The invention maintains optimum sound quality even when a listener changes his/her angle formed between a sound wave emitting axis of an ultrasonic transducer and a front direction axis of the listener with respect to the sound wave emitting axis. An ultrasonic speaker system of the invention includes an angle measuring unit that measures a listener angle as an angle formed between a sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer and an axis indicating a listener's front direction; a control information transmitting unit that transmits control information including listener angle information obtained by the angle measuring unit; a control information receiving unit that receives the control information; and a control unit that controls the signal processing performed by a signal processing unit based on the listener angle information included in the control information.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling output from an ultrasonic speaker and an ultrasonic speaker system capable of providing a difference frequency component (self-demodulated sound) having extremely strong directivity due to parametric array effect when emitting a signal as ultrasonic waves modulated by an audio signal from an ultrasonic transducer such as an ultrasonic vibration element.
An ultrasonic speaker is used for providing audio information to only a particular area or for other purposes since the ultrasonic speaker has extremely strong directivity compared with an ordinary speaker. For example, the ultrasonic speaker is equipped in an exhibition hall such as an art museum, thereat the ultrasonic speaker gives explanation about a work only to a person having approached the work and existing within a limited area near the work.
Since sound waves emitted from a speaker of an ordinary audio system are spherical waves, the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency felt by a listener scarcely vary even when the listener listening the sound changes his/her angle with respect to the sound wave emitting surface of the speaker. However, in case of the ultrasonic speaker, sound waves generated from an ultrasonic transducer are plane waves. Thus, the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency felt by the listener considerably vary when the listener listening the sound changes his/her angle with respect to the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer.
An example of this variation in the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency is now discussed. It is assumed that the angle formed between an axis indicating the listener's front direction (hereinafter referred to as listener front direction axis) and the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer is 90 degrees, and that the left ear of the listener is positioned closer to the ultrasonic transducer than the right ear (this condition is hereinafter referred to as condition A). From this position, the listener gradually rotates anticlockwise until the angle mentioned above becomes 180 degrees (condition after 180° rotation is hereinafter referred to as condition C). Based on these assumptions, the self-demodulated sound entering the right ear of the listener is now examined. As the listener approaches the condition C in the anticlockwise direction from the condition A, the sound pressure level of the self-demodulated sound in the audio frequency band gradually increases. The increase rate of the sound pressure level is greater at a lower frequency. In this case, the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency of the self-demodulated sound entering the left ear vary oppositely to the case of the right ear discussed above.
For improving the sound quality in the ordinary audio system, it is necessary to flat the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency by filtering the audio signal or by other methods. However, in case of the ultrasonic speaker, unlike the case of the ordinary speaker, the characteristics of sound pressure level to frequency felt by the listener considerably vary when the listener listening the sound changes his/her angle with respect to the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer as explained above. Thus, when the ultrasonic speaker system is included in an application used by a listener whose listening position and angle are variable with respect to the sound wave emitting surface of the ultrasonic transducer according to possible conditions, the filter characteristics in filtering the audio signal are required to be varied in accordance with the current position and angle of the listener so that signal processing such as flatting the characteristics of frequency can be appropriately performed.
In order to meet this requirement, there is proposed an audio information providing method and a directivity-type audio information providing apparatus which can provide a sound space having high directivity, and further shift the sound space and vary information to be provided according to the position and movement of a target person (refer to Patent Document 1).
According to this audio information providing apparatus, the space range for providing audio information and the contents of the audio information to be provided are dynamically varied by using position determining means for determining the position of the target person and audio information output means for outputting audio information while tracing the target person based on the output from the position determining means.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2005-80227
This audio information providing apparatus provides the optimum sound space for the listener by controlling the angle of the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer according to the position of the listener and varying the frequency of carrier waves according to the distance from the listener. However, this related-art apparatus does not consider the angle of the listener with respect to the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer. Thus, there is a problem in that when the listener listening the sound changes his/her angle to the sound wave emitting axis of the ultrasonic transducer, the related-art apparatus cannot provide the optimum sound quality for the listener.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstance, and an object of the invention is to provide a method for controlling output from an ultrasonic speaker and an ultrasonic speaker system capable of constantly obtaining the optimum sound quality even when a listener changes his/her angle formed between a sound wave emitting axis of an ultrasonic transducer and a front direction axis of the listener with respect to the sound wave emitting axis.

Method for controlling output from ultrasonic speaker and ultrasonic speaker system


The present application provides a method and a device for transmitting information. The method includes: the terminal device determining first quantity information, wherein the first quantity information is information about a number of code block groups comprised in a transport block, and each code block group comprises at least a code block; the terminal device determining second quantity information, wherein the second quantity information is information about a total number of bits comprised in a scheduled transport block; and; the terminal device determining information about code block groups comprised in the scheduled transport block according to the first quantity information and the second quantity information.

In the current communication system, the receiving device sends Acknowledgement (ACK)/Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) feedback information to the transmitting device for different code blocks in a transport block. The transmitting device retransmits the code block that failed in decoding according to the feedback information. When a transport block includes a large number of code blocks, according to the above information feedback method, the control signaling overhead in the system is excessively large, the demodulation performance of the control signaling is reduced, and the system efficiency is reduced.

Method and device for information transmission

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A liquid crystal (LC) lens includes first and second substrates, an LC layer disposed therebetween, and a plurality of first and second electrode structures. Each electrode structure has a plurality of first, second, third and fourth electrodes spaced-apart and alternately arranged along a first direction, where the first and second electrodes are disposed between the first substrate and the LC layer, while the third and fourth electrodes are disposed between the second substrate and the LC layer. In each first electrode structure, each of the first and second electrodes and a corresponding one of the third and fourth electrodes are aligned at a left tilted angle, while in each second electrode structure, each of the first and second electrodes and a corresponding one of the third and fourth electrodes are aligned at a right tilted angle. The first and second electrode structures are alternately arranged along a second direction.

A liquid crystal (LC) lens is an optic assembly which focuses or diverges light utilizing a birefringent characteristic of LC molecules and a characteristic of changing arrangement of the LC molecules with electric-field distribution. The LC lens can change aligning directions of the LC molecules via changing an operating voltage, so as to achieve an effect of changing focus. Such an LC lens operably has a gradient refractive index, and has been widely used in three-dimensional (3D) image display as a 2D/3D switching device.
A traditional LC lens gives rise to disclination lines of the LC distribution over the slit electrodes of the LC lens, which results in the LC refractive index distribution departing from the ideal lens curvature. Particularly, for oblique incidence of light, the traditional LC lens loses the parabolic profile of the refractive index. Additionally, the disclination lines of the LC distribution also cause the LC refractive index distribution to be discontinuous.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

3D liquid crystal display comprising four electrodes alternately arrange between a first and second substrate


A method for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) uses steady-state free precession (SSFP) to image changes in blood oxygenation between two time periods. A center frequency of the SSFP sequence is placed between the different resonant frequencies for oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin whereby the signals have a phase difference of 180° and tend to cancel. By repeating the SSFP imaging sequence at different times, the difference in the measured signals provides a measure of change in oxyhemoglobin. RF flip angle of the SSFP sequence is chosen to maximize signal level in the frequency range from that of water in the presence of oxyhemoglobin and that of water in the presence of deoxyhemoglobin.

This invention relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and more particularly the invention relates to functional MRI using steady state free precession (SSFP).
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent soft tissue contrast with arbitrary scan-volume orientations, thus making MRI an extremely useful medical imaging modality. However, in many applications, MRI is limited by long scan times, limited spatial resolution, and magnetic field homogeneity. Recent advances in gradient amplifier technology have enabled the use of fully-refocused steady-state free precession (SSFP) imaging methods. SSFP imaging is a very fast method that can provide high SNR efficiency and high resolution. A number of commercial implementations of SSFP are available, all of which conceptually identical.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has revolutionalized neuroscience by mapping activity throughout the brain without the use of radioactive tracers, electrical probes or other invasive procedures. The dominant method for fMRI, Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) imaging is sensitive to changes in blood oxygenation that occur in response to brain activity. See, for example, Ogawa et al., "Intrinsic Signal Changes Accompanying Sensory Stimulation: Functional Brain Mapping With Magnetic Resonance Imaging," Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA, 89:5951–5955, 1992. The BOLD method is based on the sensitivity of the MR signal to deoxyhemoglobin, which has a resonance frequency that is shifted relative to water. BOLD fMRI uses Gradient Recalled Echo (GRE) imaging with a long echo time (TE) to increase the signal dephasing due to the deoxyhemoglobin frequency shift, resulting in signal levels that depend on the concentration of deoxyhemoglobin in the blood. While BOLD imaging represents a major advance in brain mapping, this method has a number of important limitations including poor spatial resolution, low signal levels, limited contrast and severe image artifacts. These limitations derive from the fact that BOLD contrast is coupled to sources of image degradation and signal loss.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging using steady state free precession

