Isolated nucleic acid molecules having a nucleotide sequence encoding canine pancreatic lipase polypeptides, allelic variants and fragments thereof. Vectors and host cells containing the polynucleotide sequences and methods for expressing the polypeptides. Monoclonal antibodies that specifically binds to the canine pancreatic lipase polypeptides. Cell lines secreting the monoclonal antibodies. Methods for determining the presence or amount of canine pancreatic lipase in a biological sample. The methods include using the monoclonal antibodies to specifically bind to canine pancreatic lipase polypeptides. The method includes using standards of recombinant canine pancreatic lipase. Devices and kits for performing methods for detecting canine pancreatic lipase in biological samples.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the detection of pancreatic lipase. More specifically, the invention relates to pancreatic lipase polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides; antibodies specific for the polypeptides, and method of using the polypeptides and antibodies to detect pancreatic lipase in biological samples.
2. Description of Related Art
Complete citations to the references described herein by author and date are provided in the Bibliography section at the end of the specification.
Lipases are water-soluble enzymes that hydrolyze water-insoluble substrates into more polar lipolysis products (Petersen and Drablos 1994). A plethora of lipases have been identified in microorganisms, plants, and animals (Lin et al., 1986; Jaeger et al., 1994; Petersen and Drablos, 1994; Mukherjee and Hills, 1994; Lawson et al., 1994). Lipases share a common triad of amino acids (serine, aspartic or glutamic acid, and histidine) in the active site, which is also shared with serine proteases (Svendsen, 1994). Another common feature of almost all lipases are glycosylation site motifs (Antonian, 1988). Many lipases have been shown to be related phylogenetically. The pancreatic lipase gene family is a large gene family with 9 subfamilies (Petersen and Drablos, 1994; Carriere et al., 1997; Carriere et al., 1998; Hirata et al., 1999). In addition there are other groups of phylogenetically related lipases, and yet other lipases that do not belong to a defined gene family (Anderson and Sando, 1991).
The main function of lipases is the hydrolysis of lipids. A lipase is needed whenever an apolar lipid needs to cross a biological membrane. Triglycerides are prime examples of apolar lipids. Thus lipase is needed in order for triglycerides to be absorbed from the intestinal tract. There are two digestive lipases in most vertebrate species, i.e., a preduodenal lipase and classical pancreatic lipase (Carriere et al., 1994). Preduodenal lipase has been shown to originate from a single tissue in all species examined to date (Moreau et al., 1988). A pharyngeal lipase was identified in cows and sheep, a lingual lipase in rats and mice, and a gastric lipase in human beings, monkeys, horses, pigs, guinea pigs, cats, and dogs (Moreau et al., 1988). No preduodenal lipase could be identified in chickens (Moreau et al., 1988). In human beings and dogs it has been shown that gastric lipase contributes significantly to the digestion of dietary triglycerides (Carriere et al., 1993a; Carriere et al., 1993b). However, pancreatic lipase (also called classical pancreatic lipase) is the most important enzyme in the digestion of dietary triglycerides (Carriere et al., 1991; Carriere et al., 1993a).
It has recently been shown by immunolocalization that pancreatic lipase is only in pancreatic acinar cells in clinically healthy dogs, suggesting that classical pancreatic lipase may be an ideal marker for function and pathology of the exocrine pancreas (Steiner et al., 2002). This hypothesis has been confirmed in clinical studies that have shown that the measurement of pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity in serum is a specific marker for exocrine pancreatic function and also highly sensitive for pancreatitis in the dog (Steiner et al., 2001a; Steiner et al., 2001b; Steiner et al., 2001c).
Pancreatic lipase has an approximate molecular weight of 50 kilodaltons. The purification of classical pancreatic lipase has been reported in many species (Vandermeers and Chroistophe, 1968; Rathelot et al., 1981; Bosc-Bieme et al., 1984; Gieseg et al., 1992; Mejdoub et al., 1994; Steiner and Williams, 2003).
Clinical symptoms of pancreatitis are non-specific and the disease can be difficult to diagnose. Pancreatitis is associated with an increased amount of digestive enzymes and zymogens leaking into the blood stream. One of these enzymes is pancreatic lipase. A number of assays have been developed to detect the presence of lipase in serum by use of catalytic assays. However, these assays lack both sensitivity and specificity for pancreatitis in both human beings and dogs. Accordingly, what is needed is a simple and rapid method and device for sensitively and specifically detecting pancreatic lipase.

Antibodies that bind canine pancreatic lipase


The present invention relates to prevention and treatment of strokes and ischemic diseases and to post-ischemic therapeutic treatment. The invention furthermore relates to the use of a growth factor or nucleic acids ensuring increased expression of a growth factor for treating, more particularly restoring the function of ischemic tissue, in particular muscles such as myocardium and skeletal muscles.

Stroke, defined as a sudden weakening or loss of consciousness, sensation and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction of an artery of the brain, is the third cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, stroke is the number one cause of death due to its particularly high incidence in Asia. Ischemic stroke is the most common form of stroke, being responsible for about 85% of all strokes, whereas hemorrhagic strokes (e.g. intraparenchymal or subarachnoid) account for the remaining 15%. Due to the increasing mean age of the population, the number of strokes is continuously increasing. Because the brain is highly vulnerable to even brief ischemia and recovers poorly, primary prevention in ischemic stroke prevention offers the greatest potential for reducing the incidence of this disease.
Focal ischemic cerebral infarction occurs when the arterial blood flow to a specific region of the brain is reduced below a critical level. Cerebral artery occlusion produces a central acute infarct and surrounding regions of incomplete ischemia (sometimes referred to as 'penumbra'), that are dysfunctional-yet potentially salvageable. Ischemia of the myocardium, as a result of reduced perfusion due to chronic narrowing of blood vessels, may lead to fatal heart failure and constitutes a major health threat. Acute myocardial infarction, triggered by coronary artery occlusion, produces cell necrosis over a time period of several hours. In the absence of reflow or sufficient perfusion, the cerebral or myocardial ischemic regions undergo progressive metabolic deterioration, culminating in infarction, whereas restoration of perfusion in the penumbra of the brain infarct or in the jeopardized but salvageable region of the myocardium may ameliorate the tissue damage.
Growth factor mediated improved perfusion of the penumbra in the brain or of the jeopardized myocardium of patients suffering ischemic events, either via increased vasodilation or angiogenesis (the formation of endothelial-lined vessels), may be of great therapeutic value according to Isner et al. in J. Clin. Invest. (1999) 103(9):1231-6 but many questions yet remain to be answered in this respect. This is also true for ischemic conditions related to peripheral limbs (eg peripheral arterial disease, peripheral ischemia). For instance, an outstanding question is whether formation of new endothelial-lined vessels (i.e. angiogenesis) alone is sufficient to stimulate sustainable functional tissue perfusion. Indeed, coverage of endothelial-lined vessels by vascular smooth muscle cells (i.e. arteriogenesis) provides vasomotor control, structural strength and integrity and renders new vessels resistant to regression.
Capillary blood vessels consist of endothelial cells and pericytes, which carry all the genetic information required to form tubes, branches and entire capillary networks. Specific angiogenic molecules can initiate this process. A number of polypeptides which stimulate angiogenesis have been purified and characterized as to their molecular, biochemical and biological properties, as reviewed by Klagsbrun et al. in Ann. Rev. Physiol. (1991) 53:217-239 and by Folkman et al. in J. Biol. Chem. (1992) 267:10931-4. One factor that can stimulate angiogenesis and which is highly specific as a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells, is termed vascular endothelial growth factor (hereinafter referred as VEGF) according to Ferrara et al. in J. Cell. Biochem. (1991) 47:211-218. VEGF is also known as vasculotropin. Connolly et al. also describe in J. Biol. Chem. (1989) 264:20017-20024, in J. Clin. Invest. (1989) 84:1470-8 and in J. Cell. Biochem. (1991) 47:219-223 a human vascular permeability factor that stimulates vascular endothelial cells to divide in vitro and promotes the growth of new blood vessels when administered into healing rabbit bone grafts or rat corneas. The term vascular permeability factor (VPF for abbreviation) was adopted because of increased fluid leakage from blood vessels following intradermal injection and appears to designate the same substance as VEGF. The murine VEGF gene has been characterized and its expression pattern in embryogenesis has been analyzed. A persistent expression of VEGF was observed in epithelial cells adjacent to fenestrated endothelium, e.g. in chloroid plexus and kidney glomeruli, which is consistent with its role as a multifunctional regulator of endothelial cell growth and differentiation as disclosed by Breier et al. in Development (1992) 114:521-532. VEGF shares about 22% sequence identity, including a complete conservation of eight cysteine residues, according to Leung et al. in Science (1989) 246:1306-9, with human platelet-derived growth factor PDGF, a major growth factor for connective tissue. Alternatively spliced mRNAs have been identified for both VEGF and PDGF and these splicing products differ in their biological activity and receptor-binding specificity. VEGF is a potent vasoactive protein that has been detected in and purified from media conditioned by a number of cell lines including pituitary cells, such as bovine pituitary follicular cells (as disclosed by Ferrara et al. in Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. (1989) 161:851-858 and by Gospodarowicz et al. in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1989) 86: 7311-5), rat glioma cells (as disclosed by Conn. et al. in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1990) 87:1323-1327) and several tumor cell lines. Similarly, an endothelial growth factor isolated from mouse neuroblastoma cell line NB41 with an unreduced molecular mass of 43-51 kDa has been described by Levy et al. in Growth Factors (1989) 2:9-19.
Recent data show that VEGF has a modest effect on collateral growth and limb perfusion measured by microspheres (Deindi et al. in Circ. Res. (2001) 89:779-86), but increases perfusion measured by laser doppler (Isner et al. in Circulation (1999) 99:3188-98). Thus, despite a slight increase in collateral growth and hind limb perfusion, the overall functional reserve after VEGF treatment was impaired, presumably because of unfavorable hemodynamic effects. In other words, it is known that despite vessel formation by means of VEGF, the functionality of the vessels formed is very low. Despite promising initial clinical trials, a large double-blind placebo-controlled trial testing the efficacy of intracoronary and intravenous VEGF for therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia not amenable to standard revascularization techniques, indicated that even high dose treatment with VEGF did not lead to a significant improvement in ETT time (Henry et al. 2003, Circulation, 107:1359-1365).
Placental growth factor (hereinafter referred as PIGF) was first disclosed by Maglione et al. in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1991) 88(20):9267-71 as a protein related to the vascular permeability factor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,899 discloses nucleotide sequences coding for a protein, named PIGF, which can be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and in the treatment of wounds or tissues after surgical operations, transplantations, burns of ulcers and so on. Soluble non-heparin binding and heparin binding forms, built up of 131 and 152 amino-acids and known as PIGF-1 and PIGF-2 respectively, have been described for PIGF and were found to be differentially expressed in placenta, trophoblastic tumors and cultured human endothelial cells (Maglione et al., 1993).
Carmeliet et al. Nat. Med. (2001) 7:575-583 provides an extensive and comprehensive review of the state of the art related to PIGF as follows. VEGF stimulates angiogenesis by activating the VEGF tyrosine kinase receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Recombinant PIGF stimulates angiogenesis in particular conditions and induces vascular permeability when co-injected with VEGF, but the role of endogenous PIGF remains unknown. Both PIGF and VEGF bind to VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1). PIGF has been proposed to stimulate angiogenesis by displacing VEGF from the 'VEGFR-1 sink', thereby increasing the fraction of VEGF available to activate VEGFR-2. Alternatively, PIGF might stimulate angiogenesis by transmitting intracellular signals through VEGFR-1. PIGF might also affect angiogenesis by forming heterodimers with VEGF, but their role is controversial.
The role of PIGF in angiogenesis was evaluated by inactivating the gene expressing PIGF (Pgf) in mice. Unexpectedly, the absence of PIGF had a negligible effect on vascular development. However, PIGF deficiency reduced pathological angiogenesis, permeability and collateral growth in ischemia, inflammation and cancer.
Carmeliet et al. (cited supra) studied the growth of collateral arteries after ligation of the femoral artery in mice and found that PIGF levels were 45% higher in ligated vessels than in control vessels. On the other hand macrophages, known to play an essential role in collateral growth, infiltrated significantly more collaterals in wild-type mice than in Pgf−/− mice. In another experiment, mice were transplanted with congenic bone marrow and capillary ingrowth in matrigel, supplemented with the VEGF165 isoform, and angiogenesis was quantified by measuring the hemoglobin content per implant. Matrigel angiogenesis was abundant when both the donor bone marrow and the host vessels produced PIGF but minimal when the bone marrow and host lacked PIGF. Capillaries still infiltrated the matrigel in wild-type mice transplanted with Pgf−/− bone marrow, indicating that PIGF production by vessel-wall-associated endothelial cells was sufficient for angiogenesis. When a Pgf−/− recipient was transplanted with wild-type bone marrow, matrigel angiogenesis still occurred, indicating that production of PIGF by bone-marrow cells can stimulate angiogenesis at distant sites. Transplantation of wild-type bone marrow in Pgf−/− mice also rescued the impaired collateral enlargement after ligation of the femoral artery, possibly by mobilizing PIGF-producing monocytes/macrophages to the collaterals. In still another experiment, in order to determine whether the amplification of the VEGF response by PIGF resulted from direct stimulation of endothelial cells, Carmeliet et al. (cited supra) studied capillary outgrowth in intact aortic rings and found that, because PIGF alone (in the absence of VEGF) did not stimulate isolated endothelial cells, PIGF probably stimulated capillary outgrowth by amplifying endogenous VEGF in aortic rings. Carmeliet et al. (cited supra) further observed that even at low doses PIGF dose-dependently restored the impaired VEGF response of Pgf−/− endothelial cells. Further, PIGF activated VEGFR-1. These findings altogether indicate that PIGF, via activation of VEGFR-1, specifically potentiates the angiogenic response to VEGF and that by affecting vascular growth and remodeling, PIGF contributes to the pathogenesis of several disorders with high morbidity.

