A liquid crystal display device of the present invention has a structure in which vertically aligned liquid crystal is sealed between a TFT substrate and a CF substrate. Pixel electrodes in which slits are provided are formed on the TFT substrate, while cell gap holding spacers and domain defining projections are formed on the CF substrate. For example, positive type photoresist is coated on a common electrode. Then, first exposure is executed by using a mask for light-shielding spacer forming regions and projection forming regions, and then second exposure is executed by using a mask for light-shielding the spacer forming regions. Then, the photoresist is developed. Accordingly, the spacers and the projections, each having a different height, can be formed simultaneously.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device capable of providing color display and having excellent display quality, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The active matrix liquid crystal display device can prevent the cross-talk by providing a switching element, that is turned off so as to cut off a signal when it is not selected, to respective pixels, and can exhibit excellent display characteristic rather than the simple matrix liquid crystal display device. In particular, the liquid crystal display device using TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as the switching element exhibits the excellent display characteristic equivalent to CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) since the TFT has the high driving capability.
Normally, the liquid crystal display device has a structure in which the liquid crystal is sealed between two transparent substrates. Out of two surfaces (opposing surfaces) of these transparent substrates that oppose to each other, the common electrode, the color filter, the alignment film, etc. are formed on one surface side while the TFT, the pixel electrode, the alignment film, etc. are formed on the other surface side. In addition, polarizing plates are stuck onto an opposing surface and an opposite surface of the transparent substrate respectively. In the case of the TN (Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal display device, for example, two sheets of polarizing plates are arranged such that their polarization axes of the polarizing plates intersect orthogonally with each other. This liquid crystal display device is operated in such a mode that the light is passed through when the electric field is not applied and the light is shielded when the electric field is applied, i.e., the normally white mode. Also, in the case that the polarization axes of two sheets of the polarizing plates are aligned in parallel, this liquid crystal display device is operated in the normally black mode. In the following, the substrate on which the TFT, the pixel electrode, etc. are formed is called a TFT substrate and the substrate on which the common electrode, the color filter, etc. are formed is called a CF substrate.
In recent years, the liquid crystal display device is required to achieve the higher performance. Especially, the improvement in the visual characteristic and the display quality is strongly requested. The VA (Vertically Aligned) liquid crystal display device, especially MVA (Multi-domain Vertically Aligned) liquid crystal display device, is promising as the display device to satisfy such requirement.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of the MVA liquid crystal display device in the prior art.
This liquid crystal display device consists of a TFT substrate 510, a CF substrate 520, and a vertically aligned liquid crystal 529 that is sealed between these substrates 510, 520. Also, the polarizing plates (not shown) are arranged under the TFT substrate 510 and on the CF substrate 520 respectively such that their polarization axes intersect orthogonally with each other, for example.
The TFT substrate 510 is formed as follows. That is, a plurality of pixel electrodes 516 that are aligned in a matrix fashion, the TFTs (not shown) connected to the pixel electrodes 516, data bus lines and gate bus lines (both not shown) for supplying the image data to the pixel electrodes 516 via the TFTs are formed on the transparent glass substrate 511. The pixel electrodes 516 are formed of transparent conductor such as ITO (Indium-Tin Oxide).
Also, domain defining projections 517 are formed on the pixel electrode 516. In addition, surfaces of the pixel electrodes 516 and the projections 517 are covered with an alignment film (not shown) formed of polyimide, or the like.
In contrast, the CF substrate 520 is formed as follows. That is, a black matrix 522 made of Cr (chromium), or the like is formed on the lower surface side of the glass substrate 521, and regions between the pixels are light-shielded by the black matrix 522. Also, any one of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters 523 is formed every pixel on the lower surface side of the glass substrate 521. A common electrode 524 made of transparent conductor such as ITO, or the like is formed under the color filter 523. Domain defining projections 525 are formed under the common electrode 524. Also, surfaces of the common electrode 524 and the projections 525 are covered with the alignment film (not shown) formed of polyimide, or the like.
In the liquid crystal display device constructed as above, when the voltage is not applied, liquid crystal molecules 529a are aligned in the vertical direction to the alignment film. In this case, since the incident light passed through the polarizing plates from the lower side of the TFT substrate 510 is cut off by the polarizing plates arranged over the CF substrate 520, the display device exhibits the dark display. In contrast, when the sufficient voltage is applied between the pixel electrodes 516 and the common electrode 524, the liquid crystal molecules 529a are aligned in the perpendicular direction to the alignment film, as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the liquid crystal molecules 529a are tilted in different directions on both sides of the projections 517, 525, so that alignment division (multi-domain) can be achieved. In this state, since the incident light passed through the polarizing plates from the lower side of the TFT substrate 510 is passed through between the polarizing plates arranged over the CF substrate 520, the display device exhibits the light display. The desired image can be displayed on the liquid crystal display device by controlling the applied voltage every pixel. Also, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the light along the oblique direction by the above alignment division and thus the visual characteristic can be improved.
In the above example, the case is explained where the projections are formed on both the TFT substrate 510 and the CF substrate 520. As shown in FIG. 3, the alignment division can be achieved similarly by providing slits 516a in the electrodes on one substrate side (in FIG. 3, the pixel electrode on the TFT substrate side).
Normally, in the liquid crystal display device in the prior art, spherical or cylindrical spacers whose diameter is uniform are employed to maintain a clearance between the pixel electrode and the common electrode (cell gap) constant. The spacers are formed of resin, ceramic, or the like, and are scattered on any one substrate when the TFT substrate 510 and the CF substrate 520 are stuck together. Hence, the cell gap between the pixel electrode and the common electrode is decided by the diameter of the spacer.
In Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Hei 10-68955 and Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Hei 11-264968, such an approach is set forth that cylindrical members formed by the photoresist is employed as the spacers in order to avoid generation of faults such as non-uniformity of the cell gap due to the spherical or rod-like spacers.

Liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same


Provided are a circuit board, a semiconductor package including the circuit board, a method of fabricating the circuit board, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor package. The method of fabricating the circuit board includes: forming at least one pair of rows of first bonding pads arranged on a base substrate in a first direction, and a first central plating line formed between the rows of first bonding pads to commonly connect with the rows of first bonding pads; forming an electroplating layer on the first bonding pads; and exposing the base substrate by removing the first central plating line.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a circuit board, a semiconductor package comprising the circuit board, and methods of fabricating the circuit board and the semiconductor package. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a circuit board including bonding pads for flip chip bonding, a semiconductor package comprising the circuit board, and methods of fabricating the circuit board and the semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the operational speed of integrated circuit chips and the number of input and output pins are increasing, conventional wire bonding technology has reached its limit. Accordingly, to replace the wire bonding technology, flip chip technology is being developed. In the flip chip technology, conductive studs are formed on chip pads of a semiconductor chip and the semiconductor chip is mounted on a circuit board using the conductive studs. Specifically, the conductive studs are electrically connected to bonding pads formed on the circuit board, respectively.
In the flip chip technology, in order to electrically connect the conductive studs to the bonding pads reliably, a very thick, high quality metal finish layer may preferably be formed on the bonding pads. The metal finish layer can be formed using an electroless plating method or an electroplating method. However, the electroless plating method is generally not used because the expense of forming the thick metal finish layer using the electroless plating method is comparatively high.
Accordingly, the metal finish layer is typically formed by using an electroplating method, and in this case, a plating line that is electrically connected to all of the bonding pads needs to be formed.
However, after the semiconductor package is completed, the plating line may operate as an electrically open stub toward a path through which electrical signals are transmitted, and may thereby distort the signals being transmitted.

Method of fabricating a circuit board and semiconductor package.

Maetan-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


An image processing device and method for parking support that allows the driver to perceive the state surrounding the vehicle correctly in a simple operation even if plural cameras are carried on the vehicle. Plural images are acquired using plural cameras for image pickup in different directions surrounding the vehicle. These images are used to show the state surrounding the vehicle to the driver, preferably in the form of a bird's-eye view. The view seen by the driver can switch from the bird's-eye view to an image of a desired view. This view can be selected by the driver by, for example, touching the screen upon which the bird's-eye view is displayed.

Driving supporting technology exists whereby cameras are set at plural sites on a vehicle body, and images taken by the cameras are displayed so that the driver can see in the directions that were formerly dead angles. As described in, for example, Japanese Kokai Patent Application No. 2000-168475, in this driving supporting technology, information desired by the driver is selected, and the selected information is displayed. The information corresponds to manipulation of a selecting switch by the driver. Also, by moving the gear shift of the vehicle to the R position, the image behind the vehicle is displayed so that the driver can see it.

