An apparatus and method for turbo decoding using a variable window size. A control logic block receives information about a code rate of received data bits and a data block size, adjusts a window size according to the code rate information, and computes an initial delay. Delta metric blocks compute delta metrics from input data bits of the block size, wherein the delta metrics represent a transition probability for a path from a state to another state, respectively. An alpha metric block receives a delta metric in synchronization with the initial delay, and computes an alpha metric representing a forward state transition probability in each state. One or more beta metric blocks receive delta metrics according to the adjusted window size, and compute beta metrics representing a backward state transition probability in each state, respectively. A log likelihood ratio (LLR) block receives the alpha metric and the beta metrics in synchronization with the initial delay, and computes LLR values for symbols in an ending state. Code reliability is maintained by using a sliding window structure based on a window size varying with a code rate, while simultaneously reducing a decoding time due to an unnecessary initial delay.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to decoding technology for use in a mobile communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a turbo decoder using a variable window size.
2. Description of the Related Art
General digital communication systems widely use forward error correction (FEC) codes to effectively correct an error occurring on a channel at the time of data transmission and improve the reliability of data transmission. These FEC codes commonly include turbo codes. The turbo codes have been adopted by both a synchronous type code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA 2000) system, and an asynchronous type universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) serving as third generation (3G) mobile communication systems, because the turbo codes have excellent error correction capabilities at the time of transmitting data at a high rate as compared with convolution codes. Since these two systems can both perform high-speed packet data communication, the performance of a turbo decoder can be improved. The 3G mobile communication systems support various code or coding rates in the turbo decoder.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a conventional turbo decoder.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the turbo decoder 200 is an example of a constituent decoder designed on the basis of a soft-input soft-output (SISO) scheme. In place of the SISO scheme, the turbo decoder can also be implemented with a maximum a posteriori (MAP) scheme or a register exchange soft output Viterbi algorithm (RESOVA). Here, the SISO scheme computes reliable probability values for symbols, and the RESOVA computes probability values for codewords while regarding a symbol path as a long codeword.
Referring to FIG. 1, a symbol (that is, data bits) stored in a memory buffer 100 is provided to an input terminal of the turbo decoder 200. Deinterleaved bits are classified into a systematic code, and parity-1 and parity-2 codes serving as nonsystematic codes. The systematic code, the parity-1 code, and the parity-2 code, are stored in the memory buffer 100. Systematic code bits and parity code bits are simultaneously output from the memory buffer 100. Because three types of systematic and non-systematic codes are output from the memory buffer 100, codes output from the memory buffer 100 are provided to a multiplexer (MUX) 210 of the turbo decoder 200 through three buses.
The turbo decoder 200 comprises a constituent decoder 220 to which an SISO algorithm is applied (hereinafter, referred to as the "SISO decoder"), an interleaver 230, a deinterleaver 240, an output buffer 250, and a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) checker 260.
The SISO decoder 220 receives the output of the MUX 210, and performs an SISO decoding operation to output a result of the decoding operation as illustrated in FIG. 2. The interleaver 230 interleaves the output of the SISO decoder 220. The deinterleaver 230 de-interleaves the output of the SISO decoder 220. The output buffer 250 stores the output of the deinterleaver 240 such that an L1 layer processor 270 can refer to a result of the deinterleaving. The CRC checker 260 performs a CRC checking operation on the output of the deinterleaver 240, and provides a result of the checking operation to the L1 layer processor 270.
The SISO decoder 220 computes several metrics in the decoding process. That is, while the SISO decoder 220 performs the decoding process, values of a delta metric, alpha (α) metric, beta (β) metric, and log likelihood ratio (LLR) are computed.
The delta metric is a branch metric, and represents a transition probability for a path from a state to another state in a coding trellis structure. The alpha metric is a forward state metric, and represents a cumulative transition probability from a previous state to the present state. The beta metric is a backward state metric, and represents a cumulative transition probability from the next state to the present state. The LLR value is computed from the alpha and beta metrics. The LLR value represents a probability for a symbol, and expresses a ratio of the probability of a '0' value and the probability of a '1' value in a log scale.
Generally, because a frame mode decoder requires alpha and beta metrics to compute an LLR value, the beta metrics are computed after all the alpha metrics are computed, and then LLR values are sequentially computed. Accordingly, while the beta metrics are computed, a delay time occurs.
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a metric computation order in the general SISO decoder. FIG. 2A illustrates a process for computing the alpha metrics, and FIG. 2B illustrates a process for computing the beta metrics.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, it can be found that a difference between an alpha metric computation and a beta metric computation is present. An alpha metric αk in the k-th state, is computed from a previous alpha metric in the (k−1)-th state. A beta metric βk in the k-th state, is computed from the next beta metric in the (k+1)-th state subsequent to the k-th state. To compute the beta metrics, received signal components must be referred to in a reverse order. Accordingly, an initial delay time corresponding to a total received-signal length occurs.
FIG. 3 illustrates the metric computation order of the conventional turbo decoder based on a frame mode scheme.
Referring to FIG. 3, an initial delay time corresponding to a frame interval occurs because alpha metrics and LLR (λ) values are computed after all beta metrics of one frame are computed. The SISO decoder based on the frame mode scheme computes the alpha metrics and the LLR values after computing the beta metrics. Accordingly, a delay time occurs during a beta metric computation time. To reduce this initial delay time, a window mode was proposed.
To address the above-described problems, a sliding window mode is applied. In the sliding window mode, two beta metric blocks are used, and successive beta metrics are output.
FIG. 4 illustrates the computation order of the turbo decoder based on the window mode scheme.
Referring to FIG. 4, the SISO decoder based on the window mode scheme divides a signal received for a beta metric computation into a predetermined window size. When beta metrics are computed from the divided received signal, initial computation values are inaccurate, but later computation values are accurate. These accurate computation values are used to compute LLR values. While accurate values are computed with respect to a window, inaccurate values are computed with respect to another window. For convenience of computation, an inaccurate interval and a reliable interval are set to the same size.
A general example of computing an LLR (λ) value associated with a beta metric will now be described in greater detail.
First, a beta metric 1B (β1B) and a beta metric 1A (β1A) are computed in a reverse order during a window interval. Immediately after the beta metric 1A (β1A) is computed, a beta metric 2C (β1C) and a beta metric 2B (β2B) are computed in a reverse order. The inaccurate beta metric 1A (β1A) of the beta metrics 1B (β1B) and 1A (β1A) in the initial delay interval is discarded. Immediately after the accurate beta metric 2B (β2B) is computed, an alpha metric αB and an LLR λB are computed simultaneously. A window interval for which β1B and β1A are computed corresponds to the initial delay time.
As described above, the general SISO decoder uses a fixed sliding window size. In this case, when a code rate is low, no problems are encountered. However, when a code rate is high, decoding performance is degraded.
Specifically, when the conventional turbo decoder computes a beta metric from the last part of a received signal, the reliability of the metric computation becomes high. However, the sliding window scheme divides a total interval into multiple intervals, performs computations on an interval-by-interval basis, discards an unreliable interval, and uses output values subsequent to the discarded interval. When a code rate is high, a long interval is required such that desired reliability can be obtained. In this case, a sliding window size of a relatively long length may be set according to the high code rate. However, when a code rate of received data is low, there is a problem in that an additional initial delay occurs due to the sliding window size of the unnecessarily long length.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method to adjust a window size on the basis of a code rate for a turbo decoder using the sliding window.

Apparatus and method for turbo decoding using a variable window size


A method for improving the accuracy of temperature sensitive diagnostic assays which are carried out using reflectance spectrometers to detect color changes in a solid test system which has been contacted with a fluid test system suspected of containing an analyte whose presence and/or concentration is being sought. The method involves determining the temperature of the solid test material by measuring the reflectance of a thermochromic liquid crystal in close proximity to the solid test material and correcting the result of the assay for a change in temperature from a pre-selected nominal temperature.

