Disclosed is a system for enrolling a user for facilitation of transactions using biometric authentication. The enrolling system includes an application program that is configured to:                receive a user attribute; create an anonymous client reference (ACR) associated with the user attribute; and receive a biometric template. The biometric template has been determined from an input of a biometric. The enrolling system is further configured to create an association between the biometric template and the ACR.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for using biometrics to facilitate transactions.
There are a variety of cash-free transaction systems available that use payment card companies to facilitate a payment by electronic funds transfer. These systems traditionally use payment cards, such as chip and PIN and radio frequency identification (RFID) contactless cards, but the use of RFID with devices such as smartphones is becoming more common. Chip and PIN payments involve two-factor authentication, presenting the card and entering the PIN, as do device RFID payments, such as Apple Pay which requires the presentation of the device and a biometric or passcode. Contactless payments use single-factor authentication: presentation of the card.
Other cash-free transaction systems do not involve payment card companies or banks, but instead use credit or tickets that are pre-loaded onto contactless smart cards using single-factor authentication. An example of this would be smart cards for public transport, such as Transport for London's Oyster card. However, the use of single-factor authentication is commonly seen as vulnerable to fraud. For example, the contactless function of a stolen chip and PIN card can be used multiple times before a transaction requires the use of the chip and PIN function, and a stolen smart card has unlimited use, or can be used until the pre-loaded credit runs out.
For single-factor contactless payment card transactions, a chip in the card transmits the account details to the contactless card reader. The card reader then transmits the account details to the payment card company for verification and to authorise the transaction. Due to the lack of identity verification and single-factor authentication, there is often an upper limit on the value of contactless transactions and the number of consecutive contactless transactions in order to limit the impact of fraudulent transactions. Contactless payments cards have no intrinsic system for removing the possibility of fraudulent use.
Chip and PIN and contactless payment card transactions provide further opportunities for fraud in the authentication process. This is due to the exchange of card details between the entities involved, including from the card to the card reader and then onwards to the payment card company. There are thus opportunities to steal payment card information which can then be used if the encryption is broken, or if the information was stolen unencrypted.
The convenience of card payment services has led to a diminished need to carry around cash. This has been reinforced by the ease of contactless transactions. Removing the need to carry cards around would further improve the convenience of performing transactions. Biometric-only authentication is advantageous as it does not require a device or card at point of sale or payment. Biometric identifiers can be used for authentication purposes due to the uniqueness of human physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features and vascular patterns. Biometrics can be used alone for single-factor authentication, or alongside other factors for a multiple-factor authentication system. Biometrics have previously been used for authentication in controlling access to ATM machines and online bank accounts, but only using multiple-factor authorisation, for example also requiring the presentation of a card or a code. There is therefore a need for a secure single-factor biometric transaction system suitable for use with banks and card payment services, and which removes the possibility for stealing payment card information.
GB-A-2,465,782 discloses a method and apparatus for providing biometric authentication of a user. A registration process is used in which a reference data sample representative of a biometric attribute of a reference user is used to train a statistical classifier such as a neural network to achieve a target output. The set of parameters of the statistical classifier, e.g. the weights that achieve this in the neural network, are stored on a user's device as a first data set. For subsequent authentication of a user to be tested at an access point, the first data set is retrieved from the user device and a second data set representative of the biometric attribute of the test user is generated directly from the test user. Typically, the biometric information is used is a voice print of a user.
WO-A-2016/019679 discloses biometric authentication using a finger vein recognition system. An imaging circuit, an illumination circuit, a recognition module and a wireless transmission module are used. The imaging circuit includes a CCD camera, an optical lens and an optical filter; the illumination circuit consists of near-infrared LEDs. The wireless transmission module transmits video information and a control signal to a computer so as to realize communication with the computer and enable authentication.
US-A-2016/217277 discloses apparatus for enrollment and verification of a user comprising one touch two factor biometric sensors. An enrollment process creates a baseline abstract identity information for the user. Subsequent verification processes capture new abstract identity information to be matched to the baseline on an encrypted server. A first camera takes a first surface image of a portion of a user's finger to capture the pattern of friction ridges and valleys and intersection points. A second camera takes a second subsurface image of a vein map below the surface of the user's finger. These are then fused into a binary format that cannot be reversed to reacquire either the fingerprint or the vein map.


The number of images to be composited used to generate a dynamic range-extended image, and exposure conditions for respective images to be composited are determined. A proper exposure condition is determined for a subject corresponding to a moving object region, and one of the exposure conditions of the images to be composited is changed to the proper exposure condition. An image capture apparatus specifies a moving object region for a plurality of images to be composited, which are captured under the exposure conditions of the images to be composited including the proper exposure condition. A dynamic range-extended image is generated using pixels of the image to be composited, which is captured under the proper exposure condition, as those of the moving object region, which is specified for the plurality of images to be composited.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capture apparatus, control method thereof, and recording medium and, more particularly, to a dynamic range extending technique which extends a tone range by compositing a plurality of differently exposed images.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, some image capture apparatuses such as digital cameras and digital video cameras have a dynamic range extending function which obtains an image whose tone range is extended by compositing a plurality of differently exposed images, which are obtained by capturing images of a subject using different exposure times.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-104009 discloses an image capture apparatus which generates an HDR image by capturing two different images, which respectively fall within luminance ranges on a high-luminance side and low-luminance side by detecting a highest luminance on the high-luminance side and a lowest luminance on the low-luminance side when a captured image does not fall within a predetermined luminance range.
Also, a technique for dynamically controlling image composition in dynamic range-extended image generation processing (to be referred to as HDR image generation processing hereinafter) so as to avoid image discontinuity in a composite image output by the HDR image generation processing when a moving object is included has been disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-101347 discloses the following technique. That is, when an HDR image is generated using two images, that is, an underexposed image and overexposed image, a region where image discontinuity may occur is specified based on differences between tone levels of normalized images, and replacement to the underexposed image is inhibited in that region.
However, even when the aforementioned method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-101347 is used, pixels extracted from both the overexposed image and underexposed image may often be used in a moving object region of the HDR image generated by composition, thus posing a problem of texture discontinuity in the moving object region.

Image capture apparatus, control method thereof, and recording medium


A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named xe2x80x98Antneromxe2x80x99, as described and illustrated, and particular characterized by the combined features of very compact plant growth, early and rich flowers; mini-type pot plant that can grow to a maximum of approximately 40 cm; long and erect peduncle, flowers held well above the foliage; very full plant habit due to rich shoot formation; leaves are dark green, very compact, durable with light green primary veins; red and reasonably durable flowers, remaining red for approximately 8 weeks until they die; large flower size in relation to the leaf size resulting in the excellent ratio of leaf to flower size, 2 week root initiation time, 3 cm plant growth per month.

Anthurium andreanum L.
Antnerom.
xe2x80x98Antneromxe2x80x99 is a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium, botanically known as Anthurium andreanum L. The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program, and was obtained from a cross made during such a program in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands, in 1994.
The female or seed parent was a red-colored Anthurium pot plant having selection number 93-23-31 (unpatented). The male or pollen parent was a proprietary white-colored flowering Anthurium pot plant having selection number 90-106-04 (unpatented). xe2x80x98Antneromxe2x80x99 was discovered and selected as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Jan van Dijk in June 1996 in a controlled environment in a glasshouse in Bleiswijk. Subsequent asexual reproduction by tissue culture at the same location has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following observations, measurements and values describe 60 week old plants grown in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands, under greenhouse conditions which closely approximate those generally used in horticultural practice.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Antneromxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. the plant grows very compact and flowers early and rich;
2. it is a mini-type pot plant that can grow to a maximum of approximately 40 cm;
3. the penducle is long and erect and therefore the flowers are held well above the foliage;
4. the plant habit is very full due to rich shoot formation;
5. the leaves are dark green, very compact, durable with light green primary veins;
6. the flowers are red and reasonably durable, they remain red for approximately 8 weeks until they die;
7. the flower size is large in relation to the leaf size and therefore the ratio of leaf to flower size is excellent.
8. it takes two weeks for the plant to initiate roots; and
9. the plant grows approximately 3 cm per month.

Anthurium andreanum plant named xe2x80x98Antneromxe2x80x99


A method of calculating internal signals for use in a MAP algorithm is disclosed, comprising the steps of:                obtaining first decoding signals by processing received systematic and received encoded symbols of each symbol sequence of a received signal;        obtaining unnormalized second decoding signals for the current symbol sequence by processing the first decoding signals of the previous sequence and second decoding signals of the previous sequence;        obtaining unnormalized third decoding signals for the current symbol sequence by processing the first decoding signals of the current sequence and third decoding signals of the next sequence;        normalizing the unnormalized second and third decoding signals; and        wherein at least one of said second decoding signals of the previous sequence and said third decoding signals of the next sequence are unnormalised.

