Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing intent-driven microapps for execution on communications network testing devices. A method includes receiving a configuration definition specifying a user-declared intent for testing a communications network. The method includes accessing a catalog of intents and determining, based on one or more entries in the catalog of intents matching the configuration definition specifying the user-declared intent, one or more applications from a repository of network testing or visibility applications and at least one configuration file. The method includes installing the one or more applications on a network testing device and configuring the one or more applications using the configuration file, causing the network testing device to test the communications network and to fulfill the user-declared intent specified in the configuration definition.

Packet-based data networks continue to grow in importance, and it is often desirable to monitor network traffic associated with these packet-based networks on an ongoing basis. Network testing often involves introduction of test packets into a network environment, collection of the test packets after they have processed by the network environment, and comparison of the test packets to the processed packets. This comparison can provided information about the functioning of the network, such as packet drops, data corruption, packet delays, and/or other potential error conditions or parameters for the network environment. Network testing applications can be deployed across a variety of runtime environments. For example, active probes, active inline packet analysis modules, and passive packet analysis modules can installed on network testing devices. Providing network test applications, however, may not always be able to directly meet a user's testing needs.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing intent-driven microapps for execution on communications network testing devices.


An indwelling urinary catheter assembly is disclosed having an indwelling catheter and a sheath enclosing an insertable portion of the indwelling catheter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for catheterization of the urinary bladder. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices and methods for extended or long-term catheterization of the urinary bladder.
2. Background of the Invention
The occasional or periodic catheterization of an individual's urinary bladder is a common practice today for many persons who are in a hospital setting, a nursing home, doctor's office, rehabilitation facility, or at home. For instance, a patient may be catheterized to treat such conditions as urinary retention, the inability to evacuate urine, or for the purpose of obtaining a sterile urine specimen from a patient in a doctor's office. Some catheterizations may be intermittent or repeated, while other catheterizations may be extended, or long-term. Extended catheterizations may require the use of an indwelling (e.g., "Foley") catheter.
Generally, catheterizations may be assisted (non self-catheterizations) or unassisted (self-catheterizations). In assisted catheterizations, it is commonplace for a nurse to perform the catheterization procedure using pre-assembled kits, or catheterization tray ("cath tray"), which typically includes a catheter, a drape, disposable gloves, antiseptic solution, cotton balls, a sealed packet containing sterile lubricating jelly, forceps, waterproof absorbent underpad, prepping cotton balls, a sterile urine specimen bottle, and a urine collection container. In particular, for long-term catheterizations, the catheter provided in the cath tray is typically an indwelling catheter capable of being sufficiently maintained within the patient for an extended period of time. All of these items are typically packaged together and sterilized.
To perform the typical catheterization, the nurse opens the tray, dons sterile gloves and places the drape around the patient's genitalia. The antiseptic solution is opened and poured over the cotton balls. The packet of lubricating jelly is opened and squeezed onto a sterile field. The patient's urethral opening is cleansed with the saturated cotton balls, the nurse holding each with the forceps. The nurse then runs the tip end of the catheter, comprising the first inch or two (about 2.5 cm to about 5 cm) of the insertable portion, through the lubricating jelly. The catheter is then inserted into the urethra and advanced until urine begins to flow. The urine is drained into the urine collection container. A urine specimen may be caught in the specimen bottle, if needed. For long-term catheterizations, a band around the tip of the indwelling catheter may be expanded such that the catheter may not be easily pulled from the bladder and is thus sufficiently maintained in the patient for an extended period of time. This basic procedure is widely used in inpatient hospitals around the world, and has remained essentially the same for 50 years.
Although the catheterization kit may be sterile prior to opening, the nurse must open the tray and handle the various items in the tray in order to use the kit. Further, even if special precautions are taken, maintaining a "sterile" environment during the procedure may present challenges. Non-sterile techniques and/or contamination of the catheter may result in infection of the patient's urinary tract. In some instances, urinary tract infections may lead to morbidity and additional costs to the patient and society.
In addition to sanitation concerns, because multiple steps are involved to perform the procedure (e.g., sterilization, lubrication, insertion, etc.), a nurse may spend a significant amount of time (e.g., 10 minutes or more) carrying out each catheterization. Further, the "cath tray" procedure maybe expensive or otherwise impractical for use with some individuals and situations today.
A variety of catheterization kits and products are currently available. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,075 (House I) discloses a catheterization kit including a catheter comprising a rigid introducer member for positioning catheter assembly against the urethral opening, a flexible catheter, and a flexible thin-walled sheath surrounding the catheter and partially covering the catheter introducer.
Some catheterization assemblies and kits employ hydrophilic catheters that are self-lubricating when wetted with a fluid (e.g., water) prior to use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,717 (Astra Aktiebolag) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,805 (AstraZeneca AB) describe apparatus for wetting a hydrophilic urinary catheter, comprising a wetting receptacle which defines a wetting fluid receiving area for receiving the catheter and a wetting fluid container having a discharge outlet movable from a closed position to an open position on application of a predetermined condition thereto to enable the wetting fluid to be discharged from the container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,498 (Coloplast A/S) describes certain urinary catheter assemblies including a urinary catheter having at least a part of its surface a hydrophilic surface layer intended to produce a low-friction surface character of the catheter by treatment with a liquid swelling medium during manufacture of the catheter assembly, and a catheter package having a cavity for accommodation of the catheter. The package includes a compartment having walls of a gas impermeable material that accommodates the liquid swelling medium, and a pre-treated catheter for long term preservation of the low-friction surface character and provision of a ready-to-use catheter assembly.
Some of the aforementioned catheter devices include a protective sheath that surrounds the catheter. Such a protective sheath may serve multiple purposes. For instance, the sheath may prevent contamination of catheter as the catheter is handled prior to and/or during use. In addition, in some hydrophilic catheters, the sheath may serve to contain a wetting agent used to lubricate the catheter during use. However, certain of the aforementioned catheter devices are intended for intermittent or short-term catheterizations and may not work adequately for long-term or extended catheterizations.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an easy-to-use, sanitary and disposable catheterization assembly for extended or long-term catheterizations.

