There is provided a communication apparatus for exchanging messages while a virtual space and avatars (symbols) of users are displayed on a display screen. The communication apparatus has a viewpoint element inputting unit for inputting a viewpoint element (a viewpoint position and a viewpoint direction). An image of the virtual space is produced on the basis of the viewpoint element inputted from the viewpoint element inputting unit. According to the communication apparatus, it is possible to increase a degree of freedom in plotting the virtual space.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus connected to a message communication system in which a plurality of user terminals are interconnected, and messages are exchanged among the plurality of user terminals. The communication apparatus is utilized in the form of such a user terminal.
Recently, there has been developed a message communication system referred to as a so-called chat system in which messages are exchanged between user terminals through a so-called personal computer communication and the like.
FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram of a message communication system comprising so-called servers and clients.
A plurality of user terminals, or a plurality of client computers 100.sub.-- 1, 100.sub.-- 2, . . . , 100.sub.-- n are connected through a communication network 200 to a host computer 300 which serves as a server, so as to exchange messages among the client computers 100.sub.-- 1, 100.sub.-- 2, . . . , 100.sub.-- n via the host computer 300.
In such a message communication system, there is known a system comprising a common virtual world when the system is viewed as a whole, and the client computers 100.sub.-- 1, 100.sub.-- 2, . . . , 100.sub.-- n having their own symbols referred to as so-called avatars, in which the client computer, who intends to have a message exchange or communication, displays an its display screen the virtual world and avatars or symbols of the clients entered the virtual world just as if a plurality of clients, who are of interest in communication, enter the virtual world and have conversations.
FIG. 17 is an illustration showing exemplarily a display image of a client computer in which the virtual world and symbols as mentioned above are displayed.
In a virtual world display area 111 of a display screen 110 illustrated in FIG. 17, four persons (symbols of four clients) are displayed, and the total five persons including one's own self enter the same scene (virtual space) in the virtual world. A message exchange is performed among these five persons (five client computers). In a message display area 112 of the display screen 110, there are displayed messages exchanged among those five persons entered (five client computers). A click of scroll buttons 113a and 113b with the use of a mouse (not illustrated) makes it possible to scroll the display content in the message display area 112.
In a case where a virtual space is displayed on a display screen, a two-dimensional image, which can be displayed on the display screen, is plotted on the basis of graphic data representative of a three-dimensional figure. In this case, when the two-dimensional image is plotted, there is raised a problem that the virtual space is seen from what viewpoint position and in what eyes direction. According to the explanation made referred to FIG. 17, it is assumed that the images shown in FIG. 17 have been plotted on the basis of a viewpoint element (viewpoint position and eyes direction) of the symbol of one's own self.
FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a functional structure of a client computer adapted to perform a plotting in accordance with the viewpoint element of the symbol of one's own self.
In FIG. 18, an viewpoint element determining means 11 determines a viewpoint element of the symbol of one's own self, that is, viewpoint position and eyes direction, on the basis of a symbol element 1 representative of a coordinate position in a virtual space of the symbol of one's own self (oneself client), a direction which the symbol looks toward, and the like.
A two-dimensional image producing means 12 produces two-dimensional images in case of looking based on the viewpoint element of the symbol of one's own self a virtual space in which the symbol of one's own self is located.
The client computer shown in FIG. 18 is provided with an image display unit 14 having a display screen 14a on which images are displayed. A plotting means 13 plots on the display screen 14a of the image display unit 14 the two-dimensional images produced by the two-dimensional image producing means 12.
In the client computer, thus, the two-dimensional images as shown in FIG. 17 are displayed on the display screen 14a.
In this manner, when the two-dimensional images are displayed on the basis of the viewpoint element of the symbol of one's own self, images looking through eyes of the symbol of one's own self are displayed. Consequently, there will be obtained the reality as if one's own self enters the virtual space. However, the symbol of one's own self is not displayed on the two-dimensional images. According to the recent system, there is provided a delicate constitution such that symbols can make various performances, for example, changing their expression in several ways and raising their hands, by client's operation. However, there is a problem such that even if expression and performance of the symbol of one's own self are changed by the operation of oneself client, one's own self cannot confirm the expression and performance of one's own symbol on the display screen of oneself client.
In order to solve such a problem, it is considered that two-dimensional image based on a viewpoint element different from that of the symbol of one's own self, for example, such a two-dimensional image that one's own self sees from the seats a movie in which one's own self appears on the scene, is produced and displayed on a display screen. In this case, while oneself client can confirm the expression and performance of one's own symbol on the display screen of oneself client, it will be difficult for oneself client to have an impression such that one's own self enters the virtual world.

Communications apparatus which provides a view of oneself in a virtual space


A flow control system in an apparatus for treating a work piece controls a flow rate of treatment liquid dispensed from a liquid dispenser. The system includes a flow meter that measures a flow rate of liquid being supplied to the liquid dispenser, a controller that receives signals indicative of a flow rate measured by the flow meter, and a pressure regulator that regulates pressure of the liquid supply downstream of the flow meter based on control signals from the controller. At least two alternative liquid supply paths are provided downstream of the pressure regulator and upstream of an outlet of the liquid dispenser. Each supply path is equipped with a respective shutoff valve and provides a respectively different pressure drop to the treatment liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for liquid treatment of work pieces, and a flow control system for use in such apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In the semiconductor industry, semiconductor wafers undergo liquid treatment that may include both wet etching and wet cleaning, wherein the surface area of a spinning wafer to be treated is wetted with a treatment liquid and a layer of the wafer is thereby removed or impurities are thereby carried off. A device for liquid treatment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,717. In this device the distribution of the liquid on the wafer surface may be assisted by the rotational motion imparted to the wafer.
For current technology nodes in the semiconductor industry, it is widely accepted to manually adjust the flow of a given treatment liquid once at installation/setup time, and thereafter to keep this flow constant during processing wafers. Changing the flow rate requires stopping the machine and performing manual adjustments to needle valves or similar components.
However, future technology nodes will likely need more flexible flow setting capabilities. It would be desirable to allow for two or more different, but constant flows while processing one wafer, each flow rate corresponding to a specific process step. It would also be desirable to allow for flow rates that change steadily from an initial value to a final value, with these values being selected in advance based upon the specific recipe used for wafer processing.
A conventional flow control module 50 for closed-loop control of the volumetric flow of liquid is shown schematically in FIG. 1. An ultrasonic flow meter 52 provides a signal via output interface 54 to controller 56, which in turn outputs a signal to an electrically controlled needle valve 58 so as to adjust the flow rate in accordance with the input received from the flow meter 52.
However, such flow control modules are not well suited for use in processing semiconductor wafers and other processes for treating work pieces that are highly sensitive to particulate contamination, because the mechanically moving parts of the needle valve 58 are a source of such contamination. Moreover, the response time of the needle valve 58 can be slower than is desired for some processes, and the provision of the components in a single module 50 prevents those components from being maintained, repaired or replaced on an individual basis.
Another conventional flow control system for closed-loop control of the volumetric flow of liquid is shown schematically in FIG. 2. A first module 60 contains an ultrasonic flow meter 62 and output interface 64 as described above, with a signal processor 72 being provided in a separate module 70. The signal processor 72 provides its output to a controller 82 contained in a module 80, and this controller 80 provides an output signal to an electro pneumatic converter 84, which in turn controls a pressure regulator 86. Pressure regulator 86 is of the type having a valve chamber delimited by the inner sides of a pair of interconnected diaphragms, on the outer sides of which are upper and lower chambers whose pressures are controlled pneumatically.
While this system is not attended by the particulate contamination associated with the first conventional example, the range of available liquid flow rates is too limited to meet anticipated needs for a variety of work piece processes including impending technology nodes in the semiconductor industry. Moreover, the provision of the electronic controller, pressure regulator and liquid conduit in the same module 80 also limits how the system can be maintained and repaired.

Apparatus for liquid treatment of work pieces and flow control system for use in same


The present disclosure provides a wearable device, including a main body including a central processing unit and a display panel; and a connection member electrically connected to the main body and including a plurality of functional modules, at least one of which is provided with a control assembly configured to control an operational state of the functional module where the control assembly is located.

Along with the development of electronic intelligence technology, various wearable devices, e.g., smart wristbands, smart watches and smart spectacles, are emerging. To meet the market demands, the functions of the wearable devices are highly demanded, and meanwhile it is required to develop new functions.
Usually, a wearable device includes a main body and a connection member. The main body, as a core member of the wearable device, includes a central processing unit and a display screen, and the connection member is used to wear the wearable device onto a body of a user. In order to meet the market demands, the wearable device may be provided with a plurality of functional modules. When the functional modules are arranged within the main body, a size of the main body will inevitably be increased. Taking a smart watch as an example, when the main body is oversized, it is uneasy to carry it, and the appearance thereof is adversely affected. Hence, it is able to reduce the size of the main body to some extent when the plurality of functional modules is arranged within the connection member. However, in the related art, operational states of the functional modules are still controlled by the main body even when the functional modules are arranged within the connection member, so it is still required to provide the main body with corresponding structures, e.g., buttons, for controlling the operational states thereof. At this time, the size of the main body will be somewhat increased, and it is still unable to meet the market demands.


