The present invention provides new uses of DPIV-inhibitors of the present invention, and their corresponding pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt forms, for treating conditions mediated by DPIV or DPIV-like enzymes, such as cancer and tumors. In a more preferred embodiment, the compounds of the present invention are useful for the treatment of metastasis and tumor colonization.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV) is a serine protease which cleaves N-terminal dipeptides from a peptide chain containing, preferably, a proline residue in the penultimate position. Although the biological role of DPIV in mammalian systems has not been completely established, it is believed to play an important role in neuropeptide metabolism, T-cell activation, attachment of cancer cells to the endothelium and the entry of HIV into lymphoid cells.
Likewise, it has been discovered that DPIV is responsible for inactivating glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide also known as gastric-inhibitory peptide (GIP). Since GLP-1 is a major stimulator of pancreatic insulin secretion and has direct beneficial effects on glucose disposal, in WO 97/40832 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,661 inhibition of DPIV and DPIV-like enzyme activity was shown to represent an attractive approach for treating non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).
The present invention provides a new use of DPIV-inhibitors for the treatment of conditions mediated by inhibition of DPIV and DPIV-like enzymes, in particular the treatment of cancer and tumors and the inhibition of metastasis and tumor colonization, and pharmaceutical compositions e.g. useful in inhibiting DPIV and DPIV-like enzymes and a method of inhibiting said enzyme activity.
This invention relates to a method of treatment, in particular to a method for the treatment of cancer, tumors, metastasis and tumor colonization and to compositions for use in such method. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV) is a post-proline (to a lesser extent post-alanine, post-serine or post-glycine) cleaving serine protease found in various tissues of the body including kidney, liver, and intestine.
It is known that DPIV-Inhibitors may be useful for the treatment of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus (International Patent Application, Publication Number WO 99/61431, Pederson R A et al, Diabetes. 1998 August; 47(8):1253-8 and Pauly R P et al, Metabolism 1999 March; 48(3):385-9). In particular WO 99/61431 discloses DPIV-Inhibitors comprising an amino acid residue and a thiazolidine or pyrrolidine group, and salts thereof, especially L-threo-isoleucyl thiazolidine, L-allo-isoleucyl thiazolidine, L-threo-isoleucyl pyrrolidine, L-allo-isoleucyl thiazolidine, L-allo-isoleucyl pyrrolidine, and salts thereof.
Further examples of low molecular weight dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors are agents such as tetrahydroisoquinolin-3-carboxamide derivatives, N-substituted 2-cyanopyroles and -pyrrolidines, N—(N′-substituted glycyl)-2-cyanopyrrolidines, N-(substituted glycyl)-thiazolidines, N-(substituted glycyl)-4-cyanothiazolidines, amino-acyl-borono-prolyl-inhibitors, cyclopropyl-fused pyrrolidines and heterocyclic compounds. Inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,398, U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,155; U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,317; U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,949; U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,305; U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,081; WO 95/15309, WO 99/61431, WO 99/67278, WO 99/67279, DE 198 34 591, WO 97/40832, DE 196 16 486 C 2, WO 98/19998, WO 00/07617, WO 99/38501, WO 99/46272, WO 99/38501, WO 01/68603, WO 01/40180, WO 01/81337, WO 01/81304, WO 01/55105, WO 02/02560 and WO 02/14271, the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The term DPIV-like enzymes relates to structurally and/or functionally DPIV/CD26-related enzyme proteins (Sedo & Malik, Dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like molecules: homologous proteins or homologous activities? Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 2001, 36506: 1-10). In essence, this small group of enzymes has evolved during evolution to release H-Xaa-Pro-Dipeptides and H-Xaa-Ala-Dipeptides from N-terminus of oligo- or polypeptides. They show the common feature, that they accomotate in the Pro-position also Al, Ser, Thr and other amino acids with small hydrophobic side-chains as, Gly or Val. The hydrolytic efficacy is ranked Pro>Ala>>Ser, Thr>>Gly, Val. Same proteins have been only available in such small quantities, that only the post-Pro or post-Ala cleavage could be established. While the proteins: DPIV, DP II, FAPα (Seprase), DP 6, DP 8 and DP 9 are structurally related and show a high sequence homology, attractin is an extraordinary functional DPIV-like enzyme, characterized by a similar activity and inhibitory pattern.
Further DPIV-like enzymes are disclosed in WO 01/19866, WO 02/04610, WO 02/34900 and WO02/31134. WO 01/19866 discloses novel human dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DPP8) with structural und functional similarities to DPIV and fibroblast activation protein (FAP). WO 02/04610 provides reagents, which regulate human dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme and reagents which bind to human dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme gene product. These reagents can play a role in preventing, ameliorating, or correcting dysfunctions or diseases including, but not limited to, tumors and peripheral and central nervous system disorders including pain and neurodegenerative disorders. The dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme of WO 02/04610 is well known in the art. In the Gene Bank data base, this enzyme is registered as KIAA1492 (registration in February 2001, submitted on Apr. 4, 2000, AB040925). In the Merops data base, the dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme of WO 02/04610 is registered as non-protease homologue, because the active site serine motive is GKGYGG in contrast to DPIV, which has a active site serine motive consisting of GWSYGG. The Merops homologue of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV-like enzyme disclosed in WO 02/04610 and the active site motive thereof was confirmed by the human genome project. WO 02/34900 discloses a novel dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) with significant homology with the amino acid sequences of DPIV and DPP8. WO 02/31134 discloses three DPIV-like enzymes, DPRP1, DPRP2 and DPRP3. Sequence analysis revealed, that DPRP1 is identical to DPP8, as disclosed in WO 01/19866, that DPRP2 is identical to DPP9 and that DPRP3 is identical to KIAA1492 as disclosed in WO 02/04610.
DPIV and DPIV-Like Enzymes in Immunophysiology and Cancer
Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV; EC 184.108.40.206; CD26) CD26 is a M r 110,000 surface glycoprotein with an array of diverse functional properties that is expressed on a number of tissues, including epithelial cells and leukocyte subsets (Mentlein, 1999). Furthermore, it is a membrane-associated ectopeptidase that possesses DPIV-like activity in its extracellular domain and is able to cleave N-terminal dipeptides from polypeptides with either L-proline or L-alanine in the penultimate position. In general, DPIV is recognized as an ectopeptidase with a triple functional role. DPIV is involved in catalyzing the release of Xaa-Pro dipeptides from circulating hormones and chemokines (De Meester et al, 1999; Mentlein, 1999), in T cell dependent immune responses (Kähne et al, 1999; Korom et al, 1997), and in cell adhesion including metastasis (Mentlein, 1999).
In addition DPIV has been identified as the ADA binding protein, thereby regulating ADA surface expression, with the DPIV/ADA complex perhaps playing a key role in the catalytic removal of local adenosine to regulate immune system function. Besides being a key immunoregulatory molecule, DPIV may have a potential role in the development of certain neoplasms (Mattern et al., 1993; Carbone et al., 1995). In eukaryotic cells, cell cycle progression is controlled at the G1-S checkpoint by a group of related enzymes known as the CDKs, which are positively regulated by their physical association with regulatory subunits called cyclins. It has been demonstrated that binding of soluble anti-CD26 antibodies inhibits the growth of anaplastic large cell T-cell lymphoma cell lines, both in in vitro and in vivo experiments (Ho et al., 2001).
Cancer Pathomechanisms
Cancer is a group of over 150 diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Normal cells can become abnormal when they are exposed to carcinogens such as radiation or particular drugs or chemicals. They can also turn malignant (cancerous) when they are attacked by certain viruses or when some not-yet-fully-understood internal signal occurs. Once cells become malignant, they multiply more rapidly than usual. Then they often form masses called tumors that invade nearby tissue and interfere with normal bodily functions. Cancer cells also have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body, where they may form a secondary tumor.
Mechanisms of Metastasis
The outcome of cancer metastasis depends on multiple interactions within the target tissue and depends on the microenvironment including cellular adhesion molecules (Carlos, 2001), chemokines (Muller et al., 2001), or hydrodynamic effects (Haier and Nicholson, 2001) and many other factors (Fidler, 2001). In addition, a very rapid attraction of leukocytes and specific cellular responses at the tumor sites may play a critical role in the early host defense against cancer (Shingu et al.; 2002). These early changes may be of critical importance for the outcome of metastatic disease and may extend the present understanding of the host resistance against metastasis.
DPIV and DPIV-Like Enzymes and Tumor Adhesion and Colonization
For cancer cell or metastatic cell adhesion, a prominent expression of DPIV on endothelia of lung capillaries accounts for arrest of blood borne breast cancer cells (Johnson et al, 1993). Fibronectin (FN) and probably also collagen collected on the breast cancer cell surface were identified as the principal ligands for DPIV (Abdel-Ghany et al, 1998; Cheng et al, 1998).
Ho and colleagues (2001) show that binding of soluble anti-CD26 monoclonal Ab 1F7 inhibits the growth of the human CD301 anaplastic large cell T-cell lymphoma cell line Karpas 299 in both in in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro experiments show that 1F7 induces cell cycle arrest at the G1-S checkpoint, associated with enhanced p21 expression that is dependent on de novo protein synthesis. Furthermore, experiments with a severe combined immunodeficient mouse tumor model demonstrate that 1F7 treatment significantly enhances survival of tumor-bearing mice by inhibiting tumor formation.
Protease Inhibitors, Antibodies and Proteases as Anti-Tumor Agents
WO 95/29691 discloses proline phosphonate derivatives as inhibitors of serine proteases with chymotrypsin-like, trypsin-like, elastase-like and dipeptidyl peptidase IV specificity and their roles as anti-inflammatory agents, anticoagulants, anti-tumor agents and anti-AIDS agents.
WO 98/53812 and WO 97/48409 disclose novel methods of using phosphonate derivatives, hydroxyphosphinyl derivatives, and phosphoramidate derivatives to inhibit N-Acetlyated α-Linked Acidic Dipeptidase (NAALADase) enzyme activity, and to treat prostate diseases, especially using these compounds for the inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth.
WO 01/92273 discloses new benzenedicarboxylic acid derivative compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, diagnostic methods and diagnostic kits that include those compounds and methods of using those compounds for inhibiting NAALADase enzyme activity, detecting diseases where NAALADase levels are altered, affecting neuronal activity, affecting TGF-β activity, inhibiting angiogenesis and treating glutamate abnormalities, neuropathy, pain, compulsive disorders, prostate diseases, cancer and glaucoma.
WO 01/34596 discloses pyrrolecarbonylimino derivatives, pharmaceutical compounds and methods of using those compounds to inhibit NAALADase enzyme activity, thereby affecting neuronal activities, inhibiting angiogenesis and treating glutamate abnormalities, compulsive disorders, prostate diseases and cancer.
WO 00/71135 discloses a method for treating subjects with abnormal cell proliferation. The method involves administering to subjects in need of such treatment an effective amount of boro-proline compounds, to inhibit cell proliferation such as that associated with tumor growth and metastasis. A method for inhibiting angiogenesis in an abnormal proliferative cell mass by the administration of a boro-proline derivative is also provided. The invention of WO 00/71135 is based, in part, on the observation, that the boro-proline derivatives are able to inhibit the enzymatic activity of fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP-α).
WO 00/71571 relates to a prodrug that is capable of being converted into a drug by the catalytic action of human fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP-α), said prodrug having a cleavage site which is recognised by FAP-α, and said drug being cytotoxic or cytostatic under physiological conditions. These prodrugs are converted into a drug at the site of the tumor.
WO 00/10549 discloses compounds and a method for regulation of substrate activity in vivo useful for the treatment of medical disorders such as arteriosclerosis, allergies, inflammation, angiogenesis, cardiogenesis, neoplasm, tumor, cancer, a hepatic disease, an intestinal disease, organ vascularization, and microbial and viral infections. The compounds consist of a targeting moiety that binds to DPIV, and a reactive group, that reacts at a reactive center of DPIV. Said compounds are used to prevent chemokine alteration by inhibiting DPIV activity.
WO 00/36420 discloses a method for identifying nucleotide sequences that are differentially expressed in tumor cells, preferably primary breast tumor cells, comprising exposing a tumor cell containing tissue sample to an agent specific for fibroblast activation protein (FAP) separating cells recognised by said agent from the remaining cells in the sample and harvesting said remaining cells. Nucleic acid molecules derived from the use of this technique are also described, together with compositions comprising the same and their uses in pharmaceutical compositions for treating a disease, preferably breast cancer.
WO 99/47152 discloses a method of suppressing the malignant phenotype or inducing apoptosis of cancer cells in a subject, comprising introducing into the cancer cell an amount of a nucleic acid encoding a dipeptidyl peptidase IV protein or fibroblast activating protein-α, thereby suppressing the malignant phenotype of the cancer. WO 99/47152 also discloses a method of inducing expression of dipeptidyl peptidase IV or fibroblast activating protein-α in cancer cells of a subject, comprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of activating transcription of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV gene or fibroblast activating protein-α gene and a pharmaceutical acceptable carrier or diluent.
WO 01/74299 discloses antibodies that specifically bind to a membrane protease complex, the complex consisting of two homodimers of seprase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV), obtained from mammalian, preferably human cell membranes. The antibodies specifically bind to the DPIV protease of the seprase-DPIV complex. This membrane protease complex resides on cell surface invadopodia at the leading edge of angiogenic endothelia, migratory fibroblasts, and invading cancer cells.
WO 02/20825 relates to novel methods and compositions for detection and isolation of cancer cells with metastatic potential. WO 02/20825 further relates to assays for measuring the metastatic potential of such cancer cells and drug screening assays for the indentification of agents having anti-metastatic potential. Also disclosed are methods and compositions for inhibiting the metastatic potential of cancer cells by modulating the activity of serine integral membrane proteases [(SIMP) consisting of seprase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV)] expressed on the surface of metastasizing cancer cells, by using antibodies against SIMP.
Current Treatments of Cancer and Tumor Cell Adhesion
Current cancer treatment regimens comprise surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other treatment methods including immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is composed of the usage or the modification of intrinsic bodily mechanisms—in most cases immune mechanisms—to fight cancer. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells through the use of drugs or hormones. Taken either orally or through injection, chemotherapeutic agents are used to treat a wide variety of cancer. They may be given alone or in combination with surgery or radiation or both. Chemotherapy is an established way to destroy hard-to-detect cancer cells that have spread and are circulating in the body. Anemia (low number of red blood cells) is a frequent side effect of chemotherapy and may cause symptoms such as extreme tiredness, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Epoetin alfa (Procrit®, Epogen®)—recombinant erythropoietin that stimulates red blood cell production—is a prescription drug available for the treatment of chemotherapy-related anemia.
Immunotherapy uses the body's own immune system or other parts of the organism to destroy cancer cells. This form of treatment is still being intensively studied in clinical trials; it is not yet widely available to most cancer patients. The various immunological agents used include substances produced by the body (such as the interferons, the interleukins and tumor necrosis factor) and laboratory-produced substances (such as monoclonal antibodies and vaccines). Immunological agents work in different ways and can be used independently or in combination with other forms of treatment.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors as Anti-Metastatic Drugs in Immunotherapy
Angiogenesis inhibitors are drugs that block the development of new blood vessels. Solid tumors cannot grow without inducing the formation of new blood vessels. Blocking the development of new blood vessels cuts off the tumor's supply of oxygen and nutrients.
Several angiogenesis inhibitors are currently being tested in human trials. In cancerous tissue, tumors cannot grow or spread (metastasize) without the development of new blood vessels. Blood vessels supply tissues with oxygen and nutrients necessary for survival and growth.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors and their uses as anti-cancer agents