The max-log-MAP decoding algorithm is a simplified version of the MAP decoding algorithm, which is also known as the BCJR decoding algorithm. The max-log-MAP is used to decode a convolutional encoder. It is one of the more popular soft output decoding methods.
A main application of the max-log-MAP decoder is in the decoding of turbo codes, which are generated using two parallel concatenated convolutional encoders. Two max-log-MAP decoders are used as component decoders in the turbo decoder. Today, turbo codes have become established as an important method of channel coding in the third generation wireless mobile communication technical specification. However, as time progresses and demand for high data rate communication increases, the turbo decoder is burdened with the task of performing with very high processing speed. Improving the speed of the component decoders of the turbo decoder, i.e. the max-log-MAP decoders, is the key to increasing turbo decoding speed.
The conventional max-log-MAP algorithm will now be described.
At the input of the max-log-MAP decoder are two kinds of received signals: received systematic symbols X and received coded symbols Y. A third possible kind of input signal is a lambda λ signal from the previous max-log-MAP decoder output if iterative decoding (turbo decoding) is applied. These signals are used to compute lambda, or in the case of turbo decoding, new lambda values. Several important internal signals of the max-log-MAP are defined: α, β, and Υ.
α and β are computed recursively—i.e. the computation of the internal signal α or β at a symbol sequence t needs the value of the internal signal from the previous, for α, or following, for β, symbol sequence (t−1 or t+1).
There are two types of Υ values: Υ0 is associated with the probability of a systematic symbol X being bit 0, while Υ1 is associated with the probability of the systematic symbol being bit 1. Υ is computed using X, Y and the lambda from the previous max-log-MAP decoder output, denoted by λp.
Signal Υ is calculated according to a trellis diagram. Table 1 gives and example of how Υ0 and Υ1, given states m, are calculated in an 8-state recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) encoder with the following transfer function: [1, g1(D)/g0(D)] where g0(D)=1+D2+D3 and g1=1+D+D3. In the above polynomials, the Ds describe a set of different Hamming distances (with respect to all zeros) that can be obtained from a convolutional encoder. Note that, 1 actually referes to D0 (Hamming distance of 0). Here, an 8-state RSC encoder is taken as an example. In fact, m can be other states, such as 16 states or 32 states, depending on the application.
TABLE 1Example of Υ values for states mmΥ0t(m)Υ1t(m)0−Yt − (Xt + λpt)+Yt + (Xt + λpt)1−Yt − (Xt + λpt)+Yt + (Xt + λpt)2+Yt − (Xt + λpt)−Yt + (Xt + λpt)3+Yt − (Xt + λpt)−Yt + (Xt + λpt)4+Yt − (Xt + λpt)−Yt + (Xt + λpt)5+Yt − (Xt + λpt)−Yt + (Xt + λpt)6−Yt − (Xt + λpt)+Yt + (Xt + λpt)7−Yt − (Xt + λpt)+Yt + (Xt + λpt)
The α for symbol sequence t and states m (total eight different states) is calculated using α and Υ at t−1 from two different states (m0 and m1). This is done by first computing an unnormalized signal ααt(m)=max-of-2{αt−1(m0)+Υ0t−1(m0), αt−1(m1)+Υ1t−1(m1)}  (1)
Using the example of the same RSC encoder used in Table 1, Table 2 gives the values of m0 and m1 corresponding to m, wherein states m0 and m1 are selected arbitrarily from eight different states m.
The initial values α0(m) are set to appropriate constants. Usually, α0(0) is set to 0 and {α0(1), α0(2), . . . , α0(7)} are set to a large negative number, for example, −128.
TABLE 2Example of m0 and m1 valuescorresponding to m for α computationMm0, m100, 113, 224, 537, 641, 052, 365, 476, 7
After all eight states are computed, all α values are normalized by subtracting a constant At.αt(m)=αt(m)−At  (2)At is a function of at αt which can be obtained in several ways. Some of them areAt=max-of-8{αt(m)}mε{0,1, . . . ,7}  (3a)At=(max-of-8{αt(m)}mε{0,1, . . . ,7}+min-of-8{αt(m)}mε{0,1, . . . ,7})/2  (3b)At=αt(0)  (3c)
Similarly, β is computed using information from different states (m0 and m1) and the symbol sequence t+1, and using Υ from states m at sequence t.
First, the unnormalized β is computedβt(m)=max-of-2{βt+1(m0)+Υ0t(m), βt+1(m1)+Υ1t(m)}  (4)
Table 3 gives the values of m0 and m1 corresponding to m, using the same RSC encoder.
The initial value βL+1(0), where L is the frame size, is usually set to 0, while {βL+1(1), βL+1(2), . . . , βL+1(7)} are usually set to a large negative number, for example, −128.
TABLE 3Example of m0 and m1 valuescorresponding to m for β computationmm0, m100, 414, 025, 131, 542, 656, 267, 373, 7
After all 8 states are computed, all β values are normalized by subtracting a constant Bt which is obtained in the similar way as Atβt(m)=βt(m)−Bt  (5)
Lambda is computed using α, β and Υ of all states. The m0 and m1 states for β are the same as given in Table 3.λt=max-of-8{αt(m)+Υ1t(m)+βt+1(m1)}mε{0,1 . . . ,7}−max-of-8{αt(m)+Υ0t(m)+βt+1(m0)}mε{0,1, . . . ,7}  (6)
As can be seen from the equations, two or more symbols of α or β cannot be computed in parallel, and therefore must be computed in sequence. However, the sequential computation of α can run in parallel with the sequential computation of β. Therefore, as α and β have exactly the same complexity and are independent of each other, from this point, the α and β computations are referred as a single entity called α/β computations, for convenience sake.
Lambda computations, however, are not independent of α/β computations. The lambda computation for symbol sequence t cannot begin until α and β of symbol sequence t are computed.
Looking at the algorithm for computing α/β for symbol sequence t (equations (1)–(5)), it can be seen that the algorithm can be divided into four dependent sequential stages. In other words, one stage cannot begin until the previous has been completed. For example, to compute α for symbol sequence t, the four stages S1(t)–S4(t) are    S1(t): Compute Υ0t−1(m0) and Υ1t−1(m1) using Table 1    S2(t): Compute αt(m) using equation (1)    S3(t): Compute At using one of the equations (3a), (3b), (3c)    S4(t): Compute αt(m) using equation (2)
It is possible to implement pipelining by starting S2 for the next symbol sequence t+1 after S4(t). This is because S1(t) is independent of any stage at any symbol sequence. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the timeline of such an implementation, with the assumption that the length of time taken for the stages S1–S4 follows the proportion of T1:T2:T3:T4=1:1:1.5:0.5.
In general, the length of time taken to complete the stages given L number of symbols isT=T1+L(T2+T3+T4)  (7)
Using the prior art, the pipelining implementation is limited by the normalization computation (S3 and S4). In other words, part of the computation (referring to S2) of symbol sequence t+1 can begin only after the normalization computation in symbol sequence t is completed.
One way to improve this is to forgo the normalization computation for a few symbols (normalization can never be completely eliminated because it is needed to prevent overflow), but this would produce different results and slightly increase the number of bits which are set aside for the internal signals.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of calculating decoding signals that can improve the pipelining implementation.

Method of calculating internal signals for use in a map algorithm


A system for automating experimentation is disclosed. The system comprises an automated experimentation platform (AEP) for automating research, development, and engineering experimentation processes and work and a generalized exchange module (GEM) for automating data exchanges between the AEP and external software applications, devices, or the instrument control programs (ICPs) controlling the devices; a generalization of the exchange module enables all automated data exchanges to be generic. Through the use of the automated experimentation platform (AEP) and the generalized exchange module (GEM), the automation can be adapted to any targeted external software application, device or a devices' controlling software program.

