Disclosed are a control information sending method and detecting method, a base station, a terminal, and a computer storage medium. The method includes: a base station determining first-type physical layer control information, which is used for indicating a first-type control parameter of a second-type physical layer control channel; determining second-type physical layer control information, which is used for indicating a second-type control parameter of a data channel; sending the first-type physical layer control information; and sending the second-type physical layer control information on the second-type physical layer control channel.

In a wireless communication system, the link reliability of a physical layer is a very important issue. A deterioration in physical link quality may cause different levels of system performance degradation. In general, a transmission success rate, at the physical layer, of a link at the level of a data channel should be guaranteed at about 90%. For example, when calculating and reporting a Channel Quality Indication (CQI), an appropriate modulation and coding scheme is selected according to a target block error rate about 0.9. If a data block is not correctly transmitted during the actual transmission, a terminal needs to feed back NACK to a base station, and the base station performs retransmission according to the feedback of the terminal, and may initiate multiple retransmissions for the data block that is not correctly transmitted, so as to improve the final success rate of the data block. In addition to a physical layer retransmission technology, it is also possible to initiate retransmission of a larger data block on a high layer. For a control channel, the link reliability requirements are very high, and physical control information generally has no retransmission mechanism. The one-time transmission accuracy rate of the physical control information generally needs to reach 99%, and the transmission success rate of some pieces of more important control information reaches 99.9% or even higher, so as to avoid severe degrading of some system performances caused by the loss of control information, for example, indication information of a physical control channel symbols carried by a Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH).
In a low-frequency system, such as a fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, a multi-antenna closed-loop beamforming technology may be commonly used in data channels to obtain high transmission throughput. However, the characteristic of the beamforming technology is that energy is very concentrated in space. Although the performance is very good when the beam direction is accurate, the performance is degraded once the beam direction is inaccurate. In particular, a beam formed in a large-scale antenna system is very narrow. Although high gain is obtained when beams with very concentrated energy aligned, the performance will be severely degraded when the beam is slightly deviated, and even a signal may not be received completely. The data channel is characterized by emphasis on transmission efficiency and bad robustness. However, since a control channel performs some adjustments for dynamically indicating a data channel transmission policy, adjustment to a wide beam or beam switching may be quickly performed in this case, so that it does not cause particularly serious impact. Further, the target block error rate of the data channel itself is not very demanding, and retransmission may also be performed, so there are no serious problems.
For a control channel, in a low-frequency LTE system, a physical control channel generally adopts a relatively robust transmission mechanism, and does not rely on feedback of Channel State Information (CSI). For example, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) of LTE adopts a diversity transmission scheme, such as, space frequency block coding (SFBC), or a combination of SFBC and frequency switch transmit diversity (FSTD), which has high robustness and low-order modulation coding, thereby further ensuring high robustness. Therefore, the low-frequency system may work well, there is no frequent problem that a communication link is suddenly broken, and control information and data information cannot be parsed at all.
However, as the number of antennas increases, the coverage of data channel can be greatly enhanced due to the use of Beamforming. However, for the control channel, since the robustness is guaranteed by using a wide beam or a diversity technology (such as SFBC), there is a clear problem of coverage asymmetry. In order to solve this problem, a very low code rate may be required for control channel transmission, which means lower control information transmission efficiency. For a high-frequency system, this problem will be very obvious because the high-frequency coverage is originally a big problem, which needs to use the Beamforming gain of large-scale antennas to resist a large path loss. Therefore, the control channel also considers beamforming transmission through a certain width of beam using channel state information, which means that the control channel also needs to support a closed-loop Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) transmission technology.
If the control channel supports MIMO transmission, resource utilization efficiency and coverage will be significantly improved, but the robustness of a link will be difficult to guarantee. In the low-frequency LTE system, if there is a problem with the data link, the control channel is generally robust. The data link may be restored by making some adjustments to the data transmission through the control channel. However, if the control channel also uses MIMO transmission, once the beam is not aligned, e.g., in the case where a terminal moves and a line of sight (LOS) path physically blocks a current transmission beam, the overall link breaking will be caused, thereby resulting in the severe degradation of system performance. For example, if the beam cannot be aligned, uplink CSI cannot be correctly fed back, downlink control and data will not be accurate, and an uplink control channel will be lost. In this case, uplink and downlink data and control links will be broken, and link restoration and reconstruction cannot be quickly performed. The case where the beam cannot be aligned or blocked may be as illustrated in FIG. 1.
In a high-frequency system, when large-scale antennas are applied, an MIMO technology is used for both control and data channels in the related art, so the problem described above is always existed. Once the beam cannot be aligned or blocked, downlink control, downlink data, uplink control and uplink data are all broken. If there is downlink data to be sent at this time, the terminal does not receive control information and even cannot receive data, and no feedback is given. The terminal may understand that there is no information to be sent. In this case, the terminal has been lost from the network, and the terminal is not even aware of the loss of the link. The terminal will mistakenly believe that there is no data transmission on the downlink.

Control information sending method and detecting method, base station, terminal, and storage medium


An acoustic generator includes: a bimorph piezoelectric element including a stack of a plurality of internal electrodes and a plurality of piezoelectric layers, the bimorph piezoelectric element having a first main face and a second main face opposite the first main face; and a vibration plate joined to the second main face of the bimorph piezoelectric element. The bimorph piezoelectric element includes a region in a side of a first main face and a region in a side of a second main face, and, the plurality of piezoelectric layers constituting the region in the side of the first main face and the plurality of piezoelectric layers constituting the region in the side of the second main face are different from each other in at least one of relative permittivity and density.

There is known a piezoelectric element composed of a stack of a plurality of internal electrode layers and piezoelectric layers. The piezoelectric element is used as a source of vibration for an acoustic generator such as a panel speaker, and, it is known to use a bimorph piezoelectric element to produce an acoustic generator characterized by high sound pressure (refer to Patent Literature 1, for example).

Acoustic generator, and acoustic generation device and electronic apparatus having the same


The gliding properties of running surfaces for winter sports apparatus, e.g. skis and snowboards are improved by a mineral addition chosen from the sodalite group and tsaregorodtsevite-wadalite series or a mixture thereof. An ultramarine is especially preferred as the mineral additive. Gliding properties are similar to or improved in comparison to those obtainable with the addition of soot, carbon black or graphite. The mineral addition according to the invention can however be combined with the addition of soot, carbon black or graphite. The invention also opens up new possibilities in the coloration of running surfaces.

The invention relates to a running surface for a winter sports apparatus, more precisely to the enhancement of the gliding properties of such a running surface.
Currently used running surfaces for winter sports apparatus, e.g. any types of skis (e.g. cross-country skis, alpine skis, telemark skis), snowboards, skiboards, sleds etc., in more general terms for any running surface intended for gliding on snow or ice are preferably made of hydrophobic plastics, e.g. polyethylene (PE). The mechanism of gliding of such running surfaces on snow and/or ice is yet not fully understood. However, it is believed that upon interaction of surface roughness and snow- or ice crystals a hydrodynamic lubricating effect upon melt water due to frictional heat is essentially involved.
At higher gliding speed, the locally formed melt water tends to spread all over the running surface, leading to an unwanted "suction effect" which may influence the gliding speed in a negative way. In order to overcome this phenomenon, additives such as soot, carbon black and graphite have been added to the polyethylene matrix (see e.g. CH 657 993 A and CH 660 018 A). These additives are supposed to diminish the "suction effect" due to their higher heat conductivity. The superior gliding properties of such modified running surfaces led to their preferential use today. However, these running surfaces are inevitably black due to the black color of soot, carbon black and graphite, thus hampering any alternative coloration of running surfaces. Moreover, there is a high need for further improved gliding properties of running surfaces, especially for sports competition purposes.

Running surface for a winter sports apparatus


A method of making a foldable dial card having openings and edges in registration using a flexographic press. The process includes the steps of feeding an elongated stiff web into the flexographic press and then printing an image on the web, which is followed by feeding the printed web between an interior cutting roller and a backing roller to cut the internal regions of the dial card in the web material. After cutting the internal regions around the interior of the dial card the dial card is then fed under an air nozzle which removes the severed interior portions of the dial card from the web. Next, the printed web with the cut internal regions is fed between a second pair of rollers, one an exterior die cutting roller and the other a back up roller with the back-up roller moving at a faster surface velocity than the surface velocity of the exterior die cutting roller. The exterior die cutting roller cuts the external regions around the dial card so that the dial card can be removed from the web. Next the web is fed into a separator roller that separates the dial cards from the web material.

