A polling-based communication apparatus and system. The apparatus of the invention, connected to a host computer through a peripheral bus, comprises an arbiter and multiple addressable entities. Each addressable entity corresponds to one of queues maintained in the host computer. The arbiter can determine which queue is to be served next in accordance with a quality of serve policy. The host computer polls each addressable entity by issuing a query packet. Depending on the queue chosen to be served next, the arbiter grants the corresponding addressable entity access to the peripheral bus, causing this granted addressable entity to respond to the host computer's polling with an acknowledgement packet. Thus the host computer initiates transactions to transfer data packets from the chosen queue through the peripheral bus to the corresponding addressable entity.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the art of communication systems, and more particularly to a polling-based scheme for guaranteeing quality of service communication by serving multiple queues in a host system without using direct memory access (DMA).
2. Description of the Related Art
With the convergence of communication and computing technology, processing platforms have been integrated with communication systems to provide enhanced service features and resource allocation. Such a processing platform is typically coupled to a communication network and hosts several processes for transmitting data to or receiving data from nodes on the communication network. A processing platform may be configured to allocate resources to provide a quality of service (QoS) for a particular communication service supported by the processing platform.
A processing platform integrated as part of a communication system may include a peripheral device coupled to a communication medium and a host system to receive data from the peripheral device and transmit data to the communication medium through the peripheral device. A peripheral bus typically transfers data between the host system and the peripheral device. The processing platform that supports QoS and resource allocation typically uses multiple queues in which each queue is associated with a particular QoS requirement and/or a particular data flow. These queues should be effectively processed per their respective priorities, for example, to permit many data flows to be individually scheduled per their respective negotiated QoS levels.
As far as is known, most conventional peripheral devices carry out QoS guarantees over I/O buses such as the PCI bus. This type of bus may transfer data between a peripheral device and a host system using a "direct memory access (DMA)" through which data can be transferred independently of the processes hosted on the host system. In this scheme, the peripheral device is able to initiate bus transactions and is generally referred to as a bus master. In recent years, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) has become a popular standard for PC peripherals because of its versatile peripheral interconnectability. The USB provides not only ease-of-use for PC peripheral expansion but also a low-cost solution that supports transfer rates up to 480 Mb/s. However, in a USB system, all data transfers are initiated only by a USB host. USB peripherals are, in effect, bus slave devices. Little work is done to guarantee QoS for USB systems even though the USB is an industry standard. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a QoS guarantee for a bus slave device, unencumbered by the limitations associated with the related art.

Polling-based apparatus and system guaranteeing quality of service


An imaging lens includes first to fifth lens elements arranged from an object side to an image side in the given order. Through designs of surfaces of the lens elements and relevant optical parameters, a short system length of the imaging lens may be achieved while maintaining good optical performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging lens and an electronic apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as use of portable electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones and digital cameras) becomes ubiquitous, much effort has been put into reducing dimensions of portable electronic devices. Moreover, as dimensions of charged coupled device (CCD) and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) based optical sensors are reduced, dimensions of imaging lenses for use with the optical sensors must be correspondingly reduced without significantly compromising optical performance. Image quality and size are two of the most important characteristics for an imaging lens.
However, in optical lens design, to reduce proportionally a size of an imaging lens with good image quality is insufficient to obtain a miniaturized imaging lens with good image quality since material properties and a yield rate of assembly should also be considered.
Therefore, technical difficulties of a miniaturized imaging lens are much higher than those of traditional imaging lenses. Producing an imaging lens that meets requirements of consumer electronic products with satisfactory optical performance is always a goal in the industry.

Imaging lens, and electronic apparatus including the same


The present invention pertains to a method for determining if data read from a storage medium has been read from physical block address (PBA) other than the expected PBA. Data that is stored on the data storage medium is encoded in accordance with a protocol that includes randomizing the data and combining the first k.times.2t bytes of the data with a PBA string, where t is the error correction capacity associated with the error correction technique used in the data storage system and k is the number of bytes of the PBA that are used in the PBA string. In addition, the data is k-way interleaved with parity data appended to it. When the data is read from the data storage medium, the data is decoded using a scheme corresponding to the encoding protocol. If errors are present in the data and exceed the error correction capacity, the first 2t bytes of each interleave are marked as erasures and a second correction is performed by an error correction unit. If the error values in each interleave are all the same, a PBA error is presumed to be the source of the errors. The actual PBA from which the data was read is then determined.

Since a storage medium is subject to various types of noise, distortion and interference, various errors can occur at the output of the storage medium. The current trend is to store greater amounts of digital data in smaller areas on the storage medium. This trend increases the probability of errors. To correct the errors, error correction coding is used.
There are various error correction coding techniques. One class of such error correction codes is the well-known Reed Solomon (RS) codes. The Reed Solomon (RS) encoding technique appends to each block of b user data symbols 2t redundancy symbols to create a codeword (where t represents the designed symbol error correcting capacity of the code). There are b+2t symbols in a RS codeword. The RS codewords are transmitted to and from the storage medium with a certain error probability. During the decoding phase, certain error patterns introduced from the transmission of the data from the storage medium can be detected and the original data reconstructed by analyzing the received data.
Often errors occur in bursts rather than in random patterns, so that several consecutive bytes are in error. If all the errors in such a burst are confined to a single codeword, the error correction coding technique may not be able to correct these errors, since the coding technique's capacity is limited to correcting a predefined number of errors and the error burst may exceed this capacity. Interleaving is often used to overcome this problem. Interleaving is a technique that distributes user data symbols over several codewords so that the symbols from any given codeword are well separated during transmission. When the codewords are reconstructed during the decoding process, error bursts introduced during the transmission are broken up and spread across several codewords. The distribution of the errors in this manner is done so that the number of errors present in a codeword is more likely to be within the capacity of the error correction technique.
Encoded data is stored at a certain physical block address (PBA) on the storage medium. The PBA can be used in the encoding process in such a way that if encoded data is decoded using a different PBA, then the decoding process will fail, i.e., the data will appear to have uncorrectable errors. When uncorrectable data is detected, it is beneficial to know the source of the errors. Accordingly, there exists a need for an encoding scheme that addresses this problem.

PBA recovery apparatus and method for interleaved reed-solomon codes


A driving tool with tool portion and a gas delivery system. The tool portion includes a linear pneumatic motor that is configured to propel a driver blade. The gas delivery system is configured to deliver a pressurized gas, such as compressed air or nitrogen, to the tool portion for use in operating the linear pneumatic motor. The gas delivery system includes a first inlet, which is connectable to a first source of compressed gas, such as a stationary air compressor, a second inlet, which is connectable to a second source of compressed gas, such as a tank mounted to the tool portion, and a directional valve for selecting between the first and second inlets.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0283569 discloses an expulsion device actuated by a pressure medium. The expulsion device is configured to expel objects or liquid materials from a reservoir by means of a drive piston which is impinged upon by a pressure medium. The pressure medium can be received from a stationary pressure source, or a pressure medium container. While such device is suited for its intended purpose, it is nonetheless susceptible to improvement.

Fastening tool having an interchangeable power source


An image-sensing chip package module for reducing its whole thickness can fix an image-sensing unit under a substrate unit via an adhesive body disposed between the substrate unit and the image-sensing unit, so that the image-sensing unit can be firmly fixed under a bottom area (the bottom area is a receiving space formed by using a plurality of first conductive protruding bodies to support the substrate unit up relative to a main PCB) of the substrate unit. In other words, the image-sensing unit is received in the receiving space formed by using the first conductive protruding bodies to support the substrate unit up relative to the main PCB, so that the whole thickness of the image-sensing chip package module can be reduced. Therefore, it is easy for designer to integrate the image-sensing chip package module into any portable electronic devices such as mobile phone or notebook.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-sensing chip package module, and particularly relates to an image-sensing chip package module for reducing its whole thickness.
2. Description of the Related Art
The advantage of CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) is low power consumption and small size, so that the CMOS image-sensing chip package module can integrate into some special portable electronic device with small size such as mobile phone and notebook.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the prior art provides a first type of an image-sensing chip package module includes: a substrate board 80, a CMOS image-sensing chip 81, a support 82 and a transparent glass 83. The CMOS image-sensing chip 81 is electrically connected to the substrate board 80 via a plurality of lead wires W by a wire-bonding method. The support 82 supports the transparent glass 83 up by a predetermined height. Hence, external light signals S pass through the transparent glass 83 to project onto the CMOS image-sensing chip 81.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the prior art provides a second type of an image-sensing chip package module includes: a substrate board 90, a CMOS image-sensing chip 91 and a transparent glass 92. The CMOS image-sensing chip 91 is electrically disposed on the substrate board 90. The transparent glass 92 has a transparent body 920, a support 921 for supporting the transparent body 920 up by a predetermined height and positioning the transparent body 920 on the substrate board 90, and a light-condensing lens 922 disposed over the CMOS image-sensing chip 91. Hence, external light signals S pass through the light-condensing lens 922 of the transparent glass 92 to project onto the CMOS image-sensing chip 91.
However, the image-sensing chip package module of the prior art has some defects, such as large thickness and complex manufacturing process.
Hence, it is very important for designer to design a CMOS image-sensing chip package module of small thickness in order to integrate into a portable electronic device of small thickness according to different market requirements.

