New chelating agents as well as their tricarbonyl complexes with technetium and rhenium and the use of these compounds in radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy are described. The new chelating agents are coupled to substances that accumulate in the diseased tissue.

The invention relates to the field of radiopharmaceuticals and describes new chelating agents as well as their tricarbonyl complexes with technetium and rhenium.
Complexes with radioactive metals have already been used for a very long time in radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy. The radionuclide technetium-99m is used most frequently, since it is especially well suited for in-vivo use because of its advantageous physical properties (no corpuscular radiation, short half-life of 6.02 h, good detectability by its 140 KeV xcex3-radiation), its short biological half-life and its broad availability. For synthesis of technetium-99m-complexes, pertechnetate is first obtained from a nuclide generator and converted by using suitable reducing agents (e.g., SnCl2) into a lower oxidation stage, which then is stabilized by a suitable chelating agent. Since technetium can be present in a number of oxidation stages (+7 to xe2x88x921), which can greatly alter the pharmacological properties by altering the charge of a complex, it is necessary to provide chelating agents or complex ligands for technetium-99m, which can bind technetium in a more secure, tight and stable manner in a defined oxidation stage. The chelating agents inhibit redox processes or technetium-release reactions that occur in vivo. Such undesirable reactions make a reliable diagnosis of diseases more difficult, since the build-up of the radiopharmaceutical agent is determined in lesions, while the pharmacokinetics of the radiopharmaceutical agent and its excretion are determined by its metabolites.
For example, cyclic amines are regarded as suitable complexing agents for technetium and rhenium isotopes [Troutner, D. E. et al., J. Nucl. Med. 21, 443 (1980)], but said amines have the drawback that they are able to bind technetium-99m in good yields only starting from a pH greater than 9. N2O2 systems [Pillai, M. R. A., Troutner, D. E. et al., Inorg. Chem. 29, 1850 (1990)] are undergoing clinical use. Non-cyclic N4-systems, such as, e.g., the HMPAO, have only a low complex stability. Tc-99m-HMPAO, because of its instability [Ballinger, J. R. et al., Appl. Radiat. Isot. 42, 315 (1991); Billinghurst, M. W. et al., Appl. Radiat. Isot. 42, 607 (1991)], must be administered immediately after its labeling, so that the proportion of decomposition products that have a pharmacokinetics and excretion other than the diagnostic agent can be kept small. The radiochemical contaminants impede the detection of the diseases that are to be diagnosed. N2S2 chelating agents [Bormans, G. et al., Nucl. Med. Biol. 17, 499 (1990)], such as, e.g., ethylene dicysteine [Verbruggen, A. M. et al., J. Nucl. Med. 33, 551 (1992)] comply, with the requirement for adequate stability of the corresponding technetium-99m complex, but radiodiagnostic agents with a purity above 69% form only starting from a pH greater than 9. N3S systems (Fritzberg, A., EPA 0 173 424 and EPA 0 250 013) form stable technetium-99m complexes, but must be heated to temperatures of about 100xc2x0 C. to incorporate the radioisotope. Another drawback of the N2S2 and N3S systems consists in that the latter are partially excreted quickly and without specific build-up of the organism, so that the latter are used clinically only as renal functional diagnostic agents. They therefore have only a limited suitability. The coupling of such chelates or chelating agents to substances that accumulate selectively in foci of disease cannot be triggered with simple agents, so that the latter are generally distributed non-specifically in the organism.
In recent years, the demand for radiodiagnostic agents and radiotherapeutic agents that accumulate specifically in diseased tissues has increased. This can be achieved if complexing agents can be coupled easily to substances that accumulate selectively in lesions and in this process do not lose their advantageous complexing properties. Since a weakening of the complex stability is observed frequently after a complexing agent is coupled to such a molecule, the previous attempts to couple chelating agents to selectively accumulating substances do not appear to be very satisfactory. The reason lies in the fact that a diagnostically intolerable proportion of the isotope is released from the conjugate in vivo [Brechbiel, M. W. et al., Inorg. Chem. 25, 2772 (1986)]. It is therefore necessary to provide bifunctional complexing agents that carry both functional groups for stable binding of the desired metal ion and one or more other functional groups for binding the selectively accumulating molecule. Such bifunctional ligands make possible a specific, chemically defined binding of technetium or rhenium isotopes to the most varied biological materials even if a so-called prelabeling is performed. Some chelating agents were described that were coupled to, e.g., monoclonal antibodies (e.g., EP 247 866 and EP 188 256) or fatty acids (EP 200 492). As chelating agents, however, the already mentioned N2S2 systems were used, which were not very suitable because of their poor stability. Since both the properties of the selectively accumulating substances and the mechanisms according to which they are concentrated in lesions are very different, it is also necessary to vary the chelating agents that can be coupled and to be able to adapt the physiological requirements of the coupling partner with respect to its lipophilia and hydrophilia, membrane permeability or impermeability.
To deal with the above-mentioned drawbacks and limitations of the established chelating groups as well as their conjugates with biomolecules, which accumulate selectively in diseased tissues, it has been attempted in recent years to use tricarbonyl-technetium-I compounds and tricarbonyl-rhenium-I compounds for labeling such biomolecules (Lit. R. Alberto et al., Achievements and Prospects of New Radiotracers, 1997, C3, p. 57 (Abstracts)). Since, however, tricarbonyl-technetium-I-triaqua ions and tricarbonyl-rhenium-I-triaqua ions with high stability are bonded non-specifically and quickly by serum proteins, however, it has not yet been possible to synthesize adequately stable conjugates between substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues with tricarbonyl-technetium-I complexes and tricarbonyl-rhenium-I complexes.
International Patent Application WO 98/48848 describes a general method for the production of tricarbonyl-technetium-I complexes and tricarbonyl-rhenium-I complexes. Special chelating agents, which can be coupled to biomolecules and with whose aid especially stable complexes are obtained, are not mentioned in this application.
The object of this invention was therefore to develop stable tricarbonyl-technetium-I complexes and tricarbonyl-rhenium-I complexes that can be coupled to various compounds that selectively accumulate in diseased tissues. Another object of the invention was to provide such chelating agents or complexes that can be coupled and that have a large chemical range of variation of the substituents so as to be able to adapt the latter to the above-referenced requirements. Another aspect of the invention relates to processes for the production of the compounds as well as the pharmaceutical agents that contain the compounds.
This object is achieved by the compounds of general formula (I)
Yxe2x80x94CR1R2xe2x80x94(CR3R4)nxe2x80x94N (CR5R6xe2x80x94COOR7)xe2x80x94CR8R9xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
in which
n stands for numbers 0, 1 or 2;
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl; C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
R7 stands for a hydrogen atom or an alkali cation or an alkaline-earth cation or a primary, secondary or tertiary ammonium ion;
x represents a radical Oxe2x80x94R7 or means a radical NR10R11, in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se; or R10 and/or R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom, a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical;
Y stands for an R12xe2x80x94S radical, in-which R12 represents a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se; or R12 represents a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA-oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical;
or Y stands for an R13R14P radical, in which R13 and R14 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl radical or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
or Y stands for a monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaromatic compound, which contains at least one heteroatom from the series O, S, N and/or P; and their complexes with tricarbonyl-technetium-I radicals or tricarbonyl-rhenium-I radicals of the corresponding radioisotopes.
Preferred are those compounds in which radicals R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 in each case represent a hydrogen atom. Those compounds are also preferred in which R7 stands for a hydrogen atom or an alkali cation or an alkaline-earth cation.
Radical Y preferably stands for a monocyclic heteroaromatic compound or a radical R12xe2x80x94S, in which R12 preferably stands for an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C60 alkyl radical. Especially preferred are those compounds in which radical R12 represents a C1-C10 alkyl chain.
Radical X preferably stands for a group Oxe2x80x94R7, in which R7 stands for a hydrogen atom or an alkali cation or an alkaline-earth cation or a primary, secondary or tertiary ammonium ion. Radical X also preferably stands for a group NR10R11, in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom, a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA-oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical, or for a group NR10R11 in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case stand for a hydrogen atom, an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C60 alkyl radical.
The production of the compounds of general formula (I) according to the invention is carried out in that compounds of general formula (II) are reacted with compounds of general formula (III) according to the reaction diagram below:
in which
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 have the above-indicated meaning, and H in HX stands for a proton.
The production of the technetium-99m complexes or Re-tricarbonyl complexes according to the invention is carried out by reaction of the previously synthesized technetiumtricarbonyl precursors or rhenium tricarbonyl precursors [R. Alberto et al., Achievements and Prospects of New Radiotracers, 1997, C3, p. 57 (Abstracts)] with the tridentates according to the invention.
Other objects of the invention are compounds of general formula (IV)
Yxe2x80x94CR1R2xe2x80x94(CR3R4)nxe2x80x94N [(CR5R6)2xe2x80x94Z]xe2x80x94CR8R9xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(IV)
in which
n stands for numbers 0, 1 or 2;
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
X represents a radical Oxe2x80x94R7 or means a radical NR10R11, in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C1-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se; or R10 and/or R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom, a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA-oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical;
Y stands for an R12xe2x80x94S radical, in which R12 represents a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se; or R12 represents a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical;
or Y stands for an R13R14P radical, in which R13 and R14 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
or Y stands for a monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaromatic compound that contains at least one heteroatom from the series O, S, N and/or P;
Z stands for an R12xe2x80x94S radical, in which R12 represents a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
or Z stands for an R13R14P radical, in which R13 and R14 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom or an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic C1-C60 alkyl, C1-C60 alkenyl, C5-C60 polyalkenyl, C1-C60 alkinyl, C5-C60 polyalkinyl, C5-C60 aryl, C5-C60 alkylaryl or C5-C60 arylalkyl radical, which optionally is substituted with hydroxy, oxo, carboxy, aminocarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, amino, aldehyde or alkoxy groups with up to 20 carbon atoms and/or optionally is interrupted and/or substituted by one or more heteroatoms from the series O, N, S, P, As, Se;
or Z stands for a monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaromatic compound, which contains at least one heteroatom from the series O, S, N and/or P;
as well as their complexes with tricarbonyl-technetium-I radicals or tricarbonyl-rhenium-I radicals of the corresponding radioisotopes.
Preferred are those compounds in which radicals R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 in each case represent a hydrogen atom. Radical Y preferably stands for a radical R12xe2x80x94S, in which R12 preferably stands for an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C60 alkyl radical. Especially preferred are those compounds in which radical R12 represents a C1-C10 alkyl chain.
Radical X preferably stands for a group Oxe2x80x94R7, in which R7 stands for a hydrogen atom or an alkali cation or an alkaline-earth cation or a primary, secondary, or tertiary ammonium ion. In addition, radical X preferably stands for a group NR10R11, in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case represent a hydrogen atom, a peptide radical, protein radical, a modified or unmodified DNA or RNA-oligonucleotide radical, a modified or unmodified aptamer radical or a PNA radical, or for a group NR10R11, in which R10 and R11 are the same or different and in each case stand for a hydrogen atom, an unbranched, branched, cyclic or polycyclic, saturated or unsaturated C1-C60 alkyl radical.
Radical Z preferably stands for an R12xe2x80x94S radical, in which R12 preferably represents a C1-C10 alkyl chain.
The production of the compounds of general formula (IV) according to the invention is carried out in that compounds of general formula (V) are reacted with compounds of general formula (III) according to the reaction diagram below:
in which
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 have the meaning that is indicated above, Xxe2x80x2 stands for a leaving group, such as, e.g., a halogen atom, and H in HX stands for a proton.
The production of the technetium-99m- or Re-tricarbonyl complexes according to the invention is carried out by reaction of the previously synthesized technetiumtricarbonyl precursors or rheniumtricarbonyl precursors [R. Alberto et al., Achievements and Prospects of New Radiotracers, 1997, C3, p. 57 (Abstracts)] with the tridentates according to the invention.
Other objects of the invention are radiopharmaceutical compositions for non-invasive in-vivo visualization of receptors and receptor-containing tissues, which contain a compound of general formula (I) or a compound of general formula (IV) as well as additives that are optionally commonly used in galenicals. The radiopharmaceutical composition is administered to a patient in an amount of 0.1 mCi to 1 Ci, preferably 1 mCi to 500 mCi per 70 kg of body weight. The radiation that is given off by the patient is recorded with a gamma-camera.
Surprisingly enough, the chelates that are synthesized and labeled with Tc-99m tricarbonyl or Re-tricarbonyl showed a higher stability than comparable N3S and N2S2 systems, which were described in the literature. Thus, e.g., in a substance according to the invention (Example 2b), no decomposition products were observed after 26 hours of incubation in serum. The complexes are stable, so that at room temperature, no exchange of chelating agents for histidine is carried out. The. chelates and tricarbonyl-Tc-99m and Re-tricarbonyl complexes that are described in this invention are thus clearly better suited for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes than the previously known systems. A special advantage of the compounds according to the invention consists in the fact that their syntheses can be directed without using sulfur protective groups. This makes their synthesis very simple, and in addition, such compounds that are described according to the invention in particular offer the advantage that after radiochemical labeling, no further foreign molecules are contained in the solutions that are to be administered intravenously for radiodiagnosis or radiotherapy. Such foreign molecules frequently disrupt the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical agent and can adversely affect the diagnostic information content of the SPECT imaging. In addition, the labelings on such ligands or their coupling products can be performed on substances that accumulate selectively on diseased tissues under very mild conditions. The labeling of the ligands according to the invention or the coupling products on substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues is possible at room temperature and at physiologic pH, without the protective groups first being cleaved under the action of bases, acids or other adjuvants that are known to one skilled in the art. This ensures that the frequently very sensitive substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues are not chemically altered by such adjuvants, which frequently reduces their selective accumulation in the diseased tissue and thus would adversely affect the information content of the SPECT images.
The coupling to substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues is carried out according to the methods that are known to one skilled in the art [e.g., Fritzberg et al.; J. Nucl. Med. 26, 7 (1987)], for example by reaction of electrophilic groups of the complex ligand according to the invention with nucleophilic centers of the substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues. Otherwise, nucleophilic groups of the chelating agent are coupled with electrophilic groups of the substances that accumulate selectively in diseased tissues.
As coupling partners, i.a., various biomolecules are provided as well as biological ligands, which bind to specific receptors and thus can be detected in tissue whose receptor density is altered. These include, e.g., modified or unmodified peptides, unmodified or modified proteins, steroid hormones or derivatives thereof, growth factors, neutrotransmitters, modified DNA or RNA oligonucleotides and modified or unmodified aptamers or PNA molecules.
The production of the pharmaceutical agents according to the invention is carried out in a way that is known in the art, by the complexing agents according to the invention being dissolved in aqueous medium optionally with the addition of the additives that are commonly used in galenicals and then sterilized by filtration. Suitable additives are, for example, physiologically harmless buffers, additions of electrolytes (e.g., sodium chloride) and optionally stabilizers. The pharmaceutical agent according to the invention is present in the form of a solution or in freeze-dried form and is mixed shortly before administration with a solution of a Tc-99m tricarbonyl precursor or Re-tricarbonyl precursor.
In the nuclear-medicine in-vivo use, the agents according to the invention are injected intravenously, intraarterially, peritoneally or intratumorally.
The examples below are used for a more detailed explanation of the subject of the invention.

