In a multi-user server-client environment, a printer can be attached to a client computer. The server selects a corresponding printer driver to install on the server in order to allow applications executing on the server to print to the printer attached to the remote client computer. The selection process allows the server to intelligently identify closely matching printer drivers in the event that a particular printer driver that the server is notified of is not available for installation.

In a typical server-client system, a server computer is connected to several client computers or terminals via a network. In such a system, applications are executed at the server rather than at the client. The server transmits display information to the client for display at the client, and user inputs (e.g., via keyboard or mouse) at the client are transmitted to the server for processing by an application(s) executing at the server. The "client" may be an entire client computer, or alternatively an application executing at the client computer.
A server in such a system typically has an operating system that can run several client sessions concurrently. Each client user has access to various resources of the server, including the processor, data storage, application programs, etc. Software applications that are resident on the server are available to each client for independent execution by the client. Each session is independent from the other sessions and, therefore, one client cannot access information relating to another client. In this manner, the server provides a logically independent machine for each client connected to the server.
Client users frequently use peripheral devices physically attached to the client machines. For example, a user may wish to attach a printer to the user's client computer (a "local" printer) in order to print data generated by an application that is running on the server computer. To do this, currently the user must manually install the local printer and redirect the printer queue created by the server to the I/O port of the client computer to which the printer is connected. Such manual installation of peripheral devices is undesirable because it requires significant time and effort on the part of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,111 entitled "Automatic Detection And Installation Of Client Peripheral Devices By A Server", describes a system which resolves many of these manual installation problems by automatically detecting such devices and installing and corresponding device drivers at the server.
However, one problem that can be encountered with either manual identification or automatic detection of peripheral devices is the identification of the proper driver to be installed. In order to properly install a peripheral device, the correct driver needs to be installed at the server. Typically, the client notifies the server of the correct driver to use for a particular device. However, situations can arise where the driver that the client indicates should be used for a particular peripheral device is not available at the server, thereby preventing installation of that particular device.
The invention described below addresses these disadvantages, providing for printer driver identification for a remote printer.

Printer driver identification for a remote printer


A welding torch comprises a handle having, at the back, a cable adaptor being formed by a ball joint which is integral with a cable support wherein a feeder is inserted. Better handleability is achieved.

The invention relates to the field of welding, particularly the use of welding torches. In welding torches the feeder is connected to the handle at the back of the torch. This cable, provided with the appropriate covering, generally of rubber or the like, has a diameter of a few centimeters and, as a consequence, it is quite heavy and little flexible. The inherent stiffness of the cable which, moreover, is quite heavy, makes it difficult and uncomfortable to manipulate the torch, especially when the position is which welding has to be performed compels to place the torch with a certain inclination.
Therefore, in the field there is the need to have means allowing to obviate this drawback by facilitating the manipulation of the torch.

Welding torch with a ball joint cable adaptor


A two-part starter mechanism for a powder aerosol generator fire suppression system is provided. Generally, the starter mechanism includes a pyrotechnic igniter assembly and a removable mechanical trigger coupled thereto. The igniter assembly is integrally formed with and/or embedded within the powder aerosol generator and operable, upon activation by the mechanical trigger, initiates a chemical reaction leading to the discharge of the powder aerosol fire suppressant. By being detachable, the mechanical trigger may be transported and stored separate from the pyrotechnic igniter thereby improving the overall safety of the fire suppression system.

The invention disclosed here relates, in general, to the field of fire suppression systems, and more specifically to the starter mechanism that is required to ignite a fire suppression oxidizer contained within the housing of a fire suppression device. In another aspect, the invention also relates to a means for connecting and disconnecting a separate inert firing pin to the starter assembly prior to the use of the fire suppression device.

Fire suppression system including an integral time delay and output starter with attach and detach firing pin assembly


A compound which consists of a proactive alkylating moiety containing an electron-withdrawing group, a bioreductive moiety containing at least two double bonds, and a linker joining the proactive alkylating moiety and the bioreductive moiety.

Based on the statistics provided by the American Cancer Society, approximately four million people have died from cancer since 1990, and cancer, after heart disease, is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Treatments of cancer usually include chemotherapy, radiation, hormones, immunotherapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy remains a preferred treatment, especially in cancer types that are in inoperable or metastatic forms.
Many cytotoxic agents, including antimetabolites, antibiotics, alkylating agents, and mitotic inhibitors, are now available in chemotherapy. These agents usually destroy both normal and tumor cells. It is desirable to develop an antitumor agent that preferentially destroys tumor cells over normal cells.
Due to their pathological conditions, tumor cells differ from normal cells in that their surrounding blood vessels are poorly organized, resulting in inefficient delivery of oxygen to the tumor site. In other words, tumor cells are hypoxic (oxygen deficient). This unique physiology opens the door to the design of cytotoxic agents that are specific for tumor cells.


The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for extracting representative still images from Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) video. The apparatus includes a video curve generation unit for calculating the distances between the adjacent frames of all intra frames of input video and generating a video curve that is a cumulative curve of the distances; a video curve division unit for dividing the video curve into a certain number of segments; a still image selection unit for selecting video images corresponding to certain points of the divided video curve as representative still images; and a video output unit for outputting the still images selected by the still image generation unit. Accordingly, the present invention can summarize the video and provide representative still images to a user at high speed.

With recently developed digital technology, multimedia data, such as high-quality video or music, can be generated more easily and quickly than before. Generally, such multimedia data is characterized in that required storage capacity is considerably large and playing time is considerably long. Accordingly, in order to efficiently store, search and read such multimedia data, various technologies have been required, and related research and efforts have been conducted. As a result, the size of such multimedia data can be considerably reduced through international compression standards, such as Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 1, MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 standards, and research into MPEG 7, which allows multimedia data to be efficiently read and searched, is being conducted.
In particular, a technology, which allows video having long playing time to be read at high speed, is referred to as a "video abstract." A video abstract formed of still images is referred to as a "video summary," and a video abstract including video and related audio information is referred to as "video skimming."
Since the video summary uses only still images, the video summary is characterized in that it can be generated faster than the video skimming. On the other hand, the video skimming is characterized in that it can provide more natural screens to a user using audio and textural information.
The video summary is a set of representative still images that represents the contents of video desirably, and the methods thereof are classified according to how to select the representative still images.
A method of extracting the representative still images at regular periods is disadvantageous in that some of the representative still images may be missed because the representative still images are not distributed at regular intervals.
A method of extracting one still image for each shot of video is disadvantageous in that the number of representative still images and temporal distribution are determined by the number of shots and the temporal distribution. That is, an excessively large number of still images or a very small number of still images may be selected according to the number of shots.
Such conventional methods of extracting various feature values from video and nonlinearly extracting representative still images from a feature space are characterized in that calculating time is long or irregular calculating speed according to the variation in the contents of the video.
The conventional methods as described above have problem in that processing time is too long to provide a video summary to a user at high speed, or in that it is difficult to predict the processing time of the video summary.

Apparatus and method for extracting representative still images from MPEG video


A VLIW instruction format is introduced having a set of control bits which identify subinstruction sharing conditions. At compilation the VLIW instruction is analyzed to identify subinstruction sharing opportunities. Such opportunities are encoded in the control bits of the instruction. Before the instruction is moved into the instruction cache, the instruction is compressed into the new format to delete select redundant occurrences of a subinstruction. Specifically, where a subinstruction is to be shared by corresponding functional processing units of respective clusters, the subinstruction need only appear in the instruction once. The redundant appearance is deleted. The control bits are decoded at instruction parsing time to route a shared subinstruction to the associated functional processing units.

