A system and method for generating a medical diagnosis is provided. In a first embodiment of the present invention a conversion table is created and stored in a computerized storage media of a computerized system, the conversion table converts raw test data into numeric values. Furthermore, a sub-diagnosis database is created and stored in the storage media, the sub-diagnosis database including a plurality of rules, each rule being identified by at least one diagnosis parameter. Patient test results are then input to the computerized system where they are converted into numeric analyte values by the conversion table. The numeric analyte values are compared to the diagnosis parameters of the rules stored in the sub-diagnosis database, wherein the rules having diagnosis parameters corresponding to the numeric analyte values are saved in the computerized system.

The present application relates to computerized medical diagnostic techniques, and more particularly, to computerized systems and methods for performing medical diagnoses that take into account various combinations of patient test results and other data.
The last 100 years have produced a tremendous volume of knowledge of the human body, its disease processes and the treatment of many disease processes using alternative natural care, including dietary modification and vitamin and nutrient supplementation. It is not possible for any individual practitioner to remember all of the analyte levels and the relationships and variables of the different tests as well as interpret the meaning of all of the relationships and variables of the different tests that are available with current medical testing technology.
Accordingly, computerized medical diagnostic systems and methods have been developed. Such systems receive medical test results of a patient and generate a diagnosis based on those test results. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,070 which is directed to a computerized diagnostic system in which a patient is given medical tests and the test results ("analytes") are then put into a computer system to assess whether the patient's analyte levels are low, high or average, compared to a typical group. The analyte levels are then compared with vitamin and nutrient data in a database to determine which vitamins and nutrients would have a positive or negative effect on the analyte. Those vitamins and nutrients having a positive effect on the analyte levels are retrieved from the database and reported. Treatment plans and other remedial measures may also be suggested. That diagnostic system provides the same result for each analyte value regardless of the presence of other varying analyte values from other tests.
A problem with such computerized diagnostic systems and methods is that they lack the ability to take into account the multiple inter-relationships of various test factors and the roles the combinations and inter-relationships of those factors and test results have on creating a proper and accurate diagnosis. Accordingly, there is a need for a computerized medical diagnostic system and method that is capable of generating a diagnosis and treatment regimen in which numerous test results are considered in combination.


Disclosed is a benzothiophene oxide derivative represented by the general formula (wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different and each represents one or more groups selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkenyl group, an amino group, a heterocyclic group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, an oxo group and the like; R3 represents an alkylamino group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group or the like; and m and n are the same or different and each represents an integer of 1-6) or a salt thereof, which is useful as a prodrug of a benzothiophene derivative or a salt thereof.

In the study of a therapeutic agent, many drugs have been found by a method using an in vitro model. However, some drugs have a low bioavailability and have limited therapeutic usefulness. In order to avoid these problems, there have been known means of chemically modifying a compound to form a prodrug.
A benzothiophene derivative, which is typified by 1-(3-(2-(1-benzothiophen-5-yl)ethoxy)propyl)-3-azetidinol, has a neuroprotective activity, a nerve regeneration promoting activity and a neurite outgrowth promoting activity and is a useful compound as a therapeutic agent for central and peripheral nerve diseases (Patent Document 1). However, the benzothiophene oxide derivative described in the present application has never been known before.

Benzothiophene oxide derivative and salt thereof


Heparin binding peptides derived from a Tenascin (TNC) III1-5 domain or a fibrinogen β15-66 domain have been found that bind certain cytokines with high affinity. Materials and methods for making compositions and devices using these peptides are disclosed.

The extracellular matrices (ECMs) of the body provide organization to its cells to create tissues and organs. An ECM has many cell signaling factors, including factors that are part of the ECM, for example cell adhesion ligands, and factors that are releasable, such as cytokines. ECMs and cell-ECM interactions are complex and are the subject of ongoing research and discoveries.

Extracellular matrix heparin-binding domains

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)


A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for routing error messages in a multiple host computer system environment to only those host computer systems that are affected by the error. The environment includes multiple host computer systems that share multiple devices utilizing a switched fabric. An error is detected in one of the devices. Routing tables that are stored in fabric devices in the fabric are used to identify ones of the host computer systems that are affected by the error. An error message that identifies the error is routed to only the identified ones of the host computer systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processing systems and more particularly to communications in a data processing system including multiple host computer systems and multiple adapters where the host computer systems share the multiple adapters and communicate with those adapters through a PCI switched-fabric bus. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for reporting an error that occurred in a device to a single master control host node that waits until all traffic in the paths in the fabric that might be affected by the error is suspended and all host nodes that might be affected by the error have acknowledged the receipt of a notice that the error occurred before clearing the error.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional PCI bus is a local parallel bus that permits expansion cards to be installed within a single computer system, such as a personal computer. PCI-compliant adapter cards can then be coupled to the PCI bus in order to add input/output (I/O) devices, such as disk drives or other devices, to the computer system. A PCI bridge/controller is needed in order to connect the PCI bus to the system bus of the computer system. The PCI bus can communicate, through the PCI bridge/controller with the CPU of the computer system in which the PCI bus is installed. Several PCI bridges may exist within a single computer system. However, these PCI bridges serve to couple multiple PCI buses to the CPU of the computer system in which the PCI buses are installed. If the single computer system includes multiple CPUs, the PCI buses can be utilized by the multiple CPUs of the single computer system.
A PCI Express (PCI-E) bus is a modification of the standard PCI Computer bus. PCI-E is based on higher speed serial communications. PCI-E is also architected specifically with a tree structured I/O interconnect topology in mind with a Root Complex (RC) denoting the root of an I/O hierarchy that connects a host computer system subsystem to the I/O.
PCI-E provides a migration path compatible with the PCI software environment. In addition to offering superior bandwidth, performance, and scalability in both bus width and bus frequency, PCI Express offers other advanced features. These features include QoS (quality of service), aggressive power management, native hot-plug, bandwidth per pin efficiency, error reporting, recovery and correction and innovative form factors, and meet the growing demands for sophisticated capabilities such as peer-to-peer transfers and dynamic reconfiguration. PCI Express also enables low-cost design of products via low pin counts and wires. A linearly scaled 16-lane PCI Express interconnect can provide data transfer rates of more than 8 Gigabytes per second.
The host computer system typically has a PCI-to-Host bridging function commonly known as the root complex. The root complex bridges between a CPU bus, such as hyper-transport, and the PCI bus. Other functions may be performed in the root complex like address translation, if necessary. Multiple host computer systems containing one or more root functions are referred to as a multi-root system. Multi-root configurations which share I/O fabrics have not been addressed well in the past.
Today, PCI-E buses do not permit sharing of PCI adapters among multiple separate computer systems. Known I/O adapters that comply with the PCI-E standard or a secondary network standard, such as Fibre Channel, InfiniBand, or Ethernet, are typically integrated into blades and server computer systems and are dedicated to the blade or system in which they are integrated. Having dedicated adapters adds to the cost of each system because an adapter is rather expensive. Further, the inability to share an adapter among various host computer systems has contributed to the slow adoption rate of these technologies.
In addition to the cost issue, there are physical space concerns in a blade system. There is a constraint in space that is available in a blade for adapters.
Multi-root I/O network configurations which share I/O fabrics have not been addressed well in the past. In known systems, when an error is detected, that error is reported to all host nodes. Thus, errors detected in an I/O fabric will generally bring down all of the host nodes that may be using that fabric.
Some errors affect all host nodes and should be reported to all of the hosts. For example, if a switch fails then all nodes should be notified. Other types of errors, though, affect only one or more particular host nodes but not all hosts. For example, if an adapter stops functioning, each host node that utilizes the adapter should be notified.
In known systems, all errors are reported to all host nodes regardless of whether the error affects one host node or all host nodes because there is no method for routing the reporting of errors to only the host nodes that might be affected by the error.
Therefore, a need exists for a method, apparatus, and computer program product for reporting an error that occurred in a device, also referred to herein as a component, to a single master control host computer system that waits until all traffic in the paths in the fabric that might be affected by the error is suspended and all host computer systems that might be affected by the error have acknowledged the receipt of a notice that the error occurred before the master control node clears the error where the error message is routed to only those host computer systems that might be affected by the error.

