The present invention provides a system for displaying and capturing file metadata of an application data file stored on a computer; said computer including a processor and memory; said memory storing an operating system for the computer, a kernel of the operating system and Metadata Storage; said computer including a user interface and at least one installed application for interacting with a user which processes said application data file; said system comprising: a Metadata Filter Driver installed on said computer; at least one Metadata Application Thread, which the system injects into said application when a process for execution of said application is created; a Metadata Manager operating on said computer, whereby said Metadata Filter Driver signals said Metadata Manager when said at least one application data file is accessed, which then notifies said Thread appropriate to the at least one installed application which is accessing said application data file.

File metadata information for enterprise is considered of vital importance for consistent identification and reference, attribution, resource integrity checking, classification, describing resource relationships, searching, sorting, generation of reports, online access, system automation and many other functions.
File metadata is not limited to simple file attributes such as its title, subject, author, creation date, but can contain much more information relevant to the business processes and systems of the enterprise, such as a document's revision number, its status, whether it is draft or final, who approved its release, company, copyright owner, number of pages, number of words, keywords, case identifier or document identifier. If the file is a photograph, the metadata can contain location details, when the photo was taken, the subject of the photo and details of the camera that took the photo, such as lens focal length and aperture settings. If the file is an audio recording, its metadata may contain recoding information, such as the artist, when it was recorded, equipment that was used for recording, and the name and location of the recording studio.
Files can be stored on many different media, such as file servers, Document Management Systems (DMS) (1), workstation hard drives, file servers, removable storage media (such as "thumb drives"), or in the cloud.
DMS systems are often configured to collect necessary metadata when files or documents are added to the system. This metadata may be generated, based on the content of the source file, or generated automatically, or the system may prompt the user to supply the metadata. In general, DMS systems store metadata in databases (catalogues), logically separate from the location of the file. For effective DMS system operation, an organisation must be prepared to commit resources to the purchasing, design, commissioning and operation of the system. Users must traverse a learning curve to use these systems effectively. Such overheads may be prohibitive for smaller organisations.
An alternative to storing file metadata in a database, is to store it in the file system itself, such as in Microsoft NTFS Alternate Data Streams (2) or Apple resource forks. Alternatively, file metadata can be stored in the file itself. For example, Microsoft Word has the capability to collect document properties, such as the document title, subject and author, which is stored in the file. Additional metadata can be collected and stored with the use of allow for the addition of Custom Document Properties (3). Such metadata can be used for automated file access control (4) and encryption (5). Only a minority of the applications in use by an organisation would have this capability. Furthermore, the entry of metadata is up to the operator, and can easily be forgotten.
Organisations, such as governments and enterprises, have security classification policies which define security classification systems and handling protocols, so that information generated by the organisation is handled correctly, both by humans and by computer systems, based on the information's sensitivity. For example, the Australian Government has published its security classification system (6), and its handling protocols (7). At a minimum, such systems and protocols normally define the appropriate range of classifications, and when a security classification should be applied, such as when a document is saved, or prior to printing, and where the security classification should be shown on a document.
Solutions exist to add security classification metadata to Microsoft Office documents when the associated software application is being used (8) (9). However, these solutions are limited to applications where COM Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are available in the application (10), and the application's API allows for the programmatic extension of the application's user interface. As such, these solutions do not provide for wider usage in other computer applications, such as Microsoft's Paintbrush, Notepad or applications which do not have an extension API, or where an application extension API is available, but does not provide the capability to dynamically modify the user interface. Furthermore, these solutions will not work in a non-Windows environment, such as Apple's OS X, BSD, Linux, Google Android, or other operating systems. As such, the scope of such solutions is quite limited, so security classification policies, or metadata collection policies cannot be fully enforced by these solutions.
Furthermore, the application of these solutions to a document can modify the document, say by adding metadata to the header or footer of a document, or otherwise within the text of the document. Such process can be contrary to an organisation's business practices. For example, when a document is sent by one organisation to a second organisation, the second organisation may want to keep the document intact in the form in which it was sent. Modifying the document's text in any way may diminish future evidentiary value of the document.
Solutions also exist to apply classification metadata to other file types (images, video, audio, PDF) programmatically (11). Such implementations, however, do not enforce user metadata policy, in that the display of file metadata when viewing the contents of a file may not be noticeable or conspicuous, nor do they enforce the mandatory collection of metadata.
Background art includes:
Taylor et al (12) describe systems and methods for providing user interface to receive metadata from a user for an application and associated generated file. This system is limited to applications where the method is a feature of the native application. Its limitation is that does not work for applications which are already compiled and deployed to the computer. It does not provide a mechanism to enforce organisation policy of when the user must enter metadata.
Turco (8) describes a plug-in which extends Microsoft Office functionality to collect and manage file associated security classification metadata. This method is only appropriate for applications which have an extension application programming interface. Its limitation is that it will not work for applications which do not have an extension API.
Stahl et al (13) describe a method of securing access to a file in a document management application using security classification metadata. This system is limited in that it only operates on files which are stored in the document management application. It does not work on files stored outside of that system, such as on a workstation's file system nor on a network file share.
Trainer et al (14) describe method and system for a storage of files and associated file metadata. This system is limited in that the files are stored within the system's own persistent storage. It does not work with a workstation's own file storage, not with network file storage, such as a Storage Area Network (SAN). Furthermore, user interaction with the system is via the system's own user interface. It does not interact with the user when the user is using an application when processing a file.
In summary, there is a gap in the current field whereby organisations provide a range of computer applications for users to complete business tasks (FIG. 7, shown as θ) and there is a subset of the organisation's applications (FIG. 7, shown as ϕ) which provide a native function to enter and store custom metadata, there is a subset of the organisation's applications (FIG. 7, shown as λ) which provide a function to enforce metadata collection and there is a subset of the organisation's applications (FIG. 7, shown as ω) which have an extension API, whereby an extension can be used to enforce metadata policy. The organisation requires users to comply with metadata policy, such as the mandatory collection of appropriate metadata when files are saved, and/or users must be shown file metadata when operating on a file. Of all the applications used by the organisation, θ, only a small subset, shown shaded, can provide the required functionality natively, or with the addition of an application extension. These prior art approaches are specific to the application being used to operate on the file, the operating system on which the application is executing, intentionally modifying the contents of the file, or not having the ability to collect metadata at appropriate times.
These problems may be addressed or ameliorated in at least some embodiments of the present invention, which in at least some preferred forms provide an architecture, method and apparatus to enforce metadata policy across a plethora of computer applications and operating systems.
In alternative forms these problems may be addressed or ameliorated in at least some embodiments of the present invention, which in at least some preferred forms provide an architecture, method and apparatus to enforce metadata policy across a plethora of computer applications and operating systems without modifying the content of the file.

Architecture, method and apparatus for enforcing collection and display of computer file metadata


Travelling device (20) particularly for self-propelled mower comprises a frame (1) provided with several identical travelling units (21) arranged on its circumference. Each travelling unit (21) comprises a flexibly suspended travelling wheel 92) rotating on its horizontal and vertical axes. A motor unit (3) with a driving shaft (13) is arranged on said frame (1) for driving a working device and said travelling wheels (2). Said travelling wheels (2) are arranged in said travelling units (21) turnably on vertical axis in an unlimited angular range of 360°.

