Provided is a security marking composition for marking an area of land, which security marking composition is readily capable of transfer from the land to a person or to a vehicle, which security marking composition comprises:                (a) a carrier selected from a polymer and an emulsion; and        (b) a security marker.

Synthetic nucleotide containing compositions for use in security marking of property and/or for marking a thief or attacker are known in the art. Indeed, the present applicant has already developed and marketed several products containing such compositions. Some examples of the present applicant's products which utilize such compositions are discussed below.
The SelectaDNA® property marking kit comprises a pot of adhesive which can be applied to property using an applicator in order to mark the property with a unique composition which can be traced back to the owner in the event of the property being stolen by a thief and then retrieved by the police. Each pot of adhesive contains a unique DNA composition and also several thousand microdots dispersed throughout the adhesive. Each microdot contains a unique registration code and a database telephone number or internet address. A database is maintained by a service provider linking each unique registration code to details of the owner of the property, e.g. name, address and/or telephone number of the owner. These details may be obtained when an owner of the property purchases the property marking kit and entered into the database. This database, or a second database, also contains information about the unique DNA composition which is either linked to the registration code or directly to the owner's details. The adhesive also contains a fluorescent material which emits visible light under UV light in order to allow the adhesive marking on the property to be readily located by the police.
The aforementioned kit provides two possible methods for tracing the owner of stolen property, via the microdots or via the unique DNA composition. However, for some applications it may not be appropriate to provide microdots in a security marking composition. For example, it may not be appropriate to provide microdots in compositions which are to be expelled as an aerosol to mark a thief or attacker as such microdots may block the dispensing nozzle and/or be readily washed off.
Such is the case for the present applicant's DNA personal alarm which does not use microdots. This product comprises a hand-held personal alarm in the form of a pressurized container housing a composition which comprises a unique DNA composition and a fluorescent material of the kind used in the previously described property marking kit. As described in relation to the property marking kit, a database is maintained by a service provider linking information about each unique DNA composition to details of the owners of the personal alarms. If an owner is attacked they can spray their attacker using the personal alarm. Subsequently, if apprehended, a UV lamp can be utilized to locate the DNA composition on the attacker. A small sample of the composition can be removed and sent to a laboratory for analysis to obtain information about the unique DNA composition. This information can then be used to identify the owner of the personal alarm using the database. As such, the attacker can be unarguably linked to the attack on the owner of the personal alarm, any stolen property can be returned, and the information used to secure a conviction.
Yet another use of synthetic DNA containing compositions is in building security system, particularly at entry points such as doors and windows. A building security system which dispenses a fluid for deterring and/or identifying an intruder is described in the present applicant's own earlier patent application, WO 2009/112507. In this earlier application it is described that a particularly useful formulation comprises a DNA marker/identifier, a UV tracer/fluorescent material, a propellant, and optionally a solvent which may be organic, e.g. an alcohol, or aqueous. As with the aforementioned property marking kit and personal alarm, a database is maintained by a service provider linking information about each unique DNA composition to details of the owners of the security system. If a building is broken into by a burglar, the security system sprays the intruder with the DNA composition. Subsequently, if apprehended, a UV lamp can be utilized to locate the DNA composition on the intruder. A small sample of the composition can be removed and sent to a laboratory for analysis to obtain information about the unique DNA composition. This information can then be used to identify the owner of the building using the database. As such, the intruder can be unarguably linked to the burglary such that any stolen property can be returned and the information used to secure a conviction.
The synthetic DNA compositions used in these products were not originally optimized for the security marking applications described. The present applicant developed improved DNA tags for use in security marking, as described in WO 2010/122159. Further improvements, for example in delivery mechanisms have also been made by the present applicant, such as described in WO 2013/171279.
Despite these improvements in security tagging technology, these systems are particularly suited to marking property, or marking people, such as rioters, or intruders who break into a building. None of these systems are particularly suited to marking areas of land. This is unfortunate, because there is a growing demand for security marking land areas, not only to deter trespassing onto private or commercial property, but also to deter poaching, illegal dumping, illegal mining and the like. These applications are typically required in more remote places, sometimes over a large land area. The current systems are not adapted for such wide coverage, nor are they well adapted to transfer a security marker, such as DNA, from land or vegetation to a person or vehicle that is intruding. Furthermore, within the context of marking land, there is a need for monitoring animal movement (e.g. cattle or protected species) and current systems are also not suited to this.
Some security marking systems have been developed to facilitate transfer of a security marker from property to a person. For example, GB 2,390,055 discloses a marking apparatus which, on activation, releases a marking fluid onto bank notes, which fluid is in turn transferred to a person. The marking fluid may comprise DNA. However, this system, like the others described above, is not suited to marking areas of land, nor is it suited for transferring a security marker from land or vegetation to a person or vehicle.
It is an aim of the present invention to solve the problems associated with the known systems described above. In particular, it is an aim of the present invention to provide security compositions suitable for the security marking of an area of land, and methods of manufacturing said compositions. It is also an aim to provide uses of the compositions in security marking of an area of land, or an area of property, and/or for marking a poacher, thief, attacker, or other person, and methods of detecting such a composition, in particular on a person, a vehicle, or property. It is a further aim to provide methods of analysing the composition to determine the origin of the composition and/or information about the owner of the land or property.

Compositions for use in security marking


Systems and methods are provided for optimizing data structures to improve the data retrieval through the use of bucketing techniques. A number of objects within an environment is drastically reduced utilizing bucketing techniques. Within the buckets, items are sequentially organized such that location is quicker. Items, or keys, are aligned with the same hash value together in a bucket and a mapping of the hash value to the offset of the first key occurrence in that bucket. This guarantees each lookup operation is only two random read accesses. Systems and methods provided herein control the pressures on a system for garbage collection and minimize memory usage with minimal impacts on performance.

Managed environments are typically subject to exorbitant amounts of data storage. Dictionaries, in particular, for managed environments, include an incredibly large amount of information for retrieval. For instance, typical dictionaries include millions of objects (e.g., for each item within the dictionary) for retrieval. Due to the large amount of items stored, a large stress is placed on the system with respect to garbage collection in that there is a tremendous amount of data to remove. Additionally, some of the collection may be unnecessary as the garbage collection is not aware of items that may not need to be removed and, thus, unnecessarily removes a very large number of items. This results in system performance reductions as a tremendous amount of effort and processing goes into garbage collection. Additionally, the excessive amounts of data is inefficient as related to data storage. Furthermore, the system expends a vast amount of resources on retrieval due to the sheer volume of objects stored. This results in stress on the system, decreased system performance, long latency, etc. There is a fine balance to be achieved to avoid taxing the garbage collection without sacrificing performance.

High performance dictionary for managed environment


Methods and systems for a centralized database for 3-D and other information in videos are presented. A centralized database contains video metadata such as camera, lighting, sound, object, depth, and annotation data that may be queried for and used in the editing of videos, including the addition and removal of objects and sounds. The metadata stored in the centralized database may be open to the public and admit contributor metadata.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the storage and sharing of video metadata, in general, and in particular, to a centralized server that stores video metadata, such as camera, lighting, sound, object, depth, and annotation data, which can be used to generate 3-D images, add or remove objects from a scene with proper lighting and sound effects, provide annotations, or edit scenes. The metadata may be provided by parties associated with the video or by unassociated contributors, such as internet users.
2. Background
Video production techniques now may not store or make available potentially captured metadata. Video editing techniques are often manually done, such as estimating the required light qualities of an object filmed with a blue screen background that is to be inserted into an existing video.

Centralized database for 3-D and other information in videos


A printing control device, a program, and a printing method is provided for creating printed matter for which a user can easily identify a web page on which an image included in the printed matter is published. A printing control device accessible to a server for managing a web site through a network includes a specification receiving unit receiving specification of an image published on the web site, an image acquisition unit acquiring the specified image through the server, an access information acquisition unit acquiring access information for accessing a web page on which the image is published on the web site, a code information creation unit creating code information expressing the access information using text or an image, and a printing execution unit making a printer print a synthetic image in which the acquired image and the created code information are included.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing control device for acquiring images from a server that controls images, a program, and a printing method for printing the acquired images.
2. Related Art
From the past, web sites are known for which it is possible to browse images such as photographic images, text, and furthermore animation or the like. For example, on photo album sites or SNS (Social Network Service) sites on which a plurality of images are posted, it is possible to browse images posted on the web site by a user. With the web site, a server that manages the images is connected to a network, and by the user accessing the server, a request is made to browse images (see JP-A-2008-197968 (Patent Document 1), for example).
Also, there are cases when the user downloads an image posted on the web site, and creates printed matter using the downloaded image. For example, there are cases when the user prints the downloaded image on the face of a postcard, and sends to other users or the like.

