A method and system are disclosed for high-resolution modeling of a well bore in a reservoir. An embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the steps of constructing a first unstructured mesh having a plurality of n-dimensional simplices corresponding to a first modeled system (space), defining a surface bounding a second modeled space, identifying a subset of the plurality of n-dimensional simplices of the first mesh that are intersected by the surface, and modifying the subset of simplices so as to adapt the first mesh such that it comprises a second mesh and a third mesh, wherein the second mesh comprises a set of simplices located entirely interior to the surface and wherein the third mesh comprises another set of simplices located entirely exterior to said surface.

Physical systems can be modeled mathematically to simulate their behavior under different conditions. A wide variety of means exists to model physical systems, ranging from the very simplistic to the extremely complicated. One of the more complicated means to model physical systems is through the use of finite element analysis. As the name implies, finite element analysis involves a representation of individual, finite elements of a physical system in a mathematical model and the solution of this model in the presence of a predetermined set of boundary conditions.
In finite element modeling, the region that is to be analyzed is broken up into sub-regions called elements. This process of dividing the region into sub-regions may be referred to as discretization, or mesh generation. The region is represented by functions defined over each element. This generates a number of local functions that are much simpler than those which would be required to represent the entire region. The next step in finite element modeling is to analyze the response for each element. This is accomplished by building a matrix that defines the properties of the various elements within the region and a vector that defines the forces acting on each element in the region. Once all the element matrices and vectors have been created, they are combined into a structure matrix equation. This equation relates nodal responses for the entire structure to nodal forces. After applying boundary conditions, the structure matrix equation can be solved to obtain unknown nodal responses. Intra-element responses can be interpolated from nodal values using the functions that were defined over each element.
As indicated above, finite element modeling involves the creation of a mesh of finite elements. The elements are defined by nodes within the problem space. The nodes are simply points in space. The lines between the nodes are referred to as edges. The mesh is typically a structured mesh. In other words, the mesh is defined in three dimensions so that the elements within the problem space are hexahedrons. For example, they may be cubes or rectangular prisms (equivalently, in two-dimensional problems, the elements would be rectangles—see FIG. 1 for an illustration of these elements). The edges of the hexahedrons are co-incident with the edges between the nodes of the mesh. In a simple model, the nodes of the mesh may be regularly spaced to define cubic elements. It is not necessary, however, for the nodes to be evenly spaced in all finite element models. A variety of different sizes and shapes of hexahedral elements can be defined within a single mesh.
One of the problems with meshes that use hexahedron elements is that they do not lend themselves well to modeling complex geometries. In other words, it may be difficult to place nodes sufficiently close to regular surfaces, such as a well bore, to accurately determine a solution to the model along those surfaces. Viewed another way, it is difficult to fill any regularly-shaped object with regularly-shaped boxes. This situation is further complicated by limitations on the minimum distance between nodes in a structured mesh. Even when additional node elements can be defined in the mesh to improve the accuracy of the model, the inclusion of these additional elements causes the resources needed to solve the resulting model to increase. With increased accuracy, a greater number of elements is required, requiring greater computing power to generate a solution.
One way to reduce the cost associated with increasing the accuracy of a finite element model is to use an unstructured mesh, such as that disclosed in related US. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0032550 entitled, "A METHOD FOR MODELING AN ARBITRARY WELL PATH IN A HYDROCARBON RESERVOIR USING ADAPTIVE MESHING," filed on Jun. 29, 2001 (the "Adaptive Meshing Application"), which is hereby fully incorporated by reference. In an unstructured mesh, the elements that comprise the mesh are not constrained to fit within a predetermined structural scheme. For example, the elements are not required to be selected from a finite set of pre-defined element shapes (e.g., hexahedral) or sizes. More particularly, it may be convenient to employ a mesh that comprises simplex elements that have no pre-defined constraints. The faces of the simplex elements can be oriented to follow the contours of a surface that is being modeled and may, therefore, achieve accuracy that is on par wit a structured mesh having many more elements because the faces of the simplex elements need not be parallel to pre-determined planes. As a result, the unstructured mesh is simpler and can be solved faster and easier. The Adaptive Meshing Application discloses a method for defining the elements of an unstructured mesh such that a surface being modeled is essentially coincident with the faces of the elements in the mesh (or more particularly with some of the element faces), such that the surface can be accurately defined and irregular surfaces can be properly modeled.
However, existing meshing techniques for modeling of physical systems typically represent singularities, such as a well bore within a hydrocarbon reservoir, as a point source. Rather than modeling a well bore in detail, existing methods and systems for modeling of a reservoir system represent the well bore as a single point, a singularity, within the mesh defining a system and use a technique to disperse the singularity away so as not to have to solve the resulting model at the singularity. In essence, prior art methods disperse away this spike in the physical system and distribute it into the neighboring regions to form a homogeneous hump, which is much easier to solve mathematically than if the singularity were modeled with its own mesh. This method works well if the system to be modeled is homogenous around the well bore. Mathematically, if the system is homogenous in the area near the hump, an accurate solution can be obtained. However, the area near a well bore in a hydrocarbon reservoir is typically not homogenous. It is, however, an area of great interest within the drilling and exploration market.
Property variations in the area near the well bore greatly impact the production of a well. Further, properties such as viscosity and flow can change rapidly near the well bore. No matter how large a reservoir is (for example, a reservoir spread out over a 2-acre land area), all of the fluid extracted from the reservoir will go to the surface through a small opening (e.g., a well bore, typically, six inches to a foot in diameter). If the properties around the well bore are very poor, then it will be much more difficult to extract fluid from the reservoir to the surface. Conversely, if the properties around the well bore are good (healthy), then fluid flow to the surface will be much easier. It can be much easier to predict variations in the properties near the well bore and, hence, to predict the production capacity of a well, if the well bore is modeled using a meshing technique then it is using currently existing reservoir-only meshing modeling techniques.
Further, by being able to more accurately predict the properties near the well bore (e.g., about six inches to a few feet out from the well center line), decisions can be made on whether to make certain improvements to the well to improve flow. For example, factors such as erosion around the well bore, and changes to other properties that can affect fluid flow at the well bore, can be compensated for. Erosion and other damage to the well can also be minimized by predicting the effect on some parameter(s) of varying other parameters, such as porosity or fluid flow velocity. Prior art methods do not provide production engineers this ability to accurately determine the conditions at critical points near the well bore. As a result, production from a well may not be optimized and, in fact, well damage may occur more quickly, resulting in a loss of time and money to either abandon a well or to redrill a well.
Prior art methods and systems for modeling reservoirs also do not provide the ability to alter the values of properties in the near well region to predict changes that may occur as a result of such a change. Because existing methods disperse the well bore singularity away and do not provide solutions for within the well bore, property values in the near well bore region cannot be altered to help in predicting the effects of changing well and reservoir parameters, such as flow and extraction rate. Production engineers cannot assign values to properties within the well bore because prior art methods do not provide a mesh having great enough resolution in the near well bore region to allow modeling and alteration of property values within the well bore region.

Method and system for high-resolution modeling of a well bore in a hydrocarbon reservoir


A strain of Burkholderia is Burkholderia glathei ECU0712, with an accession number of CGMCC NO. 14464. With the strain or its extract as the biocatalyst, thioether is catalyzed to be oxidized asymmetrically to chiral sulfoxide, with significant advantages that the obtained product has a high optical purity, and benefits of a simple reaction system, short preparation time of the catalyst and a high yield of the product.

5-methoxy-2-((S)-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole sodium may be used for treating duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastrointestinal esophagitis. Significant advances have been made in chemical processes which utilize metals and small molecule organic catalysts to oxidize the thioether asymmetrically for synthesis. However, there are disadvantages in such processes, such as over oxidation, more by-products, complex separation and purification process.
A biological process was used for performing an asymmetrical oxidation on thioether compounds to give the chiral sulfoxide with a single enantiomer, which process has little pollution to environment, less by-products, a good atom economy, and a high optical purity of the products. Therefore, it has received more focus on the biological process of an asymmetrical oxidation to synthesize the chiral sulfoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,552 disclosed a method for preparing 5-methoxy-2-(-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole single enantiomer by selectively oxidizing a prochiral thioether with a microorganism, but the activity of which was very low and the product concentration was at ppm level; and the disclosed Penicillin frequentans, Rhizopusstolonifer, Ustilagomaydis, Arthrobacter petroleophagus, Breyibacterium paraffinolyticum, Mycobacterium sp., Acinetobacter sp. all catalyze the oxidation of thioether to generate 5-methoxy-2-((R)-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole, not the desired 5-methoxy-2-((S)-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole. Inventors have already screened and obtained a strain of Rhodococcus sp. (CGMCC NO. 2547) which may catalyze the asymmetrical oxidation of a series of prochiral phenylalkyl thioethers and derivatives thereof, obtaining the optically active chiral phenyl methyl sulfoxide and derivatives thereof (CN101372676A). Czech scientists have screened and obtained a strain of Lysinibacillus sp., which utilized its growth cells to catalyze thioether to generate 5-methoxy-2-((S)-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole, but when the concentration of substrate was 0.1 g/L, the conversion rate at 44 h was only 43%(Bioresources Technology 2011, 102:7621-7626). Patent CN106191193A disclosed a method for preparing 5-methoxy-2-((S)-((4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole through the asymmetrical oxidation with immobilized Aspergillus niger, while the cell culture time exceeded 72 h, and the addition amount of cells was too large, and the immobilization process was complex, which all increase the preparation cost of catalysts.
To overcome the limitation of the prior art, the present invention has designed a screening strategy again, which screens new microorganism strains from the soil natural treasury, providing a new resource of biocatalysts.

