A distributed network, spread-spectrum system comprising a plurality of remote stations and a plurality of nodes. One or more hub node(s) connect(s) to a central telephone office. A node""s spread-spectrum transceiver communicates, using packets having spread-spectrum modulation, over radio waves, with the plurality of remote stations. Each packet has a source address and a destination address, and may have other information such as a header, start of message, end of message, flow-control information, forward error correction, and message data. A store-and-forward subsystem stores and forwards one or more packets to and from the remote station. The store-and-forward subsystem stores and forwards the one or more packets to and from another node in the plurality of nodes. A flow-control subsystem controls the store-and-forward subsystem, to store each packet arriving at the spread-spectrum transceiver. The flow-control subsystem communicates traffic information between each of the nodes in the plurality of nodes. The flow-control subsystem routes the packet through appropriate nodes to the hub node from a remote station. Based on the traffic at each node, the flow-control subsystem transmits the packet from the hub node to an appropriate node, and routes the packet to a recipient remote station. The flow-control subsystem routes the plurality of packets through a path in the plurality of nodes to ensure that the plurality of packets arrive sequentially for voice or video packets.

This invention relates to spread-spectrum communications, and more particularly to a wireless distributed network for reducing power and power variations, when transmitting packets having spread-spectrum modulation.
As the data rate increases, the power transmitted by a cellular xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d and by the cellular base station (BS) must also increase to ensure a low probability of error. As illustratively shown in FIG. 1, a star network, as is presently used for cellular networks, is used to communicate data between a central office 50 and a plurality of remote stations (RS). A plurality of base stations 20, 30, 40, communicate directly with the central office 50. A first base station 20 communicates data between a first plurality of remote stations 21, 22, 23, 24. A second base station 30 communicates data between a second plurality of remote stations 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. A third base station 40 communicates data between a third plurality of remote stations 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.
In the star network of FIG. 1, data, in general, are not communicated directly between base stations, but through the central office 50. The routing of data is a fixed communication path, from a remote station through a base station to the central office, and vice versa. Data generally are not routed, with dynamically changing paths, between remote stations which communicate with a base station, and data are not routed between remote stations directly through base stations, without passing through the central office 50. Also, data are not routed to the central office 50, using communications paths which dynamically vary between base stations, depending upon availability.
The power transmitted by the base station and the remote stations, and the ability to properly control the power, are problems which are growing in importance with the start of third generation (3G) wireless systems, which stresses data transmission which requires low error rates and Internet access.
Previously, a user could transmit data at the rate of 9.6 kilobit per second (Kb/s). Now, with 3G wireless systems, this rate is increasing to 384 kb/s and higher. For the increased data rates, the power must increase by a factor of 40 or more to ensure no degradation of performance.
A proposed solution to this problem is to install additional base stations, or towers. This is a very costly solution since some base stations will be overloaded with traffic and other base stations underutilized. This solution, however, certainly will reduce the power transmitted. Users who are distant from the base station still will be required to transmit significantly larger power than users located near the base station, to alleviate the near-far power problem. This very significant difference in distance and therefore in transmitted power, requires very accurate power control, which is a limiting feature in the current, standardized, 3G system. For example, consider acquisition: One limitation is effective packet size; that is, it takes significant time for the base station to help the user adjust its transmit power to the correct level. As more time is required, the packet will, in effect, increase in length, using time which could be allocated for data transmission or the transmission of additional data packets. This xe2x80x9cramp upxe2x80x9d time could exceed the duration of the data portion of the packet itself. As another example, during power control adjustment, a user transmitting with too much power can increase the error rate of a user transmitting at the proper power level.
The present base station multi-access scheme currently in use is not a preferred system approach.
A general object of the invention is to increase capacity of data from remote stations to a central office.
Another object of the invention is to reduce power levels and power level variations required for transmitting from remote stations and from the base stations.
An additional object of the invention is a more flexible network, which dynamically adapts to changing data requirements between remote stations and a central office.
According to the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a distributed network, spread-spectrum system is provided, comprising a plurality of remote stations and a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes forms the distributed network. The distributed network plus the plurality of remote stations form the distributed system. In the plurality of nodes, one or more nodes are hub nodes, which connect to a central telephone office. The plurality of nodes covers a geographic area. Each node covers a micro-cell having a radius, which, typically, is less than one mile. Each node includes a plurality of spread-spectrum transceivers, or, equivalently, a plurality of spread-spectrum transmitters and a plurality of spread-spectrum receivers. Each node also includes a store-and-forward subsystem, and a flow-control subsystem, at least one node transmitter, and more typically a plurality of node transmitters, and at least one node receiver and more typically a plurality of node receivers.
Transmission between the remote station and a node is through the use of CDMA modulation, although any other modulation technique may be employed. Transmitting between nodes may be by cable, fiber optic cable, or microwave link, using any of a variety of modulation techniques. Steerable antennas may be employed. Such modulation and communications channels are well-known in the art.
Each node""s spread-spectrum transceiver communicates, using packets having spread-spectrum modulation, over radio waves, with a plurality of remote stations. Each packet has a source address and a destination address, and may contain other information such as flow-control information, forward error correction, and message data. The store-and-forward subsystem stores and forwards one or more packets to and/or from the remote station. The store-and-forward subsystem stores and forwards the one or more packets to and from another node in the plurality of nodes.
A node transmitter communicates with a node receiver located at a different node from the transmitting node.
The flow-control subsystem in the distributed network controls the store-and-forward subsystem, to store each packet arriving at the spread-spectrum transceiver. The flow-control subsystem communicates traffic information between each of the nodes in the plurality of nodes. The traffic information typically includes traffic density at each of the nodes and node-memory availability. Using the traffic information, and in response to a packet having the destination address to the hub node, the flow-control subsystem routes the packet through appropriate nodes to the hub node or, in the case of a xe2x80x9clocal callxe2x80x9d, to the remote user directly. A xe2x80x9clocal callxe2x80x9d is defined as a call between remote stations located within (i.e., accessing) the same distributed network. For the local call, the central office connection is not required.
Based on the traffic at each node, and each packet having a destination address to a remote station, the flow-control subsystem transmits the packet from a central office to an appropriate hub node to an appropriate node, and routes the packet to the next recipient node. Each packet in a message may traverse a different route. In response to a plurality of packets having voice data, the flow-control subsystem routes the plurality of packets through the same path in the plurality of nodes to ensure that the plurality of packets arrive sequentially. The flow control procedure balances the activity in each node relative to other nodes in the distributed network.
When an information packet(s) arrives from a remote station, the node routes the packet(s) to an appropriate second recipient node on the way to an intended hub node and central office, toward the destination address.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention also may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Distributed network, spread-spectrum system


A hose handle system is a pump suction hose clamp or pipe clamp with a handle attached that a user can place on a suction hose or the like to lift and move the hose from one location to another. The hose handle system is designed for easy single handed operation and provides quick attachment and positive grip of the connection. The hose handle clamp assembly has a left clamp side that is hinged to a right clamp side, and the right clamp side is attached to a clamp main body. A clamp lock is pivotally attached to the left side of the clamp main body and is able to lock the left clamp side to the clamp main body thereby locking the clamp onto the hose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of handling devices and more specifically relates to a hose handling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fluids are being pumped through fluid transmission lines in nearly every industry in the modern world. These fluid pumping systems are widely diverse and in use on some scale from large industries all the way down modern family residences. The substance being pumped may be petroleum, water, or even a gas, and the fluid or gas transmission lines may be fixed or non-movable, but can be portable in some situations. As an example, petroleum trucking companies use portable, flexible hoses for moving the fluid from a transport vehicle to an underground tank at the end-point destination.
Many other industries use portable pumps, which use portable, flexible hoses, to pump fluids from one location to another. The mining, construction, and environmental fields, to name a few, extensively use portable pumps having suction hoses that are heavy and bulky to handle. These portable pumps generally have semi-flexible suction hoses that can range in size from 1½ inches to 8 inches in diameter, and have to be maneuvered by hand. A 1½ or a 2 inch hose may not be considered heavy or strenuous to move by hand, but larger diameter hoses can be very cumbersome and exceedingly heavy to handle. This is especially true when the hose is filled, or partially filled, with water. Water weights 8.34 lbs. per gallon and the weight multiplies as the hose length increases. A 10 foot length of 4 inch suction hose could weigh between 5 and 15 pounds depending on the quality, but when full of water could weigh close to 70 pounds. A 6 inch suction hose can weigh close to 125 pounds when full. This 'carried weight' can easily lead to work place injury if not properly lifted and handled.
Suction hoses are generally in wet and muddy environments which makes them slippery, and much more difficult to lift and pull to a new location when relocation becomes necessary. Many methods have been employed to attempt to make the job easier, but often require attachment of a device that still requires lifting the hose from the mud by hand without a good grip, and more than a practical time limit to install the device and remove it again. When working with crews in industrial environments, extra time may not be an option. Taking extra time to install a lifting device on a hose can be viewed as an unnecessary time waster if it is possible to be lifted by hand. A solution that makes moving hoses or pipes without the added installation and removal time and which makes the lifting faster and easier is needed. It is desirable generally to have an efficient and comfortable means by which long cylindrical objects can be held and moved with relative ease to promote worker efficiency and safety.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pub. No. 7,730,588 to Claude Bernier, U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,317 to Mark C. Bird, U.S. Pat. No. 601,639 to Philip J. Doyle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,177 to George Ganung, U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,676 to Martin B. Harrison, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,834 to Richard J. Everding. This art is representative of carrying devices. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a hose gripping device should provide easy single-handed operation and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable hose handling system to avoid the above-mentioned problems.


