the cooling device.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP 2010-032577-A discloses a cooling device that includes multiple fans to suck air through multiple cooling target parts in a body of an image forming apparatus and a duct bank to discharge airflow introduced through the fans from a single air discharging port (opening). The cooling device can be applied to an image forming apparatus. The cooling device utilizes limited space to supply air toward the multiple cooling target parts to cool multiple cooling target parts efficiently and reliably. Therefore, respective air supplying units are provided to the multiple cooling target parts, and airflows discharged to a collected airflow path from multiple air discharging paths provided to respective cooling target parts are guided from the collected airflow path without interfering each other.

Cooling device and image forming apparatus incorporating same


An SSB radio receiver having an inexpensive wide-band IF filter which passes through not only a reception objective SSB station IF signal but also an interference SSB station IF signal simultaneously. These signals are SSB-detected to reproduce the original modulating audio signals with a BFO frequency, the BFO frequency itself located out of the pass-band of the wide-band IF filter. The frequency of the reception objective SSB station IF signal is selected to be nearest to the BFO frequency, preferably at an end of the pass-band width of the IF filter. Frequency spectrums of the SSB-detected audio signals are separated by a frequency difference comprising the difference between the BFO signal and the IF signals. The SSB-detected audio signals are applied to a selected low-pass filter, such as an inexpensive active filter, having a pass-band which covers or passes only the SSB-detected audio signal of the reception objective SSB station IF signal.

The present invention relates to a novel SSB (single sideband) radio receiver. More particularly, the present invention relates to a SSB radio receiver which is intended to reduce the cost of production of such SSB radio receivers, by avoiding the use of an expensive band-pass filter associated with and utilized in prior art SSB radio receivers. Specifically, the present invention negates the need for the usage of expensive band-pass filters which only have a narrowband characteristic to pass only a specific SSB signal.
Generally, an information signal in the form of a typical amplitude-modulated wave has information signals which are contained and distributed uniformly on two sidebands about a central carrier frequency. A system in which these two sidebands are transmitted is called a DSB (double sideband) system. Alternately, a system in which only one of the sidebands is transmitted is called an SSB (single sideband) system. In the SSB system, a required minimum occupied frequency band is transmitted, which results in a higher utilization efficiency in a frequency spectrum, along with higher efficiency in radiation power. Further, the SSB systems have the additional advantages of reducing or eliminating the problems associated with signal interference, signal strength fading, noise and so on.
A SSB radio receiver is used in order to receive an SSB signal. Ordinarily, the typical SSB receiver has a filter such as an intermediate-frequency (IF) filter which allows for the passage of only a single sideband signal that is within the central frequency range of this filter. Usually, a specially designed crystal, ceramic or mechanical filter, having a narrow-band characteristic for passing therethrough only the specified SSB signal, is utilized for this function.
In the typical SSB system, a narrow band-pass filter is utilized for passing the SSB signal, which is in itself very expensive, and its existence in the SSB radio receiver has been an obstacle to a reduction in the production cost of all SSB radio receivers.
In contrast to the prior art SSB receivers, the present novel invention provides a SSB radio receiver in which the expensive narrow-band filter is eliminated and replaced by an inexpensive filtering combination. This inexpensive filtering combination offers the functional equivalent to that of the expensive narrow-band filter, in order for the production cost of the SSB radio receiver to be dramatically reduced. The present invention achieves this novel and practical objective by combining an inexpensive wide-band IF filter with an inexpensive low-pass filter, in conjunction with a SSB detecting stage in the SSB radio receiver, allowing for the reception of a targeted reception objective SSB station IF signal without the use of the prior art expensive narrow-band filter. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the attached specification.


A locking device for an electrical toggle switch has a fixed, one piece locking body. An opening extends through the body for receiving a mounting screw for a switch face plate to mount the body on the face plate. The mounting screw receiving opening is provided with an access in the body adjacent the opening to locate the mounting screw in the opening while the mounting screw is still engaged with the switch face plate. An additional opening extends through the body and is spaced from the mounting screw receiving opening. The additional opening is defined by an abutment for engaging the toggle arm of the switch and for preventing movement of the toggle arm from one position to another position, particularly from an off position to an on position.

