The present invention is a method of treating Tourette's Disorder (TD) using GABA ergic drugs that elevate the amount of stored presynaptic GABA and do not significantly increase GABA tone (a continuous background level of GABA signaling) in the brain. The administration of vigabatrin and/or (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid hydrochloride salt is expressly contemplated.

The contents of all cited references are expressly incorporated by reference. Tourette's Disorder (TD), thought to be a lifelong condition, is a childhood onset neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics that is associated with considerable disability and reduction in quality of life (DSM IV-TR, 2000). The majority of clinically referred youth with TD also meet criteria for comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and young adults meet criteria for additional anxiety, mood and substance use disorders. (Coffey B, Biederman J, Spencer T et al 2000; Coffey, Miguel, Biederman, JNMD 1998). Research in the past decade suggests peak tic severity occurs at about age 10-11 years with improvement into adolescence, and gradual attenuation of tics by early adulthood. However, a substantial minority of individuals with TD continue to experience disabling tic symptoms throughout their lives.
Common motor tics include, but are not limited to: eye blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. Simple vocal tics include involuntary inarticulate noises while complex vocal tics include syllables, words, phrases and in extreme cases includes derogatory remarks and profanity (coprolalia). The disorder often accompanies other disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Tourette's Disorder is known to have genetic and environmental causes although the exact mode of inheritance is unknown. Diagnosis under the DSM-IV includes the presence of multiple motor tics and at least once vocal tic for greater than one year; onset prior to age 18; and frequent tics which cause distress or impairment which are not secondary to another condition.
A discussion of current therapies for treatment of Tourette's disorder can be found in Lyon, Gholson G, et al. Tourette's Disorder, Current Treatment Options in Neurology, 12: 274-286 (2010). Treatment of Tourette's Disorder includes administration of the antihypertensive alpha-2-agonists clonidine and guanfacine, administration of atypical neuroleptics such as olanzapine, ziprasidone, and risperidone; classic neuroleptics such as haloperidol, pimozide; tetrabenzanine; agents which deplete presynaptic dopamine and serotonin stores and which block postsynaptic dopamine receptors such as tetrabenazine. Benzodiazapines also appear in the literature but have not been subject to controlled clinical trials. Motor tics have also been treated with botulinum toxin.
Emerging therapies currently undergoing studies include levetiracetam, topiramate, the GABA-B agonist baclofen, and the dopamine agonists pergolide, cabergoline, ropinirole and pramipexole.
Clonidine and guanfacine, while having limited long term side effects limited largely to sedation, fatigue and somnolence, are only about 30% to 35% effective at reducing symptoms. The neuroleptic antipsychotics have a variable risk of extrapyramidal side effects that include akathisia, tardive dyskinesia and dystonias as well as affective constriction and cognitive blunting. The only formally approved treatments for TD are haloperidol and pimozide, which are typical neuroleptic agents known to have these adverse effects (Scahill et al 2006). Given the significant potential for adverse effects associated with use of typical neuroleptics, better tolerated and efficacious alternatives are needed.
Tics are thought to result from disinhibition of the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical tracts, pathways involved in habit formation, linking the basal ganglia, thalamus and frontal cortex. (Leckman et al JCAP, 2010). Multiple converging lines of evidence, including clinical trials with D2 dopamine receptor antagonists and in vivo neuroimaging studies of DAT binding in the striatum, suggest that TD is a disorder of dopaminergic transmission, conceptualized as an excess of nigrostriatal dopamine activity through dysfunctional presynaptic receptors or hyperfunctional dopamine innervation. More recent evidence has suggested that other neurotransmitters, specifically GABA, may also play a significant role in the pathophysiology of TD, particularly with regard to GABAergic neurons' impact on dopaminergic pathways. GABA neurons are present in the "direct pathway" of medium spiny neurons projecting to the internal segment of the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, and in the "indirect pathway" from the striatum to the external segment of the globus pallidus and on to the internal segment (Leckman et al JCAP 2010). Several postmortem studies of TD patients identified marked decreased in number and density of GABA-ergic parvalbumin-positive neurons in the basal ganglia, for example, more than 50% reduction in FSINs in caudate and 30-40% reduction in putamen. (Kalanithi et al., 2005; Kataoka et al., 2010). Another study reported more than 50% reduction of GABAergic Fast spiking GABAergic interneurons ("FSINs") and loss of TANs (tonically active neurons). In addition, preliminary findings from a Tourette Syndrome Association sponsored study of GABA brain concentrations in adolescents with TD indicate significantly decreased anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) and striatal GABA in adolescents with TD relative to healthy controls (Gabbay and Coffey, 2011).
FSINs and cholinergic tonically active neurons (TANs) are thought to play an important role in modulation of tics and habit learning. FSINs are reported to show characteristic irregular bursting with stable intra-burst frequencies similar to tic patterns (Peterson and Leckman, 1998) TANs are reported to be sensitive to salient perceptual signals and respond to dopaminergic input from the substantia nigra.
To the extent that tics are a likely manifestation of phasic dopamine (DA) activity, clinical experience with other conditions characterized by such properties, e.g. cocaine and methamphetamine addiction would suggest that vigabatrin may be effective in reducing tics. Vigabatrin, at doses that are FDA approved for treatment of epilepsy is well tolerated and should be well tolerated for the treatment of Tourette's Disorder.
Vigabatrin (γ-vinyl GABA) has not previously been used for treatment of Tourettes Disorder but it has been used for treatment of neurological disorders. Vigabatrin is sold worldwide under the trademark Sabril™ for treatment of epilepsy. Vigabatrin has been studied for treatment of drug addiction. Vigabatrin's well known mechanism of action is the irreversible inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid-aminotransferase (GABA-AT). This enzyme is responsible for the catabolism of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. Inhibition of this enzyme results in an elevation of brain levels of GABA. The elevation of brain GABA (the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter) results in a decrease of neuron excitability and as such reduces uncontrolled firing of neurons, which leads to a reduction in epileptic seizures.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,381,748 and 6,794,413, which are incorporated herein by reference disclose the compound (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid. The literature has shown that (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid is approximately 52 times more potent as a mechanism-based inactivator of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT) than the anticonvulsant drug and GABA-AT inactivator vigabatrin (Sabril™) under nonoptimal conditions (conditions other than physiological pH and temperature) (Pan, Y.; Qiu, J.; Silverman, R. B. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of a Difluoro-substituted, Conformationally-rigid Vigabatrin Analogue As a Potent γ-Aminobutyric Acid Aminotransferase Inhibitor. J. Med. Chem. 2003, 46, 5292-5293).
The phrase "pharmaceutically acceptable salt(s)", as used herein, means those salts of compounds of the invention that are safe and effective for use in mammals and that possess the desired biological activity. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include salts of acidic or basic groups present in vigabatrin or (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid. Suitable acids include: 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 2,2-dichloroacetic acid, 2-hydroxyethanesulfonic acid, 2-oxoglutaric acid, 4-acetamidobenzoic acid, 4-aminosalicylic acid, acetic acid, adipic acid, ascorbic acid, aspartic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, benzoic acid, camphoric acid, camphor-10-sulfonic acid, capric acid (decanoic acid), caproic acid (hexanoic acid), caprylic acid (octanoic acid), carbonic acid, cinnamic acid, citric acid, cyclamic acid, dodecylsulfuric acid, ethane-1,2-disulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, formic acid, fumaric acid, galactaric acid, gentisic acid, glucoheptonic acid, gluconic acid, glucuronic acid, glutamic acid, glutaric acid, glycerophosphoric acid, glycolic acid, hippuric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, isobutyric acid, lactic acid, lactobionic acid, lauric acid, maleic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, mandelic acid, methanesulfonic acid, naphthalene-1,5-disulfonic acid, naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid, nicotinic acid, nitric acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, palmitic acid, pamoic acid, phosphoric acid, proprionic acid, pyroglutamic acid), salicylic acid, sebacic acid, stearic acid, succinic acid, sulfuric acid, tartaric acid, thiocyanic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, undecylenic acid. Pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include, but are not limited to, hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, nitrate, sulfate, bisulfate, phosphate, acid phosphate, isonicotinate, acetate, lactate, salicylate, citrate, tartrate, pantothenate, bitartrate, ascorbate, succinate, maleate, gentisinate, fumarate, gluconate, glucaronate, saccharate, formate, benzoate, glutamate, methanesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, benzensulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate and pamoate (i.e., 1,1′-methylene-bis-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate)) salts. (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid. can form pharmaceutically acceptable salts with various amino acids. Suitable base salts include, but are not limited to, aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and diethanolamine salts. For a review on pharmaceutically acceptable salts see Berge et al., 66 J. Pharm Sci 1-19 (1977) and P. Heinrich Stahl, Camille G. Wermuth (Eds.) Handbook of Pharmaceutical Salts: Properties, Selection, and Use, Wiley, (2002), the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,906,099; 6,890,951; 6,828,349; 6,593,367; 6,541,520; 6,395,783; 6,323,239; and 6,057,368 which describe and/or claim the use of vigabatrin in the treatment of addiction from cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, morphine, heroin, ethanol, phencyclidine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and/or PCP, the contents of such patents are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,084 describes and/or claims the use of vigabatrin in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorders including general anxiety disorder, pathological or compulsive gambling disorder, compulsive eating (obesity), body dysmorphic disorder, hypochondriasis, pathologic grooming conditions, kleptomania, pyromania, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and impulse control disorders. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,084 is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,876 describes and/or claims the use of vigabatrin in the treatment to prevent addiction to opioid analgesics by co administration of vigabatrin. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,876 is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
GABA-ergic drugs are those which improve synaptic concentration or activity of GABA or increase the activation of GABA receptors, directly or indirectly. These drugs as a family have been used to treat a wide variety of nervous system disorders including fibromyalgia, neuropathy, migraines related to epilepsy, restless leg syndrome, and post traumatic distress disorder, anxiety, and insomnia. GABA-ergic drugs include GABAA and GABAB receptor ligands, GABA reuptake inhibitors, GABA aminotransferase inactivators and inhibitors, GABA analogs, or molecules containing GABA itself. Currently marketed GABA-ergic drugs that could possibly be useful for the treatment of Tourette's Disorder include valproate and its derivatives, vigabatrin, pregabalin, gabapentin and tiagabine.
Once GABA-AT (GABA-aminotransferase) has been inactivated, it takes a number of days for the brain to synthesize new GABA-AT to replace the inactivated enzyme. Researchers have demonstrated (Petroff, Ognen A. C.; Rothman, Douglas L.; "Measuring Human Brain GABA In Vivo, Effects of GABA-Transaminase Inhibition with Vigabatrin", Molecular Neurobiology, 1998, 16(1), 97-121) that brain GABA levels remain substantially elevated for several days after administration of a single dose of vigabatrin. This observation is consistent with the assertion that it takes several days for the brain to restore the GABA-AT activity.
It is an object of the present invention to treat Tourette's Disorder by delivering a GABA aminotransferase inactivator to a patient in need thereof.
It is an object of this invention to treat patients having Tourette's Disorder using an irreversible inactivator of GABA aminotransferase.
It is an object of this invention to use Vigabatrin and its derivatives to treat Tourette's Disorder.
It is an object of the present invention to treat Tourette's Disorder using (1S,3S)-3-amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic acid and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts.