The concept of flexographic printing is well known in the art. In general, flexographic printing is a relief printing process used for printing of labels, food wrappers, and the like. In the process, a web of material is passed through various stations that print ink onto the web, generally two to four colors which are dried between the printing stages. After printing, the web is fed between die cutting rollers that cut the label or article from the continuously moving web. The flexographic printing method works well for light paper stock however heavier paper stock in the range of 15 to 20 mil thickness, which is used for items such as dial cards cannot be satisfactorily processed. Typically, dial cards comprise a stiff backing sheet with the product such as a battery or the like held on the dial card by a clear plastic cover that is secured to the dial card.
The present invention comprises a method of using a flexographic press to print and cut heavier web stock for use in such items as dial cards. Typically, dial cards present a difficult challenge since multiple actions need to be accurately performed. That is, the dial card needs to be printed, cut from a stock material and then folded with the edges of the dial card located in register with each other. The use of existing flexographic equipment to print dial cards on heavier web stock has proved ineffective because of the thickness of the web stock needed for the dial cards. Typical problems encountered include creases formed in the article as well as the inability to accurately make the cuts, perforations and fold lines in the dial card. An additional problem is the flexographic press can jam when the heavier weight materials needed for dial cards is fed through the flexographic press; in addition, the cutting and registration using multiple dies usually results in a mismatched dial card when the two halves of the dial card are folded onto each other. The present invention provides an improved process to permit the printing and cutting of heavier stock items such as dial cards on a flexographic press.

Method of printing and cutting heavy stock on flexographic press


A display substrate includes an insulating substrate, a thin-film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode, a signal line and a pad part. The insulating substrate has a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region. The TFT is in the display region of the insulating substrate. The pixel electrode is in the display region of the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the TFT. The signal line is on the insulating substrate and extends from the peripheral region toward the display region. The pad part is in the peripheral region and electrically connects to the signal line. The pad part is formed in a trench of the insulating substrate and includes a region that extends into the insulating substrate. Therefore, the signal line may be securely attached to the insulating substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display substrate used for a flat panel display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device, which is a type of display device, generally includes a display substrate, a color filter substrate facing the display substrate and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display substrate and the color filter substrate.
The display substrate includes a signal line, a thin-film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode, etc., that are formed on an insulating substrate to independently drive a plurality of pixels. The color filter substrate includes a color filter layer, a common electrode, etc. The color filter layer includes red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color filters, and the common electrode faces the pixel electrode.
When a screen size of the LCD panel is increased, a length of the signal line is increased. Also, when a resolution of the LCD panel is increased, a width of the signal line is decreased. Thus, resistance of the signal line is increased, and intensity of signals transmitted through the signal line is decreased. Also, the signals may be delayed. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the signal line includes a low resistance material such as copper.
The signal line including copper may be formed through a damascene process. In the damascene process, a trench is formed on a base substrate, and the copper is plated in the trench. However, a gas that is generated during copper plating may cause the signal line to be lifted off from the base substrate, thereby deteriorating stability of the signal line.


A refrigerated merchandiser adapted to display refrigerated products includes a case defining a product display area, a bottom shelf adapted to support the refrigerated products within the product display area, and a container removably coupled with the case at a location below the bottom shelf and adapted to collect debris falling below the bottom shelf. The container is removable from the case for cleaning without removing the refrigerated products from the bottom shelf.

This invention relates generally to display cases, and more particularly to refrigerated display cases.
In conventional practice, supermarkets and convenience stores are equipped with refrigerated merchandisers, which may be open or provided with doors, for presenting fresh food or beverages to customers while maintaining the fresh food and beverages in a refrigerated environment. Typically, cold, moisture-bearing air is provided to a product display area of the merchandiser by passing an airflow over the heat exchange surface of an evaporator coil, or evaporator. A suitable refrigerant is passed through the evaporator, and as the refrigerant evaporates while passing through the evaporator, heat is absorbed from the air passing through the evaporator. As a result, the temperature of the air passing through the evaporator is lowered for introduction into the product display area of the merchandiser.
Such a prior-art refrigerated merchandiser 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The merchandiser 10 includes a case 14 generally defining an interior bottom wall or shelf 18, an interior rear wall 22, and an interior top wall 26. The area bounded by the interior bottom wall 18, interior rear wall 22, and the interior top wall 26 defines a product display area 30, in which the fresh food and/or beverages are stored on one or more shelves 32. The case 14 includes an open front face to allow customers access to the fresh food and/or beverages stored in the case 14.
The case 14 also generally defines an exterior bottom wall 34 adjacent the interior bottom shelf 18, an exterior rear wall 38 adjacent the interior rear wall 22, and an exterior top wall 42 adjacent the interior top wall 26. A lower flue 46 is defined between the interior bottom shelf 18 and the exterior bottom wall 34 to allow for substantially horizontal airflow throughout the lower flue 46. The interior bottom shelf 18 includes an opening 50 to communicate with the lower flue 46 to allow surrounding air to be drawn into the lower flue 46 from the product display area 30. A rear flue 54 is defined between the interior and exterior rear walls 22, 38 and is fluidly connected with and adjacent to the lower flue 46. The rear flue 54 allows for substantially vertical airflow throughout the rear flue 54. An upper flue 58 is defined between the interior and exterior top walls 26, 42 and is fluidly connected with and adjacent to the rear flue 54. The upper flue 58 allows for substantially horizontal airflow throughout the upper flue 58. The interior top wall 26 includes an opening 62 to communicate with the upper flue 58 to allow airflow in the upper flue 58 to be discharged from the upper flue 58 and into the product display area 30. When combined, the lower flue 46, the rear flue 54, and the upper flue 58 comprise an air passage separate from the product display area 30.
The refrigerated merchandiser 10 also includes some components of a refrigeration system (not entirely shown) therein. One or more fans 66 are located within the lower flue 46 toward the back of the case 14 to generate an airflow through the lower, rear, and upper flues 46, 54, 58. An evaporator 70 is located within the rear flue 54 toward the bottom of the case 14. The evaporator 70 is positioned downstream of the fans 66 such that the airflow generated by the fans 66 passes through the evaporator 70. The refrigeration system may also include other components (not shown), such as one or more compressors, one or more condensers, a receiver, and one or more expansion valves, all of which may be remotely located from the refrigerated merchandiser 10.
Retailers must maintain their merchandisers 10, especially self-service dairy, deli, meat, and produce merchandisers 10, at a high level of sanitation. This usually comes at high costs and/or difficulty to the retailer. For example, in conventional merchandisers 10, the shelf 18, must be removed to access the bottom of the case 14 for cleaning. This also requires removal and storage of the products supported on the bottom shelf. With reference to FIG. 1, the merchandiser 10 includes a foam tub 74 below the interior bottom wall 18 to substantially insulate the bottom of the case 14. The foam tub 74 also presents several problems to retailers when attempting to clean their merchandisers 10. For example, in conventional merchandisers 10, the foam tub 74 restricts access to the ground or support surface supporting the merchandiser 10, which makes cleaning the area beneath the merchandisers 10 difficult.

Refrigerated merchandiser with access for cleaning


Disclosed are 6.alpha.-derivatized estriol compounds which, when conjugated to a protein, are useful in the in vivo preparation of antibodies specific to estriol. When labeled with a detectable label, the estriol derivatives are useful as haptens in a competitive immunoassay for estriol which demonstrate superior sensitivity with respect to estriol specific antibodies.

Estrogenic hormones are of primary importance in the female reproductive cycle and also play a role in mammary cancers. Estradiol is a potent, naturally occurring form of estrogen which may be associated with certain breast cancers. Estriol, related to estradiol, but differs in the respect that estradiol is the most potent naturally occurring estrogen whereas, estriol is a metabolite of and is considerably less potent than estradiol. Estriol is usually the predominant estrogenic metabolite found in urine and may be related to fetal distress. Accordingly, the detection of estriol serum levels in pregnant women provides information on fetal status during pregnancy. The clinical significance of estrogenic hormones is discussed by K. S. McCarty et al in Regulatory Mechanisms in Breast Cancer, Chapter 9, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 1991.
The synthesis of 6.alpha.-substituted estradiol analogs is discussed by Hamacaher et al in Arzneurn Forsch./Drug Res., 33 (1), 347-352 (1983), Frei et al in J. Steroid Biochem., 32 (2), 251-57 (1989), Nambura et al in Chem. Pharm. Bull., 22 (5), 1167-1173 (1974) and Jeffcoate et al in Steroids, 19 (2), 181-188 (1972).
The preparation of compounds 2 and 3 of scheme 1 herein is described by Dean et al in Steroids, 593-603 (1971), Longwell et al in Biol. Chem., 133, 219-299 (1940) and Burows et al in J. Org. Chem., 37, 4000 (1972).

