An electronic control unit (40) calculates the current flowing through a reactor (L) by dividing an output required BP* of a battery (32), obtained from converting the power required by a motor (22), by a terminal voltage Vb of the battery (32). A carrier frequency (optimum carrier frequency) is set for transistors (T7, T8) where the loss of a DC/DC converter (34) is minimized from the calculated current, and the DC/DC converter (34) is controlled at the set switching frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive apparatus, a control method for the drive apparatus, a storage medium in which is stored a program controlling the drive apparatus, and a power output apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, an apparatus has been proposed for this type of power output apparatus comprising a capacitor that is connected to a positive bus line and a negative bus line of an inverter circuit for applying a three-phase alternating current to a motor, and a DC/DC converter capable of performing DC/DC conversion on the power from the DC power source and supplying to the capacitor. In this power output apparatus, a charge is stored into the capacitor by using a reactor for temporarily storing the current of the DC power source as energy and stepping up the voltage of the DC power source, and the motor is driven with this charged capacitor as a DC power source. The voltage step-up operation by the DC/DC converter is fixed at a switching frequency (carrier frequency) where the efficiency is considered suitable at a given operating point, and is performed by controlling the switching at this fixed switching frequency.
However, in this sort of power output apparatus, there is a problem in some instances where the DC/DC converter is not necessarily driven at an optimum switching frequency and the energy efficiency drops. The DC/DC converter operates according to the output (output requirement) required by the power output apparatus, and the point of the switching frequency where the efficiency is suitable also varies depending on the output requirement. Therefore, when driving the DC/DC converter at a fixed switching frequency, there are instances where the operation occurred at a poor efficiency point depending on the output requirement of the apparatus. The drop in energy efficiency of the DC/DC converter causes a drop in the energy efficiency of the overall apparatus.

Drive apparatus, control method for the drive apparatus, storage medium storing a program controlling the drive apparatus, and power output apparatus


The invention relates to a tunable laser, the tunable laser comprising a first waveguide, a second waveguide and a semiconductor layer being arranged to separate the first waveguide from the second waveguide. The first waveguide comprises a first coupling portion and an active portion for generating a laser signal. The second waveguide comprises a second coupling portion and a tuning portion for tuning the wavelength of the laser signal. The first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are configured to couple the laser signal between the first waveguide and the second waveguide through the semiconductor layer.

Tunable lasers have been of interest for some time. Applications range from broadband sensors to sources for fiber optic communications networks. In a fiber optic communications network the amount of information carried on a single optical fiber may be increased by multiplexing different optical signals on different wavelengths using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). In a WDM-PON (passive optical network), for example, a single trunk fiber carries optical signals at multiple channel wavelengths to and from an optical branching point and the branching point provides a simple routing function by directing signals of different wavelengths to and from individual subscribers. At each subscriber location, an optical networking terminal is assigned one or more of the channel wavelengths for sending and/or receiving optical signals. Obviously, a larger tuning range of a tunable laser corresponds to a larger number of possible channel wavelengths and, thus, to a larger amount of information that may be transmitted over a single optical fiber. There is, therefore, a need for widely tunable lasers, i.e. lasers having a large wavelength tuning range.

Tunable laser and method of tuning a laser


A valve flush apparatus includes a rigid base designed to removably attach to a body of an irrigation valve. A stem extends outwardly from the base and away from the body of the irrigation valve and may be centrally located on the base. The stem and an aperture in the base may define a water passageway through which water may flow through the body of the irrigation valve and through the valve flush apparatus. A hose may also be included which removably attaches to the stem so as to extend the water passageway of the valve flush apparatus. A method includes flushing a clogged irrigation valve through use of the valve flush apparatus.

Irrigation systems are known in the art. A common type of irrigation system used in both residential and commercial settings is a below-ground automatic irrigation system. This type of system often includes a controller, pipe and tubing, irrigation valves, a backflow preventor and sprinkler heads which are often spaced apart into different zones. The controller is the "brains" of the system and sends signal to the irrigation valves directing the valves when to open and when to close. Generally, one irrigation valve controls one zone of sprinkler heads. The irrigation valves open and close according to the signal they receive from the controller. The sprinkler heads are activated, sprinkling water over a given area, and deactivated according to the opening and closing of the irrigation valves. Irrigation valves are generally contained within a valve box which is generally buried in the ground with the lid of the valve box at ground level such that the lid can be opened without having to remove grass, dirt, and/or other material to expose the lid.
These type of irrigation systems are very convenient and useful in keeping a given area or terrain irrigated. However, as with most systems and machines in our world, these irrigation systems require tune-up and repair from time to time. Generally, it is a good idea to inspect, tune-up and repair irrigation systems at the beginning of each irrigating season.
Accordingly, there has been an ongoing need for improvements and advances in methods, systems and tools of irrigation system repair. Therefore, new methods, systems and tools used to tune-up and repair irrigation systems would be well received by irrigation system contractors and the general public who use, maintain and service irrigation systems.


The present invention relates to a method of producing a recombinant sweet protein in a filamentous fungus. The invention also relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding the sweet protein and to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides, as well as methods of using the sweet protein produced by the method of the invention.

Due to increasing attention to the negative health effects of obesity, a market demand for food and beverage products having alternative nutritional characteristics, including, for example, reduced calorie content, has increased as well. There is a market demand to replace the high-calorie sweeteners typically used in food and beverage products, such as sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), with non-nutritive sweeteners. A number of such non-nutritive sweeteners have been identified. Some of these are small proteins which are naturally found in plants. Such proteins are often referred to as sweet proteins.
Brazzein is a sweet protein which can be extracted from the fruit of the West African climbing plant Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon (WO9531547). It has been characterized as a monomer protein having a 3-dimensional structure with four evenly spaced disulfide bonds. Three forms of the protein seem to exist in nature differing only at the N-terminal amino acid residue. One corresponds to the predicted 54-amino acid translation product containing a glutamine at its N-terminus. This form has been shown to be short lived as the N-terminal glutamine undergoes natural conversion to pyroglutamate, resulting in the second form. The loss of the N-terminal glutamine or pyroglutamate yields the 53-amino acid form which has been reported to be twice as sweet as the form having an N-terminal pyroglutamate (Lamphear, Barry J. et al. (2005) Plant Biotechnology Journal 3(1): 103-114).
On weight basis, brazzein is 500 to 2,000 times sweeter than sugar. Its sweet perception is quite similar to that of sucrose with a clean sweet taste with lingering aftertaste. Further, it has been shown to be stable over a broad pH range (2.5 to 8) and it can withstand heat which makes it suitable for many industrial food manufacturing processes. As a protein it is safe for diabetics and very soluble in water (>50 mg/ml). Brazzein thus represents a very good alternative to other available low calorie sweeteners.
Natural sourcing from P. brazzeana is difficult and expensive, though, and therefore alternatives for sourcing of the protein are being searched for. Brazzein can be chemically synthesised, which is useful for production of, e.g., variants in small scale, but not suitable for large scale production. Heterologous production in E. coli of brazzein or variants of brazzein has been described (see, e.g., Assadi-Porter, F. M. et al. (2000) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 376(2): 252-258; WO2008112475). The bacterial system is ideal for structural investigations because it is easy to manipulate genetically and well suited for isotopic labelling. Expression of plant proteins from E. coli may be performed using the advantage of forming inclusion bodies inside the cell that can quite easily be separated from host proteins. However, proteins unfold and precipitate in inclusion bodies, and controlling correct S—S bond formation after resolubilization and refolding is not always easy (see, e.g., Tamás and Shewry (2006) Journal of Cereal Science 43: 259-274). Also, heterologous protein expression using inclusion bodies normally requires a number of purification steps which make such systems less suitable for industrial scale production.
Genetic engineering into plants, such as maize or wheat, has also been described. Brazzein-containing germ flour from maize has been demonstrated useful as a low-intensity sweetener providing a low-calorie alternative to sucrose, which also gives the intrinsic bulking properties necessary to replace the volume lost on removal of sugar. Also, a high-intensity sweetener based on corn-expressed brazzein could potentially be provided from enrichment of such material, which would extend the range of product applications (Lamphear, Barry J. et al. (2005) Plant Biotechnology Journal 3(1): 103-114).
Commercial-scale production of purified brazzein to be used as high-intensity sweetener may be more economic from a microbial system, though. But, in general, industrial production of plant proteins from microbial systems is not straightforward, and obtaining a correctly folded plant protein in high yield from a microorganism may be challenging and is not always possible. One factor which may complicate heterologous expression of brazzein from a microbial system is the small size of the protein. Another factor is the existence of numerous cysteine residues because of, e.g., the possibility of non-native S—S bond formation, possibly leading to loss of function or to intermolecular aggregation, e.g., during secretion. Thaumatin, which is another sweet protein originating from a plant, has been successfully expressed intracellularly in yeast in considerable quantities; however the yeast cells lacked the ability to process this molecule into a functional protein having sweet taste (Lee, J.-H. et al. (1988) Biochemistry 27: 5101-5107).
One purpose for the present inventors has been to identify a method for production of brazzein to be used as a high-intensity sweetener which can be performed in industrial scale. Industrial scale production at low cost requires that the protein is expressed in high yield and can easily be purified in a functionally folded 3-dimensional form possessing the same sweet phenotype as the natural product.