Indwelling urinary catheterization assembly


Valve prostheses are disclosed that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via transcatheter techniques. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring. Each of the positioning elements defines respective proximal, intermediate, and distal tissue engaging regions cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure, including respective first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements. The proximal, distal, and intermediate tissue-engaging regions are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure so as to stabilize a position of the valve prosthesis with respect to the anatomical structure, including wherein for purposes of so simultaneously engaging the separate corresponding areas of tissue, at least one of the first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements is pointed at least partially opposite the direction of blood flow, and at least another thereof is pointed at least partially along the direction of blood flow. The valve prosthesis may also include a skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring for sealing a periphery of the valve prosthesis against a reverse flow of blood around the valve prosthesis.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to advantageous valve prosthesis systems and associated methods/systems for placement of a heart valve prosthesis and, more particularly, to a mitral valve prosthesis that is adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus and associated methods/systems for placement thereof.
2. Background Art
Heart valve regurgitation occurs when the heart valve does not close completely as a result of disease or injury. Mitral regurgitation due to ischemic and degenerative (prolapse) disease has been shown to contribute to left ventricular dilation and dysfunction due to remodeling, and is associated with increased rates of cardiac events and death. Currently, malfunctioning heart valves may be replaced with biologic or mechanical prostheses through open-heart surgery with the attendant significant risk of death, stroke, infection, bleeding, and complications due to the use of general anesthesia and cardiopulmonary bypass.
Based on the success of percutaneous balloon valvuplasty for mitral stenosis, investigators have explored other alternative methods to treat valvular heart disease without surgery. For example, Cribier et al. describe a balloon-expandable stent to which a biologic valve prosthesis is sewn. (See, "Percutaneous Transcatheter Implantation of an Aortic Valve Prosthesis for Calcific Aortic Stenosis," Circulation, Dec. 10, 2002, pages 3006-3008.) The Cribier device is utilized to treat calcific aortic stenosis. Bonhoeffer et al. describe a similar stent approach with a bovine venous (jugular) valve inserted to treat pulmonic valve disease. (See, "Percutaneous Insertion of the Pulmonary Valve," Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 39, No. 10, May 15, 2002, pages 1664-1669.) Others are developing repair techniques for mitral valve disease that involve placing a clip on the mitral leaflets (U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,534), cinching the mitral annulus from the coronary sinus (U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,314), or deploying an inflatable heart valve that is mechanically held in place (U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,185).
Norred (U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,228) discloses a percutaneous aortic valve replacement in which a heart valve prosthesis having ribs and a circular elastomeric canopy is folded for insertion into a catheter for delivery to the implantation region without surgery. Once in the ascending aorta, the body and leaflets of the heart valve prosthesis are opened like an umbrella by pulling on a central column of suture-like members. Hinge joints are used to create a miniature umbrella. However, the aortic valve prosthesis is anchored using a stent system that is extended in the ascending aorta to anchor the valve in the aortic channel above the biologic aortic valve. The suture-like members used to open the umbrella structure are deployed as part of the stent system. Such a design is not amenable to placement of the heart valve prosthesis at the location of the biologic valve.
Other stented heart valve prostheses are described in the art in which the anchoring system is a passive one that requires either balloon expandable stents or a self-expanding stent design. For example, such stented designs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,799, US 2002/0138138, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,582,462, 6,458,153, 6,425,916, and 5,855,601. It will be appreciated that once these stented heart valve prostheses are deployed, they cannot be repositioned, refolded, or easily removed. Furthermore, the rigidity of the stent as it is deployed in calcified positions may allow for regurgitation around the outside of the stent, as has been seen in the early aortic valve deployments which utilize this design. It is also difficult to position these designs as one has to inflate a balloon in a moving column of blood while the heart is beating and one only gets one chance to accurately deploy it.
An additional difficulty occurs when deploying a stented heart valve in an annulus that is not thickened by calcium. The stent design lends itself slightly better to the aortic position where the height of the annulus has been increased and the width thickened by the presence of calcium in calcific aortic stenosis. However, when calcium is not present, as in other causes of aortic valve disease and in the mitral position, the stent may be difficult to anchor on the relatively thin annulus. Furthermore, the nature by which the stent folds on a balloon and then expands with plastic deformability limits the ratio of its initial to final size such that it will, by necessity, have a fairly large profile making percutaneous insertion via catheter more difficult in a valve annulus with a large diameter that has not been reduced by calcium deposition.
Herrmann et al. (US 2007/0016286) disclose a percutaneously inserted bistable heart valve prosthesis that may be folded inside a catheter for delivery to the patient's heart for implantation. The heart valve has an elastic annular ring, a body member having a plurality of legs, each leg connecting at one end to the annular ring, claws that are adjustable from a first position to a second position by application of external force so as to allow ingress of surrounding heart tissue into the claws in the second position, and leaflet membranes connected to the annular ring, the body member and/or the legs. The disclosed leaflet membranes have a first position for blocking blood flow therethrough and a second position for allowing blood flow therethrough. The heart valve is designed such that upon removal of the external force, the claws elastically revert to the first position so as to grip the heart tissue positioned within the claws, thereby holding the heart valve in place. The body member and claws may be integrated into a one-piece design. The heart valve so designed may be used as a prosthesis for the mitral valve, aortic valve, pulmonary valve, or tricuspid valve by adapting the annular ring to fit in a respective mitral, aortic, pulmonary, or tricuspid valve opening of the heart.
Machold et al. (US 2004/0127982) disclose an implant that is sized and configured to attach to the annulus of a dysfunctional heart valve. In use, the implant extends across the major axis of the annulus above and/or along the valve annulus. The implant reshapes the major axis dimension and/or other surrounding anatomic structures and is intended to restore a more functional anatomic shape and tension. Machold et al. contemplate a pair of struts that are joined by a rail and that carry other structures to enhance the anchorage and stabilization of the implant in the heart valve annulus. The anchoring mechanisms may be located below the plane of the annulus to engage infra-annular heart tissue adjoining the annulus in the ventricle and/or may be located at or above the plane of the annulus, to engage tissue on the annulus or in the atrium. Machold et al. further disclose that the struts may be used to simply locate the implant in the valve, imparting little or no force on their own. In this arrangement, the annulus reshaping forces of the Machold design emanate from the rail(s) above the commissures.
Under image guidance, the Machold et al. strut on the leading end of the implant is freed from a sheath and seated retrograde in the posterior commissure of the valve annulus. Anchoring structures or mechanisms associated with the strut are also placed into contact with adjoining tissue below and/or above the plane of the annulus. As shown in FIG. 25B, the delivery catheter maintains force on the leading strut within the posterior commissure as the sheath is withdrawn in line with the coaptation line in a posterior-to-anterior direction along the coaptation line. Similar structures for positioning an implant relative to an annulus are disclosed by Vazquez et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,339).
Despite efforts to date, a need remains for an improved heart valve prosthesis design that allows a low profile for insertion via a catheter but, in the absence of a balloon or stent, transforms to a large profile once deployed. A heart valve prosthesis design is also desired that can be deployed, folded, removed, and then redeployed so as to increase the safety as well as the preciseness of prosthesis deployment. Still further, a need remains for heart valve prosthesis design(s) that may be effectively aligned and/or oriented relative to the heart and, most desirably, is substantially self-aligning and/or self-orienting with respect thereto. Reliable and effective deployment systems and methods for such advantageous heart valve prostheses are also needed.
These and other needs are addressed by the disclosed prosthesis designs and deployment systems/methodologies, as will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


Real-time correction of vehicle load curve for dynamometer testing, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for replicating an on-road performance and/or a failure of a road vehicle in a test facility includes applying a load curve to a controller of the test facility and testing a test vehicle in the test facility using the load curve. The method also includes verifying whether the performance/failure is replicated on the test vehicle, and if the performance/failure is not replicated, changing at least one parameter in the load curve.

Tractors, tractor/trailer combinations, light trucks, passenger cars, etc. (collectively, "vehicles") are often characterized in the field to determine their load characteristics. An example of such vehicle characterization is described in SAE Standard J2263: "Road Load Measurement Using Onboard Anemometry and Coastdown Techniques," which provides a procedure for the coastdown test. The SAE J2263 Recommended Practice prescribes accelerating the vehicle to a speed of about 78 mph or higher, followed by shifting the transmission into neutral, and releasing the accelerator pedal to place the vehicle into the coastdown regime. As a result, the vehicle starts slowing down due to the energy losses associated with the moving vehicle, which, on a flat road, change with the speed (e.g., energy losses that are a function of the square of velocity dominate for high speeds). After the vehicle slows down to a low speed, constant frictional losses start to dominate the overall energy losses. The test ends when the vehicle speed is reduced to about 9 mph. The test is repeated in the opposite direction to cancel the influence of the road incline, headwind and/or tailwind, and the cycle is repeated several times to come up with the average coastdown results. The resulting load curve (also referred to as "road-load equation," "road-load curve," "load-vs-speed curve" or "load curve") is expressed as a polynomial having the vehicle's velocity as the variable.
In general, the energy losses of the vehicle can be expressed as a second order polynomial of the vehicle's velocity. As an acceptable approximation, the rolling resistance dominates the linear (the first-order) term in the polynomial, and the drag resistance dominates the second-order term in the polynomial. At relatively high and steady velocity, typically referred to as "highway driving," the air drag often dominates energy losses of the vehicle. The air drag force (FD) on the tractor/trailer combination is:FD=CD½ρv2A  (1)where CD is a drag coefficient, ρ is the density of air, v is the velocity of the vehicle, and A is the frontal projection area of the vehicle.
FIG. 1 is a graph of a load-curve obtained in accordance with conventional technology. This exemplary load-curve was developed for a Class 8 commercial tractor/trailer combination using the SAE J2263 standard. The exemplary load curve includes the constant, linear, and square terms, which in combination yield:F(v)=1521+2.6216v+0.24164v2  (2)where F is the road load force in N, and v is the velocity of the tractor in km/h. In some embodiments, in addition to the above-described contribution to the load curve, the load curve can also include loads caused by the road grade and vehicle acceleration/deceleration.
When the vehicle 10 fails in the field, sometimes it is desirable to replicate the failure or particular performance of the vehicle using another vehicle in the field or in a test facility, especially if the failure/performance mode is less understood or novel to personnel investigating the failure. For example, the "failure" may be a false failure indicated by the vehicle (e.g., a failed diagnostic signal). In some situations, the false failure may be especially confusing and difficult to deal with for the operator and/or the personnel that investigate such failures.
Generally, the field failures and/or the field performance can be replicated using the same type of vehicle that is either driven under similar conditions in the field, or tested in a test facility. Each of the two approaches may require that the environmental conditions pertinent to the failure/performance in the field match those of the test vehicle. However, the load curves derived from the SAE standards sometimes do not correspond to the real environmental conditions at the time of failure or specific performance, as explained with reference to FIG. 2 below.
FIG. 2 is a side plan view of a tractor/trailer combination 10/11 in accordance with conventional technology. The tractor/trailer combination 10/11 ("test vehicle") corresponds to the type of tractor/trailer combination that failed in the field ("road vehicle"). To replicate the failure/performance in the field, the test vehicle may be run at a velocity 40 corresponding to the velocity of the road vehicle at the time of failure over a similar stretch of road simulated by the test facility dynamometers. For example, a test profile of the test facility may replicate the vehicle speed and simulated road grades to match the conditions in the field at the time of the vehicle failure. However, the vehicle velocity is not the only condition that determines the loading of the tractor/trailer combination 10/11. For example, at the time of failure, the road vehicle may have been subjected to a wind 41, for example a headwind that increases the effective loading of the vehicle, or a tailwind that decreases the effective loading of the vehicle. Furthermore, the temperature of air and/or elevation of the test site can change the density of air, which also impacts the road load force and the overall loading of the engine.
The SAE Recommended Practices offer limited guidance for adjusting the coefficients in the load curve in the non-standard test conditions, and those recommendations are often insufficient to account for the range of the driving conditions in the field. For example, SAE Recommended Practices J2264 recommends simply multiplying each coefficient of the load curve by 1.1 when tests are run at 20° F. (−7° C.) to account for the increased density of air, rolling resistance, and constant losses encountered at lower temperatures, while providing no guidance for corrections at other non-standard ambient temperatures, or corrections due to other variables, such as altitude, headwind, tailwind, or crosswind. As a result, vehicle performance, including part and/or diagnostic failures can be difficult to correlate using the test vehicle under many realistic conditions, either in the field or in the test facility. Accordingly, there remains a need for systems and methods for accurately replicating vehicle field failure/performance, and, more generally, for optimizing ambient-condition inputs for vehicle correlation testing between the test facility and the field.


