A DRAM cell capable of storing two bits of digital data as four levels of stored charge within the DRAM cell is disclosed. The four level DRAM cell has a pass transistor, a trench capacitor, and a stack capacitor. The pass transistors has a source connected to a bit line voltage generator to control placement of the charge within the four level DRAM cell, a gate connected to a word line voltage generator to control activation of the DRAM cells, and a drain. The trench capacitor has a top plate connected to the drain and a bottom plate connected to a substrate biasing voltage source. The stack capacitor has a first plate connected to the drain and a second plate connected to a coupling-gate voltage generator. The coupling-gate voltage generator will provide four levels of voltage that will indicate the level of charge to be stored within the four level DRAM cell. An interconnecting block that will interconnect the top plate of the trench capacitor to the first plate of the stack capacitor. The interconnection point between the trench capacitor and the stack capacitor will form the storage node that will retain the level of charge that indicates the state of the two bits of digital data. Four level DRAM cells will be arranged in a plurality of rows and columns to form an array of four level DRAM cells.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the dynamic random access memories (DRAM) and more particularly to the structures and methods of fabrication of DRAM's storing multiple data bits per DRAM cell.
2. Description of Related Art
The fabrication and structure of DRAM cells and DRAM arrays are well known in the art. Typical cell structures for high density DRAM in prior art is composed of one transistor M.sub.1 70 for switching charges and one storage capacitor C 65 for storing charges is illustrated in FIGS. 1a. The transistor M.sub.1 70 will be an n-MOS transistor fabricated as shown in FIGS. 1b. A deep N-well 10 will be formed in a p-type substrate 5. The area for DRAM cells will be formed as openings during the formation of insulation. The insulation is formed by the local oxidation of the silicon substrate (LOCOS) 20. Within the deep n-well 10 a shallower p-well 15 will be formed. The gate 40 of the n-MOS transistor M.sub.1 70 will be formed as a conductive material such as polysilicon placed over an insulating gate oxide 35 to define the channel area that will be between the drain 30 and source 25 of the n-MOS transistor M.sub.1 70.
The drain 30 and the source 25 will be formed by masking the semiconductor substrate 5 and implanting an N.sup.+ material to form the N.sup.+ drain 30 and the N.sup.+ source 25. The gate 40 of the MOS transistor M.sub.1 70 will be connected to the word line control circuitry (not shown).
The capacitor C 65 is formed by placing a conductive metal connected to the substrate biasing voltage source V.sub.SS on a dielectric placed over the N.sup.+ drain of the transistor M.sub.1 70. The capacitor C 65 as shown is diagrammatic. The particular structure of the capacitor C 65 is well known and shown in "The Evolution Of DRAM Cell Technology" by B. El-Kareh et al., Solid State Technology, May 1997, pp. 89-101. In order to maintain the minimum storage capacitance of 30-40.degree. F. of a cell, the structure of the DRAM cell results in complex semiconductor processing to develop these structures.
Refer now to FIGS. 1c and 1d, The trench capacitor C.sub.T 165 is formed by etching a deep trench 167 in the surface of the semiconductor substrate 105. An N.sup.+ material is implanted in the surface of the trench 167 and to the N.sup.+ drain 130 to form an N.sup.+ strap 152. An insulating material such as oxidized silicon nitride ONO, silicon dioxide, or silicon nitride will then be deposited on the surface of the trench 167 to form the capacitor dielectric 155. A conductive material such as polysilicon will be deposited in the trench 167 to fill the trench 167. The polysilicon "plug" 160 will then be attached to the substrate biasing voltage source V.sub.SS 175 to form a bottom plate of the capacitor C.sub.T 165. The top plate of the capacitor C.sub.T 165 will be the N.sup.+ diffusion 150 that is connected by the N.sup.+ strap 152 to the N.sup.+ drain 130 of the MOS transistor M.sub.1 170. Again FIG. 1d is diagrammatic. The particular structure is well known in the art and illustrated in B. El-Kareh et al.
The deep n-well 110 is typically biased to the power supply voltage source V.sub.CC (i.e. the highest potential on chip) and the p-well is biased to substrate biasing voltage source V.sub.SS 175 (i.e. the lowest voltage on chip). The substrate biasing voltage source V.sub.SS 175 may be biased below ground (i.e. negative potential) so that the leakage current through the pass transistor is reduced. The presence of charge in the storage capacitor C 165 indicates a logical "1" and its absence of charge indicates a logical "0". The storage capacitor C 165 is connected to N.sup.+ drain 130 of the transistor M1 170, and the other N.sup.+ source 125 of the transistor M1 170 is connected to bit-line V.sub.bit 180 that controls the reading and writing of the DRAM cell. The gate 140 of the MOS transistor M.sub.1 170 is connected to the word line V.sub.word 185 to control the selection of the DRAM cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,197 (Mashiko) describes a DRAM cell incorporating a trench capacitor to store one bit and a stack capacitor to store a second bit. A first pass transistor controls the charge of the trench capacitor, while a second pass transistor controls the charge of the stacked capacitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,608 (Kin et al.) describes a method for manufacture of a stacked-trench capacitor. The stacked-trench capacitor will incorporate both a trench capacitor and stack capacitor to increase the capacitance of the DRAM cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,918 (Kim et al.) discloses an integrated semiconductor memory device incorporating stacked capacitors and combined stack-trench capacitors to form column and rows of memory cells. The stacked capacitors are the stack-trench capacitors are alternated to allow improved density, while preventing leakage current and soft errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,854 (An et al.) describes a method for manufacturing a stack-trench capacitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,509 (Morita) discloses a DRAM array employing a combination of stacked capacitor memory cells and trench capacitor memory cells to form the array. The stacked capacitor memory cells will occupy on column of the array while the trench capacitor memory cells will occupy alternate columns of the memory array. The memory array will also have the stacked capacitor cells and the trench capacitor memory cells used as dummy memory cells within the array. The structure of the memory array is such that when the stacked capacitor memory cells are selected, the dummy stacked memory cells are selected and like wises for the trench capacitor memory cells and the dummy trench capacitor memory cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,192 (Jeon) describes a method of fabricating a DRAM cell incorporating stacked capacitors and trench capacitors. The structure of the stacked capacitors and the trench capacitors is such that the stacked capacitors and the trench capacitors are connected in parallel to increase the capacitance of the DRAM cell.

Method for forming a DRAM cell and array to store two-bit data

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


The present invention as disclosed hereby is to provide an apparatus and method for allowing images to correspond to each other and a program therefore to automatically perform or make synchronous correspondence of images. According to the apparatus on the condition that there are OHP files and a moving image photographing a lecture or the like using such OHP files, resemblances between the OHP files and OHP image regions of frame images constituting the moving image is calculated such that the correspondence processing between the OHP files and the frame images can be performed based on the calculated resemblances.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for allowing images to correspond to each other and a program therefore to automatically perform or make correspondence between a plurality of first images (e.g., an OHP (Overhead Projector) files as used in a lecture or the like) and a plurality of second images (e.g., a moving image of a plurality of frames obtained by photographing such a lecture).
2. Description of the Related Art
In a field of an interoffice education or in a field of a general education, the E-learning is being introduced thereinto. For example, the E-learning includes a remote education that is conducted by computers using the Internet or the like and often using WEB image screens. The E-learning is embodied miscellaneously in its form. Among others, particularly such contents as being employed in a lecture which is usually conducted and actively engaged in practical educations can be reproduced on a computer in the best mode and used for synchronously performing both of a reproduction of the lecture by using a moving image thereof and an enlarged representation of an OHP image used in the lecture (hereinafter, an image projected or displayed by the OHP is also referred to as an OHP file or OHP image). With the contents as mention above, participants can readily identify which part of the OHP image is pointed out by a lecturer on a monitor of the computer and comprehend its details definitely by watching its enlarged representation. Basically, such contents can effectuate simultaneous representations of the part pointed out by the lecturer on the OHP image and of its details, thereby providing substantially the same circumstance as that in which the participant is actually participated in the lecture.
In order to realize such a system, it is necessary to synchronize the moving image representation of the lecture using the OHP with the enlarged representation of the OHP image which is projected partially in the moving image. For creating such contents, various authoring systems (authoring softwares) for contents creation of the E-learning are commercially available at present.
However, a processing for performing correspondence between the moving image and a representation of a document of educational-materials in a synchronous manner to each other is manually done by an operator at present. Accordingly, there is a problem arising from a lot of time which must be expensed for creating the contents.

Apparatus and method for allowing images to correspond to each other and program therefor


This invention describes methods of treating conditions associated with an excess of neuropeptide Y which comprises administering an obesity protein. This invention also describes methods of treating conditions associated with an excess of neuropeptide Y which comprises administering an obesity protein in combination with a neuropeptide Y antagonist. This invention demonstrates that the obesity protein acts by reducing the production of neuropeptide Y by the hypothalamus.

