A system evaluates a plurality of faults in an operation of a machine at a set of future instances of time. The system uses a neural network including a first subnetwork sequentially connected with a sequence of second subnetworks for each of the future instance of time such that an output of one subnetwork is an input to a subsequent subnetwork. The first subnetwork accepts the current time-series data and the current setpoints of operation of the machine. Each of the second subnetworks accepts the output of a preceding subnetwork, an internal state of the preceding subnetwork, and a future setpoint for a corresponding future instance of time. Each of the second subnetworks outputs an individual prediction of each fault of a plurality of faults at the corresponding future instance of time.

A time series is a series of data points indexed in time. Most commonly, a time series is a sequence of measurements taken at successive points in time. Thus it is a sequence of discrete-time data. Examples of time series are heights of ocean tides, stock exchange rates, sequence of measurements of operations of various systems like temperature measurements for an air-conditioning system. This disclosure is mainly related to measurements of time-series data in human-engineered systems. With the recent advancements in sensing and communication techniques, there has been an explosion in the amount of data that modem machines generate. Some examples of time series collected from a machine operation include measurements of vibrations in a process of opening and closing an elevator door, measurement of temperature and pressure variations across a plant, etc. Increasingly, for a number of practical industrial systems, the time series data representing their operations are multidimensional, i.e., collected from multiple sensors at each instance of time. This is a consequence of the proliferation of cheap distributed sensors, ubiquitous connectivity, and available on-demand cloud storage. These together are commonly referred to as the internet of the things.
Modern human-engineered systems have grown exponentially in complexity and, are oftentimes, comprised of multiple interconnected systems working together. The end goal for these systems is autonomous operation requiring minimum human intervention for prognostics and diagnostics. For efficient diagnostics of these systems, it is important to be able to predict future faults/events depending on the future operating set points of the system. Consequently, many industrial applications require identification of conditions or regimes (no-fault, type-1 fault, type-2 fault, etc.) as they may occur in future operation of a system. Even though modern machines/systems generate data at a very high pace and volume, there are still very few machine learning techniques that can analyze it efficiently. The problem of automatic determination and prediction of these regimes or conditions remains open because of large dimensional data, complex dynamics in sequential multi-dimensional data, and poor data set labeling. Apart from this, most of the modem machinery are built to operate normally for very long periods of time. In general, for most of these systems, faults occur very rarely. Furthermore, in the multiple fault setting, several faults can occur simultaneously and thus, lead to a large number of possibilities. For example, some faults occur more frequently than others, or in some instances multiple faults can occur together, etc. This leads to the problem where a machine learning algorithm is provided with a problem instance where the possible classes are highly imbalanced in the training set.
Additionally, it is desirable that the learning algorithm can predict an operating regime of the machine over a prediction horizon appropriate for the system. The difficulty in predicting of events compounds as the prediction horizon becomes longer. The prediction problem is particularly difficult for multidimensional time-series as it is difficult to learn the precise precursor dynamics (which could be present in an unknown lower-dimensional manifold) to faults of different kinds. Since the classes are imbalanced, learning of this hidden manifold might be diluted by the imbalance due to the ill-posed optimization problem for the machine learning algorithm. This might lead to poor generalization in test cases. In the setting where multiple faults can occur simultaneously, this problem becomes further challenging as the learning algorithm has to learn the predictive precursors to a combinatorial number of events (probably for all possible combination of faults). Most of the autonomous systems face these problems for the purposes for prognostics and diagnostics.
Accordingly, there is a need for "prediction" of future events in the operation of the system in addition or instead of "detection" of current events. While the detection problem has been very well studied in prognostics literature (see, for example, M. Jones, D. Nikovski, M. Imamur and T. Hirata "Anomaly detection in real-valued multi-dimensional time-series", in 2014 International Conference on Big Data), fault prediction is still considered challenging and is an open research topic.
For example, time series analysis comprises methods for analyzing time series data in order to extract meaningful statistics and other characteristics of the data. One example of time series analysis is time series forecasting. Here a model is used to predict future values of the time series based on previously observed values. Critically, a model is required to accomplish this task, and the determination of this model is a central task in time series analysis as the models of many systems are simply not available. For fully labeled data, that is data where each data point has been annotated by a skilled operator, forward prediction can be done on the basis of Markov models. Here an iterative strategy is used with the models See, e.g., Jesse Read, Luca Martino, and Jaakko Hollmn, "Multilabel methods for prediction with sequential data," Pattern Recognition, vol. 63, pp. 45-55, 2017. However, Markov models work well mostly for discrete systems, and thus, the applicability of Markov models is very limited. Consequently, machine learning systems that can accurately predict future operations of complex systems are still evasive, however, can be very useful, if done properly.
Thus there is a need for data-driven classification of future operations of a system from multidimensional time series data indicative of the future operation of the system.

Predictive classification of future operations

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


The present invention is an exposed-spring female terminal comprising a tubular body having two lateral walls and two vertical walls and extending in a depth direction; a connecting part being arranged with the body on a rear side in the depth direction, being provided integrally with the body and being structured to connect to an electric wire, etc.; and a leaf spring being arranged inside the body, with the plate width direction being substantially aligned with the width direction, and having a restrained part restrained by the body and a resilient deformation part extending from the restrained part in the depth direction when seen in the height direction and being capable of resilient deformation in the height direction; and the leaf spring being provided with a wider-width part extending from the restrained part to the resilient deformation part, of which plate width being larger than the dimension between the inner faces of the two vertical walls; and the two vertical walls being provided with openings for receiving the wider-width part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention belongs to a technical field of female terminals comprising a tubular body, a connecting part provided on said body to connect to an electric wire, and a leaf spring provided inside said body.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. HEISEI 10-55835 discloses a female terminal fitting comprising a terminal body and a protective cover covering a portion of said terminal body. The terminal body is structured by joining, via a joining part, an insertion part made by bending a thin metal plate and a barrel part to which an end of an electric wire is to be connected by crimping. Inside the insertion part, a resilient contact piece cut and raised from a bottom plate on a rear end side is provided. When a counterpart terminal is inserted into the female terminal fitting, the resilient contact piece will undergo elastic deformation to provide a contact pressure.


A method and apparatus for storing position offset information not used for aligning the read element of an MR head with the centerline of written data, during a read operation. The skew or offset between the read and the write elements on a read head is first calibrated. The offset information then stored on one or more dedicated tracks of the disk. To accomplish this, the write element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track. The position offset information is then written in the data field of the dedicated track. During the power-on process, the read element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track and the position offset information may be retrieved by simply reading the information previously stored on the dedicated track.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to disk storage systems and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing and storing skew offset information for aligning the read element of a magneto-resistive (MR) head with the centerline of written data during a read operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drives are magnetic recording devices used for the storage of information. The information is recorded on concentric tracks on either surface of one or more magnetic recording disks. The disks are rotatably mounted to a spin motor and information is accessed by means of read/write heads that are mounted to actuator arms which are rotated by a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor is excited with a current to rotate the actuator and move the heads. The read/write heads must be accurately aligned with the storage tracks on the disk to ensure proper reading and writing of information.
To accurately write and read data, it is desirable to maintain the head on the center of the track. To assist in controlling the position of the head, each sector of the disk typically contains a number of servo bits accurately located relative to the centerline of the track. The signals produced by the servo bits are typically demodulated into position offset signals which are used to determine the position of the head relative to the track, and to move the actuator arm if the head is not located on the track centerline.
There has been developed a dual element transducer which includes a single write element and a separate read element which is constructed from a magneto-resistive material. Such dual element transducers are commonly referred to as magneto-resistive (MR) heads. Because of manufacturing tolerances, the separate magneto-resistive read element may be off-center or skewed from the write element of the head. Therefore, if data is written off the center of the track, to read the data, the servo system must move the head slightly off-center so that the read element is centered with the written data.
Additionally, while the read and write elements may be aligned when the head is positioned over a particular track, when the head is moved to another track, the read element may no longer be aligned with the write element. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, when the head is positioned over a track along the outer diameter of the disk, the centers of the read and write elements (R and W respectively) are aligned. However, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the head is positioned over a track along the inner diameter of the disk, the centers of the read R and write W elements are no longer aligned. The servo system must move the head slightly off-center, so that the read element R is centered with the written data. The routine of moving an MR head during a read operation is commonly referred to as micro-jogging.
It also has been determined that the skew offset information for an MR head located over the inner tracks of a disk is different from that of an MR head located over the outer tracks of a disk. In addition, such MR head skew offset information is typically non-linear, and it also generally varies greatly between heads.
Accordingly, there is a need in the technology for a method and apparatus for providing skew offset information used in the alignment of a magneto resistive head, so that a read element of an MR head may be aligned with the centerline of written data during a read operation.
In non-MR servo systems, the stored parameters are read during a power up sequence so as to optimize the performance for the particular drive. In systems utilizing an MR head, the data written on the dedicated tracks may not be centered exactly on the tracks because the read and write heads are offset. As a result, when the system attempts to read the written data, additional time is required to locate the centerline of the written data. Alternatively, several attempts to read the written data may be required before successfully acquiring the written data. To compound this problem, the associated parameters are typically written on the outermost tracks of the disk where the largest offset between the read and write elements generally occurs.
Accordingly, there is also a need in the technology for an apparatus and method of storing system parameters so that hard drive assemblies utilizing MR heads may efficiently retrieve the stored information.

