Provided are a handwriting input apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a control method. The handwriting input apparatus includes a touch panel configured to detect pressure acting thereon through a sheet of paper; a holding section for pressing the sheet to hold the sheet onto the touch panel; and a page feed determining section configured to determine whether a page feed action has been performed or not by detecting a state change of the holding section. The handwriting input apparatus further includes a control section configured to, in response to the page feed determining section determining that the page feed action has been performed, conduct at least one of storing information of handwriting input which has been received through the touch panel until the page feed action as handwriting data and transferring the information of the handwriting input as handwriting data to an external device.

In recent years, handwriting input apparatuses have been on sale. Some of the handwriting input apparatuses are provided with a function to store or output information such as characters and figures written on a sheet of paper (hereafter, called as handwriting information) as electronic data (hereafter, called as handwriting data.). Such a handwriting input apparatus includes a pressure sensitive touch panel, and is configured to, when handwriting information is input with a pen on a sheet fixed on the touch panel, detect pressing force of the pen through the touch panel and memorize the moving locus of the touch position as handwriting data.
In such a handwriting input apparatus, it is necessary to store handwriting information written on each of sheets separately from other handwriting information of other sheets. Accordingly, there have been proposed various methods for detecting an action that a user changes a sheet (hereafter, called as a page feed action) by removing or pulling out a sheet having been applied with a handwriting input (a sheet on which a handwriting input has been finished).
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication (JP-A) No. 2002-009988 discloses a communication system including a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus. The first communication apparatus includes a turn-over detecting section configured to detect whether any one sheet in a plurality of stacked sheets has been turned over; a reading section disposed beneath the plurality of stacked sheets so as to read traces of a writing tool on a sheet, of the plurality of stacked sheets; and a transmitting section configured to transmit read-out data read by the reading section to the second communication apparatus. In the first communication apparatus, when the turn-over detecting section detects that the sheet has been turned over, the transmitting section transmits turn-over data indicating that the sheet has been turned over, to the second communication apparatus. The second communication apparatus includes a receiving section configured to receive the read-out data transmitted from the first communication apparatus and to receive the turn-over data; a display section configured to display the traces corresponding to the read-out data received by the receiving section on a screen; and a screen indication changing section configured to change an indication of the screen in accordance with a sheet newly coming to the top of the stacked sheets based on the turn-over data when the receiving section receives the turn-over data. In this JP-A No. 2002-009988, the detecting section detects the ON/OFF state of each of two switches when the page is turned over, to acknowledge taming over of a page, i.e., changing of a sheet.
In the above-mentioned type of handwriting input apparatuses, examples of the methods of detecting a page feed action include a method that a user notifies a page feed operation actively to a handwriting input apparatus by depression of an exclusive button disposed beforehand on the handwriting input apparatus, and a method of disposing a plurality of exclusive sensors to detect a page feed action and detecting a replacement of a sheet based on an output from the exclusive sensors as with JP-A No. 2002-009988.
However, in the former method, there are the following problems. In the case where a user fails to notify a page feed operation to the handwriting input apparatus, the apparatus judges a handwriting input which has been made actuary for a new page as a handwriting input which has been made for the previous page. As a result, the handwriting data is hardly stored as intended by a user. On the other hand, the latter method needs the plurality of exclusive sensors to detect a page feed action, which causes an increase in cost. In addition, the latter method can cause misdetection of the page feed action when the sensor is touched erroneously with a user's hand, which is also a problem. The present invention seeks to solve the problem.

Handwriting input apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and control method


A sliding caliper parking brake that positively retracts of both the outer and the inner brake pads upon de-actuation of the parking brake is provided. The parking brake includes a caliper body, a mounting assembly that slidably mounts the caliper body on the suspension of the vehicle so that is movable with respect to a brake rotor, and at least one piston assembly movably mounted in a bore in the caliper body and having an end connected to an inner brake pad. An outer brake pad is fixedly connected to the caliper body and is moved into engagement with an outer side of the brake rotor when the caliper body is moved along the mounting assembly as a result of the inner brake pad extending into engagement with the inner side of the brake rotor. The mounting assembly includes a resilient member, which may be one or Belleville springs, that restores the caliper body to an initial position that positively disengages the outer brake pad from the outer side of the brake rotor when the inner brake pad is retracted out of engagement with the inner side of the brake rotor, thereby preventing brake drag after the parking brake is released.

Disc-type parking brakes utilizing sliding calipers are known in the prior art. Such parking brakes generally include a caliper body slidably mounted on a pair of parallel pins affixed to the vehicle suspension. Such a mounting allows the caliper body to slide back and forth a short distance parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel. The caliper body has a slot-shaped recess that receives the outer periphery of a brake rotor. On one side of the recess, the caliper body includes a pair of cylindrical bores that house a pair of spring-loaded brake pistons. These pistons are connected to an inner brake pad that is extendible toward and retractable away from the brake rotor. An outer brake pad is connected to the caliper body on the outer wall of the rotor-receiving recess opposite to the inner brake pad such that the outer periphery of the brake rotor is disposed between the inner and outer brake pads.
When the vehicle is in operation, the brake pistons are retracted against the force of their internally-contained springs by pressurized brake fluid acting against the front ends of the pistons. When the vehicle is stopped and the parking brake is actuated, the pressurized brake fluid is released from the bores housing the pistons, which allows the piston springs to extend the pistons toward the brake rotor. The extended brake pistons forcefully engage the inner brake pad against the inner surface of the brake rotor. This engagement force reacts against the slidably mounted caliper body, causing it to slide on the mounting pins a small distance away from the rotor, thereby pulling the outer brake pad (which is connected to the caliper body on the outer wall of the rotor-receiving recess) into engagement against the outer surface of the brake rotor. To release the parking brake, pressurized brake fluid is re-admitted into the front ends of the cylindrical recesses in the caliper body. The resulting hydraulic force pushes against the front face of the brake pistons against the force of their internally-contained springs, thereby retracting the pistons and the inner brake pad from the brake rotor. The outer pad separates from the brake rotor disc as a result of the "knock back" force the rotor applies against the outer pad when the inner brake pad is released and the rotor rotates.
Such sliding caliper parking brakes have a number of advantages. The ability of the caliper body to slide in the axial direction upon the actuation of the brake allows the brake pistons to be mounted on only one side of the caliper body, thereby simplifying construction, reducing parts and reducing the size and weight of the brake. The use of spring force instead of hydraulic force to extend the brake pistons allows the parking brake to reliably apply a braking force against the brake rotor without power from the vehicle, and regardless of whether pressurized brake fluid is available or leaks out of the piston bores of the caliper body.