In the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 2,698,507 there is disclosed a drum mower provided with knives arranged into a helix, wherein a manual drive previously used is replaced by an electric motor with remote-controlled switch, built into a cable with four manually controlled switches. Rotation of said drum is transmitted from a travelling wheel.
Furthermore in the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,266 there is disclosed a remote-controlled self-propelled mower driven by a motor unit so that an operator can control it with a radio transmitter by means of radio signals transmitted from an antenna.
A receiver is arranged on the servomotors of the controlled mower. Driving of these servomotors controls microswitches and relay arranged on the electric motors, which are mechanically coupled with the travelling driving wheels and with a main shaft of a driving motor unit. Said electric motors control a speed of the mower travelling both forward and back on the commands of the operator. A remote control of throttle valve of carburetter can be used to control the motor unit revolutions.
In the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,265 there is also disclosed a remote-controlled self-propelled mower driven by electric motors fed from the storage battery.
The rear travelling wheels are driven. Said wheels are attached to the support frame. Steering of the travelling direction is provided by means of a set of belts and pulleys assigned to the front steerable wheels. An electric motor driven by a storage battery provides rotation of a central pulley, which controls the position of the front steerable wheels in relation to the frame.
Direction and speed of the mower is controlled by means of two radio channels. The travelling wheels are provided with hubs having a shape of truncated cone, which hubs allows movement on uneven terrain. The height of cutting is provided by adjustment of the vertical position of the travelling wheels.
In the utility model CZ 10 299 there is disclosed a travelling arrangement of grass mower. An electric motor is mechanically coupled with an alternator, which is through a storage battery connected to an actuator arranged within operator's grasp. Said actuator is further connected with reversing electric motors in reduction gears of front and back axles. One or both driving axles are steerable.
In the utility model CZ 9 634 there is disclosed a travelling arrangement of grass mower. A machine motor is mechanically coupled with a regulating hydraulic generator, which is coupled through piping and hydraulic oil tank with a hydraulic motor of rear driving axel. Said regulating hydraulic generator is by means of draw rod connected to an actuator arranged within operator's grasp.
At the present time there are known also self-propelled grass mowers with mowing device arranged between axles and provided with a channel for transport of harvested grass, which channel is arranged between the rear wheels, wherein said device is further provided with a grass container arranged behind the rear axle.
Transmission of the torsional moment from the motor pulley through variator to the mowing device is provided by an angular belt, which is in a complex fashion guided over guiding and tightening pulleys.
In the utility model CZ 10 763 there is disclosed an arrangement of hydrostatic drive for mowing device of a grass mower. A machine motor is mechanically coupled with a regulation hydraulic generator, which is connected through piping and hydraulic oil tank with a hydraulic motor of the mower. Said regulating hydraulic generator is by means of draw rod connected to an actuator arranged within operator's grasp.
Known are also machines and apparatuses for cutting and treating land areas, in particular slopes of the roadsides. These machines are based on the principle of hammer and pin rotors suspended on three-point support of the tractor or on the cantilever beam of the tractor. However, their operational area as well as their accessibility is substantially restricted, particularly on the slopes.
The above mentioned arrangements of mowers suffer from the common disadvantages consisting in non-uniform engagement and great wear of angled belts. All the known systems for transmission of the torsional moment from the motor to the mower are too difficult to produce, and therefore they are too expensive.
Furthermore, the known travelling devices have not the sufficient manoeuvrability in operation. In the course of their turning the centre of gravity is changed, so that the overturn can take place, in particular on the slopes.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks and to provide improved operation of the travelling device particularly for self-propelled mower.

Travelling device particularly for self-propelled mower


Subject matter includes exemplary flexible rules for defining an information management process, for example a process that manages information being transferred between databases or with respect to an exemplary metadirectory. The flexible rules have inherent logic to define part of an information management action or a database structure and perform a call out for custom logic. The custom logic performs or defines another part of the information management action or database structure. Besides the exemplary flexible rules, the subject matter describes exemplary identity information management processes, engines, and related methods.

An average company has many accounts, storage repositories, directories, and systems that include information about people, computers, and network entities. Often, such sources of information are not necessarily designed to work together or to achieve consistency or harmony of information. For ex ample, a company's computer network settings, printer settings, telephone system configuration, and quality of service policy may be redundantly spread across client computers, servers, network devices, and directory services. Network security policy may reside in both network devices and firewall services. A company's management profile, company policy, and personnel database may be spread across different directories on different servers. Employee demographics may reside partly on email servers that have mailbox and address information, and partly in other various accounts and departments, such as recruiting, payroll, employee benefits, production scheduling, and performance evaluation. Information spread across these various repositories is typically uncoordinated and/or redundant. Further, since each account or system typically uses a slightly different storage format, the information is also apt to be inconsistent and incomplete when compared to a hypothetical complete and accurate record of identifying information (e.g., "identity information") about a person or entity. An employee's health record, for example, if it is seldom accessed, may maintain an incorrect or missing home address for years.
To overcome such problems, various systems rely on master directory schemata, such as metadirectory systems, that try to unify identity information from heterogeneous sources into a single record of preferred information or at least into a preferred format. A metadirectory may be a key directory that provides an overarching view of multiple directories and may be able to consolidate information in multiple directories and manage relationships between existing directories, allowing data to flow between these connected directories.
The problem with conventional schemes is that they are too rigid or too flexible. Rigid schemes provide canned code that does not allow a user, for example, a large business organization, to create a master directory system that suits their unique needs. Rigid code limits a business organization by forcing integration of only those data objects and attributes allowed by the code, lacking capacity for others, while sometimes requiring integration of objects that the organization does not need.
Flexible schemes do not provide a structurally sound foundation upon which a powerful integrated information system can efficiently be built. In other words, by spending great time and expense a flexible scheme could be produced that suits the unique data integration needs of a large business organization, but producing the final working system is like reproducing the complexity of a computer operating system from scratch. The resulting system would be expensive and so completely customized and interwoven with the originating business organization that it would not be usable at a different business organization.


The present invention provides an information processing apparatus to administer a set of evaluation units for providing evaluation including classification, providing comments and so on to information based on the history of evaluation in the past. A data object or information specifying the data object is stored as an information unit in an information unit administering element to be administered, and a set of evaluation units (item such as classification, providing comments and so on) is stored in an evaluation unit set administering element and administered. Every time evaluation is provided to the information unit, information about the relation of association among the information unit, evaluation unit and the set of evaluation units is stored in an evaluation history administering element as a result of evaluation to be administered. Accordingly, a user is able to know by which set of evaluation units the evaluation is provided to a certain piece of information in detail by referring to the result of evaluation administered in the evaluation history administering element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and information processing method for administering an evaluation system (a set of units for evaluation) which provides evaluation including classification, providing comments or the like to a data object, for example, a document that can be electronically accessed.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The environment for utilizing electronic information has been recently developed by introducing word processors, various types of filing systems, database systems, network systems and so on to offices. The patents, papers, many kinds of references or the like in all over the world are now stored in the on-line database, patent information is stored in CD-ROM, and moreover, the Internet has been widespread, whereby the amount of electronic information available in the offices is explosively increased. Accompanying thereto, importance of sharing information in organizations in the offices has been recognized.
However, most of the electronic information utilized in the organizations is an electronic replacement of information conventionally represented in paper documents. With only such replacement, it is difficult to say that the advantages generated by the use of the electronic information are not fully obtained. For appropriately acquiring the necessary information, evaluation including classification, providing comments and so forth should be provided to the information according to unique meanings in the organization.
Conventionally, several methods of mutual offering of information which has a unique meaning were proposed for accelerating the information sharing. One of them is to share the comments for the information, which is disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-274493 (1994) and 7-311764 (1995). These inventions have a purpose to support the collaborative writing, which administer comments given to the document by each member and make it possible to retrieve and display the comments. Each member gives arbitrary comments, and consequently, there is no problem if information is shared in a group of the small number of people, but in the case where information is shared in a large organization, or a large amount of pieces of information are collected in a long period, there occurs a deficiency that it is difficult to find from what viewpoint the comments are given to each piece of information. For example, if only the comment "Important" has been given to a piece of information, it is impossible to know for what purpose the information is "important".
As a tool of offering subjective ratings about an article to one another, for example, GroupLens disclosed by "GroupLens: An Open Architecture for Collaborative Filtering of Netnews", Resnick et al., CSCW94, pp. 175-186, 1994 is known. This makes it possible for users to freely provide 5-grade ratings to every article in the news on an electronic bulletin board. When a user refers to an article, the user can determine the degree of importance with reference to ratings given by other users.
However, there is a problem that GroupLens is poor in expression because the basic rating system such as classification is fixed. Even if the rating system could be renewed, it would be necessary to unify the will of the users for halfway changing of the rating system. Therefore, it is difficult to create a new rating system.
There is also a method of constructing classification categories for uniquely providing a meaning to each of pieces of information and classifies the pieces of information using the classification categories.
Inventions disclosed by Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 5-63834 (1993), 7-28834 (1995) and 7-110809 (1995) store the classification categories and carry out the proper choices or re-classification of information such as documents by selecting the items corresponding to the object information from the categories. An invention disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-84858 (1995) also administers the classification categories, and in particular administers files from plural classification viewpoints.
However, a system for providing meanings to information in an organization may be changed by various external elements such as reorganization, change of research direction, the trend of technology and reconstruction of the technological map by development of new technologies. Therefore, if the classification is continuously carried out for a long period, the change of the classification categories is required in the course of carrying out the classification. This causes a problem that it is hard to recognize by at what time of classification categories each piece of information was classified.
For example, between classification systems having categories "large" and "small", and categories "large", "medium" and "small", classification into the same category "small" has different meanings. Accordingly, if the category "medium" is added, it is necessary to reconsider whether each of all pieces of information previously classified into "large" or "small" belongs to the category "medium" or not.
In conventional methods of category administration, the reconsideration of the classification was impossible because the categories before updating were lost. If a user carries out such reconsideration immediately before the updating, it costs a great deal. Besides, in the case where the categories are shared, if a person changes the categories from his/her own viewpoint, it results in that the categories are changed without the approval of other people using the categories. Therefore in the conventional methods, it has been required that the classification categories have been continuously used as they were fixed, or that the categories have been changed on the consensus of the people after a thorough discussion.
Another method is to store the categories in the past and reproduce one of them. An invention disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-47366 (1992) stores the history of data structures in the past and reproduces a data structure at a certain point of time; thereby it is possible to perform information retrieval based on the reproduced data structure.
However, the purpose of the invention is to restore the data structure at a certain point of time based on the operations in the past. The plural data structures are not under version administration by names, for example, and relations among the plural data structures in the past are not stored. Therefore, according to this invention, a data structure after updating cannot be shown against a specific data structure in the past to support re-providing of evaluation, and besides, it is impossible to select necessary items from the classification categories used in the past to create new classification categories.
The evaluation categories used for evaluation such as classification or providing comments are not the given ones, but they are required to be changed in the course of collecting information. Accordingly, to support information evaluation in the organization in a long period of time, it is necessary to resolve the following problems.
(1) Though it is possible to make a lot of variations of the evaluation categories in accordance with the change of the environment or customization by each member, it is difficult to select or construct the categories which include items sufficient to provide evaluation.
(2) When the evaluation categories are referred to, it is impossible to recognize whether the categories are the latest ones or not. If the categories are not the latest, it is required to provide evaluation again, but it costs very much.

