Particular anti-LFL2 antibody compositions are provided herein. These antibodies may be used for diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic monitoring and treatment of cancer, especially breast cancer, head/neck cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, anti-LFL2 antibodies are provided herein which target the LFL2 stump remaining after proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular domain of LFL2. Additionally, anti-LFL2 antibodies are provided herein which target the stroma surrounding cancer tumors, wherein said stroma-targeting anti-LFL2 antibodies disrupt the integrity of the stroma surrounding the cancer tumor, and also make the stroma more permeable to chemotherapeutic agents and other molecular drug agents that target tumor cells.

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity in the United States. Cancers share the characteristic of disordered control over normal cell division, growth and differentiation. Their initial clinical manifestations are extremely heterogeneous, with over 70 types of cancer arising in virtually every organ and tissue of the body. Moreover, some of those similarly classified cancer types may represent multiple different molecular diseases. Unfortunately, some cancers may be virtually asymptomatic until late in the disease course, when treatment is more difficult and prognosis grim.
Treatment for cancer typically includes surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Although nearly 50 percent of cancer patients can be effectively treated using these methods, the current therapies all induce serious side effects, which diminish quality of life. The identification of novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers will be important for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer patients.
Antigens suitable for immunotherapeutic strategies should be highly expressed in cancer tissues, preferably accessible from the vasculature and at the cell surface, and ideally not expressed in normal adult tissues. Expression in tissues that are dispensable for life, however, may be tolerated, e.g., reproductive organs, especially those absent in one sex. Therefore, provided herein is a protein that can be used as a biomarker and methods that can be used in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of cancer and cancer patients, as well as therapeutic treatment of cancer patients.
Research in solid tumors has focused primarily on identifying targets and biomarkers present in the in the cancer epithelia. Very few strategies have focused on identifying genes up-regulated in the stroma that surrounds cancer tumors. Studies have shown that stromal-derived growth factors, stroma-produced extracellular matrix and/or the interaction of cancer epithelia with specific stromal cell antigens are important for tumorigenesis (Clamps et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 87: 75-79, 1990, Olumi et al., Cancer Res., 59: 5002-5011, 1999; Elenbaas et al., Genes Dev., 15: 50-65, 2001; Tuxhom et al., Cancer Res. 62:3298-3307, 2002). Cancer therapy, therefore, includes targeted therapies towards the tumor-associated stroma and their factors. Effective therapy targets the activated stroma during the proliferation stage. This results in preventing the stroma from producing a pro-tumor microenvironment. The loss of this vital nutrient and growth factor supply line to the tumor cells ultimately results in tumor cell death. One such target for targeting the stroma is antibodies to the full length LFL2 protein and fragments thereof. LFL2 (also referred to in the literature as Lib and LRRC15) is a member of the leucine-rich repeat superfamily of proteins. LFL2 is a type I transmembrane protein with an extracellular domain that contains fifteen leucine-rich repeats. The full-length amino acid sequence of LFL2 is depicted in SEQ ID NO:1. The LFL2 gene is identical to LRRC15 ("leucine rich repeat containing 15") (Satoh, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 2002; 290:756-62; Reynolds et al., Genes Dev., 2003; 17:2094-107; WO 01/81363, see, sequence id numbers 4 (DNA) and 43 (protein); and WO 02/081518, see, sequence id numbers 75 (DNA) and 76 (protein)) whose nucleic acid and amino acid sequences can be identified by Genbank Accession Nos. NM—130830.2 and NP—570843.1 respectively. The Unigene cluster identification number for LFL2/LRRC15 is Hs.288467 and the LocusLink ID is 131578. Satoh, et al. also describes RT-PCR and Northern blot data showing that LFL2 is strongly expressed in placental cells. High placental expression of LFL2 based on RT-PCR data was also disclosed in WO 01/81363 along with the general suggestion of cancer as one of several possible disease indications.
WO 02/081518 discloses RT-PCR expression data associating LFL2 with breast cancer, melanoma and brain cancer. WO 02/081518 also states that antibodies to these proteins can be generated for use in therapeutic and diagnostic methods.
WO 03/024392 discloses RT-PCR and DNA microarray results and concludes that LFL2 is upregulated in breast, uterine, colon, kidney, bladder, bone, ovarian and pancreatic tumor tissues. WO 03/024392 also reports GeneExpress® data and concludes that LFL2 is upregulated in stroma associated with bone, breast, colon, rectum, lung, ovarian, pancreas, soft tissue and bladder tumors. WO 03/024392 also reports in situ hybridization data and concludes that LFL2 expression occurs in a minority of sarcomas including synovial sarcoma, angiosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, gliosarcoma and malignant fibrohistiocytoma.
Furthermore, Reynolds et al. (Genes & Development 17: 2094-2107 (2003)) disclose LFL2 and describe RT-PCR, Northern blot and in situ hybridization data. Reynolds et al. observe that LFL2 is restricted to the cytotrophoblast layer, and, consequently, conclude that LFL2 may contribute to the invasiveness of breast cancer cells.
Expression of the rat ortholog of LFL2 is induced in rat C6 astrocytoma cells by pro-inflammatory cytokines (Satoh, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 2002; 290:756-62). LFL2 expression is also induced by the presence of EWS-WT1(+KTS) (Reynolds et al., Genes Dev., 2003; 17:2094-107), a chimeric oncogene that is expressed in desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT). DSRCTs are soft tissue tumors that occur in primarily male children and young male adults. In this published report, expression of LFL2 in cancer cell lines was associated with breast cancer cell migration in vitro, suggesting a function of LFL2 in the aggressiveness and invasiveness of cancer.
Solid tumors often exhibit high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), which causes poor uptake of anticancer drugs. While there are several mechanisms that regulate IFP in tumors, stroma-derived connective tissue control IFP by exerting a tension on the extracellular matrix/integrin. Agents known to reduce the tumor IFP have been shown to enhance the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents (Griffon-Etienne et al., Cancer Res., 1999, 59:3776-82; Salnikov et al., FASEB J., 2003, 17:1756-8).
In spite of considerable research into for the molecular level mechanisms of cancer in general, cancer remains difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods for detecting and treating cancers. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.

Anti-LFL2 antibodies for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer


A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor element; a metallic plate having a heat radiation surface; a terminal connecting to the element; and a resin mold covering the element, the plate and the terminal. The metallic plate provides an electrode of the semiconductor element. The heat radiation surface is capable of radiating heat generated in the element. The heat radiation surface and a part of the terminal are exposed from the resin mold. The resin mold includes a concavity/convexity portion between the heat radiation surface and the part of the terminal in order to lengthen a creepage distance therebetween. The concavity/convexity portion is disposed on a surface of the resin mold.

Heretofore, as a semiconductor device of the specified type, there has been proposed one including a semiconductor element, a metal plate which is connected to the semiconductor element so as to function as the electrode and heat radiation member of the semiconductor element, and one surface of which is a heat radiation surface, terminals which are electrically connected to the semiconductor element, and a mold resin member in which the semiconductor element, the metal plate and the terminals are molded so as to be enveloped, wherein the heat radiation surface of the metal plate and parts of the terminals are exposed from the surface of the mold resin member (refer to, for example, JP-A-2005-123233).
In the semiconductor device of this type, however, the creepage distance between the heat radiation surface of the metal plate as is exposed from the surface of the mold resin member and the parts of the terminals becomes short on account of, for example, the reduction of a package size, and electrical dielectric breakdown, namely, creeping dielectric breakdown might occur between the exposed heat radiation surface and the parts of the terminals.


A bearing component for use in anti-friction bearings as a bearing ring or rolling member is made from a steel comprising 0.6 to 0.8 wt. % of C, 0.05 to 0.25 wt. % of Si, 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % of Mn, 0.4 to 1.2 wt. % of Cr, one or both of 0.10 to 0.30 wt. % of Mo and 0.03 to 0.10 wt. % of V, and the balance Fe and inevitable impurities. The steel as hardened and tempered contains carbide having a maximum particle size of up to 1.5 .mu.m, and the amount of the carbide is 2 to 7% in area ratio. The steel therefore has improved cold workability, providing bearing components of a prolonged rolling fatigue life at a reduced cost.

Conventionally, bearing components are prepared from high-carbon chromium steels typical of which is, for example, JIS SUJ2.
However, JIS SUJ2 has a great carbon content and therefore has the problem of being poor in workability and costly. Further because the carbide resulting from hardening and tempering is relatively great in particle size, the steel has another problem of being liable to fluctuations in life.
An object of the present invention is to provide a bearing component which is free of the above problems.


Measuring a distance to a surface while compensating for variations in a transverse position and/or low speed displacement of the instrument. One method includes retrieving a predetermined transversal distance from a longitudinal feature at which to extract a relevant distance; retrieving a distance set; retrieving a position of the longitudinal feature relative to the distance set; extracting a range point at the predetermined transversal distance from the longitudinal feature; adding the extracted point to a longitudinal distance set. In another method, if two sensors are provided with an overlap in the transversal direction, extracting a range point at a predetermined transversal position; adding the extracted range point to a longitudinal distance set; retrieving a pitch angle of the instrument; calculating a local slope of the surface using an overlapping transversal point, the pitch angle and the separation length; calculating a height variation using the local slope and a longitudinal separation.

