A process for mapping a region of interest using polarimetric radar signals is disclosed. The process provides for the polarimetric calibration of polarized signal data to account for distortions arising from cross-talk and channel imbalance during signal transmission and/or reception. Moreover, the process also can be used to correct for ionospheric signal distortions of polarized signals with low frequencies prone to Faraday rotations upon encountering the ionosphere. Such calibrations are accomplished with a reduced number of, typically ground-based, signal reflection devices used for calibrating the polarimetric signals to compensate for the above distortions.

Polarimetric radar mapping processes have been used, via aircraft and satellites, to determine features of a geographical region of interest with a high degree of resolution. In particular, such features as the biomass or the soil moisture content of the region can be determined from polarized radar signals transmitted toward and received from the region. Typically at least two signals having distinct predetermined signal polarizations are transmitted and received. The received signals which are deflected or scattered from the region are analyzed according to their polarization, amplitude and phase. To properly analyze a received signal, a polarimetric radar signal mapping process must calibrate signal derived data to account for various signal distortions. For example, there are imbalances between the circuits or channels transmitting distinct polarized signals. That is, there can be unintended amplitude and/or phase differentials between these channels resulting in two signals of distinct polarization being transmitted with unintended imbalances in their amplitudes and/or phases. Further, similar channel imbalances can occur upon reception of received signals scattered from the region of interest. Additional signal distortions can result from the leakage or cross-talk of signals having one polarization into circuitry for the transmission or reception of signals having a different polarization.
For the above-mentioned distortions, there are well known equations which provide functional relationships between: (a) measurements of the received scattered signals and (b) calibration coefficients or variables used to reduce the above distortions. Moreover, there have been various prior art mapping processes for determining the cross-talk and channel imbalance calibration coefficients for calibrating the received scattered signals. Such processes incorporate one or a combination of two basic approaches: (1) receiving signals from artificial (i.e., man-made) ground-based calibration devices (i.e., calibrators) with known scattering or transmission properties, and (2) receiving signals from natural scatterers with assume signal scattering properties.
The first approach has the advantage that calibration accuracy is limited only by the precision with which the ground-based calibrators can be built, maintained, and oriented. However, such mapping processes are constrained from a practical standpoint by the need to locate the calibrators in areas where the calibrators can be clearly detected. That is, in areas having low signal scattering. Such areas, of course, can be difficult to provide in certain regions of interest. Further, a plurality of such calibrators can be required within each scene for which calibration is required, thereby entailing increased ground support.
Mapping processes using a combination of the above-mentioned two approaches have been proposed to reduce the number of required ground-based artificial calibrators. Such processes have been developed for calibrating data using a single artificial ground-based calibrator together with selected observations of natural signal scatter. However, such processes typically assume reciprocity of the radar system. That is, the transmit imbalance and cross-talk are assumed to be equal to the equivalent receive values. Moreover, such processes also assume the cross-talk terms are small so that the calibration computations can be linearized. with this latter assumption, the cross-talk terms can be determined using signal scattering measurements, but the artificial calibrator is still required to obtain the channel imbalance calibration coefficients. Further, such processes require an initial estimate of the calibration coefficients and converges to the final values through an interactive process. Alternatively, mapping processes using both the above-mentioned approaches have also been developed that eliminate the reciprocity assumption. However, in either case the channel imbalance calibration coefficients are valid only in a local area of the artificial calibration. In fact, the channel imbalance calibration coefficients can vary by 25% or more across a region of interest having a transmitted signal incidence angle range of 25.degree. which correspond to an amplitude variation of 1.9 dB. An array of ground-based calibrators is thus required to calibrate most regions of interest.
In yet another polarimetric signal mapping process that also uses a single ground-based artificial calibrator, the artificial calibrator is used to obtain all of the above calibration coefficients. However, the process is again limited in that the validity of the calibration is restricted to the vicinity of the calibrator. In addition, this process also assumes that the cross-talk calibration coefficients all have the same value, an assumption that is not satisfied by circuitry of many polarimetric radar signal mapping systems, including the current JPL AirSAR polarimetric radar transmitting and receiving system.
Also, for signals at frequencies below approximately 1 GHz that must travel through the ionosphere, Faraday rotations in the angle of a polarized radar signal occur which can distort the signal. The signal is distorted both during transmission to the region of interest and following the scattering of the signal from the region. Thus, such low frequencies have been avoided in prior art polarimetric signal mapping processes due to inadequate techniques in compensating for such Faraday rotations. However, polarimetric radar signals at such low frequencies are useful in penetrating deeply into areas with substantial vegetation. Thus, it would be advantageous for a spaceborne polarimetric radar signal mapping process to be able to use such low frequency signals for biomass or other applications and perform signal calibration to reduce the Faraday rotation angle distortion.
The present invention eliminates many of the abovementioned drawbacks inherent in polarimetric signal calibration processes.

Polarimetric radar signal mapping process


A system and method for permitting viewership behavior on a cable television system, or satellite system, to be analyzed while guaranteeing the anonymity of the individual viewers. Using this system and method, the content of the message initiated by a consumer device, that is configured to receive television programming content, cannot be known by the cable operator even though the cable operator can identify the source of the message; alternatively, the entity that analyzes viewership behavior cannot know the source of the message but can know the content of the message.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the field of automatic monitoring of cable television use, and more particularly, to a system and method for permitting viewership behavior to be analyzed while guaranteeing the anonymity of the individual viewers.
2. Description of Related Art
The following references are related to cable systems or data systems and the handling of communications between the users.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,514 (Link et al.), which is assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention, namely, QCOM TV, Inc., discloses a system and method for identifying television programming, identifying and capturing consumer behavior as regards such programming and providing a near-real time reporting of that information to interested parties while providing verification of actual delivery of advertising and/or program content.
WO 02/05568 (Link et al.) discloses a system and method for providing television programming which has been enabled for interactive purchase by viewers using their set top boxes over multiple channels for multiple merchant products/services and for delivering those purchase requests to the parties who provide fulfillment and billing for those requests. This system/method uses encryption in the transmission of purchase/transaction messages from viewers but, unlike the present invention, the source of the message needs to be known in order for the purchased item/services to be delivered to the originator of the request.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,087 (Herz, et al.) discloses a system for the generation of object profiles for customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment. A target profile interest summary is generated for each user and a cryptographically-based pseudonym proxy server is used to provide the user with control over the ability of third parties to access this summary and to identify or contact the user. However, among other things, this system requires that the user actively participate in the establishment of the profile and this proxy server is able to translate from an individual to a pseudonym and then vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,588 (Aras et al.) discloses a monitoring system for audio-visual materials presented to subscribers and includes a privacy setting that allows the subscriber to prevent his/her viewing habits from being transmitted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,656 (Loeb, et al)teaches how one might protect individually identifiable information by combining the use of an "authority", to translate from an individual ID (identification) to a pseudonym and back, with the use of profile data transmitted in encrypted form from a service provider computer. However, unlike the present invention, the "authority" in this system has the ability to translate in both directions.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0073435 (Handelman) discloses a cable TV system that uses a cable TV network, a multiplicity of subscriber units, and apparatus for transmitting encrypted information over the network of individually-addressed information to a subscriber unit and apparatus associated with each of the multiplicity of subscriber units for decoding the encrypted information.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0019781 (Shooks et al.) discloses a method and system for facilitating the anonymous purchase of goods and services from an e-commerce website. Funds are credited to a card account number in advance of use of a preset amount. However, a user of the card is anonymous by virtue of there being no name associated with the card. Use of this system requires active participation by the consumer to acquire the anonymous funds card.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0073046 (David) discloses a system and method for secure network purchasing and which uses encryption techniques to generate a password from a seed stored in a user's configuration file on the user's computer. However, use of this system requires the active participation of the consumer to establish an account with the merchant or service provider.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0108122 (Alao et al.) discloses a system for managing delivery of interactive television content from multiple diverse content or service sources to one or more set top boxes and managing the transaction dialogue from those set top boxes back to the diverse services. It provides a gateway and translation function which allows a set top box to interact with multiple services and content streams while only having to understand the one set of rules and protocols. Though encryption is discussed at various points, it does not make the set top box anonymous.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0108040 (Eskicioglu) discloses a method for providing conditional access to a received scrambled audio/visual signal from a variety of sources, e.g., broadcast TV networks, CATV networks, digital satellite systems and Internet service providers.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0107909 (Eyer et al.) discloses a method that allows a user who has access to an audio/visual object to cause an interactive control element of an interactive multimedia system to grab and store for future retrieval the audio/visual object by activating a selection mechanism of the interactive multi-media.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0108121 (Alao et al.) discloses a service gateway that provides a proxy between a client protocol and a plurality of standard communication protocols and utilizes encryption for interactive television.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0099948 (Kocher et al.) discloses a system whereby, before use, a population of tamper-resistant cryptographic enforcement devices is partitioned into groups and is issued one or more group keys. Each tamper-resistant device contains multiple computational units to control access to digital content. One of the computational units within each tamper-resistant device communicates with another of the computational units acting as an interface control processor, and which serves to protect the contents of a nonvolatile memory from unauthorized access.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0104098 (Zustack et al.) discloses a system whereby a subscriber class leases and provides programming for a digital television channel using the 2-way communication capabilities of a digital set top box. Encryption/decryption is used to prevent unauthorized access to programming content and whereby a decryption key can be transmitted over a video channel, or other communication channel, via modem.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0108034 (Hashem et al.) discloses a system and method for automatically encrypting and decrypting data for transmission using a process whereby a file is retrieved from a destination-based transmit folder, encrypting the file and then transmitting the file to an outgoing folder to the destination. The file is encrypted with an encryption process associated with the destination-based transmit folder.
U.S. patent application No. US 2002/0104083 (Hendricks et al.) discloses a system supporting targeted advertising directed to television terminals connected to an operations center or cable headend.
"Untraceable Electronic Mail, Return Addresses, and Digital Pseudonyms" by David Chaum (Communications of the ACM, Vol. 24, No. 2, Feb. 1981) teaches how encryption techniques can be used in conjunction with an intermediary authority to mask the source of an email while providing a mechanism by which the recipient can respond to the originator without disclosing who the originator might be. However, this approach requires that the "authority" be able to both encode and decode the originator's address.
"A Secure and Privacy-Protecting Protocol for Transmitting Personal Information between Organizations" by Chaum and Evertse demonstrates a proof that relies on the active participation of individuals (or their agent) to monitor and coordinate the distribution of personal information among organizations. In this instance, the "authority" is the individual who can associate the private information with a particular ID or pseudonym.
Thus, there remains a need for a system and method of guaranteeing the anonymity of the source of a message (wherein the source is coupled to a cable television system for receiving television programming content therefrom) but allowing the content of the message to be analyzed by a downstream entity without requiring intervention by the originator of the message.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