The execution steps in most research, development, and engineering experiments generally involve manual operations carried out on unconnected technology platforms. The scientist or engineer works in what are essentially isolated technology islands with manual operations providing the only bridges. To illustrate, when there is a Standard Operating Practice (SOP) Guide for the experimental work, it is often an electronic document, for example in Microsoft Word. The experimental plan (Step 1) within the SOP Guide has to be transferred to the target device (instrument, instrument platform, or component module for execution (Step 2) by manually re-keying the experiment into the device's instrument control program (ICP)—the device's controlling application software. In a few cases the statistical analysis of results (Step 3a) can be done within the ICP, but it is most often done within a separate statistical analysis software package or spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel. This also requires manually transferring the results data from the ICP to the analysis software package. Reporting of results (Step 3b) is usually carried out in Microsoft Word, and therefore requires the manual transfer of all results tables and graphs from the separate statistical analysis software package. The manual operations within the general execution sequence steps are presented below. The isolated technology islands are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 illustrates the manual tools and operations involved in carrying out a research and development experiment. In this work a statistical experiment design protocol is first generated, via step 12. This protocol is developed manually and off-line using nonvalidated tools such as Microsoft Word. The protocol then must be approved, once again manually and off-line, via step 14. Next, sample amounts are calculated using non-validated tools such as Microsoft Excel, via step 16. Thereafter the samples are prepared, via step 18 and the experiment is run on a target device, via step 20, for example, a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). Running the experiment requires manually re-constructing the statistical design within the target device's ICP. When this software does not exist, or does not allow for full instrument control, the experiment must be carried out in a fully manual mode by manually adjusting instrument settings between experiment runs.
FIG. 2 illustrates the manual tools and operations involved in analyzing the data and reporting the results of the research and development experiment, via step 22. The analysis and reporting of data is accomplished by first statistically analyzing and interpreting the data, off-line, using non-validated tools such as Microsoft Excel. Next, it is determined whether or not there is a need for more experiments, possibly using off-line generic design of experiments (DOE) software, via step 24. Then, data are entered and a report is written, via step 26. Finally, the report is archived, via step 28. As is seen from the above, the research, development, and engineering experimentation process involves a series of activities that are currently conducted in separate "technology islands" that require manual data exchanges among the tools that are used for each activity. However, until now, no overarching automation technology exists that brings together all the individual activities under a single integrated-technology platform that is adapted to multiple devices and data systems.
Method validation activities encompass the planning and experimental work involved in verifying the fitness of an analytical method for its intended use. These activities are often captured in company Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents that usually incorporate Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) requirements and guidances. Method validation SOP documents include a description of all aspects of the method validation work for each experiment type (e.g. accuracy, linearity) within a framework of three general execution sequence steps: (1) experimental plan, (2) instrumental procedures, and (3) analysis and reporting of results. The individual elements within these three general steps are presented below.
Step 1: Generate Experimental Plan
Select experiment type
Select target instrument
Define study variables:                analyte concentrations        instrument parameters        environmental parameters
Specify number of levels per variable
Specify number of preparation replicates per sample
Specify number of injections per preparation replicate
Integrate standards
Include system suitability injections
Define Acceptance Criteria
Step 2: Construct Instrumental Procedures
Define required transformations of the experiment plan into the native file or data formats of the instrument's controlling ICP software (construction of Sample Sets and Method Sets or Sequence and Methods files).
Specify number of injections (rows)
Specify type of each injection (e.g., sample, standard)
Define required modifications to the analytical method (robustness)
Step 3: Analyze Data and Report Results
Specify analysis calculations and report content and format
Carry out numerical analyses
Compare analysis results to acceptance criteria (FDA & ICH requirements)
Specify graphs and plots that should accompany the analysis
Construct graphs and plots
Compile final report
The execution steps in analytical method validation generally involve manual operations carried out on unconnected technology platforms. To illustrate, an SOP Guide for the validation of an HPLC analytical method is often an electronic document in Microsoft Word. The experimental plan (Step 1) within the SOP Guide has to be transferred to the HPLC instrument for execution (Step 2) by manually re-keying the experiment into the instrument platform's ICP—in the case of an HPLC this is typically referred to as a chromatography data system (CDS). In a few cases the statistical analysis of results (Step 3) can be performed within the CDS, but it is most often carried out within a separate statistical analysis software package or spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel. This also requires manually transferring the results data from the CDS to the analysis software package. Reporting of results (Step 3) is usually carried out in Microsoft Word, and therefore requires the manual transfer of all results tables and graphs from the separate statistical analysis software package. The manual operations within the three general execution sequence steps are presented below.
Step 1—Experimental Plan
Validation plan developed in Microsoft Word.
Experimental design protocol developed in off-line DOE software.
Step 2—Instrumental Procedures
Manually build the Sequences or Sample Sets in the CDS.
Raw peak (x, y) data reduction calculations performed by the CDS (e.g. peak area, concentration).
Step 3a—Statistical Analysis
Calculated results manually transferred from the CDS to Microsoft Excel.
Statistical analysis usually carried out manually in Microsoft Excel.
Some graphs generated manually in Microsoft Excel, some obtained from the CDS.
Step 3b—Reporting of Results
Reports manually constructed from template documents in Microsoft Word.
Graphs and plots manually integrated into report document.
Prior art systems are known in this area, but they do not address the overarching problem of removing the manually intensive steps required to bridge the separate technology islands. Relevant prior art that has been discovered by applicants is described herein below.

System for automating scientific and engineering experimentation


A polymeric interlocking tile for an adhesive-free assemblage with adjacent tiles having substantially similar, but inverted, edge interlocks thereon. The interlocks on each edge of a tile include a row of first and second sets of male-female types of alternating interlocks. The first interlock set includes a male lug projection having sidewalls forming one sidewall of a channel of U-shaped cross-section. The channel forms a female interlock cavity for the first set. The second interlock set is contiguous to the first set and includes a male projecting rib having two parallel sidewalls, one sidewall faces the edge and forms an opposite sidewall of the channel and an opposite, inwardly facing sidewall forms an enclosure for a second female cavity of the next set. At the opposite ends of each interlock row, the U-shaped channel sidewalls are wider to facilitate an initial interlock meshing between contiguous tiles of the assemblage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to adhesive-free, interlocking tiles and, more specifically, to an improved interlock structure for interlocking an assemblage of contiguous floor tiles with uniformly straight edges.
2. Background Discussion
Adhesive-free, interlocking floor tiles are typically molded of substantially resilient, plastic material and utilize interlock elements formed in the tile edges for effecting connections with adjacent, similar tiles. Typically, the interlock elements are pairs of substantially identical alternating projections and slots of substantially dovetail shapes. The projections and slots are supported by the tile edges to effect mating interlocks with inverted, substantially identical slots and projections, respectively, on other tiles to effect a mating interference fit between contiguous tiles of an assemblage, such as, an assemblage of floor tiles.
The projections serve as the male interlock elements and are typically dovetailed shaped; that is, shaped as truncated triangles with rounded corners in plan view and disposed in alignment along each tile. The male projections are alternately spaced by contiguous slots of substantially the same size and shape as the male projections, but inverted to form the female interlocking elements. Typically therefore, the slots are of identical dovetail shape and those on at least two exposed elements support edges of the tile are joined at right angles. The slots extend completely through these edges to provide female counterparts to the male elements. Interlocking of contiguous floor tiles on-site is effected by vertically aligning the male and female interlock elements of one tile with respective inverted female and male interlock elements of contiguous tiles and then driving the interlocks into resilient interference engagements by means of, for example, a mallet. The integrated installation, when thusly installed over flooring substrates, such as concrete or plywood, requires no adhesives or fasteners, and is therefore often referred to as "adhesive-free." The male-female element pairs form one set each of the interlock structures disposed along the tile edges so that there is a series of contiguous pairs of projections and slots joined by a common dovetail-shaped sidewall.
For certain floor tile applications it is preferred that the tiles have four edges with one pair thereof joining at right angles to provide one corner of the tile and two uniformly solid, straight edges which define two of the four or more square or rectangular side edges of a multi-sided tile, depending on the particular overall tile shape. The pair of solid edge portions serves as straight, overlying support edges for downwardly facing interlock elements when the tile is installed horizontally. The edges have top surfaces as flush extensions of the top surface of the tile body and provide flat, top surfaces with a pair of solid, straight top edges, thereby simulating a conventional ceramic tile assemblage with linear grout lines or wood flooring with grooves and flush, coplanar top surfaces. An oppositely disposed, and second, pair of edges intersect at right angles to form a second opposite corner of the tile. The second pair of edges are likewise provided with a sequence of male-female interlocks defined by sidewalls which extend completely through the tile edges perpendicular to the plane of the tile to mate with the downwardly-projecting respective female and male interlocks of contiguous, substantially identical tiles. Examples of tiles having such interlock arrangements are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,693 issued on Sep. 8, 1981 to R. E. Collette; U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,705, issued on Mar. 4, 2003 to K. M. MacDonald; and, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/884,638, filed Jun. 19, 2001 by T. E. Ricciardelli and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention; all of the references referred to above being incorporated by reference herein and made part hereof.
The extent to which each essentially identical pair of interlock elements can effectively function to prevent tile separations during usage is a function of tile composition and the design of the interlocks with various considerations as to tile resilience and the extent of surface area available for inter-mating surface-to-surface engagement between interlocks, and other relevant factors known to those in the art. Thus, with certain of the prior art interlock structures, the two sides of the tile opposite those with solid edge portions utilize the full tile edge thickness for at least the female cavity sidewalls by molding dovetail slots as through-slots into the tile edges. The resulting tile has a pair of top linear edge portions and a pair of opposite or bottom edge portions with alternating non-linear or undulating edges. Advantageously, the latter may be hidden from view after tile assemblage by the overlying straight and solid top edge portions of contiguous tiles, and therefore, the top surfaces of the final tile assemblages have the desired uniformly straight edge lines and flush, top edge surfaces.
For a given thickness of tile, the pair of flush solid support edges forming the periphery of the top surface account for a portion of the overall tile thickness and consequently reduce the surface areas available for mating engagements between the identical pairs of interlock elements. This is because the female cavities have a reduced depth as a result of being dead-ended on-their underlying solid support edges. The male projections are also limited in height because they cannot extend beyond the planes of the top or bottom surfaces of the tile. As a result, the surface areas available to effect inter-element mating engagements is reduced, which is disadvantageous from a connective integrity standpoint. Conversely, this advantageously results in a reduction in the impact forces required to drive the downwardly-facing interlocks on the top tile edges into mating engagements with upwardly-facing interlocks of adjoining tiles, and consequently reduces the effort required for on-site tile installation.
It would be advantageous to provide a generally planar tile with multiple sides and a top surface having an underlying interlock structure that is adapted to facilitate on-site assemblage and removal of individual tiles with matable interlock structures on contiguous tiles, and yet is resistant to separation of the assemblage during usage.
An embodiment of this invention is to provide an interlocking tile with planar top and bottom surfaces and at least two linear edges extending at right angles to one another having different sets of interlock elements underlying the top edge surfaces which are specifically designed to facilitate on-site installation and removal and replacement, if required, of individual tiles without significantly degrading the resistance to tile edge separations during usage.
Yet another embodiment is to provide an adhesive-free tile assemblage with an interlock structure comprised of multiple pairs of differently constructed interlocks providing acceptable connective interlock integrity while facilitating the ease by which on-site installation assemblage and replacement of individual tiles can be effected with mating tiles having substantially identical, inverted interlock structures thereon.
Yet another embodiment is to provide an edge interlock system for a resilient tile that facilitates the initial connections and aligned orientations between the interlocks of that tile and the interlocks of similarly constructed contiguous tiles.