In order to measure surface features and the longitudinal profile of a road to be inspected, a number of pavement condition indicators and characteristics are measured. The International Roughness Index (IRI) characterizes the pavement condition. FIG. 1 (Prior Art) shows the longitudinal profile measurement in the ideal case. An aerial view of a section of a road to be inspected 100 is shown. The inspection vehicle 102 travels between the lane markings 104 along a trajectory 106 following the longitudinal axis 108 of the road. The number of measured profiles in the transversal axis 110 captured by the inspection vehicle 102 with its inspection system 112 can extend from 1 to N where N is the number of 3D measurement points available in the transversal axis 110. In most systems, the number of 3D points is limited to one or two. In the special case where N is high and the 3D measurement points are distributed so as to cover the width of the road, an image representing the road elevation can be formed. The inspection vehicle 102 travels between the lane markings 104 and captures the longitudinal profile measurement 116 at a predefined distance d to one of the lane markings 104. In the example shown, the predefined distance d is from the right hand side marking 118.
In conventional systems, an acquisition instrument called a profilometer is used for the measurement of the longitudinal profile of roads. This acquisition instrument includes two single point range sensors and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) mounted in the wheel path of the inspection vehicle. The single point range sensors are used to measure the distance between the IMUs and the road and the IMUs are used to estimate the total change in elevation of the road and the inspection vehicle while in motion. By subtracting the two measurements, it is possible to measure only the variations in elevation of the road surface, that is, the longitudinal profile. Most of the time, the integration of the signal from a vertically oriented accelerometer (the simplest form of IMU) can be used to track the total elevation changes of both the road surface and the inspection vehicle. FIG. 2 (Prior Art) illustrates an acquisition instrument used to measure the longitudinal profile of the road 100. The acquisition instrument 200 is equipped with two single point 3D sensors 202 and two IMUs 204 or two accelerometers mounted on the inspection vehicle 102. The 3D sensors 202 are usually positioned in the wheel path.
In some systems, the single point range sensors are replaced with multipoint laser line profilers that cover a road width of a few inches. These types of laser line profilers are used to compensate for different road surface textures such as longitudinally tinned (striated) concrete surfaces. FIG. 3 (Prior Art) shows an alternative configuration 300 for the longitudinal profile measurement using a line of single point 3D sensors 302. IMUs 304 can still be present. This configuration adds robustness against texture variations on the road surface.
Both the profilers using single point range sensors and the limited width laser line sensors are very sensitive to the lateral shift of the inspection vehicle.
To help the driver follow the same trajectory in each run, a guide line is often painted on the road surface. Even guided as such, it is very difficult for the driver/operator to perfectly align the profiler with the reference line and to do this with little positional variations for multiple passes while driving at highway speeds. Lateral movement will occur. Since the measurement trajectory is different for each survey even when captured on the same road section, the longitudinal profile and the indicators calculated will also be different. FIG. 4 (Prior Art) shows the longitudinal profile measurement 400 with a single point system when lateral movement is present. Since the inspection vehicle followed a wavy trajectory 402 on the road 100, the resulting longitudinal profile 404 was also measured along a wavy trajectory instead of being measured on the ideal straight line trajectory 116.
This non-ideal measurement trajectory 402 limits the performance and repeatability of the system for road monitoring applications.

Method and apparatus for compensating lateral displacements and low speed variations in the measure of a longitudinal profile of a surface


A spoken dialog system and method having a dialog management module are disclosed. The dialog management module includes a plurality of dialog motivators for handling various operations during a spoken dialog. The dialog motivators comprise an error handling, disambiguation, assumption, confirmation, missing information, and continuation. The spoken dialog system uses the assumption dialog motivator in either a-priori or a-posteriori modes. A-priori assumption is based on predefined requirements for the call flow and a-posteriori assumption can work with the confirmation dialog motivator to assume the content of received user input and confirm received user input.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to speech technology and more specifically to a system and method of developing a general dialog principle from conception to implementation as part of a dialog manager library of dialog motivators.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the process of carrying on an intelligent conversation between a human user and a computer, the computer must perform numerous complicated processes. Those of skill in the art understand the basic modules necessary for receiving voice signals from the user, processing those signals and formulating a response from the computer. In a typical dialog system, an automatic speech recognition (ASR) module interprets the text of the user speech. A spoken language understanding (SLU) module receives the ASR text and seeks to determine or understand the meaning of the text. A dialogue manager (DM) receives the meaning of the user speech and formulates an appropriate response. The text comprising the computer response is converted to audible and synthetic speech sounds via a text-to-speech (TTS) module.
This disclosure relates to technologies associated with the DM. Many spoken dialog systems differ in dialog management strategies in the way they represent and manipulate task knowledge and how much initiative they take in management of the user-computer spoken dialogue. For example, M. McTear discusses dialog management technology in M. McTear, "Spoken Dialogue Technology: Enabling the Conversational user Interface", ACM Computing Surveys, 2001, incorporated herein by reference.
In some systems, dialog grammars are used. Dialog grammars are constrained and well understood formalisms such a finite-state machines to express sequencing regularities in dialogs. As with most grammar systems, dialog-act types such as explain, complain, request, etc. are categories and the categories are used as terminals to the dialog grammar. Using dialog grammars enables the system at each stage of the spoken dialog to have a basis for setting expectations, which may correspond to activating statement-dependent language models. Further, using dialog grammars provides for setting thresholds for rejection and requests for clarification.
FIG. 1 illustrates a finite state dialog grammar for an airline reservation system. In this example, the interactions are controlled based on bare information items. See Heeman, P.A., et al., "Beyond Structured Dialogues: Factoring Out Grounding," Proc. Of the Int. Conf. on Spoken Language Processing, 1998, Sydney, Australia. This interaction is a basic question and answer form and the topic queries are answered on-topic if possible, with the confirmation statement to find any problems. As shown in FIG. 1, the system asks "where do you want to leave from?" 10. After the user response, the system confirms by asking "Did you say <FROM>?" 12. If the answer is "no" from the user, the system returns and repeats the question 10. If the system's interpretation is correct, the system next asks "where do you want to go to?" 14. After the user's response, the system confirms by asking "did you say <TO>?" 16. If the system was incorrect, the question is asked again 14. If correct, the system proceeds to ask "when did you want to leave?" 18. After the user responds, the system confirms by asking "did you say <TIME>" 20. If the system was incorrect, it asks the question 18 again. If correct, the system proceeds to ask "is it a one-way stop?" and so on.
The above-mentioned finite state dialog manager provides some advantages in spoken dialog systems. Such a system is easily programmable but also increases the challenges of dealing with user deviations from the scripted dialog. For example, if a user provides too much information after the first question, such as name, time they want to leave, and come home, and where they want to go, the dialog management grammar in FIG. 1 cannot handle the information. In general, the dialog grammar approach has many disadvantages such as scripted and inflexible interaction as experienced by the user, difficulty with non-standard language such as irony, speech information may be provided by several utterances that can confuse the grammar, and as mentioned above, a speech utterance may include several pieces of information, which complicates the grammar.
Some more sophisticated approaches are being implemented to address the deficiencies of the dialog grammars. For example, enhancements to the hand-built finite state dialog grammars include adding statistical knowledge based on realistic data to the dialog grammars. Statistical learning methods, like CART, n-grams or neural networks can improve the understanding and associations between utterances and states the training data. See Andernach, Tl, M. Poel, and E. Salomons, "Finding Classes of Dialogue Utterances with Iohonen Networks," Proc. of the NLP Workshop for the European Conf. on Machine learning (ECML), 1997, Prague, Czech Republic. Finite-state based dialog managers lack the necessary scalability and maintainability demanded by customers today.
Another approach to dialog management is the plan-based approach. This concept seeks to overcome the weaknesses of the dialog grammar approach by taking advantage of the observation that humans plan their actions to achieve goals. The correspondence between plans and goals drives assumptions to infer goals and construct and activate plans. Therefore, the underlying concept for plan-based dialog managers is intelligent inference using the behavior of the user and the knowledge of the domain that are programmed into a set of logical rules. The system gathers facts from the user that trigger rules that generate more facts and the human-computer interaction progresses.
In terms of scalability, the plan-based approach is one embodiment of a state machine for which different discourse semantics are regarded as states. In plan-based systems, however, the states are generated dynamically and not limited to a predetermined finite set. This capability provides an improved level of scalability.
FIG. 2 illustrates a partial plan for an airline reservation system represented as a graph. See, Cohen, P. "Models of Dialogue," Proc. of the Fourth NEC Research Symposium, 1994, SIAM Press. The goal of this dialog manager is to derive an action based on a discourse semantic Sn. The output of the dialog manager is a message the system provides to the user. In FIG. 2, the person desires to know if the flight itinerary F12 is an available flight plan. The relationships among the goals and actions that compose the plan are represented as a directed graph, with goals, preconditions, actions and affects as nodes and relationships among these as arcs. FIG. 2 illustrates the compositional nature of the plan-based approach, which always includes nested subplans that can continue to an almost infinite sublevel.
The arcs in FIG. 2 are labeled with the relationship that holds between the two nodes. The "SUB" shows that the child arc is the beginning of a subplan for the parent. At some point appropriate to the domain of the planning application, the SUBs are suspended and represented as a single subsuming node. The term "ENABLE" indicates a precondition on a goal of action or indicates an enabling relationship between parent and child nodes. The "EFFECT" label indicates the result of an action.
The plan-based approach operates on a well-defined cycle, as illustrated below in a set of actions describing interaction between an agent and a client: (1) observe client's acts; (2) infer client's plan using the agent's model of the clients beliefs and goals; (3) debug the client's plan, finding obstacles to the success of the plan, based on the agent's beliefs; (4) adopt the negation of the obstacles as the agent's goal; and (5) plan to achieve those goals and execute the plan.
Returning to FIG. 2, a flight itinerary that at least contains an Outbound_Leg and another possible Inbound_Leg subgoal is a round trip. Assuming that F12 is a round trip itinerary, at the Inbound_Leg node, the system attempts to infer the underlying goal (Time(F12, T2), Original (F12,C3) and Dest(F12,C4)) by the information received from the dialog or from other known conditions. For example, the destination of the Inbound_Leg may be inferred from the origin of the outbound leg. Inferences are shown in the EFFECT arcs in FIG. 2.
The technologies requires to accomplish these inferences are complex models of beliefs, desires, and intentions of agent and they use generic logical systems which operate over the propositions corresponding to the nodes of a plan structure as shown in FIG. 2.
These plan based approaches permit a more flexible mode of interaction than do dialog grammars but they are nevertheless complex to construct and operate in practice. Therefore, since the complexity of modeling plan-based approaches requires significant human expert time to author the logical rules and axioms, this approach prevents many enterprises from being able to afford and incorporate spoken dialog systems into their business.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Impulsive sound of an Oldham ring is reduced and a driving noise of a scroll compressor is prevented from increasing. When a width of the key of the Oldham ring made of iron-based material is defined as t and a width of the orbiting-side key groove in the back surface of the surface plate of the orbiting scroll made of aluminum-based material and a width of the fixed-side key groove of the main bearing member made of aluminum-based material on the side of a thrust surface are defines as s, a gap d generated at s−t with respect to a key pitch L of the Oldham ring I set in a range of (6×10−5)≦d/L≦(3.5×10−4). With this, even if the key of the Oldham ring vibrates in the key groove, a collision force against the key groove is weakened, impulsive sound of the Oldham ring becomes small, and a driving noise of the scroll compressor is can be reduced.