Information processing apparatus and information processing method


A conversation manager processes a spoken utterance from a user of a computer that is directed to an application program hosted on the computer. The conversation manager includes a reasoning facility which accesses goal-directed rules stored in a rules base (e.g., database). The reasoning facility also has access to a conversational record that includes a record of previous utterances and a semantic analysis for each utterance. The reasoning facility processes a representation of the utterance by using the goal-directed rules. The reasoning facility uses means-end analysis to determine the proper rules to execute, and thus the script calls to make to achieve the goal of processing the utterance. While processing the utterance, the reasoning facility attempts to resolve any ambiguities in the representation of the utterance and to fill in any missing information that is needed to achieve its goal. The reasoning facility then generates a response to the utterance, which can be a question to the user or a command to the application program based on the utterance.

Speech enabling mechanisms have been developed that allow a user of a computer system to verbally communicate with the computer system. Examples of speech recognition products that convert speech into text strings that can be utilized by software applications on a computer system include the ViaVoice™ product from IBM®, Armonk, N.Y., and NaturallySpeaking Professional from Dragon Systems, Newton, Mass. In particular, a user may communicate through a microphone with a software application that displays output from the application in a window on the display screen of the computer system.
A computer can include a speech recognition or natural language processing system that receives or recognizes utterances and decides what to do with them. Traditionally, a number of such processing systems transform an utterance directly into script commands. For command and control systems, these utterances typically represent commands that require the system to take some form of action. An action typically consists of a call to one or more script functions which accomplishes something on the user's computer or elsewhere (e.g., on another computer over a network).
Other speech recognition systems typically treat interactions with a user as a form-filling exercise, or treat conversation as a script or decision tree walk. In a form-filling system, the system can accept utterances and respond to the user as long as the user speaks utterances that match the predetermined layout of the form. In a decision tree system, the system can accept utterances and respond as long as the user provides utterances that match those predefined for the decision tree and thus enable the user to move through the predetermined decision tree.

Method and apparatus for converting utterance representations into actions in a conversational system

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of staining preselected, mounted specimens of either biological or nonbiological material enclosed within a staining chamber where the liquid staining reagents are applied and removed from the staining chamber using hypergravity as the propelling force. In the preferred embodiment, a spacecraft-operated centrifuge and method of diagnosing biological specimens while in orbit, characterized by hermetically sealing a shell assembly. The assembly contains slide stain apparatus with computer control therefor, the operative effect of which is to overcome microgravity, for example on board an International Space Station.

A differential white cell count (DWCC) is an important diagnostic tool which can be used to distinguish between various conditions which induce alterations in the total number and type of white blood cells produced by the human body. For example, a DWCC can be used to distinguish between bacterial or viral infections, in the differential diagnosis of an allergic reaction or to detect the presence of myoproliferative disorders or leukemia on board an International Space Station, ISS.
Microgravity exposure during space flight results in hemodynamic changes in crew members, which in turn impacts upon the production of white blood cells. No data is presently available to establish the "normal baseline" for white blood cell production in microgravity. Without first knowing the extent to which microgravity exposure impacts white blood cell production, or secondly the proper "microgravity baseline" for a normal healthy crew-member in space, it is quite possible that a bacterial or viral infection may be overlooked or misdiagnosed, or that a potentially much more serious problem, such as leukemia, may be attributed to a bacterial or viral infection in a particular crew-member.
At the present time it is impossible to perform DWCC while aboard an orbiting space craft. Whole blood smears have been produced in microgravity, but as yet it has remained impossible to perform DWCC without returning the blood smear to Earth. Due to the limited life span of such smears it is impossible to make a definitive statement with regard to the effect of microgravity exposure upon white blood cell profile based on such samples. Until real-time performance and analysis of a DWCC can be achieved aboard the space craft, critical crew health information remains unobtainable.
In a terrestrial setting, a differential white cell count is obtained by firstly preparing a blood smear on a glass slide, fixing the cells in the smear to the surface of the slide, staining the cells with a histochemical stain followed by washing the slide in a clean buffer solution prior to viewing under the microscope where a differential white blood cell count is made by morphological criteria. The protocol outlined above is a simple and universally used technique to perform a DWCC. However, this technique requires the use of liquid buffer solutions, including fixatives and dye solutions. While this technique is performed easily on Earth, the problems associated with liquid handling in microgravity make such a task practically impossible.
Past attempts at solving this problem have induded several cell stainers which were tested by NASA or its contractor personnel but have since proved unsuitable for use in microgravity. The first attempt was a slide stainer which flew aboard Sky Lab. This device proved very cumbersome, required large volumes of buffer solutions and had limited use due to precipitate formation in the staining solutions which blocked the intricate tubing arrangement required to apply the staining solutions to the blood smear. A second attempt was based upon an airtight chamber design which contained a blood smear slide, into which buffer solutions and/or staining solutions were introduced using a vacuum system. System operation relied upon a series of one-way and two-way valves in order to achieve an efficient vacuum into which the staining solutions were introduced by hypodermic syringe. The original technology used a hand-held squeeze bulb to create the vacuum which proved inadequate. A later version incorporated mechanical pumps to provide both vacuum production and syringe emptying. The hand-operated version of this technology, although shown to work on the ground and which passed initial testing aboard the KC-135 parabolic aircraft, did not fulfill its potential; thus this technology has been shelved as a viable solution to slide staining on-orbit, not least because of its requirement for substantial crew interaction.

Centrifuge-operated specimen staining method and apparatus


A display apparatus includes a display device, a touch panel, and a control device. The control device acts as a display controller. The display controller causes the display device to display an operation screen including a character input field, superimpose a keyboard on the operation screen, when the touch panel receives a touch operation performed on the character input field, and display a first scroll bar for scrolling the operation screen, a displayed portion of which has been reduced by the keyboard superimposed, in a first vacant region in the reduced displayed portion, not overlapping with the character input field and the keyboard.

The present disclosure relates to a display apparatus including a touch panel, and to an image forming apparatus.
These days, an increasing number of functions are given to electronic apparatuses that include a touch panel, and the layout of an operation screen is becoming more complicated. Because of the increase in number of items to be handled on the screen, the content of the operation screen is often unable to be fully displayed within a predetermined region of the display screen, and therefore a scrollable display has come to be utilized.

Display apparatus that displays scroll bar in displayed portion of operation screen reduced by superimposed keyboard, and image forming apparatus