Routing of shared I/O fabric error messages in a multi-host environment to a master control root node

International Business Machines Corporation


The multi-layer strip for use in measuring biological material and the system for measuring a biological material are provided, wherein the multi-layer strip includes a stack of a plurality of strips, each having a flow channel and a reaction unit, and the strips may react with specific materials contained in a biological material injected into the multi-layer strip. Thus, it is possible to quantitatively analyze various materials contained in a biological material and to optically and electrochemically measure and quantitatively analyze various materials in a biological material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-layer for use in measuring biological material and a system for measuring biological material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices capable of measuring and analyzing biological materials have recently been developed and widely used in the medical field.
Such biological material measurement devices determine whether body fluid such as blood, urine or saliva contains specific materials and thus determine whether individuals are healthy.
For example, in order to control and monitor diabetes, the amount of glucose in blood may need to be periodically measured.
In order to measure glucose, portable glucose measurement devices or strip-type bio sensors may be used.
Various types of devices such as portable measurement devices or stripe-type bio sensors may be used to measure and analyze biological materials. However, conventional biological material measurement devices alone cannot selectively analyze specific materials (e.g., glucose) contained in a biological material sample. Therefore, conventional biological material measurement devices have limited effectiveness and limited range of application.

Multi-layer strip for use in measuring biological material and system for measuring biological material


An insert for reducing deflection of a vehicle fender or wing panel includes an attachment member for attachment to a lamp cluster or lamp housing of a vehicle and a head for lying between the panel and the cluster or housing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improving the rigidity of vehicle body panels, particularly fender or wing panels where they abut lamp clusters at the front or rear of a car or other vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Perceived quality is a crucial aspect of customer satisfaction. In the vehicle industry, a major factor in perceived quality is the rigidity of body panels. Customers are dissatisfied with body panels that deflect too readily under applied pressure, for example when washing their car.
Whilst vehicle body panels can be thickened or made of more rigid materials to address this problem, this solution is impractical as it adds needlessly to cost and weight. This applies especially where the panel, or a particularly deflection-prone part of the panel, has no load-bearing function. The alternative of shaping the panel for stiffness is not usually an option because it compromises styling freedom.
The problem of excessive panel deflection is particularly acute where fender or wing panels abut lamp clusters at the front or rear of a vehicle. Here, the flexibility of the panel contrasts very noticeably with the rigid—and rigidly-mounted—lamp clusters. Indeed, when the edge of the panel is pushed in against its resilience, the abutting edge of the lamp cluster provides a datum against which the extent of panel deflection can be judged.
Typically, fender or wing panels define an abutting edge that is shaped to fit closely against an abutting part of a lamp cluster without excessive gaps. More specifically, a leading edge of a front fender or wing panel abuts a headlamp cluster, and a trailing edge of a rear fender or wing panel abuts a rear lamp cluster. That abutting edge is generally upright, although rarely either straight or vertical.
The central region of the abutting edge is typically unsupported and less stiff than near its upper and lower ends which may be supported, of thicker material and of stiffer shape. The central region of the abutting edge is therefore particularly vulnerable to excessive panel deflection.
With the increasing popularity of tall cars such as off-roaders, lamp clusters have tended to become taller. It follows that the abutting edge of an adjacent fender or wing panel becomes longer, which increases the problem of excessive panel deflection at the central region of that edge.
Locally stiffening the fender or wing panel to alleviate the problem of excessive panel deflection is difficult without compromising the manufacture or maintenance of a vehicle, especially operations involving the installation, assembly, removal and replacement of lamp clusters or panels. There is a need for a low-cost, simple-to-implement solution to this problem, which does not adversely affect either the manufacture or maintenance of a vehicle.


A turbine includes a diffuser. The diffuser includes a combustor basket, an outer shell, a plurality of struts, and a protrusion. A front end of the protrusion is between a leading edge position of an adjacent pair of the struts and a trailing edge position of the adjacent pair of the struts, and a rear end of the protrusion extends further than the trailing edge position of the adjacent pair of the struts in an axial direction.

Generally, a gas turbine includes a compressor, a combustor and a turbine. The compressor compresses external air and generates high pressure air, and the combustor mixes and combusts the high pressure air generated by the compressor and a fuel and generates high temperature and high pressure combustion gas. The turbine is driven by the combustion gas generated by the combustor.
A diffuser is provided on a downstream side of the turbine (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5693315). The diffuser includes a combustor basket, an outer shell, and a strut. The combustor basket is disposed on an inner circumferential side of the diffuser, and the outer shell covers the combustor basket from an outer circumferential side and forms an exhaust flow path between the combustor basket and the outer shell. A plurality of struts are provided at intervals in a circumferential direction and extend from an outer circumferential surface of the combustor basket in a radial direction of the turbine. The combustor basket and the outer shell are connected via these struts.
The exhaust flow path of the diffuser is formed such that an area of the flow path gradually increases from an upstream side toward a downstream side in a flowing direction of the combustion gas. The combustion gas (exhaust gas) which has driven the turbine is restored to a static pressure by passing through the exhaust flow path thus formed. Since a pressure ratio of the gas turbine substantially increases when performance of the diffuser improves, performance improvement of the diffuser contributes to improvement of efficiency in the entire gas turbine.


A system, a method and computer-readable media for collecting device usage information from portable devices. The portable devices are enabled to maintain device operation parameters. This information is communicated from a portable device to a host device. The host device may communicate the received information over a network to a database. The database may consolidate the device operation parameters from multiple portable devices.

A growing number of portable devices are currently available to consumers. Examples of such portable devices include music players, digital cameras, video cameras, digital recorders and personal digital assistants (PDAs). To facilitate the connection between these devices and a host computer, the computer typically has an operating system configured to detect a particular portable device when it is connected to the computer. Once detected, the computer operating system can enable communication with the portable device.
Despite the best efforts of the providers of portable devices, such devices inevitably fail at one time or another. One type of failure is a crash. A crash occurs while a program module is running on the device and results in the suspension of operations on the device. Crashes are frustrating to users and, in some cases, may result in loss of information stored on a device. Though failures may greatly impact the usability of a device, providers of portable devices generally have limited means to discover the prevalence and causes of these failures.
In contrast, certain computer systems utilize a persistent network connection to report device usage and failure data. When an error occurs on such a networked-computer, the computer generates and submits an error report over the network. For example, a software provider may receive error reports and other computer usage information from many different computers. With this feedback, the software provider may improve their product and send updated software to their customers. By utilizing network connections, the software provider can receive information describing the operation of its products and can maintain a relationship with its end users.
Portable devices, however, generally do not maintain a persistent network connection or have the ability to connect to a network. Accordingly, it is difficult for providers of these devices to receive error data. Further, these providers have limited means to communicate product updates and other information to their customers. In short, providers of portable device are often unable to maintain a relationship with device users and are unable to receive important device usage and failure data from such end-users.


An accelerometer is provided which is suitably rugged for use in on-board automotive safety control and navigational systems. The preferred thick film accelerometer is formed from an alumina substrate having an integrally formed U-shaped flexure member which surrounds an intermediate support member. A mass is provided on the unsupported end of the U-shaped flexure member. Deflection is maximum at the unsupported end of the U-shaped flexure member, while strain is maximum at the supported end of the flexure member. Four piezoresistors for detecting the strain within the flexure member corresponding to the acceleration in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the support member are provided on the U-shaped flexure member adjacent its supported ends. The four piezoresistors form a Wheatstone bridge, whose analog output voltage is conditioned and amplified to provide the output signal. The signal conditioning and amplifying circuitry are preferably located on the support member. The preferred accelerometer package further contains integrally formed means for preventing excessive deflection of the mass past a predetermined distance.

An accelerometer is one of the primary sensors used in on-board automotive safety control systems and navigational systems, particularly crash sensing systems. Examples of such automotive applications include anti-lock braking systems, active suspension systems, supplemental inflatable restraint systems such as air bags, and seat belt lock-up systems. An accelerometer is a device which measures acceleration, or more accurately, accelerometers measure the force that is exerted by a body as the result of a change in the velocity of the body. A moving body possesses inertia which tends to resist the change in velocity. It is this resistance to any change in velocity that is the source of the force which is exerted by the moving body. This force is directly proportional to the acceleration component in the direction of movement when the moving body is accelerated.
In one form of a conventional type of accelerometer, a mass is suspended between two spring members which are coaxially attached on opposite sides of the mass. The mass is maintained in a neutral position so long as the system is at rest or is in motion at a constant velocity. When the mass-spring support system undergoes a change in velocity in the direction of the springs' axis, i.e. an acceleration or deceleration parallel the spring axis, the spring mounted mass will resist the movement because of its inertia. This resistance to the change in velocity will force one of the springs to be in tension while the other spring is compressed. Accordingly, the force acting on each spring is equal but opposite in magnitude to the force acting upon the other. From this, the acceleration component can be determined.
Analogously, another common type of accelerometer employs a cantilevered beam wherein the mass is disposed on the unsupported end of the beam. Upon acceleration of the mass in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mass, the beam will deflect, causing one surface of the beam to be in compression and the other surface to be in tension. The acceleration component in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the beam can then be measured using various known means.
In many of these types of accelerometers it is desirable to limit the displacement of the mass, so as to maximize the integrity and life of the device. Current designs do not provide a satisfactory means for limiting this displacement, particularly when employing an accelerometer which utilizes a cantilevered beam.
In addition, although there are several different types of accelerometers currently available commercially, they are generally typified by the same shortcomings which make them unsatisfactory for high volume automotive use. In particular, many of the current accelerometers are characterized by extremely high production costs, without the requisite long life durability for highly rugged applications, such as in an automotive environment.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an accelerometer which meets the requirements of reliability, accuracy, ruggedness and low cost, for an on-board automotive system, as well as other applications, and further which alleviates the shortcomings of the prior art, in particular, by providing an integral means for limiting the displacement of the proof mass.