Chelating agents as well as their tricarbonyl complexes with technetium and rhenium


Two shafts (20) of a linear motion guide unit (10) are clamped together on a support (12) with positive line locking by bolts (24) engaging tapped pocket holes (22) inclined an acute angle (.alpha. ) relative to each other, one screw-hole (42) in the support (12) being inclined relative to a neighboring hole or to a mirror-symmetrical pair of counter-holes (44). Rail bodies (14) of aluminium integral with flat bars (30) include a fillet (26) with an adjacent crest (16) and a recessed step (28). Abutting shaft ends (47) may be clamped, by bolting at a counter-hole pair (44), to a through-shaft fixed at a central hole (42) on a single support (12 or 31). A continuous rail body having spaced groups of screw holes (40, 41) may be part of a box-like hollow section (64). In a three-cavity profile (70), two outer hollow sections (64) join a center cavity (71). A motor-driven carriage (49) includes strings of balls (54) or rollers (55) for engaging the outer surfaces (21) of the shafts (20) and supports a slide member (60) for zipping operation of self-sealing lips (61) situated at an open hollow section (64) side.

For variegated engineering applications, e.g. in the precision mechanics and electronic industries, guide means are required for exact translatory movements. A very simple device consists of a shaft which is seated on a support and which, in turn, rides an open ball bush that may comprise a top plate for supporting an apparatus. However, this type of guide is not in itself locked, or lockable, against rotation.
In FR-A-1 124 901, a rail was proposed whose head carries on either side pairs of shafts opposite to which a carriage has further shaft pairs of like sort; a plurality of balls between adjacent shaft pairs is provided for smooth run of the carriage. But the design expenditure is large since continuous series of balls must be held or restrained along the entire rail. Similar to CH-A-347 049, the two shafts are fixed partly in a broad rectangular groove merely by the heads of a few bolts located in side flanges so that, especially under load, parallelism is not warranted at all.
Other guide systems such as disclosed in DE-A-3 040 711 and EP-B-0 080 515 make use of two shafts supported on single blocks or by clamping profiles that restrain the shafts throughout their length, tight fit being an absolute necessity for accurately guiding a carriage whose rollers or linear ball bearings ride on the shafts. Their outer shaft peripheries may be grasped and possibly forced inwards by a pressure plate. It is critical, though, to what extent the fixing screws or bolts are tightened, as a deformation of the shafts may easily occur.
In accordance with EP-B-0 245 656, adapter pieces are used for fixing shafts in a rail body designed as an integral clamping profile. While the attachment components do not influence the force which clamps the shafts in their position, there is no bolting of them so that exact parallelism is not safeguarded. The same applies to a so-called roller guide unit comprising shafts rolled down into grooves of a support.