Quantum computer includes optical systems arranged in series each of the plurality of optical systems includes first half-wave plate, first polarizing beam splitter, first switching mirror, first photodetector, first polarization rotator, optical cavity which contains atom, second switching mirror, second photodetector, second polarization rotator, and high reflection mirror, first polarization beam splitter outputting third light beam received from first switching mirror or second switching mirror to adjacent one of optical systems, third switching mirrors each provided between adjacent two optical systems, each of third switching mirrors reflecting or transmitting light beam output from one of two optical systems, light sources each providing light beam to corresponding optical system, and measurement system which measures polarization of incoming light beam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quantum computer and quantum computation method utilizing coupling of an optical cavity with an atom.
2. Description of the Related Art
L.-M. Duan et al. have proposed a new method for realizing a controlled phase flip gate (see, for example, L.-M. Duan and H. J. Kimble, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 127902 (2004)). In this proposal, quantum bits are expressed by polarization of photons. However, in quantum computers, it is preferable to express quantum bits using atomic states that are more stable and easily usable as memories.
In light of this, Y.-F. Xiao et al. have proposed a controlled phase flip gate in which a change in light beam intensity in a cavity due to strong coupling between the cavity and an atom is utilized like the method of Duan, but the quantum bits are expressed by ground states of the atoms (see, for example, Y.-F. Xiao, X.-M. Lin., J. Gao, Y. Yang, Z.-F. Han, and C.-C. Guo, Phys. Rev. A 70, 042314 (2004); and Y.-F. Xiao, Z.-F. Han, Y. Yang, and C.-C. Guo, Phys. Lett. A 330, 137 (2004)).
Xiao et al. state in these papers that the methods are scalable since they exhibit a low error rate.
However, Xiao et al. suggest nothing about the specific structure of a quantum computer containing three or more quantum bits. Moreover, even if a researcher in this technical field has mastered the methods proposed by Xiao et al., it is still not obvious for them to contrive any specific structure of the quantum computer containing three or more quantum bits.