Conventionally, a scroll compressor of this kind is utilized as a compressor for a home air conditioner and a home refrigerator, and is also used as a compressor for an automobile air conditioner recently.
In recent years, a hybrid automobile in which both an engine and a motor are used as the situation demands becomes commercially practical, and becomes widespread abruptly. Since the original purpose of the hybrid automobile is to reduce an influence of an engine on environment, when the hybrid automobile stops for a short time due to a traffic signal, a case in which the engine is stopped and only a compressor is operated can frequently occur. In such a case, there is a problem that fine vibration or operation sound of the compressor which was buried in the engine sound is transmitted to a driver and a passenger as noise through a frame of the vehicle body.
As one of methods for reducing noise of the compressor, there is disclose a technique in which an elastic member is interposed between a bearing and a support member to absorb vibration and noise, thereby reducing noise (e.g., patent document 1).
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional electric compressor. That is, when a main ball bearing 102 is to be fitted to a main support member 101, resin rings 103 are press fitted around an outer periphery of an outer lace 102a of the main ball bearing 102. With this, elastic forces of the resin rings 103 act between the outer lace 102a and the main support member 101, vibration and noise are absorbed, and driving stability and silence can be enhanced.
An Oldham ring, an orbiting scroll and a main bearing member of the conventional scroll compressor are made of iron-based material. If an attempt is made to reduce the weight of the scroll compressor taking into consideration a case that the scroll compressor is provided in a vehicle such as a hybrid automobile, it is necessary to reduce the weight of each part. For this purpose, it is conceived to make the orbiting scroll, the main bearing member, a container and the like of aluminum-based material.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-44296

Scroll compressor with reduced oldham ring noise


A fuse holder including an insulative housing with integral recesses for receiving portions of a rail and a sliding locking member that slides on the housing between a locked position in which the fuse holder is retained on the rail and a mounting position in which the fuse holder can be mounted on or removed from the rail, the sliding locking member being biased toward the locked position via a resilient cantilevered tab of the sliding locking member and maintainable in the mounting position via snap in engagement with a notch on the housing, the sliding locking member having side walls with bent taps which form lips resting on a recessed shelf surface of the housing.

The invention relates to fuse holders and other electronic assemblies that include built-in mechanisms for attaching to rails.
So-called DIN rails are used for mounting fuse holders and other electronic assemblies that engage the edges of the rails Fuse holders, which are normally surface mounted, have been mounted on DIN rails via adapters that are connected to the fuse holders and in turn have mechanisms to engage the edges of the rails, e.g., as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,767,339 and 4,921,445. Some fuse holders have included integral lips for engaging rails (e.g., FIGS. 4-6 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,339), and other types of electronic devices have included built-in mechanisms for mounting on rails, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,947,290; 4,926,149; 5,000,692; 4,268,108; 4,878,859; 4,018,413; and 4,900,275.


Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a pixel circuit with a burn-in compensation. The pixel circuit includes a light-emitting diode (LED), a first driving transistor between a voltage source and the LED, a switching transistor coupled to a gate electrode of the first driving transistor, and a second driving transistor connected between the voltage source and the LED. The first driving transistor provides first current from the voltage source to the LED according to a gate voltage of the first driving transistor. The switching transistor is turned on after receiving an enable signal. The second driving transistor provides second current from the voltage source to the LED according to a version of the gate voltage of the first driving transistor received at a gate of the second driving transistor via the switching transistor.

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based display suffers from burn-in and deterioration of performance with its use over time. To compensate for burn-in globally (i.e., for the entire display) and individually (i.e., for individual pixels), current flowing through an OLED in a pixel circuit is increased by raising a gate voltage of a driving transistor of the pixel circuit. However, this approach requires a higher supply voltage for the pixel circuit, which leads to an increase in power consumption.

Burn-in compensation scheme for light-emitting diode based displays


A networked charging station for electric vehicles protects against overcurrent and ground fault conditions. Upon detecting an overcurrent condition or a ground fault condition, the networked charging station for electric vehicles de-energizes a charging point connection to prevent electric current from flowing between an electric vehicle and the networked charging station and suspends the charging session. The networked charging station clears the overcurrent condition or the ground fault condition upon receipt of an authorized request which is transmitted remotely. The authorized request can be received from the vehicle operator that is associated with the charging session or from an administrator of the charging station through a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag enabled device or through a text message or an email message. The networked charging station clears the overcurrent condition or the ground fault condition without a manual reset of a circuit breaker or a GFCI device respectively.

1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of charging electric vehicles, and more specifically to overcurrent and ground fault protection in a networked charging station for electric vehicles.
2. Background
Charging stations are typically used to provide charging points for electric vehicles (e.g., electric battery powered vehicles, gasoline/electric battery powered vehicle hybrid, etc.). For example, charging stations may be located in designated charging locations (e.g., similar to locations of gas stations), parking spaces (e.g., public parking spaces and/or private parking space), etc.
One or more charging stations are typically wired to a circuit breaker in a panel that is accessible by maintenance personnel and is inaccessible to vehicle operators. Thus, when the circuit breaker trips, a maintenance call is typically placed which requires maintenance personnel to physically travel to the site of the panel of the tripped circuit breaker to manually reset the tripped circuit breaker.
Charging stations typically include a power receptacle to receive electrical plugs. The power receptacle can be protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) device. In typical charging stations, the GFCI switch must be manually reset after tripping.