Method and apparatus for storing position offset information on a hard drive assembly cylinder


A method for link setup includes sending a first authentication message including a user identifier to an access point (AP). A second authentication message sent by the AP according to the user identifier is received and includes an EAP method request message and a ANonce of the AP. A first PTK is generated according to the ANonce, an SNonce, and a first MSK. A third authentication message is sent to the AP. The third authentication message includes an EAP method response message, the SNonce, and a first MIC that is generated according to the first PTK. A fourth authentication message is sent by the AP when it authenticates, according to a second PTK, that the first MIC is correct. The fourth authentication message includes an EAP-Success message, configuration information configured by the AP for the terminal, and a second MIC. The second MIC is authenticated according to the first PTK.

During securely connecting to a wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point (AP), a WiFi terminal which is also referenced as a station (STA) needs to complete stipulated procedures such as scanning, open authentication, association, 802.1x authentication (that is, Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) authentication), and four-way handshake according to the 802.11 protocol of wireless local area network standards. In addition, it needs to complete an Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation process.
Specifically and generally, the STA may send a probe request frame to the AP, and detects the AP and queries attributes and capabilities of the AP according to a probe response returned by the AP. Before this, the STA may also intercept a beacon frame of the AP, and acquires the attributes and capabilities of the AP from the beacon frame. If the STA decides to connect to the AP, the STA sends an open system authentication request frame, that is, an authentication frame defined in the 802.11, to the AP, and specifies in the authentication frame that open system authentication is used, so as to be compatible with the 802.11 protocol of another version. After receiving the open system authentication request frame, the AP may return an open system authentication response frame, indicating that the STA is accepted.
After the open system authentication, the STA sends an association request frame to the AP, and the AP returns an association response frame, where the response frame carries an association identifier (AID) allocated by the AP to the STA. On a WiFi network, each STA on the network has a unique AID. Then, the STA and the AP perform an EAP authentication procedure. The EAP authentication is triggered by an Extensible Authentication Protocol over Local Area Network (EAPoL) start message that is sent by the STA to the AP. After receiving the EAPoL start message, the AP sends an EAP request/identity message to the STA to request a user identifier from the STA. The STA sends the user identifier to the AP by sending an EAP response/identity message to the AP. The subsequent process is an EAP method procedure. There are multiple EAP methods, the number of steps varies, and there are at least two air interface messages.
Generally, an authentication server (AS) participates the EAP authentication procedure. Essentially, the STA performs authentication to the AS. The AP may include an authenticator module, configured to forward a message in the EAP authentication procedure. After the EAP authentication is successful, the AS may notify the AP that the authentication is successful, and send a key called a pairwise master key (PMK) to the AP. The AP may further send an EAP-Success message to the STA to end the EAP authentication procedure. In the 802.11 specification, most functions of the AS are realized in the AP. However, in practical network deployment, the AP and the AS are generally separated from each other.
After the EAP authentication is completed, the AP acquires the PMK from the AS, and the STA is capable of obtaining a PMK through calculation. Then, based on the PMKs, the STA and the AP perform a four-way handshake procedure to negotiate a pairwise transient key (PTK). The PTK is practically used to protect air interface communication between the STA and the AP. The four-way handshake includes four messages. The first message is sent by the AP, and in the third message, the AP sends a group transient key (GTK) of the WiFi network to the STA after encrypting it by using the PTK. Therefore, the four-way handshake procedure further undertakes the function of transferring the GTK. In addition, in the four-way handshake procedure, both the STA and the AP sends a respective nonce to each other for calculating a PTK.
After the four-way handshake is performed successfully, the STA generally acquires an IP address according to the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The procedure may include four messages. The STA sends a DHCP Discovery message through broadcast; a DHCP server on the network side receives the DHCP Discovery message and returns a DHCP Offer message to the STA, where the DHCP Offer message includes an IP address allocated by the DHCP server to the STA. The STA sends a DHCP Request message through broadcast, where the DHCP Request message includes the identifier of a DHCP server selected by the STA and the IP address allocated by the DHCP server. Then, the selected DHCP server returns a DHCP ACK message to the STA to confirm that the IP address has been allocated. After receiving the DHCP Request message, an unselected DHCP server reclaims the IP address just allocated to the STA. For an IP network, the STA sets up a communication link to the WiFi network where the AP is located only when the STA acquires the IP address.


An adaptive load-limiting seatbelt assembly for a passenger vehicle includes a rotatable spool drum storing a length of seatbelt fabric and a piezoelectric device including a controller that can dynamically control torque applied to the spool drum resisting pay-out of the seatbelt from the spool drum during a dynamic event such as a vehicle crash.

Vehicle seatbelt assemblies protect vehicle occupants in the event of a dynamic event such as a crash or other substantial vehicle deceleration event. For front seat occupants, the seatbelt assemblies may work in conjunction with air bags for occupant protection.
Typical seatbelt assemblies for passenger vehicles include a retractor generally configured as a spool drum normally free to rotate about an axis. The spool drum is supported in a frame attached to the passenger vehicle body or frame. The frame may define a pair of support elements that rotatably support the spool drum. Seatbelt webbing is looped around the spool drum. Sufficient length of webbing is looped around the spool drum to accommodate seatbelt pay-out for a vehicle occupant at least as large as a 95th percentile male.
The seatbelt assembly is further complemented with a locking mechanism that engages during the dynamic event. The spool drum is quickly locked to prevent free rotation of the spool drum. The spool drum cannot pay-out the seatbelt webbing and the occupant is restrained by the seatbelt during the dynamic event.
Seatbelt assemblies are also commonly equipped with a pretensioner that can rotate the spool drum in a direction opposite to the seatbelt webbing pay-out direction of rotation. The pretensioner quickly tightens the seatbelt against an occupant. Pretensioning enables the seatbelt to restrain the occupant more quickly at the start of the dynamic event.
During the dynamic event, the occupant loads the seatbelt, and in return the seatbelt applies force to the occupant. Without any additional technology the seatbelt typically stretches somewhat from occupant loading (typically at most one to three inches).
Seatbelt assemblies are commonly equipped with a load limiting system to lower peak seatbelt forces applied to the occupant. The load limiting system acts to effectively add additional seatbelt pay-out in addition to the inherent seatbelt webbing stretch. A load limiting system typically includes a torsion bar that may be formed as an inner shaft located inside the larger diameter of the spool drum. One end of the torsion bar is attached to the seatbelt assembly frame or support and the other end of the torsion bar is non-rotatably connected to the spool drum via a locking mechanism.
When the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, the spool drum and torsion bar can rotate together to pay-out or take in seatbelt webbing during normal vehicle operation.
In a crash or other severe dynamic event the locking mechanism moves to its locked state, coupling the spool drum to the first end of the torsion bar. Occupant loading on the seatbelt rotates the spool drum and applies torque to the whole torsion bar. The torsion bar is designed to deform or deflect in a controlled manner in response to the torque being applied by the spool drum. The torsion bar enables a notable but controlled rotational displacement of the spool drum during the dynamic event.
Torsion bars come in various sizes and various arrangements with the spool drum to enable different force profiles, and can operate alone or with other components to limit rotation displacement of the spool drum. But a given torsion bar within a seatbelt assembly generates only one force profile during a dynamic event.
Load limiting seatbelt assemblies are offered in a number of alternative designs, including band wrapper, metal cutting, or hydraulic load limiting designs.
Load-limiting seatbelt assemblies are typically provided for only front-seat passengers protected by air bags. The air bags enable the load-limiting seatbelt assembly to pay-out the seatbelt webbing without injury to the occupant.
If load-limiting seatbelt assemblies are provided to back-seat passengers, they are typically much stiffer versions that are mechanically designed to have much more resistance to spool drum rotation. These stiffer seatbelt assemblies essentially offer a fixed high resistance and are not as effective in lowering peak seatbelt forces applied to occupants. Lighter occupants are generally restrained too much, the fixed resistance too high for load mitigation, and the pay-out during the dynamic event is essentially limited to webbing stretch. Heavier occupants are not restrained enough, the fixed resistance too low and enabling the occupant to move forward and impacting interior elements of the vehicle (including perhaps a seatback in front of the occupant).
Although there are many different designs of load limiting seatbelt assemblies, none of them actively and continuously adapt to a range of occupant weights, to different dynamic event profiles and severities, and to different occupant seating positions—including belted occupants in child safety seats or occupants with seating positions that deviate from the normal.
Thus there is a need for a load limiting seatbelt assembly that can better and continuously control pay-out of a seatbelt from the seatbelt retractor during a dynamic event to better adapt seatbelt pay-out and peak seatbelt force applied to the occupant. The seatbelt assembly should actively adapt to a range of occupant weights, a range of different dynamic event profiles and severities, and different occupant seating positions within the vehicle.