Image-sensing chip package module for reducing its whole thickness


Embodiments of RFID tag circuits and methods are described, which include a chip having a clock circuit operable to generate a clock signal having different frequencies, and one or more components operable to work at the different frequencies. In addition to a regular frequency, at least one higher frequency is possible, which is enabled in situations where a reader is known to be close to the chip. The proximity ensures that the chip generates reliably more power, which enables its operation at the higher speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present description is related to the field of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, and more specifically to RFID tag circuits that are operable at different speeds, and related methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) systems typically include RFID tags and RFID readers (the latter are also known as RFID reader/writers or RFID interrogators). RFID systems can be used in many ways for locating and identifying objects to which the tags are attached. RFID systems are particularly useful in product-related and service-related industries for tracking large numbers of objects being processed, inventoried, or handled. In such cases, an RFID tag is usually attached to an individual item, or to its package.
In principle, RFID techniques entail using an RFID reader to interrogate one or more RFID tags. The reader transmitting a Radio Frequency (RF) wave performs the interrogation. A tag that senses the interrogating RF wave responds by transmitting back another RF wave. The tag generates the transmitted back RF wave either originally, or by reflecting back a portion of the interrogating RF wave in a process known as backscatter. Backscatter may take place in a number of ways.
The reflected-back RF wave may further encode data stored internally in the tag, such as a number. The response is demodulated and decoded by the reader, which thereby identifies, counts, or otherwise interacts with the associated item. The decoded data can denote a serial number, a price, a date, a destination, other attribute(s), any combination of attributes, and so on.
An RFID tag typically includes an antenna system, a power management section, a radio section, and frequently a logical section, a memory, or both. In earlier RFID tags, the power management section included an energy storage device, such as a battery. RFID tags with an energy storage device are known as active tags. Advances in semiconductor technology have miniaturized the electronics so much that an RFID tag can be powered solely by the RF signal it receives. Such RFID tags do not include an energy storage device, and are called passive tags.
In a number of situations, a large number of RFID tag chips must be read and processed. These include field situations, but also testing chips as they are produced, to ensure their integrity. Such reading takes place wirelessly, and is inherently limited by the speed of operation of each chip. This limits, for example, the speed of field reading situations, and also testing, which ultimately affects production throughput.

RFID tag circuits operable at different speeds


A beverage rack assembly is provided that is lightweight, easy to assemble and disassemble, and can be set in multiple orientations to accommodate various environments. The rack assembly includes two lattices that are made out of sticks coupled to each other at slots in the sticks. The lattices are joined together by risers that include two ends, each of the ends including four appendages shaped as triangular-prisms, and that attach to the two lattices at each of the stick couplings. Portions of the sticks that extend beyond the terminal couplings together form support structures on multiple sides of the rack that allow the rack to be set at various orientations. The rack is made out lightweight materials, such as wood or plastic, further contributing to the portability of the rack and the rack's components.

Alcoholic beverages, such as wine, can spend a long time in bottles before they are consumed. Some wines, such as certain sparkling wines, undergo secondary fermentation while inside the bottles even before they are sold to consumers. Even when ready for consumption, some wine bottles, especially of fine wines, are stored for an extended period of time prior to being consumed to allow for long-term aging processes to occur. Regardless of whether wine bottles are stored during the winemaking process, after the winemaking process is complete but before being sold to consumers, or by consumers, as the bottles are highly breakable, storing them requires an arrangement that both holds the bottles in a fixed, secure, position and does not occupy an exorbitant amount of space. Accordingly, wine makers, wine sellers, and wine consumers turn to wine racks for storage of wine bottles, especially large quantities of such bottles. Such wine racks generally include a set of shelves that maintain bottles in particular positions when the bottles are inserted into the shelves.
While useful for safely storing large numbers of wine bottles, existing wine racks come with a number of drawbacks. In particular, especially large wine racks designed to hold a large number of bottles, are difficult to transport. Further, due to their size and shape, they can be difficult to move even within a single building, requiring multiple people to maneuver them through doorways. Such large racks also tend to be heavy, further complicating the task of transporting them, even within a single building. Similarly, transporting large wine racks over long distances can require a dedicated truck that is both large enough to fit the rack and has a powerful enough engine to move the weight of the rack. In addition, such racks are generally useful only when positioned in a particular orientation, requiring a dedicated and fixed amount of space in a room for their storage.
Efforts have been made to make wine racks more portable, but such efforts have not been adequate so far. For example, Vinotemp® 12-Bottle Trellis Wine Rack, manufactured by Vinotemp International, Inc. of Rancho Dominguez, Calif., has a capacity of 12 bottles. The rack is assembled by initially combining several metal strips with notches into a partial trellis, inserting dowels into the partially completed metal trellis, completing the trellis with addition of more metal strips, and inserting additional dowels into the metal strips. Subsequently, additional metal strips that do not have any notches are placed on ends of the dowels opposite to the ends which are inserted into the trellis, and are secured into the dowels with nails that are hammered into pre-made holes in the dowels. The overall shape of the rack is a cube, meaning that the rack occupies the same amount of space regardless of how the rack is positioned, limiting where the rack can be positioned. Further, the use of nails makes a safe disassembly of such a rack problematic, if it all possible, meaning that the rack may still be too bulky to be transported by a single person in certain situations. Further, the use of metal strips increases the weight of such a rack, further decreasing the rack's portability.
Accordingly, there is a need for a beverage rack that is portable, easy to assemble and disassemble, and that can be effectively used when positioned in multiple orientations.

Beverage rack assembly and method of construction


An electronic apparatus performs a method of constructing a facial position map from a two-dimensional (2D) facial image of a real-life person that includes: generating a coarse facial position map from the 2D facial image; predicting a first set of keypoints in the 2D facial image based on the coarse facial position map; identifying a second set of keypoints in the 2D facial image based on the user-provided keypoint annotations; and updating the coarse facial position map to get a final facial position map so as to reduce the differences between the first set of keypoints and the second set of key points in the 2D facial image. In some embodiments, a final set of keypoints and/or a three-dimensional (3D) facial model of the real-life person is formed from the final facial position map.

