The present invention is directed to a compliant device comprising a support body, a floating body, and a plurality of flexure arms. Each of the plurality of flexure arms is connected between the support body and the floating body to transfer a load therebetween in parallel. To that end, the flexure arms have first and second sets of flexure joints. The first set of flexure joints facilitate rotational movement of said flexure arm about a first axis extending along a first direction. The second set of flexure joints are arranged to facilitate rotational movement of the flexure arm about a second axis, extending along a second direction that is transverse to the first direction. The flexure joints are resolute joints.

The field of invention relates generally to remote center compliant devices. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a compliant device suited for use in imprint lithography to hold a template.
Compliant devices are devices that have elastic properties to compliantly float one body relative to another, while providing a desired number of degrees of freedom of movement therebetween. These properties permit, inter alia, the floating body to compensate out-of-tolerance spatial orientations with respect to a work surface. Active compliant devices use actuators to achieve a desired spatial orientation between bodies. "Passive" compliant devices are unpowered, i.e., without active control. Being able to be kinematically constrained in any translational or rotational direction, a "passive" compliant device achieves proper spatial orientation between the floating body and a work piece through interconnecting linkages and passive elastic elements, e.g., springs. Actuation of the compliance function occurs upon contact of the floating body with the work surface. To that end, forces transferred between the floating body and a support body coupled thereto via linkages may be achieved serially or in parallel.
An exemplary compliant device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,220 to Bailey et al. that discloses a remote passive compliant device for use in imprint lithography. The remote passive compliant device facilitates a transfer of forces between the floating body and a support body coupled thereto serially, through a plurality ot linkages. The linkages are coupled between the floating body and the support via flexure joints. With this configuration, proper spatial orientation between an imprint lithography template and imprinting material of a work surface may be achieved.
Thus, a need exists for providing improved compliant devices for use in imprint lithorgraphy processes.

Compliant device for nano-scale manufacturing


With the objective of eliminating variations in signal strength, there is provided a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus in which the process of 90°-exciting and 180°-exciting spins of two slices intersecting each other respectively and receiving a spin echo generated from an intersection thereof is repeated while the intersection is sequentially parallel-moved to a plurality of lines, thereby to generate, based on the received spin echo, a two-dimensional image at the time that the plural lines are seen in a projection direction. In the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the lines are set at a matrix in which a phase direction is defined as a row direction and the projection direction is defined as a column direction. A plurality of the lines at which a predetermined number of column intervals are defined as mutual intervals are set in the respective rows. One line is set to each column. The numbers of the lines in the respective rows are common divisors for the number of the columns in the matrix and set identical to one another between the respective rows.

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a magnetic resonance receiving apparatus, and a magnetic resonance imaging method.
A method called a line scan has been disclosed in a patent document 1. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for describing a line scan. In the line scan, the operation of 90°-exciting and 180°-exciting spins of two slices S1 and S2 intersecting each other respectively and thereby receiving a spin echo generated from an intersection IT thereof, and subjecting the received spin echo to one-dimensional inverse Fourier transformation to obtain line images at the intersection is repeated while the intersection IT is parallel-moved in a phase direction Dph or the like within an imaging space. By collecting those line images, a two-dimensional image of a subject as seen in a projection direction Dpr is constructed.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-61810
In the patent document 1, one two-dimensional image is obtained by moving the intersection IT placed on one plane. In contrast, it is considered that one two-dimensional image is obtained by moving the intersection three-dimensionally. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing one example illustrative of scan positions and a scan sequence where an intersection is three-dimensionally moved to obtain a two-dimensional image.
In FIG. 5, the direction orthogonal to the sheet indicates the longitudinal direction of the intersection IT. Each of rhombuses in the figure shows a line L′ corresponding to each scan position of the intersection IT in the form of a sectional shape of the intersection IT. Numerals in the lines L′ show a scan sequence. There is a case where lines L′ for a specific scan sequence are designated below by marking the lines L′ with numbers indicative of a scan sequence as in the case of a line L′ 1 and the like.
In FIG. 5, lines L′ are set onto a matrix M′ of 4 rows and 14 columns. Described specifically, one line L′ is set in each column and a plurality of lines L′ smaller than the number of columns are set in each row. And line images based on the scans of the lines L′ are collected or gathered thereby to obtain a two-dimensional image IMG of a subject as viewed in a projection direction Dpr parallel to a column direction.
Moving the intersection IT three-dimensionally in this way makes it possible to lengthen a distant scan interval between the lines L′ and relax interaction between the lines L′ while resolution of the two-dimensional image IMG in the phase direction Dph is being maintained high, as compared with the case in which the intersection is moved at one plane (only one row). An image or three-dimensional image of the subject as seen in the direction other than the projection direction Dpr can also be obtained.
The specific layout of the lines L′ and their scan sequence are set in consideration of various circumstances such as relaxing of the interaction between the lines L′, uniformization of the interaction between the lines L′ over a region of interest of the subject, etc.
In FIG. 5, the lines L′ are disposed in such a manner that the line L′ at the next row is shifted by one column with respect to the line L′ at one row in the right direction as seen from the sheet. A scan is sequentially performed in the column direction (projection direction Dpr) every row. At each row, the scan sequence is set along the rules common between the respective rows.
Thus, the temporal scan interval from the line L′ at the first row to the line L′ at the second row, and the temporal scan interval from the line L′ at the second row to the line L′ at the third row are equal to each other. When, for example, the temporal scan interval is expressed in the form of a difference in scan order, the scan interval from a line L′ 1 to a line L′ 5 is 5−1=4, and the scan interval from the line L′ 5 to a line L′ 9 is 9−5=4. They are equal to each other.
When, however, attention is focused on a line L′ 12, the temporal scan interval (12−9=3) from the line L′ 9 to the line L′ 12 becomes shorter than the temporal scan interval (9−5=4) from the line L′ 5 to the line L′ 9.Therefore, a reduction in signal strength due to spin saturation at the line L′ 12 becomes greater than that at the line L′ 9. Lines L′ 13 and L′ 14 are also similar to above. Thus, line-like unevenness of luminance occurs at positions corresponding to the lines L′ 12, L′13 and L′ 14 of the two-dimensional image IMG.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method of exciting two slices intersecting each other with the intersection parallel moved during spin echo reception

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A replica 3D structure is fabricated inside a multi-layered mold by patterning each mold layer to define a void/opening that matches a corresponding cross section of the structure's peripheral surface, and filling the patterned opening of each layer with a structural material (i.e., before depositing a subsequent layer of mold material). The mold material (e.g., photoresist or another dissolvable sacrificial material) is blanket deposited (e.g., by slot-die, spray coating) and then patterned using a laser or a printed mask. Each layer of modeling material (e.g., polymer, ceramic or metal, or a combination thereof) is electro-plated or otherwise deposited on the previously formed modeling material layer. High vertical resolution is achieved by utilizing relatively thin mold layers. The mold layer deposition, patterning and modeling material deposition is repeated until the replica 3D structure is entirely formed inside the multi-layered mold, and then the mold is dissolved or otherwise removed.

Digital 3D fabrication is utilized to replicate complex structures that are difficult to make with bulk machining. Existing 3D fabrication techniques such as inkjet/extrusion and "two-photon lithography" (TPL) are utilized to produce tiny structures with features on a micron (μm) or nanometer scale, but have drawbacks in terms of resolution and z-height limits. The resolution of 3D inkjet or extrusion printer is acutely affected by the composition of solution inks, and often the requirements for good printing are in conflict with the desired mechanical properties in the printed structures. For example, the solid loading in nanoparticle inks is kept low to avoid particle agglomeration and clogging of ejectors, but in terms of structural integrity, higher loading is preferable to minimize shrinkage and facilitate solidification. The colloidal suspension for inkjet and extrusion are already at picoliter volume in order to reach 40 μm resolution (˜600 dpi in Objet 3D printer). For further improvement, the droplet volume has been successfully reduced by applying an electric field, but the reduced volume that enables higher the resolution will trade off with speed in the process. Major breakthroughs in the write speed for TPL were announced in 2012 by the Vienna University of Technology on a research TPL system, and in 2013 by Nanoscribe GmbH in a commercial TPL system. However, large vertical distance is still problematic for TPL, because the focal length of TPL optical system is limited to few hundred microns maximum.
What is needed is a process for fabricating 3D structures that avoids the resolution and z-height limit restrictions of conventional modeling methods.

Digital 3D fabrication using multi-layered mold


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an information display method, an apparatus and a mobile terminal, which relate to the field of mobile terminal technologies. The method includes: receiving a press operation on a preset display content; displaying, based on the press operation, a loading bar representing a magnitude of a force value of the press operation; and loading the loading bar to a preset length when the force value of the press operation reaches a preset threshold, and parsing the preset display content. In this solution, intuitive feedback for the magnitude of the force of the press operation is made through the loading bar, so that the user can know the press process, improving the user experience.

A mobile terminal may display various contents with its display screen, and a user may operate the display contents on the display screen. However, if the user fails to obtain an operation result during the operation on the display contents, it is impossible to know whether the operation is valid or whether the operation is incorrect, causing poor user experience.