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transceiving a broadcast signal. A method for receiving a broadcast signal comprises the following steps: extracting, from the received broadcast signal, a broadcast stream including at least one program, first program table information for indicating the broadcast stream, and second program table information for indicating the correlation among a plurality of programs provided using at least one broadcast service; parsing the broadcast stream using the extracted first program table information; and acquiring, using the extracted second program table information, information on the group to which the plurality of programs belong.

A digital TV may provide various additional services in addition to video and audio as its original function, and for example, may select a program that a user wants through metadata representing program broadcasting airtime.
In the case of Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) digital broadcasting, program information is delivered using the Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) standard, and the digital TV interprets the delivered program information and displays an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) on the screen for user's easy selection.
Moreover, the EPG may include information on the basis of hourly program information for each channel and start time and end time information of a corresponding program, which are in an Event Information Table (EIT).

Method for transceiving a broadcast signal and broadcast-receiving using same


In a rotation angle calculating method of a wire harness, a rotation angle of the wire harness is calculated at an arbitrary measuring point of the wire harness when the wire harness is deformed from a first shape to a second shape while a fixed point of the wire harness is fixed. The method include the steps of: setting intermediate points between the fixed point and the measuring point of the wire harness in the second shape; setting vectors at the nodes of the wire harness in the second shape as node vectors respectively; calculating angles, each of which has a rotation direction, wherein each of the angles is defined between the vectors at the adjoining nodes; and adding the angles to each other so as to calculate a rotation angle having a rotation direction at the measuring point.

Recently, while various sorts of electric appliances are mounted on vehicles and the like, these electric appliances are connected to each other by employing line-shaped members in which a plurality of wiring lines and a plurality of communication lines are bundled by employing such binding members as a insulation lock, and such protecting members as tapes. Furthermore, such restricting members known as cramps are provided at edge portions and intermediate portions of such wire harnesses in order that these wire harnesses are connected to the electric appliances, and/or fixed to vehicle bodies.
Normally, a wire harness provided with such restricting members is distributively arranged on a predetermined portion, while being deformed from an initial shape of the wire harness under which this wire harness is expanded on a jig plate up to a final shape of the wire harness which may depend upon a shape of a vehicle body and various sorts of interfering articles. The respective portions in the final shape of the wire harness are brought into a rotated condition with respect to the same portions in the initial shape thereof. For instance, in such a case that the restricting member mounted on the predetermined portion of the wire harness corresponds to an elongated hole type cramp, or the like, distortions and stresses are continuously applied to the restricting member and the portion of the wire harness on which the restricting member is mounted.
Under such a circumstance, for example, in order to previously investigate durability and the like as to a restricting member which is mounted on a wire harness and the wire harness itself, one related calculating method proposes a method of calculating a rotation angle at a predetermined portion of the wire harness in a final shape thereof by utilizing a computer. However, such a problem could be revealed in the related rotation angle calculating method, since the rotation angle is calculated by merely considering only predetermined measuring points in the initial shape and the final shape. This problem will now be explained with FIGS. 11A to 11C and FIG. 12.
FIG. 11A to FIG. 11C are diagrams showing three typical patterns which may possibly occur when wire harnesses are deformed from initial shapes thereof to final shapes thereof. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing measuring points in both the initial shapes and the final shapes by employing vectors shown in FIG. 11A to FIG. 11C. It should be noted that for the sake of simple explanations, although the initials shapes are assumed as linear shapes, these initial shapes are not limited to the linear shapes.
In a first pattern shown in FIG. 11A, while an elongated hole type connector 1s mounted one edge of a wire harness, which is shown by Ps is rotated by an angle θ1, this connector 1s is lifted up to such a position indicated by Pe in a linear manner, and thus, the wire harness is deformed from an initial shape Ws to a final shape We. In this case, the other edge of the wire harness is located at a fixed point P0.
Also, in a second pattern shown in FIG. 11B, while an elongated hole type connector 1s mounted one edge of a wire harness, which is shown by Ps is rotated by an angle θ2 (=360 degrees−θ1) along a left direction, this connector 1s is displaced up to such a position indicated by Pe2, and thus, the wire harness is deformed from an initial shape Ws to a final shape We2. In this case, the other edge of this wire harness is located at a fixed point P0. A portion of the wire harness is deformed in a ring shape in accordance with the displacement of the connector 1s as described in the above manner.
Also, in a third pattern shown in FIG. 11C, while an elongated hole type connector 1s mounted one edge of a wire harness, which is shown by Ps is rotated by an angle θ3 (=360 degrees+θ1) along a right direction, this connector 1s is displaced up to such a position indicated by Pe3, and thus, the wire harness is deformed from an initial shape Ws to a final shape We3. In this case, the other edge of this wire harness is located at a fixed point P0. Since the connector 1s is displaced in the above-described manner, a portion of the wire harness is deformed in a ring shape.
In the above-described first pattern to third pattern, the initial shapes Ws of the wire harnesses are commonly equal to each other, and directions of the connectors 1s in the final shapes are equal to each other. In this example, the directions of the connectors 1s in the initial shapes Ws are expressed by a vector Vs; the directions of the connectors 1s in the finals shapes We1, We2, We3 are expressed by a vector Ve1, a vector Ve2, and a vector Ve3, respectively. Also, when starting points of the respective vectors are moved to an origin "0" on an X-Y plane, these vectors may be represented as shown in FIG. 12.
As shown in FIG. 12, all of these vectors Ve1, Ve2, Ve3 are made completely identical to each other. As a consequence, even when the rotation angles in the first pattern to the third pattern are calculated respectively by merely paying an attention only to the predetermined measuring points in the initial shapes and the final shapes, the actual rotation angles θ1, θ2, θ3 cannot be correctly acquired. Precisely speaking, even when an angle defined between the vector Ve1 and the vector Vs, an another angle defined between the vector Ve2 and the vector Vs, and also, an another angle defined between the vector Ve3 and the vector Vs are calculated by employing a vector inner product, since all of the rotation angles obtained from the above calculations are made equal to each other, the actual rotation angles θ1, θ2, θ3 cannot be correctly calculated.
In other words, the final shapes of the first pattern to the third pattern are not reflected onto the rotation angles which are calculated in the above-described manner. As a result, eventually, the distortions and the stresses occurred on the restricting member such as the connector, and also, the portion of the wire harness where this restricting member is mounted, cannot be correctly investigated.
In FIG. 11, only these three typical patterns are exemplified. Furthermore, such a final shape of a wire harness may be alternatively provided which has been rotated two, or more turns to be deformed. Also, practically speaking, such a rotation angle in a three-dimensional space may cause such a problem. These examples may be similarly considered as the problem of the above-exemplified two-dimensional plane.
As a consequence, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rotation angle calculating method of a wire harness, a rotation angle calculating apparatus of the wire harness, a recording medium storing rotation angle calculating program, which can precisely calculate a rotation angle having a rotation direction.

Rotation angle calculating method of wire harness, rotation angle calculating apparatus, and computer-readable recording medium


An image forming apparatus includes a light-emitting device which generates determination light which intersects with flight paths of ink droplets ejected from ejection head nozzles; a light receiving device which receives the determination light and outputs a determination signal corresponding to quantity of the determination light received; a drive control device which controls stagger of ejection timing of a nozzle subject to an ejection determination in accordance with ejection timings of other nozzles by controlling the ejection drive device based on image data during a recording ejection operation for forming an image on the recording medium; and an ejection state judging device which judges ejection state of the ink droplets from the nozzle subject to the ejection determination, based on the determination signal obtained from the light receiving device at a determination timing corresponding to the ejection timing of the nozzle subject to the ejection determination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an ejection determining method, and more specifically to an image forming apparatus and ejection determining method suitable for determining nozzles with ejection defects in an inkjet head having a plurality of droplet ejection holes (nozzles).
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet type image forming apparatus forms images on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles while moving a print head (recording head) in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged and a recording medium relatively with respect to each other. This kind of apparatus may cause the ejection defects such as the obstruction of ink ejection from the nozzles, the defective amount of ink ejected (the dot size deposited on the recording medium), and the defective position to deposit ink, for some reasons according to the increase of the ink viscosity of ink in the head, the infiltration of air bubbles into the ink, and the like.
For this reason, a method in which ejection failures are detected on the basis of the transmissivity of the light by irradiating light, such as laser light, onto droplets ejected from a print head is known in the prior art (referred as to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-191453).
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-191453 suggests a method in which the ejection timing of ink in a nozzle group under observation is staggered with respect to other nozzle groups by a time period shorter than the recording ejection cycle according to an inkjet printer comprising a light source and a light receiver for determining ejections.
However, the determination method suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-191453 is the method to achieve high-speed determination, and the method to control the ejection in units of nozzle groups. Therefore, it is impossible to control the ejection with respect to individual nozzles. Furthermore, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-191453, since the sequence and number of the nozzles to be inspected are limited, it is not possible to carry out inspection in any desired sequence. Even if the number of nozzles to be inspected is limited to a small number, an inspection time equivalent to the time required to inspect all of the nozzles is still needed.
In an embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-191453, inspection is carried out in sequence from one end of the nozzle row, and the ejection sequence during determination is predetermined. Therefore, there is little freedom in the ejection sequence and ejection determination cannot be carried out during a printing operation.