Commercial facial capturing systems with multiple sensors (e.g., multi-view camera, depth sensors, etc.) are used to obtain an accurate three-dimensional (3D) face model for a person with or without explicit markers. These tools capture the geometry and texture information of a human face from multiple sensors and fuse the multi-modal information to a general 3D face model. Benefiting from the multi-modal information from various sensors, the obtained 3D face model is accurate. However, these commercial systems are expensive and additional software purchase is needed to process the raw data. In addition, these systems are usually deployed at facial capturing studio, actors or volunteers are needed to acquire data, which make the data collection process time-consuming and even more costly. In short, the facial capturing systems are expensive and time-consuming to acquire 3D face data. On the contrary, smart phones or camera are widely available nowadays so there are potentially large amount RGB (red, green, blue) images available. Taking RGB images as input to produce 3D face model can benefit from the large amount of image data.
Two-dimensional (2D) RGB image is just the projection of 3D world to 2D plane. Recovering the 3D geometry from a 2D image is an ill-posed problem that requires optimization or learning algorithms to regularize the reconstruction process. For 3D face reconstruction, parameterized facial model 3D Morphable Model (3DMM) based method has been developed and used. In particular, facial models like Basel Face Model (BFM) and Surrey Face Model (SFM) are the commonly used facial models, which require commercial licensing. Face model based methods take a set of scanned 3D human face models (demonstrating a variety of facial features and expressions) as their basis, and then produce parameterized representations of facial features and expression based on the 3D face models. A new 3D face can be expressed as the linear combination of the basis 3D face models based on the parameterization. Because of the nature of these methods, the 3D face models used to form the basis and the parameter space limit the expressiveness of the facial model based methods. In addition, the optimization process that fits the 3DMM parameters from an input face image or 2D landmarks further sacrifices the detailed facial features in the face image. Therefore, facial model based methods cannot accurately recover the 3D facial features and commercial licensing is needed to use the facial models such as BFM and SFM.
With the popularization of deep learning algorithms, semantic segmentation algorithms have gained a lot of attention. Such algorithms can divide each pixel in a face image into different categories, such as background, skin, hair, eyes, nose, and mouth.
Although Sematic Segmentation method can achieve relatively accurate results, semantic segmentation of all pixels is a very complex problem, which often requires a complex network structure, resulting in high computational complexity. In addition, in order to train a semantic segmentation network, a large amount of training data needs to be labeled, and semantic segmentation needs to divide the pixels of the entire image, which is very tedious, time-consuming, and costly. Therefore, it is not suitable for scenes that do not require high average color accuracy, but require high efficiency.
Keypoint-driven deformation methods that optimize Laplacian and other derived operators have been well studied in academia. The math expression of Biharmonic deformation can be noted as Δ2x′=0. The constrained keypoints, namely the boundary conditions, can be expressed as xb′=xbc. In the above equations, Δ is the Laplacian operator, x′ are the unknown deformed mesh vertices' positions, and xbc are given keypoints' positions after deformation. The solutions of bi-Laplace equations are needed in each dimension. Biharmonic functions are solutions to the bi-Laplace equations, but also minimizers of the so-called "Laplacian energy".
The nature of energy minimization is the smoothing of the mesh. If directly applying the aforementioned minimizer, all the detailed features will be smoothed out. Besides, when the keypoints' positions stay unchanged, the deformed mesh is expected to be exactly the same as the original mesh. Out of these considerations, a preferred usage of biharmonic deformation is to solve the vertices' displacement other than their positions. In this way the deformed positions can be written as x′=x+d, where d is the displacement of the unknown vertices in each dimension. Naturally, the equations of biharmonic deformation becomes Δ2d=0 subjected to db=xbc−xb, where db is displacements of the keypoints after deformation.
With the rapid development of the game industry, customized face avatar generation has become more and more popular. For ordinary players without artistic skills, it is very difficult to tune the control parameters to generate a face that can describe subtle variations.
In some existing face generation systems and methods, such as the Justice Face Generation System, the prediction of the face model is to predict the 2D information in the image, such as the segmentation of the eyebrows, mouth, nose and other pixels in the photo. These 2D segmentations are easily affected by out-of-plane rotation and partial occlusion, and a frontal face is basically required. In addition, since the similarity of the final game face avatar and the input is determined by the face recognition system, which limits this method to only real style games. If the style of the game is cartoon style, which is quite different from the real face, this method cannot be used.
In some other existing face generation systems and methods, such as the Moonlight Blade Face Generation System, the real face is reconstructed from the input image. This method is limited to the real style games and cannot be applied to the cartoon style games. Second, the output parameter of this method is the reconstructed game-style face mesh, and then template matching is performed on each part of the mesh. This approach limits the combinations of different face parts. The overall diversity of game faces is closely related to the number of pre-generated templates. If a certain part, such as the mouth shape, has a small number of templates, it may produce few different variations, making the generated face lack of diversity.

Methods and systems for constructing facial position map


A magnetic sensing circuit is arranged in cooperative relation to a flyback transformer in a capacitor charging circuit for directly sensing the state of the transformer magnetic field for controlling the switching of power to the primary winding of the flyback transformer. A first threshold is sensed when the flyback transformer is nearly saturated with magnetic energy storage. A second threshold is sensed when all of the magnetic energy stored in the flyback transformer has been transferred to the capacitor. The sensed thresholds are used to optimally control the switching of power to the primary winding to maximize the efficiency and minimize the charging time of the capacitor charging circuit. A capacitor charging circuit which utilizes the present invention can be part of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of measurement of field leakage in a flyback transformer; and, more particularly, it relates to a sensing circuit utilizing a Giant Magnetoresistive Ratio (GMR) device to sense field leakage of a flyback transformer. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a sensing circuit for use in controlling the capacitor charging functions of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD).
2. State of the Prior Art
Various types of circuits utilize flyback transformers to perform a DC/DC conversion that permits a step up from a source voltage to a required amplified voltage. Flyback transformers employ a primary winding, a ferromagnetic core, and one or more secondary windings. Current is driven through the primary winding by a current driving circuit so that electrical energy is transformed in the core to magnetic energy until such time as the core nears saturation. Once the core nears saturation, the current driving circuit opens the primary winding. With the primary winding opened, the primary current loses its original path. Since the energy in the magnetic field of the flyback transformer is proportional to the current squared, and since energy must be conserved in the closed system of the flyback transformer, a secondary current must appear through the secondary winding to conserve the total flyback transformer energy. The secondary current then continues to flow until the magnetic field has collapsed. In the case of a capacitor charging circuit, the secondary current flows into and charges a capacitor connected to the secondary winding, typically through a blocking diode.
Upon saturation, the primary winding appears nearly as a short circuit to the current driving circuit that is providing power to the primary winding, thus subjecting the current driving circuit to severe, damaging current carrying conditions. This also causes excess heat build-up in the flyback transformer which can cause damage to the primary winding and lower the flyback transformer charging efficiency. To avoid this damage, it has been found to be advantageous to have the current driving circuit interrupt current flow in the primary winding just prior to saturation of the core to maximize magnetic energy storage in the core while avoiding the high current carrying conditions.
With the flyback transformer approach, there are many limitations on efficiency. For example, while the use of ferromagnetic core materials result in increased energy densities, the resultant hysteresis losses occurring during switching adds to the power consumption requirements of the current driving circuits. That is, the hysteresis loss decreases the charging circuit efficiency and more energy must be applied to the flyback transformer to make up for the lost energy. This can be especially problematic for battery powered charging systems. The rate of switching can also have an effect on hysteresis losses, as well as the rate of heating that can occur in the flyback transformer. The charging circuit must accommodate these inefficiencies, which can result in excessive capacitor charging times and decreased battery lifetimes for battery powered charging systems.
One type of device that utilizes flyback transformers is the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). This type of device is implanted in the body of a patient, and utilizes a charged capacitor to administer electrical pulses to the patient's heart. In general, the ICD has a battery coupled to a charging circuit that includes a flyback transformer for charging one or more capacitors interconnected in series to provide a high voltage output. By using the flyback transformer, a battery voltage, for example, on the order of about six volts DC, in a series of interrupted steps can cause the capacitor (or series of capacitors) to be charged to a level of about 750 volts DC, thereby providing a voltage level capable of providing an adequate charge to stimulate the patient's heart for the purpose of defibrillating the heart.
The prior art has recognized the desirability of limiting current in the primary winding of the core of a flyback transformer to as near to saturation as possible to maximize magnetic energy storage in the core while avoiding the problems caused by the high current flow levels in the primary charging circuit during saturation. Existing solutions have included measuring current flow to allow estimation of sufficiency of primary current flow necessary to bring the transformer core to near saturation. Since each transformer structure varies somewhat as a result of manufacturing tolerances, this approach requires having a safety margin to avoid saturation resulting in decreased efficiency. The choice of frequency of operation of the transformer may also impact the safety margin as there is a tradeoff between charging efficiency and transformer size, since high frequency switching allows small transformer sizes but increases hysteresis losses. Further, any heating of the flyback transformer also reduces efficiency, and thus impacts the safety margin. As a result, this approach to improve the efficiency of the flyback transformer by measuring primary winding current flow necessarily has lower efficiency once the safety margin is increased to accommodate the various factors discussed above.
Another prior art approach to improve the efficiency of the flyback transformer is by controlling the duration of the application of power to the primary winding of the flyback transformer. With the timed approach, various factors are considered such as the characteristics of the battery supply, the primary current driving circuit capability, the flyback transformer size and efficiency, and the switching frequency., all in order to estimate the fixed time each primary charging cycle that power should be applied to the primary winding. This approach however has many of the same problems as the above approach of measuring primary winding current. Again, as with the above approach, once the various factors are accommodated to build in a safety margin to the fixed time necessary to charge the primary winding to avoid saturation, the result is a less than optimal energy transfer.
While the above problems in the prior art relate to the optimal interruption of current flow in the primary winding just prior to saturation of the core to maximize energy transfer, yet another problem exists in the prior art regarding the optimal reapplication of power to the primary winding after it has been removed.
In the prior art, various approaches have been used to determine when to optimally reapply power. When the power applied to the primary winding is switched off for example, the voltage across the primary winding decreases as the field collapses. Once the voltage across the primary coil passes through zero, it is possible to again apply power in the primary circuit to start the next cycle of magnetic energy buildup via the primary winding. Thus one approach in the prior art has attempted to detect the zero volt cross-over of the primary winding to provide activating signals to enable the primary charging circuit. This approach however is not optimal due to the high degree of difficulty in measuring the voltage transition point due to the high rate of transition of the voltage across the primary.
Other approaches have attempted to measure the voltage across the secondary winding while the magnetic energy in the collapsing magnetic field is being converted to electrical energy stored in the capacitor. With these approaches, an attempt is made to determine when the secondary current induced in the secondary winding has been discharged into the capacitor so that power may be reapplied to the primary winding. Often times these approaches are not optimal due to the difficult in measuring the secondary voltage to determine the precise time at which the secondary current is equal to zero so that the primary power may be reapplied. Approaches using a fixed time delay or fixed voltage reference are still not optimal for the reasons discussed earlier.
Yet other problems exist in the prior art with regards to ICDs. When the capacitor is discharged in a ICD, the initialization of charging requires special handling. As described above, it is common to use the voltage measured across the primary winding as a determining factor to recognize when power can be reapplied to the primary winding. Unfortunately, this voltage measurement approach is not available during the initial charging cycles of the primary winding. As the capacitor is charged, the stored voltage level across the capacitor is reflected back through the secondary winding to the primary winding. When the sequence of charging cycles first start, the reflected primary voltage swing is too small to accurately detect the zero crossing threshold. To accommodate this condition during the initial charging cycles, a predetermined time delay has been utilized. For the reasons discussed above, this approach is not optimal.
What is desired is an approach to determine when to remove and when to reapply power to the primary winding which is not subject to the inherent inefficiencies of the above approaches, and which is not affected by ambient or operating conditions or manufacturing tolerances.

