An auger boring machine includes a track having an initial end and a terminal end, and the track is provided with a rack. The boring machine also includes a sled that is mounted on the track and adapted to be moved between the initial end and the terminal end of the track. The boring machine also includes a mechanism for rotating an auger on the sled and a drive system. The drive system includes a pinion which is mounted so as to engage with the rack on the track and a mechanism for rotating the pinion so as to drive the sled along the track.

Subterranean boring machines are used to install a casing or pipe in the ground without excavating a trench for the casing. The boring machine generally includes a sled that rolls along a track comprised of a pair of track rails, which track is generally placed in a pit that is dug to a depth to permit the sled to be placed in alignment and on grade with the desired underground installation. A section of casing is located on the front end of the sled with a cutting head or auger mounted thereon. The sled carries a rotation mechanism for rotating the auger and a translation mechanism for driving the sled along the track so as to drive the auger section into the ground as it rotates, along with a surrounding casing section. Generally, the translation mechanism includes a pair of dogs which engage drive holes in the track rails and a pair of hydraulic actuators. In operation, the dogs engage a set of drive holes and the hydraulic actuators are extended to drive the sled in the boring direction. When the actuators have extended to their maximum length, the dogs are disengaged from the track rails and the actuators are fully retracted. Then the dogs engage a second set of drive holes and the actuators are extended to drive the sled another step in the boring direction. This incremental driving process is continued as the sled travels to the terminal end of the track. Once the sled has reached the terminal end of the track and has driven an auger section and a casing section into the ground by the distance of its travel, the casing and auger sections are released from the sled and the sled is retracted from the terminal end back to the initial end. Sections of casing and auger are then added to the ends of the casing and auger sections that protrude from the bore, and the incremental driving process is repeated until enough sections of the casing have been driven into the ground to comprise the desired overall length of the subterranean installation. Once all of the sections of casing are installed, the auger sections must be removed from the casing sections and, unless the casings are installed merely for drainage, an underground utility product must then be placed within the casings.
One conventional means that is employed to move the sled in the reverse direction on the track employs the same hydraulic actuators that are used to drive the sled forward (in the boring direction). In this conventional reverse translation process, these actuators are repeatedly extended and retracted in conjunction with the incremental engagement and disengagement of the dogs in the drive holes. That is, the dogs are retracted from a pair of drive holes and the actuators are extended to drive the dogs in the rearward direction until they are aligned with the previous set of drive holes. The dogs are then engaged with the drive holes and the actuators retracted to move the sled in the rearward direction. This repeated extension and retraction process is continued until the sled reaches the initial end of the track. Since this process for moving the sled in the reverse direction on the track employs the same hydraulic actuators and dogs as are used in moving the sled in the boring direction, movement of the sled in the reverse direction, whether to move the sled back to receive a section of casing and auger, to withdraw an auger section or for any other purpose, will generally take as much time as it takes to move it in the boring direction.
Another known method for moving the sled in the reverse direction on the track may be employed when the sled is equipped with a power winch. In the practice of this method, a wire rope is extended from the winch and attached to a fixture at the initial end of the track, and the winch is used to pull the sled back from the terminal end. This method may be faster than the incremental method described above; however, it is generally only suitable for moving the sled back to receive a section of casing and auger for further boring.
It is known to provide a supplemental drive system for a subterranean boring machine, which supplemental drive system may be used to move the sled in the reverse direction more quickly than the conventional drive system. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,929 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,565 of Barbera both describe a supplemental drive system which includes a primary and a secondary drive wheel on each side of the sled. A drive sprocket is attached to the primary drive wheel and the primary drive wheel is mounted on the shaft of a hydraulic motor. An idler sprocket is mounted on the secondary drive wheel, and a chain connects the drive sprocket and the idler sprocket. Each supplemental drive system is mounted so that the drive wheels are biased against the track by a pair of springs to cause the primary and secondary drive wheels to frictionally engage the track. The drive motor drives the primary drive wheel, which in turn, drives the secondary drive wheel so as to move the sled along the track when the sled is not driving an auger section and surrounding casing section into the ground. The Barbera system may be subject to slippage if oil or water is introduced on the track or if its springs do not provide sufficient biasing force to ensure that the wheels frictionally engage the track. Furthermore, it is believed that the Barbera system for frictional engagement does not have the power to withdraw auger sections from the installed casings.
It would be desirable if a drive system could be developed that would be more efficient and less complex than the Barbera system or other known systems for moving the sled along the track.


