An apparatus and associated methodology provided to enable broadcast media to be reproduced quickly while reducing an overhead accompanied with the broadcast media. A broadcast communication system transmits the broadcast media from a server to a communication terminal. The server transmits broadcast notification information (SAP message) designating at least one broadcast media, and transmits reproduction information indicating a reproduction method of the designated broadcast media prior to reproduction of the broadcast media by the communication terminal. The communication terminal reproduces the broadcast media designated by the broadcast notification information (SAP message) based on the reproduction information when receiving the broadcast notification information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcast communication system and method for broadcasting broadcast media such as video information, audio information and the like, and to a communication terminal, a server, a relay apparatus, and a program, which are suitably used for the system and the method. Hereinafter, the word "broadcast" includes the meaning of "multicast".
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the digital satellite broadcast communication system has become widespread. In the digital satellite broadcast communication system, multi-channelization has developed by utilizing a communication band with a large capacity, and a large number of channels dedicated to sports, movie, music, news and the like have been prepared. In these dedicated channels, program contents in accordance with plans and contents of the respective fields have been broadcasted. Then, broadcast media enabling the reproduction (playback) of the program contents has been broadcasted by use of the digital satellite broadcast communication system.
As a broadcast communication system for broadcasting such broadcast media as video information, music information and the like, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 2000-358062 discloses "Digital data transmitting/receiving system and method", in which a variety of data such as broadcast media are transmitted by use of a data transmission format in conformity with the MPEG-2 system.
Moreover, as a broadcast communication system for repeatedly transmitting the variety of data such as broadcast media, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 2001-53696 discloses a system for broadcasting a variety of data such as broadcast media by use of a "DSM-CC (Digital Storage Media Command and Control) data carousel system", prescribed in the ISO/IEC13818-6. In other words, this Publication discloses "Section sending apparatus and section sending method in digital broadcast", in which a variety of data such as broadcast media are repeatedly transmitted in a format which conforms to a section format prescribed in the ISO/IEC13818-1.
Meanwhile, as a broadcast communication system for the Internet, a broadcast communication system has been conceived for broadcasting broadcast media such as audio information, video information and the like, in which "information necessary to reproduce broadcast media (IP address information of a source and a destination, and the like)" is notified by use of a "SAP (Session Announcement Protocol) message" as broadcast notification information.
The SAP message is transmitted through a predetermined "IP address" and "port number". Moreover, the SAP message is uniquely identified by "IP address information of a source (originating source) of the SAP message" and a "message ID uniquely specifying the SAP message transmitted by the source (msg id hash), which are included in the SAP message".
In the broadcast communication system using the SAP message over the Internet, in general, a "multicast address (IP address information of a destination)" to which broadcast media is transmitted is designated to a "c field" in "SDP (Session Description Protocol) information" in the SAP message. A receiver can know the "multicast address (IP address information of the destination)" to which the broadcast media is transmitted by the "c field", and thus can see and hear the broadcast media.
FIG. 45 illustrates an example of transmitting two broadcast media in a conventional broadcast communication system.
Specifically, FIG. 45 is an example of transmitting, on one channel, two "SAP messages (SAP1, SAP2)" and "RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol: RFC 1889) packets (RTP1-a and RTP1-b, RTP2-a and RTP2-b)" which correspond to the respective SAP messages (SAP1, SAP2).
FIG. 46 is a description example of the "SDP information" of the SAP message. FIG. 46 shows a "multicast address (IP address information of a destination)" of broadcast media in a portion of "c=IN IP 4 22.214.171.124/127". Hence, a receiving terminal having received this SAP message can determine that the broadcast media is being broadcasted by the multicast address.
Moreover, in a packet-based communication system, a packet including audio and video information is transmitted as a RTP packet. A "RTP/UDP/IP header" as a header will be added to the RTP packet, the overhead thereof being extremely large.
As a method for reducing (compressing) the overhead of the RTP/UDP/IP header, "CRTP" prescribed in RFC2508 of IETF and "ROHC" prescribed in RFC3095 is known.
In any of the header compression methods, a "header compression refresh packet" for initializing a header compression state is first transmitted, and then a "header compression packet" in which the header is compressed is transmitted. In the "CRTP", a "FULL_HEADER" corresponds to the header compression refresh packet, and in the "ROHC", an "IR header" corresponds thereto.
In general, the digital satellite broadcast communication system having a communication band with a large capacity, and the broadcast communication system for the Internet are flexible, regarding the overhead in the repeated transmission of the broadcast media.
However, in a broadcast communication system including, as receiving terminals, mobile communication terminals that can only utilize a communication band with a relatively small capacity (low bit rate), there is an inherent problem in that the pressure for a transmission capacity of audio information, video information and the like is more significant by the above-described overhead.
Moreover, when the header compression method described above is simply applied to a packet-based broadcast communication system in order to reduce the above-described overhead, a receiving terminal that starts to see and hear the broadcast of the broadcast media from a halfway thereof has been unable to recover a header compression packet because the header compression state thereof is unclear even if the receiving terminal receives the header compression packet.
Moreover, the conventional broadcast communication system using the SAP message over the Internet has only one "physical channel" for use in transmitting the broadcast media, thus can see and hear the broadcast media by the designation of the IP address described in the "c field" of the "SDP information" in the SAP message. However, in the broadcast communication system using the mobile communication terminals, there has been a problem specifying to which wireless channel the broadcast media is broadcasted by only the designation of the IP address, because a plurality of broadcast media are conceived to be broadcasted by use of a plurality of wireless channels (physical channels).
Specifically, in the broadcast communication system using mobile communication terminals, there arises a subject concerning how the "physical channel" and a "logical address (IP address)", which are for use in broadcasting the broadcast media, are to be associated with each other.
Furthermore, unlike a communication system for receiving and reproducing multimedia information (broadcast media) by an indication from the receiving terminal, in the reception and reproduction of the multimedia information (broadcast media) in the broadcast communication system, there is an inherent problem in that a broadcast media supplier (source) cannot know at which timing the receiver starts to receive the broadcast media, and sometimes cannot make the receiver reproduce (playback) the broadcast media reliably.

Communication terminal, server, relay apparatus, broadcast communication system, broadcast communication method, and program


An oil-gas well structure and a segmental flow-control method for a flow-control filter string (5) used in the oil-gas well. The segmental flow-control method for the flow-control filter string (5) comprises the following steps: 1) establishing a channel (2-1); 2) running the flow-control filter string (5); 3) filling with the anti-channeling flow pack-off particles (7); 4) sealing; 5) disconnecting a run-in string connected to the flow-control filter string (5). The segment flow control of the flow-control filter string (5) is achieved by using a pack-off effect of the anti-channeling flow pack-off particles (7).

During production of the oil-gas well, no matter whether the well is a vertical well or a horizontal well, due to factors such as heterogeneity of oil reservoir, the well needs to be packed off into a plurality of relatively independent zones for production, and flow is controlled in segments for production. The oil-gas well production here comprises output and injection of a fluid during production of the oil-gas well, such as petroleum exploitation, or injection of water, gas, a chemical agent for improving a recovery rate of the oil field or the like, into the formation during production, or injection of an acid liquid into the formation during some operations.
The oil-gas well is packed off into a plurality of relatively independent zones for production usually by a method of using a flow-control device in combination with a device of separating the production segment of the oil-gas well into several flow units in an axial direction of the oil-gas well, for example, by a method of using a flow-control filter string plus a packer.
For the sake of prevention of sand, a sand control screen is provided for many wells in the oil-gas field. FIG. 1 shows a structure of an oil-gas well into which a sand control screen is already run, comprising a well wall 1, a sand control screen 2, a clearance 3 between the sand control screen and the well wall, and a packer 4 for hanging the sand control screen. Those skilled in the art can all appreciate that the clearance 3 between the sand control screen and the well wall comprises but is not limited to an entire annular clearance between the sand control screen and the well wall or a partial annular clearance which is partially collapsed between the sand control screen and the well wall or other similar interval space.
In many oil-gas wells, production of segmental flow control is implemented by running the flow-control filter string and the packer in the well, and actively packing off the clearance between the flow-control filter string and the well wall by adding the packer to the flow-control filter string, i.e., obstructing an axial channeling flow passage outside the flow-control filter string to achieve better production of segmental flow control.
However, the manner of the flow-control filter string plus the packer has serious problems in the oil-gas well into which the sand control screen is already run. As shown in FIG. 2, in the oil-gas well into which the sand control screen is already run, there is an unpacked-off clearance between the sand control screen and the well wall. Since this kind of clearance can form an axial channeling flow passage, it damages the pack-off effect between the flow-control filter string in the sand control screen and the sand control screen, and therefore leads to failure to achieve very good production of segmental flow control. FIG. 2 further discloses a flow-control filter string 5, a flow-control filter 6 on the flow-control filter string, a packer 10 disposed in an annular space between the flow-control filter string and the sand control screen, and a hold-down packer 8 for hanging the flow-control filter string. The arrow in the figure indicates the flow direction of a channeling fluid such as water. As shown in FIG. 2, the channeling fluid such as water enters the clearance between the well wall and the sand control screen through the well wall, forms an axial channeling flow in the clearance between the well wall and the sand control screen, and then enters the flow-control filter string, thereby ruining the pack-off effect between the flow-control filter string in the sand control screen and the sand control screen, and failing to achieve an excellent production of segmental flow control.
As can be seen from the above, in order to achieve production of segmental flow control by using the flow-control filter string plus the packer in the oil-gas well into which the sand control screen is already run, there is a need to draw out the sand control screen already run into the oil-gas well, and then run the flow-control filter string and the packer. However, in many cases, since the sand control screen is very long, the resistance between the sand control screen and the well wall is very large, which resistance is caused largely because sand jam occurs partially on the sand control screen. Especially for a horizontal well, in a majority of situations, the sand control screen cannot be pulled out, and further, because its production segment is very long, the horizontal well particularly need to employ production of segmental flow control, so as to solve the problem of quick rise of water content in the produced liquid of the horizontal well, for example. Hence, this problem is relatively prominent, especially for horizontal wells.

