A method and apparatus for allocating transmission bits for use in transmitting samples of a digital signal. An aggregate allowable quantization distortion value is selected representing an allowable quantization distortion error for a frame of samples of the digital signal. A set of samples are selected from the frame of samples such that a plurality of the selected samples are greater than a noise threshold. For each sample of the set, a sample quantization distortion value is computed which represents an allowable quantization distortion error for the sample. The sum of all sample quantization distortion values is approximately equal to the aggregate allowable quantization distortion value. For each sample of the set, a quantization step size is selected which yields a quantization distortion error approximately equal to the sample's corresponding quantization distortion value. Each sample is then quantized using its quantization step size. An estimation signal is prepared which is representative of the digital signal but has fewer samples than the digital signal. A signal index is prepared which represents, for at least one sample of the estimation signal, the magnitude of a signal component relative to the magnitude of a noise component. Based on the signal index, samples of the digital signal are selected which have a sufficiently large signal component. The selected samples of the digital signal and the samples of the digital estimation signal are both transmitted to a remote device. The remote device reconstructs the digital signal from the transmitted selected samples and estimation samples.

The invention relates generally to communicating voice and video information over a channel having a fixed capacity, such as a telephone communication channel.
Video conferencing systems typically transmit both voice and video information over the same channel. A portion of the channel's bandwidth is typically dedicated to voice information and the remaining bandwidth is allocated to video information.
The amount of video and voice information varies with time. For example, at certain moments in time, a person at one end of the system may be silent. Thus, if the system includes a variable capacity voice encoder, little information needs to be transmitted during such moments of silence.
Similarly, the video signal may have little or no change between frames as, for example, when all objects within the field of view are still. If the system includes a variable capacity video encoder, little information needs to be transmitted during such moments of inactivity. At the other extreme, during times of great activity, the amount of video information may exceed the channel capacity allocated to video information. Accordingly, the system transmits as much video information as possible, discarding the remainder.
Typically, the video encoder accords priority to the most noticeable features of the video signal. Thus, high priority information is transmitted first and the less noticeable low priority information is temporarily discarded if the channel lacks sufficient capacity. Accordingly, it is desirable to have available as much video bandwidth as possible.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the amount of channel bandwidth allocated to audio information whenever there is little audio information required to be sent. The remaining portion of bandwidth is allocated to video information. Thus, on average, a lower bit rate is provided for audio information and a higher bit rate is provided for video information.


A coating is provided for use in lubricating an electro-cautery probe of a cauterization device to resist sticking of tissue on the electro-cautery probe. The coating is also provided to lubricate other medical instruments as well as to facilitate sliding of one instrument against another. The coating includes an amphiphilic lipid. The coating also includes an amphiphilic phospholipid, a glycerol-based lipid, a glycerol-based phospholipid, and/or a lecithin.

Surgical processes of various types often utilize electro-cautery devices for cutting and/or cauterizing, some of which are mono-polar devices and others of which are bi-polar devices. These devices are well known for use in surgery and can be acquired from various suppliers. Such electro-cautery probes, which are often referred to as "tips," may char and collect tissue fragments on the electro-cautery probes as they are used in surgery. Such charring and accumulation of tissue fragments may degrade the performance of the probes and cause decreased efficiency of the electrodes thus presenting the need to clean or replace the electrodes during cauterization procedures.
The prior art has suggested a variety of man-made or synthetic materials for coating electro-cautery probes. Such prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,314,559; 4,785,807; 5,100,402; 5,197,962; 5,380,320; 5,549,604; 5,702,387; 5,713,895; 6,070,444; and 6,540,745, for example. The disclosure of each of these references is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Further, Megadyne® (headquartered in Draper, Utah) provides the E-Z Clean® electro-cautery tip which is advertised as being a non-stick electro-cautery tip or probe which reduces eschar, or scabbed tissue, buildup.
Also, in surgery procedures involving inserting instruments into other instruments, there is a need for lubrication of the instruments.

Method and material for coating electro-cautery probes and lubricating surgical instruments


A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form includes a powder container for receiving building material in powder form and a filling chamber for filling in building material in powder form into the powder container. The powder discharge unit is configured to fluidise the building material in powder form in the powder container and the building material in powder form in the filling chamber independently of one another.

Devices and methods of this type are, for instance, used in Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Tooling, or Additive Manufacturing. An example of such a method is known as the "selective laser sintering or melting". In the course of this, a thin layer of a building material in powder form is repeatedly applied, and the building material in each layer is selectively solidified by selectively irradiating it using a laser beam.
DE 10 2005 022 308 A1 describes a laser sintering device in which the building material in powder form is applied by means of a recoating unit in the form of a double blade consisting of two rigid blades movable back and forth across a build area. The recoating unit is, first, filled from a storage container with an amount of the building material sufficient for applying a layer and, then, moves across the build area, wherein the powder received in the recoating unit is stretched to a thin powder layer.
In the patent application DE 10 2015 213 011, which was not yet published at the date of filing of the application, a recoater is described comprising, apart from the recoating unit stretching the powder to a thin powder layer, a preheat module separately formed and movable together with the recoating unit. In the course of this, the amount of the building material sufficient for applying a layer is received not by the recoating unit itself, but by the preheat module, and is dispensed to the recoating unit continuously or in portions during the movement across the build area. In the preheat module, the powder is fluidised and preheated by means of a radiation heater.
Due to the fluidisation it may happen that fine powder particles are discharged from the preheat module with the medium used for the fluidisation. Further, it may happen during the acceleration or slowdown of the module that fluidised powder, exhibiting properties similar to a liquid, slops over the edge of the preheat module.

Powder discharge unit, device, and method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object


In a multi story air conditioning system having elevated compressors and varying loads, a suction line oil return arrangement comprising dual parallel suction risers having a pressure relief valve positioned in one to ensure a minimum pressure drop for oil return in the other.

Including Discussion of Prior Art
It is well known, that in compression type refrigerating and air conditioning systems, that the compressors employed for compressing the vaporous refrigerant employ oil or lubricant to lubricate their internal parts. In the course of drawing in refrigerant vapor, compressing and discharging the vapor to condensers, some of the lubricating oil is entrained with and discharged with the compressed vapor. Though means for removing some of the oil from the discharge stream are sometimes employed, a small quantity of oil always fails to be removed, traversing such means, and is conveyed with the compressed refrigerant through the condenser and cooling coil or evaporator. The oil leaving the evaporator must have a way to return to the compressor. Failure to provide such a way results in accumulation of oil within the refrigerating tubes and pipes and progressive loss of oil from the compressor. It is not uncommon in poorly designed systems for so much oil to be lost from the compressor that insufficient oil is left to properly lubricate and cool the compressor, and the compressor fails.
Wherever the compressor is at the same level or lower than the evaporator, oil flow through the vapor return conduit from evaporator to compressor (suction line) is aided by the velocity of vapor flowing through the suction line and by gravity and the oil returns satisfactorily to compressor. Even when the compressor is located higher than the evaporator, satisfactory oil return can be simply secured by proper sizing of the upflowing suction line (suction riser) to provide adequate vapor velocity to assure oil return.
However, the compressor-overhead situation is severely complicated when there are several evaporators at various levels below the compressor and the evaporators operate on independent schedules so that the refrigerating loads and therefore the gas velocities through the suction riser vary widely.
One of several strategies found in piping manuals are employed now to cope with this situation. One strategy employs so-called dual risers, where a large and a small riser are coupled together at their bottom and an oil trap is employed to stop flow through the large riser, thereby maintaining satisfactory vapor velocities through the small riser to assure oil return. This arrangement works satisfactorily when the range of loads is small, typically 4:1.
Under this parallel condition the vapor velocity in both must be sufficient to cause oil to flow up the risers. Naturally, great precision and engineering skill is required to properly size the risers and traps. Further, where the loads vary widely, over a range of 10 to 1 or more, such dual riser systems fail to work and oil accumulates in the risers and is lost from the compressor/s. This situation is further complicated and worsened where there are multiple compressors which operate under independent control so that even a single small compressor may run while still requiring satisfactory oil return.
A serious draw back of the dual riser arrangement is that the oil trap removes oils that may be needed for compressor lubrication.
When the pressure drop through the small riser becomes so great that it blows out the oil trap, then both risers function together in parallel. A second serious draw back is the likelihood that the mass of oil accumulated in the trap will be carried back to the compressor in a slug when the load suddenly increases, thereby raising the possibility of compressor damage from a mass of incompressible oil entering its cylinders.
A second strategy simply requires that each evaporator have its own suction riser, sized for proper return of oil when the evaporator is operating.
Where loads vary very widely and a unitary riser system is desirable, engineers have employed oil accumulators at the bottom of the risers to collect oil which fails to be returned up the riser at conditions of low load and corresponding low suction vapor velocities. This arrangement requires the use of pressure pumps to force the oil collected in the oil accumulator back to the compressor/s through small pipes provided for the purpose.
The present invention is directed to solving this problem in a simple manner, without oil pumps, without critical pipe sizing all while ensuring proper oil return to the compressor over an extremely wide range of full load to minimum load ratios.