Image forming apparatus and ejection determining method


This invention pertains to electroviscous fluids comprising a dispersion in an electrical insulating fluid of microparticles that are comprised of a polyelectrolyte or a mixture of a polyether and a polyelectrolyte wherein said polyelectrolyte consists of a carboxyaryl group-containing organopolysiloxane that has been neutralized by a base containing a monovalent or divalent metal. The electroviscous fluids of this invention provide a high electroviscous effect and good dispersion stability, and they are thermally stable and do not abrade surrounding equipment.

Fluids whose viscosity can be varied by the application of an external voltage can be used, for example, for power transfer, for shock absorption, and as valves, and as a result such fluids have recently been the subject of some scrutiny. Fluids whose viscosity increases in response to an electrical field are collectively known as electroviscous fluids. However, in order to be able to withstand highly practical applications in, for example, clutches, engine mounts, and shock absorbers, an electroviscous fluid is required whose yield value is substantially increased by the application of small voltages.
Various types of such fluids have already been proposed. These have generally taken the form, for example, of dispersions of porous inorganic particles (e.g., silica, alumina, talc, etc.) in electrical insulating fluids. Due to the formation of an electric double layer due in every case to water adsorbed on the particle surface, the particles orient in response to an external electrical field and the viscosity increases (more specifically, the fluid converts into a Bingham fluid and exhibits a yield value). This effect is hereinafter referred to as the Winslow effect. Based on the substantial practical advantages offered by silica (ease of industrial acquisition, rich potential for improvements and modifications in quality, etc.), many electroviscous fluids have been proposed that use silica in the system, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,507 and Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Number Sho 61-44998 [44,998/1986]. However, these particular electroviscous fluids do not perform satisfactorily in industrial applications because they abrade the surrounding equipment, suffer from particle sedimentation, and exhibit a Winslow effect of modest degree.
In order to improve upon these deficiencies, electroviscous fluids have been proposed that comprise the dispersion of a polyelectrolyte in an electrical insulating fluid. The term polyelectrolyte collectively denotes polymeric compounds that contain ion pairs within the structure. Many natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes are known, and the ion-exchange resins are the best known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Number Hei 1-180238 [180,238/1989] discloses an electroviscous fluid that comprises the dispersion in an electrical insulating fluid of microparticles of a polyelectrolyte that contains amine salt structures. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Number Hei 1-262942 [262,942/1989] discloses an electroviscous fluid that comprises the dispersion in an electrical insulating fluid of particles prepared by pulverizing ion-exchange resin. The following advantages are associated with the use of such polyelectrolyte particles: because the particles are made of organic polymer, (a) they have a small specific gravity and thus resist sedimentation and (b) they have little abrasiveness for surrounding equipment; also, (c) they provide a relatively large Winslow effect. Another advantage associated with synthetic polyelectrolytes is that the particle can be freely engineered.
However, the preparation of polyelectrolyte particle-based electroviscous fluids as known in the art involves solidification of the electrolyte through three-dimensional crosslinking by some methodology followed by the preparation of microparticles by, for example, pulverization, etc. In this approach, the three- dimensional configuration of the electrolyte is locked in at the point of synthesis and the electrolyte can then no longer be reworked. Another deficiency in this approach is that the microparticulation process cannot produce perfectly spherical particles, and this in turn precludes both a satisfactory dispersion stability and a satisfactory Winslow effect. In addition, all of the polyelectrolyte particles proposed to date are carbon-based. Silicone oil as described below is the best electrical insulating fluid; however, carbon-based particles have a poor affinity for silicone oil.
Thus, as discussed above, none of the electroviscous fluids proposed to date perform satisfactorily. It is an object of the instant invention an electroviscous fluid that provides a high electroviscosity effect (yield value), has a good dispersion stability, is heat stable even at elevated temperatures of 100.degree. C. and above, and does not abrade or wear the surrounding equipment.

Electroviscous fluid comprising a base neutralized carboxyaryl group-containing organopolysiloxane polyelectrolyte


In an embodiment, a data processing system comprises one or more processors; one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processor to perform determining whether first computer program source code that is associated with an upstream repository comprises a revision that is absent from second computer program source code that is associated with a fork of the first computer program source code, wherein the first source code comprises a first branch and the second source code comprises a second branch, and wherein the first branch corresponds to the second branch; determining whether the second branch in the second source code comprises a second revision that is absent from a corresponding first branch in the first source code, in response to a determination that the first source code comprises the revision that is absent from the second source code; causing outputting to a computer display device an option to synchronize the second branch of the second source code with the corresponding first branch in the first source code in response to determining that the second branch of the second source code comprises the second revision that is absent from the corresponding first branch in the first source code; receiving a selection of the option; in response to the selection of the option, automatically synchronizing the second branch in the second source code with the first branch in the first source code.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
In computer software development, version control systems are used to track and manage computer program source code as the code is written and revised. Version control systems include centralized version control systems and distributed version control systems. Centralized version control systems typically manage a single copy of a project in a centralized location such as a server computer, and programmers commit changes to the central copy.
Distributed version control systems include MERCURIAL, GIT, and BAZAAR, and do not necessarily use a centralized server computer to store all versions of the code. Each programmer may create a copy of the program source code, termed a clone, which is locally stored in a repository of that programmer or a group; the repository maintains metadata representing a complete history of a project involving the original code, the programmer's changes, and often changes of other programmers. Software development environments with distributed version control systems typically enable programmers to create, revise and store computer program source code in the form of text files. The development system typically saves a revision to source code by overwriting an existing version of a source code file with a new version of the file. If a programmer revises the source code, stores the new version in the file, compiles the new version of the file, and learns that the execution of the compiled new version results in an error, the programmer may be able to identify the specific revision that introduced the error if the programmer can restore the old version of the file. A development system with a version control feature can facilitate the identification of errors by enabling a programmer to access previous and current versions of the source code. These environments support operation with many users who are widely distributed across distant geographic locations yet working on the same source code project, by communication over internetworks.
This approach enables each user to have a full history of the source code. The second copy of the repository may be termed a fork, and the original repository on the server computer may be termed a canonical, main repository, or upstream repository. The system also may enable a user to duplicate or clone the fork, store the clone on the user's computer, work on the clone, and then merge the clone back to the upstream repository, or merge the clone back to a clone of the fork that is on the server computer. With this approach, many users can work on clones of the fork and exchange revisions. Unfortunately, some systems can manage and control such clones and forks only using relatively simple features of a file system of the operating system on which the systems operate. For example, the GIT distributed version control system may use UNIX operating system filesystem permissions to control read and write access to GIT repositories of source code. This approach is unsophisticated and cannot manage conflicts arising from attempts of multiple different users to merge their different clones into the same repository on the server computer.

Synchronizing branches of computer program source code


An arrangement for covering a flat lying blank, preferably made of paperboard, with a cover, as is in particular applicable in the manufacture of book cases. The arrangement comprises fixing means for simple coupling of a circular cutting device. This circular cutting device comprises transport means for direct feeding of the cut blank to the arrangement.

An arrangement of this type is, for example, prior art in book case machines of the firm Hoerauf. In the arrangement, a single-piece or multi-piece blank is provided in cycles in a number of working stations with a cover. The finished blanks, provided with the covers, can be used as book cases, folders or game boards. In the case of the manufacture of a book case, for example, in which a multi-piece blank is required, it can be provided that the ready cut blanks are fed in stacked form to the arrangement. It is also known that book case machines are applied which comprise a circular cutting device. The blanks are cut into two or three parts directly in the book case machine by the circular cutter, so that, according to whatever is required, a part for the front and the back of the book as well as for the book spine is cut. In the case of the known arrangement with circular cutter, the device is always mounted in a fixed way. When a one-piece blank is to be provided with a cover in a book case machine comprising a circular cutter, the cutting blades of the circular cutter could be brought into a position so that the blank would not be cut in the circular cutting device, but would, however, still have to travel through same. The transport means available in the arrangement for the blank, which transport means comprise sliders and/or grippers as well as guiding rails, work in cycles and transport the blank from one working station to the next. In the case of a change in format, the working stations and the transport means of the book case machine must be adapted to this new format. If blanks which do not require the circular cutting device are frequently processed in the arrangement, the transport and guiding means in the circular cutting device must nevertheless be adapted in the case of a new format. This involves a high level of adaptation of the respective devices. In addition it is frequently the case today that the number of items in a production order becomes less and less, so that the arrangement must be adapted very often to changing formats. An arrangement for covering a flat lying blank with a cover and comprising a permanently installed circular cutter is, in such cases, relatively inflexible in that all applications are possible but involve a high level of adaptation of the devices.

Arrangement for covering a flat lying blank with a cover

Michael Hoerauf Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG


In a method for transmitting an NFC application, a secure channel is established by way of a proxy between a Trusted Service Manager and an NFC device via a computing device including the proxy and via an RFID reader being a part of the computing device. The NFC application received at the computing device from the Trusted Service Manager is channeled through the secure channel to the NFC device utilizing the proxy.

