A Hybrid Scavengeless Development electrophotographic printing system is provided wherein the electrode wires contain carbon nanotube yarn. The use of carbon nanotube yarn alleviates the problem of fundamental strobing image defects, because the electrodes made from the carbon nanotube yarn can be put at a higher tension to density set point, and thereby achieve fundamental resonance frequencies larger than that obtainable from steel. Additionally the yarn's strength is sufficient to withstand the typical forces it is subjected to in a Hybrid Scavengeless Development environment.

Hybrid Scavengeless Development (HSD) is a process for electrophotographic imaging and printing apparatuses designed to prevent scavenging of toner from the photoreceptor of the imaging device by subsequent development stations.
In general, the process of electrophotographic printing includes charging a photoconductive member to a substantially uniform potential to sensitize the surface. The charged photoconductive surface is exposed to a light image from either a scanning laser beam, an LED source, or an original document being reproduced. This records an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive surface. After the electrostatic latent image is recorded on the photoconductive surface, the latent image is developed. Two-component and single-component developer materials are commonly used for development. A typical two-component developer comprises magnetic carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. A single-component developer material typically comprises toner particles. Toner particles are attracted to the latent image through electrostatic fields that impart forces to charged toner particles, forming a toner image on the photoconductive surface. The toner image is subsequently transferred to a final substrate such as paper. Finally, the toner powder image is heated to permanently fuse it to the final substrate.
The electrophotographic marking process discussed above can be modified to produce color images. One color electrophotographic marking process, called image-on-image (IOI) processing, superimposes toner powder images of different color toners onto the photoreceptor prior to the transfer of the composite toner powder image onto the substrate. While the IOI process provides certain benefits, such as a compact architecture, there are several challenges to its successful implementation. For instance, the viability of printing system concepts such as IOI processing requires development systems that do not interact with a previously toned image. Since several known development systems, such as conventional magnetic brush development and jumping single-component development, interact with the image on the receiver, a previously toned image will be scavenged by subsequent development if interacting development systems are used. Thus, for the IOI process, there is a need for scavengeless or non-interactive development systems. For a thorough description of scavengeless development see U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,570, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Hybrid Scavengeless Development technology deposits toner via a conventional magnetic brush onto the surface of a donor roll and a plurality of electrode wires are closely spaced from the toned donor roll in the development zone to the photoreceptor. An AC voltage is applied to the electrode wires to generate a toner cloud in the development zone. This is accomplished as a result of the toner layer on the donor roll being disturbed by electric fields from the wire or set of wires, which produce and sustain an agitated cloud of toner particles in the development nip. Toner from the cloud is then developed onto the nearby photoreceptor by fields created by a latent image.
A problem inherent to such developer systems using wires is vibration of the wires with respect to the donor roll and photoreceptor surfaces. This wire vibration manifests itself as a density variation of toner on the photoreceptor, referred to as "banding." This banding occurs at a frequency corresponding to the wire vibration frequency. Banding is highly undesirable, as it results in objectionable image quality defects.
The banding toner density variations and the wire vibrations that cause them are lumped together into a problem with the generic name of "strobing." More specifically, "fundamental strobing" is the term used to describe the vibration and print defect associated with the fundamental mode of vibration of the electrode wire. The frequency of the fundamental mode of vibration is given by the expression
                              w          f                =                              T                          4              *              ρ              *              A              *                              L                2                                                                        Equation                                                  1            wherein T is the wire tension, ρ is the wire density, A is the wire cross section, and L is the length of the wire. One way to minimize strobing is to make the frequency of the fundamental mode as high as possible, because banding at higher frequencies becomes progressively less visible to the naked human eye. Therefore, the tension T is set as high as possible constrained by wire breakage, the limit imposed by the material yield strength. So with a factor of safety α≦1, T can be set to αSyA, where Sy is the yield strength. In this case, the frequency of the fundamental mode can be expressed as,
                              W          f                =                              1                          2                            L                                                                                α                                                                                S                  y                                            ρ                                                          Equation                                                  2            Thus, for a given material, factor of safety, and process width, L, the maximum fundamental mode is proportional to the yield strength divided by the density.
Conventional Hybrid Scavengeless Development electrode wires are often made of stainless steel. For example, the electrode wires are commonly made of 304v stainless steel. Such conventional steel electrode wires exhibit a maximum fundamental resonance frequency in the range of approximately 550 Hz at the required length. This frequency results from steel having a tensile strength of 700 MPa and a density of 7.8 g/cm3. Fundamental strobing is unfortunately visible to the naked human eye at this frequency. The fundamental vibration frequency cannot be further increased while using conventional steel electrodes because the innate physical properties of steel as a material are the limiting factor.
Therefore, there remains in the art a need for an improved HSD system that alleviates fundamental strobing.

HSD wires using fibrous carbon nanomaterial yarns


A network for a vehicle correlates network addresses with functions. The network can be used to connect control devices and an outboard motor mounted to a watercraft. Each physical node on the network can include one or plurality of functional nodes. The network can be configured to assign network addresses to devices on the network based on the functions performed by the devices, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle, and more particularly, to a network for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Relatively small watercraft such as pleasure boats and fishing boats can employ a propulsion unit such as an outboard motor. Many of such watercraft include a cockpit disposed remotely from the outboard motor. Usually, the cockpit includes a plurality of remote control devices for controlling the operation of the outboard motor, such as the throttle position, gear position, and steering angle.
Such outboard motors typically incorporate an internal combustion engine and a propeller disposed in a submerged position when the associated watercraft rests on a surface of a body of water. The engine powers the propeller to propel the watercraft. Such engines can include a plurality of sensors and/or actuators that are connected to the remote control devices to control and/or monitor operation of the outboard motor.


An assay comprising determining the absence or presence of steroid sulphatase activity is described. In a preferred embodiment, the assay uses white blood cells. The assay can be used to determine if an agent is an in vitro and/or in vivo steroid sulphatase inhibitor.

