In an interface unit, an input section obtains an input signal of user's speech or the like and an input processing section processes the input signal and detects information relating to the user. On the basis of the detection result, a response contents determination section determines response contents to the user. While, a response manner adjusting section adjusts a response manner to the user, such as speech speed and the like, on the basis of the processing state of the input signal, the information relating to the user detected from the input signal, and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system including an interface that provides information or service upon receipt of an input from a user, and specifically relates to a home use robot, an information terminal, a home electric appliance, and the like working through interaction with a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Between a user and an appliance preconditioned to be used by the user, an interface is necessary. As one kind of interfaces, an adaptive interface is offered which adjusts information or service to be provided according to a history of interaction between the user and the appliance. The adaptive interface enables the appliance to adapt according to difference or personality of the user, thereby realizing a user-friendly interface.
Conventional adaptive interfaces include an interface that stands for operation through observation of user's operation sequence, an interface that composes a human-friendly interface with pseudo feeling presented to the user, an interface adapted according to biometric information, and the like. In a broad sense, a function of information recommendation can be an adaptive interface in view of presenting information suitable for each user.
In order to provide user-friendly interfaces, such adaptive interfaces are so composed to (1) receive user's specific state or an input from a user, (2) judge the user's state, and (3) adjust service or an interface.
Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 show prior art examples relating to improvement on the above adaptive interface.
For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for adjusting a state adapting to the user in an example of a machine translation system. In machine translation, dictionaries of translation examples, vocabularies, and the like necessary for translation vary depending on a genre of an input text (news story, manual, or the like), and therefore, the genres thereof are changed adaptively. However, the genre change is not necessarily done successfully. Under the circumstances, candidates of a genre to be exchanged are proposed to the user for increasing accuracy of genre specification. This aims at providing a countermeasure in case of unsmooth adaptation in an adaptive interface.
Referring to Patent Document 2, interface layout or the like is determined on the bases of a model called a pseudo feeling in an example of a GUI interface of a WEB browser. Specifically, an interface element is used as one creating a pseudo feeling and an expression of the feeling is presented as interface layout. This interface utilizes a characteristic of human's pseudo feeling variation, and therefore, it can be said that adaptation of a user interface suitably for human's feeling is realized.
Further, there are Non-patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 showing noteworthy knowledge relating to an interface between a human and a machine.
Non-patent Document 1 reports that: in the case where the user plays a game (last and first) with a human or a computer through a network, duration of user's interest and user's reaction differed between when a human is specified as the adversary and when the computer is specified as the adversary even when the user's adversary is fixed to the same computer program.
Non-patent Document 2 obtained the result that: after a user carried out a task of transmitting a message to a robot, a computer screen, and a human, the user confessed in an interview that he/she felt difference in speech ease.
Further, Non-patent Document 3 reports that: in communication between humans, not only verbal information through language but also non-verbal information such as peripheral language of speech, a nod, a blink, expression, body gesture, hand gesture, and the like causes generally-called entrainment where a talker and a hearer are drawn in mutually, thereby attaining smooth communication. Further, there is indication that physiological entrainment such as entrainment of variation in hart beat interval, which relates intimately to affection variation, and entrainment of breath, plays an important role.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 9-81350A
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2000-330676A
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Publication No. 2003-150194A
Non-patent Document 1: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Takao Matsui, Kazuo Seki, Satoshi Umeda, and Yuichiro Anzai, "Computation system and interaction: Consideration relating to factor for increasing amenity, Japanese Cognitive Science Society, Cognitive Science, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 107-120, published by KYORITSU SHUPPAN CO., LTD., May, 1994
Non-patent Document 2: Etsuko Harada, Agency in speech interface and effects of social context: Study through message sending experiment, Japanese Cognitive Science Society, 19th Conference, pp. 14-15, June, 2002
Non-patent Document 3: Tomio Watanabe, Entrainment and physicality in physical communication: Through development of relating physical communication system, E-COSMIC, Baby Science, Vol. 2, pp. 4-12, 2002

User adaptive system and control method thereof


The present invention relates to a method of preventing or treating benign estrogen sensitive gynecological disorders in a female mammal, wherein the method comprises the administration to said female mammal of a combination of progestogen and androgen in an amount that is therapeutically effective to prevent or reduce the symptoms of these disorders. The present method is particularly suitable for preventing or treating disorders selected from the group consisting of endrometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. Another aspect of the invention relates to a pharmaceutical kit comprising a plurality of oral dosage units which comprise a progestogen in an amount equivalent to 3-500 μg levonorgestrel and either 5 to 250 mg dehydroepiandrosterone or 1 to 50 mg testosterone undecanoate.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynaecological disorders, affecting 10 to 15% of women in the reproductive age. It is a benign disease defined as the presence of viable endometrial gland and stroma cells outside the uterine cavity, and is most frequently found in the pelvic area. In women developing endometriosis, these endometrial cells have the capacity to adhere to and invade the peritoneal lining, and are then able to implant and grow. It is not known yet why some women develop endometriosis and others do not. The implants respond to the menstrual cycle in a similar way as the endometrium in the uterus. However, infiltrating lesions and the blood from these lesions, unable to leave the body, cause inflammation of the surrounding tissue. The most common symptoms of endometriosis are dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and (chronic) abdominal pain. The occurrence of these symptoms is not related to the extent of the lesions. Some women with severe endometriosis are asymptomatic, while women with mild endometriosis may have severe pain.
Until now, no non-invasive test is available to diagnose endometriosis. Laparoscopy has to be performed to diagnose the disease. Endometriosis is classified according to the 4 stages set up by the American Fertility Society (AFS). Stage I corresponds to minimal disease while stage IV is severe, depending on the location and the extent of the endometriosis.
Endometriosis is found in up to 50% of the women with infertility. However, currently no causal relation is known to exist between mild endometriosis and infertility. Moderate to severe endometriosis can cause tubal damage and adhesions leading to infertility.
Despite extensive research, the cause of endometriosis is still largely unknown. Several theories for the origin of endometriosis have been proposed, although no single hypothesis explains all cases of the disease completely. However, the key event in all these theories is the occurrence of retrograde menstruation.
The aims of treatment of endometriosis are pain relief, resolution of the endometriotic tissue and restoration of fertility (if desired). The two common treatments are surgery or hormonal therapy or a combination of both.
Surgical treatment removes the endometriotic tissue. Initially, the pain relief using this procedure approaches 70-80%. However, the pain returns in a lot of cases because of re-growth of the endometriotic tissue. At present the most permanent way to treat endometriosis is the removal of the ovaries, thus eliminating the production of estrogens and possible other ovarian factors, which regulate the growth and activity of the endometriotic tissue.
The currently available pharmacological treatments of endometriosis are anti-inflammatory and hormonal. In the early stages of endometriosis non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) are often successful in relieving the pelvic pain. Hormonal treatment is given mainly to down-regulate the estrogen production by the ovaries. Various drugs are available for suppressing this ovarian function as will be explained below.
Danazol and gestrinone are both testosterone-derivatives, suppressing the pituitary release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). The efficacy of these two drugs on the regression of endometriotic tissue is no better than that of other hormonal treatments. However, both these drugs have pronounced androgenic side effects, like weight gain, acne and hirsutism, which explains the diminishing popularity of these drugs. In addition, these drugs produce a hypoestrogenic milieu.
Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists (e.g. nafareline, busereline) give a more complete suppression of the ovarian activity, leading to down-regulation of LH and FSH receptors. However, this inactivity of the ovaries does not result in disappearance of the endometriosis. Several comparative randomised studies have shown that the efficacy of these drugs is no better than that of other existing hormonal treatments. The use of GnRH agonists is limited because the women taking these drugs develop hypoestrogenic symptoms, such as hot flushes, sweating, headache, vaginal dryness, and decrease in bone mineral density (BMD). Therefore these drugs can only be administered for a maximal period of approximately 6 months. Add-back therapy (suppletion of low doses of an estrogen, an estrogen with a progestogen or a progestogen with estrogenic activity) is sometimes given to women receiving GnRH agonists, to diminish the hypoestrogenic symptoms. However, it still has to be proven if treatment with GnRH agonists and add-back therapy for more than 6 months without unwanted side effects is possible and if such a treatment remains effective against endometriosis throughout said period.
Progestogens have been used in a wide range of pharmaceutical applications for decades, including endometriosis. These drugs also work by suppressing LH and FSH and consequently induce hypoestrogenism. Examples of progestogens given for endometriosis are medroxyprogesterone acetate, dydrogesterone and lynestrenol. These drugs are also associated with side-effects e.g. mood changes and breakthrough bleedings. The treatment of endometriosis with progestogens has not received regulatory approval in the United States.
Oral contraceptives, containing both an estrogen and progestogen, are also prescribed for endometriosis. However, this treatment is not optimal, because the stimulatory effect of the estrogenic compound in the endometriotic lesions may not be counteracted effectively enough by the progestogen and because the withdrawal bleeding induced also causes bleeding in endometriotic tissue.
A large percentage of women experience relief of symptoms while being treated with the above hormonal drugs. However, symptom recurrence is likely once the drug is discontinued. None of the aforementioned drugs is suitable for long term treatment of endometriosis, because of the severe side-effects which are largely associated with hypoestrogenism. These treatments are therefore in most cases discontinued after a period of 6 months after which recurrence of the symptoms is likely to occur.
It will be evident from the above that there is a great need for a pharmaceutical treatment of endometriosis, which treatment may be applied for a longer period of time than the existing hormonal treatments, preferably until such time that the treated female reaches menopause, and/or which treatment produces better results, particularly in terms of side-effects during treatment and recurrence rate after discontinuation of the therapy. Everything that has been said above in relation to the treatment of endometriosis equally applies to other benign estrogen sensitive gynaecological disorders, notably adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. These benign gynaecological disorders are all estrogen sensitive and treated in a comparable way as described herein before in relation to endometriosis. The available pharmaceutical treatments, however, suffer from the same major drawbacks as mentioned in connection with endometriosis, i.e. they have to be discontinued once the side-effects become more serious than the symptoms to be treated and/or symptoms reappear after discontinuation of the therapy.

