Covalently lipidated oligonucleotides comprising the CpG dinucleotide unit, or an analogue thereof, may be used as immunostimulatory agents to protect against a disease caused by a cancer cell or a pathogen, either alone or in conjunction with immunogens and/or non-immunological agents.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the use of covalently lipidated oligonucleotides comprising the CpG dinucleotide unit, or an analogue thereof, as immunostimulatory agents. Lipidated oligonucleotides with special backbones, lipidated oligonucleotides with fewer than eight nucleotides, and lipidated oligonucleotides comprising a plurality of CpG dinucleotide-containing segments connected by a long internucleoside linkage are of particular interest.
2. Description of the Background Art
Effective host defense against invading microorganisms requires the detection of foreign pathogens and the rapid deployment of an antimicrobial effector response (Krutzik et al, 2001). Indeed, the innate immune system detects the presence and the nature of the infection by recognizing the constitutive and conserved products of microbial metabolism, which can be viewed as molecular signatures of microbial invaders (Janeway, 1992), and also called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). PAMPs are recognized by various pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) of the innate immune system, which are expressed on the cell surface, in intracellular compartments, or secreted into the blood stream and tissue fluids. Also, the innate immune system provides the first line of host defense, and controls the initiation and determination of the effector class of the adaptive immune response (Medzhitov, 2001).
Toll-Like Receptor Ligands
The recent discovery and characterization of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family have incited new interest in the field of innate immunity. TLRs are also pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) that have a unique and essential function in animal immunity. In mammalian species there are at least ten TLRs currently known (Medzhitov, 2001), and each seems to have a distinct function in innate immune recognition. Dozens of TLR ligands have been identified (Akira et al, 2001).
Though quite diverse in structure and origin, TLR ligands have several common features. For instance, most TLR ligands are conserved microbial products (PAMPs) that signal the presence of infection; and many individual TLRs can recognize several structurally unrelated ligands. It is obvious that TLR ligands are potent activators of innate immune system, which in turn directs and determines the adaptive immune response.
CpG Motifs
Probably the most enigmatic example of pattern recognition is the recognition of unmethylated CpG motifs in bacterial DNA by TLR9 (Hemmi et al, 2000). As a matter of fact, unmethylated bacterial DNA in a particular sequence context (the so-called CpG motif) has been known for its potent immune stimulatory activity for quite some time (Krieg et al, Nature, 1995).
WO98/18810 (University of Iowa Research Foundation) teaches that certain nucleic acids containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides activate lymphocytes in a subject and redirect a subject's immune responses from a Th2 to a TH1, i.e., increase production of Th1 cytokines including IL-12, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF. In particular, it discloses an isolated immunostimulatory nucleic acid sequence of about 8-30 bases "represented" by the formula5′ N1X1CGX2N2 3′where at least one nucleotide separates consecutive CpGs; X1 is A, G or T, X2 is C or T, N is any nucleotide, and N1+N2 is 0-26 nucleotides, with the proviso that the latter does not contain a CCGG quadmer or more than one CCG or CGG trimer. With respect to stimulation of murine cells, a preference is expressed for a CpG flanked by two 5′ purines (preferably GpA) and two 3′ pyrimidines (preferably TpT or TpC).
The authors reported that oligomers shorter than 8 bases were non-stimulatory (page 25, lines 16-17); the tested oligomer was a 7-mer (Table 1, 4e). See also Sonehara, et al., "Hexamer Palindromic Oligonucleotides with 5′-CG-3′ Motif(s) Induce Production of Interferon," J. Interferon & Cytokine Res., 16:799-803 (1996)(IFN-inducing activity of ACGT "insignificant"). In contrast, in the present invention, we have found that if lipidated, even a dinucleotide by itself has activity.
WO98/40100 (Ottawa Civic Loeb Research Laboratory, Qi-Agen GmbH, and University of Iowa Research Foundation), WO99/51259 (University of Iowa Research Foundation), WO99/61056 (Loeb Health Research Institute at the Ottawa Hospital, CPG Immunopharmaceuticals, Inc.) have similar teachings. While WO98/40100 defines an oligonucleotide as being at least five bases in length, it nonetheless teaches that for the desired immunostimulatory activity, at least 8 bases are needed. WO01/97843 says that the immunostimulatory nucleic acid can have any length greater than 6 nucleotides (p. 7, l. 12). WO99/61056 (p3, L30) implies that a hexanucleotide can induce mucosal immunity, although an octanucleotide is preferred (p 8, l. 17).
WO01/12804 (Hybridon, Inc.) teaches that it is desirable that the two bases immediately flanking the CpG on its 5′ end be 2′-OMe substituted.
WO01/97843 (University of Iowa Research Foundation) teaches that it is desirable that the CpG oligonucleotide be "T-rich", i.e., greater than 25% T, more preferably, greater than 40%, 50%, 60%, 80% or 90% T. It teaches that it is desirable that it comprise at least one poly-T motif consisting of at least three consecutive T bases. It expresses a preference for longer poly-T motifs (at least 4-9 Ts) and for a plurality of poly-T motifs (at least 2-8). Likewise, it discloses the desirability of poly-A, poly-C, and poly-G motifs.
WO00/54803 (Panacea Pharmaceuticals, LLC) relates to use of the CpG-containing oligonucleototides to ameliorate allergic responses to immunogens. See also DeKruyff, U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,898 (2000), on converting a Th2-type allergic immune response into a Th1-type immune response.
WO01/07055 teaches use of a CpG-oligonucleotide having a particular topology, for higher stability in vivo.
Lipoteichoic Acid; Doubse-Stranded Ribonucleic Acid
Structurally related lipo-teichoic acid (LTA) from Gram-positive bacteria and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) from viruses are also well known for their properties of activating host innate immunity. Recent studies have shown that TLR4 is involved in the recognition of LTA (Takeuchi et al, 1999) and TLR3 functions as a cell-surface receptor for dsRNA (Alexopoulou et al, 2001).
Teichoic acids are polyol phosphate polymers, with either ribitol or glycerol linked by phosphodiester bonds. Substituent groups on the polyol chains of the naturally occurring teichoic acids can include D-alanine (ester-linked), N-acetylglucosamine, and glucose. In the ribitol teichoic acids, there are 1,5-phosphodiester linkages. In the glycerol teichoic acids, there are 1,2- or 1,3-phosphodiester linkages. The glycerol teichoic acids may be unsubstituted, or substituted (e.g. alanyl or glycosyl) at the remaining position.
Glycerol Nucleic Acids
Usman, Juby and Ogilvie, "Preparation of Glyceronucleoside Phosphoramidite Synthons and Their Use in the Sold Phase Synthesis of Acyclic Oligonucleotides" Tetrahedron Lett., 29: 4831-4 (1988) descibes the synthesis of homooligomers (2-8 units long) of the nucleotides in which either adenine or thymine are part of a glyceronucleoside. It is noted in passing that glyceronucleosides per se, especially those containing purines (adenine and thymine) as the base component, are potent antiviral agents.
Schneider and Benner, "Oligonucleotides Containing Flexible Nucleoside Analogues," J. Am. Chem. Soc. 112: 453-55 (1990) disclose oligonucleotides in which ribose is replaced by a glycerol derivative. However, they found that the change in backbone reduced the ability of the oligonucleotide to form a stable duplex structure. Each glycerol nucleoside reduced the melting point of the duplex DNA by about 9-15° C. The oligonucleotides synthesized by Schneider and Benner were at least 9 bases long, and none of them comprised 5′-CG-3′.
Other Oligonucleotide Analogues
Oligonucleotide analogues, especially those with modified internucleoside linkages, are known in the art. See e.g. Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,083; Weis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,439; Rosch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,669; Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,513; Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,085; Uhlmann, et al., "PNA: Synthetic Polyamide Nucleic Acids with Unusual Binding Properties," Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 37:2796-2823 (1998).
Chemically Modified Nucleic Acids
Englisch and Gauss, "Chemically Modified Oligonucleotides as Probes and Inhibitors", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 30: 613-29 (1991) make reference to oligonucleotides modified to include psoralen, acridine, biotin, or enzymes.
Known terminal radicals (hydroxyl substituents) include 1-ethoxyethyl, ethoxymethyl, benzhydryl, benzyl, trityl, monomethoxytrityl, dimethoxytrityl, methyl, ethyl, acetyl, tosyl, tetrahydropyranyl, trifluoroacetyl, aminoacyl, glycyl, leucyl, cyanoethyl, anisyl, benzyl, and phenyl, and, as bifunctional protecting groups (usually bridging 2′ and 31),
Known terminal glycol-protecting (bifunctional) radicals, bridging the 2′ and 3′ hydroxyls unless otherwise indicated, include isopropylidene, borate, and carbonyl 2′:3′-phosphate (cyclic).
N-protecting radicals used in synthetic work include benzoyl, benzyl, tosyl, trityl, anisoyl, benzhydryl (diphenylmethyl), monomethoxytrityl (p-anisyldiphenylmethyl), dimethoxytrityl (di-p-anisylphenylmethyl), tetrahydropyranyl, dansyl, and N-cyclohexyl-N′[-(4-methylmorpholino)amidino].
Phosphoric acid protecting groups include 5′-cyanoethyl; 3′(or 2′)-cyanoethyl, anisyl (MeOPh), benzyl, and phenyl.
Lipidated Nucleic Acids
Hostetler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,831 teaches that oral delivery of many clases of drugs is facilitated by converting drugs having suitable functional groups to 1-O-alkyl, 1-O-acyl, 1-S-acyl, and 1-S-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate derivatives; he refers to these derivatives as lipid prodrugs. The classes of drugs taught by Hostetler include "anticancer agents, comprising nucleoside analogues, for example, 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (hereinafter, cytosine arabinoside or ara-C), 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (hereinafter, adenine arabinoside or ara-A), 5-fluorouridine, 6-mercaptopurine riboside, or 2′-ara-fluoro-2-chlorodeoxyadenosine", and "antiviral nucleosides, particularly the 1-O-alkyl phospholipid derivatives of those antiviral nucleosides disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,263". In the antiviral category, specific reference is made to 3′deoxy, 3′-azidothymidine (AZT), acyclovir, foscarnet, ganciclovir, idoxuridine, ribavarin, 5-fluoro-3′-thia-2′,3′-dideoxycytidine, trifluridine, and vidarabine. There is no reference to lipidation of any oligonucleotides.
Sridhar, U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,352 discloses thiocationic lipid-nucleic acid conjugates. The cationic lipid binds noncovalently to the anionic nucleic acid molecules. The present invention requires covalent attachment of a lipophilic group to the oligonucleotide.
Cheng, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,126 discloses double stranded oligonucleotides having a lipophilic group, preferably a steroid structure, attached to the 3′ end. The oligonucleotides comprised 8-18 bases (per strand). They do not disclose or suggest any shorter oligonucleotides, or any molecules without at least some double-stranded structure.
Cheng et al. conceived of three types of molecules with double stranded structure. In type 1, the oligonucleotide is palindromic, so two molecules together form a duplex. In type 2, there are two different but substantially complementary strands, which hybridize to form the duplex. Finally, in type 3, the oligonucleotides are at least partially self-complementary, so they "hairpin" to form a double-stranded structure.
The oligonucleotides of interest to them were those with anticancer activity. They do not disclose or suggest that any of his oligonucleotides have immunostimulatory activity.
Several of these oligonucleotides (e.g., 120 H, 128 H, 001 H, 167 H, 002 H, 089 H, 589 H, 178 H, 678 H) comprise 5′-CG-3′. The 3′ modifications of sequence 128H (CACACGTGTG)(SEQ ID NO: 1) included cholesterol*, hexylamine, acridine, hexanol, hexadecane, cholestanol*, ergosterol, stigmastanol*, stigmasterol*, and methyl-lithacholic acid; only the starred modifications had anticancer activity (see Cheng FIG. 10). Thus, Cheng et al. discouraged further experimentation with 3′ lipophilic modifications other than those with the steroid skeleton of his Formula 1. Cheng et al. do not disclose or suggest any 5′ lipophilic attachments.
While Cheng et al. contemplated the possibility of backbone modification, especially, phosphorothioate (P-S0 linkages, they did not specifically suggest peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) or glycerol nucleic acid (GNA) backbones. Indeed, since GNA backbones reduce duplex stability, use of a GNA backbone would have been contrary to Cheng et al.'s teaching of oligonucleotide duplexes.
Targeted Nucleic Acids
Manoharan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,319 discloses attaching a cell surface receptor ligand to an oligonucleotide to facilitate delivery of the oligonucleotide to the cell in question. Manoharan notes that natural oligonucleotides are polyanionic and poorly penetrate cells, while the methylphosphonates are neutral and are taken up much more readily. The ligands contemplated by Manoharan are primarily carbohydrates (targeting cell surface lectins) sch as galactose, N-acetylgalactosamine, fucose, mannose, and sialic acid. These would not be considered lipophilic groups (see Table K-2, below).