Information display method, apparatus and mobile terminal

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions and dietary supplement comprising yeast cells that can produce a healthful benefit in a subject inflicted with liver cancer. The biological compositions can be used to retard the growth of liver cancer cells and/or prolonging the time of survival of the subject. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing the biological compositions.

2.1 Liver Cancer
In the United States, approximately 15,300 people (with a 2:1 male to female ratio) are diagnosed with liver cancer every year. Primary liver cancer is relatively rare in North America and Europe but poses a serious health problem worldwide. In contrast to an estimate of incidence in the U.S. of 3 per 100,000 population, the incidence in epidemic regions such as Africa and Asia varies from 30 per 100,000 to more than 100 per 100,000 population. (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures, 1994, Atlanta, Ga.: American Cancer Society Inc.). Although primary liver cancer ranks low on the list of cancer incident in the U.S., it carries a grave prognosis with a fatality-to-case ratio of 0.8 (about 13,800 out of the 15,300 die from the disease in the U.S. each year.
Tumors of the liver may be benign or malignant, infant or adult. It is estimated from autopsy series that 1% to 7% of the population have some type of benign liver tumor (Henson et al., 1956, Surg Gynecol Obstet. 103:23–30). The most common benign liver tumor is the hemantioma, which is classified as hemangioendotheliomas, capillary hemangiomas, and caernous hemangiomas. They are believed to be sequestrations of primordial angioblastic cells. Hemangioendotheiiomas are generally found in infants and children, and approximately 50% of cases are associated with cutaneous vascular lesions. (Joyce et al., 1989, Prog Pediatr Surg. 22:69–93). Most are discovered within the first 6 months of life and may continue to enlarge.
On the other hand, there is adult primary liver cancer, which is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells start to grow in the tissues of the liver. Primary liver cancer should be distinguished from metastatic cancer which originates in another organ (e.g., lung, breast, colon and rectum). When liver metastases occur at the time of initial diagnosis of the primary tumor, they are described as synchronous. If detected after the initial diagnosis, they are described as metachronous. The liver is a popular target for metastasis since it receives blood from the abdominal organs via the portal vein. Malignant cells detach from the primary cancer, by entering the bloodstream or lymphatic channels, travel to the liver, and grow independently.
Adult primary liver cancer is histologically classified into 5 groups: (1) hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cell carcinoma); (2) hepatocellular carcinoma (firbolamellar variant); (3) cholangiocarcinoma (intrahepatic bile duck carcinoma); (4) mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma; and (5) undifferentiated. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary malignant liver tumor, accounting for approximately 75% of liver cancers. Less common are cholangiocarcinomas which arise from the bile duct. As with any organ, rare tumors can also be found arising from other cellular components of the liver, including angiosarcoma. Other less frequently observed malignant liver tumors include fibrolamellar, cystadenoma, and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
The primary symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma are those of a hepatic mass. Among patients with underlying cirrhotic disease, a progressive increase in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and/or in alkaline phosphatase or a rapid deterioration of hepatic function may be the only clue to the presence of the neoplasm. The biologic marker AFP is useful for the diagnosis of this neoplasm. By a radioimmunoassay technique, 50% to 70% of patients in the United States who have hepatocellular carcinoma have elevated levels of AFP. However, patients with other malignancies (germ cell carcinoma and, rarely, pancreatic and gastric carcinoma) also demonstrate elevated serum levels of this protein. (Stillwagon et al., 1991, Int'l J Rad Onc. Bio. Phys. 20(1):65–71; Izumi et al., 1992, Jof Surgical Oncology 49(3):151–55). Other prognostic variables include performance status, liver functions, and the presence or absence of cirrhosis and its severity in relation to the Child-Pugh classification. (Nakakura, 2000 Oncology (Huntington N.Y.) 14(7): 1085–1100). Infrequently, patients with this disease also have polycythemia, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, or dysfibrinogenemia.
There are several well known risk factors for liver cancer. Certain types of viral hepatitis, including chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), are associated with increased liver cancer risk. By far, hepatitis B infection (Blumberg et al., 1975, American Journal of Pathology 81(3):669–82) and hepatitis C infection (Tsukuma et al., 1993, New England J. Med. 328(25):1797–1801) appear to be the most significant causes of hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly in patients with continuing antigenemia and in those who have chronic active hepatitis. Scientists estimate that about 10–20 percent of people infected with HBV will develop liver cancer. There is evidence that patients with both hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection who consume more than 80 grams of alcohol per day have an increased risk of developing cancer (odds ratio of 7.3) when compared to patients who abstain from alcohol (Tagger et al., 1999, Int'l J. Cancer 81(5):695–99). Additionally, having a first-degree relative with hepatitis B plus hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with an increased risk (odds ratio 2.41) for family members who are hepatitis B carriers. (Yu et al., 2000, J. National Cancer Institute 92(14): 1159–64).
Long-term exposure to aflatoxins—a group of carcinogenic chemicals produced by a fungus found in tropical and subtropical regions that often contaminate peanuts, wheat, soy beans, corn and rice—can raise the risk of liver cancer (Alpert et al., 1971, Cancer 28(1):253–60). Occupational risks such as exposure to vinyl chloride before controls on vinyl chloride dust may cause sarcomas to develop in the liver, most commonly angiosarcoma. A history of other liver diseases, particularly cirrhosis of the liver, has been shown to increase the risk of liver cancer. Other risk factors include malnutrition, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, long-term use of anabolic steroids, birth control pills, and drinking water contaminated with arsenic.
Early stages of liver cancer can be asymptomatic and may go undetected for months or even years. The signs and symptoms of liver cancer do not become apparent until the disease has progressed to a late stage. Further, many of the symptoms are nonspecific. Liver cancer, both primary and metastatic, often exhibits symptoms of general malaise as well as pain and tenderness. Other signs include unexplained weight loss, persistent lack of appetite, fever of unknown origin, limb weakness, sensory loss, persistent abdominal pain, immature feeling of fullness, swelling of the abdominal are with or without breathing difficulties, sudden jaundice, and liver enlargement or a mass that can be felt in the liver area.
The staging of lung cancer is based on the revised criteria of TNM staging by the American Joint Committee for Cancer (AJCC) published in 1988. Staging is the process of describing the extent to which cancer has spread from the site of its origin. It is used to assess a patient's prognosis and to determine the choice of therapy. The stage of a cancer is determined by the size and location in the body of the primary tumor, and whether it has spread to other areas of the body. Staging involves using the letters T, N and M to assess tumors by the size of the primary tumor (T); the degree to which regional lymph nodes (N) are involved; and the absence or presence of distant metastases (M)—cancer that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to distant organs or distant lymph nodes. Each of these categories is further classified with a number 1 through 4 to give the total stage. Once the T, N and M are determined, a "stage" of I, II, III or IV is assigned. Stage I cancers are small, localized and usually curable. Stage II and III cancers typically are locally advanced and/or have spread to local lymph nodes. Stage IV cancers usually are metastatic (have spread to distant parts of the body) and generally are considered inoperable.
