A large data processing system includes a channel path management program that is periodically executed during operation of the system to gather control unit and subchannel utilization statistics and to monitor such statistics. If the degree of utilization of a channel path or an I/O device exceeds a predetermined threshold value, one or more change(s) is(are) dynamically made in the channel path configuration.

This invention relates to the field of data processing, and, more particularly, to an improved data processing system having means for dynamically managing channel paths while the data processing system is running.
Large computing systems are commercially available which are constructed in accordance with the IBM Enterprise Systems Architecture ESA/390 and operate under IBM multiple virtual storage (MVS) operating system. Such architecture is described in the publication "ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE/390, PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION", form SA22-7201-0, published by IBM Corporation, copyright 1990,1991. This publication is hereby incorporated herein by reference and may be referred to for details not described in this specification.
ESA/390 systems generally comprise one or more central processing units (CPUs), operator facilities, a channel subsystem, and input/output (I/O) devices, the latter being connected to the channel subsystem through control units. The connections between the channel subsystem and the control units are referred to as channel paths. The channel paths may extend through and be routed by switches. An "I/O configuration" comprises channel paths, control units, I/O devices, and their connections including any switches.
A channel subsystem directs the flow of information between I/O devices and main storage. The channel subsystem uses one or more channel paths as the communication link in managing the flow of information to and from I/O devices. As part of I/O processing, the channel subsystem also performs a path management function of testing for channel path availability, selecting an available channel path, and initiating execution of the operation with an I/O device. The channel subsystem also includes subchannels, there being one subchannel for each I/O device. Each subchannel is dedicated to an I/O device and stores information controlling operation of such device.
Multiple I/O devices may be attached to a single control unit. Multiple control units may be attached to a single channel path. Control units may be attached to a channel subsystem by more than one channel path, and an I/O device may be attached to more than one control unit. An individual I/O device may be accessible to the channel subsystem through as many as eight different channel paths. A dynamic switch can be connected to either the same or different channel subsystems and to multiple control units. There thus exists numerous choices and variations concerning how a particular system may be configured.
The physical equipment is referred to as the "installation". A device is considered "installed" when it is mechanically and electrically connected into the system. However, the mere fact that a device is installed does not mean that it is configured into the system. As the term is used herein, "configuration" means not only the physical connections but also the channel subsystem and software settings and information which allow the equipment to be operated under the control of the operating system.
In operation, an ESA/390 data processing system typically runs a variety of workloads. Each workload performs best when the I/O configuration is tailored to meet the needs of such workload. The act of defining an optimal I/O configuration is costly and requires a great deal of system programmer's time and skills. The resulting I/O configuration may in fact be a best guess rather that an optimal solution. Additional complications arise from the fact than any single workload has variations both in time and in nature. Furthermore, most installations do not run a single workload. Various workloads may be run throughout the day placing different requirements on the computing resources. For example, short transactions may be most prevalent during midday while long running backups may be run at night thus producing different mixes of workloads. It is likely that some workload changes are more frequent than changes in work shift. The requirements of different workloads tend to conflict thereby complicating the act of defining the best I/O configuration.
I/O configuration definitions are commonly made by a system programmer who analyzes customer workloads and device and channel path utilizations. A configuration is selected which handles a typical workload, and various I/O devices are installed and initialized. In the past, once the I/O configuration was defined and installed, it was fixed and could not be changed except by repeating the process. To improve upon such process, a dynamic I/O configuration change facility was developed which allows an installation to be more easily changed to new I/O configurations. Such facility is disclosed in the above-identified related applications. Typically, in accordance with such facility, a system programmer defines various I/O configurations that can be used to support different workloads. This allows a system programmer to specify a best guess I/O configuration for a period of time given prior knowledge of the workload. The problem still remains that a system programmer must define an I/O configuration for each particular workload or group of workloads. The human involvement of a system programmer precludes making frequent adjustments especially when the workload is unpredictable, and it still requires skills and preplanning. The effort required to plan an I/O configuration when enhancing capacity is similar to that needed to run different workloads. Bottlenecks and shortages must be identified. New I/O devices may be necessary. Analysis must be performed to determine how the I/O configuration is to be modified to remove bottlenecks and make efficient use of additional I/O devices.
In summary, I/O configuration definitions are customarily made by system programmers using their skills and judgements, which may be aided by making observations and measurements of system operations and analyzing the results. Such definitions are made when a system is initially configured and when changes are made to add, delete or modify existing installations. The invention is designed to reduce the degree of system programmer involvement by managing and automatically reconfiguring channel path assignment in the I/O configuration in accordance with changes in the system workload.
The general idea of measuring some form of system workload and managing some system resources, is not new. U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,006- J. B. Page discloses a "METHOD FOR BALANCING THE UTILIZATION OF INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES" in which measurements are made of I/O utilization for current tasks, and a data set is allocated to an I/O device based on least I/O device utilization as determined from the measurements. The patented invention attempts to select a device on which to place a new dataset in anticipation of an activity. The patented invention differs from the present invention in a number of ways. It does not alter the system configuration in any manner. Once a selection is made, the binding of the data set to a device is static. The mechanism described in the patent cannot do anything if its anticipatory allocation is incorrect, i.e., if the activity placed on the newly allocated dataset is higher than anticipated in which case performance will be degraded. Furthermore, the patented invention applies only to certain device types, namely direct access storage devices (DASD). Additionally, it only applies to a subset of operations, namely allocation of new datasets. When a dataset being allocated already exists, it can only be allocated on the device on which it already has been placed. Thus, the mechanisms described do not apply and no balancing occurs for the usage of devices other than DASD or for pre-existing data sets, and the mechanisms are static and cannot react to incorrect anticipatory decisions. The present invention supports all device types and also supports both new datasets and preexisting datasets. The subject invention processes by reacting to dynamically changing activity and altering the I/O configuration accordingly to provide balancing and additional channel bandwidth capability to those control units which require it at any instant. Thus, anticipatory decisions made by the present invention are not permanent and can adjust to incorrect anticipation.

Data processing system including dynamic channel path management


In an image forming apparatus including an electron-source substrate having a plurality of cold-cathode electron emitting elements, each having an electron emitting portion and a pair of element electrodes, an acceleration electrode for applying an acceleration voltage operating on electrons emitted from the electron emitting elements, disposed so as to face the electron emitting elements, a spacer disposed between the electron-source substrate and the acceleration electrode, a wiring portion formed on the electron-source substrate for driving the electron emitting elements, these components being accommodated within an envelope, an electron-trajectory correcting electrode for correcting beam deviation due to charging of the spacer is provided near an electron emitting element near the spacer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron-beam apparatus, and an image forming apparatus, such as a display apparatus or the like, to which the electron-beam apparatus is applied. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for correcting beam deviation near a supporting member (a spacer) within an envelope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two types of electron emitting elements, i.e., thermionic sources and cold-cathode electron sources, have been known. The cold-cathode electron sources include field-emission elements (hereinafter abbreviated as "FE elements"), metal-insulator-metal elements (hereinafter abbreviated as "MIM elements"), surface-conduction electron emitting elements (hereinafter abbreviates as "SCE elements"), and the like.
For example, the SCE elements have the feature that a large number of elements can be formed on a large area because of a simple structure and easiness of manufacture. For example, image forming apparatuses, such as image display apparatuses and image recording apparatuses, charged-beam sources, and the like are being studied as application fields of the SCE elements.
Particularly, as proposed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,883, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Nos. 2-257551 (1990) and 4-28137 (1992) by the assignee of the present application, image display apparatuses obtained by combining SCE elements and phosphors emitting light by being irradiated by electron beams are being studied as application of SCE elements. Image display apparatuses of this type are expected to have characteristics superior to other conventional types of image display apparatuses. For example, image display apparatuses of this type are superior to recently diffused liquid-crystal display apparatuses in that a backlight is unnecessary because they emit light by themselves and the angle of view is wide.
In image display apparatuses of this type, spacer are usually disposed between a rear plate and a faceplate. A sufficient mechanical strength is required for the spacer in order to support the atmospheric pressure, and the spacer must not greatly influence the trajectory of electrons traveling between the rear plate and the faceplate. The factor for influencing the electron trajectory is charging of the spacer. The charging of the spacer is considered to be caused by incidence of part of electrons emitted from an electron source or electrons reflected by the faceplate onto the spacer followed by emission of secondary electrons from the spacer, or adherence of ions produced by collision of electrons to the surface of the spacer.
When the spacer is charged to a positive value, since electrons traveling near the spacer are attracted to the spacer, a displayed image is distorted near the spacer. The influence of charging is more pronounced as the distance between the rear plate and the faceplate is larger.
In order to prevent such a phenomenon, there is a method of forming an electrode for correcting the electron trajectory on the spacer (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2000-235831), and a method of removing charges by causing some current to flow. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 57-118355 (1982) discloses a method of coating the surface of the spacer with tin oxide by applying a method of providing conductivity to the spacer.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 3-49135 (1991) discloses a method of coating the spacer with a PdO-type glass material. Furthermore, destruction of the spacer due to insufficient connection or current concentration can be prevented by forming electrodes at connecting portions of the spacer with the faceplate and the rear plate of the spacer and applying an uniform electric field to the coated material.
By forming an electrode for correcting the electron trajectory on the spacer or forming a high-resistance film on the surface of the spacer as described above, it is possible to mitigate charging of the spacer and suppress attraction of electrons traveling near the spacer to the spacer.
In the above-described conventional methods, however, influence by charging of the spacer sometimes appears depending on the pitch between elements or driving conditions for the elements. For example, when the pitch between elements is small, influence by charging of the spacer appears because the spacer is close to electron emitting portions. Furthermore, for example, when driving conditions, such as the acceleration voltage and the driving voltage, change, the electric field around the spacer changes, resulting sometimes in incapability of removing charges even if a high-resistance film is formed on the spacer.