JIANGSU AOSAIKANG PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.

EAST CHINA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A driving apparatus for rollers of roller hearth furnaces includes a bearing beam module having a mounting plate for fixing to a side wall of the roller hearth furnace. The mounting plate has at least one passage opening for receiving a drive journal for driving one of the rollers. At least one mitre gear unit fixed to the mounting plate is provided and its angle drive is connected by the drive journal to the roller to be driven. At least one first and one second rotary coupling piece are accessible from the outsides of a casing of the mitre gear unit and are provided for connecting the angle drive to two further mitre gear units for driving in each case one adjacent roller.

European patent EP 3 42 343 B1 discloses a roller hearth furnace for the heat treatment of small metal and ceramic parts, in which a roller conveyor is constructed from several, juxtaposed rollers. The ends of said rollers are connected to journals, which are mounted in each case one bearing beam module at both ends of the rollers. There are e.g. five rollers mounted on either side in in each case one bearing beam module. On the drive side the bearing beam has devices for receiving the drive journals of rollers and is located within a side wall of the roller hearth furnace. The rollers of a bearing beam module can be adjusted through the adjustment of the bearing beam relative to the side wall. The bearing beam module can be disassembled in its entirety from the roller hearth furnace. The solution described therein is particularly advantageous for furnaces having a roller spacing of less than 50 mm. However, the rollers cannot be individually replaced.
The problem of the invention is to provide a driving apparatus for rollers of roller hearth furnaces, which permits in an easy manner the removal of individual rollers. In addition, a driving apparatus is to be provided, which can be sealed without difficulty against gas losses of the roller hearth furnace.

Driving apparatus for rollers of roller hearth furnaces and roller hearth furnace


A pair of sure-grip inserts formed as molded rubber sheathes for use in conjunction with a caulking gun having a downwardly protruding trigger that is retracted by hand to dispense caulk, and a downwardly protruding stationary handle to provide a hand grip for retracting the trigger. The trigger insert formed as an open-ended molded rubber sheath with a particular contoured shape and an internal channel conforming to the trigger for slidable insertion thereon. The handle insert is likewise formed as an open-ended molded rubber sheath conforming to the handle for slidable insertion thereon. The inserts are molded per a two-color double-injection-molding process to provide an aesthetically striking two-color appearance, and they are molded with a particular contoured design that conforms to the hand, thereby improving comfort during hard, extended use. The contour plus the use of soft-durometer thermoplastic rubber gives a high-coefficient of friction for a vastly improved grip under all (even wet) conditions.

Conventional economy brand caulking guns are generally manual trigger-operated devices incorporating a unidirectional gripping assembly which urges a piston rod forward to eject the compound from a cartridge. One such prior art caulk gun is set forth in FIG. 1. This is a lightweight, skeleton-frame caulking gun designed to receive and carry a disposable caulk cartridge 20. The gripping assembly employs trigger-grip handles which are generally formed of stamped metal plate (as much of the rest of the gun) for manufacturing economy. The operator only has two hands; one holds the ladder and the other holds the caulking gun at the handle. The spread of the handles at the starting position can require a fairly broad grip, and a firm broad grip can be exceedingly difficult to achieve when the fingers and palm are only in contact with the painted or anodized metal trigger-grip handles. This is especially true when the user has smaller hands, as is often the case with female operators, during rainy or wet conditions, and in hot and sweaty conditions. Just a momentary slippage may result in a poor line of caulk and/or dropping the gun. When dropped from a scaffolding or ladder the potential for damage or injury is evident.
The trigger grips should be sure enough to keep the gun under as much control as possible under any kind of condition. This means that whether one's hand is wet or sweaty the trigger grips should not slip from one's grasp during use. The foregoing can be achieved by a better choice of grip materials. Some operators attempt to solve the problem in a do-it-yourself fashion by cutting a bicycle inner tube or rubber pads to fit the trigger grips, but this results in an aesthetically poor looking caulk gun with rubber handle elements that frequently slip off or come unbonded.
It would be far more advantageous to provide a caulking gun with sure-grip trigger handles that establish a good, non-slip, contoured gripping surface that conforms to the hand, thereby improving the grip even in wet conditions and improving comfort during hard, extended use. Others have devised rubberized handles in other context, such as bicycles (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,775). However, there are no known efforts to incorporate a rubber gripping feature in the context of a caulk gun trigger mechanism.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The method of extracting a lipidic active principle from a solid material coming from a nacreous mollusk comprises the steps of grinding the nacre into a fine powder, preferably having a mean grain size of less than 20 μm, of putting the powder into contact with a lipid solvent, of separating the solvent, and of extracting the lipidic active principle by evaporating the solvent.

In order to regenerate the cutaneous barrier of the skin, it is known, in particular from document FR-A-1 350 038, that is it desirable to treat the skin with regenerative cosmetic compositions containing an active principle that is rich in lipids, in particular polar lipids extracted from the flesh of nacreous mollusks, in particular from oyster flesh. The extraction processing is complex since it is necessary to begin by grinding the flesh, either after drying it, or else after dehydrating it. The processing is therefore expensive. In addition, the flesh of nacreous mollusks is suitable for food applications for humans or animals, such that the raw material is itself of non-negligible cost.

Method of extracting lipids from nacreous mollusks


A drug screening assay for identifying compounds for their potential effects on the long chain fatty acid dependant intracellular membrane anchorage sites of lipoproteins. Membranes-anchoring-target are incubated in the presence of the compound to be tested and the proportion of the target that is released by the compound is detected and quantitated. The benchmark for this assay are the prenylated proteins such as the farnesylated and palmitoylated oncogenic ras trigger proteins which are displaced from their anchorage at the intracellular plasma membrane by derivatives of Farnesyl Thiosalicylic Acid (FTS). The assay is adaptable to flexibly assay a large variety of anchored targets using a wide range of labeling and detection techniques in test wells, tissue culture, and in animals as injected cells or transgenic, thereby directly addressing a wide range of pharmacologically relevant needs.

