The pneumatic float according to the invention comprises an airtight outer skin (5), which can be inflated with compressed air via a valve (21). Webs (6) extend essentially over the entire length of the float, which are joined to the outer skin (5) along the lines (1) and on the one hand divide the inside of the float into intercommunicating chambers (7), and on the other hand give the float the desired contours (14), stability and stability against bending. The webs can comprise single or multiple layers of low-stretch woven material or plastics material foils. To improve directional stability in operation and as a protection against damage to the outer skin (5) the float has a keel rail (8), for instance comprising plastics material, and glued on. To avoid the Coanda effect two side rails (9) are attached in a similar manner.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic float for light and ultra-light aircraft in accordance with the preamble to claim 1.
Several such pneumatic floats, that is inflated with compressed air, are known. The closest to the present invention, representing the state of the technology, are for instance published in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,762 (D1), U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,326 (D2), U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,340 (D3) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,143 (D4). Whilst in D2, D3, and D4 the general state of the technology is limited, D1 lies closest to the present invention. A float is published in D1, which comprises a flexible outer hull of strong woven fabric, which is constructed from an upper side, a lower side and side walls. The upper and lower sides are joined by a number of similarly textile webs built in essentially vertically and along the main direction of the float. At a position somewhat to the rear of the centre the float has a step, which was published in DE 600 321 as early as 1933 and has been applied and further developed since then.
In the cross section through the float in D1 at the position of this quoted step, similarly an essentially vertical web is built in, however perpendicular to the main direction of the float. In the chambers, which are formed between the webs and between the webs and the side walls, airtight bladders are inserted, which are inflated with compressed air and provide the float on the one hand with the necessary buoyancy and on the other hand a certain stability.
To increase the stability and rigidity, stiffening elements are built into the region in front of the step mentioned, which are provided partly of rigid foam, partly of plywood. A shoe is fastened on the outside of the fabric-constructed float, which additionally stiffens the underside of the forward part and is to protect the float from damage. This shoe is made, for instance from plastics material.
The introduction of force from the undercarriage of the aircraft onto the two floats constructed as described occurs via two spars running longitudinally over the entire length of each float. These lie to the side on top of the floats and are lashed and fastened by long lashings. The total of four spars are joined by two transverse spars on which the aircraft is supported, whereby the rear transverse spar lies somewhat in the position where the underside of the float has the step mentioned.
If one takes the intended area of application of the float according to D1 into account, then the major advantage claimed is weight conservation. Since the selected method of construction of the purely pneumatic part of the float has, however, insufficient stiffness, all sorts of measures have to be provided for its increase, which are not pneumatic, and therefore heavier, in part indeed substantially heavier, than air or purely pneumatic components. Furthermore at the height of the step the longitudinal webs are interrupted by the transverse web. Owing to the introduction of force at the rear transverse spar also lying at about this point there results in this region a joint-like weakening of the float in one of the constructions claimed in D1 which has to be strengthened and tensioned by a compression leg passing vertically through the float and two wire ropes.
It is also not obvious from D1, how other cross section formsxe2x80x94for instance such as those with a V-shaped bottom partxe2x80x94can be constructed in accordance with the invention. From the chosen construction it can be at least anticipated that, in addition to the disadvantages mentioned, the float according to D1 also cannot be economically manufactured.
It is therefore the aim of the present invention to produce pneumatic floats for light and ultra-light aircraft, which overcome the stated disadvantages, which are light and rigid and can also be manufactured cost-effectively.

Pneumatic float for light and ultralight aircraft


A method and apparatus for locating the user of a computer system and adjusting the sound from the system speakers. The computer system includes a computer, two speakers, a microphone, a signal processor, and an audio processor. The speakers emit a sound which is reflected from the user and other objects in the vicinity of the system. The invention includes an algorithm for determining which of the reflected sounds had been reflected from the user of the computer system. The character of the sound emitted by the computer system is then adjusted to enhance the sound effects at the location of the user.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining the location of the user of a computer, and in particular to adjusting the sound controlled by the computer to enhance the stereo effect at the location of the user.
With the advent of multimedia computers, the sound controlled by the software, especially gaming software, has become an increasingly important part of the multimedia environment. Multimedia software makes significant use of right and left stereo separation to augment the images being displayed by the software.
It is thus important to provide sound with high quality. However, it is difficult to produce high quality sound for the computer system user as the user moves about. This is especially true for a user playing a game on a computer system, in which case the location of the user is not as fixed as in those situations where the user is typing with a word processing program, for example. The user of a computer game may assume a variety of locations relative to the computer while the game is being played.
Some computer systems, for example, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,063 issued to Edgar, attempt to modify the sound in the vicinity of a user, but only for limited movements of the user. Furthermore, the system uses two complex and expensive arrays of speakers. The speakers are used as phased arrays to enhance the sound at the location of the user's ears, but to the detriment of the sound heard by others nearby.
What is needed is computer system that overcomes the disadvantages of other designs. The present invention does this in a novel and unobvious way.

Method and apparatus for locating the user of a computer system


A glow plug comprising: a ceramic heater which houses a heating element defined herein in a tip end side of said ceramic heater, and which elongates in an axial direction; a cylindrical metal shell which has a shaft hole, which houses a rear end portion of said ceramic heater in said shaft hole, and which holds said ceramic heater in said shaft hole directly or via another member; and a center pole including a center-pole rear end portion as defined herein and a center-pole tip end portion as defined herein, said ceramic heater being mechanically rigidly joined to said heater connecting portion, wherein a stress releasing portion in which a diameter is smallest in an area between said heater connecting portion and said center-pole rear end portion is formed in said center pole.

Conventionally, there are various types of glow plugs. Examples of such glow plugs are a metal glow plug in which a heater is configured by housing a heating coil in a tip end portion of a bottomed cylindrical metal pipe, and a ceramic glow plug using a ceramic heater in which an insulative ceramic is used as a substrate of the heater, and a heating element made of a conductive ceramic is embedded in the substrate. All of such glow plugs are used in, for example, preheating of a diesel engine. Conventionally, a glow plug is used with being attached to an engine in a manner where a heating portion at the tip end of a heater is projected into a sub-combustion chamber.
Recently, a demand for a ceramic glow plug among such glow plugs is particularly growing in accordance with a request for high-temperature resistance because of enhancement of the engine performance.
As shown in FIG. 7, for example, such a ceramic glow plug comprises: a ceramic heater 130; a metal shell 110 having a thread portion for attachment to an engine head; an outer cylinder 160 which holds the pressingly inserted ceramic heater 130; a pin terminal 170 through which an electric power is supplied from the outside to the ceramic heater 130; a center pole 120; a lead coil RC; an insulating member 140 which ensures insulation between the center pole 120 and the metal shell 110; and an O-ring 150 which is pressed against the insulating member 140 to maintain an airtight seal of the interior of the metal shell 110 (see JP-A-2003-56848).
In the thus configured glow plug, a cord for supplying a power from a battery which is not shown is connected to the pin terminal 170 in the rear end of the glow plug. The power is conducted through the center pole 120, the ceramic heater 130, the outer cylinder 160, the metal shell 110, and the engine head or the ground. In the glow plug having this configuration, even when the combustion pressure from the combustion chamber which is due to combustion in the engine acts on the ceramic heater 130 toward the rear end in the axial direction, the lead coil RC can relax a stress of the ceramic heater. Therefore, the ceramic heater 130 and the center pole 120 can be prevented from being destroyed or damaged.
In another configuration, in place of the lead coil RC, a cylindrical member 121 such as shown in (b) of FIG. 7 is used, and the center pole 120 and the ceramic heater 130 are mechanically rigidly connected to each other in a direct manner. It is described that, according to the configuration, even when the thickness of the cylindrical member 121 is decreased in order to reduce the diameter of the glow plug (particularly, in the case where the diameter of the thread portion of the metal shell is not larger than M8), a predetermined sectional area can be obtained, and therefore insulation can be maintained while ensuring the gap between the heater 130 and the metal shell 110, without forming the heater into a step-like shape (see JP-A-2003-130349).