The present invention is concerned with diagnostic test strips and an improved method for reading them by means of a reflectance spectrometer.
Test strips for the analysis of components in a liquid such as human body fluid are well known. Typically such strips are made of an absorbant material in which there is absorbed a reagent system which responds to the presence of an analyte in the test fluid with a visually detectable signal such as a change in color. This change in color, which appears in one or more test field of the strip, can be the result of an enzymatic reaction in which a redox dye is oxidized or reduced to produce the colored response. Alternatively, the strip is made of a material through which the analyte and labeled antibodies specific therefor can flow to form analyte/labeled antibody conjugates which are captured in a specific detection zone of the strip to provide a detectable response representing the concentration of the analyte in the fluid test sample.
While the detectable response obtained using such strips can be observed visually to obtain a qualitative or semi-quantitative measure of the analyte in the test sample, greater quantitation and faster, more reliable handling of multiple test strips can be realized by instrumentally reading the developed strips. Such instrumental reading is usually accomplished by the use of a reflectance spectrometer which determines the intensity of the reflection from the test field surface. This sort of instrument determines the intensity of the reflected light in the developed strip by illuminating the strip with light at one angle (typically 90.degree.), detecting the reflected light at a different angle (typically 45.degree.) and selecting the measured color or wavelength range at either the source or the detector.
Since the spectrometer is programmed to take the reflectance reading at a particular point in time and the intensity of the visually detectable signal can vary with a change in ambient temperature, because the reaction rate and/or equilibrium are often temperature dependent, there is a need for some means by which temperature variations can be factored out of the assay.
The present invention involves the use of thermochromic liquid crystals in conjunction with the reading of test strips by spectrophotometric means to aid in correcting the readout of the spectrophotometer for variations in ambient temperature. The use of thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCs) in research and testing is becoming increasingly widespread particularly in the areas of flow visualization and heat transfer studies. The TLCs react to changes in temperature by changing color as their name implies. They typically have chiral (twisted) molecular structures and consist of optical mixtures of organic chemicals. The proper name for these materials is cholesteric or chiral nematic liquid crystals. The term cholesteric is historical and is derived from the fact that the first materials to show the characteristic properties and structure of thermochromic liquid crystals were esters of cholesterol. However, many optically active chemicals and mixtures thereof which are not related to cholesterol or other sterols also exhibit the cholesteric liquid crystal structure. TLC mixtures can be divided into 2 distinct types according to their chemical compositions. These types are cholesteric, i.e. formulations comprised entirely of cholesterol and other sterol related chemicals and chiral nematic, i.e. formulations comprised entirely of non-sterol based chemicals. A third category of TLCs arises from the fact that cholesteric and chiral nematic chemicals can be mixed together to provide formulations which exhibit a continuum of physical and chemical properties somewhere between those of their pure cholesteric and pure chiral nematic precursors.
TLCs exhibit colors by selectively reflecting incident white light. Conventional temperature sensitive mixtures turn from colorless (black against black background) to red at a given temperature and, as the temperature increases, pass through the other colors of the visible spectrum in sequence (orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) before turning colorless (black) again at yet higher temperatures. Since the color changes are reversible, the color sequence is reversed upon cooling. TLCs can be used in a number of different forms such as unsealed liquids which are essentially oils with the consistence at their working temperatures being between that of a thin oil and a viscous paste which are applied in thin uniform films, microencapsulated forms in which droplets of the TLC are surrounded by a continuous polymer coating or coated sheets in which a thin film of the liquid crystal is sandwiched between a transparent polymer sheet as substrate and a black absorbing background.

Use of thermochromic liquid crystals in reflectometry based diagnostic methods


An input-weighted transversal filter having a first input circuit for inputting a sampled input signal which is sampled at every predetermined period, registers for storing a predetermined number of tap weights, the register selectively supplying the tap weights in a predetermined order, a plurality of tap weight multipliers for multiplying the sampled input signal and a tap weight supplied from the registers, a pipeline processing adder for adding the multiplied outputs from the tap weight multipliers with each other and a second input circuit for inputting signals to the pipeline processing adder, the second input circuit having at least one input coupled to the output of the pipeline processing adder.

A filter which digitally processes input signals at a realtime operation has been discussed in, for instance, "PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS OF SELECTED AUTOMATIC DEGHOSTING SYSTEMS FOR TELEVISION" in "IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. CE-26, February 1980".
FIG. 1 shows a conventional six tap input-weighted transversal filter (hereinafter referred generally to as a transversal filter). This transversal filter shows a part of a large-scale transversal filter provided with many taps.
An input signal a={x(i)}, sampled at every period T, is inputted to six tap weight multipliers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 via an input terminal 1. The tap weight multipliers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 multiply the input signal a by respective tap weights C0, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 associated thereto and output their multiplication results to adders 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, respectively. Further, a cascade input signal e={z(i)} is input to the adder 25 through a cascade inputted terminal 3. The adders 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 have been connected in series so that they are positioned alternately with delay elements 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and the output from the adder 20 is fed to an output terminal 2 through a last stage delay element 4. The delay elements 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 4 are driven by a clock signal CK.
An output signal h={y(i)} of the last stage delay element 4 of the transversal filter is expressed by the following equation: ##EQU1## c(j) represents tap weight values, where j is a number of tap weights. X(i-j-1) is an input signal which is sampled over a period of time. Z(i-6) represents a cascade input signal at a particular period of time.
This output signal {y(i)} will become the final output signal of the transversal filter.
The cascade input terminal 3 is provided for coupling these transversal filters in series. Thus, when the transversal filter is one element, such a cascade input terminal is omitted from the circuit arrangement.
The arithmetic operation shown by the equation (1) has been used in many fields. In particular, in the fields of television deghosting technique and a digital processing technique of television signals, it is used at T=70 to 93 ns (10.sup.-9 sec.) and to execute the equation (1) at high speed in a realtime operation, ROMs (Read Only Memories) and RAMs (Random Access Memories) have been used for the tap weight multipliers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 in addition to random logic multipliers.
Now, when considering a fabrication of the transversal filter onto an integrated circuit (IC) chip, the circuit-scale of these tap weight multipliers becomes relatively large and the number of taps that can be secured by one chip is no more than 64 taps. Normally, in deghosting devices transversal filters are used at 14.32 MHz, which is four times of the color subcarrier frequency fsc at the NTSC system. Thus, the period is calculated as T=70 ns. At this time, a 64 tap transversal filter will have a sampling period of 4.4 .mu.s. It is generally said that the 90% of ghosts are generated in a range of delay time from -1 to 24 .mu.s. To realize a practical deghosting device that copes with ghosts in this range, transversal filters having more than 357 taps are required. In other words, more than six IC chips become necessary and it becomes expensive for reasons that many component parts are required and required chip-scale becomes large.
As described above, conventional transversal filters enabling realtime operation at high speed have such problems that the circuit-scale of the tap weight multiplier becomes large and a sufficient number of taps cannot be obtained even when the filter is made in IC chips.


A fluid pressure operated piston engine apparatus generally includes a piston unit, a valve configured to selectively direct pressurized fluid into the piston unit, a valve shifting mechanism, and a magnetic detent device. The magnetic detent device includes a valve actuating member coupled to a valve element in the valve. The valve actuating member is movable between first and second magnetically held positions respectively holding the valve element in first and second positions. The valve shifting mechanism includes a biasing device operatively connected to a shaft associated with the piston unit. As the shaft approaches the first and second ends of its stroke, the biasing forces are used at least partially overcome magnetic attraction holding the valve actuating member. In this manner, the valve actuating member moves between first and second magnetically held positions to cause the valve element to shift and redirect pressurized fluid into the piston chamber of the piston unit to effect reversal of the direction of travel of the shaft.

Double stroke pistons are used in a variety of different types of industrial applications, such as for pumping heated adhesives or performing other work. Moving the piston in each direction may be accomplished by directing a pressurized fluid through a fluid valve, such as an air valve. Typically, pressurized air is directed into a piston chamber via an air valve having a valve element moveable between two positions. In the first position, the pressurized air is directed to one side of the piston within the piston chamber and in the second position the pressurized air is redirected to the other side of the piston within the piston chamber. The piston and a connected piston shaft therefore move in one direction or the other depending on the side of the piston against which the pressurized air is directed. In various prior piston pumps, the piston shaft is connected to a shifter device through a fork or other connecting member. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,762, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. As the piston and shaft approach the respective first and second ends of the stroke, the shifter device is moved through magnetic force generated between magnets on the shifter device and on the fork. This causes the valve element to shift between the first and second positions. The process repeats itself at each end of the piston stroke to continuously change the direction of the piston and shaft during, for example, a pumping operation.
A continuing need for improvements in the technology related to shifting mechanisms exists. For example, some mechanisms are relatively complex, or use multiple permanent magnets, or have other needs for improvement. Further, it is desirable to ensure that the shifting mechanisms remain operative and reliable for millions of strokes in a wide variety of applications, including in some cases high temperature environments associated with pumping heated adhesives or so-called hot melt adhesives.

Fluid pressure operated piston engine apparatus and method


Provided are an alkaline battery separator and an alkaline battery including the separator. The separator includes at least a coarse layer and a dense layer denser than the coarse layer. The coarse layer contains an alkaline-resistant cellulose fiber having a freeness value of 350 to 650 ml as a whole in the proportion of 25 to 65% by weight. The alkaline-resistant cellulose fiber includes at least two kinds of alkaline-resistant cellulose fibers having different freeness with each other. The difference in freeness value between the alkaline-resistant cellulose fibers having the highest and lowest freeness values is 300 to 700 ml. The dense layer contains an alkaline-resistant cellulose fiber which as a whole has a freeness value of 0 to 400 ml. The separator has a maximum pore size of 65 μm or smaller, and a liquid absorption capacity of 5 g/g or higher.