Neuropeptide Y is a peptide present in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peptide co-exists with noradrenaline in many neurons and acts as a neurotransmitter per se or synergistically together with noradrenaline. Neuropeptide Y-containing fibers are numerous around arteries in the heart, but are also found around the arteries in the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the genitourinary tract. Neuropeptide Y is also present in the cerebrum with effects on blood pressure, feeding, and the release of different hormones. Alterations in central concentrations of neuropeptide Y have been implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders.
Neuropeptide Y was discovered, isolated and sequenced about ten years ago from porcine brain as part of a general screening protocol to discover carboxy-terminal amidated peptides and was named neuropeptide Y due to its isolation form neural tissue and the presence of tyrosine as both the amino and carboxy terminal amino acid. Neuropeptide Y is a member of the pancreatic family of peptides and shares significant sequence homology with pancreatic polypeptide, and peptide YY.
Neuropeptide Y and the other members of its family of peptides all feature a tertiary structure consisting of an N-terminal polyproline helix and an amphiphilic .alpha.-helix, connected with a .beta.-turn, creating a hairpin-like loop, which is sometimes referred to as the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) fold. The helices are kept together by hydrophobic interactions. The amidated C-terminal end projects away from the hairpin loop.
Subsequent to its discovery neuropeptide Y was identified as being the most abundant peptide in the central nervous system with widespread distribution including the cortex, brainstem, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and thalamus as well as being present in the peripheral nervous system in sympathetic neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells.
Neuropeptide Y seems to fulfill the main neurotransmitter criteria, since it is stored in synaptic granules, is released upon electrical nerve stimulation, and acts at specific receptors. It is clear that neuropeptide Y is an important messenger in its own right, probably in the brain, where neuropeptide Y potently inhibits the activity of adenylate cyclase and induces an increase in the intracellular levels of calcium. Central injection of neuropeptide Y results in blood pressure changes, increased feeding, increased fat storage, elevated blood sugar and insulin, decreased locomotor activity, reduced body temperature, and catalepsy.
Neuropeptide Y (as well as its chemical relatives) acts upon membrane receptors that are dependent on guanine nucleotides, known as G protein-coupled receptors. G proteins are a family of membrane proteins that become activated only after binding guanosine triphosphate. Activated G proteins in turn activate an amplifier enzyme on the inner face of a membrane; the enzyme then converts precursor molecules into second messengers.
Neuropeptide Y appears to interact with a family of closely related receptors. These receptors are generally classified into several subtypes based upon the ability of different tissues and receptors to bind different fragments of neuropeptide Y and the closely related peptide YY. The Y1 receptor subtype appears to be the major vascular neuropeptide Y receptor. The Y2 receptor subtypes can also occur postjunctionally on vascular smooth muscle. The as-yet-unisolated Y3 receptor subtype appears to be neuropeptide Y-specific, not binding peptide YY. This receptor is likely to be present in the adrenal tissues, medulla, heart, and brain stem , among other areas. [For a review of neuropeptide Y and neuropeptide Y receptors, see, e.g., C. Wahlestedt and D. Reis, Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 33:309-352 (1993)]. Patent Cooperation Treaty Publication WO 95/00161, published Jun. 18, 1993, describes a series of neuropeptide Y antagonists and agonists for controlling biological activities such as obesity and cardiovascular function.
Obesity, and especially upper body obesity, is a common and very serious public health problem in the United States and throughout the world. According to recent statistics, more than 25% of the United States population and 27% of the Canadian population are overweight. Kuczmarski, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 55: 495S-502S (1992); Reeder et. al., Canadian Medical Association Journal, 23:226-233 (1992). Upper body obesity is the strongest risk factor known for type II diabetes mellitus, and is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer as well. Recent estimates for the medical cost of obesity are US$150,000,000,000 world wide. The problem has become serious enough that the surgeon general has begun an initiative to combat the ever increasing adiposity rampant in American society.
Much of this obesityiinduced pathology can be attributed to the strong association with dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance. Many studies have demonstrated that reduction in obesity by diet and exercise reduces these risk factors dramatically. Unfortunately, these treatments are largely unsuccessful with a failure rate reaching 95%. This failure may be due to the fact that the condition is strongly associated with genetically inherited factors that contribute to increased appetite, preference for highly caloric foods, reduced physical activity, and increased lipogenic metabolism. This indicates that people inheriting these genetic traits are prone to becoming obese regardless of their efforts to combat the condition. Therefore, a pharmacological agent that can correct this adiposity handicap and allow the physician to successfully treat obese patients in spite of their genetic inheritance is needed.
The ob lob mouse is a model of obesity and diabetes that is known to carry an autosomal recessive trait linked to a mutation in the sixth chromosome. Recently, Yiying zhang and co-workers published the positional cloning of the mouse gene (ob) linked with this condition. Yiying Zhang et al. Nature 372: 425-32 (1994). This report disclosed a gene coding for a 167 amino acid protein with a 21 amino acid signal peptide that is exclusively expressed in adipose tissue.
Physiologists have postulated for years that, when a mammal overeats, the resulting excess fat signals to the brain that the body is obese which, in turn, causes the body to eat less and burn more fuel. G. R. Hervey, Nature (London), 227:629-631 (1969). This "feedback" model is supported by parabiotic experiments, which implicate a circulating hormone controlling adiposity. Based on this model, the protein, which is apparently encoded by the ob gene, is now speculated to be an adiposity regulating hormone.
Pharmacological agents which are biologically active and mimic the activity of this protein are useful to help patients regulate their appetite and metabolism and thereby control their adiposity.
In view of the wide number of clinical maladies associated with an excess of neuropeptide Y and related peptides, the development of compounds that inhibit release of neuropeptide Y as well as neuropeptide Y receptor antagonists will serve to control these clinical conditions.

Methods of treating nueropeptide Y-associated conditions


A method and apparatus for minimizing starvation of a station in a ring networked environment includes allocating a tax to each of the stations in the ring, and, for each packet that is to be transited though the ring, providing bandwidth to the station in the form of a tax packet, which allows the station to have ring access.

Resilient Packet Ring technology is a Layer 2 networking technology that defines the manner in which bandwidth is used by transmitting stations in a fiber ring network. In Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) technology, at least two counter rotating fiber ringlets couple a ring of stations, thereby allowing the stations to share available bandwidth without each station needing additional bandwidth provisioning logic.
In general, Resilient Packet Rings (RPR) permits stations, or stations, on a ring to automatically negotiate for bandwidth among themselves via a Fairness Algorithm. Each station has a topology map of the ring and can send data on the optimal ringlet towards its destination. Feedback regarding the congestion at each station is provided to each station during operation.
One feature of the RPR architecture is that it permits 'spatial reuse', that is, communication between different stations may occur during the same time window, since each station is using a different span of the ringlet. For example, when sending a unicast packet, the source determines which ringlet should be used based on information included in a topology map. The shortest hop count path to the destination is one method. When the packet arrives at its destination, it is removed from the ring, and thus bandwidth is consumed only on the spans between the source and the destination. The remaining spans on the ringlet remain idle, and are therefore available for use by other stations.
Because there exists the capability for spatial reuse in RPR networks, it may occur that the network is oversubscribed. Thus, stations may be advertised as capable of supporting a certain bandwidth which exceeds the instantaneous bandwidth capabilities of the network but is achievable due to the spatial reuse. In addition, certain stations may be deemed as higher priority stations than others in the network. As a result of the combination of prioritized stations and oversubscription of network resources, it may occur that some stations in the ring become starved for network resources. Various fairness mechanisms have been introduced to ensure that each station is permitted access to the network. However, the implantation of these fairness mechanisms requires feedback and computation, and therefore increases the overall complexity of the ring network. Furthermore they do not completely remove the starvation problem unless the ring bandwidth is pre-allocated or provisioned. It would be desirable to provide a base RPR transmission architecture which overcomes the starvation problems of the existing architecture for all class of traffic supported on the ring.


A method includes sampling an input voltage signal applied to an ADC, comparing the sampled input voltage signal with an output signal of a feedback DAC, and determining in a search logic block a digital code representation for the comparison result. The method may also include performing a calibration by: performing an additional cycle, wherein a last comparison carried out for determining a least significant bit of the digital code representation is repeated with a second comparator resolution mode different from a first comparator resolution mode, so obtaining an additional comparison; determining from a difference between results of the additional comparison and the last comparison a sign of a comparator offset error between the comparator resolution modes; and tuning, in accordance with a sign of the comparator offset error, a programmable capacitor connected at an input of the comparator, thereby inducing a voltage step to counteract the comparator offset error.