Treatment of liver cancer depends on the type of tumor and the stage of the disease, the condition of the liver, and the patient's age and overall health. The three main treatment methods include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Frequently, a combination of treatments is recommended.
However, surgical resection (the removal of a tumor) is the only way to cure liver cancer. Unfortunately, in the majority of liver cancers, complete removal of the cancer is not possible, either because the cancer has already spread beyond the liver or because the tumor is too large, or several tumors are present in different parts of the liver. Moreover, about 30% of hepatocellular carcinoma patients in the U.S. have cirrhosis. With cirrhosis, liver function is impaired, there is increased blood loss during surgery, especially in the presence of portal hypertension, and the liver lacks the normal capacity to regenerate. This makes removal of even a small amount of liver tissue at the perimeter of the cancer prohibitive, as it would not leave enough liver tissue to perform the essential functions of the organ.
There are two other surgical methods for destroying liver tumors without removing them. The first is called cryosurgery, in which the tumor is destroyed by freezing it was a metal probe. The second is called ethanol ablation, which involves injecting alcohol directly into the tumor to destroy the cancer cells. Nevertheless, recurrences may develop requiring nonsurgical therapy such as regional chemotherapy (by hepatic artery infusion), systemic chemotherapy (by vein or mouth), and external-beam radiation, often in combination.
The curative rate of liver cancer using radiation is extremely low and the side effects are undesirable. The proximity of radiosensitive tissues, including the liver, kidney, and duodenum, severely limits the efficacy of external-beam radiation therapy and has led to innovative approaches for delivering high-dose treatment, including precision high-dose external-beam techniques, interstitial or brachytherapy, and intraoperative and adjuvant radiation therapy. There is reported value for all these techniques, but because of the heterogeneity of patients, tumor size, stage of disease, performance status, and volume of the tumor, it is difficult to make a definitive conclusion concerning the superiority of one modality over the others. Titanium clips, which do not interfere with CT studies, can be surgically placed to mark the margins of the tumor, thus enabling the radiation therapist to design fields that will maximize tumor dosage and minimize injury to radiosensitive, normal adjacent structures (Dodelbower et al., 1984, World J Surg. 8:919–28).
Single agents such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin are the most often used drugs in chemotherapy. Responses, however, are low (15% to 20%) and of short duration. Other active chemotherapeutic agents include Tomudex, Mitomycin C, and CPT-1. Today, combination chemotherapy is the standard. Studies show that using 5-FU in conjunction with doxorubicin (Adriamycin) results in a 13% response rate (Baker et al., 1977 Cancer Treat Rep. 61:1595–97). However, there are many undesirable side effects associated with chemotherapy such as temporary hair loss, mouth sores, anemia (decreased numbers of red blood cells that may cause fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath), leukopenia (decreased numbers of white blood cells that may lower resistance to infection), thrombocytopenia (decreased numbers of platelets that may lead to easy bleeding or bruising), and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The identification of active chemotherapeutic agents against cancers traditionally involved the use of various animal models of cancer. The mouse has been one of the most informative and productive experimental system for studying carcinogenesis (Sills et al., 2001, Toxicol Letters 120:187–198), cancer therapy (Malkinson, 2001, Lung Cancer 32(3):265–279; Hoffman R M., 1999, Invest New Drugs 17(4):343–359), and cancer chemoprevention (Yun, 1999, Annals NY Acad Sci. 889:157–192). Cancer research started with transplanted tumors in animals which provided reproducible and controllable materials for investigation. Pieces of primary animal tumors, cell suspensions made from these tumors, and immortal cell lines established from these tumor cells propagate when transplanted to animals of the same species.
To transplant human cancer to an animal and to prevent its destruction by rejection, the immune system of the animal are compromised. While originally accomplished by irradiation, thymectomy, and application of steroids to eliminate acquired immunity, nude mice that are athymic congenitally have been used as recipients of a variety of human tumors (Rygaard, 1983, in 13th International Cancer Congress Part C, Biology of Cancer (2), pp37–44, Alan R. Liss, Inc., NY; Fergusson and Smith, 1987, Thorax, 42:753–758). While the athymic nude mouse model provides useful models to study a large number of human tumors in vivo, it does not develop spontaneous metastases and are not suitable for all types of tumors. Next, the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice is developed in which the acquired immune system is completely disabled by a genetic mutation. Human lung cancer was first used to demonstrate the successful engraftment of a human cancer in the SCID mouse model (Reddy S., 1987, Cancer Res. 47(9):2456–2460). Subsequently, the SCID mouse model have been shown to allow disseminated metastatic growths for a number of human tumors, particularly hematologic disorders and malignant melanoma (Mueller and Reisfeld, 1991, Cancer Metastasis Rev. 10(3):193–200; Bankert et al., 2001, Trends Immunol. 22:386–393). With the recent advent of transgenic technology, the mouse genome has become the primary mammalian genetic model for the study of cancer (Resor et al., 2001, Human Molec Genet. 10:669–675).
While surgery, chemotherapeutic agents, hormone therapy, and radiation are useful in the treatment of liver cancer, there is a continued need to find better treatment modalities and approaches to manage the disease that are more effective and less toxic, especially when clinical oncologists are giving increased attention to the quality of life of cancer patients. The present invention provides an alternative approach to cancer therapy and management of the disease by using an oral composition comprising yeasts.
2.2 Yeast-Based Compositions
Yeasts and components thereof have been developed to be used as dietary supplement or pharmaceuticals. However, none of the prior methods uses yeast cells which have been cultured in an electromagnetic field to produce a product that has an anti-cancer effect. The following are some examples of prior uses of yeast cells and components thereof:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,295 discloses a selenium-enriched dried yeast product which can be used as dietary supplement. The yeast strain Saccharomyces boulardii sequela PY 31 (ATCC 74366) is cultured in the presence of selenium salts and contains 300 to about 6,000 ppm intracellular selenium. Methods for reducing tumor cell growth by administration of the selenium yeast product in combination with chemotherapeutic agents is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,731 discloses a dietary additive containing whole β-glucans derived from yeast, which when administered to animals and humans, provide a source of fiber in the diet, a fecal bulking agent, a source of short chain fatty acids, reduce cholesterol and LDL, and raises HDL levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,079 discloses a method of stimulating an immune response in a subject utilizing modified yeast glucans which have enhanced immunobiologic activity. The modified glucans are prepared from the cell wall of Saccharomyces yeasts, and can be administered in a variety of routes including, for example, the oral, intravenous, subcutaneous, topical, and intranasal route.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,483 discloses a process for preparing a chromium yeast product which has a high intracellular chromium content. The process comprises allowing the yeast cells to absorb chromium under a controlled acidic pH and, thereafter inducing the yeast cells to grow by adding nutrients. The yeast cells are dried and used as a dietary supplement.
Citation of documents herein is not intended as an admission that any of the documents cited herein is pertinent prior art, or an admission that the cited documents are considered material to the patentability of the claims of the present application. All statements as to the date or representations as to the contents of these documents are based on the information available to the applicant and does not constitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contents of these documents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method to prepare compositions comprising yeast treated with electromagnetic energy


