A rear wheel suspension for a bicycle includes paired lower arm members pivotally connected to the bicycle frame seat tube such that they can pivot about an axis situated above the center of the bottom bracket, paired upper arm members adapted to receive the rear wheel axle at hub points located on an axis situated above their lower ends and pivotally connected to the respective lower arm members such that they can pivot about an axis near the rear ends of the lower arm members, and means associated with the upper ends of the upper arm members and pivotally connected to an upper pivot point on the seat tube for limiting the path and the extent of movement of the upper ends of the upper arm members.

i. Technical Field
This invention relates to rear wheel suspensions for bicycles.
ii. Background Art
Conventionally, a bicycle is provided with a frame that is rigid or is flexible only to the extent that particular frame members are flexible. A conventional frame is made of welded generally tubular members, including a generally upright seat tube that supports the seat at its upper end and abuts the bottom bracket, in which the crank rotates, at its lower end; a generally horizontal top tube that is welded at its rear end near the top of the seat tube and at its front end to a head tube, in which the front fork, constituting the front wheel suspension, rotates for steering; a down tube that is welded at its upper front end to the head tube and at its lower rear end to the bottom bracket; and a rear wheel suspension. The seat tube, top tube, and down tube form the rigid generally triangular configuration of the main frame, with the bottom bracket carried at the lower apex. A conventional rigid rear suspension is made up of a pair of generally horizontal chain stays that are welded at their front ends to the bottom bracket and are adapted to receive the rear wheel axle near their rear ends; and a pair of seat stays that are welded at their upper ends near the top of the seat tube and are welded near the ends of the chain stay arms at their lower ends. The seat tube, chain stays, and seat stays form a rigid generally triangular configuration, with the rear wheel carried at the rear apex.
Such a conventional rigid arrangement can be suitable for road or track use, where the riding surface is generally free of irregularities, but is unsatisfactory for comfort and optimum performance off-road. As cyclists have demanded higher performance in off-road bicycles, variously referred to as "mountain bikes", "trail bikes", or "cross-country bikes", bicycle makers have recognized the desirability of providing a pivoting spring suspension for at least the rear wheel.
Pivoting "swingarm" spring suspensions have long been used for rear wheel suspension on motorcycles. In a simplest configuration, the chain stays are replaced by a pair of arms that are pivotally attached at their front ends to the frame at a pivot point near the bottom bracket. The rear ends of the swing arms, carrying the rear wheel, move upward and downward in arcs parallel to the plane described by the rear wheel and centered on the swing arm pivot axis. The range of movement of the swing arms is limited, in a simple configuration, by means such as a spring or a hydraulic shock absorber, affixed between the swing arm and a member of the rigid frame.
Motorcycle frames and swing arms are typically made very heavy, to provide sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent lateral and torsional flex. Simple swingarm suspensions have been adapted for use on bicycles in various configurations. In Kamler et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,470, for example, a pair of swing arms are pivotally attached to the main frame at the bottom bracket, and the range of their upward and downward movement is limited by a pair of shock absorbers that are pivotally attached at their lower ends to pivot points on the swing arms above the rear wheel axle and at their upper ends to a pivot point on the seat tube.
When force is applied from the motor or the pedals through the chain to the rear wheel sprocket, one force component results in forward rotation of the wheel, and another force component tends to urge the wheel axle upward. As a result, in simple swingarm rear suspensions such as are described above, the swing arms pivot sharply upward when a surge of power is supplied to the rear wheel, and pivot downward again when the power is backed off. When a mountain bike, whether motor- or pedal-driven, is worked over rough terrain, this "jacking" can reduce the effective contact of the rear wheel with the riding surface and can severely compromise the rider's control over the bike.
One proposed remedy for the jacking problem in a motorcycle having a simple swingarm suspension is proposed in McGonegle U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,200. McGonegle describes positioning the swing arm pivot axis so that it intersects the tension run of the drive chain, and preferably so that it passes through the tangent point of the drive chain tension run with the power transfer sprocket or the motor drive sprocket.
Jacking further reduces performance because the upward movement of the rear wheel results in a dissipation of power that might otherwise go to forward propulsion of the bike. Such losses may be of little consequence for a motorcycle, but are intolerable to a bicyclist seeking peak performance.
Where caliper brakes are employed on a bicycle, in a simple swingarm suspension the caliper is attached to the swing arms. As a result, braking forces are translated to the swing arms, interfering the response of the suspension to the riding surface when the brakes are applied.
Lawwill U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,789,174 and 5,121,937 propose more complex pivoting rear wheel suspensions, in which a pair of swing arms is pivotally attached about or at the bottom bracket; the rear ends of the swing arms are pivotally attached to the lower end of a pair of rear hub plates, which carry the rear wheel; the upper ends of the rear hub plates are pivotally attached to the rear ends of a pair of control arms; and the front ends of the control arms are attached to a pivot point on the seat tube. In Lawwill '937 the swing arms and the control arms are dimensioned such that the pivot axis at the rear ends of the swing arms is slightly closer to the seat tube than is the pivot axis at the rear ends of the control arms; this careful maintenance of position is said to maintain the suspension in careful balance during pedaling, while at the same time permitting absorption irregularities in the riding surface. In Lawwill '174 power losses are said to be neutralized by virtue of a trapezoid formed by the location of the pivot axes together with the position of the rear wheel axle. Particularly, the point where the control arms pivot on the seat tube is substantially above the rear wheel axle, while the point where the swing arms pivot on the bottom bracket is only slightly below the rear wheel axle. This configuration of the swing arms, hub plates, and control arms is said to balance the forces applied to the rear wheel by the chain during pedaling so as to prevent energy absorbing movement of the rear suspension.


