A purified recombinant DNA polymerase having high processivity and strand-displacement activity. An isolated nucleic acid that encodes the bacteriophage DNA polymerase. A kit and method for amplifying DNA is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a DNA polymerase suitable for DNA amplification. More specifically, this invention related to a bacteriophage Φ15 DNA polymerase having strand-displacement activity.
2. Description of Related Art
DNA sequencing involves the generation of four populations of single-stranded DNA fragments, having one defined terminus and one variable terminus. The variable terminus always terminates at a specific given nucleotide base (either guanine (G), adenine (A), thymine (T), or cytosine (C)). The four different sets of fragments are each separated on the basis of their length, on a high resolution polyacrylamide gel; each band on the gel corresponds colinearly to a specific nucleotide in the DNA sequence, thus identifying the positions in the sequence of the given nucleotide base.
Generally there are two methods of DNA sequencing. One method (Maxam and Gilbert sequencing) involves the chemical degradation of isolated DNA fragments, each labeled with a single radiolabel at its defined terminus, each reaction yielding a limited cleavage specifically at one or more of the four bases (G, A, T or C). This method generally requires no DNA polymerase and has lost popularity as the other, dideoxy sequencing method has become improved in many ways over the past 25 years.
The second method (dideoxy sequencing) involves the enzymatic synthesis of a DNA strand. Four separate syntheses are run, each reaction being caused to terminate at a specific base (G, A, T or C) via incorporation of the appropriate chain terminating dideoxynucleotide. The latter method is preferred since the DNA fragments are uniformly labelled (instead of end labelled) and thus the larger DNA fragments contain increasingly more radioactivity. Further, 35S-labelled nucleotides can be used in place of 32P-labelled nucleotides, resulting in sharper definition; and the reaction products are simple to interpret since each lane corresponds only to either G, A, T or C. The enzymes used for most dideoxy sequencing is the Escherichia coli DNA-polymerase I large fragment ("Klenow"), AMV reverse transcriptase, and T7 DNA polymerase (Tabor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,699). The T7 DNA polymerase used for sequencing is said to be advantageous over other DNA polymerases because it is processive, has no associated exonuclease activity, does not discriminate against nucleotide analog incorporation, and can utilize small oligonucleotides as primers. These properties are said to make the polymerase ideal for DNA sequencing. Id.
A means of amplifying target DNA molecules is of value because such amplified DNA is frequently used in subsequent analysis methods including DNA sequencing, cloning, mapping, genotyping, generation of probes, and diagnostic testing.
There are several established methods that permit amplification of nucleic acids. Most of these methods were designed around the amplification of selected or specific DNA targets using specific probes or primers. Examples include the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR), self-sustained sequence replication (3SR), nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA), strand displacement amplification (SDA), and amplification with Q.βreplicase (Birkenmeyer and Mushahwar, J. Virological Methods, 35:117-126 (1991); Landegren, Trends Genetics, 9:199-202 (1993)).
In addition, several methods have been employed to amplify circular DNA molecules such as plasmids or DNA from bacteriophage such as M13. One (cloning) is simply the propagation of these molecules in suitable host strains of E. coli, followed by isolation of the DNA by well-established protocols (Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F., and Maniatis, T. Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, 1989, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). PCR has also been a frequently used method to amplify defined sequences in DNA targets such as plasmids or DNA from bacteriophage such as M13 (PCR Protocols, 1990, Ed. M. A. Innis, D. H. Gelfand, J. J. Sninsky, Academic Press, San Diego.) Some of these methods suffer from being laborious, expensive, time-consuming, inefficient, and lacking in sensitivity.
As an improvement on these methods, linear rolling circle amplification (LRCA) uses a primer annealed to a circular target DNA molecule and DNA polymerase is added. The amplification target circle (ATC) acts as a template on which new DNA is made, with the polymerase extending the primer as a continuous strand. Once the polymerase has completed a full circuit of the template, it displaces the product strand and continues copying the template forming a series of repeats of the sequence complementary to the circle. This process can generate hundreds or even thousands of copies of the template during several hours of reaction, with the number of copies increasing linearly (not accelerating) with time. An improvement on LRCA is exponential RCA (ERCA). To achieve exponential or accelerating amplification, an additional primer that anneals to the replicated complementary strand is provided. This creates new centers of amplification on the product strand, thereby providing accelerating, exponential kinetics and increased amplification. Exponential rolling circle amplification (ERCA) employs a cascade of strand displacement reactions, also referred to as HRCA (Lizardi, P. M. et al. Nature Genetics, 19, 225-231 (1998)). However, ERCA is limited to the use of just a single primer annealed to the circular DNA target molecule, and a single primer for the product strand. Another limitation is that one needs to know a specific DNA sequence within the circular target sequence in order to make the primers. Furthermore, the circular DNA target molecule must be a circle that is nicked or at least partially single-stranded.
Another method (referred to herein as Multiply-Primed Rolling Circle Amplification—MPRCA) that avoids some of these disadvantages employs multiple specific primers to perform rolling circle amplification by using multiple primers for the amplification of individual target circles. This has the advantage of more rapid synthesis with multiple growing points on each circular template molecule. Amplification can be linear if all the primers anneal only to the circular target strand, or exponential if primers are provided for both strands.
The methods provide a mechanism for "in vitro cloning", i.e. without the need for cloning into an organism, of known or unknown target DNAs enclosed in circles. A padlock probe may be used to copy the target sequence into a circle by the gap fill-in method (Lizardi, P. M. et al. Nature Genetics, 19, 225-231 (1998)). Alternatively, target sequences can be copied or inserted into circular ssDNA or dsDNA by many other commonly used methods. The RCA amplification overcomes the need to generate amplified yields of the DNA by cloning in organisms.
While specific target amplification is widely used, general amplification of all the sequences in a target sample can also be useful. This can be achieved with a form of MPRCA in which a collection of primers of arbitrary or random sequence is used. In this way, amplification of a circular target DNA molecule of unknown sequence can be achieved. Another advantage is that the amplification of single-stranded or double-stranded circular target DNA molecules may be carried out isothermally and/or at ambient temperatures. Other advantages include being highly useful in new applications of rolling circle amplification, low cost, sensitivity to low concentration of target circle, flexibility, especially in the use of detection reagents, and low risk of contamination (U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,009; Genomics 2002 Vol. 80, No. 6, 691-8; Biotechniques 2002 June Suppl. 44-47; Genome Research, 2001 Vol. 11 No. 6, 1095-9).
In some embodiments, procedures are employed that improve on the yield of amplified product DNA by using multiple primers that are resistant to degradation by exonuclease activity that may be present in the reaction. This has the advantage of permitting the primers to persist in reactions that contain an exonuclease activity and that may be carried out for long incubation periods. The persistence of primers allows new priming events to occur for the entire incubation time of the reaction, which is one of the hallmarks of ERCA and has the advantage of increasing the yield of amplified DNA.
Random primer RCA also has the benefit of generating double stranded products. This is because the linear ssDNA products generated by copying of the circular template will themselves be converted to duplex form by random priming of DNA synthesis. Double stranded DNA product is advantageous in allowing for DNA sequencing of either strand and for restriction endonuclease digestion and other methods used in cloning, labeling, and detection.
Methods have published for whole genome amplification using degenerate primers (Cheung, V. G. and Nelson, S. F. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 93, 14676-14679 (1996)) and random primers (Zhang, L. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89, 5847-5851 (1992)) where a subset of a complex mixture of targets such as genomic DNA is amplified. Reduction of complexity is an objective of these methods.
It has been found, however, that the use of the DNA polymerase from bacteriophage Φ29 (PHI29) along with random sequence hexamer primers is particularly advantageous for general amplification of circular DNA sequences by exponential MPRCA mechanism. In addition, it has also been found that this combination is also effective in amplification of linear DNA molecules in a process termed MDA for Multiple Displacement Amplification. It is capable of amplification of the 50 kb chromosome of bacteriophage λ, or of larger linear molecules such as isolated human chromosomal DNA. This method makes use of the unusual properties of Φ29 DNA polymerase, namely high processivity and ability to displace a strand annealed to the template strand during synthesis—so called strand-displacement activity (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005 May 3;102(18):6407-12). Most DNA polymerases slow or stop when they encounter a strand annealed to the template but Φ29 DNA polymerase has the same synthesis rate on single-stranded DNA as when it must displace a strand from a double-stranded template. Also, most DNA polymerases remain bound to a template strand long enough to polymerize only a few nucleotides up to about 1000 nucleotides. Synthesis at that particular site then stops as the polymerase un-binds, and synthesis will only resume when another molecule of polymerase binds later. In contrast, Φ29 DNA polymerase appears to bind long enough to polymerize many thousands of nucleotides without stopping, extending synthesis over wide stretches of template sequence. Together, these unique properties of Φ29 DNA polymerase make it particularly effective for MDA and MPRCA using random-sequence primers such as hexamers.
Experiments using a variety of DNA polymerases have revealed that many of these enzymes do not support amplification by MDA. This is presumably because these enzymes will slow or stop whenever they encounter a double-stranded region of the template DNA such as a region already copied by synthesis on single-stranded template. Thus, synthesis stops when all of the single-stranded DNA in the sample is converted to double stranded DNA. This limits amplification to 2-fold at most while the Φ29 DNA polymerase readily amplifies DNA one million-fold or more.
New polymerases are desirable. This need is addressed in greater detail below.