Method of treating Tourette'S disorder with GABA-aminotransferase inactivators

Feinstein Institute for Medical Research


A baseplate assembly, used with releasably coupleable playing pieces, includes a baseplate operably coupled to an image generating device. The baseplate includes a display region, having playing pieces coupling elements, and means for transmitting images generated by the image generating device to the display region. An image generating and playing-piece-interacting assembly includes a receptor operably coupled to an image generating device, having a display screen for generated images, including integrated visual and optically encoded message images, a playing piece at a location relative to the display screen having an optical display message sensor, and a messaging transponder. The optical display message sensor receives the generated images and generates a first signal at least partially based upon the optically encoded message image. The messaging transponder receives the first signal and generates and sends the receptor a second signal at least partially based thereon.

Toy pieces in the form of toy bricks such as LEGO® brand toy bricks have been available for many decades. Toy bricks typically have releasable couplings between bricks, which allow them to be connected to form a larger structure. In their simplest form they build unanimated objects such as castles or houses. In some cases, the toy created using toy bricks can be supported on a baseplate having coupling elements to provide stability or proper positioning, or both, for the toy.
An advancement of toy bricks was the addition of bricks with a rotating joint or axel coupled to a wheel. Such a toy brick can be attached to an inanimate structure in order to make that structure roll along a surface when pushed.
A further advancement of toy bricks was the addition of "pull back motors." These motors are mechanical energy storage elements, which store energy in a watch spring or flywheel. Typically these are toy bricks which have the "pull back motor" mechanism contained within the brick. There is a shaft from the mechanism, which when turned in one direction winds up the motor and then when released will turn in the opposite direction. A toy brick car, for example, equipped with such a motor will wind up when pulled back and then go forwards when released. An example of this is the LEGO Pullback Motor.
The next stage of advancement of a toy brick is an electric motor contained within one brick, having a protruding shaft and another toy brick with a battery compartment. These battery and motor bricks can be coupled to each other directly or through wires in order to create a simple mechanism that is electrically actuated. Typically a switch is present on the brick containing the batteries that can turn the motor on or off or revere its direction. Variations on the actuator can be lights, instead of a motor. An example of this is the LEGO eLab.
Toy bricks containing motors and toy bricks containing batteries can be further enhanced by the insertion of a remote control receiver in between them, such that the passage of power can be modified remotely. Typically a hand held remote control transmitter transmits a signal to a receiver brick, which can change the speed or direction of the motor. By way of example, a toy brick vehicle constructed in such a manner can be steered remotely and also have its speed controlled remotely. An example of this is the LEGO Power Functions.
The most complex state of prior art is the programmable robotics kit sold by the LEGO Group under the trademark Mindstorms®. The kit typically includes a handheld programmable computer, to which sensors and actuators can be plugged in, along with toy bricks and specialized components for making a variety of projects. Actuators can be motors, or solenoids, speakers, or lights. Sensors can be switches, microphones, light sensors or ultrasonic rangefinders. By way of example, a program can be downloaded into the handheld computer, so as to control a motor in a manner so as to avoid collisions with objects in the direction of motion. Another example would be to make a noise when motion is detected. Another programmable Mindstorms programmable robot is the Micro Scout. It is a motorized wheeled robot in which several preprogrammed sequences can be executed when a light is shined on the robot.
US patent publication US2011/0217898 A1 describes a toy brick with a tilt sensor and lights of the same color turning on and off or flashing alternately in response to a shaking motion. U.S. Pat. No. 7,708,615 discloses a toy brick system having separate sensor bricks, logic bricks and function bricks. The following toy bricks also emit sound when a switch is closed. LEGO doorbell Brick #5771, LEGO Space Sound Brick #55206C05.
Various devices generate images on display screens. One type of image generating device is a computer, such as pad computer, which can be designed to permit interaction with the computer through the display screen. This is commonly through touchscreen technology which permits actions to be initiated by, for example, selecting appropriate icons on the display screen, as well as lines to be drawn on the display screen. In addition to touchscreen technologies, interaction with the computer through the display screen can also be through the use of devices commonly referred to as light pens. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,428. In Light pen based interaction, images are generated on a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) by excitation of the phosphor on the screen by an electron beam. This excitation causes the emission of light. Since a single point electron beam scans the image in a raster pattern, the light at any one point on the screen fades with time, as the beam progresses to a different part of the screen. During the next scan of the screen the image is refreshed. The intensity at any one point on the screen will flicker at the rate of refresh of the screen, and is typically a sawtooth type waveform with a fast rise and a slower decay if plotted in time. The light from any given point on the screen will increase sharply as the electron beam passes by any location as long as the image is not completely black at that point on the screen. The display knows the position of the electron beam at any given time, and this position can be captured at the instant when a sharp jump in a light level is seen by the light pen. By this method the light pen can be used as a pointing device, typically with additional buttons similar to mouse buttons, which are sometimes arranged so as to be mechanically activated when the pen is pressed against a surface.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image generating and playing-piece-interacting assembly


