A drawing information presentation apparatus has a memory for storing data representing a plurality of drawings, including text labels, and a concept dictionary memory for storing synonyms and connection relation for terms used in the text labels. A correspondence analysis section analyzes correspondence relation of elements of two drawings by referring to data of the concept dictionary memory. Then, a display section displays elements of a first drawing in a manner which demonstrates those elements of the first drawing which correspond to elements of the second drawing, from those elements of the first drawing which do not so correspond, in accordance with the analysis performed by the correspondence analysis section. The apparatus also comprises a drawing description analysis section for extracting drawing titles from document information, and for analyzing the correspondence relationship of the drawing titles between two drawings, by referring to date of the concept dictionary memory. In this case, the correspondence analysis section analyzes the correspondence relationships of elements between two drawings, whose titles are analyzed to correspond to each other by the drawing description analysis section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to database retrieval systems for storing drawing information, and more particularly to a drawing information presentation apparatus and method in a database retrieval system for effectively displaying differences between elements of plural drawings.
2. Description of the Background
Recently, a database retrieval system has been constructed to store a large amount of patent information in its database. The patent information consists of the drawings contained in patents, wherein each patent has previously assigned plural keywords which indicate characteristics of the disclosure of the patent. A user of the system desires to retrieve patents which are most similar to an input description or drawing. To use the system, the user inputs a keyword which indicates characteristics of the input data. Then, the database retrieval system retrieves patent information consisting of those patents whose keywords coincide with input keyword, and displays the retrieved patent information.
In general, such database retrieval system is useful to determine whether patents exist or not. For example, when a new product is developed in a company, the development engineer must determine whether the product may be described in a patent which has already issued. If such patent has already issued, the engineer must determine differences between elements of the new product and the patent. For the purpose of this patent search, the database retrieval system is used.
In this case, stored patent information and input data includes plural drawings. Specifically, the patent information includes a block diagram corresponding to a claim. Such block diagram is called a "claim correspondence drawing". In addition, a block diagram of the new product is also previously stored in the database retrieval system. Firstly, the engineer inputs a keyword which indicates characteristics of the new product. The database retrieval system retrieves patent information whose keyword coincides with input keyword and displays the retrieval patent information, including the claim correspondence drawing. Then the engineer makes the database retrieval system display the claim correspondence drawing and the block diagram of the new product, to permit comparison between the drawing and the diagram.
It often happens, however, that technical labels for similar function blocks, and the block arrangement and location are different between these two drawings. For example, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of new CPU for artificial intelligence (AI) and FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a CPU for a reduced instruction set computer (RISC). It is assumed that FIG. 1 is block diagram of new product and FIG. 2 is claim correspondence drawing of patent information from a data base. Though both these two diagrams show CPUs, the element arrangement and location is different between these two drawings. Moreover, even if two elements are substantially same (for example, "instruction cache control" in FIG. 1 and "instruction cache" in FIG. 2), the characters providing text description of these technical terms are different. Therefore, when the user views these two drawings on a display to compare them, it takes a long time for the user to discriminate the similarities and differences between these two drawings.
Thus, in the prior art, when user desires to compare drawings stored in database, the prior art database retrieval system only displays these drawings. In short, the database retrieval system cannot effectively present the difference between two drawings on display to user.

Database retrieval system for effectively displaying differences between elements of plural drawings


Redirecting network traffic within a system under test (SUT) can include receiving, within a proxy included within the SUT, a request sent from an upstream component that is directed to a downstream component, wherein the upstream component is configured to direct communications through the proxy. Within the proxy, the request can be redirected from the downstream component to a simulation component according to a routing rule within the proxy using a processor. A response can be received, within the proxy, from the simulation component and sent to the upstream component.

Creating and managing test environments for complex, distributed systems requires extensive computing resources, monetary resources, and time. Proper testing of a system under test (SUT) requires the development and maintenance of multiple test scenarios, e.g., test cases, in parallel. To support this parallelism in the test environment, the SUT is replicated, with each replicated version of the SUT implementing a specific and different test case. Each replicated SUT must satisfy a variety of different requirements ranging from hardware requirements, to software requirements, to licensing requirements.
Simulation components have been used within SUT(s) as a means of avoiding some of the aforementioned complexities. For example, a simulation component can be used within an SUT to replace a given component of the SUT by simulating the behavior of the replaced component. In this manner, the simulation component helps to avoid test environment replication. Simulation components also allow test personnel to verify interactions between components while forcing components to exhibit specific behavior needed for the test cases to be exercised.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dynamic redirection of network traffic within a system under test

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The present invention is directed to the prevention in vivo of post-secretory Amadori modifications in the Apo B molecule, as well as methods of using compounds that protect against these modifications in vivo to treat hypercholesterolemia and vascular dysfunction.

Apolipoprotein B (apo B) is the principal protein of the cholesterol-carrying low density lipoproteins (LDL) and is the determinant for cellular recognition and uptake of LDL by the high affinity LDL receptor. Binding of apo B to LDL receptors results in internalization and degradation of LDL, promoting the clearance of LDL from plasma and regulating intracellular cholesterol handling and biosynthesis. Post-secretory modification of LDL by oxidation, glycation or glycoxidation diminishes this high affinity LDL-receptor-mediated uptake and degradation (Klein et al, Diabetes 44:1093, 1995; Gugliucci et al, Scand J Lab Clin Invest 53:125, 1993). On the other hand, such modifications of apo B promote internalization by alternative receptors of monocyte-marcrophages that give rise to cholesterol-laden foam cells (Klein et al, Metabolism 38:1108, 1989; Klein et al, Diabetes 44:1093, 1995; Brown & Goldstein, Nature 343:508, 1990). Additionally, glycation alters the rate of clearance of LDL in vivo and interferes with intracellular handling of cholesterol and regulation of its synthesis, promoting increased serum cholesterol concentrations (Lopez-Virella et al, Diabetes 37:550, 1988; Steinbrecher & Witztum, Diabetes 33:130, 1984, Lyons et al, Diabetologia 30: 916, 1987; Klein et al, Diabetologia 33:299, 1990).
Glycated apo B is formed from the condensation reaction between glucose and reactive epsilon amino groups in the apolipoprotein, yielding an amino-deoxyfructose derivative in stable ketoamine linkage known as an Amadori product. It has been proposed that the Amadori product can give rise to a heterogeneous group of poorly defined advanced glycation end products (AGE) resulting from various rearrangement, dehydration and polymerization reactions. Prior art has suggested a pathophysiologic role of AGE-modified LDL in the pathogenesis of elevated LDL-cholesterol and vascular disease, and that inhibition of AGE-crosslink formation might be a beneficial treatment (Brownlee et al, Science 232:1629, 1986; New Engl J Med 318:1315, 1988; Vlassara, J Lab Clin Med 124:19, 1994; Bucala et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci 90:6434, 1993; Proc Natl Acad Sci 91:9441, 1994). However, recent experimental work as cited above indicates that apo B modified by Amadori products contributes to hypercholesterolemia and vascular dysfunction. Further, glycated LDL principally exists in vivo as the Amadori product and its concentration is elevated in people with increased risk for vascular disease (Cohen et al, Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 31:707, 1993; Tames et al, Atherosclerosis 93:237, 1992).
The deleterious effects of Amadori-modified apo B make it desirable to have the means to prevent the attachment of glucose to apo B lysine-amino groups in vivo and thereby lower circulating concentrations of modified LDL. It would also be desirable to reduce plasma LDL-cholesterol levels by lowering concentrations of Amadori-modified LDL, thereby promoting LDL cholesterol clearance. Such means would reduce hypercholesterolemia and beneficially influence vascular dysfunction by mechanisms different from those disclosed in the prior art which relate to agents that lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting gastrointestinal absorption or cholesterol synthesis, or that prevent cross-linked AGE-modified LDL. Such means could be achieved with compounds that bind to apo B in a manner that effectively interferes with the modification of free lysine amino groups and thereby inhibit nonenzymatic glycation.
One manner in which post-secretory modification of apo B might be achieved is with compounds that prevent condensation of glucose with lysine amino groups. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), by virtue of rapid acetylation of epsilon amino groups, can competitively inhibit this reaction (Rao and Cotlier, Biochem Biophys Res Comm 151:991, 1977; Rendell et al, J Lab Clin Med 107:286,1986). However, the impact of widespread protein acetylation is unknown. Moreover, the glycation-inhibiting activity of aspirin is relatively weak and potential therapeutic benefits that might be ascribed to this activity are limited by the rapid hydrolysis and short half-life of acetylsalicylic acid in the blood and by side effects anticipated at doses required to inhibit glycation in vivo (Costello and Green, Arth Rheum 25:550, 1982; Rowland and Riegelman, J Pharm Sci 57:1313, 1968). Other compounds which lack acetyl groups but bind to albumin in a manner that effectively interferes with the condensation of glucose with free lysine amino groups would be more desirable.
In an in vitro experiment van Boekel et al (Biochim Biophys Acta 1120:201, 1991) reported that 2,[2,6-dichlorophenyl-amino]benzene acetic acid (diclofenac) in concentrations of 1-5 mM could reduce the amount of carbohydrate-modified protein after incubation of commercially purchased powdered albumin with 5 mM glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P). However, van Boekel et al did not examine whether this compound influences carbohydrate attachment to apo B. It is well know that albumin and apo B are proteins that have completely different primary, secondary and tertiary structures. It is also well known that the interaction with, or binding of small molecules to proteins is idiosyncratic and unpredictable. Thus, there is no expectation from the van Boekel reference that this compound could prevent modification of apo B either in vitro or in vivo simply because of impeded attachment of G-6-P to albumin in vitro.
Van Boekel et al conducted only in vitro experiments, only used G-6-P as the modifying substance, and only when the compound was present at 5 mM or more concentration. This concentration of the compound which was required to inhibit G-6-P attachment in vitro, and the composition and concentration of the substance (G-6-P) used to modify the protein, do not represent in vivo conditions. It is well known that although various reducing sugars such as G-6-P can condense with protein amino groups in vitro, the concentrations required vastly exceed those found of such sugars in vivo and that such reducing substances modify proteins in ways that are not representative in chemistry or nature of those which occur in vivo. It is therefore concluded that the compound would not be effective in inhibiting protein glycation in vivo since the primary sugar present in the circulation is glucose, and since the concentrations of the compound required to inhibit glycation in vitro would be toxic if given to living subjects. Diclofenac is usually administered in daily amounts of 100-200 mg. The peak plasma levels obtainable after such dosages are 1-2 .mu.g/ml, which is equivalent to 3-6 .mu.M. This is 1000-fold less than the concentration found by van Boekel et al to achieve any inhibition of albumin glycation in vitro, leading to the conclusion that dosages of 100-200 mg would have no effect on the glycation of any protein in vivo. Van Boekel et al additionally concluded that, because the compound binds to albumin, its concentration in tissues or for preventing modification of other proteins would be too low to be of import in disease states if administered in vivo. Van Boekel et al did not perform any in vivo experiments, does not afford any evidence that the compound could affect glycation in vivo, and contra-indicates the possibility that in vivo administration of therapeutically acceptable amounts of the compound could lower concentrations of modified apo B in living human subjects or could beneficially influence hypercholesterolemia or vascular dysfunction. Additionally, van Boekel et al emphasize that AGE, not Amadori products, are important in vascular disease, leading one to conclude that reducing glycated apo B per se would be without salutary effect in vivo on hypercholesterolemia or vascular disorders. Gamache et al (U.S. pat. No. 5,643,943) have reported the use of esters and amides of pharmaceutical compositions containing an anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant moiety for treating inflammatory vascular disorders. Gamache et al teach that a two-pronged approach is necessary in these formulations; namely, the combination of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity, and that these moieties be covalently linked by an amide or ester bond. The Gamache reference stipulates that compounds that fulfill these requirements are of the formula A--X--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --Y--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --Z wherein A is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAIA); A--X is an ester or amide linkage derived from the carboxylic acid moiety of the NSAIA, wherein X is O or NR; R is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or C.sub.5 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl; Y is O, NR.sub.1 C(R).sub.2, CH(OH) or S(O).sub.n ; n is 2 to 4 and m is 1-4 when Y is O, NR, or S(O).sub.n ; n is 0 to 4 and m is 0 to 4 when Y is C(R).sub.2 or is not present; n is 1 to 4 and m is 0 to 4 when Y is CH(OH); n is 0 to 2; and Z is selected from the group of compounds consisting of the formula a, b, c, d or e taught by Gamache et al. Thus, Gamache et al conclude that diclofenac alone, without any amide or ester linked moiety, is useless in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia or vascular disease, and relates only to the synthesis of compounds combining an anti-inflammatory and an anti-oxidant moiety.
The present invention discloses the novel and unexpected discovery that therapeutically acceptable amounts of diclofenac inhibit the formation of glycated apo B in vivo, reduce hypercholesterolemia, and prevent the development of vascular disease which is manifested by increased urine protein excretion in human subjects.

