Provided are a flexible film package module and a method of manufacturing the same that can be adapted for manufacture at lower cost and/or to adapt the characteristics of the flexible film package module for specific applications. The lower-cost flexible film package module includes a tape film that combines both a first insulating substrate, typically formed from a higher-cost polyimide material, and a second insulating substrate, typically formed from an insulating material or materials that are less expensive and/or provide modified performance when compared with the first insulating material. Both the first and second substrates will include complementary circuit patterns that will be electrically and physically connected to allow the composite substrate to function as a unitary substrate. The first and second substrates will also include connection regions that may be adapted for connection to printed circuit boards and/or electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device used for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and, more particularly, to a flexible film package.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the rapid development of LCD-related technologies has accelerated the shift to an information-oriented society. In general, data communication electronic devices in which an LCD is utilized are required to be thin, light-weight, and compact for portable use. Thus, new methods of mounting semiconductor chips on semiconductor packages have been proposed for LCD devices.
While micro ball grid array (μ-BGA)-type semiconductor packages were widely used for conventional data communication electronic devices that incorporated an LCD, flexible film packages are currently being increasingly utilized. A flexible film package is a semiconductor package in which a semiconductor chip is directly attached onto a flexible thin-tape-type film so as to reduce the area occupied by the mounted semiconductor chip.
Flexible film packages do not generally utilize solder balls as external connection terminals but instead rely on an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) that is directly attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) or a glass panel for an LCD. The flexible film packages include broad categories such as tape carrier packages (TCP), chip on film (CoF) packages and other configurations known in the packaging arts.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional flexible film package module, illustrating the manner in which the flexible film package module is mounted on an LCD substrate. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in a conventional LCD device, semiconductor packages for controlling light, for example, a plurality of flexible film packages 100, are mounted on a top surface of a glass panel 300, and semiconductor packages 600, on each of which a gate integrated circuit (IC) for controlling voltage may be mounted, are formed on a lateral surface of the glass panel 300.
The flexible film packages 100 are bent and mounted on the glass panel 300 and connected to a PCB 200, which is positioned behind the glass panel 300. The PCB 200 may be considerably larger than the individual packages so that a plurality of flexible film packages 100 may all be attached thereto. A plurality of semiconductor devices 210 for operating the LCD device may be installed at other locations on the PCB 200.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of one flexible film package 100 shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, no semiconductor chip has yet been mounted on the flexible film package 100. The flexible film package 100 is formed from a polyimide film 10, which has an excellent coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and is highly durable. A chip paddle 18 is formed on the polyimide film 10, and the circuit pattern of the chip paddle 18 is, in turn, connected to a copper pattern 16 that is configured for extending and attaching to both the PCB and the glass panel.
A semiconductor chip (110 of FIG. 3) may be attached to the chip paddle 18 using bump connectors and one or more slit holes 20 may be formed in the polyimide film 10 so that the polyimide film may be more easily bent. In FIG. 2, B1 designates a portion of the flexible film package 100 that is attached to the PCB while B2 designates a portion of the flexible film package 100 which is attached to the glass panel. TP1 and TP2 designate conductive pads that may be used for electrical inspection and testing conducted after the flexible film package 100 has been completed. A1 designates a region where a solder resist may be is coated in order to protect the copper pattern 16 from damage or corrosion resulting from to external forces or contaminants and shorts between leads caused by conductive particulates or other foreign materials. A2 designates a cutting line along which each of the individual flexible film packages 100 may be separated from other adjacent flexible packages and excess polyimide film after the assembly and electrical inspection have been completed to obtain an individual flexible film package.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible film package module of FIG. 1, illustrating the shape in which the flexible film package module is bent. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bent flexible film package 100 is attached to edges of a glass panel 300 and a PCB 200. A protective cover 700, typically metal, may be disposed outside the glass panel 300 and the PCB 200. A light emission unit 400, for example, a fluorescent light, may be mounted between the glass panel 300 and the PCB 200, with a filler 500, through which light may be transmitted, filling the space between the glass panel and the PCB. Thus, light from the light emission unit 400 transmits the filler 500 and penetrates the glass panel to create an image.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the copper pattern 16 formed on the polyimide tape may be connected to the glass panel 300 and the PCB 200 using an ACF 180. Reference numeral 202 denotes a copper pattern formed on the PCB 200.
A conventional flexible film package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,246, dated May 9, 2000, entitled "Microelectric Package Including Flexible Layers and Flexible Extensions, and Liquid Crystal Display Modules Using the Same." However, conventional flexible film packages have certain limitations. For example, although the polyimide films used to form the flexible film package tend to have excellent durability and CTE, they also tend to be very expensive so that a semiconductor package manufacturing process that uses a polyimide film will tend to be more costly than one that does not. Substantially, when a conventional flexible film package is manufactured, the production cost ratio between the semiconductor package and the incorporated semiconductor chip can be as much as 6:1, a cost ratio that is generally higher than that of other kinds of semiconductor packages. Therefore, reducing the production cost for flexible film semiconductor packages would strengthen the price competitiveness of such packages.

Low-cost flexible film package module and method of manufacturing the same


Systems and methods for presentation to raters of constructed responses to test questions in electronic workfolders. The systems and methods provide for selection and designation of constructed responses into categories for use in quality control functions and training applications. A storage device is used to relationally store data regarding the raters, the constructed responses, and the scores awarded for use in selecting constructed responses for use in quality control and training. The system also comprises rater stations and processing systems for selectively transmitting constructed responses to the rater stations and receiving scores awarded by the raters assigned to the rater stations during both training and actual production scoring. The system further comprises rater stations and processing systems for displaying rater performance data, topic performance data, constructed response volume data, and candidate sample volume data.

A recent trend in testing emphasizes a move beyond traditional multiple choice tests in favor of tests that require open-ended responses such as essay responses. These open-ended responses are often referred to as constructed responses (CRs). However, CRs are not limited to written text, but may include graphics, videotaped performances, audio responses, as well as other forms of responses. In order to improve the efficiency of scoring large scale standardized tests, both those offered at periodic administrations as well as those offered essentially on a daily basis, computer systems have been developed to automatically score multiple-choice responses and other simple response types. While some automatic scoring systems have been designed to score particular types of CRs (see e.g., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/794,498, entitled Automatic Scoring for Categorized Figural Responses, assigned to the same assignee hereunder), the evaluation of CRs is particularly well-suited to human raters. For this reason, certain computer scoring systems have been developed to facilitate and automate the electronic transmission of CRs to human raters for evaluation and scoring. However, these conventional computer scoring systems currently have many disadvantages.
Conventional computer scoring systems generally include a centralized processor such as a server or mainframe computer and terminals or workstations (hereinafter "rater stations") interfaced with the centralized processor. The centralized processor is also interfaced with a data storage device in which CRs in electronic form are stored. The CRs may be scanned images or ASCII text, for example. The centralized processor transmits one CR at a time to a rater station for scoring by a rater or scorer operating at the rater station. The rater enters a score via the rater station. The score is typically transmitted back to the centralized processor for storage in the data storage device.
However, the distribution of CRs one-at-a-time often results in noticeable delay between the request for the CRs and receipt of the CRs at the rater stations for scoring, and therefore, does not maximize the raters' time for scoring responses. Moreover, once a score is entered by the rater and committed, i.e., transmitted back to the server and recorded in the storage device, the rater has no opportunity thereafter to review the CR or modify the score awarded. This disadvantage may be significant when a rater begins a scoring session and after scoring a number of CRs decides that the earlier scores awarded were either too lenient or too harsh. Thus, there exists a need for a scoring system that efficiently transmits a plurality of CRs to a rater station such that the rater may review both the CRs and scores awarded in any order before committing the scores to the scoring system.
Furthermore, there exists a recognized need to properly train and monitor human raters to assure that the scoring is accurate and reliable. In computer scoring systems, monitoring performance has been accomplished through the presentation of monitoring CRs, i.e., CRs which are associated with predetermined or qualified scores. Such CRs may also be used for training purposes to help new raters learn how to assess CRs in accordance with certain scoring criteria. CRs having known scores associated with them may also be useful in assisting more experienced raters calibrate their scoring prior to scoring CRs during a scoring session. Other CRs with known scores may be useful in certifying new raters to qualify them prior to scoring.
In addition, benchmark CRs and rangefinder CRs which exemplify CRs having a particular known score have been used in manual scoring assessments to guide raters in identifying CRs warranting particular scores. Benchmark CRs may specifically be used across test administrations to define the score points. Rangefinder CRs are typically shown to raters as a set so that the rater may practice scoring a CR with a given score.
Conventional computer scoring systems do not transmit benchmark CRs or rangefinder CRs to rater stations for use by raters during scoring. Moreover, conventional scoring systems do not have the capability to select CRs for different uses, e.g., training, calibration, certification, etc. Thus, there further exists a need for computer scoring systems that provide an efficient means for selecting and distributing various types of CRs to raters based on their experience.
Furthermore, conventional computer scoring systems have limited gathering and reporting capabilities. Typically, in prior art scoring systems, the only type of data that is available is that collected for an individual scorer. Further, the statistical information on reader performance is collected only for specified scoring sessions as opposed to continuously from the time the reader becomes certified. Also, because most prior art systems are designed around one centralized processor, often there is a delay between when a rater or scorer takes an action and when the action will be included in a report. Thus, statistics are not available in "real time." Furthermore, prior art scoring systems do not gather and report statistics on the wide variety of transactions for which it would be useful to have such statistics. For example, it would be useful and a great advancement in the art to be able to generate a report regarding scoring on a particular test or topic area, or statistics generated for a particular scoring center, or system wide statistics involving all scoring centers. Thus, there exists a need for a scoring system that provides immediate and in depth data reporting on scorers, site and system wide transactions. The present invention addresses these many needs in the art.