Method of preventing or treating benign gynaecological disorders


A system and method of transferring information between a first software application and a second software application which employ an isolation layer. The system includes a client computer system provided by a first seller of computer systems, including a client software application, and a server computer system provided by a second seller of computer systems different from the first seller of computer systems, including a server software application which provides information from the server computer system to the client computer system. The system additionally includes isolation layer software, either at the client computer system or at the server computer system, which facilitates communication between the client software application and the server software application to transfer the information.

The present invention relates to point-of-sale (POS) systems, and more specifically to a POS system including an isolation layer between POS server software and a client POS application program.
POS systems typically include a central server and a plurality of checkout terminals connected through a client-server network.
The checkout terminals include bar code readers and keyboards for entry of the item numbers during a transaction.
The central server stores a price look-up (PLU) file which associates item numbers with item prices. The central server processes requests from the checkout terminals for price information for the items. The central server may perform additional tasks, such as storing transaction history (audit log and transaction totals history), storing accountability totals, storing cashier and terminal accountability totals, holding future price change information (batches), performing credit authorization, performing check validation, and performing frequent shopper validation and specials.
POS checkout software has traditionally included client and server software that have been developed together and sold as a single proprietary product. However, this solution may not be an optimal one for a retailer. Retailers may find that combining server software from one developer with client software from another developer gives their POS systems the features that they want. This may be especially true for retailers that want the best solutions for both the server and client software in a market where no one developer of proprietary POS software exceeds at both.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a POS system including an isolation layer between the POS server software and the POS client application software to enable server and client software from different developers to be combined.

Point-of-sale system including isolation layer between client and server software


A cotton cleaner for cleaning cotton harvested by a cotton stripper comprises grid bars, a saw drum, and a buffer ring. The saw drum is positioned in proximity to the grid bars and rotatable about an axis of rotation of the saw drum for saw teeth of the saw drum to remove cotton from harvested cotton plant material that passes between the saw drum and the grid bars. The buffer ring is supported by and disposed around the saw drum such that an outer diameter of the buffer ring is greater than an outer diameter of the saw teeth for contact of a grid bar of the grid bars with the buffer ring upon deflection of that grid bar toward the saw drum.

A cotton stripper is a type of cotton harvester that harvests cotton by stripping the cotton plant so as to remove entire bolls, branches, and leaves. Rocks, chunks of wood, and other debris may be picked up as well by the cotton stripper. The harvested cotton plant material, as well as any other debris, is advanced to a cotton cleaner of the cotton stripper. The cotton cleaner (a burr extractor) separates the seed cotton from the rest of the harvested cotton plant material and other debris and advances the seed cotton to be baled or otherwise collected.

Cotton cleaner saw drum with buffer ring


A multilayer optical recording medium enabled to retain an ideal signal regenerating property in spite of accidental adhesion of finger mark or alien substance is provided. The multilayer optical recording medium 1 is provided with a plurality of information-recording layers 20, 22, 24, and 26 capable of reading information with a reading light irradiated through a light incidence surface 38A on one side and is so adapted that the light incidence side information-recording layer 26 approximating most closely to the light incidence surface 38A may be set at a small recording capacity as compared with the recording capacities of at least one of the other information-recording layers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical recording medium and more particularly relates to a multilayer optical recording medium having laminated a plurality of information-recording layers and a method for recording information in the multilayer optical recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
CD and DVD have been widely utilized to date as optical recording media. The recording capacity required by this kind of optical recording medium has been increasing year after year and various suggestions have been made with a view to satisfying this requirement. In the case of such read-only optical recording media as DVD-Video and DVD-ROM, the versions that increase a recording capacity by the impartation of a double-layer structure to the information-recording layer have been reduced to practice.
An optical recording medium, like the DVD illustrated in FIG. 8, has been being reduced to practice. This medium has two substrates which is configured by digging pits on each surface imparting information-recording layers therein. These two substrates are affixed to each other across an interposed spacer layer in such a manner as to enable the information-recording layers to be opposed to each other.
The DVD of hybrid structure having one information-recording layer formatted in the DVD form and the other information-recording layer formatted in the CD form as illustrated in FIG. 9 has been reduced to practice. In this case, for the reason of being adapted to the specifications for DVD and CD, the information-recording layer to be formatted in the DVD form is set at a depth of 0.6 mm from the light incidence surface and furnished with a capacity of 0.7 GB and the information-recording layer to be formatted in the CD form is set at a depth of 1.2 mm from the light incidence surface and furnished with a capacity of 0.7 GB. For the purpose of reading signals recorded in the two information-recording layers, the DVD player necessitates two kinds of optical systems that differ in wavelength and numerical aperture (NA).
Incidentally, with the object of promoting further increase of the recording capacity, new specifications such as of the Blu-ray Disc have been proposed in recent years. In the Blu-ray Disc, information-recording layers are stacked in the depth of about 0.1 mm from the light incidence surface. These information-recording layers are capable of recording 25 GB of information. In the case of the Blu-ray Disc of two-layer structure, for example, one information-recording layer is formed at a position of 0.075 mm from the light incidence surface and the other at a position of 0.1 mm from the light incidence surface.
The optical recording medium of a large capacity is required to have the diameter of the spot of a laser beam used for recording regenerating data decreased to a small size. Thus, it entails the necessity for enlarging the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens for focusing the laser beam and shortening the wavelength of the laser beam as well.
The enlargement of the numerical aperture of the objective lens, however, causes a problem that the tilt margin of the laser beam to the optical recording medium, namely the tolerance of the error in the angle of tilt of the optical axis to the optical recording medium, will become very small. Meanwhile, the decrease of the distance from the light incidence surface of the optical recording medium to the information-recording layer induces an increase in the tilt margin. For the sake of preventing the tilt margin from decreasing while enlarging the numerical aperture of the objective lens, therefore, it is effective to decrease the distance from the light incidence surface to the information-recording layer (namely the thickness of the light-transmitting layer). In the Blu-ray Disc, therefore, the thickness of the light-transmitting layer is supposed to be about 100 μm.
When the light-transmitting layer is set at a small thickness and the information-recording layer is consequently formed at a place near the light incidence surface as in the Blu-ray Disc, however, the problem arises that finger marks, rubbish, etc. are liable to exert a bad influence on the operation of recording and regenerating information. When the information-recording layer is further added to the specification of the Blu-ray Disc, for example, since the information-recording layer must be placed at a distance within 0.1 mm, particularly within 0.75 mm, from the light incidence surface, the problem arises that the finger marks adhering to the surface of the medium exert a still larger influence tending toward deteriorating the signal-regenerating property.
Meanwhile, an effort to increase the distance of the information-recording layer from the light incidence surface as much as possible conversely entails the problem that the individual information-recording layers inevitably suffer from interference of signal because the increased distance results in concentrating a plurality of information-recording layers into the neighborhood of 0.1 mm from the light incidence surface and decreasing the distance between the adjacent information-recording layers.

Multilayer optical recording medium and method for recording information in multilayer optical recording medium


A device is used for spraying and atomizing a liquid which is held in a container which can be emptied by air pressure. If in a device of this kind a liquid nozzle projects into a mixture nozzle disposed coaxially in front of it, so that an annular space provided for air around the liquid nozzle is open at the front towards the mixture nozzle, the feed paths for liquid and for air must not be transposed. Such transposition occurs if the container is held upside-down during spraying. In order to avoid this disadvantage two annular spaces are provided, from which passages lead to a mixture nozzle. The two annular spaces communicate with one another via throttle slots. Because of the two annular spaces the liquid can also be sprayed when the container is upsidedown.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for spraying or atomizing a liquid held in a container which can be emptied by pressure and which has a closure part in which feed cavities are formed for the liquid fed through a feed tube extending from the closure part into the interior of the container and for the air present in the container above the liquid, the feed cavities leading to a mixture nozzle formed for the liquid/air mixture on the closure part of the container.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A spray device of this kind, which can be mounted on a compressible container is known from EP-A-217744, in which a liquid nozzle projects into a mixture nozzle disposed coaxially in front of it, so that an annular space provided for air around the liquid nozzle is open at the front towards the mixture nozzle. With this arrangement of the feed cavities in this device it is intended to ensure that a substantial part of the kinetic energy contained in the faster air current is transmitted to the liquid. The liquid passing out of the liquid nozzle lying to the rear is entrained, somewhat according to the principle of a jet pump, by the substantially faster air current, for which purpose the outlet speed at the mixture nozzle should be twenty times as high as the outlet speed at the liquid nozzle. This means that in this device the feed paths for liquid and for air cannot be transposed. This transposition would occur if it were desired to work with the known spray device and container used upside-down, because the liquid present in the container then passes into the spray device over the path otherwise provided for the compressed air present in the container above the liquid, while in addition the compressed air would be fed through the feed tube. With the known device, a liquid therefore cannot be sprayed with the container held upside-down.