In recent years important advances have been made in increasing the power efficiency of analogue-to-digital converters. Particularly efficient implementations are based on a successive approximation register (SAR) architecture.
In a typical successive approximation register analogue-to-digital conversion (SAR ADC) architecture the input voltage is compared against a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) output voltage using a comparator in several cycles. The input signal first goes through a sample and hold block. The SAR search logic block executes a search algorithm, which typically performs a binary search. In the first cycle the input is compared against the middle of the ADC range. From the comparator output the most significant bit (MSB) can be determined. In the next cycle bit MSB-1 is determined and so on. A conversion to N bits normally requires N cycles. The SAR ADC is low in cost and consumes low operating power. The excellent power efficiency of the SAR converter can be attributed both to the inherent efficiency of the binary search algorithm and the simplicity of the required hardware.
High resolution SAR analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) (>10bit) with very low power and MS/s sampling rates are popular in wireless sensor node to obtain robust wireless communication links. However, the comparator becomes one of the most power-hungry components in this resolution. However, the intrinsic accuracy (DAC matching) of a SAR ADC is limited up to 10 or 12 b in modern CMOS technologies. Scaling up the device dimensions can improve matching but deteriorates power-efficiency and speed.
A conventional SAR ADC scheme is depicted in FIG. 1. A sample and hold circuit is used, as well as a comparator, a DAC, and a digital SAR controller. The analogue signal Vin enters the sample and hold (S/H) circuit where the signal simply is sampled and held to provide a buffer for the A/D converter. Vin is compared to a reference voltage Vref at the comparator input. The digital comparison result goes to the SAR controller block comprising the search logic. The controller block adjusts the digital control signals in order to narrow the compared voltages. An adjusted digital signal is provided at an output to a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC). This signal is converted to an adjusted Vref, which is compared to Vin in the comparator. A common implementation of the DAC uses an array of capacitors which are controlled by the SAR controller block.
Analogue imperfections in the SAR ADC converters such as DAC mismatch and comparator offset, introduce errors that are typically mitigated through a calibration. The calibration measures and compensates for the analogue imperfections in the SAR A/D converters. However, most calibrations are implemented off-chip, as the power for the calibration circuit is relatively high when implemented on-chip. Foreground calibration is an alternative choice but it may be sensitive to environment and can introduce additional effort (e.g., manual effort) to perform the calibration.
The comparator is a power-hungry component in high-resolution SAR ADCs. To save power, two-mode comparators have been introduced (see "A 0.7V 7-to-10 bit 0-to-2 MS/s Flexible SAR ADC for Ultra Low-Power Wireless Sensor Nodes", P. Harpe et al., IEEE Eur. Solid-State Circuits Conf., September 2012). The comparator works in low-power mode for coarse comparisons and switches to high-precision mode for fine comparisons, resulting in significant energy reduction. However, as the offset in these two modes might be different, this scheme can introduce a dynamic offset, which may impede the conversion accuracy. Besides, the comparator offset is sensitive to environmental changes (e.g., temperature). For that reason, an offset calibration is implemented that aims to equalize the comparator offset in the two modes to similar levels. However, due to the absence of error detection capability, the offset error can only be corrected manually by iteratively tuning the capacitor value and observing the measured ADC performance.
The paper "A 820 μW 9b 40 MS/s Noise-Tolerant Dynamic-SAR ADC in 90 nm Digital CMOS" (V. Giannini et al., ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 238-239, February 2008) presents an ADC with two comparators with different noise performance to reduce the overall power consumption. It uses two comparators with different input-referred noise. Due to the use of two separate comparators, there are two independent offsets. The offset difference between the two comparators is corrected by loading the calibration settings through a serial register.
However, in these references, the comparator offset error cannot be directly measured. As a result, the comparator offset is compensated manually. Hence, there is a desire for a low-power fully automated on-chip background calibration approach for correcting comparator offset.

Circuit and method for comparator offset error detection and correction in an ADC


A pick-up roll apparatus is disclosed for picking up a tail of a web from a forming wire and for transferring the tail to a press felt wrapping around a portion of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a perforate rotatable shell which is disposed adjacent to the forming wire, the shell having a first and a second end. A stationary core is disposed within the shell, the core defining a tail box which is bounded by the shell. The tail box is disposed adjacent to one of the ends of the shell and is selectively connected to a source of partial vacuum such that when the tail of the web is cut on the forming wire, the tail is drawn from the forming wire onto the press felt which wraps around the rotatable shell. The core also defines a downstream chamber which extends between the first end and the second end of the shell. The chamber is bounded by the shell and is connected to the source of vacuum such that during widening of the tail to a full-width sheet, a flow of air through the press felt and through the perforate shell towards the downstream chamber urges the widened tail towards the press felt. The tail box and the downstream chamber are in fluid communication with each other so that any tendency of the tail to detach from the press felt in the vicinity of the tail box during the widening of the tail is inhibited.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pick-up roll apparatus for picking up a tail of a web from a forming wire. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pick-up roll apparatus which transfers the tail to a press felt which wraps around a portion of the pick-up roll apparatus.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
In the papermaking art, a web is formed on a fourdrinier wire by ejecting stock onto the wire and draining water from the stock through the wire.
Subsequently, the partially dewatered web is transferred from the fourdrinier forming wire onto a press felt where the web is conveyed between counter-rotating press rolls, or the like, for further dewatering the web.
Typically, the transfer from the forming wire to a press felt is accomplished by means of a pick-up roll, which is disposed closely adjacent to the forming wire. The press felt wraps around a portion of the pick-up roll such that the formed web is disposed between the fourdrinier wire and the press felt.
In many pick-up rolls, a central core of the pick-up roll defines a full-width chamber having an open face towards that portion of the pick-up roll wrapped by the press felt. The chamber which extends in a cross-machine direction is connected to a source of partial vacuum, and the core rotatably supports a perforate roll shell such that as the press felt extends around and wraps the pick-up roll shell, the roll shell rotates relative to the pick-up chamber. When the pick-up chamber is connected to the source of partial vacuum, the full-width sheet is pulled towards the press felt so that a transfer of the full-width sheet to the press felt is effected.
More recently, pick-up rolls have been proposed which include not only a pick-up chamber, but also a tail box or end box disposed adjacent to one edge of the web. The tail box, which is usually approximately six inches in width, is connected to a source of partial vacuum so that during a transfer operation, a tail cutter disposed upstream relative to the pick-up roll cuts a six inch wide tail from the formed web.
When the tail has been cut, both the tail and the remainder of the full-width sheet are discharged to a broke pit disposed beneath the fourdrinier wire.
The vacuum source is then connected to the tail box so that the tail is drawn towards the press felt by the vacuum in the tail box, and the tail is guided by the press felt through the press section.
Once the tail has been stabilized through the press section, the tail cutter is moved in a cross-machine direction across the forming wire such that the tail is widened to a full-width sheet.
In view of the movement of the formed web and the cross-machine directional movement of the tail cutter, the tail is widened and assumes a diagonal leading edge until the tail cutter completes movement across the web.
However, such prior tail threading operations have always been accomplished by turning off the vacuum supply to the tail box and by then turning on the vacuum supply to the cross-machine directional vacuum chamber during the tail widening operation.
Consequently, a problem has existed in that when the vacuum to the tail box is turned off, there exists a tendency for that edge of the web adjacent to the tail box to drop off of the press felt while the remainder of the tail, which is being widened to a full-width sheet, is being supported by the cross-machine directional vacuum chamber.
The present invention overcome the aforementioned problem by the provision of a downstream chamber which is connected to the same source of vacuum as the tail box so that during the tail widening step, a relatively low vacuum is applied along the entire cross-machine directional width of the widened tail, including that portion of the tail moving over the tail box.
When the tail has been widened to a full-width sheet, a relatively high vacuum is applied through an upstream vacuum chamber defined by the core for maintaining the transfer of the full-width sheet to the press felt.
Therefore, the present invention overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art arrangements and provides a pick-up roll apparatus which makes a considerable contribution to the art of transferring a tail of a web from a forming section to a press section.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a pick-up roll apparatus which includes a downstream vacuum chamber which is connected to a tail box for controlling the transfer of a tail from a forming wire onto a press felt while the tail is being widened to a full-width sheet.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by a consideration of the detailed description contained hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings.


A software voting or prediction system iteratively solicits participant preferences between members of a set, with a binary tree built used to minimize the number of iterations required. As each member of the set is considered, it is pairwise-compared with select members represented by nodes already in the binary tree, with iterations beginning at a root node of the tree and continuing to a leaf node. The newly considered member is placed as a new leaf node, and the tree is height-rebalanced as appropriate. Red-black tree coloring and tree rotation rules are optionally used for this purpose. Yes/no preference tallies are kept for each member of the set throughout the tree-building process and are ultimately used for scoring. Height-rebalancing of the tree helps minimize the number of iterations needed to precisely score each member of the set relative to its alternatives.