In an alkaline battery, negatively charged anions migrate from a cathode across an alkaline electrolyte solution to an anode, while positively charged cations migrate from the anode across the alkaline electrolyte solution to the cathode. A separator is interposed between the cathode and the anode to separate these electrodes and prevent short-circuiting.
Such an alkaline battery separator needs to meet various requirements. For instance, such a separator should: (1) prevent internal short-circuiting between the cathode and the anode; (2) have satisfactory electrolyte absorption capacity to cause sufficient electrogenic reactions, while having good ion conduction as well as low electric resistance; (3) occupies a small space when incorporated into a battery so as to increase the amount of cathode and anode active materials (and therefore increasing the battery life); and (4) withstand, after incorporated into a battery, buckling caused by impacts due to vibrations or accidental drops during transport or handling, which may lead to internal short-circuiting of the battery.
For example, Patent Document 1 listed below (JP Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-092411) discloses a separator paper for electrically isolating an anode active material and a cathode active material of an alkaline-battery, wherein said separator paper comprises a dense layer for keeping its denseness to prevent electrical internal shortage of said two active materials, and a liquid impregnating layer for increasing the liquid impregnate ratio of the electrolyte within the battery, with said dense layer and said liquid impregnate layer being integrally laminated.
Such a separator paper requires cellulose fiber(s) for the liquid impregnate layer having a freeness (CSF: Canadian standard freeness) value of no less than 700 ml, in order to prevent significant loss of liquid impregnate ratio of the separator paper.

Alkaline battery separator and alkaline battery using separator


A bumping process mainly comprises the following steps. Initially, a wafer having a plurality of bonding pads and a passivation layer with passivation openings exposing the bonding pads is provided. Next, a first dielectric layer with first openings and second openings is disposed on the wafer. The first openings and second openings expose the bonding pads and the portions of the passivation layer respectively. Afterwards, a patterned first electrically conductive layer is formed over the first dielectric layer and the bonding pads. Then a second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer and the patterned first electrically conductive layer and exposes the patterned first conductive layer through the second openings to form a plurality of bump pads wherein the bump pads are electrically connected to bonding pads. Next, a second electrically conductive layer is formed over the second dielectric layer and the bump pads. Then, a plurality of bumps are formed on the portions of the second electrically conductive layer covering the bump pads. Finally, the bumps are reflowed and the portions of the second electrically conductive layer covered by the reflowed bumps are remained to form a patterned second electrically conductive layer.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a bumping process. More particularly, the present invention is related to a bumping process for ensuring the reliability of bumps and the integrity of the dielectric layer covering the redistributed layer of the bumped wafer.
2. Related Art
In this information explosion age, integrated circuits products are used almost everywhere in our daily life. As fabricating technique continue to improve, electronic products having powerful functions, personalized performance and a higher degree of complexity are produced. Nowadays, most electronic products are relatively light and have a compact body. Hence, in semiconductor production, various types of high-density semiconductor packages have been developed. Flip chip is one of the most commonly used techniques for forming an integrated circuits package. Moreover, compared with a wire-bonding package or a tape automated bonding (TAB) package, a flip-chip package uses a shorter electrical path on average and has a better overall electrical performance. In a flip-chip package, the bonding pads on a chip and the contacts on a substrate are connected together through a plurality of bumps formed by the method of bumping process. Accordingly, the technology of bumping process becomes more and more important in the advanced packaging fields.
As mentioned above, in a conventional bumping process, a stencil or a photosensitive film, such as a photo-resist layer, having a plurality of openings that exposes the bonding pads is formed over the active surface of the chip (or wafer) to serve as a mask. Thereafter, a plating process or a printing process is carried out to fill solder material into the openings over the bonding pads. The stencil or the photosensitive film is then removed to have the solder layer exposed over various bonding pads. After a reflow process, the solder layers solidify into a plurality of bumps and each bump has a spherical profile on the corresponding bonding pad.
Referring to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1G, which illustrate magnified cross-sectional views of the bump of a wafer showing the steps for producing a bump according to a conventional method. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a wafer 100 having an active surface 101 with a plurality of bonding pads 102 (only one is shown) and a passivation layer 104 thereon is provided. The passivation layer 104 are positioned over the active surface 101 and exposes the bonding pads 102 through passivation openings 104a (only one is shown) formed in the passivation layer 104.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, a first dielectric layer 105 is formed over the passivation layer 104 and covers a portion of each bonding pad 102 to leave one of bonding pads 102 exposed out of the first dielectric layer 105 through a first opening 105a and have a portion of passivation layer 104 exposed out of the first dielectric layer 105 through a second opening 105b.
Next, a redistributed layer 106 is formed over the first dielectric layer 105, the bonding pad 102 and the passivation layer 104 exposed out of the first dielectric layer 105, wherein the portion of the redistributed layer 106 directly connecting the passivation layer 104 serves as a bump pad 106a. Generally, the redistributed layer 106 is formed by the following steps. Firstly, a first electrically conductive layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. Next, a photo-resist layer is formed on and partially covers the first electrically conductive layer. Then, a photolithographic process and an etching process are performed to remove the portion of the first electrically conductive layer not covered by the photo-resist layer to form a patterned first electrically conductive layer serving as the redistributed layer as mentioned above. Therein, the bump pad is electrically connected to the bonding pad through said patterned first electrically conductive layer.
Then, referring to FIG. 1D, a patterned second electrically conductive layer 107 is formed over the redistributed pad 106a by the steps of disposing photo-resist layer, performing a photolithographic process, and performing an etching process and serves as a transition layer or an under bump metallurgy layer located over the bump pad 106a.
Afterwards, referring to FIG. 1E, a second dielectric layer 108 is formed over the patterned first electrically conductive layer 106 with a third opening 108a exposing the portion of the patterned second electrically conductive layer 107, which is located over the bump pad 106a.
Next, referring to FIG. 1F, a photo-resist layer 109 is formed over the second dielectric layer 108 with a fourth opening 109a exposing the portion of the patterned second electrically conductive layer 107 located over the bump pad 106a. Then, a solder material is filled in the fourth opening 109a through a screen-printing method to form a bump 110.
Finally, the bump 110 is reflowed to be fixed on the patterned second electrically conductive layer 107 over the bump pad 106a securely and shaped into a solder ball 112; and the second dielectric layer 108 is removed in sequence.
However, in the aforementioned conventional bumping process, the solder material is a mixture of solder powder and flux, and the second dielectric layer 108 is usually made of a polymer material, such as polyimide (PI) and Benzocyclobutene (BCB). The flux within the solder material will react with the polymer material to produce water and carbon dioxide or some other gases, so the gases including water and carbon dioxide inside the bump 126 will form air bubbles and said bubbles will stay in the reflowed bump, after the reflow process is performed as shown in FIG. 1G. Hence, the mechanical strength of the bump will be lowered to reduce the reliability of the bump.
Furthermore, the photo-resist layer 109 is typically removed by etching with an etchant. The etchant not only etches away the photo-resist layer 109, but also attach the second dielectric layer 108 made of polymer material underneath the photo-resist layer 109 so that a portion of the second dielectric layer 108 will be removed or damaged. Any loss of integrity of the polymer layer 108 is likely to compromise the protective capacity on the wafer 100.
Therefore, providing another method for forming bumps to solve the mentioned-above disadvantages is the most important task in this invention.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.


A hydraulic rotator converter for attachment to a hydraulic impact hammer having a hammer housing and a hydraulic piston. The converter has mounting brackets, a rotator housing, posts attached to the rotator housing and attachable to the mounting brackets, a hydraulic rotator assembly including a hydraulic rotator, a rotator wheel driven by the hydraulic rotator, and a rotator plate connected to the rotator wheel, the rotator plate having a central cutout region formed therein, and a rotator drill bit dimensioned to pass through a central cutout region of the rotator plate and to engage with the central cutout region so as to be rotatable by the rotator wheel while allowing the rotator drill bit to move in an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the drill bit.

Hydraulic impact hammers, sometimes known as hydraulic hammers, are devices which typically attach to an excavator or similar type of machinery and are used for breaking rock, stone, concrete and other hard objects by repetitively pounding such objects with an elongated hammer tool typically having a carbide tip at its pounding end. The hydraulic impact hammer typically includes a hydraulic reciprocating mechanism for causing the hammer tool to repetitively move (pound) downward relative to the hydraulic hammer (upward return movement results from the object pushing against the hammer tool when hydraulic downward movement is repetitively released), thereby providing the impact pounding force to the hammer tool for impacting objects, such as stone and concrete.
It has been found that such hydraulic hammers are not able to easily drill holes into such objects, especially certain types of stone due to the fact that the hammer tool causes the stone to form a particulate powder as it pounds into the stone. This accumulated powder in a hole being drilled dissipates much of the energy of the hydraulic tool, thereby making the drilling process a slow, time-consuming process.

