A closed-loop vision system is disclosed that utilizes a concept known as Dynamically Reconfigurable Vision (DRV), which is adaptive image sensing driven by a computer or human operator's response to changing scenery. The system reduces the amount of irrelevant video information sensed and thus achieves more effective bandwidth and computational resource utilization, as compared to traditional vision systems. One or more reconfigurable photodetector arrays sensitive to either visible, infrared or ultraviolet radiation are present in the DRV system. These photodetector arrays feature on-chip means for spatial and temporal data reduction implemented through multiple independently controllable, time-correlated, frequently overlapping windows on the photodetector array that may be programmed according to their size, location, resolution, integration time, and frame rate. All photodetector array windows are dynamically reconfigurable in real time on a frame-by-frame basis. Furthermore, a DRV system is constructed in a client-server architecture in which a vision processor client passes window request command messages to the reconfigurable photodetector array server, which in turn delivers the requested video back to the client processor. The ability to simultaneously reconfigure, integrate, process, and readout multiple photodetector array video windows is an important characteristic of the DRV system.

Vision systems for detecting, identifying, and tracking targets must acquire and process large volumes of video data in real time. Most applications requiring these tasks, however, are characterized by imagery where targets and other objects of interest occupy only a small fraction of the total scene. Hence, traditional imaging systems that employ uniform and constant spatial resolution throughout the entire field of view acquire much irrelevant information and thus burden valuable data processing and communication resources in the system. As a result, such systems are slow and do not operate at their full potential due to a flood of unimportant video information. Building vision systems with multiple cameras, several processors, high-bandwidth communication links, and specialized hardware will increase performance, but results in equipment that is complex, expensive, large, heavy, high power consuming, and prone to failures. These constraints make constant resolution vision systems difficult or impossible to use where space, speed of response, and reliability are critical considerations, for instance, in defense applications.
Humans and other vertebrates have foveal vision that allows them to concurrently perform several tasks: survey a wide field of view at a low resolution for situational awareness and detection of features or targets of interest; track moving targets with great accuracy; scan at high resolution these multiple targets of interest; and communicate over channels with limited bandwidth (neurons) the information of interest to the computer (brain). Because high-resolution imaging is limited to the fovea, which is fixed in the center of the retina, the tracking of targets involves movement of the eyes and the head.
The vision system of the present invention operates according to a concept termed Dynamically Reconfigurable Vision, or DRV, which is inspired by the biologically proven concept of foveal vision, but is further extended for practicality in a machine vision implementation. DRV is adaptive image sensing driven by a computer or human operator's response to changing scenery. One goal of this system is to reduce the amount of irrelevant video information sensed and thus achieve more effective bandwidth and computational resource utilization than traditional vision systems. This is achieved by a system controlled by a computer or microprocessor and a photodetector array for imaging a frame of a scene through multiple independently controllable, time-correlated, overlapping photodetector array windows, which are dynamically reconfigurable in real time, and where such windows in a frame are capable of having varying resolution.
Several vision systems or imaging photodetector arrays have been developed which do not enable DRV. U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,654 describes a focal plane array imaging device having sensor windowing, variable integration time, and snapshot mode. U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,469 describes a control system for an image array sensors providing multiple windows. U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,311 provides a pixel array imager with a high and low resolution mode. U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,483 describes a multiresolution image sensor that contains an electronic shutter, can form multiple pixel windows, and possesses a multiresolution imaging circuit for averaging pixels into groups of superpixels. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,335 provides a color CCD sensor video camera that is adapted for processing images of different resolution to provide a user selectable image size. U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,208 describes a reconfigurable camera with low-bandwidth transmission capability using a conventional image sensor, processor, and memory that can hold several image compression algorithms. These vision systems and sensors do not provide a reduction in the amount of irrelevant information sensed through the use of a computer-controlled system for imaging a scene through multiple independently controllable, time-correlated, overlapping sensor windows.
In a publication by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a photodetector array circuitry is described that performs snapshot imaging and pixel averaging, see F B. Pain and X. Zheng, Active Pixel Sensor with Photosites in Substrates, NASA Tech Brief, vol. 23, no. 10, October 1999 (from JPL New Technology Report NPO-20534). This circuitry requires the host computer to send control signals to the sensor for the extraction of the signal from each superpixel, and like the other prior art system, do not provide imaging a scene through a multiple independently controllable, time-correlated, overlapping sensor windows.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,871, a multiresolution image sensor is described that inputs data representing a superpixel to a computer that controls the size of that superpixel. The computer extracts video data from the photodetector array one superpixel at a time. This is time consuming and reduces bandwidth by increasing the amount of interaction between the computer and the camera. Furthermore, the values reporting the level of illumination of the superpixels generated by the system are a function of pixel size in which this value is equal to the sum of the comprising pixels. The superpixel values are normalized so that the image processing algorithms do not erroneously interpret the superpixel to represent a bright scene region. This operation requires extra time and system memory, thus slowing down the image processing. Larger pixel values also require a wider dynamic range in the video communication circuits. In addition, the photodetector array described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,871 does not operate in a snapshot mode, so that the exposure time can be different for different pixels after the system has been reconfigured, requiring the computer to carry out additional normalization of pixel values in order to avoid a mistake in interpreting the pixel values in the context of the image. Moreover, because the pixels in this patent are exposed at different times, any motion in the field of view (due to camera and/or target motion) will introduce artifacts, such as target warping, artifacts that reduce the accuracy of the target classification. Overexposed pixels in an image will appear brighter than the properly exposed or underexposed pixels in the same image.
Other developed vision systems that use fixed geometry multiresolution have a two-dimensional photodetector array that has small size pixels in the center and larger size pixels in the periphery, closely simulating the anatomical structure of the retina. Such arrays are not reconfigurable, do not operate in a closed loop fashion with the vision processor, and require a pointing mechanism for gazing. Mechanical pointing suffers from instabilities and is slow. Further, because the topology of the array in a fixed geometry system cannot be changed on demand, some relevant regions of the scene may not be resolved adequately, as a result sacrificing system reliability and usefulness, while the irrelevant regions may be resolved too finely, hence reducing the efficiency of system resource utilization.
In still other systems, referred to as pyramidal machine vision systems, targets are detected using low resolution; these targets are then scanned using localized high-resolution windows. However, the pixels that form the high resolution windows are not combined into superpixels directly in the pixel array, but the information from individual pixels is combined in the computer so as to mimic superpixels. These techniques require the processing of video from a uniform resolution camera to generate the pyramid data structure. As a result, the communications bandwidth and the video processing resources are not used any more efficiently than in a conventional uniform resolution camera.

Dynamically reconfigurable vision system


The invention comprises methods and apparatuses for interleaving a number of memory cards of different sizes. A restricted range modulo-N adder for identifying and selecting the correct interleave card is provided. Another aspect of the invention provides a computer system with flexible memory interleaving capability.

Computers and computer systems typically have two busses, an address bus and a data bus. The address bus, used for addressing and control, is usually of a fixed width, and carries the necessary signals to initiate transactions between the computer's internal memory and peripheral devices. Data is typically transferred over the data bus. In some cases the address bus and data bus are multiplexed for transferring addresses and data.
It is often desirable to organize the computer's storage area into interleaved blocks or cards of memory. Interleaved memory can allow two or more memory blocks to be accessed at a fraction of a cycle apart, thereby significantly reducing cycle time and improving memory speed. The simplest interleave procedure assigns sequential line addresses within a group or list of addresses to sequentially numbered memory blocks. However, this typically requires a large "modulo arithmetic" operation to determine the block number for a given address.
Modulo arithmetic is most easily understood as a remainder function. For instance, 21 divided by 4 equals 5 plus a remainder of 1. Therefore, 21 modulo-5 equals 1. Since, as is well known, division is expensive to implement, modulo arithmetic can be carried out by a repetitive subtraction method whereby the modulus (5 in the preceding example) is repetitively subtracted from the original number (21 in the preceding example) until the result is less than the modulus. For example, 21 modulo-5 is computed as follows: ##EQU1##
A system having memory organized as 3 blocks of 256 Kbytes each would need a calculation of 256K modulo-3 addresses, which would be difficult in hardware designed for an arbitrary number of N blocks. The easiest simplification is to allow only values of N (the modulus) which are powers of 2, so that the modulo-N operation simply involves extracting a bit field. This method, however, is too inflexible, particularly when adding incremental memory.
An alternative to the above "bit shift" interleave method, for interleaving a power of 2 memory cards, employs an address bit to activate the cards. For example, consider a typical, non-interleaved, byte-addressed system. Assume each memory card supplies 32 bits (4 bytes) per access. Assume further that the address space is 20 bits, and that memory cards are each 64 Kbytes. The address space may then be arranged as follows: ##STR1##
To modify this arrangement to allow interleaving of 2 memory cards, the offset bits are shifted one bit to the left and the LSB (bit 17) of the original offset bits is used as a fourth card select bit, or an interleave bit. ##STR2## This method and variations of it are in common use. It can be extended easily for systems with memory blocks in powers of 2. However, this method, like the above bit shift method, is too inflexible when adding incremental memory.
The foregoing discussion reflects the fact that, to reduce the complexity of the interleaving circuitry, known interleaving systems require memory blocks to be present in powers of two, e.g., 2, 4, 8, etc. In such systems, six banks of memory, for example, would have to be organized as a bank of two and a bank of four, or three banks of two interleaved memory systems. Due to the heretofore relative complexity of the circuitry for carrying out the interleaving, an arbitrary number of banks has not been practical in the prior art. Nonetheless, there are advantages in being able to interleave an arbitrary, non-power of 2, number of memory banks, e.g., when adding memory to the system.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a practical system for carrying out memory interleaving with an arbitrary number of memory blocks. A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and corresponding apparatus whereby the memory blocks can be connected to the address bus and a block identification number provided which the respective blocks can use to select themselves. The present invention achieves these goals.