In Vivo Methods to reduce hypercholesterolemia and improve vascular dysfunction


The determination of node and/or adapter liveness in a distributed network data processing system is carried out via one messaging protocol that can be assisted by a second messaging protocol which is significantly less susceptible to delay, especially memory blocking delays encountered by daemons running on other nodes. The switching of protocols is accompanied by controlled grace periods for needed responses. This messaging protocol flexibility is also adapted for use as a mechanism for controlling the deliberate activities of node addition (birth) and node deletion (death).

The determination of adapter and node liveness lies at the heart of any highly available distributed data processing network in which the nodes are dividable into clusters which are typically employed to operate on dedicated applications. In order to provide high availability services, a cluster system should be able to determine which nodes, networks, and network adapters in the system are working. The failure in any such component should be detected early and the resultant information passed on to a higher level software subsystem and, if possible, recovery operations should be initiated by a cluster recovery manager and application level software.
Determination of node, network, and network adapter liveness is often made through the use of daemon processes running in each node of the distributed system. Daemons run distributed protocols and exchange liveness messages that are forced through the different network paths in the system. If no such liveness messages are received within a predetermined interval then the sending node or network adapter is assumed not to be working ("dead") by the others.
This method of liveness determination imposes real-time constraints for the corresponding daemons: if a daemon gets delayed for any reason this may result in the hosting node being falsely detected as dead—a "false down" event. False down events result in unnecessary, and often costly, recovery procedures which can disrupt the operations of the cluster.
Making daemons obey these real time constraints is often far from trivial, however, since the underlying operating system is seldom real-time. Only real-time operating systems can guarantee finite response times under any circumstances.
If the load on one of the nodes of the system is such that the physical memory needs greatly exceed the amount of memory present, heavy paging starts to occur, which occasionally leads to processes making little progress. In terms of the liveness determination daemon, these paging operations can operate to prevent it from sending liveness messages in a timely fashion.
Although some operating systems do provide primitives that allow processes to keep their pages from being "stolen" by other applications, in practice this solution is not perfect: either the primitives do not work on the entire addressing space (for example, they may not work with shared libraries) or the operating system itself is often pageable.
Besides memory starvation, other causes are known to prevent processes from making adequate progress: high interrupt rate, which blocks any process in the system from running, and the presence of high-priority processes that monopolize CPU utilization.
Different approaches could be used in order to prevent these "false down" events caused by process blockage:                1) Increasing the threshold of the number of missing incoming liveness messages before the remote entity is declared "down";        2) Making the daemon as real time as possible, employing real-time scheduling priority and operating system primitives to prevent paging; and        3) Incorporating the code responsible for sending the liveness messages into the kernel.
The first method has the drawback that real failures take longer to be detected, which for (real) failures may result in longer periods during which the end-user service offered by the cluster is unavailable.
The second method is only partially effective. Not only does it require the use of multiple real-time primitives offered by the operating system, but also careful design to avoid known causes of blocking, such as communication and I/O. Still the operating system may be unable to guarantee that the process will always make progress.
The third method may produce good results, but at a sometimes prohibitive development cost, since code needs to be introduced into the operating system kernel, which severely impairs portability and serviceability. A subtle problem with this approach is that it can only provide "kernel liveness," being ill-suited to detect situations where the kernel is able to run but not user programs. Under such situations, the node becomes useless and declaring it dead is likely to be the correct decision.

Method for adding new members to a group by sending a commit message with updated membership list to all nodes on the updated list

International Business Machines Corporation


A battery monitor and cycle status indicator is disclosed. The battery monitor includes a voltage sensor capable of sensing the voltage between two nodes, for example, the positive and negative terminals of a battery. The voltage sensor is connected to an analog-to-digital converter which converts the analog voltage level sensed by the voltage sensor to a digital form. In turn, the analog-to-digital converter is coupled to a microprocessor. The microprocessor determines battery state-of-charge and historical values that relate to battery condition based upon the voltage levels provided by the analog-to-digital converter. The microprocessor is also coupled to a memory which stores battery history values computed by the microprocessor and program instructions for operation of the microprocessor. The battery monitor also includes a display that is capable of displaying battery state-of-charge and the historical values determined by the microprocessor. A switch is coupled to the microprocessor to inform the microprocessor to clear the history values presently stored in memory or to scroll the display from one battery parameter or history value to the next. The switch also enables the adjustment of the battery parameters that are stored in the memory to user-defined levels.