Use of placental growth factor for treating ischemic muscle disease

Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB)


5-Amino-7-((3S,4S)-3-amino-4-methyl (or ethyl)-1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-8-methyl-4-oxoqu inoline-3-carboxylic acid or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof represented by the following formula wherein asymmetric carbon atoms marked with asterisks are in the S-configurations and R.sup.1 represents methyl group or ethyl group; and an antibacterial agent comprising said compound as an active ingredient. ##STR1##

Ciprofloxacin (The Merck Index 11th Edition, No.2315) is known as one of quinolone-type synthetic antibacterial agents that have cyclopropyl group at the 1-position of quinoline structure. A number of compounds with modifications at 5, 7, and 8-positions of this compound have been synthesized in order to improve antibacterial activity, physicochemical properties, e.g., water solubility, and safety of ciprofloxacin. For example, the Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. (Sho)62-215572/1987 discloses the compound as set out below in which a piperazinyl group is introduced at the 7-position of the quinoline structure that has amino group at the 5-position and methyl group at the 8-position. However, a compound has not yet been known in which 3-amino-4-methyl (or ethyl)-pyrrolidinyl group is introduced at the 7-position of the quinoline structure having amino group at the 5-position and methyl group at the 8-position. ##STR2##
Although the quinolone-type synthetic antibacterial agents so far reported have potent antibacterial activities, they have problems from a viewpoint of safety, for example, phototoxicity, induction of chromosomal aberration, and induction of convulsion. These problems of the quinolone-type synthetic antibacterial agents are explained in each of the following literatures: Quinolone Antimicrobial Agents, 2nd edition, Chapter 26, Ed. By D. C. Hooper and J. S. Wolfson, American Society for Microbiology, Washington D.C., 1993, p.489 (phototoxicity, induction of chromosomal aberration, induction of convulsion and other); Mutagenicity Test (Henigen-sei Shiken) 2(3), p.154, 1993 (chromosomal aberration and other); and Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 13, p.238, 1989 (chromosomal aberration and other).
An object of the present invention is to provide quinolone-type synthetic antibacterial agents having high antibacterial activity, and in addition, whose adverse reactions such as phototoxicity, induction of chromosomal aberration, and induction of convulsion are reduced.
As for correlation between structures and adverse reactions of the quinolone-type synthetic antibacterial agents, the following general predictability has been noted in view of the state of the art: (A) as a substituent at the 8-position of a quinoline structure, a somewhat bulky substituent such as a chlorine atom or methyl group is preferred from a viewpoint of antibacterial activity; however, a compound having a chlorine atom at the 8-position has strong adverse reactions such as phototoxicity or induction of chromosomal aberration, and a compound having methyl group exhibits strong adverse reactions such as induction of chromosomal aberration; (B) amino group, halogen atoms, methyl group and the like have been used as a substituent at the 5-position of a quinoline structure; however, these substituents decrease antibacterial activity, or alternatively, increase adverse reactions such as phototoxicity or induction of chromosomal aberration; and (C) antibacterial activity is improved when one of 3-aminopyrrolidines is introduced as a substituent at the 7-position of a quinoline structure; however, adverse reactions such as induction of chromosomal aberration are increased.
The inventors of the present invention conducted various researches to achieve the foregoing object. As a result, they found that, contrary to the aforementioned general predictability, 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-quinoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives, in which amino group at the 5-position, methyl group at the 8-position, and 3-amino-4-methyl (or ethyl)-pyrrolidinyl group at the 7-position are substituted together, have potent antibacterial activities, and that the compounds are highly safe with reduced adverse reactions such as phototoxicity, induction of chromosomal aberration, and induction of convulsion. The Japanese patent application No. (Hei) 6-215213/1994 was filed on the basis of this invention.
The inventors of the present invention conducted further researches, and they consequently found that, among compounds that fall within the compounds of the aforementioned general formula, optically active compounds each having the substituent in a specific stereostructure have both excellent antibacterial activities and remarkably high safeties. The present invention was achieved on the basis of these findings.


A method and apparatus for cursive script recognition employs an intermediate cursive words description language constructed of elements in the form of metastrokes wherein each of the metastrokes is a member of a metric space, the metric space being expressible as a matrix of likelihood of matching between input metastrokes and predefined metastrokes forming a vocabulary. Typically, a minimum of twenty metastrokes is used to form the vocabulary or set of allowable stroke elemental shapes, although as many as seventy may be used, with a correlation factor or measurement of similarity being defined between strings of metastrokes. Techniques for interpreting the metastrokes as words include substituting, adding, and deleting metastrokes in an input sequence, measuring similarity and comparing with entries in a dictionary of words constructed of metastroke sequences and variants of metastroke sequences. Weighting of similarity may include penalties for lack of similarity.

