Peptide constructs including a first peptide segment which includes an amino acid sequence associated with autoimmune disease, asthma, allergy or xeno- or allograft transplantation rejections bonded directly or via a linker or spacer to a second peptide which binds to T cells and which will redirect the immune response from a harmful Th1 response to a less harmful Th2 response, or which will bind to T cells to initiate, but not complete, an immune response causing the T cells to which the first peptide binds, to undergo anergy and apoptosis, are useful in treating autoimmune conditions. For instance, the peptide construct NGQEEKAGVVSTGLIGGGDSAFDVLSFTAEEKAGVYK (SEQ ID NO:14) wherein Th2 stimulating Peptide G (SEQ ID NO:15) is covalently linked, via spacer GGG, to cardiac myosin molecule My1 (SEQ ID NO:16), can be used for treatment or prevention of myocarditis.

Autoimmune conditions are characterized by the body attacking itself by mounting an immune response against itself. Various antigens often with defined epitopes recognized for some HLA genotypes, have been identified, including those associated with insulin dependent diabetes mellitis (IDDM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [e.g., collagen type II 390-402 IAGFKGEQGPKGE (SEQ ID NO:1), systemic lupus erythematousis (SLE), ankyosing spondylitis (AS), pemphius vulgaris (PV) [epidermal cell adhesion molecule desmoglein 190-204], multiple sclerosis (MS), Myelinproteolipid MPL [peptide sequence KNIVTPRT (SEQ ID NO:2], certain types of psoriasis, and uveoretintis (J. Hammer et al 1997, Adv. Immunol, 66:67; R. Tisch, et al, 1999, J. Immunol. 163:1178; J. Yoon, et al, 1999, Science 284:1183; P. J. Ruiz et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:3336; C. J. Krco, et al, 1999, J. Immunol. 163:1661). In other cases, peptides are known that induce in animals, a condition similar to ones found in humans, such as GDKVSFFCKNKEKKC (SEQ ID NO:3) for antiphospholipid antibodies associated with thrombosis (A. Gharavi et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:2922) or Myelin peptides for experimental autoimmune encephalitis as a model for MS (P. J. Ruiz, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:3336; S. Araga, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:476-482; N. Karin, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 160:5188; L. M. Howard, et al, 1999, J. Clin. Invest., 103:281). Glutamic acid decarboxylase and specific peptides have been identified for IDDM (R. Tisch, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:1178; J. Yoon, et al, 1999, Science, 284:1183). Many of these conditions are also characterized by elevated levels of one or more different cytokines and other effectors such as TNF (S. Kleinau, et al, 1999, J. Immunol. 162:4266; T. Preckel, et al, 1998, Eur. J. Immunol., 28:3706; P. Wooley, et al, 1992, J. Immunol., 151:6602) as well as autoantibodies, including in some cases, anti-costimulator molecules, in particular, those for CTLA-4 (CD152) on CD4+ cells (T. Matsui, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:4328).
Efforts are underway to attack cells or cellular products of the immune system and thereby treat autoimmune conditions, allergies, asthma and tranplantation rejection using as reagents presumptive antigenic peptides or proteins, peptides representing certain T cells, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins binding various effector cells or molecules such as TNF and IgE.
The following immunomodulatory approach contrasts with the mode of action for products which are antigen specific.
A fusion protein LFA-3TIP (Amevive™ from Biogen), purportedly a molecule composed of the first extracellular domain of LFA-3 fused to the hinge (CH2 and CH3 domains of human IgG1) which targets the CD2 receptor on T cells, is being evaluated for psoriasis and for xeno- and allograft rejection. LFA-3TIP is bifunctional (i.e., two identical LFA-3 regionsand TIP) and, therefore is a complex conjugate molecule. According to Biogen, LFA-3TIP is a recombinant fusion protein designed to modulate immune response by blocking the cellular pathway that activates T cells. It is presumed by the present inventor that the compound is acting on a subset of memory effector cells with a down modulation or re-direction of modulation activity.
These less antigen specific approaches also utilize monoclonal antibodies that act on activated T cells and down regulate them such as by anti-CD3 (Protein Design Laboratories) or block APC and T cell interaction by anti-ICAM-3 (ICOS). MEDI-507 (Medimmune) is believed to be a humanized monoclonal antibody, for psoriasis that also targets CD2, presumably for removing or inactivating those cell types. Other diseases, such as, tissue transplantation rejection and allergies are also being tested by this approach. In contrast to acting on cell surface markers, rhu-Mab-E25 (Genentech) is believed to be a humanized monoclonal antibody against IgE that binds to circulating IgE, with the goal of preventing activation of mast cells. In contrast, other researchers are developing monoclonal antibodies to act on symptoms or agents directly causing disease symptoms. Remicade Infliximab (Centocor) is purported to be a monoclonal antibody to TNF. Anti CD40 ligand has been used for treatment in animal model of MS (L. M. Howard, et al., 1999, J. Clin. Invest, 103:281). A recombinant generated designed protein Enbrel (Immunex) is purported to comprise two molecules of r-DNA derived TNF receptor, and is intended to block TNF's action.
It should be noted, however, that many of these agents are not sufficiently disease specific and often recognize and could affect normal cellular and body constituents that have a defined and necessary role in normal immune defenses which are still needed.
More antigen or disease specific approaches are exemplified by the attempt to treat MS patients by oral administration of myelin proteins which have recently been reported; the same group of searchers are also using collagen type II for treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These treatments are designed to attack at the level of the gut associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) to induce tolerance by antigen specific suppression of the immune system. It is not known if these treatments use the intact protein or a hydrolyzate containing smaller peptides. See D. Hafler, et al, 1988, J. Immunol., 141:181; K. Wucherpfennig, et al, 1990, Science, 248:1016; K. Ota, et al., 1990, Nature, 346;183; and H. Weiner, 1999, PNAS, 88:9161.
Several researchers are testing peptide based materials for treatment of autoimmune conditions. One approach uses peptide as immunogen, given orally in large quantities. The peptide represents a peptide sequence that is thought to be the autoimmune epitope itself or a modified form which may also have altered binding or improved stability properties. By use of the peptide it is thought that either the normal peptide or an altered peptide ligand (APL) will bind to the T cell receptor (TCR) and induce a state of anergy since the multiple sets of bindings that would occur with antigen presentation with an antigen presenting cell (APC) do not occur (A. Faith, et al., 1999, J. Immunol., 162:1836; Soares, et al, 1998, J. Immunol., 160:4768; M. Croft, et al, 1997, J. Immunol., 159:3257: L. Ding, et al., 1998, J. Immunol., 161:6614; and S. Hin, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:2363). Some of the approaches with APL include using related amino acids such a D amino acids (U. Koch, et al, 1998, J. Immunol., 161:421), amino acids with substituted side chains (R. De Palma, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:1982), methylene groups to replace peptide bonds in the peptide backbone (L. Meda, et al, 1996, J. Immunol., 157:1213) and N-hydroxyl peptides (S. Hin et al, J. Immunol., 163:2363). Several groups have studied the effect of various substitutions of side chains and the MHC and TCR molecules (L. Raddrizani, et al, 1997, J. Immunol., 159:702; T. M. Clay, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:1749; L. Radrizanni, et al., Eur. J. Immunol., 1999, 29:660). With insulin activity it has been shown that a one amino acid change on the β-chain can abolish its oral immune tolerance activity in two (2) mechanistically different IDDM murine models (D. Homann, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:1833). While not an autoimmune epitope it has been reported that a single change from threonine to alanine can abolish biological activity (C. L. Sutherland, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:4720); a switch from phenylalanine to alanine alters the bee venom phospholipase to an inactive form (A. Faith, et al, 1999, J. Immunol, 162:1836); as does a switch from tyrosine to alanine change from active to inactive for another system (S. Hausman, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:5389).
In another approach based on peptide materials, truncated peptides of autoimmune inducing epitope are used as antagonist in an animal model to treat the particular condition (N. Karin, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 160:5188). Several groups are using synthetic amino acid polymers that are considered to represent epitopes which contain Tyrosine (Y), Glutamic acid (E), alanine (A) and lysine (K) to target T cells such as Copolymer 1. In one study Copaxone is being used as an oral tolerance delivery approach to treat MS patients. Copaxone is believed to be a synthetic copolymer of four amino acids (D. Hafler, et al, 1988, J. Immunol., 141:131). Modified peptides of peptide epitopes are reportedly being studies for treatment of various autoimmune conditions, including MS and PV (desmoglein-3) (J. Hammer, et al, 1997, Adv. Immunol., 66:67; K. Wucherpfennig, et al, 1995, PNAS, 92:11935). The scientists doing these studies may also be using Myelin proteolipid associated peptide epitope, a polymer or derivative of this epitope for MS, (Wucherpfennig, et al, Id.) .
Peptides that are unique to the T cell antigen receptor molecule are found in a particular part of the variable region, usually the third hypervariable region of the beta chain of the T cell antigen Receptor (TCRβVX) (B. Kotzin, et al, 1991, PNAS, 88:9161; J. Oksenberg, et al, 1990, Nature, 345:344; S. Zamil, et al, 1986, Nature, 324:258). One such peptide is apparently being evaluated for a psoriasis vaccine as IR 502 and others for rheumatoid arthritis (D. P. Gold, et al, 1997, J. Neuroimmunology, 76:29). In this case an immune response to the TCRβV3 (C. L. Sutherland, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 162:4720) peptide is generated with the goal to have the body eliminate the particular T cells and by so removing the T cells responsible for the condition, treating the condition. However, this approach has the potential of eliminating other T cells that contain the same βV3 peptide sequence besides the one responsible for the autoimmune condition.
Still another peptide approach uses complimentary peptide vaccine that induces T cell anergy and prevents Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis (EAE) in rats by induction of anti-TCR antibodies (a la anti-idiotype) and thereby elimination of these cells (S. Araga, et al, 1999, J. Immunol., 163:476).
The present inventor has previously discovered and described immunomodulatory peptide constructs which include a first peptide which is an antigenic peptide associated with disease or the causative organism of disease covalently bonded to a second peptide which is a T cell binding ligand. These heterofunctional cellular immunological reagents are described in the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,342, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference thereto. According to this patent, representative T cell binding ligands include, for example, portions of MHC Classes I and II, such as, b-2-microglobulin, portions of LFA-3, portions of the Fc region of the heavy chain of immunoglobulins, Ia+ molecules, Among the general disclosure of antigens associated with disease, mention is made of antigens associated with auto-immunity, including diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis and thyroiditis.

