A method is disclosed whereby motion pictures photographed and exhibited at high frame rates, typically 48 frames-per-second, are modified to impart a cinematic appearance which tempers the level of motion detail inherent at such high frame rates. Motion pictures can be photographed either on film or by digital means. A controlled amount of motion blur is imparted selectively to certain scenes, sequences, frames or components of images. This can be accomplished by using different shutter angles for digital photography, or by imparting motion blur in post-production. The result is a motion picture that provides viewers with a cinematic appearance while at the same time, retains the spatial and temporal resolution of HFR, due to the high frame rate of photography and exhibition.

"Seeing is believing" is an old saying. In the cinematic art, an important component of the experience is the knowledge that the viewer is watching a motion picture, rather than "real-life" experience as it actually occurs. Historically, motion blur was an artifact of film photography and production at 24 frames per second, but it helped smooth out the apparent transition between each frame and the next, and reduced the amount of overall detail. This reduced detail that was part of the cinematic experience. Today, however, digitally-photographed images or photochemical images on film, at a high frame rates (HFR) such as 48 frames per second, do not include the same amount of motion blur as seen in conventional movies at 24 frames per second. Instead, they often present a hyper-realistic appearance that approximates the "soap opera" look associated with live television. While it may be advantageous to present a motion picture that has a realistic appearance, too much realism in a presentation can detract from the experience of viewing a movie. The producer would prefer to deliver a product of the cinematic art, rather than an experience that replicates the "soap opera" look of live television at all times. In the practice of the invention, this can be accomplished on a scene-by-scene basis, either through photography or post-production. It can also be accomplished frame-by-frame, or at the level of treating specific components of images, during post-production.
With the advent of HFR photography and projection, the appearance of a theatrical motion picture can approach that presented on live television in real time, especially as frame rate increases and projected images look less cinematic and more lifelike. Viewers must "suspend disbelief" to some extent in order to enjoy any cinematic experience. However, the more realistic an image appears, the more difficult it is to execute the suspension of disbelief that is essential to the optimal enjoyment of a motion picture experience. With the use of higher frame rates for photography and presentation, there is greater clarity than at 24 frames per second, but there is so much detail in some scenes that the increased clarity can work against the experience by distracting the audience away from the story line. In the practice of this invention, the amount of realism can become variable, under the control of the producer, who can use it as a creative tool. With this invention, it is now possible to modulate the amount of realism that an audience perceives at any time during the showing of a motion picture, which brings it under the control of the producer in a manner that has not been accomplished before.
Suspension of disbelief is an integral part of the moviegoing experience. The combination of the limitations of film photography, particularly at the conventional frame rate of 24 frames per second, induces the viewer to believe that, because he or she is watching a motion picture, the action portrayed could possibly occur; although the viewer knows that it did not necessarily happen in actuality. Enjoying a motion picture is a conditioned experience, and it is the producer's task to deliver an experience to the audience that reminds them that the action they see is not an event that is happening now. It could be a fantasy or a historic event, but it is not happening at the moment they are viewing the motion picture. The invention described here furthers this goal. With contemporary acquisition methods, a producer is no longer saddled with artifacts that heretofore had to be accepted. Now, with higher frame rates, there are expanded creative opportunities, and this invention allows those opportunities to be fulfilled. The present invention improves spatial and temporal resolution, while providing creative flexibility by allowing an artifact of 24-frame-per-second photography and exhibition to be modulated in motion pictures photographed and exhibited at high frame rates.
Throughout the Twentieth Century, advances in cinema technology have contributed to making theatrical feature film presentation more lifelike. Cinerama, introduced in 1952, delivered an immersive impression not seen before. One of the factors was the use of a new frame rate; 26 frames-per-second. Later, the Todd-AO 70 mm system captured and projected images at 30 frames per second and produced a noticeable improvement in perceived realism. Showscan, at 60 frames per second, mitigated the artifacts of 24-frame-per-second presentation even more, with a significantly higher frame rate, but its use was limited to special-venue applications.
Filmmakers learned early in the development of the medium that too much realism was not desirable, however. An early Edison film of a train coming toward the camera, photographed at 48 frames-per-second, scared that audience. They were afraid that the train on the screen would run over them.
While contemporary audiences in motion picture theaters are more sophisticated than that, the negative effects of an inordinately realistic presentation have been highlighted by the recent release of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 frames-per-second and in 3D, the first commercial motion picture released at that frame rate. Technical reviews of the picture in industry trade publications were not enthusiastic, because of the overly realistic presentation. Based on a ten-minute preview screened at 48 frames-per-second, Jim Vejvoda, Executive Editor of IGN Movies, said on www.ign.com on Apr. 24, 2012: "In this reporter's opinion, it looks like live television in hi-def video. And it didn't look particularly good. Yes, this is shocking, but I was actually let down by the Hobbit footage, as were a number of the other journalists I spoke with afterward . . . . While 48 fps may create a more realistic 'you are there' picture quality, it actually works against The Hobbit from the 10 minutes of footage we saw. This undeniable 'reality' kept pulling me out of the movie rather than immersing me fully into its world." Peter Scieretta posted on www.slashfilm.com on the same day that the character-centric scenes at 48-fps appeared "jarring" and added "It looked uncompromisingly real—so much so that it looked fake."
If the opinions of industry commentators are any indication of the potential impact of motion pictures released at 48 frames-per-second, the problem which the present invention solves could cause high-frame-rate motion pictures generally to fail in their objective of providing an improved experience for contemporary moviegoers. While undesirable artifacts will always detract from the enjoyment of a cinema experience, there are other cues that remind viewers that they are watching a motion picture, and not a television program. By introducing a controlled amount of an otherwise-undesirable artifact, the present invention moves the theatrical motion picture experience away from the hyper-realistic look that prompted negative reviews of The Hobbit. That controlled "artifact" is motion blur, which can be added, even at high frame rates, in the practice of this invention. The purpose of selectively blurring motion is to reduce the level of detail inherent in rapid motion, which can interfere with the advancement of the story line of a motion picture, by absorbing the audience with superfluous visual detail to the extent that they fail to notice other image components which are vital to advancing the action.
The invention described here optimizes theatrical motion picture realism by bringing the impression of reality the highest possible level, without going so far as to deliver the "soap opera" look; the appearance associated with live television, which can be distracting. The term came from the early days of television, when soap operas were broadcast live, and U.S. television used 30 frames and 60 interlaced fields (other countries had similar interlaced transmission methods). In the U.S., this meant that 60 fields were presented to viewers every second, while only 24 frames are displayed in motion picture theaters. Compared to traditional motion pictures, television appears significantly more realistic. This hyper-realism is similar to the experience which the viewers of The Hobbit had. In other words, the practice of the present invention retains a certain level of cinematic appearance and avoids this distraction, while still delivering a superior quality motion picture presentation. This is accomplished by imparting an optimal amount of motion blur, which was historically considered an artifact of film photography and presentation at the conventional frame rate of 24 frames per second.
Much of the history of the development of motion picture technology has been driven by the desire to improve the perception of realism and clarity of the presentation viewed by motion picture audiences. This has been an object of all inventions that featured higher frame rates, larger film formats, larger screens and digital image capture and presentation methods. The inventor here has also taught such methods to improve cinematic motion picture presentation: e.g. Weisgerber: U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,614 (presentation at forty-eight frames per second of film sequences photographed at that rate or at the conventional rate of twenty-four frames per second and double-frame printed).
The previous Weisgerber invention is one of many that improved the quality of motion picture presentation over the course of the last Century. With digital cinematography, producers now have the ability to vary shutter speed or shutter angle without being restricted by film transport requirements. With conventional film transports, the shutter could only be opened to a limited degree with a typical motion picture film camera. The conventional frame rate of 24 frames per second was equivalent to a 180° shutter angle, while 48 frames per second was equivalent to a 90° shutter angle. These limitations are not present in digital photography, so motion blur is now variable, under the control of the producer. With digital photography, it is possible to vary the shutter from essentially fully open to essentially fully closed. In other words, it is possible to vary the shutter speed to the equivalent of any shutter angle, because there is essentially no blanking time, which was required to move the film between frames. Motion blur, the cinematic artifact that prompts the viewers to suspend disbelief, is not present with digital photography at a high frame rate. Without it, a motion picture looks too much like live television, and not enough like the product of cinematic art. The present invention imparts motion blur selectively when desired for a cinematic look, while retaining the capacity to employ the enhanced image quality available through digital HFR photography when highly-realistic, immersive images are desired. In other words, the primary object of the invention described here is to produce enhanced images, but not so realistic that they provide a level of detail which would detract from the viewer's movie-going experience.
A part of the cinema art is the presentation of images which incorporate "artifacts" that are a component of 24 frame-per-second film presentation, and that remind the viewers that they are, indeed, watching a film. Some of these artifacts, especially motion blur, are associated with the conventional frame rate of 24 frames per second. This delivers the "cinematic" look associated with "legacy" motion pictures, which is considered part of the experience of watching a film in a theatrical setting. This motion blur is accepted by the moviegoing public, and is not viewed as a disturbing phenomenon. In fact, motion blur is a natural phenomenon; a part of the actual visual experience, in real life.
High-frame-rate image capture and presentation methods suppress artifacts associated with a "cinematic" appearance or "legacy" look to the extent that viewers cannot perceive them. Presentation of forty-eight discrete images per second, as taught previously by Weisgerber in U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,614 suppresses these artifacts associated with a low frame rate. While an enhanced presentation is generally desirable for motion pictures as a whole, it is not desirable that all content be enhanced to such a high standard that a motion picture loses all of its cinematic appearance. This invention gives the producer the creative option to decide how realistic, or how hyper-realistic, any segment of motion picture content should appear. For example, a close-up of a character's face in sharp focus can present too much detail to deliver a pleasing image to the viewer, when displayed on a large screen. The smoothness of motion available at high frame rates of presentation actually detracts from the viewer's experience, in that case. In another example, contemporary image-capture methods produce sufficient depth of field that the entire image is in sharp focus. This is a desirable feature when the background is a scenic outdoor vista or during an action scene, but it is not desirable for an indoor scene where the characters are engaging in a serious conversation and the dialog is more important than the visual information. In such scenes, it is esthetically desirable to keep the characters in focus and bring the background slightly out of focus; a result that cannot be achieved with current digital photography. By adding a controlled amount of motion blur, a producer can create these desirable effects by reducing the amount of excessive detail in moving objects. In those cases, it is necessary to impart an artifact in post-production to selected scenes, despite the fact that artifact may otherwise be considered undesirable. The present invention can mitigate hyper-realism by blurring excess detail, which prevents such detail from distracting the viewers of a motion picture. In effect, motion pictures produced according to this invention can have the "legacy" look of a classic film, a highly-realistic look, or anything in between. In addition, the amount of realism that is delivered to an audience in a motion picture theater can now be varied, under the control of the producer of the motion picture.
The effect produced in the practice of this invention would be especially noticeable on today's large screens, where viewers can see more detail than they could on screens typically used in the past. The invention described here has been installed for demonstration purposes in a commercial motion picture theater with a 60-foot screen. Other theaters have screens up to 90 feet wide. In venues such as these, contemporary audiences can easily discern the difference between a cinematic appearance, as opposed to that of a television broadcast of an event as it takes place.
As the motion picture industry begins to embrace 48 frames-per-second or higher as frame rates for photography and exhibition of new motion pictures, this drawback of high-frame-rate exhibition is becoming apparent. The recent release of Peter Jackson's version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected journey at 48 frames-per-second and in 3D, is a case in point. On Apr. 28, 2012, before The Hobbit was released and only portions of it were screened in previews, Anthony Wing Kosner wrote in Forbes Magazine that "If the frame rate turns out to be a major point of criticism, it will not be a good sign." After the picture was released and viewers' reactions were noted, Ben Fritz reported in the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 7, 2012 that some viewers "have complained, saying that it is too realistic, making 'The Hobbit' seem less like a film and more like something you might see on a high-definition TV or on a video game." Fritz also reported that the trade paper Variety said it was "like watching a high-end home movie."
These differences are critical, as the experience with the release of The Hobbit demonstrated. While there was no dispute that the 48-fps frame rate delivers a highly realistic appearance, audiences and reviewers did not always give positive reviews to that aspect of the production. The subject matter of the motion picture came from the fantasy novels of J. R. R. Tolkein. The extreme appearance of reality in the motion picture as presented did not comport with the audience expectation of a motion picture with a story line based on fantasy.
Fritz quoted Avatar producer Joe Landau as referring to new tools like the 48-fps frame rate and saying: "It's about learning how to take these new tools and still give a cinematic look and feel" to viewers watching motion pictures in these new formats and frame rates. The invention described here solves that specific problem. The invention can take the overly-realistic scenes or shots at 48 frames-per-second and give them a more "cinematic" appearance, which tones down the hyper-realism that audiences saw in The Hobbit and that was the object of the complaints quoted here.
It is not the object of this invention to give the appearance of 24-frame-per-second photography for an entire motion picture. Instead, the method described here is used selectively, only to temper the excessive appearance of detail in motion that can result from the temporal resolution inherent at high frame rates, such as 48 frames-per-second, and is inconsistent with a traditional cinematic appearance. Many of the benefits of HFR photography and exhibition, such as a high level of spatial resolution and the ability to employ large screens with minimized artifacts, are desirable. The method described here is used selectively, only to temper an undesirable effect that sometimes occurs with high temporal resolution (an appearance similar to live television; "soap-opera look"), especially on shots containing action occurring in the foreground or at medium-range.
By selectively adding motion blur to a motion picture that was photographed by digital means at a high frame rate like 48 frames-per-second, the present invention produces an optimal experience; more realistic than conventional film photography can produce, yet not as realistic-looking as live television or the appearance of The Hobbit. Thus, the present invention retains an important feature of the cinema experience, while increasing realism to the optimal level, but not beyond it. In this way, "suspension of disbelief" by the viewers of motion pictures produced according to this invention becomes a variable, which is now brought under the control of the producer of the motion picture and harnessed for the improvement of the movie-going experience.