Segmental flow control method and apparatus for a flow control filter string in an oil-gas well

Anton Bailin Oilfield Technologies (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


There is provided a device for generating a frame of reference and tracking the position and orientation of a tool in computer-assisted image guided surgery or therapy system. A first curvature sensor including fiducial markers is provided for positioning on a patient prior to volumetric imaging, and sensing the patient's body position during surgery. A second curvature sensor is coupled to the first curvature sensor at one end and to a tool at the other end to inform the computer-assisted image guided surgery or therapy system of the position and orientation of the tool with respect to the patient's body. A system is provided that incorporates curvature sensors, a garment for sensing the body position of a person, and a method for registering a patient's body to a volumetric image data set in preparation for computer-assisted surgery or other therapeutic interventions. This system can be adapted for remote applications as well.

The concept of computer-assisted stereotactic methods effectively began in 1979. By 1996 it was generally accepted that volumetric stereotactic procedures were feasible including the use of stereotactically directed instruments with respect to pre- or intraoperative displayed images.
Computer assisted image guided stereotactic surgery is beneficial in the biopsy and ablation of primary brain tumors, benign and malignant, as well as in many other intracranial procedures using computed tomography, MRI, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emissions tomography (SPECT). It is especially useful in accurate localization of intracranial vital structures. The passive articulated arm has been shown to be useful in the resection of brain metastases. Surgical navigation is used in head and neck tumors, employing MRI and CT imaging. Stereotactic interstitial brachytherapy has been used for inoperable head and neck cancers, with a head holder used for immobilization. Brachytherapy, the insertion of an ablative radioactive material into an otherwise inoperable tumor, can be placed accurately and through a smaller incision using computer assisted image guided stereotactic surgery. Other uses include vaporization of tumor slice and MRI, digital angiography, and computer-resident stereotactic atlases. Such methods are particularly utilized in neurosurgical and otolaryngological procedures of the head and orthopaedic procedures of the pelvis and spine.
The insertion of pedicle screws for spine fusion procedures is enhanced by computer-assisted methods. At first, 3-D images from CT scans were used but these have been replaced by computer-assisted fluoroscopy. For the insertion of iliosacral screws for pelvic ring disruption, the use of CT images has been shown to be accurate and safe, and can be employed when conventional X-ray is not useful due to the presence of contrast media in the bowels, or anatomic variations resulting in a narrow passage for the screw.
An essential capability of and step in the use of computer assisted surgery is registering the computer system and the digitized CT or MRI image data set to the patient in a common frame of reference in order to correlate the virtual CT or MRI image with the actual body section so imaged. Image-to-instrument registration at its most basic level requires some fiducials distributed in 3-dimensional space to be preoperatively imaged simultaneously with the patient. These fiducials provide an image frame of reference (ImFOR). The fiducials can either be synthetically added or consist of a set of pre-existing anatomical landmarks. There are three current methods of registering the data set of CT or MRI images of the object body segment to the actual body segment in the operating suite.
One method of registration uses CT or MRI imageable-markers or "fiducials" that can be recognized in renderings of the data set and also on the object body segment, and by touching or matching them point-to-point with a digitizing probe. Just before and during an operation, digitizing probe with sensors or emitters or reflectors for a waveform tracking system is then touched to each fiducial, enabling a computer to match the fiducials with the same points identified on the reconstructed images, planar and/or three dimensional, on a computer workstation. After a plurality of such fiducial points are matched, the computer program determines if an accurate match is obtained. This manual registration procedure locates the fiducials relative to an instrument frame of reference (InFOR). It is typical to use the operating room as the primary frame of reference (ORFOR) with the InFOR having a measured offset within the ORFOR. Thus the anatomy is registered to the image. This method is referred to as point-to-point registration.
A related registration method using fiducials attached to the patient involves mounting a reference frame directly to the patient's skeleton, such as the spine, pelvis or femur. In some instances, the skull can be fixed to a table mounted frame. The position of this frame of reference is optically tracked in real-time using the same video cameras used to track the surgical or therapeutic instrument. With the fiducials' physical location being known relative to the InFOR and the InFOR being known relative to the ORFOR and the fiducials also being known relative to the image, the location of arbitrary points in the image can be located in the physical space. Mathematically there is a bilinear transformation between the two spaces and an isomorphism exists, so operations in one space accurately reflect operations in the other. The instrument is then tracked (passive navigation) using one of several methods.
A second method of registration involves touching a segment of the body multiple times with a digitizing probe to obtain a multitude of points that will give a surface or shape that can be matched with the anatomic shape. Another version of this method uses an ultrasound probe with sensors, emitters or reflectors to map the surface of underlying bone to obtain a shape or surface. The computer program then matches the shape of the combined points to match the reconstructed image of the object part of the body. This method is referred to as shape or surface matching registration.
A third method of registration involves taking an X-ray of the body segment with a digitizing fluoroscope and matching the two-dimensional images with the three-dimensional data set.
The first registration methods require the surgeon to place fiducials on or in a patient before an imaging study and then use a digitizing probe to touch point fiducials or a surface, which is a tedious process. Using anatomic fiducials to register vertebrae for the insertion of pedicle screws has proven tedious and time consuming, so much so that this method has not gained general acceptance by orthopedic surgeons. The second method requires the exposure of a large area of bony surface in some cases, which is contradictory to one of the aims of using small incisions. The third method is more automatic but requires that a portable X-ray fluoroscopy machine be used.
Image to patient registration has been performed cutaneously by attaching spheres to a patient's scalp and then intraoperatively imaging these spheres using an ultrasonic sensor. Direct ultrasonic registration of bony tissue with their CT images is being developed.
A key component in any IGT/IGS system is the 3-dimensional (3-D) instrument tracker that informs the system computer of where the surgical or therapeutic instrument is and how it is oriented in 3-D space within the frame of reference. Currently there are four approaches to digitizing the position of the surgical or therapeutic instrument relative to some frame of reference: electromechanical; ultra-sonic; tuned, low-frequency, magnetic field transmitter source and a sensor-pointer; and infra-red optical.
An early approach to instrument tracking borrowed technology from robotic manipulators. These systems use articulated arms with optical shaft encoders or angle potentiometers to measure the angular displacements of each of the joints. Such measurements were combined to provide a mathematical estimate of the instrument's position and orientation. However, electromechanical passive articulated arms present several disadvantages that have limited their use, including: limited working volume due to constraints on arm weight; difficulties in moving free objects due to joint friction; positional accuracy limitations; the need for multiple manipulator arms in many situations; the inability to detect erroneous readings made by optical encoders at one or more joints; and difficulties associated with sterilizing or draping the large articulated arms.
Ultrasonic digitizers utilizing time-difference of arrival techniques have been used to locate instruments, but with limited success due to their: sensitivity to changes in the speed of sound; sensitivity to other operating room noises and echoes; and unacceptable accuracy in large operating volumes.
Magnetic field tracking of instruments has been tried, but suffered from operational difficulties caused by interfering fields associated with nearby metal objects and unacceptable positional accuracy for surgical or therapeutic use.

System and method for automatic shape registration and instrument tracking

George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.


A reciprocating piston mechanism comprises a crankcase and a crankshaft (rotatable about a crankshaft axis) which has at least a crankpin having a crankpin. A connecting rod includes a big end rotatably mounted on the crankpin and a small end rotatably connected to a piston. The crank member is provided with a crank member gear that meshes with an intermediate gear, both gears of which are external gears along with first and second auxiliary gears. The intermediate gear meshes with the first auxiliary gear. The first auxiliary gear is fixed to the second auxiliary gear via a common auxiliary shaft that mounts to the crankshaft and rotates with respect thereto about an auxiliary shaft axis that extends parallel to the crankshaft axis. The second auxiliary gear meshes with a central gear. The central gear is an internal gear, which has a center line that coincides with the crankshaft axis.