Immunostimulatory, covalently lipidated oligonucleotides

Abstract: Lipidated oligonucleotides with special backbones, lipidated oligonucleotides with fewer than eight nucleotides, and lipidated oligonucleotides comprising a plurality of CpG dinucleotide-containing segments connected by a long internucleoside linkage are of particular interest. These compounds are also novel per se.


The present invention provides a novel process for the preparation of acyclic phosphonate nucleotide analogs using novel intermediates. Thus, for example, (R)-9-(2-phosphonomethoxypropyl)adenine is reacted with dimethylformamide dimethylacetal to give N4-dimethylaminomethyledino-9-(2-phosphonomethoxy ethyl) adenine, which is then reacted with chloromethyl-2-propyl carbonate in presence of triethylamine to give (R)-N4-Dimethylaminomethyledino-9-(2-phosphono methoxypropyl) adenine disoproxil, followed by deprotection with acetic acid to get tenofovir disoproxil. Tenofovir disoproxil is then treated with fumaric acid to give tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

Acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs) represent a class of nucleotide analogues in which a phosphonate group is linked to the alkyl side chain of various purines and pyrimidines. This class of nucleoside analogues possesses broad-spectrum antiviral activity, together with a high level of selectivity in vitro and in vivo. Among them adefovir chemically 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine and its ester derivatives (described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,716), tenofovir chemically (R)-9-(2-phosphonomethoxypropyl) adenine and its ester derivatives (described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,695) are having potent and selective activity against HIV and other retroviruses such as retro-, herpes- and hepadnaviruses.
Tenofovir disoproxil is represented by the following structure of formula 1:
Adefovir dipivoxil is represented by the following structure of formula 2:

These compounds are normally prepared by the esterification of phosphonic acid of formula 3:
wherein R′ is alkyl or H;with an appropriate halide to obtain the compounds such as those shown in formula 2 and 3.
It has been found that introduction of groups such as isopropyloxycarbonyloxy methyl or pivaloyloxy methyl group to phosphonic acid compounds of formula 3 for the preparation of the phosphonic acid bis ester compounds such as tenofovir disoproxil of formula 1 or adefovir dipivoxil of formula 2 is associated with the problem of alkylation of N4-amine group to form corresponding N-alkylated impurities. Excess use of alkylating agents leads to the formation of N4-alkylated impurity. Similarly the use of lower quantities of alkylating agents leads to lower yields of products like tenofovir disoproxil and adefovir dipivoxil and formation of higher amounts of the corresponding mono ester impurities.
In an effort to solve the above said problems, we have succeeded in finding protecting agents that are advantageous in that a) the said protecting agents can successfully protect amino group and at the same time do not form esters with phosphonic acid group of the compound of formula I:
b) when the amine group is once protected with these protecting groups, then desired esterification can be carried out; and c) then the said protecting group can be removed under conditions that does not hydrolyse or solvolyse the ester groups.

Process for acyclic phosphonate nucleotide analogs


A module case is provided in which an air bag module is housed. The air bag module is arranged inside of a seat back of a seat of a motor vehicle and the lid of the module case is opened by a pressure of an air bag which inflates at the side collision of the motor vehicle, so as to deploy the air bag from the lid into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Even when the lid has become unopenable due to the depression thereof by a door deformed by the shock of the collision, tear lines formed in a case body of the module case are torn to turn a front wall of the case body in a direction towards the front of the vehicle, and hence, the air bag can be deployed from the front wall part of the case body into the passenger compartment without hindrance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag apparatus which protects the occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of a side collision thereof in such a way that an air bag is deployed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle from an air bag module arranged inside of a seat back of a seat of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air bag apparatus for coping with the side collision of a motor vehicle is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,030 discloses such an air bag apparatus. In the prior art apparatus shown in that patent, an air bag module is arranged inside of a seat back by being enclosed within a pouch made of fabric. An air bag, included in the air bag module, breaks through a sewn portion of a covering member of the seat back by means of the inflating pressure thereof, and the air bag is deployed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle through an opening formed in the sewn portion.
Meanwhile, a force, caused by an occupant of the vehicle leaning his/her back against the seat back, is transmitted to the air bag module through the covering member and pad of the seat back. In this regard, the mere enclosure of the air bag module in the fabric pouch is not sufficiently reliable to protect the inflator, the air bag, the harness, etc., which form the air bag module from the force of the occupant's back against the seat back. In a case where the air bag module is housed within a module case formed of a hard material such as synthetic resin, and where the air bag is inflated by opening or lifting a lid which is provided in the module case so as to be capable of opening, the air bag module is more likely to be protected. Moreover, in this case, the air bag can be reliably deployed in a predetermined direction through an open space formed by the opening of the lid.
However, when any one of the door and center pillar between two doors of the vehicle is deformed toward the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment by the side collision, and has come into contact with the side surface of the seat back, the lid of the module case will be pressed upon by a force and made unopenable by the pressing force of the contacting part, and the air bag will not smoothly inflate.
Besides, when the sewn portion of the covering member is torn by the inflation of the air bag, the inflating pressure of the air bag needs to be concentrated on the sewn portion. Herein, unless the covering member is fixed in place, the shift or elongation deformation of the covering member will make it impossible to concentrate the pressure on the sewn portion so that the sewn portion cannot be torn reliably every time. Further, in a case where the covering member is constructed of a trim cover located on an outer side thereof, a wadding cover located on an inner side thereof and a wadding sandwiched in between the trim cover and the wadding cover, a wadding cover, which is formed of a material softer than the material of the trim cover as is the case in the prior art, poses the problem that only the wadding cover is readily deformed or torn by the inflating pressure of the air bag so that the pressure cannot be concentrated on the sewn portion. Also, when the trim cover is formed of a material which easily elongates, the same problem that the pressure cannot be concentrated on the sewn portion occurs.


