A curable resin comprising units of at least one prepolymer selected from the group consisting of a prepolymer (C) and a prepolymer (F); the prepolymer (C) having the formula (I): ##STR1## and the prepolymer (F) having the formula (III): ##STR2## The curable resin has the excellent flexibility, solvent resistance and adhesion to organic materials and the properties thereof can be controlled accordingly to desire, in addition to the excellent curability at ordinary temperature, adhesion to inorganic materials and weatherability.

The present invention relates to a curable resin, and more particularly to a curable resin having a hydrolyzable silyl group at the molecular ends or side chains, and having excellent flexibility, solvent resistance and adhesion to organic materials, and a process for preparing the curable resin.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 36395/1979 discloses that a hydrolyzable silyl group containing-vinyl resin has excellent curability at ordinary temperature, adhesion to inorganic materials such as concrete, glass, a steel plate and aluminum, and weatherability. However, the silyl group containing-vinyl resin disclosed is unsatisfactory in flexibility, solvent resistance and adhesion to organic materials. For overcoming the above-mentioned defects, it is considered to blend the vinyl resin with other resins. However, the vinyl resin with which other flexible resins are blended has the defect that the dryability is poor though the flexibility can be improved. Also, when the silyl group-containing vinyl resin is blended with other solvent resistant resins to improve the solvent resistance of the vinyl resin, the compatibility with other resins of the obtained resin becomes poor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a hydrolyzable silyl group-containing vinyl resin having the excellent flexibility, solvent resistance and adhesion to organic materials in addition to the excellent curability at ordinary temperature, adhesion to inorganic materials and weatherability.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.

Curable resin and process for preparing the same

Kanegafuchi Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


Methods and system are provided for a heat exchanger. In one example, a system, comprises a mobile electronic device comprising a front cover and a rear cover, a heat exchanger arranged between the front cover and the rear cover, the heat exchanger comprising a fluid chamber arranged between an inner surface of a first plate and an inner surface of a second plate, and a wick material arranged within the fluid chamber, the wick material comprising a sintered material configured to allow a plurality of fluid passages to extend therethrough.

The heat generated by computer chips and/or other heat-generating components in personal electronic devices may be dissipated to maintain high processing speeds and to avoid high temperatures which may cause degradation to the device or discomfort to the user. For example, 43° C. is specified as the maximum skin contact temperature for a handheld device and, for computer chips, temperatures above about 75-85° C. may significantly impact lifetime and performance. Heat dissipation is of greater concern as chip sizes continue to decrease and processing speeds increase, resulting in increased power densities and greater heat generation per unit area.
Some personal electronic devices incorporate thin heat-spreading devices such as planar sheets of graphite and/or copper, and/or heat pipes mounted on planar sheets, to spread and dissipate the heat generated by the computer chip over the area of the device. It is believed that the effectiveness of these existing technologies may not be sufficient to deal with the increased power densities of future generations of computer chips.
Compact cooling devices are known in which the heat of the computer chip is transported away from the chip as latent heat of evaporation. These devices are known as "vapor chambers", and have a flat, planar, panel-like structure with an internal chamber containing a working fluid. The vapor chamber spreads heat energy received at a local area as uniformly as possible throughout its entire area, thereby acting like an extended fin surface for conducting or convecting the energy away from the computer chip.
The local area of the vapor chamber which is in contact with the computer chip and/or other heat-generating component contains working fluid in the liquid state. Heat from the computer chip is transferred to the working fluid, which is vaporized and circulated through internal gas flow passages to cooler areas of the vapor chamber, where its temperature drops and it uses the larger fin area to condense, releasing the heat of condensation in areas away from the chip. The condensed working fluid is then wicked back to the area of the chip by capillary flow to repeat the cycle.
An example of a vapor chamber is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/047,484 by Vanderwees et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. According to the structure proposed by Vanderwees et al., a vapor chamber comprises a wicking element enclosed between a pair of sheets, wherein the wicking element comprises one or more layers of wire mesh. Each wicking element is cut from a larger sheet of material and includes a first plurality of cut-outs defining gas flow passages, and may also include a second plurality of cutouts defining spaces in which reinforcing ribs are provided, wherein the reinforcing ribs traverse the height of the fluid chamber to provide structural support for the sheets of the vapor chamber. The trimming of the wicking element and the formation of cutouts therein generate significant amounts of in-process scrap, as much as 50-80 percent of the wire mesh material, and the reinforcing ribs can also occupy significant amounts of space.
There remains a need for improved heat exchangers which are sufficiently rigid, thin, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as manufacturing methods to achieve these objectives.

Ultra thin two phase heat exchangers with structural wick


Compounds of formula (I)

Technical Field
The invention relates to substituted tetrahydropyran compounds that are modulators of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein, useful in treating diseases and conditions mediated and modulated by CFTR. Additionally, the invention relates to compositions containing compounds of the invention and processes for their preparation.
Description of Related Technology
Cystic fibrosis (CF), one of the most common autosomal recessive genetic diseases in the Caucasian population, is caused by loss of function mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene, which is located on chromosome 7 (http://www.cff.org/AboutCF/; Rowe S. M et al. (2005); N Eng J Med. (352), 1992-2001). Approximately 1:3500 and 1:3000 infants born in the United States and in Europe, respectively, are affected by CF, resulting in ˜75,000 cases worldwide, ˜30,000 of which are in the United State. Approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year, with more than 75% of patients being diagnosed by 2 years of age. Nearly half the CF population is currently 18 years of age and older. The CFTR protein (Gregory, R. J. et al. (1990) Nature 347:382-386; Rich, D. P. et al. (1990) Nature 347:358-362), (Riordan, J. R. et al. (1989) Science 245:1066-1073) is a cAMP/ATP-mediated ion channel expressed in a variety of cell types, including secretory and absorptive epithelial cells. CFTR regulates chloride and bicarbonate anion flux across the cell membrane, maintaining electro neutrality and osmolarity across the epithelial membrane (Quinton, P. M. (1990), FASEB J. 4: 2709-2727). CFTR is also responsible for regulating the activity of other ion channels and proteins (Guggino, W. B. et al. (2006), Nat Revs Molecular Cell Biology 7, 426-436).
Aberrations in CFTR function result in imbalance of the airway surface liquid, leading to mucus dehydration, inflammation, recurrent bacterial infection and irreversible lung damage, which lead to premature death in affected patients. Besides respiratory disease, CF patients suffer from gastrointestinal problems and pancreatic insufficiency. The majority of males (95%) with cystic fibrosis are infertile as a result of azoospermia caused by altered vas deferens; which may be absent, atrophic, or fibrotic. Fertility is also decreased among females with cystic fibrosis due to abnormal cervical mucus.
The F508del mutation, the most common of the approximately 1900 identified polymorphisms in CFTR, results in defective processing of CFTR in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (http://www.cftr2.org/index.php). Approximately 90% of the CF patients carry at least one copy of the F508del mutation (deletion of a phenylalanine on position 508), and 50%-60% of the patients are homozygous for this mutation. The defective processing of CFTR results in early CFTR degradation, which leads to reduced trafficking or absence of the protein on the membrane. As there have been over 100 CF disease-causing mutations identified, they have been classified according to their phenotypic consequences and belong to synthesis, maturation, regulation, conductance, reduced number due to quantity and reduced number due to stability classifications.
Current CF drug discovery efforts focus upon developing two classes of compounds to modulate CFTR. One class, called Correctors, helps to overcome the folding defects of the mutated CFTR protein to promote its maturation resulting in higher cell surface expression. The other classes of compounds, called Potentiators, help overcome the defective regulation and/or conductance of the protein by increasing the probability of channel opening on the membrane surface.
In addition, as the modulation of CFTR protein mutations to promote proper protein folding is beneficial for CF, there are other diseases mediated by CFTR. For example, Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disorder that results in symptoms of xerostomia (dry mouth) and keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS, dry eyes) may result from dysregulation of moisture producing glands throughout the body. Chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), or chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), which is a progressive and irreversible airflow limitation in the airways, is result of several physiologic abnormalities, including mucus hyper secretion and impaired mucociliary secretion. Increasing the anion secretion by CFTR potentiators has been suggested to overcome these phenotypic complexities with Sjögren's Syndrome by increasing the corneal hydration and by overcoming the impaired mucociliary secretion in COAD (Bhowmik A, et al. (2009); Vol. 103(4), 496-502. Sloane P, et al. PLOS One (2012); Vol 7(6), 239809 (1-13)).
Accordingly, there is a need for novel compounds able to modulate CFTR. In particular, the present invention discloses compounds that may act as CFTR modulators for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. The present invention also provides methods for the preparation of these compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and methods for the treatment of cystic fibrosis by administering the compounds of the invention.