A system for selectively attenuating light from a source of light, such as the sun, to a person's eyes in a vehicle. The system includes an electro-optical element (10) interposed between the source of light (16) and the person's eyes (14). The element (10) has pixels (18) that are operable to individually attenuate (38) light passing therethrough. A navigation system (28) determines a location and direction of travel of the vehicle. A memory (24) contains a general location for the person's eyes within the vehicle. Information (32) is made available for determining a position of the source of light. A controller (24) operates to determine those pixels of the elements that are calculated (38) to be between the person's eyes and the source of light, and to reduce the light transmittivity of those pixels (38) to attenuate the light from the source (16) to the person's eyes (14).

Vehicle operators are often exposed to intense light sources that can temporarily blind them while driving. Such light sources can include the sun during the day and oncoming headlights at night, for example. In addition, fixed sources of bright light, such as misdirected lighting at a factory and the like can also blind a driver. These intense light sources are a safety hazard by posing a distraction while driving. For example, the intense light may prevent drivers from seeing a possible hazard in their path. Moreover, an intense light will probably require drivers to adjust their sun visor to block the light source, which reduces their attention to their driving. Further, the sun visor itself will obstruct or lower a driver's visibility. In addition, there are many times when the sun visor, due to its mechanical limitations, is ineffective in blocking light when the light source is in areas not covered by the visor.
One solution is to provide tinting of the windshield and other glass of the vehicle. However, complete tinting of a windshield is illegal, and is also impractical at night. Moreover, the amount of tinting is limited by law, and therefore cannot provide sufficient protection from intense light sources such as the sun.
Another solution is to provide filtering, such as the use of a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen which can be used with cameras and sensors to detect the existence and position of a light source. This, along with the visual detection of a driver in the vehicle, is used to determine which portions of the LCD can be activated to block the driver's eyes from the light source. However, this solution has the disadvantage of being expensive, in that extra sensor and camera hardware is needed to not only detect the driver's (eye) position but also the light source position. Moreover, the system requires extensive computational complexity to track not only the driver position but also the light source position, and then to calculate their geometry in relation to the filter and the coordinates of the specific pixels of the filter to activate in order to block the light from the source to the driver.
Another solution is to provide spectacles that can block light. This solution has the same hardware problems of the previous case, and also requires even better tracking algorithms as the system must account for the movement of a driver's head. As a result, this system must track the light source, driver, and spectacles, making the real-time computational requirements even more severe. In addition, the wearing of these cumbersome spectacles would be a burden on the driver, making this solution impractical.
Another solution is to provide an automated mechanical visor system. However, not only does this system have the same problems as the sun visor described above, it also has the disadvantage of extreme hardware additions and modifications, not to mention the extensive control logic requirements. In addition, this system is prone to blockage of movement and mechanical breakdown.
Therefore, the need exists for a system and method to selective attenuate intense light sources that do not require additional sensors and cameras, and do not require the tracking of a driver's eyes or position. It would also be of benefit to provide such a system and method with a minimum amount of vehicle modifications, in order to reduce complexity, increase reliability and lower costs.


The present invention relates to a medical image processing device (10), comprising: —a receiving unit (60) for receiving a first and a second medical image (72, 74) of an anatomical object of interest (84), wherein each of the first and the second medical images (72, 74) comprises a different field of view of the anatomical object of interest (84), and wherein the first medical image and the second medical image (72, 74) show a same or similar anatomical state of the anatomical object of interest (84); —a registration unit (64) that is configured to determine a transformation from an image space of the second medical image (74) to an image space of the first medical image (72); —a transformation unit (66) that is configured to transform the second medical image (74) into the image space of the first medical image (72) based on said transformation in order to receive a transformed second medical image (74′); and —a segmentation unit (68) that is configured to perform an overall segmentation that makes use of both the first medical image (72) and the transformed second medical image (74′) without fusing the first medical image (72) and the transformed second medical image (74′), wherein one and the same segmentation model (92) is simultaneously adapted to both the first medical image (72) and the transformed second medical image (74′) by identifying a first set of feature points (80) of the anatomical object of interest (84) within the first medical image (72), by identifying a second set of feature points (82) of the anatomical object of interest (84) within the transformed second medical image (74′), and by adapting the segmentation model (92) to both the first and the second set of feature points (80, 82).

Medical imaging systems, such as e.g. 2D and 3D ultrasound imaging systems, are well-known. Especially 3D medical imaging has become essential to medical diagnosis practice. By providing concise and relevant information to radiologists and physicians, 3D medical imaging increases clinical productivity. While ultrasound imaging provides a plurality of advantages for the radiologists and physicians, a common problem in the field of ultrasound imaging is the limited field of view of the ultrasound imaging devices.
The limited field of view in ultrasound often does not allow the sonographer to image the complete anatomical object of interest. For example, in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) imaging applications and in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) imaging, in which the beating heart is imaged either in two- or three-dimensional form, the limited field of view of the ultrasound devices may be disadvantageous. In this case only a sub-structure of the heart can be imaged in one image frame with good image quality while other structures of the heart cannot be imaged adequately. Ultrasound images of the left side of the heart normally do not show the complete right side of the heart, and vice versa.
In order to quantify the complete heart, multiple acquisitions are thus required, each imaging and quantifying another specific sub-structure of the heart. Image segmentation can only cover these sub-structures, while the missing structures have to be at least partially extrapolated. For instance, in left ventricular centric images the left ventricular volume can be computed while the right ventricle is partially outside the field of view. In contrast thereto, in right ventricular centric images the right ventricular volume can be computed while the left ventricle is partially outside the field of view. Consequently, a quantification of the whole heart is prone to errors.
A similar problem arises in 3D fetal ultrasound applications when the fetus becomes too large to fit in one field of view.
Hence, a single segmentation of the complete anatomical object of interest would be desirable to provide more robust and consistent segmentation results.
Rajpoot, K. et al. present a method for fusing multiple 3D echocardiographic images in order to receive a fused image that contains the whole heart (Rajpoot, K. et al.: "The evaluation of single-view and multi-view fusion 3D echocardiography using image-driven segmentation and tracking", in Medical Image Analysis 15 (2011), pages 514-528). The technique proposes acquiring multiple single-view images and afterwards aligning these images using a standard multi-resolution rigid registration algorithm with normalized cross-correlation as the similarity measure. The first full volume acquired near the application position is used as the reference volume for the registration. Once the image correspondence has been established, the aligned images are combined together. Wavelet analysis technique is used to decompose each single-view image into its low- and high-frequency components. The fusion is then performed in the wavelet domain, treating the low- and high-frequency wavelet coefficients differently. The fused image may then be used for an overall segmentation of the heart.
While the above-mentioned technique provides the possibility to perform a single segmentation of an anatomical object of interest, such as the heart, that does not completely fit into a single field of view of an ultrasound cone beam, this technique still involves several drawbacks. One reason that leads to these drawbacks is that the segmentation is done on the fused image. When combining the images in a common coordinate system as presented by Rajpoot, K. et al., valuable information might get lost because of the introduction of smoothing artefacts and artificial edges at the stitching borders. Although these artefacts may help to increase the signal to noise ratio of the images, they also lead to problems, because tissue transitions from e.g. the blood pool to myocardium is smoothed out as well due to imperfections in the registration-based image alignments. The fusion of the images furthermore causes intensity discrepancies and may lead to artificial walls/edges that may distort the segmentation. The image fusion furthermore leads to unwanted smoothing effects.
Thus, there is still room for improvement.