This invention relates to screening assays. Specifically, this invention relates to screening assays to identify compounds that effect signal transducing protein phosphorylation cascades by targeting the membrane anchor of long chain fatty acid modified trigger proteins. More specifically, this invention relates to drug screens to identify drugs that effect ligand mediated signal transducing protein phosphorylation cascades (for example; Ras/Rho mediated signal transducing protein phosphorylation cascades) by effecting the long chain fatty acid dependent membrane anchorage of long chain fatty acid modified trigger proteins (for example; prenylated or palmitoylated trigger proteins).
Multicellular organisms have a multiplicity of specialized cells functioning in cooperation. Communication in the organism to coordinate cooperative functions is mediated by a number of well known messengers, for example: hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines, etc. The messengers communicate by binding a receptor at the cell membrane. The receptor binding activates a desired cell function. Alternatively, and/or additionally, cell functions are activated in response to signals generated and received intracellularly. The identification and characterization of the molecules involved, and the elucidation of mechanisms whereby such molecules cooperatively regulate the functions and link the signals to those functions, is one of the great scientific advances of the past few decades.
Membrane associated receptors are exquisitely specific for ligands (signal molecule) such as hormones. Any one cell exhibits a multiplicity of these receptors, the composition of which defines the types of signals to which that cell responds functionally. The receptors are often associated within the membrane superstructure with trigger proteins. When such a receptor binds the signal molecule it activates the trigger protein. These trigger proteins are in turn linked to initiate a cascade of regulatory molecules leading to the appropriate function of the cell that is activated by the hormone. A review of such a receptorxe2x86x92triggerxe2x86x92cascadexe2x86x92function phenomenon is provided in Denhardt, D. T., Signal-transducing Protein Phosphorylation Cascades Mediated by Ras/Rho Proteins in the Mammalian Cell: The Potential for Multiplex Signaling, 318 Biochem. J. 729-747 (1996) (xe2x80x9cDenhardtxe2x80x9d), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Each trigger protein associates with specific membranes in the cell and the activity, and also often the specificity, of the protein is dependent on the trigger protein being associated with the correct membrane. To accomplish this the protein is often modified by one or more long chain fatty acids. Sometimes the protein is also carboxymethylated, glycosylated, cleaved, etc. but it appears that the most essential modification for directing many proteins to insert into the proper membrane is the long chain fatty acid modification(s).
One significant example set are cellular Ras proteins, extensively studied because mutated forms, oncogenic Ras proteins, are involved in the generation of many types of cancer. Ras is modified at its carboxy-terminus with a prenyl group and at a mid-chain Cys with a palmitoyl group. Conceptually, for Ras to be active it must be prenylated and anchored in the membrane. The prenylation of such trigger proteins as Ras, and many other related proteins, is reviewed in Omer, C A, and J. B. Gibbs, Protein Prenylation in Eukaryotic Microorganisms: Genetics, Biology, and Biochemistry, 11 Molecular Microbiology 219-225 (1994) (xe2x80x9cOmer and Gibbsxe2x80x9d), the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In brief, referring to FIG. 1, an immature trigger protein 1 is processed in the cell by the addition of a prenyl group 2 to a C-terminal cysteine. This prenylation reaction, catalyzed by a prenylprotein-transferase 3, is one of the processing reactions that results in the production of a mature prenylated trigger protein 4. Prenylated trigger protein 4 attaches to a trigger protein anchorage site 6 in a cellular membrane 5 resulting in a membrane anchored prenylated trigger protein 4xe2x80x2.
Membrane anchored prenylated trigger protein 4xe2x80x2 is stable and fully mature, yet remains inactive until an effector 7 activates it via a signal 8 acting on membrane receptor 6. Signal 8 can arise on either face of the membrane or can be both intracellular and extracellular. Such a signal can be activating or inactivating. If activating, as illustrated in this figure, membrane anchored prenylated trigger protein 4xe2x80x2 becomes an activated prenylated trigger protein 9. Activated prenylated trigger protein 9 has an enzymatic or binding activity that launches a regulatory cascade 10 of reactions. The reactions of regulatory cascade 10 link activated prenylated trigger protein 9 to a cellular function 11. Cellular function 11 consists of one or a set of cellular actions that define the specialized function of the activated cell. This cascade activation system allows a single trigger event to regulate multiple cell actions that must work in concert to accomplish a particular cell function, such as cellular growth or division.
There are numerous examples of signal transducing regulatory trigger pathways of the type generalized in FIG. 1. Denhardt defines various mammalian trigger proteins (including the gene products of Ras superfamily, and other G-proteins or GTP-binding proteins) and associated function cascades.
Briefly:
the Ras family, including H-ras, N-ras, Ka-ras, and Kb-ras, partition to specific membranes depending on the type of prenylation and, among other functions, regulate cell cycling and adhesion (mutations of ras, known as oncogenic ras, are involved in the formation of some types of tumors);
the Rap family, found in granules of Golgi and ER antagonize ras function (Rap 1A, also known as Krev-1, antagonizes the Kras oncogene);
the Ra1 family, including Ra1-a and Ra1-B appear to regulate the activity of exocytic and endocytic vesicles;
the Rho family, which includes Rho-A, Rho-B, Rho-C, Rac-1, Rac-2, CDC42, Rho-G, and TC1O, play dynamic roles in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and focal contacts mediating formation of filopodia and lamellipodia (Rac also controls NADPH oxidase activity in phagocytes);
the Ran proteins are involved in the transport of RNA and protein across the nuclear membrane;
the ARF/SAR proteins are important for vesicle formation and budding;
and the large and extensively studied
Rab/Ypt family are involved both in regulating intracellular vesicle trafficking between donor and acceptor membrane-enclosed compartments and in controlling the exocytosis and endocytosis of different types of vesicles.
In addition to the trigger proteinxe2x80x94cascade systems reviewed in Denhardt, other systems have also been described and extensively studied. For example, a family of myristoylated proteins are described that have a myristoyl group (C14:0) covalently attached, via amide linkage, to the NH2-terminal glycine residue of certain cellular and viral proteins. The attachment is catalyzed by myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) as a cotranslational modification. Compounds that block NMT activity have been shown to be potentially useful as anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic agents, and are therefore postulated to be useful for treating intracellular pathogens. A list of references and U.S. Patents detailing the myristoylation trigger protein system are found in table 1 each the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It appears that in order for most trigger proteins to become mature and capable of regulating a function cascade they must be long chain fatty acid modified and associated with the appropriate cell membrane anchor. Omer and Gibbs describe modification by prenylation of Ras superfamily encoded proteins, wherein, three enzymes are identified that mediate prenylation; farnesyl protein transferase, geranylgeranyl protein transferase type I, and geranylgeranyl protein transferase type II. These three enzymes, depicted generally in FIG. 1 as prenyl protein transferase 3, have become the target for the development of a number of drugs. Farnesyl protein transferase is the subject of at least 46 U.S. patents since 1992, listed herewith in appended Table 2, each the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to prenylation, palmitoylation is essential to membrane anchorage of some of the RAS superfamily members listed in table 2, as well as many other membrane associated trigger proteins. Articles describing the palmitoylation of various other membrane associated cellular proteins and the relevance of palmitoylation to their cellular function, are listed in appended Table 3, each the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Inhibitors of farnesyl protein transferase block the maturation of farnesylated trigger proteins and prevent them from associating with the appropriate membrane. For example, drug developers look for compounds that block the activity of Oncogenic Ras (xe2x80x9cOncRasxe2x80x9d) activity without effecting normal Ras. To accomplish this they screen for compounds that preferentially block the farnesylation of OncRas and not normal Ras by farnesyl protein transferase. Since farnesylation is necessary for maturation and association of Ras or OncRas with the plasma membrane, a drug that blocks the farnesylation of OncRas necessarily blocks its activity.
Farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors are attractive to drug developers because of their potential for treatment on many types of cancer. OncRas, a mutated form of Ras, is directly implicated as the cause of most pancreatic tumors and more than 50% of colon cancer cases. Additionally, permanent activation of Ras by over-production of hormones and growth factors is implicated as the causative agent in tissue specific growth factor induced tumors. Besides tumor treatment, farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors as well as geranyl derivatized inhibitors are being developed for cholesterol reduction and treatment of atheroscleroses.
The main conceptual drawback of developing inhibitors of specific prenyl protein transferases is that these enzymes play significant critical roles in a multiplicity of normal cellular processes. Such a drawback may explain the difficulties encountered by drug developers who have developed inhibitors of these enzymes. Such difficulties include incomplete enzyme inhibition, toxicity, and non-specificity. In this regard, this application describes a method of identifying drugs that displace mature prenylated trigger protein from their membrane anchor site rather than inhibiting their prenylation by protein prenyl transferases.
It is first object of this invention to overcome the drawbacks and inconveniences of the prior art. In that regard, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drug screen, including the steps of: providing an assay material, the assay material including a specific membrane and a specific membrane anchored target protein, and the assay material having a known quantity of the specific membrane anchored target protein associated with the specific membrane.
Exposing the assay material to a compound that is being tested for the compound""s ability to disrupt membrane association of the specific membrane anchored target protein. Separating the assay material into a membrane fraction of the specific membrane and a cytosolic fraction of a balance of the assay material remaining after the specific membrane is removed. And, at least one of determining a fraction of the known quantity that is a released quantity of target protein in the cytosolic fraction and determining a fraction of the known quantity that is a non-released quantity of target protein in the membrane fraction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of testing a compound for its effect on specific lipoprotein membrane anchorage, including the steps of: labeling the lipoprotein with a tag, exposing the membrane anchorage to the compound, and at least one of detecting a membrane-disassociated tag concentration and detecting a membrane associated tag concentration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a drug screen, including the steps of: providing an assay material, the assay material including a specific membrane and at least one target anchored in the specific membrane, and the assay material having a determinable quantity of the target, exposing the assay material to a compound that is being tested for the compound""s ability to release membrane association of the target from the specific membrane, and at least one of determining a fraction of the determinable quantity that is a released quantity of the target and determining a fraction of the determinable quantity that is a non-released quantity of the target.
It is a feature that the drug screen further includes the step of labeling the specific membrane anchored protein with a detectable tag whereby the known quantity is trackable following fractionation by detecting the tag. Also, the step of determining a fraction of the known quantity that is a released quantity of target protein in the cytosolic fraction is accomplished by determining a quantity of the tag in the cytosolic fraction, and the step of determining a fraction of the known quantity that is a non-released quantity of target protein in the membrane fraction is accomplished by determining a quantity of the tag in the membrane fraction.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the step of labeling is one selected from the group consisting of genetic labeling, metabolic labeling, chemical labeling, immunologic labeling, and labeling by identification of an intrinsic characteristic of the specific membrane anchored target protein, and the tag is at least one selected from the group consisting of green fluorescent protein, Alkaline Phosphatase, Horseradish Peroxidase, Urease, xcex2-galactosidase, CAT, Luciferase, an immunogenic tag peptide sequence, an extrinsically activatable enzyme, an extrinsically activatable toxin, an extrinsically activatable fluor, an extrinnsicly activatable quenching agent, a radioactive element, and an antibody.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the specific membrane is at least one of a plasma membrane, a nuclear membrane, a endoplasmic reticulum, a golgi, and a vesicle.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the target protein has at least one long chain fatty acid group.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the long chain fatty acid group is at least one of a prenyl, a myristoyl, and a palmitoyl.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the prenyl is selected from the group consisting of a farnesyl, a geranyl, and a geranylgeranyl.
It is a further feature of the drug screen that the target protein is at least one selected from the group consisting of; the Ras family proteins, including H-ras, N-ras, Ka-ras, and Kb-ras, the Rap family proteins, the Ral family proteins, including Ra1-a and Ra1-B, the Rho family proteins, which includes Rho-A, Rho-B, Rho-C, Rac-1, Rac-2, CDC42, Rho-G, and TCIO, the Ran proteins, the ARF/SAR proteins, the Rab/Ypt family proteins, the family of myristoylated proteins; and the family of trimeric G-proteins.
It is another feature that the drug screen further includes the step of labeling the target with a detectable tag whereby the known quantity of target protein is trackable following fractionation by detecting the tag.
It is another feature that the drug screen further includes the step of providing a label gene in a cell whereby a release of the at least one target from the specific membrane causes the label gene to one of ceasing expression and commencing expression.
In summary, the present invention is a drug screening assay for identifying compounds for their potential effects on the long chain fatty acid dependent intracellular membrane anchorage sites of lipoproteins. Membranes-anchoring target are incubated in the presence of the compound to be tested and the proportion of the target that is released by the compound is detected and quantitated.
The benchmark for this assay are the prenylated proteins such as the farnesylated oncogenic ras trigger proteins which are displaced from their anchorage at the intracellular plasma membrane by Farnesyl Thiosalicylic Acid (FTS) and derivatives of FTS. The assay is adaptable to flexibly assay a large variety of anchored targets using a wide range of labeling and detection techniques in test wells, tissue culture, and in animals, as injected cells or transgenics, thereby directly addressing a wide range of pharmacologically relevant questions.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.