Computerized system for scoring constructed responses and methods for training, monitoring, and evaluating human rater's scoring of constructed responses


A method of inhibiting excitotoxicity by indirectly activating α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) which indirectly activate synaptic AMPA and NMDA receptors is disclosed. Inhibitors of α7 nACHRs, such as macrocyclic diterpenoids, more specifically cembranoids or methyllycaconitine (MLA), indirectly activate α4β2 nAChRs and can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson Disease, AIDS related dementia and the delayed effects of stroke. They can also be used to treat diseases associated with neuronal impairment, including, but not limited to glaucoma caused by optical nerve damage, delayed effects of epilepsy; and multiple sclerosis.

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease, AIDS-related dementia and the delayed effects of stroke, share one important element: neuronal death (death of nervous system cells) by a common mechanism called excitotoxicity.
Excitotoxicity results from excessive stimulation of glutamate receptors, particularly a subtype of glutamate receptors which specifically responds to the synthetic compound N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). The NMDA receptor is a protein embedded in the cell membrane and containing in its structure a channel for positive ions. When the receptor is activated by glutamate, a channel opens and allows calcium ions (Ca.sup.2+) to enter the cell. Excessive activation of this receptor allows too much Ca.sup.2+ to enter the cell and this excess of Ca.sup.2+ leads to cell death. Most of the ensuing neuronal death is a particular kind of cell death called apoptosis. Apoptosis results from the activation by Ca.sup.2+ of built-in physiological mechanisms called the pro-apoptotic cell signaling pathways. Neuronal death results in impaired nervous system function such as impaired memory (Alzheimer's disease) and impaired coordination of movements (Parkinson disease).
Recent studies involving neuroprotection from excitotoxicity have suggested that activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) mediates neuroprotection. For example, it has been reported that activation of α7 nAChRs on GABAergic interneurons evokes both dendritic and somatic inhibition of hippocampal neurons (Buhler A V and Dunwiddie T V Neurosci: 106:55-67 (2001). The fact that inhibition of α7 receptors decrease GABA input to cholinergic neurons (Giorgetti et al., Eur J Neurosci 12(6):1941-8 (2000); Materi, L. M., and Semba K., Eur J Neurosci 14:38-46 (2001)) support this idea.
Based on these facts, various pharmaceutical companies have attempted to develop drugs that ameliorate the effects of excitotoxicity using direct inhibitors of the NMDA receptor.
One NMDA receptor antagonist, the drug memantine, described in (Aracava, Y., et al., J Pharm Exp Ther 312:1195-1205 (2005)), has been approved for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. One recent study, however, has suggested that memantine may not be effective at treating Alzheimer's disease, especially during the early states of the disease, because memantine is a more potent inhibitor of al nAChRs than NMDA receptors. (Aracava, Y., et al., J Pharm Exp Ther 312:1195-1205 (2005)). The authors of this study reasoned that because α7 nAChRs agonists protect neurons against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity, use of an α7 antagonist may be counterproductive in treating Alzheimer's Disease. As highlighted by Aracava et al., there is confusion in the art regarding the mechanisms important for neuroprotection.

Neuronal circuit-dependent neuroprotection by interaction between nicotinic receptors


A card disposal system for a table game of the present invention includes a discharge opening for disposal of cards after a game, a disposed card receiving board for receiving the cards from the discharge opening, a disposed card information acquiring means that acquires information on the number (rank) of the card placed in the discharge opening, a group information acquiring means that acquires group information of the card disposed of, a card counter serving as a number counting means that counts the number of cards that are placed in the discharge opening for disposal, a deck examination means that determines whether cards to be disposed of includes all the cards within a predetermined number of decks, and an output means that outputs a result of the determination.

A fraud at the game table is conceivable where a player replaces a card with another card during a game to provide an advantageous game condition for him/her. An example of apparatuses for preventing such a fraud is disclosed in US 2006-0247036A1. In this patent literature, it is determinable whether the cards appeared in the table game are the same as those used in the determination of the winners/losers of each of the game, thereby preventing any fraudulent actions in card games. The apparatus proposed therein prevents fraud by detecting whether or not a card dealt on the game table has been replaced with a false card and was used in determining the winners/losers of the game (see Patent Literature 1).
In order to replace any card during a game, it is necessary to obtain cards of the same type as those used in the relevant casino in advance. In many cases, cards used in a table game are collected at the end thereof, but those collected cards are combined into another card set for reuse. Thus, there is a risk that someone may obtain such cards for the purpose of committing fraud during the course of such re-combination of card sets.


An apparatus and method for estimating phase information, including a matched filter that outputs converted synchronization signals, based on received data, and converted information of the received data; a phase estimator, having a plurality of averagers, that outputs the phase information based on the received data, a code generated from a code generator, and the converted synchronization signals outputted from the matched filter; and a CPU that inputs the converted synchronization signals outputted from the matched filter into the plurality of averagers and initializes the averagers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system and, more particularly, to an apparatus for estimating phase information using a matched filter in a communication system.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, communication systems exchange system information with one another prior to sending/receiving payload data. A signal exchanged by the communication system is referred to as a pilot signal. FIG. 1 illustrates a related art pilot signal having a preamble for synchronization acquisition and a preamble for phase extraction (estimation).
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a phase estimator using a matched filter according to the related art. The phase estimator includes a matched filter 110 that outputs synchronization signals using received data (I/Q) and converted information. A phase estimator 130, having averagers 137 and 138, outputs phase information using the received data and code information generated from a code generator. A CPU 120 initializes the averagers.
The matched filter 110 only serves to estimate synchronization. The meaning of estimating the synchronization is to generate an accurate point of time (e.g., locked position) of received data and information (e.g., locked energy). The synchronization estimate is used to identify a value with the largest correlation value, which is obtained by a multiplier and an adder in the matched filter 110.
The code generator (not shown) generates a code (PN_I (Inphase PN Code), PN_Q (Quadrature PN Code)) according to a synchronization time estimated by the matched filter 110.
Each of multipliers 131 through 134 multiplies received I and Q data by the respective synchronized code (PN_I, PN_Q) and each of adders 135 and 136 adds its individual code and the received data.
The averagers (MA: moving averages) 137 and 138 obtain and output an average value of the output signals from adders 135 and 136 for a predetermined time. Each average value output is used as phase information (Cos θ, Sin θ).
In such a phase estimator 130, averagers 137 and 138 are used to obtain more accurate phase information. The CPU 120 clears the initial values of the averagers 137 and 138, after estimating the synchronization with the matched filter, so that the averagers 137 and 138 cannot be affected by inaccurate data prior to estimating synchronization. That is, after clearing the initial values of the averagers to "0," with the CPU 120, the output values of adders 135 and 136 are averaged for a predetermined time and used as the phase information.
However, in the related art, it takes a considerable time for the averagers to obtain an accurate phase value. Especially in the case of transmitting packet data, it is necessary to estimate synchronization as soon as possible and to modulate data by obtaining an accurate phase value.
However, the preamble is continuously transmitted in the related art. This is because it is possible to output complete phase information only by receiving a predetermined sequence of bits at the averagers 137 and 138. The predetermined sequence of bits takes precedence over the transmission of data. Thus, the performance of the transmission is degraded.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a preamble for synchronization acquisition, a preamble for phase extraction, and data are transmitted in the case of transmitting the packet data. The preamble for phase extraction of predetermined bits must be transmitted regardless of the preamble for synchronization acquisition. In other words, the preamble for phase extraction is transmitted even after transmitting the preamble for synchronization acquisition, thereby reducing the transmission rate of the full data in the related method.

