A fixing apparatus included in an image forming apparatus includes a fixing heater that performs heat fixing, a control unit that controls the fixing heater based on control patterns, a temperature sensor that detects temperature of the fixing heater, and a voltage detection unit that detects a voltage that is applied to the fixing heater. In each control pattern, turn-on period of the fixing heater and turn-off period of the fixing heater are set according to a control cycle of a half cycle duty control. The control unit controls the switching unit to turn on or off the fixing heater using a combination of the control patterns each satisfying a standard for preventing a flicker during each control period of time that is integral multiplication of the control cycle according to the temperature of the fixing heater and the voltage value allied to the fixing heater.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus that fixes an image formed on a sheet by heat and an image-forming apparatus that uses such a fixing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
An image-forming apparatus of electrographic type such as a printer and copier has been known in the past. Such an image-forming apparatus has formed an image on a sheet by carrying out a series of transferring the image on the sheet and then fixing the image to the sheet. The image-forming apparatus includes a fixing apparatus that performs a fixing process. The fixing apparatus includes a fixing heater that performs any heat fixing.
It is desirable in the fixing heater that times of on/off in a hysteresis control are limited in order to reduce a temperature ripple in a fixing process. Accordingly, heater turn-on duty (hereinafter, also referred to as "duty") while a heater turns on during each control period of time and by which power to be supplied to the fixing heater is determined has been adjusted until now by any phase control or the like. This causes power to the fixing heater to be controlled so that the fixing heater can reduce any temperature ripple. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-347530 discloses a technology to adjust power to be supplied to the fixing heater by detecting any variation in commercial alternating current (AC) voltage applied to the fixing heater and adjusting the duty by the phase control. In order to reduce a generation of a flicker, the phase control is also used to prevent an inrush current from flowing when turning on the fixing heater. Further, it is preferable to cope with standards of harmonics, terminal noises other than the flicker.
Here, the flicker is referred to as such a phenomenon that a device, for example, lighting equipment that is connected to an alternating current power supply which is also connected to the image-forming apparatus flickers based on a sudden variation in the voltage generated for every time of the turn-on/off of the fixing heater. Additionally, in order to reduce the temperature ripple, switching frequency of the turn-on/off of the fixing heater increases so that the flicker has remarkable influence on the lighting equipment or the like.
When reducing power consumption of the image-forming apparatus, heat capacity of the fixing apparatus has often reduced because the power reduction of the fixing apparatus has large influence thereon. However, when reducing the heat capacity of the fixing apparatus, the temperature ripple in the fixing apparatus is remarkable so that this temperature ripple may have large influence on the fixing performance of the fixing apparatus.
It is effective to perform any power control in order to reduce the temperature ripple in the fixing apparatus. As such a power control, a control to adjust the duty by the phase control or a pulse width modulation (PWM) control has been used. It, however, is desirable that the image-forming apparatus also satisfies various kinds of standards such as disturbance voltage, harmonic distortion regulation, flicker regulation and the like. Accordingly, as one of the power controls that are effective to these standards, half cycle duty (HCD) control in which the fixing heater selectively turns on or off based on a half of the alternative current cycle as one unit has been proposed.

Fixing apparatus with a control unit for powering a fixing heater using a combination of control patterns, and image-forming apparatus using the same


A fluid dispenser comprises an open-topped flexible container (13) which tapers downwardly to a discharge opening (14). The container (13) is mounted on a load platform (11) of a load cell (10). The portion of the container (13) that forms the discharge opening (14) is between one permanent magnet (16) on the load platform (11) and another permanent magnet (17) which is fixed to the material of the container (13). The magnets (16 and 17) attract one another to close the discharge opening (14). An electro-magnetic actuator (18), spaced from the magnet (17), is operable on command from a computer (12) to attract the magnet (17) and open the discharge opening (14). The computer (12) controls a shut-off valve (18) to control filling of the container (13) in accordance with the weight read out from the load cell (10).