A luminary has a central lamp, an emergency lamp and a control box. The emergency lamp is ring-shaped and mounted around a light-emitting end of the central lamp and has a base and a circuit board. The circuit board has an LED set and a cable set connected to the LED set. The control box is electrically connected to cable set of the circuit board, adapted to connect to an AC power and has a battery. The control box drives the LED set when an outage of the AC power occurs. Since emergency illumination is provided by the emergency lamp and is independent of normal illumination provided by the central lamp, battery power for emergency illumination can be kept from being quickly consumed by the central lamp that is usually power-consuming.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminary, especially to a luminary providing two light sources with the same emission direction for normal illumination and emergency illumination.
2. Description of the Related Art
An emergency light lights up automatically during a blackout using a battery back-up for power and is installed in buildings or public places.
A conventional luminary may combine normal and emergency illuminations through the same light source. When utility power is normally supplied, the light source emits light by using the utility power; when circuits of the luminary senses an outage of the utility power, the light source uses battery power to emit light for emergency illumination. Therefore, the luminary uses the same light source to perform both normal and emergency illumination and is simple.
However, normal illumination usually requires higher power consumption as compared with emergency illumination. Since the conventional luminary uses the same light source for both normal and emergency illumination, the light source is designed with large power requirements. Therefore the battery of the luminary needs larger capacity to provide electricity to the light source to keep a sufficient time for emergency illumination and increases cost of the luminary.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a luminary to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


The present invention can provide a monoclonal antibody which comprises a heavy chain constant region which is IgG2 wherein valine at position 234, glutamine at position 237 and proline at position 331 are at least substituted with alanine, alanine and serine, respectively (numbering is based on the EU index of Kabat et al); has an agonist activity; and binds to human CD40.

1. CD40
CD40 is an antigen which has a molecular weight of 50 kDa and is present on the surface of cell membrane, and expressed in B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), some types of cancer cells, and thymic epithelial cells. CD40 is known to play an important role in proliferation and differentiation of B cells and DCs. CD40 was identified as an antigen expressed on the surface of human B cells (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2) and has been considered as a member of the TNF receptor family to which low-affinity NGF receptors, TNF receptors, CD27, OX40, CD30 and the like belongs. A ligand (CD40L) to human and murine CD40s has been found to be a type II membrane proteins expressed in activated CD4+ T cells. CD40L has been also found to introduce strong signals for activation into human or murine B cells.
It is considered that the expression of CD40 in DC is higher than that in B cell and it has become clear that CD40 plays an important role. Binding of CD40 to CD40L activates an antigen presenting cell (APC). Namely, it activates the expression of costimulator molecules such as CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2) or enhances the production of IL-2 (Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4). DC has a strong antigen-presenting activity and a strong capacity to activate helper T (Th) cells. DC is also considered to control differentiation of naive Th cells into Th1 or Th2 cells. When peripheral blood monocytes which are myeloid dendritic cells are cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4, and matured by CD40L, the resulting matured dendritic cells (DC1) can produce IL-12 in vitro, and stimulate and activate allogeneic naive Th cells to induce IFNγ-producing T cells (i.e., to promote their differentiation into Th1). This function is inhibited by anti-IL-12 antibody and hence may be a reaction mediated by IL-12. On the other hand, when plasmacytoid T cells which are present in lymphoid T regions and peripheral blood are cultured in the presence of IL-3 and CD40L, the resulting lymphoid dendritic cells (DC2) are shown to be unable to produce IL-12, and stimulate and activate allogeneic naive Th cells to induce IL-4-producing T cells, which indicates promotion of their differentiation into Th2. It is considered that Th1 cells are involved in activation of cellular immunity, while Th2 cells are associated with enhancement of humoral immunity as well as restriction of cellular immunity. When cytotoxic T cells (CTL) are activated with the help of Th1 cells, they may eliminate pathogens (various virus, listeria, tuberculosis bacteria, toxoplasma protozoa, etc.) growing in the cytoplasm and tumor cells.
The monoclonal anti-CD40 antibody which recognizes CD40 expressed on the membrane surface has been demonstrated to have different biological activities to B cells. The monoclonal anti-CD40 antibody is generally classified into agonistic substance (antagonistic antibody) or antagonistic substance (antagonistic antibody) against CD40.
2. Agonistic Antibodies
As function of an agonistic antibody, the activation of B cells is known. For example, the anti-CD40 antibody has been reported to induce cell adhesion (Non-Patent Documents 5 and 6), increase cell size (Non-Patent Documents 6 and 7), induce cell division of B cells activated only by an anti-IgM antibody, anti-CD20 antibody or phorbol ester (Non-Patent Documents 8 to 10), induce cell division of B cells in the presence of IL-4 (Non-Patent Documents 7 and 11), induce expression of IgE by cultured cells stimulated with IL-4 and deprived of T cells (Non-Patent Documents 12 and 13), induce expression of IgG and IgM by those cultured cells (Non-Patent Documents 13), secrete soluble CD23/FceRII from cells due to IL-4 (Non-Patent Documents 14 and 15), enhance expression of soluble CD23/FceRII on the cells due to IL-4 (Non-Patent Documents 16), and promote IL-6 production (Non-Patent Document 17).
Furthermore, it has been reported that addition of IL-4 and an anti-CD40 antibody to human primary culture B cells in the presence of CDw32+ adhesive cells led to establishment of cloned B cells derived therefrom (Non-Patent Document 18), and apoptosis of germinal center cells was inhibited by CD40 regardless of whether its antigen receptor was active or inactive (Non-Patent Document 19). As described above, since CD40 has been identified as antigen expressed on the surface of human B cells, most of the isolated antibodies have been mainly evaluated by their induction potency for proliferation and/or differentiation of human B cells or their induction activity for cell death of cancer cells, as an index (Non-Patent Documents 20, 21 and 22).
In addition, the anti-CD40 antibody has been demonstrated to mature DC (Non-Patent Document 23). Furthermore, the role of CD4 T cells in priming antigen-specific CD8 T cells has been reported to be the activation of DC via CD40-CD40L signaling, and the anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) has been found to be able to substitute CD40 helper T cells in activation of DC (Non-Patent Document 24). Also, administration of an anti-CD40 antibody in mice has been found to be able to protect the animal body from CD40-expressing tumor cells as well as CD40-non-expressing tumor cells (Non-Patent Document 25).
An anti-CD40 antibody having an agonist activity is expected to be effective for treatment of infectious diseases due to such as bacteria and virus; malignancy; and the like, based on their functions described above.
As an anti-CD40 antibody having an agonist activity, the antibody KM341-1-19 is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The hybridoma KM341-1-19 producing the antibody KM341-1-19 (Accession Number: FERM BP-7759) was deposited on 27, September 2001 for international deposit under the Budapest Treaty, to International Patent Organisms Depositary, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (central 6, 1-1, Higashi 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan). The heavy chain constant region of the antibody KM341-1-19 and the antibody 341G2Ser having a heavy chain constant region which is IgG2 in which proline at position 331 is substituted with serine (this substitution is represented as P331S; hereinafter, represented as the same; numbering is based on the EU index of Non-Patent Document 26) are disclosed in Patent Document 2.
The anti-CD40 antibody 21.4.1 having an agonist activity is disclosed in Patent Document 3.
3. Mutation of Amino Acid
It has been reported that a region at positions 233-299 of a lower hinge region of IgG (numbering is based on the EU index of Kabat et al.) is one of the binding regions to an Fcγ receptor, which is a member of immunoglobulin Fc receptor (Non-Patent Document 27). The immunoglobulin Fc receptor plays an important role in antibody-mediated immune response. Specifically, it includes phagocytosis, ADCC activity (Non-Patent Documents 28 and 29) and the like. The Fcγ receptor is expressed on surfaces of leukocytes, and is divided into three classes of FcγRI (CD64), FcγRII (CD32), and FcγRIII (CD16). Further, FcγRII is subdivided into FcγRIIA and FcγRIIB, and FcγRIII is subdivided into FcγRIIIA and FcγRIIIB.
It has been reported that binding of an Fcγ receptor is lowered by substituting a lower hinge region of IgG1 with IgG2 which is a subclass having a weak effector function activity of an antibody through an Fcγ receptor. Specifically, examples of E233P, L234V, L235A, deletion of G236 and the like (numbering is based on the EU index of Kabat et al. (Non-Patent Documents 30 to 33). As discussed above, it is known that an effector function activity of an antibody through an Fey receptor is weak for an antibody having IgG2 as a subclass, and it has been reported that lysis of a target cell by an effector cell can be further inhibited by the substitution of V234A and G237A (numbering is based on the EU index of Kabat et al.) (Non-Patent Document 34). However, the effects of V234A and G237A on the agonist activity of an anti-CD40 antibody are not disclosed. Alternatively, the effects of V234A and G237A in IgG2 subclass on the blood kinetics of an anti-CD40 antibody are not disclosed. Still further, the effects of V234A and G237A in IgG2 subclass of an anti-CD40 antibody on the liver are not disclosed.
For example, L235, D265, D270, K322, P331 and P329 (numbering is based on the EU index of Kabat et al.) have been considered to play an important role in the complement-activating capacity of human lgG and the CDC activity can be reduced by substituting these sites with other amino acids (Non-Patent Documents 35 to 40). Specifically, the reduction in CDC activity can be achieved by substituting D270, K322, P329 and/or P331 with A. Alternatively, the reduction in CDC activity can be achieved by substituting P331 with S or G.