Medical image processing device and method


According to various embodiments, two-print two-etch methods and devices are disclosed that can be used to form features, such as ghost features, on a substrate. The disclosed methods can be incorporated into, for example, altPSM, attPSM, and binary lithographic method for making semiconductor devices. a method of forming a semiconductor device is provided. The exemplary methods can include defining a plurality of first features and at least one ghost feature on a photosensitive layer by exposing a first mask to a light, wherein the first mask comprises a plurality of phase shift areas that change a phase of the light. A portion of a layer disposed under the photosensitive layer can be removed by etching to form the plurality of first features and the at least one ghost feature. One or more structures not requiring phase shifting can then be defined on the photosensitive layer by exposing a second mask to the light, wherein the second mask removes the at least one ghost feature. A second portion of the layer disposed under the photosensitive layer can then be removed by etching to form one or more structures not requiring phase shifting, wherein the second portion includes the at least one ghost feature.

Lithographic projection apparatus (tools) can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). When using the various tools, a mask can be used that contains a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern, usually having many designs, can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g., comprising one or more dies) on a substrate, such as a silicon or other wafer comprising a semiconductor, that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material, such as a resist. In general, a single wafer may contain a network of adjacent target portions that can be successively irradiated using a projection system of the tool, one at a time.
One of the goals in IC fabrication is to faithfully reproduce the original circuit design on the wafer using the mask. Another goal is to use as much of the wafer real estate as possible. As the size of an IC is reduced and its density increases, however, the critical dimension (CD) of its corresponding mask approaches the resolution limit of the optical exposure tool. The resolution for an exposure tool can be defined as the minimum feature sizes that the exposure tool can repeatedly expose on the wafer. The resolution value of present exposure tools often constrains the CD for many advanced IC designs.
To achieve these goals, techniques utilizing resolution-enhanced optical lithography technology ("RET") have become popular as techniques for providing patterns with sub-wavelength resolution. These methods include alternating phase-shifting mask ("altPSM") lithography, attenuated phase-shifting mask ("attPSM") lithography, and binary lithography. In altPSM, for example, opposite phases of light are shed on two sides of a critical feature such that the destructive interference between the opposite light phases can make the printed shape sharper. Generally, the critical features are imaged using a phase shift photomask and the non-critical and trim features are imaged in a second exposure using a conventional chrome-on-glass mask, such as a structure or trim photomask. In this process, a mask, or "reticle", includes a semiconductor circuit layout pattern typically formed of opaque chrome, on a transparent glass (typically SiO2) substrate. A stepper includes a light source and optics/lenses that project light coming through the reticle and images the circuit pattern, typically with a 4× to 5× reduction factor, on a photo-resist film formed on a silicon wafer. The term "chrome" refers to an opaque masking material that is typically but not always comprised of chrome.
Further, transistor matching requirements for advanced technology nodes, such as less than 1.0 μm, require exquisite CD control, beyond the capability of current lithography and etch tools and processes. An important component of variation is matching between gates in the interior of an array of active gates, e.g., over the same active region, and those on the end of the array. For example, for the 45 nm technology node, the CD variation for the end gates in an array of gates can be a factor of 2 to 3 times larger than that of the interior active gates of the array.
For example, FIG. 1A shows a conventional gate array 100 having end gates 110a and 110b and interior gates 120a, 120b, and 120c formed on substrate 130. Conventional gate array 100 is formed using a conventional lithography process, such as altPSM, attPSM, or binary lithography. One problem is that end gates 110a and 110b can have two to three times more variation in size than internal gates 120a, 120b, and 120c. As shown in FIG. 1A, the conventional processes can form end gates that can vary in size from, for example, 110a and 110b that are similar in size to interior gates 120a-c to 110a′ and 110b′ that are 2 to 3 times larger than interior gates 120a-c. This size variation can affect transistor leakage and performance.
In some instances, dummy gates, such as dummy gates 110a and 110b shown in FIG. 1B, are formed on a substrate 130 adjacent to interior gates 120a and 120c, respectively, to aid the control and sizing of internal gates 120a-c. Problems arise in conventional processes because dummy gates remain on the wafer even after the device is complete. Dummy gates residing on the wafer are then processed in a similar way as active gates are processed. For example, sidewall spacers 112 are subsequently formed on the sides of the dummy gates 110a and 110b. Problems occur because the sidewall spacers on the dummy gates can increase or decrease stress (e.g., compressive and/or tensile) on the active interior gates thereby interfering with device performance. Further, the presence of the dummy gates can cause unwanted polysilicon capacitance. In addition, the dummy gates can be a source of defect problems, for example breaking over the gate oxide, during further processing. In an attempt to compensate for this interference, dummy gates must be formed far away from the active gates, as shown in FIG. 1B. As such, dummy gates are spaced at pitches significantly different than the pitch of active gates taking up valuable real estate on the chip.
Thus, there is a need to overcome these and other problems of the prior art to control the size of features formed on a substrate.

Two-print two-etch method for enhancement of CD control using ghost poly


The present invention provides a lens holder (14) for a lens under test (26) in an in-line hologram interferometric test apparatus (10) which includes a flat reflective surface (34) for rotationally positioning the lens under test (26) and a parabolic reflective surface (32) for translationally positioning the lens under test (26). According to this configuration, the lens holder (14) is translationally positioned using the parabolic reflective surface (32) to reflect radiation to a focal point (24) along the hologram (22). The hologram (22) returns the radiation to the parabolic reflective surface (32) which reflects it back to the interferometer (12) at a precise distance and position using normal interferometric techniques. The lens under test (26) is rotationally positioned by pivoting the lens holder (14), both in tip and in tilt, so that the flat reflective surface (34) is nulled to the interferometer (12). Thereafter, the lens holder (14) is correctly positioned relative to the hologram (22) and interferometer (12) so that when the lens under test (26) is seated on the lens holder (14), its aspherical shape can be tested.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to interferometric testing devices and, more particularly, to a holder for a lens under test in an in-line hologram interferometric test apparatus.
2. Discussion
In-line holographic testing employs a hologram interposed in space relation to an interferometer and a lens under test. The interferometer projects a beam of radiation through the hologram towards the lens under test. When the lens under test is correctly positioned with respect to the interferometer and hologram, a wavefront is reflected back through the hologram to the interferometer. The hologram influences the wavefront such that it is suitable for interference patterning by the interferometer. As such, any abnormalities or errors associated with the lens under test can be detected and analyzed by the interferometer's analysis system.
During this testing, it is critical to correctly position the lens under test with respect to the interferometer in order accurately and precisely reflect back the wavefront. The exact position for the lens under test is often dictated by the characteristics of the hologram itself. To properly locate to lens, translational positioning of the lens must be performed in the X, Y and Z planes and rotational positioning of the lens must be performed in tip (about a horizontal axis) and tilt (about a vertical axis).
According to the prior art, the lens under test is secured to a fixture which is initially positioned to the interferometer focus. The lens under test is then iterated to the desired position using slides, scales, and spacers. This technique requires a large degree of optician skill and experience to position the lens under test quickly and accurately. Furthermore, rotational positioning of the lens under test according to the prior art is achieved largely through trial and error. Moreover, in certain instances, no focal point is available for initial positioning.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for quickly and accurately positioning a lens under test relative to an interferometer and hologram in an in-line hologram interferometric test apparatus.

Interferometric self aligning fixture with parabolic and flat reflective surfaces


A toy arrow projectile for use with a toy projectile launching assembly is disclosed. The toy arrow projectile includes a shaft including a front end and a tail end, a pair of hook elements extending outwardly from the front end, a safety-tipped toy arrowhead attached to the front end, and arcuate fletching attached to the tail end. The pair of hook elements are configured to engage launching elements of the toy projectile launching assembly to stretch the launching elements therewith. The fletching includes arcuate fins extending along the shaft towards the front end. The arcuate fins include curved surfaces that curve outwardly from the shaft and generate spin in the toy arrow projectile during flight. The fletching includes a cross-sectional diameter having a distance that is less than the distance between the launching elements to allow passage of the toy arrow projectile through the launching elements without obstruction thereby.