In a method for manipulating paper roll heads by a multi-axis robot (8), heads are picked-up and transferred by the robot (8) from multiple stacks in accordance with stored data concerning the height and position of each stack as well as the dimension characteristics of the articles in the stack. At initial start-up, or immediately after a shut-down, previously stored information on the position or height of the stacks is considered not known by or otherwise unreliable by the robot (8) controller. That is, when the operation of the robot (8) is halted to accommodate replacement or replenishment of the head stacks, the stored parameter data for all stacks is set unknown. In accordance with its operating program, the system operation is restarted, the robot performs a slow-speed approach toward an uncalibrated stack, measures the stack data, that is, calibrates the stack height and position, and thus can perform the next stack approach through a normal transfer cycle on the basis of the measured data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to article handling, and more particularly, to a method for picking up roll end header disks from a plurality of stacks using a multiple axis robot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The finished product of the papermaking process is a continuously issued web approximately 6 meters wide. For shipment to customers and converters, the web is slit into a plurality of more manageable widths and wound into cylindrical reels or rolls of normally 1 to 2 meters in diameter. Shipment weights of such rolls may range from 1700 to 9200 pounds. To protect the finished rolls from damage during shipment and handling, they are typically wrapped with a heavy grade of paperboard having a thickness of 0.23 mm or greater.
The presently prevailing technique for such roll wrapping is to draw a strip of wrapping board from a supply reel of greater axial length than the roll to be protected. This web strip is wrapped tightly about the cylindrical surface of the protected roll. The axially overhanging portion is crimped radially inward toward the roll center and tightly creased against the circular roll end. To seal the roll end and hold the crimps down against the end faces, two circular header disks or "heads" of approximately the same diameter as the protected roll are used at each roll end-face. One head is inserted within the surface wrap overhang flush against the roll end-face. Adhesive, typically a hot-melt glue, is then applied to the outer face of this first or inner head. Next, the overhanging portion of the surface wrap is crimped and pleated into the inner head adhesive. Thereafter, a second header disk or "outer head" having adhesive applied to the inner face thereof is pressed against the outer face of the surface wrap pleats, thereby covering the crimped overlap of the wrapper and the inner head.
The inner head is usually relatively thick and thus capable of protecting the roll end against mechanical damage. The outer head, which serves to bind the wrapper at the roll ends and protect the roll from humidity, can be substantially thinner than the inner head. Frequently the coloring and printed pattern of the outer head are designed to give the roll a neat appearance.
Common to all prior art wrapping methods is the need for circular, usually die cut, heads of substantially the same diameter as the protected roll. If several different diameter sizes are prepared for shipment by the producing mill, it is necessary to make, or purchase and store, such respectively sized heads preparatory to use. Prior to wrapping, the width and diameter of the roll to be protected is measured, and heads of suitable diameter and width are selected from this group for placement on the roll ends.
The end heads can be placed on the roll ends in a variety of ways. Manual placement of the heads is the oldest method, and it is still suited for relatively small capacity wrapping lines or applications not requiring a substantial degree of automation. In accordance with the manual technique, the operator positions the appropriate inner heads manually on the roll ends. The operator then places the corresponding outer heads onto heated press platens, which platens press the outer heads into adherence with the roll ends. The inner heads are kept against the roll ends by means of separate arms for the duration of the crimping of the wrapper overlaps against the roll ends. The adherence of the outer heads to the platens during the operation is achieved using vacuum. In order to overcome the processing speed limitations on the manual technique described above, various types of automatic heading machines have also been utilized. A common feature of almost all such conventional automated heading devices is that, for each end of the roll, a separate heading machine with an associated head clamp is provided. The head clamp transfers the head from the head stack or stacks to a corresponding roll end.
In one conventional heading device, a rotatable arm is mounted on a vertical guide, the arm having at its distal end a rotatable vacuum clamp for grasping the heads. This type of heading machine is typically employed in conjunction with different kinds of head storage shelves situated beside the heading machine. Using this machine, the heads are placed on the roll ends so that the support arm of the clamp is transferred along a vertical guide to the level of the shelf containing the correctly sized heads. Next, the support arm of the clamp and the heading machine itself are rotated until the clamp is aligned parallel with the shelf. Thereafter, the head is gripped and transferred from the shelf to the roll end by rotating both the support arm of the clamp and the heading machine and moving the heading machine along the guide.
In another type of known automated heading machine, the heads are placed in stacks on the factory floor and then transferred therefrom to the roll ends by means of an overhead gripping device, typically a carriage mounted manipulator. The gantry transfer carriage of this device is constructed above the stacks of heads and the heading manipulators are generally movable along a single, crosswise movable rail. Thus, a separate stack of heads of a predetermined size must be provided for each heading manipulator.
A major disadvantage of the prior art automated heading systems discussed above is that a separate heading manipulator and a dedicated head storage shelf or supply stack is required for each roll end. The heading machines employed are of a special-purpose configuration in that they are designed for manipulating heads only and their associated control software must be tailored particularly for a particular operating environment. Accordingly, modifications to the operation of the system are cumbersome and require specialized design capabilities.
In addition to the known techniques discussed above, it would also be possible to manipulate the heads using a standard multiple axis robot. Such a robot, for example, could be integrated with the layout of a wrapping line in a manner permitting the robot to pick up and place a head on each end of the roll or onto a press platen. To obviate the need for two separate head transferring cycles, it would be particularly desirable to configure such a robot with a two sided clamp capable of a flipping movement by which both roll ends could be sequentially gripped and both heads simultaneously transferred to the roll during a single transfer cycle.
When retrieving the outer heads from respective stacks utilizing a robot, certain information must be known in order to optimize the processing speed of the transfer operation. The location of the stacks must be known so as to allow direct picking up of the heads without requiring that a stack location determination be made during each head transfer cycle. Another reason why stack position must be known is that the clamp carried by the arm of the robot must grasp the head by a predetermined point to ensure correct positioning of the head upon release. Another item of information which must be utilized by the robot control software to achieve an efficient transfer operation is the height of each stack. Specifically, if the height of a stack is known, the clamp can be immediately moved to a pick-up position relative to the uppermost head of the stack so that incremental clamp position adjustments or "inching steps" for finding the top of the stack are unnecessary.
Accurate placement of head stacks relative to a robotic gripping device can not be achieved without unwieldy special arrangements, principally because the stacks are brought into place by fork-lift or other transfer means unsuitable for such placement. Consequently, the actual position of the stack subsequent to replenishment or replacement must be reported in some manner to the control software. The reporting can be manually performed at start-up or after stack replenishment, for example, by requiring the wrapping station operator to update information concerning the heads of the replenished stacks as well as the height and position of the stacks using a data terminal keyboard. Such a manual procedure, however, is awkward, inefficient, and possibly dangerous. To enter the stack height and location accurately requires a sufficiently accurate method of measuring such dimensions. The measurement cycle increases the system downtime consumed by the stack replenishment operation and introduces several error sources. Moreover, the robot control software is incapable of distinguishing between accurate and inaccurate information. Thus, if the wrapping station operator, due to stress or other reasons, were to enter incorrect measurement data to the control system or completely neglect to enter the altered measurements of a stack, the robot would perform the head transfer cycle on the basis of the incorrect or outdated information and possibly invoke extremely serious hazards. In the least severe cases, the head transfer cycle fails or the head is incorrectly positioned relative to the roll, whereby the error may be immediately detected and corrected. In the most serious case, the robot can topple or move the stack, or even cause damage to itself or other structures. In any event, operation of the wrapping station must be halted until a fault situation can be rectified.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method in which the robot is controlled in accordance with a program which autonomously calibrates the position and height of the stacks, thus avoiding the problems and disadvantages discussed above.


The invention relates to a container for tobacco related or smoking related articles, in particular snus, and a method of manufacturing such a container. The container comprises a base portion and a top portion defining a first compartment between the base portion and the top portion. The base portion or the top portion comprises a displaceable wall and a cover defining a second compartment between the displaceable wall and the cover. The displaceable wall is coupled to the base portion or the top portion by a screw thread for displacing the displaceable wall by rotating the displaceable wall.

EP 2 349 853 discloses a container comprising a base and a lid defining a first compartment for storing unused snus and in which at least the lid or the base includes a reconfigurable wall to enable a user to form or enlarge a second compartment on the other side of said wall to the first compartment for storing used snus, and a cover for closing the second compartment. The wall is at least partially formed from a resilient material and can be positioned in a selectable one of a plurality of stable positions. The wall is movable into one of said positions in response to the application of pressure to the wall and by deforming it beyond a predetermined point. The disadvantage of this container is, however, that it requires that the consumer gets in direct contact with the reconfigurable wall in order to expand or downsize the second compartment. This is generally uncomfortable and, if used snus or the remains of used snus are kept in the second compartment, the consumer's hands are inevitably soiled.

Container for snus, tobacco related or smoking related articles and method


A cartridge in which bone cement is mixed and from which the cement is discharged. A blade with plural vanes is disposed in the cartridge for mixing the cement. A piston located in one end of the cartridge is actuated to push the mixed cement out of the cartridge. The blade has plural vanes, one for scraping cement off the side of the cartridge, one for scraping cement off the piston and one for scraping cement off the end of the cartridge opposite the end in which the piston is normally located. The blade is collapsible so that when the piston is actuated the blade compresses to allow the cement in the cartridge to be pushed out.