Multi-story air conditioning system with oil return means


The present disclosure provides a Bluetooth device and a working method thereof, which relates to application in information security field. The Bluetooth device includes a Bluetooth connecting module, a pairing module and a data communicating module. The working method includes a Bluetooth connecting process, a pairing process and a data communicating process, where the pairing process includes that the device computes an encryption key according to a preset authentication code, a first random number obtained from an initiator, a second random number generated by the device, encrypt the link encryption data containing a link encryption key by using the encryption key to obtain a link encryption request and sends the link encryption request to the imitator, and the initiator obtains the link encryption key from the link encryption request. The disclosure is compatible to the present Bluetooth protocol and enhances security in the Bluetooth device pairing process as well.

Bluetooth device is a wireless communication electronic product designed according to Bluetooth technology, which supports short distance communication with features of short delay time and stable connection.
For products such as a Bluetooth device, pairing is very important. Building a Bluetooth connection between two devices and completing a pairing process represent that a security channel is built up and secure data communication can be started between the devices. In the prior art, some mobile devices (such as a cellphone with a Bluetooth function) can provide screen and keyboard entry for a user, which is convenient for the user to freely select a Bluetooth device which is permitted to be paired; for a Bluetooth device without screen and keyboard entry, how to pair the Bluetooth device only with a Bluetooth device which is permitted to be paired by the user becomes a technical problem to be solved urgently.

Bluetooth device and working method thereof


Provided are a promoter including at least one polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 7, an expression cassette including the same, a vector including the expression cassette, a host cell including the vector, and a method of expressing a gene using the host cell.

Coryneform bacteria are microorganisms used to produce various chemical materials used in many applications, such as animal feed, medicines, and food including L-lysine, L-threonine, and various nucleic acids. A strain of coryneform bacteria showing high productivity can be developed through genetic engineering and metabolic engineering. To obtain such a strain of coryneform bacteria showing high productivity, a gene relating to various metabolic pathways needs to be expressed in the coryneform bacteria. To this end, a suitable promoter must be developed.
Generally, in coryneform bacteria, a gene is expressed under a promoter inherently included therein. (see, for example, Journal of Bacteriology, 181(19), 6188-6191, 1999). Meanwhile, the structure of a promoter sequence for expressing a gene in coryneform bacteria is not known, whereas the structures of other industrial microorganisms, such as E. coli and Bacillus subtilis, are known. Therefore, the following method has been suggested to produce promoters enabling the expression of a gene in coryneform bacteria. First, a promoter region of a gene that is resistant to an antibiotic, such as chloramphenicol, is removed. Separately, a chromosomal DNA separated from coryneform bacteria is cleaved using a suitable restriction enzyme, and the resulting fragment is introduced to the gene from which the promoter region is removed. Then, the obtained gene is used to transform coryneform bacteria to produce a transformed strain and the antibiotic resistance of the transformed strain is measured: (see Gene, 102, 93-98, 1991; Microbiology, 142, 1297-1309, 1996.) In particular, a very small number of promoters used in Corynebacterium ammoniagenesis, a known nucleic acid producing microorganism, has been developed. For example, a promoter having about 10% higher activity than a tac promoter is used in E. coli (see Biotechnol. Lett. 25, 1311-1316, 2003.) However, when it is used in a mass expression of genes, such a promoter exhibits low efficiency. U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,781 discloses a promoter DNA which is separated from a Brevibacterium flavum strain MJ-233 (FERM BP-1497) and has higher activity than a tac promoter. However, such a promoter DNA that is separated from a Brevibacterium genus may not be operable in other bacteria. Therefore, there is a need to develop a promoter sequence that is derived from commercially available Corynebacterium ammoniagenes, and has high activity in other bacteria.
Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention searched for a strong promoter sequence in Corynebacterium ammoniagenes and found that a promoter according to the present invention can express genes with high activity in Corynebacterium ammoniagenes.


A roller tappet for a fuel pump includes an integral and hollow-walled guide housing, which has a drive-side edge that encloses a roller mounted on a pin. The ends of the pin are seated in openings in arranged in indented flat surfaces that originate from the drive-side edge and are diametrically opposite each other. An output-side edge of the guide housing has a bridge piece that extends continuously from an inner wall of the one of the flat surfaces to an inner wall of the other flat surface. The bridge piece projects beyond the inner wall towards the outer wall of the particular flat surface, and the output-side outer face of the bridge piece has a contact surface for a pump piston. The flat surfaces are completely continuous from the drive-side edge to the output-side edge of the guide housing.

A generic roller tappet, of extruded or deep-drawn type, can be found in EP 2 406 494 B1. It is found that this roller tappet is too complicated to build, has too many components and, in total, causes excessively high costs in mass production. In addition, it is not suitable for pump drives with long installation lengths. The above-mentioned extrusion or deep drawing reaches production-technical limits here.


Longitudinally fine striped type heat seal connector member having a layer of an anisotropic press heat bonding agent which has satisfactory connection and reliable electrical conductivity in height or length direction as well as reliable electrical insulative property in lateral direction is provided by the method of the present invention, which is relatively simple in producing the layer of the anisotropic press heat bonding and which can dispense with some strong alkali or the like etching agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of producing longitudinally fine striped type heat seal connector members having a desired length, width and spacing of electrically conductive channels for mechanically and electrically connecting electrode portions of electronic elements, such as, liquid crystal display tubes, or electrochronic display (ECD) panels, solar cells, etc., to terminal portions of printed circuit substrates, or opposing terminal portions of printed circuit substrates to each other.
The present invention relates also to methods of producing longitudinally fine striped type heat seal connector members wherein an electrically conductive specific photoetching resistive pain (photoresist paint) is used to omit a portion of the photoetching process, while providing highly reliable connection property.
2. Related Art Statement
Heretofore, in case when producing the above longitudinally fine striped type heat seal connector members by using a conventional photoetching resistive ink, usually a film of a photosensitive etching-resistive material on a copper foil disposed on a substrate is exposed to a light through a negative mask to develop a desired pattern of electrically conductive circuit of the photocured photosensitive material. Then, the substrate having the photocured pattern thereon is subjected to an etching treatment to dissolve and remove excessive unnecessary unphoto-cured remaining etching resistive material around the photocured pattern of the photocured photosensitive material together with the underlying copper foil layer. Subsequently, the remaining photocured photosensitive etching resistive material on the copper foil of the electrically conductive circuit pattern is removed by a chemical agent, such as, an alkaline material, etc., to expose bare surfaces of the copper foil layer of the conductive circuit pattern. Thereafter, the substrate having the desired circuit pattern is treated in two different ways.
(a) One way is to form an electrically conductive layer of a press heat bonding agent containing conductive fine particles of a metal or graphite, etc., exclusively on the bare surfaces of the copper foil, i.e., solely on the circuit pattern, and then the substrate surface other than the circuit pattern is coated with an electrically insulative press heat bonding agent not containing electrically conductive fine particles in a separate process. Namely, the press heat bonding agent layers are prepared by two steps of preparing the layer of electrically conductive property and preparing the layer of electrically insulative property. PA0 (b) The other way is to form a so-called "electrically anisotropic" heat seal layer on the whole one surface of the substrate, i.e., on the surface of the bare copper foil and on the remaining surface of the substrate around the bare copper foil not having the bare copper foil thereon. Namely, a layer of a press heat bonding agent is applied by coating on the whole one surface of the substrate, which layer of the bonding agent has different degrees of electrical conductivity between lateral direction (x direction) and height or length direction (y direction), the electrical conductivity thereof in height direction (y direction) keeping a certain range of electrically conductive property, and the electrical conductivity thereof in lateral direction (x direction) being very small and assuming relatively rather substantially electrically insulative property, when the composition per se of the press heat bonding layer is press heat bonded under a given condition.
However, these conventional methods have large drawbacks, though they have a few advantages. Namely, though the above method (a) has reliability and comparatively good performance in electrically conductive property, electrically insulative property and press heat bonding property, it necessitates a lengthy or time-consuming process requiring a double labor and materials for forming the press heat bonding layers. In addition, it necessitates a prolonged etching step for directly exposing the copper foil surface of the circuit pattern, complete washing of the circuit pattern to remove the used strong alkaline or the like chemical agent, and cumbersome problem of preventing environmental pollution caused by the used strong chemical agent.
Meanwhile, though the above method (b) is advantageous in that it needs not to provide two layers of press heat bonding agent and only one layer thereof is sufficient, and composition of the anisotropic heat seal layer and use condition thereof are strictly restricted. Moreover, properties of the formed press heat bonding layers fluctuates largely, so that sufficient reliability and stability in conductive property and insulative property are difficult to achieve. In addition, the above large drawbacks of the method (a) relating to the etching can not be avoided.