Overcurrent and ground fault protection in a networked charging station for electric vehicles


A portable excavator having a tube to point a supersonic gas stream at a buried object. The excavator includes a movable member disposed within the conduit to pulse gas passing through the conduit and a supersonic gas nozzle at the exit of the conduit. Compressed gas delivered to the conduit exits the nozzle in a pulsed manner at two to three Hz. The movable member includes a piston which blocks gas from flowing through the conduit by the biasing force of a spring. When the force from the pressure differential across the piston exceeds the biasing force, the piston moves and allows gas to flow through the conduit until the force from the pressure differential across the piston is less than the biasing force.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to excavators and, more particularly, to hand-held pneumatic excavators.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since the 1960's, contractors have used compressed air exiting from the end of an open pipe for cleaning operations. Such uses include loosening soil from around buried water pipes, gas mains, electrical cables and the like in small hole excavations. Previously, picks, digging bars, spades, buckets or blades having hard cutting edges were used to uncover a buried object and often caused significant damage to the buried object. The use of compressed air has the advantage of pulverizing most soil types without damaging the buried object.
Pneumatic devices which use compressed air to uncover buried objects typically include a source of air under pressure, such as a compressor connected via a valve mechanism to an elongated tube. The valve mechanism controls the flow of compressed air through the tube.
However, compressed air exiting from the open end of a tube expands suddenly to atmosphere in an unfocused, complicated and wasteful manner. To improve performance of compressed air excavators, a nozzle is incorporated on the exit end of the tube. Typically, the nozzle has an inwardly converging upstream end which merges into a diverging downstream end. This configuration acts to reduce the pressure of the air or gas and increase its velocity. European Patent No. 0 251 660 describes a typical pneumatic hand tool based upon this design. U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,943 shows a similar high velocity pneumatic excavating hand tool having a valve connecting a pressurized gas supply to a non-conductive tube having a terminal nozzle.
However, little attention has been paid to the proper engineering design of the nozzle for excavation purposes. Excavation results appear to be empirically based; some prior art devices supposedly provide results which do not correspond to gas dynamic relations governing the performance of these nozzles. To achieve the air exit velocities cited in one of these latter devices, it would have to be supplied with compressed air at over two hundred psig (pounds per square inch gauge). This is well over double the one hundred psig normally used in the trade and generally available from a conventional portable air compressor. Previous devices, hence, have been energy inefficient and wasteful.
In addition, these prior art devices generate a large amount of dust and debris blowback at the operator during digging operations. This is due both to an over use of compressed air and the unfocused and highly dissipative nature of the nozzles. In an extreme case, standing shock waves may be formed downstream of the nozzle exit. These shock waves suddenly decelerate the air jet speed from supersonic to subsonic with concomitant loss of excavation ability.
Conventional portable air compressors which serve as the gas supply for prior art devices are constrained because the range of the effective working distances of the prior art devices is limited by the length of an air hose from the air compressor, generally no more than fifty to one hundred feet. Because conventional portable air compressors generally must be towed into position by other vehicles, they are limited to roadways and to areas adjacent to level or smooth areas capable of being traversed by vehicles. Farm lands, fields, water holes, forested or rocky areas are difficult to reach effectively in this manner.
Since the late 1970's, there has been considerable work towards developing small, inexpensive, portable, high flow air units. These are typically used to blow away leaves, grass clippings and the like from in front of an operator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,886 discloses an air broom system which includes a housing, a portable power unit, a rotary impeller unit and a tube from which air exits. U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,208 discloses a backpack power blower apparatus made up of a frame supporting an engine, a blower and associated parts, including sound insulation. Although these prior art devices can be carried on an operator's back and produce an airstream, none produces an airstream at a rate which is sufficient to excavate material more cohesive than loose sand. None of these prior art devices contains a compressor to generate such an airstream.
The ability to safely unearth a variety of buried objects is becoming increasingly important, especially in public and private remediation of hazardous waste sites. From the industrial and nuclear energy sector, such objects include glass bottles, cardboard or wooden boxes, metal or fiber drums and metal cylinders containing chemical or radioactive hazardous waste. Backhoes or hydraulic excavators are the most commonly used machines for such excavating. However, excavation using heavy machinery is slow because of the extra time and care required to maneuver around hazardous buried objects. Despite the care with which they might be used by a skilled operator, a risk exists that the hard cutting edges of heavy machinery may cause significant damage to the buried object. Government and industry are beginning to mandate only hand digging in an area with suspected buried objects. Hand digging is slow, fatiguing and costly in both direct manpower and idling of heavy excavating machinery.
Buried objects from the military sector, such as unexploded ordnance, chemical munitions and mines, require particular attention. Presently, an operator dressed in a flak jacket with helmet and face shield searches an area with a mine detector until a buried object is located. The operator then must very carefully dig up the object, usually with a trowel or knife, until it is fully uncovered and identifiable. The mine is then disabled. This procedure must be followed for every detector indication, whether erroneous or true. Detection and removal of mines is extremely dangerous, especially when carelessness due to operator fatigue sets in. In typical land mine cleanup operations, it has been reported that for every mine uncovered and deactivated, up to one thousand false hits can be recorded by the mine detector being used. All of these must be carefully excavated by hand. Assuming one minute per excavation, more than sixteen hours can be spent digging up false hits for each live mine found.
In addition, plastic mines and unexploded ordnance usually remain hidden unless they have enough internal metal to trigger a detector. Detection of plastic can be done using subsurface radar. Such systems, however, are expensive, bulky to deploy and difficult to interpret.
A mine plow disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,819 provides for delivery of a high velocity gas stream to the ground surface near the mine plow's baskets. The gas stream winnows loose soil material from metal and plastic battlefield debris which has been picked up by the baskets. The mine plow is limited to previously uncovered objects and does not achieve primary excavation of the battlefield debris.
A need remains for a highly mobile, person transportable pneumatic excavator, which can safely uncover buried objects.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic excavator which can uncover buried objects and, in particular, safely uncover unexploded ordnance.


A transceiver (5) for an asymmetric communication system such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) includes a configuration register (71) defining operation at either a central office (CO) or a remote terminal (RT). The configuration register (71) includes a control bit (72) for selecting either CO or RT mode. The transceiver (5) includes a signal processing module (70) configured according to the state of the control bit (72). For example, a digital interface (70) converts transmit data into transmit symbols and converts received symbols into receive data. The digital interface (70) uses a large memory (158) as a buffer in the transmit path and a small memory (160) as a buffer in the receive path in CO mode. In RT mode, the digital interface (70) uses the small memory (160) in the transmit path and the large memory (158) in the receive path. The selective configuration allows a single integrated circuit to be used in both CO and RT equipment.

In order to make high data rate interactive services such as video and internet access available to more residential and small business customers, high-speed data communications paths are required. Although fiber optic cable is the preferred transition media for such high data rate services, it is not readily available in existing communication networks and the expense of installing fiber optic cabling is prohibitive. Current telephone wiring connections, which consist of copper twisted-pair media, were not originally designed to support the data rates or bandwidth required for interactive services such as video on demand or even high speed internet connections. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology has been developed to increase the effective bandwidth of existing twisted-pair connections, allowing interactive services to be provided without requiring the installation of fiber optic cable.
Discrete multi-tone (DMT) is a multi-carrier technique which divides the available bandwidth of twisted-pair copper media connections into mini-subchannels or bins. The DMT technique has been adopted in the ANSI T1.413 standard (ADSL standard). In the ADSL standard, DMT is used to generate 250 separate 4.3125 kilohertz subchannels from 26 kilohertz to 1.1 megahertz for downstream transmission to an end user. Likewise, DMT is used to generate 26 subchannels from 26 kilohertz to 138 kilohertz for upstream transmission by an end user. The asymmetric transmission protocol implemented by the ADSL standard requires a higher rate of data transmission from a central office to a remote terminal and a lower rate of data transmission from a remote terminal to a central office. As a result, different processing sequences are required at the remote terminal and central office ends. Currently available systems utilize printed circuit board designs which are configured to operate as either a central office end or a remote terminal end and may not be used interchangeably as an opposite end. Thus, because such separate system designs are necessary, these separate systems must include separate design overhead, separate data bases and separate firmware files. Furthermore, each of the separate data bases, separate designs, and separate firmware files must all be designed, produced, and maintained with finite resources.

Single-chip software configurable transceiver for asymmetric communication system


A catalyst deterioration judgment device that can accurately perform a catalyst deterioration judgment by considering an oxygen density at downstream of an exhaust purification catalyst. The system reads outputs of an oxygen sensor and an ammonia sensor that are installed in downstream of an NSR catalyst when the catalyst is in an activate condition. When this read oxygen sensor output is equal to or more than a reference value and the ammonia sensor output is equal to or more than a reference value, it is estimated that ammonia oxidizing reaction does not occur under existence of oxygen in the NSR catalyst. In this case, the NSR catalyst is judged to be deteriorated.

The internal combustion engine that can execute a lean burn operation to improve a output as and the fuel efficiency together is known. A NOx occlusion reduction catalyst is widely utilized to reduce NOx emission amount of such an internal combustion engine.
Because of reinforcement of the recent emission effluent control, it is required to accurately execute a deterioration judgment of a NOx occlusion reduction catalyst. An apparatus detecting deterioration degree of a NOx occlusion reduction catalyst based on a change of the ammonia density at down stream of the NOx occlusion reduction catalyst in a rich air/fuel ratio is known (see, for example, patent document 1). According to this apparatus, the surplus reducing agent amount that was not used for NOx reduction is calculated based on a change of the ammonia density. Since this surplus reducing agent is correlated with the NOx occlusion capacity, the apparatus can detect the degree of deterioration of the NOx occlusion reduction catalyst.    Patent Document 1: Japanese patent bulletin No. 3,589,179    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-276419    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-68346    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1996


An ultrasonic bolt gage is described which uses a cross-correlation algorithm to determine a tension applied to a fastener, such as a bolt. The cross-correlation analysis is preferably performed using a processor operating on a series of captured ultrasonic echo waveforms. The ultrasonic bolt gage is further described as using the captured ultrasonic echo waveforms to perform additional modes of analysis, such as feature recognition. Multiple tension data outputs, therefore, can be obtained from a single data acquisition for increased measurement reliability. In addition, one embodiment of the gage has been described as multi-channel, having a multiplexer for performing a tension analysis on one of a plurality of bolts.