A magnetic disk control apparatus is capable of reducing the overall length of synchronization fields in split sectors and hence capable of increasing the storage capacity for data fields. The apparatus records data for each sector in such a manner that when a servo field is present in a sector, the sector is split into a first split sector and a second split sector each including a synchronization field and a data field. The apparatus has a storage medium, a head, a mechanical section that controls the relative position of the storage medium and the head, a hard disk controller that controls write timing and read timing, and a read channel that modulates and writes a synchronization field and a data field according to the write timing, performs phase synchronization and frequency synchronization based on the synchronization field read according to the read timing, and demodulates the data field according to the obtained phase and frequency. The synchronization field of each second split sector has a length required only for phase synchronization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk control apparatus, a magnetic disk control method and a magnetic disk control program for recording data for each sector on a magnetic disk in such a manner that when a servo field is present in a sector including a synchronization field and a data field, the sector is split into a first split sector and a second split sector each including a synchronization field and a data field. The present invention also relates to a magnetic disk for use with the magnetic disk control apparatus, method or program.
2. Description of the Related Art
First, the arrangement of a conventional magnetic disk apparatus will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a magnetic disk apparatus 10 comprises a host interface 1, an HDC (Hard Disk Controller) 2, an RDC (Read Channel) 3, a preamplifier 4, a head 5, an SVC (Servo Combo) 6, a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) 7, a spindle motor 8, a storage medium 9.
Next, the operation of the magnetic disk apparatus will be outlined. The host interface 1 exchanges data with a host. The HDC 2 performs interface control, buffer management, data format management, etc. The RDC 3 modulates a write signal and demodulates a read signal. The preamplifier 4 amplifies a write signal or a read signal. The head 5 converts an electric signal into a magnetic field and writes it to the storage medium 9. Alternatively, the head 5 detects a magnetic field from the storage medium 9 and converts it into an electric signal to read it. The SVC 6 drives the VCM 7 and the spindle motor 8. The VCM 7 drives the head 5. The spindle motor 8 rotates the storage medium 9. The storage medium 9 retains a record signal from the head 5.
Next, the arrangement of tracks in the conventional magnetic disk apparatus will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the track arrangement in the conventional magnetic disk apparatus. A magnetic disk is radially divided into tracks. Each track is circumferentially divided into sectors. In each track, servo fields are disposed at regular intervals. Accordingly, when the servo field interval is not coincident with an integral multiple of the sector length, a sector containing a servo field is split into two split sectors, i.e. one preceding the servo field, and the other that follows the servo field. In FIG. 7, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote split sectors. Reference numeral 3 denotes servo fields, and reference numeral 4 denotes ordinary sectors. The term "ordinary sectors" as used herein means sectors that are not split. The term "split sectors" means sectors split by a servo field.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of ordinary sectors. As shown in FIG. 8, an ordinary sector has a synchronization field disposed at the head thereof, and a data field is disposed in the remaining area of the sector. The synchronization field has a single pattern written therein for phase synchronization and phase frequency synchronization.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of split sectors. Let us assume herein that the first of the two split data area segments is a first split sector 1 and the second of them is a second split sector 2. As shown in FIG. 9, in the first split sector 1, a synchronization field is disposed at the head thereof, and a data field is disposed in the remaining area of the first split sector 1. Similarly, in the second split sector 2, a synchronization field is disposed at the head thereof, and a data field is disposed in the remaining area of the second split sector 2.
The following is a description of data write and read operations performed by the HDC 2 and the RDC 3. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the HDC and RDC arrangement in the conventional apparatus. As shown in FIG. 10, the HDC 2 comprises a sector format control section 21, a data control section 22, a WG (Write Gate) control section 23, and an RG (Read Gate) control section 24. The RDC 3 comprises a modulation section 31, a synchronization field generating section 32, a demodulation section 33, and a synchronization section 34.
The modulation section 31 modulates a synchronization field pattern input from the synchronization field generating section 32 and a data field pattern input from the data control section 22 and outputs the modulated patterns as a write signal to the preamplifier 4. The synchronization section 34 performs phase synchronization and frequency synchronization by using the synchronization field of a read signal from the preamplifier 4 and outputs the obtained synchronous phase and synchronous frequency to the demodulation section 33. The demodulation section 33 demodulates the data field of the read signal from the preamplifier 4 according to the synchronous phase and the synchronous frequency and outputs the demodulated data to the data control section 22.
First of all, the operation for writing data will be described. First, the sector format control section 21 controls the format of sectors. Upon receipt of a write instruction from the host through the host interface 1, the sector format control section 21 determines a head position with respect to the storage medium 9 and a write timing according to the format and outputs the head position to the SVC 6 and the write timing to the WG control section 23. As shown in (a) of FIG. 11, the WG control section 23 turns ON a write gate (WG) to be output to the modulation section 31 for a period of time corresponding to the period of the write sector from the write timing.
After a predetermined time has elapsed, the sector format control section 21 outputs a data write instruction to the data control section 22. The term "predetermined time" as used herein means a period of time for writing a synchronization field. As shown in (b) of FIG. 11, the data control section 22 outputs write data input from the host interface 1 according to the instruction from the sector format control section 21.
The synchronization field generating section 32 generates a single pattern to be written in the synchronization field. As shown in (c) of FIG. 11, when WG=ON, the modulation section 31 modulates the single pattern from the synchronization field generating section 32 and outputs the modulated pattern to the preamplifier 4. Next, when the write data from the data control section 22 is input thereto, the modulation section 31 modulates the write data and outputs the modulated write data to the preamplifier 4.
The WG control section 23 turns OFF the WG when the position for writing data reaches the servo field (trailing end of the data field), as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, and outputs the WG=OFF signal to the modulation section 31. The modulation section 31 stops the write operation at the timing of WG=OFF, as shown in (c) of FIG. 11.
Next, the operation for reading data will be described. Upon receipt of a read instruction from the host through the host interface 1, the sector format control section 21 determines a head position above the storage medium 9 and a read timing and outputs the head position to the SVC 6 and the read timing to the RG control section 24. As shown in (a) of FIG. 12, the RG control section 24 turns ON a read gate (RG) to be output to the demodulation section 33 and the synchronization section 34 for a period of time corresponding to the period of the read sector from the read timing.
The synchronization section 34 performs phase synchronization and phase frequency synchronization by using the synchronization field at the timing of RG=ON, as shown in (b) of FIG. 12, and outputs the obtained synchronous frequency and synchronous phase to the demodulation section 33. The demodulation section 33 demodulates read data according to the synchronous frequency and the synchronous phase and outputs the read data thus obtained to the data control section 22. The data control section 22 outputs the read data to the host interface 1.
The RG control section 24 turns OFF the RG when the read position reaches the servo field, as shown in (a) of FIG. 12, and outputs the RG=OFF signal to the demodulation section 33. The demodulation section 33 stops the read operation at the timing of RG=OFF, as shown in (b) of FIG. 12. In this way, the data write and read operations are performed by the HDC 2 and the RDC 3.
The above-described conventional magnetic disk apparatus suffers, however, from the following disadvantage. When data is written, synchronization fields of the same length are constantly provided for sectors irrespective of whether they are ordinary sectors or split sectors. Therefore, each sector split into first and second split sectors requires a synchronization field double in size that of an ordinary sector, resulting in a reduction in the overall storage capacity for data fields on the disk.

Magnetic disk control apparatus, magnetic disk control method, magnetic disk control program, and magnetic disk


A developing device includes a removing roller positioned vertically above a supplying roller and in contact with a developing roller. Positively charged toner is supplied from the supplying roller to the developing roller and then supplied to a photosensitive drum for developing an electrostatic latent image thereon. Toner remaining on the developing roller that was not supplied to develop the latent image is removed by the removing roller. Some of the toner stripped by the removing roller falls down toward the supply roller and is again supplied to the developing roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing device provided with a removing member that removes residual nonmagnetic single-component developer from a developer-carrying member, and an image-forming device including the developing device.
2. Related Art
One type of developing device well known in the art includes a developer-carrying member that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image-carrying member by supplying a charged nonmagnetic single-component developer to the surface of the image-carrying member, and a supplying member that supplies developer to the developer-carrying member. In this type of developing device, an image formation is performed in an electrophotographic method. That is, the supplying member supplies a nonmagnetic single-component developer, such as toner, accommodated in a toner-accommodating chamber or the like to the developer-carrying member while tribocharging the developer. A thickness-regulating member, such as a blade or the like, regulates the developer at a uniform thin layer. When the developer reaches a position across from the image-carrying member, the developer carried on the developer-carrying member is selectively deposited on an electrostatic latent image formed on the image-carrying member. Then, the nonmagnetic single-component developer deposited on the image-carrying member is transferred onto a recording medium, such as a recording paper.
However, a problem caused by what is called sleeve ghosting can occur when some of the developer is not supplied to the image-carrying member for developing the electrostatic latent image and remains on the surface of the developer-carrying member after passing by the position opposing the image-carrying member. Thereupon, Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. HEI-9-236979 proposes to provide a removing member on the upstream side of the supplying member in the rotational direction of the developer-carrying member to remove the developer that is not supplied for developing the latent image but remains on the surface of the developer-carrying member. The occurrence of sleeve ghosting can be satisfactorily prevented in this case since the developer is supplied from the supplying member to the developer-carrying member after first removing the residual developer from the developer-carrying member.
However, in the device disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. HEI-9-236979, the developer-carrying member is rotated so that the peripheral surface of the developer-carrying member opposing the supplying member moves from bottom to top in relation to the direction of gravity, while the removing member is rotated such that the peripheral surface of the removing member opposing the developer-carrying member moves from top to bottom. Further, the removing member is disposed at the bottom section of a developing cartridge. Accordingly, toner removed by the removing member collects in a space between the removing member and a bottom surface of an outer case of the developing cartridge, which can have an adverse effect on toner circulation. A worsening in toner circulation can lead to such problems as a drastic reduction in image quality in parts of the formed image.

Developing device used in image forming device


A band power computation device with which the amount of calculation required to compute channel power is reduced, and with which it is possible to obtain channel power with the same precision as when the channel power is obtained from the entire input signal. With this device, a subspace extraction unit (101) extracts a portion of the input signal. An FFT unit (104) performs a Fourier transformation on the extracted signal, generating a spectrum signal. A power computation unit (105) computes the channel power for each frequency from the spectrum signal. A power generation unit (150) expands the channel power to the same channel power as the channel power computed from the input signal, and smoothes the expanded channel power by performing a calculation sequentially from the highest frequency to the lowest frequency, said calculation using the expanded channel power and a prescribed constant.

In mobile communication, compression coding of digital information such as speech or image is indispensable for effective utilization of a transmission band. Among the compression coding techniques, there is a great expectation for a speech codec (coding/decoding) technique which is widely used for mobile phones, and there is a growing demand for higher sound quality in conventional high efficiency coding with a high compression rate. Since the speech codec technique is publicly used, its standardization is indispensable and because of the enormous impact of intellectual property involved, companies worldwide are actively engaged in research and development thereof. In recent years, ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector) or MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) have been studying standardization of codec that can encode both speech and music, and more efficient and higher quality speech codec is required.
Speech recognition techniques are being put to practical use, mainly targeted for mobile phones or car navigation systems. Many worldwide venture businesses are being integrated into a small number of companies after being merged repeatedly and their speech recognition techniques are being used for products of a variety of companies.
In speech codec among those techniques, standard codec (ITU-T G729.1, G.718) that encodes input signals of a variety of speech bands is being standardized in which after using a power spectrum in Fourier transform (FFT: Fast Fourier Transform) (hereinafter, described as "FFT"), band power is calculated and a band of an input signal is determined.
Furthermore, what is problematic in speech coding and speech recognition is "environment noise" and techniques for removing this are also being actively studied. Moreover, in addition to noise cancellation, studies on techniques of transforming an input signal into a spectrum through FFT to detect noise or the presence or absence of speech are also being carried forward. With an increase in the processing speed of processors, a method of accurately analyzing spectra through FFT has been adopted in recent years in addition to filter banks which are conventionally used and noise is being analyzed using band power obtained therefrom.
The technique of calculating band power of a spectrum using FFT is used for noise cancellation (also referred to as "noise canceller" or "noise suppressor"), determination of a speech band, detection of speech or speech recognition or the like.
NPL 1 is known as an example where such a technique is used to determine a band of an input signal in speech coding. In this example, an input signal is subjected to FFT, power spectra are obtained, which are then added up for a specified frequency, band power is thereby calculated and a band of the input signal is determined based on the value of the band power.
Furthermore, PTL 1 and PTL 2 are known as examples using such a technique to remove noise. In these examples, an input signal is subjected to FFT, noise is removed on a spectrum, the result is reflected in the spectrum, which is then transformed into an output signal using inverse FFT, and noise is thereby reduced. PTL 1 and PTL 2 are characterized by obtaining a spectrum using FFT, adding up power spectra, then obtaining band power and analyzing noise. This band power is a parameter capable of not only analyzing noise but also analyzing the presence or absence of noise and sound quality. Using FFT in this way can perform an analysis accurately.

