A tumbler pin tip and key surface are configured so that when engaged, the tumbler pin tip fully and precisely seats in the key bitting, and thus is rotationally positioned at a predetermined location. The contacting surfaces are generally sloped from one edge of the tumbler (and key surface) to the other in tapered form and the sloping surface may be flat, concave, convex or a combination as disclosed.

Yale type cylinder subassemblies have been well known since 1865. Typically, differences between cylinders have been developed by adjusting incrementally the lengths of the tumbler pins in the cylinder and key differs are generated by varying the corresponding depths of the bittings on the key. Variations in the shape of the tip of the tumbler pins are not new. In the case of Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 457,753 (1891), these variations provide masterkeying capabilities.
The positioning of tumbler pins by keys has been the subject of continuous improvement and much work in the lock art. The Spain et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,302 (1970), disclosed tumbler pins with chisel-shaped tips which were rotatable to predetermined positions by skew cut key bittings to operate in conjunction with a side bar mechanism. Another Spain et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,240, is an improvement on the locking mechanism using unique rotating tumblers for cooperation with another sidebar. These patents improved the state of the lock cylinder art by disclosing tumbler pins in cylinder mechanisms whereby the tumbler pins were adjusted rotationally in addition to the traditional elevational positioning. In a six-pin cylinder, the ability to rotate each pin to the three positions Spain uses, increases the bitting and combination potential from 1,000,000 to 729,000,000 unique keys.
With the advent of elevational and rotational positioning of a tumbler pin within a cylinder, the sides and shapes of the tumbler pin tip and the bitting surface became a significant factor in the operation of the cylinder. The introduction of the skew cut bittings into the cylinder forced the tumbler pins to rotate to a precise position. Irregularly configured, or imprecise surfaces on either the tumbler pin tip or the corresponding key bitting surface would not correctly position the tumbler pin and allow operation of the cylinder. A more recent patent to Oliver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,455 (1987), discloses offsetting the tip of a chisel pointed tumbler. This increases the theoretical bitting and combination possibilities of a six-pin tumbler cylinder to 46,656,000,000. Keys manufactured to operate with offset tumbler pin tips are not interchangeable with keys for cylinders whose pin tips are not offset. These slight variations are significant to the art of cylinders with rotating pins.
The patent to Widen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,177 (1988), discloses a rotating tumbler pin with a rounded finger projecting transversely outwardly from the body of the pin for cooperation with a configured side surface of a key blade.
The patent to Falk, U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,136 (1973) shows an arrangement of tumblers which are positioned parallel to the axis of a cylindrical key blade.
Other prior patents in the art have disclosed tumblers operated with flat keys. Typically, the tumbler tip configurations are frustoconical, or chisel pointed. See, for example, U.S. Patents to Gretler U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,002 (1981), Keller U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,241 (1982), and Fann et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,722 (1988). Tumbler pins are also known which use offset arrangements to preclude rotation, e.g., U.S. Patents to Wolter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,507 (1973) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,104 (1978).
Increasing the number of key bitting increments results in a higher number of unique key differs. This greatly reduces the potential for any key operating a cylinder other than its own. Patents issued for the great majority of lock cylinders on the market have expired. Their keys can be copied on conventional machines of the type described in U.S. Patent to Segal U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,382 (1922). The keyblanks required are widely distributed beyond the control of the lock manufacturer. The development of skew cut bittings provided additional security to the key owner because conventional rotary machines would not duplicate these angled cuts. As there have been machines developed to duplicate skew cut bittings, their security is reduced. Uniquely shaped bittings and controlled distribution of proprietary keyblanks reduces the odds that keys in the possession of dishonest employees can be copied at hardware stores and the like.
Notwithstanding improvements in the well worked locking arts, there remains a continuous need for mechanisms which can provide an extraordinary number of unique keys which are not subject to unauthorized duplication. There is also a need for lock mechanisms which resist contemporary lockpicking techniques, including impressioning methods to obtain false keys. It is also desirable that the dimensions of the lock not exceed conventional cylinder size. It is equally important that the components can be economically mass produced.

Pin tumblers and corresponding keys for cylinder locks


A television signal receiver is connected to a plurality of recording apparatuses, and controls each of the plurality of recording apparatuses so as to record program data received by the television signal receiver. The television signal receiver includes an input unit for inputting program data, an identification unit for identifying a group to which the program data inputted by the input unit belongs, a selection unit for selecting a recording apparatus from among the plurality of recording apparatuses in accordance with the group identified by the identification unit, and an output unit for outputting the program data to the recording apparatus selected by the selection unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller for controlling a recording operation, and more particularly, to a controller for controlling data recording of a digital TV broadcast.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, video systems are being digitalized. For example, a system for recording image data and sound data in a digital VCR (video cassette recorder), a HDD (hard-disk drive), or a recording medium, such as a CD(compact disc)-RW (rewritable), or the like, is known.
Broadcasting systems, such as currently realized digital satellite TV broadcasts using a communication satellite (CS), digital satellite TV broadcasts using a broadcasting satellite (BS), and ground-wave digital TV broadcasts, and the like, are also being digitalized.
In such digital TV broadcasts, program data is transmitted after being compressed using a compression method, such as the MPEG(Moving Picture Experts Group)2 method or the like. Hence, when recording program data, it is possible to record the program data in a compressed state, so that many programs can be recorded in a recording apparatus, such as a HDD or the like in the above-described manner. Furthermore, since many programs of various types are transmitted as digital TV broadcasts, the number of programs recorded by a user increases, and program data relating to a plurality of programs of digital TV broadcasts may be recorded in a plurality of recording apparatuses.
However, in conventional program recording systems, when recording program data relating to a plurality of programs in a plurality of recording apparatuses, the user assigns a recording apparatus where program data is to be recorded, without clearly recognizing the state of the recording apparatus, such as the contents and the recording position of program data recorded in a recording medium, the recordable capacity of the recording medium, and the like.
Accordingly, a troublesome operation for searching for a recordable region may be required, and the recording region of the recording medium may not be efficiently used when recording program data.
In conventional program recording systems in which program data relating to a plurality of programs are recorded in a plurality of recording apparatuses, program data having various contents are recorded in each recording apparatus, and when a plurality of users share a system, program data recorded by respective users are mixed.
Accordingly, when reproducing program data, a troublesome operation for retrieving desired program data from among recorded program data may be required, and, for example, program data recorded by a user can be unintentionally reproduced or deleted by another user.

Television signal receiver, and method for controlling recording of television signals


The present invention relates to a shredder having a thickness triggering device. During the shredding operation, the trembling of the article is minimized or eliminated by using the shredder. The shredder includes a sustaining mechanism and a driving assembly. Since the sustaining mechanism is sustained against the shredding article, the amplitude of the trembling article is largely reduced. As a consequence, the influence of the shredding article on the thickness triggering device is reduced so as to prevent interruption of the shredder.

Nowadays, shredders are used to cut articles. If a relatively thick article whose thickness is beyond an acceptable range, for example a thick paper or a compact disc, is shredded, the thick article is readily jammed. Under this circumstance, the shredder has a usage problem or even a breakdown. For avoiding the occurrence of jamming, a thickness triggering device is mounted in the shredder to determine whether the article to be shredded is beyond the acceptable range.
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of a shredder having a thickness triggering device is illustrated. The shredder 100 includes an entrance 101, a shredding path 102, a movable element 103, a thickness sensing module 104, a driving assembly 105, a transmission gear set 106 and a shredding knife assembly 107.
The entrance 101 is disposed above the shredding path 102. The movable element 103 is arranged at a side of the shredding path 102. The thickness sensing module 104 is disposed behind the movable element 103. As shown in FIG. 1, the thickness sensing module 104 includes a first optical sensor 1041 and a second optical sensor 1042. The thickness sensing module 104 and the movable element 103 are cooperatively referred as a thickness triggering device.
The shredding knife assembly 107 is disposed at the outlet of the shredding path 102. The transmission gear set 106 is interconnected between and engaged with the shredding knife assembly 107 and the driving assembly 105. As a consequence, the shredding knife assembly 107 is driven by the driving assembly 105 to implement a shredding operation.
The operation of the shredder 100 will be illustrated as follows. First of all, an article (not shown) to be shredded is introduced into the shredding path 102 through the entrance 101. When the article is in contact with and sustained against the movable element 103, the movable element 103 is shifted backwardly to result in a shift distance with respect to its original place. The first optical sensor 1041 and the second optical sensor 1042 of the thickness sensing module 104 continuously emit sensing light. In a case that the sensing light is not sheltered by the movable element 103, the article is permitted to feed through the shredding path 102 so as to perform a shredding operation. Whereas, if the sensing light is sheltered by the movable element 103, the shredding operation of the shredder 100 is interrupted.
That is, in the case that the shift distance of the movable element 103 is not sufficient to fully shelter the sensing light emitted from the first optical sensor 1041 and the second optical sensor 1042, the thickness of the article is acceptable. Under this circumstance, the article is continuously advanced in the shredding path 102. In addition, the shredder 100 has a shredding sensor (not shown) under the movable element 103. The shredding sensor may be a general optical sensor for sensing the article. When the advancing article approaches the shredding knife assembly 107, the shredding sensor will detect the presence of the article. Meanwhile, the transmission gear set 106 is driven by the driving assembly 105 and begins to rotate. Upon rotation of the transmission gear set 106, the shredding knife assembly 107 is driven to the implement a shredding operation.
As previously described, by using the movable element 103 and the thickness sensing module 104, the usage status of the shredder 100 may be determined according to the thickness of the article to be shredded. In other words, the movable element 103 and the thickness sensing module 104 are advantageous of avoiding the problem of causing jammed paper so as to extend the operating life of the shredder 100. However, this shredder 100 still has some drawbacks. For example, during the shredding operation, the article is readily suffered from trembling and the trembling article may continuously touch the movable element 103. Even if the thickness of the article is within the acceptable range, the movable element 103 may fully shelter the sensing light emitted from the first optical sensor 1041 and the second optical sensor 1042. Under this circumstance, the shredder 100 is subject to interruption and the shredding operation is ceased.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a shredder which has a thickness triggering device and is capable of avoiding the trembling of the shredding article.