At present chemicals are added in fixed amounts every time a film is introduced into a photographic processing system. The amount is metered by a positive displacement pump, usually of the plastic bellows type, which has been adjusted and fixed by its manufacturers. This is wasteful as it makes no allowance for differences in overall exposure from film to film and more chemicals than necessary are often added. If relevant characteristics, such as the development rates and film density are monitored and used to calculate the correct amount of addition, not only may it be necessary to only replenish one chemical component of the process solution, but the amounts of any such addition may be very small. This raises a requirement for apparatus to dispense very small amounts of liquids or powders accurately controlled by weight, WO91/18326 and WO91/18327 disclose such apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,428 discloses apparatus for the automatic determination of a continuous bulk material throughput through a continuous balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,297 discloses apparatus for insuring application of a preselected amount of processing fluid to photographic film material in which a weight sensing device weighs a container of fluid and permits pumping of the fluid if there is an adequate amount of fluid contained in the container. A magnetic sensing arrangement also effects reversal of the pumping after a preselected length of material has had fluid applied to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,784 discloses apparatus for dispensing liquid chemicals such as photoresist from containers, in particular collapsible pouch-type containers, which containers have an inlet and a dispensing outlet, and a solenoid-controlled valve which is connected to the dispensing outlet by a plastic tube and which is opened to cause or allow discharge of fluid from the container through the dispensing outlet. The container is suspended from an electric weight detector which is arranged to switch off the solenoid valve automatically when it detects the container is empty.
The apparatus disclosed by each of the prior art references discussed above has a flexible pipe connected to the dispensing outlet of the container and is thereby vulnerable to inaccuracies due to stiffness, varying weight effects and hysteresis.

Fluid dispenser with a magnetically operable discharge opening


Searching source code includes receiving a search string, a feature type and details of source code to be searched. The source code is parsed to generate an abstract syntax tree. The abstract syntax tree is indexed using a search structure defining all source code features for which searching is enabled. The search string is searched for the search string of the feature type in the indexed abstract syntax tree using a results structure defining the search outputs to be retrieved. A structured search result based on the output of the searching is provided. The structured search result is stored in the storage device.