Substituted tetrahydropyrans and method of use

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I)

Abstract: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts or radiolabelled forms thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12 and m are as defined in the specification, are useful in treating conditions or disorders prevented by or ameliorated by the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein. Methods for making the compounds are described. Also described are pharmaceutical compositions of compounds of formula (I), and methods for using such compounds and compositions.


A demodulator and method are provided. The demodulator for demodulating an optical signal, includes a splitter that splits a differential phase modulation signal into a first split light component and a second split light component, couples the first split light component to a first optical path and the second split light component to a second optical path, a first medium disposed on the first optical path, a second medium disposed on the second optical path and having a refractive index different from that of the first medium, and a combiner that combines the first split light component that has passed through the first medium and the second split light component that has passed through the second medium, wherein one of the first split light component and the second split light component is delayed in relation to the other.

1. Field
The embodiments discussed herein are directed to a demodulator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an optical fiber communication adopting a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) system, an optical signal modulated by a differential phase shift keying (DPSK) system or the like is demodulated by a demodulator that has a delay interferometer. For example, in a delay interferometer using the DPSK system, optical paths separated by splitting are made different in geometrical length, thereby providing a delay.
In the delay interferometer, when the ambient temperature changes, optical components, etc. expand or contract, changing the optical phase of an optical signal. Accordingly, the optical phase has to be adjusted. Conventionally, a simultaneously monitoring of the electric current in a light receiving element and feed-back-controlling a phase is disclosed. Additionally, conventionally a demodulation technology using a delay interferometer is disclosed.


A system and method for generating staged mixture model(s) is provided. The staged mixture model includes a plurality of mixture components each having an associated mixture weight, and, an added mixture component having an initial structure, parameters and associated mixture weight. The added mixture component is modified based, at least in part, upon a case that is undesirably addressed by the plurality of mixture components using a structural expectation maximization (SEM) algorithm to modify at the structure, parameters and/or associated mixture weight of the added mixture component.

Mixture model(s) are used, for example, to build and/or improve data mining models for density, regression and/or classification model(s). Statisticians and computer scientists have used these models for statistical inference or learning from data. In particular, model selection and model averaging techniques have been applied to models for the purposes of prediction and identifying cause and effect from observational data. The basic idea behind these endeavors has been that many domains exhibit conditional independence (e.g., due to causal relationships) and mixture models are useful for capturing these relationships.

Abstract: The staged mixture model employs a data-driven staged mixture modeling technique, for example, for building density, regression, and classification model(s). The basic approach is to add mixture component(s) (e.g., sequentially) to the staged mixture model using an SEM algorithm.


Compositions comprising PTH-rP peptides, combinations thereof, and multiepitope PTH-rP peptides, vectors for their delivery to antigen presenting cells, as well as methods are provided which are useful in the immunotherapy of parathyroid hormone related peptide expressing malignancies.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in males in the United States and Europe. One cause of the grave morbidity and mortality related to this malignancy is the development of hormone resistant metastatic bone metastases. Indeed, bone is among the most common sites of metastases for many other common cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate cancer, as well as myeloma and lymphoma. The clinical sequelae of skeletal involvement by tumor metastases includes such complications as pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia, as well as intractable pain believed to be caused by pressure from the expanding tumor mass, the release of cytokines and the spontaneous formation of small fractures in the metastatic bone. Bone metastasis invariably carries a grim prognosis for the cancer patient, as cure is no longer considered clinically achievable and treatment is limited to palliation in order to make the terminal patient more comfortable.
Because of the lack of therapeutic treatments for patients whose cancers have metastasized, intensive investigation has begun to focus on immunological or vaccination approaches to therapy. One of the problems encountered with vaccination approaches to human malignancy, however, is the mechanism of central and peripheral tolerance that limits the repertoire of self-reactive T cells to those of low avidity to prevent autoimmunity, making it difficult to elicit T cell responses that result in the attack of tumor cells. A primary goal of cancer immunotherapy, therefore, is the breaking of anergy and tolerance with concomitant activation and differentiation of tumor-reactive T cells. Because the balance between immunity and tolerance is in large part regulated at the immunologic interface between T cells and specialized cells that present antigens to T cells, such antigen-presenting cells, particularly dendritic cells, represent important targets for cancer immunotherapy.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells (APCs) strategically located in tissues where they efficiently capture and process antigens. DCs mature in response to exposure to pathogens or inflammatory mediators upon which they begin to express molecules which promote not only the migration of DCs to T cell zones of secondary lymphoid organs, but also upregulate the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and of several costimulatory and adhesion molecules. Upregulation of these factors permits the formation of a synapse between mature DCs and naive T cells which leads to the stimulation and maturation of T cells specific for antigens presented by DCs with which they have come into contact. Because of their role in stimulating and activating T cells, the loading of DCs with antigens in the form of proteins, peptides or RNA/DNA encoding tumor-associated antigens is an important element in the development of vaccines for overcoming tolerance to self-antigens.
The design of immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer also requires the identification of target antigens against which an effective immune response may be stimulated. While a number of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) and tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been identified for certain types of tumors, the delivery and presentation of a tumor-associated or tumor-specific self-antigen in a form that is effective to induce T cell responses remains a major challenge. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize protein antigens as small peptide products of cytoplasmic proteolysis bound to major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) molecules, while helper T cells recognize peptides of variable sizes complexed to MHC II. Epitope peptide binding to specific class I or II human leukocyte antigen (HLA) isotypes is determined by consensus motifs present in the amino acid sequences of the antigen peptides. Because the quality and duration of T cell receptor signaling at the synapse between DC and T cell influences T cell activation, the ability of a peptide antigen to elicit responses will be related to its affinity for the MHC molecule, determined by the presence of favored amino acids at anchor positions involved in MHC binding and by the presence of amino acids involved in the recognition of the MHC-peptide complex by the T cell receptor. Thus, the identification, delivery and presentation of a tumor-associated antigen in a form effective to elicit tumor- and metastasis-specific T cell responses presents a significant advance in the clinical immunotherapy of malignancy.

PTH-rP related peptide cancer therapeutics


A dual-gate SOI transistor has self-aligned upper and lower gates, in which a gate trench that will hold the dual-gate structure is formed by damaging the oxide under the transistor active area and preferentially etching that damaged region with HF, thus producing a self-aligned opening that has less overlap of the lower gate and the source/drain junctions and is filled with LPCVD polysilicon to form a dual-gate structure having reduced capacitance compared with prior art devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,019 shows a dual-gate transistor in which the lower gate is formed by flip-bonding a second wafer to the wafer containing the main portion of the transistor.
Yang, et al (J. Vac. Sci. Tech., vol. B14, 4204 (1996) show a dual-gate SOI FET in which selective doping of an insulating polysilicon bottom gate results in the drawback of lateral diffusion of the dopant.
Colinge, et al show a dual-gate transistor with a cavity under the gate that is not self-aligned and therefore will result in greater capacitance.

International Business Machines Corporation


A universal input/output module may be tailored to enable or disable a pull-up or pull-down function such that distinct type digital signals reaching the digital signal processor may be changed such that the distinct digital signals are similar in nature when processed. The digital signal processor is able to enable or disable a pull-down or a pull-up function to provide the ability to universally handle these distinct digital signal types. In other features, a plurality of the modules may be associated with a common power supply, board controller and central communication bus. The input/output modules have applications such as in processing a switch or sensor signal, and outputting a control signal to an associated component.

A input/output module that will typically take in a signal from a switch or sensor, process that signal, and send a control signal to an associated component (either directly or commanded by a central μC board) is provided with structure such that it can be tailored to operate with distinct signal types from the switch or sensor. In addition, a plurality of the modules are associated with common power and control functions.
The control of various systems such as may be associated with a vehicle or other complex systems must take in various electronic signal and process those signals to control associated components. These controls are becoming more and more complex.
One type of control element is an input/output module. An input/output module receives an input signal, such as from a switch or sensor, respectively a digital or an analog signal. The signal from a sensor might be that a particular condition has been sensed, and some control step should now be taken. The input from a switch may be that the switch has switched from off to on, and some control must be taken. The "output" of the module is typically sending a signal to control an associated component based upon the signal from the switch or sensor or from a central μC board. In the past, there have been a plurality of these modules associated with more complex systems. Typically, a single digital signal processor ("DSP") has been associated with a plurality of input/output modules. This has been somewhat undesirable in that a failure of that single processor would cause all of those control systems to fail. Further, in the past, each of the various modules have been provided with individual power supplies and control functions. Also, the modules that are known have not been able to be tailored to handle several distinct types of signals.