Agonistic anti-CD40 IGG2 antibodies having amino acid mutations introduced therein


Provided is a welding helmet control device comprising: a welding sensor or a light sensor configured to detect presence and intensity of welding light; a controller configured to count presence, intensity, and elapsed time of welding light, detected by the welding sensor or the light sensor, and to determine welding intensity, weld time, resting time, and weld number; a memory configured to store the welding intensity, the weld time, the resting time, and the weld number; a display configured to display the welding intensity, the weld time, the resting time, and the weld number, stored in the memory; a shutter driver configured to drive a shutter liquid crystal display (LCD) to vary a darkness concentration under control of the controller; and a setting unit configured to receive a setting value and a manipulation command, set by a user, and to transmit the received information to the controller.

In general, arc welding refers to a process that is used to locally heat and dissolve metal using the fusibility of metal to join two metals and, in this regard, a worker puts on a welding helmet as one of protective devices for protection of the worker from heat, light, and gas which are generated during a welding process.
In the case of a welding helmet with a handle, it is cumbersome to release a welding helmet when in use and then to repeatedly and frequently hold and release a handle several times for every welding process.
The aforementioned welding helmet has been developed as a band type helmet and has been developed and studied to enhance work efficiency. In particular, a welding helmet is used to protect the eyes and face during an operation such as welding or cutting. In addition, the welding helmet includes an antiglare device (hereinafter, referred to as a cartridge) that is fixedly installed therein to protect user's eyes from intense harmful light generated during an operation such as welding or cutting.
In general, the cartridge blocks light with a wavelength equal to or greater than 780 nm (ib) and less than 365 nm (uv) and controls transmittance of visible light to allow a worker to perform a process while visually checking a welding position without glare.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,206 discloses a welding helmet including a liquid crystal display (LCD) lens that is directly positioned in front of eyes of a worker to actually function as a view window, a solar cell that absorbs light to function as an energy input unit, an electronic quick change (EQC) cartridge including an optical sensor cell that detects sparks and other intense light to function as a circuit input unit for automatically adjusting the LCD lens in a variable opacity state, and a cartridge housing positioned in a helmet to fixedly install the EQC cartridge in the helmet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,264 discloses a shutter installed to allow a helmet wearer to see a welding process, an electronic controller coupled to the shutter to control light penetration shade of the shutter, an optical sensor for allowing the electronic controller to detect light emitted from the welding processing, and an electronic circuit for driving the shutter to be darker than before in response to the optical sensor that detects bright light from the welding process.
However, such a welding helmet includes a cartridge that detects intense light generated during a welding process to automatically drive an LCD lens and a shutter to be dark to protect the eyes of a worker against intense light but there is a problem in that it is difficult to measure spot welds per sec/min/hour and actual welding time and it is not possible to conveniently convert a current mode into a grind mode during welding.
It is not possible to rapidly convert a current condition into a desired welding condition in a grind mode during a welding operation and, thus, there is a problem in that it is too cumbersome to newly set a welding condition.

Device and method of controlling welding helmet


Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device including a bezel for protecting an organic light emitting display panel. The organic light emitting display device has a display panel including a first substrate, on which a pixel array having at least one organic light emitting diode is formed, a second substrate for encapsulating a pixel region of the first substrate, and an encapsulating material formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The device further includes a bezel for receiving the display panel. The bezel accommodates the display panel and includes a lower plate with a waved surface and a sidewall extending from edges of the lower surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light-emitting display device, and more particularly, to a structure accommodating a display panel.
2. Discussion of Related Technology
An organic light-emitting display panel is one of the flat panel display devices in which an organic light emitting layer is arranged between electrodes faced with each other, electrons injected through an electrode and holes injected through another electrode are recombined in the organic light emitting layer to be light emitting molecules, the light emitting molecules are excited and returned to the ground state, thus emitting light. The organic light emitting display panel has attracted attention as a next generation display, since it has an excellent visibility, can be fabricated in a light weight and in a thin thickness and also can be driven at a low voltage. The display panel is generally accommodated in a bezel or frame
The discussion in this section is to provide general background information, and does not constitute an admission of prior art.


A first application instance is associated with a protection domain based on credentials (e.g.: a signed certificate) associated with a set of application code that, when executed, gives rise to the application instance. The first application instance executes in a first execution context. An indication is received that the first application instance seeks access to protected functionality associated with a second execution context. In response to receiving the indication, a determining is made as to whether the first application instance has permission to access the protected functionality. The determination is made by determining the protection domain with which the first application instance is associated, and determining if the protection domain with which the first application instance is associated is in the set of one or more protection domains.

There are many computing environments having multiple software applications that need to interact with each other and with other software such as libraries and runtime environments. Firewalls or the like are one technique to protect the applications or other software. One type of firewall is to execute each application (or bundle of applications) in its own execution context. For example, some computing environments support isolation of application execution contexts.
Isolation of application execution contexts means that an application cannot access objects or data owned by an application in another context unless the other application explicitly provides an interface for access. Context isolation may be enforced by a firewall. For example, access to an instance of an object is only allowed to applications executing in the same context the object instance was created in (the owning context). Applications can provide interfaces for other applications to access in the form of shareable interface objects (SIO), which bypass the firewalls. In addition to object ownership control, when an object is accessed, other language access controls may be enforced.
Context isolation allows for coarse-grained access control to protected data or objects. For example, the protected object or data could be associated with a platform such as a smart card. A smart card is a card that may resemble a credit card and contains an embedded integrated circuit (IC). Smart cards are highly secure by design, and tampering with one results in the destruction of the information it contains. Smart cards typically have microprocessors and memory for secure processing and storage. There also exists technology similar to smart cards, but in form factors other than smart cards. Examples of such related technology are smart buttons and USB tokens. These other technologies may be used for similar functions as smart cards. USB tokens can be plugged directly into the USB port of a PC. Smart buttons and USB tokes provide programming capabilities similar to smart cards and have tamper-resistance properties.
Thus, access to platform functionalities or functionalities or services provided by another application is granted solely based on the context of the calling application. For example, access to Runtime Environment (RE) functionalities or functionalities or services provided by another application is granted solely based on the context of the calling application. However, context isolation does not allow for fine-grained platform protection or application function protection enforced by the platform.
Under limited circumstances, finer grain control of security may be possible. For example, finer grain control may be possible by checking an application's identification. As a particular example, a server application can programmatically check if a smart card application client is one the server allows. However, this check is limited in that is typically only based on the identification of the application client.
Policy-based access control allows for protecting functionalities provided by the Runtime Environment (RE), an application or a library. The protected functionality may be a block of code that implements the protected functionality, a protected object in the sense of object-oriented programming, or protected data.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Method and apparatus for protection domain based security


As part of a wireless access point configuration process, a computer network is probed and each previously unprogrammed wireless access point on the network is programmed by transmitting wireless network configuration parameters thereto using a software agent residing on a node of the computer network.

Wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those based on the IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g standards, are becoming ubiquitous in business, government and small office/home office (SOHO) settings because of the freedom afforded by and the decreasing costs of the underlying technology.
Before discussing the 802.1x access point configuration in detail, it is helpful to review some basics of WLANs in general. Unlike their wired LAN counterparts, WLANs provide for communication among network elements through wireless transmissions (e.g., radio transmissions), as opposed to wired, physical connections. Unfortunately, implementing an 802.1x solution for a WLAN is not an easy task. For example, the required network infrastructure is complex (potentially involving multiple authentication servers for use in cases of equipment failures) and expensive.
Installing an AP to create a new WLAN or even within an existing WLAN can be a time consuming process, especially for an unsophisticated user. Usually, the user must step though several screens of a graphical user interface in order to set various security and/or authentication parameters. Consequently, deployment of 802.1x compliant WLANs has not yet become widespread at an enterprise level and is virtually nonexistent at a SOHO level.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automated discovery of access points in wireless computer networks


Aspects disclosed herein relate to activating a single wire protocol (SWP) interface with a circuit card. A single wire protocol (SWP) activation procedure is initiated with a circuit card. During the SWP activation procedure, an unexpected frame may be received, and a different SWP activation procedure may be initiated with the circuit card based at least in part on receiving the unexpected frame during the SWP activation procedure.