Apparatus for estimating phase information using matched filter in communication system and method thereof


A liquid crystal alignment agent includes a polymer composition obtained by subjecting a diamine component and a tetracarboxylic dianhydride component to a reaction, a solvent, and a hydroxyl compound. Preferably, the hydroxyl compound has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 300 to 1,000,000. A liquid crystal alignment film formed from the liquid crystal alignment agent and a liquid crystal display element including the liquid crystal alignment film are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal alignment agent, more particularly to a liquid crystal alignment agent including a hydroxyl compound with a specific weight average molecular weight range. The invention also relates to a liquid crystal alignment film formed from the liquid crystal alignment agent, and a liquid crystal display element including the liquid crystal alignment film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to an increasing demand for liquid crystal display devices with a wide viewing angle characteristic, liquid crystal display devices are being developed toward high performance, and thus the requirement for good electrical and/or displaying qualities in terms of liquid crystal alignment property, voltage holding ratio, ion density, image sticking, or the like has become stricter. It is also desirable to maintain such good qualities during long-term use. Among the aforesaid qualities, voltage holding ratio and ion density are of primary concern. When the voltage holding ratio of a liquid crystal display device is undesirably reduced, the displaying quality cannot satisfy the requirement for high contrast and high light transmission. On the other hand, when the ion density is undesirably increased, the image sticking problem may occur.
WO 2008/078796 discloses a liquid crystal alignment film having a high voltage holding ratio and a low ion density, and an N-substituted diamine compound used for preparing the liquid crystal alignment film. The N-substituted diamine compound is represented as follow:

where Ra1 represents a C1-C5 alkylene group, Ra2 and Ra1 independently represent hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl group, and at least one of Ra2 and Ra3 is a C1-C4 alkyl group. The problems of inferior voltage holding ratio and undesirably high ion density encountered in conventional liquid crystal display devices can be improved by using the N-substituted diamine compound for preparing the liquid crystal alignment film. However, the liquid crystal alignment film made by using the N-substituted diamine compound still has the problems of reduced voltage holding ratio and increased ion density after a period of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Problems such as reduced contrast and image sticking may also arise when the liquid crystal alignment film disclosed in WO 2008/078796 is used in a liquid crystal display device.
There is an increasing demand in the art for a liquid crystal alignment agent having superior UV stability so that a high voltage holding ratio and a low ion density of a liquid crystal display device employing a liquid crystal alignment film formed from the liquid crystal alignment agent can be maintained even after long-term UV irradiation.

Liquid crystal alignment agent, and liquid crystal alignment film and liquid crystal display element formed from the liquid crystal alignment agent


A detachable vehicle seat includes: a seat cushion including a seat latch for selectively securing the seat cushion to a vehicle body, and a seat control device for selectively unlatching the seat latch; a seatback pivotally attached to the seat cushion via a recliner device, the recliner device including a recliner control device configured to selectively cause the recliner device to be in a first state for locking the seatback in an upright position and a second state for locking the seatback in a stowage position; a first connecting element connecting the recliner device to the seat control device so that the seat latch can be unlatched only when the recliner device is in the second state; and a second connecting element connecting the seat latch to the recliner control device so that the recliner device can take the first state only when the seat latch is fully latched.

It is known to configure some of the seats in a vehicle to be detachable. By removing the seats, the available cabin space can be increased. The space made available by removing the seats can be used as a cargo space or for other purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,361B2 discloses a detachable vehicle seat which includes a seat base having a pair of legs detachably attached to the floor. The seat cushion is detachably attached to the seat base. Inadvertent detachment of the seat from the floor is prevented by placing a first operation element for releasing the legs from the floor and a second operation element for releasing the seat cushion from the seat base in a seatback support provided in the seat base position which is not readily accessible for the seat occupant.
However, this prior art requires the user to remove the seat cushion from the seat base, and then to remove the seat base from the floor in order to remove the seat as a whole. Therefore, the user has to experience the inconvenience of handling the seat itself and the seat base.
Also, it is desirable for a detachable vehicle seat to have features that ensure a correct use. For instance, the seat cushion is required to be properly latched to the floor for the user to be seated on the vehicle seat, and to be prevented from being inadvertently unlatched from the floor during use.


p53-dependent Damage-Inducible Nuclear Protein 1 (p53DINP1 protein) is a p53-induced nuclear protein that induces p53-dependent apoptosis by regulating p53 function through Ser 46 phosphorylation. A DNA encoding p53DINP1 can be applied as anticancer agents for destroying neoplasms such as tumors, and as therapeutic or preventive agents for diseases associated with p53-mediated apoptosis abnormalities. It is also possible to apply the above protein and DNA in methods of screening for candidate compounds for regulating p53-mediated apoptosis.

Of the genes known to be involved in human cancer, mutations have been most commonly detected in the tumor suppressor gene p53. The p53 gene product activates transcription of many downstream genes, and by regulating their transcription, exerts a variety of biological functions. The two main functions of p53 are cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, mediated by p21Waf1 and BAX respectively. These functions were thought to be characteristics essential for p53-dependent tumor suppression (el-Deiry, W. S., Tokino, T., Velculescu, V. E., Levy, D. B., Parsons, R., Trent, J. M., Lin, D., Mercer, W. E., Kinzler, K. W., and Vogelstein, B. (1993). WAF1, a potential mediator of p53 tumor suppression. Cell 75, 817-825; Harper, J. W., Adami, G. R., Wei, N., Keyomarsi, K., and Elledge, S. J. (1993). The p21 Cdk-interacting protein Cip1 is a potent inhibitor of G1 cyclin-dependent kinases. Cell 75, 805-816; Miyashita, T. and Reed, J. C. (1995). Tumor suppressor p53 is a direct transcriptional activator of the human bax gene. Cell 80, 293-299).
The present inventors recently discovered p53R2, a novel p53 target molecule that supplies deoxyribonucleotides for DNA repair. Thus, p53 is also directly involved in DNA repair (Tanaka, H., Arakawa, H., Yamaguchi, T., Shiraishi, K., Fukuda, S., Matsui, K., Takei, Y., and Nakamura, Y. (2000). A ribonucleotide reductase gene involved in a p53-dependent cell-cycle checkpoint for DNA damage. Nature 404, 42-49).
To date, it has been reported that a large number of p53 target genes, and approximately one hundred candidates for p53-binding sequences, are present in human chromosomes. It is thought the bioactivity of this vast number of p53 target genes is reflected in p53's tumor suppressing actions resulting from by p53-mediated cell cycle arrest, DNA repair and apoptosis. Therefore, identifying additional p53 target genes is important in elucidating the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, and cell protection from genotoxic stresses.
Induction of apoptosis is known to be the most important of p53's tumor suppressing functions, and this activity is being used to kill cancer cells in human patients (Levine, Cell: 88, 323-331, 1997). However, despite this kind of evidence, the mechanism of p53-mediated apoptosis has yet to be elucidated.
BAX, Fas, Killer/DR5, and PIGs are recognized as candidates for mediating p53-dependent apoptosis, and their functions are currently being investigated. However, acting alone, any one of these candidates is insufficient to induce apoptosis. The current inventors have found p53AIP1, a novel target gene for p53, which differs from the candidates described above in that it can induce apoptosis independently when over-expressed in some cancer cells. Blocking p53AIP1 expression inhibits p53-mediated apoptosis (Oda, K., Arakawa, H., Tanaka, T., Matsuda, K., Tanikawa, C., Mori, T., Nishimori, H., Tamai, K., Tokino, T., Nakamura, Y., and Taya, Y. (2000) p53AIP1, a potential mediator of p53-dependent apoptosis, and its regulation by Ser-46-phosphorylated p53. Cell 102, 849-862) These results suggested that p53AIP1 was a crucial mediator in the mechanism of p53-dependent apoptosis.
Growing evidence suggests that the biological activity of p53 is determined by modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and the like (Giaccia, A. J. and Kastan, M. B. (1998). The complexity of p53 modulation: emerging patterns from divergent signals. Genes Dev. 19, 2973-2983). For example, there are reports indicating that phosphorylation of the p53 protein at its Ser15 and Ser20 residues is important in p53 activation in response to DNA damage (Shieh, S. Y., Ikeda, M., Taya, Y., and Prives, C. (1997) DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of p53 alleviates inhibition by MDM2. Cell 91, 325-334; Shieh, S. Y., Taya, Y., and Prives, C. (1999) DNA damage-inducible phosphorylation of p53 at N-terminal sites including a novel site, Ser20, requires tetramerization. EMBO J. 18, 1815-1823). There are also reports that acetylation of the p53 C-terminal domain enhances DNA binding activity (Gu, W. and Roeder, R. G. (1997). Activation of p53 sequence-specific DNA binding by acetylation of the p53 C-terminal domain. Cell 90, 595-606). In addition, ATM and CHK2 proteins have been proposed as strong candidates for a kinase involved in the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15 and Ser20 respectively (Sarkaria, J. N., Busby, E. C., Tibbetts, R. S., Roos, P., Taya, Y., Karnitz, L. M, and Abraham, R. T. (1999). Inhibition of ATM and ATR kinase activities by the radiosensitizing agent, caffeine. Cancer Res. 59, 4375-4382; Hirao, A., Kong, Y. Y., Matsuoka, S., Wakeham, A., Ruland, J., Yoshida, H., Liu, D., Elledge, S. J., and Mak, T. W. (2000). DNA damage-induced activation of p53 by the checkpoint kinase Chk2. Science 287, 1824-1827). Furthermore, it has been shown that phosphorylation of the Ser46 residue is essential for p53-induced apoptosis (Oda et al., supra).
Based on the various findings described above, the present inventors speculated that p53 determines whether cells with damaged DNA will survive or be killed, such that cells which are extremely damaged or have been exposed to danger are eliminated through phosphorylation of p53 at Ser46, and induction of p53AIP1.
Because known p53 targets do not sufficiently explain this speculation, the present inventors used a method capable of directly cloning human chromosome-derived p53-binding sequences for further screening of p53 targets. The present inventors identified four novel target genes and a GPI-anchored molecule-like protein (GML), whose expressions are induced by wild-type p53 (Furuhata, T., Tokino, T., Urano, T., and Nakamura, Y. (1996). Isolation of a novel GPI-anchored gene specifically regulated by p53; correlation between its expression and anti-cancer drug sensitivity. Oncogene 13, 1965-1970; Kimura, Y., Furuhata, T., Urano, T., Hirata, K., Nakamura, Y., and Tokino, T. (1997). Genoa structure and chromosomal localization of GML (GPI-anchored molecule-like protein), a gene induced by p53. Genomics 41, 477-480), P2XM (Urano, T., Nishimori,. H., Han, H., Furuhata, T., Kimura, Y., Nakamura, Y., and Tokino, T. (1997). Cloning of P2XM, a novel human P2X receptor gene regulated by p53. Cancer Res. 57, 3281-3287), BAI1 (Nishimori, H., Shiratsuchi, T., Urano, T., Kimura, Y., Kiyono, K., Tatsumi, K., Yoshida, S., Ono, M., Kuwano, M., Nakamura, Y., and Tokino, T. (1997). A novel brain-specific p53-target gene, BAI1, containing thrombospondin type 1 repeats inhibits experimental angiogenesis. Oncogene 15, 2145-2150) and CSR (Han, H. J., Tokino, T., and Nakamura, Y. (1998). CSR, a scavenger receptor-like protein with a protective role against cellular damage caused by UV irradiation and oxidative stress. Hum. Mol. Genet. 7, 1039-1046).
The present inventors isolated a p53-inducible transcript by establishing a cell line in which p53 expression is regulated under set conditions, and then applied differential display techniques to that cell line (Takei, Y., Ishikawa, S., Tokino, T., Muto, T., and Nakamura, Y. (1998). Isolation of a novel TP53 target gene from a colon cancer cell line carrying a highly-regulated wild-type TP53 expression system. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 23, 1-9) Using this approach, three additional novel p53 target genes were identified: TP53TG1 (Takei et al., supra), TP53TG3 (Ng, C. C., Koyama, K., Okamura, S., Kondoh, H., Takei, Y., and Nakamura, Y. (1999). Isolation and characterization of a novel TP53-inducible gene, TP53TG3. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 26, 329-335) and p53R2 (Tanaka, H., Arakawa, H., Yamaguchi, T., Shiraishi, K., Fukuda, S., Matsui, K., Takei, Y., and Nakamura, Y. (2000). A ribonucleotide reductase gene involved in p53-dependent cell-cycle checkpoint for DNA damage. Nature 404, 42-49). Genes already known to be activated or suppressed by p53 were also identified during this approach.

