The present invention relates, in part, to agents that bind Clec9A and their use as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the Clec9A binding agents and their use in the treatment of various diseases.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (APCs) equipped with the ability to induce primary immune responses and play an important role in various aspects of immunity. Activated dendritic cells are capable of recruiting additional immune cells such as macrophages, eosinophils, natural killer cells, and T cells such as natural killer T cells. Dendritic cells also capture antigens and present the antigens on their surfaces to activate T cells (e.g. cytotoxic T cells (CTLs).
Despite major advances in cancer treatment, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Hurdles in designing effective therapies include cancer immune evasion, in which cancer cells escape destructive immunity, as well as the toxicity of many conventional cancer treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which significantly impacts a patient's ability to tolerate the therapy and/or impacts the efficacy of the treatment.
One mechanism by which cancers evade immune detection and destruction is by crippling dendritic cell functionality through prevention of dendritic cell (DC) recruitment and activation. Accordingly, there remains a need for cancer therapies that can effectively derail tumor evasion and enhance anti-tumor immunity as mediated, for example, by dendritic cells.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system with both autoimmune and neurodegenerative features. The most frequent form of MS is relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which is clinically characterized by recurring episodes of neurological symptoms. More than 2.3 million people worldwide suffer from MS, with 400,000 people in the U.S. alone having the disease.
Current pharmacological treatments for MS, including disease modifying therapies (DMTs), either modify or suppress the body's immune system. Many of the current pharmacological agents for MS are limited by incomplete efficacy, side effects and medical risks. These treatments have been shown to modestly reduce neurological relapses of the disease and, in some instances, incompletely slow the progression of neurological disability. Accordingly, there also remains a pressing need for improved MS treatments.


A wireless communication device includes an antenna element for carrying out wireless communications, a power feeding section for supplying power to the antenna element, a conductor other than the antenna element, and a dividing part for dividing the conductor, the dividing part being provided so as to divide the conductor into parts so that each of the parts has a length equal to or less than a quarter of wavelength at an operating frequency at which the antenna element carries out wireless communications.

In recent years, there have been developed electronic devices of eyeglasses appearances, such as (i) a pair of three-dimensional eyeglasses for watching a three-dimensional television and (ii) a pair of three-dimensional eyeglasses and an eyeglasses-type head-mounted display both for enjoying three-dimensional games. These electronic devices may include an antenna to carry out wireless communications.
Conventionally known as an eyeglasses-type wireless communications device is, for example, a device as described in Patent Literature 1, i.e. a device having an antenna provided in or on a frame of a pair of eyeglasses. Specifically, Patent Literature 1 describes a pair of variable-focus eyeglasses having an antenna in or on its frame.


Methods and systems are described for performing alternate routing of communications in a network. The system initiates a communication from an origination endpoint in a packet-switched network, such as a VOIP network, to a destination endpoint, and determining, according to selection criteria, whether to route the communication to the destination endpoint using at least a second circuit-switched network, such as the PSTN.

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to providing alternate routing of communications in a network. More particularly, the present invention relates to routing packets switch communications, such as Voice over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") communications from packet-switched network to a circuit-switched network such as the public switched telephone network ("PSTN") or other alternate network.
For many years, the PSTN has provided a reliable mechanism for transmitting voice communications. With the rise of available bandwidth on the Internet, however, VoIP systems have become increasingly popular. These newer systems offer a number of advantages over the PSTN including more efficient use of network bandwidth, lower cost of ownership, and advanced services such as video conferencing.
One disadvantage associated with conventional VoIP networks is that they are highly dependent on the availability of network bandwidth to provide an acceptable quality of service ("QoS") for communications. Further, these networks are also highly dependent on the availability of network components to complete calls. If the network bandwidth drops below a certain threshold or a critical network component is unavailable, then a call placed on a conventional VoIP network typically will not reach its intended destination and will fail. Conventional VoIP networks are thus relatively fragile systems that are dependent on conditions existing above given thresholds within their networks to complete calls.
There is thus also a need for a robust system which enables alternate routing of communications in a network. More particularly, there is a need for a system that enables the routing of VoIP communications to the PSTN when sufficient VoIP network resources are unavailable to complete a communication.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing alternate routing in a network


A contents conversion communication terminal, a contents conversion supporting server system, and a contents conversion supporting method are provided. In a protocol structure of the communication terminal, a distribution file system layer supports a server system and at least one other communication terminal connected through a network to share a data file therebetween, an adaptation layer performs a contents conversion to use a data file in the communication terminal, the adaptation layer being placed on the distribution file system layer, and a virtual file system layer receives a system call message and transmits the system call message to the adaptation layer, the virtual file system layer being placed on the adaptation layer.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contents conversion communication terminal, a contents conversion server system, and a contents conversion method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a contents conversion communication terminal, a contents conversion server system, and a contents conversion method capable of supporting various terminals to share the contents stored at one server system.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, one communication terminal has one file system for processing a system call of applications thereof and for providing data, a so called local file system. The local file system can be used for a corresponding communication terminal, and can store files at a storing apparatus physically connected with the corresponding communication terminal. The local file system has drawbacks in that it loses all the stored data when the storing apparatus has a failure, and it cannot share the stored data with other communication terminals.
Accordingly, it has become necessary to be able to share the stored data between communication terminals, as various personal communication terminals have been developed forming various network environments, and the functions of the communication terminals have become more complicated. Particularly, since resources are severely wasted in linked server systems, as well as in the communication terminals, when the same contents are stored at the various media files, as the wired/wireless Internet population has explosively increased, various media files, such as MPEG-4 and ASF, have appeared, and storage has increased due to the respective access devices requiring high resolution and various quality. Accordingly, data sharing and synchronization technology have been desired, and data conversion technology has been developed to adapt data appropriately for respective communication terminals.
Recently, Microsoft has developed a roaming profile technology to share personal data with a desktop computer. When any desktop computer is accessed among desktop computers grouped in one domain, the roaming profile technology allows the accessed desktop computer to access personal data. However, the roaming profile technology can only be used when the desktop computer installs a windows program thereon. Accordingly, the roaming profile technology is limited by file sharing environments so that it is difficult to be adapted to mobile terminals having various software environments, hardware environments, and communication environments. Therefore, it is desired to provide a data synchronization service and a sharing service according to characteristics of the communication terminals, and it is also desired to convert data to an optimum format which the communication terminals can all use.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Contents conversion communication terminal, server system, and method

Electronics & Telecommunications Research Institute


A new variety of carnation plant named ‘CFPC Lipstick’ having bright pink flowers.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid carnation botanically known as Dianthus caryophyllus, and referred to by the cultivar name 'CFPC Lipstick'.
'CFPC Lipstick' was discovered by Oscar T. Hasegawa as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in a controlled cultivated planting of the patented variety known as 'CFPC Mel' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,837) in Salinas, Calif. The new variety 'CFPC Lipstick' has been asexually reproduced by vegetative side shoot cuttings in Salinas, Calif. and the distinguishing characteristics are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.


A fixing structure is employed to secure a stylus in a portable computer. The fixing structure has a storage slot, an attachment means, a latch and an elastic apparatus. An attachment means mounted on a stylus has an engraved notch. The latch embedded in the storage slot fits in the engraved notch of the attachment means to prevent the stylus from slipping out of the storage slot. The latch is pushed by the elastic apparatus.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a stylus fixing structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stylus fixing structure in a portable computer.
2. Description of Related Art
The desktop PC has evolved into a variety of computers, such as notebook PCs, pocket PC, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants, such as the Palm OS PDA), and other internet appliances. These computer devices, much smaller and thinner than the Desktop PC, usually do not have keyboards or need extra keyboards for inputting data. Therefore, these computer devices usually provide a touch panel or other device for manual input. For example, a PDA may offer a writing pad and a touch panel for launching or operating application program.
Whether a writing pad or touch panel is employed, a stylus is essential for operation and input. The stylus of a PDA or Pocket PC is made of plastic or metallic materials, and does not contain electronic devices. Most PDAs provide slots for storing styluses, and the styluses can engage slots to avoid sliding out. But such a slot may wear out. Thus, the stylus may easily slip out from the storage slot to cause damage.
However, a stylus of a complicated computer contains electronic devices. For example, a Tablet PC stylus has a battery or a coil built inside. Having electronic devices built inside a stylus not only enlarges the size thereof but also increases the weight of the same.