Electrical circuits in residential and commercial buildings are often controlled by toggle switches. These toggle switches comprise an arm which is pivoted normally between an on position (upward) and an off position (downward). This switch may be located close to the load controlled by the switch, or may be significantly remotely located from such load.
When an electrician or other worker performing operations on the load or on the load side of the electric circuit therefor, safety requires that the switch controlling that circuit be in an off position and maintained in its off position. Although the circuit breaker for that circuit may be deactivated to provide greater safety, deactivating the circuit breaker would disrupt significantly more circuits than would be necessary, needlessly disrupting use of other load devices.
Inadvertent actuation of the switch to its on position while work is being performed on the load side of the circuit can cause injury to the worker and damage to the circuit and load equipment. Thus, the switch needs to be securely maintained in its off position while the work is being performed.
A number of different safety devices have been provided for both toggle electrical switches and for circuit breakers having a toggle switch mechanism. Typical examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,050 to Buturuga, U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,544 to Wainess, U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,425 to Woskow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,152 to Gordy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,120 to Fleischman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,029 to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,426 to Hovanic and U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,910 to Williams. However, these devices are not simple to make and use, and do not provide an adequately secure mechanism for preventing inadvertent actuation of the switch. For example, many of these devices are made up of multiple pieces or parts which increase the difficulty for manufacture. Many of the devices can be switched to the off position by manually manipulating device the guard, without removing the guard device from the face plate. These devices also require complete removable of the face plate mounting screws to mount the safety device on the face plate, complicating installation and increasing the likelihood of losing the face plate mounting screws, and thereby discouraging its use.


For motion compensation of SAR images by means of an attitude and heading reference system. a mean track angle (.psi..sub.T) flight is selected as desired flight direction; PA0 an acceleration (a.sub.x "(t)) is turned through a drift angle (.psi..sub.D) in the direction of a desired flight path; PA0 the speed (v.sub.xo '(t)) in the desired flight direction is calculated from a ground speed (v.sub.G (t)); PA0 a variation of the relative speed (v.sub.x '(t)) in the desired flight direction is calculated by an integration of the acceleration (a.sub.x (t));. a relative change of the across heading horizontal position (P.sub.y (t)) is calculated by a double integration of the across heading horizontal acceleration (a.sub.y '(t)), and an actual slant range of the aircraft to an illuminated terrain strip (R.sub.i '(t)) is calculated for each range gate in a manner known per se.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for motion compensation of SAR images by means of an attitude and heading reference system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An aircraft-borne radar system with synthetic aperture (SAR) operated by Applicants operates in the L, C and X band. Such radar systems are employed for imaging the earth's surface along the flight path. The antenna is aligned perpendicularly to the flight direction slanting downwardly, as indicated schematically in FIG. 8. This gives a land map, the image dots of which represent the radar reflectivity of the objects on the ground.
Generally, when processing a radar image ideal flight conditions are presumed, i.e. the heading, position and forward speed are assumed to be constant. However, in practice this is not true because the aircraft is deflected from its nominal flight path by turbulences and also varies in its forward speed. Deviations from the altitude and laterally of the flight direction result in a variation of the slant range between the antenna and an illuminated target on the ground and therefore influence the phase history of a backscatter signal. In addition, the varying forward speed prevents an equidistant scanning of the illuminated terrain strip. The motion errors also impair the azimuth compression and lead to a loss of quality of the radar images processed, resulting in geometrical distortions, reduction of the resolution and a decrease in the contrast.
Various methods are known for motion compensation. In a motion compensation having a master/slave system two inertial navigation systems (INS) are employed, the slave system being mounted in the vicinity of the antenna and the master system usually in the aircraft nose. The slave system is employed for short-time stable measurements whilst long-time stable measurements are carried out by means of the master system; the two measurements are then linked via a so-called Kalman filter.
A disadvantage of a motion compensation by means of a master/slave INS system is that the slave system is simply constructed and, as already stated, can be employed only for short-time measurements. In the case of long-time measurements, sensor errors produce a drift in the position computation. The slave system must therefore be supported by a long-time stable master system which however generally is part of an aircraft navigation system and as explained above located in the nose of the aircraft.
As a result, there is usually a long lever arm between the INS system and an antenna phase centre and this arm must be compensated in the calculations. With a very long lever arm, extremely high demands are made of the angular resolution of the inertial sensor and they cannot be met by any INS system. The master INS system alone can therefore be employed for movement compensation only with limited accuracy; simultaneously, the calculation of the Kalman filters for supporting the slave INS system is very complicated and additionally requires a correspondingly complex software and hardware.
Using global positioning systems (GPS systems) for motion compensation permits an accurate determination of the position and speed. In particular, a differential GPS system is suitable for movement compensation. However, a disadvantage of motion compensation methods involving such a GPS system is that it is dependent on support by a ground station. This firstly makes the operating costs very high and secondly leads to restrictions in the choice of the area of use. GPS motion data are however not accurate enough without a ground station.
In an autofocus method for motion compensation radar raw data are evaluation and normally only used for estimating the forward speed of the carrier. The autofocus method requires however a very high computing expenditure and consequently in real time systems makes high demands of the hardware. In addition, the bandwidth and accuracy with the autofocus method is not very high and with relatively large motion errors the compensation of the speed error alone is no longer enough to produce good image quality.
With motion compensation by means of the so-called reflectivity displacement method, the azimuth spectrum of the radar raw data is evaluated; this makes it possible to determine the forward speed and a phase error. A motion compensation is then carried out with this information. In the reflectivity displacement method as well a high computing expenditure is required.
Consequently, in real time this method can be implemented only by means of computers running in parallel. Furthermore, the bandwidth is limited and the separation of the speed and phase information presents problems when relatively large disturbance movements are involved.