Synthesis of 6.alpha.-functionalized estriol haptens and protein conjugates thereof


A projection exposure system having a light source generating a pulsed light, in particular a laser 1 generating linearly polarized light, is provided with an illuminating beam path, with an illuminating device 2 and a lens system 3 as objective. A rotating element 7 changing the polarization is preferably arranged between the light source 1 and the illuminating device 2 in the illuminating beam path in such a way that the polarizing effects of the pulses cancel one another out in the illuminating device 2.

The invention relates to a projection exposure system having a light source generating a pulsed light according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to an exposure method in microlithography.
In conjunction with linearly polarized light sources such as, for example, lasers, illuminating devices of projection exposure systems, in particular lithography objectives, have optical polarization properties which no longer meet the current requirements in all cases. Frequently, linearly polarized laser light with a polarization degree of approximately 90-95xc2x0 is rendered circular by means of a lambda/4 plate. The aim is to maintain this circular state up to a wafer which is to be exposed. However, it is disadvantageous that the optical components in the illuminating system, in the objective and reticle structures introduce phase differences. As a result, the original circular laser light acquires an elliptical polarization state. The disadvantage of this is the production of an uncontrolled state which varies from objective and illumination with reference to the respective next pair. This results in nonuniform brightness distributions over the image field and uncontrolled influences on the imaging and the image production.
These errors can presently be reduced only by materials which have little stress, mirror coatings which maintain polarization, dispensing with a glass rod and the like, all of which is possible, however, only at considerable outlay.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,103 describes an illuminating system in photolithography, an arrangement for rotating the polarization direction with the aid of a lambda/2 plate being provided. In order to achieve illumination with linearly polarized light of changing direction in conjunction with enhanced resolution or depth of field, the lamda/2 plate is rotated toward a focusing lens and an optical integrator.
It is the object of the present invention to create a projection exposure system and an exposure method in microlithography in which the disadvantages of the prior art are avoided, in particular in which nonuniform brightness distribution over the image field and uncontrolled influences on the imaging and image production do not occur.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of the features named in the characterizing part of claim 1.
An exposure method according to the invention is described in claim 11.
Using the system and the method according to the invention, it is possible in practice to leave virtually unchanged the known systems without complicated changes and yet, in the process, necessarily to bring about an optical polarization effect, specifically to expose the wafer in an unpolarized fashion. This purpose is served by the element changing the polarization. This can, for example, be achieved in a simple way by a lambda/2 plate which is arranged between the end of the beam feed of the linearly polarized light and the input of the illuminating device or the illuminating system.
It is known that a lambda/2 plate rotates the polarization direction of a linear light. If, in this case, the lambda/2 plate rotates with its axis, which is situated on the optical axis or parallel thereto, then the emerging linear laser light rotates with its vibration direction at this double frequency. The individual pulse of the light source, for example a litholaser, can now be synchronized with the rotary movement of the lambda/2 plate. In this case, the lambda/2 plate rotates further by 45xc2x0 from pulse to pulse. The laser light entering the illuminating system remains linear and changes in each case by 90xc2x0 from pulse to pulse. If a defined position of the crystal axis relative to the pulse in the lambda/2 plate has been set, that is to say 0xc2x0, 45xc2x0, 90xc2x0, 135xc2x0, 180xc2x0 etc., the polarization can reach approximately 0xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 relative to the mirror edges of the illuminating system. The decisive point in this is: 0xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 polarization between two pulses is now exactly orthogonal. If an exposure is now carried out with the aid of these two orthogonal pulses which integrates the resist of the wafer, this corresponds in sum as regards the result of exposure precisely to that of two completely unpolarized pulses. This means a cancellation of the polarized light or virtually depolarized light. There are always a sufficient number of exposure pairs present owing to the high frequency in the case, for example, of the use of litholasers at approximately 2000 to 8000 Hz.
In practice, the pulses mutually cancel one another out in their polarization effects downstream of the lambda/2 plate, specifically in pairs, or they supplement one another to produce an unpolarized effect.
If a lambda/4 plate, for example, is left in the illuminating system, the result in the presence of phase lags is a pulse pair with left-elliptically polarized light and right-elliptically polarized light, which is equivalent to entirely circular light in exposure, and this is the aim of the existing systems.
Polarization-rotating elements in the downstream beam path thus do not disturb the effect according to the invention. Polarization-selecting elements have their interference at least reduced.
The additional outlay in the system owing to a rotating synchronized lambda/2 plate is negligible by comparison with known devices for avoiding the disadvantages outlined.
A further advantage of the invention consists in that it is also possible for subsequently existing projection exposure systems to be depolarized in this way, the result being to produce new possible applications in a cost effective way.

Projection exposure system and an exposure method in microlithography


An electronic device includes: a board having a first connector; a housing in which the board is disposed and which has a work opening for allowing external work for the board; and a cable which has an end reaching the board by passing through a path within the housing and has a second connector to be mated with the first connector and disposed at the end. The electronic device further includes a cable holding section provided at an inner wall of the housing and having a slit whose width is smaller than a size of the second connector. The cable holding section holds the cable so that a part of the cable reaches the work opening.

In recent years, electronic devices such as notebook personal computers have been made multifunctional, and those with, for example, a capability of wireless communication function and a capability of displaying television images have been widely used. Such a multifunctional electronic device houses various boards such as a wireless module for supporting wireless communications and an antenna module for processing television antenna signals to display television images. One type of such boards is a board to which a cable routed within an electronic device is connected. Connection between this type of board and the cable is often carried out by mating a connector of the board and a connector provided at an end of the cable with each other (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-86794).
Such connection between a board and a cable appears to be simply work of merely mating the respective connectors with each other. However, depending on the position of a board and the wiring route of a cable within an electronic device, an inconvenience such as repeating the same work due to the cable-side connector being stuck in a narrow part of the housing is readily caused during work. This inconvenience is one of causes that impair workability of assembling electronic devices.


A pharmaceutical composition comprising at least 0.1 μmol of formaurindicarboxylic acid or its derivatives in 1 kg of pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 wherein the composition is in the form of solution prepared using aqueous alcali or water.

Coccidia parasites infect a wide range of animal species, especially farm animals where they cause significant economic losses due to mortality, morbidity, lower performance and extra costs associated with treatment and prevention. The most common coccidia belong to the genus Eimeria, which infect birds and mammals. Other common coccidian genera found in farm animals are Cryptosporidium and Isospora.
Cryptosporidium parvum typically infects the small intestine of neonates of ruminants, and is also human pathogen. In the human population, C. parvum and the genetically closely related species C. hominis are mostly diagnosed in individuals with a compromised immune system, mostly people with AIDS, where they cause profuse, long-lasting watery diarrhea. In immunocompetent people Cryptosporidium causes enteritis and diarrhea which is self-limiting. Nevertheless, severe diarrhea and dehydration may cause serious complications in children and in older persons.
Today, two different approaches for the control of coccidioses are used: 1) vaccination, and 2) administration of coccidiostats and anticoccidials. Vaccination against some Eimeria species is commercially available for use in poultry. Other animals must be treated by anticoccidials covering now all known coccidian species. A problem accompanying the use of these drugs, which were mostly synthesized in 1950s-70s, is the risk of resistancy and the need to rotate treatment programs. Also, residuality of these drugs represents a risk if drugs enter the food chain.
Treatment of cryptosporidial infections is problematic due to the lack of reliable drugs, as well as by the limitations associated with immunotherapy (Harp et Goff, 1995; Jenkins, 2004). People may be treated with paromomycin, and by azithromycin, nitazoxanide or lehrazuril, drugs with a limited efficacy against cryptosporidiosis (Blanshard et al., 1997; Giacometti et al., 1998). In animals, the only registered drug is halofuginone-lactate.
Because of these problems, it is evident that there is a need to find new highly effective anticryptosporidial drugs which should not be toxic to the host and should not leave any residual.

Preparation of the formaurindicarboxylic acid base and its derivations and use


Methods, apparatus, compositions and kits for inhibiting a disorder in a human patient, including non-cerebral neurovascular disorder or muscular headache pain, or loss of motor or sensory function, sympathetic tone or range or fluidity of motion that affect a nerve pathway at more than one locus associated with the disorder to inhibit the disorder. Alternatively or in addition, neuropathy associated with a disorder is treatable by palpating to determine a Keystone nerve essential to the neuropathy, applying pressure to determine a point of maximum discomfort or trigger of increased symptoms to identify a Levin Sign as a locus of initial intervention, and intervening to treat the neuropathy at the location of the Levin Sign by administering a pharmaceutically active agent, internal implanted or external neuro stimulation affecting the nerve pathway to inhibit the neuropathy.