Batteries are commonly used in a wide array of applications and for a variety of vehicles such as boats, motor homes, fork lifts, and others. In most cases, the batteries used in such applications may be charged, discharged, and recharged again. In this manner, a single battery may serve as a source of electrical current for a significantly long period of time.
Although a battery may be charged and discharged many times, inefficient use of the battery can significantly shorten the battery's life. In general, a battery's service life is determined by the number of times a battery may be charged and discharged. One charge and discharge of a battery constitutes a single battery cycle. Thus, each battery has an expected lifetime that is limited to a given number of cycles. Improper battery cycling procedures can severely limit a battery's life. Perhaps most importantly, discharging the battery to extremely low voltages can damage the battery, reducing the battery's expected lifetime. Additional factors such as temperature, storage periods, discharge loads, and others may further reduce the battery's expected lifetime.
Without knowledge of battery state-of-charge and history such as the time since last charge, total number of cycles, time since last equalization, and total discharge time, battery users are generally unable to obtain efficient battery usage. Inevitably, batteries will be discharged to dangerously low levels, equalized at random times, and experience lifetimes many cycles shorter than that expected of an efficiently maintained battery.
Moreover, the lack of information about battery state-of-charge and history can result in wasted employee hours. Many industrial battery users for devices such as forklifts commonly remove the batteries from the devices to recharge them. Without information regarding the battery's current state-of-charge, battery-operated devices frequently discharge the battery to the point at which the battery is dead. In addition to discharging the battery to a harmfully low level, the battery often dies when the device is at an inconvenient location for removal and replacement of the battery. Furthermore, industrial batteries are often charged at a common charging station at which there may be dozens of batteries in various states of charge or discharge. In many such cases, there is no way to ascertain the number of cycles experienced by each battery, or whether a given battery has recently been discharged, charged, or equalized. As a result, a dead battery may be replaced by a battery having a less than optimal state-of-charge.
Worse yet, batteries may be discharged to a dangerously low level. When multi-cell series-connected batteries are discharged to a sufficiently low end voltage, it is possible for the poorest cell in the battery to be driven into voltage reversal. In some cases, this could result in cell venting or rupture.
In order to maximize battery life, and avoid the hazards associated with dangerous charge or discharge levels, it would be beneficial to have an inexpensive battery monitoring system that could be quickly and easily installed on a battery to provide "at-a-glance" status and key historical information about how the battery has been used.
Devices presently available to provide battery monitoring information are less than adequate. In some cases, batteries are manufactured with simple charge indicators. Generally, such indicators provide information related to the battery state-of-charge on a display that allows a battery user to determine whether the battery's charge is low, medium, or high. Even where such integrated battery monitors provide more detailed information regarding the battery's state-of-charge, they do not indicate other key historical information such as the number of cycles, lifetime discharge time, time since last charge, time since last equalization, and others.
Others have attempted to address this problem by providing a battery-mountable monitor capable of counting the number of charge cycles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,620 to Eaves discloses a device which counts the number of charge cycles accumulated on a particular battery by sensing and counting each reversal of electrical current flow. Unfortunately, the device disclosed by Eaves is expensive and requires the installation of a specially configured intercell connector with an integral shunt and electronics. Moreover, the Eaves device is prone to registering erroneous cycle counts. This is likely to occur, for example, during the battery charging process. During the battery charging process, a charging system may charge to a particular voltage level and then cease charging. Once the discharge current reduces the battery's voltage to a sufficiently low level, the charger will begin charging again to return the battery to a fully charged level. Because the current will have been reversed, this trivial discharge and charge process will be counted by current-sensing devices such as the Eaves device as one charge cycle. In a worst case, the battery monitor could record many charge cycles during a single battery charging operation.
In addition to the less than ideal operation of the presently available battery monitoring devices, the devices that are presently available do not provide easy-to-read, "at-a-glance" displays. Presently, battery monitoring devices either provide little information, are difficult to read at a glance, or both.
Finally, other battery monitoring devices that are available and provide detailed information typically are not battery-mountable. In many cases, such devices are designed for use in conjunction with a battery charging system and are therefore intended to reside with the battery charger rather than the battery. While such devices may be capable of providing information about certain battery characteristics, and may even have a user-friendly display, they provide no information at the point at which they are most necessary--on the battery and the device to which it is connected.
The present invention is directed to providing a battery monitoring unit that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

Battery monitor and cycle status indicator


A method and apparatus for electrically interfacing between two or more distinct environments. The method and apparatus are directed to an electrical feedthru with exterior traces traversing a core. The electrical feedthru may be very small, facilitating its use in MEMS devices. The electrical feedthru may also include an over-mold shaped to create a mechanical seal between the two or more distinct environments without the use of an O-ring. The electrical feedthru is not limited to any particular geometry, it may be adapted to fit between any two environments, and thus the traces are not necessarily parallel to a central axis of the core.

A variety of methods and devices currently exist for passing electrical signals and current across distinct environments. Such devices are commonly referred to as electrical feedthrus. The intent of electrical feedthrus is to facilitate passage of the electrical signals, current, or both across the distinct environments without breaching the integrity of any boundary therebetween. One variety of electrical feedthrus includes epoxy encapsulated transmission lines. The transmission lines are usually centered within the epoxy capsule, with the lines running parallel to the epoxy capsule. The epoxy capsule is generally placed between the two distinct environments, where it maintains isolation between the two environments and insulates the transmission lines. Another variety of electrical feedthrus includes constructing a boundary body between two distinct environments with non-conductive materials, and inserting the transmission lines through the boundary body. The boundary body between the two distinct environments is then sealed by standard sealing techniques, such as the use of an O-ring.
However, these standard electrical feedthrus have a number of drawbacks. The primary problem associated with standard electrical feedthrus is the size. Standard electrical feedthrus are often much too large for many applications, particularly for microelectronics or MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-systems) packaging. Further, as the number of transmission lines needed increases, the size of the feedthrus becomes even larger. In addition, the transmission lines of standard electrical feedthrus must pass through the boundary between distinct environments parallel or almost parallel to an axial centerline of the boundary. And as more feedthrus extend through an electrical feedthru, the body of the electrical feedthru is weakened, sometimes requiring a reduction in operating pressures or other parameters across the two boundaries.

Method of fabricating an electrical feedthru


A pixel structure disposed on a substrate is provided. The pixel structure includes a first and a second capacitor electrode, a dielectric layer, a passivation layer, a pixel electrode, and an active device. The first capacitor electrode is disposed on the substrate and has a first notch. The dielectric layer covers the first capacitor electrode, and the second capacitor electrode is disposed on the dielectric layer above the first capacitor electrode. The passivation layer is disposed on the dielectric layer to cover the second capacitor electrode, and the passivation layer has a contact opening above the first notch for exposing a part of the second capacitor electrode. The pixel electrode is disposed on the passivation layer and is electrically connected to the second capacitor electrode through the contact opening. The active device is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. Additionally, a method for repairing the pixel structure is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pixel structure and a repairing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pixel structure, which is easily repaired, and a repairing method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) has become the main stream in display market due to its characteristics such as high display quality, low power consumption, and no radiation. A typical TFT-LCD includes a TFT array substrate, an opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the foregoing two substrates. The TFT array substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of pixel structures arranged as an array on the substrate, scan lines, and data lines. The pixel structure includes a TFT, a pixel electrode, and a storage capacitor, wherein the TFT may be an a-Si TFT or a poly-Si TFT. Generally speaking, a scan signal transmitted by the scan line turns on the corresponding TFT, the image signal transmitted by the data line is then transmitted to the corresponding pixel electrode through the TFT so that the pixel electrode controls the liquid crystal thereon. Moreover, the pixel structure can maintain a good display quality with the assistance of the storage capacitor thereof.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a conventional pixel structure, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the pixel structure in FIG. 1A along line A-A′. Referring to both FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the conventional pixel structure 100 includes a scan line 110, a data line 120, a TFT 130, a storage capacitor 140, and a pixel electrode 150. The TFT 130 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 150. The storage capacitor 140 is composed of an upper electrode 142 and a common line 160 (bottom electrode), and the storage capacitor 140 is formed on the common line 160 (Cst on common).
During fabricating processes, when short circuit between the upper electrode 142 and the common line 160 in the storage capacitor 140 is induced by particles or defects in the dielectric layer 146 caused by other factors, leakage in the storage capacitor 140 can be caused. In other words, the leakage may prohibit the pixel structure 100 from being charged effectively while the TFT 130 is turned on and may cause abnormal charge leakage while the TFT 130 is turned off. Besides, during the fabricating processes, when short circuit between the common line 160 and the pixel electrode 150 is induced by particles, the pixel electrode 150 can not receive the control signal properly, so that display abnormality is caused. In short, if short circuit occurs between the upper electrode 142 and the common line 160 or between the common line 160 and the pixel electrode 150 during fabricating processes, the pixel structure 100 cannot be repaired effectively. Accordingly, the display quality of the LCD is deteriorated.

Pixel structure having notch on capacitor electrode and contact opening above the notch connecting pixel electrode above passivation layer with the capacitor electrode


The present invention relates to an interspecific tree and more particularly to a medium size, moderately vigorous, hardy, and very productive tree. Being self-unfruitful, the present variety requires cross pollination from an apricot, interspecific, or plum that blooms during the early season. The present variety's abundance of blossoms and moderate pollen production entices strong bee activity to facilitate pollination. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described during the latter part of August, with first picking on Aug. 23, 2008. The fruit is uniformly large in size, blackish red in skin color, clingstone in type, oblate in shape, mostly red to orange in flesh color, firm in texture, and outstanding in flavor.