A method for neutral pixel detection using color space feature vectors wherein one color space coordinate represents lightness is provided. The method includes the following steps: a) receiving an input image represented in a first color space; b) converting the input image to a second color space wherein one coordinate represents lightness; c) selecting a pixel in the second color space representation to be classified; d) computing second color space feature vectors associated with the selected pixel; and e) classifying the selected pixel between neutral and color classes based on the values computed for the second color space feature vectors. Typically, the input image is processed using a smoothing filter to create a smoothed input image prior to the conversion to the second color space. The method can be adapted to page processing or strip processing schemes with respect to the input image.

The invention relates to neutral color detection. It finds particular application in conjunction with neutral pixel detection in image data using color space feature vectors wherein one color space coordinate represents lightness and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Neutral colors include black, white, gray, and colors containing a predetermined amount of gray. In a three-dimensional color space where one of the color space coordinates represents lightness (i.e., luminance), neutral colors are grouped on or near the lightness axis of the color space. One such color space is commonly known as the L*a*b* color space.
In the L*a*b* color space, values L*, a*, and b* are plotted at right angles to one another to form a three dimensional coordinate system. Equal distances in the color space represent equal color differences. Value L* represents a position with respect to a lightness (i.e., L*) axis; value a* represents a position with respect to a redness/greenness (i.e., a*) axis; and value b* represents a position with respect to a yellowness/blueness (i.e., b*) axis. The L*a*b* color space is also referred to as CIELAB, CIE L*a*b*, or CIE Lab. CIE (Commission International de L'Eclairage) is an international commission on illumination that is the main international organization concerned with color and color measurement.
In color image processing, reproduction, recording and the like, a page of image data is read and typically a three-color, cyan-magenta-yellow (CMY), system is employed for rendering. Optionally, a fourth color, black (K), is included. Generally, combinations of the colors CMY are applied in relative proportions to produce the color portions of the image. Additionally, the CMY colors can be applied to produce a resultant black. However, the resultant black achieved by combining the CMY colors is not as high quality as that achieved with the true black (K). Chromatic noise, misregistration, and the like can degrade the quality of black images generated by a CMY resultant black application. Moreover, multiple CMY passes are relatively more time consuming compared to a K pass, and they increase the depletion of CMY inks and/or toners. Generally, these and other inherent constraints, limitations, and/or reproduction demands associated with color processing and/or printing make it desirable to limit CMY utilization where possible.
In the past, there have been developed techniques for determining if input pages are neutral in color (i.e. black and white, or monochromatic) to thereby reduce CMY utilization where it was not necessary. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,204 to Koizumi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,026 to Nagata, both incorporated herein by reference, such techniques are disclosed. However, both references achieve limited results. That is to say, the references are directed to detecting at the page level and determining if an input page is neutral in color. Generally with these techniques, each page as a whole is classified as color or neutral, which results in either the whole page undergoing color processing or none of the page undergoing color processing. As such, these approaches fail to address, for example, chromatic noise in a neutral region of an otherwise color page. Moreover, no provisions are made for high quality neutral detail, such as text, that may be located in a color page or region thereof.
A more recent method of neutral color detection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,592 to Fan et al., incorporated herein by reference. This method provides neutral color detection of a whole page or one or more regions in a page. This method includes reading an input page. The contents of the page are detected and it is determined if the page is neutral in color. If the page is not neutral in color, the page is then divided into a number of regions. Each region is then detected, and a determination is made if individual regions are neutral in color. Next, details located outside regions determined to be neutral in color are detected and it is determined if the details are neutral in color. This multi-resolution technique permits the full page, an individual region, and/or particular details to be processed without the constraints, limitations, and reproduction demands associated with their color counterparts. However, a drawback of this method is that it requires the computation of images at multiple resolutions in order to judge whether a region is neutral or not. This can be time consuming in applications.
Color image paths in copiers, scanners, and printers must maintain performance at a certain page per minute (ppm) level (for example, but not limited to, 20–100 ppm). Image processing within the color image path requires substantial storage space (e.g., 90 Mbytes per page). If an entire document image is deemed neutral, color image processing can be bypassed, saving time, memory, and color ink or toner. If a region of a document image is deemed neutral, the image can be processed using a halftoning algorithm selected to increase image quality. If a pixel in a document image is deemed neutral, the pixel can be printed with black ink or toner.

Neutral pixel detection using color space feature vectors wherein one color space coordinate represents lightness


A method and apparatus for charging a crystal oscillator are provided. A voltage generating module outputs a ramp voltage signal to a ring oscillator. The ring oscillator generates and outputs a waveform based on the ramp voltage signal. The ramp voltage signal facilitates the ring oscillator to output the waveform at a frequency that varies with time, wherein the varying frequency is within a frequency range of the crystal oscillator. An inverter generates a digital input signal based on the waveform. The digital input signal is sent to an input of the crystal oscillator for charging the crystal oscillator. A feedback module outputs a feedback signal based on the digital input signal, wherein the feedback signal controls the voltage generating module to generate a fixed voltage signal that facilitates the ring oscillator to output the waveform at a frequency that is equal to a resonance frequency of the crystal oscillator.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for pre-charging a crystal oscillator.
2. Background
A wireless device (e.g., a cellular phone or a smartphone) may transmit and receive data for two-way communication with a wireless communication system. The wireless device may include a transmitter for data transmission and a receiver for data reception. For data transmission, the transmitter may modulate a transmit local oscillator (LO) signal with data to obtain a modulated radio frequency (RF) signal, amplify the modulated RF signal to obtain an output RF signal having the desired output power level, and transmit the output RF signal via an antenna to a base station. For data reception, the receiver may obtain a received RF signal via the antenna, downconvert the received RF signal with a receive LO signal, and process the downconverted signal to recover data sent by the base station.
The wireless device may include one or more oscillators to generate one or more oscillator signals at one or more desired frequencies. The oscillator signal(s) may be used to generate the transmit LO signal for the transmitter and the receive LO signal for the receiver. The oscillator(s) may be required to generate the oscillator signal(s) to meet the requirements of the wireless communication system with which the wireless device communicates.
Clock generators may receive oscillator signals from an oscillator and may generate clock signals for various modules within the wireless device. The oscillator may be a crystal oscillator, which is typically slow to settle at start-up. Since the wireless device may operate intermittently, additional start-up time may result in additional power being undesirably dissipated. Accordingly, an apparatus and method is needed for pre-charging the crystal oscillator to accelerate start-up.

Method to pre-charge crystal oscillators for fast start-up


A system and method for displaying product information in a store. The system is configured to communicate with a communication network. Included is a shelf display device or digital tag positioned within the store and a physical, bib tag for a product. The digital tag has a digital display surface, a reader, and a communication device. The digital tag is configured to display information associated with a product via its display surface and configured for operative communication with the communication network via its communication device. The bib tag has product-related information displayed thereon. The bib tag also has machine readable information that is readable by the reader of the digital tag. The communication device of the digital tag is configured and arranged to transmit information, regarding the machine readable information of the bib tag, to the communication network.

In retail environments, products are typically stored and displayed for purchase on shelving units. A front edge of the shelving units typically includes consumer readable information describing the products displayed, along with pricing and other information including unit pricing, product weight or size, sale or discount information, and other relevant information. When prices or products change, sales associates are often tasked with changing the tags to reflect the changes in the products. Replacement of tags is a time consuming and laborious process.
A number of electronic solutions have been proposed, wherein LCD or LED displays are incorporated into the shelving units or affixed to the front edge thereof. Such electronic tags may be programmed to display the same types of information as the paper products, as well as providing the ability to include dynamic messaging including attention getting messages changing throughout the day.


A device, system and method of reserve parachute deployment comprising; a reserve bridle 2 connecting the reserve deployment bag 5 to the reserve pilot chute 4, and a lanyard 3 connecting the main parachute 1 to the reserve bridle 2 with a releasable attachment and a retention means of this attachment. This connection being placed onto a holding flap 17 of the reserve container 22, by releasable holding means. The system and method of realization allows the reserve parachute to be activated without cutting-away a main parachute, in a manner that the holding means are not released, while if the main parachute is cut away then the holding means release without the retention means doing so.