Methods of preparation and composition of peptide constructs useful for treatment of autoimmune and transplant related host versus graft conditions


According to one embodiment of the present invention, determining the location of a target of interest includes determining a beacon location of the beacon. The beacon location is transmitted to a sensor. The sensor is operable to determine a sensor location of the sensor. The sensor is further operable to determine a target location of the target according to the beacon location and the sensor location. The target location is distinct from the beacon location.

Detection sensors attempt to determine the location of a target of interest in a particular geographic region. These sensors may make certain location-based measurements of a target in order to make that determination. Because of issues associated with sensing technology, conventional detection sensors cannot guarantee the accuracy of these location-based measurements.

Transmitting location information of a beacon


A syringe with a blocking structure, and the structure includes a one-way engagement unit having a propping portion, a flange extended outwardly from a rod and abutted with a cylindrical body, and a flexible bracket extended outwardly from the rod and isolated from the propping portion, and the flexible bracket has an external diameter greater than the propping portion. When the rod is moved forward with respect to the cylindrical body to pass through the flange, the flange abuts the flexible bracket to tilt backward. When the rod is moved backward with respect to the cylindrical body, the flange abuts the flexible bracket to tilt the flexible bracket forward, and the propping portion blocks the flexible bracket.

With reference to FIG. 1 for an improved disposable safety syringe structure (as disclosed in R.O.C. Utility Model No. M360049), the improved disposable safety syringe structure comprises a cylindrical body 11, a needle seat 12, and a plunger 3, wherein the plunger 3 has a piston head 131, and a latch edge 133, and the cylindrical body 11 has a flange 16 and two positioning bases 111, and each of the positioning bases 111 has an engagement slot 112, and the needle seat 12 has a fitting section 121 disposed at a front end of the needle seat 12 for combining an injection needle 14 and an elastic inverted hook plate 122 disposed at a rear end of the needle seat 12, and the needle seat 12 has a plurality of convex column engagement members 123 disposed at a front end of the needle seat 12. When the needle seat 12 is assembled into the cylindrical body 11, the convex column engagement members 123 are engaged with the engagement slots 112 of the positioning bases 111 of the cylindrical body 11 respectively. The piston head 131 has a piston plate 15, and the piston head 131 has a circular flange 132 disposed at a front end of the piston head 131. After medicine is injected, the piston head 131 can be forced to plug into the needle seat 12, and the circular flange 132 of the piston head 131 is hooked to the inverted hook plate 122 of the needle seat 12, so that the piston head 131 and the needle seat 12 are coupled integrally as a whole, and the piston head 131 drives the convex column engagement member 123 of the needle seat 12 to be separated from the engagement slot 112 of the positioning base 111 of the cylindrical body 11, and the piston head 131 of the plunger 3 is retracted to drive the needle seat 12 and the injection needle 14 to be retracted into the cylindrical body 11 to achieve the effects of hiding the needle seat 12 and the injection needle 14 and preventing injuries or accidents.
Although the foregoing improved disposable safety syringe structure can achieve the effect of preventing accidents or injuries effectively, the disposable safety syringe structure just can prevent the plunger 3 from detaching from the cylindrical body 11 by interfering the piston plate 15, the latch edge 133 and the flange 16. However, if the design of the relation between the latch edge 133 and the flange 16 is too loose, then when the injection needle 14 extends into the cylindrical body 11, the injection needle 14 may be retracted to the outside and may cause accidents. If the design of the relation between the latch edge 133 and the flange 16 is too tightly, then when the plunger 3 is installed into the cylindrical body 11 and pushed forward, the plunger will not be pushed easily. Therefore, the conventional structure of the latch edge 133 and the flange 16 requires further improvements.


In a primary molding step, a connector housing having a hood portion is molded. In a secondary molding step, an elastic seal ring is molded on an inner side of the hood portion. Through holes are formed in the connector housing in the primary molding step which allow an elastic material to flow therethrough from a seal ring-forming portion on the inner side of the hood portion to an outer side of the hood portion, and which retain part of the seal ring formed at the seal ring-forming portion when the elastic material is cured. An air reservoir portion is formed in a secondary mold, which communicates with outer open ends of the through holes in the connector housing in the secondary molding step.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of molding an elastic seal ring integrally on an inner side of a hood portion of a connector housing, the hood portion being adapted to fit on a mating connector housing so as to cause the seal ring to form a watertight seal between the two connector housings.
2. Related Art
One conventional molding method of the type described is disclosed in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 5-23030.
FIG. 4 shows a waterproof connector housing A produced by this conventional method. The housing A includes a housing body 1, and a hood portion 3 of a larger size connected to a front end of the housing body 1 through a stepped portion 2, the hood portion 3 being adapted to receive a mating connector housing therein. An elastic seal ring 4 is formed integrally at an inner end portion of the hood portion 3. The elastic seal ring 4 has retaining piece portions 4a which are intimately engaged and held respectively in through holes 3a formed through a peripheral wall of the hood portion 3, the axis of each through hole 3a being perpendicular to the axis of the housing. The housing body 1 has terminal receiving chambers 1a formed therein.
FIG. 5 shows a mold for the primary molding operation of the housing A, and FIG. 6 shows a mold for secondary molding purposes.
In FIG. 5, the upper mold 5 and the lower mold 6 are clamped together to provide a cavity 9, corresponding to a housing-forming portion, therebetween. First, in the primary molding operation, the upper mold 5 is closed in a direction of the axis of the housing A to be molded, and the connector housing is injection molded according to an ordinary procedure. At this time, slide cores 8 are received respectively in transverse holes 7 so as to form passages (retaining holes) 3a through which an elastic material is poured into a seal ring-forming portion to be formed at the inner side of the hood portion. The passages 3a serve also as retaining holes for retaining the retaining piece portions 4a.
Then, in the secondary molding operation, the upper mold 5 is removed, and instead another upper mold 5', having a cavity 10 corresponding to the elastic seal ring-forming portion, is clamped relative to the lower mold 6 holding the housing 1, and the liquid elastic sealing material is poured into the seal ring-forming portion through the transverse holes 7 and the passages 3a from which the slide cores 7 are retracted.
In the above forming method, even during the formation of the elastic seal ring 4 in the secondary molding operation, the slide cores 7, which slide in directions perpendicular to the direction of clamping of the upper and lower molds 5' and 6, must be used. Therefore the mold is complicated, and the manufacturing cost is high.

Method of producing waterproof connector housing


Systems and methods are provided for a network device. A device includes a plurality of packet processing clients. The device further includes a plurality of memories, where a quantity of the memories is greater than a quantity of the packet processing clients, each of the memories storing a replica of data, the packet processing clients being configured to selectively read the control data from any of the memories. An arbiter is configured to select in a first clock cycle for the plurality of packet processing clients a first subset of memories from among the plurality of memories from which to read the control data, and in a second clock cycle, subsequent to the first clock cycle, to select for the plurality of packet processing clients a second subset of memories from among the plurality of memories from which to read the control data.