A digital document system in which a digital document in a communication network is shared between a plurality of stations, said system comprising:                a first station (101A) having a first digital document (DD1) comprising a thumbnail data item (TH1) and an original data item (HR1);        a second station (102A) having a second digital document (DD2) comprising a thumbnail data item (TH2); and        a center station (100A) comprising:                    calculating means for calculating signatures of the thumbnail data items (TH1, TH2) of the first and second digital documents (DD1, DD2);            comparing means for comparing the calculated signatures of the thumbnail data items (TH1, TH2); and            transmitting means for transmitting information for accessing the original data item (HR1) of the first digital document (DD1) to the second station (102A) according to a result of the comparison.

The present invention relates to the accessing or to the sharing of a digital document in a communication network of distributed type commonly referred to as having "peer-to-peer" topology, and more particularly to accessing a data item of a digital document, from any station of the network, on the basis of another data item of the same digital document.
As from the last few years, peer-to-peer networks have become an alternative to the client-server systems widely used up till now. This is because, due to their distributed architecture, peer-to-peer networks make it possible to share a high quantity of digital data between a large number of users, without this necessitating a costly infrastructure.
In practice, in a peer-to-peer network, each station plays the role of client and server. Thus, each station can request a data item or a digital document from any other station of the network and the exchange of data may be carried out directly from one station to another.
In what follows, the term "document or digital data item" applies equally to images or digital videos, or to digital texts.
Generally, the same digital document comprises at least first and second data items connected to each other according to an edition relationship of hierarchical type and/or quality in terms of resolution, version, language, size or content. In practice, the original data item (referred to here as second data item of the digital document to share) has the highest resolution and the data item having the lowest resolution is referred to as a thumbnail (and corresponding here to the first data item of the digital document to share).
In the case in which the digital document is an image, the original data item corresponds to the original image, that is to say at full resolution, and the thumbnail corresponds to an image of lower resolution.
In the case in which the digital document is a video, the original data item corresponds to the sequence of original images and the thumbnail corresponds, for example, to the first image of the video at a lower resolution than the resolution of the original video.
Currently the distribution of data increasingly relies on peer-to-peer networks due to their low-cost installation, due to the presence of very numerous computers connected to the network, and also due to the development of broadband connections.
However, peer-to-peer networks are unstable. This is because client devices (and consequently server devices) connect and disconnect periodically to the network, thus rendering the presence of data highly unpredictable. Furthermore, the addresses of client and/or server devices are unpredictable and liable to be different at each connection.
The result of this is that access to content on a communication network of peer-to-peer type still constitutes a considerable difficulty since the lag in obtaining the data item is no longer simply due to the time necessary for retrieval of the data as in the conventional client-server topology, but also in the time for searching for a server device having that data item. According to the topology of the peer-to-peer network concerned, this searching phase may or may not be negligible.
To remedy these drawbacks, one solution consists of using a central server which guarantees a minimum quality of service. This then referred to as a hybrid peer-to-peer network.
In practice, sharing a digital document over a peer-to-peer communication network consists of the following known succession of steps:                selecting the document to share;        associating a unique identifier making it possible to find the location of the document on the network;        calculating a thumbnail on the basis of the original data item;        updating an index table at the central server by associating an identifier of the shared document with one (or several) station(s), each of these stations being server for the document.
This known succession of steps is used in most peer-to-peer networks to share a document with a community of users, that is to say that anyone may access the shared document provided that person knows the identifier. This is then referred to as public sharing.
By contrast, it is possible to share a document with a group of friends and to restrict the access to that document to that group of friends. This then referred to as restricted access sharing (private sharing).
In this case, the private sharing of a document necessitates two additional steps:                selecting the recipients;        sending notification to each of those recipients so as to inform them that a new document has been shared.
In practice, the present invention is in no way modified whether one or the other of these sharing systems is used. In what follows, the present invention is described in the case in which the document is publicly shared.
The stations of a peer-to-peer network are in general computers connected to the network through the wired network. Nevertheless, any type of apparatus may connect to that network. For example, a mobile telephone or a personal digital assistant. According to their capacities (memory, calculation capacity) it is possible for these apparatuses not to play their role of servers (for example mobile telephones). These cases are referred to as thin stations which only provide the client function of a station, that is to say a passive role which consists of looking at the documents or digital data which are sent to them and of sharing but however not serving the data.
One of the problems to be solved is thus to share digital documents from any digital apparatus, whether that apparatus be a station in its own right, or a thin station.
The sharing mechanism of the prior art, described above, implies that the station from which the sharing arises plays the role of server. In the opposite case, that is to say when the sharing arises from a thin station, only the thumbnail is actually shared, the original data item being stored on the thin station which cannot serve it. In fact, that original data item is accessible once it has been stored on a station in its own right, playing the role of server.
The problem to solve can thus be described by means of the following example:
Further to some photographs having been taken, a user wishes to share them (or some of them) from a thin station (typically a mobile telephone). When another user requests the original data item via the document identifier, that original data item is not accessible via the sharing system.
If we now have the photograph taker making that original data item accessible from another station (different from the thin station with which he shared the thumbnail), the problem is thus to match the original data item with the thumbnail (allocation of the same identifier) such that the station which stores that original data item can serve a request comprising that identifier.
In other words, the problem is to synchronize the two versions of different resolution (referred to here as first and second data items of a first document) of a digital document when the two versions are shared at different times or from different stations (referred to here as first and second documents).
Once a document has been shared, that is to say that the thumbnail and the original data item are associated with a unique identifier, any user may access the original data item on the basis of that identifier. This implies that the identifier is associated with the thumbnail before the thumbnail has been retrieved by another user. If this is not the case, the search mechanism described earlier cannot be used since the identifier is not known to the station which sends out the request.
For example two users exchange a thumbnail of a digital document without the identifier being attributed to that thumbnail. In this example, the sending user takes a photograph with a digital camera and sends a thumbnail of that photograph to the camera of the receiving user via a short-range radio link for example. As a variant, the photograph is sent at the original resolution, but the camera of the receiving user cannot store that photograph due to a lack of memory space. At that time, the receiving apparatus generates a thumbnail on the basis of the original image received. It may be noted that the thumbnail of the receiving user may be different from that generated by the camera of the sending user since the sub-sampling processes are not necessarily the same. The same type of scenario can also be imagined on the basis of mobile telephones or any other digital apparatus, including in particular microcomputers (sending out of the thumbnail by email). Similarly, the data (original and thumbnail) may be taken from apparatuses which cannot be equated to stations of a peer-to-peer communication network since they do not have sufficient storage capacities and/or cannot remain continuously connected to the network. Thus the invention is used when the sending user downloads the original data and the thumbnail onto a station and the receiving user downloads the thumbnail onto another station of the network.
The problem to solve thus consists of associating a unique identifier with the thumbnail (first data item of a first digital document) and the original digital data (second data item of the first digital document) stored on the station of the sending user and to associate that same identifier with the thumbnail (first data item of a second document) stored on the station of the receiving user. That receiving user can thus access all the versions of the digital document on the basis of that identifier, according to the search mechanism conventionally used in peer-to-peer sharing systems.
In other words, the problem consists of synchronizing the two documents (different resolutions and different sources) of the same digital document, that is to say that the same unique identifier is to be attributed to them as soon as those documents are accessible.
Several systems currently exist which describe synchronization of digital documents in the context of collaborative editing. These systems enable editing of a document to be performed remotely, the system synchronizing the different modifications made to the document.
The problem is nevertheless different in the case of sharing a multi-resolution document since the versions of the data are no longer modified once shared and the user receives the new version only when he has requested it.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,551 describes a system for high quality printing of multi-resolution documents. Further to sending an image on paper by post, the system digitizes the image so as to create an original digital version of the image and a version at lower resolution (thumbnail). Next, the thumbnail is sent to the client or to an intermediary machine. The client may retrieve that thumbnail from that intermediary if he specified this at the time of making his order from the printing service. The system next calculates a time limit at the end of which the image at full resolution must be sent to the client. This time depends on several parameters: time limit imposed by the client, the resource of the communication network. During this period, the full resolution image is sent by a second means of communication, different from the first means used for sending the thumbnail. If sending was not possible within the given time, the system detects the problem and reports an item of information to the client.
This system does not require synchronization of the two image versions which are generated by the same machine. This is because the same identifier is associated with the thumbnail and the original data item from the time of their creation. This identifier is sent to the client or to the intermediary machine at the same time as the thumbnail. This identifier makes it possible to access the original image which is available from the machine which generated that image. Thus the client has knowledge of that machine as soon as he receives the thumbnail and the identifier.

Method of accessing or sharing a digital document in a peer-to-peer communication network


The invention relates to method of processing a speech frame in radio system, a radio system, a mobile station in radio system, and a network of radio system. In the method a speech frame having propagated over a radio path is channel-decoded. If on the basis of the channel-decoding the speech frame is free of defects, it is inferred from the value of at least one speech parameter in the channel-decoded speech frame whether the speech frame contains speech that is decodable by means of a speech decoder; and if, according to the inference, the speech frame does contain speech that is decodable by means of a speech decoder, the speech frame is decoded by means of a speech decoder; and if, according to the inference, the speech frame does not contain speech that would be decodable by means of the speech decoder, the speech frame is not decoded.

The speech to be transmitted in a radio system is coded in a transmitter by means of a speech coder. An example of a speech coder is the ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Predictive) coder of the TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio) system. The Tetra system is described in John Dunlop, Demessie Girma, James Irvine: Digital Mobile Communications and the TETRA System, John Wiley & Sons Limited 1999, ISBN 0-471-98792-1, incorporated as reference herein. The receiver comprises a speech decoder converting the speech information received back into speech that is understood by humans. If the speech coder itself comprises a speech decoder, the device is called a speech codec.
The digital speech information is channel-coded in a transmitter to prevent the adverse effects caused by the noise on the radio path. Channel codes may be error-detecting and/or error-correcting codes. In principle, the channel codes can be divided into block codes and convolutional codes. Both coding methods can be used simultaneously. One of the block codes is cyclic redundancy check, CRC. Further, convolutional coding and different modifications thereof, such as punctured convolutional coding, are typically used. A typical code rate for convolutional coding, in other words the ratio of the number of user data bits to the coded data bits of a channel, is for example ½ or ⅓. Interleaving is often used in addition to channel coding. In interleaving, the successive bits are mixed with each other for a longer period of time in such a way that a momentary fade on the radio path would not be sufficient to make the radio signal in this period unidentified but that the errors in the signal could still be eliminated by decoding the channel coding.
Information can be not only channel-coded but also encrypted to prevent tapping. Encryption is usually implemented in such a way that an encryption mask is created by means of an encryption algorithm, using certain input parameters, such as an encryption key, the encryption algorithm being connected to the information to be transmitted by means of an XOR operation (a logic exclusive OR operation). Encryption may be performed either prior to or after channel coding. There may be encryption on several levels, for example encryption over a radio interface, and point-to-point encryption for example between two mobile stations. The encryption can be decrypted in the receiver by using the same encryption algorithm that was used in the transmission, as far as the input parameters are also the same.
An error-detecting channel code, for example computation of a cyclic redundancy check, usually expresses the bit errors having entered the channel-coded speech frame on the radio path, whereby a bad frame indication, BFI, is sent to the speech decoder, from which indication the speech decoder detects that it is not advantageous to attempt to decode the speech frame concerned. Thus, the speech decoder generally utilizes a method in which the parameters of the preceding unbroken frame is used, the gain being at the same time attenuated.
However, in some cases, when the bits of a speech frame suitably invert on the radio path, the speech frame no longer contains acceptable data that could be decoded by a speech decoder, although on the basis of the channel code decoding, the speech frame is free of defects. Since there are a very large number of possible bit combinations in a speech frame, for example 2137 −1 different combinations in TETRA, it is in practice impossible to test them all. Thus, attempts to decode a defective speech frame may cause a very strong defective signal to exit from the output of the speech decoder, causing an unpleasant audio shock in the hearer's ears and at worst leading to a hearing defect.
The problem is made worse by the fact that in the TETRA system, for example, the intensity of sound in the loudspeaker of mobile stations is, according to clients' wishes, in the range of the maximum values allowed to maximize the audibility in noisy environments. Thus, even if the loudspeaker circuit has its own restriction of sound intensity, for instance 100 or even 110 decibels, this does not solve the problem. The problem is also made worse by the fact that in many radio systems, when the speech frame is defective, the decoding of the preceding speech frame is repeated by a speech decoder, so that if the preceding speech frame was defective as well, two defective speech frames are decoded successively.
Even if the channel coding could detect the errors, another problem, described in the following, may lead to an audio shock. In radio systems, for example in the GSM system (Global System for Mobile Communication), the encryption is usually decrypted before channel decoding. However, for instance in TETRA the decryption is not performed until after the channel decoding. Hence, the situation may be such that the speech frame containing speech is actually free of defects on the basis of the channel code, too, but for some reason, for example due to incorrect input parameters, the decryption puts the contents of the speech frame that is faultless as such in complete disorder. Although the speech decoder identifies bad speech frames on the basis of the channel code, for example by receiving a bad frame indication from the channel decoder when needed, it will not be able to identify the speech frame that the decryption has put in disorder, because this kind of speech frame does not receive a bad frame indication. Hereby, the speech decoder attempts to decode the speech frame that was put in disorder, causing again, in the worst case, an audio shock. The problem is more likely to arise because of the two-level encryption option in TETRA: radio interface encryption and point-to-point encryption. Users may set up their own encryption modules to perform point-to-point decryption in TETRA mobile stations, and thus the manufacturer of the device has no opportunity to check and test the operation of this kind of encryption module, because the encryption module processes information that is already channel-decoded. From the point of view of the device manufacturer, the encryption module is a black box, a decrypted speech frame coming out of the box in an ideal case. Further, there may be errors in updating encryption keys, if an incorrect encryption key is used as an input parameter of an encryption algorithm.