Drug screen targeting lipoprotein-membrane anchorage

Ramot University Authority for Applied Research and Industrial Development, Ltd.


A compact fluorescent lamp comprises a discharge tube arrangement with at least one discharge tube. The tube is formed of glass, encloses a discharge volume filled with a discharge gas and has a fluorescent phosphor coating disposed on the inner surface of the tube. The tube forms a continuous arc path and is provided with electrodes disposed at each end of the arc path. The lamp also comprises a ballast circuit connected to the electrodes by lead-in wires and to a supply voltage by lead-out wires for controlling the current in the tube. A bulb shaped outer envelope has a substantially spherical portion enclosing the tube arrangement and an elongated end portion enclosing the ballast circuit. The end portion of the outer envelope having an open end on a base side is closed and terminated by a closing means of the same material as the outer envelope. The closing means is provided with a tubular opening. The lead-out wires are isolated from each other and led through the tubular opening to a base for connecting said lamp to said supply voltage through a socket.

The majority of the known and commercially available low-pressure discharge lamps are so-called compact fluorescent lamps at present. These lamps are determined to replace incandescent lamps used in a wide field of industry and home applications. Main advantages of these lamps are low power consumption and a long lifetime. Disadvantageous is however in CFL-s their relatively high price and large length dimension. Many configurations have been proposed to solve the length dimension problem. Such solutions include the multiple tube arrangements and the coiled tube arrangements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,089 discloses a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) comprising multiple, individual tubes mechanically formed into an assembly and inserted into an outer envelope. The individual open-ended tubes are connected to each other through an arc directing means to form a continuous arc path. The outer envelope has a cylindrical shape, is hermetically sealed and includes an arc generating and sustaining medium such as an atmosphere of mercury and argon. The electric wires of the fluorescent lamp as lead-in wires are lead through a flare that serves as a sealing element of the cylindrical outer envelope. The ballast circuit providing energy for the fluorescent lamp is situated outside the outer envelope and therefore it requires special contact elements and arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,856 describes a compact low pressure arc discharge lamp with multiple tubes frictionally fitted into apertures in a base plate. The base plate is held in a fixed position inside the sealed outer envelope but there is no built in ballast in the outer envelope or bulb. A CFL of such a construction has to be connected to outer ballast, which requires external electric connections and a special connection means to connect the ballast to a power supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,155 discloses a fluorescent lamp with an outer envelope having an external shape of an incandescent lamp on a standard Edison-type base. The discharge tube is wound in a coil around the axis of the envelope and is disposed within the outer envelope. Ballast is also disposed within the outer envelope. A heat shield is disposed between the lamp and the ballast to thermally isolate the lamp from the ballast, whereby heat from the lamp will not adversely affect the ballast. Although this lamp is provided with integrated ballast inside the outer envelope, serious difficulties may arise during production due to the use of the heat shield disposed between the lamp and the ballast. It is not disclosed and therefore it is not clear from this document how the lamp and the ballast circuit is positioned and fixed inside the outer envelope and how the electrical connection between the lamp electrodes and the ballast circuit or between the ballast circuit and the base is established.
Accordingly, there is a need for a compact fluorescent lamp with integrated ballast inside the outer envelope and an improved configuration in order to make the lamp easier to manufacture and therefore to provide a CFL that is cheaper. There is also need for an improved method of production, which is easy to combine with the conventional manufacturing steps and therefore compatible with mass production. It is sought to provide a compact fluorescent lamp configuration, which readily supports different types of discharge tube configurations.

Compact fluorescent lamp and method for manufacturing

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a compact fluorescent lamp as described above is also disclosed. In the proposed method, the open end of the elongated portion of the outer envelope is closed and terminated with a closing means comprising a tubular opening for leading through the lead-out wires.


A method of using beach wattles formed of straw or like material to replenish and renourish a beach area or to create or replace sand dunes removed by storm erosion or the like, the method comprising the steps of placing wattles to entrap sand to build up a replenished mound, then positioning additional wattles on top of the replenished mound to create a higher mound, and repeating these steps as necessary until a mound or dune of desired bulk and height is created. The wattles entrap blowing or deposited sand within the interstices of the fibrous filler material to define an anchor member. The wattles can be placed end-to-end, arranged in patterns, layered or stacked in pyramidal manner.

This invention relates generally to the field of beach renourishment or replenishment, wherein build-up and replacement of sand or sand dunes washed away during storm situations or the like is desired. This invention involves a method of creating or restoring sand dunes and renourishing eroded beaches by the application of straw fiber rolls, bales or wattles in a controlled manner.
Wattles are devices known in the soil erosion/construction industry and are used as temporary dams or retainers to prevent erosion of soil at a construction site. The wattles are typically made of straw or other fibrous media that has been blown or augered into plastic netting in the shape of a tube, roll or log. At construction sites, the wattles are placed around the perimeter and used to prevent soil and sediment from leaving the site, or are placed horizontally along the side of a hill to help prevent rain from eroding the soil of the hill. After the projects are completed, the wattles are typically removed. In contrast, the method of the invention at hand involves permanent placement of the wattles in order to entrap sand particles in a controlled manner, and also includes multiple applications of wattles in layers so as to construct a sand dune or area of renourishment on the beach in successive steps, such that at any given point in time the physical and visual intrusion of the renourishment devices are minimized. The method also involves initial burial of the wattles in order to define core anchors to a larger buildup of sand.
Currently the primary approach to address the problems of beach erosion is to place wood snow fencing at angles to the prevailing winds so that as sand is blown towards the dunes, the sand hits the slats of the fence and fall to the bottom of the fence. There are several disadvantages to this method. The fences are eyesores and do not blend with the natural surroundings. The fences have been recognized as a deterrent and hindrance to sea turtles laying eggs and for the hatchings to maneuver around to get to the sea. They are a safety hazard as they are typically left in place and as they deteriorate, the stakes, wire and slats become hazardous objects capable of cutting or stabbing beachgoers. They are static in their use so sand builds up only next to the fence and there is not a method for creating sand dunes or build-up in the areas between the fences.

Method of beach renourishment using sand-entrapping wattles


A switch assembly that includes the coaxial assembly of a cylindrical core extending from a base to a distal end, an outer knob rotatable about the core, a switching means generating an electrical signal dependent on the rotations of the knob, and a guiding means for guiding the knob in its motions relative to the core. The guiding means includes an upper-guide in the vicinity of the core-end and the knob-top, and a lower-guide in the vicinity of the core-base and the knob-base. The upper-guide includes elements rolling between an upper-guide inner race integral to the core and an upper-guide outer race integral to the knob.