System and method of guaranteed anonymity of cable television viewership behavior


A catheter introducer adapted to facilitate insertion of a catheter into a patient without requiring a large aperture be made in the patient wherethrough a separate catheter may be inserted; the catheter introducer includes an elongate narrow wire adapted to pass through the catheter and be sufficiently long so as to protrude from an open distal end of the catheter, the wire being adapted to receive an electrical current charge therethrough so as to energize a protruding tip region of the wire and facilitate direct insertion of the catheter into the patient. The catheter introducer includes a removable lock head structured to be removably secured over a proximal hub portion of the catheter subsequent to insertion of the wire into the catheter, and is utilized as part of a method of inserting a catheter wherein a patient is first placed upon a grounded operating surface, the elongate wire of the catheter introducer is inserted into the catheter, current is introduced into the wire, the catheter is pushed easily through the patient's flesh as a result of contact by the energized protruding tip region of the wire with the patient's flesh, the catheter being inserted a desired distance into the patient after which the current is removed from the wire and the catheter introducer is removed from the catheter to allow normal use of the catheter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catheter introducer and method of using same adapted to enable an electrical charge to pass through a standard catheter, utilizing an elongate wire, such that the electrically energized wire facilitates insertion of the catheter directly into the patient, thereby enabling a doctor to easily and safely insert a catheter into the patient without requiring a large aperture through which the catheter would be inserted be made.
2. Description of the Related Art
More and more commonly today surgical procedures do not require large incisions in a patient wherein all must be exposed for a doctor to properly operate. Laproscopic type surgical procedures are becoming the prevalent norm because of their many benefits to the recovery of the patient. In procedures such as gallbladder surgery, a number of relatively large apertures, wherein trocars are generally inserted and maintained, are made in the patient as the primary access to the patient's interior. Through these openings, a patient's abdominal region is inflated so as to provide a more ample and convenient work area within the patient. By means of the trocars, surgical tools are inserted into the patient such that the procedures may be performed. In many procedures, such as the gallbladder procedure, catheters are utilized for particular segments of the operation. Traditionally, catheter introducers much like a smaller version of a trocar have been utilized to make an aperture within a patient wherethrough the catheter is then inserted. These extraneous openings, however, are still too large and it would be very beneficial to minimize the size of these extraneous openings whenever possible. Due to the flexible and substantially thin nature of a catheter, they have not been readily adaptable for direct insertion into the patient because that would be analogous to pushing a string into a hole in the wall. Therefore, an introducer has been utilized for catheter insertion therethrough, requiring the formation of the extraneous holes.
The device of the present invention is adapted specifically to enable the catheter itself to be inserted directly into the patient without the need for any additional, relatively large openings, thereby minimizing the size of any opening within the patient and eliminating the need for extra trocar type introducers to be utilized for each catheter that must be inserted into the patient. The catheter introducer of the present invention is adapted for use with any catheter. It is like an electric sword. It utilizes an electrically energized elongate wire that passes through the catheter tube and protrudes slightly from a tip thereof. By energizing the wire, the tip portion of the wire upon contacting the patient's flesh allows the catheter to easily pass through the patient's flesh and limits the size of the aperture directly to the diameter of the catheter. Known introducers require an opening through which the catheter is inserted and require an introducer for each catheter which is within the patient at a given time. Accordingly, a catheter introducer as that of the present invention which enables the catheter to be inserted directly and may be removed from an inserted catheter and utilized with other catheters to be inserted, provides a beneficial improvement in non-invasive type surgery.