Sliding caliper parking brake having positive brake pad retraction


Grounding technology is provided for a short-wire, circuit board test fixture. As a result of the grounding technology, the ground between a circuit board test system and a circuit board under test can be reliably controlled. The grounding technology provides testing at extremely higher speeds by minimizing ground bounce. An internal ground plane is situated in the test fixture. Pursuant to one embodiment of the invention, a coax assembly at ground potential surrounds critical signal paths between the internal ground plane and an alignment plate situated at the bottom of the test fixture. Either a conductive alignment plate or a conductive ground comb affixed to a non-conductive alignment plate is implemented to permit conduction of the ground signal between the board test system and the coax assembly. In another embodiment, an array of ground personality pins provides conduction of the ground signal between the internal ground plane and the board test system. The ground personality pins are clustered around critical signal paths to control impedance.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the testing of electronic circuit boards and, more particularly, to board test fixtures and other mechanical interfaces for electrically interconnecting electronic circuit boards and the like to electrical test systems.
II. Related Art
A board test system consists of numerous electronic drivers (sources) and receivers (detectors) which are connected through an electronic switching mechanism, or scanner, to a plurality of contact points referred to as scanner pins. A board test fixture then provides an interface between these scanner pins and the electronic components located on an electronic circuit board. Because the electronic test signals which are used to determine whether the electronic component is operating properly must pass through the board test fixture both on their way to and from the electronic component, the board test fixture must maintain the signal quality of the test signals to ensure that the electronic component is not incorrectly diagnosed as operating either properly or improperly.
It has been recognized in the art that in order to ensure maximum test signal quality, the length of the signal path between the scanner and the electronic circuit board must be kept as short as possible. This factor normally dictates a short vertical coupling of the test system and the circuit board. In other words, a "short-wire" board test fixture is designed to sit directly on top of the scanner and the electronic circuit board directly on the board test fixture. Furthermore, any board test fixture must be easy to assemble and maintain in order to be readily usable and cost effective. Finally, the ability to automate the assembly of the fixture is also an important feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,007 to Cook et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a board test fixture which provides short and reliable connections between a test system and a circuit board under test. The foregoing short-wire fixture provides for good signal fidelity with digital signals up to approximately 6 megahertz (MHz). However, due to electrical parasitics, signal fidelity begins to fall off above about 6 MHz, and the ability to accurately test can become difficult above around 12 MHz.
Thee electrical parasitics phenomenon is discussed with reference to FIG. 1. Electrical parasitics are also known in the art as ground bounce or voltage/current spikes. Ground bounce is often caused by the quick transitioning of the outputs of the circuit board under test. As shown in FIG. 1 at reference 102, the various outputs of the circuit board under test are connected to the receivers of the test system via the board test fixture. Furthermore, as shown at reference 104, the inputs of the board under test are connected to driver outputs of the test system via the board test fixture. The board test fixture comprises wiring which is schematically shown in FIG. 1 as inductances L.sub.r, L.sub.g, L.sub.d.
Now, in operation, when a circuit board output 106 switches, the receiver input current I.sub.r must pass through the fixture wiring to charge the input capacitance C.sub.r of the receiver 108. The capacitance C.sub.r comprises the actual receiver input capacitance in combination with the board trace capacitance. The magnitude of the charging current I.sub.r can be predicted from the following formula: I.sub.r =C.sub.r * (dV.sub.r /dt). Because the capacitance C.sub.r is largely fixed in the board test system, the primary determining factor in the magnitude of the current I.sub.r the switching speed of the board output.
The current I.sub.r which flows from the board output to the test system must in some way return to the circuit board under test by some electrical path in order to satisfy Kirchoff's current laws. While a small part of the current I.sub.r may be returned by other paths, the majority of it will flow through the fixture ground wires, as indicated by reference 110 as a current L.sub.g.
The ground current I.sub.g flowing through the fixture ground wiring will induce a voltage V.sub.g across the wire inductance L.sub.g, wherein V.sub.g =L.sub.g * (dI.sub.g /dt). As indicated by the foregoing equation, the switching speed of the circuit board under test affects the voltage V.sub.g across the wire inductance L.sub.g. In other words, the induced voltage V.sub.g appears between the circuit board ground and the test system ground, as shown.
A voltage difference between the two grounds, i.e., or ground bounce, has extreme adverse effects as described hereafter. The output voltage of the driver 112 is maintained at a constant level with respect to the test system ground (assuming that the driver 112 is not switching). The board inputs of the circuit board 114 exhibit very high impedance, so very little current I.sub.d will flow through the fixture wiring having inductance L.sub.d. Thus, because the current I.sub.d minimal, very little voltage V.sub.d developed across the fixture wiring, pursuant to the aforementioned inductance equation. Moreover, the board input voltage will follow the driver output voltage, resulting in V.sub.g being impressed on the board input. When the ground bounce voltage is impressed on the board input, there is a risk of causing the input voltage to cross the logic threshold associated with the board input.
In the case of purely combinational logic circuit, the ground bounce predicament is not a severe risk, because a waiting period can be implemented to settle out the adverse effects. However, in the case of a sequential logic circuit for which this input is a clock or other state determining element, the state of the circuit is changed, and the test will fail no matter how slowly the test is advanced.
To insure signal integrity at high speeds through the short-wire fixture, several approaches can be taken. First, the line inductance L.sub.r can be increased. This can be accomplished, for example, by adding a ferrite bead to the fixture wires. The added inductance in the receiver path 102 helps to dampen the ground bounce by limiting the rise time of the current I.sub.r. Second, the capacitance at the circuit board input can be increased. This can be accomplished, for example, by adding a small capacitor to the fixture wires between the circuit board input line and a circuit board ground line. The added capacitance in the drive path 104 helps to dampen the ground bounce by limiting the rise time of the signal at the circuit board input. Moreover, the increased capacitance can be combined with an increase in the inductance L.sub.d for a more pronounced effect. A third approach is to reduce the ground inductance L.sub.g by adding more ground wires and keeping them short.
However, all of the foregoing approaches are problematic. The first and second approaches are undesirable because the low pass filter nature of these approaches adversely distorts the test signal itself in an effort to control test signal transients causing ground bounce. Furthermore, the third approach is somewhat limited because of the limited number of ground probe locations on the circuit board, the limited number of ground pin connections within the test system, and limited space in the board test fixture.

Enhanced grounding system for short-wire lengthed fixture


A liquid crystal display device (100) includes a TFT substrate (110) including a TFT (10), an interlayer insulating layer which covers the TFT (10), a pixel electrode (12) electrically connected to the TFT (10) via a contact hole (14) formed in the interlayer insulating layer, a storage capacitor bus line (6) and a storage capacitor electrode (8) connected to the storage capacitor bus line (6), and a storage capacitor counter electrode (16) having a light-shielding property electrically connected to the TFT (10) and the pixel electrode (12), the storage capacitor counter electrode (16) constituting a storage capacitor portion together with the storage capacitor electrode (8) with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal display device (100) also includes a counter substrate (120) including a counter electrode. Between the TFT substrate (110) and the counter substrate (120), a columnar spacer (24) is disposed in a center portion of a pixel region so as to at least partially overlap with the storage capacitor counter electrode. The contact hole (14) is provided so as to overlap with the storage capacitor counter electrode (16). A black matrix (20) includes a portion (20x) which integrally covers the TFT (10) and the columnar spacer (24).

As a display device such as a display device of a thin-screen television or a personal computer, or a small display device for a cellular phone or a smart phone, an active matrix liquid crystal display device which uses a thin film transistor (TFT: Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element is widely utilized. In addition to conventional TN liquid crystal display devices, other types of liquid crystal display devices such as liquid crystal display devices utilizing a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode as a vertical alignment mode or an IPS (In-Plane-Switching) mode as a horizontal electric field mode have been developed.
As a liquid crystal display device of VA mode, a liquid crystal display device of MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) mode, a liquid crystal display device of CPA (Continuous Pinwheel Alignment) mode, and the like are known. In the liquid crystal display device of MVA mode, multiple domains in which orientation directions of liquid crystal molecules are mutually different are formed in one pixel. In the liquid crystal display device of CPA mode, orientation directions of liquid crystal molecules are continuously varied around a rivet or the like formed on an electrode in the center portion of a pixel.
For example, Patent Document No. 1 describes a liquid crystal display device comprising a plurality of projecting structures in a pixel region and operating in a VA mode. The projecting structures disposed in the pixel region are utilized for regulating the orientation of liquid crystal molecules. Part of the projecting structure also functions as a columnar spacer used for maintaining a cell gap (the thickness of a liquid crystal layer).
Patent Document No. 2 describes a liquid crystal display device of MVA mode in which many minute slits (cuts) extending in directions of azimuth angles of 45°, 135°, 225°, and 315° are formed in a pixel electrode (also referred to as a comb-like pixel electrode or a fishbone-shaped pixel electrode). The azimuth angles are angles measured by regarding the three o'clock direction as 0° and regarding the anti-clockwise direction as a direction of positive angles. The liquid crystal molecules are aligned in parallel to these slits, thereby realizing four-divided domain structure. Patent Document No. 3 describes a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device which can operate in the MVA mode.


A portable wheeled cart for work in yard and garden includes a body having a bottom wall and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The sidewalls include a plurality of open-ended passageways defined therein for receiving handles of yard tools. In the wheelbarrow position, the yard tools and supplies can be readily transported from one location to another without requiring repeated trips between locations. Moreover, for storing yard and garden supplies and tools, the cart can be rotated into an upright position about the wheel means, wherein the yard tools can be stored and wherein the front and rear walls of the wheelbarrow form shelves for holding lawn and garden supplies.

Portable wheeled carts for use in lawn and garden work are commonly used by both commercial and home users. However, the home user is likely to choose a less expensive and lower quality brand name as compared to his or her commercial counterpart who is more likely to need a portable cart for conveying relatively heavy loads on a frequent basis and who requires sustained durability lasting many years. The home user who typically performs lawn nd garden work only on weekends, on the other hand, is generally willing to opt for a non-commercial model if sufficient savings in cost can be achieved. However, concomitant with the cost savings is a general reduction in the durability and functionality of the cart. Moreover, unlike the commercial user, the home user may not have separate facilities or carts for storing various lawn and garden supplies and tools in an efficient manner during non-use periods. Accordingly, the home user's yard and garden supplies and tools are typically stored in the garage with other household items and may often become misplaced during extended periods of non-use, thus causing frustration to the homeowner seeking to resume work about the house. In addition, due to the relatively limited capacity of most lawn and garden carts, the user frequently makes repeated back-and-forth trips between the place of work and storage area to acquire all the supplies needed for the particular job to be performed. Furthermore, when lawn carts such as conventional wheelbarrows are not being used, they provide no secondary function such as the capability of efficiently storing lawn and garden supplies.