Thinning and stacking are essential for circuit modules used for mobile devices of various kinds, smart cards, memory cards and the like. These demands make the manufacture of the circuit modules more complicated or less reliable due to delamination. A circuit module of a multilayer structure is provided which is formed by embedding semiconductor chips and passive components in a sheet made from a thermoplastic resin; folding a module sheet, which is formed of circuit blocks provided with wiring patterns thereon, at the boundaries of the circuit blocks so as to be stacked into layers; and thermal-bonding and integrating the module sheet by applying heat and pressure. As a result, a highly reliable circuit module can be manufactured in a simple manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit module in which a sheet embedded with electronic components and provided with wiring patterns is folded into layers connected with each other, and also relates to a method for manufacturing such a circuit module.
2. Background Art
Mobile devices have been increasing in functionality while reducing in size and weight. With this tendency, circuit modules having a circuit board and electronic components mounted on the circuit board have been expected to be higher in performance and density. As smart cards and memory cards spread, there is a growing need for flexible circuit modules that are thin, high-performing, highly-reliable and inexpensive.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2002-43513 discloses a semiconductor device having a multilayer structure shown in FIG. 11 and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. According to this manufacturing method, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of semiconductor chips 1010 and components 1020 are mounted on support 1030 provided with wiring patterns. Later, insulating resin 1040 is applied to mold. Support 1030 provided with these components is folded in units of regions to form three stacked layers, and is then molded with insulating resin 1050. This is how the semiconductor device with the multilayer structure is obtained.
In the case of this device, in order to maintain the positional relation between semiconductor chips 1010 and components 1020 until the final condition, support 1030 is required to have appropriate stiffness. This sets a limit to reducing the thickness of modules having such a structure.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H02-239695 discloses a multilayer printed wiring board, which also has a multilayer structure. According to the disclosure, first of all, a two-sided flexible substrate is prepared by forming a flexible sheet provided with necessary wiring patters and electrode pads. Then, this flexible substrate is folded at appropriate positions into stacked layers. The exposed regions of the conductors stacked with each other are bonded by applying solder or conductive adhesive so as to form a multilayer structure. This results in the multilayer printed wiring board. In this method, however, the printed wiring board is not embedded with electronic components, thereby making it difficult to manufacture a high-performing electronic circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,688 discloses a mounting structure in which a film substrate is mounted with electronic components with their faces down, and is folded into layers.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2001-93934 discloses a method for mounting a semiconductor element. In this method, bumps are formed on a semiconductor element by wire bonding. The semiconductor element is embedded in a thermoplastic resin, with the bumps exposed. Then, wiring patterns are formed on the surface of the thermoplastic resin having the exposed bumps. Later, more thermoplastic resin is applied to mold. Thus, this patent document discloses a method for mounting a semiconductor element, but not a multilayer structure.
For mobile devices of various kinds, smart cards, memory cards and the like, circuit modules in which a flexible sheet is mounted with semiconductor chips and components and also provided on both sides thereof with wiring patterns are widely used. For the purpose of increasing the mounting density, circuit modules in which a substrate mounted with semiconductor chips and components is folded into a lager number of layers have been being developed.
However, in smart cards, memory cards and the like, it is required not only to improve the mounting density and reliability, but also to achieve high functionality in a shape that is standardized as the product shape.
In recent years, circuit scale (such as memory capacity) has been growing with the development of mobile devices, smart cards and memory cards. In order to meet this demand, in the aforementioned conventional examples, a flexible sheet mounted with electronic components is folded to form a multilayer substrate or a circuit module with layers stacked via an adhesive layer. Such a multilayer structure can increase the circuit scale and the like. However, the difference in material between the adhesive and the flexible sheet makes them have different thermal expansion coefficients from each other. The difference in the thermal expansion coefficients produces a stress which is likely to cause delamination. Preventing a decrease in reliability requires a substrate having a certain thickness; however, in smart cards and the like which are expected to have a limited thickness, it is difficult to expand the circuit scale by folding the substrate into stacked layers.
To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention has an object of providing a circuit module in which a flexible sheet embedded with semiconductor chips and components is folded at predetermined positions into layers that are thermal-bonded and integrated with each other by applying a heat and pressure treatment, and also providing a method for manufacturing such a circuit module.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention concerns apparatuses and methods for hanging frames upon mounting surfaces. The principal apparatus of the invention, upon which a frame is hung, is securely attached to a mounting surface, such as a wall. The apparatus comprises a generally planar body with a protruding supporting rail, alignment notches, spirit level, bracket recess, and mounting holes, and is particularly well suited for use with metal frames with universal assembly channels. The supporting rail of the apparatus is designed to be inserted within universal assembly channels in metal frames, thus securely yet slidably and removably attaching the apparatus to the frame. The invention also includes an adapter bracket to allow the principal apparatus to be used with any kind of frame, and special corner brackets to allow the use of the principal apparatus with unusually heavy or wide frames.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The invention relates to apparatuses for hanging frames upon surfaces, and methods for their use.
2. Background Art
Despite some variety of efforts to overcome the problem, there remains a need for an improved means for hanging framed works, one that assures that the work will hang securely in a level position The present invention fills the need by providing a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-use apparatus and method that permit the user quickly and securely to hang a frame upon a wall or other vertical surface. Practicing the present invention, the user can consistently hang a frame on the level, with the top and bottom edges of the frame in a pleasantly horizontal aspect.
British Patent No. 1,031,208 to Chan discloses a picture-hanging apparatus comprising a supporting member to be attached to a wall and a second separate member, to be attached to the back of a picture frame, for engagement with the supporting member. The invention disclosed in the '208 Patent requires that a particular customized element be attached to the frame to be hung.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,982 to Sellera discloses an apparatus similar to the apparatus of the above-mentioned British patent to Chan. The '982 patent discloses an apparatus composed of two separate elements one element to be attached to a wall, and the other specially adapted companionate element necessarily attached to the frame to be hung.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,482 to Berinson discloses an apparatus for hanging framed pictures consisting of a lengthy resinous strip to be attached to the wall and picture mounts with sharp edges to be attached to picture frames. The sharp edges of the picture mounts are then inserted between the strip and wall to hang picture frames. The apparatus necessarily includes a specially adapted element to be attached to the frame to be hung.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,554 to James also describes an apparatus consisting of a matched pair of fixture members, one of which must be attached to the picture frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,526 to Rabinowitz discloses a picture frame hanging apparatus consisting of a single block having hanger projections extending laterally along at least two sides thereof for engagement with the frame to be hung.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,161 to Wallo describes an apparatus consisting of a base bar of substantial width having upwardly projecting prongs at opposite ends thereof which are adapted to engage a downwardly facing surface of the top moulding of a frame. The apparatus includes a horizontally elongate fastener hole and a vertically elongate fastener hole for consecutive adjustment of the horizontal and vertical position of the apparatus. The apparatus does not provide a locking mechanism for accidental dislocation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,790 to Ballin discloses a three-part apparatus consisting of a pronged base plate to be mounted to a wall, a plumb member, and a coupling member to be mounted upon a frame. The plumb member swingably rests upon a fulcrum element of the base plate to indicate when the base plate is level. The base plate may be successfully used only in conjunction with the frame-mounted coupling member, which is shaped to interlock with the base plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,288 to Ruehl describes a device for securing cables or wires to a support surface, and discloses a means for pre-driving the securing pins in a manner to allow mounting to fragile surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,761 to Wassell discloses a picture frame corner bracket consisting primarily of a downwardly extending corner flange for engagement with a trough extending the length of an elongated wall-mounted strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,639 to stein describes a self-adjusting picture hanger apparatus consisting of a wall-mounted member linked to a frame mounted member. The members rotatably coact with one another so that gravity causes the frame to seek a vertical position. Notches are provided to assist in vertically mounting the wall-mounted member. No means for slidably adjusting the horizontal position of the frame is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,873 to Sutherland discloses a one-piece clip apparatus for use with frames having an inwardly facing channel along the upper periphery thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,315 to Sobel describes a corner bracket for use in assembling frames incorporating universal assembly channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,317 to Letizia discloses a picture anchoring assembly utilizing a spirit level to assure the level mounting of a picture frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,708 to Hillstrom describes a picture hanging apparatus including a picture frame element having a hollow recess and a frame-mounted clip insertable into the frame recess mounting for mounting on a nail.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,309 to Eisen, et al. discloses a method and apparatus for positioning frame-hanging devices upon a wall to assure proper placement of the picture.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 282,054 to Hoffman discloses an ornamental design for a picture hanging aide.
Also known are opposing pairs of roughly triangular devices removably slidable within the side frame channels of a frame. Each of the devices has a hole on one wing thereof permitting connection of a wire between the pair of devices. The wire can then be placed over a nail on a wall or other vertical surface, thereby supporting the frame.
Nevertheless, the frustration of attempting to hang framed artwork with the traditional "hook and wire" method continues to be a nearly universal experience. Even utilizing more than one hook, it is difficult to maintain a frame straight and level using the traditional method. Frames suspended by the standard hook and wire method tend to fall away from the wall at the top, resulting in unattractive gaps between the wall and the top of the frame. Moreover, it is practically impossible to align a series of frames (either vertically or horizontally) using the hook and wire system due to the variations in wire placement, and lengths and flexibility of differing wire types. This configuration also results in the picture's load-vector being directed down the wall providing no wall support for the hanger device. Proper frame hangers should be designed to direct load-vectors into the wall to provide optimum support for the valuable framed art installed on them.
Parent application Ser. No. 07/822,061, entitled "Apparatuses and Methods for Hanging Frames" to Hart, filed Jan. 14, 1992, relates to an apparatus and method for hanging frames on a mounting surface. The apparatus of the invention comprises a mostly planar body with a protruding supporting rail, a bracket recess, mounting holes and two distinct means for assuring the horizontal, level, mounting of the body upon the mounting surface. The means for assuring a level mounting include the use of a removable spirit level or, alternatively, alignment notches to align the body relative to a horizontal line on the mounting surface. The apparatus is particularly well suited for use with metal frames having universal assembly channels, as the supporting rail of the body is designed to be inserted within universal assembly channels to securely yet slidably and removably attach the apparatus to a frame. Use of a common Z-bracket to adapt the invention to ordinary wooden frames is also disclosed. The teachings of the parent application Ser. No. 07/522,061 are hereby incorporated by reference.

Apparatuses and methods for hanging frames


Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a multi-network equipment identity register are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a system for providing a multi-network equipment identity register. A node in a telecommunications network receives from a requesting entity a request to check an identity of a user equipment, the request containing the identity of the user equipment, queries an EIR using the identity of the user equipment, receives a response from the EIR, and forwards the response to the requesting entity. The node includes first and second interfaces for receiving requests to check an identity of a user equipment in a first and second protocol, respectively, such that a user equipment that is blacklisted in a network that uses the first protocol is also blacklisted in a network that uses the second protocol.

When a mobile telephone is lost or stolen, telecommunications network operators would like to deny the stolen device access to their networks. Each third generation (3G) Global System Mobile Communications (GSM) telephone includes its own unique international mobile equipment identity number (IMEI). An equipment identity register (EIR) is a database (and/or a server hosting an EIR database) that stores IMEIs of stolen or suspicious mobile devices. The EIR may be queried to determine the status of a particular IMEI. If the particular IMEI is listed in the EIR database, that may indicate that the mobile device is stolen, and the querying node may take steps to bar that device from accessing the network. When a mobile device is denied access to a telecommunications network because its IMEI is listed in the EIR, that device is said to be "blacklisted." Blacklisting is intended to discourage the theft of mobile phones by providing a mechanism that renders stolen devices from being able to connect to the telecommunications network.
Originally developed for the GSM, network, the EIR could be queried by a mobile switching center (MSC) in a system signaling 7 (SS7) network. For example, the MSC could send an SS7 mobile application part (MAP) query, such as the "Check IMEI" command, to the EIR via the GSM F interface. MAP is one of the protocols in the SS7 suite of protocols and allows for the implementation of mobile network (GSM) signaling infrastructure.
With the rise of high-speed packet networks, telecommunications networks are migrating from the circuit-switched, SS7-based networks of the plain old telephone system (POTS) to packet-switched, Diameter-based networks, which are incompatible with legacy network components such as SS7-based EIRs. Thus, network operators that want to support 4G devices face unpleasant choices: if all network equipment is migrated to 4G, then the legacy EIR database must also be migrated to a node in the packet-based network. If the network operator wants to continue supporting both 3G and 4G devices, the network operator must provide and maintain two different EIR functions—an SS7-based EIR and a Diameter-based EIR.
In addition, when a device having multiple radio interfaces is stolen, the rightful owner must notify not only the network operator that maintains the EIR for one of the radio interfaces, he or she must also notify the network operator(s) that maintain an EIR for each of the other radio interfaces—which may not be the same network operator. As a result, in conventional systems, there is a real possibility that a stolen device may be blacklisted on a GSM network but not blacklisted on an LTE network, for example.
Accordingly, in light of these disadvantages associated with these two options, there exists a need for a mechanism that allows network operators to leverage their existing 3G EIRs so that they may be used by nodes in a 4G network. More specifically, there exists a need for a multi-network equipment identity register.


An optical asynchronous chirp device having an input port and an output port, comprising first and second optical phase modulators optically connected in series between the input port and the output port of the device, a local oscillator connected to the first and second phase modulators, and a phase shifter connected between the local oscillator and one of the phase modulators, and systems and methods related thereto.