Device for spraying or atomizing a liquid


A controlled atmosphere cutting method and a cutting tool are provided to prevent wear on the cutting tool when cutting is performed on a material for forming an oxide protective film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controlled atmosphere cutting method using oxygen enrichment and a tool used for the method in a cutting operation performed by a machine tool.
Recently in the field of machine cutting, a cutting technique is demanded for high-efficiency machining, the preservation of nature, the improvement of working environments, and other environmental issues. At present, practical high-speed dry machining is available in the machining field of a small-diameter ball end mill and so on. As a result of an active study of MQL (Minimal Quantity Lubricant) and cold air machining as well as dry machining, a great effect is obtained. These kinds of machining including dry machining will become the mainstream of machining styles in the future. Further, lower machining cost is another major object.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regarding conventional controlled atmosphere machining which is a kind of dry machining, Japanese Patent No. 2904205 discloses publicly known machining such as cold air machining aimed at an atmosphere of low oxygen. The specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,862 discloses publicly known machining using nitrogen blow at room temperature. Both are performed in an atmosphere of low oxygen to prevent oxidation.
In the former machining, steel is machined by cutting in an atmosphere of inert gas and an oxygen concentration is controlled at about 12%, so that wear on a tool is minimized and a cut surface has the lowest temperature. Particularly in this example, an amount of generated processing heat and solid lubrication of an oxidation product are brought into harmony with each other and a cooling effect and a lubricating effect are achieved by using air. However, a covered container is necessary to obtain an atmosphere, a gas bomb is used for supplying inert gas, and thus problems of cost and workability arise in practical machining.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,862 discloses a method in which a device for separating nitrogen gas from the air by a hollow-fiber film is used, nitrogen gas obtained by the device is blown on the cutting edge of a tool, and a steel material is machined in an atmosphere of low oxygen. This method is excellent in practical use and cost.
However, both of the methods are aimed at an atmosphere of low oxygen. Although an atmosphere of low oxygen is generally desirable for a steel material in consideration of prevention of wear caused by oxidation on a tool, some materials such as a titanium alloy considerably become adhesive in an atmosphere of low oxygen and reduce the life of the tool. Moreover, regarding materials which contain a proper amount of a nonmetallic inclusion to form belag and other oxides on a tool and a work material, an atmosphere of low oxygen or a non-oxidative atmosphere are not suitable for stably forming an oxide protective film or adhering the film to a tool.
In addition, as a gas supply nozzle used for controlling an atmosphere of a cut portion, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,862 discloses a nozzle having a gas supply hole penetrating the shaft of the body of a tool (end mill).
The above configuration is effective to a certain degree because gas is supplied to the cutting edge of the tool in the case where a groove and a hole are formed on a surface of a workpiece. However, in the case of plane cutting and particularly machining of a step-like shape having no cutting material on one side, most atmospheric gas is dispersed to the outer periphery other than the cutting portion of the cutting edge and to a side having no cutting material, so that gas is insufficiently supplied to the cutting edge.

Controlled atmosphere cutting method using oxygen enrichment and cutting tool

Abstract: According to the invention, in a cutting method of supplying gas in an atmosphere of a machining portion to perform cutting when a work piece is cut, gas containing a high concentration of oxygen is supplied as atmospheric gas to bring the machining portion into an oxidized atmosphere, so that an oxide is formed between the cutting edge of a cutting tool 4 and a workpiece and thus a damage and wear are reduced on the tool.

Abstract: The above-mentioned atmospheric gas is oxygen enriched air in which oxygen in the air is condensed, and the atmospheric gas has an oxygen concentration up to 40%, exceeding an oxygen concentration of the air.

Abstract: In the body of the tool 4 such as an end mill used for implementing the above method, a gas supply hole 4b connected to the supply side of atmospheric gas is formed in the tool 4, and an exhaust hole 4c of the gas supply hole 4b is opened on the tip of the body of the tool 4, and the exhaust hole 4c is opened in a direction of blowing atmospheric gas to the cutting edge 4a on the cutting blade of the tool 4.


A method of producing a chemical compound library comprises extracting at least one extract from at least one species of plant; processing at least one of the extract(s) to remove at least one type of chemical interference to produce a processed extract; chromatographically separating the processed extract into a plurality of chromatographic fractions, each containing an amount of chemical compounds; determining the amount of chemical compounds in at least one of the chromatographic fractions; and normalizing the chromatographic fractions in which the amounts were determined to produce normalized chromatographic fractions, each such fraction comprising from about 1 microgram to about 500 micrograms of each of from one to seven chemical compounds that were present in lower concentrations in the extract and that each have a log P of from about −1 to about 5 and a molecular weight less than about 1000 Daltons; thereby to produce a chemical compound library from at least one species of plant.

It is well known in the art of discovering novel chemical compounds with therapeutic effects that plants have yielded some of the most important molecules in history. Civilizations around the globe have exploited the medicinal benefits of plants for millennia. Today, private, public, and government institutions devote extensive resources searching for molecules in plants that may have a potential economic and humanitarian impact. Technological advances in laboratory automation, biochemistry, and molecular biology enable us to currently screen hundreds of thousands of molecules for biological activity every day.
Cragg, et al., in "The search for new pharmaceutical crops: Drug discovery and development at the National Cancer Institute," 161-167, describe the extensive natural library testing program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the methods used to prepare plant extracts for screening. Cardellina II, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 56(7), 1123-1129 (1993), describe the screening program of the NCI and also specifically discuss the chemical interferences ubiquitous within plants and current techniques used to remove these chemicals before screening or after screening. Turner, in J. Ethnopharm., 51, 39-44 (1996), describes screening plants at a large pharmaceutical company. Borris, in J. Ethnopharm., 51, 29-38 (1996), describes the increased complexities that come with screening plant extracts using a competitive screening program that requires a structured approach and the latest scientific techniques. Shu, in J. Nat. Prod., 61, 1053-1071 (1998), promotes the value of novel chemicals that have been isolated from plants, and lists points a screening laboratory must achieve to improve the success rate when testing plant extracts. The points on the list are not easily accomplished and include challenges such as making a screen suitable for natural libraries, removing all interferences, and accelerating dereplication.
Preparing plant extracts for screening has always been recognized as laborious, and published literature suggests that the method of preparation is more important than previously and currently understood. Plants have numerous ubiquitous compounds that may mask an effect or interfere with the mechanism of action of a biological assay. Ingkaninan, J. Nat. Prod., 62(6), 912-914 (1999), Kato, J. Steroid Biochem., 34(1), 219-227 (1989), Vallete et al., in Endocrin., 129(3), 1363-1369 (1991), and Kang et al, in Biochem J., 303, 795-802 (1994), have reported that fatty acids, phospholipids, and tri-, di-, and monoglycerides cause noncompetitive or mixed noncompetitive inhibition on some receptors or modify the structure or confirmation of receptors in cell-based assays. Numerous plant solvent extracts have high molecular weight compounds that make up greater than 70% of the mass of the extract and that never could be approved drugs. Numerous laboratories do not remove or have not removed these compounds before screening. This may result in false positives or false negatives during subsequent biological assays. Tan, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 54(1), 143-154 (1991), Cardellina II, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 56(7), 1123-1129 (1993), Claeson, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 61(1), 77-81 (1998), Lee, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 61(11), 1407-1409 (1998), and Patil, et al., in J. Nat. Prod., 60(3), 306-308 (1997), describe false positives that may be attributed to polyphenols and tannins. Some laboratories remove these compounds before screening, while others remove these compounds only after a potential false positive has occurred, believing that these compounds cannot cause a false negative. Phillipson, in J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 51:493-503 (1999), has suggested further that partially purified plant extracts without common metabolites may prove attractive to screening laboratories.
A general mantra in preparing plant extracts states, "it is not what you miss, but what you hit." This approach has led laboratories to put ease of preparation and number of plant extracts prepared and screened ahead of a scientifically based approach for success. Laboratories typically prepare one to three extracts per plant for screening. These extracts may contain one hundred to thousands of chemical compounds per extract.
Because the collision frequency and proper orientation of a ligand and its receptor play a role in binding, screening plant extracts with numerous compounds may interfere with the detection of potential biological effects. In addition, increased dipole-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding, or steric effects that exist in physiological conditions could also contribute to the disruption of ligand binding. Haberlein, in Planta Medica, 62(3):227-31 (1996), indicate that two different concentrations of the same ethanolic plant extract cause positive and negative allosteric regulation of a GABA receptor. In contrast to accepted principles, interferences may result in false positives as well as false negatives. Menzies, in Eur. J. Pharm., 350(1), 101-108 (1998), suggests that the bioactivity of a known compound in a plant extract is not observed in an opioid assay because of an interfering compound canceling out its activity. Phillipson, in J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 51:493503 (1999), states that the activity of an isolated compound is not always directly comparable to the plant extract from which it was isolated. These suggestions, empirical data, and hypotheses show that many variables exist in the screening process. Because the process of scientific investigation and discovery should reduce the number of variables and operate in a closed system, the removal of all potential interferences from a plant extract before entering a biological screen and further separation of the drug-like chemical compounds to further reduce interference and enable each chemical compound to be tested at its detectable screening concentration are essential.

