The present invention provides a compound which is a glycolipid analog having a novel structure represented by the formula (1): ##STR1## wherein Z represents an imino group, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; m is an integer of from 3 to 12; and n is an integer of from 4 to 22; and shows a potent activity of inhibiting glycosidase and has potential physiological activities, for example, antiviral activity. The invention also provides a glycosidase inhibitor which comprises said glycolipid analog as an active ingredient.

Physiological activities of glycolipids, which are compounds widely occurring on cell membranes in vivo, have recently attracted considerable attention. On the other hand, it is expected that a sugar analog constructed by replacing an endocyclic oxygen atom of a sugar pyranose with a methylene group has various physiological activities depending on its analogy to the original sugar. Thus there have been reported that sugar analogs including sugar analogs exhibit several physiological activities of, for example, inhibiting sugar hydrolases a) G. Hanozet, H. P. Pircher, P. Vanni, B. Oesch and G. Semenza, J. Biol. Chem., 256 (1981) 3703; b) T. Iwasawa, H. Yamamoto and M. Shibata, J. Antibiot., 23 (1970) 595; c) S. Ogawa, Y. Shibata, Y. Kosuge, K. Yasuda, T. Mizukoshi and C. Uchida, J. Chem., Soc. Chem. Comm. (1990) 1387!.
The present inventors paid their attention to the sugar moiety of a glycolipid and synthesized various glycolipid analogs represented by the formula (a) through the linkage of a sugar analog to a lipid moiety via an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, etc. "A study on synthesis of sugar analogs involving glycolipid analogs", Proceedings of 63rd Symposium on Organic Synthesis, 3rd to 4th Jun., 1993!. ##STR2## wherein X represents NH, O or S.
A glycolipid analog represented by the formula (a) is one which is analogous to a sphingoglycolipid represented by the formula (b). ##STR3## wherein X represents NH, O or S.
It is known that this sphingoglycolipid closely relates to receptor functions for physiologically active substances and important cell functions, such as generation, proliferation, differentiation or immune reactions, via intercellular recognition and interactions. It is also known that this sphingoglycolipid plays a role as a receptor in the host side in the infection with bacteria or viruses.
On the other hand, it was once expected that the compound of the formula (a) might be usable as a sugar hydrolase inhibitor, in particular, a glucocerebrosidase inhibitor or an immuno-adjuvant.
However, the compound of the formula (a) has only an insufficient activity as a glucocerebrosidase inhibitor and thus it has been required to develop a compound having an improved inhibitory activity.
Regarding a .beta.-glucocerebrosidase inhibitor, there has been reported that an N-n-alkyl-.beta.-D-glucosylamine has a potent inhibitory effect Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1039, 12-20 (1990)!. However this substance has a very poor stability in an aqueous solution (half-life: 10 to 30 minutes), which makes it less usable. On the other hand, an N-n-alkyldeoxynojirimycin strongly inhibits .beta.-glucocerebrosidase Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 915, 87-100 (1987)!. However it is reported that this substance also inhibits glucosylceramide synthetase J. Biol. Chem., 269 (11), 8362-8365 (1994)!, which indicates that it has a low specificity.
It has been also required to develop glycolipid analogs capable of inhibiting various cerebrosidases of sugars other than glucose, for example, galactocerebrosidase.
It has been furthermore required to develop compounds each having a novel structure and potential physiological activities, such as antiviral activity or activity of improving nervous functions, as glycolipid analogs.

Seikagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Seikagaku Corporation)


A method for designing a spectacle lens that includes an optical convex surface on an object side of the spectacle lens and an optical concave surface on an eye side of the spectacle lens and is mounted in a spectacle frame in a manner tilting with respect to a forward sight line, the optical convex surface being spherical, the optical concave surface being optically curved according to a prescription, the method including: defining a design reference point at an intersection of the optical concave surface and the forward sight line; and determining an angle formed by a tangent line at the design reference point and a perpendicular plane perpendicular to the forward sight line as a lens tilt angle θ with which the spectacle lens is mounted in the spectacle frame.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for designing a spectacle lens to be mounted in a spectacle frame having a large bend angle such as a wraparound type spectacle frame.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a spectacle frame of the wraparound type has become popular, especially as sports sunglasses. The spectacle frame of the wraparound type has a characteristic that, since the spectacle frame of the wraparound type has a large bend angle to bend around a face, even the sides of the face are covered by lenses and the field of view is wide. Therefore, a spectacle frame of the wraparound type is popular among athletes as a frame for safety spectacles used during sports and for general eye protection.
The wraparound type spectacle lens is provided with an optical convex surface on an object side and an optical concave surface on an eye side and is mounted in the spectacle frame in a manner tilting with respect to a line of sight (JP-A-2005-284059).
The optical concave surface of the spectacle lens is prescribed for near-sightedness correction, far-sightedness correction or the like depending on eyesight of a user. Thus, spectacle lenses are typically designed in variation, but spectacle frames in which the spectacle lenses are mounted are often standardized.
Typically, a spectacle lens is mounted in a spectacle frame using an outer shape of the spectacle frame as a reference. Specifically, a spectacle lens is mounted in a spectacle frame so that an optical convex surface on an object side conforms to the outer shape of the spectacle frame.
In a spectacle lens, light that enters from the object side refracts at the optical convex surface and linearly travels in the lens, before the light retracts again at the optical concave surface and enters a pupil of a user.
Since the optical concave surface on the eye side is prescribed in correspondence with eyesight or the like of a user, the surface differs from one lens to another.
A typical spectacle lens is mounted in a spectacle frame using only the outer shape of the spectacle frame as a reference. Thus, a prescription made on the optical concave surface on an eye side may cause the optical concave surface to form an inappropriate angle with respect to the spectacle frame.
When the optical concave surface tilts relative to the appropriate angle, an average dioptric power error, an astigmatic aberration, and a prismatic error occur. A user may suffer eyestrain or the like due to such errors.

Method for designing spectacle lens, and spectacles


One embodiment of the invention sets forth a CAD application configured to perform quantity takeoff computations. The CAD application is further configured to organize a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation of object families and associated object types, where instances of the object types represent drawing objects present in the CAD drawing. The CAD application is further configured to receive a selection of an object family and to parse the selection to determine the object types associated with the selection. The CAD application then creates a takeoff object for each of the object types associated with the selection and identifies instances, associated with object properties, of each of the object types of the selection. The CAD application quantifies the instances and associated properties to produce a quantity takeoff value. Advantageously, users are able to more quickly and easily estimate the cost of a design project associated with the CAD drawing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to techniques for selective quantity takeoff from computer aided design drawings.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term computer aided design (CAD) generally refers to a broad variety of computer-based tools used by architects, engineers, and other construction and design professionals. CAD applications may be used to construct computer models representing virtually any real-world construct. Commonly, CAD applications are used to compose computer models and drawings related to design projects. For example, a CAD application may be used to compose a three-dimensional (3D) model of a house or an office building. Once composed, these CAD models are often used to generate a variety of two-dimensional (2D) and 3D views, such as plan, profile, section, and elevation views. Additionally, such models may be used to generate architectural, construction, engineering, and other documentation related to the design project.
A common requirement of design projects is to generate an estimate of the cost of the design project from the design drawings. This estimate can be used as part of the bidding process or as part of the pricing process. The term "quantity takeoff" refers to the process of generating estimates of quantities needed to construct the design project, based on the design drawings and specifications. The quantities may include numerical counts, such as the number of doors and windows in a project, but may also include other quantities such as a volume of material or a linear amount feet of material. Based on the quantity takeoff, generating the cost estimate for a design project typically involves selecting associated materials, determining labor costs, and generating the estimate of the cost of the project.
Typically, the quantity takeoff process is performed manually. For example, a project manager may use a printout, a pen, and a clicker to manually count objects illustrated in a set of construction documents. The project manager may physically mark each instance of an object in the construction documents, using the clicker to maintain an instance count. A digitizer may be used to take measurements of construction elements. However, performing quantity takeoff manually is laborious and error prone. Moreover, if the project design is modified after the original cost estimate is calculated, the takeoff process may need to be repeated. If the takeoff process is not repeated after design changes, accumulated inaccuracies in the cost estimate may adversely affect the bidding or pricing process.
To address these problems, some CAD applications have been configured to perform simplistic quantity takeoff computations from CAD drawings. These systems still have certain drawbacks, however. One specific drawback is that only one "object type" can be taken-off at a time. Object types define an abstract template of which specific instances a particular object are present in the CAD drawing. Taking off each object type separately can be a time consuming and laborious process if many different types of objects exist in the CAD model. These situations frequently arise in more complicated projects, such as those involving the design and construction of large office buildings, shopping malls, bridges, and tunnels, to name a few.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a more effective and flexible technique for performing quantity takeoff computations in more complicated CAD models.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Selective quantity takeoff from computer aided design drawings


A centralized node (CM) for coupling into a computer network (10) along which network traffic flows between a plurality of nodes (PEx) in a form of packets. The centralized node is programmed to perform the step of identifying requirements of unicast packet traffic (10, FIG. 1a) along the network, where the unicast packet traffic identifies a first traffic configuration along the network. The centralized node is also programmed to perform the step of constructing a second traffic configuration (10, FIG. 1b) along the network, differing from the first traffic configuration, wherein the second traffic configuration is for routing multicast packet traffic along the network.