A system for remote detection of muzzle blasts produced by rifles, artillery and other weapons, and similar explosive events. The system includes an infrared camera, image processing circuits, targeting computation circuits, displays, user interface devices, weapon aim point measurement devices, confirmation sensors, target designation devices and counterfire weapons. The camera is coupled to the image processing circuits. The image processing circuits are coupled to the targeting location computation circuits. The aim point measurement devices are coupled to the target computation processor. The system includes visual target confirmation sensors which are coupled to the targeting computation circuits.

The present invention relates to (1) an optical muzzle blast detection and counterfire targeting system for remotely detecting the location of muzzle blasts produced by rifles, artillery and other weapons and similar explosive events, especially sniper fire; and (2) a system for directing counterfire weapons on to this location.
Hillis U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,889 relates to an infrared sniper detection enhancement system. According to this Hillis patent, firing of small arms results in a muzzle flash that produces a distinctive signature which is used in automated or machine-aided detection with an IR (infrared) imager. The muzzle flash is intense and abrupt in the 3 to 5 mum band. A sniper detection system operating in the 3 to 5 mum region must deal with the potential problem of false alarms from solar clutter. Hillis reduces the false alarm rate of an IR based muzzle flash or bullet tracking system (during day time) by adding a visible light (standard video) camera. The IR and visible light video are processed using temporal and/or spatial filtering to detect intense, brief signals like those from a muzzle flash. The standard video camera helps detect (and then discount) potential sources of false alarm caused by solar clutter. If a flash is detected in both the IR and the visible spectrum at the same time, then the flash is mostly probably the result of solar clutter from a moving object. According to Hillis, if a flash is detected only in the IR, then it is most probably a true weapon firing event.
In Hirshberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,822 a round detecting method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically detecting the firing of weapons, such as small arms, or the like. According to this Hirshberg patent, radiant and acoustic energy produced upon occurrence of the firing of a weapon and emanating from the muzzle thereof are detected at known, substantially fixed, distances therefrom. Directionally sensitive radiant and acoustic energy transducer means directed toward the muzzle to receive the radiation and acoustic pressure waves therefrom may be located adjacent each other for convenience. In any case, the distances from the transducers to the muzzle, and the different propagation velocities of the radiant and acoustic waves are known. The detected radiant (e.g. infrared) and acoustic signals are used to generate pulses, with the infrared initiated pulse being delayed and/or extended so as to at least partially coincide with the acoustic initiated pulse; the extension or delay time being made substantially equal to the difference in transit times of the radiant and acoustic signals in traveling between the weapon muzzle and the transducers. The simultaneous occurrence of the generated pulses is detected to provide an indication of the firing of the weapon. With this arrangement extraneously occurring radiant and acoustic signals detected by the transducers will not function to produce an output from the apparatus unless the sequence is corrected and the timing thereof fortuitously matches the above-mentioned differences in signal transit times. If desired, the round detection information may be combined with target miss-distance information for further processing and/or recording.
According to the present invention, an infrared camera stares at its field of view and generates a video signal proportional to the intensity of light. The camera is sensitive in the infrared spectral band where the intensity signature of the flash to be detected minus atmospheric attenuation is maximized. The video signal is transmitted to an image processor where temporal and spatial filtering via digital signal processing to detect the signature of a flash and determine the flash location within the camera""s field of view. The image processing circuits are analog and digital electronic elements. In another aspect and feature of the invention, the image processing circuits are coupled to target location computation circuits and flash location information is transmitted to the targeting location computation circuits. The targeting computation circuit is digital electronic circuitry with connections to the other devices in the system. The field of view of the camera is correlated to the line of sight of the confirmation sensor by using aim point measurement devices which are coupled to the target computation processor. The displays are video displays and show camera derived imagery superimposed with detection and aiming symbology and system status reports. The user interface devices are keypads and audible or vibrational alarms which control the operation of the system and alert the user to flash detections which are equated to sniper firing, for example. In still another aspect of the invention, the weapon aim point measurement devices include inertial measurement units, gyroscopes, angular rate sensors, magnetometer-inclinometers, or gimbaled shaft encoders. Visual target confirmation sensors are binoculars or rifle scopes with associated aim point measurement devices. Counterfire weapons contemplate rifles, machine guns, mortars, artillery, missiles, bombs, and rockets.
The basic objective of the present invention is to provide an improved muzzle blast detector system and method which uses multi-mode filtering to eliminate and/or minimize false alarms.
Another object of the invention is to provide a muzzle blast detector which accurately locates direction and range to muzzle blast source.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sniper detection method and apparatus which uses temporal, spectral and spectral filtering to discriminate between actual muzzle blasts and non-muzzle blast infrared generating events.

Optical muzzle blast detection and counterfire targeting system and method


In an input circuit of a semiconductor device, a CMOS inverter has first and second transistors connected in series between an external power supply and ground and complementarily operating in accordance with an input signal. The first and second transistors have a connection point connected to an output terminal. A first switching device is connected in parallel to the second transistor and turned on/off. A comparator compares a voltage from the external power supply with a predetermined reference voltage and outputs a reference signal representing a comparison result. A logic circuit performs a logical operation between the reference signal from the comparator and the input signal supplied to an input terminal of the CMOS inverter and ON/OFF-controls the first switching device on the basis of a logical operation result. The logic circuit turns off the first switching device when the reference signal from the comparator represents that the voltage from the external power supply is lower than the predetermined reference voltage, and otherwise, turns on/off the first switching device in accordance with a level of the input signal to the CMOS inverter.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and input and output circuits thereof and, more particularly, to the input and output circuits of a wide-range compatible semiconductor device which is operated at different external power supply voltages Vcc.
In recent years, semiconductor devices such as static RAMs (SRAMs) which are operated on a single chip in a wide range by an external power supply voltage Vcc from a low voltage of, e.g., about 3 V to a relatively high voltage of 5.5 V have been provided. Such a semiconductor device conventionally has an input circuit constituted by a CMOS inverter comprising a p-channel transistor Tr01 having a source to which the external power supply voltage Vcc is applied and a drain connected to the output terminal, and an n-channel transistor Tr02 having a drain connected to the output terminal and a source grounded, as shown in FIG. 5. The gates of the p-channel transistor Tr01 and the n-channel transistor Tr02 are commonly connected to the input terminal.
FIGS. 6A and 6B show conventional output circuits. The output circuit shown in FIG. 6A comprises a p-channel transistor Tr03 having a source to which the external power supply voltage Vcc is applied, a drain connected to the output terminal, and a gate connected to the first input terminal, and an n-channel transistor Tr04 having a drain connected to the output terminal, a source grounded, and a gate connected to the second input terminal (this output circuit arrangement will be referred to as a P-N arrangement hereinafter).
The output circuit shown in FIG. 6B comprises an n-channel transistor Tr05 having a drain to which the external power supply voltage Vcc is applied, a source connected to the output terminal, and a gate connected to the first input terminal, and an n-channel transistor Tr06 having a drain connected to the output terminal, a source grounded, and a gate connected to the second input terminal (this output circuit arrangement will be referred to as an N--N arrangement hereinafter).
However, use of the input and output circuits having the above arrangements for a wide-range compatible semiconductor device poses the following problems.
As the first problem, in the conventional input circuit (FIG. 5), the margin between a specification and a voltage VIH of an input signal IN at which the output signal changes from high level "H" to low level "L", and the margin between a specification value and a voltage VIL of the input signal IN at which the output signal changes from low level "L" to high level "H" can hardly be sufficiently ensured over the wide-range external power supply voltage Vcc.
More specifically, the voltage VIH of the input signal IN capable of switching an output signal OUT from the input circuit from high level "H" to low level "L" depends on the external power supply voltage Vcc and the size ratio of the p-channel transistor Tr01 to n-channel transistor Tr02 constituting the CMOS inverter. This means that assuming that the size ratio of the output transistor Tr01 to Tr02 does not change, as the external power supply voltage Vcc rises, the voltage VIH also becomes high, so the margin to the specification value becomes small.
If the margin becomes small, the device is likely to erroneously operate when the GND level varies due to an electromotive force based on the inductance component of the circuit and interconnection. In other words, when a large current flows from an external circuit connected to the input circuit to GND, the drain potential of the grounded n-channel transistor Tr02 exceeds the actual GND level due to the inductance component. This decreases the margin of the voltage VIH, so the high-voltage operation becomes unstable.
To avoid this problem, the n-channel transistor Tr02 may be made larger than the p-channel transistor Tr01, i.e., the size ratio may be increased to lower the voltage VIH. In this case, the margin to the specification value associated with the voltage VIH in the high-voltage operation can be ensured, although the margin to the specification value of the voltage VIL representing low level "L" in an operation at a low power supply voltage Vcc becomes small. As a result, the device erroneously operate depending on the external power supply voltage Vcc, so the operation becomes unstable.
For the semiconductor device which operates at the wide-range power supply voltage Vcc, a high access speed is required even in the low-voltage operation. As the second problem, the conventional output circuit cannot increase the size of the output transistor because of the influence of noise, so the access speed in the low-voltage operation cannot be increased.
More specifically, to realize a high-speed low-voltage operation in the conventional output circuit, the sizes of the transistors Tr03 and Tr04 with the P-N arrangement shown in FIG. 6A or the sizes of the transistors Tr05 and Tr06 with the N--N arrangement shown in FIG. 6B must be increased. However, when the sizes are increased, a large current flows to the output transistors during output transition in the operation at a high power supply voltage Vcc, so the device is affected by noise. This imposes limitations on the transistor sizes by itself. For this reason, the conventional output circuit cannot simultaneously solve the problem of noise in the high-voltage operation of the wide-range semiconductor device and the problem of access speed in the low-voltage operation.
In the output circuit having the N--N arrangement shown in FIG. 6B, when a voltage of high level is output, i.e., when the n-channel transistor Tr05 to which the external power supply voltage Vcc is applied is ON, a potential difference VT is generated between the drain and the source. As a result, when the output circuit outputs a voltage of high level, the voltage OUT at the output terminal is (Vcc-VT). In the operation at a low external power supply voltage Vcc, the specification value associated with a voltage VOH representing that the output signal OUT is at high level "H" can hardly be satisfied because of the voltage drop corresponding to the potential difference VT in the high-voltage-side output transistor Tr05, resulting in an erroneous operation.

