A drive recorder system capable of ensuring a fixed level of security of drive recorder information at a comparatively low cost is provided. The drive recorder system includes an on-vehicle camera capable of constantly obtaining an image of the surroundings of a subject vehicle, an HDD, a terrestrial digital broadcast receiving apparatus in which content is managed in compliance with a copyright protection technology, and a controller. Control is performed so that content protection prescribed by the terrestrial digital broadcast receiving apparatus is performed on image data obtained by the on-vehicle camera and is recorded and stored in the HDD.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system having a drive recorder function and, more particularly, to a drive recorder system adapted to ensure security of drive recorder information recorded on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Airplanes are equipped with an apparatus for recording the operation state of the airplane, which is called a flight recorder, and the data regarding the recorded operation state of the airplane is utilized as important evidence when investigating the cause of an airplane accident. In most cases, the investigation of the cause of an automobile traffic accident has hitherto relied on only the statements of individuals involved in and witnesses to the accident, these statements sometimes differing, and to date, verification has taken a lot of time.
To deal with the above problems, rather than relying on witness statements at the time an accident occurs, a "drive recorder" (on-vehicle image recording apparatus) for recording images for several tens of seconds before and after an accident has been conceived. Most manufactured drive recorders are disposed in the vicinity of the rear view mirror and on the front windscreen inside a car. As configurations of such drive recorders, types of drive recorder (integral types) in which parts of a CCD camera and a recorder are integrally configured and types of drive recorder (separation types) in which a CCD camera and a recorder are separated have been put onto the market.
For example, in a system configuration of the related art as shown in FIG. 3, during driving, a subject vehicle and the surrounding state are constantly recorded (using an on-vehicle camera 1 and a GPS receiver 2). When a fixed shock is applied to a vehicle due to an accident (rear-end collision, crash, etc.) or a violent and risky driving operation (sudden braking, sudden steering-wheel operation, etc.), a vehicle sensor 6 (an acceleration sensor, a shock sensor, etc.) detects the shock, and stores, as data, the video (containing the running speed, and in response to the detection, the degree of shock) before and after the detection.
Examples of technologies associated with the related art include a technology in which, as disclosed in Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. US2002/0183905, vehicle data inside a volatile memory is encrypted and is recorded and stored in the non-volatile memory before, upon, and after the collision of a vehicle.
As described above, in the drive recorder system, when considering the use thereof as evidence in proceedings related to an automobile traffic accident, it is necessary that a fixed level of security of stored data (drive recorder information) is ensured. For this reason, as exemplified in FIG. 3, there has been a need to install functions, such as authentication, prevention of tampering, and the like of recorded data via a data encryption process (local encryption from a controller 3 to a removable medium 5).
However, in the related art, when data (encrypted drive recorder information) stored on a removable medium 5 is to be displayed on the screen of a personal computer (PC) 7, specialized analysis software is required. Furthermore, the specialized analysis software is comparatively expensive and has specifications unique to each company. That is, in order to use encrypted drive recorder information, specialized analysis software for each specification of each company needs to be used, presenting a problem in that there is no versatility and also a high cost is incurred.


A circuit for driving a light emitting diode (LED), the circuit includes a timer, first to third electronic switches, and a regulator. The timer provides a pulse signal to switch the first and second electronic switches. The first electronic switch provides a first level signal to one end of the LED. The second electronic switch switches the third electronic switch on and off. The third electronic switch provides a third level signal to another end of the LED. The regulator adjusts the pulse signal to be at a predetermined frequency to control the first, second, and the third level signals to alternate between a high voltage level and a low voltage level at the predetermined frequency. The LED is driven to be on and off at the predetermined frequency by the first and third level signals.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to driving circuits, and more particularly to a circuit for driving a light emitting diode (LED).
2. Description of Related Art
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely used to indicate status of electronic devices by emitting light. Each LED can be driven to emit light when an anode of the LED receives a high level voltage signal, and a cathode of the LED receives a low level voltage signal. However, the LED will not work if the polarity is reversed.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor device includes a voltage measurement unit that measures a voltage of a battery, a current measurement unit that measures charging and discharging currents of the battery, a data processing control unit, and a current detection unit. The voltage measurement unit and the current measurement unit are able to measure the voltage and the discharging current of the battery in case that the current detection unit detects that the discharging current exceeds a predetermined threshold. The data processing control unit estimates an internal resistance of the battery based on a voltage measurement value measured by the voltage measurement unit in accordance with the detection performed by the current detection unit and a current measurement value measured by the current measurement unit in accordance with the detection performed by the current detection unit, and calculates an amount of maximum power capable of being supplied from the battery.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a battery pack, and a personal data assistant, and particularly relates to a technique effective in case that applied to a semiconductor device for monitoring the state of a battery.
In recent years, CPUs (including a GPU) mounted on an internal circuit (PC system) in a personal data assistant such as a notebook computer have had a gradual tendency to be provided with a variable frequency function in order to have a balance between power consumption, arithmetic operation performance and reliability (lifetime). The variable frequency function means that during a normal time, power consumption is reduced by setting the clock frequency of the CPU to be relatively low (normal clock operation) and a deterioration in the reliability of the CPU is suppressed by suppressing a temperature rise of the CPU, and that during an increase in a CPU resource request of an application, arithmetic operation performance is improved by setting the clock frequency of the CPU to be high (high-speed clock operation).
In case that an AC adapter is not connected to a notebook computer during a CPU's high-speed clock operation, the entire power required for a CPU's high-speed clock operation is supplied from a battery (assembled battery obtained by combining a plurality of secondary battery cells). On the other hand, in case that an AC adapter is connected to a notebook computer, power required for a high-speed clock operation is supplied from the AC adapter and the battery. This is because a maximum power of the AC adapter is designed to be smaller than a maximum power required during a high-speed clock operation for the purpose of a reduction in weight, a reduction in power consumption, and a reduction in cost. Meanwhile, power drawn from the battery as shortage power of the AC adapter during a high-speed clock operation is supplemented by the battery being charged through the AC adapter during a normal clock operation.
As stated above, in order for the CPU to perform a high-speed clock operation, a supply of power from the battery is required regardless of the presence or absence of the connection of the AC adapter. For this reason, a period in which the CPU performs a high-speed clock operation and a clock frequency during a high-speed clock operation are determined on the basis of the amount of power which is capable of being supplied from the battery. For example, the CPU having a variable frequency function is configured such that a plurality of clock frequencies higher than a clock frequency during a normal clock operation can be selected as a clock frequency during a high-speed clock operation, and an optimum clock frequency is selected in accordance with the amount of power which is capable of being supplied from the battery in that case.
On the other hand, the state of the battery mounted on a personal data assistant such as a notebook computer is monitored by a battery monitoring system mounted on a battery pack together with the battery. Generally, the battery monitoring system is configured to include a battery control IC (FGIC: Fuel Gauge IC), a sense resistor for detecting charging and discharging currents of the battery as voltage information, a charge control MOS transistor, a discharge control MOS transistor, and a protective circuit such as a thermistor or a fuse. The battery control IC is configured to include, for example, a microcontroller, and realizes a function of managing the remaining capacity of a battery, a function of controlling a charge control/discharge control MOS transistor, a function of protecting a battery, and the like. For example, the battery control IC generates information indicating a battery state on the basis of detection results of charging and discharging currents and a battery voltage of a battery, and notifies an internal circuit of a personal data assistant of the information. The information indicating a battery state includes, for example, full charge capacity (FCC), Remaining Capacity (RC) of abattery, state of charge (SOC) of a battery, and the like. A conventional example of the battery control IC is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2010-34016, JP-A-2003-79059, and JP-A-2001-51029.
In the battery control IC mounted on a battery pack of a notebook computer on which the CPU having the aforementioned variable frequency function is mounted, information of the amount of maximum power which is capable of being supplied from the battery to the internal circuit is generated on the basis of measurement results of a discharging current and a battery voltage of the battery, in addition to the information indicating the battery state mentioned above. The information of the amount of maximum power is notified to a PC system (internal circuit) of a notebook computer at any time (for example, once per second), and is used, as described above, in determining a clock frequency during the high-speed clock operation or a period of the high-speed clock operation.