Multi-device access to a shared resource often results in access bandwidth complications that in certain configurations slow an entire system. This is especially the case in high speed communication systems, such as a network switch, where multiple packet processing clients seek to access control data stored in a memory.
The description above is presented as a general overview of related art in this field and should not be construed as an admission that any of the information it contains constitutes prior art against the present patent application.

Systems and methods for providing replicated data from memories to processing clients


The present invention discloses a mold and a method of manufacturing the mold. The mold includes a mold matrix and a number of boron nitride nanotubes sintered together with the mold matrix. Each boron nitride nanotube capsules a number of fullerenes therein respectively. The mold further includes an amount of noble metal powder sintered together with the mold matrix and the boron nitride nanotubes. The fullerenes preferably include C60 molecules. In addition, the method for manufacturing a mold includes the steps of: providing a number of boron nitride nanotubes, each boron nitride nanotube capsuling a number of fullerenes therein respectively; mixing a mold matrix with the boron nitride nanotubes capsuling the fullerenes to form a complex; molding the complex to form a mold preform; and sintering the mold preform, thereby attaining a mold.

Glass optical articles, especially aspheric glass lenses, are widely used in digital cameras, video recorders, compact disc players and other optical systems due to their excellent optical performance. At present, a molding process is commonly used for the manufacturing of glass optical articles. In the molding process, a mold generally is used for molding the glass optical pieces.
In general, molds are exposed to repeated impacts and high temperatures. Thus these molds should have characteristics such as excellent hardness, high heat resistance, high wear resistance, high compressive strength, easy separability, mirror surface workability, etc. A variety of suitable materials may be applied for construction of the mold; for example, grasslike or vitreous carbon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and a mixture containing silicon carbide. However, the materials have a common shortcoming; i.e., low thermal shock resistance. In addition, the materials may be easily oxidized due to being subjected to high temperatures in air.
Furthermore, the use of multi-layer coatings covered with the ceramics such as Ti (C, N), Al2O3 on the surface of the carbides is increasing. As a result, some surface characteristics of the molds, for example hardness and wear resistance, may be improved. However, it is generally difficult to tightly adhere the multi-layer coating to a mold matrix due to incompatible properties between different materials. In addition, such a coating also increases the complexity and cost of the molding process.
What is needed, therefore, is a mold that has high chemical stability and high thermal shock resistance under repetitive impact and high temperature operating conditions.
What is also needed, therefore, is a method of manufacturing the above-described mold at low cost.

Mold and method for manufacturing the same


Machine-learning based systems and methods are described for optimizing search engine results. A server receives, via a computer network, and associates, via a user profile, user information including search requests, transaction details, and/or profile information, for which a user receives purchasing units. The server executes a machine-learning component to predict, based on the user information, a user action score defining a probability of a user to engage in a new transaction. The server executes a search engine optimization component that receives, from the user's device, a new search request causing the search engine optimization component to generate a search engine offer associated with the new transaction. The server transmits the search engine offer to, and receives an acceptance from, computing device(s) of search engine market participant(s), the acceptance causing a targeted advertisement and search results to be returned to the user device in response to the new search request.

In today's online environment, users may choose from a multitude of Internet search engines, e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc., to submit search requests and for a variety of information needs, which may include, for example, conducting online research, engaging in product or service searches, or otherwise exploring content on the world wide web and/or searching the Internet in general. Typically, when users submit such information (e.g., search requests) to Internet search engines, the respective search engine providers (e.g., Google) may store such information. However, the users are generally not incentivized, or otherwise compensated, for the information they submit. This may create a problem, or at least a lost opportunity to users, because in today's modern, information-based economy, such search requests or other information, is increasingly valuable. For example, such information may be used in a variety of "Big Data" applications. Currently, however, the value of such user information is neither clearly known nor is it monetized to the benefit of search-engine users.
Search engine providers can maintain a search history of users past searches. This search history may be made available to advertisers who may desire to pay the search engine provider for opportunities to deliver advertisements to users based on past searches. Oftentimes, advertisers do not, however, get direct feedback as to whether or not users subsequently purchase advertised products. For example, users may click a link in an advertisement to view additional product details, but the user may not end up actually purchasing the product. In any event, the advertiser would not receive a verification of an actual purchase.
Other similar problems exist for current search engines, in that, today, current search engine providers must deal with at least two competing, and potentially conflicting, motivations. Namely, those of search engine users on the one hand, and those of search engine advertisers on the other hand. Particularly, search engine providers need to provide useful information in response to the user's search request. At the same time, however, search engine providers must also meet the needs of advertisers, who often desire to influence the information returned to the user via paying the search engine provider to inject specific advertisements. For some search engines, the paid advertisements heavily influence not only the information displayed to the user, but also the priority in which such advisements is displayed. For example, a search request submitted by a user for a local plumber may result in a response with advertisements, or other responsive information, displayed at the top of a list, prioritizing those plumbers (or other advertisers) who paid the most to the search engine provider. Such responsive list may compete with, or otherwise be in conflict with, the user's ultimate objective, which may be to identifying a highly qualified plumber at a best, or reasonable, price point. Thus, the conflicting or competing motivations of each of the search engine users and search engine advertisers creates a problem that detracts from both search engine users and search engine advertisers in that, on the one hand, search engine users experience less useful search results, and, on the other hand, search engine advertisers may experience a mismatch of their specific advertisements to desired users, and, therefore waste advertising expenditures on payments to search engine providers to target the wrong users, or at least users who won't end up actually purchasing the products as advertised.
Thus, systems and methods are needed to optimize search engine results, as disclosed herein, to address these and other problems experienced by search engine users and search engine advertisers when utilizing or otherwise engaging conventional search engines, search engine providers, etc.

Machine-learning based systems and methods for optimizing search engine results


A spatially-aware multimedia router system includes at least one media server computer configured to receive and analyze incoming data comprising incoming multimedia streams from client devices, and adapt outbound multimedia streams for individual client devices based on the incoming data received from the client devices. The incoming multimedia streams include elements from within a virtual environment. The outbound multimedia streams are adapted for the individual client devices based on user priority data and spatial orientation data that describes spatial relationships between corresponding user graphical representations and sources of the incoming multimedia streams within the virtual environment.

Video conferencing enables remote communication between multiple users, and is becoming a relatively low cost and fast communication tool for people in a plurality of locations. Video conferencing has lately become popular due to a widespread deployment of broadband networks, advancements in video compression technologies, and increased availability of approaches for implementing web-based video communications with lower infrastructure requirements and at low costs.
For example, one such approach enabling video conferencing is a mesh (peer-to-peer) infrastructure, where each client device sends multi-media streams to all other client devices. This represents a low-cost solution that does not require any intermediate infrastructure, but results in a low scalability due to rapid bandwidth overload and limited processing capacity of the client devices.
Another example approach is a multipoint control unit (MCU), which, implemented in a central media server, receives all of the multimedia streams from the client devices decodes and combines all of the streams into one stream that is re-encoded and sent to all client devices, reducing latency and bandwidth problems relative to peer-to-peer models. However, MCU implementation tends to be complex and requires a high amount of computing resources from the media server.
Another example approach is a selective forwarding unit (SFU), which is used in the web real-time communication (WebRTC) video-conferencing standard. The WebRTC standard generally supports browser-to-browser applications such as voice calling, video chat, and peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications, while avoiding the need for plugins to connect video communications endpoints. An SFU, which may be implemented in a central media server computer, comprises software programs configured to route video packets in video streams to multiple participant devices without performing intensive media processing (e.g., decoding and re-encoding) at the server. Thus, an SFU receives over a network all of the encoded media streams from client devices, and then selectively forwards the streams to the client devices of respective participants for subsequent decoding and display. The selectivity of the forwarding of SFU may be based on a plurality of parameters that may be used in an optimization of bandwidth associated with the forwarding of the multimedia streams, resulting in a higher Quality of Experience (QoE). For example, SFU may identify a speaking participant from the received multimedia streams, and may forward high-bit rate multimedia streams to listening participants; on the other hand, SFU may send low-bit rate multimedia streams of the listening participants to the other participants, achieving a certain degree of bandwidth and QoE improvement.
One limitation of typical video conferencing tools, such as through the approaches described above, is the limited scalability considering limitations in bandwidth and processing capacity of either of a central media or routing server or the participating client devices. Therefore, what is required are novel approaches that enable further optimizations of network bandwidth and computing resources during multimedia routing and forwarding operations while keeping a high QoE for relevant participants.