A retroreflective member that can improve the visibility further. The retroreflective member includes a reflective layer and transparent microscopic beads 13. The retroreflective member gives a phase difference corresponding to a visible light wavelength to at least a part of incident light and recombines, emphasizes a light component having the visible light wavelength by interference, and returns coherent light having a visible light wavelength depending on the incident angle in the traveling direction of the incident light. The reflective layer includes a light-transmissive interference layer 14, and the interference layer 14 each has an optical layer thickness of 100 to 600 nm so as to generate an interference color having a visible light wavelength depending on the incident angle of light.

Retroreflective members that exhibit clear and desired colors under diffused light conditions and that exhibit sufficient reflected luminance under retroreflection conditions have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 to 3, for instance).
Reflected light from conventional retroreflective members cannot be colored directly, and the reflected light has just a single color. Although the reflected light can be colored by coloring the surface of the reflective member or by bonding a film or the like thereto, it is impossible to display clear and desired colors under diffused light conditions. In addition, the thickness and texture (hardness) of the base member make it hard to produce a desired design.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3432507 (Color retroreflective member)    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei-11-167010 (Colored-light retroreflective member)    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei-10-500230 for PCT International Application (Retroreflective product and manufacturing method thereof)

Retroreflective member producing iridescent reflected light


A partition which can fully prevent a luggage from moving is provided. A partition which divides the luggage room of a vehicle two dimensionally has a main partition member which divides the luggage room in one direction and sub partition members which divide the luggage room in another direction. The main partition member has connection parts detachably connected to respective anchors provided in the luggage room. The sub partition member has a connection part provided at one end thereof, and the other end thereof is coupled to the main partition member. The main partition member has the connection parts at both side ends thereof, and the sub partition members divide the luggage room in a direction orthogonal to the main partition member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a partition which divides the luggage room of a vehicle to prevent a luggage from moving.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application No. 3230083 discloses a vehicular luggage storage bag as a conventional partition which prevents a luggage from moving. The bag comprises a net formed in such a manner as not to be elastically deformed, and a mesh net which is formed in such a manner as to be elastically deformed. The net and the mesh net are superimposed with each other in a two-faced manner, a non-stretch tape is attached to the peripheral edges of the net and the mesh net positioned back-to-front, and the net, the mesh net and the tape are stitched together to form a bag. The bag has an opening which is closable with a coupler, and has hanging rings, each formed of an extensible cord of a coupling tape, at the four corners of the bag.
By employing such a structure, the vehicular luggage storage bag of the foregoing literature has an effect that the bag can pack a luggage and hold it thereinside, and prevent a luggage outside the bag from moving in a luggage room.
However, the bag of the foregoing literature can divide the luggage room in the front-back direction (one direction) of a vehicle, but cannot divide the luggage room in the right-left direction (another direction) of the vehicle. Accordingly, a luggage in the luggage room may move in response to rolling of the vehicle side to side, and it is difficult to fully prevent the luggage from moving.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing circumstance, and it is an object of the invention to provide a partition which can fully prevent a luggage from moving.


A supersonic plasma system in which a vacuum source creates a low static pressure environment within an enclosure containing a plasma gun and a workpiece has plural cathodes of sealed, modular construction in conjunction with a common anode, to provide higher levels of operating power and other advantages which flow from a segmented cathode gun configuration. Inert gas independently introduced into the plural cathodes undergoes swirling motion over the cathode tips. The anode is of modular construction for easy replacement in order to change the configuration of a nozzle, a plurality of arc chambers receiving the plural cathodes or a central mixing chamber between the nozzle and the arc chambers within the anode and coupled to a central powder feed. The powder feed includes a replaceable insert which includes at least one and preferably a plurality of powder feed ports into the various arc chambers. Alternatively, metal which has already been heated to a molten state can be fed directly into the central mixing chamber. The modular cathodes which are independently powered by separate D.C. power sources are also independently cooled by separate cooling water systems as is the common anode. The cooling systems are configured to produce swirling of the cooling water so that cooling action is maximized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plasma systems of the type in which a supersonic plasma stream is generated, and more particularly to plasma systems in which the plasma gun or generator has a plurality of electrodes of common polarity such as a segmented cathode in conjunction with an electrode of opposite polarity such as an anode.
2. History of the Prior Art
Supersonic plasma systems are well known as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,618 of Muehlberger, which patent issued Oct. 1, 1974 and is entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING HIGH-ENERGY DYNAMIC COATING OF SUBSTRATES". Such systems combine the introduction of an inert gas with an electrical potential difference at the electrodes to generate a plasma stream. The plasma stream establishes a transfer arc between the plasma generator or gun and a workpiece or target spaced a selected distance from the gun. The plasma stream may be used to heat the workpiece. The plasma stream may also be used to deposit a metallic coating on the workpiece such as where powdered metal is introduced into the plasma stream within the gun. The coupling of a vacuum or similar pumping source to an enclosure containing the plasma gun and the workpiece produces a low static pressure environment, resulting in a supersonic plasma stream. Such supersonic plasma systems have been found to be highly advantageous for many applications.
An improved supersonic plasma system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,257 of Muehlberger et al, which patent issued May 4, 1982 and is entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLASMA COATING". In the plasma system disclosed in the Muehlberger et al patent, a plasma gun is disposed within a closed chamber together with a workpiece. D.C. power supplies are coupled to the plasma gun and to the workpiece, and motion mechanisms are provided so that the gun and the workpiece may undergo various motions relative to one another. A powder feed mechanism is provided so that metallic powder can be injected into the plasma gun for spraying and deposition onto the workpiece. A lower end of the closed chamber downstream of the workpiece and the plasma gun is coupled through various filter and heat exchanger units to vacuum pumps for providing a low ambient pressure. The plasma gun contained at the upper end of the closed chamber is of conventional configuration and includes a single cathode and a single anode. As described in the patent a D.C. transfer arc power source coupled between the gun and the workpiece may be selectively switched in polarity to provide a reverse transfer arc where desired.
For certain applications of plasma systems, it has been found advantageous to provide a plasma generator or gun having plural or segmented electrodes of like polarity in conjunction with a common electrode of opposite polarity. Typically, the plural electrodes of like polarity are comprised of a segmented cathode which provides two or more separate cathodes in conjunction with a common anode. Examples of this are provided by Japanese Patent Publication No. 51(1976)-7556, of Mar. 9, 1976, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-230300, dated 1986. The Japanese patent publications describe plasma guns having segmented cathodes in which three separate cathodes are provided in conjunction with a common anode. Among other things, such a segmented electrode configuration enables metallic powder or other spray material to be introduced through a central injection port extending along the central axis of the plasma gun and the common electrode. This facilitates injection of such material when contrasted with the more conventional single cathode guns in which injection is made from the side of the gun, typically at an angle of 90.degree. or more relative to the central axis of the gun.
Segmented cathode plasma systems such as the systems described in the Japanese patent publications noted above are designed to operate with an ambient pressure at or close to atmospheric pressure. As such, the systems do not enjoy the substantial advantages that flow from operation of a plasma system at low ambient pressure such as is provided through use of a vacuum pumping system. Heretofore, however, segmented cathode systems have not been designed for use in a vacuum or similar low ambient pressure environment, probably because of the complexities of designing such a system so that it will even operate let alone operate efficiently. The presence of the plural cathodes with their individual arc chambers in conjunction with the common anode presents a number of complicated problems. Such problems further make adaptability to different operating conditions extremely difficult. Still further complications are presented by the central powder delivery system which must be carefully integrated with other portions of the multi-electrode system.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a multi-electrode plasma system such as a segmented cathode system which may be operated in a vacuum or similar low ambient pressure condition. It would furthermore be advantageous to provide such a system which is adaptable or adjustable to different operating conditions and parameters, including in particular operation under relatively high power conditions.