Reliable and accurate bolt tension gages are an essential tool in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) operational environment to determine the amount of preload in critical bolts and studs that are located in both ground support equipment and flight hardware. Experience at KSC has shown that commercially available ultrasonic bolt gages have problems taking required measurements. Existing bolt gages perform adequately in most instances, but can produce unacceptable errors and uncertainties when performing tension measurements in some configurations of flight hardware. These errors and uncertainties often result from interference due to multiple return waveforms from an ultrasonic pulse launched through the bolt or stud being measured. These errors are caused by apparent changes in amplitude, peak splits, peak merges, and distortion in return waveforms being analyzed and the bolt gage's inability to compensate for these phenomena. Other factors that affect the accuracy of a measurement include the tensioning process which may cause changes in geometry and material characteristics, temperature changes between unloaded and loaded conditions, contamination between the transducer and the surface of the item under test, contact pressure between the transducer and the item under test, and changing or removing and replacing a transducer during the process.
Most commercial bolt gages operate by determining the time-of-flight (TOF) of an ultrasonic return pulse in a bolt or stud. The TOF is measured by selecting a single feature of the item under test. Typically, an ultrasonic transducer 110 is mounted at one end of the item under test, such as a bolt 100, a pulse is launched through the item by a pulser circuit 112 simultaneously, the electronic clock is started. The time is measured for a return signal, or echo pulse as detected by a receiver 113 (See FIG. 1A). The traditional gage uses a single waveform feature such as the slope and trigger level setting as the requirement for stopping the clock. This single feature TOF is the basis for comparison and measurement. The difference between an unloaded (zero applied tension) and loaded TOF measurement for a particular bolt or stud is compared in terms of nanoseconds. Since each tension state has a unique sound speed associated with it, the nanoseconds interval can be converted to an ultrasonic length. Provided there is no permanent deformation in the item under test, the preload of the bolt or stud may be calculated either by using Hooke's Law or using a pre-determined plot of ultrasonic length (or TOF) versus load, taking into account the speed of sound change in the material under load and compensating for the other factors, such as temperature.
That is, preload can be determined by correlating the first return waveform of a bolt in both an unloaded and a loaded state. The amount of the time shift measured between these states is proportional to the preload tension in a joint coupled by the bolt. The two time measurements are compared to determine how far the waveform has been displaced in time. The time difference is proportional to the stretch in the bolt. This method and traditional bolt gages rely on an arbitrary zero or starting point. The resulting TOF includes the length for an equipment cable, transducer and couplant delays, as well as any delays in the measuring device. These are all system related external errors and can be subtracted out. Thus, an unloaded length or TOF is obtained and recorded.
In a second method, the first and second return (echo) waveforms are correlated to produce the actual TOF in the item under test rather than including the elements of the total measurement system. The first return waveform is used as the reference for the second return waveform. By considering the time between the first and second returns, the external variables in the first TOF method and typical bolt gages are eliminated. A reference table for each bolt, which plots tension versus delay time, is consulted to determine bolt tension. This plot is typically slightly parabolic in shape.
A problem with bolts in critical applications is that they are usually very lightweight in comparison to the load they bear. This creates a maximum preload tension value. That is, if the bolts are over-tensioned before load, they can yield or break upon application of the load. Likewise, there is also a minimum preload to prevent a joint from separating. It is well known that simple torque preload techniques result in a +/30% variation in tension preload, and that this is usually unacceptable in critical joints.
In the 30 years since the ultrasonic bolt gage was first invented, many methods have been tried to increase the level of repeatability and confidence in the accuracy of readings taken with these instruments. When a modern ulrasonic bolt gage and its operator are performing properly, these instruments can measure to an accuracy of +/- 2%. Unfortunately, on the all too often occasions when a gage reading "jumps peak," a user's confidence in the data collected is significantly reduced. A significant amount of peak jump error is a result of the reliance on one single feature to meet the same measurement and trigger criteria in the waveform in both unloaded to loaded conditions. Thus, current bolt gages while accurate are not reliable. For example, when a current bolt gage is used in the critical situation such as testing bolts on a space station or rocket, a reliability error of 10 to 30 percent is unacceptable. This unreliability is more than an annoyance, it can create an unacceptably dangerous situation. If a technician has 10 critical bolts which must be tensioned within a particular window, and the bolt gage used as a plus or minus 30% error one time in 10, the technician cannot insure that all 10 bolts are correctly tensioned.
See FIG. 1B where the first ultrasonic wave, A, of a slack bolt has a first zero-crossing 114 after the signal crosses the threshold level. Waveform B is an echo pulse of the bolt under tension. Because the waveform is deformed, in this illustration, simply attenuated, the zero-crossing 116 following the threshold level does not correspond to that of the first waveform. This creates substantial errors when calculating tension depending upon the single waveform feature. This is a common effect of tensioning a bolt.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a more reliable ultrasonic bolt gage.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A coupling joint structure for a boat where the output of an engine can be securely transmitted to a propeller shaft and centrifugal force can be reduced. The structure includes a first coupler on the driving side to an output shaft, a second coupler on the driven side to a propeller shaft, and a damper member interposed between the second coupler on the driven side and the first coupler on the driving side. The first coupler on the driving side and the second coupler on the driven side each include pawl pieces. In a first curved part of each of the pawl pieces on the driving side, the base (wall thickness t1) is made thicker than the end (wall thickness t2). In a second curved part of each of the pawl pieces on the driven side, the base (wall thickness t1) is made thicker than the end (wall thickness t2).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coupling joint structure of a small-sized boat where respective couplers are provided to an output shaft and a propeller shaft, a damper member is interposed between each coupler and the revolution of the output shaft is transmitted to the propeller shaft via the damper member.
2. Description of Background Art
A small-sized boat is provided in which an engine is mounted in the body of the boat, a water jet pump is provided at the back of the engine and an output shaft of the engine is coupled to a propeller shaft of the water jet pump via a coupling.
The revolution of the output shaft is transmitted to the propeller shaft via the coupling by revolving the engine, water is sucked from the bottom of the boat by driving the water jet pump, the sucked water is jetted backward, and the boat is glided (for example, refer to JP-A No. 255492/2000).
Referring to FIG. 7, JP-A No. 255492/2000 will be described below.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory drawing for explaining conventional type basic configuration.
A coupling joint 100 is provided with a coupler 103 on the driving side to an output shaft 102 of an engine 101 and a coupler 105 on the driven side to a propeller shaft 104 of a propeller, pawl pieces 107 - - - ( - - - denotes plural pieces) on the driving side are extended from the body 106 of the coupler 103 on the driving side toward the rear of the boat, pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side are extended from the body 108 of the coupler 105 on the driven side toward the front of the boat, and a damper member 111 is interposed between the pawl pieces 107 - - - on the driving side and the pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side.
The revolution of the output shaft 102 is transmitted to the damper member 111 via the coupler 103 on the driving side by revolving the engine 101 and the revolution of the engine 101 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 104 by transmitting the revolution of the damper member 111 to the coupler 105 on the driven side.
The revolution of the output shaft 102 is transmitted to the damper member 111 via the pawl pieces 107 - - - on the driving side of the coupler 103 on the driving side and is transmitted to the pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side of the coupler 105 on the driven side via the damper member 111.
To securely transmit large torque from the output shaft 102 to the propeller shaft 104, each sectional shape of the pawl pieces 107 - - - on the driving side and the pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side is enlarged and the strength is required to be secured.
However, when each sectional shape of the pawl pieces 107 - - - on the driving side and the pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side is enlarged, the weight of each pawl piece 107 - - - , 109 - - - increases.
When the weight of each pawl piece 107 - - - , 109 - - - increases, the centrifugal force of the pawl pieces 107 - - - on the driving side and the pawl pieces 109 - - - on the driven side increases when the coupling joint 100 is revolved.
Therefore, it is difficult to secure the durability of the pawl pieces 107 - - - , 109 - - - with centrifugal force.