Method of producing longitudinally fine striped type heat seal connector member


A Talbot filtered surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser array (12) includes two surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser device subarrays (20, 22) that are separated by a free propagation region (24) having a length equal to a Talbot distance, z.sub.T. Within each subarray (20, 22) there is a like number of surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser device elements (18) that are laterally isolated from each other by optical absorbing material stripes (26) to prevent evanescent coupling. A Talbot spatial filter array (28) of optical absorbing material islands (34) is fabricated in the free propagation region (24) at one half the Talbot distance. The Talbot spatial filter array (28) establishes fundamental lateral mode oscillation in the array (12), thereby producing a high quality laser beam with a predominantly single lobed far-field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor lasers and, more particularly, to a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser array that uses a Talbot spatial filter to establish fundamental lateral mode oscillation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation (laser) produces unidirectional, monochromatic, and most importantly coherent visible light. The stimulated emission of radiation is a process in which the energy state of an atom changes in a quantum transition with the emission of a photon. During such a process, a photon approaches an atom, initially in an excited energy state, and induces this atom to make a transition to a lower energy state. As the atom's energy state is lowered, the atom emits a photon. This emitted photon, which is separate from the photon that induced the energy transition, possesses an energy that is equal to the difference between the excited and the lower energy states of the atom. Moreover, this emitted photon and the inducing photon both leave the atom in the same direction the inducing photon had as it approached the atom. These exiting photons are also exactly in relative phase with one another; that is, they are coherent. This coherence is dictated by energy conservation in that if the two photons were out of phase by any amount they would interfere destructively, thereby violating energy conservation. Therefore, stimulated emission of radiation is a process that induces coherent photon multiplication or light amplification, thus a laser.
Laser technology has evolved by applying the above stated principle to several different types of active media. The most recent development in this field, coupled with the advancements in semiconductor fabrication technology, is the semiconductor laser. Unlike an atomic laser, however, stimulated emission in a semiconductor laser occurs when there is a solid state material in an excited state. Thus, stimulated emission in a semiconductor laser involves more than one atom.
A surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser is a device that produces unidirectional, monochromatic, coherent visible light through stimulated emission in semiconductor materials. Such a device has a positively doped side and a negatively doped side that are joined at a junction, and a grating surface that is etched into an outer surface of the positively doped side. The grating surface, upon which a strong conductive material is deposited, provides a means by which coherent photon energy fields may be diffracted. A second order grating design permits deflections of coherent photon radiation to be directed normal to an output window etched into the negatively doped side of the junction through first order diffraction, and directed parallel to the grating surface through second order diffraction. The first order diffraction produces a beam of unidirectional, monochromatic, coherent visible light at the output window, whereas the second order diffraction provides a feedback of photon radiation to an active region that is adjacent and parallel to the grating surface.
A theoretical longitudinal mode near-field intensity profile produced at the output window of a surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser device is antisymmetric with a zero intensity null at the output window center. A corresponding theoretical longitudinal mode far-field intensity profile is double-lobed and symmetric about the output window center. These theoretical intensity profiles have been practically demonstrated in actual single device measurements as described in the article Surface Emitting Distributed Feedback Semiconductor Laser, Applied Physics Letters, Volume 51, Number 7, pp. 472-474, August 1987.
The incorporation of a linearly varying chirp in the second order grating design, however, results in more desirable theoretical and practically demonstrated intensity profiles. For instance, the theoretical longitudinal mode near-field intensity profile produced at the output window of a chirped grating surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser device is without an undesirable zero intensity null at the output window center. Furthermore, the corresponding theoretical longitudinal mode far-field intensity profile has a desirable single lobe. These more desirable theoretical intensity profiles have been practically demonstrated in actual single device measurements as described in the related and copending patent application and assigned to the assignee hereof Ser. No. 07/826,720, entitled, Chirped Grating Surface Emitting Distributed Feedback Semiconductor Laser, filed on Jan. 28, 1992. Such measurements have also demonstrated that a single chirped grating surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor laser device is capable of producing a desirable 350 mW of continuous wave power in a single-lobed far-field at an efficiency of up to 20%. It can thus be inferred from the many desirable characteristics of a single chirped grating surface emitting distributed feedback semiconductor device that there are a wide variety of applications in which one or more of these devices can be used.


A semiconductor device capable of detecting whether test operation is normal is provided. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix, a plurality of word lines provided corresponding to each of the rows of the plurality of memory cells respectively, a decoder for generating driving signals for driving the plurality of word lines, and a detection circuit provided between the plurality of word lines and the decoder for simultaneously raising the plurality of word lines by test operation and detecting whether or not the rising state of the plurality of word lines is normal.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device.
SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) have been put into practical use as a semiconductor memory device for storing data in a high-capacity semiconductor memory. These semiconductor memory devices are shipped after judging the non-defective semiconductor/defective semiconductor. The non-defective/defective discrimination is performed by actually inputting/outputting data to/from the memory cell included in the semiconductor storage device, confirming that the write data coincides with the read data, and applying stress by burn-in. Recently, however, as the capacitance of the semiconductor memory device has been increased, the number of regions where stress has to be applied has increased, resulting in longer burn-in testing times, resulting in higher costs. In order to solve such a problem, it has been disclosed in Japanese unexamined Patent Application publication No. 2003-249099 that a plurality of word lines are simultaneously selected and stress is applied during a burn-in test.


Method and system for reducing illiteracy of individuals accompanied by improvements in functionality utilizing computer technology to integrate multi-sensory stimuli for synthesis of individualized instruction, evaluation, and prescription for advancement of communications skills. The method is employed to, for instance, advance a learner from status as a nonreader to being a skilled user of a language to express ideas and concepts.