Provided are an image processing device, an image processing method, and an endoscope system that can reduce a burden on a user. A parallax amount adjustment unit adjusts the parallax amount of a three-dimensional (3D) biological image of an imaged living organism, depending on whether the parallax of the 3D biological image puts a burden on a user.

To smoothly guide a procedure tool in the depth direction in a procedure such as a medical operation or diagnosis using an endoscope, for example, an endoscope system is required to capture a three-dimensional (3D) image of (the inside of) a human body and display the resultant 3D endoscopic image (see Patent Document 1, for example).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image processing device, image processing method, and endoscope system


A method for remotely detecting whether a subject is alive, comprising the steps of determining a calibration spectral signature for light reflectance from living skin, normalizing the calibration spectral signature values to the calibration reflectance value at a reference wavelength, storing the normalized calibration spectral signature, determining a subject spectral signature of the light reflectance of a region of skin of the subject whose liveness is to be determined, normalizing the subject spectral signature values to the subject reflectance value at the reference wavelength, comparing the normalized subject spectral signature with the normalized calibration spectral signature for at least one wavelength, generating a subject liveness signal based on the comparison of the normalized subject spectral signature with the normalized calibration spectral signature, and emitting the subject liveness signal.

Currently, human liveness detection can be done by the non-invasive measurement of blood flow in a body. The methods are based on the well known Doppler effect—change of the wave frequency after reflection from a moving object. In practice ultrasonic, optical, or radar waves are used. In the case of ultrasonic or optical waves, after penetration into human skin the wave is scattered by static tissue as well as by movement of cells in blood vessels (platelets and others). While the former will stay unchanged compared to the source, the latter will be shifted in the frequency by a value proportional to the speed of scattering blood cells. As a result the scattered wave will have a broader spectrum and this effect can be measured and converted into the blood flow speed. Much of the prior art uses Doppler blood flow measurement methods and apparatus. Some of the methods use ultrasonic waves and some use laser radiation. Still other prior art uses Doppler radar measurement or detection of a beating heart or body part motion that is associated with breathing, i.e., respiration. In the Doppler radar case, a radar pulse is transmitted, and scatters from a breathing body or penetrates the body and scatters off a beating heart or moving body parts such as lungs and chest cavity, which move in the course of breathing, and the Doppler frequency shift of the reflected signal is sensed or measured. Additionally, some prior art employs thermal sensing of body temperature as an indication of liveness. One method of such thermal sensing is the detection of long wave infrared emission by a warm body.
As blood flow, breathing, and a beating heart exist only in live subjects the above methods can be in principle used for liveness detection. However, direct application of the known non-radar methods and apparatus to human liveness detection in combat or rescue operations is not feasible for several reasons. Ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry works only in proximity of a subject, preferably requiring contact between a transducer and a detector with the body, because the signal gets reduced dramatically with increased the distance from the body. The laser Doppler measurements do not require contact, but are still limited in distance. In addition, the laser source has a recognizable signature and can be detected by the enemy, which is not acceptable for covert operations. Also, for Doppler measurements a laser with very narrowband radiation must be used, as the speed of blood cells is slow and high precision measurement is necessary. Such a laser adds significantly to the cost and weight of the instrument. Pulse Doppler radar measurements are used in combat and emergency situations, but they are active measurements as they employ electromagnetic emissions that scatter from the subject. As such, the fraction of emitted power that is returned to the sensor is proportional to the inverse fourth power of the distance, i.e., the range, between the transmitter and the subject. As a consequence, such liveness detection requires substantial emitted power or energy and comprises a significant signature that can be detected by an enemy or if the power is reduced, then significant limitations in range result.
There are many multi-spectral and hyperspectral sensors and methods for a variety of physiological measurements, but these sensors and methods rely on close proximity or contact with tissue for such measurements. Such sensors and monitors are cumbersome and not well suited for remote sensing. Sensors that use long wave infrared detection of body temperature are not reliable when ambient temperature is near body temperature. At extreme temperatures, heat flow models must be used to account for the departure of skin temperature from normal body temperature. As a result, such sensing may be unreliable, require cumbersome calibration, or be useful only in limited conditions of ambient temperature and wind. Further, such sensors typically have poor spatial resolution and so rely on close proximity.
The ability to remotely determine if a wounded soldier was alive or dead would be of substantial benefit to battlefield leaders who must decide whether to risk personnel in recovering a soldier who might already be dead and thus unfortunately beyond medical help no matter how fast that help is provided.
The determination of liveness would also be useful to assess whether a still person poses a threat or to detect persons who are difficult to detect visually because they are in a visually cluttered scene or partially concealed. The detection and classification of pixels in a scene that correspond to live skin or tissue are useful for the detection of the use of cosmetics, i.e., 'make-up', prostheses, masks, or other means of concealment or alteration of appearance or disguise. With other indication of liveness such as locomotion or Doppler sensing of blood flow, breathing, or heartbeat, the identification of skin or tissue as not live would indicate an altered appearance that may be part of a disguise.

Method and apparatus for standoff detection of liveness


An optical card apparatus including a recording device for recording in each of a plurality of data blocks in a card-like recording medium user data to be recorded along with data protecting information inhibiting the user data from being carelessly read out, and a reproducing device for reproducing the user data and data protecting information recorded in the recording medium. A data transfer controlling device for permitting the user data to be read out only in case the input secret information data coincide with the data protecting information recorded in the recording medium in the case of reproducing the user data with this reproducing device.

1. Field of the Invention and Related Art Statement
This invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus provided in each data block such as a sector with a secret information number as a data protecting means for inhibiting information recorded in such optical recording medium as an optical card from being read out.
Among information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information in an information recording medium are such magnetic recording medium as a floppy disc or magnetic card and such optical recording medium as an optical disc or optical card. Optical discs and optical cards are optical recording media. They can not be re-written but are so large in the memorizing capacity as to be considered to have a wide application range for the optical discs to record image information or to preserve writings and for the optical cards as bank deposit pass-books, portable maps or prepaid cards used for shopping or the like.
Particularly, the optical card is so portable as to be considered to be used to record such personal private information as individual health controlling information. Therefore, countermeasures of protecting information peculiar to an individual from being seen by others are being investigated by encoding the information. In the publications of Japanese Patent Applications Laid Open Nos. 286176/1989 and 192978/1988 is disclosed a method wherein data other than the inherent information are recorded as additional information in a part within a sector of an optical card or photomagnetic disc.
In the publication of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 192978/1988, additional information is added to each data block so that errors may be corrected in the line direction and column direction to improve the error correcting function.
Also, in the publication of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 286176/1989, a track number is added to each sector and an error correcting code is added to the sector number in recording them so that the track number and sector number may be read out at a probability higher than in ordinary data.
In the method wherein the information to be kept secret relating to an individual is encoded and recorded so as to be decoded when it is to be reproduced, there are problems that such hard formation as a logical circuit of encoding/decoding the information will be required and the cost will be high. In case it is not of a hard formation, a soft formation will be made by the program by using a microcomputer or the like controlling the recording and reproducing apparatus, the process will take time and the access time will be likely to increase.
In the publications of Japanese Patent Applications Laid Open Nos. 286176/1989 and 192978/1988, the example of recording the track number, sector number and disc discriminating information is only disclosed but nothing is mentioned of the protection of the information.
By the way, in the now extensively prevalent cash card, a secret information number is input in using the card. Such secret information number is not to protect the information mentioned in the card but is to identify whether the person using the card is the owner of the card so that only the owner of the card may have access to the card. Therefore, when even a third person can input the secret information number, he will be able to unjustly have access to the card and will be likely to cause a great damage to the owner of the card.

Recording and reproducing apparatus provided in each data block with a secret information number


A collapsible projection backwall system utilizes a short throw projector and a collapsible framework to create a display usable in a small amount of space. The framework is specifically configured to support and appropriately position a flexible screen member so that distortion is avoided. This is particularly significant in situations where a relatively large screen is utilized, which creates the need to maintain appropriate tension upon the flexible screen member. The framework is specifically configured to be slightly canted when in its extended configuration to thereby introduce natural tension forces which will cooperate with the screen fabric to maintain the necessary configuration for the screen. This canted configuration is achieved by configuring a set of corner hinge assemblies and any central hinged assemblies to maintain this natural cant. By maintaining the desired forces on the display screen fabric a more efficient and functional display screen is created.