A multi-functional power source includes a generator and an engine arrangement to drive a crankshaft to rotate. The generator includes a generator housing, a rotor which couples with the crankshaft and includes a magnetic element coaxially and rotatably disposed within the generator housing and defining a magnetic cavity within the magnetic element, and a coil assembly coaxially disposed within the magnetic cavity such that when the magnetic element of the rotor is driven to rotate, the coil assembly is adapted for producing the induced electric power. An output axle, having an output end, is integrally extended from the crankshaft to a position out of the generator housing such that when the crankshaft drives the output axle to rotate, the output end of the output axle is adapted for producing an external mechanical power simultaneously when the generator produces the induced electric power.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a power generator, and particularly to a multifunctional power source that is capable of outputting an electric power and an external mechanical power simultaneously.
2. Description of Related Arts
Conventional power generator includes an internal combustion engine and a generator directly connected to and driven by the engine to generate electricity. The engine produces mechanical power to drive a crankshaft to rotate. The crankshaft is connected with a revolving shaft of the generator which can induce electrical current by transforming the mechanical power produced from the engine into electrical energy due to the relative movement between a magnetic field and electrically conductive elements.
Efforts have been dedicated to make the conventional generators lighter and smaller. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,595,841, 5,093,611, 4,647,835 and 5,555,853 have disclosed various kinds of portable generators. However, the aforesaid conventional portable generators are not practically portable because of their heavy weight and large size. They claim portable simply because they have incorporated a carrying means. Such as, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,853 provides a back-pack for carrying the engine/alternator unit; U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,835 provides a box casing with handle for carrying the portable generator. In fact, the conventional portable generator is difficult to be transported in a car trunk and is hard to be carried by a female or a junior with one hand.
One challenge of making a generator portable falls in its cooling system. In order to produce undirectional cooling air for cooling the engine and the generator, cooling fans are installed to cool the engine and the generator respectively. U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,835 suggests how to incorporate a single cooling fan at the connection portion of a crankshaft in the engine and a revolving shaft in the generator. The cooling fans not only increase the size of the portable generator, but also increase the weight of the portable generator.
Another challenge of making a generator portable has to do with its structural arrangement. The conventional structure of the generator is relatively complicated. A revolving shaft, supported by bearings, is extended through the alternator from the crankshaft either to connect and drive the rotor with permanent magnets to coaxially rotate within the stator inductor, or to connect and drive the rotor with permanent magnets around the stator inductor. However, these elongated shaft, supporting bearings, and shells unnecessarily increase t he weight and size of the conventional portable generator.
Very often, the portable generators are used in association with a different kind of power source to accomplish a task. For example, a generator is usually used to supply electric power for lightening a mining tunnel where an engine is simultaneously running to mechanically power a water pump for extracting water out of the mining tunnel. Carrying the generator and engine requires a great deal of efforts, especially in a mining tunnel where the road is always unpaved and steep. Given the size and weight of the generator and engine, accidences may happen to jeopardize the safety of mine works in the course of moving them in the mining tunnel.
One solution to the abovementioned situation is to carry a portable generator to supply electric power for lightening the water pumping in order to avoid the burden of carrying a generator and engine in the mining tunnel. However, this solution may waste energy. As mentioned above, the portable generator already includes a built-in engine for outputting mechanical energy, and the generator transforms the mechanical energy into electric energy for power supply. The waste happens when using the electricity produced by the generator to power a water pump, which can directly function by tapping to a mechanical power source. The energy transformation from mechanical to electric to mechanical is a waste.
Thus, what is needed is a portable power source with a compact structure and effective cooling system that is capable of outputting two kinds of power, i.e., electric and mechanical energy, for convenience of usage and saving energy.


A system and method to control environmental parameters of predefined zones within a structure. An embodiment of the system uses damper assemblies that are entirely wireless as a result of energy capturing devices which convert air flow within the HVAC system ductwork into electrical current and a wireless control module that remove the need for hard-wiring for power or control. Still further, an embodiment of the system uses wireless components to monitor the environmental parameters of a structure's zones, process and communicate necessary zone adjustments, and actuate system components.

The cooling and heating of commercial buildings and residential homes is typically accomplished via forced air and forced hot or cooled water distribution systems. A furnace, heat pump, other fossil fuel furnace, and/or air conditioner are typically used to supply heated air or cooled air to areas of the building or home via ducts. Such distribution systems are often controlled by a single thermostat which is centrally located within the building or home. A person sets the thermostat to a particular temperature setting. When the temperature measured by the thermostat deviates a predefined amount from the set temperature, a furnace, heat pump, other fossil fuel furnace, or air conditioner is turned on to provide heated or cooled air or water to the various regions of the building or home via the duct work or water lines.
Even though the desired temperature may be achieved at the location of the thermostat, the resultant temperatures in the various other regions of the building or home may still deviate quite a bit from this desired temperature. Therefore, a single centrally located thermostat may not provide adequate temperature control for individual rooms and areas. In an attempt to address this problem, duct work and pipes throughout the building or home are fitted with manually adjustable registers, dampers, or valves which help to control the flow of air or water to the various regions.
A damper, which may generally be a valve or plate that stops or regulates the flow of air inside a duct, chimney, variable air volume box, air handler, or other air handling equipment, can utilize manual or automatic functions to shut off or restrict the flow of air into various rooms in order to regulate its temperature and climate. Manual dampers and valves are typically each adjusted to a single position and left in that state. Such an adjustment may be sufficient for a particular time of year, outside temperature level, and humidity level, but is likely not optimal for most other times of the year and other temperature and humidity levels. Furthermore, such an adjustment may only be suitable for a particular time of day due to the internal and external daily load variances that occur depending on, for example, the position of the sun, whether or not lights are on, and how many people are in a particular area. Moreover, it may be time consuming and difficult to manually re-adjust the dampers and valves for optimal comfort level. Dampers actuated by electric motors or pneumatic components are a recent industry development which relieve homeowners of manual damper adjustments, but they may also require the installation of expensive and complex wiring, and/or pressurized air lines, to power sources and thermostats.
The complexity of damper flow control systems continues to increase as the industry has developed multi-zone control systems in an attempt to better control the environmental parameters in each room or region of a home or building, for example, by placing thermostats and/or sensors in each room or groups of rooms. A zone may be equipped with a temperature, humidity, motion, or other sensor in communication with a central thermostat or thermostat located in the zone. When the temperature falls outside of the defined acceptable range, the thermostat or sensor triggers actuation of the heating or cooling source, and/or movement of the dampers, until the zone once again achieves the desired temperature.
However, such systems are not entirely successful since a structure with multiple rooms and zones requires the installation of highly complex wiring systems, and/or pneumatic air lines, in order to provide power and control signals to the thermostats, sensors, and/or dampers. Specifically, the expense of the required wiring or air lines, its installation, and the utility bills associated with powering associated dampers, sensors, and thermostats can be cost prohibitive. Retrofit installation of wiring systems can be particularly difficult and expensive.
Moreover, known climate control systems are typically controlled by a centralized thermostat which is hardwired to a single location. This centralized thermostat, in turn, is hardwired to a power source and all dampers associated with the climate control system. Thus, a person desiring a change in temperature must physically move to the centralized thermostat in order to enter temperature control instructions.
In view of the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that there is a need for a more efficient way of controlling the distribution of air or water and environmental parameters for several zones in a building or home.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional, traditional, and proposed approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems and methods with the system and method as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

System and method for wireless environmental zone control


An apparatus and method of actively cancelling undesirable acoustic noise generated by a patient diagnosing apparatus during a diagnosis operation which includes a remotely located active noise cancellation unit. The undesirable acoustic noise is transferred via hollow tubes from the patient diagnosing apparatus to the remote location to be detected thereat. A control unit thereafter generates cancellation waves based upon the detected undesirable acoustic noise. The cancellation waves are transferred to the patient area via additional hollow tubes to cancel the undesirable acoustic noise. The use of hollow tubes of non-magnetic, non-metallic material ensures that the undesirable acoustic noise and the cancellation waves do not interfere with the diagnosis of operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an active sound attenuation system for patients undergoing diagnosis in equipment which inherently produces undesirable sounds. The preferred embodiments of the invention described herein are related to such an active sound attenuation system for use with magnetic resonance imaging equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment utilizes a large magnet in which the patient lies prone while the magnet is activated to create a magnetic field. A radio signal is used to disorganize the nuclei of hydrogen molecules within the area being scanned. When the radio signal concludes, an MRI computer measures the fraction of a second that elapses before molecules re-orient themselves. Although this procedure is relatively safe and painless, the MRI magnet arrangement inherently generates disturbing undesirable noises.
Prior art arrangements have used music piped in to the patient to "mask" the generated noise. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,952 to Taylor describes such a noise masking arrangement. Also, so-called passive noise attenuating systems such as ear plugs, noise insulation, and the like have been utilized. However, due to the very confining area that the patient must remain within for a relatively extended period of time, the inherent noises of the magnetic resonance imaging equipment can be quite disturbing, especially to patients with claustrophobic tendencies and/or patients that are ill.