An apparatus and a system, as well as a method and article, may operate to reserve access for a source device included in a plurality N of source devices to N−1 logical channels accessible by a set of target devices included in the plurality of source devices by creating a static map, wherein N is a positive integer.

A single physical apparatus (e.g., a cellular telephone or a laptop computer) may include several devices (e.g., hardware components, software components, an application subsystem, a communication subsystem, etc.) that may be connected together by a multi-drop link such as a mobile scalable link (MSL). Each device may have access to a limited number of multiple independent logical channels to communicate with other devices. When communication between a source device and a target device occurs, the source device may be used to allocate to the target device a specific set of channel numbers. Until this happens, the channels used for communication between a selected pair of devices may be unknown.
In some apparatus, an arbitration scheme may be used to establish channel ownership and use. However, this may result in limiting the amount of data (e.g., 32 bytes) that can be sent over any channel before the quantum of communication time allotted comes to an end. The source device may then have to give up the link for use by another source device, such that transmission of large packets within the apparatus is split across several time slots. Additional delay may result when other source devices are not be permitted to transmit data to the same channel of the target device until the target device has completely received all portions of the packet (e.g., to eliminate the need to parse individual chunks of the packet, which is perhaps an even slower process).

Communication access apparatus, systems, and methods


An apparatus and method for measuring concentration of a liquid-state refrigerant of a nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture. A container is disposed in such a way that a liquid-state refrigerant mixture of the nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture in a saturated state is temporarily stored with set quality. By measuring temperature and pressure of the liquid-state refrigerant mixture, concentration of the liquid-state refrigerant can be calculated from a database regarding a relationship between a saturation vapor pressure, temperature, quality, and concentration of the previously-stored nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture in the saturated state. Thus, a configuration for measuring the concentration of the liquid-state refrigerant-absorbent mixture includes a container, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor and thus is very simple and the cost for the configuration can be reduced. In addition, the container can be easily mounted on existing equipment without disturbance of a flow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring concentration of a liquid-state refrigerant of a nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture and a heat pump including the apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring concentration of a liquid-state refrigerant of a nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture, whereby the concentration of the liquid-state refrigerant may be measured using a saturation pressure and temperature of the liquid-state refrigerant and an absorption type heat pump including the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In absorption type heat pump systems using ammonia, or the like as a refrigerant, the concentration of an ammonia aqueous solution varies according to a current flow. Thus, information regarding the concentration of an aqueous solution is essential in order to evaluate and control the capability of an absorption type heat pump system. In general, a small amount of ammonia aqueous solution can be extracted from the absorption type heat pump system, and the concentration of the ammonic aqueous solution can be measured using titration or density measurement that is an extraction method. However, when such an extraction method is used, it may be difficult to measure the concentration of the ammonia aqueous solution in real-time, or a handling process may be inconvenient and dangerous. In addition, a very small amount of ammonia aqueous solution can be evaporated or may leak during an extraction process. Thus, a measurement error may be generated, and it is difficult to maintain the same conditions after the extraction process has been performed.
In order to solve the problems relating to the extraction method, a method of predicting the concentration of an aqueous solution by using an apparatus for measuring conductance is disclosed in 'Romero R. j., Herna' ndez J., Ramirez O., and Aguillon J., 1999, Thermodynamic Data in a Falling Film Absorber Operation on Ammonia/Water Solutions, Proc. of the Int. Sorption Heat Pump Conf., pp. 283-289. However, the reliability of concentration predicted by a method of measuring conductance has not been verified yet.

Apparatus and method for measuring concentration of liquid-state refrigerant of nonazeotrope refrigerant mixture, and absorption type, 1-stage compressing-absorbing type and 2-stage compressing-absorbing type heat pump including the apparatus


An infrared transceiver for an application interface card for use with a computer in a wireless Local Area Network. The transceiver includes a multi-facet beam deflector to maximize dispersion of the infrared beams in a room while maintaining a compact arrangement for the interface card. In another aspect, the transceiver includes a revolving turret to provide directional capabilities for serial IR or point-to-point communication applications. The transceiver is suitable for PCMCIA interface cards.

Local area networks (LANs) are prevalent in computing, and the connection of computers in a LAN provides a convenient vehicle for distributed processing and efficient allocation of resources, such as servers, printers, scanners, and gateway communication devices. In the office environment, LANs typically comprise wired interconnections between stations or computers. Wired LANs have the disadvantage that extensive cabling is required to interconnect the stations in the network. The installation of such cabling is generally inconvenient and gives rise to inflexibility if it is desired to alter the physical locations of the stations comprising the network.
To overcome the disadvantages of wired LANs, it has been proposed to utilize a wireless transmission link to replace the cabling connections of a wired LAN. Wireless communication between two points is well known and two approaches have emerged as solutions for wireless LANs. One solution uses radio frequency (RF) communication techniques to implement the communication channels. The other solution utilizes infrared (IR) radiation as a communication medium. Infrared based systems have found widespread appeal, particularly in an indoor environment, such as an office building. Infrared based systems have the additional advantage of not requiring compliance with the more stringent government regulations applied to RF based systems, for example, as would be required for a system utilizing microwave frequency signals.
Communication interconnections in a wireless LAN utilizing infrared are set up using infrared transceivers. A station, e.g. personal computer (PC), is connected to a transceiver. The transceiver has an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver. The infrared transmitter includes at least one infrared light emitting diode (LED), and typically comprises an array of infrared LEDs. The infrared receiver comprises one or more photodiodes responsive to the output wavelength spectrum of the LED in the transceiver of the communication station on the LAN.
In the art, infrared-based transceivers fall into two general classes: diffused IR transceivers and directed beam IR transceivers. Diffused IR transceivers typically comprise an array of LEDs which disperse infrared beams throughout an office space. The infrared beams are picked up by the receivers of transceivers on stations located throughout the office. Diffused IR transceivers permit a data processing station, i.e. computer, to talk with a number of other stations located in the office space. In directed beam IR transceivers, the infrared beam is directed towards the transceiver of the station intended for communication. In other words, there is a line of sight path between two stations and the infrared beam is directed along this line of sight path. Direct beam IR transceivers are commonly referred to as "point and shoot" or "serial IR" systems, and find widespread use in establishing a communication link between a computer and peripheral device, for example, a notebook computer and a laser printer.
The performance and integrity of an infrared communication link will depend on the operating environment, particularly the ambient light and the reflectivity of the interior surfaces. Infrared systems tend to provide better performance in an office space where the ambient light level is not very high, especially, in systems where the carrier beam is not high frequency modulated. The reflectivity of the interior surfaces of an office space will also affect transmission of infrared beams. Surfaces having a tendency to absorb infrared beams will degrade the performance of an infrared communication system, and in particular a system comprising diffused beam devices. It is possible to lessen the effects of the operating environment using set-up techniques for the infrared transceivers and adjustments to the orientations of the beam paths.
The development of reduced size laptop, notebook computers and handheld computing devices has necessitated the concurrent development of modems and network adapters of suitable size to fit within the housings of these computers to provide the capability for connection to LANs.
This trend has led to the development of PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) cards to house the interface circuits. PCMCIA cards are also known as PC cards in the industry. These cards are inserted into slots provided in the computer housing and provide an interface between the external communication line and the computer. The PC cards come in two standard sizes. Type I PC cards are 3.3 mm thick, and Type II cards are 5 mm thick.
With the development of wireless LANs there is a need to provide an infrared optical transceiver for a PCMCIA application interface card for use with laptop and notebook computers and handheld computing devices.