Display exhibits and booths used at tradeshows and exhibitions are preferably easily transportable, are preferably quickly and easily erected and collapsed, and are preferably light weight for ease of portability and to reduce shipping costs. Additionally, the area available to each exhibitor at tradeshows and exhibitions is limited. Accordingly, exhibitors desire to maximize the limited space available to them.
A common feature used by exhibitors is a backwall, which may be a simple hanging curtain, or a series adjacent retractable banners such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,567 issued to Skyline Displays, Inc., or self supporting frames or structures with fabric or rigid panels. The backwall serves two primary purposes. First, it provides a large prominent surface on which company logos, promotional materials and images of the company's products, services or other eye-catching images may be displayed to attract visitors to the exhibitor's display area. Second the backwall serves to conceal extra promotional materials, supplies, packaging, containers and other items that the exhibitor does not want visitors to be able to view or access.
The space available behind the backwall is generally very limited because tradeshow rules often require display backwalls to be no more than three feet from the facility's walls or other structures, so that one exhibitor's backwall does not block the display of neighboring exhibitors. In any event, exhibitor's typically want to have the backwall as far back as possible to provide adequate space in front of the backwall for tables, chairs and other furnishings on which to display promotional materials and to provide adequate free space to allow exhibitor representatives and visitors to easily move around to view the promotional items and to mingle and discuss business.
Many exhibitors desire to project images on the backwall of their display area, such as their company logo, or other eye-catching images to promote their products or services and to attract visitors to the display area. Until the relatively recent development and availability of short-throw, wide angle projectors, most exhibitors that wanted to project an image on a backwall of their booth or display, they had to use a conventional front projection system which required the projector to be placed toward the front of the display area or booth in order to produce a large image on the backwall. However, when placing the projector at the front of the display area, shadows would be produced blocking the projected image anytime someone walked between the projector and the backwall.
With the relatively recent development and commercial availability of short-throw, wide angle projectors, exhibitors are now able to place the short-throw projector within a few feet of the backwall while still producing a large image on the backwall, thus significantly reducing the chance that the projected image will be blocked by shadows from people walking between the projector and backwall. However, with such systems, the short-throw projector still takes up valuable space within the display area that could be used for other purpose.
Furthermore, although rear projection screens are known and although rear projection screens would overcome the foregoing disadvantages of a conventional front projection system as well as a short-throw front projection system, the use of rear projection systems at tradeshows or exhibitions has been uncommon and heretofore unpractical, at least for most exhibitors, due to the cost and difficulty of setup of rear projection systems to produce a distortion free image. It should be appreciated that in order to produce an image on a rear projection screen that is not distorted, the screen must be planar and must be uniformly stretched without any distortions. The need for planarity and lack of distortion is due to the unique optically transmissive and light diffusive characteristics of rear projection screens which permit the image to be viewed through the screen, as opposed to being reflected as with a front projection screens.
Accordingly, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive projection backwall for use at tradeshows, exhibitions, and the like, which is collapsible and relatively light weight for ease of portability and which is quickly and easily erectable and collapsible, and, when erected, results in a substantially planar and distortion free surface that is able to display substantially distortion free projected images.

Projection backwall apparatus and system


A convertible snow shoveling device includes first and second shovels, each having a substantially planar blade, an elongated handle and a hand grip. At least one male connection part extends from an edge portion of the first shovel blade and at least one female connection part is disposed along an edge portion of the second shovel blade. The at least one female connection part of the second shovel blade is sized and shaped to receive the at least one male connection part of the first shovel blade to releasably couple the first and second shovel blades together and form the convertible shoveling device. A handlebar is provided for releasably coupling the hand grips on the first and second shovels together. The male and female connections together with the handlebar permit the pair of individual snow shovels to be easily converted from a pair of individual snow shovels into a wide blade double handle snow shoveling device.

Typical snow shovels include an elongated handle member attached to a substantially planar shovel blade. Shovel blades vary in shape and size depending upon their intended application. For example, larger generally rectangular shovel blades are typically used to remove light snow cover from larger areas, such as driveways, streets, parking lots, and the like. The larger-sized shovel blades cover more area in fewer passes, minimizing effort required to clear snow. Smaller generally square-shaped shovel blades are typically used to remove heavy snow from smaller areas, such as sidewalks, decks, porches, other walkways, and the like. The smaller-sized shovel blades are easily maneuvered and afford the ability to efficiently remove heavy snow and snow from hard-to-reach areas with minimal effort.
The prior art teaches several convertible and/or expandable snow clearing devices that are adaptable to selectively increase or decrease the overall blade area. For example, Jacanin, Jr. et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,704 disclose a wide blade, double handle snow pusher which may be used as a plow for pushing snow. The snow pusher is constructed of two standard snow shovels having blades aligned side-by-side and interconnected by an intermediate blade member having a resilient clamp or spring member. A cross bracing member is connected to the handles of the individual snow shovels to provide additional stability.
Fine et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,324 teaches a manual snow removal device that includes of a pair of snow shovels interconnected by rigidly affixed parallel plates. A locking mechanism, such as a bolt, passes through the parallel plates and the blades of the snow shovels to disengagably lock the blades together.
Pollastro U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,734 teaches an expandable snow shovel device. A series of side blade elements are releasably fixed to the opposing sides of a central blade. The side and central blade elements have upwardly extending flanges adjacent to their lateral edges through which connecting members, such as lock pins, adjoin the respective blade elements.
All known convertible snow shovels, such as those described above, require separate locking means, such as bolts, pins, screws or brackets to attach smaller shovel blades together to form a larger sized shovel blade. Snow shovels are typically employed in cold weather environments and therefore encounter large amounts of ice, snow, dirt and/or other debris, which can often interfere with the workings of the connecting means. Build-up of ice, snow, dirt and/or rust on the connection means of the known convertible snow shovels often makes it difficult to attach and detach the shovel blades.
It is therefore desirable to provide a snow shovel device having means for selectively changing the width of the shovel blade that are simple and require minimal parts, thus increasing the ease of use and minimizing the chance for mechanical breakdown. It is desirable to provide a single snow shovel device that is easily and efficiently adaptable to perform as a small shovel blade for smaller areas and alternately as a large shovel blade for larger areas. More specifically, it is desirable to provide a single snow shovel device that has means for selectively increasing or decreasing the size of the shovel blade, such that the shovel device is useful for a wide range of snow conditions and snow covered areas.


An ECU controls a selector valve so as to connect a first pump passage and a second pump passage, and determines whether a fuel vapor leak from a fuel tank is in an allowable range based on a pressure in the fuel tank which is detected by a pressure sensor while a pump is driven to decrease a pressure in the fuel tank. The ECU opens a purge valve, whereby the fuel vapor adsorbed by a canister is introduce into an engine through an intake passage. The ECU controls the selector valve to connect a first pump passage and the second pump passage so as to circulate an atmospheric air in the pump while the purge valve is opened to introduce the fuel vapor into the internal combustion engine, whereby a foreign matter in the pump can be removed.

It is known that a fuel vapor treatment system determines whether a fuel vapor leak from a fuel tank is in an allowable range based on a pressure in the fuel tank which is detected while a pump is driven to decrease or increase the pressure in the fuel tank. For example, in the fuel vapor treatment system shown in JP-2012-2207A, an interior of a fuel tank is depressurized or pressurized by a vane type pump.
The vane type pump has a housing, a rotor rotatably accommodated in the housing, a vane provided to the rotor in such a manner as to radially reciprocate, and a motor driving the rotor. A tip end of the vane is slidably in contact with an inner wall surface of the housing. When foreign matters are introduced into the interior of the pump, or when worn powders of the vane and the housing accumulate in the pump, a clearance between a rotating part (a rotor, a vane) and a stationary parts (housing) is decreased, which may deteriorates a pump performance. If large amount of foreign matters are introduced or if large amount of the worn powders accumulate, it is likely that the rotation of the rotor may be locked. Furthermore, there is a possibility that a secondary wear may be accelerated and an abrasive wear may occur.