Portable wheeled cart for work in yard and garden


The present disclosure provides a chair with a rotatable armrest, comprising a seat body, which is provided with an armrest, a backrest and a rotating member; wherein the backrest is arranged at a position on one end portion of the seat body, the rotating member is fixed on one end of the seat body near the backrest, the armrest is rotatablely connected with the seat body through the rotating member, and the armrest is capable of rotating roughly horizontally with respect to the seat body. According to the present disclosure, a user can leave the chair from one side of the seat body, moreover, when the user is leaving the chair, the rotated armrest can still provide help for the user.

In order to facilitate the life of the old people and the people suffering special diseases, chairs are used sometimes. These chairs belong to medical rehabilitation appliances, which can provide help for the old people or the patients, for example, wheelchairs. Current chairs are provided with armrests on two sides thereof. Generally, a user can leave the chair from the front side of the chair only, and cannot leave the chair from one side of the seat body. Some armrests are capable of rotating vertically with respect to the seat body, allowing the user to leave the chair from one side of the seat body. However, the rotated armrests cannot continue providing help for the user.


A system and method for managing database systems, wherein the database systems perform database queries to retrieve data stored by the database systems. One or more regulators are used for managing the database systems, wherein a database tuning agent function of the regulator uses statistics on physical and logical data access in order to perform automated block size management for database objects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for managing database systems.
2. Description of Related Art
As database management systems (DBMS) continue to increase in function and expand into new application areas, the diversity of database workloads is increasing as well. In addition to the classic relational DBMS workload consisting of short transactions running concurrently with long decision support queries, workloads comprising of an even wider range of system demands are emerging. New complex data types, such as image files, audio files, video files and other large objects, and new active data warehouse requirements, such as capacity on demand, data replication, fault-tolerance, dual active query processing, recursion, user defined types (UDFs), external UDFs, and so on, result in widely varying memory, processor, disk and network demands on database systems.
In general, a DBMS has a number of operational characteristics. These include physical statistics, such as CPU usage, query response times and performance statistics. In some DBMS, the operational characteristics include rule sets under which the database operates, relating to the likes of resource consumption and request prioritization. Varying these rule sets often has an effect on other physical characteristics, for example altering performance statistics. Ideally, a DBMS should be able to accept performance goals for a workload and dynamically adjust its own performance based on whether or not these goals are being met.
Closed-loop system management (CLSM) is a technology directed towards this ideal. Under some known CLSM-type systems, incoming queries are split into workload groups, each workload group having respective service level goals (SLGs). The DBMS is responsive to whether or not these goals are met for selectively switching between predetermined rule sets or adjusting performance controls.
It is also known to operate multi-system environments, wherein a plurality of databases, database systems, or DBMS operate in parallel. For example, DBMS that use a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture across multiple systems or a Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) architecture. In particular, it is known to operate a "dual-active" system wherein a plurality of databases operate in parallel and intercommunicate. It will be appreciated that managing complex workloads and performance goals performance objectives across the board in a multi-system environment is difficult.
Moreover, the disk drive storage technology used by database systems has been delivering rapid capacity growth and slow random performance improvement, creating a divergence that presents performance challenges for the database. The number of accesses a disk drive can perform is a function of seek time, rotation rate, and transfer rate, and transfer size. A disk drive can do a certain amount of small I/Os or a smaller number of large I/Os generating more throughput, or some combination in between.
User workloads are generally a mix of work requiring both small and large I/Os. However, these workloads may need access to the same data, so a tradeoff is required on setting the block size of the database object. One potential solution is to self-manage different block sizes for each database object. However, this is wasteful of expensive human resources, is not continuous, and is prone to mistakes or incomplete tuning that reduce efficiency.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for additional management techniques for use in database systems. Specifically, there is a need for systems that can automate the tuning of physical and logical database structures. The present invention satisfies this need.

Automated block size management for database objects


A golf swing training device that fits on the inner down swing arm and optionally it has a thumb restraint extension. The device comprises a shell contoured to fit the inner arm from the wrist to the lower portion of the upper arm which is strapped to the arm. The device cocks the arm slightly but fully extends the arm for the back swing and down swing and aids the golfer in forming the right habit by muscle memory to extend the arm during the golf swing. The device is flexible laterally so that a snug fit between the device and the arm can be obtained. The device can twist to accommodate the twisting of the arm during the golf swing. The device resists bending of the forearm about the elbow to keep the forearm extended. The thumb extension inhibits flexure and side to side movement of the thumb during the golf swing. The thumb extension can be detachably attached to the shell.

Golf is enjoyed by people of all ages throughout the world. It is played and enjoyed by both athletic types and non-athletic types of people. It is one of the few athletic activities that can be played and enjoyed by people with handicaps, such as a missing limb, a bad back, sight problems, and the like.
Seemingly, the golf swing to drive a ball with a wood or hit a ball with an iron should be the most natural and easiest thing in the world. It should be no more difficult than hitting a baseball with a bat or returning a tennis ball with a tennis racket. However, the golf swing is truly one of the most complicated athletic endeavors. Although it is true that anyone can get up, take a club and swing at the ball, the club head may miss the ball, or the ball may not go far, or it may not go straight, or it may not go anywhere. The golf swing requires the proper posture, the proper placement of the legs with respect to the ball, the proper positioning of the hands on the golf club grip, and proper rotation of the shoulders and the hips during the back swing and the downward power swing. Many of the requirements for the proper golf swing can be easily mastered by most individuals, such as posture, positioning of the feet, and the hand the grip on the golf club grip. However, other aspects of the golf swing are not easily mastered. Even great golfers like Bobby Jones, Sammy Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicholas, and Tiger Woods, can slip from time to time, resulting in poor shots, either in distance and/or direction. Most professional golfers have teachers who observe their swings and to identify their problems and remedy what the problem is with respect to the swing. Frequently the problems with the swing are very small but very significant factors. One of the essential factors in the proper swing is extension of the arms.
For purposes of this patent, the description of the golf swing and the invention will be made with respect to the swing of a right-handed golfer, i.e. a golfer who down swings the club from right to left when facing the ball. The right-handed golfer's forearm is his or her left arm. An arm has four sides: an inner side that faces the trunk, an outer side, a top or ventral side facing the front, and a back or dorsal side facing the back. The directions refer to directions when the arms are at the side of a person with the thumb next to pant-pocket facing forward.
Normally in a golf swing, proper extension of the right arm is not a problem. However, extension of the left arm is frequently a problem. Most golfers, unless they diligently practice, have a tendency not to extend the forearm during the back swing. For these golfers, when they are in the down swing, they fully extend the arm which changes the direction of the face of the club with respect to the ball and causes the ball to hook or slice and inhibits maximum club head velocity which prevents the maximum amount of energy to be transferred from the club head to the ball at impact. Thus both distance the ball goes and the direction the ball goes are affected by not extending the left arm during the back swing. Many golf books and a number of golf teachers always stress to the golfer to straight-arm the left arm on the back swing. This is a reminder to the golfer to extend the arm. Unfortunately, the forearm is not truly straight-armed during the back swing. There is a slight curve or crook at the elbow, but the forearm is extended out to give the greatest amount of energy to the golf swing and to correctly have the face of the golf club hit the ball to drive the ball far and straight. When the golfer attempts to make a full swing with a straight-arm or stiff-arm left arm, it is uncomfortable and the arm which has to rotate during the down swing, does not impart the maximum amount of energy to the ball and frequently alters the direction of the club face. When the face of the club does not properly address the ball at impact, the ball goes in a direction the golfer never intended. For purposes of this patent, to drive the ball means to hit the ball with a wood, an iron, or with a wedge.
Most of the prior art devices are truly elbow stiffener devices that restrain the elbow in a straight-arm condition (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,074,723; 3,900,199; 3,658,345; 5,425,539; 4,070,027; 4,504,054; 5,069,547; 2,468,580).
In order train golfers to maintain the left arm extended, with respect to a right-handed golfer, the training device must be comfortable. When the training device is not comfortable, the device will be quickly discarded because it is uncomfortable to use for practice or a round of golf. Although training devices cannot be used in tournament play, they can be used in a regular golf game assuming the other golfers do not object. The prior art training devices described above are either cylinders or sheet-like structures which are wrapped like a cylinder to go around the arm. Some have a foam pad interior to attempt to make the device more comfortable. Training devices that do not fit the anatomical contour of the arm are inherently uncomfortable.
As mentioned above, during the back swing and especially during the down swing, the forearm, the left arm for a right-handed golfer, slightly rotates. This is a natural result of the skeletal and muscular relationship of the arm. The golfer should not attempt to prevent this rotation and should let the down swing be natural as long as the left arm and the right arm are extended. The cylindrical training devices illustrated in the above-identified patent do not twist as the forearm is rotated. The cylindrical device resists torsionally twisting. Thus a cylindrical training device resists the rotation of the forearm during the down swing which effects swing and effects the way the ball is hit off the club. This is not a natural swing, the cylindrical training device inhibits the national rotation of the forearm.
The arm has an upper arm and lower arm. The lower arm is relatively long, and a training devices that only inhibits movement adjacent the elbow does not have sufficient purchase on the upper arm and the lower arm to minimize bending about the forearm elbow to train the golfer to keep the forearm extended during the back swing.
As mentioned above, one of the factors of a successful golf swing is proper placement of the golfer's hands on the golf club grip. In addition to not extending the forearm during the back swing, some golfers have a tendency to move the thumb of the hand of their forearm during the back swing. The golf club is normally gripped when the club is placed in front of the golfer with the head of the club resting on the ground and the shaft pointing up to the lower chest of the golfer. The golfer places the hands on the grip in the appropriate manner. This grip is not held tightly, but is held firmly enough so that when the golfer performs a back swing and the down swing, the grip does not change on the golf club grip. This assures that the head of the club properly addresses the golf ball at impact when the club has been properly swung and drives the ball straight down the fairway in the direction the golfer desires. For the beginning golfer, it is difficult to realize that a slight shift in the grip can have dramatic effects on the direction of the golf ball. Incorrect gripping of the golf club or changing or moving the grip during the back swing and/or the down swing, can easily make the golf ball hook or slice. Besides raising the score, it is generally embarrassing to the golfer when slices or hooks badly. In addition, a bad slice or hook can also be dangerous to other golfers playing in adjacent fairways. Any homeowner along a fairway of a golf course develops a collection of golf balls and often broken windows and cracks in the sides of house from bad slices and hooks. When the golfer does shift the grip during the back swing or down swing, the golfer normally only alters the position of the thumb on the forearm hand. The other fingers are normally "fixed" to the club grip because they are needed to maintain the golf club in the hands of the golfer. If the golfer does have a habit of flexing the thumb of the forearm hand during the swing, the golfer must be trained to keep the thumb in the original position when he or she took up the grip. It is important to prevent flexure of the thumb to maintain the club in a vertical orientation at the top of the back swing. None of the above prior art devices restrain movement of the thumb during the golf swing.
The object of the present invention is to provide a golf swing training device generally contoured to the shape of the inner arm to fit comfortably on the golfer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a golf swing training device that keeps the forearm extended. The device is designed to extend the forearm and give the arm a slight angle between the lower arm and the upper arm and about the elbow. The device does not contort the forearm into a straight-arm position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a golf swing training device that torsionally rotates or twists during the golf swing so that the golfer has a natural feeling to the swing and the forearm is not restrained from rotating during the back swing and down swing.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a golf swing training device that will maintain the arm in the extended position by providing an arm restraint that will minimize further bending of the forearm about the elbow during the back swing and down swing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf swing training device that permits the forearm to be fully extended at the point of impact of the club face with the ball during the down swing.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf swing training device that can be snugly fit onto the inner forearm of the golfer to train the golfer to keep the forearm extended during the golf swing.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a thumb restraint that restrains the thumb of the forearm from flexure during the back swing of the golf club to keep the club relatively vertical (front view).