Aspects described herein generally relate to activating single wire protocol (SWP) communications within a wireless device and specifically to improving activation of the SWP communications.
Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerful personal computing devices. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable personal computing devices, including wireless computing devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and paging devices that are each small, lightweight, and can be easily carried by users. More specifically, the portable wireless telephones, for example, further include cellular telephones that communicate voice and data packets over wireless networks. Many such cellular telephones are being manufactured with relatively large increases in computing capabilities, and as such, are becoming tantamount to small personal computers and hand-held PDAs. Further, such devices are being manufactured to enable communications using a variety of frequencies and applicable coverage areas, such as cellular communications, wireless local area network (WLAN) communications, near-field communications (NFC), etc.
NFC can be used for secured communications in a device equipped with a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) where the device may activate a contactless frontend (CLF) that connects to the UICC to provide the secured communications. SWP is used as the interface between the CLF and UICC in a device such that the CLF activates a pin of the UICC as the single wire input/output (SWIO) to provide an energy (e.g., voltage) thereto, along with a transmission clock, and/or other signals for bus management. Data to be transmitted to/from the UICC using SWP is represented by binary states of voltage and current on the single wire.
Activation procedures for SWP between the CLF and UICC in a device involve various frames transmitted between the CLF and UICC. It is possible, however, that one or more frames of the activation procedure are not properly sent or received between the CLF and UICC.

Techniques for activating single wire communications


In a memory circuit integrated on a semiconductor chip, an interface system is formed between the connection pads and associated internal signal lines and contains a respective separate and complete interface circuit for each of at least two different modes of operation of the memory circuit. Each interface circuit is arranged distributed over a plurality of spaced sections of the chip surface such that sections of different interface circuits alternate with one another. Only the interface circuit which is associated with the mode of operation which is desired when the memory circuit is being used is operatively connected between the connection pads and the associated internal signal lines by metallizations in the topmost metallization plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a memory circuit integrated on a semiconductor chip. A preferred but not exclusive area of application for the invention is "DRAMs", i.e., dynamic random access memories.
2. Description of the Related Art
A memory chip accommodates a large multiplicity of memory cells in one or more separate "banks" which respectively occupy a cohesive region of the chip surface. Each bank contains the memory cells typically in a matrix-like arrangement of rows and columns, a switching network which covers the matrix and comprises row and column selection lines ("word lines" and "bit lines"), and also address decoders, line switches, drivers and data amplifiers, in order to connect selected memory cells to data connections on the bank on the basis of address bits, so that data can be written to or read from these cells. In addition, each bank has connections for control signals in order to control the read and write modes. These control signals include not only the address bits but also various time control and switching signals for controlling the flow of the read and write cycles.
The supply voltage is applied, external control signals (clock signals, address bits and control commands) are input and data signals are input and output on the memory chip via external supply lines which are directly and electrically connected to associated contact areas or the "connection pads" on the chip. Between these pads and the internal signal lines connected to the memory bank connections are various circuit arrangements which ensure that the external control signals are transferred to the associated bank control lines in a prescribed logic combination and synchronization and that the data signals are transferred in a prescribed association between the banks' data lines and the data connection pads, respectively. These circuit arrangements thus basically form an "interface system" between the connection pads and the memory bank connections or the internal signal lines routed to these connections. The connection pads, the "interface system" and also the internal signal lines are integrated in regions of the chip surface which are situated outside the surface region occupied by the memory banks.
The market for memory circuits which are mass produced as integrated chips on semiconductor chips is subject to great fluctuations. This applies not only to the demand for memory chips per se but also, in particular, to the rapidly changing demand for different specifications for such chips.
Chip producers want to be able to react as quickly as possible to any demand. However, this is obstructed by the fact that the fabrication time for memory chips is relatively long (e.g., it is currently between four and six months). For this reason, it has become widespread customary practice to design memory chips such that they can be set to one of a plurality of alternative specifications at a stage as late as possible in the production process or even not until the chips are being used in practice. The latter option, i.e., setting during use, is appropriate only for a few operating parameters, e.g., for the burst length (length of the data sequence which is written or read during each access operation) or the "CAS latency" (waiting time between the activation command and the start of the actual read or write mode). In this context, the parameters are set by setting particular bits in a mode register integrated on the chip on the basis of a command from the external memory controller, i.e., more or less by software in the course of operational control.
However, there are also operating or specification parameters whose market-dependent range of fluctuation should be taken into account by virtue of appropriate design of the chip hardware, specifically by virtue of the circuit design of the aforementioned interface system. Such parameters include, by way of example, the data rate relative to the storage clock, the frequency of the storage clock, the frequency of the system clock, the bit length of the data stream sent and received, the external supply voltage and the voltage values of the logic levels in the data sent and received.
To be able to allow for different alternative modes of operation, it is known practice to design integrated memory chips as "combo" chips. In this context, as many elements of the interface system as possible are designed such that they can work in any of the alternative modes of operation, i.e., work "universally". If the various modes of operation require different patterns of signal paths between the existing universal elements, the connection pads and the internal signal lines, then a complex system of logic gates is additionally provided which is capable of producing each of the different signal path patterns on the basis of control potentials. The connections between the logic system and the respective control potential sources are set up prior to delivery of the chip by means of a contact-making operation in the topmost metallization plane. Since this can take place at a very late production stage, e.g., directly before the chip is encapsulated, alignment with the market can be carried out at short notice.
Such customary combo chips have their own drawbacks, however. Since many elements of the interface system and also of the logic system need to work in different modes of operation, compromises are needed in terms of the design and the dimensioning of these elements. Many elements which may have optimum properties for one particular mode of operation will work less well for another mode of operation. Thus, there is little success in designing the interface system in optimum fashion for all modes of operation.


A water injection rack base for a mast is formed of two semi-bases connected together by hinges, at the top surfaces of the two semi-bases being provided 1-2 water injection holes, on the joint face of the two semi-bases and on the central position being provided semi-cylindrical concaves, thereby forming holes on the top surface for inserting a mast when the two semi-bases are pulled open. This invention is of foldable-type, when in use, it can be easily pulled open, without need of being connected by bolts. The water injection hole is concealed, thereby preventing dusts and litters from entering into the bases, and making this invention novel in appearance. This invention has water discharge holes with easy water discharge, thus reducing labour intensity for workers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to members of a rack, specifically a water-injection rack base for a mast.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A water-injection rack comprises a base, a stay bar and a marker. The stay bar is inserted into a hole of the base, and the marker is connected to the stay bar. In order to keep the rack stable, the rack base needs a weight. Since the base is hollow, the cavity of the base needs to be injected with water. Due to its large volume, the water injected rack base for a mast is generally composed of four ¼ shells, which are independent from each other and can be joined together. On the ¼ shells are provided water injection holes and bracket holes. When in use each time, the ¼ shells need to be connected by bolts, thus bringing about an inconvenience to some extent.


A photothermographic material contains a compound of formula (I): ##STR1## wherein X represents --N.dbd., --N(R)--, --O--or --S--wherein R represents hydrogen, hydroxy, aliphatic hydrocarbon, aryl or heterocyclic group, Z represents a valence bond or a group of non-metallic atoms necessary to form a 5 to 7-membered ring with X, and each of Q.sub.1 and Q.sub.2 represents a group of non-metallic atoms necessary to form an aromatic hydrocarbon ring or aromatic heterocycle fused to the ring completed by Z. The material has high sensitivity in the infrared region and a minimal sensitivity change with varying storage conditions.

This invention relates to a photographic silver halide photosensitive material and more particularly, a photothermographic photosensitive material having high sensitivity and which has minimal sensitivity change with varying storage conditions.
Various types of photographic materials are used in the medical field. From the contemporary standpoints of environmental protection and space saving, it is strongly desired to reduce the quantity of spent solution. Needed in this regard is a technology relating to photothermographic photosensitive materials for use in medical diagnosis and general photography which can be effectively exposed by means of laser image setters and laser imagers and produce distinct black images having high resolution and sharpness. These photothermographic photosensitive materials offer to the customer a simple thermographic system which eliminates a need for solution type chemical agents and is not detrimental to the environment.
On the other hand, the recent rapid progress of semiconductor laser technology has made it possible to reduce the size of medical image output devices. As a matter of course, there were developed techniques relating to infrared-sensitive photothermal silver halide photographic material which can utilize a semiconductor laser as a light source. The spectral sensitization technique is disclosed, for example, in JP-B 10391/1991 and 52387/1994, JP-A 341432/1993, 194781/1994, and 301141/1994. The antihalation technique is disclosed, for example, in JP-A 13295/1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,635. Since the infrared exposure system permits the visible absorption of sensitizing dyes and antihalation dyes to be considerably reduced, a substantially colorless photosensitive material can be readily produced.
A combination of the thermographic technique with the infrared exposure technique allows for the production of a photosensitive material which eliminates a need for liquid.
Since spectral sensitizing dyes capable of absorbing infrared radiation, however, generally have a high reducing power due to a high HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital), they tend to reduce silver ions in photosensitive materials to exacerbate the fog thereof. In particular, these photosensitive materials experience a substantial change of performance during storage under hot humid conditions and long-term storage. If dyes having a low HOMO are used for preventing deterioration of storage stability, spectral sensitization efficiency and sensitivity become low because their LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) is relatively low. These problems relating to sensitivity, storage stability and performance variation arise not only with wet photographic photosensitive materials, but more outstandingly with photothermographic materials.
The supersensitization technique has been developed as one method for overcoming the problems associated with infrared sensitization. Known infrared supersensitizers for use in thermographic systems include aminopolycarboxylic acid derivatives as disclosed in JP-A 4241/1990, heterocyclic aromatic mercapto compounds and heterocyclic aromatic disulfide compounds as disclosed in JP-A 182639/1992 and 341432/1993. The aminopolycarboxylic acid derivatives have weak supersensitization and low sensitivity. The heterocyclic aromatic mercapto compounds and heterocyclic aromatic disulfide compounds suffer from the problem that sensitivity varies during storage under hot humid conditions.