Coupling joint structure of small-sized boat


A vehicle-useful, high-resolution 3D-detection of the environment of a street vehicle with environment scanning sensors is not possible today. Depending on application the first commercially available vehicle integrated systems may be a comprise between resolution of the sensors and size of the sampled area. With the inventive two dimensional distance resolution sensor device it becomes possible, in contrast to those which are known, to produce a system which, installed in a street vehicle, detects and preferably processes complex dynamics scenarios such for example street traffic, from the prospective of the active dynamic moving vehicle. Therein a three dimensional image of the environment is produced using a distance sensor, which produces a two dimensional distance profile (depth profile), and on the other hand, using a data processing and a storage unit, which process and store sequential distance profiles and sequence a series of distance profiles into the three dimensional image of the environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device for three-dimensional determination of the environment about a street vehicle, comprising a distance sensor which produces a series of two dimensional distance profiles, and a data processing unit and a storage unit which preprocesses and store sequential distance profiles, and produce a three dimensional image of the environment from a sequence of distance profiles. The invention further comprises a process for three-dimensional determination of the environment about a street vehicle utilizing such a device.
It is not possible today to survey the environment around a street vehicle since there are no suitable vehicle-adapted, high-resolution three-dimensional environment-scanning sensors. Depending upon the application, the first vehicle assistance systems to become available on the market will likely involve a comprise between the resolution of the sample data and the size of the surveyed area. So, for example, the radar system for an ACC application must be limited to a few degrees of scan horizontally, while for a parking assistance device the surveying of the environment ahead of, beside and behind the vehicle with ultrasound allows only a limited range and resolution to be realized. Video based systems offer a high resolution, however no distance information.
2. Description of the Related Art
From the field of robotics infrared scanners are known, which are capable of using articulated rotating mirrors to collect three-dimensional environmental information. For employment in street vehicles such sensors are however only suitable for limited purposes, since on one hand the complex mechanics are not sufficiently robust for the employment in practice for the most diverse street applications, and on the other hand, such sensors are relatively expensive owing to their complexity.
For this reason in the automobile sector laser scanners are primarily employed, which are designed to scan a thin disk (2D) within the three dimensional environment and to provide a depth profile of the surveyed sector. In DE 3932 720 A1 a distance measuring device is described for contactless recognition of distance and relative position of objects. The presence of an object is detected by means of a narrow bundled infrared beam and the distance is determined by an ultrasound device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,539 A1 shows an autonomous vehicle, which utilizes multiple laser scanners for object detection. Herein in particular a laser scanner is set up for monitoring the rear environment of the vehicle, in which the total theoretical detection area of 360° is divided, by not described means, into parallel overlapping environmental areas of respectively 180° and 30° for a so called quasi three-dimensional object detection.
Schneider (Schneider et al., "Millimeter Wave Imaging of Traffic Scenarios", Intelligent Vehicles Symposium, Proc. IEEE, pp. 327-332) demonstrates the possibility of generating two-dimensional perspectives from three-dimensional data sets, here especially using a high-resolution radar system. The object therein is to classify vehicles on the basis of their two-dimensional view and to monitor their tracks, as well as to extract the street edge from the two dimensional view. A similar process to be employed in street vehicles for the recognition of a vacant driving space is also known from the subsequently published document DE 100 49 229 A1.
Systems for constructing three-dimensional environmental data on the basis of two-dimensional depth profile data taking into consideration the vehicle own movement are disclosed in documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,216 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,038 A1 for the measurement of the profile of a railroad tunnel and the defect-free continuity of railway tracks, and, on the other hand, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,423 A1, systems are used in combination with the targeted application of pesticides and the determination of the extent of foliage within plantations. In all these systems a three-dimensional image of the environment is produced by the combination of a sequence of distance profiles using a data processing unit. In order to determine the spacing of the individual sequentially recorded profiles to each other, distance recorders are provided respectively in the wheels of the vehicle carrying the system.
A device for determining the position of an agricultural vehicle carrying a scanning sensor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,440 A1. Herein the track of the vehicle is followed by means of the global positioning system (GPS). Since the optical sensor used for recording plant growth however provides no distance information, the sequencing of the sensor information is able to produce only a two dimensional cartography of the environment.
In association with a street traffic scenario, a stationary system for determining and classifying vehicles passing the system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,190 A1. Herein collected two-dimensional depth profiles from a laser scanner are combined for producing three-dimensional data. Therein the laser scanner is in a known fixed position above the vehicle roadway and monitors an area lying thereunder. Vehicles traveling through the scanned area are detected with sequential scans, from which the system sequentially extracts depth profiles. The speed information for correctly reconstructing a moving three dimensional traffic object from the two dimensional depth profile data is obtained by use of two light strata produced separately from the laser scanner. Therein the light strata are used in the sense of a light barrier for measuring speed, wherein entry of an object in the first light strata starts a clock and entry of the same object in the second light strata stops the clock. From the elapsed time and the known distance between both light barriers, the speed of the object can be calculated and therefrom a three dimensional image of the same can be constructed for the classification of the passing vehicle.
The devices known in the state of the art utilize, in reference to the aspect of the three dimensional determination of the environment, the analysis of static scenarios, such as inner walls of tunnels and the position of railroad tracks or the condition of the growth in fields or plantations. The three-dimensional image of the environment is not used therein in direct connection with actions of the sensor-carrying vehicles, but rather for documentation purposes or later statistical evaluation (determination of the growth density or planning of necessary repairs). Also, the device known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,190 A1 is essentially evaluated in a statistical scenario, in that a fixed point of a vehicular road is scanned or and locally occurring changes in condition (passage of vehicles) is detected and evaluated.

Three-dimensional perception of environment


A localized cardiac measure, such as a localized measure of myocardial ischemia, is obtained by applying sensors to a subject, where the sensors are configured to produce electrical signals representative of cardiac activity of the subject. The subject's heart is then physiologically stressed by, for example, exercise stress testing, and electrical signals are received from at least two of the sensors. The received signals then are processed to obtain a localized cardiac measure.

The invention relates to the generation of localized cardiac measures.
Electrical activity of the heart generates an electrical potential on the body surface. At any given location on the body, this potential includes contributions from every region of the heart, with the contribution from a particular region being inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the region to the location on the body. Given the anatomy of the heart and chest, the potentials at most locations on the body surface represent summed electrical activity from a large region of the heart.
The body surface electrocardiogram (ECG) is a measure of electrical activity of the heart. The ECG provides a measure of the potential difference between two points on the body surface as a continuous function of time. The ECG is routinely measured using standard ECG electrodes. Commonly, ten electrodes are used, four of which are near the limbs and six of which span the chest, primarily on the left side. The signals recorded from these electrodes are processed to form a standard set of twelve ECG leads.
Each of the standard twelve ECG leads represents the difference between signals from two sensors that are located a significant distance from one another. Standard leads I, II and III represent the difference between pairs of the limb electrodes. They are referred to as bipolar leads because they represent the difference of two electrodes. Standard leads AVR, AVL, AVF and V1-V6 represent the difference between an electrode and Wilson's central terminal, a reference created by averaging three of the limb electrodes. Leads referenced to Wilson's central terminal are referred to as unipolar leads. Standard electrocardiogram leads, such as the unipolar leads, do not represent localized electrocardiogram signals.

Method and system for obtaining a localized cardiac measure


Disclosed herein is a method of forming a silicon gate stack onto a silicon substrate for a silicon device. The method of forming the silicon gate stack comprises the steps of growing an oxide layer onto the silicon substrate, depositing a thin layer of silicon to form a thin layer of silicon over the oxide layer, depositing a thick layer of silicon over the thin layer of silicon, and introducing impurities into only the thick layer of silicon to form a silicon gate whereby the silicon gate includes the thin layer of silicon and the thick layer of silicon having the impurities. The impurities being introduced with a concentration, the impurities concentration and the thick layer thickness impeding an encroachment by the oxide layer into the silicon gate during application of a protective screen oxide layer around the silicon gate stack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fabricating semiconductor devices and more particularly to forming high quality oxide layers for semiconductor devices.
2. Description of Previous Art
As advances in processing technology allow ever increasing number of integrated devices to be fabricated on a single integrated circuit (IC), fabricating these integrated devices with consistent electrical properties is a constant struggle. Strict guidelines and tight tolerances are setup for fabricating facilities in efforts to produce integrated devices with reproducible electrical properties. However, even with the strict guidelines and the tight tolerances, there are still many problems with the processing technologies that are currently in use.
For example, when a metal oxide silicon (MOS) transistor is fabricated, the gate of the transistor is first formed on the silicon substrate. Once the gate is formed, the source and the drain of the MOS transistor are formed. In forming the gate of the MOS transistor, a gate oxide is first grown over the silicon substrate. Next, a gate layer is formed over the gate oxide. A screen oxide is applied over the areas surrounding the gate oxide and the gate to protect the gate stack of the MOS transistor from later processing in the formation of the source and drain. One problem that is prevalent when applying the screen oxide to the gate stack of the MOS transistor is thickening of the gate oxide.
Thickening of the gate oxide occurs at the stack edges of the MOS transistor. The thickened gate oxide encroaches the gate layer by oxidizing portions of the gate. In fabricating single gate MOS transistors, thickening of the gate oxide cause variations in threshold voltages and drive current when slight variations in gate length and processing conditions occur. These slight variations in gate length and processing often occur during fabrication. Threshold voltage and drive current variations cause the MOS transistors to have inconsistent activation voltages. Thus, the electrical properties of these MOS transistors fluctuate and are inconsistent with each other.
In fabricating multiple gate transistors such as electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROM's) having a floating gate and a control gate, the thickening of the gate oxide has the undesirable effect of reducing the coupling between the floating gate and the control gate which can cause programming and erasing errors. Other undesirable effects include increasing the barrier to tunneling or hot carrier injection between the source/channel/drain regions and the floating gate. Given that program and erase operations of EEPROM's rely on carriers passing through a tunnel oxide so that the carriers can either be trapped or removed, the effects of thickening the tunneling oxide increase program and erase operations. Additionally, without a uniformly formed tunneling oxide, the reliability of the EEPROM's will suffer. Tunnel oxide breakdown will occur more often causing the EEPROM's to fail. The thickening of the tunneling oxide also changes with slight variations in gate lengths and processing conditions that often occur during processing of the nonvolatile memory transistors.
The effects of the thickening oxide are even more pronounced and becomes proportionally greater as the gate lengths of the MOS transistors are scaled smaller. As current advances in processing technology allow ever increasing number of smaller scaled integrated devices to be fabricated on a single IC, the problem of thickening oxide becomes more apparent. A high quality oxide layer of uniform thickness is important if the MOS transistors are to be scaled smaller.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method of forming a high quality oxide layer for silicon gates to produce MOS devices that possesses more consistent electrical properties and is less sensitive to process variations for better performing and more reliably operating MOS circuits.