Semiconductor device, battery pack and personal data assistant


A high-definition signal (HD) is separated to prevent the quality of an image from being deteriorated when the high-definition signal is mixed with a standard video signal. A low band signal of the HD signal from a decimation circuit (5) is supplied through a discrete cosine transform circuit (7), a quantizer circuit (8), a variable length coder circuit (9) and an encoder circuit (11) to a recording head (12). A signal from the quantizer circuit (8) is supplied through an inverse quantizer circuit (17) to a subtracter circuit (18). A signal from the discrete cosine transform circuit (7) is supplied to the subtracter circuit (18), thereby forming a difference signal between a decoded signal of the compresses signal and the original signal. This difference signal is supplied through a quantizer circuit (19) a run length coding circuit (20) and a variable length coder circuit (21) to an adder circuit (16). A high band signal of the HD signal from the decimation circuit (6) is supplied through a quantizer circuit (13), a run length coder circuit (14) and a variable length coder circuit (15) to the adder circuit (16). Then, a signal from the adder circuit (16) is supplied through an encoder circuit 22 to a recording head 23.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital video tape recorder (digital VTR) which can record and reproduce a digital high-definition video signal and a standard digital video signal with a compatibility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Professional digital video tape recorders that can record and reproduce a high-definition video signal (hereinafter simply referred to as an HD signal) in the form of a digital signal have already been developed and become commercially available. If the digital video tape recorder has a compatibility with a conventional standard digital video signal (hereinafter simply referred to as an SD signal) when it is modified as a consumer digital video tape recorder, then it can be expected that consumer digital video tape recorders will be popularized smoothly, in particular, at the transition stage. The assignee of the present application has previously proposed a video signal recording system in which a compatibility between the HD signal and the SD signal can be established (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-79155).
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows in block form an arrangement of a recording system of a digital video tape recorder that employs such a previously-proposed video signal recording system.
As shown in FIG. 1, a high-definition video signal (HD signal) is supplied to an input terminal 61. The HD signal applied to the input terminal 61 is supplied to an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter circuit 6, in which it is sampled at a sampling frequency of 40.5 MHz, for example, and also encoded in a predetermined encoding manner to provide a digital signal composed of a full-scanning line luminance signal and line-sequential color difference signals, for example. This digital signal is what might be called a 12:4:0 digital signal.
This digital signal is supplied to a low-pass filter (LPF) 63 which separates the sub band in the vertical direction, for example, and a high-pass filter (HPF) 64. The low-pass filter 63 and the high-pass filter 64 are each formed of a so-called QMF filter. Output signals of the low-pass filter 63 and the high-pass filter 64 are respectively supplied to and decimated to 1/2 by decimation circuits 65, 66, thereby forming a so-called 6:2:0 digital signal having a sampling frequency of 20.25 MHz that is matched with that of the digital signal of the SD signal which will be described later on.
An output signal from the decimation circuit 65 is supplied to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit 67 which is used to compress data. An output signal from the discrete cosine transform circuit 67 is supplied to and quantized by a quantizer (Q.sub.1) circuit 68 so that the bit rate of the recording signal becomes 25 Mbps, for example. A signal from the quantizer circuit 68 is supplied to a variable length coder (VLC) circuit 69 and the signal thus processed by the variable length coder circuit 69 is supplied through a switch 70 to an encoder (ENC) circuit 71. The signal supplied to the encoder circuit 71 is processed in a predetermined recording signal processing fashion such as an error correction or the like and then fed to a recording head 72.
A signal from the decimation circuit 66 is supplied to and quantized by a quantizer (Q.sub.3) circuit 73 so that the bit rate of the recording signal becomes 25 Mbps, for example. A signal from the quantizer circuit 73 is supplied to a run length coder (RLC) circuit 74. A signal from the run length coder circuit 74 is supplied to a variable length coder (VLC) circuit 75. The signal thus processed by the variable length coder circuit 75 is supplied to an encoder (ENC) circuit 76, in which it is processed in a predetermined recording signal processing fashion such as an error correction or the like, and then fed to a recording head 77. Therefore, the HD signal is recorded on a tape (not shown) at the bit rate of 25+25=50 Mbps by the recording heads 72, 77.
A standard video signal (SD signal) is supplied to an input terminal 78. The SD signal applied to the input terminal 78 is supplied to an A/D converter circuit 79, in which it is sampled by a sampling frequency of 20.25 MHz, for example, and encoded in a predetermined encoding fashion to provide a so-called 6:2:0 digital signal composed of a full-scanning line luminance signal and line-sequential color difference signals. In the digital signal of the SD signal, the SD signal has an aspect ratio of 16:9. The present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to the case such that the SD signal has an aspect ratio of 4:3 (e.g., 4:2:0 digital signal having a sampling frequency of 13.5 MHz).
A signal from the A/D converter circuit 79 is supplied to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit 80 that is used to compress data, for example. A signal from the discrete cosine transform circuit 80 is supplied to and quantized by a quantizer (Q.sub.1 ') circuit 81 such that the bit rate of the recording signal becomes 25 Mbps, for example. A signal from the quantizer circuit 81 is supplied to a variable length coder (VLC) circuit 82 and the signal thus processed by the variable length coder circuit 82 is supplied to the switch 70.
Therefore, a high band signal of the HD signal and a low band signal of the HD signal or the SD signal are respectively recorded on alternate tracks as shown by a track pattern of FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the HD signal can be reproduced by reproducing all of these tracks and the SD signal can be reproduced by reproducing the tracks of the SD signal. The low band signal can be reproduced as the SD signal by reproducing the tracks of the low band signal of the HD signal, thereby achieving a compatibility between the HD signal and the SD signal.
According to the above conventional apparatus, the HD signal is separated into vertical sub band signals and then decoded as schematically shown in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings, for example.
As shown in FIG. 3, a signal applied to an input terminal 91 is supplied to a high-pass filter (HPF) 92 and a low-pass filter (LPF) 93. Each of the high-pass filter 92 and the low-pass filter 93 is formed of the so-called QMF filter. Output signals from the high-pass filter 92 and the low-pass filter 93 are supplied to decimation circuits 94, 95 and thereby being decimated to 1/2, respectively. The decimated signals from these decimation circuits 94, 95 are supplied to a transmission system 96 through which a recording signal and a reproduced signal are transmitted.
Signals from the transmission system 96 are supplied to interpolation circuits 97, 98, in which the decimated signals are interpolated. Signals from these interpolation circuits 97, 98 are supplied to filters 99, 100. These filters 99, 100 also are formed of the so-called QMF filters and output signals of these filters 99, 100 are added by an adder circuit 101 and then delivered to an output terminal 102.
The QMF is an FIR (finite impulse response) filter that is formed of a series circuit of a plurality of 1H (H is a horizontal period) delay circuits. x.sub.(n) assumes an input signal to the circuit and [ x].sub.(n) assumes an output signal of this circuit (where [ x] represents the overlapping state of the input and output signals). Further, response characteristics of the filters 92, 93, 99 and 100 are defined as:
92: H.sub.1(z) =Z[h.sub.(n) ]
93: H.sub.2(z) =H.sub.1(-z) =Z[-1).sup.n h.sub.(n) ]
99: H.sub.1(z) : h.sub.(n)
100: -H.sub.1(z)=-H.sub.1(-z) =Z[(-1).sup.n+1 h.sub.(n) ]
where Z[ ] represents the Z conversion.
Thus, the response characteristic of the entire circuit is expressed by the following equation (1): ##EQU1## If the following equation (2) is satisfied, EQU H.sub.2 (.omega.)=H.sub.1 (.omega.+.pi.) EQU H(.omega.)=H(z).vertline..sub.z=e.sbsb.j.spsb..omega. ( 2)
then the frequency response characteristic is expressed as: ##EQU2##
Accordingly, using a symmetric FIR filter having taps the number of which is M as an QMF filter yields: ##EQU3## Therefore, the frequency response is expressed as: ##EQU4## Further, if M is even, then the above frequency response is expressed as: ##EQU5## Accordingly, if the following equation (7) is satisfied, EQU .vertline.H.sub.1 (.omega.).vertline..sup.2 +.vertline.H.sub.1 (.omega.+.pi.).vertline..sup.2 =1 (7)
then, in the output signal [ x].sub.(n), after the HD signal of the input signal x.sub.(n) is separated into the sub band signals of the vertical direction and then transmitted, these sub band signals can be synthesized and decoded from a theory standpoint. FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings shows an example of frequency characteristics of the respective filters and FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows an example of impulse responses of the taps of the QMF filter.
In the above conventional apparatus, the low band signal which results from separating the HD signal into the sub band signals of the vertical direction is quantized in accordance with the bit rate of the SD signal by the quantizer circuit 68 and a large amount of data are reduced, thereby causing a distortion to occur due to the quantization. As a consequence, if the low band signal and the high band signal having distortions are synthesized to restore the HD signal upon playback, the quality of the reproduced image will be deteriorated.
When the above-mentioned discrete cosine transform (DCT) is carried out as a data compressing method in order to record the HD signal, the energy is concentrated in particular, in the low band. Therefore, if the low band signal is quantized at the quantization amount corresponding to the bit rate of the SD signal, then a large distortion occurs in the low band signal. Consequently, when the low band signal and the high band signal are synthesized to provide the HD signal, the distortion is increased more, thereby the quality of the reproduced image being deteriorated remarkably.