Hydraulic rotator converter for a hydraulic impact hammer and method


A video transmission method, system and a device includes a sending device that generates and sends a source video stream, where the source video stream includes a plurality of video data packets, each video data packet includes discard indication information, a discard priority indicated by discard indication information included in a first video data packet is higher than a discard priority indicated by discard indication information included in a second video data packet, video data in a video frame whose frame type is a non-reference B frame is encapsulated into the first video data packet, and video data in a video frame whose frame type is an I frame, a P frame, or a reference B frame is encapsulated into the second video data packet.

With development of multimedia transmission technologies, an Internet protocol television (IPTV) service and an over the top (OTT) service rapidly develop, and a video user scale rapidly increases. In addition, video technologies such as 4K, high dynamic range (HDR), and virtual reality (VR) appear, and a video bitrate greatly increases. The rapid increase in the user scale and the video bitrate is accompanied with huge video transmission traffic, and therefore congestion inevitably occurs in a transport network such as an OTT transport network.
In other approaches, to ease transport network congestion, when transmitting a video stream, a current network device determines a discard priority based on a video frame type, to selectively discard some data packets in the video stream. The video stream includes a series of group of pictures (GOP). One GOP may usually include one I frame and one or more video frames of another type (for example, a B frame and a P frame), and video data in each video frame may be encapsulated into a plurality of video data packets. Specifically, during transport network congestion, the current network device preferentially discards a video data packet in a B frame in the video stream, then discards a video data packet in a P frame, and finally discards a video data packet in an I frame.
A problem is that in a process of transmitting a video in a transport network, impact on user visual experience that is caused by loss of different video data packets greatly varies. In other words, after different data packets are discarded, user visual sensitivity greatly varies. After some video data packets are discarded, a video picture is little affected, and a user does not even feel a difference. However, after some data packets are lost, a video picture is greatly affected, and a phenomenon such as artifacts or frame freezing may occur, greatly affecting user experience. Specifically, during transport network congestion, a network device may discard a video data packet in any B frame in a video stream, and loss of the video data packet in the B frame may cause the phenomenon such as artifacts or frame freezing.

Video transmission method and system and device


A terminal block for use with a railroad terminal board may include a terminal block body comprising first and second sides, a plurality of first connection posts extending from the first side of the body, and a second connection post extending from the second side of the body. The second connection post may be connected to one of the plurality of first connection posts. The second connection post may be configured to mount the terminal block to the railroad terminal board. The terminal block body may include a single hole extending through the first and second sides and configured to accept a mounting screw for mounting the terminal block to the railroad terminal board.

Terminal boards, including terminal blocks for terminating and testing of underground railroad wires connected to signals, track circuits, and other devices on the railroad track or along the wayside, are generally protected by and provided within a bungalow or similar structure at various locations along the railroad track. Current terminal board configurations may include multiple terminal blocks installed on a terminal plane. A four-post terminal block usually includes posts for equipment, ground, line, and test connections. The posts extend from the front side of the block's body so that the various connections can be made inside the bungalow. The back side of the terminal block is mounted to the terminal plane using mounting screws. One or more underground cables are routed through the floor or a wall of the bungalow through the terminal plane and connected to respective posts on the front side of the terminal blocks. Factory wiring is connected to posts at the front side of the terminal block and to equipment inside the bungalow for providing power and/or control signals to the equipment located on the track or along the wayside.

Four-post terminal block and accessories for nonconductive plane application


A filter device and technique are described which rely on absorption rather than adsorption for the removal of gas phase contaminants. A filter media is composed of wicking fibers which are impregnated with any of a variety of liquid phase absorbing systems made from the combination of a carrier liquid and soluble complexing/degrading agent or agents. The wicking fibers may be connected to an external reservoir which can be used to supply fresh absorbing fluid to the filter media giving them a potentially inexhaustible capacity. The filter media may be made from any of a variety of fibers which can rapidly transport a liquid phase by the nature of either their geometry or their chemical composition. Geometries may include multilobal cross-sectional configurations, porous hollow fibers, porous or striated fibers or tightly bundled microfibers, all of which exhibit the property of wicking fluid from an external source.

The oil and intake air filters commonly encountered in conjunction with internal combustion engines are exemplary of the filtering art and its associated problems. These filters utilize a somewhat porous paper filter element or similar filter media on which any undesirable particles are retained as fluid is passed through such filter element or media. As filtering continues, the filter element or media becomes more and more blocked by the removed particles which results in a further reduction of the flow rate even though the particle removing efficiency increases. These filtering systems essentially rely on adsorption which is a surface phenomenon wherein the removed particles adhere to the surface of the filter element or media. Another example of an adsorptive particle removal technique, is the use activated charcoal or a zeolite material as an odor removing element or media to purify an air stream. However, such techniques or method of purifying an air stream are effective only for a relative short time period, are relatively inefficient at low odor concentration levels, and frequently result in a relatively high pressure differential across the element or media. As a result very large quantity of media is the only satisfactory way in which to use these materials however the relative large pressure differential problem would remain.
A costly and complex solution to the flow rate and efficiency problems can be provided by employing absorption techniques wherein a counterflowing liquid and gas are intermingled in gas absorption tower with certain gas components being absorbed and removed by the liquid. Such "scrubbing " techniques are not suited to small solid filter applications since the interstices within the filter elements must be relatively large to avoid the liquid from clogging the filter elements and severely reducing air flow therethrough. These large openings significantly reduce the filtering efficiency.
An illustrative hybrid between the first two methods is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,373 which teaches an air cleaning system for a restaurant cooking grill wherein air is passed through filter elements which remove the undesirable materials and a scrubbing solution of water and detergent continuously circulates over the filter elements to remove congealed grease and other pollutants from those filter elements. Here, the filtering of particles from the air is an adsorption process, but the subsequent removal of the materials from the filter elements is an absorption process. This type system is relatively large and is adapted to high volume flow of relatively dirty air. While aptly suited to cooking grills, it is not well suited to more generalized odor removal functions. Also, as with the "scrubbers" mentioned above, the interstices within the filter elements must be relatively large to avoid the liquid from clogging the filter elements and severely reducing air flow therethrough.
It is desirable to provide a compact, economical absorptive air filter for the removal of odors which avoids the problems of reduced flow rates and reduced particle removing efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,368 entitled FILAMENTS HAVING TRILOBAL OR QUADRILOBAL CROSS-SECTIONS discloses a trilobal or quadrilobal fiber formed from thermoplastic polymers wherein the fiber has a cross-section comprised of a central core and three or four T-shaped lobes. The legs of each of the lobes intersect at the center of the core so that the angle between the legs of adjacent lobes is from about 80 to 130 degrees. The thermoplastic polymer is typically a nylon, a polyester, a polyolefin or a combination thereof. For example, a combination of a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate and a polyolefin such as polypropylene may be used.

Filtration device and method using absorption for the removal of gas phase contaminants


A system for an industrial engine that includes a power distribution module (PDM), a distribution harness and an interface harness. The PDM includes a housing body defining an interior, an end wall, a circuit board coupled to the end wall such that the circuit board is positioned within the interior of the housing body and a plurality of attachment connectors communicatively coupled to the circuit board. The plurality of attachment connectors positioned to provide an accessible location outside of the interior of the housing body. The distribution harness is communicatively coupled to the plurality of attachment connectors and to an electrical component of the industrial engine. The distribution harness is configured to distribute power from the PDM to the at least one electrical component. The interface harness communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of attachment connectors and is configured to communicatively couple the PDM to an engine start panel.

The increase in technological advancements of industrial engines and emissions standards have made electronic connections more complex. With increased electrical connections and fusing requirements, power distribution modules and engine specific harnesses are required. As such, current engine manufacturers produce an application and installation manual defining wiring and fusing requirements for the modules and the harnesses. Further, these power distribution module and harness connections are produced according to such known requirements.
For example, among existing references, Janisch, U.S. Pat. No. 7,558,079, teaches a power distribution module having a housing with a plurality of wall located receptacles which are engaged by electrical conductors/connectors of a wire harness for communicating with the electrical components within the housing. Also disclosed in Janisch is a method for producing a plurality of personal RV models having differing electrical components installed into a common housing for a power distribution module. However, Janisch and other existing references fail to teach standardizing connection points to reduce customer installation and manufacturing process times.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative power distribution modules, in conjunction with the power distribution harnesses, to provide all the necessary engine connections to offer a simplified connection point(s) for customer use.