Stylus fixing structure for a portable computer


According to an embodiment, an induction heating coil includes a heating conductor portion which is formed of a conductor member and has a zigzag shape in which a bent portion opened to one side in a first direction and a bent portion opened to the other side in the first direction are alternately continuously arranged in opposite directions along a second direction crossing the first direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an induction hardening apparatus, an induction hardening method, an induction heating coil, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment method, and more particularly to a technology for improving heat treatment efficiency and performing a uniform treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an induction hardening method for performing a heat treatment such as high-frequency hardening with respect to a metal member, there has been known a heat treatment apparatus adopting a single shot heating process for using an induction heating coil facing an entire treatment target region to collectively perform a treatment (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-120415, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-174251, or Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication. No. 2004-44802). In such a heat treatment apparatus adopting the single shot heating process, the induction heating coil is formed into a shape associated with the entire treatment target region. For example, an annular induction heating coil is arranged to face a treatment target portion when the treatment target portion has a circular shape, and a tabular induction heating coil is arranged to face a treatment target portion when the treatment target portion has a planar shape. Since such a heating apparatus adopting the single shot heating process uses the induction heating coil to cope with various shapes and sizes of a treatment object and a treatment target portion, a large induction heating coil is required and high-output power is needed when the treatment object and the treatment target portion are large.
On the other hand, there has been known a scanning heat treatment apparatus for sequentially performing a heat treatment and a cooling treatment while relatively moving an induction heating coil, which faces a part of a treatment target portion alone, with respect to the treatment target portion (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-89803, or Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. Sho 60-116724). In such a scanning heat treatment apparatus, the induction heating coil is formed into a shape associated with a part of the treatment target portion.
The technology of the induction heating has the following problems. That is, in the induction hardening apparatus adopting the single shot heating process, since the induction heating coil associated with a size or a shape of the treatment target portion must be used, for example, when the treatment target portion has a complicated shape, a shape or condition setting of the induction heating coil becomes complicated, and realizing the apparatus is impossible. Furthermore, when the treatment target portion is large, and a big induction heating coil is required, this results in a problem that high-output power is required. Moreover, when the treatment object is deformed due to, e.g., thermal expansion at the time of induction heating, maintaining an appropriate dimension between the induction heating coil and the treatment object is difficult. Therefore, the induction heating coil must be set to have a larger size in advance, and hence a problem of poor heating efficiency occurs.
On the other hand, in the scanning heat treatment method, when the induction heating coil is formed into a shape associated with a part of the treatment target portion, a treatment area per unit time is small, a treatment time is increased, and treatment efficiency is deteriorated. Additionally, in the case of moving the induction heating coil while continuously performing the heat treatment and the cooling treatment, for example, when an annular treatment target portion is to be treated, there occurs a problem of generation of a soft zone, which means the necessary hardness cannot be obtained at a boundary between a start portion and an end portion of the treatment.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology that can readily realize a heat treatment for a desired region to be heated without requiring high power, a technology that enables a uniform treatment, and a technology that enables improving heat treatment efficiency when performing induction heating on even a large treatment object.

Induction hardening apparatus, induction hardening method, induction heating coil, heat treatment apparatus, and heat treatment method


A successive approximation shift register without redundancy for a finite-state machine of the sequential type, is also effective to store the machine states. The shift register comprises a chain of logic circuits of the bistable type (FF0,FF1, . . . ) having an input stage with selectable signal inputs which are feedback connected through logic OR gate circuits (OR0,OR1, . . . ,OR6).

This invention relates to analog-to-digital converters (abbreviated to A/D converters or ADCs), in particular A/D converters which operate in accordance with the successive approximation (S/A) method.
Analog-to-digital converters are essential elements to many integrated circuit applications, such as automatic control, adjustment, data acquisition, and data processing systems, wherein they provide "interfaces" for converting analog entities (real-word parameters) into digital information adapted to be processed through logic circuits, memories, and microprocessors.
Analog-to-digital converters of the successive approximation type are the more widely used ones because they combine good speed of execution (200 to 500 ns per bit) with low cost, ease of fabrication (a single LST chip), and good accuracy; state-of-art embodiments of such converters being capable of handling up to 12 bits.
A/D converters of the S/A type are standard items in the lines offered by all major suppliers of semiconductors.
Examples of their construction can be found in "Data Acquisition Databook", 1993 Edition, National Semiconductor, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The architecture of a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter usually comprises a comparator, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, and a control logic, as shown in FIG. 1. The control logic is often referred to as the Successive Approximation Register (SAR). The SAR is operative to determine the value of each bit in a sequential manner, according to the comparator output. The SAR starts the conversion cycle by putting the most significant bit, MSB, of the word equal to 1, and all the other bits equal to 0 (attempt). This digital word is applied to the D/A converter, which will generate an analog signal whose value is one half the conversion range Vref/2 which is being compared to the input Vin. If the comparator output is high, the control logic will set the MSB to 1, whereas if the output is low, the control logic will set the MSB to 0 (decision). At this stage, the value of the MSB has been determined. The approximation process continues with the application of a digital word to the D/A converter wherein the MSB has its proper value and the second or attempt bit is 1 and all the remaining bits are 0. Once again, the output from the D/A is compared to its input: if the comparator output is high, the second bit is set to 1, otherwise to 0, and so on to the least significant bit, LSB, of the word.
The contents of the SAR register represent the digital outcome of the completed conversion.
The SAR is a sequential finite-state machine (MSF) which generates the sequence of states shown in the following chart (wherein the case of the number of bits being N=8 has been considered, for simplicity).
The sequence evolves as follows through the chart: in step 1, the initializing configuration is enforced. Over the following steps, three actions are possible on the single bit: enforcement of the attempt 1, result of the decision from the comparator, memory of the preceding value.
______________________________________ Comparator Step: D/A input word output ______________________________________ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a7 1 a7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 a6 2 a7 a6 1 0 0 0 0 0 a5 3 a7 a6 a5 1 0 0 0 0 a4 4 a7 a6 a5 a4 1 0 0 0 a3 5 a7 a6 a5 a4 a3 1 0 0 a2 6 a7 a6 a5 a4 a3 a2 1 0 a1 7 a7 a6 a5 a4 a3 a2 a1 1 a0 result a7 a6 a5 a4 a3 a2 a1 a0 -- ______________________________________
The successive approximation algorithm whereby one can describe the chart is the following. Taking any conversion step whichever, the next step value for each bit k of the input word to the D/A can have one of three values:
that of the left side bit (k+1), if all the bits (k-1, k-2, . . . , 0) which are less significant than the bit k, and the bit k itself, have "0" value; or PA1 that of the comparator output, if all the least significant bits of the word have the value of "0" and the bit k carries a value of "1" or PA1 that of the bit k, if at least one of the least significant bits carries a value of "1".
By running this algorithm over a suitable logic network, the same storage elements (flip-flops) that hold the result of the conversion can be used to encode the 2.sup.N possible states of the finite-state machine MSF. In fact, where an N-bit successive approximation A/D converter is to be provided, the skilled artisan will find that the MSF machine on which the algorithm is to be run requires at least 2.sup.N states, that is at least N flip-flops.
However, current embodiments of registers for successive approximation analog-to-digital converters employ a number of flip-flops which is at least twice as large as the minimum.
The underlying technical problem of this invention is to provide a no-redundancy register for successive approximation analog-to-digital converters.
This problem is solved by a shift register of the type indicated above and as defined in the claims appended to this specification.
The features and advantages of a shift register according to the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example and not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Successive approximation and shift register without redundancy


A device and method of making same. The device or hydrogen detector has a non-conducting substrate with a metal film capable of absorbing hydrogen to form a stable metal hydride. The metal film is on the threshold of percolation and is connected to mechanism for sensing a change in electrical resistance in response to the presence of hydrogen in contact with the metal film which causes an increase in conductivity.

Hydrogen is an extremely clean energy source for use in fuel cells and internal combustion engines. However, widespread use of hydrogen as a fuel will require innovations in hydrogen storage and hydrogen sensing. Reliable, cheap, compact, and safe hydrogen sensors are needed both for measuring the hydrogen concentration in flowing gas streams and for monitoring ambient air for leaked hydrogen. It is essential that "alarm" sensors detect hydrogen at a concentration well below the lower explosion limit in air of 4%.
The vast majority of hydrogen sensors use a palladium element to selectively absorb hydrogen. Such sensors operate by detecting a change in the properties of the palladium/hydrogen solution relative to those of pure palladium. The properties detected include mass, volume, electrical resistivity, optical constants, and the work function. Conventional palladium-based hydrogen sensors, however, have two main disadvantages: First, the response time for these devices, which tends to range from several minutes to 0.5 s, is too slow to permit ANL 04-077 (E&D 313) useful, real-time monitoring of flowing gas streams. Second, palladium is poisoned by exposure to reactive species, such as hydrocarbons, O2, H2O, and CO, that chemisorb on the palladium surface and block adsorption sites needed for hydrogen. These species are exactly the sorts of contaminants that are likely to be present in the gaseous feed stream supplying a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine. Exposure of a palladium-based hydrogen sensor to these gases causes the response time for the sensor to increase, and can necessitate recalibration of the sensor for hydrogen.
Today, most hydrogen gas sensors are macroscopic palladium resistor-based sensors. Exposure to hydrogen gas causes an increase in the resistance in these devices by a factor of up to 1.8 at 25° C. The resistance increase is caused by the increased resistivity of palladium hydride relative to pure palladium. Although useful, these sensors not only suffer from the disadvantages noted above, they tend to require heating to operate efficiently, which tends to result in higher power consumption.
In view of such devices, it is desirable to provide a device sensitive to hydrogen, particularly a hydrogen gas sensor that is very easy to fabricate and responds very quickly to the presence of hydrogen gas.