Band power computation device and band power computation method

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA


An optical extending device for use in transmission of optical signals which comprise at least one sequence of periodic optical signals, said optical device comprising: a first fiber optic having a characteristic dimensional propagation coefficient equal to β1 and adapted to be connected to a single mode second fiber optic having a length equal to L0 and a characteristic dimensional propagation coefficient equal to β0, wherein Lp, the length of said first fiber optic is substantially equal to {[T2/Π−L0*β0]/β1}*{1−MOD(L0/{T2/Π−L0*β0]/g(b)}} and wherein: n is an integer 1, 2, 3 . . . and is selected in accordance L0, the length of the single mode second fiber optic; T is a time period of the periodic optical signals; and MOD is the remainder obtained from dividing 10 by {[T2/Π−L0*β0]/β1}.

One of the problems known in the art to be associated with transmission of optical signals via optical network, is a problem known as dispersion. Typically, the optical output at the transmitting end is modulated and transmitted in its modulated form. However, in the optical network the beam undergoes light dispersion, which causes a distortion of the transmitted signal.
Various solutions were suggested in the past to overcome the dispersion problem. They included electronic methods used at the receiver and/or transmitter, and the use of high-dispersion optical elements located along the fiber link. U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,625 is one such publication that tries to address the dispersion problem. The publication discloses a frequency modulation technique used instead of the intensity modulation to increase the path of the transmission. However, this requires a suitable optical receiver at the receiving end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,234 teaches the use of a saturated semiconductor laser amplifier that can impose a chirp upon optical pulses having a pulse repetition rate in the range of 8 to 16 GHz, and having an optical carrier wave of wavelength in the near infra-red range. This solution ensures that degradation of the pulses because of dispersion does not commence until after an initial portion of the fiber segment has been traversed by the propagating pulses.
As known in the art, a temporal self-imaging effect in single mode fibers (also known as TALBOT effect) can be applied to reflection of periodic signals, from linearly chirped fiber gratings. This effect can be used for multiplying the repetition frequency of a given periodic pulse train without distorting the individual pulse characteristics. For a given fiber, the practical limit on the frequency multiplication factor depends only on the temporal width of the individual pulse.
Furthermore, a combination of techniques for short pulse mode generation such as pulse mode locking and the self-imaging effects allows to obtain short pulse trains with ultrahigh repetition rates, in the terabit regime as described for example in "Temporal self-Imaging in single mode fibers", T. Jannson and J. Jannson, JOSA-A Vol. 71, No. 11, 1393–1376, November (1981); "Technique for multiplying the repetition rates of periodic trains of pulses by means of a temporal—self imaging effect in chirped fiber gratings", J. Azanz and M. A. Muriel, Opt. Lett. Vol, 24, No. 23, 16721674, (1999); "Quasi Self Imaging using apreiodic sequences", G. Indebetouw, JOSA-A Vol. 9, No. 4, 549–558, November (1992). The disclosures of all references mentioned above and throughout the present specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference.


An image sensor may comprise photodiodes on a semiconductor; color filters on the photodiodes; a planarization layer covering the color filters; and microlenses on the planarization layer, including alternate hydrophilic microlenses and hydrophobic microlenses contacting the edges of the hydrophilic microlenses, corresponding to respective color filters.

Embodiments of the invention relate to an image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same.
An image sensor is defined as a semiconductor device converting an optical image into an electrical signal. Representative image sensors of the related art include a charge coupled device (CCD) and a CMOS image sensor, etc.
The image sensor may be manufactured according to the following process.
First, transistors and a photodiode electrically connected to one or more of the transistors are formed on a semiconductor substrate, and an insulating layer structure and wiring are formed on or over the transistors and the photodiode. Continuously, a color filter layer formed of red, green, and blue filters is formed on the insulating layer structure, and a positive type photoresist layer is applied to the upper surface of the color filter layer to form a planarization layer. Thereafter, a photoresist layer is applied to the upper surface of the planarization layer and patterned, and then a reflow process is performed to form a microlens providing light condensed in the photodiode.
The microlens is formed by forming a photoresist layer on the planarization layer and patterning it. However, when the microlens is formed by patterning the photoresist layer as described above, a gap of about 100 nm to 200 nm is formed between the microlenses so that light is incident through the gap, having a problem that the image quality may be less than optimal or ideal.

Image sensor having hydrophilic and hydrophobic microlenses and method for manufacturing the same


A method and apparatus is provided to support a plurality of objects such as keys with an inflatable apparatus when the inflatable apparatus is exposed to a body of water. In one embodiment, an inflatable apparatus provides an attachment member such as a key ring to attach objects such as keys to the inflatable apparatus. The inflatable apparatus is capable of inflating from a compact shape to an expanded shape upon contact with water. In the expanded shape, the inflatable apparatus provides sufficient buoyancy to support the objects coupled therewith and float the objects to the surface of the water for retrieval by a user. In situations where the weight of the object exceeds a buoyancy limit, the inflatable apparatus can extend a marker buoy to assist in the retrieval of the objects. In other embodiments, the inflatable apparatus includes a wireless transmit a wireless location signal.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relates to flotation devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to flotation devices that automatically activate when exposed to water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional flotation devices come in many shapes and sizes and are designed to float when they are placed in water. Many flotation devices are designed for specific purposes. For example, some flotation devices are designed for uses such as boating markers, swimming lane demarcation, fishing net support, etc. Some are used as safety devices such life jackets, life rings, floating tubes, etc. Other flotation devices such as beach balls, fishing bobbers, boat fenders, are used for sports, such as fishing, scuba diving, water skiing, sailing, swimming, etc.
Many flotation devices are designed to be inherently buoyant, such as the flotation rings mentioned above, bathtub toys, and the like, as they are often built with buoyant materials or cavities that contain sufficient air to provide buoyancy in water. Some inflatable life jackets and inflatable boats are designed to move from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration when exposed to water. This allows the inflatable life jackets and inflatable boats to provide a more compact shape for storage or transport, and in the case of the life jacket, may make wearing a life jacket more comfortable for the user.
Some flotation devices are specifically used to provide buoyancy to items such as keys, key chains, etc. For example, a piece of foam is often used to provide buoyancy to key chains used to hold a boating motor ignition key, storage locker key, vehicle key, key FOB, keys used to unlock doors of homes, offices, garage doors, and the like. In one case, a small piece of foam with a key ring attached is available for boaters and others who engage in marine activities. Unfortunately, the small piece of foam is often cumbersome and too large to hold in a pocket. In addition, there are often so many keys on the key ring that it cannot support the weight, and can sink if dropped into a body of water.
Therefore, what is needed is an inflatable apparatus that is easy to store in a pocket or purse and that can easily support the weight of objects attached thereto when placed into a body of water.


Methods for treatment of a parasitic infection of a trematode selected from the group consisting of Schistosoma such as Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mekongi, Schistosoma japonicum, and Schistosoma intercalatum, Fasciola such as Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, Fasciolopsis buski, Dicrocoelium dendriticun, Heterophyes heterophyes, and Metagonimus yokogawa, the methods comprising administration of a pharmaceutical composition containing as active agent at least one compound selected the group consisting of a compound of formula I: ##STR1## and a compound of formula II: ##STR2##

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a methods for treatment of infections of Schistosoma such as Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mekongi, Schistosoma japonicum, and Schistosoma intercalatum, Fasciola such as Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, Fasciolopsis buski, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Heterophyes heterophyes, and Metagonimus yokogawa, the method comprising administration of a pharmaceutical composition containing as active agent a compound selected from the group consisting of a desacetyl-nitazoxanide and nitazoxanide.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many parasitic infections prevalent in humans are difficult to treat. Schistosoma mansoni, the blood fluke, is the causative agent of Schistosomiasis (Bilharziosis, Bilharziose), the second most important tropical parasitic disease of man (after Malaria), and the most important trematode infection of man. Schistosoma haematobium is another important species infecting man. Over 200 million individuals suffer from schistosomiasis world wide, including several hundred thousand people in the United States. The disease is spreading due to technological advances and irrigation programs in underdeveloped countries. Humans are actively invaded by the waterliving cercariae of the parasite, which are emitted from water snails. The snails are actively invaded by miracidia, which originate from eggs, released from the human hosts into water. Pathology associated with infection is not caused by direct activity of the parasite, but rather by immunological and inflammatory responses of the host. There is no treatment for dermatitis or Katayame syndrome associated with infection, but praziquantel is reportedly effective against schistosomes.
Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, is primarily a disease of sheep. However, humans are an accidental host acquiring infectious metacercariae through consumption of contaminated water, aquatic grasses or watercress. In the United States Fasciola hepatica is enzootic in extensive areas in the southern, southeastern, southwest, west and north central United States. The adult worms live in the bile ducts and release their eggs into the lumen of the intestine, which are then evacuated with feces. When eggs get into water the ciliated miracidia hatch and find a suitable intermediate host snail. After successful penetration of the intermediate host they develop through sporocyst and redial stages to cercariae which are shed from the snail. The free-swimming larvae attach themselves to firm surfaces like grass blades and form encysted metacercariae which are infective for several months under favorable circumstances. When shallow fresh water vegetation is ingested by the final host, the metacercariae excyst in the small intestine, migrate through the gut wall, cross the peritoneum and penetrate the liver capsule. After tunneling through the parenchyma for several weeks the young flukes migrate to the bile ducts and occasionally to the gall bladder and become mature. The parasite manages to survive in the presence of a vigorous host immune response. Symptoms associated with migration include epigastric pain, abdominal tenderness, urticaria and high-level eosinophilia. Bithionol has been suggested for treatment, but is not approved for use in the United States.