It is known in the field of optical communications to utilize "chirp" to compensate for effects such as non-linearities. Chirping causes a signal's spectrum to spread and, therefore, reduces the power density. As a result, non-linear effects are also reduced. Chirping can also be used, for example, to compensate for dispersion caused when optical signals travel through optical fiber, as well as to compensate for other effects.
On prior art method is to use a fixed chirp which is inherent in a Mach-Zehnder-based ("MZ"-based) intensity modulator. Another prior art method is to use a separate phase modulator ("PM") to implement chirp through phase modulation of the signal. The prior art, however, requires the PM to be synchronous. This is accomplished by driving the PM with the same clock source as drives the data modulator(s).
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a prior art implementation of a chirped wavelength division multiplexed optical communications transmitter 10. In that embodiment, a laser 12 and several modulators 14 are used to produce an optical signal for one of the wavelength division multiplexed channels. In this particular embodiment, the laser 12 produces an optical carrier, one modulator is used to modulate data onto an optical carrier in non-return to zero ("NRZ") format, another modulator is used to amplitude modulate ("AM") the NRZ format signal to produce a return to zero ("RZ") format, and a third modulator is used to phase modulate ("PM") the RZ format signal. The phase modulator introduces the chirp to the signal.
Each of the modulators 14 in the illustrated prior art embodiment are driven by a common or master clock signal generated by a master clock or oscillator 16 so that the operation of each of the modulators 14 is precisely synchronized. The synchronization of the modulators 14 is necessary in the prior art because the degree of chirp introduced by the phase modulator is a function of the relative phase between the data and the clock signals. This dependence on phase can be seen more clearly with reference to data points "1 mod" in FIG. 6, which is described in more detail hereinbelow. As a result, if the phase modulators of the prior art are not synchronized with the other modulators, the extent of the chirp cannot be controlled and the performance of the system will suffer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,162, issued to Bergano, illustrates the prior art approach in which a master clock is used to precisely synchronize various modulators in an optical transmission system.
For example, if a local oscillator is used to drive the phase modulator, it may be unsynchronized, resulting in the chirp of the optical signal to vary over time. This can cause significant detrimental effects because the variation in chirp can vary significantly.
The use of synchronous chirp has certain disadvantages. For example, an optical transmitter which is initially designed to operate without chirp, cannot be easily or inexpensively upgraded to introduce chirp. That is because it is difficult and expensive to upgrade a produce with a synchronous phase modulator. As a result, using synchronous chirp according to the prior art limits the ability to modify products in light of new or changing business environments.
Therefore, there is a need for systems, apparatuses, and methods which allow for signals to be chirped without the requirements and limitations of the prior art.

Asynchronous chirped systems, apparatuses, and methods


A tooth profile of an inner rotor 2 is formed by an envelope of a group of circular arcs of a locus circle C having a center on a trochoidal curve TC. The envelope of the group of circular arcs is formed by rolling a rolling circle having a predetermined diameter along a base circle without slipping and drawing the trochoidal curve TC based on a point distant from the center of the rolling circle by a distance equivalent to an amount of eccentricity between the two rotors. A diameter d2 of the locus circle C is constant until one point between an addendum point and a dedendum point of the inner rotor and changes from the one point such that a diameter d2B at the dedendum point becomes larger than a diameter d2T at the addendum point of the inner rotor.

Internal gear pumps are used as, for example, pumps for lubricating engines and automatic transmissions (AT) in vehicles. One known type of such an internal gear pump is formed by combining an inner rotor and an outer rotor, between which a difference in the number of teeth is one, and disposing the rotors eccentrically relative to each other. Furthermore, in another known pump of this type, the tooth profile of the rotors is formed by using a trochoidal curve, which is known for good volume efficiency, low noise, and low drive torque.
A tooth profile formed by using this trochoidal curve is formed in the following manner. First, as shown in FIG. 5, a rolling circle B rolls along a base circle A without slipping, and a trochoidal curve TC is drawn by a locus of a point on a radius distant from the center of the rolling circle B by a distance e (=amount of eccentricity between rotation centers of the inner rotor and the outer rotor). Then, the tooth profile of the inner rotor 2 is formed by an envelope of a group of circular arcs of a locus circle C having a fixed diameter and whose center is located on the trochoidal curve TC (also see Patent Literature 1 below).
In a pump having a tooth profile using such a trochoidal curve, an amount E of eccentricity between the center of the inner rotor and the center of the outer rotor is regulated for ensuring the face width and for designing the tooth profile. Therefore, an increase in the tooth height is limited, making it difficult to fulfill demands for increasing the discharge rate. The present applicant has made a proposition in Patent Literature 2 below in which the tooth height can be freely set in a pump rotor of the aforementioned type.

Pump rotor and internal gear pump using the same


Compositions and methods for use in controlling insect populations, including a first agent which suppresses insect immune function of a target insect in conjunction with a second agent which is an insect pathogen for the target insect. Preferably, the first agent is a polypeptide having immunosuppressive activity in the target insect or a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide; in the latter case, the polynucleotide may be conveniently administered to the target insect in a vector comprising the second agent (e.g., AcMNPV or similar insect pathogen).

This invention relates generally to the fields of biology and chemistry. More particularly, the present invention relates to compositions and methods for use in control (e.g., reduction or elimination) of insect populations.
In view of the serious damage to plants and animals induced by some species thereof, there is tremendous interest in identifying compositions and methods for control of insect populations. Obvious problems with respect to the use of some organic and inorganic chemical insecticides have directed attention to the development of other approaches. One such alternative approach involves the identification of microbial insecticides which might be more species-specific than some heretofore-known chemical insecticides. Of particular interest in this regard are baculoviruses (Baculoviridae).
Two major factors pose significant barriers for the practical development of baculoviruses as microbial insecticides for use in programs aimed at numerically reducing populations of insect pests. First, most species of virus produce fatal infections in only a small group of closely related host species. This life history feature makes these insect pathogens environmentally safe for humans and other nontarget species, but it significantly limits the kinds of pests that can be controlled effectively. Second, infected hosts require a considerable amount of time to succumb, and during the interval between initial infection and death, the larvae continue to feed and to cause significant economic damage.
Autographa californica M Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus (AcMNPV) is the best studied of the baculoviruses and is known to infect the larvae of approximately 30 species in several families within the insect order, Lepidoptera Granados, R. R., and Williams, K. A. (1986). In vivo infection and replication of baculoviruses. In The biology of baculoviruses (eds. R. R. Granados and B. A. Federici) vol. I, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla.!. Infections are initiated when larvae ingest virion-containing proteinaceous occlusions (polyhedra) which rapidly dissolve upon contact with the highly alkaline juices within the larval midgut. Dissolution releases the enveloped occlusion-derived virus (ODV) Murphy, F. A., Fauquet, C. M., Bishop, D. H. L., Ghabrial, S. A., Jarvis, A. W., Martelli, G. P., Mayo, M. P., and Summers, M. D. (1995). Virus Taxonomy: sixth report of the international committee on taxonomy of viruses. Springer Verlag, Wien, N.Y.! which may contain as many as 29 individual nucleocapsids Adams, J. R. and Mclintock, J. T. (1991). Baculoviridae. Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses. Part 1. Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses of insects. In Atlas of invertebrate viruses (eds. J. R. Adams and J. R. Bonami), CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla.!. Nucleocapsids enter differentiating and mature columnar cells in the midgut epithelium following fusion of the viral envelope with the microvillar membrane of these cells Kawanishi, C. Y., Summers, M. D., Stoltz, D. B., and Arnott, H. J. 1972. Entry of an insect virus in vivo by fusion of viral envelope and microvillus membrane. J. Invertebr. Pathol. 20:104-108; Granados, R. R. 1978. Early events in the infection of Heliothis zea midgut cells by a baculovirus. Virology 90:170-174!. Nucleocapsids then migrate to the nucleus where they uncoat and begin the processes of transcription and replication. Evidence suggests that some parental nucleocapsids also may be transported directly through the cell where they are re-enveloped by budding through a modified basal plasma membrane Granados, R. R., and Lawler, K. A. 1981. In vivo pathway of Autographa californica baculovirus invasion and infection. Virology 108, 297-308!.
Progeny nucleocapsids produced by infected midgut cells also bud from the basal plasma membrane containing a newly synthesized, viral-encoded glycoprotein, gp64 Keddie, B. A., Aponte, G. W., and Volkman, L. E. 1989. The pathway of infection of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus in an insect host. Science 243, 1728-1730!. This budded virus (BV) spreads infection to the other tissues of the insect which produce both BV aid polyhedra. Insects die after virtually all their tissues are infected massively, and cadavers liquefy releasing numerous polyhedra which horizontally transmit the virus to susceptible larvae.
Although many species of lepidopteran larvae can support AcMNPV infections, there is an enormous variation among species with regard to mortality due to infection. Among species, the time between initial infection and virus induced death ranges from a few days to several weeks. In addition, results from laboratory studies have revealed that for susceptible hosts (e.g. Trichoplusia ni, Heliothis virescens, and Spodoptera exidua) a dozen or fewer polyhedra per insect may be sufficient to kill 50% or more of the larval population. In contrast, to achieve comparable mortality levels within populations of resistant hosts (e.g., Helicoverpa zea) each insect must ingest literally millions of polyhedra Vail, P. V. and S. S. Collier. 1982. Comparative replication, mortality, and inclusion body production of the Autographa californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus in Heliothis sp. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 75:376-382; Vail, P. V. and Vail, S. V. 1987. Comparative replication of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus in tissues of Heliothis spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 80:734-738!.
Recent research efforts aimed at improving AcMNPV as a commercial microbial pesticide have focused primarily on reducing the time to death of infected hosts. The principal strategy employed for these efforts has been to genetically engineer AcMNPV recombinants that incorporate genes coding for invertebrate toxins and compounds that interfere with larval hormone function Bonning, B. C. and Hammock, B. D. 1992. Development and potential of genetically engineered viral insecticides. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews 10:455-489; Maeda, S. 1994. Expression of foreign genes in insect cells using baculovirus vectors. pp 1-31. In (K. Maramorosch and A. H. McIntosh, eds.), Insect Cell Biotechnology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.!. Recombinants expressing these substances have been shown to reduce larval feeding damage, and the first field trials of such recombinants recently have been approved by EPA. By comparison, little progress has been made toward the goal of expanding the host range of AcMNPV, in part because little is known about the mechanisms of resistance. Indeed, there is apparently no published description or explanation of the physiological basis for variation in susceptibility to fatal AcMNPV infections.
Thus, there remains a need for compositions and methods which enable effective control (e.g., reduction or eradication) of a wider variety of insect populations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide compositions and methods which do not suffer from the drawbacks of the heretofore-known compositions.