Ultrafast and ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors based on self-assembly monolayer promoted 2-dimensional palladium nanoclusters


Methods and systems are disclosed for selecting performance settings for one or more wireless technologies, presenting a graphical representation of the relative performance of the wireless technologies for each performance setting, and allowing a selection of at least one of the performance settings. The performance settings can be associated with wireless technologies, or location types. Performance characteristics may include noise, power, quality, speed, and interference. The performance setting of one wireless technology may be manually adjusted and the impact on other wireless technologies can be a graphical displayed or numerical display. Adjustments can be made by a user or a platform designer. In a preset mode, a user make select between preset performance settings that are graphically displayed. In an advanced mode, adjustments to wireless performance characteristics of all the wireless interfaces on a specific platform may be selectively made with the relative effects on other wireless interfaces graphically displayed.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Numerous competing and wireless technologies and applications are available for mobile use. Devices and platforms enabled with multiple sets of these wireless technologies may not provide the best user experience in terms of target application performance. Wireless technologies that may be integrated into portable information handling systems (one example being notebook computers) or include Wi-Fi (802.11 based technologies), Bluetooth (BT), ultra-wide band (UWB), Cellular, wide area network (WAN), Mobile WiMax, DVB-H, RFID, GPS, others, etc. While mobility and wireless Internet access are becoming mainstream, several factors impacting system performance are the simultaneous operation of multiple wireless technologies, multiple spectrum overlaps, interference/co-existence, smaller form factors driving antenna size and designs, power and battery life performance tradeoffs, system performance tradeoffs and driver overhead, and high bandwidth applications. One challenge experienced by users is in optimizing performance attributes of wireless options relative to application use cases. A method is needed that dynamically models and adjusts performance of a system for mobile wireless use relative to other attributes of the system by abstracting user experience feature requirements.
Some information handling systems incorporate software-based wireless profile management, which focuses on wireless and location profiles to help a user switch between profiles and manage them for WiFi, Cellular, etc. and the like. For example, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a screen of the Dell Quickset location profiler 100. Dell Quickset location profiler is software-based wireless profile management tool that ships with Dell notebook computers. Adapter Switching 102 is a mobility setting 103 that provides options regarding wireless technologies that impact power and performance of a system. For example, user check boxes are provided for a user to select various modes of operation. One option allows wireless features to be disabled when a wired connection is detected. Other options may relate to modes that may be selected when the wired connection is terminated. For example, when a wired connection is terminated, the wireless features may be optionally automatically enabled. Another option, Enable Advanced Options 104, allows relative prioritization of WiFi 106 and Mobile Broadband 108. Thus, when using the Adapter Switching 102 option, a various modes relating to wired Ethernet, WiFi, and Mobile Broadband can be selected and the modes can include a prioritization of wireless standards.
Another current art method is Quickset Location and Mobility Management technology. A location profiler can be used to create and manage profiles for different places a user uses a computer, such as an office, home, or favorite coffee shop. A profile is created for a particular network. The network can be affiliated with a location, such as an office, home, or other locations. When the computer is moved from one place to another, a user can switch to a saved profile to change settings for the user's Internet browser, applications, wireless network connection standard, shared folders, and printers. When a user selects a location, its affiliated network is activated. A user can add a network profile to the user's location profile by adding a network profile name and network type, then selecting the manage network profiles option. User selections are made via a graphical user interface. A WiFi Manager and Mobile Broadband Manager are available once the wireless networks are configured using a wireless manager before adding them to the user's location profile. The user can create a location profile name and can lock in the profile. The user can then save the profile setting. The concept of Quickset Location and Mobility Management is targeted towards providing more control over location based settings and network transition rules. The location profiles allow configuration of browser, printer, VPN, firewall settings, and the like, for network connections. The mobility settings provide additional configuration of adapter switching and client manager software. While the current art Quickset features provide the user more control, they do not provide the user the necessary information to optimize and tailor the performance of their wireless interfaces. A method is needed to provide an application capable of showing and managing the performance for all wireless interfaces on a platform.

Method for selecting a priority for wireless technologies via graphical representation


A brush wiping device and a method of using the brush wiping device is disclosed. The brush wiping device can be attached to an upper surface of a container which is capable of housing a fluid, for example, paint. The brush wiping device includes a first surface, a second surface and a thickness therebetween. The brush wiping device also includes an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter. The inner perimeter extends completely through the thickness of the brush wiping device and is configured to include a brush dipping aperture, a brush wiping aperture and a brush transfer aperture. The brush transfer aperture communicates with both the brush dipping aperture and the brush wiping aperture. The brush wiping device further includes an attachment member used to removably secure the brush wiping device to the upper surface of the container.

Today, there are many different devices which can be removably attached to an upper surface of a container, for example a one-gallon can of paint, and be used to remove excess paint from a paint brush. In addition, some of these devices also assist in pouring the paint out of the can, providing a rest for a paint brush, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,835 issued to D. H. Nelson is one such device which provides a paint brush rest. This device is a semi-circular device having a plurality of spaced apart rods that provides a rest for a paint brush when the painter needs to set his brush aside for awhile. U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,257 issued to L. Sasse teaches a device which utilizes a scrapper bar positioned across the opening of a circular brim which can be used to scrape excess paint from a paint brush. U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,723 issued to J. K. Seabolt teaches a combination pour spout and paint paddle scraper. U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,258 issued to A. E. Maiorino teaches still another device in the form of a paint lid which can be attached to a paint can for use with a paint brush. This device includes a fluid guide means and an inclined guide plate for facilitating pouring paint from the paint can. However, each of these devices suffers from one or more deficiencies.
A person who desires to paint a room or an object typically will dip a paint brush into a paint can and then wipe the excess paint from the bristles of the paint brush using the rim of the paint can. A person will normally wipe the two major sides and the two rounded ends of a paint brush against the rim of the paint can before painting. Commonly, all four surfaces of a paint brush are wiped in this fashion. This action allows for a more even amount of paint to be applied to the intended surface by the painter. However, the two major sides of a paint brush are relatively flat while the inside surface of a paint can is curved or arcuate in profile. This geometrical difference prohibits all of the excess paint from being removed from the bristles of the paint brush.
Furthermore, it takes time to wipe the two major sides and the two rounded ends of a paint brush against the inside rim of a paint can. In addition, such wiping motion can become tedious and tiring to the painter.
Now a brush wiping device and method have been invented that allows excess or surplus paint or other fluid, such as varnish, stain, shellac, a liquid wall paper remover, etc. to be quickly and efficiently removed from a brush in two easy strokes, thus saving time and allowing the painter to more efficiently perform his task. In addition, the brush wiping device is an integral member which can be easily cleaned and reused on another paint can.


A hydronic heating system for a building includes condensing and non-condensing boilers in a hybrid arrangement. A control apparatus receives information from one or more condition sensors, such as air temperature or water flow, and calculates heating load requirements. The control apparatus then independently selects and operates the various boilers of the system to optimize boiler efficiency and operating characteristics.

Commercial hydronic heating systems are used in buildings to supply heat via hot water that is circulated by a pump. One type of traditionally common heating system utilizes non-condensing boilers in which a portion of the input heat is lost via the boiler flue. A more modern type of heating system increases overall efficiency by employing condensing boilers. A condensing boiler recovers a large amount of heat from exhaust gases that would otherwise be lost via the flue. Through the use of heat exchangers, the temperature of the gases exiting the flue may be reduced from a range of 300° F.-450° F. to a range of 90° F.-130° F.
Although it is becoming more of a standard practice to employ hydronic heating systems that utilize high-efficiency condensing boilers, many existing heating systems employ one or more non-condensing boilers of an age or condition that does not justify replacement of those boilers from an economic standpoint, as associated radiators, heat exchangers, or other end user heat transfer or transmission devices would require replacement as well. The result is that many buildings may have both non-condensing as well as condensing boilers, thereby forming what is known as hybrid heating systems. Although the overall efficiency of a condensing boiler system is higher than a non-condensing system, each type of boiler has certain advantages over the other depending upon factors such as outside air temperature and the heat load on the boiler. The present disclosure is directed to an arrangement for controlling a hybrid heating system in which each type of boiler can be realized to its particular advantage.