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


An LP gas container valve to be mounted on a propane gas container is provided for preventing a fire, explosion or other accident at the time of a disaster. The LP gas container valve comprises a valve body having a valve outlet and a gas passage leading from an inlet connection to a propane gas container to the valve outlet, a closing valve (attached to the valve body) for opening and closing the gas passage, a safety valve (attached to the valve body) actuated in response to an excessive elevation in gas pressure, a branching point in the gas passage leading to the safety valve, and a ball located in the gas passage between the branching point and the closing valve. The ball is movable between its stationary position in normal operation and its gas cutting off position in response to an excessive elevation in gas pressure, both of which are located between the closing valve and the branching point in the gas passage. The LP gas container also includes a tapered portion of the gas passage in the vicinity of the gas cutting off position of the ball to narrow the gas passage adjacent to the closing valve. At the time of an excessive outflow of gas from the gas container toward the valve outlet, the ball abuts against the tapered portion to close the gas passage.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to gas container valves. More particularly, it relates to an LP gas container valve capable of meeting disasters by preventing an abnormal outflow of gas due to a disaster from occurring when the container valve is fully opened in its state of normal use.
2. Description Of The Related Art
A property required of valves to be mounted on an inlet/outlet of a container for a high-pressure gas, such as an LP gas container, is the capability of satisfactorily carrying out such typical operations as the charging of gas, the recovery of residual gas and the gas blow test. In addition, as a countermeasure against such disasters as an earthquake or fire, other requirements include prevention of a secondary disaster resulting from the discharge of a large amount of gas due to a collapsed house or damage to the gas supplying facility and prevention of a gas discharge at the time a gas cylinder falls down so that an explosion of the cylinder does not occur even if the container is exposed to a flame in a fire. However, the technology completely satisfying these requirements has not yet been developed.
Of those described above, while a safety valve has been provided to prevent an explosion of the container due to an abnormally elevated pressure within the container, such a valve is incapable of preventing the discharge of a large amount of gas due to damage of the gas supplying facility.
As a countermeasure against the danger of fire, explosion, etc., there are safety valves which incorporate a cut-off valve to be actuated as a result of sensing an abnormal outflow of gas between the valve and the destination of the gas supply or a sensor mechanism for sensing an inclination of the gas container or the shaking of an earthquake and a gas cutting off section to be actuated by the sensor.
Generally, in the case where an LP gas cylinder or the like is provided at a consumer's house, a high-pressure collective automatic switching device is used and all of the individual container valves are fully opened. Accordingly, if a breakage occurs at some point in the gas supply due to an earthquake or an unexpected accident, it is very dangerous because a large amount of gas is discharged at the point of breakage. In such a case, the gas supply beyond the valve must be instantaneously shut down.
In a system using a separate cut-off device provided as an attached component part at the outlet of a conventional container valve, the mounting and fixing of the separate cut-off device to the surrounding structure is more complicated than the system in which only a conventional valve is used, even if the device itself is simple and securely operable. The level of safety is correspondingly lowered and the cost is higher.
Further, most of those systems incorporating an anti-earthquake gas cut-off mechanism into the gas container valve have not yet met all the objective conditions. For example, there is a system in which a tapered portion having a passage narrowed toward an outlet is provided in the gas passage between the gas container body and the closing/opening section of the valve and a movable ball is provided in the passage. When the gas flow rate is abnormally increased, the ball is abutted against the tapered portion to cut off the gas.
However, any such system using a gas cut-off ball is either without a safety valve or, even if a safety valve is present, is unstable and insecure in operation because the stationary position in normal operation of the ball is located in the gas passage on the side toward the gas container body from the branching point leading to the safety valve.
In particular, there is a danger of explosion with the system without a safety valve due to its inability to respond to an abnormally elevated gas pressure, for example, at the time of fire. Such a system lacks an indispensable element, a high-pressure gas container valve. In the system in which the normal stationary position of the ball is located toward the gas container body, the ball is drawn by suction toward the safety valve from the branching point when the safety valve is actuated, thereby closing the opening toward the safety valve and not allowing the normal operation of the safety valve. Even if the passage leading to the safety valve is widened compared to the conventional product in order to make it larger than the diameter of the ball, when the safety valve is actuated before the starting of an abnormal outflow of gas or when an abnormal gas outflow occurs in the state where the ball remains in a position toward the safety valve from the branching point as a result of the cylinder falling down with the safety valve facing down, it is impossible, only by the flow of the gas, to move the ball from that position toward the point for cutting off the abnormal outflow. There is thus a disadvantage with the system in that its purpose of cutting off the gas outflow cannot be achieved.

LP gas container valve against disasters


A grease tool and method for greasing a wheel bearing where the grease tool includes a handle and manifold. The handle and manifold define a central passage that extends through the grease tool. A supply channel is formed radially between the central passage and an exterior surface of the grease tool and extends axially through the handle to an annular supply recess formed in the manifold. A grease fitting attached to the grease tool to facilitate a supply of grease through the supply channel and the supply recess to an inwardly facing surface of the wheel bearing. The central passage in the grease tool facilitating sliding the grease tool over an axle that extends through the wheel bearing and positioning of the grease tool within the wheel bearing evenly repacking of the bearing in a position over the axle.

A conventional grease tool allows grease to be inserted and displace any water, air pockets or other contaminants located within a bearing chamber defined by the bearing, thereby greatly reducing the possibility of outside contaminants entering the bearing and causing premature failure of the bearing. To truly pack the wheel bearing evenly with grease prior art methods and techniques typically involve removal of the bearing from the axle on which it is supported before the tool can be utilized to supply grease to an inner race of the wheel bearing. In addition, prior art grease tools require access to both sides of the wheel bearing thereby requiring, precisely machined mechanical assemblies to be mated together with one another from opposite sides. Some prior art only have one supply port for grease not effectively packing the wheel bearing. Moreover, they are generally not easy to insert, typically resulting in direct metal to metal contact, and rely on a body, a cap or a cover, and a threaded device to fasten the grease tool components to the bearing which runs the risk of scratching the bearing surface and possibly rendering the bearing unusable. Generally, the bearings are removed from the axle before the supply of grease can be replenished. The task of packing or replenishing a bearing with grease is generally quite time intensive as the axle needs to be removed from the bearing prior to grease being applied and reinstallation of the bearing after being supplied with the grease.

Over an axle grease tool for repacking wheel bearing with grease, and method of using same