This invention relates to compositions, devices, kits and methods for treating neuropathies and related disorders, including those involving a "Keystone nerve" (as defined hereinafter), including inhibiting pain associated with them, or for improving functionality, such as functionality resulting from the loss of motor or sensory function, sympathetic tone or range or fluidity of motion, following or as a result of trauma, neoplasm, cancer, surgery, small fiber peripheral neuropathy or nerve damage or compromise, or sympathetic dysfunction involving anything other than a cerebral neurovascular disorder (as defined hereinafter) or a muscular headache, such as but not limited to at least one of a disorder comprising pain or loss of motor or sensory function, sympathetic tone or range or fluidity of motion or trigeminal neuralgia (hereinafter generally a "disorder") of the face, head, neck, oropharynx, oral, dental, temporomandibular joint or musculature (TMJ), thorax, abdomen, pelvis, genitalia, shoulder, back, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle or other joints, limbs or musculature or connective tissue.
Any single one or any combination of these disorders, neuropathies, dysfunctions, indications, conditions or symptoms are treated according to this invention by affecting, such as by anesthetizing, blocking or disrupting a nerve pathway associated with the neuropathy, pain, disorder or dysfunction, such as but not limited to a dorsonasal nerve structure, a nerve of the head and neck, a nerve of the lower extremities, any portion of the spinal cord, surprascapular nerve, radial nerve, median nerve, ulnar nerve, musculocutaneous nerve, or peripheral or sympathetic nerves, including branches and small fibers of such nerves, associated with the neuropathy, pain, disorder or dysfunction in any manner to inhibit the neuropathy, pain, disorder or dysfunction. The nerve pathway may be anesthetized, blocked or disrupted by any of the following interventions: (a) performing acupuncture upon the nerve structure; (b) surgically intervening to disrupt or sever nerve structures; (c) by applying an electrical potential or current, including low level current, or electromagnetic radiation to the nerve pathway externally or internally, such as transepithelial (also known as transcutaneous) electrical neural stimulation or implantable and preferably a miniaturized electronic stimulation device or energy generating device stimulator such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), magnetic induction, radio frequency radiation or visible or non-visible light frequency, x-rays, proton bombardment, ultrasound, infrasound, near infrared or laser, applying heat, applying cold, or mechanical massage; or any other technique for stimulating an organ, tissue or nerve pathway to inhibit the disorder, neuropathy, indication, condition or symptom. (any one or more interventions of category (c) will be referred to hereinafter as a "Stimulation Technique" and any one or more devices used to stimulate, sense a condition of or monitor a function of an organ, tissue or nerve pathway or for any purpose set forth herein will referred to as a "Stimulation Device"); or (d) administering by any suitable means, such as parenterally, topically, transcutaneously, intranasally or dorsonasally, a local anesthetic or other pharmaceutically active agent capable of anesthetizing, blocking or disrupting any of the foregoing disorders, alone or together, to the areas containing or affecting the nerve pathway. Any one or any combination of two or more of these types of interventions (a) to (d) will be referred to herein broadly as an "Intervention" or "Interventions" to avoid having to repeat them throughout this application.
Peripheral nerve injections, stimulation, neuroaugmentation or neuromodulation involve a distinct nerve or ganglion structure which is targeted by the Interventions. One aspect of this invention targets peripheral nerve fibers or other structures physiologically or anatomically related to a given nerve structure or pathway, with or without having to directly target the specific distinct nerve structure itself. Thus, it is easier, safer and more practical to do and is surprisingly effective.
Another aspect of this invention is based on a procedure that involves reviewing the patient's putative mechanism of injury, and to try to grade the different quality and intensity of patient symptoms, and guide the physical examination accordingly. The diagnosis takes into account putative or known mechanisms of injury, patient initial and subsequent complaints in terms of quality and location, duration, timing, and factors affecting severity and quality of pain or other symptoms. The examination seeks and/or evaluates the presence of swelling, temperature changes, allodynia, range of motion, limbricity and sensory and motor function.
In particular, steady increase of pressure to palpation is applied along the course of certain major nerves in the area of the trauma or other neuropathy, such as the sural, saphenous, common popliteal, antebrachial cutaneous, radial nerves, among others for example, in order to identify what the inventor has coined as the Keystone nerve or compartment or body segment which is triggering and essential to the wider propagation or distribution of pathology and symptoms, which includes pathology affecting of other nerves, structures and or locations (hereinafter the "Keystone nerve"). The Keystone nerve may or may not have been the nerve or compartment initially injured or damaged or degenerated, but plays a significant role in the continuing pathology.
As indicated above, the Keystone nerve is identified by mild to moderate pressure applied to the course of putative Keystone nerves or structures to identify the Keystone nerve. The point of at least one of maximum discomfort or trigger of increased trophic symptoms or findings is the locus of initial intervention. This point is coined by the inventor as the "Levin Sign," distinct from mere tender points or trigger points and distinct from the Tinnel's sign, because direct application of increasing pressure is applied to determine the Keystone nerve and the Levin Sign, as opposed to striking a nerve superficially in a percussive manner as done for the Tinnel's sign.
Once the Keystone nerve and Levin Sign are identified, intervention may include any or all of the foregoing Interventions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,986 relates to treating a cerebral neurovascular disorder (CNvD) by dorsonasally administering to the patient over a period of time of less than about one half hour a long-acting local anesthetic in an amount effective to anesthetize a dorsonasal nerve structure to inhibit the CNvD for greater than one hour. CNvDs are characterized by one or more disturbances in the normal functioning of at least one component of the cerebral vascular or nervous system in a human. Headache is a common symptom of numerous diseases and disorders including, but not limited to, migraine, muscle tension, systemic or intracranial infection, intracranial tumor, head injuries, severe hypertension, cerebral hypoxia, certain diseases of the eyes, nose, throat, teeth, and ears, and head pain for which no cause can be determined. This patent focused, among other things, on treating tinnitus, cerebrovascular spasm, seizure, a disorder manifested during or after and associated with an acute ischemic event, and a neurovascular headache such migraine, cluster headaches, and headaches associated with a vascular disease, as well as muscular headaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,940 relates to various embodiments of dorsonasal drug delivery devices having a shape which conforms to the shape of the nasal cavity of a human, which, in some embodiments have an anatomically adapted dorsonasal delivery nozzle, and methods for dorsonasally administering compositions using the devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,799,337 relates to methods of intranasally administering a composition directly to a selected intranasal location of a human patient other than for effecting a block of the sphenopalatine ganglion, by using an intranasal delivery device by which the composition selectively enters at least one of (i) the inferior boundary of the nasopharynx, (ii) sinuses via pathways specific thereto, and (iii) cerebral tissue selected from the group consisting of cerebral spinal fluid, a cerebral neuronal structure and cerebral vasculature, via pathways specific thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,224,438 relates to a method of inhibiting a CNvD, such as migraine or headache associated with pain in a human patient by implanting an electronic neural stimulator in patient tissue adjacent a dorsonasal nerve structure and energizing the implanted electronic neural stimulator, so as to inhibit pain.
CNvDs are characterized by one or more disturbances in the normal functioning of at least one component of the cerebral vascular or nervous system in a human. CNvDs include, for example, migraine, cluster headaches, other headaches of neurovascular etiology, tinnitus, and cerebrovascular spasm. Human patients afflicted with a CNvD experience a single episode of the disorder, recurrent episodes, persistent episodes, or some combination of these patterns. An individual episode is designated an acute CNvD.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Neuropathies may result from metabolic, toxic, traumatic, postsurgical, oncologic, or degenerative spinal or other insults. Neuropathies compromise sensory, motor, autonomic and other functions and often result in severely compromised function and pain and dyssesthesias. They are very difficult to treat and patients often require ongoing high dose opioid and other medications and have poor responses to these and other therapies. Either spinal cord stimulation or peripheral nerve stimulation is used. The methods described herein allow for a novel approach to interrupting abnormal nerve conduction by utilizing a field sympathetic block around a given nerve or nerves which is safer and easier to perform than current methods and for neurostimulation techniques that are unique and/or easier to accomplish. Interestingly, the identification of a key neural component of a pathological process will normalize eurological function of a different nerve and decrease pain and dysesthesias in the distribution of that different nerve.
Phantom limb pain is pain that is felt in a body portion that is not present. It results from alterations of central pain processing and may be treated by the methods disclosed herein.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Complex regional pain syndrome ("CRPS") is a nerve disorder characterized by at least one, and often a combination of symptoms of intense burning pain, stiffness, swelling, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling, extreme sensitivity to touch and discoloration, changes in skin texture, motor disability, with decreased ability to move affected body part, and changes in nail and hair growth patterns. CRPS most often affects the hand, arms, legs and feet. There are two types of CRPS. Type I CRPS, also known as reflex sympathetic disorder ("RSD"), is triggered by tissue injury where there is no identifiable underlying nerve injury, while Type II CRPS refers to cases where a specific nerve is damaged, for example where a high-velocity impact (such as a bullet wound) occurred at the site and is clearly associated with nerve injury. Type II used to be called "causalgia." CRPS usually develops in an injured limb, such as a broken leg. However, many cases involve only a minor, seemingly inconsequential injury, such as a sprain. In some cases, no precipitating event can be identified. There is no known cure, but there are various types of palliative treatments, including, among others, topical analgesics, antidepressants, corticosteroids and opioids to relieve pain. However, no single drug or combination of drugs has produced consistent long-lasting improvement in symptoms. Other treatments may include physical therapy, sympathetic nerve block, spinal cord stimulation, neuroaugmentation and intrathecal drug pumps to deliver opioids and local anesthetic agents via the spinal cord. These have not been optimally effective for many patients.
Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity
The structures associated with the nasal cavity are described, for example, in Williams et al. (eds., 1980, Gray's Anatomy, 36th ed., W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1062-1065), especially at FIGS. 3.78, 3.79, 3.80, 7.239, and 7.240 and the accompanying text. FIG. 1 herein is a diagram depicting the approximate location of the SPG in relation to the nasal cavity of a human.
The sphenopalatine ganglion (hereinafter, the "SPG") is, in some texts, designated the "pterygopalatine ganglion." The position, origin, branches, and distribution of the SPG may be understood by examining FIGS. 7.177, 7.178, 7.179, and 7.181 and the accompanying text in Williams et al. (supra).
As the cited figures and text describe, the SPG is located below a region of epithelium in the posterior portion of the nasal cavity, inferior to and including the sphenoethmoidal recess, and is therefore not readily accessible via the nostril.
Ropivacaine is a recently introduced amino amide local anesthetic that is commercially available as the S (levo)enantiomer (Lee et al., 1989, Anesth. Analg. 69:736-738). Ropivacaine allows differential nerve block and exhibits intermediate distribution and clearance and a better systemic toxicity profile compared with other similar relatively long acting potent local anesthetics. In addition, ropivacaine also exhibits inherent vasoactive properties (deJong, 1995, Reg. Anesth. 20:4 7 4-481; Santos et al., 1990, Anesth. Analg. 70:262-266). Ropivacaine-HCl is commercially available as 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0% (w/v) solution (NAROPIN™, Astra USA, Inc., Westborough, Mass.), and has been described, for example in international patent application publication number WO 85/00599.
Local anesthetics are known to block the generation and the conduction of nerve impulses, presumably by increasing the threshold for electrical excitation in the nerve, by slowing the propagation of nerve impulses, and by reducing the rate of rise of the action potential of the nerve. In general, the progression of anesthesia is related to the diameter, degree of myelination, and conduction frequency and velocity of affected nerve fibers. Generally, the order of loss of nerve function is as follows: (1) sympathetic and parasympathetic function, temperature and pain, and (2) touch, and, where applicable, (3) proprioception, and (4) skeletal muscle tone.
The rate of systemic absorption in a patient of a local anesthetic is dependent upon the total dose, the concentration, and the identity of the local anesthetic administered to the patient, the route of administration, the vascularity of the site of administration, and the presence or absence of vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine in the anesthetic composition. A dilute concentration of epinephrine (e.g., 1:200,000 or 5 micrograms per milliliter) usually reduces the rate of absorption and peak plasma concentration of the local anesthetic, sometimes prolonging the duration of the anesthetic effect.
The duration of the anesthetic effect at a given site of administration of a local anesthetic is dependent upon the total dose, the concentration, and the identity of the local anesthetic administered to the patient, the rate of systemic absorption, and often the presence or absence of a vasoconstricting or other agent in the anesthetic composition.
Systemic administration of a local anesthetic is not a practical method for delivery of the local anesthetic to provide lasting relief of pain or other symptoms and indications associated with traumatic neuropathies and related disorders in a human patient, due to known adverse reactions, occasionally including acute emergencies, associated therewith.
There remains a significant unmet need for effective methods of treating pain other than pain associated with CNvDs. One aspect of the present invention provides compositions and methods which satisfy this need.
There also remains a significant urgent need for effective compositions and methods of treating pain not associated with muscular headaches. The present invention provides compositions, devices and methods which satisfy this need.