This invention relates to cursive script recognition and in particular to cursive handwriting recognition methods and apparatus, that is, recognition of characters and words formed by a continuous stroke, wherein information on stroke order is provided in connection with input of stroke position information.
The field of computer-aided cursive script recognition is of interest since many individuals do not have the skills to communicate through a keyboard and since many tasks would be greatly expedited by the use of direct input to a computer through a familiar writing instrument, such as a pen, pencil or stylus. Cursive handwriting recognition is particularly challenging because the ciphers are formed by continuous strokes and because handwriting differs widely among individuals.
The work of Dr. Shelja A. Guberman of the former Soviet Union, one of the coinventors, forms the basis of the present invention. In a paper published in the Russian language journal Avtomatika i Telemekhanika, by Shelya A. Guberman and V. V. Rozentsveig under the title "Algorithm for the Recognition of Handwritten Text," (No. 5, May, 1976, pp. 122-129, UDC 681.39.06) the developers describe the state of the known art of cursive handwriting recognition and propose that the dynamic parameters of pen trajectory be used in connection with the various recognition algorithms. Among the recognition algorithms were feature matching to identify strokes, recognition of the start and finish of a trajectory, and the subdivision of a trajectory into elements, or as termed hereinafter, metastrokes. The developers, however, limited their alphabet of metastrokes to just seven self-intersecting elements and three arc elements. Moreover, the work was silent about the possibility of confusion among elements in the recognition process and did not consider the use of dynamic programming techniques. As a consequence, further development has been warranted in order to improve reliability and utility of recognition.
Elements of a number of techniques similar to those used in connection with the present invention have been disclosed in the past. These references serve to illustrate the state of the art. Details of specific embodiments of the present invention which might use these prior art techniques are therefore not described in depth. The following references are nevertheless of interest in the field of cursive handwriting recognition.
Ehrich and Koehler, "Experiments in the Contextual Recognition of Cursive Script," IEEE Transactions on Computers, Vol. C-24, No. 2, Feb. 1975, pp. 182-194. This paper describes the use of segregation techniques between main bodies of letters and ascenders and descenders as part of a prerecognition scheme.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,557 to Donahey describes a similar technique to that of Ehrich et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,266 to Frischkopf describes normalization in the Y direction, use of dictionary matches for recognition and rating of likelihood of accuracy of recognition of individual words.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,698 to Bollinger et al. describes an apparatus for post processing of words which have been misrecognized by a character recognition machine, a speech analyzer, or a standard keyboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,025 to Blum et al. describes the isolation of ascenders and descenders as part of an early analytical step and the isolation of words for identification.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,857 to Tappert and U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,972 to Yoshida et al. both describe word isolation as part of the analysis process.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,933,977 and 4,987,603 to Ohnishi et al. describes the elimination of extraneous marks in an input pattern, as well as the concept of recognition of elements that are less than complete characters, including straight lines, arcs and loops.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,111,646 and 3,127,588 to Harmon describe systems using features extraction recognition techniques as well as stroke sequence information.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,489 to Bosker describes a system for recognizing letter groupings called digrams and trigrams.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,989 to Loh describes a method for identifying individual handwritten letters.
These prior art references provide a background context for developing an understanding of the present invention. The present invention builds on prior techniques, combines many techniques not heretofore combined, and introduces new techniques heretofore unknown in order to attain an enhanced level of recognition.

Method and apparatus for recognizing cursive writing from sequential input information


It is an object to provide a display device in which a problem of light leakage from a liquid crystal element in black display is reduced or overcome and the contrast is improved. It is another object to provide a pixel circuit having a function to control a lighting state of a backlight based on each pixel. These objects are achieved by turning off a light-emitting element in display of a black gray scale, and by providing a light-emitting element in each pixel and providing, in a pixel circuit, a function to individually control lighting and non-lighting of the light-emitting element depending on a gray scale to perform display. When a backlight is provided in each pixel, a light-emitting element that is a backlight is turned off when a black gray scale is displayed, whereby reduction in contrast due to light leakage from a liquid crystal element can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and particularly, a structure of a pixel including a liquid crystal and a backlight.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device is formed by a combination of a liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal is sandwiched between a pair of substrates and a lighting system called a backlight on a rear side of the liquid crystal panel. As for the liquid crystal panel, a simple matrix mode and an active matrix mode using a thin film transistor (TFT) are known (refer to Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H9-90404). In either mode, a voltage which is applied to electrodes sandwiching the liquid crystal is controlled, and the quantity of transmitted light of the backlight which illuminates the entire surface of the liquid crystal panel is adjusted, whereby an image is displayed. Therefore, for example, also in a case of black display in all the pixels, the backlight is always turned on and the power is kept being consumed.
Meanwhile, a liquid crystal display device using a light-emitting diode (LED) as a backlight is provided. The LED has advantages such as the long lifetime, no need of an inverter since it can be directly driven by a low-voltage direct current power source, low power consumption, and the like. As for such a backlight, a directly-below type and a sidelight type are known as a position of the LED. In a directly-below type, the LED is positioned directly below the liquid crystal panel, and the LED emits light uniformly on the surface using a diffusing plate or the like. In addition, in a sidelight type, the LED emits light from the side surface of the panel, and the light is supplied to the liquid crystal panel through a light-guiding plate or a diffusing plate; thus, the sidelight type can be formed thinly compared to a directly-below type, which is an advantage.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A vehicular axle assembly includes an electrical generator for generating electricity to supply power to one or more electrical components therein during operation. The axle assembly includes a hollow housing that rotatably supports a differential mechanism therein. An input shaft is rotatably supported in the axle housing and terminates in a pinion gear. The pinion gear meshes with the differential mechanism that, in turn, rotatably drives a pair of output shafts that extend to respective driven wheels of the vehicle. A stator is supported within the axle housing about the input shaft, while a rotor is supported on the input shaft. When the input shaft is rotated, the rotor generates electrical power that may be used to operate the electrical component, such as a piezo-based device supported on a driveshaft assembly connected to the input shaft.

This invention relates in general to vehicular axle assemblies. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for a vehicular axle assembly that includes an electrical generator for generating electricity to supply power to one or more electrical components within or near the axle assembly during operation.
Drive train systems are widely used for generating power from a source and for transferring such power from the source to a driven mechanism. Frequently, the source generates rotational power, and such rotational power is transferred from the source to a rotatably driven mechanism. For example, in most land vehicles in use today, an engine/transmission assembly generates rotational power, and such rotational power is transferred from an output shaft of the engine/transmission assembly through a hollow cylindrical driveshaft tube to an input shaft of an axle assembly so as to rotatably drive the wheels of the vehicle. To accomplish this, a first universal joint is usually connected between the output shaft of the engine/transmission assembly and a first end of the driveshaft tube, while a second universal joint is usually connected between a second end of the driveshaft tube and the input shaft of the axle assembly. The universal joints provide a rotational driving connection from the output shaft of the engine/transmission assembly through the driveshaft tube to the input shaft of the axle assembly, while accommodating a limited amount of misalignment between the rotational axes of these three shafts.
A typical axle assembly includes a number of rotatable components that transmit rotational power from the input shaft to the wheels thereof. These rotatable components are usually enclosed in protective non-rotatable housing. The housing typically includes a central carrier (which rotatably supports a differential mechanism therein) having a pair of outwardly extending tubes (which enclose the axle shafts extending from the differential mechanism to the wheels of the vehicle). In a manner that is well known in the art, rotation of the differential mechanism by the input shaft causes corresponding rotation of the output axle shafts. The differential mechanism distributes torque from the input drive shaft to the two output axle shafts, while permitting such output axle shafts to rotate at different speeds under certain conditions. As a result, torque is supplied to both wheels of the vehicle as it negotiates a turn, while permitting the outside wheel to turn faster than the inside wheel.
In some instances, it is desirable to provide an electrical component within or near the axle assembly. Such electrical components may, for example, be provided to sense one or more operating conditions of the vehicle drive train system. Unfortunately, the electrical power that is often necessary to operate such electrical components is not readily available at or near the location in which they are used. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a vehicular axle assembly that includes an electrical generator for generating electricity to supply power to one or more electrical components therein during operation.

Integral generator/pinion assembly for axle power generation


An optical system combines a first image formed by a main lens with a second image provided by an electronic display, slide, or other image source. The image combining system includes one or more inserts such as a set of reflecting image combiners to redirect light on an optical pathway within the main lens to the user's eye. The image combining system is highly compact, allowing the integration of a display system with eyeglasses or a face mask, such as a diver's mask. A number of implementations of the optical system make possible other types of image integration including uses in image acquisition systems such as cameras.