The present invention relates to a device for main parachute cutaway and reserve parachute deployment. It will operate in skydiving, especially for low altitude jumps.
Traditionally, parachute equipment included a main parachute and a reserve parachute, which is as a backup in the case of a main parachute malfunction.
In the case of a malfunction of the main parachute, it is known that it is necessary that the main parachute must be entirely disconnected from the harness before the reserve parachute is deployed, in order to avoid entanglements between the main and the reserve parachutes, and the consequences there of, this is the so named <<cutaway>> procedure.
Moreover, during a cutaway procedure it is better that a device to reduce time and altitude loss required for the opening of the reserve parachute is incorporated. Such a device is obviously advantageous, in the sense that time and altitude savings in the sequence of the reserve parachute deployment, may save lives, in particular at low altitude, where the remaining time before impact is short.
Known temporary connection devices, also named Main Assisted Reserve Deployment (MARD), the Interlock device or the Skyhook, are intended to use the main parachute, once cutaway, as pilot chute for the extraction of the reserve parachute.
These devices show a number of problems, in particular when the device undergoes premature disconnection and consequently, does not give the benefit of the improved reserve deployment time/height.
With these types of devices, cases have been recorded of cutaway of the main parachute which only opened the reserve container, without the cutaway main parachute aiding in the extraction of the reserve deployment bag.
This malfunction is explained by the failure of retention of the MARD device, which can be caused by a disconnection during the stowing of the bridle of the Reserve Static Line (RSL lanyard) and the bridle of the reserve deployment bag.
In this way, all the advantage of the reduction in deployment time/height is lost, because the main parachute, once cutaway, does not cause a rapid extraction of the reserve deployment bag.
Another issue appears with the use of the Skyhook device in some reserve procedures, such as the procedure called reserve only (main parachute still in the main container). During the opening of the reserve container, at the moment the reserve pilot chute inflates, the means of holding the Skyhook device on the kicker flap does not have a sufficient retentive force so that the bridle of the reserve deployment bag is not immediately disconnected from the lanyard, which can cause a delay in the opening of the reserve parachute.
A need exists for a safer device, guaranteeing the time/height saving at every cutaway procedure and ensuring safety in case of a total main parachute malfunction and manual reserve parachute activation.

Interlock reserve parachute deployment system


A server system provided according to an aspect of the present disclosure receives validation rules for fields of a form, and stores the validation rules as metadata in a memory. When values are later received based on the form, the values are validated using the rules in the metadata. Any errors detected are notified to a user system from which the values are received. The values are forwarded to a corresponding application if no errors are detected. According to another aspect, a developer of the application provides an initial set of validation rules prior to the application being deployed at a customer site. The customer then specifies additional rules. The metadata stores both the initial rules and the additional rules. A user interface module validates each received value against any applicable rules present in the metadata.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to forms management and more specifically to custom validation of values for fields of submitted forms.
Related Art
Forms are often the basis for facilitating user interactions. In a common scenario, an enterprise application sends a form for display, with the form containing relevant data for display to a user and also some fields for the user to enter corresponding values. As is well known in the relevant arts, a field permits a user to enter (or specify) a value for a field, possibly using elements such as drop-down menus, text field, etc.
A form is said to be submitted when the values entered for fields are sent for further processing by the application (which has caused the form to be sent earlier), upon user actions such as clicking on a 'submit' button. The submission causes the entered values to be transmitted on a network for examination by the application, in case of enterprise applications in which the user interacts with the enterprise applications over a network.
Values submitted for fields are often required to be validated. Validation generally refers to ensuring that a submitted value satisfies preliminary criteria such as having to be an integer, is according to a desired format (e.g., MM/YYYY to specify month and year), in addition to more complex criteria such as ensuring that values are provided for 'mandatory' fields, value is within a desired range, etc. Such validations may be used to force users to provide all necessary data according to corresponding requirements, in addition to avoiding erroneous data for subsequent processing.
There is often a need for custom validation of values for fields of submitted forms. For example, different customer organizations deploying an enterprise application may have their own specific requirements, and each customer organization may wish to specify their own validation rules for fields of interest to them.
Aspects of the present disclosure provide for custom validation of values for fields of submitted forms.
In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.

Custom validation of values for fields of submitted forms


A system (10) and associated method for tire condition communication for a vehicle (12). The system (10) includes a sensor (18), associated with a tire (14), to sense at least one tire condition. Transmitter components (22, 24 and 30), associated with the tire (14) and operatively connected to the sensor (18), provide for transmission of a signal (32) that has a data rate and that indicates the sensed tire condition. A receiver unit (40), associated with the vehicle (12), receives the signal (32). The receiver unit (40) includes a plurality of antennas (42A-42N), each for receiving the transmitted signal (32), and a switching device (46) among the plurality of antennas at a rate that is quicker than the data rate of the transmitted signal (32).

The present invention relates to a tire condition monitoring system for providing tire operation parameter information, such as tire inflation pressure, to a vehicle operator. The present invention relates specifically to a tire condition monitoring system that utilizes a reception arrangement and process to eliminate lost data from a tire-mounted sensor unit during vehicle operation.
Numerous tire condition monitoring systems have been developed in order to provide tire operation parameter information to a vehicle operator. One example type of a tire condition monitoring system is a tire pressure monitoring system that detects when inflation pressure within a tire drops below a predetermined threshold value.
There is an increasing need for the use of tire pressure monitoring systems due to the increasing use of xe2x80x9crun-flatxe2x80x9d tires for vehicles such as automobiles. A run-flat tire enables a vehicle to travel an extended distance after significant loss of air pressure within that tire. However, a vehicle operator may have difficulty recognizing the significant loss of air pressure within the tire because the loss of air pressure may cause little change in vehicle handling and little change in the visual appearance of the tire.
Typically, a tire pressure monitoring system includes a pressure sensing device, such as a pressure switch, in a unit at each tire and a communications link for conveyance of tire pressure information from the location of each tire to a central receiver unit. The central receiver unit is typically connected to an indicator (e.g., a display) located on a vehicle (e.g., on an instrument panel).
The communications link between each tire-based unit and the central receiver unit is often a wireless link. In particular, radio frequency signals are utilized to transmit information from each of the tire-based units to the central receiver unit.
Typically, tire condition monitoring systems have the ability to provide current tire condition information to a vehicle operator while the vehicle is in operation. For the systems that include tire-based units that are located within a pressurized cavity of a wheel/tire assembly, operation of the tire condition monitoring system entails operation of the tire-based units during rotation of the associated vehicle tires.
Turning to the radio frequency signals that are transmitted from the tire-based units to the central receiver unit, the signals typically comprise a series (e.g., a pulse string) of data bits. The time necessary to completely transmit a pulse string depends upon the number of bits to be transmitted, the type of transmission format (e.g., amplitude, shift key, or pulse-width modulation), carrier frequency, receiver sensitivity, etc. Typically, signal data rate is not very high. Commonly, the signal data rate is at a rate of a few kilohertz.
A typical transmission time for a message that has 54 bits would be about 18 milliseconds at a data rate of 3 kHz. For a vehicle that has 14-inch radius tires and that is traveling at relatively high rate of speed (e.g., 380 kilometers/hr.) each tire turns approximately 49 times/second. In other words, each turn of a tire takes 20 milliseconds. Thus, it can be easily seen that approximately one full rotation of a tire occurs during the complete transmission of the 18 milliseconds data string.
As a tire rotates, a direct path between a tire-based unit and a vehicle-based unit changes. As the direct path changes, the objects that are located along the direct path change. In one scenario, it is possible that a bulk of the associated metal wheel, suspension components, etc. is alternately in and out of the direct path. In general, the movement of the tire-based unit relative to the associated wheel and other components during tire rotation causes the transmitted signal to be subject to variation in polarization, multi-pass interference, fading, etc. These influences cause variation in the strength of the signal at the vehicle-based receiver.
Other factors can affect signal strength. For example, change in the environment surrounding the vehicle will cause variation in signal strength. One example of an environment change is a car or object that passes relatively near to the vehicle. In sum, it is possible that signal strength at the central receiver unit may become so weak during a portion of a pulse string that the central receiver is not able to receive that portion of the pulse string. Accordingly, the message is lost.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication system for a vehicle. Sensor means, associated with a tire, sense at least one tire condition. Transmitter means, associated with the tire and operatively connected to the sensor means, transmits a signal that has a data rate and that indicates the sensed tire condition. Receiver means, associated with the vehicle, receives the signal. The receiver means includes a plurality of antennas, each for receiving the transmitted signal, and means for switching among the plurality of antennas at a rate that is quicker than the data rate of the transmitted signal.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication system for a vehicle. A tire condition sensor and a transmitter unit is associated with a tire. A transmitted signal from the unit has a data rate and indicates a sensed tire condition. A receiver unit is associated with the vehicle. The receiver unit includes a plurality of transmitted signal receiving antennas. The receiver unit includes a plurality of switches, with each switch being interposed between a respective one of said antennas and another portion of the receiver unit. The receiver unit including a switch-controlling controller that controls the switches to sequentially connect one antenna at a time to the other portion of the receiver at a rate that is quicker than the data rate of the transmitted signal.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a tire condition communication method for a vehicle. At least one tire condition is sensed at a tire. A signal that indicates the sensed tire condition is transmitted from the tire. The transmitted signal has a data rate. The signal is received for use in determining the indication of the sensed tire condition. Switching among a plurality of antennas at a rate that is quicker than the data rate of the transmitted signal is utilized to receive the signal for use in determining the indication of the sensed tire condition.