In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of interspecific tree, which has been denominated varietally as 'BLACKRED VIII.'
During a typical blooming season I isolate as seed parents both individual and groups of different plum trees by covering them with screen houses. A hive of bees is placed inside each such house, and bouquets to provide pollen from different plum, apricot, and interspecific plum-apricot hybrid trees are placed in buckets near the trees approximately every two days for the duration of the bloom. During 2001 one such house containing an unpatented red plum, code named 19P442, was crossed by me in this manner. To pollinate this red plum, I selected bouquets from several sources of apricot and interspecific plum-apricot hybrid trees without keeping specific written details. Upon reaching maturity the fruit from this red plum tree was harvested and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified and germinated as a group with the label "H8A". They were grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse and upon reaching dormancy transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the summer of 2004 the claimed variety was selected by me as a single plant from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of interspecific tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of 'Nemaguard' (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, '19P442', by producing an abundant amount of fruit that is firm in texture and red in flesh color, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is sweeter in flavor, that is much larger in size, and that matures about two months later.
The present variety is similar to 'Plumsweet V' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,369) interspecific tree by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that is clingstone in type, that is mostly dark purple to black in skin color, that has a significant degree of red in the flesh color, that is very sweet in flavor, and that matures in the latter part of August, but is distinguished therefrom by blooming earlier and by producing fruit that is much larger in size, more oblate in shape, less juicy, and much less prone to shoulder wrinkling after harvest.

Interspecific tree named ‘Blackred VIII’


A method and apparatus for improved control of continuous electric arc furnace steelmaking in which a charge velocity detector measures charge velocity of metallic charge introduced to the furnace. A charge mass detector measures a charge mass of metallic charge introduced to the furnace. A computer determines a feed rate based on the charge velocity and the charge mass. An automatic bath level probe detects a steel bath. The computer determines a steel bath level and optimal positions to insert a temperature probe and an oxygen lance, and further predicts new bath levels from one tapping time to the next tapping time. The temperature probe is inserted to an optimal measurement position based on the steel bath level and measures a steel bath temperature. The oxygen lance is positioned and maintained at an optimal oxygen injection position and injects oxygen into the bath.

Continuous steelmaking is particularly advantageous in those regions where there is a concentration of production, or ready availability of metallic charge, and where electric energy is both available and economical.
The operation of an electric arc steelmaking furnace can be an intermittent operation, wherein the sequence followed is: charging of steel scrap and/or direct reduced iron, pig iron, slag formers and alloying elements; ignition or establishment of an electric arc between the electrodes in the furnace to create melting conditions for melting the charge and forming a molten metal bath covered by a foamy slag; refining for a period of time during which the molten metal portion of the bath is refined to form steel having a desired composition and quality; and periodically raising the electrodes to remove them from contact with the bath and interference with the tapping procedure; and then tapping the molten metal.
In the steelmaking practice, "continuous charging" or "continuous melting" refer to charging practices in which charge materials are fed to a furnace during the charging, melting and refining periods, then charging and power input is interrupted for the tapping procedure. An electric arc steelmaking furnace can be operated continuously without interruption by charging or power input for the tapping procedure. The term "metallic charge" as used herein means material for continuous melting, including ferrous scrap, pig iron and direct reduced iron in pellet or briquette form. In continuous operation, metallic charge is preheated and continuously fed to the furnace. A foaming slag practice may be used so that the furnace is only partially tapped intermittently without removal of the electrodes. Thus, the electrodes remain at full power during continuous feeding, refining and tapping.
In the continuous steelmaking process, as well as in all steelmaking processes, control of the steel content is desirable to manufacture different compositions and qualities of steel. Control of carbon content and iron content in steel is typically accomplished by selecting specific grades of metallic charge to be fed into the furnace as well as by introduction of pure material.
Accurate measurement and control of the bath temperature is desirable to maintain optimum melting conditions as well as to use energy efficiently in the steelmaking process. Measuring the bath temperature on a periodic and continuous basis is important to avoid steel bath overcooling or overheating. Manual measurements of bath temperature may produce inaccurate and unreliable temperatures because of inconsistent placement of temperature measuring instruments. Although manual measurements of steel bath temperature can be used in the continuous steelmaking process, more accurate and reliable steel bath temperature measurements are preferred.
Providing a steel bath level that is neither too low nor too high is also important to maintain the steelmaking process in a continuous mode. In particular, maintaining an appropriate heel level (i.e., minimum level of molten metal in the furnace) containing available heat results in immediate melting of metallic charge. Accurate determination of the steel bath level further allows for proper placement of sensing equipment and material injectors in relation to the steel bath level.
Accurate measurement of the steel bath level allows for control of steel production. Measuring the steel bath level may be accomplished by visual inspection, or estimated based on the amount of metallic charge introduced to the furnace (i.e., the metallic charge feed rate). The metallic charge feed rate may be determined by: weighing each load of metallic charge; measuring the change in position of the loading crane along the charge conveyor; estimating a metallic charge velocity based on the change in position of the loading crane; and calculating the metallic charge feed rate based on the weighed metallic charge and the estimated metallic charge velocity. Although the metallic charge feed rate may be determined as described above, a more accurate and simpler determination of metallic charge feed rate is desirable. Determining accurate feed rate is particularly important to control the bath level in a continuous steelmaking process.
Although this invention is shown and described in connection with an electric arc steelmaking furnace, it will be readily apparent that any electric powered steelmaking furnace, including, but without limitation, plasma furnaces and induction furnaces, could be substituted for the electric arc steelmaking furnace with like results.
The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly well suited for use in the continuous steelmaking process described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,543,124 and 4,609,400.

Method and apparatus for controlling bath level and measurement of bath characteristics

Techint Compagnia Tecnica Internazionale


A message transmission method and device are provided. The message transmission method, which is carried out by a node in a mixed network comprised of a private network including at least one node and a public network, includes: checking whether an address of a destination node to receive a message is recorded in a communication node list of the node, when the address of the destination node is not the address of the node; transmitting the message to the destination node recorded, when it is determined that the address of the destination node is recorded in the communication node list; and transmitting the message and the address of the destination node to a node having an address closest to the address of the destination node among the addresses recorded in the communication node list, when the address of the destination node is not recorded in the communication node list.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mixed network comprised of a private network and a public network, and more particularly, to a message transmission method and device in a mixed network comprised of a private network and a public network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, client/server architecture has been used for communication in a mixed network comprised of private networks and public networks. The client/server architecture has been widely used with implementation of Internet Protocol (IP) and most communications are based on the Internet Protocol.
Generally, when a plurality of clusters using a private network is managed integrally, the following problems occur. Here, a cluster includes a bundle of intelligent devices (or nodes) for accomplishing particular purposes and a network device for interfacing interactive operations between the intelligent devices.
First, messages should be transmitted between a node for performing the integral management and nodes subjected to the integral management. However, there is a problem that a node having a private network address in a private network cannot transmit and receive a message with a node having a private network address in another private network.
Further, when the number of clusters to be integrally managed increases or when the number of nodes in the respective clusters increases, that is, when the number of nodes to be managed increases, the transmission of messages may be temporarily concentrated on a specific node in transmitting messages for the integral management. The concentration of message transmission on a node may cause deterioration in performance of an information collecting processor and may occasionally cause an obstacle in the information collecting processor.
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating an information processing rate of a server, that is, a master node, with respect to the number of clients, where the X-axis indicates the number of clients and the Y-axis indicates the processing rate of the server. Here, a client means software to which information should be transmitted, and a plurality of clients may exist in each node.
Referring to FIG. 1, the processing rate per minute of the server increases with an increase in the number of clients (2), when the server is able to process more jobs. FIG. 1 shows that the maximum processing rate per minute of the server is approximately 8000 (4). However, when the number of nodes (i.e., the number of clients) reaches 1800, and messages are simultaneously transmitted to a specific node (i.e., a master node), the processing rate of the information collecting processor of the specific node can be hindered (6) as shown in FIG. 1. At this time, the number of simultaneous connections may vary depending upon circumstances of systems or networks, but the number of simultaneous connections cannot increase infinitely.

Message transmission method and device in mixture of private network and public network


An arc stabilization arrangement for a discharge lamp having a light transmissive arc tube containing a fill of gas excitable to a discharge state upon introduction thereto of a drive signal having a predetermined frequency associated therewith, includes a modulating arrangement effective for providing a modulating signal which is imposed onto the drive signal. The modulating signal has a frequency associated therewith which approximates the acoustic resonance of the gases within the fill, such modulating signal frequency being less than the frequency of the drive signal. In one embodiment of the invention the modulating arrangement is an amplitude modulating scheme effective such that a modulating amplitude of greater than about 5% of the amplitude of the drive signal is achieved. In yet a further implementation of the present invention, the frequency of the modulating signal is swept about a range of frequencies so that a varying acoustic resonance frequency can be encompassed by the modulating signal.