Rotary switch of the aforementioned type exists and are commonly implemented in automotive environment for instance to control the air conditioning or a Hi-Fi system.
Said switches are typically built on an electronic printed circuit board (PCB). A tubular cylindrical core is fixed on the PCB, and serves as a primary guide for a bushing that is placed over said cylindrical core. An external rotary knob, accessible to an operator, is placed over the bushing. The switch is in mechanical and electrical connection with the PCB and the rotation of the knob selects various functions. Furthermore, similarly to a key on a computer key board, a function chosen by rotation can be validated by a push on the knob, which then axially slides on the bushing toward the PCB and commutes an electrical switch. An elastic mean, such as a coil spring, biases the knob away from the pushed position, where a function has been validated, back to an extended position, when not pressed by the operator. To help the operator in the function selection, a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be fixed on the core while the knob remains open or provided with a transparent window in order to leave a visual direct access to the LCD. A back illumination of the LCD is made possible as the hollow center of the cylindrical core is a light channel for a light beam generated by a light source, typically a light-emitting diode (LED) fixed on the PCB.
In EP1555684, Kikuya et al. disclose such a rotary switch. This and other switches of the same type have been successfully implemented in diverse environments including inside many vehicles. In US2004/0154910, Hayashi discloses a rotary switch having a knob guided on a fixed cylindrical core between the lower portion of the core on which the knob slides and, the upper portion of the core where a set of balls maintained in individual radial cavities are radially pressed by springs against the knob's inner cylindrical surface. Consequently to this arrangement, each ball slides between the surfaces of the knob, of the cavity and the final turn of the spring.
Unfortunately all these switches suffer from characteristics inherent to their structure. Indeed, the sliding of the knob and of other elements result in an unpleasant friction feeling perceived by the operator. Furthermore, said friction goes against a desired accuracy of the positioning of the knob. Even though the switch may be provided with an indexing feature, the friction generates a need to manually slightly adjust the angular position of the knob. Also, after being pushed to validate a function, the friction acts against a self-return of the knob in the extended rest position. In an attempt to minimize the friction, the functional gap between the knob and the bushing has to be increased above the mandatory minimum required to accommodate the manufacturing tolerances. Consequently, under small lateral forces, the knob is subject to a very unpleasant little wobble perpendicular to the rest-pushed direction. This increases the perceived feeling of inaccuracy.
It is important to propose to the market a rotary switch having a push function that is solving aforementioned problems in having the desired wobble-free precise and accurate motion of the knob.


A computer system is disclosed. The computer system comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag and a computer. The computer comprises a flash read only memory (ROM), a chipset, an NFC module and a central processing unit (CPU). The flash ROM stores a basic input/output system (BIOS) having a default user identification (UID) and a default entry key data. The chipset comprises a keyboard buffer. The NFC module reads a UID seed from the NFC tag when the NFC tag is close to the NFC module. The CPU generates a current UID according to the UID seed and a function, and determines whether the current UID is equal to the UID. The CPU writes the default entry key data to the keyboard buffer if the current UID is equal to the UID.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the boot process, the computer will load in many option ROM codes such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), management engine (ME) or local area network (LAN). Each option ROM programming code has a corresponding hot key. The user must key in the corresponding hot key if the user would like to change the firmware setting.
As the efficiency of the computer keeps improving, the computer boot time gets shorter and shorter, and may even become too short for the user to press a hot key to change the firmware setting. In addition, after the computer enters the operating system, the operating system and the application program may ask the user to input login data such as account or password. The above process is very inconvenient to the user in terms of operation.

Computer system having a near field communication tag with user identification function


A random multiple path tabular routing method for routing data packets within a wireless, packet-hopping network, e.g., an intelligent lighting control system, which includes the steps of programming a plurality of the individual nodes to each serve as a repeater node for at least one other individual node, the repeater nodes forming multiple programmed communication paths between the central node and each of at least selected ones of the individual nodes, and randomly hopping the data packets along the programmed communication paths. The repeater nodes are preferably programmed on the basis of nodal connectivity information obtained during a network initialization process. The repeater nodes are preferably programmed by storing compact partial routing tables in a memory portion of each of these repeater nodes. This routing method is partially deterministic or tabular in that routing tables are used to preprogram the multiple communication paths, and partially random, in that the data packets are randomly hopped along these preprogrammed multiple paths, rather than being hopped along preprogrammed singular paths. Each of the individual nodes preferably includes a first address table and a second address table stored in its respective memory. The step of programming is preferably carried out by storing in the first address table of each of the individual nodes at least its own address, and storing in the second address table of each of the individual nodes the address of each node for which that node is selected to serve as a repeater node. The step of randomly hopping the data packets is preferably carried out by programming each of the nodes which receives a data packet to compare the address contained in the address byte of that data packet with the address(es) stored in its first address table, and if a match is detected, to respond to that data packet, and to compare the address contained in the address byte of that data packet with the address(es) stored in its second address table, and if a match is detected, to repeat that data packet. All data communications are preferably carried out in accordance with a CSMA protocol. The invention also relates to a network which is programmed to implement this routing method.