Modular segmented cathode plasma generator


A wagering system for random drawing lotteries has a central data processor managing acceptance of player entries and payout authorization. Remote agent terminals receive player entry data from players and process authorized payouts. Portable agent data modules having an on-board memory and security provisions are issued to the agents and carry data in both directions between the central data processor and the terminals. Preferably the agent modules are integrated circuit cards or "smartcards". Available player entries are downloaded from the central data processor to the agent data modules, stored on the agent data modules for transport to the agent data terminals, and uploaded under security protection to the agent data terminals when processing a wager. The agent data modules record assignment of the available player entries to players for reporting to the central processor and can obtain payout authorizations or credits. Player entries can be dispensed from the agent data terminals without a need for contemporaneous communication with the central data processor, with protection of security aspects included in the agent data modules. The invention is applicable to verified wager lotteries, instant games and immediate payout number matching games, and is also useful for transferring invoicing and promotional information, etc., using the smartcard as the transfer media.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for operating a wagering system or lottery of the type used for sale of wagers or chances to customers. The game can be an instant game, immediate payout number matching game, or one wherein entries sold to customers are recorded at a central processor for later verification in the event of a win requiring a payout. In particular, the invention concerns such a wagering system wherein the chances and payouts are dispensed to customers from remote agent terminals which need not be in contemporaneous data communication with the central processor, secure transfer of information being made possible using a portable agent data module, preferably in the form of an integrated circuit card or "smartcard." The invention facilitates issue of available wagers to the agent terminals for potential sale, reporting of player entries back to the central processor, transmission of payout authorizations back to the agent terminals, payout security control, control of prize liability, dissemination of lottery information to retailers, transmission of invoicing information to retailers, and other functions.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,666 - Bergeron and U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,473 - Bergeron et al disclose the application of a data storage card, preferably an integrated circuit card or smartcard, to storage of player information in a lottery system. The smartcards are issued to players, for storage of value tokens as well as demographic information which is useful to the lottery operator for marketing purposes. The smartcard identifies a player and enables the player to purchase a balance to be applied against purchase of player entries, and to be credited upon wins. The card is a substantial convenience to players and to lottery operators because it is not necessary to enter manually a great deal of data in order to manage a play entry or a payout. The card, however, is not an operating element of the lottery system itself, and does not assist in communications needed between a central data processor (which issues play verifications) and the agent terminals (which accept wagers and authorize payouts). Furthermore, the amount of data storage required according to this technique is not large.
A smartcard in general is substantially the size of a credit card, yet has on-board a memory and a processor for accessing the memory and for managing communications. Coupling to the card for data transmission, and also for powering the card, is accomplished via conductor pads presented on the card surface or by inductive coupling to coils in the card. When the card is inserted in a terminal operable to interface with the card, the necessary data transmission and power supply connections are made by appropriate contact and/or interface elements in the terminal. Smartcards are most typically used as customer account cards for banking services or as pay-for-usage cards which store a balance to be debited when the card is used. For loading information (e.g., value credits or other data) and for unloading information (e.g., debiting the balance or reading the card contents), the processor on the smart card typically requires entry of a unique authorization code by the operator. If the correct code is not entered, the card is unusable, and may be arranged to disable itself in the event of an attempted unauthorized access or function. Smartcards according to this description are available from Thomson Components - Mostek Corporation, 1310 Electronics Drive, Carrollton, Tex. 75006.
A typical lottery system involves players correctly guessing which of various possible numbers will be randomly chosen as the winning combination. Terminals at remote locations operated by the lottery's agents engage in bidirectional data communication with a central data processor for each play entered. Each play must be properly entered in the pool of player entries, to have its respective chance at winning and to guard against the possibility of a fraudulent claim of a win. The terminal at which each play was entered is indexed to the play to enable the agent at that location to advise his customers to claim their winnings and also to guard against fraud. More than a hundred million player entries have been made in recent state sponsored lottery events. The player entry numbers for every play must be scrupulously recorded and verified for later confirmation in the event of a win, and in order to run a fair lottery.
The particular communications which might be required to effect a play entry and verification include a report from the agent terminal of a play entry and the numbers selected by the user. The central processor may answer back with a verification code and/or preferably repeats the play entry numbers back to the agent terminal to check the accuracy of reception. The numbers must be the same as printed by the agent terminal and as recorded at the central processor, because the player will rely on the printed lottery entry form. The particulars of each play entry must be communicated to a secure location where the entries can be recorded for later comparison with entries presented by players to claim winning prizes. Typically, these communications are handled over pulse code modulated radio or telephone lines, and accordingly, the transmission includes a code representing the identity of the agent terminal. The central processor normally assigns a serial number to an entry and records the particulars of the entry.
Traditionally, the "communications" undertaken in wagering systems amounted to carrying written records of play entries from a point of sale to a secure central location. Such written records are openly readable and are prone to loss or alteration. Accordingly, high speed contemporaneous bidirectional data communications have substantially replaced written records. Typically, an agent terminal at the point of sale is operated by a lottery agent to transmit player entry data to a central location and to accept a player entry verification from the central location indicating that the wager has been accepted and recorded, before the transaction is finalized by printing of a written record. This allows immediate sale of lottery entries and prevents problems with loss, delay or alteration of records needed to confirm (at a later time) the sale of a winning entry. When a player claims a winning prize, the data at the central location can be compared to the data presented by the player on the alleged winning entry form.
Where an agent terminal is in constant or intermittent data communication with the central processor (i.e., when communicating with the central processor regarding entry of a wager), the terminal is said to be "on-line". The maintenance of a data communication link between a central data processor and a plurality of remote agent terminals presents a certain overhead in that the hardware necessary to support data communication must be dependably operative, and security functions are needed to prevent a spurious player entry or payout instruction.
It is possible to operate agent terminals off-line, in a manner similar to the operation of a lottery based on written records. However, the immediate verification of player entries is not then available, and the record produced is merely a digital record which has substantially the same content, and the same drawbacks, as a handwritten record. The record (for example a magnetic tape) can be read and altered relatively easily.
The Pronostico lottery system in Mexico City, for example, formerly operated a lottery system accepting player entries at remote terminals, with off-line reporting of the accepted wagers to a central location, namely by transporting a magnetic tape record of the entries to the central location. This type of operation, which does not rely on contemporaneous communications with wager transactions, accommodates sales agents that for one reason or another are not equipped with data communication equipment for obtaining immediate on-line entry and verification of player entries. Off-line agent terminals are provided with data systems that store wagers on the magnetic tape. The player receives a portion of the lottery entry slip as a receipt after a serial number is assigned by the terminal and printed on the slip, and the remainder is saved for reference. The serial number is recorded on the magnetic tape with the wager. Magnetic tape cassettes with recorded plays are collected at the lottery headquarters some days prior to a lottery draw, whereupon the data is transferred onto the mainframe central data processor.
An off-line system as described places a certain reliance on the ability of the lottery system to protect the magnetic tape record. In addition, the agent terminal needed to record transaction data is nearly as complex and expensive as a terminal adapted for telephone or radio communication with the central location. Besides the processor normally required on the agent terminals to handle printing of lottery entry slips, it is necessary to provide hardware for accomplishing the magnetic tape recording. If the system is required to handle more than a single type of lottery game, a relatively sophisticated recording system is needed. A relatively large number of transactions can be recorded on magnetic tape, but to enable sufficient time to ensure transport of the magnetic tape cassette to the central location and entry of the data prior to the lottery prize drawing, two days of lead time are needed to collect and enter the data. The system does not handle short term drawings, e.g., daily three number drawings. Therefore, not only is an investment in hardware needed, but in addition, the delay in reporting is such that two days of potential sales in, e.g., every weekly drawing, are lost. These drawbacks are accompanied by a relatively lower level of security than obtained with an on-line wagering system.
Pronostico recently replaced its off-line lottery system with an on-line system wherein wagers are contemporaneously verified and logged at the central lottery location. However, when a converting an off-line system to an on-line system it may occur that not all of the off-line agents can be coupled into data communication with the on-line network. For example certain agents may be located in remote areas and it is often not practical, or cost effective, to provide the necessary hardware, perhaps including satellite communications, microwave relay stations, etc., which would enable contemporaneous communications with all potential agents or points of sale.
Lottery game rules vary substantially. In some forms of wagering systems, the lottery operator is exposed to potentially disastrous losses in particular instances. Accordingly, rules have developed allowing the lottery operator to limit the number of wagers accepted in these instances. For example, certain games are arranged to pay out preset prize amounts if a player-chosen number equals a randomly chosen number. To avoid potential extensive liability in such games, it is known to limit the number of chances available to be sold on popular numbers (e.g., "777") to avoid an unacceptable payout if the popular number is drawn. It is not possible to coordinate the sales made at a plurality of agent terminals by simply recording the transactions and reporting them to the central location prior to a drawing. This problem is aggravated by undue delay in reporting accepted wagers to the lottery central location.
There is a need to enable an off-line lottery agent to operate in substantially the same manner as an on-line agent, while reserving the necessary security and data capacity needed to handle wager acceptance recording, prompt verification and preferably payout management. The system should enable quick and secure reporting, but require a minimum of hardware as compared to an on-line lottery terminal system. According to the present invention, a data module is provided for bidirectional communication with both the central processor and the agent terminal. Bidirectional communication enables the link between the agent terminal and the agent data module to be quite secure, and the data module, preferably an integrated circuit card or smartcard, can independently protect security by automatically disabling itself when a breach of security or attempted breach of security is detected. The data uploaded or downloaded to the smartcard can be read and transmitted at the central processor location or at a limited number of agent access terminals or hub terminals which interface between the agent cards and the central processor. The agent access terminals or hubs can be provided at distributed locations, each available to a plurality of lottery agents, thereby obviating the need for contemporaneous communications while reducing the delay in reporting wagers to the central location. The agents can readily upload a record of wagers accepted and can obtain new wager sale authorization information and payout information on a daily basis. The agent data module is interactive and secure, preferably a smartcard or the like, and can be programmed to communicate to the agent terminals any limitations which may apply to acceptance of wagers The agent data module or smartcard can be stored with preset verifications as to potential wagers which are available and stored on the smartcard for sale. In this manner, the convenience and security of an on-line system can be combined with the low investment aspects of an off-line system, thereby improving the availability and security of lottery services to customers.