Catheter introducer and method of using same


A projection screen includes a plurality of convex portions serving as a light diffusion control portion, on the surface of a substrate. An optical thin film overlies the substrate and has convex portions having the same shape as that of the convex portions of the substrate. When external light enters the optical thin film with light in three primary color wavelength bands, the optical thin film reflects only the light in the three color wavelength bands and absorbs at least visible light of the external light. When light in the three primary color wavelength bands perpendicularly enters the optical thin film, the rays of the light have incident angles at the convex portions of the optical thin film and diffuse-reflected at angles twice the incident angles. Thus, a predetermined percentage of the light is diffused to increase the viewing angle of the screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to projection screens on which images are displayed by receiving light from a light source. In particular, the present invention relates to a reflective projection screen and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Overhead projectors and slide projectors have widely been used for showing materials in meetings and the like. Also, the use of video projectors and animation film projectors is spreading to ordinary households. In these projectors, light from a light source is spatially modulated to imaging light by a light valve, and the image light is projected onto a screen through an illumination optical system, such as a lens.
Some of this type of projectors can display color images and in which a lamp for emitting white light including three primary colors, which are red (R), green (G), and blue (B), is used as the light source and a transmissive liquid crystal panel is used as the light valve. In these projectors, white light emitted from a light source is divided into red light, green light, and blue light. Each color light is converged on a predetermined light path. These beams of light are spatially modulated by the liquid crystal panel, according to an image signal. The modulated light beams are synthesized to color image light in a photosynthesis portion. The synthesized color image light is magnified through a lens to be projected onto a projection screen.
Another type of projectors capable of displaying color images has recently been developed which includes a narrow-band three primary color light source, which may be a laser oscillator for emitting narrow-band light beams of three primary colors, and a grating light valve (GLV). In this projector, each color light beam emitted from the laser oscillator is spatially modulated by the GLV, according to image signals. The modulated light beams are synthesized to color image light in a photosynthesis portion, and the synthesized color image light is magnified through a lens to be projected onto a projection screen, as in the foregoing projector.
Screens used for the projectors are classified into the transmissive type and the reflective type. In a transmissive screen, projection light is emitted from the back side of the screen and viewed from the front. In a reflective screen, projection light is emitted from the front of the screen and the reflected light is viewed from the front. In either type, it is desired to form bright, high-contrast images in order to achieve a highly visible screen.
In front projectors using such a reflective projection screen, unfortunately, the reflection of external light cannot be suppressed by, for example, using a neutral density (ND) filter, in contrast to self-luminescent displays and rear projectors. In particular, it is difficult to increase the contrast on the projection screen in a bright environment.
In order to solve the problem, a projection screen 100 having an optical thin film 112 serving as a band-pass filter, as shown in FIG. 10, has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-070799. The projection screen 100 includes a screen substrate 111 serving as a light absorber and the optical thin film 112 on the screen substrate 111. The optical thin film 112 is a dielectric multilayer laminate reflecting light in a specific wavelength band and transmitting at least visible light other than the light in the specific wavelength band. Each thickness of the layers of the dielectric laminate is set according to a simulation based on a matrix method. A light diffusion layer 113 for diffusing the light reflected from the optical thin film 112 is formed on the optical thin film 112. The light diffusion layer 113 is formed by arranging beads, using a film including a microlens array, and other common techniques.
In this projection screen 100, only light in a specific wavelength band of the light emitted from a projector is reflected from the optical thin film 112. This reflected light is diffused at the light diffusion layer 113 to form an image. On the other hand, the other light, emitted from the projector, is transmitted through the optical thin film 112 to be absorbed by the screen substrate 111. Since the optical thin film 112 serves as a band-pass filter to increase light/dark contrast, a distinct image can be displayed on the projection screen 100 even in a bright environment.
However, since the light diffusion layer 113 provides a viewing angle as small as 20°, the projection screen 100 cannot achieve satisfactory viewing characteristics.

Projection screen and method for manufacturing the same


Branch instructions are managed in an emulation environment that is executing a program. A plurality of slots in a Polymorphic Inline Cache is populated. A plurality of entries is populated in a branch target buffer residing within an emulated environment in which the program is executing. When an indirect branch instruction associated with the program is encountered, a target address associated with the instruction is identified from the indirect branch instruction. At least one address in each of the slots of the Polymorphic Inline Cache is compared to the target address associated with the indirect branch instruction. If none of the addresses in the slots of the Polymorphic Inline Cache matches the target address associated with the indirect branch instruction, the branch target buffer is searched to identify one of the entries in the branch target buffer that is associated with the target address of the indirect branch instruction.

An emulator is software that creates a virtual environment where a particular type of computing system can be operated. For example, the Java Virtual Machine creates an environment where programs written in the Java programming language can run. Other types of emulators virtualize an entire computing architecture. For example, there are emulators that emulate the Intel IA32 architecture (e.g., VMWare).
Typically, emulators work by interpreting some form of instructions relevant to the target environment, and a dynamic translator (JIT, or Just-In-Time Compiler) translates such instructions into a sequence of instructions in the native instruction set of the computing system on which the emulator is running. The instruction stream that the emulator interprets is a computer program. As with any computer program, the instruction stream contains many different types of instructions, including branches to other instructions. Branches are special in that they can change the sequential flow of execution of the program and direct it to a different instruction stream.
Indirect branches contain the target address in a register, while in direct branches the target is encoded in the instruction itself. In an indirect branch instruction, the target address cannot be ascertained until the instruction is decoded and its parameters are read. Furthermore, the target address of an indirect branch instruction can change between different executions of the instruction. As a consequence, predicting the path to be taken by such indirect branch instructions can be costly.
The use of JIT compilers adds more complexity to this problem. Whenever the emulator or the compiled code encounters an indirect branch instruction, it is necessary to search whether the target address has been compiled or not (if the target has been compiled, then the memory address of the compiled instruction needs to be retrieved as well). This process creates the extra cost of the search every time an indirect branch instruction is executed. Because an indirect branch potentially has a different target address every time it is executed, the target address cannot be directly embedded in the compiled code.

Branch target buffer for emulation environments

International Business Machines Corporation


Various methods, devices, systems, and computer programs are disclosed relating to the use of models to represent systems and processes (such as manufacturing and production plants). For example, a method may include generating a first model and a second model using operating data associated with a system or process. The method may also include using the first and second models to predict one or more events associated with the system or process. The one or more events are predicted by generating one or more initial event predictions using the first model and adjusting the one or more initial event predictions using the second model. The first model may represent a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model, and the second model may represent a Fuzzy Logic model.

Many systems and processes in science, engineering, business, and other settings can be characterized by the fact that many different inter-related parameters contribute to the behavior of the system or process. It is often desirable to determine values or ranges of values for some or all of these parameters. This may be done, for example, so that parameter values or value ranges corresponding to beneficial behavior patterns of the system or process (such as productivity, profitability, or efficiency) can be identified. However, the complexity of most real world systems generally precludes the possibility of arriving at such solutions analytically.
Many analysts have therefore turned to predictive models to characterize and derive solutions for these complex systems and processes. A predictive model is generally a representation of a system or process that receives input data or parameters (such as those related to a system or model attribute and/or external circumstances or environments) and generates output indicative of the behavior of the system or process under those parameters. In other words, the model or models may be used to predict the behavior or trends of the system or process based upon previously acquired data.

System, method, and computer program for early event detection


An active matrix substrate includes: a substrate (1); a peripheral circuit including a plurality of first TFTs (10); and a plurality of second TFTs (20), wherein each of the first and second TFTs (10, 20) includes: a gate electrode (3A, 3B); a gate insulating layer (5); an oxide semiconductor layer (7A, 7B) including a channel region (7Ac, 7Bc), a source contact region (7As, 7Bs) and a drain contact region (7Ad, 7Bd), wherein the source contact region and the drain contact region are located on opposite sides of the channel region; a source electrode (8A, 8B) that is in contact with the source contact region and a drain electrode (9A, 9B) that is in contact with the drain contact region; the oxide semiconductor layer of the first TFTs and the second TFTs is formed from the same oxide semiconductor film; a carrier concentration in the channel regions (7Ac) of the first TETs is higher than a carrier concentration in the channel regions (7Bc) of the second TETs.

An active matrix substrate used in a liquid crystal display device, or the like, includes a display region having a plurality of pixels, and a region (a non-display region or a bezel region) other than the display region. In the display region, a switching element such as a thin film transistor (hereinafter, a "TFT") is provided for each pixel. Conventionally, TFTs using an amorphous silicon film as the active layer (hereinafter, "amorphous silicon TFTs") and TFTs using a polycrystalline silicon film as the active layer (hereinafter, "polycrystalline silicon TFTs") have been widely used as such switching elements.
It has been proposed in the art to use an oxide semiconductor, instead of an amorphous silicon or a polycrystalline silicon, as the material of the active layer of TFTs. Such TFTs are referred to as "oxide semiconductor TFTs". An oxide semiconductor has a higher mobility than an amorphous silicon. Thus, an oxide semiconductor TFT can operate at a higher speed than an amorphous silicon TFT.
In some cases, peripheral circuits such as driving circuits are monolithically (integrally) formed in the non-display region of an active matrix substrate. By monolithically forming driving circuits, it is possible to realize a narrower non-display region and to realize a cost reduction by simplifying the mounting process. For example, in the non-display region, in some cases, a gate driver circuit is monolithically formed and a source driver circuit is mounted by a COG (Chip on Glass) method.
With devices such as smartphones for which there is a strong demand for realizing a narrower bezel, it has been proposed in the art to monolithically form a demultiplexer circuit such as a source switching (Source Shared Driving: SSD) circuit in addition to the gate driver (e.g., Patent Document No. 1). An SSD circuit is a circuit for distributing video data among a plurality of source lines from a single video signal line from each terminal of the source driver. By carrying the SSD circuit, it is possible to further narrow the region (the terminal portion/interconnect formation region) in the non-display region where terminal portions and interconnects are arranged. Since the number of outputs from the source driver is reduced and the circuit scale can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the cost of the driver IC.
A peripheral circuit such as a driving circuit and an SSD circuit includes TFTs. In the present specification, TFTs arranged as switching elements in the pixels of the display region are referred to as "pixel TFTs", and TFTs that form peripheral circuits are referred to as "circuit TFTs". Of the circuit TFTs, TFTs that form driving circuits are referred to as "driving circuit TFTs", and TETs that are used as switching elements in the demultiplexer circuit (SSD circuit) are referred to as "DMX circuit TFTs".