The invention provides a molded foam molding method capable of obtaining a molded foam in which pinholes may not be formed with ease even when a blow ratio is high and which has a high expansion ratio. The invention also provides a molded foam which includes no pinholes, is reduced in weight, and is excellent in heat insulating property. The molding method includes blending a polypropylene-based resin having an equilibrium compliance from 2.0 to 6.0 (10−3×Pa−1) with a foaming agent and kneading the blend in an extruder. The extruded foamed resin is molded so as to be fit along a mold by a pressurized fluid. Moreover, the molded foam is formed by the method described above, and has an expansion ratio from 1.5 to 5.0 times and an impact strength of not less than 30 kg·cm.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for molding a molded foam for use in, e.g., a climate control duct for vehicles, and such a molded foam.
2. Related Art
A conventional molded foam molding method involves melting and kneading a foaming agent and a base resin by an extruder, extruding the blend through a die to mold the blend into a foamed parison in a cylinder shape, clamping split mold blocks with the parison inserted therebetween, and subjecting the parison to blow molding by blowing a pressurized gas into the parison (refer to Patent Document 1). Herein, a polypropylene-based resin is used as the base resin in consideration of heat resistance, rigidity and the like regarding the molded body.
Such a conventional technique has the following problem. That is, when the foamed parison of the polypropylene-based resin is extruded, foamed cells that are open to the atmosphere rapidly expand. Consequently, surfaces of the cells become broken and an expansion ratio adversely decreases.
In this regard, according to a molding method disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to obtain a molded foam with a high expansion ratio by using a polypropylene-based foaming resin with an improved melt tension. The molding method in Patent Document 2 introduces a long chain branching structure in order to improve the melt tension of the polypropylene-based resin.
In the foaming and blow molding in Patent Document 2, however, the polypropylene having a long chain branching structure causes the following problem. That is, if the expansion ratio increases, a pinhole may be formed with ease in a portion where a foamed resin expands largely (e.g., a portion where a blow ratio is high) at the time of molding.
In addition, the molded foam using the polypropylene having a long chain branching structure has a problem of considerably deteriorated impact resistance.
Because of the circumstances described above, it has conventionally been difficult to mold a molded body which is made of a foamed resin expanding largely at the time of molding and which has a high expansion ratio. Therefore, it has been difficult to obtain a molded foam which has a portion where a foamed resin expands largely in molding, includes no pinhole, is reduced in weight, and is excellent in heat insulating property and impact resistance.
The documents that describe the related art are listed below.
Patent Document 1: JP 63-309434 A
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3745960

Method for molding molded foam, and molded foam


The invention relates to enhancing translocation of a charged analyte through a transmembrane protein pore. Translocation is enhanced by increasing the net opposing charge of the barrel or channel and/or entrance of the pore. The invention also relates to pores enhanced in accordance with the invention.

Stochastic detection is an approach to sensing that relies on the observation of individual binding events between analyte molecules and a receptor. Stochastic sensors can be created by placing a single pore of nanometer dimensions in an insulating membrane and measuring voltage-driven ionic transport through the pore in the presence of analyte molecules. The frequency of occurrence of fluctuations in the current reveals the concentration of an analyte that binds within the pore. The identity of an analyte is revealed through its distinctive current signature, notably the duration and extent of current block (Braha, O., Walker, B., Cheley, S., Kasianowicz, J. J., Song, L., Gouaux, J. E., and Bayley, H. (1997) Chem. Biol. 4, 497-505; and Bayley, H., and Cremer, P. S. (2001) Nature 413, 226-230).
Engineered versions of the bacterial pore-forming toxin α-hemolysin (α-HL) have been used for stochastic sensing of many classes of molecules (Bayley, H., and Cremer, P. S. (2001) Nature 413, 226-230; Shin, S.-H., Luchian, T., Cheley, S., Braha, O., and Bayley, H. (2002) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41, 3707-3709; and Guan, X., Gu, L.-Q., Cheley, S., Braha, O., and Bayley, H. (2005) ChemBioChem 6, 1875-1881). In the course of these studies, it was found that attempts to engineer α-HL to bind small organic analytes directly can prove taxing, with rare examples of success (Guan, X., Gu, L.-Q., Cheley, S., Braha, O., and Bayley, H. (2005) ChemBioChem 6, 1875-1881).

Methods of enhancing translocation of charged analytes through transmembrane protein pores


An organic light-emitting diode includes a first electrode, an intermediate layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes an emission layer including an organic material, and a functional layer between the second electrode and the emission layer and including at least one of a metal compound and a semiconductor compound including at least one of an oxygen atom and a sulfur atom. An oxygen concentration in the functional layer increases toward the second electrode, and a sulfur concentration in the functional layer increases toward the emission layer.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light-emitting diode having improved light-emitting efficiency, an organic light-emitting display apparatus including the same, and a method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) has a stacked structure including a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode. The intermediate layer includes an emission layer including an organic material and a plurality of functional layers. The functional layers include various suitable materials to increase the light-emitting efficiency of the OLED.
Among the functional layers, an electron injection layer or an electron injection transport layer disposed between the second electrode and an emission layer are important for improving the properties of the OLED. Thus, the light-emitting efficiency of the OLED may be improved with increasing the electron injection function of the electron injection layer or the electron injection transport layer.

Functional layer for organic light-emitting diode, organic light-emitting display apparatus including the same, and method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting diode


A covering for an architectural covering is provided. The covering may include a rotatable outer roller, a rotatable inner roller, a first shade secured to the outer roller, and a second shade secured to the inner roller. The outer roller may define an elongated slot extending along a length of the outer roller and opening to an interior of the outer roller. The inner roller may be received within the outer roller and may define a central longitudinal axis. The first shade may be retractable onto and extendable from the outer roller. The second shade may extend through the elongated slot and may be retractable onto and extendable from the inner roller. The elongated slot may be substantially horizontally aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the inner roller when the first shade is in a fully extended position.

Coverings for architectural openings, such as windows, doors, archways, and the like, have taken numerous forms for many years. Some coverings include a retractable shade that is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position, the shade of the covering may be positioned across the opening. In the retracted position, the shade of the covering may be positioned adjacent one or more sides of the opening.
Some coverings, when in the fully extended position, transmit light through the material from which the covering is constructed. In some instances, even when the covering has operable vanes that open and close to control the amount of light passing through the covering, a greater amount of darkening is desired. Additionally, or alternatively, in some instances a user may desire a different pattern or appearance of the covering when in the fully extended position. Typically, these goals are accomplished by having a separate roller positioned behind the primary roller for separate actuation by the user. These separate rollers for the supplemental function or appearance increase the size of the head rail, and may require the use of a second set of control cords and operating mechanisms, thus increasing size and weight of the covering structure.