A method for enhancing the sensitivity of gradient-recalled echo imaging for T2* effects in dynamic magnetic resonance imaging which involves the step of delaying gradient-recalled echoes so that the gradient-recalled echoes are subjected to magnetic susceptibility effects for an extended period of time. The gradient-recalled echoes are delayed beyond a subsequent radio frequency pulse by applying an additional gradient which dephases any gradient-recalled echo of spins that are excited in the radio frequency repetition time period in which said gradient-recalled echoes are produced.

Several known functional MR imaging studies based on detection of temporary changes in T2* which result from local changes in magnetic susceptibility have been conducted. Among these are measurements of regional cerebral blood volume (RCBV) using a bolus injection of contrast agent (A. Villringer et al, Magn. Reson. Med., Vol. 6 (1988), page 164; B. R. Rosen et al, Magn. Reson. Q., Vol. 5 (1989), page 26; C. T. W. Moonen et al, Science, Vol. 250 (1990), page 53; J. W. Belliveau et al, Science, Vol. 254 (1990), page 716) and of local changes in brain oxygenation state (S. Ogawa et al, Magn. Reson. Med., Vol. 14 (1990), page 68; R. Turner et al, Magn. Reson. Med., Vol. 22 (1991), page 159). Most of these studies are carried out with echo-planar MRI methods because of their high intrinsic sensitive for T2*. In principle, conventional methods based on gradient-recalled echoes (A. Haase et al, Magn. Reson., Vol. 67 (1986), page 258; D. Matthaei et al, Lancet, Vol. 2 (1985), page 893; F. W. Wehrli, Magn. Reson. Q., Vol. 6 (1990), page 165) are also T2* sensitive, but the T2* sensitivity generally has to be compromised in order to reach the desired time-resolution. For example, blood volume measurements in the brain based on tracking the passage of a bolus of contrast agent require a timeresolution of the order of ls per image due to the short transit time of blood. For 128 phase encode steps, this limits the TR (relaxation time) to about 8 ms and TE (echo time) to about 5 ms.
The present invention, hereafter referred to as an echo-shifted gradient-recalled echo method, involves methods of magnetic resonance imaging which have enhanced sensitivity to T2* changes, as compared to methods known heretofore.