The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present invention relates to a reciprocating piston mechanism.
A reciprocating piston mechanism is described in an earlier application PCT/EP2008/051727 of the applicant.


Cleavage site for the protease furin is inserted between domains of a membrane glycoprotein. Upon cleavage by furin in the trans-Golgi network, the protein is separated into individual membrane-free domain that retains its native conformation. This protocol can be used to produce virus membrane protein domains for structural analysis and for trials as vaccines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the study and uses of membrane glycoproteins. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of producing membrane-free membrane glycoproteins maintained in native conformation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many membrane glycoproteins are assembled within cells in a highly constrained and energy rich conformation. The membrane proteins of membrane-containing viruses are examples of energy rich proteins. These proteins assemble in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through intermediates which are stabilized by disulfide bonds. Because of this high energy configuration it is difficult if not impossible to maintain these proteins in native conformation when extracting them from their associated membrane. Extracting these proteins from the membrane results in their collapse into a normative, relaxed configuration that makes structural analysis on these proteins difficult. In the case of virus membrane proteins, the normative conformation makes these proteins ineffective for use as subunit viral vaccines.
In the case of influenza virus, this conformation problem was overcome by the discovery of an accessible protease site in the HA1-HA2 membrane glycoprotein (Wiley and Skehel, 1977). This site allowed the release of the protein ectodomain upon treatment of intact virus with the protease. The released ectodomain retained its native conformation, thereby allowing the determination of its structure at atomic resolution by X-ray crystallography (Wiley and Skehel, 1977).
Most membrane proteins, however, do not contain an accessible protease site such as that found in influenza virus. This fact and the failure of other methods of protein purification have made it impossible to obtain these proteins in native conformation. Thus, the prior art is deficient in a method of producing membrane-free membrane glycoproteins maintained in native conformation. The present invention provides a solution to this long-standing need and desire in the art.

Insertion of furin protease cleavage sites in membrane proteins and uses thereof


An object is to increase the amount of displacement of a thin-film piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric thin film having an uneven-shaped contact surface with the planar shape and the layer structure of the thin-film piezoelectric element kept unchanged. The thin-film piezoelectric element includes a pair of electrode layers and a piezoelectric thin film sandwiched between the pair of electrode layers, in which a surface roughness P-V of an interface between the piezoelectric thin film and at least one of the pair of electrode layers is 220 nm or more and 500 nm or less.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a thin-film piezoelectric element including a thin-film piezoelectric material, a thin-film piezoelectric actuator and a thin-film piezoelectric sensor each including the thin-film piezoelectric element, and a hard disk drive and an ink jet printer apparatus each including the thin-film piezoelectric actuator.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, there have been advances in practical use of thin-film piezoelectric elements including thin-film piezoelectric materials, instead of bulk piezoelectric materials. Examples thereof include gyroscope sensors, pressure sensors, pulse wave sensors, shock sensors, and microphones, which serve as piezoelectric sensors using a piezoelectric effect, in which a force applied to a piezoelectric thin film is converted into a voltage; head assemblies for hard disk drives and ink jet print heads, which serve as piezoelectric actuators using an inverse piezoelectric effect, in which a piezoelectric thin film is deformed by the application of a voltage to the piezoelectric thin film; and speakers, beepers, and resonators, which also use the inverse piezoelectric effect.
A reduction in the thickness of piezoelectric materials enables the miniaturization of elements and widens the field of application. Furthermore, many elements can be collectively produced on a substrate, thereby increasing the mass productivity. There are many advantages in performance, for example, improvement in sensitivity as a sensor.
In the case where a piezoelectric thin film included in a thin-film piezoelectric element has a predetermined crystal structure, satisfactory piezoelectric properties are provided. Further improvement in crystallinity enables a piezoelectric constant to be further improved. Examples of a method for improving the crystallinity include the optimization of deposition conditions of deposition apparatuses configured to form piezoelectric thin films by sputtering, CVD, and so forth; and a method in which an underlying surface where a piezoelectric thin film will be formed is subjected to treatment.
PTL 1 states that a reduction in the surface roughness of a surface of an electrode layer serving as a base layer of a piezoelectric thin film improves the crystal orientation of the piezoelectric thin film during growth to increase the piezoelectric properties.
PTL 2 states that a piezoelectric thin film having high crystallinity optimum for improving a piezoelectric constant is formed by optimizing the crystal grain size of the piezoelectric thin film and the roughness of the piezoelectric thin film itself.
PTL 3 states that a piezoelectric thin film having an improved piezoelectric constant and resistance to dielectric breakdown is formed by suppressing a P-V value, which is defined by a peak-to-valley difference on the entire surface of the piezoelectric thin film.
[PTL 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-161330
[PTL 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-298324
[PTL 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-219493

Thin film piezoelectric element, thin film piezoelectric actuator, and thin film piezoelectric sensor; and hard disk drive, and inkjet printer


A board game is arranged to simulate inner action between a predator species, such as a tiger, and a prey species, such as a cow, wherein the predators are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the prey, and wherein the prey by various tactics is permitted to eliminate the predator, wherein the predator readily eliminating the prey by a jumping motion, wherein the game board is arranged to include intersecting game paths to permit interaction of the predator and prey tokens relative to the game paths.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved predator simulation board game apparatus wherein the same is arranged to effect simulation of inner action between a predator and prey species utilizing tokens and intersecting game paths for purposes of simulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Board games of various types are utilized in the prior art and particularly jumping type games wherein tokens such as in a checkers method of play permits jumping of opponents such as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,886,279; 3,434,719; 4,150,828; and 3,610,627.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a new and improved predator simulation board game apparatus as set forth by the instant invention addressing both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction in providing for simulation of inner action between a predator and prey species utilizing simplicity of understanding and entertainment of the game structure in a manner not set forth by the prior art and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Predator simulation board game apparatus


A method provides for trunk group satellite switching using a code division multiple access (CDMA) scheme. The method includes receiving inbound satellite beams carrying individually encoded user signals including a plurality of inbound trunk groups, processing and mapping the trunk group elements to a plurality of outbound trunk groups, routing the outbound trunk groups to appropriate outbound satellite beams and transmitting the outbound beams based on common destination parameters. The trunk group switching allows for a reduction of on-board switching complexity, volume, and costs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a switching apparatus and method to be used in a communication switching system. It particularly relates to a trunk group switching technique to be used in a satellite communication switching system carrying wide-band signals that uses a code division multiple access (CDMA) scheme and a code division switch on-board the satellite.
2. Background Art
In typical satellite communication systems, the on-board switching equipment primarily comprises a system which acts to receive and then re-transmit user signals to an appropriate destination commonly referred to as a bent-pipe system. The satellite generally acts as a signal relay point to route user signals from a terrestrial origination to a terrestrial destination wherein all pertinent communication switching is performed on the ground. To accomplish actual on-board switching for a plurality of user signals, the complexity of the satellite design quickly multiplies by requiring a digital receiver element for each user signal (call). This hardware requirement greatly increases payload and launch costs, and may limit the number of users that can be supported by a satellite switching platform. The same need to limit equipment cost and size may exist in other communication platforms (e.g., wireless, cellular, land mobile radio, etc).
There is a need to provide a seamless, flexible satellite communication system that can provide desired user services with high performance while keeping satellite design complexity and equipment costs to a minimum.

Method for code division switching of communication signals by trunk coding in a satellite communication system


A patient monitoring system within an Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) device includes a patient monitoring channel including a first electrode and a second electrode, with each electrode coupled to a respective lead. The monitoring system also includes an Alternating Current source structured to inject a test current to the first electrode lead or the second electrode lead and a differential amplifier structured to measure differences between signals received from the first electrode lead and the second electrode lead. Related methods include evaluating a quality of an electrode contact with a skin surface by injecting a lead of the electrode and one input of a differential amplifier with a known electrical current, comparing a difference between an electrical signal received from the lead of the injected electrode as well as from a lead of a passive signal electrode, and evaluating the compared difference.

A variety of electronic devices are designed to interact with a patient through electrodes that are applied to the patient's skin. Examples include electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and electromyography (EMG) devices. Such devices generally operate by making electrical contact with the patient's skin, through which contact electrical signals can pass.
The quality of the contact between an electrode and the patient's skin can greatly impact the quality of the signal obtained from the patient. Several factors can influence the quality of the connection. A significant factor is whether adequate skin preparation steps are taken before connecting the electrode to the patient's skin. A skin preparation process may include shaving the skin surface to remove hair, cleaning the skin surface, and lightly abrading the skin surface to remove dead skin cells. The electrode itself can also influence the quality of the connection. For example, electrolyte gel is often used in certain types of electrodes, and the gel can easily become dried out over time, losing its effectiveness.
Even in situations where an electrode appears to be well-connected to the patient's skin and skin preparation has been properly done, the quality of the electrical contact can still be relatively poor for certain patients. A visual or physical inspection of applied electrodes is generally inadequate for determining the quality of the connection. Also, a poor electrical connection can result in increased susceptibility to interference or complete inability of the device to provide usable signals from the patient.
Embodiments of the disclosed technology address these and other disadvantages of the conventional art.