Covering for an architectural opening having nested rollers


A scanning device or alight beam is moved for reciprocal scanning with respect to an image carrier, which carries image information thereon, and in a main scanning direction. The scanning device or the light beam is also moved with respect to the image carrier and in a sub-scanning direction intersecting with the main scanning direction. Light, which comes from the image carrier, is photoelectrically converted into an electric image signal. Smoothing operation processing is performed on forward scanning image signal components and backward scanning image signal components, which have been acquired respectively in a forward scanning stage and a backward scanning stage consecutive in the reciprocal scanning, and with respect to the sub-scanning direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing a read-out image. This invention particularly relates to a method and apparatus for processing a read-out image, wherein scanning means is moved for reciprocal scanning with respect to an image carrier, which carries image information thereon, and an image signal representing the image information is acquired.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors as radiation detecting materials in radiation image diagnosing systems. Specifically, energy from radiation carrying image information of an object is stored and recorded on a stimulable phosphor, which is contained in a stimulable phosphor layer of a stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image information has been stored, is then exposed to an electromagnetic wave acting as stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphor during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into a digital image signal. The digital image signal is then processed and used for the reproduction of the radiation image information of the object as a visible image on a recording material.
Also, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors as radiation detecting materials in autoradiography image detecting systems. Specifically, a substance imparted with a radioactive label is administered to an organism, and the organism or part of a tissue of the organism is taken as a sample. The sample and a stimulable phosphor sheet provided with a stimulable phosphor layer are superposed one upon the other for a predetermined length of time, and energy from the radiation emitted by the radioactive label contained in the sample is thus stored on the stimulable phosphor contained in the stimulable phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image information of the sample has been stored, is then exposed to an electromagnetic wave acting as stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphor during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into a digital image signal. The digital image signal is then processed and used for the reproduction of the radiation image information of the sample as a visible image on a recording material. The autoradiography image detecting systems are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 1(1989)-60782, 1(1989)-60784, and 4(1992)-3952.
Further, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors as light detecting materials in chemiluminescence image detecting systems, the stimulable phosphors having the characteristics such that the stimulable phosphors absorb and store energy from light during exposure to the light and, when the stimulable phosphors are then stimulated by an electromagnetic wave having wavelengths falling within a specific wavelength range, the stimulable phosphors emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphors during the exposure of the stimulable phosphors to the light. Specifically, a biopolymer whose protein sequence, nucleic acid sequence, or the like, has been fixed is selectively labeled with a labeling substance capable of producing chemiluminescence when being brought into contact with a chemiluminescence substrate. The biopolymer having thus been selectively labeled with the labeling substance capable of producing the chemiluminescence is then brought into contact with the chemiluminescence substrate. Also, energy from the chemiluminescence having wavelengths falling within the visible light wavelength range, which chemiluminescence is produced by the labeling substance when the labeling substance is thus brought into contact with the chemiluminescence substrate, is stored on the stimulable phosphor contained in the stimulable phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the chemiluminescence image information of the biopolymer has been stored, is then exposed to an electromagnetic wave acting as stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphor during its exposure to the chemiluminescence. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into a digital image signal. The digital image signal is then processed and used for the reproduction of the chemiluminescence image information of the biopolymer as a visible image on a recording material. The chemiluminescence image detecting systems are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,793 and British Patent Publication GB No. 2,246,197A.
Furthermore, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors as electron beam detecting materials in electron microscope image detecting systems, the stimulable phosphors having the characteristics such that the stimulable phosphors absorb and store energy from an electron beam during exposure to the electron beam and, when the stimulable phosphors are then stimulated by an electromagnetic wave having wavelengths falling within a specific wavelength range, the stimulable phosphors emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphors during the exposure of the stimulable phosphors to the electron beam. Specifically, the electron beam is irradiated to a metal sample or a nonmetal sample, and an electron beam diffraction image or an electron beam transmission image of the sample is detected. The thus detected image is utilized for an element analysis, a sample composition analysis, a sample structure analysis, and the like. Alternatively, the electron beam is irradiated to an organism tissue, and an image of the organism tissue is detected.
Also, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors as radiation detecting materials in radiation diffraction image detecting systems, the stimulable phosphors having the characteristics such that the stimulable phosphors absorb and store energy from radiation during exposure to the radiation and, when the stimulable phosphors are then stimulated by an electromagnetic wave having wavelengths falling within a specific wavelength range, the stimulable phosphors emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored on the stimulable phosphors during the exposure of the stimulable phosphors to the radiation. Specifically, with the radiation diffraction image detecting systems, the radiation is irradiated to a sample, and a radiation diffraction image of the sample is detected. The thus detected image is utilized for a sample structure analysis, and the like.
The electron microscope image detecting systems and the radiation diffraction image detecting systems described above are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 59 (1984)-15843 and 61(1986)-93538, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,990.
The aforesaid various systems utilizing the stimulable phosphor sheets as the image detecting materials have the advantages in that chemical processing, such as development processing, need not be performed as in cases where photographic film is used. Also, the aforesaid various systems utilizing the stimulable phosphor sheets as the image detecting materials have the advantages in that various kinds of image processing are capable of being performed on the obtained image signals, and desired visible images are capable of being reproduced from the processed image signals. Further, the aforesaid various systems utilizing the stimulable phosphor sheets as the image detecting materials have the advantages in that quantitative analyses are capable of being performed by use of computers.
Further, fluorescence image detecting systems utilizing fluorescent substances as labeling substances in lieu of radioactive labeling substances in the autoradiography image detecting systems have heretofore been known. With the fluorescence image detecting systems, analyses of gene sequences and gene expression levels, separation and identification of proteins, and evaluation of molecular weights and characteristics of proteins are capable of being performed in accordance with information obtained by reading out fluorescence images. Specifically, for example, after a fluoro chrome has been added to a liquid containing a plurality of DNA fragments to be subjected to electrophoresis, electrophoresis of the plurality of the DNA fragments may be performed on a gel support. Alternatively, electrophoresis of a plurality of DNA fragments may be performed on a gel support containing a fluoro chrome. As another alternative, after electrophoresis of a plurality of DNA fragments has been performed on a gel support, the DNA fragments having been subjected to the electrophoresis maybe leveled with a fluoro chrome by, for example, a process for dipping the gel support in a liquid containing the fluoro chrome, the fluoro chrome may then be excited with excitation light to produce fluorescence, the thus produced fluorescence may be detected, and a fluorescence image may thereby be formed. In accordance with the thus formed fluorescence image, a DNA distribution on the gel support is capable of being detected.
As a further alternative, with the fluorescence image detecting systems, after electrophoresis of a plurality of DNA fragments has been performed on a gel support, the DNA fragments having been subjected to the electrophoresis may be denatured. Thereafter, at least part of the denatured DNA fragments may be transcribed to a transcription support, such as nitrocellulose, with a Southern blotting technique. The denatured DNA fragments and a probe having been prepared by labeling a DNA or an RNA, which is complementary to a target DNA, with a fluoro chrome, may then be subjected to hybridization. In this manner, only a DNA fragment, which is complementary to the probe DNA or the probe RNA, is selectively labeled with the fluoro chrome. Thereafter, the fluoro chrome, with which the DNA fragment described above has been labeled, may be excited with the excitation light to produce the fluorescence, the thus produced fluorescence maybe detected, and a fluorescence image may thereby be formed. In accordance with the thus formed fluorescence image, a target DNA distribution on the transcription support is capable of being detected.
As a still further alternative, with the fluorescence image detecting systems, a DNA probe, which is complementary to a DNA containing a target gene and has been labeled with a labeling substance, may be prepared. The DNA probe and a DNA on a transcription support may then be subjected to hybridization. Also, an enzyme maybe subjected to binding with the complementary DNA having been labeled with the labeling substance, and the thus bound enzyme may then be brought into contact with a fluorescence substrate in order to convert the fluorescence substrate into a fluorescent substance, which is capable of producing the fluorescence. Thereafter, the fluorescent substance may be excited with the excitation light to produce the fluorescence, the thus produced fluorescence maybe detected, and a fluorescence image may thereby be formed. In accordance with the thus formed fluorescence image, a target DNA distribution on the transcription support is capable of being detected.
The fluorescence image detecting systems have the advantages in that a radioactive substance need not be used, and the gene sequences, and the like, are capable of being detected in a simple manner.
The autoradiography image detecting systems, the chemiluminescence image detecting systems, the electron microscope image detecting systems, the radiation diffraction image detecting systems, and the fluorescence image detecting systems described above are utilized for the same purposes of use. Therefore, there has been proposed an image read-out apparatus capable of being utilized commonly for the autoradiography image detecting systems, the chemiluminescence image detecting systems, the electron microscope image detecting systems, the radiation diffraction image detecting systems, and the fluorescence image detecting systems described above.
The image read-out apparatus proposed for use in the systems described above comprises an optical head for irradiating the stimulating rays (or the excitation light) to the image carrier, such as the stimulable phosphor sheet provided with the stimulable phosphor layer, the transcription support containing the sample labeled with the fluorescent substance, or the gel support containing the sample labeled with the fluorescent substance, and collecting the light emitted by the image carrier, such as the light, which is emitted by the stimulable phosphor contained in the stimulable phosphor layer when the stimulable phosphor is stimulated by the stimulating rays, or the fluorescence, which is produced by the fluorescent substance for the labeling of the sample when the fluorescent substance is excited by the excitation light. In order to scan the image carrier, the optical head is capable of being moved in two dimensional directions along a plane parallel with the image carrier.
Both the stimulating rays for stimulating the stimulable phosphor and the excitation light for exciting the fluorescent substance will hereinbelow be referred to as the stimulating rays.
Specifically, there has been proposed an image read-out apparatus, wherein an optical head is moved for reciprocal scanning with respect to an image carrier, which carries image information thereon, and in a main scanning direction and moved in a sub-scanning direction, which intersects with the main scanning direction, stimulating rays are irradiated through the optical head onto the image carrier, light, which is emitted by the image carrier when the image carrier is exposed to the stimulating rays, is collected by the optical head and received by photoelectric conversion means, such as a photomultiplier (hereinbelow referred to as the PMT) or a CCD image sensor, and an image signal, which represents the image information recorded on the image carrier, is acquired from photoelectric conversion of the emitted light performed by the photoelectric conversion means.
As a read-out technique with the image read-out apparatus described above, there has heretofore been known a read-out technique, wherein image signal components are acquired from the image carrier in each of a forward scanning stage and a backward scanning stage of the reciprocal scanning with the optical head. With the read-out technique, an image information acquisition start position, from which the acquisition of the image information is started, and an image information acquisition length, over which the acquisition of the image information is performed, are determined previously. Also, the position of an image acquiring region in the forward scanning stage, which region extends on the image carrier in the main scanning direction, and the position of an image acquiring region in the backward scanning stage, which region extends on the image carrier in the main scanning direction, are matched with each other with respect to the main scanning direction. In this manner, forward scanning image signal components are acquired in the forward scanning stage, and backward scanning image signal components are acquired in the backward scanning stage.
Specifically, with the read-out technique described above, a position, which is spaced away by the image information acquisition length in the main scanning direction from the image information acquisition start position, is taken as an image information acquisition end position. Also, the image information acquisition start position in the forward scanning stage and the image information acquisition end position in the backward scanning stage are set so as to coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction, such that the position of the image acquiring region in the forward scanning stage and the position of the image acquiring region in the backward scanning stage coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction.
However, in cases where the image information acquisition start position in the forward scanning stage or the backward scanning stage shifts in the main scanning direction from the predetermined position, which has been set previously, due to a change in temperature, a change with the passage of time, or the like, the problems described below occur. Specifically, the image information acquisition start position in the forward scanning stage and the image information acquisition end position in the backward scanning stage do not coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction. Also, the image information acquisition start position in the backward scanning stage and the image information acquisition end position in the forward scanning stage do not coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction. Therefore, in such cases, the forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image signal components are acquired respectively from the image acquiring region on the image carrier in the forward scanning stage and the image acquiring region on the image carrier in the backward scanning stage, which regions do not coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction. The forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image signal components having thus been acquired are utilized for reproduction and displaying of the image information, which are performed in accordance with predetermined setting such that the image information acquisition start position in the forward scanning stage and the image information acquisition end position in the backward scanning stage coincide with each other with respect to the main scanning direction. Accordingly, in the displayed image, a forward scanning image display region, which is represented by the forward scanning image signal components, and a backward scanning image display region, which is represented by the backward scanning image signal components, shift from each other in the main scanning direction. In such cases, values of pixels in the displayed image, which pixels are represented by the forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image signal components and are arrayed in the sub-scanning direction, take discontinuous values. Specifically, the difference between the values of the pixels become large. As a result, a contour, or the like, of the displayed image, which is formed with the forward scanning image display region represented by the forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image display region represented by the backward scanning image signal components, is blurred.
Also, in cases where the image information has been recorded with high contrast on the image carrier, it often occurs that the intensity of the light emitted by the image carrier changes markedly from a high intensity to a low intensity. In such cases, the photoelectric conversion means, which is receiving the emitted light of the high intensity and is performing the photoelectric conversion by producing many electrons or electric charges, cannot be reset quickly in accordance with the marked change in emitted light intensity. Therefore, a phenomenon often occurs such that the image signal components, which represent the intensities higher than the intensity of the received light, are acquired until the photoelectric conversion means is reset to a state in which the photoelectric conversion means is capable of accurately acquiring image signal components. The phenomenon described above is referred to as the trailing. In cases where the optical head, which has scanned a certain region emitting the light of the high intensity, successively moves beyond the certain region and scans a next region emitting the light of the low intensity, the training occurs in the image signal components, which are acquired when the optical head scans the next region described above. Therefore, the direction, in which the trailing occurs, varies for the forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image signal components. Accordingly, as in the cases described above, the problems occur in that the contour, or the like, of the displayed image, which is reproduced from the forward scanning image signal components and the backward scanning image signal components and represent the image information recorded on the image carrier, is blurred.
The problems described above occur commonly in cases where the read-out technique described above is applied to the autoradiography image detecting systems, the chemiluminescence image detecting systems, the electron microscope image detecting systems, the radiation diffraction image detecting systems, the fluorescence image detecting systems, and the like.