Image processing device and method for parking support


A hydraulic actuator for operating a gate valve. The actuator includes a stationary piston coupled to an actuator housing and a moveable cylinder disposed proximate the piston exterior surface. The piston includes a hollow interior portion adapted to house a manual override mechanism. The piston includes a hydraulic pressure line extending between the piston bottom surface and the side of a cap region in the piston. The manual override mechanism includes an override stem disposed within the piston interior portion, the override stem abutting the cylinder. An optional visual indicator stem may be disposed within the piston, coupled to the cylinder

The present invention relates generally to equipment used in oilfield and, more particularly, to a valve actuator and method of manufacturing thereof.
Various types of valves are used in oilfield well exploration, drilling, and production equipment. Valves are coupled to a pipeline and are typically used to shut off or turn on the flow of a fluid, such as a liquid, gas or both. Valves are typically either unidirectional or bi-directional.
A gate valve is a type of valve that includes a substantially rectangular-shaped gate that is moved by an operator in and out of the valve body to control the fluid. Gate valves generally comprise a valve body having a central axis aligned with inlet and outlet passages, and a space between the inlet and outlet passages in which a substantially rectangular slide or gate may be moved perpendicular to the central axis to open and close the valve. In the closed position, the gate surfaces typically seal against sealing rings which surround the fluid passage through the valve body.
Gate valves are used to control the flow of a variety of fluids. Often the fluid to be controlled by the gate valve is under pressure. In the petroleum industry, gate valves are used along pipeline at various locations. The operator used to move a valve gate in and out of the valve body may be manual or may be actuated hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically, for example. Hydraulic gate valve actuators may include fail-safe features, to cause the gate to be closed (fail safe closedxe2x80x94FSC) or open (fail safe openxe2x80x94FSO) if the valve fails.
Embodiments of the present invention achieve technical advantages as an actuator for a gate valve having a failsafe mechanism.
In one embodiment, disclosed is a hydraulic actuator for a gate valve, comprising an actuator housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, a stationary piston being fixedly coupled to the actuator housing top portion. The piston includes an exterior surface, a bottom surface, and an upper cap region having a side. A hollow cylinder is disposed within the actuator housing proximate the piston exterior surface, the cylinder including an exterior surface and an exterior upper region, the cylinder including a shoulder at the exterior upper region. A hydraulic pressure line is disposed within the stationary piston, the hydraulic line extending between the piston bottom surface and the piston cap region side. An operating stem is coupled to the cylinder, the operating stem being disposed within the actuator housing bottom portion, wherein the operating stem is controllably coupleable to a gate valve.
In another embodiment, disclosed is a hydraulic actuator for a gate valve, comprising an actuator housing, a stationary piston fixedly coupled to the actuator housing top portion, the piston having a hollow interior portion. A hollow cylinder is disposed within the actuator housing proximate the piston exterior surface, the cylinder including a shoulder at the exterior upper region. An operating stem is coupled to the cylinder, the operating stem being disposed within the actuator housing bottom portion, wherein the operating stem is controllably coupleable to a gate valve.
Further disclosed is an override mechanism for a hydraulic actuator having a stationary piston, the piston including a hollow interior portion and an upper cap portion, the piston upper cap portion fixedly coupled to an actuator housing, the actuator including a hollow moveable cylinder disposed proximate the piston exterior surface. The override mechanism comprises an override stem disposed within the piston interior portion, where the override stem abuts the cylinder.
Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing a hydraulic actuator for a gate valve.
Advantages of embodiments of the invention include providing an actuator design that is smaller and more light-weight than prior art actuators. A built-in manual override mechanism may be disposed within a stationary piston. The moveable cylinder may include a built-in quick disconnect mechanism. A visual indicator stem may be coupled to the cylinder. The hydraulic port enters the piston from the side, freeing the interior portion of the piston to house other components of embodiments of the invention.


This invention relates to an externally applied ointment that aids in relieving irritation, pain or mild inflammation of the skin or mucous membranes associated with hemorrhoids and the method of using such ointment lotion. The formulation of the present invention contains phenylephrine HCl, lidocaine grape skin/seed/leaf extract and aloe plants extract.

This invention relates to topical ointments for treating hemorrhoids to relieve or eliminate pain and discomfort associated with hemorrhoids. More specifically, the present invention relates to topical ointments including lidocaine and phenylephrine HCl and optionally grape leaf extract and aloe extract for the relief of pain and discomfort arising from hemorrhoids (piles) or other related conditions. The present invention is also directed to medicated patches including the composition of the present invention that can be placed on or near the hemorrhoid in order to deliver relief and provide some comfort to the sufferer.
A number of hemorrhoid treating ointments are available on the market today but none include the active ingredients of the present invention at the maximum strengths allowed by the FDA. Therefore, relief form these ointments currently available are short lived and moderate at best. The present invention addresses the shortcomings associated with the ointments available on the market today as well as providing additional benefits.
These features, together with other objects and advantages, which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of the composition of the present invention as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Medicated ointment for treating hemorrhoid and method of using the same


The invention provides an efficient and versatile system for generating and displaying a portrait or other graphic image from an array of variously sized points of light, including the following embodiments: a basic pinhole portrait; a modified array with variable apertures; a secondary display of pinhole portrait images utilizing fiber optics; and a secondary display of pinhole portrait images utilizing reflected sunlight.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to light images and methods for their production and display, and more specifically to an improved method and apparatus for generating "pinhole" pictures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a variety of known methods for producing images such as portraits and other graphics, including, for example, projection of photographic transparencies. For example, Chiti U.S. Pat. No. 2,028,496 uses a projector and lenticular system to direct light through a plurality of same-sized perforations to represent inscriptions, signs or designs (e.g., the letter "A"). However, there were heretofore no known efficient methods of generating and displaying a portrait or other graphic image from a "pinhole" source, defined as an array of variously sized points of light such as those created by shining a light through apertures formed in an opaque plate.


Systems and methods for creating one or more playlists of a predefined length. The invention allows dynamic creation of different playlists for differing times, locations, and other circumstances and also provides for the dynamic selection of products for inclusion in a playlist based on the content of one or more of the individual products. Creation of a playlist may be based on a priority scheme with priority values indicating the relative importance of the products. Creation may also involve determining or adjusting the lengths of one or more products selected for the playlist so that the total length of the playlist will equal a set, predetermined, or otherwise predefined playlist length. Methods and systems according to the present invention provide flexible, efficient, and manageable techniques for creating different playlists of similar product types for both varying circumstances (e.g., time, location, etc.) and varying products of those product types (e.g., clear radar versus radar showing movement of a complex storm system). The invention gives an administrator the ability to simply and easily manage the broadcasting of different playlists for different conditions.

The selection and scheduling of audio, video, and other broadcast products provided by a radio station, television station, or other content-producing-entity may be accomplished by creating a playlist of products. Depending on the context, media, and other circumstances, a product may be a video clip, a series of video clips, a single image, a periodically changing image, a sound clip, a series of sound clips, live feed content, and any other suitable item, collection, or grouping of audio, visual, television, radio, or other broadcast content. In the context of television programming, a playlist may be a series of television program products (e.g., one after another) and/or a list describing the duration of each product or other attributes of the products. Thus, a playlist may be information (e.g., a list) or may be the products themselves (e.g., a series of products stored in electronic format). A television broadcast or other signal may be created according to or otherwise using the playlist and sent or otherwise provided to viewers. Playlists may include products originating from different sources and may specify all or a portion of a given product to play (e.g., the first 40 seconds, the last 15 seconds, etc.). A playlist may also specify that content be presented or displayed for set time periods (e.g., displaying a static image on a television screen for 15 seconds) or repeated during a time window (e.g., repeating a 15 second product 3 times during a 45 second window). In some contexts, the products of a playlist will be used to fill a presentation window of a predetermined length (e.g., 2 minutes). There is a need for improved systems and methods to create playlists.

Systems and methods for creating a playlist


The present invention is directed to a contourable surface repair compound matrix. Such a matrix is directed to apparatus for reinforcement and positioning of the repair compound and comprises a mesh-like structure including a plurality of deformable contour modules, preferably in the form of diamond-shaped elements, to form a sheet-like structure which is readily adaptable to be formed in a variety of stable formats. Such contourable surface repair compound matrix is configured as a sheet having at least one substantially planar surface which is adapted to receive an adhesive thereon, and further includes adhesive disposed onto such side of the sheet for securing the sheet to the surface to be repaired, in order to form a firm anchor for the support of the repair compound to be applied thereto.

The present invention relates in general to repair materials and more particularly to a contourable surface repair compound reinforcement and positioning matrix.
In the prior art, certain repairs to drywall, wood, metal, plastic, PVC pipe, and/or various metal objects have been rendered difficult or expensive because of the general inability to reinforce and position repair materials, including plaster, polymeric materials, or metal containing compounds, usually of a curable, thermosetting or other bonding nature, to the object for repair. Also, such repairs have been rendered less than permanent by the inability to provide a stable reinforcement and positioning matrix for such compatible repair compounds.
Yet additionally, certain repairs to three-dimensional contoured structures have been rendered difficult because of the further inability to form a correctly contoured matching surface for holding, positioning and reinforcing the repair materials. Yet further additionally, the use of certain other repair material holding means has rendered sanding or otherwise forming a suitable finish surface to be difficult to obtain.
In view of the above difficulties with and deficiencies of prior art materials, it is a material object of the present invention to provide a contourable surface repair compound reinforcement and positioning matrix which will materially alleviate the difficulties associated with such prior art devices.