Screening of chemical compounds purified from biological sources


The present invention relates to a method for preparing homo- and co-polymers having high molecular weights in high yields by polymerizing cyclic olefin compounds using a complex prepared by mixing a nickel salt compound, an organoaluminoxane compound, and at least one organic boron compound.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing homo- and co-polymers of cyclic olefin compounds. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for preparing homo- and co-polymers by polymerization of cyclic olefin compounds that uses an organic boron compound as a catalyst activator, forming a homogeneous catalyst system having a high solubility in a non-polar solvent, together with a nickel salt compound and an organoaluminoxane compound to prepare cyclic polymers having high molecular weights in high yields.
2. Related Prior Art
The copolymer of ethylene or propylene and a cyclic olefin compound is endowed with excellent properties such as transparency, heat resistance, etc., which hardly appear in the existing polymers such as polyethylene or polypropylene, with the introduction of a rigid ring structure such as norbornene into the main chain of the polymer. Accordingly, the homopolymer/copolymer of a cyclic olefin compound is expected to substitute for a polycarbonate (PC) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin currently used as an information recording material, and possibly utilized as an optical material with transparency and low moisture absorption for various applications such as DVD, CD, lens, optical fiber, and the like.
Currently, various norbornene derivatives having different alkyl groups and polar functional groups are used for the preparation of cyclic olefin polymers. Such norbornene derivatives are useful for the preparation of homopolymers as well as copolymers using ethylene or propylene.
Some advanced manufacturers of cyclic olefin polymers have recently been developing novel materials having epoch-making thermal, mechanical and optical properties, which are unattainable by the existing polyolefins, through copolymerization of styrene, cyclic olefin, methylmethacrylate, or the like. In particular, the polymers prepared by copolymerization of cyclic olefin and ethylene are standing in the spotlight as a next-generation information recording material such as CD, DVD, and so forth due to their remarkably excellent optical and thermal properties.
The norbornene polymers not only substitute for polycarbonate used for the aforementioned applications but also reduce the space between CD tracks to allow high integration, so they are applicable to next-generation DVD (e.g., HD-DVD), or the like. In addition, such norbornene polymers are widely used for more various applications such as camcorders or automobile cameras due to their excellent properties such as optical properties, dimensional stability, excess moisture tolerance, low density, and so forth.
The polymerization catalysts for preparation of a polymer using a cyclic olefin compound can be classified into an addition polymerization catalyst, a ROMP (Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization) catalyst, and a cationic catalyst, including a radical initiator.
Among these, the addition polymerization catalyst, the ROMP catalyst and the cationic catalyst have a common characteristic that they can be used for preparation of cyclic olefin polymers with high transparency. The use of the ROMP catalyst necessarily demands a step of saturating the double bonds of the polymer after polymerization, and the addition polymerization catalyst is used for preparation of a cyclic olefin polymer having a low dielectric property (i.e., insulating property).
The representative metals constituting the addition polymerization catalyst include Ti, Zr, Cr, Co, Ni, Pd, and the like. Among these metals, Ni and Pd are representative metals for preparation of a cyclic olefin polymer.
The representative main metals constituting the ROMP catalyst include Mo, W, Ru, Re, or the like. The activity of the catalyst can be controlled through a modification of the ligands around the metal or a change in the additives.
The cyclic olefin polymer, whose principal advantages are low density, high transparency, low moisture absorbency, and heat resistance, is expected to substitute for glass, acrylic polymer, polycarbonate, and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC).
As an example of the conventional methods using a transition metal as a polymerization catalyst in the preparation of homo- and co-polymers from norbornene and its derivatives, U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,815 discloses a method for addition polymerization of norbornene using a complex prepared from TiCl3 (or TiCl4) and an organoaluminum compound, or Pd(C6H5CN)2Cl2 as a catalyst. Disadvantageously, this method provides a polymer having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of less than 10,000 in a low yield.
Another example is a method for addition polymerization of norbornene and its derivatives using a complex prepared from a bidentate ligand, Ni(0) salt and B(C6F5)3 as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,350,837 B1 and 6,538,085 B2. In this case, however, one of the components of the catalyst, B(C6F5)3 is a very expensive compound, so the method is limited in its industrial uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,503 discloses a method for addition polymerization of a norbornene derivative using a Zwitterion complex prepared from palladium metal. However, this method requires an excess amount of the catalyst with respect to the amount of the monomer (the molar ratio of monomer to catalyst is less than 250) and a polymerization time of 12 hours or more for a relatively high yield. A similar method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,262,194B1 and 6,265,506B1, which relates to a method for addition polymerization of norbornene using a Zwitterion complex prepared from palladium metal. This method is also disadvantageous in that the complex should be prepared by coordination of ligands of a specific structure with palladium metal, which makes it difficult to apply the method to industrial large-scaled production of the polymer.
European Patent Application No. 0 504 418A1 (filed on Sep. 23, 1992) discloses a method for addition polymerization of a cyclic olefin compound in the presence of A) a transition metal salt compound, B) a compound capable of forming an ionic complex with the compound A), and C) an organoaluminum compound.
Other examples of the cyclic olefin polymerization method using a transition metal as a catalyst include a cyclic olefin polymerization method using a Zirconocene compound and an aluminoxane compound (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Kokai No. Sho 64-66216), and a method for copolymerization of norbornene and an olefin compound using a transition metal salt compound and an aluminoxane compound (Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 61-221206 and 64-106). However, these methods require an excess amount of the aluminoxane compound, causing discoloration of the product, and requiring a step of removing catalyst residues in the polymer after the polymerization reaction, thus reducing productivity.
Japanese Patent Laid Open Nos. 61-271308 and 62-252406 disclose methods for copolymerization of norbornene and olefin using a catalyst system comprising a vanadium compound and an organoaluminum compound, which methods involve an extremely low catalyst activity.
The methods for addition polymerization of a cyclic olefin compound using a metallocene catalyst are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,087,677 and 5,371,158, which are directed to a method for homo- and co-polymerizations of norbornene derivatives using a Ti-, Zr-, Hf-, V-, Nb- or Ta-based metallocene complex as a main catalyst and an aluminoxane compound as a cocatalyst. However, these methods mostly provide a low polymerization yield of less than 50%.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,054 discloses a method for copolymerization of norbornene and ethylene using a catalyst activator, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis-perfluorophenylboron and a metallocene catalyst prepared by coordinating ligands of a unique structure to a metal such as Hf or Zr without an organoaluminum or aluminoxane compound. Disadvantageously, the method also has the difficulty in application to commercialized processes because of the extremely unique structures of the ligands and the catalyst activator.
In addition to the aforementioned problems, the above-described conventional techniques have the difficulty in forming a homogeneous catalyst system having a high solubility in a non-polar solvent and in preparing a cyclic olefin polymer having a high molecular weight in a high yield.
Compared with a solution polymerization using a homogeneous catalyst system having a high solubility in a non-polar solvent, a solution polymerization using a heterogeneous catalyst system forming a suspended solid due to incomplete dissolution in a non-polar solvent is ready to cause gel formation, so the gel thus produced greatly increases the solution viscosity of the polymer and accumulates on the wall of the reactor or the pipe line to inhibit the flow of reactants or products.
Namely, the heterogeneous catalyst system with poor solubility has a difficulty in quantitative control of the catalyst essential to the uniform progress of the reaction and the property control of the product, relative to the homogeneous catalyst system excellent in solubility.

Method for preparing homo-and co-polymers of cyclic olefin compounds using an organic boron compound as a catalyst activator


Novel aggrecanase proteins and the nucleotide sequences encoding them as well as processes for producing them are disclosed. Methods for developing inhibitors of the aggrecanase enzymes and antibodies to the enzymes for treatment of conditions characterized by the degradation of aggrecan are also disclosed.

Aggrecan is a major extracellular component of articular cartilage. It is a proteoglycan responsible for providing cartilage with its mechanical properties of compressibility and elasticity. The loss of aggrecan has been implicated in the degradation of articular cartilage in arthritic diseases. Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease which affects at least 30 million Americans (MacLean et al., J Rheumatol 25:2213–8 (1998)). Osteoarthritis can severely reduce quality of life due to degradation of articular cartilage and the resulting chronic pain. An early and important characteristic of the osteoarthritic process is loss of aggrecan from the HENDERSON extracellular matrix (Brandt and Mankin, "Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis," Textbook of Rheumatology, WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pa., at 1355–1373 (1993)). The large, sugar-containing portion of aggrecan is thereby lost from the extra-cellular matrix, resulting in deficiencies in the biomechanical characteristics of the cartilage.
A proteolytic activity termed "aggrecanase" is thought to be responsible for the cleavage of aggrecan thereby having a role in cartilage degradation associated with osteoarthritis and inflammatory joint disease. Work has been conducted to identify the enzyme responsible for the degradation of aggrecan in human osteoarthritic cartilage. Two enzymatic cleavage sites have been identified within the interglobular domain of aggrecan. One (Asn34-Phe342) is observed to be cleaved by several known metalloproteases. Flannery et al., J Biol Chem, 267:1008–14 (1992); Fosang et al., Biochemical J., 304:347–351 (1994). The aggrecan fragment found in human synovial fluid, and generated by IL-1 induced cartilage aggrecan cleavage is at the Glu373-Ala374 bond (Sandy, et al., J Clin Invest, 69:1512–1516 (1992); Lohmander et al., Arthritis Rheum 36:1214–1222 (1993); Sandy et al., J Biol Chem., 266:8683–8685 (1991)), indicating that none of the known enzymes are responsible for aggrecan cleavage in vivo.
Recently, identification of two enzymes, aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS 4) and aggrecanase-2 (ADAMTS-11) within the "Disintegrin-like and Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin type 1 motif" (ADAM-TS) family have been identified which are synthesized by IL-1 stimulated cartilage and cleave aggrecan at the appropriate site (Tortorella, et al., Science, 284:1664–6 (1999); Abbaszade et al., J Biol Chem, 274: 23443–23450 (1999)). It is possible that these enzymes could be synthesized by osteoarthritic human articular cartilage. It is also contemplated that there are other, related enzymes in the ADAM-TS family which are capable of cleaving aggrecan at the Glu373-Ala374 bond and could contribute to aggrecan cleavage in osteoarthritis. There is a need to identify other aggrecanase enzymes and determine ways to block their activity.