Giant magnetroresistive ratio sensing system


Articles of manufacture, including an apparatus for acoustic wave based agglomeration, are provided. The apparatus may include a well and an acoustic wave device. The well may be configured to hold a suspension that includes a plurality of particles. The acoustic wave device may be configured to generate a plurality of acoustic waves. The plurality of acoustic waves inducing acoustic streaming within the suspension. The acoustic streaming agitating the suspension to form an agglomerate comprising at least a portion of the plurality of particles. Methods for acoustic wave based agglomeration are also provided.

A cell agglomerate may refer to a three-dimensional cell formation such as, for example, a spheroid of cells. Cell agglomerates may provide a more realistic representation of an in vivo environment than two-dimensional cell formations such as, for example, a monolayer of cells. As such, cell agglomerates may have a variety of clinical and research applications. For example, cancerous cell agglomerates that replicate tumors may be used in the development of treatments such as, for instance, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or the like. In doing so, these cell agglomerates may provide an exemplary in vitro supplement and/or alternative to animal testing.

Acoustic wave based particle agglomeration

The Regents of the University of California


A character processing apparatus for recognizing coordinate information expressing a character, an exterior outline, an interior outline, a horizontal line and a vertical line; classifying the coordinate information expressing a character, the exterior outline, the interior outline, the horizontal line and the vertical line, and then determining a pair of the horizontal line and the vertical line; and setting a skipping order at the time of a low pixel so as to be converted into character data for a bit map development composed of a control point coordinate for expressing the outline of the subject character, band information and coordinate value information about the control point which is not included in the band information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a character processing method in which closed outline coordinate information prepared as standard graphic information and outline information for use to distinguish a plurality of closed outlines included in the above-described information are enlarged or reduced by calculations before they are converted into dot information, the dot information being then converted into bit map development character data for use in an output character-processing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Recently, print (print block copy) processing systems arranged in accordance with an electronic method have been significantly widely used with an improvement in the cost performance of a microcomputer, progress of hardware such that a small and precise page printer and a precise monitor display have been popularized, and the substantiality of word processing software.
In the above-described system, the character image output technology, which is the most important factor for forming a print of excellent quality, must meet the following requirements:
As the first requirement, the system must be constituted in such a manner that beautiful characters of a variety of font sizes can be reproduced.
As the second requirement, the same must be constituted in such a manner that characters can be freely developed and decorations can be performed, the decorations being exemplified by italic type, elongating, flattening, shadowing and hatching (internal tiling), so that a free and appealing layout is realized.
As the third requirement, the above-described system must be arranged in such a manner that an image of a specified layout which is finally output from a printer can be directly confirmed (WYSIWYG=What You See Is What You Get) on, for example, a display.
In order to meet the above-described requirements, systems employing a character generating method (hereinafter called an "outline font method"), which is arranged on the basis of defining the outline points of the character image, have been widely used.
According to the outline font method, for example, coordinate data about the control point for expressing the outline of the character is previously prepared in a ROM (Read Only Memory) of the system. Then, in accordance with a character code index, it is read into a temporary storage device RAM (Random Access Memory) so as to be temporarily stored there. Then, in accordance with the specified character output size and the resolution of the output device such as a printer, the above-described coordinate data about the control point is mathematically enlarged or contracted by calculations. Then, it is converted into dot information so that a character can be generated while revealing improved freedom with respect to the output size of the character and the resolution of the output device such as a printer. It has been known that the above-described method is particularly able to form a character of a large size while maintaining improved image quality in comparison to the conventional dot-font character generating method.
However, the outline font method was developed in the first half of the 1960's so as to be adapted to a considerably expensive microfilm output system or a very large size print block copy output system.
That is, the above-described method has been developed so as to be adapted to a high resolution output device of, for example, 1000 DPI (dots per inch which denotes the resolution) so as to first reduce the capacity of data for generating a character for the purpose of making a high resolution output.
In a case of 1000 DPI, the number of pixels per character (the total number of dots theorically allocated) is 140.times.140 when the font size is 10 points which is an ordinary size for a text. If one dot is allocated to one bit in the above-described dot font character generating method, a capacity of 2,450 bytes (140.times.140/8) for one character is required. However, it can be contracted to 1/5 to 1/10 of that quantity in accordance with the outline font method.
On the other hand, in a case where a bit map character is output from the above-described high resolution output device by the outline font method, there arises no critical problem of a quantization error which takes place as a result of calculations for mathematically enlarging or contracting the above-described coordinate value of the control point. That is, the accuracy in the reproduced character image and the quality of the reproduced image have not encountered any such problem.
However, the above-described print processing system arranged in accordance with the electronic method is considerably different from the hardware structure of the great size system in that it is arranged to be adapted to a work station for personal use. Therefore, the hardware must meet a desire of reducing the overall cost while realizing satisfactory performance. That is, the above-described small and precise page printer is, for example, a laser printer capable of outputting B4 sheets at 400 DPI. In this case, it suffers from the small number of pixels which can be allowed for each character. For example, in a case of a printer of 400 DPI, the number of pixels per 10-point character is 56.times.56, while the same is 44.times.44 in the case of an 8-point size. Therefore, the above-described influence of the quantization error becomes more critical in an output device of a low resolution.
Therefore, a first problem arises in that the quality of the output bit map character deteriorates in a case of the resolution of the page printer of the above-described print processing system arranged in accordance with the electronic method and the conventional outline font method, the quality deterioration being exemplified by a problem of excessive thickening of lines constituting the character, irregular line widths, oblique spaces between lines, zigzag curves and an unsatisfactory level of the realized symmetry. In particular, the above-described problems become more critical in a case of the font size which is usually used for a text.
A second problem arises in that the resolution possessed by a monitor display usually is, for example, about 100 DPI, which is lower than the resolution of the above-described printer, although there is a desire of employing a common character outputting method which does not depend upon the resolution of the devices such as the printer and the monitor display for the purpose of realizing the WYSIWYG, which is necessary to improve the document processing software.
In a case of a 100 DPI monitor display, the number of pixels per character of 10-point size is 14.times.14, while the same is 11.times.11 in a case of a character of 8-point size.
It has been known that 16.times.16 pixels: with which the type of the character can be discriminated (however, a complicatedly formed character must be simplified) and 24.times.24 pixels: with which the Ming type and Gothic type can just be distinguished from each other are necessary to form a dot-imaged kanji.
Accordingly, it has been disadvantageous in a case of the font size for a text because of the number of pixels if characters are imaged in accordance with the outline font method and by using a monitor display of about 100 DPI. That is, the deterioration in the quality of the output bit map character becomes more critical with respect to the case of the above-described first problem. Therefore, a critical problem has arisen when WYSIWYG is intended to be realized. Hitherto, an arrangement has been therefore employed in which individual character processing methods or systems are provided for, for example, the monitor display and for the printer in accordance with the resolution of the output device to be connected. As an alternative to this, they are individually provided for each number of pixels per character.
However, there arises a necessity in the above-describe system in that each of the fonts must be simultaneously changed to correspond to an improvement of the system such as the increase in the number of the types of the fonts. If the above-described change is not performed, a problem arises in that the character displayed on the monitor display becomes different from that output from the printer.
Furthermore, there is a system which does not employ the outline font method in the monitor display thereof and in which a pseudo enlargement and-contraction-are performed by means of the dot font to display the character. However, another problem arises in that the final image, which is a critical factor in performing a layout of the page, cannot be completely confirmed.
As described above, there arises a critical technological problem when the outline font method is, to meet the desire of realizing WYSIWYG, used as a common character output method which does not depend upon the resolution of the devices to be connected including the low resolution monitor display. Furthermore, the conventional methods for use to overcome the above-described problem encounter a variety of problems.
A third problem arises in that an addition of correction data, with which a forcible correction is performed for the purpose of absorbing in the visible level of the quantization error due to the calculations for mathematically enlarging or contracting the coordinate value of the control point, will require an excessively large amount of human work to carry out at the addition of the correction data to each of the characters. Furthermore, the conventional character data property established in accordance with the conventional outline font method cannot used.