The Regents of the University of California


The invention relates to a composition-of-matter and method of using a topical composition having 10-99.999% by weight of a topical base formulation and other active ingredients including stem cell or growth factors and/or antioxidants, as well as others for the purpose of regenerating integument cells.

Wrinkles are signs of aging and photodamage that occur with time. Since the beginning of time a search has been made for ways to reduce wrinkles and make the skin look younger. Plastic surgery, Botox™ and injections of collagen, hyaluronic acid and other substances have been used to smooth wrinkles. Wrinkle creams have been formulated incorporating lubricating elements such as emollients, moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, silicones, vitamins, and other skin smoothing agents.

Integument cell regeneration formulation


An alkaline protease having an amino acid with one or more amino acid residues selected from among those located at (a) position 63, (b) position 89, (c) position 120, (d) positions 63 and 187, (e) position 226, (f) position 296, (g) position 304 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or at positions corresponding to these positions, are the following amino acid residues, respectively: (a): serine, (b): histidine, (c): arginine, (d): serine,(e): tyrosine, (f): valine, and (g): serine; and a gene encoding the alkaline protease.

Protease has long been used in industry, and has found utility in a diversity of fields, including detergents such as laundry detergents, fiber modifying agents, leather processing agents, cosmetic compositions, bath additives, food-modifying agents, and pharmaceuticals. Of these, proteases for detergent use are produced in the largest amounts on an industrial scale. Examples of such known proteases that are derived from bacillus include ALCALASE, SAVINASE (registered trademarks; Novozymes), MAXACAL (registered trademark; Genencor), BLAP (registered trademark; Henkel), and KAP (Kao Corporation).
The purpose of incorporating protease into a detergent is to degrade protein soil adhering to clothes. Such soil actually is a "complex" soil formed of a plurality of organic and inorganic components, including not only proteins but also lipids originating from sebum, solid particles, and other substances. Therefore, demand has arisen for a detergent having excellent detergency against such complex soil.
Under the above situation, some of the present inventors have previously discovered several species of alkaline protease which have a molecular weight of about 43,000, exhibit a sufficient casein-degrading activity even in the presence of a fatty acid at a high concentration, and also exhibit excellent detergency not only to proteins but also to complex soils which include sebum and other substances, and filed a patent application therefor (see Patent Publication WO99/18218). Since the discovered alkaline proteases differ from subtilisin (which is a conventionally known serine protease derived from a microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus) in terms of molecular weight, primary structure, enzymological characteristics and resistance to oxidants (the alkaline proteases are strongly resistant to oxidants) their classification into a new subtilisin subfamily has been proposed (Saeki et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 279, 313-319, 2000).
Incorporating such proteases into a detergent requires several steps, including concentration of a culture, drying, and granulation. Also, deactivation of proteases, which may otherwise occur during storage of the detergent, must be prevented.
In addition, researchers have recognized the problem that when a gene coding for such a protease is modified to give mutants having an enhanced specific activity and high production, some of such mutants show thermal stability lower than that of a protease before undergoing mutation. Thus, there has arisen a demand to improve thermal stability of the enzymes to solve the mentioned problems.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an alkaline protease which has excellent detergency against complex soil as well as enhanced thermal stability.


A motor may include a rotor provided with a permanent magnet, a stator whose inner peripheral face faces an outer peripheral face of the permanent magnet, a first radial bearing fixed to an end portion on an output side of the stator for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on an output side, a second radial bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft on an opposite output side, a spring member which is disposed between the first radial bearing and an end face on the output side of the rotor for urging the rotor on an opposite output side, and a thrust bearing plate which is fixed to an end portion on the opposite output side of the stator and with which a shaft end on the opposite output side of the rotor shaft is abutted.

A motor has been known in which a rotor having a permanent magnet, which is fixed to an outer peripheral face of a rotor shaft, is disposed on an inner side of an ring-shaped stator. In this motor, unless the rotor shaft is urged in a thrust direction, when the rotor shaft is rotated, the rotor shaft wobbles in the thrust direction to cause wear to occur in a radial bearing and a noise to generate.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, following structures have been known. For example, in a motor in which a U-shaped mounting plate is fixed to an end face on an output side of a stator, an end portion on an opposite output side of a rotor is urged in an output side by a flat spring and a shaft end on the output side of rotor shaft is supported with a bag shaped bearing that is fixed to an end portion of the mounting plate. Alternatively, a rotor shaft is urged on an output side by a coil spring which is disposed between a stepped portion of the rotor shaft and an end face on the output side of a stator, and a shaft end on the output side of the rotor shaft is supported by a bag shaped bearing which is fixed to an end portion of a mounting plate (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-20857).
However, in the structure disclosed in the above patent reference, the rotor shaft is urged on the output side and the shaft end on the output side of the rotor shaft is supported in a thrust direction. Therefore, the structure can be employed, for example, in the case that a U-shaped mounting plate is fixed to an end face on the output side of the stator like a motor in which a feed screw is formed on the rotor shaft, or in the case that an equipment on which a motor is mounted is provided with a portion for supporting a shaft end on the output side of a rotor shaft. In other words, this structure can be applied only to a case where a shaft end on the output side of a rotor shaft is capable of being supported and thus its application is limited.
Further, in the motor disclosed in the above-mentioned patent reference, when an urging force is applied to a carriage in an output side direction in order to prevent a backlash between a feed screw and the carriage, both of an urging force for preventing the rotor shaft from shaking in a thrust direction and an urging force for preventing the backlash are applied to a portion which supports the shaft end on the output side of the rotor shaft in the thrust direction and thus a large torque loss occurs.
Alternatively, in the case that a rotor shaft is urged toward an opposite output side (opposite side with respect to output side), in a conventional motor, an end face on the opposite output side of the rotor is required to be supported by an end face on the output side of a radial bearing which supports the rotor shaft on an opposite output side. According to the structure described above, since the end face on the opposite output side of the rotor face-contacts with the end face on the output side of the radial bearing, torque loss is large.