Power distribution module for industrial engines


A device is disclosed for securing items, such as boat batteries and gas tanks, against theft and breakage. The locking unit is formed of dual base units, hingeably connected to vertical walls. The base units are connected to a support structure through use of screws or bolts. The top plates are connected to the vertical walls through use of hinges. The top plates can be provided with an adjustable locking member to secure various sized containers. L-shaped plates can be used to prevent any end to end horizontal movement of the container while the locking unit prevents side to side and vertical movement. The base unit can be one or two pieces, depending upon required adjustability. Parallel, opposing, side units, are affixed to the base unit at approximately right angles and a pair of top locking plates are then secured at right angles to the opposite end of the side units. The object is secured within the locking device through use of a lock which secures the top locking plates to one another. The side unit can be chamfered proximate the top locking plates and/or the base unit. A first side unit has a length greater than the second side unit allowing the first locking plate to overlap the second plate. The plates are locked together, through the use of a hasp or similar device, proximate the point of overlap.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of security devices, and more particularly to the securing of batteries, gas containers, or other rigid objects to a support structure, such as a boat.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Frequently it is beneficial to protect items, which cannot be brought into a safe area, against theft or breakage. Theft protection could include such items as boat batteries and tool boxes. Protection against breakage could include speakers at concerts or parties.
The theft problem is particularly relevant in the boat industry where the batteries are typically externally mounted without significant securing mechanisms. At most, boat batteries are held in place by nylon straps or are stored in water-resistant containers. Boats typically are subject to rocking and extreme movement due to the action of waves and wind on the boat, stretching the plastic straps used due to the movement of the battery in response to the movement of the boat. Sharp blows can cause a battery to have internal shorts, losing its capacity to retain a charge. While this problem is costly, it can produce extreme consequences when it happens in open water.
Another problem is that boats are frequently open and when tied to a dock, the battery and gas tank can easily be stolen. It is therefore desired to both secure boat batteries and gas tanks in place against the motion of the boat, as well as against theft.
A number of other articles, such as gardener's gas cans, can benefit from being secured to a solid structure. At concerts speakers can be stolen or knocked over by enthusiastic crowds. Even sculptures in museums can be stolen or broken if not properly secured. The disclosed locking unit provides an inexpensive method of securing a variety of articles in various sizes and configurations.


The present disclosure provides novel methods for increasing β-cell viability in islets by delivering RLIP76 polypeptides or GSTA4 polypeptides, or a combination thereof; or RLIP76 polynucleotides or GSTA4 polynucleotides, or a combination thereof, to the islets. The disclosure also provides novel methods for treating a disease or condition in a subject, such as type 1 diabetes mellitus, by delivering RLIP76 polypeptides or GSTA4 polypeptides, or a combination thereof; or RLIP76 polynucleotides or GSTA4 polynucleotides, or a combination thereof, to islets and transplanting the islets into the subject to treat the disease or condition. Kits and compositions including RLIP76 polypeptides or GSTA4 polypeptides, or a combination thereof; or RLIP76 polynucleotides or GSTA4 polynucleotides, or a combination thereof, are also provided to increase β-cell viability.

Human islet transplant frequently fails due to apoptosis and necrosis occurring in the cells prior to transplantation. Successful transplantation is hampered by poor survival of transplanted insulin secreting beta (β) cells contained in the islets. Oxidative stress and other stresses are a major cause of decrease in cell or tissue viability and loss or insulin-secretion function prior to transplantation. The success-rate of human islet-cell transplantation is highly dependent on the number of viable insulin-secreting cells transplanted.
Islet transplantation has been successful in treating many patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, this therapeutic procedure is limited because of the chronic shortage of cadaveric pancreata. Therefore, developing methods to increase islet mass by stimulating the proliferation of islet cells in-vitro would have a significant impact for expansion of insulin producing β-cells for transplant applications. Pancreatic β-cells are relatively susceptible to the damaging effects of oxidative stress because of low levels of free-radical quenching enzymes. Thus, there is a need to increase the number of viable insulin-secreting cells as a means for improving tissue or cell transplantation or treating type 1 diabetes mellitus.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods, compositions, and kits for improving pancreatic beta cell viability and treating diseases or conditions related to beta cell destruction


An image processing apparatus includes an imput section for inputting image data, a discriminating section for discriminating a process to which the image data should be subjected, and a display for displaying an image represented by the image data when the discriminating section fails in the discrimination. The apparatus further includes an interface for receiving information inputted by an operator and being relevant to the process to which the image should be subjected, and an image processing section for processing the image data according to a result of discrimination of the discriminating section and the information inputted via the interface. Through the above apparatus, by supplementing the discrimination as to whether or not to process the image data by human determination, processing of the image data is reliably executed.

This application is based on application No. 2000-033367 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to copying machines, and in particular, to a copying machine provided with an automatic top-bottom recognizing function for automatically recognizing the top-bottom direction of the original.
In a copying machine of this type, the top-bottom direction of an original image is automatically recognized by using the read image data of the original. Then, each original image is rotated as the need arises so that the top-bottom directions of the output images become directed in a specified direction, and the obtained output images are formed on sheets (copy output).
However, the current technical level has not yet reached the stage in which the top-bottom directions of originals of all kinds can be correctly recognized. It is considerably difficult to automatically recognize the top-bottom direction of an original such as, in particular, a photographic original that has no text letter. Therefore, it is often the case where the recognition of the top-bottom direction is failed to disadvantageously cause a state of the incorrect top-bottom direction of the output image.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved copying machine or the like capable of solving the problems as mentioned above. Another object of the present invention is to provide a copying machine or the like capable of consistently direct the top-bottom directions of output images in a specified direction by supplementing an automatic top-bottom recognizing process of an original image by human determination.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a copying machine comprising:
a discriminating section for discriminating on the basis of information of an image of an original a top-bottom direction of the image;
a display section for displaying the image of the original when the discriminating section fails in discriminating the top-bottom direction of the image;
an interface for receiving information that is inputted by an operator and is relevant to the top-bottom direction of the image of the original displayed in the display section;
a rotation processing section that rotates or does not rotate the image of the original so that the top-bottom directions of images to be outputted become consistent according to a result of discrimination of the discriminating section and the information inputted via the interface; and
an image forming section for forming on a sheet an image outputted from the rotation processing section.
Also, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising:
an input section for inputting image data;
a discriminating section for discriminating on the basis of inputted image data a process to which the image data should be subjected;
a display for displaying an image represented by the image data when the discriminating section fails in the discrimination;
an interface for receiving information that is inputted by an operator and is relevant to the process to which the image displayed on the display should be subjected; and
an image processing section for processing the image data according to a result of discrimination of the discriminating section and the information inputted via the interface.
Also, there is provided an image processing method comprising the steps of:
inputting image data;
discriminating on the basis of inputted image data a top-bottom direction of an image represented by the image data;
displaying the image represented by the image data on a display when the discrimination results in failure in the discriminating step;
receiving information that is inputted by an operator and is relevant to the top-bottom direction of the image displayed on the display; and
rotating or not rotating the image so that the top-bottom directions of images to be outputted become consistent by processing the image data according to a result of discrimination in the discriminating step and inputted information in the receiving step.

Copying machine, image processing apparatus, and image processing method for orienting images

c/o Minolta Co., Ltd., Osaka Kokusai Building, 3-13, 2-chome

Azuchi-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 541-8556


A process for producing an article by transferring to at least one surface of the article, a surface structure of a polymeric film, the surface structure comprising individual, randomly distributed elevations, so that the resultant article comprises the surface structure or a mirror image of the surface structure, the transferring comprising: a) applying the film to the article as a cover layer wherein a surface of the film comprising the structure faces outward from the article; or b) transferring the surface structure of the film to the article by applying a surface of the film having the structure to the article, so as to form a mirror-image of the structure on the molded body, and optionally removing the film; the process produces an article having at least one surface which exhibits antireflection properties.

The invention relates to a process for producing antireflection-treated surfaces, in which process a surface structured film is used.
In order to achieve certain optical effects, in particular, the avoidance of light reflections which often occur in objects made of, for example, plastic, metal, glass, or even high-quality high-gloss paper, the surfaces of such objects must have a certain roughness profile, so that incident light is not reflected, but refracted.
Normally, in particular in the case of plastics, suitable roughnesses are achieved by adding inert particles having a suitable particle size to the matrix of the objects. Another method includes machining the surface concerned mechanically by brushing or by using grinding units. In the case of metals, an anodic roughening process can be used. The addition of inert substances is not always desirable because this impairs the overall optics and mechanical properties of the object because the inert particles are not only present at the surface, where they should manifest the desired effect, but, distributed over the entire mass of the object. The mechanical machining of the surface is also not always the optimum solution because large quantities of abraded material is produced resulting in malfunctions during operation. Furthermore, the material can generally not be completely removed.