Digital high-definition video signal recording and reproducing apparatus


A radiation-sensitive layer comprising as a main component a radiation-sensitive composition containing a compound capable of generating an acid when exposed to a chemical radiation and a compound having at least one linkage decomposable by an acid is formed on a substrate. An acidic coating layer is formed on the radiation-sensitive layer. The radiation-sensitive layer and the acidic coating layer are pattern-exposed to a chemical radiation. The radiation-sensitive layer and the acidic coating layer are baked and developed by using an aqueous alkaline solution to obtain a pattern comprising lines and spaces, each having a predetermined width. A fine pattern of a rectangular sectional shape can be formed without producing eaves caused by a surface inhibition layer layer, which is produced on the film surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pattern forming method and, more particularly, to a method of forming a resist pattern applied to micropatterning in fabricating electronic components such as large-scale semiconductor integrated circuits (LSIs).
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of various electronic components including semiconductor integrated circuits, micropatterning techniques using photolithography are adopted. In practice, such techniques are carried out by the following process. First, a photoresist film is formed on a semiconductor substrate by means of, e.g., a spin coating method. After the resist film is patternexposed, development and rinsing are performed to form a desired resist pattern. Subsequently, this resist pattern is used as an anti-etching mask to etch the substrate, thereby forming fine lines or opening portions. Especially in recent years, to increase the degree of integration along with an increase in packaging density of electronic components, it is required that very fine resist patterns on a submicron order be formed in the above process.
As an exposure apparatus for forming the resist pattern, a reduction-projecting mask aligner of a stepand-repeat type, generally called a stepper, is used. Examples of a radiation source for use in this stepper are g-line (wavelength 436 nm), h-line (wavelength 405 nm), and i-line (wavelength 365 nm) of mercury lamps, and excimer lasers, such as XeF (wavelength 351 nm), XeCl (wavelength 308 nm), KrF (wavelength 248 nm), KrCl (wavelength 222 nm), ArF (wavelength 193 nm), and F.sub.2 (wavelength 157 nm). To form fine patterns, the wavelength of a radiation source used is preferably as short as possible. In particular, deep Uv of an excimer laser or the like is preferable. It is also possible to form finer patterns by using electron beam or X-ray with a shorter wavelength.
Since, however, a conventional resist has a large absorption for deep UV, such radiation cannot satisfactorily reach a position deep in a resist film. That is, a chemical change occurring upon exposure to deep UV cannot progress sufficiently in a region deep from the surface of a resist film. Consequently, the sectional shape of a resist pattern formed becomes a triangle, for a positive resist, or an inverted triangle, for a negative resist. This significantly degrades the function of the resist pattern as an anti-etching mask.
To solve this problem, the use of a resist called a chemical amplification-type resist has been proposed. The chemical amplification-type resist is, for example, a photosensitive composition containing a compound which generates an acid when exposed to light, i.e., a photo-acid generator, and a compound, the hydrophobic group of which is decomposed by the generated acid, and which therefore changes into a hydrophilic compound. Practical examples are a positive resist containing a polymer, in which a hydroxyl group of poly(p-hydroxystyrene) is blocked by butoxycarbonyl group, and an onium salt as the photo-acid generator, disclosed in H. Ito, C. G. Wilson, and J. M. J. Frechet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,628 (1985); and a positive resist containing a m-cresol novolak resin, nathphalene-2-carboxylic acid-tert-butyl ester, and, as the photo-acid generator, triphenylsulfonium salt, described in M. J. O'Brien, J. V. Crivello, SPIE Vol. 920, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing, p. 42, (1988). In addition, a positive resist containing 2,2-bis(4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxyphenyl)propane or polyphthalaldehyde, and an onium salt as the photo-acid generator, is described in H. Ito, SPIE Vol. 920, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing, p. 33, (1988).
In these chemical amplification-type resists, the acid generated by the photo acid-generator functions as a catalyst. Hence, only a small amount of the acid can efficiently induce a chemical change inside the resist. As a result, when the resist film is exposed to a radiation, the reaction can sufficiently proceed even in a portion inside the film which the radiation is difficult to reach compared to the film surface. This makes it possible to form a resist pattern with steep side surfaces in line portions upon development.
The chemical amplification-type resist described above, however, has a high sensitivity and is therefore readily influenced by oxygen, moisture, and other minor contaminations in a process atmosphere. As an example, S. A. MacDonald et al., SPIE Vol. 1,466, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing, p. 2, (1991) reports that a trace amount of dimethylaniline contained in an atmosphere deactivates an acid generated in the vicinity of the surface of a chemical amplification-type resist film when exposed to light to produce a surface inhibition layer, i.e., a layer with a significantly low dissolving rate into a developing solution on the surface of the resist film, and this surface inhibition layer remains like eaves on the surface of a resist pattern after exposure and development. The surface inhibition layer decreases the resolution of the resist, and the eaves produced on the resist pattern by that layer adversely affect the etching accuracy in a region of a semiconductor substrate.
various methods have been proposed in order to solve the above problems.
For example, a method of improving the photo-acid generator contained in the chemical amplification-type resist to increase the concentration of an acid to be generated has been attempted. In this method, however, if the generated acid is a strong acid, it is difficult to control the acid. If the generated acid is a weak acid, the strength of the acid is insufficient although its concentration is high. In either case, the result is a reduction in resolution of a resultant pattern. There is another attempt to add a basic compound, as an additive, to the resist, thereby relatively relaxing the influence of basic substances in an atmosphere on the resist film, or to add an acidic compound to neutralize the basic substances from an atmosphere. However, the effect of either method is still unsatisfactory.
In addition, a method of forming a protective film on a film of the chemical amplification-type resist to shield the film surface from an atmosphere has been proposed. For instance, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 63-287950 describes a method of stacking a neutral polymer, such as polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl pyrrolidone, as a protective film on a chemical amplification-type printing plate to prolong the storage life of the printing plate. However, although polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the material of the protective film has a barrier effect against oxygen or moisture, it cannot always effectively prevent the formation of the surface inhibition layer described above.

Pattern forming method including the formation of an acidic coating layer on the radiation-sensitive layer


A method of data migration and integration with a data load mechanism. The first primary step is to extract the data from a named source by remote queries. The follow-up logic is used for any miscellaneous or supplemental transformations to inbound data for data renaming, null scrubbing, and data polishing. The filtration step allows for any extraneous data to be filtered out. The compression step consolidates any fragmented balances residual in the remote queries, localize remote data, data map, or follow-up logic. As a part of the compression process, the result set table signature is explicitly cast to that of the destination fact table. The result of this is an exact replica of the destination fact table format, data types and column order. The kickout handling provides referential integrity of the inbound data flow against the named BPM Destination System. Finally, the deployment step limits the dynamic reload or sync determination to certain fields.