p53-dependent apoptosis-inducing protein and method of screening for apoptosis regulator

Japan as Represented by the President of the University of Tokyo


A method and system is presented for an implantable wireless power receiver for use with a medical stimulation or monitoring device. The receiver receives transmitted energy through one or more non-inductive antenna(s), utilizes microelectronics to perform rectification of the received signal for generation of a DC power supply to power an implantable device, and may also utilize microelectronics to provide parameter settings to the device, or stimulating or other waveforms to a tissue.

Various devices are used within the body for a multitude of therapeutic applications. For instance, devices may be used to deliver stimulatory signals, record vital signs, perform pacing or defibrillation operations, record action potential activity from targeted tissue, control drug release from time-release capsules or drug pump units, or interface with the auditory system to assist with hearing. Typically, a subcutaneous battery operated implantable pulse generator (IPG) or other charge storage mechanism is used to provide power to a device.
However, devices which utilize a battery or other charge storage component are no longer functional once the battery or charge storage component can no longer retain charge. Consequently, for an implanted device, a patient would need to undergo a subsequent surgical procedure to obtain a replacement device. In addition, rechargeable IPGs cannot typically administer therapy while the unit is being recharged.
By utilizing the technology incorporated within the implantable wireless power receiver, which does not rely upon a battery or other charge storage device for operation, the life of an implanted device is no longer limited by the life of the battery or the ability to store charge. Further, such technology facilitates a smaller form factor, which results in a less invasive surgical procedure for placement of the device, and helps to reduce scarring from a reduction in the amount of bodily tissue in contact with the implanted device.

Wireless implantable power receiver system and methods


A bending tool (12) for bending workpieces, especially plate and sheet metal blanks includes at least one bending element (23) positioned on one side of a workpiece as well as a retainer device with clamping elements (14, 42) on opposite sides of the workpiece. For bending the workpiece, the retainer is moved, together with the workpiece clamped on it, relative to a bending element (23). In the process, the retainer device with the workpiece and the bending element (23) move relative to each other in a bending stroke which contains a component in the bending-stroke direction as well as a component in the transverse direction of the bending stroke. The direction of the bending stroke is controlled by at least one control element associated with the bending element (23) as well as at least one guide element associated with the equal-sided clamping element (42). The last-mentioned guide element or elements can move in the bending-stroke direction (8) relative to the first-mentioned control element or elements (46).

This invention relates to a bending tool for bending workpieces, especially plate and sheet metal blanks, along a bending line, with at least one bending element positioned on one side of the workpiece and with at least one retaining device featuring clamping elements on mutually opposite sides in the transverse direction of the workpiece so that a relative movement of the clamping elements on both sides in the transverse direction of the workpiece permits the workpiece to be clamped down on the retaining device, while the retaining device with the clamped-on workpiece and a bending element can be moved toward each other in a bending stroke that bends the workpiece. This bending stroke includes a component in the bending-stroke direction extending in the transverse direction of the workpiece as well as a component in the cross stroke direction that extends transversely relative to the plane bounded by the direction of the bending line and the bending-stroke direction, the directional movement of the bending stroke being controlled by means of a motion control system that encompasses at least one control element associated and moving with a bending element as well as at least one guide element associated with a bending element. This invention also relates to a bending machine that is equipped with at least one such bending tool.
A bending tool and a bending machine of the type referred to above have been described in JP 59 033032 A. This earlier bending tool includes an upper tool section positioned above the workpiece to be processed as well as a lower tool section positioned underneath the workpiece to be processed. The upper tool section encompasses a spring-loaded retaining plate which in its home position extends in the transverse direction of the workpiece, and, to the side of that plate, a bending tool.
The bending tool can be rotated around a pivot that extends parallel to the bending line along the workpiece that is to be bent and is provided with a control surface that is sloped in the transverse direction of the workpiece. The lower tool section consists essentially of a support block positioned opposite the retaining plate of the upper tool section, as well as a control block positioned to the side of and at a distance from the support block. On its side facing the bending tool of the upper tool section, the control block on its part features a sloped control surface. A metal blank to be processed is placed on the support block of the lower tool section. Next, the upper tool section is lowered toward the lower tool section in the transverse direction of the workpiece. This causes the retaining plate of the upper tool section to make contact with the surface of the metal blank facing it. The blank is thus clamped between the retaining plate of the upper tool section and the support block of the lower tool section. As the downward movement of the upper tool section continues, the retaining plate remains firmly in place. The bending tool of the upper tool section, however, continues to move in the direction of the lower tool section. As a result, the forming edge of the bending tool strikes the rim of the blank laterally protruding between the retaining plate of the upper tool section and the support block of the lower tool section. At the same time the control surface of the bending tool makes contact with the control surface of the control block on the lower tool section. As they come together, the two control surfaces cause the downwardly moving bending tool to rotate around its pivot. The overall result is a bending stroke of the bending punch with a component in the transverse direction of the workpiece and a component parallel to the workpiece.
It is the objective of this invention to provide a novel bending tool design that simplifies the prior art construction described above.


A system of the invention comprises a design module, execution engine, and performance management module. A first computer hosts the design module which enables a user to define attributes, queries, and decision rules transmitted to the execution engine hosted on a second computer remote to the first computer. The second computer can be located at a credit bureau, credit reporting agency, or other data provider. The second computer runs the execution engine to query a data repository with the user-defined attributes and queries, and applies the user-defined decision rules to produce result data transmitted to a third computer hosting the performance management module for monitoring performance of a benefit or offering made with the result data and the corresponding attributes, queries, and decision rules that generated the result data.