Conventional toy arrow projectiles include planar vane or fin structures, or fletching, that generally extend perpendicularly relative to the shaft or the head on which they are disposed, much like a real arrow. The fins can extend along a linear or non-linear path up the longitudinally length of the shaft to form differing aerodynamic properties. Indeed, conventional vanes are either straight, i.e., straight on the arrow shaft, offset, i.e., straight on arrow shaft, but turned (offset) so they extend slight diagonally from the front to the back, or helical, i.e., curving slightly as they extend along the shaft. Moreover, fletching can include different sizes, i.e., lengths or heights, to form certain aerodynamic attributes. In terms of the aerodynamics of an arrow, generally, the more the fletching causes the arrow to spin during flight the more stable, or accurate, the arrow is over longer distances.
In real bow and arrow systems, the arrow does not typically pass through an enclosed structure, rather the bow string is pulled back behind the arrow with the arrow's nock and launched through an open space on a side of the bow. Thus, generally, there is no concern that the fletching will obstruct the launch of the arrow by striking an object it is passing through.
However, in certain toy bow and arrow systems at least a portion of the toy arrow projectiles, usually the shaft, pass through an opening formed by a pair of elastic launching elements that in concert launch the toy projectile. As such, toy arrow fletching that is smaller than the opening is required so as to prevent obstruction by the launching elements.
Accordingly, there is a need for a toy arrow projectile including fletching that is able to pass through the opening of the launching elements without interference thereby, while still providing adequate flight stability of the toy projectile.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.


Transgenic plants that have, stably integrated into their nuclear genome, a maintainer gene comprising a fertility-restorer gene and a pollen-lethality gene. The plants can be used to maintain a homogenous population of male-sterile plants.

In many, if not most, plant species, the development of hybrid cultivars is highly desired because of their generally increased productivity due to heterosis: the superior performance of hybrid individuals compared with their parents (see, e.g., Fehr (1987) "Principles of Cultivar Development, Volume 1: Theory and Technique", MacMillan Publishing Company, New York; Allard (1960) "Principles of Plant Breeding", John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York).
The development of hybrid cultivars of various plant species depends upon the capability to achieve almost complete cross-pollination between parents. This is most simply achieved by rendering one of the parent lines male-sterile (i.e., with pollen being absent or nonfunctional); for example, by manually removing the one parent's anthers or by providing the one parent with naturally occurring cytoplasmic or nuclear genes that prevent anther and/or pollen development and/or function, using classical breeding techniques (for a review of the genetics of male-sterility in plants, see Kaul (1988) "Male Sterility in Higher Plants", Springer Verlag, New York).
For hybrid plants where the seed is the harvested product (e.g., corn and oilseed rape), it is, in most cases, also necessary to ensure that fertility of the hybrid plants is fully restored. In plants in which the male-sterility is under genetic control, this requires the use of genes that can restore male-fertility. Hence, the development of hybrid cultivars is mainly dependent on the availability of suitable and effective sterility and restorer genes.
Endogenous nuclear loci are known for most plant species that contain genotypes which effect male-sterility, and generally, such loci need to be homozygous for particular recessive alleles in order to result in a male-sterile phenotype. The presence of a dominant male-fertile allele at such loci results in male-fertility.
Recently, it has been shown that male-sterility can be induced in a plant by providing the plant with a nuclear male-sterility genotype that includes a chimaeric male-sterility gene comprising a DNA sequence (or male-sterility DNA) coding, for example, for a cytotoxic product (such as an RNase) and under the control of a promoter which is predominantly active in selected tissue of the plant's male reproductive organs. In this regard, tapetum-specific promoters, such as the promoter of the TA29 gene of Nicotiana tabacum, have been shown to be particularly useful for this purpose (Mariani et al (1990) Nature 347:737; European patent publication ("EP") 0,344,029). By providing the nuclear genome of the plant with such a male-sterility gene, an artificial nuclear male-sterility locus is created containing the artificial male-sterility genotype that results in a male-sterile plant.
In addition, it has been recently shown that male-fertility can be restored to such a nuclear male-sterile plant with a chimaeric fertility-restorer gene comprising another DNA sequence (or fertility-restorer DNA) that codes, for example, for a protein that inhibits the activity of the cytotoxic product or otherwise prevents the cytotoxic product from being active at least in the selected tissue of the plant's male reproductive organs (EP 0,412,911). For example, the barnase gene of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens codes for an RNase (Barnase) which can be inhibited by a protein (Barstar) that is encoded by the barstar gene of B. amyloliquefaciens. Hence, the barnase gene can be used for the construction of a chimaeric male-sterility gene while the barstar gene can be used for the construction of a chimaeric fertility-restorer gene. Experiments in different plant species (e.g., oilseed rape) have shown that such a chimaeric barstar gene can fully restore the male-fertility of male-sterile lines in which the male-sterility was due to the presence of a chimaeric barnase gene (EP 0,412,911: Mariani et al (1991) Proceedings of the CCIRC Rapeseed Congress, Jul. 9-11, 1991 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Mariani et al (1992) Nature 357:384). By coupling a marker gene, such as a dominant herbicide resistance gene (for example, the bar gene coding for phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) that converts herbicidal phosphinothricin to a non-toxic compound [De Block et al (1987) EMBO J. 6:2513]), to the chimaeric male-sterility and/or fertility restorer gene, breeding systems can be implemented to select for uniform populations of male-sterile plants (EP 0,344,029; EP 0,412,911).
The production of hybrid seed of any particular cultivar of a plant species requires the: 1) maintenance of small quantities of pure seed of each inbred parent; and 2) the preparation of larger quantities of seed of each inbred parent. Such larger quantities of seed would normally be obtained by several (usually two) seed-multiplication rounds, starting from a small quantity of pure seed ("basic seed") and leading, in each multiplication round, to a larger quantity of seed of the inbred parent and finally to a stock of seed of the inbred parent ("parent seed" or "foundation seed") which is of sufficient quantity to be planted to produce the desired quantities of hybrid seed. Of course, in each seed-multiplication round, larger planting areas (fields) are required.
In order to maintain and enlarge a small stock of seeds of male-sterile plants, it has been necessary to cross the parent male-sterile plants with normal pollen-producing parent plants. The offspring of such a cross will, in all cases, be a mixture of male-sterile and male-fertile plants, and the latter have to be removed from the former. With male-sterile plants containing an artificial male-sterility locus as described above, such removal can be facilitated by genetically linking the chimaeric male-sterility gene to a suitable marker gene, such as the bar gene, which allows the easy identification and removal of the male-fertile plants. EP 0,198,288 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,219, by comparison, describe methods for linking such marker genes (which can be visible markers or dominant conditional markers) to endogenous nuclear loci containing male-sterility genotypes.
However, even when suitable marker genes are linked to male-sterility genotypes, the maintenance of parent male-sterile plants still requires the removal from the field of a substantial number of plants. For instance, in systems using a herbicide resistance gene (e.g., the bar gene) linked to a chimaeric male-sterility gene, only half of the parent stock will result in male-sterile plants, thus requiring the removal of the male-fertile plants by herbicide spraying prior to flowering. In any given field, the removal of male-fertile plants effectively reduces the potential yield of hybrid seed or the potential yield of male-sterile plants during each round of seed multiplication for producing of parent seed. This is economically unattractive for many important crop species such as corn and oilseed rape. In order to minimize the number of male-fertile plants which have to be removed, male-fertile maintainer plants have been sought which, when crossed with a male-sterile parent plant, produce a minimum, preferably no, male-fertile offspring, thereby minimizing or avoiding altogether the need to remove such male-fertile offspring. To solve an analogous problem, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,710,511 and 3,861,079 have described procedures for producing and maintaining a homogenous population of male-sterile plants by using specific chromosomal abnormalities that are differentially transmitted to the egg and the sperm in the plants.


Novel xanthine compounds represented by the following formula: ##STR1## wherein each of X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 independently represents oxygen or sulfur; and Q represents; ##STR2## where ----- represents a single bond or a double bond; Y represents a single bond or alkylene, n represents 0 or 1, each of W.sup.1 and W.sup.2 independently represents hydrogen, lower alkyl or amino, Z represents --CH.sub.2 -, --O--, --S-- or --NH--; represents ##STR3## each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, allyl or propargyl; and R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or lower alkyl, and when Q represents the groups other than ##STR4## each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently represents hydrogen or lower alkyl;. provided that when Q is ##STR5## then R.sup.1 R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are not. simultaneously methyl; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof have a diuretic effect, a renal-protecting effect and a bronchodilatory effect.