Infrared transceiver for an application interface card

International Business Machines Corporation


A reel assembly grinder with automatic indexing and grinding control including a conventional reel assembly with a cylindrical configuration. The reel assembly has a central axial shaft with a plurality of twisted blades situated therearound in a generally parallel orientation with respect to the shaft. Further provided is a grinding wheel. A reel drive mechanism is adapted to be coupled to the shaft of the reel assembly so that the blades of the reel assembly rotate while abutting the grinding wheel to effect spin grinding. The reel drive mechanism is further adapted to abut a single blade against the grinding wheel with a constant torque to effect relief grinding. Finally, a guide assembly is situated adjacent the grinding wheel. The guide assembly has two adjustable reel blade stops situated on either side of the grinding wheel. The guide assembly also includes at least one indexing blade guide pivotally coupled at a first end thereof adjacent an axis of rotation of the grinding wheel and further extended upwardly and rearwardly. Also included are front and rear adjusters for selectively adjusting the degree to which the indexing reel blade guide may pivot. In use, during relief grinding, the reel drive mechanism is adapted to abut a single blade against the grinding wheel with a constant torque and the grinding wheel is adapted to translate along a length of the blade of the assembly until the present reel blade abuts the reel blade stops thereby precluding further grinding. The grinding wheel may be translated past the reel assembly whereat the indexing reel blade guide is adapted to catch a next blade for grinding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reel assembly grinder with automatic indexing and grinding control and more particularly pertains to providing an indexing assembly which both allows automatic indexing and further controls the nature which the blade is ground during relief grinding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of reel assembly grinders is known in the prior art. More specifically, reel assembly grinders heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of sharpening blades of a reel assembly are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,456 to Winstanley; U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,617 to Winstanley; 4,148,158 to Hewitt; U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,103 to Sousek; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,613 to Bernhard.
In this respect, the reel assembly grinder with automatic indexing and grinding control according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an indexing assembly which both allows automatic indexing and further controls the nature which the blade is ground during relief grinding.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved reel assembly grinder with automatic indexing and grinding control which can be used for providing an indexing assembly which both allows automatic indexing and further controls the nature which the blade is ground during relief grinding. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Reel assembly grinder with automatic indexing and grinding control


An opening and closing device of a refrigerator door includes a button, a gear, a cam, an arm, a push panel, and a plurality of stoppers. The button has a gear portion formed vertically on one side thereof and a top portion protruding above a top surface of the door. The gear is engaged with the gear portion of the button. The cam is integrally formed on the gear and fixed on a same shaft as the gear. The arm has a top surface of a rear portion thereof coming in contact with the cam and a front end including a hook, rotatably mounted on the refrigerator door. The push panel has a depression for engaging with the hook of the arm, mounted on the body of the refrigerator and capable of being rotated by a spring. The plurality of stoppers restrict the rotation of the push panel and they are mounted near and on one side of the push panel.

In a refrigerator, as shown in FIG. 1, a gasket 300 is placed between a door 100 and a body 200 thereof to prevent the outflowing of cool air and inflowing of warm air therefrom and thereinto by filling a gap between the body 200 and the door 100. Further, a permanent magnet 310 is placed inside the gasket 300 to force the gasket 300 to closely adhere to the body 200 by the magnetic force and improve the sealing capability of the gasket 300.
However, in such a refrigerator, it requires a large force to open the door, the force being large enough to overcome the magnetic force of the magnet and the weight of the door.