Method for treatment of trematodes with pharmaceutical compositions of tizoxanide and nitazoxanide


A brushless wire-rope cleaner having a base plate, two side members arranged on a base plate at a distance from one another, and a cover extending from one side member to the other side member so that the base plate, the side members and the cover form a channel. A cleaning element is slideably arranged in the channel and a tensioning mechanism is arranged to slide the cleaning element through the channel.

The present invention relates to devices for cleaning wire cables, and more particularly to a brushless cleaning device.
The conventional manner in which elevators are operated is by hoisting and lowering of the elevator car by wire cable. Wire cables are constructed of individual strands of wire that are twisted to form the cables. Typically five to six such cables are required for each elevator car installation, depending upon the load rating of the elevator and the length of the elevator's run.
FIG. 12 is a simplified illustration of a conventional signal elevator installation 10. The cables 100 extend from the elevator car 110, over the hoist machine 130 and offset wheel 120 to the counterweight 140. The offset wheel 120 is required to offset the elevator car 110 from the counterweight 140 such that each will not interfere with the travel of the other. The hoist machine 130 is typically installed on the top or intermediate floor 150 of the building and is supported by legs 135.
As seen FIG. 12, at least one side of the cables separate from the hoist machine 130 substantially perpendicular to the floor 150, while the other side of the cables separate from the machine 130 at an oblique angle. This angle is caused by the above described offset required between the counterweight 140 and the car 110. From the machine 130, the cables 100 pass through two holes 160, 170 in the floor 150 to reach the car 110 and the weight 140 respectively.
The cables 100 require lubrication in order to operate properly. In the course of operation, the cables 100 become caked with contaminants that adhere to the lubricant and to the cables 100 themselves. The contaminants consist essentially of dirt and dust. For safety reasons, the cables 100 must be periodically cleaned to remove the contaminants. Cables have usually been cleaned by hand using rags, lubricant and a wire brush. Often, cleaning was performed while the cables were in operation since halting use of the elevator for manual cleaning of cables could take the elevator out of service for several hours. As the cables typically travel at 1,400 feet/minute, manual cleaning is an inherently dangerous operation.
Various types of cleaning devices are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,882 (the '882 patent) discloses an apparatus for mechanical holding a pair of brushes on either side of the cables. The apparatus of the '882 patent includes a U-shaped holder that is bolted directly to the floor in the area of the holes through which the elevator cables pass.
Another brush-type cleaning apparatus is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,528.
A brushless cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,011. In this device, a length of carpet is draped over the cables as they pass over the cable sheave. The carpet services to wipe the cables as they move around the sheave.
The problems associated with brush-type cleaning devices include the potential for damaging the cable surfaces over time, as well as the problem of metal filings collecting on the motor armature and field pieces The main problem with carpet type cleaners is that a relatively long length of carpet is required which once it is contaminated with sludge must be replaced. Due to its length and weight it is cumbersome and difficult to replace the carpet.


Raised portions are formed at opposing side portions of a metallic enclosing plate 4c, and an outside fitting portion 4c and an inside fitting portion are formed on the upper portions of the raised portions. A plurality of the enclosing plates are prepared and they are mutually joined via the raised portions and the outside fitting portion and the inside fitting portion are fitted together and arranged in parallel. A slide engaging portion of a mounting fixture is slidably fitted on the fitting portions of the enclosing plates and a sandwiching portion of the mounting fixture is fitted on a horizontal portion of a beam. In this construction, the enclosing plate can be mounted on the beam without using bolts or screws.

This invention relates to an enclosing plate mounting device for fixing enclosing plates such as roof shingles or exterior sheets on a beam such as an H-beam.
Heretofore, in one case of fixing roof shingles on a beam such as an H-beam, a mounting member was fixed to a predetermined location of the beam by means of welding, and the roofing shingle was fixed to the mounting member by means of a bolt. In another case, a hole bored in the roofing shingle was matched with a hole bored in the beam at a predetermined location, and the bolt was inserted into these holes to fix the roofing shingle on the beam.
The dimensions of a width of interval of a plurality of mounting portions of the roofing shingles has been predetermined. For this reason, in the conventional foregoing technique, matching the dimensions accurately, and welding the mounting member on the beam at a predetermined position or boring a mounting hole, were difficult. As a result, the roofing shingle fixing process was regarded as inefficient. Furthermore, when the mounting member fixed on the beam or the hole bored on the beam was found to involve an error with respect to the mounting positions, the roofing shingles were not fixed on the beam. In order to eliminate these drawbacks, a roofing shingle mounting device is disclosed in an official Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 5-209449, a mounting fixture mounted on the lower horizontal portion of the beam is slidably fitted, and a raised portion of the roofing shingle is fixed to the mounting member of the mounting fixture by means of the bolt or screw.
In the process according to a conventional technique, as the raised portion of the roofing shingle was fixed on the mounting member of the mounting fixture by means of the bolt or screw, an electric tool was needed, and a wiring installation such as an electric cord or the like was required. Furthermore, in the case of fixing the roofing shingle on the mounting fixture by means of the bolt or screw, there was no room to allow for the thermal expansion of the roofing shingle, and thus there was a concern that the roofing shingle would warp.