Method to enhance the sensitivity of MRI for magnetic susceptibility effects

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health & Human Services


A method and device for treating a mammalian organism to obtain a desired local or systemic physiological or pharmacological effect is provided. The method includes administering a sustained release drug delivery system to a mammalian organism in need of such treatment at an area wherein release of an effective agent is desired and allowing the effective agent to pass through the device in a controlled manner. The device includes an inner core or reservoir including the effective agent, an impermeable tube which encloses portions of the reservoir, and a permeable member at an end of the tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel sustained release drug delivery device, and more particularly to a multilayered drag delivery device.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Over the years, various drugs have been developed to assist in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and diseases. However, in many instances such drugs are not capable of being administered either orally or intravenously without the risk of various deleterious side effects.
For example, intravenous ganciclovir (GCV) is effective in the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients, but bone marrow toxicity limits its usefulness. The incidence of neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count<1000) during intravenous GCV therapy ranges from 30 to 50%. Continuous maintenance GCV therapy is necessary to prevent progression or recrudescence of the disease, but despite maintenance therapy, 30 to 50% of patients experience a relapse during treatment. Other problems associated with systemic GCV administration include the risk of sepsis related to permanent indwelling catheters and the inability to receive concurrent therapy with zidovudine (AZT) which has been shown to prolong life and improve the immune function in AIDS patients.
Intravitreal GCV injections of 200 to 400 μg administered once or twice weekly have resulted in temporary remission of CMV retinitis in AIDS patients. Intravitreal GCV injections may provide a higher intraocular drug concentration than systemic therapy and reduce the incidence of neutropenia. Current treatment of CMV retinitis in AIDS patients is clearly suboptimal. Ganciclovir is virustatic and thus disease inhibition requires maintenance drug administration.
Due to the risks that certain drugs impose, researchers have developed systems for administering such drugs to aid in the treatment of these ailments and diseases. Many of these systems provide a release rate which reduces the occurrence of detrimental side effects.
With conventional dosing (tablets, injections, etc.), the concentration of drug in a given area of the body increases through an ineffective concentration to some concentration that is effective. Frequently the concentration may actually reach some toxic threshold. After a relatively short period, however, the drug concentration decreases as drug is either metabolized in the body or is eliminated. Frequently, drug levels decrease so low that therapeutic levels are no longer maintained. A second dose is then given and the cycle is repeated. The goal of sustained release systems is to maintain drug levels within the therapeutic range and ideally a constant level.
In order to achieve constant levels, drugs should be released from a delivery system at a rate that does not change with time (so called zero-order release). In many systems, however, the release rate is proportional to time (i.e., "first order") or the square root of time (or Fickian).
Linear release is achievable with some types of reservoir systems, such as tubes, fibers, laminates, or microspheres. In these systems, a drug reservoir is coated in a rate controlling membrane. Drug diffusion across the membrane is rate limiting and is constant (zero order) as long as the membrane's permeability does not change and as long as the concentration of drug in the reservoir is constant (i.e., as long as there is an excess of drug in the reservoir).
In matrix systems, drug is dispersed throughout a matrix and is released as it dissolves and diffuses through the matrix. A drug is released from the outer surface of the matrix first, this layer becomes depleted, and drug that is released from further within the core of the device must then diffuse through the depleted matrix. The net result is that the release rate slows down and Fickian release is common. With matrix systems, zero-order release is very difficult to achieve. The same principles apply to release from gels.
In some bioerodible systems, diffusion through the matrix is designed to be extremely slow and drugs are intended to be released as the system is degraded. It has been generally found to be extremely difficult to use this approach to achieve a zero-order release, as most polymers do not undergo zero-order degradation. "S" type kinetics are more common. A general discussion of drug delivery control systems is provided in Controlled Drug Delivery Systems (Part I), Xue Shen Wu, Ph.D. pp. 32, 33, 44-46, 63, 66, and 67 (Technomic Publishing Co, Inc., 1996), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
One such delivery device is an orally administered pill or capsule which contains a drug encapsulated within various layers of a composition that dissolves over a period of time in the digestive tract, thereby allowing a gradual or slow release of the drug into the system.
Another type of device for controlling the administration of such drugs is produced by coating a drug with a polymeric material permeable to the passage of the drug to obtain the desired effect. Such devices are particularly suitable for treating a patient at a specific local area without having to expose the patient's entire body to the drug. This is advantageous because any possible side effects of the drug could be minimized.
Such systems are particularly suitable for treating ailments affecting the eye. Advances for administering a drug to the external surface of the eye are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,335, to Arnold. Arnold describes various ocular inserts that act as a deposit or drug reservoir for slowly releasing a drug into the tear film for prolonged periods of time. These inserts are fabricated of a flexible polymeric material that is biologically inert, non-allergenic, and insoluble in tear fluid. To initiate the therapeutic programs of these devices, the ocular inserts are placed in the cul-de-sac between the sclera of the eyeball and the eyelid for administering the drug to the eye.
Devices formed of polymeric materials that are insoluble in tear fluid retain their shape and integrity during the course of the needed therapy to serve as a drug reservoir for continuously administering a drug to the eye and the surrounding tissues at a rate that is not effected by dissolution or erosion of the polymeric material. Upon termination of the desired therapeutic program, the device is removed from the cul-de-sac.
Another type of device used for sustained release of a drug to the external surface of the eye, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,530, is manufactured with a plurality of capillary openings that communicate between the exterior of the device and the interior chamber, which generally defined from a polymeric membrane. While these capillary openings in this construction are effective for releasing certain drugs to the eye, they add considerable complexity to the manufacture of the device because it is difficult to control the size of these openings in large scale manufacturing using various polymers.
Another device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,604, does not involve such capillary openings, but instead provides for the release of the drug by diffusion through a polymeric membrane. The device, in a preferred embodiment, as disclosed in that patent, comprises a sealed container having the drug in an interior chamber. Nonetheless, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,335, certain problems have been identified with such devices such as the difficult task of sealing the margins of the membrane to form the container. In addition, stresses and strains introduced into the membrane walls from deformation during manufacturing of those devices may cause the reservoir to rupture and leak.
Another such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,335, comprises a three-layered laminate having a pair of separate and discrete first and third walls formed of a material insoluble in tear fluid with one of the walls formed of a drug release material permeable to the passage of drug and the other wall formed of a material impermeable to the passage of the drug.
The above described systems and devices are intended to provide sustained release of drugs effective in treating patients at a desired local or systemic level for obtaining certain physiological or pharmacological effects. However, there are many disadvantages associated with their use including the fact that it is often times difficult to obtain the desired release rate of the drug. The need for a better release system is especially significant in the treatment of CMV retinitis.
Prior to the development of the present invention, there was developed a novel sustained release delivery device which ameliorated many of the aforementioned problems associated with drug delivery. The device, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,475 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), included a first coating essentially impermeable to the passage of the effective agent and a second coating permeable to the passage of the effective agent. In the device, the first coating covered at least a portion of the inner core; however, at least a small portion of the inner core is not coated with the first coating layer. The second coating layer essentially completely covers the first coating layer and the uncoated portion of the inner core. The portion of the inner core which is not coated with the second coating layer allows passage of the agent into the second coating layer thus allowing controlled release.
While the devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,475 solve many of the aforementioned problems pertaining to drug delivery, the devices and the method of making the devices are not without problems. In particular, polymers suitable for coating the inner core are frequently relatively soft and technical difficulties can arise in production of uniform films. This is especially true when attempting to coat non-spherical bodies with edges (such as a cylindrical shape). In such case, relatively thick films must be applied to achieve uninterrupted and uniform coatings, which adds significant bulk to the device. Thus, the devices tend to be larger than necessary as a result of the thickness needed to seal the ends of the inner core.
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,598 presents solutions to the problems of manufacturing devices which are sized to be effective drug administration devices in anatomical locations where device volume plays a limiting role in the design of the device. While effective in delivering drugs in situ, some manufacturing difficulties have limited scaled up manufacturing of these devices. For example, the impermeable inner coating layer of the devices of the aforementioned application, which immediately surrounds the drug reservoir, is typically formed of a material the thickness of which results in a layer which is not capable of supporting its own weight.
While beneficial from the standpoint of reducing the overall size of the device, and while still sealing the drug reservoir, goals well-addressed in the aforementioned patent, the relative flaccidity of this inner layer makes it difficult to load the device's reservoir with a drug solution, drug slurry, or drug suspension. Because this inner layer is essentially structurally incapable of maintaining its shape without significant collapse, i.e., does not have the dimensional stability or structural ability to accept a drug core inserted therein without changing shape, a relatively solid drug or drug-containing mixture must be used in order to manufacture the device. Loading a drug slurry onto this inner layer during manufacture which does not hold its own shape results in the combination of the drug slurry and inner layer being extremely difficult to handle without damaging it, because the inner layer collapses and the drug-containing mixture flows out.
The problem of device size is extremely important in the design of devices for implantation into limited anatomical spaces such as the eye. Larger devices require more complex surgery to both implant and remove. The increased complexity may result in complications, longer healing or recovery periods, and potential side effects (e.g., increased chance of astigmatism). Furthermore, the extra polymer required to achieve a uniform coating reduces the potential volume of the implant and hence limits the amount of drug that can be delivered, potentially limiting both efficacy and duration.
As a result of all of the above, there remains a need in the art for improving the design and the method of preparing devices which provide a sustained release of a drug to a patient to obtain a desired local or systemic physiological or pharmacological effect especially for ocular use.

Sustained release drug delivery devices, methods of use, and methods of manufacturing thereof


The present invention provides a blow molding machine comprising a plurality of pillars 5 set up facing on a seat 4 above a base 3 located above a blow mold 2; a stationary platen 6 provided bridging on the top portions of the pillars 5; a moving cylinder 7 set on both side of the stationary platen 6; and a holding plate 9 of blow-core members, which is connected with a piston rod 7a of the moving cylinder 7, and in which the pillars 5 are inserted vertically movable; and a clamp plate 15 projecting at both ends from the holding plate 9 outwardly, and a clamp block 16, which includes internally a pair of hydraulic cylinders 18 to clamp the clamp plate 15 from both sides with rams when the holding plate 9 is in the lower limit position, which is provided on both sides of the seat 4.

In the conventional molding machine of this type, in order to prevent a blow-core member, which is fitted airtightly into the mouth portion of a perform in a mold, from leaking caused by floating by the pressure of air blow, a moving block fixed with the blow-core member is applied to lock for locating by a locking device. (e.g. reference patent 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-218802 (Page 1, FIG. 1)).
According to the locking device in the reference patent 1, a stationary block set up on a base is locked with a moving block of the internal vertically movable blow-core member by fitting of an air-driven locking pin and locking hole. However, the problem to be solved is that locking by fitting a locking pin into a pin hole is not suitable for the conventional blow molding machine, in which the vertically movable holding plate of the blow core member is supported on pillars set up on the base as in the reference patent 1, since there is no stationary block and moving block equipped for the locking device.
Also, according to the device in the reference patent 1, because the stroke of the locking pin is long, the air blow which must be followed after the lock state is detected at the position of locking pin, and moving of the core upwardly after molding must be done after confirmation of unlock state. This results an inconvenience as locking and unlocking require unexpected time, which causes a delay of dry cycle time in the molding machine.
Moreover, in the method of locking by the locking pin and the pin hole, the holding force applied by the mean for moving the blow-core member from above to hold the blow-core member is received by the locking pin on both sides at the lower limit position of the movable block, so that the holding force given by the mean for moving the blow-core member is transmitted insufficiently to the holding plate of the blow-core member, and lack of the holding force often results a leak of blow air.
Also, during the blow molding process, as the locking pin receives the force of the blow pressure, stronger than the holding force, after the molding is operated for a long period of time, the neck portion between the pin and the piston is damaged by inclining the axis of the locking pin upwardly caused by the force of the blow pressure given repeatedly, and the blow-core member is easily lifted up for the increase of the clearance caused by the abrasion on the hole wall because of the friction on the internal wall of the pin hole.
Normally, since tight fitting between the tip portion of the blow-core member and a neck mold that holds the mouth portion of the preform is kept by fitting of the tapered surface. Even if the blow-core member moves very slight to the draw direction by floating, it causes looseness in fit and the tightness. Therefore, the air leaks from the neck mold, and this makes a drop of the blow air pressure, which becomes a cause of defects in molding. For this reason, increase of the clearance caused by the abrasion on the inside wall of the pin hole is not allowable, and the fit must be performed with a minimum clearance, so that another problem to be solved is that the locking device requires a high degree of accuracy and durability even for such a simple device.