The present invention relates generally to computer programming, and in particular, to searching source code stored on the storage device.
In an integrated development environment (IDE), a programmer needs to search for code artefacts such as definitions of functions or variables and references to functions or variables. The search may be needed because the programmer wants to check the implementation of the function or wants to rename the function. The traditional way to perform such a search is to use a plain text search. For instance, if a user needs to find the definition of a function called validateOfficialId( ) they would perform a text search in all source code files for the text "validateOfficialId", manually browse the search results and identify the implementation of the function and the various calls to the function. To go to a specific call to the function, the programmer needs to open the file that contains that call and then to show the piece of code that calls the function, the programmer needs to perform another text search within the opened file and needs to repeat the file search multiple times within the file to ensure that all occurrences of the function are covered within the file. Some editors do not show the line number/column number of the cursor and this makes the search even more difficult. Some text search capabilities in files just open the file that has the string that is searched for, without moving the cursor to that string in the file. This makes searching files even more difficult.
To overcome some of these difficulties associated with manual code searching, some editors provide a more advanced search capability in which the user can right-click on a code artefact (for example a function name) and choose from browse definition, which opens the definition of the artefact and find references, which opens a list of references to this artefact. There are at least three limitations to the search capability described above in that it is not available out of the box for some programming languages (or IDEs), even if the capability were available, it is not a customizable search capability that can meet the user's specific needs and requirements and coding is needed to support a new programming language.
Solutions, such as that described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0169871, entitled "Structured Search in Source Code", propose a solution to enhance searching source code. However, the focus of this type of solution is on natural language for searching the code without providing a pluggable, customizable search capability. Furthermore, new code is still required to support a new programming language.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and system are provided for transmitting information in a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) environment, which includes a home agent (HA) provided at a home network, a base station (BS) broadcasting a pilot signal, a foreign agent (FA) provided at or associated with the BS, a mobile node (MN) providing the ability to detect and identify itself to a BS, and a proxy mobile node (PMN) identifying the MN wherein the PMN is provided at the BS. If the PMN identifies the MN, the PMN retrieves an IP address for each of the MN, FA and HA and sends a registration request to the FA. The FA relays the registration request to the HA, and the proxy MN is registered with the HA. Thus, the MN functionality is provided transparently to the MN by the PMN. This significantly simplifies the configuration of the MN and the Mobile IP network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile communications and, more particularly, to achieving proxy mobile node (MN) capability in a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) is an infrastructure and methodology for providing node mobility in an Internet environment. It allows transparent routing of IP packets or datagrams to mobile nodes over the Internet, which allows mobile nodes to change their point-of-attachment to a home network or the Internet without changing their IP address. Such a flexible mobility functionality advantageously enhances network performance in telecommunications or wireless applications.
TCP/IP is a set of protocols developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for communications over interconnected, sometimes dissimilar, networks which has become the de facto standard for data transmission over networks, including the Internet. IP (Internet protocol) is the protocol within TCP/IP that governs the breakup of data messages into packets, the routing of the packets from source to destination, and the reassembly of the packets into the original data messages at the destination.
In Mobile IP, each mobile node is identified by its home address, regardless of its current point of attachment or connection to the Internet. A mobile node (MN) is a host or router that changes its points of attachment or connection from one network or subnetwork to another. This change in location occurs without changing its IP address. Thus, the mobile node may continue to communicate with other Internet nodes at any location using its (constant) IP address, assuming link-layer connectivity to a point of attachment or connection is available.
FIG. 1 is a diagram that generally illustrates a Mobile IP network known in the art. Provided in the Mobile IP network are the mobile node (MN) 10, at least two base stations (17 and 19) connected to the Internet, and a home network 27 also connected to the Internet. A radio tower serves each of the base stations, e.g., radio towers 17A and 19A for the base stations 17 and 19, respectively.
MN 10 is shown as including a personal computer (PC 100) of an end user connected with customer premise equipment (e.g., CPE 101 that connects the end user's PC to a wireless network). Customer premise equipment is typically the equipment located at the customer's site which denotes the demarcation point between the customer (or end user) and the service provider, e.g., a T1 line, wireless modem, radio, cable modem, digital subscriber line (DSL) or asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modems.