A tubular interbody fusion device having flat upper and lower surfaces including multiple parallel ratcheted blade ridges having opposing orientations, concave exterior side walls, an interior axial bore having inwardly directed ratcheted ridges, and a plurality of through holes extending from the upper and lower surfaces into the interior bore, from the sides into the interior bore, and from the upper and lower surfaces through the side walls.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a spinal implant assembly for implantation into the intervertebral space between adjacent vertebral bones to potentiate fusion, and more particularly to an implantable device having superior lateral stability and overall strength.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The bones and connective tissue of an adult human spinal column consists of more than 20 discrete bones coupled sequentially to one another by a tri-joint complex which consists of an anterior disc and the two posterior facet joints, the anterior discs of adjacent bones being cushioned by cartilage spacers referred to as intervertebral discs. These more than 20 bones are anatomically categorized as being members of one of four classifications: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral. The cervical portion of the spine, which comprises the top of the spine, up to the base of the skull, includes the first 7 vertebrae. The intermediate 12 bones are the thoracic vertebrae, and connect to the lower spine comprising the 5 lumbar vertebrae. The base of the spine is the sacral bones (including the coccyx). The component bones of the cervical spine are generally smaller than those of the thoracic spine, which are in turn smaller than those of the lumbar region. The sacral region connects laterally to the pelvis. While the sacral region is an integral part of the spine, for the purposes of fusion surgeries and for this disclosure, the word spine shall refer only to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions.
The spinal column of bones is highly complex in that it includes over twenty bones coupled to one another, housing and protecting critical elements of the nervous system having innumerable peripheral nerves and circulatory bodies in close proximity. In spite of these complications, the spine is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twist in nearly every direction.
Genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors, and degenerative wear are a few of the causes which can result in spinal pathologies for which surgical intervention may be necessary. A variety of systems have been disclosed in the art which achieve immobilization and/or fusion of adjacent bones by implanting artificial assemblies in or on the spinal column. The region of the back which needs to be immobilized, as well as the individual variations in anatomy, determine the appropriate surgical protocol and implantation assembly. With respect to the failure of the intervertebral disc, the interbody fusion cage has generated substantial interest because it can be implanted laparoscopically into the anterior of the spine, thus reducing operating room time, patient recovery time, and scarification.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, in which a side perspective view of an intervertebral body cage and an anterior perspective view of a post implantation spinal column are shown, respectively, a more complete description of these devices of the prior art is herein provided. These cages 10 generally comprise tubular metal body 12 having an external surface threading 14. They are inserted transverse to the axis of the spine 16, into preformed cylindrical holes at the junction of adjacent vertebral bodies (in FIG. 2 the pair of cages 10 are inserted between the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) and the top of the sacrum (S1). Two cages 10 are generally inserted side by side with the external threading 14 tapping into the lower surface of the vertebral bone above (L5), and the upper surface of the vertebral bone (S1) below. The cages 10 include holes 18 through which the adjacent bones are to grow. Additional material, for example autogenous bone graft materials, may be inserted into the hollow interior 20 of the cage 10 to incite or accelerate the growth of the bone into the cage. End caps (not shown) are often utilized to hold the bone graft material within the cage 10.
These cages of the prior art have enjoyed medical success in promoting fusion and grossly approximating proper disc height, however, they do have specific drawbacks which limit their effectiveness. First among these drawbacks is that the devices, once implanted, do not permit the spine to retain its original and proper curvature. Causing a fusion to grow and immobilize the spine at a curvature which is not natural can cause discomfort and potentially damaging effects.
A second concern with respect to cylindrical implants of this type is that there will be a tendency for the devices to roll and/or slide. Such undesirable motion by the implant can cause loosening, or worse, complete dislocation from its proper position.
A third limitation of these devices is that the overall volume for true bone fusion growth is limited by the geometry of the tubular device, i.e., much of the fusion must grow through the tubular section itself. Much issue has been taken with the fact that dependence upon fusion growth within the device at a microscopic level is not sufficient to provide the true stability and immobilization necessary for total healing of the site.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel vertebral/intervertebral spacer which conforms to the natural curvature of the patient's spine.
It is further an object of the present invention to minimize the risk of dislocation by providing a geometric shape which is more suitable for stable positioning than cylindrical implants.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a device for implantation into the intervertebral space which provides greater volume external to the device for bone fusion growth.
Other objects of the present invention not explicitly stated will be set forth and will be more clearly understood in conjunction with the descriptions of the preferred embodiments disclosed hereafter.

Interbody fusion device having partial circular section cross-sectional segments


A method for manufacturing a tape cartridge includes the steps of forming reel shafts, roller shafts, and tape guides, and the like on a base plate, mounting tape reels on the reel shafts and belt guide rollers on the roller shafts, and the like, placing a drive belt on the belt guide rollers, winding a magnetic tape on the tape reels, securing a cover to the base plate, and forming a marking hole for positional identification in the magnetic tape wound on the tape reels. A marking hole forming apparatus for forming the marking hole which is used at the marking hole forming step, includes a tape driving section for transporting the magnetic tape wound on the tape reels, a punching section for forming the marking hole at a predetermined position in the magnetic tape transported by a predetermined amount by the tape driving section, a hole-position detecting section for detecting a position of the marking hole formed by the punching section, and a controller for controlling the tape driving section, the punching section, and the hole-position detecting section.

For example, Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. 2-162586 discloses a tape cartridge used as an external storage medium for a computer. This tape cartridge includes a base plate and a transparent resin cover attached to the base plate.
First and second reel shafts are disposed on the base plate, and first and second tape reels are rotatably supported on the first and second reel shafts.
A magnetic tape is wound on the first and second tape reels.
The magnetic tape is transported along first and second tape guides formed on the base plate, and passes through a head-inserting portion provided on the cover for access to the interior of the cartridge by a magnetic head.
First, second, and third roller shafts are uprightly formed on the base plate. A first belt guide roller (belt driving roller) is rotatably supported on the first roller shaft. Second and third belt guide rollers (corner rollers) are rotatably supported on the second and third roller shafts, respectively.
A drive belt is spanned between and placed around the first, second, and third belt guide rollers. The drive belt is pressingly contacted at its portion extending between the first and second belt guide rollers with an outer surface of the magnetic tape wound around the first tape reel, and pressingly contacted at its portion extending between the first and third belt guide rollers with an outer surface of the magnetic tape wound around the second tape reel.
When the drive belt is rotatingly driven, the first and second tape reels start to rotate due to frictional contact between the drive belt and the magnetic tape, whereby the magnetic tape is transported.
A mirror is so arranged on the base plate as to reflect a detection light emitted from a light emitting source of a drive device and direct the detection light onto the magnetic tape.
The cover is so disposed on the base plate as to cover the first and second tape reels, the magnetic tape, and the like.
The cartridge is used by being inserted into the drive device.
The drive device includes the light emitting source, a first light receiving member (cartridge-in sensor), and a second light receiving member (tape-position sensor).
When the tape cartridge is inserted into the drive device, the detection light emitted from the light emitting source is reflected on the mirror, and therefore it fails to reach the first light receiving member. Thus, it is detected that the tape cartridge is disposed within the drive device.
The detection light reflected on the mirror is oriented to the magnetic tape and the second light receiving member.
On the other hand, when the tape cartridge is inserted into the drive device, a drive capstan roller provided in the drive device is so driven as to come into contact with the first belt guide roller.
When the drive capstan roller is rotated, the first belt guide roller is rotated to thereby move the drive belt by which the magnetic tape is transported.
When the magnetic tape is transported so that a marking hole formed therein moves through a light path of the detection light reflected on the mirror, the detection light reaches the second light receiving member through the marking hole so that a leading or trailing end of a wound or rewound portion of the magnetic tape is detected.
FIG. 16 shows an explanatory diagram indicating a method of manufacturing a tape cartridge which has been previously proposed by an applicant of the present application.
This method comprises the steps of: (A) forming first and second reel shafts, first and second guides, first, second, and third roller shafts, and a lid support shaft on a base plate; (B) mounting first and second tape reels on the first and second reel shafts, respectively, first, second, and third belt guide rollers on the first, second, and third roller shafts, respectively, and a mirror on the base plate; (C) placing a drive belt on the first, second, and third belt guide rollers; (D) winding magnetic tape on the first and second tape reels while forming a marking hole in the magnetic tape, by using a tape winder; and (E) securing a cover to the base plate after mounting a lid on the base plate.
This method of manufacturing the tape cartridge has the following problems because the formation of the marking hole and the winding of the magnetic tape on the tape reels are performed simultaneously at the step (D) described above.
(1) Since a lot of time is required at the step (D), manufacturing efficiency decreases. PA1 (2) Since a marking hole is formed in the magnetic tape and then the magnetic tape with the hole is transported to the tape reel to be wound thereon, the magnetic tape has the marking holes over its whole length when the magnetic tape is completed to be wound on the tape reel. PA1 forming first and second reel shafts and first, second, and third roller shafts on a base plate; PA1 mounting first and second tape reels on the first and second reel shafts, and first, second, and third belt guide rollers on the first, second, and third roller shafts; PA1 disposing a drive belt on the first, second, and third belt guide rollers; PA1 winding a magnetic tape on the first and second tape reels; PA1 securing a cover to the base plate; and PA1 forming a marking hole in the magnetic tape wound on the first and second tape reels. PA1 tape driving means for transporting the magnetic tape wound on the tape reels, PA1 punching means for forming the marking hole in the magnetic tape transported by a predetermined amount by the tape driving means, at a predetermined position; PA1 hole-position detecting means for detecting a position of the marking hole formed by the punching means; and PA1 control means for controlling the tape driving means, the punching means, and the hole-position detecting means.
It is required a relatively less time at the step (A) of assembling the reel shafts and the like, the step (B) of mounting the tape reels and the like, and the step (C) of placing the drive belt. However, the step (D) of winding the magnetic tape while forming the marking hole necessitates twice or thrice of time required at each of the steps (A) to (C). This causes stick on or accumulation of incomplete cartridges at the step (D) after finishing the steps (A), (B), and (C)
The accumulation can be eliminated by using many tape winders. Nevertheless, this causes an increased cost of equipment.
Accordingly, in a case where magnetic tapes have an equivalent length but different patterns of marking holes, it is required to manufacture different kinds of tape cartridges for storing the magnetic tapes with different patterns of marking holes. It is complicated or difficult to classify and store these different kinds of tape cartridges.
In addition, it is impossible to modify one type of tape cartridge for storing a longer length of magnetic tape to another type of tape cartridge for storing a shorter length of magnetic tape.
The present invention contemplates to solve the problems as mentioned above.

Method of manufacturing a tape cartridge and apparatus for forming a marking hole for use in the method


An artificial electromagnetic material is provided. The artificial electromagnetic material includes at least one material sheet. Each material sheet includes a laminary substrate and a plurality of artificial microstructures attached to the substrate. The substrate is made from transparent material. Because the substrate is made from transparent material, therefore the artificial electromagnetic material is capable of generating responses to visible light wave and convergence, divergence, deflection of visible light wave and so on can be achieved.