This invention relates to galvanic aluminum alloy powder-pigments coated with semi-conducting corrosion-inhibiting compositions and particularly to the process for preparing said coated powder-pigments for coating substrates to inhibit corrosion. The coated aluminum alloy powder-pigments are electrically active and prevent corrosion of metals which are more cathodic (electropositive) than the coated-aluminum alloy pigments.

Metallic pigments are known to provide electrochemical, electrical, thermal, barrier and other properties to compositions which are used for protecting materials such as metal from corrosion, maintaining electrical conductivity, shielding equipment from electromagnetic fields, resisting elevated temperatures, and providing protection from moisture. Silver, gold and other noble metal pigments are used for their electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity properties. Zinc and magnesium are used for their electrochemical properties. Aluminum is used for its thermal and chemical barrier properties. A major shortcoming of the noble metals is their strong cathodic potential. When used in products for electrical and thermal management, the noble metals can couple with anodic materials like aluminum alloys used for electrical equipment. Shortcomings of zinc pigments include low electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity compared to the noble metals as well as their relatively poor resistance to chlorides and other corrosive materials. A shortcoming of magnesium pigments is their high relative anodic potential compared to other metals. In addition, magnesium forms a protective oxide spontaneously in air, rendering it less effective than zinc for the sacrificial protection of metal.
Coatings with aluminum powders have been used for many years. These coatings are excellent barriers to the environment and provide good thermal stability and protection. Many bridges, tanks and other steel structures have been painted with aluminum-pigmented coatings over the years with much success. These coatings do not, however, provide galvanic or electrochemical protection of the metal surface on which they are coated, since the aluminum powder or flakes are covered with aluminum oxide which inhibits electrochemical action. These uses and shortcomings are documented in "Aluminum Paint and Powder" by J. D. Edwards and R. I. Wray, 3rd Edition, 1955. Magnesium, Zinc and Aluminum anodes are currently used in bulk form to protect metal from corrosion. To be effective, however, the anodes need to be in contact electrically with the object they are protecting when immersed in water or an electrolyte.
Table 1 shows the electrical output and cost effectiveness of three metals based on weight. With regard to recent spot prices for each metal and their relative cost effectiveness clearly aluminum is superior to zinc and magnesium and therefore preferred based on cost, weight and longevity. Table 1: Comparison of Electrical Properties of Magnesium, Zinc and Aluminum (from Reding, J. T. Newport, J. J.: The Influence of Alloying Elements on Aluminum Anodes in Sea Water. Materials Protection, Vol. 5. December 1966, pages 15-19).
TABLE 1Properties and Costs of Magnesium, Aluminum, and ZincMgAlZnTheoretical2.611.901.00Potential (volts)Electrical10001352372Output (amp hrs/lb)Metal cost (cents/lb)3524.514.5Cost of current at.035.018.039100% efficiency(cents/amp/amp-hr)
Before the 1970's aluminum anodes were not used for the same reasons stated herein for aluminum powders and flakes. The bulk material rapidly passivated, rendering the anode inactive and incapable of protecting the intended metal object. The development of activated aluminum alloys began in the mid-1960's. The intellectual property is documented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,379,636; 3,281,239; 3,393,138 and 3,240,688 by Olin Mathieson. All of these alloys were unique in that for the first time bulk aluminum alloys were shown to remain active and galvanically protect metal. Unfortunately, none were commercially successful as they all suffered from low efficiencies making them less economical than zinc anodes.
This invention relates to coated powder-pigments and to a process to coat aluminum alloy powder-pigments which are electrochemically active. An additional novel feature is the ability of the coating to transform electrically inactive standard aluminum particles, which are typically insulating due to the aluminum oxide coating which forms on them in the natural environment, to electrically active aluminum particles. It also includes the process to use these coated pigments in coating compositions intended to inhibit corrosion of metal substrates. Experiments show that an effective semi-conducting corrosion inhibiting coating can be produced on the aluminum alloy powder-pigments which inhibit self-corrosion of the particles, but does not degrade the corrosion-inhibiting properties of the particles in the coating. It is therefore an object of this invention to incorporate electrochemically active powder-pigments into a binder to provide cathodic protection to metal substrates without the need of an external power supply.
It is another object to provide cathodic protection to metal substrates by coating the substrate with a sacrificial anode coating that keeps the electrochemical potential of the substrates negative to prevent its corrosion.

Process of protecting metal substrates with corrosion-resistant compositions

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Provided is a lighting device including a light source for emitting light, a sensor configured to detect infrared radiation from a plurality of locations along a path in the field of view of the sensor, at least one attenuation element arranged between at least one location of the plurality of locations and the sensor so as to attenuate or block infrared radiation emitted from the at least one location before it reaches the sensor, and a controller. The at least one attenuation element is further arranged in relation to the field of view of the sensor for the signal output from the sensor to indicate, when an occupant is moving along the path, a direction of movement of the occupant along the path. The controller is arranged to control the light source based on the direction of movement of the occupant, and a cover plate is arranged between the at least one location of said plurality of locations and the sensor, and also arranged between the at least one location and the light source, wherein the cover plate is transparent or translucent to said visible light, wherein the at least one attenuation element forms part of the cover plate, and wherein outside, or away from, the attenuation element, the cover plate is at least partly transparent to infrared radiation.

Lighting devices (such as for example luminaires, light fittings or light fixtures) are commonly used to provide illumination of e.g. rooms or outdoor areas. The most basic lighting devices may be turned on and off by using e.g. a switch, such that a user may turn the lighting device on when illumination is needed, and such that the user may turn the lighting device off when illumination is no longer needed. In some situations, the user itself may not be able to turn the lighting device on and off as required. In other situations, the user may simply forget to turn the lighting device off when it is no longer required, leading to unnecessary costs in terms of electricity and maintenance.
To overcome these problems, lighting devices may be connected to occupancy sensors which may detect the presence of an occupant within a certain area by detecting infrared radiation emitted by such an occupant. Using a controller, the lighting devices may then be switched on and off accordingly depending on whether the occupancy sensor has detected the presence of an occupant or not.
The use of occupancy sensors together with lighting devices may, however, lead to an increased cost of production, and increasing demands on both user experience and cost of operation may still not be met. There is therefore a need for improved lighting devices.


