A system and method for detecting at least one target of interest using at least two conformal filters in a dual polarization configuration. A plurality of interacted photons are collected from a sample comprising at least one analyte of interest. The plurality of interacted photons are separated into at least a first and second optical component. The first optical component is passed through a first conformal filter and the second optical component is passed through a second conformal filter. A Data set corresponding to each filtered optical component is generated and an optical computation is applied to assess at least one characteristic of the analyte.

Spectroscopic imaging combines digital imaging and optical spectroscopy techniques, which can include Raman scattering, fluorescence, photoluminescence, laser induced breakdown, ultraviolet, visible and infrared absorption spectroscopies. When applied to the chemical analysis of materials, spectroscopic imaging is also referred to as hyperspectral imaging or chemical imaging. Instruments for performing spectroscopic (i.e. chemical) imaging typically comprise an illumination source, image gathering optics, focal plane array (FPA) imaging detectors and imaging spectrometers.
In general, the size or accessibility of a sample determines the choice of image gathering optic. For example, a microscope is typically employed for the analysis of sub-micron to millimeter spatial dimension samples. For larger objects, in the range of millimeter to meter dimensions, macro lens optics are appropriate. For samples located within relatively inaccessible environments, flexible fiberscope or rigid borescopes can be employed. For very large scale objects, such as planetary objects, or for objects located at a significant stand-off distance from a sensor, telescopes are appropriate image gathering optics.
Two-dimensional, imaging FPA detectors are typically employed to detect images formed by the various optical systems. The choice of FPA detector is governed by the spectroscopic technique employed to characterize the sample of interest. For example, silicon (Si) charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) detectors are typically employed with visible wavelength fluorescence and Raman spectroscopic imaging systems, while indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) FPA detectors are typically employed with near infrared spectroscopic imaging systems.
Conventional spectroscopic devices operate over a limited range of wavelengths due to the operation ranges of the detectors or imaging spectrometers possible. This enables analysis in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short wave infrared (SWIR), mid infrared (MIR), and long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths, as well as some overlapping ranges. These correspond to wavelengths of about 180-380 nm (UV), about 380-700 nm (VIS), about 700-2500 nm (NIR), about 850-1700 nm (SWIR), about 700-1700 (VIS-NIR), about 2500-5000 nm (MIR), and about 5000-25000 (LWIR).
Spectroscopic imaging of a sample is commonly implemented by one of two methods. First, point-source illumination can be used on a sample to measure the spectra at each point of the illuminated area. Second, spectra can be collected over the entire area encompassing a sample simultaneously using an electronically tunable optical imaging filter such as an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF), a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF), or a multi-conjugate tunable filter (MCF, which is a type of LCTF). Here, the organic material in such optical filters is actively aligned by applied voltages to produce the desired bandpass and transmission function. In hyperspectral imaging (HSI), the spectra obtained for each pixel of an image forms a complex data set referred to as a hyperspectral image. Hyperspectral images may contain the intensity values at numerous wavelengths or the wavelength dependence of each pixel element in the image. Multivariate routines, such as chemometric techniques, may be used to convert spectra to classifications.
A LCTF uses birefringent retarders to distribute the light energy of an input light signal over a range of polarization states. The polarization state of light emerging at the output of the LCTF is caused to vary as a function of wavelength due to differential retardation of orthogonal components of the light, contributed by the birefringent retarders. The LCTF discriminates for wavelength-specific polarization using a polarizing filter at the output. The polarizing filter passes the light components in the output that are rotationally aligned to the polarizing filter. The LCTF is tuned by adjusting the birefringence of the retarders so that a specific discrimination wavelength emerges in a plane polarized state, aligned to the output polarizing filter. Other wavelengths that emerge in other polarization states and/or alignments are attenuated.
A highly discriminating spectral filter is possible using a sequence of several birefringent retarders. The thicknesses, birefringences, and relative rotation angles of the retarders are chosen to correspond to the discrimination wavelength. More specifically, the input light signal to the filter becomes separated into orthogonal vector components, parallel to the respective ordinary and extraordinary axes of each birefringent retarder when encountered along the light transmission path through the filter. These separated vector components are differentially retarded due to the birefringence; such differential retardation also amounts to a change in their polarization state. For a plane polarized component at the input to the filter, having a specific rotational alignment at the input to the filter and at specific discrimination wavelengths, the light components that have been divided and subdivided all emerge from the filter in the same polarization state and alignment, namely plane polarized and in alignment with the selection polarizer (i.e., the polarizing filter) at the output.
A filter as described is sometimes termed a birefringent interference filter because the components that have been divided and subdivided from the input and interfere positively at the output selection polarizer are the components that are passed. Such filters also are sometimes described with respect to a rotational twist in the plane polarization alignment of the discriminated component between the input and the selection polarizer at the output.
There are several known configurations of spectral filters comprising birefringent retarders, such as the Lyot, Solc and Evans types. Such filters can be constructed with fixed (non-tunable) birefringent crystals for the retarders. A filter with retarders that are tuned in unison permits adjustment of the bandpass wavelength. Tunable retarders can comprise liquid crystals or composite retarder elements each comprising a fixed crystal and an optically aligned liquid crystal.
The thicknesses, birefringences, and rotation angles of the retarders are coordinated such that each retarder contributes part of the necessary change in polarization state to alter the polarization state of the passband wavelength from an input reference angle to an output reference angle. The input reference angle may be, for example, 45° to the ordinary and extraordinary axes of a first retarder in the filter. The output reference angle is the rotational alignment of the polarizing filter (or selection polarizer).
A spectral filter may have a comb-shaped transmission characteristic. Increasing or decreasing the birefringence when tuning to select the discrimination wavelength (or passband), stretches or compresses the comb shape of the transmission characteristic along the wavelength coordinate axis.
If the input light is randomly polarized, the portion that is spectrally filtered is limited to the vector components of the input wavelengths that are parallel to one of the two orthogonal polarization components that are present. Only light at the specific wavelength, and at a given reference polarization alignment at the input, can emerge with a polarization angle aligned to the rotational alignment of the selection polarizer at the output. The light energy that is orthogonal to the reference alignment at the input, including light at the passband wavelength, is substantially blocked.
A LCTF thus passes only one of two orthogonal components of input light. The transmission ratio in the passband is at a maximum for incident light at the input to the LCTF that is aligned to a reference angle of the LCTF. Transmission is at minimum for incident light energy at the input is orthogonal to that reference angle. If the input light in the passband is randomly polarized, the best possible transmission ratio in the passband is fifty percent. It is therefore desirable to devise a system and method wherein both orthogonal components of the input light are allowed to transmit through the tunable filter, thereby effectively doubling the throughput at the filter output.
Even using a dual polarization approach, each LCTF is limited to single bandpass, low throughput operation. Therefore, multiple, discrete bandpass measurements are required for analyte discrimination. The need for multiple measurements increases the overall measurement time.
Multivariate Optical Computing (MOC) is an approach which utilizes a compressive sensing device (e.g. an optical computer) to analyze spectroscopic data as it is collected. Other approaches utilize hard coated optical computing filters such as Multivariate Optical Elements (MOEs). MOEs are application-specific optical thin film filters that are used in transmission and reflectance modes. Thin film filters are interference filters with very thin structured layers of different materials with thicknesses on the order of the wavelengths of visible light (for example, 500 nm). Layers at this scale can have remarkable reflective properties due to the light wave interference and the difference in refractive index between the layers, the air, and the substrate. These effects alter the way the optic reflects and transmits light, an effect known as thin film interference. In manufacturing, thin film layers can be achieved through the deposition of one or more thin layers of material onto a substrate. This can be done using a physical vapor deposition process, such as evaporation or sputter deposition, or a chemical process such as chemical vapor deposition. The radiometric response of a MOE-based instrument is proportional to the intended analyte in an associated matrix.
Compressive sensing is the process in which a fully resolved waveform or image is reconstructed from a small set of sparse measurements. A sparse sample implies a waveform or image data set with coefficients close to or equal to zero. Compressive sensing utilizes the redundancy in information across the sampled signal similar to lossy compression algorithms utilized for digital data storage. A fully expanded data set may be created through the solution of an undetermined linear system, an equation where the compressive measurements collected are smaller than the size of the original waveform or image. Compressive measurements can ultimately lead to expedited HSI data collections while still preserving most of the original spectroscopic and spatial information.
While compressive sensing holds potential for decreasing measurement time, the use of MOEs have limitations. For example, MOEs are fixed and lack flexibility for adapting to different analytes. There exists a need for an adaptable filter that can be used to detect a wide variety of analytes while reducing overall measurement time. It would be beneficial if a plurality of such filters could be arranged in a dual polarization configuration to further increase speed of analysis and also provide for assessing multiple analytes simultaneously.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for assessing analytes using conformal filters and dual polarization


A control facility that allows a non-programmer to use and manipulate replicated data without disrupting replication of the data itself. The control facility can be used and customized for a variety of software applications and storage platforms. These customized control facilities can enable a system administrator without application- or storage system-specific knowledge to perform off-host processing of the replicated data, such as taking snapshots of the data and running Decision Support System reports.