Active attenuation system for medical patients


Automated derivation of an initialization ordering for computing services distributed across multiple computing systems. The initialization ordering is derived by monitoring initialization times for the computing services for one or more prior initializations of the computing services. Initialization dependencies of the computing services are then estimated based on the time of their initialization. The entire initialization ordering is then derived based on the estimated initialization dependencies.

Computing technology has revolutionized the way that we work, play, and communicate. Computing technology has been integrated into a wide variety of devices; sometimes such systems are networked together to form an intricate fabric of processing centers. It is not unusual for even a small organization to have a number of computing systems interconnected to accomplish the overall computing needs of the organization. For instance, firewalls, Domain Name Servers (also referred to as "DNS" servers), e-mail servers, web servers, domain controllers, database servers, and so forth, may each provide valuable services for an organization.
Complex networks may be quite complicated to manage. For instance, each computing system may operate a number of services or daemons. Each of these services may depend on the other services within the computing system, or perhaps depend on services operating on even other computing systems. It is often difficult for even the most experienced of Information Technology (IT) professionals to have a perfect concept of the interdependencies of the variety of services. This can be especially true for large corporate networks in which there can be literally hundreds of interoperating servers.

Automatically deriving order of initialization for computing services across multiple computing systems


A control circuit for a power converter employing a depletion mode switch and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the control circuit includes a controller configured to control the depletion mode switch by providing a drive signal to a control terminal thereof as a function of a characteristic of the power converter. The control circuit also includes a protection circuit configured to induce an application of a drive signal having a non-zero value to the control terminal to substantially disable the depletion mode switch in response to a transient condition of the power converter.

A switched-mode power converter (also referred to as a "power converter") is an electronic power processing circuit that converts an input voltage waveform into an output voltage waveform. The waveforms are typically, but not necessarily, dc waveforms, controlled by periodically switching power switches or switches coupled to an inductive circuit element. The switches are generally controlled with a conduction period "D" referred to as a "duty cycle." The duty cycle is a ratio represented by the conduction period of a switch to a switching period thereof. Thus, if a switch conducts for half of the switching period, the duty cycle for the power switch would be 0.5 (or 50 percent).
Feedback controllers associated with power converters manage an operation thereof by controlling the conduction period of a switch employed therein. Generally, a feedback controller is coupled to an output of a power converter in a feedback loop configuration (also referred to as a "control loop" or "closed control loop") to regulate a characteristic (e.g., an output characteristic) of the power converter such as an output voltage. A switched-mode power converter typically receives a dc input voltage Vin from a source of electrical power at input nodes thereof and provides a regulated output voltage Vout at output nodes thereof to power, for instance, a microprocessor coupled to the output nodes of the power converter.
Advances in microprocessors and other electronic technologies impose challenges in the design of the power supplies required to meet increasingly stringent power requirements thereof. In order to deliver a highly accurate supply voltage to the microprocessors, it is often necessary to place a voltage regulator module in the form of a dedicated dc-dc converter in close proximity thereto. The stringent regulation requirements and high load fluctuations exhibited by the microprocessors are forcing power converters to operate at ever higher switching frequencies to, among other benefits, reduce the size of the power converter and increase the ability of the power converter to respond to the load fluctuations. The high frequency operation, however, can have a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the power converter, as a significant amount of power is necessary to drive the control terminals of the switches such as the gate terminals of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors ("MOSFETs") at higher frequencies.
Additionally, the introduction of semiconductor devices employable as switches based on group III-V semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide ("GaAs"), indium-phosphide ("InP"), or indium gallium arsenide ("InGaAs"), to cite just a few examples, further lead to the design of power converters capable of switching at higher frequencies without incurring the detrimental gate drive losses of silicon based devices. For general information on group III-V semiconductor devices and, in particular, gallium arsenide devices, see Fundamentals of III-V Devices, by W. Liu, published by John Wiley and Sons (1999), and Modern GaAs Processing Methods, by R. Williams, published by Artech House (1990), which are incorporated herein by reference.
The lack of a native oxide for many of the group III-V semiconductor devices makes the construction of a true enhancement mode MOSFET difficult. Consequently, group III-V semiconductor devices are often fabricated as depletion mode switches, which exhibit a finite, and typically low resistance with zero volts applied to the gate terminal thereof. Fully turning off the depletion mode switch may require the application of a non-zero signal such as a negative signal (e.g., a negative gate-to-source voltage) thereto. While the application of a negative gate-to-source voltage is somewhat straightforward during steady state operation of the power converter employing such a switch, the requirement for a negative gate-to-source voltage may be problematic during non-steady state operations of the power converter or when the converter and switch are subject to transient conditions. The transient conditions typically occur during startup and shut down of the power converter, during fault conditions or protection periods of operation, or whenever the switch(es) of the power converter need to be configured off with input and/or output voltages applied thereto, to name a few.
A conventional enhancement mode MOSFET does not typically require special care during some or all of the non-steady state operations described above because the enhancement mode MOSFET exhibits a high resistance and is typically off (i.e., disabled to conduct) with the application of zero gate-to-source voltages, and a positive voltage is typically required to turn the switch on. As a normally off switch, an input voltage of the power converter may be safely applied to the enhancement mode MOSFETs (again, a high impedance switch) without detrimental effects thereto or to the power converter. A power converter employing depletion mode switches, on the other hand, may exhibit low input impedance as the input voltage is applied for the reasons discussed above. Special circuitry and/or procedures may be necessary to prevent excessive current flow during the non-steady state operations of the power converter.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a circuit and method of operating a power converter that employs depletion mode switches taking into account non-steady state operations thereof and adapted to apply a suitable signal to turn the switch(es) off (or disable the switch(es)) at the appropriate times to prevent a detrimental impact on the power converter and devices (including the switch(es)) therein, that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art.

Control circuit for a depletion mode switch and method of operating the same


A portable heater of the type having a housing containing an internal fan and heating element to force heated air out of a blower opening is disclosed herein. The heater housing includes a plurality of foot-operable, push-button switches mounted on an outlet face, and the housing is of a horizontally stable configuration. A fulcrum, which also may be utilized as a carrying handle, is also disclosed to assist in foot-operation of the switches, and an angled outlet face is disclosed to direct heated air from the housing.

The present invention relates generally to heaters. In particular, the invention relates to blower-type heaters which are portable and compact. Smaller blower-type, portable electric convection heaters for use in the home or office have become readily available in recent years, replacing bulkier, radiator-type heaters. Blower-type heaters are typically placed on the floor at a distance from the user to allow heated air to be blown horizontally or at an angle close to horizontal. While such heaters are usually adequate for heating a small-sized room, these units typically have shortcomings. For example, heated air being blown from the unit will often be uncomfortably warm for users whose feet are on the floor close to the unit's outlet. Furthermore, due to the floor location of the heater and its controls, the user will be required to bend down to adjust the controls.
In addition, such a heater is typically proportioned in a horizontally unstable configuration, in that the heater can be easily knocked over onto one of its sides, either creating a hazardous condition or causing the heater to shut off. The uneven weight distribution can also make the heater awkward to lift or reposition.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable heater that allows for comfortable foot operation of the heater controls. It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable heater housing that functions partially as a footrest.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable heater having a housing that is horizontally stable.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable heater that dispenses heated air in a generally vertical direction.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable heater that efficiently circulates air externally and internally of the housing.