Thienopyrimidines of the formula I

The invention relates to compounds of the formula I
in which
R1, R2 independently of one another are each H, A, OA or Hal,
R1 and R2 together are also alkylene having 3-5 carbon atoms, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94,
X is R5, R6 or R4 which is monosubstituted by R7,
R4 is linear or branched alkylene having 1-10 carbon atoms, in which one or two CH2 groups may be replaced by xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 groups,
R5 is cycloalkyl or cycloalkylalkylene having 5-12 carbon atoms,
R6 is phenyl or phenylmethyl,
R7 is COOH, COCA, CONH2, CONHA, CON(A)2 or CN,
A is alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and
Hal is F, Cl, Br or I,
and their physiologically acceptable salts.
Pyrimidine derivatives are known, for example, from EP 201 188 or WO 93/06104.
The invention was based on the object of discovering new compounds having valuable properties, in particular those which can be used for the preparation of medicaments.
It has been found that the compounds of the formula I and their salts have very valuable
The compounds of the formula I can be employed as medicament active compounds in human and veterinary medicine. They can furthermore be employed as intermediates for the preparation of further medicament active compounds.
The invention accordingly provides the compounds of the formula I and a process for the preparation of compounds of the formula I according to claim 1, and of their salts, characterized in that
a) a compound of the formula II
xe2x80x83in which
X is as defined above
and L is Cl, Br, OH, SCH3 or a reactive esterified OH group
is reacted with a compound of the formula III
xe2x80x83in which
R1 and R2 are as defined above,
or
b) a radical X in a compound of the formula I is converted into another radical X, for example by hydrolysing an ester group to a COOH group or converting a COOH group into an amide or a cyano group and/or in that a compound of the formula I is converted into one of its salts.
Above and below, the radicals R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, X and L have the meanings given for the formulae I, II and III, unless expressly stated otherwise.
A is alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms. In the above formulae, alkyl is preferably unbranched and has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 carbon atoms, and is preferably methyl, ethyl or propyl, furthermore preferably isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl or tert-butyl, but also n-pentyl, neopentyl, isopentyl or hexyl.
X is an R4-, R5- or R6-radical which is monosubstituted by R7.
R4 is a linear or branched alkylene radical having 1-10 carbon atoms, where the alkylene radical is preferably, for example, methylene, ethylene, propylene, isopropylene, butylene, isobutylene, secbutylene, pentylene, 1-, 2- or 3-methylbutylene, 1,1-, 1,2- or 2,2-dimethylpropylene, 1-ethylpropylene, hexylene, 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-methylpentylene, 1,1-, 1,2-, 1,3-, 2,2-, 2,3- or 3,3-dimethylbutylene, 1- or 2-ethylbutylene, 1-ethyl-1-methylpropylene, 1-ethyl-2-methylpropylene, 1,1,2- or 1,2,2-trimethylpropylene, linear or branched heptylene, octylene, nonylene or decylene.
R5 is furthermore, for example, but-2-enylene or hex-3-enylene.
Very particular preference is given to ethylene, propylene or butylene.
R5 is cycloalkylalkylene having 5-12 carbon atoms, preferably, for example, cyclopentylmethylene, cyclohexylmethylene, cyclohexylethylene, cyclohexylpropylene or cyclohexylbutylene. R5 is also cycloalkyl preferably having 5-7 carbon atoms. Cycloalkyl is, for example, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl or cycloheptyl.
Hal is preferably F, Cl or Br, but also I.
The radicals R1 and R2 may be identical or different and are preferably in the 3- or 4-position of the phenyl ring. Independently of one another they are in each case, for example, H, alkyl, F, Cl, Br or I, or together they are alkylene, such as, for example, propylene, butylene or pentylene, furthermore ethyleneoxy, methylenedioxy or ethylenedioxy. Preferably, they are also in each case alkoxy, such as, for example, methoxy, ethoxy or propoxy.
The radical R7 is preferably, for example, COOH, COOCH3, COOC2H5, CONH2, CON(CH3)2, CONHCH3 or CN.
For the entire invention, all the radicals which occur several times can be identical or different, that is to say independent of one another.
The invention accordingly particularly provides those compounds of the formula I in which at least one of the radicals mentioned has one of the abovementioned preferred meanings. Some preferred groups of compounds can be expressed by the following part formulae Ia to Id, which correspond to the formula I and wherein the radicals not defined in more detail have the meaning given for the formula I, but in which
in Ia X is phenyl, phenylmethyl or R4 which is substituted by COOH, COOA, CONH2, CONA2, CONHA or CN;
in Ib R1 and R2 together are alkylene having 3-5 carbon atoms, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94O,
X is phenyl, phenylmethyl or R4 which is substituted by COOH, COOA, CONH2, CONA2, CONHA or CN;
in Ic
R1, R2 independently of one another are in each case H, A, OA or Hal,
R1 and R2 together are alkylene having 3-5 carbon atoms, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94O,
X is phenyl, phenylmethyl or R4 which is substituted by COOH, COOA, CONH2, CONA2, CONHA or CN;
in Id R1, R2 independently of one another are in each case H, A, OA or Hal,
R1 and R2 together are also alkylene having 3-5 carbon atoms, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94,
X is cyclohexyl, phenyl, phenylmethyl or alkylene having 2-5 carbon atoms which is monosubstituted by R7,
R7 is COOH or COOA,
A is alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms,
Hal is F, Cl, Br or I.
The compounds of the formula I and also the starting materials for their preparation are otherwise prepared by methods known per se, such as are described in the literature (for example in the standard works, such as Houben-Weyl, Methoden der organischen Chemie [Methods of organic chemistry], Georg-Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart), and in particular under reaction conditions which are known and suitable for the reactions mentioned. For these reactions, it is also possible to utilize variants which are known per. se and are not mentioned here in more detail.
In the compounds of the formulae II and III, R1, R2, R3, R4, X and n have the meanings given, in particular the preferred meanings given.
If L is a reactive esterified OH group, this is preferably alkylsulphonyloxy having 1-6 carbon atoms (preferably methylsulphonyloxy) or arylsulphonyloxy having 6-10 carbon atoms (preferably phenyl- or p-tolylsulphonyloxy, or furthermore also 2-naphthalenesulphonyloxy).
The compounds of the formula I can preferably be obtained by reacting compounds of the formula II with compounds of the formula III.
If desired, the starting materials can also be formed in situ, so that they are not isolated from the reaction mixture but are immediately reacted further to give the compounds of the formula I.
On the other hand, it is possible to carry out the reaction in stages.
The starting materials of the formulae II and III are generally known. If they are not known, they can be prepared by methods known per se. Compounds of the formula II can be obtained, for example, by reacting POCl3 with the corresponding hydroxypyrimidines which are synthesized from thiophene derivatives and CN-substituted alkylenecarboxylic esters (Eur. J. Med. Chem. 23, 453 (1988)). The hydroxypyrimldlnes are prepared either by dehydrogenation of the corresponding tetrahydrobenzothienopyrimidine compounds, or after the cyclization of 2-aminobenzothiophene-3-carboxylic acid derivatives with aldehydes or nitriles which is customary for preparing pyrimidine derivatives (for example Houben-Weyl E9b/2).
Specifically, the reaction of the compounds of the formula II with the compounds of the formula III is carried out in the presence or absence of an inert solvent at temperatures between about xe2x88x9220 and about 150xc2x0, preferably between 20 and 100xc2x0.
The addition of an acid-binding agent, for example an alkyl metal hydroxide, carbonate or bicarbonate or alkaline earth metal hydroxide, carbonate or bicarbonate, or of another alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, preferably potassium, sodium or calcium, salt of a weak acid, or the addition of an organic base, such as triethylamine, dimethylamine, pyridine or quinoline, or of an excess of the amine component may be favourable.
Suitable inert solvents are, For example, hydrocarbons, such as hexane, petroleum ether, benzene, toluene or xylene; chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform or dichloromethane; alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, n-butanol or tert-butanol; ethers, such as diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tetrahydrofuran (THF) or dioxane; glycol ethers, such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether or ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (methylglycol or ethylglycol), ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme); ketones, such as acetone or butanone; amides, such as acetamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidone or dimethylformamide (DMF); nitrites, such as acetonitrile; sulphoxides, such as dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO); nitro compounds, such as nitromethane or nitrobenzene; esters, such as ethyl acetate, or mixtures of the solvents mentioned.
It is furthermore possible to convert a radical X in a compound of the formula I into another radical X, for example by hydrolysing an ester or a cyano group to give a COOH group. Ester groups can be hydrolysed, for example, using NaOH or KOH in water, water/THF or water/dioxane, at temperatures between 0 and 100xc2x0. Carboxylic acids can be converted with, for example, thionyl chloride into the corresponding carbonyl chlorides, and these can be converted into carboxamides. By dehydration in a known manner, these give carbonitriles.
An acid of the formula I can be converted into the associated acid addition salt using a base, for example by reaction of equivalent amounts of the acid and the base in an inert solvent, such as ethanol, and subsequent evaporation. Possible bases for this reaction are, in particular, those which give physiologically acceptable salts. The acid of the formula I can thus be converted with a base (for example sodium hydroxide or carbonate or potassium hydroxide or carbonate) into the corresponding metal salt, in particular alkalis metal salt or alkalne earth metal salt, or into the corresponding ammonium salt. Possible bases for this reaction are, in particular, also those organic bases which give physiologically acceptable salts, such as, for example, ethanolamine.
On the other hand, a base of the formula I can be converted into the associated acid addition salt using an acid, for example by reaction of equivalent amounts of the base and the acid in an inert solvent, such as ethanol, and subsequent evaporation. Acids which are suitable for this reaction are, in particular, those which give physiologically acceptable salts. It is thus possible to use inorganic acids, for example sulphuric acid, nitric acid, hydrohalic acids, such as hydrochloric acid or hydrobromic acid, phosphoric acids, such as orthophosphoric acid, sulphaminic acid, furthermore organic acids, in particular aliphatic, alicyclic, araliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic mono- or polybasic carboxylic, sulphonic or sulphuric acids, for example formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, pivalic acid, diethylacetic acid, malonic acid, succinnic acid, pimelic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, ascorbic acid, nicotinic acid, isonicotinic acid, methane- or ethanesulphonic acid, ethanedisulphonic acid, 2-hydroxyethanesulphonic acid, benzenesulphonic acid, p-toluenesulphonic acid, naphthalene-mono- and disulphonic acids and laurylsulphuric acid. Salts with physiologically unacceptable acids, for example picrates, can be used for isolation and/or purification of the compounds of the formula I.
The invention furthermore provides the use of the compounds of the formula I and/or their physiologically acceptable salts for the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations, in particular by a non-chemical route. For this use, they can brought into a suitable dosage form together with at least one solid, liquid and/or semi-liquid carrier or auxiliary, and if appropriate in combination with one or more further active compounds.
The invention also provides medicaments of the formula I and their physiologically acceptable salts as phosphodiesterase V-inhibitors.
The invention furthermore provides pharmaceutical formulations comprising at least one compound of the formula I and/or one of its physiologically acceptable salts.
These Formulations can be used as medicaments in human or veterinary medicine. Possible carriers are organic or inorganic substances which are suitable for enteral (for example oral), parenteral or topical administration and do not react with the novel compounds, for example water, vegetable oils, benzyl alcohols, alkylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, glycerol triacetate, gelatine, carbohydrates, such as lactose or starch, magnesium stearate, talc and petroleum jelly. Tablets, pills, coated tablets, capsules, powders, granules, syrups, juices or drops are used, in particular, for oral administration, suppositories are used for rectal administration, solutions, preferably oily or aqueous solutions, and furthermore suspensions, emulsions or implants are used for parenteral administration, and ointments, creams or powders are used for topical application. The novel compounds can also be lyophilized and the resulting lyophilizates can be used, for example, for the preparation of injection preparations. The formulations a mentioned can be sterilized and/or comprise auxiliaries, such as lubricants, preservatives, stabilizers and/or wetting agents, emulsifiers, salts for influencing the osmotic pressure, buffer substances, colorants, flavourings and/or several other active compounds, for example one or more vitamins.
The compounds of the formula I and their physiologically acceptable salts can be employed for combating diseases with which an increase in the cGMP(cyclic guanosine monophosohate) level leads to an inhibition or prevention of inflammation and to muscular relaxation. The compounds according to the invention can be used in particular in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and for the treatment and/or therapy of impaired potency.
For these uses, the substances are generally preferably administered in dosages of between 1 and 500 mg, in particular between 5 and 100 mg per dosage unit. The daily dosage is preferably between about 0.02 and 10 mg/kg of body weight. However, the specific dose for each patient depends on the most diverse factors, for example on the activity of the specific compound employed, on the age, body weight, general state of health, sex, on the diet, on the administration time and route, on the rate of elimination, medicament combination and severity of the particular disease to which the therapy applies. Oral administration is preferred.
All the temperatures above and below are stated in 0xc2x0 C. In the following examples, xe2x80x9ccustomary work-upxe2x80x9d means: water is added, if required, the pH is adjusted to between 2 and 10, if required, depending on the constitution of the end product, the mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate or dichloromethane, the organic phase is separated off, dried over sodium sulphate and evaporated and the residue is purified by chromatography over silica gel and/or by crystallization.
Mass spectrometry (MS): EI (electron impact ionization) M+; FAB (fast atom bombardment) (M+H)+.