Method for selectively imparting a cinematic appearance to motion pictures photographed and exhibited at high frame rates


A video presenter of the invention includes a table with a top surface on which an object is to be positioned; a pivot member disposed at a side of the table; an arched or arc-shaped support arm rotatably coupled with the pivot member and extended therefrom; and, a camera head rotatably coupled with an end of the arched or arc-shaped support arm.

In general, a video presenter photographs an object using a CCD camera and displays the photographed object on a monitor, and is widely used for educational and industrial purposes. The video presenter can display a magnified image of a tiny object on the monitor by using a lens unit such as a microscope lens to magnify the object taken by the CCD camera. A variety of peripheral devices are included in the video presenter. For example, an apparatus for illuminating an object to improve a quality and sharpness of an image to be displayed through the monitor is additionally provided.
The video presenter may include a variety of arm structures for supporting the CCD camera. An optimal structure for supporting the camera should have such a configuration that the camera can effectively capture an image of the object. In part, this object requires that the support arm structure for supporting the camera should not interfere with the object. Also, it requires that a lamp for illuminating the object should not interfere with the object in order to provide an improved quality of captured images. In addition, it is further preferable that a table for positioning the object thereon provides an optimized usage of a space defined above the table.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. hei 7-107377 discloses a video presenter having two support rods for supporting a camera which are rotatable by mean of joints or articulations. More specifically, a first support rod is rotatable with respect to a table and a second support rod while the second support rod is rotatable with respect to the first support rod and the camera. However, in this video presenter, the camera must be inconveniently disassembled when the video presenter is not in use and kept for storage. Also, the first and second support rods are rotatable only in the same direction. Thus, when the second support rod is approached towards the table, the second support rod cannot be sufficiently collapsed onto the table due to the volume of the camera.
Another example of the video presenter is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 2011715. According to this disclosure, a support arm for supporting the camera is formed in a telescopic-manner so as to adjust a length of the support. Also, two lamps are provided at opposite sides of a table by means of separate support structures. This video presenter has a potential problem in that while the illuminating strength of the lamps may be intensified, the lamps are not able to be optimally adjusted relative to the object. Further, the support arms for supporting the camera and the lamp are formed into a rectilinear (i.e., straight) shape that may interfere with the object depending on their rotational position.