Metamaterials, normally known as artificial electromagnetic materials, are new synthetic artificial materials which can generate responses to electromagnetic waves, composed of at least one substrate and a plurality of artificial microstructures embedded into the substrate. The artificial microstructures are usually made from metal wires and configured into a certain geometric structure. Therefore, the artificial microstructure is capable of generating responses to electromagnetic waves. Therefore the metamaterials usually perform electromagnetic properties which are different from electromagnetic properties of the substrate. The electromagnetic properties can achieve some special functions that common materials can not achieve, such as to achieve convergence or divergence for electromagnetic waves and so on. It can be applied in the electromagnetic communication filed such as the antennas and radars.
In theory the metamaterial can be applied to electromagnetic waves of different frequency ranges, however currently application fields for the metamaterial are usually limited to the electromagnetic communication field while inoperative to visible light wave. This is limited by the materials of the substrate and the material of the artificial microstructures. If the problem that using the metamaterials for convergence, divergence for the visible light wave is solved, the application range of the metamaterials can be extended to visible light wave.

KUANG-CHI INSTITITE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY


A method and system for testing a computer is presented. The temperature of the computer is controlled by one or more on-board fans inside the computer's enclosure. Voltages are controlled at the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) level. A test program is then run under varying temperature and VRM voltages, and the results of the test program are logged. The present invention can be used either at the manufacturer's location or the customer's site, either under local or remote control.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computers, and in particular to computers being tested. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for emulating a guard-band test chamber environment in a stand-alone computer, thus eliminating the need for the guard-band test chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems are traditionally bench tested by a manufacturer before being shipped to a customer. This bench testing, which may be performed on every computer or just on randomly selected units, is often done in a test chamber known as a sealed guard-band chamber. The guard-band chamber, when sealed, controls ambient temperature and humidity, as well as the voltage level of the main supply power source to the computer under test. As its name implies, the guard-band chamber is able to adjust a guard-band, which is defined as adjustable parameters made to a Device Under Test (DUT) test specification, such as the ambient temperature and humidity as well as DUT supply voltage levels.
During testing, one or more computers are physically placed inside the guard-band chamber. The computer is then tested, typically for 24 hours, using a "burn in" test program that may be modified by the guard-band parameters. Output values from the burn in test program are recorded, and the computer either passes or fails some or all of the burn-in test program.
In a high volume manufacturing environment, it is not feasible to use a sealed guard-band chamber to test more than a very small percentage of manufactured computers, due to time and space constraints. What is needed, therefore, is a method for testing a computer, either at the manufacturer's facility or at the customer's site, under conditions similar to those created by a sealed guard-band chamber.

On-board guard-band chamber environment emulator

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention is directed to conductive polymer compositions, catalytic ink compositions (e.g., for use in screen-printing), electrodes produced by deposition of an ink composition, as well as methods of making, and methods of using such compositions and electrodes. An exemplary ink material comprises a metal catalyst (e.g., platinum black and/or platinum-on-carbon), graphite as a conducting material, a polymer binding material, and an organic solvent. In one aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a polymer binder blend comprising first and second polymers, wherein the first polymer has a glass transition temperature higher than the second polymer. In a second aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a hydrophilic acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer. The conductive polymer compositions of the present invention may be used, for example, to make electrochemical sensors. Such sensors may be used, for example, in a variety of devices to monitor analyte amount or concentrations in subjects.

Numerous systems for monitoring an analyte amount or concentration in a subject are known in the art, including, but not limited to the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,279,543, 5,362,307, 5,569,186, 5,695,623, 5,713,353, 5,730,714, 5,735,273, 5,771,890, 5,791,344, 5,827,183, 5,840,020, 5,885,211, 5,903,373, 5,954,685, 5,989,409, 5,995,860, 6,022,316, 6,023,629, 6,026,314, 6,044,285, 6,113,537, 6,141,573, 6,142,939, 6,144,869, 6,175,752, 6,180,416, 6,188,648, 6,201,979, 6,233,471, 6,272,364, 6,298,254, 6,299,578, 6,309,351, 6,326,160, 6,360,888, 6,477,395, 6,491,657, 6,512,939, 6,520,326, 6,529,755, 6,560,471, 6,561,978, 6,565,509, 6,576,101, 6,579,690, 6,587,705, and 6,615,078. Many devices used for monitoring of analyte levels in a subject use sensing electrodes. These electrodes are typically produced by thick film deposition of an ink material.
The ink material may comprise graphite as a conducting material, a polymer binding material, and an organic solvent. Ink material may further comprise platinum black and/or platinum-on-carbon as the catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,751 pertains to a conductor composition of up to 5% platinum powders and/or platinum deposited on graphite, modified graphite and a thermoplastic polymer such as the styrene-containing acrylic copolymers poly(styrene-acrylonitrile). U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,535 pertains to an electrode consisting of graphite particles coated with a transition metal catalyst, carbon particles, and a binder that is a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,571 discloses a conductive composition for iontophoretic electrodes containing silver particles, silver chloride particles, carbon and graphite as the conducting material, and a copolymer of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers. The hydrophobic monomers can be styrene, and the hydrophilic monomers can be acrylates.
EP 0 942 278 B1 discloses a sampling system for monitoring the concentration of an analyte present in a biological system, comprising a sensor element in operative contact with a reservoir, wherein the sensor element reacts electrochemically with hydrogen peroxide produced in the reservoir to provide a detectable signal, characterised in that the sensor element comprises an electrode having a geometric surface area which ranges from 0.1 to 3 cm2, a background current which ranges from 2 to 60 nanoamps (nA) or less when measured in a buffer solution at 0.6V, and a sensitivity which ranges from 6 to 180 nA/μM of hydrogen peroxide when measured in a buffer solution at 0.6V.
The present invention provides methods and compositions for improving performance of analyte monitoring systems that employ sensing electrodes comprising the conductive compositions of the present invention.