This invention relates to very long instruction word (VLIW) computing architectures, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for reducing storage requirements of VLIW instructions.
Multimedia computing applications such as image processing are more efficiently implemented using parallel structures for handling multiple streams of data. VLIW processors, such as the TMS320C6x manufactured by Texas Instruments of Dallas Tex. and the MAP1000 manufactured by Hitachi Ltd. of Tokyo Japan and Equator Technologies of Campbell Calif., support a large degree of parallelism of both data streams and instruction streams to implement parallel or pipelined execution of program instructions.
A VLIW processor includes one or more of multiple homogeneous processing blocks referred to as clusters. Each cluster includes a common number of functional processing units. A VLIW instruction includes multiple subinstruction fields. The size of the VLIW instruction grows linearly with the number of parallel operations being defined concurrently in the subinstruction fields. The subinstructions present in an instruction are distributed among functional processing units for parallel execution.
Conventional VLIW processors typically execute fewer than ten operations per instruction. The number of concurrent executions is likely to increase substantially in future media processors with instructions likely to be 256 or 512 bits wide. As the size of the instruction increases, however, a correspondingly increased burden on the data flow and memory structures occurs. To provide enough instruction fetch bandwidth, the VLIW instructions typically are fetched first from external memory and stored in an on-chip instruction cache before being executed. Thrashing of the cache (i.e., cyclic misses), for example, during a tight processing loop is very undesirable resulting in degraded performance. Accordingly, it is increasingly desirable to manage the instruction cache effectively to sustain a desired high processing throughput.
At the same time, the need for a larger instruction cache increases as the clock frequency of the processor increases, as wider VLIW architectures are adapted, and as more complex algorithms are developed. Accordingly, there is a need for methods of efficiently handling and caching VLIW instructions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for compressing VLIW instruction and sharing subinstructions


The invention is directed to a fluid friction coupling which includes a drive shaft made of steel and a drive disc made of an aluminum alloy. A coupling housing defines a work space in which the drive disc is disposed. The drive disc includes a hub defining an internal thread and the drive shaft has an end lug defining an outer thread. The drive shaft and hub are threadably engaged and tightened with respect to each other so as to cause the threads to conjointly define a thread joint which is plastically deformed to provide a permanent joint between the drive disc and the drive shaft.

European patent publication 0,269,835 discloses a fluid friction coupling wherein the hub of the drive disc is made of aluminum and the flanged shaft is made of steel. A cut-tooth system is provided between the hub with the flanged shaft having an inner serration and the hub of the drive disc having an outer serration. The serrations are produced by metal cutting during the assembly. This shaft-hub connection is technically quite adequate but the production of the cut-tooth system is relatively complex and the reproducible accuracy is difficult to control.


A fluid storage container enables the easy removal of recovered fluid and reuse of the container without incurring the added costs of disassembly and replacing an absorbent material. In one exemplary embodiment, an ink cartridge 17 can have an ink storage unit 45 that stores waste ink, an ink inlet/outlet 55 disposed in a frame part 52 that can be the outside wall of the ink storage unit 45, an ink path 53 of which one end 53a communicates with the ink inlet/outlet 55 and the other end 53b is disposed opening into the ink storage unit, wall parts 54 that divide the ink storage unit 45 into an upper air chamber 61 and a lower fluid chamber 62 that communicate with each other through a communication path 58, and an outside air channel 87, of which one end 87a communicates with the air chamber 61 and the other end 87b enables communication with the outside at a position further from the air chamber 61 than the fluid chamber 62. Other embodiments of fluid storage containers are also disclosed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fluid storage container from which the stored fluid can be removed.
2. Description of Related Art
A printing device that prints using liquid ink is one example of a device that handles a fluid. An example of such a printing device is an inkjet printer that prints by supplying ink from a removable ink cartridge to a recording head, and then discharging ink droplets onto paper by means of the recording head.
One type of ink cartridge that may be used in such printing devices has a discharge ink recovery cartridge that holds an ink absorbing body such as a sponge and recovers discharged ink through an ink recovery path into the discharge ink recovery cartridge. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-S59-204569. A printer that enables replacing a waste ink absorber that absorbs waste ink is taught by Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-H11-70672. When all of the printing ink has been used and the ink cartridge is empty, the ink absorbing member still contains the absorbed ink, and thus, the ink absorbing member is dirty. Accordingly, even if the ink cartridge is refilled with ink, the recovered waste fluid (waste ink) is still in the cartridge and the ink cartridge cannot be used.
Therefore, once an ink cartridge has been used, it must either be thrown away or recycled by disassembling the ink cartridge, replacing the ink absorbing member with a new one, and refilling the cartridge with ink. This makes recycling more expensive than when the cartridge is simply reused, and further, has an undesirable impact on the environment.


The present invention relates to a method for overcoming tooth butt conditions (ZaZ) when engaging gears in transmissions. A sensitive adjustment of the clutch to apply torque for rotating the drive shaft of the transmission in order to overcome tooth butt conditions has certain limits because of the proportion of the power required and desired for making said sensitive adjustment. This may cause unpleasant jerking of the vehicle or a clearly audible locking noise of the involved positively connected elements and undesired mechanical stress to said elements.

Transmissions with several gears have at least one drive shaft, which in the case of a motor vehicle is usually driven by an internal combustion engine connected to the transmission drive shaft via a shiftable clutch often configured as a dry friction clutch. The transmission output shaft is for example connected via a differential gear to the drivable wheels of the vehicle. As internal combustion engines can only be operated within a relatively low speed range, the transmission is used for adjusting the speed of the drive shaft at a given speed of the vehicle and/or at a given speed of the output shaft such that the internal combustion engine may work at the most favorable operating level.
Besides certain special forms, like e.g. continuously variable transmissions, a customary transmission for passenger cars has at least two, but mostly 4 to 7 fixed transmission ratios or gears, apart from the drive shaft and output shaft, a reverse gear with reversal of rotation direction being nearly always provided. Transmissions with even considerably more gears are used in freight vehicles.
The individual gears are either shifted when certain gear pairs (or also equivalent transmission means like belt sprockets) are shifted into the flow of torque, while other gear pairs do not actively rotate with the transmission of torque. For this purpose, certain gear wheels may be arranged displaceable but rotationally fixed on shafts and be displaced when the allocated gear is engaged such that they mesh with another gear wheel. Alternatively, the gear wheels may permanently intermesh with their allocated gear wheels, and the torque transmission between the gear wheel and the shaft supporting the gear wheel, e.g. via a shiftable claw clutch, may be shifted between a freewheel and a rotationally fixed transmission.
In both cases, it is possible that, in particular with stationary vehicles and consequently motionless output shafts, either the end faces of two teeth of gear wheels to be engaged with one another, or of claws of a claw clutch to be closed, abut one another with their elevated parts and the requested gear cannot be engaged.
In order to solve this so called tooth abutment condition, beveling the end faces of the gear wheels and/or claws to attain a radial, torsion force component from the active axial force, and at least rotating a gear wheel and/or claw further so that the gear wheels or claws neatly mesh is known. This is, however, associated with considerable production expenditure.
Furthermore, adjusting the synchronization of the involved gear wheels or claw clutches by means of different devices and methods such that meshing is aided by a rotational speed difference is known. Admittedly, the efficiency of this approach without simultaneously beveling the face ends is limited just because when the end faces touch, their friction generates a braking torque that in turn favors a tooth abutment condition. Correct shifting may in fact be favored this way, but only restrictedly guaranteed, if the shifting speed will not be set undesirably low. Therefore, there have been different proposals on how a tooth abutment condition may be overcome as rapidly as possible.
For this purpose, relative rotation of the gear wheels or claw clutches involved is required. Apart from very complex solutions with internal drives, it is presently suggested to produce this relative rotation by rotating at least one of the drive shafts or output shafts, while possibly simultaneously overcoming or at least reducing contact pressure of the gear wheels or claw clutches involved. As this has to function reliably with a standing vehicle and consequently standing transmission output shaft, and decelerating the vehicle for overcoming the tooth abutment condition is not desirable, the clutch is preferably engaged for this purpose such that torsion of the transmission drive shaft results and shifting is again attempted at the same time or immediately afterward.
The problem with this is that the torque to be transferred by the clutch for the desired positive or negative acceleration of the drive shaft depends on a large number of parameters. Among others, those parameters are the vehicle speed and the speed of the transmission output shaft depending upon it, the rotational speed of the engine output shaft and the operating level of the engine that in turn depends on the type, age and primarily the temperature of the transmission oil.
Therefore, according to the current experience, in order to be able to overcome a toot abutment condition in the transmission under all possible or usual practical conditions, the clutch has to be engaged to an extent such that even under unfavorable conditions, which require a high torque at the drive shaft for overcoming the tooth abutment condition, this torque is at least achieved. This, however, entails that in the case of tooth abutment conditions that are less difficult to overcome a still considerable torque develops, and the motor vehicle is subject to an audible and even perceptible jerk that is unpleasant for the passengers and damaging to the claws or teeth colliding with each other.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,523 B2 a method has been known where a controlling device detects a tooth abutment condition and consequently continuously varies the position of the clutch until the tooth abutment condition is overcome or an abort criterion is met. More precisely, different attempts are made with different clutch positions, where the position of the clutch, starting at relatively small excursions with intervals, is displaced with more strength to its engaged position. Consequently, easy to resolve tooth abutment conditions may be overcome with low torque being transferred by the clutch, and the above described undesired effects can be to a large extent avoided. In further developments, it is provided that certain parameters, like the transmission oil temperature, are recorded and evaluated to be able to possibly adjust the most suitable clutch position for overcoming the tooth abutment condition more rapidly. Although this method represents a definite improvement compared to the previously described method, this known technical solution is not entirely satisfactory.
This is probably related to the fact that the clutch has been designed for the transmission of the maximum output of the drive engine, which makes exact positioning of the clutch for the transmission of the desired, comparatively very low amount of torque for overcoming a tooth abutment condition very difficult. In addition, the clutch is subject to considerable wear during its life time, which has to be taken into account in the same way as the rapidly changing parameters, like the operating temperature of the clutch, which may cause significant changes in the clutch behavior because of the thermal expansion in the adjustment range of interest here.
Further, the relation of the contact pressure of the friction elements to the torque to be transferred thereby may be modified by changes in the temperature of the friction surface, but also, for example, by overheating-induced vitrification, contamination of the friction surfaces or other circumstances. After all, the adjustment mechanisms of the clutch are necessarily likewise designed for the adjustment path required for the entire driving operation, whereby either a complex and thus expensive as well as potentially error-prone regulation of the clutch position is required for accurate adjustment in the currently relevant range of a relatively low torque transfer, or the positioning accuracy is quite low for the purpose described herein.
Moreover, when a tooth abutment condition is detected, the clutch has to be adjusted to a desired value in the first instance, and the engine speed as well as the torque adjusted at the same time, and/or taken into account when determining the target position of the clutch. The time span required for this purpose is short, but is still perceived as an unpleasant period by the passengers because of the repeated attempts that may be necessary to overcome the tooth abutment condition.