Information drives business. A disaster affecting a data center can cause days or even weeks of unplanned downtime and data loss that could threaten an organization's productivity. For businesses that increasingly depend on data and information for their day-to-day operations, this unplanned downtime can also hurt their reputations and bottom lines. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of these costs and are taking measures to plan for and recover from disasters.
Two areas of concern when a failure occurs, as well as during the subsequent recovery, are preventing data loss and maintaining data consistency between primary and secondary storage areas. One simple strategy includes backing up data onto a storage medium such as a tape, with copies stored in an offsite vault. Duplicate copies of backup tapes may be stored onsite and offsite.
In many situations, disaster recovery requires the ability to move a software application and associated data to an alternate site for an extended period, or even permanently, as a result of an event, such as a fire that destroys a site. For these more complicated situations, strategies and products to reduce or eliminate the threat of data loss and minimize downtime in the face of a site-wide disaster are becoming increasingly available.
Replication products exist that replicate data in real time to a disaster-safe location. To accommodate the variety of business needs, these replication products should include facilities for remote mirroring of data and replicating data over a wide area or distributed network such as the Internet. Furthermore, different types of storage require different replication methods. Replication products are available for a variety of storage solutions, such as database replication products and file system replication products.
Even more complex problems arise when system administrators need to create and manage multiple copies of business-critical information across the enterprise. The ability to replicate data to remote sites is crucial for disaster recovery and the return of a distributed system to service. Although various database management systems provide some remote replication or backup facilities, a more general service is needed to replicate, for example, database metadata and non-database data, in addition to the database contents. Further exacerbating the problem, each type of storage system usually requires familiarity with specific programming languages or commands to perform backup activities, a skill not often possessed by system administrators.
What is needed is a facility that allows a non-programmer to use and manipulate replicated data without disrupting the data replication process. The facility should be useful for a variety of software applications and storage platforms and not require application- or storage system-specific knowledge in order to perform processing of the replicated data. Preferably, the facility should be easy to use and enable the user to perform multiple processing tasks.

Control facility for processing in-band control messages during data replication

Abstract: In response to a single user command during replication of data from a primary node to a secondary node, the following steps are performed: obtaining a control message from the primary node, wherein the control message is associated with a control command for execution on the secondary node; and automatically executing the control command on the secondary node.


A method and system of remotely monitoring and controlling machines and business office devices such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines. Outgoing messages, such as Internet e-mail messages containing information describing the business office device are monitored by a security center. The security center either receives an unencrypted form of the message, or alternatively receives an encrypted form of the message. If the message is encrypted, it will be necessary for the security center to first decrypt the message. The contents of the message are monitored by the security center to assure that only authorized information is transmitted from an authorized business office device, over the Internet, to a data center which monitors the status of and/or controls the business office device. A log of messages passing through a firewall to the Internet is maintained and compared with messages received by the security center to assure that only messages which have been received by the security center and checked are transmitted through the firewall over the Internet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the remote monitoring, diagnosis and control of machines using connection and connectionless modes of communication and is more particularly related to monitoring, the control and diagnosis of business office machines such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines.
The invention is further related to assuring that outgoing connectionless communications are authorized and secure.
2. Discussion of the Background
U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,779 discloses the controlling of business office devices by a remote diagnostic station. However, the method of communication in this system and other known systems for controlling machines such as business office machines is to establish a connection between the machine and the diagnostic station and to use a connection-mode of communication.
The use of a dedicated communication connection between the machine and diagnostic station is more expensive as compared to the use of the Internet. On the other hand, the Internet has disadvantages in that some forms of communication over the Internet are slow and may be delayed, and have a problem in that the Internet is not a secure mode of transmission (i.e., communications may be monitored by others). In addition, the connection-mode access to an installed machine from the Internet may not be possible because of a security block by a firewall. However, even with the delays of a connectionless-mode of communication over the Internet, the inventor has found that the Internet can still provide a suitable medium for communication for some applications.

Method and system for diagnosis and control of machines using connectionless modes of communication


The invention provides a system and a method for accurately repositioning an imaging device in order to acquire or project a new image of a scene of interest. Accurate repositioning of an imaging device is necessary for generating or displaying high quality time-lapse image sequences for a variety of applications.

Time-lapse images are used in a variety of applications including determining seed-lot growth rates, analyzing mechanical wear or corrosion, generating calibration signatures for oil exploration, and generating special effects for the advertising and motion picture industries.
High-quality time-lapse image sequences generation requires accurate repositioning of an imaging device relative to the subject of interest. Current techniques for repositioning imaging devices require complex and expensive hardware.
Mathematical formulae for extracting the pose (camera center and orientation relative to the scene of interest) of an imaging device are known. Multiple View Geometry In Computer Vision by Richard Hartley and Andrew Zisserman, Cambridge University Press 2000 presents a full treatment of the required math. Similar mathematical techniques are used for blending images into panoramas or steadying an image subject to camera jitter.
Current approaches for time lapse imagery, however, require highly accurate coordinate measurement devices to determine camera location relative to target. Photogrammetry techniques have been used to account for changes in position as between two images, machine vision has been used to periodically locate an image capture device but requires dedicated hardware not easily adapted to other applications (U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,984). Real time image warping has been used to correct for camera inaccuracies in camera position, yet this solution is not useful for images taken at different times (U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,961). Image alignment techniques do not address acquisition or alignment of future images (U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,087).
What is needed is a low cost, easy to use system for generating and displaying high quality time-lapse sequences. Also needed is a time-lapse image generation system that is adaptable to various imaging applications.

System for accurately repositioning imaging devices


A transparent edge Routing Bridge (RBridge) including a first communication unit configured to receive a data packet from an access segment of a network, the data packet including an egress device nickname and at least one Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag, a TRansparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header constructing unit configured to construct a TRILL header based on the VLAN tag, and a second communication unit that transmits the data packet, including the TRILL header, to an egress device corresponding to the egress device nickname via a TRILL compliant interconnection layer.

1. Field
The current disclosure relates to computer networking, including, without limitation, computer networking devices configured to operate in Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) compliant networks.
2. Background
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
TRILL is a standardized protocol to perform bridging using IS-IS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System) link state routing. An RBridge (Routing Bridge) is a device that implements TRILL and is also known as a "Trill Switch". An RBridge that is attached to an endnode is called an "edge RBridge". An RBridge that exclusively forwards encapsulated frames is known as a "transit RBridge". Conventionally, an ingress edge RBridge encapsulates a native Ethernet packet with a TRILL header, and an egress edge RBridge receives a TRILL-encapsulated packet and removes the TRILL header. To encapsulate, received packets a conventional ingress edge RBridge keeps an "endnode table" also known as a "forwarding table" that includes (Media Access Control (MAC) address, TRILL egress switch nickname) pairs, for those MAC addresses currently communicating with endnodes to which the ingress edge RBridge is attached.
If the ingress edge RBridge has many attached endnodes, the endnode table becomes extremely large. Also, if one of the MAC addresses in the table has moved to a different egress edge RBridge, it is difficult for the ingress edge RBridge to quickly notice movement. As a result traffic will get lost because the ingress edge RBridge tunnels to the incorrect egress edge RBridge.


The present application discloses a technique for targeting therapeutic thermal energy to human tissue that is subject to displacement during a respiratory cycle using ARMA modeling. It discloses using an ARMA treatment of MRI tracking data of salient features of the tissue of interest to predict the spacial position of the portion of the tissue to be treated and using this prediction to guide the application of the thermal energy. It also discloses that this technique is particularly useful when the tissue of interest undergoes elastic deformation in a respiratory cycle and high energy focused ultrasound (HIFU) is used to ablate diseased tissue such as a cancerous tumor.

The invention relates generally to a method of tracking the motion of the elements of a human tissue which is deformed during a respiratory cycle using ARMA modeling and using this tracking to target therapeutic thermal energy on a diseased portion of the tissue through multiple respiratory cycles. The thermal treatment, particularly the thermal ablation, of lesions, tumors or other diseased tissue has been practiced for some time. More recently high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used to reach internal tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to locate the appropriate focal point for the HIFU. In such applications MRI has been used to create thermal maps so that the effect of the application of the HIFU can be tracked and adjusted in real time with the aim that the diseased tissue is ablated while the healthy surrounding tissue is not adversely affected. A difficulty has arisen in applying this technique to tissue that is subject to displacement and elastic deformation during a respiratory cycle. One approach has been to gate the application of thermal energy such as HIFU so that it is only applied at a particular point in the respiratory cycle and assume that a given element of a tissue of a quiescent subject will return to the same location at a given point in the respiratory cycle. Another approach has been to track the portion of a tissue that is the object of thermal treatment in real time as the thermal energy is being applied. However, this requires frequent cycling of the MR apparatus between mapping the location of the portion of the tissue under treatment and thermal mapping to monitor the result of applying the thermal energy. Both of these approaches cause a significant lengthening of the time of treatment because for significant periods during the overall treatment thermal energy may not be appropriately applied. One needs to await a given window in the respiratory cycle or the availability of the MR apparatus for thermal mapping.
Yet another approach has been to develop a mathematical model, which predicts the locations of the elements of a given tissue subject to displacement during respiration so that the location of an element that is the target of thermal treatment can be predicted throughout a respiratory cycle. The model is developed by observation of the tissue of interest through multiple respiratory cycles. However, these models have been developed using a harmonic motion approach. Such models do not have adequate predictive power for tissues that undergo elastic deformation through a respiratory cycle and do not deal with changes in the elastic properties of the element of a tissue undergoing treatment. For instance a lesion being subjected to thermal ablation typically becomes stiffer and thus exhibits changes in its elastic behavior as treatment progresses.