Spatially aware multimedia router system and method


Techniques for monitoring optical power, dispersion and mode distribution in high speed multimode fiber are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a multimode optical tap filter is disclosed. The tap filter is dispersionless and tap ratio independent, and packaged in a 3-port form factor. To be efficient in cost, at least two such optical tab filters are packaged in one device while sharing a single thin film filter provided to reflect a predefined portion of a signal being monitored.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to the area of optical communications. In particular, the invention is related to dispersionless multimode optical tap filters.
2. The Background of Related Art
To meet the ever-increasing demands for high bandwidth and more flexibility in modern communication networks, utilizing optical fiber networks capable of transmitting multiplexed channel signals is becoming increasingly popular. Many optical devices have been designed to meet the demands. Practically, these demands are arising from three areas: 1) video traffic over the Internet, such as Netflix and Youtube etc., 2) mobile access via smart phones including voice over IP (VoIP), 3) cloud storage and rich media files migrating via the Internet. All these demands seem to boost considerably the requirements on the service provider and the booming of various data centers. To meet the higher speed requirement, service providers and data centers also need more flexible network devices or equipment to support debugging and monitoring of the signals originated from them.
The availability of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) technology facilitates high speed parallel data links that can transmit 12 to 24 parallel channels, each channel supporting more than 10 gigabit/sec (Gbps). VCSEL has recently been demonstrated for bandwidth even higher than 25 Gbps and promises ro provide low cost parallel data links among computers, storage devices and servers to form an aggregated data center. As networked computers and storage devices grow larger and larger in functions and complexities, monitoring the network becomes an essential task to ensure the communication quality and data integrity.
In the past, a data center used a conventional fuse coupler for tap monitoring function. An optical tap is essentially a 1×2 device, where a portion of the input signal is branched out to a photo-detector that converts the tapped signal to serve as a monitored signal. A fused coupler can be made for either a single-mode or a multimode fiber application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,436 discloses one type of optical fused couplers. US Pat. Pub. No.: 2005/0201677 teaches a multimode optical fiber coupler. FIG. 1 duplicates FIG. 2 of US Pat. Pub. No.: 2005/0201677 to show the structure of an exemplary multimode optical fiber coupler.
In a typical data center today, where the cost effectiveness is always concerned, a good portion of data links are supported by the VCSEL based multimode fibers. Thus, multimode fiber taps are becoming increasingly important. As the data rate goes higher, the fused optical coupler will have more mode oriented insertion loss degradation, especially for multimode fused coupler with non-symmetry tapping/splitting ratio. The degradation can be several dB in bit-error-rate (BER) testing. One of the causes for this issue may be explained as shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 shows that lower order modes by low frequency sine wave curves can travel faster than higher order mode signal (shown as high frequency sine wave curves). Thus, a signal that enters a multimode tap coupler with both lower and higher order modes at the same time will experience a travel time difference between these modes when they traverse the coupler (as illustrated by small vertical bars in FIG. 2). The time difference between these modes is known as modal dispersion or the arrival time spread of the signal from A to B.
The model dispersion is a very serious impairment in a communication link as it limits the data bandwidth. The modal dispersion depends on a tap ratio. Other than a 50/50 splitting ratio among two output ports, they are different for various tap ratios as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, for a fused fiber coupler with 30/70 splitting ratio, the dispersions obtained from the two output ports are different. For data rate under 8 Gbps, the modal dispersion from tapping based on a fused coupler may not be a serious limit. But higher bandwidth data links such as 10 Gbps and beyond would not ignore this modal dispersion issue.
In addition to suffering from splitting or tapping ratio dependent modal dispersion, signal tapping based on multimode fiber fused couplers also has a tap ratio dependent mode distribution problems among the two output ports. Therefore, for high speed multimode fiber data links (typically>8 Gbps), one cannot use a fused tap coupler to accurately perform monitoring function for dispersion and mode health. A fused tap coupler can only be used to monitor the optical signal power.
The article "Simplified theory of the multimode fiber coupler", The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 56 No. 5, Page 729 describes that the root cause for mode dispersion and mode dependent loss issue is due to the complicated coupling coefficient, which previously people found that depending on mode order, coupling length and position etc. and the coupling coefficient can be described in the following equations:
                          C                              A            i                                          B            i                                      =                                    C                                    B              i                                                  A              i                                                  =              γ                                                    2                            Δ                                α                                              u            2                                v            3                                                                                                                                        K                                          2                                            l                                                                                (                                          w                                                                                d                        /                        a                                                              )                                                                                cos                                                        (                                          2                                            l                                                                                α                                        )                                                              ±                                                K                  o                                                                  (                                      w                                                                                d                      /                      a                                                        )                                                                                                                    K                                  l                  -                  1                                                                          (                w                )                                                                                K                                  l                  +                  1                                                                          (                w                )                                                          ,FIG. 4 duplicates the figure on page 729 of the article to show the effects. Those skilled in the art shall understand better after reviewing the article.
The present invention disclosure teaches a solution for monitoring optical power, dispersion and mode distribution in high speed multimode fiber communication. One embodiment of the present invention is a multimode optical tap filter that is dispersionless and tap ratio independent.

Multimode optical tap filters without dispersion for high-speed data communications


A sail (20) for a sailing vessel (500) includes a leading spar (22), a coplanar trailing spar (24), and a movable spar (28) disposed between the two. A sheath (30) of sail cloth traversely surrounds the three spars forming a flexible double-sided wing-like structure. When the wind (600) blows against sail (20), movable spar (28) is urged toward the leeward side of sail (20), and transforms that side into the curved or long side of an airfoil, thereby creating a push force (54) which propels the sailing vessel (500).

The sailing art is replete with both conventional and unconventional sail designs. Certain of these devices are shaped like the wing of an airplane. For example, "Curious Yachting Inventions" by Joachim Schult (ISBN 0-808-2104-1) discloses several wing-shaped sail designs. FIGS. 56 and 57 show a sail which is inflatable in order to give it an airfoil shape. FIG. 73 depicts the Dyna-Ship which has rigid airfoils instead of cloth sails, and these are operated by remote control from the bridge. They are set on hollow, one-piece masts of variable elliptical sections. The airfoils are roughly trapezoidal in shape, and similar to the paddles on a turbine wheel, are set at decreasing angles to the wind looking forward. FIG. 74 describes a trimaran whose five vertical airfoils can be folded down when the boat is in harbour. The 28 ft long prototype goes as close as 6.degree. to the apparent wind, as opposed to 20.degree. for boats with cloth sails. In spite of its sail area of 323 sq.ft, which is large in relation to the hull weight, the vessel cannot capsize, because the wind flow always meets the sails at the optimum angle. The whole set of airfoils is always angled to the wind in such a way that they produce the maximum drive with the minimum resistance. FIG. 75 comprises an adjustable profiled airfoil to which a cloth sail is attached. can determine the most favourable profile which would give the least resistance with the maximum or drive. FIG. 77 consists of an improved airfoil design which allows the curvature of the sail to be selectively changed. FIG. 83 shows a propulsion system in which several airfoils rotating around a common axis are mounted on a revolving disc. FIGS. 86 and 87 depict a pivoting airfoil which also moves fore and aft and athwartships. The design reduces flow-pressure on the rotation axis and facilitates the trimming of the airfoil sail. FIG. 88 includes a multi-airfoil sail in which it is possible, with the help of parallel struts, to move the two outer airfoils forward or backward in relation to the central one without noticeably changing the angle of incidence. FIG. 89 consists of airfoils which freely pivot around a vertical axis. A vane is set to port or starboard and thus creates negative pressure on the convex side of the sail, which sets itself at an angle to the wind and consequently produces drive. "Windship Technology--Proceedings of the International Symposium on Windship Technology (Windtech '85)", Southampton, U.K., Apr. 24-25, 1985 edited by C. J.Satchwell, ISBN 0444425330 (set), LCCN 85016170//r88, discloses numerous wing sails, mostly of rigid construction for larger ships.


A method of controlling sulfides in water systems is disclosed which includes injecting 9,10 anthraquinone into the water system and injecting a nitrate or nitrite into the water system.

Field
The disclosure relates generally to the field of souring and microbiologically influenced corrosion in oil and gas production and completion fluids, as well as other industrial waters. More specifically the disclosure relates to methods for introducing controlling souring and microbiologically influenced corrosion by deleterious microbes.
Background Art
Oil and gas production and completion fluids, as well as other industrial fluids, suffer corrosion, pipe necking (partial blockage) and scale buildup in pipes and pipelines. Sources of these problems include microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) corrosion, solids produced by metabolite byproducts, and bio-film blockages. Microbes may also negatively affect oil and natural gas recovery through bacterial fouling of the water needed to hydrofracture ("frac") reservoir rock or to "water-flood," to increase production of oil and gas. One particular type of microbe, sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) can contaminate or "sour" the reservoir by producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S). SRBs may produce toxic and flammable H2S, which may shorten the lifetime of piping and tankage, and introduce additional safety risks from drill rig to refinery. This H2S may react with soluble iron to produce iron sulfide. Acid producing bacteria (APB) produce acids, including a variety of organic acids, which lead to additional corrosion. SRBs and APBs may have the same effects in other oil and gas completion fluids, as well as other industrial fluids.
Traditional approaches to microbial control in oilfield and industrial waters have focused on the use of chemicals that are toxic to the target organisms (biocides). Unfortunately, the biocides are toxic to other organisms and may have significant deleterious impact to the environment.