The system integration landscape is more fluid and dynamic than ever before. Wide acceptance of the internet in day-to-day business has accelerated access to information. This increase in information access efficiency has set a higher standard for decision making and analytical capabilities for both individuals and organizations alike. New specialty fields have arisen to accommodate this need for faster, more accurate analytical and predictive capabilities. One field in particular has evolved into what is widely accepted as Business Intelligence (BI) or Business Performance Management (BPM). The underpinning and enabler of this evolution is a technology called OLAP (on-line analytical processing). These fields have driven a wave of new, more powerful analytical and decision making software products and technologies. These applications have become a key part of modern day business and handle such core business processes as budgeting, forecasting, sales analysis, strategical planning, trend analysis, salary planning, capital planning, and headcount, just to name a few. Businesses utilize these decision and analytical tools to gain competitive advantage, report financials and make long term decisions about the direction of their business.
The data required to satisfy a holistic analytical or predictive process is spread in a wide array of databases, platforms and systems throughout an organization. Systems include ERP (enterprise resource planning), CRM (customer relationship management), trade promotion, distribution, etc. Data warehousing methods attempt to solve this by consolidating the disparate data into a standardized central repository, where other systems (such as BI/BPM reporting tools) can access the data in a logical easy-to-use fashion, insulated from the complexity of the source systems.
The ability to consolidate and integrate data from system to system is based on a logical framework known as ETL: extraction, transformation, and load. Many integration tools and methodologies have been designed within the scope of the ETL framework. These processes optimize and accelerate the throughput of data between source and destination systems, complete with required controls (logging, validation, transformation, aggregation). BI/BPM tools directly utilize ETL to import data into their own data/meta-bases, proprietary or otherwise. Most BI/BPM tools provide some kind of ETL mechanism.
Despite these sophisticated ETL mechanisms, there is still a demand in the BPM marketplace for more-effective data exchange between BPM systems and corporate systems. The source of this demand stems from the fact that analytical processes have been evolving faster than integration processes. The shortcomings of today's current integration tools and techniques lie in the fact that modern ETL concepts were developed around the needs of a standardized data-warehouse-type environment and not a fluid BPM-type environment. Data Warehouse environments provide a highly standardized and generic enterprise-wide framework, designed to accommodate a wide array of data access protocols, business rules, and in many cases exceptionally large data volumes, independent of platform or business scenario. ETL was designed to move data in and out of these types of environments; therefore ETL-related concepts are also very generic, a one-size-fits-all approach.
This provides little in the way of reusable, optimized, scenario-based integration processes. The integration patterns between source and destination are constantly re-engineered between the extraction phase, the transformation phase, and the load phase. Applied scenarios are left up to the individual developer or implementation team. In the extraction phase, for example, the source may be an ERP system, or a CRM system, or a lead tracking system, or some kind of custom data store. The technology platforms, protocols and schemes between these sources can vary tremendously. Even within the ERP realm there is still a wild fluctuation in platform and database schema design among vendors. In the transformation phase, application of transformational techniques may depend on the type of industry, the business rules that industry applies, and the integrity of the inbound data. The load phase shares the same problem as the extraction phase: the destination databases may have radically different schemas, platforms, protocols and/or a unique set of requirements. The combination of variables within each individual phase, let alone the combination of all three, can be dizzying. Due to this high selectivity, historically, this has left little in the way of reusable or standardized processes within applied scenarios. Essentially, custom ETL process and custom patterns must be employed for each scenario, therefore increasing the cost and time of development. This spawns a further impediment innate with all custom software solutions: the ability to effectively transfer knowledge between individuals and organizations. This impediment is due to lack of standardization and is driven by the coding techniques, skills, languages, even style of the individual developer. Each solution has to be relearned. This presents challenges for ongoing support and maintenance of the application. This invention addresses this challenge in the form of reusable Integration Templates.
For BI/BPM to obtain maximum effectiveness within an organization, individualized, highly targeted and specialized integration processes are required. These processes require more-specific reusable techniques and more clearly defined processes to accommodate efficient integration between targeted sources and destinations, more than what a generic ETL framework provides today.
Most packaged BI/BPM software solutions on the marketplace today embrace a multiphase approach. This is primarily for two reasons: (A) there is no single apparatus on the marketplace today that effectively provides the single-point BPM capability, and (B) application integration is not the BI/BPM software vendors' area of expertise, so they have little in the way of resources to build this into their applications effectively.
BPM destination systems can capture data through a variety of methods. These methods may be system feed data via a data load mechanism or end-user input via an application interface. As data is entered into the OLAP destination system, regardless of the method, unique data intersection points can become fragmented. The larger volume of input, the higher degree of fragmentation tends to occur. There are two types of fragmentation that can occur in BPM destination systems: horizontal fragmentation and vertical fragmentation. Vertical fragmentation is defined as the accumulation of intersection differences across database rows. Horizontal fragmentation is defined as accumulation of intersection differences across columns or tables. Data fragmentation, if not addressed, can cause exponential performance degradation of the BPM destination system and use unnecessary system resources.
The schema implementation of BI/BPM/OLAP-based databases is different from the classic relational model applied in RDMS systems or data warehousing scenarios. The classic RDMS model tends to apply a highly normalized state to its data schema. This highly normalized state is optimal for storage, organization, input and management of large amounts of data. While normalization is effective for the functional characteristics of data storage, it tends to present challenges from a business usability perspective. OLAP, on the other hand, implements its data schema in a highly de-normalized fashion (the reverse of the RDMS). De-normalization of data is not designed for functional efficiency, but more around business usability, data accessibility, and data access performance. Many times this data is loaded into cubes for aggregation and hierarchical pre-calculation capabilities. A de-normalized, cube-based schema requires special consideration and unique techniques applied when moving data through the transformation pipeline.
The closest prior art of which the applicant is aware includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,608 issued to Abrams and U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,990 issued to Suresh. The templates, patterns and pipelines employed by prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,151,608 and 6,208,990 are designed to load to relational destination systems, while the present invention loads to OLAP- or dimensional-based destinations systems. The techniques employed are fundamentally different than relational destination techniques, and so are the underlying database platforms. U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,608 does not address required OLAP-based functions and is built solely around Oracle database platform. The migration rule templates, patterns and principles are subjected to Oracle database mechanics only, which severely limits its capability on SQL Server or Analysis Service based platforms. U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,990 is optimized for data warehousing environments but again does not address the particulars of a high performance, reusable single-point process designed for BPM systems. Cutting edge newer technologies have evolved away from primary keys to keyless data management. This presents new challenges for ETL not addressed in prior art load mechanisms.
Classic relational load models such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,608 rely heavily on the use of primary keys to determine row uniqueness and selectivity. Neither U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,151,608 nor 6,208,990 provide injectable integration templates.

System and method of data movement between a data source and a destination


The apparatus includes a plurality of components, including a first component, a center component, a component adjacent to the center component, and a last component. The apparatus also includes a first signal source generating a first signal, and a second signal source generating a second signal. The second signal source is separated by one or more components from the first signal source. A first bus couples the first signal source to the plurality of components. A second bus couples the second signal source to the plurality of components. The first and second signals are distributed substantially in-phase to the components.

Electrical systems, such as communications systems, may use a timing source to generate a clock signal to synchronize the electrical system. Some electrical systems employ two timing sources, a working timing source and a protect timing source. The protect timing source is used by the electrical system, for example, when the working timing source becomes disabled.
While the electrical system is operational, it is desirable to seamlessly transition between the working and protect timing sources. However, if the clock signals from the working and protect timing sources are not substantially in phase, operation of the electrical system may be disrupted when transitioning between the two timing sources. For example, when a high data rate communications system transitions between the working and protect timing sources that do not have substantially in-phase clock signals, electrical system components, such as phase lock loops, may lose phase lock. As a result, a communications system may suffer from bit errors, including dropped frames.
This problem is particularly of concern in electrical systems in which the clock signals from the working and protect timing sources are distributed to different modules in a rack of the electrical system. The clock signals must be delivered in phase lock to each module to diminish bit error rates.
In one type of electrical system, the clock signals are serially coupled to each component. A conventional electrical system comprises working and protect tiing sources and components, such as slots. The working and protect timing sources respectively generate working and protect clock, or timing, signals. Modules may be inserted into the slots. The slots, and any modules inserted into the slots, are respectively coupled by first and second buses to the working and protect timing sources.
Each slot is typically coupled to the working and protect timing sources by segments of the first and second buses having different electrical lengths. As a result, the working and protect clock signals on the first and second buses are typically distributed out of phase to each module. In other words, a phase shift, or skew, between the working and protect clock signals typically arises at each module.
Furthermore, when inserted into a slot, each module capacitively loads the first and second buses. The capacitive loading arises because of capacitances at module terminals are coupled to the first and second buses. The capacitive loading typically aggravates the phase shift between the working and protect clock signals at each slot when differing electrical lengths of segments of the first and second buses connect a slot respectively with the working and protect timing sources. The increased phase shift, due to the capacitive loading, is dependent on the number and locations of the modules inserted into the slots of the electrical system. As a result, the phase of the clock signals from the working and protect timing sources may be further skewed. Hence, the likelihood that the operation of the electrical system will be disrupted is increased. Therefore, there is a need to maintain phase lock between the signals of the working and protect timing sources.

Method and system for diminishing phase shift between two signals


The present invention provides a liquid-crystalline polyester having a structural unit represented by the formula (i), a structural unit represented by the formula (ii) and a structural unit represented by the formula (iii):

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material for producing fiber, in particular, a material for producing a liquid crystalline polyester fiber, and a fiber and a non-woven fabric using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystalline aromatic polyesters are widely used as materials for electronic parts, because of their low hydroscopic property, high heat resistance, excellent property for forming a thin-walled structure, and the like. Aromatic polyester films, for example, are known as a form of the liquid crystalline aromatic polyester suitable for use as electronic parts.
When formed into such a film form, liquid crystalline aromatic polyesters including structural units derived from 2-hydroxy-6-naphthoic acid, structural units derived from phenylene diol, structural units derived from 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, and structural units derived from phenylene dicarboxylic acid are disclosed by the present applicants, from which a film having small dielectric loss and high heat resistance can be obtained, are disclosed (see, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-272819).

Polyester for producing fiber, and fiber and non-woven fabric using the same

Abstract: wherein Ar1 is, at each occurrence, a member selected from the group consisting of a 2,6-naphthalenediyl group, a 1,4-phenylene group and a 4,4′-biphenylene group; and Ar2 and Ar3 are, at each occurrence, a member selected from the group consisting of a 2,6-naphthalenediyl group, a 1,4-phenylene group, a 1,3-phenylene group and a 4,4′-biphenylene group; wherein 40% by mole or more of all the groups Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 are 2,6-naphthalenediyl groups; and wherein the polyester has a flow initiation temperature of from about 280 to about 320° C.


This invention relates to spotting solutions for the production of assay articles with uniform spot size and morphology for the detection of biopolymers, comprising N-lauroyl sarcosine in a buffered solution. Optionally the spotting solution may further comprise a fluorophore or a dye. This invention further provides means for non-destructive quality control of the production of said assay articles. This invention further provides means for non-destructive quality control of the production of said assay articles.