Method for overcoming tooth butt conditions when engaging gears in transmissions

Abstract: The method according to the present invention provides a remedy due to the fact that during each shifting process, regardless of the occurrence of a tooth butt condition, the clutch is brought into a position allowing minimum predetermined torque transmission to the drive shaft of the transmission, and this torque is supported on a transmission brake, which is often already available. Due to its substantially smaller size, the transmission brake can much more quickly and accurately adjust a desired net torque curve and torque progress on the drive shaft of the transmission when a tooth butt condition occurs and thus make it significantly easier to overcome the tooth butt condition.


A stilt device for supporting a user above a base support surface. The stilt device includes a shoe plate, a base member and at least one intermediary strut. A leg attachment assembly comprises an elongated support pole which extends upwardly from the strut. In some embodiments, a clam-shell assembly is attached to a distal end of the support pole and comprises opposing, curved inner and outer plates configured to surround and support the user's leg. A hinge assembly facilitates rotation of the inner plate with respect to the outer plate between open and closed positions. In other embodiments, a support attachment assembly utilizes a u-shaped bracket and a nested, h-shaped clamp to attach the medial portion of the support pole to the shoe plate. The support attachment assembly establishes and secures both the angular extent and length of the support pole.

Leg extension mechanisms (stilt devices) advantageously allow a user to maneuver at an increased height above a base surface. Stilt devices are often used in the construction industry to allow users to perform building or repair operations several feet above the ground and which could not otherwise be reachable without use of a scaffold or support structure.
A particularly useful stilt device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,199 issued to Emmert. While operable, there remains a continual need for advancements in the art to improve flexibility, adjustability, user comfort and to reduce weight in such stilt devices, and it is to these and other improvements that the present invention is generally directed.

Stilt device with improved leg attachment assembly


A denture apparatus including a maxillary or upper denture and an opposed mandibular or lower denture. At least one leg extends from the upper denture toward the lower denture so that the leg will engage with the lower denture when the dentures are brought in proximity with each other. A coil spring mechanism for each leg tensions the extending leg in order to urge the lower denture away from the upper denture thereby retaining the dentures in place during eating.

The present invention is directed to a denture apparatus for removable dentures. In particular, the present invention is directed to a denture apparatus for removable dentures which will provide a force to urge the lower denture away from the upper denture to assist in retaining the dentures in position during eating. Additionally, the apparatus may be disengaged to eliminate the separation force during other times.
2. Prior Art
In various instances, prosthodontics dentistry calls for the replacement of teeth with removable dentures. This may be called for in various instances including periodontal disease, decay or injury.
Where a full denture is utilized, the base of the upper denture normally covers the palate. The lower denture may be horseshoe-shaped to leave room for the tongue. A full denture is supported by the underlying gum and bone tissues of the dental ridge.
A lower denture is less stable that an upper denture. Moreover, it is known that a full denture can stand only very limited chewing pressure. When a denture wearer is eating with the dentures in place, the lower plate has a tendency to be displaced or flip up when the wearer is biting in the front or on the sides.
At least one estimate is that full dentures can only withstand one-tenth the chewing pressure of natural teeth.
Various provisions have been made in the past to affix or connect the upper denture to the lower denture. Examples of such approaches in Liedberg (U.S. Pat. No. 2,252,935), Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 1,761,902) and Elsas (U.S. Pat. No. 1,473,673).
Morris (U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,005) discloses a dental anchoring system having a pair of leaf springs affixed to one of the plates to exert an anchoring separation of the plates.
Nothing in the prior art suggests or discloses the use of coil spring mechanisms to tension an extending leg or legs in order to urge the dentures away from each other and assist in retaining proper positioning of the dentures during eating.
Moreover, nothing in the prior art suggests a denture apparatus which will assist in retaining the position of the dentures during eating, yet may be disabled during other periods.
Accordingly, it is a principal object and purpose of the present invention to provide a denture apparatus which will provide a force to retain the position of the dentures during eating yet may be disabled at other times.


A printer including a transport system for a recording medium, a printhead containing a plurality of print units each of which being capable of printing a pixel line when the printhead is scanned over the recording medium, and a failure compensation unit for controlling the print operation such that a failure of a print unit is compensated, wherein a segmentation unit is provided for dividing an image to be printed into segments containing different types of image information, and wherein the failure compensation unit includes a memory for storing a plurality of compensation strategies and a controller for selecting one of said compensation strategies in accordance with the segment to be printed.

The present invention relates to a printing method for a printer containing a transport system for a recording medium, and a printhead with a plurality of print units, each of which is capable of printing a pixel line when the printhead is scanned over the recording medium, wherein a failure compensation unit controls the print operation and compensates for a failure of a print unit.
An example of a printer of this type is disclosed in EP-A-0 981 105, which relates to an ink jet printer. In the printhead of this printer, the print units are formed by ink jet nozzles which are arranged in a linear array extending in the direction in which the recording medium is transported. Thus, when the printhead is scanned over the recording medium, a swath of an image can be printed, and the number of pixel lines in the swath corresponds essentially to the number of nozzles present in the printhead.
Such a printer can generally operate in different print modes. In a single-pass mode, each nozzle of the printhead prints the complete image information of a pixel line during a stroke in which the printhead is moved over the paper. Then, the paper is transported over the width of the swath that has been printed, and the next swath is printed in a return stroke of the printhead. As an alternative, a two-pass mode may be applied, in which each nozzle prints only every second pixel of the corresponding line during the first stroke, and the missing pixels are inserted in the return stroke of the printhead. In this mode, the paper may be transported in steps which correspond to only half the length of the nozzle array. Then, one half of the nozzles will be used for printing every second pixel of a new swath, whereas the other half of the nozzles is used for inserting the missing pixels in the swath that had been printed in the previous stroke. As a result, two different nozzles will be involved in printing all the pixels of a given pixel line.
If a nozzle of the printhead becomes clogged or fails for any other reason, the pixels that would have been printed with the inoperative nozzle will be missing in the printed image, and the image quality will be impaired. A variety of failure compensation strategies are known for avoiding or mitigating this undesirable effect.
For example, the above-mentioned document proposes a compensation strategy which employs the two-pass mode. Here, the job of the inoperative nozzle is taken over by the nozzle which is normally utilized only for inserting the missing pixels. Of course, if the scanning speed of the printhead is not reduced, this requires that the nozzle that is used for failure compensation is capable of printing pixels with twice the normal frequency.
EP-A-1 060 896 discloses a failure compensation strategy which is also applicable in a single-pass mode. When, in the event of breakdown of a nozzle, a specific pixel should but cannot be printed with the inoperative nozzle, this pixel is transferred to an addressable position in the vicinity of the designated pixel position, so that it can be printed with another nozzle. This strategy helps to prevent loss of information but will not fully compensate the nozzle failure and is in many cases sufficient for suppressing the visual effect of the nozzle failure below acceptable limits.
Another known failure compensation strategy is particularly applicable to the case where a breakdown of a nozzle or, more generally, a print unit occurs near the end of the nozzle array. Then, an end section of the nozzle array, which section includes the inoperative nozzle, is cut-off, i.e. the nozzles of this section are disabled. As a result, the usable length of the nozzle array is somewhat reduced, and the swath of the image that is printed in a single stroke is reduced in width. By adapting the transport width of the recording medium to the reduced width of the swath, a defect-free image can be printed, although at the cost of productivity.
In general, unless redundant nozzles are present in the printhead, failure compensation involves a tradeoff between productivity and image quality.