Electrochemical sensor ink compositions, electrodes, and uses thereof


Method for configuring a transmission chain in a 3GPP2 system for supporting a flexible or variable data rate of an information bitstream in a process for mapping an information bitstream of a data rate on a physical layer, including the steps of (1) channel coding the information bitstreams with bit rates different from each other into turbo codes or convolution codes having a value inverse of 1/coding rate, and (2) repeating coded bitstream when the channel coded bitstream is smaller than a desired interleaving size, and puncturing the coded bitstream when the channel coded bitstream is greater than the desired interleaving size, for matching the channel coded bitstream to the interleaving size.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a 3GPP2 system, and more particularly, to a method for configuring a transmission chain in a 3GPP2 system for supporting a flexible or variable data rate of an information bitstream.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the 3GPP2 (the 3rd Generation Partnership Part 2) system has two transmission modes, specifically a flexible data rate mode and a variable data rate mode, besides a regular data rate mode. The regular data rate mode is a transmission mode operative on a fixed chain called a Radio Configuration (RC). The RC represents a kind of transmission chain in which lengths of information data, channel interleaver, and an output bitstream from a channel encoder according to a code rate of channel codes are made the same to form a standard. In this instance, there is a certain standard rule among the size of the channel interleaver, the coding rate of the channel encoder, and the length of a channel Walsh code. That is, once a chip rate to be used is fixed, a number of chips required for one modulated symbol are fixed according to the size of the channel interleaver, which may be defined as a spreading factor. The length of the Walsh code that can subject different channels to code multiplexing is fixed according to the spreading factor. A number of available Walsh codes are proportional to the length of the Walsh code. Therefore, a number of channels a multiplexing channel can accommodate vary with the Walsh code.
Let us suppose lengths of input information bitstreams of the same lengths after being subjected to channel coding process. In this instance, a capability of error correction code for correcting possible errors in the channel becomes stronger, as the coding rate of the channel encoder is lower. That is, the lower the coding rate of the channel encoder, the stronger error correction capability. This permits use of the lower transmission power.
However, use of the channel encoder with a low code rate elongates the output bitstream of the channel encoder, which, in turn, elongates the size of the channel interleaver. This ultimately increases a modulation symbol rate, and reduces a number of chips required for one modulation symbol at a fixed chip rate, and reduce a number of useful Walsh codes. Opposite to this, if a high channel coding rate is applied to input bitstreams of the channel encoder of identical lengths, lengths of output bitstreams of the channel encoder become short even if the error correction capability is low. This decreases the modulation symbol rate, and permits use of a short channel interleaver, to increase a number of available Walsh codes.
From the above description, it is clear that there is a certain trade off between the coding rate of the channel encoder and the Walsh code spacing. The RC is a standardized transmission chain, which is useful when securing the Walsh code spacing is preferable or when a lower transmission power is required, takes such a trade off relation into account. In the 3GPP2 system, there are currently several standardized RCs for 1× system of 1.2888 Mcps chip rates and several standardized RCs for 3× system of 3.686 Mcps chip rates. It should be noted that since the spreading factor has a value in a form raised to the second power, both the input data rate and the size of the interleaver defined in each of the RCs also have forms raised by two times.
Before a channel is formed between a mobile station and a base station, the mobile station and the base station determine the RC to be used and the spreading factor on the RC, i.e., the size of the channel interleaver, through a negotiation for processing a communication matched to the chain. In modes having a transmission chain different from the transmission chain defined in the RC, the flexible data rate mode and the variable data rate mode are used. In the flexible data rate, any data transmission rate other than the standard data transmission rate supported on the RC can be supported. The flexible data rate has been introduced to support an Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) codec, one of 3GPP2 speech codec in a 3GPP physical layer. That is, in the case of AMR, data bits not consistent to the standard transmission rate supported on each of the 3GPP2 RC can currently be produced for a 20 ms frame period.
On the other hand, the variable data rate mode has been provided under the following purpose. In the 3GPP2 system, the base station makes transmission scheduling to a forward supplemental channel, when the base station assigns a fixed data transmission rate to the mobile station for a time period by means of a message. However, a channel situation between the base station and the mobile station during the particular time period may be changed, and a system load on the base station may be changed. For example, as the mobile station goes farther from the base station, the channel situation becomes poorer, causing the base station to lack enough transmission power to transmit data to a particular mobile station at the present data transmission rate.
To solve this problem, the base station may stop transmission of data to supplementary channels for the time period. However, such a solution causes delay in data transmission, as well as needless waste of available transmission power and Walsh codes. As an alternative, the base station may make re-scheduling of the data transmission rate after a time period has passed. However, this alternative also causes the problem of the time delay and the waste of the Walsh codes. This situation occurs not only in the forward link The channel situation between the mobile station and the base station may vary with movements of the mobile station in a reverse link, causing lack of transmission power required for sustaining an appropriate quality. Consequently, the variable data rate mode is used to solve such a situation. In the variable transmission rate, the transmission rate is varied with frames depending on situation. That is, if the channel environment is determined to be poor, the base station drops the transmission rate of the supplementary channel, and if the channel environment is determined restored, the base station restores the transmission rate of the supplementary channel. Provided that such a variable data rate mode is applied, the base station can use available power without the frequent re-scheduling.
To support the flexible data rate mode and the variable data rate mode, each of the RCs in the present 3GPP forms a transmission chain using the following methods.
As described before, the length of the channel interleaver used in each RC is fixed according to the spreading factor. Since the spreading factor has a value in a form raised by second power, a ratio of the size of the interleaver fixed according to one spreading factor to the size of the interleaver fixed according to another spreading factor one step lower than the one spreading factor is 1:2, exactly. If the greater spreading factor is represented with 'A' and the smaller spreading factor is represented with 'B', a 1:1 mapping can be established between the spreading factor and the input information bitstream of the channel encoder in each RC. If lengths of the input information bitstreams of the channel encoder are represented with IA for the spreading factor 'A' and IB for the spreading factor 'B' respectively, a relation of IB=2*IA is established. If the sizes of the channel interleavers to be used are represented with NA and NB respectively, a relation of NB=2*NA is established.
If it is assumed that a coding rate of the channel encoder (using turbo codes or convolution codes) in the RC is 1/n as illustrated in FIG. 1, taking the flexible or variable data rate mode into account, in which 'I' (a length of an information bitstream having CRC bits, tail bits, and reserved bits added thereto in steps 10 and 11) is a length of the input bitstream of the channel encoder, that meets a non-regular data length of "IA<I<IB", the input 'I' will provide an output "n*I," when "NA<n*I<NB" is also met (step 12). Consequently, a certain operation for matching the length of the output bitstream of the channel encoder "n*I" to the size of the interleaver is required. A method the 3GPP employs presently is that the length L (=n*I) of the output bitstream of the channel encoder is matched to the interleaver of N=NB to require a bit repetition as many as "NB−n*I" (step 13) according to the following uniform repetition process. That is, a (k)th output symbol of a repetitive block can be predicted starting from a code symbol of
      (          ⌊              kL        N            ⌋        )      thinput bitstream for an index k increased from '0' up to 'N−1'.
Next, a method for supporting the variable data rate mode will be described.
In the variable data rate mode, a highest data rate supportable in the initial negotiation process, a data rate one step lower than the highest data rate, and data rate two steps lower than the highest data rate are defined as a transmission data rate set. Accordingly, in the variable data rate mode for the present supplementary channel, the data transmission rate can be adjusted within the supportable highest transmission rate set and the two step lower transmission rate. For the forward channel, the mobile station can only determine a rate variation by means of blind rate detection. Therefore, if a range of a data transmission rate variation is too large, an operative complexity of the mobile station is increased. The sizes of the channel interleaver and the Walsh codes, used in the highest transmission rate, should not be changed. That is, the interleaver and the Walsh codes used in the highest transmission rate presently should not be changed. If the data transmission rate is dropped to a half of the highest transmission rate, two times of symbol repetition is required for matching the size of the interleaver to the length of the output bitstream of the channel encoder. Similarly, if the data transmission rate is dropped to a quarter of the highest transmission rate, four times of symbol repetition is required for matching the size of the interleaver to be used on the channel and the length of the output bitstream of the channel encoder.
The foregoing example is applicable to a case of forward supplementary channel of a non-flexible data rate. The variable data rate mode for the flexible data rate can be supported in the supplementary channel. However, in this case, the definitions of the flexible data rate and the variable data rate mode themselves become vague. That is, even if the highest data rate in the variable data rate mode is a regular rate in the present RC and the one step lower data rate is also a data rate fixed in the present RC, the one step lower data rate can be taken as a flexible data rate that uses no transmission chain fixed in the present RC. This is because the size of interleaver in the variable data rate mode, i.e., the spreading factor, is fixed to that of the highest transmission rate.
As one example, take a RC4 of the present forward channel when the turbo codes or convolution codes of 1/2  rate is used. It is assumed that the highest transmission rate useable in the variable data rate mode is 76.8 kbps, when the size of the interleaver used in the forward RC4 is fixed at 3072. A variable data rate method in this mode will be discussed. It is assumed that an appropriate value from a set of usable data transmission rates {19.2 kbps, 38.4 kbps, and 76.8 kbps} is used. Though data transmission rates of 19.2 kbps, and 38.4 kbps are the transmission rates defined in the RC4 undoubtedly, a problem lies in that there is no chain that connecting the transmission rates to the 3072, the present interleaver length, in the RC. Therefore, those transmission rates may be taken as the variable data rates.
Naturally, if the chain has an interleaver length fixed at 'N' even in the variable data rate mode, and the present data transmission rate is not defined in the present RC, the length of output bitstream of the channel encoder and the fixed interleaver size can be matched by means of the aforementioned uniform repetitive algorithm. That is, the flexible data rate and the variable data rate should be treated in a similar manner, and a method for supporting them can be explained with reference to a chain illustrated in FIG. 1.
However, the related art method for supporting the flexible data rate mode and the variable data rate mode makes concepts of the flexible data rate mode and the variable data rate mode in the existing RC somewhat vague. As explained, the concept of RC may be taken as a kind of standardized rule that defines a relation among the information data rates. However, in the flexible data rate mode, or in the variable data rate mode, the relation can not be established as a standardized rule in the RC. According to this, the size of the interleaver to be used is fixed, channel encoding is carried out according to the coding rate used in the present RC, and the code symbol repetition process is carried out for matching the encoder output with the fixed interleaver length. Thus, in such a flexible data rate mode and variable data rate mode, there is no more standardized relation between the coding rate of the channel encoder and the spreading factor in the RC.
In the related method, as discussed before, the code symbol is repeated for matching the encoder output with a particular spreading factor. It should be noted that 'I/N' and 1/n have the following relation at all data rates except standardized chains in the RC in the flexible data rate mode or in the variable data rate mode, where 'I/N' denotes an effective code rate, 'N' denotes an interleaver length, 'I' denotes the input information bitstream length of the channel encoder, and '1/n' denotes a code rate defined in each RC.
                              I          N                <                  1          n                                    (        1        )
In other words, equation (1) implies that the effective code rate is dropped in the flexible data rate mode, or the variable data rate mode, and the symbol repetition is used for matching with the interleaver, both of which imply that, though the effective code rate is reduced, an actual code rate is the 1/n defined in the RC as before.
Therefore, both the present flexible data rate mode and the variable data rate mode have a problem of not taking advantage of the coding gain attainable by reducing the coding rate. That is, if the interleaver size is fixed to a certain value, and the transmission rate of the data to be transmitted presently is fixed, it is necessary to select a coding rate that can provide the greatest coding gain according to a relation of the two, and to form a new transmission chain for carrying out a rate matching puncturing or data matching repetition to match the encoder output and the channel interleaver size.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

Method of configuring transmission in mobile communication system


In a system for handling closely proximate flows of relatively clean and unclean water, the combination comprising a first conduit for passing relatively clean water to a first discharge, a second conduit extending protectively about the first conduit, a third conduit extending proximate and lengthwise of the second conduit for passing said relatively unclean water, outside the second conduit, and an outer housing extending about said first, second and third conduits.