Tire condition sensor communication with unique sampling on vehicle-side diversity antenna array


A mixed co-crystal comprising an API, a first co-crystal former, and a second co-crystal former which is isomorphically substitutable with said first co-crystal former is described. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a mixed co-crystal, methods of making mixed co-crystals, and methods of using mixed co-crystals are also described.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (API or APIs (plural)) in pharmaceutical compositions can be prepared in a variety of different forms. Such APIs can be prepared so as to have a variety of different chemical forms including chemical derivatives or salts. Such APIs can also be prepared to have different physical forms. For example, the APIs may be amorphous, may have different crystalline polymorphs, or may exist in different solvation or hydration states. By varying the form of an API, it is possible to vary the physical properties thereof. For example, crystalline polymorphs typically have different solubility's from one another, such that a more thermodynamically stable polymorph is less soluble than a less thermodynamically stable polymorph. Pharmaceutical polymorphs can also differ in properties such as shelf-life, bioavailability, morphology, vapour pressure, density, color, and compressibility. Accordingly, variation of the crystalline state of an API is one of many ways in which to modulate the physical properties thereof.
It would be advantageous to have new forms of these APIs that have improved properties, in particular, as oral formulations. Specifically, it is desirable to identify improved forms of APIs that exhibit significantly improved properties including increased aqueous solubility and stability. Further, it is desirable to improve the processability, or preparation of pharmaceutical formulations. For example, needle-like crystal forms or habits of APIs can cause aggregation, even in compositions where the API is mixed with other substances, such that a non-uniform mixture is obtained. It is also desirable to increase the dissolution rate of API-containing pharmaceutical compositions in water, increase the bioavailability of orally-administered compositions, and provide a more rapid onset to therapeutic effect. It is also desirable to have a form of the API which, when administered to a subject, reaches a peak plasma level faster, has a longer lasting therapeutic plasma concentration, and higher overall exposure when compared to equivalent amounts of the API in its presently-known form.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mixed co-crystals and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same


A Transaction Authorization Method operating over a computer network comprising a plurality of interconnected computers and a plurality of resources, each computer including a processor, memory and input/output devices, each resource operatively coupled to at least one of the computers and executing at least one of the activities in the process flow, the method characterized in that it assembles an electronic authorization of a transaction in a manner which is verifiable by extracting and verifying whether role certificates of at least one type, associated with the authorization, are themselves authentic. The method eliminates the need of having to authorize each and every signature on a transaction individually by providing an authorization structure based on roles, this structure being accessible on a public network for verification that the transaction is authorized.

Large-scale deployment of e-commerce solutions between various enterprises over public networks requires careful consideration of security issues. This is best explained through an example.
Two companies, company A and company B, have a formal agreement for making business transactions (i.e., any legally binding action between persons or organizations), such as an offer, an order or a cancellation. The possible set of transaction types between A and B may be denoted by T(A,B)={T1, T2, . . . , Tn} where for example T ∈ T(A,B) may denoteT→"purchase X units of product Y at price P per unit".
The transaction types denoted by the set T(A, B) may be assumed to be general, and at the actual time when the particular transaction takes place, additional details beyond those given in the transaction descriptions of T(A,B) must be provided. For example, for transaction T, the requester will supply values for X, Y, and P, which are expected to vary over time.
The problem of specifying the set of transactions T(A, B), how they will be performed, the data exchanged and so on, could be solved using Electronic Data Interchange (<<EDI>>) syntax, such as in ISO 9735, available at http://www.r3.ch/standards/edifact/index.html. Further, these companies must coordinate over the Internet to fulfill their general transactions as specified in the set T(A,B).
A typical situation would be for a user UA of company A to receive a transaction of type T ∈ T(A,B) from a user UB, that purports to be under the control of company B. Let us assume that UA is presented with a request from company B for company A to make X=1000 units of product Y at price P=$1 per unit and further that the user operates through software operating through a public network. Since the request originates from a public network, there are at least three security issues that UA may consider: (1) should the details (X, Y, P, UA, UB) of the transactions be confidential and encoded for integrity? (2) how does one verify that the user UB requesting the transaction is in fact controlled by company B? and (3) even if it is known that the user UB requesting the transaction is employed by company B, it is not clear how one verifies that UB is in fact authorized to request such a transaction for the given values of X, Y and P.
The first two points can be addressed using standard security protocols and cryptographic algorithms, as described in A. Menezes, P. van Oorschot, and S. Vanstone; Handbook of Applied Cryptography, CRC press, 1996. In particular, with public key cryptography each user Ux can be issued with one or several certificates (such as those described in ISO/IEC 9594, Information Technology—Open Systems Interconnection—The Directory: Authentication Framework, 1993) that can be used to demonstrate their identity through the use of digital signatures.
If UA and UB are acquainted personally then that existing trust relationship may be sufficient for UA to accept the request from UB as authorized, and this is how many inter-enterprise transactions are currently conducted. In this case, UA and UB have established some trust relationship, either specifically for the purpose of conducting future transactions, or perhaps the trust has been gained by successful previous transactions. However, general e-commerce will bring together people and companies who will have no prior business or trust relationships, and the transaction then must somehow be 'self-authorizing'. Traditionally authorization to data, applications, resources, or more generally simply objects, is administered using some form of access control. See D. E. Denning; Cryptography and Data Security. Addison—Wesley Publishing Company, 1982. In its most general form, there exists an access control matrix M that explicitly lists the access rights each user has with respect to each object O. As there may be many users Ui and objects Oj, the access control matrix M can be difficult to manage.
Perhaps the most common type of authorization is for there to be a general written document/form describing a transaction T, where certain details are provided by the requester at the time of the request, and the requester is then required to collect a set of handwritten signatures on the paper form, from one or several people who are able to approve transactions or requests of type T. For example, T may be a travel request form, which requires that the destination, duration of stay, expected costs and methods of transport be provided. The requester fills in these details, signs the request, and then takes the form to various superiors for their signatures in the appropriate places provided on the form. Typically the places in the form where a signature is required are labeled by the role of the people whose signatures are required, such as manager, department head or CEO.
This form of authorization is called the form-signature model, or authorization by co-signatures, or co-signing data. For example, the travel request transaction (T='travel request') may require the signature of the requester, the requester's manager and then the department head of the requester. Once the required signatures have been collected, the requester uses the signed document to authorize the transaction, say to have a travel agent book flights or hotels. Usually the travel agent is not concerned with verifying the details of the travel request, other than general checks such as the return date is after the departure date, or that some threshold of expense is not exceeded. What is of importance to the travel agent is the set of signatures accompanying the request, and the roles represented by these signatures. For many office tasks that do not involve significant amounts of funds, the form-signature model is adequate for granting task authorization. However, where more significant amounts of funds or resources are committed by the transaction, it becomes important to be certain that each signature is both authentic, and that the collection of signatures does, in fact, bind the company. In these cases, it becomes necessary to obtain direct approval of every transaction from an enterprise authority (i.e., Transaction Administrator such as the President, comptroller, or other officer) for confirmation that the lower level employees had authority to authorize the transaction.
A form-signature model for e-commerce includes: (1) an electronic representation of the task and the information required to perform the task (such as dates, costs, names), (2) a signature mechanism, and (3) a mechanism to relate the signatures accompanying the electronic task data to privilege for granting authorization for the task. Generally speaking, (1) and (2) can be solved directly using current methods and technology, while (3) has not yet be adequately addressed. With respect to (1) and (2), paper-based forms can be represented electronically as HTML or word-processor documents, and for a task T, let D(T) denote the electronic form/template of task T. If T is a 'travel request' then for example D(T) may be a HTML document requesting details of the trip to be taken, and there will also be a list of roles where users acting in these roles must sign the travel request details. Also there are several schemes for providing digital signatures, such as RSA or DSS, so the basic tools to implement the form-signature model in e-commerce are available. The more difficult part in the e-commerce form-signature model is to determine or verify that the set of collected signatures implies authorization for the task.
If a user U digitally signs data, it is implied that U has a public key Pub(U) and a private key Pri(U) such that Pub(U) is stored in a certificate, which we will denote as Cert(U). The certificate Cert(U) is stored in a public database or directory, so anyone may retrieve it and verify a signature purportedly produced by U with Pri(U). The certificate Cert(U) contains one or several names/identifiers for U, so U can be uniquely identified as the user who produced the signature. However in considering if another user is verified to request transaction T by examining a set of signatures on D(T), the important aspect is not so much who produced each signature but whether they have the authority to authorize T.
Therefore, what is needed is a method that frees the enterprise authority from having to verify every transaction and which enables efficient authorization and verification of authorization of e-commerce contracts, using standard security or cryptographic protocols, over an insecure public network. Still further, what is needed is a method for performing inter-enterprise authorization that reveals minimal information about the decision structures of the respective companies.