Condensed thienopyrimidines with phosphodiesterase-v inhibiting action

Abstract: Thienopyrimidines of the formula I

Abstract: and their physiologically acceptable salts,

Abstract: in which

Abstract: R1, R2 and X have the meanings given in claim 1, inhibit phosphodiesterase V and can be employed for the treatment of illnesses of the cardiovascular system and for the treatment and/or therapy of impaired potency.

Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung


A focussing lens for focussing a charged particle beam onto a specimen at a predetermined landing angle. The focussing lens comprises at least one first electrode having a first aperture to generate a focussing electric field for focussing the charged particle beam onto the specimen and a correcting electrode having a curved surface to compensate for landing angle dependent distortions of the focussing electric field caused by the specimen. With the curved surface of the correcting electrode, it is possible to improve the focussing of a charged particle beam at landing angles that differ from the perpendicular landing angle.

Charged particle beam devices like electron microscopes, focussed ion beam devices, or electron beam pattern generators are required to deliver an ever increasing spatial resolution for inspecting or structuring specimens like semiconductor wafers, masks, biological specimens, and the like. A high spatial resolution can only be achieved if the focus spot size of the charged particle beam is made sufficiently small. Focussing a charged particle beam to a small spot size, however, requires a tight control of the focussing electric and/or magnetic fields.
Unfortunately, in practice, any conducting component nearby the charged particle beam may be a source for distorting a focussing electric field. Therefore, whenever a component nearby the charged particle beam is moved with respect to the beam during operation, the focussing quality of the charged particle beam source may suffer.
Focussing electric field distortions also occur when the specimen itself is moved. This situation arises when, e.g., the charged particle beam device is used to inspect or structure a specimen at different landing angles. The landing angle refers to the angle between the inspected or structured surface of the specimen and the direction of the incoming (primary) charged particle beam. Inspecting a specimen at different landing angles may significantly increase information on the surface of the specimen, like surface topology, chemical surface structure, etc.
Usually, the landing angle is adjusted by means of some tilting mechanism which tilts the charged particle beam device with respect to the surface of the specimen. FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate an example where a semiconductor wafer 3 is inspected by a scanning electron microscope 1 (SEM) at two different landing angles 42. In FIG. 1a, the specimen 3 is inspected at a first landing angle 42 of 90 degrees, while in FIG. 1b, the specimen is inspected at a second landing angle 42 of 45 degrees. Note that, while in FIG. 1a-b the SEM 1 becomes tilted in order to obtain a tilted landing angle, other types of SEMs use a set-up where the specimen becomes tilted in order to obtain a tilted landing angle.
The SEM 1 of FIGS. 1a and 1b is comprised of a beam tube 20 having an electron beam source 5, e.g. a thermal field emission cathode, to generate an electron beam 7, a high voltage beam tube 9 to accelerate the electron beam 7 up to an energy controlled by an anode voltage Vanode, a condenser 11 to improve the electron beam shape, a magnetic focussing lens 13 and an electrostatic focussing lens 14 to focus the electron beam 7 onto the wafer 3. The SEM 1 of FIG. 1a and 1b further comprises an in-lens detector 15 to detect and evaluate the signal of the secondary charged particles 17 which are generated by the primary electron beam 7 on the wafer 3.
The magnetic focussing lens 13 of FIG. 1a and 1b consists of a coil 24 and a yoke 26 shaped to generate a focussing magnetic field for the primary electron beam 7. The electrostatic focussing lens 14 of FIG. 1a and 1b is comprised of the lower-end elements 9a of the high voltage beam tube 9, the cone-like shaped elements 26a ("conical cap") of yoke 26, and apertures 106 at the apices of the respective elements. The focussing electric field is defined by the geometry of the lower-end element 9a, of the conical cap, their apertures 106 and by the voltages V1 and V2 between the wafer 3 and, respectively, the conical cap 26a and the high voltage beam tube 9 (for simplicity of the drawings, the voltages V1, V2 and Vanode are only shown in FIG. 1a). As it turns out, if the electric field between the conical cap 26a and wafer 3 is adjusted in such a way that it decelerates the primary electron beam 7, the spatial resolution of the probing primary electron beam can be increased when combined with a magnetic focusing field. More details about the combined electrostatic and magnetic focussing lens, and about the SEM of FIG. 1a in general, can be found in "High Precision electron optical system for absolute and CD-measurements on large specimens" by J. Frosien, S. Lanio, H. P. Feuerbaum, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 363 (1995), pp. 25-30.
In FIG. 1b, the beam tube 20 is tilted by 45 degrees with respect to the wafer 3 to inspect the wafer 3 at a second landing angle 42 of 45 degrees. In the case of FIGS. 1a and 1b, a controlled tilting has been realized by a tilting mechanism 22 which enables the SEM to inspect any location on the wafer at (at least) two different landing angles 42. Further, due to the cone-like shaped elements 26a of the yoke 26, it is possible to tilt the SEM while maintaining a short working distance between the focussing lens 14 and the specimen 3, as can be seen from FIG. 1b. The cone-like shape of the cone-like shaped elements 26a of the yoke 26 prevents the beam tube 20 from touching or scratching on the specimen 3 when tilted, without having to give up on the short working distance.
The charged particle beam device of FIGS. 1a and 1b allows for an inspection of a specimen at different predetermined landing angles. However, as it turns out, changing the landing angle away from a perpendicular direction can severely reduce the spatial resolution of a charged particle beam device.

Focussing lens for charged particle beams

ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft fur Halbleiterpruftechnik mbH


There is provided a capturing apparatus for capturing flying insects, comprising: a UV lamp; a birdlime cartridge; a birdlime configured to be wound to the birdlime cartridge; and a means for winding the birdlime at a variable speed.

Conventionally, a capturing lamp has been widely used in order to capture flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies. The insects captured by the capturing lamp are killed using electricity or they become stuck on birdlime. Killing insects with electricity generates undesirable noises and produces unpleasant feelings to people nearby. Thus, people such as homeowners tend to move away from using electricity to kill insects. In case of using birdlime, the birdlime has to be regularly replaced with a new one. This is because the capacity of birdlime is limited and its adhesive strength becomes decreased due to dirt etc. Hence, even the insects attracted by the light apparatus may not stick to the birdlime. Of course, replacing the birdlime with a new one entails costs such as labor costs. Traditionally, a product using a very long birdlime of roll type, which is wound at a constant speed, had been used. According to this method, the labor cost associated with the above-described replacement may be mitigated because a roll of limed paper is used up before it is replaced. However, the birdlime became wound regardless of whether the flying insects were actually captured or not on the birdlime, thus resulting in unnecessary waste of the birdlime.

Flying insect capture and monitoring system


An apparatus and a method for tracking the number of hits to a web page is described. In one embodiment, a web browser of a client requests from a server a web page. The server redirects the web browser to a cookie counting web page, where the cookie counting web page provides a tracking cookie to the web browser. The server computes the number of unique hits to the web page without cookies based on the number of hits to the cookie counting web page without tracking cookies, the number of unique hits to the cookie counting web page with tracking cookies, the number of all hits to the cookie counting web page with tracking cookies.

Website providers are increasing the amount of advertising space on their webpages in order to generate more revenues. The advertisements (or ads) appear as banners, blocks, or tiles on various portions on the webpage.
One traditional method to monitor the activity of advertisements of a web page is to send one or more session identifiers in the form of HTTP cookies to a client web browser. Such cookies allows for the tracking of information on the client web browser. However, the client web browser is under no obligation to accept or send back these cookies. Security conscious users deliberately disable cookies from all or some web sites.
In the case where cookies are disabled, the number of visitors may be overcounted by counting the number of new cookies issued. Similarly, the number of visitors may also be undercounted by only counting the number of cookies returned by a number of users who cannot or will not send back cookies. As such, a need therefore exists for a technique to estimate the number of users who cannot or will not send back tracking cookies.


A communication parameter is shared with an external apparatus and is held via second communication different from first communication. In the case where a connection with the external apparatus, which is started in response to sharing of the communication parameter, is disconnected, a communication parameter used in the disconnected connection is deleted.

In recent years, digital cameras that can connect to a mobile phone through wireless communication and exchange image data have been known. In order to omit part of a procedure that the user needs to operate in order to establish a connection through wireless communication, technology for sharing communication parameters for establishing a connection through wireless communication by using other wireless communication (so-called hand over) is known. For example, PTL 1 discloses sharing, between devices, of communication parameters for connecting the devices via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) by using NFC (Near Field Communication).
In a so-called smart phone, the communication parameters of a wireless LAN in which the smart phone has participated in the past are recorded as a log, thereby simplifying a procedure for establishing the connection again.

Communication apparatus, control method for communication apparatus, and program


A subject may be interrogated with electromagnetic radiation for producing image data representative of an image of the subject. First and second image data, produced based on reflectivity in first and second frequency ranges, may be related. In some examples, image data for one picture element may be produced based at least in part on reflectivity of the radiation at a depth selected based at least in part on a depth of another picture element. In some examples, plural images may be produced based on reflectivity at different depths. In some examples, a value of reflectivity may be determined for an intermediate depth between two adjacent depths of image data based at least in part on reflectivity of the radiation for a plurality of spaced-apart depths.