Processing a speech frame in a radio system


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for realizing direct dialing to an extension across Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs), in witch firstly a calling terminal of a PBX seizes a PBX circuit; secondly the calling terminal initiates a call to a called extension terminal in a PBX cluster by dialing a called extension terminal number directly; then a exchange system resolves the number of the PBX switchboard to which the calling terminal belongs according to a calling terminal number, and obtains a number of the PBX switchboard to which a called extension terminal belongs according to information of the called extension terminal number; and then the exchange system initiates a call to the PBX switchboard to which the called extension terminal belongs, and, when receiving an answer to the call from the PBX switchboard, sends the called extension terminal number, to connect the calling terminal with the called extension terminal.

Among existing communication equipments, PBX is widely used for internal communication in a business consortium. However, a consortium often has branches in different cities or a same city, wherein each branch accesses to telecom network via a PBX. For communication between two branches, the calling party has to dial the PBX switchboard number of the called party, and then dial the extension number after listening to a voice prompt.
Hereunder the communication flow between users of different PBXs in a consortium is explained by way of example. It is assumed that the consortium has a branch in location A, whose internal communication is managed by a PBX with a switchboard number of 02188888888 and an outgoing call prefix of 0, and a short number of employee S1 in which branch is 210011; and another branch in location B, whose internal communication is also managed by a PBX with a switchboard number of 01022222222 and an outgoing call prefix of 0, and a short number of employee B1 in which branch is 10001. The flow of employee S1 calling employee B1 is shown in FIG. 1, as follows:
1. employee S1 lifts off the hook and dials 0 to seize a PBX circuit;
2. after hearing a second dial tone, employee S1 dials the switchboard number 01022222222;
3. after analyzing the number, the system determines to route the call to location B, and then the terminal office in location B routes the call to the corresponding PBX;
4. the PBX in location B plays back a voice prompt "please dial the extension number";
5. employee S1 dials employee B1's extension number 10001;
6. the PBX in location B rings B1′ extension, and then B1 picks up the phone to talks with S1.
With the above method, when users of different PBXs in a same consortium call each other, the calling party has to dial the number of the PBX switchboard to which the called party belongs and then dial the extension number of the called party, resulting in dialing complexity and reduced communication efficiency.
Though the existing Wide Area Centrex (WAC) service can provide prompt short-number dialing service for branches of a consortium in different locations, it can only allocate short numbers for a PBX switchboard number. To call each other, users of different PBXs still need to dial the short switchboard number firstly and then dial the extension number of the called party. Hereunder a WAC-controlled communication flow between users of different PBXs in a consortium is explained by way of example:
It is assumed that the consortium has a branch in location A, whose internal communication is managed by a PBX with the switchboard number as 02188888888 and the outgoing call prefix as 0, and the short number of employee S1 in which branch is 210011; and another branch in location B, whose internal communication is also managed by a PBX with a switchboard number of 01022222222 and an outgoing call prefix of 0, and the short number of employee B1 in which branch is 10001; and the switchboard numbers of branch A and B are both incorporated into the consortium's WAC, wherein the short WAC number of the PBX in location A is 218888, and that of the PBX in location B is 106666. The flow of employee S1 calling employee B1 is shown in FIG. 2, as follows:
1. employee S1 in location A lifts off the hook and dials 0 to seize a PBX circuit;
2. after hearing a second dial tone, employee S1 dials the switchboard number 106666 of location B;
3. after analyzing the number, the system determines to route the call to location B, and then the terminal office in location B routes the call to the corresponding PBX;
4. the PBX in location B plays back a voice prompt "please dial the extension number";
5. employee S1 dials the extension number 10001 of employee B1;
6. the PBX in location B rings B1′ extension, and then B1 picks up the phone to talks with S1.
It is seen that when users of different PBXs in a same consortium call each other, the calling party still has to dial the short WAC number of the PBX switchboard to which the called party belongs and then dial the extension number, by which only the switchboard number is abbreviated by several digitals, therefore the problem of complex dialing and low communication efficiency is not solved radically.

Method and system for realizing direct dialing to an extension across PBXs


Installed are intermediate tank 12 with damping function against pressure fluctuation for temporarily storing ink in a position within ink supplying pipe 9a which supplies ink from main tank 11 to recording head 7, liquid supplying pump 23 between main tank 11 and intermediate tank 12 for supplying ink to intermediate tank 12 and controller 25 actuating liquid supplying pump 23 to supply ink from main tank 11 to intermediate tank 12 when membrane surface detecting sensor 19 detects that the quantity of remaining ink in intermediate tank 12 is less than a prescribed one. When liquid supplying pump is actuated and no increase of quantity of remaining ink in intermediate tank 12 is detected, controller 25 judges that that there is no remaining ink in main tank 11 and a result of the judgment is notified by display section 28.

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer and in particular to an inkjet printer for performing image recording using high viscosity ink.
Inkjet printers are generally known as a means to perform printing on various recording media. Inkjet printer refers to a printer in which image recording on a recording medium is performed when ink in the form of small droplets is emitted from the nozzle of the recording head, using a piezoelectric element or a heater for example onto a recording medium such as paper or the like, and the recording head is moved over the recording medium while the ink penetrates or is fixed on the recording medium. Inkjet printers have the advantage that printing on demand is possible since a plate-making process is unnecessary. In particular, ink jet printers using photo-curing type ink which is cured by light such as ultraviolet light have become known in recent years, and with this type of inkjet printer, light is irradiated on the ink which has been deposited on the recording medium to thereby be cured and fixed on the recording medium. As a result, it is possible for printing to be easily performed on recording media which do not absorb ink such as transparent or semi-transparent resin films and the like.
In such an inkjet printer, when high viscosity ink is employed for image recording, pressure loss is caused in the ink supplying pipe because of frictional resistance. As a result, in the case of sequential jetting of ink from the recording head nozzle, ink cannot be led to the nozzle only by the jetting force and a jetting defect may be caused. As means to prevent the jetting defect of ink caused by the pressure loss, means to reduce influence of pressure loss by providing a sub-tank for supplying ink to recording head to shorten the distance between the sub-tank and recording head and further providing a back pressure controlling pump to control the back pressure is known, as well as means to reduce frictional resistance in the ink supplying pipe by employing a larger diameter or a shorter length for the ink supplying pipe (for example, Patent Document 1).
When the ink to be used is high viscosity one, it is preferable that the diameter of the ink supplying pipe is 7 mm or larger and for example the length of it is 1 meter or shorter. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to realize this situation regarding the diameter or length of the ink supply pipe by reason of the designing difficulty of inkjet printer.
In the case of installation of a sub-tank by the recording head or a back pressure controlling pump, the structure of the inkjet printer becomes complicated. Especially, to position sub-tanks near the recording head, sub-tanks the number of which is corresponding to that of recording head needed to be mounted on the carriage and it causes upsizing and weight increase of carriage and further causes upsizing and weight increase of the apparatus itself. Furthermore, reinforcement of the driving system to drive such a large carriage is needed and there is a problem that it increases the apparatus cost.
Further, in this type of inkjet printer, image recording generally is performed while supplying ink as needed, to the recording head from the tank for storing the ink, but the quantity of ink that is stored in the ink tank decreases as image recording operations are repeated. Thus, in order to perform the image recording operation smoothly and continuously, it is necessary to accurately determine the quantity of ink remaining in the ink tank, and to replenish the ink when there is no remaining ink.
As a result, a method was carried out in which a weight sensor provided in the ink tank, detects the quantity of remaining ink by determining the change in weight of the ink tank. Alternatively a method was performed in which the quantity of ink remaining in the ink tank was calculated by keeping count of the quantity of ink which is jetted during image recording, and subtracting the counted ink quantity from the total ink quantity in the ink tank (for example Patent Document 2).    [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2934016    [Patent Document 2] Tokkaihei No. 9-248917
However, the ink tank has various parts such an outer ink casing, joint members and the like. As a result, in the method providing a weight sensor in the ink tank, when an attempt is made to detect the weight of the ink inside the ink tank, the weight of these parts is also measured along with the weight of the ink in the tank, and this caused a problem in that weight measurement could not be performed with high accuracy. Further, there were also sometimes jetting abnormalities due to missing nozzles and the like, or ink would be forcibly absorbed from the nozzle at the time of cleaning the recording head, or sometimes there would be ink outflow as a result of air jetting. However, the method of counting the quantity of ink ejected during image recording does not count this type of ink outflow, and in addition, because high accuracy management of the ink outflow due to jetting abnormalities and ink outflow at the time of cleaning is difficult, there was a problem in that the quantity of ink remaining could not be accurately determined.