The present invention provides a substituted cyclic compound of the following general formula I or II:

Diabetes mellitus is a clinical syndrome caused by the interaction of various factors including genetic traits and environmental contributors. Diabetes is primarily divided into type I and type II. Wherein, the basic pathophysiologic mechanism of type I diabetes mellitus relates to absolute hyposecretion of insulin, which is treated clinically mainly by supplementing insulin and thus is also named as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Over 95% of the patients are suffering from type II diabetes mellitus. In the clinical research, it is found that most of the patients suffering from type II diabetes mellitus can synthesize normal or even excessive insulin, but since the sensitivity of target cell to insulin is decreased (which is also named as "insulin resistance"), which causes the relative insufficiency of insulin, it is also named as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance is a key factor during the occurrence and development of type II diabetes mellitus.
Since the pathogenesis for the above two types of diabetes mellitus are different, the drugs for treating them are far different. At present, the drugs for treating type I diabetes mellitus mainly include exogenous insulin (including genetically recombinant human insulin and animal insulin), drugs having insulin-like effect, insulin-like growth factor-1 and Jin Qi hypoglycemic tablet, etc. The drugs for treating type II diabetes mellitus include sulphonylureas, biguanides, other insulin sensitizers and auxiliary means, etc.
After the sulphonylurea hypoglycemic drugs bind to the receptors of pancreatic islet β-cell membrane, the potassium ion channels are closed, thereby blocking flowout of potassium ion and inducing depolarization of the cell membrane, so that the Ca2+ channels are opened to allow the extracellular calcium ions to flow inward. The increase in the concentration of intracellular calcium ions triggers the release of insulin. Sulphonylurea hypoglycemic drugs can be divided into two generations according to their time of coming into existence. The first generation includes tolpropamide, and the second generation includes glibenclamide (diabeta), gliclazide (diamicron), glipizide (minidiab) and gliquidone, etc.
Biguanide hypoglycemic drugs can inhibit appetite, improve the binding of insulin to the receptors, promote the anaerobic glycolysis of glucose in cells, inhibit tissue respiration and inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis. The biguanide hypoglycemic drugs mainly include metformin, phenformin and buformin.
Other hypoglycemic drugs mainly include thiazolidinedione drugs (such as troglitazone, rosiglitazone, and pioglitazone, etc.), β3-adrenoceptor regulators, glucagon receptor antagonists, fatty acid metabolism interfering agents, α-glycosidase inhibitors (such as acarbose, voglibose, miglitol, etc.), and aldose reductase inhibitors and the like.
The deep research on glycometabolism-related endogenous peptide hormone provides a new idea for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. When human body intakes nutrient materials, the enteroendocrine cells release enteropeptide hormone, mainly including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), which regulates the metabolism of organism by affecting the insulin generation, gastrointestinal peristalsis, pancreatic islet cell proliferation, etc. Wherein, GLP-1 is secreted by the enteric Langerhans cells, and activates adenylate cyclase to improve the cAMP level by specifically binding to the GLP-1 receptor of pancreatic islet β-cells, so as to further activate the protein kinase. The metabolic signal (glycometabolism) and kinase signal (binding to GLP-1) cooperate at the cell membrane level to finally cause the Ca2+ channel to open and Ca2+ to flow inward, thereby further stimulating the secretion of insulin while inhibiting the generation of glucagon, so that the postprandial blood sugar concentration is decreased and maintained at a constant level. Also, GLP-1 has the function of neuroregulation, and can retard gastric emptying and inhibit appetite. Normally, the effect of GLP-1 for stimulating insulin secretion depends on the blood sugar concentration. As the blood glucose concentration lowers, the effect of GLP-1 for stimulating insulin secretion accordingly decreases, namely self-limited hypoglycemic effect, and thus hypoglycemia will not occur. The drugs with the GLP-1-like action are greatly desirable for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
GLP-1, which is directly injected to the patients with diabetes for continued 6 weeks, may effectively control the levels of blood sugar and free fatty acids, and improve the function of β-cells. Since the half life of GLP-1 in body is less than 5 minutes, its clinical application is greatly limited. A GLP-1 analog that binds to albumin, as developed by Novo Nordisk Co., Danmark (Trade Name "Liraglutide"), may have a half life of up to 10 hours. The result of Clinical Trial Phase I showed that the drug can obviously improve the symptoms of diabetes mellitus while having no notable virulent side-effect. It can be predicted that Clinical Trial Phase III will be carried out before long. Exendin-4 (also named as AC2993, with the trade name of Exenatide) is a GLP-1 analog (a polypeptide composed of 39 amino acids) developed by the Amylin Medical Co., USA, which was originally isolated from the saliva of an American venomous lizard. In the clinical trials, it is found that, for normal volunteers, Exendin-4 can retard gastric emptying, inhibit appetite and stimulate insulin secretion; for the patients with diabetes of type II, Exendin-4 may stimulate insulin secretion, and obviously decrease the postprandial concentrations of blood sugar and glucagon, and can reduce the body weight of the patients after a long-time use. The side effects resulted therefrom mainly include temporary headache, nausea and vomit. Exendin-4 had been authorized by the American FDA to be marketed as the drugs for treating diabetes of type II at the end of April in 2005. Owing to the use of the Medisorb controlled release technology of Alkerme Co., the controlled release preparation based on Exendin-4, AC2993LAR, as developed by Amylin Co., only needs to be injected once a month, which is being in the Clinical Trial Phase II. Basing on the effect of GLP-1R agonists for promoting the growth and proliferation of pancreatic islet β-cell, American NIH has started the Clinical Trial Phase I of using Exendin-4 (AC2993) to treat type I diabetes mellitus. Since the polypeptide drugs are inconvenient for oral administration, the various international pharmaceutical organizations focus on searching for non-peptide GLP-1R regulators and developing new types of drugs treating diabetes mellitus that have independent intellectual property. However, there are no reports about non-peptide GLP-1R regulators now, except for GLP-1 and analogs thereof.

Substituted cyclic compound, its preparation process and its medical use

Abstract: its preparation process and its use as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor regulator for preventing or treating metabolic disorders including, but not limited to, diabetes, insulin resistance and obesity, etc.

Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences


To provide an authentication technology making it compatible to facilitate inputting of authentication information and to ensure the security. An authentication device connected to a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal via a communication line, receives a message from the transmitting terminal, receives authentication information from the transmitting terminal, registers the message in association with the authentication information, receives a request with a purport of acquiring the message from the receiving terminal, determines, based on the authentication information received from the receiving terminal and the registered authentication information, whether to authenticate or not, and, if authenticated, transmits the message to the receiving terminal.

The invention relates to an authentication technology on the occasion of providing a message via a communication line.
Over the recent years, a wireless terminal device as typified by a cellular phone has been diversified in its function and has become capable of managing multiple items of information about a terminal user. Herein, one item of information to be managed is location information of the terminal, and at the present a service for disclosing the location information to others is being actualized. The location information of the terminal is personal information of the individual user carrying the terminal, and hence access control is required to be done so as to authenticate a person who requests the disclosure of the location information and to disclose the location information to only specified persons authenticated. A general authentication method, which is now being utilized, is a method employing an ID and a password. Therefore, it is required that both of an information provider and an information requester manage the IDs and the passwords
In the case of the authentication using the ID and the password, supposing that the information provider side is a mobile terminal, a problem is that an input of the information such as the ID and the password for authenticating the information requester is extremely time-consuming. Hence, there is demanded an authentication technology capable of inputting the information by a simple operation and actualizing firm security.
On the other hand, a personal information disclosure system is proposed, wherein an information registrant registers a server with the information to be disclosed and a mail address and a name of a person who approves the disclosure, and, when the terminal of the information requester requests the server to disclose the information, it is judged whether the disclosure request is valid or not, depending on whether or not the name and the mail address of the requester are previously registered (Patent document 1).    [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-41522