Contourable surface repair compound reinforcement and positioning matrix


A magnetic sensor may include a comparator to receive a first signal indicating a strength of a magnetic field sensed by a first sensing component of the magnetic sensor, receive a second signal indicating a strength of a magnetic field sensed by a second sensing component of the magnetic sensor, perform an error check associated with the first sensing component and the second sensing component, the error check being performed based on the first signal and the second signal, and provide an indication of a result of the error check. The magnetic sensor may include a protocol encoder to receive the first signal, receive the indication of the result of the error check, and provide an output that includes the indication of the result of the error check.

A magnetic sensor may include one or more sensing components that sense a strength of a magnetic field (e.g., a magnetic field produced or distorted by a target object, a magnetic field generated by a current flow in a conductive path, or the like). The magnetic sensor may output, based on the sensed strength of the magnetic field, one or more signals that can be used, for example, for determining position information associated with the target object. The position information may include, for example, a linear position, an angular position, a position in three-dimensional (3D) space, a speed (e.g., a linear speed, an angular speed, or the like), or a direction of movement (e.g., a linear direction, a rotational direction, or the like), among other examples.

Magnetic sensor with error signaling capability


The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing bank notes present as separate deposits. To improve the processing reliability of the individual deposits, it is provided that the beginning and/or end of each deposit is recognized, and a separate carrier is used for each deposit for transporting the deposit to processing.

Apparatuses and methods for processing bank notes present as separate deposits are known. The separate deposits are prepared for upcoming processing prior to processing by a bank note processing machine. For this purpose, in particular data or information of the deposit is detected and made available to the bank note processing machine for processing. The data can comprise information on the depositor, an account number, the quantity and value of the bank notes forming the deposit, etc. To permit uninterruptible processing by the bank note processing machine, the deposits are separated from each other by separation cards inserted between different deposits. The bank note processing machine recognizes these separation cards and thus also the beginning of a new deposit during processing.
A deposit can consist of several subunits (subdeposits). A subunit can contain for example the daily receipts of a single cash till in a store branch or a single bank counter in a bank branch. Such subunits are as a rule compiled by a clearly responsible cashier and delimited from each other for example by bands. The bands are as a rule provided with information which identifies the person responsible for compilation, e.g. by a special stamp and/or signature. The band is frequently also provided with information about the depositor, that is, the name of the chain of stores or bank.
The separation of subunits with bands is frequently used in the compilation of bank notes with a predefined number of bank notes of a certain denomination, e.g. a bundle of 100 bank notes of 100 euros each, and thus a fixed total value.
A further possibility for separating subunits consists in the use of sealed bags, e.g. safebags, or sealed envelopes, which are likewise provided with information about the depositor and the person responsible for compilation.
To simplify further processing, the subunits of a chain of stores or bank are packed into a deposit in a transport container which is transferred to a money processing center with a delivery document on the value of the deposit. The money processing center checks whether the deposit contains the value stated on the delivery document and causes a corresponding credit entry in the depositor's account. If a deviation is ascertained or a forged bank note recognized in this check, however, the person responsible for compiling the subunit must be determined, so that he can possibly be held liable for the deviation or questioned as a witness for the acceptance of a forgery. This makes it necessary to keep all information about a subunit until the positive completion of the check and not to mix the associated bank notes with other bank notes until their value is clearly ascertained and brought to account. The separation and identification of the subunits can likewise be effected here with separation cards inserted between different subunits.
To improve the continuity of processing of deposits or the bank notes forming the deposits, it has also become known e.g. from DE 195 12 505 A1 to use containers, so-called carriers, in which the bank notes of the different deposits as well as the separation cards separating the deposits are inserted to be supplied to the bank note processing machine. In this case the carriers are brought by a transport device, one after the other, to the area of a singler of the bank note processing machine and taken by the singler singly out of the carrier for processing in the bank note processing machine.
However, it has turned out in the processing of bank notes by known apparatuses and methods for processing bank notes present as separate deposits that correct separation and integrity of the different deposits is no longer guaranteed using separation cards if malfunctions occur in the bank note processing machine. This results from the fact that the order of bank notes in the bank note processing machine can be changed if for example a jam of bank notes occurs during their transport through the bank note processing machine. In this case it repeatedly happens that bank notes of different deposits are mixed, i.e. a bank note belonging to the deposit after a separation card is positioned by the jam before the separation card and thus wrongly allocated to the deposit before the separation card. An exact separation of the deposits is in this case hardly possible, or can only be had with great time expenditure.

Apparatus and method for processing bank notes


Exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for providing more accurate counts relating to unread messages in a communications system. Conventionally, the unread count for an app may be inaccurate, because the local application does not synchronize its understanding of the unread messages with the server. In the described embodiments, both the server and the application inform each other of what they understand the unread count to be. The client also informs the server of when the local application is backgrounded and foregrounded. With this information, the server is able to update its badge count more accurately, and the local client is able to estimate how far off the server's count is. Using the techniques described herein, the server may inform the client of its badge-count understanding in a way that does not cause the application to wake up on the local device, thereby resulting in less battery consumption.

A number of messaging and email systems maintain a count of the unread messages that have been received by the system but have not yet been reviewed by the recipient. This unread message count may be used in several ways; for instance, FIG. 1 depicts an app icon 102 associated with a messaging service and displayed on a main interface 100 of a mobile operating system. The app icon 102 includes a badge 104 showing the number of unread messages pending for a user of the app. This allows the user to determine, at a glance, whether they need to open the app to review new messages.
Other services may use the unread message count in a similar way. In another example, an email program may display, next to each mailbox, the number of messages in that mailbox that have not yet been reviewed. Still further, the number and/or trend of unread messages may be used by analytics systems to calculate statistics, make predictions, or perform other actions based on the number of unread messages in a user's account.

Methods and systems for determining an unread message count


A dolly has a carrying frame (1) provided with a scoop (2) which is coupled to an end of said frame in such a way that it can pivot about a pivoting axis (3). The scoop is movably coupled, by a control mechanism, to two wheel carriers which can be respectively pivoted about a bearing axis extending transversally in relation to the pivoting axis (3) of the scoop and which carry running wheels (4), in such a way that when the scoop is pivoted, the wheel carriers pivot out of a storage position oriented parallel to the carrying frame (1), into a use position which is perpendicular to the frame and in which the wheel carriers are oriented parallel to each other. The dolly is provided with an actuating handle (6) which can be pivoted about an axis parallel to the scoop axis (3) and which is movably coupled to the scoop (2) by a connecting rod (7). When the handle (6) is pivoted from an idle position into an intermediate position, the wheel carriers (5) pivot out of their storage position into their position of use, and when the handle (6) is further pivoted into an end position in which it (6) fixes the two wheel carriers (5) in a pivoting manner, a clamping force is exerted on the connecting rod (7).

The invention relates to a transport system or dolly. In an embodiment, the invention relates to a dolly with a carrying frame, at one end of which is articulated a scoop which can be pivoted about a pivot axis and is coupled for movement, via a gear mechanism, to two wheel carriers, which can each be pivoted about a bearing axis extending transversely to the pivot axis of the scoop and carry running wheels, such that, during pivoting of the scoop, the wheel carriers pivot out of a storage position, in which they are oriented parallel to the carrying arm, into a use position, which is directed transversely to the storage position and in which they are oriented parallel to one another.
A dolly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,471. When, in the case of this dolly, the scoop is pivoted out of the use position, which corresponds to a horizontal position, into the not-in-use position, which corresponds to a vertical position of the scoop, then wheel carriers, which can be pivoted about a bearing axis extending transversely to the pivot axis of the scoop and which each carry a running wheel, are likewise pivoted into a position in which they are parallel to the carrying frame. The coupling for movement between the wheel carriers and the scoop axis is a radial toothing formation which is formed by interengaging pins. In the use position, a load can be placed on the scoop. The end of the carrying frame which is located vertically in the use position forms a height-adjustable handgrip. The wheels project rearwards in the use position, so that the load is raised by virtue of the carrying frame being tilted. The dolly can then be displaced via the wheels. In the not-in-use position, the wheels are located in a plane parallel to the carrying frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,659 likewise discloses a dolly in which the scoop and two wheel carriers can be moved into a position in which they are parallel to the carrying frame.
This adjustment which facilitates storage of the dolly in the not-in-use position can also be carried out for the dolly disclosed in EP 0 688 711 A2. In the case of that dolly, two wheel carriers, which can be pivoted about their bearing axes independently of the scoop, are fixed in the use position by means of a tie rod which can be pivoted parallel to the scoop axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,055 discloses a dolly in which the wheel carriers are likewise coupled to the scoop by means of a toothing formation. The handgrip is height-adjustable.
A similar type of dolly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,867. That document discloses a pivotable bracket which is coupled to the scoop such that, when the bracket is pivoted, the scoop swings out. It is necessary for the wheel carriers to be pivoted separately out of the storage position into the use position. However, the bracket makes it possible for the wheel carriers to be connected to one another in a stabilizing manner.