Printing method and printer with failure compensation


A multi-tool (100) includes a power head (120) including a power head housing (122) having a handle (124) operably coupled thereto, a tool attachment (106, 108, 110) configured to perform a work function, the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) being alternately separable from and operably coupled to the power head (120), a motor (140) disposed in the power head housing (122), a battery (130) configured to be operably coupled to the motor (140) to selectively power the motor (140), a power head mating interface (121) including structures disposed at the power head (120) for defining a physical mating assembly, a drive power transfer assembly and an electronic assembly, and a tool mating interface (123) including structures disposed at a housing of the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) for defining the physical mating assembly, the drive power transfer assembly and the electronic assembly. The structures disposed at the power head (120) and the structures disposed at the housing of the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) for defining the physical mating assembly are configured to contact each other before the structures disposed at the power head (120) and the structures disposed at the housing of the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) for defining the drive power transfer assembly contact each other responsive to operably coupling of the power head mating interface (121) to the tool mating interface (123). The structures disposed at the power head (120) and the structures disposed at the housing of the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) for defining the drive power transfer assembly are configured to contact each other before the structures disposed at the power head (120) and the structures disposed at the housing of the tool attachment (106, 108, 110) for defining the electronic assembly contact each other responsive to operably coupling of the power head mating interface (121) to the tool mating interface (123).

Outdoor power equipment includes such devices as mowers, trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, blowers and the like. These devices are often used to perform tasks that inherently require the devices to be mobile. Accordingly, these devices are typically made to be relatively robust and capable of handling difficult work in hostile environments, while balancing the requirement for mobility.
Powering such devices could be accomplished in any number of ways. However, for outdoor power equipment that is intended to be handheld, size and weight become important considerations. In some applications, the emissions (i.e., in terms of noise and/or pollutants) generated by the device may also become an important consideration. To reduce emissions, such outdoor power equipment may be selected for employment with electric motors that could employ battery or mains power supplies.
Particularly when battery power supplies are used, mobility and usability can often be dramatically enhanced. Thus, a number of battery powered tools have come onto the market. In an effort to create an ecosystem of products, some manufacturers have adopted a policy of making a single battery usable in a number of different tools. As such, one battery could power each of a trimmer, edger, chainsaw and/or blower. However, even in this paradigm, it is common for each different device to be its own tool that has only an interchangeable battery. While the battery may therefore be useable in each of several different devices, the rest of the device may be entirely uniquely designed, thereby increasing cost and requiring users to acclimate themselves to completely different devices after they plug in the same battery.

Mating interface for a power head configured to operate multiple tool attachments


A double-saw band saw machine includes a base, a first band saw unit, a second band saw unit, a feeding unit and a clamp unit. When an object to be sawn is located in a sawing area between the first and second band saw units, the first and second motors control the first and second frames to move toward each other along the first axial direction, so that the first and second band saw blades can be used to cut the object to be sawn simultaneously. Hence, the sawing efficiency of the double-saw band saw machine is improved, and the replacement interval for the first and second band saw blades is extended.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a band saw machine, and more particularly to a double-saw band saw machine and a method for using the same.
Description of the Prior Art
Band saw machines are used to cut metal, stone or wood into desired shapes for easy transportation.
A conventional band saw machine generally comprises: a base with a work surface, a saw stable which is mounted on the base in a manner that the saw table is horizontally slidable and spanned between two sides of the base, a band saw which is disposed on the saw table in a manner that the band saw is capable of moving in a vertical direction and includes a band saw blade. An object to be sawn is placed on the work surface, and the saw table moves horizontally and the band saw moves vertically to saw the object.
However, the conventional band saw machine is provided with only a single band saw blade, therefore, the sawing efficiency of a single band saw blade is relatively low. Furthermore, the single band saw blade needs to be replaced at a relatively short interval as compared to a double-saw band saw machine.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Double-saw band saw machine and a method for using the same


A bio-artificial organ comprises a substrate comprising a roll of a substrate material, and a plurality of cells adhered to the substrate, the roll being formed from a sheet rolled to form a plurality of layers that include spacers and spaced openings such that at least a first set of parallel chambers is formed when the roll is formed, the chambers being manifolded to a first inlet and a first outlet. The bio-artificial organ may further include at least a second chamber, the second chamber being isolated from the first set of chambers by at least a cell barrier. A method for assembling a bio-artificial organ comprises a) providing a substrate for cell culture capable of forming a roll, the substrate having a surface, b) patterning the surface of the substrate, c) seeding cells onto the substrate, and d) reeling the substrate into a cylindrical roll.

Liver failure is the seventh leading cause of death in the USA, with 300,000 hospital admissions per year and more than 40,000 deaths. Liver failures are classified as acute or chronic. A common type of acute liver failure is Fulminant Liver Failure (FLF), defined as severe impairment of hepatic functions in the absence of pre-existing liver disease. The common FLF causes include viral hepatitis, poisoning, and stroke. Common types of chronic liver failure include viral or alcohol cirrhosis, drug and toxin induced diseases.
Spontaneous self-regeneration of liver occurs in about 25% of FLF patients (which is not always possible to predict) and in a very small percentage of chronic liver patients. The most common and often the only treatment option for liver failure is a liver transplant, at a typical cost of about $400,000 per transplant in the USA, making it a $2 billion industry in the USA alone. About 5,000 transplants are available in the USA per year, but there are 17,000 potential recipients on the waiting list. The organ shortage is expected to increase as the incidence of viral hepatitis type C (HVC) is continues to increase. One of the driving forces are the 4 million Americans currently infected with HVC, 15% of these are expected to require a transplant. The total number of chronic liver failures is projected to triple between 2002 and 2010.
There has been intensive research into cell-containing liver-assist devices (LADs) for over 20 years and several devices have achieved clinical trials. In FLF treatment, LADs promise the patients a temporary relief of liver metabolic load and a chance for the liver to regenerate itself. In this case, LADs prevent wastage of a donor organ. In chronic liver failure treatment, LADs promise a bridge to transplant, and, potentially a long term support option.
However, none of the cell-containing LADs has successfully passed all clinical trials and achieved an FDA approval. The main problem is the poor long-term device performance due to a low viability and a loss of differentiated function of hepatocytes. A second problem is the lack of biliary excretion. A third problem is a limited device performance, even when the hepatocytes are still functional, due to non-uniform cell distribution and non-uniform flow distribution. A fourth problem is a low cell density, resulting in a need for a relatively large device size. Advantages and drawbacks of prior art are detailed in the following paragraphs.
The hollow fiber design was the earliest design concept and has advanced farthest through clinical trials. The cells are attached inside the fibers, possibly trapped in a gel, or outside the fibers. The blood or other nutrient-containing medium is perfused to the opposite side of the fiber. The assembly and manifolding of several thousand of these hollow fibers into a bioreactor is a complex and slow process. Cells are perfused after the device assembly. Cell density has been relatively low. Additionally, attempts to culture different cell types in the fibers have proven unsuccessful. Because of low cell density and the difficulty of assembling thousands of hollow fibers, long fibers tend to be used, resulting in non-uniform conditions along the fiber length. An attempt at supplying different medias through several sets of hollow fibers resulted in very complex geometry, and limited scale-up to about 2.5% of physiological human liver cell numbers.
The perfused bed scaffolds typically comprise three dimensional open pore architectures. These scaffolds are easy to scale up, can be shaped with rapid prototyping tools with a narrow pore distribution in a target range. Pore sizes can be adjusted to promote high cell density and vascularization. However, in LAD applications, these scaffold designs have several drawbacks, including residual chemicals, no provision for separation of metabolic flows, and no provision for patterning different cell types in target geometries, non-uniform perfusion, clogging, and exposure to shear.
The encapsulated cell suspension design offers the ease of scale-up and a uniform microenvironment. The drawbacks include poor cell stability and loss of differentiated function (particularly, for hepatocytes, which are attachment-dependent cells), barriers to nutrient transport due to encapsulation, degradation of capsules over time and exposure of cells to shear forces.
The flat plate design is another known device. In this method, it is possible to achieve uniform cell distribution and microenvironment. Multiple patents have recognized the advantage of multilayer arrangements, where cells can be sandwiched between collagen or biologically derived matrices (basal lamina, Matrigel) and oxygen permeable membranes, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,734,851 and 5,605,835. Several groups have verified modulation of hepatocyte polarity and formation of canaliculi. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,835 shows an example of multilayer arrangement, stacked up to 50 layers and up to 200 layers and individually piped. In order to provide mechanical strength during assembly, the individual plates have to be relatively thick. The disadvantages of this design include exposure of cells to shear, low surface to volume ratio, low cell density, and complex scale-up.
A further improvement to flat bed design came from co-culturing layers of stromal cells with hepatocytes, which was demonstrated to increase viability and differentiated function of hepatocytes (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,963,489; 5,510,254; 5,863,551; 6,008,049; 6,140,039; and 6,218,182). Further improvement came from separation of cells from oxygen containing medium by a membrane (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 200300017142), which allowed increased oxygenation without exposing cells to damaging flow shear stresses.
In order to create multilayer structures, it has been suggested to roll the substrate into a cylinder. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,182 two media, with different concentrations of solutes, flow on the ID and OD of the rolled-up cylinder. The purpose of such assembly is to create a diffusion gradient in the radial direction, which is believed to be beneficial for cell polarization and growth. The substrate may contain layers of multiple materials and different cell types. The products have to diffuse through multiple layers to reach and be removed by one of the media. The overall setup is geared to tissue growth rather than tissue function. The diffusion pathways are long (from ID to OD) and there is no provision for patterns within the layers or separation of various metabolic products.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,495, hollow fibers are randomly embedded or attached to a porous sheet or mat. The fibers are minimum 100 microns OD and are arranged in parallel. The mat is 50 to 2000 microns thick (typically, about 500 microns) by 10-100 cm wide, and has 10-100 micron pores. The fibers are intended to serve as spacers during rolling-up the sheets, provide solid support for the sheets and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. After the roll-up, individual fibers (typically, 500 to 5000) are manifolded together and connected to a gas source, while space between the fibers is connected to liquid flow. After assembly, the porous media are infused with cells. Cells are protected from shear stresses by being embedded into the porous sheet. The invention has several drawbacks as discussed earlier: it is difficult to manifold several thousands of fibers, different cell types are not geometrically organized, and the diffusion path is longer than in a live liver. Also, metabolic products of the cells stay in the circulating liquid, and may, eventually, negatively affect the cell viability and differentiation.
Hence it remains desirable to provide a biomimetic liver that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art.