Determining quality of electrode contact with skin surface


An active matrix for an organic light-emitting diode display screen, including: pixels arranged in rows and in columns, each pixel including, a pixel electrode capable of accommodating an organic light-emitting diode on the surface, and first and second current drivers connected to said pixel electrode, wherein the first and second current drivers each include a current control transistor connected between a supply voltage Vdd and said pixel electrode and at least a first switching transistor that controls a gate of said current control transistor.

As illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, an active matrix of an AMOLED display screen usually comprises n×m pixels pixi,j, where i=1 to m and j=1 to n, m row select lines Scan i and n columns DATA j allowing n pixels of the display screen to be addressed. For example, the pixel pixi,j may be controlled so as to display video information by means of the column DATA j, via which a voltage corresponding to the video information to be displayed is applied, and a row select line Scan i.
The invention concerns particular current control structures for a pixel which make it possible to solve the known problem of display degradation in AMOLED display screens due to the drift in threshold voltage of the current control transistors that drive the organic light-emitting diodes.
These structures make it possible to provide a phase for recovering the drift in threshold voltage of the current control transistors for each pixel by means of a structure having two current drivers. More precisely, as shown in FIG. 2, each pixel pixi,j comprises a structure having two drivers COM and COM′ for driving the organic diode OLED of the pixel. These two drivers COM and COM′ each have an output that controls an electrode E1 of the OLED diode, which corresponds to the pixel electrode produced on the active matrix, whereas the other electrode E2 (cathode) of the diode, which corresponds to the counter-electrode, is connected to a potential Vk common to all the pixels.
The drivers COM and COM′ have an identical structure, comprising at least: a switching transistor, a current control transistor and a sustain capacitor. By convention, T1, C1 and T2 denote these elements of the first referenced driver COM, and T1′, C1′ and T2′ these elements of the second referenced driver COM′.
These drivers COM and COM′ are controlled by row select lines and/or column data lines of the matrix in such a way that they have a different function at each video frame, these functions being periodically reversed. These functions are: 1) to display video information, by application of a video voltage to the gate of the current control transistor, so as to deliver a corresponding current to the OLED diode; and 2) to compensate for the stress occasioned by the first function, by application of a blocking voltage to the gate of the current control transistor.
Thus, during a given video frame, one of the two drivers, for example the driver COM, has the function of displaying the video information via the OLED diode, by application of a corresponding video voltage on the gate of its current control transistor T2, while the other driver, in the example COM′, has the function of applying a blocking voltage to the gate of its current control transistor T2′, thereby placing this transistor in threshold voltage drift recovery phase.
The functions of the two drivers are periodically reversed, so that one frame in two on average is used, for each driver, in order to destress its current control transistor. The average threshold voltage drift of each current control transistor of the active matrix is zero or approximately zero. This may be obtained without affecting the duty cycle for applying the video voltage to the OLED diode, so that the diode remains continually controlled (100% duty cycle).
To control the two drivers COM and COM′ appropriately, as indicated above, rows and/or columns of the matrix are used, with, where appropriate, additional rows or columns especially provided, depending on the structure of the drivers. More precisely, a first embodiment has a control structure based on four transistors, two per driver COM, COM′ (namely a switching transistor T1, T1′ and a current control transistor T2, T2′) and additional rows or columns are inserted into the matrix in order to drive them appropriately. Another embodiment has a control structure based on six transistors, three per driver COM, COM′ (namely two switching transistors and one current control transistor) and row select lines for the preceding and following pixels of the matrix are used in addition to the usual row select line and column line for driving the transistors of the drivers COM and COM′ appropriately.
One technical problem that arises in the invention is how to increase the number of transistors per pixel and/or the number of rows or columns needed to control each pixel, while still obtaining an open aperture ratio for a given pixel size (and therefore active matrix size) and an optimum manufacturing yield.

Active matrix of an organic light-emitting diode display screen


The present invention provides a modified ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase. The present invention also provides a protein that comprises the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1; or a protein that comprises an amino acid sequence derived from the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 by deletion, substitution, or addition of one or more amino acid residues, and has an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase activity.

Diaminoalkylene-N,N′-disuccinates are important as intermediates of synthesis of medicines and agricultural chemicals, and have a unique property to capture heavy metals. Therefore, optically active forms of such compounds, which may be susceptible to biodegradation once released in nature, are expected to be potentially useful as chelating agents, builders for detergents, etc.
Previously, the present inventors proposed a novel method for efficiently preparing optically active S,S-diaminoalkylene-N,N′-disuccinates from fumaric or maleic acid, and various amines by utilizing the catalytic action of the microorganism [JP Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 9-140390A (1997), 9-289895A (1997), and 10-52292A (1998)]. Further, we were successful in increasing a catalytic activity of the microorganism and improving a productivity of the microorganism by isolating and identifying an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase gene followed by genetic recombination [JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 10-210984A (1998)].
In general, it is well known that a fumarase is present in microbial cells. Fumarase is an enzyme used to produce malic acid by adding water to fumaric acid. Therefore, when diaminoalkylene-N,N′-disuccinates are prepared by using microorganisms having an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase activity, a fumarase in the microbial cells needs to be inactivated for preventing generation of by-products such as malic acid and the like. In order to do so, the present inventors previously found that when the microbial cells are treated in an alkaline aqueous solution, a fumarase activity in the cells can be reduced [JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-196882A (1999)].
In the above method for inactivating a fumarase, the inactivation rate of fumarase depends on the treatment temperature. Thus, the higher is the treatment temperature, the faster the inactivation. Moreover, the stability of fumarase varies with host microorganisms, but even when a microorganism whose fumarase is not inactivated readily is used, a higher treatment temperature is preferred. Accordingly, the objective of the present invention is to provide an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinate:ethylenediamine lyase having improved heat resistance.

Modified ethylenediamine-N, N′-disuccinate: ethylenediamine lyase


A portable display device for displaying educational material or student's work comprising a plurality of panels, each panel separated from the next adjacent panel by a score line to permit relative movement between adjacent panels, each panel comprising a base portion including a first and second corrugated substantially rigid section separated by a substantially rigid member and a writing surface adhered to the outer surface of the first corrugated substantially rigid section, the score line formed between adjacent panels extending entirely through the second corrugated substantially rigid section and a portion of the first corrugated substantially rigid section such that adjacent panels may be folded relative to each other for storage and transport or extended relative to each other for display.

1. Field of the Invention
A portable display device for displaying educational material or student's work.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Primary and secondary schools require or conduct various science fairs and the like. Typically, students use flexible poster board to prepare the displays associated with these science fairs. It is often necessary to affix such flexible poster board to a wood or other rigid backing to provide strength and durability to the entire display. Not only is the assembly and construction of these displays difficult but the transportation of such display is generally awkward and cumbersome.
Dyment (U.S. Pat. No. 1,802,553) shows an accordian window display including parallel crease folds forming a stacked profile when folded for storage.
Anderson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,547) discloses a window display form and fixture for use as a flat back drop or may be curved to form fluted columns or fluted wings within a predetermined configuration.
Examples of foldable or collapsible easles or stands are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,620; U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,194; U.S. Pat. No. 3,275,280; U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,734 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,669.
Numerous foldable or collapsible blackboards have also been developed. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 210,044; U.S. Pat. No. 2,109,723; U.S. Pat. No. 2,881,538; U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,230 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,355.
In addition various foldable picture frames, greeting cards or letters and writing pads have been created. Examples of these efforts are found in U S. Pat. No. 1,354,176; U.S. Pat. No. 1,757,287; U.S. Pat. No. 2,443,645; U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,902; U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,241.
Additional examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,368,683; U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,118; U.S. Pat. No. 1,708,019; U.S. Pat. No. 1,915,762; U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,548; U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,549; U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,051; U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,777; U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,219; U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,066; U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,149; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,883.
Unfortunately these prior art examples do not combine a sturdy, durable structure with ease of transport and storage necessary for use as in the instant invention.


