A nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a nonaqueous solvent, wherein the nonaqueous electrolytic solution contains at least one kind of an isocyanate compound having an ester structure represented by the following general formula (I):

In recent years, an energy storage device, particularly a lithium secondary battery is widely used for a small-sized electronic equipment such as a cellular phone and a laptop computer, an electric vehicle or storage of the electric power. These electronic equipments, vehicle or storage of the electric power is likely to be used in a broad temperature range of high temperature in the midsummer, low temperature in the arctic weather etc., and thus it is required to improve the electrochemical properties in a broad temperature range with a good balance.
Particularly in order to prevent global warming, it is urgently needed to cut CO2 discharge, and immediate diffusion of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is demanded, among environment-friendly cars loaded with an energy storage device including an energy storage device such as a lithium secondary battery and a capacitor. A vehicle has long migration length, and thus is likely used in a region of broad temperature range from tropical, very hot region to arctic weather region. Accordingly, these energy storage devices for a vehicle are demanded to have no deterioration for the electrochemical properties even when used in a broad temperature range from high temperature to low temperature.
Note that, in the present description, the term of the lithium secondary battery is used as a concept including the so-called lithium ion secondary battery.
A lithium secondary battery mainly consists of a positive electrode and a negative electrode containing materials which can absorb and release lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution including a lithium salt and a nonaqueous solvent, and as the nonaqueous solvent, a carbonate such as ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) is used.
Further, as the negative electrode, metal lithium, and a metal compound (metal element, oxide, alloy with lithium, etc.) and a carbon material which can absorb and release lithium are known. Particularly, lithium secondary battery produced by using a carbon material, such as coke, artificial graphite, natural graphite and the like which can absorb and release lithium are widely put into practical use.
In a lithium secondary battery produced by using, for example, highly crystallized carbon materials, such as artificial graphites, natural graphites and the like as a negative electrode material, it is known that decomposed products and gases generated from a solvent in a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is reduced and decomposed on a surface of a negative electrode in charging the battery detract from a desired electrochemical reaction of the battery, so that a cycle property thereof is worsened. Also, when the decomposed products of the nonaqueous solvent are deposited, lithium can not smoothly be absorbed onto and released from a negative electrode, and the electrochemical characteristics thereof are liable to be worsened in a broad temperature range.
Further, in a lithium secondary battery produced by using lithium metal and alloys thereof, metal element, such as tin, silicon and the like and oxides thereof as a negative electrode material, it is known that an initial battery capacity thereof is high but a nonaqueous solvent is acceleratingly reduced and decomposed as compared with a negative electrode of a carbon material since a micronized powdering of the material is promoted during cycles and that battery performances, such as a battery capacity and a cycle property are worsened to a large extent. Also, in a case the micronized powdering of the negative electrode material and the deposition of the decomposed products of the nonaqueous solvent are deposited, lithium can not smoothly be absorbed onto and released from the negative electrode, and the electrochemical characteristics thereof are liable to be worsened in a broad temperature range.
On the other hand, in a lithium secondary battery produced by using, for example, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNiO2, LiFePO4 and the like as a positive electrode, it is known that decomposed products and gases generated from a solvent in a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is partially oxidized and decomposed in a local part on an interface between the positive electrode material and the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a charging state detract from a desired electrochemical reaction of the battery, so that the electrochemical characteristics thereof are worsened as well in a broad temperature range.
As described above, the decomposed products and gases generated when a nonaqueous electrolytic solution is decomposed on a positive electrode or a negative electrode may interfere with a migration of lithium ions or may swell the battery, and the battery performance is thereby worsened. In spite of the above situations, electronic equipments in which a lithium secondary battery are mounted are advanced more and more in multi-functionalization and tend to be increased in an electric power consumption. As a result thereof, a lithium secondary battery are advanced more and more in an elevation of a capacity, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution is reduced in a volume thereof occupied in the battery, wherein the electrode is increased in a density, and a useless space volume in the battery is reduced. Accordingly, observed is a situation in which the electrochemical characteristics thereof in a broad temperature range are liable to be worsened by decomposition of only a small amount of the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
Patent Document 1 proposes a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a specific compound having an isocyanate group together with carbonate having an unsaturated bond or a halogen atom, and suggests that the nonaqueous electrolytic solution improves the cycle property.
In addition, Patent Document 2 proposes a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a diisocyanate compound or monoisocyanate compound such as 1,6-diisocyanate hexane and ethyl isocyanate, and describes that the nonaqueous electrolytic solution improves the cycle property.

Nonaqueous electrolytic solution and energy storage device using same

Abstract: (wherein R represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a C6 to C12 aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an alkenyloxy group, an isocyanatoalkyloxy group, or an aryloxy group in which at least one of the hydrogen atom may be substituted with a halogen atom. X represents a linear or branched alkylene group in which at least one of the hydrogen atom may be substituted with a halogen atom, or a bivalent linking group comprising at least one ether bond).


This invention provides a method for identifying potential therapeutic agents by contacting a target cell with a candidate therapeutic agent which is a selective substrate for an endogenous, intracellular enzyme in the cell which is enhanced in its expression as a result of selection by biologic or chemotherapy. This invention also provides methods and examples of molecules for selectively killing a pathological cell by contacting the cell with a prodrug that is a selective substrate for an endogenous, intracellular enzyme. The prodrug is subsequently converted to a cellular toxin. Further provided by this invention is a method for treating a pathology characterized by pathological, hyperproliferative cells in a subject by administering to the subject a prodrug that is a selective substrate for an endogenous, overexpressed, intracellular enzyme, and converted by the enzyme to a cellular toxin in the hyperproliferative cell.