Methods for improving shoulder range of motion and functionality


According to one embodiment of the present invention, a data storage device comprises a generic host interface and a media controller. The host interface has a channel select bit encoder to assert one or more channel select bits to be decoded by the media controller to indicate one or more virtual channels through which the host interface will communicate with the media controller over a data bus. A virtual channel controller in the host interface establishes a peer-to-peer connection with a virtual channel controller in the media controller based on the virtual channel indicated by the one or more channel select bits. A communication controller in the host interface implements a communication protocol for communication with a host and transfers data to and from the media controller via the peer-to-peer connection based on the communication with the host.

A data storage device such as a magnetic, optical, or magneto-optical drive is typically connected to a host computer or other device through one or more communication paths between the host computer and the data storage device. A microprocessor in the data storages device, by executing instructions stored in memory, generally provides control for the device including control of the communications.
Data is transferred between the host computer and the data storage device by way of an interface, which typically utilizes one of a variety of common protocols for communicating with the host computer. Data to be written to the disc drive is thus passed from the host computer to the interface and then to a read/write channel, which encodes and serializes the data and provides the requisite write current signals to the heads. To retrieve data that has been previously stored in the data storage device, read signals are generated by the heads and provided to the read/write channel, which performs decoding and error detection and correction operations and outputs the retrieved data to the interface for subsequent transfer to the host computer or other device.
Currently, there are several popular interfaces available for use in data storage devices. For example, well known interfaces include Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), serial versions of both ATA and SCSI, Fiber Channel, Fire Wire, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and others. Each of these interface types cause a data storage device to read and write data on a storage medium of the data storage device in response to commands from the host. However, these interfaces all represent a different protocol and require a slightly different set of commands and operation types. In order to support these different interfaces, a manufacturer of data storage devices must develop interface hardware and software to support each protocol and command set. Therefore, the fact that many different interfaces exist adds to the complexities of developing software and hardware for data storage devices.
Accordingly there is a need for a generic host interface that allows many possible interface types to be used or interchanged with few hardware or software changes. The present invention provides a solution to this and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.

Method and system for generic data transfer interface


Portability of directory numbers in telephone networks, particularly so-called intelligent networks, may be provided without modification of the call processing software at originating network node switches, by associating each call to a ported number with an Initial Address Message comprising a Location Routing Number for the recipient switch as the Called Number and the ported directory number as the Original Called Number. At a boundary with a network which uses a Location Routing Number, a Generic Address Parameter and a Forward Call Indicator flag for identifying calls to ported numbers, a network element creates a modified routing message by converting the Original Called Number to a Generic Address Parameter and setting a Forwarded Call Indicator flag to indicate a translated originally-dialled called number. The network element then uses the converted Initial Address Message to route the call into the second network. Public Office Dialling Plan or Termination Attempt triggers may be used to interrupt processing of a call to the ported number and initiate a query to a Service Control Point database for the corresponding Location Routing Number for inclusion in the Initial Address Message. Alternatively, call forwarding at the donor switch may be used to provide the Location routing Number for the originating switch to include in the Initial Address Message.