An isolated switch-mode power supply includes at least one input, at least one output, and a power circuit coupled between the at least one input and the at least one output for converting an input voltage or current to an output voltage or current. The power circuit includes a transformer having one or more primary windings, one or more secondary windings, an electrical insulator, and a core magnetically coupling the one or more primary windings and the one or more secondary windings. Upper portions of the primary and secondary windings are covered with the electrical insulator. Other example switchmode power supplies, transformers, magnetic chokes and methods are also disclosed.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Quasi-planar transformers are commonly used in isolated switchmode power supplies and typically have "windings" formed of various types of wires and coils including thin copper sheets or triple insulated wire. As compared to conventional "wire-wound-on-a-bobbin" transformers, a quasi-planar transformer may have a higher power density, reduced height, greater surface area for heat dissipation, greater magnetic cross-section area (enabling fewer turns), lower leakage inductance, and/or less AC winding resistance.

Isolated switchmode power supplies having quasi-planar transformers


The present invention relates to 1,3,8-triara-spiro[4.5]decan-2-one compounds as monoamine receptor modulators; compositions comprising the same; methods of inhibiting an activity of a monoamine receptor with said compounds; methods of treating a disease condition associated with a monoamine receptor using said compounds; and methods for identifying a subject suitable for treatment using said compounds.

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) plays a significant role in the functioning of the mammalian body. In the central nervous system, 5-HT is an important neurotransmitter and neuromodulator that is implicated in such diverse behaviors and responses as sleeping, eating, locomotion, perceiving pain, learning and memory, sexual behavior, controlling body temperature and blood pressure. In the spinal column, serotonin plays an important role in the control systems of the afferent peripheral nociceptors (Moulignier, Rev. Neurol. 150:3–15, (1994)). Peripheral functions in the cardiovascular, hematological and gastrointestinal systems have also been ascribed to 5-HT. 5-HT has been found to mediate a variety of contractile, secretory, and electrophysiologic effects including vascular and nonvascular smooth muscle contraction, and platelet aggregation. (Fuller, Biology of Serotonergic Transmission, 1982; Boullin, Serotonin In Mental Abnormalities 1:316 (1978); Barchas, et al., Serotonin and Behavior, (1973)). The 5-HT2A receptor subtype (also referred to as subclass) is widely yet discretely expressed in the human brain, including many cortical, limbic, and forebrain regions postulated to be involved in the modulation of higher cognitive and affective functions. This receptor subtype is also expressed on mature platelets where it mediates, in part, platelet aggregation, one of the initial steps in the process of vascular thrombosis. Given the broad distribution of serotonin within the body, tremendous interest in drugs that affect serotonergic systems exists (Gershon, et al., The Peripheral Actions of 5-Hydroxytryptamine, 246 (1989); Saxena, et al., J. Cardiovascular Pharmacol. 15: Supp. 7 (1990)).
Serotonin receptors are members of a large human gene family of membrane-spanning proteins that function as transducers of intercellular communication. They exist on the surface of various cell types, including neurons and platelets, where, upon their activation by either their endogenous ligand serotonin or exogenously administered drugs, they change their conformational structure and subsequently interact with downstream mediators of cellular signaling. Many of these receptors, including the 5-HT2A subclass, are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that signal by activating guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins), resulting in the generation, or inhibition of, second messenger molecules such as cyclic AMP, inositol phosphates, and diacylglycerol. These second messengers then modulate the function of a variety of intracellular enzymes, including kinases and ion channels, which ultimately affect cellular excitability and function.
At least 15 genetically distinct 5-HT receptor subtypes have been identified and assigned to one of seven families (5-HT1-7). Each subtype displays a unique distribution, preference for various ligands, and functional correlate(s).
Serotonin may be an important component in various types of pathological conditions such as psychiatric disorders (depression, aggressiveness, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorders, psychosis, schizophrenia, suicidal tendency), neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer-type dementia, Parkinsonism, Huntington's chorea), anorexia, bulimia, disorders associated with alcoholism, cerebral vascular accidents, and migraine (Meltzer, Neuropsychopharmacology, 21:106S–115S (1999); Barnes & Sharp, Neuropharmacology, 38:1083–1152 (1999); Glennon, Neurosci. Biobehavioral Rev., 14:35 (1990)). Recent evidence strongly implicates the 5-HT2 receptor subtype in the etiology of such medical conditions as hypertension, thrombosis, migraine, vasospasm, ischemia, depression, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia, sleep disorders and appetite disorders.
Schizophrenia is a particularly devastating neuropsychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of the human population. It has been estimated that the total financial cost for the diagnosis, treatment, and lost societal productivity of individuals affected by this disease exceeds 2% of the gross national product (GNP) of the United States. Current treatment primarily involves pharmacotherapy with a class of drugs known as antipsychotics. Antipsychotics are effective in ameliorating positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations and delusions), yet they frequently do not improve negative symptoms (e.g., social and emotional withdrawal, apathy, and poverty of speech).
Currently, nine major classes of antipsychotics are prescribed to treat psychotic symptoms. Use of these compounds is limited, however, by their side effect profiles. Nearly all of the "typical" or older generation compounds have significant adverse effects on human motor function. These "extrapyramidal" side effects, so termed due to their effects on modulatory human motor systems, can be both acute (e.g., dystonic reactions, a potentially life threatening but rare neuroleptic malignant syndrome) and chronic (e.g., akathisias, tremors, and tardive dyskinesia). Drug development efforts have, therefore, focused on newer "atypical" agents free of these adverse effects.
Antipsychotic drugs have been shown to interact with a large number of central monoaminergic neurotransmitter receptors, including dopaminergic, serotonergic, adrenergic, muscarinic, and histaminergic receptors. It is likely that the therapeutic and adverse effects of these drugs are mediated by distinct receptor subtypes. The high degree of genetic and pharmacological homology between these receptor subtypes has hampered the development of subtype-selective compounds, as well as the determination of the normal physiologic or pathophysiologic role of any particular receptor subtype. Thus, there is a need to develop drugs that are selective for individual receptor classes and subclasses amongst monoaminergic neurotransmitter receptors.
One theory for the mechanism of action of antipsychotic drugs involves antagonism of dopamine D2 receptors. Unfortunately, it is likely that antagonism of dopamine D2 receptors also mediates the extrapyramidal side effects. Antagonism of 5-HT2A is an alternate molecular mechanism for drugs with antipsychotic efficacy, possibly through antagonism of heightened or exaggerated signal transduction through serotonergic systems. 5-HT2A antagonists are therefore good candidates for treating psychosis without extrapyramidal side effects.
Traditionally, these receptors have been assumed to exist in a quiescent state unless activated by the binding of an agonist (a drug that activates a receptor). It is now appreciated that many, if not most, of the GPCR monoamine receptors, including serotonin receptors, can exist in a partially activated state in the absence of their endogenous agonists. This increased basal activity (constitutive activity) can be inhibited by compounds called inverse agonists. Both agonists and inverse agonists possess intrinsic activity at a receptor, in that they can activate or inactivate these molecules, respectively. In contrast, classic or neutral antagonists compete against agonists and inverse agonists for access to the receptor, but do not possess the intrinsic ability to inhibit elevated basal or constitutive receptor responses.
We have recently elucidated an important aspect of 5-HT2A receptor function by applying the Receptor Selection and Amplification Technology (U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,798, 1998; Chem Abstr. 128:111548 (1998) and citations therein), to the study of the 5-HT2 subclass of serotonin receptors. R-SAT is a phenotypic assay of receptor function that involves the heterologous expression of receptors in mammalian fibroblasts. Using this technology we were able to demonstrate that native 5-HT2A receptors possess significant constitutive, or agonist-independent, receptor activity (Weiner et. al. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2001, 299 (1), 268–276.). Furthermore, by directly testing a large number of centrally acting medicinal compounds with known clinical activity in neuropsychiatric disease, we determined that compounds with antipsychotic efficacy all shared a common molecular property. Nearly all of these compounds, which are used by psychiatrists to treat psychosis, were found to be potent 5-HT2A inverse agonists. This unique clinico-pharmacologic correlation at a single receptor subtype is compelling evidence that 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonism is a molecular mechanism of antipsychotic efficacy in humans.
Detailed pharmacological characterization of a large number of antipsychotic compounds revealed that they possess broad activity at multiple related receptor subtypes. Most of these compounds display agonist, competitive antagonist, or inverse agonist activity at multiple monoaminergic receptor subtypes, including serotoninergic, dopaminergic, adrenergic, muscarinic and histaminergic receptors. This broad activity is likely responsible for the sedating, hypotensive, and motor side effects of these compounds. It would therefore be of great advantage to develop compounds that are selective inverse agonists of the 5-HT2A receptor, but which have little or no activity on other monamine receptor subtypes, especially dopamine D2 receptors. Such compounds may be useful in the treatment of human disease (e.g., as anti-psychotics), and may avoid the adverse side effects associated with non-selective receptor interactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,394 describes non-spirocyclic piperidyl esters and amides not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Smith et al (J. Med. Chem, 1995, 38, 3772) describes spiropiperidines including oxazolidinones, hydantoins, imidazolidinones, pyrrolidinones, pyrazolidonones and pyrrolidines not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Maunkel et al (J. Med Chem, 1996, 39, 3169) describes pseudopeptide badykinin B2 receptor antagonists containing 1,3,8-triaza[4.5]decan-4-one ring systems not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Strosberg et al (J. Med Chem, 1981, 24, 1320) describes 1-oxa-3,8-diazaspiro[4.5]decan-2-ones not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Strosberg et al (J. Med Chem, 1983, 27, 855) describes 9-substituted 1-oxa-4,9-diazaspiro[5.5]undecan-3-ones not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Tsukamoto et al (Chem. Pharm. Bull, 1995, 43(9), 1523) describes 1-oxa-2,8-diazaspiro[4.5]decan-3-ones as M1 muscarinic agonists. However, none of the compounds of Tsukamoto et al are within the scope of the compounds of formula I and the compounds of Tsukamoto et al do not relate to the methods of the invention.
WO 97/11940 describes compounds as inhibitors of fibrinogen-dependent platelet aggregation not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
Weiner et. al. (J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2001, 299 (1), 268–276) describes 5-HT2A inverse agonists not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
PCT/US01/07187 describes non-spirocyclic N-(4-piperidinyl) dibenzyl amides and ureas not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,393, U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,509, U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,324 and EP1071701, describes non-spirocyclic compounds not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.
WO99/52927 describes non-spirocyclic phenyl pyrazole derivatives not within the scope of the compounds of formula I.