A portable terminal with a cradle is provided. The cradle includes a base unit, a cradling unit assembled to one face of the base unit and rotatable about a rotary axis extending perpendicularly to the one face of the base unit, and at least one cover member pivotally connected to the base unit. If the housing of the terminal is mounted on the cradling unit and rotated together with the cradling unit, the front and rear faces of the housing are reversed. The cradle configured in this manner is advantageous in that its cover member can protect the housing of the terminal and improve structural stability of the slim terminal. In addition, because the cover is used as a support in the extended state, a display device can be variously oriented, so that a user can conveniently use a multimedia service such as a broadcast.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cradle for a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a portable terminal may be classified into a bar-type, a flip-type or a folder-type according to the appearance thereof.
A bar-type terminal has a single body housing which is provided with a transmitter unit, a receiver unit, a key pad, a display device and the like. The key pad for serving as a data input unit may be caused to malfunction because it is always exposed. Furthermore, such a bar-type unit has a limit in miniaturization because it is necessary to secure a predetermined distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit.
A flip-type terminal includes a body, a flip and a hinge module interconnecting the body and the flip, wherein the body is provided with a transmitter unit, a receiver unit, a key pad, a display device and the like. The key pad for serving as a data input unit can be prevented from malfunctioning because it is closed or opened by the flip. However, such a flip-type unit has a limit in miniaturization because it is necessary to secure a predetermined distance between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit.
A folder-type portable terminal includes a body, a folder and a hinge module rotatably interconnecting the body and the folder, so that the body is opened and closed as the folder rotates. During the standby mode, because the folder comes into close contact with the body, the malfunction of the key pad can be prevented. In the communication mode, the folder is extended, so that a sufficient distance can be secured between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit, which is advantageous in miniaturization.
Recently, sliding-type terminals have become popular as have folder-type terminals. A sliding-type terminal includes a pair of housings which are slidably engaged with each other, so that one of the housings slides in a folded state, thereby opening a part of the other housing. Such a sliding-type terminal is advantageous in that it is convenient to carry and use.
Mobile communication services using these portable terminals were initially limited to voice communication and short messaging services. However, the mobile communication services have been gradually extended from an entertainment service area, such as a game service, a funny picture service, a bell sound service and the like, to a multimedia service area, such as a playing-image service, an Audio On Demand (AOD) service and a Video On Demand (VOD) service. Recently, broadcasting services, such as satellite/terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), have also been provided through portable terminals.
Due to the characteristics of portable terminals, light weight has become an important standard for consumers' selecting of a portable terminal. However, as the multimedia services are becoming popular, the sizes of display devices have been increased. Therefore, efforts for miniaturizing and lightening portable terminals have been concentrated to how to reduce the thicknesses of portable terminals.
However, due to a slim construction, a portable terminal is structurally weakened, and it is very difficult to secure sufficient battery capacity for the portable terminal. Specifically, as the thickness of a portable terminal is reduced, the possibility of deformation, such as flexure, of the portable terminal occurring due to an external force is increased. Furthermore, due to the reduction of the thickness of such a portable terminal, a space for installing components within the terminal is also reduced, which causes the capacity of a battery cell to be reduced.
In addition, since conventional portable terminals have been manufactured in a form convenient for mobile communication functions such as voice communication, short messaging, etc. even though service areas through portable terminals have been variously extended, they have a disadvantage in that they are inconvenient for enjoying diversified services.


An implantable stent having surface features adapted to promote an organized growth pattern of infiltrating cells when implanted in a tubular organ is provided. The surface features comprise depressions, pores, projections, pleats, channels or grooves in the stent body and are designed to increase turbulence or stagnation in the flow of a liquid, such as blood through the stent, and/or to promote the growth of infiltrating cells in an organized pattern. Alternatively, the invention stent can be populated with living cells prior to implant and can be heatable from an external source of energy, thereby inducing production of therapeutic bioactive agents from ingrowing cells. The invention also provides an implantable heatable stent for transcutaneously monitoring the flow of fluid through a lumen into which the stent is implanted by measuring the rate at which the heated stent cools in response to blood flow when the source of heat is removed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an implantable medical device; and more particularly to an implantable stent.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Damage to the endothelial and medial layers of a blood vessel, such as often occurs in the coarse of balloon angioplasty and stent procedures, has been found to stimulate neointimal proliferation, leading to restenosis of atherosclerotic vessels.
The normal endothelium, which lines blood vessels, is uniquely and completely compatible with blood. Endothelial cells initiate metabolic processes, like the secretion of prostacylin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), which actively discourage platelet deposition and thrombus formation in vessel walls. However, damaged arterial surfaces within the vascular system are highly susceptible to thrombus formation. Abnormal platelet deposition, resulting in thrombosis, is more likely to occur in vessels in which endothelial, medial and adventitial damage has occurred. While systemic drugs have been used to prevent coagulation and to inhibit platelet aggregation, a need exists for a means by which a damaged vessel can be treated directly to prevent thrombus formation and subsequent intimal smooth muscle cell proliferation.
Current treatment regimes for stenosis or occluded vessels include mechanical interventions. However, these techniques also serve to exacerbate the injury, precipitating new smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointimal growth. For example, stenotic arteries are often treated with balloon angioplasty, which involves the mechanical dilation of a vessel with an inflatable catheter. The effectiveness of this procedure is limited in some patients because the treatment itself damages the vessel, thereby inducing proliferation of smooth muscle cells and reocclusion or restenosis of the vessel. It has been estimated that approximately 30 to 40 percent of patients treated by balloon angioplasty and/or stents may experience restenosis within one year of the procedure.
To overcome these problems, numerous approaches have been taken to providing stents useful in the repair of damaged vasculature. In one aspect, the stent itself reduces restenosis in a mechanical way by providing a larger lumen. For example, some stents gradually enlarge over time. To prevent damage to the lumen wall during implantation of the stent, many stents are implanted in a contracted form mounted on a partially expanded balloon of a balloon catheter and then expanded in situ to contact the lumen wall. U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,211 discloses an expandable stent for supporting the interior wall of a coronary artery wherein the stent body is made of a porous bioabsorbable material. To aid in avoiding damage to vasculature during implant of such stents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,960 discloses a friction-reducing coating of commingled hydrogel suitable for application to polymeric plastic, rubber or metallic substrates that can be applied to the surface of a stent.
A number of agents that affect cell proliferation have been tested as pharmacological treatments for stenosis and restenosis in an attempt to slow or inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells. These compositions have included heparin, coumarin, aspirin, fish oils, calcium antagonists, steroids, prostacyclin, ultraviolet irradiation, and others. Such agents may be systemically applied or may be delivered on a more local basis using a drug delivery catheter or a drug eluting stent. In particular, biodegradable polymer matrices containing a pharmaceutical may be implanted at a treatment site. As the polymer degrades, a medicament is released directly at the treatment site. The rate at which the drug is delivered is dependent upon the rate at which the polymer matrix is resorbed by the body. U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,348 to Kaplan and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,760 to Norciso are exemplary of this technology. U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,710 discloses a stent formed of composite biodegradable polymers of different melting temperatures.
Porous stents formed from porous polymers or sintered metal particles or fibers have also been used for release of therapeutic drugs within a damaged vessel, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,172. However, tissue surrounding a porous stent tends to infiltrate the pores. In certain applications, pores that promote tissue ingrowth are considered to be counterproductive because the growth of neointima can occlude the artery, or other body lumen, into which the stent is being placed.
Delivery of drugs to the damaged arterial wall components has also been explored by using latticed intravascular stents that have been seeded with sheep endothelial cells engineered to secrete a therapeutic protein, such as t-PA (D. A. Dichek et al., Circulation, 80, 1347–1353, 1989). However, endothelium is known to be capable of promoting both coagulation and thrombolysis.
Another approach to controlling the healing of a damaged artery or vein is to induce apoptosis in neointimal cells to reduce the size of a stenotic lesion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,905 to Gibbons et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes induction of apoptosis by administering anti-sense oligonucleotides that counteract the anti-apoptotic gene, bcl-x, which is expressed at high levels by neointimal cells. These anti-sense oligonucleotides are intended to block expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-x so that the neointimal cells are induced to undergo programmed cell death.
Under certain conditions, the body naturally produces another drug that has an influence on cell apoptosis among its many effects. As is explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,836 to Amin et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, nitric oxide (NO) is produced by an inducible enzyme, nitric oxide synthase, which belongs to a family of proteins beneficial to arterial homeostasis.
However, the effect of nitric oxide in the regulation of apoptosis is complex. A pro-apoptotic effect seems to be linked to pathophysiological conditions wherein high amounts of NO are produced by the inducible nitric oxide synthase. By contrast, an anti-apoptotic effect results from the continuous, low level release of endothelial NO, which inhibits apoptosis and is believed to contribute to the anti-atherosclerotic function of NO. Dimmeler in "Nitric Oxide and Apoptosis: Another Paradigm For The Double-Edged Role of Nitric Oxide" (Nitric Oxide 1(4): 275–281, 1997) discusses the pro- and anti-apoptotic effects of nitric oxide.
In many instances it is desirable to prevent neointimal proliferation that leads to stenosis or restenosis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,584 to Edelman et al. describes a method for inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation following injury to the endothelial cell lining by creating a matrix containing endothelial cells and surgically wrapping the matrix about the tunica adventitia. The matrix, and especially the endothelial cells attached to the matrix, secrete products that diffuse into surrounding tissue, but do not migrate to the endothelial cell lining of the injured blood vessel.
In the treatment of heart disease it is also important to determine the overall effectiveness of the heart as a pump and the ability of the blood vessels to carry blood to other organs. If blood flow to an organ is significantly restricted, the organ can be damaged, and if the flow is stopped, death may occur. Consequently, the measure of the flow of blood within a blood vessel has been used as an indicator of the condition of the blood vessel and the pumping action of the heart. By monitoring the blood flow of a patient, the early detection of a heart condition, or of restenosis, is possible, and preventative measures may be taken to address any problems. If the blood vessel becomes seriously clogged, angioplasty or a by-pass operation may be performed that uses a graft to circumvent the damaged vessel.
In overseeing the condition of a patient's blood vessel, a number of blood flow measurements may be needed, over time, to effectively monitor the patient's condition. One known method of monitoring the flow of blood in a vessel involves the percutaneous application of an instrument to measure the flow. Such methods are termed "invasive" because the body must be pierced to obtain the blood flow measurement. Clearly, invasive techniques to measure blood flow have a disadvantage in that the measurement must be taken under controlled conditions. For example, it is difficult, if not impossible, to monitor blood flow during periods of increased exercise.
Despite the progress of the art in providing implantable stents useful for treating a damaged body lumen, there is a need for new and better stents, particularly for stents that are adapted to promote growth of infiltrating cells into organized cellular structures, such as take place during angiogenesis and/or neovascularization, to aid in repair of a damaged body lumen. It is also apparent that a device that non-invasively measures the flow of blood in a blood vessel is desirable.