Method and apparatus for processing read-out images


To provide a hybrid fuel cell system for improving converter efficiency. In a hybrid fuel cell system (1) in which a fuel cell (22) and an electricity storage device (21) are connected via a voltage converter (20), the voltage converter (20) has a plurality of phases (P1, P2, P3), and the number of phases of operation can be changed in accordance with the power passing through the voltage converter (20). As the number of phases can be changed in accordance with the power passing through the voltage converter (20), it is possible to select the number of phases that give a higher efficiency voltage conversion in accordance with the passing power, and the efficiency of the voltage converter (20) can be greatly improved.

In fuel cell systems installed in electric cars and the like, to respond to load fluctuations that cannot be followed due to the responsiveness of the fuel cell system, a hybrid system connected to the output terminal of the fuel cell that raises or lowers the voltage of the battery output is sometimes used.
In this type of hybrid fuel cell system, technology that takes into consideration the operating efficiency has been disclosed in for example Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-118979, in which the ratio of the maximum output of battery and fuel cell is set to the range where the fuel cell is 65˜80% of the total output, and losses in a DC-DC converter are suppressed.

Hybrid fuel cell system and voltage conversion control method thereof


The present invention provides compositions and methods for a modified-release pharmaceutical drug composition having a first charged active agent and a second charged active agent at least partially surrounded by a rate controlling membrane. The first charged active agent and the second charged active agent interact to form a modified release pharmaceutical complex within the rate controlling membrane and the modified release pharmaceutical complex has a release characteristic different from the release characteristic of the first active agent or the second active agent alone.

Combination therapies are often used to treat various diseases and conditions. Administering the combination to the patient in a single formulation is more convenient and improves patient compliance. However, administering two pharmaceutically active agents in a single dose is problematic if one of the agents is metabolized more rapidly than the second. Because the dosing regimen will be determined by the agent that is cleared more slowly, the pharmaceutical effect of the more rapidly cleared agent will be absent for a period of time after it is cleared until it is time to re-administer the combination.
This problem could be addressed if the single formulation contains a controlled release composition that comprises the more rapidly metabolizing agent. However, the second more rapidly clearing agent may adversely effect the release profile of the controlled release composition of the first agent. For example, this can occur in liquid formulations when the two pharmaceutically active agents are charged moieties of opposite charge.
Advil Cold and Sinus™ is one example. This combination product contains the decongestant pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen in a syrup. Pseudoephedrine is far more rapidly hydrolyzed than ibuprofen. Although controlled release formulations of pseudoephedrine can be prepared, their release profile is often altered in the presence of ibuprofen.
Therefore, improved pharmaceutical formulations for combination therapies are needed.

Modified-release pharmaceutical drug composition


Active material for a positive electrode of a rechargeable alkaline electrochemical cell is made with nickel hydroxide particles or cobalt-coated nickel hydroxide particles treated with strongly oxidizing reagents such as alkali metal persulfate in alkaline solution. The active material also may be made with cobalt-coated nickel hydroxide particles having a high percentage of cobalt(III) on a surface or an average cobalt oxidation state of about 3 measured across the particles. The treated nickel hydroxide or cobalt-coated nickel hydroxide decreases the cobalt solubility in the alkaline electrolyte and increases the high-rate charge and discharge capability. The lower cobalt solubility decreases cobalt migration that can increase self discharge and lead to premature failure.

The recent trend for portable devices, such as power tools, has increased the needs and requirements for high power and high energy density rechargeable batteries. The nickel hydroxide electrode has been used as the positive electrode in high power and high energy nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-zinc batteries. The pasted nickel hydroxide electrode typically includes nickel hydroxide, cobalt powder, nickel powder and binding materials. The cobalt compound is included to increase the conductivity of the nickel electrode. However, the same cobalt compound causes detrimental effects if it migrates to the negative electrode.
As power and energy density requirements increase, positive nickel electrode composition and manufacturing methods that produces a low-impedance and long-life battery continues to be sought.

Pasted nickel hydroxide electrode for rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries


A transmission type screen for stereoscopic images having a transmission layer includes an incident surface having a gloss surface, a transmission layer having a refractive index less than 1.55, a transmissivity more than 60%, and an imaging surface having surface particle sizes of 40 to 400 mesh that avoids a hot spot. The imaging surface is formed on the final surface through which images are transmitted, so that the components operate in an organic fashion with respect to each other. The polarization degree of stereoscopic images is maximized thereby increasing the three-dimensional effect and the transmissivity, and enables viewers to view images clearly several times better than with a conventional screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a transmission type screen, and, more particularly, to a transmission screen for displaying stereoscopic images and which has a transmission layer for transmitting images while maintaining the degree of polarization thereof. The screen also is suitable for both stereoscopic images and general images with improved definition of the images.
2. Description for the Related Art
A transmission screen is a screen on which images are projected from the rear side of the screen and which allows a user to view images displayed on the front side of the screen.
Conventional transmission screens having transmission layers are transmission screens through which general images are transmitted, and include a medium having a refractive index, diffusion material within the medium, and diffusion material on the surface of the medium, so that in the course of transmitting polarized images, the images are not only diffused, but also the degree of polarization of the polarized images is diffused, and thus the implementation of stereoscopic images is impossible.
Some screens having a film structure, such as a film having no transmission layer, enabling transmittal of stereoscopic images, but such film screens generally have a thin-film structure and the flatness thereof is maintained only by adding separate frames and providing tension through a spring. However, there are disadvantages to such scenes in that deformation of the screen occurs due to climatic changes as time elapses and, more particularly, since the image displayed on a surface of the screen is diffused, the efficiency of transmission is less than 20%, the angle of polarization is diffused, and therefore the viewing angle becomes narrow, thereby making three-dimensional viewing uncomfortable.
For the above-described reasons, a screen having a thin film is not suitable for large screen structures or three-dimensional TV's because of limitations in frames and tension structures.
The present invention relates to a transmission screen configuration having a transmission layer greater than 1 mm, and which is suitable for use as a three-dimensional TV or a large screen.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b), known stereoscopic images may be generated such that the images of left and right projectors P1 and P2 pass through left and right polarization filters R1 and L1, respectively, having polarization degrees of a symmetric angle, and wherein the left images R are transmitted only through the left polarization lens 5R of polarization glasses 5 and blocked through the right polarization lens 5L, and, in the same way, the right images L are transmitted only through the right polarization lens 5L of the polarization glasses and blocked through the left polarization lens 5R, thereby allowing the right images L to be viewed only by the right eye of a viewer and the left images R to be viewed only by the left eye of the viewer.
It is thus impossible to view the stereoscopic images without maintaining the polarization degrees of the left and right images as described above.
For use as conventional transmission screens, there are a variety of transmission screens, such as Fresnel type screens, diffusion material addition type screens, and scattering type screens, but it is impossible for a viewer to view stereoscopic images using such screens because the polarization degree of the images is diffused by the refractive index, the transmissivity, and the scattering rate when images are transmitted using such screens.
In particular, in a conventional transmission screen onto which diffusion material, such as silica, is added in order to diffuse images for screen functions, when images are transmitted, the polarization degree is also diffused, so that the polarization degrees of the left and right images R and L are reduced, and therefore, a double focused image is observed by a viewer, making viewing of stereoscopic images impossible.

Transmission screen for stereoscopic images


Fatty acid esters of polyols having at least 4 hydroxyl groups wherein the fatty acid groups consist essentially of: (1) long chain unsaturated fatty acid radicals containing at least 12 carbon atoms or mixtures of said unsaturated radicals with saturated fatty acid radicals containing 2 to 12 carbon atoms, and (2) long chain saturated fatty acid radicals containing at least 20 carbon atoms, wherein the molar ratio of (1):(2) is from 1:15 to 2:1 and wherein at least 4 of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol are esterified. The compounds are useful as nondigestible substitutes for solid fats in foods.

In recent years considerable attention has been focused on the amount of triglyceride fat in the diet from the standpoint of health concerns about obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Numerous patents have been directed to providing materials which have the physical and gustatory characteristics of triglyceride fats, but which are absorbed to a low extent or not at all by the body. These materials are referred to variously as noncaloric fats, pseudofats, nondigestible fats and fat substitutes. Patents pertaining to such materials include U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,927, Fulcher, issued Apr. 15, 1986, (fatty esters of malonic acid); U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,715, Volpenhein, issued Apr. 15, 1986, (alpha acetylated triglycerides); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,548, Whyte, issued May 18, 1971, (triglycerides of alpha-branched chain carboxylic acids).
One particular type of compound which has achieved considerable attention as a nondigestible fat is sucrose polyester (i.e., sucrose in which at least four of the eight hydroxyl groups are esterified with a fatty acid). U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,186, Mattson, issued Aug. 17, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,213, Hollenbach et al. issued Jan. 11, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,782, Robbins et al. issued Jul. 24, 1984 describe the use of this material as a nondigestible fat in a variety of food compositions.
A problem associated with moderate to high levels of ingestion of liquid nondigestible fats, i.e., those having a melting point below body temperature (about 37.degree. C.), is an undesired passive oil loss effect, which is manifested in leakage of the liquid nondigested fat through the anal sphincter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,195, Jandacek, issued Jan. 25, 1977, discloses the combining of higher melting fatty materials such as solid triglycerides and solid sucrose polyesters with the liquid sucrose polyesters in order to avoid the oil loss effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,300 (Jandacek et al.), issued Jan. 10, 1989 discloses the use of certain solid sucrose polyesters which have high oil binding capacity for liquid sucrose polyesters and liquid triglycerides, when used at levels of about 10% to 25% in said oils. It is disclosed that because of their high oil binding capacity, these solid sucrose polyesters have outstanding utility as agents to control or prevent passive oil loss of liquid nondigestible sucrose polyesters, and they are also useful as non-caloric hardstocks to use with liquid digestible or nondigestible oils in the preparation of semi-solid fat products such as shortenings and margarines. The oil binding agents of the Jandacek et al. '300 patent are solid sucrose polyesters wherein the ester groups consist essentially of a mixture of short chain saturated fatty acid ester radicals (C.sub.2 -C.sub.10) and long chain saturated fatty acid radicals (C.sub.20 -C.sub.24) in a molar ratio of short chain to long chain of from about 3:5 to about 5:3, and wherein the degree of esterification is from about 7 to about 8.
U.S. Pat. 3,158,490 (Baur et al.), issued Nov. 24, 1964 discloses sucrose (and other disaccharide) polyesters which are useful as additives at 0.001% to 0.5% level in triglyceride salad oils to prevent clouding in low-temperature storage of the oils. The degree of esterification is at least 3, i.e., no more than 5 of the 8 hydroxyl groups are unesterified. The ester groups are a combination of: (1) from 15-85% saturated C.sub.14 -C.sub.22 fatty acids, and (2) the balance selected from saturated C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 or unsaturated C.sub.14 -C.sub.22 fatty acids. Arachidic (C.sub.20) and behenic (C.sub.22) acids are recited as specific examples of (1) and acetic (C.sub.2), caprylic (C.sub.8), and oleic, (C.sub.18-1) acids are recited as specific examples of (2). At col. 2, lines 5-10, a sucrose ester having 2 oleic and 6 palmitic groups is disclosed, and it is stated that long chain saturated acids such as myristic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, or mixtures thereof can be used in place of all or part of the palmitic.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel solid nondigestible fat materials which are suitable substitutes for solid fat in foods.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel, solid, nondigestible fat materials which are especially effective oil binding agents for use in mixture with liquid nondigestible oils in food products to control or prevent passive oil loss of the liquid oils when ingested.
It is another objective of the invention to provide novel solid nondigestible fat materials which are effective in binding oils and are thereby especially useful in formulating shortenings and other semi-solid products and fluid cooking and salad oils from liquid digestible or nondigestible oils.
For purposes of describing this invention, the term "nondigestible" shall mean being absorbable to an extent of only 70% or less (especially 20% or less) by the human body through its digestive system.
All percentages and proportions herein are "by weight" unless otherwise specified.

Solid, nondigestible, fat-like compounds and food compositions containing same


A charge collection tape includes a foil substrate and an adhesive layer laminated on the foil substrate. The foil substrate is constructed of an aluminum base foil having a conductive metal coating overlying and in direct contact with a non-oxidized surface of the aluminum base foil.

Manufacturing industries are constantly searching for ways to produce high-performing products with lower-cost materials, while also improving product and manufacturing efficiencies. These goals can sometimes be met through original equipment manufacturers that drive the demand for such improvements through supplementary materials providers. In industries that rely upon electrical interconnections, charge collection tapes are a class of supplementary materials that can provide an economical way to make critical electrical interconnections.
Charge collection tapes have been used as grounding tapes, for EMI shielding, and interconnects in many different devices, such as mobile phones and other portable electronics. In recent years, charge collection tapes have found utility in solar applications and other applications that make use of photovoltaic cells.
Charge collection tapes consist of a metal foil carrier and an adhesive. Many charge collection tapes are high-performance adhesive tapes capable of withstanding temperature extremes, thermal cycling, damp heat exposure, and a number of other environmental stresses.
In solar applications, charge collection tapes are being investigated as cell stringing interconnects between photovoltaic cells to replace solder and silver filled electrically conductive adhesives (Ag-ECA), as well as for terminal bussing systems to collect charge from stringing ribbon or foil where a simple lamination can potentially replace the need for soldering to the bus bar foil. Charge collection tapes have also been useful in thin film designs in which the tape collects charge directly off the photovoltaic cell and transfers it to a second foil that carries the charge to a junction box outside the module. In all of these examples, the charge collection tape becomes an integral part of the photovoltaic design, and reliable adhesive and high-performing electrical interconnects are important for avoiding issues related to power loss or complete failure of a photovoltaic module.
The use of an adhesive laminated to copper foil as a charge collection tape is well known, including for use in solar applications. Copper foil is highly conductive, but has become increasingly expensive. Copper is also susceptible to oxidation and corrosion. In solar applications, that can be problematic because in many cases, the charge collection tape foil surface is in direct contact with the module encapsulant such as ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) or polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Photo and thermal degradation of the encapsulant can generate corrosive species, such as acetic acid in the case of EVA, which can corrode the copper surface. This corrosion, while having a generally limited effect on performance, creates an undesirable aesthetic that can be commercially unacceptable by having an adverse effect on consumer interest in adopting solar technology.
Tin-coated copper foil generally performs better in these cases and is also known and widely used to form charge collection tapes. The tin protects the copper from oxidation and corrosion. In addition, the aesthetics of oxidized tin is quite often more appealing than that of copper. This is particularly true of copper foil treated with temporary antioxidants such as benzotriazole and other azole derivatives. These compounds form a myriad of colors when exposed to high temperature creating a visually unappealing foil surface, which can again have an adverse effect on consumer interest.
Tin coated copper foil has also been used successfully in conventional silicon wafer solar cells. Its proven track record has made it the foil of choice for most charge collection tapes for long life photovoltaic applications.
Unfortunately, however, the cost of copper and tin-coated copper foil carriers are quite expensive. In many cases the foil carriers make up a majority of the cost that goes into the charge collection tape. There is a need, therefore, to provide charge collection tapes that overcome these and other drawbacks, but which still provide high conductivity and good aesthetics.