Opening and closing device of a refrigerator door


A system for reducing reflection of an optical system can reduce or eliminate reflection at facets of a semiconductor gain medium and can suppress natural longitudinal modes produced within the semiconductor gain medium. In combination with external feedback, the system can allow more precise wavelength control of the light output of a laser, thereby allowing the laser to be used in a dense wavelength division multiplexing system. The system employs a patterned relief surface disposed on a facet of a gain medium. The patterned relief surface may be a xe2x80x9cmotheyexe2x80x9d pattern having a plurality of conical posts disposed on the surface of the facet. The system may be combined with conventional devices, such as a Bragg reflector or a microelectromechanical component, to further improve wavelength control of a resonant optical cavity, thereby improving the operation of optical communications systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the manipulation of light in optical communication networks and fiber optic systems. Particularly, the present invention relates to elements disposed within the light stream of a fiber optic communications network, such as a DWDM network. More particularly, the present invention relates to anti-reflective structures for use in semiconductor lasers and amplifiers.
2. Related Art
Optical communication systems are a vital part of today""s communication networks. In a typical optical communication system, information-containing optical signals are transmitted along an optical fiber. Lasers are important components of optical communication systems for producing the information-containing signals. Information is modulated upon light signals emitted from the laser into the optical fiber. Initially, optical fibers were used to carry only a single data channel at one wavelength in one direction. Technology, such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), has increased the amount of information transferred over a single optical fiber communication system by multiplexing several signals on a single fiber. WDM allows the launching and retrieving of multiple data channels in and out of an optical fiber. Each data channel is transmitted in a unique wavelength region. The WDM wavelength regions are typically hundreds of nanometers apart.
An improvement on WDM is dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), which allows channels of information to be propagated at different wavelength regions that can be spaced spectrally at a set wavelength or frequency distance apart from one another. For DWDM, information channels may propagate at industry standard spacings that may be on the order of one or two nanometers apart from one another. Typically, DWDM systems operate with fine wavelength separations from one laser to the next of about 0.8 to 1.6 nanometers (nm). Thus, for DWDM, lasers must operate at precisely determined wavelengths to avoid interference with other channels.
DWDM lasers and many communications lasers typically comprise a semiconductor lasing medium contained within an optical cavity. Such lasers are frequently referred to as diode lasers, semiconductor lasers, or laser diodes. A laser operates through stimulated emission, whereby light is emitted from excited atoms or molecules of the lasing medium. In operation of the laser, the lasing medium is disposed in an optical cavity of the laser that is situated between two reflectors. Light intensity is amplified as the photons oscillate back and forth between the reflectors, which stimulates further photon emission in the lasing medium. For this reason, the lasing medium is sometimes referred to as a gain medium. By making at least one of the reflectors partially transmissive, monochromatic radiation is emitted when the light passes through the reflector. Monochromatic radiation is typically radiation containing a narrow wavelength region of light. This wavelength region of light may appear as one visible color, for example, red, blue, green, or yellow, etc., or it may be invisible, for example, ultraviolet or infrared light. Infrared light is typical of DWDM optical networks.
Fabry-Perot diode lasers are a type of laser in which the cavity reflectors can be formed by the boundary surfaces of a semiconductor material itself. The boundary surfaces are typically referred to as front and rear facets, wherein the front facet is the port of primary light emission. Thus between these mirrored facets lies a section of semiconductor material that comprises a waveguided gain medium. The optical cavity is formed between the front and rear facets. Typically, the rear facet strongly reflects light resonating within the cavity. The front facet partly reflects the light resonating within the cavity and partly transmits the light at a laser wavelength region. The laser wavelength region is the wavelength region of light emitted from the laser; it is defined, at least in part, by the length of the cavity. The light reflected back from the front and rear facets sustains oscillation by interacting with excited atoms to drop electrons from the upper level to the ground state, thereby emitting photons. Various parameters associated with the optical cavity can be adjusted to alter the wavelength characteristics of the emitted light, such as varying the spacing between the front and rear facets. For example, the cavity may be so short as to only allow the laser to operate in xe2x80x98single modexe2x80x99 and thereby only emit light at a single wavelength position; the length of this cavity can be varied to xe2x80x9ctunexe2x80x9d this spectral position.
While Fabry-Perot lasers are inexpensive to produce, their output is not optimized for many applications. They typically operate in a multi-mode state wherein a broad spectral range is emitted. This undesirable characteristic arises from the energy reflection that occurs at the facet surfaces. The reflection is due to the refractive index of the semiconductor lasing medium being high relative to that of an adjacent medium such as air. The difference in refractive index produces a strong, innate reflection in the laser. This reflection, which defines one of the cavity mirrors and is responsible for the basic operation of the laser, is called Fresnel reflection. The lack of monochromacity of the energy output is undesirable for many optical networking applications. The plurality of radiation patterns, or longitudinal modes, that occur within the optical cavity of a Fabry-Perot laser are linked to this lack of monochromacity.
If the output of the laser is not controlled, or is xe2x80x9cfree running,xe2x80x9d multiple longitudinal modes will be seen in the output. In a typical free-running Fabry-Perot diode laser deployed in an access network employing the synchronous optical network (SONET) standard, the energy output (intensity) is often situated in the 1310 nm window. Typically, the longitudinal modes are spaced approximately 0.6 nm apart and are distributed over many nanometers, approximately 30. Additionally, the spectral output is subject to drift with temperature and other influences. Consequently, the output is unsuitable for dense wavelength division multiplexing, because of spectral overlap of adjacent DWDM signals. The output is also not well suited for high-speed fiber optic communications at wavelengths that are displaced from the optical fibers zero chromatic dispersion point, because of signal degradation due to chromatic dispersion.
By addressing the innate facet reflections and/or their influence on the longitudinal modes of a Fabry-Perot diode laser, attempts have been made to improve the quality of laser output. The reflections can be either redirected or suppressed so that the natural modes are eliminated or minimized. Free from these reflections, a number of techniques are available to stabilize the laser so that it emits light at a single, or at least tightly confined, wavelength position.
To overcome the above problems, semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) lasers are frequently used in DWDM communications networks as an alternative to free running Fabry-Perot lasers. DFB lasers utilize wavelength-selective feedback to make certain modes in the optical cavity of the laser oscillate more strongly than others, thus causing the laser to output light in a tightly confined wavelength region. DFB lasers attempt to achieve precise wavelength control, thereby allowing lasers to be used with DWDM systems. DFB lasers typically include a semiconductor gain medium, as discussed above, but with an added feature that controls the output wavelength of the laser. The semiconductor gain medium of a DFB laser is imparted with a periodic (repeating) structure that limits the emitted light to a tightly defined wavelength region. The periodic structure may be a corrugated structure or an undulation in refractive index. The structure is designed so that light of a particular wavelength will be constructively reflected back and forth to achieve lasing. Lasing approaches single mode operation, with the result of preventing other unwanted longitudinal modes from lasing. However, DFB lasers are not easy to manufacture because the techniques required to produce the periodic structure are cumbersome and are not readily reproducible to generate proper parameters. Additionally, DFB lasers are temperature sensitive because the output wavelength of DFB lasers varies as the temperature changes. They are also susceptible to performance variations due to the refractive index of the semiconductor medium varying with the intensity and propagation of output pulses of light. Consequently, DFB lasers have many shortcomings.
Another method for overcoming the problems of conventional laser devices, such as Fabry-Perot lasers, involves suppressing reflection produced by the facet. One suppression technique employs an antireflective coating formed on the facet. The coating is formed by depositing a stack of thin-film layers having high-low, alternating refractive indices to the facet. Fresnel reflections arising from the different refractive index interfaces between layers set up a pattern of constructive and destructive interference that minimizes the reflection from the facet. However, there are difficulties associated with designing and fabricating such a coating for practical application, as the performance tolerances are formidable. Another disadvantage arises from the inherent difficulty in attaining anti-reflection over a broad spectral band. Another disadvantage arises from the tight precision that is required for the thickness of the layers.
Another conventional approach for suppressing facet reflection involves angling one of the facets so that its internal reflections are not cast back towards the other facet. Consequently, a condition of back-and-forth reflections from front and rear facets is precluded so that longitudinal modes are suppressed. In addition to fabrication difficulties, this approach is inefficient. The optical axis of the emitted beam is bent by the angled facet with respect to the longitudinal axis of the semiconductor gain medium. This results in alignment problems and assembly complications when coupling light into various optical elements.
Other light amplification devices suffer from the same disadvantages discussed above. For example, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is constructed and operates somewhat similarly to the laser described above. SOAs have the capability of directly amplifying an optical signal without first converting it to an electrical signal. accordingly, SOAs are useful as repeaters, preamplifiers, and amplifiers in optical communication systems. Conventional SOAs are constructed somewhat as a modified laser diode. An optical gain region is formed between two facets, but the facets are typically covered with antireflection coatings so that the SOA operates as an amplifier rather than a laser. Alternatively, the facets may be angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the gain medium and/or the flow of light within this medium so as to reduce the light reflected within the gain medium. Consequently, there is no resonant cavity. An SOA differs from a laser in that light does not reflect back and forth within the gain medium. Rather, an SOA receives an optical signal through one facet, amplifies the optical signal as it passes through the gain medium, and then transmits the amplified optical signal through the opposite facet. The optical signal passes through the SOA essentially one time during which it generates stimulated emissions that build up so as to amplify the signal. For this reason, SOAs are often referred to as a type of xe2x80x9ctraveling wave amplifier.xe2x80x9d SOAs suffer from the same disadvantages as conventional lasers. For example, light emitted through the facet of the SOA is deteriorated due to residual, unwanted reflection from the facet that is insufficiently suppressed by the antireflective coating or angled facet.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved approaches to minimizing the reflections from facets of semiconductor lasers and other related semiconductor gain devices. Additionally, there is a need in the art for improved approaches to suppressing the unwanted longitudinal modes of semiconductor lasers and other related semiconductor gain devices. Specifically, there is a need in the art for a system and method that provides laser output while suppressing light reflected by the facet and while suppressing the innate longitudinal modes of the laser. Additionally, there is a need for a system and method that allows amplification of an optical signal while suppressing light reflected by the facets of the optical amplifier. Furthermore, there is a general need to suppress reflections from the optical surfaces of optical elements that are disposed in the light path of fiber optic communication networks, including DWDM networks.
The present invention can solve the problems of conventional laser devices by reducing or eliminating reflection from laser facets and by suppressing unwanted longitudinal modes produced in the optical cavity of the laser. Accordingly, the present invention can allow more precise wavelength control of the light output of a laser. Suppressing the unwanted longitudinal modes output by a laser can provide an output that approaches a single wavelength, or is at least tightly confined within a narrow wavelength spectrum, thereby allowing the laser to be used in a dense wavelength division multiplexing system.
In an exemplary semiconductor gain device according to the present invention, an optical cavity can be formed between two reflectors. A semiconductor gain medium can be disposed in the optical cavity wherein the semiconductor gain medium includes a front and rear facet, and a patterned structure can be disposed on one of the facets. When the semiconductor gain medium is excited to produce light emissions propagating through a facet of the device, the patterned structure can suppress the laser""s unwanted longitudinal modes of output, by suppressing reflection of the light from the facet. The patterned structure may be a xe2x80x9cmotheyexe2x80x9d pattern having a plurality of conical posts disposed on the surface of the facet. The conical posts may also have a pyramid structure, or the patterned structure may include lines, cones, holes, grids, or microlens arrays.
The present invention can also improve the operation of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The patterned structure described above may be disposed on facets of an SOA to minimize emitted light reflected by the facet and to suppress any unwanted longitudinal modes output by the amplifier. Accordingly, the present invention can improve the performance of SOAs, thereby allowing them to be deployed in optical networks and integrated into Planar Lightguide Circuit (PLC) devices and systems.
The present invention may be combined with conventional devices to improve the operation of optical communications systems. By integrating together novel approaches to facet reflection with conventional laser control structures, for example, a MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) component, the present invention can provide laser control in communications lasers and related devices. A MEMS component can provide external tuning of the laser cavity to further refine the laser wavelength according to various usage parameters. As another example, a grating such as a fiber Bragg grating, or other wavelength-selective reflector, can be positioned into the path of light emitted from the front facet of a laser gain medium wherein the front facet is imparted with the novel antireflection structure of the present invention. In this exemplary configuration, the rear facet provides one cavity mirror and the grating provides the opposing, wavelength-selective mirror that effects a precise wavelength output. Additionally, the present invention may be integrated in PLC devices and systems to improve the optical interconnections between high and low refractive index materials in the optical transmission path.


A waste stream is treated by anaerobic digestion. A process is described involves a step of separating solids from digestate, and returning separated solids to a digester. Optionally, there may be a step of solids separation in which larger solids are removed from the digester. A process and apparatus are described for treating waste sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in an anaerobic digester. Feed sludge is thickened or solids are separated from digestate and returned to the digester. Additional co-digestion waste may be added to the digester. The process and apparatus may be used in a retrofit of an existing wastewater treatment plant.

A biogas may be produced through the anaerobic digestion of a material containing biomass. The biogas is typically comprised of 50-75% methane and 25-50% carbon dioxide. Other gases, such as nitrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide or oxygen may be also present but collectively are unlikely to account for more than 10% of the biogas. Of these other gases, nitrogen is likely to be the largest component. The biogas can be burned directly with oxygen, for example, and so is usable as a fuel. The methane within the biogas can also be concentrated to provide a replacement for natural gas.
Biogas can be produced in an anaerobic digester. The digestion process involves microorganisms, primarily bacteria, which break down or convert the input materials to produce the biogas and an effluent. The process involves a series of bacteria types and processes, primarily hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis.
Anaerobic digesters were originally designed primarily for use with cattle manure and sludges. The sludge may be, for example, waste sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Municipal wastewater, or sewage, is typically treated using an activated sludge process with primary clarification, a biological process train, and secondary clarification. Waste activated sludge, optionally thickened, and primary sludge may be fed to an anaerobic digester at a dry solids (DS) concentration of up to about 4%. The digester typically operates at 2 to 2.5% solids concentration in the digester with a 20 to 25 day hydraulic retention time (HRT).