Implantable device for promoting repair of a body lumen


An improved device for protective headgear for shielding ears and neck from ultraviolet rays which can be worn alone or in conjunction with a hat. This device is a stretchable headband with a crescent shaped sun shield attached to the headband. The sun shield gathers slightly when worn, and extends outwardly from the head so that it does not lay directly over the ears. The shield is made of a tightly woven material which is also breathable, a single ply or preferably a two-ply material with a tightly woven micro denier on the outside and an all-cotton liner on the underside which will be in contact with the back of the neck. A method for making the device also disclosed.

In the United States during 1990 there were more than a half million expected new cases of skin cancer reported according to the Skin Cancer Foundation in New York City. What is most alarming is that over the past decade the incidence of malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, has almost doubled. Some dermatologists have called this situation an epidemic. In 1930 the lifetime risk of developing melanoma was 1 chance in 1,500. Today the risk has increased to 1 chance in 150. According to New York University researchers Darrell Rigel, Alfred Kopf and Robert Friedman, the risk in the year 2000 will be as high as 1 in 90.
The evidence is overwhelming that ultraviolet radiation from the sun is a major cause of melanoma. It has been shown that taking protective measures, like applying sun screen or wearing protective clothing while outdoors, could prevent a significant number of these tumors.
Skin cancer is most common in areas of the world where sunlight is the most intense. People with light skin have little in the way of protective skin pigment, therefore they also have a proportionately higher chance of contracting skin cancer if they sunbathe regularly. The probability is increased if they have suffered from a severe sunburn as a child.
In recent years, scientists have become worried about the effect of the depletion of the ozone layer on the incidence of skin cancer. The ozone layer located in the stratosphere shields life on earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Depletion of the ozone layer has been observed near the North and South poles. Meteorologist Joseph Farman and his colleagues at the British Antarctic Survey, in Antarctica in 1985 discovered a hole in the ozone layer. Today, scientists know that holes in the ozone layer exists over both the North and South poles. These holes, along with the general depletion of ozone, allow more ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth. Theoretically, this situation will cause an increase in the occurrence of skin cancer. EPA consultant Janice D. Longstreth predicts that an additional 154 million skin cancer cases and 3.2 million skin cancer deaths worldwide will occur among people born before 2075. It is apparent that steps must be taken to stop ozone depletion as well as develop new protection for people who must live with the higher levels of UV radiation caused by this ozone depletion.
One way to reduce the risk of skin cancer is to wear a protective garment. Not all fabrics provide equal protection from ultraviolet radiation. However when a fabric is selected for this purpose, the wearer's comfort also needs to be taken into consideration.
Today the baseball cap is a popular means of protection from strong sunlight. However, the baseball cap provides only partial protection as it leaves the neck and ears exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Hats have been produced which offer greater protection to the neck and ears, but their acceptance has been low. Baseball caps are available today with a plethora of logos (everything from sports teams to product names). Many individuals become very attached to these hats and wouldn't think of wearing anything else. Therefore a real need exists for a ear and neck protector which can be worn in conjunction with a baseball cap or any type of hat which will provide superior protection from ultraviolet radiation.

Headgear for shielding ears and neck from ultraviolet rays


The invention provides for the manufacture of food products. In one preferred form, methods and apparatus are provided for cutting individual confectionery products from a slab or strip of product material into a product with a particular silhouette. In another form, the invention provides methods and apparatus for both cutting and forming individual confectionery products from strips or ropes. The process can be used for simply forming products from pre-cut segments or other blanks of confectionery material, including imparting a relatively precise texture, finish or detail to such products. The products may, but need not, be subsequently enrobed in chocolate or another coating. In still other embodiments, the confectionery material may comprise grains of a puffed cereal. In some instances, a matrix of plasticizable material holds the grains together and the confectionery material may also include, in addition to the puffed cereal, candied fruit bits, dry fruits, nuts, or the like. In some cases, the puffed cereal may be held together by surface contact between adjacent grains instead of being held by the matrix.