The present invention relates to an assay.
In particular the present invention relates to an assay for use in determining the absence or presence of steroid sulphatase activity.
Steroid precursors, or pro-hormones, having a sulphate group in the 3-position of the steroid nucleus, referred to hereinafter simply as steroid sulphates, are known to play an important part as intermediates in steroid metabolism in the human body. Oestrone sulphate and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) sulphate, for example, are known to play an important role as intermediates in the production, in the body, of oestrogens such as oestrone, oestradiol and oestrogenic steroids such as androstenediol.
In particular, and by way of example, oestrone sulphate is known to represent one of the major circulating oestrogen precursors particularly in post-menopausal women and oestrone sulphatase activity in breast tumours is approximately a million fold greater than that of other enzymes involved in oestrogen formation (James et al., Steroids, 50, 269-279 (1987)).
In addition, oestrogens such as oestrone and oestradiol, particularly the over-production thereof, are strongly implicated in malignant conditions, such as breast cancer, see Breast Cancer, Treatment and Prognosis: Ed. R. A. Stoll, pp. 156-172, Blackwell Scientific Publications (1986), and the control of oestrogen production is the specific target of many anti-cancer therapies, both chemotherapy and surgical, e.g. oophorectomy and adrenalectomy.
So far as endocrine therapy is concerned, efforts have so far tended to concentrate on aromatase inhibitors, i.e. compounds which inhibit aromatase activity, which activity is involved in the conversion of androgens such as androstenedione and testosterone to oestrone and oestradiol respectively.
In WO 91/13083, WO 93/05063 and WO 93/05064 are reported methods, including compounds and compositions for use in those methods, for inhibiting or at least reducing steroid sulphatase activity.
In this regard, WO 91/13083 discloses a method of targeting a different point in the oestrogen metabolic pathway, or rather two different points, that is to say the conversion of DHA sulphate and oestrone sulphate to DHA and oestrone, respectively, by steroid sulphatase activity, and using 3-monoalkylthiophosphonate steroid esters as a steroid sulphatase inhibitor, more especially oestrone-3-monomethylthiophosphonate.
WO 93/05063 discloses novel compounds, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, having steroid sulphatase inhibitory activity. These compounds are the sulphonate and phosphonate esters of polycyclic alcohols, being polycyclic alcohols the sulphate of which is a substrate for enzymes having steroid sulphatase activity. In their broadest sense, the novel compounds have the formula shown as FORMULA I in FIG. 1--wherein: R is selected from H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl; X is P or S; Y is --OH when X is P, and .dbd.O when X is S; and the group O-Polycycle represents the residue of a polycyclic alcohol, the sulphate of which is a substrate for enzymes having steroid sulphatase activity.
WO 93/05064 discloses novel compounds, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, having steroid sulphatase inhibitory activity, and in some cases with extremely high activity levels. These compounds are the sulphamic acid esters of polycyclic alcohols, being polycyclic alcohols the sulphate of which is a substrate for enzymes having steroid sulphatase (EC 126.96.36.199) activity, the N-alkyl and N-aryl derivatives of those sulphamic acid esters. In their broadest sense, the novel compounds of WO 93/05064 have the formula shown as FORMULA II in FIG. 2a--wherein: R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently selected from H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and aryl, or together represent alkylene optionally containing one or more hetero atoms or groups in the alkylene chain; and the group --O-- Polycycle represents the residue of a polycyclic alcohol, the sulphate of which is a substrate for enzymes having steroid sulphatase activity (EC 126.96.36.199).
In WO 93/05063 and WO 93/05064 the reference to polycyclic alcohols, the sulphate of which is a substrate for enzymes having steroid sulphatase activity, refers to polycyclic alcohols of the formula shown as FORMULA III in FIG. 2b--which when incubated with steroid sulphatase EC 22.214.171.124 at pH 7.4 and 37.degree. C., provides a K.sub.m value of less than 50 .mu.moles/l.
The compositions of WO 91/13083, WO 93/05063 and WO 93/05064 are capable of inhibiting steroid sulphatase activity in vitro and in vivo, have improved activity as steroid sulphatase inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo, provide pharmaceutical compositions effective in the treatment of oestrogen dependent tumours, provide pharmaceutical compositions effective in the treatment of breast cancer, enable oestrogen dependent tumours in mammals, especially humans, to be treated and enable breast cancer in mammals and especially in women to be treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,126 proposes for use as antitumour agents steroid enol esters of the formula shown as FORMULA IV in FIG. 3a--where: PH is a phenyl group, R.sup.1 is (C.sub.2 -C.sub.4) .beta.- or .gamma.-haloalkyl; R.sup.2 is H, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or halogen; A provides a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydrocarbon chain between --C(O)-- and X; X is O or S; k and m=0 or 1, with the proviso that when m=1 then k=1; and St is a steroid skeleton to which the ester group is attached at the 3-position and adjacent a double bond in the steroid A ring. However no mechanistic explanation is given of the antitumour activity of those compounds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,126 a brief mention is made that such steroid and esters can be prepared by transesterification inter alia of steroid-3-sulphonates of the formula shown as FORMULA V in FIG. 3b--wherein St is a steroid nucleus as above defined, and R.sup.3 is lower alkyl, optionally containing chloro- or fluoro-substituents, or phenyl, optionally substituted by chloro-, fluoro- or lower alkyl.
However, no examples are given of any such steroid-3-sulphonates for use as intermediates in the preparation of the described steroid enol esters, let alone any suggestion that such steroid-3-sulphonates might themselves inhibit steroid sulphatase activity, and thus be of potential value in the treatment of oestrogen dependent tumours.
There is therefore a need to have a reliable assay to determine whether or not an agent, which may be a compound or a composition, would be effective as a steroid sulphatase inhibitor. Such an assay would enable agents to be screened easily and effectively for potential clinical use.
There is also a need to have a reliable assay to determine whether or not an agent, which may be a compound or a composition, has reduced or eliminated steroid sulphatase activity after the agent has been administered to a subject--e.g. a patient.
Furthermore, the existing procedures to determine the in vivo effectiveness of such agents require harsh invasive techniques such as surgery to inspect the extent of tumour regression. This is clearly unacceptable if the long term or continual action of an agent needs to be monitored.
The present invention seeks to provide a reliable assay to determine the extent of steroid sulphatase inhibition and, furthermore, to overcome the problems associated with the known methods.

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine


In one embodiment, a power factor correction circuit is configured to use a stored value of a feedback signal to assist in regulating the value of an output voltage and to bypass the sample and hold circuit if the output voltage increase to an upper limit or decreases to a lower limit.

The present invention relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to methods of forming semiconductor devices and structure.
In the past, the semiconductor industry utilized various structures and methods to form power factor correction circuits. The power factor was generally recognized as a measure of the difference between the voltage and current waveforms of an alternating current (AC) waveform. Differences between the current and voltage waveforms resulted in low efficiency utilization of the supplied AC power. Power factor correction circuits were utilized to more closely align the shape of the current and voltage waveforms in order to provide higher efficiency. Examples of power factor correction circuits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,355 issued to Roy Alan Hastings on Jul. 28, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,281 issued to Barrow et al on Oct. 25, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,370 issued to Hall et al on Mar. 26, 1996 all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
One problem with the previous power factor control circuits was the transient response time. In order to reduce ripple in the output voltage, the bandwidth of the control loop generally was keep very low. The bandwidth of the control loop generally was about ten times less than the frequency of the AC input voltage and typically was limited to about ten to twelve Hz (10-12 Hz). Because of the low bandwidth, the previous power factor correction circuits generally had a slow response to transients on the output voltage.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a method of forming a power factor correction device that has a wider loop bandwidth and that more quickly responds to output voltage transients.
For simplicity and clarity of the illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and the same reference numbers in different figures denote the same elements. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. As used herein current carrying electrode means an element of a device that carries current through the device such as a source or a drain of an MOS transistor or an emitter or a collector of a bipolar transistor or a cathode or anode of a diode, and a control electrode means an element of the device that controls current through the device such as a gate of an MOS transistor or a base of a bipolar transistor. Although the devices are explained herein as certain N-channel or P-Channel devices, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that complementary devices are also possible in accordance with the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action.

Power factor correction circuit and method therefor

Semiconductor Components Industries, L.L.C.


A stove top device (10) for making espresso coffee. The device (10) comprises a coffee grounds reservoir (22), a water reservoir (28) and a first conduit (36). The water reservoir (22) has a base and a volume defined by a recommended filling level. The first conduit (36) has a first end in fluid communication with the water reservoir (28) at a level above the base and below the recommended filling level and a second end in fluid communication with the coffee grounds reservoir (22). In use, heated water is only communicated from the water reservoir (28) to the coffee grounds reservoir (22) until the water level in the water reservoir (28) falls below the first end.

A stove top type espresso coffee machine marketed under the trademark ATOMIC is known. The ATOMIC espresso machine has a hollow unitary aluminium body with a lower water reservoir, an upper head for receiving a coffee grounds reservoir and a neck therebetween. The ATOMIC espresso machine also includes a cup which, when resting on the upper surface of the water reservoir, can receive the brewed coffee from the head. The ATOMIC espresso machine also includes a manually operable steam nozzle, in fluid communication with the interior of the body, for use in the warming and/or frothing of milk.
The ATOMIC espresso machine has several disadvantages. Firstly, the complex unitary body of the machine is difficult to access during assembly and repair processes and is produced by investment casting which is relatively expensive. Secondly, great precision must be taken in the manufacture of the unitary body, particularly with regards to maintaining wall thickness, as the entire body acts as a pressure vessel during use. The above issues result in the ATOMIC espresso machine being unsuitable for mass manufacture and largely handmade, which again adds to its expense.
Thirdly, if not carefully attended whilst in use, the ATOMIC espresso machine will continue to supply boiling water to the coffee grounds reservoir until the water reservoir has boiled dry. Fourthly, the ATOMIC does not regulate the supply of boiled water that reaches the coffee grounds reservoir. This makes producing consistent quality espresso coffee relatively difficult and can also lead to dilution and/or burning of the brewed coffee.
Fifthly, the head of the ATOMIC espresso machine has a female bayonet style fitting for connection with a male bayonet fitting on the coffee grounds reservoir. The female fitting is welded to the body, which makes disassembly and/or repair extremely difficult and expensive.
Sixthly, the carry point of the ATOMIC, being the handle of the coffee grounds reservoir, is threaded to the head of the coffee grounds reservoir. Accordingly, it is not possible to carry the ATOMIC safely if the thread becomes loose.

Stove top device for making espresso coffee


A closed compressor includes: a compressor body; and a closed vessel in which the compressor body is accommodated and oil is stored. The compressor body has an electric element and a compression element that is driven by the electric element. The compression element has a cylinder block that forms a cylinder, a piston that performs a reciprocating motion in the cylinder, and a crankshaft that actuates the piston. The cylinder block configures a bearing that pivotally supports the crankshaft. The cylinder forms a compression chamber. The compressor body has a support that forms a curved surface. A contact portion, at which the curved surface comes into contact with a receiving surface in the closed vessel, is formed.