Method for control of deleterious microbes in oil and gas and other industrial fluids


The invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing a foam, comprising a manually compressible container (2) for storing a liquid and air, which container comprises an opening (3), a rigid housing (4, 5) to be fitted in or on the opening, the housing comprising an air passage (11, 12) and a liquid passage (9), which are in communication with a dispensing passage (14) which ends in a dispensing opening (8), and a valve body (6) which, in a rest position, covers a mouth of the liquid passage and a mouth of the air passage (10) in a sealing manner in order to prevent a flow from the liquid passage and the air passage to the dispensing passage, and which, during dispensing, opens the mouth of the liquid passage and the mouth of the air passage in order to allow mixing of air and liquid to take place in the dispensing passage. The invention is characterized by the fact that the mouth of the air passage and the mouth of the liquid passage are—substantially annular and are arranged substantially concentrically with respect to one another.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,006 discloses a dispensing device for dispensing a foam. This known dispensing device comprises a manually compressible container for storing a liquid and air. The container comprises an opening in which a housing is fitted. In this housing, a liquid passage and an air passage are arranged which, during dispensing, are in communication with a dispensing passage which ends in a dispensing opening. The dispensing device furthermore comprises a valve body which, in a rest position, seals a mouth of the liquid passage and a mouth of the air passage. The valve body is a disc-shaped flexible element, which is held at the circumference and is pressed against the mouths of the liquid passage and the air passage by means of a spring.
By compressing/squeezing the container, the pressure in the container is increased and thus the pressure in the liquid passage and the air passage. As a result of this elevated pressure, the valve body on the mouths of the air passage and the liquid passage gives way, and a stream of air from the air passage and a stream of liquid from the liquid passage come together in the dispensing passage. In the dispensing passage, the mixture of liquid and air is passed through a number of sieves in order to create a foam, which is dispensed by the dispensing opening.
After the container has been squeezed, the container will essentially return to its original state, either by the elasticity of the container itself or by restoring means which are provided in order to return the container to its original state.
A drawback of the known dispensing device is the fact that the mixture of air and liquid is not optimum, as a result of which the quality of the foam is not satisfactory. In addition, the structure of the known dispensing device is complex and comprises many components, which makes production complicated. In addition, the air passage and the liquid passage are bendy, as a result of which the speed of the liquid and air stream decreases, which consequently also leads to a reduction in the quality of the foam.


A document processing system for processing documents by using structured keywords comprises an output system and a receiver system. The output system includes a first storage for storing a structured keyword dictionary containing structured keywords among which relations are systematically structured, and linkage unit providing linkage information for establishing correspondences between constituent parts of an input document and corresponding ones of the keywords. The receiver system is coupled to the output system and includes a second storage for storing structured keywords among which relations are systematically structured, and retrieving unit having inputs supplied with the document and the linkage information for retrieving the document to thereby form data of a predetermined edition format by using the structured keyword read out from the second storage. Data transfer between the output system and the receiver systems can be performed either on-line or off-line.

The present invention relates to information processing method and system for automatically collecting desired information from a large amount of information.
As an information processing system for acquisition of information, there is heretofore known an information retrieval system which is so arranged as to make access to a database or a knowledge base in which information has previously been stored or accumulated, as is described in JP-A-60-140443.
Further, as the methods for retrieval of information, there are known a method in which the user designates items for retrieval in accordance with items of a table constituting a part of a database on the basis of information concerning a data storage structure adopted in the database and a method of simplifying designation of the items for retrieval by resorting to an associative retrieval and a synonym processing. Besides, there has already been proposed a method according to which documents added with keywords are stored as they are for allowing extraction of document constituent parts for which coincidence is found with the keywords and a method according to which a stored document is retrieved when the keywords available for the retrieval coincide with synonyms detected from all the texts of that document.
The first mentioned prior art method is however disadvantageous in that information other than the predetermined table items can not be processed because of the tabular structure of the database. If the number of table items is increased in an effort to cope with the above problem, then the structure of the database becomes complicated, involving difficulty in maintenance and management thereof.
In the case of the document retrieving methods in which keywords are used for retrieval, the requisite information as wanted by the user can be obtained only when the user having read the extracted document part can understand the content thereof. As a consequence, when information is to be collected for a specific item or matter from many documents, the burden to be borne by the user will increase significantly, giving rise to a problem.

Information processing system and method for processing document by using structured keywords


2-alkylidene-18,19-dinor-vitamin D compounds are disclosed as well as pharmaceutical uses for these compounds and methods of synthesizing these compounds. These compounds are characterized by low bone calcium mobilization activity and high intestinal calcium transport activity. This results in novel therapeutic agents for the treatment and prophylaxis of diseases where bone formation is desired, particularly osteoporosis, as well as autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus and lupus. These compounds also exhibit pronounced activity in arresting the proliferation of undifferentiated cells and inducing their differentiation to the monocyte thus evidencing use as an anti-cancer agent and for the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis. These compounds also increase both breaking strength and crushing strength of bones evidencing use in conjunction with bone replacement surgery such as hip and knee replacements.

This invention relates to vitamin D compounds, and more particularly to 2-alkylidene- 18,19-dinor-vitamin D compounds, pharmaceutical uses for these compounds and a general method for chemically synthesizing these compounds.
The natural hormone, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analog in the ergosterol series, i.e. 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 are known to be highly potent regulators of calcium homeostasis in animals and humans, and their activity in cellular differentiation has also been established, Ostrem et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 84, 2610 (1987). Many structural analogs of these metabolites have been prepared and tested, including 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3, 1α-hydroxyvitamin D2, various side chain homologated vitamins and fluorinated analogs. Some of these compounds exhibit an interesting separation of activities in cell differentiation and calcium regulation. This difference in activity may be useful in the treatment of a variety of diseases as renal osteodystrophy, vitamin D-resistant rickets, osteoporosis, psoriasis, and certain malignancies.
A particularly interesting class of vitamin D analogs are referred to as the 19-nor-vitamin D compounds. The 19-nor-vitamin D compounds are characterized by the replacement of the A-ring exocyclic methylene group (carbon 19), typical of the vitamin D system, by two hydrogen atoms. Biological testing of such 19-nor-analogs (e.g., 1α,25-dihydroxy-19-nor-vitamin D3) revealed a selective activity profile with high potency in inducing cellular differentiation, and very low calcium mobilizing activity. Thus, these compounds are potentially useful as therapeutic agents for the treatment of malignancies, or the treatment of various skin disorders. Two different methods of synthesis of such 19-nor-vitamin D analogs have been described (Perlman et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 31, 1823 (1990); Perlman et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 32, 7663 (1991), and DeLuca et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,191).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,634, 2β-hydroxy and alkoxy (e.g., ED-71) analogs of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 have been described and examined by Chugai group as potential drugs for osteoporosis and as antitumor agents. See also Okano et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 163, 1444 (1989). Other 2-substituted (with hydroxyalkyl, e.g., ED-120, and fluoroalkyl groups) A-ring analogs of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 have also been prepared and tested (Miyamoto et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull. 41, 1111 (1993); Nishii et al., Osteoporosis Int. Suppl. 1, 190 (1993); Posner et al., J. Org. Chem. 59, 7855 (1994), and J. Org. Chem. 60, 4617 (1995)).
Recently, 2-substituted analogs of 1α,25-dihydroxy-19-nor-vitamin D3 have also been synthesized, i.e. compounds substituted at the 2-position of the A-ring with hydroxy or alkoxy groups (DeLuca et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,713), with 2-alkyl groups (DeLuca et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,410), and with 2-alkylidene groups (DeLuca et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,928), which exhibit interesting and selective activity profiles. All these studies indicate that binding sites in vitamin D receptors can accommodate different substituents at C-2 in the synthesized vitamin D analogs.
Another class of known vitamin D compounds are the 18,19-dinor analogs. These analogs have both the C-18 angular methyl substituent (carbon 18) normally attached to carbon 13 of the CD-ring structure and the C-19 exocyclic methylene group (carbon 19) normally attached to carbon 10 of the A-ring, which are typical of all vitamin D compounds, removed and replaced by hydrogen atoms. Reference should be made to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,927 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,756,489 and 5,721,225 for a more complete description of these compounds, their pharmaceutical uses, and their synthesis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for providing a quality of service in a network environment is provided that includes receiving communication session information associated with a packet data protocol (PDP) link for an end user. The communication session information may be mapped to the end user in order to generate a quality of service attribute to be communicated to a next destination.