Spiroazacyclic compounds as monoamine receptor modulators


The present invention relates generally to utilizing gasses for fragmenting polymeric materials and simultaneously modifying the surface area molecular structure of the said polymeric materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and associated device for the processing of already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials, preferably without metal reinforcing elements, by utilizing aggressive gasses to both modify the polymeric materials surface area into an activated state and also simultaneously fragment the fed preliminarily deformed polymeric materials into a powder-like form with a relatively increased surface area.

The discussion throughout this specification comes about due to the realisation of the inventor and/or the identification of certain related art problems by the inventor. Moreover, any discussion of material such as documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention in terms of the inventors knowledge and experience and, accordingly, any such discussion should not be taken as an admission that any of the material forms part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia, or elsewhere.
End of Useful Life Polymeric Materials
Polymeric wastes, such as for example used rubber tyres, used rubber conveyor belts, and used chloroprene products such as wet suits or the like, have become a global economic and environmental problem.
Polymeric waste materials comprise a wide range of polymers including natural rubber co-polymers and synthetic rubbers such as SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and butadiene rubber, nitride rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber and polysulphide rubber.
The present invention addresses the economic and environmental issues associated with the disposal of such polymeric waste materials by presenting a novel reprocessing solution for polymeric materials reuse, as well as being an innovative value-add process for any polymeric materials in its own right by modifying non end-of-life polymeric materials for advantageous industrial use.
Advantages of Activation
Advantages of activated polymeric materials, such as for example surface activated rubber crumb from end of useful life tyres, are well known as demonstrated for example at the joint seminar held at Finland's Tampere University of Technology by Kumi-instituutti & MOL (October 2009), where it was shown that the influence on compound properties by surface activated rubber crumb as opposed to untreated rubber crumb provided improved properties such as an increase in the tensile strength of the resultant compounded materials. The results are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5b.
Activation of materials can occur via known methods such as for example: irradiating energised ion particles onto the surfaces of the polymer while blowing a reactive gas directly over the surface of the polymer as described in for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,641; electron beam produced plasma technologies as described in for example patent application WO 2005/100629; organocatalytic acid based technologies as described in for example patent application PCT/CA2008/001554; and utilisation of chemical reagents as described in for example patent application PCT/US2010/061133 or metal ions combined with peroxide as described in for example patent application WO 2005/028744.
The present invention alternatively provides a method and device for gaseous activation that is simpler and less expensive than the methods of activation referred to above, and is specifically designed for more effective and efficient simultaneous fragmentation and surface area activation of already preliminarily deformed polymeric materials, the said polymeric materials being preferably without metal reinforcing elements.

Utilization of gasses for polymeric materials fragmentation and activation and related device


A scrubs returns cabinet for a hospital allows workers to return surgical garment tops and bottoms. A cabinet housing has a loading door leading to a return port through which the customer places the soiled scrub suit after entering customer identification information. The scrubs fall into a collection area and are dispersed by a diverter into the collection area. Additionally, a compacting paddle compacts the accumulating scrubs to utilize more of the collection area and accommodate more dirty scrubs before the collection area needs to be emptied. The scrubs are compressed by the compactor after being dispersed by the diverter.

This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving and compacting articles, and more particularly to an apparatus for accepting and directing garments into a compartment and compacting them therein.
Scrub garments are uniforms typically worn by doctors, nurses, and other medical workers in hospital operating rooms or other locations where the workers are likely to be in immediate proximity with patients. These scrub garments are hereafter called "scrubs". Scrubs provide an easily-changed launderable barrier between the wearer and the patient, helping to prevent the patient from exposure to germs or infectants on the wearer's body or street clothing, and also helping to protect the wearer's body from direct physical contact with a patient.
Scrubs usually are two-piece garments, consisting of a top or shirt and a bottom or pants. The tops and bottoms are stocked in different sizes to accommodate the needs of individual wearers. Scrub jackets also are worn by doctors and others. Soiled scrubs are collected for laundering and subsequent reuse, but scrubs must be periodically replaced due to wear and tear encountered in normal use as well as the effects of repeated launderings using the high temperatures and detergents required to clean and sterilize the soiled scrubs.
Hospitals normally make scrubs available to doctors and other medical workers at no direct cost to those users. Although each user is supposed to have only a limited number of scrubs at any given time for his or her personal use, some users will hoard scrubs of their size to maintain their own personal reserve. Other users may appropriate extra sets of scrubs for their own personal use, at home or elsewhere outside the hospital. These and other improper uses of scrubs contribute to an unacceptable shrinkage in the inventory of scrubs maintained by the institution for use by authorized persons.
Some hospitals try to control the distribution of scrubs by requiring users to check out scrubs from personnel at central locations. Using this approach, each authorized individual is permitted to have no more than a certain number of scrubs in his or her possession at any time. The individual must return soiled scrubs to receive credit for clean scrubs. Although this approach can alleviate the problems mentioned above, it is expensive to maintain. Many hospitals are large enough to require several scrub-dispensing locations throughout the hospital. Furthermore, because hospitals never close, scrub dispensing locations must be staffed around the clock. The direct and indirect labor costs of that staffing add significantly to the overall cost of maintaining an adequate inventory of scrubs.
Regarding the collection of soiled scrubs, manual collection suffers the disadvantage of human error, forgetfulness, and the like. When the hospital personnel doff the garments, or when the scrubs become soiled or contaminated, they are expected to return them. Often this involves simply tossing the garments into a laundry basket, or else onto the floor, and with no control over who has or has not returned their scrub suits. Recently, there has been an effort to use a scrub return facility to account for these garments. Dispensers and return units may be tied to a network in the hospital laundry facility to keep track of the numbers and sizes of scrub tops and bottoms checked out to each of the hospital personnel, and to alert laundry personnel when a dispenser is running out of garments, if the returns unit is full, or if a machine becomes jammed or inoperative for some reason. There is a need for an automated operating and tracking system that would identify a user by a unique identification means, and associate the garments that user turns in for collection. Tracking of those garments would need to correlate with subsequent issuance of clean garments so that only those users which have turned in their scrubs can obtain new ones. Such a system would reduce the number of scrubs lost or stolen. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,474,938, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Because the accumulation of a large number of scrubs in a collection area can result in a surprisingly large volume of material, it would be desirable to have a system that would automatically compact the scrubs in the collection area to preserve space, which is frequently in short supply at hospitals. The system disclosed in the above-identified '938 patent does not include a means to compact an accumulation of returned items. As such, the unit requires frequent attention to empty the bin of returned items for cleaning and processing.
The clothing collection apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,270 and 5,829,349, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, also reduces inventory loss. Scrubs are checked in by the user, and a processor sends a credit to the user's account via a communications network. Thus, the return of a scrubs increases the scrubs available to that user from a scrubs vending machine also linked to the network.
Adapting the garment receiving apparatus of the unit shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,270 and 5,829,349 into a compact unit presents difficulties, because a compactor by which the garments are compacted according to the '270 and '349 patents is shaped as a sweeping, vertical sheet metal device. Only the edge of the flat sheet contacts the pile of returned garments. Thus, the effective volume of clothing that the collection area can hold is limited by the limited contact area of the edge of the device. To increase the capacity of a garment collection compartment, a compaction system is needed that can more effectively move and compact garments into a larger portion of the collection compartment.
This invention relates to devices and techniques for vending or dispensing and receiving articles, and is especially directed to a returns cabinet in which hospital garments, i.e., scrubs can be received and held until they can be taken to a laundry facility.