Method and apparatus for motion compensation of SAR images by means of an attitude and heading reference system

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.


The present invention is generally directed to a drinking container having a hollow body attached to a top. The top can include a pair of apertures for receiving opposite ends of a straw. The straw is removable from at least one of the apertures when one desires to drink from the container. The drinking container further includes a securing device that attaches the container to an adjacent structure, such as to one's clothing. When the drinking container is secured to a user's waist, in one embodiment, the straw can have a length sufficient to extend from the container to a user's mouth.

In the past, many different types of drinking vessels having various shapes and functions have been proposed and used. One particular type of drinking vessel that is currently very popular is a squeeze bottle. In general, a squeeze bottle refers to a plastic bottle having a snap-on or screw-on type top. The top defines at least one opening for receiving a straw and a vent for allowing a liquid to be drawn up through a straw.
Because squeeze bottles include a top that, to some extent, prevents a drink from spilling out of the bottle, squeeze bottles are particularly well suited for use at outdoor events, such as carnivals, fairs and amusement parks. Squeeze bottles are also very popular at sporting events for use not only by the spectators but also by the athletes.
One particular type of squeeze bottle that has been recently commercialized includes a top containing two raised apertures spaced apart from each other. One of the apertures defines an opening for inserting a straw into the drinking vessel. The other raised aperture, on the other hand, is adapted to engage the drinking end of the straw when not in use. When the drinking end of the straw is engaged by the second aperture, a drink contained within the vessel is prevented from spilling out of the vessel through the straw. The second raised aperture also protects the drinking end of the straw from becoming contaminated or dirty.
In general, squeeze bottles are constructed to contain large amounts of a drink so that the drink can be enjoyed for a substantial period of time without having to refill the vessel. Unfortunately, most squeeze bottles do not include any type of attachment device. Consequently, the bottles must be held continuously during use. Thus, a need exists for a squeeze bottle that includes a device that permits the bottle to be attached to an adjacent structure such as to one's clothing in order to allow the hands of the user to be free during use.


In one aspect, the present invention provides methods for amplifying a microRNA molecule to produce DNA molecules. The methods each include the steps of: (a) using primer extension to make a DNA molecule that is complementary to a target microRNA molecule; and (b) using a universal forward primer and a reverse primer to amplify the DNA molecule to produce amplified DNA molecules. In some embodiments of the method, at least one of the forward primer and the reverse primer comprise at least one locked nucleic acid molecule.