An automatic slicing apparatus reduces the likelihood of failure to make a sliced piece specimen even if continuously operated. The apparatus, on the basis of an exchange command signal, detaches a sample block attached to a cutting base and attaches a new sample block to the cutting base. The apparatus cuts a sliced piece of a predetermined thickness by moving a knife with respect to the sample block having been attached to the cutting base. The apparatus also observes the sliced piece having been cut and judges the sliced piece by comparing an observation data obtained by the observation means and a sample block cut face data. When the apparatus judges that the sliced piece is good, the apparatus transmits an exchange command signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic slicing apparatus and an automatic slicing method, each of which is used when making a sliced piece specimen used in a physicochemical experiment, a microscope observation and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The sliced piece specimen used in the physicochemical experiment and the microscope observation is one in which a sliced piece whose thickness is several μm (e.g., 3 μm-5 μm) has been fixed onto a base plate such as slide glass. Generally, the sliced piece specimen is made by utilizing a microtome. Here, there is explained about a method of making the sliced piece specimen, which has utilized the microtome.
First, after an organism sample, such as creature and animal which have been formalin-fixed, has been paraffin-substituted, additionally its periphery is solidified by the paraffin, thereby making an embedded block under a block state. Next, this embedded block is set to the microtome that is a slicing apparatus for exclusive use, thereby performing a rough cutting. By this rough cutting, a surface of the embedded block is smoothened, and the embedded organism sample that is an object article of the experiment and the observation is exposed to the surface.
After this rough cutting has finished, a main cutting is performed. This is a process of very thinly slicing the embedded block in the above-mentioned thickness by a cutting blade that the microtome has. By this, it is possible to obtain a sliced piece.
Subsequently, there shifts to an extension process extending the sliced piece having been obtained by the main cutting. In other words, since the sliced piece having been made by the main cutting is one having been sliced in the very thin thickness as having been mentioned above, it becomes a wrinkled state or a rounded state (e.g., like a letter of U). Thereupon, it is necessary to extend the sliced piece by removing the wrinkle or the roundness by the extension process.
Generally, it is extended by utilizing water and hot water. In the beginning, the sliced piece having been obtained by the main cutting is immersed in the water. By this, the large wrinkle or roundness of the sliced piece is removed while preventing a mutual adhesion of the paraffin embedding the organism sample. Thereafter, the sliced piece is immersed in the hot water. By this, since the sliced piece becomes liable to extend, it is possible to remove the remaining wrinkle or roundness, which could not be removed completely by the immersion in the water.
And, the sliced piece having finished the extension by the hot water is scooped up by the base plate such as slide glass, and mounted onto the base plate. Incidentally, at this point of time, in a case where if the extension has been insufficient, a heat is exerted on the sliced piece by being mounted together with the base plate onto a hot plate and the like. By this, it is possible to more extend the sliced piece.
Finally, the base plate on which there has been mounted the sliced piece is put into a drier and dried. By this drying, a moisture having adhered by the extension evaporates, and the sliced piece is fixed onto the base plate. As a result, it is possible to make the sliced piece specimen.
The sliced piece specimen having been made like this is used in the fields of biology and medicine, and the like.
Besides a method of diagnosing a normality/abnormality of tissue from a shape of cell, which has been performed from olden times, in recent years by a development in genome science, there increases a need comprehensively and histologically seeing a manifestation of gene or protein. For this reason, there has become arisen a necessity for efficiently making increasingly more sliced piece specimens. However, since most of the conventional processes having been mentioned above are ones requiring high techniques and experiences, they can be dealt with only by a manual work of skilled worker, so that they have been ones requiring time and effort.
Thereupon, in order to solve the defect like this even a little, there is provided a slicing apparatus automatically performing the rough cutting process and the main cutting process, which are one portions of the above-mentioned processes (for example, JP-A-2004-28910).
This apparatus automatically performs a process of making a sliced piece by cutting an embedded block having been set, a process of carrying the sliced piece, which has been made, by a carrier tape to thereby transcribe it onto a slide glass, and a process of carrying the sliced piece together with the slide glass till an extension device to thereby perform an extension.
According to this apparatus, it is possible to reduce a load of the worker, and an artificial mistake by the worker can be made null as well, so that it is possible to make a good sliced piece specimen.
However, in the above apparatus described in JP-A-2004-28910, the following problems have been left.
That is, although the above-mentioned apparatus is an apparatus which can automatically make the sliced piece from the embedded block having been previously set, and can fix the sliced piece onto the slide glass under a state in which its extension has been finished, when operating the apparatus there are changes in conditions, which cannot be predicted, such as a situation of pretreatment with respect to the organism sample, a kind of the organism sample and a difference in cutting direction, so that it has been very difficult to perform the cutting, an extension processing after that, and the like under constant conditions. For this reason, a probability of failure in making the sliced piece specimen is high and, notwithstanding the facts that it is an automated apparatus, it has been impossible to continuously operate the apparatus.


The present invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences that confer herbicide resistance in plants, as well as herbicide resistance in plants, plant seeds, plant tissues and plant cells comprising such sequences. In a preferred embodiment, the sequences of the present invention confer a tolerant phenotype in plants in response to a chronic and/or acute inhibitin dose of auxinic herbicides. The present invention also provides homologous sequences with a high degree of functional similarity.

Weeds are the most prevalent and universally present pests encountered by modern crop producers. Approximately 10 to 30% of crop yields are lost annually to weed infestation. Therefore, weed control is one of the first concerns a grower must consider in a farming operation. Farmers have come to increasingly rely on herbicides as their primary means of weed management.
The growth regulator herbicides are the oldest class of synthetic organic herbicides. Originally discovered in the 1930's, most of the synthetic auxins are primarily useful for annual and perennial broadleaf weed control, with little effect on grasses. Essentially, there are four categories of synthetic auxin herbicides, benzoic acids, phenoxy carboxylic acids, pyridine carboxylic acids, and quinoline carboxylic acids. General symptoms of injury include epinastic growth (leaf and stem twisting, cupping, and curling), abnormal root growth, and eventually chlorosis and necrosis. By mimicking native auxins, the synthetic auxin compounds disrupt natural auxin-regulated growth processes, thereby enabling herbicidal activity. The exact mechanisms are still unknown. With inherent tolerance to many auxinic herbicides in agronomically valuable monocot species, these compounds have been and continue to be used for weed management in small grain, rice, corn, and sorghum farming. Such selective herbicides, however, may be limited in their efficacy against weeds closely related to the naturally resistant crop (e.g., red rice and drill-seeded or water-seeded rice).
In contrast, broad-spectrum ("nonselective") herbicides offer control over a wide range of weed species, but are deleterious to crop species as well. An ideal herbicidal compound can be described as having a broad spectrum of grass and broadleaf weed control, selectivity (non-harmful) to many crops, soil and foliar activity, low use rate requirements, low toxicity to mammals and other non-target organisms, novel mode of action, and low probability of natural resistance developing. Although many good quality herbicides exist, none meet all of these criteria. Thus, the development of herbicide tolerant crops (HTC) has been the focus of conventional breeding and selection efforts for over two decades. A more recent solution to this dilemma has been to develop chemicals meeting most of the criteria above, then engineer crop selectivity through introduction of a herbicide tolerance trait. Crops expressing transgenes that provide resistance to nonselective, post-emergent herbicides offer the farmer effective and simplistic weed control programs.
Crops resistant to the nonselective herbicide glyphosate have been widely adopted in agricultural production, accounting for 68% of all 75.4 million US soybean acres (51.3 million acres) and 7% of all 76.1 million US corn acres (5.3 million acres). Other herbicide tolerance traits include resistance to glufosinate, imazethapyr/imazapyr, and sethoxydim. Additionally, reports exist of resistance being developed for novel inhibitors of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO). None of these herbicide resistance input traits meet all of the criteria listed above. Glyphosate and glufosinate are non-residual herbicides that must be applied multiple times within a growing season to provide adequate control. Resistant weeds represent a significant threat to the efficacy of the imidazolinone and sulfonylurea (and other ALS-inhibiting) herbicide families. Sethoxydim does not control broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds have developed resistance to this and other ACCase inhibiting herbicides. PPO-inhibiting herbicides affect heme synthesis in addition to chlorophyll synthesis, raising questions regarding toxicity to mammals.
A novel group of auxinic herbicides, 4-aminopicolinates, picloram derivatives within the pyridine carboxylic acid chemistry, has been disclosed as nonselective compounds with an excellent opportunity for developing HTC traits. These compounds are highly active (low use-rate) herbicides with soil and foliar activity. They are related to other pyridine molecules having low mammalian toxicity, so it is likely that the 4-aminopicolinates will also have low toxicity. These compounds have typical auxin symptomology; however, they also control many grasses indicating a novelty to this class of chemicals. Although resistance to some auxin analogs has been reported since their initial use in the 1940's, none represent an agronomically important pest.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art are gene sequences and polypeptide sequences whose expression in plants provides tolerance to novel, broad-spectrum herbicidal pyridine analogs, as well as traditional auxin chemistries.

Nucleic acid compositions conferring herbicide resistance


Blended non-crosslinked polyolefin compositions, which is processable into a foamed product having a fine-celled structure, including a polyolefin, optionally a copolymer of an olefin and a different ethylenic monomer, and effective amount of a fatty acid compound permeability control agent, and an effective amount of a nucleating agent. A process of preparing fine-celled foam products from the blended composition, and the final fine-celled foam products.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to non-crosslinked low or high density polyolefin foam having a fine-celled closed structure and a process of preparing the low or high density polyolefin foam.
2. Background Art
Non-crosslinked foams in the prior art made with the herein described extrusion accumulator process typically had cells within the 20 to 30 cells per inch range. Attempts to make the non-crosslinked thick cross-sectional foams with a higher cell count resulted in non-flat/wavy foam, voids, ripples, or the like.