Quantum computer and quantum computation method


A pure, smooth microcrystalline cellulose bulking agent for oil containing foods such as nut butters, chocolates, cream containing foods, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. The bulking agent having a loose bulk density greater than 0.40 and a oil absorptivity of less than 1.0.

Fats and oils are recognized for their nutritional, functional and organoleptic properties. The food industry has been responding to consumer demand by offering an increasing variety of low-fat foods that offer the quality and taste of full-fat systems. The development of consumer acceptable low-fat food has been the result of new, as well as exciting, food ingredients created to replace some or all of the fat, without sacrificing the taste or texture consumers desire. Organoleptic properties are critical.
Fatty or oily mouth feel can be described as a combination of several basic parameters which together form the recognizable edible sensation of fattiness or oiliness. These parameters are viscosity (thickness, body, fullness), lubricity (creaminess, smoothness),absorption/adsorption (physiological effect on taste buds), and others (which may include such factors as cohesiveness, waxiness and mouthcoating).
Certain forms of cellulose have been used as a bulking agent which can be substituted for fat. One of those forms, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a partially purified depolymerized form of cellulose and is obtained by treating pulps derived from fibrous plant material with mineral acid. The acid preferentially attacks the less ordered or amorphous regions of the cellulose polymer chain, thereby exposing and freeing the crystalline sites which form cellulose crystallite aggregates. The reaction mixture is washed to remove the degraded byproducts, the resulting wet-cake freed of water and the dried cellulose crystallite aggregates, or more commonly microcrystalline cellulose, recovered.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a white, odorless, tasteless, relatively free-flowing powder, insoluble in water, organic solvents, dilute alkalies and dilute acids. Small particles sized less than about 30 microns have been used in products which have been used in foods as bulking agents and as fat substitutes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,946 teaches the use of a carbohydrate having a substantially spheroidal shape and a mean diameter particle size distribution between about 0.1 and about 2 microns with less than about 2% of the number of particles exceeding 3 microns as an additive for fat/cream-containing food products to replace all or a portion of the fat/cream-containing food products normally present in the food.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,195 teaches that particle size, oil binding capacity, and density of a bulking agent together with its taste determine its task specific suitability. According to this reference, generally, the particle size should fall within the range of 5 to 35 microns, with no measureable particles exceeding 35 microns. The oil binding capacity should fall within the range of 20 to about 45%, and the density should fall within the range of 1.3 to about 1.6 grams per cubic centimeter.
According to the '195 patent, commercially available cellulose, alpha-cellulose, micro-fibrillated cellulose, natural fibers, and Avicel.RTM. microcrystalline cellulose have large porous surface areas; thus they absorb excessive amounts of oil and are not suitable for use in the reduced calorie peanut butter products of the present invention.
That patent further teaches that one way to minimize the oil-binding capacity of commercially available microcrystalline cellulose is to agglomerate the submicron constituent particles to form smooth-surfaced aggregates having a substantially increased effective particle size and effectively decreased oil-binding capacity. There is no teaching that these particles be spherical or that this can be done with non-submicron particles.
A method of producing spherical particulates that is attracting the increased attention of the pharmaceutical industry is that of spheronization. The essential features of this technique typically involves the steps of: forming a dry blend of powdered components; wetting the dry blend with a liquid, usually aqueous, in the presence of a binding agent to give a plastic-like mass or granulation; extruding the mass through a screen or die to form a spaghetti extrudate; cutting the extrudate in short cylinders followed by a rounding stage in which the cylinders are rolled on a grooved surface into spheres. For more detailed information on the process reference is made to "A new Technique for the Production of Spherical Particles" by A. D. Reynolds in Manufacturing Chemist & Aerosol News, Jun. 1970.

Microcrystalline cellulose,a bulking agent


Systems and methods for pre-training and fine-tuning of neural-network-based language models are disclosed in which a neural-network-based textual knowledge retriever is trained along with the language model. In some examples, the knowledge retriever obtains documents from an unlabeled pre-training corpus, generates its own training tasks, and learns to retrieve documents relevant to those tasks. In some examples, the knowledge retriever is further refined using supervised open-QA questions. The framework of the present technology provides models that can intelligently retrieve helpful information from a large unlabeled corpus, rather than requiring all potentially relevant information to be stored implicitly in the parameters of the neural network. This framework may thus reduce the storage space and complexity of the neural network, and also enable the model to more effectively handle new tasks that may be different than those on which it was pre-trained.

Natural language processing ("NLP") tasks such as question answering rely upon a language model having been pre-trained on world knowledge. Recent advances in language-model pre-training have demonstrated that language models such as Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers ("BERT") and Text-to-Text Transfer Transformer ("T5") can capture a surprising amount of world knowledge, acquired from a massive text corpora on which they are trained. However, as a language model accrues more and more knowledge, storing that knowledge implicitly in the parameters of a neural network can cause the network to significantly increase in size. This could adversely impact system operation.

Retrieval-augmented language model pre-training and fine-tuning


The tap comprises inside the cylinder, a two-way valve (30) permitting both filling and draining of the gas cylinder.. The valve (30) comprises at least two lateral openings (34, 36) which can be sealed off by a sealing device (40) provided with an axial orifice (48) for the passage of gas and which slides axially in the shell (32) between a position of obstruction of the openings (34, 36), through the effect of a spring (44), and a position of opening against the action of the spring (44), through the effect of the pressure of the filling gas and a level-controlling valve (52) actuated by a float (62) at the bottom of the shell (32).

The present invention relates to a tap for compressed or liquefied gases, comprising a tap chamber designed in order to be fitted on a gas cylinder and enclosing a closure member at the intersection of an inlet pipe and of an outlet pipe and a means for manoeuvring the closure member.
The invention relates in particular to taps for gas cylinders or bottles which can be recharged by the user himself at a gas dispensing station. In order to fill such a cylinder correctly, observing safety regulations, it is necessary to prevent complete filling of the cylinder in order to retain, above the liquefied gas, a gaseous zone which can act as a buffer in the event of exposure of the cylinder to a heat source and, optionally, be released via a safety valve. Unfortunately, these regulations are not always observed, either due to the absence of means for monitoring filling, or through negligence on the part of the user so that the safety valve acts as the only safety measure.
There are taps in existence with a rudimentary means for monitoring the filling level. This means consists simply of a tube penetrating through the tap and provided, on the outside, with a screw or other closure means. It is the lower end of this tube which, in principle, has to define the maximum filling level on the basis of, when the level of liquid gas reaches the tube, the liquid overflowing via the tube, whereas, before, it was gas which escaped from the cylinder via the tube. Consequently, filling should be interrupted when the liquefied gas begins to emerge via the monitoring tube. Obviously, these devices lack precision and represent a source of atmospheric pollution.
Devices for automatically stopping filling do not exist to date for gas-cylinder taps. However, in other fields, for example gas tanks for motor vehicles, level-controlling valves are commonly used for automatically stopping filling when the level reaches a specific threshold. It has not been possible to use these more efficient monitoring means in gas cylinders because filling and draining of the cylinder have to take place via the same opening and because known level-controlling valves permit gas flow in only one direction.


A grain storage pit includes an open-top chamber configured to be substantially flush-mounted in a surface and a grain-receiving grate that covers at least a portion of the open-top chamber so that grain may be poured into the open-top chamber through the grate from a truck positioned over the pit. The grate has a convex-shaped upper surface so that a cover placed over the grate more effectively sheds water. The grain storage pit may also include one or more unloading ports for facilitating removal of grain from the pit. At least one of the unloading ports may be adjustably mounted to an opening in the chamber.

Corn, wheat, rice, sorghum, millet and other grains are produced on a seasonal basis and therefore must be stored between harvests to meet year-round demand. Grain is typically transported to above-ground storage bins, silos, or other enclosures by trucks or rail cars and lifted into these enclosures by conveyor systems, augers, and other conveying devices. The transfer of the grain from the trucks or rail cars to the above-ground enclosures is time-consuming. Large above-ground grain storage enclosures are also not suitable for installation and use with smaller grain operations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Grain storage pit with curved covering grate and adjustable unloading tube


A lift for docking a personal watercraft from a body of water has a shell with a cradle for supporting the watercraft and an open end for horizontally receiving the watercraft. A buoyant filler within the shell floats it with its open end approximately aligned with the water surface. A replaceable skid plate substantially centered on the open end of the shell engages the tapered bow portion of the watercraft during the docking process and guides the watercraft into substantially a centered position on the shell and raises the watercraft upwardly and drives the shell downwardly as the watercraft is horizontally transferred onto the shell from the body of water. The shell has two pairs of posts, one pair extending forwardly from the front and one pair rearwardly from the back, one proximate each of the sides of the shell. Each post has a flange about its free end. A pair of flat, resiliently elastic members mounted in side-by-side position of adjacent shells assures maximum stability of the multiple lift arrangement. Each elastic member may have at least one distortion aperture so that forces exerted on connected shells will tend to deform the distortion apertures rather than the mounting apertures and reduce the possibility of a lift being separated from its multiple lift arrangement.