Printing control device, program, and printing method


A molded braking and support wheel assembly for a multi-wheeled wheelchair for a handicapped person. The wheel assembly includes a braking support wheel molded as a single unit of plastic or plastic-like material having concentric components including a tire receiving rim, a wheel bearing and brake assembly receiving hub, and spaced wheel spokes substantially radially extending between the hub and rim. A ring or band-shaped metal brake drum is also molded as a unit into the hub, the brake drum having a generally cylindrical inner braking friction surface and plastic-interlocking outer surface features which permanently interlock with the plastic material when the braking support wheel is mold formed. The plastic-interlocking outer features are molded with the hub into a single unit with the support wheel to secure the brake drum from relative movement in the hub. The brake drum defines a generally cylindrical cavity for operatively receiving the brake assembly. The hub includes a wheel bearing cavity coaxial with said brake drum for receiving spaced wheel bearings positioned therein.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wheelchairs for the handicapped, and more particularly to a one-piece molded wheel support wheel formed as a unit for supporting and braking the wheelchair.
2. Description of Related Art
Manually propelled wheelchairs having two smaller castered front wheels and two larger rear wheels are well known. These assistive devices are utilized by users which are physically impaired individuals unable to walk or who find walking difficult and are typically propelled by the user. Such wheelchairs require periodic immobilization and stabilization thereof as determined by the user or attendant and are therefore equipped with a hand-actuated brake assembly (typically one per each braking support wheel) attached to a frame member of the wheelchair frame assembly adjacent the wheelchair seat allowing the user or attendant to selectively move a hand operated lever of the brake assembly to engage or disengage a friction braking member in the form of a bar or plate which presses against the outer periphery of each corresponding tire of the braking support wheels of the wheelchair.
However, due to wheel wear, moisture, dirt, oil and other wheel periphery surface modifying debris or contaminants, the limited pressure exerted by the friction member thereagainst will vary greatly and thus correspondingly affect the degree of braking friction for immobilization of the wheelchair. Should the frictional force between the outer periphery of the rear wheel and the friction member be compromised and reduced, unexpected movement of the wheelchair may be experienced.
A more efficient brake mechanism has been incorporated into battery powered motorized three-wheeled scooters which provide motorized personal transportation for a seated user. These motorized scooters typically include spaced apart coaxially mounted rear wheels, one or both of which serve as a driving wheel connected to the battery powered motor mounted on the scooter carriage and a steerable front wheel which includes a wheel housing supporting a single front wheel and a brake mechanism having a tightenable brake band and drum arrangement. However the steerable front wheel of such power scooters is typically supported between spaced downwardly extending ears or plates of the wheel housing such that the entire wheel and brake mechanism are held on an elongated mounting shaft connected between the lower ears of the wheel housing itself.
The present invention replaces the conventional support wheel and corresponding wheel perimeter brake engaging members with a one-piece molded braking and support wheel which includes a molded-in brake drum wheel operably receiving a brake assembly. Substantially greater consistent braking and immobilization are achieved by providing a brake and support wheel mold formed more efficiently as a unit of wheelchairs and which is substantially less impervious to conditions of tire wear, moisture, dirt, oil and other debris which would typically collect on the outer perimeter surface of the wheel tire.

Wheelchair and one-piece molded braking support wheel therefor


A printed circuit board assembly includes a printed circuit board, a first heat dissipating module, and a second heat dissipating module. The printed circuit board includes a first heat generating element and a second heat generating element. The first heat dissipating module is disposed on the first heat generating element. The first heat dissipating module includes a heat sink and a first heat pipe. The first heat pipe includes a pipe body and an extending portion extending from the pipe body. The second heat dissipating module is disposed on the second heat generating element. The pipe body is connected to the heat sink and the extending portion is connected to the second heat dissipating module.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to printed circuit board assemblies, especially to a printed circuit board assembly having heat dissipating modules.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic devices, such as central processing units (CPUs), in computers generate a lot of heat that can affect operation and may cause damages if the heat is not removed from the electronic devices efficiently.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides a kerf structure for a snow tire, including unit structures on each of which spiral-shaped protrusions are continuously formed to be spaced a predetermined distance apart on the outer circumferential surface of a semi-cylindrical shaped column, wherein the continuously formed unit structures are arranged by alternating convex and concave portions in a zigzag formation, which is capable of optimizing the rigidity which can maintain gripping force as an original function of a kerf while ensuring a friction force generated from small blocks of a tread portion partitioned with kerfs by collapsing a block at an optimum level and further ensuring the kerf function on snow even in the last stages of tread wear by lowering the rigidity of the blocks of the tread portion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a kerf structure for a snow tire, and more particularly, to a kerf structure for a snow tire, wherein unit structures having a spiral-shaped protrusion formed on the outer circumferential surface of a semi cylindrical shaped column are continuously formed to be spaced a predetermined distance apart, thereby optimizing rigidity which can maintain gripping force as an original function of a kerf while ensuring a friction force generated from small blocks of a tread portion partitioned with kerfs by collapsing a block at an optimum level and further ensuring the kerf function on snow even in the last stages of tread wear by lowering the rigidity of the tread blocks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a plurality of grooves are formed on the tread portion of a tire in horizontal and longitudinal direction and kerfs, small grooves are formed on the block partitioned with the grooves so as to be able to adjust the rigidity of the block.
In the case of a conventional snow tire, driving and braking performances on snow-covered roads are secured by the edge effect of the kerfs during rotation on snow-covered roads. However, the kerf adapted for this edge effect reduces the rigidity of the rubber tread block and degrades the performance of a snow tire on dry roads. FIG. 1 shows the general shape of such a conventional 2D kerf for a snow tire.
Hence, although a 3D kerf has been developed to maintain the rigidity of a tread block due to the constraints of a kerf in a vertical direction on the tire surface, in actuality, it has been difficult to maintain the optimal level of rigidity. FIG. 2 is a photograph showing that in such a snow tire having a conventional kerf, small blocks of a tread portion partitioned by the kerf are collapsed when the tire is in motion. As can be seen in FIG. 2, in a conventional kerf for a snow tire, either an excessively collapsed state A of a block occurs, or a phenomenon where the leading portion of the tire is entangled occurs, thereby decreasing a friction force caused from road surface. In addition, according to a conventional kerf structure, the rigidity of the tread portion is increased in the last stage of tread wear and thus, it needs to develop the kerf structure capable of securing an optimal level of block rigidity in the last stage of tread wear.
The description provided above as a related art of the present invention is just for helping in understanding the background of the present invention and should not be construed as being included in the related art known by those skilled in the art.


A straight line motion gripper employs a longitudinally moving piston head, a laterally moving slide and a drive pin moving the slide in response to movement of the piston head. The drive pin is mounted to the piston head and disposed at an angle. Another aspect of the present invention provides a booster spring to maintain a pair of gripper arms in gripping positions even when pneumatic pressure is lost.