Wagering system using smartcards for transfer of agent terminal data


The present invention is a process for the preparation of organofunctional-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers and organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymers. The process comprises reacting a hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer with: (1) an organofunctional chlorosilane end-blocker to form an organofunctional terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer and (2) a mixture of organochlorosilane end-blocker and organofunctional dichlorosilane to form an organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymer. The process can be conducted in the presence of an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, where the water is present in stoichiometric excess in relation to the hydrolyzable silicon-bonded chlorine.. The present process is particularly useful for producing 5-hexenyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane polymers and for producing siloxane copolymers comprising poly-5-hexenylmethylsiloxy and polydimethylsiloxy blocks.

The present invention is a condensation process for the preparation of organofunctional-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers and organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymers. The process comprises reacting a hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer with (1) an organofunctional chlorosilane end-blocker to form the organofunctional-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer or (2) a mixture of an organochlorosilane end-blocker and an organofunctional dichlorosilane to form a organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymer. The process is facilitated by conducting it in the presence of an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride, where the water is present in a stoichiometric excess in relation to the hydrolyzable silicon-bonded chlorine.
Organofunctional-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers and organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymers, particularly where the organofunctional group is an alkenyl are finding increasing use as paper coatings. However, the use of these materials is limited by the costs of production associated with current processes. For example, current equilibrium processes result in the production of undesirable volatile cyclic species which must be stripped from the product using high temperature and reduced pressures. The present condensation process results in very low residual volatile cyclics, thus no stripping is typically required. Therefore, the present process is a simple one-step non-equilibrium process using readily available materials, thus reducing the cost of production of these organofunctional siloxane polymers and siloxane copolymers.
Several methods for the production of chlorine-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers are known. For example, it is known that the hydrolysis and condensation of diorganodichlorosilanes can result in a mixture of cyclicdiorganosiloxanes and short-chained chlorine end-terminated polydiorganosiloxanes, with the concurrent formation of hydrogen chloride.
Sauer, U.S. Pat. No. 2.421.653. issued Jun. 3, 1947, teaches that polydiorganosiloxanes can be equilibrated with organodihalosilanes in the presence of an aqueous hydrogen chloride solution to form chlorine end terminated polydiorganosiloxanes.
Hyde et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,779,776, issued Jan. 29, 1957, teaches that polydiorganosiloxane polymers can be equilibrated in the presence of an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride to form chlorine-terminated polydiorganosiloxanes. Furthermore, Hyde et al., teaches that the chain length of the chlorine-terminated polydiorganosiloxanes is a function of the hydrogen chloride concentration in the aqueous phase.
These chlorine-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers can be further hydrolyzed with excess water to form hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers suitable for use in the present process.
In a first embodiment of the present process, a hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer is reacted with a organochlorosilane end-blocker containing at least one organofunctional substituent. The resultant product is an organofunctional-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer.
In a second embodiment of the present process, a hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer is reacted with a mixture comprising an organochlorosilane end-blocker and an organofunctional dichlorosilane. The resultant product is a block copolymer comprising diorganosiloxy blocks and organofunctionalsiloxy blocks.
The cited art does not recognize that hydroxyl terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymers can be reacted, as described in the present process, to form organofunctional terminated polydiorganosiloxanes and organofunctional polydiorganosiloxane copolymers

Condensation process for preparation of organofunctional siloxanes


The invention relates to a training weapon system (1) intended for a recoilless antitank rifle (2), the training weapon system (1) comprising a sub-caliber barrel (3) for firing sub-caliber practice projectiles (4) provided with base plates (5), the sub-caliber barrel (3) being arranged in a shell-like body (6) in the barrel (7) of the recoilless antitank rifle (2), the front part of the sub-caliber barrel (3) being fitted in a guide part (8) for centering the barrel (3), and a rear part of the barrel (3) being fitted in a breech (9), comprising a firing channel (10) and a nozzle screw thread (11) for fitting a nozzle screw (12), which is arranged in the rear part of the shell-like body (6). The invention is characterized in that the training weapon system (1) comprises at least one locking part (13, 14), the function of which is to prevent the nozzle screw (12) or the base plate (5) of the projectile (4) or part of the base plate (5) being expelled backwards through the nozzle funnel (21) of the antitank rifle (2) as loose flying projectiles.

Training weapon systems for recoilless antitank rifles of said type are already known. The training systems are designed to allow practice firing under the most realistic training conditions possible without the need to fire full-calibre rounds.
The training systems are based on the principle of arranging or incorporating a sub-calibre barrel or a so-called adapter insert into the barrel of the recoilless antitank rifle weapon for firing projectiles of smaller calibre than the live weapon.
A training weapon system of said type has been developed for the Carl Gustav antitank rifle and is based on a 20-mm calibre adapter system. The training weapon system described in the patent specification SE 511197 is designed for the absence of any recoil, which means that the training weapon generates a backblast effect comparable to that generated by the full-calibre weapon. The 20 mm calibre is entirely adequate for producing realistic sound levels of approximately 170 dB in practice firing, compared to approximately 180 dB in the case of full-calibre firing.
The adapter system comprises a barrel for sub-calibre projectiles fitted in a shell-like body, externally similar to 84 mm CG ammunition. The barrel is fitted in the shell-like body with a front guide for centring the barrel and a breech comprising a firing channel for a firing device and a nozzle screw thread for fitting a nozzle screw.
After loading the training weapon with 20 mm ammunition, attaching a firing device, fitting the nozzle screw and closing the end piece of the weapon, practice firing can be commenced.
One problem with said training weapons is that with repeated firing the nozzle screw thread is affected by leaking hot propellant gases, which expand under high pressure in the combustion chamber of the weapon, with the result that the gases not only erode the nozzle screw thread, thereby reducing its solidity, but also erode the nozzle aperture of the nozzle screw, which affects the performance of the weapon.
After an unknown number of firings the solidity in the nozzle thread will have been reduced to a level at which there is a risk of the nozzle screw becoming detached and expelled backwards through the nozzle aperture of the end piece as a projectile, which constitutes a risk to persons in the surrounding area. The service life of the nozzle screw depends on the number of rounds fired and can be difficult to estimate. Visual inspection, interpretation of the threads and the nozzle aperture, involves some uncertainty and does not eliminate the risk that the nozzle screw may fly off in the event of a fracture in the threaded fastening of the nozzle screw. If several different types of ammunition with different chamber pressures are incorporated into 20 mm training systems, it may be difficult to assess the service life in terms of the number of rounds.
In order to prevent the erosive effect of the gases on the threaded fastening and thereby to eliminate the risk of thread fracture, a ventilation hole has been made in the circumferential surface of the breech, in order to vent the propellant gases.
However, the ventilation hole has proved inadequate for venting the propellant gases, partly due to the fact that the hole cannot be made large enough, since too large a hole has a detrimental effect on the performance of the weapon, and partly due to the fact that solid products of combustion soon clog up the hole, thereby entirely preventing any ventilation.
Another problem that has been observed with said training weapons is that the training weapon can be fired without the nozzle screw having been fitted in the breech.
Firing with the training weapon without the nozzle screw fitted means that the ammunition, when fired, will stick in the barrel, so that excessive back-pressure is formed, which causes the base plate of the ammunition to splinter and fly backwards through the nozzle opening of the end piece. Loose flying splinters behind the training weapon constitute a risk to persons in the surrounding area.