Treatment of waste products with anaerobic digestion


A frequency multiplier includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a first transistor having a first gate to which a radiofrequency signal is input from the input terminal, a first drain from which an output signal is issued to the output terminal, and a first source, a second transistor having a second gate, a second source to which the radiofrequency signal is input from the input terminal, and a second drain from which an output signal is issued to the output terminal, and a stabilizing resistor which is a resistor connected to the second gate, wherein no resistor exists on the path for the radiofrequency signal, and wherein the stabilizing resistor suppresses a reflex gain produced by the second transistor.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frequency multiplier which multiplies electric power, for example, in a microwave or milliwave radiofrequency band.
Background Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-158008 discloses a frequency multiplier in which a source-grounded transistor and a gate-grounded transistor are connected in parallel with each other. From electric power of a fundamental frequency input to this frequency multiplier, the source-grounded transistor outputs electric power in the opposite phase and the gate-grounded transistor outputs electric power in phase with the input. Therefore these electric powers cancel out when combined at the output side. Electric powers of the second-order harmonic frequency which are output in phase with each other from the two transistors are taken out from an output terminal.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-244746 discloses the provision of damping resistors on the output sides of the two transistors for stabilization.
The frequency multiplier disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-158008 has a problem that oscillation occurs due to a negative resistance characteristic of the gate-grounded transistor exhibited in a high-frequency band such as a microwave or milliwave band.
The frequency multiplier disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-244746 has a problem that electric power of the second-order harmonic frequency generated by the transistors is consumed by the damping resistors and a conversion gain which is a characteristic of the frequency multiplier is reduced.


A data processing device includes a first reference value generator which generates a first reference value corresponding to a ratio of a chromatic color using image signals or first image signals obtained by gamma-compensating the image signals, a white generator which generates a white image signal and second image signals using the first image signals and a second reference value corresponding to an amount of a white data in use, a third reference value generator which generates a third reference value using a first color coordinate corresponding to a color coordinate of the second image signals, a second color coordinate corresponding to a color coordinate of the white image signal, the first reference value, and the second reference value, and a gamut mapper which maps the second image signals to a color coordinate corresponding to the third reference value to generate third image signals.

1. Field
The disclosure relates to a display device. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a data processing device that performs a gamut mapping, a display device including the data processing device, and a gamut mapping method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various display devices, such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic light emitting display device, an electrowetting display device, a plasma display panel device, an electrophoretic display device, etc., have been developed. The display devices are employed in various fields for use in electronic devices, e.g., a smart phone, a digital camera, a notebook computer, a navigation system, etc.
In general, the display device receives an image signal from an external source. To display an image, the display device converts a data format of the image signal to a data format suitable for the display device.

Data processing device, display device having the same, and gamut mapping method


Methods and apparatuses to determine a frequency adjustment in a mobile wireless device are disclosed. A method includes determining a coarse frequency error estimate and multiple fine frequency error estimates; selecting at least one candidate fine frequency error estimate having a frequency value closest to a corresponding frequency value for the coarse frequency error estimate; and determining a frequency adjustment based on a combination of the coarse frequency error estimate and the selected at least one candidate fine frequency error estimate. In an embodiment, the method further includes calculating a confidence metric for the coarse frequency error estimate; when the confidence metric exceeds a threshold value, determining the frequency adjustment based on the candidate fine frequency error estimate; otherwise, determining the frequency adjustment based on a fine frequency error estimate in the plurality of fine frequency error estimates closest to a most recent previous fine frequency error estimate.

Frequency tracking loops are commonly employed in wireless systems to align a receiver frequency clock to a transmitter frequency clock, or to adjust received signals to account for frequency differences between a transmitter, e.g., in a wireless access network base station, and a receiver, e.g., in a mobile wireless device. Frequency tracking loops can be used to improve accuracy when recovering a signal from a noisy communication channel and can also be used to distribute clock timing information to properly align frequency sampling clock timing pulses in digital logic designs. Variability of a frequency of a crystal oscillator (XO) clock source in a receiver, however, can result in frequency errors with respect to a transmitted carrier frequency that can lead to a relative frequency error between the clock source used in the receiver of a mobile wireless device and a clock source used in a transmitter of a base station in a wireless access network. These frequencies errors can impact the performance of reception and decoding of the received signals in the mobile wireless device, and can thereby decrease the reliability and functionality of the wireless system.
Frequency errors can affect different types of wireless systems that use different radio access technologies, including code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless systems and orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) wireless systems. In CDMA-based wireless systems, a frequency error can deteriorate the quality of received signals. Moreover, a carrier frequency error in the receiver can translate to sampling timing errors that can accumulate over time, which can break the orthogonality of spreading codes used in CDMA-based wireless systems to differentiate signals sent to different mobile wireless devices. Orthogonality of signals provided by code division multiplexing in CDMA-based wireless systems can be critical for a receiver in a mobile wireless device to separate signals intended for the mobile wireless device from signals intended for other mobile wireless devices. Loss of orthogonality can increase an amount of interference generated by "non-orthogonal" signals that can be simultaneously received with a signal intended for a particular mobile wireless device in a CDMA-based wireless system, thereby affecting received signal performance in the particular mobile wireless device. Similarly, a carrier frequency error can affect the orthogonality of different sub-channels used in an OFDM-based wireless system, and thereby can increase inter-channel interference (ICI) between sub-channels of the OFDM-based wireless system and deteriorate the overall performance of the OFDM-based wireless system.
Accurate and robust frequency estimation and frequency tracking can be critical for designing receivers for mobile wireless devices that reliably correct for frequency errors. Different frequency error estimation and tracking schemes can be used that provide a balance between accuracy, convergence time, and frequency pull-in range. A channel impulse response (CIR) can be estimated based on a set of received pilot symbols and/or a set of received data symbols, and the resulting CIR can be used to characterize phase information of a wireless communication channel between the mobile wireless device and the base station of a wireless access network. The phase information embedded in the CIR can include an amount of accumulated frequency error due to differences in clock frequencies at a source (e.g., the base station) and a sink (e.g., the mobile wireless device). CIR techniques can be accurate but require longer convergence time, higher computing power (which can result in higher power consumption), and narrower frequency pull-in range. Alternatively, a technique that exploits a continuous phase ramping between different samples of a symbol, e.g., due to frequency errors, can be used when frequency error estimation with a larger pull-in range than afforded by a CIR based frequency error estimation method is needed. Each frequency error estimation and tracking technique can be better suited to certain received signals depending on whether a higher accuracy, narrower pull-in range, "fine" frequency tracking loop or a lower accuracy, wider pull-in range, "coarse" frequency tracking loop is required.
Therefore, what is desired is an algorithm that combines fine frequency estimation results and coarse frequency estimation results and employs methods having different precision and complexity to improve both the accuracy and robustness of frequency estimation and frequency tracking in wireless systems.

Robust scalable and adaptive frequency estimation and frequency tracking for wireless systems


The present invention relates to MEK inhibitors that are capable of displaying one or more beneficial therapeutic effects. The MEK inhibitors can be used in the prevention and/or treatment of viral infection. MEK inhibitors in combination with neuraminidase inhibitor compounds are capable of displaying one or more beneficial therapeutic effects in the treatment of viral diseases.