This invention relates generally to grippers and particularly to a sealed, straight line gripper.
It is known in the industry to provide parallel grippers with box-type bodies. These box-type parallel grippers commonly employ a double-acting piston attached to a connecting rod. A cam plate, having angled slots machined therein, forms a wedge. Sliding parallel jaws are attached to the cam plate by pins which are inserted through the angled slots. Typically, these pins are flattened. As the double-acting piston moves in and out, the sliding jaws are forced to close and open with a parallel motion. These traditional bodies and slides have generally rectangular cross sectional exterior shapes. An optional proximity switch is also mounted to the exterior of the gripper body by way of a screwed-on and non-adjustable mounting bracket, which limits the ability to reposition the switch during tool set-up.
Other conventional parallel grippers are constructed with a multitude of complicated linkages, cams and rollers. Examples of such conventional devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,344 entitled "Parallel Gripper" which issued to Takada et al. on Jan. 9, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,806 entitled "Parallel Robotic Gripper" which issued to Yuda on Feb. 9, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,503 entitled "Pneumatic Actuated Cam Driven Parallel Gripper" which issued to Collodel on Sep. 29, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,100 entitled "Parallel Gripper with Roller Supported Gripper Arms" which issued to Lessway on Mar. 3, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,097 entitled "I.D. or O.D. Parallel Gripper" which issued to Lessway on Mar. 3, 1987; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,187 entitled "Parallel Movement Gripper Head" which issued to Blaft et al. on May 21, 1985. All of these devices employ a complicated linkage or camming action which make assembly more difficult, are more expensive to machine and increases part costs, while creating durability and accuracy concerns. Additionally, the linkages and cams of these types of traditional grippers enlarge the gripper package, increase the weight, and cause the object being gripped to be an undesirably extended distance away from the piston head. The mechanical moment arm distance between the gripped object and the piston head is thereby increased which reduces the actuating-to-gripping force efficiency and creates tremendous torquing forces on the linkages.
In accordance with the present invention, the preferred embodiment of a straight line gripper employs a longitudinally moving piston head, a laterally moving slide and a drive pin moving the slide in response to movement of the piston head. In another aspect of the present invention, a drive pin is mounted to a piston head and disposed at an angle. In a further aspect of the present invention, a pair of nested slides are moved relative to each other between gripping and ungripping positions by way of outwardly angled drive pins longitudinally moving with a piston head. In yet another aspect of the gripper of the present invention, an external surface of a body and external surfaces of slides are generally circular-cylindrical. An arm is also mounted to each slide in various angular orientations by way of removable locators and a fastener. Another aspect of the present invention provides a booster spring to maintain a pair of gripper arms in gripping positions even when pneumatic pressure is lost. In still another aspect of the present invention, a sensor is mounted to a gripper body only by way of two or more pins retained in an adjacent pair of a set of body holes.
The straight line gripper of the present invention is highly advantageous over traditional constructions. For example, the present invention significantly reduces the number of parts thereby simplifying assembly and reducing part costs while increasing durability and part accuracy through fewer tolerance build-ups. The present invention is also advantageous by providing cylindrical exterior surfaces for the body and slides; these shapes can be easily machined on a lathe in a relatively inexpensive manner. These shapes also encourage easily adjustable mounting.
The specific configuration of the drive pins and slides also allows the center of the gripped part to be positioned within approximately 38 millimeters of the closest point on the front piston head (when disposed in the extended stroke position). This close gripped part-to-piston head distance serves to maximize the gripper's efficiency in the small and lightweight gripper package provided. A double tandem piston can be optionally used to provide additional gripping forces; in this version, the pneumatically powered gripper will provide approximately one kilo-newton of gripping force (using both arms) in response to 5.5 bars (80 psi) of pneumatic pressure input force. By comparison, conventional parallel grippers typically generate less than 625 newtons of gripping force (using both arms) with greater input pressure.
O-ring sealing of the slides assists in maintaining a fully sealed and prelubricated gripper. The present invention is further advantageous by providing interchangeable slides having oppositely angled drive pins and receptacles; this allows for easy reversal of gripping direction given the same piston stroke direction and otherwise identical parts. It is also envisioned that the sections of the drive pins which engage the slides are circular-cylindrical, thereby producing more engagement surface area while preventing the slides from rotating, especially as compared to the traditional flattened pins. This leads to improved positioning accuracy and less part wear. The circular-cylindrical drive pins are also more cost effectively machined. Rotation of the slides and arms is further prevented in the present invention by the use of guiding slots machined in the hardened body. The optional booster spring advantageously prevents the gripper from dropping parts if the fluid power is lost. The present invention gripper is also advantageous over conventional designs by providing an easily adjustable and simple to mount sensor so as to reduce set-up time of the tool and encourage flexibility in the sensor orientation. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A ratcheting tool includes a handle and a head with a compartment. A drive member includes a first end extended beyond the compartment, a second end extended beyond the compartment, and a gear wheel formed between the first end and the second end. The gear wheel is rotatably mounted in the compartment and includes a toothed outer periphery. A pawl is mounted in the compartment and includes a toothed side facing the gear wheel teeth. The toothed side of the pawl includes a first teeth portion having a first center of curvature and a second teeth portion having a second center of curvature located at a position different from the first center of curvature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reversible ratcheting tool having a smaller head and improved driving torque for convenient use in a limited space.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of ratcheting tools have heretofore been disclosed. Typical examples include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,462 to Kress issued on May 8, 1934; U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,720 to Shiel issued on May 11, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,062 to Colvin issued on May 6, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,033 to Chow issued on Aug. 9, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,697 to Moetteli issued on Jun. 4, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,014 to Sandrick issued on Aug. 22, 1967; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,869 to Chow issued on Sep. 8, 1992. Most of the above-mentioned conventional ratcheting tools fail to provide high torque operation, as the pawls merely engage with the ratchet wheel by at best three or five teeth. The head of the ratcheting tool has to be relatively large for accommodating those components and thus is difficult to be used in a limited space. In addition, the pawl is directly driven by the switch button or reverser plate or like element such that the pawl tends to be disengaged from the ratchet wheel or like element if the switch block is inadvertently impinged. Generally, a skilled user uses a combination wrench, a spanner with two open ends, or a ring spanner for tightening or loosening a fastener in a limited space. Yet, it is found that free rotation of the ratcheting tool during ratcheting is too large (larger than the theoretic value of 5°), as the pawl has a long travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,031 issued on Aug. 13, 2002 discloses a reversible ratcheting tool with a smaller head to solve the above problems.
FIG. 8 illustrates engagement between a gear wheel 80 and a pawl 81 of a conventional ratcheting tool. The pawl 81 has a plurality of teeth engaged with teeth 83 of the gear wheel 80 at faces 82 so as to provide high torque operation. The faces 82 have a center of curvature at "B", which is coincident with the center of the gear wheel 80. Referring to FIG. 9, when the handle (not shown) is rotated clockwise, the gear wheel 80 exerts a force F on each tooth on the pawl 81. The force F is imparted into a downward vertical force F1 and a leftward horizontal force F2. The leftward horizontal force F2 makes the pawl 81 bear against point A on a wall in a cavity in a web area of the handle. The downward vertical force F1 moves the pawl 81 away from the gear wheel 80. As a result, the right portion of the pawl 81 is disengaged from the gear wheel 80. The reactive force by the wall at point A is imparted into an upward vertical force FN1 and a rightward horizontal force FN2. The upward vertical force FN1 makes the pawl 81 move toward the gear wheel 80 and the rightward horizontal force FN2 moves the pawl 81 rightward. As a result, the pawl 81 and the gear wheel 80 have a firm engagement with each associated tooth of the gear wheel at point D.
Referring to FIG. 10, when the handle is further rotated clockwise, a higher torque is applied such that the magnitudes of the forces F1 and F2 increase. The right portion of the pawl teeth that is slightly disengaged from the gear wheel teeth 83 can still be in contact with the gear wheel teeth 83 when the gear wheel 80 is rotated. The right portion of the pawl 81 is moved downward farther. As a result, more teeth on the pawl 81 are disengaged from the gear wheel 80 (see the pawl teeth on the right side of point A). The forces FN1 and FN2 are also increased in magnitude, yet fewer pawl teeth have firm engagement with the gear wheel teeth. This problem is aggravated when the handle is further rotated clockwise. Accordingly, the gear wheel/pawl arrangement fails to provide the required high torque operation, as all of the pawl teeth have the same center of curvature. In addition, the pawl and the gear wheel will be damaged quickly.
The present invention is intended to provide an improved design in this regard to improve the driving torque for reliable high-torque operation.

Reversible ratcheting tool with a smaller head and improved driving torque


An optical semiconductor device and a process of producing same ensuring a good device performance when a diffraction grating is formed by dry etching and component crystal layers are formed by an MOCVD process. The production process comprises the steps of: (1) processing a surface of a semiconductor wafer to form thereon a diffraction grating in the form of a periodic corrugation for selectively transmitting a light having a specific wavelength; (2) forming on the diffraction grating a guide layer, an active layer and a clad layer in that order; (3) forming on the clad layer a double heterostructure composed of lower and upper layers, the upper layer having a bandgap greater than that of the active layer; (4) measuring the photoluminescence intensity of the lower layer of the double heterostructure; and (5) determining whether or not subsequent process steps necessary for completing the optical semiconductor device should be executed, by using the measured value of the photoluminescence intensity as a discriminative value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device and a process of producing same.
To provide a very high speed optical communication system, an advanced optical semiconductor device has a diffraction grating formed therein for transmitting a light having a specific wavelength. Typical applications of such diffraction grating include a distributed feedback laser (DFB-LD).
2. Description of the Related Art
In the latest trend of producing these diffraction gratings, a dry etching process is often used to control the grating or corrugation height more precisely than the old wet etching process. Component crystals of an optical semiconductor device are also often formed by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to control the crystal composition and the crystal layer thickness more precisely than the old liquid phase crystal growth process.
To form a diffraction grating on an InP wafer or substrate, the surface of the InP crystal substrate is processed by dry etching such as reactive ion etching (RIE) using an ethane gas plasma to form a periodic corrugation having a height corresponding to that of the desired diffraction grating.
In the conventional process of producing an optical semiconductor device, a diffraction grating is formed with a corrugation height of about 40 nm, i e., the height applied when component crystal layers of the device are formed by a liquid phase growth process, and then component crystal layers are actually formed on the diffraction grating by MOCVD.
Generally, component crystal layers of an optical semiconductor device are formed by a three-stage crystal growth process: the first stage of growing crystal layers including an active layer to form a laminate structure on a diffraction grating or a periodic corrugation, followed by etching the laminate structure to form a mesa structure; the second stage of growing crystal layers filling both sides of the mesa structure; and the third stage of growing thereon crystal layers including an uppermost contact layer. Upper and lower electrodes are then formed to complete an optical semiconductor device.
Regarding the production of a distributed feedback laser (DFB-LD), FIG. 1 exemplifies crystal layers formed on an n-InP crystal substrate in the above-mentioned first growth stage. After forming a diffraction grating 2 in the form of a periodic corrugation on an n-InP substrate 1 by dry-etching the substrate surface, an MOCVD process is carried out to form, on the diffraction grating 2, an n-InGaAsP guide layer 3 with a composition providing a luminescence wavelength of 1.1 .mu.m, an InGaAsP active layer 4 with a composition providing a luminescence wavelength of 1.55 .mu.m, and a p-InP clad layer 5 in that order.
As shown in FIG. 2, a distributed feedback laser is produced by etching the laminate structure (from the substrate 1 through to the clad layer 5), which has been formed in the first growth stage, to form a mesa structure "M" extending perpendicular to the direction of the periodic corrugation, then forming a p-InP layer 8 and an n-InP layer 9 to fill both sides of the mesa "M", and forming thereon a p-InP layer 10, an InGaAsP contact layer 11 and upper and lower electrodes 12 and 13. Typically, the mesa "M" has a width of about 1.3 .mu.m and the cavity length is 900 .mu.m.
The inventors, however, found that a distributed feedback laser produced by the above-mentioned conventional process exhibits a poor performance including the lasing threshold current density and the luminescence efficiency in comparison with that of a device produced by a process in which wet etching is used to form a diffraction grating and a liquid phase crystal growth process is used to form component crystal layers of the device.