The invention is applicable to telephone systems which are known as "Intelligent Networks" (IN) or "Advanced Intelligent Networks" (AIN) and which employ out-of-band signalling systems such as Signalling System No. 7 (SS7), also known as Common Channel Signalling No. 7 (CCS7). Such signalling systems exchange Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) messages or queries between network node switching elements to set up and route calls. The TCAP and ISUP messages are handled by a data communications system separate from the trunks which carry the calls themselves. The elements of such intelligent telephone systems include Service Switching Points (SSPs) interconnected by trunks for carrying calls, and Signal Transfer Points (STPs) and Service Control Points (SCPs) connected to each other and the SSPs by SS7 data links for carrying signalling. A Service Control Point is an "intelligence centre" with access to application databases enabling it to deliver various combinations of features, such as 1-800 number service and call redirection. A Signal Transfer Point (STP) is a signalling hub or concentrator, typically connecting several Service Switching Points to an SCP. A Service Switching Point (SSP) is a network node normally associated with a central office switch equipped with Signalling System Number 7 (SS7) messaging links to permit communication with the SCPs and which has special AIN call processing software including a plurality of "Point-in-Call triggers" which can be provisioned or set to interrupt call processing momentarily and initiate a TCAP query to the SCP for instructions on how to complete the call processing. Based upon the instructions, the originating end office seizes a trunk to a neighbouring switch and creates an Initial Address Message which it sends to the neighbouring switch via the signalling network. The Initial Address Message includes various parameters which will control routing of the call to its destination.
In circuit-switched telephone systems, each subscriber has a unique public directory number which is associated with a particular circuit of a switch at the subscriber's local office. As a general rule, if the subscriber transfers to a new service provider, the subscriber is assigned a new public directory number. For various reasons, it is desirable for a subscriber to be able to change service provider while keeping the same public directory number and any specific service features associated with it.
Various "local number portability" schemes have been proposed for "porting" a subscriber's directory number to a different switch and routing calls to it automatically, so that other subscribers may dial the same public directory number and still reach the subscriber, without knowing that the ported number is at a different switch. Procedures for achieving such "local number portability" were promulgated in a document entitled "Generic Switching and Signalling Requirements for Number Portability", Illinois Commerce Commission Workshop on LNP, Illinois, April 1996.
The former document proposes that, when a directory number is ported to a different switch, an entry will be made in the SCP database linking the ported directory number with the Location Routing Number of the recipient switch, i.e. the switch to which the subscriber transferred. Each originating end office will be notified that a number (NPA-NXX) from the "donor" office had been ported and will set a trigger to query the SCP for instructions when trying to route any subsequent calls to that NPA-NXX. It is preferred to set a trigger which will be actuated by any directory numbers beginning with that NPA-NXX rather than set a trigger for each individual ported directory number. The SCP will return the Location Routing Number of the recipient switch. The originating switch will incorporate the Location Routing Number and the original dialled digits into a special Initial Address Message and route the call to the recipient switch, which will complete the call to the "ported" subscriber. The Initial Address Message is termed "special" because it will have the Location Routing Number in place of the usual "Called party number" and the original dialled digits (called number) as a parameter called the "Generic Address Parameter". This Generic Address Parameter is defined in Bellcore GR-317-CORE. At the recipient end office switch, the presence of the Location Routing Number (which cannot be dialled by a subscriber) in place of the called number will prompt the switch to look to the Generic Address Parameter for the called number to which the call should be completed. Such an arrangement entails modifications to the SCP software, which is not particularly expensive because the SCPs are relatively few in number. A major disadvantage of this procedure, however, is that it requires every SSP in the network to be modified to give it the capability of creating the special Initial Address Messages and understanding those it receives. This entails considerable expense since there might be several hundred SSPs in the network.

Directory number portability in telephone networks


A hinge for connecting a lid to a box which includes a flexible web, a pinching means for securing the hinges to a panel of a box and a mounting means for affixing adhesively a lid to the hinge.

Containers with lids are commonly used in food shops to store and display bulk foods. These containers may be made from a variety of material such as plastic and the like. Flexible plastic hinges for connecting a lid to a panel of such a plastic container are well-known. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,670.938 which discloses a hinge having ribs at each end that are received by a first groove located on a first panel of a plastic box and a second groove located on a plastic lid.
Furthermore, a variety of hinged joints have heretofore been designed for effecting a hinged connection between panels such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,955.
Some of these hinged joints include clamping mechanisms for clamping a panel portion such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,690, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,064 shows wall portions connected to provide an entrance for insertion of a display which portions include a plurality of plastic projections to grip the display card.
Lidded containers made of plastic are costly. In addition, bulk foods are generally delivered to food shops in cardboard containers, from which the bulk foods must be transferred to the boxes made of plastic to allow convenient storage and display.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge for mounting a lid on a cardboard container, which hinge can also be adapted for mounting a lid on a container made of plastic. It is a further object of this invention to provide an efficient and inexpensive means of providing covers for boxes of all types, and in particular cardboard boxes.
The hinge disclosed herein can either be extruded from a plastic such as polypropylene, in the manner known to those skilled in the art, so as to define a web of the requisite thickness so as to allow flexibility of the hinge along said web. Alternatively, the hinge disclosed herein can be extruded from polyvinyl which is more resistant to a large number of flexure cycles than polypropylene by means of the co-extrusion process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,381 so as to define two parts of a hinge made of rigid polyvinyl and an intermediate connecting web made of flexible polyvinyl. More particularly, the profile of the hinge is constructed of rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, with the web portion being of a clear flex PVC.


A structural small overlap rigid barrier (SORB) joining bracket for a vehicle having an underbody hold-down assembly, a cowl side assembly, and a body mount assembly configured to connect a vehicle body to a vehicle frame includes a cowl side coupling first portion configured to couple to the cowl side assembly, and an underbody coupling second portion configured to couple to the underbody hold-down assembly and the body mount assembly. The SORB joining bracket couples and maintains structural integrity between the underbody hold-down assembly and the cowl side assembly, and couples with the body mount assembly to increase vehicle load capacity by providing a direct load path into the frame of the vehicle. A frame extension tube assembly creates additional strength and stiffness via stack-up with the SORB joining bracket.

Some vehicles include impact protection structure features to absorb energy from an impact event to protect vehicle passengers. In a small overlap impact event, a large amount of the impact is typically directed outboard of the main energy absorbing vehicle structures, and front portions of the vehicle may deform. Thus, while such impact protection structures do work well for their intended purpose, it is desirable to provide continuous improvement in the relevant art.

Vehicle structural systems for sorb impact events


A method and system facilitate communication between a constellation of satellites and a mobile platform-mounted mobile communicator. The method and system may include the use of a first antenna suited for operation using a first frequency band in a first geographic region and a second antenna suited for operation using either the first or a second frequency band in a second geographic region. The method and system may use a controller to determine which antenna to activate based on one or more of a geographic indicator or a signal indicator. The system used by the method to facilitate the communication may have one or more enclosures over the antennas and controller for mounting to a mobile platform.

Since the beginning of powered flight, it has been of paramount importance for people onboard a plane to be able to communicate with people on the ground. As technology advanced, this communication began to include digital data as well as analog voice signals. Further advances lead to the technology to permit aircraft to communicate with satellites to relay information to and from ground stations so aircraft could continue to be in communication over land and ocean, anywhere around the world. More recently, passengers on the aircraft have been given access to these satellite systems, especially to use the satellite systems to access the Internet. The aircraft may access the satellite system with an antenna or antenna array suited for communication with the satellite system. However, different locations around the globe may call for different types of antennas to optimize communication, so a satellite transceiver with only a single type of antenna may not provide adequate service if the mobile platform to which it is mounted moves across the globe. In particular, an aircraft flying a transcontinental route may experience a reduced ability to communicate with the satellite system as it moves from a polar latitude toward the Equator.

Multiple antenna system and method for mobile platforms


Apparatus for measuring the differential group delay τ1 in an optical fiber connection. The apparatus comprises at the inlet to said connection, a generator (10) for generating a binary signal sequence at a data rate D and a first polarization controller (30) suitable for subjecting the binary signal of an incoming sequence to a first scan through polarization states; and at the outlet from the connection, a second polarization controller (60) suitable for subjecting the signal resulting from the outgoing sequence to a second scan through polarization states, independently of said first polarization scan, a differential group delay emulator (70) suitable for introducing a variable additional group delay τ2, and an analyzer device (90) suitable for detecting the equality τ1+τ2=1/D in the resulting signal sequence.