Method for inter-enterprise role-based authorization

International Business Machines Corporation


A lock assembly for a keyed knob includes an insert, a cylinder assembly and a retainer. The insert is inserted into the knob after the retainer is attached thereto. The insert is inserted from the rear of the knob and attached thereto. The cylinder assembly is then inserted into the front of the insert until the retainer engages the cylinder assembly to secure the cylinder assembly into the insert. The cylinder assembly is readily removed by pressing on a step portion of the retainer with a tool inserted through the rear of the knob.

The present invention relates to a lock assembly, and more particularly to a mounting arrangement for a cylinder assembly into a keyed knob assembly.
Numerous types of conventional lock assemblies are utilized for various applications. Homes and commercial establishments are protected predominantly by key-actuated pin tumbler locks. In a typical lock, a cylinder assembly houses a rotational cylindrical plug having a longitudinally extending keyway. A driving member, such as a cam, is connected to the rear face of the plug. The driving member actuates a bolt-throwing or latch-moving mechanism.
The interface between the plug and the cylinder is called the shear line. A plurality of radially extending, parallel chambers is formed in the cylinder and the plug. Spring-biased pins are disposed in each chamber. Under normal conditions, the drivers block the shear line to prevent the plug from being rotated relative to the cylinder. However, when a properly configured key is inserted into the keyway, the drivers and lower pins are moved so that the top of the lower pins and the bottom of the drivers meet at the shear line. The plug can then be rotated to cause rotation of the driving member and subsequent retraction or extension of the bolt or latch.
Locksmiths frequently rekey or replace residential or commercial locks. To this end, interchangeable cylinder assemblies are manufactured by various lockmakers. Disadvantageously, the interchangeable cylinder assemblies are relatively complicated. Typically, the interchangeable cylinder assembly, even those from a single manufacturer, is specific to a particular lock type and include mounting structure specific thereto. For example, a knob lock assembly, a lever lock assembly, and deadbolt lock assembly each utilize a cylinder assembly particular to a knob, a lever, and a deadbolt respectively. Such an arrangement complicates rekeying and replacement of residential and commercial locks.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an uncomplicated mounting arrangement for a cylinder assembly that is readily mounted into multiple lock types.


A method for forming a minute pattern in a metal workpiece, comprising the steps of forming a mask pattern on the metal workpiece and electro-chemically etching the metal workpiece. The workpiece is electro-chemically etched in a electrolyte bath following formation of the mask pattern.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a pattern in a metal workpiece. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for forming a minute pattern in a metal workpiece using a photolithography process and an electro-chemical etching process.
A laser process or a super-drill process is typically used to form a circular, minute pattern in a workpiece. In contrast, a non-circular, minute pattern is typically formed by an ion beam milling process. However, these conventional processes do not work well when applied to a metal workpiece.
The laser and super-drill processes suffer from similar problems which include: (a) the oxidation of the workpiece surface by heat generated during the process; (b) non-uniformity in circular patterns, and the resulting mismatch between circular openings formed on opposite sides of the workpiece; (c) the impossibility of forming non-circular, minute patterns; and, (d) the complexity and cost of the required equipment.

Method for forming a minute pattern in a metal workpiece


A method and apparatus for translating a static identifier into a dynamically assigned network address. In one embodiment, a dynamic database address is used to access a dynamic database. A static identifier corresponding to the device to be contacted is provided, and the dynamic database returns an appropriate dynamically assigned network address corresponding to the static identifier. A static identifier includes a telephone number arranged in a predetermined format to which a static portion is appended. An Internet Domain Name System (DNS) domain may be used as the static appended portion. This translation of a static identifier into a dynamically assigned network address may be applied to DNS servers. A system of the present invention includes a network, an intermittently connected device, and a dynamic database server. The device has a static identifier and an assigned network address. The dynamic database stores the static identifier and the assigned network address when the intermittently connected device sends a log on request to the database server. The intermittently connected device and the dynamic database server may communicate using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

In order for two computers to communicate using the Internet, a calling computer must know or be able to discover an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a callee. The Domain Name System (DNS) facilitates this process by resolving a "friendly name" (i.e., a recognizable set of characters rather than a numerical IP address) into a corresponding IP address. Thus, human users generally do not need to know or even see the underlying IP address associated with computers connected to the Internet.
Many Internet users access the network using a personal computer (PC) and an Internet Service Provider (ISP). It is a common practice for an ISP to dynamically assign an IP address which is valid only during the interval in which the PC is connected to the ISP. Furthermore, there is no static identifier (e.g., a friendly name) associated with the computer and available through DNS. Accordingly, in many instances, users do not know what their own dynamically assigned Internet address is, nor do they have a DNS name assigned to their computer. As a result, most Internet users are unable to supply any static, unique identifier that can be repeatedly used to establish a communications session with their computer via the Internet.
A mechanism referred to as User Location Service (ULS) provides one solution to this problem. ULS includes a dynamic directory containing records that map some unique user identifier to a currently assigned IP address. ULS places no restriction (other than uniqueness) on the selected friendly name. Individual computers are responsible for contacting and logging in to a ULS server. The act of logging in causes a new ULS record to be created. The ULS record is deleted when the computer logs out of ULS or fails to continue to refresh its record.
Two significant problems with ULS are its inability to scale and the completely non-standard way in which friendly names are resolved to IP addresses. Using non-standard name resolution techniques prevents pre-existing applications from accessing intermittently connected devices in an automated manner. For example, a ULS identifier string cannot be resolved by DNS or by an individual's web browser software. Existing applications such as web browsers are typically only able to access resources using local file names, actual IP addresses, and DNS names. To contact intermittently connected devices using prior art techniques, the particular ULS server containing the address must be contacted to resolve the address. Thus, ULS registered devices are typically not directly accessible using many existing applications.
The inability to scale well presents even greater problems. A computer wishing to resolve a ULS name has no way of knowing which ULS site may currently contain the proper record. There is no central authority under which all existing ULS sites may be automatically searched. Consequently, an exhaustive search of all available ULS sites is currently required. Worse yet, there is no current mechanism by which an application can determine the total set of ULS sites on a given day. Thus, newly added sites only further complicate an effort to locate a user having an unknown ULS connection.
As to the lack of static device identifiers, one Internet faxing service incorporates reversed fax numbers in email message addresses. This service, however, sends email-based messages to a fax machine at a constant, known number where the fax machine may consistently be found. It does not provide a scalable solution for locating and connecting to intermittently connected devices.
Thus, prior art systems fails to provide users with a static identifier which may be resolved to gain access to an intermittently connected device. This lack of a single identifier complicates the process of determining the network address (if any) of a device which is intermittently connected or for other reasons not permanently assigned a network address. As a result, location of and communication with such non-permanent devices is unduly burdensome using prior art techniques.

Method and apparatus for translating a static identifier including a telephone number into a dynamically assigned network address


An image-sensor package includes a cover glass, an image sensor, and an integrated circuit. The cover glass has a cover-glass bottom surface, to which the image sensor is bonded. The integrated circuit is beneath the cover-glass bottom surface, adjacent to the image sensor, and electronically connected to the image sensor. A method for packaging an image sensor includes attaching an image sensor to a cover-glass bottom surface of a cover glass, a light-sensing region of the image sensor facing the cover-glass bottom surface. The method also includes attaching an integrated circuit to the cover-glass bottom surface, a top IC-surface of the integrated circuit facing the cover-glass bottom surface.

Camera modules in consumer devices such as stand-alone digital cameras, mobile devices, automotive components, and medical devices often include a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor. To efficiently increase device functionality without increasing size, the image sensor is often integrated, or packaged, with other integrated circuits as a system-in-package. The integrated circuits are, for example, microprocessors and/or memory used to process and store images captured by the image sensor.