Networking services have become increasingly important in today's society. Certain services, functions, or capabilities may be provided to a group of end users or to clients based on a corresponding source profile or policy. Devices or components within a network must generally be able to identify such a profile or policy before offering selected enhanced services, functions, or capabilities to a targeted group of end users. Accordingly, sufficient information must be made available at various networking devices in order to allow for an accurate identification of a client or a source.
In some environments, 'compatibility' poses an issue for network operators and system designers because entities or components in the network generally understand only a specific type of signaling in the context of offering a quality of service level. A given component or entity may process such signaling information and then communicate to another component a level of quality of service that should be applied for that communication session or flow. However, certain quality of service features may be unobtainable for an end user because they fail to conform to an accepted or recognized signaling platform (e.g. session initiation protocol (SIP)). This may be true for diverse pieces of network equipment or legacy systems that are limited in the signaling that is used to accommodate their applications. Additionally, with the current SIP based Internet multimedia subsystem (IMS) architecture, it may be necessary for devices to handle the mapping between application level quality of service (QoS) and bearer level QoS. This may pose a problem for mobile operators offering services to maintain consistency across millions of handsets from different handset vendors. Accordingly, the ability to provide a mechanism that is capable of recognizing multiple types of signaling in the context of offering a selected quality of service presents a significant challenge to network administrators, component manufacturers, and system designers.

System and method for offering quality of service in a network environment


To provide an IC card, which secures satisfied flatness of the card surface to achieve good printing properties on the card surface. An IC card has a core layer which includes a plurality of sheet materials wherein inner core sheets adjacent to an IC module have through holes formed in a region corresponding to the IC mounted portion, wherein a relationship A=(B1+C1)±30 μm is satisfied, where A (μm) represents the sum of heights of the through holes, B1 represents a projection height on an IC mounted surface of the IC module, and C1 represents a projection height on an IC non-mounted surface. By virtue of having this structure, the IC card can secure card flatness sufficient to obtain satisfied printing properties with respect to the rewrite sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card having an information recording medium for use in, for example, an ID card (identification card), a membership card, a prepaid card, a cash card, a commuter's pass and the like. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with an IC card having both recorded information of electronic data and visible information.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in ID cards for identifying individuals, a method for magnetically or optically reading information recorded has been widely used in a credit card and the like. However, the techniques are popularized and the data in the cards is easily altered or forged cards are spread, and there are increasing cases where people actually suffer damage from the forged cards. For this reason, in recent years, as means capable of controlling and protecting personal data, an IC card having an IC chip incorporated has drawn attention since it has a large data capacity and it can contain coded data.
Data to be recorded on an IC card is contained in an IC chip incorporated into the IC card. Therefore, for display or reading of the data recorded on the IC card, it is necessary to read the recorded data by means of a special reading apparatus, and therefore general users cannot read the data by themselves. For example, in membership cards in which a high premium or a point is put on members, inquiry by an information note or the like is separately required for if it is merely recorded onto the card. Further, when merely recording data onto a card of a commuter's pass, a means for reading the data is separately required.
There are increasing demands of easy display of the recorded data and, recently, for meeting the demands, a technique has been developed in which a polymer/low-molecule-type rewritable display medium, which contains an organic low molecule dispersed in a resin binder, and which achieves display by utilizing the opaque-transparent contrast, or a rewritable display medium, which contains a leuco compound and a color developing and erasing agent which reacts with the leuco compound dispersed in a resin binder, and which controls heat energy so that the leuco compound colors or erases the color, is provided as a rewritable display layer on the surface of a card. The above rewritable display layer is constituted by support, e.g., a plastic sheet, colored layer, recording (polymer/low-molecule or leuco compound, color developing and erasing agent) layer and protecting layer.
The rewritable display layer is formed on at least one surface of a shaped article having an IC module disposed between multilayered plastic sheets including two or more layers wherein the IC module has an IC mounted portion reinforced by a sealing resin or a reinforcing plate.
The IC module includes an IC chip mounted on an insulating substrate having an antenna coil, and the IC mounted portion of the IC module partially has a projection on the front and back surfaces due to the sealing resin or reinforcing plate provided thereon. For this reason, there is a problem in that the uneven surface of the IC module causes the card surface to be uneven during forming of the card and to lower the flatness and hence a spacing loss is caused between the rewritable display layer and a printing head during a printing operation, leading to an occurrence of print missing or slight touching, so that satisfied printing properties cannot be secured. Therefore, recently in the IC card production technique, it is very important to develop a method for securing favorable flatness of surface of the card after being formed.
As a conventional technique for improving the flatness of the card surface, for example, a structure of a card in which a through hole (relief hole) is formed in a plastic sheet stacked on an IC module in a region corresponding to the IC mounted portion so as to absorb the uneven surface of the IC module is described in patent document 1 shown below. In addition, a structure of a card in which the multilayered plastic sheet is improved in the combination of sheet thickness or the constituent materials to adjust the fluidity of the resins so as to absorb the uneven surface of the IC module is described in patent document 2 shown below.
[Patent Document 1]
    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-319210[Patent Document 2]    Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-283175


A center distance between heating rollers for suspending an external heating belt is fixed, and a peripheral length of the external heating belt is set so that a tension is not exerted to the external heating belt when the external heating belt is not pressed against the fixing roller and the tension is exerted to the external heating belt when the external heating belt is pressed against the fixing roller. As a result, it is possible to provide an external belt heating type fixing apparatus, having a simple arrangement, which is excellent in a thermal efficiency and can suppress snaking of the belt.

As a fixing apparatus used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and the like, a heat roller type fixing apparatus is frequently used. The heat roller type fixing apparatus includes a pair of rollers (a fixing roller and a pressing roller) which are pressed against each other, wherein heating means constituted of halogen heaters disposed in both the rollers or a halogen heater disposed in one of the rollers heats the pair of rollers at a predetermined temperature (fixing temperature), and a recording paper on which an unfixed toner image is formed is fed to a pressing section (fixing nip section) of the pair of rollers, and the recording paper is allowed to pass through the pressing section so as to fix the toner image by heat and pressure.
In a fixing apparatus provided in a color image forming apparatus, it is general to use an elastic roller having an elastic layer which is made of silicon rubber or the like and which is provided on a fixing roller surface layer. The elastic roller is used as the fixing roller, so that the fixing roller surface is elastically deformed corresponding to an uneven surface of the unfixed toner image and is in contact with the toner image so as to cover the toner image. This allows the color unfixed toner image whose toner amount is larger than that of monochrome to be favorably heated and fixed. Further, due to strain release of the elastic layer which occurs in the fixing nip section, it is possible to improve a releasing property with respect to color toner which is more likely to offset than monochrome toner. Further, a nip shape of the fixing nip section has a concave upward (on the side of the fixing roller) (that is, the nip shape is a so-called inverse nip shape), so that it is possible to more favorably strip paper. As a result, it is possible to strip paper without using any stripping means such as a stripping protrusion (self stripping), so that it is possible to prevent insufficient image formation which is caused by the stripping means.
However, in the fixing roller having the elastic layer, the elastic layer cannot sufficiently conducts heat. Thus, in case where the heating means is provided in the fixing roller, heat is less efficiently conducted, so that it takes longer time to warm up. In case where the process is carried out at higher speed, the fixing roller cannot follow the process.
As a method for solving these problems, a technique in which external heating means is brought into contact with the fixing roller surface so that the fixing roller is heated from the outside (external heat fixing process) is known. For example, each of below-described Patent Documents 1 and 2 proposes an external belt heat fixing process using an endless belt as external heating means.
Note that, in a conventional external belt heat fixing type fixing apparatus, a plurality of rollers (belt suspending rollers) each of which suspends an endless belt are used as tension rollers each of which exerts a tension to the endless belt or it may be so arranged that a tension roller for the endless belt is provided to exert a tension to the endless belt (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
(Patent Document 1)
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 198659/2004 (Tokukai 2004-198659) (Publication date: Jul. 15, 2004)
(Patent Document 2)
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 189427/2005 (Tokukai 2005-189427) (Publication date: Jul. 14, 2005)
However, in case where one of the belt suspending rollers is used as a tension roller, this requires a complicate mechanism for exerting a tension to the endless belt. Further, it is impossible to keep the plural belt suspending rollers in parallel to each other, so that the endless belt has a greater deviation force (force which causes the endless belt to move in a direction perpendicular to a rotational direction). As a result, it is difficult to control snaking of the belt.
Further, in case where a tension roller is additionally provided on the outside of the endless belt, the number of parts required therein becomes increase, so that the arrangement is complicated. Further, there is such a problem that: the tension roller becomes a thermal load, so that the thermal efficiency drops.