A removable optical sight mount adapted for use with a military-style rifle such as an M1A provides a centrally aligned support projecting well to the rear for use with sights having very limited eye relief. The removable sight advantageously uses a three point lock up or attachment to the rifle, the three points being (1) an elongated longitudinal tenon engaging a groove on the left side of the rifle secured with a fastener and cammed into tight engagement with the groove, (2) a transverse rear guide block, and (3) an adjustable front set screw that, when tightened, bears on the rifle receiver's crown.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firearm sights and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for removably attaching a mount for an optical or telescopic sight to a rifle.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Military and competition shooters have come to appreciate the simple construction and reliable operation of rifles having Garand-style rolling block operation. Such Rifles include the M1 Garand (in 30-06 caliber), the M1A (in .308 or 7.62 NATO caliber) and the select fire M14 (also in .308 or 7.62 NATO caliber).
The M14 is still used for certain military applications, in part because of the significant power advantage provided by the .308 or 7.62 NATO caliber projectiles, when compared to the standard issue .223 or 5.56 NATO caliber projectiles used in the M16 rifle or M4 carbine. Unfortunately, many of the modern M16/M4 attachments and accessories are not readily used with an M1A or M14 pattern rifle, since those rifles were originally configured for use solely with iron or mechanical sights. When special circumstances (e.g., a need for sniper rifles) mandated mounts for telescopic sights, armorers could not simply screw traditional sporting or Weaver™ style rails above the M1 Garand's rolling-block action receiver.
Armorers eventually developed mounts for use with optically sighted M1s; the first version was known as the M1C and utilized a telescopic sight held in place by a commercial (Griffin and Howe) "rail system" mount having a mounting method devised to avoid drilling and tapping the receiver and using a barrel collar which accepted a scope mount that attached utilizing a knurled knob on the mounting collar. The rail system (or lever) telescope mount required that the receivers be shipped to Griffin and Howe to drill and tap the receiver before heat-treating. The heat treating process associated with drilling and tapping the receiver (for the Griffin and Howe system) delayed production and so few M1Cs were delivered for combat service during W.W.II. In an effort to avoid the heat treatment problems associated with drilling and tapping the M1 receivers, a second approach to scope mounting utilized a machine base fitted to the rear of the barrel with a pin. The scope was releasably mounted to the barrel base with a knurled screw tightened by hand. This approach avoided the necessity of heat treatment after drilling and tapping. These expensive and protracted procedures resulted in a telescopic mount of acceptable but not superior accuracy. When the M1A and M14 replaced the M1 Garand as the principal service rifle, many of the same mounting problems were also carried forward, since the newer rifles also used the rolling block action and receiver configuration.
This legacy now creates a number of new problems for armorers. Contemporary users of the M14 and M1A have sought to use modern optical sighting systems including, for example, the Trijicon ACOG (i.e., "Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight") optical sighting system, but there is not a practical way to releasably mount such modern optical devices to these older service rifles. The ACOG uses both tritium and fiber optic technology to illuminate a red circle reticle covering four minutes-of-angle (MOA), with a hollow center that covers 2 MOA. The ACOG sight is in use around the world by U.S. and coalition forces, and has been found to be very effective and rugged. The ACOG provides a relatively short one and one-half inches of eye relief and an eight millimeter exit pupil. Weighing about three-quarters of a pound with a flattop mount, the ACOG is compact and relatively light, while offering the durability needed in a combat sight. It offers much greater hit probability for most shooters, and is considered a lifesaver in low light combat situations. As a result, soldiers and marines have become accustomed to using the ACOG and similar optical devices on their service weapons.
There is a need, therefore, for a practical method and mount structure permitting a shooter to releasably mount modern optical devices to older service rifles, if they are to be used in combat.

Removable optical sight mount adapted for use with M14, M1A and similar rifles and method for removably attaching an optical sight to a rifle


A liquid crystal display includes a display panel, a timing controller, a gate driver, and a data driver. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels. The timing controller receives an image data, compares a previous line data with a present line data to determine whether the present line data needs to be compensated, and generates a first modulation line data. In addition, the timing controller calculates the first modulation data and a delay compensation value to generate a second modulation line data. The delay compensation value is decided from reference delay compensation values of reference pixels among the pixels.

1. Field of Disclosure
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a liquid crystal display. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display capable of improving a display quality of a moving image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display includes two substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates. The liquid crystal display applies an electric field to the liquid crystal layer and controls intensity of the electric field to control transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer, thereby displaying desired images.
The liquid crystal display inverts a polarity of a data voltage, which corresponds to each pixel, in the unit of frame, row, column, or dot with reference to a common voltage in order to prevent liquid crystals from being deteriorated due to the electric field that is applied to the liquid crystals in the same direction.
In the liquid crystal display, recently, an inversion scheme that inverts the polarity of the data voltage at every dot in the row direction and at every two dots in the column direction is widely used. However, due to a gray scale difference between data voltages, which have the same polarity and are adjacent to each other, a horizontal line is perceived between adjacent pixels to which the data voltages area applied.
In addition, according to a position of a gate driver and a data driver in the liquid crystal display, a gate signal delay occurs in each pixel according to the distance from the gate driver and each pixel, and a data signal delay occurs in each pixel according to the distance from the data driver and each pixel. The gate signal delay and the data signal delay produce defects of charging characteristic of the data voltage applied to each pixel. The defects of charging characteristic are affected by a position of a light source too.


Efficient, reusable, extensible light weight framework orchestrates discrete mainframe service calls as a single composite service call. The single composite call requires a single mainframe socket and the mainframe disaggregates the composite service call upon receipt to process the individual service calls therein, thereby allowing the mainframe to handle more services calls simultaneously. A similar framework orchestrates distributed service calls from a mainframe client.

An order management system is a computer system that executes financial security trade orders in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Typically, order management systems utilize a mainframe computer to handle calls from distributed servers. In a typical mainframe computing environments, distributed clients make calls to the mainframe. Each call requires its own socket connection with the mainframe, but there are only a limited number of socket connections available with the mainframe, usually a couple hundred (e.g., 350 available socket connections). Thus, the mainframe can handle only a limited number of calls simultaneously. Further, in an order management context, a number of separate mainframe calls for data (e.g., five calls) are often needed to validate a trade order. In periods of high trading activity, where the number of trade orders and their corresponding mainframe data calls outnumber the number of available socket connections, the ability of the mainframe to respond quickly to the calls is reduced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mainframe service request orchestrator and multiplexer


The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that ensures the integrity of programs having variable portions. One aspect of this invention is a method for protecting software products having variant portions. This method includes identifying a reference to an external target in a software product, creating an identifier for the external target, and adding the identifier to the reference. In some embodiments, the unique identifier is a digital signature and the reference to an external target is a call to an external library.

The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely complicated devices. To be sure, today's computers are more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Fundamentally speaking, though, the most basic requirements levied upon computer systems have not changed. Now, as in the past, a computer system's job is to access, manipulate, and store information. This fact is true regardless of the type or vintage of computer system.
Computers access, manipulate, and store information by following a detailed set of instructions ("program" or "software") that are generally organized into a number of discrete parts ("functions," "components" or "modules"). Software developers have organized some of the most commonly used functions into "libraries," which the software developer can "call" when the program under development needs to use those functions. In this way, the software developers can use the functions in the library without having to rewrite the supporting code each time.
Traditionally, computer programs were distributed from the software developer to the end user on physical storage media, such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. Unfortunately, this method of distribution was both slow and costly. To overcome this limitation, many software developers have begun to replace the physical medial with transmission media, such as the Internet. Although this change allows end users to easily and cheaply "download" new software from the developer, the end user has no way of knowing whether the party supplying the software is trustworthy. That is, due to the public nature of the Internet, the end user cannot ensure that the digital location from which they download the software is controlled by the software developer and that the software they received was not altered during transit. Software supplied from untrusted sources can contain unexpected "bugs" and/or may contain a computer "virus" that can destroy data on the end user's computer system.
This problem is compounded by the fact that many programs require changes ("updates," "upgrades," or "fixes") after the initial distribution to correct the bugs in the program and to add new functionality. As a result, computer owners also need to ensure the ongoing integrity of the software on their systems. Ongoing system integrity imposes requirements on the security system beyond those required to ensure transport integrity. More specifically, any system used to ensure ongoing system integrity of a software product must accommodate the addition of new components to an existing software installation, the replacement of existing software components with new components, and the deletion of old components.
Conventional systems typically use digital signatures to ensure software integrity. A digital signature is an electronic code that uniquely identifies the signer of a digital object (e.g., a file). There are a number of different encryption techniques that provide these features. One such technique is to first use a special function to compute a value ("hash") on the software object in such a way that it is extremely unlikely that some other object will produce the same value, and then use public-key encryption techniques to encrypt the hash. The end user can verify both the signed object and the sender's identity by first re-computing the hash of the object, then decoding to the original hash, and finally comparing the recomputed hash with the decoded hash. Additional information about public key cryptography and digital signatures can be found in Bruce Schneir, Applied Cryptography, Second Edition: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C, (John Wiley & Sons 1996), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
One problem with conventional techniques, however, is that they could not protect variant portions of the programs, such as references to an external library. For example, a program dependent on a relocateable library needs to resolve the location to call entries within the external libraries. This linkage is resolved using the explicit program signature (e.g., in C++, the so-called "mangled name" that uniquely names the procedure or method and includes the description of the call parameters in the mangled name. In other languages, this may just be a uniquely resolvable name that may include none, part, or all of the parameters involved). The resolution of the external reference, sometimes referred to as the "binding," is left unprotected by conventional systems because the actual code that calls into the external can vary. This is, because the binding is merely a pointer to an external library whose location in memory is not dependably known, the value of the pointer can vary. Because the value of the pointer can vary, including the binding in the hashed code will cause the hash function to compute a different value.
Accordingly there is a need for a method and system that can ensure the integrity of the variant portions of programs.

Method and apparatus for protecting external call references

International Business Machines Corporation


A myriad of permutations of void-maintaining membrane laminates are provided. Laminates of the invention are particularly useful for providing high performance drainage within layered paved structures such as highways, airport runways and parking lots. Void-maintaining laminates of the invention comprise compression elements that are shaped, adapted and arranged to cooperate with base and upper layers such that superior flow capacities are attained through their void spaces, channels and paths, even under pressures in excess of 5,000 lbs per square inch.