In a discharge lamp wherein the arc discharge is initiated and/or maintained by means of a time varying drive signal such as a radio frequency (RF) current signal, there is a risk that under certain conditions, such arc discharge could become unstable and wander around the arc tube rather than remaining in a stable position as desired. This arc wandering or instability can cause the light output to flicker as well as to eventually extinguish altogether thus resulting in the need to restrike the lamp. This condition can occur in several different types of discharge lamps, including high intensity discharge (HID) and microwave excited sulfur lamps regardless of whether the lamp is electrodeless or electroded or, if in an electrodeless lamp, whether the drive signal is inductively or capacitively coupled to the fill within the arc tube. An example of one lamp which is susceptible to arc instability under certain conditions is an inductively-coupled, electrodeless HID lamp typically comprising an arc tube of quartz or other high-temperature light transmissive material in which an electrodeless toroidal arc discharge is developed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,938 issued to Johnson et al and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention illustrates the electrodeless HID lamp which utilizes an excitation coil disposed in surrounding relation to a portion of the arc tube and which is energized by an RF signal to develop a solenoidal field within the arc tube; the solenoidal field is effective for generating the above-described toroidal arc discharge. Thereafter, the excitation coil acts as a primary winding of a transformer, and the toroidal arc discharge, inductively coupled to the primary winding, acts as the secondary winding of this transformer. Other examples of further developments relating to this type of discharge lamp can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,812,702 issued to Anderson, 5,047,692 issued to Borowiec et al, 5,140,227 issued to Dakin et al and 5,150,015 issued to Heindl et al, all of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and all of which are herein incorporated by reference. Another example of a lamp which may be susceptible to arc instability and which could be improved in performance by use of the present invention can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,625 issued to Lynch et al for an Electrodeless Lamp energized by microwave excitation.
We have found that when the excitation coil or other type of drive mechanism for exciting an arc discharge within an arc tube, is energized by RF current having a frequency greater than about 1 kilohertz, with one exemplary frequency being about 13.56 MHz, the discharge within the arc tube sometimes exhibits the undesirable instability previously discussed wherein the discharge can become constricted, wander in shape and position, and is prone to self-extinction. This is in marked contrast to the steady, fluffy appearance of the discharge under ideal stable conditions, during which time the discharge expands to occupy a substantial portion of the space within the arc tube and remain in close proximity to the arc tube wall. For the example of the electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp of U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,938 previously discussed, the stable toroidal discharge arc expands in a radial direction to fill the arc tube. In a lamp using a gas fill which includes a metal halide and an inert gas, it has been observed that when the arc tube is operated at a power level above some threshold value, such instability occurs as a result of the arc tube containing halogen in excess of metal halide stoichiometry. The excess halogen, often excess iodine, usually results from the loss of active metal from the arc tube dose. Operation of the other types of discharge lamps previously discussed at a power level in excess of some threshold value is also expected to result in the occurrence of the previously described unstable operation.
Therefore, it would be advantageous if an arc stabilization arrangement for arc discharge lamps could be provided that would allow for the operation of such lamps at power levels above those previously achieved without the risk of such arc discharge becoming unstable. It would also be advantageous if our invention could provide such improvement in arc stability without adversely impacting on the luminous efficacy of the lamp over the broad power range beneath the threshold level.
Another concern with the operation of an arc discharge lamp at an optimum power level and in a practical application such as in a fixture whereby the lamp can be oriented in any number of different manners such that the arc tube is inverted or has its axis tilted at any angle between vertical and horizontal, is that the arc stabilization arrangement remain equally effective as if the lamp were oriented in an upright manner. It would be advantageous if the arc stabilizing arrangement of the present invention could be equally effective with the arc tube oriented in a non-upright manner as it were for an upright orientation.
In carrying out the efforts which resulted in the present invention, it was discovered that the operation of the drive signal in conjunction with a frequency in the acoustic resonance band could provide the desired arc stability. Up until recently, the operation of a lamp at any frequency in the acoustic resonance band was considered to be very undesirable, that such operation itself was inherently unstable. Recent developments however have indicated that there are conditions under which acoustic resonance operation may in fact be beneficial. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,983,889 and 5,121,034 issued to Roberts and Allen et al respectively, both of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, acoustic resonance operation is described for use with electroded metal halide lamps. Though effective for arc stabilization to the extent of arc straightening and the thorough mix of the gas fill constituents, such patents teach that the lamp should be driven at the acoustic resonance frequency and do not provide guidance for operation at higher frequencies as are utilized for electrodeless lamps. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/897,601 filed in the name of Dakin et al on Jun. 10, 1992 and also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention also discusses acoustic resonance operation of a metal halide lamp. This application of acoustic resonance operation of a metal halide lamp is effective for substantially reducing color separation in the principal arc discharge region, however, this application also teaches that the lamp should be operated using this acoustic resonance frequency to achieve the stated advantage. Recognizing that such acoustic resonance frequency typically occurs on the kilohertz range which is suitable for operating an electroded discharge lamp, electrodeless discharge lamps on the other hand are typically operated at frequencies approaching or exceeding the megahertz region and therefore could not benefit from these teachings. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an acoustic resonance arc stabilization arrangement which would be equally effective for operation with electroded as well as electrodeless discharge lamps using the same stabilization techniques and which would be operable over a significantly wide range of operating frequencies used to drive the discharge.

Acoustic resonance arc stabilization arrangement in a discharge lamp


A self-capacitive touch panel including a border region and a central region is provided. The border region has a first area and corresponds to a P number of first sensors. The central region has a second area and corresponds to a Q number of second sensors. A ratio of P to the first area is greater than a ratio of Q to the second area.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a touch system, and more particularly, to a technique for enhancing the accuracy in sensing results of a border region of a touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Operating interfaces of recent electronic products are becoming increasingly user-friendly and intuitive. For example, through a touch screen, a user can directly interact with applications as well as input messages/texts/patterns with fingers or a stylus, thus eliminating complications associated with other input devices such as a keyboard or buttons. In practice, a touch screen usually comprises a touch panel and a display provided at the back of the touch panel. According to a touch position on the touch panel and a currently displayed image on the display, an electronic device determines an intention of the touch to execute corresponding operations.
Existing capacitive touch sensing techniques can be roughly categorized into self-capacitive and mutual-capacitive types. Compared to mutual-capacitive touch panels, self-capacitive touch panels can be implemented through a single-layer electrode with a simpler manufacturing process and lower costs, and thus prevail in many entry-level electronic products.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary self-capacitive touch panel. A sensing area 100 demarcated by a dotted frame includes multiple electrodes, e.g., electrodes 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17. The electrodes are equal in width, and appear similar to right triangles. Since a sensor for sensing capacitance change in the electrodes is expensive, current touch panels are generally designed to have multiple electrodes sharing a same sensor in order to be cost-effective. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrodes 11 and 12 are connected to a first upper sensor 13, and the electrodes 14 and 15 are connected to a first lower sensor 16. In other words, the capacitance change sensed by the first upper sensor 13, rather than being capacitance change of either of the electrodes 11 and 12, is a sum of the capacitance changes occurring at the electrodes 11 and 12. In FIG. 1, the capacitance changes sensed by 2*N number of sensors (N number of upper sensors and N number of lower sensors, each having a designated number and serves as an ith sensor, where i=1 to 2N) are transmitted to a controller (not shown) for the controller to determine a position of a user touch. The controller may calculate an X-coordinate x of the user touch position according to the equation below:
                    x        =                                            ∑                              i                =                1                                            2                                N                                                                                (                                                C                  i                  *                                                                  X                  i                                            )                                                          ∑                              i                =                1                                            2                                N                                                                                C              i                                                          equation                                                            (          1          )
In equation (1), i is an integral index ranging from 1 to 2N, Ci represents the capacitance change sensed by the ith sensor, and Xi represents coordinates of a common center of gravity of the electrodes connected to the ith sensor. Taking the first upper sensor 13 as an example, the corresponding coordinates Xi of a center of gravity are a position of a common center of gravity of the two electrodes 11 and 12 (between the electrodes 11 and 12).
The controller may further calculate a Y-coordinate y of the user touch position according to the equation below:
                    y        =                              (                                                            r                  *                                      C                    U                                                  -                                  C                  D                                                            r                -                1                                      )                    *                      (                          L                              C                T                                      )                                              equation                                                            (          2          )
In equation (2), r represents a predetermined value associated with a size of the electrodes, CU represents a total capacitance change sensed by the N upper sensors, CD represents a total capacitance change sensed by the N lower sensors, CT is a sum of CU and CD, and L represents a height with respect to the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrodes are in fact tall and narrow trapezoids with an upper side having a width dxs and a lower side having a width dxl. The value r is defined as:
                    r        ≡                              dxl            +                          0.9              *              dxx                                            dxs            +                          0.9              *              dxx                                                          equation                                                            (          3          )
In equation (3), dxx represents a width of a gap between every two adjacent electrodes.
However, the touch panel in FIG. 1 encounters a great challenge—errors in the sensing results of the left and right borders are extremely large. The electrodes 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17 are again depicted in FIGS. 3A to 3C to explain reasons behind such problem.
When a user touch takes places at a position within a dotted circle 21 in FIG. 3A, only the electrode 14 is affected, meaning that only the first lower sensor 16 senses the capacitance change. However, substantially errors exist in the coordinates x and y calculated based on the capacitance change sensed by the first lower sensor 16. It is seen from equation (2) that, a dominant basis for determining the coordinate y is a relation between the two capacitance changes CU and CD. When only the electrode 14 is affected, the capacitance change CU is zero regardless of what the Y coordinate of the user touch position is, such that the coordinate y obtained according to equation (2) is a negative value. It is obvious that the above calculation does not correctly respond the Y coordinate of the touch position.
On the other hand, although the capacitance change sensed by the first lower sensor 16 is chiefly contributed by the electrode 14, instead of utilizing the center of gravity of the electrode 14, the controller however utilizes the position of the common center of gravity (denoted as P1) of the electrodes 14 and 15 to represent the position corresponding to the capacitance change sensed by the first lower sensor 16. Accordingly, the coordinate x obtained is slightly shifted to the right from the actual position of the circle 21. Referring to FIG. 3B, when the circle 21 is not located within the border region of the sensing area 100, the left half of the circuit 21 theoretically triggers another electrode 31 (a virtual electrode represented by a dotted triangle), to further provide a capacitance change that shifts a coordinate x calculated according to equation (1) to the left (i.e., a real X coordinate making the coordinate x closer to the circle 21). In other words, in the border region, due to the lack of a balancing value contributed by the virtual electrode 31, and the foregoing center of gravity P1 is located by a great distance from the real X coordinate of the circle 21, the coordinate x calculated by the controller may consequently contain a substantial error.
Similarly, when a user touch takes place at a position within a dotted circle 22 in FIG. 3C (i.e., the rightmost of the sensing area 100), only the electrode 17 is affected. Under the circumstances, only the Nth upper sensor senses the capacitance change, such that a substantially error also exists in the coordinates of the touch position calculated accordingly. It is seen from equation (2) that, when only the electrode 17 is affected, the capacitance change CD is zero regardless of what the Y coordinate of the user touch position is, such that the coordinate y obtained according to equation (2) is a constant value approximating L. It is obvious that the above calculation approach does not correctly represent the actual touch position.
The above issue of sensing errors in the border regions likely leads the controller to misjudge a real intention of a user touch to further trigger incorrect operation result. However, if the left and right border regions of the sensing area 100 are neglected to avoid the above issue, hardware costs are wasted.