A number of applications exist in which it is desired to collect crowd-based scoring of a diverse set of choices. For example, opinion polls can be used to develop predictions for outcomes of sporting events and elections; prediction markets can be used to derive forecasts based on individual behavior expressed through social games, trading of actual or virtual stocks, and other mechanisms. Yet another exemplary application includes systems that make recommendations for movies, music, books and other content, based on tracking the past behavior of individuals or certain demographics and sometimes based on soliciting preferences ("votes") between hypothetical choices. Many other applications exist. Irrespective of application, these systems are often manifested as software running on a computer (e.g., standalone computer, portable device, smart phone, server, diverse network machines or some other form of one or more instructed-machines). This software performs automated polling or collection of data, and scoring of results.
While generally useful for their intended purposes, these systems generally are poor at extracting group preferences as the number of possible choices increases. For example, each individual in a group can be asked to order available choices as a set or to vote between each possible pair of choices. However, some individuals are daunted by the time needed to order a large set of choices or to vote between many combinations, and therefore do not participate. Some individuals do not take the time to view and evaluate each choice before voting, and so, express their results in a biased manner It can be computationally intensive to collect preference data between each possible pair of choices. Finally, some individuals vote on some choices (e.g., their favorites) but not all possible choices, rendering it difficult to interpret relative scores where the voting weights are different. The consequence of these issues is that the mentioned-systems can produce results based on a sparse, biased subset of group beliefs, and it can become difficult to generate a comprehensive, accurate scoring across all possible choices.
What is needed are systems, machines, software and techniques that address the aforementioned problems. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides further, related advantages.
The subject matter defined by the enumerated claims may be better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This description of one or more particular embodiments, set out below to enable one to build and use various implementations of the technology set forth by the claims, is not intended to limit the enumerated claims, but to exemplify their application. The description exemplifies methods and devices, especially as software or a network service, supporting use of a height-balanced tree to govern the eliciting of relative preference data between discrete subsets of an overall set, with the result that relative preference data scoring need not be obtained between every possible subset combination of members of a large set. While the specific examples are presented, the principles described herein may also be applied to other methods, devices and systems as well.

Scoring members of a set dependent on eliciting preference data amongst subsets selected according to a height-balanced tree


A cathode-housing suspension of an electron beam device having a tubular body of elongate shape with an exit window extending in the longitudinal direction and a connector end in one end of the tubular body is disclosed. The electron beam device further comprises a cathode housing having an elongate shape and comprising a free end and an attachment end remote to the free end, and the attachment end comprises an outwardly extending flange provided with threaded openings for set screws and non-threaded openings for attachment bolts, for attaching the attachment end to a corresponding socket of the tubular body, wherein a mechanism configured to bias the attachment end away from the socket are arranged in the tubular body.

The present invention relates to an electron beam device (EBD), and in particular to an EBD with improved properties in relation to a cathode housing thereof.
A typical EBD comprises a vacuum tight body inside which a cathode housing is arranged. The cathode housing comprises a filament which is heated by a current in order for electrons to be produced. The thus produced electrons are accelerated by means of a high-voltage potential and exits through an exit window of the body, typically a thin window foil supported by a support grid. Electron beam devices may be used for several purposes, such as curing of paint or adhesives, or sterilisation of volumes or surfaces. Depending on the application properties such as acceleration voltage, beam profile, shape of the EBD will vary. The teachings of the present invention may advantageously be applied to EBD:s used for sterilization of a web of packaging material, since it may significantly improve the performance of EBD:s being designed for that purpose. It is to be understood, however that it may be applied to other EBD:s having a similar construction for which similar advantages may be obtained.
Within the field of sterilization of a web of packaging material, performance factors such as stability, durability and longevity are key issues, once the quality of the sterilization is ensured. All components mentioned and still more may be optimized in order for the EBD to produce the desired beam shape under any given circumstances.
The present invention relates to the context of elongate electron beam devices used for treatment of larger surface, such as webs of packaging material used for production of packaging containers. More specifically the present invention relates to improvements of such EBD:s, in terms of ensuring adequate quality while simplifying assembly of the EBD.

Cathode housing suspension of an electron beam device


The invention is a flash drive cap attachment system comprising a cap strip connected to a flexible cord, which is also connected to a body strip. The attachment system attaches to both the body and cap of a USB flash drive. The main feature of this invention is to eliminate the loss of the removable cap.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable flash drives, more specifically a flash drive cap attachment.
There are many USB flash drives on the market that have a removable cap that when removed, enables the electrical contacts of the flash drive to be inserted into a USB port. This invention seeks to eliminate the unwanted, and often accidental, loss of the removable caps by providing an attachment clip that securely attaches to both the body of the flash drive and the removable cap. The loss of the removable cap may cause damage to the electrical connections on the flash drive.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
The Brewer et al. Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0038023) discloses a memory system comprising a memory unit enclosed within a housing that enables the electrical contacts of the memory system to be exposed when needed for contact with a mating element located outside of the housing. However, the system disclosed under the Brewer Publication does not have a removable cap that covers the electrical contacts of which an attachment clip is provided to prevent the loss of the removable cap.
The Regen et al. Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0130471) discloses a thumb drive comprising an on-board memory for storing digital information, which may be attached to another object. However, the thumb drive disclosed under the Regen Publication does not have a removable cap with an attachment clip that prevents the loss of the removable cap.
The Bhogal patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,980,422) discloses a method and system for internally connecting a Universal Serial Bus device to a computer. However, the method and system disclosed under the Bhogal patent does not involve a flash drive having a removable cap with an attachment clip.
The Yang patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,329) discloses a USB flash drive that includes a mobile storage device and at least one interconnector. However, the flash drive disclosed under the Yang patent is not directed to a removable cap having an attachment clip that prevents the loss of the removable cap that fits over the USB electrical contacts.
The Chen Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0082963) discloses a USB drive mass storage device having a housing provided at an end with, for example, a USB connector, and at the other end with at least one card slot for different types of memory cards. However, the USB drive mass storage device disclosed under the Chen Publication is not directed to a removable cap that has an attachment clip that prevents the loss of the removable cap.
The Hirose patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 475,359) illustrates a design for a flash drive, which does not include a removable cap with an attachment clip.
In light of the above discussed prior art there is a need for USB flash drives having removable caps to provide an attachment clip that when installed will prevent the accidental loss of the removable caps associated with the normal use of the USB flash drive.


A break-in apparatus 100 has a supply unit 20 for supplying a cleaning liquid, a substrate support unit 30 for holding a dummy substrate W1 and a cleaning member holding unit 40 for performing a break-in processing on the cleaning member 200 by rotating the cleaning member 200 and bringing the cleaning member 200 into contact with the dummy substrate W1.

There have been conventionally known, as methods for cleaning a substrate such as wafer, roll cleaning in which a roll cleaning member such as cylindrical sponge is held such that its center axis is parallel with the surface of a substrate, and is rotated around the center axis thereby to scrub the surface of the substrate by the side of the roll cleaning member, and pencil cleaning in which a pencil cleaning member such as cylindrical sponge is held such that its center axis is orthogonal to the surface of a substrate, and its bottom is in contact with the surface of the substrate to rotate the substrate, thereby scrubbing the surface of the substrate (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-92158, for example).
When a cleaning member such as new roll cleaning member or new pencil cleaning member is used, the new cleaning member cannot be used to clean a substrate as it is in order to prevent a failure on the substrate such as wafer, and needs to be subjected to a break-in processing.

Break-in apparatus, break-in system and storage media


A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between a plurality of different communication channels is provided with a time stamp unit for adding time stamp information to received frame data and a data discarding unit for determining processing delay of the frame data or abnormality of the apparatus by referring to the time stamp information and for deleting the time stamp information added to the frame data at the time of sending the frame data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gateway apparatus mounted on a vehicle and relaying data between a plurality of networks, and also to a data managing method with the gateway apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as shown in FIG. 33, a plurality of ECUs are mounted on vehicles, such as an engine ECU, a door controlling ECU, an airbag ECU, an audio ECU, and a navigation ECU. In order for these in-vehicle ECUs to have communications between a plurality of LANs having different communication systems and different communication speeds, a gateway apparatus is required.
A gateway apparatus implements gateway functions such as relaying data sent and received between a plurality of different networks by software control, conversion of communication protocols, and packet filtering. Thus communications between nodes connected to different networks are performed.
Information sent and received between ECU's is, however, more likely to be increased in amount with a result that there is a problem that processing time for each message and thus the staying time thereof in a gateway apparatus are increased.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-10-13472, a technology is disclosed for storing a packet as well as a time stamp in a sending buffer, and for discarding the packet if it is a long time between receiving and sending the packet.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-10-13472, time stamps are stored collectively in a sending buffer and a packet is discarded by referring to the time stamp information in the sending buffer when it is necessary.
In a gateway apparatus which has a plurality of communication channels and implements data transfer between the channels, a processing unit provided with each channel refers to a sending buffer, with a result that delay occurs in the processing. When referring to the time stamp, it is necessary for a processing device of each channel to exchange the address information of the sending buffer, with a result that the processing becomes complicated.

Gateway apparatus and data managing method


A reconfigurable air vehicle wing may be selectively reconfigured to increase its chord. The wing has a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion that are moved relative to one another to change the chord of the wing. The wing may be reconfigured from a compact configuration with a smaller chord, to and expanded configuration with a larger chord. The wing may include a foam material that forms part of the outer surface of the wing when the wing is in the expanded configuration. The foam may be a shape memory foam. Alternatively the leading edge section and the trailing edge section may be composed substantially fully of rigid materials. In either case the trailing edge section may be hingedly coupled to the leading edge section.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of air vehicle wings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air vehicle wings have been produced in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, for a wide variety of air vehicle. There is a continuing desirability for improvements in the field of air vehicle wings.