Image forming apparatus including an arragement of electron-trajectory correcting electrodes components


An interface circuit suitable for operating capacitive loads such as electric ballasts for lamps at a mains supply circuit, in particular a phase gating dimmer. The interface circuit short-circuits the load input if the mains supply circuit does not carry out a load supply.

Circuit arrangements for operating low pressure discharge lamps are known in diverse embodiments. Generally, they contain a rectifier circuit for rectifying an AC voltage supply and for charging a capacitor, which is often referred to as a smoothing capacitor. The DC voltage present across this capacitor serves for supplying an inverter which operates the low pressure discharge lamp. Similar configurations are also known for other types of lamps, for example in the form of electronic transformers for halogen lamps. The invention furthermore quite generally relates to circuit arrangements for operating capacitive loads, the term "capacitive" meaning the so-called smoothing capacitor at the input of the inverter. Capacitive loads are intended to be understood hereafter as, in particular, such lamps which are equipped with an electrical ballast having capacitive properties.

Interface circuit for operating capacitive loads

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrisch Gluhlampen mbH


A method and apparatus are described for transforming information obtained from a database into a presentation network topology for seamless serial presentation of selected data items to a user. The presentation network topology is a multidimensional network synthesized according to a predetermined set of rules, using information from the database and using selection parameters provided by the user. The presentation network topology is constructed so as to allow for adaptive playback, wherein a next data item is selected according to the position of the current data item with respect to the presentation network topology and according to at least one playback command provided by the user. The presentation network topology is also constructed so as to allow for automated playback, wherein data items are automatically, serially, and seamlessly presented to the user when no playback command is received, according to the historical choices of the user.

Concurrent with advances in data storage technology, computing power, and data communications technology, a large amount of information is available to the computer user. This information may include text files, images, audio clips, video clips, computer programs, movie scripts, biological or medical data items, or other information that has been stored in digital format. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing how this information may be stored and presented. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a computer 100 having a processor 101, a monitor 102 for visual display, speakers 104 for audio presentation, a keyboard 106 and mouse 108 for receiving commands from a user, and a hard drive 110 for localized storage of information. Also shown in FIG. 1 are remote databases 112, 113, and 114 coupled to computer 100 by means of a network 116. Although many variations of the configuration of FIG. 1 may be used, the hard drive 110 is usually capable of storing only a relatively small amount of information. In one common configuration, the network 116 is the Internet, and databases 112-114 are any of a variety of miscellaneous nodes connected to the Internet.
In general, the speed of presentation of database information to a user at computer 100 is relatively fast when the desired information is contained directly on the hard drive 110, and is relatively slow when the desired information needs to be accessed from the remote databases 112-114. The current level of technology generally allows the user to submit a search request to any of a variety of pre-indexed search engines and to receive in response a set of pointers to database nodes that may contain the desired information.
If the network 116 is the Internet, these pointers are commonly known as Universal Resource Locators or URLs. The user receives these URLs in a prioritized flat file listing. The user may then access the database nodes corresponding to these pointers one at a time.
In many cases the overall database formed by remote databases such as databases 112-114 forms a hierarchical relational database, each database node generally containing pointers to other database nodes. In this case, at any given database node the user may follow pointers to a successive sequence of database nodes, many of which may not be listed in the prioritized flat file listing generated by the search engine. In this way, the user may serially navigate through the large preexisting database hierarchy.
The current level of technology in database presentation has several drawbacks. For example, the current level of technology is not well adapted for serial presentation of items taken from multiple databases having many boundaries and differing formats. Presently, the serial navigation of the user is constrained by the preexisting database hierarchy, in that the next serial database node is either (a) constrained to the set of pointers at the present node, many of which may be irrelevant to the overall search desires of the user, or (b) constrained to the flat file listing given by the search engine, each data pointer in the flat file being generally unrelated to any other data pointer.
This causes seams in the serial presentation of data, in that the next data item is often either (a) unrelated to the desired search parameters, as when pointers are followed into the existing hierarchy that are not listed in the flat file generated by the search engine, or (b) related to the search parameters but highly unrelated to the previous data item, as when the flat file listing generated by the search engine is strictly followed by the user. Symptoms of seams in the serial presentation of data items according to the present technology include slow access times to desired information, defunct data sets or locations, recirculating pointers, and "dead-end" data items.
When data is being presented for a combination of entertainment and educational purposes, as is often the case when the remote databases 112-114 are nodes on the World Wide Web portion of the Internet, seams cause the aesthetics of the serial presentation process to be perceived as less desirable, because the user must "back out" of unrelated or serially disjointed data items. The undesired presence of seams in the serial presentation of data is often exacerbated by the slowness of data transmission across large networks such as the Internet. If the serial presentation of data items were instantaneous from one data item to the next, the presence of seams might be more acceptable to the user, who could instantaneously back out of an unrelated or serially disjointed data item. However, if each data item takes a period of time (even as short as a few seconds) to present, the presence of seams can be a disadvantage to the user, who must view or hear an undesired portion of data while the next candidate item is retrieved.
One prior art method that attempts to solve one of the above problems is directed to a method for off-line downloading of entire hierarchical databases onto a user's local hard drive for non-real time viewing. Such a method is embodied in a commercial product named "WebWhacker," sold by Forefront Technologies, Inc. However, in this method there is merely a direct copying of a portion of the existing hierarchical database structure onto the user's local hard drive. In particular, the same hierarchical structure is maintained. While serial presentation of the database items is expedited, from one item to the next, the same limitations associated with the existing hierarchy are present, still causing seams in the serial presentation of data items to the user.
The current level of technology in database presentation has further shortcomings related to the serial presentation of database information to the user. In particular, the user is required to actively participate in decisions and issue affirmative commands after the presentation of each data item. When the number of results obtained from a search is large, even indexed displays may require large numbers of keystrokes and excessive viewing time to experience an item of interest. Conventional data presentation methods such as graphical browsers and relational database formatted-field displays require the user to indicate what the next display screen will be, and when it will be displayed. Typically, the user accomplishes this by clicking on a "next" button or a line of displayed hypertext called a "hot-link". It may be desirable for the user to experience the serial presentation of the desired data without being required to issue such commands, while the presented sequence of data items is still being relevant to the desires of the user.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a method for serially presenting data in a large database according to desired search parameters of a user in a seamless manner.
Additionally, there remains a need in the art for a method for fast serial presentation of desired data items stored at remote database locations, despite the presence of real-time delays associated with the downloading of information from these remote databases.
Additionally, there remains a need in the art for a method which provides automated serial presentation of the desired data items, in that affirmative commands from the user after the presentation of each data item are not required.
Even further, there remains a need in the art for a method which provides adaptive serial presentation of the desired data items, wherein affirmative commands from the user after the presentation of each data item are not required, and wherein the data items serially presented are selected according to past commands issued by the user.

Method and apparatus for database transformation and adaptive playback


Provided herein are 3D printing systems including, but not limited to, 3D printing systems that can, in some aspects, be configured to print multi-materials and/or 3D structures having micro-scale features. In some aspects, the 3D printing system can include a jethead, wherein the jethead can include a body portion, one or more printing material dispensers that are each coupled to one or more feedstock material reservoirs and the body portion, and at least one cleaning unit configured to clean a printed object, a printing platform, a component of an x axis cartridge, or any combination thereof. Also provided herein are scanning projection optical micro-sterolithography systems that can be configured to allow for printing micro-scale features in large scale 3D objects.

Three dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing is a rapidly expanding and powerful manufacturing technique. However, 3D additive manufacturing techniques are still limited in some cases by the types of materials they can be used and the architectures of the structures they can make. As such there still is room for improvement of 3D additive manufacturing techniques.

VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.


It is described the use of thymosin alpha 1 for preparing a medicament useful for the prevention or treatment of graft-versus-host disease or graft rejection reactions in organ transplantation, in a mammal subject, in which the cells, tissues or organs for transplant is selected from the group comprising: stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow, heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas, small intestine, cornea or skin.