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for using resource load times in ranking search results. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search query from a particular user device; receiving, for each of a plurality of resources responsive to the search query, a respective first score; accessing load time data that specifies, for each of the plurality of resources, a load time measure for the resource; and adjusting the first score for each of the plurality of resources based on the load time measure for the resource to generate a second score for each of the plurality of resources.

This specification relates to search systems.
The Internet provides access to a wide variety of resources, examples of which include video or audio files, web pages for particular subjects, book articles, and news articles. A search engine can identify resources in response to a user query that includes one or more search terms or phrases. The search engine ranks the resources based on their relevance to the query and importance and provides search results that link to the identified resources.
The resources referred to by the search results may take different amounts of time to load in users' web browsers. For example, for any particular resource, the size of the resource, the number of images the resource includes or references, the web server that serves the resource, and the particular network connection can impact the amount of time the resource takes to load in a user's web browser. Given two resources that are of similar relevance to a search query, a typical user may prefer to visit the resource having the shorter load time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Using resource load times in ranking search results


The present disclosure provides a display device including a liquid crystal layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and the second surface has a light entrance region and a light outgoing region; a reflector within the liquid crystal layer and adjacent the first surface; a light absorbing layer on the first surface of the liquid crystal layer, the light absorbing layer including a first shielding layer, a second shielding layer and a filling layer therebetween, the second shielding layer is between the first shielding layer and the liquid crystal layer and has a first opening therein, and the liquid crystal layer is configured to modulate light incident from the light entrance region into first refracted light under a first voltage; and modulate the light incident from the light entrance region into second refracted light under a second voltage different from the first voltage.

In recent years, the field of the display technologies is vigorously developed, thin film transistor liquid crystal display devices (TFT-LCDs) currently occupy most of the market, and the display technologies such as Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), mini OLEDs, and micro OLEDs also highlight their respective advantages. However, in a current display device, a divergence angle of light emitted from a display screen has a large angular range, and only light in a small angular range may be observed by human eyes, resulting in low light utilization efficiency. Under some application scenarios, a user may carry out a peep-proof treatment on the display screen in order to protect personal privacy. A conventional peep-proof treatment includes attaching a layer of peep-proof film on a surface of the display screen, and the peep-proof film may cause waste of the utilization efficiency of light. Compared with the TFT-LCD or the like, a reflective display device with a directional function may achieve higher light utilization efficiency and has a better application prospect.


A processor is provided for an improved semiconductor etching system which generates a series of multi-bit digital output code words. The processor provides an endpoint detector for determining if one of the digital output code word has reached a predetermined endpoint level and for generating a control signal to stop etching of a wafer. The processor further provides a standard endpoint curve corresponding to standard etching of a standard wafer. A normalizer is provided for normalizing the current endpoint curve generated from the series of multi-bit digital code words for a wafer being etched with respect to the standard endpoint curve and for providing a normalized current endpoint curve. A comparator fits and compares the normalized current endpoint curve for a wafer being etched to the standard endpoint curve, where the comparator includes a generator for generating a quality index number for the wafer corresponding to the cumulative area between the normalized current endpoint curve for a wafer being etched and the standard endpoint curve.

1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to semiconductor processing equipment and, more particularly, to systems and methods for determining if a plasma etching process is out of tolerance.
2. Prior Art.
Plasma etchers are used in semiconductor processing to avoid undercutting of a layer being etched and provide straight vertical edges. An important step in a plasma etching process is stopping of the etching process after the layer being etched has been removed but before the next layer is removed. Determination of the point at which to stop further etching is called "endpoint detection." Etching beyond the endpoint may cause unwanted removal of desired portions of the next layer, such as, for example, thin gate oxides. As the device geometries of semiconductor devices continue to decrease in size, the need for more accurate endpoint detection increases.
Etching a particular layer on a semiconductor wafer with a RF plasma generates light energy at a particular wavelength where that wavelength corresponds to the material being etched. An optical sensor is used to monitor the intensity of the light energy at that particular wavelength corresponding to the material being etched. An endpoint is determined to have been reached when the optical sensor indicates that the light energy at the particular wavelength has fallen below a specific level. An endpoint signal is then generated to stop etching of the particular layer on the semiconductor wafer.
FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a semiconductor etching system 10 which uses a conventional endpoint detection technique. An etching chamber 12 contains a RF plasma 14 which is generated therein for etching away selected unmasked portions of a film layer 16 previously formed on a wafer 18 contained within the chamber 12. The plasma etching process typically removes selected unmasked portions of the film layer 16 to expose an underlying layer 20, such as, for example, a portion of the top surface of the wafer 18 or another layer formed on the wafer.
As previously mentioned, etching away selected portions of a particular layer on a semiconductor wafer with a RF plasma generates light energy at a particular wavelength which corresponds to the specific material being etched. Different etched materials generate different wavelengths. In order to view the particular wavelength, the etching chamber 12 also includes a window 22 through which an optical detector of a detector and wavelength sampler unit 24 views the RF plasma 14 in the chamber 12. The optical sensor, or detector, is used to monitor the intensity of light energy at a particular wavelength corresponding to the particular material being etched away from the unmasked top surface of the wafer 18 in the etching chamber 12. The optical sensor provides a continuous intensity signal corresponding to the intensity of the light energy at the particular wavelength for the material being etched from the unmasked top surface of the wafer 18. A wavelength intensity sampler periodically samples the continuous intensity signal and provides a series of stepped sample signals to a wavelength-intensity-to-digital signal converter 26, which provides a periodic series multi-bit digital output code word, or counts, corresponding to each wavelength sample. A count is taken at intervals ranging, for example, from one-half to one second.
The counts, or multi-bit digital output code words, of the wavelength-to-digital converter 26 are then processed by software in a computer system 28. The computer system 28 processes the multi-bit digital output code words to determine an endpoint signal.
FIG. 2 illustrates that the envelope of the counts, or digital output signals, from the converter 26 which are processed by the computer 28 can be visualized in a graphic form as a curve 30 of counts vs. time. The typical endpoint curve 30 of FIG. 2 is for an etched material which has a characteristic wavelength which decreases in intensity as the material is etched away. This curve 30 can be displayed on a display screen. An endpoint level 34 is set as a predetermined percentage drop from a peak, or maximum, count 36. A typical predetermined percentage is 90 per cent. When the selected portions of the film layer 16 are removed, the intensity at the selected wavelength decreases. When the light energy at the particular wavelength corresponding to the material being etched has fallen below the endpoint level 34, an endpoint signal is generated and sent on a signal line 38 from an output terminal of the computer system 28 to an input terminal of the etching chamber 12. The endpoint signal stops etching of the particular layer on the semiconductor wafer.
FIG. 2 illustrates that the time at which the endpoint level 34 is reached occurs at a time t.sub.1. If the endpoint signal is weak, the endpoint time is extended and results in over-etching of a wafer.
Current endpoint systems only evaluate percentage changes from a preset mean or average reference point so that problems with an etching process are not immediately identified.


A drug or agent coated balloon having a length which is adjustable in vivo is described herein. The balloon is configured to be coated or coatable with one or more drugs where the coating may be applied prior to advancement into a patient body or prior to balloon expansion within the patient body. The length of the expandable portion of the balloon is adjustable to approximate a length of the tissue region to be treated. Moreover, the drug-coated balloon may be used alone or it may be utilized to deploy luminal prostheses having one or more linked or otherwise coupled segments.

In percutaneous transluminal angioplasty ("PTA") and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ("PTCA") procedures, a dilation balloon is typically advanced intravascularly to a stenosed region and inflated to open the blockage and/or place a stent.
Restenosis, where treated vessels such as coronary arteries tend to become re-occluded (such as following stent implantation), has been addressed by improvements in stent design, delivery systems, and techniques along with the development of drug eluting stents. Typically, a balloon expandable stent is delivered to the coronary arteries using a long, flexible vascular catheter with a balloon on the distal end over which the stent is mounted. The delivery catheter is introduced into the vascular system percutaneously through a femoral or radial artery. Once the catheter is positioned at the target treatment site, the delivery catheter balloon is expanded which correspondingly expands and permanently deforms the stent to a desired diameter. The balloon is then deflated and removed from the vessel, leaving the stent implanted in the vessel at the lesion site.
It may be advantageous to deliver therapeutic agents to a vascular treatment site in combination with balloon angioplasty or stenting. Various methods have also been suggested for delivering drug agents to a dilation site. One technique for delivering such agents is through the use of drug eluting stents which have a coating containing the agent over their exterior. As an alternative, it has been suggested that thin walled flexible balloons having a plurality of small holes could be used to contact the vessel wall and deliver agents upon expansion. Other examples include balloons which are simply coated with a drug and expanded into contact against the treatment site.
However, the length of the treatment region within the vessel may be variable depending upon the patient condition. Because lesion sizes may vary between patients, a balloon catheter having a fixed treatment length for drug delivery may require multiple treatments for a relatively long lesion resulting in increased treatment times and complications. Alternatively, for relatively short lesions, treatment with an excessively long balloon may result in over treatment of the tissue region and unnecessary application or infusion of drugs into the patient system. Although fluoroscopy and angiography may be used to evaluate the lesion prior to catheter insertion, sometimes lesion length cannot be assessed accurately.
It would therefore be desirable to provide drug delivery catheters that could be customized in length at the site of treatment in order to precisely tailor the device to the size of the region to be treated. In addition, it would be desirable if such drug delivery catheters could be used not only for drug delivery, but also for balloon angioplasty and stent delivery as well.
Further, it would be desirable to deliver therapeutic agents and perform balloon angioplasty and/or deliver one or more stents in the same intervention without the need to exchange catheters.