Biomimetic 3-dimensional scaffold with metabolic stream separation for bioartificial liver device


An array substrate including: a gate barrier layer on a substrate; a gate line on the gate barrier layer, the gate line having a gate open portion exposing the gate barrier layer in a gate electrode region; a gate insulating layer on the gate line; an active layer on the gate insulating layer over the gate barrier layer in the gate electrode region; and source and drain electrodes spaced apart from each other on the active layer.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an array substrate, and more particularly, to an array substrate including an oxide thin film transistor and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, as the information society progresses, display devices processing and displaying a large amount of information have rapidly advanced and various flat panel displays (FPDs) have been developed. Specifically, the FPDs such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a plasma display panel (PDP) device, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device and a field emission display (FED) device having a superior performance with a thin profile, a light weight, and a low power consumption have substituted for a cathode ray tube (CRT).
Among various FPDs, the LCD device having a high contrast ratio, an advantage in displaying a moving image and a low power consumption has been used in various fields such as a notebook, a monitor and a television. The LCD device uses an optical anisotropy and a polarization property of a liquid crystal molecule.
In addition, the OLED display device has superior properties such as a high brightness and an ability to be driven by a low voltage. Since the OLED display device is an emissive type, the OLED display device has a high contrast ratio and a thin profile. The OLED display device has an advantage in displaying a moving image due to a short response time of several micro seconds (μsec). The OLED display device has no limitation on a viewing angle and is stable even in a low temperature.
The LCD device and the OLED display device include an array substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) for turning on and off a pixel region. In general, the TFT is formed by using a semiconductor material such as amorphous silicon.
Recently, as size and resolution of the FPD increase, a TFT having a faster processing speed, more stable operation and durability is required. However, since the TFT using amorphous silicon has a charge carrier mobility smaller than about 1 cm2/Vsec, the TFT using amorphous silicon has a limit for application to the FPD having a great size and a high resolution.
Accordingly, an oxide TFT where an active layer is formed of an oxide semiconductor material having a high mobility and a uniform current property has been widely researched.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a gate line of an array substrate according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an oxide thin film transistor of an array substrate according to the related art.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a gate line 24 is formed along a first direction on a substrate 10 and includes a gate electrode 23 corresponding to a gate electrode region L1. A gate insulating layer 30, an active layer 40, an etch stopping layer 45 and source and drain electrodes 52 and 54 are sequentially formed on the gate electrode 23 to constitute an oxide thin film transistor (TFT). In addition, a passivation layer 60 and a pixel electrode 70 are sequentially formed on the oxide TFT. The passivation layer 60 has a drain contact hole 62 exposing the drain electrode 54 and the pixel electrode 70 is connected to the drain electrode 54 through the drain contact hole 62.
The gate line 24 including the gate electrode 23 is formed of copper (Cu) having a relatively low resistance, a relatively high electrical conductivity and a relatively low dielectric constant. Since a plurality of heat treatment processes are performed for fabricating the oxide TFT, grains of copper may grow on a top surface of the gate electrode 23 due to the heat.
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing grain growth on a top surface of a gate electrode of an array substrate according to the related art, and FIG. 3B is a scanning electron microscope image showing a portion AA of FIG. 3A.
In FIGS. 3A and 3B, a grain grows on a top surface in a central portion of the gate electrode 23 due to the heat. The grain may protrude from the top surface to form a protrusion 23a and a cavity in the gate electrode 23 and the gate line 24. In addition, the protrusion 23a may cause a protrusion of the gate insulating layer 30, the active layer 40 and the passivation layer 60 sequentially on the gate electrode 23 such that the gate insulating layer 30, the active layer 40 and the passivation layer 60 do not have a flat top surface. Since a property of the oxide TFT is deteriorated due to the protrusion, reliability of an array substrate including the oxide TFT is reduced and defect rate of a display device using the array substrate increases.
Further, grain growth and cavity formation may occur in a metal line having a metallic material different from copper (Cu) and an array substrate including the metal line may be deteriorated.

Array substrate including oxide thin film transistor and method of fabricating the same


A magnetic data recording head having reduced thermally induced shield (pole tip) protrusion. The head includes a magnetoresistive sensor sandwiched between first and second shield. The shields have a substantially reduced thickness. The distance between the shields defines a gap (G) and the shields each have a thickness (ST) such that the ratio ST/G is greater than 2, but less than 50. More preferably the ratio ST/G is greater than 2, but less than 20, and yet more preferably, the ratio ST/G is greater than 2 and less than 10.