An inductor has a spiral aluminum track deposited on an oxide layer over a silicon substrate. The substrate is etched away to form a trench, which extends around beneath the track and provides an air gap having a low dielectric constant. The oxide layer has an inner region within the track, an outer region outside the track and a bridging region extending between the other regions. The bridging region is comprised of intact bridges and gaps therebetween, which are open to the trench and through which an etchant has access to the silicon substrate to form the trench by etching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit inductor and a method of making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An integrated circuit inductor is an inductive component built up on a substrate in a similar manner to other components, and generally includes a spiral conductive trace. This arrangement has the disadvantage of high parasitic loss, in the form of resistive and capacitive loss to the semiconductor substrate on which the integrated circuit is built.
A solution to this problem is to selectively etch the silicon substrate beneath the conductive trace, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,241. This solution is shown in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an integrated circuit inductor 1 according to the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the inductor 1 on the line IIxe2x80x94II in FIG. 1.
Referring to the figures, the inductor 1 comprises a spiral aluminum track 2. The track 2 is laid down on an insulating oxide layer 3, which itself covers a semiconductor substrate 4. An underpass track 6 at a lower level in deposited layers making up the inductor 1 stretches from an inner end 5 to a connection 7. An outer end 8 is directly connected to another connection 9 at the same level. The spiral track 2 has a substantial extent. If the spiral track 2 is spaced from the semiconductor substrate 4 by a thickness of the insulating layer 3 alone, which has a comparatively high dielectric constant, the inductive track 2 has an appreciable distributed capacitance to the substrate 4. Hence, at high frequencies, the track 2 is liable to lose its inductive effect and acts as a capacitor.
In accordance with the improvement of the U.S. Patent, the oxide layer 3 has apertures 10 formed in it, with a track supporting portion 11 connected to the surrounding layer by bridges 12. Via the apertures 10, part of the substrate 4 is etched away, leaving an air gap 14 beneath the oxide portion 11. Thus, the inductive track 2 is widely spaced from the substrate 4, reducing the distributed capacitance thereto since air has a low dielectric constant.
Whilst this is a distinct improvement, the formation of the air gap 14 requires the use of aggressive chemicals and is made by a slow process. Further, the air gap 14 can be formed only in a post-fabrication step, because a liquid etchant required is not used in a CMOS fabrication. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved integrated circuit inductor and a method of producing thereof.
One of the objects of one embodiment of the invention is to provide an improved integrated circuit inductor and a method of making the same that satisfy the need.
The invention provides an integrated circuit inductor in an integrated circuit having a silicon substrate and an oxide layer on the silicon substrate The inductor comprises an inductive loop deposited on the oxide layer; apertures in the oxide layer beneath the inductive loop; bridges adjacent the apertures and provided by portions of the oxide between an inner region and an outer region of the oxide layer, respectively within and without the inductive loop, the loop being supported on the bridges; a trench formed in the silicon substrate beneath the bridges, to provide an air gap between the inductive loop and the silicon substrate.
Preferably, the apertures and the bridges generally extend radially of the inner region; and the trench extends circumferentially of the inner region.
Normally, the inductive loop has a plurality of spirally arranged turns; and the oxide layer includes an underpass connection in one of the bridges from a peripheral connection for one end of the inductor to its inner end.
The invention further provides a method of making an integrated circuit inductor in an integrated circuit having a silicon substrate and an oxide layer on the silicon substrate. The method comprises depositing the inductive loop on the oxide layer; opening the apertures in the oxide beneath the inductive loop and providing the bridges to support the loop; forming the trench in the silicon substrate beneath the bridges.
Preferably, the trench is formed by etching of the silicon substrate; and the etching is continued until the trench is continuous beneath the extent of the inductive loop.


A radial diffuser for a centrifugal pump. The diffuser has a plurality of diffusing passages wherein the width of the diffusing passage is constant and the cross-sectional area of the diffusing passage increases from the inlet of the diffusing passage to the outlet of the diffusing passage. This type of diffuser has a reduced outer diameter relative to prior art diffusers.

This invention relates generally to multi-stage centrifugal pumps and more particularly to diffusers for multi-stage centrifugal pumps.
Multi-stage pumps use a radial diffuser where the width of the diffusing passages increases from the entrance of the passage to the exit passage. The outer diameter of the diffuser is a function of the vane number and the exit height. Typically, reducing the diffuser diameter reduces the pump performance.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present centrifugal pump diffusers. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.


An image sensor senses object information and converts the sensed object information into an electrical signal. An image processing apparatus uses the image sensor. The image sensor includes a column signal line connected to output terminals of a plurality of pixel sensors, a comparator circuit configured to output a signal corresponding to a comparison result of a signal output to the column signal line and a reference signal, an ADC circuit configured to convert an analog signal corresponding to an optical signal sensed by the pixel sensor selected from the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line into digital data based on the signal output from the comparator circuit and, a load circuit connected in series to the comparator circuit between the column signal line and a ground terminal, wherein the load circuit is configured as a common load device of the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line and the comparator circuit.

The inventive concept relates to a sensor for sensing a signal, and, more particularly, to an image sensor for sensing object information and converting the sensed object information into an electrical signal and an image processing apparatus using the image sensor.
An example of an image sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. The CMOS image sensor is a device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal, and may be applied to electronic products, such as a digital camera, a cellular phone, and the like. As electronic products become slimmer, research into minimization of the CMOS image sensor and reduction of power consumption is needed.

Image sensor and image processing apparatus using the same


A circuit and method for deskewing signals by using cross power supply logic paths to compensate for delays created by power supplies operating at different voltages. A first replica circuit operating at a first supply voltage is placed in series with a first signal operating at a second supply voltage. A second replica circuit operating at the second supply voltage is placed in series with a second signal having a skew difference from the first signal and operating at the first supply voltage. The replica circuits generally have a scale factor which is generally a fraction of the equivalent driver circuits associated with the particular output signals. As a result, the present invention will deskew arbitrary power supply differences. By matching delays, the replica and true circuits provide the same delay. As a result, the sum of the delays for all the blocks in each path will be constant which maintains a desired skew difference between the output signals.

Deskewing of timing signals involves compensating for various parameters that may introduce delays between two or more timing signals which may result in the timing signals being unsynchronized. Deskewing may be necessary at either the output of a device or internally to the device. One parameter that may introduce delays is the power supply operating voltage. Deskewing may also be necessary for two signals generated from a single signal or for two signals that are deskewed at one power supply voltage value after which one signal is translated to a new power supply voltage value. Modern Central Processing Units (CPUs) and microprocessors generally tend to reduce the power supply operating voltages in order to reduce power consumption and increase the chip density, as well as for other performance considerations. Due to other design considerations, memory devices, such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) may operate at different supply voltages than the CPU. In a configuration where the CPU operates at a first supply voltage and the DRAM operates at a second supply voltage, the timing clocks associated with each device must generally be properly deskewed to maintain proper synchronization between the devices. One such configuration occurs with modern microprocessors which may operate at a 2.5 volt supply voltage, while DRAM chips generally operate at a 3.3 volt supply voltage.
Referring to FIG. 1, a previous approach deskewing circuit 10 is shown. The circuit 10 generally comprises an input 12, an output 14, an output 16 and a zero delay buffer 18. The input signal 12 generally receives a 2.5 volt supply clock that is presented directly to the output 14. The clock received at the input 12 is also presented to the zero delay buffer 18 which is then presented at the output 16. The zero delay buffer generally provides a conversion from a 2.5 volt supply clock to the 3.3 volt supply clock presented at the output 16. The zero delay buffer 18 may be based on a phase locked loop (PLL) implementation or even a delay-locked look (DLL).
The deskewing circuit 10 generally requires a large amount of silicon area to implement the a PLL or DLL. The amount of time delay between the two logic paths running at separate supply voltages is in the order of 2.about.5 ns. A relatively complex zero delay buffer 18 may be required to accurately deskew the 2.about.5 ns delay which, while possibly being practical on a board level design, is generally too large and complex a solution to be implemented directly on an integrated circuit. As a result, an approach that requires less area to implement is generally desired.
Referring to FIG. 2, a second previous approach deskewing circuit 30 is shown. The circuit 30 generally comprises an input 32, a programmable delay block 34, a logic block 36, an output 38 and an output 40. The input 32 generally receives a 3.3 volt supply clock which is generally presented to both the delay block 34 and to the logic block 36. The programmable delay block 34 generally has an input 35 which receives a trim control signal that generally programs the amount of delay introduced by the programmable delay block 34. The output 38 presents a 3.3 volt supply clock. The logic block 36 generally receives the 3.3 volt supply clock and provides a conversion to a 2.5 volt supply clock which is generally presented at the output 40. The programmable delay block 34 is generally used to provide the deskewing function of the circuit 30. The logic block 36 generally operates from a separate supply voltage to convert the output 40 to the 2.5 volt supply clock. The conversion of supply voltages creates a certain amount of delay, which is generally compensated for by the delay block 34.
The circuit 30 relies on the fact that a lower supply voltage generally causes a path to be slower. A disadvantage with the circuit 30 is that it relies on an open loop architecture. A single input 35 is used to determine the amount of delay presented by the delay block 34. As a result, as both power supplies vary, the delay between the output 38 and the output 40 will also vary. The output 38 and the output 40 may also vary in response to variations in processing. Under certain tolerant specifications, the circuit 30 may provide an adequate solution. However, in more stringent specifications, the power supply specification may vary from 2.5 volts to 3.3 volts and beyond while requiring a deskewed relationship, which the circuit 30 cannot provide.
Referring to FIG. 3, a third previous approach deskewing circuit 50 is shown. The circuit 50 generally comprises an input 52, a delay block 54, a variable delay block 56, a delay detector 58, an output 60 and an output 62. An input clock is generally received at the input 52 which operates a 3.3 volt supply voltage. The input clock received at the input 52 is generally presented to both the delay block 54 and the variable delay block 56. The delay block 54 generally presents a fixed amount of delay prior to presenting a 3.3 volt supply clock at the output 60. The delay block 56 presents a variable delay prior to presenting a 2.5 volt supply clock at the output 62. The delay detector 58 generally receives a feedback of both the 2.5 volt supply voltage clock from the output 62 and the 3.3 volt supply voltage clock from the output 60 and calculates a phase difference which is presented to an input 57 of the variable delay block 56. In response to the feedback signals, the variable delay block 56 adjusts for the actual delay between the output 60 and the output 62. The circuit 50 generally allows for deskewing of the outputs 60 and 62 at the output pad level. A problem associated with the circuit is that the output pads associated with a 2.5 volt and 3.3 volt signal have different propagation delays. As a result, the path through the output pads must be included in the deskewing loop as shown in FIG. 3.
While the circuit 50 has the advantage that it adjusts for process and power supply variations, it suffers from drawbacks associated with the presence of power supply noise. During situations where there is a sufficient amount of power supply noise, it is possible for the deskewing relationship between the outputs 60 and 62 to be lost.