In bone marrow transplantation or blood transfusion, or organ transplantation from a donor to a recipient having no histocompatibility with the donor, the donor's lymphocytes migrate into the recipient. If the recipient cannot reject the donor's lymphocytes, the donor's lymphocytes take and proliferate in the recipient's body and attack tissues inducing a disease.
Patients with leukemia, end-stage renal, cardiac, pulmonary or hepatic failure, organ transplantation are quite commonly used in the treatment. For example, allografts (organ grafts harvested from donors other than the patient him/herself or host/recipient of the graft) of various types, e.g. kidney, heart, lung, liver, bone marrow, pancreas, cornea, small intestine and skin (e.g. epidermal sheets) are currently routinely performed. Xenografts (organ grafts harvested from non-human animals), such as porcine heart valves, are also being used clinically to replace their dysfunctional human counterparts.
To ensure successful organ transplantation, it is desirable to obtain the graft from the patient's identical twin or his/her immediate family member. This is because organ transplants evoke a variety of immune responses in the host, which results in rejection of the graft and graft-versus-host disease (hereinafter, referred to as "GVHD").
The immune response is primarily triggered by T cells through recognition of alloantigens, and the major targets in transplant rejection are non-self allelic forms of class I and class II Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) antigens. In acute rejection, donor's antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells and monocytes migrate from the allograft to the regional lymph nodes, where they are recognized as foreign by the recipient's CD4+ TH cells, stimulating TH cell proliferation. Following TH cells proliferation, a population of effector cells (including cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells) is generated, which migrates and infiltrates to the graft and mediates graft rejection (Noelle et al. (1991) FASEB 5(13):2770).
Whereas acute rejection is a T cell-dependent process, a broad array of effector mechanisms participates in graft destruction. Through the release of cytokines and cell-to-cell interactions, a diverse assembly of lymphocytes including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, antibody-forming B cells and other proinflammatory leukocytes, is recruited into the anti-allograft response. Antigen-presenting graft cells are destroyed directly by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Activated CD4+ T cells produce interleukin-2 (hereinafter, referred to as "IL-2"), which is essential to the activation of both CD8+ T cells and B cells. Additionally, CD4+ T cells produce other cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-4 that also contribute to the destruction of allograft. Furthermore, interferon-γ (hereinafter, referred to as "IFN-γ") induces increased expression of class I and class II MHC molecules on graft tissue, which is more readily attacked by alloreactive effector cells. IFN-γ enhances macrophage activity and affects many inflammatory cells leading to delayed-type-hypersensitivity reaction and inflammation causing nonspecific damage to the graft. These reactions appear to be the primary cause of the early acute rejection that may occur within the first few weeks after transplant. If untreated, acute rejection progresses to a rapid and severe process that causes destruction of the transplant within a few days.
On the other hand, when a T-lymphocyte from the donor recognizes the differences based on a set of genetic markers, generally referred to as human leukocyte antigens (HLA), and it starts to attack the new body, i.e., the patient's body. Although most patients and donors are matched as closely as possible for HLA markers. Many minor markers, however, differ between donors and patients except when the patient and donor are identical twins. Before a transplant, extensive typing of the donor and recipient is performed to make sure that the donor and recipient are very close immunologically. Despite this typing there are immunological differences that cannot be detected and that the T-lymphocytes in the donor graft are capable of detecting. As a result, the donor T-lymphocytes start to attack the patient's body and cause GVHD.
There are two forms of GVHD: the acute and chronic GVHD. Acute GVHD usually occurs within the first three months following a transplant. T-cells present in the donor's bone marrow at the time of transplant attack the patient's skin, liver, stomach, and/or intestines. The earliest signs of acute GVHD are usually a skin rash that appears on the hand, feet and face. Other than blistering skin, patients with severe GVHD also develop large amounts of watery or bloody diarrhea with cramping due to the donor's T-cells' attack on the stomach and intestines. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) is the usual indication that GVHD disease involves the liver. The more organs involved and the worse the symptoms, the worse the GVHD disease.
In the case of bone marrow transplantation, in particular, GVHD is another obstacle to survival of transplanted patients. Storb (1984) "Pathophysiology and prevention of graft-versus-host disease." In Advances in Immunobiology: Blood cell antigens and bone marrow transplantation, McCullogh and Sandier, editors, Alan, Inc., N.Y., p.337.
A large proportion of GVHD-afflicted individuals die as a result of GVHD. Weiden et al. (1980) "Graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic marrow transplantation", in Biology of Bone-Marrow Transplantation, Gale and Fox, editors, Academic Press, N.Y., p.37
Thymosin alpha 1 is a compound well known in the medical field.
This compound is an acidic peptides present in thymus extract which shows immunoregulatory properties in several in vitro and in vivo assay (1972; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 1800-1803).
Previous uses of thymosin alpha 1 are already known.
WO2004087067 relates to the use of thymosin alpha 1 for preventing infection by Aspergillus fumigatus in an immuno-compromised host being treated with a bone marrow transplantation.
Subcutaneous administration of thymosin alpha 1 to nude mice previously inoculated with human non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC") cells significantly decreased tumor volume.
Pulmonary metastases in mice with methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma were also reduced by thymosin alpha 1, and local sarcoma growth as well as liver and lung metastases of lymphosarcoma cells were significantly reduced in BALB/c mice treated with thymosin alpha 1.
The use of thymosin alpha 1 for preparing a medicament for the prevention or treatment of GVHD it is not known in the art.
To protect patients from GVHD, various immunosuppressive agents have been employed. Currently, allograft rejection is controlled using immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporin A, azathioprine, corticosteroids including prednisone, and methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide, and FK506. Cyclosporin A, the most powerful and most frequently used immunosuppressant, revolutionized the field of organ transplant surgery. Other immunosuppressive agents such as FK506, rapamycin, mycophenolic acid, 15-deoxyspergualin, mimoribine, misoprostol, OKT3 and anti-IL-2 receptor antibodies, have been used in the treatment and/or prevention of organ transplantation rejection. Briggs, Immunology letters, 29(1-2), 89-94, 1991; FASEB 3:3411, 1989. Although the development of new immunosuppressive drugs has led to substantial improvement in the survival of patients, these drugs are associated with a high incidence of side effects such as nephrotoxicity and/or hepatotoxicity.
For example, cyclosporin A has associated toxicities and side effects when used even at therapeutic doses. Although FK506 is about 10 to 100 times more potent than cyclosporin A in inhibiting activation-induced IL-2 transcription in vitro and graft rejection in vivo, it also shows side effects such as neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Thus, there still exists the need for treatment and prophylaxis for GVHD with improved toxicity profiles.

Use of thymosin alpha 1 for the treatment of immunological diseases

Sigma-Tau Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite S.p.A.


A concentric ring, log-periodic slot antenna used for direction finding is disclosed. There are a number of continuous, circular slots nested inside of each other. A cover over the slots cavities has excitation plates and conductors thereon. There are four excitation plates spaced ninety degrees apart over each circular slot, and the excitation plates of all slots in each ninety degree sector are electrically interconnected. A conductor from the interconnected excitation plates in each of the four sectors conducts received signals to a Butler matrix which processes the signals and provides Mode 0, Mode +1, Mode −1, and Mode Δ outputs. These Mode outputs are used to provide direction finding information for DF signal sorting, and they may be used to provide radio frequency voltages to other equipment to provide accurate DF (CIDF) and CIGL transmitter geo-location information.