Near Field Communication, abbreviated "NFC", is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology enabling exchange of data between devices within a relative short distance, for instance, about 10 centimeters. NFC is based on RFID (radio frequency identification) and combines an interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. NFC devices can communicate with RFID readers and with other NFC devices and may, for instance, be mobile phones.
Business opportunities presented by using NFC enabled mobile devices, such as mobile phones, for, for instance, contactless payment, transport ticketing, loyalty and other services may be of interest, for instance, for mobile operators and service providers in the banking, transport and retail sectors.
For addressing operational requirements, NFC utilizes a so called Trusted Service Manger (TSM) which is supposed to help service providers to securely distribute and manage, for instance, contactless services for their customers utilizing networks of mobile operators. FIG. 1 illustrates how a Trusted Service Manager Backend 1 is conventionally used to transmit an NFC application 9 issued by a service provider web site 2 to a mobile telephone 3 comprising NFC capability.
If the service provider wants to issue the NFC application 9 to the mobile phone 3, he connects his service provider web site 2 to the mobile phone 3 through the Trusted Service Manager Backend 1. The Trusted Service Manager Backend 1 establishes a secure channel to transmit the NFC application 9 over the air OTA to the mobile phone 3 which includes an appropriate interface which is, for instance, a GSM interface not explicitly shown in the figures.
The mobile phone 3 comprises a proxy 4, a secure application 5, also known as "wallet", to present information about NFC applications already installed on the mobile phone 3 to the user of the mobile phone 3, an NFC module including a Service Manager 6 and a memory 7 to store the NFC application.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative method to transfer an NFC application to an NFC device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for transmitting an NFC application via a secure channel including a proxy and computing device


Novel artemisinin dimers of structure ##STR1## which possess anticancer activity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel class of artemisinin dimers which demonstrate useful anticancer activity.
2. Description of the State of Art
Artemisia annua L., also known as qing hao or sweet wormwood, is a pervasive weed that has been used for many centuries in Chinese traditional medicine as a treatment for fever and malaria. Its earliest mention, for use in hemorrhoids, occurs in the Recipes for 52 Kinds of Diseases found in the Mawangdui Han dynasty tomb dating from 168 B.C. Nearly five hundred years later Ge Hong wrote the Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency Treatments) in which he advised that a water extract of qing hao was effective at reducing fevers. In 1596, Li Shizhen, the famous herbalist, wrote that chills and fever of malaria can be combated by qing hao preparations. Finally, in 1971, Chinese chemists isolated from the leafy portions of the plant the substance responsible for its reputed medicinal action. This crystalline compound, called qinghaosu, also referred to as QHS or artemisinin, is a sesquiterpene lactone with an internal peroxide linkage.
Artemisinin (3,6,9-trimethyl-9,10b-epi-dioxyperhydropyranol 4,3,2-jk!benzoxepin-2-one) is a member of the amorphane subgroup of cadinenes and has the following structure (I). ##STR2## Artemisinin or QHS was the subject of a 1979 study conducted by the Qinghaosu Antimalarial Coordinating Research Group involving the treatment of 2099 cases of malaria (Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in a ratio of about 3:1) with different dosage forms of QHS, leading to the clinical cure of all patients. See, Qinghaosu Antimalarial Coordinating Research Group, Chin. Med. J., 92:811 (1979). Since that time QHS has been used successfully in several thousand malaria patients throughout the world including those infected with both chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum. Assay of QHS against P. falciparum, in vitro, revealed that its potency is comparable to that of chloroquine in two Hanian strains (Z. Ye, et al., J. Trad. Chin. Med., 3:95 (1983)) and of mefloquine in the Camp (chloroquine-susceptible) and Smith (chloroquine-resistant) strains, D. L. Klayman, et al., J. Nat. Prod., 47:715 (1984).
Most research suggests that QHS acts by an oxidative mechanism and it effects changes in both red blood cells and in the limiting and other membranes of the malarial parasite. At concentrations much higher than those used clinically, QHS affects red blood cell deformability in a manner which suggests that QHS acts as an efficient prooxidant, M. D. Scott, et al., J. Lab. Clin. Med., 114:40 (1989). At even higher concentrations QHS brings about complete lysis of red blood cells, G. Haoming, Zhongguo Yaoli Xuebao, 7:269 (1986). The mechanism of action of QHS appears to involve two steps, S. Meshnick, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 88(1): S1/31-S1/32, (1994). In the first step, activation, intra-parasite iron catalyzes the cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge and the generation of free radicals. A free radical is a short-lived and highly reactive molecule that contains an unpaired electron. In the second step, alkylation, the QHS-derived free radical forms covalent bonds with parasitic proteins which leads to alternations in ribosomal organization and the endoplasmic reticulum. Nuclear membrane blebbing develops followed by segregation of the nucleoplasm. The parasite continues to undergo degenerative changes with disorganization and death occurring from eight hours onwards following the initial exposure to QHS.
Although QHS is effective at suppressing the parasitemias of P. vivax and P. falciparum, the problems encountered with recrudescence, and the compounds solubility, due to the lactone ring in QHS, led scientists to modify QHS chemically, a difficult task because of the chemical reactivity of the peroxide linkage which is an essential moiety for antimalarial activity.
Reduction of QHS in the presence of sodium borohydride results in the production of dihydroartemesinin (II-1) or DHQHS, (illustrated in structure II below), in which the lactone group is converted to a lactol hemiacetal) function, with properties similar to QHS. QHS in methanol is reduced with sodium borohydride to an equilibrium mixture of .alpha.- and .beta.-isomers of dihydroartemisinin. The yield under controlled conditions is 79% (QHS, 0.85M with NaBH.sub.4 6.34M. 7.5 equivalents in methanol, 12 L at 0.degree.-5.degree. C. for about 3 hours followed by quenching to neutrality at 0.degree.-5.degree. C. and dilution with water to precipitate dihydroartemisinin), A. Brossi, et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 31:645-650 (1988). Using DHQHS as a starting compound a large number of other derivatives, such as, ##STR3## artemether (compound II-2), arteether (II-3), sodium artesunate (II-4), artelinic acid (II-5), sodium artelinate (II-6), DHQHS condensation by-product (II-7) and the olefinic compound, structure III, ##STR4## have been produced.
Artemether (II-2) is produced by reacting .beta.-DHQHS with boron trifluoride (BF.sub.3) etherate or HCl methanol:benzene (1:2) at room temperature. A mixture of .beta.- and .alpha.-artemether (70:30) is obtained, from which the former is isolated by column chromatography and recrystallized from hexane or methanol, R. Hynes, Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicines and Hygiene, 88(1): S1/23-S1/26 (1994). For arteether (II-3), (Brossi, et al., 1988), the .alpha.-isomer is equilibrated (epimerized) to the .beta.-isomer in methanol:benzene mixture containing BF.sub.3 etherate. Treatment of DHQHS with an unspecified dehydrating agent yields both the olefinic compound, (III), and the DHQHS condensation by-product (II-7), formed on addition of DHQHS to (III), M. Cao, et al., Chem. Abstr., 100:34720k (1984). Until recently, the secondary hydroxy group in DHQHS (1I-1) provided the only site in an active QHS related compound that had been used for derivatization. See B. Venugopalan "Synthesis of a Novel Ring Contracted Artemisinin Derivative," Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 4(5):751-752 (1994).
The potency of various QHS-derivatives in comparison to QHS as a function of the concentration at which the parasitemia is 90 percent suppressed (SD.sub.50) was recently reported by D. L. Klayman, "Qinghaosu (Artemisinin): An Antimalarial Drug from China," Science 228:1049-1055 (1985). Dr. Klayman found that the olefinic compound III is inactive against P. bergher-infected mice, whereas, the DHQHS condensation by-product (II-7) has an SD.sub.50 of 10 mg/Kg in P. bergher-infected mice. Thus, the DHQHS ether dimer proved to be less potent than QHS, which has an SD.sub.50 of 6.20 mg/Kg. Following, in order of their overall antimalarial efficacy, are the three types of derivatives of DHQHS (II-1) that have been produced: (QHS)<ethers (II, R=alkyl)<esters II, R.dbd.C(.dbd.O)-alkyl or -aryl!<carbonates II, R.dbd.C(.dbd.O)O-alkyl or -aryl!.
Over the past twenty years only a few drugs isolated from higher plants have yielded clinical agents, the outstanding examples being vinblastine and vincristine from the Madagascan periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus, etoposide, the semi-synthetic lignam, from May-apple Podophyllum peltatum and the diterpenoid taxol, commonly referred to as paclitaxel, from the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia. Of these agents, paclitaxel is the most exciting, recently receiving approval by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of refractory ovarian cancer. Since the isolation of QHS, there has been a concerted effort by investigators to study other therapeutic applications of QHS and its derivatives.
National Institutes of Health reported that QHS is inactive against P388 leukemia. See NCI Report on NSC 369397 (tested on 25 Oct. 1983). Later anticancer studies that have been conducted on cell line panels consisting of 60 lines organized into nine, disease-related subpanels including leukemia, non-small-cell lung cancer, colon, CNS, melanoma, ovarian, renal, prostate and breast cancers, further confirm that QHS displays very little anticancer activity. A series of artemisinin-related endoperoxides were tested for cytoxicity to Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells using the microculture tetrazolum (MTT) assay, H. J. Woerdenbag, et al. "Cytotoxicity of Artemisinin-Related Endoperoxides to Ehrlich Ascites Tumor Cells," Journal of Natural Products, 56(6):849-856 (1993). The MTT assay, used to test the artemisinin-related endoperoxides for cytoxicity, is based on the metabolic reduction of soluble tetrazolium salts into insoluble colored formazan products by mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity of the tumor cells. As parameters for cytoxicity, the IC.sub.50 and IC.sub.80 values, the drug concentrations causing respectively 50% and 80% growth inhibition of the tumor cells, were used. QHS (I), had an IC.sub.50 value of 29.8 .mu.M. Derivatives of DHQHS (II-1) being developed as antimalarial drugs (artemether (II-2), arteether (III-3), sodium artesunate (II-4), artelinic acid (II-5) and sodium artelinate (II-6)), exhibited a somewhat more potent cytoxicity. Their IC.sub.50 values ranged from 12.2 .mu.M to 19.9 .mu.M. The DHQHS condensation by-product (II-7), disclosed previously by M. Cao, et al., 1984, was the most potent cytotoxic agent, its IC.sub.50 being 1.4 .mu.M. At this drug concentration, the condensation by-product (II-7) is approximately twenty-two times more cytoxic than QHS and sixty times more cytotoxic than DHQHS (II-1), the parent compound.
There is still a need, therefore, for developing structural analogs of QHS as antitumor agents that have potency equivalent to or greater than known anticancer agents.