Image-sensor package and associated method


A spinal support and stretch pillow system offers a distinct, adjustable support for sleeping in either a supine position or a lateral-lying position. The spinal support and stretch pillow system can be laid over a conventional mattress or a floor. The spinal support and stretch pillow system is comprised of a bottom liner pad, a cervical and spinal support pad, a height adjustment pad, an adjustable shoulder support, an adjustable thoracic and lumbar support pad, and a top support pad. The bottom liner pad is used as a container to retain the components of the spinal support and stretch pillow system and for covering the user's legs and feet. The cervical and spinal support pad has a U-shaped cutout portion for allowing the head of the user to fall back and stretch the neck of the user. The height adjustment pad is positioned underneath a cervical section of the cervical and spinal pad for adjusting the height of the cervical section. The adjustable shoulder support pad is located adjacent to the cervical and spinal support pad for supporting a shoulder region of a spinal section of the cervical and spinal support pad. The adjustable thoracic and lumbar support pad is positioned underneath a thoracic and lumbar region of the spinal section for further supporting the back of the human body. The top cover support pad is positioned over the cervical and spinal support pad. The top support pad has one end folded over against itself to retain an adjustable neck support member and the other end folded underneath against itself to retain an adjustable knee support member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of resilient support pads. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of resilient support pads for passively treating cervical, thoracic and lumbar alignment disorders and correcting or preventing poor posture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Specifically, mild forms of poor posture are very common in people. These mild forms of poor posture produce back and neck discomfort. A wide variety of pillow or therapeutic devices are designed to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with the poor posture. One such device relates to pillow supports for easing neck and back strain while a person is sleeping or resting on his/her back (the supine position) or resting on his/her side. These pillow supports have many configurations and use a wide variety of padding and contouring materials, such as foam, polyester filaments, goose down, and the like, in order to provide relief to the user.
The following twenty-four (24) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 1,904,039 issued to Bruder on Apr. 18, 1933 for "Body Exercising Apparatus" (hereafter the "Bruder patent"); PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,410 issued to Benson on Oct. 23, 1956 for "Mattress With Foot Hold" (hereafter the "Benson patent"); PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,775 issued to Iwata on Apr. 29, 1975 for "Cushion" (hereafter the "'775 Iwata patent"); PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,282 issued to Bond on Dec. 9, 1975 for "Therapeutic Prop-Like Support For Hemiside Reclining Persons" (hereafter the "Bond patent"); PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,549 issued to Morrell et al. on Oct. 23, 1979 for "Cushion Ensemble And Method Of Arranging Cushions To Provide The Same" (hereafter the "Morrell patent"); PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,150 issued to Vineberg on Mar. 18, 1980 for "Elevated Mattress" (hereafter the "Vineberg patent"); PA1 7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,034 issued to Greenawalt on Feb. 26, 1985 for "Inflatable Pillow" (hereafter the "Greenawalt patent"); PA1 8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,573 issued to Fiore on May 19, 1987 for "Contoured Body Support Structure" (hereafter the "Fiore patent"); PA1 9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,844 issued to Alivizatos on Sep. 1, 1987 for "Convertible Body Supporting Pads" (hereafter the "Alivizatos patent"); PA1 10. U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,058 issued to Williams et al. on May 3, 1988 for "Convoluted Support Pad For Prevention Of Decubitus Ulcers And Apparatus For Making Same" (hereafter the "Williams patent"); PA1 11. U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,687 issued to Iwase on Dec. 20, 1988 for "Mattress With Support" (hereafter the "'687 Iwase patent"); PA1 12. U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,666 issued to Flesh et al. on Jul. 4, 1989 for "Pillow Mattress" (hereafter the "Elesh patent"); PA1 13. U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,993 issued to Walpin et al. on Aug. 8, 1989 for "Adjustable Body Positioner" (hereafter the "Walpin patent"); PA1 14. U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,894 issued to Sanders on Mar. 20, 1990 for "Adjustable Pillow" (hereafter the "Sanders patent"); PA1 15. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,096 issued to Gilroy et al. on Sep. 11, 1990 for "Anatomically Contoured Convoluted Foam Pad" (hereafter the "Gilroy patent"); PA1 16. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,629 issued to Jones on Dec. 18, 1990 for "Portable Inflatable Patient Assist Apparatus" (hereafter the "Jones patent"); PA1 17. U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,303 issued to Tanaka et al. on May 21, 1991 for "Cervical And Head Support Pillow" (hereafter the "Tanaka patent"); PA1 18. U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,790 issued to Jay on May 28, 1991 for "Customized Seat Cushion" (hereafter the "Jay patent"); PA1 19. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,137 issued to Rogers on Sep. 17, 1991 for "Edge-Shear Reduction In Body Support Foam Pads" (hereafter the "Rogers patent"); PA1 20. U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,590 issued to O'Sullivan on Dec. 8, 1992 for "Therapeutic Pillow Cover Having Compartments For Receiving Hot/Cold Packs And/Or Pillow Insert Supports" (hereafter the "O'Sullivan patent"); PA1 21. U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,439 issued to Farley on Dec. 22, 1992 for "Therapeutic Mattress Overlay And Method Of Forming And Using The Same" (hereafter the "Farley patent"); PA1 22. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,310 issued to Hsien on Jan. 18, 1994 for "Spinal Column Correction Device" (hereafter the "Hsien patent"); PA1 23. U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,783 issued to Kunz et al. on Jun. 25, 1996 for "Inflatable Head And Torso Support" (hereafter the "Kunz patent"); and PA1 24. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,753 issued to Ruscitto on Nov. 12, 1996 for "Pillow Case Head Cover" (hereafter the "Ruscitto patent").
The Bruder patent discloses a body exercising apparatus which comprises a supporting means, a head rest and a foot rest.
The Benson patent discloses a mattress with a foothold. The mattress is made out of foam material and encased by a fabric material.
The '775 Iwata patent discloses a cushion. It comprises a main structural part with three compartments and two gusset cloths. The main structural part is formed from two covering cloths, for example, a lower and an upper, which are stitched together by a continuous stitched line peripherally along the four held edges and two transverse stitched lines to form three tandem arranged compartments which are stuffed with cushionable material, for example, elastic foam.
The Bond patent discloses a therapeutic prop-like support for hemiside reclining persons. It comprises an elongated narrow web-like draw-sheet that is superimposed upon the bedsheet at a selectable angle transversely to the bed lengthwise central axis. The prop-like support comprises a pair of substantially parallel primary sleeves carried at and extending laterally along the drawsheet elongated topside. The respective primary-sleeves are adapted to removably accommodate a bolster which firmly and comfortably abuts the upper-spinal backside of a hemiside reclining person to beneficially maintain him on the leftward or rightward hemiside depending upon the employment of the sleeves.
The Morrell patent discloses a cushion ensemble and method of arranging cushions to provide the same. It comprises a first large wedge-shaped cushion, a second smaller wedge-shaped cushion, and a third wedge-shaped cushion. The first and second cushions are arranged in a common plane so that their upwardly facing sides converge downwardly toward each other. The third wedge-shaped cushion is placed on the generally upwardly facing, inclined surface of the first cushion to serve as a shoulder, neck, or back rest.
The Vineberg patent discloses an elevated mattress for placing on the top of a conventional mattress for elevating the head and thorax of a patient.
The Greenawalt patent discloses an inflatable pillow. It comprises one or more elements for receiving the neck or cervical region of a person lying on the pillow and another, adjacent element for receiving the person's head.
The Fiore patent discloses a contoured body support structure. It comprises an upper surface contoured to maintain the spine of a person lying horizontally on the mattress in the proper curvature regardless of whether the person is lying in the supine, prone, or side portion. The upper surface has a convex shape in each of the lumbar and knee regions and has a concave depression in the sacral region with reduced tapering end portions from the lumbar and knee regions to the ends of the support.
The Alivizatos patent discloses convertible body supporting pads. The support pads are formed from flexible fabric closed covers of generally rectangular configuration forming a chamber which is filled to approximately 50% of its normal maximum volume with relatively small expanded polystyrene beads.
The Williams patent discloses a convoluted support pad for prevention of decubitus ulcers and apparatus for making same. The pad has a head and a foot supporting section, each in the form of a convoluted, checker board pattern of rows of peaks separated by depressions.
The '687 Iwase patent discloses a mattress with support members along the length of the mattress.
The Elesh patent discloses a pillow mattress.
The Walpin patent discloses an adjustable body positioner. It comprises a foundation which is comprised of top and bottom substructures. The foundation includes an acute angle edge and a concave widthwise contour. The top and bottom substructures are joined at the acute angle edge by a hinge means. An insert is formed to allow it to be replaceably interleaved between the top and bottom substructures.
The Sanders patent discloses an adjustable pillow. It comprises an adjustable neckroll section and a head support section. The neckroll section has a foam rubber pad rolled into a spiral roll and housed within a cylindrical case. The case can be opened to allow the pad to be removed and trimmed. The diameter of the neckroll can thus be adjusted to correspond to the contour of the user's neck. The head support section has an outer section and an inner section. The thickness of the outer section may be adjusted by adding or removing filler material. The thickness of the inner section may be adjusted by adding or removing inlays in a stacked arrangement.
The Gilroy patent discloses an anatomically contoured convoluted foam pad.
The Jones patent discloses a portable inflatable patient assist apparatus. It is a multi-chambered pad which is positioned on a bed wherein the bedridden person would make contact with the pad. The pad has first and second inflatable chambers positioned adjacent the bed, which would overlap down a double longitudinal axis. Each chamber has its own inlet for pressurized air to be pumped for selectively inflating that particular chamber.
The Tanaka patent discloses a cervical and head support pillow. It comprises an outer pillow covering with a top half and a bottom half, a contoured foam core, and three foam inserts which include a first height insert, a second height insert and a V-shaped insert.
The Jay patent discloses a customized seat cushion. It comprises securable removable supports which are used in combination with a shaped tray and a pad containing a fluid filling material. The supports are fastened to selected contours of the shaped tray, and the surface presented by the supports and shaped tray are covered by the pad which is fastened to the exposed surfaces of the tray and pads.
The Rogers patent discloses an edge-shear reduction in body support foam pads. The body support has a top opening.
The O'Sullivan patent discloses a therapeutic pillow cover having compartments for receiving hot/cold packs and/or pillow insert supports.
The Farley patent discloses a therapeutic mattress overlay and method of forming and using the same. The mattress has a hump for supporting the knees of an individual.
The Hsien patent discloses a spinal column correction device. It comprises a head rest, a lumbar rest, and a bottom rest. The head rest has a first raised support, a second raised support formed with a recess at the intermediate portion, a groove between the first raised support and the second raised support, a triangular region extending downwardly from the second raised support, and a Velcro strap at the lower edge of the head rest. The lumbar rest has a Velcro strap at the upper edge and the lower edge, a swollen region at the intermediate portion, a spine line at the center, a triangular region at the upper portion, and two recesses at the lower portion for receiving the hips of a user. The bottom rest has two recesses for receiving the feet of a user and a swollen region between the two recesses for resting the feet, whereby the device may effectively correct the spinal column of a user.
The Kunz patent discloses an inflatable head and torso support. It comprises a wedge shaped inflatable air bladder, a source of pressurized air, and air hose and valves for the controlled inflation and deflation of the air bladder.
The Ruscitto patent discloses a pillow case head cover made from a single piece of material folded and joined in a method so as to create two primary envelopes.
Many of these support devices are designed to offer support of the cervical or neck area of the user, and also provide a comfortable area on which the user may rest his/her head. However, none of the prior support devices teaches a spinal support and stretch pillow system for stretching the entire spine and correcting poor posture problems while a user is sleeping in the supine position or the lateral-lying position. It is desirable to provide a spinal support and stretch pillow system for passively treating certain spinal curvature disorders, including cervical, thoracic and lumbar disorders. It is also desirable to provide a spinal support and stretch pillow system for supporting a person's body in a manner required by his or her particular condition and to improve poor posture during sleep in either the supine position or lateral-lying position.