An emergency extrication collar comprising a flexible band for encircling the wearer's neck, a chin support member which may be readily adjusted in elevation with respect to the band so as to permit adjustment to fit patients having varying neck sizes. The chin support member is connected to the band by a post which is slidably connected to a vertical strap on the band, and such that the elevation of the chin support member above the post, and thus the neck size of the collar, may be adjusted by simply sliding the post and chin support upwardly to any selected size between the size extremes. A pawl and ratchet interconnection between the post and strap precludes movement in the opposite direction. The collar is secured in its adjusted size by a locking arm which is pivotally mounted on the post, and movement of the locking arm to its release position also releases the pawl and ratchet interconnection.

The present invention relates to a cervical collar which is adapted to be sized on or off the patient and be efficiently and properly applied to the neck of a patient under emergency or non-emergency conditions.
Cervical collars are commonly used to restrict the movement of the head and neck of a person who has suffered a neck or spinal injury, and such collars are often applied in the field under emergency conditions so as to permit the extrication of an injured person from an accident site while the upper cervical spine is immobilized.
In instances where the collar is to be applied under emergency conditions, it is important that the collar can be easily applied about the neck of the patient, and adjusted in height to fit the neck of the patient, without risk of further injury or trauma. Several prior collar designs have been proposed to achieve these functions, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,520,619 and 5,593,382.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cervical collar of the described type, and which can be easily applied to an injured person under emergency conditions, and readily sized to the patient either before or after it has been applied.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a cervical collar which is readily adjustable to the neck size of the patient under emergency conditions and so as to be infinitely adjustable to any position between the shortest and longest neck sizes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cervical collar that provides full and proper support to the patient once it is applied, and which is able to effectively immobilize the upper cervical spine of an injured person.


A semiconductor integrated circuit having plural functional block circuits that are controlled by a system clock to an operation state in an ordinary mode and to a deactivated state in a power-saving mode, the semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: a power-saving mode signal generation unit which generates a power-saving mode signal that instructs to shift from the ordinary mode to the power-saving mode; and a power-saving control unit which controls to make clock enable signals, which make the system clock to the plural functional block circuits valid, inactive individually and sequentially with prescribed time intervals at the time when the power-saving mode signal generated by the power-saving mode signal generation unit becomes active.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit of which operation is controlled according to input of a system clock, and more particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit, which prevents a sharp change in power-supply voltage, and its power-saving control method and power-saving control program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it is significant for various types of OA (Office Automation) equipment not to waste energy. Therefore, the OA equipment is provided with a power-saving mode or the like, and when it is not used for a prescribed time, the functions of portions other than necessary minimum portions stop operating so as to fall in a power-saving state, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption.
A power-saving technology of the above-described type is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-184495 entitled, "Image processing device".
The invention of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-184495 covers a technology that power consumption can be decreased by independently controlling to stop a clock signal for individual portions when they are in a standby mode or the like and not required.
The invention of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-184495 describes that the individual portions can be stopped by independently controlling, but there is a possibility of causing a malfunction if a power-supply voltage drops sharply even if the stop control is executed independently.
According to the prior art, unnecessary power consumption was prevented by simultaneously activating and stopping the system clock for all large-scale functional blocks. Therefore, there was a problem that an abnormal voltage was produced on a power-supply voltage line to deteriorate the quality of the semiconductor integrated circuit because of switching current of a large number of transistors. There was also a problem that a malfunction was apt to occur because of a drop in power-supply voltage.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides a semiconductor integrated circuit, which is divided into prescribed types of functional blocks so as to activate and stop a system clock with prescribed time intervals for the individual divided blocks, and its power-saving control method and power-saving control program.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and its power-saving control method and program


A method for customizing a presentation of a set of digital images provided by a user is disclosed, comprising the steps of selecting an initial presentation format criteria for the set of digital images by the user; analyzing the digital images for additional information; providing to the user a first portable electronic storage medium having the set of digital images stored thereon, the images capable of being presented to the user on a display device in accordance with a first presentation format based upon the initial selected presentation format criteria and the analysis of the additional information; and providing a software program to the user enabling the user to select additional presentation format criteria.

It is widely recognized that viewing images in the form of a multimedia presentation is much more compelling than simply skimming through a stack of hard-copy prints, or looking at a series of static images presented sequentially using a slide projector, computer, or television screen. The addition of other elements to the presentation such as a sound track appropriate to the content of the images, the insertion of interesting transitions between the images, the addition of a video clip or the creation of various video-style special effects including fades and dissolves, image-collaging, or colorization makes the presentation much more interesting to the viewer and can greatly enhance the emotional content of the images being presented. The proliferation in the home of new television-based viewing platforms able to accommodate multimedia, including DVD or Video CD players, also increases the demand for this type of presentation.
For the ordinary photographic consumer, the creation of a multimedia presentation is not presently very convenient. Even if the images are available in digital form, a consumer must have facility with multimedia authoring software tools such as Macromedia Director™ or Adobe Premier™ in order to create such a presentation. These software tools, while very flexible, are aimed more at the professional presentation creator, have multiple options, and require a great deal of time and experience to develop the skill needed to use them to advantage. More recently, template-based multimedia presentation applications such as Photojam™, offered by Shockwave dot com or PC-based "movie making" applications such as Apple's I-Movie™ have become available. While these applications can simplify the creation of multi-media presentations for a consumer, they offer only a limited choice of initial presentation options, or do not offer much in the way of enabling the user to easily edit and improve the initial presentation. In addition, these applications offer no way for a user to easily and conveniently access various kinds of additional material such as stock images, graphics, video, sound clips, either public domain or copyrighted material, which could be used to make presentations much more exciting and compelling.
Thus, there remains a need for a simplified authoring system where an inexperienced user can easily create, edit, update, and customize a multimedia presentation and then obtain copies of the presentation in a variety of storage formats useful with multiple types of presentation devices.

Software and system for customizing a presentation of digital images


An emergency braking system for use in connection with a drive apparatus including a drive belt and pulley system for transferring power from a prime mover to a transmission or transaxle. The braking system includes a pulley engaged to the drive belt and a spring engaged to the pulley to provide a bias force thereto. When tension from the belt is removed from the pulley, the spring forces the pulley into engagement with an actuator to engage a brake mechanism.

This invention relates to powered vehicles, including a brake and an emergency brake actuation assembly for use in connection therewith. The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a zero-turn mower device including two hydrostatic transmissions powered by a prime mover. It will be understood that other embodiments could be used in connection with the inventions disclosed herein.


The disclosure provides an allergy detection system for use during catheterization. The allergy detection system is incorporated into specialized syringes, connectors for use with standard syringes, or can be an independent test module designed for the sole purpose of allergy detection. The detection system features a test strip, such as an immunochromatographic test strip, and a structure to couple the system to a connector, syringe, or a housing, to form an independent test module. The detection system, by way of test strips, is used to detect potential allergic reactions.

During surgical procedures and other medical procedures, it is often necessary to determine if a patient has any allergies that may be aggravated during the procedure. Testing for allergies can be a long process. Often, an immediate answer is needed during the procedure.
Extensive use of certain compounds in home and health care products (oral care products, contact lens care products, dressings, ointments, soaps, cosmetics) is causing a larger population to become pre-sensitized to such particular agents. When a pre-sensitized person comes in contact with such an agent, there is a high probability that person could develop much stronger symptoms as severe as anaphylactic shock with cardiac arrest. Currently known tests for such allergies cannot be performed at the patient bedside as they are time consuming, and involve numerous steps and equipment.
It is therefore desirable to provide a device for integrating allergy testing into a medical device.


A method of heating low emissivity glass sheet for subsequent processing. The glass sheet is loaded onto a longitudinally extending conveyor and oriented such that the lengthwise edge of the sheet is parallel to the length of the conveyor and the direction of conveyance of the glass sheet. The sheet is conveyed into a heating chamber. The glass sheet is then convectively heated in a specified sequence along the entire length of the glass sheet at selected areas measured along the width by creating a downward flow of heated air proximate the selected areas.