Circuit and method for deskewing variable supply signal paths


The invention relates to derivatives of N,N′-substituted piperazines of the general formula (I):

Haemostasis system diseases, in particular thrombosis, vasoconstriction, play the key role in pathogenesis of coronary and cerebral blood circulation disturbances, that makes the treatment of mentioned diseases to be quite essential. The progress in therapy and prophylaxis of haemostasis disturbances is associated to a large extent with application of medical agents based on physiologically active compounds of different chemical nature and pharmacological action.
The prescription of antithrombotic drugs reduces the total risk of development of cardiovascular accidents by one quarter, nonfatal myocardial infarction by one third, nonfatal stroke by one quarter, vascular death by one sixth [McConnel H.//Br. Med. J. 2002. V. 324. P. 71-86]. In this case the basic ways of antithrombotic therapy are thrombocyte aggregation inhibition, aimed action on hemocoagulation system, reduction of endothelium thrombocyte activity. Despite the large amount of drugs capable to suppress thrombocyte activity and aggregation ability, their clinical efficiency against cardiovascular system diseases, that require antiaggregant treatment, is proven only in the case of three groups of agents—acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), thienopyridines (ticlopidine, clopidogrel, prasugrel), and thrombocyte glycoprotein receptor blockers.
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid—ASA) is considered as practically the only one drug that is applied for the purpose of primary cardiovascular disease prophylaxis [ANN Intern. Med. 2002. V. 136. P. 161-172], the efficiency and safety of which has been proved by the results of numerous investigations [Circulation. 2004. V. 110. P. 2361-2367; 30th International Stroke Conference. 2005, Abstr. P87].
The disadvantages of ASA should be attributed to prostacyclin synthesis suppression, bleeding risk, ASA-induced gastropathy that worsen tolerance and reduces the medication adherence by the patients, patient drug resistance [J. Thromb. Haemost. 2003. N1. P. 1710-1713; BMJ 2004. V. 328. P. 477-479; Brit. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 2008. V. 66. N2. P. 222-232].
The application of phosphodiesterase inhibitor—dipyridamole is known to reduce the frequency of ischemic transient attack development and strokes, lethality after cerebrovascular pathology. Dipyridamole has similar therapeutic effect to ASA; their combined application leads to the improvement of treatment efficiency [Future Medicine. 2005. V. 1. N1. P. 19-26]. However, dipyridamole application can provoke undesirable side effects. Thus, in the case of obstructing artery atherosclerosis and the presence of considerable amount of collaterals the drug can cause the development of steal syndrome. Therefore dipyridamole prescription is contraindicated in the case of critical coronary syndrome and myocardial infarction [Int. Med. J. 2008. V. 1. N1. P. 8-14].
Thienopyridine group representatives among antiaggregant agents are ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel. These substances are prodrugs, it means that their therapeutic effect is achieved due to pharmacological activity of their active metabolites. The advantages of ticlopidine are reduction of stroke probability by 20%, reduction of its unfavorable outcomes and cerebral ischemia or vascular death by 10% [Ann. Intern. Med. 1998. V. 129. N5. P. 394-405]. The disadvantages of the drug are its low tolerance and frequently appearing dermal (4-15%) and gastrointestinal (up to 20%) reactions that lead to ticlopidine treatment cessation. Besides that lethal thrombocytopenic purpura cases are known [Bennett C., Weinberg P., Rozenberg-Ben-Dror K., et al. Thrombocytopenic purpura associated with ticlopidine. Ann Intern Med 1998; 128: 541-44].
Clopidogrel, according to CAPRIE [Lancet. 1996. V. 348. P. 1329-39], is more effective than aspirin in many cases of long-term treatment of patients with high risk of ischemic occurrences. Its advantages are better tolerance compared to ticlopidine, including lower frequency of hematological complications, faster therapeutic effect onset associated with stress dosing (300 and 600 mg), compatibility with majority of drugs used in cardiology. Clopidogrel disadvantages are resistance of patients with CYP450 polymorphism, especially 2C19 (up to 14% of population) [JACC. 2007. V. 49. P. 1505; FDA Drug Safety Communication. Mar. 12, 2010], considerable efficiency reduction when the drug is used together with proton pump inhibitors—omeprazole, rabeprazole [FDA Public-health advisory: Updated safety information about a drug interaction between clopidogrel bisulfate (marketed as Plavix) and omeprazole (marketed as Prilosec and Prilosec OTC). Nov. 17, 2009], suboptimal drug reaction of the patients with acute coronary syndrome, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome [JACC. 2007. V. 49. P. 1505].
Tikagrelor features relatively quick therapeutic effect onset and pronounced inhibition of thrombocyte aggregation activity. Tikagrelor treatment, compared to clopidogrel one, reduces the frequency of death caused by vascular pathologies, myocardial infarction and strokes with no increase of overall occurrence of large-scale bleedings, but with increase of bleeding occurrences that are not associated with invasive procedures. This is significant disadvantage of the drug that restricts its use [N. Engl. J. Med. 2009. V. 361. N11. P. 1045-57].
Likewise direct thrombin inhibitors—gatrans are used in clinical practice [Am. Heart J. 2009. V. 157. P. 805-810]. Dabigatran shows decrease in stroke risk (including hemorrhagic one), bleeding occurrences (including life threatening and intracranial ones), it also shows decrease in deaths caused by vascular incidents. The drug therapy does not require monitoring [N. Engl. J. Med. 2009. V. 361. N12. P. 1139-1151]. Significant disadvantages of this drug group representatives are hepatotoxicity, intragastric bleedings [NHS. 2009. N8], and also the lack of combined antiaggregant, anticoagulant, and vasodilatory action on the body.
The most similar drugs to the claimed invention in respect to achieved effects are thromboxane blockers—ridogrel, ozagrel, pirmagrel. They have antihypertensive and vasodilator properties. The drugs are safe and effective in case of myocardial infarction [Cardiovascular Drug Reviews. 2008. V18. N3. P. 222-231], and are capable to relieve bronchospasm [Life Science. 1997. V. 60. N18. P. 1583-88].
The disadvantage of this drugs group is low efficiency at oral introduction.
The aim that has been achieved by the authors is the creation of more effective and safe substances that possess combined antiaggregant, anticoagulant and vasodilator action on the body.

Abstract: where R1 and R2 denote linear or branched (C1-C4)alkyl, linear or branched (C1-C4)alkoxy, CH3C(═O)O or halogen; n=1-5; m=0-3; Z denotes CH2, C═O or SO2; X denotes C(═NH)NH2, C(═NH)NHC(═NH)NH2 or CH2(CHR3)pCH2SO3H, where R3 denotes H, OH, CH3C(═O)O or HOSO2O and p=0-1; and G denotes low-molecular-weight organic or mineral acid, sodium, potassium or ammonium cations, or water. Said derivatives have antiaggregant, anticoagulant and vasodilatory properties. The invention further relates to a method for producing said derivatives by reacting N-substituted piperazines either with carboxamide amidating agents or salts thereof, or with haloalkyl sulfonic acids or salts thereof in organic solvents or in water in the presence of bases. The compounds may be used for the prophylaxis and treatment of disorders of the hemostatic system.


A terminal management system includes a main management device, a sub-management device, a first type terminal device that is communicably connected to the sub-management device, a second type terminal device that is not communicably connected to the main management device and the sub-management device, and a storage device that is configured to communicate with the main management device, the sub-management device, and the second type terminal device. The main management device uploads, to the storage device, first processing instruction information and second processing instruction information. The sub-management device downloads the first processing instruction information and uploads first notification information after the first type terminal device executes a first target processing. The second type terminal device downloads the second processing instruction information from the storage device, and uploads second notification information after the second type terminal device executes a process.

The present disclosure relates to a technique for managing a terminal device.
A related art document discloses a management system including a mediation device that is connected to one or a plurality of image forming devices in a local network provided with a firewall, and a management device that is connected to the mediation device via the Internet and remotely manages the image forming devices in the local network.
A terminal management system in which a management device manages a terminal device such as an image forming device may have a mixed configuration of a configuration in which the management device manages the terminal device via a mediation device (hereinafter, referred to as a mediation management configuration) and a configuration in which the management device manages the terminal device without using the mediation device (hereinafter, referred to as a non-mediation management configuration).
An object of the present disclosure is to facilitate the construction of a terminal management system having a mixed configuration of a mediation management configuration and a non-mediation management configuration.

Terminal management system, terminal management program, and terminal management method


A latching comparator includes first and second current integration nodes having first and second integration capacitances, respectively. A current source applies a first tail current to a current steering circuit which steers the tail current onto the first and second current integration nodes as a function of first and second data signals. An offset adjustment circuit is coupled to the first current integration node for adjusting the first integration capacitance relative to the second integration capacitance. A latch circuit is coupled to the first and second current integration nodes and has a data output.