Targeted thermal treatment of human tissue through respiratory cycles using ARMA modeling


A system and method for utilizing otherwise unused space on cover or partition sheets printed in response to a print command, which sheets otherwise typically become waste paper, by printing on such sheets additional information not directly related to the print job but of interest to the user, such as coupons, or other promotional material, or other information such as lottery material.

Many types of image forming devices print sheets that are in addition to the normal print jobs. For example, a network printer can be arranged to automatically print a cover or partition sheets that contain information such as the identity of the print job, the time, the name of the user who sent the print job, etc. Similar arrangement can be set up for printers that are not shared, or for other image forming devices, such as multi-function office machines, copiers, fax machines, etc. Such additional sheets typically become waste paper once they have served their immediate purpose, such as helping a user find a particular print job or other image forming job.

Utilizing otherwise unused space on cover or partition sheets


A computer network has plural computer systems, plural printers and a server. Each computer system has an application program for generating print data for the printers. The server has a workflow management program which (1) monitors and controls the flow of jobs computer systems send the printer and (2) a computer model representing the current system state. In response to a network event occurring, e.g., a hardware failure or a new print job, the program makes plural computer model copies and makes each copy perform an alternative event management operation. The program generates a set of prediction data from each computer model copy. Each set of prediction data represents a predicted future network state in response to each event management operation. A preferred event management operation is selected by comparing each generated set of prediction data with a reference set of prediction data.

The flow of data in a computer system is a complex process which requires data management. For example, a computer network comprising a plurality of computer devices will have to deal with a large number of data transfer operations over a given period of time. Taking the specific example of a computer network comprising a plurality of computer systems and a plurality of print devices (often referred to as "printers"), each computer system will usually send a large number of "print jobs" over the network to one or more of the print devices.
Data flow management may have to take account of scheduled data transfer operations. Taking the above example of the computer network having a plurality of print devices, it is common in business and commercial environments for print jobs to be sent to one or more print devices in accordance with a time-based schedule. For example, a customer may specify that a print job should be completed, at the latest, by a particular time on a particular date. Accordingly, the print job will be incorporated in a schedule of print jobs, the data flow management method aiming to ensure that each print job will be processed before, or generally about, the time specified by the customer. Conventionally, scheduling management methods are either performed manually, or utilise traditional job-shop scheduling algorithms, such as "greedy scheduling", "simulated annealing" and so on. Such conventional methods are over-simplistic, usually inaccurate (in the case of manual scheduling, a human will not be able to schedule complex jobs over an extended period), and do not cater for complex "what if scenarios", for example, "what if a new event occurs on the system, such as a hardware failure?"

Method of managing workflow in a computer-based system

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A mixture of rare earth elements, in which La is comprised from 75 to 90 wt % of rare earth elements, with the balance being Ce, Nd, Pr and other rare earth elements (the mixture being referred to as a highly lanthanum-rich misch metal, and is hereinafter designated Lm), is used to produce a hydrogen absorbing alloy having a composition represented by LmNi.sub.x-A-B Co.sub.A Al.sub.B, Lm.sub.1-x Zr.sub.x Ni.sub.Y-A-B Co.sub.A Al.sub.B, or Lm.sub.1-x Zr.sub.x Ni.sub.Y-A-B-C Co.sub.A Mn.sub.B Al.sub.C. By using these hydrogen absorbing alloys as negative electrode materials, nickel metal hydride secondary batteries can be fabricated that have a large discharge capacity and that also have excellent cycle life and high rate discharge characteristics. Such electrode characteristics that are balanced between the aspects of discharge capacity and cycle life have heretofore been unattainable by either La alone or a misch metal having a relatively low La content or a conventional lanthanum-rich misch metal. The newly developed alloys will not deteriorate in characteristics even if they are stored under adverse conditions for a prolonged time and hence are capable of supplying batteries having consistent quality. The starting material Lm for these alloys is relatively inexpensive and it contains reasonable amounts of Ce, Nd and Pr which are effective in extending the cycle life. This permits the adoption of alloy compositions in which expensive Co is used in a smaller amount. Hence, the alloys have high practical value for use as inexpensive hydrogen absorbing electrode materials.

This invention relates to a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery using a hydrogen absorbing alloy as the negative electrode material and a nickel oxide as the positive electrode material. More particularly, this invention relates to a hydrogen absorbing electrode for use in nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries that has a large charge-discharge capacity, that experiences only small deterioration in characteristics during prolonged repetition of charge and discharge cycles, and that withstands discharge at large current with a smaller drop in discharge capacity.
As a promising candidate for a high energy density storage battery, a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery has been proposed and intensive efforts are being made to develop commercial products. This battery uses a hydrogen absorbing alloy as the negative electrode material, which absorbs and desorbs hydrogen reversibly, and the absorbed hydrogen is used as an active material. The ideal hydrogen absorbing alloy for use in this nickel-metal hydride secondary battery should satisfy the following requirements:
(1) a large amount of available hydrogen should be absorbed/desorbed; (2) the hydrogen dissociation pressure at equilibrium (or the hydrogen equlibrium pressure) should be in the range of from 10.sup.-3 to a few atmospheres at operating temperatures of a battery (-20.degree. to 60.degree. C/);
(3) it should have high resistance to the corrosive action of concentrated alkaline electrolytes;
(4) the pulverization rate due to repeated charge and discharge should be low;
(5) it should not experience compositional changes due to such factors as the dissolution of certain elements during repeated electrode reaction;
(6) the hydrogen diffusion rate should be high enough to cause a small reaction resistance (overpotential);
(7) it should not experience deterioration in characteristics during prolonged storage in the air atmosphere; and
(8) it should be inexpensive.
Among the conventionally known inexpensive materials that contain rare earth elements is misch metal (which is hereinafter sometimes designated Mm for differentiation from Lm of the present invention in terms of the composition of rare earth elements). Misch metal is a mixture of rare earth elements and usually comprise 25-35 wt % La, 45-55 wt % Ce and 10-15 wt % Nd. Since Ce assumes a large proportion of the rare earth element content, a hydrogen absorbing alloy prepared from Mm has a high hydrogen equilibrium pressure. In order to reduce the hydrogen pressure to less than about one atmosphere in the operating temperature range of batteries, part of Ni must be replaced by Co, Mn, or Al (the respective cases are hereunder referred to simply as Co substitution, Mn substitution, and Al substitution). In hydrogen absorbing alloys of the MmNiCoAl system, the absorption of available hydrogen usually decreases with the increasing amount of Co substitution, and batteries using such alloy have a correspondingly smaller discharge capacity, but exhibit a longer cycle life. Hence, it is advisable to minimize the amount of Co substitution within a range where satisfactory cycle life characteristics are maintained. It has been verified experimentally that the minimum and necessary amount of Co substitution for obtaining good cycle life characteristics is 0.6 to 0.7. Further, it has recently been found that alloys having a lesser Co substitution but an increased Ni content have satisfactory quick discharge characteristics.
Aluminum is effective for improving the cycle life characteristics of a battery. It has recently become clear that Al dissolves into alkali electrolytes. Although the exact mechanism for life extension by Al is not known, it would form compounds such as potassium aluminate and act in a way to retard the oxidation of the alloy. However, excessive Al substitution will act in a way to increase the reaction resistance of the electrode, whereby the overpotential is increased to deteriorate the high rate discharge characteristics and the discharge characteristics at low temperatures. Hence, in order to obtain hydrogen absorbing alloys of the MmNiCoAl system that exhibit good electrode characteristics, the Al substitution must also be reduced to the minimum necessary level This approach has been adopted in the development of the alloy MmNi.sub.3.5 Co.sub.0.7 Al.sub.0.8 which, as will be described hereinafter, provides an initial discharge capacity of 254 mAh/g, as well as excellent cycle life characteristics; however, the high rate discharge characteristics of this alloy are not necessary satisfactory. In short, when using Ce-rich Mm as a starting material for hydrogen absorbing alloys, a considerable amount of Al substitution is necessary to lower the hydrogen equilibrium pressure and this has presented difficulty in preparing alloys that are satisfactory in all aspects of discharge capacity, cycle life characteristics, high rate discharge characteristics, and low-temperature discharge characteristics.
In an attempt to make improvements on MmNiCoAl alloys having a comparatively small discharge capacity, MmNiCoMnAl alloys having part of Ni replaced by Mn have been recently proposed. The Mn substitution is effective for the purpose of increasing the discharge capacity of a battery but recently reported phenomenon in which Mn present in the neighborhood of the surface of alloy particles dissolves into the electrolyte upon repeated charge and discharge cycles has revealed the possibility that Mn substitution shortens the cycle life of the battery. Hence, if one effects Mn substitution, he also has to take a measure for preventing the deterioration of cycle life characteristics by inhibiting the dissolution of Mn into the electrolyte. However, no effective method for achieving this has yet been discovered.
Further, MmNiCoAl alloys in which Mm has high Ce content have had the problem of deterioration during storage since they contain easily oxidizable Ce. In the process of producing electrodes, the hydrogen absorbing alloy can sometimes be left in powder form for a prolonged time for several reasons such as the need for stockpiling for process levelling and the occurrence of problems in the production equipment. Care must be taken to insure that no changes will occur in the electrode characteristics of the alloy even in those cases, but alloys using Mm will experience a drop in initial discharge capacity, particularly when they are stored under hot and humid conditions for a prolonged time. This is due to the oxidation of the alloys. While there are several methods that can be used to avoid this problem, the most important thing is to prepare alloys that can be left to stand for a prolonged time without deterioration in their characteristics. However, in the case of Mm-using alloys which have a high content of Ce that is inherently prone to oxidation, the efforts to improve the storage characteristics of alloys have been limited even if they have good cycle life characteristics.
As described above, using Ce-rich and inexpensive Mm as a starting material for producing hydrogen absorbing alloys has involved various problems in association with each of the cases of Co-, Al- and Mn-substitution and it has been difficult to design alloys taking into account all factors of battery performance including discharge capacity, cycle life characteristics, high rate discharge characteristics, low-temperature discharge characteristics and long-term storage characteristics.