Process for producing antireflection-treated surfaces


A method and an apparatus for estimating the remaining service life of an object by measuring the physical quantity of a sample and which are applicable to a nuclear reactor. A plurality of model samples are experimentally prepared by preliminarily disposing a material having substantially the same composition as the object to be subjected to the estimation in an environment substantially the same as the object and measuring the physical quantities of the model samples in relation with exposure times. From this experiment, a relationship between the exposure time and the physical quantity under such an environment is obtained. Further, a critical exposure time which will cause an unstable fracture of a material of an actual sample, which is made of a material substantially the same as the object and placed in substantially the same environment as the object, is preliminarily obtained from the relationship between the exposure time and the physical quantity for the model samples. The physical quantity of the actual sample is then measured. Subsequently, an actual exposure time corresponding to the physical quantity of the actual sample is obtained by using the relationship between the physical quantity and the exposure time. Thereafter, a difference between the critical exposure time and the actual exposure time is calculated to obtain a remaining service life of the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for estimating the remaining service life of a material and more particularly, to a remaining service life prediction method and apparatus well suited for application to a metal material which is used in high-temperature water and under neutron irradiation and which undergoes stress corrosion cracking.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since a material such as austenitic stainless steel used in a nuclear reactor is subjected to irradiation with radioactive rays in a corrosive environment of high-temperature water, it may possibly undergo irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) ascribable to corrosion damage or deterioration in the material. The IASCC is classified into the transgranular type and the intergranular type, depending upon the form of a fracture surface developed.
If an accident should take place in such a nuclear reactor plant, it will have very serious consequences. It is accordingly imperative that any accident is prevented from occurring. As a process for suppressing the IASCC, hydrogen injection has been presently proposed. With this process, the material is doped with hydrogen, thereby reducing a dissolved oxygen concentration or lowering corrosion potential.
In addition, the safety of the material from the stress corrosion cracking has heretofore been ensured by making an annual routine inspection to verify the use thereof since the last routine inspection. With this method, the safety at the time of the inspection can be checked, but the service life of the material cannot be predicted as to whether the stress corrosion cracking will arise before the next routine inspection.
Additionally, a service life diagnostic system for a metal material concerning the stress corrosion cracking is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 69942/1989. This technique consists in that the stress corrosion cracking characteristic of the material is evaluated by obtaining the quantity of charges versus the active dissolution of a fresh metal surface and the localization factor of corrosion.
With the aforementioned technique, in estimating the remaining service life of a sample, the quantity of charges versus the active dissolution of the fresh metal surface and the localization factor of the corrosion must be obtained. This method has the problem that the remaining service life of the material which becomes brittle due to the irradiation with particles cannot be estimated merely by subjecting the sample to a simple test.

Method of and apparatus for estimating remaining service life of material being exposed to radiant ray irradiation


A fishing device that securely supports a fishing rod with a high degree of stability is described. The device functions to provide greater convenience for the shore fisherman and further provides a choice as to the size and type of ballast device used as an anchor for the fishing device. Additionally, the fishing device provides a means to adjust the inclination of a fishing rod relative to the earth for unattended fishing. The aforementioned benefits are achieved accomplished by providing a portable fishing device encompassing a large preferably circular ring upon which a fishing bait container (or any other weighted ballast member) is placed. Extending symmetrical outwards and on the same plane as the ring is a primary bar, attached to which are two arms: an adjustment arm and a fishing rod holding arm. A secondary bar is attached perpendicularly and symmetrically at the end of the primary bar to provide an even higher degree of lateral stability. When not in use, the fishing device can be folded flat and secured via the provided bolt and nut, providing easy storage and transport.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing devices, and more particularly to a fishing rod holder for supporting a fishing rod at a desired fishing spot. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a fishing rod holder capable of both securely retaining a fishing rod in location and being collapsible into a compact condition to facilitate storage and ease of transport.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common problem for fishermen is that after they have baited and cast their line, they frequently have no place secure their fishing rods if they want to leave them unattended. Many have tried wedging their fishing rigs between large rocks which are often present at fishing locations, but this is an insecure method and can result in the loss of the fishing rod if a fish strikes the line hard enough or if the waters get too rough.
Many devices designed to secure fishing rods are available to fishermen but none are particularly convenient. While many of the designs may incorporate a fishing tackle box, this does not provide a high level of stability for the fishing rod to be safely attached thereupon, and are susceptible to tipping when attempting to open the tackle box. Often with systems of this type, the fishing rod obstructs the tackle box in such a way to prevent the operator from opening it while the rid is secured. Some designs, while, providing a fairly stable base from which a fishing rod can be attached are not as convenient to transport. Still others are easy to transport, being easily disassembled and put into a tackle box, but are not very sturdy and pose a risk of tipping over.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
It is an object of the invention to provide a fishing device to securely support a fishing rod with a high degree of stability. Another object of the invention is to provide a fishing device which provides greater convenience for the shore fisherman. Furthermore, another object of the invention is to provide the fisherman a choice as to the size and type of ballast device used as an anchor for the fishing device. Finally, it is intended to provide a fishing device which provides adjustable inclination of a fishing rod relative to the earth.
The aforementioned objects can be accomplished by providing a portable fishing device encompassing a large preferably circular ring upon which a fishing bait container (or any other weighted ballast member) is placed, providing a stable anchor for which a fishing rod handle can be attached. For convenience, a bar runs along the bottom of this ring from end to end to allow the ring to be used with a fishing bait container whose outer diameter is slightly less than the inner diameter of the ring. Additionally, extending symmetrically outwards and on the same plane as the ring is a primary bar, attached to which are two arms: an adjustment arm and a fishing rod holding arm. A secondary bar is attached perpendicularly and symmetrically at the end of the primary bar to provide an even higher degree of lateral stability. When not in use, the fishing device can be folded flat and secured via the provided bolt and nut, providing easy storage and transport.
Additional advantages in the design of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.


An expression system for expressing gene products from recombinant Bordetella strains and specific nucleic acid molecules useful in transforming Bordetella strains for such expression are described. A nucleic acid molecule may comprise a Bordetella promoter operatively coupled to a heterologous gene encoding a non-Bordetella gene product with the heterologous gene transcriptionally regulated by the Bordetella promoter. The nucleic acid molecule may further comprise a further nucleic acid molecule encoding a leader sequence for secretion of the non-Bordetella gene product. Another nucleic acid molecule may comprise a Bordetella promoter coupled to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a non-Bordetella leader sequence for secretion of a gene product, which may be a Bordetella gene product or a non-Bordetella gene product.

Bordetella pertussis, the organism responsible for whooping cough, expresses a number of virulence factors, such as pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (PRN). These proteins are secreted by the organism through the use of signal peptides and/or accessory genes (refs. 1 and 2--Throughout this specification, various references are referred to in parenthesis to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Full bibliographic information for each citation is found at the end of the specification, immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these references are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure). We have previously demonstrated that it is possible to manipulate the expression of these Bordetella proteins through alteration of gene copy number (ref. 3) or the use of hybrid genes with autologous promoters (ref. 4). For example, the amount of secreted and processed PT holotoxin was increased more than 3-fold by increasing the copy number of the tox operon encoding PT (ref. 5). The amount of secreted and processed pertactin was increased 8-fold by using a hybrid gene which replaced the native prn promoter with the stronger fha promoter. The yield of pertactin was further increased to 20-fold wild-type levels by adding a second copy of the hybrid gene.
Many gene products including proteins and polypeptides of commercial and medical significance are only available in small amounts from their natural sources, are difficult to isolate or require modification of, for example, their primary amino acid sequence for optional use and/or activity. Thus, many genes have been expressed by recombinant DNA means in a variety of microbial hosts, including bacterial hosts. The gene expressed in the microbial host is typically heterologous to the host.
Examples of bacterial hosts used for expression of heterologous proteins include strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella species (ref. 10) and Bacillus subtilis (ref. 11).
Particular biological properties of strains of Bordetella make them attractive hosts for the production of certain heterologous gene products. Thus, many of the antigens produced by B. pertussis are large, can be multimetric and may require post-translational assembly or processing. For example, the pertactin antigen is produced as a 93-kDa precursor and the mature protein is produced by excision of the N-terminal signal peptide and removal of a C-terminal fragment. Pertussis toxin is a 105 kDa exotoxin produced by B. pertussis, and is encoded by the TOX operon and consists of five polypeptide subunits (S1 to S5) arranged in the typical A-B structure of bacterial toxins. The S2, S3, S4 and S5 subunit form a pentamer (the B oligomer) which, when combined with the S1 subunit forms the holotoxin. For PT, for example, such complex assembly cannot be achieved in E. coli (ref. 22) and, for the 69 kd material, protein accumulated as insoluble inclusion bodies in E. coli (ref. 23). This intracellular expression in E. coli is to be contrasted with the secretion of soluble antigens by B. pertussis strains. FHA is another large molecule (Mwt 220 kDa) secreted by B. pertussis (ref. 24).
Vibrio cholerae is the organism that causes cholera, a severe disease of dehydration caused by diarrhoea. Many of the symptoms of cholera can be attributed to the action of cholera toxin (CT), which like B. pertussis PT, is an A/B toxin with ADP-ribosyl transferase activity. However, unlike PT which has four different B subunit components comprising a pentamer, CT has a pentameric structure made up of identical subunits (ref. 6) Cholera toxin has been shown to have considerable use as a mucosal adjuvant and the B subunit alone may be sufficient to generate a mucosal response in some instances (ref. 7). A response is generated if cholera toxin B (CTB) is either co-administered or chemically coupled to another protein (ref. 8). Chimeric genes have also been engineered which have foreign epitopes fused to cholera toxin B and the resultant fusion proteins can sometimes induce an immune response to the foreign epitope (ref. 9).
Cholera toxin B has been expressed from recombinant V. cholerae (ref. 12), E. coli (ref. 13), and S. typhimurium (ref. 14). Although B. pertussis has been used to over-express autologous proteins by gene manipulation (refs. 4 and 5), it has not heretofore been used to produce heterologous proteins.