Semiconductor device and input and output circuits thereof


A spreadsheet package allows a base formula to be copied to at least one adjacent cell to form a referencing array. The package maintains a list of bound arrays, at least one cell of a bound array being referred to from a referencing array formula. If a formula within a referencing array cell includes a reference to a cell outside a bound array, the package indicates an error in the formula.

Spreadsheet programs are widely used general programs that run on personal computers and have become well known tools for manipulating information electronically. They are commonly used for budgets, forecasting, and other finance-related tasks.
A conventional electronic spreadsheet organises data in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns. Each intersection of a row and a column is termed a cell. The cell can store numbers and data strings, as well as formulas for computing a result based upon values contained in other cells. To ease computation, spreadsheet programs include built-in functions that perform standard calculations. A formula may be constructed within a cell of the spreadsheet using one or more of the built-in functions combined with any other constants or variables.
Some spreadsheet programs can also link one spreadsheet to another containing related information to the first. This operation allows data in linked spreadsheets to be updated automatically. Additionally, spreadsheet programs also include macro facilities. Macros automatically repeat tasks that are to be performed frequently. Furthermore, spreadsheets provide a very convenient and visual mechanism for programming array calculations, for example, formula wizards.
FIG. 1 is used to illustrate the method by which formulae in cells are computed in existing spreadsheets. The examples used to describe standard spreadsheets herein are based on Lotus 1-2-3. (Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation.) The results of computation are shown in cells E3 . . . G5 and the corresponding formulae are shown in FIG. 1a.
On computation, the value 0 is held by cells E5 and G3 . . . G5, since the cells which are referenced, are empty. Existing spreadsheets assume the value of an empty cell is 0 and thus do not distinguish in normal calculations between a cell having null contents and one having contents set to 0. This problem is illustrated in FIG. 2, and a known method of detecting this problem in Lotus 1-2-3, for example, is to use an explicit @IsEmpty (location) check. This check tests the location for a blank cell and returns a 1 if the cell is empty and 0 if the cell is not.
To illustrate the need for improved error prompting, reporting and correction mechanisms, examples of the problems associated with existing spreadsheet technology are further described. The copy operation is used as an example. Referring to FIG. 2a simplified known spreadsheet implementing a commission calculation for a single salesman is shown. With conventional cell naming, the formula in cell C2 is =B2*F2, in cell C3 is =B3*F3, and so on. Generally the calculation involves the formula Commission=Amount Sold*Rate.
In reality, the column of the table representing the "rate", which would be common to all salespeople would be somewhat remote from the calculation. The calculation would be done for each salesperson. For example (not illustrated) the column containing "rate" values may be held on a different spreadsheet page.
When the spreadsheet of FIG. 2 is updated to include the values for a further month, "April" it is easy and quite common for an end user to copy down the calculation, but forgetting to extend the "rate" column. The copy down operation from C4=B4*F4 rewrites the formula for cell C5 as =B5*F5. However, since cell F5 is an empty cell, the value 0 is placed in C5.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the errors obtained from an inaccurate copy operation can be more serious if the "commission" column is located on the same sheet together with constant values, for example the "VAT" value. When the spreadsheet is being updated for the month of "May", to calculate the value for cell C6, the formula used is =B6*F6. However, since the constant value for the "VAT", namely 17.5%, resides in cell F6, it is this 0.175 value that is used in the equation =B6*F6.
The error obtained in FIG. 3 is more confusing to the end user as compared to FIG. 2. Cell C5 in FIG. 2 is easily distinguishable from the existing values in the column. However, in FIG. 3, the value obtained in cell C6 is not so easily differentiated and the problem becomes clear if the constant was set at a value of 17.5 instead of 17.5%, for example. In this case, the result in cell C6 would be 262.5 and because this is a similar value to the existing values in the column, the user may not be aware that an error has occurred. Also, this is not a problem that can be detected using the @IsEmpty function. Therefore, in existing spreadsheets the computation and display of a result still occurs even if the end user does not have knowledge of any associated errors with the result.
Thus, whereas detecting common syntax errors including placing multiple operators together and mismatching parentheses is conventional, the present invention seeks to highlight semantic errors and it is these errors that most often occur when a correct spreadsheet is updated without full awareness or thought to its structure. Currently, very little protection is provided against traditional "array bound" errors as described above, and programmers are therefore prone to write incorrect programs referencing meaningless empty cells, or worse, referencing cells with inappropriate meaning.
There are systems, such as CleanSheet that combine some of the benefits of spreadsheets with tighter programming controls. However, these systems rely too much on programming to be acceptable by typical spreadsheet programmers. Also, error detection and correction methods for formulae in a spreadsheet have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,180, issued to Karan Khanna et al. However, these systems provide no support for array bound errors and semantic errors.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Error correction mechanisms in spreadsheet packages