The present invention relates to novel xanthine compounds having a diuretic effect, a renal-protecting effect and a bronchodilatory effect.
Heretofore, theophylline, i.e., 1,3-dimethylxanthine has been known as a diuretic, a vasodilator, etc. [The Merck Index, 10th edition, 9110 (1983)].
Xanthine compounds carrying, at the 8-position thereof, substituents such as alkyl, alicyclic alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, etc. have a diuretic effect, as disclosed in East German Patent No. 31,772 [Chem. Abst., 63, 18120d (1965)]and West German Patent No. 1,245,969 [Chem. Abst., 67, 90994n (1967)].
In relation to the compounds of the present invention, 8-(1-adamantyl)-1,3,7-trimethylxanthine is described in Tetrahedron Lett., 27, 6337 (1986). However, nothing is mentioned on its pharmacological effect. Further, 8-(1-adamantyl)-1,3-dipropylxanthine having an activity of antagonizing adenosine A.sub.1 receptor is described in J. Med. Chem., 33, 1906 (1990).
The object of the present invention is to provide novel xanthine compounds exhibiting strong diuretic and renal-protecting effect, based on the finding that xanthine compounds which are adenosine receptor antagonists, particularly those having an activity of selectively antagonizing adenosine Al receptor, have strong diuretic and renal-protecting effect.