The present invention relates to the field of drug discovery and specifically, the design of prodrugs which are substrates for an intracellular enzyme critical to resistance to cancer therapeutics in pathological cells and converted to a cell toxin by the intracellular enzyme.
Throughout this disclosure, various publications are referenced by first author and date, patent number or publication number. The full bibliographic citation for each reference can be found at the end of this application, immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these references are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
Cancer cells are characterized by uncontrolled growth, de-differentiation and genetic instability. The instability expresses itself as aberrant chromosome number, chromosome deletions, rearrangements, loss or duplication beyond the normal dipoid number. Wilson, J. D. et al. (1991). This genomic instability may be caused by several factors. One of the best characterized is the enhanced genomic plasticity which occurs upon loss of tumor suppression gene function (e.g., Almasan, A. et al. (1995)). The genomic plasticity lends itself to adaptability of tumor cells to their changing environment, and may allow for the more frequent mutation, amplification of genes, and the formation of extrachromosomal elements (Smith, K. A. et al. (1995) and Wilson, J. D. et al. (1991)). These characteristics provide for mechanisms resulting in more aggressive malignancy because it allows the tumors to rapidly develop resistance to natural host defense mechanisms, biologic therapies (Wilson, J. D. et al. (1991) and Shepard, H. M. et al. (1988)), as well as to chemotherapeutics. Almasan, A. et al. (1995) and Wilson, J. D. et al. (1991).
Cancer is one of the most commonly fatal human diseases worldwide. Treatment with anticancer drugs is an option of steadily increasing importance, especially for systemic malignancies or for metastatic cancers which have passed the state of surgical curability. Unfortunately, the subset of human cancer types that are amenable to curative treatment today is still rather small (Haskell, C. M. eds. (1995), p. 32). Progress in the development of drugs that can cure human cancer is slow. The heterogeneity of malignant tumors with respect to their genetics, biology and biochemistry as well as primary or treatment-induced resistance to therapy mitigate against curative treatment. Moreover, many anticancer drugs display only a low degree of selectivity, causing often severe or even life threatening toxic side effects, thus preventing the, application of doses high enough to kill all cancer cells. Searching for anti-neoplastic agents with improved selectivity to treatment-resistant pathological, malignant cells remains therefore a central task for drug development. In addition, widespread resistance to antibiotics is becoming an important, world-wide, health issue, Segovia, M. (1994) and Snydman, D. R. et al. (1996).
The major classes of agents include the alkylating agents, antitumor antibiotics, plant alkaloids, antimetabolites, hormonal agonists and antagonists, and a variety of miscellaneous agents. See Haskell, C. M., ed., (1995) and Dorr, R. T. and Von Hoff, D. D., eds. (1994).
The classic alkylating agents are highly reactive compounds that have the ability to substitute alkyl groups for the hydrogen atoms of certain organic compounds. Alkylation of nucleic acids, primarily DNA, is the critical cytotoxic action for most of these compounds. The damage they cause interferes with DNA replication and RNA transcription. The classic alkylating agents include mechlorethamine, chlorambucil, melphalan, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, thiotepa and busulfan. A number of nonclassic alkylating agents also damage DNA and proteins, but through diverse and complex mechanisms, such as methylation or chloroethylation, flat differ from the classic alkylators. The nonclassic alkylating agents include dacarbazine, carnustine, lomustine, cisplatin, carboplatin, procarbazine and altretamine.
The clinically useful antitumor drugs are natural products of various strains of the soil fungus Streptomyces. They produce their tumoricidal effects by one or more mechanisms. All of the antibiotics are capable of binding DNA, usually by intercalation, with subsequent unwinding of the helix. This distortion impairs the ability of the DNA to serve as a template for DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, or both. These drugs may also damage DNA by the formation of free radicals and the chelation of important metal ions. They may also act as inhibitors of topoisomerase II, an enzyme critical to cell division. Drugs of this class include doxorubicin (Adriamycin), daunorubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, dactinomycin, mitomycin C, plicamycin and streptozocin.
Plants have provided some of the most useful antineoplastic agents. Three groups of agents from this class are the Vinca alkaloids (vincristine and vinblastine), the epipodophyllotoxins (etoposide and teniposide) and paclitaxel (Taxol). The Vinca alkaloids bind to microtubular proteins found in dividing cells and the nervous system. This binding alters the dynamics of tubulin addition and loss at the ends of mitotic spindles, resulting ultimately in mitotic arrest. Similar proteins make up an important part of nervous tissue; therefore, these agents are neurotoxic. The epipodophyllotoxins inhibit topoisomerase II and therefore have profound effects on cell function. Paclitaxel has complex effects on microtubules.
The antimelabolites are structural analogs of normal metabolites that are required for cell function and replication. They typically work by interacting with cellular enzymes. Among the many antimetabolites that have been developed and clinically tested are methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), floxuridine (FUDR), cytarabine, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), 6-thioguanine, deoxycoformycin, fludarabine, 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, and hydroxyurea.
Endocrine manipulation is an effective therapy for several forms of neoplastic disease. A wide variety of hormones and hormone antagonists have been developed for potential use in oncology. Examples of available hormonal agents are diethylstilbestrol, tumoxifen, megestrol acetate, dexamethasone, prednisone, aminoglutethimide, leuprolide, goserelin, flutamide, and octreotide acetate.
Among the problems currently associated with the use of chemotherapeutic agents to treat cancers are the high doses of agent required; toxicity toward normal cells, i.e., lack of selectivity; immunosuppression; second malignancies; and drug resistance.
The majority of the agents that are now used in cancer chemotherapy act by an anti-proliferative mechanism. However, most human solid cancers do not have a high proportion of cells that are rapidly proliferating and they are therefore not particularly sensitive to this class of agent. Moreover, most antineoplastic agents have steep dose-response curves. Because of host toxicity, treatment has to be discontinued at dose levels that are well below the dose that would be required to kill all viable tumor cells.
Another side effect associated with present day therapies is the toxic effect of the chemotherapeutic on the normal host tissues that are the most rapidly dividing, such as the bone marrow, gut mucosa and cells of the lymphoid system. The agents also exert a variety of other adverse effects, including neurotoxicity; negative effects on sexuality and gonadal function; and cardiac, pulmonary, pancreatic and hepatic toxicities; vascular and hypersensitivity reactions, and dermatological reactions.
Hematologic toxicity is the most dangerous form of toxicity for many of the antineoplastic drugs used in clinical practice. Its most common form is neutropenia, with an attendant high risk of infection, although thrombocytopenia and bleeding may also occur and be life threatening. Chemotherapy may also induce qualitative defects in the function of both polymorphonuclear leukocytes and platelets. The hematopoietic growth factors have been developed to address these important side effects. Wilson, J. D. et al. (1991) and Dorr, R. T. and Von Hoff, D. D., eds. (1994).
Most of the commonly used antineoplastic agents are capable of suppressing both cellular and humoral immunity. Infections commonly lead to the death of patients with advanced cancer, and impaired immunity may contribute to such deaths. Chronic, delayed immunosuppression may also result from cancer chemotherapy.
The major forms of neurotoxicity are arachnoiditis; myelopathy or encephalomyelopathy; chronic encephalopathies and the somnolence syndrome; acute encephalopathies; peripheral neuropathies; and acute cerebellar syndromes or ataxia.
Many of the commonly employed antineoplastic agents are mutagenic as well as teratogenic. Some, including procarbazine and the alkylating agents, are clearly carcinogenic. This carcinogenic potential is primarily seen as delayed acute leukemia in patients treated with polyfunctional alkylating agents and inhibitors of topoisomerase II, such as etoposide and the anthracycline antibiotics. Chemotherapy has also been associated with cases of delayed non-Hodgkin""s lymphoma and solid tumors. The present invention will minimize these effects since the prodrug will only be activated within tumor cells.
The clinical usefulness of a chemotherapeutic agent may be severely limited by the emergence of malignant cells resistant to that drug. A number of cellular mechanisms are probably involved in drug resistance, e.g., altered metabolism of the drugs, impermeability of the cell to the active compound or accelerated drug elimination from the cell, altered specificity of an inhibited enzyme, increased production of a target molecule, increased repair of cytotoxic lesions, or the bypassing of an inhibited reaction by alternative biochemical pathways. In some cases, resistance to one drug may confer resistance to other, biochemically distinct drugs. Amplification of certain genes is involved in resistance to biologic and chemotherapy. Amplification of the gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase is related to resistance to methotrexate, while amplification of the gene encoding thymidylate synthase is related to resistance to treatment with 5-fluoropyrimidines. Table 1 summarizes some prominent enzymes in resistance to biologic and chemotherapy.
The poor selectivity of anticancer agents has been recognized for a long time and attempts to improve selectivity and allow greater doses to be administered have been numerous. One approach has been the development of prodrugs. Prodrugs are compounds that are toxicologically inert but which may be converted in vivo to active toxic products. In some cases, the activation occurs through the action of a non-endogenous enzyme delivered to the target cell by antibody (xe2x80x9cADEPTxe2x80x9d or antibody-dependent enzyme prodrug therapy (U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,278)) or gene targeting (xe2x80x9cGDEPTxe2x80x9d or gene dependent enzyme-prodrug therapy (Melton, R. G. and Sherwood, R. F. (1996)). These technologies have severe limitations with respect to their ability to exit the blood and penetrate tumors. Connors, T. A. and Knox, R. J. (1995).
Accordingly, there is a need for more selective agents which can penetrate the tumor and inhibit the proliferation and/or kill cancer cells that have developed resistance to therapy. The present invention satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.
This invention provides a method for identifying potential therapeutic agents by contacting a target or test cell with a candidate therapeutic agent or prodrug which is a selective substrate for a target enzyme in the cell. In one embodiment, the target enzyme is an endogonous, intracellular enzyme which is overexpressed and confers resistance to biologic and chemotherapeutic agents. In a separate embodiment, the activity of the enzyme has been greatly enhanced in a tumor cell as a result of loss of tumor suppressor function (Smith, K. A. et al. (1995) and Li, W. et al. (1995)) and/or selection resulting from previous exposure to chemotherapy, (Melton, R. G. and Sherwood, R. F. (1996)). In a separate embodiment, the target enzyme is an expression product of a foreign gene in the cell, wherein the foreign gene encodes a target enzyme.
After the cell is contacted in vitro and/or in vivo with the candidate prodrug, the cell is assayed for efficacy of the agent by noting if the agent caused a reduction in cellular proliferation or if the agent kills the cell. In one aspect of this invention, the prodrug kills the cell or inhibits the cellular proliferation by the release of a toxic byproduct from the prodrug by the target enzyme. In a further aspect of this invention, one or more xe2x80x9ctarget enzymesxe2x80x9d can be used to activate the prodrug so that it releases the toxic byproduct.
Another aspect of this invention includes kits for use in assaying for new prodrugs having the characteristics described herein against target enzymes. The kits comprise the reagents and instructions necessary to complete the assay and analyze the results.
This invention also provides methods and examples of molecules for selectively killing a pathological cell by contacting the cell with a prodrug that is a selective substrate for a target enzyme, e.g., an endogenous, intracellular enzyme as defined above. The substrate is specifically converted to a cellular toxin by the intracellular target enzyme. In another aspect of this invention, the product of an initial prepatory reaction is subsequently activated by a common cellular enzyme such as an acylase, phosphatase or other xe2x80x9chousekeepingxe2x80x9d enzyme. Voet, et al. (1995) to release the toxic byproduct from the prodrug.
Further provided by this invention is a method for treating a pathology characterized by pathological, hyperproliferative cells in a subject by administering to the subject a prodrug that is a selective substrate for a target enzyme, and selectively converted by the enzyme to a cellular toxin in the hyperproliferative cell. The prodrugs of this invention may be used alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutics or alternative anti-cancer therapies such as radiation.
A further aspect of this invention is the preparation of a medicament for use in treating a pathology characterized by pathological, hyperproliferative cells in a subject by administering to the subject a prodrug that is a selective substrate for a target enzyme, and selectively converted by the enzyme to a cellular toxin in the hyperproliferative cell.

Methods and compositions for overcoming resistance to biologic and chemotherapy


A golf putter head utilizing a dense, but yielding wooden impact bar that strikes a golf ball, with a pair of lead weights extending from the sides of the impact bar, and a shell enclosing the sides of the impact bar and the lead weights.