Techniques for detecting optical spectral properties of a target are described. The technique includes providing an optical carrier which has an optical frequency bandwidth which is narrow compared to the width of the narrowest spectral feature of the target to be determined. This optical carrier is then electro-optically modulated with an RF frequency chirp, creating an optical chirp probe beam with a frequency chirped optical spectrum having upper and lower frequency chirped sidebands that have amplitudes sufficient to be detected at a detector. The sidebands are frequency bands arranged symmetrically around the optical carrier frequency. The attributes of a sideband include a start frequency, bandwidth and chirp rate. A probe beam is generated with the sidebands and directed onto a target having a physical property with optical frequency dependence. An optical response signal resulting from an interaction between the probe beam and the target is detected. The optical frequency dependence of the physical property of the target is determined based on the optical response signal and the attributes of the sidebands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical spectroscopy, and in particular probing optical spectral properties of a target material or device using a probing optical beam with multiple frequency swept sidebands to determine the optical spectral properties of the target. Further the present invention relates to temporal mapping of the optical spectral features of a target material or device, achieving kilohertz (103 Hertz) resolution over many GigaHertz (109 Hertz) of bandwidth about an optical center frequency. As used herein, optical spectral properties refer to the frequency dependence of a physical property (such as absorption, reflection or resonance, among others) of a target in the optical frequency range from about ultraviolet (1016 Hertz) to infrared (1012 Hertz)
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical spectral properties of various materials and devices (called optical targets herein) are important in commerce. For example, the optical spectral properties of laser tuning cavities and materials are often determinative of the applications for which a laser can be deployed. In emerging technological fields, such as described in Merkel II, information is programmed into the optical absorption spectra of certain materials, such as inhomogeneously broadened transition (IBT) materials also called spatial-spectral (S2) materials or S2 holographic materials; and retrieving the information involves detecting the optical spectral properties of the programmed material. Such programmed materials offer the capacity to process high time-bandwidth product signals more accurately and quickly than existing methods, as described in Merkel II. High time-bandwidth product signals occur in a broad range of fields, from real-time spectral analysis and medical imaging, to optical ranging and communications, to photonic analog-to-digital conversion, to high resolution RADAR and LIDAR applications, among others.
One approach to detecting the optical spectral properties of a target is to probe the target with an optical beam that sweeps through a range of frequencies, a so-called optical chirp in analogy to the sound made by an acoustic signal that sweeps through a range of audible acoustic frequencies. The optical chirp may be constant in amplitude and linear in frequency with time or may be modulated in amplitude and non-linear in frequency over time. The measured temporal response of the target to the chirped probe beam gives an indication of the optical spectral content of the target.
Chang I and the journal article, Chang et al, Physical Review A, 70 063803 (2004), entitled "Frequency-chirped readout of spatial-spectral absorption features" (hereinafter referenced as Chang II, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein) describe how mapping spectral absorption features into temporal intensity modulation using a chirped optical field depends on the chirp rate of the field. When probing an arbitrarily complex spatial-spectral grating with a chirped field, a beat signal representing the grating period can be created by interfering the emitted photon echo chirped field with a reference chirped field, regardless of the chirp rate.
In previous approaches, the probe optical beam has been a frequency chirp of the primary optical carrier. While suitable for many purposes, there can be disadvantages to this approach. For example, an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) may be used to create such a chirp, however these devices are limited in their chirping bandwidth to approximately 1 GHz. Another approach is to utilize a chirped external cavity diode laser (CECDL), which has been shown to chirp over wide bandwidth, however these devices do not currently offer sufficient inherent frequency stability of the chirped optical carrier, thus eliminating their capability of discriminating fine features of the target optical spectrum.
In another approach, described by Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Application Serial No. PCT/US2004/014019, filed May 6, 2004 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Optical Broadband Frequency Chirp" (hereinafter referenced as Harris), an attempt is made to splice together multiple limited band chirps in an optical ring in order to produce a chirp with greater bandwidth. While suitable for some purposes, this approach can introduce phase mismatches at overlapping frequencies and add complexity to the process of detecting the optical spectral properties of a target.
Another approach is described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,035 entitled "Method and device for detecting a specific spectral feature" (hereinafter referenced as Bjorklund). Bjorklund resolves a spectral feature from a target optical spectrum by modulating an RF tone or chirp onto a stable optical carrier and detecting the RF modulation frequency. While suitable for some purposes, this approach suffers from a requirement of utilizing photo detectors and digitizers with an equivalent bandwidth to the RF chirp or tone that is applied to the optical carrier. As described in Merkel I, it is well known that increasing the bandwidth of photo detectors and digitizers corresponds to an increasing noise floor of the device, thus making this approach impractical for analysis of broad band spectral features of interest here.
It is clear from the preceding description that there is a need for techniques that probe the optical spectral properties of targets without suffering one or more of the disadvantages of the prior approaches. In particular, there is a need for techniques to perform spectral-to-temporal mapping with high resolution over large bandwidths.

Method and apparatus for detecting optical spectral properties using optical probe beams with multiple sidebands


Disclosed embodiments relate to a wall plate assembly, such as for light switches and electrical outlets, that may be painted to coordinate with the color of a room's walls, trim, or décor. The wall plate assembly includes a transparent outer or cover plate and a concealed backing plate. A reverse side of the transparent outer plate can be painted and the backing plate attached to cover and protect the painted surface. Both the outer plate and the backing plate can be made of molded thermoplastic resin and will typically contain openings to provide access to switches, outlets, plugs, jacks, mounting posts, etc., as well as any holes requires by fasteners such as screws.

The embodiments disclosed herein are drawn to an apparatus and process for providing a paintable wall plate or receptacle cover, such as those used to cover electrical switch and outlet boxes mounted on walls. A substantially transparent outer plate has a paintable reverse side and can also have an opening and one or more holes for mounting screws. An inner backing plate covers and protects the painted reverse side and includes matching opening and/or mounting screw hole(s). Both plates are then mounted to provide a painted wall plate covering with improved aesthetics and durability.
The majority of wall plates and receptacle covers come in white or beige to generally match the typical wall or trim color. If a user desires the plate to match the color of the panted wall, the user needs to paint the cover to match. However, the plate typically has a smooth exterior texture that easily shows paint imperfections such as brush marks and has poor adherence qualities that can lead to the paint scratching off. One prior art attempt to solve this is white or beige plates or covers that have a textured outer surface to improve paintability and hide brush marks. However, the texture of the resulting painted surface tends to collect dirt from users hands on switch plates during contact, resulting in unsightly plate appearance. For outlet covers, incidental contact with the prongs from power cords can still scratch the paint. What would be desirable is a wall plate or receptacle cover that can be easily painted, that does not show brush marks or other imperfections, and which is not subject to scratching off or showing dirt.

Paintable wall plate covering assembly and method


A rotor includes a plurality of permanent magnets inclined relative to the axial direction of a rotor core. A method for manufacturing the rotor includes producing each of the permanent magnets, and providing the permanent magnets on the outer periphery of the rotor core. The producing of each of the permanent magnets includes working a magnet block into a shape such that a first surface and a second surface have a parallelogram shape, a third surface and a fourth surface are parallel to each other, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface extend planarly from the third surface to the fourth surface. The providing of the permanent magnets includes arranging the permanent magnets so that, between the permanent magnets adjacent to each other, the fifth surface and the sixth surface face each other.

Regarding a conventional rotor, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-109590 discloses a brushless motor designed to reduce cogging torque and simplify the manufacturing process of a rotor (PTL 1). The brushless motor disclosed in PTL 1 includes a rotor, and a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in a direction skewed with respect to the rotational central axis and glued to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor. The outer peripheral surface of the rotor has a filling groove to be filled with an adhesive.