The present embodiments relate to computer networks and are more particularly directed to a multicast architecture for a virtual private local area network service in a metro Ethernet network.
Ethernet networks have found favor in many applications in the networking industry for various reasons. For example, Ethernet is a widely used and cost effective medium, with numerous interfaces and capable of communications and various speeds up to the Gbps range. Ethernet networks may be used to form a Metro Ethernet Network ("MEN"), which is generally a publicly accessible network that provides a Metro domain, typically under the control of a single administrator, such as an Internet Service Provider ("ISP"). A MEN is typically used to connect between an access network and a core network. The access network typically includes private or end users making connectivity to the network. The core network is used to connect to other Metro Ethernet Networks, and the core network provides primarily a packet switching function.
A MEN typically consists of a number of Provider Edge ("PE") nodes that are statically identified and configured for communicating with one another prior to the communication of packet traffic. The static plan connects the nodes in a point-to-point manner, that is, each PE node is connected to another PE node in an emulated and bi-directional virtual circuit manner, where each such connection is achieved by a Label Switched Path ("LSP"). An LSP is sometimes informally referred to as a link. Thus, each PE node may communicate to, and receive packets from, an adjacent PE node. Further, along each LSP, between adjacent PE nodes, are often a number of Provider ("P") nodes. The P nodes maintain no state information and serve primarily a routing function and, thus, are understood not to disturb the point-to-point connection between the PE nodes of the MEN, which are more intelligent devices. A different number of P nodes may be connected in one communication direction between two adjacent PE nodes as compared to the reverse communication direction between those same two adjacent PE nodes. Lastly, note that a PE node in the MEN is also often connected to one or more Customer Edge ("CE") nodes, where those CE nodes thereby represent the interface between the MEN and an adjacent access network.
With the development of the MEN architecture, there have further evolved additional topologies associated with such a network. One example, that pertains to the preferred embodiments that are later described, is the virtual private local area network service ("VPLS"). A VPLS creates an emulated local area network ("LAN") segment for a given set of nodes in a MEN. The VPLS delivers an ISO layer 2 broadcast domain that is fully capable of learning and forwarding on Ethernet MAC addresses that is closed to a given set of nodes. Thus, within the VPLS, packets may be broadcast to all nodes on the VPLS. As a broadcast medium, however, the present inventors have observed a potential drawback occurring with respect to multicast communications. Specifically, consider a fully-meshed VPLS MEN. In such a network, each PE node is bi-directionally connected to every other PE node in the VPLS MEN. As such, any PE node may communicate as a source directly along an LSP to any other PE node as a destination, where that destination PE node may respond along another LSP (albeit through a different set of P nodes) in the reverse direction back to the source PE node. A single communication between two PE nodes in one direction and in this manner is referred to in the art as a unicast communication. Complexity arises, however, when a single PE node endeavors to communicate a packet to more than one destination PE node; such a communication by way of contrast is referred to in the art as a multicast communication. In the present state of the art, multicasting in a VPLS MEN is achieved by sending packet traffic on multiple point-to-point interfaces between PE nodes that are already communicating unicast packet traffic. As such, if a particular LSP is particularly burdened by already-existing unicast traffic, then that same LSP is further burdened by the additional multicast traffic that is then sought to communicate along the same LSP. This may be problematic as one or more LSPs carrying delay-sensitive unicast traffic are then disturbed by the addition of the multicast traffic. Also, certain regions of the MEN may be congested while others are not.
Given the preceding, the preferred embodiments are directed to providing an improved MEN VPLS that more efficiently accommodates both unicast and multicast traffic, as described below.

Multicast architecture for a virtual private local area network service in a metro ethernet network


A composition comprising short chain alkoxylated alcohols as nonionic surfactants. The short chain alkoxylated alcohols provide superior cleaning compared to their homologues with longer chains as well as other benefits including, low foaming and skin mildness, and the ability to formulate concentrated compositions.

A variety of cleaning compositions have been described in the art. There is a constant strive for the development of cleaning compositions with better performance in several respects. Better cleaning on all soils, including greasy soils and soap scum is of course a principal object, both for neat and diluted compositions which are often used in the cleaning of hard surfaces. However other properties are also highly desirable, particularly mildness to the skin, the ability to remove soap scum and to produce limited suds.
All such objects can be independently achieved by using various ingredients which are generally added for a specific purpose. For instance silicone oils are typically added solely to control sudsing. Another example is the use of solvents to boost neat cleaning. While such additives meet the desired object, they also grief the cost of formulating efficient cleaning compositions.
It has now been found that certain nonionic surfactants, namely alkoxylated alcohols with a short alkyl chain in the alcohol, hereinafter short chain alkoxylated alcohols, meet the above objects. Indeed, it has been found that said short chain alkoxylated alcohols are particularly efficient in cleaning. Such short chain alkoxylated alcohols further meet the other objects of providing surfactants which are low foaming and which are mild to the skin. Another advantage is that such short chain alkoxylated alcohols are particularly suitable for formulating concentrated cleaning compositions.
EP 125 854 discloses a composition comprising 2.7% of C8EO4.8 together with 14.2% of ammonium C11.8 linear alkyl benzene sulphonate, 10.4 of ammonium C12-13 alkyl ethoxylated sulphate, 8.6% magnesium C12-13 alkyl sulphate, 4.0% coconut monoethanolamide and 9.1% ethanol and water. EP 125 854 however fails to draw the difference between long and short chain nonionic surfactants.
EP 496 188 discloses an aqueous solution comprising 3% of C8EO6 and 8% maleic acid. EP 486 188 does not draw the difference between long and short chain nonionic surfactants.