The present invention relates generally to golf clubs and, in particular, to a golf putter head.
Conventional golf putter heads are generally formed entirely or primarily of metal which is cast or forged into various configurations. Because of the rigidity of such metallic construction, a golf ball when struck by a metal putter tends to hop upwardly relative to the ground and is often deflected off a desired line of putt when the ball returns to the ground. Golf putter heads utilizing wood are also marketed, as for example, the putter head in Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,281). See also Roraback (U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,252). These putters include a body or shell which can be fabricated of wood and employing a metal sole. The positioning of the metal sole below the wood body places the center of gravity of the putter head below the equator of the golf ball. As a result, when struck by such a putter the golf ball hops off the ground and additionally backspin is imparted to the ball. As a result, the ball not only tends to move off its desired line of putt but it is also difficult to gauge the distance the ball will travel.
It is a further disadvantage of conventional prior art putter heads that when a golf ball is struck with an off-center stroke, the ball will not move along its desired line of putt towards the cup. This lack of accuracy results from the twist applied to the golf putter head by the off-center contact of the face of the putter head with the ball.
The golf putter head embodying the present invention overcomes the above-described disadvantages so as to increase the accuracy of a golfer's putt, both in direction, and in distance.


A solenoid that has a small body and increased propulsion in a controlled range is provided.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show constructions of typical solenoids that are conventionally known.
A solenoid 10 includes an excitation coil 12, a yoke 14 that is assembled so as to surround the excitation coil 12, a bearing 15 disposed in a central part of the excitation coil 12, and a slider 16 (a moving iron core or plunger) that is guided in a sliding state by the bearing 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 2, etc., of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H05-211744).
The yoke 14 is constructed of at least two members, an upper yoke 14a and a lower yoke 14b, with the upper yoke 14a being disposed at one end and the lower yoke 14b being provided so as to close the other end of an enclosure 19 for the slider 16 so as to limit the movement in a direction A of the slider 16.
A surface 14c of the lower yoke 14b facing the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16 functions as a fixed iron core.
When current flows through the excitation coil 12 of the solenoid 10 shown in FIG. 5, a magnetic path a is formed as shown by the dashed line, for example. It should be noted that the direction of the magnetic path a shown here is merely an example.
The magnetic path a passes inside the yoke 14, enters into the slider 16 from the upper yoke 14a, moves through the slider 16 along the axial direction toward the lower yoke 14b side, and passes to the fixed iron core part 14c of the lower yoke 14b from the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16 via the air. Then the magnetic path a passes from the lower yoke 14b to the upper yoke 14a so as to form a closed loop.
The slider 16 is pulled onto the fixed iron core part 14c by the magnetic force produced in the gap B between the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16 and the fixed iron core part 14c of the lower yoke. This magnetic force is the propulsion of the solenoid.
The propulsion of the solenoid 10 decreases exponentially in accordance with the distance of the gap B (that is, the stroke).
The construction of another conventional solenoid is shown in FIG. 6. Here, components that are the same as in the construction of the solenoid shown in FIG. 5 have been assigned the same reference numerals and description thereof has been omitted.
In this solenoid 20 also, the lower yoke 14b is provided so as to cover the other end-side end of the enclosure 19 for the slider 16. The fixed iron core part 14c of the lower yoke 14b is provided so as to protrude into the enclosure 19 for the slider 16, and a front end of the fixed iron core part 14c is formed as a concave 17 that is hollow in accordance with the shape of the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16.
The other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16 is formed with a sharpened front end where the radius gradually decreases toward the other end-side so as to be capable of being enclosed in the concave 17 formed in the front end of the fixed iron core part 14c (see FIG. 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H07-336943).
The magnetic path in this solenoid 20 forms the same route as the magnetic path of the solenoid 10 shown in FIG. 5, and therefore is not illustrated, with the propulsion of the solenoid 20 being generated by a gap between the fixed iron core part 14c and the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16. It is also known that the propulsion-displacement characteristics change in accordance with the taper angle of the other end-end surface 16a of the slider 16 in the solenoid 20.
As described above, the propulsion of the solenoid is determined by the magnitude of the magnetic energy stored in the gap between the fixed iron core and the slider. That is, magnitude of the propulsion is determined by the distance between the fixed iron core and the slider.
Here, the relationship between the stroke (amount of displacement) of the slider and the generated propulsion in a conventional solenoid is shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, in a conventional solenoid, the propulsion is smallest at a position where the slider is furthest away from the fixed iron core part and the propulsion increases as the slider approaches the fixed iron core part.
However, when the movable range of the slider and the controlled range (the operation range) have the relationship shown in FIG. 7, it is not possible to use large propulsion within the controlled range through which control of the solenoid is actually desired. The propulsion characteristics are also nonlinear, which means the controllability is poor.
In this kind of conventional solenoid, propulsion is generated between end surfaces of the slider at the end of the movable range and the fixed iron core part, and there has been the problem that as the movable range becomes wider, it has not been possible to set the controlled range at the optimal range in the propulsion characteristics of the solenoid.
There has also been the problem that in cases where the movable range is wide and the required propulsion in the controlled range is large, the size of the solenoid itself has to be increased to produce the propulsion.
For this reason, to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid that is small and where the propulsion within the controlled range can be increased.

Abstract: The solenoid is characterized by being provided with a bearing 40 formed of a nonmagnetic body, n (where n is a positive integer of zero or above) grooves 56 and n+1 tooth parts 58 that are adjacent to the grooves 56 and function as magnetic poles being provided in a facing surface 52 of a first upper yoke 54a, m (where m is a positive integer of zero or above) grooves 70 and m+1 tooth parts 72, 74 that are adjacent to the grooves 70 and function as magnetic poles being provided in a facing surface 55 of a second upper yoke 54b, n+1 grooves 56 and n+1 tooth parts 58, 59 that are adjacent to the grooves 56 and function as magnetic poles being provided in a surface 52 of the slider 36 that faces the first upper yoke 54a, and m grooves 76 and m tooth parts 78 that are adjacent to the grooves 76 and function as magnetic poles being provided in a surface 55 of the slider 36 that faces the second upper yoke 54b.


An apparatus easily movable inside pipes for cutting off projections in the interior of the pipe along the inner surface of the pipe. The apparatus includes a carrier movable inside the pipe. The carrier is provided with a shaft reciprocatingly movable axially of the pipe and rockingly rotatable circumferentially of the pipe, a rocking block movable with the shaft and a drive device for the shaft. The rocking block has a cutter blade reciprocatingly movable axially and radially of the pipe as projected forward from the block axially of the pipe, and drive devices for the blade.

The present applicant has proposed a method of lining branches of underground pipes with a rigid plastics tube by inserting the tube into the branch through an opening thereof which is exposed from the ground and thereafter inflating the tube from inside with application of heat and pressure (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication HEI 1-171926). With this lining method, an excessive end portion of the tube projects from the branch into the pipe, so that the projecting end portion needs to be cut off and removed from inside the pipe after lining.
FIG. 11 schematically shows the construction of an apparatus already known for cutting off such projections inside pipes. This known cutting apparatus is adapted to cut off a projection b inside a pipe a with a saw-toothed blade 2' at the front end of a rotary drum 1' by pressing the blade against the projection in the direction of arrow. Accordingly, if the outside diameter of the drum 1' is closer to the inside diameter of the pipe a, the projection b can be cut off at a portion thereof closer to the inner surface of the pipe a. However, the pipe a generally has protrusions (now shown) such as protruding ends of other pipes attached thereto or stepped portions of joints. The drum must therefore be reduced in outside diameter so as to be movable through the pipe without striking against the protrusions. The projection then inevitably remains partly projecting inside the pipe.

Apparatus for cutting off projections inside pipes


In certain inventive aspects there are provided an optical recording method, an evaluation indicator acquiring method, an optical recording apparatus, and a CPU device, which can save a test time before recording information. An irradiation condition suitable for recording information on a first recording layer is extracted by recording and reproducing test information. The test information is recorded on and reproduced from a second recording layer. The irradiation condition suitable for recording information on the second recording layer is extracted on the basis of the test result for the first recording layer and the test result for the second recording layer. Accordingly, it is possible to save the test time for extracting the irradiation condition of the second recording layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording information on an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, and more particularly, to an optical recording method which can save a test time at the time of recording information, an evaluation indicator acquiring method, an optical recording apparatus, a micro CPU device, and a computer program.
2. Description of the Related Technology
As known in the art, in an optical recording apparatus for recording data on an optical recording medium such as a known DVD by the use of a laser beam, when recording data on a predetermined recording medium, a recording condition suitable for the recording medium is generally obtained by performing a test recording operation to a test recording area in the recording medium before actually recording data on the recording medium.
However, with increasing requirement for increase in speed and capacity of the optical recording apparatus, when data are recorded on a multi-layered optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers, it is necessary to obtain recording pulse conditions corresponding to the recording layers, respectively, due to differences in recording characteristics such as recording sensitivity, light reflectance, and thermal conductivity between the recording layers.
As a known technology for obtaining the recording pulse conditions, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, a method is generally used, in which a data table recording the recording pulse conditions for excellently recording data on the respective recording layers in accordance with conditions such as a recording speed every type of recording mediums is stored in advance in a memory of a recording drive (optical recording apparatus) and the recording pulse conditions corresponding to the types, the recording layers, and the recording speeds of the recording mediums are read out and set from the data table at the time of actually recording data on the recording mediums, thereby recording the data on the recording mediums.
In consideration of individual difference or non-uniformity of the recording drive or dependency of a laser on a temperature, a method of adjusting only a condition of the recording laser power in a test recording operation performed before the actual data recording operation is also generally used.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2005-100610
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2003-22532
Patent Document 3: JP-A-2004-171740
Patent Document 4: JP-A-2004-247024
Patent Document 5: WO2002-029791
Patent Document 6: JP-A-2003-178448
However, in the known art, since the burden on the finite memory capacity of the recording drive is great and a high-capacity memory causes increase in cost of the recording drive, there is a first problem that the number of recording mediums to cope with is limited.
There is a second problem that it is not possible to satisfactorily cope with the non-uniformity in characteristics of the recording mediums and the recording drives, which cannot be compensated for by the use of only the recording laser power and it is not possible to satisfactorily cope with "unknown types of optical recording mediums" such as optical recording mediums not previously memorized in the recording drive and optical recording mediums come to the market after a recording drive comes to the market, which are partially coped with in the form of firm-up.
Accordingly, development of the technology has been required which makes it possible to acquire the optimum recording condition in a short time every recording speed depending upon characteristics of recording mediums and recording drives on which data should be recorded.