Adaptive load-limiting seatbelt assembly


An apparatus and method for serial data communication capable of performing an inter integrated circuit (I.sup.2 C) serial data communication utilizing a general microcomputer having no built-in hardware for the I.sup.2 C serial communication. In the apparatus, a start condition for a start of serial data transmission or reception is detected by a start condition detecting section utilizing an input serial clock signal and serial data of an I.sup.2 C communication type, and a stop condition for a stop of the serial data transmission or reception is detected by a stop condition detecting section utilizing the serial clock and serial data. A microcomputer generates and releases an interrupt for the serial data transmission or reception in accordance with start and stop signals provided from the start and stop condition detecting sections, respectively, and then performs transmission or reception of the serial clock signal and serial data when the interrupt is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a data communication, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for serial data communication which can transmit and receive serial data of an inter intergrated circuit (IIC or I.sup.2 C) type utilizing a general microcomputer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional apparatus for serial data communication, serial data is transmitted and received using a hardware for I.sup.2 C serial communication built in a microcomputer which is a system controller.
FIG. 1A illustrates the construction, of a microcomputer having a built-in I.sup.2 C hardware. Referring to FIG. 1A, the I.sup.2 C serial communication type data is transmitted or received under the control of the microcomputer 1. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a starting condition for receiving serial data SDA with a serial clock signal SLC, which are externally, received, is detected by the I.sup.2 C hardware 1A built in the microcomputer 1.
The received data is temporarily stored byte by byte in a data register IICDR, the construction of which is illustrated in FIG. 1B, being synchronized with the serial clock signal SCL, and then stored in a RAM (random access memory) built in the microcomputer 1.
As a result, the received data is stored byte by byte in the RAM through the data register IICDR to perform the reception of the serial data. Thereafter, if a stop condition is received as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the data reception is thereby terminated.
Meanwhile, in case of data transmission, data to be transmitted is temporarily stored in the data register IICDR, and then transmitted byte by byte after the start condition is generated as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. If final data has been transmitted as the data transmission is progressing, the stop condition is generated as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B to terminate the data transmission. FIG. 3 is an algorithm diagram incorporating the I.sup.2 C serial communication type data transmission/reception process utilizing the microcomputer having the built-in I.sup.2 C hardware.
As described above, the conventional communication apparatus should employ the I.sup.2 C hardware built in the microcomputer to achieve the I.sup.2 C serial communication. Otherwise, the I.sup.2 C type serial data transmission/reception will be impossible.

Apparatus and method for serial data communication utilizing general microcomputer


A plasma processing apparatus has a second electrode set parallel to a first electrode to be set in a deposition chamber capable of being set in an airtight vacuum, and an RF power supply path for applying an RF power having a discharge frequency of 20 MHz to 450 MHz to the second electrode. In the plasma processing apparatus, a high-voltage capacitor having a small capacitance is arranged on the RF power supply path. With this arrangement, the plasma processing apparatus capable of uniformly, stably processing a relative large base with a plasma at a high processing speed is provided. Further, the plasma processing apparatus in which the manufacturing time can be shortened and cost can be decreased is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus and, more specifically, a plasma processing apparatus for processing a base using a plasma as an excitation source, which is suitably used for forming a crystalline or nonmonocrystalline functional deposition film, an insulating film, and a metal wiring film available for a semiconductor device and an optical element, i.e., an electrophotographic photosensitive device, an image input line sensor, an image pickup device, a photovoltaic device, and the like, and used for etching, and in which a high frequency of 20 MHz to 450 MHz can be suitably used.
2. Related Background Art
Various types of plasma processing apparatuses are used for semiconductors and the like in accordance with different application purposes. For example, a variety of techniques have been used to enhance their features in, e.g., film formation of an oxide film, a nitride film, and an amorphous silicon-based semiconductor film using a plasma CVD apparatus and method, formation of a metal wiring layer using a sputtering apparatus and method, and micropatterning techniques using an etching apparatus and method.
Strong demand has recently arisen for improving the film quality and processing ability in a plasma processing apparatus, and various implementations therefor have been examined.
Particularly, a plasma process with an RF power is used because it has advantages in stable electric discharge and thus formation of an insulating material such as an oxide film or a nitride film.
The oscillation frequency of a discharge RF power supply used for a conventional plasma process such as a plasma CVD process is generally 13.56 MHz.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a general plasma CVD apparatus conventionally used in deposition film formation. The plasma CVD apparatus shown in a schematic sectional view for an arrangement of FIG. 1 is a film forming apparatus suitably used when an amorphous silicon film (to be referred to as an a-Si film! hereinafter) is to be formed on a cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive base. A method of forming an a-Si film using this apparatus will be described below.
A reaction vessel 201 capable of pressure reduction is cylindrical. Part of the reaction vessel forming member also constitutes a second electrode 206. A first electrode 202 which serves as a target film formation base (electrophotographic photosensitive base) as a counter electrode is arranged in the reaction vessel 201. Auxiliary bases 207 and 208 are attached to the top and bottom of the first electrode 202 main body to constitute part of the first electrode. In order to improve uniformity in film thickness and film characteristics, the longitudinal size of the second electrode 206 in the axial direction of a cylinder is set equal to the total length of the first electrode 202 and the auxiliary bases 207 and 208 in the axial direction of the cylinder. The interior of the first electrode 202 is heated by an internal heater 203. An RF power supply 212 is connected to only one portion of the second electrode 206 via a matching circuit 211. An evacuation port 205, a main valve 204, a source gas introduction valve 210, and a source gas introduction port 209 are provided.
The target film formation base 202 serving as the first electrode is set in the reaction vessel (deposition chamber) 201. The main valve 204 is opened, and the interior of the deposition chamber 201 is evacuated via the exhaust port 105 once. Then, the source gas introduction valve 210 is opened, and an inert gas is introduced to adjust a flow rate so as to obtain a predetermined pressure. The heater 203 is energized to heat the target film formation base to a desired temperature of 100.degree. C. to 400.degree. C.
Thereafter, a film formation source gas such as a silane gas, a disilane gas, a methane gas, or an ethane gas, and further a doping gas such as a diborane gas or a phosphine gas, as needed, are introduced via the source gas introduction valve 210, and an exhaust speed is adjusted to keep the interior of the deposition chamber 201 at several 10 mTorr to several Torr.
An RF power of 13.56 MHz is supplied from the RF power supply 212 to one portion of the second electrode 206 via the matching circuit 211 to generate plasma discharge between the second electrode 206 and the first electrode 202. The source gas is decomposed to deposit an a-Si film on the target film formation base 203 serving as the first electrode. Meanwhile, the first electrode is heated to a desired temperature within a range of about 100.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. by the heater 203.
As needed, the target film formation base is rotated by a rotation mechanism (not shown) to improve the distribution of a film thickness in the circumferential direction.
According to this film forming method, a deposition speed for obtaining an a-Si film to satisfactorily perform as an electrophotographic photosensitive body is set at about 0.5 to 6 .mu.m/h. If the deposition speed is further increased, sufficient characteristics for an electrophotographic photosensitive body may not be obtained. When an a-Si film is utilized as a general electrophotographic photosensitive body, a film thickness of at least 20 to 30 .mu.m is required to obtain a good charging ability. The manufacture of the electrophotographic photosensitive body requires a long period of time. For this reason, strong demand has arisen for a technique of shortening the manufacturing time without degrading the characteristics of a photosensitive body.
In recent years, a plasma CVD method using an RF power supply of 20 MHz or more in a parallel-plate plasma CVD apparatus has been reported (Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Vol. 7, No. 3, (1987) PP. 267-273). This report suggests that the deposition speed can be increased by increasing a discharge frequency to more than conventional 13.56 MHz without degrading the performance of a deposition film, which has received a great deal of attention. A sputtering method and the like using an increased discharge frequency are also reported. Recently, superiority of the increase in discharge frequency over other factors has been widely examined.
In order to increase the deposition speed, a power source having a discharge frequency higher than the conventional discharge frequency of 13.56 MHz is used, and a film is formed in accordance with the same film forming sequence as the conventional one. In this film forming operation, it is confirmed that a film can be formed at a deposition speed higher than the conventional one. In this case, however, another problem which is not significant at a discharge frequency of 13.56 MHz is posed.
More specifically, if a film is formed while rotating a target film formation base, a film having almost the same characteristics as those of a conventional film is certainly deposited. However, sufficient matching of a high frequency power may not be established if a rotation mechanism for a target film formation base is omitted to decrease cost of a film forming furnace and reducing cumbersome maintenance. Further, the length of a wiring for supplying an RF power from a matching circuit to a second electrode is changed to improve the operability of an apparatus. For this reason, electric discharge becomes unstable, or it may not be generated in some cases, varying the film quality in the circumferential direction. That is, when a target film formation base is not rotated, electric discharge becomes unstable and a plasma state in the film forming furnace is greatly localized in the circumferential direction, so that the film quality varies depending on positions.
In addition, the characteristics of a portion having high film quality in the circumferential direction is superior to those of a photosensitive drum on which a film is formed while rotating a target film formation base. In contrast, the characteristics of a portion having poor film quality in the circumferential direction is inferior to those of the photosensitive drum on which a film is formed while rotating the target film formation base. In other words, it is estimated that the photosensitive drum on which a film is formed while rotating the target film formation base is in a state in which a film having good characteristics and a film having poor characteristics are stacked, obtaining average characteristics as a result.
As described above, in film formation using a high frequency of 20 MHz to 450 MHz, if a target film formation base is stationary and a distance between the second electrode and the matching circuit is increased, a phenomenon in which electric discharge becomes unstable or it may not be generated in some cases occurs, resulting in uneven film characteristics. In this manner, undesirable unevenness of an image may occur on a relatively large target object such as an electrophotographic photosensitive body.
Such unevenness of film characteristics poses serious problems when a crystalline or nonmonocrystalline functional deposited film to be used an image input line sensor, an image pickup device, a photovoltaic device, and the like is to be formed, in addition to formation of an electrophotographic photosensitive device. In other plasma processes such as dry etching and sputtering, when having a discharge frequency of 20 MHz to 450 MHz is used, the same unevenness occurs. This unevenness is considered to cause serious problems in practical applications.
In this manner, it is found that, if a connecting wiring distance between the matching circuit 211 for matching a high frequency power source and the cathode electrode 206 is increased, the inductance of the wiring itself is increased, so that sufficient matching may not be established. For this reason, electric discharge becomes unstable, or it may not be generated in some cases. Since the degree of freedom of the wiring between the matching circuit and the cathode electrode is extremely low, an apparatus arrangement having a high degree of freedom of wiring and the like has been desired.