Hydrogen absorbing electrode for use in nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries


Isolated nucleic acids encoding human SCN1A polypeptides, recombinantly expressed and isolated human SCN1A polypeptides, heterologous expression systems for recombinant expression of human SCN1A polypeptides, assay methods employing the same, and methods and compositions for modulation of sodium channel function.

Voltage-sensitive ion channels are a class of transmembrane proteins that provide a basis for cellular excitability and the ability to transmit information via ion-generated membrane potentials. In response to changes in membrane potentials, these molecules mediate rapid ion flux through selective channels in a cell membrane. If channel density is high enough, a regenerative depolarization results, which is called an action potential.
The voltage-gated sodium channel is responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials in most electrically excitable cells, including neurons, heart cells, and muscle. Electrical activity is triggered by depolarization of the membrane, which opens channels through the membrane that are highly selective for sodium ions. Ions are then driven intracellularly through open channels by an electrochemical gradient. Although sodium-based action potentials in different tissues are similar, electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that multiple structurally and functionally distinct sodium channels exist, and numerous genes encoding sodium channels have been cloned. The SCN1A gene belongs to a gene family of voltage-gated sodium channels.
There is a long standing need to diagnose and/or treat pathologies relating to impaired electrical excitability involving sodium channel dysfunction resulting from injury, genetic abnormalities, or disease states. In particular, sodium channel dysfunction is associated with epilepsy, convulsion, pain (including chronic pain), neuronal damage resulting from ischemia, and neuronal degeneration.
To address this need, the present invention provides in one embodiment a method for identifying molecules that specifically bind to a sodium channel and/or regulate sodium channel activity. The method employs a system for heterologous expression of a human sodium channel as disclosed herein.

Expression system for human brain-specific voltage-gated sodium channel, type 1


Module interrogation techniques are described in which modules configured to rely upon one or more operating system features are interrogated to determine which features are used and by which modules. A module is loaded that is configured to interact with a plurality of features provided by an operating system. Using one or more redirection techniques, calls made by the module to access features of the operating system are redirected to alternate functionality. Based on the redirection, data is generated to indicate the features of the operating system that are used by the module. The techniques may be performed for each of a plurality of modules to populate a database that relates features of the operating system to the plurality of modules.

An operating system may provide a variety of features (e.g., tools, functions, interfaces, services, and so forth) which modules (e.g., application modules, plug-ins, drivers, extensibility modules, and so on) developed by third-party developers may utilize to take advantage of the operating system. Thus, when a developer makes changes to a feature of the operating system, the changes may affect various third-party modules that have been developed to utilize the feature. For example, when changes are made to one or more features of a print subsystem, the changes may affect a plurality of printer drivers that rely upon the one or more features. However, the developer may not know exactly which printer drivers use the one or more features. Due to the number of different third-party printer drivers that may be supported by the operating system, it may difficult to determine which features are relied upon by each printer driver.
One traditional technique used to determine features of an operating involves individually running and testing each module. In the case of printer drivers, a test print job may be sent to each printer driver to capture calls that are made from the drivers to features available from the operating system. However, testing a large number of printer drivers with a test print job may take considerable time. Further, it may be difficult to arrive at a suitable test print job that causes each printer driver to trigger the set of operating system features with which the developer is concerned. Another traditional technique limits test testing to a sampling of the available printer drivers (e.g., top 5% or 10%). However, this technique does not provide complete information regarding which printer drivers use which features of the operating system. Accordingly, traditional techniques may be complex, time-consuming, and/or provide incomplete results.


This invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing wherein a user has the ability to confidentially generate or print a document without generating a log entry or other information related to the document.

This invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for secure document processing wherein a user has the ability to confidentially generate or print a document without generating a log entry or other information related to the document.
Typically document processing devices, such as multifunctional peripherals, have the ability to generate documents confidentially or securely. The user selects a private document generation or print option via any suitable means in addition to a personal identification number associated with the document to be printed. Once the document processing device has prepared the document for printing, the user then inputs the personal identification number via any suitable means and the document is then printed. Although the document will only be printed if the user provides the appropriate personal identification number, the document processing device will still log the print job. The log of the document processing device will include the user's name and the printed documents name. There is a need for a system and method which allows for secure document processing and does not generate log information related to such processing.
The subject invention remedies the afore-noted problems and provides a mechanism which allows for secure document processing which does not generate information about the user or the document generated.

System and method for secure document processing


A well plate assembly including a base plate and vials. The well plate assembly includes a base plate having a bottom, a perimeter having opposing edges, and a plurality of protrusions extending from the bottom spaced apart from each other to form a plurality of compartments sized and configured for releasably holding vials. Each of the compartments includes a convoluted anti-rotation feature recessed into the bottom. The vials each have a bottom wall, a first side wall segment extending upwardly from the bottom wall, and a second side wall segment extending from the first side wall segment to an open top. The first side wall segment includes at least one spline designed to mate with the convoluted anti-rotation feature to prevent rotation of the vials when a torque is applied, for example, during capping or de-capping operations.

Analytical chemistry laboratories use a variety of different sized and shaped vials for different types of experimental assays, including, for example, sorbent assays, high-throughput screening assays, and combinatorial chemistry analysis. In those assays, there is a need to provide support for the vials used. Often, the support is necessary to maintain the vials in an upright position to facilitate chemical reactions, prevent assay fluids from escaping from the vials, enable movement of the vials without disturbing the assay, or meet other experimental considerations.
Various vial-holding devices, such as microplates or trays, have been used for assays performed in these laboratories. Multi-well sample plates, commonly referred to as microtitre plates or microplates, are commonly used to hold a large number of samples in a rectangular array of wells, 24 wells (4×6) or 96 wells (8×12) being typical examples, to be assayed using various techniques such as scintillation counting, luminometry, fluorimetry, kinetics, and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,064 titled "Multi-Tier Vial Plate" and issued to the inventor of the present application, James G. Finneran, teaches an exemplary vial plate for holding vials, which is incorporated into this document in its entirety for all purposes.
Many applications for the vials require a securely sealed cap. This requirement is especially true for laboratory sample vials and dispensers for injectable pharmaceuticals and medicinal agents. A common closure for vials involves a thread neck on the vial and a corresponding screw thread on the cap. Closure is attained and a seal obtained by twisting or rotating the cap onto the vial. Thus, screw thread closures require torque pressure to apply and remove the cap. Specially designed capping and de-capping devices can be used in conjunction with the multi-well sample plates or microplates in order to cap or de-cap a portion, a line, or all of the vials. For example, an automated opening and closing device for screw cap tubes is available through Hamilton Company USA, with offices in Reno, Nev.
Generally, vials used in analytical chemistry assays are made of plastic. Plastic vials may be preferred to provide for a desired amount of friction to prevent twisting of the vials, for example, during the capping and/or de-capping processes. Plastic vials are often suitable for use with aqueous solutions. For acid-based or solvent-based solutions, however, plastic can dissolve or degrade. To overcome the shortcomings of conventional plastic vials, glass vials may be preferred. Glass vials do not have a high coefficient of friction, however, and can easily move or twist in traditional microplate or well assemblies, especially when a torque is applied during the capping or de-capping process. Thus, a need remains for an improved assembly that allows for use of glass vials, which have an anti-rotation feature to prevent rotation of the vials when a torque is applied, for example, during capping or de-capping of the vials.