Some businesses require credit- or marketing-related data from credit bureaus or other third party credit reporting agencies (CRA), and data providers, in a transactional manner. These enterprises have individual applicants or customers for which credit checks are required, and submit requests for individual credit reports for each customer as needed in the course of their businesses. An example of this kind of business is automobile retailing in which sales personnel perform an online pre-screen on a potential purchaser to determine the individual's ability to purchase an automobile, the class of automobile they can afford to buy, etc. In other businesses, the request for credit or consumer data is carried out on a large scale or 'batch' basis rather than individually. Applications are accumulated, and are then sent in batches to a credit bureau for processing. In some marketing activities such as sales and credit solicitations, large-scale data queries are performed by the data provider on behalf of the requesting companies prior to carrying out such marketing to identify applicants with the desired characteristics so that the number of applicants produced from such marketing campaign will be worthwhile in relation to the costs of generating those applicants. An example of businesses engaged in large scale solicitations of this nature are credit card companies that send mass communications or mailings to prospective applicants and then select among applicants those to which to offer credit.
Pre-screens, as opposed to obtaining full credit reports, of prospective customers and applicants are performed by these businesses because applicable laws such as the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) define certain requirements for such solicitations, and the manner in which consumer credit data can be used under the FCRA. In any situation lacking an application for a benefit sought by permission of the consumer evidencing the consumer's consent, the FCRA prohibits access to an individual's credit or consumer report. For credit marketing purposes, the FCRA allows the credit file to be used in making business decisions regarding the consumer, but the FRCA prohibits the business from accessing the consumer's credit file directly, without the consumer's explicit permission. Thus pre-screening of candidates using a credit bureau or other CRA or data provider is an important step in the process of evaluating the pool of potential applicants that may receive applications for a benefit such as a credit card, etc. in a marketing campaign. Similar consumer protection and privacy laws in countries other than the United States of America restrict access to consumer credit information.
For large pre-screen activities, businesses generally make requests that are provided manually to the bureau, CRA, or data provider, and the bureau's own staff is required to program the attributes to define the data inquiry. This takes both time and resources for the bureau, CRA or data provider, and results in added cost and delays for the company desiring the data. In addition, if pre-screened data inquiries are made of multiple data bureaus, the need for each bureau's staff to program the attributes results in attributes that are not consistent from one data provider to another.
Additionally, when these attributes are programmed at the credit bureau, the requesting company encounters difficulty in duplicating the same attributes for their own use, in their internal system, when making the determining decision for respondents to the solicitation campaign. This provides adverse consequences to businesses, because they are required under FCRA to apply the same criteria used in solicitation as they use in accepting applicants. Inability to match the attributes used to generate a pool of applicants with the attributes used to accept applicants under an offer can result in violation of the FCRA and other laws.
In addition, by requiring the requesting company to rely on the credit bureau's, CRA's or data provider's internal IT staff, much of the desired control and capacity to react quickly to changes in business environment is removed from the company making the request. This manual effort is a significant barrier to the flexibility and speed with which these types of data inquiries should be pulled in order to respond to market conditions. Consequently, significant resources are presently wasted because of a lack of automation to permit interaction and coordination between the involved individuals, the enterprise platforms, and bureau's, CRA's and data provider's computer systems.
Every pre-screen request for large data inquiries and batch processes used for marketing and solicitation involves complex communication between the requesting company and the credit bureau, CRA or data provider. There is a request, development, and approval process that must be followed for each request for data. In addition, as mentioned, these companies must also use the same attributes used for the pre-screen in the approval process once the solicited applicant applies. Not only is this necessary from a business point of view, it is also required under the FCRA and other consumer regulations. Some companies make these large data requests on a weekly basis, requiring complex tracking of the different attributes being requested, and the results and performance of the data, based upon the attributes used. This process often results in confusion, and in the end, the abandonment of tracking the inquiry performance against the attributes used to initiate the data inquiry. Thus, information that could be useful to the company in conducting its business, or even required by law, is lost. It would be desirable to provide a system that could overcome this problem with previous technologies.
There is a need in some industries to perform a pre-screen of an individual on a transactional basis. A good example is in the automobile retailing industry, as previously mentioned. Currently when a customer arrives at the sales floor at an automobile dealership, in many cases they are asked to fill out a pre-sales application. One aspect of this application is that the customer gives the dealership permission to access and pull their credit report. The dealership uses this credit report as a pre-screening tool to identify the capability of the customer to buy, and the line of vehicles their sales person should be discussing with the customer. This activity is fraught with issues, first and foremost being that there is a high risk that the sales person may not have permissible purpose to access the customer's credit report under the FCRA. This industry, and others like it, requires the ability to prescreen an individual on a transactional basis, and get the results of a pre-screen without pulling the actual FCRA regulated data from the credit and data bureau which raises FCRA compliance issues.
There is also a need to track attributes and report performance of solicitations requiring that the same attributes be used for pre-screening, accepting applications, and evaluating performance of applicants accepted for a benefit or product offering of a business. This is difficult for a business to accomplish if the attributes and rules used in the pre-screening, acceptance, and evaluation process have evolved, as they often do. In addition, the meaning of attributes may vary among credit bureaus, CRAs and other data providers, further obfuscating performance of pre-screen, acceptance, and profitability analyses.
In cases where a decision needs to be made regarding the acceptance of risk or the granting of credit, there are the ongoing issues regarding a copy of an individual's credit data being sent from the safety of a credit bureau, CRA, or data provider's database. Recent events in the credit industry have occurred where a consumer's personal data was sent to fraudsters and other companies for purposes other than FCRA-approved uses. There is therefore a need in the art to provide the capability to better protect consumer's data to the benefit of the business, data provider, and especially the consumer.
Credit grantors have a need for a system in which they can develop and manage their own score cards and attributes, yet conduct the data acquisition and scoring process within the safe confines of a credit bureau's facility. Furthermore, they need a method in which they can develop and test their attribute and scorecard designs on their own desktop system. In addition, credit grantors need a system in which they can have a credit application scored, yet avoid access to the consumer's credit data which may be subject to severe restrictions or prohibited under applicable law.
It would be desirable to provide a system, apparatuses, articles and methods with the capability to overcome the above-identified problems in the prior art.

System and method for defining attributes, decision rules, or both, for remote execution, claim set I


Embodiments relate to generating and using a directed graph as an advertising network taxonomy. Individual delivery locations provided by publishers for presenting advertisements are identified. A directed graph is generated that includes specific advertising opportunities that each correspond with an individual delivery location. The directed graph also includes multiple general advertising opportunities that correspond with aggregations of delivery locations. Multiple aggregations may each include all or part of the same set of delivery locations. Advertisers may then use the directed graph to purchase advertising opportunities, and advertisements may be served to delivery locations based on the advertiser selections.

Electronic advertising has become a significant aspect of computing environments, as it presents a powerful way for advertisers to market their products and services. Using electronic advertising, advertisers may be more likely to have their advertisements delivered to their target audience as compared with traditional media advertising, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio. There are a variety of electronic advertisings systems that may deliver advertisements for presentation with some primary content. For instance, advertisements may be presented within web pages, video games, advertisement-based software applications, and television programming (e.g., using a set-top box), to name a few.
Traditionally, electronic advertising opportunities are separated according to where advertisements can be delivered. More particularly, advertisers may select to purchase the opportunity to have their advertisements presented at either a specific location or a specific set of locations. By requiring advertisers to separately purchase advertising space according to delivery locations and predictions, the advertiser is forced to make more decisions by entering and managing more individual order line items. Additionally, publishers that provide advertising locations are disadvantaged because changes in traffic between delivery locations ordered in separate line items can reduce the overall likelihood of an order being met.