Method of forming a microcellular foam plank


The present invention relates to a silicon nitride sintered body [wherein the composition of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 -first aid (Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 +MgO)-second aid (at least one of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and AlN)] falls within a range defined by lines joining points A, B, C and D in FIG. 1, the crystal phase of the sintered body contains both .alpha.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and .beta.'-sialon, and the relative density is 98% or more. This sintered body is produced by subjecting a green compact of the above-described source to primary sintering in a nitrogen gas atmosphere at 1300 to 1700.degree. C. so that the relative density reaches 96% or more, and the precipitation ratio of the .alpha.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 crystal phases to the .beta.'-sialon crystal phase in the sintered body is in the range of from 40:60 to 80:20; and then subjecting the primary sintered body to secondary sintering in a nitrogen gas atmosphere at 1300 to 1700.degree. C. so that the relative density reaches 98% or more. The sintered body has superior strength properties, especially at ordinary temperatures, and can be produced with a high productivity in a high yield at a low cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silicon nitride sintered body excellent in mechanical strengths particularly at room temperature, and also in productivity and cost, and a process for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regarding the silicon nitride material, various research and development have hitherto been made mainly on sintering method, sintering aid and limitation of a contained crystal phase, etc., for the purpose of improving the strength. For example, as regards the sintering method, the hot press sintering has realized a bending strength of about 100 kg/mm.sup.2 [see Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull., vol. 52, p. 560 (1973)] and use has been made of hot isotatic pressing (HIP) in a glass capsule. These methods provide a sintered body having excellent strength properties but are not always excellent in the productivity and cost. In order to solve such a problem, a proposal has been made on gas pressure sintering [see, for example, Mitomo, Funtai to Kogyo (Solids Handling Processing Industry), vol. 12, No. 12, p. 27 (1989)]. In this method, however, the densification of the final sintered body companies the growth of .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 crystal grains and, thus, is highly liable to bring about the deterioration of the strength due to the precipitation of coarse crystal grains. Further, since the sintering is generally conducted under a nitrogen gas pressure of 10 atm or more, large-size sintering equipment becomes necessary as in the case of the hot pressing and HIP. For this reason, this method has not been regarded as a technique capable of sufficiently satisfying both the requirements of properties and productivity. Regarding the sintering aid, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 21091/1974 and 38448/1973 disclosed silicon nitride sintered bodies comprising Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 -Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 wherein Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 was used as a main aid. As described therein, it is conceivable that a .beta.-type silicon nitride (.beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) crystal grain forms a fibrous structure in the sintered body and dispersed in the matrix, thus improving the strength and toughness. That is, this method positively utilized the fact that the .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 crystal has a hexagonal crystal structure and therefore grows anisotropically in the direction of the C-axis. In particular, as described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 38448/1973 and Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, vol. 94, p.96 (1986), a fibrous .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 often grows in a length of ten-odd .mu.m or more in the direction of the C-axis. In this technique as well, however, there is a possibility that the grain growth may bring about an abnormal growth and the formation of pores, thus lowering the strength. Further, in a sintered body produced through the use of a sintering aid alone in this method, no sufficient densification can be attained without raising the sintering temperature to 1700 to 1900.degree. C., and in the nitrogen gas pressure sintering near atmospheric pressure, silicon nitride decomposes through sublimation, so that no stable sintered body can be obtained in some cases. Therefore, similarly, this method cannot be regraded as excellent in both the properties of the sintered body and the cost. In any of the above-described methods, the strength of the resultant sintered body is about 100 kg/mm.sup.2 at the highest in terms of the three-point bending strength according to JIS R 1601, and no satisfactory properties can be always obtained when the use of silicon nitride materials in various applications is taken into consideration.

Silicon nitride sintered body and process for producing the same


A method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode. The method forms an anode, an organic emitting layer and a cathode sequentially on a substrate. When the interface between the anode and the organic emitting layer is forming, the depositional rate of the anode on the substrate is decreasing and the deposition rate of the organic emitting layer on the substrate is increasing. When the interface between the organic emitting layer and the cathode is forming, the deposition rate of the organic emitting layer on the substrate is decreasing, and the deposition rate of the cathode on the substrate is increasing. This method can form a hazy heterojunction between the anode, the organic emitting layer and the cathode, thus forming an organic light emitting diode with a hazy heterojunction.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode, and more specifically, to a method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode with a hazy heterojunction.
2. Description of Related Art
An organic light emitting diode converts electric energy into light energy, and a semiconductor device has the maximum conversion efficiency. An organic light emitting diode often is applied in an indicator, a screen display and an emitting device of an optical pick-up head, etc. The organic light emitting diode device has some characteristics, such as non-visual angle, simple production, lower cost, high response speed, a broad range in temperature and full-colour, etc. It fits with the requirements for a multimedia monitor and has become the hottest research topic.
A basic structure of the organic light emitting diode includes a glass substrate, a metal electrode, an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode and an organic emitting layer. In the emitting principle of the organic light emitting diode, the metal electrode is a cathode and the indium-tin-oxide is an anode. When the forward bias is charging on the two electrodes, an electron and a hole are respectively injected from the metal electrode and the ITO electrode into the emitting layer. When two carriers meet in the emitting layer and produce a photon by a radioactive recombination and a light emitting phenomena is achieved. In addition, the conduction speed of the electron is faster than the conduction speed of the hole. In order to achieve a conductive balance parameter of 1 between the electron and the hole, a hole injection layer (HIL) and a hole transport layer (HTL) are formed between the indium-tin-oxide electrode and the emitting layer. An electron injection layer (EIL) and an electron transport layer (ETL) are formed between the emitting layer and the metal electrode. The carriers thus can achieve a balance of the electron and the hole injection/transportation between the difference materials.
FIGS. 1A through 1B are cross-sectional views of a conventional organic light emitting diode and illustrate the steps for fabricating a conventional organic light emitting diode. Referring to FIG. 1A, the substrate 100 is a glass material, and an anode 101 of indium tin oxide material is formed. Then the organic emitting layer 106 builds on the top of the anode 101, and the metal material of cathode 110 is formed over the organic emitting layer 106. When a forward bias charges on the two electrodes, the electron and the hole are injected respectively from anode 101 and cathode 110 into the organic emitting layer 106. The two carriers collide in the emitting layer 106 and emit a photon by radioactive recombination. Further referring to FIG. 1B, the conduction speed of the electron is faster than the conduction speed of the hole. Therefore, there are many methods for fabricating an organic light emitting diode, such as adding an electron injection layer 108, a hole injection layer 102 and a hole transport layer 104, etc. The heterojunction is utilized to get a conduction balance between the electron and the hole.
Accordingly, the invention provides a method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode to haze the heterojunction and increase the efficiency of the radioactive recombination of the electron and the hole.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a substrate, such as a glass or plastic substrate. An anode, an organic emitting layer and a cathode are formed sequentially on the substrate by an evaporation or a sputtering deposition method. The material of the anode is indium-tin-oxide, and the material of the organic emitting layer is Alq3. The material of the cathode is aluminum, silver or any metal with good conductivity. When forming the interface between the cathode and the organic emitting layer, the deposition rate of the anode material on the substrate gradually decreases, and the deposition rate of the organic emitting material on the substrate gradually increases. When forming the interface between the organic emitting layer and the cathode, the deposition rate of the organic emitting material on the substrate gradually decreases, and the deposition rate of the cathode material on the substrate gradually increases. Therefore, the gradient concentration is distributed between each layer of the anode, the organic emitting layer and the cathode. The heterojunction between each layer becomes blurred, thus creating an organic light emitting diode with a hazy heterojunction.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode


Two levels of error correction decoding are performed using first and second level decoders. A composite code formed by combining an inner component code and an outer component code can be used to decode the data and correct any errors. Performing two level decoding using a composite code allows the size of the inner parity block to be reduced to a single Reed-Solomon symbol while keeping a good code rate. The first level decoder generates soft information. The soft information can indicate a most likely error event for each possible syndrome value of the inner component code. The soft information can also include error metric values for each of the most likely error events. The second level decoder generates corrected syndrome values based on the soft information using the outer component code. The most likely trellis path that corresponds to the corrected syndrome values is then selected.