Embodiments relate to non-disruptive modification of a device mapper stack. Aspects include receiving the device mapper stack comprising a first device mapper layer having an active mapping table and creating a second device mapper layer having a copy of the active mapping table from the first device mapper layer. Aspects further include creating an inactive mapping table having a desired mapping logic in the first device mapper layer and suspending and resuming an operation of the first device mapper layer. Suspending and resuming causes the active mapping table of the first device mapper layer to be replaced with the inactive mapping table of the first device mapper layer.

The present disclosure relates generally to modification of a device mapper stack, and more specifically, to non-disruptive modification of a device mapper stack.
In the Linux kernel, the device mapper serves as a generic framework to map one device onto another. The device mapper forms the foundation of logical volume management (LVM2), software redundant array of independent disks (RAIDs), multipath, disk encryption, and offers additional features such as file system snapshots. The device mapper works by redirecting or copying data from a virtual device, which is provided by the device mapper, to a target or physical device. If the device mapper creates or otherwise uses a copy of the data, the device mapper operation may modify the data.
In general, in order to insert a device mapper layer into an existing device mapper stack, it must go logically above an existing device mapper layer, but not disrupt the operation of applications that are utilizing the existing device mapper layer. Currently, all device mapper layers are inserted during construction of the device mapper stack, rather than after. However, inserting layers during initial construction of the device mapper stack requires involvement of the system integrator, and is therefore not feasible for systems that have already been deployed.

Non-disruptive modification of a device mapper stack


In order to achieve a circuit device capable of stably supplying an antenna with electric power in a broad power range to output a transmission signal, the circuit device includes a current source adapted to supply a first current in a first operation mode, and supply a second current higher than the first current in a second operation mode, and a drive section supplied with the electric power from the current source, and adapted to perform drive for outputting a transmission signal to an antenna via a matching circuit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a circuit device, an electronic apparatus, a moving object, and so on.
2. Related Art
In the past, there has been known a circuit device for outputting a wireless transmission signal in a frequency band such as an RF band. In such a circuit device, there is provided a power amplifier for supplying an antenna with the electric power. As the related art of the power amplifier, there can be cited, for example, technologies disclosed in JP-A-2007-201698 (Document 1), Mona M. Hella and Mohammed Ismail, "RF CMOS Power Amplifiers—Theory, Design and Implementation," Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 21, 2002 (Document 2), and so on.
For example, in the related art related to Document 1, there is disclosed a method of performing control so that a voltage applied to an RF choke coil becomes a desired voltage using an operational amplifier to thereby make the output voltage constant independently of a battery terminal voltage.
However, in the past circuit devices for wireless communications, it has not been achievable to realize a power amplifier capable of stably supplying the electric power in a broad power range from high power to low power while suppressing the dependency on a power supply voltage variation or the like.
According to the method of Document 1, it is possible to keep the output power constant by controlling the voltage applied to the choke coil using an operational amplifier. However, as described in Document 1, since it takes much time (time necessary for the output level to be stabilized) to switch the power amplifier from the OFF state to the ON state, there is a problem that it is difficult to increase the transmission rate of the data in, for example, the amplitude modulation using an ON/OFF keying (OOK) method.

Circuit device, electronic apparatus, and moving object


A thermoplastic resin composition includes a first copolymer including a conjugated diene-based polymer, a unit derived from an aromatic vinyl-based monomer, and a unit derived from a vinyl cyan-based monomer; a second copolymer including a unit derived from an aromatic vinyl-based monomer and a unit derived from a vinyl cyan-based monomer; and, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the sum of the first copolymer and the second copolymer, 2.0 to 10 parts by weight of a third copolymer having a soft segment including a unit derived from a polyalkylene glycol and a hard segment including unit derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or aromatic dicarboxylate and a unit derived from a linear aliphatic diol; and 2.5 to 10 parts by weight of a fourth copolymer including an aromatic dicarboxylic acid-derived unit, a unit derived from a linear aliphatic diol, and a unit derived from a cyclic aliphatic diol.

An acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene graft copolymer has been used for a wide range of applications including electrical and electronic products and office automation equipment due to its excellent mechanical properties and processability. However, the resin itself does not have flame resistance, and thus a flame retardant and a flame retardant aid are added to impart flame resistance to the resin.
However, the addition of a flame retardant and a flame retardant aid causes a significant degradation of mechanical properties and chemical resistance.
In order to solve this problem, the addition of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer as an additive has been proposed. However, since the thermoplastic polyester elastomer is so expensive, production costs of a thermoplastic resin composition are increased, and there is a problem that a total volume is excessively reduced in a commercialization process and thus dimensional stability is degraded.


A modular overhead privacy system for a mobile platform, in one form, includes a plurality of independent privacy modules located longitudinally spaced apart, above a passenger cabin, in an overhead crown area of the mobile platform. The system additionally includes a plurality of private access stairways providing access to the privacy modules from the passenger cabin. Each private module is accessible by an independent one of the private access stairways. Each privacy module includes at least one berth that provides a passenger or crew member a private reposing space separate from the passenger cabin. In one embodiment the privacy modules are longitudinally spaced apart in accordance with a seat pitch of a plurality of rows of seats in the passenger cabin. In another embodiment the seats are positioned adjacent one another behind a stairway leading the overhead privacy module. The system can be employed in either a passenger cabin area or a crew member area of a mobile platform.

Passenger mobile platforms, such as aircraft, buses and trains often travel long distances and many hours without stopping. As hours pass, this can sometimes place passengers and/or crew members under stress and discomfort. To address this, many mobile platforms have attempted to provide a measure of comfort by providing seats with additional padding and extended angles of reclination, and ample room for body movement without disturbing other passengers. However, these known methods of addressing passenger and/or crew member comfort and rest only minimally reduce such discomfort, and often do not provide the privacy and additional sufficient, private space needed to relax passengers and/or crew members.
Furthermore, when individuals are traveling within a mobile platform for an extended period of time, an individual may need some place to go, i.e. an area within the mobile platform itself away from his/her seat or work area for periods of uninterrupted rest. To address this need of passengers and/or crew for a separate, private space, away from their seat or work area, some mobile platforms have incorporated lounges within the passenger cabin. In other instances sleeping berths have been provided in an overhead area above the passenger cabin. However, both of these known methods typically require the area of many seats and therefore consume a considerable amount of the seating capacity within the passenger cabin. Additionally, known overhead resting accommodations for passengers typically include a single overhead structure having a plurality of berths accessible from a single aisle extending the entire longitudinal length of the overhead structure. These known overhead resting structures are generally only accessible by a single stairway at one end of the aisle or by a pair of stairways located at the aft and forward ends of the aisle. This, at best, provides only minimal privacy as each passenger must traverse the aisle, passing by other berths which may be occupied, to reach an unoccupied berth.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide passengers and/or crew members traveling for extended periods on a mobile platform with private resting quarters that provide sufficient room to comfortably repose, that can be utilized without interfering with other needed space on the mobile platform or the loss of seating capacity in the passenger cabin.