Using a directed graph as an advertising system taxonomy


When positioning information is previously written in a disk-shaped recording medium, used for positioning a head provided for writing information to the disk-shaped recording medium or reading information written in the disk-shaped recording medium, the positioning information for one track of the disk-shaped recording medium includes, along a path of the one rotation, an overlapping part by which the head can be re-directed to the non-overlapping part if the head is offset from its starting point when it reaches the end of the rotation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk positioning information writing methods and apparatus, an information recording/reproduction apparatus and a recording medium, and, in particular, to a disk positioning information writing method and apparatus by which even when a positional error of disk positioning information occurs due to so-called asynchronous vibration (NRRO; i.e., non-repeatable runout) in a disk positioning information writing apparatus such as a servo track writer, a positioning error upon recording/reproduction on a disk can be effectively avoided; an information recording/reproduction apparatus carrying out information recording/reproduction on the thus-obtained disk; and a recording medium which is the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
A 'servo track' previously written on a magnetic disk for the purpose of carrying out positioning control of a recording/reproduction head in a magnetic disk apparatus is used to provide disk positioning information.
In the magnetic disk apparatus, positioning of the recording/reproduction head is carried out with the use of the servo track previously written in the magnetic disk as mentioned above. Known servo control methods may be classified into the following two types in terms of a position detecting method from a servo pattern (a servo burst or such) written as the positioning information on the disk.
A first method applies a burst pattern. In this method, the precise position of a head is detected as a result of amplitudes of two sets of burst patterns having phases different by 90°, i.e., four sets of burst patterns being calculated. This method also includes a method in which the number of bursts forming the burst patterns is three phases, six phases, or such, other than the above-mentioned four phases. A second method is to apply a phase pattern. In this method, previously recorded patterns are disposed in such a manner that, along with movement of a head in a track direction, a phase between a reference signal and a position detection signal may linearly shift. Then, by reading this, a detailed position of a head is detected.
As a device to write a servo pattern such as that mentioned above to a disk-shaped medium such as a magnetic disk, a so-called 'servo track writer' is known. FIG. 1 shows one example of a common servo track writer. The servo track writer includes a spindle motor having a hard disk drive 100 as a product loaded therein, supporting the same and rotating the same; a clock head 360 previously writing predetermined clock information in a disk-shaped medium 110. The servo track writer reads the clock information therefrom when writing a servo track, and transmitting the same to a servo pattern generator 350. A writing head 130 writes the servo track to the medium; an actuator arm assembly 140 rotateably support the writing head 130; a laser measurement system 320 measures a position of the actuator arm assembly; a positioning controller 340 carries out positioning control of the actuator arm assembly on the side of the hard disk drive via an actuator 330 on the side of the track writer based on position information sent from the laser measurement system; a spindle motor controller 310 controls driving of the spindle motor; and a servo pattern generator 350 generates a servo information pattern to be written in the disk-shaped medium 110 while controlling timing based on the clock information sent from the clock head 360.
In the servo track writer configured above, writing of a servo track is repeated with each rotation of the medium while the writing head is positioned according to a predetermined feeding pitch. This operation is repeated until all the tracks are written.
In this method, the writing head is accurately positioned with respect to the laser measurement system. However, relative positioning with respect to the medium to which the servo track is written is not carried out. Further, a route of a single servo track is determined by the route covered in one pass of servo track writing. Therefore, if NRRO of the spindle motor, an error in positioning of the write head or such occurs, the thus-written servo track does not form a complete concentric circle, and a step occurs in the servo track at the joint part between a writing start and a writing end. When this step is large, a recording/reproduction head cannot stably follow the track in the above-mentioned servo control, and various problems may occur.
In order to solve this problem, Patent Document 1, described later, discloses a method, for example. In this method, a plurality of phases of bursts are written along the direction of the track over a plurality of rotations over that track. As a result of an individual servo track being written over a plurality of rotations, the amount of error occurring due to NRRO from the spindle motor can be averaged over.
Patent Document 2 discloses a method in which a frequency and a phase of NRRO of a spindle motor are measured, and a servo track is written only when a difference in NRRO between a writing start and a writing end is within an acceptable limit.
Patent Document 1:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-14816
Patent Document 2:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-14818
Patent Document 3:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 10-106192
Patent Document 4:
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-28111
However, when a method as disclosed by
Patent Document 1 in which one individual servo track is written over multiple rotations, the time required for writing each servo track is multiplied by the number of the above-mentioned plurality of rotations. As a result, the time required for writing the servo tracks increases remarkably.
In the method of Patent Document 2, although it is not necessary to write a servo track over multiple rotations for each track, as in the method of Patent Document 1, a servo track cannot be written during an acceptable time frame if there is a large amount of NRRO of the spindle motor from the above-mentioned measurement. Therefore, a waiting time occurs, and thus, the time required for writing all the tracks remarkably increases.

Disk positioning information writing method and apparatus, information recording/reproduction apparatus and recording medium


A verification method of a fraudulent activity taking place at a self-checkout terminal is disclosed. The method verifies the fraudulent activity by confirming an incident of the fraudulent activity with multiple data generated by monitoring the transaction area and the bagging area of the self-checkout terminal. A human validation is optionally performed to verify machine-identified incidents.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a security system and method to prevent fraudulent activities occurring at a self-checkout terminal. More particularly, a method and system for verifying a fraudulent activity at a self-checkout unit.
Description of Related Art
Self-checkouts are quickly becoming the established method of paying for retail goods by consumers. Their promise of shorter lines, quicker sales, and increased privacy are appealing to consumers. Furthermore, not having to staff manned-checkouts and the monetary savings associated with decreased payroll expenses is appealing to the retailer.
On the other hand, the self-checkouts present a number of problems. The opportunity, ease, and potential of deniability allow some customers to steal items by simply not scanning them or by feigning trouble scanning items. Therefore, thefts or fraudulent activities occurring at the self-checkouts can often be several times that of manned checkouts.
Accordingly, self-checkouts often employ various anti-theft measures utilizing a weight sensor or scale that measures the weight of the output at bagging area. If the increase of the weight at the bagging area is not commensurate with the item's known weight, the system raises a flag, and the transaction is halted. The self-checkouts are often erroneous and set off too many "false-positives." In addition, theft deterrence of self-checkouts is not comprehensive enough which allows additional ways that customers can steal from self-checkouts.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and verification process that can reduce theft activities and false-positive alerts of a fraudulent activities that may occur at self-checkouts.

Verification of fraudulent activities at a self-checkout terminal


A sprinkler device has a helical track and a tracking element coupled between a reciprocating piston and a rotating head or nozzle to convert the reciprocal linear motion of the piston to rotation motion of the head or nozzle. A sprinkler housing defines a chamber for receiving the reciprocating piston. A sprinkler head is rotatably disposed on the housing and has a shaft extending into a cavity of the piston. The helical track is formed in the exterior surface of the shaft. Water is channeling into the chamber causing the piston to move in a linear direction. A tracking element formed on the piston engages the track and forces the shaft, and thus the head, to rotate. A return mechanism is coupled to the head and engages a valve to control the channeling of the water about the piston, causing the piston to reciprocate. An adjustable valve controls the flow of the water about the piston, and thus the rotational speed of the head. A primary stream of water is directed from the head towards a distal perimeter zone, while a secondary stream of water exhausted from the chamber is directed through a secondary nozzle towards a local perimeter zone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reciprocating or oscillating sprinkler device for dispersing pressurized water for plant life. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sprinkler device having a reciprocating piston which is driven by the pressure of the water coupled to a helical track on a shaft of a sprinkler head such that the reciprocal linear motion of the water driven piston is converted to a reciprocating rotational motion of the head, thereby dispersing the water.
2. Prior Art
Automatic, underground sprinkler systems have been used for many years as an easy way to dispense water over plant life, such as lawns, gardens, and flower beds. These systems have a plurality of sprinklers, or sprinkler heads, disposed about the area to be watered. The sprinklers are located to provide even coverage of the area and conserve water. In addition, these sprinklers are grouped together in zones. A network of underground pipes couples together each sprinkler in a zone. These zones, or group of sprinklers, are coupled to a main water line by a valve manifold comprising a plurality of valves, one for each zone. The valves are electrically coupled to a timer which is programed to actuate the valves at a desired time and for a desired duration.
These sprinklers typically seek to achieve a number of common, important goals, namely water conservation, even coverage or even spay patterns, ease of use, and reliability. Conservation of water is usually achieved by sprinkler and sprinkler system designs which disperse water only on the desired vegitation, such as the lawn, as opposed to walkways and driveways. Water is also conserved by nozzle designs which do not mist or spray water too high so that it is carried away by the wind. Even coverage is usually achieved by sprinkler and sprinkler system designs which disperse water evenly so that there are no dry spots or puddles.
Reliability is often difficult to achieve. Simple sprinklers, with few components and few moving parts, have fewer components to fail, but may not obtain the desired performance features, such as even spray patterns or spray distance. More complex sprinklers have better performance characteristics, such as more even coverage and further spray distances, but also have more parts to fail.
Many different types of sprinklers have been devised for dispersing water over plant life. Many of these sprinklers utilize the water itself for operating the motion of the sprinkler. These sprinklers have evolved over time from simple devices to more complex devices. Some sprinklers utilized the pressure of water to elevate a portion of the sprinkler having a nozzle out of the ground, and the weight of the elevated portion to return it into the ground. Other sprinklers were designed with springs to return the nozzle into the ground. "Impact heads" were developed which used a weighted arm, swung by the force of the water, to turn the head as the arm returns, and complicated switching devices to repeatedly alter the direction of the head. "Gear drives" were developed which used the movement of the water through the head to turn an impeller, which in turn was coupled to a number of gears to turn the nozzle.
One disadvantage with some of these sprinklers, such as impact heads and gear drives, is that their moving parts may become clogged by debris in the water. In addition, they have many parts which means more components subject to failure. For example, the gear drive has numerous gears in which debris may be lodged, stopping the head. As another example, the swing arm of the impact head, or its switch mechanism, may become caked with dirt, impeding the motion of the head.
Another disadvantage with some of these sprinklers, such as gear drives, is that they may not be disassembled or serviced. Because of the many components in these sprinklers, they are often manufactured such that they may not be disassembled for servicing. For example, the many gears and turbines in a gear drive sprinkler are often disposed in a housing which is glued or sonic welded together, which prevents opening the housing and access to the components. Another disadvantage with these sprinklers is their cost. The complexity makes them more expensive to replace.
The problem with reliability is aggravated by the typical location of the sprinkler in the ground and surrounded by dirt and sod. If a sprinkler fails, the sod and dirt surrounding the sprinkler often must be removed to uncouple the sprinkler from the system. With the sprinkler removed, dirt easily accumulates around pipe threads of the system and is introduced into the pipes forming the system. Replacing the sprinkler is difficult because the dirt must be cleared from the pipe threads. In addition, the dirt now in the pipe may clog the new sprinkler.
Other sprinklers have been proposed which use the pressure of the water to drive a system for dispensing the water. U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,686, issued Apr. 9, 1985, to Larsen, the same inventor of the present invention, discloses a piston slidably disposed in a housing. A rack and pinion is coupled between the piston and the housing to rotate the housing with a nozzle therein. This sprinkler advantageously utilizes the pressure of the water to drive the reciprocating piston and convert the linear motion of the piston to rotation motion of the nozzle. Despite this advantage, the need for simpler, more reliable sprinklers exists.
Other sprinklers have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,758, issued Sep. 17, 1991, to Jackerson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,717, issued Apr. 28, 1992, to Jackerson, disclose a sprinkler with a piston slidably disposed in a housing. A barrel type indexing cam is formed integrally with the piston. The cam has staggered, opposing triangular shapes formed thereon defining similar staggered, opposing recesses. A pin is formed in the housing and extends into the recess. As the piston, and thus the cam, moves up and down, the pin abuts the triangular shape forcing the cam, and thus the piston to rotate. The piston is rotatably fixed with respect to a shaft on which is disposed a nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,305, issued Jan. 23, 1990, to Powell, discloses a piston slidably disposed in a housing. A rack and pinion system is disposed between the piston and a nozzle to rotate the nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,127, issued Mar. 2, 1971, to Raumaker et al., discloses a fixed piston in a head which moves up and down. As the head moves downwardly, an annular row of teeth formed on the head contact an annular row of inclined rubber fingers to impart slight partial rotation to the head.
Many of these sprinklers suffer from the same disadvantages as gear drive or impact heads in that they have numerous moving parts which are subject to failure or clogging. Another disadvantage with many of these sprinklers is that they rotate the nozzle in a series of discrete steps, as opposed to a continuous even motion. The result is uneven coverage and possible dry spots and puddling.
Another disadvantage with many of these sprinklers is that they dispense a main stream of water at a distance away from the sprinkler while neglecting the area immediately adjacent and surrounding the sprinkler. Thus, a plurality of sprinklers must be grouped together so that they overlap.
Another disadvantage is that they may not operate at low water pressures. Some of the sprinklers include springs which necessitate a minimum amount of water pressure in order to overcome the force of the spring. Another disadvantage with some of these sprinklers is that their operating speed, or rate of rotation, may not be adjusted.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a sprinkler capable of evenly dispensing water over a large area. It would also be advantageous to develop a sprinkler with fewer parts to fail and assemble, and fewer moving parts to become clogged. It would also be advantageous to develop a sprinkler capable of smooth, continuous motion, and even coverage. It would also be advantageous to develop a sprinkler capable of operating over a range of water pressures, including low pressure. It would also be advantageous to develop a sprinkler capable of adjustable speed or rate of rotation.