The invention specifies a transmission arrangement, particularly for mobile radio, which has a homodyne design and in which a feedback path is routed from the input or from the output of the vector modulator (10, 11, 12, 14) via a switch (20) and an A/D converter (19) back to the digital signal processing (3) in baseband (1). As a result, it is a particularly simple matter to detect offsets and amplitude mismatches and to correct them without difficulty in a digital signal processor (3). This allows both significantly improved carrier frequency suppression and significantly improved sideband suppression to be achieved with little complexity. The mobile radio transmitter described is particularly suitable for use in modern mobile radio systems such as GSM EDGE and UMTS.

In mobile radio, the use of heterodyne transmission architectures is increasingly being replaced by the use of homodyne architectures with direct conversion from baseband to a radio frequency.
If the baseband signal is in the form of a complex-value signal which has been split into an inphase component and a quadrature component which is orthogonal thereto, then a quadrature modulator or vector modulator is normally provided for converting the frequency of the modulation signal to a carrier frequency. A vector modulator normally comprises two Gilbert mixer cells. These up-convert the useful signal to a carrier frequency. In this case, a carrier signal generated by a frequency generator is supplied to one of the two radio-frequency mixers or multipliers in unaltered form and to the other with a phase shift of 90°. A summing element connected downstream of the two mixers combines the output signals with one another to form a transmission signal.
With a modulator of this kind, it is desirable to obtain sufficient carrier suppression and sideband suppression.
However, the carrier suppression is normally impaired by offset voltages, which may arise as a result of unavoidable component mismatches during mass production, for example. In addition, inadequate insulation between the carrier signal input and the signal output of the modulator may result in crosstalk by the carrier signal and hence in further impairment of the carrier suppression.
The ever greater bandwidth requirement, the increasing data rates, the demands for ever lower drawn current and the introduction of new modulation methods are continually increasing the demands on carrier suppression in a modulator. Taking the mobile radio standard GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) as a basis, the modulation method 8-PSK (Phase Shift Keying) provided in line with the GSM EDGE system increases the linearity demands and the demands on carrier suppression.
Inadequate sideband suppression may normally arise firstly from a discrepancy in the ideal phase difference of 90° for the carrier signals for the vector modulator. Secondly, any existing amplitude mismatch in the useful signal components may also result in impairment of the sideband suppression.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,955 specifies a method for improved carrier suppression in modulation systems. In this case, in addition to the actual carrier signal a quadrature signal is generated and is added to the modulated radio-frequency signal at the output of a modulator. Any carrier signal which shows through is suppressed on account of the opposing phases.
A further method for avoiding carrier crosstalk is specified in the document U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,994. In this document, a modulated, radio-frequency transmission signal is attenuated on the basis of the power gain in a feedback path, is down-converted to baseband, is amplified and is added to the inphase and quadrature paths in baseband as appropriate.
In addition, trimming methods during manufacture are also known, which involve spectrum analyzers being used to improve the carrier and sideband suppression by trimming the baseband signals. Furthermore, the offset voltages in the modulator circuits can be reduced by virtue of appropriate enlargement of the surface areas of the components used and by virtue of layout measures during circuit design.
It is also a known practice to measure, with a Schottky diode as a power detector, the radio-frequency modulation signal following amplification with a power amplifier. The resultant analog signal is then converted into a digital signal to ascertain the carrier suppression for trimming the baseband signals with a digital signal processor by means of computation.
The methods described have the common drawback that a relatively high level of circuit complexity is required in order to implement said methods in integrated circuits.

Transmission arrangement, particularly for mobile radio


A windshield wiper drive mechanism which interconnects a motor and a wiper assembly which is movable between an in-wipe position and an out-wipe position on a windshield. The drive mechanism includes an elliptical gear set having a pair of eccentric gears driven by the motor and mounted on first and second idler shafts which are rotatable about first and second axes, respectively. An elliptical output gear is mounted on an output shaft which, in turn, is rotatable about an output axis. The elliptical output gear is disposed between the pair of eccentric gears such that the first and second eccentric gears engage the elliptical gear at positions substantially 180.degree. opposite one another on the elliptical gear and so that the respective axes of the first and second idler shafts as well as the output axis of the output shaft lie in a single fixed plane. The elliptical gear set operatively drives the wiper assembly through the output shaft with the gear ratio varying sinusoidally to produce at the output shaft a minimum torque at the in-wipe and out-wipe positions during blade reversal and a minimum torque at a predetermined position therebetween. In addition, the elliptical gear set causes the velocity of the wiper assembly to vary sinusoidally from a minimum at the in-wipe and out-wipe positions to a maximum at predetermined positions therebetween.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to an automotive windshield wiper assembly and, more specifically, to a windshield wiper drive mechanism having a gear ratio which varies sinusoidally to produce an advantageous combination of wiper blade drive torque and speed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Windshield wiper systems commonly employed in the related art include pivotally mounted wiper blades which are oscillated across the automotive windshield between an in-wipe position, typically located near the cowl of the vehicle, and an out-wipe position, usually associated with an A-pillar on the vehicle in the case of the driver's side wiper blade. It is typically desirable to maximize the angular velocity of the blade assemblies between the in-wipe and out-wipe positions where the blade assembly is moving across the windshield in front of the driver to reduce the duration of each wipe cycle. On the other hand, it is also desirable to limit noise and inertia loading by reducing the velocity of the blade assemblies as they approach the wipe limits. These are two competing objectives which must be balanced in order to be successfully and economically obtained.
To achieve these objectives, windshield wiper systems in the related art have employed mechanical linkages between the blade assemblies and a drive motor which are designed to produce the designated torque and blade speed but at the expense of economy and efficient use of vehicle space. Special transmissions have also been interposed between the drive motor and blade assemblies for the same purpose. These transmissions can have gear ratios which vary sinusoidally so as to achieve maximum blade velocity between the wipe limits and maximum torque at the wipe limits. More recently, electrical controls have been proposed to achieve these results by varying the output of a variable speed electric motor which powers the windshield wiper systems. However, complex gearing and electronic speed control systems also increase the cost and weight of conventional windshield wiper systems.
Driver visibility has long been an important criteria in automotive design and has led to an increase in windshield surface area over the years. Windshield wiper systems, including drive motors, linkage mechanisms and blade assemblies, have also become larger in order to adequately service the increased surface area of the windshield. However, and as noted above, the oscillating motion of the wiper blade assembly and associated drive hardware causes high accelerations and inertia induced loads in the driving mechanism. Thus, system inertia continues to be a problem in the related art. High system inertia results in wiper pattern growth beyond design limits, including unacceptable contact by the wiper blades with vehicle A-pillars and cowls.
Thus, there continues to be a need in the art for a windshield wiper system capable of maximizing blade assembly velocity between the wipe limits while maximizing torque during wiper blade reversal at the wipe limits. In addition, there continues to be a need for such a windshield wiper assembly which incorporates low system inertia and economical manufacturing costs.

Windshield wiper assembly having a variable speed drive mechanism


A method and system for accessing texture data is disclosed. The method includes the step of storing a low resolution version of a block of texture data in a low latency memory and storing a high resolution version of the block of texture data in high latency memory. Upon a request for the high resolution version of the block of texture data, the high resolution version is fetched from the high latency memory to the low latency memory. The low resolution version is subsequently accessed from the low latency memory until the high resolution version is fetched into the low latency memory.