This invention relates generally to docking devices for recreational water vehicles and more particularly concerns lifts for personal watercraft.
Devices for docking personal watercraft in marinas and at private docks are well known. They are typically modular in configuration to facilitate multiple lift installations. Typically, one or more modules is moored to a dock by use of sections of PVC pipe extending vertically through holes in the front of the module so that the module is free to ride on the pipe as water level changes occur. Additional modules are then connected in various ways in side-to-side relationship to the moored modules. Alternatively, modules can be side moored to the dock with additional modules connected in side-to-side relationship extending away from the dock.
The known personal watercraft docking devices described above suffer from a variety of shortcomings. First of all, their side-to-side connection devices are relatively complex. For example, some known modules employ vertical jigsaw type slots along their perimeter with interlocking jigsaw pieces being inserted into the spaces defined by side-by-side modules so as to connect the modules together. Other known devices use a tongue and groove or overlapping type of arrangement, the modules being held together by pins extending through the overlapping portions of the modules. These configurations are cumbersome and expensive. Moreover, in single unit applications or for end-of-row modules in multiple unit applications, the sculpted contour of the lift perimeter reduces the usable walking area on the lift and results in an irregularly shaped pathway. Another problem with these devices is that they use removable jigsaw pieces or pin assemblies which must be stored elsewhere when the module is not connected in a multiple arrangement. A further shortcoming is that known personal watercraft docking devices, all of which receive the watercraft by impact of the watercraft bow with the device as it is driven from the body of water onto the lift, experience significant wear and damage at the point of impact during normal use. Eventually, replacement of the lift is required. Some lifts reduce this damage by providing a roller to absorb the impact before the watercraft makes contact with the main body of the lift. However, the roller is itself subject to damage and is either so short that it is easily missed entirely as the watercraft is driven onto the lift or so long that it provides no guiding function in directing the watercraft onto its desired position on the lift.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a modular personal watercraft lift which can be quickly connected into a multiple lift configuration. Another object of this invention is to provide a modular personal watercraft lift having a connection component which can be left permanently connected to its module. A further object of this invention is to provide a modular personal watercraft lift which reduces damage incurred by the main body of the watercraft during docking impact. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a modular personal watercraft lift having an impact receiving plate which may be easily removed from the watercraft and replaced without removal of the watercraft from service.


An adapter for a hood prop includes oppositely extending counterbores in a cylindrical housing separated by a transaxial wall. The adapter is designed to be fitted over a hood stop and to receive the end of a telescoping hood prop.

In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a support adapter used in combination with a telescopic hood prop device for maintaining the hood of a motor vehicle in an elevated and supported position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,213, entitled "Hood Prop Device", incorporated herewith by reference, a telescoping prop used by auto mechanics to support the open hood of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The device is inserted between the underside of a hood, that is attached pivotally to the body of a motor vehicle, and the engine compartment. The telescoping prop thus can be adjusted to accommodate the angle and size of a particular hood that is to be maintained in an open or elevated position. Typically, the hood prop includes rubber or polymeric end caps on the opposite ends of the telescoping prop device. The end caps are designed to frictionally engage the engine compartment at one end and the hood underside at the opposite end in a manner which will preclude slippage of the hood prop when it supports an open hood. There are occasions, however, when such an arrangement is not practical or available or adequately functional. In such instances, it may be necessary, for example, to affix the ends of the hood prop to the vehicle body and the underside of the hood by means of a clamp or some other type of tying device.
Thus, there has developed over time a need to insure accurate positioning and holding of a hood prop in an appropriate position within the engine compartment of a motor vehicle so as to support the hood in an open position.


The present invention provides a platform for supporting usage based and usage sensitive billing and operation services and systems for network service providers. The platform provides an environment that supports the collection of statistics and call records from various network (voice, data, etc.) elements, validation of the data, conversion of the data into a normalized format, and the configuration of a core provisioning process for rating the data and generating the appropriate billing charges.

Network service providers generally desire the increased flexibility provided by usage based billing options. Generally, the ability to determine how much and how often particular clients use a shared network system or even specific network elements allows network service providers to increase customer savings by, for example, charging reduced usage rates during "off-peak" usage periods. Such incentives for off-peak usage tend then to normalize traffic patterns across peak and off-peak periods and thus optimize resource allocation.
However, since any two given networks are rarely alike, the development of a platform for enabling usage sensitive billing must be able to integrate various network elements that operate according to a variety of different protocols and utilize different input and output data formats. Furthermore, usage based billing is further additionally complicated by the fact that many next generation network service provider elements and devices today employ event-oriented data reporting mechanisms. Specifically, calls, online sessions, and network traffic routed through various networking equipment elements are typically comprised, as far as the network elements are concerned, of multiple separate events with each event being performed by different equipment and each piece of equipment then generating different types of vital information.
For example, a basic voice call may be broken into three different sequential events, namely a call initiation/setup event, a call continuation event (or alternatively several call continuation events), and a call termination event. In such a case, it may be that information detailing the calling and called party are detailed only in a call initiation/setup event data record, a continuation event data record solely contains information detailing the number of bytes of information transferred over a given time interval (i.e., degree of usage), and a termination event data record solely contains a needed call completion code (such as a unique ID). Assuming parts of all three types of information are needed to properly allocate expenses in a particular usage based billing scheme, then combining this separate information into a single call record (or "usage record") would be necessary. As would be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art, combining information from data records for related events into a single call record is necessarily made more difficult when different network elements or systems (potentially operating according to different protocols and utilizing different data formats) are involved in the billable usage session. This problem, of course, becomes increasingly more predominant as the networks and usage based billing schemes become more complex.
Data network usage sessions also commonly are broken into multiple usage events similar in the manner as described with respect to voice networks above. Thus, a manner for combining event data records for the various usage events into a single usage detail record would be necessary for data network service providers as well.
Additionally, if the data in collected call or usage records must be combined with or in some way used in combination with one or more other collected call or usage records before a final detail record output suitable for use by an Operation Support System ("OSS") or Business Support System ("BSS") can be produced, then these data records must be aggregated. Contemporary platforms for enabling usage sensitive billing must take into account the fact that trends in next-generation networking equipment have moved the aggregation of such events into the responsibility of the OSS or BSS. However, OSS and BSS components, such as billing systems or decision support systems, are by their nature not readily adaptable to changes in the number and types of events that may comprise a single logical call or online session. As such, this approach has not produced robust yet flexible data collection platforms.
Therefore, a mediation solution is needed that provides a platform for easily collecting and aggregating processed information into a format acceptable for downstream applications and OSS/BSS components. This mediation solution must be able to collect relevant data from a wide variety of disparate networking equipment types, including Frame Relay, ATM, X.25, SIP and IP devices.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for improved systems and methods that can provide a flexible mediation solution for collecting and aggregating processed usage information and transforming that information into a format acceptable to for downstream applications such as a BSS or OSS.

Network service provider platform for supporting usage sensitive billing and operation services


This invention relates to a flash butt welding process for joining sections of a railway line using vibration apparatus, the process including configuring and attaching a vibration apparatus on the railway line such that a vibration means is attachable to the railway line, and controlled vibration of the railway line at a suitable low frequency of vibration and amplitude of vibration, and then welding sections of railway line together using a flash butt welding means, and applying vibration to the sections of railway line until the flash butt weld is complete, and applying a controlled vibration to the welded sections of railway line for a period of time sufficient to allow for heat to dissipate from the weld area, and to allow for the weld area to be stress relieved for an improved weld joint.