An optical disc driver includes a tray (20) and a driver housing (30). A locating cylinder (328) is formed at a rear of the driver housing. A through slot (329) is defined vertically in the middle of the locating cylinder, and divides the locating cylinder into two parts. A locating slot (228) is defined at a rear end of the tray, and an opening (229) is defined between a rear edge of the tray and the locating slot. The width of the opening is wider than that of the locating slot, and the opening broadens as it nears the rear edge of the tray, allowing the locating cylinder to be easily received and guided into the locating slot. This arrangement allows the tray to be firmly positioned in the driver housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc driver, and more particularly to an optical disc driver having a tray which can easily and firmly mount in a driver housing of the optical disc driver.
2. Description of Related Art
A tray is used in an optical disc driver to carry an optical disc into and out of a driver housing. After the tray loads the optical disc in the driver housing, a spindle motor rotatablely drives the optical disc, and a pickup reads digital data from the optical disc. In order to get better data flow from the optical disc, the tray needs to be firmly mounted in the driver housing.
A typical example of such an arrangement is shown in China Patent No. 93244432.6, which discloses a tray located in a driver housing. A protrusive plate is stamped inwardly on a back plate of the driver housing, and a locating hole is defined in the protrusive plate. A concavity is defined on a back plate of the tray, and a plug is formed in the center of the concavity. The plug engages with the locating hole to position the tray in the driver housing. Unfortunately, the structure is too complex, and it is inconvenient for mass production. Additionally, since the materials are not flexible, when the plug engages in the locating hole, there must be a narrow gap between the plug and the locating hole. The presence of the gap allows some relative movement of the tray and the driver housing, leading to generation of some noises when a spindle motor rotates with the optical disc. Moreover, the gap also allows dust to gain entrance into the driver housing.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Ind. (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


The present invention is directed to methods of treating AERD (aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease) and/or asthma via the administration of a thromboxane receptor antagonist to a patient in need thereof.

Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) is a chronic medical condition that consists of asthma, recurrent sinus disease with nasal polyps, as well as a sensitivity to aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Patients suffering from typically develop reactions triggered by aspirin or other NSAIDs. These reactions include, but are not limited to increased nasal congestion or stuffiness; eye watering or redness; cough, wheezing, or chest tightness; frontal headache or sensation of sinus pain; flushing and/or a rash; nausea and/or abdominal cramping; and a general feeling of malaise, sometimes accompanied by dizziness.
From a scientific perspective, AERD is characterized by mast cell activation with overproduction of cysteinyl leukotrienes following inhibition of COX-1 by medications like aspirin or NSAIDs. The cause of the mast cell activation that occurs following COX-1 inhibition is unknown.
AERD affects about 10% of adults who have asthma. A large proportion (about 40%) of patients who have asthma and nasal polyps are sensitive to aspirin and NSAIDs.
It is typical that human patients who are suffering from AERD also have asthma, nasal congestion, and nasal polyps. Such patients often do not respond to conventional treatments.
AERD is also commonly referred to as Samter's Triad or Aspirin Sensitive Asthma.
The most common treatment currently available for AERD is aspirin desensitization. Aspirin desensitization may be accomplished, for example, by hospitalizing the patient and instituting a regimen wherein the patient is initially given a very low dose (20-40 mg) of aspirin, with gradual higher doses given every 1.5-3 hours. Following an aspirin-induced reaction (and subsequent stabilization of the patient), further doses of aspirin are administered. The desensitization is considered to be complete once the patient has received a 325 mg dose of aspirin without further reaction. The patient is then discharged and continues treatment with aspirin (typically either 325 mg or 650 mg twice daily). However, aspirin desensitization does not help many AERD patients.
Other treatments include an antibiotic such as tobramycin or biaxin, a salicylate-free diet, a corticosteroid such as betamethasone, and/or acetylcysteine.
Aspirin challenge of subjects with aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) results in the activation of mast cells (MCs), as evidenced by increases in the levels of tryptase in both serum (Bochenek 2003) and nasal lavage fluid (Fischer 1994). In addition, the levels of 9α-11β-PGF2, a PGD2 metabolite, increase in the plasma during the reaction to aspirin (Bochenek 2003). PGD2 has been shown to activate the thromboxane prostanoid (TP) receptors found on bronchial smooth muscle thereby causing bronchoconstriction (Armour 1989; Bochenek 2003; Pettipher 2007). Administration of ifetroban in vitro has been shown to inhibit contraction of guinea pig trachea elicited by PGD2 (Ogletree 1992) and to both preempt and reverse TP receptor-induced bronchospasm in rats and guinea pigs. Direct endobronchial application of lysine-aspirin does not decrease the levels of PGD2 and PGD2 metabolites recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from AERD patients. However, endobronchial application of lysine-aspirin does reduce the concentration of other prostaglandins (Sladek 1994; Szczeklik 1996). Thus, PGD2 production in AERD resists suppression by aspirin.
The expression of COX-2, a relatively aspirin-resistant enzyme, is expressed by a larger percentage of MCs in bronchial biopsies from patients with AERD than in those of aspirin tolerant controls (Sousa 1997). Since global expression of COX-2 in nasal polyps is reduced in AERD relative to aspirin-tolerant controls (Picado 1999), the selective upregulation of COX-2 expression by MCs likely reflects cell-specific differences in the regulation of the COX-2 isoform. Thus, the capacity for MCs to release PGD2 in AERD during aspirin challenge may be due to their preferential utilization of COX-2 for this function. The capacity of PGD2 to recruit and activate immune effector cells, induce vasodilation, and cause bronchoconstriction would fit well with a role in the pathophysiology of AERD, especially since its production resists suppression by low-dose aspirin.
Human studies demonstrate markedly impaired COX-2-dependent synthesis of PGE2 in the sinonasal tissues of patients with AERD compared with aspirin-tolerant controls (Picado 1999; Yoshimura 2008). Previous clinical studies also strongly support a critical role of platelet-adherent granulocytes as a source of cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys-LTs) in human subjects with AERD (Laidlaw 2012). To further explore the pathogenetic consequences of a deficit in COX-2-dependent PGE2 generation, sustained PGD2 generation, and the role of platelets in AERD, mice lacking microsomal PGE2 synthase (ptges−/− mice) were developed (Liu 2012; Liu 2013). PGE2 synthase is the dominant terminal enzyme responsible for conversion of COX-2-derived PGH2 to PGE2 (Murakami 2000).
To elicit the AERD phenotype in the ptges−/− mice, six doses of an extract of allergens from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farina (Df) were administered and the animals developed marked eosinophilic bronchovascular inflammation compared with WT controls (Liu 2012). The blood and lungs of ptges−/− mice contained markedly increased numbers of platelets adhering to granulocytes, similar to the findings in humans. When challenged by inhalation of Lysine aspirin, Df-treated ptges−/− mice exhibited significant increases in airway resistance, accompanied by increases in the levels of cys-LTs, histamine, and mouse MC protease 1 in the BAL fluid. The increase in airway resistance was sensitive to interference by zileuton or montelukast (Liu 2013), consistent with the known pharmacology of AERD in humans. Exogenous antibody-mediated platelet depletion prior to the Lys-ASA challenge completely eliminated the increases in airway resistance and cys-LTs. Moreover, deletion of TP receptors from ptges−/− mice or the administration of SQ29,548, a selective antagonist of the TP receptor, completely blocked the reaction to aspirin and the rise in cys-LTs (FIG. 1). These findings imply that signaling through TP receptors is critical for platelets to mediate the transcellular synthesis of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) during challenge with aspirin. These observations support the hypothesis that TP receptor blockade will reduce the synthesis of cys-LTs in AERD and thereby provide a new treatment modality for the disease and ease the desensitization to aspirin.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thromboxane receptor antagonists in AERD/asthma


A computer-implemented method according to one embodiment includes receiving, at a first system, a command to start encryption. In response to receiving the command to start encryption, a pair of keys are created on the first system. The pair of keys includes a public key and a secret key. The method further includes outputting the public key to a second system and saving the secret key on the first system. A command encrypted using the public key is received by the first system. The encrypted command is decrypted on the first system using the secret key and the decrypted command is executed. A computer program product according to another embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform the foregoing method.

The present invention relates to command execution, and more specifically, this invention relates to using keys for selectively preventing execution of commands on a device.
In order to ensure that information exchanged between two locations in a computing environment remains secure from being accessed by unauthorized devices, the information is often encrypted. For example, some information may be secured using cryptography. Cryptography implements a key to determine a functional output of an algorithm that is used for encrypting as well as decrypting the information.

Using keys for selectively preventing execution of commands on a device

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for storing digital audio and/or video programs compressed on the basis of groups of pictures (GOPs) on a medium with immediate jumping between groups through co-storage of Transport Stream packets and pointer information, a method for reading such information, and a device for storing and/or reading such information.