Bone cement mixing and delivery systems are well known for mixing liquid and powder components of bone cement and delivering the prepared bone cement to an anatomical site during various surgical procedures. Bone cement is particularly useful in orthopedic procedures in which a prosthetic device is fixed to a bone or joint structure to improve the strength, rigidity, and movement of the structure. In a total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedure, in which a hip joint is replaced with a prosthetic device, bone cement is used to fix the prosthetic device in place in a medullary canal of a femur.
Typically, the bone cement is prepared in a mixing cartridge. The mixing cartridge includes a cylinder having proximal and distal ends with a mixing chamber defined between the ends. The mixing cartridge further includes a cap covering the proximal end of the cylinder and a piston disposed in the distal end of the cylinder such that the mixing chamber is further defined between the cap and the piston. The piston may be releasably secured in a locked position in the cylinder by a cotter pin. The cap supports a mixing device, i.e., a mixing shaft and blade, for mixing the liquid and powder components of the bone cement in the mixing chamber.
Once the bone cement is mixed, the mixing cartridge is prepared for inserting into a delivery gun to discharge the bone cement. This may include disengaging the mixing shaft and coupling a nozzle to the cap to provide a discharge point for the bone cement. At the same time, the piston is released from the locked position in the distal end of the cylinder by pulling the cotter pin. This allows the piston to be driven by the delivery gun through the mixing chamber to discharge the bone cement from the nozzle. An alternative solution for securing and releasing the piston is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,262 to Lidgren et al.
In Lidgren et al., the piston is releasably secured in the locked position in the distal end of the cylinder by a gripping portion in the form of a flange, which extends along only a portion of an inner periphery of the cylinder. The piston in Lidgren et al. has a corresponding gripping portion in the form of an outwardly directed lip that protrudes behind the flange. The lip defines a groove with an outer surface of the piston to receive the flange. To release the piston from the locked position, the flange is rotated through the groove until the flange has been rotated past the lip. Lidgren et al. discloses a base that is used to secure the piston from rotation while a user rotates the cylinder relative to the piston to release the piston from the locked position. This method of releasing the piston from the locked position, much like pulling the cotter pin, requires additional manipulation by a user.
Once the piston is released from the locked position, the mixing cartridge is inserted into the delivery gun. A typical delivery gun includes a ram disk that engages the piston and drives the piston through the mixing chamber to discharge the bone cement from the nozzle. The delivery gun includes a cradle for supporting the mixing cartridge and a casing for supporting a drive rod that engages the ram disk and advances the ram disk to drive the piston. The drive rod includes a plurality of teeth and a pawl member engages the teeth to advance the drive rod. A trigger supports the pawl member and the casing rotatably supports the trigger. Actuation of the trigger relative to the casing urges the pawl member against the teeth to advance the drive rod.
An example of such a delivery gun is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,654 to Nic. In the '654 patent to Nic, two pawl members are used to independently advance the drive rod and the ram disk. The pawl members provide high speed/low force and low speed/high force advancement of the drive rod. A switch is used to select between the speeds. When high speed is selected, both pawl members engage the drive rod, while only the high-speed pawl member actually advances the drive rod. When low 1 speed is selected, the high-speed pawl member is isolated from the teeth such that only the low speed pawl member engages the teeth to advance the drive rod. However, in Nic, the trigger directly supports each of the pawl members which results in a low mechanical advantage to advance the drive rod and ram disk.

Cartridge in which bone cement is mixed and from which bone cement is delivered, the cartridge having a compressible blade with plural vanes


A dental articulator capable of finely adjusting a three-dimensional articulation posture and exerting a secure fastening force by a lever is provided. The dental articulator includes a lower grip plate, a column, an arm, and an upper grip plate, wherein a first ball and a second ball are disposed between the arm and the upper grip plate, and wherein the dental articulator further comprises: a first clamp block having spherical recesses contacting with the first and second balls; a second clamp block having spherical recesses contacting with the first and second balls; a lever disposed on an outer surface of the second clamp block; an engaging bolt passing through the lever and the second clamp block into the first clamp block; and fastening bolts engaged into the lever to shorten a distance between the first and second clamp blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental articulator, and more particularly, to a dental articulator capable of accurately adjusting a three-dimensional articulation posture.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a dental articulator is a tool for producing artificial teeth, or dentures. An orthodontist mounts teeth molds made by a dentist on the dental articulator to produce the artificial teeth.
One type of conventional dental articulators comprises a base, a column erected at one end of the base, and arm rotatably disposed at one end of the column. Plaster molds are mounted on the base and attached to the arm. After the plaster molds are solidified, the plaster molds are hit and detached from the dental articulator. Due to hitting, the plaster molds may be damaged or broken. In addition, wastes of the plaster molds may contaminate environments. In addition, it takes too much time to solidify the plaster molds.
Another type of conventional dental articulators further comprises fastening means including upper and lower grippers for gripping upper and lower mouth molds on the arm and base. The upper and lower grippers are controlled with respective fastening bolts. In the conventional dental articulator, the grippers are fastened with engagement means. Therefore, after the articulation processes are performed several times, an engagement force is weaken, so that there may occur imperfect articulation due to change in an articulation posture of the dental articulator.


A micro-miniature acceleration switch (240) has a substrate (242) and an inertial mass member ("IMM" 244) fabricated upon the substrate. The substrate (242) has a planar surface (246), and the IMM (244) can slide relative to the substrate from a first position to a second position when the switch (240) is accelerated along at least one direction parallel to the planar surface by acceleration of sufficient magnitude. Electrical contacts (e.g., 268) are fabricated upon the substrate (242) with at least one contact being coupled to the IMM (244). The contacts (268) move between closed and open positions when the IMM (244) slides between the first position and the second position. In one embodiment, an electrode (e.g., 292) provides an electrostatic force that opposes the acceleration forces and holds the IMM (244) in a holding position until overcome by the predetermined acceleration force. The predetermined acceleration force necessary to trigger the switch (240) may conveniently be adjusted by adjusting the electrostatic force applied by the electrode (292). The switch (240) is particularly useful as a safing switch in a system (140) for controlling a vehicle occupant protection device.

Vehicle occupant protection systems have, in prior times, used a distributed array of inertia-operated mechanical switches to sense the onset of a collision and trigger the actuation of an occupant protection device (e.g., an air bag or a seat belt retractor). More recently, the type of system that is typically used in vehicles includes one or more electronic acceleration sensors working in cooperation with a microprocessor and sophisticated software. The sensors provide electronic signals proportional to vehicle acceleration. The microprocessor assesses the frequent and rapid changes in the vehicle's acceleration and determines whether a crash event is in progress that requires the actuation of the occupant protection system.
Protection systems using acceleration sensors typically still include one inertia-operated mechanical switch, usually referred to as a "safing switch", for providing a redundant level of detection of the crash event. The safing switch is designed and calibrated to close at a relatively early stage in a crash event. Closure of the safing switch is a necessary condition but not the sole determinant in controlling actuation of the occupant protection system, however. The occupant protection device (e.g., the air bag) is only actuated when the microprocessor determines that the severity of the crash is sufficient to warrant such actuation.
Safing switches presently in use employ an inertial mass that moves, upon vehicle deceleration, against the resilience of a spring. Electrical contacts associated with the switch are coupled to the mass in such a way that the contacts close when the mass moves a certain distance from its initial, or rest, position. Since the deceleration impulse representative of a significant crash varies from one vehicle type to another, the switch design often must be modified to some extent from one vehicle type to another such that the switch will, in each case, close at the appropriate time for that particular vehicle type. Normal manufacturing tolerances, however, still cause the switch actuation point to vary from switch to switch. Thus, each individual safing switch is calibrated during manufacture to "fine tune" the switch closure to the proper deceleration impulse point selected for that vehicle type.
Safing switches now in use are manufactured by processes generally similar to those used to assemble other small mechanical devices. Efforts have been made, however, to develop smaller switches that could be manufactured using techniques like those used to manufacture semiconductor components and/or micro-machined silicon elements. Patents describing such micro-machined switch devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,177,331, 4,855,544, and 4,543,457.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,331 discloses an "impact sensor" formed of micro-machined silicon. The "impact sensor" includes contacts that close when the sensor is subjected to an impact. The sensor further includes electrodes between which an electrostatic field appears, creating a force tending to urge the contacts to close. When the contacts are in their unactuated position, the force is too small to perturb the contacts into the closed position. When the contacts close due to an impact, however, the nearness of the electrodes substantially increases the magnitude of the electrostatic field and the resulting force. The increased electrostatic force latches the contacts in the closed position until the field is released.

Movable acceleration switch responsive to acceleration parallel to plane of substrate upon which the switch is fabricated and methods


The present invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I):