The present invention relates to a latching comparator and, in particular, to a latching comparator having an input offset adjustment.
Successive approximation and flash analog-to-digital (A/D) converters have historically used some type of latching comparator and frequently incorporate some method of nulling the comparator's input-referred offset voltage. Input-referred offset adjustment capability is particularly important for maintaining accuracy in flash A/D converters. A single latching comparator can be combined with an N-bit D/A converter and with additional logic to form an N-bit successive-approximation A/D converter, or can be arrayed 2.sup.N times to form an N-bit flash A/D converter.
A typical method of nulling input-referred offset involves measuring and storing the offset voltage on a sampling capacitor and then inserting the capacitor in series with the signal path. This method requires specialized circuitry and a certain sequence of operations such that the measured voltage exactly cancels the offset voltage of the comparator. A difficulty with this method is that the sampling capacitor results in a higher comparator input capacitance due to parasitic coupling of the sampling capacitor to the integrated circuit substrate on which the comparator is fabricated. Also, the sampling capacitor and the specialized track/hold and offset cancellation circuitry consume a relatively large area on the integrated circuit.

Latching comparator with input offset adjustment


An ink sensing system for a vector plotter in which a pen is adapted to be raised and lowered from a drawing media surface along a system axis. An optical detection system is provided which has a focal point on the system axis and below the media surface when the pen is in its lowered position and at the media surface when the pen is in its raised position. The optical detection system includes a source of illumination and a detector system to determine the degree of reflectance from the media surface to indicate the presence or absence of ink on the media surface. In a particular embodiment the optical detection system is moveable and the movement of the optical detection system is coupled to the movement of the pen. Furthermore, the focal point of the optical detection system coincides substantially with the last point of contact of the pen with the media surface when the pen is in the raised position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of vector plotters and, in particular, to an ink sensing system for a vector plotter in which an optical detection system determines the degree of reflectance from a drawing media surface to indicate the presence or absence of ink on the media surface.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of plotters using ink pens, it is necessary to determine, continuously or at intervals, that the ink is being properly laid down on the drawing media surface during the plotting process. Such failure can be due to lack of ink in the pen or due to obstructions in the pen itself which prevents the ink from flowing freely onto the media surface. In the former instance, infrared ink-level sensing systems have been proposed to monitor the ink level in the pen itself. In the latter instance, sensing systems have been proposed, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,335,287 and 4,435,674, which utilize light-emitting diodes and photodiode detectors carried on the drawing head to continuously monitor the line being drawn by detecting variations in the intensity of light reflected from the drawing media surface due to the presence or absence of ink to absorb the light focussed on the surface. These sensing systems have, however, several disadvantages. Since the sensors comprise a circular array of optical fibers located around the scriber, the optical fibers focus light on and scan an annular area of the plotting paper surrounding the tip of the pen. Since only a small portion of the focused light can be absorbed by ink on the surface of the media, the sensitivity to small variations in detected light is critical to the successful operation of the system. Furthermore, since the detector system looks at an annular area around the tip of the pen, the system is sensitive to what has been drawn but cannot detect the current status of the ink flowing onto the media surface. Finally, since the systems look at an annular area surrounding the pen and operate in a continuous back-looking mode, excessive power and expensive and complicated electronics are needed for successful operation of such systems.
Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved ink sensing system for a vector plotter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved ink sensing system in which a positive indication is given as to the presence or absence of ink on a drawing media surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved ink sensing system which can determine the current status of ink flowing onto the drawing media surface.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved ink sensing system in which optical and electronic power requirements and complexity are minimized.


A light separating element designed to have parallel first and second external surfaces, a first polarizing film disposed on the first external surface and arranged to reflect a first portion of a first component in a first direction and transmit a second portion of the first component and all of a second component in a second direction. Further, a second polarizing film can be disposed on a second external surface which reflects a first portion of the second component in a third direction and transmits a second portion of the first and second components in a fourth direction. Further, the first portion of the second component is reflected by the second polarizing film to strike the first polarizing film. The first polarizing film transmitting a first portion of the second component in a fifth direction or a reflecting surface disposed on the second external surface and arranged to reflect a second portion of a first component and all of a second component in a third direction toward the polarizing film. The first portion of the second component is transmitted by the polarizing film in a fourth direction and a second portion of the second component and the second portion of the first component are reflected in a fifth direction toward the reflective surface. The second portions of the first and second components traveling in the fifth direction are reflected by the reflective surface in a sixth direction toward the polarizing film and the second portions of the first and second components traveling in the sixth direction are transmitted by the polarizing film in a seventh direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light separation element which is used in an opto-magnetic disk apparatus or the like for separating light, having polarized components angularly spaced 90 degrees from each other in the rotating direction, into three components and a light receiving optical device using the light separation element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an opto-magnetic disk apparatus, polarizing separation is performed to obtain a playback or reproduced output such that light returned from a disk is separated into two light components representing respective polarized components due to a Kerr rotatory angle and a light component for error signal detection from which a focus error signal and so on are detected.
FIG. 11 shows arrangement of an optical system of an opto-magnetic disk apparatus using conventional polarizing separation means.
A laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser 1 is converted by a collimator lens 2 into a parallel beam which is reflected by a beam splitter 3 and then by a total reflection prism 4. After that, the beam is focused by an object lens 5 onto the recording surface of a disk D. The light reflected by and returned from the recording surface of the disk D passes through the beam splitter 3 and is separated by a Wollaston prism 6 into three components which are received via condensing lenses 7aand 7b by a pin photodiode 8 divided into six zones. Specifically, two light rays B1 and B2 which are separated by the Wollaston prism 6 to have different polarizing planes from each other are received by two light receiving portions 8a and 8b of the pin photodiode 8, respectively. An MO signal is detected from the difference between quantities of light received by those two light receiving portions. The remaining light ray B3 independently of the polarized conditions is received by a light receiving portion 8c divided into four zones, from which both focus and tracking error signals are obtained.
The above conventional light receiving optical device uses the Wollaston prism 6 as an element for polarizing separation. However, the Wollaston prism 6 comprises two pieces of anisotropic crystal, such as quartz, bonded to each other and, therefore, the production cost is expensive. In addition, a cylindrical lens adapted to produce astigmatism requires to be provided as the condensing lens 7b in order to obtain the focus error signal from the four-divided light receiving portion 8c of the pin photodiode 8, thus resulting in the increased number of optical components.

Light separation element and light receiving optical device using same


A satellite television system that provides live television programming to passengers by integrating direct broadcast satellite services into an in-flight aircraft entertainment system. The system has an antenna disposed on the aircraft that is pointed at a plurality of satellites that are part of a direct broadcast satellite system. The antenna is controlled by an antenna controller and antenna interface unit that send control signals and process status signals to steer the antenna. The antenna is steered to lock it onto RF signals transmitted by the satellites. The antenna interface unit downconverts the received encoded RF signals to provide encoded left hand circularly polarized RF signals and right hand circularly polarized RF signals that contain different sets of television channels. The downconverted encoded RF signals are processed by a receiver to provide encoded video and audio signals of different television channels. The receiver does not decode or D/A convert the downconverted signals. The encoded video and audio signals containing the plurality of channels are modulated in a modulator, which also is used as a combiner to modulate signals derived from other video and audio sources. The modulated and encoded video and audio signals are routed to a video and audio distribution system which distributes the encoded video and audio signals to each passenger's seat. Seat electronics circuitry is located at each passenger's seat that contains a demodulator, decoder, digital to analog converters, and an optional tuner. The seat electronics circuitry demodulates, decodes and D/A converts the modulated and encoded video and audio signals into signals that may be viewed and heard by the passenger at that seat.

The present invention relates generally to in-flight aircraft entertainment systems, and more particularly, to a satellite television system that distributes a large number of live television programs to passengers of an aircraft by way of direct broadcast satellite.
The assignee of the present invention manufactures in-flight aircraft entertainment systems, such as an APAX-150 digital passenger entertainment system, for example. The APAX-150 system, along with other commercially available systems, distributes audio and video material to passengers derived from a variety of sources. For example, existing aircraft passenger entertainment systems provide passengers with audio generated from audio tape players, movies derived from video tape players, and interactive services such as games, shopping and telecommunications. With the exception of telecommunication services (air-to-ground telephone calls, etc), all existing services utilize on-board sources (tape players, etc.) to provide the viewable content.
According to polls of airline passengers, there is strong interest in live television programming as an entertainment option. This may include news, sporting events, movies and regular commercial programming. Up to now, each airplane has been a closed, self-contained content provider, in the sense that once off the ground, all entertainment is generated from within the aircraft. This has precluded the offering of live television. Now, with the advance in live broadcast satellite technology, it is possible to provide this desired service to the flying passenger.
An article was published by Jim C. Williams entitled "Airborne Satellite Television" published in the Fourth Quarter 1994 issue of Avion magazine at pages 43 54 that generally describes the concepts of the present invention. Another article in the same magazine entitled "MPEG The Great Enabler" describes MPEG compression technology which is used in the DirectTV digital broadcast satellite system to transmit multiple video and audio channels from a ground station to satellite transponders which relay them to ground-based receivers where they are decoded and displayed. These articles are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The articles provide a description of the digital broadcast satellite system and its operation. The "Airborne Satellite Television" article also describes adapting the digital broadcast satellite system to provide live television broadcasts to aircraft. However, while a description is provided regarding a possible system that could be implemented and the problems that needed to be overcome to implement such a system were discussed, no details of an actual system were provided, such as system or component block diagrams, for example. In fact, the article states that a working system was to be developed in the future. The present invention is such a system.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for a satellite television system that distributes a large number of live television programs to passengers of an aircraft by way of direct broadcast satellite.