International Business Machines Corporation


There is disclosed a file management method in a log-structured file system for storing accesses to files that are sequentially performed by sequentially adding logs. A storage area of a storage medium is previously divided into a data area for storing a log including data of the file and a management area that can store management information related to the log stored in said data area for a plurality of entries. Then, the management information including a first number indicating the order of writing the entry is added and stored in the management area as a new entry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file management method for a storage medium accessed from a processor, and in particular, relates to a file management method suitable for a storage medium having a limitation on the number of times data is erased.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer file system that stores data in a storage medium on a file-by-file basis mediates to store a file in various media. For example, flash memory that is suitable for increasing capacity, is electrically rewritable, does not lose data if the power source is turned off, and is used to store files. Though data can be written into the flash memory in small units, such as a byte, the written data must be erased in large units, like a block.
Then, there is a limitation on the number of times data in the flash memory is erased. Therefore, when a flash memory is used as a storage medium, the flash memory is used in such a way that the numbers of erase operations for each block are equalized, to extend a usable period as long as possible. The equalization of the number of erasing times is called "wear leveling".
In the file system using a flash memory as a storage medium, like a JFFS (Journaling Flash File System) by David Woodhouse, the technique of "log-structured" (Uresh Vahalia, "UNIX Internals: The New Frontiers", Perason Education Japan, May 15, 2000, pp. 398 to 399) is used.
"Log-structured" is a data storing method in which data is continuously added and stored one after another without being overwritten. According to this method, the old data remains stored in a log structured array among data that are continuously stored. Then, the remaining data that are stored in a log structured array contain both valid and invalid data. Therefore, according to the "log-structured" file system, like JFFS, in the mount process that is executed at the start of use, all data in flash memory are read, and a range of significant data is identified. In the "log-structured" technique, like this, since data is not locally erased, the blocks of data can be used equally.
However, the above-mentioned conventional technique has the following problem.
According to the "log-structured" file system, the number of erase operations in a storage area can be equalized and the usable period can be prolonged. However, in such a file system, since it is necessary to check all data in the storage medium to be mounted and to screen out a valid data range in order to find a front log in the mount process. There is a problem that the process is lengthy and it takes much time at the start of the operation.
As another conventional file system, there is a file system in which a file management structure is recorded in an index file to recognize the entire structure easily. As such a file system, there is a LFS (Logstructured File System) of 4.4BSD (Berkeley Software distribution.) For example, see Marshall Kirk Mckusick, Keith Bostic, Michael J. kareles, Johon S. Quarterman, "The Design and Implementation of the 4.4BSD", Oct. 10, 2003, pp. 331 to 350.
However, in the LFS, though the position of the index file changes in the storage madium, the management information showing the position of the index file is recorded in the superblock whose the position is fixed. Therefore, the contents of the superblock are updated whenever the position of the index file changes through update.
Therefore, the number of erase operations in the block used as the superblock is larger than the number of erase operations in another block, and therefore the number of erasing times is not equalized. Accordingly, the entire usable period of the flash memory is determined by the number of erasing times in the superblock.

File management method for log-structured file system for sequentially adding and storing log of file access


Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably produce and supply bubbly water to nozzle holes, causing finely divided water droplets of relatively large, uniform size to land continuously on a user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein an ejection speed changing means is installed in the water supply unit to at least partially vary ejection speeds of the water ejected from respective throttle channels of the plurality of throttle channels of the throttle unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shower apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the present technical field, a shower apparatus is known which discharges bubbly water by aerating water using a so-called ejector effect. Since the water flowing into the shower apparatus is distributed to multiple nozzle holes and sprayed therefrom, when the spray is aerated, the water flowing into the apparatus is aerated before being distributed among the nozzle holes.
An example of such a shower apparatus is proposed in National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2006-509629. The shower apparatus described in National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2006-509629 comprises a plurality of nozzle holes provided in a front face of a disk-shaped housing shell and is configured to discharge water flowing in through the center of a rear face of the housing shell by distributing the water to the plurality of nozzle holes. The shower apparatus produces bubbly water by aerating the water which has flowed into the housing shell and distributes the bubbly water to the plurality of nozzle holes formed so as to distribute over the entire front face of the housing shell. Therefore, a turbulence generation/expansion unit is placed in a traveling direction of the bubbly water, causing the bubbly water to change direction by colliding with the turbulence generation/expansion unit and thereby spread over the entire front face of the housing shell.
Another example of a shower apparatus is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-239106. With the shower apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-239106, when a cock such as a hot and cold mixer tap is opened, water is supplied from a hose and passed through an orifice member. Then, the water is mixed with air sucked through an inner suction port open to a decompression chamber installed on a downstream side of the orifice member and maintained under reduced pressure at the given moment. The shower apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-239106 produces bubbly water in this way and discharges the bubbly water through a plurality of nozzle holes provided in a shower head. With the shower apparatus, the produced bubbly water proceeds to the nozzle holes by changing direction by hitting a threaded member in a partitioned pipe installed on the downstream side of the decompression chamber as well as inner walls of the shower head installed further downstream.


A high speed screen printing machine (20) is provided for accurately imprinting images on segments (205) bearing indicia (206) of a transparent web (34, 36). The machine (20) includes a vacuum platen (24) which is transversely adjustable to accommodate webs of differing widths, a camera assembly (28) beneath the platen (24) and indicia (206), and an X, Y, .theta. adjustable frame (30) supporting an upper screen frame support assembly (32) adapted to hold a printing screen (208) provided with reference indicia (212). When a segment (205) is initially positioned and held by platen (24), the camera assembly (28) is used to generate a combined image of the indicia (206) through the segment (205) and the screen reference indicia (212); a microprocessor controller uses this data, together with positional information establishing the location of the screen frame support assembly (32), and activates the three-motor adjustment frame (30) for simultaneous X, Y and .theta. adjustment of the support assembly (32) and camera assembly (28) until the screen (208) and segment (205) are registered. At this point, a squeegee is used to transfer the screen image onto the segment (205).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with an improved, high speed screen printing machine which permits extremely accurate imprinting of successively fed planar segments. More particularly, the invention pertains to such a screen printing machine, and corresponding methods, wherein a camera is located adjacent the bottom face of the segment to be imprinted and is oriented to view a marginal segment indicium through the segment material while simultaneously viewing a reference indicium carried on the screen; this combined image data is then used to adjust the screen, preferably by simultaneously moving the screen along two transverse adjustment axes parallel to the plane of the segment, and about a rotational axis transverse to such plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide a screen printing press for printing on a web having defined areas or segments that are successively brought into a position to be printed. The press includes a flat, image-bearing screen supported on the base of the press for movement between a printing position overlying the web and an interrupted position spaced from the web. In addition, a web handling assembly is provided for advancing the web along a path of travel to successively feed the defined segments toward a work station defined by the press base.
When the web is to undergo multiple printing processes, e.g. in the production of multi-color images, it is necessary to print each individual color on the web and to dry the web prior to printing the subsequent color. Therefore, as the web is fed to the work station for the second and all subsequent printing operations, it is necessary to register each successive image, or defined segment, with the screen so that all of the colors are in register with one another. Typically, such registration is achieved manually by adjusting the position of the screen on the press and printing proof images on the web until registration is obtained. Thereafter, it is assumed that the web and screen remain in register as each successive area of the web is fed a predetermined distance to the work station by the web handling system. If misregistration occurs due to stretching or contraction of the web material, the press is stopped and the screen position is readjusted to properly register with the web. Alternately, it is possible to manually adjust the incremental feed of the web to compensate for such misregistration.
It is also known in the screen printing art that the centerline of the image to be imprinted should be located in registry with the centerline of the web for optimum printing results. If only a single web width is employed, such centerline matching does not present any significant problems. However, where a given screen printing machine is designed to handle webs of varying widths, a problem arises in that it is difficult to rapidly and accurately realign the machine for varying web widths while still maintaining centerline printing.
Pending application for U.S. patent Ser. No. 08/658,025 describes a screen printing press having longitudinal, lateral, and angular screen frame registration. In the described press, longitudinal adjusting means is provided for precise longitudinal alignment between the screen and web along the X axis (i.e., along the path of web travel). A separate adjusting mechanism is used for lateral (Y axis) and angular (.theta. axis) adjustments between the screen and web. Accordingly, the press of the '025 application is incapable of simultaneous X, Y, .theta. adjustments.
Pending application for U.S. patent Ser. No. 08/825,368 describes a web processing apparatus such as a die cutting machine which includes a unique three-motor adjustment mechanism permitting simultaneous X, Y, .theta. adjustment of a segment-holding platen. Both of the aforementioned U.S. patent applications are incorporated by reference herein.

Screen printing machine having three axes screen registration with shiftable support vacuum table for web


A supporting structure for furniture has at least one upright and at least one bracket which can be attached to the upright. The upright has a cross-section in the form of lobes extending longitudinally along the upright, each pair of adjacent lobes defining a corresponding longitudinal seat. The lobes and seats are designed for coupling with corresponding locking units for respectively positioning the brackets and auxiliary elements complementing the structure.