A flexible optoelectric interconnect including an optoelectric film, a driving IC, an optical semiconductor device, a heat dissipation plate and a thermally conductive material. The optoelectric film has an electrical interconnect layer made of a single layer and an optical interconnect layer including an optical waveguide core and an optical waveguide clad. The optoelectric film has a through hole extending from a major surface thereof to a rear surface opposite to the major surface. The driving IC is provided on the major surface of the optoelectric film and electrically connected to the electrical interconnect layer, and provided above the through hole in the optoelectric film. The optical semiconductor device is provided on the major surface of the optoelectric film and driven by the driving IC.

The performance improvement of electronic devices such as bipolar transistors and field-effect transistors has dramatically increased the operating speed of large-scale integrated circuits (LSI). However, despite the speed-up of the internal operation of LSI, the operating speed at the level of the printed circuit board on which the LSI is mounted is set lower than the operating speed of the LSI, and the operating speed at the level of the rack on which the printed circuit board is installed is set even lower.
These are attributed to the increase of transmission loss, noise, and electromagnetic interference associated with the increase of operating frequency, because a longer interconnect requires a lower operating frequency in order to avoid degradation in signal quality. Hence, in electrically interconnected apparatuses, even if the operating speed of LSI, which is an active device, is increased, the speed is unfortunately forced to decrease when mounted. Thus, a recent growing trend is that mounting technology is more dominant in system speed than LSI operating speed.
In view of the foregoing problem with electrically interconnected apparatuses, some proposals have been made for an optically interconnected apparatus, which includes optical interconnection between LSIs. An optically interconnected apparatus is characterized by having little frequency dependence of loss in the frequency range from DC to 100 GHz or more, and being free from electromagnetic interference with the interconnect path and from noise due to ground potential difference. Thus, interconnection at several 10 Gbps can be easily realized. Hence, the optically interconnected apparatus can be expected to operate at very high speed even at the level of the printed circuit board and rack.
In particular, because of its flexibility, an optoelectric composite interconnect of the flexible type provides a high degree of freedom in board mounting. Furthermore, the configuration is simplified because it includes electrodes for mounting an optical device in itself (e.g., JP-A 2003-227951 (Kokai)).

Flexible optoelectric interconnect and method for manufacturing same


The object of the present invention is to provide an inspection apparatus for liquid crystal drive substrates that improves the inspection accuracy of liquid crystal drive substrates, judges defect type more accurately, and does not cause a decrease in throughput. In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides an inspection apparatus for liquid crystal drive substrates that discriminates defective pixels having an abnormal voltage and normal pixels having a normal voltage based on pixel voltage by arranging an electro-optical element plate in opposition to a liquid crystal drive substrate on which pixel electrodes are arranged in the form of a matrix, and calculating the actual voltage of each pixel electrode in the form of a pixel voltage based on the voltage image of the electro-optical element plate obtained by writing a prescribed voltage to the pixel electrodes, and on the electro-optical characteristics of the above electro-optical element plate, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises an image processing apparatus that an image processing apparatus that classifies pixel electrodes of defect candidates for each defect type by comparing said pixel voltage with a threshold value set for each defect type of pixel defect, and finally judges said pixel electrodes of defect candidates for each defect type as defective pixels of each defect type based on judgment conditions provided for each defect type.

As is commonly known, liquid crystal display panels are comprised of arranging opposing glass plates in which liquid crystal is sealed on a liquid crystal drive substrate that applies an electric field to the liquid crystal. This liquid crystal display panel regulates the electrical field applied to the liquid crystal by controlling the data voltage applied pixel electrodes of the liquid crystal drive substrate, and displays images by controlling the optical transmittance of the liquid crystal by this regulation of the electric field.
Liquid crystal drive substrates for such liquid crystal display panels are provided with a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in the form of a matrix on a glass substrate, and together with supplying a data voltage to these plurality of pixel electrodes by the data lines, are composed so that, together with providing TFT and other switching elements between the data lines and pixel electrodes, the TFT elements are controlled according to a gate voltage supplied by the gate lines. Namely, writing of the data voltage to the pixel electrodes is controlled by the data voltage supplied to the TFT by the data lines, and the gate voltage supplied to the TFT by the gate lines. By arranging liquid crystal drive substrates composed in this manner in opposition and in close proximity to each other on a liquid crystal plate, the electrical field resulting from the voltage that is substantially applied to and held in the pixel electrodes (pixel voltage) acts on the liquid crystal resulting in the display of images on the surface of the liquid crystal plate.
For example, the electro-optical element plate (referred to as a modulator) described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 5-256794 is used as an inspection apparatus that inspects the operation of such liquid crystal drive substrates. This inspection apparatus is comprised of arranging opposing modulators on a liquid crystal drive substrate serving as the inspection target, and in the case of applying a prescribed data voltage to each pixel electrode of the liquid crystal drive substrate, capturing different modulator images corresponding to the status of voltage applied to the pixel electrodes (voltage image) by an image capturing means such as a CCD camera, and calculating the voltage of each pixel electrode based on the electro-optical characteristics of a modulator for which this voltage image has been preconfirmed (pixel voltage) to judge whether or not data voltage is normally applied to each pixel electrode, namely to judge the quality of the liquid crystal drive substrate corresponding to the manner in which defective pixel electrodes to which data voltage is not normally applied are distributed.
In inspection apparatuses of the prior art that used such a modulator, when pixel voltage is calculated from a voltage image, normal pixels and defective pixels are judged by converting to binary by comparing the pixel voltage with a prescribed threshold value. In this case, the threshold value of an inspection apparatus of the prior art is used to judge defective pixels by setting a single threshold value, the following problem existed.
FIG. 14 is a characteristics drawing showing the relationship between pixel voltage and threshold value for explaining this problem. In this drawing, the horizontal axis indicates pixels, namely the locations of pixels in the direction in which they are arranged, while the vertical axis indicates the pixel voltage of each pixel in the direction in which they are arranged. Here, the pixel voltage of each pixel demonstrates the pixel voltage or the pattern by which pixel voltage changes corresponding to the type of non-conformity in the case there has been some type of non-conformity in the mechanism by which data voltage is written to the pixels.
For example, examples of types of defective pixels (defect types) include (1) open line defects, (2) point defects and (3) shorted line defects. Open line defects occur as a result of a disconnection at some location in the above data lines or gate lines, and are defects in which data voltage is not normally written to a plurality of consecutive pixel electrodes. As shown in the drawing, the pixel voltage of pixel electrodes having this type of open line defect (open line defect sections) is such that a value considerably lower than the pixel voltage of normal pixels continues across a plurality of pixels.
Point defects refer to defects in which data voltage is not written normally to a single pixel electrode, and occur due to insulation defects of a certain pixel electrode or an operation defect of a TFT provided in the pixel electrode. As shown in the drawing, the pixel voltage of a pixel electrode having this type of point defect (point defect section) is a low value over the range of a single pixel relative to the pixel voltage of normal pixels, and is typically somewhat higher than the above-mentioned open line defect sections.
In addition, shorted line defects occur due to shorting of the above data lines or gate lines at any location, and are defects in which data voltage is not normally written to a plurality of consecutive pixel electrodes. As shown in the drawing, the pixel voltage of pixel electrodes having this type of shorted line defect (shorted line defect sections) is such that a value that is not extremely different from the pixel voltage of normal pixels continues across a plurality of pixels.
In this manner; the pixel voltage obtained from the voltage image of the modulator becomes various values corresponding to the type of defect, and the magnitude of that value for each type of defect is determined statistically through an inspection of the liquid crystal drive substrate. In addition, normal pixels demonstrate variation over a fixed range for pixel voltage according to various causes, and that pixel voltage may be a voltage value that approximates a shorted line defect (normal point) as shown in the drawing.
In inspection apparatuses of the prior art, defective pixels and normal pixels were judged by setting a single threshold value for this type of pixel voltage. This threshold value is determined for each actual production step of the liquid crystal drive substrates based on the extent to which an inspection standard is set and so forth. As shown in the drawing, in the case of setting, for example, a single threshold value, a normal point is judged as a defective pixel. In addition, in the case of setting two threshold values in order to avoid this, it becomes no longer possible to detect shorted line defect sections. Thus, in the case of judging defective pixels and normal pixels by setting a single threshold value as in the prior art, together with it not being possible to accurately classify each type of defect, the accuracy of the judgment of defective pixels itself becomes poor.
On the other hand, in this type of inspection apparatus, improvement of throughput is an extremely important performance element. Efforts have been made in the past to shorten the time required to inspect a single liquid crystal drive substrate, namely to improve throughput, by making contrivances in the inspection algorithm and so forth. Thus, in solving the above problem, it is necessary to pay attention to this point. Although it is possible to achieve improvement of inspection accuracy of the inspection apparatus by solving the above problem, it is necessary to simultaneously ensure that there is no decrease in throughput.
In consideration of the above problems, the objects of the present invention comprise the following:    (1) to improve inspection accuracy of liquid crystal drive substrates;    (2) to judge types of defects more accurately; and,    (3) to improve inspection accuracy of liquid crystal drive substrates without decreasing throughput.