Portions or the disclosure of this patent document contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights in this material.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of a computer based instructional system to improve communications skills of individuals accompanied by improvements in their functionality in speaking, spelling, writing, reading, brailling, signing or translating language.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Each new development in communications technology has been touted as having a bright potential capable of revolutionizing education. New pieces of equipment are offered by manufacturers and adopted by school boards intent on fulfilling their educational objectives. All too frequently these pieces of hardware are oversold, under used, and then discarded. Technological innovations have come and gone without stimulating revolution because the hardware has been better than the software and management design controlling it.
The computer is the latest technology under trial. Computers execute programs, or software. There are four principal categories of educational software. They are tutorial, drill and practice, simulation, and utility. With respect to educational content, tutorial software provides some facts. These facts might range from how to punctuate a sentence to how to use a piece of equipment. The number of programs of this type is growing, but still not plentiful. Drill and practice programs are the most numerous of the educational software packages available. Usually, these programs operate with the assumption that the material has already been presented to the student; the programs provide only exercises which reinforce previously presented material or concepts. Some drill and practice programs do include tutorial information on concepts with which the student is having trouble.
Teaching a foreign language is an example of computer assisted drill and practice activity. Here the computer is used to augment verbal drills. In teaching German, the student might be given the stimulus "Ich bin hier" followed by a prompt "Du." The student must respond with "Du bist hier." Anything else is judged incorrect.
Simulation programs model particular situations, such as chemical reactions in a test tube when specified chemicals are added together. Because they incorporate "what if" types of questions, simulation programs hasten learning by discovery. However, because of the demanding program design, logic, and programming effort, simulation programs are often limited in their scope and simply not as available as drill and practice packages.
The fourth category, utility, is a collection of programs which function in supporting roles. Examples of such programs include statistical or calculational programs for studying the mathematics of chemical reaction simulation programs. The role of the software in this category is as a tool in the learning process.
Initial applications of microcomputers in the classroom were in the teaching of computer literacy and programming languages, such as LOGO.TM.. Such languages allowed the student to "direct" the computer to follow specified instructions and present the results, usually graphically. Computer labs became very popular in many schools as new instructional procedures were developed to accommodate this new technology. More recent trends have seen the computers move out of the labs and back into the classrooms where they are being used as learning tools.
Seen in this light, the computer has been used as an alternative to textbook exercises or to augment a human drill instructor and has provided no real innovation in pedagogy. Instead, computer assisted instruction has used the superior speed and repeatability of the computer to present improved versions of selected portions of a human teacher's presentation. There has been little effort in utilizing the fundamental capabilities of computer mediated technology to present unique pedagogical methods.
The computer in these applications is merely a more animated version of paper-based programs of instruction. Unfortunately, in these applications, the computer's speed and accuracy is offset by its inflexibility. The most critical deficiency of even the most advanced current computer mediated instructional programs is the lack of facility in dealing with the different cognitive learning styles of the students using the program.
Learning occurs in a process of stimulus, reaction and reinforcement. Each action may occupy any or all of the available sensory pathways involving seeing, hearing, speaking, touching, or kinetic moving. Learning activities are strongly influenced by experience and culture. There is evidence that sex may have an influence on learning patterns. Young children do not learn the same way as adults. People learning a second language do not learn it the way they learned their first, or native, language. People with sensory or motor handicaps adapt to different learning styles consistent with their existing capabilities. Existing computer mediated instructional applications do not adequately deal with this diversity of learning styles. Learners are constrained to follow preprogrammed patterns that do not evaluate each individual to determine the optimal sequence of stimulus, response and reinforcement that leads to the most efficient learning with the greatest retention. These programs lack the structure and methods necessary to diagnose individual capabilities and efficiencies, provide individualized instruction and evaluate results.
It is the object of this invention to utilize computer technology to integrate multi-sensory stimuli in a comprehensive system for synthesis of individualized evaluation, prescription, instruction, and testing for advancement of communications skills in spoken, written, aural, visual or tactile modes as depicted in FIG. 1 in any of an unlimited number of languages.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to support the teaching of symbols formed of 15 single or multiple letters of an alphabet (phonograms) in association with their sound or sounds.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach the techniques and procedures for combining phonograms into syllables, and then into the words of a language and, thus, to teach correct enunciation, spelling, writing, and reading.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach the techniques and procedures for combining words into grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach the techniques and procedures for combining sentences into paragraphs or essays conveying meaningful expression and thought.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach efficient, comprehensive note-taking to the student receiving delivered oral and visual discourse.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach identification and comprehension of braille for unsighted learners.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach efficient and comprehensive recognition of hand signs associated with letters, words, and phrases for deaf learners.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach the use and practice of specialized vocabularies, such as those involved in scientific, technological and engineering fields.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide a system to teach interpretation of and translation between languages.

Instructional system and method for improving communication skills


Method of manufacturing a multilayer structure, in which method gold is deposited on a basic layer (3, 11) for forming a gold layer (7, 13), whereafter aluminium oxide is deposited on the gold layer for forming an aluminium oxide layer (9, 15). Silicon oxide is deposited on the aluminium oxide layer by means of PE-CVD for forming a silicon oxide layer (11, 13), and the aluminium oxide layer constitutes an adhesive layer between the gold layer and the silicon oxide layer. Together with the aluminium oxide layer, the silicon oxide layer constitutes an insulating and/or protective cladding layer for the gold layer.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multilayer structure, in which method gold is deposited on a basic layer for forming a gold layer, whereafter aluminium oxide is deposited on the gold layer for forming an aluminium oxide layer.
Such a method is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,953. In the known method, a thin-film magnetic head is manufactured, in which method coil turns of Au, Cu, Cr or Al are formed on a non-magnetic layer of, for example SiO.sub.2 or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. An insulation layer of SiO.sub.2 or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is formed on the coil turns, which layer insulates the coil turns from a magnetic pole to be provided.
A drawback of the known method is that the oxide SiO.sub.2 poorly adheres to the metal Au so that, in practice, a silicon oxide layer provided on a gold layer yields problems of adhesion. A further drawback is that sputtering of SiO.sub.2 or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is a relatively slow deposition process so that notably thicker layers require a long production time.

Method of manufacturing a body having a structure of layers


A loading and unloading module for optical disk drives includes a track plate, a moving plate, a guiding plate, a guiding arm and three rollers for three-point anchoring to achieve the functions of retrieving a disc, conveying the disc and ejecting the disc to substitute for conventional tray loading type or leaf-actuation loading type designs. The optical module is prevented from being scraped or damaged, and space utilization is improved. It also is adaptable for handling different sizes of discs.

The commonly seen optical disk drives at present can be categorized as tray loading type and leaf-actuation loading type. The former type is usually used on desktop computers, while the later type is mostly adopted on notebook computers. The tray loading type requires greater space. When in use, the tray has to be ejected for loading the optical disc, and the tray is withdrawn into the optical disk drive for reading. Ejection of the tray requires a lot of space. Moreover, impact may occur and damage the disk drive. If the optical disc is not properly positioned when the tray is withdrawn, the optical disc will be jammed between the tray and the optical disk drive.
The leaf-actuation loading type is generally used when space is constrained. It is mostly used in notebook computers. However, during ejection the optical module and the tray are ejected together. If a slight error happens while placing or removing the optical disc, the optical module is easily scraped and damaged, and could result in dysfunction of the optical disk drive.
In order to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages, U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,927 discloses a roller loading method. Its main design concept is to deploy an elongated roller on the exit of the optical disc drive. When an optical disc is inserted, the roller conveys the optical disc to a correct position by friction. As it is driven by roller friction, it can be adapted to optical discs of various sizes (commonly 8 cm and 12 cm). However, because it is driven by roller friction, the surface of the disc is frequently scraped and damaged during the conveying process. Moreover, if the roller is smeared by dust or external objects, it could cut into the disc surface and cause serious damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,234 discloses another type of loading scheme that uses an actuating lever to move the optical disc. While it can save the tray and avoid the problem of scraping the disc surface occurring with U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,927, it cannot be adapted for different sizes of discs.

Loading and unloading module with track plate, moving plate and guiding plate for optical disk drives

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Proper control is performed even during a stuck abnormality of a current sensor 56 configured to detect a reactor current. A boosting converter 12 is controlled by feedback control of a boosted voltage of the boosting converter 12 and a reactor current, detected by the current sensor 56, of a reactor 54 in the boosting converter 12. When a variation of the reactor current is less than a predetermined current value, failure determination of the current sensor is performed and, if a variation of the pre-boosting voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage value, failure of the current sensor is determined.

Conventionally, electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles (HVs) are driven by using motor generators powered by on-board batteries. It is more efficient to use a high power supply voltage to drive a high speed and high output motor generator. In many cases, therefore, a boosting converter is used to raise a battery voltage and supply an obtained boosted voltage to the motor generator via an inverter. Since the boosted voltage differs depending on the output torque of the motor generator, feedback control of the boosting converter is performed in order to provide a proper boosted voltage. To control the boosted voltage more properly, a reactor current that flows through a reactor in the boosting converter is measured, and feedback control is performed until the reactor current attains a target value.


A fermentation process uses substantially pure oxygen as the sole gas introduced into a fermentation vessel while fermentation reactions are active. The oxygen is introduced at multiple locations along the height of the vessel, and is preferably introduced in the vicinity of the blades of an impeller. The invention enhances the rate at which oxygen can be transferred to the fermentation medium, and is especially useful for fermentation media which become very viscous as the process continues. The invention can be used in the manufacture of viscous products such as xanthan gum, or other products having viscosities greater than about 100 cp.