Optical recording method, evaluation indicator acquiring method, optical recording apparatus, micro CPU device, and computer program


A method and apparatus for reducing performance overhead of a media server sending packetized audio/video data to an end-player or user is provided. The main sources of performance overhead associated with a media server transmitting packetized audio/video data are (1) copying data from the user space buffer to the kernel buffer and (2) context switching from user level to kernel level. There are several techniques that can be used to address overhead. One technique involves creating an aggregate packet, which includes a policy, at the user level and transmitting this aggregate packet from the user level to the OS level with a system call. A second technique involves manipulating packets based on a policy in the OS level rather than in the user level. The manipulation of packets may include redirecting packets or splitting packets.

In recent years, the media industry has expanded its horizons beyond traditional analog technologies. Numerous systems have been developed for transmitting video information digitally from one location to be viewed at another location. One difficulty associated with providing video data in digital format is the performance-degrading overhead incurred when a media server sends packetized audio/video data to an end-player or user. Some of the main sources of overhead associated with a media server transmitting packetized audio/video data are (1) copying data from the user space buffer to the kernel buffer and (2) context switching from user level to kernel level.
The overhead involved in such transmissions may be even greater when one or more proxy servers are involved. A proxy server is an application that serves as a firewall by breaking the connection between the sender and the receiver of data. Data, which is received on one port, is forwarded on a different port, thus avoiding a straight path between two networks and preventing a hacker from obtaining internal addresses and details about a private network. Proxy servers are generally just one part of an overall firewall strategy to prevent intruders from stealing information or damaging an internal network.
FIG. 1 depicts the streaming of data from on-demand files to an end-player. Three videos (V1, V2, V3) reside on disk D1, where each video is associated with a respective video file. Video V1 has file F1, Video V2 has file F2, and Video V3 has file F3. The files F1, F2, F3 contain data (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) that will eventually be transmitted in packets. Server 140 is divided into a user level and an OS level.
The files F1, F2, and F3 are transmitted from Disk D1 to the Proxy 141, which resides in the user level of Server 140. Upon receiving the files, Proxy 141 divides the files F1, F2, and F3 into packets. For the sake of brevity, FIG. 1 only depicts F1 being divided into packets. File F1 is divided into packets A′, B′, and C′. A′, B′, and C′ are packets that contain the data represented by A, B, and C respectively.
Each layer of a network is associated with a protocol. Each protocol requires data to be packaged in a certain manner. The process of packaging data for the protocols used at the lower levels of the network is referred to as traversing down the network protocol stack. Conversely, the process of un-packaging data that is packaged at lower levels so that the data may be used at higher levels is referred to as traversing up the network protocol stack.
During the transmission process, the packets A′, B′, and C′ are copied from User Buffer 142 to Kernel Buffer 144. Then packets A′, B′ and C′ traverse down the protocol stack 143. Eventually the packets are transmitted over the network to an End Player 150 where the End Player 150 receives the packets. The packets then traverse up the protocol stack 151. FIG. 1 illustrates overhead both from copying data from the user space buffer to the kernel buffer and from context switching from user level to kernel level.
FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1 except that FIG. 3 involves use of a proxy server 310. In FIG. 3, live content from an Origin Server 300 is sent to server 310. Server 310 includes a proxy 311 that modifies the header of a packet from the <IP address, Port number> pair of Server 310 to the <IP address, Port number> pair of User 320. The Origin Server 300 is broadcasting live. Origin Server 300 sends out packets to a Proxy 311 that resides on Server 310. For simplicity, the description will deal with only one packet called packet A. Origin Server 300 transmits packet A to the Proxy 311 using the <IP address, Port number> pair, which is designated with the letter P. Packet A is received on Server 310 at layer 1 of the OSI model and traverses up the protocol stack 312 from the OS level to the user level. Once packet A is in the Proxy 311, which resides in the user level of Server 310, packet header of A is modified so that the <IP address, Port number> pair designated by P is modified to the <IP address, Port number> pair P1. Packet A′ represents the modified packet A. P1 is used for transmitting the packet A′ from Server 310 to user 320. FIG. 3 illustrates overhead both from copying data from the user space buffer to the kernel buffer and from context switching from user level to kernel level
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 3 except that FIG. 5 involves sending the same live content to multiple users. FIG. 5 depicts three users, user 520, user 530, and user 540, that will be receiving the live content from Origin Server 500.
In order to accomplish the goal of transmitting the same live content to multiple users, the Proxy 511, which resides at the user level of server 510, performs two tasks with regards to packet A once packet A arrives at Proxy 511. First, Proxy 511 replicates packet A so that there is a copy of packet A for each user that is interested in receiving the live data represented by packet A. Therefore, packet A is replicated into A1, A2, and A3. Second, the headers of packets A1, A2, and A3 are modified to contain new <IP address, Port number> pairs, which are used to transmit the replicated packets to the multiple users (520, 530, 540). The letter P represents the original <IP address, Port number> pair, which was used when packet A was transmitted by Origin Server 500 to Server 510. P1, P2, P3 represent the new <IP address, Port number> pairs. In other words P is changed to P1 in packet A1, P2 in packet A2, and P3 in packet A3.
In performing the modification of the packet headers, table 512 is used which maps P to P1, P2, and P3. For example, since P1 is used for transmitting A1 to User 520, A1's header will be modified to have P1. Likewise, since P2 is used for transmitting A2 to User 530 and P3 is used for transmitting A3 to user 540, A2's header will be modified to have P2 and A3's header will be modified to have P3.
After the replication of packet A and the modification of the headers of the replicated packets (A1, A2, A3), these replicated packets are transmitted to Users 520, 530, and 540. In transmitting the replicated packets, the replicated packets will traverse down the protocol stack 513 and are eventually sent out over the network to users 520, 530, 540. Since the headers of packets A1, A2, and A3 designate <IP addresses, Port number> pairs that correspond to the intended users, packet A1 will arrive at user 520, A2 will arrive at user 530, and A3 will arrive at user 540. FIG. 5 illustrates overhead both from copying data from the user space buffer to the kernel buffer and from context switching from user level to kernel level.
As with the scenario depicted in FIG. 1, the scenarios depicted in FIGS. 3 and 5 also involve copying data from the user buffer to the kernel buffer. However, aspects involved in copying data from user buffer to kernel buffer were left out of FIGS. 3 and 5 for the sake of brevity.
The three scenarios illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 involve the two sources of overhead described above. Specifically, each packet is moved from user level to OS level by a user-level application making a call to an OS level routine, thereby causing one context switch per packet. Furthermore, when a proxy server is involved, transmitting the packets involves traversing up and down the protocol stack at the proxy server, in addition to the traversal down the stack that takes place at the origin server, and the traversal up the stack that takes place at the recipient. Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide techniques that reduce the overhead associated with transmitting data.

Efficient data transmissions based on a policy


A multi-use exercise device includes a shaft extending between ground-engaging support structures with a pair of arms rotatable around the shaft into a plurality of various angular positions relative to the ground providing a plurality of different exercises with a plurality of different levels of difficulty. The exercise device can be used as a support structure for pushup and planking exercises, as well as shoulder mounted weight support for squats and lunges.

