A stable composition with a benzimidazole derivative, such as Omeprazole, which does not contain a separating layer between the active compound and an enteric coating layer. Instead, the enteric coating layer is applied as a solution with a pH value of at least 6.5, and more preferably in a range of from about 7 to about 10, directly to the benzimidazole derivative substrate. This solution, with the optional addition of a plasticizer, can be directly coated onto the substrate without any necessity for an intermediate layer. Furthermore, in this pH range, the enteric coating is optionally applicable in an aqueous solution, thereby obviating the need for organic solvents for dissolving the enteric coating material. The resultant formulation maintains the stability of the benzimidazole derivative during storage and at the same time protects the product during passage through the acidic environment of the stomach. The problem of interaction between the enteric coat and the alkaline core is thus completely eliminated as the enteric coat at this stage is no longer acidic.

The present invention relates to a novel stable formulation for an acid labile benzimidazole, and methods of preparation and administration thereof, and in particular, for a stable formulation of a benzimidazole which is suitable for oral administration.
Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Lansoprazole and other derivatives of benzimidazole, which are active proton pump inhibitors and used conventionally for decreasing gastric secretion are known to be susceptible to degradation and transformation in acid media. Omeprazole, 5-methoxy-2(((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridinyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole, is disclosed and described in European Patent No. 5129 and European Patent No. 124495, as well as in numerous other patents and published patent applications.
The susceptibility of these active proton pump inhibitor substances to degradation and transformation in acid media increases the difficulty of preparing a pharmaceutical form designed for oral administration. If the active substance comes into contact with the stomach content, which is a highly acidic medium, these chemical substances become degraded. Thus, these benzimidazole derivatives should be protected both during storage and during their passage through the acidic environment of the stomach.
The stability of Omeprazole has been extensively studied (see for example A. Pilbrant and C. Cederberg, Scan. J Gastroenterol., 20: 113-120, 1985). Omeprazole degrades with a half-life of less than 10 minutes in an environment with pH values below 4.0. At pH 6.5, the half life of Omeprazole is 18 hours and at pH 11 about 300 days. Therefore, the environment of Omeprazole should be kept at a sufficiently high pH value in order to maintain the stability of the compound, in a formulation which is suitable as a product for oral administration, for example by locating Omeprazole within a core which also contains alkaline constituents. This leads to an alkaline reaction aimed at improving stability of the active substance during manufacture thereof and during storage of the pharmaceutical formulation.
In addition, such a formulation must protect Omeprazole from the acidic environment of the stomach, since if Omeprazole is given orally without any protective coating, it will degrade in the acid environment of the stomach. European Patent No. 237,200 discloses one solution, which is to directly coat the solid core containing Omeprazole, or another benzimidazole derivative, with an enteric coating layer.
However, this apparent solution to the instability of Omeprazole caused further complications, in that the alkaline core containing Omeprazole was found to react with the enteric coating, thereby causing the enteric coating to degrade. A solution to these further complications is disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,189,698, in which Omeprazole is contained within a solid active core, which is coated first with a subcoating layer and then with an enteric coating layer. The enteric coating layer protects the Omeprazole during the passage through the stomach, while the subcoating layer protects the enteric coating layer from reacting negatively with the alkaline core containing Omeprazole.
The background art describes other attempts to provide formulations which are suitable for oral administration of acid-labile substances. For example, PCT Application No. WO 97/12581 discloses a composition adapted for oral administration containing Omeprazole which specifically does not include alkaline-reacting compounds. Instead, the composition features a core composed of a nuclei and Omeprazole compressed together, an intermediate layer and an enteric layer.
European Patent Application No. 519,144 discloses a formulation for Omeprazole, which features a neutral (sugar) core. Omeprazole is sprayed onto the sugar core, after which an intermediate coating layer and an enteric coating layer are sprayed onto the core.
PCT Application No. WO 98/00114 discloses a modification to other background art formulations for Omeprazole, in which the intermediate subcoating layer is partially neutralized with an alkaline compound. However, this modified formulation still features the subcoating layer, which is a disadvantage in that it complicates the manufacturing process and increases the expense and difficulty of manufacture. Thus, the formulation disclosed in PCT Application No. WO 98/00114, like those disclosed in European Patent Application No. 519,144 and other background art references, has the disadvantage of requiring the intermediate layer.
PCT Application No. WO 83/00435 discloses a solid dosage form, such as a capsule or tablet, containing a pharmacologically active agent coated with an anionic polymer, which is insoluble in gastric juice and in intestinal juice below pH 7. The preferred anionic polymer is a partly methyl esterified methacrylic acid polymer in which the ratio of free carboxylic groups to ester groups is about 1:2. In contrast to the present invention, Omeprazole is not disclosed as one of the active agents.
French Application No. 2,692,146 discloses stable compositions of microgranules of gastro-protected Omeprazole. The composition features a center of Omeprazole diluted in mannitol. This center is coated with an intermediate layer featuring mannitol. An enteric coating is then added over this intermediate layer. PCT Application No. WO 97/12581 discloses a formulation in which an intermediate layer between the core and an enteric coating contains silicium dioxide.
PCT Application No. WO 96/37195 discloses a formulation which lacks a subcoating layer, but which features a core containing titanium dioxide. Both the core containing Omeprazole and the enteric coating layer placed on top of the core include titanium dioxide as an ingredient. Unfortunately, titanium dioxide is only able to mask the discoloration caused by the reaction between Omeprazole and the enteric coating layer, but cannot prevent such an undesirable reaction. Thus, the disclosed formulation does not prevent the undesirable reaction between the benzimidazole derivative and the enteric coating, which is known in the art.
German Patent Application No. 196 26 045 A1 discloses a method for stabilising Omeprazole by coating small tablets or pellets, containing large amounts of mannitol, with a subcoating of Eudragit L. The subcoating of Eudragit L is neutralized, after which a final enteric coat of non-neutralized Eudragit L is applied.
A formulation of a benzimidazole derivative, such as Omeprazole, which lacks an intermediate coating layer and yet which is stable both during storage and during the passage through the stomach, would be highly desirable. Such a formulation would be simpler to manufacture and would expose the sensitive benzimidazole derivative to fewer production steps, thereby decreasing the possibility that the active compound would degrade during production. Unfortunately, such a stable benzimidazole formulation, which lacks an intermediate layer, is not currently available.
There is thus a unmet need for, and it would be useful to have, a stable benzimidazole formulation, particularly for Omeprazole which lacks an intermediate layer and yet which is stable both during storage and during the passage through the stomach.


A system and method for providing enhanced information to a surgeon is described. A three-dimensional reconstruction of a patient's anatomical structure selected for surgery and a representation of a surgical treatment apparatus are rendered on a display device. At least one attachment metric for a proposed attachment between the surgical treatment apparatus and the patient's anatomical structure is calculated using the three-dimensional position of the surgical treatment apparatus relative to the patient's anatomical structure. And, an indication of the attachment metric is rendered on the display device.

The spinal column of bones is highly complex in that it includes over twenty bones coupled to one another to house and protect critical elements of the nervous system. In addition, the spine is a highly flexible structure, capable of a high degree of curvature and twist in multiple directions. The most flexible of all the regions of the spinal column is the cervical spine.
The bones and connective tissue of an adult human spinal column are coupled sequentially to one another by a tri-joint complex which consists of an anterior disc and the two posterior facet joints. The anterior discs of adjacent bones are separated and cushioned by cartilage spacers referred to as intervertebral discs. The vertebral bones of the spine are classified as cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. The cervical portion of the spine, which comprises the upper portion of the spine up to the base of the skull, includes the first seven vertebrae. The twelve intermediate bones comprise the thoracic vertebrae, and connect to the lower spine which comprises the five lumbar vertebrae. The base of the spine is the sacral bones (including the coccyx). The vertebrae which make up the cervical portion of the spine are generally smaller than those of the thoracic and lumbar spine.
Genetic or developmental irregularities, trauma, chronic stress, tumors, and disease are a few causes which can result in spinal pathologies for which permanent immobilization of multiple vertebrae may be necessary. A variety of systems have been disclosed in the art which achieve this immobilization by implanting artificial assemblies in or on the spinal column. These assemblies may be classified as anterior, posterior, or lateral implants. As the classification suggests, posterior implants are attached to the back of the spinal column, generally hooking under the lamina and entering into the central canal, attaching to the transverse process, or coupling through the pedicle bone. Lateral and anterior assemblies are coupled to the vertebral bodies.
The region of the back which needs to be immobilized, and the individual variations in anatomy, determines the appropriate surgical protocol and implantation assembly. Using posterior plates for stabilization and immobilization of the cervical spine is known. A posterior plate is a narrow-elongated plate having a series of spaced holes through which fasteners, such as screws, may be inserted to fix the plate to the vertebrae. A pair of posterior plates is placed across the lateral posterior surfaces of a set of sequential cervical bones and is secured to the bone by using one screw per vertebra, thereby preventing the bones from moving relative to one another in either the vertical or horizontal planes.
Because the spine is routinely subject to high compression and torsional loads which cycle during movement, one of the primary concerns of physicians performing spinal implantation surgeries, and of the patients in whom the implants are placed, is the risk of fastener pulls-out. Fastener pull-out occurs when the cylindrical portion of the bone which surrounds the inserted fastener fails. A bone screw implanted perpendicular to the plate is particularly weak because the region of the bone which must fail for pull-out to occur is only as large as the outer diameter of the screw threads. It has been found that for some failure mods to occur for screws inserted into the bone at an angle regarding the plate, the amount of bone which must fail increases substantially as compared with screws implanted perpendicularly regarding the plate.
An additional concern with screws being implanted in the posterior side of the cervical spine is there are sensitive and important structures adjacent to the boney structures, such as the lateral masses and the laminae, which, because of their proximity to the implant, may be damaged by insertion or dislocation of screws. In the cervical spine, the vertebral arteries are disposed medially beneath the lateral masses or lamina and comprise critical structures which carrot be compromised. In addition, the facet joints which provide natural mobile coupling of sequential bones together must also be avoided if they are not indicated for fusion. Avoidance of these bodies has been a critical and ongoing concern regarding posterior screw insertion. Posterior plates of the prior art have provided little in the way of reasonable or practical solutions for ensuring proper screw insertion. Posterior screw plate assemblies necessarily include a plurality of screws inserted through a single plate. However, if a single screw loosens with respect to the surrounding bone into which it has been inserted, loss of fixation occurs and possible neurological repercussions may result.
One way to avoid the drawbacks of current plate systems has been to use fixation systems that employ polyaxial screws, rods, and hooks. A polyaxial screw can be inserted into the vertebral bone at a selected angle within a predetermined range of angles including non-perpendicular angles. This permits the surgeon to select the angle and direction for inserting the polyaxial screw into the bone to avoid sensitive areas, and increase the fixation between the polyaxial screw and the bone. However, while polyaxial screws provide a surgeon with the ability to locate the screws in optimum locations and directions, the ability to do so requires a high degree of skill and experience. Further, to ensure proper placement of polyaxial screws, surgeons typically utilize fluoroscopy for an extended period which can expose patients to unwanted radiation.
Surgeons, either operating by hand or the through use of robotic surgical equipment, often rely on surgical navigation systems when performing surgical procedures. Regarding spinal surgery, surgical navigation systems have been used with success in various procedures, but are particularly useful when the surgical field is obscured or the surgical procedure requires the three-dimensional visualization of the patient's anatomy, for example, during posterior cervical stabilization and fusion procedures. In these procedures, a bone plate is applied in a desired location on the spine, and then secured by driving screws, or polyaxial screws and rods, into the vertebrae.
An interactive computer-assisted surgical system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,737. The computer-assisted surgical system comprises a computer including three-dimensional models of anatomical structures and a user interface including a position sensing system to register in real-time the relative positions of the anatomical structures of interest and of a surgical tool. Interactions between the surgical tool and the anatomical structure are measured, and then displayed on a monitor using the three-dimensional models. Multi-view display, transparency display and use of cutting planes allow the surgeon to visualize the interaction between the surgical tool and the anatomical structures any time during the surgical procedure. The surgical navigation system allows a surgeon to visualize patient anatomy and track the position of surgical tools. The surgeon may then utilize the surgical navigation system to use a surgical tool to mark locations on anatomical structures to determine a location to place a surgical implant at a desired position and orientation.
It is desirable to track the position of surgical treatment apparatuses with reference to patient anatomy for several reasons. For example, a posterior cervical stabilization and fusion procedure may consist of constructs utilizing polyaxial screws and plates. Crucial for the stability of these constructs is the screw-to-bone integration in the lateral mass. During the actual posterior cervical stabilization and fusion procedure, it is desirable for the surgeon to know the location and dimensions of the cervical vertebrae being treated to achieve strong screw-to-bone integration for stability. This information assists the surgeon in placing the surgical treatment apparatus. The surgical navigation system typically tracks the location of the surgical instrument in reference to the patient's anatomy and transmits the data to a processor to construct a coordinate system or a map indicating the real-time position of the surgical instrument. The surgeon may then refer to the coordinate system or map when placing the surgical treatment apparatus.
However, current surgical navigation systems and methods do not allow a surgeon to identify attachment metrics for a surgical treatment apparatus placement position. Whereas current surgical navigation systems may assist a surgeon in locating the general area that a surgical treatment apparatus should be placed, current systems do not aid a surgeon in identifying more precise placement locations that takes into account desirable attachment metrics. It is to such an improved surgical navigation system that the present disclosure is directed. The presently disclosed surgical navigation system may provide surgeons with data to more precisely identify surgical treatment apparatus placement locations and attachment metrics which may lead to improved patient outcomes.

Surgical navigation system providing attachment metrics


A driving IC 1 having n output terminals for outputting drive currents to the individual electrodes of a light emitting element (22), and a selecting IC 2 having every n/m output terminals for every m groups with respect to the common electrode of the light emitting element (22) are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the light emitting element (22) with one-to-one correspondence with respect to the element (22).

As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-48887, a light-emitting device (array) used in a conventional optical print head has individual electrodes formed on the top surface of the device so as to correspond one-to-one to a plurality of light-emitting sections, and has a common electrode, i.e., an electrode common to all the light-emitting sections, formed on the back surface of the device. This makes it impossible to drive the device on a time-division basis within the device. Since time-division driving is impossible, it is necessary to provide as many individual electrodes as there are light-emitting sections. Thus, as the light-emitting sections are arranged with increasingly high density, the individual electrodes need to be arranged with accordingly high density. This makes it difficult to connect the light-emitting device to its driving IC.
To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-163980 proposes a light-emitting device that permits time-division driving within the device. Specifically, in this light-emitting device, the light-emitting sections formed on it are divided into m groups, and a plurality of common electrodes are provided, with each of them connected to all the light-emitting sections belonging to one group. Moreover, n individual electrodes are provided, with each of them connected to m light-emitting sections belonging to different groups. Thus, this light-emitting device has m×n light-emitting sections. With this light-emitting device, selecting one of the m common electrodes on a time-division basis makes it possible reduce the number of individual electrodes to 1/m of the number conventionally required. This makes it easy to connect the light-emitting device to its driving IC.
FIG. 21 shows an example of the circuit configuration assumed on the basis of the conventional dynamic driving method in a case where a light-emitting device ready for time-division driving as proposed in the aforementioned publication is used. In FIG. 21, each light-emitting device 100 has a plurality of light-emitting sections formed on its top surface, and those light-emitting sections are divided into two groups. Two common electrodes are each connected to all the light-emitting sections belonging to one of the so divided groups. Moreover, on a one-to-one basis, each light-emitting device 100 is connected by wire bonding to a driving IC 200 having the same number of terminals as there are individual electrodes in the light-emitting device. All light-emitting devices 100 are connected by way of two ground lines 400 to a common electrode selecting IC 300 for choosing between the two common electrodes.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-113751, the applicants of the present invention proposed a versatile driving IC suitable for time-division driving. According to this publication, a driving IC incorporates a first drive section that feeds a current to individual electrodes and a second drive section that selects one of common electrodes at a time on a time-division basis. In the drive IC configured in this way, the second drive section is provided with a plurality of output terminals that are connected individually to the common terminals, and this helps distribute the current that flows through the drive IC.
However, with the configuration shown in FIG. 21, dividing the light-emitting sections of each light-emitting device into four or more groups necessitates many conductors to electrically connect its common electrodes to the common electrode selecting IC. The differences in resistance among those conductors cause differences in brightness among the light-emitting sections depending on their position. Moreover, a voltage drop or a rise in the ground potential resulting from the internal resistance present near the terminals provided in the common electrode selecting IC adversely affects the brightness of the individual light-emitting sections when they are lit. This causes the brightness of the light-emitting sections to differ according to the number of light-emitting sections lit.
On the other hand, with the configuration proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-113751, a light-emitting device and the corresponding driving IC are connected together at one side thereof This makes it impossible to reduce the wiring density below a certain limit and thus to increase the number of conductors connecting to common electrodes. FIGS. 22 and 23 are each a wiring diagram of part of this configuration.
In FIGS. 22 and 23, every four light-emitting sections 126 have their anodes connected together to one individual electrode 128, and the four light-emitting sections 126 forming each group have their cathodes connected, individually by way of contact holes 125, each to one of conductors 127-1 to 127-4, which serve as common electrodes. One of the four light-emitting sections 126 that connect by way of a contact hole 128 to the output terminal DOa of the first drive section is connected to the output terminal CD1 of the second drive section. This output terminal CD1 is connected by way of the contact hole 129 to the conductor 127-1. The other three of the four light-emitting sections 126 that connect by way of the contact hole 128 to the output terminal DOa of the first drive section are connected each to one of the conductors 127-2 to 127-4, which serve as the common electrodes.
Moreover, one of the four light-emitting sections 126 that connect by way of a contact hole 128 to the output terminal DOb of the first drive section is connected to the output terminal CD2 of the second drive section. This output terminal CD2 is connected by way of the contact hole 129 to the conductor 127-2. The other three of the four light-emitting sections 126 that connect by way of the contact hole 128 to the output terminal DOb of the first drive section are connected each to one of the conductors 127-1, 127-3, and 127-4, which serve as the common electrodes. Furthermore, one of the four light-emitting sections 126 that connect to each of the individual electrodes 128 connected to the output terminals DOc and DOd of the first drive section is connected to one of the output terminals CD3 and CD4 of the second drive section in similar manners. Between FIGS. 22 and 23, the positions at which the contact holes 128 and 125 are formed are reversed. In this way, this configuration requires complicated wiring.
Moreover, the second drive section, which functions as a common electrode selector, generates a large amount of heat, which may cause variation in the output characteristics of the driving IC or otherwise have adverse effects, resulting in large variation in the drive current output from the first drive section. This problem has particularly serious consequences in a case where a large current is fed to a light-emitting device in an optical print head or the like for use in a high-speed, high-resolution printer.
An object of the present invention is to provide an optical print head that operates with smaller differences in brightness among the individual light-emitting sections and with less effects of the heat generated to feed a voltage to the common electrodes on the drive current fed to the individual electrodes.


There is provided a display apparatus including a data drive IC. The data drive IC includes a current-mode analog to digital converter (DAC) comprising a plurality of dynamic circuits (instead of conventional level shifters). In response to an enable signal received, each of the dynamic circuits convert a bit of an image data signal received from a signal input circuit into a high voltage level and outputs the resulting signal to a current switch that outputs current to a current node connected to a pixel. The data drive IC including the dynamic circuit has reduced chip area and reduced power consumption (compared to conventional ones comprising a plurality of level-shifters).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly, to an Organic Light Emitting Diode display apparatus driven by a current and a drive method therefore.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic Light Emitting Diode technology enables full color, full-motion flat panel displays with a level of brightness and sharpness not possible with other technologies. Unlike traditional LCD's, OLED's are self-luminous and do not require backlighting, diffusers, polarizers, or any of the other baggage that goes with liquid crystal displays. An Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) device is basically a piece of glass with thin-film (silicon) transistors (TFTs) with a stack of (e.g., four or five) extremely thin layers of organic materials on top of that. When a current is conducted across that stack, the organic materials glow. This luminescent phenomenon of organic compounds was first discovered in anthracene crystals (a hydrocarbon) in 1963. In 1987, Ching Tang and Steven van Slyke at Eastman Kodak (Rochester, N.Y.) formed an ultra-thin bi-layer organic light emitting diode (OLED) device with improved luminescence efficiency and stability. In late 1997 a mono-color OLED display was commercialized by Pioneer. A 5.5″ true-color OLED display was demonstrated by Sanyo-Kodak at the Society for Information Display (SID) meeting in 2000. And, in 2003 Kodak sold a digital camera that has the distinction of having been the first commercially available color OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display.
An OLED display can be driven at a lower driving current than other displays such as TFT-LCDs, PDPs, FEDs, and the like. Also, the OLED display is self-luminescent and thus exhibits high visibility. Moreover, the OLED display can have small display thickness because it does not need a backlight assembly unlike the TFT-LCD. Since the OLED display can provide a rapid response time and a wide viewing angle compared with current LCDs, it is considered as one of the next-generation flat panel displays capable of producing a high-quality moving image and a technology development for its commercialization is being actively pursued. The use of OLED displays as a display for small-sized information devices such as IMT2000, PDAs, Digital Cameras, video camera, multimedia devices and the like is rapidly increasing. OLED displays are expected to compete in the near future with the TFT-LDC in the markets of notebook computers and flat panel TVs. Because OLED production is more akin to chemical processing than semiconductor manufacturing, OLED materials could someday be applied to flexible plastic and other materials to create wall-size video panels, roll-up screens for laptops, and even wearable displays (e.g., clothes).
A data drive IC provided in an OLED display device drives a current through each pixel of an OLED panel.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional OLED display apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, an OLED display device 10 receives an image data signal, a sync signal, and a clock signal from a host (not shown) and displays a color image on the OLED array.
The display device 10 includes a timing controller 100, a data drive integrated circuit (IC) 200, a voltage generator 300, a scan drive IC 400, and an OLED panel 500.
The timing controller 100 adjusts image data signals from the host to a timing required for the data drive IC 200 and the scan drive IC 400. Also, the timing controller 100 generates and outputs control signals for controlling the data drive IC 200 and the scan drive IC 400.
The voltage generator 300 provides voltages necessary for the display device 100. For example, the voltage generator 300 generates a power supply voltage (e.g., of 3.3V and 18V) for driving the data drive IC 200.
The OLED panel 500 includes data lines arranged to intersect a plurality of scan lines, and a plurality of pixels connected respectively to the scan lines and the data lines at their intersections. Each pixel includes an OLED (an organic light emitting diode).
In response to a control signal received from the timing controller 100, the scan drive IC 400 generates scan signals G0 through Gn for sequentially activating the scan lines. In this manner, all the scan lines of the OLED panel 500 are sequentially activated.
The data drive IC 200 receives image data signals DATA0 to DATAn from the timing controller 100, generates data line drive signals D0 to Dn corresponding to the received image data signals DATA0 to DATAn, and transfers the generated data line drive signals D0 to Dn through the data lines to the respective pixels.
FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram of a conventional data drive IC.
Referring to FIG. 2, a data drive IC 200 includes a signal input circuit 210 and a plurality (n) of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 220-0 to 220-n. The DACs 220-0 to 220-n correspond respectively to data lines D0 to Dn. All the DACs 220-0 to 220-n have the same circuit structure and operate in the same manner. Accordingly, only the DAC 220-0 corresponding to the first data line D0 will be illustrated and described for simplicity.
The DAC 220-0 includes level shifters 221 to 225, a step-current source circuit 230, a PMOS transistor 260, and an NMOS transistor 262. In response to each bit of an image data signal, for driving current on the data line D0, each of the level shifters 221 to 223 converts an image data signal of a power supply voltage (e.g., VDD) supplied from the signal input circuit 210 into an image data signal (e.g., DA0[0], DA0[1], . . . DA0[k-1] at a voltage level (VCCH) higher than the power supply voltage (VDD).
Base upon the driving method, the OLED matrix display can be classified as either a passive matrix or an active matrix display. Passive matrix displays adopt the method of driving the scan lines of the display in sequence, driving pixels in different rows sequentially. Active matrix displays, possess an independent pixel transistor for each pixel.
Since a passive matrix OLED display panel drives pixels by a line emission mode, it can reproduce an image of a desired brightness by instantaneously supplying a large current to the OLED pixel (e.g., by applying a high voltage (e.g., VCCH) across the OLED pixel). For example, the power supply voltage is 3.3V, and the high voltage VCCH is 18V. Therefore, the DAC 220-0 must be implemented by high-voltage devices (transistors).
The step-current source circuit 230 includes a current mirror comprising constant current source 232 and PMOS transistors 231, 241 to 24-k. The step-current source circuit 230 further includes current switching transistors 251, 252 through 25-k. The PMOS transistor 231 has a source connected to a high voltage VCCH (higher than the power supply voltage VDD), a drain and gate that are connected to the current sinking node of the constant current source 232.
Each of the PMOS transistors 241, 242 to 24-k operates as a resistor, and has its source commonly connected to the high voltage VCCH and its gate commonly connected to the gate and drain of the PMOS transistor 231. The PMOS transistors 241, 241 to 24-k are set to have different resistance values (e.g., 1R, 2R and 4R, respectively where R is a unit of resistance). The transistor 241 corresponding to the least significant bit LSB DAO[0] of the image data signal has the highest resistance value (e.g., 4R) an thus conducts the least step current (e.g., VCCH/4R), and the transistor 24-k corresponding to the most significant bit MSB DAO[k-1] of the image data signal has the lowest resistance value (e.g., 1R) an thus conducts the largest step current (e.g., VCCH/R).
By the above-structured step current source circuit 230, step (discretized) currents, corresponding to the level-shifted image data signals DO[0:k-1] from the level shifters 221 to 223, are supplied to the node N1.
The PMOS transistor 260 and the NMOS transistor 261 are serially connected between the step current source node N1 and the ground voltage. The gate of the PMOS transistor 260 is connected to an output enable signal OUTEN from the level shifter 224, and the gate of the NMOS transistor 261 is connected to a preset enable signal PSEN from the level shifter 225. A current at the common connection node between the transistors 260 and 261 is outputted as a first data line drive signal D0.
FIG. 3 is a detailed circuit diagram of the conventional level shifter 221 shown in FIG. 2. The level shifters 222 to 225 have the same circuit structure and operate in the same manner as the level shifter 221, and thus their detailed description will be omitted for simplicity.
Referring to FIG. 3, the level shifter 221 includes an inverter 271 (which may comprise two transistors) to generate a differential signal, cross coupled PMOS transistors 272 and 273, and NMOS differential input transistors 274 and 275. The PMOS transistor 272 and the NMOS transistor 274 are serially connected between the high voltage VCCH and the ground voltage, and the PMOS transistor 273 and the NMOS transistor 275 are serially connected between the high voltage VCCH and the ground voltage. The gate of the PMOS transistor 272 is connected to the gate of the NMOS transistor, and the gate of the PMOS transistor 273 is connected to the drain of the NMOS transistor 274. The voltage at a connection node between the PMOS transistor 273 and the NMOS transistor 275 is outputted as an image data signal DA0[0] that is an inputted image data signal DATA0[0] shifted into a high voltage level VCCH.
As described above, in the conventional level shifter 221, signals DATA0[0] and nDATA0[0] applied to the gates of the NMOS transistors 274 and 275 are at a power supply voltage level VDD, and the voltage applied to the gates of the PMOS transistors 272 and 273 is at a high voltage level VCCH (higher than the power supply voltage VDD). Therefore, for an exact level shift operation and an improved switching operation speed, the NMOS transistors 274 and 275 are designed to have a larger (channel) width than the PMOS transistors 272 and 273. For example, when voltage at the of one of the PMOS transistors 272 and 273 is 20V and the voltage at the gate of one of the NMOS transistors 274 and 275 is 2.2V, the NMOS transistors 274 and 275 must have more than six times the width of the PMOS transistors 272 and 273.
Referring again to FIG. 2, when a 6-bit image data signal is inputted for driving each data line D0, the binary-weighted type DAC needs 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 unit resistor transistors for six respective bits, that is, a total of 63 units or resistance in the transistors. Thus, the binary-weighted type DAC needs 63 level shifters.
By contrast, a 6-bit segment-type DAC needs a total of 10 level shifters (six for implementing resistors of 1R, 2R, 4R, 8R, 16R and 32R) plus transistors 260 and 261. As well known in the art, the 6-bit segment-type DAC least significant bit is configured to have a binary-weighted type DAC for processing LSB (least significant bit) 3 bits and a thermometer-type DAC for processing MSB (most significant bit) 3 bits. The binary-weighted type DAC for the LSB 3 bits includes three resistor transistors having ¼ times, ½ times and 1 times the size of the unit resistor transistor, respectively. The thermometer-type DAC for the MSB 3 bits includes seven resistor transistors each having ½ times the size of the unit resistor transistor. Consequently, the 6-bit segment-type DAC needs a total of ten resistor transistors classified into four types. Accordingly, ten level shifters are required.
Since a GVGA display device uses 240 data lines, a GVGA display having 6-bit segment-type DACs needs at least 2400 (240*10) level shifters. It is very burdensome to fabricate and fit 2400 level shifters 221 in the data drive IC 200 illustrated in FIG. 3.
Also, the transistor 260 illustrated in FIG. 2 must be big (wide in its channel) enough to fully transfer the full current from the node N1 as the data line drive signal D0. These big transistors cause an increase in power consumption.

Data drive integrated circuit with reduced size and display apparatus having the same


An integrated circuit device may include core circuitry, and a set of external interface buffer circuits coupled to the core circuitry. To improve test time and accuracy, as well as to simplify test procedures during voltage testing of the set of external interface buffer circuits, the integrated circuit device may include a test circuit and a combinational logic circuit coupled to the set of external interface buffer circuits. The combinational logic circuit is configured to combine a logic level of each of the external interface buffer circuits into a test signal, and the test circuit is configured to execute a voltage test on the set of external interface buffer circuits based on a logic level of the test signal.

Semiconductor chips typically have input/output (I/O) pins that go through an electrical characterization process in which operating voltage margins are determined and published as the chip's electrical specification. During mass production, screening tests are applied to ensure compliance with the chip's specification. One technique to test a chip's I/O pins is to use the on-chip boundary scan infrastructure. The main objective of boundary scan is to facilitate an interconnect test between semiconductor chips mounted on a printed circuit board after its manufacturing and assembly. However, automatic test equipment (ATE) can also use that boundary scan infrastructure to test and verify the electrical characteristics of the I/O pins.

Input/output voltage testing with boundary scan bypass


In a voice-extensible markup-language-enabled voice application deployment architecture, an application logic for determining which portions of a voice application for deployment are cached at an application-receiving end system or systems has a processor for processing the voice application according to sequential dialog files of the application, a static content optimizer connected to the processor for identifying files containing static content, and a dynamic content optimizer connected to the processor for identifying files containing dynamic content. The application is characterized in that the optimizers determine which files should be cached at which end-system facilities, tag the files accordingly, and prepare those files for distribution to selected end-system cache facilities for local retrieval during consumer interaction with the deployed application.

A speech application is one of the most challenging applications to develop, deploy and maintain in a communications (typically telephony) environment. Expertise required for developing and deploying a viable application includes expertise in computer telephony integration (CTI) hardware and software, voice recognition software, text-to-speech software, and speech application logic.
With the relatively recent advent of voice extensive markup language (VXML) the expertise require to develop a speech solution has been reduced somewhat. VXML is a language that enables a software developer to focus on the application logic of the voice application without being required to configuring underlying telephony components. Typically, the developed voice application is run on a VXML interpreter that resides on and executes on the associated telephony system to deliver the solution.
As is shown in FIG. 1A (prior art) a typical architecture of a VXML-compliant telephony system comprises a voice application server (110) and a VXML-compliant telephony server (130). Typical steps for development and deployment of a VXML enabled IVR solutions are briefly described below using the elements of FIG. 1A.
Firstly, a new application database (113) is created or an existing one is modified to support VXML. Application logic 112 is designed in terms of workflow and adapted to handle the routing operations of the IVR system. VXML pages, which are results of functioning application logic, are rendered by a VXML rendering engine (111) based on a specified generation sequence.
Secondly, an object facade to server 130 is created comprising the corresponding VXML pages and is sent to server 130 over a network (120), which can be the Internet, an Intranet, or an Ethernet network. The VXML pages are integrated into rendering engine 111 such that they can be displayed according to set workflow at server 110.
Thirdly, the VXML-telephony server 130 is configured to enable proper retrieval of specific VXML pages from rendering engine 111 within server 110. A triggering mechanism is provided to server 110 so that when a triggering event occurs, an appropriate outbound call is placed from server 110.
A VXML interpreter (131), a voice recognition text-to-speech engine (132), and the telephony hardware/software (133) are provided within server 130 and comprise server function. In prior art, the telephony hardware/software 130 along with the VXML interpreter 131 are packaged as an off-the-shelf IVR-enabling technology. Arguably the most important feature, however, of the entire system is the application server 110. The application logic (112) is typically written in a programming language such as Java and packaged as an enterprise Java Bean archive. The presentation logic required is handled by rendering engine 111 and is written in JSP or PERL.
An enhanced voice application system is known to the inventor and disclosed in the U.S. patent application entitled "Method and Apparatus for Development and Deployment of a Voice Software Application for Distribution to one or more Application Consumers" to which this application claims priority. That system uses a voice application server that is connected to a data network for storing and serving voice applications. The voice application server has a data connection to a network communications server connected to a communications network such as the well-known PSTN network. The communication server routes the created voice applications to their intended recipients.
A computer station is provided as part of the system and is connected to the data network and has access to the voice application server. A client software application is hosted on the computer station for the purpose of enabling users to create applications and manage their states. In this system, the user operates the client software hosted on the computer station in order to create voice applications through object modeling and linking. The applications, once created, are then stored in the application server for deployment. The user can control and manage deployment and state of deployed applications including scheduled deployment and repeat deployments in terms of intended recipients.
In one embodiment, the system is adapted for developing and deploying a voice application using Web-based data as source data over a communications network to one or more recipients. The enhanced system has a voice application server capable through software and network connection of accessing a network server and Web site hosted therein and for pulling data from the site. The computer station running a voice application software has control access to at least the voice application server and is also capable of accessing the network server and Web site. An operator of the computer station creates and provides templates for the voice application server to use in data-to-voice rendering. In this aspect, Web data can be harvested from a Web-based data source and converted to voice for delivery as dialogue in a voice application.
In another embodiment, a method is available in the system described above for organizing, editing, and prioritizing the Web-based data before dialog creation is performed. The method includes harvesting the Web-based data source in the form of its original structure; generating an object tree representing the logical structure and content type of the harvested, Web-based data source; manipulating the object tree generated to a desired hierarchal structure and content; creating a voice application template in VXML and populating the template with the manipulated object tree; and creating a voice application capable of accessing the Web-based data source according to the constraints of the template. The method allows streamlining of voice application deployment and executed state and simplified development process of the voice application.
A security regimen is provided for the above-described system. The protocol provides transaction security between a Web server and data and a voice portal system accessible through a telephony network on the user end and through an XML gateway on the data source end. The regimen includes one of a private connection, a virtual private network, or a secure socket layer, set-up between the Web server and the Voice Portal system through the XML gateway. Transactions carried on between the portal and the server or servers enjoy the same security that is available between secure nodes on the data network. In one embodiment, the regimen further includes a voice translation system distributed at the outlet of the portal and at the telephone of the end user wherein the voice dialog is translated to an obscure language not that of the users language and then retranslated to the users language at the telephone of the user.
In such as system where templates are used to enable voice application dialog transactions, voice application rules and voice recognition data are consulted for the appropriate content interpretation and response protocol so that the synthesized voice presented as response dialog through the voice portal to the user is both appropriate in content and hopefully error free in expression. The database is therefore optimized with vocabulary words that enable a very wide range of speech covering many different vocabulary words akin to many differing business scenarios.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, vocabulary recognition is tailored for active voice applications according to client parameters. This is accomplished through a vocabulary management system adapted to constrain voice recognition processing associated with text-to-speech and speech-to-text rendering associated with use of an active voice application in progress between a user accessing a data source through a voice portal. The enhancement includes a vocabulary management server connected to a voice application server and to a telephony server, and an instance of vocabulary management software running on the management server for enabling vocabulary establishment and management for voice recognition software. In practice of the enhanced vocabulary management capability, an administrator accessing the vocabulary management server uses the vocabulary management software to create unique vocabulary sets or lists that are specific to selected portions of vocabulary associated with target data sources the vocabulary sets differing in content according to administrator direction.
It will be appreciated by one with skill in the art of voice application deployment architecture that many users vying to connect and interact with a voice portal may in some cases create a bottleneck wherein data lines connecting voice application components to Web-sources and other data sources become taxed to their capacities. This problem may occur especially at peak use periods as is common for many normal telephony environments. It has occurred to the inventor that still more streamlining in terms of traffic optimization is required to alleviate potential line use issues described above.
Therefore, what is clearly needed is a method and apparatus for dynamic optimization of local cache components in a VXML distribution system, especially between an application server and a voice portal. Such a system would improve data carrying efficiency over critical data lines and improve response time at the voice portal.

Method and apparatus for reducing data traffic in a voice XML application distribution system through cache optimization


There is provided a fan motor in which an increase in the temperature of windings thereof is surpressed, thereby achieving a long life and high performance. Vent holes 33 for introducing air into a cup-like member 9 are formed in a bottom wall section 9b of a rotor 6. Air flowing direction adjusting ribs 37, which are arranged at intervals in a peripheral direction and each of which extends in a radial direction, are integrally provided on the inner surface of the bottom wall section 9 so that air flown out of exits 33b of the vent holes 33 is directed toward windings 3. In addition to the air flowing direction adjusting ribs 37, a plurality of air stirring ribs 39 for stirring the air inside the cup-like member 9 is arranged on the inner surface of the bottom wall section 9.

The present invention relates to a fan motor employed for cooling an electronic device or the like.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 191611/1998 discloses a fan motor including a cup-like member and an impeller. The cup-like member has a cylindrical section with a plurality of rotor magnetic poles on an inner peripheral side thereof and a bottom wall section that blocks one end of the cylindrical section. The impeller includes a plurality of blades arranged outside the cylindrical section. In the fan motor of this type, in order to increase the volume of airflow and static pressure performance to aim at its higher performance, input power to windings is increased. The number of revolutions of the motor is thereby increased.
However, if the number of revolutions of the motor is increased as described above, the amount of heat generated in the windings increases. Then, when this heat generation causes the heat to be transferred to the bearings of the motor and the temperature of the bearings thus increases, the life of the bearings is reduced. For this reason, because of the need for suppressing the increase in the temperature of the bearings, the higher performance of the fan motor was conventionally hindered.


A thin switch plate assembly for covering and mounting switches includes of a face plate attached to a base plate by a snap-fit connection to provide a screwless appearance.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a novel switch plate assembly used to provide support, enclosure and decorative functions for wall switches, receptacles and the like.
2. Prior Art
Most home owners do not like switch plates having mounting screws visible, especially switch plates made of metal with decorative surface treatments. However, conventional metal switch plates are made with visible screws. One example of such plates is stated in U.S. Pat. No. US D465,144 S.
Due to the structural limitation of conventional switch plate assemblies having with snap fit connections, components of such assemblies are commonly made of plastic to hide mounting screws. This is because metal connectors of such assemblies are subject to breaking at installation or replacement. All conventional switch plate assemblies are either made of non-metallic materials to hide mounting screws or made of metal with exposed mounting screws on front surfaces.
In fact, metal switch plates are superior to plastic ones in terms of durability and application of surface treatment and appearance.
A suitable structure providing a screwless switch plate assembly made of metal and capable of easy replacement is not solved by prior art devices.


A clamping module has a retractable drawbar and pivoting expansion members. The expansion members are pivotable from a first position having an effective diameter which is less than the minimum diameter of the workpiece hole through which the drawbar and expansion members are extended and a second position engaging the workpiece so as to transmit an axial force from the drawbar through the expansion members to the workpiece sufficient to secure the workpiece.

The present invention relates generally to clamping components for holding workpieces in place, and is particularly directed to clamping components for holding workpieces having through-holes. The invention will be specifically disclosed in connection with a hydraulically actuated clamping module which extends through a through-hole.
In order to machine parts to finished dimensions, the parts must be accurately and securely held in place. This typically involves clamping the part on the machine tool. Since parts come in all sizes and shapes, securing the parts frequently presents a unique challenge for each part.
To produce a part efficiently, the cutting tool needs as much unobstructed access as possible in order to remove material from the part. Although it is common in industry to secure these parts on fixtures using standard modular clamping components, such components sometimes obstruct or reduce direct access to the areas on the part that have to be machined. Often, multiple clamping components are used, adding to complexity and reducing efficiency.
Additionally, in order to keep the time required to machine parts at a minimum, clamping components must make it easy and quick to unclamp a machined part and clamp the next part. The set up time required to switch from part to part also needs to be at a minimum. To some extent, the use of modular clamping components which are mounted to or in a fixture body has reduced the time required for set up. However, clamping components to date have not completely and adequately addressed all of the problems with unobstructed access to the areas to be machined, the time required to load and unload parts and for set up.
The present invention addresses these problems by eliminating and replacing the use of multiple individual modular clamping components on fixtures for parts with through-holes. The present invention, a modular expanding pullback clamp, provides greater access for cutting tools to engage the part, while also making the loading and unloading of parts by the machine operator straight forward and relatively easy. Parts with through-holes (whether entirely through the part, or just into a cavity large enough to permit use of the present invention) can be easily positioned, clamped and secured on a fixture by the expanding pullback mechanism of the modular hydraulic clamp.
It is an object of this invention to obviate the above-described problems and shortcomings of the prior art heretofore available.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping module which provides maximum unobstructed access to a workpiece while securely holding the workpiece.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a clamping module which can easily accommodate various configurations of workpieces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping module on which it is easy to load and unload parts.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a clamping module which can radially and axially hold a workpiece.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a clamping module in which pressurizing a single hydraulic chamber effects radially and axially clamping of a workpiece.
Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, there is provided a clamping module having a retractable drawbar and pivoting expansion members. The expansion members are pivotable from a first position having an effective diameter which is less than the minimum diameter of the workpiece hole through which the drawbar and expansion members are extended and a second position engaging the workpiece so as to transmit an axial force from the drawbar through the expansion members to the workpiece sufficient to secure the workpiece.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the clamping module includes an expandable collet which, when expanded, applies a radial outward force to the workpiece so as to secure it radially.
In another aspect of the present invention, the drawbar, expansion members and expandable collet are actuated by supplying hydraulic pressure to a single chamber within the body of the clamping module. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the pivotable expansion members are engaged at one end by a frustoconical cylinder which resiliently urged there against so as to urge the pivotable expansion members radially inwardly.


A longitudinal continuous kiln (1) for drying and vulcanizing rubber profiles includes a lower chamber (3), provided with a conveying belt (11), and an upper chamber (2), carrying hot air. A plurality of convectors (8) heated by the hot air of the upper chamber (2) are arranged aligned inside the upper chamber (2), each of the plurality of convectors furnished with a diffusing nozzle (9). A conduit with a plurality of unitary derivations (7) branched from the conduit (6) are connected to each of the plurality of convectors (8). Pressurized hot air, heated in the plurality of convectors, is delivered through the conduit (6) and is directed toward the lower chamber (3) for purposes of drying and vulcanizing rubber profiles (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a longitudinal continuous furnace or kiln for drying and vulcanizing rubber profiles with the purpose of allowing the drying and vulcanization of rubber profiles, but which can also be equally well be utilized for performing the drying of products continuously, and in particular of products intended for vehicular purposes and automation. This invention will find application in the industry devoted to the manufacture of longitudinal kilns.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
A plurality of furnaces and kilns, be they longitudinal or not, operating in a continuous way, for drying and vulcanizing different products, such as, for example, rubber profiles, are known.
The existing kilns, at least those known to the applicant, do not offer a possibility of effecting an exchange of heat energy of the air mass of an upper chamber to profiles moving within a lower chamber, thus obtaining a heat exchange of the highest efficiency.
It is also noted that the larger part of the longitudinal furnaces employed at present are applied in a way to achieve the desired objective.
Nevertheless, all furnaces and kilns known do not exhibit the possibility to perform an exchange of the thermal energy of the air mass of the upper chamber to the profile which moves in the lower chamber in achieving in the following an exchange with the highest efficiency possible.
Up to the present, the methods employed in the drying and vulcanizing of profiles of synthetic rubber in a continuous way have been:
Continuous vulcanization in chambers made free from nitrates and nitrites.
Vulcanization in a continuous bed with microballs made up of glass compositions.
Continuous vulcanization with microwaves combined with a conventional furnace employing hot air.
Vulcanization on small pillows of sheet metal pieces with hot air.
Furnaces of hot air employed for vulcanization only.
The Koch kiln as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,592 for the drying of coverings.
Of these recited furnaces, the first five employ different processes which are remote from those employed according to the present invention. Perhaps the furnace taught by Koch comes closest to the present invention, even though the Koch kiln exhibits substantial differences from the system of the present invention.

Longitudinal continuous kiln for drying and vulcanizing rubber profiles


A rigid substrate including at least one electrically conducting element that provides an antenna function to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic signals, the electrically conducting element having a pattern with a fractal geometry. The electrically conducting element is formed from an electrically conductive ink or enamel that is printed directly on the substrate.

Among known substrates that include electrically conducting elements are window panes, widely used in the automotive field. The electrically conducting elements are usually employed as heating tracks, especially on rear windows, but they may also be placed on a window pane in order to provide an alarm and/or an antenna function thereat.
In practice, the electrically conducting elements consist of metal wires that are formed on an industrial scale by conventional screen-printing of an electrically conducting paste, forming a predetermined pattern, and by firing this paste.
The pattern gives the elements a precise width and a precise thickness depending on the final function of said elements, for example in relation to the desired impedance of an antenna.
Owing to the useful functions (heating, antenna, alarm) provided by these conducting elements, their number on a given window pane has been increasing in recent years, which can pose space constraint and visibility problems. Thus, when the tracks are located in the field of view of the window pane, they are clearly visible from the inside, which may impede the driver, and possibly from the outside, which impairs the aesthetics of the vehicle.
Thus, for a few years now, conducting elements have instead been produced in the form of transparent metal films that are etched or cut into the desired pattern.
Moreover, although several years ago an antenna was dedicated only to receiving radio waves, the growing technology in the telecommunications field is increasingly dictating the provision of antennas endowed with various types of transmission and/or reception characteristics, such as GPS, mobile telephony, etc.
Thus, a vehicle is presently provided with conventional receive antennas, such as conducting wires placed on the rear windows, and with more specific antennas, such as for GPS systems, mobile telephony systems, telepayment systems, etc., which consist of wire antennas or antennas configured in the form of patches and placed for example on the roof of the vehicle, or which consist of transparent conducting films deposited on the window panes.
Since all these applications do not operate at the same frequency, it is necessary to configure a specific antenna for each application. This does not simplify the manufacture of a vehicle and represents additional production and vehicle incorporation costs.
A new type of antenna has recently appeared on the market, called a fractal antenna, which makes it possible with a single device to operate over one or more frequency bands and which also is miniaturized.
A fractal antenna has a pattern with a fractal geometry, that is to say a base pattern that is repeated several times, possibly on a different and homothetic size scale, so as to cover one or more frequency bands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,914 for example describes a fractal antenna in the form of a loop that is 5 to 10 times smaller than an equivalent low-frequency conventional antenna. This antenna is for example formed by a conducting film deposited on a substrate and cut to the desired shape.
Various shapes of antennas having a fractal geometry may be envisaged. Patent application WO 02/01668 thus discloses various patterns, such as triangular, Hilbert curve, Von Koch snowflake and Sierpinski carpet patterns, or a combination of these patterns, the antennas being obtained from conducting films formed on substrates.
These fractal antennas formed by transparent films may also be incorporated into window panes by being deposited on supports, for example flexible plastic films, which are then laminated between two substrates to form the window pane. Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,690 shows this type of window pane. However, such a manufacturing process remains complicated to implement.
Such antennas formed on rigid supports, such as plastic supports, but incorporated into rearview mirror assemblies, thus eliminating from view the conventional antennas placed on the roof, are also known.

Substrate provided with an electroconductive element having an antenna function


A method for controlling a frequency output of a phase locked loop (PLL) is provided. The method includes providing digital control words to the PLL to discretely change at least one dividing factor within the PLL. The method further includes applying a time-varying control voltage to a voltage controlled oscillator. The method still further includes applying an output of the voltage controlled oscillator to the PLL as a reference frequency. The method further includes outputting a signal from the PLL, the signal varied in frequency based on one or more of the time-varying control voltage and the at least one dividing factor.

This invention relates generally to electronic circuits and more specifically, to a frequency hopping oscillator circuit that may be utilized in, for example, a phase locked loop (PLL).
It is common to utilize a PLL in conjunction with a voltage controlled oscillator to coherently provide a local oscillator signal to a receiver and transmitter circuit within a transceiver. A PLL typically utilizes a reference oscillator which is used as a reference frequency to "lock" the output local oscillator (LO) at a specific frequency. The reference oscillator is typically of a high quality crystal type which provides a low phase noise reference to the PLL. Various types of crystal oscillators exist, including oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO), temperature-controlled crystal oscillators (TCXO), and voltage controlled crystal oscillators (VCXO). The VCXO reference frequency can be fine-tuned by adjusting a DC control voltage. Using any of the above described reference oscillators is common practice in PLL circuits.
A problem arises when two or more narrow-band coherent transceivers are in close proximity. If the transmit signals from those transceivers are at the same frequency, they may adversely interfere with one another. One current method to reduce the interference is for each transceiver to randomly change frequency within a bandwidth. Each of these frequency changes is commonly referred to as a frequency hop, and multiple frequency changes are referred to as frequency hopping. A digital circuit provides digital data to the PLL in order to initiate such a frequency hop. Increasing the number of frequency hops within a fixed bandwidth improves the interference rejection, however, when using currently available phase locked loop oscillator circuitry for the local oscillator, increasing the number of frequency hops degrades the phase noise of the oscillator such that an upper limit of discrete frequencies within the bandwidth cannot be exceeded, therefore limiting the amount of interference that can be rejected.
With known frequency hopping oscillator circuits, there are limitations on the number of discrete frequency hops that can be created within a fixed bandwidth without degrading the phase noise.


A wire hiding device includes an accommodating part for accommodating an electric wire, and a transparent cover part provided around the accommodating part, the transparent cover part being provided with an opening at a rear portion, through which an image at the rear portion of the transparent cover part is exposed. The transparent cover part includes a magnifying-projecting portion, through which the image is magnified and projected forward. The accommodating part is located at a zone where an image of the accommodating part is incapable of being projected forward through the magnifying-projecting portion. The wire hiding device is not easily seen by an observer and even looks just like a part of an indoor environment, and the electric wire is invisible to an observer.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a wire hiding device and, more particularly, to a wire hiding device and electric apparatus having the same capable of hiding and protecting an electric wire and not being easily seen by an observer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electric apparatus such as a television (TV), a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a stereo, a computer or the like is equipped with electric wires connected to a main body, through which power is supplied or signals are transmitted. When the electric wires are exposed outside, the appearance of a room interior is spoiled, and the electric wires are trodden on by people or crushed by furniture, which causes breakage of wire or damage to the wire coating or casing. Conventionally, a wire protecting cover has been used for shielding the electric wires after installing the electric apparatus.
A conventional wire protecting cover is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-103617. Such a wire protecting cover includes a base part which is attached to a wall or a floor of a room, and a cover part which covers the base part to provide a wire accommodating space with the base part, to thereby shield the electric wires and protect the same.
However, the wire protecting cover itself is also exposed to person's sight. As such, when the color of the wire protecting cover does not match with the room color, the aesthetics of the room interior is further spoiled. Especially, when mounting an electric apparatus like a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) TV on a wall, the wire protecting cover should also be mounted on the wall. Accordingly, the wire protecting cover is more easily exposed to person's sight, thereby causing a degradation of the aesthetics of the room interior.

Wire hiding device and electric apparatus having the same


An automated device monitors moisture content in exterior sheathing of a building for detecting moisture intrusion into the sheathing walls. A plurality of moisture sensors are embedded in selected exterior walls of the building behind the cladding and are adapted to provide signals representative of the moisture content in the walls at each of the selected locations. A control unit is operatively connected with each of the plurality of moisture sensors for generating an alarm signal when at least one of the signals representative of the moisture content in the plurality of walls is indicative of a moisture content in excess of a predetermined threshold value. Each moisture sensor is preferably in the form of a pair of spaced apart elongate conductive probe members having a substantial portion thereof from a lead end embedded into a substrate of the exterior building walls, and a connection end extending outwardly from the first wall for enabling electrical connection of each moisture sensor to the control unit. An audible or visual alarm is generated when moisture is detected. Electronic communication of alarm signals are further provided for moisture monitoring from a distance.

The present invention is directed to the art of moisture detection systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an automated moisture detection system for monitoring the moisture content in the exterior walls or outer sheathing of commercial or residential structures and will be described with particular attention thereto. It is to be appreciated, however, that the present invention has a wide range of applications and uses such as, for example, in monitoring the moisture content in other components of buildings and for monitoring moisture in a wide range of manufacturing or industrial processes.
The present invention finds particular application in connection with buildings covered with cladding systems such as, for example, brick, metal or vinyl siding products. Most cladding systems are typically not designed to drain water that may unintentionally penetrate past the exterior cladding due to defective window construction improper installation, the lack of proper flashing, or the like. Such deficiencies may lead to certain moisture induced damage to the materials beneath the cladding system.
As a further concern, weather resistive barriers are typically not provided beneath the cladding on commercial buildings and are often installed incorrectly on residential buildings. Furthermore, cavities on certain drainable cladding systems may become plugged or otherwise disabled, leading to accumulated moisture with no means of discharge from behind the cladding.
The damage to the building materials behind the exterior cladding is most often hidden and therefore usually undetectable by outer visual inspection. After prolonged periods of moisture ingress and/or moisture retention, damage occurs, usually in the form of mold, rot, and dimensional instability. There is no known automated, reliable technique for periodically testing for
There is a need, therefore, to provide a system for detecting moisture in building components on a substantially continuous basis so that elevated moisture levels in the building materials monitored may be immediately discovered and appropriately addressed quickly before any significant damage to the building materials can take place.
It would further be desirable to provide an automated moisture monitoring system that includes a central control unit connected to a plurality of moisture sensors, each of the moisture sensors being disposed in a different exterior wall portion of the monitored structure. In that way, each wall of the monitored structure can be interrogated on a regular and substantially continuous basis by the control unit for generating suitable alarms or the like when the moisture content in any of the monitored building walls exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Still further, it would be desirable to provide a monitoring system that generates audible or visual alarms when elevated moisture levels are detected in at least one exterior wall of the monitored structure. In addition, an electronic modem communication circuit would be advantageous in conjunction with the control unit for transmitting the moisture alarm signal to remote locations such as, for example, to a commercial service that provides notification to the building owner followed by a communication to appropriate service crews to effect necessary repairs, or the like.

Method and apparatus for moisture detection in exterior sheathing of residential and commercial buildings


A detector assembly (10) powered by mains electricity and an elongate backup battery (76) is disclosed. The assembly includes: a ceiling mountable base (10) having a body defining a downwardly opening socket (24); a detector module (20) having a battery support portion (75) for holding the battery (76) in a vertical orientation, the module (20) receivable by the socket (24); a quick connection means for mechanically and electrically connecting the module (20) to the base (10); and shutter (50) mounted to the base (10). The shutter (50) prevents operation of the quick connection means when no vertical battery (76) is installed within the module (20). The quick connection means comprises co-operable pairs of conductors. The conductor pairs transmit power from the base (10) to the module (20). The pairs of conductors each comprise a stud conductor mounted to the base (10) and a forked conductor mounted to the module (20).

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are typically mounted at various locations around a house or other buildings to detect dangerous air quality conditions that may arise as a result of fire and give an alarm signal. Such alarm units must be highly reliable so that the alarm can detect conditions invisible to the human senses when the occupants of the building are asleep. Domestic smoke alarms in the past have typically been powered by a battery that gave about one year of normal operation. No connection to the mains circuit was made. Recent changes to regulations in many countries have mandated the use of fixed wiring to provide mains power combined with battery back up for loss of mains power in smoke alarms.
Most mains power smoke alarms found in Australia, having battery back up systems, use a plug in connector with a small flexible cable (flex) that requires a further termination box for connection usually fixed above the ceiling. This arrangement is not desirable for the installer as he/she is required to fix the terminal connection means to a fixing point as is required by the wiring rules, this usually necessitates entering the roof cavity, plus the extra cost to purchase the junction box.
The small connector plug and separate terminal housing referred to above is used in many countries around the world. The problem with this method of termination is the requirement for a separate terminal connection means plus the plug can get knocked out of its connection when insulation batts or the like are pulled over the smoke alarm. The cable length may also not reach a fixing point for the terminal box. In this case the electrician has to make a fixing point closer to the smoke alarm.
Other smoke alarms in the market have integrated the terminals within their mounting plates, but with the addition of terminals and the conventional layout of components such as the battery position the alarm becomes large and bulky making it less commercially acceptable. Batteries also require replacement annually, hence a simple means is required to allow the battery replacement. The alarm must also prevent the user from connection to the mains circuit without the battery fitted. Many designs for battery removal are available on the market. Most have complicated door mechanism that hide the battery some have complicated switching that allow the user to keep the mains connection but isolate the sense electronics when the battery door is open. In most cases the battery is hidden and is difficult for impaired persons to remove or understand how removal is achieved.
It is an object of the invention to overcome at least some of the problems outlined above.

Detector assembly suited to smoke alarms


The rotating type variable resistor includes a housing; a rotating member disposed to be rotatable in the housing; a ring-shaped support member having a conductive pattern at one surface of the support member and disposed at any one side between the housing and the rotating member; and a sliding member disposed at the other side between the housing and the rotating member, and capable of sliding relative to the conductive pattern, wherein the conductive pattern is composed of a high resistor unit containing carbon and a low resistor unit having a specific resistance lower than that of the high resistor unit, and the high resistor unit and the low resistor unit are alternately and repeatedly formed along a direction where the conductive pattern and the sliding member slide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotating type variable resistor, and in particular, to a structure of a rotating type variable resistor employed for various controllers such as an electronic apparatus especially for the use in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A structure of a rotating electric component such as a rotating type variable resistor and an encoder in the related art has a case having a hollow support member and a plurality of contact members (i.e. sliding contacts) embedded in a support unit, an axial member (i.e. rotating member) having a hollow axial unit and being rotatably supported by a case and having a conductive pattern formed in a rotating unit, and a mounting member (i.e. cover member) covering the top of the case (for example, see patent document 1).
Hereinafter, the structure of the rotating electric component of the related art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a rotating electric component of the related art, and FIG. 7 is a disassembled perspective view illustrating the rotating electric component.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the case 21 molded with a synthetic resin has a rectangular support unit 21b having a ring-shaped concave unit 21a, and a cylindrical support unit 21d having a penetrating hole 21c at its center and being perpendicular to the center of the support unit 21b, and a plurality of contact members 22 are embedded as a unit with the terminal in the support unit 21b of the case 21.
The axial member 23 molded with a synthetic resin has an axial unit 23b having a penetrating hole 23a at its center, and a ring-shaped rotating member 23c formed at the lower end of the axial unit 23b, and the axial unit 23b and the rotating member 23c are shaped as a unit, and the axial unit 23b is shaped like a cylinder having the same diameter throughout the length and thus a straight contour. And a conductive pattern 24 composed of a resistor or a code pattern is formed at the lower surface of the rotating member 23c, and an axial member 23 having the conductive pattern 24 inserts the support unit 21d to the penetrating hole 23a, and the rotating unit 23c is received within the concave unit 21a so that it is rotatably fitted in to the case 21.
A mounting plate 25 molded with a metal plate has a flat portion 25b having a hole 25a, a pair of legs 25c rectangularly bent from the flat portion 25b, and a plurality of mounting portions 25d rectangularly bent from the flat portion 25b, and the axial unit 23b and the support unit 21d are inserted to the hole 25a of the mounting plate 25 to allow the flat portion 25b to cover one surface of the rotating unit 23c, and a front end of the leg 25c is bent to the lower surface of the case 21 to allow the case 21 and the axial member 23 to fit together, and thus the mounting plate 25 has the functions of a mounting body and a case.
When a rotating electric component having the above-described configuration rotates the axial portion 23b of the axial member 23, the rotating unit 23c and the conductive pattern 24 rotate, and the contact piece 22 slides on and contacts with the conductive pattern 24, therefore an output signal is produced.
Further, the rotating electric component of such a configuration is mounted in a printed circuit board (not shown), and a push button switch 26 is disposed in the printed circuit board positioned within the penetrating hole 21c of the case 21 as shown in FIG. 6. And the support unit 21d of the case 21 and the axial portion 23b of the axial member 23 are cylindrical-shaped, so that another electric component can be disposed in the center space thereof, which yields an electric component having a good space factor.


This application relates to effector controlled eukaryotic expression vectors adapted for use in gene therapy or gene immunization having positive feedback regulation.