Water is a principal cause of distress and damage to paved structures such as roadways, airport runways and parking lots. Therefore, drainage systems are often provided in such structures in order to remove water from the paved surface or its foundations to thereby extend the useful life of the pavement surface. In some drainage methods, drainage systems are incorporated between the native soils or "subgrade" upon which a roadway or other large structure is situated and the overlying pavement surfaces. The present invention relates generally to synthetic void-maintaining structures with high permittivity and high transmissivity that are capable of extending the life of pavement by maintaining voids of sufficient dimensions to permit the timely egress of undesirable fluids, especially aqueous fluids.
In conventional road building, natural stone and aggregate materials are placed to form a drainable layer that is commonly called an Open Graded Base Course, or "OGBC." OGBC's are typically used underneath the surfaces of highways, airport runways, roads, and parking lots that are paved with bituminous materials such as asphalt or cementitious materials such as concrete. The present invention provides a series of high-flow void-maintaining membrane laminate ("VMML's") of polymeric material and related methods for economically manufacturing such laminates such that the need for an OGBC can be eliminated or minimized.
Pavement surfaces are highly engineered layered structures. Because of this, pavement structures require engineered materials that are selected based upon factors such as their density, particle or aggregate size, compressibility or other engineering parameters of the soil, stone and aggregate-based products that are required as structural fill that typically is installed in layers beneath pavement surfaces.
Two types of structural fill are the base course and, typically immediately beneath the base course, a sub-base course. Fluids such as water that become trapped or retained within structural fill cause damage to roadways and, over time, subsequently greatly reduce the useful life of a pavement system. These destructive phenomena occur even when asphalt additives, waterproofing techniques and conventional geosynthetics are used to improve the road.
The cause of many premature pavement failures has been traced to inadequate subsurface drainage. Typically, fluids enter the subsurface layers of pavement systems from surface infiltration through joints and cracks in the pavement, as well as pores in the pavement itself, seepage from the sides of the paved surface, and from rising groundwater beneath the road surface, either by capillary action or the upward movement of water in vapor form. In fact, the FHWA discovered that over 50% of all rainfall reaching a mature pavement surface enters underlying structural portions of the pavement through infiltration. In northern tier states, the destructive nature of water trapped in the structural base is exacerbated by freeze-thaw cycles, and particularly during spring thaw as ice lenses melt to create water-filled voids and very soft, water-saturated soils which lose a substantial amount of their compressive strength. In turn, these phenomena result in extensive damage to the highway system. These and related drainage-based structural issues are now well-recognized in the road and runway building industries.
When there is a high fluid content within soil or other layers supporting pavement that carries vehicular traffic, reduced bearing capacity can occur, resulting in deformation of the contour of the road surface, wheel rutting, and premature collapse or failure of the roadway. The American Association for Safety and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) issued design methodologies in 1993 that underscore the observation that damage to roadways occurs when fluid such as water is retained. In promulgating standards for quantifying the drainage performance of highways and other paved surfaces, AASHTO rates pavement drainage performances from "excellent," where water is removed from the roadway system within two hours, to "poor," where water is removed within one month. Drainage coefficients corresponding to these ratings are often used as direct design parameters in highway construction. For example, the drainage coefficient corresponding to an "excellent" drainage system in a roadway section would typically be at least two times greater than the corresponding drainage coefficient for "poor" drainage system in a similar section of roadway. In general, a drainage system having a higher drainage coefficient increases the corresponding effective structural rating of a section of roadway. Therefore, higher drainage coefficients generally correspond to a longer or extended service life, or result in the reduction of the overall structural cross-section, and therefore the amount of engineered materials, necessary to support a particular load.
Other engineering parameters reflect the importance of sufficient drainage to roadways. For example, the presence of water in pavement causes a reduction of the resilient modulus, which reduces the ability of a pavement surface to support traffic loads. In 1993, AASHTO reported that water saturation can reduce the dry modulus of asphalt paving by 30% or more. Moreover, added moisture in unbound aggregate base and sub-base layers was estimated to result in a loss of stiffness on the order of 50% or more. With water retention, a modulus reduction of up to 30% can be expected for an asphalt-treated base as well as an increased erosion susceptibility of cement or lime-treated bases. In addition, with inadequate drainage, saturated fine-grain road-bed soil may experience modulus reductions of over 50%. Furthermore, the presence of fluids often causes the buildup of hydraulic pore pressure that, in turn, reduces the effective stress capacity of the soil materials that were placed to support the pavement system.
Premature failure of pavement systems results in unacceptably high life-cycle costs for highways and other large paved structures. One conventional approach to the prevention of such premature failure from occurring has been directed toward developing means and methods for waterproofing roads. After years of expense and effort, however, waterproofing paved surfaces sufficiently to extend their useful life has proven to be quite challenging and somewhat unsuccessful. At the present time, industry focus has shifted from attempts at preventing water from entering the pavement surface to developing ways for removing water from the subbase and other base materials underlying the pavement. This shift in focus has been the subject of a number of publications in the field. One such publication is Drainage of Highway and Airfield Pavements, H. R. Cedegren (1987, R. E. K. Publishing Co.). In his book, Cedegren emphasizes that proper base and subbase drainage are considered to be more essential than paved surface waterproofing with respect to assuring that a pavement structure will perform for the duration of its design life. Cedegren projects that pavement useful life can be extended up to three times (e.g., a service life can be extended from 15 years, to 45 years) if adequate subsurface drainage systems are installed and maintained. The benefits of good drainage are also recognized in many current roadway design methodologies published in the early 1990's by AASHTO and the U.S. Army.
Other published studies support this view. In one of them, "The Economic Impact of Pavement Subsurface Drainage," R. A. Forsyth (1987, Transportation Research Record 1121, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.), the author reports at least a 33% increase in service life for asphalt pavement and a 50% increase for PCC pavements when subsurface drainage systems are used. Significantly, Forsyth observed a new crack reduction ratio of 2.4:1 when PCC pavements with subsurface drainage systems were compared to those without a subsurface drainage system. Moreover, other studies that reviewed pavements constructed to include base course layers constructed of non-uniform gradation, and consequently non-uniform and insufficient drainage capacity, concluded that service life was actually decreased by 50% when the pavement was saturated for periods as small as 10% of the year, that is, for approximately one month per year.
The economic disadvantages of inadequate subsurface drainage are significant. Indeed, KYDOT concluded that the costs of failing to properly drain a road could be up to $500,000 per mile when the costs of safety and repair delays are considered. KYDOT has also shown that providing a drainage mechanism along the edge of a road can improve road life by 40% when the system is installed properly. Other state agencies support this assessment. For example, the Maine DOT has observed that for an additional 20% increase in initial construction costs, proper drainage can double the expected useful life of a road. Studies by the University of Maine have quantified these observations with respect to actual soil permeability of various road bases throughout Maine. The University of Maine studies concluded that roads constructed with as little as 4% fines within the base and subbase courses drained at very slow rates, only two feet per day. This means that if a road, such as one observed in the study, had water traveling a typical distance of 20 feet, that is, 2 feet downwardly and 18 feet horizontally to a ditch or drain at the road's edge, it would take ten days for the road to drain, even if no additional fluids entered that same section of the road.
Thus, the rate at which water and other fluids are transported away from the various layers or levels of a paved surface is a critical element in its useful life. As can be easily seen, premature pavement failure due to inadequate drainage is an extremely serious and costly problem affecting the transportation infrastructure of North America and other areas. Indeed, Cedergren reported that 212 billion dollars U.S. was spent in 1991 on repairing highway deficiencies that were largely a result of poor drainage.
In one conventional method of approaching these drainage problems, an Open Graded Base Course, or "OGBC," drainable layer formed of natural stone and aggregate materials is installed beneath a roadway or other paved structure during its construction in an attempt to positively control fluids and dissipate pore pressures which commonly accumulate under large pavement structures. Typically, an OGBC-drainable pavement includes a layer of asphalt or concrete surface pavement, a permeable base, a separate filter layer, the sub-grade, and an edge drain. In theory, an OGBC drainable pavement provides a fluid-permeable zone beneath the pavement surface in order to alleviate the hydraulic problems attendant to poor drainage. On the other hand, the optimal performance of a pavement system is achieved by preventing water from entering the pavement and removing any water that does enter by means of a well-designed subsurface drainage system.
An OGBC is intended to be a porous drainage media that is capable of receiving fluids from the points of entry and then transporting them to designated discharge points in a timely manner. According to the FHWA, a typical OGBC permeable base is estimated to have a minimum permeability of 1,000 lineal feet per day. A permeability in this range will allow for drainage of the overlying pavement to occur within a few hours and thus would be considered as "excellent drainage" as defined by AASHTO. Because OGBC is installed as a highly porous and permeable system underneath an entire pavement section, it affords drainage to fluids regardless of their points of entry. For these reasons, OGBC has been viewed in the field as having acceptable parameters of fluid interception and drainage with respect to pavement systems.
OGBC is typically produced from stone that has been mined from quarries. A main distinguishing characteristic of OGBC materials is that they are usually delivered to work sites having a fairly uniform gradation per the specifications of the project engineer. Typically, project engineers use published standards for OGBC available from AASHTO, the Federal Highway Administration, or their resident state's department of transportation. Theoretically, uniform gradation of OGBC materials typically creates voids of desired and predictable dimension between them when they are in place. Thus, desired flow rates through both vertical and horizontal planes of the OGBC can be increased or decreased somewhat predictably by selecting appropriate size distributions of the particulate material.
Nonetheless, there are many disadvantages in OGBC drainage systems that appear to be caused by the lack of mechanical and dimensional stability provided by using uniform size gradations of stone. Although such gradations create interconnecting void spaces or holes with the aggregate for the purpose of receiving and transmitting fluid, OGBC by its very nature is susceptible to unacceptable amounts of lateral movement when exposed to shear stresses caused by typical traffic loading. This condition necessitates the need to chemically bond OGBC particulate materials to one another with cementitious or bituminous materials. The use of such bonding materials serves not only to increase costs, but to actually reduce the volume and extent of void space that remains within the OGBC. Thus, by addressing the problem of lateral stress, the void space required for sufficient drainage in an OGBC is reduced to unacceptable levels. Other disadvantages pertain to the additional elements that are required in an OGBC installation. Typically, a well graded granular or geotextile filter layer is needed above the OGBC in order to prevent contamination of the OGBC from the migration of sub-grade fines. This extra filter layer further increases the costs of the roadway construction.
Although an OGBC's interconnected void spaces may afford an acceptable level of drainage for some applications, the use of an OGBC conflicts with many established road pavement design practices. This is the case because roadways designed for long-term use often require the elimination of void spaces in order to obtain strength, reduce the movement of particles, sand and aggregate, and thereby increase the load-carrying capacity of the paved surface. Furthermore, unacceptably high construction costs are sometimes incurred when using an OGBC because of the need for precision and extensive on-site quality control in order to increase the chances that a high-flow OGBC system will last for the life of the overlying paved surface.
Another particular problem with the use OGBC's for drainage relates to their long-term performance. It is not uncommon to find distress in some OGBC systems after only a few years of apparently satisfactory service. Initial indications are that the drainage from the system has slowed and that the pavement and one or more base layers are moving with respect to one another, resulting in loss of sufficient support to overlying pavement layers. Some researchers and practitioners have suggested that the failure of an open-graded base course as a drainage layer is far more detrimental to the stability of a paved surface then the presence of a fluid-saturated dense-graded base course. For this and related reasons, current concerns now focus on the long-term stability and hydraulic conductivity of the open-graded bases and their effect on pavement performance.
The hydraulic conductivity of OGBC's over time is susceptible to the deleterious clogging effects of the upward migration of subgrade soil particles into the layer, as well as from the infiltration of fine particles from fractures in the pavement surface. While there is still a need to determine the optimum balance between stability and hydraulic conductivity for the least cost, equally important is the need to identify construction methods and materials for maintaining the initial stability and hydraulic characteristics of an OGBC over time.
Yet another problem with the OGBC is that quality aggregate is not always available or, if available, at uneconomically or prohibitively high costs. There is therefore a need for a drainage system that utilizes components which can be engineered and manufactured offsite, which provide equivalent or superior flow to OGBC's and that can be integrated economically within a large paved structure to provide efficient and cost-effective drainage for the structure, while also providing sufficient dimensional, mechanical and hydraulic capability.
In general, geosynthetics are manufactured from polymeric materials, typically by extrusion, as substantially planar, sheet-like, or cuspidated products. Geosynthetics are usually made in large scale, e.g., several meters in width and many meters in length, so that they are easily adaptable to large-scale construction and landscaping uses. Many geosynthetics are formed to initially have a substantially planar configuration. Some geosynthetics, even though they are initially planar, are flexible or fabric-like and therefore conform easily to uneven or rolling surfaces. Some geosynthetics are manufactured to be less flexible, but to possess great tensile strength and resistance to stretching or great resistance to compression. Certain types of geosynthetic materials are used to reinforce large man-made structures, particularly those made of earthen materials such as gravel, sand and soil. In such uses, one purpose of using the geosynthetic is that of holding the earthen components together by providing a latticework or meshwork whose elements have a high resistance to stretching. By positioning a particular geosynthetic integral to gravel, sand and soil, that is with the gravel, sand and soil resident within the interstices of the geosynthetic, unwanted movement of the earthen components is minimized or eliminated.
Most geosynthetic materials, whether of the latticework type or of the fabric type, allow water to pass through them to some extent and thus into or through the material within which the geosynthetic is integrally positioned. Thus, geosynthetic materials and related geotechnical engineering materials are used as integral part of manmade structures or systems in order to stabilize their salient dimensions.
Until recently, the only geosynthetic materials available for pavement drainage were exclusively limited to drains at the edge or shoulder of a roadway. These edge-drain systems are commonly located within a covered trench dug along the shoulder of the roadway during its construction. Conventional edge drain geosynthetics, however, cannot withstand the repeated dynamic loads that are present directly beneath pavement surfaces.
The present invention thus offers a range of synthetic void-maintaining laminate products which overcome the many deficiencies of the OGBC. The present invention relates generally to synthetic void-maintaining structures with high permittivity and high transmissivity that are capable of extending the life of pavement and other large structures by removing undesirable fluids. The present invention includes a myriad of high-flow void-maintaining membrane laminates ("VMML's") which possess desirable properties that make them capable of being a suitable partial, or full, replacement for conventional road-building materials such as OGBC's.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention of high throughput void-maintaining laminates overcome the previously mentioned disadvantages by providing a plurality of interconnected voids of great mechanical and dimensional stability while simultaneously providing sufficient horizontal flow to perform in accordance with "Good to Excellent" drainage when assessed with AASHTO definitions. These performance attributes are one desirable aspect of the present VMML systems because they eliminate many of the problems associated with fluids underlying large structures that are not resolved by conventional OGBC systems or by other geosynthetic products. By reducing or eliminating these problems, VMML systems extend the useful life of the overlying structure.
In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, VMML's can be positioned in a roadway to maximize their effectiveness, for example, directly beneath the pavement surface, immediately beneath the base course, or directly above a sub-grade if a sub-base is not present.
VMML's according to the invention can be made in large pieces, for example, several meters wide and many meters long. Moreover, for convenience in installation, VMML's may be installed in portions which are interconnected such that the interconnecting voids are of sufficient dimension that the water from a large structure such as a roadway can move freely through the VMML and can be connected to drain means such as a perforated pipe, ditch, or culvert adjacent to the pavement structure.
VMML's of the present invention can be fabricated into panels of various lengths and widths by using a means to weld, tie or sew VMML sections to one another to form one or more continuous VMML pathways underneath construction soils and pavement. Typically, a VMML of the present invention is positioned so that it is installed beneath pavement and above the natural soil native to the construction site. Also typically, the present VMML's reduce the distance to drain from the horizontal plane governed by the slope to the vertical distance between the SDBC and the fluid entry point.