A di-hydroxy-functionalized linear non-crosslinked polyolefin is disclosed having no pendant chain-branched groups which is prepared by reacting 1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene with 1,5-cyclooctadiene in the presence of a catalyst comprising a ruthenium metal carbene complex, characterized in that the functionality number of said polyolefin as determined by NMR is 2.0 and the viscosity of said polyolefin ranges from about 800 to 16000 mPa.s @25.degree. C. at a number average molecular weight ranging from 2,600 to 6,500 g/mole. A prepolymer comprising the reaction of a polyisocyanate with the polyolefin is also disclosed.

Polyurethane prepolymers from polyisocyanates and polybutadiene polyols can be used to prepare hydrophobic polyurethane articles. The prepolymers, however, generally have high viscosity, which makes such prepolymers less desirable for applications requiring low viscosity prepolymers (e.g., potting resins, highly filled systems). Isocyanate terminated prepolymers are described in Kaneko, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,681). The prepolymers may be cured with aromatic or aliphatic polyalcohols or polyamines to form polyurethane or polyurethane/polyurea elastomeric articles.
Generally, the use of a polybutadiene having functional groups at both chain ends ("telechelic polymers") is known. It is also known to use, as a polyolefin, a difunctional telechelic linear non-crosslinked polybutadiene without pendant chain groups.
A method for producing such a polyolefin is disclosed in Chung, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,023) which discloses the use of a borane chain transfer agent and the subsequent transformation of the borane moeity into an alcohol.
The use of a catalyst system consisting of tungsten hexachloride and tetramethyltin for the preparation of polybutadiene is disclosed in Nubel, et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,512,635, 5,559,190, 5,519,101 and 5,403,904).
In Nubel, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,548), a polybutadiene is disclosed which is produced by the ring-opening polymerization of cycloolefins with a tungsten hexachloride and tetramethyltin catalyst and the use of dimethyl-10-eicosene-1,20-dioate(DMED) as a chain transfer agent. Generally, such polyolefins result in high viscosity polyolefins, which are not suitable for the above-mentioned applications. Furthermore, Nubel. et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,548) discloses a chain transfer agent where the unsaturation is far removed from the functional group, a polymer with functionality on both polymer chain ends can be synthesized. We have found, however, in the present invention that ruthenium-based catalysts are more tolerant of functionality and can utilize chain transfer agents where the functional group is only one (1) carbon atom removed from the unsaturation.
A polyurethane elastomer prepared from a hydrophobic difunctional polyol is disclosed in Yorkelson, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,543).

Polyurethane polyolefins and prepolymers based on hydroxy functional polybutadiene


A surface acoustic wave filter includes a surface acoustic wave substrate, an input transducer, and an output transducer. The input and output transducers are arranged on a surface of the surface acoustic wave substrate. Each of the input and output transducers includes a plurality of electrode fingers that is slanted in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface acoustic wave propagation direction such that an electrode finger pitch changes in the direction that is substantially perpendicular to the surface acoustic wave propagation direction. An electrode finger pitch of a portion of the input transducer is different from an electrode finger pitch of a portion of the output transducer that corresponds to the portion of the input transducer in the surface acoustic wave propagation direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transversal surface acoustic wave filters in which an input transducer and an output transducer are arranged on the surface of a surface acoustic wave substrate, and more particularly, to a surface acoustic wave filter in which each of the input and output transducers includes a plurality of oblique electrode fingers having an electrode finger pitch that changes along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a surface acoustic wave propagation direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Outstanding in-band flatness and selectivity (steepness of a shifting area shifting from a pass band to an out band) are required for intermediate-frequency (IF) filters for satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) tuners. Also, a wide variety of filters, such as those ranging from relatively narrow-band filters having a band width ratio of approximately 2% to very wide-band filters having a band width ratio of approximately 20%, are required.
PCT Japanese National Phase Patent Publication No. 11-500593 discloses a method for increasing the bandwidth of a surface acoustic wave filter. In this method, so-called slanted transducers are used. In the slanted transducers, an electrode finger pitch of input and output transducers changes along a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of surface acoustic waves. In other words, electrode fingers extend in an oblique direction with respect to the direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of surface acoustic waves. A transversal surface acoustic wave filter using slanted single-phase unidirectional transducers (SPUDTs) is described in PCT Japanese National Phase Patent Publication No. 11-500593. Since the input and output transducers are slanted transducers, an electrode finger pitch is different in the direction perpendicular to the surface acoustic wave propagation direction. Thus, outstanding in-band flatness and a wider bandwidth is achieved.
However, in order to increase the selectivity of the surface acoustic wave filter described in PCT Japanese National Phase Patent Publication No. 11-500593, the number of pairs of electrode fingers must be increased. Thus, the size of the surface acoustic wave filter is increased. In addition, when the number of pairs of electrode fingers increases, the angle of inclination of electrode fingers near ends thereof in the surface acoustic wave propagation direction is increased. Thus, a direction of radiation of surface acoustic waves is greatly shifted from the surface acoustic wave propagation direction, and this deteriorates the characteristics of the surface acoustic wave filter.


A fuel cutoff valve is furnished with a casing defining a valve chamber, and a float mechanism housed to be able to rise and fall in the valve chamber. The casing is furnished with a closure plate situated in the space above the valve chamber and in a facing arrangement with a connecting passage. The closure plate is furnished with a vent hole that has been formed so as to divert the passage from the connecting passage to a second pipe line, and with a barrier wall that is situated in opposition to a first pipe line and that has been formed so as to divert the passage from the first pipe line to the second pipe line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cutoff valve that is mounted on an upper wall of a fuel tank, and opens and closes a connecting passage to connect the fuel tank and outside, as well as to connect with another valve mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel tank is provided in its upper part with a fuel vapor processing system equipped with fuel cutoff valves, such as a full fuel control valve and a rollover valve, connected to a canister. Through opening and closing of the individual valves at prescribed fuel levels, venting of the fuel tank to the outside is assured while at the same time preventing liquid fuel from spilling to the outside. The rollover valve is designed to block fuel from flowing to the outside at a fuel level above full tank level in order to prevent fuel from spilling out when the vehicle tilts, during slalom driving of the vehicle, or similar situations.
In one known design, in addition to a pipe connecting it to the piping the leads to the canister, the full fuel control valve is provided with a pipe connecting it to the rollover valve, thereby allowing the piping that leads to the canister to be used in common and simplifying the piping arrangement (JP 2005-138677A). However, a problem with conventional full fuel control valves was that liquid fuel or fuel spray exiting the rollover valve tended to flow unimpeded towards the canister side.


A method and system for distributing a service center call. The method and system include hosting an electronic database of information regarding service agent availability, providing a user interface for allowing a service agent to update the database regarding the availability of the service agent to receive service calls, and receiving a customer service call request. To route the customer service call request, the method and system determines the location of a customer originating the customer service call request, determines availability of at least one service agent within a predetermined location threshold of the location of the customer, and routing the customer service call request to the local service agent or to a service agent outside of the predetermined location threshold of the location of the customer if there are no available service agents within the predetermined location threshold of the location of the customer.

In a traditional call center, agent mobility is restricted due to the need of access to switch networks, computing platform and telephony devices which are all location dependent. In contrast, in the disclosed distributed virtual call center the agents can be at any location (distributed geographically) at any time and function as a customer service agent.
In still other known call centers, a virtual network of service agents may be provided. The service agents, however, are selected not on a geographic preference to the originator of the service call request, but rather on a first available agent basis, or based on a service agent ranking. In this manner, the customer may be connected to a virtual service center, but receives no benefit of having a service agent at the same or proximate location as the customer requesting service. In some instances, even if the location of the virtual service agent is taken into consideration, the location preference is based on the network structure or performance, and not based upon the proximately of the service agent to the location of the service call originator.
While the background systems and methods identified herein, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, generally work for their intended purpose, the subject invention provides improvements thereto, particularly by providing a customer with the ability to connect to a service employee located in a geographically beneficial location to provide additional customer support.

Systems and methods for providing a distributed mobile call center for a service establishment


A hydraulic valve assembly includes an algorithm stored in an internal memory of the hydraulic valve assembly that determines a spool correction command based on a flow demand which is calculated for obtaining a target single port pressure or a target delta pressure using one or more port pressure measurements. The spool correction command is sent to an upper level controller of the hydraulic valve assembly, and the upper level controller uses the spool correction command to obtain an optimal displacement of a spool inside the valve assembly.

Proportional-integral-derivative controllers ("PID controllers") are used to continuously monitor and control the performance of hydraulic valves by calculating an error value e(t) as a difference between a desired set point ("SP") and a measured process variable ("PV"). A PID controller attempts to minimize the error value e(t) over time by producing a control response that adjusts a control variable u(t) of the hydraulic valve such as the position, speed, and acceleration of the spool within the valve. Accordingly, PID controllers can be utilized to control the performance of a hydraulic valve to meet desired performance characteristics.
PID controllers must typically be tuned before they can be utilized for controlling the performance of a hydraulic valve. The tuning of a PID controller typically involves the adjustment of the control parameters (e.g., the proportional, integral, and derivative gains) to optimum values so that the PID controller produces accurate and consistent control responses.
PID controllers are often manually tuned which can be done by entering a process variable as an input, determining an error from a desired set point, measuring a control response as an output, and using the control response to adjust the control parameters of the controller. This process can be repeated for various process variables.
Manual tuning methods of PID controllers typically rely on trial and error. Moreover, since the starting values of the control parameters are often not known, a lot of time has to be spent to obtain good tuning to achieve desirable control tracking and speed of response.
Additionally, the tuning of PID controllers is complicated by the fact that single port and dual port delta pressure is a highly dynamic variable in hydraulic cylinders which makes its control challenging. Typically, PID controllers cannot efficiently control the pressure in hydraulic cylinders and do not have good control tracking and speed of response. The control becomes worse in case of varying load conditions and change in load speed and direction.
Thus, improvements are needed to reduce the time it takes to tune PID controllers while also improving the control tracking and speed of response of PID controllers.