Millimeter wave signals are used for radar and telecommunications. They are also capable of being used to produce data representative of a subject, by directing millimeter-wave signals at the subject and detecting the reflected signal. The data produced may then be used to produce an image of the subject. Examples of such imaging systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,455,590; 5,557,283; 5,859,609; 6,507,309; and 6,703,964; and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2004/90,359; 2004/140,924; and 2004/263,379, which patent references are incorporated herein by reference.


In a wireless base station, when a newly provided control unit receives an IP packet from one mobile station (102), it refers to a destination address in control information added to the IP packet (104), and determines whether the IP packet is one to be broadcast or multicast (106). If the value of destination address is at a value indicative of broadcasting or the like defined by IP, the IP packet is copied according to the subnet, and is sent back to a wireless link layer processor with its contents intact (108). Further, the wireless link layer processor is commanded to broadcast the sent-back IP packet in a wireless area and so forth (110), whereby the IP packet can be broadcast into a cell and so forth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system,mobile communication methods, a wireless base station, a mobile station, and programs.
2. Related Background Art
Studies have currently been in progress for applying IP (Internet Protocol), which is a network control protocol prevailing in the Internet, to mobile communication systems in view of seamless connections to the Internet in order to achieve multimedia properties in the mobile communication systems and lower the cost of backbone networks. FIG. 5 shows a configurational example of a wireless base station 10 and a mobile station 20 (collectively referring to mobile stations 20A, 20B) in such a mobile communication system 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the wireless base station 10 includes a transmitter/receiver 11, a wireless link layer processor 12, an IP layer processor 13, an AAL (ATM Adaptation Layer) processor 14, and an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) transmitter/receiver 15. On the other hand, each mobile station 20 includes a transmitter/receiver 21, a wireless link layer processor 22, and an IP layer processor 23.
In the mobile station 20, user data such as visual, audio, and text data are processed by various applications located in an upper layer and then are fed as a data packet into the IP layer processor 23. The IP layer processor 23 carries out the network control defined by the third layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model, in which IP is widely used as a protocol. Specifically, the IP layer processor 23 adds the IP address of a mobile station (or a computer on the Internet or the like) to communicate with and its own IP address to a packet from an upper layer, so as to newly assemble an IP packet, and sends thus obtained new IP packet to the wireless link layer processor 22. On the network side, a transmission route of the IP packet is selected according to these IP addresses, and the IP packet is sent to the receiving side.
Subsequently, the wireless link layer processor 22 carries out the link control defined by the second layer of the OSI reference model. Specifically, schedule management for transmitting/receiving IP packets, management for assigning wireless resources such as communication bandwidth to each mobile station 20, and other kinds of control specific to mobile communications such as hand-over are carried out between the wireless link layer processor 22 and the wireless link layer processor 12 of the wireless base station 10. To this aim, various kinds of control information are added to the IP packet from the IP layer processor 23, or a layer 2 packet consisting of control information alone is newly assembled, and thus obtained IP packet is sent to the transmitter/receiver 21. The transmitter/receiver 21 is an apparatus for carrying out the control of the first layer of the OSI reference model, and transmits/receives layer 2 packets in wireless areas in synchronization with the transmitter/receiver 11 of the wireless base station 10. IP packets from the wireless base station 10 are successively sent to the transmitter/receiver 21, wireless link layer processor 22, and IP layer processor 23 in the order reverse of that explained above, so as to be restored to visual, audio, and text data and the like in upper layers.
On the other hand, the wireless base station 10 is characterized in that it has a function of carrying out network control such as IP packet transfer according to the IP addresses mentioned above, i.e., so-called router function. In the wireless base station 10, the transmitter/receiver 11 restores a layer 2 packet from radio signals from the mobile station 20, and sends thus restored packet to the wireless link layer processor 12. As mentioned above, this wireless link layer processor 12 carries out link control in synchronization with the wireless link layer processor 22 of the mobile station 20, so as to restore an IP packet from the layer 2 packet, and sends thus restored packet to the IP layer processor 13. The IP layer processor 13 refers to the destination address added to the IP packet and sends the IP packet, by way of the AAL processor 14 and ATM transmitter/receiver 15, to another wireless base station 10 or a backbone network to which Internet networks or networks of other communication providers are connected. The AAL processor 14 is an apparatus for carrying out the control of the second layer of the OSI reference model, whereas the ATM transmitter/receiver 15 is an apparatus for carrying out the control of the first layer of the OSI reference model.
Meanwhile, LAN (Local Area Network) using radio waves unlike the above-mentioned mobile communication system 1 has currently been coming into wide use. FIG. 6 shows a configurational example of such a wireless LAN system 2. A wireless base station 30 is constituted by a transmitter/receiver 31, a bridge 32, and an Ethernet transmitter/receiver 33, among which the bridge 32 includes a wireless LAN MAC (Media Access Control) layer processor 32A, relay 32B, an address table 32C, and an Ethernet MAC layer processor 32D. On the other hand, a mobile station 40 includes a transmitter/receiver 41 and a wireless LAN MAC layer processor 42, and is connected to a computer 50. The wireless LAN system 2 differs from the above-mentioned communication system 1 in that no apparatus for carrying out the processing defined by the third layer of the OSI reference model exists, whereby the IP layer is not terminated. Namely, IP packets are processed transparently in the wireless LAN system 2.
The computer 50 processes images, data, and the like, so as to generate an IP packet, and sends thus generated packet to the mobile station 40. In the mobile station 40, the wireless LAN MAC layer processor 42 adds two MAC addresses indicating a destination and a sender, and other kinds of control information to the IP packet, thereby generating a layer 2 packet. These MAC addresses are addresses for specifying the wireless MAC layer processor 42 in order to carry out the control defined by the second layer of the OSI reference model, and differ from the above-mentioned IP addresses used for the processing of the third layer. In synchronization with the wireless LAN MAC layer processor 32A on the wireless base station 30 side, the wireless LAN MAC layer processor 42 carries out schedule management for transmitting/receiving IP packets, management for assigning wireless resources such as communication bandwidth to each mobile station 40, and other kinds of control.
The layer 2 packet generated by the wireless LAN MAC layer processor 42 is transmitted as a radio signal to the wireless base station 30 by way of the transmitter/receiver 41. The transmitter/receiver 31 of the wireless base station 30 restores the layer 2 packet from the radio signal, and sends thus restored packet to the bridge 32. The wireless LAN MAC layer processor 32A and Ethernet MAC layer processor 32D within the bridge 32 convert their protocols to each other by way of the repeater 32B, thereby transmitting/receiving layer 2 packets. Here, however, the repeater 32B carries out control for discarding layer 2 packets sent from both processors 32A, 32D, i.e., filtering, according to the information of MAC addresses stored in the address table 32C. For carrying out this processing, the repeater 32B always stores into the address table 32C the value of sender's MAC address added to each layer 2 packet together with information indicative of whether the packet comes from the wireless side or backbone LAN side. When the next layer 2 packet arrives, the repeater 32B refers to the address table 32C. If the MAC address indicative of the destination of this packet is stored in the address table 32C, it can be seen whether the address is located on the wireless side or the backbone LAN side.
For preventing unnecessary transmission of packets from occurring, the repeater 32B sends back packets from the wireless side if their destination is located on the wireless side, so as not to send them to the backbone LAN side. When the destination of packets from the backbone LAN side is located on the backbone LAN side, they are discarded. When the sender and destination of a packet are located on sides opposite from each other, the repeater 32B allows the layer 2 packet to pass therethrough. When the corresponding MAC address is not stored in the address table 32C, the repeater allows the layer 2 packet to pass therethrough, and sends it back to the wireless side if it comes from the wireless side. Thereafter, the layer 2 packet fed into the Ethernet MAC layer processor 32D is sent to the backbone LAN by way of the Ethernet transmitter/receiver 33. Known as an example of standards for such a wireless LAN is IEEE 802.11 defined by IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) Also, Ethernet is a standard known as IEEE 802.3.

Mobile communication system, mobile communication method, wireless base station, mobile station, and program


A steering system clatter mitigation apparatus and method. The clatter mitigation apparatus excites the steering system at a frequency within a range of an existing engine noise. The excitation of the steering system at a different frequency than the clatter sound greatly reduces the clatter sound. The sound produced by the excitation of the steering system is masked by the existing sound of the engine.

Steering systems in vehicles use a variety of shafts and gears to transfer a steering input from a steering wheel to turn wheels on the vehicle. Steering systems may use a gearbox to transfer the rotational input of the steering wheel to translational movement of the wheels left and right. Some gearboxes include a rack and pinion, a recirculating ball, or a worm and sector mechanism to transfer the rotational movement of the steering wheel to the translational movement of the wheels. Power steering systems help drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel. Hydraulic or electric actuators may add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. The actuators are often connected to the steering system through additional sets of gearing.
The gears used in the gearboxes and the connection of the actuators may generate an undesirable noise described as clatter. The clatter may be more prevalent when the vehicle is driving straight and over bumps. The source of the noise is suspected to be gear lash between the gears. In the case of a rack and pinion mechanism, the source of the noise is suspected to be the gear lash between the rack and the motor pinion and/or the rack and the steering pinion. While the clatter may not be felt by the driver through the steering column, an audible clatter may emanate from the steering system that can be heard inside the vehicle cabin.
The above problem(s) and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.