Modular overhead privacy system and method


An apparatus for opening and closing window blinds converts rotary motion about a vertical axis of a vertical rod into rotary motion about a horizontal axis of a horizontal member. A lever is attached to one end of the horizontal member. A drive gear is attached to an opposite end of the horizontal member. A driven gear is attached to a first end of a vertical member. The driven gear is operatively engaged with the drive gear. The vertical member is perpendicular with respect to the horizontal member. An adapter housing is attached to an opposite end of the driven gear and is used to attach a bottom end of the vertical rod thereto. All component parts are supported by a base member that is attached to a wall. Turning the lever rotates the drive gear which rotates the vertical rod and, accordingly, opens or closes the blinds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to window blinds and, more particularly, to a device for opening and closing mini-blinds.
Mini-blinds, sometimes also known as Venetian blinds, include a plurality of spaced-apart parallel horizontal slats that are supported by a common carrier that includes a common support carriage disposed near each side of the blinds.
A support structure is disposed above the common support carrier. The support structure includes means for raising and lowering all of the slats, as desired, and also means for retaining the slats at a desired position other than all the way up proximate the support structure or all the way down maximally away from the support structure.
The support structure also includes a mechanism for varying the tilt angle of all of the slats simultaneously by affecting the common support carrier that supports all of the slats. A rod extends down vertically, usually from one side of the support structure, and is rotated in one direction to open the slats (i.e., to dispose them so that their plane, or chord, is substantially level with respect to the plane of the earth) or to close the slats (i.e., to dispose them so that their plane is at an angle that is nearly vertical with respect to the plane of the earth).
Sufficient rotation of the vertical rod in either direction will eventually dispose the slats at either a first angle (where a first edge of each of slats is disposed above an opposite second edge) or at a second angle (where the first edge of each of slats is disposed below the opposite second edge).
It is not possible, generally, for all of the slats to be disposed at a truly vertical angle with respect to the earth because the top of one slat will contact the bottom of a slat that is above it. This is because the slats include a slight overlap in the vertical position. A slight offset away from vertical is common in the fully closed positions, there being two such positions (the first angle and the second angle as previously described).
The slats for certain types of blinds are flat planar members while for the most common types of mini-blinds, they each generally include an arcuate member that is slightly curved across a relatively narrow width and which extends along a considerably longer longitudinal length. When the plane of the slats is mentioned herein, it is either the plane extending through a center of the flat planar members (slats) or a chord extending across the slightly curved width of the arcuate slats and extending along the longitudinal length thereof, that is being referred to.
A first problem encountered is that the rod hangs down adjacent to the blinds. The user, wishing to open or close the blinds, must contort the hand and wrist in order to rotate the rod about its vertical axis. This is not a natural position for the hand and is therefore difficult to accomplish.
It is especially difficult to attain a circular motion for the hand sufficient to rotate the rod about its vertical axis once it is contorted in a position necessary to grasp the rod. Only a small arc rotation is possible in this position, necessitating many small repetitive hand motions in order to open or close the blinds.
A second problem is that many turns of the rod must occur in order to fully open or close the blinds. This takes time to accomplish. Furthermore, the awkward attitude of the hand, as mentioned above, further aggravates and extends this process.
The term "open" refers to orienting either the planar slats or the chord of the slightly arcuate slats parallel to the plane of the earth, thereby permitting light to enter the room when the blinds are in a lowered position.
It is also generally necessary or recommended by the manufacturer of the blinds that they be placed in the "open" position prior to a raising or lowering of the blinds.
The terms "close" or "closed" refers to orienting the planar slats or the chord of the arcuate slats at an angle as far from parallel to the plane of the earth as is possible for the slats, or stated another way as nearly vertical as is possible, thereby substantially preventing light from entering into the room.
The blinds are not typically closed when they are fully raised. They are usually in at least a partially lowered position whenever they are disposed in a fully closed position. The blinds may be either partially lowered or fully lowered to a bottom of a window sill when they are opened and closed.
There are also many other positions (i.e., angles) possible for the slats other than parallel to the earth (i.e., open) or nearly vertical (i.e., closed). As the angle of the slats relative to the plane of the earth is varied, a proportional blocking of light entering into the room occurs.
A third problem is that curtains, drapes, or other types of window treatments are often used along with blinds. Any window treatment usually covers a portion of the window, most commonly, along the sides where the rod is disposed. This makes is difficult even to find, let alone access the rod, for opening or closing purposes.
With certain curtains, there is only a small space intermediate the blinds and the curtains, thereby making it extremely difficult to access the rod for opening or closing of the slats.
An especially troublesome fourth problem is that when a person opens or closes the blinds (i.e., the slats) that are disposed behind curtains or drapes, the attempt to reach the rod forces the person to brush against the window treatment (i.e., the curtains or drapes). This soils the curtains or drapes in the area near the rod which, in turn, necessitates frequent removal and expensive cleaning of the window treatments.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a window blinds opening and closing device that helps ameliorate the above-mentioned difficulties.
2. Description of Prior Art
Blinds are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.

Window blinds opening and closing device


Disclosed is an electronic device including an antenna module including one or more antennas transmitting or receiving a signal in a first frequency band and a second frequency band wirelessly, a first duplexer separating the first frequency band into a first transmission frequency band and a first reception frequency band and adjusting the first reception frequency band, a second duplexer separating the second frequency band into a second transmission frequency band and a second reception frequency band and adjusting the second reception frequency band, and a diplexer including a first terminal electrically connected to the antenna module, a first filter passing the first frequency band, a second terminal electrically connected to the first filter and the first duplexer, a second filter passing the second frequency band, and a third terminal electrically connected to the second filter and the second duplexer. The diplexer adjusts a cut-off frequency of the first filter or the second filter in connection with the first reception frequency band adjusted through the first duplexer or the second reception frequency band adjusted through the second duplexer. In addition, various embodiments as understood from the specification are also possible.

An electronic device performing wireless communication wirelessly receives a radio frequency (RF) signal in one or more frequency bands through an antenna. For the electronic device to receive a great amount of information during the same period, it is necessary to increase the reception speed of the electronic device performing wireless communication. To increase the reception speed of the electronic device, the electronic device receives RF signals using a plurality of frequency bands. As the electronic device uses a plurality of frequency bands, it is possible to increase the speed at which the electronic device receives RF signals. The electronic device obtains a plurality of reception signals, which are RF signals received using a plurality of frequency bands, from an RF integrated circuit (IC).
The electronic device implements a carrier aggregation (CA) mode in which reception signals are received using a plurality of frequency bands as a reception frequency band. The electronic device may increase the reception speed of wireless communication by bundling and using a plurality of frequency bands through the CA mode.

Electronic device comprising diplexer capable of adjusting cutoff frequency in connection with adjustment of reception frequency band of duplexer


The present invention provides a current-conducting roller comprising a central portion constituting the main axial portion of the roller and two half-shafts extending respective ends of the central portion, each half-shaft comprising a steel body provided with an internal copper heat-shrink fitting itself provided with an internal protective bushing, wherein the internal copper fitting is placed in a blind bore of the steel body and wherein it is provided with a compressible gasket interposed between the end of the blind bore and the corresponding end of the internal copper fitting.

An object of the present invention is to improve the current-conducting rollers described in Document FR-A-2 648 269.
Accompanying FIG. 1 shows a portion of a current-conducting roller of the type described in said Document FR-A-2 648 269. Accompanying FIG. 1 corresponds to FIG. 3 of Document FR-A-2 648 269.
The rollers 100 described in Document FR-A-2 648 269 comprise a central portion 110 that can be seen in part in accompanying FIG. 1. This central portion 110 is circularly cylindrical about the axis 102 of the roller. It constitutes the main active portion of the roller during electrolysis. This central portion 110 is generally called the "barrel" of the roller.
Each axial end of this central portion 110 is extended by a corresponding half-shaft 120 centered on the axis 102. The Document FR-A-2 648 269 relates essentially to the structure of these half-shafts 120.
The diameter of the half-shafts 120 is less than the diameter of the central portion 110. They have two essential functions: firstly that of guiding the roller 100 in rotation about the axis 102; and secondly that of feeding current to the roller 100.
It may be observed that the rollers 100 have an axial channel 130 passing therethrough to convey a flow of cooling water.
The roller needs to be cooled most particularly in the current collection zones formed by the half-shafts 120.
More precisely, according to Document FR-A-2 648 269 each of the half-shafts 120 comprises a steel body 140 that is a body of revolution about the axis 102. The axially inner end of the body 140 is welded at 142 to a steel sleeve 110 centered on the axis 102 and forming the central portion 110 of the roller.
The body 140 is also welded at its axially outer end to an added-on endpiece 180.
According to Document FR-A-2 648 269, the steel body 140 is provided with an internal copper heat-shrink fitting 150 in order to enable it to pass the required amperage.
The internal copper fitting 150 is itself protected by a bushing 160 that is complementary to the inside surface of the copper fitting 150. The bushing 160 is preferably made of stainless steel. Each internal copper fitting 150 is further protected by two washers 162 and 164 extending transversely relative to the axis 102. The washers 162 and 164 cover respective axial ends of the fittings 150. Their inside peripheries are welded to the bushing 160 and their outside peripheries are welded to the steel body 140.
The bushing 160 in combination with the washers 162 and 164 prevent the internal copper fittings 150 from corroding.
As mentioned above, an object of the present invention is to improve the conducting rollers described in Document FR-A-2 648 269 and as shown in accompanying FIG. 1.
An important object of the present invention is to adapt the current-conducting roller to use with water manifolds.
Another important object of the present invention is to reinforce the strength of current-conducting rollers.


Apparatuses and methods for dispensing magnetic stripe cards, smart cards, other cards, and/or other items from kiosks and other structures are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least a first card hopper and a card transport assembly. The first card hopper is configured to hold a stack of cards that includes at least a first card stacked on a second card. The card transport assembly includes a card carrier configured to lift the first card off the second card and transfer the first card toward a card outlet. Methods are also disclosed for monitoring card stacks in a card dispensing apparatus and for prereading cards prior to sale to expedite dispensing operations. Devices are also disclosed for maintaining the alignment or levelness of top cards in stacks of cards having embossing or other raised features that cause uneven stacking.