The present invention relates generally to wireless, packet-hopping networks, and more particularly, to a method of routing data packets within such a network, and to a wireless network for implementing the same.
A network which consists of a plurality of nodes which communicate with each other and with a central node via wireless (RF) links is generally referred to as a wireless (or radio) network. In such wireless networks, each node includes a digital signal processing device (e.g., a microprocessor) and an RF transceiver which has a prescribed transmitting range. Data is typically communicated (transferred) between the individual nodes and the central node by a technique known as "packet hopping", in which individual packets of data are transferred from the central node to a destination node and from an origin node to the central node by being hopped from node-to-node in accordance with a network routing protocol.
"Packets" are logical units of data typically ranging in size from about 5-1000 bytes. Generally, these packet-hopping data communications are under the control of the central node, which is usually a computer on which resides the data communications control software. The packet-hopping data transfer scheme enables a reduction in the cost of the RF transceivers and compliance with FCC Part 15 requirements. Each packet of data contains the address of the node from which it originated or is destined. The address of each node is established when the network is originally installed.
Such wireless, packet-hopping networks are particularly suitable for controlling one or more functions or systems of a building, e.g., the lighting, HVAC, and/or security systems of the building, because it offers a low-cost, indoor topology that does not require new lines to be added to the existing structure in order to carry the network information. Further, such networks could support additional systems installed in the building, such as paging and personal communications systems.
The central node of such building control networks is typically a programmable central controller or building computer on which resides the system control software. The individual nodes are typically distributed throughout the building to monitor the status/value of prescribed parameters of the building system being controlled, and to produce control signals in response to commands issued by the building computer to adjust such parameters as required. It is important that the building computer be able to send and receive data to and from each node in the network in order to properly monitor the status/value of such prescribed parameters, and to issue commands to adjust such parameters as required, in accordance with the system control software.
An exemplary building control network is an automatic or intelligent lighting control system which monitors lighting levels, occupancy status, energy consumption as a function of time, and/or other lighting parameters of each room and/or area of the building within the network, i.e., each room and/or area of the building which is equipped with a lighting module(s) linked to an RF transceiver which constitutes a node in the network under the control/management of the building computer.
In such an intelligent lighting control system, each of the lighting modules is preferably individually programmable (e.g., by building occupants) to provide direct control of the lighting level of the lamps associated therewith. In this regard, each of the lighting modules includes one or more sensors (e.g., occupancy status, daylight (ambient lighting), and dimming/lighting level sensors) which provide sensor feedback data to an onboard digital signal processing device (e.g., a microprocessor) which is programmed to analyze the sensor feedback data and to generate control signals for adjusting the lighting level of the monitored lamp(s) associated therewith, as required, to achieve the programmed local lighting conditions.
This sensor feedback data is also transmitted by each node in the network to the building computer, when requested by the building computer to do so, or when the local lighting conditions change. The building computer analyzes such sensor feedback data in accordance with lighting system control software loaded therein, and sends control data (commands) to the individual nodes, as required, in order to adjust the lighting levels of the monitored rooms/areas of the building in accordance with the lighting system control software, e.g., to optimize the energy efficiency of the lighting system, and thereby override the programmed lighting levels provided by the individual lighting modules. Thus, in addition to being individually programmable and being capable of independent operation, the distributed modules are functionally integrated into a single building-wide network under the control of the building computer.
The installation of a building control network entails the physical placement and powering of each node in the network. The address of each node in the network can either be programmed into the node at installation or, if preprogrammed, logged into the memory of the central node (building computer), along with the physical location of each node in the network. Data communications in such networks are generally between the building computer and the individual nodes, and vice versa, over a common communications channel, in accordance with a network routing protocol. The data is transferred in packets from the building computer to a destination node outside of the immediate transmitting range of the building computer (i.e., not directly linked or "connected" to the building computer) by hopping or relaying each packet from node-to-node until the packet reaches the destination node. Each of the nodes which hops or relays a packet to one or more other nodes in the network is commonly referred to as a "repeater". The destination node generally acknowledges receipt of a data packet from the building computer by returning an acknowledgement data packet to the building computer via one or more repeaters in a similar fashion.
There are generally two main categories of network routing algorithms or protocols that are utilized in wireless networks, namely, random and deterministic (tabular) routing protocols. With a random routing protocol, packets are randomly hopped through the nodes in the network from a sender node to a destination node along random routes, with no specific set of repeaters being used to effectuate the data transfer. More particularly, with the random routing protocol, the sender node transmits a packet to all nodes within its transmitting range and each node which receives the packet then re-transmits or relays the packet to every node within its respective transmitting range, and so on, until the packet reaches the destination node. Typically, each packet contains a byte commonly called the "hop counter", which is decremented by each repeater until it reaches zero. Once it reaches zero, the packet is no longer repeated. The hop counter is set by the sending (transmitting) node such that the probability that the packet reaches the destination node is maximized, without dominating the network for an unduly lengthy period of time.
In order to minimize simultaneous transmissions of packets over the common network channel, a channel access protocol is utilized. The most common channel access protocol is the carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocol, according to which each node, prior to transmitting a packet, waits for a random delay period, and then senses the channel to determine whether it is available ("clear") or unavailable ("busy"). If the channel is sensed to be clear it transmits the packet, and if the channel is sensed to be busy, it waits for another random delay period before sensing the status of the channel again before making a further attempt to transmit the packet.
However, since all nodes in the network are not within the "listening range" of each other, it frequently occurs that two nodes which are outside of each other's listening range will sense that the channel is clear and transmit respective packets which overlap in time to the same receiving node, thereby resulting in corruption of both data packets, which appear as noise to the receiving node. This phenomenon is generally referred to as an "unavoidable or unresolvable collision". With the random routing protocol, there is a rather high probability that most, if not all, nodes in the network will handle each and every packet transmitted, thereby greatly increasing the data traffic density in the network, and thus, greatly limiting the number of different packets which can be "on the network" at any given time (i.e., the data traffic handling capacity of the network). This limits the communication efficiency of the network, as well as increasing the number of unresolvable collisions which occur.
These unresolvable collisions of data packets can cause packets to be lost before they reach their destination. In this connection, in building control networks, the acknowledgement packets returned to the building computer typically converge on just a few nodes that are linked to the building computer, thereby resulting in a higher probability and greater number of unresolvable collisions involving such packets. Consequently, blockage of acknowledgement packets is common, thereby forcing the building computer to re-transmit a packet in order to determine whether the original packet sent was actually received by the destination node.
According to the deterministic or tabular routing protocol, the building computer formulates routing tables on the basis of nodal connectivity information which it gathers during execution of a network initialization routine. These routing tables are then used to route packets of data from a sender node to a destination node via a specific set or "chain" of repeaters (i.e., along a predetermined route or singular path defined in the routing tables). This allows for many different packets to be "on the network" simulaneously, thereby resulting in relatively higher network data traffic handling capacity than is possible with the random routing protocol. However, because of intrinsic RF constraints of wireless networks, the deterministic routing protocol severely limits the communication efficiency of the network, thereby resulting in a relatively low probability of a given packet being able to reach its destination, due to its being routed along a single, predetermined path, as opposed to multiple random paths (as with the random routing protocol).
In this regard, the reliability of node-to-node communications in indoor, wireless networks is adversely affected by phenomena such as fading and multipath (the interference of an RF signal with itself due to reflections off surfaces such as walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, etc.), whereby previously established node-to-node links can be interrupted or lost. Further, such previously established node-to-node links can be interrupted or lost by virtue of dynamic changes in the indoor environment of the building, such as certain activities of the building occupants. For example, the simple action of opening or closing or door, moving furniture, or even walking down a hallway can disrupt a node-to-node communication link. Thus, the status of any given node-to-node link within the network may vary over time from solid, to sporadic, to non-existent, depending upon a number of largely unpredictable and uncontrollable variables.
Because of these inherent link reliability problems, data packets transmitted along a singular path can be easily lost before they reach their destination, thus requiring such data packets to be re-transmitted, thereby degrading the communications efficiency of the network. All that is required for a transmission to be unsuccessful is for a single link in the chain of repeaters to be broken either on the outbound transmission of a command data packet from the building computer to the destination node, or on the inbound transmission of the acknowledgement data packet from the destination node to the building computer. If the link quality of the problemmatic link(s) is not resolved satisfactorily, then the packet may have to be re-routed, and/or the network reconfigured, thereby further degrading the performance of the network, and increasing its cost and complexity.
A deterministic routing algorithm which incorporates reconfigurability is certainly an improvement over standard deterministic routing algorithms. Such a deterministic routing algorithm is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/558,447, filed Nov. 16, 1995, in the name of A. Dasgupta and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. However, such a routing algorithm still requires the attention of the operator or some preprogrammed handling routine (typically executed by the building computer) which can identify the faulty link or leg of the route, and program a route around it. Such re-routing can be extremely time-consuming and entirely unwarranted if the blockage being experienced is temporary. Furthermore, the new path may be no better than the previous path. This algorithm may also require that a significant portion of the routing information be contained in the data packets, thereby increasing the size of such packets, and, consequently, further reducing the data traffic handling capacity and communication efficiency of the network.
There are various known ways to address the above-described link reliability problems. One way to improve link reliability is to use higher-powered RF transceivers, and another way to improve link reliability is to use noise-limiting spread spectrum transceivers. However, both of these approaches are generally cost-prohibitive for many applications. Of course, a hard-wired network would be an ideal solution, but the cost of installing such a network in an existing structure is cost-prohibitive for most applications.
Based on the above and foregoing, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for a method for routing packets in a wireless, packet-hopping network which overcomes the above-described drawbacks, shortcomings, and disadvantages of the presently available technology. The present invention fulfills this need in the art.

Method for routing data packets within a wireless, packet-hopping network and a wireless network for implementing the same

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


A film tensioning and steering system can be configured to extract a film from a film source. One or more film characteristics can require that the film tensioning and steering system be isolated from the film source so that a film tension can be maintained within the film tensioning and steering system. A first drive roller pair and a second drive roller pair can be configured to secure the film and enable a dampening roller to maintain the film tension between the first drive roller pair and the second drive roller pair. Additionally, the dampening roller can store an amount of the film as a film buffer. Accordingly, the film tensioning and steering system can maintain the film tension such that a steering system can align the film before the first drive roller pair provides the film at a proper alignment to a downstream system.

With the increase of customers placing orders for the delivery of items (e.g., products), the number of packages delivered to customers continues to increase. This results in companies seeking to optimize operations related to the delivery of packages and to increase the efficiency of systems utilized in the packaging and delivery process. Currently, automated packaging systems used to package items can struggle to maintain the tension of film used to create the packages, suffer from poor film alignment, and experience inconsistent performance of the system due to one or more film characteristics. Additionally, the above issues cause further issues during package sealing and handling of the film source, ultimately requiring manual intervention for continued operation. This may result in a system that requires frequent maintenance, unnecessary intervention, and additional oversight to properly function.

Isolated film tension and steering system


A laser printer is provided having an automatic printhead identification system for use in a family of laser printers that are compatible with more than one model of printhead. For example, a single laser printer model can be made so that two different printheads can be successfully used, so long as the printer system knows which laser printhead has actually been installed. To detect which printhead has been installed, the printer operating system provides a reference clock signal having a pre-determined frequency, which dictates the rotational speed of the motor. Once the motor has achieved a "lock" operational speed, the printer measures the scan rate of the faceted mirror by detecting the time interval between pulses of the "HSYNC" signal. The HSYNC signal is sent to a "divide-by-n counter" circuit which divides the pulse frequency of the HSYNC signal, thereby increasing the time interval (by a factor of "n") that must be sensed by the system to determine which printhead is in fact installed. So long as the HSYNC "lock" frequency is different between the various models of printheads that are compatible with a particular model laser printer, the principles of the invention can be used without adding any extra hardware sensors, signals, or memory addresses and detecting codes.