A microreactor for performing chemical reactions, includes a body (2, 3), a first chamber (5) and a second chamber (7), both formed in the body (2,3). Interconnections (8) are provided for fluidly coupling the first chamber (5) and the second chamber (7) through the body (2, 3). The microreactor also includes a venting passage (10; 110; 210) formed in the body (2,3) and having a venting outlet (10b) in the second chamber (7) and at least one venting inlet (10a) in the first chamber (5), at a location where formation of bubbles is expected upon introduction of a liquid in the first chamber (5).

Typical procedures for analyzing biological materials, such as nucleic acid, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and other biological molecules, involve a variety of operations starting from raw material. These operations may include various degrees of cell separation or purification, cell lysis, amplification or purification, and analysis of the resulting amplification or purification product.
As an example, in DNA-based blood analyses samples are often purified by filtration, centrifugation or by electrophoresis so as to eliminate all the non-nucleated cells, which are generally not useful for DNA analysis. Then, the remaining white blood cells are broken up or lysed using chemical, thermal or biochemical means in order to liberate the DNA to be analyzed. Next, the DNA is denatured by thermal, biochemical or chemical processes and amplified by an amplification reaction, such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), LCR (ligase chain reaction), SDA (strand displacement amplification), TMA (transcription-mediated amplification), RCA (rolling circle amplification), and the like. The amplification step allows the operator to avoid purification of the DNA being studied because the amplified product greatly exceeds the starting DNA in the sample.
If RNA is to be analyzed the procedures are similar, but more emphasis is placed on purification or other means to protect the labile RNA molecule. RNA is usually copied into DNA (cDNA) and then the analysis proceeds as described for DNA.
Finally, the amplification product undergoes some type of analysis, usually based on sequence or size or some combination thereof In an analysis by hybridization, for example, the amplified DNA is passed over a plurality of detectors made up of individual oligonucleotide detector fragments that are anchored, for example, on electrodes. If the amplified DNA strands are complementary to the oligonucleotide detectors or probes, stable bonds will be formed between them (hybridization). The hybridized detectors can be read by observation using a wide variety of means, including optical, electromagnetic, electromechanical or thermal means.
Other biological molecules are analyzed in a similar way, but typically molecule purification is substituted for amplification, and detection methods vary according to the molecule being detected. For example, a common diagnostic involves the detection of a specific protein by binding to its antibody. Such analysis requires various degrees of cell separation, lysis, purification and product analysis by antibody binding, which itself can be detected in a number of ways. Lipids, carbohydrates, drugs and small molecules from biological fluids are processed in similar ways. However, we have simplified the discussion herein by focusing on nucleic acid analysis, in particular DNA analysis, as an example of a biological molecule that can be analyzed using the devices of the invention.
Some devices integrate more than one process step. For example, some devices are designed to accept biological samples previously prepared and to perform amplification and detection processes (that may involve denaturation, hybridization of target probes and reading of the probes).
In most cases, individual operations are carried out in separate chambers. So, there is a need to transfer partially processed samples from one chamber to another and, to this end, microfluidic connections are provided between subsequent chambers.
However, handling small volumes of liquids, such as required for biochemical analyses (in the range of few microliters) can be difficult, especially when capillary forces are involved. In fact, air bubbles may easily be encapsulated in a chamber when a sample is loaded into a microreactor. Essentially, the geometry of the chambers and the affinity of the sample with the material which the chambers are made of may produce very instable menisci when the chambers are filled with a liquid. The edges of the menisci may join in certain conditions and air bubbles can be entrapped within the liquid.
A single air bubble may occupy a relatively large fraction of the chamber, in view of its small volume (some microliters) and cause leakage toward another chamber through the microfluidic connections. In other words, a volume of the sample may be pushed away by the air bubble and may escape from the reaction chamber through the microfluidic connections. The analysis may be compromised, because important process parameters, such as volume, balance of reagents, pressure, temperature, are affected by the bubble. In any case, a lower amount of sample is available for processing.
The object of the invention is to provide chemical microreactor and a method for carrying out a chemical reaction that are free from the above described limitations.

Microreactor with vent channels for removing air from a reaction chamber


A system for obtaining position data of cops on a winder while the cops are carried in a direction along a predetermined conveyance path having sections, connections of sections and sections where movement of the cops in a direction from one of the sections to another of the sections is to be confirmed. Ends of yarn of each of the cops are found in a yarn end feeding portion of the winder. The yarn of the cops is unwound from the cops in a plurality of winding-units of the winder. Remaining yarn on any of the unwound cops is detected in a remaining yarn sensing portion of the winder, and yarnless cops are finally discharged from the winder. Sensors detect only the presence of any one of the cops at respective sensor positions along the predetermined conveyance path. The sensor positions are by the connections of sections of the predetermined conveyance path and the sections where movement of the cops in the direction from one of the sections to another of the sections is to be confirmed for obtaining the position data of each of the cops along the predetermined conveyance path.

The present invention relates to a spinning machine-linked winder, and more particularly, to a system for recognizing the position of spinning spindle of cops on a winder and managing its data, and a method for tracing cop numbers by conveyance sections, in which the number of cop located in the divided conveyance sections is identified, and data by cops is analyzed to effectively manage the spinning spindle's problem, the winder drum's problem, and the winder's inefficiency caused by losing the end of the yarn or due to remaining yarn inside the winder.
Yarn is made of natural or synthetic fibers through opening/blowing, carding, combing, drawing, roving, spinning, winding, plying and twisting. Here, spinning is a procedure of drafting and twisting filaments after roving in order to obtain a final yarn of a predetermined strength, thickness, and elasticity. Winding is a procedure of winding the yarn produced during spinning in the commercial form of cone, and at the same time, removing ununiform, that is, thicker or thinner, yarns. The yarn made by the spinning machine is wound around a wood bobbin. The wood bobbin with the yarn is called a cop (and, herein, continues to be called a cop after the yarn is unwound from the bobbin in a winder; i.e., a yarnless bobbin discharged at section K in FIG. 5 described below is still called cop). This cop is carried to the winder through a link system to automatically connect the spinning machine and the winder so as to be wound in the form of a cone.
FIG. 1 shows a system containing conventional spinning machine 2 and winder 4, where cops 6 are loaded on tray 8 (shown in FIG. 2) and carried to winder 4 from spinning machine 2 through link system 10. Spinning machine 2 consists of 400, 432, 960, 1024 spindles (not shown). Wound cops 6 are produced from the respective spindles. The empty bobbins for cops 6 are carried by the same number of trays 8 as that of the spindles and supplied by a doffing device (not shown). The cop 6 with the yarn is loaded on the tray 8 by the doffing device.
The cop 6 loaded on tray 8 is then carried to winder 4 from spinning machine 2, and winder 4 loads cop 6 on tray 8 and transports it to the plural winding units 12. The yarn is wound around a paper bobbin in a drum (not shown) placed above winding units 12, so as to make cone 14. Here, depending on the equipment, the tray of spinning machine 2 and the tray of winder 4 may operate separately, or the tray of spinning machine 2 may be carried to winder 4 with cop 6.
Sometimes spinning machine 2 and winder 4 falsely operate due to poor equipment, inaccurate setting conditions, poor quality of half-finished goods transported from the preceding process, or the operator's mistakes. Their specific examples include frequent yarn cuttings in the spinning machine or winder, losing the end of yarn in the winder, lack of weight of the yarn wound around the cop, or frequent operation troubles in a specific portion of the winder. In order to detect and solve those states, an apparatus for monitoring spinning or winding state of the spinning machine or winder was developed. However, the conventional equipment requires extreme installation cost, and an expensive apparatus must be installed in the spinning machine and winder to increase the installation cost as well as maintenance cost. As a result, this greatly affects production cost. Especially, despite its efficiency, the monitoring apparatus installed in the spinning machine is limited in its usage because of an excessive investment cost resulting from a sensor that recognizes the state of the apparatus, development in sensing mode, and a large number of spindles.
An automatic doffing device is essentially mounted as the vital device in the spinning machine. In order to utilize it economically, the number of spindles of spinning machine per unit is being increased over 1,000. For this reason, it is not easy to find bad spindles among so many spindles, but this process becomes essential in terms of quality improvement as well as production. Even one bad quality makes a cone regarded as bad quality because 20-30 cops must be joined in order to produce one cone. Therefore, it becomes so important to find out the running situation of each spindle of the spinning machine and where the bad quality cop comes from, to the extent similar to the effect of monitoring directly in the spinning machine, after gathering yarn end data, quality/production data, and remaining yarn data in the winder.
A monitoring apparatus automated to overcome such task is disclosed in a Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hei3-223072 entitled "Method for writing and reading identification data of spinning bobbin". This apparatus needs a separate device for reading the respective bobbins' recognition sign in order to trace the position of a cop, and a separate recognition device that inserts bar codes to the tray, attaches recognition material such as magnetic film, and deformed bobbins. This hinders its general application to the existing spinning machine and winder.