Since there have been a demand for improvement in energy saving and an increase in needs for power saving in recent years, thermal insulation performance of a refrigerator is improved, and thus it is highly necessary to take measures against lower performance (slower rotation) in a reciprocating compressor for the refrigerator.
During a slow rotation operation, vibration occurring in a closed compressor is likely to increase, and a problem arises in propagation of the vibration to a refrigerator body.
In a closed compressor in the related art, a compressor body is elastically supported using a spring in a closed vessel, and thereby propagation of vibration due to reciprocating motions of a piston is reduced (see PTL 1).
In addition, a configuration, in which a flat surface portion is provided in a part of an elastic support member that supports a compressor body in a closed vessel, the flat surface portion is disposed in a lubricant, and thereby vibration is attenuated using viscosity resistance of the lubricant, is also proposed (see PTL 2).
Both of PTL 1 and PTL 2 have the configuration in which the compressor body is supported using the elastic support member. During an operation with a very low number of rotations in the case of using the elastic support member, a resonance phenomenon occurs between a spring constant of the elastic support member and eigenvalues (a natural period and a natural frequency) due to a mass and a shape of the compressor body.
FIG. 22 is a characteristic graph illustrating a relationship between the number of rotations and a vibration ratio in a case where a compressor in the related art uses, as the elastic support member, a spring which is often used.
As illustrated in FIG. 22, when the number of rotations is lower than 30 r/s, vibration tends to significantly increase.

Closed compressor and refrigeration device

PANASONIC APPLIANCES REFRIGERATION DEVICES SINGAPORE


An acceleration sensor having a sensing mass supported relative to a frame by a plurality of beams having a plurality of resistors integral therewith. The resistance of the beam resistors varies as the sensing mass is displaced relative to the frame in response to acceleration of the frame in a direction generally normal to the plane of beam extension. The displacement of the sensing mass due to such acceleration produces a corresponding change in the output of a Wheatstone bridge incorporating the beam resistors in the legs thereof. At least one leg of the bridge additionally has a resistor of variable resistance in series with the beam resistor thereof, the resistance of which is controlled by a microprocessor, whereby the bridge output is adjusted to compensate for temperature effects and manufacturing tolerances. The output of the electrical control circuit for the sensor is periodically calibrated by electrostatically deflecting the sensing mass relative to the frame, whereby the sensing mass is subjected to the equivalent of a known accelerating field, and using the resultant change in bridge output as a reference value for calibrating the instantaneous changes in bridge output resulting from the acceleration of the sensor frame.

The instant invention relates to apparatus for sensing variations in the speed of an object, such as a motor vehicle, and microprocessor-controlled circuitry therefor to provide a calibrated output signal notwithstanding manufacturing tolerances and changes in sensor response due to changes in the operating environment thereof.
The prior art teaches sensors having a sensing mass cantilevered on a support beam which is displaced generally normal to the direction of beam extension by an accelerating force. A plurality of strain gages bonded to the beam or diffused into the surface thereof are connected to a Wheatstone bridge in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art, whereby an output proportional to the amount of such sensing mass displacement is obtained. Unfortunately, the output from the strain gages is adversely affected by creep and hysteresis losses. Moreover, the resistance of the strain gages and, hence, the output of the Wheatstone bridge connected thereto vary greatly with temperature. The variation in bridge output due to temperature is further complicated, for example, where the sensing mass and its supporting beam are micromachined from silicon, as the relationship between the deflection of the sensing mass and temperature is unknown. Still further, such sensors are typically manufactured at high temperatures and subsequently cooled, whereby a thermal prestress is generated therein which is released or otherwise manifests itself as the operating temperature of the sensor varies. As a result, the sensor must be recalibrated on a continuing basis. Additionally, variations in the manufacturing process require additional manufacturing steps such as sensor resistance trimming which increase unit cost and reduce production volume.


A planar photoluminescent lamp includes a plurality of glass spacer beads affixed to a first glass plate, and a second glass plate in contact with the glass spacer beads. The glass plates are hermetically sealed to form a chamber, which is filled with a selected gas. Transparent electrodes are placed on the exterior of the first and second glass plates, over which electrically insulating layers are extended. First and second semi-transparent decorative layers are laid over the insulating layers, out of which light is transmitted. One or more transparent insulating layers extend over transparent electrodes placed on the exterior surface of the first and second glass plates.

Thin, planar, and relatively large area light sources are needed in many applications. Because of low light transmission in typical active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCD), very thin and powerful backlights are required to preserve a thin profile and readability in high ambient lighting conditions. Incandescent lamps or LEDs create local bright or dim spots because of the nature of point light sources. Additionally, significant heat dissipation in incandescent lamps or LEDs restrict practical use to low output conditions. Electroluminescent lamps suffer from having relatively low brightness, and are therefore only suitable for low light display outputs.
Recent advances in photoluminescent technology have met the demand for a thin, lightweight, planar lamp having a substantially uniform and durable display. One such fluorescent lamp is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/796,334. The lamp comprises a pair of glass plates connected by a sidewall, thereby creating an open chamber which contains a gas and photoluminescent material. Electrodes are placed on the outside of the glass plates to create an electric field inside the chamber, which ionizes the gas and causes the photoluminescent material to emit visible light.
Current photoluminescent lamps allow transmission of light through only one glass plate. A reflective coating is provided on the interior of the bottom plate, to guide additional light through the top glass plate. The top electrode may be patterned as a grid on the exterior surface of the plate using a silver-based compound. Thus, the existence of the reflective coating on the bottom surface is in part necessary to counteract the light attenuation by the top electrode.
Because the reflective coating restricts the use of such current lamps to one-sided light output, there remains a need for a two-sided, thin, lightweight lamp with substantial and uniform physical integrity across the entire surface.

Multi-use planar photoluminescent lamp and method of making such lamp


A system and method of providing error detection and correction capability in an IC using redundant logic cells and an embedded field programmable gate array (FPGA). The system and method provide error correction (EC) to enable a defective logic function implemented within an IC chip design to be replaced, wherein at least one embedded FPGA is provided in the IC chip to perform a logic function. If a defective logic function is identified in the IC design, the embedded FPGA is programmed to correctly perform the defective logic function. All inputs in an input cone of logic of the defective logic function are identified and are directed into the embedded FPGA, such that the embedded FPGA performs the logic function of the defective logic function. All outputs in an output cone of logic of the defective logic function are identified, and the output of the FPGA is directed to the output cone of logic of the defective logic unction, such that logic EC is provided within the embedded FPGA structure of the IC chip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method of providing error detection and correction capability in an integrated circuit (IC) using redundant logic cells and an embedded field programmable gate array (FPGA). The embedded FPGA provides for in circuit emulator (ICE) breakpoint and logic error correction (EC). The present invention provides flexible embedded logic engineering changes within the IC chip without requiring the contents of the latches of the logic function to be scanned to an external boundary, to make an EC change externally.
The EC method of the present invention can be used either during product design and development, or as a logic fix post-silicon fabrication. The subject invention also has application in evaluating error recovery of an IC chip design, wherein data errors can be injected through the embedded FPGA structures, and then the logic function IC design is evaluated as to how well it handles error recovery.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the present state of the art, ICE structures have been designed and used primarily for debugging the development code of logic functions such as microprocessor IC logic functions. The ICE structures are used to monitor the operation of an instruction stream executing within a microprocessor IC. The primary function of the ICE structures is to debug development code by running an application code, setting a breakpoint in the execution of the application code, scanning the data in content registers, and mapping the data to a viewer screen. This allows a user to change the content of a memory image or register, and then continue to run the application code.
One limitation of current ICE structures is that they are not designed to fix logic structures or logic errors within the design of a microprocessor IC. The assumption of the ICE designed function is that the current microprocessor logic function works, and that the ICE structures are being used primarily for debugging the development code of the microprocessor logic function.
Present state of the art methods of designing an IC incorporate embedded logic EC structures in the IC that require the contents of the embedded logic EC structures to be scanned to an external boundary, and then any changes to the instruction stream are made externally.

System and method of providing error detection and correction capability in an integrated circuit using redundant logic cells of an embedded FPGA

International Business Machines Corporation


An embodiment may include circuitry to be included, at least in part, in a host. The host may include at least one host central processing unit (CPU) to execute, at least in part, at least one host operating system (OS). The circuitry may perform, at least in part, at least one operation in isolation both from interference from and control by the at least one host CPU and the at least one host OS. The at least one operation may include user authorization determination and user presence determination. The authorization determination may be in response, at least in part, to indication of physical presence of at least one user in proximity to the host. The user presence determination may determine, at least in part, whether, after the indication has been provided, the physical presence of the at least one user in the proximity to the host has ceased.