With the objective of enhancing receiving performance of a receiver with respect to pulse signals spread by spread codes, the receiver comprises an RF front-end section which performs amplification, an AD converter section which AD-converts signals outputted from the RF front-end section, a baseband section which inversely spreads the output of the AD converter section and performs signal detection and demodulation thereon, a reception environment measuring section which measures reception environment using the input signals of the baseband section, and a parameter setting section which sets parameters for respective parts on the basis of signals outputted from the reception environment measuring section. The parameter setting section sets the parameters for the respective parts to the optimum according to the environmental condition measured by the reception environment measuring section.

In recent years, a wireless terminal such as a mobile-phone, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like has remarkably become widespread. A frequency band to be used also extends to a GHz band. Therefore, the use of new frequency bands in communications falls into a difficult situation.
Under such conditions, a communication system using impulse-like pulse trains whose pulse widths are extremely narrow (in the neighborhood of ins, for example) has become a focus of attention as a new use method. As such a communication system using the pulse trains, there is known, for example, an ultra wide band, impulse radio (hereinafter called "UWB-IR" for short) communication system. As its one example, a UWB-IR communication system for modulating Gaussian mono pulses by a pulse position modulation (PPM) system has been disclosed in a non-patent document 1.
In these communication systems using the pulse trains, the transmission of information is done by sending and receiving of an intermittent energy signal as distinct from signal transmission using a normal continuous wave.
Since each of the pulses that constitute each pulse train has the pulse width very narrow as described above, its signal spectrum spreads in frequency band as compared with the communication using the normal continuous wave, and the energy of the signal is dispersed. As a result, the signal energy per unit frequency band becomes small. Thus, communications are enabled without causing interference with other communication system, and the sharing of the frequency band is enabled.
As one application field of the UWB-IR communications, may be mentioned, a wireless sensor network (hereinafter called "sensor network" for short) technique. The sensor network transmits the conditions of persons and things, various conditions such as ambient surroundings for them and environmental data onto a network to realize an increase in the efficiency of business. Further, a novel application has been expected as well. Particular attention is given to the utilization of security, healthcare and the like. Since the UWB-IR communication system is low in power consumption and small in size, it has been expected as a communication apparatus for the sensor network which makes use of terminals each provided with wireless equipment in large quantities.
As this type of related art example, a demodulator capable of controlling gain relative to an analog modulation signal of amplifying means on the basis of amplitude information of a baseband signal obtained as quadrature detection has been disclosed in the patent document 1.
There is also known a technique for controlling signal capture and transition of tracking by a controller in an ultra wide band communication system (refer to, for example, a patent document 2).
There is further known an AGC circuit wherein upon setting the gain of amplifying means by use of a spectrum-spread received signal, gain control is performed using a received signal (on which noise is being superimposed) prior to being inputted to a correlator before synchronous retention, and gain control is carried out using a received signal (from which noise is being removed) spectrum inversely-spread by the correlator after synchronous establishment is made (refer to, for example, a patent document 3).
[Patent document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H9(1997)-238171
[Patent document 2]
International Patent Publication No. 02/32066, pamphlet (see FIG. 1a)
[Patent document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-218722
[Non-patent document 1]
Moe Z. Win et al, "Impulse Radio: How it works", US patent document, IEEE Communications Letters, Vol. 2, No. 2, p36-38(February, 1998)


The stabilized power supply circuit includes an inlet connected to a hyperresonant chopper circuit associated with a primary winding of a power transformer having at least one secondary winding associated with a rectifier circuit including electronic switches organized as a bridge and connected to a rectifier control circuit so as to be closed in alternation during current inversion in the primary winding of the power transformer and opened during voltage inversion at an inlet of the chopper circuit, it being possible also to provide regulation on one of the outlet circuits by means of a regulation loop connected to a control member of the chopper circuit.

Stabilized power supply circuits are known including an inlet connected to a hyperresonant chopper circuit associated with a primary winding of a power transformer having at least one secondary winding associated with a rectifier circuit whose outlet is connected via a regulation loop to a chopper circuit control member.
In known circuits, the rectifier circuit is an asynchronous circuit, i.e. a circuit including rectifier members, generally diodes, that operate automatically to perform switching on each alternation in the signal transmitted to the secondary of the power transformer so as to deliver a rectified signal to the output of the power supply circuit. In such circuits, switching of the rectifier members is accompanied with large amounts of energy dissipation and the efficiency of power supply circuits of that type is not very satisfactory. In addition, energy dissipation runs the risk of causing the components to become abnormally hot, so in order to provide cooling it becomes necessary to provide additional means that significantly increase the bulk and the weight of the power supply circuit.
Also, when the power supply circuit includes a plurality of outlets, each associated with a respective secondary winding of the power transformer, only one of the outlets can be connected via a regulation loop to the chopper circuit control member, with the other outlets being subject to "cross-regulation", i.e. to regulation that stems automatically from the regulation on the outlet including the regulation loop. Nevertheless, when performing asynchronous rectification, the rectifier members of the various outlets are impedances that vary as a function of the current passing through the rectifier members, so that such "cross-regulation" is provided with varying precision on different outlets. If it is desired to obtain the regulation of the same precision on all of the outlets, then it is necessary to provide independent regulation on each of the outlets, thus increasing the cost and the weight of the stabilized power supply circuit and reducing the efficiency thereof.

Stabilized power supply circuit including hyperresonant chopping and synchronous rectification


Methods and systems are provided for using an engine laser ignition system to perform a visual inspection of an engine and diagnose various cylinder components and conditions based on engine positional measurements. Laser pulses may be emitted at a lower power level during an intake and/or exhaust stroke to illuminate a cylinder interior while a photodetector captures images of the cylinder interior. Additionally, laser pulses may be emitted at a higher power level to initiate cylinder combustion while the photodetector captures images of the cylinder interior using the light generated during cylinder combustion.