Method of forming a silicon gate to produce silicon devices with improved performance


A fuse protection circuit for an electrically programmable read only memory circuit consists of a fusing element such as an antifuse connected between a bitline and the drain of the access transistor, and which is susceptible to inadvertent activation due to programming voltages applied to the bitline when the access transistor is not being addressed. The fusing element is protected from such inadvertent activation by the addition of a capacitor between the drain of the access transistor and the bitline.

Electrically programmable fuse elements are used in various electronic circuits including memory arrays, particularly in field programmable memory arrays. A field programmable memory array is essentially a read only memory which contains an array of electrically programmable fuse elements. These fuse elements have an initial impedance characteristic or state when manufactured, and can be irreversibly converted to have a second impedance characteristic by the application of a proper voltage and/or current through the fusing element. These memory arrays are field programmable in that a user can program the memory array rather than having programming information placed in the memory during the manufacturing process.
One type of electrically programmable fusing element is referred to as an antifuse and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,507 to Rosener. As manufactured the antifuse has a high resistance in parallel with a small capacitance. After being programmed (activated) the resistance changes to less than a hundred ohms. The antifuse typically can be activated by the application of approximately 10 volts at a current of 10 microamps applied for less than twenty nanoseconds.
However, in a typical memory array in which one terminal of the antifuse is floating and the other terminal of the antifuse is connected to a bit line, the combination of the voltage change on the bit line and the parasitic capacitance between the floating terminal of the antifuse and ground can provide conditions which may result in an inadvertent activation of the antifuse.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that a fuse protection circuit which protects an antifuse type of fusing element from being inadvertently activated and which occupies a small amount of chip area is highly desirable.


It is possible to provide a small intestine endoscope training simulator (11) which allows to obtain a feeling similar to that of inserting an endoscope (38) into the small intestine (34) of the living body (30) and learn the actual operation of the endoscope (38). This training simulator (11) includes a plurality of longitudinal elastic members (32) for applying an elastic force to each of a plurality of portions of a simulated small intestine (13). One end portion sides of the plurality of longitudinal elastic members (32) are respectively attached to the first attachment portions (27) on the simulated small intestine (13) side. The other end portion sides of the plurality of longitudinal elastic members (32) are respectively attached to the second attachment portions (33, 57) on the case (12) side.

The digestive tract of a living body extends from the mouth to the anus, with the esophagus, stomach, small intestine (divided into the duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and large intestine being connected in the order named between them. It is conventional practice for doctors to observe the inside of the digestive tract with an endoscope and perform a treatment such as hemostasis or excision of a polyp inside the digestive tract. However, targets for observation and treatment are limited to regions relatively close to the mouth or anus which is an insertion region of an endoscope. More specifically, when the doctor is to insert the endoscope through the mouth, a target range for observation or treatment includes up to the stomach and part of the duodenum. When the doctor is to insert the endoscope through the anus, a target range for observation or treatment includes up to the large intestine.
As conventional techniques for practicing the above observation and treatment, there are available an upper digestive tract endoscope training simulator simulating the esophagus, stomach and part of the duodenum of the living body (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-213877 "Endoscope Training Internal Organ/Digestive Tract Simulator") and a large intestine endoscope training simulator simulating organs from the anus to the large intestine of the living body (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-192523 "Large Intestine Endoscope Insertion Trainer"). The doctor can use these simulators to practice the operation of the endoscope.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-213877
Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-192523
Recently, by making improvements to conventional endoscopes, a balloon endoscope has been developed, which can be inserted into the small intestine (the jejunum and ileum, in particular) as the organ of the digestive tract, which is located farther from the upper digestive tract and large intestine, through the mouth or anus. This makes it possible to observe the inside of the small intestine and perform treatment such as hemostasis or excision of a polyp inside the small intestine. Accompanying this, demands have arisen for training simulators for practicing the insertion of an endoscope into the small intestine and operating it.
On the other hand, a capsule endoscope is on the market, which is swallowed through the mouth for the purpose of observing the small intestine. This capsule endoscope gives little pain to the patient at the time of use. This capsule endoscope, however, has disadvantages such as allowing only observation, incapability of treatment such as hemostasis or excision of a polyp or biopsy, and incapability of being used for a patient suspected to have obstruction or constriction of the intestinal tract. For this reason, capsule endoscopes have not replaced conventional endoscopes. These two types of endoscopes are thought to be selectively used in accordance with purposes in the future.
The small intestine is located deeper than the organs into which an endoscope has been inserted, and is itself a winding hollow organ. It is therefore very difficult to insert an endoscope into the small intestine and advance it to a target region even by using a balloon endoscope or the like which has recently been developed. For this reason, if an unskilled person operates the endoscope, he/she may not achieve an object because of incapability of observing a sufficiently large range of the small intestine. Furthermore, because of dangerous operation, he/she may damage the intestinal tract. Therefore, there has been a need for a training simulator for practicing the operation of inserting an endoscope into the small intestine.

Small intestine endoscope training simulator


Systems and methods for remotely turning on and turning up a Raman amplifier are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes the step of turning on one or more Raman pumps of a Raman amplifier to a predetermined safe gain or power level. The method also includes determining an estimated loss along a fiber optic span of a link between adjacent nodes of an optical network. Responsive to the estimated loss being greater than a reach of an Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) signal along the link, the method includes the step of adjusting the gain or power level of the one or more Raman pumps.

Generally, a communication network includes a number of nodes in communication with each other via a number of links, such as optical links. When new nodes or new links are installed in the communication network, certain setup steps are performed to prepare the nodes or links for operation within the communication network. Also, when a node or link is repaired, similar setup steps can also be performed to acclimate the repaired equipment to the network. These setup steps can also be referred to as a "turn-up" process. According to conventional practices, a stretched fiber span or optical fiber link may be installed (e.g., by burying the fiber optic cables underground) or a node may be installed (e.g., within a building), which may involve sending a "truck-roll" to a remote location where personnel can manually install the fiber or node. Once installed, the conventional method for setting up the newly installed fiber or node may include an expert (or "turn-up" expert) being sent to the remote location to turn-up the fiber or node to follow up a pre-defined installation procedure.
At times, a new fiber span may extend over an extremely long distance. Typically, long fiber spans require Raman amplification along with Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs). In this case, the turn-up expert may need to setup basic configurations manually on site. For example, these setup configurations may include entering basic node names, communications configurations, etc. Also, the turn-up expert may need to run Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) traces to check fiber characteristics and back reflections (e.g., counter-propagating Raman amplification) to ensure that the test results are at safe levels for Raman turn-up. While running the OTDR traces from one site, the turn-up expert has to manually confirm with a Network Operations Center (NOC) that no other traces are getting run for the same fiber from the other end.
The expert may also provision fiber types and other photonic configurations required to instantiate controllers. In many configurations (e.g., C-band+L-band fibers, Non-Zero Dispersion Shifted Fiber (NZDSF), etc.), a controller for a Raman amplifier may have a dependency to know or discover fiber types. The turn-up expert may turn on Raman amplification to a pre-planned target gain level as recommended by an offline planning tool. The offline planning tool may also recommend EDFA target gains, gain-switch modes, tilt, and Variable Optical Attenuation (VOA) losses based on fiber type and span loss. Once the Raman amplifier is up, the turn-up expert may have to readjust other gain/loss actuators since the measured Raman gain may not line up with planned target-gains.
Conventional practice to turn-up nodes with stretched fiber spans typically starts with sending truck-rolls to remote locations so that someone can manually install a node and follow up a pre-defined installation procedure. Typically, such long fiber spans require Raman amplification along with Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs).
This means that the installer has to set up basic configurations manually on site. The configuration information may include basic node names, communication configurations, protocols, etc. Also, the installer has to run OTDR traces to check whether fiber characteristics and back reflections are at a safe level for Raman turn-up. In some cases, the process may include counter-propagating a Raman amplifier. While running OTDR traces from one site, the installer on-site has to manually confirm with a NOC or Network Management System (NMS) that no other traces are being run from the other end of the same fiber.
The installer also provisions fiber types and other photonic configurations required to instantiate controllers of the NOC. In many configurations (such as C+L bands and/or for NZDSF), a Raman amplifier controller has a dependency to know or discover fiber type so that it can avoid Four Wave Mixing (FWM) on signals due to pump overlaps from C- and L-groups. The installer turns on Raman amplification to a pre-planned target gain level, along with EDFA target gain, gain-switch modes, tilt, and VOA losses, etc., as recommended by an offline planning tool based on fiber type and span loss. Once Raman is up, the installer may have to readjust other gain/loss actuators since the measured Raman gain may not line up with planned target-gain.
Conventionally, an OSC provides a wavelength on a link between two nodes for data communications therebetween. That is, OSCs are an additional wavelength in a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) system, usually outside the Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) amplification band (e.g., at 1510 nm, 1620 nm, 1310 nm, or any other proprietary wavelength). This data communication is generally for Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) functionality, such as information about WDM signals on the link as well as remote conditions at the two nodes.
Additionally, the OSCs can provide remote software upgrades, network management connectivity, user data channel connectivity, etc. ITU standards suggest that the OSC should utilize an Optical Carrier (OC) OC-3 signal structure, though some have opted to use a 100 megabit Ethernet or another signal format. Typically, OSCs have a set maximum link budget. For example, a standard small form factor pluggable (SFP)-based OSC with as an OC-3 at 1510 nm has a link budget of about 42 dB. While 42 dB covers a large majority of fiber links, it does not cover festoon applications, channel crossings, or other high loss link applications. These high loss link applications can include Raman amplification; however, the presence of Raman amplifiers does not improve the link budget of a typical 1510 nm OC-3 OSC. That is, the high loss link applications do not realize any improvements with the OSC even with the Raman amplifiers on. Even if the OSCs were adapted to support Raman amplification, the OSCs would not support communication the high loss link applications if the Raman amplifiers were turned off. Additionally, conventional OSCs are typically a single point of failure thus an OSC failure cannot be distinguished from a link failure. This happens in high loss link applications because the signal power from the far end is indistinguishable from the locally generated Raman ASE. All of the foregoing presents difficult challenges in high loss link applications