Head mounted image displays (e.g. helmets, goggles, and eyeglasses incorporating miniature displays) and other compact display systems which provide data in alphanumeric, video, or graphic form have applications in avionics, medicine, entertainment, and wearable computers, as well as numerous other fields. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,477, 5,281,960, 4,806,001 and 5,162,828. There are three principal types of prior art head mounted display systems: "see-through systems," in which the displayed electronic image is combined with the ambient imagery so that the user can see both images; "see-around systems" in which the displayed image occludes a part of the ambient imagery; and "full-immersion systems" in which the entire ambient image is blocked, so that the user sees only the electronically generated image. All three types of systems use various means, including lenses and the like, to project the image into the viewer's eyes.
The simplest systems are of the see-around type in which the electronic display is provided with one or more lenses and suspended in front of the user's eyes. A principal limitation of the device is that the display and optical system must be moved with respect to the head, or the head must be moved, to enable the user to see ambient imagery in the occluded field. A second limitation of such devices is that the device is suspended from the head (or helmet, strap or other support borne by the head), so that the mass of apparatus adds an undesirable weight and/or torque to the head. A third limitation of the device is that position of the exit pupil of the optical system cannot be fixed accurately, meaning that the exit pupil of the optical system must be large enough to accommodate various motions of the device that occur during use.
Full-immersion systems have many of the same limitations as see-around systems. The head mounted system must be removed to view any ambient imagery. Typically, the systems comprise displays and lens systems similar to the see-around display, or comprise a display, lens system and reflective screen. These systems involve high weight, torque and volume.
See-through systems involve the most complex optical designs. Generally, the see-through system comprises a display, lens system, and viewing screen or combiner. All of the limitations of the see-around display are shared by the see-through display, except for the need to remove the head-mounted system to see ambient images. However, for this benefit, it is necessary to add further optical components and thus weight to the system.
All three of the above head mounted display types have the further limitation of requiring that the optical systems be mounted in goggles, helmets, strap-on bands, unusually bulky sunglasses frames having large visors and the like, rather than more conventional optical supports (such as the more simple support provided by conventional eyeglass frames). This limitation requires users to become accustomed to wearing such devices.
Another limitation of prior art displays is the need to provide illumination. For example, head mounted display systems using liquid crystal displays require lamps to illuminate the display. These lamps consume power and generate heat near the user's head and add to the overall volume and weight of the system.
A further and key limitation of the prior art is the use of optical paths external to the eyeglasses system. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,477, Welch describes a system comprising an image relay and a set of lenses and screens mounted external to an eyeglass frame and eyeglass lens. The use of a free space optical path, combiners and the like make miniaturization in a form approaching conventional eyeglasses quite difficult. Furness et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,828, have attempted to address this limitation with a see-through system based on a transparent screen, such as found in a goggle, with a display located at the top of the goggle or eyeglasses, and a mirror, which may be fixed or adjustable, located at the bottom of the transparency. This approach shows reduced complexity, but the system still requires at least one mirror positioned in an unconventional exposed location below or behind the transparency. The eyeglasses disclosed by Perera (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,551 and 4,751,691) and Bettinger (U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,011) also require mirrors suspended from eyeglass frames A particular limitation of systems with mechanically suspended mirrors results from the fact that such appendages have a greater probability that the optical surface of the mirror will suffer damage during use, or will break off, or will damage the user's eye upon accidental impact. Additionally, because these systems include unusual optical appendages, they do not approach the ideal form of conventional eye wear.

Image combining system for eyeglasses and face masks


Disclosed is a method of producing random polynucleotides by introducing two or more related polynucleotides into a suitable host cell such that a hybrid polynucleotide is generated by recombination and reductive reassortment. Also provided are vector and expression vehicles including such polynucleotides, polypeptides expressed by the hybrid polynucleotides and a method for screening for hybrid polypeptides.

This invention relates generally to recombination and more specifically to a method for preparing polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide by a method of in vivo re-assortment of polynucleotide sequences containing regions of partial homology, assembling the polynucleotides to form at least one polynucleotide and screening the polynucleotides for the production of polypeptide(s) having a useful property.
An exceedingly large number of possibilities exist for purposeful and random combinations of amino acids within a protein to produce useful hybrid proteins and their corresponding biological molecules encoding for these hybrid proteins, i.e., DNA, RNA. Accordingly, there is a need to produce and screen a wide variety of such hybrid proteins for a useful utility, particularly widely varying random proteins.
The complexity of an active sequence of a biological macromolecule (e.g., proteins, DNA) has been called its information content (xe2x80x9cICxe2x80x9d), which has been defined as the resistance of the active protein to amino acid sequence variation (calculated from the minimum number of invariable amino acids (bits) required to describe a family of related sequences with the same function. Proteins that are more sensitive to random mutagenesis have a high information content.
Molecular biology developments, such as molecular libraries, have allowed the identification of quite a large number of variable bases, and even provide ways to select functional sequences from random libraries. In such libraries, most residues can be varied (although typically not all at the same time) depending on compensating changes in the context. Thus, while a 100 amino acid protein can contain only 2,000 different mutations, 20100 sequence combinations are possible.
Information density is the IC per unit length of a sequence. Active sites of enzymes tend to have a high information density. By contrast, flexible linkers of information in enzymes have a low information density.
Current methods in widespread use for creating alternative proteins in a library format are error-prone polymerase chain reactions and cassette mutagenesis, in which the specific region to be optimized is replaced with a synthetically mutagenized oligonucleotide. In both cases, a substantial number of mutant sites are generated around certain sites in the original sequence.
Error-prone PCR uses low-fidelity polymerization conditions to introduce a low level of point mutations randomly over a long sequence. In a mixture of fragments of unknown sequence, error-prone PCR can be used to mutagenize the mixture. The published error-prone PCR protocols suffer from a low processivity of the polymerase. Therefore, the protocol is unable to result in the random mutagenesis of an average-sized gene. This inability limits the practical application of error-prone PCR. Some computer simulations have suggested that point mutagenesis alone may often be too gradual to allow the large-scale block changes that are required for continued and dramatic sequence evolution. Further, the published error-prone PCR protocols do not allow for amplification of DNA fragments greater than 0.5 to 1.0 kb, limiting their practical application. In addition, repeated cycles of error-prone PCR can lead to an accumulation of neutral mutations with undesired results, such as affecting a protein""s immunogenicity but not its binding affinity.
In oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, a short sequence is replaced with a synthetically mutagenized oligonucleotide. This approach does not generate combinations of distant mutations and is thus not combinatorial. The limited library size relative to the vast sequence length means that many rounds of selection are unavoidable for protein optimization. Mutagenesis with synthetic oligonucleotides requires sequencing of individual clones after each selection round followed by grouping them into families, arbitrarily choosing a single family, and reducing it to a consensus motif. Such motif is resynthesized and reinserted into a single gene followed by additional selection. This step process constitutes a statistical bottleneck, is labor intensive, and is not practical for many rounds of mutagenesis.
Error-prone PCR and oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis are thus useful for single cycles of sequence fine tuning, but rapidly become too limiting when they are applied for multiple cycles.
Another limitation of error-prone PCR is that the rate of down-mutations grows with the information content of the sequence. As the information content, library size, and mutagenesis rate increase, the balance of down-mutations to up-mutations will statistically prevent the selection of further improvements (statistical ceiling).
In cassette mutagenesis, a sequence block of a single template is typically replaced by a (partially) randomized sequence. Therefore, the maximum information content that can be obtained is statistically limited by the number of random sequences (i.e., library size). This eliminates other sequence families which are not currently best, but which may have greater long term potential.
Also, mutagenesis with synthetic oligonucleotides requires sequencing of individual clones after each selection round. Thus, such an approach is tedious and impractical for many rounds of mutagenesis.
Thus, error-prone PCR and cassette mutagenesis are best suited, and have been widely used, for fine-tuning areas of comparatively low information content. One apparent exception is the selection of an RNA ligase ribozyme from a random library using many rounds of amplification by error-prone PCR and selection.
In nature, the evolution of most organisms occurs by natural selection and sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction ensures mixing and combining of the genes in the offspring of the selected individuals. During meiosis, homologous chromosomes from the parents line up with one another and cross-over part way along their length, thus randomly swapping genetic material. Such swapping or shuffling of the DNA allows organisms to evolve more rapidly.
In recombination, because the inserted sequences were of proven utility in a homologous environment, the inserted sequences are likely to still have substantial information content once they are inserted into the new sequence.
The term Applied Molecular Evolution (xe2x80x9cAMExe2x80x9d) means the application of an evolutionary design algorithm to a specific, useful goal. While many different library formats for AME have been reported for polynucleotides, peptides and proteins (phage, lacI and polysomes), none of these formats have provided for recombination by random cross-overs to deliberately create a combinatorial library.
Theoretically there are 2,000 different single mutants of a 100 amino acid protein. However, a protein of 100 amino acids has 20100 possible sequence combinations, a number which is too large to exhaustively explore by conventional methods. It would be advantageous to develop a system which would allow generation and screening of all of these possible combination mutations.
Some workers in the art have utilized an in vivo site specific recombination system to generate hybrids of combine light chain antibody genes with heavy chain antibody genes for expression in a phage system. However, their system relies on specific sites of recombination and is limited accordingly. Simultaneous mutagenesis of antibody CDR regions in single chain antibodies (scFv) by overlapping extension and PCR have been reported.
Others have described a method for generating a large population of multiple hybrids using random in vivo recombination. This method requires the recombination of two different libraries of plasmids, each library having a different selectable marker. The method is limited to a finite number of recombinations equal to the number of selectable markers existing, and produces a concomitant linear increase in the number of marker genes linked to the selected sequence(s).
In vivo recombination between two homologous, but truncated, insect-toxin genes on a plasmid has been reported as a method of producing a hybrid gene. The in vivo recombination of substantially mismatched DNA sequences in a host cell having defective mismatch repair enzymes, resulting in hybrid molecule formation has been reported.
The method of the present invention utilizes the natural property of cells to recombine molecules and/or to mediate reductive processes that reduce the complexity of sequences and extent of repeated or consecutive sequences possessing regions of homology.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for generating hybrid polynucleotides encoding biologically active hybrid polypeptides with enhanced activities. In accomplishing these and other objects, there has been provided, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method for introducing polynucleotides into a suitable host cell and growing the host cell under conditions which produce a hybrid polynucleotide.
In another aspect of the invention, the invention provides a method for screening for biologically active hybrid polypeptides encoded by hybrid polynucleotides. The present method allows for the identification of biologically active hybrid polypeptides with enhanced biological activities.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