It is often required of direction-finder antenna systems that they be capable of covering the entire 360 degree azimuth range at an elevation near the horizon with two DF measurement receiver channels. In the past, most devices for achieving this purpose have been limited to a very narrow bandwidth. Consequently, when devices of this type were employed, a large number of them were needed if the frequency band to be monitored was wide.
An antenna whose characteristics are relatively frequency independent throughout a broad bandwidth is the log-periodic antenna. In such an antenna in the prior art, the individual elements are disposed along and perpendicular to an axis. The dimensions of the individual elements are proportional to the distance of the element from a reference point, or vertex, on the axis, and the distances between adjacent elements along the axis are also proportional to the distance from the vertex so that the ratio of the dimensions of one element to those of the previous adjacent element in the array is the same as the ratio for any two other adjacent elements.
Although this log-periodic structure results in a relatively frequency-independent response, radially orienting a number of such structures as sub-arrays of a composite array to achieve a 360 degree azimuth range has not in the past proved satisfactory. The interaction between the individual log-periodic sub-arrays has resulted in direction-finding errors. In addition, these log-periodic antennas have been relatively large which has limited their use on aircraft. Thus, it was previously necessary to employ either a narrow-band device to achieve the 360 degree range, to use extensive azimuth, elevation, and polarization antenna-response calibrations, or to limit the log-periodic structure to a single mechanically/azimuthally steered log-periodic antenna.
Although conventional log-periodic antennas have proven generally suitable for their intended uses, such conventional log-periodic antennas are generally physically too large to be utilized in applications wherein it is desirable that the antenna be as small as possible. Size is particularly important in small aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles. For example, the Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) is an unmanned military surveillance aircraft which must fly a considerable distance without refueling. Thus, it is desirable to minimize the weight of the aircraft, so as to increase the effective range thereof. Such weight constraints limit the physical size of any antenna to be utilized. The small size of the UAV also dictates the use of a small antenna and a limited number of RF measurement receivers.
It is known to form such an array of antenna elements in a flat, generally circular configuration so as to define a broadband antenna which requires minimal volume and minimizes the size of the antenna. One example of such a circular, log periodic, broadband antenna is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,595 issued on Jun. 10, 1986 to Keith Struckman and entitled "Circular Log-Periodic Direction—Finder Array".
Three other examples of circular log periodic antennas are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,249, issued on Dec. 13, 1997 to Bergander et al., and entitled "Small Broadband Antenna Having Polarization Sensitive Reflector System"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,738, issued on Nov. 17, 1992 to Walter et al., and entitled "Wideband Dual-Polarized Multimode Antenna"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,494 issued on May 18, 1993 to Hoffer et al., and entitled "Compact Multi-Polarized Broadband Antenna".
Another problem with prior art log periodic antennas is as follows. Log periodic slots operate when the operational frequency is approximately λ/2. Therefore, if the log periodic slot array is designed where adjacent parts of the array are touching then the slot of a first part of the array must be spaced at λ/2 from the slot of an adjacent part of the array. This spacing dictates the minimum size of the DF antenna.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a broadband, log-periodic antenna assembly which is comparatively small in size and therefore does not contribute substantially to the weight of an airborne vehicle to which it is attached and is also suitable for use in very small vehicles. Further, there is a need for a log periodic antenna that is broadband, and that can achieve equal antenna gain in all directions at or near the horizon.

Concentric ring log-periodic slot direction finding antenna

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A cooking apparatus enables a user to cook bu boiling, steaming or frying food items. The apparatus includes a burner having a base that is specially shaped to cradle a pot. The pot has a valved flowline that enables the user to drain any fluid that was used for cooking (eg. water, oil, seasoned water, stock, etc.). An upper section above the support surface of the burner for engaging the sidewall of the pot should the pot be tipped inadvertently. The burner includes upper members that are supported above the bottom of the pot and a lower member that engages an underlying supporting surface. The upper pot support members include a ring with a bent, U-shaped section that extends on opposite sides of and under the valved drain flowline. The burner frame can have a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending legs. Radial and circumferentially spaced struts define part of the frame and are shaped and cradle the bottom of the pot and its sidewall respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor cooking devices and cooking accessories and more particularly to a natural gas fired outdoor cooker that is supplied with a source of fuel such as butane or propane from a canister and that includes a stand, pot, and pot liner, the improvement including a special configuration of the burner and a connected table that enables a user to quickly support a pot liner or basket upon the table after it is removed from the pot of boiling liquid.
2. General Background of the Invention
A number of outdoor cookers have been sold commercially for a number of years and are admitted as "prior art" type burners. These "prior art" burners have traditionally included a metallic frame that supports a burner nozzle, such as a cast iron burner nozzle. Such burner nozzles are commercially available and are used to fire most natural gas fired hot water heaters.
Examples of these prior art type outdoor cooking devices can be seen in the Jan. 1, 1996 brochure of Metal Fusion, Inc., of Jefferson, La. Patents have issued naming Norman Bourgeois as inventor that relate to burners and related cooking apparatus. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,735 for a "Convertible Burner Apparatus" that features different primary burner frames and legs that can elevate the burner frames. Other Bourgeois patents that relate to cooking devices include the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,813,321; 5,970,852; and 6,058,830.
The burner nozzle can be a cast iron hot water heater type burner nozzle or a jet burner arrangement that uses a single outlet centered in a cylindrically-shaped, vertically oriented metallic tube. The most common version of the prior art "jet burner" arrangement is seen in Metal Fusion's catalog as Model No. 90PK. Another version of this type of cooker includes two spaced apart circular rings connected with struts and having a cylindrically-shaped wind guard or shroud. This type of prior art burner can be seen for example as Metal Fusion Model Nos. 82PK, 83PK, 85PK, 86PK, and 86PKJ.
For cooking some food items such as poultry items, it is sometimes desirable to fry the object in a basket that can be lifted from the pot. An example of this type of "prior art" arrangement is seen in the 1996 Metal Fusion catalog as Model No. 32TPK. For a combination cooking arrangement that includes a burner, pot and liner, the user typically places the poultry item in the basket and lowers it into boiling oil using a bail. In the prior art, bails have often been detachable from the basket so that the user can lower the basket into the pot and the contained boiling oil and then remove the handle or bail therefrom. This allows the user to eliminate the transfer of heat from the basket to the handle during the elongated cooking process.
A number of patents have issued that relate to cooking devices and utensils for use in combination with cooking vessels. The Walker U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,135 provides a utensil assembly and kit including same for cooking vessels used in preparing and supporting combustibles above the bottom of the cooking vessel and away from its inner walls. The utensil kit comprises a base supported above the bottom of the cooking vessel, a plurality of support attachments separately detachable and interchangeably mountable on the base for supporting selected combustible products, and releasable latch mechanism having two parts, one part disposed on the base, and the other part is disposed on each of the support attachments for engaging the base. One of the utensils is a poultry support attachment that fits inside the cavity of a chicken or other poultry enabling it to be positioned upright.
The Rappaport U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,169, discloses a poultry supporting device that sits upon a base in the form of a pan.
A rotisserie cooking arrangement is disclosed in the French Patent 2685862.
A roasting support for fowl is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,642. The apparatus includes a longitudinally extending rod that extends through the center of the turkey having an eyelet at its upper end.
A roaster for poultry and meat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,602. The apparatus includes a vertical roasting apparatus wherein a predetermined amount of liquid for generating the moisture required to produce a high quality and flavorful roasting of the meat is included in a reservoir formed within the support structure itself and disposed internally of the poultry or meat being roasted.
A vertical spit for displaying roasting or warming is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,999.
A combination outdoor cooker and smoker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,154. The apparatus includes a cooker having a gas burner coupled to an external gas source through a control valve by a gas supply conduit.
An Austrian patent 217592 discloses a cooking device that has a central member upon which a turkey or chicken is supported during the cooking operation.
British patent 2205734A discloses a device for use in preparing and cooking kebabs that includes walls which are interconnected to define a tube member and into which a first end wall is slidably received to further reinforce the shape formed by the sidewalls and whose end position is determined by the engagement of lips projecting inwardly from the sidewalls. The sidewalls are appertured longitudinally for receiving a knife to cut food within the tube member.
Issued patents to Barbour (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,758,569 and 5,896,810) disclose a cooking apparatus directed to the frying of poultry items such as turkeys.
Several patents have issued that are directed to a cooker or pot having a spigot provided on the pot wall that enables liquid to be withdrawn from the pot via the spigot. An example of such an early patent is the Saroni U.S. Pat. No. 57,577 entitled "Apparatus for Steaming Vegetables." In the Saroni 577 patent, a spigot B is provided for withdrawing liquid from the receptacle or pot.
The Paterson U.S. Pat. No. 74,123 discloses in FIG. 1 a spigot mounted on the wall of a pot.
The Durham U.S. Pat. No. 123,876 discloses a boiler (see FIGS. 1 and 3) in the form of a pot having handles and a lid H. The Durham '876 patent states that one or more of the lower components are using for cooking solids, and the others are either for soup or other liquid, the latter C or either of them being provided with a tap D at the bottom for drawing off the contents.
The Goodwyn patent provides a cooking vessel. A faucet B is provided at the lower end of the boiler A.
The Harper U.S. Pat. No. 1,054,114 discloses a furnace that includes a vat that can be fastened to the top of the fire box by means of a sleeve D formed integral therewith and adapted to fit over the smoke pipe E. This vat is provided with a cover D′ and also an outlet pipe E having a spigot E′.
A cooking vessel is disclosed in the Clayton U.S. Pat. No. 1,272,222 that includes a cooking vessel 10 having an outlet nipple 11 in which is rotatably mounted on a valve plug 12. This valve structure enables the liquid to be easily drawn off.
The Jobe U.S. Pat. No. 1,390,908 discloses a cooking vessel that has an outer pipe 20 that has one end communicating with the inner receptacle for drawing liquids therefrom, the pipe extending through the outer receptacle and equipped with a valve 21.
The Austin U.S. Pat. No. 1,827,131 provides a pot drain in the form of pipe 12 that is fitted with a cap 13.
The Baker U.S. Pat. No. 2,350,335 discloses a brewer or cooker that has a drain valve 7 adjacent its lower end through which brewed coffee may be withdrawn.
The Shipman U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,680 discloses a combination heating and serving assembly having a drainage outlet or spigot 32 by which the liquid contents of the container may be drawn off from time to time.
One of the problems with outdoor cookers is the handling of very large pots that contain a high volume of cooking fluid such as vegetable oil. It is desirable that such an outdoor cooking apparatus have good stability to support the very heavy and often tall pot during cooking, and during placement of or removal of the pot, liner or both from the burner. Further, the cooking fluid is desirably reused for certain cooking fluids such as vegetable oils. One solution is to drain the pot, yet also provide for drainage without removal from the burner. However, the burner must enable such drainage and still provide a safe, stable cooking platform for very large capacity cooking pots.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Gas fired outdoor cooking apparatus that includes pot with spigot drain