In one convention system, a host CPU in a host executes a host OS. The OS performs (alone and/or in combination with other software executed by the CPU) security features. These features are intended (ideally) to prevent an unauthorized user (or malicious software attempting to pose as an authorized user) from issuing unauthorized commands to or otherwise compromising the host. In actual implementation, however, such software-based security features suffer from significant disadvantages and drawbacks that may prevent the software from achieving these ideally intended results.
For example, such software-based security features are incapable of ensuring that it is an actual user (and not, for example, malicious software posing, either locally or remotely via a network, as a user) that is seeking access to the host. Additionally, such software-based security features tend to be relatively easily infiltrated, corrupted, and/or circumvented by malicious software (e.g., as compared to security features that are implemented predominately or entirely in hardware or firmware).
One proposed solution involves including trusted platform module (TPM) security hardware in the host. Such TPM hardware may comply with TPM Main Specification (including Part 1 Design Principles, Part 2 TPM Structures, and Part 3 Commands), Version 1.2, Revision 116, published 1 Mar. 2011, by Trusted Computing Group, Inc. The TPM hardware is exposed to a trusted hardware attestation key device via a user physical presence general purpose input/output (GPIO) pin of TPM hardware. The pin is set when a user physically presses a certain button of the host. The setting of the pin grants the user (i.e., the person who pressed the button) access to the security functions of the TPM hardware.
Unfortunately, in this conventional arrangement, no separate authentication (e.g., independent of the user merely pressing the button) of the user is involved prior to, and as a condition for, the user being granted access to the security functions of the TPM. Accordingly, if an unauthorized user obtains physical access to the host and presses the button, the unauthorized user is granted access to the security functions of the TPM hardware.
Also, in this conventional arrangement, continuing access to the security functions of the TPM hardware is not conditioned upon an authorized user remaining in proximity to the host. Accordingly, such access may not be revoked even if the user ceases to be in proximity to the host. Unfortunately, this may permit an unauthorized person to gain access to such functions, for example, after the authorized user has left the proximity of the host.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly.

User authorization and presence detection in isolation from interference from and control by host central processing unit and operating system


Delay lines include an adjustable delay cell that adjusts a speed at which an input signal to the adjustable delay cell is transmitted through the adjustable delay cell responsive to a control signal. A plurality of set delay cells are coupled in series with the adjustable delay cell that delay transmission through the set delay cells of an input signal to the respective set delay cells an amount that does not vary responsive to the control signal. Delay cells that have an adjustable delay time are also provided.

The present invention relates to delay circuits and, more particularly, to delay line circuits having an adjustable delay step and a delay cell for the same.
A delay line is a circuit that is used to delay transmission of a signal, such as a clock signal, for a desired amount of time, and is typically constructed by connecting a plurality of delay cells in series. The accuracy of the delay provided is generally tightly controlled to assure proper circuit operation in high data rate devices, such as a Double Data Rate (DDR) random access memory (RAM). Generally, the higher the operating speed of a DDR RAM, the smaller the delay step or the step size of each delay cell must be. As such, where a greater the number of delay cells ate included in the delay line, a corresponding greater number of bits of a signal controlling the delay cells are provided. Accordingly, the delay step of the delay line generally must be more accurately adjusted for such an application.

Adjustable delay cells and delay lines including the same


A security verification system performs security verification of a circuit design. The security verification system simplifies formal security verification of the circuit design by replacing circuit blocks of the circuit with black box circuit blocks. The security verification system instruments the circuit design so that black-boxing can be performed for security verification without changing the security decision over the data paths. The security verification system uses dependence information of the inputs and outputs of the black box to connect inputs of the circuit block with outputs of the circuit block. The black-box circuit block keeps the logic inside the cone of influence of clocks and resets. The system performs security verification of the circuit design by proving a non-interference property of the instrumented circuit design.

Electronic design automation processes circuits with increasing design complexity. One of the operations performed during electronic design automation is security verification. Security verification determines whether there are any unexpected or unauthorized ways to read or modify secure data. Security verification is performed at various levels from block-level to system on a chip (SoC) level and also software-level. Hardware security verification is an important aspect of security verification since software security becomes less relevant if the software is executed on insecure hardware. Conventional techniques of hardware security verification are based on code review and simulation. These techniques are not very rigorous. For rigorous security verification of hardware or software, formal verification techniques are used. However conventional formal security verification techniques are very cumbersome and inefficient if performed on large circuits.

Scalable formal security verification of circuit designs


A goggle accessory that includes a substantially planar element that has one or more folding elements along its longitudinal axis, so as to divide the planar element into multiple substantially planar sections; an attachment means configured to attach these planar sections to each other; and openings through the planar element configured to receive a goggle keeper-strap of a helmet. Other embodiments include a planar element made of a flexible material; an opening defined by the attachment of the accessory to a goggle strap; and/or design element(s) attached or integrated to the accessory. The goggle accessory offers an aesthetic design for use over a goggle strap with or without the use of a helmet and its concomitant goggle-keeper strap.

The present invention relates generally to eye goggles and/or eyeglass wear, and more specifically, to a goggle accessory.
Eye goggles and eyeglass wear are often used in athletic and action activities. In such endeavors, eye goggles, and eyeglass wear, often include a goggle strap to aid in keeping the goggles or eyeglass wear attached to the user's head. As viewed from the back of the user, this goggle strap is in apparent view. Many goggle straps have designs, logos, words, and/or artwork incorporated thereon.
In a subset of these activities (typically, more action-oriented activities), the user concomitantly wears a protective helmet along with the eye goggles. Examples of such activities include snow sports (alpine skiing, snowboarding, etc.), many motor sports (e.g., auto racing, motorcycle racing, etc.), and even equestrian sports. Many protective helmets use a goggle keeper-strap on the back of the helmet that is configured to keep the goggle strap from riding upwards or downwards on the back of the helmet which results in the eye-covering portion of the goggles to become displaced from the user's face.
As with many athletic and action activities, accessorizing and/or customizing the user's equipment and outerwear is an omnipresent and continual opportunity. Accordingly, there is an ongoing opportunity for improving upon the use of eye goggles and their accessories.


A fuel cell separator made of conductive material and resin wherein the conducive material is recycled from waste of fuel cell separators. The fuel cell separator consisting of conductive material and resin is made by using the waste of fuel cell separator consisting of conductive material and resin. The waste of fuel cell separator is pulverized to powder and is mixed with unused resin and, if necessary, supplemental conductive material, to establish powdered material. The powdered material is molded under the predetermined molding pressure and temperature. The fuel cell separators using the recycled material are comparable to fuel cell separators made solely from new material. In another aspect, a method of producing a fuel cell separator using the recycled material is disclosed.