A method, system and computer program are provided for problem determination in an enterprise computer system in a distributed environment. In the method, information is obtained regarding the enterprise applications, and high-level information is presented to a user, with one or more prompts are provided to the user for more detailed information. In response to a request from a user for more detailed information about the application, more detailed information is provided to the user. Several levels of more detailed information about applications, including information as to individual threads, is available. The method also includes the steps of receiving instructions from an administrator to establish an account for a user, associating one or more servers with the account, and providing access to the corresponding user only to the associated servers. In the method, searches may be conducted for strings and requests, and identified strings and requests may be sorted by a variety of criteria.

Until recently corporations considered the mid-tier platform, based on such operating systems as Unix and Windows NT, too fragile for hosting mission critical applications for their businesses. With the introduction of Java(R) by Sun Microsystems, Inc., and the widespread use of the Internet to do business, the situation changed. Corporations now use the technologies based on Sun Microsystems Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and build critical business applications on the mid-tier platform. Such applications are generally run in a distributed computing environment, with server farms having numerous CPU's.
Since many corporations do business with their customers using the Internet, critical business applications are now exposed to end-users through their browsers. Any downtime or problem with these online applications creates huge direct and indirect opportunity costs. One analyst has stated that a web site must respond within eight seconds or a user will leave and go to a competitor's web site. By one estimate, about $4.35 billion in online sales are lost each year in the U.S. alone due to downtime or slow sites.
A plethora of system management tools are available to monitor the performance of networks, databases, storage devices, and platforms, which together constitute the infrastructure of mission critical business applications. These tools are certainly necessary and have their place in the picture; however, the application connects all of those resources, and it is the performance of the application that directly affects the customer. The application drives the network traffic, database usage, and the platform workload. Consequently, most Internet website outages are application related, and existing system management tools fall short of giving any insight of how applications are behaving. Current off-the-shelf application management systems concentrate mainly on application server functions, and not on applications.
As many applications are directly exposed to customers twenty-four hours a day on the web, stringent availability and performance requirements are imposed. Currently, a data center typically resolves server problems by recycling the troubled application server. Unfortunately, recycling is typically only a temporary solution, as the error almost always reoccurs. The inability to identify a better resolution is due to the lack of production-class non-intrusive tools to service and troubleshoot faulty systems and applications on the mid-tier platform.
Another application management issue is due to the problems created by servicing the production workload. A clear division of labor between development activities and production services activities is a norm in enterprise IT organizations. However a major disconnect exists between data center operations and systems development activities. There is a lack of non-invasive tools that allow administrators to visualize the workload running inside the application server. Diagnosis without any J2EE context, passed from production services staff to development staff, is too low-level to offer developers any problem-solving hints.
Any application level tracing inherently involves high overhead and for this reason is not acceptable to high volume systems. A wide variety of components need to be monitored for diagnostic purposes, including servlets, JSP, enterprise Java beans, objects, methods, SQL, sessions and context. The distributed servers are a major source for the intermittent problems.
Current application management products provide less than optimal functions to handle multiple, distributed applications in a real time fashion. While applications are being integrated, most current systems management products still look at discrete components. This approach makes application troubleshooting difficult, and root cause analysis almost impossible.
In summary, a variety of problems can occur in J2EE application server farms which hamper the performance of e-business applications. The most common of these problems are loops, slow processing, hang situations, stall situations, exception occurrences, intermittent problems, deadlocks, timeouts, API related problems, and memory leaks. Existing environment and trouble shooting monitors are not available for application servers in distributed environments.

Method for problem determination in distributed enterprise applications

International Business Machines Corporation


A motor control device controls an electric 3-phase brushless d.c. motor (10) having a magnetic rotor (15) and three windings (11, 12, 13). The motor control device includes a detection unit (20) adapted to generate a commutation signal (21) on the basis of the back-emf voltage produced in the windings (11, 12 and 13). The motor control device further includes an output stage (30) having a first terminal (31) and a second terminal (32) for the connection of a power-supply source, outputs (33, 34, 35) for the connection of the windings (11, 12 and 13) and a number of semiconductor elements (36) for selectively coupling the terminals (31, 32) to the outputs (33, 34, 35) in dependence upon the commutation signal (21). The motor control device further includes a phase detector (40) adapted to generate a phase-error signal (43) which is representative of the phase difference between a sensor signal and a reference signal. The output stage (30) is arranged in series with a controllable power-supply stage (50) adapted to feed a bidirectional current (I) through the windings (11, 12, 13) via the outputs (33, 34, 35). The current (I) is controlled in dependence upon the phase-error signal (43) for driving the rotor (15) in a controlled manner, or for actively braking said rotor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor control device for controlling an electric multi-phase brushless d.c. motor having a magnetic rotor and a plurality of windings, the motor control device comprising
a detection unit adapted to generate a commutation signal on the basis of the back-emf voltage produced in the windings, and PA1 an output stage having outputs for the connection of the windings, at least one terminal for the connection of a power-supply source, and a plurality of control elements for selectively coupling the terminal to outputs in dependence upon the commutation signal. PA1 means for recording and/or reproducing information in a cycle, this cycle being in synchronism with a periodic reference signal, PA1 a motor for driving an element which cooperates with said recording and/or reproducing means, PA1 a sensor for detecting the position of said element, said sensor generating a sensor signal, and PA1 a motor control device for controlling the motor. PA1 a phase detector having a first input for receiving a periodic sensor signal related to the instantaneous position of the rotor, and a second input for receiving a periodic reference signal, the detector being adapted to generate a phase-error signal which is representative of the phase difference between the sensor signal and the reference signal, and PA1 a controllable power-supply stage adapted to feed a bidirectional current via the outputs of the output stage in dependence upon the phase-error signal for driving and braking the rotor in a controlled manner. PA1 means for recording and/or reproducing information in a cycle, said cycle being in synchronism with a periodic reference signal, PA1 a motor for driving an element which cooperates with said recording and/or reproducing means, PA1 a sensor for detecting the position of said element, said sensor generating a sensor signal, and PA1 a motor control device in accordance with the invention.
The invention further relates to an apparatus for the recording and/or reproduction of information, comprising
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a motor control device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,724. The known motor control device comprises a detection unit connected to the windings of a three-phase brushless d.c. motor for detecting the back-emf voltage generated in the windings. On the basis of the detected back-emf voltage, a commutation signal is generated. The known motor control device further has an output stage comprising a plurality of bipolar transistors for selectively coupling the windings to a power source. The transistors are controlled by a signal generator which is controlled by means of the commutation signal. The known motor control device is suitable for energizing the windings of a brushless motor in accordance with a given pattern for which the windings generate such a rotary field that the rotor is constantly driven.

Motor control device apparatus for the recording and/or reproduction of information including the motor control device


A socket joint for a mirror assembly having a first concave portion receiving a support tube that attaches to the vehicle. A pair of anchors disposed in the first concave portion extend through openings in the support tube. The anchors project outwardly from the first concave portion into the support tube. Each anchor engages an interior surface of the support tube. A fastener engages each anchor from a front side of the socket joint to clamp the support tube between the anchor and first concave portion. A central connecting post extends outward from the front side of the socket joint for cooperating with various assembly components to pivotally mount a mirror head. A second concave portion is disposed around the central connecting post which receives a complementary convex portion of the mirror head housing so that the housing can pivot on the second concave portion around the central connecting post.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle mirror assemblies, and more particularly, to a socket joint for pivotally carrying a mirror head on a support tube that mounts to a vehicle.
2) Description of Related Art
Exterior mirror assemblies for commercial vehicles are relatively large, since, as a rule, several mirror elements and/or mirror heads combined with several mirror elements may be present. For this reason, the mirror heads with one or more mirror elements are often fastened onto a support member, for instance, steel tubing, mounted to the vehicle exterior. The fastening of the mirror heads onto the support tube is typically done by means of clamp fittings with a first and a second clamping part, which in combination, encompass the support tube.
Because clamp connections grip the support tube from both sides, the clamping parts can be bulky to firmly attach and support the mirror head on the support tube. This can cause aerodynamic turbulence around the mirror head and lead to various unwanted results, such as poor fuel economy and vibration of the mirror head. Excessive vibration can create disproportionate wear on the support and mounting components, leading to a premature failure of the mirror assembly.
To attempt to avoid these issues with a clamp type arrangement, an aerodynamically streamlined covering is provided over and incorporated into the clamping components to attempt to avoid unpleasant turbulence at driving air speed and to prevent excessive vibration. These type of clamp connections, however, increase manufacturing costs and assembly complexity. Additional problems arise in attempting to properly align such clamp type connections and position the mirror head assembly on the support tube. Also, the increased number of parts to make the connection to the support tube can undesirably increase the weight of the mirror assembly. Further, the clamp connection does not tend to provide an aesthetically appealing and streamlined arrangement.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connection for mounting a mirror head to a support tube having increased stability, improved aerodynamics, and reduced weight.
Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved connection for mounting a mirror head to a support tube having reduced manufacturing costs and assembly complexity by using fewer parts.