System for recognizing the position of spinning spindle of cops on a winder and managing its data, and method for tracing cop numbers by conveyance sections


Mechanisms are provided for training a hybrid machine learning (ML) computer model to simulate a biophysical system of a patient and predict patient classifications based on results of simulating the biophysical system. A mechanistic model is executed to generate a training dataset. A surrogate ML model is trained to replicate logic of the mechanistic computer model and generate patient feature outputs based on surrogate ML model input parameters. A transformation ML model is trained to transform patient feature outputs of the surrogate ML model into a distribution of patient features. A generative ML model is trained to encode samples from a uniform distribution of input patient data into mechanistic model parameter inputs that are coherent to the target distribution of patient features and are input to the surrogate ML model. Input patient data for a patient is processed through the ML models to predict a patient classification for the patient.

The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method, and more specifically to mechanisms for generating computer models from implicitly relevant feature sets. In some illustrative embodiments, the present application relates to an improved data processing apparatus and method having mechanisms for generating personalized biophysical models from implicitly relevant clinical feature sets.
Biophysical models are computer models that attempt to simulate a biological system using mathematical formulations of the physical characteristics of the biological system. Such biophysical models are often used to predict the influence of various biological and physical factors on complex systems. However, such biophysical models are often limited due to the large number of input parameters in these models that are not easily measurable.

Generating computer models from implicitly relevant feature sets

International Business Machines Corporation


A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘USPHLO3M’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant form; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and busy plant habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; purple and white bi-colored flowers; and relative tolerance to high temperatures.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox, botanically known as Phlox hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'USPHLO3M'.
The new Phlox is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phlox hybrida cultivar USPHLO3, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,846. The new Phlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Aichi, Japan on Apr. 20, 2004.
Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox by cuttings in a controlled environment in Aichi, Japan since Jun. 8, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


The present invention is a novel method of interfacing static logic to domino logic. A static logic block is connected to one input of a domino evaluation tree. The domino evaluation tree operates only during a brief window of time, while an evaluation control block is ON. Since the input to the domino gate only must be stable during this brief window of time, there is no need to latch the output of the static logic.

Performance goals of processors increase in every generation and progressively more sophisticated architectures are required to implement their complex functions. Advanced architectures require long pipelines which increase the number of latches used to interface pipeline stages. These latches consume considerable amounts of power and area.
Domino circuits increase the performance of logic circuits by precharging a series of logic gates during a first clock phase, or precharge phase, and evaluating the intended logic function during the next clock phase, or evaluation phase. Domino circuits have three sources of overhead which reduce performance: latches, clock skew, and the inability to borrow time across clock boundaries. Opportunistic time borrowing (OTB) domino circuits improve performance by eliminating these three sources of overhead for interfacing two phases of domino circuits. A full description of OTB domino circuits can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,136 issued May 14, 1996. However, OTB domino is not applicable to interfacing static logic to domino logic. Interfacing static logic to domino logic is expensive in terms of time, power consumption, and area. One of the constraints of domino logic is that there can be no false transition or valid high to low transition at its input while the domino logic operates. Such a high to low transition may cause an erroneous output. Glitches in the output of the static logic block may accidentally trigger domino circuits in this way. Therefore, in the prior art, a latch is required to hold a stable input from the static logic to the domino logic.
FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a prior art interface between a static logic block 110 and a domino evaluation tree 130. The domino evaluation tree 130 is a logic block made of N-type MOSFET transistors which may evaluate one of a number of functions. For example, the domino evaluation tree 130 may implement a NAND or NOR function. The method of implementing such functions in NMOS is well known in the art. The output of the static logic block 110 is latched by the latch 120 in order to provide a stable input to the domino evaluation tree 130.
FIG. 1A shows one input, IN, from the static logic block 110 interfaced to the domino evaluation tree 130 by latch 120. However, the domino evaluation tree 130 may have more than one input from a static logic interfaced in a similarly. The domino gate 175 is clocked by the complimentary clock signal, CLK# 182. The domino gate 175 includes the domino evaluation tree 130, an NMOS evaluation transistor 140, a PMOS precharge transistor 150, and a PMOS sustainer 160. Domino evaluation tree 130 is connected to the NMOS evaluation transistor 140, which only allows evaluation while CLK# signal 182 is high. The domino evaluation tree 130 is also connected to the PMOS precharge transistor 150, which pulls the OUT signal 190 high during the precharge phase, while CLK# signal 182 is low.
Further, the output of the domino evaluation tree 130 is coupled to a PMOS sustainer 160. The PMOS sustainer 160 consists of an inverter 166, with the output of the inverter 166 coupled to the gate of a PMOS device 163. This PMOS device 163 is coupled between the operating supply and the output of the domino evaluation tree 130. The function of the PMOS sustainer 160 is to keep the output high--to keep it from floating--if the domino evaluation tree does not pull it low. Finally, the output of the domino gate 175 is an input to the Phase II logic block 170.
FIG. 1B represents the timing diagram of the circuit illustrated in FIG. 1A. The IN signal 185 is input to the latch 120 and the output of the latch 120 is the IN(L) signal 187. The IN signal 185 becomes valid at least t.sub.s prior to the end of Phase I. The time t.sub.s is the setup time of the latch 120. The IN(L) signal 187 must become valid before the start of Phase II in order for the IN(L) signal 187 to be stable when the domino evaluation tree 130 operates. The output signal, OUT 190, is the output of the domino gate 175 and becomes valid during Phase II.
The latch 120 performs no logic, but only holds a stable input for the domino gate 175 during Phase II. The latch 120 adds the propagation delay through the latch or the setup time of the latch to the critical path. In addition, the latch 120 increases the area and power consumption of the circuit.
Thus it can be seen that an improved interface from static to domino logic, which eliminates the need for a latch, is desirable.


A tachometer for an aircraft wheel mounted on an axle to rotate about an axis of rotation. The tachometer has a stationary part secured to the axle and a rotary part driven in rotation by the wheel. The stationary part and the rotary part are mountable independently on the axle and on the wheel, respectively, and have portions facing each other in a radial direction. A sensor and a target element carried by the stationary and rotary parts portions that extend facing each other in a radial direction and are in register with each other in a radial direction. The portion secured to the rotary part extends inside the axle.

Tachometers are known for aircraft wheels that are mounted on axles to turn about axes of rotation. A tachometer comprises a stationary part for securing to the axle and a rotary part for being rotated by the wheel. One of the parts, generally the stationary part, includes a remote sensor adapted to co-operate with an indicator element carried by the other part in order to generate information about the speed of rotation of the wheel. For example the sensor may be of the variable reluctance type.
Such a sensor is known from document US 2001/0052258. The stationary and rotary parts comprise portions that extend facing each other in a radial direction, the remote sensor and the indicator element being carried by said portions so as to be in register with each other in a radial direction. In this case, the portion of the rotary part that carries the indicator element extends around the portion of the stationary part that carries the remote sensor.
It is thus necessary to reserve enough space beyond the end of the axle to be able to install the sensor and the indicator element, thereby increasing the bulkiness of the tachometer.