Conventional exercise devices, which enable the user to perform elevated push-ups and dips, include a frame with two vertical stanchions interconnected by a horizontal cross brace. Typically, hand grips are mounted on the vertical stanchions to position the user's hands during the exercise.
Since user's come in various shapes and sizes, prior art inventions, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,015 issued Feb. 13, 1990 to Dissenger, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,851 issued Dec. 29, 2009 to Lormil, provide for the lateral adjustment of the vertical stanchions relative to each other, and the vertical adjustment of the hand grips by simply providing telescopic extendible frame members.
Unfortunately, prior art devices provide limited adjustments to increase the degree of difficulty of individual exercises or increase the number of different exercises that can be performed. Moreover, the aforementioned prior art devices include large and cumbersome frames, meant to remain stationary on the ground for all exercise.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a multi-adjustable exercise device providing various degrees of difficulty for each exercise, and a large increase in the number of exercises performed as both a stationary stand and a dynamic weight bearing structure.


An alarm clock which automatically sets current time and date by receiving a television broadcast signal or the like and by decoding a signal included in the received television broadcast signal to obtain the current time and date information. A programmable controller processes the current time and date information for display. The alarm clock further includes a memory for storing data representing holidays. The programmable controller is operative to activate an alarm trigger in response to a user setting and to disable the user setting if it is determined that the current date coincides with one of the holidays stored in the memory.

The present invention is related to signal processing and, in particular, to an alarm clock for automatically setting time/date based on a television broadcast signal transmitted by television broadcast stations.
Conventional electronic alarm clocks come with several features. For example, it is known that when an alarm is triggered instead of a conventional buzzer, a radio station may be tuned. In such clock/radios, the volume of the selected radio station gradually increases after the alarm is triggered if the alarm device is not turned off immediately. Another feature typically found in alarm clocks of this type is battery-backup. A 9-volt battery, for example, provides power to the internal circuits in the alarm clock during power outage.
While the above features certainly add convenience as well as combine the utilitarian features of alarm clocks with entertainment, such alarm clocks lack the feature of automatically setting time and/or date. Namely, when a new alarm clock is purchased, it has to be set to the correct time. In addition, the alarm clock has to be adjusted for daylight savings time, different time zones, and the like. Further, some people do not change the back-up battery, and when a power outage occurs, the blinking "12:00" has to be set to the correct time.
A need therefore exists for an alarm clock that overcomes the above disadvantages.

Alarm clock with automatic time/date setting feature


After an SiC film (4), an SiO2 film (5) and a silicon nitride film (6) are formed sequentially on an organic low dielectric constant film (3), by performing O2 plasma processing to a surface of the silicon nitride film (6), an oxide layer (7) is formed on the surface of the silicon nitride film (6). Then, a wiring trench pattern is formed on the silicon nitride film (6) and the oxide layer (7), and a resin layer (10) on which a via hole pattern is formed is formed. Subsequently, a portion of the oxide layer (7) exposed from the resin layer (10) is removed along with unnecessary particles.

With the recent progress of highly integrated design of a semiconductor integrated circuit, density of a wiring pattern has increased, and a wiring has become longer. Al was conventionally used for a wiring material; however, wiring delay has come up as a problem with the miniaturization of the wiring pattern. Recently, Cu is mainly used as a wiring material in order to solve the problem. However, it is difficult to transfer a wiring pattern on Cu itself unlike Al. Therefore, when a Cu wiring is formed, a damascene method for transferring a wiring trench pattern on an interlayer insulating film and for forming the wiring pattern thereon by embedding Cu is effective. Furthermore, the damascene method is classified into a single damascene method for separately forming Cu in a trench and Cu in a via, and a dual damascene method for simultaneously forming a trench and a via.
However, in a conventional damascene method, either of a single damascene method and a dual damascene method, sometimes sufficient yield is not obtained under the influence of particles generated in the process.
Patent Document 1
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 6-3 14679
Patent Document 2
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-44 167
Patent Document 3
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 3-6 8141

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device


A local magnetic susceptibility unit is adapted to measure the AC magnetic susceptibility of a surface region of a sample. The unit comprises a sensing element and one or more balancing elements arranged in a circuit. When a sample is placed proximate to the sensing element the sample induces an imbalance voltage in the circuit.

In the description that follows reference is made to certain structures and methods, however, such references should not necessarily be construed as an admission that these structures and methods qualify as prior art under the applicable statutory provisions. Applicants reserve the right to demonstrate that any of the referenced subject matter does not constitute prior art.
Magnetic susceptibility is the degree of magnetization of a material in response to a magnetic field. The dimensionless magnetic susceptibility is represented by the Greek symbol X. Materials having a positive magnetic susceptibility are paramagnetic. Paramagnetism is the tendency of the atomic magnetic dipoles in a material that is otherwise non-magnetic to align under the influence of an external magnetic field. This alignment of the atomic dipoles with the magnetic field tends to strengthen it.
Materials having a negative magnetic susceptibility are diamagnetic. Diamagnetism is a weak form of magnetism that is only exhibited in the presence of an external magnetic field. It is the result of changes in the orbital motion of electrons due to the external magnetic field. The induced magnetic moment is small and in a direction opposite to that of the applied field. When placed between the poles of a strong electromagnet, diamagnetic materials are attracted towards regions where the magnetic field is weak. Superconductors are perfect diamagnets. When a superconducting material is placed in an external magnetic field it will expel the field lines from its interior. Superconductors also have zero electrical resistance, which is a consequence of their diamagnetism.
Ferromagnetism is a phenomenon by which a material can exhibit a spontaneous magnetization, and is one of the strongest forms of magnetism. The magnetic susceptibility of a ferromagnetic substance is not linear. The response is dependent upon the state of the sample and can occur in directions other than that of the applied field. The differential susceptibility Xij=dMj/dHi expresses the susceptibility as a function of the derivatives of the components of the magnetization with respect to components of the applied field. The magnetization (M) of the material (the magnetic dipole moment per unit mass) and the applied field (H) are typically measured in Amperes per meter.
Magnetic property measurements can be used to characterize materials such as paramagnetic materials, diamagnetic materials, ferromagnetic materials, and superconducting materials. Typically, magnetic properties can be measured using either alternating electrical current (AC) or direct electrical current (DC) magnetic fields. AC susceptometers, for example, can detect the variation in flux created by placing a sample into an alternating magnetic field, and can measure as a function of frequency and/or temperature the complex susceptibility (X′+iX″), which comprises both a real component (X′) and an imaginary component (X″). The imaginary component is related to the energy losses (e.g., energy absorbed) by the sample from the AC field.

Systems and methods for measuring local magnetic susceptibility including one or more balancing elements with a magnetic core and a coil


A system and method that increases the capacity of a wireless network using frequency diversity. A user switches between channels of a network using a single network interface card in such a manner that nodes desiring to communicate overlap while disjoint communications mostly do not overlap. A driver is inserted into a device's networking stack and controls the network interface card using a plurality of virtual wireless network adapters. Packets for a recipient are queued when the recipient is not accessible on the node's channel. In one embodiment where multiple nodes are switching in and out of channel, the method changes part of a nodes channel hopping schedule to ensure concurrent connectivity in a channel for at least a brief time period such that packets can be received/transmitted with desired nodes.

This invention relates generally to wireless networks and, more particularly, relates to the operation of a wireless node functioning at the same time as a member of multiple disjoint channels in a single wireless network.
With the development and deployment of wireless networking devices such as laptop computers, personal digital assistant devices, etc. and infrastructures, consumers and businesses are increasingly being able to realize the benefits of true mobile computing, collaboration, and information exchange. No longer are business travelers required to carry an assortment of cables and search endlessly for an available data port simply to connect to a network to retrieve email messages, download files, or exchange information. No longer are companies and home consumers restrained in where they may access their networks by the location of the Ethernet jacks on the wall. Meeting participants and groups of friends may now form their own ad hoc networks without connecting cables between themselves or logging in to some preexisting network. They can log onto the network using a wireless protocol while running on battery power, thereby allowing even greater mobility.
However, while the concept of mobile computing on wireless networks is well accepted, the implementation of this concept has taken on many forms. That is, there now exists several different wireless protocol standards that are competing in the marketplace. These standards include 802.11b (also know as Wi-Fi for wireless fidelity), 802.11a (also know as Wi-Fi5), 802.11 g, HomeRF, Bluetooth, Wireless 1394, HiperLAN2, UWB, ZigBee, etc. Each of these different standards has particular advantages and is being developed with particular applications and users in mind. Despite the numerous standards, devices conducting network communications over wireless links are becoming increasing popular.
Wireless links typically transmit data over radio frequency channels but may operate over other carrier frequency ranges, such as infrared. Most radio frequency ("RF") based wireless networks are designed to be able to operate in two basic modes: the infrastructure mode and the peer-to-peer or ad hoc mode.
In the infrastructure ("IS") mode, which is also sometimes referred to as the managed network mode, each wireless network node communicates with the other nodes in the network through an access point ("AP") node of the IS network. The packets directed by an IS node to another IS node carry the AP's Media Access Control ("MAC") address in the link layer header. The access point functions as a bridge, repeater, gateway, and/or firewall between wireless nodes and wired nodes of the network. The access point may apportion bandwidth of the communication channel to the wireless IS nodes to ensure the quality of the communications. In the ad hoc ("AH") mode, a wireless node communicates directly, i.e., in a peer-to-peer fashion, with other nodes within its RF range without going through an intermediate node such as the access point of the IS network. Ad hoc wireless network connections are useful when close-by users want to communicate with each other in places where no IS network exists, or when they fail to be authorized by the access point of an existing IS network.
Conventionally, there is no interaction between nodes in an infrastructure network and nodes in an ad hoc network even if they have overlapping transmission ranges. There are, however, a number of scenarios in which it is desirable for a device to be connected simultaneously to multiple wireless networks. For instance, in one scenario, employees from company A conduct a business meeting at company B with an employee of company B. Company B has an internal corporate network that supports an infrastructure wireless network. The visitors need to share electronic information such as documents, presentations, and data with their host. This can be done if the visitors can use their laptop computers to communicate wirelessly with the laptop computer of company B. For security concerns, the visitors are not allowed access to company B's internal network. Thus, the laptop computers of the visitors cannot operate as nodes of company B's infrastructure network.
Currently, multiple wireless network interface cards are used in the device to connect to multiple networks. Unfortunately, using multiple wireless network interface cards in battery operated devices is highly undesirable because of the excessive energy drain and consequent reduction of device lifetime. The computer industry has recognized this problem and has developed and is developing solutions. For example, methods have been developed to conserve battery power in devices to extend the time between battery charges. Another method, developed by the assignee of the instant application, uses a dual-mode wireless device that switches back and forth between an IS network and an AH network with the switching triggered by either polls signals transmitted by an access point of the IS network or by the controller of the dual-mode wireless device.
Although ad-hoc networks provide the ability to connect wireless nodes when an infrastructure network is unavailable, modern computers often find that the capacity of ad-hoc networks to be unsatisfactory. If one attempts to address this by having nodes switch across channels (and therefore distribute the burden of supporting a given communication pattern), a new challenge arises. When multiple devices are switching between orthogonal channels of a network, it is possible that two devices switching between the channels of a network get synchronized such that when one device switches to one network channel, the other one switches out of the network channel to another network channel or are switching between different network channels in lock-step. In other words, the devices are never on the same network channel at the same time. The two devices will never be able to communicate with each other on the network because the packets they send to each other are not buffered by any third party such as an Access point for delivery to the node when it switches onto the channel the third party is using.