Optical semiconductor device and process of prodcuing same


A terminal device that includes a processor configured to execute a procedure. The procedure includes: receiving an electronic text data request; attaching to the electronic text data request a token associated with a ticket, and attaching to the electronic text data request a changed status ticket out of the ticket; and holding sending of a new electronic text data request when the new electronic text data request is received during an interval between sending the electronic text data request to the data management server and receiving a token, and relaying any held electronic text data requests in sequence to the data management server, when it is after the interval and there are no changed status tickets of the terminal present.

Recently, there are increasing opportunities to use portable terminals, known as mobile terminals, to access a server installed at a company or the like and download resources such as data from the server to the mobile terminal to carry out business.
In such mobile environments, access control processing is performed in the server to restrict access from terminals as the need arises.
As an example of access control processing, methods are proposed in which data relating to the terminal is collected and sent to the server, and the server determines whether or not to permit access to a resource based on the data sent from the terminal. The data relating to the terminal may, for example, employ data of the position of the terminal.
Methods are also proposed to restrict terminal's access to a service provided by an application server by employing a verification token issued by a verification server when the terminal requests verification for a terminal user from the verification server.

Terminal device, data management server, terminal program, data management program, and data management system


A therapeutic endocavity probe for treating tissues in particular of the prostate by emission of focused ultrasonic waves, including a support forming a guide tube extended by a mounting head for at least one therapy transducer component with an active surface emitting focused ultrasonic waves and having a spherical front of a total surface area in which a surface window is laid out for mounting an imaging transducer. According to the invention, the therapy transducer component has a front face having a total surface area equal to the sum of the active surface area equal to 1,500 mm2±200 mm2, and of the surface area of the window for letting through the imaging transducer, the ratio of the surface area of the window over the active surface area of the therapy transducer component being less than or equal to 0.45.

The present invention relates to a therapy endocavity probe with which tissues in particular of the prostate may be treated by pulsed and focused ultrasonic acoustic waves on the one hand, and these tissues may be viewed on the other hand.
In the state of the art, the use of an imaging transducer in association with a therapy transducer emitting focused ultrasonic waves is known, providing real-time follow-up of the tissues.
In the field of extracorporeal applications, there are various embodiments of probes with imaging. For example, Lizzi et al. in "'Ultrasonic hyperthermia for ophthalmic therapy' IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelec., Freq., Contr., 31, pp. 473-481" describe an echographic probe for an ophthalmologic application whereas Vallencien et al. (1996) in "'Ablation of superficial bladder tumors with focused extracorporeal pyrotherapy' Urology, 47, pp. 204-207" and Wu et al. in "'Pathological changes in human malignant carcinoma treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound', Ultrasound in Med & Biol., 27, pp. 1099-1106" propose extracorporeal probes with large sizes where the surface area occupied by the imaging transducer is negligible relatively to the surface area generating the ultrasonic waves.
If for extracorporeal applications, tissue imaging does not pose any particular problem, this is not the case for an endocavity probe such as an endorectal probe, considering problems notably related to the reduced bulk which such a probe should have. In order to attempt to solve this problem, Vaezy et al. in "Real-time visualization of high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment using ultrasound imaging", Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., vol. 27(1), pp. 33-42, 2001" propose a probe including an imaging transducer located at the end of a therapy transducer. The main drawback of this probe lies in the fact that the axis of the image is not oriented along the focusing axis of the therapy transducer. Further, the relative positioning of both of these transducers does not facilitate its use under endocavity conditions.
Sanghvi et al. in their U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,832 propose an endocavity probe including a therapy transducer at the centre of which an imaging transducer is placed. To remedy the problem of the surface area loss of the therapy transducer, the imaging transducer is also used for therapy. Both transducers therefore have the same operating frequency or close operating frequencies which result from a compromise between the therapy frequency and the imaging one. The result is an altered image quality and/or treatment performances which are not optimum.
Also, the endorectal probe presented at the ISTU 2002 Congress by Ishida K, Kubota J, Mitake T, Carlson R F, Seip R, Sanghvi N T, Asuma T, Sasaki K, Kawabata K, Umemura S, in "'Development and animal experiment of variable focusing HIFU system for prostate cancer treatment" includes an imaging probe with a rectangular shape, housed in the centre of the therapy probe. Even if such a probe is designed for endorectal application, its very large size precludes such an application in practice.
Analysis of known prior solutions leads to the observation that there appears the need for having a probe with dimensions allowing endocavity use, while being provided with a transducer capable of performing good quality imaging in real time, combined with a therapy transducer, with treatment performances which are not affected by the presence of the imaging transducer
In order to meet such a need, the applicants are worthy in that they sought a solution in the direct integration of the imaging transducer within the therapy transducer even if such a solution first leads to degradation of the therapeutic performance. Moreover, it was observed that this degradation of performance is accompanied by dispersion of acoustic energy, capable of generating undesirable secondary lesions. Surprisingly, a specific geometry between the imaging and therapeutic transducers, with which a probe may be made, which allows endocavity use, while providing real time follow-up and therapeutic effectiveness, was found in particular.

Therapeutic endocavity probe comprising an image transducer integrated within the therapy ultrasonic transducer

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale I.N.S.E.R.M.


An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that receives print data and forms an image on a sheet; a stacking section that stacks the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming section; and a notification section that issues notification prompting the user to change orientation of the sheet stacked on the stacking section in the case where an output mode, by which the sheet with the image formed thereon by the image forming section is outputted onto the stacking section, is changed between the sheet and a next sheet, wherein the notification section determines a change of the output mode based on any one of a sheet output orientation that is an orientation in outputting the sheet, on which the image is formed, onto the stacking section and a printing orientation that is an orientation in forming the image on the sheet.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method.
2. Related Art
There are known image forming apparatuses and the like that output sheets, on each of which an image is formed, in output patterns corresponding to sheet sizes or image orientations.

Image forming apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program


The present invention relates to a methods for producing bio-oils from vegetation high in lignin. The invention further relates to antimicrobial compositions comprising bio-oil extracted from vegetation high in lignin.