High-flow void-maintaining membrane laminates, grids and methods


A new Calibrachoa plant named ‘KLECA08170’ particularly distinguished by light blue flowers, a very early flowering period with continuous flowering, and a flat, trailing growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa hybrid and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'KLECA08170'. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in Summer 2004 in Stuttgart, Germany. The female parent was the proprietary Calibrachoa plant 'W 329' (unpatented), while the male parent was the proprietary Calibrachoa plant 'W 220' (unpatented).
The new cultivar was first propagated in May 2005 in Stuttgart, Germany and has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart, Germany for more than 40 generations. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not been applied for. 'KLECA08170' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.


In a contact in which a cylindrical member (12) surrounds an elastic contact piece (11) to be brought into contact with a mating contact, the cylindrical member has first and second portions (12a, 12b) which are different from each other in width thereof throughout an axial length of the cylindrical member. The first portion defines a receiving space (13) located adjacent to the elastic contact piece in a radial direction to receive the mating contact piece. The second portion corresponds to the elastic contact piece.

This invention relates to a contact and a connector comprising the contact held in an insulator or a housing.
A conventional contact for use in a connector comprises an elastic contact piece to be brought into contact with a mating contact and a cylindrical member surrounding the elastic contact piece and defining a receiving space to receive the mating contact. The cylindrical member is inserted into a contact insertion space formed in the insulator. When the contact is inserted into the contact insertion space, a protrusion formed on a part of the cylindrical member in an axial direction is engaged with the insulator. Thus, the orientation of the contact is discriminated by presence of the protrusion.
However, since the conventional contact described above has the protrusion formed as an additional component, the outer dimension of the whole contact inevitably becomes large. In other words, it is difficult to miniaturize the contact. Furthermore, the cylindrical member can be inserted into the insulator insertion space even in a wrong orientation until the protrusion is engaged with the insulator. Under the circumstances, it is difficult to discriminate the orientation.