Socket joint with integrated tube anchors


A fingerprint scanning device and an electronic device with a fingerprint scanning function are proposed. The fingerprint scanning device has a contact image sensing module, a signal conversion controller, a module controller and an interface controller. The contact image sensing module captures a fingerprint image. The signal conversion controller converts this analog fingerprint image to a digital signal. The module controller controls the contact image sensing module and the signal conversion module. The interface controller transmits the digital signal to a controller in an electronic device. The contact image sensing module is used to lower the cost and lengthen the lifetime of use of the fingerprint scanning device, and to make the captured fingerprint image clearer. The interface controller is connected to the signal conversion module and the module controller to make the digital signal transmitted by the signal conversion controller more easily accessible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fingerprint scanning device and an electronic device with a fingerprint scanning function and, more particularly, to a fingerprint scanning device combining a highly-compatible data transmission/control interface and a unit of electronic device with a fingerprint scanning function.
2. Description of Related Art
A personal fingerprint is a unique bio-feature different from those of others. When used as a personal secret code, it is extremely secure. Because of the popularity of electronic device and the increase of their storage capacities, the protection for personal data stored therein becomes increasingly important. Using a fingerprint for unlocking electronic device or as a secret code can make management of personal data more efficient.
Electronic device such as a mobile phone, a computer host, and various kinds of computer peripherals can make use of a fingerprint scanning device to capture a user's fingerprint for identity confirmation. After the fingerprint image in the fingerprint scanning device is converted into digital fingerprint information, it is easy to transmit the digital fingerprint information to a controller in the electronic device to exploit fully the effect of fingerprint identification.
The fingerprint scanning device has an image sensing module. The image sensing module can be of a planar or linear shape for capturing an image. The image detection way of the image sensing module can be of capacitance type, temperature type, or electromagnetic type. In the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,585, "Portable telecommunication device including a fingerprint sensor and related methods" issued on Jul. 11, 2000, an array of electric field sensing electrodes is provided. In order to avoid electrostatic interference, an electrostatic protection device must be added to the telecommunication device, hence increasing the cost. Moreover, damage may easily arise due to the generation of static electricity during the production process. Besides, the finger touching the array of electric field sensing electrodes may cause damage. On the other hand, because the time for a finger to stay on the image sensing module is too long, a temperature type image sensing module cannot capture a clear fingerprint image.
In order to capture a planar fingerprint image, a linear type image sensing module needs to be able to sense the speed of the finger moving thereon to acquire segments of fingerprint image, which are further processed to form a complete fingerprint image.
A prior art image sensing module with a motion sensing function such as that disclosed in Taiwan Pat. No. TW544630, "Method and device of using a linear sensor to scan a fingerprint", comprises a linear image device, a roller, a light source, a focusing device and a rotation sensor. A fingerprint moves on the roller. Light of the light source is transmitted to the roller and reflected by the fingerprint to the focusing device, and is focused by the focusing device onto the linear image device. The rotation sensor is used to detect the rotating speed of the roller to acquire the speed of the fingerprint.
In the above prior art image sensing module with a speed detection function, the roller and the rotation sensor are used to determine the speed of the fingerprint, hence resulting in a bulky and complex image sensing module, which is not suitable for installation in miniaturized electronic device.
Moreover, there must be no deviation of the location of the focusing device, so that light can be accurately transmitted to the linear image device. The allowable tolerance is small, thus requiring precision to be too high in the assembly process, hence reducing the product yield.
Besides, the brightness of the light of the light source transmitted to the roller is not uniform enough, thus complicating processing of the fingerprint captured by the prior art image sensing module.
Furthermore, if the number of light sources is increased and these light sources are alternatingly arranged below the roller, the problem of irregular light brightness still exists, and the cost and consumed power of the image sensing module also increase.

Fingerprint scanning device with contact image sensing module


A planing head, cylindrical body for a planing head and a method of manufacture thereof are provided. The planing head includes a cylindrical body having an axis of rotation, an outer surface around the axis of rotation, and opposite first and second end faces. A plurality of blade assemblies is arranged along the outer surface. A plurality of grooves is provided in the outer surface and each groove is configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of blade assemblies. A hydraulic pressure system for supplying a hydraulic pressure to each of the blade assemblies is provided. The hydraulic pressure system includes a plurality of transverse channels for receiving a pressurised hydraulic fluid and a plurality of oblique channels hydraulically linking the plurality of transverse channels. Each transverse channel extends at least partially through the cylindrical body.

Planing machines are used in the lumber industry to plane lumber, giving different pieces of wood specific profiles. Automatic planing machines usually include a feed table, upper and lower planing heads, a linebar, and right and left side planing heads. The feed table is used for the preliminary vertical positioning of the lumber with respect to the upper and lower planing heads. The linebar is usually fixed and is used to laterally guide the lumber along a travelling course in the planing machine. The side planing heads, usually right and left, are used to plane the side surfaces of the lumber. They define a planing width therebetween. An example of an automated planing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,246 (GILBERT).
Conventional planing heads generally include a cylindrical body and a plurality of blade receiving portions around its periphery. Such blade receiving portions generally include a transverse groove for receiving a wedge grip and blade. A wedge grip retains each blade within a groove and can translate radially therewithin. In use, the rotation of the planing head forces the wedge grips outward under the effect of the centrifugal force. In doing so, the wedge grips press against angled surfaces within each groove and the resultant force pushes the wedge grips toward their respective blades to hold them in place. When the planing head is at rest, the gripping effect is lessened and the blades can be removed as desired. The centrifugal effect can be complemented by additional components in or around the groove such as a mounting strip or a spring-loaded bolt (shown respectively in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,193 (KELLNER) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,444 (KELLNER et al.)).
It is also known in the art to apply additional pressure from underneath the blades to complement the centrifugal effect. Channels are provided within the body of the planing head in which grease or oil is inserted and pressurised. Generally, a main channel forming a ring inside the cylindrical body of the planing head receives the grease or oil and distributes it to radial connecting channels under each blade. The grease or oil pressure pushes a piston outward under each wedge grip, thereby reinforcing the force of the wedge grip on the blade.
One drawback of this latter system is that the body of such a conventional planing head is manufactured from two concentric cylindrical pieces in order to form the main channel, which is provided at the junction between the two pieces. This adds complexity to the manufacturing process and involves higher costs than for a planing head body manufactured from a single piece. In addition, and as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a planing head body constructed from two concentric cylindrical pieces will not be as solid as a similarly sized one-piece construction.
There is therefore a need for an improved planing head and method of manufacture thereof which does not require the use of two concentric pieces in order to form the body of the planing head.