Slotted seeded channel hopping for capacity improvement in wireless networks


The present invention is a device that can obtain fresh water from the moisture air and generate electricity in the process. The water collecting device comprises a vertical shaft, windmill elements for producing rotational force from wind, a vertical shaft, a water collecting tank secured at the bottom of this rotating structure, a small holed mesh with U shaped collecting ducts in the windmill structure and a generator coupled to the shaft. When the windmill structure rotates from the wind, moisture from the air adhere to the mesh and then are channeled to the water-collecting vessel through channels along the windmill frame. Additionally a generator coupled to the windmill frame produces electricity.

The state of California has suffered from and continues to suffer from a drought, which causes water resources to run scarce and water to be rationed. California faces frequent and severe droughts. It's not usual for it's governor to declare a drought State of Emergency and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. Californian's have been water rationed as a result of water shortages and must conserve their water. As a result of these water rations, private gardens and other green landscapes are directed cut down on their watering and many government owned buildings do not have plants around the property (schools, courthouses, etc.). Reservoirs frequently start to run dry as a result of the lack of water causing many areas to dry up. The ongoing drought in California is likely to have a major impact on the State's agricultural production. Long-term moisture deficits across most of the State remain at near-record levels. Because California is a major producer in the fruit, vegetable, tree nut, and dairy sectors, the drought has potential implications for U.S. supplies and prices of affected products this year and beyond. A new scientific and economic report commissioned by California's state government warns that the ongoing drought crisis will cost billions in lost farm revenue and thousands of jobs. California's drought is now in its third year and is expected to worsen, thanks to record high temperatures and a low snowpack in the state's mountains. California is a very big state comprising a large coastline, several mountain ranges and even deserts. Many of California's climates contain significant moisture content in the air. With California's drought conditions, what's needed is a way to take advantage of it's air moisture content to harvest water from air.

Methods, systems and apparatus for a wind turbine and water collection system


In a passenger automobile having a pressure tank which extends along the longitudinal vehicle axis, the tank comprises between its front and rear ends at least one conical section.

The invention relates to a passenger automobile with a pressure tank having an axis extending along the longitudinal vehicle axis.
So as to be able to carry a larger amount of gaseous fuel in vehicles, and in order to increase the operating range of the vehicles, it is known to use so-called pressure tanks for storing gaseous fuels. These pressure tanks are constructed so that they can contain an amount of fuel as large as possible, especially hydrogen, at pressures of up to 700 bar. The known pressure tanks have a cylindrical cross section for accommodating these pressures.
DE 101 63 029 A1 discloses a fuel cell vehicle with a cylindrical high pressure hydrogen tank, where the tank is arranged in a transverse manner in the upper section of the rear end of the motor vehicle.
JP 2002370550 A1 also shows a vehicle where several identical high pressure hydrogen tanks are arranged transversely near the rear vehicle axle. These high pressure hydrogen tanks also have a cylindrical cross section.
JP 2005212729 A1 discloses an arrangement of two or more cylindrical high pressure hydrogen tanks arranged transversely near the rear axle. One tank has a smaller diameter than the other for better utilization of the available installation space.
From DE 10 2005 003 669 A1, JP 2005212513 A1 and US 2005/0224265 A1 arrangements of the cylindrical high pressure hydrogen tanks in the transverse vehicle direction and also in the longitudinal vehicle direction are known. JP 2005212513 A1 suggests hereby to arrange the cylindrical tank in the center tunnel.
In the specifications WO 2006/029415 A2, JP 2004026117 A1 and DE 102 97 132 T5, it is suggested to arrange several cylindrical high pressure hydrogen tanks along the longitudinal vehicle axis. So as to use the available installation space as well as possible, the cylindrical tanks are either arranged in the vehicle center or at the side of the vehicle. Also, the diameters of the cylindrical tanks may be different.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a passenger automobile with a pressure tank, in which a large amount of fuel can be carried with relatively small requirement for otherwise usable space.


A heat exchanger has a shell baffles, tube supporting means and tubes, in addition to end caps for the shell once formed, to furnish an intergral heat exchanger. The sheet for forming the tubular sheet and baffles are formed from a singular sheet of material. The tube supporting means includes he baffles which have a plurality of openings formed therein receive the tubes. The sheet is laser or die cut to form the integral baffles and rails, for insertion into the outer tubular shell, and in a further embodiment, with its closure end caps, forming the complete heat exchanger. The baffles are formed from a central panel of the sheet material, which provides arcuate openings through the central panel arranged at a median longitudinally of the tubular shell forming the heat exchanger, and thereby directs the flow of fluids to be heated centrally through the heat exchanger and in a direction where the greatest concentration of heat exchanger tubes is located, for providing maximum efficiency in heating of a further fluid passing through the heat exchanger during its operation.