The present invention relates to a semi-convective forced air system and method for heating glass sheets for subsequent processing. More particularly, the system and method of the present invention are used for heating low emissivity coated glass before tempering.
Forced air furnaces for heating glass sheets in preparation for subsequent processing, such as tempering, are known in the art. For example, McMaster, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,529,380 and 4,505,671, discloses a glass sheet processing system which includes a heating furnace and a processing station for processing heated glass sheets to provide bending, tempering, bending and tempering, filming, etc. The furnace of U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,380 and 4,505,671 comprises an array of gas jets spaced above a conveyor within a heating chamber. The gas jets supply a primary gas flow directed toward the conveyor to provide forced convection heating of the glass sheets as the sheets are conveyed through the heating chamber.
The gas jets of McMaster are arranged in linear series perpendicular to the length of the conveyor and the direction of travel of the glass sheets. Each series of jets is connected to a common linear supply manifold or conduit. Each supply conduit also extends widthwise in the heating furnace, perpendicular to the length of the conveyor. McMaster teaches that the array of gas jet pumps are spaced from each other transversely to the direction of conveyance so as to uniformly heat each conveyed glass sheet over its entire width.
Heating systems such as described by McMaster appear to provide acceptable results for heating clear glass prior to tempering. Other known systems provide acceptable results for heating coated glass having an emissivity rating greater than about 0.2 prior to tempering. However, manufacturers have now begun to produce coated glass products having emissivity ratings in the range of 0.15-0.04. Prior art heating systems, including the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,592,380 and 4,505,671, do not provide acceptable results for tempering glass having such low emissivity ratings. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of tempering low xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d glass sheeting having an emissivity rating below 0.2.
When glass sheets are conveyed into a heating furnace, the bottom surface heats at a faster rate than the top surface due to contact with the rolls of the conveyor. This causes the bottom surface to expand at a faster rate than the top surface which results in the glass bowing upward into the shape of a bowl. All of the glass sheet""s weight is supported in the center of the glass which causes the center of the glass to be overheated. This results in excessive distortion in the center of the glass which can be described as an elongated bubble. Non-uniform glass temperatures also cause the glass to oil can (or become bi-stable). Oil canning (or by-stability) and bubbling are undesirable conditions produced in the glass when the glass sheeting is not heated uniformly. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for heating low xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d coated glass sheets which minimizes oil-canning and bubbling.
When low xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d glass is tempered in prior art systems, it is typically run lengthwise through the furnace due to the size of the furnace. It is also run lengthwise to mitigate the appearance of inherent distortions because the glass sheets are typically installed lengthwise down a room or hallway. However, low emissivity glass is more sensitive to heating in the longitudinal direction than it is in the widthwise direction. When glass is tempered in prior art systems, heat is only applied uniformly over the width of the glass sheet. This does not allow for separate control from edge to edge across the width of the glass. Without this control, the glass will not be heated as uniformly and the undesirable conditions of center bubble and oil canning will ensue. Therefore, it is also desirable to provide a system and method of tempering which uniformly applies heat over the entire length of the sheet in a longitudinal direction to improve aesthetic quality.
The present invention relates to a semi-convective forced air system for heating glass sheets during a heating cycle for subsequent processing such as tempering. The system and method are particularly useful for tempering low emissivity coated glass sheeting having an emissivity rating below 0.2. In accordance with the system and method of the present invention, heat is uniformly applied over the entire length of selected widthwise portions of the glass sheet to reduce or eliminate oil canning and bubbling.
The system of the present invention comprises a heating chamber, a longitudinal conveyor extending through the heating chamber, a compressed air source, a plurality of longitudinally-extending air manifolds in fluid connection with the air source, and a controller for restricting the flow of air to selected manifolds at predetermined times during the heating cycle. Each of the air manifolds is oriented parallel to the length of the longitudinal conveyor and constructed and arranged to create a downward flow of heated air toward the conveyor to convectively heat a sheet of glass on the conveyor.
The air manifolds preferably comprise elongate tubes having a longitudinal series of radially extending apertures. The apertures are oriented downwardly toward the conveyor at an angle of about plus or minus 30 degrees from vertical. The air exiting the apertures forms an angle of incidence with the conveyor of about plus or minus 60 degrees. Each of the apertures are oriented oppositely than an adjacent aperture.
The manifolds are preferably located about 4-6 inches above the conveyor. The manifolds are constructed and arranged in longitudinally-extending rows. One of the rows is preferably located above the widthwise center of the conveyor, and one of the rows is preferably located above each of the two widthwise quarter points of the conveyor. The rows, preferably the outer rows, optionally may be adjustable to different widthwise locations above the conveyor.
The conveyor preferably has horizontally-extending rolls constructed and arranged for conveying glass sheets horizontally through the heating chamber.
The air manifolds preferably comprise xc2xd inch pipe having about 0.04 inch diameter apertures longitudinal spaced about 8xc2xd inches apart. The air manifolds are constructed and arranged to simultaneously convectively heat the entire length of a selected widthwise portion of a glass sheet. A distribution manifold is arranged in fluid connection with the air source and each of the air manifolds.
A solenoid valve and flow meter are arranged in fluid connection between each air manifold and the distribution manifold. An air regulator and filter/dryer are arranged in fluid connection between the air source and the distribution manifold. A programmable computer is used to open and close the solenoids at predetermined times during the heating cycle.
The present invention also provides a method of heating glass sheet for subsequent processing such as tempering. The method comprises the initial steps of loading the glass sheet onto a longitudinally extending conveyor, and orienting the glass sheet such that the lengthwise edge of the sheet is parallel to the length of the conveyor, and conveying the glass sheet into a heating chamber. The glass sheets are then convectively heated in a specified sequence along the entire length of selected widthwise portions of the glass sheet by creating a downward flow of heated air proximate the selected widthwise portion of the glass sheet.
In a preferred embodiment, the lengthwise extending edge portions of the sheet are heated before the lengthwise central portion of the sheet. Preferably, the glass sheet is heated proximate its quarter points before the lengthwise central portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the heating step comprises constantly convectively heating only the quarter points of the sheet for the first 30-40% of the heating cycle; intermittently convectively heating only the quarter points of the sheet for the next 10-20% of the heating cycle; intermittently convectively heating only the lengthwise central portion of the sheet for the next 10-20% of the heating cycle; and, constantly convectively heating only the lengthwise central portion of the sheet for the final 20-50% of the heating cycle.
The method may include the step of transferring the glass sheet from the heating chamber to a second heating chamber of a two zone furnace.

Semi-convective forced air method for tempering low xe2x80x9cExe2x80x9d coated glass


The invention provides a transmembrane protein that is differentially expressed in neoplastic disorders. It also provides for the use of the protein, a cDNA encoding the protein, and antibodies that specifically bind the protein in various methods to diagnose, stage, treat, or monitor the treatment of a neoplastic disorder.

Cancers and malignant tumors are characterized by continuous cell proliferation and cell death and are related causally to both genetics and the environment. In developed countries, colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer, and 95% of the cancers are adenocarcinomas. These cancers are slow growing, and a long interval may elapse before symptoms emerge. Early detection of colorectal cancer significantly impacts survival. A fact of note is that colon cancer is more common in women, and rectal cancer is more common in men. Colorectal cancers spread by direct extension through the bowel wall and metastasis.
Although genetic predisposition is low, colon cancer families include familial adenomatous polyposis, caused by inherited mutations in the APC gene, and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, caused by mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes leading to increased replication errors in microsatellites. These syndromes are known to occur across several generations and usually present before age 40. Unknown genetic susceptibility factors are thought to occur in "sporadic" colon cancers, because risk increases with persons having first-degree relatives that develop colon cancer before the age of 60 (Cohen et al. In: DeVita (2001) Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia Pa., pp. 1148–1149.
Cancer markers are of importance in determining familial predisposition to cancers. For example, even though elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is not specifically associated with colorectal cancer, its levels are high in 70% of patients. If CEA is high preoperatively and low after removal of a colon tumor, monitoring CEA may help to detect recurrence. In addition, key genes in several molecular pathways may be activated, or genes suppressing cell proliferation may be lost by mutation or by hypermethylation (Wafik et al. (1991) Proc Natl Acad Sci 88:3470–3474; Issa et al. (1994) Nature Genet 7:536–540). Among these are well known tumor suppressors, APC and p53, transmembrane receptors such as the EGF receptor and the guanlylyl cyclase C receptor (Bradley et al. (1986) Arch Surg 121:1242–7), G-protein activators such as Ras, and markers associated with CpG islands (Jass et al. (2000) Histopathology 37:295–301). Tumor markers more specifically associated with particular colorectal cancers would be of even greater diagnostic and prognostic utility.
Array technologies and quantitative PCR provide the means to explore the expression profiles of a large number of related or unrelated genes. When an expression profile is examined, arrays provide a platform for examining which genes are tissue-specific, carrying out housekeeping functions, parts of a signaling cascade, or specifically related to a particular genetic predisposition, condition, disease, or disorder. The application of expression profiling is particularly relevant to improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of the disease. For example, both the sequences and the amount of expression can be compared between tissues from subjects with different types of colon cancer and cytologically normal colon tissue.
The discovery of a transmembrane protein, its encoding cDNA, and the making of an antibody that specifically binds the protein satisfies a need in the art by providing compositions which are useful to diagnose, to stage, to treat, or to monitor the progression or treatment of neoplastic disorders and in particular colon and lung cancers.