The invention relates to a method as recited in the preamble of claim 1. Classical video recording allows trick modes such as fast forward and fast reverse. Trick modes have become more complex to implement for digital video that is compressed on the basis of groups of pictures (GOP), because uniform video intervals may correspond to data packet sequences of non-uniform lengths, depending on the information content of the video. U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,386 allows fast forward and fast reverse by providing each Group of Pictures with a GOP header and each sequence of GOPs with sequence headers both before its first GOP and also before its last GOP. Hereinafter, the term "picture" will be used consistently. Depending on the actual video standard, the term "picture" may include "frame" as well as "field". However, modern digital broadcast, in particular via satellite, uses Transport Streams (TS) according to system layer standard ISO/IEC 13818-1 for transmitting multi-channel audio and/or video. The video layer standard may be H262 or ISO/IEC 13818-2, the audio layer standard ISO/IEC 13818-3. These features are used inter alia for DVB and are intended for linear play without feedback from a decoder. Packets arrive at a receiver one by one and their assignment to a particular program is generally not known, before the packet itself will have arrived: indeed, assignment is through PSI-tables. For storage, one or more specific programs are selected from a received Transport Stream. This will necessitate either at storing time or at replay time the adapting of certain stream parameters for retaining a valid Transport Stream for replay.
Replay systems will generally support jumping over a selectable physical storage distance, but the probability of then hitting an entry point to the actually stored program is low. The finding of such entry points will necessitate repeated and time intensive searches, which may cause buffer underflow. It also becomes nearly impossible to replay the stream at an n times higher speed with n integer, as well as to land immediately on a video fragment that may be played independently. Therefore, if storage takes place on a dedicated apparatus, the locations of the entry points must be immediately known, either directly, or via pointers. The problem becomes more severe if a plurality of program must be stored.

Method of storing digital audio and/or video programs compressed on the basis of groups of pictures (GOPs) on a medium with immediate jumping between groups through co-storage of transport stream packets and pointer information, a method for reading such information, and a device for storing and/or reading such information

Abstract: Digital audio and/or video programs that have been compressed on the basis of groups of pictures (GOPs) are recorded on a medium that allows immediate jumping between groups through co-storage of Transport Stream packets and pointer information. In particular, coexistently with the storing, successive pointers are derived in realtime from a primary Transport Stream that collectively point to data packets in a reconstructed Transport Stream which contains entry points. These pointers are stored at predetermined locations on the medium.


A relief groove (23) is provided at a corner in which a track surface (21) and a flange surface (24) cross, in an inner ring (20) of a cylindrical roller bearing. A chamfer (42) is provided at a corner part in which a rolling surface (41) and an end surface (43) cross, in a cylindrical roller (40). When it is assumed that the height of the chamfer (42) from the rolling surface (41) is “h” and the curvature radius of the chamfer is “R”, the relation such that 1.0≦R/h≦1.5 is satisfied.

A general cylindrical roller bearing comprises an inner ring having a track surface around its outer periphery, an outer ring having a track surface around its inner periphery, a plurality of cylindrical rollers arranged between the track surface of the inner ring and the track surface of the outer ring so that they can roll freely, and a retainer retaining the cylindrical rollers at a predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction.
For example, when the inner ring comprises flanges at both ends, a relief groove is provided at the corner in which the flange surface of the flange and the track surface of the inner ring cross. This relief groove is provided as a relief region when the track surface and the flange surface are ground. In addition, a chamfer is provided at the corner part in which the rolling surface and the end surface of the cylindrical roller cross. The axial dimension between the flange surfaces opposed to each other in an axis direction is set a little larger than the length of the cylindrical roller, whereby a guide clearance is provided between the cylindrical roller and the flange.
According to the cylindrical roller bearing described above, since the rolling surface of the cylindrical roller and the track surface of the track ring are linearly in contact with each other, it has a high load facility of a radial load and it is suitable for high-speed rotation, but a heating value is great at the time of high-speed rotation as compared with a ball bearing, and it has a problem in that a lot of heat and abrasion are likely to be generated at the sliding contact part between the cylindrical roller and the flange, especially. More specifically, the cylindrical roller has a degree of freedom for inclination by the above-described guide clearance, so that it is inevitable that the axis line of the cylindrical roller is inclined with respect to the axis line of the bearing, that is, a skew is generated at the time of rotation of the bearing. When the cylindrical roller is skewed, an axial component is generated in the driving force applied from the track surface of the rotating side, and it becomes axial thrust force F that presses the end of the cylindrical roller to one flange. Thus, the friction resistance at the sliding contact part between the cylindrical roller and the flange surface is increased, which causes heat generation and abrasion in some cases.
Various kinds of improvements have been proposed for the above problems. For example, according to Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-43609, the height of a relief groove is made larger than that of a chamfer of a cylindrical roller, and a tapered surface extending to the outside in an axial direction at a predetermined angle is provided in a flange surface, to improve the lubricant state of the above sliding contact part.
In addition, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-12119, the outer peripheral part of the end surface of a cylindrical roller comes into contact with a flange surface at a part on the base end side shifted from the top end of the flange surface when the cylindrical roller is skewed, to reduce the edge load at the above sliding contact part as compared with a case where the outer peripheral part of the end face of the cylindrical roller comes into contact with the top end of the flange surface.
As described above, since the cylindrical roller has the degree of freedom for inclination by the guide clearance, while the cylindrical roller rotating and revolving at the time of the bearing rotation, it constantly varying its posture within a maximum skew angle. As schematically shown in FIG. 1, when a cylindrical roller 1 is skewed at a skew angle θ smaller than a maximum skew angle θmax, the cylindrical roller 1 is pressed to one side in the axial direction by the axial thrust force F and guided to roll in the state in which it is pressed to one flange surface 2a of an inner ring 2. At this time, the contact state between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange surface 2a varies with the skew angle θ as follows.
That is, when the skew angle θ is in a range 0<θ<θ1, a boundary B1 between an end surface 1a and a chamfer 1b of the cylindrical roller 1 is in contact with a boundary B2 between a flange surface 2b and a relief groove 2c as shown in FIG. 2 (contact point is shown by a black circle ●), and when the skew angle θ is in a range θ1<θ<θ2, the boundary B1 between the end surface 1a and the chamfer 1b of the cylindrical roller 1 is in contact with the flange surface 2b as shown in FIG. 3 (contact point is shown by a black circle ●). Thus, when the skew angle θ is about to become approximately 2θ, the boundary B1 between the end surface 1a and the chamfer 1b of the cylindrical roller 1 is in contact with a boundary B3 between the flange surface 2b and a flange surface chamfer 2d (not shown). Then, both ends of the cylindrical roller 1 come in contact with both flange surfaces 2a, respectively and the skew angle θ reaches the maximum skew angle θmax (not shown).
FIG. 4 shows the relation (solid line) between the skew angle θ of the cylindrical roller 1 and the contact surface pressure P between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a, and the relation (dotted line) between the skew angle θ and the axial thrust force F applied to the cylindrical roller 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the axial thrust force F is increased as the skew angle θ is increased.
In the range 0<θ<θ1, the contact surface pressure P is relatively steeply increased as the skew angle θ is increased. This is related to the fact that the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a come into contact with each other at the boundary B1 and the boundary B2 (shown in FIG. 2), and the axial thrust force F is increased as the skew angle θ is increased. Especially, in the range θ0<θ<θ1 (region shown by crossed hatching in FIG. 4), it has been confirmed from a test that the contact surface pressure P becomes a surface pressure level P0 or more in which the contact part is abraded.
When the skew angle becomes more than θ1, the contact surface pressure P is reduced to the surface pressure level P0 or less, and it makes a stable shift at a relatively low value although the skew angle θ is increased. This means that the contact state between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a is shifted from the contact between the boundary B1 and the boundary B2 (shown in FIG. 2) to the contact between the boundary B1 and the flange surface 2b (shown in FIG. 3).
When the skew angle θ becomes approximately θ2, the contact surface pressure P is rapidly increased again and when the skew angle θ becomes θ2, it becomes the surface pressure level P0 or more. This means that the contact state between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a is shifted from the contact between the boundary B1 and the flange surface 2b (shown in FIG. 3) to the contact state between the boundary B1 and the boundary B3.
As described above, the contact surface pressure P between the cylindrical roller and the flange becomes the surface pressure level P0 or more in which the contact part is abraded before the skew angle θ becomes the maximum skew angle θmax, that is, in the range θ0<θ<θ1 and θ2<θ<θmax, which is attributed to the major factor of the heat generation and abrasion at the contact part.
However, according to the above Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-43609, there is no recognition of the above phenomenon, so that its measures are not proposed. Furthermore, according to the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-12119, although the contact state between the outer peripheral part of both end surfaces of the cylindrical roller and the flange surface at the maximum skew angle θmax is regulated, there is no recognition of the above phenomenon generated at the stage before the skew angle θ reaches the maximum skew angle θmax, so that its measures are not proposed also.
The same applicant of this application has proposed a cylindrical roller bearing suitable for the higher-speed rotation in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-278745. The invention disclosed in the above document is characterized in that a critical skew angle θ1 that is a maximum skew angle in which the boundary between the end surface of a cylindrical roller and a chamfer comes into contact with the boundary between a flange surface and a relief groove is regulated to a predetermined angle or less. Thus, the contact state between the cylindrical roller and the flange is shifted from the contact between the boundaries (shown in FIG. 2), to the contact between the boundary and the flange surface (shown in FIG.  3) at a smaller skew angle, so that a contact surface pressure can be reduced.
The above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-278745 will be described in detail hereinafter. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, a relief groove 2c is provided at a corner in which a flange surface 2b of each flange 2a and a track surface 2e of an inner ring 2 cross. The relief groove 2c is provided as a relief region when the track surface 2e and the flange surface 2b are ground mainly. The flange surface 2b is tapered such that it is gradually opened in an outer diameter direction, and a chamfer 2d is provided at a corner part in which the flange surface 2b and an outer diameter surface 2f of the flange 2a cross. Furthermore, a chamfer 1b is provided at the corner part in which a rolling surface 1c and an end surface la of the cylindrical roller 1 cross. Furthermore, the axial dimension between the flange surfaces 2b opposed to each other in an axial direction is made a little larger than the length of the cylindrical roller 1, so that a guide clearance S is provided between the end surface 1a of the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange surface 2b.
A height "H" of the relief groove 2c from the track surface 2e of the inner ring 2 is set to be larger than a height "h" of the chamfer 1b from the rolling surface 1c of the cylindrical roller 1. Thus, a difference δ(δ=H−h) between the height "H" of the relief groove 2c and the height "h" of the chamfer 1b of the cylindrical roller is regulated to a predetermined value or less, so that the above-described critical skew angle θ1 can be regulated to the predetermined angle or less.
In addition, the height "H" of the relief groove 2c is the dimension from the track surface 2e to the boundary B2 between the relief groove 2c and the flange surface 2b in a radius direction. In addition, the height "h" of the chamfer of the cylindrical roller is the dimension from the boundary B4 between the rolling surface 1c and the chamfer 1b to the boundary B1 between the chamfer 1b and the end surface 1a in the radius direction.
FIG. 6 shows the relation (solid line) between the skew angle θ of the cylindrical roller 1, and the contact surface pressure P between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange surface 2a, and the relation (dotted line) between the skew angle θ and the axial thrust force F applied to the cylindrical roller 1 in the cylindrical roller bearing disclosed in the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-278745. Although the contact surface pressure P is steeply increased as the skew angle θ is increased in a range 0<θ<θ1, since the critical skew angle θ1 is regulated to the small angle as compared with that shown in FIG. 4, the contact surface pressure P shifts at a value lower than the surface pressure level P0 in which the contact part is abraded (there is no region shown by the hatching in FIG. 4). More specifically, even when the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a come in contact with each other at the boundary B1 and the boundary B2 (state shown in FIG. 2), as long as the skew angle θ is small, the axial thrust force F pressing the cylindrical roller 1 toward the flange 2a is small, so that the contact surface pressure P is relatively small.
In a range θ1<θ<θ2, similar to that shown in FIG. 4, the contact surface pressure P makes a stable shift at a relatively low value although the skew angle θ is increased. When the skew angle θ becomes approximately θ2, the contact surface pressure P is steeply increased again and it becomes the surface pressure level P0 or more after the skew angle θ reaches θ2. However, since the maximum skew angle θmax is regulated to the small angle, the angle range (θ2<θ<θmax) in which the contact surface pressure P exceeds the surface pressure level P0 is narrow.
As described above, the contact surface pressure P is reduced by regulating the critical skew angle θ1 to the small angle and shifting the contact state between the cylindrical roller 1 and the flange 2a from the contact state (shown in FIG. 2) between the boundary B1 and the boundary B2 to the contact state (shown in FIG. 3) between the boundary B1 and the flange 2b at a smaller skew angle, so that the heat generation and the abrasion can be prevented from being generated at the contact part.
According to the cylindrical roller bearing disclosed in the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-278745, although the heat generation and abrasion at the contact part between the cylindrical roller and the flange can be prevented to some extent, there is a room for improvement. That is, according to the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-278745, there is no consideration of reduction in the contact surface pressure (refer to FIG. 6) in the range of θ1 to θ2. For example, the cylindrical roller bearing for the planet gear in the wind power generation speed-up gear rotates at high speed in a highly-loaded state. In the case of the cylindrical roller bearing used in such highly-loaded and rotating at high speed, it is desirable that the heat generation and abrasion at the contact part is to be further prevented by further reducing the contact surface pressure in the range of θ1 to θ2 in which the contact surface pressure is relatively low.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the first peak of the contact surface pressure is generated by the contact between the boundary B1 (boundary between the end surface and the chamfer of the cylindrical roller) at the upper end of the chamfer of the cylindrical roller, and the boundary B2 (boundary between the relief groove and the flange surface) at the upper end of the relief groove of the track ring. Preferably, the first peak of the contact surface pressure is to be further reduced.