An image forming apparatus including an exposure device, a development device, an image density detection device, a supply device for supplying a toner to the development device, a cleaning device for cleaning the surface of an image bearing member, a driving torque detection device for detecting a driving torque of the image bearing member, and a controller which drives the image bearing member while providing a predetermined electric potential difference between a region charged in the image bearing member and a developer support in case of non-image formation conducts a driving torque detecting operation with respect to the image bearing member by means of the driving torque detection device, and changes a reference value in response to the value of the driving torque detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as copying machines, and laser beam printers wherein there is applied electrostatic recording system or electrophotographic system in which the electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member is developed by the use of a developer containing a toner and a carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
A two-component developer prepared by mixing principally a non-magnetic toner with a magnetic carrier is widely used (hereinafter referred to as "two-component developing system") as a developer used in an image forming apparatus due to the increase in quality and speed in full-color image forming apparatuses in recent years.
As a developing method wherein a two-component developer is used, there is a method wherein a developer containing a toner and a carrier is blended by means of a stirring/blending member, and the resulting blend is fed to the surface of a developer support. The developer support fixedly houses a magnetic roll in which a plurality of south poles and north poles are disposed alternately with each other, and the developer is in a condition wherein the developer forms a brush outline on the surface of the developer support by the magnetic force (hereinafter referred to as "magnetic brush"). Then, the developer magnetic brush supported on the surface of the developer support is allowed to be in contact with or to approach the surface of a photosensitive member, and a development bias voltage is applied between the developer support and the photosensitive member, whereby the toner is allowed to adhere onto an electrostatic image to complete the development.
In the case that a two-component developer is used in a reversal development system, an electrostatic force appears due to an electric potential difference between an image portion electric potential (V1 electric potential) and a development bias voltage (Vdc electric potential) applied on the developer support (hereinafter referred to as "development potential"). In the case that the electrostatic force is higher than that by which the carrier and the toner combine with each other, the toner leaves from the carrier. As a consequence, the toner adheres on the photosensitive member to effect the development.
At that time, such an electrostatic force which has a tendency to adhere onto the photosensitive member acts also by the electrostatic force due to the electric potential difference between the potential on the photosensitive member and the development bias voltage with respect to the carrier on the developer support. Consequently, the electrostatic force controls the electric potential on the surface of the photosensitive member and the developing bias voltage in such that the carrier stays on a development sleeve by means of the magnetic force of the developer support. Namely, in a normal state, the electrostatic force having the tendency wherein the carrier adheres onto the photosensitive member is the maximum in the surface potential area in a non-image portion (Vd electric potential) being an area charged; however, a higher magnetic force than the above-described electrostatic force is applied to the development sleeve, whereby it may be arranged in such that the carrier does not adhere to the photosensitive member.
On one hand, since a mixture ratio of a toner and a carrier in a development device (hereinafter referred to as "toner density") varies depending on the consumption of the toner in the development device in which a two-component developer is used, it is necessary to maintain always the toner density at an adequate level. In the case that the toner density is inadequate, there is a case where an inadequate image such as image density variation, fog, or beads carry over appears. For this reason, it is important to control properly the toner density in view of forming a high-quality and highly stabilized image. A control method for toner supply includes, for example, a method for applying toner density detection unit (toner density detection system) such as a light detection system or an inductance detection system, and a patch detection system (image density detection system).
The problems appeared in the case that the above-mentioned two-component development system is applied are described hereinafter.
In the case that the charge amount of a toner in a development device increases with the use of an image forming apparatus, the charging amount of a carrier due to the countercharge of the toner is increased accordingly. As a result, there is a case where the force due to an electric field increases more than the magnetic force of a magnetic roll, so that the carrier is developed in the non-image area on an electrostatic image retaining member, resulting in beads carry over. In the case that the beads carry over appears as described above, when a developed toner layer on a photosensitive member is transferred to a transfer material such as a paper in a transfer portion, the carrier is transferred in the condition wherein the carrier is developed on the paper as it stands, and it results in decrease in image quality. Furthermore, duration of life decreases due to damaging the surface of a photosensitive member in the case that the photosensitive member is cleaned by means of a cleaning member, besides decrease in image quality and decrease in duration of life occur due to streaks produced by damaging a cleaning member, a transfer device, or a fixing device.
Under the circumstances, there are technologies for solving the above-described problems (For example, see Japanese Patent Application (JP-A) Nos. 2006-119380, H05-66678, and 2003-57939).
In JP-A No. 2006-119380, there is proposed an image forming apparatus which detects the presence or absence of beads carry over on a photosensitive member by means of an optical sensor, and allows the photosensitive member to isolate from a transfer device based on the detection result. Other than that, there are proposed a variety of image forming apparatuses which detect the beads carry over on a photosensitive member by means of an optical detecting unit.
In JP-A No. H05-66678, there is proposed an image forming apparatus wherein an electromagnet is provided on the downstream side of the transfer direction of a photosensitive member, and the electromagnet being in a roller-shaped and adapted to be rotated attracts the carrier adhered on the photosensitive member to remove the carrier.
In JP-A No. 2003-57939, there is proposed that the occurrence of beads carry over is predicted in the case that a toner density detection result in a development device is lower than a certain threshold value to stop an image forming operation in the image forming apparatus wherein a toner density detection system such as an optical detection system, or an inductance detection system is applied.
However, the optical detection unit as disclosed in JP-A No. 2006-119380 exhibits poor detection accuracy of beads carry over, and further cannot detect the whole area of a photosensitive member in the main scanning direction thereof. Consequently, there are a variety of problems such that a carrier cannot be detected other than at the positions where optical sensors are provided, so that the proposed optical detection unit has been not useful.
The unit as disclosed in JP-A No. H05-66678 is a unit for only removing a carrier from a photosensitive member, there is a limit in the recovery capacity in the case that beads carry over increases further depending on a development condition, and consequently, there is also such a fear that the carrier adhered cannot be recovered. Besides, the unit does not suppress fundamentally beads carry over in a development device.
In addition, since the technique of JP-A No. 2003-57939 does not detect actual beads carry over, there is such fear that a large amount of beads carry over has already existed at the time when the image forming operation is stopped, so that the technique has not been useful.