A recording tape cartridge has: a case rotatably accommodating a reel on which a recording tape is wound; a reel area rib provided at an inner surface of the case, and defining a range in which the reel is accommodated; and a contact preventing mechanism which is provided at an inner surface of the case, is positioned in a reel hub forming the reel, and prevents contact between the reel area rib and the reel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge accommodating, within a case, a reel on which is wound a recording tape, such as a magnetic tape or the like, which is used as a recording/playback medium mainly for computers or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, magnetic tape cartridges have been known in which a magnetic tape, which is used as a data recording/playback medium of a computer or the like, is wound on a single reel, and the reel is accommodated in a case A leader member, such as a leader pin, a leader tape, or a leader block, is provided at the distal end of the magnetic tape. A pull-out mechanism provided at a drive device pulls the leader member out from an opening of the magnetic tape cartridge, and winds the magnetic tape, which is fixed to the leader member, onto a take-up reel of the drive device.
A reel gear is formed in an annular form in the center of the bottom surface of a reel which emerges from an open hole formed in the bottom surface of the magnetic tape cartridge. Due to a driving gear, which is provided at a rotating shaft of the drive device, meshing with this reel gear, the reel is driven to rotate. By rotating the reel of the magnetic tape cartridge and the take-up reel of the drive device synchronously, data can be recorded onto the magnetic tape, and data recorded on the magnetic tape can be played back.
As shown in FIG. 4, reel area ribs 104, 106, which are arc-shaped, stand erect intermittently at an upper case 100 and a lower case 102. A reel 108, on which a magnetic tape (not shown) is wound, is rotatably accommodated at the inner sides of the reel area ribs 104, 106.
A clearance of about 0.5 mm is provided between, on the one hand, the reel area ribs 104, 106, and, on the other hand, an upper flange 114 and a lower flange 116 forming the reel 108, so as to compensate for dimensional errors caused by offset of the center or an error in inclination or the like of a magnetic tape cartridge 112 with respect to a drive device, when a driving gear (not shown) of the drive device meshes with a reel gear 110 provided at the reel 108. Movement of the reel 108 is restricted by the upper flange 114 or the lower flange 116 abutting the reel area rib 104 or the reel area rib 106, respectively.
However, when the magnetic tape cartridge 112 is dropped or the like, due to the impact at the time of the drop, the outer edge portion of the upper flange 114 or the lower flange 116 of the reel 108 hits the corner portion of the reel area rib 104 or the reel area rib 106 which stands upright intermittently. There is therefore the concern that the upper flange 114 or the lower flange 116 may deform, break, or the like.


A modulated digital input signal is passed through a conditioning circuit to generate a first input signal. An error amplifier circuit receives the first input signal and a second input signal, and controls the operation of a MOS transistor to generate an output signal that is current modulated. The output signal is sensed to generate a feedback signal. A switching circuit selectively applies the feedback signal as the second input signal in response to a transition of the modulated digital input signal from a first logic state to a second logic state. The switching circuit alternatively selectively applies a fixed reference signal as the second input signal to the error amplifier in response to a transition of the modulated digital input signal from the second logic state to the first logic state.

Current modulation circuits are used in a number of applications. The Peripheral Sensor Interface (PSTS) is an interface used, for example, in automotive sensor applications wherein an electronic control unit (ECU) and sensor are coupled by a two-wire interface supporting both power supply and data transmission. The ECU provides a regulated voltage to the sensor, and the sensor transmits data to the ECU on the supply line using current modulation. The current modulation is detected by the ECU and decoded to recover the original digital data stream generated at the sensor.
Specifications governing configuration and operation of the interface must be followed by the current modulator in the sensor when transmitting data to the ECU. There is a need in the art for a current modulator circuit that operates in accordance with specifications and without introducing distortion.


A component loader for orienting a component along its long-axis for transfer to transmission means such as a carrier belt. The loader includes a rotatable load plate having an outer peripheral edge and an upper surface where the upper surface is inclined from a horizontal plane. A plurality of slots is on the upper surface, and each is located about the outer edge of the load plate. Each of the plurality of slots is sized to receive at least one chip, preferably lying with its long axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable load plate. An outer wall conforms to the curvature of the outer peripheral edge and is mounted adjacent thereabout. A transfer slot extends axially into the upper surface of the load plate. Preferably, each transfer slot is shaped so that a chip descending into each transfer slot from a respective slot has a ninety degree rotation about the long axis. The loader can include an inner wall mounted above the plurality of slots and interior of the outer wall, also along the rotational axis of the load plate.

In a known apparatus and method for loading and orienting miniature components for additional processing, such as the application of solderable paste, a bulk quantity of the miniature components are placed in a vibratory bowl feeder. The feeder contains a series of gates, walls and apertures in order to create a single radial stream of components. The components are end-to-end and are in a single layer. The radial stream of components is transferred to a linear vibratory device that converts the radial stream into a linear stream of components, while maintaining the end-to-end orientation. From this device, the linear stream of components is directed to a rotating wheel having a plurality of component receiving slots in its periphery.
Due to the small size of the components, including the small differences between the width and height of the components, handling and insertion into the slots along the periphery are important. If the components are not properly oriented, subsequent processing steps can take place on inappropriate surfaces. Speed of loading is also important as higher processing speeds lower the unit price for each component. Balancing speed and accuracy is thus important.