Infections with RNA or DNA viruses are a significant threat for the health of man and animal. For instance, infections with influenza viruses do still belong to the big epidemics of mankind and cause year for year a big number of casualties. In terms of the national economies, they are an immense cost factor, for instance due to unfitness for work. Infections with the Borna disease virus (BDV), which mainly affects horses and sheep, but which has also been isolated for humans and is connected to neurological diseases, equally have an enormous economic importance.
The problem of controlling in particular RNA viruses is the adaptability of the viruses caused by a high fault rate of the viral polymerases, which makes the production of suitable vaccines as well as the development of antiviral substances very difficult. Furthermore it has been found that the application of antiviral substances immediately directed against the functions of the virus, shows a good antiviral effect at the beginning of the treatment, but will quickly lead to the selection of resistant variants based on mutation. An example is the anti-influenza agent amantadine and its derivatives directed against a transmembrane protein of the virus. Within a short time after the application, resistant variants of the virus are generated. Other examples are the new therapeuticals for influenza infections inhibiting the influenza-viral surface protein neuraminidase. To these belongs for instance Relenza. In patients, Relenza-resistant variants have already been found (Gubareva et al., J Infect Dis 178, 1257-1262, 1998). Hopes placed in this therapeutical could therefore not be fulfilled.
Because of the very small genome and thus limited coding capacity for functions being necessary for the replication, all viruses are dependent to a high degree from functions of their host cells. By exertion of influence on such cellular functions being necessary for the viral replication, it is possible to negatively affect the virus replication in the infected cell. Herein, there is no possibility for the virus to replace the lacking cellular function by adaptation, in particular by mutations, in order to thus escape from the selection pressure. This could already be shown for the influenza A virus with relatively unspecific inhibitors against cellular kinases and methyl transferases (Scholtissek and Müller, Arch Virol 119, 111-118, 1991).
It is known in the art that cells have a multitude of signal transmission paths, by means of which signals acting on the cells are transmitted into the cell nucleus. Thereby the cell is capable to react to external stimuli and to react by cell proliferation, cell activation, differentiation, or controlled cell death. It is common to these signal transmission paths that they contain at least one kinase activating by phosphorylation at least one protein subsequently transmitting a signal. When observing the cellular processes induced after virus infections, it is found that a multitude of DNA and RNA viruses preferably activate in the infected host cell a defined signal transmission path, the so-called Raf/MEK/ERK kinase signal transmission path (Benn et al., J Virol 70, 4978-4985, 1996; Bruder and Kovesdi, J Virol 71, 398-404, 1997; Popik and Pitha, Virology 252, 210-217, 1998; Rodems and Spector, J Virol 72, 9173-9180, 1998). This signal transmission path is one of the most important signal transmission paths in a cell and plays a significant role in proliferation and differentiation processes. Growth factor-induced signals are transmitted by successive phosphorylation from the serine/threonine kinase Raf to the dual-specific kinase MEK (MAP kinase kinase/ERK kinase) and finally to the kinase ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase). Whereas as a kinase substrate for Raf, only MEK is known, and the ERK isoforms were identified as the only substrates for MEK, ERK is able to phosphorylate a whole number of substrates. To these belong for instance transcription factors, whereby the cellular gene expression is directly influenced (Cohen, Trends in Cell Biol 7, 353-361, 1997; Robinson and Cobb, Curr. Opin. Cell Biol 9, 180-186, 1997; Treisman, Curr. Opin. Cell Biol 8, 205-215, 1996).
The drawback of prior art antiviral active substances is that they are either directed against a viral component and thus quickly lead to resistances (cf. amantadine), or act in a too broad and unspecific manner against cellular factors (for example methyl transferase inhibitors), and significant side effects are to be expected. Consequently, none of the substances being active against cellular factors is known to have been developed to a therapeutical for virus diseases. On the other hand, the inhibition of other kinases, for instance the inhibition of the kinase JNK of the MEKK/SEK/JNK signal transmission path, can increase the virus multiplication. Further it is known that the increased activation of again other kinases, for instance of the protein kinase C (PKC), inhibits the replication of viruses (Driedger and Quick, WO 92/02484).
With regard to the cellular processes induced after a virus infection, it is found that a multitude of DNA and RNA viruses activate, in the infected host cell, a defined signal transduction pathway, the so-called Raf/MEK/ERK kinase cascade.
This kinase cascade belongs to the most important signaling pathways in the cell and plays an essential role in proliferation and differentiation processes.
Growth-factor induced signals are transferred by successive phosphorylation from the serine/theorine kinase Raf to the dual specific kinase MEK (MAP kinase kinase/ERK kinase) and finally to the kinase ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase). Whilst as a kinase substrate of Raf, only MEK is known, and the ERK isoforms have been identified for MEK as the only substrate, ERK can phosphorylate quite a number of substrates. Hereto belong for instance the phosphorylation of transcription factors, which leads to a direct modification of the cellular gene expression.
The investigation of this signaling pathway in cellular decision processes has led to the identification of several pharmalogical inhibitors, which inhibit the signaling pathway, among other positions, on the level of MEK, i.e. at the 'bottleneck' of the cascade.
The MEK inhibitor PD98059 inhibits the activation of MEK by the kinase Raf.
The MEK inhibitor PD184352 has been described (2-(2-chloro-4-iodo-phenylamino)-N-cyclopropylmethoxy-3,4-difluoro-benzamide), which with oral administration in the mouse model could efficiently inhibit the growth of colon carcinoma.
The MEK inhibitor AZD6244 (Selumetinib) is a drug being investigated for the treatment of various types of cancer, for example non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
AZD8330 is an orally active, selective MEK inhibitor with an IC50 of 7 nM. AZD8330 has potential antineoplastic activity. AZD8330 specifically inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK or MAP/ERK kinase1), resulting in inhibition of growth factor-mediated cell signaling and tumor cell proliferation.
The MEK inhibitor RDEA-119 (BAY-869766) has been shown to be a potent, selective, allosteric inhibitor of MEK1/2 for the treatment of cancer.
The MEK inhibitor GSK-1120212 (Trametinib) is a potent and selective allosteric inhibitor of the MEK1 and MEK2 (MEK1/2) enzymes with promising antitumor activity in a phase I clinical trial (ASCO 2010).
TAK-733 is a potent, selective, ATP-noncompetitive MEK allosteric site inhibitor with an 1050 of 3.2 nM.
The MEK inhibitor RO5126766 is a protein kinase inhibitor specific for the Raf and MEK mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) with potential anti-neoplastic activity. Raf/MEK dual kinase inhibitor RO5126766 specifically inhibits the kinase activities of Raf and MEK, resulting in the inhibition of target gene transcription that promotes malignant transformation of cells.
The MEK inhibitor AS703026 is a novel, highly selective and potent allosteric inhibitor of MEK1/2 which is currently under Phase II clinical trial for acute myeloid leukemia.
The MEK inhibitor PLX-4032 (Zelboraf® (Vemurafenib)) is market for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.
The MEK inhibitors CI-1040, PD0325901, AZD6244, GDC-0973, RDEA119, GSK1120212, AZD8330, RO5126766, RO4987655, TAK-733 and AS703026 are known in the art and, for example, described in Table 1 and shown in FIG. 4 of Fremin and Meloche (2010), J. Hematol. Oncol. 11; 3:8.
Neuraminidase (also known as sialidase, acylneuraminyl hydrolase, and EC 184.108.40.206) is an enzyme common among animals and a number of microorganisms. It is a glycohydrolase that cleaves terminal alpha-ketosidically linked sialic acids from glycoproteins, glycolipids and oligosaccharides. Many of the microorganisms containing neuraminidase are pathogenic to man and other animals including fowl, horses, swine and seals. These pathogenic organisms include influenza virus.
Neuraminidase has been implicated in the pathogenicity of influenza virus. It is thought to help the elution of newly synthesized virons from infected cells and assist in the movement of the virus (through its hydrolase activity) through the mucus of the respiratory tract.
A class of specific anti-influenza agents, the neuraminidase inhibitors, has demonstrated inhibition of both influenza A and B viruses. Oseltamivir is used for the treatment of viral infections; however, it does not treat nasal congestion. Oseltamivir is the ethyl ester prodrug of the carbocyclic transition state sialic acid analog RO 64-0802 (GS4071), a potent and selective inhibitor of influenza A and B virus neuraminidases. Oral oseltamivir has been approved for treatment of acute influenza in the United States in 1999. It has demonstrated efficacy both in treating and preventing influenza illness.
Oseltamivir phosphate is a prodrug of oseltamivir carboxylate (oseltamivir), an inhibitor of the neuraminidase glycoprotein essential for replication of influenza A and B viruses. Oseltamivir is available from Roche Pharma™ AG (Switzerland). Alternatively, oseltamivir can be prepared according to the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,483 to Bischofberger et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,601 to Lew et al. About 10-15% of patients taking oseltamivir experience nausea and vomiting. Patients with kidney dysfunction should take lower doses.
Zanamivir (Relenza) is an orally inhaled powder currently approved in 19 countries for the treatment of, and in two for the prophylaxis of influenza A and B. Zanamivir is a competitive inhibitor of the neuraminidase glycoprotein, which is essential in the infective cycle of influenza viruses. It closely mimics sialic acid, the natural substrate of the neuraminidase. Over the last few years, a number of events have resulted in changes to the zanamivir prescribing information which now contains warnings of bronchospasm, dyspnea, rash, urticaria and allergic type reactions, including facial and oropharyngeal oedema.
Peramivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor, acting as a transition-state analogue inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase and thereby preventing new viruses from emerging from infected cells.
It is known that neuraminidase inhibitors are not effective for all influenza viruses and a resistance can be developed by new generation of influenza virus strain.
In view of the prior art, it is clear that there is the need of compounds and compositions effective in the treatment of virus diseases in particular in diseases caused by influenza virus.

MEK inhibitors in the treatment of virus diseases


A semiconductor measuring tool has a folding mirror configuration that directs a light beam to pass the same space multiple times to reduce the size and footprint. Furthermore, the folding mirrors may reflect the light beam at less than forty-five degrees; thereby allowing for smaller folding mirrors as compared to the prior art.

In a typical tool for measuring the shape and thickness of a silicon wafer, two channels of interferometers are employed to measure both surfaces of the wafer. Each interferometer usually comprises lenses that image the wafer to a video camera. This way the whole wafer can be measured by the camera with millions of pixels, eliminating the need to mechanically scan the wafer, and the throughput is dramatically improved compared to scanning systems.
One disadvantage of this method is that the size of the measuring tool is large due to the size of imaging optics. As the semiconductor industry shifts to larger wafers (for example from 300 mm to 450 mm) the size of the measuring tool may increase significantly. Simply scaling up existing measuring tools designed for a 300 mm wafer to accommodate a 450 mm wafer would result in a measuring tool much more expensive and fifty percent larger in every direction. At that size, the measuring tool may not physically fit in a space currently designated for such measuring tools.
Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for measuring the shape and thickness of a silicon wafer with a compact optical arrangement.