Training weapon system for recoilless antitank rifle weapons


A method of forming nanostructures may include forming a block copolymer composition within a trench in a material on a substrate, wherein the block copolymer composition may comprise a block copolymer material and an activatable catalyst having a higher affinity for a first block of the block copolymer material compared to a second block of the block copolymer material; self-assembling the block copolymer composition into first domains comprising the first block and the activatable catalyst, and second domains comprising the second block; generating catalyst from the activatable catalyst in at least one portion of the first domains to produce a structure comprising catalyst-containing domains and the second domains, the catalyst-containing domains comprising the first block and the catalyst; and reacting a metal oxide precursor with the catalyst in the catalyst-containing domains to produce a metal oxide-containing structure comprising the first block and metal oxide.

A continuing goal of integrated circuit fabrication is to decrease the dimensions thereof. Integrated circuit dimensions can be decreased by reducing the dimensions and spacing of the constituent features or structures. For example, by decreasing the dimensions and spacing of features (e.g., storage capacitors, access transistors, access lines) of a memory device, the overall dimensions of the memory device may be decreased while maintaining or increasing the storage capacity of the memory device.
As the dimensions and spacing of semiconductor device features become smaller, conventional lithographic processes become increasingly more difficult and expensive to conduct. Therefore, significant challenges are encountered in the fabrication of nanostructures, particularly structures having a feature dimension (e.g., critical dimension) of less than a resolution limit of conventional photolithography techniques (about 50 nm). It is possible to fabricate semiconductor structures of such feature dimensions using a conventional lithographic process, such as shadow mask lithography and e-beam lithography. However, use of such processes is limited because the exposure tools are extremely expensive or extremely slow and, further, may not be amenable to formation of structures having dimensions of less than 50 nm.
The development of new lithographic processes, as well as materials useful in such processes, is of increasing importance to make the fabrication of small-scale devices easier, less expensive, and more versatile. One example of a method of fabricating small-scale devices that addresses some of the drawbacks of conventional lithographic techniques is self-assembled block copolymer lithography.
In self-assembled block copolymer lithography, block copolymer materials formed on a substrate are subject to microphase segregation, such as by annealing, to self-assemble the block copolymer materials into ordered nano-scale domains of one block of the block copolymer materials in a matrix of the other block of the block copolymer materials. Then, the domains of one block in the self-assembled block copolymer materials may be selectively removed, leaving the domains of the other block as an etch mask on the substrate. Dimensions of the self-assembled domains so formed are conventionally in the range of 5 nm to 50 nm, which are the dimensions that are extremely difficult to define using conventional lithographic techniques. Therefore, self-assembled block copolymer materials are useful as an etch mask in fabrication of nano-scale semiconductor devices.
Although the self-assembled block copolymer lithography is useful for fabrication of semiconductor structures having dimensions of less than 50 nm, there are still problems that must be addressed. Self-assembled block copolymer structures including the self-assembled block copolymer materials may not provide nano-scale etch masks with sufficient pattern fidelity in terms of line edge and roughness. For example, the self-assembled block copolymer structures often include undesirable random curvatures at the interfaces of domains, resulting in nano-scale etch masks having undesirably high degree of edge roughness and inconsistent widths. One conventional approach to address this problem is by removing (i.e., cutting, chopping) the portions of self-assembled block copolymer domains having undesirable random curvations, prior to further processing the self-assembled block copolymer structures into nano-scale etch masks.
Additionally, the different domains of the self-assembling block copolymer structures often have little or no etch selectivity from one another. Therefore, improving etch selectivity of the self-assembled domains is desirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for more reliable and less expensive fabrication techniques which are suitable for fabricating complex devices with the desired enhanced density to meet future demands.

Methods of forming nanostructures including metal oxides


Apparatus for exercising the forearm muscles responsible for movement of the hand at the wrist. The apparatus comprises two rigid rings adjoined by, and allowed to rotate about, the axis of a central, cylindrical variable resistance mechanism. The rigid rings each support a handgrip that is allowed to rotate about the inner circumference of each ring at variable resistance settings set with a peripheral resistance mechanism including an externally threaded terminal end of each handgrip, a knurled sleeve with internal threads at one end and external threads at the other. The knurled sleeve can be rotated about the axis of each handgrip, through internal threads of the inner ring, into the inner surface of the outer ring thereby creating a desired frictional resistance. The desired resistance can be preset and returned to through the incorporation of click-stops.

The present invention encompasses a portable exercise device designed to strengthen forearm muscles responsible for all ranges of hand movement at the wrist including flexion, extension, pronation, supination, ulnar and radial deviation. This device provides for a direct path of resistance to the physiological movements listed herein. In addition, this device provides a means to exercise both the left and right muscle groups simultaneously. Furthermore, this device provides methods for applying varying degrees of resistance to each side and each muscle group independently.
The exercises that can be performed with this device are right and left flexion of the hand at the wrist, right and left extension of the hand at the wrist, right and left pronation of the hand at the wrist, right and left supination of the hand at the wrist, right and left ulnar deviation of the hand at the wrist, and right and left radial deviation of the hand at the wrist. Typically flexion of one side would be countered by extension of the other side. In the same respect, ulnar deviation of one side would be countered by radial deviation of the other side. Pronation and supination, however, would typically be performed for each side at the same time, i.e., pronation of one side would be countered by pronation of the other side, and the same for supination. This device allows the user to exercise and strengthen all major forearm muscle groups responsible for movement of the hands at the wrist. Thereby, this device is designed to enhance athletic performance and aid in rehabilitation.
Devices designed to exercise forearm muscles responsible for movement of the hand at the wrist are known in prior art. There are literally hundreds of different products disclosed in patents or offered for sale designed to exercise forearm muscles. However, the demand for new and improved exercise devices is increasing. The exercise devices mentioned as known in the art do not meet the overall benefits of the present invention for a number of reasons: Many devices are limited to flexion or flexion and extension of the hand or the wrist only. None of these provide a means to perform pronation, supination, ulnar, or radial deviation. Others only allow for exercise of one side at a time. Many of the known devices also provide for pronation and supination only. These provide no means flexion, extension, ulnar or radial deviation. Others allow for ulnar and radial deviation only. These do not accommodate flexion, extension, ulnar or radial deviation. Also, certain known designs require weights for resistance which decreases the portability and requires loading and unloading to accommodate variable resistance.
Also known to the art are exercise apparatus that require elastic members for resistance which can lose elasticity with time and which vary greatly in resistance making preset resistance levels difficult to apply. Others require springs for resistance which are susceptible to the same disadvantages as the elastic resistance.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have a portable exercise device designed to strengthen forearm muscles responsible for all ranges of hand movement at the wrist including flexion, extension, pronation, supination, ulnar and radial deviation. This device provides for a direct path of resistance to the physiological movements listed herein. In addition, this device provides a means to exercise both the left and right muscle groups simultaneously. Furthermore, this device provides methods for applying varying degrees of resistance to each side and each muscle group independently. Also, it would be desirable to have such a device that does not employ springs or rubber bands or other biasing means that suffer from inherent shortcomings.