Disclosed herein are compounds of formula (I)

All references, including patents and patent applications, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Arachidonic acid (abbreviated as AA herein) is a ubiquitous polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that is found esterified to phospholipids at the secondary alcohol of glycerol in all mammalian cellular membranes. Enzymatic hydrolysis of esterified AA by calcium (Ca2+)-induced cytosolic phospholipase 2 (cPLA2) releases free AA, which may be further catalytically converted by the cyclooxygenase (COX) into the intermediate prostaglandin H2 followed by subsequent enzymatic isomerization into the naturally occurring prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxanes. The five primary prostanoids include prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2), thromboxane A2 (TxA2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), (Jahn, U. et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 5894-5955; Wymann, M. P. et al., Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2008, 9, 162-176; Samuelsson, B. et al., Ann. Rev. Biochem. 1978, 47, 997-1029). These five prostaglandins are lipid mediators that interact with nine specific members of a distinct prostanoid subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), designated FP, DP1-2, IP, TP, and EP1-4, respectively (Breyer, R. M. et al., Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 2001, 41, 661-690). Prostaglandin and PG receptor pharmacology, signaling, and physiology have been studied and well documented (Hata, A. N. et al., Pharmacol. Ther. 2004, 103(2), 147-166; ElAttar, T. M. A., J. Oral Pathol. Med. 1978, 7(5), 239-252; Poyser, N. L., Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism 1973, 2(3), 393-410). Prostaglandins are short-lived local signaling molecules that are not stored in cells or tissues but are produced as needed by specific cells of virtually all body tissues. Their target cells reside in the immediate vicinity of their secretion sites. Well-known PG functions include regulation of cell stimulation, growth, and differentiation, immune response and inflammation, allergy, asthma, pain, vasomotor action, neuromodulation, intraocular pressure, and platelet aggregation, as well as mediation of fever, managing of renal blood flow, and induction of labor (Negishi, M. et al., Prog. Lipid Res. 1993, 32(4), 417-434).
As is the case for most prostaglandins, the biosynthesis of PGE2 commences with liberation of free AA from its esterified form in the cell membrane. One key enzyme involved in PGE2 biosynthesis is prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS). PGHS possesses both a COX and a peroxidase function. The COX activity promotes conversion of free AA to the unstable endoperoxide prostaglandin G2 (PGG2) via double oxygen insertion. One inserted oxygen molecule is subsequently reduced by the peroxidase activity of PGHS to provide the versatile biosynthetic cascade intermediate PGH2. The glutathione-dependent enzyme prostaglandin E synthase (PGES) promotes isomerization of PGH2 to PGE2 via peroxide ring opening of PGH2 to provide the highly functionalized hydroxypentanone scaffold of PGE2.

The physiology of PGE2 and the pharmacology of its four known complementary receptor subtypes designated EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4 are among the most widely studied and published fields of PG research (Sugimoto, Y. et al., J. Biol. Chem. 2007, 282(16), 11613-11617; Suzuki, J. et al., Prostaglandins 2010, 127-133; Regan, J. et al., Life Sciences 2003, 74(2-3), 143-153; Bouayad, A. et al., Current Ther. Res. 2002, 63(10), 669-681; Breyer, M. et al., Kidney Int., Suppl. 1998, 67, S88-S94; Breyer, M. et al., Amer. J. Physiol. 2000, 279(1, Part 2), F12-F23; Negishi, M. et al., Recent Res. Dev. Endocrinol. 2000, 1(1), 133-143; Ma, W. et al., Prog. Inflamm. Res. 2006, 39-93; Mutoh, M. et al., Current Pharmaceutical Design 2006, 12(19), 2375-2382; Hebert, R. et al., Current Topics in Pharmacology 2002, 6, 129-137; Coleman, R. et al., Pharm. Rev. 1994, 46(2), 205-229). PGE2 binds to each of the four EP receptors with high affinity (Anderson, L. et al., Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 1999, 116, 133-141). The prostaglandin PGE1 (saturated α-chain analog of PGE2), the major eicosanoid synthesized biologically from dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) in response to various stimuli, also binds efficiently to all four EP receptor subtypes.

The EP4 receptor is expressed in a wide variety of tissues including those of the skeletal, muscular, central and peripheral nervous, immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, excretory, and reproductive tissues and is known to be involved in such processes and conditions as bone growth and remodeling, osteoporosis, relaxation of smooth muscle, neuroprotection, ocular inflammation, immune response, and cancer. Modulation of the EP4 receptor may also be involved in the neonatal development of the circulatory system (Fan, F. et al., Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 2010, 37, 574-580; Bouayad, A. et al., Current Ther. Res. 2002, 63(10), 669-681; Bouayad, A. et al., Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 2001, 280, H2342-H2349). Activation of the EP4 receptor by PGE2 increases intracellular cAMP levels, leading to downstream effects associated with antiapoptotic activity and cytoprotection (Fujino, H. and Regan, J., Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2003, 24(7), 335-340; Hoshino, T. et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2003, 278(15), 12752-12758; Takahashi, S. et al., Biochem. Pharmacol., 1999, 58(12), 1997-2002; Quiroga, J. et al., Pharmacol. Ther., 1993, 58(1), 67-91).
EP4 receptor agonists are reported to be useful in lowering intraocular pressure and to have application in treating glaucoma. Prasanna, G. et al., Exp. Eye Res., 2009, 89 (5), 608-17; Luu, K. et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2009, 331(2), 627-635; Saeki, T. et al, Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 2009, 50 (5) 2201-2208.
EP4 receptor agonists are also reported to induce bone remodeling and to have use in the treatment of osteoporosis. Iwaniec, U. et al., Osteoporosis International, 2007, 18 (3), 351-362; Aguirre, J. et al., J. Bone and Min. Res., 2007, 22(6), 877-888; Yoshida, K. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2002, 99 (7), 4580-4585. Hayashi, K. et al., J. Bone Joint Surg. Br., 2005, 87-B (8), 1150-6.

Difluorolactam compounds as EP4 receptor-selective agonists for use in the treatment of EP4-mediated diseases and conditions

Abstract: and therapeutic methods of treatment with compounds of formula (I), wherein L1, L2, L4, R1, R4, R5, R6, and s are as defined in the specification. Compounds of formula (I) are EP4 agonists useful in the treatment of glaucoma, neuropathic pain, and related disorders.


A portable cleaning device with interchangeable cleaning tools and an alert system may include an elongate rod having a first end and a second end, a handle attached to the first end of the rod, a cleaning attachment removably engaged with the second end of the rod, a handle grip sensor operatively attached to the handle and a cleaning attachment pressure sensor operatively attached to the cleaning attachment, and an indicator operatively attached to each sensor, the indicator designed to alert a user when the sensor is activated.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to cleaning devices and, more particularly, to a portable cleaning device with interchangeable cleaning tools and sensors, such as those to alert a user whether or not sufficient pressure is being placed on the surface to be cleaned and whether the user's grip is sufficient.
A key goal of senior citizens is to maintain their independence. As they age however, common tasks can become more difficult as the individual loses mobility and balance. Many household cleaning tools, such as brooms, mops, and related apparatuses are characterized by long handles that extend from a working head. The extended handles allow users to operate features of the implements at ground level while maintaining an upright or substantially upright posture. Although convenient during use, such implements are often difficult to use due to limited mobility or being in a wheelchair. Some tools take this into account by having extendable poles, but they typically only have a single function and do not aid the senior citizen with stabilization during the task. Thus, many senior citizens are at risk of injury or compromised safety when cleaning.
Therefore, what is needed is a multi-purpose cleaning device with interchangeable cleaning tools and a sensor designed to alert a user whether or not (1) the user's grip on the tool is sufficient and (2) sufficient pressure is being placed by the cleaning tool onto the surface to be cleaned.

Portable cleaning device with sensors and interchangeable cleaning tools


A mobile terminal has an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding region set at an upper side of a main body part where an internal antenna is mounted. The internal antenna may be mounted on a main printed circuit board (PCB) in order to obtain a desired radiation gain. Such a shielding region alleviates the need to use metallic shielding material or EMI spraying throughout many parts of the terminal. In addition, in order to maximize wireless characteristics of the built-in antenna, a PCB ground is removed from a folder part and a FPCB connector is moved to a position along a side of a terminal display. With this structure, degradation of radiation characteristics of the antenna due to metal components installed around the built-in antenna can be prevented, and thus a stable radiation gain of the terminal antenna can be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mobile communication systems, and more particularly to a system and method for obtaining radiation gain characteristics of a built-in antenna in a mobile communication terminal.
2. Background of the Related Art
A mobile communication terminal (referred to as 'terminal', hereinafter) may generally be regarded as any portable device that transmits and receives voice, character, and/or image information with other terminals or devices.
Lately, mobile terminals are being provided with a wireless data service having a reinforced multimedia function. Also, recent trends require that mobile terminals become more compact and light-weight for carrying convenience. To meet these requirements, terminals are now using internal instead of external antennas. Internal antennas can be used to support Bluetooth, wireless LAN, GSM, CDMA and other communication protocols and formats.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a mobile terminal 10 having an internal antenna in accordance with the related art, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this built-in antenna. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal includes a main body 3 accommodating a main PCB (Printed Circuit Board) for transmitting and receiving voice and image information in a case 1. The terminal also includes a folder part 5 foldably hinged at one end of the main body and a built-in antenna 6 with one end connected to the main PCB for transmitting and receiving an electric signal to and from the main PCB. Reference numeral 4 denotes a folder case.
As shown in FIG. 2, the built-in antenna includes a carrier 11 fixed at an inner side of the case 1 and spaced apart from the main PCB, a radiator 12 attached at one side of the carrier for radiating electromagnetic waves, and a feeding terminal 14 for electrically connecting the radiator and an antenna terminal 2a of the main PCB through a connection line 13.
In operation, if a user inputs voice information using a microphone in a call standby state, a voice signal is converted into an electric signal, transferred through antenna terminal 2a of the main PCB, feeding terminal 14 and connection line 13, and then finally radiated through radiator 12. The radio signal received through the radiator 12 is transferred to main PCB 2 through connection line 13, feeding terminal 14, and antenna terminal 2a.
Radio frequency and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are critical factors in the design of mobile terminals and other communication products. EMI signals in particular have a strong potential to affect the operation of the internal components of the terminal, including its electronic device packages. Consequently, the frequency and level of EMI signals radiated outwardly from the interior of an electronic product are often limited.
In effort to solve such problems, electronic products include a shield device for interrupting EMI radiated from each element, or internal elements are packaged in a grounded enclosure.
In FIG. 1, portion A shows an electromagnetic wave shielding film 22 with a certain thickness formed at an inner surface of body part 21, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of portion A. Shielding film 22 is made of sequentially plated copper and nickel and operates to shield electromagnetic waves generated from components (e.g., antenna terminal 2a) attached at the main PCB from being outwardly discharged.
In order to maintain the wireless characteristics of the built-in antenna against EMI, a radiator or meander line and microstrip line are simply isolated a certain distance from the main PCB, or the size of the antenna is increased. However, because built-in antenna 6 and main PCB 2 are installed to be isolated from one another by a certain distance, installation space of the built-in antenna must be secured inside the case. This inevitably increases the size of the main body case, which diminishes the ability to make the terminal compact in size.