Tachometer with independently mountable rotary and stationary parts for an aircraft wheel


Providing remote applications having built in feedback ability in a distributed test framework. A first application program having a call interface is launched using a first agent process, which includes an agent launcher interface. The call interface provides a reference to the first agent process, which allows communication between the application program and the agent process. A launch request is sent from the first application to the agent launcher interface using the reference. The launch request specifies a second application to be launched and also defines attributes of a processing resource. The second application is then launched on a processing resource having the attributes defined in the launch request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network software testing, and more particularly, to methods and systems for custom application development for remote applications having built in feedback ability in a distributed test framework.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the use of software in performing daily tasks is increasing rapidly, assessing software reliability through software testing has become an imperative stage in software development cycle. As is well known, software testing is used to find and eliminate defects (i.e., bugs) in software, which if undetected, can cause the software to operate improperly. In general, a stand-alone computer or a network of computer resources can perform software testing. When a stand-alone computer system is used to perform the software testing, the computer system is programmed to run a test selected by the software user. Comparatively, if a network of computer resources is used, the user is responsible for manually adding and deleting the computer resources to the network, programming the master computer system and the server, initiating the running of a user-selected test, and running the test on the group of dedicated computer systems coupled to the server.
In either scenario, a heavy user interface is required for initiating the software testing on the master computer, scheduling the running of the specific test on the system resources, adding and deleting of the system resources, keeping track of the system resources and their respective hardware and software configuration, and maintaining the system resources. Also, in either case, dedicated system resources perform the software testing. That is, the system resources are designed to solely be used for software testing.
Further, when operating a network of computer resources, some type of client control software generally is necessary to communicate test results back to the master computer system. Generally, the test creates a test results file during execution, which can be read by the client control software and provided to the master system after test execution. However, prior art client control software does not provide a mechanism to continue communication and management for tests initiated by the client control software. That is, once the client control software launches a test, the test executes without further communication with the client control software. Although some prior art systems allow client control software to "kill" a test job, no meaningful communication is provided that allows further management of an executing tests.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a flexible methodology and system capable of selecting and utilizing dynamic, cross-platform computer resources to process a computer software. Further, the system should be capable of allowing continued communication between client control software and launched applications.

Methods to develop remote applications with built in feedback ability for use in a distributed test framework


A handover control method, apparatuses and a communication system are disclosed. In embodiments of the present invention, a control base station (DeNB) of a Relay node is identified according to an established relation between the Relay node and the Control base station, and therefore, a handover request message can be routed to the correct DeNB and finally sent to the RN, and a User Equipment can normally hand over to a cell controlled by the Relay node.

Beyond Third Generation mobile communication system (Beyond Third Generation mobile communication system, B3G) is named International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) by the International Telecommunication Union Radio (International Telecommunication Union Radio, ITU-R). The IMT-Advanced imposes high requirements on the system capacity. Nevertheless, the high-bandwidth spectrum that supports the high capacity of the IMT-Advanced is generally available in higher bands, but higher bands involve great path loss and penetration loss, and can hardly achieve good coverage.
To meet the requirements of the IMT-Advanced with respect to system capacity and coverage, the prior art introduces a relay technology to improve the system capacity and coverage. In a traditional network, the wireless connection between a base station and a User Equipment is a direct wireless connection, which forms a single-hop network. The relay technology is intended to add one or more relays between the base station and the User Equipment. The relays are responsible for processing and forwarding radio signals sent by the base station at one or more attempts until the User Equipment receives the radio signals. Taking the simple 2-hop relay as an example, a radio link between base station and a User Equipment is split into two radio links, namely, a radio link from the E-UTRAN NodeB to a Relay Node, and a radio link from the Relay Node to the User Equipment, thus making it possible to replace a low-quality link with two high-quality links and achieve higher link capacity and better coverage.
FIG. 1 shows a network topology in which the relay technology is introduced. The network includes a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a base station (e.g. E-UTRAN Node B, eNB), an Relay Node (Relay Node, RN), and a control base station (e.g. Donor E-UTRAN NodeB, DeNB) of the RN. The DeNB is also an base station, and provides a function of controlling the RN in addition to conventional functions of an eNB. The RN may be fixed or mobile. When the RN is mobile, the DeNB that controls the RN is also variable.
In FIG. 1, the interface between the MME and the eNB is S1, and the interface between the MME and the DeNB is also S1. An X2 interface may exist between the eNB and the DeNB or not. No direct interface exists between the RN and the eNB. A wireless Un interface exists between the RN and the DeNB. The coverage of the eNB and the DeNB may be divided into multiple different cells. When a connected User Equipment moves from a cell of the eNB to a cell of the DeNB, a handover process will be triggered. Like the eNB and DeNB, the RN is equivalent to an base station. The coverage of the RN may also be divided into different cells. When a connected UE moves from a cell of the eNB to a cell of the RN, a handover process will be triggered.
In the process of researching and practicing the prior art, the inventor of the present invention finds that in the prior art, when the User Equipment (User Equipment, UE) hands over from the eNB to the RN, the UE can interact with the RN to obtain the identity of the RN cell (RN_PCI), and report the RN_PCI to the network. According to the RN_PCI, the network determines the RN to which the UE will hand over, but the network is unable to determine the control base station that controls the RN, and unable to send a Handover_Request message to the correct DeNB. Consequently, the handover process cannot proceed normally.

Handover control method, apparatuses and communication system


An optical assembly includes a first optical waveguide, a first in-coupler coupled with the first optical waveguide and a projector configured to project image light toward a first side of the first optical waveguide. The optical assembly also includes a first scanning reflector optically coupled with the projector and disposed on a second side of the first optical waveguide that is opposite to the first side. The projector is configured to project image light. The first scanning reflector is configured to receive the image light and to redirect the image light across a first range of directions. The first in-coupler is configured to redirect a first portion of the image light so that the first portion of the image light undergoes total internal reflection inside the first optical waveguide.

Head-mounted display devices (also called head-mounted displays) are gaining popularity as means for providing visual information to a user. For example, the head-mounted display devices are used for virtual reality and augmented reality operations. However, the size and weight of conventional head-mounted displays limit their applications.
Generally, head-mounted display devices with a wide field of view are desired for improved user experience. This makes it even more challenging to reduce the sizes of head-mounted display devices.

Optical assemblies having scanning reflectors for projecting augmented reality content


A scanning probe microscope scans the surface of a sample while making a cantilever to which an exploratory needle is attached oscillate near its resonance point, and collects information on the surface of the sample based on the change of oscillation due to the interaction between the surface of the sample and the exploratory needle. The scanning probe microscope includes a plurality of oscillators attached to the cantilever for oscillating the cantilever, and an oscillator drive device connected to the oscillators for selectively applying an alternating voltage for excitation to the plurality of oscillators.

The present invention relates to a scanning probe microscope, and more specifically, relates to a scanning probe microscope which scans the surface of a sample and makes a measurement while oscillating a cantilever to which an exploratory needle is attached near its resonance point.
In order to observe the surface or make a measurement of the surface roughness of metal, semiconductor material, ceramic and synthetic resin, a scanning probe microscope (SPM) as the representative of an atomic force microscope (AFM) which makes the measurement of an atomic force generated between the exploratory needle (probe) and the surface of the sample, is widely known. In the atomic force microscope, several measurement modes are used. However, recently, means called a non-contact mode or dynamic mode which makes the cantilever to which the exploratory needle is attached oscillate near the resonance point, converts and detects an interaction between the cantilever in the oscillated state and the surface of the sample applying to the exploratory needle into change in oscillation amplitude, phase, or frequency of the cantilever, is largely used (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication (TOKKAI) No. H11-2637 (paragraph 0003-0004).
FIG. 5 is a principled configuration diagram of the detecting portion of the atomic force microscope which is conventionally well-known. At the distal end of a cantilever 10, a sharp exploratory needle 11 is attached, and a basal portion 12 of the cantilever 10 is fixed to a pedestal 14 wherein a ceramic piezoelectric element 13 is mounted. The piezoelectric element 13 or pedestal 14 is held by a cantilever holder (not shown), and the cantilever holder is fixed to the device (microscope). The piezoelectric element 13 changes its shape in its thickness direction (up-and-down direction in FIG. 5) by the voltage which will be applied, so that when the alternating voltage with a predetermined frequency f is applied from a drive portion 15, the cantilever 10 moves up and down by the oscillation of the piezoelectric element 13. In the above-mentioned non-contact mode or dynamic mode, the frequency f of the alternating voltage is set near a mechanical resonance point of the cantilever 10. Herewith, in the cantilever 10, oscillation with amplitude larger than the oscillation amplitude of the piezoelectric element 13 itself is induced. Incidentally, displacement of the cantilever 10 is detected by an optical detection mechanism (not shown).
At this point, the displacement magnitude of the piezoelectric element 13 depends on the material or shape of the piezoelectric element 13 besides the amplitude of the alternating voltage which will be applied. Also, the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever 10 changes according to the spring constant which depends on the material or shape of the cantilever 10, condition of contact between the basal portion 12 of the cantilever 10 and the pedestal 14 besides the displacement magnitude of the piezoelectric element 13. Even if it is the same type of cantilever 10, since the individual difference of the spring constant is measurable, when the alternating voltage with the same amplitude is applied, a relatively large difference in the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever 10 may be observed.
In the atomic force microscope, the amplitude of the cantilever 10 is one of the important measurement parameters, and according to the material or shape of a sample S to be observed, an operator is required to adjust the amplitude of applied voltage so as to gain an appropriate amplitude. However, even if the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 13 is the same, if the type or shape of the cantilever 10 differs as mentioned above, the oscillation amplitude also differs. As a result, in the case wherein the cantilever 10 which is difficult to be oscillated is used, even if the maximum voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 13, the amplitude suitable for the most appropriate observation condition may not be achieved. On the other hand, when the cantilever 10 which is easily oscillated is used, even if the minimum voltage which can be stably-generated at the drive portion 15 is applied to the piezoelectric element 13, the amplitude of the cantilever 10 may become larger than the amplitude suitable for the most appropriate observation condition. More specifically, in the conventional scanning probe microscope, since the dynamic range of the adjustment of the oscillation amplitude of the cantilever 10 is narrow, there may be a case wherein the measurement cannot necessarily be performed on the most appropriate condition. Accordingly, this may contribute to, for example, deterioration of accuracy of an observation image.
This invention is made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the main purpose of the invention is to provide a scanning probe microscope which can enlarge the dynamic range of the adjustment of oscillation amplitude of the cantilever when the cantilever is oscillated at a frequency near its resonance point.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