It is an object of the present invention to identify a gene that exhibits behavior which is characteristic of carcinomas such as thyroid carcinoma, so as to provide a method for detecting carcinoma and a cell growth suppressing agent. The present invention provides a method for detecting carcinoma, which comprises detecting malignant transformation by detecting at least one alteration of gene existing in chromosomal regions 1q41, 3q28, 7q31.2, 8p12, 8q22.2, 8q24.21, 11q4.1, 17q12, 20q11, 9p21.3, 16q13.2, and 16q23.1 in a specimen.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (hereinafter referred to as "ATC") accounts for 2% to 5% of thyroid carcinoma, and it is one type of carcinoma having an extremely high degree of malignancy. Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC), namely, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma have a good prognosis. In contrast, ATC is considered as a solid cancer having an extremely poor prognosis. The median survival period of ATC is said to be 4 to 12 months. It has been known that ATC shares several genetic abnormalities with WDTC (point mutations of RAS gene and BRAF gene, point mutation or gene amplification of PIK3CA gene, etc.). On the other hand, mutation of a TP53 gene rarely occurs in WDTC, but it has been known that TP53 gene has been mutated in 70% or more of ATC. Based on the histological correlation of ATC with WDTC, it has been considered that ATC develops from WDTC serving as a previous stage. However, several types of ATCs newly develop (de novo ATC). Thus, under the current circumstances, the molecular mechanism of ATC in terms of the degree of malignancy has hardly been clarified.
As a result of recent progress in molecular-targeted therapy for cancer genes, it is considered that detailed clarification of the mutated regions of gene in ATC leads to the development of an effective therapy.
A change in the copy number of a gene, such as amplification or homozygous deletion, becomes a marker useful in identifying cancer genes causing malignant transformation or cancer-suppressing genes.
The present inventors had analyzed various cancer cell lines using a conventional high throughput array CGH method, so that they had accomplished identification of new genes that cause malignant transformation. The inventors had analyzed ATC using MCG Cancer Array800 (Yu et al., Oncogene 26, 1178-1187, 2007) as one type of high throughput array. As a result, they had discovered a DUSP26 gene acting as a novel marker gene. However, clarification of the molecular mechanism of ATC has been still insufficient, and thus further analyses have been desired.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOKYO MEDICAL AND DENTAL UNIVERSITY


A near-eye display based on a polarization-selective diffusive combiner includes a polarizer for polarizing impinging ambient light to have a first polarization state, and a polarization-selective scatterer downstream of the polarizer, for passing through the ambient light having the first polarization state substantially without scattering, while scattering impinging display light having a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. The display light at the second polarization state may be provided by a projector, the polarization-selective scatterer playing the role of a projector screen. A polarization-selective ocular lens may be disposed downstream of the polarization-selective scatterer for viewing images generated by the projector while propagating through orthogonally polarized light from outside environment.

Head mounted displays (HMD), helmet mounted displays, near-eye displays (NED), and the like are being increasingly used for displaying virtual reality (VR) content, augmented reality (AR) content, mixed reality (MR) content, etc. Such displays are finding applications in diverse fields including entertainment, education, training and biomedical science, to name just a few examples. The displayed VR/AR/MR content can be three-dimensional (3D) to enhance the experience and to match virtual objects to real objects observed by the user. Eye position and gaze direction, and/or orientation of the user may be tracked in real time, and the displayed imagery may be dynamically adjusted depending on the user's head orientation and gaze direction, to provide a better experience of immersion into a simulated or augmented environment.
Compact display devices are desired for head-mounted displays. Because a display of HMD or NED is usually worn on the user's head, a large, bulky, unbalanced, and/or heavy display device would be cumbersome and may be uncomfortable for the user to wear.
Some wearable displays are constructed to enable the viewer observe the outside environment while viewing the generated imagery, text, and other generated content provided by the display. The observed outside environment may visually interfere with the added virtual content, reducing contrast of displayed images, causing eyestrain and confusion to the viewer and, in some cases, rendering the added visual information indiscernible.

Polarization-selective diffusive combiner and near-eye display based thereon


A portable rack for holding windable material, such as cable or wire, includes two elongated leg sections which are joined together at the upper ends thereof for pivotal movement between a folded condition at which the lower ends of the leg sections are disposed adjacent one another and an unfolded condition at which the lower ends of the leg sections are in a spaced-apart relationship. A two-ended rod is attachable to one leg section so that each of the two ends of the rod is capable of supporting a coil of windable material directed thereover. In addition, a plate member is secured to one of the leg sections adjacent the upper end thereof and defines an abutment edge for limiting the movement of the lower ends of the leg sections further apart during an unfolding operation to a distance as measured between the lower ends of the leg sections when in the unfolded condition.

This invention relates generally to material-handling accessories and relates, more particularly, to racks upon which coils of windable material, such as cable or wire, can be supported.
It would be desirable to provide a material-handling rack for holding coils of cable or wire which improves upon the designs of this class of racks of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved rack for supporting coils of cable or wire.
Another object of the present invention to provide such a rack which is capable of supporting coils of cable or wire in a condition facilitating the unwinding of the coils of cable or wire at a worksite.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a rack which can be readily folded between a condition for storage and a condition for use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a rack which is comprised of relatively few components.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a rack which is compact and relatively light in weight.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a rack which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.

Portable rack for holding coils of windable material


A terminal-side communications control unit makes a request to a server for retrieving an instruction file that describes an instruction for transmitting transmission data. The server transmits the instruction file in response to the request for retrieving the instruction file. On receiving the instruction file, the terminal-side communications control unit causes an application executing unit to execute an application, and also forwards the instruction file to a transmission data generating unit. On receiving the instruction file, the transmission data generating part refers to the instruction file to generate, from generated data stored in a generated data storage unit, transmission data to be transmitted to the server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications terminals and, more specifically, to a communications terminal for transmitting data retrieved by executing an application to a server.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a system constructed by a WWW (World Wide Web) server and a client has been suggested, wherein execution of an application is related to data transmission between the server and the client. In such a system, information about a result of executing an application is transmitted from a client's terminal to the server, or data stored in the terminal is transmitted to the server by using a dedicated application.
One example of the above is a system where the application to be executed at the terminal is a game application, and the information indicating the result of executing the game application is a score obtained in the game. Specifically, the terminal transmits, as the result of executing the game, information about the score in the game to the server. Upon receiving the score, the server updates information about the user's records of the game. The information about the user's records becomes public through a Web page, or is returned to the terminal that transmitted the score.
Another example of the above is a system where data stored in the terminal, such as schedule information or telephone directory information, is uploaded to the server. This uploading is carried out by using a dedicated application stored in the terminal for transmitting the data to the server.
In the above system, the data transmission processing from the terminal to the server (hereinafter simply referred to as data transmission process) is specified in the application that carries out the processing. In other words, the application previously incorporates information about what data to be transmitted to the server, which format is used for transmission, to which server the data is transmitted, and other information. By following the incorporated information, the application carries out the data transmission process. Note that, in some cases, the above data transmission processing may be determined by a user's input. In such cases, the user has to specify data to be transmitted to the server, a transmission format, and a destination server, which is quite burdensome.
In the above conventional system, to change the data transmission process, the application itself has to be changed. This is because the application previously incorporates the information about the data transmission process. Consequently, a new application has to be installed in each terminal. For this reason, changing the data transmission process is very difficult in the conventional system.
For example, for changing a game application so as to transmit to the server not only the score of the game but also a name of a player, a new application has to be installed in each terminal. The application itself also has to be changed for changing the format of the data to be transmitted to the server or the server that should receive the data.
Furthermore, the application stored in the conventional terminal includes data about the data transmission process, thereby increasing the data size of the application. This increase is a significant drawback to a terminal having relatively small memory, such as a cellular phone.

Communications system for retrieving instruction files from a server

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Apparatus and method for field-sequential colour display of a colour image comprising a combination of three component images each representing a respective one of three different component colours of the image. Sequentially, the following steps are performed within a common display frame period. A first component image is displayed using the first component colour. Separately, the second component image is displayed using the second component colour without either of the first component colour and the third component colour. This displays the second component image as a second colour. Separately, the third component image is displayed using the third component colour simultaneously with the second component colour without the first component colour thereby to display the third component image as a resultant colour.