Compactor and diverter for return items in a dispensing system


An article having a surface fastening system and a primary direction of load bearing. The surface fastening system includes at least one first fastening element and at least on second fastening element. The first fastening element further includes an attached portion, partially joined to the article, at least one liftable portion extending from the attached portion, and at least one hinge line disposed at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the primary direction of load bearing, the hinge line is positioned between the attached portion and the liftable portion. At least one second fastening element is affixed at a second position to the article and configured to be engageable with the liftable portion of the first fastening element. Articles such as disposable diapers, bibs, clothing, etc. are disclosed.

Articles, absorbent articles and disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, bibs, sanitary napkins and the like are well known in the art. Such absorbent articles are typically used to absorb and contain bodily exudates such as feces, urine and/or menses, foods, or other substances. Until fairly recently, many of the absorbent articles identified above were made from reusable materials such as woven cloth materials including cotton and other absorbent fabrics. Many consumers have found that using disposable absorbent articles is more convenient than using reusable articles for various reasons. Accordingly, many different types of disposable absorbent articles, including disposable diapers such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,092 entitled "Absorbent Article with Dynamic Elastic Waist Feature having Predisposed Flexural Hinge" issued to Buell et al. on Sep. 22, 1992 have achieved wide acceptance and commercial success.
Over the years, there have been many advancements related to disposable absorbent articles, including improvements in fastening systems, absorbency, and aesthetics. However, there is still a need for improvement relating to fit, comfort, aesthetics, and overall performance of such articles. For example, disposable diapers often do not look or feel like garments. Further, disposable diapers are often difficult for the user, whether it be the caregiver or child, to properly fasten about the wearer. This can lead to poor fit, which can result in leaks and/or reduced comfort for the wearer. Further, in diapers for active wearers and in refastenable pull-on diapers, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,545 issued to Kline et al., multi-directional resistance to disengagement is important to ensure that the fasteners remain engaged while pulling up and/or wearing the diaper.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an absorbent article with an improved fastening system. It would also be desirable to provide an absorbent article with lower cost fastening system. It would also be desirable to provide an absorbent article with improved fit, aesthetics, and overall performance. Further, it would be desirable to provide an absorbent article with an improved fastening system that provides easier and more reliable fastening performance including improved resistance to disengagement during article use, thus requiring less fastening material than the prior art, for the same level of fastening security.

Absorbent article with improved surface fastening system


A method for managing electrical demand on a power grid in response to electrical supply conditions is described. The method includes determining a first energy demand forecast using stored information, determining a first energy supply forecast based on a known energy production and transmission capacity, and comparing the first energy demand forecast to the first energy supply forecast. The method also includes transmitting at least one of an adjusted price signal and an electrical load shedding signal to a customer over a bi-directional communication system based on the comparison of the first energy demand forecast to the first energy supply forecast.

The field of the present disclosure relates generally to the generation and delivery of electricity and more specifically, to a method and system for managing peak electricity demand.
As energy demand around the world has increased, environmental concerns and energy price volatility has increased interest in energy conservation and in alternative energy sources. Programmable thermostats have permitted consumers to program their heating and cooling systems to reduce consumption during certain time periods, for example, when they are not home or are asleep. Solar panels, fuel cells, windmills, back-up generators, and other energy sources have become increasingly available for use in residential homes and businesses. However, the use of such alternative energy sources and technologies may have been limited due to, for example, difficulty in recovering costs, unpredictability of alternative energy supplies (e.g., sun, wind, etc.), and/or a difficulty in integrating such sources and technologies into conventional electrical distribution systems.
Some electric utilities charge varying rates based on demand. For example, during periods of peak demand, a higher rate for electricity may be charged. Conversely, during low-demand periods, a lower rate may be charged. The inability of some types of energy users to curtail energy use and the lack of real-time information regarding the immediate cost of energy usage may limit the success of a variable rate program.

Method and system for managing a load demand on an electrical grid


This invention relates to an improved wheel rim rolling apparatus for use in producing a vehicle wheel rim. The wheel rim rolling apparatus includes a top roll assembly having upper rim tools adapted to engage a rim blank or a partially formed rim in order to impart a desired shape thereto, a moveable member and a non-moveable member. The upper rim tools are carried by the moveable member. A first position indicating member is attached to one of the moveable member and the non-moveable member of the top roll assembly. The first position indicating member is operative to generate a visual or readable output signal which is used for determining the position of the upper rim tools of the top roll assembly. A second position receiving member is attached to the other one of the moveable member and the non-moveable member of the top roll assembly. The second member is adapted to receive the visual or readable output signal from the first member to thereby indicate the position of the upper rim tools.

This invention relates in general to vehicle wheels and in particular to an improved wheel rim rolling apparatus for use in producing a vehicle wheel rim.
A conventional vehicle wheel is typically of a two-piece construction and includes an inner wheel disc and an outer "full" wheel rim. The wheel disc can be cast, forged, or fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys, and includes an inner annular wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion. The wheel mounting portion of the wheel disc defines an inboard mounting surface and includes a center pilot or hub hole, and a plurality of lug receiving holes formed therethrough for mounting the vehicle wheel to an axle of the vehicle. The wheel rim is fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys, and includes an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, an axially extending well, an outboard tire bead seat, and an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange. In some instances, a three-piece wheel construction having a mounting cup secured to the wheel disc is used. In both types of constructions, the outer annular portion of the wheel disc is secured to the wheel rim by a weld.
A full face wheel is distinguished from other types of wheels by having a one-piece wheel disc construction. In particular, the full face wheel includes a "full face" disc and a "partial" rim. The full face disc can be formed cast, forged, or fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys. The full face disc includes an inner annular wheel mounting portion and an outer annular portion which defines at least a portion of an outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the wheel. The wheel mounting portion defines an inboard mounting surface and includes a center pilot or hub hole, and a plurality of lug receiving holes formed therethrough for mounting the wheel to an axle of the vehicle. The partial rim is fabricated from steel, aluminum, or other alloys, and includes an inboard tire bead seat retaining flange, an inboard tire bead seat, an axially extending well, and an outboard tire bead seat. In some instances, the outboard tire bead seat of the rim and the outer annular portion of the disc cooperate to form the outboard tire bead seat retaining flange of the full face wheel. In both types of constructions, the outboard tire bead seat of the rim is positioned adjacent the outer annular portion of the disc and a weld is applied to secure the rim and the disc together.

Wheel rim rolling apparatus for use in producing a vehicle wheel rim


An information management system includes an information processing device, and an information management device that prepares log information indicating a content of communication with the information processing device. The information processing device includes a recording data acquisition unit, an encryption unit, and a transmitting unit. The recording data acquisition unit sequentially acquires recording data indicating a content of communication between the information management device and the information processing device. The encryption unit encrypts the recording data to prepare encrypted data. The transmitting unit transmits the encrypted data to the information management device. The information management device includes a log information preparation unit that prepares the log information including the encrypted data.

(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information management system, an information processing device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium.
(ii) Related Art
There is known an information management device that prepares and manages log information indicating the content of communication performed with an information processing device for the purpose of failure analysis.