A frequency synthesizer having reduced spurious components for use in a receiving and transmitting apparatus. The frequency synthesizer includes a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) for generating a first signal having a first frequency determined by channel setting data. The first signal is applied to a frequency divider to generate a divided signal having a divided frequency. The divided signal is applied to a frequency converter for shifting the divided frequency by a shift frequency interval to provide a reference signal having a reference frequency. The reference signal is applied to a phase locked loop (PLL) for generating a final signal having a predetermined frequency characteristic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus applying a frequency synthesizer wherein a direct digital synthesizer is used. Particularly, this invention relates to downsizing and a high precision receiving/transmitting apparatus and a frequency synthesizer used in radio communications systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 48 shows an example configuration of a conventional receiving apparatus constructed based on a receiving apparatus including an auto frequency control (AFC) circuit. The receiving apparatus including the auto frequency control circuit is disclosed in "TDMA Communication" by Heiichi Yamamoto et al Institute of Electronics and Communication pp. 87-89, Spring Conference B-198 of Electronics Information Communication Institute in 1993, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 3-284016, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 3-296318, and Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 4-156712.
In FIG. 48, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 1, band pass filters (BPF) 2a, 2b and 2c, mixers (MIX) 3a and 3b, a phase locked loop (PLL) synthesizer 4, a temperature compensation quartz-crystal oscillator (TCXO) 5, a frequency converter 6 for high frequency, amplifiers (AMP) 7a and 7b, a voltage-controlled quartz-crystal oscillator (VCXO) 8, a frequency converter 9 for low frequency, an analog-digital converter (A-D converter) 10, a frequency error detecting means 11, a frequency control means 12, a memory 13, and a digital-analog converter (D-A converter) 14 are provided. The frequency converter 6 for high frequency includes the LNA 1, the BPF 2a, the MIX 3a, the TCXO 5 and the PLL synthesizer 4. An output frequency of the PLL synthesizer 4 is controlled based on channel setting data. A receiving frequency is set based on the controlled output frequency from the PLL synthesizer 4. The frequency converter 9 for low frequency includes the AMP 7a, the BPF 2b, the MIX 3b and the VCXO 8. The receiving frequency can be adjusted finely based on a control voltage applied at the VCXO 8.
The operation will now be described. In the conventional receiving apparatus shown in FIG. 48, a frequency of an input signal is changed to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal of a predetermined frequency through the frequency converter 6 for high frequency and the frequency converter 9 for low frequency. The changed frequency is amplified at the AMP 7b and filtered at the BPF 2c. By this procedure, other input signals of neighboring frequencies are suppressed. The filtered frequency is converted from analog to digital at the A-D converter 10. In a common receiving apparatus for digital communication, an input signal expressed in digital amount is demodulated by digital operation and a transmission signal is extracted. In this case, there is a difference between a center frequency of the input signal and a receiving frequency in the receiving apparatus. This frequency difference is hereinafter called a frequency error. If the frequency error increases, the modulation performance (bit error rate in a digital transmission method) is gradually deteriorated. If the frequency error increases too far, it becomes impossible to receive the input signal because the input signal is defined to be out of passing bandwidth of the BPF 2c. The phenomenon, such as the above, becomes distinctive especially in a slow transmission speed system, such as a single channel per carrier (SCPC) method wherein speech transmission is mainly treated.
Generally, in the receiving apparatus as shown in FIG. 48, the frequency error is detected by the frequency error detecting means 11, a frequency of the VCXO 8 is controlled, and the frequency error is corrected in addition to the modulation operation. Based on frequency error data obtained by the frequency error detecting means 11, frequency control data is calculated for the purpose of correcting the frequency error in the receiving frequency by the frequency control means 12. The memory 13 is accessed based on the frequency control data. A table for output frequency of the VCXO 8 vs. control voltage, or a table for increased amount of the output frequency of the VCXO 8 vs. increased amount of the control voltage is stored in this memory 13. Voltage data applied at the VCXO 8 is output from the memory 13 based on the frequency control data. The voltage data is converted to the control voltage for the VCXO 8 at the D-A converter 14. The above serial controlling of the frequency is called AFC. (auto frequency control)
FIG. 49 shows a configuration of the PLL synthesizer 4. A variable divider 15, a reference signal divider 16, a phase comparator 17, a loop filter 18, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 19, the temperature compensation quartz-crystal oscillator (TCXO) 5 and a PLL 34 are shown in FIG. 49. The temperature compensation quartz-crystal oscillator (TCXO) 5 is a reference oscillator. A frequency of output signal of the VCO 19 is divided by dividing ratio N in the variable divider 15. A frequency of output signal of TCXO 5 is divided by dividing ratio R in the reference signal divider 16. The PLL operates in order to make the above divided frequencies be coincident. Accordingly, output frequency fout of the PLL 34 is N/R times output frequency fxo of TCXO 5 (fout=(N/R).multidot.fxo). The output frequency fout of the PLL synthesizer 4 can be switched by interval fxo/R. The output frequency fout can be switched by changing dividing ratio N of the variable divider 15. The dividing ratio N is changed by the channel setting data.
Other configurations of the PLL synthesizer 4 are shown in FIG. 50 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,533. The configuration of FIG. 50 is described in the paper, A. L. Bramble, "Direct Digital Frequency Synthesis", IEEE 35th Ann. Frequency Control Symposium, May 1981, pp. 406-414.
In FIG. 50, a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) 31, a reference clock 32 and a frequency divider 33 are shown. The DDS 31 synchronized with the reference clock 32 is used as a reference oscillator of PLL 34, in this PLL synthesizer 4.
FIG. 51 shows a configuration of the DDS 31. A phase accumulator 40, a memory 41, a digital-analog converter 42 and a filter 43 are shown in FIG. 51. Frequency data (.DELTA..phi.) represented by plural bits is input and accumulated at the phase accumulator 40 in the DDS 31. The accumulated data is converted to phase data .phi. and output. Amplitude data sin .phi. of a sine wave is stored in the memory 41 in advance. The amplitude data sin .phi. of a sine wave is output based on the phase data .phi.. The output data is converted to analog waveform at the D-A converter 42. The above digital operation is performed synchronous with the reference clock. Output from the D-A converter 42 is input into the filter 43. Spurious components of the reference clock, higher harmonic and so forth is removed at the filter 43. High-frequency resolution can be easily obtained by increasing the number of bits of the frequency data (.DELTA..phi.), without deteriorating other characteristics, in DDS 31. Accordingly, high-frequency resolution also can be obtained in the PLL 34 whose reference oscillator is the DDS 31.
FIG. 52 shows another configuration of the DDS 31. In this DDS 31, a sin .phi. operation circuit 44 is provided instead of the memory 41. The sin .phi. calculation circuit 44 is provided in order to avoid making the capacity of the memory 41 large when the high-frequency resolution is obtained by increasing the number of bits of the frequency data (.DELTA..phi.)in the DDS 31. CORDIC algorithm and so forth is used in the sin .phi. calculation circuit 44. The amplitude data sin .phi. of a sine wave is obtained by digital operation.
There are many disadvantages to the conventional receiving apparatus. For example, when a narrow bandwidth digital transmission of low symbol speed is performed for transmitting speech in SCPC (single channel per carrier), it is necessary to enhance the frequency setting accuracy at AFC. The reason is that the BPF 2c becomes a narrow band. The receiving frequency is finely adjusted by treating the frequency control data through the D-A converter 14, the memory 13 and the VCXO 8, in the conventional receiving apparatus. The VCXO 8 has a configuration wherein a varactor diode is connected to a quartz-crystal resonator for modulating the frequency. Thus sensitivity of the modulation is changed depending upon control voltage. Therefore, in order to enhance the frequency setting accuracy, it is needed to increase the number of entries for a table of output frequency vs. control voltage stored in the memory 13 for enhancing the resolution. This increase introduces a problem of a larger memory 13 requirement.
In addition, an output frequency of the VCXO 8 and the modulation sensitivity of the VCXO 8 are changed depending upon temperature. Therefore, it has another problem that the frequency setting accuracy is deteriorated with temperature variations.
Moreover, characteristics of the VCXO 8 relating to output frequency vs. control voltage differs depending upon each VCXO. In order to set the frequency highly accurately, it is necessary to measure the characteristic data of output frequency vs. control voltage for each receiving apparatus and to write the data into the memory 13. This rewriting procedure introduces another problem of higher cost.
As one of solutions for the above problems relating to the AFC, the following method is introduced. A digital oscillator is described in the book, "Digital Movement Communication", edited by Syuji Kuwahara, Kagaku Syuppan, pp. 269-271. The method for the solution is to correct a frequency error by a digital operation using the digital oscillator. FIG. 53 shows a configuration of the method.
A demodulator 35 and a digital oscillator 36 are shown in FIG. 53. It is easy to enhance the frequency setting accuracy according to this configuration. However, this method can not be applied when the frequency error is large and thus when an input signal is out of the passing bandwidth of the BPF 2c.
Problems in applying the VCXO 8 to the AFC in the receiving apparatus have been described. A similar configuration is also used for a transmitting apparatus in order to control a transmitting frequency. Namely, a transmitting frequency error is calculated based on a receiving frequency error. The VCXO 8 used as a local oscillator for the transmitting apparatus is controlled depending upon the transmitting frequency error. In this case also, there is the problem that the amount of the memory 13 becomes large in enhancing the frequency setting accuracy because the VCXO 8 is used. There is also the problem that a desired frequency setting accuracy can lead to high cost.
Now, the problem of the conventional PLL synthesizer shown in FIG. 49 when being applied in the receiving apparatus will be described.
Generally, phase comparison frequency fr (fr=fxo/R) of the PLL synthesizer wherein a frequency is switched by a variable divider is the same as a channel frequency interval. Therefore, the phase comparison frequency fr of the PLL synthesizer becomes low frequency in a system wherein the frequency interval of the channel is narrow, such as SCPC method of low transmission speed. In this case, phase noise PN close to a carrier wave of the PLL synthesizer increases, which brings about a problem that communication quality and selecting receiving frequency accuracy are deteriorated. The phase noise PN close to the carrier wave of the PLL synthesizer can be obtained in the following equation. EQU PN=10.multidot.LOG.sub.10 {(fout/fr).sup.2 .multidot.(1/2).multidot.(Ef/Kp).sup.2 }(dBc/Hz) (1)
In the equation, fout is output frequency of the PLL 34, Ef is noise voltage for input conversion for the loop filter and, Kp is signal detection sensitivity of the phase comparator 17. When the phase comparison frequency fr becomes low frequency, loop bandwidth of the PLL 34 also becomes narrow. Therefore, response speed of the PLL 34 becomes slow, which brings about a problem that the frequency switching time becomes long.
The PLL synthesizer 4 wherein the DDS 31 is used as a reference oscillator of the PLL 34, shown in FIG. 50, has been introduced to improve the above disadvantages. The variable divider 15 is not used in this PLL synthesizer 4 because the frequency is changed by the DDS 31. Therefore, it is possible to optionally select the phase comparison frequency fr. In addition, since a frequency is changed by the DDS 31, a frequency of narrow channel can be easily obtained without deteriorating the characteristics relating to the phase noise and the frequency switching time and so forth. Namely, the problems of increasing phase noise and lengthening frequency switching time can be solved. However, there is a problem that spurious components caused by a quantization error is high because the DDS 31 generates a sine wave by digital operation.
FIG. 54 shows an example of an output spectrum of the DDS 31. The spurious component is amplified in the passing bandwidth in the PLL 34. Assuming that the spurious component of the DDS 31 is SPdds (dBc) and the spurious component of the output signal from the PLL synthesizer 4 is SPout (dBc), the relation between these two can be obtained in the following equation. ##EQU1##
The spurious component in such a configuration of the PLL synthesizer is high, which brings about a problem that the communication quality and the frequency selecting accuracy are deteriorated. Therefore, the output frequency fout applied to such PLL synthesizer is relatively restricted to be a low frequency.
Though there is a method of increasing the output frequency (phase comparison frequency) fr of the DDS 31 in order to solve the above problems, this method has another problem. The problem is that electrical power consumption increases in proportion to an operating frequency as shown in FIG. 55.