The present invention relates to a pulse alarm clock consisting of a main body of the alarm clock and two quick-fastening straps, wherein it has a high-voltage pulse generator installed inside the main body of the alarm clock, which is controlled by a timing device therefrom, and in addition, both its positive and negative pulse electrodes, which are controlled by a transfer switch, are extending outward along with an output-end and then combining all together at two quick-fastening straps, and thereat, it is able to fasten the alarm clock at a high sensitive portion of a human body with the utilization of these two quick-fastening straps, thereby, when it is reaching the preset alarm time on the alarm clock, it will activate the high-voltage pulse generator to creating the vibration effect that will be transferred to a high sensitive portion of the human body through these two quick-fastening straps and thus achieving the objective of wakening the user from sleep consequently.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulse alarm clock, particularly to a kind of pulse alarm clock which is able to perform either the effect of acupuncture on the acupuncture point or the alarm effect in wakening the user from sleep accordingly.
2. The Prior Arts
Currently the alarm clocks sold on the market generally have two kinds of ringing methods, i.e. the alarm tone and music tone, in which, the ringing method of alarm tone is sounded by hitting the bell-jar continuously with a ram, and thereat, the audio frequency sounded is too harsh and loud to the ears and is very easily disturbing the other people staying in the same area; and instead, although the low frequency music tone is more gentle which will not disturb the other people if comparing to the alarm tone, but it might not waken up the user while she/he was too sleepy, therefore, it is obviously that both ringing methods used for the current alarm clocks are not the perfect designing method for the alarm clock.

Pulse alarm clock with alarm and acupuncture functions


A combine culling apparatus for selecting product test samples has a novel culling apparatus mounted on a known combine or the like. The culling apparatus includes a collector, e.g., a cyclone, for receiving product, e.g., seeds, from the combine and a measuring compartment for receiving product from the collector. Soybeans, or other plants are arranged in a plurality of plots to be harvested. Test samples from these plots are sequentially collected by the apparatus. Test data pertaining to the plants is stored a computer system on the combine culling apparatus. Current data pertaining to a current test sample, e.g., such as yield, is collected on board the combine. The computer system on the combine selects whether to discard or to save a current test sample while on board the combine based on the current data and said stored test data. The method enables culling soybean lines and other crops directly on the combine by using a computer to calculate a check index from a set of check varieties compared to indexes of lines of interest.

This invention pertains to methods for culling plants and the like and, more particularly, to a method for culling soybeans. The present invention teaches a method and apparatus for culling plants, such as soybeans, etc., directly on a harvesting apparatus, such as a combine or other crop harvesting equipment.
Soybean breeders typically make a cross between two varieties which are genetically dissimilar and advance the seed through generations of self pollination to a point were a single plant can be selected, which is, for the most part, homozygous at most loci and breeds true for the major traits of interest. Seeds from this plant and its subsequent generations are then tested for traits of interest including quantity and composition of protein and oil, resistance to pests (e.g., phytophthora root rot, soybean cyst nematode (SCN), brown stem rot, white mold, sudden death syndrome, stem canker, charcoal rot, etc.), appearance (e.g., lodging, pod load, and plant health), yield (usually by grain weight, volume of the grain or visual appearance), emergence (e.g., depth at which a line will emerge from or speed at which an individual emerges), nutrient deficiency or toxicity (e.g., iron deficiency chlorosis, zinc toxicity, maturity, height, molecular marker data (which are usually linked to one of the above traits of interest)), and other factors. The best individuals are kept and their progeny are tested in subsequent years until the few remaining lines are released for sale to farmers for growing. The most important factor is yield. Nevertheless, without considering the other factors, the variety may be undesirable or unusable. For example, without considering factors other than yield, the variety may not have the necessary protein or oil composition, or may produce unstable yields as pests attack the plants in different environments, or the plants may lodge so much that a farmer can not efficiently harvest the grain or finds that its appearance is objectionable.
To select lines, soybean breeders grow the progeny of a plant from a bulk population in a row called a progeny row or in a hill called a hill plot. Several such plots are grown from a population (the progeny from any one cross), and the best are selected by visual selection or by some measure of yield. The measure of yield is referred to in this present disclosure as a progeny row yield test (PRYT). Visual selection based on physically observing, or looking, at each row, is very subjective and requires a high degree of artistic talent by the breeder. Many experienced breeders believe that this technique is inefficient. In either case, a yield test of some type will be conducted in subsequent generations. A breeding program may have hundreds of thousands of individual genotypes to evaluate each year. PRYTs and other yield tests are highly laborious. The labor and expense involved in cataloging, planting, note taking, harvesting, transporting, analyzing, culling, and discarding this large number of samples is very high. Another disadvantage of the current yield test approach is the time required for harvest, analysis, selection, and getting the seed ready for shipment for replant in winter nurseries. At present, the seed industry is extremely competitive with new genotypes and traits emerging each year. The first company or entity to incorporate these traits into new varieties and to bring them to market receives a competitive advantage. Many seed companies, utilize winter nurseries in, e.g., Chile, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. To conduct meaningful tests when growing in these countries, seeds must be delivered to a testing site within a couple of weeks after they are harvested. Each soybean research station can have, e.g., 20,000 or more samples. As a result, it has been impossible to analyze, select, and cull these samples in the requisite time period with conventional means without a critical year loss in cycle time.
Current techniques include a crude culling technique wherein the yield of a sample, based on volume or weight of seeds, is compared to the yield of checks planted beside the same area as the samples of interest. The checks are harvested first, and a threshold value is marked on the cylinder or written down. All samples below the level of this threshold value are discarded. This technique has a number of disadvantages. In most crosses, the days required for soybean lines to mature varies. Lines taking longer to mature will usually have more growth and therefore out-compete earlier lines. Occasionally, the reverse can be true. Earlier lines can out-yield later maturity lines due to poor late season growing conditions or frost. For these reasons, very narrow maturity crosses are generally used with this technique. Another disadvantage is that although the checks may be planted in the general areas as the unselected lines, the size of the blocks may keep checks some distance from several lines that are selected. This means the checks do not adequately represent all the variation in the field, and the yield of the checks may therefore be unusable to compare to the unselected lines. One primary disadvantage of this technique is that selection is based only on yield and no other factors are taken into account. The price of the combines used to harvest these lines ranges from about $30,000 to well over $150,000. With the current method, a good operator can harvest one plot every 20-30 seconds and can do about 1000 plots/day. A common rule of thumb used in the industry is that the midwest will have 10 days fit for harvest. Therefore, one can expect to harvest 10,000 plots per year with each combine.
Selection indexes have been used by several individuals in several crops to select lines after all data has been collected, but not to select as data is being collected on a harvest apparatus. Computer programs which can generate selection indexes exist, but these programs have not been used to make selections while the data is being generated.

Method and apparatus for culling directly on a harvesting apparatus


A photographing method and apparatus is provided. The photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit; a sensing unit for sensing motion of the photographing apparatus; a display unit for displaying at least one guide image for panorama photographing; a controller for controlling the photographing unit to automatically photograph, if a photographing direction that changes in accordance with motion of the photographing apparatus corresponds to one of the at least one guide image; and a storage unit for storing the photographed image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a photographing apparatus for photographing a panoramic image and a method thereof, and, more particularly, to a photographing apparatus that provides a plurality of guide images, allowing a user to photograph a panoramic image easily, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of electronic technologies, various types of electronic devices have been developed and are now widely used. Specifically, a compact mobile device with various functions such as a smart phone has recently become popular.
Such a mobile device may provide a photographing function. Thus, users can take various pictures or videos using the devices they always carry, and can share their photographed images with others by uploading such images onto websites or blogs. The images photographed by the device may be used as road view images. If the images are to be used as road view images, a panoramic image in which several images are connected to one another is more useful than a single image which was photographed from one point of view. In other words, since the size of an image that can be contained in one photo sheet is limited, a wide image is generated by photographing several still images and combining them. This photographing method is referred to as a panoramic image photographing method.
However, in order to obtain such a panoramic image, a photographing apparatus should continuously photograph images at various angles. Therefore, even if the photographing apparatus has a panorama function, it is not easy for users to photograph a panoramic image while changing the angle.
Therefore, there is a demand for a method for photographing a panoramic image easily and conveniently.

Photographing apparatus for photographing panoramic image and method thereof