A method for reducing the severity of host vs graft reaction (HVGR) by the transplant recipient of donor organ or tissue by the transplant recipient and is based on the discovery that hsp60 autoimmunity can function as an accelerator of foreign immunity and the down-regulation of hsp60 autoimmunity suppresses or prevents the graft rejection reaction. Administration of any composition which causes the down-regulation of hsp60 autoimmunity, such as hsp60 or peptide p277 in a tolerogenic carrier or a biologically active carrier capable of mediating a TH1.fwdarw.TH2 shift, will thus reduce the severity of HVGR.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of reducing the severity of host vs graft reaction (HVGR) by down-regulating autoimmunity to heat shock protein hsp60. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of hsp60 protein or hsp60 epitope peptides to suppress graft rejection by down-regulating hsp60 autoimmunity.
2. Description of the Background Art
Autoimmune disorders, e.g., insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM or type I diabetes), multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and thyroiditis, are characterized by reactivity of the immune system to an endogenous antigen, with consequent injury to tissues. These immune responses to self-antigens are maintained by the persistent activation of self-reactive T lymphocytes.
The 60 kDa heat shock protein (hsp60) is a stress protein expressible in all of the cells of the body. Nevertheless, healthy individuals manifest a high frequency of autoimmune T cells specific for hsp60 self-epitopes. Normal healthy mice and human beings have been shown to have T cells targeted at their self hsp60 antigen (Kaufmann, 1990; Kaufmann et al., 1994; Young, 1989; Cohen, 1992b). However, these autoimmune T cells are also involved in T cell mediated autoimmune diseases: a high concentration of T cells targeted at self hsp60 antigen have been found in the autoimmune lesions of human chronic arthritis (Cohen, 1991; Res et al., 1989; van Eden et al., 1989), multiple sclerosis (Selmaj et al., 1991), experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (Selmaj et al., 1991) and adjuvant arthritis (Hogervorst et al., 1992). Anti-hsp60 T-cells have also been shown to play a role in diabetes mellitus in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model (Elias et al., 1990; Elias et al., 1991; Elias et al., 1994; Elias et al., 1995; Birk et al., 1996a; Birk et al., 1993; Cohen , 1991).
NOD mice spontaneously develop type I diabetes caused by autoimmune T cells that attack the insulin-producing .beta. cells of the islets. The autoimmune attack is associated with T-cell reactivity to a variety of self-antigens including a peptide of the 60 kDa heat shock protein (hsp60) and peptides of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Thus, for example, spontaneous diabetes developing in the NOD/Lt strain of mice could b e treated with hsp60 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,844) or with antigenic fragments thereof, such as the peptide designated p277 corresponding to positions 437-460 of the human hsp60 sequence (PCT Patent Publication No. W090/10449); variants of the p277 peptide in which one or both cysteine residues at positions 6 and/or 11 have been replaced by valine and/or the Thr residue at position 16 is replaced by Lys (see PCT Publication WO96/19236); or various other peptides such as those designated p12 and p32, corresponding to positions 166-185 and 466-485, respectively, of the human hsp60 sequence (see PCT application PCT/US96/11375). Note that the hsp60 protein was formerly designated hsp65 but is now designated hsp60 in view of more accurate molecular weight information; by either designation the proteins are the same.
Immunization to hsp60 or peptide p277 in an appropriate adjuvant is known to induce IDDM (WO90/10449) when the immunization triggers a TH1 response. However, vaccination with hsp60 or peptide p277 without an effective adjuvant, and preferably with a tolerogenic carrier or, more preferably, with a TH2-inducing active carrier, can produce a resistance to the autoimmune process of IDDM. Subcutaneous administration of p277 in incomplete Freund adjuvant (IFA; mineral oil) led to the arrest of disease progression in young NOD mice (Elias et al., 1991) or in 12-17 week old NOD mice with advanced insulitis (Elias et al., 1994 and 1995). Both the human (Elias et al., 1994 and 1995) and mouse (Birk et al., 1996a) variants of p277 were effective. NOD mice transgenic for the mouse hsp60 gene on an MHC class II promoter showed down-regulation of their spontaneous T-cell proliferative response to p277 and a significant proportion of the mice were spared the development of diabetes (Birk et al., 1996b). Moreover, administration of p277 to C57BL/KsJ mice aborted the development of autoimmune diabetes in mice that had earlier received a very low dose of the .beta.-cell toxin streptozotocin (STZ); treatment of these mice with a peptide of the GAD65 molecule was not effective (Elias et al., 1996). Preferred TH2-inducing active carriers for use in the administration of such hsp60 fragments are certain fat emulsions, such as Intralipid or Lipofundin (see PCT/US96/11373).
Furthermore, T cells reactive to hsp60 and other hsp molecules have been isolated from cardiac allografts (Moliterno et al., 1995) as well as from other inflammatory lesions (Selmaj et al., 1991; Mor et al., 1992). Thus, anti-hsp60 autoimmune T cells accumulate at sites of inflammation. Donor-specific alloreactive T lymphocytes exhibiting such characteristics as cytolytic activity and lymphokine production are believed to mediate transplant rejection where hsp-reactive T cells may play a role in the immune cascade of the inflammatory process in transplant rejection (Moliterno et al., 1995).
It has recently been discovered by the laboratory of the present inventors that the successful treatment of the autoimmune process in IDDM by administration of the peptide p277 in oil is caused by the effect of this treatment in aborting TH1-type autoimmunity to several different antigens and instead activating p277 autoimmunity into a TH2 mode. T cells of the CD4 "helper" type have been divided into two groups, TH1 and TH2, by the characteristic cytokines they secrete when activated (Mosmann et al, 1989). TH1 cells secrete IL-2, which induces T cell proliferation, and cytokines such as IFN-.gamma., which mediate tissue inflammation. TH2 cells, in contrast, secrete IL-4 and IL-10. IL-4 helps cells secrete antibodies of certain IgG isotypes and suppresses the production of TH1 inflammatory cytokines (Abas et al., 1994). IL-10 indirectly inhibits TH1 activation by affecting antigen-presentation and inflammatory cytokine production by macrophages (Moore et al., 1993). It is the TH1 cells which contribute to the pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmune diseases. TH1-type responses also appear to be involved in other T cell mediated diseases or conditions, such as contact dermatitis (Romagnani, 1994). Thus, a disease with a spectrum of autoreactivities can be turned off with a single peptide capable of inducing a T cell cytokine shift.
Transplantation is presently the treatment of choice for organ failure. During the 1980s, the discovery of cyclosporin A played a role in the significant increase in graft survival. But the use of transplants is still limited because of the acute immune rejection phenomenon (host vs graft rejection, or HVGR) which may destroy the transplanted tissue within days to months after the surgery. Control and regulation of HVGR are crucial to the development of better transplantation methods.
Nonspecific immunosuppressive therapy in an adult patient is usually through cyclosporin, started intravenously at the time of transplantation, and given orally once feeding is tolerated. Typically, methylprednisone is started also at the time of transplantation, then reduced to a maintenance dose. Azathioprine is also often used in conjunction with prednisone to achieve adequate immunosuppression. Whereas the objective of immunosuppression is to protect the transplant, general or excessive immunosuppression may lead to undesirable complications, e.g., opportunistic infections and potential malignancies. The toxicity of the immunosuppressive drugs is dose-dependent.
Means to diminish or eliminate HVGR have been long sought in the art. Any process capable of reducing the vigor of the rejection process and reducing the doses of immunosuppressive drugs needed to maintain the graft would be a significant advance in this art.
Citation of any document herein is not intended as an admission that such document is pertinent prior art, or considered material to the patentability of any claim of the present application. Any statement as to content or a date of any document is based on the information available to applicant at the time of filing and does not constitute an admission as to the correctness of such a statement.

Method of reducing the severity of host vs graft reaction by down-regulating hsp60 autoimmunity


A method for producing tetraalkoxysilane includes reacting a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 below with an alkali metal at a molar ratio ranging from 1.0:1.0 to 1.0:1.1 and in the absence of a solvent to produce a basic catalyst represented by Chemical Formula 2 below; and mixing the basic catalyst represented by Chemical Formula 2, silicon metal, and an alcohol represented by Chemical Formula 3 below to produce tetraalkoxysilane:

Tetraalkoxysilane has been used widely in various industrial fields ranging from preparation of silica particles, inorganic materials thereof and organic polymer composites thereof to adhesives, hard coating agents, etc.
Tetraalkoxysilane may be obtained by the dehydrochlorinative alkoxylation of tetrachlorosilane with alcohol or by the direct reaction of silicon metal with alcohol in the presence of an alkali catalyst.
The former method for the production of tetraethoxysilane is now commercialized, but provides undesired acidic HCl as a byproduct. Moreover, HCl undergoes a reaction with alcohol to give water and chloroalkane as byproducts. Therefore, acidic HCl should be neutralized with base under inert condition as soon as possible and then removed in salt form. It is required for additional processes such as neutralization and filtration making cost-expensive steps.
Therefore, a method for preparing tetraalkoxysilane in large scale at low cost is drawing a lot of attentions.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,156,861 discloses a method for producing alkoxysilane through direct reaction of silicon metal with alcohol in the presence of a copper catalyst. However, the US patent has a disadvantage in that the main product is trialkoxysilane and only a small amount of tetraalkoxysilane can be obtained.

Method for continuous production of tetraalkoxysilane

Abstract: Chemical Formula 1R1O(CHR2CH2O)n—H,

Abstract: Chemical Formula 2R1O(CHR2CH2O)n-M, and

Abstract: Chemical Formula 3R3OH,

Abstract: where M is alkali metal, R1 represents a C1-C5 linear hydrocarbon group or a C3-C5 branched hydrocarbon group, R2 represents H or a C1-C3 linear hydrocarbon group, R3 represents a C1-C2 alkyl group, and n is an integer of 2-3. Thus, it is possible to increase the proportion of the catalyst in the process, and to minimize production of impurities caused by solvent decomposition.

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


An image acquired by an image sensor is recorded, and the blur amount of the recorded image is changed in accordance with a blur amount determined beforehand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capture device such as a digital camera and the like, and a method of image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras are known to have functions for acquiring a plurality of images of different focal lengths focused, for example, in the foreground and background, and generating a pan-focus image focused on a plurality of objects from these plurality of images, or generating a blur control image adjusted for the blur condition of objects of the foreground and background.
This blur control principle is disclosed, for example, by Kodama, Ohnishi, Aizawa, and Hattori in "Arbitrary focused image acquisition by using multiple differently focused image," Image Information Media society; VOL. 51, No. 12, pp. 2072–2081 (1997).
In this related art publication, however, only the principle of controlling the blur condition using the amount of blur relative to the amount of lens extension is disclosed, and the freedom of selection of the blur condition is low. That is, a blur condition set by a user is limited by the installed lens. Alternatively, there are limitations such as the inability to take a photograph which exceeds the stop and shutter speed restricted by the camera structure.
In view of the aforesaid facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an image capture device and a method of image processing which increase the freedom of setting the blur condition when generating a blur control image.