The present invention is characterized in that when a phototaking lens system forms image information on a image pickup device in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged in a non-square lattice pattern and a signal from the image pickup device is sampled in a square lattice to obtain a two-dimensional digital image, the phototaking lens system forms an image as optically correcting for a distortion of aspect ratio of image caused upon sampling in the square lattice.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical apparatus having a digital image forming means, and more particularly to an optical apparatus arranged in such a manner that an optical means changes an aspect ratio (which is hereinafter defined as height-to-width ratio) of image information on a moving picture or a still picture photographed, by compressing or expanding either one of the vertical and horizontal lengths, then the image information with the aspect ratio thus modified is recorded in a recording medium such as a CCD having a pixel array arranged in a non-square lattice pattern with the small aspect ratio, and, upon sampling of square lattice from the image information formed in the recording medium, a distortion of the aspect ratio is corrected to output correct image information.
2. Related Background Art
Cost-performance ratios have been increasing these years with wide spread use of computer devices. This is realized in that relatively cheap devices are able to perform various image processing operations, which have been handled heretofore only by expensive large-scale devices, and demands to take a digitized image into a computer or the like have been increasing in various technical fields. Sampling is necessary for digitizing analog image information. A two-dimensional sampling technique needs to be employed for sampling of image information as being two-dimensional data. Normally, square lattices are frequently used for sampling because of easiness of handling of memory.
Presently, commonly used image pickup means for converting the image information into an electric signal is the CCD in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are arranged in a two-dimensional pattern. According to the television standards, the CCD is formed from a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in a non-square lattice, for example approximately at a ratio of height:width=1.05:1. Therefore, if signal processing are performed while taking image information pieces from the respective light-receiving elements in the image pickup means with the plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in such a non-square lattice into a square lattice, the image would contract vertically to provide image information with a distorted aspect ratio.
A technique to prevent it is a method of resampling to achieve the ratio of height:width=1:1 upon performing the image processing. However, because a change of the sampling ratio of 1.05:1 to 1:1 is very small, moire is likely to appear in the high-frequency region, resulting in forming a poor image. There is a method using a low-pass filter in order to prevent the moire, but this method has a problem of difficult setting of the low-pass filter.
Further, the method by image processing requires separate digital circuits for the horizontal and vertical directions in an image processing circuit, thus having a problem that the circuit arrangement tends to become complex. These problems could be overcome if an image pickup means in which light-receiving elements are arranged in a square lattice pattern were used. However, most image pickup means are those having the pixel array determined according to the standards, as described above. Further, the image pickup means presently commonly and readily available include a small total number of pixels, and cannot fully meet the demands to achieve high definition.


A speaker support frame structure and optional cover for recessed mounting of a speaker in a wall or the like. The frame structure incorporates a one-piece, unitary molded frame body which has an open central region, a flattened perimeter region adjacent thereto, an adjacent peripheral upstanding shoulder region, and a terminal outwardly turned collar region. A speaker is nestably received thereon. Leg members are associated with a screw that extends through an orifice formed with the frame body. The leg members pivotally outswing and engage wall surfaces with adjustable clamping force. The frame body can be further provided with a frontal first ridge and also with a cover plate which has a rear second ridge so that the first and second ridge can engage mutually in a connecting relationship.

Friedman Fr. Pat. No. 2,520,181 discloses a speaker support frame structure which is held across a mounting orifice preformed in a wall board (or wall panel) by means of screw pivoted clips. However, when a speaker is associated with this frame structure, only the rearward cylindrical portion of the speaker housing basket (which portion houses the speaker magnet) projects inwardly through the orifice. The remainder of the speaker housing basket (which remainder includes a conically tapered portion that houses the speaker cone and an outwardly turned frontal flange or rim that is used for speaker mounting) extends forwardly from the wall board. This forward extension is disadvantageous for many speaker installations.
Also, a flange of this Friedman frame structure outwardly extends adjacent to the forward side of the wall board at the orifice and is associated with screw clips. Each screw clip is provided with a leg portion that pivots outwardly to engage the rearward side of the wall board when its associated screw is turned. These legs must each be pivoted and wall board engaged to secure the frame structure to the wall board before a speaker is mounted upon the frame structure. Another disadvantage is that the speaker must be removed from the frame structure before the frame structure can be removed from the wall board. Also, with this frame structure, a speaker cannot be premounted thereto to reduce installation labor.
Further, with the Friedman frame structure, no speaker cover or grill is provided for association with peripheral portions of the frame structure after the speaker is mounted to the frame structure. In Friedman, a speaker grill is associated with the face of the speaker.
Koshimura U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,369 also discloses a screw clip wall mounted speaker support frame structure with the speaker here being of the flat type. The speaker mounts to the frame structure from the frame structure rear side so that the speaker cannot be separated from the frame structure unless the support frame is first completely detached from the associated wall board even for minor adjustment purposes which is very undesirable. Also, this frame structure prefers that a separate coiled compression spring member be associated with each screw clip subassembly evidently for purposes of biasing the clip leg member in a transversely spaced relationship relative to adjacent portions of the frame structure which adds to frame structure making and installation costs. Further, no cover member which overfits the support frame as well as the mounted speaker is provided.
The art needs a new and improved speaker support frame structure for the recessed wall mounting of a speaker. Preferably, the frame structure is independently engaged or disengaged with either the speaker or the wall board. Also, a cover grill for both the mounted speaker and the speaker support frame structure is optionally attached. The present invention provides such an improved speaker support frame structure and optional cover grill.


In a multi-tasking system a writer task generates real-time and non real-time messages having multiple priority levels in an ascending order arranged in a plurality of priority bands. The real-time messages have predetermined timing deadlines. A plurality of queues indexing the messages by pointers, there is one queue for each priority band. A dispatcher moves pointers from a lower priority queue to a higher priority queue in response to a time-out signal dependent on the timing deadline. A data push agent transmits the messages indexed by the pointers according to the multiple priority levels.