In the technical sector of interior furnishing, supporting structures are required which are suitable for forming tables, desks and the like and can be easily assembled, ensuring the necessary rigidity of the assembled components, and which allow several support surfaces to be provided in accordance with the various requirements and which can also be connected together so as to form multiple working units suitable for use by several persons.
In addition to this, it is also required that such structures should be easy to assemble and disassemble and be able to be combined so as to form tables of different dimensions and geometrical configurations without having to vary the elements which make up the supporting structure
It is also known that the technical problems associated with these functional requirements have already been considered and solved by three main types of supporting structures.
Conventional solution, where the supporting structures may be jointly used by several accessory elements, as, for example, in the case of adjacent tables, the surfaces are supported by common uprights. In this case, however, extension of the structure is performed only along one axis, i.e. the horizontal one, of the theoretical set of three reference axes defining the volume of the area to be furnished
In a combined system, the structures are still jointly used by several working surfaces and, if necessary, by screens separating the actual work stations. In this case the structure may be expanded along all three axes of the aforementioned set of three axes defining the volume to be furnished and allows a large amount of space to be saved compared to the conventional solution. However, it has the drawback that, in order to vary the arrangement of part of the work stations, it is necessary to disassemble the structure by performing operations which, although they are simple, take time and require disassembly of the entire structure which must be then re-assembled with additional parts.
In an add-on system, the latter which is composed of structures for supporting the various components which are totally independent. The multiple configuration is obtained in this case by simply arranging the tables next to one another in the two horizontal directions of the aforementioned set of three reference axes. In this case also, it is possible to obtain an expansion in the vertical direction for screens, accessories and the like, which, however, are joined together without the possibility of relative movement.
All the systems described above are, however, independent of one another and it is not possible to change from one to the other, without modifying entirely the elements which make up the basic structure.

Supporting structure for furniture and the like comprising an upright with lobes


A transmission line section of a flat cable includes a dielectric element including a signal conductor at an intermediate position of a thickness direction, a first ground conductor, and a second ground conductor. The first ground conductor includes elongated conductors that are spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the dielectric element, and extend in a longitudinal direction, and bridge conductors that connect the elongated conductors at spaced points along the longitudinal direction. A widened portion having a width larger than the width of the elongated conductors is located at the intermediate position between bridge conductors that are adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction. The widened portion is configured to project in a direction in which the elongated conductors are opposed to each other. An interlayer connection conductor is located in the widened portion. The first ground conductor and the second ground conductor are connected by the interlayer connection conductor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin flat cable configured to transmit radio frequency signals, and an electronic device including the flat cable.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a coaxial cable exists as a typical example of radio frequency line for transmitting radio frequency signals. A coaxial cable includes a central conductor (signal conductor) shaped to extend in one direction (shaped to extend in the direction of signal transmission), and a shield conductor provided concentrically along the outer peripheral surface of the central conductor.
Incidentally, as radio frequency devices including mobile communications terminals have become increasingly smaller and thinner in recent years, it is not possible to secure a space for disposing a coaxial cable inside the terminal housing in some cases.
Accordingly, attention is being given to use of a flat cable as discussed in each of International Publication No. WO 2011/007660 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3173143 for such a terminal housing. Although a flat cable has a larger width than a coaxial cable, a flat cable can be reduced in thickness, which proves particularly advantageous for cases such as when there is only a small gap inside the terminal housing.
The flat cable discussed in each of International Publication No. WO 2011/007660 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3173143 has a tri-plate strip line structure as its basic structure.
The flat cable as discussed in each of International Publication No. WO 2011/007660 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3173143 has a flat plate-like dielectric element having flexibility and an insulating property. The dielectric element has an elongated shape extending in a straight line. A second ground conductor is provided on a second surface orthogonal to the thickness direction of the dielectric element. The second ground conductor is a so-called solid conductor pattern that covers substantially the entire second surface of the dielectric element. A first conductor is provided on a first surface opposite to the second surface of the dielectric element. The first ground conductor includes elongated conductors, which are shaped to extend along the longitudinal direction, at both ends of the width direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction. The two elongated conductors are connected by bridge conductors. The bridge conductors are disposed at predetermined spacings along the longitudinal direction, and shaped to extend in the width direction. Consequently, the second ground conductor has a shape such that openings with a predetermined length are arranged along the longitudinal direction. The bridge conductors for forming these openings are generally disposed at regular spacings along the longitudinal direction.
A signal conductor with a predetermined width and a predetermined thickness is formed in the middle of the thickness direction of the dielectric element. The signal conductor has an elongated shape that extends in a direction parallel to the elongated conductors of the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor. The signal conductor is formed substantially at the center of the width direction of the dielectric element.
With the above-mentioned configuration, in plan view of the flat cable (when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface), the signal conductor is disposed so as to overlap the first ground conductor only in the location of the bridge conductors, and lie within the openings in other areas.
The flat cable as discussed in International Publication No. WO 2011/007660 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3173143 includes interlayer connection conductors in order to provide electrical continuity between the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor. The interlayer connection conductors penetrate the dielectric element in the thickness direction. The interlayer connection conductors are formed in the connecting areas of the elongated conductors of the first ground conductor with the bridge conductors.
However, further reductions in width are desired for the thin flat cable as mentioned above. In order to ensure that a flat cable has the same characteristic impedance after being reduced in width as that before the reduction in width, it is necessary to narrow the width of the elongated conductors of the first ground conductor.
However, in the case of the structure in which the interlayer connection conductors formed by conductive vias are formed in the elongated conductors as mentioned above, the narrower width of the elongated conductors means that the diameter of the interlayer connection conductors also needs to be made smaller. The interlayer connection conductors are each formed by filling a through-hole or excavated hole with a conductive paste and then curing the conductive paste. Consequently, when the interlayer connection conductors have a small diameter, the interlayer connection conductors are susceptible to breakage from the stress exerted when the flat cable is bent. Moreover, the narrow width of the elongated conductors makes it difficult to form the through-hole or excavated hole at a predetermined position, leading to an increase in work load or a decrease in manufacturing yield. Further, in a case where the bridge conductors are narrow, the stress exerted on the interlayer connection conductors when the flat cable is bent is exerted on the bridge conductors located near the interlayer connection conductors having high hardness, which may cause the bridge conductors to break in some cases. As described above, with the conventional structure, narrowing the width of the flat cable leads to a decrease in the reliability of the flat cable.


Compositions for regeneration of inner cells and for treating hearing loss comprise at least one modulator of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) sufficient to induce reprogramming proliferation and regeneration of inner ear cells. The composition include, in some instances, an effective amount of one or more phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) inhibitors, MYC/NOTCH modulators, Atonal Homolog 1 (Atoh1) modulators or combinations thereof.

One of the most common types of hearing loss is sensorineural deafness that is caused by the loss of hair cells or hair cell function. Hair cells are sensory cells in the cochlea responsible for transduction of sound into an electrical signal. The human inner ear contains only about 15,000 hair cells per cochlea at birth, and, although these cells can be lost as a result of various genetic or environmental factors (e.g., noise exposure, ototoxic drug toxicity, viral infection, aging, and genetic defects), the lost or damaged cells cannot be replaced. Hair cells also are found in the utricle of the vestibule, an organ which regulates balance. Therefore, hair cell regeneration is an important approach to restoring hearing and vestibular function.


An information handling system includes a processor determining a threshold number of users of a source software application from the plurality of mobile devices near a wireless radio transmitter location and a mobile virtual machine distribution system deploying a virtual machine copy of the source software application to a server near the wireless radio transmitter location when the threshold number of users is met.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Technology and information handling needs and requirements can vary between different applications. Thus information handling systems can also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information can be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems can include a variety of hardware and software resources that can be configured to process, store, and communicate information and can include one or more computer systems, graphics interface systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. Information handling systems can also implement various virtualized architectures. Data communications among information handling systems may be via networks that are wired, wireless, optical or some combination. Connection speeds to data and processing resources are a consideration for quality of usage experience for wireless application users. Effective use of wireless networks due and availability of resources for wireless users is also relevant to wireless user experience, for example minimization of congestion in wireless networks.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Method and apparatus for context aware management of location optimization of virtual machines for mobility and real-time enterprise applications