Method for manufacturing rotor, and rotor


A storage unit stores a preamble signal defined in a legacy system and a preamble signal defined in a MIMO system. A monitoring unit in a transmitting apparatus monitors the existence of any communication apparatus which is not compatible with the MIMO system but accepts the legacy system. A channel characteristics acquiring unit derives the characteristics of a radio channel between the transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. A selector selects a packet format based on a monitoring result obtained by the monitoring unit. The selector also selects where to place LTS, based on the characteristics of wireless channel derived by the channel characteristics acquiring unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the signal transmitting and receiving technologies, and it particularly relates to method and apparatus for transmitting signals in the packet format and method and apparatus for receiving the signals in the packet format.
2. Description of the Related Art
In wireless communication, it is generally desired that the limited frequency resources be used effectively. Adaptive array antenna technology is one of the technologies that realize the effective utilization of frequency resources. In adaptive array antenna technology, the amplitude and phase of signals transmitted from and received by a plurality of antennas, respectively, are so controlled as to form a directional pattern of the antenna. In other words, the apparatuses provided with adaptive array antennas change respectively the amplitudes and phases of signals received by a plurality of antennas, add up the thus changed received signals, and receive signals equivalent to the signals received by the antenna having the directional pattern corresponding to the variation in said amplitude and phase (hereinafter referred to as "weight"). And the signals are transmitted in a directional pattern of the antenna corresponding to the weight.
One example of processings to compute the weights in adaptive array antenna technology is a processing based on the MMSE (Minimum Mean Square Error) method. In the MMSE method, the Wiener solution is known to be the condition for an optimum weight value. Also known is a recurrence formula whose amount of calculation is smaller than that required to directly solve the Wiener solution. For such recurrence formula, adaptive algorithms, such as RLS (Recursive Least Squares) algorithm and LMS (Least Mean Squares) algorithm, are used. On the other hand, for the purpose of realizing a higher data transmission rate and improving the transmission quality, there is a case where data are subjected to multi-carrier modulation and the multi-carrier signals are transmitted (See Reference (1) in the following Related Art List, for instance).
2. Related Art List
(1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei10-210099.
There is a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) system as one of technologies by which to raise the transmission rate of data using the adaptive array antenna technology. A transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus in the MIMO system are each equipped with a plurality of antennas, and a channel suitable for each of the antennas is set. That is, the channel of up to the maximum number of antennas is set for the communication between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus, so as to improve the data transmission rate. Moreover, combining the MIMO system with a technique of transmitting multi-carrier signals results in a higher data transmission rate. On the other hand, the transmitted signals generally contain preambles that are known signals in order for the signals transmitted from the transmitting apparatus to be accurately received. In general, a preamble signal is specified by a fixed pattern. Nevertheless, if the pattern of a preamble signal varies taking into account the characteristics of radio channel and the packet utilization efficiency, it is possible to realize a wireless communication system which is flexible in terms of the characteristics of radio channel and the like.

Method and apparatus for transmitting signals, and method and apparatus for receiving the signals


A movable contact for a rotary switch is provided. The movable contact includes first and second contacts for contacting a stationary contact, where the first and second contacts are arranged at a distance from each other for receiving the stationary contact between the first and second contacts. The first contact is a straight contact blade for contacting stationary contacts at both ends of the blade. The second contact is a spring element configured to bend when the stationary contact is placed between the first contact and the second contact, and to cause a pressing force to the stationary contact to press the stationary contact against the first contact after the stationary contact has been placed between the first contact and the second contact.

It is aimed to place the contact poles of the switch as far as possible from each other to reduce the risk of an arc firing between them. GB1159729 discloses how the contacts of two vertically adjacent bodies are arranged in a 90 degrees angle to each other. In GB1159729, due to the round shape of the contact bodies, the stationary contacts point directly outwards, whereby extra space is needed between adjacent switches.
EP0886292 A1 discloses a rectangular switch body, where the contacts come out of the body from a direct side of the body. Thus, an angle is formed between a connection portion and a contact portion of the stationary contact such that the connection portion projects perpendicularly from an outer wall of the body, but the contact portion points substantially towards the rotation axis of the switch. The problem is that the clearance in the asymmetric support of the switch 8-1 in FIG. 8A of EP0886292 A1 permits swinging of the contact portion.
WO 2005069328A1 discloses a contact module having two stationary contacts on opposite sides of the body and a rotary contact assembled on the roll turns around its center point therebetween, whereby two contact gaps are formed. A rectangular opening is formed through the roll, and a contact to placed therein includes two blades, and a spring element holding the blades separate from each other, and includes a locking member to prevent longitudinal movement of the blades.
EP2107581 A1 discloses a contact module includes one movable contact and stationary contacts arranged substantially to opposite corners of the contact module. The movable contacts of overlapping modules are arranged to 90 degrees angle to each other, whereby the stationary contacts, to which the connection screws connect, are equipped to overlapping modules alternately to different sides of the body such that the connection screws are positioned as far as possible from each other to reduce an arc firing there between. It is required to cover unequipped spaces for the stationary contact and connection screw with an insulating plug. Except the base body, the contact modules can be identical, but right-hand and left-hand stationary contacts are needed, which are mirror-images from each other. The switch axis is formed of shank modules, one per each contact module. The movable contact is formed of two copper plates pressed together and insulating cardboards attached between them. A drawback is that the axis of the shank module passes the connector reducing the cross-section of the conducting area, whereby the square shank module axis has to have a small cross-section. Due to this, the torque causes a strong shear force on the axle member. The clearance between the axle member and the next shank module combined with small diameter of the axle member causes non-simultaneous function in a switch equipped with a plurality of contact modules. Due to the cardboard insulation, the mounting of the stationary contacts and movable contacts is difficult, because the stationary contact needs to be pushed from the side to space between two cardboard plates.


Systems and methods are illustrated for performing a person-to-person funds transfer. A person-to-person funds transfer process may be divided into a funds transfer initiation process to receive the funds to be transferred and recipient information from a sender and a funds retrieval process to provide the funds to a recipient. The funds transfer initiation process may include a customizable authentication step that provides the sender an opportunity to determine the level of authentication. The funds transfer retrieval process may include determining whether the recipient is authenticated based on the authentication level chosen by the sender.

Person-to-person fund transfers today generally involves two agents: a first agent that collects funds from a sender and initiates a transfer of funds to a recipient designated by the sender, and a second agent that completes the transfer by providing the recipient with the funds sent by the sender. Such a process, while functional, limits the sender and recipient in many ways. For example, because agents may be available to provide their services only during the work day, the sender and the recipient must schedule the transfer and collection at a time that conforms to the agent's availability, perhaps at the expense of the sender or recipient's convenience or needs. Recipients who need access to the funds immediately or during the non-work day cannot avail themselves of these services. In another example, the agent offices may be sparsely located, forcing a sender and recipient to travel long distances and therefore lengthening the period of time within which the funds passes between the sender and the recipient. In addition, security protocols sometimes require the recipient to provide the agent with some form of identification in order to collect the funds. Should the recipient neglect to bring appropriate identification, the recipient must leave the agent office empty-handed, expend additional effort to retrieve appropriate identification, and suffer a delay in obtaining the funds. Depending on the circumstances, convenience may not be the only thing sacrificed as a result of the delays inherent in this process; time-sensitive business transactions may be unraveled or personal emergencies unmet.
Security is another aspect of the person-to-person transfer that may be limited to policies set forth by the institution facilitating the funds transfer. Merely requiring a recipient to show picture identification might not be commensurate with the level of security recommended for the transfer of a substantially large amount of funds.


A method for continuous asset verification using at least one radio frequency identification tag for at least one piece of well equipment comprising: writing information about the well equipment into a transportable data storage device; engaging the transportable data storage device with a controller forming a smart controller; encoding the information onto at least one radio frequency identification tag; removably attaching the radio frequency identification tag to the well equipment; transporting the well equipment with the smart controller to a site and scanning the well equipment with the smart controller during at least one predefined interval during transport; and writing the stored scanned radio frequency identification tag information from the transportable data storage device to data storage in communication with a third processor.

A need exists for a method for verifying the safe transport of well equipment to a site that can detect changes in the contents of a shipment, deviations from a trip plan, movement of an item from beyond an electronic planned route, or "picket fence" and reduce potential tampering of equipment, loss or destruction of equipment, and theft.
A further need exists for a method for verifying the safe storage of well equipment with an ability to detect loss or theft of one or more items during regular scanning or reading of radio frequency identification tags on well equipment.
A need exists for a method for continuous asset verification that can be performed in a continuous and automated fashion, allowing items to be tracked at predefined intervals, or continuously throughout transport, and providing a report to at least one user during or at the completion of the transport.
A need exists for a method for continuous asset verification that utilizes a smart controller, able to quickly and efficiently verify and match information encoded into a removable data storage device.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.

Method for continuous asset verification


An electronic circuit comprises coupled transconductors (TR1 and TR2). The transconductors comprise two complementary differential pairs whose outputs are connected directly to two output terminals. Two diodes (P3, N3) are arranged in series between the common terminals of the differential pairs. The common-mode voltage of the differential pairs is available on the node between the two diodes. The common-mode voltage of the one transconductor (TR2) is used to control one of the bias current sources of the other transconductor (TR1) and, if desired, also that of the one transconductor (TR2). In this way the common-mode voltage on the output terminals of the other transconductor (TR1) is fixed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic circuit comprising a plurality of at least a first transconductor and a second transconductor, each having first and second input terminals for receiving a differential voltage and having first and second output terminals for supplying a differential current in response to the differential voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such an electronic circuit is known from "A Micropower CMOS Continuous-Time Low-Pas filter", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 24, No. 3, June 1989, pp. 736-743. Transconductors are voltage-controlled current sources used in so-termed Transconductor-C filters, also referred to as Balanced Integrator Filters, because the electronic circuits are generally constructed as balanced devices. The background technique for filters of this type is described comprehensively in the book "Integrated Continuous-Time Filters", edited by Y. P. Tsividis and J. O. Voornan, IEEE Press, New York, in which book said IEEE-article appears as Paper 3-B.4. The simplest transconductor is the differential transistor pair. The operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) can be regarded as a complex transconductor. Transconductor-C filters are often integrated, the aim then being, on the one hand, to use a minimal chip area and, on the other hand, to provide a high-quality filter. Said book discloses many variants and improvements based on the differential pair, with the purpose of improving certain characteristics such as linearity, bandwidth and output voltage swing. This means that there is a need for compact transconductors, i.e. occupying a small chip area, which are suitable for use in transconductor-C filters.