A process is disclosed for printing a document such as a negotiable instrument in a first and a second color for increasing the security of the document. A major portion of the document is printed with a first information in a first color from a first printer. A second information is created from at least a portion of the first information for proving a security pattern. The security pattern is printed over a minor portion of the document in the second color from a second printer to increase the security of the document. The process may be used for printing a check in a magnetically readable first color and a non-magnetically readable second color including colors having a color spectrum located outside of the color spectrum range of a conventional color photocopier.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the process of printing and more particularly to an improved process for printing a document such as a negotiable instrument in a first color and a second color for enhancing the security of the document.
2. Background of the Invention
The fraudulent use of monetary instruments such as checks, drafts, bonds and the like has presented a significant problem to both the financial community and the general population. Currently, the annual estimated cost of check fraud is between $10 and $20 billion dollars. There are two primary forms of check fraud. The first is counterfeiting, which is the unauthorized photocopying or other reproduction of an otherwise valid check. The second is alteration, which is the reliance on an otherwise valid check and the attempts either through chemical or mechanical means to alter an item on the otherwise valid check. The difference between these two forms of check fraud are important, since the identification and preventive measures utilized to combat one form of fraud may not effectively address the other form.
Through the years, many devices have been developed to prevent check fraud. However, as technology has progressed, so has the sophistication of the perpetrators of check frauds, thereby requiring more sophisticated prevention methods. The advent of powerful personal computers, copy machines, color copiers, scanners and printers has enabled the production of high quality counterfeit monetary instruments. Some attempts to deter the proliferation of fraudulent checks are addressed by the following inventions.
U.S. Pat. No. 592,533 to Rogers et al. discloses an invention comprising a check marking device. The object of the device is to provide a new and simple means for impressing upon the paper of checks, drafts, or similar documents in non-erasable characters the values of the documents. The present invention raises and breaks the fiber of the paper similarly to that of high embossing, while not necessarily puncturing or perforating the paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,605 to Moore discloses an invention relating to negotiable instrument safety paper. The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a safety paper for checks, promissory notes, drafts, bonds and the like upon which is provided a novel arrangement of ink-bearing surfaces which make alterations or changes in such instruments, after they have been finally drafted, difficult if not impossible to perform without showing that the paper has been tampered with or altered in some manner from its original form.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,821 to Misuraca teaches an invention relating to check protecting means and more particularly to an inexpensive and reliable form thereof. An object of the present invention is to provide a check protecting stamp which will impose a design over the space on a check containing the name of the payee and the amount so that any attempt to change either the name or the amount will so deface the check as to make it impossible to avoid evidence of such tampering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,774 to Tonges et al. teaches a document with a background printed thereon which includes a first portion formed of small dots and a second portion formed of larger dots. The larger dots are of a size that is reproduced by a copying machine. The small dots are of a size that is not reproduced by the copying machine. When a copy is made, only the larger dots reproduce so that the copy is readily distinguishable from the original.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,943 to Lee discloses a sheet element, such as a banknote or other document of intrinsic value, incorporating an optical authenticating device comprising a thin film element in the form of a strip, or thread disposed within the thickness of the sheet element and having known characteristics of spectral reflectance and transmittance. A region of a least part of the thin film element the sheet element is formed with a pair of superposed windows between which the thin film element extends so as to be visible through each window.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,225 to Kuehnle et al. teaches an opaque reflective print copy produced by transferring via heat and pressure, an electrophotographically formed toner image to a presoftened transparent thermoplastic thin layer carried bonded to an opaque substrate. The print is formed of at least one generally planar toner image layer embedded in the plastic layer near the outer surface thereof. The light illuminating the print enters the thin layer and is reflected from the interface between the layer and the substrate, passing through the toner particles as well as being reflected from the toner particles themselves, whereby to provide an image having greater depth intensity and contrast than can be obtained using silver halide photographic film, all without distortion of the image, loss in density or loss in resolution. The substrate may have smooth or roughened surface, and may be selected from plain or coated paper, metal, stone, stretchable and/or inflatable media as well as irregularly shaped objects. Successive toner images may be applied superimposed one on the other in layers and in registry by softening the thermoplastic layer after transfer thereto of one toner image and applying the next toner image thereto. The intermediate heating embeds the toner image and readies the receptor to receive the next toner image.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,348 to Mowry, Jr. discloses a document protected against alteration comprising a sheet of paper having, on its face, an area in which numerals representing a sum of money to be paid on the document are printed. The area has a left end and a right end, and the entire length of the area, from the left end to the right end, is filled with printing so that unauthorized insertions cannot be made in the area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,753 to Chock teaches a bank draft form incorporating a hologram as an anti-counterfeit measure. The hologram may extend over a substantial portion of the bank draft form, including the signature entry area and other data entry areas of the form, e.g. the date, payee, and amount areas. The hologram includes an outer layer of a transparent layer of ink compatible material over such areas. The transparent layer of ink compatible material allows the drawer to affix his or her signature within the signature entry area and to enter the various terms of the draft, e.g. the date, amount, payee etc. Writing upon the ink compatible surface of the hologram partially occults the hologram underneath such writing and may cause the embossed surface of the hologram to become etched. The partial effacing of the hologram increases the difficulty of its duplication by a counterfeiter. If the hologram extends over portions of the bank draft form other than the signature entry area and the data entry areas, selected portions of the hologram outside such areas may have a transparent layer of ink incompatible material. A transparent layer of ink incompatible material may serve to protect such areas of the hologram from fingerprints, accidental marking, etching, and the like. Optionally, after the holographic bank draft form is completed and executed, the holographic portion may then be covered with a protective laminate so as to prevent its alteration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,644 to Merry et al. discloses a security-printing device comprising a substrate; a toner image adhered to the substrate; and a layer of an optically variable material adhered solely to the toner image. The optically variable material is selected to provide a distinct visual appearance and is not readily reproducible or readily available in the general market-place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,243 to Heckman et al. teaches a system for printing security documents which have copy detection or tamper resistance in plural colors with a single pass electronic printer printing an integrated image controlled by an image generation system which electronically generates a safety background image pattern with first and second interposed color patterns which are electronically merged with alphanumeric information and a protected signature into an integrated electronic image for the printer. The single pass printer preferably has an imaging surface upon which two latent images thereof are interposed, developed with two differently colored developer materials, and simultaneously transferred to the substrate in a single pass. The color patterns are preferably oppositely varying density patterns of electronically generated pixel dot images with varying spaces therebetween. Preferably a portion of the alphanumeric information is formed by a special secure font, such as a low density shadow copy. The validating signature also preferably has two intermixed color halftone patterns with halftone density gradients varying across the signature in opposite directions, but differently from the background. Also electronically superimposed in the safety background pattern may be substantially invisible latent image pixel patterns which becomes visible when copied, and/or are machine readable even in copies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,418 to Blend teaches a security paper having a number of parallel lines having a substantially uniform first spacing, irregularly interrupted by a plurality of stripes having a second spacing greater than the first spacing, flexographically printed on at least one face of a web which becomes, after further processing, a security document such as a bank check. The parallel lines typically are substantially straight and of substantially uniform thickness and formed of flexo ink, such as the type which becomes invisible when bleached. Alphanumeric indicia are preferably provided within the stripes either oriented parallel to the parallel lines (and alternately extending from top to bottom, and bottom to top), or perpendicular to the parallel lines. A pattern is provided that repeats at an interval significantly greater than the length of the security document formed from the security paper. At least one of the faces of the security document, typically the face opposite that having the parallel lines, has readable alphanumeric indicia appropriate for a security document imaged on it. The web on which the flexographic printing and imaging takes place is ultimately cut into individual security documents or sets of security documents, with the interval of a security pattern about 15–17 inches, and the length of the security document about 5.5–12 inches. The web may be taken up and shipped to another location after flexographic printing and tensioning to stretch the pattern, prior to imaging of the security document indicia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,290 to Diamond teaches a method and apparatus for enhancing the security of a check or negotiable document and deterring the generation of copies of the check or negotiable document. The signature area of a document is imprinted with a pantographic background design different from a pantographic background design covering the remainder of the face of a check. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the signature area. The endorsement area of a document is also imprinted with a pantographic background design. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the endorsement area. The endorsement area background may further include a representation of the watermark certification seal to aid an individual in more quickly determining whether the proper watermark seal exist on the check or negotiable document.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,508 Diamond discloses to a method and apparatus for enhancing the security of a check or negotiable document and deterring the generation of copies of the check or negotiable document. The signature area of a document is imprinted with a pantographic background design different from a pantographic background design covering the remainder of the face of a check. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the signature area. The endorsement area of a document is also imprinted with a pantographic background design. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the endorsement area. The endorsement area background may further include a representation of the watermark certification seal to aid an individual in more quickly determining whether the proper watermark seal exist on the check or negotiable document.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,183 to Diamond discloses a method and apparatus for enhancing the security of a check or negotiable document and deterring the generation of copies of the check or negotiable document. The signature area of a document is imprinted with a pantograph background design different from a pantograph background design covering the remainder of the face of a check. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the signature area. The endorsement area of a document is also imprinted with a pantograph background design. A warning clause describes the color and/or background of the endorsement area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,378 to Phillips teaches a pattern of fine slits formed in the material of document where sensitive information is intended to be printed or imprinted wherein the slit pattern modifies the tensile strength of the substrate. In addition, the slit pattern modifies the toner or ink permeability of a substrate to facilitate the penetration of the toner or ink printed or imprinted on the surface of document into the substrate. Further, the design of the slit pattern can be coordinated with a latent image pattern to comprise optical properties such that the physical response of a typical duplicating or photocopy device to the validation mark will allow a copy to be easily discerned from an original.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,353 to Diamond discloses a negotiable document includes enhanced security for deterring the fraudulent photocopying of the subject negotiable document. A first pantographic design is imprinted as the general background of the front face of a check and a second pantographic background design is imprinted in the amount line and in the signature line. The enhanced security document of the present invention further includes a muted warning phrase of a first dot size incorporated in the first pantographic design and a muted warning phrase of a second dot size incorporated in the second pantographic background design. Alternatively, it will be understood that a similar warning phrase may be generated with a different first and second size dot density or line density instead of a first dot size and a second dot size. By using a plurality of line densities, or dot densities, or dot sizes for the warning phrases, an unauthorized individual will be unable to adjust a photocopier to mask a single warning phrase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,576 to Lambert teaches a document that resists copying by ordinary color copiers and color scanners. An area that is printed with color dots using a gradient print screen that exceeds resolutions available on commonly available color copiers and color scanners. The area may therefore comprise lighter regions (having fewer screen lines per inch) and darker regions (having more screen lines per inch). Multiple colors may be printed with different gradient print screens, and regions which are darker or lighter for a first color may or may not be darker or lighter for a second color. The document may also comprise a second area that is printed with a moire pattern. The moire pattern may be generated by adjusting an angle between a pair of print screens, such as a pair of gradient print screens. A set of colors for printing may avoid common printing ink colors, may prefer yellow, light green, or light blue, and may avoid red, purple, or violet, to raise the difficulty in copying by color copiers or color scanners. A top layer of the area may be covered with a layer of matte varnish or transparent white ink.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,996 to Thorpe discloses a system for single-pass printing of a tamper-resistant, electronic form character on a print media sheet. The system includes a printing subsystem and a character generation subsystem communicating with the printing subsystem. The character generation subsystem includes (1) a database for storing a plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters, each of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters including an electronic form character overlaying a security background, and (2) a character manager for retrieving a selected one of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters from the database in response to an instruction provided by the printing subsystem to the character manager, the selected one of the plurality of tamper-resistant, composite electronic form characters being transmitted to the printing subsystem for single-pass printing thereof on the print media sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,583 to Cobben et al. discloses a carrier representing value provided with recognizable pattern, for instance in the form of giro checks, bankchecks, banknotes, shares, bonds and other documents representing a value, wherein the patterns are formed by parts treated by means of a laser beam. This object is reached in that the patterns have been provided by means of a laser light beam. The use of a laser beam makes it possible to apply particularly fine structures which either cannot be applied with other treating methods, or only with the greatest financial effort. The use of laser beams enables variation of the width or depth of the channels or perforations which is almost impossible with other treating methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,364 to Diamond teaches a negotiable document including enhanced security for deterring the fraudulent photocopying of the subject negotiable document. The present invention includes at least one true fourdrinier watermark and/or at least one artificial watermark comprising a fingerprint and a visually perceptible watermark representation for comparison with the watermark to determine the validity of the negotiable document. The visually perceptible representation is printed with thermochromatic ink. When the visually perceptible representation is rubbed with a live human hand, heat is transferred to the thermochromatic ink. The visually perceptible representation will fade and disappear as the ink is heated by the rubbing action and heat of the hand. The negotiable document further includes a warning clause notifying the user of the disappearing properties of the visually perceptible representation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,610 to Greene discloses a security system for a document utilizing a plurality of fluorescent snippets on the document with other encryption data printed thereon with visible and invisible ink that becomes bright when subjected to certain light. The system combines visible and invisible data that is encrypted, totaled and when subjected to a algorithm will match a selected component of the data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,340 to Sandru teaches an apparatus and method for enhancing the security of selected information associated with a negotiable document, such as the monetary value of a check. In the invention, one or more security features are printed or applied onto the check. One such security feature is an encrypted control code. The preferred embodiment employs a secret key cryptographic scheme to encrypt the monetary value and thereby generate a first control code which is printed on tile check. When the check is presented for payment, a validator, such as bank or check clearing house, employs a verification system having a copy of the encryption key to read the monetary value from the check and re-encrypt it according to the scheme to generate a second control code. The check is not honoured if the first and second control codes are not identical. Another security feature is a security image, composed, for instance, from a foreground image of the monetary value superimposed over a background motif image. The security image has a number of hidden attributes, such as the relative aspect ratios, absolute and relative dimensions of the underlying foreground and background images, that are preselected and used when printing the security image. When the check is presented for payment a teller can visually inspect the security image for compliance with certain of the preselected attributes. The preferred validation system can also electronically scan the security image for the hidden attributes. This comparison makes it difficult for a forger to copy, for instance, the monetary value of the check and add a significant digit to it because some of the foregoing preselected image attributes are liable to change and be detected. The composite image serves as a back-up security when verification of the encrypted control code is not possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,601 to Greene teaches a security system for a document utilizing a plurality of fluorescent snippets on the document with other encryption data printed thereon with visible and invisible inks that becomes bright when subjected to certain light. The system combines visible and invisible data that is encrypted, totaled and when subjected to an algorithm will match a selected component of the data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,549,624 to Sandru teaches an apparatus and method for enhancing the security of selected information associated with a negotiable document, such as the monetary value of a check. In the invention, one or more security features are printed or applied onto the check. One such security feature is an encrypted control code. The preferred embodiment employs a secret key cryptographic scheme to encrypt the monetary value and thereby generate a first control code which is printed on the check. When the check is presented for payment, a validator, such as bank or check clearing house, employs a verification system having a copy of the encryption key to read the monetary value from the check and re-encrypt it according to the scheme to generate a second control code. The check is not honored if the first and second control codes are not identical. Another security feature is a security image, composed, for instance, from a foreground image of the monetary value superimposed over a background motif image. The security image has a number of hidden attributes, such as the relative aspect ratios, absolute and relative dimensions of the underlying foreground and background images, that are preselected and used when printing the security image. When the check is presented for payment a teller can visually inspect the security image for compliance with certain of the preselected attributes. The preferred validation system can also electronically scan the security image for the hidden attributes.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a process of printing a document in a first color and a second color that provides a significant advancement in the document security art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of printing a document in a first color and a second color that for increasing the security of the document by making the document more tamper evident.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of printing a document in a first color and a second color that is useful for increasing the security of negotiable instruments such as checks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of printing a document in a first color and a second color that provides highly secure documents with the use of existing printing devices for with little or no modification.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of printing a document in a first color and a second color that provides highly secure documents with the use of conventional paper.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


This disclosure relates to field-effect-transistor (FET) multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures and methods for fabricating them. One of these FET multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures enables decoding of an array of tightly pitched conductive structures. Another enables efficient decoding of various types of conductive-structure arrays, tightly pitched or otherwise. Also, processes for forming FET multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures are disclosed that use alignment-independent processing steps. One of these processes uses one, low-accuracy imprinting step and further alignment-independent processing steps.