Analysis of unknown biopolymer targets often involves their specific binding to known biopolymer probes. The most common technique employing immobilized biopolymers is the Southern blot hybridization technique, in which a set of DNA targets is immobilized on a membrane and a solution containing labeled DNA probe molecules is used to bathe the membrane under conditions where complementary molecules will anneal. In an analogous technique called Northern blot hybridization, RNA targets are immobilized on membranes and anneal to complementary RNA probes. Reverse blot hybridization employs the opposite approach. Instead of immobilizing DNA targets, a set of DNA probes is immobilized on a solid surface and the unknown labeled DNA target is present in the liquid phase.
Arrays, constructed by attaching a plurality of the same or different biopolymers to discrete isolated areas on the surface of a substrate, are becoming increasingly important tools in the analysis of biopolymers such as gene expression analysis, DNA sequencing, mutation detection, polymorphism screening, linkage analysis, genotyping, and screening for alternative splice variants in gene transcripts.
The analysis of microarrays depends considerably on spot quality, such as morphology and homogeneity, for obtaining high levels of accuracy and consistency. Quality control of common printing defects generated during the production of an array is critical to maintaining data integrity and preventing the wastage of reagent and labor. The ability to manufacture microarrays in an efficient and cost-effective manner is of considerable interest to researchers worldwide and of significant commercial value.
One important factor in the spotting process is the chemical properties of the solution in which the biopolymer is dissolved. With the widely used saline sodium citrate (SSC) buffer, binding efficiency and spot uniformity are often poor. The problems are reduced by supplementing SSC with 50% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). However, this reaction buffer has the disadvantage of being toxic as well as being a solvent for many materials, in addition to only having a limited effect on spot appearance.
Considering the issues of spot morphology and quality control in spot arraying, there is still a need for a formulation of a spotting solution that will provide uniform spot size and/or morphology in the production of assay articles such as microarrays. There also remains a need for a means of non-destructive quality control of the production of such assay articles.

Formulation of spotting solution to achieve uniform spot size and morphology and for nondestructive quality control of assay articles


A method and a device for igniting silicon rods outside a CVD-reactor. A silicon rod is disposed inside a chamber of a casing of an ignition device. At least one pair of contact electrodes applies a first voltage supplied by a transformer with an open circuit voltage sufficiently high to initialize a current flow in and ignite the silicon rod. Optionally, the silicon rod may be heated by a current flow and/or an external heating unit to a temperature within a predetermined range. The silicon rod is removed from the ignition device and may be exposed to a depositing process inside a CVD-reactor. The ignition of the silicon rod outside the CVD-reactor facilitates a new ignition for the depositing process.

In the area of semiconductors and photovoltaics, it is known to produce high purity silicon rods, e.g. according to the Siemens method in deposition reactors, which are also known as CVD-reactors. In this method, thin silicon rods are first placed in the reactors. Thereafter, silicon is deposited on these thin silicon rods during a deposition process in order to produce thicker rods. The silicon rods are first retained in clamping and contacting devices, wherein these clamping and contacting devices maintain the silicon rods in a desired orientation and provide for electrical contacting thereof. Two of the silicon rods are respectively connected at their free ends by electrically conductive bridges or bridges made from silicon material in order to form an electrical circuit via contacting devices located on the same side of the reactor. However, it is also possible to electrically contact the silicon rods their opposing ends, i.e. from above and from below.
The silicon rods are heated to a predetermined processing temperature at which deposition of silicon from a vapor or gas phase takes place on the silicon rods. The silicon rods are heated by resistance heating during the deposition process by a current flow at a predetermined voltage, where appropriate, the silicon rods may also be heated by an external heating unit. The deposition temperature usually lies between 900 and 1200° C. and particularly at about 1100° C. However, the deposition temperature may also be another temperature.
Initially, the silicon rods have a high resistance. In order to initiate an initial current flow in the silicon rod, at first a high voltage has to be applied. When doing this, the silicon rod changes from a non-conductive condition to a conductive condition, which is referred to as ignition in the following. The resistance markedly decreases after the ignition and particularly decreases when the temperature rises. For igniting the silicon rods and for subsequently heating the silicon rods up to the predetermined processing temperature, a sophisticated multi-stage power supply having different power supply units is required. Such a power supply is known e.g. from DE 10 2009 021 403 A or from DE 10 2010 020 740 A, which belongs to the same applicant as the present application but has not been published prior to filing the present application. In particular, a designated power supply unit for the ignition process is required.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus decreasing the requirements in an ignition operation and an ignition unit in a CVD-reactor, respectively.

Method and apparatus for igniting silicon rods outside a CVD-reactor


A self-locking device for hanging objects on a mounting surface is disclosed. The self-locking device includes a mounting bracket and a locking arm member engaged with a track portion of the mounting bracket. The track portion comprising a pair of guide portions, a pair of lip portions extending from a lower end of the guide portions, a pair of rotation portions extending from an upper end of the guide portions, and a slot extending between the pairs of guide portions, lip portions and rotation portions. The arm member being mated with the track portion such that the arm member is translatable along the track portion. The arm member comprising a tip portion, a base portion positioned at least partially within the slot, and at least two pairs of projections extending from the base portion that engage with one of the pairs of guide portions, lip portions and rotation portions.

Typical hardware that is affixed to a wall or other surface for hanging an object thereon includes nails, screws, hooks and the like. When hanging an object on hanging hardware that is affixed to a surface, it may be difficult to assure that the object is seated correctly on the hanging hardware. For example, an object (such as a frame) may have a wire affixed to, and stretched across, the back thereof that is used to hang the object on the hardware. In other examples, various different types of hardware, such as hooks, D-rings, sawtooth hangers or the like, may be attached to the back of an object to hang the object on a wall or other surface. Due to the difficulty of seeing behind the object when holding the object up to the wall or other surface to mate the hanging hardware, it may be challenging to confirm that the hardware attached to the object is properly engaged with the hardware attached to the wall or other surface. In addition, there is often a risk that the hardware attached to the object may become dislodged from the wall hardware as the person hanging the objects releases the object.
Some other typical hardware that is utilized to hang an object includes clips and carabineers (e.g., spring loaded carabineers), which may be used as picture frame hangers. Some such devices are fixed in place laterally on the object itself, and typically do not lock the object onto the wall. Some other such devices comprise a dual step system including a surface/wall bracket and an object bracket that couple together to fix an object onto a surface/wall such that the object cannot move laterally. Some such devices do not lock the object onto the surface/wall. Other such devices lock the object onto the surface/wall to help prevent removal and/or theft thereof, such as through the use of specialized hardware on the surface/wall and/or on object itself and/or one or more specialized tool(s).
New and improved devices, systems, and methods for securing objects to walls or other surfaces are therefore needed to overcome the above-noted drawbacks of the currently available solutions.

Self-locking hanging device and related methods


Techniques for address point data mining are described. An address point data mining method, system, or program product can determine geographic coordinates of an address based on geographic locations of one or more user devices. Each user device can be a mobile device operable to determine a location using a global navigation system (e.g., GPS), wireless signal triangulation, or other techniques. During the course of a time period (e.g., a day or week), the user device can stay at a location for a significant amount of time. The system can crosscheck this location with a geocoded geographic coordinates of a registered address (e.g., a billing address) that is associated with the mobile device. The system can determine whether the geocoded geographic coordinates are accurate based on result of the crosscheck.

An online map service can provide virtual maps to one or more user devices. The virtual maps can include land features (e.g., houses, office buildings, or shops). The land features can be positioned along a street in a virtual map based on their locations. To display a land feature in the virtual map, the online map service can determine a location (e.g., latitude and longitude coordinates) of the land feature by geocoding an address (e.g., a street address) of the land feature. An exemplary technique of geocoding is address interpolation. In address interpolation, the online map service can determine geographic coordinates of a street using publicly available data, determine a segment of the street (e.g., a block) using cross street information, determine a number of addresses in the segment (e.g., N street numbers) in the segment, and interpolate the geographic coordinates of each address based on geographic coordinates of the segment and the number of addresses in the segment.


The present invention provides a cellular vaccine having a membrane-bound fusion protein that includes a non-antibody immunomodulatory molecule such as GM-CSF operatively fused to a heterologous membrane attachment domain. Non-antibody immunomodulatory molecules useful in the invention include immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive molecules such as cytokines. In one embodiment, the invention provides a cellular vaccine having a membrane-bound fusion protein that includes a non-antibody immunomodulatory molecule operatively fused to a heterologous membrane attachment domain and, additionally, a disease-associated antigen or immunogenic epitope thereof. Further provided by the invention are methods of modulating an immune response against a disease-associated antigen by administering to an individual a cellular vaccine having a membrane-bound fusion protein that includes a non-antibody immunomodulatory molecule operatively fused to a heterologous membrane attachment domain.