Artemisinin dimer compounds having anticancer activity


Semiconductor devices with composite etch stop layers and methods of fabrication thereof. An semiconductor device with a composite etch stop layer includes a substrate having a conductive member, a first etch stop layer on the substrate and the conductive member, a second etch stop layer and a dielectric layer sequentially over the second etch stop layer, having a conductive layer therein down through the dielectric layer, the second etch stop layer and the first etch stop layer to the conductive member.

The present invention relates to semiconductor fabrication, and in particular to semiconductor devices with composite etch stop layers and related fabrication methods.
Large, advanced semiconductor integrated circuits typically contain a large number of metallization levels to allow for the complex electrical interconnects required for the millions of semiconductor devices included in such integrated circuits.
The reduction in size of such integrated circuits has resulted in levels of electrically conductive interconnects being placed closer together vertically, as well as horizontally. As a result, capacitance has increased between such conductive portions, resulting in loss of speed and increased cross-talk. One proposed approach to solve this problem of high capacitance is to replace the conventional silicon oxide (SiO2) dielectric material used in the damascene wiring technology with another insulation material having a lower dielectric constant to thereby lower the capacitance.
Normally, a silicon nitride layer is often used in an integrated circuit structure as an etch stop layer. However, problems such as via poisoning, resist scumming and via blinding can occur in the integrated circuit structure utilizing a dielectric layer. For example, in an integrated circuit structure using a low-k dielectric layer and nitrogen-containing silicon nitride etch stop layer, such problems can occur due to outgassing. Also, a single etch stop layer may provide insufficient etching selectivity relative to a dielectric layer formed thereon. Thus, undesired breakthrough might happen that can damage the integrated circuit structure.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The present invention achieves technical advantages as an improved Parallel Damping scheme suitable for very-low-supply preamp operation. The improved Parallel Damping Scheme accurately generates a programmable Iw flowing through the write head while compensating for a leakage current path through a Parallel Damping resistor.

A writer in a hard disk drive (HDD) preamplifier drives an inductive head by passing a write current (Iw) from the writer to the head. Current Iw toggles between +Iw and −Iw values as consecutive one's are written on the disk. If there is impedance mismatch between the writer output and the head, ringing in the Iw waveforms occurs when current Iw is settling after switching state. Customarily, there are two methods of "damping" out the Iw ringing. However, there are pros and cons associated with each method.
Conventional Methods
(1) Series Damping (FIG. 1):
Two resistors Rs are added at the output of the "H-bridge" writer. In general, Rs>Rh, where Rh is the write head resistance. For a low CLK signal, transistors M1 and M4 are turned on, and thus current Iw flows in the direction shown in the diagram. Transistors M2 and M3 are turned off during this time. During the next Iw cycle (with a high CLK signal), current Iw flows in the reverse direction.
Pros: If a large VDD is available, Iw=Iwref. In this way, a predictable Iw current value flows through the head because there is only one path for Iw to flow when it goes from transistor M1 to M4.
Cons: Loss of voltage headroom due to the voltage potential developed across the two Rs, given by ΔV=2Rs*Iw. As a result, Iw<Iwref due to channel modulation effect on transistors M5 and M6 caused by reduced Vds. In an extreme case, transistors M5 and M6 enter into triode region of operation. Then, these transistors cease to be true output current mirror devices for MREF; thus, Iw<<Iwref.
(2) Parallel Damping (FIG. 2):
Iw ringing can also be tamed by a resistor Rp placed in parallel with the head. Note that, in general, Rp>>Rh.
Pros: No "additional" voltage drop across the damping resistor Rp.
Cons: Part of current Iw, denoted by current Iw2, now flows through resistor Rp, i.e., current flowing through the head is no longer Iw, but Iw1=Iw−Iw2, where Iw1>>Iw2. To a first order:
                              Iw2          Iw1                =                  Rh          Rp                                    EQ                                                            (          1          )
Note that the current loss of Iw2 is also a function of the silicon wafer process due to inherent process variation of Rp. Because Rp is an internal on-chip resistor, while resistor Rh comes from an external "head" component, the Iw1-to-Iw2 ratio will change with process. As a result, the unpredictability of Iw1 will add uncertainty and cause degradation to the write process.
A schematic of one conventional DAC implementation establishing write current Iw is shown in FIG. 3.

Process-insensitive write current generation for a HDD preamplifier writer equipped with parallel output resistive damping


Taste receptor polycystin-2L1 is provided. Methods and systems for screening for tastants and receptor modulators are provided. Knock out and transgenic animals, methods of detecting polymorphisms, and methods of correcting taste defects are also provided.

Taste transduction is one of the most sophisticated forms of chemotransduction in animals (Avenet and Lindemann, 1989; Margolskee, 1993; Lindemann, Physiol. Rev. 76:718-766, 1996; Kinnamon et al., Annu. Rev. Physiol. 54:715-731, 1992; and Gilbertson et al., Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 10: 519-527, 2000). Gustatory signaling is found throughout the animal kingdom, from simple metazoans to the most complex of vertebrates; its main purpose is to provide a reliable signaling response to non-volatile ligands.
Mammals are believed to have five basic types of taste modalities: salty, sour, sweet, umami (the taste of MSG), and bitter. Each of these is thought to be mediated by distinct signaling pathways leading to receptor cell depolarization, generation of a receptor or action potential and release of neurotransmitter and synaptic activity (Roper, ARN, 1989).
In general, the identification of new taste receptors is highly desirable. The identification of a taste receptor provides methods and systems for screening for new tastants, such as the identification of new artificial tastants (sweeteners, sour flavors, salt substitutes, etc.) and for the identification of activity modulators that produce a greater receptor response to specified amounts of a tastant. For example, the ability to modulate activity of the (previously unknown) salt receptor would be highly desirable, e.g., to provide a perception of salt flavor with minimal amounts of salt. This would have clear benefits for patients that suffer from hypertension, obesity, or other diseases that utilize reduced sodium intake as part of patient treatment. The use of sour or other flavor enhancers may also be useful in reducing the amount of sour or other flavoring needed to provoke a sour receptor taste cell response, which may thus be useful as a flavor enhancer.
Relatively recently, the receptors for bitter, sweet and umami were cloned and shown to be encoded by two families of G-protein coupled receptors (Nelson et al., 2000; Nelson et al., 2001; Zhang et al., 2003; Zhao et al., 2003; Mueller et al., 2005). In contrast, most of the molecular components of the sour and salty pathways remain unknown. Electrophysiological studies suggest that sour and salty tastants modulate taste cell function by direct entry of H+ and Na+ ions through specialized membrane channels on the apical surface of the cell. Thus, ion channels selectively expressed in taste receptor cells are likely candidates for mediators of salt and sour tastes. Alternatively, ion channels can function as a final critical signaling component in the activation of taste cells (akin to the role of TRPM5 in sweet, umami and bitter cells; Zhang et al., 2003).
Many other families of cell receptors are also known to function in a variety of signal transduction events associated with cell sensation. For example, the polycystins (e.g., PC1 and PC2, encoded by PKD1 and PKD2, respectively) are integral membrane proteins with large extracellular N termini that are thought to comprise a number of functions, including mechanosensation in renal and nodal cilia (reviewed in Nauli and Zhou 2004 "Polycystins and Mechanosensation in renal and nodal cilia" Bioessays 26.8 844-856 Wiley Periodicals). The polycystins fall into two basic classes of proteins, the PC-1-like proteins, which are receptor-like molecules and the PC-2-like proteins, which are ion channels. Several studies have found overlapping and interdependent roles for these proteins in various systems, particularly in kidney cells.

Method of identifying activity modulators of a polycystin-2L1 taste receptor polypeptide

The Regents of the University of California


A combustion apparatus comprises a combustion chamber disposed about a central longitudinal axis and means to separately introduce oxidant and fuel into the combustion chamber such that when ignited, the resulting diffusion flame swirls about the central axis and exhibits characteristics of a premixed flame. The asymmetric nature of the flame components introduction allows the combustion to be conducted stably at a fuel rich or fuel lean condition and if desired, to extinguish the flame. The fuel oxidant ratio can be reduced such that nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced. Great combustion stability obtained at low equivalence ratios and elimination of possibility of flashback are achieved in the new process and due to the spinning flame, combustion is completed in very short distances.