This invention relates generally to multi-tasking computer systems, and more particularly, to user level scheduling of real-time tasks that inter-communicate over a network.
It has become evident that real-time applications, such as process control, factory automation, and plant control are moving to use open, standard, commercially available, and more general purpose computers, operating systems (OS), and networks. In other words, users would prefer to implement their applications with low-cost and readily available off-the-shelf hardware and software components.
For example, users would like to replace expensive workstations with off-the-shelf PCs. Users would like to adopt standard PC operating systems for real-time control. There is also a lot of momentum toward using the Internet Protocol (IP) for control networks. As control and device-level networks, general purpose IP-based networks offer cost and support advantages over industrial field buses.
In addition, more and more desktop applications are starting to employ real-time elements, such as the presentation of continuous media, e.g., video streams, and the remote control of instruments and devices in distant learning environments. This potential for using general purpose components for a wide spectrum of real-time tasks has prompted many contemporary general purpose operating systems to offer some minimal degree of real-time scheduling and programming support.
However, there are still problems in trying to build distributed systems with real-time functionality using off-the-shelf hardware and software components. This is primarily due to the fact that off-the-shelf components are not necessarily designed with real-time functionality in mind. In particular, to realize end-to-end predictability, say, when a process on one computer sends data to a process on another computer over a network, there are several specific problems.
Real-time application requirements must be mapped into requirements imposed on the schedulable entities of the system, e.g., tasks. Predictable execution of the tasks must be ensured in the face of possible priority inversions, limited OS level real-time scheduling support, and limited number of priorities. Real-time and non real-time tasks must be integrated in the hardware environment.
In the prior art, scheduling support for integrating real-time and non real-time tasks has been done by either extending existing operating systems, or by virtualizing the underlying hardware to multiplex a real-time kernel with the operating system. These approaches have certain drawbacks. The first approach needs to modify the existing operating system. However, access to the source programs of the operating system might not always be available. With the second approach, it is difficult to support real-time and non real-time activities that are closely related, e.g., in the case where there are multiple execution threads associated with the process, and there is a need by the tasks to share a common address space.
The current generation of operating systems has produced versions that provide some support for real-time scheduling, such as non-degradable priorities, and real-time threads. Support for these scheduling functions is not present in the older generation of these operating systems. For example, Windows NT 4.0 provides a REALTIME class such that threads in this class have non-degradable priorities.
Executing threads in this class have precedence over timesharing threads. These newer OS versions also provide timers with one millisecond granularity, and periodic callback routines which can be used for real-time periodic tasks. Real-time applications require that tasks are scheduled, executed, and completed with predictable and bounded variability in time. In reality, predictability comes in different granularities.
At one end of the spectrum, the direct physical control of robots, devices and instruments by local loop controllers, embedded controllers and PLCs may require sub-millisecond to one millisecond delay bounds. Unfortunately, the effects of nondeterminism present in many operating systems make it impractical to design user level scheduling to support real-time tasks with sub-millisecond precision. These types of tasks are better served by real-time kernels.
At the other end of the spectrum, a maximum delay or deadline value of one second is good enough for a video-on-demand file server, or database transactions for financial tasks. These tasks can be directly built with existing operating system primitives.
In the middle of the spectrum, there is a large population of real-time tasks that can tolerate end-to-end roundtrip delay/response time in the tens to hundreds of milliseconds range. These tasks often involve the interaction between users and remote data collection, video monitoring, file accessing, and command issuing in order to view videos, monitor, and control devices at a distance.
In any case, there is a need for a system where users can specify real-time scheduling of activities even when the system is configured with standard off-the-shelf components that do not necessarily include real-time capabilities.
The invention provides a multi-tasking distributed computer system with user level scheduling of the transmission of real-time and non real-time messages. The real-time messages having predetermined timing deadlines. At least one writer task generates the real-time and non real-time messages. The messages can have multiple priority levels organized in a plurality of priority bands, for example four. The generated messages are stored in ring buffers of a reflective memory and are indexed by pointers stored in queue entries. Pointers in a fourth queue index the real-time messages having low priority levels. Pointers in a third queue index the non real-time messages. A first and second queue store pointers for indexing the high and highest priority real-time messages, respectively.
A dispatcher moves pointers from the fourth to the second queue in response to time-out signals. The time-out signals ensure that the timing deadlines are met. A data push agent transmits the messages indexed by the pointers in the queues according to the associated priority levels. A reader task receives the messages transmitted by the data pusher agent.
In one aspect of the invention, the writer and reader tasks execute on different nodes of the system, and the nodes are connected by a network.

User level scheduling of inter-communicating real-time tasks

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


An apparatus for mode detection for a display device includes a front-end circuit, adapted to fetch an image signal according to a determined mode to generate a fetched image signal, and to adjust the determined mode according to a control signal, and a back-end circuit, connected to the front-end circuit, adapted to process the fetched image signal according to the determined mode. The back-end circuit is adapted to generate an indication signal according to an abnormal status, wherein the back-end circuit comprises a buffer adapted to temporarily store the fetched image signal, and wherein the abnormal status comprises an underflow or overflow state of the buffer. The back-end circuit further includes a determining unit, connected to the front-end circuit and the back-end circuit, adapted to generate the control signal according to the indication signal indicating the determined mode needs to adjust.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to display technology, particularly to a apparatus and a method thereof.
Description of the Related Art
At present, a digital display device, such as: liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display panel (PDP), has gradually become the mainstream product in the market. And, in general, each of the panel has a native physical resolution. Furthermore, the resolution of an image signal outputted by a general video signal source, such as personal computer (PC), digital video disc/disk player (DVD Player), and so forth, may not be exactly equal to the native resolution of the panel. In other words, if a receiving circuit is applied in a LCD panel having 1280×1024 resolution, then the receiving circuit has to perform scaling up operation on the 640×480, 800×600, or 1024×768 image signal to match the native resolution of the panel of the digital display device.