A method and device for maintenance of an elevator installation or an escalator installation communicates the presence of a maintenance technician at the elevator or escalator installation to a remote service center. The service center is thus informed about that the maintenance technician has to maintain or is maintaining or has maintained a specific installation and is in a position of checking the quality of this maintenance. The maintenance operations are recorded as a maintenance record and communicated to the service center. For example, the maintenance record contains details about which maintenance technician on which day of the year and for how long has undertaken which maintenance operations on a specific elevator or escalator installation. The quality of a thus detected maintenance can then be compared with a quality standard. In addition, the maintenance operations performed are thus uniquely detected and can be evaluated.

The maintenance of an elevator installation or escalator installation includes lubrication and cleaning of components, checking of the installation, release of persons, adjustment and re-adjustment operations as well as repair work necessitated by wear and abrasion. The maintenance does not include cleaning of externally disposed regions of the installation, cleaning of the car interior, exchange of principal components of the installation such as a drive, a car, a control, safety components, etc., exchange of the installation, modernization of the installation and release of persons by the fire brigade. The maintenance is carried out by a maintenance undertaking or a maintenance technician.
EP 1415947 A1 discloses a method for remote maintenance of an elevator installation or an escalator installation, in which the unusual states of the elevator installation or escalator installation are reported to a remote service center by way of, for example, modern communication means. This makes it possible to carry out from the service center a checking and diagnosis of the serviceability of the elevator installation or escalator installation.

Remote recording of maintenance operations for an elevator or escalator installation


A method of finishing a reel of wound yarn with a tail end of yarn hanging from the reel can prevent the tail end from becoming caught up and thus unwinding considerable lengths of yarn from the reel and comprises the steps of unwinding a predetermined length of yarn including the tail end, folding the length forming an eye by means of a connection of distinct points on the predetermined length of yarn adjacent the cylindrical surface of the reel, rotating the reel to form at least one rewound turn of yarn including the first connection of points and connecting the eye projecting from the rewound turn to a point of the predetermined length of yarn which is not rewound so as to form a second connection.

In the textile industry in general, a problem which is experienced in particular is that of eliminating the so-called tail end of a reel, that is, the portion of yarn which is not wound and hangs from a reel which has just been wound. This problem arises wherever reels of wound yarn are produced, regardless of the nature of the yarn in question.
The current technological trend is in fact towards the automation of the removal of the reels from the frames on which they are wound or from apparatus which winds a single reel.
The automatic removal of the reels is hindered in practice by the their tail ends which risk being caught up, causing undesired unwinding of the yarn which has just been wound.
Moreover, the unwound lengths of yarn, which are often quite long, may become wound around rotating parts of machinery, compromising its operation and, in any case, necessitating manual intervention by an operator to remove the lengths of yarn from the parts on which they are wound or entangled.
These unwound lengths of yarn thus clearly constitute a serious obstacle to any automatic handling and/or transportation of the reels.
This problem is solved with the use of monitoring and possibly a manual removal operation carried out when the winding of a reel is completed and/or when it is removed from the respective winding frame.
An automatic system which grips the end of the yarn and winds it onto a portion of cop projecting laterally from the wound reel has also been proposed.
However, this operation does not involve any actual fixing and the yarn therefore often unwinds from its position, again becoming a nuisance. The presence of operators ready to intervene manually in case of need therefore remains essential.
The technical problem upon which the present invention is based consists in devising a method of finishing reels of wound yarn which overcomes the problems mentioned above with reference to the prior art.


An underlying layer ALY of GaN is formed on a sapphire substrate SSB; a transfer layer TLY of GaN with a bump and dip shaped surface is formed on the underlying layer ALY; a light absorption layer BLY is formed on the bump and dip shaped surface of the transfer layer TLY; and a grown layer 4 of a planarization layer CLY and a structured light-emitting layer DLY having at least an active layer are formed on the light absorption layer BLY. A support substrate 2 is provided on the grown layer 4. The backside of the sapphire substrate SSB is irradiated with light of the second harmonic of YAG laser (wavelength 532 nm) to decompose the light absorption layer BLY and delaminate the sapphire substrate SSB, thereby allowing the planarization layer CLY of a bump and dip shaped surface to be exposed as a light extraction face.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting device which is formed such as of nitride semiconductor, and to a fabrication method thereof.
In recent years, while green to blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) formed of nitride semiconductor have been realized, shorter-wavelength LEDs are also under development for application to white LEDs.
Generally, in fabricating such a short-wavelength LED, an underlying layer of gallium nitride (GaN) is laminated on a sapphire substrate, and thereafter, nitride semiconductor crystal is grown on the underlying layer, thereby forming a grown layer having an active layer or the like. In order to form a grown layer having a good crystallinity, it is indispensable to form an underlying layer of GaN on the sapphire substrate.
However, since gallium nitride (GaN) absorbs light of wavelengths shorter than 360 nm, the underlying layer is removed from the grown layer to prevent light produced in the active layer of the grown layer from being absorbed by the underlying layer when the light is transmitted out of the device.
The gallium nitride layer to serve as the underlying layer may be removed by the following suggested techniques. That is, the sapphire substrate and the underlying layer may be removed from the grown layer by mechanical polishing. Alternatively, the sapphire substrate may be removed by laser lift-off, and thereafter, the underlying layer may be removed from the grown layer by etching or mechanical polishing.
On the other hand, commercially available blue LEDs of nitride semiconductor are designed to allow light produced in the active layer to be transmitted through a planar transparent electrode or a translucent electrode, which is provided as a drive current supply p-electrode on a light extraction face (p-type layer) of the grown layer, or alternatively to be transmitted through a planar sapphire substrate.
However, it is difficult to improve light extraction efficiency in the case of the structure in which light is transmitted through the planar transparent electrode or the translucent electrode provided as the p-electrode. This is because the refractive index of nitride semiconductor is about 2.5 and for example, ITO used as the transparent electrode also has a high refractive index, thus causing the majority of light produced in the active layer to be reflected on a planar semiconductor/resin interface.
It is also difficult to improve light extraction efficiency even in the case of the structure in which light is transmitted through the planar sapphire substrate. This is because the majority of light produced in the active layer is reflected on a semiconductor/sapphire/resin interface.
On the other hand, as a suggested technique to improve light extraction efficiency in this manner, GaP-based LEDs emitting red light is provided with a coarse-grained light extraction face by wet etching, so that the light produced in the active layer is reflected with difficulty on the coarse-grained light extraction face, thereby providing an improved light extraction efficiency (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-299494 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-354382).
However, it is difficult to properly remove the entire underlying layer (gallium nitride layer) having a large area using the technique for removing the gallium nitride layer employed as the underlying layer from the grown layer only by mechanical polishing, or by laser lift-off and etching or mechanical polishing as mentioned above.
Since the nitride semiconductor is chemically stable and mechanically hard, it is also difficult to provide a coarse-grained light extraction face to the GaP-based LED by wet etching as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-299494 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-354382. Accordingly, the light extraction efficiency cannot be easily improved.
Additionally, in the case where light is extracted through the sapphire substrate in order to prevent light from being absorbed by the translucent electrode or transparent electrode, the light extraction efficiency cannot be improved by providing a coarse-grained surface because the sapphire substrate is more difficult to process than the nitride semiconductor.
The present invention was developed in view of the aforementioned conventional problems. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fabrication method of a semiconductor light-emitting device having the underlying layer removed efficiently from the grown layer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fabrication method of a semiconductor light-emitting device which allows for improving light extraction efficiency.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fabrication method of a semiconductor light-emitting device which allows for efficiently removing the underlying layer from the grown layer and improving light extraction efficiency.

Semiconductor light-emitting device and fabrication method thereof


A shaft lock socket system comprises: a housing defining a receiving chamber; at least a socket received in the receiving chamber, installed with a gap between the back of the socket and the inward portion of the receiving chamber; and at least an adjusting member arranged in the gap between the socket and the receiving chamber and abutting against the back of the socket. The system allows for adjustment of the tightness between the socket and the housing to a proper level, reducing resonance vibration in response to tiny vibrations caused by current passing through the plug and socket, thus improving the stability of power transmission and the sound quality of an audio device.