In an image forming apparatus for forming a visible image thereon, the apparatus informs a host computer of the timing of a paper delivery and the percentage value of the progress of the paper sheet delivery so that the animation representing the progress of the paper delivery is accurately presented on the host computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an output control method and apparatus for analyzing input information coming in from outside and forming a visible image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional image forming apparatuses of a type like WPS (Windows Printing System) allow a host computer to execute part of processing job of print data. In a technique for indicating to a user a status of the apparatus, the apparatus starts its printing mechanism at the moment the apparatus itself is initiated, and displays an animation indicative of paper delivery on the host computer screen.
In an image forming apparatus of a type which receives PDL (page description language) language to form an image, its printing mechanism not necessarily starts its printing immediately when data of one page of sheet is sent to the image forming apparatus, because processing print data takes time. Depending on the processing capability of the image forming apparatus, all processing steps are in progress in the order of an expansion of the print data into a frame buffer, an initialization of the printing mechanism, a printing, and a paper deliver, and a host computer is unable to know the timing of the paper delivery.
According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus, communicating means, for bilaterally communicating with a connected apparatus, bilaterally communicates information with the connected apparatus, setting means, for setting a communication mode, sets the timing and content of communication with the connected apparatus, storage means, for storing the communication mode set by the setting means, stores the timing and content of the communication with the connected apparatus, communicating means, for performing communication in accordance with the communication mode set by the setting means, communicates with the connected apparatus, detecting means, for detecting a change in the status of an image forming apparatus, detects the change in the status, converting means for converting the status detected by the detecting means into a format for communication, converts the change in status into the format for communication for the connected apparatus, data storage means, for storing data into which the converting means converts the status, stores the change in status for the connected apparatus, and transmitting means, for transmitting the data stored in the storage means, transmits the status of the image forming apparatus to the connected apparatus.
Furthermore in the image forming apparatus, storage means, for storing the information about a usable paper sheet, stores various pieces of information about the usable paper sheet, and detecting means, for detecting the position of each usable paper sheet under delivery, as detecting means for detecting a change in the status of the image forming apparatus, detects the delivery situation of the paper sheet. The apparatus, connected to the image forming apparatus, transmits image data to the image forming apparatus, performs bilateral communication with the image forming apparatus, and has displaying means for displaying an image. In the connected apparatus, receiving means, for receiving data transmitted by the image forming apparatus, receives the information about the status of the image forming apparatus, transmitted by the image forming apparatus, analyzing means, for analyzing the data received, analyzes the status of the image forming apparatus, storage means, for storing graphics and characters, representing the analysis result, stores an image for notifying a user of the status of the image forming apparatus, associating means, for associating the information analyzed by the analyzing means with the image stored in the storage means, selects the image representing the status of the image forming apparatus, and displaying means, for displaying the image selected by the associating means, presents the status of the image forming apparatus.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the output control apparatus preferably comprises communicating means for analyzing a command received from an external apparatus to form image data and for bilaterally communicating with an output apparatus, receiving means for receiving data that indicates that the status of the output apparatus changed, and control means for performing animation control based on the data received by the receiving means.
The animation control preferably controls the start or end of an animation. In the output control apparatus of the present invention, the output apparatus preferably comprises detecting means for detecting the position of each usable paper sheet under delivery, as detecting means for detecting the change in the status of the output apparatus, and controls an animation that simulates the transport of the paper sheet based on the information about the position of the paper sheet.
The output control apparatus of the present invention preferably comprises transmitting means, connected to the output apparatus, for transmitting image data to the output apparatus, displaying means for displaying characters and graphics, analyzing means for analyzing data received, storage means for storing graphics and characters, representing a analysis result, and associating means for associating the information analyzed by the analyzing means with an image stored in the storage means, wherein an image selected by the associating means is displayed by the displaying means.
The communicating means for bilateral communication preferably communicates a command for returning a status when a change in the status of the output apparatus takes place and a command for controlling the timing of the return of the status to the output control apparatus.
The animation control preferably controls the end of the animation depending on whether the paper sheet delivery in the output apparatus has been completed.
The transmission of the information indicating the change in the status of the output apparatus or the animation control is preferably commanded to be enabled or disabled.
The received command is preferably a page description language.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the output control method preferably comprises the communicating step for analyzing a command received from an external apparatus to form an image data and for bilaterally communicating with an output apparatus, and the animation control step for performing animation control based on data that indicates that the status of the output apparatus changed.
The animation control preferably controls the start or end of an animation.
The output apparatus preferably comprises detecting means for detecting the position of each usable paper sheet under delivery, as detecting means for detecting the change in the status of the output apparatus, and controls an animation that simulates the transport of the paper sheet based on the information about the position of the paper sheet.
The output control method preferably comprises the communicating step for communicating image data with the output apparatus, the displaying step for displaying characters and graphics, the analyzing step for analyzing data received, the storing step for storing graphics and characters representing the result of analysis, the associating step for associating the information analyzed in the analyzing step with an image stored in the storing step, wherein an image selected through the associating step is displayed in the displaying step.
The communicating step preferably communicates a command for returning a status when a change in the status of the output apparatus takes place and a command for controlling the timing of the return of the status.
The animation control preferably controls the end of the animation depending on whether the paper sheet delivery in the output apparatus has been completed.
The output control method preferably comprises the step of commanding to be enabled or disabled the information indicating the change in the status of the output apparatus or the animation control.
The received command is preferably a page description language.
According to anther aspect of the present invention, the storage medium preferably stores a program comprising the communicating step for analyzing a command received from an external apparatus to form an image data and for bilaterally communicating with an output apparatus, and the animation control step for performing animation control based on data that indicates that the status of the output apparatus changed.
The animation control preferably controls the start or end of an animation.
The output apparatus preferably comprises detecting means for detecting the position of each usable paper sheet under delivery, as detecting means for detecting the change in the status of the output apparatus, and controls an animation that simulate the transport of the paper sheet based on the information about the position of the paper sheet.
The storage medium preferably stores a program comprising the communicating step for communicating image data with the output apparatus, the displaying step for displaying characters and graphics, the analyzing step for analyzing data received, the storing step for storing graphics and characters representing the result of analysis, the associating step for associating the information analyzed in the analyzing step with an image stored in the storing step, wherein an image selected through the associating step is displayed in the displaying step.
The communicating step preferably communicates a command for returning a status when a change in the status of the output apparatus takes place and a command for controlling the timing of the return of the status.
The animation control preferably controls the end of the animation depending on whether the paper sheet delivery in the output apparatus has been completed.
The program preferably comprises the step of commanding to be enabled or disabled the transmission of the information indicating the change in the status of the output apparatus or the animation control.
The received command is preferably a page description language.


A heating device comprises an thermally conductive tubular body with a thermally conductive end closure disposed at an axial end of the tubular body, an electrical resistance heating coil disposed in the tubular body and having an end spaced axially from the end closure, and a thermocouple disposed between the end of the heating element and the end closure. An outer tubular casing is disposed about the tubular body with an outer end cap disposed at an axial end of the tubular casing in contact with the end closure to receive heat therefrom by thermal conduction.

The present invention relates to a heating device and a heated tool useful for working thermoplastic material.
Many consumer products now are marketed and packaged in thermoplastic film or bag packaging. Such product packaging oftentimes includes one or more holes for different purposes. For example, a hole can be formed in thermoplastic film shrink fit packaging to permit venting of air during subsequent sealing of the packaging. U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,133 describes a hot hole punch for this purpose where a heating element directly contacts and melts a tear-resistant hole in the thermoplastic film.
Also, thermoplastic bag packaging may include one or more holes in a sealed bag flange region by which the package is hung on a rack for display to purchasers. The hole(s) is/are adapted to receive a rod(s) of the display rack to hang the bag on the rack.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heating device constructed to provide distribution of heat to an axial end thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated tool constructed to provide distribution of heat to an axial end of the tool to form a hole in or otherwise work a thermoplastic material when the end of the tool and the material are brought into contact.
The present invention provides a heating device to provide thermal energy and to a heated tool for working a thermoplastic material such as making hole in the material, heat staking the material or other working of the material. The heating device comprises a thermally conductive tubular body with a thermally conductive end closure disposed at an axial end of the tubular body, an electrical resistance heating element disposed in the tubular body and having an end spaced axially from the end closure, and a thermocouple disposed between the end of the heating element and the thermally conductive end closure. An outer protective tubular casing is disposed about the tubular body with an outer protective end cap disposed at an axial end of the tubular casing in contact with the thermally conductive end closure to receive heat therefrom by thermal conduction.
The heating element typically comprises an electrical resistance heating coil having a pair of thermocouple wires that extend through the heating coil. An electrical insulator typically is disposed between the thermocouple and the end of the heating coil. An electrical insulator also typically is disposed between the heating element and the tubular body. A heat reflective thermal insulator is disposed between the tubular body and the outer protective tubular casing.
In one embodiment of the invention, the end closure comprises a copper plug disposed in an open axial end of a copper tubular body. The outer protective end cap is metallurgically attached to protective tubular casing and includes a recess or concavity that is with a thermally conductive material, such as braze material. The material is shaped to form a flat axial working tip or end of a heated tool.
In one embodiment of the invention, the outer end cap and the end closure include a threaded bore in which a threaded shaft of hole punch is threaded.
In another embodiment of the invention, the tubular casing includes a threaded outer periphery or circumference at its axial end, and an internally threaded hole punch is threaded on the threaded periphery.
A machine for hole punching, heat staking or other material working can include a tool support member and at least one heated tool of the type described above disposed on the tool support member in a manner that the hot tool end or tip can be brought into contact with the thermoplastic material.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description taken with the following drawings.

Heating device with electric heating element and thermocouple


A method of superficial laser induced fluorescence for measuring film cooling performance within a fluid tunnel apparatus includes the step of introducing a test fluid uniformly dyed with a fluorescent dye into the fluid tunnel apparatus so as to surround a cooling model having a test geometry. The cooling model is positioned adjacent to a laser sheet. A background fluorescent image of the test fluid about the cooling model is recorded. The test fluid is then flushed from the tunnel apparatus. Next, a cooling simulation fluid flow and a hot gas simulation flow are introduced within the fluid tunnel apparatus. The cooling simulation fluid contains the same fluorescent dye concentration as the test fluid and the hot gas simulation fluid contains no fluorescent dye. A data image of the cooling simulation fluid flow is recorded about the cooling model as the cooling simulation fluid flow passes through the cooling model and into the hot gas simulation fluid flow. Finally, the data image is corrected using the background fluorescent image so as to determine superficial flow characteristics of the cooling simulation fluid flow passing through the cooling model.

This invention relates generally to gas turbines, and more particularly concerns a technique for improving measurements for gas turbine cooling systems.
To maximize efficiency and performance, gas turbines operate with internal gas temperatures far above allowable engine metal temperatures. To keep metal temperatures within acceptable limits, cooler air is typically bypassed around an engine's combustion system to be used as coolant for hot component parts. One successful cooling technique is known as discrete hole film cooling or slot cooling. Essentially, during discrete hole film cooling, cooling air is allowed to flow through small holes within the surface of the hot component part. This cooling air forms a protective "film" between the part and the hot gas flow. This technique is currently used, for example, in combustor liners, turbine blades or the like.
Accurate knowledge of the performance of this cooling film is critical. To maximize engine efficiency and minimize pollutant emissions, a turbine designer must minimize the amount of cooling air used. At the same time, the designer must use sufficient cooling to maintain metal temperatures at acceptable levels. Accordingly, the more information known about the performance of this cooling film, the better the design capabilities.
One critical measurement of film cooling performance is known as the adiabatic wall film cooling effectiveness (or "film effectiveness"), which is substantially equivalent to the concentration of film cooling fluid at the cooled component surface. The penetration, structure, and mixing of the cooling fluid are important characteristics of the flow field that ultimately influence film effectiveness.
Therefore, it is apparent from the above that there exists a need in the art for an improved measurement of film cooling characteristics such as penetration, structure and mixing of the cooling fluid and cooling effectiveness, such that better design information can be retrieved and utilized.