Hydraulic valve assembly with automated tuning


An image sensor provides a first image with a first exposure and a second image with a second exposure. An exposure controller sets the first exposure in dependence on pixel intensities of at least one of the images. It sets the second exposure in dependence on a factor and the first exposure. The factor is determined in dependence on pixel intensities of at least one of the images.

Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an exposure controller for an image sensor, a system including such a controller, a method for use in the controller and a computer program implementing the method.
Description of the Related Technology
An exposure controller is known for controlling the exposure of a plurality of dark pixels and of a plurality of bright pixels in an image sensor. The controller sets the exposure of the dark and bright pixels independently by determining the number of dark pixels that have a signal level below a 'low' threshold and the number of bright pixels that have a signal level above a 'high' threshold, respectively. The two partial images obtained by the dark and bright pixels are combined by adding signal levels of the corresponding dark and bright pixels to one merged pixel in a merged image with a large dynamic range.
If the known setting of the exposures is applied to a high dynamic range capture system involving multiple images captured sequentially in time, or involving alternation of exposure line by line as the sensor is scanned, the merged image may have a low quality.


An input device provided for an apparatus (1) which is held with a hand of a person. The input device includes a plurality of input keys (5) which are operated with a finger holding the apparatus (1), wherein in a case where the apparatus (1) having the input device is held with the hand, each input key (5) situated apart from a base of the finger has a finger contact area smaller than that of each input key (5) situated close to the base of the finger.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an input device and to a personal mobile terminal having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 13 is a front view of a personal mobile terminal having a conventional input device.
As shown in FIG. 13, a conventional personal mobile terminal 100 is a so-called mobile phone, and is integrally composed of an operation unit 101 as an input device for inputting a telephone number and the like. In addition to this, the personal mobile terminal device 100 is composed of: a display unit 102 for displaying various kinds of information; and a speaker 103 and a microphone 104 used for a telephone conversation.
The operation unit 101 of the personal mobile terminal 100 includes input keys, function keys, selection keys, and an enter key.
The input keys include twelve kinds of keys which are: ten numeric keys on which numeric characters 0 to 9 are respectively labeled; and two auxiliary keys on which * and # are respectively labeled.
The function keys are used for calling functions, such as "clear", "memo", and "manner mode".
The enter key is used for having a next process performed on the basis of information inputted from the input device.
When an operator of the personal mobile terminal 100 operates the personal mobile terminal 100 with a hand, the operator typically holds the personal mobile terminal 100 in one hand and operates the input device with the thumb of the hand holding the personal mobile terminal 100. To be more specific, the operator uses the thumb of the hand holding the personal mobile terminal 100 to operate the input keys, the function keys, the selection keys, and the enter key.
FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a load put on the thumb during operation of the personal mobile terminal 100 having the conventional input device.
The keys provided for the conventional personal mobile terminal 100 are not arranged in consideration of a region which allows for easy movement of the finger that is used for operation. More specifically, all the keys including the numeric keys provided for the input device are the same in size and are just arranged in a matrix in an orderly manner.
When the numeric keys of the personal mobile terminal 100 as described above are operated with the thumb, a load on the thumb is relatively light when operating the keys in a region A apart from the base of the thumb whereas a heavy load is put on the thumb when operating the keys in a region B close to the base of the thumb. On account of this, the more the number of key operations, the heavier the load put on the hand and the finger used for operation. This load is considered as a possible cause of mental and physical fatigue. In addition, in the case where the fatigue has built up on the hand and the finger, the personal mobile terminal may be dropped and damaged, such as when the operator tries to get a better grip on the personal mobile terminal.
This problem has remarkably arisen as the number of key operations has been increased along with multi-functionality of personal mobile terminals of recent years. Especially in terms of character input operations such as an email creation, an increase in the number of characters allowed in an email transmission significantly increases the number of key operations. For this reason, it is highly possible to cause mental and physical fatigue, and this problem thus should be solved as soon as possible.
In order to solve this problem, terminals with easy operability that reduce the load on the hand and the finger used for operation have been suggested (see JP2002-164980 and JP 2001-296953, for example).
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a conventional personal mobile terminal described in mentioned above.
As shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of keys 18 are arranged along circumferences of circles having the same center which is described as a predetermined point O. Consider a case where a body 11 is held with a palm of one hand and fingers other than a thumb of this hand, and key operations are performed using only the thumb of the hand. By aligning the predetermined point O with the center of the joint at the base of the thumb, the keys 18 come to be situated along paths of rotational movements made by the thumb with the joint being the center. This key arrangement allows for an improvement in the operability of key inputs performed for inputting characters or symbols.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a personal mobile terminal having a conventional input device described in mentioned above.
As shown in FIG. 16, a button key unit 600 and a jog dial unit 700 are structured separately so as to each rotate freely on a center of a circle as its axis of rotation. The separate rotations of the button key unit 600 and the jog dial unit 700 substantially increase the amount of information allowed to be inputted. In addition to this, a reduction in a surface area occupied by the button key unit 600 and the jog dial unit 700 decreases the amount of movements made by a finger of the operator since an input operation can be performed in this small area. Thus, the operator is able to perform an efficient operation.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2002-164980
Patent Reference 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2001-296953

Input device and personal mobile terminal having the same


A ram-resistant bollard system for prevention of ingress of vehicles onto a sensitive area that will completely stop a 15000 lb. truck, travelling at 30 mph in less than 3.3 ft wherein the bollard system comprises an upright element inserted into a base-plate which is secured onto a foundation structure made from two H-beams each made from a one-piece extruded metal form, wherein the two H-beams are connected to each other via at least one lower connector plate, partially overlapping and connected to the flanges on the lower surface of both H-beams, and wherein the base-plate is positioned above the flanges of the upper surface of the two H-beams, so as to be to be partially overlapping and connected to the top side of both H-beams via a plurality of small rectangular connection plates that are orthogonally positioned between the base-plate and the flanges of the H-beams.

The problem that the invention addresses is as follows. Errant vehicles can cause untold damage upon impact with a building and its occupants. Vehicle ram-raids are also a security concern for stores and the customers. Terrorist attacks are also a threat for high-profile buildings and locations, such as government or financial buildings, or buildings that accommodate a large number of people. Protective perimeters like anti-ram material and products are needed to protect the building and the people inside.


A jogging stroller frame with a front wheel automatic flattening folding mechanism is provided with a jogging stroller frame which can be folded into a substantially flattened configuration for compact storage by an associating of a linking rod. When the foldable jogging stroller frame is folded into the substantially flattened configuration, the seat support rack shall pull the front wheel set to rotate backward about a horizontal axis to the pair of rear struts through the linking rod, thereby converting the foldable jogging stroller frame into a successively smaller size for more compact storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jogging stroller frame, especially to a jogging stroller frame provided with a front wheel automatic flattening folding mechanism for rotating the front wheel set rearward about a horizontal axis to the rear strut thereof when a user is folding the jogging stroller frame into a substantially flattened configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Jogging strollers are generally formed of lightweight tubular frame members with three sixteen (16) inches large wheels for facilitating the transportation of a child occupant seated therein by a fast walking exercise of a care-giver.
Traditional jogging stroller has a foldable frame can be erected in an erected configuration and converted into a generally flattened configuration for storage. As the diameter of the wheels are too big and occupied at least sixteen (16) in longitudinal dimension, shall make the user unavoidably needs to pull off the wheels from the frame to get a successively smaller size for compact storage.

Jogging stroller frame with a front wheel automatic flattening folding mechanism

DOREL JUVENILE (ZHONGSHAN) PRODUCT CO., LTD.


According to the invention, systems and methods are provided for analyzing the diversity of a set of critical telecommunication circuits. For example, according to one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for analyzing the diversity of critical telecommunication circuits, the method comprising: determining a critical circuit set comprising a first critical circuit and a second critical circuit; identifying a first set of telecommunication resources associated with the first critical circuit; identifying a second set of telecommunication resources associated with the second critical circuit; and comparing the first set of telecommunication resources with the second set of telecommunication resources to determine whether the critical circuit set is diverse.