Heat exchangers are used in various industries to heat or cool various types of liquids and gases.
Most small heat exchangers are designed using a pipe or tube shell with individually fabricated baffles, tie rods, tube sheets and tubes; turbulators are sometimes used inside of the tubes to improve heat transfer.
A shell and tube heat exchanger is comprised of two sections, each of which conveys a separate fluid placed in the particular section that offers the most advantageous heat transfer for that fluid. Of these sections; one is known as the shell side and the second is known as the tube side. The two sections must accommodate conditions such as access for servicing, different pressures and may require different materials of construction in order to comply with corrosion and strength requirements.
This invention relates to heat exchangers, and in particular, to a heat exchanger having baffles and tube supports which are integral with its shell.
In order to clarify the difference between baffles and turbulators; baffles are used outside of the tubes in a manner to create turbulence and improve heat transfer by controlled flow. Turbulators or deflectors, are generally used inside of tubes to break up laminar flow.
The construction of heat exchangers thus requires securing many parts together. In a small heat exchanger, this can be difficult because of the small diameter that is being worked on. Further, the construction of the heat exchanger requires the stocking of numerous parts.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,677,394 to Brinen, et al., and No. 2,688,986, to O'Biren disclose turbulators formed from a sheet for use in the tubes of a heat exchanger. However, I do not know of anyone who has designed heat exchanger wherein the shell, baffles, and the tube sheets are integrally formed.
More specifically with respect to the prior art patents known to applicant, the patent to Muffly, No. 1,709,865, discloses the process of forming refrigerator elements, and the pertinency of this particular patent is to show that various components for equipment, such as the refrigeration plates, can be formed from shaped metal that is stamped and adhere together, as to be noted in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the particular device.
The patent to Lambert, No. 1,996,622, merely shows extended surface method of attachment of components of a metal radiator together. This discloses a sheet form of metal radiator. This device, once again, as can be seen, appears to be formed from a plurality of sheets of material, wherein a series of vertically disposed fins are attached to the halves of the sheet metal radiator, in order to provide the heat exchange fins, for the heating system as disclosed.
The patent to Brinen, as referred to above, No. 2,677,394, shows turbulators for installation inside of tubes. In this particular patent, as can be seen, there is contained internal structure of a spine section of a heat exchanger, which incorporates a series of sections or lobes, which are struck out, partially as to be seen, from the spine component which then integrally has a pair of lateral flanges to provide for their connection interiorly of the tube. This particular patent does not show how the entire tube section can be integrally formed from the spine component itself, after the spine has had its various lobes stamped and bent into their disclosed configuration.
Also, the patent to O'Brien, as previously referred to, No. 2,688,986, once again shows turbulators inside of tubes. This discloses a similar type of what is identified as a turbulence member, which has a variety of tongues stamped from it, and bent perpendicularly, to form the baffling configuration for the heat exchanger, as when the turbulence member is inserted within its respective tube, as can be noted.
The patent to Guala, No. 2,693,942, shows a respectable baffle design. However, this particular design is formed from multiple pieces. It discloses a further heat transfer apparatus. In this particular embodiment, the baffles appear to be formed from a single circular sheet, and then cut, stamped, and bent, into their perpendicularity, before their insertion within their respective enclosing shell of a heat exchanger. As is well known, the baffles, with their arranged openings are designed for holding the tubes of the heat exchanger.
The patent to Man Suk Lee, No. 3,400,758, shows another formed from multiple pieces. It discloses another form of helical baffle means in a tubular heat exchanger. As can be seen, this particular device shows the method for forming baffles, having a variety of bends or other shaped configurations, particularly as can be seen in the patent drawings, with these baffles then being secured into position within the heat exchanger's shell, as can be noted.
The patent to Friedman, No. 3,739,443, discloses how to construct together a shell with tight fitting baffles. This particular configuration for a heat exchanger has been around for approximately forty years. This patent discloses a method of forming a shell and tube heat exchanger. This particular patent shows a series of bundles of tubes, as can be noted in its disclosure, having supporting sheets at either end, and then the half shells are folded therearound, and clamped into position by means of the clamping strips.
The patent to Parker, No. 3,769,959, is an enlarged version of what previously was shown in the Brinen, O'Brien, and Neveux patents, for constructing turbulence inside of a tube. The tube in this particular instance may be larger and is odd shaped, but it is not integrally formed. The patent further discloses a type of heating tube and baffle arrangement for deep fat fryers. As can be noted, the baffling arrangement includes the baffle means with an outer tube arranged therearound. But it does not appear that this particular structure integrally.
The patent to Neveux, No. 4,106,558, shows another turbulator, in this particular instance, it is identified as a deflector for use inside of tubes. The patent discloses another form of a deflector for a heat exchanger tube. But, once again, while the deflectors may be formed as a series of stampings, as can be seen in its drawings, once these deflectors are fabricated, they are then split into their separate tubes for locating within a heat exchanger. It appears that the shaped cylindrical sections are independently formed, before any baffle is arranged therein.
The patent to Melnyk, et al, No. 4,546,825, describes a conventional heater, differing in that the shell of this heater is corrugated and the baffles are held in place by the recess in the corrugations. The patent specifically discloses a heat exchanger and method of assembly thereof. This particular embodiment appears to be very similar to the configuration of the previously described Freidman heat exchanger, wherein the baffles are formed independently, to support their tube bundle, but that the outer shell is formed of a pair of half angular shells.
The patent to Duncan, No. 4,727,907, discloses another form of a turbulator, with integral flow deflector tabs, which are configured as a stamping, apparently for locating within the heat exchanger pipe.
The patent to Yeh, No. 4,832,114, describes a scraped heat exchanger, and shows a device for producing high heat transfer in the heat exchanger tubes, with the internal baffling arrangement, as to be seen, being independently formed, and then apparently supported for rotation therein, by means of bearing mounts. There may even be sweeping elements provided upon the periphery of the shown strip.
These prior patents show and describe the use of a turbulator for application inside of a heat exchanger tube, especially small tubes. These types of devices were designed for use as oil coolers for diesel engines, and the like, even though they may have other applications. Other designs in the prior art as disclosed above attempt to minimize leaks between the baffles and the shell within the heat exchanger, or they are other variations upon the tube type turbulators. None of the designs in the prior art disclose a shell and baffle assembly, fabricated from a single metal plate material, into an integral type of unit.


A method and apparatus for providing a lifetime extension to an identity assertion is provided herein. During operation a user will authenticate to an identity management server (also known as an authorization server or an authentication server) to obtain an identity assertion. An identity assertion will be provided upon successful authentication. The lifetime of the identity assertion will be based on whether or not biometric information of the user will be used by the device to which the assertion is being issued to identify the user prior to allowing the use of the identity assertion.

Single Sign On (SSO) (also known as Enterprise Single Sign On or "ESSO") is the ability for a user to enter the same id and password to logon to multiple applications. Current single sign on identity and access management solutions include industry standard protocols like SAML and OAuth to issue identity assertions (such as tokens, cookies, etc.) to user devices for subsequent access to application servers. These issued identity assertions may have a limited lifetime, or time to live (TTL). Limiting the TTL prevents the assertions from being abused or otherwise compromising the security of the overall system (e.g. a mobile device is lost/stolen during the assertion lifetime).
There is a user experience benefit to having longer assertion lifetimes. Thus there is a compromise today where the user benefits from longer assertion lifetimes, but system security is improved with shorter lifetimes. It would be beneficial for a user to increase assertion lifetimes without increasing the likelihood of the assertion being abused.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

Identity assertion based on biometric information


The invention seeks to provide an improved wiper blade assembly, and in a broad aspect provides a windscreen wiper blade assembly comprising at least a primary yoke and a pair of secondary yokes articulated thereto, the primary yoke and/or the secondary yokes being provided with at least one wind-deflecting surface, oriented in relation to the direction of motion of the vehicle so that when said vehicle is moving to create air flow over the windscreen, air is deflected by said surface or surfaces to produce a force tending to urge the wiper blade assembly towards the windscreen of the vehicle. And end cap is provided for accommodating the ends of the secondary yokes and the of the backing member and wiper blade rubber. A connector disposed within the primary yoke accommodates different size diameter pins of different sized wiper arms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiper blade assembly, particularly of the type used for mounting windscreen wipers on motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional wiper blade assembly comprises a primary yoke for attachment to a wiper arm and two secondary yokes pivotally attached to opposite ends of the primary yoke. In the case of a dual wiper blade assembly, two side-by-side secondary yokes may optionally be attached to each end of the primary yoke. A separate tertiary yoke is articulated to one, usually the outermost one, of the two free ends of each secondary yoke. Claws for mounting a single wipe blade or dual, parallel wiper blades are provided at the ends of the tertiary yokes not occupied by the tertiary yokes. There is thus provided a flexible six point mounting for the or each wiper blade, which affords a reasonable degree of contact between the wiper blade and the windscreen, at least in calm conditions when the vehicle is travelling slowly.
A problem arises with such a wiper blade assembly, however, when the vehicle is travelling forwards, particularly at high speed. The upward air flow over the windscreen tends to lift the wiper blade assembly away from the windscreen particularly on its downward stroke. To alleviate this problem, spoilers or wind deflecting vanes have been proposed for the leading edge of the assembly. However, the attachment of such spoilers to the primary yoke complicates the manufacture of the assembly.


A method of precision calibration of a microscope magnification with calculating a magnification scale as a quotient obtained when an image size of a test object viewed or collected with the microscope is divided by a true test object size, the methods comprising the steps of obtaining a magnification reference by taking a diffraction grating with a tested pitch value as the test object; distributing a brightness level between 30–70% amplitude in one of an image of the diffraction grating and a video signal obtained in the microscope; calculating a position of the video signal “center of mass” for each of formed “islands” of the brightness distribution; considering an average distance between neighboring “center of mass” as being a grating pitch in a microscope image of the object; and recognizing that a magnification scale of the microscope is a result of a division of an average pitch dimension by true grating pitch.