In an optical fiber transmission system, the connection, including both line fiber sections and chromatic dispersion compensation fiber sections, connectors, and multiplexers/demultiplexers, together with couplers, filters, isolators, circulators, amplifiers, etc., behaves like a birefringent medium and induces effects that are harmful for signal propagation, giving rise in particular to variation in group delay time depending on the polarization angles of the light signals transmitted relative to the fast and slow axes of local birefringence, as shown in FIG. 1. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, a propagation time difference, known as the differential group delay (DGD), appears between signals that are polarized along the fast axis and signals polarized along the slow axis. This delay t2−t1 written τ1, depends on the number of birefringent elements that have been passed through, and on the wavelength used.
As can also be seen in FIG. 2, this propagation time dispersion has the consequence of broadening the resulting light pulses after it has been conveyed along the optical connection, which broadening must be kept within a tolerance range specified by a value DGDmax that is determined as a function of the data rate, the coding, and the modulation format of the signal. DGDmax must be less than ½ where D is the data rate in bits per second (bit/s) of the light pulses transmitted over the connection.
DGD is essentially an instantaneous magnitude, since it depends on numerous physical factors that can vary over time, such as temperature, local applied stresses, etc.
Furthermore, the total dispersion due to the polarization of the light and to the birefringence of the medium can also be characterized by another magnitude known as polarization mode dispersion (PMD) that takes account of the average of the DGDs for all of the polarization states and for the entire optical spectrum conveyed by the fiber over the duration of the PMD measurement. It has been shown that the various DGD values that are obtained over a broad spectrum range and over a short duration, e.g. over a few minutes, correspond to the values that the DGD can take at a given wavelength over a longer period of time, e.g. of the order of several days. This broadband optical measurement can be performed if, and only if, a significant spectrum range is explored, and consequently, the spectrum range that can be covered by the passband of a channel in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system, as set by the optical multiplexers/demultiplexers of the terminals or by the optical add drop multiplexers (OADMs) is found to be too small to enable such a measurement to be performed.
It is possible, in known manner, to estimate a maximum differential group delay value DGDmax from the measured PMD by calculating the probability of a DGD value being exceeded as a function of a statistical model of DGD distribution, such as the now-standardized Maxwell distribution.
A known method of measuring PMD over an optical fiber connection consists in measuring PMD on fiber sections of the connection by means of a broadband light source or a light source that is turnable over a broad band, e.g. a band of several tens of nanometers. For this purpose, it is possible to make use of the entire optical passband of a WDM connection. A polarization controller makes it possible to simulate all of the polarization states of the signal at the inlets of fiber sections. At the outlets from the sections, a second controller serves to analyze all of the polarization states of the received signal. The PMD value is estimated from interferograms of the received signal or from an analysis of polarization states, implementing a Jones matrix, Stokes parameters, or the Poincaré sphere, for each wavelength and for each analyzed polarization state. Probabilistic processing covering all of the polarization states and all of the wavelengths gives an estimate for the PMD value, and thus an estimate for DGDmax by applying the above-mentioned statistical model.
That known method of estimating DGD nevertheless presents a certain number of drawbacks. Firstly, it does not enable an instantaneous value of DGD to be obtained, even though that is of very great importance when it is desired to qualify a connection for acceptance purposes. Furthermore, it constitutes a method that is intrusive, causing traffic to be interrupted since it requires the optical line to be interrupted in order to insert the measurement equipment. Finally, only optical fiber sections are taken into account rather than all of the elements in the connection, and in particular the terminals and the OADMs are not taken into account.

Method of measuring the differential group delay of an optical fiber connection


A method discovers patterns in unknown multi-dimensional data. A time-series of the multi-dimensional data is generated and a point cross-distance matrix is constructed by self-correlating the time-series. All minimum cost paths in the point cross-distance matrix are located at multiple time resolutions. The minimum cost paths are then related to temporal sub-sequences in the multi-dimensional data to discover high-level patterns in the unknown multi-dimensional data.

Data mining extracts information from large-scale databases and the Internet. Data mining has been applied to the analysis of market, financial, sensor, and biological data. Data mining should not be confused with pattern matching where data are searched for known patterns.
Fundamentally, data mining discovers "interesting" and previously unknown patterns in data. Interesting patterns are usually defined in terms of the reoccurrence rate of a particular pattern. Because data mining does not presume any pre-defined patterns, it is frequently described as unsupervised learning.
Data mining derives rules, trends, regularities and correlations from a large volume of data. Often, data mining is based on artificial intelligence (AI), memory based reasoning (MBR), association rule generation, decision trees (DT), neural analysis, statistical analysis, clustering, and time series analysis.
Clustering identifies homogeneous groups of related information in data. Prior art clustering assumes that relationships among the data are known. Clustering has been studied extensively in statistics, pattern recognition, and machine learning. Examples of clustering applications include customer segmentation for marketing analysis, and identification of sub-categories of signal databases in sensed data.
Clustering techniques can be broadly classified into partitional techniques and hierarchical techniques. Partitional clustering separates data into K clusters such that the data in each cluster are more similar to each other than to data in different clusters. The value of K can be assigned by a user, or iteratively determined so as to minimize the clustering criterion.
Hierarchical clustering is a nested sequence of partitions. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering places data in atomic clusters and then merges the atomic clusters into larger and larger clusters until all data are in a single large cluster. Divisive hierarchical clustering reverses the process by starting with all data in one cluster and subdividing the cluster into smaller clusters, see for example, Jain et al., "Algorithms for Clustering Data," Prentice Hall, 1988, Piramuthu et al., "Comparison of SOM neutral network and hierarchical clustering methods," European Journal of Operational Research, 93(2):402–417, September 1996, Michaud, "Four clustering techniques," FGCS Journal, Special Issue on Data Mining, 1997, and Zait et al., "A Comparative study of clustering methods," FGCS Journal, Special Issue on Data Mining, 1997.
Most data mining methods reduce the dimensionality of the input data.
Clusters that are formed in a high-dimensional data space are not likely to be meaningful clusters because the expected average density of points anywhere in the high-dimensional data space is low. Known techniques for reducing the dimensionality of data include principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis, singular value decomposition (SVD), and wavelets. Principal component analysis, also known as the Karhunen-Loeve expansion, finds a lower-dimensional representation that explains variances of data attributes, whereas factor analysis finds correlations among the data attributes. Jain et al., in "Algorithms for feature selection: An evaluation, Technical report," Department of Computer Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., 1996, describe a technique for image analysis.
A popular data mining method used for analysis of consumer buying patterns is the identification of non-obvious associations, or association rules. An example of an obvious association is that consumers who buy baby formula also buy diapers at the same time. However, it was discovered in 1992 that beer and diapers are often purchased together in the evening hours. Such an association is a good example of a non-obvious association. Normally, one would not associate diapers and beer as strongly related purchase items because beer is usually not considered a baby formula. Such an approach has also been termed market-basket analysis.
An association is defined as follows. If there is a set of n items I1, . . . , In, and a transaction, e.g., a database or operation, that selects a subset of the n items, then an association between two items Ii and Ij is defined as a rule R for any transaction in both items Ii and Ij are selected into the subset. A condition of the rule R is defined as the occurrence of item Ii. A result of the rule R is defined as the occurrence of the item Ij. A support of the rule R is defined as a percentage of the transactions that have both items Ii and Ij. A combination of the rule R is defined as the occurrence of both items Ii and Ij in the same transaction. A confidence of the rule R is defined as a ratio of the support of the combination and the support of the condition. Finally, an improvement of the rule R is defined as a ratio of the support of the rule over the product of the support of the condition Ii and the support of the result Ij.
An association is strong when both the support and the confidence of the association are high. For example, for a grocery store transaction, milk is strongly correlated with every other item sold so the support is high, because most transactions include milk as an item. However, for some items, such as greeting cards, the confidence is low because these are bought infrequently.
Finally, the improvement of the association needs to be strong as well, because an improvement less than 1 indicates that the condition does not predict the combination with any better accuracy than by using the raw probability of the combination itself. So even if the support and confidence of the rule are high, without a corresponding improvement greater than 1, the rule offers no advantage over pure chance. Below, we describe the use of associations for "labeled clusters" of video features, instead of consumer "items."
Time series analysis correlates data values as a function of their temporal separation. For example, time series analysis has been used to discover patterns in stock prices, sales volumes, climate data, and EKG analysis. It is generally assumed that there is an underlying deterministic process that generated the time series and that that process is not random. However, time series data of real-world phenomena is often intermixed with non-deterministic data, for example, unavoidable random noise.
Typically, time series are compared using a similarity measure such as the Euclidean distances, or some variation thereof. However, Euclidean distance measurements tend to be unreliable. A more robust similarity measure is based on dynamic time warping (DTW), see Berndt et al., "Finding patterns in time series: a dynamic programming approach," Advances in Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining. AAAI/MIT Press, Menlo Park, Calif. pp. 229–248, 1966. DTW attempts to align time series data by selectively stretching and shrinking the time axis.
Up to now, most data mining techniques have focused on textual data, numeric data and linear (one-dimensional) signals. However, a huge amount of information is now readily available in the form of multi-dimensional images, movies, and videos that have both space and time dimensions.
Some prior art techniques perform a rudimentary type content analysis on videos. The most common approach trains an expert system using a set of labeled samples, hence those techniques are based on supervised learning, and not unsupervised data mining see Xu et al., "Algorithms and Systems for Segmentation and Structure Analysis in Soccer Video," IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo, Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 22–25, 2001, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/839,924 "Method and System for High-Level Structure Analysis and Event Detection in Domain Specific Videos," filed by Xu et al., on Apr. 20, 2001, and Naphade et al., "Probabilistic multimedia objects (multijects): A novel approach to indexing and retrieval in multimedia systems," Proceedings of the fifth IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, vol. 3, pp. 536–540, 1998.
Prior art unsupervised video analysis techniques are mostly content neutral. For example, videos have been summarized by selecting key frames from identified segments. There, the segments are determined by detecting scene or "shot" changes, e.g., fades or sudden changes in audio volume. What the scenes depict is immaterial. The particular frame selected is usually a good representative of the other frames in the shot according to some criterion. Other techniques exploit changes in camera angles or field of view, e.g., zooming. Such content-neutral techniques have had moderate success and require supplementary content-specific techniques for semantically satisfactory performance.
However, in general, the problems associated with content-based video mining are not well understood.
For example, it is unclear whether well-known classification and regression trees (CART) are applicable to video mining without considerable modification. The CART method splits independent variables into small groups of data sets, and fits a constant function to the small data sets. In categorical trees, the constant function is one that takes a finite small set of values, e.g., yes and no, or low, medium, and high. In regression trees, the mean value of the response is fit to small connected data sets.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a system and method for mining multi-dimensional time series data sensed from a scene, i.e., a sequence of frames acquired by a camera—a video. Video mining would be particularly useful for discovering interesting patterns in videos where an a priori model of the domain and content, such as editing models, characteristics of a news video, or patterns in a sports video, etc., are not readily available.