Externally heated fixing apparatus with endless belt and image forming apparatus including the same


Information of a machine control means to be selected for each system is inputted through a manual input unit and then stored in a storage unit for storing a selection state of the machine control means through a machine control means selecting unit. A machine control means execution unit executes the machine control means for each control system independently according to the selection state stored in the storage unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a numerical control device for controlling a machine tool, and more particularly, to a multi-system numerical control device for singly controlling a machine tool that performs a plurality of kinds of machining or other operations such as turning, milling and loader control.
2. Description of the Related Art
A preparatory function (G-code) of a machining program used for a numerical control device for controlling a machine tool has typically a great difference in instruction system between a lathe (turning) system and a milling system. Thus, either a following technique (1) or (2) has been applied to a case where a work requiring several machining functions such as turning and milling is machined.
(1) As shown in FIG. 1, turning is performed with a special purpose machine controlled by a numerical control device for turning, and then milling is performed with a special purpose machine controlled by a numerical control device for milling.
(2) As shown in FIG. 2, incorporating program data for turning and program data for milling into a single program, machining is performed with a machine controlled by a composite working machine numerical control device that executes control in such a manner as to switch machining between turning and milling in response to a program instruction.
Alternatively, a multi-system numerical control device having a plurality of program analysis means and execution means is also well known. However, a conventional multi-system numerical control device has not employed any means for selecting a machine control means for each system. Thus, a following technique (3) has been applied to a case where a work requiring several machining functions such as turning and milling is machined.
(3) As shown in FIG. 3, machining is performed with a special purpose machine controlled by a numerical control device having a plurality of turning systems and a special purpose machine controlled by a numerical control device having a plurality of milling systems.
The above conventional technique (1) has been extremely disadvantageous from a viewpoint of cost, because of need for the numerical control device for turning and the numerical control device for milling. In machining that needs turning and milling for a single work, this technique (1) requires much time for set-up operations such as removal and mounting of the work, and thereby presents a problem in degradation of working efficiency.
The above conventional technique (2) enables either of control for turning and control for milling to be executed within a single control device. However, this technique (2) employs a method of performing machining in such a manner as to alternately switch machining between turning and milling in the course of a series of machining processes, and thereby failed to apply turning and milling to a plurality of works simultaneously.
The above conventional technique (3) enables a plurality of works to be machined simultaneously, thanks to use of the multi-system numerical control device. However, the preparatory function (G-code) of a required machining program is different in instruction system between the lathe (turning) system and the milling system, so that it has been still necessary for this technique (3) to prepare a multi-system numerical control device for turning and a multi-system numerical control device for milling in order to perform lathing (turning) and milling simultaneously, like the above technique (1).


A direct PWM brushless motor has a motor main body mounted on a metal substrate and a motor drive circuit formed on a circuit substrate that is separated from the metal substrate. The motor drive circuit includes switching elements that are directly turned on and off, in which a switching pulse width for the switching elements is modulated to control current conducting through drive coils. The direct PWM brushless motor has a wiring cable connection device for connecting the motor main body and a fixed potential of the motor drive circuit, and a conduction device that conductively connects a metal plate portion of the metal substrate to the wiring cable connection device.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brushless motor that may be used as a capstan motor for a video player or the like, an operation method therefor and a manufacturing method therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a direct pulse width modulation (PWM) brushless motor, an operation method therefor and a manufacturing method therefor.
A typical brushless motor may be used as a capstan motor for a video player or the like that is a main apparatus for the brushless motor. As shown in FIG. 1, the brushless motor is generally composed of a motor main body 11 mounted on a metal substrate 40 and a motor drive circuit (not shown) that drives the motor main body 11. The motor main body 11 has a bearing 20, a rotor shaft 10 rotatably supported by he bearing 20, a rotor 5 capable of rotating with the rotor shaft 10 in one piece, an a stator 30 having cores 32 with driving coils 31 wound around the cores 32. If the motor drive circuit is not provided on the metal rate 40 but is provided on a separate control circuit substrate in the main apparatus (i.e., the video player or the like), the motor main body 11 and the motor drive circuit may need to be connected to each other by wirings. Accordingly, a connector 8 may be mounted on the metal substrate 40 for connecting the motor main body 11 to the motor drive circuit.
FIG. 8 shows an electrical connection structure in the brushless motor 1 in which the motor main body 11 is electrically connected to the motor drive circuit through the connector 8.
Referring to FIG. 8, a motor drive circuit 6 that is equipped with a driver IC 60 is formed with other control circuits for the main apparatus at a location other than the metal substrate 40, such as, for example, in a circuit substrate of the main apparatus. The driver IC 60 has built-in power transistors (i.e., switching elements) Q1-Q4, for example. The motor drive circuit 6 is supplied with a motor power source potential VM, a motor ground potential M.GND, an IC power source potential Vcc and an IC grand potential S.GND. Also, the motor drive circuit 6 and the motor main body 11 are electrically connected to each other through the connector 8 in the following manner. The connector 8 has twelve connector pins 801 through 812. Among the twelve pins, the connector pins 801 through 803 are used for power supply to three driving coils 31 of the motor. The connector pins 804 and 812 are used for supplying the IC power source potential Vcc and the IC grand potential S.GND to three Hall elements H and a sensor FG that is used for speed control of the motor. The connector pins 805 through 811 are used for outputting signals from the Hall elements H or the sensor FG.
In the brushless motor thus structured, the power transistors built in the driver IC 60 are directly turned on and off. Furthermore, the brushless motor uses a direct PWM control system in which the switching pulse width applied to the switching elements is modulated to control current that is conducted through the driving coils.
By the direct PWM control system, the power consumption, which may be wasted through heat generation of the driver IC, is substantially reduced. Therefore, the direct PWM control system is greatly effective in reducing the energy consumption for driving the motor. In addition, the direct PWM control system is effective in reducing the cost because it-can be implemented with almost no additional parts.
A typical direct PWM control system is described with reference to FIGS. 2(A), 2(B), 3 and 4. FIG. 2(A) shows a state of the driver IC 60 of the brushless motor with a direct PWM control system in which power is supplied from a motor power supply source to the driving coils 31. FIG. 2(B) shows a state in which regeneration current flows by a back electromotive force that is generated in the driving coils 31 when the power supply from the motor power supply source to the driving coils 31 is stopped. FIG. 3 shows waveforms of voltage and current that are applied to the driving coils 31 for one phase when the controls shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are conducted. FIG. 4 shows waveforms in period a shown in FIG. 3, which includes periods b when voltage is applied to the driving coils 31 and periods c when the voltage supply to the driving coils 31 is stopped. More specifically, FIG. 4 shows a voltage waveform and a current waveform during periods b when a voltage is applied to the driving coils 31 and during periods c when the voltage supply to the driving coils 31 is stopped.
As shown in FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 3, when the power transistor Q4 is in an ON state and the power transistor Q1 is turned ON, the motor power supply potential VM is applied to the driving coils 31 from a motor power supply source 66, such that current flows through the driving coils 31. The current flows through the power transistor Q4 to the motor ground potential M.GND of the motor power supply source 66 (during periods b shown in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, the current gradually increases in accordance with a time constant of the driving coils 31.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2(B) and FIG. 3, when the power transistor Q4 is in an ON state and the power transistor Q1 is turned OFF, the application of the motor power supply potential VM to the driving coils 31 from the motor power supply source 66 is stopped. At this moment, electromotive forces E1 and E2 are generated in the respective driving coils 31. The electromotive forces E1 and E2 cause regeneration current that flows in the driving coils 31 through a diode 61. The regeneration current gradually decreases in accordance with the time constant of the driving coils 31. However, before the regeneration current completely disappears, the power transistor Q1 is turned ON, and the motor power supply source 66 starts power supply.
In this manner, in the brushless motor using the direct PWM control system, a part of the motor current is supplied by the regeneration current, such that the current (power) to be externally supplied can be cut down. Also, since the power transistors through which the motor current flows are always in a saturated state, the power that may be consumed in the driver IC 60 is reduced to a minimum required level.
However, in the brushless motor using the direct PWM control system, the voltage that is applied to the driving coils 31 shifts between the motor power supply potential VM and the motor ground potential M.GND in a short period of time. As a result, the voltage applied to the wiring that extends from the driver IC 60 to the driving coils 31 or the wiring pattern of the metal substrate 40 as well as the voltage applied to the driving coils 31 continuously repeat rapid shifts, which generates electromagnetic noises. The electromagnetic noises cause a variety of adverse effects on the operation of the main apparatus that uses the brushless motor. Moreover, portions of the metal substrate 40 where the wiring patterns are formed over dielectric layers form capacitive coupling with respect to the driving coils 31 and the wirings, which results in the diffusion of the electromagnetic noises.
In view of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brushless motor using a direct PWM control system, which has a motor driving circuit provided on a circuit substrate that is independent of a motor main body, and which has a structure that can suppress the diffusion of electromagnetic noises.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a direct PWM brushless motor may have a motor main body mounted on a metal substrate and a motor drive circuit formed on a circuit substrate that is separated from the metal substrate. The motor main body may have a baring, a rotor shaft rotatably supported by the bearing, a rotor capable of rotating with the rotor shaft, and a stator having a core with a driving coil wound around the core. The motor drive circuit includes switching elements that are directly turned on and off. A switching pulse width for the switching elements is modulated to control current conducting through drive coils. In one aspect of the embodiment, the direct PWM brushless motor may have a wiring cable connection device for connecting the motor main body and a fixed potential of the motor drive circuit, and a conduction device that conductively connect a metal plate portion of the metal substrate to the wiring cable connection device.
In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the potential of the metal plate portion that defines a substrate of the metal substrate and forms a capacitive coupling with the wiring pattern is fixed at a specified potential through the wiring cable connection device and the conduction device. As a result, when the brushless motor is driven by the direct PWM control method, and the voltage applied to the wiring pattern that extends from the motor driving circuit to the driving coils as well as the voltage applied to the driving coils continuously repeat rapid shifts, electromagnetic noises can be prevented from diffusing through the metal substrate.
In accordance with the present invention, the metal plate of the metal substrate can be connected to the fixed potential through a connector mounted on the metal substrate for connecting the motor main body and the motor drive circuit, a lead wire that is electrically connected to the motor drive circuit, or a tap screw that is fixed at the metal substrate.
When the connector is used, the metal plate portion of the metal substrate can be readily connected to the fixed potential using a cable. When the lead wire is used, the metal plate portion of the metal substrate can be readily connected to the fixed potential without having to modify a connector that has been conventionally used.
The metal plate portion of the metal substrate can be connected to a fixed potential by any one of various methods. For example, a pin of the connector may be directly connected to the metal plate portion, or by connecting through a circuit pattern and a screw.
In accordance with the present invention, the fixed potential may be, for example, a ground potential of the motor drive circuit. Alternatively, the fixed potential may be a power source potential of the motor drive circuit.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate, by way of example, various features of embodiments of the invention.