Contact which enables reliable discrimination of its orientation and connector using the same

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A composition dried under reduced pressure from a liquid mixture comprising: an adjuvant which comprises a TLR-4 agonist and a saponin in a liposomal formulation, wherein the liposomes contain a neutral lipid and a sterol, amorphous sugar, wherein the amorphous sugar is present in an amount of more than 7.5% (w/v) of the liquid mixture, and an antigen derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other Mycobacterium species. It is a major disease in developing countries, as well as an increasing problem in developed areas of the world.
Mtb72f and M72 are fusion protein antigens derived from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins Rv1196 and Rv0125. Mtb72f and M72 (described, for example, in international patent applications WO2006/117240, WO2012/080369 and WO2012/080370 which are incorporated herein by reference) or fragments or derivatives thereof are protein antigens of potential benefit for the treatment or prevention of tuberculosis.
Preclinical and clinical investigations have led to M72 being administered in humans in conjunction with the immunostimulants 3-O-deacylated monophosphoryl lipid A (3D-MPL) and QS21 in a liposomal formulation and in a 0,1 month schedule using 10 ug M72 polypeptide, 25 ug 3D-MPL and 25 ug QS21 (Leroux-Roels et al Vaccine 2013 31 2196-2206, Montoya et al J. Clin. Immunol. 2013 33(8): 1360-1375; Thacher E G et al AIDS 2014 28(12):1769-81; Idoko O T et al Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2014 94(6):564-78; Penn-Nicholson A, et al Vaccine 2015 doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.05.088). A candidate vaccine utilising the M72 antigen is currently in a Phase IIB trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01755598) to evaluate the protective efficacy of two doses of adjuvanted protein against pulmonary TB, as compared to placebo, in adults aged 18-50 living in TB endemic countries.
The vaccine being tested in this Phase IIB trial is a two vial vaccine with a liquid adjuvant. There remains a need for a simplified formulation of this vaccine.
Christensen et al. (2007) [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1768(9):2120-2129—Trehalose preserves DDA/TDB liposomes and their adjuvant effect during freeze-drying.] studied the ability of the disaccharides trehalose and sucrose to stabilise a non-phospholipid-based liposomal adjuvant composed of the cationic dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) and trehalose 6,6′-dibehenate (TDB) upon freeze-drying. Trehalose in concentrations of 211 mM and above was found to protect and preserve DDA/TDB liposomes during freeze-drying, whilst sucrose had to be used in concentrations above 396 mM. The protective effect was not observed in liposomes without TDB.
Ingvarsson et al. (2013) [J. Controlled Release 167:256-264, Designing CAF-adjuvanted dry powder vaccines: Spray drying preserves the adjuvant activity] studied spray-drying of the cationic liposome adjuvant DDA/TDB using mannitol, lactose or trehalose.
Mohammed et al. (2006) [Methods 40(1):30-8, Lyophilisation and sterilisation of liposomal vaccines to produce stable and sterile products] is also concerned with lyophilisation of cationic liposome adjuvanted vaccines. It is highlighted that in order to effectively protect liposomes from fusion the cryoprotectant should be present both internally within the liposome and in the external phase and that the intra and extra-liposomal media should have the same osmolarity. To that end, the protocol disclosed provides for the cryoprotectant to be included in the liposomes during liposome formation. Orr et al. (2014) [J. Control Release, 177:20-6 (published electronically 2013) Elimination of the cold chain dependence of a nanoemulsion adjuvanted vaccine against tuberculosis by lyophilisation] relates to co-lyophilisation of emulsion-based adjuvant and antigen.
WO99/65465 relates to a method for agent entrapment in liposomes in the presence of a sugar.
PCT application no. PCT/EP2016/080814 was recently filed. This application is unpublished and is directed towards the formulation of immunogenic or vaccine compositions comprising neutral lipid liposome based adjuvants, where the composition is suitable for lyophilisation.


A specimen sample collection device and test system includes a handle with a sufficiency indicator and locking teeth, an absorbent pad partially contained within the handle; a pad compression tube with outlet ports and locking holes insertable over the pad and handle; one or more collection tubes attachable to the pad compression tube outlet ports. The apparatus may include a light pipe sufficiency indicator with a spring compressor to force the absorbent pad into contact with the light pipe. The apparatus may include a collector dam. The apparatus may include a secondary seal. The apparatus may include a cylindrically shaped absorbent pad and a wrap-around light pipe sufficiency indicator with vent grooves. The apparatus may include a pad seat with buffer material disposed within the pad compression tube. The apparatus may include an absorbent pad split and divided into two lengths connected at a base. The apparatus may include a bar code identification. The apparatus may include a lock and key securing mechanism. The apparatus may include a handle containing one or more analyte test strips The apparatus may include a first absorbent pad in fluid communication with a sample adequacy indicator, which is in parallel with a second absorbent pad in fluid communication with a lateral flow analyte test strip. The apparatus ma include a first absorbent pad in fluid communication with a sample adequacy indicator, which is in parallel with a second absorbent pad in fluid communication with a lateral flow analyte test strip, with an impermeable membrane separating the first and second absorbent pads.