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical, more particularly to a multi-cyclic cinnamide derivative and an amyloid-β (hereinafter referred to as Aβ) production inhibitor comprising the derivative as an active ingredient, which are effective for treatment of a neurodegenerative disease caused by Aβ such as Alzheimer's disease or Down's syndrome.
(2) Description of Related Art
Alzheimer's disease is a disease characterized by degeneration and loss of neurons as well as formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration. Currently, Alzheimer's disease is treated only with symptomatic treatment using a symptom improving agent typified by an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, and a fundamental remedy to inhibit progression of the disease has not yet been developed. It is necessary to develop a method for controlling the cause of the onset of pathology in order to create a fundamental remedy for Alzheimer's disease.
It is assumed that Aβ-proteins as metabolites of amyloid precursor proteins (hereinafter referred to as APP) are highly involved in degeneration and loss of neurons and onset of symptoms of dementia (see Klein W L, and seven others, Alzheimer's disease-affected brain: Presence of oligomeric Aβ ligands (ADDLs) suggests a molecular basis for reversible memory loss, Proceding National Academy of Science USA 2003, Sep. 2; 100(18), p. 10417-10422; and Nitsch R M, and sixteen others, Antibodies against β-amyloid slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, Neuron, 2003, May 22; 38, p. 547-554, for example). An Aβ-protein has, as main components, Aβ40 consisting of 40 amino acids and Aβ42 in which the number of amino acids is increased by two at the C-terminal. The Aβ40 and Aβ42 are known to have high aggregability (see Jarrett J T, and two others, The carboxy terminus of the β amyloid protein is critical for the seeding of amyloid formation: Implications for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, Biochemistry, 1993, 32(18), p. 4693-4697, for example) and to be main components of senile plaques (see Jarrett J T, and two others, The carboxy terminus of the β amyloid protein is critical for the seeding of amyloid formation: Implications for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, Biochemistry, 1993, 32(18), p. 4693-4697; Glenner G G, and one other, Alzheimer's disease: initial report of the purification and characterization of a novel cerebrovascular amyloid protein, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 1984, May 16, 120(3), p. 885-890; and Masters C L, and five others, Amyloid plaque core protein in Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome, Proceding National Academy of Science USA, 1985, June, 82(12), p. 4245-4249, for example). Further, it is known that the Aβ40 and Aβ42 are increased by mutation in APP and presenilin genes which is observed in familial Alzheimer's disease (see Gouras G K, and eleven others, Intraneuronal Aβ42 accumulation in human brain, American Journal of Pathology, 2000, January, 156(1), p. 15-20; Scheuner D, and twenty others, Secreted amyloid β-protein similar to that in the senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease is increased in vivo by the presenilin 1 and 2 and APP mutations linked to familial Alzheimer's disease, Nature Medicine, 1996, August, 2(8), p. 864-870; and Forman M S, and four others, Differential effects of the swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein on β-amyloid accumulation and secretion in neurons and normeuronal cells, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1997, Dec. 19, 272(51), p. 32247-32253, for example). Accordingly, a compound that reduces production of Aβ40 and Aβ42 has been expected as a progression inhibitor or prophylactic agent for Alzheimer's disease.
Aβ is produced by cleaving APP by β-secretase and subsequently by γ-secretase. For this reason, attempts have been made to create γ-secretase and β-secretase inhibitors in order to reduce Aβ production. Many of these secretase inhibitors already known are, for example, peptides and peptide mimetics such as L-685,458 (see Shearman M S, and nine others, L-685,458, an Aspartyl Protease Transition State Mimic, Is a Potent Inhibitor of Amyloid β-Protein Precursor γ-Secretase Activity, Biochemistry, 2000, Aug. 1, 39(30), p. 8698-8704, for example) and LY-411575 (see Shearman M S, and six others, Catalytic Site-Directed γ-Secretase Complex Inhibitors Do Not Discriminate Pharmacologically between Notch S3 and β-APP Cleavages, Biochemistry, 2003, Jun. 24, 42(24), p. 7580-7586; Lanz T A, and three others, Studies of Aβ pharmacodynamics in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and plasma in young (plaque-free) Tg2576 mice using the γ-secretase inhibitor N2-[(2S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoyl]-N1-[(7S)-5-methyl-6-oxo-6,7-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,d]azepin-7-yl]-L-alaninamide (LY-411575), The journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 2004, April, 309(1), p. 49-55; and Wong G T, and twelve others, Chronic treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor LY-411,575 inhibits β-amyloid peptide production and alters lymphopoiesis and intestinal cell differentiation, The journal of biological chemistry, 2004, Mar. 26, 279(13), p. 12876-12882, for example). WO 2004/110350 describes, as nonpeptide compounds, a group of compounds having multiple aromatic rings, but the compounds of formula (VI) at page 17 of WO 2004/110350 are different from the compounds of the present invention in that they are limited only to a group of compounds having 2-aminothiazolyl group as the main structure.

Abstract: or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein Ar1 represents an imidazolyl group that may be substituted with a C1-6 alkyl group, or the like, Ar2 represents a phenyl group that may be substituted with a C1-6 alkoxy group, or the like, X1 represents a double bond or the like, and Het represents an imidazolyl group that may be substituted with a C1-6 alkyl group, or the like, which is effective as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for a disease caused by Aβ.


A coupling device for removably coupling a drawer to an extendable rail of a pull-out guide includes an adjusting device, by which a position of a drawer that is connected to the rail can be adjusted relative to the rail in the lateral direction and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) of the pull-out guide. The coupling device has a fixing part to be fixed to the drawer, and a coupling part to be coupled to the rail. The fixing part can be moved relative to the coupling part by the adjusting device in a linear manner. The adjusting device has an adjusting wheel rotatably mounted on the coupling part or on the fixing part. An actuating region is provided on the adjusting wheel in order to rotate the adjusting wheel, and the adjusting device includes a transmission device. A movement of the actuating region of the adjusting wheel can be converted by the transmission device into a linear movement of the fixing part relative to the coupling part such that the position of the drawer is adjusted relative to the furniture body in the same direction in which the actuating region is moved.

The invention concerns a device for releasably coupling a drawer to an extendable rail of an extension guide having the features of a classifying portion.
A coupling device for drawers is disclosed in Austrian patent application A 144/2010. By means of the device, it is possible firstly for the drawer which is pushed on to the extension guide to be connected to an extendable rail of the extension guide, wherein abutment surfaces are arranged in the connecting region for making that connection. Due to the abutment surfaces, automatic latching of the drawer to the rail of the extension guide can take place, and a release portion allows the drawer to be released from the rail again.
By virtue of the fact that the above-mentioned device has a fixing portion and a coupling portion, the relative position of which is adjustable to each other by an adjusting device, it is possible to compensate for minor inaccuracies in manufacture of the extension guide or the device or an inaccuracy in mounting in or on a furniture carcass, which have the result that the drawer cannot be pulled out as desired in the longitudinal direction, but slightly inclined relative thereto. Particularly when a plurality of drawers are arranged in a furniture carcass, such a device makes it possible to provide a cleaner front appearance for the furniture carcass in regard to the lateral alignment of the drawers.
In that case, the adjusting device has an adjusting wheel, wherein the fixing portion and the coupling portion of the device can be displaced relative to each other by rotation of the adjusting wheel. The device itself should involve extremely compact overall dimensions in order that it can be fitted at the underside of the drawer bottom without impeding mounting and mobility of a drawer arranged therebeneath. For that reason, the components of the device and in particular the adjusting device are filigree delicate components. In that arrangement, the adjusting wheel is mounted rotatably about an axis arranged vertically in the mounted position. The adjusting wheel has an external tooth arrangement representing an actuating region which is accessible by way of an opening in the housing of the device.
The housing is arranged in opposite relationship to the side wall so that the actuating region, upon rotation of the adjusting wheel, is rotated substantially parallel to or in anti-parallel relationship with the extension direction of the drawer. The movement of the drawer relative to the extension rail, caused by the rotation of the adjusting wheel, is effective however in a lateral direction. For a person who adjusts the position of the drawer with the adjusting wheel, it is therefore not immediately apparent in what direction that person has to rotate the adjusting wheel in order to displace the drawer relative to the extension rail in a desired direction. If in contrast there is a wish to make the entire external region of the adjusting wheel available at the same time as the actuating region, then the entire adjusting wheel must be freely accessible and for that purpose must be fitted on to the device by virtue of the rotation about an axis that is vertical in the mounted condition. That construction has the disadvantage of involving a large structural height, which in turn is harmful in terms of the space requirement involved. In addition an exposed adjusting wheel of that kind entails the risk of damage or injury in particular because of the filigree components.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The optometry apparatus includes an index projecting optical system for projecting an index for cross cylinder test to an eye for shortening examination time, a variable cross cylinder lens disposed on an optical axis of the index projecting optical system, for forming one pair of projection images of the index by switching of an astigmatic axial angle while predetermined astigmatic power is set, a joystick lever and a button used to input a result of comparison between appearance states of the pair of projection images of the index, and an initial value setting unit for determining an astigmatic axial angle of the variable cross cylinder lens to cause one of the pair of projection images of the index visually recognized and to cause the other thereof in a blurred state based on objective values of astigmatic power and an astigmatic axial angle of the eye, measured in advance, and for setting the determined astigmatic axial angle as an initial value for astigmatic axial angle measurement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optometry apparatus capable of performing a cross cylinder test for examining an astigmatic state of an eye to be examined.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optometry apparatus capable of performing a cross cylinder test has been known as an optometry apparatus for optometry measurement. For example, an optometry apparatus described in JP 2004-180955 A (claims and paragraphs [0030] and [0039] to [0047] of the specification) includes an operating means such as a joystick lever and a computer having a computer program for automatically performing an eye examination. An objective eye examination can be simultaneously performed for both eyes. In addition, a subjective eye examination can be performed by a person to be examined alone using a screen navigation system or a voice navigation system. The cross cylinder test is performed during the flow of those examinations.
The optometry apparatus described in JP 2004-180955 A is constructed so as to provide training screens for training an operating method for examination before an actual examination is performed. Training of the cross cylinder test is also performed using the training screens. In the cross cylinder test, an index S shown in FIG. 16 (which is called a cross cylinder test chart or the like) is indicated to an eye to be examined. Astigmatic power or an astigmatic axial angle is switched from one to another, and the person to be examined makes a comparative determination of appearance states of the index S, thereby examining an astigmatic state of the eye to be examined. However, a difference between the appearance states to be compared is not very clear. Therefore, on a training screen, a typical difference between appearance states caused when the astigmatic axial angle is changed is presented in an exaggerated manner. One projection image is clearly displayed on the training screen and the other projection image is displayed thereon with a blurred state, thereby promoting understanding of the contents of the cross cylinder test and understanding of the operating method.
However, when the training is performed before the examination, it is likely that the person to be examined will forget the examination contents and the operating method because some time is elapsed before the actual cross cylinder test starts. The training requires time, so there is a problem in that an examination time per a person to be examined becomes longer.
In the cross cylinder test, a difference between appearance states of the index to be compared is not clear and thus it is difficult for the person to be examined to make rapid determination, so that a time for the cross cylinder test lengthens in some cases. In particular, there are cases where the astigmatic axial angle is measured with excessive measurement precision, which hinders the smooth progress of the cross cylinder test. The astigmatic axial angle measurement performed through the cross cylinder test is to compare appearance states of a pair of projection images of the cross cylinder test chart S with each other, so the measurement is in some cases completed with a state in which the projection image are not clearly visually recognized. Therefore, the response given by the person to be examined at the last stage of the test often becomes vague, leading to an increase in examination time.