This invention relates generally to systems for proximity flows of clean water and unclean waste water in proximity, as in kitchens; and more particularly concerns a simple, efficient, conduit system for such proximal flows, and occupying minimum space.
In many kitchens, installed sinks have multiple holes in a top panel, with two separate holes for hot and cold water conduits, and a third hole for a separate water supply conduit. A fourth hole is often employed in the plate, for a waste water conduit, that often employs a vent conduit that prevents waste water siphoning back into a dishwasher. There is need to reduce the number of such holes in such a panel, and to reduce the size of the overall space occupied by such a conduit system at the panel.
It is a major object of the invention to provide an improved conduit assembly, meeting the above need. Basically, the improved system includes:
a) a first conduit for passing relatively clean water to a first discharge,
b) a second conduit extending protectively about the first conduit,
c) a third conduit extending proximate and lengthwise of the second conduit for passing relatively unclean water, outside the second conduit,
d) and an outer housing extending about said first, second and third conduits, to be installed in a single hole in the panel.
As will be seen, the source of unclean water may comprise an automatic dishwasher having a discharge positioned for passing relatively unclean dish water, to flow in that third conduit.
Another object is to provide the third conduit to have a free discharge proximate to, but isolated from the interior of said second conduit. A conduit may be provided in integral association with the third conduit; and having an entrance to receive contaminated water discharged from the third conduit. A panel such as a counter or sink top panel may provide an opening through which said first, second, third and fourth conduits pass.
Yet another object is to provide a compact assembly in which at least two of the second, third and fourth conduits have a common wall. Typically three common walls may be provided, wherein
i) the second and third conduits have a primary common wall,
ii) the second and fourth conduits have a secondary common wall, and
iii) the third and fourth conduits have a tertiary common wall.
The common walls may, as well be seen, have a common junction, from which the common walls extend, arcuately, to closely and compactly fit within a surrounding annular mounting structure, clamped in position on a counter top.
Yet another object is to provide for drinking water flow upwardly in the first conduit, spaced from the second conduit wall, so that unclean water flows downwardly between the second and third conduit walls, isolated from the first conduit.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Conduit system for proximate flow of clean and waste water


A vending machine comprises a first product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza crust product, a second product dispensing unit configured for dispensing packaged pizza topping product, and an information processing apparatus coupled to the first product dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit. The information processing apparatus is configured for facilitating input and processing of a customer-configured pizza preparation kit order. The first product dispensing unit is a frozen product dispensing unit configured for enabling different types of packaged pizza crust product to be selectively dispensed. The second product dispensing unit is a refrigerated product dispensing unit configured for enabling different types of packaged pizza topping product to be selectively dispensed. The information processing apparatus includes an user interface arrangement, an order processing arrangement and a kit component management arrangement.

Pizza is arguably one of the most popular types of foods worldwide. It is relatively inexpensive to make or buy, can be baked relatively quickly and can be prepared with seemingly infinite combinations and types of toppings and crusts. Perhaps, it is this combination of attributes that makes pizza such a popular type of food.
Various methods and machines configured for vending ready-to-eat pizza are known (i.e., ready-to-eat pizza vending machines). Ready-to-eat pizza vending machines provide a convenient means for ordering a custom ready-to-eat pizza. Similar to ordering a pizza for delivery, a ready-to-eat pizza vending machine serves a pizza intended to be eaten within a relatively short time from when the pizza is baked. In some embodiments, ready-to-eat pizza vending machines serve customer-configured ready-to-eat pizzas. In other embodiments, ready-to-eat pizza vending machines serve pre-configured ready-to-eat pizzas.
A limitation of ready-to-eat pizza vending machines and pizza delivery is degradation of the fresh-baked appeal of the pizza as the elapsed time between preparation of the pizza and eating the pizza increases. For delivered pizza, delays in delivery can result in the pizza dropping below a preferred and/or desired serving temperature. Similarly, for pizza vended from a ready-to-eat pizza vending machine, travel from a vending location (e.g., a convenience store) to a place where the pizza is eaten (e.g., a person's house) can result in the pizza dropping below a preferred and/or desired serving temperature. In either instance, at least a portion of the appeal of ordering the pizza is diminished.
Frozen ready-to-bake pizzas (e.g., bought at a grocery store, convenience store, etc.) can be baked at a person's convenience at the location where the pizza will be eaten. Thus, the issue of delay in eating the pizza once baked is virtually eliminated. However, frozen ready-to-bake pizzas are limited in their available crust/topping configurations. As freezer shelf space at grocery and convenience stores is limited and valuable, only a limited selection of crust/topping configurations is available for any particular frozen ready-to-eat pizza manufacturer. Furthermore, a pre-configured combination pizza (e.g., a supreme combination pizza) may include desired topping for one person and the same combination of toppings may be undesirable to another person. Combined with various available crust styles (e.g., thin, hand tossed, bake-to-rise, etc.), the likeliness of offering a pizza that approaches a person's preferred pizza configuration is remote. Most people pick a frozen-ready-to-back pizza that is the best available option rather than a preferred configuration.
Therefore, machines, methods and packages configured for enabling vending a customer-configured pizza preparation kit would be useful.

Facilitating vending of customer-configured pizza preparation kits


A probe apparatus can suppress a spark from occurring near a wafer surface simply and efficiently when inspecting electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device at wafer level. A spark preventing device 50 mounted in the probe apparatus includes a surrounding member 52 which surrounds probe needles 24G and 24S between a probe card 16 and a mounting table 12; and a gas supply device 54 configured to supply a gas to a vicinity of the probe needles 24G and 24S through an inside or a vicinity of the surrounding member 52 to form an atmosphere of a preset pressure higher than an atmospheric pressure in the vicinity of the probe needles 24G and 24S when inspecting the electrical characteristics of each chip on a semiconductor wafer W. A contact plate 34 also serves as the surrounding member 52.

In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device are inspected by a semiconductor testing apparatus at the end of a pre-process or a post-process, so that faults of chips are inspected. In such a semiconductor testing apparatus, a probe apparatus serves as a handling apparatus that interfaces the chips on the semiconductor wafer, and a tester in charge of signal processing when performing an inspection at wafer state or at wafer level. Typically, the probe apparatus includes a movable mounting table (chuck top) configured to mount and support thereon the semiconductor wafer; a probe card having probe needles to be brought into contact with electrodes of each chip, thus allowing the chips to be electrically connected with the tester; and a moving device configured to move the mounting table to align the inspection target chips with respect to the probe needles or to the probe card fixed at a certain position.
A voltage (a breakdown voltage or a rated voltage) treated in a semiconductor device for power supply, i.e., a so-called power device, such as a power MOSFET or IGBT may be greatly differed depending on the purposes of use. For example, the power device may treat a voltage ranging from about 100 V to about 200 V in electronic home appliances, whereas the power device may treat a very high voltage ranging from about 600 V to about 1000 V in cars or industrial appliances. In railroad vehicles or power transmission and distribution systems, the power device may treat several thousands of voltages or higher.
Accordingly, when conducting inspection of electrical characteristics of a power device at wafer level in the semiconductor testing device, a voltage suitable for the power device may be applied from the tester to terminals on individual inspection target chips (power devices) on a wafer via the probe needles. If, however, the voltage applied for inspecting the chips is high, a spark (electric discharge) may be generated in the vicinity of a surface of the wafer, so that adjacent chips (power devices) may be damaged. This problem is more conspicuous in a SiC power device than in a Si power device.
Recently, a SiC power device is attracting attention as a next-generation power device having a compact size, a high breakdown voltage and a low loss. Since, however, a chip of the SiC power device is small-sized, a gap between electrodes on the chip is narrow, and a spark may be easily generated between a probe needle that applies a high voltage and a probe needle that applies a low voltage, or between a high-voltage probe needle and an electrode on an adjacent chip. Further, since it is difficult to forma protection circuit within the small-sized chip, the chip is weak for the spark.
To solve this problem, there is known a breakdown voltage inspecting apparatus (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In this technique, an entire surface of a semiconductor wafer is covered with a liquid having higher insulation property than the atmosphere, or a surface of a inspection target chip is locally covered with such an insulating liquid on the wafer. Then, a breakdown voltage test is conducted by bringing a probe needle into contact with an electrode of the inspection target chip covered with the insulating liquid.
In such a breakdown voltage inspecting apparatus, since a leading end of the probe needle comes into contact with the electrode of the inspection target chip in the insulating liquid, a spark may not be generated from the probe needle, so that the inspection can be safely conducted even in a test in which a high voltage equal to or higher than several thousands of voltages is applied.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2003-100819    Patent Document 2: International Publication No. WO2010/021070
However, if the configuration of covering the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer with the insulating liquid (Patent Document 1) and the configuration of locally covering only the surface of the inspection target chip on the wafer (Patent Document 2) are adopted to an actual breakdown inspecting apparatus or a probe apparatus, a device or a control device for handling the insulating liquid on the wafer may be complicated, though the degree of complication may be differed therebetween. Further, an inspection time may also be lengthened.