Traditional methods of testing for diseases, drugs and other antigens in humans have up until the last few years been predominantly done using blood samples. These samples collected in laboratories at the request of physicians require that blood drawn by a trained phlebotomist is sent to a laboratory and the serum component comprising a predominance of immunoglobulins, containing antibodies to the disease or disease state in question, is tested using a variety of available test kits to assist in the diagnosis of various diseases including infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and many others. Such samples can also be tested for the presence of non-disease analytes such as metals, minerals, DNA, bacteria and organic molecules among others.
Under current standardized laboratory practices, it is necessary to confirm any initially positive result obtained from diagnostic or analytical testing with a more sensitive (accurate) method. This, in fact is true for most, if not all diagnostic tests used today, including, as an example, HIV tests, which are confirmed by more definitive methods such as Western blot techniques or immunofluorescence (IFA) assays. In the case of drug tests, for instance, performed in criminal justice settings (at the police car, in correctional facilities, in drug courts, etc.) or at the workplace, by way of two examples, confirmation is carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass-spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) on a second sample taken from the subject. Other diagnostic and screening methods require similarly accurate methods for confirmatory purposes.
The United States Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the designated body responsible for regulating Federal drug testing in the United States, has recently prepared guidelines for the introduction of new tests and sample collection procedures for drug tests using so-called, "alternate" specimens. These sample types include saliva (or oral fluids), hair and sweat. These guidelines define the need for (1) a confirmatory specimen to be collected at the time of the initial sampling, (2) defined specimen volumes to be collected and (3) expected drug cut-off values, among other requirements.
The need for duplicate or a multiplicity of mutually distinct samples taken from the same source at the same time is part of a general trend being observed in many areas of the diagnostic and analytical testing businesses. The main reason for this increasingly important trend is the legal implication of being able to definitively rule out any potential contamination of the test sample during the testing process. The obvious consequences of an incorrect diagnosis of HIV for a patient or erroneous DNA results in the case of a criminal case are just two examples of where 100% certainty of sample integrity are paramount and are contributing reasons for the development of this particular invention. This potential legal implication has had an impact on general testing protocols and as a result healthcare and other professionals are now more cognizant than ever of the need to collect a "pure" sample or samples then ensure that those samples are analyzed to produce accurate results. During the testing process absolute "chain-of-custody" rules are enforced to ensure that no adulteration or contamination of the specimen occurs. This is not always possible in current testing protocols as there are opportunities for sample contamination or sample tampering. This is true for any test whether done on blood, serum, saliva, nasal secretions, vaginal discharge or any other sample where information obtained relates to a diagnosis of disease or disease state. Such information is taken in conjunction with any additional information available to the person making a decision relating to interpretation of the results obtained.
Despite the fact that saliva has been used as a diagnostic fluid since Ancient Chinese times, when the "Rice Test" (which relied on the inhibition of saliva as a determinate of guilt) was used, it is only over the last few years that salivary testing has taken on much greater significance. There are several important factors, which have contributed to this change: (1) The increase in popularity of non- or less-invasive testing methods; (2) the availability of more sensitive antibodies and antigens for detection of immunoglobulins in saliva; (3) new technologies in the area of point-of-care testing; (4) a need for more rapid results; (5) acquisition of serum/blood involves patient discomfort and can cause difficulty particularly where young children or intravenous drug users are concerned; (6) use of venous blood to collect serum requires capital equipment and involves an initial processing step, which adds significant time to result turnaround and has additional cost implications and also; (7) a general movement away from centralized laboratory testing towards "near-patient" testing, also called "point-of-care" testing.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognized the value of salivary testing as early as 1993 and recent symposia orchestrated by this organization, for instance a meeting held in 1999, organized by NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) division has helped increase the profile of testing using oral fluids. NIH, through various divisions, has since been encouraging companies with expertise in this area to apply for funding for new projects aimed at introducing novel tests using non-invasive samples for laboratory and point-of-care applications.
The insurance testing industry uses saliva as a sample matrix for applicants wishing to purchase specific life insurance policies as a safeguard measure prior to writing policies. In these situations applicants are tested for HIV, cotinine (nicotine) and cocaine using a testing device called "OraSure" from OraSure Technologies, which collects oral fluids for subsequent testing under laboratory conditions. Each of the major insurance testing laboratories in the United States performs a significant number of oral fluid tests on an annual basis.
In April 2004 OraSure Technologies was successful in gaining FDA approval for its OraQuick® HIV 1/2 rapid test for oral fluid diagnosis of the HIV viruses type 1 and type 2. Previously the test had been approved by the agency for whole blood, serum and plasma only.
In a separate area drugs of abuse are routinely detected from oral fluids collected in the workplace, in criminal justice settings and in hospitals using OraSure Technologies' "Intercept™" device and associated range of ELISA microplate assays. In this case a panel of 5 "abused" drugs or more are measured under laboratory conditions.
Rapid testing devices using saliva have recently appeared which may be used at the "point-of-care". These devices can collect and perform immediate testing for several drugs of abuse but these suffer from poor performance for certain tests at the present time, particularly Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or its major metabolite 11-nor-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. Examples of this type of device are the OraTect™ test from Branan Medical Corporation, the OraLine assay from Sun Biomedical and the Cozart BioScience RapiScan device, among others.
Up until now urine based rapid drug testing has been performed preferentially due to availability, cost, and to a certain extent, a lack of salivary tools incorporating some of the features described in this invention. While rapid urine kits are widespread they suffer from issues related to "chain-of-custody", the need for facilities to collect urine specimens discreetly under appropriate supervision and are easily adulterated by knowledgeable users, who can "cheat" such tests.
Electronic reading, hand-held devices, such as the Cozart BioSciences RapiScan instrument are also now available outside of the United States, that allow immediate drug testing to be done from oral fluids at the roadside and other field settings. This technology requires sample collection from the donor then immediate testing on site. This concept may well be duplicated in the future, as technologies to "miniaturize" testing platforms, improves.
The FDA has approved a laboratory HIV test, OraSure HIV-1 for testing for the HIV-1 virus from oral fluid as well as a Western blot confirmatory test, which also uses oral fluids. Both have been used in a Public Health setting in the United States for over five (5) years.
In addition the FDA has also approved saliva tests for pre-term labor (SalEst™, salivary estriol, from Biex, Inc), a salivary alcohol test (QED®, OraSure Technologies), a cortisol assay (Salimetrics, Inc.) as well as a panel of saliva-based drug assays (Intercept, OraSure Technologies) through the 510(k) clearance system. A number of other oral fluid drug testing products are undergoing regulatory approval, so in the next 12-24 months we might expect to see several other products available in the U.S. Furthermore, "investigational use" tests are available for immunoglobulins, for example sIgA (for use in psychological disorders, stress and athletic performance), therapeutic drugs (for instance lithium, theophylline, AZT), tumor markers (e.g. Her-2/neu), bacterial antibodies such as helicobacter pylori and even genomic detection of mitochondrial DNA (for criminal justice applications) using oral fluids as the preferred specimen matrix.
Emerging methodologies based on microfluidic technology requiring only small quantities of specimen samples are approaching the market. These devices work on virtually any specimen matrix including, but not limited to, saliva, urine, whole blood, serum, and other fluids. Such techniques have already found use in the arena of biodefense monitoring, high throughput screening methods, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other analytical techniques. These devices, which are being developed in one particular area for use by special intelligence forces, who are required to test for chemical and biological agents in soil, water and other samples before troops arrive at a battle site or during peacekeeping to monitor biological or environmental samples, may be seen as another area where this invention will find application.
These are a few of the many instances where saliva is viewed as a viable sample matrix for testing purposes. A number of devices in use today have provided means for the collection of bodily fluids including saliva and urine among others. One FDA-cleared fluid collection device used predominantly for saliva collection and testing has been shown to be potentially unsafe in pediatric patients. The Saliva-Sampler™ device from SDS, Inc. utilizes perforations present on filter paper to facilitate removal of the filter paper for subsequent saliva separation and testing. The device is placed under the tongue to accumulate sublingual whole saliva, collected by leaving the sampling device, consisting of a filter paper material attached to a plastic stem, in position until a sample indicator built into the device changes color confirming sample sufficiency. The process requires that the subject not chew, bite or unnecessarily move the device during the collection procedure. In pediatric patients, particularly, this can be a problem as children have a tendency to chew on materials placed in the oral cavity. In infants, separation of the filter paper prematurely can result in choking.
In another previously described example, an alternate FDA-approved oral fluid collection system from OraSure Technologies, Inc., known as OraSure®, incorporates salts impregnated on to the collection medium in the form of a "hypertonic" solution. According to the manufacturers, the purpose of the salts is to facilitate ready absorption of oral fluids (oral mucosal transudate) from the gingival crevices and thereby reduce sampling time. In practice when the OraSure® device is placed in the oral cavity, the taste of the salts on the device medium may be distasteful to potential users.
These and other currently available devices fail to address a growing need for efficient collection of bodily fluids including saliva for applications including analytical or diagnostic testing under laboratory, field or point-of-care testing conditions, for instance, whereby a pure sample of fluid, for example saliva, is collected from a subject and split into multiple chambers, thereby providing a means for initial specimen testing analysis or storage, for confirmation or supplementary testing and simultaneously providing a mechanism for confirming sample sufficiency prior to any subsequent testing or analysis of the constituents of the bodily fluid so collected.
Lateral flow immunochromatography (ICT) tests have been around for over a decade and are a direct descendent of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) techniques pioneered during the 1970s. The technology offers some benefits including cost efficiencies, user-friendliness and the availability of immediate test results. Over the last decade in particular, the availability of high quality raw material components, the growing movement towards near patient or point-of-care ("POC") testing, coupled with a need for rapid results, has led to an "explosion" in the development and commercialization of both flow-through and lateral flow devices based on immunochromatographic test principles. These devices form part of a rapidly growing industry for diagnostic tests performed outside of the laboratory.
A variety of ICT tests are now available including as examples OraSure Technologies' rapid oral fluid test, OraQuick HIV 1/2, Quidel Corporation's Quick-Vue Streptococcus A and Helicobacter pylori rapid tests, Meridian BioSciences' ImmunoCard assays for Respiratory Syncticial Virus (RSV) and Clostridium Difficile (C. Difficile) and Roche Diagnostics' TestCup drugs of abuse tests among a multitude of others.
Technologies other than ICT are equally adaptable to rapid testing. These include latex agglutination, dot-blot tests, microarrays and others.
Of the above rapid test examples and those currently in existence, only OraSure Technologies has been successful in commercializing a rapid, oral fluid test, OraQuick HIV 1/2, despite the fact that oral fluid, point-of-care tests represent an attractive alternative to current testing methodologies. This may be due, in part, to current data requirements for approval of rapid tests in the U.S. This is expected to change as a result of OraSure's success with OraQuick® HIV 1/2 and the emergence of saliva-based drug testing assays.
In order to meet the needs of a growing Public Health demand in the U.S. it is important for would-be manufacturers to integrate test strip technologies similar to those mentioned above with a simple-to-use, integrated platform system that can deliver rapid test results, safely and cost-effectively, for a range of diseases or analytes in a non-invasive manner. This is especially important in view of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that suggest that, of 2.1 million people tested at Publicly-funded Government testing sites using traditional (laboratory) testing methods in the US for the HIV virus, approximately 33% do not return to receive their results and may unwittingly go on to infect others if they are in fact HIV-positive. As the key to all disease prevention is early detection, accurate and early detection using rapid tests can have a major impact on reducing disease incidence.
In needle-averse populations, for instance, small children, pregnant women and hemophiliacs, the opportunity to provide oral fluid or saliva collection and immediate testing as an alternative to blood-based systems would be welcomed. Similarly general practitioners and health professionals would see an opportunity to provide testing opportunities in non-traditional testing sites, such as in the privacy of the patient's home, in nursing homes, remote clinic settings and even over the counter in a pharmacy environment.
Cozart BioSciences (UK, www.Cozart.co.uk)) has described the use of a hand-held device known as RapiScan, which tests for several illicit drug entities from oral fluids. This reading system is not fully integrated and requires a separate collection step prior to testing the specimen. OraSure Technologies (www.OraSure.com) has also described in a recent US Patent Application (Application Number unknown at this time), the use of a sample collector and test device. In this example also, sample collection is distinct from the specimen testing process.
SAMHSA has proposed in its 2004 guidelines for alternate specimen testing that minimum oral fluid collection volumes are to be 2 mL of clean specimen.
None of the available prior art provides for expressing an oral fluid sample from a subject directly onto a diagnostic test strip, providing a mechanism for determining sample volume adequacy and visually reading qualitative and/or quantitative results from the test strip through a small window in an integrated one-step manner.
The following represents a list of known related art U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,038 issued Feb. 1, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,031 issued Nov. 9, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,148 issued Dec. 7, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,496 issued Feb. 23, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,492 issued Jan. 10, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,337 issued Dec. 27, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,722, U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,943, U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,598, U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,453, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,496, U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,522, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,808, U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,516, U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,058, U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,336, U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,652, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/061,036 by Lloyd Simonson, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/060,605 by Lloyd Simonson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,152, U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,879, U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,614 to Edward Cesarczyk, U.S. Pat. No. 6,489,172. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

Specimen sample collection device and test system


A heterocyclic aromatic oxazole compound of the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein Z is an oxygen atom; one of R and R.sub.1 is a group of the formula ##STR2## wherein R.sub.3 is lower alkyl, amino or lower alkylamino, and R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are the same or different and each is hydrogen atom, halogen atom, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, hydroxy or amino, provided that at least one of R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 is not hydrogen atom, and the other is an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted heterocyclic group or an optionally substituted aryl; and R.sub.2 is a lower alkyl or a halogenated lower alkyl, and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The heterocyclic aromatic oxazole compound and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof have antipyretic action, analgesic action, anti-inflammatory action, and particularly, selective inhibitory action on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and are expected to be useful as anti-inflammatory agents with less side-effects such as digestive tract disorders.