Image capture device and method of controlling blur in captured images


An improved method of detecting latent bloodstains using a thickened solution of fluorescin which is applied to a surface, activated by application of hydrogen peroxide and visualized as fluorescein under ultraviolet (UV) light is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluorescent methods of detecting blood, and specifically relates to the use of fluorescein for detection of latent bloodstains on solid surfaces.
2. Relevant Prior Art
In forensic investigations, detection of blood often provides critical information about commission of a crime. Because criminals often attempt to hide evidence of criminal activity, blood is often wiped or washed away from a crime scene. Therefore, detection of latent bloodstains may be the only means of discovering this type of information related to the crime committed.
One method of detecting faint or dilute bloodstains includes spraying the area suspected of containing bloodstains with a chemiluminescent agent (5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazine, also known as luminol) and then detecting emitted light where the blood is located. Oxidation of luminol is accompanied by a striking emission of light that can be visually or photographically detected. Oxidation of luminol occurs in the presence of iron and peroxides, both of which are generally present in bloodstains. Because of this property, luminol has been one of the most commonly used bloodstain detection reagents. Luminol can also be oxidized by environmentally-present iron, copper, cyanides and peroxides, which can result in high background signals when attempting to locate latent bloodstains in some environments.
In addition, luminol has been characterized as a "possible carcinogenic" on material safety data sheets (MSDS) provided by commercial suppliers to provide consumers with safety information. Because of increased concern by users and regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protectional Agency, with respect to toxic and/or mutagenic reagents used in the work place, there is a need for an alternative to luminol for detection of latent bloodstains. Enforcement of more stringent safety guidelines may also have limited the use of luminol. Thus, there is a need for a safe, reliable alternative bloodstain enhancement technique.
Fluorescein (3',6'-dihydroxyspiro[isobenzofuran-1 (3H), 9'-[9H]xanthen]-3-one) and related compounds have been used as fluorescent agents in clinical diagnostics for many years. Fluorescein may be used to detect and locate the position of gastrointestinal bleeding (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,859). U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,223 discloses a fluoresceable composition that includes fluorescein as a tracer for use in the vascular system, particularly for detecting ophthalmic conditions. Fluorescein has been used in angiography diagnostics for vascular ophthalmic disorders (Reichel, E., & Puliafito, C., "Indocyanine Green (ICG) angiography in the diagnosis and treatment of choroidal neovascularization," Clinical Modules, New England Eye Center, January 1994). Fluorescein has been combined with other reagents to measure the circulating red cell volume, the total blood volume and red cell survival as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,643. A fluorescein fatty acid monoester has been used diagnostically, where fluorescein released in urine or serum provides a measurement of exocrine pancreatic function as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,140. Fluorescent cell stains have also been used in in vitro diagnostics, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,027.
Fluorescein has been widely used in detecting activities associated with biological samples, including blood, and has been suggested as an alternative reagent to replace luminol for detecting bloodstains (Maucieri, L. & Monk, J., "Enhancement of Faint and Dilute Bloodstains With Fluorescence Reagents," Cal. Assoc. Criminalists, Summer 1992). In this process, a fluorescin (2-(3,6-dihydroxy-9H-xanthen-9-yl)-benzoic acid) solution is applied to the bloodstain, and is thereby converted to fluorescein by the peroxide and heme of the blood, to produce a fluorescence. The method may include hydrogen peroxide treatment of the fluorescintreated area to enhance the fluorescence signal. The fluorescein method for detecting latent bloodstains at suspected crime scenes, however, generally has not provided the resolution desired for documentation of evidence when blood has been detected. That is, although the presence of blood may be detected, detail in the pattern of the stain is generally lost due to running and smearing of the stain during processing, particularly if the stain is on a relatively non-porous and vertical surface. Hence, there is a need for a method of detecting latent bloodstains that does not require the use of luminol, that provides sensitivity for detecting small amounts of blood on a variety of surfaces, and that provides sufficient resolution to detect pattern characteristics and details of latent bloodstains.
In addition, production of the fluorescin solution used in the fluorescein detection method involves relatively complex chemical procedures (i.e., a refluxing reaction) that can only be performed by those with sufficient training and equipment. Because a relatively fresh fluorescin solution is required to practice a fluorescein detection method, this limits use of the method to those facilities that have the capacity to perform the chemical steps needed to produce the reagent. Thus, there is also a need for a relatively simple method of producing fluorescin reagent.


A (meth)acrylate copolymer obtained by copolymerization of a monomer mixture containing a monomer (A) of the general formula (I),

With an increase in the population of aged people, the number of aged patients having senile cataract has noticeably increased. For treating a patient with cataract, the opaque lens and cortex are removed and the vision is corrected with an ophthalmic lens or a contact lens, or an intraocular lens is inserted. It is a generally practiced method at present to remove the entire lens and then fix an intraocular lens in the capsule.
In recent years, as ultrasonic emulsification suction has come to be widely used, an intraocular lens that is insertable through a small incision has been developed and widely clinically used for reducing post-surgery astigmatism and surgery invasion. This lens is a soft intraocular lens that can be inserted through a small incision since its optic portion is formed of a soft material and is hence foldable.
Various inventions have been so far made for materials for intraocular lenses excellent in transparency and flexibility. For example, there have been proposed an intraocular lens obtained by copolymerization of a mixture containing at least two (meth)acrylate monomers having aromatic rings and a crosslinking monomer (see JP-A-4-292609), an intraocular lens obtained by copolymerization of a mixture containing a perfluorooctylethyloxypropylene (meth)acrylate monomer, a 2-phenylethyl(meth)acrylate monomer, an alkyl(meth)acrylate monomer and a crosslinking monomer (see JP-A-8-224295), an intraocular lens formed of a copolymer from a monomer of which a homopolymer has a refractive index of 1.5 or more, a monomer of which a homopolymer has a glass transition temperature of less than 30° C. and a crosslinking monomer, and the like (see Japanese Translation Version No. 8-503506 of PCT Application).
All of these intraocular lenses have transparency and flexibility and are deformable, so that they can be inserted through a relatively small incision. After such an intraocular lens is implanted in the eye, however, a so-called glistening phenomenon takes place, in which the transparency of the intraocular lens is greatly decreased or removed due to numerous small and large water bubbles that are thought to be caused by a phase separation of water that has infiltrated into a lens material, from the lens material.
For overcoming the above glistening problem, there have been proposed a copolymer formed from only one main aryl acrylic hydrophobic monomer and one main hydrophilic monomer present in an amount that is not larger than the amount of the former (see JP-A-2001-316426) and a soft intraocular lens that is formed of a polymer obtained by polymerization of a monomer component containing a hydrophilic monomer and that has a water absorptivity of 1.5 to 4.5% by weight (see JP-A-11-56998).
It can be thought that these materials can inhibit the phenomenon of glistening, etc., which occurs after the implantation of an intraocular lens in the eye. Since, however, a hydrophilic monomer is contained, the refractive index is decreased. Further, when a hydrophilic monomer such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate ("HEMA" hereinafter) is used, the phenomenon of calcium deposition takes place, which may possibly cause the opacification of a lens. Further, when a hydrophilic monomer such as N-vinylpyrrolidone is used, the polymerization reactivity may be decreased and an unreacted monomer may be eluted.
Further, there is proposed an intraocular lens material that is a copolymer obtained by polymerization of a monomer mixture containing 2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl acrylate as a monomer component and a crosslinking agent (JP-A-8-173522).
The copolymer described in JP-A-8-173522 exhibits low tackiness (low adhesion), a low water content and high refractivity. However, the present inventors have ascertained that this copolymer is insufficient for inhibiting the glistening phenomenon although it contains, as a structural unit of the copolymer, a unit derived from a hydroxyl-group-containing monomer such as 2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl acrylate (see Comparative Example to be described later).

(Meth)acrylate compound and process for the production thereof, (meth)acrylate copolymer and process for the production of (meth)acrylate copolymer, and soft intraocular lens

Abstract: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or methyl, R2 is a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms and Y is a single bond or an oxygen atom, a monomer (B) copolymerizable with the monomer (A) and a crosslinking monomer (C).


A processor executes a system call instruction. The processor includes at least two registers in which target addresses may be stored, and selects the target address from one of the registers responsive to the operating mode. Different target addresses may be programmed into the registers, and thus the operating mode of the code sequence may be indicated by which target address is selected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of processors and, more particularly, to system call instructions in processor architectures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The x86 architecture (also known as the IA-32 architecture) has enjoyed widespread acceptance and success in the marketplace. Accordingly, it is advantageous to design processors according to the x86 architecture. Such processors may benefit from the large body of software written to the x86 architecture (since such processors may execute the software and thus computer systems employing the processors may enjoy increased acceptance in the market due to the large amount of available software).
The x86 architecture supports a set of four privilege levels at which operating system and/or application code may execute. Application code typically executes at the lowest privilege level (3), and at least some of the operating system code typically executes at the highest privilege level (0). Changes in privilege level are accomplished using a relatively slow gate mechanism within the segmentation mechanism of the x86 architecture. In the gate mechanism, low privileged code (e.g. application code) may transfer control to higher privileged code through a gate descriptor in the segment descriptor table (which may be located by arguments to the CALL instruction supported in the x86 architecture) which includes protection checking to ensure the privilege transition is allowed and which points to yet another segment descriptor which locates the higher privileged code. Numerous protection checks are performed during the transition.
Unfortunately, the gate mechanism is too slow to allow for efficient calls to operating system services, reducing the execution performance of the system. To address this problem, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. introduced two instructions, a system call (SYSCALL) instruction and a system return (SYSRET) instruction. These instructions allow for a low latency call to the operating system and return from the operating system which bypasses numerous protection checks and memory accesses to the descriptor tables. Intel Corp. also introduced SYSENTER and SYSEXIT instructions for similar reasons. The system call instruction branches to the operating system at an address specified in a register (e.g. a model specific register).
As computer systems have continued to evolve, 64 bit address size (and sometimes operand size) has become desirable. A larger address size allows for programs having a larger memory footprint (the amount of memory occupied by the instructions in the program and the data operated upon by the program) to operate within the memory space. A larger operand size allows for operating upon larger operands, or for more precision in operands. More powerful applications and/or operating systems may be possible using 64 bit address and/or operand sizes. Thus, it may be desirable to provide an architecture which is compatible with the x86 processor architecture but which includes support for 64 bit processing as well.
Supporting 64 bit processing may complicate operating system calls and returns. Generally, the application program may load operands into registers, predefined memory locations, and/or the stack prior to performing the system call instruction. The operands may specify the desired operating system service as well as operands for that service. Unfortunately, the size of the operands may depend on the operating mode in which the application program is executing (e.g. 32 bit applications may provide 32 bit operands and 64 bit applications may provide 64 bit operands). Thus, the location of each operand (e.g. in memory or on the stack) may depend on the operating mode of the application program. Furthermore, the operands in registers may require modification (e.g. sign extension) before being used if the application program is 32 bit. It may not be easy to quickly determine the operating mode of the application program.