The present invention provides a transflective liquid crystal display device which includes diffusion reflective electrodes suitable for a display of high definition. Into an organic resin film material PET which is formed by mixing NQD as a photosensitive agent in an acrylic resin having a specific gravity of 1.05 and a refractive index of 1.50, spherical particles PTC made of acrylic modified polystyrene which has a specific gravity of 1.00, a refractive index of 1.50 and a particle size of 1.6 μm are mixed at a rate of 3:1 so as to form an organic insulation film material in which a total solid content is adjusted to 30% and viscosity is adjusted 20 mPa·s. The organic insulation film material is applied and is dried to form an organic insulation film. A portion of the organic insulation film which is to be arranged below a diffusion reflective electrode is exposed using an exposure mask having half exposure apertures which are formed of a large number of slits and the organic insulation film is hardened. Aluminum is sputtered to the organic insulation film and is subject to photolithography etching treatment thus forming the diffusion reflective electrodes MT in a reflective region. A reflective region of the diffusion reflective electrode MT has an uneven surface shape which traces uneven surface shapes of the spherical particles PTC mixed into the organic insulation film PF arranged below the diffusion reflective electrodes MT.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a transflective liquid crystal display device which includes both of a transmissive region and a reflective region in each pixel region, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
As a liquid crystal display device, there have been known a reflective liquid crystal display device, a transmissive liquid crystal display device, and a transflective liquid crystal display device which is the combination of the reflective liquid crystal display device and the transmissive liquid crystal display device. The transflective liquid crystal display device forms both of a transmissive region which allows light from a backlight to pass therethrough and a reflective region which reflects an external light in each pixel region thus realizing advantages of the transmissive liquid crystal display device and the reflective liquid crystal display device by one liquid crystal display device.
As a type of transflective liquid crystal display device, there has been known a transflective liquid crystal display device which includes incorporated diffusion plates (inner-surface diffusion reflection plates). The incorporated diffusion plate includes a metal film which diffuses and reflects an external light incident from a display screen side in the direction toward the display screen in a reflective region of each one pixel on an inner surface of the substrate. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view for explaining a constitutional example of one color pixel of the transflective liquid crystal display device. A color pixel CP is constituted of three pixels (also referred to as sub pixels) R, G, B forming a trio. The respective pixels R, G, B are defined by a black matrix BM, wherein the pixel R includes a reflective portion RR and a transmissive portion TR, the pixel G includes a reflective portion RG and a transmissive portion TG, and the pixel B includes a reflective portion RB and a transmissive portion TB.
A size in the lateral direction (a size in the gate-line direction) of the reflective portions RR, RG, RB is indicated by PH and a size in the longitudinal direction (a size in the data-line direction) of the reflective portions RR, RG, RB is indicated by PV. A size in the lateral direction of the transmissive portions TR, TG, TB is indicated by PH and a size in the longitudinal direction of the transmissive portions TR, TG, TB is indicated by TV. A size in the lateral direction of the color pixel CP is indicated by PH and a size in the longitudinal direction of the color pixel CP is indicated by PV.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ in FIG. 11 for explaining a constitutional example of a transflective liquid crystal display device. In FIG. 12, the transmissive portions TR, TG, TB shown in FIG. 11 are collectively indicated as a transmissive region TA, and the reflective portions RR, RG, RB shown in FIG. 11 are collectively indicated as a reflective region RA. In FIG. 12, a thin film transistor TFT is formed on an inner surface of a TFT substrate SUB1 which constitutes a first substrate. The thin film transistor TFT is formed of a gate electrode GT, a gate insulation film GI, a silicon semiconductor layer (not shown in the drawing), a source electrode (drain electrode) SD1, and a drain electrode (source electrode) SD2.
A protective film PAS which is preferably made of a transparent insulating material is formed in a state that the protective film PAS covers thin film transistors TFT, and pixel electrodes PX formed of a transparent conductive film which is preferably made of ITO are formed on the protective film PAS. The pixel electrode PX is connected to the source electrode (drain electrode) SD1 via a contact hole CH formed in the protective film PAS, and is driven by the thin film transistor TFT. In such a constitution, a film thickness of the protective film PAS is small in the transmissive region TA and is large in the reflective region RA. On a surface of the protective film PAS in the reflective region RA, a diffusion reflective electrode MT having an uneven surface which is formed of a sputtered metal film is formed. A cell gap g1 in the transmissive region TA is set to a value twice as large as a cell gap g2 in the reflective region RA so as to make optical phases of transmissive light and reflection light agree with each other. As a constitutional example in which a resin-made coating film containing particles therein is used and a diameter of the particles is set larger than a film thickness of a coated film thus allowing the particles to project from the coating film to form an unevenness of a background layer of a diffusion reflective electrode on a surface thereof, a technique disclosed in patent document 1 can be named.
On the other hand, on an inner surface of a color filter substrate (CF substrate) SUB2 which constitutes a second substrate, color filters CF which are defined by a black matrix BM, an overcoat layer OC and counter electrode (common electrodes) AT are formed. Here, although an orientation film is formed on an interface between the TFT substrate and a liquid crystal layer, such orientation layers are omitted from the drawings.
Further, the orientation of liquid crystal is disturbed by a stepped portion between the transmissive portion TA and the reflective portion RA and leaking of light occurs in performing a black display. Here, the black matrix BM is provided between the neighboring pixels and hence, the black matrix BM constitutes a non-transmissive portion NT whereby the leaking of light does not occur. However, the disturbance of orientation at the stepped portion in the inside of the pixel causes leaking of light LK thus lowering the display quality. FIG. 13 shows a method which can cope with this lowering of quality. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 12 and explains a structural example of a transflective liquid crystal display device which possesses the light leaking prevention structure. The structure shown in FIG. 13 prevents the leaking of light by forming such a portion into a non-transmissive portion NT by covering a side surface of the stepped portion with a metal film MT (see JP-A-2002-350840).

Liquid crystal display device having diffusion reflective electrodes and a manufacturing method thereof


It is an object to provide a bending angle detecting system for a press brake which can perform high precision bending process without employing a special die, The bending angle detecting system includes a sensor (20) provided on a back stop (8) for determining a bending position of a workpiece (7) to be subject to the bending process, and means for controlling a lower limit position of a punch (6) based on an angle signal detected by the sensor (20).

In a press brake for bending a plate form workpiece, it is possible to achieve high precision bending process to obtain a bending angle close to a target bending angle at one bending step by detecting a bending angle of the workpiece on bending and feeding back the detected information to a control unit for controlling a lower limit position of a ram.
Therefore, there have been proposed various methods in detecting bending angle of the workpiece during the bending process.
For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-50217, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-49327, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64-2722, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64-2723 and so on.
However, in all methods, there are drawbacks in high cost for a die assembly per se due to requirement for special dies, in restriction of the size of the dies or in difficulty of detecting the angle for the workpiece having a cut-out, since the sensor for detecting the bending angle is mounted on the die or the position of the sensor is not fixed.

System for detecting bending angle for press brake


A reaction system enables a plurality of optimization experiments for a reaction to be performed continuously, to enable optimal reaction parameters to be determined. Dilution pumps are included to automatically vary the solvent mixed with reactants so a concentration of each reactant can be selectively varied. The reactants are introduced into a reaction module selectively coupled to residence time chambers or directly to an analytical unit. The analytical unit determines the yield and/or quality for each optimization experiment, enabling optimal parameters to be determined. Residence time chambers can be employed sequentially to enable total residence time to be varied. The controller performs as many experiments as required to enable each parameter to be varied according to a predefined testing program and can redefine a testing program based on the results from previous experiments. At least two reaction parameters can be varied according to periodic functions to further enhance analytical efficiency.