System and method for obtaining radiation characteristics of built-in antenna in mobile communication terminal


A heating appliance for railway vehicles has at least one heating unit, forming a load-bearing sandwich structure together with edge profiles and a core layer. According to the invention, a plurality of heating units and sandwich structures are provided, each forming modular construction units, and the construction units can be positioned and fixed relative to one another in the railway vehicle by means of connecting elements.

The invention relates to a heating appliance for railway vehicles according to the preamble of claim 1.
In known heating appliances of this type, the heating elements which are configured as heating foils are glued onto conventional floor panels already laid in the carriage of the railway vehicles and covered with a floor covering. This mode of construction has the drawback that individual heating elements cannot be easily exchanged in the case of damage. Instead, the disassembly of the heating elements and the electrical connections for the heating elements require a relatively high outlay in terms of time, other assembly work in the railway vehicle possibly being blocked at the same time. Furthermore, the heating foils are not tightly sealed, so that penetrating moisture can damage the heating foils. Furthermore, it is to be regarded as disadvantageous that materials adjoining the heating elements, normally wood, rubber or plastics material coverings are generally poor conductors of heat. Consequently, temperature peaks occur in the region of the heating elements and impair the heating output or lead to an unnecessarily high energy consumption in order to reach the desired temperature in the passenger compartment of the railway vehicle.


A detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency including a diode, a first inductor in series with the diode, a transmission line coupled across the diode on a first end of the transmission line, the transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth, and a capacitor coupled across a second end of the transmission line.

Detector circuits have been implemented in the prior art with discrete diodes and external impedance matching and video filtering circuitry. At millimeter wave frequencies these diodes are typically single discrete devices that are mounted on a substrate. Impedance matching and video filtering for the detector circuit are also mounted on the substrate, with the input matching network on the input side of the discrete diode, and the output video filter network on the other side of the discrete diode. Such a detector circuit is described in "Development of Compact Broadband Receivers at Submillimeter Wavelengths" by J. L. Hesler, D. W. Porterfield, W. L. Bishop, T. W. Crowe, and P. Racette, 2004 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings IEEE, pages 735-740. The resulting detector circuit is a physically large circuit with limited sensitivity.
Another example of the prior art is a W band detector developed at HRL Laboratories, LLC. This detector circuit is similar to detectors implemented in commercial millimeter wave imaging cameras. The W band detector is implemented using discrete diodes mounted on a circuit board. Input filtering is provided on the input side of the detector, and output filtering on the output side. This W band detector has high sensitivity, but very narrow bandwidth and is described in "Sb-Heterostructure Diode Detector W-band NEP and NEDT Optimization" by H. P. Moyer, R. L. Bowen, J. N. Schulman, D. H. Chow, S. Thomas III, T. Y. Hsu, J. J. Lynch, and K. S. Holabird Proceeding of SPIE Volume 6211, 62110J-1 (2006).
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a typical detector circuit. It consists of an input matching network 16 between input transmission lines 12 and 14 and a diode 22, and an output filter network 24 between the diode 22 and the output transmission lines 26 and 28. The diode 22 can be connected in shunt between lines 18 and 20, as shown in FIG. 1 or in series on line 18 (not shown). In either case it is critically important that the output signal between output transmission lines 26 and 28 has a bandwidth extending down to zero Hertz (DC). For example, the output filter network 24 shown in FIG. 1 cannot have a capacitor connected in series between the diode 22 and the output transmission line 26 since this would block zero Hz. Similarly, if the diode is connected in series, then a shunt inductor must be in the circuit in order that the output signal can be read across output transmission lines 26 and 28. This shunt inductor is typically referred to as a "DC return."
The purpose of the input matching network 16 is to provide an impedance match for maximum delivery of incident power from the input transmission lines 12 and 14 to the diode 22. The output filter network 24 ideally blocks any RF signal frequencies from the output signal, while passing lower frequency video signals to the output transmission lines 26 and 28.
FIG. 2A shows the equivalent circuit of a typical detector diode. It consists of a nonlinear junction resistance 34, a junction capacitance 32, and a series resistance 30. In order to achieve high sensitivity, this device must be impedance matched to an input transmission line. Typical parameter values for an exemplary Backward Tunnel Diode (BTD) are: Cj=8fF, Rj=1400 ohms, and Rs=25 ohms, and the Backward Tunnel Diode is designed to operate up to about 110 GHz. Given these typical parameters, one can show that the diode impedance looks similar to a resistor 36 and a capacitor 38 in series, as shown in FIG. 2B. The values of resistor 36 and capacitor 38 are given approximately by
      R    =                  R        s                          (                  1          +                      1                                          (                                  ω                                                                                R                        s                                                                                R                        j                                                                                C                    j                                                  )                            2                                      )              ,      C    =                  C        j            .      To obtain the widest possible bandwidth, which is important for passive millimeter wave imaging applications, communications, and other applications, the diode capacitance can be resonated by an inductance in the input matching network 16. The inductance value chosen will typically be about equal to
      L    =          1                        ω          o          2                        C              ,where ωo is the center frequency in radians per second of the operational bandwidth of the detector circuit.
The output filter network 24 typically consists of a low pass filter to pass the low frequency video output, while blocking the RF signal from the output signal. For example, for the shunt connected diode of FIG. 1 the output filter network 24 may consist of an inductor in series with the load. This circuit ensures detection down to zero Hz (DC) and has high impedance at the center frequency, thereby blocking the RF signal from the output transmission lines 26 and 28, while not degrading the RF operation of the circuit. An example of a circuit that would not work well for FIG. 1 is a large shunt capacitor connected directly across the diode. Although this allows DC to pass to the output transmission lines 26 and 28, and blocks RF from the output signal, it effectively short circuits the diode at RF, which disrupts the RF operation of the detector circuit.
What is needed is a detector circuit that has a wide operational bandwidth, while isolating the RF input signal from the output signal. The embodiments of the present disclosure answer these and other needs.

Detector circuit with improved bandwidth


A new and distinct Heuchera plant substantially as shown and described, characterized by large, shiny, red brown to almost black leaves, very ruffled leaves showing purple backs, a medium large plant size, light pink flowers in spring on short flower stalks, and excellent vigor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of 'Black Taffeta'. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera 'Black Taffeta' originated from a planned cross between Heuchera 'K580-8', a proprietary unreleased, unpatented plant, as the seed parent, and Heuchera '148-1' as the unpatented pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera 'K580-8', the new cultivar has larger leaves that are black rather than blue green. Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera '148-1', the new cultivar has leaves that are larger, black rather than amber colored, and more ruffled, and with pink buds to white flowers rather than insignificant brown.
Compared to Heuchera 'Black Beauty' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,288), the new cultivar has a larger habit, larger leaves that are more ruffled.
Compared to Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,965), the new cultivar has larger, darker, glossier, more ruffled leaves.
Compared to Heuchera 'Midnight Ruffles' (U.S. application Ser. No. 13/986,946), the new cultivar has leaves that are glossier, browner, and orbicular rather than ovate, and has flowers that are showy and light pink rather than small and red brown.
Compared to Heuchera 'Zipper', U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/987,219, the new cultivar has a larger habit and foliage color that is red brown to almost black rather than golden amber to orange.
This new Heuchera is distinguished by:                1. large, shiny, red brown to almost black leaves,        2. very ruffled leaves showing purple backs,        3. a medium large plant size,        4. light pink flowers in spring on short flower stalks, and        5. excellent vigor.
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation in 2011 by stem cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.