Distribution of a large number of live television programs to individual passengers in an aircraft


A hybrid switch actuator having six positions that are stable in the absence of current and in which displacement occurs between an initial position and a target position under the action of a current. The actuator includes a stator and a rotationally moveable rotor package. The stator has six pole shoes. Each pair of opposed pole shoes is equipped with a common exciting coil. The rotor package has two pairs of rotor poles magnetized transversely in alternate directions and a permanent magnet ring and two end caps adapted to be engaged around said permanent magnet ring. Each end cap is associated with two rotor poles having maximum radius regions that correspond to the area of each of the stator pole shoes and reduced radius regions positioned adjacent the maximum radius regions such that each rotor pole can be precisely aligned with each stator pole shoe.

Microwave T-switches are amongst the most common embodiments of coaxial radio frequency (rf) switching devices in communication satellite applications. Microwave T-switches are typically of small size and volume and are well adapted for satellite communication applications that have constrained mass and volume satellite payloads. Conventional rotary coaxial T-switches such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,065,125 and 5,063,364 have switch states that are selectable by driving a cam disc to various predetermined angular positions. Actuation means are used to rotate the cam disc within a coaxial microwave switch to the desired angular position and typically utilize either permanent magnet devices or switched reluctance devices.
Permanent magnet devices resemble brushless dc motors and are doubly excited devices in which magnetic flux is generated by a driven coil on the stationary part and a permanent magnet on the moving part. Force is developed through the mutual flux linkages. Generally, permanent magnet devices utilize a relatively large proportion of magnetic material that substantially increases the mass and volume of the actuator. Permanent magnet actuators exhibit residual torque properties, which tend to hold the actuator in preferred locations when un-powered. These effects, which are due to the influences of the magnets, must be overcome when applying power to achieve a new position thereby diminishing the ultimate performance of the actuator. While this un-powered holding torque may be exploited to latch the mechanism between actuations, this is not required in the T-switch application because the load provides sufficient latching torque and the un-powered torque becomes a parasitic effect. The application requirement that the actuator have a well defined, precise target displacement (i.e., a power on equilibrium point where the mechanism comes to rest in the desired location) only serves to exacerbate this parasitic effect.
Switched reluctance devices are singly excited devices with a driven coil on the stationary part and soft ferromagnetic material on the moving part. Force is developed as the moving part tends towards an orientation in which the magnetic circuit reluctance is minimum. Such singly excited actuators have zero un-powered torque. However, because operating torque is related to the change in reluctance with respect to angular displacement, and because there is a finite total change in reluctance possible with available materials and fabrication methods, such actuators only operate efficiently where small angular displacements are required. Since the conventional microwave T-switch requires 60° displacement variable, reluctance actuators are not appropriate for use.


A cable with circuitry that enables the cable to communicate data in one of at least two different signal modes of operation is presented. In a first signal mode, the cable enables data communication between the circuitry and either a source device or a sink device. The first signal mode can be used either to communicate properties of the cable itself or of a signal passing through the cable to either the source device or the sink device. In a second signal mode, the cable enables data communication between the source device and the sink device. The second signal mode can be used to communicate data in accordance with a predetermined protocol.

1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure pertains in general to a cable for communicating data between a transmitter and a receiver, and more particularly to a cable that includes circuitry for communicating performance information with either the transmitter or the receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video and audio data is typically transferred from one device to another across using communication links (e.g., wired or wireless links) with protocols such as high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) or mobile high-definition link (MHL). Wired communication links can include cables comprising one or more conductors for communicating data between devices. Cables used for the wired communication links are selected based on, among other features, a power handling capability (at both a source end and sink end of the cable).
While some interface standards can provide a mechanism for the cable between a source device and a sink device to identify itself as being a compliant device for that interconnect (e.g. MHL), there are no current solutions for an interconnect to indicate to another device—either a source device or a sink device—whether a performance parameter of the interconnect is within a performance range of that interface standard. For example, if an interface standard allows a sink to provide 5 Volts at up to 1 Ampere to a connected source, then the cable is expected to be able to electrically handle signals up to 5 Watts. A cable with a power handling capacity of less than 5 Watt would not be able to support such standard and would not be able to indicate its inability to a coupled device because it lacks any such means to indicate such limitation to the coupled device.
Cable length, for example, can be a marketable feature. The longer the length of a cable the more difficult for the cable to maintain the quality of signals being carried through the cable. Therefore, to be able to use longer cables effectively, there is a need for a mechanism through which a cable can identify itself to and/or indicate to a coupled device that the cable has one or more limitations with respect to performance requirements as required by a particular interface standard.

Cable with circuitry for communicating performance information


A Direct Sample Analysis (DSA) ion source system operating at essentially atmospheric pressure is configured to facilitate the ionization, or desorption and ionization, of sample species from a wide variety of gaseous, liquid, and/or solid samples, for chemical analysis by mass spectrometry or other gas phase ion detectors. The DSA system includes one or more means of ionizing samples and includes a sealed enclosure which provides protection from high voltages and hazardous vapors, and in which the local background gas environment may be monitored and well-controlled. The DSA system is configured to accommodate single or multiple samples at any one time, and provide external control of individual sample positioning, sample conditioning, sample heating, positional sensing, and temperature measurement.

There has been a rapid growth in recent years in the prevalence and variety of techniques for the desorption and ionization of sample species from solid surfaces at ambient atmospheric conditions, without significant sample preparation, followed by chemical analysis by mass spectrometry. Examples of such techniques include, but are not limited to: "desorption electrospray ionization" (DESI); "thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization" (TD/APCI); "direct analysis in real time" (DART); "desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization" (DAPCI); and "laser desorption/electrospray ionization" (LD/ESI). Recent reviews that enumerate and elucidate such techniques are provided by: Van Berkel G J, et. al., "Established and emerging atmospheric pressure surface sampling/ionization techniques for mass spectrometry", J. Mass Spectrom. 2008, 43, 1161-1180; and, Venter A., et al., "Ambient desorption ionization mass spectrometry", Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2008, 27, 284-290.
Most such techniques have been demonstrated with ion source configurations that were open to the environment. Open configurations are attractive because they can allow easy optimization of analysis conditions, such as sample positioning and reagent source positioning, easy sample treatment during analysis, such as heating or cooling, and a straightforward exchange of samples. However, open ion source configurations may exhibit serious deficiencies with respect to safety concerns which preclude their use in unregulated facilities, and are inadvisable elsewhere for the same reasons. For example, open source configurations may not provide adequate protection for the operator from accidental exposure to the high voltages and/or elevated temperatures typically employed in such sources. Open sources may also fail to contain vaporized sample and reagent material which is often very toxic.
Apart from such safety concerns, ion sources operating at atmospheric pressure often rely on chemical reactions involving gaseous species that are present naturally in the local ambient, such as water vapor, oxygen, and/or nitrogen. As such, the performance of such sources may vary significantly as the local concentration of such reactants drifts uncontrollably, resulting in degraded performance and/or poor reproducibility. There is a significant need for a direct sample analysis system that provides real-time monitoring, feedback, conditioning and control of sample background and ionization conditions.
To date, only a few attempts are known to have been made to configure such atmospheric pressure ion sources with an enclosure that provides for safe operation, and the ability to better control and manipulate the ambient environment. However, such attempts to outfit ambient atmosphere ion sources with an enclosure have at the same time compromised some of the more advantageous features of open ion sources, such as: the ability to readily optimize the position of samples, as well as the positions of various desorption and/or ionization components, for maximum ionization efficiency and transport of ions into vacuum during operation; to readily access a sample surface, for example, to monitor the surface temperature, or to visualize the surface appearance; and the ability to configure mechanisms that allow multiple samples to be loaded into a source at the same time; and, hence, to provide for the possibility of automated operation. Therefore, there has been a need for ambient pressure ion sources that are configured with an enclosure that provides operator protection and ambient environment control, while also providing for these advantageous features otherwise available with open ambient ion sources.
Additionally, prior ambient atmosphere ion sources have been configured to accommodate only a single type of solid, liquid, or gaseous samples. Hence, there is a need for an ambient atmosphere ion source that is able to accommodate one or more samples of one or more sample types in a relatively compact space, without requiring substantial reconfiguration or operator intervention. Furthermore, there has been a need for enclosed ambient atmosphere ion sources that provide automated identification and automated optimization of the position, and orientation of samples and auxiliary components, such as desorption and/or ionization probes.

Apparatus for analysis of sample chemical species featuring multiple sample placement locations