Information management system, information processing device, and non-transitory computer readable medium


Predicting a completion time for the manufacturing of an ordered configuration of a product based on actual completion times and self adjusting prediction completion times. An order is received to manufacture a particular configuration of a product. Multiple activities are identified that need to be finished in order to complete the manufacturing of the configuration. A completion time that the configuration will be manufactured is predicted based on actual completion times and self-adjusting predicted completion times for the activities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method, apparatus, and product for real-time predictive time-to-completion for variable configure-to-order manufacturing.
2. Description of the Related Art
When products are "built to customer order" there is often substantial variability in the products being produced, even within different configurations of a single product. A product can be configured in many different ways. For example, a customer could choose to order a product. The customer would then select the options that the customer is interested in having included in the customer's particular configuration of the product. These options could include different memory types/sizes/speeds, different storage devices, different processors, etc. In computer products, this variability can be many combinations of hardware, software, and instructional features. The effect of this variability is significant time differences in the processes (such as kitting, build, test, and software preload) used to manufacture the configuration of a product that a customer ordered.
Manufacturing historically uses average cycle times, referred to herein as "historical cycle times". A cycle time is the amount of time it takes for a manufacturing activity to be completed. A few examples of manufacturing activities include: power up with built-in self tests, wait for all resources to report in; checking microcode levels; surface scan of hard drives; start up/halting of exercises; configuring of hardware, such as enabling redundancy of hard drive arrays; and loading of software images.
The historical cycle time for an activity is determined over a course of time during which the activity was performed for many different configurations of a product. Thus, the historical cycle time is not determined on an order-by-order basis. It represents an average that was determined by taking the time it took to complete the activity for all ordered configurations of a product that required this activity divided by the number of times that the activity was completed.
FIG. 8 depicts a calculation of a historical cycle time for an activity in accordance with the prior art. The process starts as illustrated by block 800 and passes to block 802 which depicts, for all ordered configurations of a particular product, monitoring the time it takes to complete an activity. Next, block 804 illustrates calculating the average time it took to complete the activity. The average time is calculated by adding together the time it took to complete the activity for each ordered configuration, and then dividing the total time by the number of times the activity was completed. The process then terminates as depicted by block 806.
Automated solutions that predict order completion times, which utilize time estimates for each operation, assume a "typical" configuration. Configuration variations of a product are not factored in. Due to the huge variability within each product, it is not practical to develop estimates for every possible configuration. Because the estimates are not reliable on an order-by-order basis, the estimates are either not used or, worse yet, prompt incorrect decisions.
Manual solutions to interrogate each ordered configuration during the production activities is labor intensive and error prone. It is nearly impossible to synthesize the data to make accurate projections, and expert skills are required to perform this analysis. These are the same skills required to support production. Using the expert skills to make projections drives inefficiency in manufacturing, making the situation worse.
Therefore, known automated solutions for predicting a completion time for completing the manufacturing of an ordered configuration of a product use the historical cycle times. FIG. 9 illustrates estimating the amount of time it will take to manufacture the particular configuration of a product that has been ordered in accordance with the prior art. The process starts as depicted by block 900 and then passes to block 902 which illustrates receiving an order to manufacture a particular configuration of a product. Thereafter, block 904 depicts identifying the activities that are necessary to manufacture the ordered configuration. Next, block 906 illustrates retrieving the historical cycle times for each identified activity. Block 908 then depicts estimating the amount of time it will take to manufacture the ordered configuration by adding together the historical cycle times for each identified activity. The process then terminates as illustrated by block 910.
FIG. 10 depicts the calculation of the predicted completion time in accordance with the prior art. Prior to completing any activity, the predicted completion time that an ordered configuration of a product will be completely manufactured is equal to the sum of the historical cycle times for each activity. After completing an activity, the predicted completion time is equal to the historical cycle times of the remaining activities.
Because the known automated solutions assume a "typical" configuration of a product, the automated solutions do not provide an accurate prediction of the time it will take to completely manufacture an ordered configuration of a product. FIG. 11 is a table that lists the historical cycle times for each of a plurality of activities as well as the actual cycle times for two different configurations, configuration A and configuration B, of a particular product, 9406 570.
Using the historical cycle times, the known solutions will predict that it will take 254.5 units of time to manufacture product 9406 570. This prediction may not be very accurate for the configurations of the product that are actually ordered, however. For example, a "light" configuration of the product might be ordered. As depicted by FIG. 11, it would take only 220.7 units of time to manufacture the "light" configuration. Alternatively, a "heavy" configuration might be ordered. It would take 495.4 units of time to manufacture the "heavy" configuration.
Several different factors contribute to the variability in the time it takes to manufacture a configuration of a product. For example, for computer systems, the quantity and size of the memory; the capacity, speed, and quantity of the storage devices; the number and speed of the processors; the quantity and type of the I/O adapters; and the physical placement of all of the components in the physical enclosures determine the amount of time a particular configuration of product will require for manufacturing.
The "light" and "heavy" configurations are different configurations of the same product. Because an average is used to predict the manufacturing times for each activity, the predicted completion time will not be accurate for either the "light" or "heavy" configuration.
The historical cycle times are estimates that are based on the manufacturing history of multiple different ordered configurations. These orders might have included "light" configurations, "heavy" configurations, or, most probably, a combination of both types of configurations. Because these are averages, they cannot be used to accurately predict the manufacturing times of individual orders.

Real-time predictive time-to-completion for variable configure-to-order manufacturing

International Business Machines Corporation


The number and type of quantum wells in a multi-layer gain structure of an external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) are controlled to provide output light of more than one coherent wavelength. The number and type of layers in a multiplayer mirror provides a dual wavelength reflector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser system capable of emitting two or more coherent wavelengths of light, and more particularly to both optically pumped and electrically pumped semiconductor vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSEL) with selectively positioned quantum wells to control the power of light at each of said wavelengths.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an increasing need for multiple wavelength laser sources. For instance, the increased popularity of laser display devices presents a need for a red (R)(˜625 nm), green (G)(˜532 nm) and blue (B)(˜460 nm) laser source. Currently, the present inventors know of no available semiconductor lasers that emit both blue and green wavelengths.
Diode pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers combined with second harmonic generation (SHG) technology can provide green laser light at 532 nm, but such devices are relatively expensive at this time. High power blue laser light is still very difficult to achieve, due to low recombination efficiency.
Infrared wavelength, optically pumped semiconductor (OPS) vertical external (or coupled) cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSEL), such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,109, can provide a visual wavelength laser beam with SHG technology, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,168. Similarly, electrically pumped VECSELs, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,614,827 and 6,243,407, can provide a visual wavelength laser beam with SHG technology. Each of these patents is herein incorporated by reference.
Generally, OPS-VECSELs conceptually combine the approaches of diode-pumped solid-state lasers and semiconductor quantum-well (QW) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL). In these approaches, a semiconductor chip of the laser system is composed of a QW active layer and a highly reflective distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). Usually the QW active layer is designed to enhance gain performance to achieve high power, such as provided by a resonant periodic gain (RPG) structure, such as disclosed by Mark Kuznetsov et al., "Design and Characteristics of High-Power (>0.5−W CW) Diode-Pumped Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Semiconductor Lasers with Circular TEM00 Beams," IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, Vol. 5, No. 3, May/June 1999.
FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section of a conventional VECSEL, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,168. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional VECSEL 10 includes a heat sink 11 attached to a chip. The chip includes a substrate 12 upon which are stacked a lower, high reflectivity multi-layer mirror 13, such as a semiconductor layer of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR), a gain region 14, such as a multi-quantum well gain region with a resonant periodic gain (RPG), and an upper anti-reflective coating 15. A lasing cavity is formed between an external spherical mirror 16, through which part of the laser beam λ2 can pass as the laser output, and the high-reflectivity mirror 13 of the chip. A pump beam from a multi-mode laser source 17 of a different wavelength λ1 is projected onto the anti-reflective coating 15. An optical non-linear crystal (not shown) can be added to double the frequency of the lasing light λ2.
Referring to FIG. 2, the structure of the conventional DBR 13 and RPG active region 14 is shown in relation to the standing wave of the cavity structure. As can be seen, the RPG 14 is made up of QWs 14a and spacers 14b. The QWs 14a are positioned at the antinodes of the standing wave to maximize gain in the pumped laser light λ2 through in-quantum-well absorption of the pumping laser light λ1, which is favored to avoid excessive heat generation. Light generated from this active region 14 of a conventional VECSEL is projected through the external mirror 16 as a continuous wave (CW) laser light output.
In approaches such as these, the pump diode laser 17 (in the case of optical pumping), the cooling element, and the optics determine the laser system price. The semiconductor chip (the substrate 12, the DBR 13, the RPG 14 and the anti-reflective coating 15) represents a small fraction of the total cost. These systems generate a single wavelength λ2 of laser light as the output.