A container for growing and transplanting flowers and plants. The container includes a rigid outer shell, having enclosed sides, an enclosed bottom and an open top, and an inner planting pot formed from a decomposable material and having enclosed sides, an enclosed bottom and an open top. The inner planting pot is releasably receivable within the rigid outer shell such that when the inner planting pot is received within the rigid outer shell the bottom of the inner planting pot is supported on the bottom of the rigid outer shell. The enclosed sides of the rigid outer shell are sloped inwardly from its open top to its enclosed bottom. The enclosed sides of the inter planting pot are sloped inwardly from its open top to its bottom to a greater degree than the slope of the sides of the rigid outer shell. An annular air space is created between the inter planting pot and the rigid outer shell when the inner planting pot is received within the rigid outer shell. The annular air space is larger at the bottom of said container than at the top.

Planting pots and containers have been used for decades for purposes of growing flowers, small plants and shrubs in an indoor or outdoor setting. More recently pots and containers have been used on a commercial scale for growing plants and flowers so that they are readily transportable for purposes of sale and transplanting elsewhere. For example, nurseries often use planting pots as a means to grow small plants and shrubs in a contained environment so as to reduce the need to physically dig the plant from a field grown setting for purposes of sale and transplanting. When grown in a container plants also tend to remain somewhat healthier as the root system and the soil surrounding the plant's roots is only disturbed once; namely, when the plant is removed from the container to be transplanted. Traditionally a plant's roots are disturbed twice when transplanted, once when the plant is extracted from the ground and again when it is re-planted.
In order to provide protection to a plant's root system when it is either growing or being transported within a planting pot or container, such containers have traditionally been made from plastic or some other rigid material. While these materials serve the intended purpose of providing protection for the root system, they are not biodegradable and it is necessary for the plant to be removed from the container prior to transplanting in the ground. When a plant's root system is removed from a container it is inevitably damaged to some degree. The damage is particularly prevalent in cases where the root system is extensive and fills much or all of the container. It is also relatively common to transplant plants and flowers when they are in full bloom, a point during a plant's life cycle when root and transplanting shock is usually most severe.
To combat this problem others have proposed the use of containers comprised of materials that are somewhat biodegradable and that may be planted directly into the ground without the need to remove the plant contained within them. However, such containers typically suffer from one of two limitations. First, in order to ensure that the container quickly decomposes within the ground so that the plant's root system can be released and is not unduly confined, some containers have been made from a relatively thin decomposable material. Unfortunately those containers tend to have very little rigidity or structural integrity and do not function adequately as a transportation medium. Such containers are therefore not able to be used effectively for growing the plant from seed or for transporting a plant from one location to another. On the other hand, pots that are made of a more rigid and sound material provide an enhanced ability to protect the root system and allow for easier transportation, but do not readily decompose. When planted in the ground they tend to cause the root system of a plant to remain confined within them. It therefore often becomes necessary to physically cut the container open to or remove large portions of its sides in order to allow the plant's roots to escape. In either case root damage often occurs.
There is therefore a need for a container for growing and transporting flowers and plants that provides a rigid structure to protect the root system and that also provides a structure that is readily decomposable such that when it is planted in the ground it will quickly disintegrate and allow the plant's roots to grow freely within the ground.

Container for growing and transplanting flowers and plants


Blowing agents for use in foamable plastics such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and other non-polyisocyanate-based foams, comprising a mixture of 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane in combination with one or more hydrocarbons or partially halogenated alkanes. In one aspect of the invention the hydrocarbon adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, isobutane, n-pentane, i-pentane, neopentane, n-hexane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane and 2,2-dimethylbutane. In another aspect of the invention the halogenated alkane is selected from the group consisting of ethyl chloride, 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HCFC-123), 1,1-dichloro-l-fluoroethane (HCFC-141b), 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane (HCFC-142b), 2-chloro-1,1,1,2 -tetrafluoroethane (HCFC-124), 3,3-dichloro-1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HCFC-225ca), 1,3-dichloro-1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HCFC-225cb), 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFC-143a), 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134), 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245ca), 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane (HFC-236ea), and 1,2,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245ea).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to blowing agent compositions, and more particularly the use of said compositions in non-polyisocyanate-based foams.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of blowing agents in the production of cellular plastics is well established. Plastics in cellular form have a number of advantages over non-expanded materials, especially with respect to cost, weight reduction and insulating ability.
In the past, two types of blowing agents have been employed in virtually all cellular plastics production. The first type consists of low boiling inert liquids that evaporate under the exotherm of polymer formation or upon the release of pressure during processing at elevated temperature. Examples of such low boiling inert liquids include butane, pentane and trichlorofluoromethane. These hydrocarbon blowing agents are highly flammable, and are also undesirable due to their classification as photochemically reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contribute to photochemical smog.
The second type of blowing agents includes those that are formed by a chemical reaction or by thermal decomposition of a compound. An example of the former is the formation of CO.sub.2 from the reaction of water and isocyanate in the production of flexible polyurethane foam, while an example of the latter is the decomposition of azidocarbonamide to form nitrogen, which is employed to expand vinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, and a number of other polymers.
Historically, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) such as dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12) and trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) have been employed as the blowing agents of choice for polymeric foams. However, such completely halogenated molecules have been implicated in the destruction of stratospheric ozone, and due to their high ozone depletion potential (ODP), CFCs, including CFC-11 and CFC-12, are slated for phase-out by the end of the century.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) such as 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-123) which contain at least one hydrogen atom are less damaging to stratospheric ozone in comparison to the CFCs. However, as indicated above, although these blowing agents have ODPs of zero they are highly flammable, and are also less desirable due to their classification as photochemically reactive volatile organic compounds which contribute to photochemical smog.
An additional problem associated with the use of certain blowing agents is that of compatibility of the blowing agent composition with the additional components of the foam blowing system. Applications requiring multi-component liquid systems must form stable solutions in order to produce homogeneous foams. Efforts to incorporate some blowing agents of the prior art have resulted in the separation of components and poor cell structure in the expanded foam.
A need therefore exists for novel blowing agents which are non-toxic, nonflammable, compatible with system components and environmentally acceptable. The present invention addresses that need.

Hydrofluorocarbon compositions as blowing agents for cellular plastics


A display driving circuit includes a latch circuit provided with a resetting terminal for receiving a pulse signal having a constant period and a setting terminal, a logic product circuit for receiving an output signal of the latch circuit and the pulse signal, a counting circuit having a resetting terminal for receiving an output signal of the logic product circuit and a counting terminal for receiving a clock signal, the counting circuit outputting a data pulse every time a number of pulses of the clock signals reaches a preset constant value from a reception of the output signal of the logic product circuit; and a shift register for receiving the data pulse of the counting circuit at a data signal input terminal thereof and receiving the clock signal at a clock input terminal thereof, the latch circuit being adapted to receive the data pulse of the counting circuit at said setting terminal thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a driving circuit for operating a display panel, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a general driving circuit for operating a display panel, when plural chips of a register are longitudinally connected to each other and a first chip is newly operated by inputting a pulse to a latch circuit while second and subsequent chips are operated, no shift signal is yet outputted to an n-th chip at a final stage even when the latch circuit is reset by the pulse. Therefore, the latch circuit is again set when the shift signal n at the final stage is outputted. Accordingly, it is impossible to receive a pulse inputted when a chip outputting order is set. Therefore, there is a problem that the pulse is alternately outputted from this chip. Accordingly, there is a case in which a problem about a panel display is caused in accordance with a using method of the chips.
In a technique similar to that of the present invention, the setting operation of an initial value of an output shift register and the supply of an internal shifting clock pulse are started in accordance with a starting signal. The supply of the shifting clock pulse is stopped by receiving a carry output from a final stage of this shift register. However, when the starting signal is again inputted to this shift register during an operation thereof, a controller section receives the carry output and the supply of the shifting clock pulse is stopped when an output of the operating shift register at a final stage thereof is transmitted in accordance with the starting signal previously inputted to the shift register. Accordingly, the second inputted starting signal is invalidated.


A user interactive custom cosmetic powder color and effects dispensing system and method of doing business.