The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of food products. In one preferred form, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for cutting individual confectionery products from a slab or strip of product material into a product with a particular silhouette. In another form, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for both cutting and forming individual confectionery products from strips or ropes. Still further, the process can be used for simply forming products from pre-cut segments or other blanks of confectionery material, including imparting a relatively precise texture, finish or detail to such products. The products may, but need not, be subsequently enrobed in chocolate or another coating. In still other embodiments, the confectionery material may comprise grains of a puffed cereal. In some instances, a matrix of plasticizable material holds the grains together and the confectionery material may also include, in addition to the puffed cereal, candied fruit bits, dry fruits, nuts, or the like. In some cases, the puffed cereal may be held together by surface contact between adjacent grains instead of being held by the matrix.
The methods and apparatus are adapted to create individual confections which have the same taste, consistency and eating characteristics as those of the supply stock, i.e., they are "true analogs" of the supply stock. These methods and apparatus advantageously involve the utilization of ultrasonic energy.
The simplest form of apparatus involves cutting shapes from a slab or suitably wide strip of material on a flat surface to create products having a given silhouette but opposed flat sides. More complex forms of the apparatus use one or more forming tools, each of which includes a cavity having interior surfaces which will impart a desired shape and surface detail or texture to the finished product. Where advantage is taken of a number of features of the invention, a continuous extruded strip or "rope" of confectionery material is continuously advanced and then intermittently engaged by a cutting and forming tool whose cutting edges and interior surfaces vibrate ultrasonically at a desired amplitude. As used herein, "tool" simply means the portion of an ultrasonically energized apparatus that cuts or imprints a shape to the product.
This enables a finished product of a desired shape and surface texture to be accurately formed by the tool and then released from the tool without having any residue from the product adhere to the interior of the tool, and without affecting the sensory characteristics of the product. The apparatus and methods can be used to create products which are the true analogs of other products made from the same ingredients but shaped or sized differently.
Where the cutting and forming tools are formed and sized appropriately, and moved in a desired sequence, and where the cross-section of the confectionery stock is controlled properly, the process can achieve so-called "flashless molding" of product and also virtually or completely eliminate scrap or the like by forming the entire strip into individual products, without leaving a web or other residue from which the individual pieces were formed. In the case of puffed cereal products, this may be referred to as "flashless formation" in that little or no scrap is created by the forming operations. Forming of puffed cereals is done by rearranging the shape or contours of the product, but without compressing the confectionery stock. This avoids any change in eating characteristics which might result from compressing or collapsing the cereal grains.
Many commercially produced confectionery products, such as, for example, candy bars, are formed by providing a slab which is then slit into multiple strips or what are sometimes termed "ropes." These strips or ropes are cut into individual lengths and enrobed with a continuous coating, such as, for example, chocolate. Such cutting steps can be carried out at high speed but these steps do not customarily involve forming the product into any shape except that of simple geometric figures, usually a parallel piped or rectangular bar.
Although it is known to be possible to form unusual shapes and to impart a great variety of surface finishes or textures to candy products, this is not able to be done with most candy products on a rapid, continuous basis. This is because such shapes are normally created by molding, which involves melting the candy product and allowing it to re-solidify.
In the candy business, a great deal of research and effort has been undertaken in an attempt to create products which have taste, consistency and eating characteristics of a particularly desired kind. Thus, candy bar centers are commonly made as layered products and include a variety of materials each having its own characteristic taste. These ingredients include nuts of various kinds, fruit inclusions, coconut, peanut butter, nougat, caramel, most or all of which are layered and then enrobed in dark or light chocolate, or the like. It has been found through research that the mere presence of the same or similar ingredients in two different products is not enough to ensure that they will have the same taste, consistency and eating characteristics.
Thus, if the ingredients in one product are arranged in distinct layers, and in other products the same ingredients are simply intermixed, consumers will very often strongly prefer one product and not the other, in spite of the virtual identity of their ingredients on an overall basis. Many manufacturers have been unable to offer truly analogous products in shapes which differ significantly from those in which the products are customarily made. Accordingly, there has been a desire in the industry to be able to provide different versions or true analogs of particular, commercially popular candy bars in shapes different from their usual prior shapes. By "true analogs" as used herein is meant a product which does in fact have the same formulation, taste, consistency and eating characteristics as an original or reference product.
Assuming that a product itself could be made into two or more analog forms, each having significantly different shapes, another question is whether the equipment used to make such analog products could be readily incorporated into existing production lines.
Consequently, the operational flexibility that could be achieved by simply inserting the apparatus necessary to make an analog product into a production line that need not otherwise be modified would be a significant advantage in the industry.
While it is known that three dimensional products or those with complex detail or surface texture can be formed from continuous slabs of material as described above without encountering the above-referenced difficulties to an extent considered significant, these known manufacturing methods have several of their own drawbacks. Such methods often termed "flex molding," for example, are expensive and complex.
Flex molding is so-named because the molds which actually form the product are made from a flexible material, such as rubber. Consequently, it is possible to impart a somewhat complex decorative or like shape to the product and to remove a product, even one including undercuts or complex surface shapes from the mold as long as the mold sidewalls are flexible enough to be removed from the product without damaging it. However, there are a number of drawbacks to this method. First, it involves fluent, plasticized, or even liquid state products, and such liquid state products cannot by their nature be true analog products. The time required to allow products to solidify sufficiently to allow their removal is a process requirement that militates strongly against high production rates.
The size and complexity of flex molding equipment makes it expensive, causes it to occupy a great deal of space and makes it difficult to integrate into existing process equipment. Maintenance in some cases is difficult and expensive.
At least one other prior art method has presented certain disadvantages and drawbacks. Among these are problems of adhesion between the tool cavity interior or other forming surface that can become very significant. Even the most minor amount of adhesion will prevent complete product release, and in this case, deposits can progressively build up until an unacceptable level of residual material is present. Then, the process must be stopped to clean the forming surfaces. Anything hampering the continuity of such a process is clearly a serious drawback.
Problems continue to arise in the confectionery industry when it is necessary to cut individual pieces from continuous slabs, strips or extrudable ropes of products. Another aspect of the difficulty in cutting pieces relates to commercially produced frozen confections such as ice cream or frozen yogurt. The present invention allows effortless cutting of slabs, strips or extrudable ropes without producing distortion or adhesions, even where there are inclusions such as nuts, bits of fruit and the like.
The puffed cereal material may be presented in several ways. Where the cereal grains are received and held within a plasticizable matrix, the strip or slab of such product may be reformed at any time after the strip or slab itself is formed, inasmuch as the grains can be moved about when the matrix is plasticized. The operations include cutting individual pieces from a larger mass such as the strip or slab and forming them into characteristic shapes or products with visible surface texture. In those circumstances wherein there is no plasticizable matrix, it is customary to form an extruded rope of grains bound together at their outer surfaces without an adhesive matrix. This extruded rope is still pliable for a very short time immediately after merging from the extruder. It is only at this point that the rope may be formed into a confection of a shape determined by the tool contours without altering the texture or volume of the grains and without altering the eating characteristics of the final product.
In view of the foregoing and other disadvantages and the failure generally of the prior art to provide optimum methods and apparatus for forming individual food products from continuous strips or slabs, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for this purpose.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for simultaneously cutting and forming confectionery products such as, for example, candy bars.
One other object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which will rapidly and readily cut a product having a given silhouette from a continuous web of material.
A further object of the present invention is to provide improved methods and apparatus for cutting and forming frozen confectionery products, with or without inclusions.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatus for ultrasonically cutting and forming three dimensionally shaped and/or surface textured or embossed confectionery products, both "frozen" or "ambient" ("non-frozen").
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for ultrasonically energizing one or more "acoustic tools" (such as an ultrasonic horn) used to cut and form intricately shaped, surface textured confectionery products from a continuous slab, rope or strip.
A further object of the invention is to use an acoustic tool for forming confectionery products, including puffed cereal products, from pre-cut, metered, or dosed portions of confectionery stock.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for minimizing distortion of layered feedstock materials during the forming process.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for cutting and forming intricately shaped and/or textured confectionery products in a single step, such methods and apparatus employing ultrasonic energy and specially designed forming tools.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for cutting individual confectionery products from a strip or extruded rope of confectionery stock and simultaneously forming individual products by contacting the supply of material with a cutting and forming tool having ultrasonically vibrating surfaces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for forming confectionery products which readily fill a cavity of a complex shape to provide a product that is substantially free of voids.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby confectionery products of a given height, length and width can be produced from a continuous strip of confectionery stock having a different height and width, all without disturbing the taste, consistency and eating characteristics of the feedstock.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved cutting and product forming system for making selectively shaped confectionery products, which system can easily be integrated into or installed on existing production lines with a minimum of capital expenditure and which can enable such production lines to achieve desirably high production rates, especially in relation to flex molding techniques and to maintain or improve quality.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for substantially reducing the forces required to form novel confectionery shapes, thereby increasing the life of tools and other process equipment, and enabling products to be made at higher rates without increased cost.
A still further object is to provide a process that is capable of concurrently producing both regular or conventional shapes as well as novelty shapes from the same feedstock, preferably on side-by-side lines using basically the same equipment.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a confectionery forming method and apparatus wherein ultrasonic energy is used to achieve movement of the cavity defining surfaces to ensure that the product is fully and completely released from the mold thereby eliminating build-up of product residue on the working faces of the forming tools.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of operating an ultrasonically energized tool so as to achieve the required energy transfer without waste of energy or degrading or damaging to the product or the tooling.
Another object of the invention is to provide methods for operating ultrasonically energized equipment which include selectively varying the amplitude of vibration undergone by certain of the product contact surfaces during the cutting and forming cycles so as to utilize ultrasonic energy in the most effective way.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of imparting ultrasonic energy to an ultrasonically vibrated mold in a definite sequence so as to achieving desired or necessary plasticity and secure complete mold release without unduly raising the surface and/or interior temperature of the product.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide methods for utilizing pairs of opposed, cooperating, ultrasonically energized forming tools in a synchronized relation to form products of complex shapes, including full three-dimensional shapes, in a continuous process.
Another object of the invention is to enable the same process equipment to be used in forming finished products such as fudge or chocolate products, as is used in producing toffee or other shaped centers for a subsequently applied final coating such as chocolate.
A further object of the invention is to provide a molding tool which will cut profile or silhouette shapes from a slab of continuous confectionery feedstock, creating a product with a flat top and bottom and a contoured outline or silhouette formed by a precise, ultrasonic vibration-assisted cutting action.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of substantially "flashless" molding of confectionery products from a continuous strip, rapidly forming a succession of individual products and utilizing the entire volume of the strip so that no residual web or non-product residue is created.
Another object of the invention is to utilize a multiple cavity tool to produce plural flashless, silhouette products from a slab to leave a web of minimum volume that can be recycled.
Yet another object of the invention is to use an array of single or multiple cavity tools for producing silhouette products or cut and molded products from a slab of confectionery material.
A further object of the invention is to provide certain apparatus and methods that will cut and/or form confectionery stock such as candy bar forming stock, and in modified or un-modified form, that will function equally well in cutting and/or forming puffed cereal slabs, strips or ropes of various kinds.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method of incorporating the intermittent motion of a pair of opposed tool sets into a process that includes supplying feedstock in continuous or rope form in order to make individual products from such continuous rope without creating waste, leftovers, and without unduly deforming the feedstock.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages are achieved in practice by providing a method which includes using one or more ultrasonically energized forming tools to create individual confectionery products, including puffed cereal products, from a continuous slab of product by cutting and forming such individual uses through the use of a desired motion sequence, and the use of the ultrasonic energy to plasticize the product and impart a desired shape and surface texture thereto at high speed while securing complete release of the product from the forming tool.
The objects are also achieved by providing control of the amplitude of the ultrasonic energy supplied to the tools during product forming operations and by coordinating the motion sequence of some of the process equipment with other process equipment to achieve substantially flashless molding. In addition, the invention provide methods and apparatus involving the use of a reciprocating tool moving in cooperation with an indexable companion tool or anvil as a part of a continuous forming process.
The manner in which the foregoing and other objects and advantages are achieved in practice will become more clearly apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein like references numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout.