Multiple entry points for system call instructions


A hub device detects, using a plurality of different wireless communication interfaces, the presence of a plurality of different wireless devices, wherein, initially, each of the plurality of different wireless devices implements an unknown type of wireless connectivity. The hub device detects a type of wireless connectivity, of a plurality of different types of wireless connectivity, for each of the plurality of different wireless devices whose presence is detected, and causes a connection to be established to the plurality of different wireless devices, via selected ones of the plurality of different wireless communication interfaces, based on the type of wireless connectivity detected for each of the plurality of different wireless devices. The hub device forwards data received from one of the plurality of different wireless devices to another of the plurality of different wireless devices using two different ones of the plurality of different types of wireless connectivity.

Many different types of electronic devices have wireless communication capability. Typically, those devices may have wireless communication capability via a single type of wireless connectivity. For example, a cellular telephone may be capable of communicating with other telephones via a wireless channel of a cellular network; a set-top box may be capable of communicating with remote control devices via infrared signals; a laptop computer may be capable of communicating with the Internet via Wi-Fi; and a television may be capable of communicating via an internal Near Field Communication (NFC) interface.
In a local area, such as, for example, in a home or a place of business, each of the wireless devices may not, however, have the capability to communicate with every one of the other wireless devices due to incompatible types of wireless connectivities. Therefore, a television having only NFC communication capability may be incapable of communicating with a tablet computer having only Wi-Fi communication capability, or a set-top box having only infrared wireless communication capability may be incapable of communicating with a cellular telephone having only cellular network connectivity.


A window treatment swatch card and a swatch card display for displaying a plurality of groups of swatch cards. Each swatch card has an actual sample of window treatment material and indicia identifying information associated with the particular window treatment material attached on a first portion thereof. Each swatch card within each group is provided with indicia identifying information associated with the corresponding sample on a second portion thereof. The display unit includes a plurality of columns of pockets, each of which is closely sized for one group of said swatch cards to be removably stored therein in an upright fashion. The swatch cards, having a height slightly greater than that of each pocket, permit each different sample to be viewed before being removed from the pocket and taken home and kept by the consumer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to commercial retail display units and samples therefor, and more particularly to a display unit and swatch card for displaying a plurality of actual samples of window treatment materials.
2. Description of Related Art
Displaying of product samples for retail or wholesale is well known. An example of such a display unit is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,480 invented by Housman disclosing a wall covering sample card storage unit. A brick display board invented by Roland is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,857 wherein, in one embodiment, display bricks are permanently attached to a Plexiglas sheet by adhesive.
Moncrief, et al. in U.S. Design 335,781 teaches a display unit for floor tile samples. Another design patent is disclosed for displaying flooring samples in U.S. Design 303,460 invented by Schouten.
Samaria, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,128 teaches a perpendicular display rack for pegboard support members. This invention includes a main frame capable of holding a package which might be a display card capable of holding product samples.
An older U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,364, teaches a fabric display device invented by Kirschbaum. Schaffer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,259 teaches a carpet display system in which colors of a particular line of carpeting are displayed on a single card.
The display unit for samples of floor tiles, carpets and similar articles invented by Bolyn is disclosed in U.S. Design 278,954. The advertising device invented by Cohen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,372 teaches the display of miniature rug samples on a larger wall surface.
A merchandising selling system and display unit therefor is taught by Gabig in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,576 in which a product display board including samples of memorial products of each product line are arranged in rows with related design features arranged in the columns.
Other product sample methods now available include sample books which may not be taken home or kept by the consumer. Mail order companies will, upon request, send actual samples, but are not attached to sample cards that also show pricing and options.
The following additional U.S. patents are known to teach some form of commercial display of product as follows:                U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,110 to Hytry, et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,139 to Brozak, Jr.        U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,059 to Mendelsohn        U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,024 to Lerner, et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 886,057 to Hockaday
The present invention discloses a window treatment swatch card sampling display for actual take home swatch cards, each of which bear an actual sample of a window treatment material and indicia identifying information associated with that particular sample. The display unit is structured to hold and display columns of groups of actual samples so that a perspective purchaser of window treatment product may easily view samples available and then remove one or more of the swatch cards for closer examination at home, for example, to allow more careful comparison to the actual installation environment. Further product identification information applied thereto allows the consumer to carry the selected swatch cards home for close comparison to the window installation environment.

Window treatment swatch card sampling display and swatch cards therefor


A method for manufacturing an SiC semiconductor device according to the present invention includes the steps of (a) implanting an impurity into a surface layer of an SiC substrate at a concentration of 1×1020 cm−3 or higher, (b) forming a graphite film on a surface of the SiC substrate after the step (a), (c) activating the impurity by annealing the SiC substrate after the step (b), (d) removing the graphite film after the step (c), (e) oxidizing the surface of the SiC substrate to form an oxide film after the step (d), (f) removing the oxide film, and (g) measuring resistance of the SiC substrate by a four-point probe method after the step (f).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an SiC semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing an SiC semiconductor device that allows the measurement of resistance by a four-point probe method.
2. Description of the Background Art
An activation annealing apparatus used in manufacturing processes of a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device performs annealing at a temperature of 1600° C. or higher. In conventional silicon (Si) semiconductor devices, an annealing temperature is up to approximately 1300° C. A thermocouple (for example, JIS-standard R-type or B-type thermocouple) is inserted inside heat treatment equipment to perform temperature calibration.
When heat treatment is performed at a high temperature of 1600° C. or higher using the activation annealing apparatus, a thermocouple made of a tungsten-rhenium (W—Re) alloy can be used to perform temperature calibration, but oxidation of the thermocouple deteriorates wires of thermocouple. Therefore, since the deterioration will break the wires of thermocouple when the thermocouple is inserted twice or so in a high-temperature atmosphere, it is very difficult to steadily control the temperature calibration of the activation annealing apparatus.
Under the method using the thermocouple, a temperature distribution in a substrate surface will be measured with a substrate having the thermocouple. However, a method for welding wires of the thermocouple onto an SiC substrate also has many problems, and it is difficult to control and operate the method. Accordingly, in the current operation, a method is used to fabricate a simple patterned substrate using an SiC substrate, to calculate acceptor concentration in the substrate by measuring a C-V characteristic (capacitance-voltage characteristic) of the substrate, and to substitute for a temperature equivalent. The above-mentioned simple patterned substrate is manufactured in accordance with the following processes.
First, aluminum (Al) is implanted into the SiC substrate in order to form a p-type layer in a substrate surface layer. Next, a protective film (for example, a graphite film) is formed on the substrate surface as a pretreatment of the annealing. Then, the annealing is performed at a high temperature of 1600° C. or higher by the activation annealing apparatus in order to activate the implanted impurity. Subsequently, the protective film is removed and a cylindrical Al electrode is formed on the SiC substrate surface. Refer, for example, to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-231037 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-248648 for impurity implantation into the SiC substrate, annealing, and the like.
C-V measurement is performed on the SiC substrate formed through the above processes. Al acceptor concentration in the substrate is calculated. Temperature calibration is performed by converting this Al acceptor concentration into temperature.
The above-described manufacturing processes of the simple patterned substrate applied to the method for manufacturing the conventional SiC semiconductor devices have a problem that the number of manufacturing processes increases because many other processes are also included, such as Al electrode formation and patterning.
In addition, since the measurement in the substrate surface can be performed only at a point where an electrode is formed and the measurement cannot be performed at a point without an electrode, measurement points are limited. It is not possible to perform a detailed distributive analysis of the temperature in the surface.
If measurement with a four-point probe sheet resistance measuring instrument employed in heat treatment equipment for Si devices can also be performed on the SiC substrate as a substitute for this monitoring method, it is not necessary to form an Al electrode, and it is possible to measure at any point on the substrate. However, the SiC substrate itself is too hard to make contact with a probe, so that it is impossible to perform the measurement.

Method for manufacturing SiC semiconductor device


An apparatus and method for the automated and large scale preparation of layered stacks of one or more food items such as sandwich meats, hors d'oeuvre servings and the like ("set-ups"). The apparatus conveys a continuous web of paper through a plurality of slicer stations, each slicer station providing one or more slices of one or more food items to sequentially form set-ups of two or more stacked layers of horizontally spaced food slices. The apparatus is synchronized so that each sliced layer is conveyed to a subsequent slicer station before the next layer of food slices is deposited directly on top of that previous layer. The set-up is formed with two or more stacked layers of food slices before being conveyed to a cutter/wrapping station where the paper web is cut to separate the finished set-ups which are then wrapped by folding a portion of the cut paper over the finished set-up. The wrapper separates the set-ups when they are subsequently stacked and packaged and also allows for the sanitary handling of the set-ups when they are unpackaged and used to make sandwiches or the like.