In the telecommunication industry, certain circuits are considered critical, generally because any interruption of the service provided by the circuit would be unacceptable. For instance, circuits used to transport traffic relating to emergency 911 calls and circuits used by the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control system often are designated as critical because their failure could lead to catastrophic consequences. Other circuits, including some circuits in a typical Signaling System 7 ("SS7") network, can be considered critical because a service interruption of such a circuit would negatively impact the provision of telecommunication services to a particular geographical area. On the other hand, many circuits are not considered critical, in that the failure of a single such circuit would have only minimal impact on the provision of telecommunication services.
Circuit failures can result from many sources, including cable cuts, equipment failure, or even power loss or natural disaster at a critical location. In order to guard against the catastrophic failure of a critical circuit, telecommunications providers often build redundancy into their telecommunication networks. For instance, FIG. 1A illustrates a portion of a simple telecommunication network 100. In example network 100, service switching point ("SSP") 104 is located in Grand Junction, Colo. In order to have telecommunication access to the rest of the world, Grand Junction's SSP is connected by SS7 "A Link" 108 to Signal Transfer Point ("STP") 112 in Denver, which provides a connection between SSP 104 and the rest of the telecommunication network. In this example, A Link 108 is a critical circuit because, if it suffered a service interruption, Grand Junction would have no connectivity to STP 112. To remedy this problem, a telecommunication provider typically would provide an additional A Link 116 between SSP 104 and a second STP 120. In this way, if A Link 108 were cut, connectivity would be maintained by A Link 116.
This redundancy fails, however, if both A Links 108, 116 use the same telecommunication facilities or equipment. For instance, if A Links 108, 116 occupy channels on the same T1 line for at least part of the distance from Grand Junction to Denver, a single cut to that T1 line would sever both A Links 108, 116, such that connectivity between Grand Junction and Denver would be lost. Thus, in order to obtain the full benefits of redundancy, the critical circuits must exhibit complete diversity of facilities, cable and equipment.
In reality, however, diversity violations are commonplace in telecommunication networks because of the nature of such networks. Most telecommunication providers use a provisioning system, for example the Trunks Integrated Records Keeping System ("TIRKS®") from Telcordia Technologies, Inc., to provision and track circuits in their telecommunication networks. Unfortunately, such systems often provision circuits according to the most efficient path between two switches, such that multiple circuits between two switches usually will be carried on the same facilities, and often on the same equipment, without regard to diversity considerations. Moreover, even if two circuits are diverse as originally provisioned, those skilled in the art can appreciate that normal network churn often will result in the automatic re-provisioning of those circuits, which often destroys any diversity originally built into the circuit design. Compounding the problem, provisioning systems generally offer no means of determining whether two circuits are diverse (or even of tracking whether they should be diverse).
What is needed, therefore, is a tool for analyzing the diversity of critical circuits. Ideally, such a tool should allow a user to identify two or more critical circuits that require diversity, analyze the facilities and equipment utilized by each identified circuit, and display for the user a list of any common facilities or equipment, so that the user can determine the location and nature of any diversity violation.

Systems and methods for determining critical circuit diversity


The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical formulation powder that contains 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) powder and the method of producing the formulation produces particles that are suitable as an inhalant. The formulations, methods and kits of powdered 17-OHPC as taught herein may be used to reduce cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17 or IL-17A) levels in both broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood/serum and involve the inhibition of p38 mitogen activating protein kinase (MAPK) activity. The 17-OHPC powder formulation may be used in a method to treat IL-17 cytokine and/or p38 MAPK mediated auto-immune and auto-inflammatory diseases. Such diseases may include glucocorticoid (GC) insensitive related diseases or conditions. In alternate embodiment, the formulation may include the combined use of budesonide (BUD) and/or fluticasone with 17-OPHC.