In the quest for low emissions, burners or combustors have been developed based, inter alia, on fundamental research concerning swirling flows, including the phenomenon of vortex breakdown, and on stability of premixed flames. A lean premixing technique can provide NO.sub.X emissions which are below 25 ppm when natural gas is used as a fuel and about 42 ppm when No. 2 oil is used as the fuel. In these burners, frequently a mixture of combustion air and fuel is injected into the combustor by means of a plurality of swirlers.
A free vortex is one of the simplest irrotational motions of an incompressible perfect fluid. Vorticity attaches to the fluid and is concentrated on the central axis. Such ideal vortices, however, cannot exist for a variety of reasons including, inter alia, the infinite energy required.
Whirls in the form of dust devils, water spouts and tornadoes occur in nature as the result of the simultaneous occurrence of an ambient vorticity produced for example in the ground boundary layer of a wind or wind shear or from the earth's rotation and a concentrating mechanism such as air rising in a buoyant column. The counterparts of these natural phenomenon, namely fire devils, fire whirls and fire tornadoes have attracted considerable interest in studies of fire which have been conducted over the last several years.
Laboratory studies on fire whirls were conducted by Byram and Martin (Fire Whirlwinds In The Laboratory, Fire Control Notes, January 1962, U.S. Forest Service) by positioning a stationary wall around a flame with the wall being interrupted by two vertical slots arranged so as to admit air in a tangential direction. Emmons and Ying, The Fire Whirl, llth Symposium (Int'l) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa. p. 475 (1967), describes a similar laboratory apparatus except that a rotating screen is used in place of the simpler slotted device. In both instances, cylindrical symmetry was observed. The fuel container and a tall cylindrical screen are arranged so as to be concentric. When the fuel is ignited and begins to burn, the screen is rotated and this in turn causes a rotation of the air. Since the angular momentum must be conserved, the rotational speed of the air near the fuel container is many times faster than that induced by the rotating screen or tangential air injection and as a result, the rotational air speed around the fuel is the air speed of the screen times the radius of the circular screen divided by the radius of the fuel container or nozzle. A swirling elongated flame is produced.
The present invention is based on the discovery that by introducing asymmetry to a fire whirl type configuration, a variety of advantageous effects can be achieved. Nitrogen oxide emissions in all types of combustors such as fuel burners, furnaces, automobile and gas turbine engine can be reduced. Fires such as oil well fires can be extinguished.


Disclosed is a method of preparing a copper electroplating layer having high adhesion to a magnesium alloy, which is advantageous because the usability of the magnesium alloy, having the highest specific strength among actually usable metals, can be increased through the development of a process of forming a uniform copper plating layer upon electroplating of the magnesium alloy. The method of preparing a copper electroplating layer having high adhesion to a magnesium alloy of this invention is characterized in that the magnesium alloy is pretreated with a plating pretreatment solution to form a film for electroplating, serving as a magnesium alloy pretreatment layer, exhibiting a uniform current distribution, which is then electroplated with copper to form the copper plating layer. According to this invention, through the pretreatment of the magnesium alloy, the adhesion of the copper plating layer to the film for electroplating formed on the magnesium alloy can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to a pretreatment method of a magnesium alloy for electroplating the magnesium alloy, and more particularly, to a method of pretreating a magnesium alloy to electroplate the magnesium alloy so as to increase the usability of the magnesium alloy, having the highest specific strength among actually usable metals, through the development of a magnesium pretreatment process for the formation of a uniform copper (Cu) electroplating layer on the magnesium alloy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a magnesium (Mg) alloy, which has the smallest weight among actually usable metals, has excellent specific strength (specific gravity/strength) and easy processability, and is thus widely used for parts of automobiles, computers, or information communication apparatuses. Although the magnesium alloy has been prepared mainly using a die casting process, an extrusion process, a rolling process, etc., it is recently formed using a thixo-molding process as an advanced technique by a combination of metal die casting and plastic injection molding. With the development of magnesium alloys able to undergo press forming, the demand thereof will increase more and more.
However, since the magnesium alloy has a relatively low standard potential among the actually usable metals, it may be easily oxidized in air, thus having corrosion resistance insufficient for use as an actually usable metal. Thus, great efforts have been made to increase the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy.
As surface treatment techniques for improvements in corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy, a chromate treatment process has been widely conducted. However, the chromate treatment suffers because it discolors the surface of magnesium and a chromium compound of a solution used for chromate treatment causes environmental problems, and thus the use thereof is limited according to international environmental restrictions.
Therefore, although the development of non-chromate treatment has been actively conducted in recent years, such non-chromate treatment results in lower corrosion resistance and higher expense than those of the conventional chromate treatment.
In addition, an anodizing process has been developed, but it is limitedly used for internal parts where external appearance is not regarded as important or is applied only to under-films of coating or painting.
As the other surface treatment for an increase in corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy, techniques for plating a surface of a magnesium alloy using a dry or wet process are proposed. However, the magnesium alloy is difficult to dry plate, including deposition plating in a vacuum, due to the high vapor pressure thereof.
The wet plating techniques are classified into a wet electroplating process using electrical energy, and an electroless plating process using a chemical reaction. As such, the electroless plating process is exemplified by an electroless nickel plating process. However, the electroless nickel plating process is disadvantageous because an electroless nickel plating solution has high production cost, and as well an electroless nickel plating layer should be double-, triple- or quadruple-formed while varying the amounts of phosphorus (P) to increase the corrosion resistance of magnesium.

Method of preparing copper plating layer having high adhesion to magnesium alloy using electroplating


A spring support assembly for preventing compression instability displacement of helically coiled compression springs includes first and second support rings located at axially opposite ends of an arrangement of coil springs, the springs located at equal angular intervals about a longitudinal axis. Each support ring includes a support surface against which an end of each spring is supported, outwardly turned flanges located within each spring coil, and a tab extending partially along the length of the spring having close-fitting contact with the inside diameter of the spring coil. A support ring at the opposite end of the spring pack includes a support surface and tab angularly offset from the support surface, the tabs of each support ring located in adjacent compression springs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to hydraulically actuated clutches and brakes of an automatic transmission. More particularly the invention pertains to compression spring assemblies that return a hydraulic piston to its disengaged position.
2. Prior Art
An hydraulically actuated clutch or brake used in automatic transmissions to hold and release elements of a planetary gearset in order to produce the various gear ratios of the transmission, includes an hydraulic cylinder, a piston mounted for movement within the hydraulic cylinder into contact with two sets of clutch friction discs, a pressure plate that reacts force applied by the piston to the friction discs, and a spring assembly that produces a force tending to move the piston away from the friction discs and toward an opposite end of the cylinder--to the disengaged position.
The spring assembly includes a large number of compression springs angularly spaced about the longidutinal axis of the transmission and clutch. One end of each spring is held against a fixed spring retainer against which the spring force is applied, and a retainer located at the opposite end of the compression springs, the retainer bearing against an adjacent surface of an hydraulic piston. A conventional assembly of this type has the hydraulic cylinder formed with studs, angularly spaced about the longitudinal axis and sized to receive a compression spring on each stud. The stud is provided to locate the compression springs correctly within the transmission assembly and to support the spring so that when compression force is developed between the piston and retainer, the spring stays in a stable configuration with its coils aligned mutually and with the axis of the stud. The stud prevents transverse displacement of the coils of the compression springs.
FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,234 illustrates a configuration of the spring pack supported with a stud integrally formed with an hydraulic piston.
It is important in the design of automatic transmissions that its lateral dimensions be minimized in order to fit within the relatively small space provided for the transmission in a front-wheel drive vehicle. This objective is realized by reducing as much as possible the radial extent from the longitudinal axis of the transmission of each component for maintaining the distance of the components.
In the design of hydraulically actuated friction clutches and brakes, multiple compression springs (usually about 36 springs) are used to return the piston to its disengaged position within the hydraulic clutch. In order to accommodate the space requirements of the transmission, it is preferable that the return springs have a relatively high slenderness ratio, i.e., that the length of the springs be relatively large in comparison to the diameter. However, it is well-known that a compression spring having a high slenderness ratio is susceptible to compression instability displacement, a condition in which the spring distorts from a linear line of travel such that the intermediate portion of the spring is displaced angularly with respect to the coils of the spring located near the ends of the springs.
In clutch assemblies of the type used in automatic transmission clutches and brakes, a large number of compression springs is used in a single assembly to return a piston to its disengaged position. When compression instability occurs in such an assembly of springs, the entire spring pack rotates angularly at one end with respect to the position at the opposite axial end of the spring pack.
The effect of compression instability deformation is to produce a variable spring constant, i.e., the relationship of the spring force to its displacement from the unloaded or free length of the spring.
Instability deformation of the compression spring pack produces a variable rate of clutch engagement because the return spring offers a variable and unpredictable force in opposition to the hydraulic pressure force developed on the piston that causes engagement of the hydraulic clutch and brake.
Instability deformation of the compression return springs also causes excessive clutch wear because the friction plates of the clutch are not fully engaged when the clutch is actuated hydraulically because of excessive resistance opposing that action produced by the clutch pack.

Device for supporting a spring pack against compression instability displacement