This invention relates to a fuel cell separator and its production method, and more particularly, to a fuel cell separator made of conductive material and resin wherein the conducive material is recycled from waste of fuel cell separators, and to a method of producing a fuel cell separator using the material recycled from the waste of fuel cell separators.
A fuel cell which generates electric power by making use of fuel gas and oxidant gas, especially a solid polymer type fuel cell, is considered to be a new clean energy source in various applications including automobiles. A solid polymer fuel cell is configured in such a way that an ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane is sandwiched by an anode and a cathode each having a catalyst and functioning as a gas diffusion electrode, and an outside of each electrode is further provided with a fuel cell separator. The fuel cell separator at the anode provides hydrogen as fuel gas, and the fuel cell separator at the cathode provides oxygen as oxidizer gas.
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) show an example of such a fuel cell separator. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), on a fuel cell separator 1, narrow channels 1a are formed on a planar surface thereof. In order to increase an overall surface area for connecting between the gas diffusion electrode and the gas, the channels 1a are meandering with a small pitch on the whole surface of the fuel cell separator. The channels 1a may be formed on both surfaces of the fuel cell separator as shown in FIG. 4(b), or may be formed only on one surface of the fuel cell separator.
There are other types of structures of the fuel cell separator wherein both surfaces or one surface is provided with a large number of projections where spaces between those projections are used as passages of the gas, or both surfaces or one surface is provided with combinations of such projections and channels.
Since the fuel cell separators described above use a large amount of carbon material, a problem arises when such fuel cells are wasted because of their life times or other reasons. Because the waste of the fuel cell separators include a large amount of carbon material as noted above, how to deal with such industrial waste is an important subject in the fuel cell industry.
In this respect, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-255823 appears to disclose a structure of a fuel cell separator related to this problem. In this patent publication, it is stated that a conventional fuel cell separator made of carbon based bulk material such as artificial graphite or vitrified carbon has drawbacks in that it tends to be damaged by mechanical shocks or vibrations because of its low toughness and it is difficult to recycle. The patent publication proposes a fuel cell separator made of metal which includes aluminum or titanium as base material in a weight ratio of 80% or higher on which a layer of conductive carbon is provided. It is stated, as an effect of the invention, that recycling of the fuel cell separators has become easy because of the structure of the structure thereof.
Although no description is given in this patent publication as to the method of recycling the fuel cell separators, there is a recitation stating that xe2x80x9caluminum is especially preferable for this purpose because of its characteristics of easy recycling, easy machining, and low costxe2x80x9d. Based on this recitation, it is assumed that the invention in this patent publication is directed only to the recycling of the metal components in the fuel cell separator.
In contrast, as noted in the foregoing, the present invention relates to a fuel cell separator which is made of resin and conductive material such as carbon. This fuel cell separator in the present invention is the type of separator designated in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-255823 as the one having the carbon based bulk material and is considered difficult to recycle.
The present invention reflects on the aforementioned facts and conventional technology. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell separator and its production method which can easily recycle the waste of fuel cell separator containing conductive material and resin.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell separator and its production method which is capable of decreasing the industrial waste involving the fuel cell separators, thereby improving environmental conditions and saving natural resources.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell separator and its production method which is capable of using the material obtained from the waste of fuel cell separators where the content of the material is always known, thereby enabling to produce fuel cell separators of uniform and high quality.
In order to achieve the objectives above, the fuel cell separator made of conductive material and resin is comprised of conductive material at least a part of which is powdered material made by pulverizing the waste of fuel cell separator which contains conductive material and resin.
The waste of fuel cell separator is converted to carbon or graphite through a baking process which is conducted under baking temperature ranging from 500xc2x0 C. to 3,000xc2x0 C. The conductive material includes carbon powder which has an average diameter ranging from 10 xcexcm to 100 xcexcm. Preferably, the average diameter of the carbon powder is about 30 xcexcm.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of producing a fuel cell separator which is comprised of a step of crushing the waste of unbaked fuel cell separator containing conductive material and resin, a step of supplementing unused conductive material and/or resin to the crushed waste of unbaked fuel cell separator to form powdered material; and a step of molding the powdered material by a mold under a predetermined molding pressure and temperature to form the fuel cell separator.
Preferably, the production method further includes a step of baking the waste of fuel cell separator, either before or after the crushing step, under baking temperature ranging from 500xc2x0 C. to 3,000xc2x0 C. An environmental gas may be supplied to the powdered material in the baking step. Preferably, the production method further includes a step of adding solvent to the powdered material to granulate the powdered material.

Fuel cell separator and production method thereof


An apparatus and method for on-site microwave consolidation of planetary regolith, soil and dust is disclosed. Such particulate materials may be converted into useful products such as roadways and other construction materials. In one embodiment, a portable microwave generator and waveguide system is used to generate and direct microwaves to a lunar surface containing fine iron-containing particles to sinter and/or melt the particles. The portable system may be provided in the form of a lunar paver with a single or multiple waveguides arranged to direct sufficient microwave energy to the lunar surface to heat, sinter, melt, or otherwise consolidate the lunar soil into a solid mass suitable for use as a road or path. Other applications of this in-situ microwave heating process include the release of solar-wind implanted gases, extraction of polar water-ice, and production of oxygen.

NASA and the Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon have stated that one of the foremost problems to be solved before we return to the Moon concerns lunar dust. This fine (e.g., less than 20 microns) portion of the lunar soil makes up about 20 wt % of the total soil and is extremely clinging, abrasive, toxic and omnipresent. Many activities on the Moon are negatively affected by this dust. During the Apollo missions, it caused reduced movement in the joints of the astronauts' space suits and wore through layers of the Kevlar cloth of the suits. Its clinging nature caused the initially white suits to become dirty, thereby absorbing more black-body heat with each Moon walk. In the lunar module when the astronauts removed their helmets, they experienced distressing sensations from the dust in their eyes, noses, and throats. Equipment having moving parts and friction bearing surfaces exposed to the lunar dust may also be negatively affected. For example, it was found that boxes used to collect and return lunar samples to Earth were not tightly sealed due to the presence of lunar dust. In fact, all Apollo rock boxes leaked, most all the way from 10−12 torr to one atmosphere of Earth air.
It would be desirable to mitigate such dust problems by converting the dust into roadways or other useful construction materials. In so doing, the amount of dust that the various activities on the Moon would normally generate would be held to a minimum.

Apparatus for in-situ microwave consolidation of planetary materials containing nano-sized metallic iron particles


A braking device for a vehicle comprises an accelerator-opening detector, a distance detector, an obstacle detector, and an ECU which is configured to perform the process of executing automatic braking when the distance detected by the distance detector is a specified distance or less during traveling of the vehicle, cancelling the automatic braking when the accelerator opening detected by the accelerator-opening detector is a specified opening or greater, and prohibiting the cancelling of the automatic braking when the front obstacle is detected by the obstacle detector while the vehicle stops or travels at a low speed which is a specified speed or less. Thereby, the braking device for a vehicle which can surely reduce the damage caused by the vehicle's collision with the front obstacle can be provided.

The present invention relates to a braking device for a vehicle, and in particular relates to a braking device for a vehicle which can reduce damage caused by vehicle's collision with a front obstacle, which includes an object existing in front of the vehicle or another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, by using braking of the vehicle.
Conventionally, a braking device for a vehicle which reduces damage caused by vehicle's collision with another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle by using braking of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle (i.e., a front-traveling vehicle) is known.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-82041 discloses an automatic braking device of a vehicle which increases a pedal reaction force of an acceleration pedal (i.e., an accelerator) of the vehicle and operates automatic braking in a case in which the vehicle may possibility collide with an obstacle positioned in front of the vehicle. In this automatic braking device, in a case in which a driver operates the acceleration pedal after the automatic braking is operated, this acceleration pedal's operation is considered as a driver's intentional action, so that an automatic braking control is canceled.
A collision prevention control device which limits starting or accelerating of a vehicle, in a case in which an acceleration pedal is operated mistakenly when an obstacle exists in front of the vehicle, so as to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the obstacle is also known.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-280489 discloses a collision prevention control device in which when a vehicle approaches an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle becomes a specified distance or less while the vehicle stops or travels at a low speed, a throttle opening is limited or an automatic braking is operated so as to limit starting or accelerating of the vehicle.
Herein, it may be considered that both of the conventional braking device for a vehicle disclosed in the former patent document and the conventional collision prevention control device disclosed in the latter patent document are installed to the vehicle.
However, in a case in which the conventional braking device for a vehicle and the conventional collision prevention control device are installed to the vehicle together, there is a problem in that both functions of these devices may not be compatible. For example, in a case in which the acceleration pedal is operated when the distance to the obstacle is the specified distance or less while the vehicle stops or travels at the low speed and the starting or accelerating of the vehicle is limited by the collision prevention control device accordingly, the braking device for a vehicle may recognize that the acceleration pedal's operation is intentional, so that the braking device may cancel the automatic braking control. Thus, there is a problem in that the collision prevention control device may not be able to operate the automatic braking, so that the vehicle may not be able to be stopped properly.


The technology relates to detection of aberrant driving situations during operation of a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. Aberrant situations may include potential theft or unsafe conditions, which are determined according to one or more signals. The signals are derived from information detected about the environment around the vehicle, such as from one or more sensors disposed on the vehicle. In response to an aberrant situation, the vehicle may take various corrective action, such as rerouting, locking down the vehicle or communicating with remote assistance. The type of corrective action taken may depend on a type of cargo being transported or whether one or more passengers are in the vehicle. If there are passengers, the system may communicate with the passengers via the passenger's client computing devices or by presenting visual or audible information via a user interface system of the vehicle.

Autonomous vehicles, such as vehicles that do not require a human driver, can be used to aid in the transport of trailered (e.g., towed) cargo, such as freight, livestock or other items from one location to another. Such vehicles may operate in a fully autonomous mode or a partially autonomous mode where a person may provide some driving input. Cargo theft has been a concern for conventional transportation with a human driver, and is expected to continue to be a concern in semi- or fully-autonomous transportation.