Active matrix substrate and method for producing same


A method and system for reducing transmissions from unregistered mobile wireless devices including inhibiting administrative type transmissions from the mobile wireless device upon detection that the mobile wireless device is in a first transmission mode indicating that the mobile wireless device is deactivated or unregistered. Moreover, the administrative type transmission functionality is automatically restorable. Transmissions from the mobile wireless device are preferably comprised of traffic transmissions that contain data packets and other transmissions that contain information for administrative purposes, such as for communication link management operations between the mobile wireless device and the wireless packet switched network. Preferably, the administrative type transmissions include roam transmissions, activation transmissions, and born transmissions.

Wireless communication systems providing mobile telephone service and other services have come into general use worldwide. The Internet and other data services have popularized the idea of wireless packet switched networks where instead of using a dedicated connection between the source and destination to move information, like a conventional cellular voice connection uses, a wireless packet switched network moves chunks or "packets" of information, via a network of switches, to and from mobile stations.
As with the cellular telephone networks, overall system integrity and security is an important aspect of a packet switch network. As required by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission), each mobile station in service in the wireless packet switched network contains an electronic serial number (ESN). The ESN is a 32-bit binary number that uniquely identifies a mobile station and is not supposed to be altered. When the wireless packet switched network receives certain communications from a mobile station, its ESN is validated (i.e., matched with the number registered with the network) before the mobile station is allowed access to user services.
Conventionally, whenever the mobile station attempts to communicate with the network with some control packets, the ESN is examined by the network to validate the mobile station for use on the network and, if the ESN cannot be validated, the network sends a deactivation communication over the air interface to the mobile station. The mobile station includes an application that is cooperable with a deactivation communication to temporarily render the mobile station unable to send packets containing user data over the air interface, essentially deactivating the mobile station from user services on the network. This type of deactivation communication from the network base station is known in the industry as a "DIE" packet.
Although the DIE functionality restricts user data packets, it does not restrict administrative type packets that provide network-level status information and control capabilities, for example. Some administrative type packets from the mobile station will trigger the ESN validation processing. The following list includes some scenarios in which status and/or control type packets are used by a conventional mobile station:    mobile station powers On and sends an ACTIVE packet;    mobile station powers On and sends a BORN packet; and    mobile station roams to a "better" base station and sends a ROAM packet.
An ACTIVE packet is generally known in the industry as a packet sent to activate network registration, a BORN packet is sent to activate network registration for the first time, and a ROAM packet is known in the industry as a packet informing the network that the mobile station has moved to another base station in the network.
In other words, even though a mobile station has been deactivated from sending user data packets needed for accessing network services, it can still create system traffic across the network from continued transmission of administrative packets (such as ACTIVE, BORN, and ROAM packets). For example, when roaming, the mobile station stays in contact through the conventional roaming capabilities of the wireless packet switched network. The mobile station monitors the radio signal strength from nearby base stations and determines if and when a transfer of communication control to another base station is necessary. When the mobile station determines that a roam is necessary, it sends a ROAM packet to the wireless packet switched network, which in turn attempts to validate the mobile station via an ESN check for every ROAM packet received. A mobile station can roam several hundred times per day causing thousands of system level signals. Thus, it should be apparent that even those mobile stations which are deactivated from network user services can cause a great deal of system traffic.
There are many reasons for having deactivated and/or unregistered mobile stations operating in the network. For example, many new cars are provided with mobile stations, which enable services such as geographic position service (GPS). These mobile stations are typically embedded in the vehicle such that they are unavailable to end user meddling and typically are hard-wired to receive power from the vehicle battery. They are immediately operational for transmitting. Before the mobile station can be activated to receive GPS services, the user must subscribe to the service. Until then, the mobile station is considered "unregistered". Although unregistered for receiving GPS services, the mobile stations are still operational for transmitting system level administrative traffic. Further, a user's mobile station may be remotely deactivated from current network services by a network operator because the user quit paying the required subscription fees, for example. Again, even though the mobile station has been deactivated from receiving network services, the mobile station can still transmit system level administrative traffic that triggers ESN validation.
The problem is exacerbated when large numbers of deactivated and/or unregistered mobile stations are roaming in the network creating superfluous system traffic, which reduces the available communication bandwidth for registered mobile stations. The vehicle-embedded mobile station is particularly problematic because it is unavailable to the end user and has a near limitless power source (e.g., car battery). In other words, one cannot count on the end user disconnecting and/or reactivating the mobile station, or count on the power source eventually dying.
One approach has been developed to remotely disable handheld mobile stations from transmitting any signals, however, this approach also requires a manual reset to re-activate transmission operations. Manual reset is not a problem for handheld mobile stations. However, this is not a practical approach for mobile stations that are not readily available to the end user. Therefore, a need exists for a method and system for reducing unwanted system traffic caused from deactivated and/or unregistered mobile stations while enabling an automatic type approach for restoring mobile station transmission operations.

Inhibiting system traffic from unregistered mobile stations


In an image forming apparatus, a processor generates a first density variation data based on the surface potential of the pattern in relation to the rotational position of the image bearer and a second density variation data based on the first density variation data and the density of the toner pattern, stores the first density variation data and the second density variation data in a memory, makes a pattern in a predetermined timing, decides whether the first density variation data is changed or not, change the first density variation data based on the decision, controls the toner image forming condition of the toner image forming device based on the first density variation data and the second density variation data.

1. Technological Field
The exemplary embodiments described herein relate to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, a printer, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-145266 (JP-S62-145266-A) describes a technology in which an image recorder (i.e., an image forming apparatus) scans a modulated laser beam onto a photoconductive drum (i.e., an image bearer) to record a latent image thereon and then applies an electro-photographic process thereto to execute development and transfer processes to obtain an output of an image. Prior to such an image output, the recorder records a solid black image on the photoconductive drum and reads the solid black image to obtain information that is read and stored in a memory to correct image density at each recording position based on the information read and stored.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 09-62042 (JA-H09-62042-A) describes an image forming apparatus that reduces density irregularity periodically occurring on an image by controlling at least one of several formation conditions including a charging voltage, a light exposure amount, a developer voltage, or a transfer voltage based on data on periodic fluctuations of image density or a charge potential on an image bearer, each of which has been previously stored. Such periodic fluctuation data used in controlling an image formation condition is measured beforehand based on a single type of image data (e.g. a solid image) in the image forming apparatus.
Japanese Patent No. 3825184 (JP-3825184-B) describes an image forming apparatus that detects a rotation cycle of a developing roller with a developing roller cycle detector and detects an amount of irregularity of toner density in a pattern formed on an image bearer. The image forming apparatus then controls a developing bias by matching a phase of an output signal from the above-described density irregularity amount detector with that of an output signal from the developing roller rotation cycle detector. Accordingly, the density irregularity of the solid image can be corrected by varying the development potential during the above-described developing bias control process executed in the image forming apparatus.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-106556 (JP-2006-106556-A) also describes an image forming apparatus that forms a test image on an image bearer or a transfer medium, and detects a frequency of image density irregularity periodically occurring thereon. The image forming apparatus then identifies a source of the image density irregularity based on the detected frequency to control an operation of the source thereof to reduce image density irregularity.