A misfire diagnostic system for an Internal combustion engine comprises a crank-shaft angle sensor for monitoring a crankshaft angular velocity reflecting a combusting condition of each of engine cylinders, and a control unit for calculating an angular-velocity correction factor of each of the engine cylinders on the basis of the angular velocity in every engine operating region only under a stable engine operating condition. The control unit corrects the angular velocity by the angular-velocity correction factor of each of the engine cylinders for every engine operating region. The presence of a misfire is accurately decided on the basis of the angular velocity corrected for every engine cylinder and for every engine operating region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a misfire diagnostic system suitable for use in internal combustion engines, and specifically to an engine-misfire diagnostic system employing an engine crank-shaft angle sensor, often called "crank angle sensor" which often takes the form of a reference-mark pulse generator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there have been proposed and developed various engine misfire diagnostic systems a high-precision misfire diagnosis. It is very important to more precisely make an engine-misfire diagnosis in order to accurately perform injection- and ignition-timing control. Many conventional misfire diagnostic systems usually utilize a so-called crank angle sensor for monitoring or detecting a combusting condition of each individual engine cylinder. Turning power, produced during combustion stroke at each engine cylinder, is correlated to a change in angular velocity of the engine crankshaft. The combusting conditions of individual cylinders, and the changes in angular velocity of the crankshaft are correlated to each other. A typical crank-shaft angle sensing device includes a reference pulse generator, called a "reference sensor", and/or an angular-position pulse generator, called, "position sensor". A typical reference sensor is designed to generate a reference pulse signal at a predetermined timing (for example, at 90 degrees of crankshaft rotation before the top dead center (T.D.C.)) every predetermined crank angles such as 720.degree./n equal to 180.degree. in case of a four-cylinder engine, where n denotes the number of engine cylinders, A typical position sensor is designed to generate a unit-angle pulse signal every unit crank angle such as 1.degree. or 2.degree. and also is provided for detecting an engine revolution speed. In some older-model cars, a photoelectric crank-shaft angle sensor is used. Many earlier-model cars use a magnetic crank-shaft angle sensor that takes a magnetic pulse pickup. Japanese Utility-Model Provisional Publication No. 5-17172 discloses an ignition-timing control system for an internal combustion engine in which fluctuations or variations in time duration of the reference pulse signal generated by the reference sensor are used for determining the presence or absence of a misfire, which may occur continually at a particular cylinder. In Japanese Utility-Model Provisional Publication No. 5-17172, an actual ignition timing of a cylinder, which cylinder is assigned to a combustion stroke executed in accordance with a predetermined firing order after the misfiring cylinder, is slightly retarded by a correction time based on both an engine revolution speed and a reference fuel-injection amount when the misfire is detected at the particular cylinder on the basis of the variations in the time duration of the reference pulse signals from the reference sensor. In other words, in the ignition-timing control system of Japanese Utility-Model Provisional Publication No. 5-17172, the presence or absence of engine misfire is determined on the basis of the fundamental concept that the combusting conditions of individual engine, cylinders are analogous with changes in angular velocity of the crankshaft (or with fluctuations in the time duration of the reference signal). However, even when the engine operating conditions are stable or steady without any engine misfires, the time duration (or time interval or time period) of the reference signal from the reference pulse signal generator, which duration is correlated to a combusting condition of each individual engine cylinder, can be affected by different factors, namely deviations in mechanical machining accuracy of a ring gear constructing a part of the crank-shaft angle sensing device, electrical deviations of input circuitry of a magnetic pickup, and/or irregularities in combustion among individual engine cylinders. It is desirable to eliminate these different factors to obtain correct or precise engine-misfire diagnosis. To filter out mechanical errors, i.e., variations in the reference-signal time interval, resulting from such deviations in mechanical machining accuracy or mechanical unevenness of the crank-shaft angle sensor, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-197845 teaches the learning of mechanical errors included in the reference-signal time interval for a predetermined time interval of reference signals corresponding to 720 degrees of crankshaft revolution, when the engine is being cranked or during fuel-cut. However, irregularities in combustion among individual engine cylinders still remains. As may be appreciated, such irregularities in combustion among individual engine cylinders are different depending on engine operating conditions, namely engine speed and load. A learning value (learn value) obtained under only a particular condition is inadequate to make a high-precision misfire diagnosis.

Misfire diagnostic system for internal combustion engine


A service establishment, such as a fast-food restaurant or a bank, improves customer satisfaction by monitoring the quality of service received by the customer and compensating the customer with a personalized offer of compensation when service is inadequate. When the customer visits the service establishment, the service establishment detects the customer's presence by acquiring a signal from a device, such as an RF transponder, carried by the customer. The establishment uses information contained in this signal to identify the customer and to retrieve archived information about previous interactions with the customer. The establishment then analyzes the archived information to identify a product or service of interest to the customer and, before the customer leaves the service establishment, to offer the product or service to the customer.

In many industries, such as the fast-food industry in the United States, a disproportionately large share of revenues flow from relatively small groups of loyal, repeat customers. For the American fast-food industry, these customers tend to prefer speedy drive-thru service to more time-consuming, in-store meals. As a result, drive-thru customers now account for more than half of all revenues in the fast-food industry.
Because drive-thru revenues are so great, American fast-food establishments have begun seeking ways to process drive-thru orders more quickly and reduce waiting times for drive-thru customers. Some establishments use electronic timers to measure a customer's wait at the drive-thru window. If the customer waits "too long," the customer receives some form of compensation, such as a coupon for free food, to encourage a return visit. Timing usually begins when the customer places an order or reaches the drive-thru window and does not account for time the customer might have waited in line up to that point. Also, the coupons offered as compensation are typically the same for all customers, regardless of whether a particular customer has any interest in the item offered.

Customer satisfaction through customer identification and service-time measurement


An air intake system for an internal combustion engine has at least one air box and a short duct for each cylinder. Each duct can be extended to provide higher torque at low speed. At high speed, the shorter duct length can be selectively provided for enhanced engine performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air induction system of an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the invention relates to varying the length of an intake pipe of an air intake system of an engine. The invention also relates to varying the intake volume of the intake system of the engine.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As is conventionally known, combustion engines take in air to mix with fuel to provide the combustion that fires the engine. Performance of combustion engines can be varied by changing a number of variables, including the amount of air taken in and the path through which the air travels. One way to enhance engine performance is to increase the volume of air taken in by the air intake system. Another way to enhance performance is to reduce resistance experienced by the air in the air intake system. It is known that extending intake ducts can provide an engine with higher torque at a lower speed. However, at higher speeds it is more desirable to have shortened intake ducts to gain more power.
One prior art method of modifying an air intake or induction system to enhance performance is disclosed in DE 38 20 674 A1, in which the length of individual intake pipes can be varied continuously by moving the pipe elbows in and out telescopically while guided in stationary intake manifolds. During a low rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, these individual intake pipes are at their maximal length and their inlet openings rest against an interior wall of a suction distributor that surrounds the pipe elbows. In this position, the suction distributor supplies air to the individual intake pipes by way of a pipe connected thereto. When the rotational speed of the engine increases, the pipe elbows are swivelled into the intake manifolds so that the inlet openings lift away from the interior wall and the individual intake pipes take air in directly from the suction distributor.
Similar devices are known from the U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,026A and EP 0 747 584 A1, where pipe elbows are held in the air collector in an open condition on a stationary shaft so that they can be swivelled into different positions. In the first position, one outlet opening of the pipe elbow rests directly on an inlet opening of the intake manifold. As a function of the rotational speed and/or the load, in the first position, the intake path is formed relatively long by the intake manifolds and the pipe elbows. This results in an increase of the engine torque at low engine speed. In a second position of the pipe elbows, the intake manifolds take air in directly from the air box, which results in more power at high engine speeds.
These prior art devices require additional room to effect movement and involve several moving parts in often complicated operations.


Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for inferring context are provided. In one potential implementation, first context information associated with a first duration is identified, second context information is accessed to determine a context segmentation boundary; and the first context information and the second context information is then aggregated to generate an inferred segmented aggregated context. In a further implementation, the first context information is used to average inferred contexts, and the context segmentation boundary is used to reset a start time for averaging the first context information.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to electronic context determination. In particular, devices, systems, and methods for determining the context of an electronic device using sensor or application data available for analysis by a context engine.
In today's high-paced society, people can participate in a myriad of activities, visit dozens of places, and interact with tens to hundreds of people—all within a single day. Accurately estimating a person's situation or context may allow services or functionalities to be selectively presented or implemented.
Many mobile devices now include applications and sensors to collect information about an environment in which the device is operating and react to or change operational characteristics based upon that information. Such context awareness capabilities are becoming more and more prevalent in the communications industry. However, the large number of potential contexts makes it difficult to reliably and accurately estimate contexts.
Current context system infer context from senor data either instantaneously or by averaging instantaneous contexts over time. Instantaneously inferring context is challenging due to noisy mappings between user context and data.
For example, although when a user is in a meeting the most common output of a speech detector might be speech (as opposed to 'no speech'), the most common device motion state might be device at rest, and there may typically be many Bluetooth™ devices within range, it is still possible that at the time these low-level features/inferences are computed, speech may be determined to be not present, the motion state may reveal the device to not be at rest, and there may be no Bluetooth™ devices within range. For an instantaneous context then, any single determination may be in error due to expected noise or abnormalities in context information. Merely filtering to average out these noise or abnormal readings, however, comes at the cost of dynamic response. When a boundary between two different contexts is crossed, the inference is blurred out and performance degrades.
There is a growing need for new and useful techniques and structures for implementing context awareness in communication devices.

Aggregate context inferences using multiple context streams


A densely packed array of vertical semiconductor devices and methods of making thereof are disclosed. The array has columns of bitlines and rows of wordlines. The gates of the transistors act as the wordlines, while the source or drain regions acts as the bitlines. The array also has vertical pillars, acting as a channel, formed between source and drain regions. The source regions are self-aligned and located below the pillars. The source regions of adjacent bitlines are isolated from each other without increasing the cell size and allowing a minimum area of approximately 4F.sup.2 to be maintained. The isolated sources allow individual cells to be addressed and written via direct tunneling, in both volatile and non-volatile memory cell configurations. The source may be initially implanted. Alternatively, the source may be diffused below the pillars after forming thereof. In this case, the source diffusion may be controlled either to form floating pillars isolated from the underlying substrate, or to maintain contact between the pillars and the substrate.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to densely packed vertical transistors in a 4F-square memory cell, and methods for making thereof, and more particularly, to non-volatile/volatile memory cells having vertical floating-gate transistors with self-aligned shallow trench isolation between source regions for addressing and writing individual transistors via direct tunneling.

4F-square memory cell having vertical floating-gate transistors with self-aligned shallow trench isolation

International Business Machines Corporation


A spectrally selective optical switch is disclosed. The switch comprises a first and a second optical waveguide each having a light guiding structure arranged to guide light along a predetermined path, the optical waveguides being arranged adjacent and parallel to each other; an external resonator defined by a first and a second mirror, said first and said second mirror being provided on opposite sides and outside of said first and second light guiding structures, and said external resonator being resonant to a specific wavelength; and a deflector provided in each of said first and second optical waveguide, the deflectors being arranged to deflect light propagating in one of the light guiding structures to the other light guiding structure by operation of said external resonator. A matrix switch is also disclosed.

In order to increase the transmission capacity of optical fiber networks and communication links, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques are often utilized. In WDM systems, a plurality of wavelength channels is transmitted through a single optical fiber. Fibers are connected at points known as "nodes", at which channels are rerouted towards their final destinations via the best possible fiber paths. Channels may also be added or dropped at so called add/drop points. Generally, at the nodes the WDM-signal is demultiplexed, the individual signals re-routed and sent down the chosen fiber, possibly multiplexed into another WDM signal. At add/drop points, spectrally selective optical switches, also known as channel drop filters, are utilized for extraction of a single wavelength channel from a WDM signal, or for insertion of a single wavelength channel into a WDM signal.
The network may be designed to be either static or re-configurable. A re-configurable network is essential to provide provision of wavelengths and enable protection switching. In a re-configurable network, the nodes and/or add/drop points are equipped with switches or dynamic wavelength converters, giving it the capability to change the routing pattern.
A technology used to enable optical rerouting are MEMS switches, which utilizes small moveable mirrors displaceable to dispatch the optical signal to the chosen fiber. Such an optical switch is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,281, in which a matrix of mirrors are provided on a silicon wafer based structure. Also, the nodes may be provided with add-drop filters designed to add or drop a specific chosen channel to or from the WDM channel.
However, the prior art technology suffers from several drawbacks. Optical MEMS switches are complicated and difficult to manufacture, and are devices that require de-multiplexing and multiplexing of the WDM signal.
Therefore, there is a need for devices and methods for coupling individual channels within a WDM signal from one fiber to another enabling an easily re-configurable and dynamic network.


An optical transceiver includes a housing formed to be inserted into or extracted from a cage in a host device, a movable lock member for preventing the housing from being extracted from the cage, where the cage includes a lock hole for preventing the housing from being extracted from the cage when the movable lock member is placed into the lock hole, and an integration parts. The integration parts includes an actuator portion engaged with the movable lock member rotatably connected to a rotation shaft attached to the housing, arranged movably in a front/back direction thereof in the housing, arranged to place the movable lock member into the lock hole when moved backward, and arranged to release the movable lock member from the lock hole when moved forward, and a rotating lever portion connected to the actuator portion through a hinge portion, arranged rotatably from an upper front end of the housing to a forward position along with development of the hinge portion, and including a handle for moving the actuator portion to the forward position when rotated forward. The actuator portion and the rotating lever portion of the integration parts are integrally formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical transceiver with a lock mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical transceiver is disposed between an optical fiber as a transmission line and an optical communication device as an optical electronic equipment, and detachably attached to the optical communication device (host device). The optical communication device has a slot called "cage", where a housing of the optical transceiver is housed in the cage.
The housing houses optical parts and electrical parts for optical communication. The optical parts are built in at the front end of the housing, and arranged to be optically connected to an optical fiber to be inserted. An electrical terminal is formed at the rear end of the housing to be connected electrically to an internal circuit of the optical communication device.
The optical transceiver has a lock mechanism so as not to cause an unnecessary detachment. For instance, the housing is provided with a movable lock member formed movably in the insertion/extraction direction of the movable lock member inside the housing, and the cage is provided with a lock hole. When the movable lock member is move in the insertion direction with respect to the housing, the movable lock member is put into the lock hole of the cage to allow the locking of the housing to the cage, where the optical transceiver is fixed to the optical communication device. In contrast, when the movable lock member is moved in the extraction direction with respect to the housing, the movable lock member is released from the lock hole to detach the housing from the cage so that the optical transceiver can be removed from the optical communication device.
FIG. 9 shows the appearance of a conventional optical transceiver 91. In the optical receiver 91, a housing 92 can be inserted at its rear portion into a cage 3, and is provided with a lock mechanism 93 at a front end of the housing 92.
As shown in FIG. 10, the conventional optical transceiver needs, as parts for constructing the lock mechanism 93, a movable lock member 95 rotatable around a rotation shaft 94, an actuator 96, two rotating levers 97, a pin 98 for the rotating lever (hereinafter also referred to as "rotating lever pin"), two coil springs 99, and an identification color attachment 100.
The actuator 96 serves to put the movable lock member 95 into a lock hole 4 provided in the cage 3 or to remove it therefrom, and the actuator 96 is formed movably in the front/back direction in the housing 92.
Furthermore, a central bar section 101 connected to the actuator 96 has a protrusion 102 engaged with the movable lock member 95 (see FIGS. 11 and 12), and a step portion 103 secured to the housing 92 and functioning as a stopper after the protrusion 102 climbs over the rotation shaft 94 with the movable lock member 95 rotatably attached thereto (see also FIGS. 11 and 12).
FIG. 11 shows a state that the housing 92 is engaged with the cage 3 when the actuator 96 is moved backward. In this state where the protrusion 102 climbs over the rotation shaft 94 and the step portion 103 is placed against the rotation shaft 94, the protrusion 102 pushes the movable lock member 95 such that the movable lock member 95 is inserted in the cage 3 and hits against a cage 3a (which is indicated as a part of the cage 3 in FIGS. 11 and 12). Then, the cage 3a is pressed and expanded downward by the movable lock member 95 and the movable lock member 95 is thereby put into the lock hole 4 formed in the cage 3, so that the hosing 92 is engaged with the cage 3 and restricted in insertion/extraction thereof.
FIG. 12 shows a state that the housing 92 is released from the cage 3 when the actuator 96 is moved forward. In this state where the protrusion 102 is moved forward to a position where the protrusion 102 does not climb over the rotation shaft 94, the movable lock member 95 is made rotatable and the movable lock member 95 is rotated by being pulled by the housing 92 to a position where the movable lock member 95 is aligned with the rotation shaft 94. Thus, the movable lock member 95 is released from the lock hole 4 formed in the cage 3, where the housing 92 can be extracted from the cage 3.
The actuator 96 is formed by metal molding and formed of a metallic or plastic material.
The rotating lever 97 is coupled to the actuator 96 via the rotating lever pin 98 and the rotating levers 97 are axis-rotatable around the rotating lever pin 98 from a upper front end portion of the housing 92 to a forward position of the lock mechanism 93. The rotating levers 97 function as a handle for moving the actuator 96 in the front direction of the lock mechanism 93 when being rotated forward. When the actuator 96 is moved backward and the housing 92 is engaged with the cage 3, the rotating levers 97 are arranged at the upper front end portion of the housing 92 so as not to make unnecessary protrusion thereat. Thus, this arrangement does not interfere with the insertion/extraction of an optical fiber at the front end of the housing 92. The rotating levers 97 are formed of a metal, and formed by folding a metallic plate. The rotating lever pin 98 is formed of a metal rod material.
The coil springs 99 are energized when the actuator 96 is moved forward, and de-energized to move the actuator 96 backward. The coil springs 99 are placed between a part of the housing 92 and the actuator 96.
The identification color attachment 100 is a sign for identifying visually the type or specification of an optical transceiver according to its color. The identification color attachment 100 is disposed on the front surface of the rotating levers 97 when the housing 92 is engaged. The reason for providing the identification color attachment 100 is that the rotating levers 97 are formed of the metal and therefore difficult to be colored. The identification color attachment 100 is attached to the rotating levers 97 by using adhesives etc.
The related arts of the invention are, for example, JP-A-2004-343506, and JP-A-H06-170979.
The conventional optical transceiver includes many components for composing the lock mechanism. Namely, the lock mechanism requires the movable lock member 95, the actuator 96, the rotating levers 97, the rotating lever pin 98, the coil springs 99, the identification color attachment 100 and the like.
Furthermore, the conventional optical transceiver has the complicated construction that the components are engaged with each other, placed against each another, or combined with each other. In addition, the mechanistic factors for assembling the components are complicated, and it takes long time for assembling them.
Therefore, the costs (i.e., parts cost and assembly cost) for the conventional optical transceiver become expensive.


One embodiment provides a vehicle brake hydraulic controller including: an antilock braking controlling module configured to perform an antilock braking control in which a brake hydraulic pressure applied to wheel brakes is reduced under the condition that a slip-related amount has reached a pressure reduction threshold value; and a turning judging module configured to judge whether a vehicle is turning based on a steering angle, wherein, when the antilock braking control is performed and in the case that the turning judging module judges that the vehicle is turning, the antilock braking controlling module performs a turning pressure reduction control so as to: change the pressure reduction threshold values to be more easily reached by the slip-related amount than at the time of straight running; and change the pressure reduction amounts to be larger than that at the time of straight running.

JP-S62-253560-A discloses a vehicle brake hydraulic controller in which the target slip ratio at the time of vehicle braking while turning is made lower than that at the time of braking while running straight to suppress the side skidding of the vehicle and to improve steering performance thereof.
However, since only the target slip ratio at the time of braking while turning is made lower in the conventional technology, traceability along a running line cannot be satisfied sufficiently.
On the other hand, JP-H11-115721-A discloses a road surface friction coefficient estimating device which estimates a road surface friction coefficient from lateral acceleration in the case that the steering angle is larger than a given value and estimates a road surface friction coefficient from longitudinal acceleration in the case that the steering angle is smaller than the given value.
However, the road surface friction coefficient can be estimated accurately from lateral acceleration only when steering is performed in attempting to generate lateral acceleration larger than the maximum lateral acceleration that can be generated at the friction coefficient of the road surface on which a vehicle is running (at the time of steering exceeding the limit of road surface conditions), that is, only when the maximum lateral acceleration is generated in the vehicle. In contrast, in the conventional technology, whether lateral acceleration is used or not is simply determined depending on whether the steering angle is larger than the given value or not. Hence, for example, lateral acceleration may be used sometimes in a state in which the maximum lateral acceleration is not generated. In this case, a value smaller than the actual road surface friction coefficient may be estimated.

Vehicle brake hydraulic pressure control apparatus and road surface friction coefficient estimating device

AUTOLIV NISSIN BRAKE SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.


A tuneable antenna including an elongated radiating element with a conductive loading coil positioned on an insulating member. A capacitor is formed above the loading coil with a conductive member overlying the loading coil and movable with respect to the coil and the capacitor to change the resonant frequency of the antenna.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to tuneable radio antennas having loading coils for impedance matching to a co-axial feed line.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art antenna radiating elements are typically matched to feed lines by using a tapped loading coil at the feed point of the co-axial feed line. Prior art devices have used a number of different approaches to tune such antennas given the nature of the selective structures. One variation is to couple the ground end of the loading coil through a variable capacitor to the ground plane, such as a mechanical body. Tuning is then achieved by rotating a variable capacitor depicting a series resonant tuning circuit.
An alternate method is described as parallel resonant tuning circuit in which a variable capacitor is connected between the antenna radiating element (beyond the loading coil) and ground. The variable capacitor is rotated to tune the antenna. These prior art attempts to use capacitance means for tuning are typically complex and require adjusting capacitances by hand during operation.
Prior art examples of the tuning methods described above can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,541,554, 3,798,354, and 4,080,604.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,554 a tuneable whip antenna is disclosed using a pair of inductant coil in series between the load in cable and radiating element. A ring is peripherally disposed thereabout for adjustably varying the mutual inductance between the coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,654 is directed to a tuneable sleeve on a radiating element with a resonant tuning coil coupled thereto and electrically coupled tuning element.
A means for tuning a loaded coil antenna is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,604 wherein a loading coil has a conductive member opposite several turns of the loading coil and is disposed in distributive capacitive relationship therewith. The conductive member is movable along the coil surface to change the effective resonant frequency of the antenna.


A planting spacer and planting depth defining device includes a central rod on which a block is slidably mounted to define the depth of plant-receiving planting holes. A ruler is slidably received in the block and is used to define the spacing between plant-receiving holes. The plant-receiving holes are defined by forcing a point of the rod into the ground at the location marked using the ruler. The block is positioned on the rod element at a location to set the depth of the plant-receiving hole when the rod element point is forced into the soil until the block engages the soil.

Home gardening has always been popular, and in recent times has become even more popular as both a necessity and as a hobby. Gardening generally involves planting a plurality of plants in a row. Each plant has a special depth at which it should be planted and it is best if all plants in a single row are lined up. At one time, for small seed planting, most home gardeners made planting holes with their finger or with a stick, and guessed at the planting depth. Many gardeners plant seeds in a furrow and thin plants to the proper spacing after they have sprouted to overcome the deficiencies of this "eyeball" method of planting.
Accordingly, the agriculture art has included several means for spacing plants. Such means often are not easily adjustable over a wide range in a plurality of planes. Therefore, while such devices are improvements over trial and error or "eyeball" methods of spacing and planting, they are not fully successful, especially with regard to accuracy. Still further, many of these devices are difficult or cumbersome to modify for a particular use.
Therefore, there is a need for a planting device that is easily adjustable over a wide range in a plurality of planes and which will accurately space and measure holes for planting, and which is easy to use and modify for any particular use.

Planting spacer and planting depth defining device


A fuel reformer catalyst includes a substrate, and disposed thereon a carrier and combination of at least two metals selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ni, Ir, Pd, Pt, Au, and combinations thereof. Rh is present in the catalyst in an amount not exceeding about 0.5 wt. %, based on the total combined weight of the metals and carrier.