Pharmaceutical Micronization.
Achieving desirable dry powder characteristics, such as granule size and purity, is critical for optimal performance of a pharmaceutical inhalant comprising of an active ingredient. Therefore, appropriate micronization of a drug or an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is an integral part of manufacturing. "Bottom-up" approaches such as crystallization, spray drying, ionic complexation, and precipitation of dissolved active pharmaceuticals may be performed. Though simple and cost effective, a disadvantage of the "bottom-up" approach is the difficulty in controlling particle size and shape. Lonare A. A., et al., Int J Chem Eng App. 2013 Vol. 4(5): 337-341, Chikhalia V., et al., EurJ Pharm Sci. 2006 January; 27(1):19-26.
An alternative method to obtain desired particle size and shape is the "top-down" approach. The "top down" approach involves the mechanical reduction of previously formed larger particles to the desired size. Supra Lonare A. A. et al. The mechanical reduction process relies on milling and/or grinding and includes techniques such as wet milling, dry milling, ball/pearl milling, spiral media milling, jet milling, high pressure homogenization (HPH), or any other form of impact milling known in the art. Supra Lonare A. A. et al.; Nakach M., et al., Int J Min Proc. December 2004. 74: S173-181. As discussed further below, these techniques require high input energy, which may cause shear and heat, thus leading to potentially undesirable polymorphisms, amorphisation, denaturation, and loss of activity. Also, these methods may allow the particles to frequently contact portions of the milling equipment which may lead to equipment erosion and impurities within the particles. Nonetheless, milling and/or grinding have been the commonly employed techniques for the preparation of pharmaceuticals.
Milling Technology.
There are two basic technologies that are used for preparing pharmaceutical powders; bead/pearl milling and HPH. Keck C. M. et al., Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2006 January; 62(1):3-16. More recently, combinative technologies have also been implemented that rely on a pre-treatment size reduction process, such as spray-drying or freeze drying, before the top-down process is performed. Möschwitzer J. P. Int J Pharm. 2013 Aug. 30; 453(1):142-56.
Bead Milling.
Bead milling (also known as pearl milling or wet ball milling) is a process of preparing pharmaceutical suspensions by grinding in a chamber, for example a cylindrical chamber. The chamber is filled with a pharmaceutical drug along with a grinding/milling medium such as beads/balls made from ceramic, glass, plastic, stainless steel, or polystyrene derivatives, or zirconium salts. Movement of the milling medium for example by rotation of the cylindrical chamber causes shear forces during impaction of the milling medium with the pharmaceutical drug, and such shear forces causes fracture of the pharmaceutical drug. Nekkanti V., et al., The Delivery of Nanoparticles ISBN:978:953-51-0615-9; Khadka P., et al., Asi J Pharm Sci. 2014 December (9)6:304-316. Particle sizes achieved by ball milling have been reported to be between 100 and 300 nm. Supra Möschwitzer J. P. However, "erosion from the milling material during the milling process is a common problem of this technology", thereby introducing impurities into the particles. Shegokar R., et al., Int J Pharm. 2010 Oct. 31; 399(1-2):129-39.
High Pressure Homogenization.
High pressure homogenization is a "particle size reduction [technique] that utilizes high-shear processing of an aqueous slurry of drug and stabilizing agents". Sharma P. H., et al., Eur. J. Pharm. Med. Res. 2015, 2(2), 484-502. The HPH milling method includes three types of homogenization processes; Microfluidizer jet milling (IDD-P™ technology) which is based on the jet stream principle, in water piston-gap homogenisers (Dissocubes® technology), and in water-reduced/non-aqueous media piston-gap homogenisers (Nanopure® technology). Junghanns J. A. H. et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2008 September; 3(3): 295-310; Supra Shegokar R. et al.
Jet Milling.
Jet stream homogenizers, such as the Microfluidics Inc. Microfluidizer®, rely on "frontal collision of two fluid streams in a Y-type or Z-type chamber under pressures up to 1700 bar" to generate small particles. Supra Shegokar R. et al. The collision between the two jet streams results in shear and cavitation forces which lead to particle size reduction.
Jet mills use highly pressurized air to grind pharmaceuticals. At times, the term "fluid" jet mill is used to refer to a jet milling process with the fluid being high pressurized air. Supra Khadka P. et al. The energy of the fluid grinds the pharmaceutical into powder. Advantages of jet milling include that jet milling can be a dry process, can result in the preparation of micron-sized particles with a narrow size distribution, may have an absence of contamination, and may be suitable for heat sensitive pharmaceuticals. Id. Alternative jet milling procedures employ the use of water, for example water jet milling. Water jet milling creates cavitation zones which "disintegrate particles by dynamic impact of liquid on particle surface without a direct contact with milling bodies and inner surfaces". Dvorsky R., et al., Adv Pow Tech. 2011(22):639-643. Unfortunately, jet milling requires "a relatively high number of cycles (50-100 passes)" which are necessary to obtain sufficient particle size reduction". Supra Shegokar R. et al.
Piston-Gap Homogenizers.
Piston-gap homogenizers, such as the DissoCubes® (SkyePharma PLC), rely on forcing an aqueous solution under high pressure through a thin gap, for example, a 5-20 μm gap. Supra Dvorsky R. As the aqueous solution passes through the gap, there is an increase in dynamic pressure which is simultaneously compensated by a reduction in static pressure, thus causing the solution to boil. Upon exiting of the solution from the gap, the bubbles from boiling collapse under normal atmospheric pressure, and undergo cavitation. Id. The cavitation forces of HPH are responsible for inducing particle size reduction.
Nanopure® technology by PharmaSol GMBH, Berlin, now Abbott Laboratories, is a piston-gap homogenization process that uses dispersion medium with a low vapor pressure (i.e. oils, PEG, water-reduced or non-aqueous media) and optionally homogenization at low temperature. Supra Shegokar et al., Supra Junghanns J. A. H., et al. Thus, this process may be used for temperature labile and hydrolysis sensitive pharmaceuticals.
Control Parameters.
Control parameters for achieving desirable size, shape, density, dispensability, agglomeration, aerodynamic properties, and stability during a given milling procedure not only include choosing the type of milling equipment, but may also include a precise understanding of temperature, pressure, duration of milling, and number of milling cycles performed. All of which have an influence on the powder granulometry of a particular pharmaceutical. Furthermore, a person having ordinary skill in the art knows that a method of particle processing and size reduction of any active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) cannot easily be predicted to produce a particle of proper structure and effectiveness. With regards to using different milling processes, "[d]ifferent equipments have their pros and cons, but experience is required to select the right one . . . [m]aterial characterization of the drug substance needs to be associated with the micronisation technique to have a clear pictures of the size, shape and crystallinity of the powder." Larran J. M., et al., Pharm Man Pack Sou, Spring 2005. Vehring R. teaches that particle size reduction is a complex engineering process that is "difficult to design using an empirical approach alone because of the many processes and formulation variables that need to be tuned correctly to achieve the desired result". Vehring R., Pharm Res. 2008(25)5:999-1012.
HPH Milling Cycles and Particle Size Reduction.
Size reduction using HPH depends on the power density of the homogenizer, the temperature, number of homogenization cycles, and pressure which has a relatively small effect on decreasing the size of a pharmaceutical but a significant effect on particle size distribution. Supra Keck C. M. et al., Supra Nekkanti V. et al. With respect to cycles, the fluid passing through the HPH gap occurs within several milliseconds, which is not sufficient time to comminute pharmaceutical crystals into a uniform size. Hence, it is necessary to perform "five, ten, or more cycles depending on the hardness of [the] drug and desired particle size". Junyaprasert V. B. et al., Asian J Pharm Sci. 2015(10)1:13-23.
For example, milling cycles to obtain span values in the approximate range of 1.4 to 2.0 for fluticasone propionate, salmeterol xinafoate, and titropium bromide are 20, 7, and 21 cycles, respectively. See Gil et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/642,397. There has also been teaching that milling over 20 cycles may be damaging to particles, such as in the case of microfluidisation of PEG-PLGA. Sani S. N. et al. J Microencap, 2009 September; 26(6):556-561. PEG-PLGA particle size reduction is limited to 5 milling passes (i.e. cycles), and specifically up to 20 passes. Beyond 20 cycles causes agglomeration and variable size distribution of particles, and is "evidence that over-processing and excessive shear stress placed upon nanoparticles is likely to be detrimental upon the size distribution and morphology of the [nano] particles". Id.
Therefore, it is well known by one with ordinary skill in the art that experimentation with regards to the optimal number of homogenization cycles varies for each composition, and substantial testing is required for achieving a desirable size of an API. Thus, the number of milling cycles required for the desired preparation of pharmaceutical formulations cannot simply be extrapolated from one teaching to the preparation and formulation of other APIs.
Furthermore, continuously increasing HPH cycle numbers was believed to not further reduce particle size. Keck C. M. et al. teaches that the reduction of particle size is due to breaking of particles/crystals at weak points (i.e. imperfections), and thus the remaining crystals become more perfect with a reduction of particle size. With every subsequent milling cycle, there are less weak points in a particle that are available to further reduce its size. "[T]he particles will not further diminute, even when additional homogenization cycles are applied." Supra Keck C. M. et al. Keck C. M. et al. shows that the maximum reduction of the mean diameter for azodicarbonamide is asymptotically achieved after five homogenization cycles, with higher cycles only reducing the width of any remaining large crystals. Id.
Furthermore, "particle size reduction effectiveness of [milling] depends more on the physico-chemical properties of the processed drug", and therefore, each milling process used to micronize any API requires empirical evaluation. Supra Möschwitzer J. P. Additionally, experimentation of formulation performance is also required for scale-up production, as there is "no framed algorithm which can help the formulators predict the large scale performance of a product based on its small scale behavior." Srivalli K. M. R. et al. Saudi Pharm J, May 2014. Therefore, every API requires experimental evaluation and material characterization to determine the most optimal milling procedure and associated operational parameters.
Sources of Impurities.
A possible source of contamination and introduction of impurities and undesirable components into pharmaceutical preparations prepared by HPH is from direct contact with milling parts leading to abrasion and wearing of HPH equipment. For example, wear and tear of the tip of the homogenization valve may lead to reduction of process efficiency. Therefore, ceramic tips may be used in modern homogenizers as a means to decrease contamination and maintain process efficiency. Also, the cavitation process of particle size reduction minimizes direct contact between a drug and milling parts, reducing the potential of contamination to acceptable limits. For example, Krause et al. reported that a nanosuspension of the drug RMKK98 prepared by HPH contained less than 1 ppm of iron after 20 cycles at 1500 bar, which falls well below the 10 ppm acceptable limit. Krause K. P., et al. Int J Pharm. 2000 Mar. 10; 196(2):169-72.
Crystallinity and Amorphous State.
In an ideal crystal, the atoms are arranged in a symmetrical structure resulting in a stable system with distinct physical properties. The crystalline arrangement of an API allows for increased chemical and physical stability. On the contrary, amorphous solids have a non-crystalline molecular order. The lack of a crystalline lattice increases the surface area and in turn increases exposure to the environment which may increase the apparent solubility. However, due to the increased surface area, "hygroscopicity, air oxidation, adsorption on excipients, and/or instrumentation and blending effects are more problematic with amorphous drugs." Bauer J. F. J Valid Tech; August 2009, 15(3)63-68. Thus, maintaining a crystalline structure of an API during the manufacture process is warranted when an increased stability and shelf-life is desired.
The milling process may induce undesirable structural changes in the pharmaceutical ingredient and result in structural variability and impurities. It is well known that milling methods, such as dry milling and ball milling, induce active pharmaceutical ingredients to lose their crystalline form to an anhydrous or amorphous form of the active ingredient. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/642,397, Gil et al. "Milling can reduce the crystallinity of a drug and create areas of disorder or amorphous regions; [and] total change to the amorphous state is possible". Supra Bauer J. F. For example, progesterone is known to exist in two polymorphic forms; form 1 (α-form) and form 2 (β-form). Araya-Sibaja A. M., et al., Pharm Dev Technol. 2014 November; 19(7):779-88. The stress of mechanical grinding of progesterone form 2 induces its polymorphic transformation into progesterone form 1. Therefore, since milling may influence the crystallinity and amorphous state of a pharmaceutical drug, experimentation is necessary to identify milling parameters that produce a desirable polyphorm.
Inhalant Particle Size.
The optimal size of a particle suitable for inhalation is between approximately 1-5 μm. Siew A. Pharm Technol. 2014(38):2. For example, salbutamol aerosols with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 2.8 μm produced superior bronchodilation, while the optimal particle size for a β2 antagonist was shown to be approximately 3 μm. Labiris et. al., Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2003 December; 56(6): 588-599. Particles greater than 10 μm are deposited in the oropharyngeal region and settle on the larynx, and are subsequently swallowed having a minimal to no therapeutic effect. Id. Particles with a size of 5-10 μm are mainly deposited in the oropharayngeal region, while particles of 1-5 μm in diameter are deposited in the small airways and alveoli. Id. Particles with an MMAD of less than 0.5 μm deposit via diffusion, however, particles of the size of 0.5 μm may fail to deposit and be exhaled. Id. The desirable size range of pharmaceutical particles intended for therapeutic use by inhalation is between 1-5 μm. Particle sizes between 5-15 μm are suggested for nasal delivery, with a recommendation of 9 μm in order to avoid lung inhalation of drugs intended for nasal delivery. Djupesland P. G. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2013 February; 3(1):42-62.
Inhalant Span Value.
The span value of the power (or polydisperity) must also be accounted for in preparing an effective inhalant. The span value is the width of the distribution of the particle size as defined below. Too broad of a span value may result in impaction or retention within the inhaler, thereby reducing the effective dosage necessary for treatment. Chew et al. J Pharm. Pharmaceut. Sci., 2002 5(2) 162-168. An ideal span value is 2.5 or less. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/642,397, Gil et al.
Achieving a desirable particle size suitable for inhalation while maintaining crystallinity, purity, and activity requires experimentation and validation for every API. There has been no method to prepare an inhalant containing 17-OHPC of proper particle size, span, structure, and purity.

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A method and apparatus for separating a non-magnetic material from magnetic material is provided. A magnetic separation device includes at least one magnetic element for producing a magnetic field. The magnetic separation device further includes a first support portion including a threaded opening that threadingly receives a threaded portion of a container to fixedly attach the container to the first support portion in an aligned orientation with respect to the magnetic element. The threaded opening retains the container in the aligned orientation when inverting the magnetic separation device.

It is known to use magnetic bead based separation to separate a desired material within a container. More specifically, a magnetic material can be added to a solution in a container. Desired material can then be associated with the magnetic material. A magnetic device can then be used to separate the magnetic material, together with the associated desired material from the solution in the container.