Electrical communication in and out of an array of tightly pitched wires can be difficult. It can be difficult because aligning an electrical bond pad to each wire without accidentally connecting to an adjacent wire can require a machine capable of high accuracy.
One structure for electrically connecting to wires of an array is called a multiplexing/demultiplexing architecture (a "mux/demux architecture"). The mux/demux architecture does not need an electrical bond pad to be connected or aligned with each wire of an array. Instead, one bond pad is typically connected to all of the wires of the array.
This one bond pad, however, does not allow communication with each wire of the array individually. To differentiate between wires, an address element, such as a transistor, can be contacted with each of the wires. For a 16-wire array, for instance, four transistors can be contacted with each wire. By selectively turning the transistors on and off, only one of the 16 wires can be permitted to communicate with the one bond pad. Manufacturing this mux/demux architecture is typically less expensive and more reliable than connecting a bond pad to each wire.
In FIG. 1, for instance, an array of wires 102 with a pitch 103 of about 1000 nanometers is electrically connected to one common node 104. A pitch is a distance between wires plus a width of one of those wires. Thus, a pitch of an array having wires that are one millimeter wide and spaced two millimeters apart is three millimeters. Wires 106 of the array 102 can be communicated with separately using a mux/demux architecture shown at numeral 108. This mux/demux 108 has four different address circuits 110, 112, 114, and 116, each of which communicates with a set of transistors 118 through two address lines. These address circuits can turn on or off the transistors 118 to which they are connected. By turning the transistors 118 on and off, only one of the wires 106 will have the same voltage as the voltage supply 120, while the rest of the wires 106 will have no voltage. Thus, only one of the wires 106 can be selected and therefore have the same voltage as the voltage supply 120.
For example, a third wire 122 can be selected if all four of the transistors 118 that are in contact with the third wire 122 are turned on. The transistors 118 of the third wire 122 are turned on by turning the address circuit 110 on, the circuit 112 on, the circuit 114 off, and the circuit 116 on. When on, the transistors 118 on the "Logical YES" side of each of the address circuits turn on and on the "Logical NOT" side turn off, and vice-versa. Address wires 124, 126, 128, and 130 are used to turn the address circuits 110, 112, 114, and 116 on or off, respectively.
One problem with this mux/demux architecture 108 is that it uses address elements (like transistors, diodes, and resistors) that typically need to be aligned with the wires during fabrication. Aligning these elements with the wires can be accomplished with typical processing machines if the wires of the array have a large enough pitch 103. For smaller pitches, however, the address elements of the mux/demux architecture 108 may not be alignable with wires of the array.
There is, therefore, a need for small-pitched devices and methods for addressing them electrically.
The same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features.

Field-effect-transistor multiplexing/demultiplexing architectures and methods of forming the same

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A garden power tool system comprises a lawn mower powered by a battery mounted on the mower and a plurality of electrically powered gardening implements such as a hedge trimmer and a string trimmer. The battery provides the electrical power for the garden implements when they are connected to the mower. The mower can be mounted on castor wheels. Ideally, the garden implements are releasably attachable via a connecting mechanism and an electric cable to the mower. The connecting mechanism provides electrical connection between the battery and the garden implements when attached and is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the garden implement when connected.

The present invention relates to garden implements and in particular to electrically powered garden implements.
Most household gardens comprise a number of different features such as trees, lawns, flower beds, bushes, rockeries, paths and patios. Therefore, a gardener requires a range of garden implements in order to assist him in the maintenance of the garden. The majority of these implements are powered, usually by an electrical motor. Such implements include hedge trimmers, blow vacs, string trimmers, chain saws, lawn mowers, reciprocating saws and edgers.
Electrically powered garden implements are either powered by a mains electricity supply or a battery.
Garden implements powered by a mains electricity supply have to be connected via a cable to the supply. This restricts the locations where the garden implements can be used to areas within reach of a power supply outlet which is determined by location of the power supply outlet and by the length of the cable.
Cable extensions can be added. However, this incurs additional costs.
Garden implements powered by a battery are not so restricted as to the locations where they can be used compared with mains powered tools. However, each tool requires a separate battery and separate charging system incurring the cost of a battery and charger for each tool. Furthermore, the battery is attached directly to the tool. This adds an additional burden to the user because, in addition to supporting the power tool itself, he has to support the battery. Large batteries used in such power tools can be heavy requiring the user to make a considerable exertion in order to support both the power tool and the battery.
The run of time of a power tool between the recharges of the battery is dependent on the size of the battery. However, the size of the battery has to be limited so that the user is able to both support and maneuver the power tool. Therefore, the run time between recharges is limited.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the above problems.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a garden power tool system comprises a lawn mower and one or more electrically powered gardening implements. The mower is powered by a battery mounted on the mower. The garden implements are electrically powered by being connectable to the mower such that the battery provides the electrical power for the garden implements.
By powering the garden implements from the battery of the mower, there is no need for the garden implement to be used near to an electrical power outlet. The mower can be easily wheeled to the required location so that the garden implement can be used wherever desired.
Because the battery is mounted on the lawn mower, which in turn is supported via wheels on the ground, the user does not have to support or maneuver the battery when using the gardening implement. Furthermore, as the weight of the battery is supported by the mower, it can be considerably larger than if it were supported by the user. Therefore, a far larger battery can be used, greatly increasing the run time of the gardening implement between recharges.
Furthermore, the mower can be used to support the weight of part of a connected garden implement, thus lightening the load which a user has to bear when using the garden implement.
Preferably the mower is mounted on castor wheels. The lawn mower can be made to be highly maneuverable over the surface of the ground by mounting it on castor wheels to allow it to travel in any direction both linear and rotational. Because the garden implements are connected to such a mower, the tool system can easily be moved around in any direction either with any garden implement connected to it, or by the garden implement itself.
Preferably, the garden implements are releasably attachable via a connecting mechanism to the mower, the connecting mechanism, providing electrical connection between the battery and garden implement when attached.
This allows the garden implements to be detached from the mower when not required.
Ideally, the connecting mechanism is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the garden implement when connected. This allows the mower to be maneuvered around by the garden implement without the garden implement becoming detached.
Certain garden implements can be attached directly to the mower for example a shredder. However, for other garden implements such as hand held implements it is advantageous that the garden implement is attached to the mower via an electric cable. This allows the garden implement to be used remotely from the mower. This is a particularly useful feature, as the garden implement can be used in places not easily accessible to the mower such as up a tree. Furthermore, the mower may be easily dragged around by the garden implement via the cable.
The electric cable may be flexible in length. Such cables can include cable coiled in a helical spring which is able to stretch when a force is applied to the cable.
The use of such a cable enables any excess length of cable between the mower and garden implement to be kept tidy and as such, it is less of a safety hazard.
The mower can comprise a handle which is releasably attachable to the mower. Alternatively or additionally, the mower can comprise a handle which is capable of being folded down onto the body of the mower. When the mower is being dragged around by a garden implement, the handle of the mower may get caught in bushes or ornaments. Therefore, when it is not being used to maneuver the mower, it is desirable to either remove it or fold it away. Many types of mower comprise a grass box for catching the grass cuttings. However, as the mower itself is not being used whilst a garden implement is being used, it is also preferable that the grass box is releasably attachable so that it can be removed to minimize the size of the mower.
Examples of such garden implements are a hedge trimmer, a shredder, a string trimmer, a chain saw, a shrubber, a weeder, a pruner and any other hand held electrically powered garden implement.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, a lawn mower, powered by a battery mounted on the mower, comprises a connecting mechanism in electrical connection with the battery which is capable of being connected to one or more gardening implements to enable the battery to power the garden implements when they are connected to the connection mechanism.
Ideally the connecting mechanism is sufficiently robust to enable the mower to be dragged around by the connecting mechanism.
The mower can comprise a handle and/or a grass box which is releasably attachable to the mower.