The present invention generally relates to automated devices and methods for the preparation of food items and, more specifically, to devices and methods for the automated preparation of layered stacks of one or more food items (hereinafter "set-ups") such as sandwich meats, hors d'oeuvre servings and the like. The invention provides a method and apparatus for the large-scale preparation of set-ups made with one or more food products. Each set-up is made of layered sliced stacks of food products. The method and apparatus of the invention can make the individual layers of the set-up with more than one type of sliced food item and with the slices arranged in a preferred pattern within a single horizontal plane. Set-ups made by the invention are automatically wrapped in paper and stacked with like set-ups for subsequent packaging and shipment. The invention is particularly useful in the commercial manufacture of sandwich set-ups made with one or more sliced meats or cheeses such as those used in making so-called "sub" sandwiches, for example.
The fast food industry has generally enjoyed continued growth in recent years and has seen a sustained demand by consumers for quick and efficient service and good product quality. Improvements in products and services as well as the introduction of new products has been necessary to capture market share and attain a comfortable profit margin in an increasingly competitive industry. Controlling costs, while providing a quality product and service, is a continuing concern within the industry. Food service providers have worked to control costs by controlling the size of the food portions in meal items served to customers. Carefully controlling the amount of meat and other materials used in sandwich set ups, for example, helps to control the overall cost in making and serving various sandwiches. While optimum control over portion sizes would best be achieved using automated machinery with readily reproducible equipment settings, the art has failed to provide such machinery for the manufacture of set-ups to duplicate the arrangement and selection of food items found in hand-made or manually assembled set-ups.
In controlling costs, industry generally strives to utilize its work force as efficiently as possible. In the food services industry, the preparation of set-ups has required a rather inefficient use of labor since the manual production of set-ups has typically been labor intensive, often requiring the dedicated attention and efforts of one or more individuals. Automation of a large scale set-up preparation process would allow the food service retailer to obtain premade set-ups, allowing for a more efficient use of labor by freeing individuals from time-intensive manual set-up preparation. In this manner workers would be able to dedicate more time to other important duties such as customer service, for example.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the art by providing a mechanized system and method for the automated assembly of set-ups for distribution to individual vendors. The system is an automated assembly-line including a plurality of slicers for slicing meat, cheese and like products and depositing those sliced products onto a conveyor line. Timing mechanisms are provided so that the food items from successive slicers are deposited on the conveyor in close proximity to the slice or slices from preceding food slicers to form a plurality of premade sandwich set-ups, each set-up composed of a pattern of layered horizontally spaced food slices. The set-ups are stacked and then packaged for shipment to food service retailers for making sandwiches such as "submarine" type sandwiches, hors d'oeuvre servings and the like.
The system includes a paper roll supply and paper feed system from which a continuous sheet or web of paper is carried down a conveyor line through a plurality of slicer stations. Each slicer station deposits slices of one or more food items onto the conveyed web to thereby form a single layer of horizontally spaced slices. These slices are then conveyed to the next slicer station where another layer of food slices is deposited on top of the previous layer. As each set-up is conveyed down the conveyer line, each subsequent slicer station adds an additional layer of food to the set-up. The completed set-up is conveyed to a cutting station where the paper roll is automatically cut so that a portion of the paper can be used to cover and protect the set-up. The covered set-up is conveyed to a stacking station and the stacked set-ups are then conveyed to a packaging station where they are packaged for commercial shipment.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for the automated manufacture of premade food set-ups.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the assembly of premade food set-ups wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of slicers which are arranged and timed to deposit sliced food product onto a conveyor at predetermined intervals to thereby assemble predetermined arrangements of food product to form a finished set-up.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for automatically stacking and packaging the premade set-ups once they have been assembled.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the remainder of the disclosure including the drawings, the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the claims.

Automated line and method for preparing premade food set-ups


In a computer program product which makes a computer operate as a game apparatus, the computer is operated by a “load value determining means” that, when a “remaining quantity” of an energy value representing the quantity of energy owned by the character is less than a “variable value” set as the energy consumed as an equivalent value for using a skill at the time that an operation for instructing the performance of the skill set for the character is proceeded, performs the skill, and determines a load value based on a difference between the remaining quantity of the energy value and the variable value; and a “restriction processing means” that places a restriction according to the load value on a parameter relating to an ability of the character during the time that the energy value is restored up to a predetermined basic value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program that makes a computer operate as a game executing means. The invention particularly relates to the game program in a game apparatus in which a character with a special ability having a specified effect on an object is made to come out in a game space instead of consuming an energy exclusive for a virtual skill at the time of performing the skill so that a game is conducted, a storage medium, and the game apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In game apparatuses having functions for conducting computer games such as so-called action games and role playing games, motions of leading characters and associate characters (player characters) in game images displayed on screens of display devices are controlled according to operation signals from input devices (controller pads) operated by players, so that stories of the games move ahead.
For example, in games where player characters grow up, ability values which are obtained by digitizing levels of various abilities such as offensive power, physical strength, magic power, defensive power, legerity and intellectual capability, and level values which represent growing-up levels of the player characters are set as parameters. When the player characters obtain predetermined experience quantity during the progress of the games, the level values of the player characters are increased, and the ability values are suitably updated according to operations selected by the players or predetermined algorithms, so that the corresponding abilities are improved.
There are many kinds of skills performed in response to operations of players, including basic skills such as offensive skills for attacking opponent characters using weapons, etc., so as to damage the opponent characters and defensive skills, special skills performed in sports games such as various ball games and snow surfing, special skills performed by vehicles themselves, special skills such as magic skills and knockout skills bringing on specified effects on objects, and the like.
In these skills, there are basic abilities consuming the energy at the time of performing skills, and special abilities consuming the specified energy for performing skills (hereinafter referred as "special abilities"). So-called magic skills and knockout skills are included in the energy consuming "special abilities". An energy value (point value) representing the quantity of energy owned by a character is, for instance, expressed by MP (magic point) in the case of magic and by AP (action point) in the case of the knockout skill. Namely, these values MP and AP are set as special parameters to each character according to each system of the special abilities. A maximum value of the energy value (hereinafter referred as "EP") owned by a character is increased according to a rise in the level of the character or when the character is equipped with special clothing accessories. The above EP is supplied when the character gets rest in an inn, in a special place, or by using restoring magic, or EP is restored naturally according to the passing of time.
The energy consumption (the amount of the energy consumed as an equivalent value for using a skill) of a special ability is predetermined according to the type of skills, and when the remaining quantity of the EP is less than the energy consumption of the skill desired to use, it is normal that the skill cannot be used.
A process relating to the special abilities in a conventional game apparatus is explained according to a flowchart of FIG. 1.
A command processing section of the game apparatus displays a menu of various commands on a monitor so as to prompt a player to input a command. When a command is selected by an operation of an operation button or the like (step S1), the command processing section determines whether the command instructed to a player character is a command of a special ability which consumes EP (hereinafter, "special command") (step S2). When it is not the special command, the command processing section executes a process corresponding to the instructed normal command (step S3), and when it is the special command, the command processing section acquires a parameter value representing the remaining quantity of EP of the player character (step S4). The command processing section determines whether the EP remaining quantity is not less than the energy consumption (energy necessary for the special ability desired to be used) (step S5). When the EP remaining quantity is not less than the energy consumption, the command processing section executes a process corresponding to the instructed special command (step S6), subtracts the EP consumption from the EP remaining quantity (step S7), and ends the command process. On the other hand, when the EP remaining quantity is insufficient at step S5, the command processing section does not accept the special command (step S8), and ends the command process.
In the conventional game apparatus, in the case where the special ability which consumes the energy (EP) is used, if the energy remaining quantity is smaller than the necessary energy of the special ability desired to be used by the player, such a special ability cannot be used.
The processing method relating to the special abilities shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 is a publicly-known processing method which can be derived from operation manuals or walk-through manuals of role playing games or the like. Since, however, the applicants of this application do not know technical documents which concretely disclose the above processing method at the time of the application, documents relating to prior arts which should be disclosed are not present.
The conventional computer games such as role playing games adopt a system where exclusive parameter values, such as the "MP" parameter in the case where the special ability of a character is magic and the "AP" parameter in the case where it is the knockout skill, are consumed and used. For example, in the case of magic, the MP consumption is 1 point in the case of magic M1, and is 3 points in the case of magic M2. Namely, the consumption is determined according to types of the skills, and when the MP remaining quantity is smaller than the necessary MP of the magic desired to be used, the magic cannot be used normally.
In recent years in which the techniques and hardware of image processing of three-dimensional computer graphics or the like are being developed, not only simulation type games but also action games and role playing games adopt simulation elements lavishly, so that, for example, motions and backgrounds of objects are simulated more real, thereby displaying a sense of realism.
Although image expression develops securely, most contents of games get into a rut and do not have novel idea because a long time has passed since computer games were realized. For this reason, in any computer games, their game lines tend to be similar, and as to the processing method of special abilities as one example, the offensive pattern or the like is monotonous because common-sense restrictions are provided. As a result, a lot of the computer games are boring.

Computer-usable program, storage medium and game apparatus