Recent advances in computer performance have enabled graphic systems to provide more realistic graphical images using personal computers and home video game computers. In such graphic systems, some procedure must be implemented to "render" or draw graphic primitives to the screen of the system. A "graphic primitive" is a basic component of a graphic picture, such as a polygon, e.g., a triangle, or a vector. All graphic pictures are formed with combinations of these graphic primitives. Many procedures may be utilized to perform graphic primitive rendering.
Texture mapping schemes were developed to enhance the images rendered by early graphics systems. Early graphic systems displayed images representing objects having extremely smooth surfaces. That is, textures, bumps, scratches, or other surface features were not modeled. In order to improve the quality of the image, texture mapping was developed to model the complexity of real world surface images. In general, texture mapping is the mapping of an image or a function onto a surface in three dimensions. For example, the texture would be a picture of whatever material the designer was trying to convey (e.g., brick, stone, vegetation, wood, etc.) and would contain shading information as well as the texture and color to create the impression of a complex, dimensional surface. Texture mapping is now widely established and widely implemented in most computer graphics systems.
Modern realistic texture mapping (e.g., as required for modern 3D rendering applications) requires the manipulation of large amounts of data. Generally speaking, as a given 3-D scene becomes more realistic, the more realistic the texture map (or simply texture) being used in the texture mapping operations. Accordingly, realistic high-resolution textures can be very large (e.g., several megabytes of data). The bandwidth required for accessing such textures is also very large. The memory and bandwidth requirements can exceed the capabilities of even the most modern real-time 3-D rendering systems.
One prior art approach to alleviating texture memory and bandwidth requirements involves the implementation of various schemes whereby only a sub portion of the texture that may be needed in a scene is fetched from memory at a time. Large textures are typically stored in system memory, as opposed to local graphics memory. To satisfy the bandwidth requirements and latency constraints, a sub portion of the texture is fetched into the local graphics memory and used in the texture mapping operations of the 3-D rendering process.
For example, one prior art scheme only fetches that portion of a texture that is needed to render the visible scene (e.g., that portion of the scene within the view volume). As the scene changes (e.g., as the viewpoint of the view volume changes), other portions of the texture are fetched as required. This technique relies on a page fault type mechanism to fetch needed texture data when that data is not resident in local graphics memory.
The problems with this approach is the amount of time required to fetch the needed texture data from system memory to the local graphics memory. The required texture data needs to be pulled in (e.g., DMA transfer) from the system memory via the system memory controller and graphics bus (e.g., AGP bus, PCI express, etc.). The data transfer bandwidth from system memory via the graphics bus is much lower than that from the local graphics memory. Additionally, there is a significant amount of added latency imposed on data transfers across the graphics bus.
The above problems increase the time required to service the texture data page fault. This delay can cause stalling of the graphics rendering pipeline. Such stalling is very harmful to real-time 3D rendering applications. The stalling often leads to choppy frame rates and other noticeable pauses when new texture data must be fetched.
Some 3D rendering applications are especially dependent on smooth and reliable access to needed texture data. For example, MIP mapping generally requires several versions of a given texture to be stored and available in local graphics memory (e.g., a full resolution version and several lower resolution versions of a texture), and hence, texture memory demands tend to be high. In a highly dynamic rendering environment where the rendered scene changes rapidly, high bandwidth low latency access to the texture data is critical to overall performance. Stalling the 3D rendering pipeline due to prior art page fault type texture fetching rapidly leads to choppy frame rates, noticeable pauses, and similar problems as the rendered scene changes.
One approach to maintaining rendering speed and frame rate is to increase the amount of local graphics memory (e.g., 128 Mb, 256 Mb, etc.). Such an approach is expensive. Another prior art solution is to increase the performance of the page fault handling system. This approach is also expensive, in that it can require expensive high speed components (e.g., multi channel system memory, exotic high speed DDR RAM, PCIx graphics bus, etc.). Even with such components, however, there are practical limits to the degree to which the performance of the prior art page fault texture memory fetching schemes can be improved. Thus, what is needed is a more efficient way to maintain rendering speed and frame rate for those 3D rendering applications that utilize texture mapping.

Method and system for a texture-aware virtual memory subsystem


An electrical connecting apparatus comprises: a plurality of plate-like probes, each of which electrically connects an electrode of a device under test and a conductive portion formed in a base plate, and each of which has a tip to be pressed against the electrode on one end side of the probe and a curved outer face on one side in the width direction of the probe, and each of which further has a first recess opening on the one side; and an assembler for assembling the probes into the base plate such that the probes are arranged at intervals in the thickness direction and that the tips are projected to the side opposite to the base plate.

A packaged semiconductor device has a plurality of leads, that is, electrodes projected from a package body. The semiconductor device of this type is electrically tested by using an electrical connecting apparatus called socket. Such electrical connecting apparatus are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure No. 11-31566 Official Gazette
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure No. 2003-297506 Official Gazette
Each of the electrical connecting apparatus described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 comprises a plurality of probes having a curved portion, a cover on which the probes are arranged in parallel, and a stick-like needle presser arranged in a cover so as to extend in the arranging direction of the probes.
The cover is attached to a base plate such as a wiring base plate by means of a plurality of screw members. The probes are pressed at the outer surfaces of the curved portions against a conductive portion of the base plate by the needle presser in a state that the cover is attached to the base plate.
The device under test, whose electrodes are pressed against the tips (needle tips) of the probes, is electrically connected to the electrodes of the base plate by the probes.
In such an electrical correcting apparatus as above, however, the outer surfaces of the curved portions of the probes are only pressed against the conductive portions of the base plate with the cover attached to the base plate, the probes tend to fall from the cover in a state before the cover is attached to the base plate, thus making an assembling work troublesome.


The invention relates to a telephone set comprises a connection apparatus to execute a connecting process for enabling transmission and reception of an information signal to and from a home appliance such as a general audio device remote-controllable by radio communication; a control apparatus for generating, upon arrival of an incoming call, a remote control signal such as a pause command to the home appliance; and a radio communication apparatus for sending the remote control signal to the home appliance by radio communication. Thus, upon arrival of an incoming call at the telephone set, the remote control signal is sent to the audio device or the like either directly from the telephone set or via a communication adaptor installed therein, hence pausing or muting the output of the audio device under remote control. Such control action enables a user to perceive the incoming call with facility.

The present invention relates to a telephone set, a communication adaptor, a home appliance control method, and a program recording medium which are capable of remote-controlling a home appliance such as an audio device upon arrival of an incoming call.
There has been known heretofore a situation where a user listening to an audio device fails to notice arrival of an incoming call at a telephone set, since it is difficult to perceive the ringing tone of the telephone set due to the sound being emitted from headphones or speakers. For prevention of such inconvenience, there is provided a system which mutes or temporarily stops the audio device upon arrival of an incoming call at the telephone set.
For example, a system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-18797, wherein an audio device such as a radio receiver or the like is informed of arrival of an incoming call at a telephone set by an exclusive radio means. According to this system, the audio device such as a radio receiver is muted in response to the information indicative of the incoming call, and then reproduces a prepared ringing tone to notify the user of the incoming call.
In the system mentioned above, it is necessary to additionally equip the audio device with exclusive hardware for detecting arrival of an incoming call at the telephone set. And a program is also required for controlling the operation at detection of the incoming call. Consequently, it becomes necessary to employ a specific audio device designed with an intention for notice of an incoming call, or to employ a combination with an additional unit.

Telephone set, communication adaptor, home appliance control method, and program recording medium


Vessel protection device protects a floating vessel from rubbing against pilings or a stationary dock and eliminates the need for hanging or fixed vessel fenders. A fixed attachment may secure the protection device to a dock, for example, and be configured for supporting spring-loaded solid or air-filled rollers. It may be permanent and spaced in a manner so as to stand off a floating vessel while tied to a stationary dock or pilings, thus allowing for vessel movement associated with vertical tidal action, current, and light wave or wave motion. The arm and roller section may also be rotatable from a vertical to a horizontal position, thus allowing for an untied vessel to move freely along the rollers oriented in their horizontal position while the vessel is either departing or docking, and oriented vertically, such as when the vessel is docked.

Stationary vessel protection devices are known. Examples of known relatively fixed vessel protection devices include padded seawalls, vehicle tires placed between vessels and docks, air-filled bumpers fixed relative to docks and docked vessels, and the like.
A known dock wheel design for being mounted on a front corner of a dock adjacent to where docking vessels enter a slip include a dock wheel, such as the Taylor Made dock wheel available from Taylor Made Products, a division of The Nelson A. Taylor Co., Inc., of Gloversville, N.Y. 12078.
Additional known devices include various sizes of inflatable or solid fenders (e.g. inflated/inflatable wheels) that hang off a boat or vessel. Sometimes such known devices are used adjacent a piece of wood that protects the vessel from the piling.
Another known device includes one or more hollow support masts each having a slotted channel vertically disposed along its length.
A further known device includes a fiberglass type whip, which is like an antenna, which attaches to a dock, and which will hold a small vessel off of a dock by means of a taut line tied between the vessel and the whip.
A further known device include a rubber type cushioning strip that attaches to a dock or piling thus allowing the vessel to rub against it as it moves.
Known marine vessel protection devices have drawbacks such as the inability to automatically maintain a docked vessel offset from a side of a dock or piling, or in a boat slip, even as tides come in and out, storm waters raise the levels of the water in which the vessel is docked, currents shift, and the like.
It may be seen that there is a need for a vessel protection device which overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art.