A cylinder head structure for an internal combustion engine including at least one electromagnetic valve intake or exhaust valve includes an electromagnetic driving apparatus for electromagnetically driving the valve surrounded by a head cover. A power element for supplying driving power to the electromagnetic driving apparatus is disposed on an inner surface of the head cover which is made of a thermally conductive material. The head cover may also be provided with cooling fins and a coolant passage through which coolant flows and a cooling fan for blowing cool air toward the head cover may be disposed on an inner surface of a hood of the vehicle.

As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open HEI No. 58-101206, an electromagnetic valve apparatus has been conventionally employed as an intake valve of an internal combustion engine. In this conventional internal combustion engine, the electromagnetic valve apparatus comprises an intake valve for opening and closing an intake port and an electromagnetic driving apparatus for driving the intake valve. The intake valve and the electromagnetic driving apparatus, which constitute the electromagnetic valve apparatus, are both integrated into the internal combustion engine.
The electromagnetic driving apparatus is coupled to a control device disposed outside the engine. At a predetermined timing based on an operating condition of the engine, the control device supplies driving power to the electromagnetic driving apparatus to drive the intake valve between an open position and a closed position thereof. This construction allows the intake valve to be opened or closed at a predetermined timing corresponding to an operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
In this engine, the control device must be equipped with a driver including power elements or switching elements for supplying driving power to the electromagnetic driving apparatus and, in supplying this driving power, the driver generate heat. Also, the driver operate suitably only below a heat resistant temperature thereof. Hence, it is necessary to ensure sufficient cooling capacity where this driver is mounted.
For example, it is known to use a heat sink to cool the driver. In the aforementioned conventional internal combustion engine, the driver can be cooled by a heat sink disposed inside the control device. However, driving the intake valve requires that the electromagnetic valve be supplied with a relatively large driving power. Hence, a comparatively large heat sink must be employed in order to ensure that the driver is sufficiently cooled.
However, it is very difficult to mount a control device containing such a large heat sink on the vehicle. Thus, this engine provides a problem with either the cooling capacity required by the driver or with mounting of the device in the engine.

Cylinder head structure for an internal combustion engine


A method includes assessing tumor margins and discriminating between tumor and non-tumor tissues by analyzing the compositional make-up of smoke produced during cautery resection of tissues.

The accurate diagnosis of a cancer condition relics on histological or cytological examination of tissue or cells respectively. Both laboratory techniques are time consuming, costly and do not provide the surgeon, in real-time, information necessary to discriminate between tumor tissue and non-tumor tissue. Histopathology and cytopathology are also ineffective at providing, in real-time, information necessary for assessing tumor margins or real-time information that permits differentiation between cancerous tissue and non-cancerous tissue during or post-surgery.
Additionally, the completeness of tumor removal depends in large part on the surgeon's ability to differentiate tumor tissue from normal tissue using subjective criteria. Modern surgical techniques used in tumor removal use a variety of surgical instruments. Some of those instruments generate smoke and fumes that may be used to differentiate between tumor tissue and normal tissue. However, the generation of smoke and fumes can cause problems for the surgical staff participating in the surgery. For instance, surgical smoke is known to impair the visual field of the surgeon, produce undesirable odor, and even cause the release and dissemination of noxious chemicals or particles that can have harmful health effects on healthcare workers. Thus, the capture of the smoke and fumes from surgical equipment may not only be beneficial to the operating room workers, but also provide valuable information regarding the completeness of the surgical procedure.


The present invention relates to a retardation film obtained by subjecting a film formed from a cellulose derivative to an orientation treatment, wherein a hydroxyl group of cellulose is substituted by at least one kind of aliphatic acyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, and a degree of substitution by said hydroxyl group is 1 to 3. According to the present invention, a retardation film having various wavelength dispersion characteristics, positiveness or negativeness in birefringence and viewing angle characteristics, in particular, an achromatic retardation film and a retardation film having a high birefringent property and the like can be obtained by preparing a retardation film using a properly selected said cellulose derivative as a raw material of the film.