Lawn mower for providing power to a garden implement


A vacuum-powered film-applying mechanism for applying a flexible film to a workpiece includes a bracket, a suction member, and a rotating joint. The suction member is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and defines a peripheral surface and a plurality of suction chambers therein, and by virtue of a vacuum created in the interior of the suction member, a length of flexible film is attracted and adhered. The rotating joint on the bracket communicates with the plurality of the suction chamber, through the rotating joint, air is supplied and exhausted from the plurality of suction chambers progressively, on a one by one basis, to pick up and roll the flexible film onto itself, and by supplying air to the plurality of suction chambers one by one, unrolls and releases the flexible film onto the workpiece with a low incidence of trapping air bubbles.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a mechanism which apply labels or other materials to products, and more particularly, to a mechanism for sticking or adhering a film made of flexible materials to a workpiece.
2. Description of Related Art
In industry, a mechanism is employed to pick up a film made of flexible materials in strip shape, such as an adhesive tape, and to paste or adhere the flexible film to a workpiece. The mechanism includes a moving assembly and a pick-up member connected to the moving assembly. The pick-up member is in a plate shape with a negative pressure therein. When picking up the flexible film, the moving assembly moves the pick-up member to the flexible film, the pick-up member presses against the flexible film and picks it up. Then the moving assembly moves the pick-up member to the workpiece, the pick-up member releases the flexible film onto the workpiece and pastes or adheres the flexible film onto the workpiece entirely. However, air bubbles are often generated between the flexible film and the workpiece.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.


A method provides security to a computer network by selectively blocking network transmissions from selected IP addresses. The method includes the steps of: establishing a risk threshold whereby transmissions from IP addresses exceeding said risk threshold are selectively blocked; receiving a network transmission having an originating IP address and payload; analyzing the payload of said transmission and assigning a current risk rating to said IP address on the basis of said analysis; comparing the originating IP address of said transmission to a database of known IP addresses, each of said known IP addresses having a previous cumulative assigned risk rating, said previous cumulative assigned risk rating being based on at least one previous transmission from a known IP address; assigning a new cumulative risk rating to said originating IP address; logging the new cumulative risk rating for said originating IP address in said database of known IP addresses. The new cumulative risk rating is compared to said risk threshold and the transmission is blocked if said new cumulative risk rating exceeds said risk threshold.

Today, computer hackers employ many techniques and methods to invade computer networks, including the use of worms, exploits, viruses, and trojans. For the last few years the primary solution to these types of attacks has been the use of a firewall, which can be programmed with rules to detect potentially harmful transmissions. Firewalls, however, have been insufficient to protect computer networks from attack because no matter the size or complexity of a firewall, certain computer channels must be left open for authorized users to access Internet resources such as email and the world-wide web.
Because Firewalls have been insufficient to protect computer networks, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) were developed to detect attacks and inform the administrator of such attacks. IDSs, however, have been equally ineffective in stopping intrusions before they occur, because like Firewalls, they require human intervention. IDSs do not stop intrusions, and continuing intrusions are not stopped until the Administrator acts to intervene.
It would therefore be desirable to provide methods and an apparatus for blocking harmful transmissions automatically in real-time without the need for human intervention by a computer network administrator. It would also be desirable to provide methods and an apparatus to block, in real-time, transmissions from computer IP addresses that are the source of harmful transmissions. It would further be desirable for such a method and apparatus to combine several different types of analyses to detect and block harmful transmissions. Additional desirable features include a risk threshold that is programmable and/or which may be updated remotely and/or automatically; a database of signatures of harmful transmissions that contains up-to-date information concerning harmful payloads which may be updated remotely or automatically; a firewall for blocking harmful transmissions from certain IP address when it is determined that an attack is being made from a certain IP address, which is also pre-trained to block certain harmful transmissions as well as transmissions from certain IP addresses; a timer on the firewall to clear the harmful IP addresses after a determined time period; a system that can be used with an existing firewall; a system that can be used in a number of different configurations within an existing network to provide different types of security, such as security from outside attacks, security from internal attacks, and security from attacks made to an external network that originates from within the internal network.

Methods and apparatus for computer network security using intrusion detection and prevention


A method of subscription control for a first network control node in a mobile communication environment is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a trigger request message for triggering a mobile communication device from a machine-type communication (MTC) server, determining whether the trigger request message is valid according to whether one or more MTC features required by an application indicated in the trigger request message is subscribed or activated by the mobile communication device and is supported by a network control node of the mobile communication system, and accepting the trigger request message and forwarding the trigger request message to the network control node when the trigger request message is determined to be valid.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method utilized in a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a method of subscription control of Machine-Type Communication (MTC) in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machine-type communication (MTC) is one type of data communication including one or more entities not requiring human interactions. That is, the MTC refers to the concept of communication based on a network such as the existing GERAN, UMTS, long-term evolution (LTE), or the like used by a machine device instead of a mobile station (MS) used by a user. The machine device used in the MTC can be called an MTC device. There are various MTC devices such as a vending machine, a machine of measuring a water level at a dam, etc. That is, the MTC is widely applicable in various fields. The MTC device has features different from that of a typical MS. Therefore, a service optimized to the MTC may differ from a service optimized to human-to-human communication. In comparison with a current mobile network communication service, the MTC can be characterized as a different market scenario, data communication, less costs and efforts, a potentially great number of MSs for communication, wide service areas, low traffic per MS, etc.
Meanwhile, the number of MTC devices is expected to be much greater than the number of legacy devices, and a probability of performing operations of the plurality of MTC devices simultaneously is high due to a feature of atypical machine-to-machine (M2M) service. M2M communication (also referred to as "machine-type communications" or "MTC") may be used in a variety of areas. In the area of security, M2M communication may be used in surveillance systems, in backup of telephone landlines, in the control of physical accesses (e.g. to buildings), and in car/driver security. In the area of tracking and tracing, M2M communication may be used for fleet management, order management, Pay As You Drive (PAYD) applications, asset tracking, navigation, traffic information applications, road tolling, traffic optimization, and steering. In the area of payment systems, M2M communication may be used in point of sales, vending machines, customer loyalty applications, and gaming machines. In healthcare, M2M communication may be used for remotely monitoring vital signs, supporting the elderly or handicapped, in web access telemedicine points, and in remote diagnostics. In the area of remote maintenance/control, M2M communication may be used in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensors, lighting, pumps, valves, elevator control, vending machine control, and vehicle diagnostics. In the area of metering, M2M communication may be used in applications related to power, gas, water, heating, grid control, and industrial metering. Additionally, M2M communication based on machine type communication (MTC) technology may be used in areas such as customer service.
M2M communications may take advantage of deployed wireless networks based on Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-Advanced), and/or other technologies such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) or those developed by the Institute for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and 3GPP2. M2M communications may use networks based on these technologies to deliver business solutions in a cost-effective manner. In a circumstance involving ubiquitous deployment of wireless networks, the availability of the wireless networks may facilitate and/or encourage the deployment and use of M2M devices. Additionally, further enhancements to these technologies may provide additional opportunities for the deployment of M2M-based solutions.
To receive services, e.g. evolved packet system (EPS) services, the UE needs to register with the network. During a registration procedure, e.g. attach procedure, the UE may first send an "ATTACH REQUEST" message to a network entity (e.g. MME). The "ATTACH REQUEST" message includes an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), which is stored in a subscriber identity module (SIM) card inside the mobile device, e.g. UE.
According to 3GPP TR 23.888, when an MTC server wants to provide a specific MTC service to an MTC device, the MTC server initiates a device trigger procedure to the MTC device by sending a trigger request message with MTC features which may include essential MTC features mandatorily supported by the network. After the MTC server successfully triggers the MTC device and clears the trigger event, the MTC device initiates a subscription control procedure with a serving mobility management entity (MME)/serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a home subscriber server (HSS)/home location register (HLR).
However, in the device trigger procedure, the prior art faces some issues due to lack of subscription control for the required MTC features. First, the device trigger procedure lacks of subscription control in the HSS/HLR, which causes the MTC server trigger the target MTC device successfully but the MTC device be unable to start the service later on due to mismatched MTC features in the MTC subscription. Second, when the MTC server triggers the MTC device successfully and the MTC device requests for the triggered service to the serving MME/SGSN, the serving MME/SGSN may reject the requests due to lack of capability for required essential MTC features of the triggering service. Last, if the MTC subscription of the MTC device does not contain required MTC features for the triggering service, the MTC device would get rejection from the serving MME/SGSN and have to quit the triggering service. Such issues result in meaningless signaling overheads and wastes network and radio resources.

Method of subscription control in a mobile communication system