Safety considerations for self-driving vehicles


A video conference system comprising: a control device located at each of the at least two conference sites, the control device being connected to the video camera and the display device; and a server connected to the control device via a communication network, the control device comprising: a control terminal configured to control the display device; and an image display format selecting unit connected to the control terminal, wherein the image display format includes at least one format in which a predetermined process is performed to image data of the video image, the control device controls transmission and reception of the image data, and the display device located at a site displays the video image of another site with the selected image display format.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conference device installed in each of locations to conduct a video conference between the locations and a server that has a communication connection with the conference devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a video conference system has become widely used that enables a remote conference (video conference) by connecting terminal devices (conference devices) installed in remote places (locations) via a network such as the Internet. The conference devices are installed in conference rooms or the like in the respective locations and exchange images and voice of conferees with the other conference devices to conduct the video conference. Specifically, each of the conference devices captures images of the conferees participating in the video conference by a camera and collects voice of the conferees by a microphone, transmits the image data and the voice data to the other conference devices, receives image data and voice data from the other conference devices, displays a conference screen using the received image data on a display unit, and outputs the voice data, as audio, from a speaker.
Incidentally, if a general camera is used as the camera of the conference device, it may be difficult to capture an image of the entire conference room because the angle of view of the general camera is narrow. In particular, when a large number of conferees participate in the conference, in some cases, it may be difficult to capture all of the conferees within the field of view of the camera. To cope with this, there is a known technology to provide a wide-angle lens in the camera and perform image processing on a wide-angle image to zoom in or pan the scene of the conference (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-279999).
In the video conference system as described above, there is a demand by the conferees to conduct the video conference while viewing a desired conference screen according to the discussions in the conference or according to the progress of the conference. For example, there is a demand to conduct the conference while viewing the situation in the other conference rooms (situation of all of the conferees) or focusing on a specific conferee.
However, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-27999 only enables to generate image data of the entire conference room or image data of an enlarged part of the conference room by performing image processing on the wide-angle image, but is unable to display a conference screen by using image data that the conferees want to view. Therefore, for example, even when the conferees want to view the situation of all of the conferees in the other locations, a conference screen with a close-up view of a specific conferee, such as a speaker, may be displayed. Namely, the conference screen desired by the conferee and the actual conference screen do not always match each other.
Therefore, there is a need for a conference device and a server capable of displaying a conference screen as desired by a conferee.

Video conference system and method for performing the same


Conjugates of an EPO moiety and one or more non-peptidic water-soluble polymers are provided. Typically, the non-peptidic water-soluble polymer is poly(ethylene glycol) or a derivative thereof. Also provided are compositions comprising such conjugates, methods of making conjugates, and methods of administering compositions comprising such conjugates to a patient.

One important function of the human hematopoietic system is erythropoiesis, which is the production of red blood cells or "erythrocytes." Erythropoiesis is vitally important as it is the process whereby new red blood cells are generated as old red blood cells degenerate. In this way, a continuous supply of red blood cells is ensured, thereby guaranteeing the continuous oxygenation of biological tissues.
In humans, erythropoiesis occurs in the presence of a protein hormone called "erythropoietin" abbreviated as "EPO" which serves to stimulate the division and differentiation of progenitor cells located in bone marrow. Over a period of about four days, progenitor cells mature into red blood cells and are released into the general circulation. A typical red blood cell lives for about four months in the systemic circulation. Typically, control of the erythropoietic cycle is governed by a negative feedback mechanism whereby the increased oxygenation of the tissues caused by increased numbers of red blood cells results in a decrease in the production of erythropoietin.
Naturally-occurring EPO is a glycoprotein hormone with 165 amino acids, 4 glycosylation sites on amino-acid positions 24, 38, 83, and 126, and a molecular weight of about 34,000. EPO is produced in vivo as a precursor protein with a signal peptide of 23 amino acids and can occur in three forms. The DNA sequences encoding EPO have been reported. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,008.
Pharmacologically, EPO has been administered to humans for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including the treatment of patients suffering from anemia. Specifically, for example, EPO is indicated for (a) anemia associated with chronic renal failure, (b) anemia related to zidovudine therapy in HIV-infected patients, and (c) anemia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, EPO has been used to reduce allgeneic blood transfusion in patients undergoing surgery, and for pruritus associated with renal failure.
One drawback associated with current forms of EPO therapy is the frequency of dosing. Because EPO therapy typically requires daily injections, patients dislike the inconvenience and discomfort associated with this regimen.
One proposed solution to these problems has been to provide a prolonged release form of EPO. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,071 describes a water-soluble composition comprising EPO, hyaluronic acid, and human serum albumin. Such compositions, however, may not provide sufficient activity over the desired period of time.
Others have suggested the use of PEGylation technology, or the attachment of a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative to a protein such as EPO, in order to prolong EPO's in vivo half-life. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0082765 describes conjugation of PEG derivatives bearing a succinimidyl lower fatty acid ester (such as a PEG derivative bearing succinimidyl propionate or succinimidyl butyrate moiety).
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0081734 describes preparing a mutein of EPO having a cysteine residue introduced at the thirty-eighth position and then PEGylating the mutein at the introduced cysteine residue via a PEG-maleimide derivative. No specific structure of the PEG-maleimide derivative was described in the publication.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,753,165 describes methods for making soluble proteins (including EPO) having free cysteines. The publication also describes modifying the soluble proteins by attaching a PEG moiety at the free cysteine via a PEG derivative bearing a vinylsulfone, maleimide or iodacetyl moiety. With respect to attaching the PEG, the publication describes the necessity for performing a partial reduction step in order to increase the relatively unreactive free cysteine on the protein. International Patent Publication WO 90/12874 also describes cysteine-added variants of EPO, wherein a PEG is attached to the added cysteine residue.
International Patent Publication WO 01/76639 describes myelopoietin conjugates, which refers to a fusion protein prepared from a modified human IL-3 polypeptide sequence linked to another molecule such as EPO.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,939 describes a process for attaching a PEG to the N-terminal alpha carbon of a protein (such as EPO) that has previously been subjected to a transamination reaction. The described conjugates can contain a PEG linked to EPO via a hydrazone, reduced hydrazone, oxime, or reduced oxime linkage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,742 describes PEG-EPO conjugates wherein EPO is modified by the addition of from 1 to 6 glycosylation sites and covalently linked to from one to three lower alkoxy poly(ethylene glycol) groups, each poly(ethylene glycol) group attached via a specific linkage. The described conjugates are prepared by first "activitating" the EPO by covalently linking one or more protected thiol groups to EPO, followed by removal of the group protecting the thiol. Once the protecting group is removed, the step of attaching certain reagents at the unprotected thiol is performed.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0191291 describes proteins having EPO activity that are prepared using non-recombinant technology. The publication further describes such proteins that are polymer-modified in a defined manner.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0115833 describes an EPO glycoprotein covalently linked to one poly(ethylene glycol) group by way of a specific linkage containing an amide bond with the N-terminal alpha-amino group of the EPO glycoprotein.
EP 0 714 402 describes conjugates of polymers with proteins such as EPO. The poly(ethylene glycol) polymers used to form the conjugates have molecular weights of up to about 10,000.
International Patent Publication WO 96/40792 describes conjugates prepared from a polymer comprising the following structure: Poly(—O—C═O—Y)m, wherein Y is a halogen or nitrile, m is an integer from 1 to 25, and Poly defines a synthetic or a naturally occurring polymer.
Notwithstanding these described conjugates, however, there remains a need to provide conjugates or compositions of EPO that satisfy one or more of the following: conjugates formed from different PEG derivatives (e.g., PEGs having different structures, reactive groups, and so forth); conjugates formed from PEG derivatives having different weight average molecular weights (e.g., greater than about 10,000); conjugates wherein the polymer is not attached primarily at lysine position 52; conjugates formed from recombinant EPO rather than muteins or fusion proteins thereof; compositions that are substantially homogeneous in terms of their EPO-PEGmer content (e.g., monoPEGylated EPO, diPEGylated EPO, etc.), compositions that are well-defined and reproducible in terms of EPO-PEGmer content and positional isoforms thereof, and conjugates that can be formed in relatively few steps and without the need to carry out partial reduction steps or other synthetic transformations (e.g., transamination reactions, addition of thiol groups, and so forth). Ideally, such a conjugate will possess suitable bioactivity in vivo, and possess a circulating half-life such that blood or plasma levels of EPO are sustained over a longer period of time in comparison to currently marketed formulations—such that a pharmaceutical preparation comprising such a conjugate can be administered less frequently than the currently marketed formulations, thereby providing a distinct advantage over currently available EPO formulations.
Thus, there remains a need in the art to provide additional, beneficial conjugates of water-soluble polymers and moieties having EPO activity. Among other things, one or more embodiments of the present invention is therefore directed to such conjugates as well as to compositions comprising the conjugates and related methods as described herein, which are believed to be new and completely unsuggested by the art.