The base stations 17 and 19 include Foreign Agent (FA) 170 and 190, respectively. In Mobile IP, a foreign agent is a router on a mobile node's visited network that provides routing services to the mobile node to which it is registered. The Foreign Agent delivers packets or datagrams to the Mobile Node (e.g., MN 10) from the mobile node's home agent (HA) 25 via tunneling through the Internet. A tunnel is a technology that enables one network to send its data over another network's connections. It works by encapsulating a network protocol (such as Mobile IP) within packets carried by the second network. For packets or datagrams sent by a mobile node, the foreign agent can serve as a default router for registered mobile nodes, and provide reverse tunneling if requested.
The home network 27, which could be an ISP or some other address assigning authority, includes the Mobile IP Home Agent (HA) 25 and a server 20. In Mobile IP, a home agent is a router on a mobile node's home network that tunnels packets or datagrams to the MN when it is away from the home location, and maintains current location information for the mobile node. The server 20 is what the end user at the MN is attempting to access, although the end user may be attempting to access a server that is located elsewhere on the Internet.
MN 10 is assigned a Mobile IP address and is responsible for registering it with the Mobile IP home agent (HA 25) at the home network 27. The mobile node functionality of MN 10 ensures that, as the end user moves between base stations (e.g., from MN 10 to MN 10′), the same Mobile IP address for MN 10 is maintained. When the mobile end-user at MN 10 moves from the transmitting range of the base station 19 to that of the base station 17, the MN 10 (through CPE 101) detects the new base station 17 and re-registers with the home agent HA 25. In doing so, it informs the home agent 25 of its new point of attachment, i.e., its new foreign agent FA 170. HA 25 acknowledges the re-registration and updates its files to reflect the new location (namely MN 10′) of the end-user in the transmitting range of the base station 17. Once the new registration is complete, HA 25 forwards all Mobile IP packets destined for MN 10 to the new FA 170 instead of the previous FA 190.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram that illustrates a method for operating the Mobile IP network known in the art as shown in FIG. 1. In step 201, a Mobile IP address is assigned to the MN 10. The base station (BS) 19 (through radio tower 19A) broadcasts a pilot signal within its transmitting range (step 203). Since the MN 10 is within the transmitting range of the BS 19, it detects the pilot signal (step 205), and sends a registration request to the FA 190 at the BS 19 (step 207). The FA 190 relays the registration request by the MN 10 to the HA 25 at the home network 27 (step 209). The MN 10 is then registered with the HA 25 (which can send back an acknowledgment), with the current FA being the FA 190 (step 211). Mobile IP packets or datagrams can then be transmitted between the home network 27 and the MN 10.
In step 213, it is determined whether the MN 10 detects a new base station (BS). Should the end user be mobile and move within the transmitting range of a new BS, e.g., to the position indicated as MN 10′, the CPE 101′ detects the movement and the control flow goes to step 215. MN 10′ then sends a registration request to the new FA 170 at the new BS 17 (step 215). The new FA 170 relays the registration request by the MN 10′ to the HA 25 at the home network 27 (step 217). MN 10′ is then re-registered with the HA 25, with the current FA now being the new FA 170 (step 219). The re-registration is acknowledged by an acknowledgment signal sent by HA 25 (step 221). The control flow is then directed to step 223.
If in step 213 the MN does not detect a new BS, i.e., the MN 10 is still within the transmitting range of the BS 19, then the control flow is sent directly to step 223. In step 223, data are encapsulated into Mobile IP packet(s) for transmission between a source and destination, e.g., the MN 10 and the home network 27. If the data are transmitted from the home network 27 to the MN 10, the HA 25 encapsulates the data into Mobile IP packet(s) for transmission (step 223) and forwards them to the current agent, (step 225). If the data are transmitted from the MN 10 to the home network 27, then the foreign agent (FA 190 or FA 170 depending on location) encapsulates the data into Mobile IP packet(s) for transmission and forwards them to the HA 25 (step 225).
The Mobile IP packet(s) are unencapsulated by the agent at the destination into the data as originally transmitted (step 227). If the data are transmitted from the home network 27 to the MN 10, the foreign agent unencapsulates the Mobile IP packets into original data (step 227) and forwards them to the MN 10 (step 229). If the data are transmitted from the MN 10 to the home network 27, then the HA 25 unencapsulates the Mobile IP packets into original data (step 227) and forwards them to the home network 27 (step 229).
The MN functionality described above requires the installation of software in either the PC 100 or the CPE 101 at the MN 10. This requirement leads to the necessity of installing software for the MN (in the PC or the CPE) for every end user of the Mobile IP network. Such a requirement complicates the configuration of PC 100 and CPE 101, and disadvantageously adds burden to deployment of a Mobile IP network. In addition, it adds overhead to the wireless interface by requiring the sending of registration messages on a periodic basis.
Therefore, there is a general need in the art for an improved method and system for communicating information between a source and a destination using Mobile IP. Particularly needed in the art is a Mobile IP methodology and system that simplifies the configuration of the MN and the network infrastructure. Also needed is a Mobile IP network that provides MN functionality without unduly burdening the configuration of the MN.