Railway lines are generally made of standard or high carbon steel as it is considered a durable and hard wearing material. In recent years, the carbon content of railway lines has increased for added durability, amongst other reasons, and is generally at about 0.8 and 1% carbon content. However, this increased carbon content has made it more difficult to successfully weld joins or joints between sections of railway line in applications where the newly welded joints must endure heavy axle loadings from trains and carriages laden with goods. Further, the addition of a small amount of chromium in some rail lines being manufactured has also made welding of rail lines more difficult as uneven welding joints have been observed.
The techniques for joining and rejoining sections of railway line have come under intense pressure in recent years as a result of rail failures sustained, in part, by heavy axle loadings, and concerns over the reliability of track repairs is being further compounded by such heavier loadings being exerted on railway lines.
As some railway lines endure extreme weather environments that can rapidly expand or compress lines along with heavy axle loadings, even these high carbon steel lines suffer the risk of cracking, buckling and joint failures from time to time. The consequences of track failure can lead to catastrophic derailments leading to loss of life and damage to property.
Therefore, the integrity of railway lines is considered to be essential for the safe carriage of persons and property across countries, and therefore the present invention is aimed at, inter alia, addressing these concerns.
It is a non-limiting object of the invention to provide an improved flash butt welding process for joining ends of a railway line which overcomes at least some of the abovementioned problems, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
It is also a non-limiting object of the invention to provide vibration apparatus for carrying out the improved flash butt welding process for joining ends of a railway line which overcomes at least some of the abovementioned problems, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Apparatus and method of flash butt welding of railway lines


In a described example, an integrated circuit (IC) package includes an IC die disposed on a die attach pad; a plurality of leads electrically connected to terminals on the IC die, the leads including a base metal; and molding compound material encapsulating portions of the IC die, the die attach pads, and the plurality of leads; the plurality of leads having a solder joint reinforcement tab. The solder joint reinforcement tabs include a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, a third side, a fourth side opposite to and in parallel to the third side, a fifth side forming an end portion of the solder joint reinforcement tab, the solder joint reinforcement tabs including a solderable metal layer on the second, third and fourth sides and on portions of the fifth side.

Lead frame strips are used in manufacturing packaged integrated circuits. Lead frame strips are comprised of multiple individual lead frames connected together by saw streets. An embedded lead frame strip is a lead frame strip to which integrated circuit dies are attached and embedded in molding compound. Lead frame strips include lead frames with conductive lead frame leads and a die attach pad for attaching an integrated circuit die. The conductive lead frame leads can be mechanically connected for stability in processing, but are separated electrically prior to completion of the packaging process. Terminals on the integrated circuit dies are electrically connected to the lead frame leads prior to completion of the packaged integrated circuit. In some packaged integrated circuits, bond wires are used to couple the terminals on the integrated circuit dies to the leads of the lead frames. In other packaged integrated circuits, the terminals on the integrated circuit dies are directly mounted to the leads of the lead frames using conductive solder balls or columns.
Packaged integrated circuits (PICs) such as Small Outline No-Lead (SON) and Quad Flat No-Lead (QFN) PICs are packaged by attaching IC dies using die attach material to a metal lead frame strip, making electrical connection from the IC dies to the lead frame leads, encapsulating the IC dies and lead frame strip in molding compound, and then singulating the individual SON or QFN packages by separating the individual packages by cutting through the saw streets by sawing or laser cutting, an operation referred to as "singulation." The singulated SON or QFN PICs may then be soldered or connected electrically by other means to leads on a printed circuit board (PCB) that goes into a piece of electronic equipment. SON or QFN packages are referred to as "no lead" packages because the leads of the lead frame used for electrical connections between the PIC and a printed circuit board are located at the periphery of the PIC, and do not extend away from the package, as in prior packages such as J-lead and dual in-line (DIP) packages, saving area on the circuit board. Typically solder connections are formed between the terminals of the PIC and traces on the printed circuit board. QFN and SON packages are only slightly larger in board area than the integrated circuit die and are sometimes referred to as "near chip scale" packages, enabling smaller circuit board sizes and higher integration in end equipment.
Lead frame strips are typically made of a base metal such as copper or a copper alloy that is plated with a layer of solderable metal. The lead frame strips are sometimes referred to as "pre-plated" lead frame strips because the solderable metal layer can be provided on the lead frame strip by a lead frame manufacturer. One such solderable metal layer is an electroplated layer of nickel followed by an electroplated layer of palladium. Electroless and electroplated metal layers are sometimes used. Other solderable metals include silver, tin, gold, platinum, solder, and alloys thereof. The layer of solderable metal is intended to prevent oxidation of the lead frame base metal, which occurs when the base metal is exposed to air. Solder is not able to properly wet any oxidation layer that forms, and the solder cannot form a reliable solder joint to the oxidized base metal.
During singulation of the packaged integrated circuits, the layer of solderable metal and the base metal of the lead frame strips are cut through. The base metal of the lead frame is exposed on the sidewalls of the PICs during the singulation process, and may oxidize when exposed to air. Improvements are therefore desirable.

Methods and apparatus for an improved integrated circuit package


A method and apparatus for using header information of stereoscopic image data is provided. The method includes using three-dimensional reproduction period information related to three-dimensionally reproduced stereoscopic image data of image data recorded in a payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream, in a header region of the stereoscopic image bitstream; recording camera information related to cameras used for obtaining a stereoscopic image, in the header region; recording parallax information between base and additional images of the stereoscopic image in the header region; and recording the image data in the payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream.

1. Field of the Invention
Method and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to generating header information of stereoscopic image data, and more particularly, to generating header information including mandatory information for restoring and reproducing original images by decoding encoded stereoscopic images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods of transmitting stereoscopic images have been suggested. For example, stereoscopic images may be transmitted using a multi-view video profile (MVP) method according to Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-2 standards, a depth map transmission method according to MPEG-4 multiple auxiliary component (MAC) standards, or a multi-view coding (MVC) method according to MPEG-4 advanced video coding (AVC)/H.264 standards. Multimedia Application Format (MAF) stereoscopic image data standards are now being established.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a related art pixel-based stereoscopic image format for transmitting stereoscopic images.
A sheet of an image format for a stereoscopic image is formed by separately sampling left view and right view images in every alternative block and moving the right view image by one pixel so as not to overlap the left view image. The stereoscopic image may be transmitted and received by using a conventional two-dimensional encoder and decoder. The left view and right view images are formed into a sheet of a stereoscopic image format having the same resolution and thus a large number of pixels are lost.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of a related art apparatus for restoring lost pixels of a pixel-based stereoscopic image format.
Pixels that are lost when the stereoscopic image format is generated as illustrated in FIG. 1 have to be restored so that a display device may reproduce an image of original resolution. Original left view and right view images are restored by extracting directional pixel values of a pixel-based sampled image and summing all directional pixel values multiplied by a predetermined weight.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a reference structure of a related art International Standards Organization (ISO)-based media file format.
In the conventional ISO-based media file format, substantial media data is stored in a media data (mdat) region and information on characteristics of the media data is stored in a movie data (moov) region.
When the image format illustrated in FIG. 1 is transmitted, a fact that overlap information between left view and right view images is large is used in order to improve transmission efficiency. In other words, the transmission efficiency is improved by reducing the amount of transmission data by combining the left view and right view images in pixel units into a sheet of a mixed image to be transmitted.
However, a conventional stereoscopic image format does not include header information in the movie data (moov) region, the header information including a scale function used when the left view and right view images are combined into the mixed image to be transmitted and information regarding whether the mixed image includes camera information of the left view and right view images.
If a stereoscopic image combined into a mixed image having the image format illustrated in FIG. 1 by using a certain combination method is transmitted, an encoding terminal of a reception terminal does not include information on the combination method used by a transmission terminal and thus the mixed image may not be accurately inverse converted to the original stereoscopic image. Accordingly, although the stereoscopic image is losslessly transmitted using the conventional combination method, the stereoscopic image may not be accurately restored because the reception terminal does not include information on the combination method, a scaling method, and so on.

Method and apparatus for generating header information of stereoscopic image data


A pattern (e.g., the normal or abnormal characteristics of a biological cell) within an image is recognized based on visual characteristics of the pattern, the image being represented by signals whose values correspond to the visual characteristics, using a location channel which determines the location of the pattern within the image based on the signal values, and a classification channel which categorizes the pattern based on the signal values, the location channel and the classification channel operating in parallel and cooperatively to recognize the pattern. In other aspects, there the orientations of edges of the pattern within subwindows of the image are analyzed as are the strengths of edges of the pattern near the periphery of portions of the image; an unsupervised classifier defines internal representation classes of objects, and a supervised classifier maps the classes to user-specified categories; and there is a feedback path from the classification channel to the location channel to cause the location channel to adapt to classification results generated by the classification channel.

This invention relates to recognition by machines of patterns in images.
The mechanisms by which patterns representing objects are recognized by animals has been studied extensively. A summary of studies of the human visual system is given in D. H. Hubel, "Eye, Brain, and Vision," New York, N.Y.: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1988. Machine based visual recognition schemes typically use combinations of opto-electronic devices and computer data processing techniques to recognize objects.
In general, recognizing an object requires determining Whether a certain pattern (corresponding to the object) appears within a field-of-view (FOV) of an input image. The pattern generally is defined by spatial gradients and discontinuities in luminance across the input image. Other types of gradients and discontinuities may also produce perceivable patterns. Perceivable patterns may occur in the presence of: statistical differences in textural qualities (such as orientation, shape, density, or color), binocular matching of elements of differing disparities, accretion and deletion of textural elements in moving displays, and classical `subjective contours`. An input image is here meant to include any two-dimensional, spatially ordered array of signal intensities. The signals may be of any frequency within the entire electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared radiation signals and radar ranging signals. Thus visual recognition here denotes recognition of an object based on electromagnetic radiation received from the object.
Humans easily recognize spatial gray-scale object patterns regardless of the patterns' location or rotational orientation within a FOV. In perceiving these patterns, the human visual recognition system operates in two stages, first locating patterns of interest within the FOV, and then classifying the patterns according to known categories of objects.
Biological vision systems can rapidly segment an input image in a manner described as "preattentive." It has been found experimentally that segmentation is context-sensitive, i.e., what is perceived as a pattern at a given location can depend on patterns at nearby locations.
Contemporary image-processing techniques based on artificial intelligence (AI) systems use geometric concepts such as surface normal, curvature, and the Laplacian. These approaches were originally developed to analyze the local properties of physical processes.