Conjugates of an EPO moiety and a polymer


In an electric vehicle having a synchronous motor as the driving source, a control system and a control method for the electric vehicle can prevent over current in the main circuit or over charging of the battery at the re-closing of an opened inverter relay and is always capable of operating the power-train system in a better condition. A control method for an electric vehicle having an inverter for supplying a direct current electric power from a battery to the synchronous motor, a smoothing capacitor, connected to the inverter in parallel for smoothing the direct current electric power, an inverter control circuit and an inverter relay for connecting and disconnecting the inverter and the smoothing capacitor to and from the battery. The inverter is controlled so as to prevent current from flowing into or flowing out of the inverter until the re-closing operation of the inverter relay is completed when the opened inverter relay is re-closed.

The present invention relates to a control method and a control system for an electric vehicle having an inverter for converting a direct current electric power such as an electric power of a battery into an alternating current electric power source and a synchronous motor as the driving force of the vehicle, and more particularly relates to a control method and a control system for an electric vehicle having a permanent-magnet type synchronous motor as the driving force of the vehicle.
Development of permanent-magnet type synchronous motors for driving an electric vehicle has been progressing. The efficiency of the permanent-magnet type synchronous motor can be increased in a low speed and low torque region compared to an induction motor. An electric vehicle driving system using such a permanent-magnet type synchronous motor is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. 6-315201.
In an electric vehicle, for example, an electric automobile, there are some cases in which the motor may be driven at a high speed above a maximum controllable rotating speed during a coasting operation on a descending road.
In a case of controlling a synchronous motor generally used in the industrial field, when a speed of the motor is increased and exceeds the controllable range, the motor is controlled by being judged as to be in an abnormal condition. In a case of an electric vehicle, the motor is controlled by repeating to drive it up to a maximum allowable speed for the power-train system and then to operate it in a normal re-operation within the controllable range as the speed of the motor is decreased. When the motor is driven at a speed above the maximum controllable speed, a protective relay (hereinafter referred to as an inverter relay) provided between an inverter and a battery is operated. That is, it can be considered that the inverter relay is disconnected to protect the power train control system of the electric vehicle when the motor is driven at a speed above the maximum controllable speed.
The inverter relay is for connecting or disconnecting the inverter and a smoothing capacitor to and from the battery, and is connected and disconnected according to a key switch IGN signal.
In the electric vehicle power train system, the inverter relay is disconnected under the following conditions during driving.
(1) Speed of the motor exceeds the controllable speed,
(2) the key switch IGN is in OFF state, or
(3) an abnormal condition occurs anywhere except for in the inverter (an abnormal condition capable of re-power-driving).
After that, it is necessary that the inverter relay is re-closed during running in order to re-operate the inverter when the speed of the motor is decreased to a value within the controllable range from the above state (1), the IGN described in the above item (2) is brought in ON state and a re-driving command described in the above item (3) is generated.

Control system for electric vehicle and control method therefor in which an inverter relay is controlled at the time of its re-closing after being disconnected


An attachment for a golf bag which achieves a balancing of the bag when longer clubs are being carried. The attachment includes a belt element which is wrapped around the top of a golf bag. The belt includes an extension element which is positioned at the front, top side of a golf bag. The resulting installation creates a balanced golf bag effect and thus takes pressure off the back of the golf bag carrier.

The present invention is generally related to the golfing arts and, in particular, to a novel design for use in combination with a golf bag.
When full of golf clubs, especially longer golf clubs used by taller people, the golf clubs tend to lean forward toward the mid-back of the person carrying the golf bag.
Such creates a continuing pressure on the mid-back of the person carrying the bag and, over the course of playing eighteen holes of golf, can become quite painful and damaging to the back of the user.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to set forth a novel golf bag attachment design to reduce or eliminate to forwardly transmitted forces from a golf bag to the back of a person carrying a golf bag.
It is also an object of the invention to show a balancing golf bag attachment which may be easily used and readily attached to the top of a golf bag.
It is a further object of the invention to demonstrate a golf bag attachment which may be economically manufactured for widespread commercial appeal and use.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the description and drawings which follow.
During a search of the prior arts patents and commercial designs, the following U.S. Patents were found to be broadly related to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,850 shows a cover placed on top of a golf club bag. Its purpose and structure are to provide protection for the heads of golf clubs. It does not provide the balancing or pressure relieving features disclosed in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,009 was issued for a golf club bag which has structures adaptable for use with shorter or longer golf clubs. This patent also does not show or suggest the balancing and pressure relieving features of the present invention.
Accordingly, the invention disclosed herein is believed to be clearly novel and patentable over all known prior art designs.
A system is provided to balance a golf club bag in order to relieve pressure on the back of a person carrying the bag.
An extension is attached to an upper portion of the golf club bag so as to change the lift point to eliminate the tendency of the bag to lean forward.
In the embodiment disclosed, the extension is attached to the golf club bag by means of a belt which is adaptable for use with variably sized and shaped club bags.
The principles disclosed herein may have applicability with other types of balancing and carrying systems.

Golf bag balancing attachment and method


In an electrophotographic image recording apparatus of the type using a single-ingredient type developer, i.e., toner, a latent image is electrostatically formed on a photoconductive drum or similar image carrier. A developing unit has a developing roller for conveying the toner deposited thereon, and an intermediate roller for conveying the toner transferred thereto from the developing roller and depositing it on the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding toner image. An image transfer unit transfers the toner image to a cut sheet. During the development of an area of the image carrier other than a latent image area, at least one of biases assigned to the developing roller and intermediate roller, respectively, is switched over to thereby form an electric field different in direction from an electric field assigned to the formation of the toner image between the two rollers. As a result, the toner existing on the intermediate roller is collected by the developing roller. This successfully prevents the toner from depositing on the intermediate roller except when required, and frees the image transfer unit from the deposition of the toner.

The present invention relates to a plain paper copier, plain paper facsimile apparatus, printer or similar electrophotographic recording apparatus.
An electrophotographic recording apparatus includes a developing unit having a construction taught in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-175477. The developing unit has a casing storing a single-ingredient type developer, i.e., toner having high electric resistance. First toner conveying means in the form of a roller is disposed in the casing and receives the toner from a toner supply roller. The toner is magnetically deposited on the conveying means. Second toner conveying means implemented as an elastic roller intervenes between the first toner conveying means and a photoconductive drum or image carrier. The toner is electrically transferred from the first conveying means to the second conveying means. Toner particles charged to the polarity opposite to the expected or regular polarity are prevented from being transferred from the first conveying means to the second conveying means. This allows the second conveying means to deposit only the toner of regular polarity on a latent image electrostatically formed on the drum.
While the development of the latent image is not under way, the absence of the toner on the second conveying means does not matter at all in respect of the image forming process. However, if the toner is present on the second conveying means or similar member contacting the drum, then it is likely to easily deposit on the drum, compared to the case wherein it is absent. As a result, not only the toner is wastefully consumed, but also the resulting image has its background contaminated.
Further, assume that image transferring means for transferring the toner image from the drum to a sheet is of the type contacting the drum. Then, if the charge of the toner existing on the drum is unstable, it is likely that the toner is transferred from the drum to the image transferring means. This part of the toner smears the rear of a sheet.

Electrophotographic recording apparatus configured to switch a bias voltage in a developing unit


An inventive method for the manufacture of an array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors for use in an optical projection system includes the steps of: providing an active matrix; depositing a thin film sacrificial layer; depositing a protective oxidation layer on top of the thin film sacrificial layer; creating an array of empty cavities; depositing an elastic layer; forming an array of conduits in the elastic layer; depositing a second thin film, a thin film electrodisplacive and a first thin film layers, successively, thereby forming a multiple layer structure; patterning the multiple layer structure, until the thin film sacrificial layer is exposed; and removing the thin film sacrificial layer to thereby form an array of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors. The protective oxidation layer is deposited on top of the thin film sacrificial layer before the formation of each of the empty cavities, which, in turn, prevents phosphorus on the surface of thin film sacrificial layer from getting oxidized.