A method determines trajectories of redundant actuators of a machine including a first actuator and a second actuator. The method determines a first trajectory of the first actuator tracking a reference trajectory with an error tolerance, wherein the error tolerance is a function of a constraint of the second actuator, and determines a second trajectory of the second actuator based on a difference between the reference trajectory and the first trajectory.

Common methods for operating laser cutting machines perform two-dimensional (2D) relative motion between a laser beam and a workpiece, such that the laser beam cuts the workpiece as the beam moves. In such machines, there are three options. A position of the laser is fixed and the workpiece is moved in X and Y directions. A position of the workpiece is fixed and the laser or a mirror in the beam path is moved in the X and the Y directions. The laser is fixed in the Y direction and the beam in the X direction, and the workpiece is fixed in X direction and moves in Y direction.
A limiting factor on the production rate of electromechanical machine, such as laser cutting machines, is directly related to the inertia of the components of the laser-cutting machine. Therefore, reduction of the effective inertia of the components has a direct impact on the productivity of the laser-cutting machine. Such reduction can be achieved by using redundant actuators along each direction of the motion.
For example, one laser cutting machine uses a pair of redundant actuators along the direction of the motion, i.e., a planar gantry with a high inertia and a polar gantry with a low inertia. However, the inertia of the laser even in this machine is still relatively large, as the laser-focusing lens itself is moved. Such motion also stresses the precision optics of the laser-focusing lens and may lead to a suboptimal cut.
Another possible method of reducing inertia, is to replace the XY motion completely with a pair of mirrors moved by galvano drives. With a suitable choice of lenses and lasers, these XY galvano scanheads can be used in the machine with redundant actuators as beam directors, or as laser engraving devices.
For example, one machine with redundant actuators places the XY galvano scanhead on the end of a multi-axial industrial robot arm. The path of the robot end is then constrained to stay within a "mobility tube" describing the set of positions where the galvano scanhead is capable of aiming at the area to be machined. The correct set of multi-axial robot joint motions, combined with the proper galvano drive signals are dynamically determined by the control unit.
However avoidance of "robot arm crashes" in this design, situations where the robot arm tries to pass through itself or through the workpiece, is computationally difficult, and requires not only an accurate model of the robot arm and scanhead, but also a continuously evolving model of the workpiece during different stages of the cutting process, because a forbidden motion at one stage in the cutting process may be available for another stage of the process. Accordingly, controlling the machine with redundant actuators is a challenging problem.
For example, in one method for controlling redundant actuators, i.e., a fast actuator and a slow actuator, the coordinated control of the redundant actuators is achieved by frequency separation. Because the slow actuator travels large ranges of motion at relatively low speeds when compared with the fast actuator, the slow actuator cannot follow the high frequency components of the reference trajectory. Accordingly, the reference trajectory is processed by low and high pass filters, such that the output of the low pass filter is submitted to the slow actuator and the output of the high pass filter is submitted to the fast actuator. However, that method does not explicitly handle the position constraints of the fast actuator. Too low a cut off frequency results in fast actuator position constraint violations. On the other hand, too high a cut-off frequency results in slow actuator carrying out most of the cutting motions, thus defeating the purpose of frequency separation method.
In another method for controlling redundant actuators in a laser cutting machine, a pseudo-inverse of a Jacobin matrix of the redundant configuration is used to compute joint profiles needed to position the fast actuator. That method only accounts for kinematics of the system while neglecting the dynamics of the actuators. Moreover, there are no guarantees that physical constraints of the actuators are satisfied, which can lead to the situations where the slow actuator moves beyond the range of the fast actuator and the error in tracking the reference trajectory becomes unbounded.
Furthermore, the method does not guarantee that the computed joint profiles execute the desired motion in minimal possible time duration. Ensuring minimum-time or time-optimal solutions is critical to improve on output rate or productivity of the laser cutting machine. Reducing the time of cutting to a least possible value can help in achieving valuable time savings, and also allows for optimizing on other bottlenecks in the production cycle.
Similarly, executing minimum-energy solutions can be desirable when a user operator would like to achieve low power consumption for the laser cutting machine. In practice, both minimum-time and minimum-energy solutions are hard to be simultaneously achieved. However, no existing method allows for exploiting inherent system dynamics to trade-off in a user-tunable manner between time of cutting and energy consumed.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the disadvantages described above.

Determining trajectories of redundant actuators jointly tracking reference trajectory

Mitsubishi Electric Rsearch Laboratories, Inc.


A fingernail protector comprises a fingernail shield, an attachment device or fastener for temporarily securing the protector to a user's finger, and a connector or coupling portion for pivotably connecting the shield to the fastener so that the shield is disposed distally of the fastener in a use position of the shield and so that the shield is swingable about an axis oriented substantially transversely to the user's finger. The connector includes a toggle hinge which enables the shield to be pivotably connected to the attachment device or fastener so that the shield is swingable between a first stable toggle position and a second stable toggle position. The fingernail protector is an integral piece formed by injection molding.

This invention relates to a fingernail protector device.
Devices for protecting a fingernail during the drying of a coating of fingernail polish or enamel are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,101 to Colby et al. discloses a fingernail protector in which a shield part is pivotably connected to a finger gripping part via intertwined or interleaved coils, whereby the shield is rotatably about an axis extending parallel to the finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,066 to Dethman shows and describes a fingernail protector having a ring for attaching the device to a user,s finger, a semi-cylindrical lower cover connected to the ring, and a semi-cylindrical upper cover pivotably connected to the lower cover for rotation about an axis extending parallel to the finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,759 to Pfister is directed to a finger polish guard comprising a tubular member with a fingernail-shaped opening to expose the nail, a ring member for fixing the finger in position relative to the opening, and curved closure or cover for masking the nail.
In the afore-described fingernail protection devices, it appears that the shield part can close inadvertantly, for example, upon a movement of the finger. Such accidental closing of the shield is undesirable if the user is applying a coating of enamel to the finger. The unintended shield closing can cause the brush or applicator to leave a mark or an undesirable amount of enamel on the nail.
Another disadvantage of the above-described fingernail protectors is their complexity. The complexity results in an elevated production cost. It would be advantageous for an item to be manufacturable as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible.
Yet another disadvantage of at least some of the abovedescribed fingernail protectors is the likelihood of their interference with portions of the user's hand other than the finger to which the particular protector is attached.


Methods are provided for treating polyester, polyamide, acrylic, aramid or cellulosic substrates to improve the uniformity of dyeing and to improve the hydrophilic, soil-release, odor-, mildew-, bacterial- and fungal- resistant properties of these substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the treatment of polymer substrates to improve the hygroscopic properties, soil release, uniformity of dyeing and the odor-, mildew-, bacterial- and fungal-resistance of substrates, in particular when the substrate is a fabric or fiber. More particularly, the invention relates to the treatment of polyester and polyamide, acrylic, aramid or cellulosic fibers to improve their surface properties.
2. Discussion of the Background
Synthetic polymer materials possess poor surface properties. In particular, most fibers formed from polyester and polyamide are not hygroscopic and have poor odor-, mildew-, bacterial-, fungal-resistant and soil release properties.
Attempts have been made by the prior art to polymerize a water soluble vinyl monomer onto a polymer substrate. This has proved to be particularly difficult with polyester, polyamide, acrylic, aramid and cellulosic substrates.
3. Prior Art Approaches for Polyester
The prior art has attempted at least three general approaches to depositing a water soluble vinyl monomer onto a polyester substrate.
The first approach appears to be by adhesion between the polymerized vinyl monomer and the polymeric substrate. Examples of this approach include U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,249 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,932.
The method of U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,249 employs an aminoplast textile resin to effect adhesion of a synthetic acid emulsion polymer to a polymeric substrate. In the method of U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,932 the vinyl polymer is affixed to the polymeric substrate by the use of elevated temperature curing.
A second approach involves entanglement of the polymer formed from the water soluble vinyl monomer into the substrate. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,551 water-insoluble polymers derived from acidic vinyl monomers are formed both on the surface and within polyester fibers. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,998 polymers derived from both acidic and non-acidic water soluble vinyl monomers are deposited on both the surface and within the fibers forming the polymer substrate. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,256 a composition comprising a liquid organic solvent, and a hydrophobic radical polymerization initiator is used to achieve graft polymerization onto both the surface and within a hydrophobic synthetic polymer substrate. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,193, an impregnated initiator is used to penetrate into the interior of a polymeric substrate fiber and to effect polymerization of a water soluble vinyl polymer both onto the surface of and within the substrate.
A third approach has been to chemically modify the polymeric substrate so as to receive the polymer from a water soluble vinyl polymerization. U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,791, U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,206, U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,418, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,457 each disclose the use of high energy radiation to modify a polymeric substrate. It is believed that the high energy radiation cleaves the bonds on the surface of a polymer to form free radicals. These free radicals participate in chemical reactions with the vinyl monomer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,791 irradiates a shaped organic polymer substrate at low temperatures. U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,206 irradiates a stem polymer that has been swollen with a non-polymerizable swelling agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,418 irradiates a polymeric substrate in the presence of oxygen. U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,457 irradiates a polyester substrate and uses unique water soluble vinyl monomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,122 employs a spark discharge in a zone of free radical initiating gas to generate free radical sites on the surface of a polymeric substrate. This modified polymeric substrate is further reacted like any irradiated polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,753 modifies a conventional polyester substrate by incorporating p-carboxycinnamic acid to replace a portion of a terephthalic acid of the polyester. The resultant polymeric substrate is a modified polyester polymer containing an unsaturated group that is susceptible to graft polymerization.