Engine system components (such as cylinders, valves, pistons, injectors, etc.) may be intermittently diagnosed for damage incurred during engine operation. The components may also be diagnosed to identify degraded functionality (e.g, incorrect flow, leakage, etc.). Diagnostics may involve visually inspecting the components for scoring damage, such as by removing a spark plug and obtaining a bore scope to view inside the cylinder. In another approach, described by Yalin et al in US 2006/0037572, light from a cylinder spark event and/or combustion flame is used to diagnose for the presence of build-up and contaminants in the cylinder.
The inventors herein have recognized that the above discussed approaches can add extensive time, cost, and complexity to the diagnostics. In particular, most of the above approaches require a skilled technician, complex diagnostic tools, specialized laboratory facilities, and time consuming engine teardown. As a further example, Yalin diagnoses the cylinder using the light generated during combustion, and therefore is unable to diagnose cylinder events occurring before combustion initiation. In view of these issues, the inventors have realized that in engine systems configured with laser ignition capabilities, components of the laser ignition system can be advantageously used to diagnose various engine system components. In one example, the engine may be diagnosed by a method comprising: operating a laser ignition device during an intake stroke of a cylinder at lower power; and indicating degradation of a cylinder component based on output from a photodetector coupled to the cylinder, the output generated during the intake stroke following operation of the laser ignition device. In this way, engine cylinder diagnostics can be expedited and simplified without necessitating engine disassembly.
For example, the optics of a laser ignition system can be used to diagnose the cylinder. The lasers may be used to rapidly sweep the interior of each cylinder. In particular, low power light pulses may be emitted by the laser ignition device into the cylinder during an intake stroke and detected by a photodetection system coupled to the head of the cylinder. The photodetection system may include a camera (such as a CCD camera) and a lens (such as a fish-eye lens), for detecting the light pulses. In one example, the light pulses may be emitted in the infra-red (IR) spectrum by the laser ignition device, and detected in the IR spectrum by the camera. Images of a condition of the interior of the cylinder during the intake stroke may then be generated based on the detected pulses. The images may be indicative of, for example, a fuel injector spray pattern, intake airflow pattern, presence of an obstruction (e.g., due to particulate matter or a foreign object) in the cylinder, etc., and may be used to infer the condition of cylinder components such as cylinder intake valve, fuel injector, piston rings, etc. The images may be transmitted (e.g., wirelessly) within the engine system and displayed to a service provider (e.g., mechanic or vehicle operator) on a display of a vehicle center-console. In addition, a reference image of the component being diagnosed may be retrieved from the controller's memory and displayed to the mechanic for comparative analysis. For example, when the image generated is indicative of a fuel injector spray pattern, the reference image displayed may be indicative of an expected fuel injector spray pattern. Optionally, if the engine is coupled in a hybrid electric vehicle, an electric motor may be operated during engine operation to maintain engine speed-load conditions while the in-cylinder images are generated. If the mechanic determines that the generated image is sufficiently different from the reference image, the mechanic may determine that there is component degradation and may indicate the same to the controller via the display device. Accordingly, a diagnostic code may be set.
In this way, it may be possible to take advantage of a laser ignition system to reduce the time and cost associated with the visual inspection of an engine, without reducing the accuracy of the inspection. By comparing cylinder images gathered by a photodetector during an intake stroke of a cylinder, various cylinder components can be diagnosed. The diagnostic images generated can be displayed to a mechanic, along with reference images for comparison, so that the mechanic can identify cylinder component degradation. By using hardware already available in an engine configured with a laser ignition system, the need for costly, labor intensive, and time-consuming visual inspections can be reduced. By taking in-cylinder images during an intake stroke (in addition to taking images using the light from cylinder combustion), a wider variety of cylinder component degradation conditions can be identified. Overall, engine inspection can be simplified without reducing inspection accuracy.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.


A semiconductor nanowire is coated with a chemical coating layer that comprises a functional material which modulates the quantity of free charge carriers within the semiconductor nanowire. The outer surface of the chemical coating layer includes a chemical group that facilitates bonding with molecules to be detected through electrostatic forces. The bonding between the chemical coating layer and the molecules alters the electrical charge distribution in the chemical coating layer, which alters the amount of the free charge carriers and the conductivity in the semiconductor nanowire. The coated semiconductor nanowire may be employed as a chemical sensor for the type of chemicals that bonds with the functional material in the chemical coating layer. Detection of such chemicals may indicate pH of a solution, a vapor pressure of a reactive material in gas phase, and/or a concentration of a molecule in a solution.

A semiconductor nanowire refers to a semiconductor wire having transverse lateral and vertical dimensions of the order of a nanometer (10−9 meter) or tens of nanometers. Typically, the transverse lateral dimension and the vertical dimension are less than 20 nm but can be as large as 100 nm.
The limitation on the lateral dimension applies to the transverse lateral dimension (the width) and the vertical lateral dimension (the height). The longitudinal lateral dimension (the length) of the semiconductor nanowire is unlimited, and may be, for example, from 1 nm to 1 mm. (The preferred length is less than 1 um) When the lateral dimensions of the semiconductor nanowire is less than tens of nanometers, quantum mechanical effects may become important. As such, semiconductor nanowires are also called semiconductor quantum wires.
The transverse lateral dimension of a semiconductor nanowire is currently sublithographic, i.e., may not be printed by a direct image transfer from a photoresist that is patterned by a single exposure. As of 2008, the critical dimension, i.e., the smallest printable dimension that may be printed by lithographic methods, is about 35 nm. Dimensions less than the critical dimension are called sublithographic dimensions. At any given time, the critical dimension and the range of the sublithographic dimension are defined by the best available lithographic tool in the semiconductor industry. In general, the critical dimension and the range of the sublithographic dimension decreases in each successive technology node and established by a manufacturing standard accepted across the semiconductor industry.
The charge transport property of a semiconductor nanowire is controlled by the charge carriers present in the semiconductor nanowire. A higher density of free charge carriers in the semiconductor nanowire increases the conductivity of the semiconductor nanowire, while a low density of free charge carriers in the semiconductor nanowire decreases the conductivity of the semiconductor nanowire.

International Business Machines Corporation


The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in a non-high dynamic range (HDR) mode: capturing first video data of a scene with the image sensor; determining whether a minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets one or more first color intensity criteria; and in accordance with the determination that the minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets the one or more first color intensity criteria, switching operation from the non-HDR mode to an HDR mode.

In photography, exposure relates to an amount of light per unit area reaching a photographic film or image sensor. A camera in an automatic exposure (AE) mode automatically calculates and adjusts exposure settings.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) photo techniques are used to capture images in which the scene content has very bright and very low level light regions, sometimes called a high dynamic range scene. A high dynamic range scene presents problems for standard imaging systems because the exposure value (combination of exposure time and gain) is fixed for the entire frame.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for automatic exposure in high dynamic range video capture systems


An air conditioning system condensing unit has a specially designed chassis providing enhanced serviceability access to various air conditioning components operatively disposed therein. A removable vertical peripheral outer side wall section of the chassis underlies a removable peripheral top side wall section thereof. Removal of these two side wall sections creates in the chassis an opening conveniently providing both horizontal and vertical service access to the air conditioning components within the interior of the chassis.

The present invention generally relates to air conditioner or heat pump condensing units and, in a representatively illustrated embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a specially designed air conditioner or heat pump condensing unit having a chassis with enhanced serviceability access to its internal equipment such as a compressor, condenser coil, expansion vale and reversing valve.
Typical air conditioner or heat pump outdoor units (usually referred to as "condensers" or "condensing units") are normally designed with a configuration resembling a "cube" shape. These outdoor units, although usually cost effective, typically do not offer particularly easy access to air conditioning system components within their outer chassis such as compressor, condenser coil, expansion valve and reversing valve components within the condensing unit chassis. Quite often the only access path to the interior of the condensing unit, to repair and/or remove mechanical components within the condensing unit chassis, is from the top side of the unit through a central fan discharge opening from which a wire fan guard has been removed. This is often quite difficult, and is especially so if the condensing unit is very tall.
Because of this, contractors who install and service condensing units often complain about the difficulty of performing service or replacement of some component parts within a condensing unit. It can easily be imagined how difficult it can be to, for example, use a high temperature torch to unbraze and re-braze the component parts within the condensing unit when access is only provided through the top grill of the unit, or to lift a heavy compressor (that can weigh 50-96 pounds) up and out of the top of the condensing unit through the fan guard opening.
In view of these well known problems, limitations and disadvantages often associated with conventional condensing unit chassis configurations, it would be desirable to provide a condensing unit chassis construction that provides enhanced serviceability access to its interior components. It is to this goal that the present invention is primarily directed.

Air conditioner and heat pump condensing unit chassis with enhanced serviceability access


A new sequence initialization for demodulation reference signal (DMRS) sequence design used in the LTE-A system is provided. In some implementations, the modulo-2 addition of nSCID and nNDI, both of which are provided in a downlink control information (DCI) message, is used to dynamically select one of a plurality of parameter candidates and the dynamically selected parameter is then used for determining the initialization state of a DMRS sequence. In some other implementations, the modulo-2 addition of nSCID and nNDI is used for determining the least significant bit of the initialization state of the DMRS sequence.

In wireless communication systems, the downlink reference signals are used to provide reference for channel estimation in coherent demodulation as well as reference for channel quality measurement in multi-user scheduling. In the LTE Rel-8 specification, one type of downlink reference format called "cell-specific reference signal" (CRS) is defined for both channel estimation and channel quality measurement. The characteristics of the LTE Rel-8 CRS is that, regardless of the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel rank that a mobile station actually needs, the base station always broadcasts the CRS to all the mobile stations based on the largest number of MIMO layers/ports. There is a potential problem with this approach in the development of LTE Rel-10 (also called LTE-advance or LTE-A). Due to the large number of antenna ports (up to 8) supported by LTE-A, the overhead for maintaining the Rel-8 CRS on all ports would be too high.

Sequence initialization for demodulation reference signal