Electronic circuit comprising complementary transconductors for filters and oscillators


A process for producing beta-phase quinacridone by (a) reacting 2,5-dianilino-terephthalic acid with polyphosphoric acid in the presence of 2,5-dianisidino-terephthalic acid at a reaction temperature of at least 85xc2x0 C.; (b) diluting the reaction mixture with water; (c) drowning the diluted mixture in a water-miscible alkanol; (d) heating the slurry at a temperature of from 100 to 130xc2x0 C. at a pressure of 20 to 50 psi; and (e) recovering the beta-phase quinacridone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing substantially exclusively beta phase quinacridone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,405 discloses the synthesis of quinacridone by ring closure of 2,5-diarylamino-terephthalic acids with at least 105% orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4) as a dehydrating or ring closing agent. The reaction mixture is cooled, drowned in water or alcohol, and filtered to produce a finely divided pigment. Examples 1 to 13 of this U.S. Patent illustrate the ring closure of 2,5-dianilino-terephthalic acid, while Example 16 illustrates the ring closure of 2,5-panisidino-terephthalic acid. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,823.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,366 discloses that quinacridone and its derivatives can be produced in alpha, beta and gamma crystalline forms. However, it teaches that it is difficult to synthesize these compounds exclusively in a single crystalline form.
The beta and gamma forms of quinacridone are more stable than the alpha crystalline phase. Therefore, the prior art has sought methods to synthesize these pigments either entirely in one of the desired crystalline phases, or alternatively, through post-synthesis xe2x80x9cconditioningxe2x80x9d steps to convert crude quinacridone containing a mixture of crystalline phases to a single, desired, phase. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,630 discloses the production of beta-phase quinacridone by dissolving crude quinacridone in methylsulfonic acid and reprecipitating it by dilution with water. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,918 discloses producing beta-phase quinacridone by dissolving quinacridone in a mixture of an aromatic sulfonic acid and an organic solvent such as toluene, xylene and naphthalene, followed by precipitation into water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,539 discloses the conversion of crude 2,9-dimethoxyquinacridone to the beta-phase by dry milling the crude with sodium chloride and treating with glacial acetic acid, or by milling with sodium chloride in the presence of tetrachloroethylene, xylene or orthodichlorobenzene.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,044 discloses the production of beta-phase quinacridone by milling a linear quinacridone of random or unspecified phase in an inorganic salt and formic, acetic, acrylic or substituted acetic acid until the beta-phase crystal modification is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,399 discloses a process for producing gamma-phase quinacridone pigment by heating a mixture of dianilino-terephthalic acid containing 10 to 20 weight (wt. %) percent of di(ortho substituted)anilino-terephthalic acid above 70xc2x0 C. in polyphosphoric acid, and thereafter recovering the gamma quinacridone by adding water to the mixture. The ortho substituents include halogens, alkyl, alkoxy, halogenated alkyl, and tri-halogenated alkyl.
Herbst and Hunger, Industrial Organic Pigments 463 (2nd ed. 1997) teaches that under certain conditions, unsubstituted quinacridones and various substituted quinacridones mix with each other within the crystalline lattice to form solid solutions. These solid solution are different from both the physical admixture of such compounds and from the individual compounds themselves, often giving unexpected and unpredictable tinctorial results and/or pigmentary properties.
An object of the present invention is to economically produce a substantially pure form of beta-phase quinacridone, having an intense blue shade, by employing a minimum amount of polyphosphoric acid as the synthesis reagent.
It is a feature of this invention that the beta-phase quinacridone is produced by ring closure of 2,5-dianilino-terephthalic acid in the presence of a small amount of 2,5-panisidino-terephthalic acid (e.g. along with the polyphosphoric acid). It is an advantage of this invention that the amount of polyphosphoric acid employed is kept to a minimum and that the beta-quinacridone produced does not require a post-synthesis conditioning step. Relatively large amounts of polyphosphoric acid is disfavored as it must be disposed of after the synthesis.
In one aspect, the present invention is a process for producing beta-phase quinacridone, comprising
(i) reacting 1 part by weight of 2,5-dianilino-terephthalic acid with 2.5 to 7 parts by weight polyphosphoric acid, having an acid content of at least 100% measured as H3PO4, in the presence of 2,5-dianisidino-terephthalic acid at a reaction temperature of at least 85xc2x0 C. thereby producing a quinacridone reaction mixture;
(ii) diluting said reaction mixture with 0.05 to 1.0 parts by weight water, thereby producing a diluted mixture;
(iii) drowning said diluted mixture in a water-miscible C1-C6 alkanol thereby producing a slurry;
(iv) heating said slurry to a temperature of from about 100 to about 130xc2x0 C. at a pressure of from about 20 to about 50 pounds per square inch (psi); and
(v) recovering said beta-phase quinacridone product.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a quinacridone composition, wherein the quinacridone pigment is substantially pure in the beta-phase, containing from 1 to 20 wt. % 2,5-dianisidino-terephthalic acid, based on total weight of the composition, exhibiting an absorption band at 1213 cmxe2x88x921 (analyzed by dispersive infrared spectroscopy).

Process for the preparation of beta-phase quinacridone


A computing device, comprising: a computing module, comprising one or more computing units; and a control module, comprising a computing control unit, and used for controlling shutdown of the computing unit of the computing module according to a determining condition. Also provided is a computing method. The computing device and method have the advantages of low power consumption and high flexibility, and can be combined with the upgrading mode of software, thereby further increasing the computing speed, reducing the computing amount, and reducing the computing power consumption of an accelerator.

As the foundation of many current artificial intelligence applications, deep neural networks have been applied in various fields such as speech recognition, image processing, data analysis, advertisement recommendation system, and automated driving, which is considered as a breakthrough. Deep neural networks have thus gained a growing presence in many aspects of human life. However, the large quantity of operations performed by deep neural networks have always been a constraint for their development speed and further applications. When considering adopting an accelerator to improve the operation speed of a deep neural network, the numerous operations would inevitably cause great energy consumption and overhead, and similarly, constrain the further application of the accelerator.
In the aspect of hardware, current and conventional accelerator architectures primarily perform targeted acceleration designs by analyzing the most time-consuming operation part in an operation process. Taking a convolutional neural network as an instance, as shown in FIG. 1, a current and conventional accelerator architecture for inner product operations often adopts a "multiply-add" structure. In other words, the accelerator architecture may obtain a group of products through a group of multipliers in a clock cycle, then perform parallel accumulation to obtain a final result. However, this architecture may lack flexibility and may fail to further improve the operation speed, nor can it reduce the quantity of operations.

SHANGHAI CAMBRICON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Providing an isomerization process which can isomerize allenes to alkynes less expensively and stably is an assignment to be solved by the present invention and given thereto. The present invention is an isomerization process including the step of reacting an allene-lype hydrocarbon compound (R.sub.1 R.sub.2 C.dbd.C.dbd.CR.sub.3 R.sub.4) in the presence of alkaline-earth metal hydride working as an isomerization catalyst, thereby isomerizing the allene-type hydrocarbon compound to an alkyne-type hydrocarbon compound (R.sub.1 C.ident.C--CR.sub.2 R.sub.3 R.sub.4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for isomerizing allenes to alkynes.
2. Description of the Related Arts
As for a conventional process for isomerizing an acetylene-type compound to an allene-type compoun, there has been a disclosure, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 47-38,593, on a conventional isomerization process which is processed by using metallic ruthenium as a catalyst at room temperature in order to alternately isomerize the acetylene-type compound and the allene-type compound. Moreover, there has been another disclosure, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 4-225,987, on another conventional isoinerization process in which an allene-type hydrocarbon compound is isomerized to produce metallized 1-alkyne by using a mixture of alkylamine and alkali metal hydride as an isomerization catalyst in the presence of alkali metal.
It has been revealed recently that mixtures of allenes, such as CH.sub.2 .dbd.C.dbd.CH.sub.2, and alkynes, such as HC.ident.C--CH.sub.3, give copolymers (or reactive elastomers) by organometallic catalysts represented by Ni complexes. In the laboratory level synthesis, it is possible to obtain both allene and propyne in their pure forms, and to control the compositional ratios of the resultant copolymers by mixing them in arbitrary ratios. However, it is quite difficult to separate them in a large scale because their physical properties, such as a boiling point, are very close (see allene (bp. -32.degree. C.), propyne (bp. -23.degree. C.).).
The MAPP gas has been known, and is commercially available as a material supply source of allene/propyne. The MAPP gas contains allene in an amount of from 18 to 28% by weight, propyne in an amount of from 23 to 36% by weight, and propylene and butane in an amount of from 1 to 8% by weight. However, it is difficult to adjust the composition of the MAPP gas at a desired compositional ratio. Therefore, the conventional technique, in which the metallic ruthenium is used as a catalyst, is not proper industrially, because the isomerization reaction is carried out by utilizing the thermodynamic equilibrium. Accordingly, the isomerization reaction develops slow. Further, the publication does not set forth on how to control the isomerization reaction. Consequently, there arises a drawback in that the composition ratio cannot be selected. Furthermore, there is another problem in that the expensive metallic ruthenium is used as a catalyst.
When the allenes and alkynes are used as monomers for polymerization, it is essential to employ a step of drying the monomers. This is because the organometallic compounds, which are prepared from transition metals, are used as a catalyst. However, it is impossible to isomerize and dry the allenes and alkynes at the same time.
In the latter process, drying is not effective during the isomerization reaction. Moreover, when carrying out the allene/alkyne polymerization by using the resulting isomerized product, there arises a drawback in that the alkylamine contained in the isomerization catalyst poisons the polymerization catalysts.
It is an assignment to be solved by the present invention and given thereto to provide a process which can isomerize allenes to alkynes less expensively and stably.