This invention relates generally to the fields of gene therapy and cellular immunotherapy and, more specifically, to immunomodulatory molecules such as cytokines expressed as membrane-bound fusion proteins.
The use of cancer cell vaccines derived from autologous cancer cells has been explored throughout this century. Unfortunately, for most patients the responses achieved with such vaccines have been at best partial and short-lived. Strategies to improve the efficacy of cancer vaccines include the use of cytokines, which are pleiotropic mediators that modulate and shape the quality and intensity of the immune response. Cytokines are occasionally autocrine or endocrine but largely paracrine hormones produced in nature by lymphocytes and monocytes. Several cytokines have been produced using recombinant DNA methodology and evaluated for their efficacy as anti-cancer therapeutics. Multiple anti-tumor activities are attributed to cytokines including (1) direct inhibition of tumor growth (.alpha.-interferon), (2) reversal of the anergy-inducing effects of tumor cells and expansion of new T-cell effectors (interleukin-2), (3) augmentation of the effector function of T cells to recognize MHC presented peptide epitopes on tumor cells (granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor) and (4) enhanced recruitment of cells to inflammatory sites (interleukin-4). However, many cytokines cannot be tolerated when administered at the high systemic levels required for an effective response, thus limiting the therapeutic value of these agents.
Local cytokine delivery can more closely mimic the natural immune response and avoid the toxicity associated with high systemic levels of these molecules. One approach to local cytokine delivery involves the use of genetically modified tumor cells. For example, transduction of murine tumor cells with the gene for interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon .gamma. (IFN-.gamma.), tumor necrosis factor .alpha. (TNF-.alpha.), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-7 (IL-7), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) or granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) can lead to rejection of genetically modified tumor cells by syngeneic hosts. Furthermore, vaccination with cytokine-secreting cells can increase systemic immunity as well, protecting vaccinated animals from challenge with non-transduced tumor cells. Unlike systemic administration, localized cytokine transgene expression is generally not associated with toxicity.
Dendritic cells form a system of highly efficient antigen-presenting cells and are central to the design of effective anti-cancer therapies. After capturing antigen in the periphery, dendritic cells migrate to lymphoid organs and present antigens to T cells. These potent antigen-presenting cells appear unique in their ability to interact with and activate naive T cells. The potent antigen-presenting capacity of dendritic cells can be due in part to their unique life cycle and high level expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules and co-stimulatory molecules. Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) molecule is a cytokine important in the maturation and function of dendritic cells: GM-CSF binds receptors on dendritic cells and stimulates these cells to mature, present antigen and prime naive T cells. Thus, the use of GM-CSF is of particular interest in immunotherapy.
Optimal stimulation of immune cells such as dendritic cells depends upon strong cytokine-receptor interactions. Enhanced stimulation of an immune response can be achieved by increasing the number of cytokine-receptor pairings or by increasing the affinity of a cytokine-receptor interaction. However, increasing the natural affinity of cytokines for their receptors can be impractical, and available cytokine-secreting tumor cell vaccines are limited in their ability to produce a high local concentration of cytokine. Thus, there is a need for improved cellular vaccines with increased cytokine-receptor avidity.
Cellular vaccines, including membrane-bound immunostimulatory cytokines such as GM-CSF, can be used as adjuvant therapy with surgery to eliminate micro-metastases. Such cellular anti-cancer vaccines also can be administered as preventive therapy for individuals at risk for particular types of cancer, such as individuals at risk for melanoma. Conversely, vaccines including immunosuppressive cytokine molecules can be used to dampen the inappropriate immune response that causes autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.
Thus, there is a need for improved cellular vaccines for protection against and treatment of cancers such as melanoma, colon or breast cancer; autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis; parasitic diseases; and infectious diseases such as AIDS. The present invention satisfies this need by providing improved cellular vaccines containing membrane-bound immunomodulatory molecule such as cytokines and provides related advantages as well.

Membrane-bound cytokine compositions comprising GM=CSF and methods of modulating an immune response using same


The invention provides compositions for preventing or treating kidney disease comprising vitamin E, vitamin C, and a carotenoid and methods for preventing and treating kidney disease comprising administering such compositions to an animal susceptible to or suffering from kidney disease. In a preferred embodiment, the composition is admixed with one or more food ingredients to produce a food composition useful for preventing or treating kidney disease.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to compositions and methods for combating kidney disease and particularly to the use of food compositions for preventing and treating kidney disease.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been postulated since 1956 that the production of active oxygen species or free radicals during aerobic respiration results in oxidative damage that hastens aging and death in animals (Beckman, K., et al., "The Free Radical Theory of Aging Matures," Phys. Rev., 78: 547-581 (1998)). Active oxygen species cause aging through various mechanisms, including directly damaging cellular DNA (Cutler, R., "Antioxidants and aging", Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 53: 373S-379S (1991) and lipids and proteins (Tylicki, L., et al. "Antioxidants: A Possible Role in Kidney Protection," Kid. Bl. Press. Res., 26: 303-314 (2003)). Free radicals, often produced in the mitochondria, where aerobic respiration occurs, damage mitochondrial DNA, proteins, and lipids, e.g., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. US 2003/0060503.
It has also been postulated that active oxygen species may play a role in causing kidney disease (Ongajooth L., et al. "Role of Lipid Peroxidation, Trace Elements and Antioxidant Enzymes in Chronic Renal Disease Patients," J. Med. Assc. Thai., 79:791-800 (1996)). Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for this increase in renal failure, e.g., Hasselwander, et al. "Oxidative Stress in Chronic Renal Failure," Free Rad. Res. 29:1-11 (1998); Shah, S., "The Role of Reactive Oxygen Metabolites in Glomerular Disease," Annu. Rev. Physiol., 57:245-62 (1995)), but scientific studies to date are inconclusive regarding whether antioxidant treatment is beneficial to those with kidney disease. Some studies indicate that there is a role for various antioxidant supplementations in the protection against kidney disease, e.g., Kedziora-Kornatowska et al, "Effect of Vitamin E and Vitamin C Supplementation on Antioxidative State and Renal Glomerular Basement Membrane Thickness in Diabetic Kidney", Nephron Exp. Nephrol., 95:e134-e143 (2003). Other studies note the potential pro-oxidant properties of antioxidant supplements, concluding that there is not yet enough experimental evidence to recommend antioxidant supplements to alleviate kidney disease, e.g., Tylicki, L., et al. However, despite years of studies and developments relating to renal function and kidney disease, kidney disease remains a major health problem. There is, therefore, a need for new methods and compositions for preventing and treating kidney disease.

Methods and compositions for the prevention and treatment of kidney disease


A method for creating user-defined computer operations involves drawing an arrow in response to user input and associating at least one graphic to the arrow to designate a transaction to the arrow. The transaction is designated to the arrow after analyzing the graphic object and the arrow to determine if the transaction is valid for the arrow. The transaction may be validated or invalidated for the arrow using a second arrow. Furthermore, the second arrow may be used to modify the transaction for the arrow. The context for creating the modified transaction may be recorded for subsequent use.

Operations in conventional computer operating environments are typically performed using pull-down menu items, pop-up menu items and onscreen graphic control devices, such as faders, buttons and dials. In order to perform a specific operation, a user may need to navigate through different levels of menus to activate a number of menu items in a prescribed order or to locate a desired control device.
A concern with these conventional approaches to perform operations is that these menu items and graphic control devices are usually preprogrammed to perform designated operations using designated objects, which may not be modifiable by the users. Thus, the conventional approaches do not provide flexibility for users to change or develop operations using objects that differ from the preprogrammed operations.
Another concern is that different operations generally require the user to memorize different menu items and their locations to perform the operations. Thus, the knowledge of how to perform a specific operation does not typically make it easier to learn a different operation.
In view of these concerns, there is a need for an intuitive and non-complex method for creating user-defined operations in a computer operating environment.

Method for creating user-defined computer operations using arrows


Systems and methods may provide for implementing a dynamic payment service. In one example, the method may generate a request communication including purchase detail information relating to an item to request credit from a vendor to conduct a transaction relating to the item, determine a scope of credit to be issued to conduct the transaction relating to the item based on the purchase detail information, and generate a payment communication including the transaction information to complete the transaction relating to the item.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments generally relate to dynamic payment services. More particularly, embodiments relate to issuing a limited line of credit to a user to complete a transaction.
2. Discussion
Mobile device payment services may require a user to store relevant information on a computer chip onboard a user device. The computer chip may be configured to operate separately from the user device. However, many user devices do not include such to a computer chip onboard.


An apparatus for detecting a continuous wave (CW) signal including a demodulator demodulating a received CW signal and providing a demodulated signal, an edge detector for detecting an edge of the demodulated signal and thereby, detecting the CW signal and a switchable short-circuit of the demodulator, edges being formed in the demodulated signal when the demodulator is temporarily short-circuited during receipt of the CW signal.