A method for synthesizing cDNA characterized by performing a reverse transcription reaction in the presence of an enzyme having a reverse transcriptional activity and another enzyme different from the former one which as a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity.

The present invention relates to a novel method for synthesizing a cDNA and a kit used for the method, which are useful in a field of genetic engineering.
Analysis of mRNA molecules derived from various genes is very important in order to elucidate biological phenomena. Discovery of an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, so-called a reverse transcriptase, from a retrovirus has enabled a reverse transcription reaction in which a cDNA is synthesized using an RNA as a template. As a result, methods for analyzing mRNA molecules have made rapid progress. Then, the methods for analyzing mRNA molecules using a reverse transcriptase have now become indispensable experimental methods for studying genes. Furthermore, these methods, which have been applied to cloning techniques and PCR techniques, have become indispensable techniques not only for studying genes but also in wide variety of fields including biology, medicine and agriculture.
However, the conventional reverse transcription methods had many problems such as interruption of a cDNA synthesis reaction, inability to synthesize a long cDNA, low fidelity, and damage of a template RNA in the course of reaction due to long time required for the reaction.
It is considered that the interruption of the cDNA synthesis reaction is due to the secondary structure formed by the RNA as a template. Optimal reaction temperature for a reverse transcriptase from a retrovirus is low. RNAs form complicated secondary structures during the reaction at the temperature. Then, the cDNA synthesis reaction is interrupted at the sites of such secondary structures. A method in which a heat-resistant reverse transcriptase is used has been proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned problem. However, the reactivity of this method is not satisfactory. In addition, reverse transcriptases have not been known to exhibit a proofreading activity during a reverse transcription reaction, and a method for synthesizing a cDNA with high fidelity has not been known.
As described above, it was difficult to synthesize a cDNA with high efficiency and with high fidelity according to the conventional methods. Thus, a more efficient method for synthesizing a cDNA has been desired.
The present invention has been made in view of the prior art as described above. The main object of the present invention is to solve the problems associated with the prior art and to provide a method for synthesizing a cDNA with high reaction efficiency and accuracy.
The present invention is outlined as follows. The first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for synthesizing a cDNA, characterized in that the method comprises conducting a reverse transcription reaction in the presence of an enzyme having a reverse transcription activity and another enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity.
The second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for amplifying a cDNA, characterized in that the method comprises conducting a gene amplification reaction using a cDNA synthesized according to the method of the first aspect as a template.
The third aspect of the present invention relates to a kit for cDNA synthesis, which contains an enzyme having a reverse transcription activity and another enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity.
The fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a kit for amplifying a cDNA by conducting a gene amplification reaction using a cDNA synthesized according to the method of the first aspect as a template, which contains an enzyme having a reverse transcription activity and another enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity as well as a reagent for the gene amplification reaction.
The present inventors have found the efficiency of cDNA synthesis and the fidelity are increased by conducting a reverse transcription reaction in the presence of an enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity in a cDNA synthesis reaction. Thus, the present invention has been completed.
One of the main features of the method for synthesizing a cDNA of the present invention is that a cDNA is synthesized using an RNA as a template in a reverse transcription reaction system containing an enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity.
Examples of the samples containing RNAs which can be used in the method of the present invention include, but are not limited to, samples from organisms such as a cell, a tissue and a blood, and samples that may contain an organism such as a food, a soil and a waste water. The sample may be a preparation containing a nucleic acid obtained by processing the above-mentioned sample according to a known method. Examples of the preparations that can be used in the present invention include a cell destruction product or a sample obtained by fractionating the product, the total RNA in the sample, or a sample in which specific RNA molecules such as mRNAs are enriched.
The RNAs to which the method of the present invention can be applied include, but are not limited to, RNA molecules such as total RNA, mRNA, tRNA and rRNA in a sample, as well as specific RNA molecules (e.g., RNA molecules each having a common base sequence motif, transcripts obtained using an RNA polymerase and RNA molecules concentrated by a subtraction method). Any RNAs for which a primer used for a reverse transcription reaction can be prepared may be used.
The primer used for synthesizing a cDNA from an RNA as a template in the present invention is not limited to specific one as long as it is an oligonucleotide that has a nucleotide sequence complementary to that of the template RNA and that can anneal to the template RNA under reaction conditions used. The primer may be an oligonucleotide such as an oligo(dT) or an oligonucleotide having a random sequence (a random primer).
In view of specific annealing, the length of the primer is preferably 6 nucleotides or more, more preferably 10 nucleotides or more. In view of oligonucleotide synthesis, the length is preferably 100 nucleotides or less, more preferably 30 nucleotides or less. The oligonucleotide can be synthesized using, for example, the DNA synthesizer type 394 from Applied Biosystems Inc. (ABI) according to a phosphoramidite method. Alternatively, any methods including a phosphate triester method, an H-phosphonate method and a thiophosphonate method may be used to synthesize the oligonucleotide. The oligonucleotide may be derived from a biological sample. For example, it may be isolated and prepared from a DNA prepared from a natural sample digested with a restriction endonuclease. In view of synthesis of a cDNA from a template RNA, the concentration of the primer in the reverse transcription reaction mixture is preferably 0.1 xcexcM or more, more preferably 0.5 xcexcM or more. In view of inhibition of the reaction, the concentration is preferably 10 xcexcM or less, more preferably 5 xcexcM or less.
Any enzymes having reverse transcription activities can be used in the present invention as long as they have activities of synthesizing cDNAs using RNAs as templates. However, enzymes having reverse transcription activities at a high temperature (i.e., heat-resistant reverse transcriptases) are preferable for the purpose of the present invention. Examples of such enzymes which can be used include a DNA polymerase from a bacterium of genus Thermus (e.g., Tth DNA polymerase) and a DNA polymerase from a thermophilic bacterium of genus Bacillus. The presence of a manganese ion in a reaction mixture is indispensable for the exertion of the reverse transcription activity of Tth DNA polymerase. The manganese ion is known to reduce the fidelity of a PCR. Thus, it is required to eliminate the manganese ion when a reverse transcription reaction mixture in which Tth DNA polymerase is used is used for a PCR. DNA polymerases from thermophilic bacteria of genus Bacillus do not require the addition of a manganese ion for the exertion of its reverse transcription activity and the removal thereof upon a PCR. In this regard, DNA polymerases from thermophilic bacteria of genus Bacillus are preferable for the present invention. A DNA polymerase from Bacillus caldotenax (hereinafter referred to as Bca DNA polymerase) and a DNA polymerase from Bacillus stearothermophilus (hereinafter referred to as Bst DNA polymerase) are preferable. These enzymes do not require a manganese ion for the reactions. Furthermore, they can be used to synthesize a cDNA while suppressing the formation of secondary structure of the template RNA under high temperature conditions.
Bacillus caldotenax is a thermophilic bacterium having an optimal growth temperature of about 70xc2x0 C. Bca DNA polymerase from this bacterium is known to have a DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity, an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity (a reverse transcription activity), a 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity and a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity.
The enzyme may be either an enzyme purified from its original source or a recombinant protein produced by using genetic engineering techniques. The enzyme may be subjected to modification such as substitution, deletion, addition or insertion by genetic engineering techniques or other means. Examples of such modified enzymes include BcaBEST DNA polymerase (Takara Shuzo), which is Bca DNA polymerase lacking its 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity, and Bst DNA polymerase, Large fragment (New England Biolabs), which is Bst DNA polymerase lacking its 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity. The above-mentioned enzymes lacking their 5xe2x80x2-3xe2x80x2 exonuclease activities can be preferably used in the present invention in particular.
The amount of the enzyme having a reverse transcription activity to be used is not specifically limited. The enzyme may be used, for example, in an amount used in a conventional reverse transcription reaction. The amount of the enzyme having a reverse transcription activity may be increased as compared with that for a conventional method to conduct the cDNA synthesis reaction more efficiently and to shorten the reaction time. For example, when BcaBEST DNA polymerase is used for conducting a reverse transcription reaction in a reaction volume of 20 xcexcl, the amount of the enzyme in the reaction mixture is 0.5 U or more. In view of cDNA synthesis efficiency, it is preferably 22 U or more, more preferably 42 U or more. The activity of a DNA polymerase as described herein is based on the indication for a commercially available enzyme. An activity of incorporating 10 nmol of total nucleotides into an acid-insoluble precipitate in 30 minutes under reaction conditions suitable for the DNA polymerase is defined as 1 U. A DNA as a template and a reaction temperature suitable for each DNA polymerase are used. For example, in the case of BcaBEST DNA polymerase, an activity of incorporating 10 nmol of total nucleotides into an acid-insoluble precipitate in 30 minutes at 60xc2x0 C. using polydeoxy(ATP-TTP) as a template/primer is defined as 1 U.
The method for synthesizing a cDNA of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises conducting a reverse transcription reaction in the presence of an enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity. The enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity to be used in the present invention is not limited to specific one as long as it has the activity. For example, a DNA polymerase having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease can be used. Examples of such enzymes include xcex1-type DNA polymerases such as a DNA polymerase from a bacterium of genus Pyrococcus (Pfu DNA polymerase (Stratagene), Pyrobest DNA polymerase (Takara Shuzo), Deep Vent DNA polymerase (New England Biolabs), KOD DNA polymerase (Toyobo), Pwo DNA polymerase (Boehringer), etc.) and a DNA polymerase from a bacterium of genus Thermococcus (Vent DNA polymerase (New England Biolabs), etc.), and pol I-type DNA polymerases such as a DNA polymerase from Escherichia coli (polymerase I, Klenow fragment, etc.) and a DNA polymerase from a bacteriophage (T4 DNA polymerase, etc.). Preferably, an xcex1-type DNA polymerase which exhibits a strong 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity is used. The pol I-type DNA polymerase or the xcex1-type DNA polymerase refers to a series of enzymes classified on the basis of the amino acid sequence homology. The features of the amino acid sequences are described in Nucleic Acids Research, 15:4045-4657 (1991).
For the purpose of the present invention, an enzyme that acts on a 3xe2x80x2-terminus of a DNA hybridized with an RNA is used. Furthermore, an enzyme that exhibits a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity at a high temperature is preferable. In this regard, an xcex1-type DNA polymerase derived from a hyperthermophilic archaebacterium is preferable. The xcex1-type DNA polymerase derived from a hyperthermophilic archaebacterium is exemplified by a DNA polymerase from a bacterium of genus Pyrococcus.
A cDNA can be amplified by conducting a nucleic acid amplification reaction using the cDNA obtained according to the method described above as a template. Although it is not intended to limit the present invention, for example, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used as the nucleic acid amplification reaction. The enzyme to be used for the PCR is not limited to specific one. A DNA polymerase conventionally used for a PCR can be used. The cDNA obtained according to the method as described above is synthesized from the template RNA with high fidelity. It is desired to conduct the PCR with high fidelity in order to reproduce the sequence from the RNA as accurately as possible. Thus, a DNA polymerase having high fidelity such as an xcex1-type DNA polymerase from a thermophilic archaebacterium is preferably used for the cDNA amplification of the present invention. When a heat-resistant DNA polymerase having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity (e.g., an xcex1-type DNA polymerase from a thermophilic archaebacterium) is used in the cDNA synthesis step, the same enzyme can be also used in the PCR step. Fidelity of a cDNA synthesis/amplification reaction can be determined according to a modification of the method of J. Cline et al. (J. Cline et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 24:3546-3551 (1996)).
The enzyme may be either an enzyme purified from its original source or a recombinant protein produced by using genetic engineering techniques. The enzyme may be subjected to modification such as substitution, deletion, addition or insertion by genetic engineering techniques or other means. A DNA polymerase having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity exhibits a proofreading activity which is effective in eliminating a base erroneously incorporated in a synthesized cDNA even if an RNA is used as a template. Thus, it can be used to synthesize a cDNA with high fidelity. In view of cDNA synthesis efficiency, the amount of the enzyme (in terms of polymerase activity) to be used in a reaction volume of 20 xcexcl is preferably 1 U or less, more preferably 0.5 U or less. In view of the proofreading activity, the amount is preferably 0.01 U or more, more preferably 0.02 U or more.
By using the method of the present invention, the amount of synthesized cDNA can be increased, a longer cDNA can be synthesized, and a cDNA can be synthesized with higher fidelity as compared with the conventional reverse transcription methods. Furthermore, by combining the method of the present invention with related techniques such as cloning techniques and PCR techniques, it is possible to prepare a cDNA library or to conduct an RT-PCR more efficiently as compared with conventional methods, thereby allowing more accurate analysis of an mRNA of which the analysis by a conventional method was difficult due to the low expression level.
The kit for cDNA synthesis of the present invention is a kit to be used for the method for synthesizing a cDNA as described above. It is a kit for synthesizing a cDNA with high fidelity and with high efficiency. The kit is exemplified by one that contains the enzyme having a reverse transcription activity and the enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity as described above. The kit may contain a reaction buffer to be used for cDNA synthesis reaction using the enzyme described above, nucleotides and other reagents. cDNA can be synthesized efficiently, with high fidelity and readily by using such a kit.
The kit for amplifying a cDNA of the present invention is a kit to be used for the method for amplifying a cDNA as described above. It is a kit for amplifying a cDNA with high fidelity and with high efficiency. The kit is exemplified by one that contains the enzyme having a reverse transcription activity and the enzyme having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity as described above as well as a reagent for conducting a gene amplification reaction. When a PCR is used as a gene amplification reaction using a cDNA as a template, reagents to be used for the amplification reaction include a heat-resistant DNA polymerase, a reaction buffer, nucleotides and other reagents. cDNA can be amplified efficiently, with high fidelity and readily by using such a kit. When a heat-resistant DNA polymerase having a 3xe2x80x2-5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity (e.g., an xcex1-type DNA polymerase from a thermophilic archaebacterium) is used in the cDNA synthesis step, the enzyme can be also used in the PCR step as a DNA polymerase for the amplification reaction as described above.