Pattern discovery in multi-dimensional time series using multi-resolution matching

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


In response to a user activating a language switching mechanism to indicate a newly selected language, a language switch component sends a language key that corresponds to a first language sensitive element displayed in the user interface to a language resource manager. The language resource manager retrieves from a language resource bundle, which corresponds to the newly selected language, a second language sensitive element. The language switch component then replaces the first language sensitive element with the second language sensitive element. The replacement process is then repeated for all language sensitive elements in the user interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of data processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing dynamic support for multiple languages within one or more application programs.
2. Description of Related Background Art
In the early development of the software industry, engineers and developers knew the demographics of those who would use an application program. Generally, due to the cost of software and hardware, users tended to be middle to upper class business people who speak English. Additionally, the developers and designers of the application programs were of the same culture and nationality as the users of the programs. Translation and support for multiple languages was not an important issue.
Today, however, with inexpensive hardware and software being used at almost every level of society, support for multiple languages in an application program is a very important issue. The importance of multiple language support has also increased due to globalization. Businesses compete more now than ever across international borders. Often a business will have several offices around the world. As a result, the developers of an application program often speak different languages than the end users of the program.
To accommodate users of different languages, developers identify which elements of the program are sensitive to difference in language between users. Generally, these elements are the displayable elements of the program's user interface. These elements of the user interface are referred to herin as language-sensitive elements (LSEs). LSEs may include displayable elements such as symbols, numbers, text, icons, graphics, and the like. LSEs are not limited solely to words and phrases. Likewise, some icons or graphics may be understood by only a particular culture. Additionally, certain audio clips such as tones, chimes, and the like may be LSEs. The definition of which elements of an application program user interface are LSEs depends largely on who the potential user of the application program will be.
A conventional approach to providing multiple language support is to distribute an alternative set of LSEs with the application program code. Generally, this is implemented in one of two ways. First, the actual code of the program may include alternate text messages, icons, and other LSEs that are compiled and distributed with the program code. The alternate LSEs are displayed based on a global language indicator condition. For example, if the language indicator is English, then "Hello" is displayed. If the language indicator is Spanish, then "Hola" is displayed. Similar conditions may be dispersed throughout an application program. Under this technique, modifying and adding support for new languages to each LSE is very expensive because a computer programmer is needed to navigate through the code to change the LSE conditions.
A second conventional approach for supporting multiple languages is to build separate user interface code. For example, one set of code may display a set of database fields and field indicators to identify each field in a user interface window. The field indicators are generally LSEs. Therefore, a completely identical set of computer code may exist to perform all of the same functions as the first, but simply include field indicators translated into the desired languages. As a new language must be supported, the code containing LSEs is then duplicated and the field indicators are translated.
The two conventional approaches outlined are generally referred to as "hard coded" approaches and have several limitations. First, the application program code must be changed each time a new language is to be supported or an error in translation is found. Second, changes must be implemented by a computer programmer so that the application code continues to function properly. Because the changes are hard coded into the application program, the cost of fixing or modifying the program is very high. Also, duplicating the computer code increases the amount of code which must be changed if a programming bug is discovered. Additionally, each change in an LSE may require that the whole set of application program code be updated. Third, the indicator of which language the application program is to use is generally only set when the application program begins execution. Even if the language indicator may be changed, the whole program generally must be re-started to implement the change.
Application programs that support multiple languages have generally made assumptions about the user to simplify the task of providing multiple language support. For example, it is often assumed that the language used in the Operating System (OS) of a computer is the same one the user will want for application programs executing on that OS. Alternatively, it is assumed that the physical location of a particular computer is a reasonable indicator as to what language the user desires to use for all application programs on the computer.
Because these assumptions may not always be true, most OSs allow the user to modify the OS configuration settings to support a different language. However, the process generally requires that the computer system be powered down and re-booted. Re-booting generally takes from one to five minutes. Sometimes, the user does not know how, or is not allowed, to change the OS configuration settings.
While assumptions about the desired user language may have worked in the past, today's diverse workplace have made the assumptions impractical. More and more companies and organizations operate offices in various different countries. Additionally, people often live in countries whose native language differs from their own. Clear communication between the user and the application program is vital.
Conventional multiple language support by re-booting the OS or re-starting an application is impractical. For example, applications that serve as point of sale (POS) terminals, i.e. check-out stands for a retailer, are often operated by a minimum wage employee whose native language may differ from the majority of people where the store is located including the manager. Re-booting the terminal for an exchange of employees, or to allow a supervisor to momentarily operate the terminal, causes delays which most customers will not tolerate. Similarly, re-starting the application may require a sales transaction to be re-initiated as well. Configuration changes to support a different language and re-starting may lead to a significant loss of business.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs. What is also needed is a system and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs that allows new languages to be supported without using expensive application programmer resources. Additionally, what is needed is a system and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs that separates application program support and upgrades from those relating to language translations. What is also needed is a system and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs that does not require re-booting the computer system or re-starting the application program to change which language is being used. What is also needed is a system and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs that allows for dynamic switching of the current language of the user interface based on who the user is rather than the location of the machine or configuration of the operating system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing dynamic multiple language support for application programs


An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising an electrically conductive support and a photosensitive layer formed thereon, wherein said photosensitive layer contains an arylamine compound of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein each of Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, Ar.sup.3 and Ar.sup.4 which may be the same or different, is an aryl group which may have substituents, or a heterocyclic group which may have substituents, each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 which may be the same or different, is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may have substituents, an alkoxy group which may have substituents, or a phenyl group which may have substituents, and each of R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 which may be the same or different, is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may have substituents, or an alkoxy group which may have substituents.

Heretofore, inorganic photoconductive materials such as selenium, cadmium sulfide and zinc oxide have been widely used in the photosensitive layers of the electrophotographic photoreceptors. However, selenium and cadmium sulfide are required to be recovered as toxic substances. Further, selenium is crystallized by heat and thus is inferior in the heat resistance. Cadmium sulfide and zinc oxide are inferior in the moisture resistance. Zinc oxide has a drawback that it is poor in the printing resistance. Under these circumstances, research efforts are still being made to develop novel photosensitive materials. Recently, studies on use of organic photoconductive materials for the photosensitive layers of the electrophotographic photoreceptors have been advanced, and some of them have materialized into practical use. The organic photoconductive materials have many advantages over the inorganic materials. For example, they are light in weight and easy to fabricate into films, and they can be easily manufactured into photoreceptors or into transparent photoreceptors depending upon the type of the material.
Recently, the main research activities are directed to so-called function-separated photoreceptors whereby functions of generating and transporting electric charge carriers are performed by separate compounds, since they are effective for high sensitivity, and organic photoreceptors of this type have been practically employed.
As a carrier transporting material, a polymer photoconductive compound such as polyvinyl carbazole may be employed. Otherwise, a low molecular weight photoconductive compound may be used as dispersed or dissolved in a binder polymer.
Particularly in the case of an organic low molecular weight photoconductive compound, it is possible to select as a binder a polymer excellent in the film-forming property, flexibility and adhesive property, whereby a photoreceptor excellent in the mechanical property can readily be obtained. For this purpose, not only hydrazone compounds and stilbene compounds but also triarylamine compounds have been studied (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,180,730, 3,387,973, 4,123,269 and 4,127,412). However, it has been difficult to find a suitable compound for the preparation of a highly sensitive photoreceptor.
Especially, color copying machines have been developed in recent years, and photoreceptors suitable for such copying machines are desired. However, conventional photoreceptors are poor in the reproducibility of the cyan color, because the carrier transporting material of them has absorption of light in the cyan color region (400-500 nm).

Electrophotographic plate with an arylamine-containing photosensitive layer