The heart of a computer is an assembly that is referred to as a magnetic disk drive. The magnetic disk drive includes a rotating magnetic disk, write and read heads that are suspended by a suspension arm adjacent to a surface of the rotating magnetic disk and an actuator that swings the suspension arm to place the read and write heads over selected circular tracks on the rotating disk. The read and write heads are directly located on a slider that has an air bearing surface (ABS). The suspension arm biases the slider into contact with the surface of the disk when the disk is not rotating but, when the disk rotates, air is swirled by the rotating disk. When the slider rides on the air bearing, the write and read heads are employed for writing magnetic impressions to and reading magnetic impressions from the rotating disk. The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry that operates according to a computer program to implement the writing and reading functions.
The write head includes a coil layer embedded in first, second and third insulation layers (insulation stack), the insulation stack being sandwiched between first and second pole piece layers. A gap is formed between the first and second pole piece layers by a gap layer at an air bearing surface (ABS) of the write head and the pole piece layers are connected at a back gap. Current conducted to the coil layer induces a magnetic flux in the pole pieces which causes a magnetic field to fringe out at a write gap at the ABS for the purpose of writing the aforementioned magnetic impressions in tracks on the moving media, such as in circular tracks on the aforementioned rotating disk.
In recent read head designs a spin valve sensor, also referred to as a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor, has been employed for sensing magnetic fields from the rotating magnetic disk. The sensor includes a nonmagnetic conductive layer, hereinafter referred to as a spacer layer, sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic layers, hereinafter referred to as a pinned layer and a free layer. First and second leads are connected to the spin valve sensor for conducting a sense current therethrough. The magnetization of the pinned layer is pinned perpendicular to the air bearing surface (ABS) and the magnetic moment of the free layer is biased parallel to the ABS, but is free to rotate in response to external magnetic fields. The magnetization of the pinned layer is typically pinned by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic layer.
The thickness of the spacer layer is chosen to be less than the mean free path of conduction electrons through the sensor. With this arrangement, a portion of the conduction electrons is scattered by the interfaces of the spacer layer with each of the pinned and free layers. When the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers are parallel with respect to one another, scattering is minimal and when the magnetizations of the pinned and free layer are antiparallel, scattering is maximized. Changes in scattering alter the resistance of the spin valve sensor in proportion to cos θ, where θ is the angle between the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers. In a read mode the resistance of the spin valve sensor changes proportionally to the magnitudes of the magnetic fields from the rotating disk. When a sense current is conducted through the spin valve sensor, resistance changes cause potential changes that are detected and processed as playback signals.
When a spin valve sensor employs a single pinned layer it is referred to as a simple spin valve. When a spin valve employs an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer it is referred to as an AP pinned spin valve. An AP spin valve includes first and second magnetic layers separated by a thin non-magnetic coupling layer such as Ru. The thickness of the spacer layer is chosen so as to antiparallel couple the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic layers of the pinned layer. A spin valve is also known as a top or bottom spin valve depending upon whether the pinning layer is at the top (formed after the free layer) or at the bottom (before the free layer).
The spin valve sensor is located between first and second nonmagnetic, electrically insulating read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers are located between ferromagnetic first and second shield layers. In a merged magnetic head a single ferromagnetic layer functions as the second shield layer of the read head and as the first pole piece layer of the write head. In a piggyback head the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are separate layers.
Magnetization of the pinned layer is usually fixed by exchange coupling one of the ferromagnetic layers (AP1) with a layer of antiferromagnetic material such as PtMn. While an antiferromagnetic (AFM) material such as PtMn does not in and of itself have a magnetization, when exchange coupled with a magnetic material, it can strongly pin the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer.
In order to meet the ever increasing demand for improved data rate and data capacity, magnetic heads (read and write) have been made ever smaller. Reducing the size of such sensor increases the amount of data that can be stored on a disk. For example, reducing the track width of the sensor and the write element increases the number of data tracks that can be recorded onto a disk. In addition, decreasing the gap (distance between the sensor shields) decreases the bit length, and therefore increases the amount of data that can be recorded on a given length of data track.
In this effort to decrease size and increase data capacity and data rate, data recording systems have been designed with ever smaller fly heights. The fly height is the distance between the air bearing surface (ABS) of the read/write head and the surface of the magnetic medium. This decreased fly height, however, greatly increases the chances of a head disk contact during operation. Such contact can be catastrophic for several reasons. For instance, such contact results in a heat spike in the head, which can lead to demagnetization of the pinned layer or loss of free layer biasing, rendering head unusable. In addition, data loss can occur due to damage to the magnetic medium during such contact.
The chances of such a head disk contact occurring at such low fly heights increase dramatically when a portion of the head protrudes from the ABS. Such protrusion can be the result of what is called "thermal protrusion". Certain elements of the head, such as magnetic shields of the read head have thermal expansion coefficients that are larger than other portions of the head, such as the alumina insulation layers. As the ambient temperature or the temperature inside the disk drive increases, the shield, having a higher thermal expansion coefficient, will protrude out past the ABS. One possible solution might be to find a shield material that has a thermal expansion coefficient that is similar to the other materials making up the head. However, no materials are currently available that posses both the desired magnetic properties for a magnetic shield and also a desired thermal expansion coefficient.
Therefore, there is a strong felt need for a head structure that can reduce the thermally induced protrusion of magnetic shields in a magnetic head used in a data recording system. Such a system must not compromise magnetic performance including signal resolution such as the PW50 performance of the magnetic recording system.

Thin shield structure for reduced protrusion in a magnetoresistive head

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A customer search terminal system may be configured to accept customer product searches and identify corresponding products and product information. A method for determining the efficacy of the customer search terminal may include receiving customer usage information including data related to customer usage of a customer search terminal and may also include receiving product sales information including data related to products sold at a point-of-sale terminal. The method may further include generating customer purchase behavior information by correlating the received customer search terminal usage information with the received product sales information when a product is sold at the point-of-sale terminal within a prescribed time period relative to a search for the product on the customer search terminal.

Modern data collection and communication techniques have contributed to the development of automated tracking systems that can monitor and display a vast inventory of items. Information that was once written onto paper and stored in filing cabinets is now entered into computer systems, scanned from barcode devices, and read from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The movement of products can be tracked efficiently, and important inventory-related metrics can be monitored and analyzed, such as the availability of an item from one location to the next, or the identification of whether the stock of an item is running low.
However, these automated inventory systems are usually not made available to customers who wish to locate and purchase items available in their local retail stores. Instead, these complex inventory systems are often restricted to store employees who are sometimes busy helping other customers or are otherwise busy performing store-related tasks. In larger retail store environments, this disconnect often causes frustration to customers who are unable to find the items they wish to purchase, and it sometimes results in the customers leaving the store without ever finding the item—even if the item is available and in stock.
Kiosks and other types of public terminals are used by some organizations to provide improved self-service options for their customers. Automated teller machines (ATMs), for example, can provide banking services to a customer after the bank has closed for the evening. ATMs perform many of the same functions of a local branch, but at a reduced operating cost to the bank, and often at more convenient locations than the local branches. Another example of a popular self-service option is a check-in kiosk at an airport terminal. These airport check-in kiosks allow travelers to find updates about flight delays, request seating upgrades, and print their own boarding passes, thus allowing busy travelers to bypass the long lines that are typical of check-in terminals staffed by airline employees.


A system and method for delivering coupled burst and tonic stimulation of nervous tissue is provided. The system and method includes providing a lead with at least one stimulation electrode configured to be implanted at a target position proximate to nervous tissue of interest. The system and method further includes coupling the lead to an implantable pulse generator (IPG). The method delivers a first current pulse configured as a tonic stimulation waveform to the at least one electrode. The tonic stimulation waveform is configured to excite A-beta fibers of the nervous tissue. After a tonic-burst delay, the IPG delivers second current pulses configured as a burst stimulation waveform to at least one electrode. The burst stimulation waveform is configured to excite C-fibers of the nervous tissue.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used to treat a wide range of chronic neuropathic pain conditions by delivering electrical stimulation to select portions of the spinal cord. In the past, SCS therapy has been proposed in which a tonic therapy is delivered having continuous pulses have a select frequency, pulse width and intensity. By way of example, tonic therapies have been proposed to manage cervical and lumbar pain. The frequency, pulse width and intensity may be changed, along with electrode configuration and placement on the spinal column in connection with pain relief for individual patients.
NS systems are devices that generate electrical pulses and deliver the pulses to nervous tissue to treat a variety of disorders. For example, spinal cord stimulation has been used to treat chronic and intractable pain. Another example is deep brain, stimulation, which has been used to treat movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and affective disorders such as depression. While a precise understanding of the interaction between the applied electrical energy and the nervous tissue is not fully appreciated, it is known that application of electrical pulses to certain regions or areas of nervous tissue can effectively mask certain types of pain transmitted from regions, increase the production of neurotransmitters, or the like. For example, applying electrical energy to the spinal cord associated with regions of the body afflicted with chronic pain can induce "paresthesia" (a subjective sensation of numbness or tingling) in the afflicted bodily regions. Thereby, paresthesia can effectively mask the transmission of non-acute pain sensations to the brain.
An NS system has been proposed in WO 2012/155187, titled "Method and Apparatus for Application of a Neural Stimulus," to John Parker at al. According to an aspect, the '187 application provides a method of applying a neural stimulus to yield a therapeutic effect while suppressing psychophysical side effects by delivering a first stimulus to recruit a portion of the A-beta fiber population and a second stimulus, delivered within the refractory period following the first stimulus, to recruit a further portion of the A-beta fiber population. The '187 application describes stimulation at successively larger and larger pulse amplitudes to recruit successively more A-beta fibers. The '187 application describes that pulses are timed so that later pulses occur in the refractory period of excited A-beta fibers from the previous pulse in order that different subpopulations of the A-beta fibers can be selected with each pulse.
However, in at least some patients, it may not be desirable for tonic stimulation to induce paresthesia. For example, paresthesia causes discomfort and irritation in many patients. Therefore, in many instances, it is not preferable to deliver stimulation at successively larger and larger pulse amplitudes.
Moreover, while burst therapies may be used to reduce neuropathic pain without generating paresthesia, limited information is known regarding the relation between neuropathic pain and various aspects of burst therapy. Further, limited information is known regarding the relation between management of pain therapy and coupled operation of tonic and burst therapies.