Ultrasonic forming of confectionery products


The disclosed technology relates to a self fitting hearing device and a method for self fitting the hearing device. Specifically, the disclosed technology relates to transmitting calibration signals from a wireless communication device to a hearing device so that the wireless communication device can provide signals or audio streams calibrated for a self-fitting for a hearing device. The wireless communication device can receive feedback from a hearing device that received a calibration signal and use this feedback to adjust signals it transmits to a hearing device for self fitting. More specifically, the hearing device receiving the calibration signal can determine whether the calibration actually received by the hearing device has criteria that meets a threshold for properly fitting the hearing device.

Self-fitting hearing aids are growing in popularity. A self-fitting hearing aid is a device that enables the hearing aid user to perform both threshold measurements leading to a prescribed hearing aid setting and fine-tuning without the need for audiological support or access to audiological equipment.
Self fitting also refers to the steps and/or operations performed by a user, hearing aid, or other device communicating with the hearing aid to fit a hearing aid for hearing assistance. Self fitting generally means the hearing aid user performs the steps and/or operations without the assistance of a hearing care professional (HCP), audiologist, or doctor. Self fitting can be performed at home or in a private location, at any time, and by a single hearing aid user.
However, a hearing aid user may not be able to sufficiently self fit a hearing aid because the hearing aid users generally lack access to a fitting station designed for fitting a hearing aid. A fitting station is a computer that is configured to provide calibrated sounds to a hearing aid user to determine a degree of user's hearing loss. Furthermore, hearing aid users may not know how to use a fitting station or fitting software associated with a fitting station because hearing aid users generally do not have a background in fitting hearing aids.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a hearing device, system, method, and/or software that enables a hearing device user to perform a self-fitting procedure to self fit a hearing device, e.g., without consulting a professional or using a fitting station.
The drawings are not to scale. Some components or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the disclosed technology. Moreover, while the disclosed technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the technology to the selected implementations described. Rather, the disclosed technology is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the technology as defined by the appended claims.

Calibration for self fitting and hearing devices


A terminal module for a female connector has a metal grounding member and an insulating terminal base to receive the grounding member. The grounding member includes an extension portion and a contact arm corresponding to the extension portion. The extension portion is extended from an edge of the grounding member and parallel to the edge of the grounding member. The contact arm is extended from a side surface of the grounding member and away from the extension portion. When a plurality of the terminals modules is fitted into a connector insulator of the female connector, the extension portions and the contact arms of the terminal modules are contacted with each other and are electrically connected in series.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal module for a female connector, and in particular to a terminal module having a grounding member that can be connected with another grounding members in series.
2. The Prior Arts
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional connector includes a male conductor 14 and a female conductor. The female connector includes a connector insulator 10 and a plurality of terminal modules 12 inserted into the connector insulator 10. The connector insulator 10 has a plurality of L-shaped grounding terminal openings 10a and signal terminal openings 10b adjacent to the L-shaped grounding terminal openings 10a. The male connector 14 includes a plurality of L-shaped grounding terminal 14a corresponding to the grounding terminal openings 10a and a plurality of post-shaped signal terminals 14b corresponding to the signal terminal openings 10b. When the male connector 14 is engaged with the female connector, the grounding terminals 14a and the signal terminals 14b are inserted into the grounding terminal openings 10a and the signal terminal openings 10b, respectively. Therefore, the grounding terminals 14a and the signal terminals 14b are electrically connected with grounding pins 12c and signal pins 12b of the terminal modules 12, respectively. The terminal module 12 includes an elastic fixing portion 12d and the connector insulator 10 includes a plurality of fixing openings 10c corresponding to the elastic fixing portion 12d. When the terminal module 12 is fitted into the connector insulator 10, the elastic fixing portion 12d is engaged with the fixing opening 10c. Therefore, the terminal module 12 is securely connected with the connector insulator 10.
However, the elastic fixing portion 12d of the terminal module 12 is made of an insulating material. The elastic fixing portion 12d fractures easily especially when the terminal module 12 is fitted into the connector insulator 10. The terminal module 12 includes a metal grounding member 11. However, when the terminal modules 12 are fitted into the connector insulator 10, the grounding members 11 are not electrically connected. Therefore the grounding effect of the conventional terminal module can still be improved.


In a method for estimating a frequency offset (fe, Ωe) of a modulated bandpass signal (s) with an assumed carrier frequency (Ω0) in a mobile radio receiver, times (τj) of the zero cross-overs of the bandpass signal are determined in a first step. Using the times (τj) of the zero cross-overs and the assumed carrier frequency (Ω0), the required frequency offset (fe, Ωe) is estimated in a further step by calculating the DC component of an instantaneous frequency which is given by the frequency of the bandpass signal less the assumed carrier frequency.

Apart from symbol and frame synchronization, digital receiver systems for wireless transmission systems require the estimation and correction of a phase offset and of a frequency offset for the correct and power-efficient detection of the transmitted symbols.
For the digital frequency offset estimation, heuristic methods are used which utilize known signal characteristics or characteristics of signals derived from the received signal, and methods which are based on the so-called maximum likelihood principle. In these methods, a basic distinction is made between data-aided and non-data-aided methods and clock-aided and non-clock-aided methods. Furthermore, estimating methods with or without feedback (feedback or feedforward) are known. All of these methods are based on the use of the complex envelope of the received signal which is analog/digital-converted with adequate resolution.
From the text book "Synchronization Techniques For Digital Receivers", U. Mengali and A. N. D'Andrea, Plenum Press, New York, 1997, a heuristic method is known which works in accordance with the so-called "delay-and-multiply" method. In this method, an intermediate signal is generated from the product of a sampled input signal in complex form and a conjugate-complex input signal, displaced in time with respect to the former. Evaluation of this intermediate signal over an observation interval comprising N received symbols results in the required frequency offset. In the method, a differential demodulator is used as essential component. The disadvantageous factor in such a method is that an analog/digital converter operating with adequate resolution is necessary for sampling the input signal. In addition, gain control of the analog input signal is required apart from the linearity of the analog preprocessing.
From PCT Publication WO 01/45339 A2, a further method for estimating a frequency offset is known which is based on the above-mentioned method. In this document, an improved estimation of the frequency offset in CPFSK-modulated (continuous phase frequency shift keying) input signals is proposed by taking into consideration an additional delay parameter D. This method also exhibits the above-mentioned disadvantages.
For short-range wireless transmission systems such as are provided, for example, in the Bluetooth standard, so-called limiter-discriminator receiver concepts are known in which the received analog signal (possibly down-converted into a suitable intermediate frequency range) is converted into a hard-limited value-discrete 1-bit signal by using a limiter. The further signal processing is only based on this 1-bit signal. This concept is very interesting from points of view of economy since it is possible to dispense with an (expensive) analog/digital converter for quantizing the received analog signal. However, the procedures for frequency-offset estimation, explained above, cannot be used since there are no samples of the received analog signal which are obtained with adequate resolution.
From the text book "Irreguläre Abtastung (irregular sampling)", A. Neubauer, Springer-Verlag 2003, as described in chapter 8.2.2, pages 402 to 404, and algorithm 7.11, pages 375 to 377, a method is known which enables the instantaneous frequency of a modulation signal to be reconstructed by only evaluating the zero cross-overs of the modulated bandpass signal. For this purpose, the times of the zero cross-overs of the modulated bandpass signal are first determined. From the values of two adjacent times, the local mean value of the instantaneous frequency of the modulation signal between these adjacent times can be determined when the carrier frequency is known. A reconstruction of the required instantaneous frequency can then be performed via a multiplicity of local mean values with the aid of a Fourier series expansion of the instantaneous frequency. In this context, a recursive method for determining the corresponding Fourier coefficients is proposed. The Fourier series expansion of the instantaneous frequency then results in the required variation with time of the instantaneous frequency.