Process for improving polyamide, acrylic, aramid, cellulosic and polyester properties, and modified polymers produced thereby


A call-giving device for giving an elevator call for an elevator includes a touch-sensitive display having at least one touch detection area. The call-giving device is configured to: detect a first gesture performed in the at least one touch detection area; register a call to a floor according to a floor marking in response to detecting a touch meeting call-giving criterion on the touch-sensitive display at a point corresponding to the floor marking; and present, on the touch-sensitive display, registration data associated with the registered call, the registration data indicative of registered floor calls that have not yet been served by the elevator.

In an elevator system the travel of the elevators is controlled on the basis of elevator calls. The giving of calls is conventionally arranged by disposing up/down buttons on each floor of the building, by means of which an arriving elevator customer expresses his/her desired direction of travel. Additionally, a control panel customized to the disposal location of the elevator system is needed in the elevator car, on which control panel the elevator passenger presses the pushbutton according to his/her desired destination floor. With a conventional call-giving method an elevator customer must therefore give two calls. First the elevator must be called to the floor on which the customer is located with one press of a call pushbutton. In addition to this, a second press of a call pushbutton is needed in the elevator car.
Since buildings are individual in terms of the number of floors they have and of their floor markings or floor designations, an individually fabricated car control panel according to each building is needed in each elevator car of the building. Owing to the abundance of different options and, on the other hand, the physical presence of the panel, i.e. the multitude of pushbuttons and wirings, this type of control panel for calls is an expensive component.
The call method in which an elevator passenger selects his/her destination floor already in the elevator lobby outside the elevator is called destination allocation. In this way the aforementioned problem of high costs becomes emphasized, because each floor of a building in this case needs its "own car panel", which contains call pushbuttons corresponding to all the floors of the building that need to be served. The quantity of call panels per delivery in high-rise buildings is large and the costs can increase to become very large.
One option for call panels to be disposed on a floor is a keypad, which is of the telephone keypad type with number buttons from zero to nine. The downside of this solution is that in this case the building cannot contain floors designated with letter markings, of the type that can be e.g. B (basement); the use of this type of keypad is also rather laborious.
One option is to use two buttons for giving the desired call, with one of which the call number list can be scrolled forwards one floor number at a time and with the other correspondingly backwards. In addition, this type of call-giving system needs an accept button, with which the desired call data can be sent to the control system. This type of method is, however, impractical in high-rise buildings. If, for example, an elevator customer while on the ground floor wants to go to floor 30, he/she must press the button scrolling forwards 30 times and after this the accept button.

Touch screen call-giving device and method for giving elevator call


A data row of delay time ratio coefficient (hereinafter referred to as DMAG value) is selected from a delay information library (D2) (S4) for every circuit cell in a use condition range of a logic circuit, and the minimum value or/and maximum value of a DMAG value is extracted (S5). The minimum value or/and the maximum delay time is/are calculated for every circuit cell by multiplying the standard delay time to the extracted DMAG value (S6). The above processing is performed for all the circuit cells constituting the logic circuit ((S7): NO), and the data set of the minimum or/and maximum delay time in the use condition range of the logic circuit is/are acquired for every circuit cell (S8). When the delay time characteristic of the circuit cell is nonlinear, the delay time serving as the minimum or/and the maximum for every circuit cell can be freely selected in the range of the circuit use condition unlike the case where the delay time is calculated by uniformly assigning the same use condition to all circuit cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for calculating delay time, program for calculating delay time and device for calculating delay time needed in a circuit design. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for calculating delay time, program for calculating delay time and device for calculating delay time needed in a circuit design of a semiconductor device miniaturized and highly integrated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent Document 1 shown below has been conventionally disclosed. Procedures for calculating delay time in a desired circuit use condition of each circuit element constituting a semiconductor device based on data stored in a coefficient table 150 are shown in the Patent Document 1. Herein, the circuit use condition is the process condition, use temperature and power supply voltage of the semiconductor device.
In the delay time calculating processing shown in FIG. 5, in step 210, based on various data stored in data files 110 to 130, the standard delay time tpd0 of the semiconductor device in a standard use condition is calculated. In step 220, delay time ratio coefficient DMAG100 in a desired circuit use condition is read out from delay time ratio coefficient table 150, and the delay time tpd is calculated as tpd=tpd0×DMAG100 in step 240.
Herein, the delay time ratio coefficient DMAG100 is a value of the ratio of the standard delay time tpd0 and delay time calculated according to the circuit use condition. A delay time in the circuit use condition is calculated by multiplying the delay time ratio coefficient DMAG100 to the standard delay time tpd0. The delay time is generally expressed as a linear function of a monotone increase to the circuit use condition such as a process condition, a use temperature and a power supply voltage.
The timing verification needs verification in the circuit use condition operating in the minimum delay time and the maximum delay time as a boundary condition, and the delay time ratio coefficient DMAG100 is the linear function of the monotone increase to the circuit use condition. Thereby, the minimum value/maximum value of the delay time ratio coefficient DMAG100 at the time of calculating the minimum/maximum delay time is a value in the condition of both ends in the circuit use condition. That is, the minimum delay time is calculated by delay time ratio coefficient in the fastest process condition, lowest use temperature and the maximum power supply voltage, and the maximum delay time is calculated by delay time ratio coefficient in the latest process condition, maximum use temperature and the minimum power supply voltage. The timing verification is performed based on the delay time ratio coefficient in the condition of both ends in the circuit use condition.
The above prior art reference is as follows.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application H11-3366

Method for calculating delay time, program for calculating delay time and device for calculating delay time