Cleaning compositions with short chain nonionic surfactants


In a data processing apparatus used for a multi-channel digital television broadcasting system, coded streams are recorded on a recording medium in a high efficiency, and can be random-accessed in a high speed. The data processing apparatus is arranged by segmenting means for segmenting the entered coded stream with respect to a predetermined time unit, and first forming means for forming a time unit map indicative of an address of data every time unit of the coded stream which is segmented by the segmenting means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data processing method/apparatus, data reproducing method/apparatus, and a recording medium. More specifically, the present invention is directed to such data processing/recording methods/apparatuses capable of quickly random-accessing multiplexed program data by extracting feature point information from a coded transport stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
In multi-channel digital television broadcasting systems known as the European DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) system and the Japanese digital BS (Broadcast Satellite) broadcast system, the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-2 transport stream is used. A transport stream corresponds to such a stream in which a transport packet is continued. A transport packet corresponds to such a packet that, for instance, either an MPEG-2 video stream or an MPEG-1 audio stream is packeted. Either one program or a plurality of AV (Audio Visual) programs are multiplexed on a single transport stream which is transmitted by way of broadcasting electromagnetic waves. In general, AV programs of each channel are independently provided from each other.
As a consequence, when a transport stream transmitted in a broadcasting channel is directly received and then recorded by a home-use receiver, AV programs of all channels contained in this transmitted transport stream may be recorded at the same time. Also, when transport streams of AV programs of several channels selected from this broadcasted transport stream by a user are separated and then recorded, AV programs of an arbitrarily selected channel may be recorded at the same time.
FIG. 1 indicates an example of one conventional transport stream recording method. FIG. 1A shows such a transport stream on which a plurality of AV programs is multiplexed. In this drawing, an abscissa shows time. This time is segmented every time unit TUi (i=0, 1, 2, - - - ) having an interval "Δt". Either one AV program or a plurality of AV programs are selected from an input transport stream. The selected transport packets are indicated by using hatched lines. Generally speaking, as shown in FIG. 1B, these selected transport packets will appear at irregular timing, and thus, a total number of transport packets every time unit TUi is changed.
As indicated in FIG. 2, the transport packets which are selected every such a time unit TUi having the interval of Δt are recorded on a recording medium, while the intervals are shortened. At this time, these transport packets are recorded on this recording medium, while adding thereto time stamps indicative of time instants on the respective transport streams. This time stamp is similar to such a TSP_extra_header having a length of 4 bytes. That is, this 4-byte TSP_extra_header is added to the transport packet which is defined in, for instance, the DV (Digital Video) format (Specification Of Consumer-Use Digital VCRs using 6.3 mm magnetic tape in HD digital VCR conference), and PART7-DVB Specifications of Consumer-Use Digital VCR).
In FIG. 2, an abscissa indicates an address representative of a byte position of a recorded transport stream. When the transport stream having the variable bit rate shown in FIG. 1B is entered, a recording apparatus inserts dummy data into this input transport stream, and then records the resulting data at a fixed recording rate, as indicated in FIG. 2. As a consequence, a data amount with respect to a time elapse of the recorded transport stream may have a direct proportional relationship. In other words, assuming now that an amount of recorded data per a time unit is selected to be "x", a byte position of head data of an n-th (n=0, 1, 2 - - - ) time unit is equal to such a position obtained by multiplying x by n.
In this recording method, since the dummy data is inserted into the transport streams so as to achieve a constant recording rate, the recording efficiency of the transport stream is not so high. However, if such dummy data is not inserted, then the time elapses of the recorded transport streams is no longer directly proportional to the data amount of the file. As a result, in the case that such data located at a desired position on the time axis of the transport stream is accessed, there is a problem that the data access characteristic would be deteriorated.
Also, generally speaking, in an MPEG-2 video data stream, I picture are coded in an interval of approximately 0.5 seconds, and other pictures are coded as either P pictures or B pictures. As a consequence, when a video signal is reproduced in a high speed from a recording medium on which the MPEG-2 video data streams are recorded, such I pictures must be searched. However, in the case that the I pictures are reproduced by way of the random access manner from the recording medium on which the transport streams such as the digital broadcasting system are recorded, it is practically difficult to search the starting bytes of the I pictures in higher efficiencies. In other words, the syntax of the video streams which are read from the random byte positions of the transport streams recorded on the recording medium is analyzed, and thus, the starting bytes of either the I pictures or the audio frames are searched. As a consequence, lengthy search time of the I pictures is required in the worst case. Also, the high-speed random access reproducing operation cannot be carried out in response to the user input.

Method of processing multiplexed program data using entry points and time units


A system and method for determining the speed of a vehicle independent of angular wheel rotation rates is provided. The system generates time-varying signals corresponding to the vertical acceleration of the front and rear wheels. The front and rear wheel signals include corresponding perturbations caused by the wheels crossing road disturbances such as bumps. A time lag occurs between perturbations in the rear wheel signal and corresponding perturbations in the front wheel signal. An adaptive algorithm correlates the signals for various time delay values until a time delay value is determined which maximizes the correlation between the two signals. The calculated time delay value corresponds to the actual time lag between the front and rear wheels occurring before the rear wheels encounter a road disturbance previously encountered by the front wheels. Thus, the invention provides a determination of the actual speed of the vehicle determined independently from the angular rotation rates of the wheels.

Antilock braking systems are commonly used in vehicles to improve braking effectiveness and, in particular, to prevent wheel lockup during panic braking. During braking, a conventional antilock braking system attempts to determine whether any or all of the tires of the vehicle have lost traction with the road. If traction has been lost, the antilock braking system suspends braking of the wheel until traction resumes. In this manner, wheel lockup during a panic stop is avoided. Also, braking and traction are improved on slick surfaces such as snow or ice.
To determine whether a tire has lost traction, the conventional antilock braking system first determines the angular rotation rate of each wheel The system then converts the angular rotation rate of each wheel to a corresponding effective forward speed. Next, the system estimates the actual speed of the vehicle by averaging the effective forward speed of the four wheels. The system then compares the estimated forward speed of the vehicle with the effective forward speeds of each individual wheel. A discrepancy indicates that traction has been lost.
Thus, the conventional antilock braking system must first estimate vehicle speed from a combination of individual wheel rotation rates. However, an estimate based on a combination of individual wheel rotation rates is inaccurate if one or more of the wheels is slipping, and grossly inaccurate if all four wheels simultaneously lock up.
The forward speed of the vehicle is preferably measured independently from the individual rotational rates of the tires. Unfortunately, an independent determination of the speed of the vehicle is difficult to achieve with conventional techniques. Heretofore, only sophisticated and expensive techniques were available for determining the speed of a vehicle independently from the angular speed of the wheels. Exemplary techniques include inertial accelerometer systems or doppler systems using radar or sonar reflections to measure vehicle speed relative to the ground. Such techniques, commonly employed only in aircraft, are expensive, complicated, and often unreliable.
In the conventional antilock braking system, if traction has been lost, the system momentarily releases the brake on the wheel that has been determined to be slipping. Ideally, the brake is released only for the minimum time sufficient to allow the slipping wheel to regain traction and begin rolling on the road surface. This optimum release time is estimated by using the coefficient of friction between the wheels and the road surface, with the coefficient of friction estimated from the angular deceleration of the wheel and from its inertia.
However, such estimates are unreliable, and the performance of the antilock braking system is degraded by an incorrect estimate of the coefficient of friction. For example, if the brakes are applied while a wheel is airborne, the system will incorrectly respond.
Further, the conventional antilock braking system requires an accurate determination of the forward velocity of the wheels based on the angular velocity and the tire radius. However, effective tire radius can vary significantly, thus rendering an inaccurate calculation of the forward velocity of the wheel.
The problems inherent in conventional antilock braking systems also occur in conventional vehicle traction control systems, because traction control systems also require a determination of the forward speed of the vehicle.
As can be appreciated, there is a need to provide an improved velocity sensor for a vehicle which does not rely on angular wheel velocities to determine the forward velocity of the vehicle, and does not require an estimation of the coefficient of friction between the tires and the ground.


A photodiode array includes a first photodiode and at least a second photodiode. The first photodiode includes a first active area, a first anti-reflective coating area, and a first residual polysilicon ring. The first anti-reflective coating area and the first residual polysilicon ring are formed asymmetrically over the first active area. The second photodiode includes a second active area, a second anti-reflective coating area, and a second residual polysilicon ring. The second anti-reflective coating area and the second residual polysilicon ring are formed asymmetrically over the second active area. The first anti-reflective coating area is formed over a region of the first active region adjacent to the second photodiode, and the second anti-reflective coating area is formed over a region of the second active region adjacent to the first photodiode.

The present invention relates to the use of photodiode devices arranged in an array, and more particularly to a configuration of photodiode devices that reduces the "dead space" between devices in the array.
Photodiode arrays are used to detect light signals incident to the photodiode surfaces. Light signals incident to the photodiode surfaces will generate electrical signals that are representative of the light signals. Thus, photodiodes are popular in applications that use light signals to carry and retrieve information, like compact disc players and DVD players. Typically, these applications employ a number of photodiode devices arranged in an array. The use of a photodiode array allows the application to compare incoming light signal strengths at adjacent photodiodes, which allows adjustment of aspects such as the tracking or focus of the system.
To prevent electrical coupling between adjacent photodiodes, which adversely affects photodiode array performance, adjacent photodiodes must be spaced a certain minimum distance apart. The spacing between adjacent photodiodes in the photodiode array creates regions in which incident light is not detected, often referred to as dead space. One of the goals of photodiode array designers is to minimize the dead regions between adjacent photodiodes in an array, allowing for better operation of the devices. The present invention allows for minimization of dead space between photodiodes placed in an array of photodiodes.

Photodiode array having reduced dead space


The disclosure relates to providing access to database objects. A first view displays first and second database access mechanisms. The first database access mechanism includes at least one database access pattern including a predefined search of the database. The second database access mechanism includes at least one selection function and an input function, for searching a selected subset of the database for objects having an input value. The second database access mechanism is also capable of adding a database access pattern to the first database access mechanism. A third database access mechanism comprises an attribute choice and an input field to search for database objects having the input value associated with a chosen attribute.