Vessel protection device particularly suited for protecting docked marine vessels


A method to prevent graft rejection of transplanted cells, tissues or organs without general immunosuppression is described. The method employs a newly discovered protein, LAG-3. When allogeneic or xenogeneic cells are engineered to express LAG-3 on their surface and transplanted, immune destruction of the implanted cell, tissue or organ is prevented, while the host""s immune system remains functional. A particular application of this method allows the preparation of a universal gene therapy host cell expressing LAG-3 on its surface for protection from graft rejection by a host""s immune system.

The present invention relates to methods for preventing graft rejection of transplantated organs, tissues or cells, in particular to such methods which comprise engineering a cell type to express a LAG-3 protein when transplanted in a host. More particularly, the invention relates to the production of a universal gene therapy host cell expressing the LAG-3 protein on its surface.
The lymphocyte activation gene (LAG-3) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, that is selectively transcribed in human activated T (both CD4+ and CD8+) and NK cells (Triebel et al, 1990 ). The sequence data, the compared exon/intron organization, and the chromosomal localization revealed that LAG-3 is closely related to CD4 (Baixeras et al, 1992). The close relationship between LAG-3 and CD4 was further strengthened by the demonstration that both share the same ligand, i.e., MHC class II molecules (Baixeras et al, 1992). However, in contrast to CD4, LAG-3 does not bind the human immunodeficiency virus gp120 (Baixeras et al, 1992). In vivo, LAG-3 expression was neither found in primary lymphoid organs, such as spleen, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue or normal lymph nodes. However, it was readily detected in inflamed tonsils, or lymph nodes with follicular hyperplasia, supporting the view that even in vivo LAG-3 is expressed following activation (Huard et al, 1994A). Antigen-specific stimulation of T-cell clones in the presence of anti-LAG-3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) led to increased thymidine incorporation, higher expression of activation marker CD25 and enhanced cytokine production (Huard et al, 1994B).
Accordingly, addition of a soluble recombinant form of LAG-3 inhibited antigen-specific T-cell proliferation, suggesting a regulatory role of LAG-3 in CD4+ T-lymphocyte activation (Huard, 1996) and its involvement in extinguishing ongoing immune responses. Recently, it has been shown that LAG-3 also acts as a co-receptor for NK cells and defines different modes of tumor cell killing controlled by the innate immune system (Miyazaki et al., 1996).
The mechanics by which a T cell response to a foreign (allogeneic or xenogeneic) protein or cell or organ is mounted are fairly well understood. Antigen presenting cells (APCs) are attracted to areas of inflammation or damage (that may be induced by surgical transplantation). The repertoire of T cells in the periphery is constantly surveying tissues for evidence of pathogens or the presence of foreign (allo- or xenogeneic) tissue. Once any of these warning signals are recognized, the APCs engulf the protein, digest it and present it to the host""s immune system.
Allogeneic or syngenic tumor cells have been engineered to express viral IL-10 which induces local anergy to the tumors. Such a treatment did not affect the rejection of a non-transduced tumor at a distant site ( Suzuki et al., 1995). IL-10 delivered locally is thought to shift the T cell repertoire reactive to the transplanted cells to a Th2 phenotype that is not cytolytic and may even be protective.
Cells naturally expressing the Fas ligand have been transplanted across allogeneic or exogeneic barriers without immunosuppression. Surveillance of the site of implantation by host T cells results in their killing when contacted by Fas ligand (Bellgrau et al., 1995). Moreover, rejection of pancreatic islet allografts has been prevented by the cotransplantation of syngeneic myoblasts genetically engineered to express the Fas ligand (Lau et al., 1996)
The immune system is well equipped to rapidly identify foreign, diseased or inflamed tissue and rapidly destroys it. This has always been a major barrier to tissue, organ and cell transplantation as well as gene therapy. Major problems are generally associated with chronic immunosuppression, encapsulation or immunoisolation. The unwanted side effects of chronic immunosuppression include increased susceptibility to opportunistic infection and tumor formation.
The desire for long-term acceptance of grafted tissue in the absence of continuous immunosuppression is a long-standing goal in human medicine.
Citation of any document herein is not intended as an admission that such document is pertinent prior art, or considered material to the patentability of any claim of the present application. Any statement as to content or a date of any document is based on the information available to applicant at the time of filing and does not constitute an admission as to the correctness of such a statement.
It has now been found that transplantation of cells that express a LAG-3 protein on their surface results in the protection from graft rejection by the host""s immune system.
The present invention thus provides a genetically engineered cell which may be part of a tissue or organ to be transplanted, comprising DNA encoding a transmembrane LAG-3 protein on its surface, resulting in the protection from graft rejection by the host""s immune system, the DNA being genomic DNA or cDNA. Said DNA can be exogenous or, in a particular embodiment of the invention, the endogenous DNA, whose expression is activated or modified through the targeted insertion of a regulatory sequence and/or an amplifiable gene by homologous recombination. The LAG-3 protein is a protein which is recognized by antibodies directed against LAG-3.
When the cell is part of the tissue or organ to be transplanted, transfection of the LAG-3 DNA can be accomplished directly on the tissue or organ to be transplanted.
In particular, the cell is a universal gene therapy host cell, suitable, for example, for any kind of somatic or xe2x80x9cex vivoxe2x80x9d gene therapy.
In a specific embodiment, the gene therapy host cell further comprises exogenous DNA encoding a therapeutic agent of interest, and the genetically engineered cells are employed as a therapeutic agent. The term xe2x80x9ctherapeuticxe2x80x9d as used herein, includes treatment and/or prophylaxis.
In a further embodiment, the gene encoding a therapeutic agent of interest is present in the genome of the cell and the cell further comprises exogenous DNA encoding a regulatory sequence or an amplifiable gene for activating or modifying the expression of the endogenous gene of interest.
The genetically engineered cell of the invention can, anyway, contain the exogenous LAG-3 DNA only, to be used in a mixture with other gene therapy host cells containing the therapeutic DNA of interest.
The cell of the present invention is preferably selected from myoblasts, fibroblasts, hematopoietic stem cells, embryonic stem cells, foetal liver cells, umbilical vein endothelial cells and CHO cells.
Cells as above, deriving from transgenic animals, are also within the scope of the present invention.
It is a further object of the present invention the use of a transmembrane LAG-3 protein, including muteins and variants thereof, expressed on the surface of the cells, in the manufacture of a medicament to induce protection from graft rejection by a host""s immune system.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the use of a cell comprising DNA encoding a transmembrane LAG-3 protein, expressed on the surface of the cell, in the manufacture of a medicament to induce protection from graft rejection by a host""s immune system.
The use of said cell expressing LAG-3 on its surface, in the manufacture of a medicament to be mixed with cells, tissues or organs to be transplanted, to induce protection from graft rejection by a host""s immune system, is also within the scope of the present invention.

Methods for preventing graft rejection in transplantation and for producing a universal gene therapy host cell using lymphocyte activation (LAG-3)

Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V.


A successive approximation type A/D converter includes: a reference signal generating section generating a reference signal; a comparator comparing an analog signal input thereto with the reference signal and converting the analog signal into a digital signal; and a control section controlling the reference signal to perform oversampling by executing an A/D conversion process on the analog signal at the comparator plural times such that the analog signal is A/D-converted into a digital value of N bits at the first A/D conversion process and such that the second and subsequent A/D conversion processes are performed starting with a lower bit of the (N−n)-th or lower order with upper n bits of the N-bit digital value obtained at the first A/D conversion process fixed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a successive approximation type A/D converter, a method of controlling a successive approximation type A/D converter, a solid-state imaging device, and an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a type of A/D converters called successive approximation type A/D converters. In a successive approximation type A/D converter, comparison of magnitudes is repeated many times by a single comparator. More specifically, a voltage having amplitude that is one half of maximum amplitude (full scale; FS) is compared with an input voltage. The result of comparison obtained at this time corresponds to the most significant bit (MSB) of a digital value.
According to the value of the most significant bit, another comparison is subsequently carried out between the input voltage and a voltage FS/4 or 3FS/4 higher or lower than the first voltage by amplitude that is one half of the amplitude of the first voltage, i.e., amplitude equivalent to ¼FS. The result of comparison at this time constitutes the value of the next bit. The same step is repeated thereafter, and an A/D conversion process is completed by executing the step N times.
Known techniques for reducing the conversion time of a successive approximation A/D converter of this type include a technique involving the step of detecting upper bits which have been obtained at the same values at all of i cycles of preceding A/D conversion (i≧2) and applying the fixed values of those bits to the current cycle of successive approximation (for example, see JP-A-2006-108893 (Patent Document 1)).

Successive approximation type A/D converter, method of controlling successive approximation type A/D converter, solid-state imaging device, and imaging apparatus