There are various types of vending machines and kiosks for dispensing prepaid credit cards, debit cards, phone cards, and other types of cards to customers. Such machines typically include a user interface for selecting a card, a monetary input device (e.g., a credit card reader or bill acceptor) for receiving payment, and an outlet for dispensing the card to the customer. In use, the customer selects a desired card with the user interface and deposits the required funds via the bill acceptor or credit card reader. Once the machine has confirmed the funds, a card dispenser housed within the machine dispenses the desired card to the consumer via the card outlet.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a card dispenser 100 configured in accordance with the prior art. The card dispenser 100 includes a card hopper 102 containing a plurality of cards 101, a card conveyor 104, a card reader 106, and a card outlet 108. In a typical vending machine application, the card dispenser 100 is housed within the machine so that only the card outlet 108 is exposed. In operation, after a user has selected a card and deposited the required funds, the card conveyor 104 removes the bottom-most card 101 from the hopper 102 and moves the card forward past the card reader 106.
As the card moves past the card reader 106, the card reader 106 reads information off a magnetic stripe on the card. The magnetic stripe can include one or more "tracks" of information. The information can include a unique code for associating the card with a particular account. For example, if the card is a prepaid credit card, then the code can be associated with a specific credit card account. Similarly, if the card is a prepaid phone card, then the code can be associated with a specific long-distance account. After moving past the card reader 106, the card conveyor 104 pushes the card through the card outlet 108 to be picked up by the user.
One shortcoming of the prior art card dispenser 100 is that it can only dispense a single type of card. As a result, additional card dispensers are required if more than one type of card is to be dispensed from a particular vending machine. Adding additional card dispensers, however, increases the cost, size, and weight of the vending machine. In addition, multiple card dispensers can increase the risk of card theft through the additional card outlets.
Another shortcoming of the prior art card dispenser 100 is that the card conveyor 104 removes cards from the bottom of the stack. This action can require substantial force when the card hopper 102 is full, and can lead to jams and other malfunctions during card dispensing. A further shortcoming of this design is that it is often difficult for the card reader 106 to read multiple card tracks in a single pass because of card misalignment and other factors. This leads to rejection of cards that would otherwise be usable if properly read.

Card dispensing apparatuses and associated methods of operation


A method for providing information to a communication terminal of a user, a method for broadcasting to the terminal, and an information manager and broadcaster using the methods. The information is based on data relating to at least one object connected to a communication network, such as the Internet. The information-providing method includes selecting a broadcasting channel depending on whether the broadcasting channel is being actively used by the communication terminal of the destination user, the broadcasting channel being able to broadcast, to the at least one communication terminal of the user, a piece of information generated on the basis of at least one datum originating from at least one connected object associated with the user. Thus, the data originating from the connected object(s) allow the user to be informed in a pertinent, personalized and unintrusive way.

The field of connected objects is growing rapidly. Multiple connected objects are becoming part of our everyday lives: our houses (home automation: thermostat, openable fixtures, etc., monitoring: weather station, detector, etc.), our personal space (watch, weighing scale, etc.), our environment, etc.
Home automation solutions such as Orange Homelive (registered trademark) deliver information via asynchronous communication channels such as SMS or email. These solutions have, by way of drawback, in particular the fact that the user always receives the information over the same communication channel, for example an SMS sent to the same telephone number irrespective of whether the user is in a meeting, in the process of consulting his SMSs, in the process of watching a film on his television set, etc. For this reason, the transmitted piece of information is not always used correctly since it is not read, or it is read subsequently to the moment when the information is most relevant, or because it is obsolete, or because the situation has changed. For example, an alarm transmitted, in particular via the SMS channel, requires the user to stop what he is currently doing in order to turn his attention to a new medium (the SMS on his cell phone).

Method for providing information to and method for broadcasting to a communication terminal of a user, information manager and broadcaster


Periauricularly administered topical therapy with a carrier system containing local anesthetics is a new and effective treatment of disorders of the inner ear and labyrinth, which has a low incidence of side effects. The use of this type of therapy applies especially to a non-invasive topical treatment of tinnitus, vertigo, lack of balance, and nausea.

1. Field of the Invention:
The subject of this invention relates to a method and composition of a non-invasive, topical treatment and prevention of pathological symptoms of the inner ear and labyrinth, in particular of tinnitus, vertigo, lack of balance, and nausea.
2. Discussion of the Background:
It is known that in the majority of cases, persistent tinnitus and vertigo, accompanied by a lack of balance and nausea, are due to a disorder or disease of the organs of the inner ear or of the auditory nerves. Tinnitus may occur both in the low-frequency and in the high-frequency range; in the low-frequency range, it occurs especially in the presence of disorders of the auditory canal and the middle ear, in the high-frequency, mainly in the presence of disorders of the labyrinth. These persistent symptoms have an extremely negative effect on those affected. One characteristic complex of symptoms, which includes tinnitus, vertigo and lack of balance, possibly in association with nystagmus, hearing impairment and vomiting, is seen, for example, in Meniere's disease. The sudden attacks of the symptoms may be attributable to vasomotor disorders of labyrinth vessels or temporary disorders of the secretion and composition of the labyrinthine liquor. Under the influence of permanent tinnitus and impaired hearing, the persons affected often become irritable, they suffer from anxiety, and, in some cases, develop considerable psychosomatic problems as this illness proceeds.
The therapeutic methods used so far to treat these problems are not sufficiently effective. If it is not possible to identify an underlying disease, only symptomatic measures, such as stimulus deprivation, rest and pharmacological sedation, can be taken. The pharmacological principle frequently used for this purpose is the orally administered dimenhydrinate which has a sedative effect. Scopolamine, a parasympatholytic agent, may also be used; however, this agent is primarily used to treat the pathophysiologically associated phenomenon of motion-induced nausea, i.e., kinetosis, which develops on exposure to externally moving objects. This sickness is also known as motion or sea sickness and is associated with vegetative phenomena, mainly with nausea. In systemic therapy, scopolamine is also administered by transdermal route (Y. W. Chien, Novel Drug Delivery Systems, Drugs and the Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 14, 1982, Marcel Decker, New York), which, when compared to the intramuscular administration of scopolamine, results in a lower and more uniform blood concentration in the body. In spite of this, however, the typical undesirable side effects of scopolamine, in particular, impaired vision, very dry mouth, changes in the ability to concentrate, and somnolence, are observed. The undesirable side effect mentioned last is, among other things, also present after an oral administration of dimenhydrinate which is also used to treat kinetoses but which is less effective. Thus, overall, the administration of scopolamine as a therapeutic principle is very restricted indeed.
In contrast, the appropriate use of local anesthetics in low doses represents a more effective pharmacological approach. A systemic administration, however, is generally possible by means of injection which as such is undesirable and which, in addition, cannot be used due to the fact that it poses the risk of a systemic overdose with serious cardiac side effects. A direct administration by injection or liquid infusion of local anesthetics to the labyrinthine apparatus of the inner ear itself is technically practically impossible; furthermore, this would carry the risk of ototoxic effects.
The pharmacological mechanism of action of local amide and ester anesthetics, e.g., amide-type lidocaine, is to inhibit the rapid sodium ion influx into the fibers of the nerves. In this manner, these anesthetics block the conduction of impulses of the nerve path, which basically includes all regional nerve fibers. Due to their morphology, however, the thinner sensory fibers are more sensitive than motor fibers, which makes it possible to differentiate between various effects. It is also known that intravenous injections of higher doses of lidocaine (T. Gejrot, Atl. Lokalanasthesie Atlas of Local Anesthesia!, pp. 151-152, Thieme, Stuttgart 1970) as well as a blockage of the ganglion cervicothoracicum with procaine have positive effects on the symptoms of Meniere's disease, although these persist only for a limited period of time.
So far, a non-invasive method and composition for the treatment and prevention of pathological symptoms of the inner ear or labyrinth using a topical carrier system has neither been carried out nor described.
The use of topical carrier systems for drug delivery has been reported (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,986 and European Patent No. 0,205,974).
It is known that medicinal effects can be obtained with medicinal plasters or so-called therapeutic plaster systems, designated lately as transdermal therapeutic systems. At present, this type of system is used in connection with the drug scopolamine for kinetosis, nitroglycerine for coronary heart disease and clonidine for hypertension, as well as for transdermally administered estrogens.
Such plaster systems entail diffusion units in which the medications are released by diffusion at controlled rates from a mechanically fixed drug reservoir, usually tissue tolerant polymers. The systems used are currently divided into membrane systems, i.e., membrane plaster and matrix systems. In the membrane systems the drug, after release from the carrier substance, must permeate a membrane, which serves as a control element for the constant absorption rate. Thereby, it is possible to attain a release characteristic, which approximately corresponds to pharmacokinetics of zero order. In matrix systems, the drug stored in depot form diffuses directly from the polymer matrix into the skin.
However, a non-invasive method and composition for the treatment and prevention of pathological symptoms of the inner ear or labyrinth with a periauricularly administered topical carrier system has neither been carried out nor described.

Method and composition of a topical treatment of inner ear and labyrinth symptoms