When a data sequence is read from a magnetic hard disk using a hard disk drive, the data sequence can be estimated by running the signal samples at the output of the channel through a trellis sequence detector. The trellis sequence detector computes a most likely input sequence associated with the signal samples. The most likely input sequence is the sequence through a trellis that is closest to the signal samples in Euclidean space.
A trellis diagram represents a time sequence of sample values and the possible recorded input sequences that could have produced the sample sequence. A Viterbi detector is a trellis sequence detector that finds the most likely trellis path among all possible trellis paths in a trellis diagram based on a metric value associated with each trellis path.
When a long parity code is used, it becomes very complex to implement a Viterbi detector so as to enforce the parity code constraints along the trellis, because the number of trellis states of the Viterbi detector increases exponentially with the number of parity bits in the parity code.
A parity post processor (PPP) is a signal processing module added to a conventional Viterbi detector to enforce a parity code constraint and/or to re-compute more accurate trellis path metric values based on a longer target polynomial than the one used by the Viterbi detector. Among all the trellis paths that the PPP evaluates, the PPP picks the trellis path that also satisfies the parity constraint and makes corrections to the Viterbi output accordingly.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a decoding system that includes a parity post processor (PPP). The decoding system receives a stream of equalized samples. The equalized samples are generated from an equalizer (not shown) based on a read sequence from a magnetic disk. A Viterbi detector 102 outputs the most likely trellis path.
Synthetic waveform block 106 remodulates the output of Viterbi detector 102 into an estimated sequence of ideal sample values. An adder 108 subtracts these ideal sample values from a delayed version of the equalized samples to generate a sequence of sample error values. The sample error values represent the noise in the read sequence. Delay block 104 accounts for the delay of detector 102 to ensure that corresponding blocks of data are received at both inputs of adder 108 at the same time.
Two paths through the trellis that differ in a single bit, differ in multiple sample values. Filter 110 filters the sample error values to compute the difference in the metric values between the detected path through the trellis and a path that differs by a single bit.
The output of Viterbi detector 102 is passed through a delay block 114 to error event pattern matching block 120 as the preliminary detected binary sequence. Block 120 attempts to match a predefined set of error events to the preliminary detected binary sequence. The predefined error events represent the most likely error events. They are a subset of all of the possible error events.
Block 120 analyzes each set of bits in a sliding window. The sliding window moves across each codeword, as shown in FIG. 1. In this example, there are 10 bits in each codeword. The illustrative error event shown in block 120 is an alternating error affecting five data bits. This error is denoted +-+-+ and corresponds to a recorded binary sequence . . . WXYZ01010ABCD . . . being incorrectly detected as . . . WXYZ10101ABCD . . . where ABCDWXYZ can each take values of one or zero and are detected correctly.
This error event can only occur if the detected data contains a string of five alternating bit values 10101 or 01010. Therefore, a sliding window of five bits is examined, and the error event is declared valid with positive sign if the detected data in the window is 10101 and valid with negative sign if it is 01010. When an error event occurs near the edge of a codeword, bits in an adjacent codeword must be examined in order to qualify the error event.
Error event pattern matching block 120 generates a valid signal that indicates which of the predefined error events matches the bits in each sliding window. If block 120 indicates that a particular error event is valid for the bits within a sliding window, block 112 causes an error pattern correlator to correlate the sample error values from block 110 with that valid error event. Block 112 generates error metric values that indicate the likelihood that each valid error event is the correct one. An error metric indicates a probability that a set of the sample error values is caused by a particular error event.
Error event pattern matching block 120 also determines the sign of the error event. The error event sign is multiplied by the output of the error pattern correlator to correct the sign of the error event in block 112.
Error event pattern matching block 120 also generates a threshold value. The threshold value is an offset value that is derived from evaluating the trellis path of an error event. The threshold value varies in response to the bits that are next to the error bits. The threshold value is subtracted from the sign-corrected output of the error correlator to generate an error metric in block 112. Block 112 generates an error metric value for each valid error event that matches bits within any of the sliding windows.
Error event pattern matching block 120 also computes the syndrome value for each valid error event using a parity check equation. There are 2 possible syndrome values, 1 and 0.
Most likely error event generator block 130 selects the error event that has the smallest error metric value and a syndrome value of 1 as the most likely error event. A preliminary detected binary sequence that has a syndrome of 1 (i.e., odd parity) is indicative of an error in the codeword.
Error correction is then applied to the preliminary detected binary sequence to correct the error based on the most likely error event selected in block 130, which includes the error location and the error event type. The PPP of FIG. 1 does not consider error events that generate syndromes with even parity (i.e., a syndrome value of 0), even though many error events do not change the parity value of blocks.
Hard-decision decoding takes binary bits as input, assumes all bits are equally likely to be in error, and decodes by flipping as few bits as possible to produce a valid codeword. Hard decoding uses special algebraic properties of the code to decode efficiently, even for very powerful codes.
One type of two-stage decoder uses a hard-decoded tensor product code, where the second component code of the tensor product code is a hard-decoded BCH code. Reed Solomon ECC decoding is another example of hard-decision decoding. Because hard decision decoding assumes all bits are equally likely to be in error, it does not consider that some bits are more reliable than others.
Error correction can also be performed by soft-decision decoding. Soft-decision decoding receives input analog data (e.g., an equalized read-back signal or bit reliability information) and preferentially flips unreliable bits. Soft-decision decoding out-performs hard-decision decoding, because it is able to exploit the fact that some bits are more reliable than others.
However, it can be difficult to decode powerful codes efficiently using soft decoding. Also, existing soft-decoded parity codes span multiple Reed-Solomon (RS) symbols. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide error correction decoding techniques with greater performance and reliability.

Decoding techniques for correcting errors using soft information

Hitachi Global Stroage Technologies Netherlands, B.V.


An apparatus for controlling medium flow, especially for controlling dilution liquid flow in connection with the headbox of a paper-making machine or a cardboard-manufacturing machine, which apparatus comprises a valve which controls dilution flow, which valve consists of a valve housing, a stem part and a flow channel between an inlet and an outlet of the valve. The stem part is movable in the housing between at least two positions, a first position in which the flow path between the inlet and the outlet is open, and a second position in which the flow path is closed, and the stem part and/or housing is designed to direct the medium flow at least in the vicinity of the outlet opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for controlling medium flow, especially for controlling dilution liquid flow in connection with the headbox of a paper-making machine or a cardboard-manufacturing machine, which apparatus comprises a valve which controls dilution flow, which valve consists of a valve housing, a stem part and a flow channel between an inlet and an outlet of the valve.
2. Description of Background Art
Dilution valves are utilised for controlling the flow of dilution liquid to stock flow. Dilution flow may be clean or fibre-bearing water. Dilution water may be, for example, tail water taken from the web as retention. Solutions are known in which, a rotatable valve stem is used in the dilution valve which stem may be rotatable to different control positions for controlling the dilution flow starting from the valve. Such solution is presented in, inter alia, specification FI110879B. However, different problems occur in these solutions. Because there is fines included in the tail water, there is a strong possibility of the valve stem getting blocked in the rotatable valve, especially when dilution water reaches between the stem and the valve body. Such solutions require an extremely strong actuator to rotate the stem. In addition, frequent so-called wash moving of the stem is typically required in order to prevent the blocking of the stem. In addition, the solution requires utilising extremely precise tolerances, whereby the solution becomes manufacturing-technically demanding and expensive to manufacture. Typically, the solution requisites utilising an actuator adapted for the use in question, which frequently increases costs. Furthermore, the flow range of the dilution valves in question is fixed. Equivalent problems occur also in a solution presented in specification FI100895B, in which the flow path is formed to the stem which is moved to and fro, and in which the choke is controlled on the side of the valve inlet.
The object of this invention is to achieve a totally novel solution for a dilution valve, whereby the disadvantages of known prior-art are avoided.


An anisotropic conductive film including an electrically insulating adhesive layer, and electrically conductive particles disposed on the electrically insulating adhesive layer. In such an anisotropic conductive film, the electrically conductive particles are disposed in a lattice by being arranged in first direction rows and second direction rows, and narrow and wide intervals are provided between neighboring rows in at least one of the direction rows. As a result, opposing terminals are stably connected using the anisotropic conductive film, inspection after the connecting is more easily performed, and the number of electrically conductive particles not involved in the connection are reduced and, thereby, the manufacturing cost of the anisotropic conductive film is reduced, even in FOG connections or the like with finer bump pitches.

Anisotropic conductive films are widely used when electronic components such as IC chips are mounted on substrates. In recent years, demand has arisen for high density wiring/interconnections in small electronic devices such as mobile phones, and notebook computers. A technique is known for utilizing an anisotropic conductive film in such high density wiring/interconnections, in which electrically conductive particles are evenly disposed in a matrix in an electrically insulating adhesive layer of the anisotropic conductive film.
However, there is a problem in that variations in connection resistance occur even though the electrically conductive particles are evenly disposed. This is because there are cases where the electrically conductive particles located on the edges of terminals are not sandwiched by vertically opposing terminals. To solve this problem, a technique has been proposed in which a first row direction of electrically conductive particles is configured as the longitudinal direction of an anisotropic conductive film, and a second row direction crossing the first row direction is configured to be inclined at not less than 5° and not greater than 15° with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the anisotropic conductive film (Patent Literature 1).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Anisotropic conductive film and connection structure


An introduction catheter set for a collapsible, self-expandable implant of the type comprising a number of spring-biased anchoring legs, e.g. a filter for entrapping thrombi or emboli into a blood vessel of a patient comprises a flexible external guide sheath and a flexible internal catheter slidably displaceable inside the guide sheath and having at its distal end a tubular end member, in which a retaining member is slidably arranged for releasably retaining the anchoring legs of the implant in defined angular positions in respect of each other. The retaining member is connected with a flexible displacement member extending throughout the internal catheter with the proximal ends of the displacement member and the internal catheter connected with a first and a second operating member, respectively. By operation of the operating members the retaining member may be displaced in the tubular end member from a retaining position, in which the anchoring legs of the implant are inside the tubular end member which protrudes from the distal end of the external sheath, to a release position, in which the retaining member protrudes from the tubular end member to release the anchoring legs of the implant.