System and method for coupling burst and tonic stimulation


A lever 30 is mounted on a female connector housing 20 such that a part of the lever 30 is accommodated in a receptacle 11 of a male connector housing 10 together with a female connector housing 20 in a connected state of the male and female connector housings 10, 20. Thus, a movement of the lever in its opening direction is restricted by an outer wall of the receptacle 11, eliminating the need to provide a protection wall for preventing the disengagement of the lever 30 in the connected state. This results in a reduced size of the lever connector. Further, the lever 30 is formed in its outer surfaces with cam grooves 33 in the form of recesses. Thus, a mold for the lever 30 can be pulled outward, enabling the simplification of the construction thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever connector which connects first and second connector housings by cam action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known lever connector, as shown in FIG. 7, includes a lever 1 mounted on a male connector housing 2. The male connector housing 2 is mateable with a female connector housing 3. More particularly, the male connector housing 2 includes a receptacle 4 for accommodating the female connector housing 3. The receptacle 4 is formed by outer walls 5 of the male connector housing 2, and the lever 1 is mounted over the outer walls 5. Protection walls 6 are formed to cover a part of the lever 1 to prevent the disengagement of the lever 1 from the male connector housing 2. Further, the lever 1 is formed with cam grooves 8 engageable with engaging pins 7 projecting from the female connector housing 3.
The male and female connector housings 2, 3 are connected by fitting the engaging pins 7 of the female connector housing 3 into the cam grooves 8 of the lever 1 and rotating the lever 1 thereafter. As the lever 1 is rotated, the engaging pins 7 are guided along the cam grooves 8, displacing the male and female connector housings 2, 3 to their connection positions.
In the connected state of the male and female connector housings 2, 3 where the female connector housing 3 is fitted in the receptacle 4, the outer walls 5 of the receptacle 4, the lever 1 and the protection walls 6 are located in this order one after another outside the female connector housing 3. This, as a whole, makes the connector larger.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lever connector which has a smaller size.


A system and method for identifying and/or categorizing similarly formed paragraphs in a digital image is set forth. An exemplary system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores executable components which when direct the system to perform the following: obtain at least one page image of reflowable textual content and identify at least one paragraph of textual content. Thereafter, for each identified paragraph, a plurality of paragraph metrics regarding the identified paragraph is determined. Based on the paragraph metrics, similarly formed paragraphs are clustered.

As more and more users turn to computer networks such as the Internet and World Wide Web (hereinafter the "Web") for information, content providers are increasingly converting traditional content (e.g., printed materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, manuals, guides, references, articles, reports, documents, and the like) to electronic form.
For some content providers, a quick and simple way to convert printed content to an electronic form for publication is to create a digital image of the printed content, i.e., a digital image containing representation of text. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, this type of conversion is typically performed through the use of a scanner. However, while simply generating a digital image (or images) of printed content can be accomplished quickly, the resulting digital images might not be particularly well suited for various scenarios. For example, digital images corresponding to the conversion of pages of a book into electronic form may not be well suited in some viewing scenarios. Of course, the reasons that a digital image is not always an optimal form/format of delivery are many, but include issues regarding the clarity or resolution of digital images, the large size of a digital image file and, perhaps most importantly, the rendering of the digital images on various sized displays. For example, traditional digital images may be of a fixed size and arrangement such that a computer user must frequently scroll his or her viewer to read the text. In other words, the text of a digital image can not be "reflowed" within the boundaries of the viewer. Generally described, "reflow" relates to the adjustment of line segmentation and arrangement for a set of segments. Digital content, such as digital text, that can be rearranged according to the constraints of a particular viewer, without the necessity of scaling, can "reflow" within the viewer, and is reflow content.
A novel approach to converting printed content into reflow digital content relates to processing content in a digital image into identifiable segments. An example of such an approach is set forth in co-pending and commonly assigned patent application entitled "Method and System for Converting a Digital Image Containing Text to a Token-Based File for High-Resolution Rendering," filed Mar. 28, 2006, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/392,213, which is incorporated herein by reference. As described in this reference, the content in a digital image is categorized into "glyphs," e.g., identifiable segments of content that can be scaled and/or reflowed within the boundaries of a viewer.
When presenting converted content that can be reflowed in a viewer according to viewer constraints, it is desirable to recognize the similarities in paragraph layout such that similarly formed paragraphs are reflowed in a similar manner. While a human can readily recognize patterns, context, and, therefore, similarities among the layout and flow of paragraphs on a printed page, determining the similarities via a computer is often problematic. Moreover, the level of difficulty increases when the paragraphs are organized into anything but the most simplest form. For example, recognizing similarly formed paragraphs organized in a multi-column format is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, as discussed above, recognizing similarly formed paragraphs is very desirable.

Identifying similarly formed paragraphs in scanned images


Laminar translucent artwork is displayed by back-lighting it substantially uniformly for viewing by transmitted light, bordering it with an opaque border, and decoratively framing it along the outside edge, and preferably also along the inside edge, of the border. Preferred display apparatus includes a shallow light-box containing a light source and flanged to provide the border, a light-diffusion sheet overlying the light-box and underlying the artwork, a transparent cover sheet for the artwork, overlain by the border(s).

Display of framed artworks ranges from illumination by natural reflected light, as in a modern gallery or museum, to conventional nearby incandescent or fluorescent lighting directed onto the surface of the artwork visible to a viewer, sometimes via slightly noticeable recessed or similarly supported external lighting means. Most such artworks are opaque to incident light, planar in arrangement, and are viewed from vantage points substantially perpendicular to an exposed surface plane--notwithstanding that some artworks are three-dimensional, or that an occasional artwork may be luminescent, as in Beck U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,568, and not require any lighting source.
Display signs presenting opaque words and/or pictures outlined by light transmitted from an adjacent light-box are well known, and in some instances such signs may be translucent so as to show color of letters or pictorial detail but are not viewed as works of art. Examples are presented in U.S. Pat. Nos., such as in illuminated signs by Gandy in 4,380,880 and Frois et al. in 4,559,731; and especially in neon signs by Bianchi in 4,976,057 and Kile in 5,270,910.
Translucent artworks illuminable by transmitted light are rarer than mere signs, and their display demands features not previously combined--or not done to best advantage. The present invention is directed to displaying such framed artworks as being itself useful.


It has been discovered that even mild changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure or intracranial pressure (ICP) can be detected immediately as evidenced by distortions in the ONS surface structure. Further, the changes in the ONS persist after the CSF pressure has returned to normal. The stability of ONS distortions provides a method of detecting transient changes in brain pressure even when the use of the diagnostic ultrasound is delayed. One embodiment provides systems and methods for detecting or diagnosing brain injury by detecting distortions or deformations of the ONS, preferably using ultrasound.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually (Faul M, Xu L, Wald M M, Coronado V G. Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations and Deaths 2002-2006. Atlanta (Ga.): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2010.). Out of that 1.7 million people, 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.365 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
TBI is a spectrum, from mild, almost unnoticeable brain injury to severe brain injury that can lead to death or permanent disability. Mild TBI (MTBI) or concussion is one of the most common neurologic injuries, accounting for approximately 75% of all brain-injured people and leading to an annual cost of approximately $17 billion/year for treatment and rehabilitation (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Report to Congress on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Steps to Prevent a Serious Public Health Problem. Atlanta, Ga.: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003). As the name falsely implies, the symptoms of MTBI such as brief loss of consciousness, headache, confusion and dizziness often are transient and perceived as not serious or significant. However tissue changes, as a result of MTBI at the neuronal level can lead to significant, life-long impairment of a person's ability to function physically, cognitively, and psychologically.
As a result of no diagnosis or the false belief that the initial injury has resolved, individuals with MTBI are at increased risk for repeated head injury, because they often do not avoid the activity that caused the initial concussion. As a result of multiple episodes of MTBI, several syndromes can occur. Second Impact Syndrome (SIS) is damage to the brain that occurs when a second insult to the brain occurs soon after the initial MTBI episode. Because of the initial injury, physiological disturbances and disruption of the blood-brain barrier make the brain more susceptible to a second injury. The phenomena is characterized by release of oxygen free radicals and cellular inflammation leading to cerebral edema, hyperemia and subsequent increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) which in turn results in a disproportionate brain injury than would be expected from the second injury alone. Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTBI) represents the cumulative, long-term neurological consequence of repetitive concussions (MTBI). CTBI results in varying degrees of motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments. The severe form of CTBI is referred to as dementia pugilistca and shares many characteristics with Alzheimer's disease. With limited treatment options for CTBI, identification and minimization of the frequency of the brain injury are key to prevention. The ability to definitively identify/diagnosis initial MTBI at the time of injury could significantly reduce the instances of repetitive brain damage.
There is no gold standard for the diagnosis of MTBI. Conventional imaging (Computed tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging) cannot detect these subtle changes in the neurons associated with MTBI. Neuropsychological testing is a specialized task-oriented evaluation of human brain behavior relationships. This testing relies upon the use of standardized testing methods to evaluate higher cognitive functioning as well as basic sensory-motor processes. Neuropsychological testing helps explain the functional impact resulting from a MTBI. However, neuropsychological testing requires specialized training to perform accurately, requires a substantial length of time to perform, and is not typically performed immediately after an injury. Other, newer, more sophisticated imaging technologies show promise in detecting MTBI such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Diffuse Tensor Imaging (DTI). These methods are still in development and are not practical to use at the point of injury.
Other methods include the estimation of the pressure using a combination of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound equipment, which is designed to assess cerebral blood flow velocities and estimation of the optic nerve sheath diameter. Such techniques are taught for example in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0137182 published Jun. 9, 2011 to Bellezza and Lai. Unfortunately, detection of optic nerve sheath diameter is difficult to perform automatically, and requires a skilled clinician to properly identify the appropriate nerve.
With limited diagnostic tools combined with the often subtle, mild symptoms, identification of this type of injury is difficult when suspected. Thus, there is a need for new systems and methods for detecting brain injury, in particular MTBI.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a portable or mobile device for detecting MTBI at the point of injury.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for the non-invasive detection or diagnosis of brain injury.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for the non-invasive detection of changes in volume within the cranium and brain size.