The present invention relates to methods of treating pathological disorders susceptible to steroid hormone nuclear receptor modulation comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of the formula:

Nuclear hormone receptors are an evolutionarily conserved class of intracellular receptor proteins which have been termed "ligand dependent transcription factors". Evans et al., SCIENCE, 240: 889 (1988). The nuclear hormone receptor gene superfamily encodes structurally-related receptor proteins for glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone), androgens, mineralocorticoids (e.g. aldosterone), progestins, estrogen, and thyroid hormone. Also included within this superfamily of nuclear receptors are receptor proteins for vitamin D, retinoic acid, 9-cis retinoic acid, as well as those receptors for which no cognate ligands have been identified ("orphan receptors") Ribeiro et al., Annual Rev. Med., 46:443-453 (1995). Steroid hormone receptors represent a subset of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. So named according to the cognate ligand which complexes with the receptor in its native state, the steroid hormone nuclear receptors include the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the androgen receptor (AR), the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), the estrogen receptor (ER), and the progesterone receptor (PR). Tenbaum et al., Int. J. Biochem. Cell. Bio., 29(12):1325-1341(1997).
In contrast to membrane bound receptors, nuclear hormone receptors encounter their respective ligands following entry of the ligand into the cell. Once ligand binding occurs, the ligand-receptor complex modulates transcription of target genes within the cell nucleus. For example, most ligand-free nuclear receptors are bound in a complex with heat shock proteins (hsps) in the cytoplasm. Following entry of circulating hormone into the cell, binding elicits a conformational change in the receptor, dissociating the receptor from the hsp. The ligand bound receptors translocate to the nucleus, where they act as monomers as well as hetero-and homodimers in binding to particular hormone response elements (HREs) in the promoter regions of target genes. The HRE-receptor complex then, in turn, regulates transcription of proximally-located genes. (see Ribeiro et al., supra). On the other hand, thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and other non-steroid receptors such as vitamin D receptor (VDR) and retinoic acid receptors (RAR) are bound to their respective HRE in the absence of hsps and/or cognate ligand. Hormones released from the circulation enter the cell, binding in the nucleus to these receptors which, in turn, hetero-dimerize to other nuclear receptors such as 9-cis retinoic acid (RXR). As with the steroid hormone nuclear receptors, following ligand binding, the ligand-bound receptor complex again regulates transcription of neighboring genes.
Mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids exert profound influences on a multitude of physiological functions by virtue of their diverse roles in growth, development, and maintenance of homeostasis. The actions are mediated by the MR and GR which share approximately 94% homology in their respective DNA binding regions, and approximately 57% homology in their respective ligand-binding domains. Kino et al., J. of Endocrinology, 169, 437-445 (2001). In visceral tissues, such as the kidney and the gut, MR regulates sodium retention, potassium excretion, and water balance in response to aldosterone. In addition, MR expression in the brain appears to play a role in the control of neuronal excitability, in the negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and in the cognitive aspects of behavioral performance. Castren et al., J. of Neuroendocrinology, 3, 461-466;(1993). GR, which is ubiquitously expressed in almost all tissues and organ systems, is crucial for the integrity of central nervous system function and the maintenance of cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune homeostasis. Kino et al., J. of Endocrinology, 169, 437-445 (2001).
Elevations in aldosterone levels, or excess stimulation of mineralocorticoid receptors, are linked to several pathological disorders or pathologic disease states including, Conn's Syndrome, primary and secondary hyperaldosteronism, increased sodium retention, increased magnesium and potassium excretion (diuresis), increased water retention, hypertension (isolated systolic and combined systolic/diastolic), arrhythmias, myocardial fibrosis, myocardial infarction, Bartter's Syndrome, and disorders associated with excess catecholamine levels. Hadley, M. E., ENDOCRINOLOGY, 2nd Ed., pp. 366-381, (1988); and Brilla et al., Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 25 (5), pp.563-575 (1993). Additionally, elevated aldosterone levels have been increasingly implicated with congestive heart failure (CHF). In CHF, the failing heart triggers hormonal mechanisms in other organs in response to the attending reductions in blood flow and blood pressure seen with CHF. In particular, the kidney activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) causing an increase in aldosterone production by the adrenals which, in turn, promotes water and sodium retention, potassium loss, and further edema Although historically it was believed that aldosterone participated in the etiology of CHF only as a result of its salt retaining effects, several recent studies have implicated elevated aldosterone levels with events in extra-adrenal tissues and organs, such as myocardial and vascular fibrosis, direct vascular damage, and baroreceptor dysfunction. Pitt et al., New Eng. J. Med., 341:709-717 (1999). These findings are particularly significant since angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which were once thought to completely abolish aldosterone production, are now believed to only transiently suppress aldosterone production which has been shown to occur in extra-adrenal tissues including the heart and vasculature. Weber, New Eng. J. Med., 341:753-755 (1999); Fardella and Miller, Annu. Rev. Nutr., 16:443-470 (1996).
The involvement of aldosterone acting via MR in CHF was confirmed in the recently completed RALES (Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study) study. Pitt et al., New Eng. J. Med., 341:709-717 (1999). The RALES study demonstrated that the use of Aldactone™ (spironolactone), a well-known competitive MR antagonist, in combination with standard CHF therapy, reduced cardiac related mortality by 30% and frequency of hospitalization by 35% in patients suffering from advanced CHF. However, spironolactone therapy has also been associated with attending side effects such as gastric bleeding, diarrhea, azotemia, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis an type-4 renal tubule acidosis, nausea, gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, hyperkalemia, and irregular menses. Thus, the mineralocorticoid receptor represents a viable target for CHF therapy either alone or in combination with conventional CHF therapies such as vasodilators (ACE inhibitors), inotropics (digoxin), diuretics, or beta blockers. Molecules, preferably non-steroids, which bind to the mineralocorticoid receptor and modulate receptor activity without the attending side effects of current therapies would be particularly desirable.
Finally, published international PCT application WO 02/17895 discloses that aldosterone antagonists are useful in the treatment of subjects suffering from one or more cognitive dysfunctions including, but not limited to psychoses, cognitive disorders (such as memory disturbances), mood disorders (such as depression and bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. In particular, Smythe et al., Pharm. Biochem and Behav., (1997); 56(3); 507-513 and Young et al, Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, (2003); 60; 24-28, respectively, report that mineralocorticoid receptors, and modulation of MR activity, are involved in anxiety and major depression. In addition, Sasano et al., Anticancer Research, 17; 2001-2007 (1997) reports that expression of MR may be related to differentiation of breast carcinomas. Thus MR modulators may also have utility in treating cancer, particularly of the breast.
Glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol, corticosterone, and cortisone), and the glucocorticoid receptor, have also been implicated in the etiology of a variety of pathological disorders or pathologic disease states. For example, cortisol hyposecretion is implicated in the pathogenesis of Addison's Disease and may result in muscle weakness, increased melanin pigmentation of the skin, weight loss, hypotension, and hypoglycemia. On the other hand, excessive or prolonged secretion of glucocorticoids has been correlated to Cushing's Syndrome and may also result in obesity, hypertension, glucose intolerance, hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, polyuria, and polydipsia Hadley, M. E., ENDOCRINOLOGY, 2nd Ed., pp. 366-381, (1988). Further, Coghlan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,013, issued Dec. 26, 2000, discloses that GR selective agents could modulate GR activity and, thus, be useful in the treatment of inflammation, tissue rejection, auto-immunity, malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas, Cushing's syndrome, acute adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, rheumatic fever, polyarteritis nodosa, granulomatous polyarteritis, inhibition of myeloid cell lines, immune proliferation/apoptosis, HPA axis suppression and regulation, hypercortisolemia, modulation of the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, chronic kidney disease, stroke and spinal cord injury, hypercalcemia, hypergylcemia, acute adrenal insufficiency, chronic primary adrenal insufficiency, secondary adrenal insufficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, cerebral edema, thrombocytopenia, and Little's syndrome. Coghlan et al. also discloses that GR modulators are especially useful in disease states involving systemic inflammation such as inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, polyartitis nodosa, Wegener's granulomatosis, giant cell arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, urticaria, angioneurotic edema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, tendonitis, bursitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, organ transplantation, hepatitis, and cirrhosis; and that GR modulating compounds have been used as immunostimulants, repressors, and as wound healing and tissue repair agents.
In addition, Coghlan et al. discloses that GR modulators have also found use in a variety of topical diseases such as inflammatory scalp alopecia, panniculitis, psoriasis, discoid lupus erythematosus, inflamed cysts, atopic dermatitis, pyoderma gangrenosum, pemphigus vulgaris, bullous pemphigoid, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, eosinophilic fasciitis, relapsing polychondritis, inflammatory vasculitis, sarcoidosis, Sweet's disease, type 1 reactive leprosy, capillary hemangiomas, contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, exfoliative dermatitis, erythema nodosum, acne, hirsutism, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiform, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Finally, GR Modulators may also have utility in treating respiratory disorders, such as emphysema, and neuroinflammatory disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease.
Thus, it is clear that a ligand which has affinity for steroid hormone nuclear receptors, and particularly for MR and/or GR, could be used to modulate (i.e. repress, antagonize, agonize, partially antagonize, partially agonize) receptor activity and target gene expression, thereby influencing a multitude of physiological functions related to alterations in steroid hormone levels and/or steroid hormone receptor activity. In this regard, such ligands could be useful to treat a wide range of pathological disorders susceptible to steroid hormone nuclear receptor modulation.
Several art references disclose tricyclic derivative molecules useful as, inter alia, photographic coupling and developing agents, thromboxane A2 modulators, and as histamine H2 antagonists. Further, tricyclic-derivative compounds have also been disclosed as having pharmacological utility as, inter alia, antidepressants and anti-inflammatory agents. Surprisingly, however, and in accordance with the present invention, applicants have discovered a series of tricyclic compounds, particularly dibenzosuberane, dibenzoxapine, dibenzazapine, and dibenzthiepine derivatives, with affinity for steroid hormone nuclear receptors, and particularly for MR and GR. Such compounds could modulate receptor activity and, thus, have utility in treating pathological disorders related to alterations in steroid hormone level and/or to alterations in steroid hormone nuclear receptor activity. As a further embodiment, the present invention also provides a novel series of novel non-steroidal tricyclic compounds that exhibit steroid hormone nuclear receptor affinity and modulating activity. Such methods and compounds could address a long felt and continuing need for safe and effective pharmaceutical interventions without the attending side effects of steroidal-type agents. The treatment of steroid hormone related disorders is hereby furthered.
The following references describe examples of the state of the art as it relates to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,233 discloses tricyclic molecules (i.e. Loratadine (Claritin™) as H2 antagonists.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,363 (and family members) discloses tricyclic molecules as thromboxane A2 antagonists.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,378,701 and 5,478,840 and 5,607,955 disclose tricyclic molecules as angiotensin II antagonists.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,188 B1 discloses tricyclic molecules as farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors.
Published International PCT Application WO 99/33786 discloses tricyclic propanamide derivative molecules as anti-inflammatory agents.
Published International PCT Application WO 96/19458 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,696,130; 5,994,544; 6,017,924, and 6,121,450 disclose quinoline derivative analogs as steroid hormone receptor modulators.
Published International PCT Application WO 00/06137 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,013 disclose triphenylmethane compounds as glucocorticoid receptor modulators.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,066 discloses anti-mineralocorticoid receptor compounds for use in treating drug withdrawal syndrome.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,008,210 and 6,093,708 disclose spirolactone compounds, such as spironolactone and epoxymexrenone, with affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor for use in the treatment of myocardial fibrosis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,912 discloses 5H Dibenzo (A,D) cycloheptenylidene and 5H Dibenzo (A,D) cycloheptanylidene derivatives as electrophotographic photosensitive agents.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,976, 4,539,507, 5,093,210, and 5,166,022 disclose the use of tricyclic molecules in electroluminescent devices.