Helmet-Mounted Displays (HMD) aim to provide an improved piloting capability and are adapted for use with aircraft pilots and optionally 'pilots' of other vehicles. An HMD is typically adapted to display data e.g. flight parameters in the pilot's field of view to avoid having to consult Head Down Displays at critical moments. The displayed data often takes the form of symbology which is projected for display such that symbols representing outside-world entities move in line with the pilot's head movements. This is discussed in more detail below.
Recent developments in helmet-mounted displays provide full-colour dynamic data, such as flight data, projected directly into a user's line of sight via a large field-of-view, transparent, optical waveguide assembly. This allows the user to maintain his/her gaze and posture in a 'head-up' and 'eyes-out' position thereby greatly enhancing situational awareness whilst controlling a vehicle (e.g. aircraft, of other vehicle). The dynamic data would typically include full-colour symbology which increases the user's ability to rapidly interpret displayed information, resulting in increased efficiency.
However, the applicant has realised that the use of full-colour symbology, as opposed to simpler monochrome symbology, in these circumstances can introduce a number of problems. Most notable amongst these problems is that current technologies require the use of relatively few component colours (e.g. Red, Green, Blue) to draw symbology which may be required in a large number of different colours (e.g. different symbols assigned different colours for intelligibility). Bearing in mind that the human eye responds to different colours differently, being most responsive to the green part of the visible spectrum, and less so to other spectral regions, this introduces the risk that some symbols may be much more difficult to distinguish than others due to their particular colour. This may be particularly problematic in see-through HMDs because the colour symbols are to be viewed against the background of the external environment seen by the user (e.g. bright clouds, in the case of a pilot).
The invention aims to provide an improved display system and method accordingly.
The applicant has realised that in providing colour symbology in a HMD, as opposed to a monochrome symbology, it is desirable to address the problem of 'colour break-up' when doing so. The cause of 'colour break-up' in general is discussed in detail below for the benefit of the reader.
In conventional colour video displays, each image frame is typically also referred to as a 'field' and the field rate may be, e.g. 60 Hz. The colour component images are displayed synchronously on the display such that the observer sees a single correctly coloured image. However, when a field-sequential display is used to display colour video images, the red, blue and green colour component images are drawn sequentially at a field rate which is typically three times (3×) the normal rate, e.g. 180 Hz. A typical field-sequential colour display apparatus employs a liquid crystal display device operating as a monochrome display which is provided with a colour illumination which operates in an alternating sequence of red, blue and green. This means that the alternating, sequential monochrome images corresponding to the red, blue and green colour component images can be seen with appropriately varying colour intensities to give the resultant colour effect in the displayed video.
In the case of an HMDsee-through display, a space-stabilisation display system may often be used. This may include a head tracking system arranged to monitor the position/orientation of the wearers head (e.g. elevation, azimuth, pitch) in order to correspondingly control/shift the display position and orientation of an image displayed on the display screen. This control is done to ensure that the wearer sees the projected image to be stable relative to the real-world environment seen through the display simultaneously. That is to say, the image is seen to overlay the real world beyond, and to be stable in position relative to that real-world view. The real-world view beyond may be, for example, a runway and the space-stabilised image overlaying that view may be flight control calibration symbols, etc.
Consequently, a rotation of the wearer's head causes the space-stabilisation control to apply an equal and opposite movement of the space-stabilised image across the display screen. If the displayed image is created by a device employing field-sequential colour display methods then the problem of so-called 'colour break-up' will arise. In the case that a field sequential colour display device sequentially displays the colour component images the time lag between displaying the sequential colour component images will give rise to a separation of the object into three colour component images as a result of the movement of the displayed image (across the dis[paly screen) relative to the eye. The degree of spatial separation of the colour component images is proportional to the angular velocity of movement of the eye with respect to the display. The effect becomes pronounced when the gaze of the user's eye becomes fixated on a distant outside-world scene, as the eye is prone to do, while the user turns his/her head.
This arises because the on-display position of a first colour component image (e.g. red) within an image frame/field period will be slightly different to the on-display position of the sequentially subsequent colour component image (e.g. green) within the same image frame/field period. The same applied to the successive green and blue component images used in the frame/field period. This means that the viewer will perceive a multi-coloured fringe around a colour image upon the display screen as the red, green and blue component images are caused to appear successively at three slightly different positions on the retina of the user.
The invention aims to provide an improved system and method which desirably addresses this matter, preferably in addition to addressing other matters described above.


The present disclosure discloses a method and device for obtaining a voice service. The method includes: obtaining information on a service process corresponding to a service number of a call, wherein the information on the service process comprises input prompt information for each stage of the service process, and the input prompt information is used to prompt a user for input; displaying, after getting through the call, the input prompt information of the service process; receiving an input signal from the user in response to the input prompt information; and sending the input signal to an automatic voice service system to obtain a service therefrom. The method and device avoid the problems that the user does not know what kind of response signal should be input to continue the query until he or she hears the whole voice prompt information.

Nowadays more and more companies select to use an automatic voice service system to provide services for users. For example, a mobile operator uses an automatic voice service system with a service number '1008x' to provide business query services for its users.
When a user needs to make a query using an automatic voice service system, he or she uses a terminal device to dial in the automatic voice service system. Then the automatic voice service system sends back voice prompt information to the terminal device according to a preset service process, and the terminal device receives and plays the voice prompt information accordingly. Moreover, the terminal device receives an input signal such as a keyboard signal that is inputted by the user through a keyboard after the user hears the voice prompt information. The terminal device sends the received input signal to the automatic voice service system, and receives subsequent voice prompt information or from the automatic voice service system or receives query result from the automatic voice service system.

Method and device for obtaining voice service


A frangible fiberglass insulation batt includes a frangible plane defined by a series of cuts in the batt.

The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for producing fiberglass insulation batts, and in particular batts of fiberglass insulation suitable for use in building construction. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to fiberglass insulation batts that are configured to be converted into separate fiberglass insulation strips of various predetermined widths in the field without the use of cutting tools.
A batt is a blanket of fiberglass insulation used to insulate residential and commercial buildings. Some batts include a paper or foil facing material affixed to the fiberglass insulation, and other batts do not include any facing material.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A forced-air heater having a self-contained on-board electric-power supply that allows the forced-air heater to operate without an external electric power source; a fuel tank; a combustion chamber; a support; a housing including upper and lower housing portions; a motorized fan that during operation draws in ambient air through an air intake and forces air into the combustion chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to portable forced-air heaters, and more particularly to portable forced-air heaters that derive at least a portion of their electric energy required for operation of the heaters, or an accessory thereof, from an on board source.
2. Description of Related Art
Fuel-fired portable heaters such as forced-air heaters are well known in the art and find use in multiple environments. The heater typically includes a cylindrical housing with a combustion chamber disposed coaxially therein. A combustible liquid fuel from a fuel tank is atomized and mixed with air inside the combustion chamber where it is combusted, resulting in the generation of a flame. During combustion of the air/fuel mixture a fan blade is rotated by an electric motor to draw ambient air into the heater to be heated by the combustion of the air/fuel mixture. The heated air is expelled out of the heater by the continuous influx of air caused by the fan.
Traditionally, forced-air heaters have required a source of electric energy to energize the motor that rotates the fan blade and optionally to operate an ignition source that triggers combustion of the air/fuel mixture. The fan is often a heavy-duty, high output fan that consumes significant amounts of electric energy during operation thereof, and operation of the igniter consumes even more electric energy. The demand for electric energy created by operation of the fan and other electric components of forced-air heaters has required such heaters to be plugged into a conventional wall outlet supplying alternating current ("AC") electric energy generated by a public utility. In remote environments a lengthy extension cord can establish a conductive pathway for the electric energy between a wall outlet and the location of the forced-air heater. However, at locations where a new structure is being built a conventional wall outlet is typically not available, requiring the use of a portable generator to supply the electric energy until utility-generated electric energy becomes available.
As previously mentioned, forced-air heaters are often utilized to provide heat to new construction environments for significant periods of time that can extend well into the night. After dusk, illumination of the environment in the vicinity of the forced-air heater is required to enable workers to view their worksite and avoid potentially hazardous conditions. Assuming that a conventional wall outlet is available, an extension cord can be used to conduct electric energy from the wall outlet to an on-site light stand. However, the light stand adds to the equipment that must be transported to a jobsite, and a conventional wall outlet is usually not available during the initial stages of a new construction.
Even in instances when a conventional wall outlet is available, there are normally a limited number of electric devices that can be powered by the outlet at any given time. Using adaptors to increase the number of available outlets into which an electrical device can be plugged can lead to excessive currents being drawn through an extension cord or other adaptor. Thus, there are a limited number of electrical devices that can be simultaneously powered on a new construction jobsite at any given time. This limitation is even greater when a wall outlet supplying utility-generated electricity is unavailable.
Forced-air heaters are also relatively bulky, and occupy a significant amount of storage space while not in use. Attempts to store such a heater in an alternative orientation other than its intended operational orientation in which the heater is designed to be fired in order to conserve storage space results in the liquid fuel leaking out of the heater. And although the fuel can be drained from the heater before storing it in an alternative orientation to minimize the leakage of fuel, such an option is time consuming, and is impractical for temporary storage on a daily basis.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a forced air heater that is operational in a remote environment in the absence of a conventional wall outlet supplying utility-generated AC electric energy. At least one electrical component of the forced air heater can be energized during operation of the heater by electric energy from an on-board source of electric energy. The forced air heater can also optionally include an electric energy outlet that can provide an interface through which an electric accessory can be energized by electric energy from the on-board energy source. Further, the forced air heater can optionally also include a light source for illuminating an environment in the vicinity of the forced air heater. Further yet, the forced air heater can optionally include a fuel-management system that minimizes leakage of a liquid fuel from the heater while stored in an alternative orientation other than the orientation in which it is to be fired.