A method and apparatus for installing a knee prosthetic component on a patient's tibia includes the selection by a surgeon of one of a plurality of reamers, each of the reamers having a different cutting size diameter such as for example between ten and twenty-two millimeters of cutting diameter. The reamer is initially selected as a very small reamer and the surgeon places progressively larger cutting diameter reamers in the patient's intermedullary canal until resistance or until the reamer becomes stuck. When the surgeon finds a reamer that is sized so that it will ream and cut cortical bone preferably a full three hundred and sixty degrees (360.degree.), the patient's intramedullary canal is cut and reamed into a depth which corresponds to the length of the stem portion of the femoral prosthetic component. Instrumentation is installed on the upper generally cylindrically shaped portion of the reamer as soon as cutting and reaming is completed and without removal of the reamer from the intermedullary canal. This insures that cutting instrumentation will be properly oriented with regard to the hole that is cut and reamed to prepare the intermedullary canal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved tibial and femoral instrumentation method and apparatus for use in knee surgery and utilizing a plurality of reamers, each having a different cutting diameter to prepare a bore for the stem of a knee prosthesis and wherein the instrumentation registers upon a selected of the reamers that is of sufficient diameter particularly, the present invention relates to a system of knee surgery instrumentation that allows a surgeon to custom fit a knee prosthesis having a stem to a particular patient wherein the surgeon initiates a reaming of the intramedullary canal using a smallest cutting diameter reamer selected from a set of reamers, and progresses up in selected cutting diameters of the reamers until one of the reamers gets fixed or stuck in the patient's intramedullary canal, meeting resistance from cortical bone cutting or resecting instrumentation then registers upon the selected reamer after it cuts the cortical bone to prepare a bore for the prosthesis stem. All resectioning of the knee joint can be referenced to the reamer that is left in position when reaming is complete. The stem component of a knee prosthesis will closely fit the bore formed by the reamer. Instrumentation includes a cutting block oriented on the reamer, and all cuts made by the surgeon will be oriented relative to the stem or spike component of the prosthesis.
2. General Background
Often a knee prosthesis must be replaced, referred to as a revision case. In revision surgery, the existing component is removed from the tibia or femur. If cement was the means of attachment, it is cleaned and removed. The tibia or femur must then be recut.
Various devices have been patented which relate to the resectioning and preparation of the tibia or femur for prosthetic devices. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,177, entitled "Method and Apparatus For Shaping A Distal Femoral Surface", there is disclosed a method and apparatus for resectioning of the distal femur. An intramedullary reamer is used to internally locate the central longitudinal axis of the femur. The reamer is then removed and an intramedullary alignment guide is inserted in its place. The alignment guide has a handle attached to a rod portion at a preselected angle. Femoral surface modifying instruments can then be fixed to the guide handle and thus assume proper alignment with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the femur.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,885, entitled "Triplanar Knee Resection System", there is provided a system for preparing a knee joint for a prosthesis. The triplanar system includes a guide member which has three pairs of parallel slots. The system further includes an intramedullary guide rod which is inserted into the femur. The guide rod has a 90.degree. bend. The guide member is affixed to the guide rod, the guide rod being used as an alignment means for the guide member. This patent is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,203, issued Dec. 11, 1984.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,330, entitled "Femoral Surface Shaping Guide For Knee Implants", discloses a distal femoral surface shaping guide for mounting on an intramedullary alignment guide. The main body of the shaping guide preferably contains at least one shaping guide surface. It may have an attachment for other shaping guides, however, preferably the main body of the shaping guide has integrally formed shaping guide surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,919, entitled "Surgical Instruments", discloses a set of femoral instruments which includes a femoral intramedullary alignment rod which may be introduced into the medulla by an alignment rod introducer. An angle adaptor which slides over the alignment rod forms a basis for the preparation of the femur using saw guides to receive the femoral component of the knee prosthesis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,751, entitled "Method And Apparatus For Resecting A Distal Femoral Surface". The '751 patent discloses a method and apparatus for resecting a distal femoral surface. The apparatus includes an intramedullary rod, a jig which attaches to the rod, a cutting plate and a reference bar. The method and apparatus disclosed are for forming the initial resection along the transverse axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,254, entitled "Positioner For Surgical Instruments", discloses a positioner for surgical instruments used to invade a bone. The positioner comprises a body means, an alignment plate, and an alignment rod. The body has at least one guide surface for positioning a resectioning surgical instrument. The alignment rod which extends into the femoral shaft is used to locate the main body of the femoral resection guide in the correct position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,350, there is disclosed an apparatus and system for preparing distal femur and proximal tibia ends to receive a knee prosthesis. An intramedullary alignment guide is used to reference a femoral alignment guide for attachment across the distal femur after the distal femur cut has been made. The femoral alignment guide is in turn a reference for several cutting guides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,578, discloses a distal femoral resector for resecting the distal femur. The resector comprises a T-shaped base with a rotating rod mounted through the base and an intramedullary alignment rod. The resector has a guide slot for guiding a cutting tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,023, there is disclosed a distal femoral surface shaping guide which is mounted on an intramedullary alignment rod. The apparatus and method disclosed are particularly suitable for shaping one condyle for attachment of a unicondylar prosthesis.


A home entertainment and information system is provided which assigns and transmits audio programming to audio output devices. Digital and analog signals from a variety of program sources are received by the home entertainment and information system. The system assigns and transmits to an audio output device a program that is distinct from programs assigned and transmitted to other audio output devices within the same system, and thus where two users are viewing different programs visually displayed on the same or different monitors, they hear the audio portion of the respective program they are viewing through individual audio output devices. An audio output device is also assignable to a remote control device such that when a program is selected using the remote control device, the audio portion of the program is transmitted to the assigned audio output device.

When television systems were simple and programming sources were few, families accepted the limitation of only being able to view a single program at a time. Simple television systems advanced to become entertainment systems with integrated stereo sound and more sophisticated video reception and display capabilities. Picture in a picture (PIP) television made it possible for families to view multiple programs at the same time on a single monitor. Thus one member could watch a sporting event transmitted via cable television while the other members watched a videotaped movie. As computers are integrated into the entertainment system the multiprogramming possibilities are greatly increased. The oversized monitors of today can support simultaneous presentation of multiple video programs.
For each of the viewing options, however, the audio options are limited. Where the entertainment system is comprised of multiple programming sources, the audio output from all of the sources can be directed through a stereo amplifier. This provides centralized control, but it limits the viewers to hearing only one program at a time, regardless how many programs are being viewed. Where multiple programs are viewed on the same monitor, the audio portion of only one program is presented at a time, and those viewing the other programs must do without sound. If multiple monitors are used, each may have its own speaker system and project the audio for the program being viewed, but this creates a cacophony of sound which is unlistenable when different family members watch different programs in the same room. One solution for those families who wish to view multiple programs at the same time is to construct multiple entertainment systems. As the devices get more complex, however, they get more expensive, and the duplication of components places multiple systems out of the economic reach of most people. When the entertainment system presents programming which is available in multiplexed format (whether it be via picture in a picture television technology, multi-window computer presentations, or a combination of the two), duplication of components does not address the function of multi-window display. Video display technology has kept pace with the need for simultaneously presenting different video programs to different viewers. There has not been a comparable advance in audio presentation technology.
The restriction to single channel audio output is unworkable when the programming sources are primarily entertainment-oriented. A family cannot use all of the functions of a sophisticated multi-channel video presentation when they are limited to hearing the audio output of only one program at a time. If only one of the programs being viewed has sound, there is little value in viewing the programs for which sound is not projected. The restriction to a single audio output becomes more significant when the home entertainment system is expanded to provide information as well as entertainment by incorporating a computer. The computer is employed both as a programming source as well as an intelligent controller for the entertainment and information system. In a home entertainment and information system, signals generated by the various programming sources can be multiplexed by the computer. The signals for a television program and a computer-based multimedia application may be multiplexed and transmitted to a single monitor and simultaneously displayed, each program in its own window on the monitor.
Software running on the computer has a sound aspect as well as a visual aspect. It may be as simple as a warning beep, or as sophisticated as a multimedia presentation containing CD-quality sound. In either event, like television programming, without the sound aspect the usefulness of the program to the user is reduced. One partial solution to the problem of simultaneously transmitting audio signals from multiple sources (such as a CD player or AM/FM tuner) is a multiple zone audio system, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,552 to Paynting. That system consists of a centralized group of audio programming sources, connected to an array of speakers and controlled by multiple remote control devices. Each remote control device controls which audio source's signals will be transmitted on the channel associated with the remote control device. This allows independent access of the different program signals in different zones. The problem of simultaneously transmitting independent audio programming to the same zone remains. There is a need to provide multiple simultaneous users of an entertainment system with the audio portion of the different programs being viewed whether they are in the same or different rooms.

System for assigning multichannel audio signals to independent wireless audio output devices


A compound of the formula:

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most general arrhythmia in clinical stages wherein an irregular and frequent excitation of atrium stops a series of contraction and expansion as an auxiliary pump of atrium, and particularly, an incidence thereof increases with advancing age. Atrial fibrillation is not a fetal arrhythmia, but worsens heart functions and is known to cause a complication such as congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, ventricular fibrillation, etc.
Antiarrhythmic agents placed on the market until now have been developed as therapeutic agents for ventricular arrhythmia and atrial or supraventricular arrhythmia. Malignant ventricular arrhythmia immediately threatens life and requires emergency treatment, and a class Ia (e.g., procainamide, quinidine), a class Ic (e.g., flecainide, propafenone) or a class III (e.g., dofetilide, amiodarone) agent has been used in drug treatment of ventricular arrhythmia. It has been reported that these class I and class III agents prevent a recurrence of atrial fibrillation (Nonpatent Document 1). However, they have potentials to increase mortalities due to their potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmogenic activities (Nonpatent Documents 2 to 4).
Since atrial fibrillation shortens cardiac action potential duration (APD), an APD-prolonging agent may be a therapeutic agent for atrial fibrillation in theory. A prolongation of cardiac APD is caused by increasing inward currents (i.e., Na+ or Ca2+ currents which are referred to as INa or ICa, respectively, hereinafter) or decreasing outward currents of repolarized potassium K. Delayed rectifier (IK) K+ currents are main outward currents involved in a repolarization process of action potential, and transient outward currents (Ito) and inward rectifier (IK1) K+ currents relate to an initial phase and a terminal phase of the repolarization, respectively. In cellular electrophysiological study, IK comprises two subtypes of pharmacologically and kinetically different K+ currents, i.e., IKr (rapid activation) and IKs (delayed activation) (Nonpatent Document 5).
Dofetilide, a class III antiarrhythmic agent, shows an antiarrhythmic activity by blocking IK, which is an IK rapid activating ingredient and exists in human atrium and ventricle (Nonpatent Document 1). Since an IK, blocker prolongs APD and a refractory period both in atrium and ventricle without affecting conduction itself, it has potentials to be an agent useful in the treatment of arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation in theory (Nonpatent Document 4). However, it has been reported that said blocker has an arrhythmogenic activity and develops polymorphic torsades de pointes (Nonpatent Document 6).
In contrast, it has been reported that amiodarone has a class III property (Nonpatent Documents 7 and 8). However, since it has various activities on multiple ion channels and is not a selective class III agent, a usage thereof has been strictly limited in terms of adverse effects thereof (Nonpatent Documents 9 to 11). Accordingly, currently available agents such as amiodarone and dofetilide have potentially lethal serious adverse effects such as ventricular arrhythmogenic activities, and hence, a high safe agent with beneficial efficacy has been desired.
Recently, super rapid activated delayed rectifier L+ currents (IKur) which are prolonged outward currents have been identified in human atrial myocyte. IKur specifically exists in atrium, not in human ventricle. A molecular correlation of IKur in human atrium is potassium channel referred to as Kv 1.5, and Kv 1.5 mRNA (Nonpatent Document 12) and protein (Nonpatent Document 13) have been detected in human atrial tissues. It has been believed that IKur widely contributes to a repolarization in human atrium due to a rapid activation and a delayed inactivation thereof. Therefore, it would appear that since a compound having an IKur blocking activity prolongs a refractory in atrium without delaying a ventricular repolarization and prolonging a refractory period in ventricle, it may resolve adverse effect problems such as an arrhythmia-induced QT extension syndrome after a depolarization found in the current class III agents (Nonpatent Documents 14 and 15).
In contrast, it has been shown that a reentry (reciprocation) is a remarkable mechanism which causes a supraventricular arrhythmia in human (Nonpatent Document 16). Specifically, reciprocations occur at random in different locations in atrium, and atrial fibrillation is caused by several times of repetitions of electrical excitations by a single stimulation. Accordingly, an increase of myocardial refractory by a prolongation of cardiac APD prevents and/or stops reentry arrhythmia Additionally, since cardiac APD depends on contributions of potassium currents IKr, IKs, IKur which relate to a repolarization phase and transient outward currents Ito, it is desired that a blocker which acts on any one of these currents prolongs action potential duration and produces an antiarrhythmic effect.
Patent Document 1 discloses useful indazole derivatives as a SGK-1 inhibitor, but the document does not disclose any IKur blocking activities.
[Patent Document 1] WO2005/011681
[Nonpatent Document 1] Circulation, 102:2665-2670
[Nonpatent Document 2] Am. J. Cardiol., 65:20 B-29B, 1990
[Nonpatent Document 3] Lancet, 348:7-12, 1996
[Nonpatent Document 4] Expert Opin. Invest. Drugs, 9:2695-2704, 2000
[Nonpatent Document 5] J. Gen. Physiol. 1990, 96:195-215
[Nonpatent Document 6] Am. J. Cardiol., 72:44B-49B, 1993
[Nonpatent Document 7] Br. J. Pharmacol., 39:675-687, 1970
[Nonpatent Document 8] Br. J. Pharmacol., 39:657-667, 1970
[Nonpatent Document 9] J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., 20:1063-1065, 1992
[Nonpatent Document 10] Circulation, 104:2118-2150, 2001
[Nonpatent Document 11] A. Curr. Opin. Pharmacol. 2:154-159, 2002
[Nonpatent Document 12] Basic Res. Cardiol., 97:424-433, 2002
[Nonpatent Document 13] J. Clin. Invest., 96:282-292, 1995
[Nonpatent Document 14] J. Med. Chem., 46:486-498, 2003
[Nonpatent Document 15] Naunyn-Schmedieberg's Arch. Pharmacol., 366:482-487, 2002
[Nonpatent Document 16] Nature, 415:219-226, 2002

Abstract: A compound of the formula:

Abstract: wherein ring X is benzene or pyridine; R1 is substituted alkyl; R2 is optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted heterocyclic group; R3 is hydrogen or alkyl; R4 is hydrogen, halogen or alkyl; R5 is hydrogen or alkyl; R6 and R7 are the same or different and each hydrogen or halogen, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, which is useful as IKur blocker effective for preventing or treating cardiac arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation.


Methods and apparatus for wirelessly communicating between a master and slave device with multi-directional infrared transmissions are provided. The master device is equipped with a multi-directional infrared (IR) port in the form of either a PCMCIA communications card, an infrared domed housing or a plurality of IR ports, positioned multi-directionally, about a computing system configuration. The IR port has a plurality of IR pairs, infrared isolated therebetween, comprised of an infrared transmitter and receiver. From the master device, each of the IR transmitters transmit an attention pulse in a wide-angular pattern in a singular plane to attract the attention of the slave device regardless of its physical placement in relation to the master device. In response to the attention pulse, the slave device sends a reply. Thereafter, the reply is evaluated at each of the IR pairs according to various criteria to select the IR pair or pairs best suited for infrared communications with the slave device. Preferably, the IR pair is selected so that the most accurate, fastest and/or strongest signal strength communications are effectuated between the master and slave devices. Once the IR pair providing the desired infrared communication characteristic is selected, the physical placement of the slave device is stored and associated with that IR pair. Storage is preferably performed by a look-up table so that during subsequent communications between the master and slave device, the preferred IR pair can be quickly selected and communications established in a fast manner. A protocol for communicating between this invention and conventional devices is also described.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices networked together by an infrared link. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for communicating between peripheral devices via multi-directional infrared transmissions.
2. The Relevant Technology
Infrared (IR) transmission is wireless communication over a relatively small area, using infrared components to transmit and receive signals. Infrared transmissions require line-of-sight connection between the transmitter and receiver or between each of these and a common target. Line-of-sight connection usually means about 1 meter in centerline distance between communicating IR ports with a field-of-view of about xc2x130xc2x0 therefrom.
One problem, however, is that achieving line-of-sight connection is often inconvenient. For example, many infrared ports, i.e., an infrared transmitter and receiver pair, are assembled into personal computers (PC) for communicating with a peripheral device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), along a base portion of the PC on a side behind the flip-up display screen. Then, if the PC is positioned on a desktop facing a wall, as commonly occurs, the PDA would need to be positioned generally between the wall and PC in order to allow IR transmissions to transpire.
Moreover, this becomes impracticable in other computing environments, such as in planes and automobiles, because PC""s are placed on human laps and are pinched between other humans, adjacent seats, doors, etc., and little if any physical berthing exists for placing another device with an IR port into a line-of-sight arrangement. Consequently, achieving communications between IR ports is a function of having adequate space to arrange the ports so that critical juxtapositioning therebetween can be achieved.
Another problem is that many devices which contain software, or are able to implement software suitable for communicating via IR transmissions, are not presently configured with any IR ports. Some conventional retrofitting devices, however, do address this problem. Yet, these are expensive and/or have complex or burdensome interfacing requirements such as awkward platforms, excessive cabling and onerous mating connectors.
In general, IR transmission signals are either focused or diffuse. A focused signal is aimed directly at its recipient whereas a diffuse signal disperses and travels in multiple directions. As such, to achieve greater range focused signals are required, but with focused signals comes the requirement of critical juxtapositioning of the communicating IR ports. Whereas, to achieve greater field-of-view and looser alignment between communicating IR ports, diffuse signals are required. With diffuse signals, however, the ports must be closer.
Accordingly, it would be an advance to provide improved IR ports that overcome the foregoing alignment, power and retrofitting disadvantages.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a multi-directional IR port that is economically and easily adapted to a variety of existing computing system configurations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-directional IR port having advantage over conventional ports with greater range while allowing for less critical juxtapositioning during infrared communications.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a multi-direction IR port allowing flexibility in berthing requirements between communicating devices when achieving line-of-sight connections.
In accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the foregoing and other objectives are achieved by providing methods and apparatus for wirelessly communicating between a master and slave device with multi-directional infrared transmissions.
In a preferred embodiment, the master device is equipped with a multi-directional infrared (IR) port in the form of either a PCMCIA communications card, an infrared domed housing or a plurality of IR ports, aimed multi-directionally, about a computing system configuration. In general, the IR port has a plurality of IR pairs, infrared isolated therebetween, comprised of an infrared transmitter and receiver. From the master device, each of the IR transmitters of each IR pair transmits an attention pulse in a wide-angular pattern in a singular plane to attract the attention of the slave device, regardless of its physical placement in relation to the master device. In response to the attention pulse, the slave device sends a reply. Thereafter, the reply is evaluated at each of the IR pairs according to various criteria to select the IR pair or IR pairs best suited for infrared communications with the slave device. Preferably, the IR pair(s) are selected so that the fastest, most accurate and/or strongest signal strength communications are effectuated between the master and slave devices.
Once the IR pair providing the desired infrared communication characteristics is selected, the physical placement of the slave device is stored and associated with that IR pair. In this manner, since these devices are infrequently moved in relation to one another, future infrared transmissions between the master and slave device are quickly accomplished because the physical relation to one another is known and stored. The association between master and slave device is preferably stored in a look-up table to which the master device has readied access. Thereafter, the other IR pairs are inactivated and infrared transmissions of data between the master and slave devices are performed.
It is a feature of this invention that devices not equipped with infrared transmission capabilities are easily and readily retrofitted with either of the foregoing apparatus in order to economically and efficaciously achieve infrared transmissions.
It is another feature of this invention that because each of the IR pairs are infrared isolated from one another, substantially simultaneous infrared transmissions may occur between a plurality of uniquely addressed peripheral (slave) devices. Substantially simultaneous infrared transmissions are also attainable by multiplexing the biasing of each of the IR pairs.
It is still another feature of this invention, in the event that either the master or slave is not equipped to communicate with this style of infrared transmissions, that each device may downgrade to conventional infrared transmission technologies. Preferred troubleshooting procedures are also described in the event the master cannot locate the slave device.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