Tricyclic steroid hormone nuclear receptor modulators

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. In addition, the present invention provides novel pharmaceutical compounds of Formula I, including the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, as well as pharmaceutical compositions which comprise as an active ingredient a compound of Formula I.


Methods are provided for regulating bone remodeling or tooth movement, comprising allowing a functional appliance to exert a force on oral or maxillofacial bone, muscle, or soft tissue, or one or more teeth of a patient in need thereof; and administering an effective amount of light to the oral or maxillofacial bone, muscle, or soft tissue, or one or more teeth, wherein the light is administered before, during, or after the force is exerted. Methods are also provided for regulating bone remodeling, comprising administering an effective amount of vitamin D to an oral or maxillofacial bone, muscle, or soft tissue, or to one or more teeth of a patient in need thereof; and administering an effective amount of light to the oral or maxillofacial bone, muscle, or soft tissue, or to the one or more teeth. Apparatuses useful for providing light therapy and/or vitamin D is also provided.

Orthodontics involves the movement of teeth through bone. By applying pressure to a tooth, bone can be broken down at a leading edge of the tooth to facilitate tooth movement. New bone is then created at a trailing edge of the tooth. Bone is resorbed in (e.g., broken down) in areas of pressure between a tooth root and periodontium, and bone is deposited (created) in areas of tension between a tooth root and periodontium. Pressure can cause resorption and tension can cause deposition regardless of where they occur along a tooth root surface. Movement of teeth through bone is slow based on the speed of the remodeling process while teeth are undergoing conventional orthodontic treatment, thereby necessitating treatments of long duration in order to achieve the desired tooth position. Tooth movement in adults is slower than tooth movement in adolescents. Long-term orthodontic treatment can have an increased risk of root resorption, gingival inflammation and dental caries. Moreover, movement of teeth through bone can be uneven, as teeth might "tip" due to the force applied, i.e., the crown of the tooth can move in the desired direction more quickly than the root of the tooth, resulting in tipping of the tooth. When teeth to move "bodily" through the bone, i.e., in a more or less perpendicular orientation relative to the bone, the teeth move without tipping or with only a low degree of tipping.
Methods for increasing the rate of tooth movement without damage to the tooth and periodontium have been sought. For example, acceleration of tooth movement can be achieved by the local injection of prostaglandin, the active form of vitamin D3, and osteocalcin around the alveolar socket. These substances might increase the rate of tooth movement, but might also cause side effects such as local pain and discomfort for a patient during the process of injection. In a recent study, more than 65% of the subjects in North America have been shown to be deficient vitamin D serum levels. In these vitamin D-deficient subjects, bone metabolism and remodeling can be adversely affected.
Apparatuses useful for delivering light therapy to the dental and maxillofacial areas of a patient have been described, for example, in PCT publication numbers WO 2009/000075 and WO 2006/087633, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, there remains a need for light-therapy apparatuses that can deliver specifically targeted light therapy to flood desired regions of a patient's jawbone with light having desired characteristics.
A significant amount of malocclusion in dental patients is caused by lack of sufficient horizontal or vertical growth of the mandibular bone. This can result in the lower teeth being positioned too far in a posterior direction, leading to an increased overjet and retrusive chin. In some situations, the mandibular bone can be too far forward or backward, and it can be desirable to move or remodel the mandibular bone. In other situations, it can be desirable for the maxillary bone to be remodeled.
Typical treatments involve surgical advancement or dental compensatory orthodontic treatment. Some more recent therapy involves the functional repositioning of the mandibular bone forward using an intra-oral orthodontic appliance. This repositioning of the mandibular bone creates remodeling of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and also some tooth movement as compensation to the forces. The problem, however, with this approach is that it can take up to 12 months to correct the mandibular position. Additionally, such approaches appear to have much less effectiveness in adults or non-growing adolescents.
A need exists for methods and apparatuses that are useful for increasing the velocity (or rate) or improving the quality of bone remodeling. A further need exists for methods and apparatuses that are useful for increasing the velocity (or rate) or improving the quality of tooth movement through bone in response to orthodontic treatment, to decrease treatment times for patients without undesirable side effects or pain. There is also a need for methods and apparatuses that can be used to achieve a desired mode or quality of movement of teeth through the bone, e.g., bodily movement of teeth through bone, and that are adjustable to permit tooth movement to be modulated at a desired specific location or locations within a patient's jaw region.

Methods useful for remodeling maxillofacial bone using light therapy and a functional appliance