Image forming apparatus capable of reducing image density irregularity


Data stored in a data storage system is hashed to generate a hash value. The hash value and a request for a time stamp are then sent to a time stamping authority. A time stamp token and/or a time stamp certificate is received from the time stamping authority. The time stamp token includes a time stamp and the hash value, and may be encrypted using a private key of the time stamping authority. The time stamp token and/or time stamp certificate is then stored with, for example, a reference to the data being stored in the data storage system. The time stamp token and/or time stamp certificate may then be used to validate the data being stored and the time stamp.

The present invention generally relates to data storage and more specifically to methods and apparatus for providing trusted time stamping in a storage system.
With the increase in the amount of digital data being created and/or modified and moreover used in official and public affairs, it has become more desirable to prove the time that the digital data was created and/or modified. In one example, an internal timer in a computer system may be used to show the time and date that the digital data was created and/or modified. However, the internal timer may be easily changed to reflect a false date or time. Accordingly, the internal timer in the computer system does not provide a trusted date or time to the public.
A time stamp may be provided by a public authority and attached to the data in the computer system. This time stamp is used to prove that the data is as it was at the time when the time stamp was attached to the data. Examples of commercial services that provide time stamps include services provided by Surety, DigiStamp, I.T. Consulancy, Seiko Instruments, Amano, and like. Also, time stamping is standardized as "Simple Protocol (RFC 3161)" by IETF.
More and more data is being preserved for a long period of time in storage systems, such as in Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID). For example, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates the exchanges between members, brokers, and dealers to preserve records of all communications with their customers as well as all financial transaction records in a non-erasable format (write once read many (WORM) format) for a certain amount of years under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 17 A-4. Also, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD) has similar regulations found at Rules 3010 and 3110. These regulations require WORM capability in a storage system in that data cannot be erasable or modifiable for a certain periods of time. The data being stored during these time periods also needs to be trusted.
Currently, storage systems use an internal timer to indicate a time data was stored. This suffers from the same problems as discussed above in that the internal timer may be changed to provide a time stamp that is false.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An off-hook condition on the telephone line of the calling party is detected. When the off-hook condition is detected, an automatic dialer is initiated to dial a predetermined code which, when received by computers of the telephone company, will automatically block the transmission of information which identifies the calling party, and more specifically, the telephone number of the calling party.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for blocking the transmission of identifying information of a calling party on a telephone network. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method. 2. Description of Prior Art
Telephone companies presently provide Caller ID service whereby to identify, to a party receiving a telephone call, the telephone number of the calling party. With this service, the telephone number of the calling party is transmitted, along with the ringing signal and, if the receiving party has a special receiving device for this purpose, the number of the calling party will be displayed on this special device.
There are times when it is inconvenient to a calling party to have his phone number disclosed to the receiving party. For example, the calling party may be calling from an unlisted telephone number which he does not wish to disclose to the receiving party. For this reason, the telephone companies providing the above services have received complaints and they therefore now provide a further service whereby, on action of the calling party, the transmission of the identifying information will be blocked.
This action, which can be taken by any telephone subscriber, consists of first registering with the telephone company. Thereafter, before dialing any telephone number, the caller would dial a predetermined code, for example, *67.
The predetermined code is transmitted to a computer of the telephone company which then blocks the transmission of the identifying information.
One of the problems with this solution is that it is inconvenient to continually dial the predetermined code before dialing any telephone number. In addition, it is possible that a calling party will forget to dial the predetermined code whereupon his telephone number will be transmitted.

Apparatus and method for automatically blocking the transmission of identifying information concerning a telephone calling party


A voltage detector is combined with a test instrument probe to provide an indication of the presence of a.c. voltage when the test instrument probe approaches or comes in contact with a source of a.c. voltage.

This invention relates generally to test instrument probes, and in particular to a combined test instrument probe and voltage detector.
Test instruments such as digital multimeters, analog volt-ohmmeters, oscilloscopes and the like are used to measure electrical parameters such as a.c. and d.c. voltages and currents. Test probes are used to connect test instruments to electrical or electronic circuits so that measurements may be made. A problem exists in situations where an instrument user connects a probe to a potentially dangerous a.c. voltage source and gets no reading when in fact a high voltage is present. This non-reading situation may arise from broken or disconnected test leads, broken a.c. receptacles, or even when the test instrument is in a different measuring mode from that intended. Incorrect readings or an indication that no voltage is present when in fact a dangerous voltage exists may create a dangerous situation for the user relying on the instrument.
Both noncontacting voltage detectors and contacting voltage detectors are well known in the art, and are often referred to as continuity checkers, light pens, volt sticks or wands, or leadless voltage probes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,631 issued Nov. 11, 1975, to Brown, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,165, issued Apr. 7, 1992, to Siratz, disclose similar noncontacting voltage detectors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,409 issued Feb. 1, 1977, to Adams discloses a contacting voltage detector. While quite useful, these devices are easily lost because of their small size, or are simply forgotten when a technician takes a test instrument to measure an electrical circuit.

Combined test instrument probe and voltage detector


The present application provides a method of manufacturing a resonant panel (200) of a flat panel loudspeaker. The method comprises: pressing a resonant panel blank between a first pressing surface (302) and a second pressing surface of a press, whereby to form the resonant panel (200) of the flat panel loudspeaker. The second pressing surface substantially opposes the first pressing surface (302). The first pressing surface (302) comprises at least one tool relief region (306, 312, 314, 316, 318), whereby to form at least one corresponding respective panel relief region (206, 212, 214, 216, 218) in a surface of the resonant panel (200).

Flat panel loudspeakers may be installed in a surface, such as a wall, floor, or ceiling, such that a front surface of a resonant panel of the flat panel loudspeaker is substantially flush with the surface. One general appeal of flat panel loudspeakers installed in this way is that a flat panel loudspeaker may be made to look invisible. Once such a flat panel loudspeaker is mounted in the surface of the wall, it is generally intended to make it "invisible" by blending the surface of the wall with a boundary of the flat panel loudspeaker insofar as it is generally not apparent that the flat panel of a loudspeaker forms part of the wall surface. Thus, to provide a panel for the loudspeaker that is flat so that it does not protrude from the surface of the wall, and also lightweight and stiff to allow a strong acoustic response from the excitation of the panel from the rear, a composite panel may be used, for example by using an aluminium honeycomb structure formed between layers of an appropriate skin material, such as a paper.
To make the loudspeakers "invisible" where the surface of walls is to be formed by plastering, e.g. over plasterboard hung on stud walls, the flat panel loudspeaker may be mounted in an opening in the plastered wall to be flush with the wall surface, and then a skim that is applied to finish the plastered wall is also applied over the flat panel of the loudspeaker, thereby giving it substantially the same finish as the wall with which it is flush, making it invisible.
Another form of wall construction that is common in certain markets is drywall lining, in which drywall gypsum boards are attached to stud walls to form the wall surface. The drywall boards themselves provide the wall finish, and so no plastering or finishing skim is applied. Rather, only the joints between the drywall boards are masked by the application of jointing tape and jointing compound to conceal them.
To make the loudspeakers "invisible" where the surface of walls is provided by drywall boards, the flat panel loudspeakers can be mounted in stud walls alongside drywall lining boards. However, due to the taping and jointing, flat composite panel loudspeakers can be more difficult to conceal as the jointing tape can stand proud of the speaker surface.
It is in the above context that the present disclosure has been devised.


New microorganisms with plasmids stable relative to betaine utilization. These new microorganisms contain (a) a hybrid plasmid with a DNA fragment that contains a genetic sequence that codes for betaine utilization and (b) a mutation in the chromosomal gene coding for the betaine utilization.