The cosmetic industry offers consumer cosmetic applications in many forms, such as for the nail polishes, creams, powders, other makeup, and combinations thereof. Many of these are offered in a large but finite selection of colors, hues, shades, tints, or other effects or additives.
In the typical scenario, these products are pre-packaged according to a predetermined fixed amount of different colors or effects. The products are then ordinarily displayed to reveal a limited number of points on a discontinuous spectrum of colors or effects. Consequently, the choices of color, effects, or both will be limited by the available stock at the point of sale, and also particularly by the specific colors and effects chosen for sale in advance by the manufacturer. The consumer is hardly afforded an opportunity if any to custom blend a color selection.
This has become particularly apparent in the line of body powders commonly used by individuals for cosmetic or limited medicinal purposes. Examples of such body powders may come in many forms, such as blush, face powder, foundation, cheek powder, eye shadow or the like. The body powders may also encompass customized medicated powder, foot powder or other types of powder used for medicinal purposes or any of the precious powder with medicinal additives.
In recent years, it has also become popular to modify the ultimate visual appearance of the skin by the addition of effects over some or all of the body, such as a metallic effect, sparkles, shapes (e.g., hearts, stars, etc.), texture or the like.
Frequently, these must be purchased and applied separately from an underlying base cosmetic. Once again, the consumer is faced with a finite selection and will be limited in choice by availability at the point of sale.
In view of the foregoing, a need has developed for a custom cosmetic color selection system, pursuant to which a consumer or other customer (such as an intermediate retailer or wholesaler) can interact with the supplier to select a specific color, effect or both, to blend the resulting cosmetic product at or near the time of selection (e.g. on site at a point of sale location, or remotely such as by mail order, phone order or internet purchase).
An example of one such custom cosmetic color selection system is found in copending commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/818,077, filed Mar. 27, 2001; 09/818,389, filed Mar. 27, 2001; and PCT application Ser. No. PCT/US01/09777, filed Mar. 27, 2001, hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
To date, cosmetic powders typically are sold as units pre-packaged at a remote packaging facility. Increasingly, there also has been a need for dispensing of cosmetics at the point of purchase, in order to improve, for instance, inventory control, product freshness and product selection, as well as to improve customer. interaction and development of product loyalty.

Point-of-sale body powder dispensing system


An equalizer and an equalizing method of optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of enhancing equalizing performance and equalizing speed are disclosed. The equalizer includes a FF unit having a feedforward filter for removing pre-cursor from inter-symbol interference of input signal, a FB unit having a feedback filter for predicting post-cursor of the inter-symbol interference and outputting it, a first adder and a second adder for adding the signal from the FF unit and the signal from the FB unit, to remove the inter-symbol interference, a slicer for deciding the level of the signal from the first adder to be a predetermined level and feeding back the level-decided signal to the FB unit, and a signal detection unit for outputting the signal having the inter-symbol interference removed by the second adder as a predetermined signal using at least one of a trellis structure method and a tree structure method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an equalizer and an equalizing method in which the inter-symbol interference of reproduced signal passed through channel is removed in reproducing apparatus that reproduces data recorded on recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the advance of multimedia information, as demands on the storage and the transmission of digital data having a greater capacity are on the increase, the studies on optical recording media such as DVD have actively progressed. At the present, DVD market has been grown on the basis of computer industry desiring to adopt DVD-ROM and home appliance industry wishing to adopt DVD-Video. Besides, write-once type DVDR, rewritable type DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM are on the market, and hence the application fields of the optical recording medium have been expanded. In addition, in the future, studies with respect to the HDTV have actively progressed. HD-DVD has a size equal to that of CD, DVD, but has a storage capacity above 15 GB. By the use of a blue laser and the use of less track pitch and minimal pitch length, a higher density channel is possible. However, since the inter-symbol interference increases with the density of the channel information being increased, the quality of the reproduced signal is degraded and hence there exist many difficulties in correctly reproducing the recorded data.
In order to solve the foregoing problems described above, conventionally, the reproduced data having the inter-symbol interference (ISI) generated through the channel is outputted as a correctly reproduced data through the equalizing process of decision feedback equalizer (DFE) described below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an equalizer having a general DFE structure for removing the inter-symbol interference (ISI) generated in the reproduced signal of the conventional optical recording/reproducing apparatus.
The equalizer 10 comprises FeedForward (FF) unit 11, FeedBack (FB) unit 12, an adder 13, a slicer 14, and an error calculating unit 15.
FF unit 11 has a feedforward filter, and removes pre-cursor from the inter-symbol interference of the reproduced signal.
FB unit 12 has a feedback filter, and predicts post-cursor of the inter-symbol interference of the reproduced signal.
The adder 13 outputs the signal having the inter-symbol interference removed by adding the reproduced signal having the pre-cursor removed by the FF unit 11 and the reproduced signal having the post-cursor predicted by the FB unit 12.
The slicer 14 decides the level of the signal added at the adder 13 to be a predetermined level, and outputs the level-decided signal. The level-decided signal output from the slicer 14 is fed back to FB unit 12.
The error calculating unit 15 calculates equalizing error value by using the signal from the adder 13 and the signal from the slicer 14. The equalizing error value calculated is then inputted to FF unit 11 and FB unit 12, where the tap coefficients of the respective filter tap are updated in accordance with the inputted equalizing error value.
The conventional equalizer having DFE structure described above has an advantage in that a fast equalizing speed be can obtained with a relatively less number of taps, but there is a disadvantage in that the reliability of the signal inputted to the feedback filter, i.e., the signal level decided at the slicer 14 degrades, and accordingly, the equalizing performance degrades.
In order to solve the defects of the equalizer of such DFE structure, the equalizer 20 shown in FIG. 2 is used wherein the signal with the level decided by FDTS/DF (Fixed Delay Tree Search with Decision Feedback) method and FDTrS/DF (Fixed Delay Trellis Search with Decision Feedback) method is inputted to the feedback filter.
The equalizer 20 has the equalizer (DFE) 10 shown in FIG. 1 added with a signal detection unit 26 of FDTS/DF method or FDTrS/DF method.
FF unit 21 removes pre-cursor from the reproduced signal by the feedforward filter.
FB unit 22 predicts and outputs post-cursor of the inter-symbol interference of the input signal, i.e., the reproduced signal by the feedback filter.
A first adder 23 removes the inter-symbol interference from the input signal by adding the signal having the pre-cursor removed by the FF unit 21 and the post-cursor predicted by the FB unit 22.
The slicer 24 decides the level of the signal outputted from the first adder 23 to be a predetermined level and outputs it. The error calculating unit 25 calculates equalizing error value based on the signal from the first adder 23 and the signal from the slicer 24. The equalizing error value calculated is inputted to FF unit 21 and FB unit 22, where the tap coefficients of the respective filter are updated based on the inputted equalizing error value.
The signal detection unit 26 outputs τ signals of decided levels using any one of FDTS/DF method and FDTrS/DF method having a fixed decision delay (τ), and feedbacks the signal with the decided level to FB unit 22. FB unit 22 predicts the remaining post-cursors except for τ post-cursors and outputs them to a second adder 27.
The second adder 27 adds the signal having the pre-cursor removed by the FF unit 21 to the post-cursor predicted by FB unit 22 based on the feedback signal of the signal detection unit 26 and outputs the added signal. The signal output from the second adder 27 is inputted to the signal detection unit 26, and outputted as a predetermined level signal.
In accordance with the conventional equalizer having the configuration above, it is possible to enhance the equalizing performance by inputting the signal in the level decided by FDTS/DF method or FDTrS/DF method of the signal detection unit 26 to the feedback filter. However, due to additional computational amount caused by the operational characteristic of the signal detection unit 26 of FDTS/DF method or FDTrS/DF method, there is generated a substantial amount of time delay in deciding the signal level. Accordingly, there exists a problem in that the overall operating speed of the equalizer degrades.

Equalizer for optical recording/reproducing apparatus and equalizing method thereof


There are provided an optical receptacle having an optical fiber including a first portion on another end surface side, a third portion on one end surface side, and a second portion between the first portion and the third portion; a core diameter at the first portion is smaller than the core diameter at the third portion; the core diameter at the second portion increases from the first portion side toward the third portion side; a first elastic member is provided between the optical fiber and an inner wall of a through-hole; a holder holds the another end surface side of a fiber stub; and the sleeve holds the one end surface side of the fiber stub.