In recently years, in the field of audio devices, the effect of power quality to sound quality has received attention in many aspects.
As shown in FIG. 4 (PRIOR ART), a conventional power socket 2 used in an audio device comprises a housing 50 and a plurality of sockets 60. The housing 50 defines a receiving chamber 51. Also, the housing 50 has protruding portions 52 extending from the sides of the open portion of the receiving chamber 51. The protruding portions 52 define a plurality of screw holes (not shown).
Each of two sides of the socket 60 comprises a flange portion 61. The flange portion 61 defines a plurality of screw holes (not shown). The positions of the screw holes of the flange portion 61 correspond to the screw holes of the protruding portion 52. Screws (not shown) are employed to secure the flange portions 61 of the socket 60 to the protruding portions 52 of the housing 50, the socket 60 being held in the receiving chamber 51 such that there is a gap between the socket 60 and the inward portion of the receiving chamber 51 of the housing 50.
When the socket is engaged with a plug of an audio device, there is a gap between the plug and the inward portion of the receiving chamber of the housing. The plug is thus received in the socket that is attached to the receiving chamber in a suspended manner. When tiny vibrations are generated because of current passing through the plug and socket, the socket is thus affected, leading to unstable power transmission, and further affecting the sound quality of the audio device.
Consequently, it is desirable to devise a way to avoid the tiny vibrations generated due to current passing through the plug and socket when the plug of an audio device is engaged with the socket, adversely affecting the stability of power transmission and the sound quality of the audio device.


A dynamic message engine allows the merging of data using a variety of databases to deliver mail items to selected recipients, wherein the mail items include content which is filtered or otherwise limited by the system. In one embodiment, invitations to seminars (e.g., seminars directed at pharmaceuticals) are prepared and sent to a plurality of physicians selected from a physician database, wherein the content of the invitation includes text selected from a predetermined set of acceptable text items and/or wherein the content is filtered in accordance with predetermined criteria.

It is often desirable for organizations to send reminders, invitations, and other such correspondence to a large set of predetermined individuals. For example, in the field of pharmaceuticals, symposia and other such informational seminars are often organized for the purpose of presenting information to physicians regarding various drugs and other medical advancements. Accordingly, it is often necessary for the organization (e.g., the pharmaceutical company) to prepare a large number of invitations to a target list of physicians. This is a difficult task for a number of reasons. For example, it is usually cumbersome to determine which physicians are likely to be interested in which seminars. Furthermore, the invitation is likely to be fairly impersonal.
An additional difficulty posed by the preparation of such invitations is that the individual or group drafting the invitation might inadvertently utilize language that is inappropriate or does not fit within some other criteria. For example, in the field of pharmaceutical sales, it would be undesirable to include language in an invitation that appears to warrant that certain benefits will result from taking the drug. Given the rather litigious nature of the medical field and the rising cost of malpractice insurance, it is relatively easy and undesirable to inadvertently include language in an invitation that arguably exposes that organization to legal liability.
Accordingly, there is a long-felt need for a system for preparing a large number of invitations or other such pieces of correspondence in a manner which is efficient and which helps to prevent or reduce the likelihood that the correspondence will include inappropriate language.

Methods and apparatus for a dynamic messaging engine


A method of estimating bandwidth capacity, available bandwidth and utilization along a path in an IP network is disclosed. ICMP time-stamp requests are sent from a source host on the edge or inside the network to all routers on the end-to-end path to a desired destination. Differences between time-stamp values are used as indicators of QoS service at each router. The collected measurements are then processed at the sending host to infer QoS parameters in terms of path capacity in bit/sec, available bandwidth in bits/sec, individual link utilization and congestion at each router. These parameters can be combined to infer the QoS service in terms of bandwidth on the end-to-end path.

The "best-effort" nature of the Internet makes the QoS (Quality of Service) perceived by end users unpredictable and sometimes largely varying. Fast, accurate and efficient tools for estimating QoS performance of IP networks are gaining importance in the networking community. This is because such information can be used to maintain expected user and provider service under the varying conditions inherent to packet networks, especially the Internet. Specific applications include congestion control, real-time streaming and two-way communication, QoS verification, server selection and network administration.
QoS estimation can be broadly classified into two categories: passive monitoring and active monitoring. The passive monitoring approach has the advantage of not injecting additional probing traffic into the network. It observes the network as it is, meaning that the measurements are an assessment of true network behavior since this latter is not disturbed by probing traffic intended for those measurements.
The monitoring can take different levels of granularity depending on the degree of processing, storage and resources available. Packet monitoring, for example, allows observation of packet-by-packet information such as packet delay variation, packet size distribution, and throughput between host pairs. A higher level, with less overhead, can be achieved by flow level measurements to record the total number of bytes transferred, the flow start and finish time, among others.
The main advantage of passive probing techniques is that they do not introduce a load on the network they monitor, which also means they do not distort the network traffic and therefore produce realistic estimates. However, their handicap is that they rely on existing traffic, which is not guaranteed to have desired characteristics for certain measurements. Bottleneck bandwidth measurement techniques, for example, require a certain packet size distribution and inter-packet departure rate often not met. Traffic monitoring consists in passively observing traffic characteristics for the purpose of inferring network performance.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and RMON (Remote Monitoring) are the most widely adopted standards for passive monitoring and typically consist of management agents or probes installed at various network elements (hosts, routers, switches), a MIB (management information base) containing collected data from the agents, a management station or console, which collects the information from the probes, and a protocol for the exchange of information between stations and probes. MIBs comprise several groups such as statistics collected at the physical or IP layers for packet sizes, CRC errors, and so forth. Traffic monitoring with administrative control requires the transfer of collected information from agents to consoles, thus placing a burden on the network being monitored. Sometimes, sampling of data in MIBs can be used to reduce the amount of traffic exchanged.
Active monitoring obtains an inference of network QoS by sending probes across the network and observing the treatment they receive in terms of delay in delivery to the destination, variability in that delay and loss. A large variety of such tools exist to estimate performance in terms of delay, jitter, packet loss, and bandwidth. They generally either use Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) error messaging capabilities or packet dispersion techniques.
Link capacity estimation in bits/sec has traditionally been achieved through the use of packet dispersion techniques, which consist of the successive transmission of groups of two or more packets. The concept is that packets from the same group will queue one after another at the bottleneck link of the path. With the absence of large interference from competing traffic (i.e. from other sources), the dispersion (i.e. the difference in packet arrival times at the receiver) will be inversely proportional to the bandwidth of the bottleneck. Examples of tools using this approach include Nettimer, Pathrate and Packet Bunch Mode (PBM).
Another approach for capacity estimation builds on the ICMP Time Exceeded message option. Pathchar, the precursor of this technique, performs measurements by sending packets with increasing IP Time-to-Live (TTL) values, thereby forcing routers along the path to send back ICMP error messages and revealing themselves. A measurement of round-trip delays to successive hops on the end-to-end path thereby leads to per hop delay estimation. Pathchar also adds the feature of varying packet sizes for each TTL value, thus inferring link capacity as the slope inverse of the line connecting minimum observed delay for each packet size. Other tools exist like Pchar and Clink but they build on the same concepts as Pathchar.
Cprobe and Pipechar were tools proposed to estimate available bandwidth on a path. These tools use long packet train dispersion and assume that dispersion of such trains is inversely proportional to the rate available for transmission at the bottleneck hop, i.e., available bandwidth. Recent research, however, has shown that the inverse of such dispersions does not in fact measure available bandwidth but another parameter referred to as ADR (Asymptotic Data Rate).
Another tool, Delphi, assumes Internet paths can be modeled by a single queue, which makes it perform badly in the presence of large queuing delays at several links on the path or when the bottleneck capacity and bottleneck available bandwidth links are located at different links.
At the present time, there is only one known tool that is capable of estimating available bandwidth, which is Pathload. Pathload operates by performing several iterations, varying the transmission rate at each and observing delay variation at the receiver, with a goal of finding the maximum rate that does not cause delay increase. Pathload builds on the simple principle that the observed end-to-end delay at the receiver increases when the transmission rate at the source exceeds the available bandwidth on the path; a realistic observation knowing that traffic injected onto the path faster than the bottleneck can service will cause queue build up at that hop, hence increasing queuing delay and delay altogether.