Forced air heater including on-board source of electric energy


An electronic device and methods for performing beam management (BM) in systems with antenna arrays capable of operating in combined radar and communication modes are disclosed herein. The electronic device comprises a processor and a plurality of antenna elements configured to operate in a first mode, in which the antenna elements are used for communications with beamforming, and a second mode, in which at least two of the antenna elements are used for radar and the remainder are used for the communications. The processor is configured to perform a mode switch on the antenna elements to switch between the first mode and the second mode, determine, after the mode switch, a new beam to use during a first BM cycle, perform, using the new beam, the first BM cycle to obtain signal quality measurements, and perform a second BM cycle using an updated beam based on the signal quality measurements.

Wireless communication has been one of the most successful innovations in modern history. Recently, the number of subscribers to wireless communication services exceeded five billion and continues to grow quickly. The demand for wireless data traffic is rapidly increasing due to the growing popularity among consumers and businesses of smart phones and other mobile data devices such as tablets, "note pad" computers, net books, eBook readers, and machine type of devices. In order to meet the high growth in mobile data traffic demand and support new applications and deployments, improvements in radio interface efficiency and coverage is of paramount importance.
Furthermore, radar and wireless communication are two alternative uses of the electromagnetic spectrum. Almost all consumer electronics have some form of wireless communication, and the use of radar in consumer electronics is increasing. The available resources for these two systems, however, are limited. The spectrum crunch problem that wireless communication systems face is exacerbated when the spectrum is also to be allocated for radar. Consumer electronic devices that are small in size and operate on a battery also have a limited space and power budget. These constraints imply that the limited available resources have to be shared between wireless communication and radar, both for co-existence of these systems and their joint design.

Method and apparatus for beam management in antenna array sharing radar and communication systems


The present invention concerns a food supplement comprising Salvia sclarea seeds, or flour, oil or pulp or extracts obtained from the seeds as well as finished food products comprising the food supplement. The present invention further concerns a nutraceutical or cosmetic preparation comprising as an active ingredient Salvia sclarea seeds, or flour, oil or pulp or extracts obtained from the seeds.

Current research in nutritional medicine indicates that the omega-3 fatty acids are essential components of the human diet. According to studies published in the British scientific journal Lancet, the observed low incidence of arteriosclerosis (fatty plaques development on the inner walls of the arteries which obstructs the blood flow), including coronary artery disease, chronic inflammatory disease and diabetes in Greenland Eskimos has been attributed to their traditional ethnic diet, consisting largely of meat from whale, seals, sea birds and fish. This diet is rich in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates, but it is extremely high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and especially rich in two omega-3 fatty acids: C22:6 (DHA) and C20:5 (EPA).
The most important omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA).
EPA is a direct source of an important substance called prostaglandin E3, which is directly responsible for making blood platelets less sticky, thus leading to an easier flow of blood. EPA is, therefore, involved in processes that inhibit blood clots whose presence threaten to obstruct the circulation; this mode of action is particularly important in the small capillaries of the heart.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid of almost equal importance to EPA. DHA comprises a significant amount of the tissues that make up the human brain as well as a large part of the retina of the eye.
Some of the most dramatic effects of increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids are the lowering of high blood pressure, reduction of serum triglyceride levels, and an increase in clotting time, all positive steps in the prevention of heart and blood vessel diseases. These beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids have been noted in both clinical trials and epidemiological studies. Omega-3 fatty acids were found to be extremely useful natural substances powerful enough to normalize the high cholesterol and triglyceride levels that are so extensive in modern populations.
Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to slow down or prevent cancerous tumor growth, prevent blood vessels from closing following vascular surgery, improve inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and relieve symptoms of psoriasis. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids are essential for proper vision and brain development in newborns.
The average western diet is low in fresh fish and sea food containing EPA and DHA. On the other hand, it is high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats. This kind of diet can lead to a serious deficiency in the raw materials necessary for proper platelet function in the blood stream.
Linolenic acid is essential for ensuring healthy skin condition. Moreover, oils containing large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids were shown to be effective in preventing skin wrinkles. The ingestion of these oils markedly lowers the cholesterol content in the blood. α-Linolenic acid is a fatty acid found in some plants and can be converted by the body to EPA and DHA. Plant sources of α-linolenic acid include walnuts and walnut oil, flaxseed, rapeseed (used to make canola oil), soybeans, spinach, mustard greens and purslane.
α-Linolenic acid is produced in high quantities in several plants, mainly hemp (up to 23% α-linolenic acid is pressed from hempseed) and flax (50%). These oils normally have an "off" flavor and are seldom used as edible oils due to their bad taste and smell. Conventional food oils, such as rapeseed (canola) and soybean contain only small amounts of linolenic acid (11% and 7% respectively).
Researchers believe that a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 (omega-6 is found primarily in vegetable oils like corn, safflower or sunflower) may be important in preventing heart disease. It seems that omega-3's and omega-6's continually compete for control of important biochemical reactions in the body. When the portion of omega-6 is higher than that of omega-3, it can lead to an overproduction of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Large amounts of these hormone-like substances can disrupt the immune system, initiate the build-up of plaque formations on artery walls, form blood clots and trigger dangerously irregular heart rhythms.
Currently, the ratio in the American diet is about 10 omega-6 to 1 omega-3, a ratio, some experts say, which is a dangerous oversupply of omega-6 fatty acids.
Dietary fish oils containing omega-3 fatty acids are increasingly recommended for their antithrombic and hypolipidemic (lowering blood lipid) effects (Phillipson, Rothrock, Connor, Harris and Illingworthm, New England J. Med., 312:1210-16, 1985). Additional benefits of these oils are improvement of immunological function and fighting allergies (Leaf and Weber, New England J. Med, 318:549-557, 1988).
Omega-3 fatty acids from vegetable oils could provide all the above health benefits without any of the disadvantages of oil from animal source.
During ingestion of vegetable oil there is no uptake of cholesterol. Fish oils are a primary source of vitamins A and D. Most marine oils may supply potentially toxic amounts of vitamins A and D, by supplying a sufficient amount of EPA and DHA factors. Also, many vegetal omega-3 oils have a clean flavor have a good taste, at least as compared to bad tasting fish oils. Fish oils are usually contained in preservative-free gelatin capsules for convenience due to their bad taste and smell.
Aromatic (essential) oil derived from flowers of Salvia sclarea has been used up to date mainly as a perfume; this usage was known from the time of ancient Rome. Other secondary uses for this aromatic oil have been in the tobacco industry, and in herbal remedies to fight infection, and to regulate the digestive system. The natural habitat of the plant is in Syria, Italy and Southern France; and its growth requirements in terms of soil content are not particular. Currently, the former Soviet Union, North Africa, and Hungary are the largest producers of this oil, and prices range from $60-90 per liter of oil. The plant can withstand heat, and is found on mountainous terrain, where rainfall is not lower than 400 mm annually. The floral parts alone are used to produce the oil; inclusion of leaves will degrade the oil quality. Typically a single harvest of floral parts is performed. If harvest is performed prematurely, the oil will contain a large percentage of linoleic acetate, which lowers the quality of the oil.
No previous use has been made of the seeds of Salvia sclarea; previous uses, mainly as a perfume or essential oils, were from plant material derived from the flower.
WO 99/62356 concerns enhanced food for humans which has significantly higher omega-3 content by the use of oil obtained from Salvia hispanica seed. Salvia hispanica (Chia) is a summer annual belonging to the Labiate family. It originates in mountain regions extending from west central Mexico to northern Guatemala. Due to its endemic growth restriction to mountain regions of central and southern America and thus its natural habitat is very specific and growth requirements very particular, making seed grown from the plant not economical, the plants are not widespread and have not acquired wide commercial acceptance as a food source.
It should be emphasized that the presence of ALA omega-3 fatty acid in oil produced from the seeds of one or another plant does not in itself suffice to indicate that the plant will be a good and effective source for that fatty acid. The range of different parameters, such as commercial cultivability, climatic conditions, regulatory provisions, profile of the fatty acids, percentage of fatty acids, ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, stability, flavor, fragrance, color, acidity, moisture, toxins, allergens, presence of vitamins and antioxidants in the oil, as well as many other parameters, determine whether oil from a certain plant will be a good and effective source for ALA omega-3 fatty acid. Sometimes, one parameter alone, such as aftertaste (e.g. in flax oil or Matthiola oil), or overoxidation (in flax or Salvia hispanica oil), suffices to prevent use of the oil as an effective and stable source for ALA omega-3 fatty acid in a nutritional supplement. Obviously, such a plant source cannot be designated as a good and effective source, when a large number of drawbacks come together in terms of the parameters listed above.

Compositions containing as the active ingredient components from

STATE OF ISRAEL, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (ARO) (VOLCANI CENTER)