Apparatus for controlling and optimizing the production of chemical substances are well known in the prior art. Reaction parameters effecting the quantity and quality of the product generated include concentration levels of each reactant, temperature conditions, flow rates, and residence times. Varying one or more of the reaction parameters generally results in a change in product yield. It is therefore advantageous to optimize such reaction parameters to maximize production and quality.
A basic prior art optimization procedure is as follows. Initial reaction conditions from an initial synthesis are used as a starting point. Using temperature, reaction time and concentrations at the values determined in the initial synthesis, three experiments with different equivalents (i.e. different stoichiometric ratios) are conducted. For example, where the initial synthesis was based on using a 1:1 ratio of a first reactant and a second reactant, ratios such as 1:1.1, 1:1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1:1, 1.2:1, and 1.3:1 could be employed. In a second set of experiments, three different temperature conditions are applied. A third and fourth set of three experiments each are also performed, changing other variables in each set. After twelve such experiments have been performed (i.e., four sets of three experiments), the results are reviewed, and optimized reaction parameters are defined, based on the data collected from the twelve experiments. An additional set of twelve experiments can then be performed, similarly varying the optimized parameters defined by the first series of experiments. In such an optimization procedure, typically twenty four experiments are required for a first optimization of reagent equivalents, temperature conditions, reaction time, and reagent concentration for a given reaction, as each experiment is repeated to check the reproducibility of the results. One disadvantage of this approach is that interactions between these parameters are difficult to quantify.
Because of this difficulty, process optimization methods referred to as statistical design experiments have been developed. The goal of such methods is to model an equation in order to couple process variables with process results (i.e., the yield of a reaction). A well known two-value approach requires 2n+1 experiments, where n is the number of variables. Each variable is employed at two different values, and an additional experiment is performed using the mean of each variable (as a control to determine if the behavior is linear). Typically, every experiment is repeated to estimate the reproducibility. For the above-mentioned case, (24+1)*2=34 experiments are needed. The disadvantage of such an empirical approach is the fact that the success of the optimization is largely based on how well each of the two values for each variable is selected. Selecting levels that are close together results in only small improvements in optimization being achieved; so that it is likely an additional 2n+1 sets of experiments will be required. Selecting values that are far apart results in a risk that one or more variables will exceed a critical parameter, which will significantly affect yields (such as exceeding a reaction temperature beyond which yield drops sharply or no reaction takes place). When this result occurs, the initial set of 2n+1 experiments are of little value, and the experiments must be repeated after different values have been selected.
Furthermore, if the mean value experiment indicates that non linear behavior exists, then it is necessary to determine the impact of quadratic terms. This step can only be assessed by expanding the design of experiments to 3n experiments, where the three values are defined as the lower and upper bounds, as well as the mean values of these bounds. For the analysis of a four-parameter system, this approach implies a total of 34=81 experiments will be required. Preferably, each set is repeated to validate reproducibility, so that a total of 162 experiments must be performed. In practice, some terms and factors in an equation model are often identical, and it is not unusual for the 81 experiments noted above to be reduced to about 40 experiments (without the duplication for validation of reproducibility).
This analysis can be performed efficiently using software packages that determine the values for each experiment, the order in which these values should be changed, and evaluate the outcome to provide a mathematical relationship between the performance criteria being investigated and the variables to be adjusted to optimize the performance. Today, equipment for parallel batch experiments is also available, so that a number of experiments can be conducted at the same time. These parallel analysis systems are based on matrices of reaction modules in which the chemicals to be analyzed are input manually at variable concentrations. Some reaction conditions, such as temperature, are often identical for all the vessels being analyzed at any given time due to the physical dimensions and limitations of the system. The reaction duration is also generally identical for efficient analysis. Due to the discrete nature of experimentation, the evaluation at the end of the experiment has to be performed for all reaction modules separately, to determine the performance of each system. These results are analyzed off-line as one data set for a fixed temperature and reaction duration. Experimentation at different reaction temperatures requires the generation of another matrix with the same reactants, and repetition of the experiments at the new temperature, as well as a new analysis of the collected data. Once the analysis for concentrations and concentration ratios at different temperatures is completed, the same set of experiments can be performed to determine the effect of reaction time on yield. The repetitiveness of such experiments (i.e., the batch-like processing) is enforced due to the matrix-like structure of the parallel reaction vessels.
While such methods can enable optimized reaction parameters to be achieved, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus based on optimizing reactions parameters using a continuously running system, as opposed to using the batch-based testing of the prior art.

System and method for determining optimal reaction parameters using continuously running process


In conjunction with an image segmentation arrangement, in which the image is processed with an image type detection arrangement, the output of which controls an image processing of the image, there is provided a morphological filtering operation, which initially provides a noise removal filter operating on the image detection signal, to remove noise within an area of the image detection signal, and subsequently provides hole filling filter, which bridges small gaps in the image type detection results.

In the reproduction of copies of an original document from video image data created, for example, by electronic raster input scanning from an original document, one is faced with the limited resolution capabilities of the reproducing system and the fact that output devices are mostly binary or require compression to binary for storage efficiency. This is particularly evident when attempting to reproduce halftones, lines and continuous tone images. Of course, an image data processing system may be tailored so as to offset the limited resolution capabilities of the reproducing apparatus used, but this is difficult due to the divergent processing needs required by the different types of image which may be encountered. In this respect, it should be understood that the image content of the original document may consist entirely of multiple image types, including high frequency halftones, low frequency halftones, continuous tones, line copy, error diffused images, etc. or a combination, in some unknown degree, of some or all of the above or additional image types. In the face of these possibilities, optimizing the image processing system for one image type in an effort to offset the limitations in the resolution capability of the reproducing apparatus used, may not be possible, requiring a compromise choice which may not produce acceptable results. Thus, for example, where one optimizes the system for low frequency halftones, it is often at the expense of degraded reproduction of high frequency halftones, or of line copy, and vice versa.
Automatic segmentation serves as a tool to identify image types, and identify the correct processing of such image types.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,221 to Stoffel, the problem of image segmentation was addressed by applying a function instructing the image processing system as to the type of image data present and particularly, an auto correlation function to the stream of pixel data, to determine the existence of halftone image data. Such a function is expressed as: ##EQU1## where n=the bit or pixel number;
p=the pixel voltage value; and PA1 t=the pixel position in the data stream.
Stoffel describes a method of processing automatically a stream of image pixels representing unknown combinations of high and low frequency halftones, continuous tones, and/or lines to provide binary level output pixels representative of the image. The described function is applied to the stream of image pixels and, for the portions of the stream that contained high frequency halftone image data, notes a large number of closely spaced peaks in the resultant signal. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,115 to Lin et al, the auto correlation function is calculated for the stream of halftone image data at selected time delays which are predicted to be indicative of the image frequency characteristics, without prior thresholding. The arithmetic function used in that auto correlation system is an approximation of the auto correlation function using logical functions and addition, rather than the multiplication function used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,221 to Stoffel. Valleys in the resulting auto correlated function are detected to determine whether high frequency halftone image data is present.
U.S. patent Ser. No. 08/004,479 by Shiau is directed to the particular problem noted in the use of the auto correlation function of the false characterization of a portion of the image as a halftone, when in fact it would be preferable for the image to be processed as a line image. Examples of this defect are noted particularly in the processing of Japanese Kanji characters and small Roman letters. In these examples, the auto correlation function may detect the image as halftones and process accordingly, instead of applying a common threshold through the character image. The described computations of auto correlation are one dimensional in nature, and this problem of false detection will occur whenever a fine pattern that is periodic in the scan line or fast scan direction is detected. In the same vein, shadow areas and highlight areas are often not detected as halftones, and are then processed with the application of a uniform threshold.
GB 2,153,619A provides a similar determination of the type of image data. However in that case, a threshold is applied to the image data at a certain level, and subsequent to thresholding the number of transitions from light to dark within a small area is counted. The system operates on the presumption that data with a low number of transitions after thresholding is probably a high frequency halftone or continuous tone image. The thresholding step in this method has the same undesirable effect as described for Stoffel.
Of background interest in this area are U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,918 to Yamazaki et al. showing an arrangement assuming a periodicity of an area of halftone dots which are thresholded against an average value derived from the area to produce a density related video signal; U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,837 to Janeway, III which shows the use of a three decision mode selection for determining threshold selection based on gradient constants for each pixel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,714 to Sugiura et al. which shows random data added to the output signal to eliminate pseudo-outlines; U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,563 to Joiner, Jr. suggests an adaptive prediction for compressing data based on a predictor which worked best for a previous pixel block; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,896 to Young, Jr. teaches the usefulness of thresholding in producing an image from a binary digital transmission system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,195 to Nadler describes a method for binarization of a pattern wherein two concentric rings around a pixel are evaluated to determine contrast values, and the contrast values are used then to determine whether the pixel and the surrounding areas have a light or dark quality. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,811 to Ochi et al. teaches a method of processing gray level values, depending on the density level of blocks of pixels, and their difference from a minimum or maximum value. The blocks are then processable by a halftone processing matrix depending on the difference value, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,221 to Roetling discloses a screening technique where values of gray over an image are evaluated to determine a minimum and maximum level, in order to determine constant levels of gray. U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,253 to Shida discloses a method of producing a halftone dot by selectively comparing image signals with highlight and shadow reference values, for determination of the binarization process.
Unfortunately, while significant work has been done in the automatic image segmentation area, with efforts, particularly characterized by U.S. patent Ser. No. 08/004,479 by Shiau, to reduce the incorrect characterization of one image type as another, the problem continues to present difficulty. While image types can be characterized with a fair degree of particularity, the image content also has a tendency to impact the image. For example even using the improved methods of Shiau, some Kanji characters continue to be identified as halftones. Image quality issues are presented when the determination seemingly dithers between two image types. While this occasionally may be an accurate representation of the document intent, more commonly, it does not. Such artifacts present significant problems for the ultimate user of the document.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,933 to Bloomberg teaches a method and apparatus for differentiating and extracting text and line graphics in an image with the use of morphological operations of Open and Close.
The patents cited herein are incorporated by reference for their teachings.

Automatic image segmentation with smoothing