External cavity dual wavelength laser system


An apparatus which efficiently coordinates the association of resource and lot data in a manufacturing environment is disclosed. The apparatus includes a memory structure which associates resource and lot data only with other resource and lot data from a common dependency. A dependency is a characteristic of lots which share common resources and of resources which are shared by common lots. The memory includes nodes which describe the dependencies. The dependency nodes link to resource lists and to lot lists. The resource and lot nodes are part of resource and lot lists, respectively. Usage nodes are included to describe every use each lot makes of each resource. The usage nodes are linked to both resource nodes and lot nodes. The usage nodes are also linked together to define the order in which each lot uses its resources and the order in which each resource is used by its lots. A processor couples to the memory and receives externally-originated messages commanding various operations on the memory structure. In one operation a single dependency may be broken into several dependencies. In another operation multiple dependencies may be combined into a single dependency. The accurate maintenance of the maximum number of dependencies in resource-lot association data allows manufacturing environment simulation and other automation to respond to a manufacturing event by processing only information related to a portion of the environment. Thus, processing time decreases, and simulations may take place in real time.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to manufacturing or other organizational activities in which a multiplicity of tasks are simultaneously balanced against one another to achieve goals of the organization. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for efficiently coordinating the association and allocation of organizational resources to these multiplicity of tasks.
2 Background Art
Organizations, such as manufacturers, perform tasks to achieve organizational goals. In performing tasks, resources are used. For simplicity, a task may be viewed as relating to one of a manufacturer's product lots, and resources may be viewed as valuable commodities, such as raw materials, components, equipment, expendable supplies, computer time, labor, and the like. In general, organization management applies resources to product lots to manufacture finished products.
As organizational complexity increases, management faces a vast number of complicated choices concerning how best to allocate scarce resources to competing lots. Moreover, since a manufacturing environment continually changes, any "best" allocation scheme is valid for only an instant in time. An optimized allocation scheme must change in real time to respond to the changing manufacturing environment. The above-listed "Related Inventions" provide various tools which aid the formation of allocation schemes that best meet overall organization goals.
Whether explicitly or not, an organization assigns or otherwise associates its resources with its product lots. Associations occur whenever resources are actually being expended upon or allocated to a lot. Associations also occur in connection with planning, scheduling and simulating anticipated tasks. These anticipated-task associations generally depict projected uses of resources by product lots.
Various reporting and listing tools and techniques are known for associating resource projections with lot projections. For example, conventional Bill-Of-Material lists associate resources required by a product lot with the product lot itself. In addition, conventional scheduling or planning techniques, such as Critical Path Method (CPM), Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), and the like, often associate resources such as labor and equipment with product lots. While such conventional reporting and listing tools may be computerized, they nevertheless fail to adequately adapt to the generation, in real time, of resource-lot allocation schemes that best meet overall organization goals.
For example, such conventional resource-lot association techniques are typically not comprehensive enough in scope to supply the informational needs of a resource-lot allocation scheme that encompasses an entire organization's resources and product lots. Often, such techniques encompass only a small portion of an entire organization's resources and product lots. Such incomprehensive techniques are useless for a resource-lot allocation scheme that aims to optimize allocations for an entire organization because they fail to provide resource-lot associations for the entire organization.
Conventional techniques additionally fail to include attributes and precise timing information for a lot's specific uses of resources. For example, a product lot may require the use of an oven resource. Attributes of the oven may describe the oven's temperature and the amount of oven space available for use by the product lot. Timing information describes a projected point in time when the lot initially requires the oven and the duration over which the oven is required. This type of attribute and timing information is useful in optimizing resource-lot allocations because, for example, it provides knowledge for scheduling the simultaneous sharing of a resource, such as the oven, by multiple lots. In addition, such attribute and timing information provides baseline conditions used in simulating the manufacturing environment.
While conventional computerized resource-lot association reporting and listing techniques might possibly be expanded to encompass an entire organization's resources and lots and to include attributes and timing information, such a simple expansion would present serious problems for an organization which has thousands of resources to apply to hundreds of lots. A tremendous amount of computer memory would be required to adequately characterize all potential combinations of resource-lot associations. In addition, a tremendous amount of computer processing capability would be required to continually process the data contained in this tremendous amount of memory, as required by real-time simulation and real time tracking of actual and planned events in the manufacturing environment. Even with current advancements in computer technology, such tremendous memory and processing requirements would render a simple expansion of conventional resource-lot association techniques too expensive and too unreliable for even the largest of manufacturing organizations.


There is provided a washing machine combined with a dryer. In the washing machine, a cabinet is provided, a tub is installed in the cabinet, an air-vent hose is installed to an outer surface of the tub, a lint filter assembly has one end connected to the air-vent hose to remove lint from air discharged from the tub, and an air-vent duct is connected to the other end of the lint filter assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine combined with a dryer, in which a lint filter assembly is provided to collect and remove foreign substances such as lint generated during a heat drying operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A washing machine is a home appliance for washing clothes automatically. A typical washing machine uses an electric motor as a driving unit to agitate clothes together with water containing detergent to remove dirt from the clothes. The washing process of the washing machine generally includes washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and/or heat-drying operations.
Washing machines can be classified into a drum type washing machine, an agitator type washing machine, and a pulsator type washing machine.
The drum type washing machine includes a plurality of lifters inside of a drum to lift up and drop down clothes in the drum as the drum is rotated about a horizontal axis at a low speed. Therefore, the clothes can be cleaned by the collision with water containing detergent.
Meanwhile, a washing machine combined with a dryer is recently introduced to satisfy user's demand. In this washing machine, clothes are heat dried after washed, rinsed, and spin dried.
The washing machine combined with the dryer can be classified into a condenser type and a vented type depending on a drying method.
The washing machine combined with the condenser type dryer removes residual moisture from clothes by circulating air through a drum, a heat exchanger, and a heater without discharging the air out of the washing machine until the heat drying operation is completed. That is, the air becomes moist after passing through the drum, the moist air cools down at the heat exchanger by exchanging heat with a cooling water, the moisture in the air condenses and drops down to the bottom of the tub as the moist air cools down, and the air is heated again by the heater and then enters the drum again.
In the washing machine combined with the vented type dryer, on the contrary, a heated dry air is blew into a drum to take moisture from clothes and then the air containing lots of moisture is discharged out of the washing machine through a connecting pipe connected between a tub and a vent duct.
However, the moist air, which is discharged from the washing machine combined with the vented type dryer, contains lint such as fluff, thereby contaminating the indoor air.
Further, the lint in the moist air, though it is light, falls down and builds up while it is discharged from the tub to the outside through the vent duct. Particularly, the lint builds up on a pleated surface of the connecting pipe connected between the tub and the vent duct. The build-up of the lint becomes bigger according to the time of use, blocking the vent duct. Further, the build-up of the lint increases the possibility of fire. Therefore, there is an increasing need for a structure that can remove the problems related to the lint.


A mobile communication system performing communication between a plurality of base stations and a mobile station is provided. A user data signal is transmitted with the transmission power controlled from one base station selected among the plurality of base stations. Control data signals are transmitted from the plurality of base stations to the mobile station, with the transmission power controlled in a similar way as the user data signal. The mobile station measures quality of the control data signals on a basis of each base station, and selects a base station based on the measured control data signal quality of each base station.