Proxy mobile node capability for mobile IP


An economical package including an inner sliding piece assembled inside of one or more outer sleeves, where the inner sliding piece may contain a gift card, loyalty card, product, or promotional messages, and the card, product or messages can be revealed by pulling the inner sliding piece at least partially out of the outer sleeve. The package assembly can provide differentiation, protection, consumer information, and an ability to reuse the package for presentation of the card or information.

Gift cards, loyalty cards, credit cards and other relatively flat products such as sachets of liquids, keys, coins, etc., are often attached to carrier cards or placed inside of sleeves or folded cards to allow for retail display or mailing of the products. These carrier cards, with or without attached items, are used either for promotional offers or information, or for retail sales of products.
In addition to providing for the display or mailing of products, these retail displays or mail cards protect and secure the products, educate the consumer, and visually differentiate from other consumer choices. The most favored packages in this field are those that can be differentiated, provide a useful function for protection and security, can be reused as a gift presentation, serve as an interactive method of advertising and informing, and are of a relatively low cost to manufacture.
There exist packages having a moving or sliding piece in a sleeve to provide for protection and reuse of the package, however the prior designs are difficult to produce, fill and assemble, and are too expensive for many applications. The prior products have an outer sleeve produced with an internal stop panel folded up from the bottom of the sleeve and extending all the way across the inside of the outer sleeve. An inner sliding piece is produced with an extension of the sliding piece called a stop flap that is folded under the inner sliding piece and directed downward.
In assembly, the outer sleeve is folded to have front and back panels that are secured to each other along the sides with glue on glue flaps to form a pocket with an open bottom edge. The inner sliding piece then has a gift card glued to it and the stop flap is folded over the back of the insert, and then inserted into the outer sleeve, usually by hand. The downwardly folded stop flap at the top of the inner sliding piece is intended to "hook" or interlock with the upwardly folded stop panel at the bottom of the outer sleeve when the inner sliding piece is pulled part way out of the outer sleeve. This design, however, is unreliable because the downwardly folded stop flap and upwardly folded stop panel can engage each other at their loading edges to prevent full extension of the inner piece or they can fail to engage at all, slip past eachother, and the inner piece can be pulled all the way out of the outer sleeve.
The prior assembly method, therefore, is unreliable, costly, and slow, due mainly to the requirement of folding the stop flap and/or the stop panel by hand, and inserting the inner sliding piece into the sleeve by hand. This prior process would become even more complicated and uneconomical if it were attempted in the various options provided by the present invention.
Sliding packages can also be made in the form of boxes, but the complications described above, and the added steps required to make a package into a box would render the use of stop flaps and panels prohibitively expensive.
Thus, there is a need for a package with an outer sleeve and interlocked sliding piece that is reliable, useful, economical to manufacture, and adaptable to numerous package shapes and arrangements.


A surgical device including first and second joint parts that are connected in series is provided. The surgical device includes a plurality of link arms that pass through an inner portion of the first joint part so as to drive the second joint part. The link arms are serially connected so as to rotate with respect to each other, and are rotatably connected to a driving unit for driving the plurality of link arms.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a surgical device that is mounted on a robot arm of a surgical robot, which is inserted into a human body, e.g., an abdominal cavity, a joint, or the like, the surgical device having at least one joint part.
2. Description of the Related Art
A surgical robot is a robot that may be used to perform minimally invasive surgery by inserting a small surgical tool into a human body. The surgical robot has a plurality of robot arms. A robot arm may include a passive arm that is manually operated during preparation for a surgical operation, and an active arm that is operated according to the motion of an operator during a surgical operation. A surgical device is mounted to the active arm so as to be inserted into an abdominal cavity, a joint, or the like and is then used to perform a surgical operation including internal photography, excision, or the like. The surgical device may have at least one joint part so as to effectively access an affected part. The joint part is operated by a cable extending to the active arm, and the active arm includes a driver so as to drive the cable.


An electrostatic recording apparatus 1 for forming an electrostatic image on an electric charge carrying member 2 comprises a photoelectric transfer member 14 spaced from the electric charge carrying member 2, a floating electrode 16 provided on a first surface of the photoelectric transfer member 14, an electric power supply 27 for applying a voltage between the second surface of the photoelectric transfer member 14 and the second surface of the electric charge carrying member 2, and an exposure device 8 for exposing a second surface of the photoelectric transfer member 14. The floating electrode 16 having an electric discharge terminal 18a close to the electric charge carrying member 2. When the exposure device 8 exposes a second surface of the photoelectric transfer member 14, the carriers generated in the photoelectric transfer member 14 move toward the floating electrode 16 to cause an electric discharge between the electric discharge terminal 18a of the floating electrode 16 and the electric charge carrying member 2, which allows an electrostatic image to be formed on the electric charge carrying member 2.