This invention provides a method for treating or preventing arrhythmias in a human subject comprising the administration of an effective amount of a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and methods for identifying agents useful for the treatment of arrhythmias.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for the treatment of arrhythmias by inhibition of a multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase), pharmaceutical compositions useful in such treatments, and methods for identifying new agents useful for such treatments.
b) Description of Related Art
Arrhythmias are a leading cause of cardiac-related death in the United States. Prolongation of the cardiac action potential is an important predisposing condition for these arrhythmias. Many antiarrhythmic drugs directly prolong the action potential duration and so may further contribute to these arrhythmias (i.e. the proarrhythmic effects of antiarrhythmic drugs). Despite their cost, implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) have become the treatment of choice for arrhythmias. In order to prevent painful shocks ˜50% of patients with ICDs require additional treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs. Thus there is an important need to develop better antiarrhythmic drug therapies.
Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are depolarizing oscillations in the action potential (AP) that occur during repolarization. One cause of EADs is inward L-type Ca2+ current (ICa). ICa is present at cell membrane potentials (Vm) within the window of ICa steady state activation and inactivation overlap. ICa steady state activation and inactivation overlap occur during action potential repolarization. Prolongation of action potential repolarization may increase the time that the Vm is in the window current range for ICa and thus the likelihood of EADs. EADs are important because they are one probable cause of lethal arrhythmias associated with long QT intervals including torsade de pointes. A long QT interval reflects prolonged action potential repolarization in ventricular myocardium and is due to a wide variety of conditions including bradycardia and hypokalemia. One important cause of long QT intervals are antiarrhythmic drugs and the ventricular proarrhythmic effects of many antiarrhythmic agents are due to QT interval prolongation.
Intracellular Ca2+ increases simultaneously with EADs in isolated ventricular myocytes (De Ferrari et al. (1995) Circ 91:2510-2515). Elevation of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) has complex effects on ICa including indirect enhancement through a multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin—dependent protein kinase II pathway (Anderson et al. (1994) Circ Res 75:854-861) and direct inactivation. The net effect of elevated [Ca2+]i in rabbit ventricular myocytes following flash photolysis of the photolabile Ca2+ chelator Nitr-5 is 40-50% augmentation of peak ICa that is mediated by a multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, hereafter referred to as CaM kinase II. CaM kinase II, like other multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, is an ubiquitous serine threonine kinase that is activated when Ca2+ is bound to the Ca2+ binding protein calmodulin. Once activated by Ca2+/calmodulin, CaM kinase II activation may be sustained by intersubunit enzyme autophosphorylation that confers Ca2+-independent activity, allowing for its activity to persist during the long diastolic intervals associated with QT interval prolongation and torsade de pointes. This Ca2+-independent activity is enhanced by long stimulating pulses (De Koninck and Schulman (1998) Science 279:227-230), as occur with prolonged action potential repolarization. It is possible that EADs caused by ICa may be enhanced by increased [Ca2+]i through the CaM kinase II pathway. However, not all EADs are due to ICa, and EADs can occur in conditions adverse to CaM kinase activity such as enhanced [Ca2+]i buffering.
Delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) are another cause of ventricular arrhythmias associated with intracellular calcium overload. DADs are caused by an inward current that follows completion of action potential repolarization. This inward current is a marker of intracellular calcium overload (Thandroyen et al. (1991) Circ Res 69:810-819). Intracellular calcium overload is a central feature of many ventricular arrhythmias occuring during ischemia (Lee et al. (1988) Circ 78:1047-1059) including ventricular fibrillation.
Inhibition of CaM kinase activity can be used to test for a facilitatory role of CaM kinase in EADs and DADs. There are several methods for blocking CaM kinase activity. Synthetic pseudo-substrate peptide inhibitors of CaM kinase provide a specific approach to CaM kinase inhibition and have been used in a variety of cell types including ventricular myocytes (Braun et al. (1995) J. Physiol 488:37-55). The peptide sequence KKALHRQEAVDCL (SEQ ID NO: 1), like other similar peptides, was found to inhibit CaM kinase in a highly specific manner. SEQ ID NO: 1 is a much less efficient inhibitor of both protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), with an IC50 value of at least 500 μmol/l for each. Myristoylated inhibitory peptides are cell membrane permeant and thus could also be effective when added extracellularly.
A variety of cell-membrane permeant organic CaM kinase and calmodulin inhibitors are available and widely used (Braun et al. (1995) Ann Rev Physiol 57:417-445). A principle disadvantage for these inhibitors as experimental agents is that many of them directly block ICa. However, direct ICa blockade by the CaM kinase inhibitor KN-93 has not been previously reported. KN-93 (2-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-(4-methoxy-benzenesulfonyl)]-amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)-N-methylbenzylamine) is a methoxybenzene sulfonamide derivative that competitively inhibits calmodulin binding to CaM kinase with a reported Ki of 0.37 μmol/l. KN-93 has been shown to inhibit CaM kinase-dependent processes in PC12h cells, fibroblasts, and gastric parietal cells. There are four isoform groups of CaM kinase II (α,β,γ,δ) and the δB and δC isoforms have been identified in myocardium. The catalytic and regulatory domains in CaM kinase are highly conserved in all known CaM kinase isoforms so inhibitors that interact with either of these domains are expected to work in all cell types including cardiac. KN-92 (2-N-(4-methoxybenzenesulfonyl)-amino-N-(4-chlorocinnamyl)N-methylbenzylamine) is a congener of KN-93 without CaM kinase inhibitory activity and is used as an experimental control. Direct ICa blockade by KN-92 has also not been previously reported, and neither KN-93 nor KN-92 have appreciable effects on other serine threonine kinases such as protein kinase A (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC).
Two general approaches are currently used to suppress ventricular arrhythmias due to action potential prolongation, in addition to ICD implantation. The first is to shorten the action potential using antiarrhythmic agents (e.g. mexilitine, pinacidil) or to increase the heart rate using artificial pacing or the β-adrenergic agent isoproterenol. The second is to indirectly suppress protein kinase A (PKA), which enhances L-type calcium current and calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, through left stellate ganglionectomy or with β-adrenergic blocking drugs. Neither of these approaches is broadly applicable for two reasons: 1) action potential duration is governed by a number of different ionic currents and it is not typically known which current is critical in a given patient. Furthermore, specific antiarrhythmic drugs are not available for modification of many of these ionic currents. In addition, not all causes of action potential prolongation respond to pacing by action potential shortening. Isoproterenol also does not always shorten the action potential, can itself be arrhythmogenic, may cause ischemia, and can only be used in an acute setting. 2) At present, suppression of PKA is accomplished indirectly by stellate gangionectomy or by β-adrenergic antagonists. β-adrenergic antagonists are effective in reducing death from arrhythmias, but application is limited by the fact that these agents weaken the force of heart muscle contraction.
Ventricular arrhythmias due to ischemia and intracellular calcium overload are generally treated with revascularization (i.e. coronary artery angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery), β-adrenergic antagonists, and class III antiarrhythmic medications (e.g. sotalol and amiodarone), in addition to ICDs. Unfortunately revascularization is often incomplete and the recurrence rate of ventricular fibrillation is significant. Class III antiarrhythmic agents may be proarrhythmic by causing excessive action potential prolongation or be associated with use-limiting toxicity (e.g. amiodarone). Beta-adrenergic antagonist use is also limited as previously discussed (above).
Atrial fibrillation is associated with significant morbidity and mortality from stroke and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation can be caused by DADs. Maintenance of atrial fibrillation is favored by intracellular calcium dependent processes. (Tielenian et al. (1997) Circ 95:1945-1953) Present conventional therapies center around anticoagulation (for prevention of stroke), ventricular rate control, and antiarrhythmic agents. Currently available antiarrhythmic agents only succeed in maintaining sinus rhythm in approximately fifty percent of patients per year. Recent experimental therapies include artificial pacing systems and atrial ICDs.
CaM kinase inhibition may be superior to previous antiarrhythmic strategies because CaM kinase has characteristics that may allow it to function as a proarrhythmic positive feedback effector for EADs and DADs, and thus play a more central role in EAD and DAD induction than other effectors, such as PKA. L-type calcium current increases intracellular calcium directly by transmembrane calcium flux and indirectly through calcium-induced release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Increased intracellular calcium results in enhanced CaM kinase activity to further favor EADs during action potential prolongation. In contrast, PKA activity is not enhanced by increased intracellular calcium. Direct CaM kinase inhibitors are available (above) and CaM kinase inhibition does not reduce the strength of contraction in isolated hearts, suggesting it may be applicable in patients who do not tolerate β-adrenergic antagonists. Recent experiments using genetically engineered mice lacking neuronal CaM kinase isoforms suggest that systemic CaM kinase inhibition will not result in intolerable side effects. It is likely that redundant CaM kinase isoforms or other signal transduction mechanisms partially compensate for the inactivity of one CaM kinase subtype, so the actual effects of knockout or other inhibition strategies are less deleterious than anticipated. Thus, CaM kinase inhibition may be highly beneficial as a treatment for arrhythmias related to excessive action potential prolongation and EADs and for arrhythmias related to intracellular calcium overload such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation.
Action potential prolongation favors increased L-type calcium current, and this current is the likely proximate cause of the arrhythmias, but because calcium is essential for cardiac muscle function, direct blockade of L-type calcium current is not a viable antiarrhythmic strategy. L-type Ca2+ current inhibitors have not been found to be highly effective antiarrhythmic agents for atrial and ventricular fibrillation as well as most types of ventricular tachycardia. Lack of ventricular antiarrhythmic efficacy for ICa antagonists at clinically tolerated doses may be because the amount of ICa inhibition is insufficient to prevent or terminate most EADs. Combination of a ICa antagonist with a CaM kinase inhibitor may be effective, however.

Treatment of arrhythmias via inhibition of a multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University


A semi-active system for providing a required fluid flow, the system comprising an outlet configured to protrude into the main flow direction of an external fluid flow external to the semi-active system, an exhaust channel provided, in relation to the main flow direction of the external fluid flow, beneath the outlet, the exhaust channel being configured to inject an exhaust fluid flow into the external fluid flow, a device configured to produce a jet fluid flow and a pipe provided within the exhaust channel, the pipe being configured to fluid-communicatively couple to the device, and entrain, by the produced jet fluid flow, the exhaust fluid flow.

The present disclosure relates to suction of fluids, particularly in the context of Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC).
Problems arise when driving aerodynamic suction by passive means. Hence, a simple passive driven solution might not yield a required fluid flow.
The present inventors found out that an active system was not an option either, e.g., due to requirements on reliability, energy consumption, system complexity, etc. Rather, according the present inventors, a semi-active system is a fitting compromise in that application of a jet pump or ejector would help to drive fluid flow.

Semi-active system for providing a required fluid flow


A mobile terminal includes a metal frame. The metal frame includes two corners provided diagonally, and two long frames and two short frames respectively connected to two ends of the two corners. The antenna system includes four millimeter wave antenna arrays attached to an inner surface of the metal frame. A circumferential side of each corner is respectively provided with two millimeter wave antenna arrays provided perpendicular to each other, and one of the millimeter wave antenna arrays is provided at an end of the long frame close to the connected corner while the other millimeter wave antenna array is provided at an end of the short frame close to the connected corner. Positions of the metal frame corresponding to the four millimeter wave antenna arrays are each provided with a radiation window.

In wireless communication devices, there is always a device that radiates electromagnetic energy into space and receives electromagnetic energy from space, and this device is an antenna. The role of the antenna is to transmit a digital or analog signal modulated to a radio frequency (RF) frequency to a spatial wireless channel, or to receive a digital or analog signal modulated to an RF frequency from a spatial wireless channel.
With 5G being the focus of research and development in the global industry, developing 5G technologies and formulating 5G standards have become the industry consensus. International Telecommunication Union (ITU) identified the main application scenarios for 5G in the ITU-RWP5D 22nd meeting held in June 2015. ITU defined three main application scenarios: enhance mobile broadband, large-scale machine communication, and highly reliable low-latency communication. The above three application scenarios respectively correspond to different key indicators, and in the enhance mobile broadband scenario, the user peak speed is 20 Gbps and the minimum user experience rate is 100 Mbps. In order to meet these demanding indicators, several key technologies will be adopted, including millimeter wave technology.
The rich bandwidth resources of the millimeter wave band provide a guarantee for high-speed transmission rates. However, due to the severe spatial loss of electromagnetic waves in this frequency band, wireless communication systems using the millimeter wave band need to adopt an architecture of a phased array. The phases of respective array units are caused to distribute according to certain regularity by a phase shifter, so that a high gain beam is formed and the beam is scanned over a certain spatial range through a change in phase shift. The scanning coverage range of a single phased array antenna is generally smaller than one hemisphere, and if the mobile terminal adopts a single array, the signal may be unstable.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel antenna system to solve the above problems.


The present invention discloses to a channel reactor system having a first channel plate assembly in which an exothermic reaction is performed and a second channel plate assembly provided for heat-exchanging and constituted integrally with the first channel plate assembly so as to remove effectively heat, the channel reactor system comprising at least two channel units into which reaction gas and cooling fluid are separately introduced, each channel unit comprising a reaction channel plate assembly into which reaction gas is introduced and a heat-exchanging channel plate assembly into which cooling fluid is introduced; and at least one intermediate plate disposed between the upper and lower channel units, the intermediate plate supplying reaction gas and cooling fluid inflowed from the upper channel unit with new reactant and cooling fluid and supplying reaction gas and cooling fluid to the reaction channel plate assembly and the heat-exchanging channel plate assembly of the lower channel unit, respectively.