To circumvent the overuse of fossil fuels for energy and chemical production, lignocellulosic biomass has become a promising feedstock to produce biofuels and bioproducts. Lignocellulose is mainly comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In a biorefinery, the three components are fractionated using thermochemical or biochemical methods. Cellulose and hemicelluloses can be used to create bio-fuels like ethanol or bio-products like plastics. On the other hand, lignin in its polymeric form has no profitable uses besides to be combusted in a boiler to produce heat, stream and electricity in current biorefinery industries1. However, since lignin is comprised of a variety of polyphenolic compounds, creating value from lignin by utilizing it as a source of natural phenolics will not only generate extra profit for a biorefinery but also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from burning lignin.
Currently, overuse of antimicrobial agents has become a growing problem facing our society. Because of this, there has been a recent spike in the evolution of antimicrobial resistant organisms and a need for researchers to create new and novel antimicrobials. Current research trends are examining phenolic compounds for their antimicrobial properties2. Since lignin is considered a waste product from different industrial sectors (i.e. paper-pulp and biorefineries) and has a polyphenolic structure, lignin has the potential to become a future source of antimicrobial compounds.
The native lignin in plants has been considered to play a notable role in the plants defense by providing antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, insecticidal and antifeeding properties3. Lignin's source of antimicrobial properties are due to the phenolic subunits that comprise lignin's polyphenolic structure4. These polyphenolic compounds are thought to act as ionophores that increase ion permeability in the cell causing cell death or damage the cell membranes of both gram positive and negative bacteria causing cell lysis5-7. In the literature, lignin concentration, the exact structure of lignin phenolic subunits, and origin of the extracted lignin are drivers affecting its antimicrobial properties, that also depends on the microorganism being tested3, 5, 8. While a variety of lignin's from the Kraft process have had notable antimicrobial properties, lignin model monomers have been shown to have a greater antimicrobial affect compared to the larger and not well defined polyphenolic structures comprising Kraft and organosolv lignins9. Thus, to increase the antimicrobial properties of extracted lignin's its polyphenolic structure must be depolymerize into smaller units.
Since lignin is nonlinearly and randomly linked polyphenolic complex, containing ether linkages such as β-O-4, α-O-4, and 4-O-5, as well as condensed linkages (i.e. 5-5, β-β, β-5 and β-1), lignin is highly recalcitrant toward depolymerization which makes it difficult for effective valorization into low molecular weight phenolics10, 11. A variety of thermochemical methods have been employed to depolymerize lignin into bio-oils containing high amounts of monomeric phenolics, including pyrolysis12, hydrolysis13, 14, and hydrogenolysis10, 15. However, pyrolysis and hydrolysis methods lead to increased lignin condensation and repolymerization due to reactive phenolic monomers and free-radical reactions that reduces bio-oil and monomer yields12, 14. Therefore, since hydrogenolysis causes reductive bond cleavage of lignan linkages, that are hydrogenated and less reactive, hydrogenolysis has received increased attention16, 17. While more traditional hydrogenolysis methods utilize H2 gas as a hydrogen donating source to cleave ether linkages18, catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis (CTH) offers the use of inexpensive organic alcohols and catalysts to generate hydrogen molecules at lower temperatures and pressures19. While a variety of hydrogen donating agents have been utilized (i.e. formic acid, methanol, ethanol, teralin, water, isopropyl alcohol, acetonitrile, and acetone) to depolymerize lignin substrates20, ethanol at its supercritical state has been found to produce less solid residues, facilitate higher biomass conversion, and even act as a capping agent that reduces phenolic monomer repolymerization21, 22. Furthermore, lignin depolymerization products produced by CTH are usually a complex mixture of a variety of aromatic monomers and oligomers. Thus, to better identify key lignin derived compounds that can improve lignin valorization, it is necessary to investigate a separating method that can efficiently, and selectivity recover specific compounds. Liquid to liquid extraction is a method of separating compounds based on solubility in two different immiscible liquids. Due to its cost effectiveness and ability to recover solvents more readily, it is a more attractive option compared to chromatography or membrane filtration when separating aromatic/phenolic compounds from lignocellulosic derived bio-oils23-28. Previous work with solvent extraction has shown good performance in extracting phenolic compounds utilizing solvents like chloroform, hexane and ethyl acetate individually and sequentially29, 30. Ren et al.29 found that by using chloroform and ethyl acetate sequentially to extract compounds from pyrolytic oils created improved phenolic extraction yields compared to utilizing the solvents individually or using non-polar solvents. However, because chloroform and ethyl acetate are both polar, the use of additional non-polar solvents in the sequential extraction process could further improve specificity.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the disclosure to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Synthesis and formulation of lignin derived compounds as treatment of plant diseases


A flexible packaging bag is provided for containing a plurality of articles. Each of the articles has a component which is desirably visible to a user, purchaser, or the like. The flexible packaging bag includes a window in one of its walls that has a periphery substantially framing the graphic that is desired to be seen. A visual cue can be provided in another wall such that it is visually associated with the window in order to draw the attention of the user, purchaser, or the like to the graphic of the visible article. An accessory window is also provided in the flexible packaging bag so that the number of remaining articles can be easily determined visually.

The present invention relates to flexible packaging bags for containing and dispensing articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible packaging bag having a visual display feature permitting selected portions of the contained articles to be visually perceivable.
Packaging bags composed of flexible polymer materials have been used for packaging various types of products, such as infant diapers, training pants, feminine care products, and adult incontinence garments. These bags allow packaging of the articles to create a carton-like look and a configuration facilitating transportation and display on retail shelves. The bags may include handles to facilitate the carrying of the bags, and can include mechanisms for providing an access opening in the package.
In order to inform the consumer of the contents of a particular bag, the material of which the bag is made is printed with written information, illustrations, or the like appropriate for the particular articles. Generally, the material of which the bag is made will be printed with a background color, and upon this background color will be further printed an illustration of the contained articles and terminology describing the article, its use, the manufacturer, or the like.
One of the problems with the current printing of these bags is that they may not be truly representative of the actual product contained therein. This can have the undesirable effect of decreasing the credibility of the consumer in the product""s structure, and thus its performance.
In response to the discussed difficulties and problems encountered in the prior art, a flexible packaging bag having a visual display feature has been discovered.
In one form of the invention there is provided a packaging bag having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; all of the walls defining an interior space. A stack of articles are contained in the interior space, and each of the articles includes a front panel and a back panel with a graphic on one of the panels. One of the walls has a window having a periphery substantially framing at least a portion of the graphic.
In another form of the present invention there is provided a packaging bag having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, all of which define an interior space. A stack of articles are contained in the interior space. A window substantially wraps around four of the walls, and at least a segment of a component of the articles is visually perceivable through the window.
In yet another form of the present invention there is provided a packaging bag having a plurality of walls forming a polyhedral enclosure having an interior space. A stack of articles is contained in the interior space, and each of the articles has a component associated therewith. At least a portion of one of the walls is at least substantially clear, and the stack of articles are positioned in the interior space so that at least a segment of the component is visually perceivable through the substantially clear portion.
In still yet another form of the invention there is provided a packaging bag having a substantially transparent enclosure defined by a plurality of sides forming an interior space. A stack of articles are contained in the interior space, and each article has a front panel and a back panel. At least one of the panels of each article includes a graphic thereon. A mechanism is provided for accessing the interior space for dispensing the articles.

Flexible packaging bag with visual display feature


An electronic component includes compliant elevations having electrical contact areas for contact-connecting the component to an electronic circuit. The compliant elevations are arranged on a surface of the component and the electrical contact areas are arranged on the tip of the compliant elevations. The electrical contact with the electronic circuit is embodied by means of electrical conductive tracks arranged on the surface of the component. The conductive tracks ascend on the outer surfaces of the compliant elevations to the electrical contact areas.

Electronic components are increasingly being used as so-called wafer level packages or chip size packages. In order to meet the constant demand for ever smaller component dimensions, these components do not have housings but at most protective passivation or plastic layers, so that the dimensions thereof correspond precisely or virtually to those of the contained integrated circuit (chip). The integration of these components is effected by means of electrical contact areas that are preferably arranged in gridlike fashion and are electrically connected to the actual, primary contacts of the component via conductive tracks forming a rewiring plane.
The integration of such components in an electronic circuit is preferably effected by means of the known flip-chip technology. In this case, the chips are positioned with the side having the electrical contact areas downwards on the contact pads of a printed circuit board which correspond to the contact areas, and all contacts are produced simultaneously by means of a previously applied solder or conductive adhesive by component and substrate being joined to one another and soldered under the action of pressure and temperature.
The normal and shear stresses that act on the soldering connections and occur during the connecting process and, in particular, during later instances of thermal loading, for example during the artificial pre-ageing (burn-in), and are caused by the different thermal expansions of the connected materials of the component and the printed circuit board and also by possible unevennesses of the component are intended to be compensated for by preferably rubberlike, compliant elevations. The rubber-elastic properties of the elevations, which are manifested in the reversible deformability thereof, make it possible to take up and compensate for the mechanical stresses acting on the elevations. In most applications, this stress compensation has to be effected exclusively by the compliant elevations since such components, as described, do not have any further housing elements that would be suitable for compensating for or taking up the aforementioned stresses.
By way of example, such a component is described in WO 01/75969 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0067755, which applications are incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, compliant elevations are arranged in the grid structure of the electrical contact areas and have a hill-like form and also mechanical properties comparable with those of rubber or silicone. The crest of each compliant elevation of an electronic component is covered with an electrically conductive contact area, proceeding from which a conductive track, following the slope, runs as far as the surface of the component where it realizes, together with the conductive tracks proceeding from the other compliant elevations of the component, the rewiring of the contact areas to the primary electrical contacts of the component.
However, since the conductive tracks run along the slope surface of the compliant elevations, the latter must also be able to follow compensating displacements or deformations of the compliant elevations. While that is ensured by means of conductive tracks that ascend spirally, by way of example, their transitions from the surface of the component to the compliant elevation are problematic. In particular, the pressing-together during the joining process described leads to deformations of the compliant elevation, so that, during the process, the periphery of the structure is altered in the central region and the conductive track is mechanically overloaded on account of this at the base point, which may lead to the fracture of the conductive track and to the failure of the contact.
In order to completely avoid the formation of such a critical base point, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,885, which is incorporated herein by reference, by way of example, provides a compressible layer instead of the discrete compliant elevations, which layer covers the surface of the chip on which the contact pads thereof are arranged, and which leaves the contact pads free. The compressible layer in turn comprises further contact pads via which the integration of the chip is realized by means of solder or conductive adhesive. The electrical connection between the contact pads of the chip and those of the compressible layer is produced via flexible conductors that are routed arcuately and are encapsulated for protection each individually including the respective contact pad of the chip.
Besides the higher space requirement and the need to insert a further element for rewiring of the chip connections, such a complicated arrangement has the significant disadvantage that various additional method steps are necessary which each intrinsically may entail further reliability problems and require a high expenditure in terms of costs and time.