The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording apparatus used for an image forming apparatus, a printer and so on.
Conventionally, as an electric recording apparatus for forming an electrostatic image on an electric charge carrying member, a photosensitive member as shown in FIG. 14 is proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 1-293358. The photosensitive member 101 is constructed by laminating a photoconductive layer support member 103, a photosensitive member electrode 104 and a photoconductive layer 105 in this order. On the other hand, the electric charge carrying member 102 has a rotatable cylindrical configuration and is constructed by laminating an insulating layer support member 106, an electric charge carrying member electrode 107 and an insulating layer 108 in this order. The photosensitive member 101 and the electric charge carrying member 102 are arranged so that the photoconductive layer 105 and the insulating layer 108 face each other via an air gap.
By applying a voltage between the photosensitive member electrode 104 and the electric charge carrying member electrode 107 and performing scanning in the axial direction (main scanning direction) of the electric charge carrying member 102 with light incident on the photosensitive member 101 in a dark place, a portion of the photoconductive layer 105 exposed to the light becomes conductive. Thus, an electric discharge is generated between the exposed portion and the insulating layer 108 of the electric charge carrying member 102, so that electric charges are accumulated in the insulating layer 108 of the electric charge carrying member 102 to form an electrostatic latent image. The formed electrostatic latent image is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow "b" in FIG. 14 to be developed into a toner image by a developing unit 109. The toner image is transferred onto a paper or a film by a transfer charger 110.
However, when forming an image with the aforementioned apparatus as shown in FIG. 14, there is a possibility that a dot-like image is formed, or that a rear end portion of the image is elongated, which makes it difficult to obtain a stable image. This is considered to be caused by the reason that a fast and stable electric discharge does not occur, or that an electric discharge is intermittently carried out or continuously carried out after completion of exposure.

Electrostatic recording apparatus having a floating electrode on a photoelectric transfer member


Provided herein is a solvent-based pressure sensitive adhesive comprising a polymer comprising a vinyl acetate monomer, an acrylic ester monomer, and a monomer having hydroxyl or amine functionality. The adhesive also comprise a crosslinker. The coated and dried adhesive has outgassing of less than 2000 ng/cm2, even when applied to an electronic device that is operated at elevated temperature.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are known to provide adhesiveness or tack to various substrates when applied at room temperature. This adhesiveness can provide for instantaneous adhesion to the substrate when pressurized. PSAs are easy to handle in solid form, quickly form adhesive bonds without significant supplementary processing, and generally have a long shelf life. PSAs are also generally known to provide a convenient and economical way to label articles of commerce such as electronic devices. Such electronic devices, however, require that the PSA be a low outgassing PSA, e.g., a PSA that generates low amounts of pollutants, such as volatile organic components (VOCs), especially at elevated temperatures. If the PSA has relatively high levels of outgassing, the residues of the solvent and residual monomers of the PSA may evaporate out of the PSA when the electronic component reaches an elevated temperature. Such outgassing may result in short circuiting of the electronic devices.
Conventionally, pressure-sensitive adhesives are mainly rubber or acrylic solvent-based pressure-sensitive adhesives, and VOCs have been used as diluting solvents in the processes for producing them. One solution to reducing outgassing in PSAs is to use water-based PSAs. For example, US Pub. No. 2012/0231688 describes a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape having a substrate and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed from a water-dispersible pressure-sensitive adhesive on at least one surface of the substrate, which has a back face-holding force of 2.0 mm or less at 100° C.
US Pub. No. 2009/0192232 an aqueous dispersion and dispersion powder composition for highly flexible, waterproof, hydraulically binding tile adhesives having an extended open time, and containing an emulsion polymer (A) having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of approximately 10° C. to 80° C., and an emulsion polymer (B) having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of approximately −60° C. to +20° C. The difference of the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the emulsion polymers (A and B) is at least approximately 5° C. The proportion of vinyl acetate monomer units is 0 to 70 mol-% and the minimum film forming temperature according to DIN 53787 of the 50% aqueous dispersion composition is approximately 15° C. or less, and the monomers, stabilization systems and optionally the additional additives of the dispersion and/or dispersion powder composition are selected such that a good cement compatibility is guaranteed. Due to the inventive dispersion and dispersion powder composition, tile adhesive can be produced in an economical manner which meets the requirements of C2S2- and C2ES2-norm according to EN12004.
Water-based PSAs, however, are less desirable for producing low outgassing adhesives due to limitations of the components and a poorer level of crosslinking as compared to solvent-based PSAs. As a result, the need exists for improved solvent-based pressure sensitive adhesives that provide excellent adhesion and tack, while having low outgassing.