Multi-directional infrared port and methods of using same


Systems and/or methods that facilitate high performance flash channel interface techniques are presented. Integrated error correction code (ECC) engine and buffer sets facilitate bypassing error correction of data being written to or read from memory, such as flash memory, in addition to single ECC mode or multiple ECC mode. The integrated ECC engines and buffers can quickly analyze data, and provide error correction information or correct error, significantly increasing throughput. In addition, the programmable flash channel interface can provide more rapid development of flash products by accommodating both Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) standard flash and legacy flash devices, by using a configurable micro-code engine in the flash interface.

A wide variety of memory devices can be used to maintain and store data and instructions for various computers and similar systems. In particular, flash memory is a type of electronic memory media that can be rewritten and that can retain content without consumption of power. Unlike dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices and static random memory (SRAM) devices in which a single byte can be erased, flash memory devices are typically erased in fixed multi-bit blocks or sectors. Flash memory technology can include NOR flash memory and NAND flash memory, for example. NAND flash memory evolved from DRAM technology and NOR flash memory evolved from electrically erasable read only memory (EEPROM) chip technology, in which, unlike flash memory, a single byte can be erased. While NAND flash is typically suitable for sequential access to handle semi-static data storage like pictures, music, etc., NOR flash is typically suitable for random access application such as code storage where execution in place is required (e.g., including set-top box applications, personal computers, cell phones, etc.). However, NAND flash can be used for some boot-up operations as well being combined with other memory types (e.g., DRAM) for execute in place functionality. In addition, flash memory devices typically are less expensive and more dense as compared to many other memory devices, meaning that flash memory devices can store more data per unit area.
Flash memory has become popular, at least in part, because it combines the advantages of the high density and low cost of EPROM with the electrical erasability of EEPROM. Flash memory is nonvolatile; it can be rewritten and can hold its content without power. It can be used in many portable electronic products, such as cell phones, portable computers, voice recorders, thumbnail drives and the like, as well as in many larger electronic systems, such as cars, planes, industrial control systems, etc. The fact that flash memory can be rewritten, as well as its ability to retain data without a power source, small size, and light weight, have all combined to make flash memory devices useful and popular means for transporting and maintaining data.
Although NAND flash memory chips from different vendors often use similar packaging, have similar pinouts, and accept similar sets of low-level commands, subtle differences in timing and/or command set can provide suboptimal performance if the flash controller (e.g., flash channel interface) is not specifically designed and tested for the specific NAND flash implementation. As a result, flash products typically require thorough debugging and testing to incorporate a new and/or different model of flash chip. In addition, multi-vendor flash controllers must typically store a table of supported flash devices in firmware to deal with differences in the flash device interfaces. Accordingly, this can result in increased cost, complexity, and time-to-market of flash based products, in addition to potential incompatibility with future NAND flash releases where required firmware update would otherwise be required. Thus a flash channel interface that can be flexibly and rapidly reprogrammed to accommodate various flash device implementations is desired to reduce cost, complexity, and time to market.
One effort to mitigate such development complexities is the Open NAND Flash Interface Working Group (ONFI). ONFI is a consortium of technology companies working to develop open standards for NAND flash memory chips and devices that communicate with them. ONFI seeks to standardize the low-level interface to raw NAND flash chips, which are the most widely used form of non-volatile memory integrated circuits. As NAND flash becomes more of a commodity product, one main motivation for standardization of NAND flash is to make it easier to switch between NAND chips from different producers, thereby permitting faster development of NAND-based products and lower prices via increased competition among manufacturers. ONFI has produced a specification Version 1.0 for a standard interface to NAND flash chips. The current specification includes a standard physical interface, NAND chip self-identification and self-description standards, timing requirements, standard command set (e.g., command numbers and addressing scheme) for reading, writing, and erasing NAND flash in addition to performance and data integrity improvements. Thus, in addition to accommodating various proprietary or legacy NAND flash implementations, an improved flash channel interface should be able to accommodate such ONFI standard based flash implementations.
In addition to design flexibility, as file and resultant flash device sizes continue to increase, maintaining or increasing read/write speeds while maintaining data integrity will become an increasingly crucial design challenge. For example, error-correcting codes (ECC) have been employed in NAND flash devices in order to cope with the charge loss/gain mechanism and resultant error. However, conventional error detection and correction techniques take a substantial amount of time to conduct in flash memory operations. Moreover as flash memory ages, the number of errors for which error correction is required can increase, further exacerbating the problem. Thus, significant data throughput increases are desired, which can be directed in part at improvements over conventional ECC techniques (e.g., schemes that read out the data from flash then perform ECC functions on the data).
The above-described deficiencies are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems encountered in flash channel interface designs and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art may become further apparent upon review of the description of the various non-limiting embodiments of the subject innovation that follows.

High performance flash channel interface


A medical device for performing medical procedures inside a lumen (such as the GI tract) of a patient is provided comprising a capsule, a cable, and a propulsion means. The cable can have one end anchored to the patient, and can extend from this anchored portion to the capsule. The cable can include a loop forward (distal) of the capsule in the GI tract. The propulsion means is operably connected to the cable to vary the length of cable between the anchored end and the capsule, so that the capsule is repositioned inside the GI tract of the patient.

A physician typically accesses and visualizes tissue within a patient's gastrointestinal (GI) tract with a long, flexible endoscope. For the upper GI, a physician may insert a gastroscope into the sedated patient's mouth to examine and treat tissue in the esophagus, stomach, and proximal duodenum. For the lower GI, a physician may insert a colonoscope through the sedated patient's anus to examine the rectum and colon. Some endoscopes have a working channel, typically about 2.5–3.5 mm in diameter, extending from a port in the handpiece to the distal tip of the flexible shaft. A physician may insert medical instruments into the working channel to help diagnose or treat tissues within the patient. Physicians commonly take tissue biopsies from the mucosal lining of the GI tract using a flexible, biopsy forceps through the working channel of the endoscope.
Insertion of a flexible endoscope, especially into the colon, is usually a very time-consuming and uncomfortable procedure for the patient, even when sedated with drugs. A physician often needs several minutes to push a flexible endoscope through the convoluted sigmoid, descending, transverse, and ascending portions of the colon. The physician may diagnose and/or treat tissues within the colon either during insertion or removal of the endoscope. Often the flexible endoscope "loops" within the colon, such as at the sigmoid colon or at the splenic flexure of the colon, so that it becomes difficult to further advance the endoscope along the colon. When a loop is formed, the force exerted to push the scope stretches the mesentery and causes pain for the patient. Depending on the anatomy of the patient and the skill of the physician in manipulating the flexible endoscope, some portions of the colon may be unexamined, thus increasing the risk of undiagnosed disease.
Given® Engineering LTD, Yoqneam, Israel, sells a device in the U.S. called the M2A™ Swallowable Imaging Capsule. The device contains a tiny video camera, battery, and transmitter. It is propelled through the gastrointestinal tract by natural peristalsis. The device is currently used for diagnostic purposes and passes through the intestinal tract with a velocity determined by the natural, peristaltic action of the patient's body. World Publication No. WO 0108548A1 filed by C. Mosse, et al. describes a self-propelling device adapted to travel through a passage having walls containing contractile tissue. The applicants disclose that the device is particularly useful as an enteroscope and may also carry objects such as feeding tubes, guide wires, physiological sensors or conventional endoscopes within the gut. A summary of other alternatives to push endoscopy can be found in "Technical Advances and Experimental Devices for Enteroscopy" by C. Mosse, et al, published in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America, Volume 9, Number 1, January 1999: pp. 145–161.
Scientists and Engineers continue to seek improved methods and devices for accessing, diagnosing and/or treating tissue within body lumens, including the GI tract.

Locally-propelled, intraluminal device with cable loop track and method of use