Expression of gene products from genetically manipulated strains of bordetella


A collapsible picnic table set comprising a tabletop, where the tabletop rests atop a base. The base includes at least two pairs of legs, where each pair of legs includes a support bar; a pivot lock attached beneath the tabletop; and a tension beam attached to the support bar at one end and to the pivot lock at an opposing end. The picnic table includes a pair of collapsible benches, where each of the pair of collapsible benches includes; a seat; at least two pairs of bench legs; at least one support bar connecting the pair of bench legs to each other; a pivot lock fastened beneath the seat; and a bench tension beam attached to the support bar and the pivot lock. The legs of both the picnic table and the benches fold against the tabletop and the seat, respectfully to create a compact structure when not in use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a picnic table and benches with collapsible legs to allow for easy portability and storage.
2. Description of Related Art
Spring and summer are ideals times of year for outdoor activities especially sports, fairs and picnics. Many parks and amusement centers provide picnic tables that are setup year round to allow for continuous access for families and friends to gather and share snacks and meals. Often at home, picnic tables are used periodically when the family wishes to host a meal outdoors. Because most picnic tables are large, heavy and awkward to move, a family may leave the table outside for the entire spring and summer, and then move it into a storage shed or garage during the cold months. If the picnic table is left out for the season, a large area of the yard is consumed with the table thereby preventing use of that area while the table is out.
As an alternative, some families may opt to set up portable furniture to use temporarily during the short summer months. These pieces are commonly made from plastic or aluminum for easy transport and storage. But since they are made from such a lightweight material, they are often flimsy and unstable. Many times the plastic chairs will crack or break after a few uses, thereby requiring repeated purchases. Also, the aluminum tables are not sturdy enough to support settings for an entire meal, thus limiting their practical use as an eating table.
Therefore, it would be beneficial in the art to provide outdoor dining furniture that is portable for use whenever and wherever needed by a user. It would also be desirable in the art to provide outdoor dining furniture that is portable, compact, lightweight and functional for repeated use.


Disclosed is an air-permeable filter with an adhesive layer. This air-permeable filter is imparted with oil repellency and includes: a porous membrane having a surface coated with an oil-repellent agent; and an adhesive layer disposed on the surface. The oil-repellent agent contains a linear fluorine-containing hydrocarbon group represented by (1) —R1C5F10CH2C4F9 or (2) —R2C6F13, where R1 and R2 are each independently an alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a phenylene group. This air-permeable filter is imparted with oil repellency without significantly reducing its adhesive strength to the adhesive layer.

Vent holes are often provided in housings of various devices including: automotive electrical/electronic components such as headlamps, rear lamps, fog lamps, turn lamps, motors, various pressure sensors, and pressure switches; cameras; videos; information terminals such as mobile phones; electric shavers; electric toothbrushes; and lamps for outdoor use. The main purpose of providing a vent hole in a housing of a device is to allow the interior of the device to communicate with the exterior thereof so as to avoid an excessive increase in the pressure inside the housing of the device associated with an increase in the temperature therein during operation of the device. A vent hole is also provided in a casing of a battery for the purpose of discharging a gas generated during operation of the battery.
In order to prevent entry of water or dust through a vent hole provided in a housing of a device, an air-permeable filter is placed over the vent hole in some cases. It is common practice to attach the above air-permeable filter to the housing of the device using an adhesive layer such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape because the use of the adhesive layer is an easy and reliable way to attach the filter to the housing at low cost.
A porous membrane made of a polyolefin resin or a fluorine resin is often used as the above air-permeable filter. In particular, a porous membrane obtained by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "PTFE") to form a microporous structure therein (hereinafter referred to as a "stretched porous PTFE membrane") is known as an air-permeable filter excellent in water repellency. However, sebum, a surfactant, oil, or the like may contact an air-permeable filter depending on the environment in which the filter is used. Even if a stretched porous PTFE membrane excellent in water repellency is used as an air-permeable filter, entry of a liquid having a low surface tension cannot be fully prevented. Accordingly, depending on the intended use, an air-permeable filter is subjected to oil-repellent treatment using a treating agent containing a fluorine-containing polymer.
It is well known that a fluorine-containing polymer having a linear perfluoroalkyl group (hereinafter, a "linear perfluoroalkyl group" may be referred to as an "Rf group") having 8 or more carbon atoms is suitable for imparting oil repellency. Rf groups having 8 or more carbon atoms have a significantly higher crystallinity than Rf groups having a smaller number of (for example, 6 or less) carbon atoms. This high crystallinity is considered to contribute to the development of excellent oil repellency. It is also known that, due to its high crystallinity, a treating agent having an Rf group having 8 or more carbon atoms exhibits a large receding contact angle, (which is one of the dynamic contact angles and another of which is an advancing contact angle). The receding contact angle increases with increasing crystallinity, and sharply increases as the number of carbon atoms increases from 6 to 8. For these reasons, it is common practice to use a treating agent containing a fluorine-containing polymer having an Rf group having 8 or more carbon atoms to impart oil repellency to an air-permeable filter.
It is also known that oil repellency is imparted to an air-permeable filter using another treating agent together with the above-mentioned treating agent. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses treating an air-permeable filter with a treating agent that contains a fluorine-containing polymer having an Rf group and that also contains a fluorine resin having a fluorine-containing alicyclic structure in its main chain (claim 1, etc.). The fluorine resin having a fluorine-containing alicyclic structure has excellent film formation properties, and can be obtained, for example, by polymerization of perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole) (paragraphs [0009] and [0011]). Patent Literature 1 teaches that the number of carbon atoms in the perfluoroalkyl group is 4 to 16, and particularly preferably 6 to 12 (paragraph [0023]). However, in Examples, a fluorine-containing polymer having perfluoroalkyl groups having 9 carbon atoms on average is used according to the common practice described above (paragraphs [0049] and [0050]; and Examples).

Oil repellency-imparted air-permeable filter with adhesive layer


A system and method for dramatically reducing the number of vertices defining a polygon on a grid, without significantly changing its effective enclosed area is disclosed. A smoothing process is executed on any general purpose computer system to operate on one or more representations of one or more curves. Each of the curves has a set of a plurality of vertices. The smoothing process first selects a first vertex, a third vertex, and a second middle vertex, the first, second, and third vertices being sequential but not necessarily consecutive on the curve. Then the smoothing process determines the area of a triangle formed by the first, second, and third vertices. This triangular area is compared to a threshold area. If the area is less than the threshold, new vertices are selected along the curve and the process is repeated. However if the area of the triangle is greater than or equal to the threshold, the second (middle) vertex is marked as an important vertex before a new set of vertices is selected. The reduced set of only the important vertices needed may effectively substitute for the complete set when processing the vertices and/or when rendering the curve. This is repeated along the curve until a stop criteria is reached.