Inspection apparatus for liquid crystal drive substrates


A compound of Formula I, a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt or a hydrate thereof, wherein R1 is H, or C1-4 alkyl; R2 is H, halogen, or C1-4 alkyl; R3 is H, halogen, or C1-4 alkyl, and R4 is C1-6 alkyl, aryl; or ═CR3R4 is cyclopentylidene, cyclohexylidene, 1-methylpiperidin-4-ylidene, or inden-1-ylidene; R5 is independently at each occurrence F, Cl, Br, CF3, R9, OR9, NR9R10, NO2, CN, COOR9, O2CR9, CONR9R10, NR9C(O)R10, heterocyclic group, aryl, or a group of Formula II; R6 is H, halogen, or C1-4 alkyl; R7 is H, halogen, or C1-4 alkyl; R8 is H, C1-4alkyl group; R9 is H, or C1-6 alkyl; R10 is H, or C1-6 alkyl; R11 is H, or C1-4 alkyl; R12 is H, or C1-4 alkyl; m is 0, 1, or 2; when R5 is F, Cl, Br, CF3, R9, OR9, NR9R10, NO2, CN, COOR9, O2CR9, CONR9R10, NR9C(O)R10, heterocyclic group, or aryl, n is 1, 2, 3, or 4; when R5 is the group of Formula II, n is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; x is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to analgesic 5,9-methanocycloocta[b]pyridin-2(1H)-one derivatives, their preparation, and use as analgesic agents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pain is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm. Individuals experience pain by various daily hurts and aches, and occasionally through more serious injuries or illnesses. For example, pain may be caused by neurothlipsis or nervous lesions due to the expansion of cancer cells in cancer patients, by damage of human tissues or organs, by autoimmune reaction such as inflammation (arthritis, gastritis, or hepatitis), or by abnormities in the central nervous system (brain tissues).
Pain of any type is the most frequent reason for physician consultation in the United States, prompting over half of all Americans to seek medical care annually and causing heavy economic losses to society. Pain management is one of the most common means of symptomatic treatments, and virtually the only focus in late stages of terminal illnesses, such as incurable cancer.
Conventional analgesics include two main types: opiate receptor ligands, with the typical example of morphine, which has strong analgesic effects but is prone to cause addiction; and non-narcotic analgesics, with the typical example of aspirin-derived paracetamol. With multiple mechanisms of action and conceived and manufactured successfully via modern processes of drug design, screening and development, this type of drugs have weak analgesic effects, but they seldom forming dependence. Although some of these analgesics have other serious side effects, e.g., they may cause damage to the digestive tract, they are widely used and have an estimated combined market share of nearly 10 billion US dollars.
Acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter to be discovered. However, there has been hardly any research in the area of acetylcholine receptors (AcChR) and acetylcholinesterase as analgesic targets. Nevertheless, in European Pat. No. EP 413667 A and U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,083, compounds used for treatment of both memory loss and relief of pain have been reported, which suggests that improvement of memory has some association with analgesia, and further reveals that increase in the level of acetylcholine may have analgesic action.
In addition, Stoyan once reported that the alkaloids nivalin and syntostigmine could alleviate migraine pain (Stoyan, Archives Suisses de Neurologie, Neurochirurgie et de Psychiatrie, 1968, 102, pp. 299-312). It was later found that these two compounds could inhibit the activity of acetylcholine esterase. Because of a low inhibition activity of acetylcholine esterase or a low ability to permeate the blood-brain barrier, higher doses of these two compounds, and other acetylcholine esterase inhibitors subsequently tested, are required in order to provide therapeutic effects.
To achieve high concentrations, these compounds must be administered by injection. Hence, on one hand, the blood drug concentration is so high so as to have many side effects; on the other hand, the administration by injection is inconvenient. As a result, the research on acetylcholine esterase inhibitors used for treatment of migraine was put on hold. This was the first time when it was proposed that acetylcholine esterase inhibitors could be used for treatment of migraine.
The breakthrough in this field came from research and development of novel inhibitors of acetylcholine esterase. These novel inhibitors, such as donepezil, have high activity, highly-selectivity and high permeability through the blood-brain barrier, so that they are able to overcome the shortcomings of the first generation of acetylcholine esterase inhibitors described above for the treatment of migraine. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,608,088, donepezil was observed to have efficacy on migraine in clinical trials.
Huperzine A can inhibit acetylcholine esterase (ACHE) selectively, has high activity, and is easy to penetrate blood-brain-barrier and spinal-fluid-barrier. In addition huperzine A has effects on improvement of memory reappearance and enhancement of memory retention. Recently, we have found that Huperzine A and derivatives thereof have strong analgesic effects (Chinese Pat. Appl. 200510014685.6), and curative effect on migraine. However, Huperzine A has certain drawbacks, such as high toxicity, low therapeutic index (TI), narrow window between maximum tolerance dose and curative dose (CD).

Derivatives of 5,9-methanocycloocta[b]pyridin-2-(1H)-one, their preparation and use as analgesics


Cleansing and moisturizing personal cleansing compositions which contain from about 5% to about 50% of a surfactant; from about 3% to about 40% of an insoluble, nonionic oil or wax or mixture thereof; from about 0.1% to about 8% by weight of a fatty acid having an average chain length of from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms; from about 1.5% to about 10% by weight of citric acid or water soluble citrate salt or mixture thereof; and water are disclosed.

Foaming cosmetic compositions must satisfy a number of criteria including cleansing power, foaming properties, mildness/low irritancy and physical stability. Oil-in-water emulsion systems typical of foaming cosmetic compositions represent a particular challenge with respect to stability and viscosity. While on one hand it is possible to ultilise agents specifically to induce appropriate viscosity, care must be taken to ensure these agents work to maintain that viscosity over time. Certain fatty acids are known to be effective in the achievement of matrix viscosity. However this is generally dependant upon the fatty acid forming stable complexes. It has been a particular problem that fatty acid added to achieve stability/viscosity in an oil-in-water emulsion can result in a reduction in viscosity over time. This is believed in part to be due to the secondary formation of insoluble crystalline moieties which break down the structure of the emulsion and lead to lower viscosity/thinning. The aforementioned problems can be exaggerated when products are exposed to extremes or variations of temperature.
Skin is made up of several layers of cells which coat and protect the keratin and collagen fibrous proteins that form the skeleton of its structure. The outermost of these layers, referred to as the stratum corneum, is known to be composed of 250.ANG. protein bundles surrounded by 80.ANG. thick layers. Hair similarly has a protective outer coating enclosing the hair fibre which is called the cuticle. Anionic surfactants can penetrate the stratum corneum membrane and the cuticle and, by delipidization destroy membrane integrity. This interference with skin and hair protective membranes can lead to a rough skin feel and eye irritation and may eventually permit the surfactant to interact with the keratin and hair proteins creating irritation and loss of barrier and water retention functions.
Ideal cosmetic cleansers should cleanse the skin or hair gently, without defatting and/or drying the hair and skin and without irritating the ocular mucosae or leaving skin taut after frequent use. Most lathering soaps, shower and bath products, shampoos and bars fail in this respect.
Certain synthetic surfactants are known to be mild. However, a major drawback of most mild synthetic surfactant systems when formulated for shampooing or personal cleansing is poor lather performance compared to the highest shampoo and bar soap standards. Thus, surfactants that are among the mildest, such as sodium lauryl glyceryl ether sulfonate, (AGS), are marginal in lather. The use of known high sudsing anionic surfactants with lather boosters, on the other hand, can yield acceptable lather volume and quality but at the expense of clinical skin mildness. These two facts make the surfactant selection, the lather and mildness benefit formulation process a delicate balancing act.
Despite the many years of research that have been expended by the toiletries industry on personal cleansing, the broad mass of consumers remain dissatisfied by the mildness of present day cleansing compositions, finding, for example, that they have to apply a separate cosmetic lotion or cream moisturizer to the skin after using a shower or bath preparation in order to maintain skin suppleness and hydration and to counteract the delipidizing effect of the cleanser.
Thus a need exists for personal cleansing products which produce a foam which is abundant, stable and of high quality, which are effective hair and skin cleansers, which will not dehydrate the skin or result in loss of skin suppleness, and which will provide a level of skin conditioning performance in a wash and rinse-off product which previously has only been provided by a separate post-cleansing cosmetic moisturizer, which has good rinsibility characteristics, and which at the same time has stable product and viscosity characteristics and remains fully stable under long term and stressed temperature storage conditions.