The present invention relates to aerobic fermentation processes, and provides a method and apparatus which is especially suitable in cases where the fermentation products are highly viscous.
A typical fermentation process includes four phases, namely the lag phase, the growth phase, the stationary phase, and the death phase. The lag phase is essentially a preparatory phase, while the remaining phases are operational phases in which the actual fermentation process is conducted.
The operational phases of an aerobic fermentation process require a constant supply of oxygen. Without oxygen, the organisms responsible for the fermentation process may die, or they may produce an undesirable product. Oxygen must be continuously transferred into the fermentation medium, in order for the fermentation process to continue, and for the microbes in the fermentation medium to produce a desired product.
In certain applications, the fermentation products become very viscous. For example, in the manufacture of xanthan gum, using Xanthomonas Campestris, the fermentation broth begins with a viscosity comparable to that of water, of the order of 1 centipoise (cp). But as the process continues, and the concentration of the product xanthan gum approaches 2-4%, the viscosity of the fermentation medium may reach a level of the order of 20,000 cp. By comparison, a typical value for the viscosity of oil is in the range of about 100-300 cp.
The production of a highly viscous fermentation product is made difficult by the fact that the viscosity of the medium inhibits the transfer of oxygen to the organisms in the medium. In the prior art, the oxygen has been derived from a stream of air which is pumped into the fermentation vessel, the air being mixed into the medium by mechanical agitators. But the more product that is made, the more viscous the medium becomes, and the greater the difficulty in transferring the necessary oxygen into the medium. The fermentation process is therefore limited by the rate of oxygen transfer. The process is self-limiting, insofar as the very success of the fermentation process will cause the process to slow down, or even cease, due to lack of oxygen. When the fermentation product is highly viscous, the oxygen transfer rate becomes the most important limiting factor to the productivity of the fermentation process.
In the prior art, efforts have been made to solve the above problem by increasing the flow of air into the fermentation vessel, and increasing the agitation speed. Increasing agitation speed produces more turbulence in the fermentation medium, and the turbulence tends to enhance the mixing of air into the medium, thereby increasing the oxygen transfer rate. But experiments have shown that, while increasing the agitation speed does improve the oxygen transfer rate, the improvement is only marginal. The exact amount of improvement obtained by increasing agitation speed depends on the geometry of the vessel and the configuration of the agitator blades. Moreover, increasing the agitation speed consumes considerable energy, and it turns out that the benefit in increased oxygen transfer usually does not outweigh the additional energy cost.
Likewise, increasing the flow rate of the air introduces new problems, such as impeller flooding, foaming of product in the fermentation medium, and reduction in the efficiency of dissolution of oxygen into the medium, due to a reduced residence time of air in the vessel.
Still another way to address the problem is to replace the fermentation vessel with a larger one. This approach would tend to delay the onset of oxygen starvation, because of the larger volume of the fermentation medium. But this approach is expensive, and it only postpones, and does not solve, the fundamental problem of oxygen transfer through a viscous medium.
The present invention provides a fermentation process and method which solves the problem described above, and which provides an economical means for making a highly viscous fermentation product.

Use of pure oxygen in viscous fermentation processes


Certain implementations of a system for mounting an electronic device, such as a tablet computer, can include an enclosure housing to receive an electronic device, and multiple panels, each panel configured to be removably and interchangeably connected to the enclosure housing to modify a configuration of the enclosure housing based on the electronic device. The system of removable and interchangeable panels can be implemented as part of the design of the enclosure for the electronic devices to allow the enclosure to be flexibly configured with a variety of different accessory devices which may extend the capabilities of the electronic device in desirable ways.

When an electronic device, such as a computer, control panel, or tablet computer, is presented for public use, it is often housed in an enclosure. This enclosure can have several attributes useful when deployed in a public, unsupervised location. These attributes include physical robustness (to resist damage), tamper ad theft-resistance, resistance to ingress of water and/or contaminants, etc. An enclosure that possesses such attributes may be referred to as a "secure enclosure". One type of secure enclosure, for example, one that is deployed in a public location, may be referred to as a "kiosk".
When electronic devices are deployed as part of a kiosk, they are often configured with certain peripheral accessories to provide desired functionality. Examples of such functionality include credit card reader, bar code scanner, ID imager, camera, etc. Different deployments require different combinations of functionality.


A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth and a seventh lens units respectively having positive, negative, positive, negative, positive, negative and positive refractive powers. A distance between adjacent lens units change during zooming so that a distance between the fourth lens unit and the fifth lens unit at a telephoto end is shorter than the distance at a wide angle end and a distance between the fifth lens unit and the sixth lens unit at the telephoto end is longer than the distance at the wide angle end. And the fourth lens unit moves during focusing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens and an image pickup apparatus including the same suitable for an image pickup optical system, for example, such as a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a TV camera and a security camera, a broadcast camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
A zoom lens which has a high zoom ratio and is capable of performing high speed and high accuracy autofocus is required for an image pickup optical system used for an image pickup apparatus.
A positive lead type zoom lens which includes a lens unit having a positive refractive power on the most object side is known as a zoom lens having a high zoom ratio. Additionally, a rear focus type zoom lens which focuses by moving lens units except for a lens unit arranged on the most object side is known as a zoom lens easily performing high speed autofocus.
Additionally, recently, a single lens reflex camera is required for having a video recording function and performing autofocus during recording a video. A contrast system evaluating focusing state of an image pickup optical system by detecting high frequency component in an image pickup signal is widely used as an autofocus system during recording a video.
An image pickup apparatus using a contrast system detects a displacement direction from focusing state by vibrating a focus lens unit in an optical axis direction at high speed (hereinafter referred to as "wobbling"). And after wobbling, an optimum position of the focus lens unit becoming focusing state is calculated by detecting signal component of a specific frequency band of an image region from an output signal of an image pickup sensor. Then, the focus lens unit is moved to the optimum position so as to complete focusing. It is desirable that the focus lens unit is small and light so as to operate the focus lens unit at wobbling.
It is good for zoom lens having a high zoom ratio to contrive miniaturization and weight reduction of the lens by reducing the number of the lenses so as to perform high speed autofocus. However, when the number of the focus lens unit is easily reduced, aberration variation generated by focusing is larger. Therefore, it is important to properly select a zoom type and a focus lens unit in order to achieve high speed focus easily, make aberration variation smaller when focusing and acquire high optical performance in general object distance.
It is important to properly set transfer condition according to zooming of a plurality of lens units so as to acquire a high zoom ratio and miniaturization of an entire system simultaneously. Additionally, it is important to properly set imaging magnification of the focus lens unit and a refractive power arrangement of a lens unit at an object side and a lens unit at an image side in the focus lens unit so as to make aberration variation according to focusing smaller and acquire high optical performance in general object distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,356 discloses a zoom lens which includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and moves the second lens unit during focusing.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,356, a movement amount during focusing becomes smaller by performing focusing of the second lens unit having strong negative refractive power, but since the lens unit is comparatively large size, the focusing speed is prone to be slow and a wobbling operation corresponding to a video is hard.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-033697 discloses a zoom lens which includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and moves the fourth lens unit during focusing.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-033697, achievement of a small and light focus lens unit is contrived by performing focusing of the fourth lens unit, but optical performance is prone to change during zooming and focusing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,472,123 discloses a zoom lens which includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a negative refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and moves the third lens unit during focusing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,243,170 discloses a zoom lens which includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and moves the third lens unit during focusing.
In the focus lens unit comprising a small number of the lenses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,472,123 and 8,243,170, when the power of the focus lens unit is strong, residual aberration of the focus lens unit and aberration variation by the object distance is larger. When the refractive power of the focus lens unit is weak, the entire system is prone to grow in size since the movement amount is larger during focusing.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-317867 discloses a zoom lens which includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power, a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power, a sixth lens having a negative refractive power and a seventh lens having a positive refractive power, and moves the sixth lens unit during focusing.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-033697, the negative refractive power of the sixth lens unit comparatively arranged on the image side is stronger and an enough moving space for focusing is prepared so as to make the focus sensitivity larger. Therefore, it is difficult to become a refractive power arrangement of a retrofocus type at a wide angle and contrive a wide angle of view.


A method, machine system and thread cutting device for producing a threaded projection on a plate-shaped workpiece and in particular on a sheet-metal workpiece. A workpiece lug (2) is cut with a threaded contour in the principal plane of the workpiece and at least a section of the workpiece lug (2) featuring at least one threaded contour (5, 6) is permanently bent in the form of a threaded projection extending at the desired angle relative to the principal plane of the workpiece. A machine system (9) for implementing the method encompasses a cutting device for the relief cutting of workpiece lugs (2) as well as a thread cutting device. Also included is a bending device (15) by means of which at least a section of the workpiece lug (2) provided with at least one threaded contour (5, 6) can be permanently bent relative to the principal plane of the workpiece. A thread cutting device of the machine system (9) is appropriately configured for that purpose.

This invention relates to a method for producing a threaded projection on a plate-shaped workpiece, and in particular on a sheet metal workpiece, the threaded projection extends at an angle relative to the principal plane of the workpiece, and is produced in the form of a lug, one end of which connects to and extends on at least one side from the junction with the body of the workpiece and which is provided with a threaded contour.
The invention further relates to a machine system serving to implement said method and encompassing a cutting device for the relief cutting of lugs on workpieces, a thread cutting device, and a bending device. By means of the relief cutting device for cutting lugs on the workpiece, such lugs can be cut clear so as to leave a connection at one end to the body of the workpiece. The thread cutting device can produce a thread on at least one side of the lug that extends from the remaining workpiece, and that the bending device enables at least one section of the lug can be bent at a permanent angle relative to the principal plane of the workpiece.
Finally, the invention relates to a thread cutting device within a machine system of the type referred to above.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,179 describes a prior art system in the general category described above. In the case of that prior art system, the first step is to produce in a sheet metal workpiece two parallel slots extending from the edge of the workpiece in the direction of the center of the workpiece. The metal tongue thus cut free is subsequently folded up. This results in a folded leg with two closely neighboring sides that extend at an angle perpendicular to the principal plane of the workpiece being processed. Finally, a corresponding die stamps a threaded contour onto the forward ends of the folded legs. The threaded contours on the mutually opposite forward ends of the folded legs constitute segments of a screw thread that will accept a threaded nut.
It is the objective of this invention to improve on this earlier methodology for producing threaded lugs and to introduce devices that permit the implementation of such procedurally improved methodology.