Laser printers typically offer a greater improvement in resolution over dot matrix and ink jet-type printers, and the trend is to offer ever greater resolution in dots per inch (dpi), and to increase the throughput of pages printed per minute (PPM). In most cases, a particular family of conventional printers manufactured by a given manufacturer would always contain the same laser scanning unit (referred to as a "printhead"), and since there was only one type of available printhead, the print engine programming code (e.g., software or firmware) always assumed the correct printhead was installed in the printer. However, to reduce cost and reliance on a single vendor of printheads, it would be possible to make a laser printer compatible with more than one particular printhead model, although it would be very important to know which model printhead was actually installed within the printer.
Some conventional printers use an identification circuit on their printheads, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,134 (by Barbehenn). The printhead of an ink jet printer is disclosed as including an identification circuit on the same substrate as the jet array circuit. The identification circuit includes programmable pads that each include an active device (such as a diode or transistor) and programmable fuses. The identification circuit provides information about which type of ink jet cartridge has been installed, including information such as which color ink is included in this cartridge.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,027 (by Buskirk), discloses a printhead used in a dotmatrix printer, in which the printhead includes extra pathways that can be connected to different resistors to provide a "code." The printer reads the code and can be automatically reconfigured accordingly, because the code represents the type of color of the printhead. Buskirk also discloses other means of identification of a printhead, such as the use of a projection or depression in the printhead that can be sensed by a limit switch, the use of a bar code reader, or some other type of optical reader that detects reflecting areas on the printhead.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,898 (by Arthur) discloses an ink jet printer in which the printhead includes a memory element that can be read by the printer. This memory element contains data used to identify the printhead, and can be used to identify the color of the printhead's ink, or some other parameter. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,590 (by Kawada) discloses a copier that can detect whether or not a correct operational panel is installed. A "code" is sent to a remote processing unit which provides information as to the type of display or other parameters of the operator panel. If an incorrect display is discovered by the processing unit, a message is provided on the display to warn the user that the operational panel should be changed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,540 (by Hirst) discloses a printer or copier having a serial interface between the printer/copier and certain replacement parts. The interface allows information about use, calibration, or other parameters to pass to the replacement part from the printer, after the new part has been installed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,673 (by Negoro) discloses a laser beam scanner with a regulator that keeps the scanning speed of the beams uniform in the "target" region. The scanning speed is controlled so as to produce a more precise printer, and this is accomplished by using a photo-sensor drum that is used to detect the rotational speed of a polygonal scanner that is mounted to the drive motor. Negoro assumes that the correct printhead or print engine has already been installed.
While conventional printers assume that the printhead that has been installed is of a certain known type, greater flexibility could be achieved by making the printer compatible with more than one style printhead. It would be beneficial to be able to detect whether or not the correct laser scanning unit or printhead has been installed into the laser printer without having to rely on additional sensors or other hardware that would both add complexity to the printer and add cost to manufacture.

Method and apparatus for automatically determining the style printhead installed in a laser printer


This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for improving the security of credit card transactions. It involves a so-called "smart" credit card, which includes a processor, a memory, and a display window. When used, the card produces a verification number, which is based on a transaction sequence number and an encryption algorithm stored in the memory of the card. The verification number produced by the card is read in the display window and transmitted to a verification computer. The computer uses the verification number, together with a de-encryption algorithm, to produce a computed transaction sequence number. If the computed transaction sequence number corresponds to a transaction sequence number stored in the memory of the computer, then the computer will authorize the transaction, otherwise it will not. Both the card and computer change their respective transaction sequence numbers, such as by incrementation, so that different transaction sequence numbers are stored in the respective memories, for the production of a different verification number for the next transaction.

The use of credit cards for many types of transactions is already commonplace, and is steadily increasing as society moves progressively to a cashless monetary system. The proliferation of the use of credit cards, however, has been met with a corresponding proliferation in the methods by which unscrupulous persons may use credit card information to engage in fraud or theft.
For example, one typical credit card transaction involves a person who uses a telephone credit card to make a telephone call at a public telephone. The transaction sequence usually requires the user to first dial an access number to make contact with a long distance carrier. The access number is generally, publicly available, since it is distributed to all subscribers to the carrier's service and is sometimes even displayed in the public telephone area. After receiving a confirmation signal, the caller then enters a customer specific, account number, which is made up of a series of numerals often printed on the credit card for ease of user access. Unlike the access number which is public, the account number should be kept secret by the card owner, given that it is used by the carrier to determine if a valid account number has been presented when the service request is initiated. Of even greater importance to the card holder, the account number usually identifies the account to which the requested telephone service will be billed.
Understanding that someone who has the telephone account number can use that number to place unauthorized calls, a practice has grown up by which thieves have devised different methods by which they gain access to the account numbers of legitimate card holders. One such practice is referred to as "shoulder surfing", whereby the thief watches, sometimes by means of binoculars, and memorizes the customer unique, account number entered by a legitimate card holder. Modern, public telephone areas in airports, train stations, shopping malls, and the like, make the true card owners particularly vulnerable to this practice given that the design of many public telephone areas typically permit members of the public to freely move around and behind the caller. Thus, someone in a publicly accessible area could have a clear view of the account number on the card or entered on the telephone key pad during the transaction, especially if the caller inadvertently neglects to guard the secrecy of the account number.
Yet another example of the means by which a thief may gain access to a legitimate card holder's account number may involve a typical credit card purchase from a retailer. During such a transaction, the card holder's account number is exposed to the retailer's clerk processing the transaction. Additionally, if the transaction is conducted with the card holder present in person, there is typically paperwork, such as a hard copy receipt, which is generated during the transaction and which contains the account number. Frequently, carbon paper inserts, which are between the receipt paperwork, are discarded in an unsecured manner after the card holder provides an authorization signature, even though those carbon paper inserts may contain the account number of the customer.
Thus, an unscrupulous clerk could later attempt to use the account number to engage in fraudulent transactions. Alternatively, another party who gains access to the discarded carbon paper could likewise attempt to use the account number to engage in a fraudulent transaction. And finally, a so called `shoulder surfer` could observe the transaction and obtain the account number.
What is needed is a method and apparatus by which credit card transactions can be made more secure against fraud and theft. To the extent that credit cards are mass produced, the security approach must be adapted for implementation on a wide scale, which also suggests that it must not be prohibitively expensive. The approach must take account of existing transaction equipment which is available now and in the near future. For example, most public telephone systems have touch tone key pads, but relatively few have the newer technology, card readers which read an electronic strip on the credit card. Likewise, home telephone systems, which can be used for conducting credit card transactions, are highly unlikely to include a card reader system. Finally, the security approach must be reasonably simple to use by the card holder, as significant increases in the complexity of use will reduce the desirability of the security system.

Method and apparatus for securing credit card transactions


A method and device for communicating encoded data (such as MPEG encoded data for example) from a server to a decoder via a buffer. The rate at which the server provides the encoded data are adjusted based on a state of the buffer such that the buffer does not overflow or run dry, even when the communication of the data is subject to drift. Specifically, when the buffer is below a predetermined level, the rate at which the server provides the encoded data is increased. On the other hand, when the buffer is above a predetermined level, the rate at which the server provides the encoded data is decreased.

a. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the communication, or distribution, of encoded data, such as MPEG (i.e., Motion Pictures Expert Group) or MPEG-2 encoded video data for example, from a server (such as an MPEG transport stream server for example) to one or more decoders.
b. Related Art
The MPEG-2 standard focuses on the encoding and transport of video and audio data. In general, the MPEG-2 standard uses compression algorithms such that video and audio data may be more efficiently stored and communicated.
The International Organisation for Standardisation (or the Organisation Internationale De Normalisation) (hereinafter referred to as "the ISO/IEC") has produced drafts of the MPEG-2 standard for the coding of moving pictures and associated audio. This standard is set forth in four documents. The document ISO/IEC 13818-1 (systems) specifies the system coding of the specification. It defines a multiplexed structure for combining audio and video data and means of representing the timing information needed to replay synchronized audio and video sequences in real-time. The document ISO/IEC 13818-2 (video) specifies the coded representation of video data and the decoding process required to reconstruct pictures. The document ISO/IEC 13818-3 (audio) specifies the coded representation of audio data and the decoding process required to reconstruct the audio data. Lastly, the document ISO/IEC 13818-4 (conformance) specifies procedures for determining the characteristics of coded bitstreams and for testing compliance with the requirements set forth in the ISO/IEC documents 13818-1, 13818-2, and 13818-3. These four documents, hereinafter referred to, collectively, as "the MPEG-2 standard" or simply "the MPEG standard", are incorporated herein by reference.
A bit stream, multiplexed in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard, is either a "transport stream" or a "program stream". Both program and transport streams are constructed from "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packets and packets containing other necessary information. A "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packet is a data structure used to carry "elementary stream data". An "elementary stream" is a generic term for one of (a) coded video, (b) coded audio, or (c) other coded bit streams carried in a sequence of PES packets with one and only stream identifier (or "ID"). Both program and transport streams support multiplexing of video and audio compressed streams from one program with a common time base.
Transport streams permit one or more programs with one or more independent time bases to be combined into a single stream. Transport streams are useful in instances where data storage and/or transport means are lossy or noisy. The rate of transport streams, and their constituent packetized elementary streams (PESs) may be fixed or variable. This rate is defined by values and locations of program clock reference (or PCR) fields within the transport stream.
FIG. 1 illustrates the packetizing of compressed video data 106 of a video sequence 102 into a stream of PES packets 108, and then, into a stream of transport stream packets 112. Specifically, a video sequence 102 includes various headers 104 and associated compressed video data 106. The video sequence 102 is parsed into variable length segments, each having an associated PES packet header 110 to form a PES packet stream 108. The PES packet stream 108 is then parsed into segments, each of which is provided with a transport stream header 114 to form a transport stream 112. Each transport stream packet of the transport stream 112 is 188 bytes in length.
Although the syntax of the transport stream 112 and transport stream packets is described in the MPEG-2 standard, the fields of the transport stream packet pertaining to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 for the reader's convenience. As shown in FIG. 2, a transport stream 112 includes one or more 188 byte transport stream packets 200, each of the transport stream packets 200 having a header 114 and an associated payload 216.
Each header 114 includes an eight (8) bit synch byte field 218 and a packet identification (or PID) field 220. The synch byte field 218 has a value of "01000111" (or 47 hex) and identifies the start of a 188 byte transport stream packet 200. The PID field 220 indicates the type of data (e.g., audio, video, secondary audio program (or "SAP"), private, etc.) stored in the payload 216 of the 188 byte transport stream packet. Certain PID values are reserved.
The payloads 216 of one or more transport stream packets 200 may carry "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packets 300. To reiterate, a "packetized elementary stream" (or PES) packet 300 is a data structure used to carry "elementary stream data" and an "elementary stream" is a generic term for one of (a) coded video, (b) coded audio, or (c) other coded bit streams carried in a sequence of PES packets with one and only stream ID.
FIG. 3 is a diagram which illustrates the syntax of a PES packet 300. As FIG. 3 shows, a PES packet 300 includes a 24 bit start code prefix field 302, an eight (8) bit stream identifier field 304, a sixteen (16) bit PES packet length field 306, an optional PES header 308, and a payload section 106. Each of these fields is described in the MPEG-2 standard. However, for the reader's convenience, the fields particularly relevant to the present invention are described below.
The sixteen (16) bit PES packet length field 306 specifies the number of bytes in the PES packet 300 following this field 306. A value of 0 in this field 306 indicates that the PES packet length is neither specified nor bounded. Such an unspecified and unbounded PES packet 00 is only allowed in PES packets whose payload is a video elementary stream contained in transport stream packets. As can be deduced from the description of the PES packet length field 306, the PES packet 300 can be much longer (e.g., 4000 bytes) than the length of the payload 216 of a 188 byte transport stream packet. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, a PES packet 300 is typically carried in consecutive payloads 216 of a series of transport stream packets. The payload 106 of a PES packet 300 may carry a sequence of video frames or audio frames, for example.
FIG. 4 is a high level block schematic showing a system 400 for communicating and decoding video and audio data in accordance with the MPEG-2 standard. This system 400 basically includes a MPEG stream server 402 which provides data to an MPEG decoder 404 via a communications link 406.
The MPEG stream server 402 includes a storage system 408, a timing and control unit 410, a transfer buffer 412, and an interface unit 414. The storage system 408 stores files of packetized encoded data, such as PES or transport stream packets of MPEG data for example. The encoded data has been encoded, by an MPEG encoder for example, at an encoder rate. The storage system 408 may include a disk or array of disks which are well-known in the art. The timing and control unit 410 controls a reading out of one or more files stored in the storage systems 408 based on a clock signal CLK. The files of packetized encoded data read out from the storage system 408 are buffered in the transfer buffer 412. Under the control of the timing and control unit 410, the interface unit 414 provides data, stored in the transfer buffer 412, to the communications link 406. The interface unit 414 multiplexes packets of encoded audio and video data to form a program stream or a transport stream 112. The control signals provided by the timing and control unit 410 to the interface unit 414 may be based on the clock signal CLK or may be based on an independent clock signal.
At a remote end of the communications link 406, the MPEG decoder 404 includes a transport stream demultiplexer 416, a video decoder 418, an audio decoder 420, and clock control unit 422. The transport stream demultiplexer 416 receives the output of the stream server 402 in the form of a transport stream 112. Based on the packet identification (or PID) number 220 of a particular transport stream packet 200, the transport stream demultiplexer 416 separates the encoded audio and video packets and provides the video packets to the video decoder 418 and the audio packets to an audio decoder 420. The transport stream demultiplexer 416 also provides timing information to a clock control unit 422. The clock control unit 422 provides timing signals to both the video decoder 418 and the audio decoder 420 based on the timing information provided by the transport stream demultiplexer 416. The video decoder 418 provides decoded video data which corresponds to the video data originally encoded. Similarly, the audio decoder 420 provides decoded audio data which corresponds to the audio data originally encoded.
In any real-time system utilizing a digital source to derive an analog signal, the requisite number of data bits must be provided to analog generation circuitry in a timely manner so that the analog signal may be generated and transmitted to preserve the real-time characteristics of the system. In the current digital art, each video channel is derived from a single storage medium and a concomitant storage controller. In a system having mismatches in capacity between the digital source and the analog generation circuitry, such as will occur when digital data must be retrieved from local storage and transmitted as a digital stream over a transport medium, the real-time operation is aided by the use of intermediate buffer memory. The buffer memory ensures the requisite bits are available to the analog generation circuitry when needed.
It is important to provide a buffer memory of the proper size. Too little memory will cause lost analog frames, and too much memory is costly. As shown in FIG. 4, encoded data, such as encoded video data for example, may be buffered in the decoder 404 at a point "A" before the transport demultiplexer 416 and/or at a point "B" between the transport demultiplexer 416 and the video decoder 418.
Similarly, decoding encoded data involves the timely delivery of the encoded data (which comprise a video program for example) from a storage system (e.g., server 402) to the decoder 404. Of particular importance to the timely delivery of encoded data are two, sometimes unavoidable characteristics of the delivery process itself; namely "drift" and "jitter".
Drift is a monotonic error in the rate of data transfer from the server 402 to the decoder 404. Drift occurs when, on average, the rate at which a decoder (e.g., video decoder 418) consumes encoded data differs from the rate at which encoded data are provided (e.g., by the transport demultiplexer 416). Drift may cause a decoder buffer to run dry or overflow, particularly during extended transfers of data. If the decoder buffer runs dry, the decoder has no data to decode. Thus, for example, a video decoder would have to display the same frame for two or more consecutive frame periods. If, on the other hand, the decoder buffer overflows, data are lost. Drift is of particular concern when relatively long transfers of encoded data are provided to a relatively small decoder buffer.
Jitter is a random variation in the rate of data transfer from the server to the decoder. Jitter may cause variations in the level of decoder input buffers. However, since jitter tends to average out over time, it typically does not cause a decoder buffer to run dry or overflow.
In the known system 400, the MPEG digital source (i.e., the stream server 402) is the master of downstream circuitry (i.e., the decoder 404). That is, the downstream circuitry must be arranged to process the incoming data bits without the ability to control the rate at which incoming bits arrive. In operation, the MPEG stream server 402 provides the MPEG data to the MPEG decoder 404 (or video decoder 418) at a constant output rate that matches an original MPEG encode rate. This encode rate is either provided by the encoder or may be calculated from the size of the file containing the MPEG data and the number of frames contained within that data file. Thus, in the known system 400, the stream server 402 and the communications link 406 must provide the packets of encoded data at a fixed rate.
Small buffers located at "A" or "B" usually suffice to avoid random variances in the provision of encoded data, due to jitter for example. Unfortunately, even if the MPEG encode rate, the MPEG stream server output rate and the MPEG decoder rate are equal, problems can occur in the system 400 nonetheless, due to data transmission anomalies which alter the data transmission rate. In particular, as discussed above, drift of the transmitted MPEG data may cause the decoder buffers to overflow or run dry, particularly with relatively long transfers and relatively small buffers. Such anomalies obviously impact the overall quality and reliability of transmitted MPEG data and ultimately, viewers of a transmitted program,
Although the probability of queue overflow can be reduced by increasing the size of the decoder buffers, this solution increases the cost of the decoder 404. If multiple decoders 404 are needed, this increased memory cost is exacerbated.
An additional transmission-rate related problem which limits the prior art system 400 occurs when different programs are MPEG encoded at different encode rates and then transmitted as concatenated programs. To reiterate, a transport stream 112 may include one or more programs. In particular, video programs which comprise a sequence of video data are MPEG encoded and then stored as files in the storage system 408 of the stream server 402. Due to inherent differences in the video data from one program to another, not all of the programs are MPEG encoded at the same encode rate, however. Thus, during operations of the stream server 402, it may be necessary to transmit a first encoded program at a given rate (the program encode rate) and then transmit another, concatenated program at a different rate. Oftentimes, the stream server 402 cannot compensate for the variations in the transmission rates. This may lead to "garbled" or unintelligible transmissions of encoded data.
In view of the above described problems with known systems 400, a method and apparatus for preventing buffer(s) arranged between a server and a decoder from running dry or overflowing, due to drift for example, while, at the same time, compensating for variations in encoding rates in more than one program, are needed.

Method and apparatus for transmitting MPEG data at an adaptive data rate