Planing head for a planing machine and method of manufacture thereof


An apparatus for detecting average picture level (APL) which is able to prevent non-linear property of APL used to control image and power in a PDP system, to calculate linear APL value, and to calculate gain value automatically, comprises: a pre-processing unit for summing image data of one frame, multiplying the summed value by weight corresponding to a size of pixel, and outputting the data multiplied by the weight; an average calculating unit for summing upper bits of the data outputted from the pre-processing unit and outputting the summed value as an average value; a gain calculating unit for calculating gain for obtaining maximum APL value based on the average value outputted from the average calculating unit; and an APL outputting unit for multiplying the gain obtained from the gain calculating unit by the average value outputted from the average calculating unit, and outputting the multiplied value as a final APL value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP) system (for example, plasma display), and particularly, to an apparatus for detecting average picture level applied to the PDP system.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, in a PDP system, an apparatus for detecting average picture level (APL) is mainly used for realizing a picture of high quality using Human's sight. Especially, Weber-Fechner principle shows that the human sight has higher brightness judgement, but has lower brightness judgement in dark area.
The above APL is a method for realizing gradation display visually at every frames as considering relation of data, which will be displayed on a screen, with neighboring pixels regardless of that the data is dark image data or bright image data, and aims to maintain power consumption constantly at every frames when the image is displayed on the screen. Also, the APL is defined as a numerical value obtained by averaging gradation levels of cells. For example, if black color is displayed on a full screen, then the APL is 0%, and if white highest gradation level (255) is displayed on the full screen, the APL is 100%. The APL of typical images is about 30˜40% in average.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an APL detecting apparatus according to the conventional art.
As shown therein, the APL detecting apparatus according to the conventional art comprises: a red color data summing unit 11 for summing red color data corresponding to red colors among image data of one frame; a green color data summing unit 12 for summing green color data corresponding to green color among the image data; a blue color data summing unit 13 for summing blue color data corresponding to blue color among the image data; a multiplying unit 14 for multiplying summed red color data value by weight corresponding to size of red color pixel; a multiplying unit 15 for multiplying summed green color data value by weight corresponding to size of green color pixel; a multiplying unit 16 for multiplying summed blue color data value by weight corresponding to size of blue color pixel; a summing unit 17 for summing up the red, green and blue data values multiplied by the weight, averaging the summed red, green and blue color data values, and outputting the averaged data values; and an APL outputting unit 18 for outputting an APL value by multiplying the averaged data by a pre-decided gain for making 255 gradation. Herein, the image data of one frame corresponding to an input video signal comprises data corresponding to red, green and blue colors, and pixels of the PDP are controlled by the three colors data to display the image on the screen. In addition, the three-color data have maximum 255 gradation value. Hereinafter, operations of the APL detecting apparatus according to the conventional art will be described as follows.
First, the summing units 11˜13 sum the respective data corresponding to the red, green and blue color pixels among the image data of one frame, and output the summed red, green and blue color data to the multiplying units 14˜16.
The multiplying units 14˜16 multiply the sums of red, green and blue color data of video format (for example, 640×480 resolution) by weights corresponding to the sizes of red, green and blue color pixels in order to reflect affects according to the pixel sizes, and output the multiplied values to the summing unit 17. Herein, since the brightness and power consumption of the red, green and blue color pixels of the PDP are different from each other, the size of respective pixel may be changed in order to compensate the brightness and power consumption of the pixel.
After that, the summing unit 17 sums the red, green and blue color data values multiplied by the weights, averages the summed data values, and outputs the averaged value to the APL outputting unit 18 as an average value.
The APL outputting unit 18 multiplies the average value outputted from the summing unit 17 by gain value, which is set in advance for compensating error generated during calculating binary average value, to make the APL value maximum (100%) in case that the input data is the data representing only white color. Herein, the gain is a value which is set in advance in order to make the average value 255 gradation value.
However, according to the APL detecting apparatus of the conventional art, the average value outputted from the summing unit 17 is changed by characteristics of red, green and blue color pixels, sizes of the pixels and illuminating property of the pixel according to that the input video format (for example, resolution) is changed variously, and thereby the gain value should be controlled according to the change. However, it is difficult to control the gain value which is set in advance. That is, according to the PDP system of the conventional art, a panel having a structure suitable for the video format is fabricated, and sizes and color temperatures of respective red, green and blue color pixels are different from each other. Therefore, in calculating the APL value, the weights multiplied with the red, green and blue color data are different, and accordingly, the average value is also changed. Thus, a lot of gain values suitable for the average values are needed in one video format.
Also, in case that the APL value which is the final value outputs larger changing value than that of the input data, that is, input/output wave forms are non-linear, the screen can be flickered. For example, when error value of 1 bit is generated during the input video signal is converted into pixel-by-pixel digital image data, and flickering of PDP screen is shown remarkably.

Apparatus for detecting average picture level


A semiconductor static random access memory (RAM) array (10) is disclosed. The static RAM array (10) includes a plurality of memory cells (12), where each memory cell (12) is coupled to a write enable switch (34). The write enable switch (34) responsive to a write enable signal (36) is coupled between each memory cell (12) and a voltage source (27) or a voltage ground (29). The write enable switch (34) can disconnect each memory cell (12) from either the voltage source (27) or the voltage ground (29) responsive to the write enable signal.

The memory cells in a semiconductor static random access memory (RAM) array typically require 6 transistors (6T). Four of these transistors are coupled as a cross-coupled latch and provide storage of a logical "1" or "0." The two additional transistors are used as pass transistors, to couple the memory cell to complementary bit lines. To write a bit to a memory cell location, a word line for the cell is selected, which turns on the pass transistors. The complementary bit lines are then charged to opposite states by a writer-driver circuit, causing the memory cell to store the selected bit. The bit stored in the memory cell may be read by a sense amplifier that measures the difference in voltage between the two bit lines. Reversing the voltages on the bit lines forces the transistors to change states and store the alternate bit. Although it is understood that such semiconductor static RAM arrays may be used with any kind of transistor, metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors will be used herein for exemplary purposes.
Five transistor (5T) MOS static RAM cells have been previously developed that use a single bit line instead of a pair of complementary bit lines and thus only require a single pass transistor. It is more difficult to write a logic 1 to a 5T MOS static RAM cell that is storing a logic 0 as compared to a 6T MOS static RAM cell that is storing a logic 0, because the process of writing a logic 1 to the 5T cell includes applying a logical high voltage to a node that is initially nearly at ground voltage. Thus, it is difficult to raise this node voltage high enough to cause the non-conducting transistors in the cell to change state so that the logical 1 may be written to the cell.
Several methods have been recommended to overcome this problem with 5T MOS static RAM cells, but these methods involve the use of alternate voltage levels for bit lines and word lines that are difficult to implement in practice. These methods are also difficult to implement in a low voltage and low power application, and are impractical for an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design.


Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for alleviating time division multiplexing interference between multiple access nodes. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying interference between a first and a second wireless access node at a wireless communication device, wherein the first and second wireless access nodes exchange wireless communications using a time division multiplexing wireless protocol on a first carrier frequency. The method further provides determining an uplink/downlink configuration for the time division multiplexing wireless protocol of the first and second wireless access nodes that does not cause the interference. The method also provides exchanging the wireless communications at the first and second wireless access nodes using the uplink/downlink configuration.

Time division multiplexing (TDM) wireless protocols, such as Time-Division Duplex Long Term Evolution (TDD-LTE), designate timeslots for uplink and downlink communications. During an uplink timeslot, wireless devices are able to transfer communications to an access node. During a downlink timeslot, wireless devices are able to receive communications from an access node. These timeslot oriented properties of TDM communications allow both uplink and downlink communications to be transferred on a single carrier frequency.
When access nodes are located within proximity such that the wireless signals from the access nodes or their respective connected wireless devices overlap, the configuration of timeslots (i.e. uplink or downlink) should be coordinated to avoid interference between uplink communications to one access node and downlink communications from another. For access nodes in locations where a network administrator is aware of possible interference issues, the network administrator can coordinate the timeslot configuration between those access nodes to avoid interference. However, if the locations of access nodes are not anticipated to cause interference, their respective configurations may not coordinate and, therefore, cause interference.

Alleviation of time division multiplexing interference between multiple access nodes


A method for assembling a multiwell plate assembly, and a multiwell plate assembly prepared thereby, are provided. The method includes providing a lid for a multiwell plate body having at least one channel being formed therethrough; positioning the lid in proximity to a gasket member; applying sufficient negative pressure to the channel to draw the gasket member towards the lid; positioning the lid above a multiwell plate body, while continuing to apply negative pressure to the channel; emplacing the lid on the multiwell plate body; and, releasing the negative pressure from the channel. Advantageously, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, various gasket members can be used in conjunction with the subject method, without altering the method. In this manner, gaskets can be selected based on their suitability for use with various biological and/or chemical samples which may be used in the bioassays.

Multiwell plate assemblies are known in the prior art which are commonly used for bioassays. Each multiwell plate assembly includes a multiwell plate body having an array of wells formed therein, typically having 96, 384, or 1,536 wells. Because of the commonplace use of multiwell plate bodies, standard dimensions of the plates have been developed to facilitate use with pick-and-place machines. Each well is cup-shaped and accommodates various chemical and/or biological fluids and matters in conducting parallel bioassays, such as with parallel drug screening.
In certain instances, it is desired to minimize, if not prevent, contamination of the bioassays from external sources, as well as, intermixing of the fluids/matters of the various wells. To this end, various techniques have been developed to seal the wells, including providing an emplaceable lid atop the multiwell plate body, and/or adhering a thin film across the open ends of the wells. These prior art techniques, however, suffer from several drawbacks, including having an excessively-loose seal provided by the emplaceable lid, and/or requiring adhesion of a film.


An accommodative intraocular lens capable of effectively exerting a focus adjustment function includes an optical portion and a plurality of support portions arranged around the optical portion. The support portion includes an anterior support portion and a posterior support portion, and the anterior support portion presses an anterior capsule and the posterior support portion presses a posterior capsule by the elastic force of the support portion. When the lens capsule is in a distance vision state or in a near vision state, as the pressing force of the anterior capsule against the anterior support portion increases or decreases, the anterior support portion deflects backward or returns forward while maintaining the radial position of the base end portion, so that the tip end portion of the anterior support portion moves backward or forward greatly while maintaining the radial position, and the optical portion moves backward or forward accordingly.