Retardation films have functions to convert linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light and to change the polarization axis of linearly polarized light in a certain direction to another direction (optical rotation). By using these functions, it is possible to improve, for example, visible angle and contrast of liquid crystal display devices. The retardation film can be obtained by uniaxially or biaxially stretching plastic films such as polycarbonate, polyarylate and polyether sulfone. In this instance, birefringence is generated due to an anisotropy in refractive index generated by stretching, and hence the film works as a retardation film. Optical performance of a retardation film can be determined by retardation value which is calculated from a difference between a refractive index in the slow axis direction (a direction in which refractive index in the plane becomes the largest) and a refractive index in the fast axis direction (a direction orthogonal to the slow axis direction in the plane) along the front direction of the retardation film at a certain wavelength multiplied by a thickness of the retardation film. However, the retardation value exhibits so-called wavelength dependency (wavelength dispersion characteristics) and visible angle dependency (visible angle characteristics), and the retardation film is used for various types of display devices considering comprehensive performances including these various characteristics.
The wavelength distribution characteristics differ depending on a type of material to be used, and the retardation film made of general polymer materials have the characteristics that the retardation value in the wavelength side longer than 550 nm is smaller than the retardation value at a wavelength of 550 nm and the retardation value in the wavelength side shorter than 550 nm is larger than the retardation value at a wavelength of 550 nm.
Accordingly, even if a retardation value at a wavelength of 550 nm is adjusted for 137.5 nm to produce a quarter retardation film, the retardation in the wavelength side longer than 550 nm becomes ¼ or less of the wavelength, and the retardation in the wavelength side shorter than 550 nm becomes ¼ or more of the wavelength.
This poses, for example, the problem that when a retardation film (so-called quarter wavelength plate) having a retardation which is ¼ of the wavelength is used to produce an anti-reflection filter, a sufficient anti-reflection effect is obtained only in the wavelength range where the retardation is almost ¼ of the wavelength and circularly polarized light is converted into elliptically polarized light at other wavelengths resulting in that only insufficient anti-reflection effect is obtained. Also, when a retardation film (so-called half wavelength plate) having a retardation which is ½ of the wavelength is used to produce a rotary polarizer which is used for a liquid crystal projector and the like, only in the wavelength range where the retardation is almost ½ of the wavelength can rotate a linearly polarized light as linearly polarized light, and linearly polarized light is converted into elliptically polarized light at other wavelength with the result that only an insufficient rotary polarizing effect is obtained.
A retardation film having such wavelength distribution characteristics that impart the same level of retardation to a wavelength through the whole range of visible region is called as an achromatic retardation film, and it is necessary to exhibit such tendency (achromatic property) that, for example, the retardation value in the wavelength side longer than 550 nm is larger than the retardation value at a wavelength of 550 nm and the retardation value in the wavelength side shorter than 550 nm is smaller than the retardation value at a wavelength of 550 nm. As a method to produce such a retardation film, for example, a method has been proposed in which a plurality of stretched films are laminated with their optical axes being crossed over with each other, as described in Patent Reference 1. Further, a retardation film has been proposed, which is produced by using cellulose acetate obtained by hydrolyzing cellulose triacetate and can impart the same level of retardation to each wavelength in a wide range of the visible region by using only one film, as described in Patent Reference 2.
Also, a technique to produce a retardation film by using liquid crystal compounds which can be oriented on a substrate which has been subjected to rubbing treatment and a composition containing a plurality of such compounds, and orientating said compounds in a specific direction has been known, as described in Patent Reference 3. Further, a retardation film obtained by orientating a liquid crystal compound in a specified direction has wavelength distribution characteristics that can impart the similar level of retardation to each wavelength in a wide range of the visible region by using only one film, as described in Patent Reference 4.
On the other hand, visible angle characteristics can be generally controlled by a stretching method of the retardation film. In the case of usual retardation film obtained by uniaxially stretching a polymer film such as polycarbonate, when the film is tilted in the slow axis direction (a direction in which refractive index becomes the largest in the film plate), retardation value becomes smaller as the tilt angle from the front direction becomes larger, and contrary, when the film is tilted in the fast axis direction (a direction orthogonal to the slow axis in the film plane), retardation value becomes larger as the tilt angle from the front direction becomes larger. This tendency is one commonly observed with other usual uniaxially stretched retardation films of polyarylate, polyether sulfone and cycloolefin polymer such as Zeonor (trade name, made by Zeon Corp.) and Arton (trade name, made by JSR). If retardation value changes when the film is tilted as described above, visible angle characteristics become worse. Therefore, it is demanded that retardation value does not change by tilting in an application where visible angle characteristics become a subject of discussion. When retardation value does not change at all by tilting, retardation value shows little change even if the film is tilted in any direction of the slow axis direction and the fast axis direction, and such retardation film is demanded.
To solve this problem, a retardation film has been disclosed in Patent Reference 5, in which change of the retardation value by tilting is controlled by laminating a film to be stretched and a shrinkable film, and practically biaxially stretching by uniaxially stretching the laminated film.
Patent Reference 1: JP 3174367
Patent Reference 2: JP-A-2000-137116
Patent Reference 3: JP-A-2000-98133
Patent Reference 4: WO 02/093213A1
Patent Reference 5: JP 2818983

Retardation film made by using cellulose derivatives


A method and apparatus for reducing the thermal induced errors in an IFOG system. The apparatus including a highly thermally conductive material configured to encapsulate a waveguide of an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG). The highly thermally conductive material more evenly distributes thermal changes encountered by a sensing coil of the IFOG thereby substantially reducing errors in the IFOG system.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus and method for improving the performance of one or more fiber optic sensors. More particularly, embodiments described herein relate to a coating on a fiber configured to improve the performance of the sensor. More particularly still, embodiments described herein relate to a highly thermally conductive material which encapsulates the fiber in order to reduce thermal errors in an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG).
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical sensor systems operate by exposing a portion of an optical waveguide to an environmental condition that modulates a light signal transmitted within the optical waveguide. This modulation alters one or more parameters of the light transmitted within the optical waveguide, such as amplitude, power distribution versus frequency/wavelength, phase, or polarization. Analyzing modulated light emerging from the waveguide enables determining values indicative of the environmental condition. Such systems utilize sensors based on, for example, Bragg gratings or interferometers to measure a wide variety of parameters, such as strain, displacement, velocity, acceleration, flow, corrosion, chemical composition, temperature, or pressure. In one example of an optical sensor system, an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) enables measuring angular rotation as it alters the path length of counter-propagating waves of light traveling through a sensing coil of an optical fiber, thereby producing phase changes from which measurements can be made.
Typical IFOG systems use a beam splitter, or coupler, to split light from a light source into counter propagating waves traveling in the sensing coil. A detector having associated electronics measures the phase relationship between the two interfering counter-propagating beams of light that emerge from the opposite ends of the sensing coil. The difference between the phase shifts experienced by the two beams is proportional to the rate of rotation of the platform to which the instrument is fixed, due to the Sagnac effect.
Typical IFOG systems are highly sensitive to changes in the thermal condition around the IFOG. Changes in the temperature surrounding the coiled sensor produces thermal gradients acting across the IFOG sensing coil that result in variant localized thermal expansion of the fiber that produces non-reciprocal phase errors. The result is the Shupe effect which causes sensor drift over time that is both time and temperature dependent. The accuracy of the IFOG is then limited by the Shupe effect. Thermally induced phase errors occur if there is a time-dependent temperature gradient along the fiber. Non-reciprocity phase errors arise when clockwise and counter clockwise counter rotating beams traverse the same region of the fiber at different times. If the fiber's propagation velocity varies at different points along the fiber, the two beams traverse slightly different effective path lengths. The resulting phase shift is indistinguishable from the phase shift caused by rotation. It is very difficult to maintain temperature uniformity of the sensing coil required to eliminate these effects and maintain IFOG accuracy—even under steady thermal operating conditions.
Currently, one method for reducing the Shupe effect is through complex winding patterns. The fiber in the sensing coil is wound so that the sections of the fiber that are at equal distance from the coil center are beside each other, such as in the quadra, hexa, or octapolar wind. The complex winding allows the local thermal effects for each section of the fiber to be experienced at the same moment and at the same magnitude for each of the counter rotating beams. These complex winding patterns are difficult to assemble. Further, even with extreme care in winding, the sensing coil exhibits residual drift. The residual drift is due to an incomplete cancellation of the different contributions on a complex and nonlinear temperature model based upon temperature and time derivatives. Although the temperature model is well understood, precise thermal monitoring of the sensing coil required to compensate for Shupe effect errors, is difficult to implement due to the low thermal mass, insulating properties of typical polymer-coated glass optical fibers. The complex winding patterns minimize gross thermally induced Shupe effect errors. However, inherent winding imperfections and thermal transients lead to residual drift over time and become a function of a complex nonlinear thermal model.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for improved thermal performance in Sagnac fiber optic sensors. Moreover, a need exists for an optical fiber coating system and monitoring system to improve the thermal performance in Sagnac fiber optic sensors.

Optical fiber coating system and monitoring method for improved thermal performance in fiber optic sensors