Method and apparatus for producing a threaded projection on a plate-shaped workpiece


There is provided a solid-state image device, including a semiconductor substrate, a circuit formed on a first face of the semiconductor substrate, a grid pattern provided on a second face of the semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor layer formed within the grid pattern and having a shape whose cross-sectional surface area in a plane parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate decreases with increasing distance from the semiconductor substrate.

The present technology relates to a solid-state image device, a method of fabricating the same, and to an electronic apparatus equipped with the solid-state image device.
In front-illuminated solid-state image devices, there is proposed a configuration in which faceted Si1-xGex (where 0<x<1) is grown onto a photodiode (PD) by selective epitaxial growth (see JP 2011-155248A, for example). With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the light-condensing properties and the pixel sensitivity, mainly in the red and infrared regions, of a solid-state image device.
In addition, at present a back-illuminated solid-state image device has been proposed in order to improve pixel sensitivity.

Solid-state image device, method of fabricating the same, and electronic apparatus


An improved lighted fishing float is illustrated using a two colored high intensity light source which may be composed of either one duo colored high intensity light emitting diode or two separate colored high intensity light emitting diodes. The entire upper section of the casing is illuminated making it easier to be seen from greater distances than any other lighted fishing float on the market. The color of the light switches in response to a fish contacting a hook attached to the fishing float. The upper portion of the casing may have a magnifying lens to intensify the light beam.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to a lighted fishing float. The lights in the float change colors when a fish comes in contact with the lure or bait and alerting the fisherman.
2. Description of Prior Art
The lights utilized in conventional lighted floats are typically small and dim. They are difficult to see, do not clearly indicate the difference between a fish nibbling and a fish hooked, and quickly disappear from sight under water. This severely limits the kind and amount of information relayed to the fisherman.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,145 to Wang illustrates an illuminated fishing float with a mechanism for intensifying the light source when a fish that is attached to the float. This patent does not disclose or suggest that the light emitting source can be of two different colors one of which is switched on when a fish bites. It also uses a magnetic ball switch to apply more current to the light source when the position of the float is changed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,205 to Klammer is drawn to an illuminated float with a single light source mounted within the guide. The guide moves when a fish strikes a hook which is attached to the guide. As the guide moves up and down in response to a fish strike different portions of the float are illuminated. These portions are composed of different colors thereby the float changes colors as a fish strikes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,114 to Riead is drawn to a fishing float with a single light source of a single color. The light source is switched on when a fish strikes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,655 to Reed discloses a fishing float with an LED light source. The LED light source is one color and does not respond to strikes by fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,578 to Johnson describes a float which has a light source that illuminates when the float member has slid the predetermined distance from the remote end of the fishing line, and the remote end has descended to the predetermined maximum depth. It does not signal strikes of fish. Only one color of light is emitted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,761 to Machovina is drawn to a fishing float which has one color of light and the light is illuminated when a fish strikes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,615 to Lu describes a fishing float with flash indicators. When a fish strikes the hook the light source in the float flashes.
None of these references describe a fishing float with multicolored light sources that change color when a fish strikes.

High-intensity light-emitting diode fishing float


The present invention provides an enzyme-containing granulated product containing, in a uniformly dispersed state, an enzyme and one or more stabilizers selected from the group consisting of reducing agents and antioxidants. The invention also discloses a method for the production of the granulated product, as well as bleaching agents and detergent compositions containing the granulated product. The granulated product loses only a minimal level of enzyme activity even in the copresence of a bleaching agent, and exhibits excellent solubility. Therefore, bleach compositions and detergent compositions prepared by incorporating the granulated product fully exhibit the enzyme activity and bleaching activity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an enzyme-containing granulated product having improved stability, and more particularly to an enzyme-containing granulated product that undergoes only minimal reduction in activity even in the presence of peroxides typified by bleaching agents. The invention also relates to methods for preparing such products as well as to bleach compositions and detergent compositions containing the product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Detergents and bleaches for clothing frequently contain a variety of enzymes, in addition to surfactants or bleaching ingredients, in an effort to improve detergent power. These enzymes are usually incorporated in the form of granules so as not to lose their activity during storage and to sufficiently exhibit their activities during washing. The enzymatic stability of such enzyme-containing granulated products decreases when the granulated products are blended with bleaching agents, surfactants, builders for detergents, or similar materials. In particular, it is known that enzyme activity decreases considerably when a granulated product is blended with a bleaching agent.
Measures to prevent the reduction of enzyme activity of enzyme-containing granulated products are disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 62-79298, which describes an enzyme composition in which the core part containing an enzyme is coated with a protective layer containing an alkaline buffering salt of pH 7-11,and by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 3-149298, which describes a bleaching agent containing hydrase particles, in which the enzyme nuclei are coated with a protective agent such as a water-soluble alkali metal silicate, a transition metal, or a reducing agent.
However, those conventional methods for stabilizing enzymes have a problem in that when the thickness of the coating layer is increased or a large amount of a water-soluble substance is incorporated into the coatings so as to fully stabilize the enzymes, the enzyme-containing granulated products come to have reduced solubility in water, and therefore the detergent power of enzymes cannot be sufficiently exerted during use in washing. On the other hand, when the thickness of the coating layer is reduced for the purpose of solubility, the enzymes cannot be satisfactorily stabilized.
Under the above circumstances, the present inventors conducted a variety of studies regarding means for stabilizing enzymes, and found that, so far as enzymes, such as hydrolase, are concerned, the copresence, in a uniformly dispersed state, of such an enzyme, and a stabilizing agent, such as a reducing agent or an antioxidant, is effective in avoiding deactivation of the enzyme and provides a granulated product having excellent solubility. This is surprising because in the past, it has been customary in the preparation of such a granulated product to separate an enzyme from a reducing agent by the use of a coating or the like. The present invention was accomplished based on this finding.

Enzyme-containing granulated product method of preparation and compositions containing the granulated product


In order to obtain a linear electron accelerator having enhanced beam performance, a thermion emitting face 11 of a cathode 10 is enclosed by carbon 17. Consequently, distribution of an electric field 30 for leading out electrons becomes parallel with the thermion emitting face 11. Therefore, electron beams emitted from the thermion emitting face 11 become streamlines parallel with each other. Thus, the beam performance of the linear electron accelerator can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron linear accelerator, and more particularly to an electron linear accelerator having enhanced electron beam focusing properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electron linear accelerator has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,103 and the like. FIG. 11 shows an example of the electron linear accelerator according to the prior art.
In FIG. 11, a cathode for emitting thermions is provided on a cathode support cylinder 15. The thermions are led out to an RF electron gun cavity 12 in a direction of an electron accelerating tube 14 by a microwave generated from an RF source 13.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of a tip of the cathode support cylinder 15 shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 12, the tip of the cathode support cylinder 15 is provided with a cathode 10 for emitting thermions. The cathode 10 is heated by a cathode heater 16. The thermions are emitted from a face 11 of the heated cathode 10. The RF electron gun cavity 12 is provided ahead of the thermion emitting face 11 of the cathode 10. An electric field 30 of the microwave generated from the RF source 13 for leading a thermion 25 in the direction of the accelerating tube 14 exists in the RF electron gun cavity 12. The thermion 25 is led out of the vicinity of the thermion emitting face 11 of the cathode 10 by the electric field 30, and is incident on the accelerating tube 14 through an RF electron gun and is accelerated to a high energy.
In such an electron linear accelerator according to the prior art, however, distribution of the electric field 30 for leading out the thermion 25 in the vicinity of the cathode 10 easily becomes uneven as shown in FIG. 12. In other words, the distribution of the electric field 30 is not parallel with the thermion emitting face 11. For this reason, the thermions 25 are not moved in parallel with each other toward the accelerating tube 14 (FIG. 11) so that an electron beam diverges. Therefore, beam performance such as an electron emittance or focusing properties of the electron beam are deteriorated.