As one of a communication system for the third generation wireless communications (standardized by IUT-T as International Mobile Telecommunications-2000, or IMT-2000), the W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) system has been adopted. In this W-CDMA, various techniques are introduced to improve communicating quality (wireless transmission quality), which include soft handover (site diversity), site selection diversity transmit power control (SSDT), and closed-loop transmission power control.
The soft handover is a technique in which a mobile station is simultaneously connected with a plurality of base stations through wireless links, and receives signals from the plurality of base stations using the RAKE receivers. At the time of the soft handover, the entire plurality of base stations performing the soft handover transmit signals on Dedicated Physical Channels (DPCH), and the mobile station receives the DPCH signals from the plurality of base stations.
The SSDT is a method for power control performed at the time of the soft handover, to solve a problem of increased interference on a downlink (i.e. a link directed to a mobile station from a base station) produced by the identical DPCH signals being transmitted to the mobile station from the plurality of base stations at the time of the soft hardover. The mobile station selects one of the base stations performing the soft handover as a primary cell, whereas other base stations are determined as non-primary cells. Only the primary cell transmits signals on a Dedicated Physical Data Channel (DPDCH) in the DPCH, and non-primary cells do not transmit any DPDCH signals. Among the DPCH signals, Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) signals are transmitted for the entire base stations performing the soft handover.
In the SSDT method, a mobile station measures the received signal code power (RSCP) of a Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) transmitted with constant power from each base station. The mobile station selects base stations of which measurement result is higher than the predetermined threshold as soft handover candidate. Among these soft handover candidates, the mobile station selects the base station producing the maximum RSCP as primary cell. By mobile station can receive the DPDCH with better reception quality.
The closed-loop transmission power control is a power control method performed in the following way: Both a mobile station and a base station measure reception signal quality (i.e. transmission signal quality in terms of the transmission side). Depending on the measurement result, a transmit power control (TPC) command is transmitted to a transmission side so that a reception side can receive a signal with desired quality. The transmission side then controls the own transmission power based on the TPC command. This control method aims to solve the far-to-near problem and reduce an effect caused by fading fluctuation. As a measurement criterion for the receive signal quality, the SIR (signal-to-interference power ratio) is applied.
Here, in the conventional SSDT, particularly in an inner-loop control of the transmission power control on the downlink, a mobile station measures the SIR of the DPCCH received from a primary cell, compares the measurement value with a target SIR value, and generates a TPC command in accordance with the comparison result. The mobile station then transmits this TPC command to both the primary cell and the non-primary cells through the uplinks (links directed to the base stations from the mobile station). According to the TPC command, the primary cell controls transmission power of the DDPCH and the DPCCH on the downlink. Meanwhile, the non-primary cells control the transmission power of the DPCCH on the downlink, but do not control the transmission power on the DPDCH.
FIG. 6 shows a state of transmission power control on the downlink at the time of the SSDT. A base station selector 102 provided in a mobile station 100 measures the RSCP of the CPICH transmitted from n base stations 2001–200n (where n is integer no less than 2), and selects the base station producing the maximum RSCP value as primary cell. The selection result of the primary cell is transmitted to base station 2001–200n on uplink feedback information (FBI), in which identification information of the base station indicating the primary cell is included. Thus, each base station 2001–200n can identify whether the base station of interest is the primary cell or the non-primary cell.
An SIR measurement section 103 provided in mobile station 100 measures the SIR of the DPCCH transmitted from the base station which has been selected as primary cell by base station selector 102, among the DPCCH transmitted from base stations 2001–200n. SIR measurement section 103 then feeds the measurement result to a TPC bit generator 104. The bit generator 104 compares the measured SIR with a target SIR having been set in advance, and generates a TPC command based on the comparison result. The generated TPC command is transmitted to base stations 2001–200n.
In base stations 2001–200n, an FBI bit extractor 204 extracts, from the received data, identification information of the base station having been selected as primary cell. Based on this base station identification information, a switcher (SW) 203 determines whether or not the base station of interest is selected as primary cell. If the base station of interest has been selected as primary cell, the base station concerned outputs a DPDCH data to a power controller 202, whereas if the base station concerned is not selected as primary cell, the base station concerned does not output any DPDCH data to power controller 202.
Meanwhile, a TPC bit extractor 205 extracts the TPC command from the received data, and then feeds the TPC command to power controller 202. Power controller 202 controls the transmission power of the DPCCH according to the TPC command. Power controller 202 further controls the transmission power of the DPDC in case of the DPDCH data is supplied from switcher (SW) 203 according to the TPC command. These power-controlled channel data are transmitted to mobile station 100.
The power control by power controller 202 is performed using the same control method, irrespectively of whether the base station concerned is the primary cell or the non-primary cell, according to the same TPC command (that is, the same increase/decrease amount of power based on the same increment/decrement). FIG. 7 shows such a conventional power control method in a tabular form. Both the primary cell and the non-primary cell increase the transmission power by 1 dB when the TPC command indicates '1', or decreases the transmission power by 1 dB when the TPC command indicates '0'.
As such, in the conventional SSDT method, the primary cell selection is performed independently of the transmission power control. Namely, the primary cell selection is determined being referenced from the RSCP of the CPICH, whereas the transmission power control is performed by use of the TPC command determined by referencing the SIR of the DPCCH. Moreover, the TPC command is transmitted on each time slot bases, and therefore the transmission power control is updated at each time interval T of the time slot (for example, T=0.667 ms). In contrast, the primary cell selection information is transmitted using no less than three time slots, and therefore the primary cell is updated at time intervals three times as long as the time interval T.
Now, according to the aforementioned method in which the primary cell selection and the transmission power control are performed independently, there lies a problem that an optical primary cell selection cannot always be guaranteed.
More specifically, although the base station transmitting the DPDCH signals with better quality has to be selected, according to the conventional method, the criteria applied for the transmission power control which effects the communication quality is different from the criteria for the primary cell selection. As a result, there may be cases that a base station which provides better communication quality be not selected as primary cell.
Also, because the period of updating the primary cell is longer than the period of updating the transmission power control, there may be cases that updating the primary cell cannot follow the change of transmission power. As a result, a base station providing larger transmission power may not be selected as primary cell.
Further, because the primary cell update period is long, there may also be cases that updating the primary cell cannot follow fading fluctuations. This may also impede to receive the DPDCH signal transmitted from a base station providing larger transmission power.
Also, conventionally, as having been illustrated in FIG. 7, both the primary cell and the non-primary cells perform identical transmission power control based on the common TPC command,. which may possibly make it difficult to switch over from the primary cell to a non-primary cell. This may reduce effect of high-speed cell selection obtained by a raid switchover of primary cell to more optimal base station.
Moreover, because generally lower communication quality is provided by a non-primary cell than by the primary cell, the transmission error rate for a TPC command may possibly be increased on the uplink also. In such a case, there arises a problem that the base station may perform transmission power control based on an incorrect TPC command. As a result, greater transmission power difference than transmission loss difference may be produced between a plurality of base stations which are soft handover candidates. This may produced increases interference among the downlinks.
To cope with this problem, a method has been proposed in the Technical Report of IEICE, RCS 2000-164, published by the IEICE (the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers). According to the preferred method, which has been referred to as SIDTPC (site independent diversity transmit power control), a mobile station measures the SIR of the signal from each base station after the RAKE receiver, and generates the TPC command to that each base station can perform independent transmission power control.
However, according to this method having been proposed, it becomes necessary to provide a large amount of bits in a TPC command to be transmitted in the uplink DPCCH, which becomes as many as the number of base stations, as compared with the conventional method. Or, in order to make the number of the TPC command bits identical to the conventional method, the transmission power control period becomes longer, which may deteriorate capability to follow fading fluctuations.

Mobile communication system and communication method for mobile communication system


A roll-out cargo bed comprises a frame structure configured to connect to a cargo bed of a vehicle, a plurality of bearings mounted to the frame structure, a deck connected to the frame structure, and a cable tension release mechanism disposed within the frame structure. The cable tension release mechanism may comprise a plurality of pulleys strategically spaced to facilitate extending the roll-out cargo bed. The roll-out cargo bed may further comprise a damper mechanism to reduce vibrations during transportation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to extendable cargo beds and more particularly relates to roll-out cargo beds with a cable tension release mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trucks and vehicles with a cargo area are generally used to transport equipment from one location to another. Typically, a cargo bed is built into the body of a vehicle to provide storage space for transporting various items. Problems arise, however, when a user must load and unload the equipment from the cargo area. The sides of the vehicle, which define the cargo area and enclose the equipment during transportation, become a barrier to the user while loading and unloading the equipment. Often, the user is not able to reach or pull out the items in the cargo bed, especially those items located near the cab of a vehicle. Consequently, the user must climb into the cargo bed, lift or move a particular item, and then jump out of the vehicle to finish unloading the item, which can be an extremely difficult and time-consuming process. Usually more than one person must collaborate to effectively load and unload a vehicle. The loading and unloading process can be costly and inconvenient and, in certain instance, can increase the health risk of the loader due to poor ergonomic conditions.
In recent years, extendible cargo beds that retract into the vehicle for transportation have enabled users to load/unload items outside of the vehicle cargo area. The extendible cargo beds available, however, are generally fraught with many faults. First of all, the moving platform for loading cargo is often difficult to control or manipulate. The weight from the cargo on the extended platform can cause the platform to slant and can stretch connecting cables, often destroying fragile cable tension release mechanisms. In certain cases the platform may derail, causing other calamities. In addition, the extendible cargo beds are often difficult to install and remove; thus, if the cable tension or the rail systems of an extendible cargo bed fail, the user may have a difficult time fixing the associated problems.
Another common problem that occurs in extendible cargo beds is vibration. During transportation, the motion from traveling and the load on the extendible cargo bed can cause the platform and corresponding frame members to sway and knock against each other. The resulting noise can be annoying to anyone in close proximity. In addition, the motion may negatively affect the components of the extendible cargo bed.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a reliable extendible cargo bed with an improved cable tension release system. Beneficially, such an apparatus and system would minimize the number of stresses that disrupt a cable tension release system. Additionally, the extendible cargo bed would be easy to control and would be easily installed/removed from the bed of a vehicle.

Roll-out cargo bed with cable tension release mechanism


A method for reversible coding of an image, including extracting compression information from an image compressed in an original format, at least partly decompressing the compressed image into an intermediate at least partly decompressed image, re-encoding the intermediate image into a re-encoded image, and preferably associating in a same file, the re-encoded image with compression information.

A user generally gains possession of an image in two ways; either by downloading this image, or by taking a photograph. The image obtained is ordinarily obtained in a compressed form. The encoding format is imposed, either by the image capture device, or by the provider of the downloaded image, if necessary. However, such a format may not be able to be used by certain software packages or may be in an insufficiently compressed format; having a high compression level is essential when the number of photographs is large, or when the available memory space is small, which is notably the case of portable devices such as digital cameras, cell phones or digital tablets. On the other hand, it may be interesting to keep a photograph in its original format, notably if it is a widespread format such as the JPEG (acronym of Joint Photographic Expert Groups) format, such as it was downloaded or recorded during the image capture; which is contradictory notably with a need for saving space.

Reversible method for transcribing a file encoded with a first coding into a file encoded with a second coding

I-CES (INNOVATIVE COMPRESSION ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS)