The present invention relates to a method and device for dereverberation of single-channel speech. The method includes the following steps of framing an input single channel speech signal, and processing the frame signals as follows according to a time sequence: performing short-time Fourier transform on a current frame to obtain a power spectrum and a phase spectrum of the current frame; selecting several frames previous to the current frame and having a distance from the current frame within a set duration range, and performing linear superposition on the power spectra of these frames to estimate the power spectrum of a late reflection sound of the current frame; removing the estimated power spectrum of the late reflection sound of the current frame from the power spectrum of the current frame by a spectral subtraction method to obtain the power spectra of a direct sound and an early reflection sound of the current frame; and performing inverse short-time Fourier transform on the power spectra of the direct sound and the early reflection sound of the current frame and the phase spectrum of the current frame together to obtain a signal of the current frame after dereverberation. The dereverberation method and device can solve the problem that the estimation of a transfer function of a reverberation environment or the estimation of reverberation time is difficult in the dereverberation of single-channel speech.

In speech communications such as conference call or smart TV VoIP as the person who talks is far away from the microphone and the call environment is a relatively enclosed space, a signal received by the microphone may be easily interfered by reverberation in the environment. For example, in a room, as the speech is reflected by the surface of the wall, floor and furniture for many times, a signal received by the microphone side is a hybrid signal of a direct sound and a reflection sound. This part of reflection sound refers to reverberation signal. Heavy reverberation will result in unclear speech and thus influence the quality of call. Furthermore, interference from reverberation further degrades the performance of the acoustic receiving system and significantly degrades the performance of the speech recognition system.
The previous dereverberation methods usually employ deconvolution. In such methods, it is necessary to know the accurate shock response or transfer function of the reverberation environment (room or office etc.) in advance. The shock response of the reverberation environment may be measured in advance by a specific method or device, or estimated separately by other methods. Then, with the known shock response of the reverberation environment, an inverse filter is estimated, the deconvolution to the reverberation signals is realized, and the dereverberation is thus realized. Such methods have a problem that it is often difficult to obtain the shock response of the reverberation environment in advance and the process of acquiring the inverse filter itself may introduce in new unstable factors.
Another dereverberation method, as it does not require estimation of the shock response of the reverberation environment and thus does not require both calculation of an inverse filter and execution of inverse filtering, is also called as a blind dereverberation method. Such a method is usually based on speech model assumption. For example, reverberation results in change of the received voiced excitation pulse so that the periodicity becomes not so obvious. As a result, the clarity of speech is influenced. Such a method is usually based on a linear prediction coding (ITC) model, where it is assumed that the speech generation model is an all-pole model and reverberation or other additive noise introduces in new zero points in the whole system, the voiced excitation pulse is interfered, but the all-pole filter is not influenced. The dereverberation method is specifically as follows: the LPC residual of a signal is estimated, and then a clean pulse excitation sequence is estimated according to the pitch-synchronous clustering criterion or kurtosis maximization criterion, so as to realize dereverberation. Such a method has a problem that the calculation is usually highly complex and the assumption that only the all-zero filter is influenced by reverberation is sometimes inconsistent with the experimental analysis.
Dereverberation by a spectral subtraction method is a preferred solution. As a speech signal includes a direct sound, an early reflection sound and a late reflection sound, removing the power spectrum of the late reflection sound from the power spectrum of the whole speech by a spectral subtraction method may improve the quality of speech. However, the key point is the estimation of the spectrum of the late reflection sound, i.e., how to obtain a relatively accurate power spectrum of the late reflection sound to effectively remove the late reflection sound component while not distorting the speech. In the single-channel speech dereverberation, as there is only one path of microphone information available, the estimation of a transfer function of a reverberation environment or the estimation of reverberation time (RT60) is quite difficult.

Method and device for dereverberation of single-channel speech


An electronically controlled fuel injection valve can control the time to inject fuel and the amount of fuel to be injected in response to a control signal independently from the operating condition of an engine unlike a traditional mechanical fuel injection valve. The electronically controlled fuel injection valve employs a control method for fuel injection that increases the force of lifting up a cutoff needle of an injection controller by delivering high-pressure fuel to a lower pressure chamber via a control needle, thereby rapidly controlling fuel injection, has a simple structure making it easy to assemble, replace and precisely machine parts, and has a simple flow path structure which facilitates fabrication.

In response to the development of electronic control technologies, it is the rapidly-growing trend to electronically control engines. Fuel injection methods using a common rail are being widely applied to electronically controlled engines since fuel injection can be performed under high pressure even with a low load and can be easily performed in response to a control signal.
A variety of research and development is being performed on electronically controlled fuel injection valves that are key devices of common rail fuel injection systems. In order to improve the performance of the fuel injection valve, a large number of patent applications are being filed for various types of fuel injection valve driving mechanisms.
A traditional mechanical fuel injection valve is configured such that fuel is injected by lifting up a needle using only the pressure of fuel that is fed into a chamber of a nozzle part. Since injection characteristics such as the time to inject fuel and the amount of fuel to be injected are always uniform, control over fuel injection cannot be performed independently from the operating condition of an engine and this can be problematic.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electronically controlled fuel injection valve


Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a signal-to-noise ratio dependent image processing system. The method includes computing at least one SNR for at least one region of an image, determining a filter parameter for at least one region based on the at least one SNR, and processing at least one region of the image based on the filter parameter. In addition to SNR, a filter parameter may be determined using user preferences. The system includes a signal-to-noise ratio processor for determining a signal-to-noise ratio for an image. The system also includes a parameter selection unit for selecting at least one filter parameter based on the signal-to-noise ratio. The system further includes an image filter for filtering the image based on the filter parameter(s). In an embodiment, the SNR processor determines signal-to-noise ratio(s) for region(s) in the image.

The present invention generally relates to image processing. In particular, the present invention relates to signal-to-noise ratio dependent image processing.
Medical diagnostic imaging systems encompass a variety of imaging modalities, such as x-ray systems, computerized tomography (CT) systems, ultrasound systems, electron beam tomography (EBT) systems, magnetic resonance (MR) systems, and the like. Medical diagnostic imaging systems generate images of an object, such as a patient, for example, through exposure to an energy source, such as x-rays passing through a patient, for example. The generated images may be used for many purposes. For instance, internal defects in an object may be detected. Additionally, changes in internal structure or alignment may be determined. Fluid flow within an object may also be represented. Furthermore, the image may show the presence or absence of objects in an object. The information gained from medical diagnostic imaging has applications in many fields, including medicine, manufacturing, and security.
Images are typically formed from pixel (picture element) image data acquired from an imaging system. Acquisition of image data defining each pixel varies depending on the imaging modality used to obtain the data. Discrete pixel images included in an array or matrix of pixels having varying properties, such as intensity and color. Generally, each pixel is represented by a signal. The signal is typically a digitized value representative of a detected parameter, such as an excitation of material in each pixel region producing radiation, for example. To facilitate interpretation of the image, the pixel values must be filtered and processed to enhance definition of features of interest to an observer.
Forming the best possible image at all times for different anatomies and patient types is important to diagnostic imaging systems. Poor image quality may prevent reliable analysis of the image. For example, a decrease in image contrast quality may yield an unreliable image that is not usable clinically. Noise may be introduced in image data due to defects, imperfections, and other interference in the imaging system or the object being imaged. Noise in an image may result in blurring, streaking, or introduction of ghost images or artifacts in a resulting image.
Anatomical details become more obscure with greater noise relative to the data signal. Therefore, a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is undesirable. However, a low SNR often occurs, such as when a short scan duration or lower dose is important. Additionally, in some modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, a signal intensity of different tissue types may be suppressed to varying degrees.
In order to address a low SNR in images, an SNR and/or a contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) is first measured. Various methods are available to measure SNR and/or CNR by attempting to quantify an amount of signal intensity variation or noise that is unrelated to an anatomy being imaged. In one method, for example, two sequential images may be selected to measure SNR. The image data of image one is analyzed to determine the center of the image for positioning a region of interest (ROI). A signal value (S) is computed as a mean pixel value in a ROI covering 80% of a phantom in the first image. Subtracting the second image from the first image creates a difference image. The same ROI is used to calculate a standard deviation (SD) of the subtracted image. Noise (N) is calculated as (SD)/sqrt (2). In another method, where an imaged object does not fill the entire field of view, a signal may be measured in an air region surrounding the object to establish a noise level.
Various techniques have been employed to enhance discrete pixel images to facilitate interpretation of the images. Enhancement or image filtering techniques may employ identification of contrast regions, edges, and other image components, for example. Image components are defined by a series of pixels or groups of pixels within an image matrix. Smoothing and sharpening steps may be employed to enhance certain edges or contrast regions or to de-emphasize specific areas not considered regions of interest. Current techniques, however, may not provide a desired image quality and image filter performance.
Interpolation of image data may produce or change image noise characteristics in an image. Image filters that do not consider variability in interpolation may produce sub-optimal images. Additionally, image filter frameworks that do not consider interpolation variances may require more time and be less efficient in image processing. Inefficiency and delay may impact customers seeking to use the images. Inefficiencies in the image filter framework may also involve more data sets to facilitate image tuning.
Image filtering is generally also applied to computationally improve SNR. However, current image filtering methods do not adequately compute noise in individual images. Therefore, current methods use multiple sets of global parameters to address various levels of noise. Even if a uniform noise level is assumed throughout a given image, the SNR among different regions (corresponding to different tissue types) will vary. Consequently, no single imaging filter with a fixed parameter set when applied to an image may be optimal for all regions within the image. Furthermore, there are no known methods to perform signal dependent noise mitigation and enhancement at every pixel throughout an image.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved image filtering system and method. A system and method that processes an image using signal dependent filtering would be highly desirable.

Method and apparatus for signal-to-noise ratio dependent image processing

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A container for a fuel tank having an access opening is provided with a closure which fits within a channel in the container to cover the access opening. An elongated bolt has a collapsible cylinder located between the bolt head and the top of the closure to hold the closure to the container. The cylinder is located about the shank of the bolt, and is collapsible above a selected threshold pressure. Under normal bolting conditions, the cylinder is rigid to provide sufficient force to maintain the closure against the tank. Should an abnormal pressure develop within the tank, the closure moves axially along the shank of the elongated bolt, crushing the cylinder and providing additional tank volume to absorb the increased fluid pressure. This reduces the likelihood of catastrophic failure of the closure and also reduces pressure stress on the other tank structures.

Aircraft fuel tanks are typically composed of a structural container which surrounds an elastomer bladder. Such tanks typically include various access openings which are covered with bolted closures. In the design of such fuel tanks, one potential hazard is the potential for catastrophic failure due to foreign object impact damage and penetration of the fuel tank. It has been discovered that even using ballistic tolerant materials to produce the structural component of the fuel tank, it is possible that an object penetrating the tank wall at high velocity will generate a hydraulic pressure wave in the contained fluid. As the high speed object penetrates the tank and enters the fluid, it is slowed down due to drag forces. As it slows, the object transfers its kinetic energy to the surrounding fluid which generates an intense pressure wave. When this wave reaches the rigidly bolted closure, it is capable of producing catastrophic failure, stripping the bolts or fracturing the closure or surrounding structure. While additional strengthening bolts or other structures may be added to limit this type of failure, such structures add a severe weight penalty to the aircraft. Consequently, other means for avoiding instantaneous high pressure damage to closures on fuel tanks should be sought.


A system is disclosed that includes a ball-throwing machine included within a first housing, a controller communicatively coupled to the ball-throwing machine and included within a second housing different than the first housing, a camera, and a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon logic, the logic being executable by one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving information associated with a selection of a first training drill from the controller, responsive to receiving the information associated with the selection of the first training drill, causing the ball-throwing machine to impart motion to one or more balls in accordance with the first training drill, receiving multimedia data of a player captured by the camera, and performing a player recognition procedure to locate the player within the multimedia data.

In soccer, to be in control of the ball is of importance to every level of player. The ability to control an awkward bouncing ball quickly and effectively gives the player with the ball the immediate advantage. First touch is often the difference between success and failure in most situations during the match. Additionally, accuracy in passing and shooting a ball is essential in developing a well-rounded game.
As players get older, the game gets faster and demands more speed. Consequently, there is a greater need for accurate shooting and passing. Often, players cannot always place a ball, either to score a goal or even to place a shot within a specific location of the goal—e.g., out of the reach of the goalie; therefore, a player may miss out on an opportunity to score a goal.
Players can improve the accuracy of their shooting and passing by performing shooting and passing drills. Often, however, a player is unable to concentrate on keeping track of the location of each pass or shot within a goal or other area during drills involving several balls. Therefore, by the end of the drill, a player typically does not remember his/her accuracy and cannot determine whether he/she is improving based on results of previous drills.

System and method for object tracking in coordination with a ball-throwing machine


The invention relates to a connection device for a liquid or gaseous medium through an outer wall of a cylinder, whereby a connection piece interacts with a bore in the outer wall of the cylinder and with a centering part that is inserted into the bore. The connection piece has a contact surface matched to the cylinder surface and also has a corresponding sealing surface. The connection has an accommodating cavity for receiving an insert, which includes a sealing surface matched to the cylinder surface, The correct installation position of the insert in the accommodating cavity is ensured by an orientation aid.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connection device for connecting a liquid or gaseous medium on an outer wall of a cylinder. More specifically, the invention relates a connection device to a hydropneumatic spring cylinder used as a shock absorber for motor vehicles. The connection device interacts with a boring in the outer wall of the cylinder and with a centering part, has a contour matched to the cylinder surface, and also has a corresponding sealing surface, with an elastic sealing ring arranged between the sealing surface and the cylinder surface and is preloaded radially relative to the cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connection device of this type is known., for example, from DE 40 14 469 A1. In this reference, the connecting piece that interacts with a boring of the cylinder consists of a single piece with a sealing surface and a centering part. Because the contour of the connecting piece is matched to the contour of the cylinder, it is impossible to perform subsequent metal-cutting work on the areas of the connecting piece that interact with the cylinder surface, particularly the sealing surface, at acceptable expense. Thus adjustment of the connecting piece to different or similar cylinder diameters is impossible. As a result, the connecting piece must be produced for only one specific cylinder diameter as a die casting without subsequent processing. Such connecting pieces are suitable only for low pressures, especially when embodied as plastic injection molded parts.

Connection device for connecting a liquid or gaseous medium through an outer wall of a cylinder


The invention is directed to a composition having a carrier matrix, and a particulate luminescent composition dispersed therein, the particulate luminescent composition comprising a rare-earth-doped alkaline earth fluoride represented by the formulaRExA1−xF2+x−2yOy wherein RE represents a three-valent rare-earth element, A is alkaline earth, 0.002≦x≦0.20, and 0≦y≦x; the particulate luminescent composition exhibiting a luminescence spectrum having a plurality of intensity peaks at characteristic wavelengths. It is further directed to a process by contacting a surface with the composition and articles made therefrom.

Luminescent rare-earth doped alkaline-earth fluorides have long been known, and have been employed for numerous purposes such as scintillation detectors and laser materials. CaF2 doped with such rare-earth species as Eu+3, Er+3, Tb+3 are well-known compositions. It is well-known that a rare-earth doped alkaline earth fluoride will exhibit luminescence when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Each rare-earth element when incorporated into an alkaline earth host lattice such as CaF2 exhibits a characteristic excitation spectrum; see, for example, FIG. 1 (101), and a characteristic emission or luminescence spectrum that depends upon the excitation wavelength employed; see, for example, FIG. 1 (102). The excitation spectrum is determined by monitoring the luminescence intensity at one wavelength while the specimen is illuminated over a range of wavelengths. The luminescence spectrum is determined by illuminating the specimen at a single wavelength corresponding to a peak in the excitation spectrum and determining the luminescence spectrum by scanning a detector over a range of wavelengths.
As shown in the figure, each such spectrum consists of a plurality of peaks at different wavelengths of light. The wavelengths at which the peaks occur are characteristic of each rare-earth element. No two rare-earth elements exhibit the same excitation or emission spectra; that is, the peaks in their spectra do not in general arise at the same wavelengths. To obtain luminescence, the rare-earth element must be excited by a light source that emits light at a wavelength corresponding to the location of one of the peaks in the excitation spectrum thereof. In general, the peaks in any one spectrum of rare-earth elements differ from one another in height or intensity, these differences in intensity being characteristic of the rare-earth element under particular conditions of measurement. These and related matters are all well-documented in the art. See for example, Martin et al., Atomic Energy Levels—the Rare-Earth Elements, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards (1978).
Haubold et al., U.S. Published Patent Application 2003/0032192 discloses the use of doped luminescent inorganic compounds for marking goods, such as in use as so-called anti-theft or anti-counterfeiting security markers. Haubold et al., WO 03/052025 discloses printing but no details are provided. Rare-earth doped alkaline earth compositions are not disclosed by Haubold.
Wang et al., Solid State Commun., 133 pp. 775-779 (2005) discloses room temperature preparation of CaF2 doped with 1-30 mol-% Eu+3. Luminescence at 591 nm stimulated by illumination at 397 nm is described. 15% Eu+3 is found to provide maximum emission intensity. No mention is made of heating the material.
It is known in the art that rare-earth-doped alkaline earth fluorides synthesized at temperatures below 100° C. exhibit a characteristic luminescence spectrum. See for example, Wang et al., op. cit.
Considerable effort is directed in the art towards developing compositions comprising luminescent rare-earth doped fluorides for use as identifying markers on commercial goods, including packages, manufactured articles, and even money. One high value application contemplated is in the area of security markers or anti-counterfeiting marks on goods. The idea is to place an identifying mark on a manufactured article that will attest to its authenticity. The mark is ideally invisible until inquiry is made using a particular wavelength of ultra-violet (UV) light which then stimulates the rare-earth doped fluoride to luminesce with a characteristic spectrum. The art does not disclose the use of rare-earth doped alkaline earth fluorides in coatings, inks and the like.
Security marks known in the art generally lack sufficient complexity or encryption which would make them difficult to counterfeit. The present invention provides a family of novel rare-earth-doped alkaline earth fluorides, and a process for preparing them, that are characterized by continuously variable luminescence peak intensity ratios, making it extraordinarily difficult to counterfeit.

Coatable compositions, coatings prepared therefrom, process and luminescent coated articles


Metadata driven version management service determines one or more version operations to perform based on the properties of a device, computing environment and metadata associated with a file being versioned. The version management service allows different devices to perform different version operations based on different device properties.

Pervasive environment includes a collection of mobile, desktop devices, workstations (e.g., at office, home, etc), laptop, tablet, smart phone, and other such devices. A variety of files needs to be managed in pervasive environments for multiple-devices, e.g., not just text file, but rich text documents, photos, music, videos, etc. In addition, there are many versions of the same files as those files are frequently being updated or changed. Ideally, one would like to keep all the versions; always pre-fetch versions to local storage before user access them; and always backup all versions to multiple locations to provide higher availability. However, such ideal provisions are costly and may not provide an efficient solution.
Known systems such as DROPBOX provide file repository which keeps only the latest version and synchronizes files for every device, i.e., files are duplicated in every devices. Another known system such as ICLOUD provides an application data repository for system built-in applications only and maintains the same data in all devices, regardless of the usage of the data.
While synchronizing a modified file of a device on all other devices may maximize the file availability, such mechanism does not consider other aspects such as the ability to rollback to earlier version, battery and bandwidth for best usage of mobile devices, whether the synchronized data has usage on all the devices (e.g., some data may not have any usage on certain device as in an example case where a mobile device might not have a player for some format of multimedia data).

Metadata-driven version management service in pervasive environment

International Business Machines Corporation


A composition efficacious in aiding weight loss in humans includes a weight-reducing dosage of acetate and a copper-depletion-preventing dosage of copper gluconate. The method of using the composition includes administering the zinc acetate three times per day and the copper gluconate, twice per day. In addition, it has been found that the composition's efficacy is maximized by also imposing a low-fat dietary regime.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions efficacious in aiding weight loss and, more particularly, to such compositions for use by humans.
2. Description of Related Art
In 1992 it was estimated that 50 million Americans would begin a diet. In a survey sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Agency and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (1991/1992), 5% of women and 2% of men attempted to lose weight with the use of diet pills. Those products considered by the FDA to be over-the-counter weight control drugs are primarily those containing the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine (PPA).
Although current wisdom has indicated that a persistent course of exercise and healthy eating habits is the most likely to succeed, Americans spend an estimated $30 billion a year on diet programs and products. Among such products, for which there is little or no evidence of efficacy, are diet patches (now banned by the FDA), "fat blockers," "starch blockers," "magnet" diet pills to "flush fat out of the body," glucomannan, fillers such as fiber-based products, and spirulina (a species of blue-green algae) (Source: U.S. FDA Brochure, "The Facts about Weight Loss Products and Programs," 1992).
Horrobin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,049) has disclosed the use of .gamma.-linolenic acid and dihomo-.gamma.-linolenic acid, alone and in combination with zinc, .beta.-lactam antibiotics, or other materials that influence prostaglandin imbalance to treat obesity. The zinc is believed to stimulate the biosynthesis of 1-series prostaglandins.
Keane (U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,750) discloses the use of zinc gluconate for inclusion with an L-glutamine-based composition for weight loss or control.
The use of zinc acetate, an anticopper agent, has been utilized for the treatment of Wilson disease, a relatively rare disorder resulting in copper toxicity (see, for example, G. J. Brewer and V. Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, "Wilson Disease," Medicine 71(3), 139-64, 1992). The recommended dosage is 50 mg three times per day. In monitoring patients it was found that serum amylase and lipase levels were mildly elevated during the early months of zinc therapy, which may be due to an increase in induction of the enzymes.

Weight loss compound and method of using


An external signal detection circuit includes an input port, to which a first end of a circuit including a pull-up resistor connected in series with a first switch portion is connected, the input port receiving an input of an external signal; an input detection portion connected to the input port for receiving an input of the external signal and an input of an input detection signal that sets a timing for intermittently detecting the input of the external signal; and a connection control portion turning on the first switch portion in time with the timing at which the external signal is detected.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an external signal detection circuit and a real-time clock.
2. Related Art
A real-time clock is a piezoelectric device that creates digital data, including that indicating time-of-day, date, and the like, from a clock signal. Some of such a real-time clock include an input port of an external signal, in which a signal from an external environment (an external signal) is inputted so that the external signal can be supplied to a central processing unit (CPU), an arithmetic circuit, or the like. The real-time clock herein corresponds to an electronic apparatus mounted with a real-time clock, the electronic device operating in negative logic or positive logic, as the case may be, with a pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor connected to the input port.
FIG. 3 is diagram illustrating a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor connected to an input port. A pull-up resistor 3 is connected to an input port 1 via a first switch portion 2 and a pull-down resistor 5 is connected to the input port 1 via a second switch portion 4. Further, an external circuit 6 is connected to the input port 1. When the first switch portion 2 connected in series with the pull-up resistor 3 is turned on (closed), current flows from a power source Vdd to the external circuit 6 via the input port 1 as shown by an arrow B of FIG. 3. If the first switch portion 2 is kept on, the current continues flowing to consume an electric power.
JP-A-7-325780 is an example of related art. JP-A-7-325780 discloses an arrangement, in which an input/output port of a microprocessor includes an output mode setting MOS transistor connected to a power source, and an operation switch is interposed between an input/output pin and the power source. A CPU reads a switching program from a program memory to control operations of the output mode setting MOS transistor and to operate the operation switch. A leak current is thereby prevented from flowing to suppress power consumption.
If an electronic apparatus is formed by connecting the pull-up resistor 3 and the pull-down resistor 5 to the input port 1 and further connecting the input port 1 to the external circuit 6, and if the pull-up resistor 3 is kept connected to the input port 1, current continues flowing as shown by the arrow B in FIG. 3, resulting in wasteful consumption of power, as described above. Should the electronic apparatus mounted with a real-time clock operate on a battery, the battery would have a shorter service life. An example of a condition, in which such a wasteful current flows, includes an electronic apparatus constituting a switch for a remote control or the like, the switch being kept on for an unnecessarily long period of time.
To prevent the wasteful current shown by the arrow B in FIG. 3 from flowing, it is possible to provide an on/off control of the switch connected in series with the pull-up resistor 3 or the pull-down resistor 5, thereby restricting connection of the pull-up resistor 3 to the input port 1 and thus restricting connection of the power source Vdd to the external circuit 6. If this restricting operation is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) by using software or an external circuit, load is imposed on the software and the like. Specifically, this results in increased occupancy of CPU resources. As a result, system performance is impaired and power consumption of the CPU itself increases.
Further, the following problem arises when the external signal inputted to the input port 1 is to be detected. FIGS. 4A and 4B are views for illustrating a case, in which the external circuit has a line capacity. Herein, FIG. 4A is a circuit block diagram and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a relation between time and an input port voltage. A case is to be herein considered, in which the first switch portion 2 is connected in series with the pull-up resistor 3 and the first switch portion 2 is controlled to be turned on or off so as to restrict connection of the pull-up resistor 3 to the input port 1, and so as to detect a HIGH signal (external signal) inputted to the input port 1. If the external circuit 6 connected to the input port 1 has a large line capacity, connecting the pull-up resistor 3 to the input port 1 by turning on the first switch portion 2 immediately before an input detection timing causes a voltage level at the input port 1 (input port voltage) to build up gradually. Specifically, it takes time for the voltage to build up, or the voltage at the input port 1 does not go HIGH immediately. Accordingly, the voltage does not build up sufficiently at a timing (input detection timing) at which it is determined whether or not the external signal has been inputted to the input port 1. The related art technique therefore involves a problem in that the voltage at the input port 1 is lower than a H/L threshold established for determining if the voltage is a HIGH or LOW level, resulting in an erroneous detection of a LOW level.

External signal detection circuit and real-time clock


Provided herein are methods to identify TCR-recognizing cancer-specific antigens, and TCR-engineered T cells having antigen-specific cytotoxic activity. Provided herein are engineered T lymphocytes produced by the methods described herein. Provided herein are methods of treating cancer in a subject comprising administering the engineered T lymphocytes described herein. Provided herein are antibodies, or fragments thereof, produced by the methods described herein. Provided herein are methods of treating cancer in a subject comprising administering the antibodies described herein to a subject. In some embodiments, the therapeutic compositions (e.g., engineered lymphocytes, antibodies, etc.) and methods herein are provided as part of a kit or system.

Cancer immunotherapies treat cancer by boosting the patient's own anti-tumor immune responses. In particular, the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors has highlighted the importance of anti-cancer immune activity in cancer patients. However, a minority of patients exhibit clinical benefits from anti-immune checkpoint treatments, and 70-80% of cancer patients have no or minimum benefit by this type of treatment. Therefore, it is important and urgent to identify mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapies and to develop methods to further enhance and improve immune responses (Ref 1; incorporated by reference in its entirety). Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play critical roles in cancer immunotherapy, but identification of T cell receptors (TCRs) of CTLs as well as their targets, cancer-specific antigens, is difficult and time-consuming.

Engineering lymphocytes with specific alpha and beta chains on their t-cell receptor


The present invention provides a pest control agent, acaricide or fungicide that contains, as the active ingredient thereof, at least one type of compound selected from the aryloxyurea compounds represented by formula (V) (wherein R1 to R5 each independently represents an alkyl group or the like, X is a halogen atom or the like, n is an integer of 0 to 5, and Z is an oxygen atom or sulfur atom) or salts thereof.

Compounds represented by formulas (A) to (E), which are structurally relevant to the compound of the present invention, are disclosed in Patent documents 1 to 5.

In the formula, R1 represents a C1-6 alkyl group.
R2 represents a hydrogen atom.

In the formula, X1 represents a hydrogen atom, chlorine atom or the like.
Y1 represents a hydrogen atom, chlorine atom or the like.
R3 represents a phenyl group or the like.
R4 represents a hydrogen atom, lower alkyl group or the like.
R5 represents a hydrogen atom.
A represents a carbon atom or nitrogen atom.

In the formula, X2 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, C1-8 alkyl group or the like.
Y2 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, C1-8 alkyl group or the like.
R6 represents a phenyl group, cyano group, C1-4 alkyl group or the like.
R7 represents a hydrogen atom, C1-4 alkyl group or the like.
R8 and R9 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, C1-3 alkyl group or the like.
R10 represents a halogen atom, C1-4 alkyl group or the like.

In the formula, X3 represents a chlorine atom, bromine atom or methyl group.
Y3 represents a chlorine atom, bromine atom or methyl group.
R11 represents an ethyl group or an n-propyl group.
R12 represents an ethyl group.

In the formula, one of X4 and Y4 represents a nitrogen atom or nitrogen oxide, and the other one represents CR (wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or the like), or both X4 and Y4 represent a nitrogen atom.
Z1 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom or the like.
R13 represents an alkyl group, alkenyl group or the like.
R14 represents a benzyloxymethyl group, in which the phenyl ring of the benzyl moiety is optionally substituted with a C1-4 alkoxy group.
R15 and R16 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-3 alkyl group or the like, provided that they do not simultaneously represent hydrogen atoms, and when both of them are not hydrogen atoms, the combined number of carbon atoms does not exceed 4.
R17 represents a C1-4 alkyl group, C3-6 cycloalkyl group or the like.

Aryloxyurea compound and pest control agent


In one aspect, the disclosure relates to relates to heterogeneous catalysts useful for the synthesis of ammonia under microwave irradiation, processes for preparing the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts, and processes for synthesizing ammonia using the heterogeneous catalysts with microwave irradiation. In various aspects, the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts comprise: a metal selected from Group 7, Group 8, Group 9, Group 10, Group 11, or combinations thereof; a metal oxide support; and optionally a promoter material. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Ammonia has become one of the most industrially important synthetic chemicals. For example, ammonia, which contains 82 percent nitrogen, is the main source for nitrogen in various types of fertilizers used in crop production used globally. In the chemical industry, ammonia is conventionally produced in large-scale plants via the Haber-Bosch (H-B) process. The industrial H-B process is a technology that consumes considerable energy—requiring high temperature (400-570° C.), high pressure (150-250 bar, or about 148-246 atm) and an effective catalyst (Fe promoted with K2O and Al2O3 as well as other metal oxides). Moreover, current ammonia plants are very large, e.g., producing 1000 ton/day ammonia.
It is estimated that current ammonia production, together with upstream H2 production from steam reforming or coal gasification process consumes approximately 2% of world power generation. Importantly, 1.87 tons of CO2 is released per ton of ammonia produced. In 2010, 245 million tons of CO2 was released as a result of ammonia production, which is equivalent to 0.77% of the world total CO2 emissions. The chemical industry has been trying to optimize the H-B process to decrease the amount capital and energy required. Although optimization of process conditions and catalysts have resulted in about 30% efficiency improvements, the H-B the process still accounts for 1-2% of global energy consumption.
Industry has also attempted to scale down the H-B process, for example, in order to take advantage of renewable energy resources. The current H-B synthesis of ammonia is too large for the deployable scale of renewables (ranging from 1-2 MW to 100-150 MW). If the conventional H-B process could be scaled down to about 100 ton/day, this would reduce the energy consumption to about 150 MW of renewable energy. At an energy consumption of about 150 MW, the energy requirement matches well with a single mid-size solar/wind farm or combination of several renewable sources. However, scaling the H-B process down to about 100 ton/day increases the production cost by a factor of 2 to 3.
Other industrial efforts to synthesize ammonia without the H-B approach, including electrochemical, biomimetic routes, and novel chemical looping processes, are all at the fundamental research level at this time. As reported, electrochemical approaches often yield only trace amounts of ammonia at modest current efficiencies, while biomimetic routes suffer from the requirement for liquid phase operation with slow mass transfer, often slow kinetics, and sometimes requirements for co-factors that are prohibitively expensive and/or complex to provide.
Accordingly, despite advances in the improving the efficiency of the H-B process and ammonia synthesis without the H-B process, there is still a need for an industrial ammonia synthesis process with improved energy efficiency, allows efficient pairing with renewable energy resources, reduced capital and operating costs. These needs and other needs are satisfied by the present disclosure.

Methods and compositions for microwave catalytic ammonia synthesis


A transistor device includes a gate dielectric overlying a substrate, a barrier layer overlying the gate dielectric, and a gate electrode overlying the barrier layer. The barrier layer of the device has a physical property that inhibits interaction between the gate dielectric and the gate electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
In the context of insulated gate field effect transistors, the invention relates to integrated circuit devices and more particularly to complementary metal gate devices.
2. Background Information
A metal gate electrode has distinct advantages over a polysilicon gate for current and future technologies of high performance integrated circuit devices. At inversion, a gate electrode of polysilicon, for example, will generally experience a depletion of carriers in the area of the polysilicon near the gate dielectric resulting in a reduced electric field at the surface of the semiconductor. The polysilicon depletion effect is not as significant with gate dielectrics having thicknesses of 50 xc3x85 or more. However, as gate dielectric thicknesses decrease, the contribution of the voltage drop at inversion due to the role of the polysilicon depletion effect on device performance will be important. Thus, the polysilicon depletion effect must be accounted for in device scaling. A metal gate electrode does not suffer from the depletion effect associated with a polysilicon gate electrode. A metal gate electrode also reduces the parasitic resistance of a gate electrode line to accommodate the use of longer gate electrodes in integrated circuit design for applications such as stacked gates, word lines, buffer drivers, etc. Longer gate electrodes generally correspond to field effect transistors of greater width.
A semiconductor such as silicon has a certain energy level measured conventionally by its Fermi level. The Fermi level of a material determines its work function. The intrinsic Fermi level of an undoped semiconductor is at the middle of the bandgap between the conduction and valence band edges. In an N-type doped silicon, the Fermi level is closer to the conduction band than to the valence band (e.g., about 4.15 electron-volts). In a P-type doped silicon, the Fermi level is closer to the valence band than the conduction band (e.g., about 5.2 electron-volts).
Metals, metal alloys, metal silicides, metal nitrides, and metal oxides (collectively herein xe2x80x9cmetalsxe2x80x9d) have been identified that have work functions similar to the work function of a conventional P-type doped semiconductor substrate and of a conventional N-type doped semiconductor substrate. Examples of metals that have a work function similar to a P-type doped semiconductor material, include but are not limited to, nickel (Ni), Ruthenium oxide (RuO), and molybdenum nitride (MoN). Examples of metals that have a work function similar to an N-type doped semiconductor material, include but are not limited to, ruthenium (Ru), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), titanium silicide (TiSi2).
Prior art metal gate electrodes are used in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology in the form of mid-bandgap (e.g., Fermi level located in the middle of the conduction and valence band of a silicon substrate) metal gate electrodes to maintain the symmetry between NMOS and PMOS devices. The shortcoming of the mid-bandgap metal technique is that a mid-bandgap metal cannot deliver the small threshold voltage (VT) necessary for future technologies without degrading short channel effects. To date, however, a complementary metal gate approach with individual work functions optimized for both NMOS and PMOS devices has not been integrated into a workable process. The simple method to deposit complementary metals damages the underlying thin gate dielectrics during patterning, making the transistor with the damaged gate dielectric unusable.
What is needed is a method of utilizing complementary metal gate electrode technology in CMOS circuits.
A transistor device is disclosed. The transistor device includes a gate dielectric overlying a substrate, a barrier layer overlying the gate dielectric, and a gate electrode overlying the barrier layer. The barrier layer of the device has a physical property that inhibits interaction between the gate dielectric and the gate electrode.

Complementary metal gates and a process for implementation


Systems and methods for reducing the number of unit attentions provided to a set of initiator devices by eliminating unnecessary unit attentions from queues in which unit attentions for each of the initiator devices are stored. In one embodiment, a system comprises a processor and a memory implemented in a router that is coupled between a target device and multiple initiator devices. As each unit attention is generated by the target device, it is forwarded to the initiator device that prompted the unit attention, and is stored in a queue for each of the other initiator devices. Periodically, the queues are examined to determine whether any of the unit attentions stored therein are unnecessary. One or more of the unit attentions that are determined to be unnecessary may be eliminated from the respective queues, reducing the number of unit attentions that are provided to the respective initiator devices.

Computer systems may include a variety of devices. These devices may include not only what is typically thought of as a "computer" (e.g., a PC or other general-purpose computer) but also peripheral devices that enhance the functionality of the computer. Peripheral devices may perform a number of functions, such as printing, communication, user input/output (I/O), data storage, and so on.
In one exemplary system, a general-purpose computer or workstation may be connected to a tape drive. The tape drive provides a means to back up the data of the general-purpose computer so that the data will not be lost in the event of a failure of the general-purpose computer. In this particular system, the tape drive is configured to communicate with the general-purpose computer using a protocol called the small computer system interface (SCSI) protocol.
Typically, the tape drive is connected directly to the computer via a SCSI transport medium. In communications between the computer and the tape drive, the computer acts as an initiator, while the tape drive acts as a target. In other words, the computer initiates communications, typically by sending a command to the tape drive, while the tape drive is the device that is targeted by the command. Because the tape drive may not always be ready to respond to commands initiated by the computer, the tape drive is configured to provide notifications (that are typically referred to as "unit attentions") to the computer to let the computer know that the tape drive cannot perform the command or otherwise provide the response requested by the computer.
Unit attentions may be provided in a number of situations. For example, it may be necessary for the tape drive to provide a unit attention to the computer when the media (tape) has been changed, when the tape drive has been reset or power cycled, and so on. The unit attentions may identify the particular bases for the unit attentions so that the computer can adapt its commands or requests appropriately. For example, if the computer sends a command to the tape drive to access a particular tape, that tape may have been replaced by another tape, so the tape drive may provide a unit attention to the computer identifying the media change. The computer then knows that it must request the desired tape before the tape can be accessed.
If the tape drive had been powered down and then powered up again, a unit attention indicating the power cycling of the tape drive would be provided to the computer. Upon receiving the unit attention, the computer would be aware that it could not assume the validity of any previously used settings for the tape drive. The computer could therefore check these settings before continuing to communicate with the tape drive.
In some systems, a peripheral device such as a tape drive may be used by more than a single computer. In one exemplary system, multiple host computers are coupled to a router, which is in turn coupled to the tape drive. The router directs communications from the host computers to the tape drive and returns responses from the tape drive to the appropriate one of the host computers. Again, these communications are subject to the unit attentions that may be provided by the tape drive.
In the multiple-host scenario, the conventional use of unit attentions may cause several problems. Normally, unit attentions are provided by the tape drive in response to commands from an initiator (e.g., one of the host computers). Because there are multiple host computers, a particular unit attention provided by the tape drive in response to a command from a particular one of the host computers is received by the router and forwarded to this particular computer. The unit attention is not immediately forwarded to the other host computers, but is instead stored in the router and is forwarded to each of the other host computers when a command to the tape drive is received from each of these host computers.
A number of unit attentions may be generated by the tape drive and stored by the router during a period of inactivity by a particular host computer. When this host computer finally sends a command to the tape drive, it will receive the first of the stored unit attentions in response to the command. Upon resending the command, it will receive the next of the stored unit attentions. There may be enough unit attentions stored in the router that the host computer will receive a threshold number of unit attentions and consequently assume the tape drive has malfunctioned.
Even if the host computer does not assume that the tape drive has malfunctioned, it may be forced to waste time and resources re-sending the desired command just to exhaust all of the unit attentions stored for it in the router. This is inefficient because it typically is not necessary for all of these accumulated unit attentions to be presented to the host computer. For example, if, while a first host computer is inactive, there are several media changes resulting from communications with a second host computer, there may be multiple media-change unit attentions stored in the router for the first computer. When the first host computer sends a command to the tape drive, it only needs to receive one of the media-change unit attentions. The remainder of these unit attentions are redundant. Nevertheless, each of these unit attentions is provided to the first host computer in response to a subsequent command.


An apparatus includes a receiver component, a first signal processing component and a second signal processing component. The receiver component can receive a transmission signal, wherein the received transmission signal reflects an encoded and modulated initial source signal, amplified via a source transmitter, and transmitted over one or more channels of a wireless communications network. The first signal processing component can process the received transmission signal to generate a replica transmission signal that estimates the encoded and modulated initial source signal. The second signal processing component can determine an optimal parametric function for modeling the source transmitter, wherein the determination of the optimal parametric function comprises an iterative non-linear curve-fitting process, and wherein the optimal parametric function reflects one or more parameters of the source transmitter.

In a communications system, multiple carriers may operate in a Frequency Division Multiplex (FDM) arrangement, where different transmitters are operated at different (but nearby) frequencies. To reduce the likelihood that the different transmissions interfere with each other, the various components on the transmit side should be operated in a linear manner. If the components are operated nonlinearly, then in general, the output spectrum of a transmitter will "regrow" and interfere with its neighbors (e.g., creating adjacent channel interference (ACI)).
For most of the transmitter design, the requirement for linearity is not difficult to meet. It is usually a matter of operating the various stages of amplification with sufficient backoff so they remain in the linear operation region. For the final amplifier stage (HPA), this is more difficult. To allow enough backoff would mean to buy a more expensive amplifier than is actually needed, and also would result in lower power efficiency, increasing power supply and heat removal costs. The result is that to minimize cost, it is necessary to use an amplifier that is just large enough to operate with some minimal backoff to limit interference. Having done this, the problem becomes that if the drive level to the amplifier (operating point) is not carefully controlled, then the amplifier could still be overdriven resulting in excessive ACI. Therefore, to minimize cost and allow the use of the minimal amplifier, it is critical to control the operating point of the amplifier. Even if the drive level to this amplifier was kept constant, the amplifier itself may change characteristics over temperature and frequency. So, a reliable method of determining the operating point is needed. While it may be feasible in some cases to measure parameters on the transmit side, e.g., amplifier input power, temperature, etc., for a low-cost transmitter this is not feasible.
What is needed, therefore, is an approach to reliably measure the operating point of a transmitter amplifier, without requiring special instrumentation at the transmitter, based on measurements performed at a receiver.

System and method for estimating an amplifier operating point using measurements at a receiver


Ultrasonic spectroscopy, calorimetry, or thermogravimetric analysis provide measures which correlate with properties of asphaltene complex of petroleum residua which can be used to establish or maintain consistent properties of petroleum residua during blending or to determine immediacy of petroleum residuea to deposition phenomena during pyrolytic thermal treatment.

Petroleum residua consist of an ordered continuum of solvated polar materials usually referred to as asphaltenes dispersed in a lower polarity solvent phase held together by intermediate polarity materials usually referred to as resins.
Refinery processing of petroleum residua such as heavy oils, shale oils, coal tars, tar sand bitumen, asphalts, or the like, to obtain lighter distillate fuels require heating for distillation, hydrogen addition, or carbon rejection (coking). Typically, refinery processing does not include the addition of solvents, non-solvents, precipitation agents, flocculation agents, or the like to petroleum residua during heating. Efficiency of such refinery processing can be limited by the formation of insoluble carbon-rich materials such as coke as the amount of resins are depleted. Heat exchangers and other refinery units must be shut down for mechanical coke removal, resulting in a significant loss of output and revenue. When a petroleum residuum is heated above the temperature at which pyrolysis occurs (greater than about 340° C., 650° F.), there is typically an induction period before coke formation begins. To avoid fouling of refinery equipment, refiners often stop heating a petroleum residuum based upon arbitrary criteria before coke formation begins. Because arbitrary criteria are used thermal treatment is stopped sooner than is necessary, resulting in less than maximum product yield.
The coking indexes disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 60/138,846; 10/009,863, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,921, and International Patent Application No. PCT US00/15950, each hereby incorporated by reference herein, can be used by refiners to assess immediacy of petroleum residua to the threshold of coke production. U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,921 discusses various ways to analyze coke formation such as but not limited to coking indexes, filtration, asphaltene flocculation titration, solubility characteristics of asphaltenes, values of a weight percent of a cyclohexane soluble portion of heptane asphaltenes, relative viscosity, KS values, KF values, and K values. As such, refiners can thermally treat petroleum residua to the threshold, but not beyond the point at which coke formation begins to form when petroleum residua materials are heated at pyrolysis temperatures. See also, Schabron, J. F., A. T. Pauli, and J. F. Rovani, Jr., "Molecular Weight/Polarity Map for Residua Pyrolysis", fuel, 80 (4), 529–537 (2001); Schabron, J. F., A. T. Pauli, and J. F. Rovani, Jr., "Non-Pyrolytic Heat Induced Deposition from Heavy Oils", Fuel, 80 (7), 919–928 (2001); and Schabron, J. F., A. T. Pauli, J. F. Rovani, Jr., and F. P. Miknis, "Predicting Coke Formation Tendencies", Fuel, 80 (11), 1435–1446 (2001), each hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The development of such coking indexes provide universal predictors provide a solution to the long standing, but unresolved problem of determining immediacy of a petroleum residua to coke formation during petroleum residua refining. As such, these coking indexes have great potential value in improving the efficiency of thermal treatment of petroleum residua during distillation or other processes.
Prior to the instant invention, there were unresolved limitations with respect to the use of these coking indexes. First, the determination of the various coking indexes was by either titration or by solubility measurements performed in a laboratory. See for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/266,555 and International Patent Application No. PCT US02/03983, each hereby incorporated by reference herein. Secondly, because these coking index determinations are made off line an amount of time elapse prior to obtaining the results which may not then accurately reflect the then existing properties of the petroleum residuum which has continued along in the thermally treatment process. As such, to avoid formation of coke, or other solid material, from petroleum residue undergoing pyrolytic thermal treatment, thermal treatment may have been stopped, or the manner of thermal treatment may have been altered to compensate for the delay in obtaining coking indexing determinations.
When distillation is stopped sooner than is necessary to avoid coke formation, it can result in less than maximal product yield from the hydrocarbon material. In 1997, for example, the average United States atmospheric and vacuum distillation refinery capacity was about 23 million barrels per day as disclosed by the Department of Energy, OIT Report, p. 5, (1998), hereby incorporated by reference. Solvent deasphalting capacity was about 0.3 million barrels per day. About 1.8 million barrels per day of heavy end feedstocks produced in 1997 from atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns and solvent-deasphalting units were input to thermal cracking and coking operations. This represents about 10% of the crude run. Id. at p. 49. An additional 6.5 million barrels per day went into catalytic cracking and hydro treating units. Based on the total of 1.8 million barrels of total heavy ends minus about 0.3 million from solvent deasphalting, about 1.5 million barrels of heavy ends per day of thermal cracking and coking feed are produced from distillation operations. Assuming a one percent increase in United States distillate output because of efficiency improvements, an increase of about 15,000 average barrels per day of distillate and a corresponding reduction of heavy ends would result. Efficiency increases well above 1% could be possible if the immediacy to coking for a petroleum residua could be determined on-line to avoid interruption of thermal treatment prematurely.
Moreover, coking operations use about 166,000–258,000 Btu per barrel of petroleum residua feed. Department of Energy, OIT Report, pp. 62–63, (1998). Hydrotreater energy use is comparable, and a similar consideration may apply. Since most of the energy used is to initially heat all of the petroleum residua feed material for distillation, there may be only minimal extra heat required to obtain a 1% improvement of distillate output at a particular temperature. For each 1% decrease in hydrocarbon material feed, there would be a potential savings of about 2.5–3.9 billion Btu with respect to petroleum residua feed that do not need to be heated, since they will have been recovered in an optimized distillate stream.
Another significant problem with conventional technology for the evaluation and processing of petroleum residua may be high emissions. An energy savings of about 2.5–3.9 billion Btu per day, as discussed above, can result in a corresponding lowering of emissions from fuel that is not burned in processing operations. For example, residual fuel used as the heat source produces about 174 pounds of carbon dioxide per million Btu generated Department of Energy, OIT Report, pp. 27, (1998). Thus, in the U.S., the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for each 1% industry-wide efficiency improvement may be about 218–679 tons per day!
Another significant problem with conventional technology for the evaluation and processing of petroleum residua may be financial losses. The disruption of petroleum residua processing from fouling due to deposition of solid material, such as coke, is pervasive throughout the industry. The financial losses due to unscheduled downtime events as a result of non-pyrolytic, or of pyrolytic, deposition of carbon rich materials such as coke, may be difficult to quantify, but they are important.
Another significant problem with conventional technology for the evaluation and processing of petroleum residua may be that the liquid products of distillation may be of lower quality. Interrupting the distillation process, or proceeding with the distillation process in steps or stages, to avoid deposition of carbon rich materials or coke may allow for contamination of the liquid distillates.
The invention addresses the various problems associated with determination of coking indexes in the laboratory by providing apparatus and methods that can provide continuous on-line monitoring of petroleum residua processing to avoid coke formation.

Continuous on-line process control of residua distillation

University of Wyoming Research Corporation


Provided are a speckle removing light source capable of removing speckle by using laser light whose wavelength is temporally changed and a lighting apparatus for producing an image from which the speckle is removed. Included are a light source for outputting laser light, and a light frequency modulator for temporally changing a wavelength of the laser light. The light frequency modulator has a predetermined period set for changing the wavelength of the laser light. Also, provided is a lighting apparatus, including a spatial light modulator illuminated with the laser light outputted from the speckle removing light source to produce an image. The spatial light modulator has a period set for producing the image, which is longer than the period for changing the wavelength of the laser light by the light frequency modulator.

Various types of projection type displays are currently used as image display devices for consumer TV, presentation, industry, large theater, and the like. In general, light is emitted to a spatial light modulating means called a light valve (optical valve) to form an image and then light passing therethrough or light reflected thereon is projected to an auxiliary surface such as a screen to display the image.
Up to now, this type of projection type display has a generally employed structure in which a lamp light source for the projection type display is replaced by a laser light source to make it possible to widen a color reproduction range obtained by a monochromatic spectrum, increase a contrast by light source intensity modulation, lengthen the life using a semiconductor laser or the like, and reduce a size of an optical system in view of light directivity, thereby obtaining performance which is significantly higher than that of the conventional lamp light source (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Note that an optical system for lighting the light valve with light emitted from a light source is called a lighting optical system and an optical system for enlarging and projecting a light beam emitted from the light valve is called a projection optical system.
When laser light is emitted to the light valve and projected to the screen, a light and dark spot pattern, which is called speckle, appears on an image. This is because, the laser light which is spatially and temporally coherent light is reflected on an optically rough surface or passes therethrough to become light having a different phase, so the light having the different phase is observed as interference light by human's eyes. The speckle becomes an image noise component and thus this is not preferable for an observer.
An example of a method of removing the speckle includes a method of coupling light from a laser light source to a multimode optical fiber and vibrating the optical fiber to cause a mode scramble (see, for example, Patent Document 2). According to this method, speckle patterns change. When the speckle patterns are superimposed on one another, speckles are averaged and reduced. However, a mechanical apparatus for vibrating the optical fiber is required. The durability of the mechanical apparatus and the optical fiber to be vibrated become a problem. The optical fiber having the circular cross sectional shape generates a skew component along the circumferential direction. Therefore, a spatial bias of the speckle pattern is large, so the speckles cannot be sufficiently removed.
On the other hand, another method of removing the speckle is a method of modulating an injection current of a semiconductor laser to set a multiwavelength oscillation mode for the semiconductor laser and performing spatial spectroscopy by an optical system using a diffraction grating (see, for example, Non-patent Document 1). Therefore, multiwavelength speckle patterns generate. When the speckle patterns are superimposed on one another, the speckles are averaged and reduced. However, the alignment adjustment of the optical system using the diffraction grating is complicated, so an apparatus becomes larger and expensive.
Another method of removing the speckle is a method of injecting a radio frequency signal to set the multiwavelength oscillation mode for a semiconductor laser (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In addition, the multiwavelength oscillation mode is set for the semiconductor laser by optical feedback using an optical fiber pigtail.
Further, a laser wavelength is shifted by Doppler shift with an acousto-optic modulator. Accordingly, a large number of different speckle patterns generate. When the speckle patterns are superimposed on one another, the speckles are averaged and reduced.
However, the spatial spectroscopy is not performed. In addition, when only a wavelength is changed, a change in phase between laser beams having a very small optical path length difference is small and speckle cannot be sufficiently removed. The spectral spread of the semiconductor laser which is caused by the multiwavelength oscillation mode is a non-uniform intensity distribution, so a spectral pattern whose intensity is large is included therein. Therefore, speckle cannot be sufficiently removed.
Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,704 B
Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,217 B
Patent Document 3: JP 2002-323675 A
Non-patent Document 1: Caesar Saloma et. al., Appl. Opt. Vol. 29, No. 6, p. 741-742

Speckle removing light source and lighting apparatus


A computer controls a video display having a display screen for displaying ECG heartbeats superimposed over one another. The ECG data is collected during Holter monitoring and stored in a memory. A plurality of successive heartbeats are written to the display with their R-waves aligned. As the next new heartbeat in chronological order is displayed the longest-displayed heartbeat is removed. The total number of heartbeats displayed therefore remains constant. The user can select the total number of heartbeats, between one and five, to be displayed at one time. In one mode, a heartbeat is added, and removed, during each screen refresh cycle. In another mode, the user can step the display in either reverse or forward chronological order one step at a time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for displaying ECG waveforms and more particularly to such methods and apparatus in which heartbeat waveforms contained in stored ECG data are displayed superimposed over one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a Holter ECG monitoring system, a patient is fitted with a monitor which detects and stores continuous ECG waveforms. Sometimes several electrodes are connected to the patient so that two or more channels are recorded. It is not unusual for such a monitor to be worn for many hours thereby generating thousands of periodic heartbeat waveforms which are stored for later review to assist in diagnosis and treatment of the patient.
Sometimes such waveforms are displayed by superimposing a predetermined number of heartbeats on a screen in rapid succession. Each time a new heartbeat appears on the screen, the longest-displayed heartbeat is removed from the screen. Such a display allows a clinician to see beat-to-beat changes in the patient's ECG complex which may be significant. Holter monitors can produce as many as 100,000 consecutive beats which must be analyzed to identify both short-term and long-term changes. When an abnormal complex is displayed, the user is interested in the shape and quantity of abnormal complexes, especially when seen in close proximity to each other. Multiple sequential abnormal complexes are of special importance; the superimposition display is provided to detect such sequences.
Early forms of the superimposition display scanned each beat once on a high persistence phosphor in a cathode ray tube (CRT). The CRT displayed, albeit on a gradually dimming basis, several of the heartbeats at once. Thus, a user was able to observe an integer number of heartbeats where the number of heartbeats observed was determined by the phosphor characteristics of the CRT. More recent systems have been developed which use digital memory to store and display the beats of interest. Some such systems display one beat at a time and rely upon an observer's eye to integrate several successive beats during the search for abnormal complexes and runs thereof.
Some digital systems now provide for a fixed number of beats to be overlaid and displayed simultaneously. One such system displays 12 beats. When a new beat is added to the display, the oldest beat is removed. Sequential new beats are periodically added (and old beats removed) one at a time, to facilitate rapid review of the data. This prior art approach is disadvantageous in that a user cannot easily differentiate between short and long continuous runs of ectopy, or other abnormalities, nor can a user select a threshold to optimize searching for a predetermined number of sequential abnormal complexes.
Another method for displaying stored ECG data is to display a continuous static ECG waveform. Typically the waveform is presented from left to right across the screen in a plurality of rows. A user can page forward or backward through the stored data to display different portions of the waveform on the display screen. Such a display optimizes the ability of a clinician to detect patterns of abnormal heartbeats, such as bigeminy, as well as rate information which is derived from the spacing of each heartbeat waveform.
Thus, the superimposition display provides excellent beat-by-beat detail for the displayed beats but larger patterns of beats, as well as rate information, are lost. In one prior art superimposition display system, some rate information is provided in a superimposition display screen. As each new beat is superimposed on the screen, a horizontal line is drawn on the screen to one side of the waveform display. Each horizontal line is proportional in length to the interval between R-waves of the currently displayed heartbeat waveform and the immediately preceding one. A rough plot of rate information is thus also available to the clinician in association with the superimposition display. The remainder of the waveform data, including any heartbeat waveform patterns which develop, is not presented by this prior art system.

Method for displaying superimposed heartbeat waveforms


A system identifies, flags and tracks images and series of images previously accessed by a healthcare worker. A system for tracking medical image viewing by a user includes at least one repository storing data representing multiple medical images of a particular patient available for use in preparing a report. A viewing processor tracks whether an individual image of the multiple medical images has been presented on a display device by using predetermined rules in determining whether data representing the individual image has been communicated to the display device for display to a particular user associated with received user identification information. The viewing processor generates a viewed indicator associated with the individual image and the particular user in response to a determination data representing the individual display image has been communicated to the display device for display to the particular user. A documentation processor at least one of, (a) associates data representing the generated viewed indicator with data representing the individual image and (b) stores data, representing the generated viewed indicator and associates the generated viewed indicator with the individual image and the particular user, in a record.

In Hospitals or other patient treatment facilities, medical imaging systems such as MRI, CT scan, X-ray and Ultrasound systems are employed by radiology and other hospital departments. Such medical imaging systems are often integrated with, or are in communication with, a Radiology Information System (RIS) used within a radiology department. Radiologists typically use a RIS or other system in acquiring medical images of a particular patient for review on a workstation and for the preparation of a report to be communicated to another treating physician, clinician or the patient. However, in the course of treatment of a patient, it is occasionally desirable to determine whether medical images or reports concerning a particular patient have been generated or reviewed by a particular user such as a physician, clinician, nurse or even the patient. This may occur, for example, during an audit of medical procedures to establish procedures are being correctly carried out, or to resolve a question of a healthcare worker over whether images have been reviewed or need to be scheduled for physician review or to verify particular healthcare workers are correctly performing their duties. It may also occur in the context of a medical malpractice investigation. Existing RIS and other systems fail to provide such a capability. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and associated problems.

Medical image viewing management and status system

Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation


An amplifying device comprising a first terminal to which an alternating signal is inputted; a second terminal connected via an external first resistor to a power supply line; a third terminal to be grounded; a second resistor provided on a signal line in between the second terminal and the third terminal; a differential amplifier, the alternating signal of which being inputted through the first terminal to one input terminal and an output according to the alternating signal being fed back to the other input terminal via a signal line in between the second terminal and the second resistor, and between the one input terminal and the other input terminal, a positive offset voltage higher than a maximum level of the alternating signal being produced in advance; and a third resistor provided between a signal line joining the first terminal and the one input terminal, and a signal line leading to the third terminal. A voltage waveform of the alternating signal that has been amplified on the basis of the resistances of the first and second resistors is produced at the second terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifying device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In control systems for various fields, analog signals detected by analog sensors have a minute amplitude or low level of current/voltage. Accordingly, in order to amplify the signal to a level that the control system can handle internally, a first-stage amplifier (preamplifier) is provided.
As an example of the control system having such an amplifier, FIG. 12 illustrates an electret condenser microphone (ECM) system that is mainly used as a microphone of a mobile phone on the talking partner side. See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-243944.
The ECM system is configured to have a three-terminal amplifier 900 that is an amplifier having a Vin terminal 901, a Vdd terminal 902, and a Gnd terminal 903 wherein a fixed electrode of an electret condenser 203 having its conductive thin film grounded is connected to the Vin terminal 901, a power supply line 201 is connected via a load resistor 200 of resistance R1 to the Vdd terminal 902, and the Gnd terminal 903 is grounded.
The electret condenser 203 has the conductive thin film and the fixed electrode opposite each other. The conductive thin film is charged beforehand by a direct-current power supply of about several tens to 100 volts, and when a voice signal as a condensation-rarefaction wave of air is transmitted to the conductive thin film, the thin film vibrates. Thus, the capacitance Cmic (about 3 pF) of the electret condenser 203 varies thereby producing an alternate voltage waveform (hereinafter, called an alternating signal) according to the variation of the capacitance Cmic. The alternating signal usually has its DC component being at ground potential and a minute amplitude of about several tens mV.
The three-terminal amplifier 900 comprises a junction electric field effect transistor (hereinafter, called a J-FET) 904 having its gate electrode connected to the Vin terminal 901, its drain electrode connected to the Vdd terminal 902, and its source electrode connected to the Gnd terminal 903 thus having the source grounded, and a resistor 905 connected between signal lines respectively leading to the gate electrode and to the source electrode to stabilize the potential of the gate electrode to ground potential.
Here, the following input characteristics are required of the three-terminal amplifier 900 in terms of the input resistance (the resistor 905 and the like) and input capacitance (a parasitic capacitance of the J-FET 904 and the like).
First, the input resistance is required to be of a high resistance value. The electret condenser 203 and the input resistance form a high band pass filter, and in order that a voice signal of about 100 Hz in an audible band is input to the three-terminal amplifier 900 without being attenuated, the resistance of the resistor 905 needs to be of about several hundreds M to several GΩ. Note that letting Rin be the value of the input resistance, the cutoff frequency f1 of the high band pass filter is defined by the following equation 1,f1=1/(2×π×Rin×Cmic).  (1)
For example, if the capacitance Cmic of the electret condenser 203 is 3 pF and the cutoff frequency f1 is 50 Hz, the value of the input resistance Rin becomes 1061 MΩ.
Next, the input capacitance is required to be of a low capacitance value. That is, the input capacitance of the three-terminal amplifier 900 is connected in series to the electret condenser 203. Thus, if the value of the input capacitance is large, an alternating signal occurring across the electret condenser 203 will be divided such that the level of the alternating signal at the input of the three-terminal amplifier 900 is reduced. Furthermore, because the value of the input resistance is large, also from the point of view of suppressing the time constant defined as the product of the input resistance and the input capacitance, the input capacitance is required to be of a low capacitance value.
Adopted as an amplifier element used in the three-terminal amplifier 900 is a source-grounded J-FET 904 excellent in balance of high input resistance, low input capacitance, and low noise. Note that letting gm be the conductance of the J-FET 904 and ATTin be an attenuation amount due to the input capacitance and the like, the amplification gain Av of the source-grounded J-FET 904 is defined by the following equation 2:Av=gm×Rl−ATTin.  (2)
The amplification gain of the J-FET varies with the conductance gm of the J-FET as shown by equation 2. However, the conductance gm of the J-FET usually varies possibly by about −50 to 200%, and thus conductance gm's are classified into ranks for a management purpose. Even for J-FETs of the same type, variation in the conductance gm causes variation in the amplification gain of the J-FETs, and thus, variation in the amplification gain of amplifiers using the J-FETs (such as three-terminal amplifiers 900) occurs.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the amplification gain of a J-FET is increased, a drain saturation current Idss (about 200 μA) is also to be increased. As the drain saturation current Idss increases, consumption current also increases. Hence, the increase in the amplification gain of the J-FET is restricted for the reason of consumption current. That is, there exists a trade-off relationship between the increase in the amplification gain of a J-FET and reduction in consumption current.
As such, J-FETs as amplifier elements used in amplifiers are excellent in balance of high input resistance, low input capacitance, and low noise, but have the problem that their amplification gain is difficult to adjust.