There are different examples of providing access to database objects by searching for, identifying, and presenting database objects to a user on a display device of a computer system. One example is when a user selects an object field from a list of object field choices for the search to operate on, and enters a text string to be compared with the respective data value in the corresponding field of the database objects. The result of this search is a collection of database objects having the string in the selected object field.
If the desired field is not available as a choice in the list of field choices for the database search, the user may not be able to identify the desired set of database objects. For example, searching for the presence of the chosen string in any field of the database objects may produce a search result with too many hits to be practically useful. Moreover, if the user desires a database search on multiple object fields, the option of choosing a single search field may be unsuitable.
Some search mechanisms present a user with a search window capable of searching for strings in more than one field at a time. If the search window is a secondary window, distinct from a primary window, some or all of the primary window may be obscured by the secondary window. Additionally, each time a user wishes to repeat a given search, the user may be required to reenter the search parameters in a search window. This may force the user to memorize each of the search parameters and reenter them each time the search is required, which is inconvenient and time consuming.

Database access mechanisms for a computer user interface


A vehicle control device for an AGV includes a call box having a user interface and a manual activation element at the user interface accessible to a user. The manual activation element generates a manual call signal. The vehicle control device includes an automated activation element operably coupled to a sensor and receiving a sensor signal from the sensor. The automated activation element generates an automated call signal based on the sensor signal without user intervention. The vehicle control device includes a communication device held by the call box that receives the manual call signal and receiving the automated call signal and communicates with the AGV to trigger operation of the AGV based on both the manual call signal and the automated call signal.

The subject matter herein relates generally to control systems for automatic guided vehicles.
AGVs (Automatic Guided Vehicles) are becoming increasingly popular in production facilities to transport parts and materials autonomously from one location to the another one. AGVs navigate from point-to-point and transport materials. However, conventional systems typically require manual assistance while loading and unloading the materials to and from the AGV. Additionally, the operator must cease working from time to time to interact with the system and the AGV to call the AGV, load the AGV, and wait for the AGV to perform certain tasks, which slow processing and production. Some production facilities that utilize AGVs include a central operator station where a central operator controls the AGVs and sends the AGVs to perform the tasks. Such systems typically involve considerable human intervention in the control of the AGVs. Some know production environments have become automated, with the processing machines communicating directly with the AGVs to process requests with no human intervention in the process. However, automated control of the AGVs has proven difficult to achieve.
A need remains for a robust control system for AGVs.

Control system for automatic guided vehicle


In general, various aspects of the present invention provide methods, apparatuses, systems, computing devices, computing entities, and/or the like for integrating third party computing system functionality into a first party computing system by providing a risk management and mitigation computing system configured to analyze a risk of integrating the functionality provided by the third party computing system and facilitating implementation of one or more data-related controls that include performing computer-specific operations to mitigate and/or eliminate the identified risks. For example, the risk management and mitigation computing system can access risk data in tenant computing systems to determine a risk score related to the integration of the third party computing system functionality based on risks determined during prior integrations of the third party computing system functionality by other tenant computing systems. The risk management and mitigation computing system can generate a recommended control when integrating the third party computing system functionality.

A significant challenge encountered by many organizations is mitigating risks associated with integrating computer-related functionality provided by third party computing systems (e.g., software, storage, processing capacity, etc.). Providing access to an entity computing system by a third party computing system (e.g., for the purposes of transferring data, storing data, implementing software functionality on the entity computing system that utilizes the data, etc.) can expose the data to a signification risk of experiencing some type of data incident involving the data, such as a data breach leading to the unauthorized access of the data, a data loss event, etc. Therefore, a need exists in the art for improved systems and methods for reducing risks associated with such data loss events, while still enabling an entity to integrate third party computing functionality into entity computing systems.

Systems and methods for mitigating risks of third-party computing system functionality integration into a first-party computing system


A radio frequency identification system, including: a radio frequency identification tag having an identification code and a set of verifiable data stored therein; and a radio frequency identification reader which sends a reading request to the radio frequency identification tag, requesting to read a first portion of the set of verifiable data, wherein the radio frequency identification tag further comprising control means, which, when the radio frequency identification tag receives the reading request from the radio frequency identification reader, in case of that the set of verifiable data has not been performed a locking operation, performs the locking operation on the set of verifiable data, so that from then on any data of a second portion of the set of verifiable data cannot be read.

Counterfeits are extremely severe trouble to product manufacturers. Today, counterfeits can be seen in many industries, e.g. wine, cigarette, drug, cosmetics, CD, DVD, software, sports appliance, children's article, jewelry, etc. For decades, the industries are combating with the forgers. However, along with the continuous march of anti-counterfeit effort, counterfeits are getting incredibly prevalent in most countries, no matter western or eastern.
Counterfeits bring to innocent manufacturers not only huge loss in terms of profit, but also disaster in terms of credit. An ordinary consumer, who unfortunately buys counterfeit and is dissatisfied with the poor quality of the counterfeit, in many cases cannot distinguish the counterfeit from genuine product, therefore will negatively however falsely assess the product quality of the genuine manufacturer. The final sad story is: the forger makes money while the innocent manufacturer gets punished.
The product manufacturers are always thirsting for product authentication solutions that can help consumers to distinguish genuine products from fake ones. If the solution makes it handy for the consumer to authenticate product, the counterfeits will be easily driven out of the market.
Anti-counterfeit is a very hot topic in patent applications and many solutions have already been seen in the market. Before the wide adoption of computer communication network, the anti-counterfeit solutions are in general based on physical means, e.g. special printing ink, paper, texture and laser label. Such physical means are alleged by the solution providers as strong against counterfeit. But, past decades of history clearly disagree with those providers' allegation. The bank note is a very good example. The most advanced physical means can always be found in the bank note. However, fake bank notes never disappear. Apparently, ordinary product manufacturers cannot stand the high cost that applies to bank note anti-counterfeit. Therefore, anti-counterfeit solutions adopted by ordinary product manufacturers are very vulnerable.
In past 20 years, computer communication networks successfully break through to the consumer market. Global Internet access fee and fix/mobile telecommunication fee get so low that they are affordable to a large portion of the people living on the planet. Consequently, it's not surprising to see more and more anti-counterfeit solutions that try to transmit product authentication information conveyed by the product to a backend server and let the server decide whether the product is real or fake. For example Chinese patent applications 99126659 and 0211542 fall in this class of technique.
RFID tag is another rising star in fighting against counterfeits. The term RFID covers a family of radio and processor technologies that have widely varying amounts of computational power, read range, and cost. Supply chain tags have been famous since WalMart and U.S. Department of Defense started large scale trials. The industry body EPCglobal (www.epcglobaline.org) has defined Class 0 and Class 1 RFID tags that have extremely limited computation, storage, and communication capabilities, with no support for cryptography and minimal additional features.
Three components are fundamental to any RFID system: the RFID tag, the RFID reader and the data processing subsystem. The RFID tag is located on the object to be identified and is the data carrier in the RFID system. The RFID reader is able to read data from and/or write data to the RFID tag. The data processing subsystem utilizes the data obtained by the RFID reader in some useful manner.
Typical RFID tags include a microchip that stores data and a coupling element, such as a coiled antenna, for communicating via radio frequency communication. RFID tags may be either active or passive. Active RFID tags have an on-tag power supply (such as a battery) and actively send an RF signal for communication, while passive RFID tags obtain all of their power from the interrogation signal of the RFID reader and either reflect or load modulate the RFID reader's signal for communication. Most RFID tags, both passive and active, communicate only when they are interrogated by an RFID reader.
Typical RFID readers include a radio frequency module, a control unit, and a coupling element to interrogate RFID tags via radio frequency communication. In addition, many RFID readers are fitted with an interface that enables them to communicate their received data to a data processing subsystem, e.g., a database running on a personal computer. The use of radio frequencies for communication with RFID tags allows RFID readers to read passive RFID tags at small to medium distances and active RFID tags at small to large distances even when the tags are located in a hostile environment and are obscured from view.
Anti-counterfeit solutions that utilize RFID tag could be simply classified as online ones and offline ones. For the online anti-counterfeit solutions, computer communication networks are used as well. Such solutions may or may not entail security means. For example, Chinese patent applications 200410082611.1 and 200410024790.3 fall in this class of technique, while the former does not touch security means and the latter mandates security means. On the other hand, for the offline solutions, computer communication networks are not utilized, i.e. only the RFID tag and reader are utilized to authenticate products. In this case, security means are inevitably necessary. For example, Chinese patent applications 03111875.5 and 200410078160.4 fall in this class of techniques. PCT patent application WO 2005/024697 A2 is also of this class.
Existing anti-counterfeit solutions have problems in terms of cost, efficiency, usability and security.
Above all, any anti-counterfeit solution that mandates communication network support will encounter big cost on the backend server so as to handle mass product authentication queries from the consumers. Further, the communication expense will be imposed on either the consumer or the product manufacturer. If it's imposed on the consumer, such solutions will be abandoned by most of the consumers for obvious economic reasons. On the other hand, if it's imposed on the product manufacture, the mass product authentication queries from the consumers may eat up the profit of the product manufacture. That's not all. In most cases, the communication between the consumer and the backend server for product authentication takes significant time. Consumers may also turn away from such kind of solutions for time reasons.
Existing offline tag-based anti-counterfeit solutions, i.e. solutions that do not need communication network support, encounter cost as well as security troubles. Although security means have been incorporated in such kind of solutions, most of them actually are not working. Such kind of solutions generally relies on the assumption that the tag contains certain secret information and is clone-resistant, i.e. given a genuine tag containing secret information it's hard to fabricate another tag that contains the same information. If such assumption is true, those solutions are doable because security means guarantee that the secret information stored in the tag is not forgeable therefore the secret information and the tag is securely bound. Unfortunately, this assumption is totally incorrect for existing solutions. Existing solutions use all the secret information stored in the tag for product authentication. As we know, for an offline solution, it's the reader that authenticates the tag and make judgment on the authenticity of the product being attached the tag. Since all the secret information stored in the tag is used in authentication, if any one of the reader is occupied by the forger, the forger may figure out the secret information stored in the reader, exactly copy the secret information to a fake tag and in the sequel break the security of the solution. Fabricating a secure reader against conquering by the forger is possible. However, such a reader is too expensive. Similarly, it is easy to find that the radio communication between the reader and the tag is hard to be secured by security means. If the radio communication between the reader and the tag is secure, not only an expensive reader but also expensive tags are necessary for them to authenticate each other. As the consequence, the data contained in the tag could be intercepted through simply eavesdropping of the open radio communication between the reader and the tag. We conclude that an RFID tag is prone to be cloned unless an expensive tag that can authenticate the reader as well as authenticated by the reader is utilized and the radio channel between the reader and the tag is encrypted.
Here we emphasize that the inexpensive tag are at least characterized by "passive tag that has very limited computation power". Fundamental security requirements such as pseudorandom number generation, hashing and ciphering are not available to the tag. For such an inexpensive tag, anti-clone of data is painful to all product authentication solutions. Cloned tags are fatal to especially the offline ones. The reader without network support cannot distinguish a genuine tag from a cloned one, which implies that the fake tag will definitely pass the product authentication by any genuine reader. Consequently, mass counterfeits are inevitable because a counterfeit being attached a cloned tag will be authenticated by the reader as authentic.
Some solutions addressed to the problem of data clone of offline RFID tags have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication 2005-130059 discloses a solution, which, by writing a plurality of encrypted data into a storage area of an IC chip attached to a product and reading the encrypted data in the chip for a number of times, increases the difficulty of interpreting encrypted data and thus increases the difficulty of data clone to some extent. However, data clone is still possible. The forger can obtain all the encrypted data stored in a genuine chip by reading the chip for enough number of times, and clone the data into the fake chip. A chip thus forged can definitely pass the product authentication by any genuine reader.
Therefore, there is a demand for an RFID system for offline product authentication, which can prevent cloning of data stored in an RFID tag, and has the advantages such as cheapness and efficiency.