A logic circuit such as a parallel counter comprises logic for generating output bits as elementary symmetric functions of the input bits. The parallel counter can be used in a multiplication circuit. A multiplication circuit is also provided in which an array of combinations of each bit of a binary number with each other bit of another binary number is generated having a reduced form in order to reduce the steps required in array reduction.

It is instrumental for many applications to have a block that adds n inputs of the same binary weight together. An output of this block is a binary representation of the number of high inputs. Such blocks, called parallel counters (L. Dadda, Some Schemes for Parallel Multipliers, Alta Freq 34: 349-356 (1965); E. E. Swartzlander Jr., Parallel Counters, IEEE Trans. Comput. C-22: 1021-1024 (1973)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference), are used in circuits performing binary multiplication. There are other applications of a parallel counter, for instance, majority-voting decoders or RSA encoders and decoders. It is important to have an implementation of a parallel counter that achieves a maximal speed. It is known to use parallel counters in multiplication (L. Dadda, On Parallel Digital Multipliers, Alta Freq 45: 574-580 (1976)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference).
A full adder is a special parallel counter with a three-bit input and a two-bit output. A current implementation of higher parallel counters i.e. with a bigger number of inputs is based on using full adders (C. C. Foster and F. D. Stockton, Counting Responders in an Associative Memory, IEEE Trans. Comput. C-20: 1580-1583 (1971)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference). In general, the least significant bit of an output is the fastest bit to produce in such implementation while other bits are usually slower.
The following notation is used for logical operations:                ⊕—Exclusive OR;        —OR;        —AND;        —NOT.
An efficient prior art design (Foster and Stockton) of a parallel counter uses full adders. A full adder, denoted FA, is a three-bit input parallel counter shown in FIG. 1. It has three inputs X1, X2, X3, and two outputs S and C. Logical expressions for outputs areS=X1⊕X2⊕X3,C=(X1X2)(X1X3)(X2X3).
A half adder, denoted HA, is a two bit input parallel counter shown in FIG. 1. It has two inputs X1, X2 and two outputs S and C. Logical expressions for outputs areS=X1⊕X2,C=X1AX2.
A prior art implementation of a seven-bit input parallel counter illustrated in FIG. 2.
A paper by Irving T. To and Tien Chi Chen entitled "Multiple Addition by Residue Threshold Functions and Their Representation by Array Logic" (IEEE Trans. Comput. C-22:762-767 (1973)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference) discloses a method of adding together a collection of numbers using exact symmetric functions to implement residue threshold functions. This arrangement provides some improvement in speed over conventional full adders but requires a large increase in area due to the need to compute exactly.
Multiplication is a fundamental operation. Given two n-digit binary numbersAn−12n−1+An−22n−2+ . . . +A12+A0 and Bn−12n−1+Bn−22n−2+ . . . +B12+B0,their productP2n−122n−1+P2n−222n−2+ . . . +P12+P0may have up to 2n digits. Logical circuits generating all Pi as outputs generally follow the scheme in FIG. 14. Wallace has invented the first fast architecture for a multiplier, now called the Wallace-tree multiplier (Wallace, C. S., A Suggestion for a Fast Multiplier, IEEE Trans. Electron. Comput. EC-13: 14-17 (1964)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference). Dadda has investigated bit behaviour in a multiplier (L. Dadda, Some Schemes for Parallel Multipliers, Alta Freq 34: 349-356 (1965)) (the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference). He has constructed a variety of multipliers and most parallel multipliers follow Dadda's or Wallace's scheme.
Dadda's multiplier uses the scheme in on FIG. 22. If inputs have 8 bits then 64 parallel AND gates generate an array shown in FIG. 23. The AND gate Sign  is omitted for clarity so that AiBj becomes AiBj. The rest of FIG. 23 illustrates array reduction that involves full adders (FA) and half adders (HA). Bits from the same column are added by half adders or full adders. Some groups of bits fed into a full adder are in rectangles. Some groups of bits fed into a half adder are in ovals. The result of array reduction is just two binary numbers to be added at the last step. One adds these two numbers by one of the fast addition schemes, for instance, conditional adder or carry-look-ahead adder.

Parallel counter and a logic circuit for performing multiplication


Variable potential electrokinetic devices and electrokinetic multipliers used for pumping and flow control are disclosed that offer improvements in safety and design flexibility. The devices of the present invention take advantage of combinations of pumping conduits and conducting conduits to permit the use of lower operating voltages in pumps, pressure multipliers, and flow controllers. Devices having N pumping stages and 2N+1 electrodes permit the use of arbitrary voltages at the fluid connection points between the devices and other system components, further improving device safety and flexibility.

The invention pertains to the fields of fluid handling and electroosmotic flow. More particularly, the invention pertains to variable potential electrokinetic devices useful as pumps and flow controllers.
Electrokinetic pumps are useful for pumping fluids in a highly controllable manner. In addition, electrokinetic pumps provide advantages over mechanical pumps because the electrokinetic pumps may be manufactured with few or no moving parts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,164 and 6,019,882 describe the manufacture and use of the first electrokinetic pumps capable of generating pressures in excess of a few pounds per square inch ("psi").
Electrokinetic flow controllers are useful for managing the flow of fluids through conduits and also have the advantage that they may be manufactured with few or no moving parts. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/942,884 assigned to Eksigent Technologies LLC describes the manufacture and use of the first electrokinetic flow controllers.
Notwithstanding these advantages, prior art electrokinetic pumps and flow controllers suffer from one or more shortcomings with respect to fluid composition, operating voltages, voltages at connection points to other devices, and pumping efficiencies that limit their use in many fluid handling applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,978 by Hanneman et al. discloses an electrohydraulic transducer designed to work with a purified, non-aqueous liquid having a hydrocarbon portion and a polar group and having a dielectric constant between 5 and 100. Furthermore, the devices taught by Hanneman et al. include in the pumping fluid a small amount of redox material so that the oxidation occurring at the anode balances the reduction occurring at the cathode thereby enabling the composition of the ionizing liquid to remain in an operationally stable condition over a period of a number of hours during the continuous application of an electrical potential difference of 200 volts and higher across the electrodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,067 to Parce provides a micropump that utilizes electroosmotic pumping of fluid in one conduit or region to generate a pressure based flow of material in a connected conduit, where the connected conduit has substantially no electroosmotic flow generated. The devices taught by Parce typically are fabricated using open microscale conduits, and include conduit wall surfaces that have associated charged functional groups to produce sufficient electroosmotic flow to generate requisite pressures in those conduits in which no electroosmotic flow is taking place. Parce also teaches that electroosmotic flow preferably is avoided in the first conduit portion either by providing the first conduit portion with substantially no net surface charge to propagate electroosmotic flow, or alternatively and preferably, electroosmotic flow is avoided in the first conduit portion by applying substantially no voltage gradient across the length of this conduit portion.
Takamura et al. ("Low-Voltage Electroosmosis Pump and Its Application to On-Chip Linear Stepping Pneumatic Pressure Source," in J. M. Ramsey and A. van den Berg (eds.), Micro Total Analysis Systems 2001, pp. 230-232 (2001) Kluwer Academic Publishers, the Netherlands)(which reference is not admitted by applicants to be prior art to the present invention) teach low-voltage electroosmotic flow pumps consisting of narrow conduits and cascade configuration microfabricated on quartz chips. Takamura et al. do not teach, as their FIG. 4 illustrates, how to design and build pumps capable of generating pressures more than about 80 mm H2O (0.1 psi) or 4 mm H2O/volt (0.006 psi/volt), nor do they teach how to within broad limits arbitrarily set the potential at the inlet and outlet connection points of their electroosmotic pump.
The present invention addresses these and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing variable potential electroosmotic devices such as pumps capable of operation over a wide range of fluid composition and operating voltages, that can be fabricated as micro- or macro-scale devices, that are capable of generating considerably greater pressures/volt as compared to the prior art devices, and that can be configured for improved device safety and compatibility by allowing for the control of applied voltage at either or both of the ends of the devices. The present invention also provides improved geometries to enhance performance, safety and compatibility of electroosmotic flow controllers such as those described in co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/942,884.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An access control system including a base station located near a stationary target site used to control access to the stationary target site and satellite access station coupled to the exterior of a satellite target site used to control access to the satellite target site. The base station includes an identification device, storage device, a control unit, a user interface and a transceiver. A master database containing a list of access information for all of the satellite access stations is stored in the storage device. Each satellite access station includes a second identification device, a second storage device, a control unit and a second transponder. A satellite database contains a list of access information for the satellite target site. Information contained in the master database for a particular satellite access station is provided to the particular satellite access station and stored in the satellite database.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to communication systems and access control systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for controlling access to multiple target areas using a base station and at least one satellite access station, where the base station can be used to update data in the at least one satellite access station.
2. Background
Access control systems are used to limit access to target areas. Access control systems typically include an identification device that is capable of receiving input related to the identity of an individual, such as a unique code. The identification device determines whether an individual that corresponds to the input is authorized to enter the target area. If the input data, e.g., key code or input data, matches data that is prestored, the individual is allowed to enter the targeted area. For example, a lock on a door will unlock.
Access control systems are commonly used in private buildings, hotels, airports, banks and other secure locations. For example, in a hotel each room is equipped with a keycard reader. The reader controls access to the room and can unlock a door if the reader detects the proper authorization code on a keycard. The authorization codes are sent to the reader by the central controller. Typically, the codes will be sent to the reader when a guest checks in. The authorization codes are customized to a particular door or doors and to particular dates or times. Typically, one code is issued for each door for each authorized time period.
In the above described access control system the reader and the central controller are fixed in location and can be directly wired to each other. However, when a target area is a temporary area or a satellite environment, the locations of the target site are not fixed and, therefore, the same process to input or download information to the reader or identification devices cannot be used.
Management of access information and control information in satellite target sites are difficult because the satellite sites or target areas are not always connected or physically present at a central location.
There is a need for an efficient solution to track or restrict access in a satellite environment, which is part of an access control system. More particularly, there is a need to be able to efficiently update a satellite database with access rights, so that only authorized personnel will be allowed to enter the satellite facility where the access rights periodically change.