Method for estimating a frequency offset of a modulated bandpass signal


A service providing system that provides a service to a service using apparatus includes a management information storage unit that stores management information associating service identification information of the service, user identification information of a user using the service, and device identification information of the service using apparatus; an authentication unit that authenticates user authentication information for user authentication and/or device authentication information for device authentication acquired from the service using apparatus; a service identification unit that identifies the service associated with the authentication information based on the management information and the authentication information that has been authenticated; and an execution unit that executes a process according to a use request for the identified service acquired from the service using apparatus. The execution unit determines a content of a predetermined output request acquired from the service using apparatus and controls output of data according to the output request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a service providing system and a service providing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as printers having test print functions for preventing wasteful printing upon printing an image are known. According to such test print function, when multiple copies of a document are to be printed, for example, test printing of one copy is executed (e.g. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-254754).
Also, in printing an image at an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a technique is known for simulating a result of printing the image on a print medium such as paper and displaying a preview of the print result before printing (e.g. see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-278495).

Service providing system and service providing method


A cache subsystem for a computer system which includes a cache memory and a cache control means. When the processor subsystem of the computer system requests data, information related to the location of the data within the memory subsystem of the computer is input to the cache subsystem. The control means receives an address bus bit field and transmits control signals which vary depending on the received address bus bit field to the cache memory to look for the requested data. The address bus bit field is configured based upon the dimensions of the cache memory and includes information as to where the data would be stored within the cache memory. As different cache memories are of different dimensions, means for modifying the address bus bit field generated by the cache control means based on the dimensions of the cache memory are provided so that the cache subsystem may be readily configured to operate with different sized cache memories.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cache subsystem for a computer system and, more particularly, to a cache subsystem configured for operation with a selected one of at least two different sized cache memories.
2. Description of Related Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, a computer system consists of a number of subsystems interconnected by communication paths or busses that transfer data between the subsystems. A typical computer system includes a central processing unit (or "CPU") which comprises the processor subsystem and a plurality of memory and storage devices (or "memory"). The processor subsystem controls the operation of the computer system by executing a sequence of instructions to perform a series of mathematical operations on data. Both the instructions and the data are stored in the computer's memory as binary information in patterns of logical ones and zeros. To transfer data between the processor subsystem and the memory, typical computer systems are provided with a data bus for carrying data to and from the memory, an address bus for carrying signals used to locate specific memory and subsystem addresses and a control bus for carrying timing and control pulses to all subsystems included in a computer system.
The memory of a computer system may be comprised of a plurality of memory subsystems. The predominant memory subsystem is generally referred to as the main memory and is typically composed of dynamic random access memory (or "DRAM") chips. Data and program instructions brought from disk or tape are stored in main memory for use by the processor subsystem. Many computer systems also include a second memory subsystem generally referred to as the cache memory subsystem. Instead of DRAM chips, cache memory subsystems are made up of static random access memory (or "SRAM") chips, thereby resulting in a memory up to two times faster than the main memory. Most cache memory subsystems are used to store operating instructions as well as data likely to be needed next by the processor subsystem, thereby speeding up the operation of the computer system. Cache memory is up to two times faster than main memory and is designed to hold the operating instructions and data likely to be required most frequently by the CPU, thereby reducing the memory access time of the processor subsystem. Finally, a small amount of memory within the CPU is called CPU memory or registers. Made of SRAM circuits which are optimized for speed, data registers within the processors are the fastest memory of all. A program register stores the location in memory of the next program instruction while an instruction register holds the instruction being executed and a general purpose register briefly stores data during processing.
Based upon the foregoing, it should be appreciated that it is known to those skilled in the art to include a cache memory configuration in a computer system to provide a place for fast local storage of frequently accessed data.
A printed circuit board is a device for supporting electronic components mounted on its surface and for electrically interconnecting them with one another. Advances in integrated circuit technology have made possible the construction of computer subsystems such as a cache memory subsystem on one such printed circuit board. In its most elementary form, a printed circuit board consists of a nonconductive substrate clad with a thin layer of metal from which portions are etched away to form a pattern of electrical conductors. Glass/epoxy fiberglass is a commonly used substrate material and copper is commonly used for the thin layer of metal covering one or both surfaces of the substrate.
The simplest printed circuit boards have only one layer of wiring, often placed on the side of the substrate opposite the mounted components. More complex printed circuit boards also have conductive wiring patterns disposed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the insulative substrate, which allows the interconnection of many more components on a single board. Multilayer printed circuit boards are used in extremely complex circuits and include a plurality of layers of conductive wiring patterns sandwiched between thin insulative substrate layers and interconnected with one another by means of conductive holes extending through one or more of the substrates.
Constructing printed circuit boards, especially those having a plurality of layers of conductors and insulative substrates, is fairly time consuming and involved. The first step in preparing a printed circuit board is to create a photographic transparency of the circuit layout, in which the pattern of the conductors is opaque to light. Next, the transparency is projected onto the board after the layer of conductive material covering the surface of the insulative substrate has been coated with a film of photoresist material that hardens upon exposure to light. Washing away the soft parts of the film in a chemical bath leaves a photoresist pattern on the substrate which is the inverse of the circuit transparency. The conductive pattern which is not protected by the photoresist is coated with solder to protect it and then the copper or other metal that is not covered by the solder plating is etched away. Circuitry on different layers of a multilayer printed circuit board are joined by holes drilled transversely through the different layers which are plated with copper to electrically interconnect the circuits.
Based upon the foregoing, it should be appreciated that printed circuit boards, with their elaborate interconnections, are difficult and costly to build. When manufacturing a cache memory subsystem for a computer system, the system designer would determine the cache memory size required for the particular computer system, design a cache memory subsystem for incorporation into the aforementioned computer system, test the cache memory subsystem for conformance with design specifications and then begin the production of printed circuit boards with the cache memory subsystem manufactured thereon. The cache memory subsystem would then have to be serviced throughout the life of the computer system. As will be more fully described below, the size of the cache memory subsystem controls the amount of information which is quickly accessible to the user. Thus, depending on the particular operating characteristics desired for the computer system, different sized cache memory subsystems are required for different computer systems.
The requirement of different sized cache memory subsystems for different computer systems has been a particularly expensive problem for computer system manufacturers, particularly those manufacturing multiple computer system designs. Unless, the different systems require the same sized cache memory subsystem, the manufacturer must often design, test, manufacture and service any number of multiple cache memory boards. The cache memory subsystem also poses problems for the user as well. In order to upgrade a computer system to one with a larger cache memory, and thereby obtain faster data processing, a user would have to, at worst, replace the entire system and, at best, replace the entire cache memory board. Either alternative is an expensive proposition.
Providing multiple possible electronic circuit configurations on a single printed circuit board, thereby saving the expense of multiple different printed circuit boards for each circuit, has long been sought after as a manufacturing technique. U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,190 to Anderson is directed to a printed circuit board having a pattern of multiple groupings of connector holes which provide for the interconnection of two different types of connectors into the same area of the printed circuit board. The Anderson patent contemplates the use of multiple groupings so that the main printed circuit board may alternately be connected via a first connector to a first subsidiary printed circuit board or via a second connector different from the first connector, to a second subsidiary printed circuit board. Anderson does not address printed circuit boards designed for multiple configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,901 to Johnson et al is directed to a printed circuit board which includes a first set of holes for mounting groups of integrated circuit chips required to construct a first memory subsystem and a second set of holes for mounting groups of integrated circuit chips required to construct an alternative memory subsystem. During construction, the printed circuit board is populated with only those integrated circuit chips required for the construction of a memory subsystem with one or more selected features. The Johnson et al patent concentrates on the production of alternate memory subsystems and is not particularly directed toward the construction of a single memory subsystem which, with minor modification, can be reconfigured to serve other needs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,852, also to Johnson et al, is related to this same general area.

Computer system having a selectable cache subsystem


An apparatus for a continuous, automated quantitation of tin compounds in liquid samples and a method for quantitative analysis based on the said apparatus are provided herein. The inventive apparatus acidifies liquid samples and in case organotin compounds are present in the sample, a selective UV irradiation converts the organotin compounds into inorganic tin. The inventive apparatus quantitates this inorganic tin by means of electrochemical methods. The apparatus and method of the present invention allow quantitative analyses of trace amounts of organic and inorganic tin compounds present in liquid samples by converting organotin, a form unsuited for measurement, into inorganic tin, a form amenable to measurements and performing electrochemical analysis. Above all, the present invention affords the construction of an automated, continuous analysis system, making unnecessary additional manual operations and reducing labor costs. The present invention also provides an apparatus for converting organotin compounds into inorganic tin.