Frequency synthesizer using divided and frequency converted DDS signal as reference for PLL


An automatic tracking method for detecting an optimized, accurate tracking level in a video tape recorder system to automatically sustain picture quality monitors a variation of the tracking level to continually detect a highest tracking level. Tracking data corresponding to the highest tracking level is set as output tracking data, to continually sustain optimized tracking.

This invention relates to an automatic tracking control method in a video tape recorder and particularly although not exclusively to a method for continually sustaining an optimized tracking level by monitoring the tracking levels.
In FIG. 1, a block diagram of a general tracking control device in a video tape recorder system is schematically illustrated, wherein a program contained in a system controller 6 generates tracking data TRDT to a servo 7 and then, the servo 7 provides a deck 1 with a capstan control signal CAP-CTL in accordance with the tracking data TRDT, to control a rotational speed of a capstan. Then, a head in the deck 1 picks up an instataneous tracking level indicative of a current tracking state according to the rotational speed of the capstan and provides the instantaneous tracking level to the system controller 6, to sustain an optimized tracking level by comparing instantaneous tracking levels.
FIGS. 2A to 2D, disclose a conventional automatic tracking method performed by the videotape recorder system of FIG. 1 as in Korean Patent application No. 89-19419. According to the conventional method, the system controller 6 having an analog-to-digital converter therein executes the automatic tracking as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D. However, when such an automatic tracking method is employed, in some occasions the system controller 6 may misrecognize variation valves of the instantaneous tracking levels picked up by the head and/or may result in a mal-operation because the automatic tracking operation depends simply on a comparison of the instantaneous tracking levels by means of the system controller 6. Therefore, occasionally, a noisy video signal may be misrecognized for a nose-free video signal particularly when a worn-out video tape is used, and thus the optomized tracking level may be miscalculated, thereby resulting in deteriorated automatic tracking.

Method and apparatus of automatically tracking a recording medium


Provided is an arrangement and a method to detect an oil leakage between a first section and a second section of a hydraulic cylinder. A movable piston is arranged between the first and second section in a way that the piston changes position between the sections. The change in position is done in dependency of a difference between a first force, which acts at the first section on a first cross sectional area of the piston, and a second force, which acts at the second section on a second cross sectional area of the piston. The first section comprises hydraulic oil with a predefined first pressure, while the first force is calculated based on this pressure and based on the first area. The second section comprises hydraulic oil with a predefined second pressure, while the second force is calculated based on this pressure and based on the second area.

Modern wind turbines are showing a number of three rotor blades, which are rotating around a horizontal axis of rotation. The rotor blades are connected with an electrical generator to convert wind energy into electrical energy.
Each rotor blade can be aligned into the incoming wind by typically two hydraulic cylinders, being part of a hydraulic pitch drive system.
Hydraulic oil is applied by pressure to each hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder comprises a first section and a second section, while a movable piston is arranged between the first section and the second section.
Hydraulic oil is applied to these sections, creating forces, which are acting on the respective area of the piston. In example: A first force F1 is created at the first section according to this formula: F1=P1*A1 while P1 is the pressure at the first section and while A1 is the respective cross-sectional area of the movable piston, which is exposed to the pressure P1.
A second force F2 is created at the second section according to this formula: F2=P2*A2 while P2 is the pressure at the second section and while A2 is the respective cross-sectional area of the movable piston, which is exposed to pressure P2.
Based on the difference of the forces F1 and F2 the movable piston changes its relative position—it might be moved towards the second section for example if the situation is like this:F1>F2P1*A1>P2*A2
With A2=A1−Arod and with Arod as those cross-sectional area of a rod being part of the movable piston and reducing the respective area A2 the formula results in:P1*A1>P2*A1−P2*Arod.
Thus, the movable piston will be pushed towards the second section if P1≥P2.
Based on the respective formulaF1<F2P1*A1<P2*A1−P2*Arodthe movable piston might be pushed towards the first section by choosing respective values for P1 and P2, taking into account the known cross-sectional areas A1 and Arod.
The hydraulic cylinder always comprises a high-pressure section and a low-pressure section and a respective high-pressure side and low-pressure side.
The movable piston interacts via its position change and via a root end bearing with the blade. The root end bearing is a functional part of the blade and is used to set a specific pitch angle of the blade.
In detail the rod of the movable piston is coupled with or is acting on the root end bearing.
A service report revealed that most hydraulic cylinders will fail between operation year seven and operation year eleven according to a Weibull distribution. The failure results from a leakage of hydraulic oil.
Hydraulic oil might leak externally, leaving the hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic system itself.
Hydraulic oil even might leak inside the hydraulic cylinder, which is known as internal leakage: i.e. if there is a leakage at the movable piston hydraulic oil might be transferred between the first and the second section in an uncontrolled manner.
The internal leakage often evolves over time and results in an increased pumping and circulation of oil in the hydraulic system, which might comprise the cylinder, an oil-reservoir, oil supply connections, a pump, valves, etc.
An internal leakage cannot be detected easily as the hydraulic oil stays inside the hydraulic system and cannot be detected by checking the level of the hydraulic oil in the oil-reservoir for example.
The hydraulic system tries to compensate external oil losses by using oil, which is stored in the oil reservoir. Thus, a loss of hydraulic oil can be detected easily by service personal, checking the oil level therein.
The effects of oil leakages will increase over time and will finally result in an operational error, which is reported to a control of the wind turbine. Depending on the rank of the report signal an alarm, calling for service, might be signaled to a control center.
Each wind turbine is checked and serviced in given time periods, i.e. there might be an annual inspection. Thus, service personal might detect an external oil leakage visually as described above or the service personal might notice an (internal) oil leakage by given report signals.
Especially for offshore wind turbines, showing a guaranteed lifetime of 25 years or more, maintenance work for hydraulic components is a huge and costly problem.
It was found that such wind turbines might require in a worst-case scenario two hydraulic cylinder exchanges over the lifetime of the wind turbine. Due to the harsh offshore environment service time is restricted and limited while equipment, which is needed for the service work, might be expensive as well.

Method and arrangement to detect an oil leakage between sections of a hydraulic cylinder


An implantable cardiac defibrillation electrode is provided, in which there is an electrically conductive wire mesh formed of crossed spirally wound cables. Each of the spirally wound cables comprises a plurality of stranded wire elements, with a central wire element and a plurality of outer wire elements wound adjacent the central wire element. In one embodiment, the crossed cables are formed in a twill weave pattern, alternating over and under at least two individual cables.