Disclosed herein is a battery pack having a plurality of battery cells or unit modules (‘unit cells’), which can be charged and discharged, mounted in a pack case.

Recently, a secondary battery, which can be charged and discharged, has been widely used as an energy source for wireless mobile devices. Also, the secondary battery has attracted considerable attention as a power source for electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), which have been developed to solve problems, such as air pollution, caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuel.
Small-sized mobile devices use one or several battery cells for each device. On the other hand, middle or large-sized devices, such as vehicles, use a middle or large-sized battery module having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other because high power and large capacity are necessary for the middle or large-sized devices.
Preferably, the middle or large-sized battery module is manufactured so as to have as small a size and weight as possible. For this reason, a prismatic battery or a pouch-shaped battery, which can be stacked with high integration and has a small weight to capacity ratio, is usually used as a battery cell of the middle or large-sized battery module. In particular, much interest is currently generated in the pouch-shaped battery, which uses an aluminum laminate sheet as a sheathing member, because the pouch-shaped battery is lightweight, the manufacturing cost of the pouch-shaped battery is low, and it is easy to modify the shape of the pouch-shaped battery.
In order for the middle or large-sized battery module to provide power and capacity required by a predetermined apparatus or device, it is necessary for the middle or large-sized battery module to be configured to have a structure in which a plurality of battery cells is electrically connected in series to each other, and the battery cells are stable against external force.
Also, the battery cells constituting the middle or large-sized battery module are secondary batteries which can be charged and discharged. Consequently, a large amount of heat is generated from the high-power, large-capacity secondary battery during the charge and discharge of the secondary battery. If the heat, generated from the unit cells during the charge and discharge of the unit cells, is not effectively removed, the heat accumulates in the respective unit cells with the result that deterioration of the unit cells is accelerated. According to circumstances, the unit cells may catch fire or explode. For this reason, a cooling system is needed in a battery pack for vehicles, which is a high-power, large-capacity battery, to cool battery cells mounted in the battery pack.
Meanwhile, a conventional battery pack is configured to have a structure in which a plurality of battery cells is stacked in one direction or a lateral direction so that the battery cells are arranged in the stacked direction. The battery pack is generally formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, which can be properly installed in a trunk of a vehicle or a space under a seat of the vehicle.
Since the structure of the conventional battery pack is generally formed in the shape of the rectangular parallelepiped, however, it is difficult to install the battery pack when the battery pack is installed is the lower part of the vehicle.
Therefore, there is a high necessity for a battery pack that can be easily installed even when a battery pack installation space is the lower part of a vehicle and that has a cooling structure to uniformly maintain internal temperature of the battery pack.

Battery pack having novel cooling structure


A vehicle control system and method is applied to a vehicle including: a continuously variable transmission for changing a speed ratio continuously that is disposed between an input shaft and an output shaft; a geared transmission that is disposed parallel to the continuously variable transmission, and that is adapted to establish a speed ratio that cannot be established by the continuously variable transmission; and a friction clutch that is brought into engagement to switch a torque transmission route from a route including the geared transmission to a route including the continuously variable transmission. The vehicle control system is configured to start a speed change operation of the continuously variable transmission before a commencement of clutch-to-clutch shifting between the friction clutches when switching the torque transmission route from the route including the geared transmission to the route including the continuously variable transmission.

Vehicles in which a geared transmission and a continuously transmission are arranged parallel to each other between an input shaft to which a power of the prime mover is delivered and an output shaft are known in the conventional art. The geared transmission is adapted to select a fixed gear stage from a plurality of gear stages, and the continuously variable transmission is adapted to change a speed ratio continuously. In the vehicle of this kind, a clutch is arranged to switch a power transmission route between a route including the geared transmission and a route including the continuously variable transmission. It is also known in the art that the geared transmission is adapted to establish a fixed gear stage that cannot be established by the continuously variable transmission. Various kinds of control systems and methods for switching the power transmission route in this kind of vehicles have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-061762 describes a control system and a control method for the vehicle in which the geared transmission and a continuously variable transmission are arranged parallel to each other between the input shaft and the output shaft. According to the teachings of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-061762, a speed change operation of the continuously variable transmission is inhibited until completion of a shifting of the power transmission route from the route including the geared transmission to the route including the continuously variable transmission, so as to maintain a speed ratio on the continuously variable transmission to a maximum ratio from a commencement to a completion of the speed change operation. For this reason, the vehicle is allowed to be propelled utilizing a decelerating effect of the maximum speed ratio when the power transmission route to the route including the continuously variable transmission.
However, according to the teachings of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-061762, the continuously variable transmission is allowed to change a speed ratio thereof from a point at which the power transmission route is switched. That is, the speed ratio may be changed stepwise before and after the switching operation of the power transmission route. For this reason, a speed change operation may not be performed smoothly. In addition, it may take time to achieve a target speed ratio calculated based on a vehicle speed.

Vehicle control system and vehicle control method


Efficient processing of user data read requests in a deduplicated data storage system places the metadata for most frequently requested data in data structures and locations in the system hierarchy where the metadata will be most rapidly available. The total amount of such metadata makes storing all of the metadata in high speed memory expensive, and the system and method described uses both the temporal and the spatial characteristics of the user system activity in any epoch to adjust the contents of metadata cache so as to respond to the dynamics of a multi user or multi-application environment where the storage system is not made aware of the time changing mix of operations except by observation of the individual requests. A history record is used to promote metadata from the slow memory to the fast memory, and a process selection may be adjusted based on the address-space activity.

A common architecture for enterprise computing systems includes a client computer and a storage system, where the client system performs most of the computational intensive tasks using applications programs and the information needed for the computation was retrieved from a storage system. Often the storage system was not directly attached to the computer. The connection between the two system components depended on the data storage concept and is often described as a SAN where data was stored as fixed sized blocks and as a NAS where data was stored as files.
The storage component has been typically comprised of a server computer and a plurality of hard disk drives for the actual data storage. Files are often used for unstructured data such as images, text and the like, whereas block storage has been associated with, for example, database processing. In all of these applications, the response time of the storage component of a computing system has been limited by the mechanical performance of the associated disk drives. Mixed workloads, such as a combination of block and file applications, were avoided due to unfavorable interactions between the access requirements.
Flash memory arrays are replacing disk storage devices in many applications due to the more rapid response time to client requests for reading and writing data as well as a capability to perform a much higher number of input/output (I/O) operations per second. However, at present, the hardware cost of the flash memory is greater than that of disk and the flash memory is perceived to have a wear-out problem, at least if not properly managed. The amount of data to be stored on a global basis appears to be growing substantially, despite all efforts to restrict this growth, and more efficient data storage techniques have been developed such as data de-duplication and data compression. Cost and performance are important considerations in the design and economics of data storage systems.
With disk storage systems, post-storage deduplication may be performed; the data to be written to the storage device is usually first written to a disk and may subsequently de-duplicated or compressed so as to optimize disk performance. Often the deduplication is not performed until the data is backed up; the process is costly both computationally and in terms of volatile metadata storage. However, the wear-our characteristics of flash memory have led to the performance of these data reduction techniques in-line in order to reduce the amount of data that is actually initially stored in the storage array.
Data de-duplication may effective for certain application types such as email attachments, operating system or virtual desktop images and the like, and is usually less effective for data base information. Similarly, data compression may be effective for data base information, text files and the like, but may be relatively ineffective for encrypted or already compressed data. Selection of data deduplication or data compression may be done either heuristically or as selected by the user at some level of the storage architecture and the specific response of a storage system to such selections depends, for example, on the details of the processes performed by the storage system, on the data being processed, and on the temporal characteristics of the work load.

Caching of metadata for deduplicated luns