Spinal support and stretch pillow system


A team based row level security system and method are provided that permits items of data to be shared across a team.

There are several different approaches that have been tried in the past to solve the problems of data security. The simplest method for data security that provides some measure of protection is to only lock down the system itself. If a user can login to the system, then they have full access to all of the records stored on the system. For smaller companies, this method of securing data can be sufficient. Managers can typically see into their direct reports data. As soon as the company grows to the point of specialization among team members or competition among members of the sales force, this method of securing data is no longer enough.
The next evolution in data security is known as personal lists. There is typically one list per user and potentially one global list. If a user would like to grant access to someone to work with them on one of his/her records, the user needs to grant access to the entire list of records of the user. This method works well for simple situations where the user would like to have an assistant work with the records but not other users and individuals. However, this technique does not work well for complicated teams and/or overlapping teams. Like the previous method, it also does not secure any data from people that are granted some access to records.
Another solution to the problem is to have security lists that are created on a per item basis. Thus, the list on each item will tell the user who has access to the item. While this mechanism allows for good security and good sharing of items, it is typically very expensive to implement and maintain. For example, users have to worry about who has access to the data and will have to make changes to specific items one at a time. Furthermore, system-wide team changes can be very expensive. In addition, the changing of an item's ownership from one team to another is a very expensive operation that requires removing all existing team members and adding new ones. The data structures to maintain all of these teams and records and lists for the many teams and maintaining the consistency of the lists are also expensive from both the database and algorithm perspective. While this method provides a very granular level of security control that is very present in the user's mind, it takes a lot of manual work to maintain in typical installations, and is expensive to maintain and implement in the database layer.
Another simple security mechanism is to protect access to data based on roles. Users with a certain role can see and/or modify certain types of data. For instance, users with the sales role have the ability to see and edit all sales deals while users with the sales audit role can see all deals, but not edit them. This is a relatively crude security mechanism in that it does not easily provide granular access to data. Thus, it is desirable to provide a new more effective and efficient row level security algorithm, and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.

Team based row level security system and method


An adapter-converter assembly for use with an electrical outlet is disclosed including a main body having a first, second and third universal female outlets defining first, second and third outlet configurations, and a first male plug defining a first plug configuration. A second body has a fourth universal female outlet defining the second outlet configuration and a second male plug defining a second plug configuration. The second male plug is receivable in at least one of the female outlets and the fourth female outlet is configured to receive the first male plug. A third body has a fifth universal female outlet defining the third outlet configuration and a third male plug defining a third plug configuration. The third male plug receivable in at least one of the first, second and third female outlets and the fifth female outlet is configured to receive the first male plug.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electrical appliance accessories and, more particularly, to portable power adapters and adapter-converter devices.
2. Background of Related Art
Most single-phase, alternating-current electrical power outlets around the world supply power at either 210-240 volts at 50 Hz or 100-120 volts at 60 Hz. Typically the supplied voltage level is based on the existing infrastructure found in a specific geographical region, e.g. the United Kingdom (U.K.), Unites States (U.S.), Northern and Southern Europe (Europe), India, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, etc. If an appliance or device is designed for use with a particular voltage range, for example, 210 to 240 volts or 100 to 120 volts, but the available power outlet provides voltage at a different range, a converter is necessary to convert the voltage supplied by the power outlet into the voltage required by the appliance or device before the appliance or device can be used.
Various geographical regions also use different standards for the physical configuration of the interface to the electrical power outlet. Thus, an adaptor is needed to accommodate a power outlet having a physical interface that has a different standard than the plug associated with a specific appliance or device.
Various known power adapters and converters exist for adapting an electrical power outlet or socket, such as a wall plug, having a first standard and/or voltage range for use with a particular electrically powered appliance or device having a second standard and/or voltage range. Such adapters and adapter-converter devices may consist of a single, unitary body having one or more sets of openings to receive the plug of one or more appliances, and having at least one set of male contacts for being received within the wall plug. Others may comprise one or more modular bodies that may be connected together or separated for various uses. Certain drawbacks exist with many available models including, but not limited to, bulky size, inconvenient operation, and lack of durability.

Modular travel power adapter and converter system


A tool for chamfering the end of a pipe which is capable of accommodating a wide variety of different pipes, and employing at least one cutter assembly which can be positioned to cut either the outside or the inside edges of pipes, while simultaneously truing the end of the pipe.

The present invention relates to a device and method for tapering or chamfering an end of a pipe. More specifically, it relates to a device having a plurality of cutters which slide in slots to adjust for different size pipes, thus enabling the device to accommodate a wide variety of pipes.


A method of manufacturing a mattress that comprises forming a mattress inner core; forming a non-quilted mattress cover; and attaching the non-quilted mattress cover to the inner core without sewing. The non-quilted mattress cover may be formed of a laminate including a polymeric non-woven fabric that may be embossed and cut to include a cover top panel and a plurality of cover side panels that are unitary with and extend outward from the cover top panel. The step of attaching the non-quilted mattress cover to the inner core without sewing includes orthogonally orienting the cover side panels relative to the cover top panel and fusing portions of adjoining surfaces of adjacent cover side panels to each other to form a coffin, inserting the mattress inner core into the coffin, folding non-fused portions of the adjoining surface of the adjacent cover side panels over the mattress inner core, and bonding a bottom panel to the non-fused portions of the cover side panels and the mattress inner core.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Conventional mattresses generally have a fabric cover, and sometimes a comfort layer formed of fabric. In addition, conventional mattresses generally include a core that may include an inner coil spring unit surrounded by polyurethane rails around the perimeter of the mattress, and surrounded on the top and bottom by padding which provides a barrier and cushion against the metal springs. In better quality mattresses a wire grid may further be provided as a barrier between the padding and the spring unit. The padding is then padded on its top and bottom by layers of polyurethane foam, cotton, and other materials. The typical outer construction of a mattress includes a top and bottom cover, and a border which surrounds the four sides or perimeter of the spring unit. The covers and border are usually quilted fabric available in a variety of colors and print patterns, thus providing the initial aesthetic appeal to the customer.
The covers and borders are typically permanently attached to the mattress core with a closing machine that permanently seals the mattress. The closing machine sews the covers and borders to the mattress core, which requires hundreds of needles that regularly break and need to be repaired, which can cause undesirable maintenance downtime. In addition, sewing of the covers and borders to the mattress core can take a long period of time, which is undesirable from a productivity standpoint.
What's more, the polyurethane of a conventional mattress is not a material that can be recycled.

Non-sewn mattress and method of manufacturing thereof