The invention is an efficient method for preparing alkali cellulose having the low water content and a uniform alkali distribution therein. More specifically, the invention is a method for continuously preparing alkali cellulose comprising steps of bringing pulp into continuous contact with an alkali metal hydroxide solution to generate a contact mixture and then draining the contact mixture by a centrifugal separator. The invention also includes a method for preparing cellulose ether comprising a step of etherifying the alkali cellulose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alkali cellulose and a method for preparing cellulose ether using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For preparation of cellulose ether, known is a method comprising steps of bringing highly purified pulp into contact with an alkali solution to prepare alkali cellulose, and then etherifying the alkali cellulose with an etherifying agent. Although the cellulose ether obtained as a final product becomes soluble in water by properly controlling the degree of substitution, the cellulose ether contains a water-insoluble portion so that the light transmittance of the aqueous solution may be lowered or the commodity value of the cellulose ether may be damaged because the water-insoluble portion is considered as a foreign matter.
The insoluble portion is caused by the presence of a portion having a low degree of substitution which does not have enough substituents to permit dissolution of the cellulose ether in water. One of the causes is uneven alkali distribution in the alkali cellulose.
The rolls the alkali plays include (a) swelling the cellulose to change the crystal structure in the pulp, thereby accelerating the penetration of the etherifying agent, (b) catalyzing the etherification reaction of an alkylene oxide, and (c) serving as a reactant for an alkyl halide. A portion of the pulp out of contact with the aqueous alkali solution is not involved in the reaction and therefore remains as an insoluble portion. Thus, uniformity of the alkali cellulose is related to an amount of the insoluble portion in the alkali cellulose.
A method which has been employed widely for the preparation of alkali cellulose includes one described in Japanese Patent Application Examined Publication No. 60-50801/1985 or Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 56-2302/1981 in which an alkali is added in an amount necessary for etherification to pulp powder obtained by pulverization of pulp, and then mixed mechanically. In this method, however, the alkali is not distributed to all parts of the pulp powder so that some parts of the pulp power remain out of contact with the alkali. As a result, some parts fail to become cellulose ether, stay in the product as an unreacted substance and deteriorate the quality of the cellulose ether. Thus, this method causes a problem.
In order to avoid causing such a problem, a method comprising steps of impregnating a sheet of pulp in an excess alkali solution to allow the pulp to absorb a sufficient amount of an alkali and then pressing the impregnated sheet to remove an unnecessary portion of the alkali and control the alkali to a predetermined amount. When this method is performed industrially, it is the common practice that a rolled pulp is allowed to be rotated freely by elevating the rolled pulp by a supporting shaft put through the central pipe of the roll so as to bring it up from a floor surface, or placing the rolled pulp over a roller. Then, a sheet is drawn from the rolled pulp and introduced into an immersion tank. However, according to this method, the operation is often interrupted because the pulp sheet is torn by a pull force during the immersion. Moreover, to achieve mass production, a huge immersion tank is required for immersing the pulp sheet therein for a predetermined time. Accordingly, this method has defects such as necessity of an adequate space for the tank and inevitable rise in the investment cost. On the other hand, when pulp chips are employed, the cake of them has an irregular surface so that the uneven squeeze occurs when pressed by the press machine. Uneven alkali distribution caused by the uneven squeeze deteriorates the quality of the alkali cellulose.
In page 433 of "Encyclopedia of Cellulose" edited by The Cellulose Society of Japan (published on Nov. 10, 2000), described is a preparation step of alkali cellulose for preparation of viscose, the step comprising adding pulp to an alkali solution to form a gruel-like slurry and squeezing the slurry by a slurry press. Although the defects caused by use of a sheet of pulp are solved, the slurry press causes uneven squeeze and thereby deteriorates the quality of the alkali cellulose due to uneven alkali distribution. In addition, it is difficult to obtain alkali cellulose having a relatively small alkali content which is required as a raw material of cellulose ether using this method alone because of the limitation of the squeeze performance. Thus, it is difficult to apply this method to the preparation of cellulose ether.
In Japanese Patent Application Examined Publication No. 3-73562/1991, described is a method for preparing alkali cellulose having a desired composition, comprising steps of preparing alkali cellulose from cellulose and excess alkali, and then washing the alkali cellulose with a hydrophilic solvent for removal of the alkali. However, this method needs huge equipment and many operations. In addition, the hydrophilic solvent remains in the alkali cellulose and causes a side reaction with an etherifying agent. Accordingly, a reaction efficiency of the etherifying agent is reduced. Neutralization of the washing liquid or recovery of the alkali is required. Thus, this method is industrially difficult.
According to the preparation method described in International Patent Application Japanese-Phase Publication No. 2001-518127, alkali cellulose having 0.316 to 0.643 of weight ratio of alkali metal hydroxide/cellulose is obtained as a raw material for preparation of viscose by dispersing a cellulose-containing material in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and then subjecting the resulting dispersion to centrifugal separation. As described in the publication, only an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide having a concentration of 14 to 22% by weight is usable in the method. The reason is as follows. Immersion time for the cellulose-containing material in the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide during the dispersion of the material in the solution is not controlled or adjusted. Accordingly, the cellulose-containing material continues to absorb the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution until the absorption reaches almost a saturated amount. An aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide having a considerably low concentration must be employed in order to obtain alkali cellulose having a desired weight ratio of alkali metal hydroxide/cellulose. However, alkali cellulose prepared using an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution having such a low concentration is economically disadvantageous because a side reaction between an etherifying agent and water occurs in the subsequent step for preparing cellulose ether. In addition, the cellulose ether thus obtained cannot have a desired degree of substitution. Moreover, an aqueous solution of the cellulose ether thus prepared is inferior in transparency.
The utilization ratio of the etherifying agent correlates with the water content of the alkali cellulose. As the water content is smaller, the utilization ratio increases, meaning that a desired degree of substitution can be attained by a small amount of the etherifying agent.
As a preparation method of an alkali cellulose having a small water content, known is a method comprising suspending finely pulverized cellulose in an inert solvent, carrying out first-stage addition of sodium hydroxide in the solid form to partially swell the cellulose with the organic solvent in advance, and then carrying out second-stage addition of 40 to 60% sodium hydroxide solution (Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 56-145901/1981). However, the cellulose ether prepared using the alkali cellulose obtained by the method is inferior in the transparency of its solution. It is also unsatisfactory from the economical viewpoint because sodium hydroxide in the solid form is expensive.
It is also known that alkali cellulose having a small water content is available by alkalizing cellulose with sodium hydroxide and washing the alkali cellulose with a proper solvent prior to an etherification reaction (Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 58-196202/1983). During washing, however, not only water but also sodium hydroxide is washed away so that only methyl cellulose having a low degree of substitution is produced.
When preparation of an alkali cellulose is started using an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution having a high concentration, a method comprising steps of adding the alkali in an amount necessary for the etherification reaction to pulp powder obtained by pulverization of pulp and then mechanically mixing them as described in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication Nos. 53-41356/1978 or 56-2302/1981 cannot uniformly distribute the alkali in the pulp powder. Accordingly, some portions of the pulp do not contact with the alkali so that they remain as they are without becoming cellulose ether. They are present as an unreacted substance in the product. Thus, there is a problem of poor quality of cellulose ether.
In a method comprising steps of immersing a pulp sheet in an excess alkali solution to allow the pulp to absorb a sufficient amount of the alkali and then pressing the sheet to remove an excess alkali for adjusting the alkali content to a predetermined level as described in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 49-61272/1974, when an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution having a high concentration is used, a solid matter (sodium hydroxide hydrate) precipitates from the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution unless it is maintained at a considerably high temperature. There is a problem of apparatus troubles caused by the precipitation.

Methods for preparing alkali cellulose and cellulose ether


When obtained communication data corresponds to an external communication from the outside of the network to the inside, external communication data is stored. When the obtained communication data corresponds to a service start, external communication data associated with the service start is extracted, and service start data is stored in correlation with the extracted external communication data. When the obtained communication data corresponds to an operation end, operation end data is stored. When the obtained communication data corresponds to a communication from the inside to the outside of the network, operation end data associated with the obtained communication data is extracted. Then, it is determined that a condition is satisfied that external communication data associated with the obtained communication data is stored in correlation with the service start data associated with the extracted operation end data. When the condition is satisfied, an attack for the system is detected.