Filters of the above-mentioned type are used, i.a. for permanent or temporation implantation in the vena cava, in particular the inferior vena cava, to prevent thrombi or emboli from reaching the patient's lungs and causing pulmonary embolization.
Such filters are well known in the art, e.g. from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,747, 4,425,908 and 4,619,246 as well as published European patent application No. 430848.
For the filter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,747 a relatively simple insertion instrument is described, comprising a single catheter to the distal end of which a filter carrier is connected by means of a connecting member, in which the filter legs are retained during the insertion which is performed by sliding the catheter with the filter arranged on the filter carrier directly through the blood vessels of the patient. When the carrier has been brought into position, a hydraulic pressure is applied through the catheter to act on a spring-biased piston inside the carrier whereby the spring-biased filter legs retained behind a ramp portion of the connecting member are released.
By such an instrument the risk of damage during insertion is relatively high due to the direct contact between the filter and filter carrier and the blood vessel. In addition, the filter carrier with the internal spring-biased piston is a rather complicated device which moreover entails the complication in operation that hydraulic pressure must be applied through the catheter.
For the filter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,908 insertion is performed by sliding a guide wire to the distal end of which the filter is connected through a catheter. To retain the filter legs is a collapsed state during displacement through the catheter the use of a shape-memory alloy for the filter is prescribed. The necessity of cooling equipment for cooling the filter to bring it to the collapsed state renders this method rather complicated.

Introduction catheter set for a collapsible self-expandable implant


Wagering game terminal and method of operating same are disclosed that increases the excitement and entertainment value over existing gaming terminals. The wagering game terminal includes a wagering game that has a set of primary symbols and one or more secondary symbols. During the wagering game, one of the secondary symbols is superimposed on one or more of the primary symbols. These primary symbols may then be given enhanced evaluation in the wagering game, depending on certain conditions being met in the wagering game, or some other predetermined event.

Wagering game terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. The popularity of such wagering game terminals among players generally depends on the perceived likelihood of winning money at the terminal and the intrinsic entertainment value of the terminal relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing terminals and the expectation of winning each terminal is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the more entertaining and exciting of the terminals. Consequently, wagering game terminal operators strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting terminals available because such terminals attract frequent play and, hence, increase profitability for the operators. Thus, in the highly competitive wagering game terminal industry, there is a continuing need to develop new types of games, or improvements to existing games, that will enhance the entertainment value and excitement associated with the games.
One concept that has been successfully employed in existing wagering game terminals to enhance player entertainment is the use of progressive games. In the gaming industry, a "progressive" game involves collecting coin-in data from participating gaming device(s) (e.g., slot machines), contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to a progressive jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a player upon the occurrence of a certain jackpot-won event. A jackpot-won event typically occurs when a "progressive winning position" is achieved at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example, correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along a certain payline. The initial progressive jackpot is a predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming machines are linked together such that several players at several gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate, which leads to further player excitement.
Another concept that has been employed is that of a secondary or "bonus" game which may be played in conjunction with a "basic" game. The bonus game may include any type of game, either similar to or entirely different from the basic game, and is typically initiated by the occurrence of certain pre-selected events or outcomes of the basic game. Examples of the types of bonus games may include adventure games, guessing games, games of chance, and the like. Such a bonus game has been found to produce a significantly higher level of player excitement than the basic game alone because it provides an additional chance to play, which increases the player's overall expectation of winning.
Whether in a basic game or a bonus game, most existing wagering games have a set of symbols that are displayed in various combinations to indicate the outcome of the game. For example, slot machines have symbols on the reels, card games have symbols on the cards, and so forth. Each symbol usually stands on its own and is evaluated separately from the other symbols. Thus, the evaluation of a "7" symbol on a reel of a slot machine, for example, does not typically depend on the "Cherry" symbol, and so on. In some slot machines, certain special symbols such as "wildcard" symbols may assume multiple values or meanings based the neighboring symbols. However, even a "wildcard" symbol stands alone in that its function as a wildcard does not depend on some other symbol. Such an arrangement is rigid and limits the number and types of wagering games that may be developed, potentially depriving players of more exciting and enjoyable wagering games.
Accordingly, what is needed is a wagering game that is not constrained to individual, stand-alone symbols. More specifically, what is needed is a wagering game where multiple symbols may be evaluated in conjunction with one another.


Disclosed is a process for processing a lithographic printing plate having a physical development nuclei layer between an aluminum support and a silver halide emulsion layer, which comprises processing the lithographic printing plate in the presence of a monocyclic azole compound having no mercapto group or a derivative thereof.

This invention relates to a process for processing a lithographic printing plate using an aluminum plate as a support and utilizing the silver complex diffusion transfer process.
Some examples of a lithographic printing plate using the silver complex diffusion transfer process (the DTR process) are described on pages 101 to 130 of Andre Rott and Edith Weyde, "Photographic Silver Halide Diffusion Processes", published by the Focal Press, London and New York (1972).
As described therein, there have been known two kinds of lithographic printing plates utilizing the DTR process, i.e., a two sheet type in which a transfer material and an image-receiving material are separated and a mono-sheet type in which these materials are provided on one support. The two sheet type lithographic printing plate is described in detail in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 158844/1982. Also, the mono-sheet type is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,114.
A mono-sheet type lithographic printing plate using an aluminum plate as a support and utilizing the silver complex diffusion transfer process (hereinafter referred to as "an aluminum lithographic printing plate"), which is the target of the present invention, is described in detail in Japanese Provisional Patent Publications No. 118244/1982, No. 158844/1982, No. 260491/1988, No. 116151/1991 and No. 282295/1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,131 and No. 5,427,889.
In the above aluminum lithographic printing plate, physical development nuclei are carried on a roughened and anodized aluminum support, and a silver halide emulsion layer is further provided thereon. A general process for making this lithographic printing plate comprises the steps of exposure, development processing, water washing processing (removal of a silver halide emulsion layer, hereinafter merely referred to as "washing processing") and finishing processing.
Specifically, metallic silver image portions are formed on physical development nuclei by development processing, and by washing processing subsequent thereto, a silver halide emulsion layer is removed to expose the metallic silver image portions (hereinafter referred to as "silver image portions") on an aluminum support. Simultaneously, the surface of anodized aluminum itself is exposed as non-image portions.
In a lithographic printing plate using the DTR process, silver halide crystals in which sensitivity specks are generated by exposure become blacked silver by chemical development. On the other hand, unsensitized silver halide crystals become a silver complex by a silver complexing agent in a developing solution, and the silver complex is diffused to physical development nuclei and causes a physical development in the presence of the nuclei to form silver image portions.
The aluminum lithographic printing plate which is the target of the present invention has physical development nuclei under a silver halide emulsion layer and therefore differs in constitution from a conventionally and generally used lithographic printing plate having physical development nuclei on a silver halide emulsion layer. It has been found that such difference in constitution between them exerts influence on the properties of a silver image formed by plate making processing.
That is, it is considered that transfer efficiency and the like may vary to exert influence on the manner of forming transferred silver depending on whether a silver complex in an emulsion layer is diffused upward (to a developing solution side) or downward (to a support side). Namely, the aluminum lithographic printing plate which is the target of the present invention has problems peculiar to an aluminum lithographic printing plate that transfer efficiency is poor, a silver image in which the amount of transferred silver is small is liable to be formed and silver image portions in which the amount of transferred silver is small, for example, thin lines and dots have bad inking property. These problems cause lowering of printing reproducibility, i.e., a problem that a silver image of a lithographic printing plate cannot be faithfully reproduced on a print.
Printing reproducibility refers to a characteristic that a silver image of a lithographic printing plate is securely inked and the same image as the silver image can be reproduced on a print. When printing reproducibility is good, there is an advantage that before printing, an image of a print can be estimated by observing a silver image of a lithographic printing plate, which is important when a lithographic printing plate is made. When printing reproducibility is bad, there is a problem that before printing, it is not sure whether a desired print can be obtained or not, which lowers the operation efficiencies of plate making and printing.
In general, the inking property of a silver image exhibits by imparting oil sensitivity to the silver image by making a compound which makes a silver image oleophilic (an oleophilic property-imparting agent), for example, a compound having a mercapto group or a thione group described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 29723/1973 and Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 127928/1983 act. Similarly, the inking property of the aluminum lithographic printing plate which is the target of the present invention is also improved by imparting oil sensitivity to silver image portions. However, it is difficult to impart oil sensitivity to a silver image formed with low transfer efficiency as described above so that the problem in printing reproducibility as described above is caused.
Also, in order to obtain high contrast and good ink receptivity in a printing region, it has been disclosed to carry out development in the presence of 1-phenyl-5-mercapto-tetrazole having a substituent such as a carboxy group in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 72630/1995, and it has been disclosed to carry out processing in the presence of a benzotriazole compound in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 319165/1995. However, desired properties cannot be obtained by the above techniques.
On the other hand, as a lithographic printing plate utilizing the DTR process, there have been known a camera type lithographic printing plate which is made by exposure for several seconds to several ten seconds by a process camera, and a lithographic printing plate for scanning type exposure, which is directly made by using the beam of a laser (a helium-neon laser, an argon laser, a semiconductor laser, a light-emitting diode or the like). Scanning type exposure has an advantage that sharpness and resolution are more excellent than those of exposure by camera.
However, there is a problem that even when a lithographic printing plate having high resolution can be obtained by scanning type exposure, if the inking property of a silver image is bad and thin lines and dots on a plate surface cannot be faithfully reproduced on a print as described above, it is impossible to make the best use of the advantage of the lithographic printing plate for scanning type exposure.