Generally it is known from molecularbiology that, for the production of specific compounds, microorganisms are transformed with a so-called "artificial" plasmid, in that the genes, which are coded for this specific compound, are introduced. A special problem of these plasmids is their instability, i.e., their property not to be transmitted in a controlled way to the daughter cells during the cell division of the microorganisms. The result is that more and more daughter cells occur during the fermentation process which contain no plasmid or fewer of the plasmid.
On a laboratory scale this plasmid loss can be countered by supplying the antibiotic to the culture medium whose corresponding gene which is resistant to antibiotics contains the plasmid. However, the addition of the appropriate antibiotic in fermentations on a large scale has proven to be disadvantageous. Thus, for example, some antibiotics, such as, tetracycline, show unfavorable effects on the ability of microorganisms which contain the plasmid to grow, divide and reproduce Bioscience Reports, 5, (1985), pp. 29-37; Gene, 39, (1985), pp. 173-180!. Another drawback of antibiotic stabilization is that the addition of an antibiotic, especially in fermentation on a large scale, is too expensive. Further, the addition of an antibiotic in the production of pharmaceutical agents as well as in the production of food and feed additives is undesirable or unlawful.
Another method of how to counter this plasmid loss is described by H. Sakoda and T. Imanaka in J. Ferment. and Bioeng., Vol. 69, (1990), pp. 75-78. This method comprises a stable "recombinant host" plasmid system, in which first the tryptophan operon in the chromosome of the host is deleted and thus the host cell is inactive for the tryptophan transport. Then the host cell is transformed with a recombinant plasmid which carries this tryptophan operon. The selection of the host cells then takes place with this recombinant plasmid by means of the tryptophan transport. The drawbacks of this method are that, despite selection with tryptophan, in the actual fermentation process plasmid-free cells can also grow because of diffusion and thus daughter cells which contain no plasmid increasingly occur.

Microorganisms for the stabilization of plasmids


A display device displaying a plurality of information sets with a simple structure, and a keyboard instrument that has a key guide device including such a display device. The display is driven at cycles shorter than those discernible by human beings, and the time ratio of ON period to OFF period for the display is changed based on control data. More specifically, the ON state and OFF state are inverted each drive cycle, or the number of cycles during which the display is in ON or OFF state can selected, or the drive cycles are cyclically changed to turn ON the display means only in a designated cycle. In this manner, the luminance of and the hues of the display can be changed relative to the continuous lighting, and a plurality of information sets can be displayed based on this change. This display device may be employed as a fingering guide display device for a keyboard instrument, and position data for keys to be depressed and other playing guide information are displayed at the same time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a keyboard instrument that employs the display device, and in particular to a display device, which has a simple structure and which employs a simple process, that can control the display luminance and hues, and to a keyboard instrument that employs the display device as a fingering guide display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, proposed are keyboard instruments, such as acoustic pianos, electronic pianos and muffled sound pianos having both of said functions, equipped with key depression display devices, which provide for each key an LED (light emitting diode) and by which keys to be depressed are displayed at predetermined tempos in consonance with performance data. In the keyboard instrument having such a key depression display device, performance data stored in a storage device, or performance data received from an external device, such as a MIDI sequencer, are employed to display the positions of keys that are to be depressed. As the key display device has a plurality of LEDs that correspond to individual keys for displaying the positions of keys that are to be depressed and for displaying, for example, fingering data (finger data indicating the positions of the hands and the fingers to be used for key depression) and touch data, individual LEDs are employed to display these data respectively.
FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a conventional display example of a key depression display device. The key depression display device has red LEDs on the upper array and green LEDs on the lower array that correspond to the individual keys. Red LEDs 20 and 21 on the upper array, for example, indicate the positions of keys to be depressed in consonance with performance data, and green LEDs 22 through 23 at the lower array indicate fingering information.
Since a conventional key depression display device has separate displays for displaying individual data for a plurality of information sets, the device is complicated and expensive.

Keyboard instrument with the display device employing fingering guide

Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd.


One object of the present invention is to avoid loss of energy during deceleration of a vehicle. Another object is to decelerate an aircraft after its landing and to utilize the energy of said deceleration to taxi that aircraft or for its immediate take-off. This invention can be incorporated in a wheel within which a plurality of energy collectors, or spheres 8', can be housed circumferentially and be so connected as to spin, each about its own axis 20, and to accelerate under the impact of centrifugal force 60 produced by the rotation of said wheel. Each sphere 8' can include two hemispherical chambers 21 that form that sphere. The hemispherical chambers 21 can spin faster than the column of fluid that parallels centrifugal force 60 which acts on that column of fluid in an outward direction along line 22". The accelerated speed of hemispherical chambers 21 is the product of centrifugal 60 impacting on the corresponding fluid in the respective hemispherical chamber 21, because there line 22" becomes perpendicular to centrifugal force 60. The higher speed of hemispherical chambers 21, than that of the column of fluid in each sphere 8', could force some fluid from each column of fluid to exit from the outward aperture 22 and the same amount of fluid to enter the inward aperture 22. This fluid movement can take place through the connecting tunnels 22' and through the spaces around each hemispherical chamber 21. The Energy Wheel has, therefore, clear advantage over other devices that recover energy for immediate use because it can be of light weight and can maintain the necessary storage capacity with a few components simply combined.

a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a class of devices which utilize their own rotation to accelerate spinning mass units, or spheres, within them when under the effect of centrifugal force produced by said rotation. One object of this invention is to conserve energy.
b) The Prior Art
The prior art has provided unique concepts upon which breakthrough technologies can be achieved so that more efficient machines could be devised that would conserve energy.
The most pertinent prior art known to the Applicant at the time of filing this his application is embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,330, Issued: Jun. 27, 1995, Inventor: Ezra Shimshi; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,872, Issued: Oct. 7, 1997, Inventor: Ezra Shimshi.


A user vehicle dispatch dealing system dispatches a passenger transport vehicle according to a vehicle dispatch request, which includes a riding point and a destination point. The system includes a vehicle situation obtaining unit that obtains a freight delivery vehicle situation including a delivery route and a current position of a freight delivery vehicle that delivers freight by autonomous driving, a vehicle situation determination unit that determines whether or not there is the freight delivery vehicle as a dispatch vehicle candidate in a state where a first preset range defined based on the delivery route includes the riding point, and an option presentation unit that presents an option of whether or not to request the dispatch of the freight delivery vehicle as the dispatch vehicle candidate to the user when the vehicle situation determination unit determines that there is the freight delivery vehicle as the dispatch vehicle candidate.

A system that manages a freight delivery vehicle that delivers freight by autonomous driving has been known. For example, United States Patent Application, Publication No. 2017/0228690 discloses a system that delivers freight to a delivery location by using a freight delivery vehicle and delivers the freight to an authenticated receiver.

User vehicle dispatch dealing system and storage medium


A mobile hydrogen delivery system for delivering a compressed stream of hydrogen at pressures up to 15000 psig. The mobile hydrogen delivery system includes a hydrogen compression system, a gaseous hydrogen storage system, and a delivery system for supplying hydrogen to end users. A mobile platform supports the hydrogen compression system, the gaseous hydrogen storage system, and the dispensing system. The mobile platform may be any platform, such as a trailer, capable of being pulled, pushed, or supported by any type of vehicle, such a truck, train, boat, tractor, etc.