This invention relates to the area of computer graphical user interfaces (GUIs). More specifically, the invention relates to smoothing contours of curves and/or polygons as used by GUIs and/or as communicated over networks.
A graphical user interface (GUI) is a computer program which uses pictures or images to represent its input and output. A user interacts with the software application by moving a pointer (typically controlled by a pointing device such as a mouse), and selecting objects while pointing to them. The objects are often buttons in windows containing buttons and pictures, but certain applications may support pointing at and selecting parts of pictures or objects in the pictures themselves (egxe2x80x94painting).
When the selected object or picture part has a non-trivial, non-analytic shape, it may be defined by a closed curve. Closed curves as drawn on computer screens are actually many-sided polygons, where each vertex is a discrete pixel. The most general definition of a typical such closed curve may consist of enumerating all the pixels through which the curve passes. In order for a user of a GUI to select an arbitrary part of a picture or an arbitrary subset of things in the picture, the application may support drawing a closed curve with the pointing device around a portion of the picture. This may be called a xe2x80x9classoxe2x80x9d operation, and involves recording and processing all the pointer device movements generated by the operating system.
Problems with the Prior Art
When a closed curve is used by a GUI for a lasso operation, the list of vertices for the defining polygon are obtained from the operating system (OS) by xe2x80x9cmouse movementxe2x80x9d events. An operating system will generate a new mouse movement event whenever it detects the mouse moving even a tiny bit, whether or not that movement may actually be significant to the application. In general, such a list of vertices may be quite long, and the number of defining pixels for a such closed curve polygon may easily be in the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or even more. The very large number of vertices required to define such a general polygon at this finest detail consumes storage space, computational power, and perhaps network bandwidth for a distributed software application.
Computationally, processing a long list of pixels could potentially be enormously slow and/or complicated. A software application""s processing of a lasso operation may often involve an enumeration of all the objects in the picture, and making a decision for each about whether or not it is inside the lasso (and therefore selected), or outside the lasso (and therefore not selected). The computational complexity of such decisions is not only proportional to the number of objects in the picture for which the decision must be made, but may very well be proportional to the number of vertices defining the enclosing polygon or closed curve.
The real-time interactive processing of a distributed client/server software application is limited by the bandwidth of the computer network over which it must operate. Typical round-trip transmission times may be so slow as to normally preclude real-time iterative processing of all mouse movement events, and thus lasso type operations. xe2x80x9cRubber bandxe2x80x9d lines forming enclosing polygons on an image thus cannot currently be processed in real time over the network.
An object of this invention is an improved system and method for smoothing the contour of a curve and/or polygon by reducing the number of vertices in a piece-wise linear representation of the curve/polygon.
An object of this invention is an improved system and method for smoothing the contour of a curve and/or polygon by reducing the number of defining vertices in a piece-wise linear representation of the curve/polygon so that processing of the curve/polygon by an application is simplified and/or made practical.
An object of this invention is an improved system and method for smoothing the contour of a curve and/or polygon by reducing the number of defining vertices in a piece-wise linear representation of the curve/polygon so that communication of a representation of curve/polygon over a network is simplified and/or made practical.
This invention is a system and method for dramatically reducing the number of vertices defining a polygon on a grid, without significantly changing its effective enclosed area. Benefits include a possibly dramatic reduction of processing required by an application program to perform operations using the polygon and facilitation of storing and/or transmitting this polygon information, e.g. in real time over a network. A smoothing process is executed on any general purpose computer system, typically having one or more central process units, one or more memories, and one or more graphical user interfaces. Usually, the system will have one or more representations of one or more curves stored in one or more of the memories and/or other memories associated with the system (e.g. connected over a network). Each of the curves has a set of a plurality of vertices. The smoothing process first selects a first vertex, a third vertex, and a second middle vertex, the first, second, and third vertices are sequential in a traverse of the curve but not necessarily consecutive on the curve. Then the smoothing process determines the area of a triangle formed by the first, second, and third vertices. This triangular area is compared to a threshold area. If the area is less than the threshold, the second vertex is discarded, a next possibly consecutive vertex is selected as the third vertex, and a new second vertex is determined (in the middle). However if the area of the triangle is greater than or equal to the threshold, the second (middle) vertex is marked as an important vertex and the first vertex is replaced with the second vertex. The next vertex after the previous third vertex becomes the new third vertex, and a new second (middle) vertex is determined. These steps are repeated along the curve until a stop criteria is reached.


A system is disclosed enabling the automated exchange of touch probes (34,38) on an articulating probe head 40. The touch probes are mounted to adaptors 32, and are housed in storage ports 20 of a magazine. An adaptor 32 is repeatably located upon the retaining module by the mutual engagement of kinematic support elements 50,52 on the probe head 40 and adaptor 32 respectively. The support elements 50,52 are urged into mutual engagement by a locking mechanism having a spigot 60 on the probe head 40 which engages a cam 62 on the adaptor 32; rotation of the cam 62 locks/unlocks the support elements into mutual engagement. During an exchange operation the cam 62 is rotated by a screwdriver 80 in the storage port. Rotation of the screwdriver 80 is caused by relative movement of the storage port and the support plate 14, which is part of the support structure of the magazine. This relative movement is powered by the motion of the arm of the machine (to which the probe head 40 is mounted) along a path B,C,D,E, during an exchange operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the exchange of operating modules on coordinate positioning machines, such as machine tools or coordinate measuring machines. Such machines comprise an arm and a table, movable relative to each other, typically with three linear degrees of freedom. In use, an operating module, such as a cutting tool or a touch probe, for example, may be mounted to the arm of the machine to enable the machine to perform a cutting or measuring operation upon a workpiece which is supported on the table.
During operation of such a machine, it is frequently desirable to exchange one operating module for another. For example, in the case of a machine tool, after performing a cutting operation upon a workpiece, it may be desirable to exchange the cutting tool for a touch trigger probe, which will allow the machine to inspect the relative position and/or dimensions of the surfaces of the workpiece recently machined. In the case of a coordinate measuring machine, it may be desirable to exchange a touch trigger probe for an analogue probe, or a temperature sensing probe, for example. Alternatively, it may be desirable to exchange one stylus on a particular touch trigger or analogue probe, for another.
2. Description of Related Art
Systems providing the automatic exchange of operating modules on coordinate measuring machines are known for example from EP 293036, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,119, EP 566719, U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,946 and WO89/05210. The prior art references disclose systems for exchanging operating modules in which the coupling and decoupling of an operating module to a retaining module supported on the arm of the machine is performed in a number of ways.

Method and apparatus for changing operating modules on a coordinate positioning machine


A continuously variable transmission 18 changes a speed-change ratio γ so that an actual rotation speed NIN of an input shaft 36 coincides with a target rotation speed NIN* set based on a target output P*. A target output calculating portion 156 calculates a first target drive force related value P1* based on both an acceleration required amount Acc and a load of an auxiliary machine AUX, calculates a second target drive force related value P2* based on the acceleration required amount without considering the auxiliary machine load, and sets the second drive force related value as the drive force related value P* upon a vehicle regular running. Even when the auxiliary machine load fluctuates in the vehicle regular running the target output does not fluctuate, and prevention of fluctuation of the target output rotation speed increases the drivability in the vehicle regular running.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controlling apparatus for a continuously variable transmission which changes a speed-change ratio so that an actual rotation speed of an input shaft of the continuously variable transmission coincides with a target rotation speed thereof. In particular, it relates to setting of the target rotation speed upon a vehicle regular running.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle equipped with a continuously variable transmission, a drive force of a power source for running is speed-changed at the continuously variable transmission, and then is transmitted to drive wheels. A target driving force of the drive wheels is set based on an accelerator operation amount and the like, and a target rotation speed of an input shaft of the continuously variable transmission is set based thereon. Then, a speed-change ratio of the continuously variable transmission is controlled by a controlling apparatus so that an actual rotation speed of the input shaft coincides with the above target rotation speed.
A patent document (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-330133) has disclosed an example of such controlling apparatus for the continuously variable transmission apparatus. According to this controlling apparatus, the target drive force for keeping a vehicle speed constant is calculated, and an imaginary throttle open-degree is obtained based thereon by a map. Then, based on the vehicle speed and the imaginary throttle open degree, the target rotation speed of the input shaft is calculated by a speed-change map, whereby the continuously variable transmission is speed-changed.
By the way, the power source for running (for example, engine) is also used for driving an auxiliary machine of the vehicle such as a compressor for air-conditioner. In this case, the above mentioned target drive force is calculated by taking the load required for driving the auxiliary machine into consideration to secure a suitable operation of the auxiliary machine. Accordingly, the target driving force may fluctuate depending on the operating condition i.e., a load of the auxiliary machine, so that the target rotation speed of the continuously variable transmission calculated based on the target driving force may also fluctuate to thereby fluctuate the actual rotation speed. Thus, fluctuation of the actual rotation speed may cause an unexpected fluctuation of the rotation speed of the engine upon a vehicle regular running wherein the vehicle runs, for example, at the constant vehicle speed. In this way, a drivability of the vehicle may be worsened.

Controlling apparatus for continuously variable transmission