An optical receptacle is used as a part for optically connecting an optical fiber connector to an optical element such as a light receiving element, a light-emitting element, or the like in an optical module of an optical communication transceiver.
In recent years, faster optical communication transceivers are necessary as IP traffic increases. Generally, the configurations of transceivers and the like employing receptacle-type optical modules are standardized; the space that is necessary for electrical circuits increases as the modulation rate of an optical signal emitted from a semiconductor laser which is one optical element is becoming faster; and it is desirable to downsize the optical modules.
The mode field diameter of a semiconductor laser element is smaller than the core diameter of 10 μm of an optical fiber generally used as the transmission line of an optical signal.
In recent years, to provide a faster communication speed of optical transceivers, a structure of an optical module is being used in which multiple semiconductor lasers are included inside a single module; and the light that is emitted from each of the semiconductor lasers is multiplexed in one waveguide inside an optical waveguide formed in the interior of a plate member and subsequently optically coupled to an optical fiber of an optical receptacle. To downsize these optical modules, it is necessary to downsize the plate member including the optical waveguide described above; and there is a tendency for the core diameter of the optical waveguide to be small.
Also, in an optical module in which a light receiving element is used instead of a light-emitting element, there is a tendency for the light-receiving diameter of the light receiving element to be small in order to be used in faster and longer-distance communication applications.
The lens for condensing the light emitted from the semiconductor laser element into the fiber core or for condensing the light emitted from the fiber core into the light receiving element must have a magnification function in the case where there is a difference between the fiber core diameter and the mode field diameter of the optical element; however, as the difference increases, the focal length of the lens lengthens or the necessary number of lenses increases; and it is problematic in that the optical system is complex and expensive.
To prevent the lengthening of the module total length or the higher complexity of the optical system, a method is known in which the magnification due to the lens is suppressed to be small; instead, a lens is formed in the fiber tip which is a portion of the optical element-side end surface of the optical fiber; or a GI fiber is fused to enlarge the mode field diameter of the incident light to cause a mode field diameter that is optimal for the fiber to be incident on the fiber end surface (e.g., JP 2006-154243 A (Kokai).
However, the method of JP 2006-154243 A (Kokai) uses a GI fiber in which the mode field diameter changes periodically; therefore, to obtain the optimal mode field diameter, the length of the GI fiber must be controlled strictly; and it is problematic in that the control is difficult when manufacturing.
Also, when fusing a fiber such as a GI fiber in which the refractive index is different in steps in the diametrical direction from the core center to the outer perimeter portion, for fusion technology of forming one body by melting the fiber end surfaces, the cores that have different refractive indexes undesirably melt and mix together; therefore, it is difficult to control the refractive index of the fused portion periphery; and it is problematic in that the optical loss is undesirably large.
Also, in JP 2006-119633 A (Kokai), an optical receptacle is proposed in which the optical element side of the optical fiber is formed in a tapered configuration; and the mode field diameter on the optical element side is set to be smaller than the mode field diameter on the PC (Physical Contact) side. Thereby, the connection loss can be suppressed. However, in the configuration of JP 2006-119633 A (Kokai), the tapered configuration is positioned at the end portion on the optical element side. Mirror (polishing) finishing of the two end portions of the optical fiber is necessary not to harm the light incidence and emission. Therefore, according to the condition of the mirror finishing, the diameter undesirably changes; and it is problematic in that it is difficult to stably control the mode field diameter. In other words, in the configuration of JP 2006-119633 A (Kokai) as well, a high-precision dimensional tolerance is necessary for the axis-direction length of the optical fiber.
Embodiments of the invention are implemented to solve the problems recited above, and are directed to provide an optical receptacle and an optical transceiver in which the conversion efficiency of the mode field is suppressed by forming a portion where the refractive index and the core diameter transition gradually in a fused portion between a fiber generally used as a transmission line and a fiber having a larger refractive index difference between the core and the cladding than the fiber generally used as the transmission line while contributing to shortening the optical module total length by setting the core at the optical element-side end surface of the optical fiber to be small and by fusing the fiber having the large refractive index difference between the core and the cladding; and as a result, the decrease of the coupling efficiency from the optical element to the plug ferrule can be suppressed.

Optical receptacle and optical transceiver

Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Co., Ltd.


Apparatuses and methods for a non-volatile memory scheme are described herein. An example apparatus may include a memory block including a plurality of subblocks of memory cells and further may include a control unit. The control unit may be configured to program a first access line group of each subblock of the plurality of subblocks during a program operation and to program a second access line group of each subblock of the plurality of subblocks during the program operation responsive to programming the first access line group of each of the plurality of subblocks.

Memory cell density, such as that of non-volatile memory, has been improved significantly in an effort to achieve greater storage capacity, while not significantly increasing cost or memory footprint. One widely adopted solution has been to implement memory cells in three-dimensions, for instance, using vertically oriented NAND strings.
Implementing memories in this manner has presented challenges, however. For example, as a result of three-dimensional implementation, implementing buffers used in program operations with sufficient capacity has proven problematic.

Apparatuses and methods for non-volatile memory programming schemes


The invention is arranged to include a plurality of various block-like members having configurations to include cubic, parallelepiped, and triangular cross-sectional configuration arranged for assemblage relative to one another, wherein each of the block members includes wall construction having a central opening directed therethrough, with each central opening including a surrounding annular flange recessed below each associated wall of each respective block member a predetermined thickness arranged to accommodate a resilient plug within an opening, having an annular flange equal to twice that predetermined thickness to permit securement of adjacent blocks together in a variety of shapes, as well as including replaceable panel plates, each including a panel plate ring having a ring thickness equal to the predetermined thickness received on the annular flange permitting altering of patterns, configurations, and theme upon associated blocks for use by children and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to toy block construction, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved toy building block assembly wherein the same is arranged to provide for an associated panel mounting and block assemblage of adjacent blocks to secure blocks together in a variety of configurations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Building blocks of various types are utilized throughout the prior art for association relative to one another for the sharpening of motor skills, as well as for the amusement and entertainment of children in a creative and constructive manner. To this end, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,919,635; 4,895,544; 4,306,373; and 3,566,531 are examples of building block members arranged for assemblage.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a building block arrangement having blocks of various configurations arranged for assemblage relative to one another to selectively mount adjacent blocks utilizing connecting members or mounting cover plates relative to each of the blocks in use and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method for image processing that compensates for inconsistent edge detection. A field of view of a camera is segmented in the form of a matrix by angle and by measured range value based on parallax; matrix data is calculated for a segment where a detected edge exists, and for segments surrounding the segment, the calculated matrix data is then assigned to each of the segments; a search is made through the assigned matrix data to find a segment that has matrix data exceeding a predetermined threshold value. If, the detected edge exists in the found segment, edge data of the edge is taken to represent the position of an object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method capable of properly recognizing the road condition ahead, especially a vehicle or like object ahead, by processing an image captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional art, it is practiced to recognize a vehicle, or like object, ahead or make range measurements, etc. using an image captured by a camera. In this case, to recognize the vehicle or like object ahead, edge extraction is performed to obtain an edge image and, based on the obtained edge image, the range and angle to the vehicle or like object ahead are measured. Refer, for example, to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-101428.
An edge is a contour line where the gray level of the image changes rapidly, and the advantage is that an edge remains relatively unaffected if the gray level changes due to a shadow or stain. In edge extraction, either vertical or horizontal edges, or both vertical and horizontal edges, can be extracted.
When performing edge detection in image processing, either vertical or horizontal edges, or both vertical and horizontal edges, are detected using, for example, cameras arranged on the left and the right, and the range and angle to the target object are measured. However, depending on camera noise or surrounding conditions, edges may not appear at constant positions and, when detecting edges at predetermined intervals of time, it is often not possible to detect edges consistently. For example, an edge of a particular portion of a vehicle traveling ahead may not appear at a certain instant in time or may not appear at a constant position, making it impossible to consistently detect the edge of that portion.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an image processing method that can compensate for such inconsistent edge detection.

Method for processing an image captured by a camera


An image forming apparatus collects toner remaining on a photoconductive drum after a toner image is transferred to paper, and collects the impurities (paper dust) included in the toner collected in an image forming apparatus which reuses the collected toner by a mixer provided in a developer container. An auxiliary collecting member is provided in a gap between first feed blades and second feed blades in an impurity collector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image using developer, and a developing unit incorporated in the image forming apparatus for containing the developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus for forming an image using developer including, for example, toner forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive drum as an image carrier, develops the static image in a developing unit, transfers the obtained toner image onto a paper sheet in a transfer unit, and fixes the image on the paper sheet in a fixing unit.
There is a known image forming apparatus, which has a cleaning unit to remove toner remaining on the photoconductive drum after transfer of a toner image onto the paper sheet, and reuses the collected toner (hereinafter called recycled toner).
For example, there is a toner recycling mechanism, which feeds recycled toner collected by a collecting mixer provided in a cleaning unit by means of a coupling mixer connected with the cleaning unit and developing unit, and returns the toner directly to the developing unit.
In this case, the collected recycled toner is always supplied to the developing unit while the collecting mixer and coupling mixer are operating.
The recycled toner for reuse includes toner particles peeled off partially a peculiar external additive adhered with an external additive peeled off from another toner, or mixed with paper dust. The paper dust adheres to a paper sheet as a transfer medium, and includes a long pulp fiber or cellulose fiber. Thus, when the recycled toner is put in a developing unit, the paper dust put in together with the toner is fed to a developing position and causes stained development. If the paper dust is clogged in developer blades controlling the amount of developer when the developer is supplied from a developing unit to a photoconductor, the developer is not evenly supplied to the photoconductor.

Developer apparatus and image forming apparatus having an auxiliary collecting member provided in a gap between feed blades


Facilitating a virtual object contacting (or snapping to) a target surface (such as a virtual surface in a virtual reality environment, or a real surface in an augmented reality environment). A computing system detects a user-selection of a virtual object, and that the virtual object has moved proximate to a target surface. While the virtual object remains proximate to the target surface, if the computing system detects a user-initiated snapping instruction, the computing system snaps the virtual object to the target surface. Potentially, after the virtual object is snapped to the target surface, the user may continue to manipulate (e.g., resize, reproportion, copy, slide, rotate, and so forth) that virtual object while maintaining the virtual object in contact with the target surface.