Apparatus and method are provided to increase the capacity of spiral track data storage disks while improving the reliability of access to sectors on the disk. In one embodiment, employed when logical tracks on an optical disk are grouped into concentric bands, previously unusable sectors immediately following a band boundary can be reliably accessed. In accordance with this embodiment, when the target sector is, for example, the first sector of band N and a laser beam from a read head lands on a sector in the previous band N-1, the clock governing the data transfer rate is set to the frequency of the band N-1 and a sector in that band is detected and identified. Based upon the period of sectors in the band N-1, a delay interval is computed which ends when the last sector in the band N-1 rotates past the laser beam. Sector mark detection is disabled during the delay interval and the clock frequency changed to that of band N. Sector mark detection is re-enabled at the end of the delay, the band boundary passes, and the target sector can be detected and accessed. The present invention is also applicable when the target sector is not the first sector in a band as well as when the sector on which the laser beam lands is in the same band as the target sector.

A rotating recording disk, such as an optical disk, can be formatted in concentric physical tracks (each corresponding to a single disk revolution) or in a single spiral around a central spindle hole/mounting hub. The spiral is divided into a series of logical tracks (not necessarily corresponding to a single revolution); each logical track (hereinafter referred to simply as a "track") is subdivided into sectors onto which blocks of data are recorded. Each sector has a header field followed by a data field, with an intra-sector gap between the two. An inter-sector gap separates the sector from a following sector. The header is generally embossed into the surface of the disk during the manufacturing process (although the disk can be soft formatted instead) and includes a sector mark, a series of identification (ID) fields with track and sector information, and other fields to aid a read/write controller in synchronizing to the sector. The data field includes user data, associated error detection and recovery information, and synchronization information. Under one proposed standard for read only, write once and rewritable optical disk cartridges (in which an optical disk is encased in a protective housing), the header is 52 bytes long (including a five-byte, five feature sector mark pattern) and the data field is 1274 or 665 bytes long (based on 17 or 31 sectors per track, respectively, and able to record user data of 1024 or 512 bytes, respectively).
During a read or write operation, a laser beam emitted from a read/write head must be directed onto the sector to be accessed. As is known, the head is moved radially inward or outward on a carriage under servo control for the laser beam to "land" on a sector near, but ahead of, the target sector. "Near" is between about five tracks before and three sectors before the target sector. The drive controller switches to a track following mode and, using asynchronous detection, attempts to detect the first sector mark encountered by detecting laser light reflected off of a surface of the disk. A sector mark is considered detectable if at least three of the five features in the sector mark pattern are recognized. The light reflections are converted into electrical signals representative of the data recorded on the disk. If at least three features cannot be satisfactorily detected, the head attempts to read the sector mark of the following sector. Once a sector mark is satisfactorily detected, the drive controller switches to pulse position modulation (PPM) and uses a phase locked loop to lock onto the incoming identification data stream of the rest of the header and to synchronize the drive controller to the data stream. Current disk formats employ a PPM format although other formats have been proposed. The ID data is decoded into track and sector information, enabling the drive controller to determine the exact position on the disk of the laser beam.
If the sector on which the laser beam lands is not the target sector, a conventional controller reads subsequent sector marks and headers as the laser beam spirals toward the target sector. When the target sector is reached and properly identified, the user data is read from, erased from or written to the data field. To reduce false sector mark detection prior to the laser beam reaching the target sector (which could result in loss of synchronization), only sector marks detected during a window period will be treated as valid sector marks. The window is timed from the detection of a sector mark and is intended to be open from slightly before until slightly after the time the next sector mark should be detected; any false marks present outside the window will be ignored. However, if a valid sector mark is defective and not satisfactorily read (or not detected at all), the drive controller generates a pseudo-mark at the end of a window. Because the window is open for a period of time slightly longer than the time it takes for a sector mark to rotate past the laser beam (the sector's period), it can be appreciated that too many consecutive defective sector marks (resulting in a series of pseudo-marks being generated) can cause the detection window to slip and be open at the wrong time; subsequent valid marks will thereby be missed and invalid marks may be detected.
When the disk spins at a constant angular velocity (CAV), data recording and reading is highly stable and access time to a target sector is relatively fast. However, data recorded on tracks near the outer diameter of the disk will be at a lower linear density than data recorded near the inner diameter, although the amount of data recorded in a given angular rotation (angular recording density) will be the same. To increase the recording capacity of the disk, the linear density of the data should remain substantially constant by increasing the angular recording density as the radial distance from the spindle hole increases. Recording at a constant linear velocity (CLV) by decreasing the angular velocity (rotational speed) of the disk with increasing radial distance can achieve at a fixed recording frequency increased angular recording density. But, random access time to a target sector is increased due to the time required to change the rotational speed of the disk.
A method which provides the advantages of both CAV and CLV, while reducing the disadvantages of each, is to record at a modified constant angular velocity (MCAV) by increasing the data transfer rate of the drive controller with increasing radial distance. The transfer rate is a function of the frequency of the controller's clock and can be increased continually or can be increased incrementally by grouping tracks into bands and changing the clock frequency from band to band.
As an example of banded media, optical disks formatted according to the previously mentioned standard have 37,600 tracks in a user zone (located between inner and outer manufacturer and control zones near the inner and outer diameters of the disk) divided into sixteen bands of between 1600 and 3200 tracks each, the number of tracks per band increasing with increasing radial distance from the spindle hole. Relative to a base frequency "f", the clock frequency is "16f" at band zero (the innermost band), while at band fifteen (the outermost band), the clock frequency is "31f". Thus, the angular recording density will increase band by band with increasing radial distance but the linear recording density at the inner diameter of each band is constant. Moreover, the temporal position and width of the sector mark detection window timing is also a function of the band number.
Spiral, banded recording is generally preferred for high performance optical applications. If during a seek operation the laser beam lands in the same band in which the target sector is located, sector marks, ID information and user data can be detected and read without a clock frequency change. However, if the laser beam lands in one band (band N-1) and the target sector is in the next band (band N), the clock frequency must be set to f.sub.N-1 for proper sector mark detection and to read the ID's in band N-1 and then changed to frequency f.sub.N at the boundary between bands N- 1 and N for proper sector mark detection and to read the ID's and user data in band N. Because of code overhead, clock settling time and other delays, which can be approximately 500 microseconds, a certain delay is incurred after the clock frequency has changed before data can be read. A sector near the inner diameter of a disk may pass in about 1000 microseconds while a sector near the outer diameter may pass in only about 600 microseconds. Consequently, if the target is the first sector of band N and the clock frequency changes after detection of the last sector mark of the last track of band N-1, the target sector may already have passed the read head by the time the head is able to detect a sector mark. At best, target sector detection will be unreliable and, at worst, impossible. On the other hand, if the frequency is changed from f.sub.N-1 to f.sub.N while the head is still in band N-1, the remaining sector marks and ID information in band N-1 cannot be reliably read and controller synchronization can be lost. Other combinations of target sector locations and locations of sectors on which the laser beam lands relative to band boundaries also result in reduced reliability with which sector marks can be detected and data written or read. Consequently, it has been preferred to remap, or otherwise designate as unusable or spare, certain sectors or even tracks at or near band boundaries thereby wasting valuable disk capacity and increasing access time.