Radio frequency identification system and method


The present invention relates to wireless communications and is particularly applicable to devices and modules for correcting errors introduced to a wireless signal after its transmission. An equalizer is provided which compensates for undesirable effects on received radio signals introduced by either signal processing or by the transmission medium. In operation, the equalizer multiples the complex received signal with a complex corrective signal that compensates for these effects. A tap corrective signal corrects for time-varying channel effects (i.e. channel distortions), a timing tracking signal corrects for carrier frequency offset errors, and a phase tracking signal corrects for sampling frequency offset errors.

Copyright Notice
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications and is particularly applicable, but not limited to, devices and modules for correcting errors introduced to a wireless signal after its transmission.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
The ongoing revolution in communications technology has led to advances in wireless or radio technology. Wireless technology is currently being used in such disparate fields as wireless computer networks and wireless telephony. One technology which has been favoured for these applications is called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). As will be appreciated by those in the art, Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) involves using different frequencies to carry different signals, but this normally also involves providing a large "guard band" between the different frequencies. With OFDM, intersymbol interference (ISI) or interference between the different signals due to the closeness of their carrier frequencies is reduced as a special set of signals is used to build the transmitted composite signal. As a result of this feature, smaller guard bands are required and a more efficient use of bandwidth/resources can be achieved.
While OFDM has been successful in increasing the amount of data which is now transmitted over wireless links, much like any wireless technology, it is still subject to the limitations of the medium. Since signals are transmitted by radio waves, these signals may still suffer from not only distortions introduced by the act of transmission itself, but also from possible errors introduced by signal processing. Time-varying channel distortions, residual carrier frequency offsets, and residual sampling frequency offsets can distort and corrupt each OFDM signal.
A time domain OFDM signal consists of frames of samples corresponding to the data symbols (data frames), each frame preceded by a cylic prefix of known length (a guard frame). At the input of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the time domain signal is framed in accordance with the positioning of the data and guard frames in the signal.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a typical operating environment, transmitted radio waves comprise of a number of subcarrier signals are reflected off various surfaces. As a result, the signal received at a base station may come from different directions (depending on reflections) with different strength (depending on attenuations), and the receiver sees only the combinations of all these reflections. This phenomenon is called multipath. The main problem of multipath is that it creates delay spread. Depending on the number of reflections and the propagation speed in different signals, all these signals generally do not arrive exactly at the same time at the receiver. The main technique to overcome delay spread is equalization. An equalizer attempts to invert or correct the effects of transmission distortion and signal processing errors. More specifically, an equalizer is a digital circuit that attempts to estimate the distortion due to the signal propagation through different paths, which effects each component's relative timings, phase and strength. The equalizer estimates the distortion and removes the distortion. A digital equalizer is often implemented as a time-domain digital finite response filter (FIR) adaptive taps, or as a frequency domain filter with an adaptive tap for each frequency point of concern.
More specifically, under the IEEE 802.11a standard relating to low power wireless devices, a data symbol baring 64 samples is preceded by a 16 sample cyclic prefix, yielding a total of 80 samples. A 64-point FFT is applied to a frame of 64 samples (an FFT frame). To reduce inter-symbol-interference, an FFT framing offset with respect to the start of the data frame is applied. With an FFT framing offset of 5 samples, the FFT frame of length 64 would then start at the 12th sample of the guard frame and end at the 59th sample of the data frame.
An FFT offset is, in fact, a negative delay of the FFT frames with respect to the data frames. When applied during channel estimation, the offset therefore introduces a phase rotation corresponding to that delay, a rotation which is in addition to any other phase and gain distortion already present in the channel without the delay. It is the sum of these distortions which an equalizer attempts to correct. The channel distortions include distortion due to multipath, as well as distortions due to the analogue and digital signal processing in the transmitter and receiver.
The phase rotation due to the delay causes a linear distortion on the real and imaginary components of each subcarrier's channel estimate, which makes channel estimate smoothing difficult if not impossible.
Equalizers for wireless communications systems are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,302 entitled "Systems and Methods of Digital Wireless Communication Using Equalization" issued Dec. 4, 2001 and assigned to Ericsson Inc., describes a method and apparatus to accomplish fast adaptive equalization of a wireless communication channel utilizing time varying adaptive filter coefficients and convergence parameters. Although the technique described in this patent for a time domain equalizer works adequately, it is focused solely on overcoming channel distortions and does not address possible errors introduced by residual carrier frequency offsets, and residual sampling frequency offsets.
Another prior art equalizer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,062 entitled Adaptive Frequency Domain Equalizer Circuits, Systems and Methods For Discrete Multitone Based Digital Subscriber Line" issued May 14, 2002 and assigned to Texas Instruments Inc. This patent illustrates a channel equalization system using a combined frequency domain equalizer for use in a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem. The system adjusts for amplitude and phase distortions in a received signal but does not does not address possible errors introduced by residual carrier frequency offsets, and residual sampling frequency offsets. It is also not adapted for a wireless network utilizing OFDM.
Based on the above, there is therefore a need for a device which overcomes channel distortions and compensates for possible errors introduced by residual carrier frequency offsets and residual sampling frequency offsets. Ideally, such a device can compensate for all three deleterious effects, while being self-contained and monolithic. deleterious effects, while being self-contained and monolithic.