Process for processing lithographic printing plate


The present invention is relative to a method for wireless communication with channel share function. There are a first T/R (Transmitting/Receiving) unit and a second T/R unit in a wireless communication channel. The method comprises steps of: transmitting a first data in a first time slot by the first T/R unit, and transmitting a second data in a second time slot by the second T/R unit; deciding a synchronous beginning time slot by the time when the first T/R unit receives the second data; and transmitting the first data at a third time slot by the first T/R unit after the synchronous beginning time slot.

During the development of the wireless controlled toys, one of the main problems, which will be faced, is how to avoid the controlling signals or transmission data collision or destroy when we use the same type of wireless controlling toys together with the same wireless channel, or the toys will be out of control.
So far, the wireless channels released for amateur are quit few. In Taiwan for example, the frequency that can be used for the remote controllers of model aircraft devices and model surface craft devices are listed as below:                (2.1) Following bands can be used for any kind of remote controller:                    26.995, 27.045, 27.095, 27.120, 27.136, 27.145, 27.195, 27.245 (MHz)                        (2.2) Following bands can only be used for the remote controllers of model aircraft devices:                    72.00˜72.99 MHz, with 20 kHz frequency interval                        (2.3) Following bands can only be used for the remote controllers of model surface craft devices:                    75.41˜75.99 MHz, with 20 kHz frequency intervalTherefore, there are 50 channels that can be used for model aircraft devices, and there are 30 channels that can be used for model surface craft devices. In addition, there are 8 general remote controlling channels, then there are 58 and 38 channels can be used respectively. Under above limitation, if there is only one remote controlling craft device used in a place, then the channel collision of radio frequency will not be occurred. If there are many remote controlling craft devices, just likes the racing parks of model aircraft and model car craft devices, then the channel collision of radio frequency would be happened. In order to avoid the interruption and collision of radio frequency channels, the traditional and advanced remote controllers provide several channels for manual switching by the users. An expert user would label the channel that he currently uses on the antenna of the remote controlling device to notice the others for avoiding interruption. Further more, the higher end remote controlling devices will switch to different radio channels automatically if the radio frequency channels collision occurred. But under the limitation of useful radio frequency channels, the collision and interruption of radio frequency channel cannot be avoided absolutely.

Wireless communication method with channel shared function


A sleeper bunk restraining system includes a sleeper bunk configured to be carried by a vehicle and having a top surfaced defining a length upon which an occupant may rest. The bunk includes a stationary portion and a moveable portion defined along the length, and the moveable portion is movable toward the stationary portion to form an occupant restraining barrier. A restraining member may be included and is configured for releasable connection to the vehicle such that the restraining member restrains movement of the movable portion of the bunk relative to the stationary portion of the bunk to thereby maintain the occupant restraining barrier in an occupant restraining position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to restraint systems for sleeping bunk arrangements, and more specifically to restraint systems for sleeping bunk arrangements carried by a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of bunks have been provided for use in motor vehicles, such as in the cabs of trucks. For example, the commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,375,879 and 5,536,042 both disclose bunks having different types of restraint systems. Other bunks having nets extending upwardly from the front of the bunk are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,695,698; 6,405,391; 6,367,839; and 5,529,341. A seat belt harness assembly for securing a person in a prone position atop a conventional vehicle seat is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,069. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,105 discloses an automobile pet set having a U shape for positioning atop a vehicle set with a forward wall extending upwardly to limit forward movement of the pet.
It is desirable to provide a sleeper bunk configured to be carried by a motor vehicle and usable without direct occupant restraints. It is further desirable to provide such a bunk with suitable indirect occupant restraints operable to maintain an occupant in the bunk when the vehicle is in motion and/or in the event of sudden vehicle deceleration.


A rapid acting flow limiting valve is provided for an autoclave processing system. In this environment, each of a plurality of parts is placed in immediate proximity with a tool, then impressed into congruent engagement with the tool by an overlying vacuum bag, the interior of the vacuum bag being subjected to a vacuum via a vacuum manifold connecting all of the parts to a source of the vacuum, the interior of the vacuum bag being subjected to pressure. A first conduit leads from the chamber of the valve housing to the interior of the vacuum bag for its associated part, and a second conduit leads from the chamber to the vacuum manifold. An annular seal is positioned concentrically with an opening from the chamber into the first conduit. A flexible disk-shaped floating piston diaphragm assembly is peripherally fixed to the housing and is movable between an open position distant from the seal and a closed position engaged with the seal to thereby block flow through the first conduit. An annular spring concentric with the annular seal biases the floating piston diaphragm assembly toward the open position. Should the vacuum bag for a second part rupture, which would cause pressurized fluid flow to be introduced into the vacuum manifold toward the valve associated with the first part, the diaphragm assembly for that valve is moved to the closed position preventing pressurized fluid flow into the vacuum bag for the first part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rapid acting flow limiting valves and, more particularly, to such valves intended for use with autoclave processing systems to protect multiple parts on the vacuum line from the effects of bag failure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The application of valves in association with pressure control apparatus for autoclaves is well known as evidenced, typically, by a number of U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,345 to Lorenz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,076 to Lynch et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,349 to Surjaatmadja; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,003 to Riley.
However, none of these disclosures is concerned with the problem addressed by the present invention, namely, protection to the remaining parts being processed in an autoclave when one a failure occurs with respect to one of the parts. Furthermore, known valves of the normally-open, held closed type have not been found to be satisfactory for the purpose. It was in light of the foregoing that the present invention was conceived and has now been reduced to practice.


This application provides a QoS flow control method and an apparatus. An SMF network element receives first indication information sent by an access network apparatus, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a first QoS target of a QoS flow cannot be met; and the SMF network element does not process the QoS flow if the SMF network element receives second indication information in a first preset time; or the SMF network element deletes or modifies the QoS flow if the SMF network element does not receive second indication information in a first preset time, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the first QoS target can be met.

In a 5th generation (5G) mobile communications system, a 5G QoS model based on a QoS flow is proposed, to ensure end-to-end quality of service of a service. The 5G QoS model includes a guaranteed bit rate QoS flow (GBR QoS flow) and a non-guaranteed bit rate QoS flow (Non-GBR QoS flow). Same transmission processing (such as scheduling or an admission threshold) is performed on data packets included in a same QoS flow.
User equipment (UE) may establish one or more packet data unit (PDU) sessions with a 5G system. One or more QoS flows may be established in each PDU session. Each QoS flow is identified by one QoS flow identifier (QFI), and the QFI uniquely identifies a QoS flow in a session. GBR QoS flows include a GBR QoS flow that uses notification control and a GBR QoS flow that does not use notification control. Notification control is used to indicate whether notifications are requested from an access network (AN)/a radio access network (RAN) when a guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) can no longer be guaranteed for a QoS flow during the lifetime of the QoS flow. In an existing GBR QoS flow that uses notification control, after the GBR QoS flow is established, when detecting, at any moment, that a QoS target of a corresponding GBR QoS flow cannot be met, the (R)AN sends indication information to a session management function (SMF) network element. Further, the SMF network element determines to initiate a QoS flow modification or deletion procedure.
However, a resource shortage of the (R)AN may be temporary. Therefore, some services cannot be served or a service with reduced quality is provided if the SMF network element immediately deletes the QoS flow or modifies the QoS flow to lower the QoS target when receiving the indication information indicating that the QoS target cannot be met.