The use of organotin compounds has grown rapidly since their commercialization in 1936 both in terms of quantity and scope. These compounds are widely used in such areas as stabilizers for plastics including polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs), industrial catalysts, pesticides, antimicrobials and wood preservatives. Since the 1960's, tributyltin (TBT) has been added to paint coatings for ships and marine structures as antifouling agents to prevent underwater creatures from attaching themselves. There has been growing concerns, however, about the harmful nature of organotin compounds since many of these are toxic and able to disrupt normal growth even when traces are released into the ecosystem. Tributyltin, a representative organotin pollutant of the sea, is polluting marine ecosystems on a global scale. It has been reported to inhibit the growth of oysters, mussels and bivalves. Since the early 1980's, tributyltin has been also known to cause imposex in gastropods, in which formation of male genitalia occurs in females accompanied with a loss of reproductive function. Meanwhile, other toxic organotin compounds such as triphenyltin and tricyclohexyltin are causes for concern as well.
The diplomatic conference held in October, 2001 at the international maritime organization (IMO) has adopted the antifouling system (AFS) convention that regulates the use of TBT antifouling agents on ships. Taking momentum from this convention, the Korean government is in the process of incorporating the contents of this convention into domestic law.
Already, the Ministry of Environment of Korea issued an announcement (No. 2003-163, Sep. 16, 2003) listing antifouling paints containing tributyltin as "chemicals of which production, import or use are either banned or subject to restrictions". In addition, a total ban on tributyltin-containing antifouling paints has been in effect since Nov. 13, 2003 for all ships registered in Korea including ocean liners and deep-sea fishing vessels.
As described above, organotin compounds can cause severe damage to ecosystems and their concentrations in the environment constantly vary according to biological (e. g., metabolism) and non-biological (season, ocean currents) factors. However, research has been lacking on apparatuses and methods for a facile, accurate and continuous determination of these compounds. At the moment, there are no patent applications directed to systems or methods for determining organotin compounds in Korea.
Although there are some methods of analysis available for quantitating organotin compounds in liquid samples (titration, gas chromatography, etc.), none of these methods have been automated so far. Gas chromatography (GC) is the method most generally used among these. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,169 describes an apparatus for concentrating organotin compounds in gaseous samples by means of a variable temperature trap for determining organotin levels. Apparently, this still leaves a strong need for a measuring device that does not require such pretreatment steps. An article from the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (vol. 17 (2002), pp 824-830) discloses a method based on gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for mono-, di- and tributyltin in seawater. This method involves the cumbersome step of extraction with organic solvents for gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. In addition, since this method requires a tin isotope 119Sn for analysis, it can be costly. In US patent publication No. 2006/0276666, a method for treating liquid samples contaminated with organotin compounds, organotin compounds are likewise extracted with organic solvents followed by gas chromatography for the evaluation of decontamination efficiency. Meanwhile, the Korean official test method for marine environment describes a GC-based method for determining levels of organotin compounds. In this method, organotin compounds from samples are extracted with methylene chloride, concentrated and derivatized with Grignard reagents, followed by filtration through a Florisil® column to remove interfering substances. This column eluate is then subject to separation with GC and finally the components are detected using a flame photometric detector (FPD).
Although gas chromatography, as shown above, is the conventional method for analyzing organotin compounds, it has important shortcomings as well. GC involves various, complicated pre-treatment steps which are cumbersome to manual operators, making automation a difficult goal. In addition, losses can occur during the stages of extraction and concentration and such manual operations are prone to wide variation in data quality depending on the operator. Furthermore, GC equipments are costly. Considering the extremely small quantities of analyte samples injected in GC, the reliability of data obtained from GC is further diminished when such shortcomings as mentioned above are taken into account.
Even if methods other than GC were available for determining organotin levels so that the shortcomings associated with GC could be overcome, such methods would still suffer from their inability to continuous concentration measurements as well as wide discrepancies in measurements arising from the different capabilities of individual operators as long as they involve unautomated steps including pre-treatment of samples. Thus, the demand for automated systems capable of an accurate, continuous and convenient determination of trace levels of organotin in liquid samples still remains unanswered.

Apparatus for analyzing tin compounds in liquid samples and method for analyzing tin levels using the same

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


The invention relates to a filling apparatus having a filling device for filling packages with a hot filling, a sealing device for sealing the package, wherein the package has a package seal for opening the package and a swivelling arrangement for swivelling the package so that the package seal contacts the hot filling. Furthermore the invention relates to a filling method in which a hot filling is filled into a package that is sealed thereafter, wherein the package has a package seal and the package is swivelled so that the package seal contacts the hot filling.

One commonly used drink package includes foil bags, which are characterized by their low empty weight. Furthermore, it is known to provide packages that can be closed with a package seal, such as a sealing cap, after the package has been filled. In this way, the drink is packed in the package with a hermetic seal, to increase shelf-life.
One object of the invention is to guarantee a desirable sterility of the package interior in order to achieve longer shelf life of the drinks than presently available.

Indag Gesellschaft Fuer Industriebedarf mbH & Co. Betriebs KG


A balanced flat stroke bi-directional conveyor for conveying object, granular and powder material. The unit utilizes the skewed sine wave trough stroke principle using primary eccentric counterweights wheels driven by a motor running at the secondary speed and equipped with the secondary eccentric counterweight wheels and a third counterweight wheel. The forces not in line with the trough stroke are absorbed with an isolation spring mounted between the drive assembly and the base, while the forces in line with the trough are balanced via a connected balancer.

Two-way flat stroke vibratory conveyors or feeders have substantial applications in a variety of fields. One typical application is in foundry operations wherein, for example, foundry castings may be delivered to a conveyor energized to feed the castings to one end or the other, depending upon where it is desired to locate the castings. Another typical application is in the bulk operations of granular materials wherein, for example, sugar, sand, stone, flour, cement, and various other chemical compounds may be delivered to one end or the other in the same way. Additionally, the conveyors may also move combinations of these object, granular and powder materials.
A conventional two-way flat stroke conveyor made according to the prior-art will typically include a motor powered drive system that includes four drive shafts having pairs of eccentric counterweight wheels connected via an elaborate belt connection. This drive is coupled to an elongated bed with an upwardly facing, generally horizontal conveying or feeding surface terminating at opposite ends. In operation the two sets of eccentric counterweight wheels are driven such that the wheels in each set rotate in opposite direction and the two sets are 90° out of phase relative to one another. When the motor powers the drives, a cyclic vibratory force is produced and the output displacement is transferred to the bed to create material flow. If one were to plot the sum of the stroke versus stroke angle of the sets of eccentric counterweight wheels, the result would be a skewed or biased sine wave in the direction of material flow. By reversing the rotation of the system, the skewed sine wave is reversed and the material flow is reversed.
This prior art conveyor poses a number of problems, the greatest of which is the complexity of the drive on what is essentially a brute force system. In other words, as the drive consists of four shafts with pairs of eccentric counterweight wheels, and the wheels, bearings and shafts must be large to transfer the forces, the result is a complex belt drive system with great maintenance and alignment difficulties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,446 to Thomson (incorporated herein by reference) attempts to address these problems with a vibratory conveyor that includes a generally horizontal, elongated conveying surface connected to a base by generally vertically arranged, resilient slats. A drive is mounted to the surface and includes two rotary eccentric shafts coupled in series and set 90° out of phase for vibrating the surface in a generally horizontal direction by imparting a cyclic vibrating force in the form of a skewed sine wave. In other words, the drive, through the connecting drive slats, imparts a horizontal force to the trough, causing it to vibrate in the horizontal direction.
Essentially, the conveyor in the Thomson patent is tuned, through the reactor slats, to approximately 7% above the primary shaft rpm. This design, as such, takes advantage of the sub-resonant natural frequency and reduces the forces to the drive bearings as well as reducing the motor size requirements as compared to the prior art. In other words, the primary horizontal eccentric force and stroke is amplified and the lessor secondary eccentric wheel force is transmitted in a brute force manner, resulting in a smaller skewing stroke component. However, the disadvantage of the Thomson patent remains its drive complexity and space limitation with respect to both manufacture and maintenance costs.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved flat stroke bi-directional conveyor.
Another general object of the present invention is to overcome those deficiencies of the flat stroke conveyors of the prior art.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved flat stroke bi-directional conveyor which utilizes the skewed sine wave principle to transfer force to the conveying bed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved conveyor which utilizes less and smaller component parts, as compared to current practice, thereby greatly reducing manufacture and maintenance costs.

Balanced flat stroke bi-directional conveyor