Frequency domain equalizer for wireless communications system


A microwave responsive heating device useful in microwave packaging for capturing microwave energy in a microwave oven and transmitting the energy to a surface of a food item in a concentrated form to grill, crisp, or brown the surface thereof. The heating device includes an antenna for collecting the microwave energy and a transmission device for transferring the collected energy from the antenna to a surface of a food item. Preferably, the heating device forms an integral portion of the interior of a food package to allow a food item to be stored and cooked therein. The antenna and the transmission device are made from electrically conductive materials and are shaped to, not only, capture and transmit microwave energy efficiently, but also to enhance the intensity of the microwave energy in a concentrated form.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the production of microwave oven cooking elements useful both for food packaging, as well as in reusable utensils and specifically, to the production of microwave cooking elements which are capable of capturing and transferring microwave energy to the surface of a food item to be cooked in a microwave oven.
2. Description of the Background Art
The popularity of microwave ovens for cooking all or part of a meal has led to the development of a large number of food packages capable of cooking a food item in a microwave oven directly in the food package in which it is stored. The convenience of cooking food in its own package or a component thereof appeals to a large number of consumers. Further, many fast food restaurants are looking to fast, yet effective, ways of cooking and warming food which is less expensive than currently used methods. However, one dissatisfaction of microwave cooking for some foods is the inability to brown the food. It is often difficult to obtain grilling, browning and crisping of certain types of food in a microwave oven.
Microwave interactive films have been produced which are capable of generating heat at the food surface to crispen some food products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,936, issued to Maynard et al. and assigned to James River Corporation of Virginia, assignee of the present application, discloses the production of a microwave interactive heating element for food packaging which is selectively deactivated to provide an area or areas of microwave interactive material and an area or areas of deactivated material in a pattern on the surface of the heating element, so that only the area or areas having the interactive material untreated are fully capable of generating heat. Specifically, the patterned, deactivated heating element disclosed by Maynard et al. can be used to selectively brown the surface of a food item. Unfortunately, some food items, particularly very thick or solid foods, such as chicken fillets, absorb such a large portion of microwave radiation that the crisping element does not intercept sufficient energy for the desired browning and crisping at the surface of such a food item.
Other devices have also been developed to brown the surface of a food item in a microwave oven. U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,751, issued to Goltsos, discloses a browning apparatus for use in a microwave oven. Specifically, the apparatus includes microwave coupling devices located in contact or in close proximity to a food item for the purpose of browning. The coupling devices may be a plurality of metal rods supported on a dielectric board. The length of the rods themselves are integer multiples of a half wavelength with respect to the frequency of the microwave source to cause a resonant increase in the microwave currents on the surface of the rods. A separate apparatus may be used on both the top and the bottom of the food item to attempt to brown both sides thereof. However, using conventional single source microwave ovens in which the microwave source is located near the top of the oven cavity, more browning is observed on the top surface of the food than on the bottom surface of the food due to "shadowing" by the rods of the device on the top. A similar result in reverse holds true for microwave ovens in which the microwave source is located only near the bottom. Goltsos suggests providing two microwave source feeds located near the top and the bottom of the oven or a coupler to provide dual feeds. However, because conventional microwaves used by most consumers today only include a single microwave source near the top of the oven, this "shadowing" effect would occur while using the apparatus disclosed by Goltsos and therefore, would not be suitable for mass produced consumer use. Moreover, the apparatus of Goltsos is a large separate appliance type device and is, therefore, not contemplated to be used for food packaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,187, issued to MacMaster et al., discloses another example of a microwave browning or searing utensil for use in a microwave oven. The device is provided with a plurality of conductive metal members each of which are folded in such a manner to provide a continuous apex and two substantially equidistant legs. The legs are substantially one-quarter of a wavelength in height. Microwaves irradiated within the oven are converted by the array of conductive members to provide an intense fringing electric field in close proximity to a food item being heated thereon. The utensil may rest upon the floor of the oven cavity and may also be supported on top of a food load, as in Goltos et al. Again, however, while use of upper and lower utensils are suggested, there is no means for directing the microwave energy to both utensils disclosed in this patent, so the effects of "shadowing," discussed above, may still present a problem. Moreover, the device disclosed by MacMaster et al. is a separate utensil which is not designed to be disposable, as in popular microwave food packaging.
Devices have also been developed for providing uniform heating by microwave energy at desired points within an area of the microwave oven cavity. U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,552, issued to Krajewski, discloses a microwave heating apparatus which includes small antennas or supplemental radiating elements, which are preferably screwed into threaded holes provided in a portion of a wall of the microwave oven, to apply concentrated microwave energy to a food item. Krajewski also discloses the use of conductive strips which may be secured to and form a part of a food package. Specifically, the strips may be present as aluminum foil strips or rods. These elements do not, however, contact a food item nor provide browning or crisping thereof. Rather, the elements merely concentrate existing microwave energy which is present in the oven cavity.
Namiki et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,636 a sealed container for microwave oven cooking wherein a lid is partially melted by microwave energy to form an opening therein. Specifically, the lid includes an antenna made of an electrically conductive material which concentrates microwave energy at a position near the front of the antenna and converts this energy to heat in order to melt a portion of the lid. However, the antenna does not provide a browning or crisping effect on food held within the container.
Some antennas have been developed which are useful for efficiently distributing heat within the interior of a food product, such as a turkey. U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,814, issued to Diesch et al., discloses an oven antenna probe for distributing energy in a microwave oven. Specifically, the antenna probe is designed to be inserted into a food item to distribute microwave energy within the food to provide adequate cooking inside and out. The antenna includes a source end antenna element which delivers power to a load end configured as a probe for insertion into the food. Several of the antenna-like structures may also be positioned throughout the oven cavity for reradiating energy towards a food product. The antennas do not, however, provide a sufficient amount of energy concentration to brown the surface of a food item, but rather redistribute the energy within the oven cavity to effectively cook a food item so that a similar amount of heating occurs at the center of a food item as at the outer portion of the food.
In addition, Keefer discloses in two U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,866,234 and 4,888,459, a microwave container which redistributes heat in a microwave oven to avoid "cold spots" which are commonly found within a microwave oven cavity. Specifically, the container may include a two-dimensional antenna or a slot antenna for receiving microwave energy in the oven cavity and to create a microwave field pattern or to act as a window for microwave energy, respectively. Again, these "antennas" do not provide a sufficient amount of concentrated or enhanced microwave energy near a food item to brown or grill the surface thereof.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,634 discloses a method and apparatus for measuring strong microwave electric field strengths. Moreover, this patent, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,829 disclose the use of cylindrical wave guides for cooking multi-component, layered food items. These disclosures are primarily directed to test probes or strips and do not provide a means of capturing and transferring energy in a microwave oven.
Consequently, a microwave oven heating device is needed which effectively captures microwave energy present in an oven cavity and transmits it to the surface of a food item which is conventionally browned or grilled. Further, a device is needed for heating or grilling food items in conventional, one source microwave ovens which can be included in disposable microwave food packaging or in reusable utensils.


A functionalized silica product includes particles of a hydrophobated silica having a coating of a polymer. A ratio of the hydrophobated silica to the polymer is from about 0.3/1 to about 100/1. The functionalized silica product may be in the form of a friable crumb or a powder, or in the form of a bale, that may be mixed into an elastomer formulation for a rubber article, such as a tire component.