Tighter emission standards and significant innovation in catalyst formulations and engine controls has led to dramatic improvements in the low emission performance and robustness of gasoline and diesel engine systems. However, many technical challenges remain to make the conventionally fueled internal combustion engine a nearly zero emission system having the efficiency necessary to make the vehicle commercially viable.
The automotive industry has made very significant progress in reducing automotive emissions in both the mandated test procedures and the "real world". This has resulted in some added cost and complexity of engine management systems, yet those costs are offset by other advantages of computer controls: increased power density, fuel efficiency, drivability, reliability and real-time diagnostics. However future initiatives to require zero emission vehicles are likely to provide smaller environmental benefits at a very large incremental cost. Even so, an "ultra low emission" certified vehicle may emit high emissions in limited extreme ambient and operating conditions or with failed or degraded components, and especially during cold start.
One approach to addressing the issue of emissions is the employment of fuel cells, particularly solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), in an automobile as either a primary or secondary source of power. A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that generates electricity and heat by electrochemically combining a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or a hydrocarbon, and an oxidant, such as air or oxygen, across an ion-conducting electrolyte. The fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. SOFCs are constructed entirely of solid-state materials, utilizing an ion conductive oxide ceramic as the electrolyte. An electrochemical cell in a SOFC may comprise an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte disposed there between. The oxidant passes over the oxygen electrode (cathode) while the fuel passes over the fuel electrode (anode), generating electricity, water, and heat. The use of the SOFC, and fuel cells in general, reduce emissions through their much greater efficiency, and so require less fuel for the same amount of power produced, as compared to conventional hydrocarbon fueled engines. Additionally, a fuel cell may be employed to supplement a conventional engine; in this way the engine may be optimized for primary traction power, while the fuel cell may provide other power needs for the vehicle, i.e. air-conditioner, communication and entertainment devices. The fuel reformer-fuel cell system may be operated while the engine is off, permitting electrically powered devices to operate, thereby further reducing emissions by providing power using a more fuel efficient fuel cell to meet the vehicle operator's needs.
To facilitate the production of electricity by the SOFC, a direct supply of simple fuel, e.g., hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and/or methane is preferred. However, concentrated supplies of these fuels are generally expensive and difficult to supply. Therefore the fuel utilized may be obtained by processing a more complex fuel source. The actual fuel utilized in the system is chosen based upon the application, expense, availability, and environmental issues relating to the fuel. Possible fuels include hydrocarbon fuels, including, but not limited to, liquid fuels, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, ethanol, methanol, kerosene, and others; gaseous fuels, such as natural gas, propane, butane, and others; "alternative" fuels, such as biofuels, dimethyl ether, and others; synthetic fuels, such as synthetic fuels produced from methane, methanol, coal gasification or natural gas conversion to liquids, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing methods, and the like, as well as combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing fuels. The preferred fuel is based upon the types of equipment employed, with lighter fuels, i.e., those that may be more readily vaporized and/or conventional fuels, which are readily available to consumers being generally preferred.
Processing or reforming of hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline may provide an immediate fuel source for rapid start up of the fuel cell and also protect the fuel cell by breaking down long chain hydrocarbons and removing impurities. Fuel reforming may include mixing fuel with air, water and/or steam in a reforming zone before entering the reformer system, and converting a hydrocarbon such as gasoline or an oxygenated fuel such as methanol into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), along with carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4), nitrogen (N2), and water (H2O). Approaches to reforming include steam reforming, partial oxidation, dry reforming, and combinations thereof. Both steam reforming and dry reforming are endothermic processes, while partial oxidation is an exothermic process.
Accordingly, a SOFC may be used in conjunction with a fuel reformer to convert a hydrocarbon-based fuel to hydrogen and carbon monoxide (the reformate) usable by a fuel cell. Preferably, the reformer has a rapid start, a dynamic response time, and excellent fuel conversion efficiency. It is also preferred for the reformer to have a minimal size and reduced weight, as compared to other power sources. However, reformers operate at temperatures that are typically higher than about 600° C., and may even exceed 1000° C. At lower temperatures, for example during start-up, deposition of carbonaceous matter, or soot, upon the catalyst may adversely affect the reformer's efficiency, reduce reformer life, and/or damage fuel cell components. Accordingly, it is beneficial to reduce the time required by a reformer and/or fuel cell system to reach an operational temperature.
Of the various types of reformers available, the type of reformer technologies preferred depend in part on the type of fuel to be used. Steam reformers (SR) are generally employed for converting methanol to hydrogen. Partial oxidation (PDX) reformers are generally employed for converting gasoline to hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Steam reforming systems involve the use of a fuel and steam (H2O) that is reacted in heated tubes filled with catalysts to convert the hydrocarbons into principally hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The steam reforming reactions are endothermic; thus the steam reformer reactors are designed to transfer heat into the catalytic process. An example of the steam reforming reaction is as follows:CH4+H2O→CO+3H2
Partial oxidation reformers are based on substoichiometric combustion to achieve the temperatures necessary to reform the hydrocarbon fuel. Decomposition of the fuel to primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide occurs through thermal reactions at high temperatures of about 600° C. to about 1200° C., and preferably, about 700° C. to about 1050° C. Catalysts have been used with partial oxidation systems to promote conversion of various low sulfur fuels into synthesis gas. The use of a catalyst may result in acceleration of the reforming reactions and also enable the use of lower reaction temperatures than would otherwise be required in the absence of a catalyst. An example of the partial oxidation reforming reaction is as follows:CH4+½O2→CO+2H2
U.S. Pat. No. 2,892,693, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method for producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen from gaseous hydrocarbons in which steam is reacted with the hydrocarbon at an elevated pressure over a catalyst to effect partial conversion of the hydrocarbon, followed by reaction of the unconverted hydrocarbon contained in the effluent from the steam-hydrocarbon reforming reaction with oxygen in a zone of partial combustion.
Dry reforming involves the creation of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the absence of water using, for example, carbon dioxide as the oxidant. Dry reforming reactions, like steam reforming reactions, are endothermic processes. An example of the dry reforming reaction is depicted in the following reaction:CH4+CO2→2CO+2H2
Practical reformer systems may include a combination of these idealized processes. Thus, a combination of air, water and/or recycled engine exhaust gas may be used as the oxidant in the fuel reforming process.


The present invention provides an optical imaging lens. The optical imaging lens comprises a lens barrel and several lens elements positioned therein. Each lens element has a lens portion and a peripheral portion formed around the lens portion and extending to the rim. The lens portion is formed with an object-side surface facing to the object side and an image-side surface facing to the image side for passing the light. One of the lens elements is an embedded lens element. The radius from the center to the rim of the embedded lens element is smaller than that of another lens element adjacent to the embedded lens element and thus the rim of the embedded lens element is embedded in the peripheral portion of the adjacent lens element.

The ever-increasing demand for smaller sized mobile devices, such as cell phones, digital cameras, etc. correspondingly triggered a growing need for a smaller sized photography module, comprising elements such as an optical imaging lens, a module housing unit, and an image sensor, etc., contained therein. Size reductions may be contributed from various aspects of the mobile devices, which includes not only the charge coupled device (CCD) and the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), but also the optical imaging lens mounted therein. When reducing the size of the optical imaging lens, however, achieving good optical characteristics becomes a challenging problem.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows the structure of traditional lens elements 121, 122, 123, 124 in a traditional optical imaging lens 1. For meeting the aforesaid requirement of reducing the thicknesses of the lens elements, the traditional lens elements 121, 122, 123, 124 are shaped in great diameter and finest thickness. Each of the traditional lens elements 121, 122, 123, 124, positioned in a lens barrel 11 without contacting with each other, has a lens portion for passing imaging light and a peripheral portion formed around the lens portion and extending to the rim of the lens element. As shown in FIG. 1, the lens portions 121A, 122A, 123A, 124A is formed with concave and/or convex shape for generating predetermined optical effect, and the thicknesses of the peripheral portions 121B, 122B, 123B, 124B at the outside of the lens portions 121A, 122A, 123A, 124A are quite thin. Forming the thickness such thin in the place which is near the rim will be a great challenge in the manufacture procedure. Thus, in the reality, the peripheral portions 121B, 122B, 123B, 124B are easily to get broken when the lens elements 121, 122, 123, 124 are removed from the molds, and consequently, the yield will be decreased.
Therefore, there is needed to lower the possibility of breaking lens elements in the manufacturing procedure and develop lens elements, with a slim size, while also having good optical characters.


A cutter tooth holder assembly is adapted for attaching a cutter tooth having a plurality of spaced cutting tips to a rotatable cutter drum. The tooth holder assembly includes a base for being mounted to an outer peripheral surface of the cutter drum. The base has a tooth-locking, circumferentially-extending groove formed in its top surface. A tooth holder is positioned in the tooth-locking groove, and has a front bearing surface residing adjacent a back end of the cutter tooth. The cutter tooth is arranged such that one of the cutting tips resides in the tooth-locking groove to prevent rotational movement of the cutter tooth during operation of the cutter drum, while an opposed second one of the cutting tips resides in a cutting position relative to the outer surface of the drum. An elongate, threaded bolt cooperates with the tooth holder for attaching the cutter tooth to the tooth holder assembly.

This invention relates to a cutter tooth holder assembly. The invention is particularly adapted for attaching a replaceable cutter tooth to a cutter drum used for clearing trees. The cutter drum is rotatably mounted on the boom of a backhoe. During operation of the cutter drum, the teeth become worn or damaged and must be periodically replaced. A complete description of Applicant's cutter drum is provided in U.S. Ser. No. 08/658,709. This description is incorporated herein by reference.
One problem experienced by the Applicant in using its cutter drum for clearing and mulching trees relates to the attachment of teeth to the drum, and their required maintenance and replacement. Over relatively short periods of use, one or more of the teeth typically break off, while others soon become too worn for effective cutting and mulching. Breakage of a single tooth during operation of the cutter drum can cause substantial damage to the cutter drum and shield, and presents a considerable safety hazard to nearby workers.
The present invention addresses these problems by providing a cutter tooth holder assembly which securely holds and supports the cutter tooth in position during operation of the cutter drum. The invention further allows indexing of the cutter tooth to locate a fresh cutting tip in the cutting position when the old tip becomes worn.