PCT/US90/01515 describes products and processes for gene therapy and gene immunization by direct introduction of naked or lipid-complexed polynucleotides into body tissue of a host vertebrate. (All references cited hereunder are incorporated herein by reference.) The naked polynucleotides are naked in the sense that they are free of certain indicated additives, such as transfection-facilitating proteins, viral particles, liposomes, charged lipids, and calcium phosphate precipitating agents. The lipid-complexed polynucleotides are formed of polynucleotides and lipids.
PCT/US94/06734 describes the work by Gossen, M. & Bujard, H. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89, 5547-5551 (1992). See also Gossen, M., Bonin, A. L. & Bujard, H. TIBS 18, 471-475 (1993). (All references cited hereunder are incorporated herein by reference.) Gossen and Bujard adapted a prokaryotic tetracycline system to produce a genetic switch for achieving control of eukaryotic gene expression. In the native prokaryotic tetracycline system, tetracycline is an effector that induces prokaryotic gene expression. Tetracycline accomplishes this by binding to a tetracycline repressor protein. In the absence of tetracycline, the tetracycline repressor binds a tetracycline operator sequence, which is linked to a promoter, and represses transcription. In the presence of tetracycline, the tetracycline repressor binds tetracycline, which binding displaces the repressor from the tetracycline operator sequence, so repression is relieved and transcription can begin.
The Gossen and Bujard adaptation, instead of being a tetracycline repressor system, is a tetracycline activator system. In this system, a tetracycline-controlled activator protein is prepared by fusing the tetracycline repressor to a transcription activation domain from another protein that activates transcription in eukaryotic cells, causing the resultant chimeric protein to retain the repressor's binding capabilities, while also possessing the property of activating transcription in eukaryotic cells. In the absence of tetracycline, the tetracycline-controlled activator binds the tetracycline operator sequence, which is linked to a promoter, and activates transcription. In the presence of tetracycline, the tetracycline-controlled activator binds tetracycline, which binding displaces the activator from the tetracycline operator sequence, so activation is ended and transcription is silenced.
According to Furth, P. A., et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91, 9302-9306 (1994), the Gossen and Bujard group generated a transgenic mouse based on the tetracycline activator system. In Gatz, C., Frohberg, C. & Wendenburg, R. Plant J 2, 397-404 (1992), this investigative group produced a transgenic plant using the tetracycline repressor system. Each regulatory system exploits the prokaryotic tetracycline mechanism as a genetic switch to turn genes on and off.
These regulatory systems require that two different kinds of expression vectors enter each transfected cell. For example, in the tetracycline activator system, a first expression vector is necessary that encodes the tetracycline-controlled activator. A second expression vector is required that encodes the gene of interest placed under the control of the tetracycline operator sequence linked to a promoter.
Similarly, in the tetracycline repressor system, the tetracycline repressor is encoded by one expression vector. The gene of interest is encoded by another expression vector placed under the control of the tetracycline operator sequence linked to a promoter.
Such two-vector systems are, however, problematic. The probability of transfecting a single cell with two plasmid DNAs is significantly lower than for transfecting that cell with one plasmid DNA. Moreover, the transfection efficiencies for different kinds of plasmid DNAs may vary dramatically. Furthermore, even where multiple copies of plasmid DNA get transfected into cells, the sheer number of plasmid DNAs is presumed to affect the level of expression, making it important for regulation of that expression to have both kinds of plasmid DNAs available in sufficiently representative quantities.
PCT/US94/06734 tried to solve the two-vector problem by eliminating the need to encode one of the genes, to wit, the gene of interest. A DNA construct was designed for homologous recombination at a single site in a haploid genome. This construct encoded only the tetracycline-controlled activator and placed the tetracycline operator sequence linked to a promoter in a position so that, upon successful integration, it controlled the expression of an endogenous gene. Successful integration was also intended to position the sequence encoding the tetracycline-controlled activator under the control of the promoter of that endogenous gene.
This single construct system served the purpose of generating a conditional gene knockout. Functioning as a single copy, in an integrated state, at a predetermined locus, this plasmid was not developed to shuttle individual genes into cells, in contrast to gene therapy and gene immunization described in PCT/US90/01515 where plasmids are present as multiples copies, in episomal form, and for the express purpose of gene delivery. Additionally, this single plasmid solution was limited to the production of organisms as "transgenics," given the technical manipulations required to bring about homologous recombination, thus effectively precluding its usefulness in gene therapy and gene immunization in humans.
Even this single construct solution fails to overcome additional existing difficulties. It is critical that expression not be leaky in these regulatory systems that seek to control gene activity. To ensure this, PCT/US94/06734 contemplated insulating one transcription unit, constituting the endogenous gene and the tetracycline response element, from the other transcription unit, having the sequence encoding the tetracycline-controlled activator under the control of the endogenous promoter. For example, strong transcription terminators were envisioned for placement between these transcription units.
Now that individual genes can be administered as drugs and vaccines for use in gene therapy and gene immunization, there arises an urgent and compelling need to provide delivery of these genes and regulate expression of their gene products. The realization of this goal through the development of regulatory systems should take into account the problems of two-plasmid systems. It would be particularly beneficial if any such regulatory systems could address the issue of leaky gene expression toward achieving genetic control.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to provide effector controlled eukaryotic expression vectors adapted for use in gene therapy and gene immunization.
It is another objective of the invention to provide these vectors as single vector constructs that contain all the elements necessary for a regulatory system on a single construct.
It is yet another objective of the invention to provide such vectors as having positive feedback regulation.
These and other objectives of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the specification as a whole.


The invention is a compact ultrasonic tester involving rotating sensors. The processor rotates with the sensors so that the output signal of the processor goes through the slip rings, rather than the output signal of the sensors. A spraying system is incorporated in conjunction with rollers. The rollers take the applied spray on the pipe surface and paint a film on the outer pipe surface to allow a good contact for meaningful results. A floating shoe is provided for holding each sensor against the pipe wall. The sensors are biased into contact with the pipe surface and the machine can handle different diameters of pipe. By controlling the pipe speed of advance and the rotational speed of the sensors, 100 percent coverage of the pipe wall is assured. The machine is compact and can be installed behind existing electromagnetic/gamma testers without major modifications to pipe-testing facilities.

In the past, machines that were used to inspect pipes used electromagnetic waves to detect transverse and longitudinal faults. Also combined as a feature in such machines was the use of gamma rays to detect wall thickness. Pipes were fed into these machines and rotated as they were being fed. However, the downside of this type of inspection is that it missed about 70 percent of the pipe wall area. Furthermore, the wall thickness test involved an averaging of a measurement of two opposing walls; therefore, a complete picture of the wall thickness at the point of inspection was not clearly known.
More recently, ultrasonic testing machines have been developed. Some of these use a plurality of ultrasonic sensors which are fixedly mounted while the pipe is rotated and advanced over the sensors. The sensors provide information on the pipe condition, including defects as well as wall thickness. The problem with such machines is that they require so many sensors and complex computer equipment to analyze all of the signals obtained from the sensors on a real-time basis, that inspection using such machines proves to be a very costly endeavor. Using the stationary multiple sensors as just described results in a charge to the customer of approximately 4-6 times as much as pipe inspected using the older technology involving electromagnetic waves.
There have also been machines that use ultrasonic technology where the sensors themselves spin around the pipe. Typically, these sensors generate a high-frequency, low-voltage signal which must go through a slip ring because the sensors themselves are rotated around the pipe. The signal, after going through the slip ring, goes to a processor which converts the information to a useful form with regard to imperfections in the pipe. The problems associated with machines of this design is that the high-frequency, low-voltage signal going through the slip ring was subject to interference which resulted in affecting the signal accuracy transmitted from the sensor to the processor.
The apparatus of the present invention exhibits a marked improvement from known ultrasonic sensors in that the processor rotates about the pipe with the sensors, and the signal going through the slip ring is the output from the processor. Therefore, the signal generated by the processor which is low-frequency and high-voltage is not as easily subject to interference as the high-frequency, low-voltage signals put through the slip rings in the prior designs.
Another problem exhibited by ultrasonic testing machines is the need to get good contact at the surface to obtain the readings. The apparatus of the present invention has incorporated a sprayer/roller combination which in effect paints a liquid surface on the pipe as it advances toward the sensors. The sprayers in combination with the rollers spread a film over the outer surface of the pipe to facilitate getting a good contact between the sensor holder and the pipe so that accurate readings can be obtained. This feature, in combination with a floating shoe for the sensor, improves accuracy due to better contact with the pipe wall.
Another feature of the apparatus of the present invention is its compactness which allows it to be added to an existing testing facility which employs a combination of electromagnetic and gamma rays to test pipe. Thus, what results is a combination of machines that when put together allow tests to be done economically yet greatly improve the coverage problems associated with using the electromagnetic waves/gamma ray technology to test pipe. By controlling the advance speed of the pipe, as well as the rotational speed of the sensors, coverage over 100 percent of the pipe area can be assured.
Of interest as far as the state of the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,007,291; 4,562,738; 4,843,884; 4,328,708; 4,596,953; and 4,672,852; all of which illustrate ultrasonic testing machines with rotating sensors in combination with the use of slip rings and an applied liquid. Several ultrasonic testers are portable for use on existing pipes, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,034 and 4,531,413 and 4,586,379. Other testers employ stationary probes such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,277; 4,660,419; 4,567,747; and 4,475,399.