Among the various video display systems available in the art, an optical projection system is known to be capable of providing high quality displays in a large scale. In such an optical projection system, light from a lamp is uniformly illuminated onto an array of, e.g., M.times.N, actuated mirrors, wherein each of the mirrors is coupled with each of the actuators. The actuators may be made of an electrodisplacive material such as a piezoelectric or an electrostrictive material which deforms in response to an electric field applied thereto.
The reflected light beam from each of the mirrors is incident upon an aperture of, e.g., an optical baffle. By applying an electrical signal to each of the actuators, the relative position of each of the mirrors to the incident light beam is altered, thereby causing a deviation in the optical path of the reflected beam from each of the mirrors. As the optical path of each of the reflected beams is varied, the amount of light reflected from each of the mirrors which passes through the aperture is changed, thereby modulating the intensity of the beam. The modulated beams through the aperture are transmitted onto a projection screen via an appropriate optical device such as a projection lens, to thereby display an image thereon.
In FIGS. 1A to 1F, there are illustrated manufacturing steps involved in manufacturing an array 100 of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors 101, wherein M and N are integers, disclosed in a copending commonly owned application, U.S. Ser. No. 08/589,478, entitled "METHOD FOR FORMING A THIN FILM ACTUATED MIRROR ARRAY".
The process for the manufacture of the array 100 begins with the preparation of an active matrix 110 including a substrate 112 with an array of M.times.N connecting terminals 114 and an array of M.times.N transistors(not shown), wherein each of the connecting terminals 114 is electrically connected to a corresponding transistor in the array of transistors.
In a subsequent step, a thin film sacrificial layer 120, made of phosphor-silicate glass (PSG), and having a thickness of 0.1-2 .mu.m, is formed on top of the active matrix 110 by using a chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method or a spin coating method.
Thereafter, there is formed an array of M.times.N pairs of empty cavities (not shown) in the thin film sacrificial layer 120 by using an wet etching method. One of the empty cavities in each pair encompasses one of conduits 126.
Subsequently, an elastic layer 130, made of an insulating material, e.g., silicon nitride, and having a thickness of 0.1-2 .mu.m, is deposited on top of the thin film sacrificial layer 120 including the empty cavities by using a CVD method.
Thereafter, there is formed in the elastic layer 130 an array of M.times.N conduits 126 made of a metal, e.g., tungsten(W). Each of the conduits 126 is formed by: first creating an array of M.times.N holes(not shown), each of the holes extending from top of the elastic layer 130 to top of a corresponding connecting terminal 114 by using an etching method; and filling therein with the metal by using, e.g., a lift-off method, as shown in FIG. 1A.
Then, a second thin film layer 140, made of an electrically conducting material, e.g., aluminum(Al), and having a thickness of 0.1-2 .mu.m, is formed on top of the elastic layer 130 including the conduits 126 by using a sputtering or a vacuum evaporation method.
Next, a thin film electrodisplacive layer 150, made of a piezoelectric material, e.g., lead zirconium titanate(PZT), or an electrostrictive material, e.g., lead magnesium niobate(PMN), and having a thickness of 0.1-2 .mu.m, is formed on top of the second thin film layer 140 by using a CVD method, an evaporation method, a Sol-Gel method or a sputtering method.
In an ensuing step, a first thin film layer 160, made of an electrically conducting and light reflecting material, e.g., aluminum(Al) or silver(Ag), and having a thickness of 0.1-2 .mu.m, is formed on top of the thin film electrodisplacive layer 150 by using a sputtering or a vacuum evaporation method, as shown in FIG. 1B.
After the above step, the first thin film 160, the thin film electrodisplacive 150, the second thin film 140 and the elastic layers 130 are patterned into an array of M.times.N first thin film electrodes 165, an array of M.times.N thin film electrodisplacive members 155, an array of M.times.N second thin film electrodes 145 and an array of M.times.N elastic members 135 by using a photolithography or a laser trimming method, thereby forming an array 180 of M.times.N actuated mirror structures 181, as shown in FIG. 1C. Each of the second thin film electrodes 145 is electrically connected to a corresponding connecting terminal 114 through the conduit 126, thereby functioning as a signal electrode in each of the thin film actuated mirrors 101. Each of the first thin film electrodes 165 functions as a mirror as well as a bias electrode therein.
The preceeding step is then followed by completely covering the top surface and the side surfaces in each of the actuated mirror structures 181 with a thin film protection layer 170, as shown in FIG. 1D.
The thin film sacrificial layer 120 is then removed by using an etchant, e.g., hydrogen fluoride(HF), as shown in FIG. 1E.
Finally, the thin film protection layer 170 is removed by using an etching method, e.g., a plasma etching method thereby forming the array 100 of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors 101, as shown in FIG. 1F.
There are certain deficiencies associated with the above described method for manufacturing the array 100 of M.times.N thin film actuated mirrors 101. Since the thin film sacrificial layer 120 is made of a phosphor-silicate glass (PSG), during the formation of empty cavities by using an wet etching method, phosphorus on the surface of thin film sacrificial layer 120 are oxidized into phosphorus pentoxides (P.sub.2 O.sub.5) decreasing the adhensivity between the thin film sacrificial layer 120 and a photoresist used in the wet etching method, in such a way that the thin film sacrificial layer 120 located under the unexposed portions of the photoresist may get wrongfully removed.
Furthermore, the phosphorus pentoxides (P.sub.2 O.sub.5) formed on the surface of the thin film sacrificial layer 120 may react with moisture to form phosphoric acid (H.sub.3 PO.sub.4), damaging the thin film sacrificial layer.

Method for the manufacture of a thin film actuated mirror array


A system and method for entering a circuit design into a computer using a schematic capture package. The schematic capture package is modified to include a library of state flow components represented by symbols which can be connected to produce a desired representation of the circuit design. The system allows a circuit design to be displayed on a video terminal using both state flow diagram and the schematic diagram symbols, with terminals of the state flow symbols connecting to terminals of the schematic symbols. The state flow diagram using state flow symbols is combined with a schematic diagram including schematic symbols to generate a netlist representing the combined circuit.

State Machines
State machines are sequential logic systems whose output signals are a function of previous and present input signals, in contrast to combinatorial logic systems whose output signals are a function of present input signals alone. State machines typically include one or more storage elements and occupy a plurality of states which are determined by input signals and the contents of the one or more storage elements. State. machines "move" sequentially between the states (that is, one state becomes inactive and another state becomes active) in response to the input signals and transition rules established by combinatorial logic, which defines a logic "path" between the states. State machines are typically incorporated into circuits which also include other combinatorial logic and sequential logic circuitry, and frequently serve as controllers.
FIG. 1 shows a bubble flow diagram of a state machine which includes seven states, STATE 1 to STATE 7. The state machine receives input signals A through E. As indicated in FIG. 1, the state machine remains in STATE 1 until one of two transition rules is satisfied: (1) if input signal A is high, B is high, and C is low, the state machine moves into STATE 4; (2) if input signal A is high, B is low and C is high, the state machine moves into STATE 2. Similarly, the state machine remains in STATE 4 until input signal A is high, B is high and C is low. From STATE 2, the state machine enters STATE 3 if input signal D is high, or enters STATE 4 if input signal D is low. The other transition rules resulting in movements between states are also indicated.
State machines are commonly implemented in programmable logic devices. Programmable logic devices include programmable array logic devices (PALs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
The state of a typical state machine is defined by the states (high or low output signals) of a set of flip-flops which are part of the state machine. In PALS, which have wide combinatorial logic circuitry but relatively few flip-flops, state machines are typically implemented using a highly encoded system wherein the output signals of all of the flip-flops define the active state of the state machine. For example, four flip-flops are used to define 16 separate states of a 16-state machine. Another scheme, call one-hot encoding (OHE), is frequently used to implement state machines in FPGAs, which contain numerous flip-flops but limited fan-in capability. In OHE, each state is represented by a single flip-flop. Thus, 16 flips are used to define 16 separate states. As suggested by the name OHE, only one flip-flop associated with the state machine need be in a logical "1" (hot) state to represent the active state of the state machine. OHE requires a larger number of flip-flops than are required in the highly encoded systems implemented in PAL devices, but offers higher performance (speed) because there are fewer levels of logic between the flip-flops.

Method for spawning two independent states in a state flow diagram