A tire pressure monitoring system can be used to inform a vehicle driver of a tire condition problem such as improper tire pressure and/or temperature. Improper inflation pressure information is particularly useful to the driver of a vehicle having "run flat" tires. Before the use of run flat tires, in the event of sudden tire pressure lose (e.g. a tire is punctured) while driving, the driver could usually feel the condition due to a change in the handling characteristics of the vehicle. However, with the advent of the run flat tires, a driver might not detect sudden tire pressure lose. However, it is still important that the driver be informed, even with a run flat tire, when tire pressure and/or temperature values are not within predetermined limits.
To implement a tire pressure monitoring ("TPM") system, a vehicle based electronic control unit ("ECU") can control a plurality of low frequency ("LF") transmitters, each wheel well having an associated LF transmitter. The LF transmitters transmits a LF signal to an associated TPM sensor mounted within its associated tire assembly secured to the wheel, for example. When the LF signal is received by each TPM sensor, the TPM sensor will process the LF signal, sense the pressure of its, tire, and transmit a radio frequency ("RF") signal back to the vehicle based ECU. The ECU will process the RF signals from all the TPM's of the tires and provide an output signal to a display that is viewable by the vehicle's driver that will indicate an abnormal pressure status of any of the tires on the vehicle.
In some instances, the LF signal provided to each TPM sensor is in the form of an amplitude shift-keying ("ASK") modulated signal. The TPM sensor would include a demodulator that can demodulate the ASK signal such that the rising edges of the ASK signal can be detected. However, in other instances, the LF signal provided to each TPM sensor is an unmodulated continuous wave ("CW") signal. Since the CW signal is unmodulated, a TPM sensor would not be able to detect a rising edge of the CW signal if the CW signal is present before the TPM sensor has already been activated, as a demodulated CW wave is a substantially constant waveform. If the CW signal is not present when the TPM sensor is initially activated, then the TPM sensor will detect exactly one rising edge, at the time when the TPM sensor first receives the CW signal. However, in some applications, the CW signal is present before the TPM sensor is activated, such that the TPM sensor will never detect the CW wave. In other applications, the TPM sensor may be activated before the CW signal is first received, but as stated above, the TPM sensor will detect only one rising edge, while many applications would require multiple rising edges to be detected.
Previous attempts to design a TPM sensor that can detect an LF CW signal have proven to be expensive. Such previous attempts require a separate circuit specifically designed to detect the CW signal, and such circuits usually require a significant number of components and occupy valuable space on a printed circuit board ("PCB"). What is needed is a TPM sensor that can be programmed to detect both, amplitude modulated ("AM") signals, and CW signals.

Method and apparatus for detecting a continuous LF wave signal


A system and method for digital content player with secure processing vault is presented. A system uses an attached processing unit and a local storage area as a hardware-based secure processing vault. The secure processing vault calculates a title key based upon stored device keys, and decrypts encrypted/encoded digital content using the calculated title key. The decryption process results in encoded digital content, which remains within the secure processing vault until the secure processing vault decodes the encoded digital content. The decoded digital content is then passed to a main processing unit or a graphics card for further processing. In one embodiment, a secure processing vault may process multiple threads in parallel. In another embodiment, multiple secure processing vaults may be used to process a single, highly computational thread.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method for digital content player with secure processing vault. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for decrypting and decoding encrypted/encoded digital content within a hardware-based secure environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
As high-definition entertainment content becomes widely available, digital content owners are increasingly concerned with piracy. Although the digital content owners wish to expand into new distribution channels, such as the Internet, the digital content owners are understandably concerned with losing distribution control and, as a result, losing revenue.
Many protocol and software-level content protection technologies exist that facilitate seller-to-buyer digital content transfer. A challenge found with these technologies, however, is that they do not take into account platform system security. Even with copy protection technologies in place, digital content may be "stolen" in an unsecured system platform.
System security has traditionally been based upon an operating system correctly granting access. Thus, from a theoretical perspective, the operating system should prevent a malicious client's attempts to access the digital content. In practice, however, malicious clients have found means to circumvent this protection scheme and gain access to digital content. For example, a malicious client may use buffer overflow to gain operating system control and, therefore, access the digital content. As a result of this lack of system security, digital content owners are concerned with a system's ability to control digital content distribution.
Existing art attempts to solve a system's lack of security by using virtualization technology, which places a "digital content player" within a separate partition. A challenge found with this approach, however, is that the digital content player is still vulnerable to software-based attacks because the separate partitioning relies upon the corresponding hypervisor code's integrity.
Typically, digital content is first encoded (or compressed) and then encrypted, which is the primary control point for content protection against piracy. To play back the content, it must be decrypted first and then decoded. One approach to recover the digital content from its encrypted/encoded format is to decrypt the digital content within a secure environment and decode the digital content within a non-secure environment. A challenge with this approach, however, is that the most valuable form of the digital content, which is decrypted but still encoded, resides in a non-secure environment and available to malicious clients.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for decrypting and decoding encrypted/encoded digital content within a hardware-based secure environment.

System and method for digital content player with secure processing vault

International Business Machines Corporation


An MPEG data recording apparatus stands by while inputting MPEG data output from an IEEE 1394 interface (1) to an FIFO buffer section (14) and starts to record the MPEG data in the FIFO buffer section (14) at the time of a recording start operation of a user, and records all the MPEG data which have already been input into the FIFO buffer section (14) at the time of a recording stop operation of the user and then stops the recording operation. Obtained is the MPEG data recording apparatus capable of quickly responding to the recording start operation and the recording stop operation of the user when recording the MPEG data input through the IEEE 1394 interface by the recording operation of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an MPEG data recording apparatus such as a digital VTR, and more particularly to record control of MPEG data (which will hereinafter imply MPEG-TS data or MPEG-PTS data) input from the outside through an IEEE 1394 interface circuit (which will be hereinafter referred to as an IEEE 1394 interface).
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional MPEG data recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 8 by taking a D-VHS apparatus as an example.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram (prior art) selectively showing a portion to be operated in a system of a D-VHS apparatus when MEPG data input through an IEEE 1394 network are to be recorded.
In FIG. 8, the reference numeral 1 denotes an IEEE 1394 interface (a serial interface circuit having the function of real time transmission) connected to a DTV (Digital TV) 12 through an IEEE 1394 network 100. The IEEE 1394 interface 1 exchanges asynchronous data such as an AV/C command and isochronous data such as an MPEG-partial transport stream (PTS) or an MPEG-transport stream (TS) together with the DTV 12. The reference numeral 2 denotes a D-VHS data processing section or a data recording section for fetching the MPEG data output from the IEEE 1394 interface 1, converting the fetched MPEG data into data having a D-VHS data format and recording the same data. The reference numeral 3 denotes an ECC processing section for adding an error correction code (ECC) to the D-VHS data converted through the D-VHS data processing section 2. The reference numeral 4 denotes a buffer memory for temporarily storing the D-VHS data during an ECC processing. The reference numeral 5 denotes a recording signal processing section for D/A converting the D-VHS data having the ECC added thereto in the ECC processing section 3 into a recording signal which can be recorded on a magnetic tape. The reference numeral 6 denotes a recording amplifier for amplifying the recording signal and the reference numeral 7 denotes a recording head for recording the amplified recording signal on the magnetic tape. The reference numeral 8 denotes a magnetic tape on which the recording signal is to be recorded and the reference numeral 9 denotes a motor driver for regulating a running speed of the magnetic tape 8. The reference numeral 10 denotes a data rate detecting section for detecting a data volume (data rate) input per unit time based on the MPEG data output from the IEEE 1394 interface 1. The reference numeral 11 denotes a recording mode control section for adaptively switching a recording mode to control both sections 5 and 9 based on the data rate of the input MPEG data which is detected by the data rate detecting section 10. A portion including these components 1 to 11 constitutes a part of the MPEG data recording apparatus.
The reference numeral 12 denotes an external digital television (DTV) to be connected to the MPEG data recording apparatus through the IEEE 1394 network 100.
The operation of the conventional MPEG data recording apparatus will be described below. First of all, distributed MPEG data to be input from the DTV 12 into the D-VHS apparatus through the IEEE 1394 network 100 are received by the IEEE 1394 interface 1, and the IEEE 1394 interface 1 recomposes the MPEG data thus received and sends the recomposed MPEG data to the D-VHS data processing section 2 and the data rate detecting section 10.
Next, the D-VHS data processing section (data recording section) 2 converts the received MPEG data into data having a data format in conformity with a D-VHS standard, and realigns and records the data, and outputs the recorded D-VHS data to the ECC processing section 3.
Next, the ECC processing section 3 once stores the MPEG data (D-VHS data) converted to have the data format of the D-VHS standard in the buffer memory 4, and then adds an error correction code to the D-VHS data read from the buffer memory 4 and outputs the D-VHS data having the error correction code added thereto to the recording signal processing section 5.
Then, the recording signal processing section 5 carries out a partial response signal processing (PRML: Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) for recording the received D-VHS data on a magnetic tape for the D-VHS data, and outputs the D-VHS data subjected to the PRML processing as a recording signal to the recording amplifier 6.
The recording amplifier 6 amplifies the received recording signal and outputs the amplified recording signal to the magnetic head 7. The magnetic head 7 records the amplified recording signal thus received onto the magnetic tape 8.
On the other hand, the data rate detecting section 10 detects the data rate of input data based on the received MPEG data and transmits the result of the detection to the recording mode control section 11. Consequently, the recording mode control section 11 selects a proper recording mode which is sufficient for recording the input data and can minimize an amount of tape consumption based on the result of the recording mode detection, and carries out control for recording in the recording mode thus selected, that is, control of a tape running speed through the motor driver 9 and control of a recording signal format through the recording signal processing section 5, header data and the like.
FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram (prior art) showing an example of a communication to be carried out between the DTV 12 and the MPEG data recording apparatus in the case in which a user performs a recording operation by using a control panel display on a screen of the DTV 12.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the case in which the user is to operate the DTV 12 to record, in the MPEG data recording apparatus, a digital broadcast (MPEG data) which is being received, he (she) first establishes a connection between the DTV 12 and the MPEG data recording apparatus through the IEEE 1394 network 100 by using the control panel display provided in the DTV 12. In general, when the IEEE 1394 connection is established between both apparatuses, an input/output path related to isochronous data (a channel for isochronous data on the IEEE 1394) is formed therebetween and the DTV 12 immediately starts to deliver, to its own output path, the MPEG data which are being received. As a result, the IEEE 1394 interface 1 receives the MPEG data which are being delivered.
In this stage, however, the MPEG data recording apparatus does not start the recording operation. The user carries out the recording operation (press-down of a recording button or the like) through the control panel display or the like after the establishment of the IEEE 1394 connection, and the MPEG data recording apparatus then starts the recording operation.
The recording operation of the user is basically carried out through transmission of a recording control code using a path for asynchronous data on the IEEE 1394 network 100. Before or after the transmission of the recording control code itself, a communication for confirming mutual states and situations is carried out between the MPEG data recording apparatus and the DTV 12. The reason is that whether a recording medium is inserted in the MPEG data recording apparatus or whether the MPEG data recording apparatus can be switched into a recording operation is to be confirmed before switching into the recording operation, for example. In order to carry out a series of confirming operations, some time lag is generated before the recording operation is actually started after the user carries out the recording operation (the press-down of the recording button or the like).
As described above, in the conventional MPEG data recording apparatus, it is necessary to take a processing time for a communication through the exchange of control data or the like after the user manipulates to carry out recording with intention. Therefore, there is a problem in that the recording operation can be started with some time delay.