Rubber is often compounded with silica to provide desired compound properties for tires and other rubber products. The incorporation of the silica into the rubber using a dry mixing process, where a coupling agent is attached to the silica surface during the mixing process to allow it to blend into the rubber, is well known. When the silica is coated with the coupling agent, the silica is referred to as "hydrophobated" or "functionalized". A silane is often used as the coupling agent for the silica to be incorporated into the rubber.
The reaction of the silica with the silane coupling agent during the dry mixing process undesirably results in a generation of ethanol, which must then be removed during processing. Manufacturing processes for dry mixing simultaneously disperse and distribute silica into the rubber matrix, while removing the ethanol. These processes have been effective but are time-consuming, energy-intensive, and require great amounts of operating and maintenance expenses.
It is also well known to pretreat silica with the coupling agent, prior to incorporating the silica into the rubber compound, as an alternative to the dry mixing process. There are advantages to using a pretreated silica, including low or no alcohol emissions from the silane during mixing, and the elimination of the reaction step during mixing, which is otherwise required when dry mixing. The pretreating of silica is described in various patents including U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,675 to Papalos, U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,550 to Thurn et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,154 to Berger.
Silica fillers do not disperse easily in rubber using conventional mixing. Especially with high surface area silica, mixing sufficient to provide optimal physical properties has proven difficult due to the inability to disperse the high surface area silica. Achieving good dispersion with high surface area silica using conventional rubber mixing has proven highly problematic or impossible. Thus, the full potential of high surface area silica has not been realized in the tire industry.
High surface area silica is defined herein as silica having a BET specific surface area greater than about 200 m2/g. In a most particular example, the high surface area silica has a BET specific surface area greater than about 220 m2/g. Although pretreated silica is hydrophobated, the pretreated silica typically does not disperse into the rubber as well as other conventional fillers, such as carbon black.
A further alternative to both dry mixing and pretreating silica is the incorporation of silica in a rubber masterbatch in a concentrated amount. The silica-rubber masterbatch, normally provided in a bale, can then be conventionally mixed with the rubber to disperse the silica to a desired loading in the rubber compound. It should be appreciated that there are advantages to mixing of hydrophobated silica in a rubber latex prior to forming the rubber masterbatch, compared to mixing of silica directly into rubber compounds. The silica-rubber masterbatch is typically a combination of silica and polymer and, optionally, other compounding ingredients such as process oil and inert materials. Known silica-rubber masterbatches are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,357,733 to Wallen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,388 to Lightsey et al.
Due to minimal manufacturing complexity, silica-rubber masterbatches most often use an emulsion polymer such as emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR) as the masterbatch rubber. However, many rubber compounds, and especially tire rubber compounds, require the use of solution polymers such as solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) instead of emulsion polymers, for reasons of performance. The use of emulsion polymer-based silica-rubber masterbaches in solution polymer-based rubber compounds can detrimentally affect rubber compound performance, and is therefore undesirable. The use of silica-rubber masterbatches having other types of non-solution polymers such as natural rubber is also undesirable.
There is a continuing need for a functionalized silica and polymer composite that can be incorporated into a rubber system with excellent dispersion and minimal dust release. Desirably, the functionalized silica and polymer composite may be incorporated into a predominantly SSBR rubber formulation without significantly affecting overall performance in an end product.

Functionalized silica with elastomer binder


A plurality of photodetectors form a light receiving group, and a plurality of the light receiving groups form one pixel. A light receiving array is provided with one or more of such pixels. The photodetectors each output a pulse signal in response to irradiation of a photon. A measuring unit is provided for each of the plurality of light receiving groups. The measuring unit generates time information representing an elapsed time from an irradiation timing input from outside and light quantity information acquired at each of one or more timings identified from the time information, in accordance with the pulse signal output from the light receiving group. The number of the photodetectors outputting the pulse signal among the plurality of photodetectors belonging to the light receiving group is used as the light quantity information.

A photodetector uses a SPAD array in which a plurality of SPADs are arranged to count the number of pulse signals (hereinafter, number of responses) output from the individual SPADs on which a photon is incident, thereby detecting the light receiving intensity. SPAD is an abbreviation for Single Photon Avalanche Diode. SPAD is an avalanche diode which operates in a Geiger mode and can detect the incidence of a single photon.

Optical measuring device comprising a measuring unit to generate time information representing an elapsed time in accordance with pulse signal output from a light receiving group


Image forming apparatus including a paper return device for feeding a sheet of paper ejected from a paper output port opening in a main body of the apparatus to its outside back to a paper feeding port also opening in the main body to its outside. For double-sided copying operation, the sheet of paper ejected from the paper output port carrying an image on one side only is returned to the paper feeding port and fed again to an image former from the paper feeding port so that it is not necessary to provide a dedicated paper path for re-feeding the paper. The apparatus includes a paper sensor which senses the paper inserted into the paper feeding port and outputs a paper sensing signal, a discriminator for judging whether the paper return device is in an operating condition, and a paper feed controller which controls a driver for driving a paper feeder such that the paper feeder initiates a paper feed operation when the paper sensing signal is output while the paper return device is in its operating condition.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine, having a multiple image forming capability to perform a double-sided image transfer or combined image transfer operation, for instance, as well as to a paper return device which is added to an image forming apparatus to give it the multiple image forming capability.
In one previous approach to realizing the multiple image forming capability in a copying machine, one side of each sheet of a document is successively copied, individual sheets of copying paper, each carrying a reproduced image on one side, are stacked as if in a stock, and then the other side of each sheet of the document is successively copied. This approach is known as a stock method. In another previous approach known as a non-stock method, two sides of each sheet of a document are copied in succession on two sides of each sheet of copying paper before copying on a succeeding sheet of copying paper.
In one known example of a non-stock type copying machine, a sheet of paper carrying an image reproduced on one side in an image forming section provided inside a main body of the copying machine is ejected through a paper output port, which opens to the outside of the main body of the copying machine, the ejected sheet is transferred to a paper return slot formed in the main body of the copying machine by a reversible paper transport unit which is detachably fitted to the main body, and the sheet reentered from the paper return slot is fed again to the image forming section through a refeeding path. In this construction, it is possible to provide a paper refeed mechanism for double-sided copying operation in the form of the reversible paper transport unit which is detachably fitted to the main body of the copying machine. This means that the aforementioned construction makes it possible to provide a double-sided copying mechanism as an optional unit and thereby increase the ease of maintenance.
Today""s copying machines are mostly of a type that accommodates paper trays in their main bodies. The majority of this type of copying machines also have manual feed trays for loading sheets of paper to be fed directly from outside their main bodies to permit manual paper feed as is the case with the aforementioned conventional copying machines.
As will be noted from the above discussion, a conventional copying machine having the aforementioned construction usually has two paper paths for feeding paper to an image forming section from outside a main body of the copying machine. These are a refeeding path for feeding the paper transferred by a reversible paper transport unit and a manual feeding path for feeding individual sheets of paper loaded on a manual feed tray. A problem of this conventional structure is that the provision of more than one paper path for a similar purpose leads to inefficient use of available space and an increase in equipment cost.
One potential approach to achieving improved space utilization efficiency and cost reduction would be to construct a reversible paper transport unit in such a way that a paper output port of an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, is connected to its manual feeding port when the reversible paper transport unit is fitted to the apparatus. This construction will make it possible to use a paper return slot also as a manual feeding port and thereby combine multiple paper paths for feeding paper from outside a main body of the apparatus to an image forming section provided inside the main body into a single path.
The aforementioned conventional copying machine having two paper paths, i.e., the refeeding path and the manual feeding path, is constructed such that paper refeed means (feed roller) is caused to automatically start feeding a sheet of paper, which has been transferred by the reversible paper transport unit to the paper return slot, when an original is fed automatically, for instance, and manual feed means (feed roller) is caused to start feeding a sheet of paper each time a start button is pressed, for instance, when the paper is loaded on the manual feed tray.
If conventionally separate paper paths for feeding the paper from outside the main body of a copying machine to its image forming section provided inside the main body is combined into a single path by employing the aforementioned reversible paper transport unit which connects the paper output port to the manual feeding port when fitted to the copying machine, the same paper feed means (feed roller) is used for both manual paper feed and double-sided copying operations. Accordingly, when a sheet of paper has been fed from the reversible paper transport unit during double-sided copying mode, operation of the paper feed means must be controlled in a different way from manual paper feed mode.
It is therefore an object of the invention to achieve improved space utilization efficiency and cost reduction by combining multiple paper paths for feeding paper from outside a main body of an image forming apparatus to an image forming section provided inside the main body into a single path and to provide an image forming apparatus capable of properly controlling means for feeding the paper along the combined paper path in a double-sided copying operation.
According to the invention, an image forming apparatus comprises a main body, an image former provided inside the main body of the apparatus for forming an image on paper, a paper feeding port formed in the main body of the apparatus opening to its outside, a paper feeder for feeding paper inserted into the paper feeding port toward the image former, a paper ejector for ejecting the paper carrying the image formed by the image former to the outside of the main body of the apparatus through a paper output port formed in the main body opening to its outside, a paper sensor which senses the paper inserted into the paper feeding port and outputs a paper sensing signal, a driver for driving the paper feeder, a paper return device for feeding the paper ejected from the paper output port back to the paper feeding port, a discriminator for judging whether the paper return device is in an operating condition, and a paper feed controller for controlling the driver so that the paper feeder initiates a paper feed operation when the paper sensing signal is output while the paper return device is in its operating condition.
In this construction, when performing a double-sided copying operation, for instance, a sheet of paper ejected from the paper output port of the main body of the apparatus carrying an image on one side only is returned to the paper feeding port and fed again to the image former from the paper feeding port. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated paper path in the apparatus for refeeding the paper. This makes it possible to combine conventionally separate paper paths from outside the apparatus to its internal image former into a single path, and eventually achieve improved space utilization efficiency and cost reduction.
It is also possible to properly perform the paper feed operation by using the paper feeder even when the paper return device is in its operating condition by causing the paper feeder to initiate the paper feed operation when a specified period of time elapses from the time the paper sensing signal is output from the paper sensor.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A semiconductor device includes an electrode which is arranged on an organic material with an insulation film interposed therebetween and which does not easily peel away from the organic material along with the insulation film. An insulation film in a region including pad portions of a phase shift electrode and a modulation electrode has openings at the centers of the pad portions of the phase shift electrode and the modulation electrode, the edge portions of which are formed on the phase shift electrode and the modulation electrode. In this way, the adjoining edges of the phase shift electrode and modulation electrode and the insulation film are all covered by the insulation film so as not to be exposed to the atmosphere. By covering the cracks that occur in the insulation film in the production process with the insulation film made of SiO2, SiNX, SiONX or the like, an organic solvent such as acetone or ethanol used in the process can be prevented from seeping in between the insulation film and the organic material through the cracks in the insulation film.