According to one embodiment, an organic electroluminescent element includes a first electrode, a reflective layer, an organic light emitting layer, a second electrode, and an optical buffer layer. The reflective layer is provided to face the first electrode. The organic light emitting layer is provided between the first electrode and the reflective layer. The second electrode is provided between the organic light emitting layer and the reflective layer. The optical buffer layer is provided between the second electrode and the reflective layer. The refractive index of the optical buffer layer is lower than a refractive index of the organic light emitting layer. The optical buffer layer includes a gas filled between the second electrode and the reflective layer.

An organic electroluminescent element includes a cathode-side electrode, an anode-side electrode, and an organic light emitting layer provided between the cathode-side electrode and the anode-side electrode.
By applying a voltage between the cathode-side electrode and the anode-side electrode in the organic electroluminescent element, electrons are injected from the cathode-side electrode into the organic light emitting layer; and holes are injected from the anode-side electrode into the organic light emitting layer. The electrons and the holes that are injected recombine; and light is produced by radiative deactivation of excitons generated by the recombination.
It is desirable to increase the light extraction efficiency of such an organic electroluminescent element.

Organic electroluminescent element and light emitting device with gap filled with gas


A system and method for enabling the recordation of electronic content that has been published via a network, such as the Internet, so that the electronic content may be stored, retrieved, shared, and manipulated by individual users. Furthermore, the system and method of the present invention enable the content publisher of the electronic content to analyze activity associated with its storage and sharing.

The Internet is employed to distribute a wide range of electronic content. One of the most common ways is to publish is on a Web site. An electronic content publisher may be an organization, an institution, or an individual. For example, news organizations, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, publish news stories, individuals post articles on various subjects in Web journals (i.e., "blogs"), and musicians post songs to be listened to or downloaded. Commercial entities (individual or organizational) may use the Internet to publish listings for their goods or services. For example, online retailers may employ their own Web sites to sell their products or may use an intermediary service to do so (e.g., Amazon.com). Likewise, individuals may sell their products via personal Web pages or may use intermediary services, such as online auctions sites (e.g., eBay.com) or online classified ad services (e.g., Craig's List). Additionally, a content publisher may distribute electronic advertising content. Electronic advertising content is distinct from other forms of electronic content distributed via the Internet. Electronic advertising content is created by a commercial entity in order to drive usage and/or or sales of a particular good or service. It is not merely content associated with a good or service, but rather is distributed specifically to entice an individual to use or purchase the good or service.
Publishing electronic content on the Internet involves making it available via a Web page in the hope that an individual will access the Web page and view it. Unlike traditional forms of media, it may be difficult for a content publisher to determine levels of readership accurately. For example, a newspaper publisher may be able to estimate how many individuals read its periodical based upon newsstand sales and subscription levels. However, the same newspaper publisher may have a difficult time determining how many individuals have accessed its Web site content. Tracking services such as Google Analytics and Site Meter offer utilities for this purpose, but they are not without their flaws. For example, such services often determine readership by placing a cookie on a user's computer via his Web browser. However, if the user's browser privacy settings prohibit cookie-usage, the tracking service is ineffective. If the user deletes the cookie, the tracking service may have to generate another one when the individual next visits the site, thereby counting the same individual multiple times. Furthermore, even if such tracking services manage to track a reader accurately, they provide little data about the individual reader, such as his characteristics, how he discovered the electronic content, and whether he shared the content with another person.
Furthermore, current methods for sharing electronic content are not typically traceable by the content publisher and, as such, these methods provide little benefit to the content publisher. For example, services such as Digg and Delicious allow users to save the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) (also called a "link") associated with electronic content and share the URL with other users. While this is useful for the users, it does not provide the content publisher with any particular benefit other than providing another avenue of distribution. As nearly any URL may be shared via these services, this does not provide one content publisher with an advantage over the other. Apart from a content publisher using such as service as a user itself and searching the service for its own content, the content publisher cannot determine which of its content has been shared, who has shared it, and how many times it has been shared. Other services, such as Google Notebook and Evernote allow users to "cut-and-paste" electronic content to an electronic notebook (i.e., rather than storing a link) and share this content. When this is done, the stored content is no longer linked to the originating source and therefore the content publisher completely lacks a method for determining which of its content has been shared via such services.
For at least the aforementioned reasons, current electronic content storage and sharing methods offer inadequate benefits to content publishers.
Like other forms of electronic content, distributing electronic advertising content, herein referred to as an "electronic ad," involves publishing the content on a particular section of a Web page in the hope that a consumer will see it when viewing the Web page. Typically, the Web page's primary purpose is to distribute another form of electronic content. For example, an electronic ad may be placed on a Web page whose primary purpose is to provide users with online games. Advertising on the Internet involves an enormous market that has been growing steadily since 1995. Massive sums of money have been spent on advertising on the Internet, including tracking the performance of electronic ads and targeting advertisements to particular audiences using technologies. Yet of all electronic ads distributed on Web sites, only about 1% are clicked. Electronic advertising content publishers, such as ad providers and advertisers, have perpetually grappled with the problem of low response rates.
An electronic ad may be created so that its distribution may be tracked and evaluated. For example, an electronic ad may include computer code that enables an advertiser to ascertain how many times it has been viewed (e.g., how many "impressions" or "clicks"). Electronic ad tracking may be conducted for financial purposes. For example, an ad provider may charge for ad distribution on a per viewing basis. An advertiser may be responsible for paying the ad provider each time the ad is viewed or fee for a particular amount of viewings.
Generally, electronic advertising works in the following way: a Web site publisher designates space on its Web site as available for advertising. An ad provider provides the Web site publisher with a computer code to be implanted in this ad space. An ad provider is an entity that distributes electronic ads via a network (e.g., the Internet) on behalf of an advertiser, usually for a fee, such as Google AdSense, Yahoo, and the like. An advertiser is an entity wishing to promote a good, service, or the like. When an individual visits a particular page of the Web site via his Web browser, the page is generated per the Web site publisher's source code, while the electronic ad is generated in the ad space per the ad provider's code. The electronic advertising content is retrieved from the ad provider's ad server and fills the ad space on the Web page. The ad server maintains electronic advertising content, typically configured by the ad provider on behalf of an advertiser. Each time a visitor visits a Web page, a new set of electronic ads may be displayed because the Web site publisher may have business relationships with more than one ad provider or because the same ad provider may choose a different set of electronic ads to show on the Web page. Furthermore, the electronic content code itself may specify various ads to be shown in the ad space and the ad displayed may vary per the user's particular visit to the Web page. A user may select an electronic ad, such as by clicking it, and his Web browser typically is then directed to present a landing page associated with the advertiser. The landing page is typically the advertiser's main Web page. For example, a user selecting an electronic ad for a dating service will be presented with the dating service's home page.
Due to the particularities of electronic advertising content, it may be difficult to store electronic ads for future viewing, sharing, and the like. A user cannot simply bookmark or save a Web page and assume that the next time he accesses the Web page the electronic advertising content will be the same. The Web site publisher may change its ads periodically and electronic ads may be dynamic and, therefore, inherently storage prohibitive. For example, an electronic ad may involve JavaScript code which is executed on the user's Web browser. The JavaScript code accesses the ad server in real-time to retrieve the computer code needed to render an ad on the user's browser. This form of electronic ad cannot be extracted from the Web browser. In fact, the content code is specifically designed to be safe and hidden from other code executed on the same browser and on the same Web page. This level of security makes it difficult to extract the visual and informational content of the ad automatically for storage and later retrieval or sharing. A user may cut-and-paste the electronic ad from the browser into another document, but that action is time consuming and error-prone. For example, the copied ad may contain code that only functions properly when the user's Web browser is at the appropriate Web site. When an ad is cut-and-pasted from the user's Web browser, and the user attempts to view it later, the user's computer may not be able to employ the extracted content code accurately. In some cases, a cut-and-paste operation also will not copy certain ad server access codes or identification codes that may be used by the ad server to keep track of the ad for accounting and billing purposes, thereby interfering with accurate tracking of the electronic ad.
For at least the aforementioned reasons, electronic advertising content does not inherently lend itself for storage and sharing by individual Internet users.
What is needed is a mechanism to improve the distribution and redistribution of both standard electronic content and electronic advertising content. In particular, what is needed is to a system and method for providing individuals with a seamless mechanism for storing electronic content for subsequent viewing and providing a mechanism to accomplish the later viewing, while also providing electronic content publishers with a convenient mechanism to determine the distribution and audience of their electronic content.

System and method for distribution and redistribution of electronic content