As the world's population expands and its economy increases, the use of fossil fuels is becoming more and more prevalent in both developed and developing nations. With the supply of fossil fuels being limited, the cost of fossil fuels look to increase dramatically over the coming years. Besides being in limited supply, fossil fuels also are a leading cause pollution and are a major contributor to global warming.
Due to the problems associated with fossil fuels, considerable attention is being directed at finding alternatives to fossil fuels. An alternative fuel that has great potential as a viable replacement for fossil fuels is hydrogen. While the world's oil reserves are being rapidly depleted, the supply of hydrogen remains virtually unlimited. Hydrogen may be produced from coal, natural gas and other hydrocarbons, or formed by the electrolysis of water. Moreover hydrogen may be produced without the use of fossil fuels via electrolysis of water powered by nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, or solar energy. Hydrogen has the highest density of energy per unit weight of any chemical fuel and is essentially non-polluting since the main by-product of burning hydrogen is water. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe. Hydrogen may provide an inexhaustible, clean source of energy for our planet which may be produced by various processes.
Hydrogen is currently being used to power fuel cells and hydrogen internal combustion engines. Fuel cells or hydrogen internal combustion engines may be used in mobile applications, such as powering a vehicle, or in stationary applications, such as power generators.
To propel hydrogen to the forefront as a viable replacement for fossil fuels, hydrogen must be in a readily available supply to hydrogen consuming applications. To make hydrogen readily available, a hydrogen infrastructure allowing for the convenient distribution of hydrogen to end users is essential. Described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,442, entitled "A Hydrogen-based Ecosystem" filed on Nov. 22, 1999 for Ovshinsky, et al., is a complete hydrogen infrastructure system for the generation, storage, transportation, and distribution of hydrogen. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,442 provides for a complete hydrogen infrastructure, there is still room for improvements to further develop many aspects of the hydrogen infrastructure. One such aspect is in the area of mobile hydrogen generation and supply systems. Described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,801, entitled "Mobile Hydrogen Generation And Supply System" is a mobile hydrogen generation and supply system which generates hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing intermediate from one or more hydrogen precursors and offloads the hydrogen or hydrogen-containing intermediate to hydrogen receiving facility. While the mobile supply system provides hydrogen to a receiving facility, the system does not provide for the distribution of hydrogen to end users such as vehicles. While hydrogen infrastructures and hydrogen delivery systems have been developed there is still a need for improvements which may further improve the availability of hydrogen to end users such as vehicles and other hydrogen consuming applications.


Noise control for a vehicle is implemented by identifying sources of noise that are indicative of vehicle noise producing components. The sources of noise include a thermal management device of a hybrid-electric component of the vehicle and non-hybrid-electric components of the vehicle. The noise control is further implemented by determining a decibel value of the noise produced by each of the vehicle noise producing components, selecting the decibel value of one of the vehicle noise producing components having a highest decibel value as a mask limit, and determining an operational limit for the thermal management device. The operational limit includes a lowest threshold operating value which, when implemented, maintains a threshold level operating efficiency of the hybrid-electric component. If a decibel value of the noise produced by the thermal management device exceeds the mask limit, the noise control includes reducing a level of operation of the thermal management device to coincide with the decibel value of the operational limit.

Technology improvements in the automotive field have yielded quieter engines and exhaust features on all types of vehicles, particularly electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Most vehicle operators are familiar with (and even anticipate) the types of sounds produced by conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, such as noises associated with engine speed (e.g., via acceleration) and vehicle speed (e.g., noise produced from wind resistance). However, as electric- and hybrid-powered vehicles are relatively new, many operators are less familiar with the sounds emitted (e.g., from thermal management components) from such vehicles. Moreover, as electric and hybrid vehicles tend to be quieter than conventional vehicles, any noise produced by these vehicles tends to be more noticeable.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a way to control the noise produced by hybrid electric vehicles in order to provide a more pleasing experience for operators thereof.

Noise control of thermal components in a hybrid electric vehicle


The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions (e.g., bipolar disorder) by administration of prostaglandin or prostaglandin derivatives (e.g., latanoprost) to a subject (e.g., a human).

Neuropsychiatric conditions are characterized by a variety of debilitating cognitive and behavioral impairments including, but not limited to, psychotic, cognitive, anxiety, and attention disorders. In bipolar disorder, one of the most common psychotic disorders worldwide, individuals suffer from cyclic episodes of major depression and mania. Bipolar disorder affects more than 5.7 million adults each year in the United States alone, with approximately 3% of the U.S. population being diagnosed with the disorder.
Currently, lithium carbonate remains a first-line therapeutic for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Lithium functions to normalize the mood of manic individuals by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) function. Despite the therapeutic properties of lithium, a number of issues detract from its therapeutic utility. For example, lithium typically takes 1 to 2 weeks before any therapeutic effects are observed and side-effects of lithium treatment include polyuria-polydipsia syndrome, structural lesions in the kidney, tremor, weight gain, diarrhea, and skin rash.
Therefore, there is an unmet need in the field to develop effective alternative therapies for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions, especially bipolar disorder.

Compositions comprising a prostaglandin for treating neuropsychiatric conditions


A method of treating arsenic-contaminated matter using an aluminum compound in conjunction with an alkaline buffer, thereby stabilizing the arsenic contained in the contaminated matter and decreasing leaching ability. Preferably, the aluminum compound is a soluble aluminum salt such as aluminum sulfate and the alkaline buffer is magnesium oxide.

Poor material handling practices of arsenic containing compounds and some on-site disposal has resulted in contamination of soil and groundwater at various sites. Not only is the source of the arsenic in soil due to various industrial waste processes but also from the use of lead arsenic in pesticides which was used in this country from approximately the turn of the century to the 1950's. Arsenic in herbicide manufacturing also generates much arsenic waste and also contributed to much of the contamination.
The arsenic compounds contaminating sites around the U.S. include a number of both arsenate and arsenite salts. However, these contaminated sites also contain other heavy metals, volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, and organic pesticides, notably the organochlorine pesticides.
Arsenic is exceedingly toxic to mammals. Arsenic forms poisonous compounds which, if absorbed by mammals, such as humans, causes various types of cancer, exfoliation and pigmentation of skin, herpes, polyneuritis, hematopoiesis, and degeneration of both the liver and kidneys. Acute symptoms range from irritation of the GI tract which can progress into shock and death.
Remediation of these sites is now necessary given the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laws due to this extreme toxicity. The EPA has developed criteria for classifying wastes or soils as hazardous due to leaching of heavy metals, such as arsenic, in the leaching from contaminated soil. The EPA standard for arsenic leachability and non-waste water matrices is 5 mg per liter (ppm) arsenic in the leachate as measured by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) leachate. Ideally, a means to solidify or chemically stabilize the arsenic and other contaminants in the contaminated soil is preferred. Preferably, the method chosen would be suitable for in-situ treatment, and would result in a volume increase of less than 10 percent in the treated soil.
Arsenic exhibits relatively complex behavior due in part to its ability to assume a range of oxidation states (-III, O, III, V) and to form organic as well as inorganic compounds. Arsenic was usually disposed predominantly in the trivalent (III) and pentravalent (V) oxidation states, as arsenite and arsenate compounds. Arsenate forms relatively insoluble compounds with calcium, iron, aluminum and copper, and is strongly adsorbed into iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides. Arsenite compounds are generally more soluble than arsenate compounds, making arsenite more mobile and having a greater leaching ability and contamination potential. In addition, arsenite is more toxic. It is also adsorbed onto iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides, although to a lesser degree than arsenate. This is due in part to the markedly different pH-dependence of arsenite and arsenate adsorption. The maximum adsorption for arsenate occurs at pH 4-5, whereas that for arsenite occurs at pH 9. Due to the anionic nature of arsenate and arsenite ions (above pH 9) and the negative charge developed on oxide and hydroxide surfaces under alkaline conditions, adsorption decreases dramatically at higher pH due to electrostatic repulsions.
In the past, in order to eliminate or reduce arsenic contamination, cement stabilization was used. The problem with using cement for arsenic treatment is that it has little or no effect on arsenic stabilization and does not consistently render the soil nonhazardous for arsenic leaching. Cement and cement kiln dust do not stabilize arsenic against leaching by binding it in a cement matrix as once thought. In addition, cement causes an increase in pH wherein the arsenic becomes more soluble. In addition, cement solidifies the soil causing an increase in volume and therefore an increase in cost in disposing the contaminated material. Further, cement treated contaminated soil is difficult to work with due to the change in physical properties resulting from the treatment. For arsenic contaminated soils, cement alone is not effective at doses of even 25 and 50 percent. Tests indicate that cement or cement kiln dust in combination with various salts were not effective at reducing the leachability of arsenic to the desired levels. The samples treated with cement in combination with various salts show the same degree of leachability as those samples to which only pH control additives were applied.
As previously stated, the cement treatments also lead to an increase in volume. The increase in volume for the cement-treated samples is determined by measuring the weight of soil and final volume of the cement treated samples.
The 25 percent cement treatment resulted in a 54 percent increase in volume for the laboratory sample, while the 50 percent treatment resulted in an 82 percent volume increase.
One stabilization approach that can be used is the addition of ferric iron salts as demonstrated by McGaham U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,003 ('033 patent) in which ferric salt in combination with magnesium oxide is used to stabilize arsenate contaminated wastes or soils. However, one problem not addressed by the '033 patent is that the ferric iron may be reduced to ferrous iron in land disposal environments. Ferrous iron is not effective at stabilizing arsenic. The ferrous arsenate salts are much more soluble than the ferric salts. Arsenic may be released into ground water from the treated waste if such a reduction occurs.
Organic binders were also used to stabilize arsenic-contaminated material. Organic binders are also not preferred due to the fact that they also increase volume similar to that of cement and, therefore, increase the cost of eliminating the contaminated material.