MPEG data recording apparatus having IEEE 1394 interface


A vertical radiation sensitive detector array (114) includes at least one detector leaf (118). The detector leaf includes a scintillator array (210, 502, 807, 907), including, at least, a top side (212) which receives radiation, a bottom side (218) and a rear side (214) and a photo-sensor circuit board (200, 803, 903), including a photo-sensitive region (202, 508, 803, 903), optically coupled to the rear side of the scintillator array. The detector leaf further includes processing electronics (406) disposed below the scintillator array, a flexible circuit board (220) electrically coupling the photo-sensitive region and the processing electronics, and a radiation shield (236) disposed below the bottom of the scintillator array, between the scintillator and the processing electronics, thereby shielding the processing electronics from residual radiation passing through the scintillator array. Some embodiments incorporate rare earth iodides such as SrI 2 (Eu).

A conventional computer tomography (CT) scanner includes an x-ray tube that emits ionizing x-ray radiation that traverses an examination region and a patient therein and illuminates a detector array disposed across the examination region from the x-ray tube. The detector array has included a plurality of single-energy integrating detectors, each including a gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS) or other scintillator array optically coupled to a photo-sensor array. A dual-energy detector has included a first scintillator array having a material (e.g., zinc selenide (ZnSe)) for absorbing lower energy "soft" x-ray photons and another scintillator array having a material (e.g., GOS) for absorbing higher energy "hard" x-ray photons.
The x-ray radiation illuminates the scintillator array, which absorbs the x-ray photons and, in response, emits optical photons indicative of the absorbed x-ray photons. The photo-sensor array detects the optical photons and generates an electrical (current or voltage) signal indicative of the detected optical photons. Inevitably, some residual x-ray photons pass through the scintillator without being absorbed by the scintillator array. A reconstructor reconstructs the photo-sensor output signals and generates volumetric image data indicative of the scanned patient. With dual-energy detectors, images can be generated for each energy level and/or the data can be combined to generate an image similar to a single-energy system.
X-ray photons traversing the patient are attenuated and absorbed by the patient as a function of the radiodensity of the tissue being traversed, and the energy deposited in the patient generally is referred to as deposited or patient dose. Unfortunately, such ionizing radiation can damage cells. A trend in CT has been to reduce patient dose, including for screening asymptomatic patients, and/or imaging younger populations, patients undergoing recurrent scans, etc. However, reducing patient dose adversely affects image noise, which is mainly dominated by Poissonic ("quantum") noise of the x-ray photons arriving at the detector. Furthermore, the attempt to image with relatively lower dose in conventional CT scanners creates significant excess image noise and artifacts when, for example, the electronic signals generated by the detector are close to the level of the electronic noise.
Almost all scintillators have some optical absorption in addition to the optical emission (due to x-ray absorption). This optical absorption is proportional to the distance that the light photons travel as they are scattered to the photo-detector. As such, increasing the height of a vertical photo-detector (where the photo-detector is mounted to the side of the scintillator relative to the direction of the incident radiation) without increasing x-ray photon absorption can reduce optical photon absorption and, thus, increase the level of the electronic signals generated by the detector.
Another trend in CT has been to increase spatial resolution, while maintaining a predefined coverage area. The resolution can be increased by reducing, given a fixed distance from the x-ray focal spot, the dimensions of the detectors. However, in order to maintain the predetermined coverage area with detectors having a reduced dimension, more detectors are required, which may increase the overall cost of the detection system. Furthermore, in order to maintain a given signal to noise level for an image, the electrical circuitry on a detector should be located as closely as possible to the photo-detector to reduce additional electronic noise. A relatively higher level of performance can be achieved when the electrical circuitry is next to the photo-sensor. However, placing the circuitry in such a location requires either blocking residual the x-ray radiation from reaching the electrical circuitry (e.g., via a radiation shield) or using radiation hardened electrical circuitry, which, respectively, can consume more area and/or increase detector cost.

Single or multi-energy vertical radiation sensitive detectors


Presently described are curable dental compositions comprising a polymerizable ionic liquid. The polymerizable ionic liquid comprises one or more ethylenically unsaturated (e.g. free-radically polymerizable) groups. Various embodiments of curable dental compositions are described. In some embodiments, the polymerizable ionic liquid is a monofunctional polymerizable ionic liquid comprising an ethylenically unsaturated group. In other embodiments, the polymerizable ionic liquid is a multifunctional polymerizable ionic liquid comprising at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups. The curable dental compositions describe herein can be utilized as dental primers, dental adhesives, dental sealants, and dental composites. In many embodiments, the curable dental compositions further comprise an initiator such as a photoinitiator.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts in which the cation and anion are poorly coordinated. At least one of the ionic components is organic and one of the ions has a delocalized charge. This prevents the formation of a stable crystal lattice, and results in such materials existing as liquids, often at room temperature, and at least, by definition, at less than 100° C. For example, sodium chloride, a typical ionic salt, has a melting point of about 800° C., whereas the ionic liquid N-methylimidazolium chloride has a melting point of about 75° C.
Ionic liquids typically comprise an organic cation, such as a substituted ammonium or a nitrogen-containing heterocycle, such as a substituted imidazolium, coupled with an inorganic anion. However, species have also been described wherein the cation and anion are organic. When the ionic liquid comprises at least one polymerizable group, such ionic liquid is a polymerizable ionic liquid ("PIL").

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Curable dental compositions and articles comprising polymerizable ionic liquids


An upright treatment system including a source housing including a radiation source operable to emit an orientated radiation beam, a source positioner operable to rotate the source housing through an elevation angle about a source housing elevation rotation axis which generally intersects a center of gravity of the source housing, and a target positioner operable to position a target linearly along a generally vertical target rotation axis for interception with the radiation beam, wherein the target positioner is further operable to rotate the target about the target rotation axis.

In an upright treatment system (described in Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/926,145, filed 29 Oct. 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), an upright patient rotates about a vertical patient rotation axis and a stationary treatment beam is horizontally oriented toward a target generally positioned at a nominal isocenter, which is the intersection of the horizontal treatment beam with the vertical patient rotation axis.
Angular irradiation with a non-horizontal treatment beam can be achieved by moving the radiation source through a desired angle on an arc centered at the isocenter. If the treatment beam is detected by a downstream detector, the detector should also move accordingly. However, in such a system there is a large source to isocenter distance (about 1 meter), and so the radiation source must be moved through a large elevation angle to achieve a desired angular irradiation. Moving a heavy source-housing on a vertical arc is expensive and cumbersome.

Angular irradiation in an upright treatment system