Electronic component with compliant elevations having electrical contact areas and method for producing it


A form for a concrete slab which consists of a series of similarly shaped steel plates that are held in predetermined spaced relationship by a series of special rebars, (special nuts are provided) before the slab is poured. The slab is criss-crossed by rebars which extend through the form to accurately locate the remaining steel plates as well as to prevent excessive cracking of the slab.

Concrete slabs have been manufactured over the past years using a variety of forms and materials. The Romans first used a slab composition composed of quick lime, pozzolana and a kind of pumice which is now known as Roman Concrete and this freed the Romans from the use of brick and stone in building structures. This substance was subjected to change and improvement until we have what is now known as modern concrete which is composed of Portland Cement (a powder) and a variety of aggregates to fill a variety of needs.
One question has always been with us, and that is "how do we increase the tensile strength of the cured concrete?" The present answer is the use of specially made steel rods (rebars) embedded in the concrete as it cured and this gives the necessary tensile strength to the cured concrete. It is known to use other materials such as fibres, steel shavings and materials such as horse hair which when added to the concrete mix improve its tensile strength.
Now that a satisfactory additive material has been found, what sort of a container (form) can be used hold the curing mixture as it sets? The form used by early practitioners and still is in use to day is wood. Here the pieces of wood are somehow joined to-gether at their ends to form an outer boundary which is supported by a system of stakes which are driven into the lower supporting surface (generally the earth) so as to maintain a desirable shape for the curing concrete. The lower surface which supports the concrete slab must be suitably prepared ahead of time. Uncured concrete is heavy and it is not unusual to have additional stakes driven into the supporting media beneath the concrete slab at angles which are required to buttress the form in areas where it is misshapen and bent out of the desired shape so that it requires additional support. The concrete is held in this form until sufficient time has elapsed that it is cured sufficiently to allow the removal of the wooden forms.
This invention seeks to provide a form that is much easier to use, in that it is easier to set up, and yet does not impede the curing process of the concrete. It will be found that this form is easy to assemble by unskilled labour which contributes to its overall efficiency. Because this invention utilizes a metal form, means are incorporated for accurately locating the members composing this form.


A container system for washing cars includes a base container, which may include wheels, rollers, etc., for mobility, which is structured to contain a cleaning solution during a car washing operation. A basket having a grate is positionable into the base container, and is structured to filter out particulate matter from the cleaning solution during a washing operation, and to provide a means for air circulation to one or more cleaning accessories stored thereon upon completion. A cover container is provided which is cooperatively structured with the base container to operatively engage one another in a closed configuration, for transport and storage, along with a plurality of cleaning accessories stored therein. The cover container may be utilized as a seat or step stool by the user during a car washing operation. At least one handle is provided and is structured to at least facilitate positioning of the container system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a multi-purpose container system intended for use primarily in washing a car, truck, or other vehicle, but which can also be used for cleaning a variety of other objects. The inventive container system is readily disposable between an open operative orientation during use, and a closed configuration for transport and/or storage of same, along with a plurality of cleaning accessories readily disposed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the advent of the automobile over a hundred years ago, numerous individuals as well as businesses have undertaken the task of washing and/or otherwise cleaning the interior and exterior of their vehicle(s) or those of their customers. In the United States, many people have seen and are familiar with local neighborhood car wash events hosted by school children, or other organizations, to raise funds for various non-profit sponsored events. In addition, most Americans are also familiar with the simple way of washing their cars, namely, taking an open bucket or pail and filling it with water and a small amount of cleaning solution, such as liquid soap or a specialty automobile cleaning solution, and then using a rag, sponge, and/or cleaning cloth which is dipped in and out of the bucket in order to clean the exterior of the vehicle. Thereafter, the vehicle is then rinsed with clean water, and in many cases, one or more towels are used to dry the vehicle after it has been washed.
Upon completing a car washing operation utilizing the open bucket or pail as described above, the used cleaning solution is poured out, such as down a drain, and the bucket or pail, sponge and/or cloths, etc., are rinsed with clean water, whereupon the towels, rags, etc., are oftentimes hung on the side of the pail, and/or the sponge is deposited inside the pail or bucket. Thereafter, the bucket of pail, and its contents, are sometimes placed on a driveway or other ground surface to dry or as is perhaps more common, placed in a garage, storage closet, or even the trunk of a car to dry. In many of such instances, however, it is unfortunately common for mold or mildew to form in or on the sponge, towel, rag, etc. Further, it is not uncommon for the open bucket or pail to be knocked over by accident, which has the effect of dislodging the contents i.e., the sponge, cleaning solution, towels or rags, sometimes causing them to get dirty from the surfaces they touch.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide a container system for washing cars, and other vehicles or objects, which is readily disposable between an open operative orientation, in which a cleaning solution can be at least temporarily contained to allow a user to perform a car washing operation, as well as a closed configuration in which all of the cleaning supplies, such as, towels, rags, sponges, and cleaning solution, etc., could be securely contained for transport and or storage. It would be further beneficial for any such container system to incorporate one or more handles for ease of positioning the container system during a car washing operation, as well as to facilitate temporary placement of cleaning towels, brushes, etc., during washing or an initial drying period. It would also be advantageous for any such system to permit air circulation therethrough while disposed in a closed configuration, in order to facilitate drying of the cleaning accessories, once again, cloths, rags, sponges, etc., thereby inhibiting, or even eliminating the formation of mold and mildew on the cleaning accessories. Yet another benefit maybe gained from any such a container system by providing a component which would allow a user to sit or stand thereon during a car washing operation, so as to facilitate completion of the same.


The present invention discloses a portable device and the display processing method thereof. The portable device comprises a first long side in the first dimension, a second short side in the second dimension, and a third side in the third dimension in the space, and the portable device comprises a first display unit in the plane formed by the first long side and the second short side. A first image is displayed on the first display unit. The display processing method comprises detecting the gesture operation of at least one side of the first long side, the second short side and the third side; generating an adjustment command according to the gesture operation; and adjusting the display effect of the first image according to the adjustment command.

The present application relates to the field of the portable device and more particularly, to a portable device and the display processing method thereof.
In recent years, with the continuously increasing requirement on portability by the users, there appears a headset imaging device, i.e. so-called electronic glasses. Such a headset imaging device comprises a single or two separate display screens, and can display two images of the left-eye image and the right-eye image on the display screens, respectively. Thereby the two images are synthesized in the human brain and perceived as a stereoscopic image.
Because of the individual differences, such as the differences in interpupillary distance and vision of the users, when a different user is wearing such a portable device, the user is typically required to adjust the displayed image. In one prior method, an external adjustment device is provided with the portable device as a complete set. The external adjustment device is used to adjust the image displayed on the portable device. However, the size of this external adjustment device is relatively large. The external adjustment device, as an accessory independent of the portable device, reduces the portability of the portable device and brings inconvenience to the user.
In another prior method, the hard buttons, knobs, switches and the like are provided on the main body of the portable device, through which the image is adjusted. However, when the user is operating these hard buttons, knobs and switches, the worn position of the portable device will often be caused to offset or jitter, affecting the user's viewing the image and thus, affecting the adjustment effect.

Portable device and display processing method for adjustment of images


In one embodiment, an edge router of a local computer network snoops client-server protocol configuration information of a customer-premises equipment (CPE) device. From the snooping, the edge router may identify an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) transition option in place at the CPE device along with associated configuration parameters for the IPv6 transition option. As such, the edge router may then advertise the IPv6 transition option along with associated configuration parameters to one or more border/relay routers of the local computer network to cause the one or more border/relay routers to provision themselves with the IPv6 transition option and associated configuration parameters.

Increasingly, network operators offer IPv6 and IPv4 data services to their (external or internal) subscribers by not only using a dual-stack network, but also by using tunneling or translation (or both) through their v4 or v6 or dual-stack networks. In addition, tunneling or translation options are increasingly being used as "IPv6 Transition" or "IPv4 Address Exhaust" options, such as, for example:                1. IPv6 Rapid Deployment or "6rd" (6over4 tunnel mode);        2. IPv4 Residual Deployment encapsulation or "4rd-e" (4over6 tunnel mode);        3. Dual stateless IPv4/IPv6 translation or "dIVI" (4via6 translation mode);        4. Lightweight address family transition for IPv6 or "laft6" (4via6 translation mode); and        5. 4rd translation or "4rd-t" (4via6 translation mode).
Generally, all of the above IPv6 transition options require a set of related configuration parameters at the customer-premises equipment (CPE, also customer-provided equipment) as well as border/relay routers. For example, 6rd builds a stateless tunnel between the CPE and the border/relay router, and requires information such as 6rd domain, IPv4-address-to-IPv6-address mapping on the CPE as well as the border/relay routers. As another example, dIVI and 4rd require information such as 4rd domain, IPv6 prefixes, IPv4 address, sharing ratio, suffix, etc. on the CPE and border/relay routers.