As transfer speeds in optical communication networks are increasing, progress is underway to realize semiconductor lasers and optical modulators that convert high-speed electric signals into optical signals.
For example, Non-patent Literature 1 discloses a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer-type electroabsorption modulator, which enables low voltage driving by incorporating an electroabsorption (EA) layer into an MZ interferometer and simultaneously using light absorption of the electroabsorption layer and the interference corresponding to the phase difference caused by the MZ interferometer. Specifically, high-speed driving of 25.8 Gbit/s becomes possible at a low voltage of 0.2 V, which makes it possible to reduce power consumption, and therefore makes it possible to perform driving with an inexpensive CMOS driver.
In addition, by directly modulating a distributed feedback (DFB) laser, it is possible to transmit modulated light with a simple configuration.
Semiconductor optical devices that perform modulation using high-speed electric signals may, in order to reduce capacitance and facilitate introduction of electric signals into the semiconductor device, have a construction in which an organic material with low capacitance and low dielectric constant is embedded on the chip and an electrode is arranged on the organic material with an insulation film interposed therebetween.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


The present invention provides a bio-amplifier in a water quality system. The bio-amplifier detects and amplifies a ventilatory behavior of a fish. The ventilatory behavior is converted to a signal. The signal is an instantaneous determination of the quality of water being tested.

The present invention is directed to a bio-amplifier card provided for each fish in a system, including a Bio-Amp.RTM. (manufactured by Biological Monitoring, Inc. (BMI)). The bio-amplifier card, upon detecting a bio-electrical field (generated by neuromuscular activity such as breathing) of fish, amplifies the signal for use in, for example, a water quality monitoring system. The fish are used as biological sensors. The system in which the bio-amplifier card is employed is described in U.S. Ser. No. 07/611,653, filed Nov. 13, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,855 to David Gruber, incorporated by reference herein.
The ventilatory behavior of fish has been used as an indicator of a toxic environment. Prior art systems are large, cumbersome and not particularly accurate. A large amount of data is required to be taken and analyzed over a period of time. Therefore, an alarm indicating that the water is contaminated is not instantaneous; rather, an extended period of time is necessary to make a contamination determination. It is necessary to develop a system which is efficient, accurate and capable of making a contamination determination in as short a time as possible.

Bio-amplifier for sensing the bio-electric field of fish


The present invention relates to a film comprising an alginate salt of a monovalent cation or a mixture of alginate salts containing at least one alginate salt of a monovalent cation, and a triptan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention further relates to methods for manufacturing such a film, and the use of such a film in the treatment of disease in a human patient, in particular migraine with or without aura, cluster headache, or trigeminal neuralgia.

Sumatriptan is a specific vascular 5-hydroxytryptamine-1 (5-HT1) receptor agonist. It belongs to the more general class of 5-HT1 receptor agonists based on the monoamine alkaloid tryptamine, which are known as triptans. Other triptans include zolmitriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, donitriptan and avitriptan. The vascular 5-HT1 receptor is predominantly found in cranial blood vessels and mediates vasoconstriction. Dilation and/or oedema formation in extracranial and intracranial vessels are thought to be the underlying mechanism of migraine. It is also believed that sumatriptan and other triptans may inhibit trigeminal nerve activity, which additionally may contribute to the anti-migraine action of these compounds in humans [1].
Sumatriptan has been marketed in the EU since 1991 and in the USA since 1993 for the treatment of migraine and is today available in several administration forms, including: subcutaneous injection; oral tablets; transdermal skin patches; suppositories; and nasal spray. Absorption, bioavailability and time to effect differ between the different delivery formulations but the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of sumatriptan when it has reached the circulation is similar between all administration forms and has been well described and documented [2]. After intranasal administration, sumatriptan is absorbed into the bloodstream, with a maximum plasma concentration occurring within 1-1.5 hours. After a 20 mg dose, the mean maximum concentration has been reported as 12.9 ng/mL, with mean intranasal bioavailability of 15.8% [3].
Since sumatriptan has been used for the treatment of migraine for many years there is an extensive knowledge regarding its risks. Adverse events are generally of mild or moderate severity, of short duration, and more common with subcutaneous administration and higher doses of oral and intranasal sumatriptan than with other dose and route combinations [3].
The recommended dosage of sumatriptan for adults is between 10 and 100 mg sumatriptan per migraine attack. One of the most commonly used clinical end-points to determine the success of a migraine treatment is the proportion of patients who are "pain-free at two hours" after taking medication; this analysis may be referred to as the "PF2" assessment [3].
Subcutaneous administration is the most effective route of administration of sumatriptan, with pain reduced from moderate or severe to none within two hours of subcutaneous administration in almost 6 out of 10 people (60%) taking 6 mg sumatriptan, compared to approximately 1 out of 7 (15%) taking placebo [3]. The most effective oral dose is 100 mg and for the nasal spray 20 mg. The suppository formulation of sumatriptan (25 mg) also shows comparatively good efficacy [3].
However, both subcutaneous and rectal administration of sumatriptan is relatively invasive and can be unpleasant for patients. On the other hand, in migraine patients nasal administration of sumatriptan has not been completely successful, with disappointing efficacy compared to rectal administration and even oral tablets [3]. The relatively modest efficacy of nasal sprays in migraine patients could be a function of variability in patient application technique which may also contribute to lower acceptance of this dosage form. An additional aspect of low acceptance of nasal sprays in migraine patients is that some migraine patients report that nasal sprays increase the incidence of vomiting if the patient is already nauseous [4]. Tablet-based oral formulations are also known to be poorly tolerated by nauseous patients.
Finally, nasal sprays may not achieve the plasma concentrations required for effective migraine pain relief. It appears that for the most reliable migraine-relieving effect, plasma levels over 9.44 ng/mL [5] need to be achieved within 60 minutes after dosing [6]. Thus any dosing method of sumatriptan that does not achieve a plasma level of sumatriptan exceeding roughly 10 ng/mL, or only achieves this adequate plasma level after the first 60 minutes from administration, may not exhibit efficacy in the maximum number of patients possible.
Therefore, no formulation of sumatriptan is currently available which can be administered in a non-invasive fashion, is compatible with nauseous patients and which results in acceptable bioavailability and blood plasma concentrations of sumatriptan with low variability between patients.