Integrated access control system and a method of controlling the same


A method to detect chromatin-interacting RNAs in any given state of a cell or tissue by examining global RNA interactions with DNA by deep sequencing. A method to generate a global view of chromatin-RNA interactome by mapping the binding locations on the genome of each detected chromatin interacting RNA.

Decades of genomic research reveal that mammalian genomes are more prevalently transcribed than previously anticipated. It is now quite clear that mammalian genomes express not only protein-coding RNAs but also a large repertoire of non-coding RNAs that have regulatory functions in different layers of gene expression. Many of those regulatory RNAs appear to directly act on chromatin, as exemplified by various long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Some of those regulatory RNAs mediate genomic interactions only in cis, while others, such as MALAT1 and NEAT1, are capable of acting in trans.

Methods for global RNA-chromatin interactome discovery

The Regents of the University of California


An assembly for measuring force at a friction coupling, more particularly in the driveline of a motor vehicle. The assembly includes an outer plate carrier (6) at which outer plates (7) are held so as to be rotationally secured and in a way so as to be axially displaceable, wherein at least one of the outer plates (7) comprises an outer cam (12); an inner plate carrier (8) at which inner plates (9) are held in a rotationally fast way and in a way so as to be axially displaceable; wherein the outer plates (7) and the inner plates (9) are arranged so as to alternate in the axial direction, while jointly forming a plate package (10); a force measuring device arranged in such a way that, upon actuation of the friction coupling (3), it is loaded by the cam (12) in an operating direction extending at a distance from, and transversely to, the longitudinal axis (A).

The friction coupling can be used in a differential assembly for variably distributing torque between two output shafts or as a hang-on coupling for an optionally drivable driving axle of a motor vehicle. A differential assembly featuring a variable torque distribution is known for example from U.S. Publication No. 2006/0172845, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,235 describes an example of a hang-on coupling.
Said friction couplings serve control purposes, more particularly they control the distribution of torque at two wheels of a driven axle or the distribution of torque between two drivable axles. To be able to carry out said control procedures, the coupling torque transmitted by the coupling has to be known and has to be continuously determined by suitable means. Because of changes in the friction coefficient of the friction lining which occur as a function of temperature and service life, determining the coupling moment via the pressure force of the friction plates is an inaccurate approximation of the actual coupling moment. In sophisticated lock and vectoring concepts with a variable torque distribution, inaccurate coupling moment estimates are inadequate and lead to complicated control methods or a limited use of the systems.
WO 2005/064209 A1 proposes a method of determining the coupling moment as well as a friction coupling with an electromechanical actuator. The actuator comprises a supporting disc axially fixed in a housing and a displaceable setting disc axially supported on the supporting disc. The supporting disc is provided in the form of an annular piston which is arranged in an annular chamber filled with a hydraulic fluid. For measuring the hydraulic pressure, a pressure sensing element is arranged in the annular chamber in the housing. The measured pressure is converted into an estimate of the transmitted coupling moment.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved systems for accurately determining a torque at a friction coupling.

Assembly for determining torque at a friction coupling


A process and system for evaluating the deterministic behavior of a packet switching network including subscriber stations connected to each other through at least one switch, the behavior defined as deterministic if any packet sent on the network from a source subscriber station joins the destination subscriber station(s) within a limited time. The process and system determines if each output port from each switch on the network satisfies the relationship:

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and system for evaluating the deterministic behavior of a packet switching network, particularly in avionics.
2. Discussion of the Background
The process and system described in documents according to prior art, references [1], [2] and [3] at the end of this description, are based on statistical considerations adapted to land telecommunication networks, but which are not easily adapted for an aircraft.
The purpose of this invention is to evaluate that a packet switching network actually has a deterministic behavior, particularly in avionics.

Process and system evaluating deterministic behavior of a packet switching network

Abstract: i                                                              number                                                              of                                                              virtual                                                              links                                              passing                                                              through                                                              the                                                              buffer                                                                          [                          1              +                              int                                                  (                                                                                (                                                          Jitter                                                                                In                                                        )                                                    i                                                                        i                                            +                                              max                                                                                Latency                                                              BAGi                                    )                                                      ]                    *                                                          (                          max                                                                                frame                                                                                duration                        )                    ≤          latency                    in which: the max latency value is a maximum residence time in an output buffer of a switch, this value may be different for each switch in the network, BAGi is a minimum time between two consecutive frames belonging to a virtual link i, before they are transmitted, (Jitter In) i is Jitter associated with a virtual link i that represents a time interval between a theoretical instant at which a frame is transmitted, and its effective transmission that may be before or after the theoretical instant, and (max frame duration) i is a duration of a longest frame on the virtual link i.


A mechanism for lifting a cassette holder of a car audio player has a roller in contact with a mode changeover for changing operation modes according to an instruction of a control portion. A lifting guidance portion slides in contact with a side chassis by the roller which urges a stopper protruding from one side of the lifting guidance portion. A cassette holder ascends and descends according to the sliding of the lifting guidance portion. The cassette holder is held on a loading position by engaging a hook formed at the lifting guidance portion with a blocking protrusion formed at a position corresponding with the hook. In an unloading mode, the mode changeover lever is held in an unloading condition by a locking portion which is installed at a bottom chassis and then clamps the roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for lifting a cassette holder in a car audio, more particularly to a mechanism in which a cassette holder ascends along with a lifting guidance portion in an unloading operation and in which the cassette holder descends and holds in a loading operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Audio devices recently developed are designed to accomplish various functions like an autoreverse, a section repetition, etc. In particular, the autoreverse function automatically switches a tape traveling direction from a forward direction to a reverse direction and vice versa. Hence, the autoreverse type car audio device has a mode changeover lever for switching operation modes according to an instruction of a control portion. A head, one of pinch rollers, and the cassette holder actuate by the mode changeover lever according to the changeover of the operation modes, an ejecting mode, play mode, changeover mode, etc. The cassette holder actuated relative with the mode changeover lever ascends to eject a tape in a loading mode and descends to read out information recorded on the tape in an unloading mode. Therefore, various mechanisms are proposed to lift the cassette holder according to the operation modes. One of the conventional cassette holder lifting devices comprises springs for ascending and descending the cassette holder according to the operation mode. In tape loading mode, the cassette holder loads the springs against their elastic force and descends. In tape unloading mode, the springs return to their original condition, and the cassette holder ascends by the force of restitution of the springs.
First, however, when a car having an audio system with the conventional cassette holder lifting mechanism travels on the road and an operation mode of the audio system is in a playing mode, a vibration of the car affects the operation of the car audio. The cassette holder vibrates. Thus bad contact between the head and the tape occurs. Hence, a signal quality which is read out from the tape is bad.
Second, in the conventional cassette holder lifting mechanism, when the operation mode is the tape loading mode, the cassette holder actuated relative with a mode changeover lever instantaneously loads the spring against their elastic force. When the operation mode is the unloading mode, the cassette holder instantaneously returns to the original position by the elastic force of the springs. The mode changeover lever is affected by the springs.
Third, the operation mode of the cassette holder is unstable because the cassette holder is placed at the ascending position by the elastic spring in the unloading mode.

Mechanism for lifting a cassette holder in a car audio player