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionarily conserved process that functions to inhibit gene expression (Bernstein et al. (2001), Nature 409:363-6; Dykxhoorn et al. (2003) Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 4:457-67). The phenomenon of RNAi was first described in Caenorhabditis elegans, where injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) led to efficient sequence-specific gene silencing of the mRNA that was complementary to the dsRNA (Fire et al. (1998) Nature 391:806-11). RNAi has also been described in plants as a phenomenon called post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), which is likely used as a viral defense mechanism (Jorgensen (1990) Trends Biotechnol. 8:340-4; Brigneti et al. (1998) EMBO J. 17:6739-46; Hamilton & Baulcombe (1999) Science 286:950-2).
An early indication that the molecules that regulate PTGS were short RNAs processed from longer dsRNA was the identification of short 21 to 22 nucleotide dsRNA derived from the longer dsRNA in plants (Hamilton & Baulcombe (1999) Science 286:950-2). This observation was repeated in Drosophila embryo extracts where long dsRNA was found processed into 21-25 nucleotide short RNA by the RNase III type enzyme, Dicer (Elbashir et al. (2001) Nature 411:494-8; Elbashir et al. (2001) EMBO J. 20:6877-88; Elbashir et al. (2001) Genes Dev. 15:188-200). These observations led Elbashir et al. to test if synthetic 21-25 nucleotide synthetic dsRNAs function to specifically inhibit gene expression in Drosophila embryo lysates and mammalian cell culture (Elbashir et al. (2001) Nature 411:494-8; Elbashir et al. (2001) EMBO J. 20:6877-88; Elbashir et al. (2001) Genes Dev. 15:188-200). They demonstrated that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) had the ability to specifically inhibit gene expression in mammalian cell culture without induction of the interferon response.
These observations led to the development of techniques for the reduction, or elimination, of expression of specific genes in mammalian cell culture, such as plasmid-based systems that generate hairpin siRNAs (Brummelkamp et al. (2002) Science 296:550-3; Paddison et al. (2002) Genes Dev. 16:948-58; Paddison et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99:1443-8; Paul et al. 2002) Nat. Biotechnol. 20:404-8). siRNA molecules can also be introduced into cells, in vivo, to inhibit the expression of specific proteins (see, e.g., Soutschek, J., et al., Nature 432 (7014):173-178 (2004)).
siRNA molecules have promise both as therapeutic agents for inhibiting the expression of specific proteins, and as targets for drugs that affect the activity of siRNA molecules that function to regulate the expression of proteins involved in a disease state. A first step in developing such therapeutic agents is to measure the amounts of specific siRNA molecules in different cell types within an organism, and thereby construct an "atlas" of siRNA expression within the body. Additionally, it will be useful to measure changes in the amount of specific siRNA molecules in specific cell types in response to a defined stimulus, or in a disease state.
Short RNA molecules are difficult to quantitate. For example, with respect to the use of PCR to amplify and measure the small RNA molecules, most PCR primers are longer than the small RNA molecules, and so it is difficult to design a primer that has significant overlap with a small RNA molecule, and that selectively hybridizes to the small RNA molecule at the temperatures used for primer extension and PCR amplification reactions.

Methods for quantitating small RNA molecules


On the basis of a state of multicast packets which are transmitted among a plurality of terminals connected via a network, a terminal, which determines a receive order for maintaining an identical order of multicast packets to be received by the plurality of terminals, is selected. Upon transmitting a multicast packet from one of the plurality of terminals, the receive order informed from the selected terminal is appended to that multicast packet.