Cleansing compositions comprising an anionic surfactant and amphoteric surfactant mixture


A method of making stretchable absorbent articles includes the steps of providing a continuous substrate layer, providing one or more streams of adhesive fibers and superabsorbent particles, shaping the one or more streams of adhesive fibers and superabsorbent particles, depositing the adhesive fibers and superabsorbent particles on the substrate layer to form a plurality of shaped absorbent cores bound to the substrate layer, and separating the absorbent cores from each other. The absorbent cores thus formed do not prevent stretching of the substrate layer. The combination of absorbent core and substrate layer can be used in a wide variety of personal care absorbent articles and medical absorbent articles.

Personal care absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, adult incontinence garments, absorbent swim wear, feminine hygiene articles and the like, typically include a liquid-permeable bodyside liner (sometimes called a "topsheet"), a liquid-impermeable outer cover (sometimes called a "backsheet"), and an absorbent core between the bodyside liner and the outer cover.
The absorbent core, which is typically formed separately from the other layers, receives and retains aqueous liquid such as urine, menses, etc. which are exuded by the wearer. Absorbent cores are commonly formed of superabsorbent particles or fibers, and hydrophilic absorbent fibers (e.g., cellulose), which are loosely mixed and entangled together to form an absorbent batt. Thermoplastic polymer fibers are sometimes also included to provide a reinforcing matrix. The processes for making conventional absorbent cores are relatively complex. The absorbent structures must be formed, bonded, shaped, and cut to form individual absorbent cores suitable for the particular absorbent articles. Accordingly, it has not been practical to integrate various processes for making absorbent cores with the processes employed to assemble the layer components of absorbent articles.
Full-width rectangular absorbent cores can be formed in-line on a substrate and subsequently die cut or trimmed to a desired shape. This process results in substantial trim waste. If the waste cannot be recycled back into the manufacturing process, then the process becomes uneconomical. It would be desirable to produce the final shape of the absorbent core by in-line formation without requiring die cutting, thus avoiding these drawbacks.
During assembly of absorbent articles, it is known to secure the separately formed absorbent core to the bodyside liner, outer cover and/or intervening layer(s), using an adhesive, thermal bonding or ultrasonic bonding process. This securing is intended to prevent the absorbent core from shifting relative to the other layers during manufacture, storage, shipping and/or use of the absorbent article. If the layer to which the absorbent core is secured is stretchable or elastic, then securing the absorbent core in this manner may reduce the stretchability or elasticity of the layer. Alternatively, stretching of the outer cover, bodyside liner or other substrate layer can cause tearing of the absorbent core.
From a cost savings and performance standpoint, it would be advantageous to have an absorbent core which can be formed and shaped in-line during assembly of an absorbent article, and which does not prevent subsequent stretching (stretchability) of the layer(s) to which it is bound.

Method of making absorbent articles having shaped absorbent cores on a substrate


A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99, as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by the combined features of light violet, round, double flowers, slightly zoned foliage, and moderately compact, round, hardly trailing plant habit.

Pelargonium peltatum L""Hxc3xa9rit.
xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objective of creating new ivy geranium cultivars with double flowers in combination with moderately vigorous growth and in various different colors. xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 originated from a hybridization made by the inventor Angelika Utecht in a controlled breeding program in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, in 1995.
The female parent was an unnamed hybrid seedling, no. 323-1 (unpatented), derived from a cross between xe2x80x98Guishivaxe2x80x99, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,351, red-flowered, and xe2x80x98Fisamxe2x80x99, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,327, with light-violet flowers. The seedling was characterized by deep red, double flowers and small, medium-green, zoned leaves, and medium-sized, bushy plant habit. The male parent of xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 was the unpatented variety xe2x80x98Amethystxe2x80x99, having large, double, violet flowers with purple markings, medium to light green, zoned foliage and late flowering response.
xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Angelika Utecht in 1996 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain. The first act of asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in the fall of 1996 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, or under the supervision of, Angelika Utecht.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from these cuttings initiated in May 1997 in Hillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.
The following observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown in Hillscheid, Germany, and in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99, which in combination distinguish this geranium as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Uniform light-violet colored, round, double flowers;
2. Compact, umbrella to semi-spherically shaped umbels;
3. Slightly zoned, relatively small leaves of medium to light green color;
4. Compact to medium-sized, round and bushy plant habit; and
5. Moderately late spring flowering response.
Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar in comparison to xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 are the variety xe2x80x98Fisamxe2x80x99, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,327, and the variety xe2x80x98Colorcade Lilacxe2x80x99, under the designation xe2x80x98Balcolilacxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,720).
In comparison to xe2x80x98Fisamxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 has a similar, light violet flower color, but smaller and differently shaped flowers, which are rounder in shape and have almost twice the number of petals. Furthermore, xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 has smaller leaves with stronger lobes, and with only weak zonation. In comparison to xe2x80x98Colorcade Lilacxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99 has a slightly lighter flower color, shorter peduncles, and a more compact and more bushy plant habit.

Geranium plant named xe2x80x98Fisbillyxe2x80x99


A temporary shaft-component connection for assembling a selected golf club shaft with a club head and/or hand grip segment, to facilitate custom club design and fitting to suit the needs and preferences of an individual golfer. The temporary shaft-component connection is particularly designed for use with nonmetallic club shafts formed from a graphite-based composite material or the like having a range of different lengths and stiffness (whip) characteristics. In a shaft-head connection, a metal adapter insert is mounted onto a lower end of the club shaft and includes one or more flat surfaces for reception into a matingly shaped socket in the hosel of a selected club head to prevent relative rotation between the club shaft and head. A compression nut carried on the shaft is threaded onto the hosel to axially engage and retain a thrust flange on the shaft or adapter or adapter insert, to prevent axial separation of the club head and shaft.

This invention relates generally to improvements in golf clubs. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved temporary connection between a golf club shaft and an additional component such as a golf club head to facilitate customized golf club construction to suit the needs and preferences of an individual golfer.
Golf clubs are well known in the art, to include a club head such as a wood-type or iron-type club head mounted at a lower end of an elongated club shaft. An upper end of the club shaft has a resilient grip mounted thereon and designed for comfortable manual grasping and swinging of the golf club to strike a golf ball. In modern golf clubs, the wood-type or iron-type club head is commonly formed from a cast or machined metal or metal alloy such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, and the like. The club shaft has historically been formed from a selected metal or metal alloy, while more recent golf club designs have incorporated a nonmetallic club shaft formed from a composite material such as a graphite-based composite or the like. One advantage provided by such graphite-based composite club shaft materials is that the stiffness or flexibility (whip) characteristics of the club shaft can be variably selected in accordance with the preferences and skill level of an individual golfer. That is, by providing a golfer with a selection of club shafts having a range of different whip characteristics, the golfer can custom-tailor his or her set of golf clubs.
In the past, custom fitting of golf clubs having different physical characteristics, such as different club shaft stiffness and lengths, has required a golf shop to carry a large number of sample clubs for test use by golfers. More specifically, for each golf club head, it has been necessary for the golf shop to carry multiple sample club heads of each particular brand and type, each connected to a club shaft having different physical characteristics, for test use by golfers. For example, for any particular driver or other wood-type club head brand, or for any particular iron-type or putter club head brand, it has been necessary for the golf shop to carry a relatively large number of different sample clubs in order to provide a meaningful choice for custom-fitting of each golf club in accordance with the preferences of any one golfer. Heretofore, it has not been practical or feasible for club shafts and club heads to be interchanged quickly and easily. Accordingly, it has not been possible for a golfer to sample and test a large number of different club shaft-head combinations, without requiring the golf shop to carry an unduly large number of sample clubs. As a result, custom-fitting of golf clubs to an individual golfer generally has not provided the golfer with a truly broad selection of shaft-head combinations, and thus has not provided the golfer with an optimal choice for custom tailored clubs.
The resilient hand grip mounted on the upper end of a typical club shaft also comprises a variable in the design and custom fitting of golf clubs to suit the needs and preferences of an individual golfer. That is, resilient hand grips are available in a relatively broad range of different diametric sizes, tread patterns, and elastomer or other soft and compliant materials. The choice of hand grip size is dependent at least in part upon the size of the golfer's hands, with a larger grip diameter being normally preferred by a golfer having larger hands. Hand grip tread pattern and/or the softness or tackiness of the hand grip material may vary significantly in accordance with individual golfer preferences.
The present invention relates to a temporary shaft-head connection for quickly and easily interconnecting a selected golf club shaft with an additional component such as a selected golf club head or a selected hand grip segment, so that an individual golfer can be provided with an extensive range of shaft-component combinations for custom fitting of a set of golf clubs, without requiring a golf shop to carry an extremely large number of different sample golf clubs for test use.