Method and apparatus to fold optics in tools for measuring shape and/or thickness of a large and thin substrate


Systems, methods, and computer program products are described herein for automatically recognizing user interface (UI) elements. Capturing, by a first application, of user interactions with a graphical user interface (GUI) of a second application is initiated. The GUI includes a plurality of UI elements. The first application is separate and distinct from the second application. A selection of a UI element is received. The selection is iteratively evaluated against a ranked criteria list having a plurality of criteria to identify whether the selection matches at least one criterion of the plurality of criteria. The selection is appended to the ranked criteria list based on the selection matching the at least one criterion. A second selection of another UI element is received from the second application. The first application automatically appends a criterion to the second selection based on the ranked criteria list.

Robotic process automation (RPA) can be used to monitor and automate user performed tasks. With RPA, a computing system can create an action list that records various user interactions with a graphical user interface (GUI). As part of RPA, user interface (UI) elements of an application of a GUI are captured. Those UI elements are analyzed during a capture phase. Each UI element has an associated set of information such as a name, an ID, a location, etc. Depending upon the technology, this set of information can be verbose. Typically, a mainframe application can render very basic screens with characters only while a modern application has a significant amount of information to carry.
A number of various methodologies for identifying and accessing a UI element can be used. For example, UI elements can be identified by focusing on coordinate placement of such elements. This methodology works best for a GUI that has static elements having locations that do not vary. With another methodology, all information relating to the UI elements is kept. UI elements can be accurately identified, but during consumption of these elements, large amounts of information are evaluated. Such processing can require a significant amount of time and/or computing resources. Also, with this methodology, if the information is missing or has changed, the automation no longer functions. This can lead to a need for re-identifying updated and/or translated UI elements.

Automatic recognition for smart declaration of user interface elements


An apparatus for abrading a workpiece comprises a first plate assembly having a first surface for supporting a workpiece and a second plate assembly having a second surface for engaging the workpiece to abrade a portion thereof. A displacement shaft is mounted for movement with respect to the upper and lower plate assemblies and has a first end configured to engage the upper plate assembly. A feedback assembly is coupled to the displacement shaft for moving the displacement shaft to substantially maintain a predetermined load exerted on the displacement shaft by the upper plate assembly.

Precision abrading machines are well known and are often utilized to abrade one or more surfaces of a workpiece to achieve a desired dimension. This is generally accomplished by using a process known as lapping which removes small, controlled amounts of material from the workpiece surface. One variety of abrading machine employs a fixed bridge. The bridge supports an upper lapping plate that is configured for rotation and vertical movement between a lower abrading position and an upper loading and unloading position. In the loading and unloading position, the workpiece can be loaded into the machine for subsequent lapping and thereafter unloaded when the desired dimension has been achieved. The distance between the loading and unloading positions, requiring the use of a relatively long shaft. This can result in a loss of rigidity and control during the abrading cycle, which in turn may result in reduced accuracy. In addition, machines of this type oftentimes utilize only a single cylinder to apply pressure from above during the abrading cycle. In some cases, however, the single cylinder configurations do not apply sufficient pressure for certain abrading processes.
In another variety of abrading machines, the lower lapping plate extends upward to meet a descending upper plate. That is, both the upper and lower plates move towards each other. Such arrangements, however, may have a problem associated with sealing gaskets and the creation of unwanted budding effects in the system during the lapping cycle.
Still other types of abrading machines utilize a sliding spindle and do not require the use of a long shaft. Such machines, however, are typically mounted on a single column. In one such known device, the upper plate is associated with an arm which is supported for vertical movement by a single column. The entire arm moves downward to position the upper plate. While effective for precision abrading, the apparatus is subject to an undesired cantilever effect during the abrading cycle. That is, when pressure is exerted during the lapping cycle, the arm and the column tend to act as a cantilever which results in loss of rigidity and control. This in turn may result in reduced accuracy. This problem, however, is substantially overcome through use of more recently developed dual column abrading machines.
One known abrading apparatus having a fixed lower plate utilizes a load cell or pressure sensor to detect the pressure applied to the workpieces by an upper rotatable and vertically movable plate. A displacement sensor detects the displacement of the rotating upper plate in a vertical direction as the vertical dimension of the workpiece or workpieces is reduced. The displacement sensor includes a probe which contacts a measurement surface on the upper plate assembly and forwards displacement measurements to a controller. This vertical displacement sensor is mounted on the base of the abrading apparatus and typically contacts a flat pad to provide a reference measurement. This reference measurement is then utilized as an input to a control system which calculates the current position of the upper plate to control the abrading process and determine when the desired workpiece dimension has been achieved. The abrading process is then terminated. This arrangement, however, suffers certain shortcomings. Since physical contact is made between the probe and the upper plate, the rotating upper plate may cause the displacement sensor to bounce or vibrate thereby negatively impacting the precision of the thickness measurements. Furthermore, the contact surface at which the measurement is taken may wear with time and use thus also negatively impacting precision. Additionally, since the electromagnetic displacement sensor measures the absolute distance to a reference surface and not the true thickness of the parts being machined, any increases or decreases in pressure may cause inaccuracies in the control system. Finally, any lateral shifting of the sensor with respect to the reference pad may introduce significant error into the measurement process.

Apparatus and method for abrading a workpiece


An UPnP control point is connected to an IEEE802 network, and 1394 equipment is connected to an IEEE1394 network. The IEEE802 network and the IEEE1394 network are connected to each other through an UPnP device functioning as a bridge. The UPnP device receives from a general bus input plug a packet transmitted from the UPnP control point, converts it to a format of the IEEE1394 network, and transmits it from an output plug through the IEEE1394 network to the 1394 equipment. The UPnP device stores the association relationship of the plugs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processor and method, recording medium and program, and particularly to information processor and method, recording medium and program with which equipment connected to one of a first network based on IEEE802 and a second network based on IEEE1394 can identify another equipment connected to the other network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a network using IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 high-speed serial bus (hereinafter merely referred to as "IEEE1394 network") has become popular. By connecting audio equipment or video equipment to the IEEE1394 network, each equipment can control the other equipment by using AV/C commands.
Further, an IEEE802 network has become popular. The IEEE802 network is a network that is mainly used to mutually connect personal computers to each other, and each personal computer can control other personal computers on the basis of UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) protocol.
However, the IEEE1394 network and the IEEE802 network are independent on each other, and thus there is a problem that an equipment connected to the IEEE1394 network (hereinafter referred to as "1394 equipment") cannot identify another equipment connected to the IEEE802 network (hereinafter referred to as "UPnP device").

Information processing apparatus and method for receiving/transmitting data between an IEEE802-based format and an IEEE1394-based format


Projection assemblies are provided herein for use in a display system. According to one exemplary embodiment, the projection assembly includes an illumination source and a plurality of co-planar modulator panels. A method of modulating light is also provided herein that includes generating multi-component light, splitting the multi-component light into a plurality of component beams, and modulating the component beams with a plurality of co-planar modulator panels to form a plurality of sub-images.

A conventional system or device for displaying an image, such as a display, projector, or other imaging system, is frequently used to display a still or video image. Viewers evaluate display systems based on many criteria such as image size, contrast ratio, color purity, brightness, pixel color accuracy, and resolution. Image brightness, pixel color accuracy, and resolution are particularly important metrics in many display markets because the available brightness, pixel color accuracy, and resolution can limit the size of a displayed image and control how well the image can be seen in venues having high levels of ambient light.
Many digital display systems create a full-color display with a light modulator by creating three or more modulated images in primary colors (red, green, and blue) per video frame. The primary colors are typically derived from a white light source using a color wheel, prism, or some other color filter. The modulated images are sequentially displayed at a high rate so as to create a full-color image in the human visual system. Thus, this method of generating a full-color display is called "sequential color." Although the use of sequential color yields the desired red, green, and blue light for image formation, it does so by blocking the transmission of undesired light wavelengths.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Subsea well intervention module (100) for performing well intervention operations in a well (101) through a well head (120) from a surface vessel (102), comprising a supporting structure (110), a pipe assembly (170) fastened to the supporting structure and having two opposite ends, an inner diameter and a cavity (182) in which an intervention tool (171) may be arranged for pressurizing the cavity (182) when connected to the well head or a blowout preventer arranged on top of the well head to wellbore pressure before at least one valve (121) of a well head is opened and the tool is submerged into the well, a connection member connected with a first end (202) of the pipe assembly for providing a connection to the well head, a wireless intervention tool (171) having an outer diameter and comprising an electrical power device (196). The connection member has an open first end connectable with the well head or blowout preventer and a through-bore providing fluid passage from the first end to the cavity.