Dynamic discovery of IPV6 transition parameters by border/relay routers


A cycle saddle which accommodates for the movement of a rider's ischial tuberosities. In one embodiment, portions of the saddle substantially coinciding with the rider's ischial tuberosities yield to the downward movement of the ischial tuberosities to reduce the magnitude of the localized pressure concentrations in these areas. In another embodiment, the saddle has a portion which pivots transversely about the central, longitudinal axis of the saddle during the pedalling motion to account not only for the downward movement of an ischial tuberosity, but also for the associated upward movement of the other ischial tuberosity.

Bicycles have undergone significant design developments and a number of specialized classifications have evolved (e.g., racing, touring, mountain). These classifications typically utilize, for instance, different frame geometries, constructions, and gear ratios, and some even necessitate or accommodate for different rider orientations to optimize performance under a particular set of conditions. Notwithstanding the many variations between the classifications and in fact within the classifications themselves, the saddle remains a primary structure in the interaction between the rider and the bicycle.
The interaction between the rider and the saddle has a significant effect on the comfort accorded the rider and the performance which the rider is able to achieve from the bicycle. When taking rider comfort into consideration in saddle design, the weight of the rider acting upon the saddle should generally be distributed over as large an area as possible to reduce concentrated pressure (i.e., the application of the same magnitude of force over a larger area reduces pressure) In a static analysis, the optimum saddle width would thus be equal to that of the rider's buttocks such that the rider's two ischial tuberosities would each effectively sustain one-half of the rider's weight. However, dynamically this saddle width could adversely affect not only rider comfort, but the level of performance that a rider is able to achieve as well.
An efficient power stroke in pedalling a bicycle requires a substantial downward extension of the legs in an alternating fashion. The amount of this extension is controlled by the distance between the saddle and the lowest pedal position. In the event that a wide conventional saddle is vertically positioned to allow for the desired alternating leg extensions, such extensions will cause the associated ischial tuberosity and/or other adjacently located, protruding bony structures (hereinafter collectively referred to as "ischial tuberosities") to also attempt to move in a downward direction. However, the saddle resists this motion which thereby creates a localized pressure concentration which adversely affects rider comfort.
While pedalling, the ischial tuberosity associated with the leg moving toward the uppermost pedal position tends to move vertically upward and may lose contact with the conventional saddle. In this case, the ischial tuberosity of the downwardly extended leg will effectively support the entire weight of the rider. Consequently, the magnitude of the above-described localized pressure concentration is further increased. In addition to this now magnified level of rider discomfort, performance is also adversely affected in that the saddle inhibits the downward movement of the ischial tuberosity as it attempts to follow the downward extension of the leg in the power stroke.
In order to reduce the effects of the interaction of the ischial tuberosities and the conventional saddle in the above-described manner, the saddle may be positioned such that the desired leg extension is not achieved, i.e., too low. As a result, the amount of downward vertical movement of the ischial tuberosities is reduced which thereby reduces the magnitude of the associated localized pressure concentration. This gain in rider comfort, however, is accompanied by a decrease in the power that the rider is able to generate since the leg can no longer be extended to the desired degree. Moreover, as the amount of leg extension is reduced, undesirable strains and/or stresses may be introduced to the knee joints.
Based on the foregoing problems with the wide conventional saddle, narrower saddles which allow for either free vertical reciprocation of the ischial tuberosities or which allow the ischial tuberosities to contact a downwardly extending, convexly arcuate surface are commonly used by riders. Although this produces a higher performance saddle, the cost in terms of added rider discomfort is significant. Further contributing to these factors is that saddles are typically designed to fit narrow anatomical structures. As a result, larger persons using such saddles often experience an even greater magnitude of discomfort.
Many attempts have been made to design a saddle which provides a more desirable blend of rider comfort and saddle performance. One alternative is to utilize a saddle having a laterally arcuate, convexly-shaped mid portion which is wide enough such that the rider's ischial tuberosities are supported by the saddle, thereby increasing the area over which the rider's weight is applied. Again, in a static analysis this sharing of the load reduces pressure. In order to reduce the effects of the downward movement of the ischial tuberosities in the dynamic analysis, the areas of the saddle which the ischial tuberosities contact are either independently downwardly stretchable (e.g., by utilizing a thinner cross section in this region than is used in remaining portions of the saddle), or there are depressions in these areas of the saddle to engage the ischial tuberosities. U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,214 to Jacobs, issued Dec. 14, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,537 to Jacobs, issued Jul. 4, 1978; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,090 to Hoffacker et al., issued Aug. 19, 1980, are generally representative of these efforts.
Other saddles have attempted to provide a blend of rider comfort and saddle performance by utilizing a split-seat configuration. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,925 to Barker et al., issued Jun. 14, 1983, generally discloses two supports which are each freely (over a limited range of angular motion) and independently pivotable about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the central, longitudinal axis of the bicycle. The supports are somewhat oblong and contoured to generally conform to the shape of the buttocks and the upper leg portion of the rider. Consequently, the supports effectively pivot to follow the planar motion defined by the legs in pedalling the bicycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,668 to Rouw, issued Sep. 17, 1985, utilizes a split seat configuration with a substantially similar rotational plane of motion to that of Barker et al. However, the split supports are interconnected such that when the forward portion of one support is deflected downwardly, the forward portion of the opposite support is forced upwardly to the same degree.
A second variation of a split seat configuration accommodates for three-dimensional motion. The individual seat supports are attached to an appropriate supporting structure such that the seat supports deflect according to the manner in which the forces are applied thereto by the rider. Representative of these types of saddles include U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,775 to Mesinger, issued Dec. 20, 1977; U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,998 to Blase, issued Jan. 25, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,608 to Erani, issued Apr. 23, 1985.
Notwithstanding the advancements in cycle saddle design, there remains a need for a saddle which provides for rider comfort without adversely affecting the performance that the rider is able to achieve to a significant degree.


The present invention relates to the use of a polypeptide with the biological activity of a sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase which, if not present, brings about growth retardation symptoms and chlorotic leaves and which is encoded by the nucleic acid sequences SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5 or by a functional equivalent of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:5 as target for herbicides. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of the abovementioned polypeptides in a method for identifying herbicidal or growth-regulatory compounds which inhibit sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of these compounds which have been identified via the method as herbicides or growth regulators.

The basic principle of identifying herbicides via inhibiting a defined target is known (for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,071, WO 98/33925, WO 00/77185). In general, there is a great demand for the detection of enzymes which might constitute novel targets for herbicides. Reasons for this are that herbicidal active ingredients which act on known targets demonstrate the development of resistance problems, and the constant endevor to identify novel herbicidal active ingredients which are distinguished by as broad as possible a range of action, environmental friendliness and toxicological compatibility and/or low application rates.
In practice, the detection of novel targets always entails great difficulties since the inhibition of an enzyme which is part of a metabolic pathway frequently has no further effects on the plant's growth. The reason may be that the plant switches over to alternative metabolic pathways whose existence is not known, or that the enzyme which is being inhibited is not limiting for the metabolic pathway. Furthermore, plant genomes are distinguished by a high degree of functional redundance. In the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, functionally equivalent enzymes are more frequently found in gene families than is the case with insects or mammals (Nature, 2000, 408(6814):796-815). This hypothesis is confirmed experimentally by the fact that large gene knock-out programs by means of the insertion of T-DNA or transposons into Arabidopsis have, as yet, yielded fewer manifested phenotypes than expected (Curr. Op. Plant Biol. 4, 2001, pp. 111-117).

Sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase as target for herbicides


Systems, methods and apparatuses for configuring a set of devices of a structure are disclosed. One method includes loading a structure plan to a mobile computing device, wherein the structure plan is associated with the structure, communicating, by the mobile computing device, with one or more of the set of devices, communicating, by each of the one or more of the set of devices, a device identifier and proximity dependent information of the device back to the mobile computing device, wherein the proximity dependent information allows the mobile computing device to estimate a proximate location of the device, and placing, by the mobile computing device, each of the one or more of the set of devices on the structure floor plan based at least in part on the proximity dependent information.

Lighting control can be used to automatically control lighting under certain conditions, thereby conserving power. However, lighting control, specifically advanced lighting controls have not been widely adopted in the general commercial market because the installation, setup related costs and complexity have made these lighting systems prohibitively expensive for most commercial customers.
It is desirable to have methods, systems and apparatuses for placing devices of a structure on a plan.

Configuring a set of devices of a structure


This invention relates to a device for detecting cancer cells. The device includes a light source for generating light (e.g., a light emitting diode), a first optical filter selected from the group consisting of a band pass filter and a long pass filter, a second optical filter (i.e., a band pass filter) disposed between the light source and the first optical filter, and a sample receiver for receiving a sample. The sample receiver is disposed between the first and second optical filters. The first optical filter, the sample receiver, and the second optical filter are aligned so that light emitted from the light source passes sequentially through the second optical filter, the sample receiver, and the first optical filter.