Brushless motor, method for operating brushless motor and method for manufacturing brushless motor


A solar cell array deployable from a folded flat triangular structure to a substantially circular deployed shape. A root spar supports a hub. The hub has an axis of rotation normal to the axis of the root spar. The hub drives a lead spar, and a plurality of intermediate spars rotate freely around the hub. A foldable gore is fitted between each pair of adjacent spars except between the root spar and the lead spar. Rotation of the hub in one direction folds the gores into a stack. Rotation in the opposite direction opens the gores to form tensioned membranes between the spars. A reversible power source drives the hub.

Solar cell arrays comprise an underlying structure for supporting a substantial number of individual cells, plus the cells. The cells themselves are rigid plate-like structures. In previously known arrays they are usually mounted to a rigid panel. For fixed installations the frame itself is entirely rigid. For arrays on spacecraft it is customary to adapt the panels for stowage by means such as hinges which will permit the panels to be folded against each other to reduce the dimensions of the array to a stowable configuration. All of this involves items such as hinges and actuating means such as cables, which must not fail lest the array be rendered useless. They are costly, and involve weight which should be minimized.
It is an object of this invention to provide a solar cell array whose stowage and deployment are accomplished by rotational movement of spars around a central hub. Gores which extend radially between the spars are opened or folded as a consequence of this rotary motion to deploy or to stow the array.
It is an optional object of this invention to apply power only at the hub in order to deploy or to stow the array, whereby to provide for lightness of weight, reliability, and economy of the array.
It is yet another optional object of this invention to provide a substrate which can be folded, thereby to eliminate the need for a rigid supporting frame.

Lightweight stowable and deployable solar cell array


Systems and methods are provided to implement a database system configured to return the state of a data item upon failure of a condition check on the data item during a conditional write. In embodiments, a write request may specify an indicator to return the item state upon condition failure. The request may specify multiple database operations to execute as a transaction, where failure of a single condition check will cause the entire transaction to fail and an item state causing the failure to be returned. The returned state of the data item may include a selection of the item's attributes specified by the request. Advantageously, these features allow a client to easily obtain the precise cause of a write's failure. Moreover, because the item state is returned only when a conditional write fails and only when requested, the response size of most write requests remains unchanged.

Database systems provide interfaces for performing operations on data managed by the database system. Some database systems allow users to specify conditional writes, where a write operation is only executed if a specified condition is verified to be true (for example, if a data item is in an expected state). Some database systems may provide a transaction interface that allows users to execute a set of database operations as an atomic transaction, according to all-or-nothing semantics. Accordingly, if any operation in a requested transaction fails, the entire transaction is cancelled. In these database systems, it is sometimes difficult for users to obtain immediate feedback regarding the reasons why their requests failed. While it is possible in some cases to manually examine the state of the data after the fact to investigate the cause of the failure, there is no guarantee that the data will remain unchanged after the request and that the failure can be reproduced from the later state of the data. Moreover, such manual investigations can be tedious and difficult, especially for large and complex database transactions, which may include a large number of condition checks. Improved database interfaces are needed to provide users on-demand and targeted item state information at the time of the request condition failure.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

Database interface to obtain item state on conditional operation failure


An insulated gate type bipolar-transistor (IGBT) incorporates an excess voltage protecting function and drain voltage fixing function in a monolithic structure. Impurity concentration ND and the thickness of an n.sup.- type drain layer (3) is set so that a depletion region propagating from a p type base layer (7) reaches a p.sup.+ type drain layer at a voltage (V.sub.DSP) lower than a voltage (V.sub.DSS) at which avalanche breakdown is caused within the IGBT element when voltage is applied between the source and the drain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulated gate type bipolar-transistor (hereafter referred to as "IGBT") integrating an excess voltage protecting function or drain voltage fixing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upon turning ON a power switching element employed as an inverting device for a motor circuit or a non-interruption power source circuit, a high voltage can be induced on an inductive load or a floating inductance in the circuit due to abrupt variation of circuit current flowing through the circuit. This high voltage is applied to the power switching element as a spike voltage to cause fatigue or breakage of the power switching element. As a means for protecting the power switching element from excess voltage, a voltage clamp circuit including a constant voltage diode based on the operation principle of avalanche breakdown for turning ON the constant voltage diode before breakdown occurs in the power switching element because of applied spike voltage and thus fixing the level of the spike voltage within a safe operation range, is employed.
In the case that IGBT is employed as the power switching element, a similar means can be applied. In this case, the constant voltage diode is externally connected between the drain and gate the IGBT element. However, it causes an increase in of the assembling cost and also increases the overall circuit dimension. It can form the constant voltage diode integrally with the IGBT element by depositing a polycrystalline silicon layer on the substrates formed thereon the IGBT element to form the constant diode therein. However, this increases the necessary number of photo-masks in the element fabrication process leading to an increase in the production cost. Furthermore, in order to form the constant voltage diode on the surface of the IGBT element, it becomes necessary to make the area for a cell region smaller or increase the chip dimension.
As a solution for this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 64-81270 proposes a method for integrating the constant voltage diode, in which the constant voltage diode having an operational principle of avalanche breakdown, is incorporated in the IGBT element so that the constant voltage diode is disposed between the drain and the source on the equivalent circuit. This method solves problems, such as narrowing of the chip area of the IGBT element. The proposed construction is shown in FIG. 6.
In FIG. 6, the reference numeral 61 denotes a source electrode, 62 denotes a drain electrode, 63 denotes a gate electrode. The upper layer of a substrate is composed of an insulating gate of DSA construction, p.sup.+ base layer 65, n.sup.+ source layer 66 and forms a p type channel immediately below the gate. On the other hand, observing the vertical structure, the substrate has a npnp four layer structure including n.sup.+ source layer 66, p.sup.+ base layer 65, n.sup.- drain layer 67 and p.sup.+ drain layer 64 between n.sup.+ layer 68 and drain electrode 62.
The p.sup.+ drain layer 64 at the side of the drain electrode 62 is separated into respective small segments and arranged parallel in a honeycomb fashion. This forms a structure, in which a diode with a pn junction is disposed between the collector and the emitter of a pnp transistor parallel thereto. The diode has a portion 69 of n.sup.+ layer projecting into the n.sup.- layer 67 to be positioned closer to the p.sup.+ layer 65 to provide avalanche type diode characteristics and thus protect the IGBT element from excess voltage.
However, in order to incorporate the constant voltage diode, it is essential to provide n.sup.+ layer 68 at the drain side of the substrate. Because of the presence of n.sup.+ layer 68, hole injection from the drain side upon conducting the IGBT is restricted to make the ON voltage higher.
In addition, for fabricating the p.sup.+ layer in the honeycomb configuration at the side of the drain electrode 62 and to extend the part 69 of the n.sup.+ layer 68 into the n.sup.- drain layer 67, the substrate structure becomes complicated and thereby increases costs for fabrication of the wafer and costs for production.