Computing systems often offer an interactive user experience. Virtual reality is a computer-generated experience in which a user interacts with a simulated environment. In virtual reality, a user may perform various physical activities (e.g., reaching, grabbing, turning, gazing, pointing, swiping, and so forth) and the simulated environment responds in an intuitive way to the user. Such simulated environments might represent an environment similar to that found in the real world, and/or have fantastical elements. Augmented reality is an experience in which the user interacts with a mixed environment in which simulated objects are layered upon a real environment. In augmented reality, a user may perform various physical activities to interact with the real environment as well as with simulated objects layered on that real environment.
Conventional virtual reality may be used to create simulated environments. For instance, a user may actually interface with a simulated environment to add onto that environment. As an example, one might build a simulated snowman in a simulated evergreen forest. To facilitate adding objects to the simulated environment, some technologies might snap a simulated object onto a simulated surface. Snapping involves automatically moving the simulated object so as to contact or abut the simulated surface. This prevents the user from having to precisely manipulate the simulated object so that it is in precise contact with the simulated surface. Accordingly, such snapping saves the user considerable time in building or interfacing with the simulated environment.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Snapping virtual object to target surface


A bit resolution-extension method is provided. The bit resolution-extension method includes acquiring the shortest distance from a central pixel to a positive contour and the shortest distance from the central pixel to a negative contour in a filtering region which scans the positive contour comprising large pixels of a fixed value and the negative contour comprising small pixels of a fixed value, based on a value of the central pixel, generating an extension bit of the central pixel by interpolating the shortest distance from the central pixel to the positive contour and the shortest distance from the central pixel to the negative contour, and adding the extension bit as a lower bit of the central pixel.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to extending bit resolution. More particularly, the present invention relates to extending bit resolution by generating a lower extension bit of pixels by using a Euclidean distance to a contour composed of pixels having the same value.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, lower bits of pixel values are discarded in the quantization process of image processing. If a loss of lower bits occurs, the quality of an image is degraded or an artificial boundary of image components is generated.
As a result, many studies for extending bit resolution are in progress, but extending bit resolution is difficult to apply to small devices, such as mobile devices, because of the complexity of the algorithm.

Method and apparatus for bit resolution extension


A method of visualizing a user interaction with a clinician programmer is disclosed. A user engagement with respect to a screen of the clinician programmer is detected via one or more sensors associated with the screen of the clinician programmer. One or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement is determined. An external monitor is communicatively coupled to the clinician programmer. The external monitor displays one or more cursors that graphically represent the one or more locations on the screen of the clinician programmer corresponding to the user engagement, respectively.

Neurostimulation devices deliver therapy in the form of electrical stimulation pulses to treat symptoms and conditions, such as chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, or epilepsy, for example. Implantable neurostimulation devices, for example, deliver neurostimulation therapy via leads that include electrodes located proximate to the muscles and nerves of a patient.
Clinician programmers are used to control and program the neurostimulation devices with stimulation sequences to treat symptoms and conditions. These clinician programmers and devices of their type are relatively small to allow for easy transportation and storage. The portability has its price, however. It is difficult for more than one person to view the relatively small screen of a handheld programmer. People would have to crowd around the device to be able to attempt to see what is happening on the screen.
Further, even though the clinician programmer is portable, there are some areas where its use may be restricted. For instance, a clinician programmer may be covered under the drapes while a sales representative is talking to the patient. The clinician programmer thus may not be visible to the physician. As another example, the clinician programmer may not be a sterile device and cannot be taken into the sterile field in an operating room. Since the clinician programmer must remain outside of the sterile field, the physician is unable to read the screen while performing the procedure. Accordingly, the physician must verbally interact with and rely on someone (an external operator), who acts as his eyes and hands controlling the programmer outside of the sterile field. The situation could also be reversed, where the physician is doing the programming, and the staff is observing his/her actions, for example, talking to the patient at the head end of the surgery table. In any case, requiring an extra person results in additional time for the procedure to be completed as a result of the verbal communication of the programming device state and adjustments to be made between the physician and the external operator. The verbal interchange may also result in miscommunication which will add additional time to complete the procedure and possibly result in more severe consequences.
In addition, due to the small size of the clinician programmer, it may be difficult for users and observers to precisely identify an area of the screen (on the clinician programmer) where the user is performing data entry or other programming actions. In other words, users and observers may not know what part of the screen is being touched while the user is interacting with the user interface. Also, if device is coupled to an external monitor, observers will not know what part of the clinician screen is being touched by the user, especially if the external monitor and the observers are typically located in a separate room than the clinician programmer and the user.
The present disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and methods that address one or more deficiencies in the prior art.

Touch screen finger position indicator for a spinal cord stimulation programming device


A semiconductor memory device is operable with a multi-sector erase mode for a multiplicity of memory chips, including a cell array, a register circuit containing information for a sector to be erased, an address clock driving circuit for contemporaneously generating an address clock signal from each memory chips, a counter for generating address signals in sequence, a core driver for executing an erase operation for the sector, and a control circuit thereof.

A flash EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM) cell is formed with including a floating gate and a control gate. Such a flash memory cell is erased by discharging electrons of the floating gate to its substrate through an F-N tunneling effect when a high negative voltage is applied to a control gate of the memory cell. A flash memory cell array is normally divided in a plurality of sectors (or blocks) by the unit of bulks. Thus, memory cells includes in a sector, sharing one bulk, are contemporaneously erased in a time, which is called "sector erase" in general.
Receiving commands and sector addresses for sectors to be erased, an internal address counter increments an address value in sequence to designate the erasable sectors. Such a function to contemporaneously erase a multiplicity of sectors is called as a multi-sector erase operation.
The multi-sector erase operation, basically, needs registers with the same number of the sectors to be erased, and means to erase the sectors in response to the determination a current sector is an erasable sector in correspondence with the incrementing address.
A typical feature of the multi-sector erase scheme is illustrated in FIG. 1, for 128 sectors as an example in a single chip. The 128 sectors are assigned to sector addresses SA0˜SA127. In this embodiment, it is assumed to designate the sector assigned to the address SA3.
An erase command and an address for a sector to be erased are supplied from an external controller. The external controller may supply a single address to erase a single sector or a plurality of addresses to erase a plurality of sectors in a time, which is referred to as "multi-sector erase" in a single chip. Such an address supply for the erase operation is called as "sector loading".
FIG. 2 shows a functional construction for a single multi-sector erase operation in a single chip. A memory cell array 60 is also composed of a plurality of sectors. A register 10 stores addresses of sectors to be erased. A counter 30 generates sequential addresses in response to an address count-up signal ACNT. A control circuit 40 generates an erase enable signal EE when the sector address held in the register 10 is identified to a sector address provided from the counter 30, while generating the address count-up signal ACNT when the two addresses do not accord with each other. A core driver 50 carries out an erase operation for a sector designated therein in response to the erase enable signal EE.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a procedure of the multi-sector erase operation in a single chip shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, first, an erase command and a sector address (e.g. SA3) are introduced by way of an external controller. With the input of the erase command, the sector address SA3 to be erased is stored in the register 10. The register 10 is assigned to the sector each by each. The register 10 corresponding to the sector to be erased is set to "1" (binary digit), which informs the predetermination for erasing.
The multi-sector erase operation begins with an activation of an erase busy signal EB, together with the input of the erase command and sector address. At the beginning of the erase operation, the control circuit 40 initiates the address counter 30 on "0", which means all address values of the counter 30 are set to "0" (step S11). For instance, assuming that the memory cell array 60 is composed of 128 (27) sectors, all bits of the sector address SA[6:0] are set to "0". Next, the control circuit 40 generates a sector checking signal SC to determine an advance for a sector whose address is compared to the sector address (e.g., SA3) stored in the register 10 (step S12).
From the first sector address SA0, as the first sector address SA0 is not identical to the assigned sector address SA3, the control circuit 40 generates the address count-up signal ACNT to increment the sector address by the counter 30 (S15). Along the increment of the sector address, the control circuit 40 keeps checking out the sector address next to next. If a sector address supplied from the counter 30 is identical to the sector address SA3 held in the register 10, a sector loading signal LS is transferred to the control circuit 40 from the register 10. The sector loading signal LS makes an erase enable signal EE generated from the control circuit 40. The erase enable signal EE enables the core driver 50 to carry out an erase operation for the sector SA3 (step S13). In step S14, if a current sector address from the counter 30 is not the last one, it goes to the step S15 to increment the address value. The current sector address form the counter 30 reaches to the last one (e.g., SA127), the counter 30 generates a sector address finalizing signal FSA to be transferred to the control circuit 40. Then, the control circuit 40 generates an erase finish signal EF to terminate the erase operation for the assigned sector SA3.
Meanwhile, multi-chip packages are becoming standard in the IC industry because of increased device packing density, in which a plurality of semiconductor IC chips are fabricated with interconnections. A multi-chip memory package embedding a plurality of semiconductor memory chips acts as a single memory system having a large storage capacity of twice or more, which is advantageous to reducing manufacturing costs as well as to adapting for larger storage applications with smaller device volumes.
When the flash memories composed of a multiplicity of sectors and operable in the multi-sector erase modes are fabricated in such multi-chip packages, it needs to implement the multi-sector erase operations for the sectors of the flash memory chips contained in such a multi-chip memory package.