A peristaltic pump comprises a housing (2) in which a peristaltic action is applied to a tube (6) by a rotor (4). The tube (6) has locating means in the form of flanges (16) at each end, which ensure proper positioning of the tube (6) within the housing (2). The housing (2) makes a fluid-tight seal with the flanges (16) so that the interior of the housing (2) is isolated from the ambient surroundings. The flanges (16) are non-circular and fit in complementary recesses (30), (32) in the housing (2) so that, when installed, the tube (6) is not twisted between its ends.

This invention relates to peristaltic pumps.
Conventional peristaltic pumps comprise a pumphead housing in which a tube extends. The tube is acted upon by drive means such as a rotor to perform a peristaltic pumping action. The tube extends from the pumphead housing and is provided at its ends with connectors for connection to other equipment.
With such pumps, the tube is gripped by the is housing to ensure that it is held stationary with respect to the housing so that the rotor can act properly upon it. However, when fitting the tube, it is not always easy to ensure that the tension of the tube around the rotor is correct nor that the tube is not twisted or otherwise distorted. Improper installation of the tube can lead to poor pump performance and short tube life, particularly if the pump is operated at high pressure.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a peristaltic pumphead comprising a pumphead housing accommodating a tube and driving means for causing a peristaltic action in the tube, the tube being provided at each end with locating means for locating the ends of the tube releasably in the pumphead housing to prevent lengthwise displacement of each end of the tube relative to the pumphead housing.
Since the tube ends are precisely located within the pumphead housing, it is possible for the tube, with the locating means, to be supplied in required lengths so that the tension in the tube, after fitting, is correct. The locating means may be provided with fittings to enable the connection of further equipment.
The locating means may take the form of cooperating flanges and recesses provided one on the pumphead and one on the tube. For example, the locating means on the tube may comprise a flange projecting outwardly from the wall of the tube, while the pumphead may have a recess for receiving the flange at each end of the tube. The flange may be non-circular; for example, it may have a flat for engaging a complementary part of the recess. This measure ensures that each end of the tube is installed in a predetermined orientation, so avoiding twisting of the tube on installation. Also, the use of locating means in accordance with the present invention can avoid the need to clamp the tube in order to maintain it in position. Such clamping tends to throttle the flow through the tube, particularly if high pressures are to be maintained.
The locating means may be a close fit with the corresponding formation in the pumphead housing. The pumphead housing may be in two parts, which are brought together to form a sealed enclosure and to clamp the locating means between them in a fluid-tight manner.
The locating means may be provided on an end fitting attached to the tube end, or it may be formed integrally, for example by moulding, on the tube end region. If the locating means is a separate fitting, it may be fitted to the tube end by means of a simple push-fit, or it may be secured to the tube end by swaging.
In most conventional peristaltic pumps, the tube is arranged in a semi-circular arc around a rotor which forms the driving means. The wall of the pumphead housing defines a track within which the tube lies. In a preferred embodiment, the tube has an overall length which is slightly shorter than the combined length of the track and the distances between the ends of the track and the ends of the tube, A consequence of this is that, when installed, the tube is spaced slightly from the track. As a result, the tube is centred more reliably within the track during operation.
A pump in accordance with the present invention may be capable of maintaining relatively high output pressures, for example up to 4 bar.