As interest in environmental problems has progressively increased in recent years, a study for fuel cell has been actively performed as the alternative to a gasoline engine and fossil fuel. To make the best use of the fuel cell, the various requirements for producing and/or supplying hydrogen used as raw material should be prepared.
Hydrogen is the lightest gas and may be exploded easily in the air. Due to the above properties of hydrogen, it is extremely difficult to handle and store hydrogen. Accordingly, a current level of technique is to supply hydrogen by merely using a hydrogen storage tank with a high capacity, the above technique has a drawback that it is difficult to solve completely the aforementioned problems by means of such hydrogen storage tank.
In addition, there is a problem that an initial facility investment expense is immensely required for developing the hydrogen storage tank with a high capacity and providing a hydrogen storage facility with a high capacity.
Accordingly, the method by which a volume and weight of the hydrogen generating equipment are reduced may be very preferable in that hydrogen can be used as clean energy without paying an immense facility investment expense.
In addition, to supply directly hydrogen generated in the miniaturized hydrogen generating equipment to the fuel cell, a content of carbon monoxide (CO) which impedes an activity of a cathode electrode of the fuel cell should be minimized.
That is, carbon monoxide in hydrogen-rich gas generated by a reforming reaction between steam and hydrocarbon fuel poisons platinum used as an electrode material of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to lower rapidly a performance of the fuel cell.
The permissible concentration level of carbon monoxide which is suitable for preventing a poison of platinum caused by carbon monoxide is approximately 50 ppm or less. To generate carbon monoxide with a suitable concentration, a water-gas shift reaction process and a preferential CO oxidation reaction process are performed for hydrogen-rich gas.
After performing the water-gas shift reaction process, a concentration of carbon monoxide should be decreased to 1% or less, and after the preferential CO oxidation reaction process, a concentration of carbon monoxide should be decreased to 50 ppm or less.
A commercially available water-gas shift reaction is performed in two stages, that is, a high temperature water-gas shift reaction stage and a low temperature water-gas shift reaction stage, and may be represented by the following reaction formula:CO+H2O═CO2+H2 ΔH=−41.1 kJ/mol  [Reaction formula]
Fe2O3/Cr2O3 catalyst is used in the high temperature water-gas shift reaction performed at a temperature of 350 to 450° C., and the low temperature water-gas shift reaction in which Cu/ZnO is used as catalyst is performed at a temperature of 200 to 300° C.
Accordingly, the system for performing the high temperature water-gas shift reaction and the system for performing the low temperature water-gas shift reaction should be provided separately. A complicated heat-exchange system equipped with sophisticated temperature controlling devices is required for maintaining the appropriate temperature in the high and low temperature water-gas shift reaction system.
The two reaction systems mentioned above increase the overall size of the system. Moreover, the difficulty of controlling temperature leads to lower overall system stability.
In addition, the water-gas shift reactor system generally employs a fixed-bed reactor. This fixed-bed reactor can not remove effectively and completely heat generated when the water-gas shift reaction which is the exothermic reaction is performed, and so the fixed-bed reactor has a drawback that the uniform temperature distribution is not obtained. Due to the above drawback, the fixed-bed reactor has the problems that the expected life span of the catalyst is reduced and a shift ratio is decreased. Accordingly, the system that is capable of removing completely heat generated when a reaction is performed is required.


A method of additively manufacturing a structure comprises nuclear reactor comprises disposing a feed material on a surface of a substrate in a reaction vessel, disposing at least one material formulated and configured to react with the feed material in the reaction vessel, and exposing the feed material and the at least one material to energy from an energy source to react the feed material and the at least one material to form an additive manufacturing material and reaction by-products. The additive manufacturing material is separated from the reaction by-products and exposed to energy from the energy source to form inter-granular bonds between particles of the additive manufacturing material and form a layer of a structure comprising the additive manufacturing material. Related apparatuses and methods are disclosed.

Fuel blocks, fuel elements, fuel assemblies, and other structures that are used in nuclear reactor cores are generally formed by extrusion or sintering processes. Such processes include preparation of substantially pure powders from which the structures are formed, as well as formation of a die through which the powder will be extruded or in which the powder will be compacted and sintered.
After powder preparation, extrusion includes mixing the powders with a binder material, a resin, a lubricant, or combinations thereof and extruding the mixture through a die having a cross-sectional shape of a final structure. The extruded product (i.e., the extrudate) may then be machined to a desired final size and shape.
Alternatively, structures may be formed by compacting a powder mixture into a mold or die and sintering the powder mixture to form a final structure. Such sintering processes often include adding a resin material, a binder material, or a combination thereof to the powder mixture to facilitate formation of a green structure to be sintered. The resin or binder material may comprise, for example, a high molecular weight material, such as a high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide), a coal tar pitch (CTP) material, other binder materials, or combinations thereof. After the materials are pressed in the mold, the materials are generally heated under high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between individual grains of the powder material.
However, use of the resin materials, the binder materials, or both in sintering or extrusion processes may be undesirable and the presence of such materials in the final structures are considered impurities. For example, resin or binder materials in an extrudate may increase a likelihood of cracking, both on the surface and internally, of the extrudate. Resin and binder materials are frequently outgassed from a sintered structure. The outgassing may form pores in the sintered structure and ultimately reduce a density thereof. In some instances, outgassing may form cracks in the structure.
In addition, forming structures by extrusion or sintering requires the use of substantially pure materials, in the form of a powder. The use of substantially pure materials may increase a cost of forming materials by extrusion or sintering and may reduce the types of materials that may be used in such processes.

Methods and apparatus for additively manufacturing structures using in situ formed additive manufacturing materials


System for controlling the frequency of an oscillator. A first circuit is coupled to the oscillator and arranged for receiving an externally provided clock signal at a first input node. A second circuit coupled to the oscillator is arranged for receiving an externally provided frequency reference input at a second input node. The first circuit uses the clock signal received at the first input node to control the frequency of the oscillator. In absence of a clock signal received at the first node, the second circuit uses the frequency reference input received at the second input node to control the frequency of the oscillator. The frequency reference input is selectively at one of (a) a first or second fixed voltage level designating a first or second oscillator frequency, and (b) a variable signal level designating a frequency between the first and second oscillator frequencies.