Method and apparatus for quality of service determination


An automatic transaction apparatus communicates with a Web server and performs automatic transaction according to the operation of a user in order to perform automatic transaction processing with decreasing the number of times of requests to the Web server. Objects for each processing of the transaction processing are embedded in a screen content of a Web server, a part of the screen can be updated by an applet and script of the screen content, without downloading all the updates of the screen from the Web server. The screen can be updated without communication with the Web server. The transaction performance (speed) of the automatic transaction apparatus can be improved, and load of the Web server can be decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transaction apparatus, its control method and automatic transaction system which execute screen control and automatic transaction operation according to the screen, content transmitted from a Web server by requests, and more particularly to an automatic transaction apparatus, its control method and automatic transaction system which operate by screen content, where screen information and device control information related to the screen are embedded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automatic transaction apparatus are used for various transactions, and in the financial field, for example, automatic withdrawal machines and automatic deposit/withdrawal machines are used, and in other fields, automatic ticket machines and automatic issuing machines are used. In such automatic transaction apparatus, automatic transaction apparatus for depositing/withdrawing, issuing tickets and outputting various information using Web technology are provided as such networks as the Internet currently develop.
FIG. 27 is a block diagram of a conventional automatic transaction system, and shows an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) for financial operations. As FIG. 27 shows, the WWW (World Wide Web) server 300 and the automatic cash transaction apparatus 400 are connected via a network.
According to the request of the automatic transaction apparatus (ATM) 400, which is a client, the server 300 transmits the Web page (screen content) 500 to the ATM 400. This Web page is created with a program for creating a screen to be displayed on the display apparatus using a page description language (HTML, JAVA (registered trademark) script), and relating to the display content of this one page (one screen), the control program of another device (e.g. card processing device, cash processing device, pass book processing device, itemized slip processing device), for which drive is controlled, is embedded as an object.
For example, as FIG. 27 shows, the Web page 500 is comprised of a screen content 502 having a screen creation program and applet tag for specifying an object (applet) and for specifying the execution method (method) by script, using the page description language HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), and applet 510 which sets the program for executing the method of the object (applet).
This Web page 500 is downloaded from the WWW server 300 to the browser 410 of the ATM 400 according to the request of the ATM 400. In the ATM 400, on the other hand, the ATM middleware operates under the control of a kernel (OS), and performs I/O operations.(transaction operations). The ATM 400 has a card reader/writer unit 440, receipt/journal printer 441, bill/coin processing unit 442, pass book processing unit 443 and customer operation panel as the I/O mechanical units.
According to the screen creation program of the Web page, the browser 410 displays the screen on the customer operation panel, analyzes the applet tag of the screen content 502 and the method name, executes the corresponding program of the applet 510, and issues commands to the I/O units 440–443.
In such ATM control by a Web browser, it is proposed to specify the operation method (initialization in this example) of each device using the script (Java Script) of the screen content 502 by specifying the device interface sorting section (machine ID) as an embedded object (applet) of the screen content 502 for each device (e.g. cash processing device) as shown in FIG. 27 and FIG. 28 (e.g. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-298752.
In this method, the device interface sorting section 420 is specified by the applet tag of the screen content 502, and the device sorting section 420 sequentially reads the script, decodes it, sorts it to the interface sections 430–433 which handles the operation instructions, and operates the corresponding I/O units 440–443.
This example shows the case of the device initialization operation command, so as FIG. 29 shows, the Initialize ("cash") Script in the screen content 502 is read, the initialization command is sent to the controller of the cash processing device 442, the initialization completion reply is received, then the Initialize ("card") Script is read, the initialization command is sent to the controller of the card processing device 440, and the initialization completion reply is received. Hereafter Initialize (x) Script is sequentially read, the initialization command is sent to the controller of the corresponding processing device, the initialization completion reply is received, and processing ends.
In this proposal, when ATMs with the same functions are controlled via the Web, a plurality of units can be operated by one applet tag of the screen content, the description of the HTML of the screen content can be short, and the embedded object can be simple.
However in Web control, the request must be sent from the ATM to the Web server each time the screen is changed in order to implement dynamic content. In the case of automatic transaction processing, the user must perform a plurality of operations, therefore a guide display for each of the operations is necessary.
Because of this, in the case of prior art, the number of requests from the ATM required for one transaction is high, so along with this, the number of times of communication with the Web server increases and the communication time and communication cost also increase. Also normally the Web server controls many ATMs, so load on the Web server increases, download wait time at the ATM (client) increases, and transaction processing takes time.
Also many ATMs do not have the same functions, but have different functions. For example, some process bills and coins as a cash processing function, but other process only bills, some perform passbook processing which other do not, and some perform deposit/withdrawal processing and other perform withdrawal processing only.
In order to control such ATMs with different functions by the Web, the Script itself of the screen content must be changed dramatically according to the constituting functions or units, even if the applet tag is the same, since the method to be called up is for each unit. In other words, it is necessary to design the description of the screen content according to the difference of the constituting functions and units of the ATM to be controlled.
Because of this, enormous labor is required for developing a Web page on the WWW server 300, and it takes time to add a new function (e.g. link function with a portable telephone).

Automatic transaction apparatus, control method of automatic transaction apparatus, and automatic transaction system


A method for powering an audio amplifier includes receiving an input audio signal in an audio signal processor, delaying the input audio signal in the audio signal processor to generate a delayed audio signal, predicting a power demand estimate by analyzing the input audio signal to calculate the power demand estimate in the audio signal processer, and selecting, by the audio signal processor, power conversion settings for a DC to DC converter on the basis of the power demand estimate. The method further includes supplying power input to the DC to DC converter, converting the power input in accordance with the power conversion settings to provide a power output, powering the audio amplifier using the power output, and supplying the delayed audio signal to the audio amplifier from the audio signal processor to generate an amplified audio signal.

Powering an audio amplifier through a power converter often results in high peak current demands of the power converter due to the high crest factor of typical audio signals. This is particularly problematic in current-limited systems which, consequently, may have severely limited audio power output or significant audio distortion.
Further, due to the current demand of audio signals, power converters are not necessarily operated at their maximum power efficiency, which is often below their maximum current and voltage output.
Furthermore, the high crest factor of audio signals causes relatively high resistive losses since these losses depend on the square of the current.
US patent application publication no. US2015/0349737 teaches boosting a voltage level of a battery to a boost voltage level across a boost capacitor at an output of a boost stage without exceeding a preselected input current limit, the boost voltage level being higher than the voltage level of the battery and higher than a supply voltage required for the audio amplifier to output a predefined maximum peak power into a load.

Method and system for powering an audio amplifier


This invention relates to flexible medical device. The flexible medical device may comprise interlocking portions formed of a continuous channel. When formed of a continuous channel, the medical device comprises interconnected interlocking portions, rather than independent interlocking portions. The flexible medical device may also be designed so that different portions of the device have different flexibility characteristics.

This invention relates to a flexible center connection for use in an occlusion device, and more specifically to a center connection having a flexible section formed of interlocking segments. The flexible section gives the center connection improved torque and flexure characteristics.
Catheters, catheter guide wires, and flexible delivery devices have been used for several years to reach and provide treatment at target locations within the human body. For example, occlusion devices that seal heart defects are delivered to the treatment site via catheter, and balloon angioplasty is performed via catheter. Many designs for catheters and guide wires exist. The most important features of a catheter, guide wire, or delivery device are flexibility, so that it can navigate the winding human vasculature, and torque, so a physician can exert force sufficient to steer the device. Most catheters are made of flexible plastic tubing and come in a variety of lengths and diameters. Most guide wires consist of a metal outer tube comprised of a metal coil coupled with an inner wire.
In practice, physicians generally use a guide wire to reach the desired location in the body. Upon insertion, the guide wire is tracked with either X-ray technology or ultrasound as the physician maneuvers it to the target location within the patient's body. A catheter can then be advanced over the guide wire after the guide wire has reached the treatment site. The guide wire may be left in place or removed while treatment is accomplished via the catheter.
When the physician navigates to the treatment site, the guide wire must have sufficient flexibility to accomplish the sharp and numerous turns in the body's vasculature. If, however, the guide wire is too flexible, the resistance caused by surface contact with the body's vasculature and the numerous sharp turns will cause the guide wire to buckle and the physician will be unable to reach the treatment site. If the guide wire is too stiff, it will not be able to withstand the demanding angles of the vasculature and likewise will not be able to reach the treatment site. Thus there is a need in the art for a delivery tool that possesses both flexibility and navigability.
In addition to the need for delivery tools that possess both flexibility and navigability, other medical devices may be required to be flexible and able to be moved through small diameter catheters. For instance, occlusion devices may be used to repair a wide range of cardiac defects, including patent foramen ovale, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, and may occlude other cardiac and non-cardiac apertures. There are currently several types of occlusion devices capable of being inserted via a catheter. The occlusion devices, like the guide wires or catheters, must have sufficient flexibility to accomplish the sharp and numerous turns in the body's vasculature.
Another challenge in deploying an occlusion device in the heart is the variety of the contours of the aperture the occlusion device is meant to close. In particular, when occluding septal defects, the uneven topography in the vascular and septal walls of the human heart makes it difficult to design a device that can adapt to such variations. The challenge in designing an occluder which conforms to the uneven topography is compounded by the fact that the contours of each defect in each individual patient are unique. Poor conformation to the defect results in poor seating of the occlusion device across the aperture, which decreases the ability of the device to successfully occlude the aperture.
Lack of conformation to the walls of the heart can place significant amounts of stress on the occlusion device and decrease the useful life of the device. Once deployed, different parts of the occluder may experience more or less stress as a result of the uneven topography. Having any portion of the occlusion device under increased stress is undesireable.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an occlusion device that will occlude cardiac defects and will match the contours of the heart thereby increasing the life of the device and sealing ability while reducing damage to the surrounding tissue.