Usually, focus adjustment of a human eye is performed by varying the thickness of the lens.
As shown in FIG. 11, a lens L is a transparent lens having a convex shape with a diameter of about 9 mm to about 11 mm and a thickness of about 4 mm to about 5 mm. The lens L is fixed to the ciliary body C via the Zinn's zonule Z in a state of being wrapped with a transparent lens capsule S behind the iris I, and adjusts the focus mainly by changing the curvature of the front surface of the lens L in accordance with the movement of the ciliary body C at the time of the focus adjustment.
The specific adjustment mechanism will be explained. For example, when looking at the distance, as shown in (b) of FIG. 11, the ciliary muscle Cm of the ciliary body C is relaxed, and the ciliary body C is in a position in which it is retracted in a direction away from the lens capsule S. In this condition, relatively strong tension is generated in the Zinn's zonule Z positioned between the ciliary body C and the lens capsule equatorial portion Se. With this, the lens capsule equatorial portion Se is pulled radially outward. Accordingly, the curvature of the front surface of the lens L in the lens capsule S is reduced to perform the focus adjustment at the time of distance vision
On the other hand, when accommodative efforts are made to see nearby objects, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, the ciliary muscle Cm of the ciliary body C contracts, and the ciliary body C protrudes centripetally (in the direction toward the lens capsule equatorial portion Se), so that the ciliary body C is positioned in the direction close to the lens capsule S. As a result, the tension of the Zinn's zonule Z is weakened, so that the curvature of the front surface of the lens L is increased due to the elasticity inherent in the lens L to perform the focus adjustment at the time of near vision.
As the ciliary muscle Cm of the ciliary body C contracts and relaxes as described above, focus adjustment is performed mainly by changing the curvature of the anterior surface of the lens L to refract the light entering the eye. Note that in this adjustment mechanism, it has been found that the contractile function and relaxant function of the ciliary body C by the ciliary muscle Cm are relatively well maintained even with advancing age. However, on the other hand, it has been found that the cortex and nucleus, which are contents of the lens L, harden and lose flexibility when advancing age, and the curvature of the anterior surface of the lens L becomes difficult to change, thereby losing the ability to adjust the focal point voluntarily from the distance vision to the near vision (this is called "presbyopia").
Incidentally, diseases occurring in the lens L include a disease called a cataract which becomes cloudy mainly due to aging, and many patients undergo cataract surgery for treating the cataract. In this operation, a circular hole is usually incised in an anterior capsule Sf. Then, the contents of the cloudy lens L are extracted therefrom by phacoemulsification and the intraocular lens is inserted into the lens capsule S while leaving only the transparent lens capsule S in an incised state. Cataract surgery by this method is currently administered to more than 1 million patients per year in Japan and more than 3 million patients per year in the United States. Various intraocular lenses have been proposed as intraocular lenses used in this surgery.
For example, the intraocular lens described in Patent Document 1 is called a so-called accommodative intraocular lens. The intraocular lens is composed of an optical portion (optical lens 42) and a support portion (optical lens positioning component 46). The support portion is provided with a front portion, a rear portion, and a curved portion connecting the front portion and the rear portion. The optical portion and the front portion of the support portion are connected via haptic arms. With this configuration, the support portion deflects in accordance with the movement of the lens capsule at the time of distance vision and near vision, so that the optical portion is configured to move in the anterior-posterior direction (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 of Patent Document 1).


The present invention provides a lamp for a vehicle, including: a light source assembly in which a plurality of light sources, which produces a blue beam, is provided; and an upper substrate which is made of a transparent material that transmits light, is provided to cover upper portions of the light sources, and has one side surface on which a phosphor film is formed, and as a result, a dark zone on a beam pattern, which occurs due to a distance between the light sources in the lamp in which the plurality of light sources is mounted, may be eliminated.

In general, a lamp is a device that generates light by being supplied with electric power from a battery or the like, and a lamp for a vehicle, which is installed in a vehicle, emits light forward so as to secure a visual field in front of a driver.
Typically, as a light source of the lamp for a vehicle, a halogen lamp or a gas discharge lamp has been mainly used. However, recently, a light emitting diode (LED), which has less electric power consumption and excellent brightness, is widely used as a light source.
Recently, as a method of implementing a glare free high beam, an optical system, which adopts a multi-array LED and an aspherical lens, has been developed.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a multi-array LED optical system in the related art, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a lower substrate of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the multi-array LED optical system in the related art includes a lower substrate on which a plurality of LEDs is mounted, and an aspherical lens which transmits light emitted from the LEDs forward.
In a case in which the plurality of LEDs is provided on the lower substrate in the multi-array LED optical system, a plurality of LED chips needs to be electrically insulated, and thus a gap g between the LED chips is necessarily needed, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Since the gap g is formed between the LED chips, the gap g between the LED chips is shown as a dark zone in a road surface image of a real lamp. Accordingly, there are problems in that marketability of the lamp deteriorates, and the lamp causes eye fatigue to a driver.


A method includes a second system that determines a type of a first management Internet Protocol (IP) address, and sends, to a first system, first information used to indicate the type of the first management IP address; the first system determines the first management IP address based on the type of the first management IP address indicated by the first information, and releases a first correspondence between system identification information and the first management IP address to an advertisement system; the advertisement system sends the first correspondence to a network management system; and the network management system manages the first system based on the first correspondence.

With the development of communications technologies, more systems such as network element devices and servers are deployed in a communications network. A network management system operates, administrates, and maintains a large quantity of network element devices and servers based on management IP addresses, including operating, administrating, and maintaining deployment, access and online procedures, and configuration and management of these systems. With the wide use of IP version 6 (IPv6), the IPv6 technology is also used by a management communications network of the systems. With the development of the Internet of Things and wireless enterprise service terminals, there are more systems in enterprise intranets and various types of IP addresses. However, configuration of management IP addresses of the systems increases network operation and maintenance costs.

Method related to sending management IP address and system


A telecommunications system includes a network; one or more user devices operably coupled to the network; one or more servers operably coupled to the network, the servers defining document storage locations; and a document management service including: a document address database configured to identify geographical locations associated with the document storage locations; a map display manager configured to cause a display to display a map of geographical locations associated with the document storage locations; and a geography manager configured to allow access to documents at locations defined by the document address database and displayed by the map display manager in association with a particular geographical location.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to presenting user information. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for presenting user information and document management.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information and document management within business enterprises and to and from their clients or customers is increasingly based upon World Wide Web browser-type access. Typically, files are accessible as or via Web pages, which are hierarchically based and have a tree-structure. Access to the page is based upon a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which defines the levels or branches of the tree-structure or hierarchy. As can be appreciated, URLs can become quite complex. Thus, navigation to known pages is often based upon a "hyperlink," in which the full complexity of the underlying URL may be hidden.
Even so, often the structure of the tree is unknown, or has changed and so the link is "broken" or invalid. In this case, it can be difficult for the unfamiliar user to navigate to the appropriate page or document location. In particular, it can require extensive searching for the user to find the appropriate information location. While another user can send the complete link to the person, this, too, can be difficult, and further requires the user himself to know the location.

Method and apparatus for information and document management


Method of on-press developing a thermosensitive lithographic printing member with ink and/or fountain solution is described. The printing member comprises on a substrate a thermosensitive layer soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution and capable of hardening upon exposure to an infrared radiation. The printing member can be a pre-coated plate or can be prepared on press by coating a thermosensitive layer onto a substrate that is a sheet material or a seamless sleeve mounted on a plate cylinder or is the surface of a plate cylinder of the lithographic press.

Lithographic printing plates (after process) generally consist of ink-receptive areas (image areas) and ink-repelling areas (non-image areas). During printing operation, an ink is preferentially received in the image areas, not in the non-image areas, and then transferred to the surface of a material upon which the image is to be produced. Commonly the ink is transferred to an intermediate material called printing blanket, which in turn transfers the ink to the surface of the material upon which the image is to be produced.
Lithographic printing can be further divided into two general types: wet lithographic printing (conventional lithographic printing) and waterless lithographic printing. In wet lithographic printing plates, the ink-receptive areas consist of oleophilic materials and the ink-repelling areas consist of hydrophilic materials; fountain solution (consisting of primarily water) is required to continuously dampen the hydrophilic materials during printing operation to make the non-image areas oleophobic (ink-repelling). In waterless lithographic printing plates, the ink-receptive areas consist of oleophilic materials and the ink-repelling areas consist of oleophobic materials; no dampening with fountain solution is required.
At the present time, lithographic printing plates (processed) are generally prepared from lithographic printing plate precursors (also commonly called lithographic printing plates) comprising a substrate and a photosensitive coating deposited on the substrate, the substrate and the photosensitive coating having opposite surface properties (such as hydrophilic vs. oleophilic, and oleophobic vs. oleophilic). The photosensitive coating is usually a photosensitive material, which solubilizes or hardens upon exposure to an actinic radiation, optionally with further post-exposure overall treatment. Here, hardening means becoming insoluble in a certain developer. In positive-working systems, the exposed areas become more soluble and can be developed to reveal the underneath substrate. In negative-working systems, the exposed areas become hardened and the non-exposed areas can be developed to reveal the underneath substrate. The exposed plate is usually developed with a liquid developer to bare the substrate in the non-hardened areas.
On-press developable lithographic printing plates have been disclosed in the literature. Such plates can be directly mounted on press after exposure to develop with ink and/or fountain solution during the initial press operation and then to print out regular printed sheets. No separate development process before mounting on press is needed. Among the patents describing on-press developable lithographic printing plates are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,258,263, 5,516,620, 5,561,029, 5,616,449, 5,677,110, 5,811,220, 6,014,929, 6,071,675, and 6,242,156.
Conventionally, the plate is exposed with an actinic light (usually an ultraviolet light from a lamp) through a separate photomask film having predetermined image pattern that is placed between the light source and the plate. While capable of providing plate with superior lithographic quality, such a method is cumbersome and labor intensive.
Laser sources have been increasingly used to imagewise expose a printing plate that is sensitized to a corresponding laser wavelength. This allows the elimination of the photomask film, reducing material, equipment and labor cost.
Among the laser imagable plates, infrared laser sensitive plates are the most attractive because they can be handled and processed under white light. Infrared laser sensitive plates are also called thermosensitive plates or thermal plates because the infrared laser is usually converted to heat to cause a certain chemical or physical change (such as hardening, solubilization, ablation, phase change, or thermal flow) needed for plate making (although in some systems certain electron or energy transfers from the infrared dye to the initiator may also take place).
Various thermosensitive plates have been disclosed in the patent literature. Examples of thermosensitive plates are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,054,094 and 5,379,698 (laser ablation plates), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,705,309, 5,674,658, 5,677,106, 6,153,356, 6,232,038, and 4,997,745 (negative thermosensitive plates), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,046 and 6,117,610 (both positive and negative thermosensitive plates, depending on the process), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,919,600 and 5,955,238 (thermosensitive positive waterless plate).
Despite the progress in conventional on-press developable plates and digital laser imagable plates, there is a desire for a lithographic printing plate or printing member which can be imaged by infrared laser, does not produce ablation debris, and does not require a separate liquid development process. More specifically, there is a desire for a thermosensitive lithographic printing plate or printing member that is on-press developable with ink and/or fountain solution.