Transmembrane protein differentially expressed in cancer


There is disclosed a method of selectively extracting ions comprising the steps of:

Mass scanning mass spectrometers, such as quadrupole mass spectrometers, are ubiquitous analytical devices. A major drawback of any scanning mass spectrometer is a loss of sensitivity due to poor duty cycle. For example, if a quadrupole mass spectrometer scans a mass range of x Da with a mass resolution or peak width of y Da, then a duty cycle of y/x is obtained. For a conventional quadrupole mass spectrometer, realistic values of x and y are 1000 and 1 respectively, resulting in a duty cycle of only 1/1000 or 0.1%. Physically, this is because when scanning in this way the spectrometer is only detecting 0.1% of the total mass range at any instance in time; all of the other ions are unstable and so are rejected.
The charge on an ion, q, can be rewritten as ze where e is the electronic charge and z is the so called charge state of an ion. It has been previously recognised that ions of differing charge state may occupy differing radial positions within a multipole ion guide [Rapid Communication in Mass Spectrometry 14, 1907-1913 (2000)]. In this study it was shown how ions of similar m and differing z or similar z and differing m occupy differing radial positions in a multipole ion guide when in the presence of a buffer gas. This stratification is caused by both the space charge repulsion between differing species and the charge and mass dependence of the effective potential. The behaviour of such devices depends on the ion density present within the guide and as such it is difficult to exploit this behaviour as a predictable deterministic analytical separation. This is because at any one time the number and type of ion species within the guide and therefore its space charge can vary dramatically. It would be desirable to produce a device that separates ions in a predictable manner enabling it to be efficiently coupled to further spectrometer stages downstream from the device.
The use of radio frequency (RF) ion guides at elevated pressures to efficiently transmit ions from one portion of a spectrometer to another is now widespread. These devices work on the principle of so called "effective potential wells" (Gerlich et al, (1992) Inhomogeneous Electrical Radio Frequency Fields: A versatile tool for the study of processes with slow ions. Adv. In Chem Phys LXXXII, 1.ISBN 0-471-53258-4, John Wiley and Sons). Ions may be trapped in these wells for extended periods of time either by the use of cylindrical geometry devices such as conventional Paul traps, or using linear geometry devices such as multipole guides or ring sets with end plates providing trapping D.C. potential. These RF devices are able to trap in three dimensions in a way which is impossible to achieve using purely electrostatic ion optical elements. This is because Laplace's equation, which describes the behaviour of electrostatic fields, contains no true potential minima but only saddle points which on their own are insufficient to give true three dimensional trapping. An oscillatory A.C. field applied to quadrupoles, hexapoles, and octopoles (collectively known as multipoles) or to ring sets gives rise to the so called ponderomotive force which acts in the direction of weaker field i.e. towards the central optic axis of the multipole or ring set. In the absence of gas, ions will oscillate in the potential well with an amplitude dependent upon their radial energy. In the relatively simple case of quadrupoles the restoring force towards the optic axis is proportional to the distance from it and so an ion with finite energy may be seen to exhibit simple harmonic motion on a macroscopic level within the well. The addition of gas molecules to such a device acts to dampen this radial motion so that ions are in effect cooled and concentrated to the centre of the device. As ions are cooled in these linear multipoles or ring sets they loose any forward impetus they had to traverse the length of the device. The ions are rapidly thermalised and will remain in the guide until the space charge effect from other ions behind pushes them along. This sluggish motion of ions in the guides has led to problems when interfacing with fast scanning devices such as analytical quadrupoles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,626 describes the use of a "leaky dielectric" inserted inside the multipole to allow for the provision of a drift field to speed the ions through a collision cell. This leaky dielectric is transparent to the RF field (thus maintaining a potential well) but has enough resistivity to allow a potential gradient to be applied axially along its length. U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,626 recognises that such a drift field in the presence of gas may be used to separate ions for analytical purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,386 describes a number of different methods to induce a smooth axial field along the length of the linear guides to speed the transmission of ions through them. Such methods include segmenting of the rods themselves, or using external ring electrodes, or tapering the rods themselves or using different pitch circle diameters for oppositely phased rod sets at either end of the guide. US patent publication 2002/0070338 describes the use of segmented rods to provide an axial D.C. field and to give separation of the ion species according to their ion mobility. Again, RF confinement is combined with a drift field in the presence of gas. This combination is versatile since ions may be manipulated in a wide variety of ways using D.C travelling waves in the axial direction to create moving potential wells while maintaining radial confinement with the ponderomotive force from the RF supply. Related techniques are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,506 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,109. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,626; U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,386; US 2002/0070338; U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,506 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,109, together with U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,794,640 and 6,800,846, are hereby incorporated by reference. With the exception of Gerlich, all of the above techniques describe devices using RF ponderomotive confinement in both dimensions, i.e. they confine ions radially simultaneously but provide little or no radial spatial separation of ions. Gerlich describes a stacked rf plate ion guide with DC top and bottom plates which is employed as a storage ion source, but no theoretical treatment of this device is presented.

Ion extraction devices, mass spectrometer devices, and methods of selectively extracting ions and performing mass spectrometry

Abstract: providing a supply of ions in a body of gas;

Abstract: generating a ponderomotive ion trapping potential generally along an axis;

Abstract: generating further potentials to provide an effective potential which prevents ions from being extracted from an extraction region;

Abstract: trapping ions in said effective potential; and

Abstract: selectively extracting ions of a predetermined m/z ratio or ion mobility from the extraction region;

Abstract: in which the characteristics of the effective potential which prevent ions from being extracted from the extraction region are caused, at least in part, by the generation of the ponderomotive ion trapping potential.


A heat accumulator (1) is formed by connecting a first container (4) and a second container (5) using a spring (6). The first container (4) has a wall-shaped inner side wall that corresponds to the shape of a cylinder bore wall (7). Provided on this inner side wall is a flexible structural part (8). The flexible structural part (8) is formed of highly elastic resin. The second container (5) has a similar structure. A heat storage medium within the first container (4) and the second container (5) absorbs heat, which generates a change of phase from a solid to a liquid. When this happens, the volume of the heat storage medium increases. The increase in the heat storage medium projects the flexible structural part (8), and separates the first container (4) and the second container (5) from the cylinder bore wall (7).

Due to problems such as considerable friction in the engine when not completely warmed up, warming up of the engine must be quickly completed. The early completion of warming up is especially desirable in order to achieve efficient operation by structural components with sliding parts, including the cylinder bore, piston, and crankshaft. Normally in an engine, once in-cylinder explosion has begun, engine structural components including the cylinder block and cylinder heads, as well as engine oil circulating in oil passages that are formed in these engine structural components become heated as warming up gradually progresses. To complete early warming up of such an engine in the past, an engine rapid warming up device has been proposed in which a heat storage medium is stored in a heat storage material storage chamber that is formed so as to surround the cylinder, and the heat storage medium cooled excessively starts a change of phase and heats up (Patent Document 1). The heat storage medium has characteristics such as the following. First, the heat storage medium is heated by the engine during operation and stores heat. At this time, the heat storage medium is a liquid if the temperature of the heat storage medium corresponds to the melting point thereof or higher. Thereafter, once the engine is stopped and the engine temperature decreases, the temperature of the heat storage medium also decreases. In such case, the heat storage medium does not experience a change of phase and maintains its liquid state despite the temperature falling below the melting point, and the accumulated heat is thus preserved as latent heat. In other words, the heat storage medium is excessively cooled. Then when a change of phase is triggered in the excessively cooled heat storage medium, the accumulated heat is released while a change of phase occurs from a liquid to a solid. The released heat is used to warm up the engine. The heat storage medium, which has completed a change of phase from a liquid to a solid, is heated up by the engine during operation and absorbs combustion heat and the like from the engine so as to accumulate heat again. In the engine rapid warming up device according to Patent Document 1, such a heat storage medium is accommodated in the heat storage material storage chamber provided around the cylinder in order to warm up the engine.
Meanwhile, an engine is normally mounted with a cooling mechanism such as a water jacket that circulates coolant. Regarding this point the description of the engine rapid warming up device according to Patent Document 1 notes that the heat storage material storage chamber is formed around the cylinder of the cylinder block, and the heat absorption effect of the heat storage medium accommodated in the heat storage material storage chamber cools the cylinder block side. Patent Document 1 further notes that the cylinder head side is cooled by the forced circulation of coolant flowing through the water jacket. It should also be noted that an embodiment is disclosed in Patent Document 1 wherein the water jacket is provided on the upper side of the heat storage material storage chamber.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-H11-182393


A self cleaning hair brush includes a handle (12), a bristle-holding head (14) having a plurality of spaced-apart bristles (16) projecting laterally therefrom, and a combing plate (18) having a plurality of bristle-receiving apertures (46). When the combing plate (18) is in a first position, the combing plate (18) closely overlies the side of the bristle-holding head (14) from which the bristles (16) project allowing the bristles (16) to project through the apertures (46). The bristle-holding head (14) further includes a rectangular tube (22) disposed on a central portion of the bristle-holding head (14). A reciprocally movable plunger (20) is mounted in the rectangular tube (22). The plunger (20) is used to displace the combing plate (18) to a second position where the combing plate (18) is disposed at a free end of the bristles (16). The reciprocally movable plunger (20) includes a pivotable latching pin (78) for automatically locking the plunger (20) into an intermediate position between the first and second positions.