Temporary golf club shaft-component connection


A turbine airfoil includes a leading edge and an axially spaced-part trailing edge, the leading edge having an axially-extending external surface curvature. A cooling circuit in the airfoil includes cooling holes formed in the leading edge along the span axis of the airfoil. The cooling holes have a diffuser section communicating with the leading edge surface. The diffuser section has four opposed walls defining a generally quadralinear exit opening on the surface of the leading edge. One of the diffuser walls has a convex curvature that approximates the external surface curvature of the leading edge whereby fluid flow from the cooling hole exits is evenly dispersed and spread along land portions of the leading edge adjacent the cooling holes.

This invention relates to a turbine airfoil that includes high efficiency cooling holes in the leading edge. In a gas turbine engine, air is compressed in a compressor, mixed with fuel and ignited in a combustor for generating hot combustion gases which flow downstream through one or more stages of turbine nozzles and blades. The nozzles include stationary vanes followed in turn by a corresponding row of turbine rotor blades attached to the perimeter of a rotating disk. The vanes and blades have correspondingly configured airfoils which are hollow and include various cooling circuits and features which receive a portion of air bled from the compressor for providing cooling against the heat from the combustion gases.
The turbine vane and blade cooling art discloses various configurations for enhancing cooling and reducing the required amount of cooling air in order to increase the overall efficiency of the engine while obtaining a suitable useful life for the vanes and blades. For example, typical vane and blade airfoils in the high pressure turbine section of the engine include cooling holes that extend through the pressure side, or suction side, or both, for discharging a film of cooling air along the outer surface of the airfoil to effect film cooling in a conventional manner.
A typical film cooling hole is in the form of a cylindrical aperture inclined axially through one of the airfoil sides, such as the pressure side, for discharging the film air in the aft direction. The cooling holes are typically provided in a radial or spanwise row of holes at a specific pitch spacing. In this way, the cooling holes discharge a cooling film that forms an air blanket for protecting the outer surface, otherwise known as "lands" of the airfoil from hot combustion gases during operation.
In the region of the blade leading edge, it is also known to incline the cylindrical film cooling holes at an acute span angle to position the hole outlets radially above the hole inlets and discharge the cooling film radially outwardly from the respective holes. In order to improve the performance of cooling holes, it is also conventional to modify their shape to effect cooling flow diffusion. The diffusion reduces the discharge velocity and increases the static pressure of the airflow. Diffusion cooling holes are found in patented configurations for improving film cooling effectiveness with suitable blowing ratios and backflow margin. A typical diffusion film cooling hole may be conical from inlet to outlet with a suitable increasing area ratio for effecting diffusion without undesirable flow separation. Diffusion occurs in three axes, i.e. along the length of the hole and in two in-plane perpendicular orthogonal axes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,075 to the present assignee.
Other types of diffusion cooling holes are also found in the prior art including various rectangular-shaped holes, and holes having one or more squared sides in order to provide varying performance characteristics. Like conical diffusion holes, the rectangular diffusion holes also effect diffusion in three dimensions as the cooling air flows therethrough and is discharged along the outer surface of the airfoil. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,283,199, 5,683,600 and 5,486,093.
As indicated above, the various diffusion cooling holes are typically arranged in rows extending along the span or radial axis of the airfoil, and are positioned as closely together as space permits for collectively discharging film cooling air. Since adequate spacing must be provided between the adjacent cooling holes for maintaining suitable strength, the discharge film cooling air does not provide 100% coverage along the span line of the corresponding row of holes.
A typical prior art hole pitch spacing is ten diameters of the circular hole inlet. In the example of the spanwise inclined cylindrical cooling holes described above, a typical span angle is about 30 degrees, with a 0.25 mm hole diameter. The effective coverage of the row of fan cooling holes may be defined by a coverage parameter represented by the span height of the cooling hole along the airfoil outer surface divided by the pitch spacing of adjacent holes. For an inclined cylindrical hole, the outer surface span height of the hole may be the diameter of the hole divided by the sine of the inclination angle. This results in a 20% coverage value for 30 degree inclined cylindrical holes at a ten diameter spacing.
This coverage is significantly improved by the use of conical diffusion holes. A typical prior art airfoil may have 0.25 mm circular inlets increasing in area to circular outlets having a diameter of about 0.46 mm, with the same centerline spanwise hole spacing or pitch of ten inlet diameters. The corresponding coverage value is 36%, which is an improvement over the simple cylindrical holes.
However, it is desired to further improve film cooling by more evenly diffusing the cooling film along the airfoil, particularly in the area of the leading edge.

High efficiency fan cooling holes for turbine airfoil


Collapsible structures are provided that have one or more support frames, each having a foldable frame member that has a folded and an unfolded orientation, with the frame member defining a periphery for the support frame. Where more than one support frame is provided, the support frames can be hingedly coupled to each other. The frame member(s) can be used, for example, to support panel pieces, objects and coverings, among others. In some embodiments, one or more objects can be coupled to and supported by the support frame(s). In other embodiments, a covering may be placed over the support frame(s).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible support frames that can be used to support various items, and that can be folded and collapsed to reduce the size of the frames.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapsible objects have recently become popular with both adults and children. Many of these collapsible objects have a plurality of panels which may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the object to facilitate convenient storage and use. Each panel is comprised of a fabric or material that is supported by a resilient frame member, with the fabric or material spanning a portion of, or entirely across, the area supported by the frame member. The frame member supports the periphery of each panel, and is capable of being twisted and folded to reduce the size of each panel.
Examples of such collapsible objects are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,794 (Zheng), U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,385 (Zheng) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,915 (Zheng) in the form of collapsible structures. These structures are currently being enjoyed by many people in many different applications. For example, these structures have been provided in many different shapes and sizes for children's play indoors and outdoors. Smaller versions of these structures have been used as infant nurseries. Even smaller versions of these structures have been used as dollhouses and action figure play houses by toddlers and children. As another example, these structures have been made into tents or outdoor structures that can be used by adults and children for camping or other outdoor purposes. These structures have also been used as beach cabanas. Even animals can enjoy these structures. Some of these structures have been made into shelters that can be used by pets, both indoors and outdoors.
The wide-ranging uses for these collapsible structures can be attributed to the performance, convenience and variety that these structures provide. When fully expanded, these structures are stable and can be used as a true shelter without the fear of collapse. These structures are easily twisted and folded into a compact configuration to allow the user to conveniently store the structures. The light-weight nature of the materials used to make these structures makes it convenient for them to be moved from one location to another. These structures also provide much variety in use and enjoyment. For example, a child can use a structure both indoors and outdoors for different play purposes, and can use the same structure for camping.
Another example of collapsible objects include collapsible game and play structures, such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,446 (Zheng) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,954 (Zheng). These structures provide a multitude of game structures that can be enjoyed by children and adults indoors and outdoors.
Yet another example of a collapsible object includes collapsible sunshields, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,784 (Zheng). These sunshields have two interconnecting panels that span the width of the windscreen.
In all of the above-mentioned collapsible structures, the fabric or material is permanently attached (e.g., by stitching) to the resilient frame members so that each panel is provided with a fabric or material that cannot be changed unless the existing fabric or material is cut or torn, which essentially destroys the panel. As a result, these structures suffer from the drawback that they lack variety in play and use, since they can only be used for their originally intended applications.
However, there is a great benefit in providing users with variety of play and use to increase amusement value, and the number of applications to which a product can be used. Thus, there still remains a need to provide collapsible objects and structures that provide the user with increased variety of play, and which increase the number of useful applications for these objects and structures.