Automatic remote node turn-up procedure using a raman amplifier on a stretched fiber span


A substrate processing method includes jetting at least one fluid from a fluid nozzle toward a rotating substrate surface while moving the fluid nozzle from a center toward a periphery of the rotating substrate. The fluid nozzle is moved from the center of the substrate to a predetermined point at a constant initial movement speed. The fluid nozzle is subsequently moved from the predetermined point at a movement speed V(r) which satisfies the following relational expression: V(r)×rα=C (constant), where V(r) represents the movement speed of the fluid nozzle when it passes a position corresponding to a position on the substrate surface at a distance “r” from the center of the substrate, and α represents a power index.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing unit, and more particularly to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing unit which are used to carry out processing, such as cleaning or drying, a surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, in a contactless manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
A two-fluid jet (2FJ) cleaning method is known as a cleaning method for cleaning a substrate surface in a contactless manner. This cleaning method involves jetting a high-speed gas containing fine liquid droplets (mist) from a two-fluid nozzle toward a substrate surface and causing the fine liquid droplets to collide against the substrate surface. The cleaning method utilizes a shock wave, generated by the collision of fine liquid droplets against the substrate surface, to remove (clean off) particles, etc. from the substrate surface.
A drying method using an IPA (isopropyl alcohol) vapor is known as a drying method for drying a substrate surface in a contactless manner. This drying method involves blowing a gas containing an IPA vapor from a fluid nozzle toward a gas-liquid interface on a substrate surface. The drying method evaporates and removes a liquid film from the substrate surface by utilizing the gradient of the surface tension of the liquid film present on the substrate surface and the promotion of evaporation of the liquid by the IPA vapor.
In the conventional two-fluid jet cleaning method, it is common practice to jet a mixed fluid from a two-fluid nozzle toward a substrate surface while moving the two-fluid nozzle, mounted at a front end of a swing arm, parallel to the substrate surface at a constant speed by swinging (rotating) the swing arm at a constant angular velocity. Therefore, as the two-fluid nozzle moves toward the periphery of the substrate, the amount of liquid droplets supplied per unit area of the substrate surface gradually decreases, and the density of liquid droplets colliding against the substrate surface decreases, leading to a decreases in the cleaning effect.
In the drying method using an IPA vapor, there are cases where the angular velocity of a swing arm is changed to change the movement speed of a fluid nozzle mounted at the front end of the swing arm. The degree of change of the movement speed of the fluid nozzle is in most cases determined empirically. This sometimes involves discontinuity in the movement speed of the fluid nozzle, which may result in uneven drying of a substrate surface.
In order to reduce variation in the cleaning effect in a substrate surface, a method has been proposed which involves gradually decreasing the movement speed of a fluid nozzle, such as a cleaning nozzle, as distance from the center of the substrate increases (see e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. H11-47700, H11-307492 and 2005-93694).
The proposed method, however, does not take account of the relationship between factors such as processing time (throughput) and the movement speed of a fluid nozzle such as a cleaning nozzle. Thus, it is considered necessary to newly set the movement speed of a fluid nozzle such as a cleaning nozzle in order to shorten the cleaning or drying time and to thereby increase the throughput, for example.
The applicant has proposed a variety of two-fluid jet cleaning methods for cleaning a substrate surface after polishing efficiently with a mixture of a gas and a liquid jetted against the substrate surface, and a variety of drying methods for drying a substrate surface by using an IPA vapor (see e.g., International Publication No. 2007/108315 pamphlet and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2010-50436 and 2010-238850).

Substrate processing method and substrate processing unit


A device having a storage location for receiving an original data and a corresponding original error correction code (ECC) is provided. The device includes ECC modification pattern generator logic for comparing modified data and the original data for generating a pattern for modifying the original ECC and ECC modification logic for modifying the original ECC based on the pattern.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments disclosed herein are related to data integrity in computing devices and more particularly, in networking devices.
2. Related Art
Network devices are commonly used to move network information (which may also be referred to interchangeably, as frames, packets, data or commands) between computing systems (for example, servers) or between computing systems and network devices (for example, storage systems). Various hardware and software components are used to implement network communication. Network devices for example, switches, adapters and others typically communicate using ports that have logic and circuitry for sending and receiving information. The ports typically use receive buffers (or memory storage devices) for receiving and temporarily storing information (for example, frames, packets and other information), before information is sent to an appropriate destination.
Physical size of computing devices and the memory structures used by such devices continue to shrink making them susceptible to single event based errors. As data moves within a device, it ought to be protected at every domain. One way to detect and correct errors is by using error correcting code (ECC). ECC is typically used by data storage and transmission devices. When data is written to a storage location, ECC is computed and stored alongside the data. When the data is read back, the ECC is typically recomputed and compared against ECC stored at the storage location. Any discrepancy is an indication of bit errors in the stored data. By examining the discrepancies between the ECCs, errors can be detected and fixed. Typically, an ECC algorithm is applied to a fixed number of data bits, for example, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 or 1024 bits. Hamming code and BCH are two examples of using ECC.
Protecting data in multiple domains results in complex circuitry, may increase latency in moving data and may reduce performance of a device to move and/or process information. Continuous efforts are being made to improve data integrity in network and computing devices.


The present invention provides novel uses of compounds of general formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are individually hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, trifluoromethyl, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or (tertiary amino)(lower alkoxy); and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are individually hydrogen or lower alkyl, or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for vasodilatory treatment or prophylaxis.

Vasodilator drugs are used in several conditions involving tissue ischemia with the most important indication being angina pectoris. Atherosclerosis is involved in most cases of angina pectoris. In recent years a number of studies have revealed important information about the effects of estrogens on the cardiovascular system. Experiments in animals (Haarbo J et al. J Clin Invest 1991; 87:1294-1279) and epidemiologic studies in humans (PEPI trial, JAMA 1995; 273:199-208) have demonstrated that estrogens possess antiatherogenic properties and it has been speculated that the decreased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality seen in women between 35 and 50 compared to men, is due to an intact ovarian function with the production of estrogens. It has also been demonstrated that estrogens possess vasodilator properties, at least when administered in test systems in pharmacological doses. Estrogens and estrogen receptor stimulation may therefore have a dual mechanism which may act synergistically on the pathologic mechanisms involved in tissue ischemia.
Recent studies (Writing group for the PEPI trial, JAMA 273:199, 1955) confirm that oral estrogen taken alone or in combination with medroxy-progesterone acetate or micronized progesterone is associated with a beneficial effect on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, estrogen is also known to have adverse effects on endometrium and perhaps breast tissue by increasing the frequency of malignancies in these areas after prolonged treatment.
Thus, there is a need for a new compound which has the beneficial vasodilatory effect of estrogen, but without introducing significant effects on the reproductive tissues.
Centchroman is a non-steroidal compound known to have antiestrogenic activity. It is in use in India as an oral contraceptive (see, for example, Salman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,622; Singh et al., Acta Endocrinol. (Copenh) 126 (1992), 444-450; Grubb, Curr. Opin. Obstet. Gynecol. 3 (1991), 491-495; Sankaran et al., Contraception 9 (1974), 279-289; Indian Patent Specification No. 129187). Centchroman has also been investigated as an anti-cancer agent for treatment of advanced breast cancer (Misra et al., Int. J. Cancer 43 (1989), 781-783). Recently, centchroman as a racemate has been found potent as a cholesterol lowering pharmaceutical expressed by a significant decrease of the serum concentrations (S. D. Bain et al., J. Min. Bon. Res. 9 (1994), 394).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,040 describes methods and pharmaceutical compositions for reducing bone loss using 3,4-diarylchromans and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
One object of the present invention is to provide compounds which can effectively be used in the vasodilatory treatment or prophylaxis of e.g. cerebral ischaemia, angina pectoris or Raynaud's syndrome.

Use of 3,4-diphenyl chromans for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for vasodilatory treatment or prophylaxis