On-press development of thermosensitive lithographic printing member


A container packer system includes a transfer base, which receives a container packer adapted for movement longitudinally between retracted and extended positions with respect to the transfer base. The transfer base includes a power subsystem with a motor or engine driving an hydraulic pump for powering hydraulic piston-and-cylinder units of the system, including a container packer piston-and-cylinder unit for hydraulically extending and retracting the container packer. The container packer generally encloses an interior adapted for receiving bulk material for transfer to a transport container, which can comprise a standard shipping container, a trailer or some other bulk material receptacle. The container packer includes a push blade assembly longitudinally movably mounted in its interior and actuated by a push blade piston-and-cylinder unit. A container packer method includes the steps of loading the interior of the container packer with bulk material in its retracted position on the transfer base, locating a transport container in alignment and behind the transfer base, hydraulically inserting part of the container packer into the transport container, hydraulically emptying the container packer of bulk material into the transport container with the push blade assembly, retracting the push blade assembly within the container packer and extracting the container packer onto the transfer base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to handling waste and other bulk materials, and in particular to a system and method for packing a container with bulk material for transport.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bulk materials of various types require transportation, e.g. from their sources to destinations for disposal or processing. Waste handling and other bulk material operations use a variety of transportation modes, including over-the-road trucks and marine vessels. Presently a large percentage of cargo is transported in standardized shipping containers, which are generally approximately 10′.times.10′.times.20′ (width.times.height.times.length). Facilities are available for handling such containers, including loading and unloading to and from trailers, railcars and marine vessels. A bulk material operation would preferably utilize such standard containers and load or pack them as efficiently as possible in order to minimize the costs associated with procuring and transporting the containers and conveyance vehicles. Certain materials, such as scrap and refuse, are susceptible to compression packing in order to minimize space requirements and thereby increase efficiency.
The field of waste handling is a significant commercial activity, encompassing scrap disposal refuse hauling, materials recycling and demolition debris removal. Hazardous waste handling involves extra precautions and regulations. Improving bulk material handling and transporting equipment and procedures can significantly improve the efficiency, safety and effectiveness of waste handling operations. For example, common prior art waste handling methods involved loading large trash containers, bins and other receptacles using loaders, cranes and similar equipment.
Heretofore there has not been available a bulk material handling system or method with the advantages and features of the present invention, including a container packer for receiving the material and transferring it to a container or other vessel for transport.


A driving control method for a hybrid vehicle has state of charge (SOC) ranges including a high SOC range, an intermediate SOC range and a low SOC range, and a plurality of power distribution strategies corresponding to the respective SOC ranges. The driving control method controls the hybrid vehicle using a power distribution strategy corresponding to an SOC range to which a current SOC of the hybrid vehicle belongs. When a speed of the hybrid vehicle is high or low and is outside a predetermined range, boundary values of the intermediate SOC range and the low SOC range among the SOC ranges are increased.

In parallel type hybrid vehicles, an engine clutch is disposed between an engine and a drive motor. It is thus easy to transfer the power from the engine to wheels. Particularly, when the parallel type hybrid vehicle decelerates, it enters a regenerative braking mode in such a way that the engine stops, and the engine clutch is released to directly absorb the braking energy of the motor.
The term state of charge (SOC) refers to a state of charge of a high-voltage battery, in other words, the amount of charge of the battery. The high-voltage battery functions as a damper to charge or discharge the motor so that the engine can operate at its optimum efficiency.
However, if the engine excessively, frequently alternates between start and stop, the fuel efficiency thereof is reduced, and the load applied to the entire system is increased. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately control the hybrid system by sufficiently reflecting a driver's intention, whereby the start and stop of the engine can be efficiently and reliably conducted.
Recently, due to the increase in the fuel efficiency of vehicles and the discharge regulations, a demand for environmentally-friendly vehicles has been increasing. Hybrid vehicles are in the spotlight being touted as a realistic solution to those needs.
The above described hybrid vehicles use, as power sources, internal combustion engines and also the motors which use electrical energy. Therefore, control of the SOC of batteries which are storage devices for the electrical energy is significant and important.
Therefore, manufacturers are striving to develop hybrid vehicles which use the optimum driving control strategy to enhance the fuel efficiency in consideration of the SOC. A representative conventional driving control strategy was proposed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0024413 A.
Referring to the prior art, the SOC of the battery is sectioned into a plurality of ranges, and a separate power distribution strategy is used in each SOC range. That is, the amount of torque generated from an engine and the amount of torque generated from a motor can be determined based on the power distribution strategy, such as a separate driving map corresponding to each range. It is determined that the current SOC belongs to each SOC range, and driving of the vehicle is controlled under the power distribution strategy corresponding to the determined SOC range.
With regard to the power distribution strategy, in a comparatively low SOC range, the torque generated from the motor is reduced so that the SOC is prevented from being further reduced. The power generated from the engine is used to drive the vehicle and charge the battery, thus increasing the SOC. Furthermore, when the SOC is low, an idle charge is conducted using the engine power. If the SOC is very low, the battery is disconnected from electronic components. In a high SOC range, the SOC is reduced so that the proportion of the torque generated from the motor is increased, thus restraining the use of the engine as much as possible, whereby the fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be enhanced.
Recently, because of rapid improvement of information technology (IT) installed in vehicles, a vehicle can easily obtain various information about a road on which the vehicle is being driven. If this information is reflected in driving strategy for the vehicle, the driving strategy can be improved so that the fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be further enhanced.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.

Driving control method for hybrid vehicle


A composition for application to a concrete asphalt substrate, such as highways, landing strips of airfields and the like, which forms an uppermost protective layer. The composition penetrates to a certain small depth of the existing substrate. The result is an improved resistance to mechanical stress and to surface abrasion as well as against deterioration as a result of solar radiation. Water penetration is greatly reduced and friction is not reduced.. Main components of the composition are an acryl type or styrene type monomer, bitumen and a mineral particulate filler, and a UV protective agent. Certain compositions can contain additional components as well.

Asphalt concrete compositions, especially those used under considerable mechanical and environmental stress, do not fulfill quality requirements and require extensive repairs and also periodical replacement. Research in this field concentrates on the optimization of the compositions used, in an endeavour to attain adequate protection against oxidation and mechanical deterioration. Hitherto a wide variety of additives has been proposed but still no satisfactory compositions have come into use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,538, Halper, there are described polymer concrete compositions which are used for forming solid bodies. The moldable compositions of Halper comprise a thermosetting resin and a rubber component. The cross-linking resins used are of importance in the production of rigid solid bodies, and are not desired in compositions which ought to be essentially flexible and resilient. The curable compositions of Halper differ in cardinal features from those of the present invention which is by no means suited for forming rigid solid bodies.


The present invention relates to a fuel injector for delivery of fuel to an internal combustion engine comprising an injector body and a fuel discharge opening having a valve seat extending thereabout. A valve element is normally seated on the valve seat to close the fuel discharge opening and is operable to move inwardly off of the valve seat to open the fuel discharge opening allowing fuel to pass through. An annular valve guide is seated upstream of the valve seat in spaced relationship thereto and extends about the valve element to guide it as the valve element moves relative to the valve seat. The valve guide has fuel passages to pass fuel. An annular filter shelf located in the injector body, extends circumferentially about the valve seat intermediate of the valve guide and the valve seat. A filter is disposed intermediate of the valve guide and the valve seat and has a base configured to seat upon the annular filter shelf, an upper end configured to contact the valve guide, and a frustoconical wall extending between the base and the upper end. The wall has filtration openings to filter particulates from fuel passing through so as to prevent them from flowing to the valve seat. A base perimetrical fluid seal is established between the annular filter shelf and the base of the filter, and an upper end perimetrical fluid seal is established between the valve guide and the upper end of the filter where the seals operate to prevent fuel flow around the filter.

In fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, it is important to minimize contaminants introduced to the fuel injector. Contaminants may interfere with the fuel injector valve if they adhere to the valve seat and prevent the valve from completely seating. One source of contaminants may be the fuel which may be filtered with an external filter upstream of the fuel injector inlet. Contaminants may also originate within the fuel injector during the manufacturing process and such contamination is not affected by an external upstream filter.