The present invention relates to a multicast communication method including control of the receive order of multicast packets in, e.g., a computerized conference system, and a multicast communication apparatus using the method.
In a computerized conference system and so on which share the window of a plurality of terminals, e.g., personal computers, an application which matches the operation result of each terminal in all the terminals which share the window is used. In this case, when a given terminal in a group which shares the window receives a multicast packet transmitted from another terminal in that group, all the terminals in the group are required to maintain an identical receive order of multicast packets, and pass packets to the application.
As a communication system which meets such requirement, the following system is known. That is, in this system, a given terminal in a multicast communication group has an order control section for controlling the receive order of multicast packets to maintain an identical receive order of multicast packets. As the order control method of multicast packets, the following methods are available.
1) A terminal having a multicast packet inquires the receive order in the group of the order control section. The order control section transmits the receive order of multicast packets to the terminal having a multicast packet in response to the inquiry. The terminal having a multicast packet transmits the receive order received from the order control section together with the multicast packet. Upon receiving the multicast packet and receive order, the respective terminals rearrange multicast packets in accordance with the received receive order, and pass them to the application.
2) A terminal having a multicast packet transmits the packet to be multicasted to a terminal having the order control section. Upon receiving the packet to be multicasted, the order control section multicasts that packet to other terminals in the group together with the receive order. When the terminal including a multicast packet has the order control section, it transmits the receive order together with the multicast packet.
3) A terminal which has a multicast packet transmits the multicast packet to all terminals including a terminal having an order control section. The order control section assigns the receive order of packet to the received multicast packet, and informs other terminals of that receive order. Upon receiving the multicast packet, the respective terminals rearrange multicast packets in accordance with the informed receive order. When the terminal including a multicast packet has the order control section, it sends the receive order together with the multicast packet.
In any of methods 1 to 3, when the terminal which performs order control of multicast packets matches a terminal for multicasting a packet, no communication is required via a network to determine the receive order of multicast packets. However, when the terminal which performs the order control differs from the terminal having a multicast packet, control data for controlling the receive order of multicast packets must be exchanged between the terminal with the order control section and other terminals via the network.
For this reason, when many multicast packets are transmitted from terminals other than the terminal which performs the order control, many data must be exchanged via the network to achieve the order control. If the transfer rate of the communication network is not high enough, much time is required to transmit multicast packets.
On such communication system, which terminal transmits a greater number of multicast packets largely depends on the application which uses the communication system and the purposes intended by the user who uses the application. Hence, it is difficult to specify a terminal which transmits a greater number of multicast packets in advance.
As described above, conventionally, when many multicast packets are transmitted from terminals other than the terminal for performing the order control, many data must be exchanged via the network to achieve the order control. If the transfer rate of the communication network is not high enough, much time is required to transmit multicast packets.
Also, the number of multicast packets transmitted from each terminal on the communication system largely depends on the application which uses the communication system and the purposes intended by the user who uses the application. Hence, it is difficult to specify a terminal which transmits a greater number of multicast packets in advance.

Multicast communication method and apparatus


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method mainly involves steps of forming at least one first patterned high stress layer below a silicon substrate, then forming a semiconductor device onto the substrate, and forming at least one second patterned high stress layer on the semiconductor device. According to the method, the characteristics of the PMOS and the NMOS transistors formed on the same wafer may be improved simultaneously, by utilizing the stress of the patterned layers of high stress material. Further, the mobility of the carriers is enhanced, so that the output characteristic of the transistors can be improved.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, and more particularly, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device by modulating the stresses the semiconductor device is subjected to using the stresses of patterned high stress layers.
2. Related Art
As for the p-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (PMOS) and the n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (NMOS), since the PMOS transistor needs to be applied with compressive stress in the channel area to improve its hole mobility, whereas the NMOS needs to be applied with tensile stress to improve its electron mobility, the forms of stresses to improve the carrier mobility in the channel area are exactly opposite.
Because the magnitude and form of stress of a silicon nitride film, deposited once as a whole, are fixed, in the past, only one of the PMOS and the NMOS transistors on the same wafer could be chosen to apply thereto the stress of a particular form to improve its characteristics. For example, the technique proposed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacture Company (TSMC) in the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in 2003 discloses a method for improving the characteristics of the transistors by means of using stresses in different directions, that is, when the tensile stress in the x-axis direction, i.e. a direction parallel to the channel of the transistor, is increased, the characteristic of the PMOS transistor will be reduced but that of the NMOS transistor can be enhanced; when the tensile stress in the y-axis, i.e. a direction perpendicular to the channel of the transistor, is increased, the characteristics of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor can be enhanced simultaneously. However, when the tensile stress in the z-axis direction, i.e. a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, is increased, the characteristic of the PMOS transistor will be enhanced but that of the NMOS transistor will be reduced. Therefore, to apply stresses in different directions can affect the characteristics of the transistors differently, that is to say, the conventional techniques generally can only improve the characteristic of a single transistor type, but cannot improve the characteristics of the PMOS and the NMOS transistors simultaneously.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device

Industrial Technology Research Institute