Method of treating arsenic-contaminated matter using aluminum compounds


A variable valve timing controller has a phase adjusting mechanism. The phase adjusting mechanism includes a first rotating member and second rotating member which are respectively rotate in synchronization with a driving shaft and a driven shaft of an engine, a first arm rotatably connected with the first rotating member, and a second arm rotatably connected with the second rotating member and the first arm. In the first arm, a distance between connecting points is defined as a distance L1. In the second arm, a distance between connecting points is defined as a distance L2. A ratio L1/L2 is defined within a range of 0.5 to 2.

The VVT controller is disposed in a torque transfer system which transfers the torque of the driving shaft of the engine to the driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of an intake valve or an exhaust valve. The VVT controller adjusts the valve timing of the valves by varying a rotational phase of the driven shaft to the driving shaft.
JP-2002-227616A shows a VVT controller having a sprocket which rotates in synchronism with the driving shaft, and a rotational phase adjusting mechanism which connects levers with the driven shaft via link arms. The phase adjusting mechanism converts a movement of the link arms into a relative rotational movement of the levers to the sprocket and varies the rotational phase of the driven shaft relative to the drive shaft.
In this conventional controller, guide balls held by the operation member are slidably engaged with a groove of the sprocket. When an engine torque is varied and some forces are applied to the phase adjusting mechanism, the operation member may slide in the groove so that the rotational phase of the driven shaft unnecessarily varies relative to the driving shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,482B2, which is published on Apr. 26, 2005 and is not a prior art to the present invention, discloses a VVT controller in which a phase adjusting mechanism has a first arm connected with a sprocket through a revolute pair and a second arm connected with the first arm and the camshaft through revolute pairs. When some forces are applied to the arms, the arms tend to be bent in its width direction, so that durability of the VVT controller is deteriorated.


A method includes the steps of: with the use of a winding core having a first member wherein its cross sectional-area in the direction orthogonal to the revolving axis and the peripheral length of the cross section are larger than those of a second member, passing a strip-shaped separator between the first member and the second member, placing one strip-shaped electrode plate near the second member such that the plate is not in contact with the winding core, and winding for one revolution the one electrode plate and the strip-shaped separator toward the first member; placing another strip-shaped electrode plate between the inner and outer portions of the separator that have been revolved along with the one electrode, winding both electrodes along with the separator toward the first member by revolving the winding core; removing the winding core and pressure-molding the resulting wound article into a flat wound electrode assembly.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the improvement of flat wound electrode assemblies for the purpose of improving the volume energy density of cells.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there has been strong demand for the improvement of the energy density and high-rate discharging characteristics of cells.
By using wound-type electrode assemblies the surface areas of the negative electrode and positive electrode have been increased, thus trying to improve the energy density and high-rate discharging characteristics of cells. On the other hand, square cells and cells using laminate outer casings can be efficiently mounted in equipment such as mobile phones and notebook personal computers. In these applications, there is strong demand in the market for thin cells having high energy density.
In square cells and cells using laminate outer casings, flat wound electrode assemblies are usually encased rather than circular ones. Such electrode assemblies are prepared by such a method as shown in FIG. 5. A winding core 1 having a circular cross section and a slit 2 in its diameter direction is used. A strip-like separator 3 is passed through the slit and an negative electrode 4 and positive electrode 5 are engaged on each surface of the separator while it is being wound, resulting in a circular wound electrode assembly. After removing the winding core 1, the electrode assembly is pressure-molded into the flat would electrode assembly as shown in FIG. 5(e).
However, electrode assemblies produced by this method have the separator laminated in quadruplicate in the center of the electrode assemblies as shown in FIG. 5(e). The excessive triplicate separator portion that does not contribute to insulation increases the thickness of the wound electrode assembly, causing the problem of an increased volume and reduced energy density.
Previously suggested methods of producing wound electrode assemblies include the following techniques.
(1) There is suggested a technique in which by changing the shape of the winding core in a cylindrical cell having a wound electrode assembly, it is made easy to insert a welding electrode bar for welding the outer casing can and collector, so as to avoid defectiveness caused by electrode bar insertion (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
(2) There is suggested a technique in which by changing the shape of the winding core in a cylindrical cell having a wound electrode assembly, it is made easy to remove the winding core from the wound electrode assembly with the winding core (see, e.g., Patent Document 2).
(3) There is suggested a technique in which: the both surfaces and ends in a longitudinal direction of an electrode plate of one polarity is enclosed with a separator; via the separator, a tip of the other polarity electrode plate is placed near the first folded part of the one polarity electrode plate, the placement being inside the end to the first folded part of the one polarity electrode plate; the other polarity electrode plate is folded at the end of the one polarity electrode plate, and then wound to face the one polarity electrode plate via the separator. Thus, different polarity electrodes face each other at the entire winding core, improving the volume energy density of a square cell (see, e.g., Patent Document 3).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 03-141558.
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-307132.
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 09-213374.
According to Patent Document 1, there is a step in which an auxiliary pin is removed in advance, and then the winding core is revolved against a group of wound electrodes, so as to press the separator sandwiched between the winding core and auxiliary pin against the inside wall of the group of wound electrodes. This step causes to obtain a large cylindrical cavity, thus avoiding defectiveness caused by electrode bar insertion. This technique, however, allows only for cylindrical wound electrodes; as shown in the figures of this document, the winding of both electrode plates commences right after insertion of the group of wound electrodes and separator prepared, and therefore the both electrode plates face each other via the separator in the center of thus wound article. This causes, at the time of molding into a flat shape, the electrode plate at the center of the wound article to be folded acutely, and the resulting edged portion to break through the separator, resulting in short circuiting between the electrodes. Thus, the problem of cell reliability remains with this technique. Additionally, since the electrode plates are inserted right after the separator is inserted into the winding core and the winding has commenced, it is impossible to greatly reduce the length of the separator at the center of the wound article, compared with a winding core that is so divided that its cross section is symmetrical.
According to Patent Document 2, with the winding core comprising the winding core body and a pressing pin, it is easy to remove the wound article from the winding core after completion of the winding. This technique, however, has such a complicated mechanism that the separator is inserted into the winding core body and the pressing pin is rotatively lowered from above the winding core body. Such complicated mechanism is not appropriate for rapid mass production of wound electrode assemblies.
According to Patent Document 3, it is possible to improve volume energy density. This technique, however, requires the following complicated steps: two separators placed in both sides of a negative electrode plate are adhered and then cut with a separator adhesion and cutting device, and then the negative electrode is inserted further inward between the two adhered separators; the resulting article with the negative electrode plate therebetween is moved between winding cores; subsequently, a positive electrode is inserted between the winding cores from the direction opposite the negative electrode; the winding cores are so revolved that they sandwich the positive electrode plate, separators, and negative electrode plate, with the positive electrode plate being on the innermost side; before further revolution, the positive electrode plate is cut to a predetermined length with a positive electrode cutting device, and the negative electrode plate is cut to a predetermined length with a negative electrode cutting device; and one of the separators is heat welded to the separator junction portion of the other already wound separator. Additionally, an edged portion can break through the separators, in the same manner as Patent Document 1. Thus, this technique has the problem of poor work efficiency, increased manufacturing cost, and poor reliability.

Cell having flat wound electrode assembly and method of producing such cell


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