Telomeres, the ends of chromosomes, are essential for the stability and replication of eukaryotic chromosomes. See, e.g., Williamson J. R., Annu. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct., 1994, 23:703. Telomeric sequences are shortened during cell division since DNA synthesis cannot fully replicate the extreme ends of chromosomes. A reduction in the telomere length to a critical level can lead to genomic instability, aberrant chromosome fusion, and cellular senescence. See, e.g., Harley et al., Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev., 1995, 5:249. In contrast, telomeres of tumor cells do not shorten during cell replication due to the presence of a telomerase, which allows adding nucleotides to telomeric DNA at the ends of chromosomes. See, e.g., Feng et al., Science, 1995, 269:1236. Telomerase is expressed in more than 85% of tumor cells, but not in most somatic cells. See Harley et al., Nature, 1990, 345:458. Thus, telomerase is becoming a promising target for cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. See Blackburn E. H., Nature, 1991, 350:569.
Telomeres generally consist of many tandem repeats of guanine-rich (G-rich) motifs, such as T2AG3 in human telomeres. See Morin GB., Cell, 1989, 59:521. It is shown in in vitro assays that the 3′-overhang G-rich single strand adopts an intramolecular G-quadruplex structure. The quadruplex structure is stabilized by π-π interaction of a cyclic G-quartet, formed through Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding. See Gellert et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1962, 48:2013. Since folding telomeric DNA into G-quadruplexes has been shown to inhibit telomerase activities in vitro, G-quadruplexes have also been considered as potential targets for antitumor agents. See Zahler et al., Nature, 1991, 350:718.


Disclosed is a battery including a cathode and an anode wound to face each other with a separator interposed therebetween. Both surfaces of a cathode collector are provided with cathode active-material coating layers so as not to provide a cathode uncoated part at a winding beginning portion of the cathode. The cathode uncoated part for installation of a cathode lead is provided only at a winding ending portion of the cathode. An insulator tape is attached to the boundary of the cathode active-material coating layer facing the anode at the winding ending portion of the cathode. Providing the insulator tape to the boundary of the cathode active-material coating layer at a position where a non-coating part not containing the cathode active-material coating layer and an anode active-material coating layer face each other achieves enhanced electrical insulation capability and consequential safety of the battery.

Conventionally, differently from a primary battery having no charge ability, a rechargeable secondary battery having charge and discharge characteristics is actively under study with the development of advanced technologies including digital cameras, cellular phones, laptop computers, hybrid cars, etc. Examples of the secondary battery include a nickel-cadmium battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-hydrogen battery, a lithium secondary battery, etc.
Of the above-mentioned secondary batteries, a lithium secondary battery has an actuation voltage of 3.6V or more. The lithium secondary battery may be utilized as a power source for portable electronic appliances, or may be utilized in high-power hybrid cars when a plurality of lithium secondary batteries are connected in series. Since the lithium secondary battery has a higher actuation voltage three times that of the nickel-cadmium battery or nickel-metal hydride battery and also, has superior energy density per unit weight, the use of the lithium secondary battery is rapidly increasing.
At present, a lithium ion battery has been fabricated, wherein a cathode and an anode, which are insulated by a separator interposed therebetween, are wound into a cylindrical or prismatic electrode assembly, and after the resulting electrode assembly is inserted into a metal can, an electrolyte is injected into the metal can. As the metal can is sealed, the fabrication of the lithium ion battery is completed.
More particularly, a conventional lithium ion battery includes a cathode in which a cathode active-material coating layer is provided on one surface or both surfaces of a cathode collector, and an anode in which an anode active-material coating layer is provided on one surface or both surfaces of an anode collector, the cathode and anode being wound with a plurality of separators interposed therebetween.
In the case where active-material coating layers are provided on both surfaces of an electrode collector, the active-material coating layer provided on one surface of the electrode collector is generally shorter than the active-material coating layer provided on the other surface of the electrode collector. Typically, it is desirable that a length and width of an anode be longer than a length and width of a cathode, to prevent extraction of lithium ions from the cathode.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional battery, and FIG. 2 illustrates a "jelly-roll" configuration of the wound battery. Considering the configuration of the conventional battery in detail with reference to the drawings, the battery includes a cathode in which cathode active-material coating layers 20a and 20b are provided on at least one surface of a cathode collector 10, an anode in which anode active-material coating layers 40a and 40b are provided on at least one surface of an anode collector 30, and a plurality of separators 50a and 50b interposed between the cathode and the anode.
At least one of a winding beginning portion and winding ending portion of the cathode collector 10 or anode collector 30 contains a cathode uncoated part 10′ or anode uncoated part 30′ where no electrode active-material coating layer is present. These uncoated parts 10′ and 30′ are provided with electrode leads 60 and 70 to be connected to exterior terminals. Both the electrode leads, i.e. a cathode lead 60 and an anode lead 70 are arranged in the same direction.
When the cathode active-material coating layer 20a comes into contact with the anode with the separator interposed therebetween, the cathode active-material coating layer 20a must overlap the facing anode active-material coating layer 40b (in other words, must have a smaller area than that of the anode active-material coating layer 40b), in consideration of a winding deviation and positional change caused upon charge and discharge of the battery. Under this condition, the boundary between the cathode active-material coating layer and the cathode uncoated part 10′ comes across the anode active-material coating layer 40b. This causes micro-holes or shrinkage and damages to other functions of the facing separator 50, resulting in significant heat emission upon contact between the anode active-material coating layer 40b and the cathode uncoated part 10′.
Meanwhile, when the anode and cathode active-material coating layer come into contact with each other under the occurrence of short circuit, there exist a negligible short circuit current and heat emission because of a high electric resistance of the cathode active-material coating layer. However, when the anode comes into contact with the cathode uncoated part (i.e. a part of the cathode collector where no cathode active-material coating layer is present), an insufficient electric resistance causes a serious short circuit current and heat emission which act as dangerous factors significantly deteriorating safety of the battery.
To solve the above-described problems, conventionally, a method for providing insulators 90a, 90b, 90c and 90d at the boundary of the cathode active-material coating layer for preventing short circuit in facing region between the cathode uncoated part and the anode has been adopted.
Referring to FIG. 2 illustrating the jelly-roll wound configuration of the battery shown in FIG. 1, front and rear sides of the cathode lead 60 face the anode uncoated part or the anode active-material coating layer, respectively, with only one layer of separator interposed therebetween. Therefore, either side of the cathode lead 60 has a necessity for an additional insulator for the purpose of preventing short circuit.
Further, since a beginning portion or ending portion of the cathode active-material coating layer faces the anode active-material coating layer with only one layer of separator interposed therebetween, it is necessary to provide an insulator therebetween for the purpose of preventing short circuit.
With respect to the anode lead 70, it comes into contact, at opposite sides thereof, with the anode with six layers of separators and two layers of separators interposed therebetween, respectively. Therefore, there is no necessity for an additional insulator. Similar to the anode lead 70, both surfaces of a winding beginning portion of the anode come into contact with another region of the anode with six layers of separators and two layers of separators interposed therebetween, respectively, eliminating a necessity for an additional insulator.
However, a beginning portion and distal end of the anode coating layer faces the cathode uncoated part or cathode active-material coating layer with only one layer of the separator interposed therebetween and therefore, it is necessary to provide an additional insulator due to a risk of short circuit.

Battery having enhanced electrical insulation capability


A sensing device has at least two remote units mounted on an attachable tape, the remote units being mounted on separate branches of the attachable tape, a controller mounted on the attachable tape, electrical connections at least between each remote unit and the controller, the electrical connections on the attachable tape, and a surface to which the tape is attached such that the branches are separated from each other. A method of manufacturing a sensing device, including providing an attachable substrate, and fabricating electronic devices on the substrate, the electronic devices including at least two remote units, a controller and electrical connections between the remote units and the controller, and arranging the electronic devices such that at least two remote units are separated from each other.

Sensor tapes allow gathering of data from surfaces that is generally more accurate than other types of sensors because the sensors conform to the surface. This allows a more accurate reading along the surface, whether planar or curved, and therefore provides more accurate data to analysis and read out electronics. Moreover, sensor tapes may be manufactured by inexpensive fabrication processes that pose limitations on the sensor design. However, since the fabrication is inexpensive, tapes with multiple sensors and distributed sensors can be made. Therefore, multiple sensors on one tape in different locations compensate for the lack of performance of the individual sensors.
Current sensor tapes include VarioSens data loggers from KSW-Microtec. Generally, these consist of adhesive 'labels' that monitor temperature and may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The loggers are started at the beginning of a sensing episode and then the information logged is downloaded to a PC or RFID card reader at the end.
Other examples include medical skin patches, such as a biopolymer skin patch available from ISIS, Alza's E-Trans, and the iontophoretic patch available from Vyteris. These are generally square or round patches that have individual sensor electrodes, but are not monolithically integrated. This is similar to the VarioSens data loggers, as each one is a discrete component.
A disadvantage of these discrete components is that they are not very useful when attached to an object having multiple points upon which readings are actions are desired. Each individual sensor component may be mounted in different areas of the curved surface, but they would have to be somehow tied together to model the surface. This leads to a less-than-robust sensing solution and has an increased complexity.