Semiconductor memory system and method for multi-sector erase operation


A compound having the following structure:

FAAH enzyme breaks down fatty acid amides such as anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine), N-oleoylethanolamine, N-palmitoylethanolamine and oleamide. Anandamide, also known as N-arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA, is an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter found in animal and human organs, especially in the brain. It has also been found that anandamide binds to the vanilloid receptor. Anandamide is degraded by the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzyme to ethanolamine and arachidonic acid. Accordingly, inhibitors of FAAH lead to elevated anandamide levels.
Anandamide is a neurotransmitter in the endocannabinoid system and stimulates the cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptors, such as CB1 and CB2, are G protein-coupled receptors. CB1 is found mainly in the central nervous system whereas CB2 is found mainly in peripheral tissue. The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs. Modulation of the activity of the endocannabinoid system has been shown to have a potentially therapeutic effect on a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions. Therefore, the endocannabinoid system, and the FAAH enzyme in particular, has become a therapeutic target for developing potential treatments for many diseases. The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in appetite regulation, obesity, metabolic disorders, cachexia, anorexia, pain, inflammation, neurotoxicity, neurotrauma, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia, Huntington's disease, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, dystonia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, insomnia, nausea, emesis, alcohol disorders, drug addictions such as opiates, nicotine, cocaine, alcohol and psychostimulants, hypertension, circulatory shock, myocardial reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, asthma, glaucoma, retinopathy, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, acute and chronic liver disease such as hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, arthritis and osteoporosis. The endocannabinoid system and the conditions with which it is associated is discussed in detail in Pacher et al. (2006) Pharmacol. Rev. 58:389-462.
In order to modulate the level of endogenous FAAH substrates, such as anandamide, which in turn modulate the endocannabinoid system, inhibitors of the FAAH enzyme have been developed. This allows conditions and diseases associated with the endocannabinoid system to be at least partially treated or prevented.
Since the substrates of FAAH bind to other receptors, e.g. the vanilloid receptor, and/or are involved in other signalling pathways, inhibitors of FAAH may also allow conditions or diseases associated with other pathways or systems, e.g. the vanilloid system, to be at least partially treated or prevented.
WO 2010/074588 discloses compounds which are inhibitors of FAAH. Käsnänen et al. (Heikki Käsnänen, Mikko J. Myllymäki, Anna Minkkilä, Antti O. Kataja, Susanna M. Saario, Tapio Nevalainen, Ari M. P. Koskinen, and Antti Poso. Chem Med Chem 2010, 5(2), 213-231) discloses carbamate compounds which are FAAH inhibitors. In particular, compound 6b is a FAAH inhibitor which contains an imidazole structure. However, this compound is a weak FAAH inhibitor compared to many of the other carbamate compounds described in this paper and which do not contain an imidazole structure.

Urea compounds and their use as enzyme inhibitors

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or derivative thereof. The compound may be used in the treatment or prevention of a disorder selected from appetite regulation, obesity, metabolic disorders, cachexia, anorexia, pain, inflammation, neurotoxicity, neurotrauma, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia, Huntington's disease, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, dystonia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, insomnia, nausea, emesis, alcohol disorders, drug addictions such as opiates, nicotine, cocaine, alcohol and psychostimulants, hypertension, circulatory shock, myocardial reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, asthma, glaucoma, retinopathy, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, acute and chronic liver disease such as hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, arthritis and osteoporosis.


There is disclosed a method for screening for inhibitors of cellular second messenger signaling regulated by lysophosphatidic acid acyl transferase (LPAAT) and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAPH), which method comprises contacting target cells or appropriate subcullular elements under appropriate conditions of stimulation with a candidate drug and assessing the levels of the relevant subsets of phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerol (DAG) in the presence and absence of the candidate drug.

The general outlines of the mechanisms by which external stimuli effect the behavior of target cells have been described in general Molecular Biology textbooks over the last 10-20 years. For at least some of these stimuli, a primary interaction of the stimulating agent at a cell surface receptor is translated into an effect on various secondary signaling pathways internal to the cell, which secondary signaling pathways in turn produce the observed effect on cellular behavior. Most of these secondary pathways involve the synthesis and hydrolysis of phosphorylated acyl glycerol derivatives such as phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, lysophosphatidic acid, and so forth. The synthesis and release of the components of these compounds can result in cellular proliferation, suppression of proliferation, differentiation, activation, and so forth, depending upon the nature of the target cell and the stimulus applied.
The pathways regulating the synthesis and degradation of phosphorylated derivatives of acyl glycerols are complex and interlocking. Certain effects of external stimuli are seen immediately--i.e., within a few seconds or a minute; others are seen 30-60 minutes after the external stimulus has bound to the surface receptor of the cell. It is believed that the short-term effects on these second messengers are associated with the stimulus itself and are not appreciably interconnected with those aspects of the phosphorylated acyl glycerol (PAG) pathways that regulate normal cellular processes.
As demonstrated hereinbelow, a short-term effect of a primary stimulus on a target cell is to elevate the levels of specific unsaturated subspecies of phosphatidic acid (PA) and the corresponding diacylglycerol (DAG) formed by the hydrolysis of this PA. It is known that DAG may be generated by other secondary mechanisms such as the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol (PI) or phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE). However, the nature of the acyl groups of the DAG derived from these various sources is not identical. In particular, DAG derived from PA hydrolysis has a high level of sn-2 unsaturation not containing arachidonate (C20:4)..sup.* Typical fatty acid residues found in these FNT .sup.* This notation refers to the number of C in the acyl residue (20) and the number of .pi. bonds (4). PA/DAG subsets include those of oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2) and docosahexanenoyl (C22:6).
Further explanation of the model of cell activation and its relation to the compounds of the invention as found by applicants is set forth hereinbelow.
There are a large number of contexts in which it is desirable to protect target cells from primary stimuli which are the result of, for example, disease states (such as malignancy, autoimmune diseases, or infection) or of medical intervention (such as bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy) which have negative sequelae in the target cell. This protection can be achieved by the method of the invention.
Some of the compounds useful in the method of the invention have been suggested for medical use in other contexts. Pentoxifylline (1-(5-oxohexyl-3,7-dimethylxanthine) is one member of this class of xanthine derivatives which has seen widespread medical use for the increase of blood flow. Pentoxifylline and its use as a vasodilator are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,422,307 and 3,737,433. The nature of the metabolism of pentoxifylline was summarized by Davis, P. J. et al., Applied Environment Microbiol (1984) 48:327-331. Some of the metabolites are also among the compounds of the invention. The immediate reduction product which is the primary metabolite of pentoxifylline--1-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3, 7-dimethyxanthine--was disclosed to increase cerebral blood flow in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,795 and 4,576,947.
In addition, a number of patents have issued on the use of tertiary alcohol analogs to compounds of this class in enhancing cerebral blood flow. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,833,146 and 5,039,666.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,507 describes the ability of pentoxifylline and its primary metabolite to stimulate chemotaxis in polymorphonuclear leukocytes in response to a known stimulator of chemotaxis. The ability of pentoxifylline and related tertiary alcohol substituted xanthines to inhibit the activity of certain cytokines on chemotaxis is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,271 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,906. Administration of pentoxifylline and GM-CSF decrease tumor necrosis factor levels in patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplant (Bianco, J. A. et al., Blood (1990) 76:Supplement 1 (522A). The reduction in assayable levels of TNF was accompanied by a significant reduction in transplant-related complications. However, in normal volunteers, TNF levels are higher among PTX recipients. It does not, therefore, appear that elevated levels of TNF are the primary cause of such complications.
It has now been found that the compounds described hereinbelow can be used systematically to maintain the homeostasis of a large number of target cells in response to a variety of stimuli. In addition, routes to administer such compounds which permit effective dosages to be provided are disclosed.

Assay for identification therapeutic agents