Systems and methods for detecting intracranial pressure and volume

AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.


The invention disclosed is a method and apparatus for effecting a detection of selected proximate mobile devices using short-range radio frequency communications and/or Bluetooth and/or geo positioning systems, which detection and selection are based on the comparison and evaluation of pre-determined profiles associated with the persons transporting the mobile devices which data sets are stored and maintained in a separate central database. The invention disclosed is also a method and apparatus for effecting information exchange between mobile devices thus detected.

According to the 2000 Report of the Bureau of the Census, there are 88 Million Americans over the age of twenty without a spouse. By some estimates, as many as 30 Million of these singles are actively looking for mates. Market research of singles in the age group between 20 and 55 returns a unanimous result: all were interested in finding a romantic relationship. The only question was how.
Matchmaking services abound, ranging from individual matchmakers to personal ads and on-line dating. On-line dating has quickly become popular because of its convenience and efficiency: subscribers can quickly scan hundreds of potential mates from the comfort of home. But the fact is that on-line matchmaking is not particularly effective. One of the main reasons for the low success rate is that on-line "dating" fails to account for a basic fact about human nature: physical attraction is the sine qua non of a romantic relationship. The psychologists who have studied dating and matchmaking confirm that the physical attraction must come first; all else is secondary. A month of e-mailing through an on-line dating service is all for naught if there is no spark during the first real-life meeting.
The better paradigm is meet first, then decide. That is why "singles' events" remain popular. But they are also inconvenient and time-consuming. What singles need is an easy way to find out that another person in the neighborhood is looking for someone just like them, or that another person across the street is just what they are looking for.
Last year nearly 110 Million people in the U.S. used a cell phone. Wireless phones have become a staple of American life. Americans still use their cell phones largely for voice transmission, but the phones are capable of various modes of data transmission that offer valuable additional functionality.
One of these modes is Bluetooth. Bluetooth is an open specification that enables short-range, unregulated radio frequency spread spectrum wireless connections between Bluetooth-enabled devices such as desktop and laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, printers and scanners, and others. It operates in the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band with a range of either 10 or 100 meters, though the Bluetooth chips utilized in devices for the consumer market today typically have the lower range of 10 meters. It supports up to 8 devices in a piconet, has built-in security, non line-of-sight transmission, and is omni-directional.
Bluetooth-enabled consumer devices are becoming relatively common. The newest generation of cellular phones, such as the Sony Ericsson T-68, are equipped with Bluetooth chips. Motorola also sells Bluetooth cell phones. IBM's ThinkPad laptops are Bluetooth-enabled, as are Hewlett Packard's updated printers and Pocket PC handhelds. Palm, Inc. offers its latest organizer, Tungsten, with built-in Bluetooth. Microsoft has adopted Bluetooth software; it released to computer manufacturers an update that adds Bluetooth support to its Windows XP. It also markets wireless Bluetooth keyboards and mice. Apple Computer preceded Microsoft in adding Bluetooth technology to its operating system. Based on "Microsoft's muscle" and the power of these other major players in the consumer market, it is estimated that shipments of Bluetooth-enabled devices will total 48 Million this year, and that number may climb to 1.4 Billion by 2005.
There is a need for a method and apparatus whereby a user of a mobile device equipped with Bluetooth can be made aware of the proximity of another individual searching for a match.
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for effecting a detection of selected proximate mobile devices using short-range radio frequency communications and/or geo positioning systems, which selection is based on the comparison and evaluation of a pre-determined data sets, or profiles, associated with the persons transporting the mobile devices which data sets, or profiles, are stored and maintained in a separate central database. The invention disclosed is also a method and apparatus for effecting information exchange between mobile devices thus detected.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Existing methods of mobile matchmaking use proprietary technology platforms running on cellular phones which platforms utilize data supplied by wireless carriers to determine the approximate location of the phones. None of the existing technology platforms has the capacity to detect only those matches that are within a 10-meter sphere. Instead, their specificity is generally within a cell tower coverage area, which ranges in size from several miles to several city blocks.
The invention disclosed has the advantage of detecting matches only when they are within eyesight of each others, thus enabling the potential mates to determine immediately whether or not they are physically attracted to each other.
The invention disclosed has a further advantage over existing methods in that it does not depend upon location information provided by wireless carriers.

Method and apparatus for effecting a detection of mobile devices that are proximate and exhibit commonalities between specific data sets, or profiles, associated with the persons transporting the mobile devices


In a low coherent interference fringe analysis method, a light intensity distribution of interference fringes formed by object light and reference light in a sample is represented by a light intensity distribution function using an envelope function. Subsequently, phase shifting is carried out, so as to measure the light intensity at each shift stage. According to thus measured light intensities at respective shift stages, unknowns of the light intensity distribution function are computed. Then, according to the computed unknowns, a peak position of a curve of the envelope function is determined. According to thus determined peak position, phase information of the sample is determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low coherent interference fringe analysis method for measuring and analyzing phase information such as surface forms and internal refractive index distributions of a sample by using low coherent light (e.g., white light) including a plurality of light waves having respective wavelengths different from each other as illumination light in an interferometer apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While low coherent interference fringe analysis method using interference of low coherent light such as white light had conventionally been utilized for measuring surface forms of precision instruments such as lenses and IC boards, their field of application has recently been expanding, for example, so as to be employed in tomographic analyses of eyeballs.
A low coherent interference fringe analysis method comprising the steps of dividing low coherent light as illumination light in a Michelson type interferometer apparatus, for example, into two; irradiating a reference surface with one of thus obtained two light components so as to form reference light; irradiating a sample with the other so as to form object light carrying phase information of the sample; causing the object light and the reference light interfere with each other so as to form interference fringes; and capturing the interference fringes with a CCD camera or the like. When the light intensity of a predetermined pixel of the CCD camera is measured while shifting the sample or reference surface along the optical axis (which may be referred to as "z direction" in the following) of the interferometer apparatus, a light intensity distribution (interference waveform) along the z direction is obtained.
Since the low coherent light includes a plurality of light waves having respective wavelengths different from one another little by little, the interference fringes obtained by the low coherent light are considered to be composed of a plurality of sine functions having respective periods different from one another little by little. Therefore, in the light intensity distribution, the light intensity is maximized at a position where the phase of object light becomes identical to that of reference light at all the wavelengths (i.e., at a position where their optical path lengths are identical to each other) since their light waves enhance each other at all the wavelengths, whereas the light intensity gradually decays as farther distanced from the position.
It is important for the low coherent interference fringe analysis method to determine the position where the light intensity distribution is maximized. Actually obtained light intensity distribution data are discrete, whereas various methods for determining the maximum light intensity distribution position from the discrete data have been proposed.
Examples of known methods include those subjecting a number of discrete data items to Fourier transform or Hilbert transform, or integral transform such as wavelet transform, and those passing the squared AC component of the light intensity distribution to a low-pass filter.
However, such conventional methods require sample point intervals to be sufficiently small, which necessitates an enormous amount of arithmetic operations, thereby lowering the measurement speed.

Low coherent interference fringe analysis method