Isomerization of allenes to alkynes with an alkaline-earth metal hydride containing catalyst


An object of this invention is to improve user friendliness of the box function. In a system having a storage means capable of storing data in a plurality of data storage boxes including first and second boxes, when the first job data transmitted without performing any predetermined operation by the user in the data generation apparatus is stored in the storage means, acceptance of a process request for the first job data from the first user via the first display associated with the first box on a user interface is permitted. When the second job data transmitted after performing the predetermined operation by the user is stored in the storage means, acceptance of a process request for the second job data from the first user via the first display associated with the first box on the user interface is permitted. In addition, acceptance of a process request for the second job data from the second user via the second display associated with the second box on the user interface is permitted.

There has conventionally been known a technique of temporarily storing, in the memory (e.g., hard disk) of a data processing apparatus (e.g., image forming apparatus), image data read by a scanner, or image data prepared by bitmapping PDL data sent from a host computer via a network. According to this technique, image data of an arbitrary document is repetitively read out from a memory and printed out.
Some image forming apparatuses of this type can connect a finisher having finishing functions such as stapling, punching, folding, and bookbinding functions.
There is also proposed an image forming apparatus in which the settings of the finishing functions, and job process conditions (e.g., double-sided printing) can be saved as job information together with input image data in the memory (e.g., hard disk) of the apparatus. The function of the data processing apparatus (e.g., image forming apparatus) is also called a box function. By using the box function, a plurality of storage areas (to be referred to as "boxes" hereinafter) can be so assigned as to be used for each user or each department. There is also proposed a method of designating an arbitrary box by the user and printing image data desired by the user under process conditions desired by the user (see, e.g., patent reference 1).
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-146115

Data processing method, image forming apparatus and computer-readable storage medium for storing data in a plurality of boxes assigned as storage areas


The present invention provides an echo reduction apparatus, system, and method that advantageously reduces echo when communicating over packet-switched networks. An echo reduction apparatus, including echo reduction circuit, operably couples a headset or handset device to an audio source that is capable of transmitting a sound signal. The echo reduction circuit receives the sound signal from the audio source and a transmit signal from the headset or handset device and provides an adjusted sound signal to the audio source. Advantageously, a variety of headsets and handsets may be used in accordance with the present invention with reduced caller echo and without the need to purchase new headsets or handsets.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an apparatus, system, and method for improved telephony and, more particularly, to an apparatus, system, and method for reducing or eliminating echo when communicating over packet-switched telephone connections.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital circuit switches have traditionally been used to route voice traffic and low-throughput data traffic but advances in electronics have made packet-switched digital connections, such as Voice over Internet Protocol, increasingly cost-effective.
Circuit switches traditionally provided a physical, dedicated path, called a time slot, for a call when it went through the switching matrix. Because this path was dedicated to the call, no other callers could use the selected switch path until the call ended. This concept of a dedicated path guaranteed high-quality, almost error-free transmission for the call.
Packet switches, in contrast, do not use dedicated paths, but evolved in the 1970s to handle the variable bit rates of data transmission bursts. Packet switches take a user's data stream, break it down into smaller segments, called packets, add network control information, and then transmit the packets through the network in bursts. When a burst of data comes in, switching resources are assigned for that burst, with the resources being shared on an as-needed, first-come, first-served basis. At the end of the burst of data, the resources are available for the next burst of data.
The steady rise in signal processing power, memory capacity, operating speed, and error correction has allowed packet-switched networks to handle the real-time demands of voice traffic. With the huge increase of Internet users and data transmissions over communication networks in the past several years, telecommunication companies and Internet providers are moving to route both voice and data traffic, as well as Internet traffic, over packet-switched networks.
A disadvantage of packet-switched networks has been that the amount of real-time processing required to control the packets has been enormous. Accordingly, the real-time processing has introduced a certain amount of delay in moving a packet through the network. Thus, packet-switched connections necessarily add a perceptible amount of delay to signal transmission, while traditional circuit-switched connections do not create perceptible delay since a path remains fixed once a call is set up. This delay makes objectionable even a small amount of coupling of the received voice signal into the transmitted signal, which causes a caller to hear an echo of his/her own voice. Most callers find such an echo, even one that is not loud, to be distracting and annoying.
Telephone headsets commonly couple more of the received signal into the transmitted signal than is optimal for modern, packet-switched connections. Similarly, many handsets in use today were not designed with the requirements of packet-switched telephony in mind, and therefore couple more of the received signal into the transmitted signal than is optimal.
Different methods have been used to reduce echo associated with telephones. One method has been to change the mechanical and acoustic characteristics of the headset to reduce coupling between the receive signal and the transmit signal. Disadvantageously, this method requires compromising other desirable characteristics of the headset, such as wearing comfort, weight, small size, and low cost. Furthermore, this method requires the owner of an existing headset to purchase a new one.
A second method has been to suppress undesired echoes using equipment or software within the telephone network between the telephones in use. This method has included either digital hardware or digital signal processing software built into the network equipment to help solve the fundamental delay problems for stream voice, video, or raw data. Unfortunately, network echo reduction equipment is commonly optimized for handling echoes that originate within the network, whose characteristics remain relatively constant for the duration of a single call. However, the undesired signal coupling in a headset or handset can vary rapidly during a call, since small movements of the user can affect the coupling. This rapid variation greatly reduces the effectiveness of network echo reduction equipment. Accordingly, such network equipment cannot accommodate the complex characteristics of the adjuncts connected to the user side of these gateways or packet-switched networks.
A third method has been to suppress undesired echoes using equipment designed into the telephone itself. However, many phones in use today lack such means to reduce the echo caused by undesired coupling. Furthermore, when the user attempts to use a telephone headset or a telephone handset which is different from that provided with the telephone originally, the caller can hear undesirable echo.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus, system, and method that allows for a reduction in echo when using a variety of headsets and handsets in conjunction with packet-switched networks without having to purchase new headsets or handsets.
The present invention provides echo reduction circuit between a headset or handset device and an audio source to advantageously reduce or suppress caller echo associated with packet-switched networks.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an echo reduction apparatus is provided, comprising a first connection interface capable of operably coupling a headset or handset device to the echo reduction apparatus, a second connection interface capable of operably coupling an external audio source to the echo reduction apparatus, and an echo reduction circuit operably coupled to the first and second connection interfaces. The echo reduction circuit is capable of receiving a sound signal from the audio source, comparing the sound signal from the audio source to a sound signal from the headset or handset device, and providing an adjusted sound signal to the audio source.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an echo reduction system is provided, comprising an audio source that is capable of transmitting a sound signal, a headset or handset device operably coupled to the audio source, wherein the headset or handset device is capable of transmitting a sound signal, and an echo reduction apparatus operably coupled between the audio source and the headset or handset device.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of reducing echo is provided, comprising providing an echo reduction circuit operably coupled between a headset or handset device and an audio source, transmitting a sound signal from the audio source to the echo reduction circuit, comparing the sound signal from the audio source to a sound signal from the headset or handset device, adjusting the sound signal from the headset or handset device as necessary, and transmitting the adjusted sound signal to the audio source.
Advantageously, the present invention allows for a reduction in echo when using headsets and handsets that do not meet the stringent receive-transmit coupling requirements of packet-switched telephony.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments set forth below taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.