It is well known that cardiac arrhythmias may be controlled with devices such as implantable defibrillators. Past approaches to electrodes used with such devices have employed endocardial electrodes as disclosed in Mirowski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,536 and Kinney et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,952 or epicardial electrodes as disclosed in Heilman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,509 and Heilman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,707.
For systems using epicardial electrodes several functional requirements must be met. The electrodes must be able to deliver large amounts of electrical energy. Electrodes that have large surface areas are desirable since energy can be delivered over a larger area of the heart and current is distributed through greater electrode surface area. Thus current densities and the chance of damaging heart tissue is lessened. Past epicardial patch electrodes have used screens or mesh as disclosed in Heilman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,509, to accomplish this function.
The electrodes must be flexible enough to conform to the heart. Electrodes which are flexible are not only easier to manipulate and surgically implant, they are also more likely to conform to the heart thus ensuring reliable electrical contact with heart tissue.
The electrodes must be fatigue resistant. The environment that the electrode is in must endure constant motion and millions of flex cycles. Prior art patch electrodes have used space wound coils for flexibility and enhanced fatigue life as disclosed in Holleman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,070.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Defibrillation electrode with mesh configuration


A control or adjustment system for a disc brake is operated by an electric motor causing the friction linings of the disc brake in application to the brake disc. To transmit an application force as sensitively as possible to cause deceleration of the vehicle as desired by the driver, on the one hand, and to adjust a precise clearance after a braking operation, on the other hand, two different control modes are applied. The electric motor, therefore, is driven by an electronic servo booster that is actuated either by a deceleration controller or by a position controller, depending on the objective to be achieved.

The present invention relates to a control or adjustment system for a wheel brake operated by an electric motor.
A system of this type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,483. The brake concerned is an aircraft brake.
An application force of the wheel brake is determined to satisfy the demand for deceleration of the operator of an aircraft or a vehicle. A servo motor is actuated until a determined adjustment travel of the actuating member is reached, the measurement starting with the first contact of the brake lining with the brake disc.
This provision is not sufficient to sensitively slow down the vehicle. Admittedly, there is a basic relationship between the displacement travel of the adjusting element and the application force. However, the application force may vary due to external influences and, in addition, the brake torque to be achieved is not absolutely linked to the application force.
After it has been fixed that the brake lining is declamped from the brake disc upon release of the brake, the motor is still energized for a certain period of time so that the brake linings are further removed from the brake disc. The clearance which is caused by this action is not defined precisely because the clearance is not specifically linked with the energization time of the motor.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved system of sensitive braking and reliable adjustment of an accurately defined clearance.

Control or adjustment system for a wheel brake operated by an electric motor


Provided are a time synchronization apparatus and method for a network camera and a network video recorder (NVR) connected to the network camera. The apparatus includes: a data receiving unit receiving a data stream from the network camera, the data stream including timestamp information of the network camera; a noise determining unit determining whether time information input from the network camera is a noise based on a timestamp of the network camera contained in the timestamp information; and a setting control unit setting a timestamp of the NVR based on the determining of the noise determining unit, wherein the data stream comprises data obtained by the network camera and the timestamp information of the network camera which indicates a time when the data stream was transmitted from the network camera.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to time synchronization, and more particularly, to synchronizing a time of a network camera with a time of a network video recorder (NVR) by analyzing timestamps of image and audio frames received from the network camera and, when an expected timestamp is not received, correcting this problem.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image monitoring systems using surveillance cameras such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) and network systems that transmit image and audio data using networks are being rapidly disseminated. An image monitoring system or a network system registers a recording schedule to store image data obtained by a camera. When a user designates a hard disk to store the image data, the image data is stored in files in order of time on the designated hard disk. Then, when the designated hard disk is full, oldest data is removed from the hard disk, and new data is stored instead.
Here, an image system should be operated by synchronizing a timestamp of an NVR with timestamps contained in image and audio frames sent from multiple network cameras having different formats or times. To this end, the format diversity of time information input from a network camera, the difference in reference time, and errors of the time information should be corrected.
Until now, the difference between timestamps of image and audio frames received from a network camera and a timestamp of an NVR has been corrected simply by sensing a network jitter. In this case, however, an image system for image recording and event monitoring may have time errors due to temporary timestamp errors of frames generated by the camera or the timestamp difference between the camera and the NVR. These time errors may hinder the NVR from recording images or monitoring events at the right time.

Time synchronization apparatus and method


A bale hauler for mounting on a front end loader with the bale hauler having forwardly extending bale teeth which are freely pivotally movable between first and second positions. In the first position, the bale teeth extend forwardly in a horizontal manner from the main frame of the bale hauler. In the second position, the bale teeth extend forwardly and upwardly from the main frame of the bale hauler to enable the bale teeth to be withdrawn from a stacked bale without moving the stacked bale.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bale mover and more particularly to a bale mover which is mounted on the forward end of a front-end loader mounted on a tractor. More particularly, the bale mover of this invention enables a pair of bales to be moved by the bale mover. Even more particularly, the instant invention relates to a bale mover which enables a pair of bales to be placed on the ground in a spaced-apart side-by-side relationship without tearing or damaging the plastic net wrap on the bales. Even more particularly, the instant invention relates to a bale mover which enables a pair of bales to be placed on a bale carrier, such as a truck or trailer, in a side-by-side manner with the bales being in engagement with one another. Even more particularly, the instant invention relates to a bale mover wherein the bale teeth thereof are freely pivotally movable between a horizontally and forwardly extending position to an upwardly and forwardly extending position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of large, round bale handlers, movers or carriers have been previously provided. Some of the early bale movers utilized a bale spear or tooth which was operatively secured to the three-point pitch of a tractor or which was secured to the forward end of a front-end loader mounted on the tractor. Assuming that the prior art bale tooth extended rearwardly from the tractor, the tractor operator would back up to a bale and drive the tooth into the bale. The tractor operator would then raise the three-point hitch of the tractor to raise the speared bale from the ground. The tractor operator would then drive to a remote location where the bale would be placed on the ground or stacked on other bales for subsequent storage, transport or consumption. As the size of farm tractors has grown, the bale movers have been modified to enable the bale movers to handle two large round bales in a spaced-apart side-by-side relationship.
In Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,636, which issued on Jul. 13, 2010, a bale mover is disclosed which enabled a pair of round bales to be vertically movably supported on the forward end of a tractor mounted front-end loader and/or vertically movably supported by a three-point hitch at the rearward end of a tractor. U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,636 is hereby incorporated by reference to complete the disclosure herein if necessary.
However, it has been determined that most persons involved in the hay business desire that the bales be spaced-apart when stored on the ground so that rain or snow will not collect between the bales. A problem associated with the storage of the bales in a spaced-apart manner arises when the bales are to be transported on a bale carrier such as a truck or trailer. If the bales are moved in pairs, the spaced-apart bales, when placed on the bale carrier will have a greater width than if the bales were closely positioned together in an abutting side-by-side relationship.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,362 represents a vast improvement in the round bale mover art. Applicant's round bale mover disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,362, when mounted on the forward end of a front-end loader, enables bales to be stacked on upon the other. It has been found that when the bale spears on the round bale mover are not perfectly horizontally disposed in the bales being placed upon lower bales, it is sometimes difficult to withdraw the bale spears from the bale when the bale has been placed on a bale therebelow. The primary problem associated with the above situation is that the bale spears, if not perfectly horizontally disposed in the bale or bales tend to pull the bale or bales outwardly from the lower bale or bales as the tractor moves away from the stack of bales after the upper bale or bales have been lowered onto the lower bale or bales. U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,362 is hereby incorporated by reference to complete the disclosure herein if necessary. The co-pending application Ser. No. 13/890,700, filed May 9, 2013, is hereby incorporated by reference thereto to complete the disclosure herein if necessary.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and apparatus for temperature activated protection of electronic components from interfering electromagnetic radiation comprising the step of shielding of a component with a thin film of superconducting material characterized by a critical temperature of at least 93.degree.K, and exposing the film to a temperature below the critical temperature. To allow transmissions to and from the component, the shield is converted to a window by heating the film to a temperature above the critical temperature.

Screening of electronic components from electromagnetic radiation, particularly from microwave and radio frequency radiation, is particularly important for components in communications equipment, radar, microwave target acquisition devices, and the like, to prevent the electronic components from external jamming or from unwanted listening devices. One approach would be to use metallic films, or coatings. However, this approach poses the additional problem of needing to physically remove the metallic screening when it is desired to send or receive a signal. Such a removal mechanism would necessarily involve a mechanical attachment, like a shutter, thereby complicating the overall design, possibly compromising the reliability of the equipment.
It would therefore be desirable to screen electronic components from unwanted electromagnetic radiation, but yet be able to remove that screen, when desired, in a simple manner.
The recently discovered superconducting materials which are superconducting above about 93.degree.K comprise multiple phases of metal oxides, the most important of which is YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x (see M.K. Wu, et al. Phy. Rev. Let., 58 (9), 908-910 (1987)). Typical electrical conductivity of the YBaCuO materials above their critical temperature (T.sub.c) can be adjusted by doping. Typical values are 3.3.times.10.sup.5 siemens/M (resistivities are around 300.times.10.sup.-6 ohm-cm). The present invention is based in part on our recognition that thin films or layers of the superconducting metal oxide materials, at above their critical temperature, can transmit electromagnetic radiation, particularly microwave radiation, like sunlight, through clear glass, while below their critical temperature they serve as a reflector of such radiation. This discovery is particularly advantageous for use, for example, as an electromagnetic screen on a satellite in outer space, where the temperature of below about 93.degree.K can be attained without the use of specialized refrigeration. Thus, for example, electronic components in a satellite before launch while on the ground and/or en route to its designated orbit, may be screened from electromagnetic interference by cooling the window with liquid nitrogen. Once in orbit, temperatures below T.sub.c may be achieved naturally by shading the screen or pointing it toward deep space, thereby making the film a reflecting or absorbing screen to protect the satellite's sensors from unwarranted radiation. When warmed, however, above the transition temperature, the film would be transparent to incident radiation and would allow its transmission across the film. Heating may be achieved by pointing the screen at the sun, reflecting sunlight onto it, or by other active heating means.
The present invention is further based in part on our recognition that to serve as a temperature sensitive window-screen the thickness of a superconductor film be very small, i.e. on the order of less than about 0.001 times a skin depth, where skin depth is defined by EQU .delta.=1/.sqroot..pi.f.mu..sigma.
wherein f is frequency in cycles/sec, .mu. is magnetic permeability in henry/m and .sigma. is electrical conductivity in siemens/M.
This theory assumes that the normal temperature conductivity of the metal oxide film is below about 3.3.times.10.sup.5 (S/M). Thus, for example, at a frequency of impinging radiation of 10 GHz, the skin depth of a YBaCuO superconductor in its normal state, T>93.degree.K, is about 9 micrometers. Without considering the reflections occurring at the front and rear surfaces of the skin, the thickness of the skin should be about 1 to 2 micrometer to allow sufficient transmission of the 10 GHz signal through the skin at a temperature greater than 93.degree.K. Including the front and rear surface reflections on the skin, to achieve significant transmission through the skin, the skin would have to be significantly thinner, i.e. on the order of about .01 micrometer or less.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic shielding device which is temperature controlled to serve as a window or screen. Electrical components are shielded with a thin film or layer of superconductor metal oxide material of a sufficient thickness to allow electromagnetic transmission therethrough at a predetermined frequency, when the film is heated above the transition temperature of the superconductor.
This and other objects will be provided by the following description and from practice of the invention.