Apparatus and method for accessing sectors of a rotating disk

International Business Machines Corporation


A lock includes a body, a key-operated core in the body, two spring-biased plates slideable on a recessed portion of the body, and a locking crutch to be fastened to the body with the spring-biased plates. The body has crutch embedding holes on two sides of the core; the core has a plate part, and force is applied to the spring-biased plates through the plate part when the core is turned. The locking crutch has a groove on each of two ends to engage a corresponding plate. The plates are biased to engage the locking crutch when the core is in the locking position; and, the plates are forced to disengage from the locking crutch by turning the lock core to the unlocking position. Saw-resistant pins are inserted in receiving holes formed on a periphery of the lock body to protect the lock against a saw.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an improvement on a lock structure, more particularly one, which includes a lock body, and a locking crutch to cooperate with the lock body to lock an object; the lock body is equipped with two movable engaging plates, and the locking crutch has two grooves to receive respective ones of the movable engaging plates so that the lock can be firm in the locking configuration.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A variety of locks are available for helping to prevent thievery, e.g. door locks, combination locks, and cable locks, which are mainly used for locking bicycles and motorcycles. And, the industry have recently developed electromagnetic locks, chip locks, and voice-controlled locks, which are more advanced than the above-mentioned conventional locks, and can't be easily opened by unauthorized persons. Moreover, stronger locks are also available, which are made of saw-resistant materials so as not to be damaged with saws.
A currently existing saw-resistant lock is available, which includes a lock body consisting of several metallic plate parts. The plate parts have already undergone heat treatment to increase their strength, and are positioned on above another. Therefore, it is relatively difficult for thieves to damage the lock with a saw.
However, it takes relatively much cost, labor and time to manufacture the saw-resistant lock because all of the metallic plate parts have to be subjected to heat treatment, and then stacked and fastened together by means of rivets.
To overcome the above-mentioned problems, the inventor of the present invention developed an improvement on a saw-resistant lock, which has been filed for U.S. patent application with application Ser. No. 11/979,652. The saw-resistant lock includes a lock body, a lock core held in a core holding hole of the lock body. The lock body has several pin holes on a periphery portion thereof, and saw-resistant pins are inserted in the pin holes of the lock body respectively; the saw-resistant pins have already undergone heat treatment to have high strength. Therefore, the present lock has a lower manufacturing cost, and is easier to assembly than the above-mentioned saw-resistant stacked-plate lock.
However, besides having saw-resisting capability, a lock should be very firm in the locking configuration and smoothly operable without the possibility of its locking crutch being interfered with when moving relative to the lock body. Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide an improvement on a lock, which has a good saw-resisting capability, and is smoothly operable, and relatively easy to assemble as compared with the above-mentioned saw-resistant stacked-plate lock.


A method and related microfluidic chip and kit for high throughput detection of proteins of interest contained in a sample is disclosed. The method comprises of specifically labeling fusion proteins in a complex sample with fusion tag specific fluorophores that specifically bind the fusion tags coupled to the proteins of interest, and subjecting the sample to automated capillary electrophoresis, wherein the presence of the proteins of interest in the sample is detected by fluorescence signals associated with the fusion tag specific fluorophores.

It is desired to have methods and devices of simultaneous detection and purification of large numbers of proteins of interest (POI). While methods currently exist to specifically detect expression of fusion proteins, they are either not suitable for a high throughput process, i.e. western blots, or are non-qualitative, i.e., ELISAs.
At present, capillary electrophoresis instruments have been adopted to assess protein purity and quantifying yield of hundreds of samples within a few hours. Most of these methods lack the capacity to detect specific POI, making them poorly suited for screening for protein expression within complex samples, such as cell lysates. Consequently, there are limited means to detect fusion protein expression in a high throughput setting, despite the increasing need. It is desirable to have the ability to detect specific expression within lysates which will allow rapid characterization of starting materials as part of a high throughput protein production pipeline.
Needed in the art are methods and devices for high throughput detection and purification of large numbers of proteins of interest by using fusion tag-specific fluorescent labels and electrophoresis techniques.

High throughput detection of fusion proteins

ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS, A BODY CORPORATE OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA, ACTING FOR AND ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY


A method of color mixing a very high frequency operated HID lamp which effectuates power modulation to the HID lamp at a frequency of the second longitudinal acoustic mode by modulating the duty cycle of a half bridge configured resonant inverter. The duty cycle is modulated with a modulation frequency which is substantially one-half the frequency of the second longitudinal acoustic mode of the HID lamp. In operation, exciting the second longitudinal acoustic mode of the HID lamp with the half bridge configured resonant inverter operated with a modulated duty cycle achieves color mixing along a vertical axis of the HID lamp.

This invention relates to methods for reducing vertical segregation in high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, and more particularly, to a method for color mixing of HID lamps operated at very high frequencies which employs duty cycle modulation for operation of a half bridge circuit topology of the resonant inverter.
High intensity discharge lamps are not typically operated on high frequency sinusoidal waveforms due to instabilities caused by acoustic resonances. In an attempt to overcome such instabilities, the HID lamps can be stabilized by operating the HID lamp at frequencies above its highest acoustic resonance. Operating the HID lamp above its highest acoustic resonance is known as very high frequency (VHF) operation. Nevertheless, the frequencies of the acoustic resonances depend on a variety of factors, one of which includes the dimensions of the lamp and thus varies from one HID lamp to another HID lamp.
Moreover, when HID lamps are operated in a vertical orientation, certain HID lamps display a phenomenon called vertical segregation whereby the color of the light emitted from the HID lamp is not uniform along its vertical axis. As a result, attempts have been made to overcome the disadvantage of vertical segregation. In one such attempt, the second longitudinal acoustic mode is excited to mix the chemistry in the lamp yielding a uniform color along the vertical axis of the HID lamp.
As can be readily seen, it is desirable to operate the HID lamp at VHF and also excite the second longitudinal acoustic mode to create color mixing or, in other words, to minimize, if not essentially eliminate, vertical segregation.
The present invention contemplates a method of color mixing which includes operating an HID lamp at VHF, and power modulating at a frequency of a second longitudinal acoustic mode of the HID lamp by modulating the duty cycle of a half bridge configured resonant inverter to excite the second longitudinal acoustic mode of the HID lamp to achieve color mixing along a vertical axis of the HID lamp. The method also contemplates the ability to maintain a constant switching frequency of the half bridge configured resonant inverter.

Method for coloring mixing of hid lamps operated at VHF frequencies using duty cycle modulation


Apparatus are shown for handling molded leadframes comprising, in combination, a gripper portion for grasping a molded leadframe from atop a first magazine holding a first plurality of molded leadframes and for releasing the molded leadframe when placed atop a second plurality of molded leadframes in a second magazine, and a mover portion coupled to the gripper portion for moving the gripper portion back and forth in a substantially semicircular motion between the first and second magazines. The mover portion includes a linking member coupled to the gripper portion, a first member rotatably coupled at a first end thereof to the linking member, a second member rotatably coupled at a first end thereof to the linking member, and a driver portion rotatably coupled to an opposite end of each of the first and second members for moving the gripper portion in a back and forth, substantially semicircular motion between the first and second magazines. Note that while the driver portion is shown in two of several possible embodiments, each embodiment of the driver portion includes only a single driver to move the gripper portion back and forth in the substantially semicircular motion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of molded leadframes and methods therefore and, more particularly, is an apparatus for handling molded leadframes and a method therefore.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatus for handling molded leadframes typically include at least two major functional portions, namely a gripping device and a device for moving the gripping device. The instant invention involves novel advances in at least two primary portions of a molded leadframe handling apparatus, but prior to looking at the advances provided by the instant invention, one needs to understand the state of the art, and its associated shortcomings, with respect to both the moving device and the gripping device portions.
With respect to the moving device portion, apparatus currently implement three or more drivers such as motors. In particular, one has a number of magazines, each for holding a plurality of molded leadframes. A common requirement in handling molded leadframes is the ability to pick up a molded leadframe from one of the magazines and move it over to and place it atop a different magazine. Currently, this process requires three distinct movements. First, the molded leadframe is moved vertically upward in a linear motion away from the first magazine. Then, the molded leadframe is moved linearly to a position directly above a second magazine of molded leadframes. Third, the molded leadframe is moved downward in a linear motion until it is placed and released atop the second magazine of molded leadframes. This process, which implements three distinct motions, requires a total of three separate motors or drivers of considerable expense. It would be advantageous from an economic standpoint to accomplish the desired motion of a molded leadframe with fewer motors. Additionally, this three-step motion is time inefficient. In other words, it takes a relatively long time to move the molded leadframe from one magazine to another using the three-step process. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to effect the desired movement of a molded leadframe using a more fluid and time efficient motion. Therefore, there existed a need to provide a mover portion of a molded leadframe handling apparatus which implements fewer than three motors to move molded leadframes from one magazine to another, thereby saving time and cost.
Focusing now on the current state of gripping device portions in an apparatus for handling molded leadframes, it is important to recognize that the trend in semiconductor devices today is for size to be minimized. Accordingly, the molded leadframe packages enclosing the semiconductor devices are also becoming smaller. When very small, thin molded leadframes are stacked upon each other in a magazine, the clearance between adjacent molded leadframes is extremely small. This makes it nearly impossible to insert conventional grippers between the adjacent molded leadframes in order to remove only the top leadframe from the stack. Thus, it would be advantageous to devise a gripping device portion in an apparatus for handling molded leadframes which smoothly and efficiently removes one molded leadframe at a time from a stack of molded leadframes in a magazine.
Therefore, it is the main focus of the instant invention to integrate the aforementioned advantages to the mover and gripping device portions into an improved apparatus for handling molded leadframes.