The present invention relates to a hair brush with a plurality of bristles, more particularly to a hair brush provided with an extendable combing plate for removing tangled hair strands from the bristles, and specifically to a hair brush which automatically locks the combing plate when depressing a plunger which displaces the combing plate.
As anyone with a hair brush is aware, stray hairs may become entangled in the bristles after extended use. The problem is compounded when brushing the coat of a pet which sheds its hair. Getting the stray hairs from the bristles can be time consuming. In some cases, the user picks the hair out using his or her fingers or using a special tool. However, neither of these methods is entirely satisfactory when stray hairs remain tangled in the bristles. Alternatively, the prior art teaches self-cleaning grooming brushes which clean the bristles either by having them retract into a housing or by pushing the stray hairs off by extending a combing plate over the bristles. Examples of these previously known devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,528; 6,427,633; and 6,681,775. However, prior art hair brushes have proven unwieldy in that they require either two hands to extend the combing plate and/or lack an effective mechanism for locking the combing plate into an extended position.
Thus, a need exists for a novel hair brush providing improvement over prior art hair brushes, especially in that the removal of stray hairs from the bristles is more easily facilitated.


Each of controllers includes: a transistor; a data processor for executing predetermined data processing and turning the transistor on or off in accordance with the data processing result; a pull-up resistor connected to an output terminal of the transistor; and a level separating resistor connected to the output terminal of the transistor, and the data processor of each controller detects a signal level of a control signal output from the output terminal of the transistor and judges whether or not any defect has occurred in its own controller, based on the detection result.

The present invention relates to a control apparatus and a control method, more particularly to a control apparatus and a control method that are suitable for application to a disk array apparatus designed to control the rotation of cooling fans based on the logical sum of control signals output from dual controllers.
In recent years, a single disk array apparatus is equipped with a plurality of cooling fans for cooling the inside of the chassis. By driving the cooling fans with low or high speed rotation, depending on the situation, heat generated from hard disk drives and various circuit boards and other components installed inside the chassis is efficiently discharged outside.
The rotation control of the cooling fans in the above-described case is conducted by using wired-OR connection to the respective output lines of the dual controllers in order to reduce the number of cables, and thereby gives a logical sum of rotation instruction signals, as control signals output from each controller (for example, a high-level signal for high-speed rotation, and a low-level signal for low-speed rotation) to the cooling fans through a single signal line.
The rotation state (rotation rate) of the cooling fans is detected by a rotation sensor installed for the fans and fed back to each of the controllers. Accordingly, each controller can detect, based on a sensor output of the rotation sensor, a rotation malfunction of the cooling fans, such as outage or low-speed rotation of the cooling fans in spite of a high-speed-rotation order from the controller.
JP Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-195760 discloses a defect detecting system including a plurality of slave devices that are connected to each other in a multi-dropped wired-OR connection. Each slave device is equipped with: a transmission circuit for processing transmission data in a baseband into time-divided transmission data and outputting this data; a monitoring circuit for monitoring the time-divided transmission data and outputting an output blocking control signal when detecting a malfunction; and an output blocking circuit for physically blocking transmission of the time-divided transmission data input from the transmission circuit when the output blocking control signal is supplied from the monitoring circuit. Accordingly, this system can identify a defect in any of the slave devices connected to each other in the multi-dropped wired-OR connection, while minimizing any effect that the defective slave device may have on the other slave devices.


A parking assistance method provides parking assistance when parking a vehicle in a parking space equipped with a ground coil for supplying electric power via a wireless connection to a vehicle coil mounted on the vehicle, at least two ground marks indicating a position of the ground coil, and a parking frame. The parking assistance method switches from a bird's-eye image including the vehicle and a circumference of the vehicle as viewed from above the vehicle to an enlarged image showing a relative position between the ground coil and the vehicle coil on a larger scale than the bird's-eye image when an absolute value of a relative angle between a longitudinal direction of the parking frame and a front-rear direction of the vehicle is a predetermined value or smaller.

Parking assistance systems are known to provide parking assistance in accurately leading a vehicle to a power supply facility (refer to Patent Literature 1). A parking assistance system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 displays a first image of a rear side behind a vehicle on a display unit, generates a second image including information about positioning, which cannot be obtained from the first image, when a distance between the vehicle and a target parking position is less than a predetermined value, and starts displaying the second image on the display unit.

Parking assistance method and parking assistance device


Apparatus that carries or transfers a memory medium having a solid-state memory over the inside and outside portions of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus is adapted so that, by selective engagement with respect to a chassis or a holder of a fluctuation lever the memory medium is inserted and held. The memory medium is moved in a manner bridging between an eject position where insertion/withdrawal of the memory medium is permitted and a loading position. A first biasing member moves and biases the holder in an eject direction opposite to a memory medium insertion direction is caused to store biasing force in the eject direction. A second biasing member biases the holder in the memory medium insertion direction and is caused to be operative to carry out switching between movement in the memory medium insertion direction of the holder and movement in the eject direction.

Hitherto, memory medium using a solid-state memory as a memory element is used as a memory medium for information signal. Since the memory medium using the solid-state memory can be formed compact while ensuring large memory capacity, further miniaturization of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus using such memory medium can be realized.

Storage medium convey apparatus and convey method with ejection apparatus


The invention relates to an optical waveguide device that includes a waveguide phase modulator (WPM). A waveguide monitoring structure is coupled optically in parallel with the WPM so as to form a Mach-Zehnder interferometer therewith for producing monitor light indicative of a phase shift imparted by the WPM. The waveguide monitoring structure includes a first optical tap for tapping off a fraction of light entering the first WPM for providing first tapped-off light, a second optical tap for tapping off a fraction of light exiting the first WPM for providing second tapped off light, and an ancillary phase modulator for modulating the optical phase of the first or second tapped-off light so as to modulate the intensity of the monitor light in dependence upon the first phase shift. A feedback circuit controls the phase shift imparted by the WPM based on a modulation index of the monitor light.

Optical waveguide modulators are commonly used to modulate light generated by lasers and other light sources. In optical communications, different phase modulation schemes may be advantageously employed, which include Phase Shift Keying (PSK) methods such as Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) and Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DQPSK). Return-to-Zero Phase-Shift Keying (RZ-PSK) is characterized by the phase modulation of a train of optical pulses, and may have beneficial properties in combating distortions seen in fiber optic cables at longer distances compared to a simpler Non Return-to-Zero (NRZ) PSK modulation, wherein light intensity remains unchanged. By using PSK-based communication schemes, the capacity and link performance can be enhanced in comparison with direct detection schemes utilizing On-Off amplitude keying.
In PSK modulation, data is transmitted by controlling the phase of an optical carrier, e.g. laser light, in accordance with the transmission data. For example, in QPSK modulation, the optical phase of the optical carrier is switched between four values "θ", "θ+π/2", "θ+π", and "θ+3π/2", where "θ" is an arbitrary phase, which are assigned respectively to two-bit symbols "00", "10", "11", and "01". A receiver device recovers the transmission data by detecting the phase of the received optical signal.
In DQPSK modulation, the transmitted data are differentially encoded, that is, they are represented by the difference in phase between successive symbol intervals. In this technique, in each successive symbol interval the modulator imparts one of four possible phase shifts (0, π/2, π, 3π/2) on the optical carrier, while the receiver measures the phase difference between two successive received symbols, so that the absolute phase of the optical carrier is not needed to decode the transmitted symbols.
Optical modulators for DQPSK and QPSK modulation are known in the art, and typically utilize waveguide structures formed in electro-optic materials such as LiNbO3 or compound semiconductors having suitably high electro-optic coefficients, for example GaAs or InP based. Conventionally, such modulators include two or more waveguide BPSK modulators, i.e. waveguide phase modulators that are driven by binary electrical signals and impart one of two phase shift values on light passing therethrough. The same optical structure can be used for either the QPSK or DQPSK modulation, with different pre-coding of electrical drive signals in each case.
A typical waveguide phase modulator includes a waveguide formed in or upon an electro-optic material disposed between a pair of electrodes extending alongside the waveguide adjacent thereto so as to induce an electrical filed in the waveguide. By applying a drive voltage across the electrodes, a change in the refractive index of the waveguide can be affected, thereby changing the optical phase acquired by guided light at the output of the phase modulator.
One common type of (D)QPSK modulators utilize a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) waveguide structure, wherein output ports of an optical splitter are connect with input ports of an optical combiner by two waveguide arms. Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulators (MZMs) are widely used as optical intensity modulators and have an optical transmission versus drive voltage characteristic which is cyclic and is generally raised cosine in nature. The half period of the MZM's characteristic, which is measured in terms of a drive voltage, is defined as Vπ. In order to operate as a QPSK or DQPSK modulator, each MZ arm includes a phase modulator driven by a data signal that may impart either a 0 or π phase shift upon light propagating in the respective arm, with one of the arms including an additional π/2 phase shifter.
For example, US Patent Publication 2004/0081470 to Griffin discloses such an optical QPSK modulator wherein the phase modulators in the waveguide arms are in turn MZMs that are biased for minimum optical transmission in the absence of a drive voltage and are driven with respective drive voltages VI(t), VQ(t)=+/−Vπ to give abrupt phase shifting with a minimum of amplitude modulation. Such an MZM based phase modulator produces light wherein the optical phase abruptly switches by π radian, crossing a zero intensity. One disadvantage of this MZM-based phase modulator is the appearance of a third harmonic of the modulation frequency in the optical spectrum of the output light. A further disadvantage of this scheme, is that the MZM must be driven to 2·Vπ drive voltage in order to produce the 0 to π phase shift.
It is also known to sequentially connect two or more binary phase modulators to provide multi-level phase modulation of light. US Patent Application No 2004/0141222, in the names of T. Miyazaki and K. Kikuchi, discloses an m-ary PSK modulator that produces multi-level phase modulation by utilizing a plurality of binary phase modulators disposed in series, wherein n-th phase modulator produces a phase shift of either 0 degrees of 2nφ degrees; here, φ is a predetermined phase level. For example, by using two phase modulators connected in series, either DQPSK or QDPSK modulation can be realized.
To provide a high-quality DQPSK or QDPSK signal and ensure error-free reception of transmitted signal, it is important that the phase shifts imparted by the phase modulators are equal or very close to design values. If uncontrolled, the phase shifts imparted by the phase amplifiers may vary with time, for example due to device aging or changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, which may cause changes in material properties of the waveguide or in characteristics of driving circuitry. Therefore, there is a need to monitor the phased shifts imparted by the device to ensure its correct operation. One problem with using sequentially connected phase modulators to modulate the optical phase of light is that the optical phase is considerably more difficult to monitor than the light's intensity. A conventional photodetector capable of detecting light intensity will not respond to the phase shift portion of the optical signal.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a waveguide optical device that includes a waveguide phase modulator and integrated means for monitoring the optical phase shifts imparted by the waveguide phase modulator upon light propagating therethrough.