Superconducting windows for electromagnetic screening


A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor layer, an insulation layer and a second semiconductor layer, which are laminated in this order; a trench penetrating both of the second semiconductor layer and the insulation layer and reaching the first semiconductor layer; and a third semiconductor layer. The trench has a ring shape on a principal surface of the substrate so that a part of the second semiconductor layer and a part of the insulation layer are surrounded with the trench. The third semiconductor layer is disposed in the trench through a first insulation film disposed on a sidewall of the trench so that the third semiconductor layer contacts the first semiconductor layer at a bottom of the trench.

SOI (silicon on insulator) technology is employed to achieve semiconductor elements with higher speeds and higher degrees of integration. SOI technology includes the steps of forming a semiconductor layer on an insulation board, and then forming semiconductor elements in the semiconductor layer.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,486 discloses a semiconductor device employing a semiconductor board with an SOI structure having a buried insulation film.
FIG. 12 is a cross section of the semiconductor device 80 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,486.
The semiconductor device 80 shown in FIG. 12 has a semiconductor substrate 81, an insulation oxide film 82, an SOI layer 83, and an insulation layer oxide film 86. An opening 84 is formed through the insulation oxide film 82 and SOI layer 83, and reaches the semiconductor substrate 81. The opening 84 is filled with a p-type poly-silicon to form a conductor layer 85. An opening 87 is formed through the insulation layer oxide film 86 on the SOI layer 83 and filled with an electrode 88 to form an electrical connection to the conductor layer 85. The electrode 88 formed on the front side of the semiconductor device 80 fixes the potential of the semiconductor substrate 81. For this reason, a semiconductor device is achieved that can prevent malfunctioning of semiconductor elements by fixing the potential of the semiconductor substrate 81, even in a package in which the electrode on its backside cannot be connected to an outside terminal.
Here, flip-chip packaging is employed as a packaging method for highly integrated high-speed semiconductor chips. Flip-chip packaging includes the steps of forming solder bumps on the main side of a semiconductor chip on which semiconductor elements are formed, and then connecting the main side of the chip to a wiring board, on which the chip is to be mounted, via the bumps. Flip-chip packaging is suitable to the high speeds and high degrees of integration of semiconductor chips due to SOI technology because it can lower the wiring delay and downsize the package. In recent years, for flip-chip packaging implementation, CSP (chip size package) structure has been studied, in which the size of the wiring board is made to be nearly the same as the semiconductor chip with the aim of further downsizing.
Semiconductor elements boasting high speeds and high degrees of integration due to SOI technology have had the problem that heat generated during operation cannot be easily radiated outside the semiconductor device due to the presence of substrates having a low thermal conductivity. Even in flip-chip packaging, the heat radiation capability is lower compared to the conventional packaging method of bonding the back side of semiconductor chips to wiring boards, being especially prominent in CSP structures. For this reason, in the highly integrated high-speed semiconductor devices, such problems easily arise as changes in the element characteristics, increase in wiring resistance, melting of the solder bumps, or peeling of the protective film due to thermal stress.
Further, malfunctioning or the like due to noise cannot be completely eliminated, in the semiconductor device 80 shown in FIG. 12, although the potential of the semiconductor substrate 81 is fixed. Therefore, in order to inhibit malfunctioning or the like due to noise, it is necessary to add capacitors, resistors, etc. to a wiring board to form a noise removing circuit. However, mounting these elements inevitably enlarges the overall size of the package.

Semiconductor device having SOI construction


A button which is removable from and insertable into a keypad from the exterior of a housing containing the keypad. The button fits within an opening of the keypad and is formed with resilient fingers in its side walls. The fingers have interfering flanges at their lower ends. The flanges are chamfered to provide a camming action to deflect the fingers when the button is removed or inserted.

This invention relates to keypads and, more particularly, to a button which is removable from and insertable into the keypad from the exterior of a housing containing the keypad.
Telephones have keypads which include dial buttons and feature buttons, where the buttons are typically labeled with the dial number or feature identification. When a telephone is used in different countries, the features may have different identifications corresponding to the different languages. In addition, field upgrades as a result of new software may change the features available on the telephone set. It would therefore be desirable to be able to change the keypad buttons to accommodate different labeling.
A common telephone keypad construction includes a printed circuit board having spaced switch terminals thereon. A rubber dome membrane is positioned over the circuit board with carbon pills in aligned registry over pairs of the switch terminals so that depression of a rubber dome and its associated carbon pill results in the bridging of the associated spaced switch terminals (i.e., closure of the associated switch). The rubber dome is formed with an upwardly extending tower above the carbon pill and a keypad button lightly frictionally engages this tower. The keypad housing is formed with an array of openings in positions corresponding to the positions of the switches and is placed over the membrane with the buttons extending through respective ones of the openings. The buttons and the housing have interfering structure so that the buttons cannot be removed upwardly from the housing. Therefore, in order to change a button, the telephone must be disassembled, the button replaced, and the telephone then reassembled. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a button construction wherein the button is removable and insertable without requiring the disassembly and subsequent assembly of the telephone while at the same time providing resistance to inadvertent removal of the button.


A method and system for magnetically detecting thermal degradation of a component. A multiple of ferrous metal segments are attached to a component not within a lubrication circuit of a lubrication system with a thermally-affected bonding agent. The thermally-affected bonding agent is operable to detach at a threshold temperature at least one of the multiple of ferrous metal segments such that the at least one of the multiple of detached ferrous metal segments enters the lubrication circuit of the lubrication system. The at least one of the multiple of ferrous metal segments which detached are then detected within the lubrication system.

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for failure detection.
Gearbox module failure detection is often provided by a magnetic chip detector. The detector collects magnetic particles caused by degradation of gear and bearing components within a gearbox housing and triggers a warning indicative of a potential failure. The detector operates in the presence of ferrous material such that when a single magnetic chip, or a collection of smaller chips suffices to bridge a gap in the magnetic chip detector completes an electrical circuit and a warning is triggered.
Sealed bearings typically have a grease lubricated bearing element with no active monitor. Over time, the sealed bearing may wear. This results in spalling debris which is contained within the sealed bearing by grease seals. As the spalling debris is contained within the sealed bearing, potential failure of the sealed bearing may be difficult to monitor even when the sealed bearing is located within a gear module which has a magnetic chip detector.
Periodic inspections of the sealed bearing for wear, excess play and binding may be manually performed. Although effective, such maintenance may be time consuming and require disassembly of the gear module.

Sealed bearing assembly failure detection


A content item is updated in response to advancing capabilities of a client. A local content item received from a server is stored. The local content item has characteristics customized based on prior capabilities of the client. A determination is made regarding whether current capabilities of the client exceed characteristics of the local content item customized based on the prior capabilities of the client. Responsive to determining that the current capabilities of the client exceed the characteristics of the local content item, an updated content item having characteristics customized based on the current capabilities of the client is requested from the server. The updated content item is stored as an updated local content item.

1. Technical Field
The subject matter described herein generally relates to the field of a client/server system where a server customizes content before sending the content to a client and, in particular, to a system where content is customized based on a client's capabilities.
2. Background Information
Consider a client/server system where a server sends content to multiple clients. Different clients have different capabilities or feature sets. In order to provide a better user experience, the server customizes or tailors content based on a particular client's capabilities before sending the content to that particular client. The client stores the received content for future use by a user.
At some point, a client's capabilities change. Content previously received (and then stored) by the client was customized based on the client's previous capabilities (e.g., the client's capabilities at the time the content was requested from the server). The client's new capabilities are more advanced. Specifically, if the same content were requested again, the server would customize the content differently due to the client's different capabilities. If the client presents previously-stored content (customized based on the client's previous capabilities), then the user experience is diminished compared to the client presenting newly-requested content (customized based on the client's new capabilities).

Content versioning in a client/server system with advancing capabilities