Apparatus for handling molded leadframes and methods therefor


Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for predicting a behavior of a pedestrian on the basis of a behavioral profile of the pedestrian. The behavioral profile may be generated in a personal communication device of the pedestrian (such as a smartphone) based on activities performed by the pedestrian such as walking on a sidewalk, stepping off the sidewalk to walk on a road, standing on a sidewalk waiting for a traffic light to change, stepping onto the road when waiting for a traffic light to change, and/or crossing a road when the traffic light is red. The behavioral profile may also be based on other factors such as a traffic citation, an accident report, a status of a driver's license, and/or physical characteristics of the pedestrian (age, gender, etc.).

Conventional taxi services offered through vehicles such as cars, shuttle buses, and limousines have been supplemented recently by ridesharing services such as Uber™ and Lyft™. Most of the automobiles used for providing these ridesharing services are currently driven by human drivers. However, self-driven vehicles, also referred to as autonomous vehicles, have become the focus of a number of development efforts lately, and various ride service companies as well as other entities are considering replacing human drivers with autonomous vehicles. There are several aspects that have to be taken into consideration when doing so. For example, some humans are better drivers than others, and it is desirable to evaluate the use of an autonomous vehicle keeping in mind various qualities associated with good drivers. However, even a good driver may encounter a situation where a pedestrian (or a driver of another vehicle) may do something unexpected that can lead to an accident. The good driver may take preemptive action based on automatically predicting, or immediately responding to, a pedestrian's behavior, (or to the behavior of another vehicle driver). It is desirable that developmental efforts for autonomous vehicles include evaluation of capabilities such as behavior prediction and appropriate and quick responsiveness that in many cases are natural and inherent to human drivers.

Systems and methods for predicting pedestrian behavior


A user request associated with a first user and a shipment of one or more items is received. A prompt that the first user provide one or more biometric identifiers is provided. The prompt selectively excludes a request for billing information from the first user. At least partially in response to the providing of the prompt, at least a first biometric identifier of the first user is obtained. At least partially in response to the obtaining of the first biometric identifier of the first user, the billing information is automatically processed. Based at least in part on the automatically processing of the billing information, the user request associated with the shipment of the one or more items is completed.

Before parcels or items (e.g., packages, containers, letters, items, pallets, etc.) are transported from an origin to a destination, users typically manually input various sets of information into computer systems to initiate shipment processing. For example, upon a user arriving at a packaging store, existing computer system technologies require users to manually input billing information, such as credit card information, passwords, or other information to ship an item. Existing computer systems also utilize a digital certificate (e.g., a PKI certificate) or digital credentials (e.g., a shared secret such as a passphrase, a private key, etc.) to authenticate and authorize users for completing shipping actions. Embodiments of the present disclosure improve these existing computer systems by overcoming various shortcomings, as described herein.

Biometric authentication to facilitate shipment processing


A system and method for establishing an integrated forward error correction (FEC) scheme to perform multi-rate encoding on different priority data bits of a channel access message transmitted on a random access channel between devices of a communications network, such as between an access terminal and a base station of a satellite-based communications network. The channel access message includes a first data group representing first information and a second data group representing second information, which is transmitted between an access terminal and a base station in a satellite-based communications network. The system and method encodes the second data group at an encoding rate to provide a second encoded data group, and encodes the first data group at the same encoding rate to provide a first encoded data group. The encoding of the first and second data groups is performed by a single encoder, such as a rate xc2xc convolutional encoder. The second encoded data group is transmitted from the access terminal to the base over a random access channel. The second encoded data group further can be punctured during transmission to in effect decrease its coding rate, for example, to rate xc2xd coding. The first encoded data group is transmitted from the access terminal to the base station, and is then retransmitted from the access terminal to the base station to in effect increase the rate of coding of the first encoded data group to, for example, xe2x85x9 coding. At the base station, a combiner/demodulator combines the transmitted and retransmitted first encoded data group, and the combined first encoded data groups and the second encoded data group are then decoded by a decoder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method, for use with a network, such as a satellite-based communications network, which establishes an integrated forward error correction (FEC) scheme to perform multi-rate encoding/decoding on different priority data bits transmitted, for example, on a random access channel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for using a single encoder to perform multi-rate encoding/decoding on different priority data bits of a channel request message transmitted on a random access channel from an access terminal to a base station of a satellite-based communications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A satellite-based communications network, such as a geosynchronous earth orbit mobile (GEM) satellite communications network, comprises at least one geosynchronous earth orbit satellite, a ground-based advanced operations center (AOC) and spacecraft operations center (SOC) associated with the satellite, at least one ground-based gateway station (GS), and at least one access terminal (AT), which is typically a hand-held or vehicle mounted mobile telephone. The satellite enables the access terminal to communicate with other access terminals, or with other telephones in the terrestrial public switched telephone network (PSTN), via the gateway stations under the control of the gateway stations. The AOC provides system-wide resource management and control functions for its respective satellite, and the SOC controls on-orbit satellite operations for its respective satellite.
When an access terminal is operated to establish a radio resource connection, it generates and transmits a channel request message to the network on a random access channel (RACH) at a frequency assigned by the gateway station to a spot beam covering an area in which the access terminal is located. A channel request message includes data used to represent the mobile access terminal, as well as contention resolution and timing synchronization information.
Typically, the data bits of a channel request message are classified into two classes, namely, Class I bits and Class II bits. The Class I bits generally consists of a short block of data bits, and represent high priority information, such as data for contention resolution and timing synchronization between the access terminal and the base station, which is essential in enabling the access terminal to gain access to the satellite communications network. Therefore, the Class I data bits must be received with high probability by the base station the first time they are transmitted.
On the other hand, the Class II bits typically consist of a longer block of data bits, and are not as crucial as the Class I bits for call set up. Class II bits thus have a lower priority than the Class I bits. Class II bits can include, for example, data for accelerating call set up time, which can include information such as the called party number, location of the access terminal placing the call, identification of the service provider for the access terminal, and so on.
During transmission of a channel request message, an access terminal will encode the Class I and Class II bits to increase the probability that they will be received intact by the base station. Class II bits can be encoded using, for example, a GEM baseline rate xc2xd convolutional code. However, because the Class I bits are necessary for call set up and have a higher priority than the Class II bits, the access terminal will encode the Class I bits at a higher rate convolutional code.
Because the block of Class I bits generally has a short length, it is difficult to convolutionally encode the block of Class I bits by itself. Therefore, to encode the Class I bits, an access terminal can include a block code encoder in addition to the convolutional encoder used to encode the Class II bits. In this event, the base station receiving the encoded channel request message would require a block code decoder to decode the encoded Class I bits in addition to a convolutional decoder for decoding the Class II bits. These additional block code encoders and decoders in the access terminal and base station increase the overall complexity of the system, which can result in additional cost of the system as well.
Accordingly, a need exist for a satellite-based communications network capable of encoding and decoding data bits of different priorities in a channel request message at different coding rates without using additional encoders and decoders.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for establishing an integrated forward error correction (FEC) scheme to perform multi-rate encoding/decoding on different priority data bits of a channel request message transmitted over a random access channel in a satellite-based communications network, without using multiple encoders and multiple decoders.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method which uses an encoder having a single coding rate to encode different priority bits of a channel request message transmitted over a random access channel in a mobile satellite communications network at different coding rates which are dependent on the respective priorities of the data bits.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system and method which uses a single encoder in an access terminal of a satellite-based communications network to encode different priority data bits of a channel request message at different respective encoding rates, and which uses a single decoder in a base station of the communications network to decode the differently encoded bits of the channel request message received from the access terminal over a random access channel.
These and other objects of the invention are substantially achieved by providing a system and method for encoding data, including a first data group representing first information and a second data group representing second information, which is transmitted between an access terminal and a base station in a satellite-based communications network. The system and method encodes the second data group at an encoding rate to provide a second encoded data group, and encodes the first data group at the same encoding rate to provide a first encoded data group. The encoding of the first and second data groups is performed by a single encoder, such as a rate xc2xc convolutional encoder. The second encoded data group is transmitted between the access terminal and the base station or, in particular, from the access terminal to the base station over a random access channel, for example. The second encoded data group further can be punctured during transmission to in effect decrease its coding rate, for example, to rate xc2xd coding. The first encoded data group is transmitted from the access terminal to the base station, and is then retransmitted from the access terminal to the base station to in effect increase the rate of coding of the first encoded data group to, for example, xe2x85x9 coding. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the transmission of the second encoded data group, and the transmission and retransmission of the first encoded data group, occurs within a single burst. At the base station, a combiner/demodulator combines the transmitted and retransmitted first encoded data group, and the combined first encoded data groups and the second encoded data group are then decoded by a decoder at the base station.

System and method for performing combined multi-rate convolutional coding