It has become common to integrate a phase-locked loop (PLL) onto an integrated circuit (IC) in order to synchronize the operating frequency of the PLL, and hence the integrated circuit, to an external clock signal ("PLL mode"). As shown in FIG. 1, the integration of a PLL generally requires an IC to have two additional pins (alternatively termed "terminals" or "nodes"): a PLLIN pin for an external clock input and a PLLLPF pin for connection of a PLL frequency compensation/loop filter such as an R-C network. Minimizing pin count, however, is preferred in order to reduce packaging size and complexity, and improve yield.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional PLL of a type implemented in such circuits. A PLL 10 generally comprises a phase detector 12, and voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 14 connected to phase detector 12 through the PLLLPF pin to which frequency compensation external filter 16 comprising a resistor RLP and capacitor CLP is connected. Phase detector 12 compares the phase and frequency of the external clock from the PLLIN pin with those of an internal clock generated by VCO 14. The output of phase detector 12 ("error signal") may be produced by a pair of complementary current sources that charge or discharge external filter 16 connected to the PLLLPF pin. The PLLLPF pin is provided to PLL 10 so that a user can choose a desired resistance and capacitance to set the PLL's characteristics.
If the external frequency is greater than the internal frequency, current is sourced continuously to filter 16, pulling up the PLLLPF pin. When the external frequency is less than that of the internal frequency, current is sinked continuously, pulling down the PLLLPF pin. If the external and internal frequencies are the same but exhibit a phase difference, current is sourced or sinked for an amount of time corresponding to the phase difference. The voltage on the PLLLPF pin is adjusted until the phase and frequency of the internal clock become identical to those of the external clock. At the stable operating point, the phase comparator output is high impedance and capacitor CLP holds the voltage. Resistor RLP and capacitor CLP of the external filter 16 smooth out the current pulses from phase detector 12 and provide a stable input to VCO 14. Resistor RLP and capacitor CLP determine how fast the loop acquires lock.
When the IC is not synchronized to the external clock, the frequency of the internal clock may be set by applying a DC voltage to the PLLLPF pin ("tri-state mode"). For example, it has been known to use the PLLLPF pin to digitally select the integrated circuit's operating frequency by tying the PLLLPF to a high voltage supply (e.g., VCC) or a low voltage supply (e.g., GND) to select maximum frequency fmax or minimum frequency fmin of VCO 14. FIG. 3 shows an example of the relationship between a voltage on the PLLLPF pin and frequency of the internal clock to be generated by VCO 14. The level of voltage on the PLLLPF pin dictates the frequency of the internal clock.
The PLLLPF pin can also be floated (left in a high impedance state) to select a mid-range frequency fmid shown in FIG. 3. This mid-range frequency fmid can be achieved internally on the IC, for example, by weakly tying the PLLLPF pin through a high resistance or weak active device to a voltage reference equal to the center of the VCO's voltage range. Accordingly, the PLLLPF pin can be used as a digital (or tri-state) pin to select one of two (or three) discrete operating frequencies, while requiring no additional external components. The following table shows a relationship between inputs to PLLIN and PLLLPF pins and a frequency of the internal clock.
PLLINPLLLPFFrequencyExternal clockR-C to GNDPhase-locked to external clock—Tied to GNDfmin—Floatfmid—Tied to VCCfmax
Alternatively, the PLLLPF pin can be used as an analog voltage input to select any of the VCO's frequencies (see FIG. 3). This requires a precision external reference to be generated, for example, by a resister divider on a power supply or other voltage reference. However, even if a precision voltage reference of the desired value is readily available, the gain (or slope) of the curve in FIG. 3 (the VCO's linear region) typically varies from part to part (due to manufacturing variations) and over temperature. Therefore, a voltage to be applied to the PLLLPF pin needs to be generated accurately.
The PLL mode and tri-state mode are described in the datasheet of commercially available LTC 3701 2-phase, low input voltage, dual step-down DC/DC controllers, manufactured by Linear Technology Corporation, incorporated herein by reference.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show another common way to select an ICs operating frequency, in which a resistor RT or capacitor CT is connected between a frequency select/set pin (commonly denoted as "FSET," "RT," or "CT" pin) and ground (or a supply rail). This allows for the IC's frequency to be selected in an analog manner (based on the value of resistor RT or capacitor CT) from a continuous range of possible frequencies ("passive element setting mode").
For example, a voltage is applied across resistor RT, and a scaled version of the resultant current is then used as the input current of a current controlled oscillator ("ICO"), an output frequency of which is a function (usually proportional) of the input current. The frequency of the internal clock to be generated by the ICO can be selected relatively precisely, since the voltage forced across resistor RT can be, or be derived from, a precision voltage reference such as a bandgap reference. The value of an external resistor can also be very accurate (e.g., 1% resistors are common). FIG. 6 shows the relationship between frequency of the internal clock to be generated and value of resister RT. When the value of resistor RT increases, the current flowing in the resistor decreases. Therefore, the frequency of the internal clock to be generated by the ICO decreases. When the value of resistor RT decreases, the current flowing in the resistor increases. Therefore, the frequency of the internal clock to be generated by the ICO increases.
An example using resistor RT is described in the datasheet of commercially available LTC 3412 monolithic synchronous step-down regulators, manufactured by Linear Technology Corporation, incorporated herein by reference.
Capacitor CT typically serves as a timing element for the IC's oscillator, such that the IC's frequency is inversely proportional to the value of the capacitor. Using a capacitor CT for this purpose is described in the datasheet of commercially available LTC 1735 high efficiency synchronous step-down switching regulator, manufactured by Linear Technology Corporation, incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure addresses the desirability of a combination of the PLL mode, tri-state mode and passive element setting mode into an IC, with minimum pins (terminals, nodes), for controlling those modes.

System for controlling frequency of oscillator


A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber (20) and a target (25) above the chamber (20). The surface of the target (25) contacts the processing area of the chamber (20). The chamber (20) includes an insulating sub-chamber (21) and a first conductive sub-chamber (22), which are superposed. The first conductive sub-chamber (22) is provided under the insulating sub-chamber (21). The insulating sub-chamber (21) is made of insulating material, and the first conductive sub-chamber (22) is made of metal material. A Faraday shield component (10) which is made of metal material or insulating material electroplated with conductive coatings and includes at least one slit is provided in the insulating sub-chamber (21). An inductance coil (13) surrounds the exterior of the insulating sub-chamber (21). The problem about the wafer contamination due to particles formed on the surface of the coil during the sputtering process can be solved by using the plasma processing apparatus.

A plasma processing apparatus is widely used in the manufacturing process of current integrated circuits, solar cells, flat panel displays, etc. The plasma processing apparatus widely used in industries includes the following types: for example, direct-current discharge plasma, capacitive coupled plasma (CCP), inductive coupled plasma (ICP) and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma. These types of plasma processing apparatus are currently used in the process of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), dry-etching, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), etc.
In the PVD process, Magnetron sputtering technology is most widely used. The technology is to connect the high-power direct current power supply to the target (for example, metal or metal oxide, the typical metal is Cu, Ta, etc), and bombard the target with plasma generated by the direct current power supply so that the material of the target is deposited on the wafer to be processed so as to form a film. In addition, a magnetron is arranged above the target to increase sputtering efficiency.
In the current advanced process, especially in the PVD process for integrated circuits, in order to increase conformal coverage of pores, the plasma density is enhanced by using an induction coil, so that bias on the lower electrode can more efficiently attract ions to deposit on the wafer or etch the wafer, so as to meet the process requirements.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the structure of a current PVD apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the reaction chamber consists of two parts, a sidewall 1 and a bottom wall 2, a target 3 is provided on the top of the reaction chamber, a magnetron 4 is provided on the target 3, the first RF power supply 41 is connected with the coil 7 via the first matching network 42, and the second RF power supply 43 is connected with the electrostatic chuck 8 via the second matching network 44. The direct current power supply 6 applies direct-current power to the target 3 to generate plasma and attract ions in the plasma to bombard the target 3 so that after being sputtered, the material of the target 3 can be deposited on the wafer (not shown in FIG. 1) on the electrostatic chuck 8. In addition, the RF power applied to the electrostatic chuck 8 can generate RF self-bias to attract ions, so that the effect of pore-filling can be improved. The coil 7 applies the RF power of the first RF power supply 41 into the reaction chamber, so as to further increase the plasma density and improve the effect of deposition coverage of the target material on the wafer.
However, the problem is in that since the coil 7 is provided inside of the reaction chamber and the coil 7 has a very high RF bias, it is very likely that the coil 7 is sputtered by plasma. To prevent the coil from being sputtered to introduce impurities, the coil 7 and the target 3 shall be made of the same material, thus flexibility in material selection is affected and the cost of the apparatus is increased. A more serious problem is in that the coil 7 is in the reaction chamber and many particles will be accumulated on the surface of the coil, which will easily contaminate the wafer to be processed and at the same time the utilization efficiency of the target will be reduced.

BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.


Computer method, apparatus and system reduces size of attachments for an electronic communication. The method/system automatically selects a part (portion) of a working document to serve as the electronic communication attachment or upload. A monitoring unit monitors sender-user activity with respect to the working document and logs indications of the portions of the working document that are read by the user. During email composition, an attachment engine automatically selects the logged and indicated document portions to serve as an attachment reduced in size. During other electronic communication composition, such as to a blog, wiki or computer network forum, the attachment engine automatically selects the logged and indicated document portions to serve as the upload reduced in size.

The present invention relates to reducing energy consumption and making authors of electronic communications more efficient and to reduce leakage of confidential information.
Computer users routinely use messaging and collaboration systems as a method to share information and documentation with others. The problem with email systems is that a lot of the time the information contained in one email message is excessive to that which is sufficient and uses up valuable bandwidth and disc space.
Take for example, a sender-user sending a 5 mb PDF document by email to another user (i.e., the receiver-user). In this document there are only 3 pages of "importance" that will be read by the receiver-user, which means roughly 90% of the bandwidth and diskspace used to transport and process this email is wasted. This has a measurable impact on mail servers (running longer, processing many attachments) and the full documents may contain sensitive information that was inadvertently sent.
Thus, there exists a need for improved electronic communication systems and methods to share information and documentation with others.

Computer method and system for attachment reduction

International Business Machines Corporation


A transport container for nuclear fuel is provided with an outer container having internal insulation, the insulation defining an internal cavity. The cavity receives a plurality of fuel containers wherein the internal volume of the fuel containers is at least 5% of the external volume of the outer container. The container allows substantially higher volume proportions of enriched fuel to be safely transported than is possible with prior containers.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention concerns improvements in and relating to fuel transportation, particularly but not exclusively relating to enriched nuclear fuels.
2. The Relevant Technology
Nuclear fuels, such as enriched uranium or mixed oxide forms, frequently need to be transported between sites, for instance the enrichment site and the fuel rod production site. The fuel is normally in the form of pellets or powder at this stage. International standards apply, requiring certain levels of thermal insulation and structural strength. A major concern is criticality control. The mass of enriched fuel within the transport container must be strictly limited to ensure that a criticality event does not occur. This single requirement places a stringent limit on the volume of fuel which can be transported in any given volume of a transport container. In this regard, the transportation of nuclear fuel differs significantly from transportation of other radioactive materials. Radioactive waste is of a far lower enrichment, thus facilitating transport of greater volumes in proximity with one another. In assembled fuel rods on the other hand, the volume of fuel when compared with the overall fuel rod and supporting structure volume is very low.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Container for nuclear fuel transportation