During production of oil, it may become necessary to perform maintenance work in a well or to open a production well. Such well work is known as well intervention. A production casing is arranged inside the well, which is closed by a well head in its upper end. The well head may be situated on land, on an oil rig or on the seabed below water.
When a well head is situated on the seabed on deep water, well intervention is more complicated since connection to the well head is obtained under water.
In order to perform such subsea intervention operations, it is a known practice to lower an intervention module from a surface vessel onto the well head structure by means of a plurality of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
An intervention tool is placed in a lubricator before being submerged into the well. In order to lower and raise the tool into the well and supply the tool with electricity, the intervention tool is connected to a wireline at its top, which is fed through the lubricator from a winch. A lubricator is a long, high-pressure pipe fitted to the top of a well head, enabling tools to be put into a high-pressure well. The top of the lubricator includes a high-pressure grease injection section and sealing elements for sealing around the wireline. When a tool is placed in the lubricator, the lubricator is pressurised to wellbore pressure before the valves of the well head are opened and the tool is submerged into the well.
In order to seal around the wireline passing through the grease injection section of the lubricator, high-pressure grease is pumped into the surrounding annulus to effect a pressure-tight dynamic seal which is maintained during the operation by injecting more grease as required. A slight leakage of grease is normal, and the addition of fresh grease enables the consistency of the seal to be maintained at an effective level. In this way, grease leaks from the grease injection section into the sea during an intervention operation, which is not environmentally desirable. Due to the increasing awareness of the environment, there is a need for a more environmentally friendly solution.


In an aspect, a method for handling a transaction with multiple devices is described. The method can include storing information pertaining to a transaction on a first device and receiving on the first device an indication that the transaction will be passed to a second device. In response to receiving an indication that the transaction will be passed to the second device, information pertaining to the transaction can be transmitted to the second device.

Conventional systems for handling transactions typically employ a single device that records and stores all of the information pertaining to a transaction. That device, be it a stationary or a mobile device, that single device is solely responsible for recording all information relating to a particular transaction.
Conventional systems do not allow for the division of a transaction among multiple devices, and therefore, do not allow for tracking of circumstance in which multiple individuals using multiple devices may be responsible for various aspects of a given transaction. Conventional systems also do not allow an in-process transaction to be transitioned from one device to another so as to facilitate the handling of the transaction on disparate devices.

Methods and systems for handling a single transaction with multiple devices


A key switch assembly includes a key cap support with first and second support levers. The first support lever has upper and lower rods, and intermediate circular connecting portions. The circular connecting portions have circumferential edges which form first shoulders that interconnect front sides of the upper and lower rods, and second shoulders that interconnect back sides of the upper and lower rods. The lower rods and upper rods have concave first and second end faces that extend transversely along the circumferential edges. The second support lever has upper and lower arms, and intermediate circular plates. The circular plates have peripheral edges which form third shoulders that interconnect back sides of the upper and lower arms, and fourth shoulders that interconnect front sides of the upper and lower arms. The upper and lower arms have concave third and fourth end faces that extend transversely along the peripheral edges of the circular plates. The first and second shoulders abut slidably against the third and fourth end faces, and the first and second end faces abut slidably against the third and fourth shoulders, thereby coupling rotatably the first and second support levers. A biasing member extends upwardly through the first and second support levers to abut against a key cap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a key switch assembly for a computer keyboard, more particularly to a key switch assembly which includes a key cap support with an enhanced strength and which can be easily assembled.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,297 discloses a conventional key switch assembly which includes a key cap, a bridging device, a bridging device supporting board, a key base, a membrane circuit and a bottom support board. The bridging device includes first and second rectangular frames pivotally connected together into a crossed form. Each of the first and second rectangular frames comprises two parallel rods and two transverse rods connected between the two parallel rods. The parallel rods of the first rectangular frame have intermediate portions formed with pin holes. The parallel rods of the second rectangular frame have two inward pins inserted respectively and inwardly into the pin holes of the first rectangular frame for coupling pivotally the first and second rectangular frames.
When the key switch assembly is used in a notebook computer, the intermediate portions of the first and second rectangular frames are typically made to have a width of about 1.6 millimeters, while the pin holes and the inward pins have diameters of only about 1 millimeter in order to minimize the height of the key switch assembly. As such, the pins might break or the pin holes might be damaged when a relatively large force is applied on the key cap. Therefore, the strength of the coupling between the first and second rectangular frames is not satisfactory. In addition, during assembly, the parallel rods of the second rectangular frame must be bent away from each other so that the inward pins can be registered with the relatively small pin holes for insertion into the pin holes. Assembly of the bridging device is thus difficult to conduct.
In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/918,048, the Applicant disclosed a key switch assembly with a key cap support which includes first and second support levers coupled rotatably about a pivot axis such that the key switch assembly has an increased coupling strength and which can be easily assembled.

Key switch assembly for computer keyboard


Herein is disclosed a system for joining pieces of lumber, the system including a truss plate for attaching the pieces of lumber together and a mounting press for mounting the truss plate onto the lumber. The mounting press includes first and second flat plates with the first flat plate having a rod perpendicularly extending from a central portion thereof and the second plate having a centrally located rod aperture for receiving the rod. The rod is mated to a threaded collar and both are configured to press the first and second flat plates together when the collar is threaded onto the rod. The truss plate consists of a flat piece of metal having a plurality of teeth projecting from one side. An aperture is formed on the plate which is dimensioned to receive the rod.

Truss plates are often used to join together pieces of 2×4 lumber in order to construct preassembled roof components and the like. The truss plates generally consist of a flat metal plate having a plurality of teeth formed thereon which project out of one side of the thrust plate. The teeth are formed by punching the plate with a die to form a series of rectangular openings, each with an adjoining tooth projecting perpendicularly away from the plate by several mm. The plate therefore has a large number of sharp pointed teeth projecting from one side of the plate and can be attached to a piece of lumber by pressing the plate into the lumber with a great deal of force.
When two pieces of lumber which are to be joined by the thrust plates, the two pieces of lumber are cut as required and placed together to forma joint. The joint is then sandwiched between a pair of opposing truss plates with the teeth of each plate facing the cut lumber, preferably with half of each plate facing each of the pieces of lumber. The cut lumber and truss plates are positioned together in a hydraulic press which then applies hundreds or thousands of pounds of pressure on the plates to force them towards each other causing the teeth of the plates to be forced into the lumber. The truss plates then effectively secure the two pieces of lumber together with a secure connection.
It can be appreciated that the use of truss plates has made the mass construction of structural lumber components more cost effective. Of course, these truss plates require the use of heavy duty hydraulic presses and a manufacturing facility structured to facilitate those presses. As a result, the use of truss plates to form trusses or other lumber components cannot be done on the fly or in the field. An improved system of manufacturing and using truss plates which does away with these complications is therefore advantageous.


A process of preparing a 5-amino-3-substituted pyrazole of formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R is an optionally substituted alkyl group or an optionally substituted aryl group, said process comprising reacting a compound of formula (III) ##STR2## with H.sub.2 NNH.sub.2 to obtain the compound of formula (I). The compound of formula (III) can be obtained by reacting a ketone of the formula R-CO-CH.sub.3 with DMF--acetal (HC(OCH.sub.3).sub.2 N(CH.sub.3).sub.2) followed by subsequent reaction with NH.sub.2 OH.sup..cndot. HCl.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing pyrazole compounds of the following formula (I): ##STR3## wherein R is an optionally substituted alkyl group, and optionally substituted aryl group or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group.
The compounds of formula (I) are useful as intermediates in the preparation of pyrazolotriazole dye-forming couplers employed in photographic silver halide materials, For example, a typical coupler can be represented by the general formula (II): ##STR4## wherein R.sup.2 is a substituent know in the photographic art; X is hydrogen or a coupling-off group known in the photographic art; and Z.sup.a, Z.sup.b and Z.sup.c are independently a substituted or unsubstituted methine group, .dbd.N-, .dbd.C- or -NH-, provided that one of either the Z.sup.a --Z.sup.b bond or the Z.sup.b --Z.sup.c bond is a double bond and the other is a single bond, and when the Z.sup.b --Z.sup.c bond is a carbon--carbon double bond, it may form part of an aromatic ring, and at least one of Z.sup.a, Z.sup.B and Z.sup.c represents a methine group connect with the group R.sup.2.
One class of pyrazolotriazole couplers includes 1H-pyrazolo[1,5b][1,2,4]triazole couplers, such as described in European Patent 1777765. These couplers can be represented by the general formula: ##STR5## wherein R and R.sup.2 are as defined above.
Another class of pyrazolotriazole couplers include 1H-pyrazol [3,2-]-5-triazole couplers, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,725,067 and 4,812,576. These couplers can be represented by the general formula: ##STR6## wherein R and R.sup.2 are as defined above.
The intermediate compounds of formula (I) can be used to form pyrazolotriazole couplers according to methods known in the art. Such methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,540,654 and 4,812,576.
The method according to the presently claimed method has the advantage that the starting materials are commercially available. Additionally, the reagents pose no significant health or disposal risks. The method avoids the use of reagents which, if present as residual materials, would be undesirable in further processing of photographic elements.

Method of preparing 5-amino-3-substituted-pyrazole