Recently, attacks that use proprietary or customized malware are frequently performed. Especially, damage examples of targeted attacks for a specific company increase. In a lot of examples, a following attack method is utilized. Namely, a user terminal in the company is infected with a remote-control-type malware, the infected user terminal is used as a springboard to intrude into other apparatuses such as user terminals in the company, and other apparatuses are infected with the remote-control-type malware.
As a conventional network monitoring technique, there is a signature method in which a pattern of communication data in the remote control is defined for each malware, and communication data that flows in the network is compared with the pattern to detect the malware. However, it is possible for the signature method to detect only the malware for which the pattern of the communication data has been created, and it is impossible to detect proprietary or customized malware.
Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 1, there is a technique for detecting an attack in which a certain user terminal is used as a springboard by the remote control, and a new malware for the remote control is sent to other user terminals and other user terminals are infected. See Masahiro Yamada, Masanobu Morinaga, Yuki Unno, Satoru Torii and Masahiko Takenaka, "A Detection Method against Activities of Targeted Attack on The Internal Network", Computer Security of IPSJ SIG Technical Report, 62nd CSEC and 6th SPT joint research presentation, July 2013, for example. In this technique, following communications that are determined as being normal when individual communications are observed are determined as an attack. In other words, a command is sent from an attacker's terminal outside a system by using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or HTTP Secure (HTTPS) to a user terminal A in the system, and a remote control malware is sent from the user terminal A to a user terminal B by using normal Server Message Block (SMB) or the like and executed, and a new connection is established from the user terminal B to the attacker's terminal. A procedure to establish the connection is 3-way handshake, for example.
However, in an intelligence activity in which the remote control malware is not executed on the user terminal B, however, information is acquired by executing a command and/or program from the user terminal B, and the information is obtained on the attacker's terminal through the user terminal A, no egress connection from the user terminal B to the attacker's terminal occurs. Therefore, such an intelligence activity cannot be detected.    Non-Patent Document 1: Masahiro Yamada, Masanobu Morinaga, Yuki Unno, Satoru Torii and Masahiko Takenaka, "A Detection Method against Activities of Targeted Attack on The Internal Network", Computer Security of IPSJ SIG Technical Report, 62nd CSEC and 6th SPT joint research presentation, July 2013.    Patent Document 1: Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2004-537075    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-323428    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 4700884


An information processing system comprises a terminal system which includes a terminal device and also comprises a server system. In the terminal system, a microphone provided in the terminal device senses a sound in the vicinity thereof. Sound information representing the sound sensed by the microphone or a feature of the sound is transmitted to the server system. In the server system, the sound in the vicinity of the terminal device is specified based on the sound information. Also, presentation information to be presented by the terminal device is specified based on the specified sound, and the presentation information is transmitted to the information processing device. The terminal system receives displays the presentation information transmitted from the server, and presentation information is displayed on a display unit of the terminal device.

Conventionally, there are systems for acquiring a video on the side of a terminal from a server via the Internet and displaying the video on the side of the terminal. In such a system, it is conceivable that, for example, a game device at home acquires a video content from the server by the Internet and causes a TV at home to display the video content.
It is not possible to present other information (e.g., advertisement information or additional information) to a user together with the video content.
Therefore, this application discloses an information processing system and the like which can present other information to be presented to the user together with the video content effectively. This application also discloses an information processing system and the like which can present information useful for the user.
(1)
A non-limiting example of information processing system as described herein comprises a terminal system including a terminal device and also comprises a server system.
The terminal system includes a microphone, a transmission unit, and a display unit. The microphone is provided in the terminal device and senses a sound in the vicinity thereof. The transmission unit transmits sound information representing the sound sensed by the microphone or a feature of the sound to the server system. The display unit is provided in the terminal device.
The server system includes a content specification unit and a presentation information specification unit. The content specification unit specifies a video content which is being reproduced in the vicinity of the terminal device, based on the sound information. The presentation information specification unit specifies presentation information to be presented together with the specified video content, in accordance with the video content, and transmits the presentation information to the terminal system.
The terminal system displays the presentation information transmitted from the server system on the display unit.
According to the configuration of (1), in the case where the video content is reproduced on the terminal side, the reproduction sound of the video content is sensed by the microphone, and the sound information on the reproduction sound is transmitted to the server system. The server system specifies the video content based on the reproduction sound, and the presentation information corresponding to the specified video content is transmitted to the terminal side. Owing to this, presentation information suitable to the video content reproduced on the terminal side can be presented to the user. Namely, according to the configuration of (1), information useful for the user can be presented, and also other information can be presented to the user effectively together with the video content.
(2)
Another example of information processing system as described herein comprises a terminal system including a terminal device and an information processing device, and also comprises a server system.
The terminal device includes a microphone for sensing a sound in the vicinity thereof and a display unit. The information processing device includes a transmission unit for transmitting sound information representing the sound sensed by the microphone or a feature of the sound to the server system.
The server system includes a sound specification unit and a presentation information specification unit. The sound specification unit specifies the sound in the vicinity of the terminal device based on the sound information. The presentation information specification unit specifies presentation information to be presented by the terminal device in accordance with the specified sound, and transmits the presentation information to the information processing device.
The information processing device receives the presentation information transmitted from the server system and causes the display unit of the terminal device to display the presentation information.
According to the configuration of (2), the sound on the terminal side is sensed by the microphone, and sound information on the sensed sound is transmitted to the server system. The server system specifies the presentation information corresponding to the sensed sound based on the sound information and transmits the presentation information to the terminal side. Owing to this, presentation information corresponding to the sound on the terminal side (reproduction sound of the video content, sound of conversation of the user, etc.) can be presented to the user. Therefore, according to the configuration of (2), information useful for the user can be presented.
(3)
The sound specification unit may specify a video content which is being reproduced in the vicinity of the terminal device.
According to the configuration of (3), like according to the configuration of (1) described above, other information can be presented to the user effectively together with the video content.
(4)
The presentation information specification unit may specify, as the presentation information, advertisement information on a product or a service which is regarding the video content and/or which appears in the video content.
According to the configuration of (4), a video content and/or advertisement information corresponding to the specific content the video content can be presented to the user. Therefore, advertisement information can be presented to the user effectively, and thus the advertizing effect can be improved. Since the advertisement information is not displayed on the display device which displays the video content, the advertisement information does not block the video content displayed on the display device, and thus the video content can be presented to the user in an easy-to-view manner.
(5)
The server system may further include a timing determination unit for determining a timing to present the presentation information based on the specified video content. In this case, the terminal system displays the presentation information on the display unit at the determined timing.
According to the configuration of (5), the server system can control the timing to present the presentation information. Owing to this, the presentation information can be presented at an appropriate timing, and therefore can be presented to the user effectively.
(6)
The timing determination unit may specify, based on the sound information, a time point of the sound sensed by the microphone on a time axis of the specified video content, and determine the timing to present the presentation information based on the time point and a time table of the specified video content.
According to the configuration of (6), the timing to present the presentation information can be set easily to an appropriate timing suitable to the specific content of the video content.
(7)
The terminal system may further include a device control unit for controlling a predetermined display device capable of reproducing the video content, regarding reproduction and/or display of the video content.
According to the configuration of (7), the terminal system can change the operation of a predetermined display device. Owing to this, a video content and presentation information can be presented to the user effectively.
(8)
The device control unit may be provided in the terminal device.
According to the configuration of (8), the user can operate a predetermined display device by use of the terminal device. Therefore, the ease of operation on the video content can be improved.
(9)
The server system may further include an instruction transmission unit for specifying, based on the specified video content, a control command regarding the reproduction and/or the display of the video content, and transmitting the control command. In this case, the device control unit controls the predetermined display device based on the control command received from the server system.
According to the configuration of (9), the operation of the predetermined display device can be controlled on the server side. For example, the server system can control the operation of the predetermined display device such that the video content and the presentation information are presented to the user effectively.
(10)
The server system may further include a statistics generation unit for generating statistics information on the specified video content regarding the terminal system, and transmitting the statistics information to the terminal system.
According to the configuration of (10), statistics information such as, for example, a past viewing history or the like of the video content can be presented to the user. Therefore, information useful for the user can be presented.
(11)
The server system may further include a content transmission unit for specifying, based on the specified video content, a sequel video content to the video content, and transmitting the sequel video content to the terminal system. The terminal system causes a display device of the terminal device and/or a predetermined display device separate from the terminal device to display the sequel video content.
According to the configuration of (11), when the video content is terminated, the information processing system can present the sequel video content to the video content to the user. Owing to this, information useful for the user can be presented.
(12)
Still another example of information processing system as described herein comprises a terminal system including a terminal device and also comprises a server system.
The terminal system includes a microphone, a transmission unit, and a display unit. The microphone is provided in the terminal device and senses a sound in the vicinity thereof. The transmission unit transmits sound information representing the sound sensed by the microphone or a feature of the sound to the server system. The display unit is provided in the terminal device.
The server system includes a sound specification unit and a presentation information specification unit. The sound specification unit specifies the sound in the vicinity of the terminal device based on the sound information. The presentation information specification unit specifies presentation information to be presented by the terminal device based on the specified sound, and transmits the presentation information to the information processing device.
The terminal system receives the presentation information transmitted from the server system and causes the display unit of the terminal device to display the presentation information.
According to the configuration of (12), like according to the configuration of (2), information useful for the user can be presented.
This specification discloses a server system (server device) having the same functions as those of the server system included in the information processing system according to any one of (1) through (12). This specification also discloses a terminal system (terminal device) having the same functions as those of the terminal system included in the information processing system. This specification further discloses an information processing program causing a computer to act as units equivalent to the units of the server system or the terminal system. This specification further discloses an information presentation method which is carried out by the information processing system.
According to the information processing system and the like described above, information useful for the user can be presented by the terminal device of the terminal system.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Information processing system, server system, terminal system, information processing program, and information presentation method