The present invention relates to a method for precision magnification calibration of image magnifying devices, such as optical microscopes, confocal scanning microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, tunneling microscopes and atomic force microscopes.
Technical advances in many scientific fields are placing demands for increasing accuracy of feature measurements made using image-magnifying instruments [micro-scopes], in the size ranges of millimeters, microns and nanometers. In particular, the need arises because of the increasing miniaturization and complexity of integrated circuits and cellular studies in the field of bioengineering.
However, accurate size measurements cannot be made with a microscope unless it has first been calibrated with a magnification reference "standard" (standard is defined as a device having a verifiable value). The reliability of the information obtained from microscope image measurements depends on the accuracy of the microscope's magnification calibration. Any error in the magnification calibration of a microscope is a component of the total size measurement error and frequently is the predominant component. The magnification scale M of the microscope is determined by the ratio. M=L′/L. L is the size of the test object (measurement reference) used for the magnification calibration; L′ is the size of the same test object realized in the microscope image (the magnified image of the object).
The methods of magnification calibration are known B. B. Martinov, "Problems of Measurements of Linear Sizes of Relief Sub Micron Structures on Raster Electronic Microscopes" preprint #501IOFAN.M, 1990, page 18, assuming use of a line-width standard (magnification reference) as the test object. Thus, it is considered that the nominal size L of the magnification reference is known with an adequate accuracy. However, obtaining the exact pitch value L′ from the microscope's image of the test object pattern appears to be a problem in this case. The fact is that a ratio between an object and its image is rather nontrivial.
In any kind of microscopy the image is only similar to the object, but is never an exact copy. In particular, there are no universal rules, according to which it would be possible to specify points on the image corresponding to object edges (the distance between which is the image size L′). This is the reason for significant errors in the value of L′ and for microscope magnification calibration errors as a whole. In B. B. Martinov's "Problems of Measurements of Linear Sizes of Relief Sub Micron Structures on Raster Electronic Microscopes" preprint #501IOFAN.M, 1990, page 18, the results of a practical application of this method are given. The calibration error of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was calculated by the authors as 2.6% in one case and as 5.1% in the other case. This is not an acceptable magnification error for a SEM used to perform accurate measurements. Such SEMs require their magnification error to be less than 0.5%.
The use of a pitch magnification reference material as a standard for magnification calibration M. T. Postek, Critical Issues in Scanning Electron Microscopes Metrology, Journ. Of Research of the National Inst. of Standards & Technol., Vol. 99, No. 5, October 1994, pp. 658–660 provides significant advantages in the precision of a microscope's magnification calibration. As the pitch reference contains several or many repeatable identical features (lines or stripes). Independent of the type or model of microscope being calibrated, these patterned lines will appear to be identical to each other. This strongly facilitates evaluation of the pitch value of such structures present in the microscope image: the distance between any equivalent points of adjacent stripe pattern features in the image can be considered as the pitch value. Such points can be established or noted by using the maxima or minima of brightness in the video signal, any repeated characteristic features on the videosignal slopes, etc. In order to implement such a method, firstly it is necessary to create and certify the indicated pitch magnification references with a known accuracy (creating a standard), there by correlating their nominal pitch size to an absolute size scale. Both of these problems are not simple. According to M. T. Postek, Critical Issues in Scanning Electron Microscopes Metrology, Journ. Of Research of the National Inst. of Standards & Technol., Vol. 99, No. 5, October 1994, pp. 658–660, for these reasons up to the present time only two pitch magnification references have been certified to be used as SEM magnification standards. They have the required characteristics and have been created with nominal pitch values less than 1 micron [NIST Standard Reference Materials SRM484 and SRM-2090]. Such magnification references are unique, expensive and not readily available for most users.
In particular, pitch magnification reference SRM-2090 contains 8 separate parallel line structures, the pitch value between adjacent line features is about 200 nanometers. It is known that optical diffraction methods can be used to provide highly precise and accurate pitch certifications of a diffraction grating. However, one is not able to apply these techniques to the certification of NIST SRM-484 and SRM-2090 because of the small number of repeated lines. For these purposes the authors U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,875 had to provide a special unique measuring environment that protected the SEM from vibrations and contained a precision stage with a laser inteiferometer, operating under computer control. The achievable accuracy of measurement certification is not given by the authors [U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,875].
Previous inventions attempted to improve the accuracy of SEM measurements, but had a number of drawbacks. A major issues that these inventions failed to provide a universal solution for accurate magnification calibration of image magnifying instruments. More specifically, the invention described in the patent "Scanning electron microscope ruler and method", U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,875, is restrictive because it requires fabrication of precision features on the integrated circuits to be inspected. This precludes the method from being readily available to a wide number of microscope users. More importantly, the ruler method described in the patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,875 did not provide for the highest degree of precision and accuracy. This degree is achievable in our proposed invention.
In the patent, "Apparatus and method for measuring length in scanning particle microscope" U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,296, the propose measuring references provided an inferior degree of magnification calibration because they cannot be used as an absolute magnification standard. In addition they do not incorporate the necessary algorithms to determine the statistical measurement errors. Thus, the degree of accuracy of the magnification measurement is unknown. In contrast, our proposed invention enables the user to precisely determine the magnification errors in the microscope.
Finally, the invention described in patent, "High precision calibration and feature measurement system for a scanning probe microscope" U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,670 is measuring instrument specific, and has limited use because it requires direct control of the SEM's' scan drive circuitry. Also, it cannot be applied to non-scanning image magnifying instruments. In contrast, our proposed invention can be universally applied to any image magnifying device.

Method of precision calibration of a microscope and the like


A method and an apparatus for determining displacement of a surface member coupled to a user interface mechanism, for example a joystick handle, using a fixed optical motion sensor. Using the displacement of the surface member, the method, and apparatus may determine an absolute position of the surface member, recalibrating a center point upon detecting a difference in light reflection of the center point.

User interface mechanisms, such as joysticks, computer mice, and trackballs, are well known for inputting data into and interfacing with personal computers. Similarly, joysticks are well known for inputting data into and interfacing with computers (e.g. game consoles) for various gaming applications, for example, flight simulation, robotic control, video games, arcades, etc. In addition to the consumer applications, joysticks and other user interface mechanisms are used in industrial applications, for example, for controlling robotics, computers, and machinery, such as tail lifts, backhoes, and other known machinery. Such industrial applications may require high reliability and accuracy.
Pointing devices allow rapid relocation of a cursor on a monitor, and are useful in many text, database, and graphical programs. A user controls the cursor, for example, by moving the mouse over a surface to move the cursor in a direction and over distance proportional to the movement of the mouse. Pointing devices, generally, detect only incremental motion or change in positions; however, pointing devices do not detect absolute position of the cursor. Typically, mice technology has a loose count of the incremental motions of the pointing device or, in other words, mice technology tolerates error. The error is implicitly corrected using a negative feedback operation via the user. If the user observes the error in the position of the cursor, the user corrects the error by moving the pointing device accordingly to reposition the cursor. Conversely, joysticks and other user interface mechanisms generally detect the absolute position of the device. Absolute position may be determined by accumulating the incremental motions; however, drift in the absolution may be introduced by the positional error.
Traditionally, joysticks have used a pair of potentiometers coupled to a moving member, for example, the joystick handle, by an apparatus, which separates the x- and y-axis movement of the joystick handle into separate rotational movement in such a way that the x-component of handle motion transfers to one potentiometer and the y-component transfers to the other potentiometer.
More recently, some conventional joysticks used in personal computer (PC) gaming have included a "twist" axis, in which twisting the joystick handle caused a third potentiometer to be rotated. For example, twist axes may be used in flight simulation PC gaming, in which the twist action controls a function, such as, the rudder control. Twist axes may also be used in robotic controls for twisting an appendage of a robot or for spinning the robot. Twist axes may also be used in high-end joysticks used in other consumer and industrial applications.
Use of potentiometers to sense joystick handle motion has a number of disadvantages, most significantly, the reliability of potentiometers. An inexpensive potentiometer may have a life of only a few hundred thousand cycles, which is equivalent to only a few months of regular use. Higher quality devices may have a life of a few million cycles, but that still results in a reliable life of little more than a year if the joystick is regularly used; however, these devices typically cost significantly more—often up to approximately $0.50. Thus, the cost of making a joystick with 1-2 year life may include $1.50 or more just for the potentiometers.
Conventional potentiometer-based joysticks also have disadvantages with respect to accuracy, centering, precision linearity of potentiometers output (typically +/−20%), scaling, and mechanical complexity. With respect to accuracy and centering, drift may exist in the absolute position of the joystick when the accumulated counts or displacements have error, indicating that the joystick is slightly off-centered, when in fact the joystick is centered. Drift affects the precision of the conventional potentiometer-based joysticks as well. With respect to linearity, conventional potentiometer-based joysticks may have non-uniformity in the output signals because of the printed resistive track. The potentiometer has a non-uniform resistivity on the surface of the track, which results in differing output values for equal distance movements of the wiper over different areas of the track. With respect to noise, the wiper of the potentiometers at times, especially after being worn down over time, may lose contact with the resistive surface. By losing contact with the surface, the wiper introduces additional noise into the system. Furthermore, the potentiometers introduce additional electrical noise due to the electrical nature of potentiometers.
For these reason, there have been many attempts to develop non-contacting joystick reading technologies. Many conventional optical, electromagnetic, and capacitive solutions to this problem have been brought to market, but the conventional optical solution is the only one sufficiently cost-effective to have been successfully applied to the mass market. However, this conventional optical solution is no less expensive than a high quality potentiometer solution. This solution utilizes variations in the intensity of an optical light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED), as the angle between the LED and a photodiode array changes to detect the motion of a joystick handle. This analog optical technology has many of the same accuracy, precision, centering and scaling problems of conventional potentiometer-based joysticks. Furthermore, the conventional analog optical joysticks have disadvantages with respect to their mechanical complexity.
Conventional trackball mouse designs area derivative of mice designs. Conventional trackballs may be used to also allow rapid relocation of the cursor on the monitor, but do so by rotating the trackball with a user's thumb, finger, or palm of the hand. Conventional trackballs detect only incremental motion or change in positions, and do not detect absolute positions of the cursor. Conventional trackballs also have a loose count of the incremental motions, and similarly, tolerates such error due to the negative feedback of the user.

Method and apparatus for sensing motion of a user interface mechanism using optical navigation technology