Optical phase modulator with monitoring structure


A hydrophobized nanofibrillated cellulose foam comprising a charged hydrophobic amine, a method for providing such foam and its use.

In our everyday life, macroporous and microporous materials mostly made of petroleum based polymers are used in various forms and compositions. Examples of these are insulation in buildings and airplanes, and polymeric foams for packaging. Foams for this type of use have to be stable, light and easy to manufacture.
Due to the increased awareness of the need to use renewable materials, it is highly motivated to replace petroleum based polymers with polymers from renewable resources. Cellulose has a special potential, as the most abundant renewable natural polymers on earth with its crystalline structure and the availability of methods for preparing large volumes on an industrial scale. Cellulose chains with β-(1-4)-D-glucopyranose repeating units are packed into long nanofibrils in the plant, with cross-sectional dimension of 5-30 nm depending on the plant source. The parallel organization of the cellulose chains, held together by hydrogen bonds and organized in sheets, gives a crystal structure with a Young's modulus of approximately 130 GPa. These crystal domains are the reason why native cellulose I has such a high modulus and strength and it is interesting to consider these nanofibrils as being part of replacement material for petroleum based structures. Nanofibrils from cellulose have opened a new field as construction units for nanoscale materials engineering.
For more than a century, colloidal particles have been used to stabilize high energy interfaces in so-called Pickering emulsions. But it is only recently that this concept has been exploited for the preparation of ultra-stable wet foams and the preservation of these structures in a dry state to maintain porous materials. When particles are partially lyophobic or hydrophobic, they attach to the gas-liquid interface. It occurs because it is energetically favorable for particles to attach at the gas-liquid interface and replace part of the high energy solid-liquid area by a low energy solid-gas area. Preferably the particles should attach to the interface with a contact angle of approximately 90°. This is ultimately determined by the balance between the gas-liquid, gas-solid and solid-liquid interfacial tensions. In contrast to surfactants, particles tend to adsorb strongly at interfaces due to the high adsorption energy. This is the reason why particle-stabilized foams exhibits an outstanding stability compared to surfactant-based systems. Coalescence is hindered by the steric repulsion from the attached particles and additionally, the particles form a layer at the interface that strongly resists the shrinkage and expansion of bubbles, minimizing Ostwald ripening and creating long lasting stable foams. This further discussed in Studart, Gonzenbach, Tervoort and Gauckler, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2006, 89, 1771-1789.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,115 discloses a cigarette filter made of a dry porous cellulose, with the density of approximately 0.0008 g/cm3 (should be about 0.05 US pound/foot3). EP1960097B1 disclose methods on how to form stable foams from particles, but nothing is taught how to make foam from cellulose nanofibrils.
In this respect, modified cellulose nanofibrils are highly interesting for preparing highly porous renewable materials. However, cracks are usually formed in the material when wet foams are dried by freeze-drying. Thus there is a need for improved methods where wet foams can be dried so that the porous structure is maintained in the dry state.
It is also a need for foams based on a renewable material, such as cellulose.


A surface treating apparatus for treating an inner surface of a bore containing a shaft may include a body connectable to a drive apparatus and configured to movably receive a shaft extending through a bore, and at least one surface treating member connected to and movable with the body relative to the shaft, the at least one surface treating member sized to be inserted within an annular gap formed between the shaft and an inner surface of the bore and to bear against the inner surface of the bore when the shaft is received by the body.

US 2014/0113535 discloses a honing tool for machining cylindrical bores has a tool body provided with a guide bore and a feed rod disposed in the guide bore. The tool body has a honing stone receptacle extending from the guide bore in a radial direction of the tool body outwardly through the tool body. A honing stone is arranged in the honing stone receptacle. A pin is disposed in the honing stone and projects laterally from the honing stone. An elongate spring is disposed in the tool body parallel to the honing stone, wherein the elongate spring element has a first end section, a central section, and a second end section opposite the first end section. The central section is guided across the pin and the first end section is secured in the radial direction in the tool body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,647 discloses a honing tool for machining cylindrical bores has a tool body provided with a guide bore and a feed rod disposed in the guide bore. The tool body has a honing stone receptacle extending from the guide bore in a radial direction of the tool body outwardly through the tool body. A honing stone is arranged in the honing stone receptacle. A pin is disposed in the honing stone and projects laterally from the honing stone. An elongate spring is disposed in the tool body parallel to the honing stone, wherein the elongate spring element has a first end section, a central section, and a second end section opposite the first end section. The central section is guided across the pin and the first end section is secured in the radial direction in the tool body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,579 discloses a cylinder honing tool for use in a conventional electric drill which will be self-centering and self-bottoming and which can be quickly slipped into a cylinder of any size and which will automatically, resiliently and uniformly expand to accurately maintain honing elements against the wall of the selected cylinder regardless of the internal diameter of the latter.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,884 discloses a honing tool especially adapted for small diameter bores, which overcomes these problems by allowing the simultaneous finishing of the entire length of surface, and by providing means for feeding the abrasive stone radially outwardly during the operation.

Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited / Energie Atomique Du Canada Limitee


An optical density changing element comprising: an anode; and a cathode, wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode comprises a first compound that changes a spectral absorption spectrum of the first compound in a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm by providing an electron to or receiving an electron from the at least one of the anode and the cathode, and wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode comprises a second compound that does not change a spectral absorption spectrum of the second compound in a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm by providing an electron to or receiving an electron from the at least one of the anode and the cathode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical density changing element, an optical element equipped with such optical density changing element, and a photographing unit equipped with such optical element.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrochromic material is known as a material showing a change in an optical density in response to an electromagnetic wave. The electrochromic material shows a reversible change in the optical density by an electron transfer, and is generally utilized as a material for an automotive antiglare mirror and a light regulating window.
It is reported that such electrochromic material, when adsorbed on a set of electrodes (anode and cathode), functions as an optical density changing element of a fast response speed (for example JP-T No. 2000-506629 and JP-T No. 2003-511837, and Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 104, 11449 (2000)).
Such optical density changing element is constructed by forming a layer of a semiconductor material (for example titanium oxide or antimony-doped tin oxide) of a nano-sized porous structure on the surface of a set of electrodes, adsorbing an electrochromic material in such layer and arranging such set of the electrodes in a mutually opposed relationship across an electrolyte liquid.

Optical density changing element, optical element and photographing unit