It has been conventionally known that arachidonic acid metabolites, prostaglandin E.sub.2 (PGE.sub.2), prostaglandin I.sub.2 (PGI.sub.2) and thromboxane B.sub.2 (TXB.sub.2) are deeply involved in inflammations. An important enzyme in this arachidonic acid metabolism is cyclooxygenase. Cyclooxygenase is a synthase which produces prostaglandin H.sub.2 (PGH.sub.2) from arachidonic acid via prostaglandin G.sub.2 (PGG.sub.2), and includes cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).
With respect to COX-1, cDNA cloning was performed in 1988 and its primary structure and induction by various factors have been clarified [Yokoyama, C. et al.: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 165: 888-894 (1989); Smith, W. L. et al.: Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1083: 1-17 (1991); DeWitt, D. L.: Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1083: 121-134 (1991)]. On the other hand, the existence of an isozyme of COX-1, namely, COX-2, was suggested in 1989 [Holtzman, M. J. et al.: J. Biol. Chem., 267: 21438-21445 (1992)], and cDNAs of COX-2 of chicken, mouse and human have been cloned since 1991 [Xie, W. et al.: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 88: 2692-2696 (1991); Kujubu, D. A. et al.: J. Biol. Chem., 266: 12866-12872 (1991); Hla, T. et al.: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89: 7384-7388 (1992)]. COX-2 is quickly induced by phorbol ester, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the like, and the relationship with inflammation and bronchial asthma has been inferred.
COX-1 systemically and constantly exists in almost all cells and is physiologically concerned with the generation of prostaglandin (PG) necessary for the functions of, for example, stomach and kidney. Therefore, when COX-1 is inhibited, the biosynthesis of PG by vasodilative PGE.sub.2 and PGI.sub.2, which protect gastric mucosa, is suppressed, and the protective action on the gastric mucosa becomes degraded, as a result of which ulcer is caused. With regard to a symptom associated with a decrease in renal blood flow, in general terms, the renal blood flow can be increased by promoting the production of vasodilative PGE.sub.2 in the body, thereby to appropriately maintain glomerular filtration rate. However, if the production of such vasodilative PG is suppressed due to the inhibition of COX-1, the renal blood flow becomes less, so that a side-effect such as the onset of ischemic acute renal insufficiency is sometimes caused.
On the other hand, COX-2 exists in particular sites such as monocytes, synovial cells, granulosa cells and intravenous endothelial cells, and is topically expressed when inflammation is caused. It is therefore considered that PG generated by COX-2 is deeply concerned with inflammation and tissue disorders.
Currently, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as aspirin, mefenamic acid, diclofenac, indomethacin, ibuprofen and naproxen have been widely used in clinical situations. Most of these NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory drugs which selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) and are associated with side-effects such as disorders in the digestive tract. Such side-effects are considered to be caused by the fact that they, though certainly selectively inhibit COX, inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2.
It follows therefrom that selective inhibition, without inhibition of COX-1, of solely COX-2 which is specifically induced at the inflammatory sites, would enable provision of a superior anti-inflammatory drug free of side-effects such as disorders in the digestive tract (e.g., ulcer).
There are various reports on anti-inflammatory drugs having selective COX-2 inhibitory activity, which aim at reducing side-effects such as disorders in the digestive tract.
For example, WO94/15932 discloses, as COX-2 inhibitors, 5-membered heterocyclic compounds substituted by bisaryl, such as thiophene, furan and pyrrole, which are specifically exemplified by 3-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiophene. However, this publication merely shows a 5-membered heterocyclic compound such as thiophene having aryl or heteroaryl at the 3-position or 4-position.
Moreover, various reports deal with anti-inflammatory drugs having cyclooxygenase-inhibitory action, prostaglandin synthesis-inhibitory action or thromboxane A.sub.2 synthesis-inhibitory action.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,142 discloses pyrazole derivatives such as ethyl 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]pyrazole-3-carboxylate; U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,171 discloses thiazole derivatives such as 2-methylthio-5-phenyl-4-(3-pyridyl)-thiazole; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,321 discloses thiazole derivatives such as 2-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(3-pyridyl)-1,3-thiazole. These publications mention that they are useful as anti-inflammatory drugs, whereas they do not disclose if they have selective inhibitory action on COX-2 to reduce side-effects, or any suggestion of it.
There are other reports on the following heterocyclic aromatic compounds.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4632930 discloses oxazole compounds such as 5-cyclohexyl-4-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)-.alpha.,.alpha.-bis(trifluoro-meth yl)oxazole-2-methanol. Yet, the compounds disclosed therein are effective for hypertension and their usefulness as anti-inflammatory drugs or any suggestion to that effect are not included.
Japanese Patent Application under PCT laid-open under Kohyo No. 500054/1984 discloses oxazole derivatives having heteroaryl or carbon ring aryl at the 4-position or 5-position of oxazole ring and having carboxy, ester or amidized carboxy via lower alkylene at the 2-position thereof, such as ethyl 2-[4-phenyl-5-(3-pyridyl)-oxazol-2-yl]-propionate; and Japanese Patent Application under PCT laid-open under Kohyo No. 500055/1984 discloses imidazole derivatives having heteroaryl and/or carbon ring aryl at the 4-position or 5-position of imidazole ring and having formyl or acetalized formyl via lower alkylene at the 2-position thereof, such as 2-[4-phenyl-5-(3-pyridyl)-imidazol-2-yl]-acetaldehyde dimethyl acetal. These publications teach that these compounds are effective as dermal antiphlogistic or mucosal antiphlogistic for inflammatory dermal diseases, but do not teach or even suggest that they have selective inhibitory action on COX-2.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 70446/1993 discloses N-thiazolylsulfonamide derivatives such as N-[5-cyclohexyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiazol-2-yl]trifluoromethanesulfonamid e; and Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 83372/1990 discloses cyclohexylimidazole derivatives such as 4-cyclohexyl-5-phenyl-2-t-butyl-imidazole. These publications only exemplify cyclohexyl as a substituent and include no suggestion as to the substitution with phenyl substituted by aminosulfonyl, lower alkylaminosulfonyl or lower alkylsulfonyl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,738 discloses oxazole compounds such as 2-phenyl-4-cyclohexyl-5-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)oxazole as COX-2 inhibitors. However, the compounds described in this publication are mainly characterized by 4-fluorophenyl and 4-methylsulfonylphenyl at the 4-position and 5-position of oxazole ring, and do not suggest the compounds having specific substituents in combination, as in the present invention.
Not only in COX-2 inhibitors but also in the field of anti-inflammatory drugs, preferable phenyl substituent for 5-membered heterocyclic ring skeleton has been conventionally considered to be monosubstituted phenyl such as 4-methylsulfonylphenyl and 4-methoxyphenyl, and di-substituted phenyl has been barely tried (e.g., UK Patent No. 1206403).

Heterocyclic aromatic oxazole compounds and use thereof


An information processing apparatus comprises a first feature extraction unit configured to extract, as a first feature, a feature of a component assembly in which components are assembled for each of viewpoints; a second feature extraction unit configured to extract a feature of the components as a second feature for each of the viewpoints; and a determination unit configured to determine, based on the first feature and the second feature, a viewpoint for inspecting an assembled state of the components.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a method for controlling the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium, and more particularly, to a technique for evaluating the position of a viewpoint for inspecting assembly of components.
Description of the Related Art
On production sites, robot-based automation has been increased in order to achieve an improved productivity. Examples thereof include automation of assembly inspection for judging whether components have been assembled normally. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-170331 discloses a method in which whether a correct component is assembled is judged based on a correlation value between a pre-captured master image serving as a reference for a component to be assembled and an actual image captured at the time of completion of assembly of the component.
In addition, methods have been proposed in which a viewpoint that enables information sufficient for inspection to be obtained is automatically determined from prior information that is obtained in advance. In Konstantinios A., "A Survey of Sensor Planning in Computer Vision", IEEE TRANSACTION ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION, VOL 11, NO. 1, FEBRUARY 1995, a method is disclosed in which CAD models are used as the prior information, and viewpoints for inspecting a defect or the like of a component are determined using the ratio of the number of features extracted from the entire component and the number of features observed for each viewpoint as one index.
However, with the techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-170331 and Konstantinios A., "A Survey of Sensor Planning in Computer Vision", IEEE TRANSACTION ON ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION, VOL 11, NO. 1, FEBRUARY 1995, there is the risk that observation data sufficient for assembly inspection cannot be obtained for a component assembly depending on the viewpoint due to concealment between the components.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem. The present invention provides a technique for determining a viewpoint suitable for assembly inspection even in the case where concealment between the components occurs.

Information processing apparatus, method for controlling information  processing apparatus, and storage medium