A new cultivar of Erysimum named xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 that is characterized by a large compact, bushy habit, silver-green leaves, chocolate-purple buds and deep-yellow flowers that are strongly sweet in fragrance. In combination these traits set xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 apart from all other existing varieties of Erysimum known to the inventor.

Erysimum cultivar Walfrasun.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of perennial wall flower that is grown as an ornamental for its compact, bushy habit and fragrant yellow flower spikes that increase in height as the plant matures. The new cultivar is known botanically as Erysimum and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 originated in a cultivated area of West Sussex, England. In 1993 a few seeds were produced on an open pollinated plant of Erysimum xe2x80x98Bredonxe2x80x99 (not patented). These seeds were sown by the inventor. One seed germinated, producing a seedling that flowered in 1994. The inventor observed the seedling during a number of months in 1994 and selected it in the same year as xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 does not set seed and is presumed to be sterile. In addition to being sterile, xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99was selected for its large dimensions, large deep-yellow flowers, strong, sweet scented flowers and buds that are chocolate-purple in color. xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 is a perennial suitable for planting in full sun or partial shade. xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 is closest in comparison to Erysimum xe2x80x98Bredonxe2x80x99 and is distinguishable from xe2x80x98Bredonxe2x80x99 primarily by its vigor, its more silver foliage, its larger mature flower spikes, its deeper chocolate-purple buds, its large deep-yellow flowers that exhibit a strong and sweet fragrance and its absence of seed.
The first asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 was conducted by the inventor in 1995 in a cultivated area of West Sussex, England. The method used for asexual propagation was vegetative cuttings. The characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These traits in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 from all other commercial varieties known to the inventor. xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in enviromental, climatic and cultural conditions.
1. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 exhibits a compact bushy habit.
2. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 exhibits leaves with a silver sheen.
3. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 exhibits large deep-yellow flower spikes that increase in height as the plant matures.
4. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 exhibits strong, sweet scented flowers.
5. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 exhibits buds that are chocolate-purple in color.
6. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 does not set seed and is presumed to be sterile.
7. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 is 40-50 cm. in height and 40-60 cm. in width at maturity.
8. Erysimum xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99 is hardy to USDA Zones 7-10.

Erysimum plant named xe2x80x98Walfrasunxe2x80x99


The invention relates to an optical duplex connector which has two optical waveguides, a connector housing, in which the optical waveguides are arranged with a defined lateral spacing in relation to each other, and a triggering mechanism for locking and/or unlocking the optical connector with respect to a coupling partner. The triggering mechanism comprises at least one interacting part, which interacts with at least one corresponding part of the coupling partner for locking and/or unlocking. In this case, the at least one interacting part is arranged, with respect to the plugging direction, in the lateral region between the two optical waveguides or extends along this lateral region. This leads to a particularly compact connector structure.

Optical connectors provide releasable connections of optical waveguides in an optical communications system. They serve for example for the optical connection of an optical waveguide to a transmitter or receiver of an optoelectronic transceiver or for a coupling with a further optical waveguide.
A large number of standardized and commercially available optical connectors are known. Of these, small-form-factor (SFF) connectors have a particularly small form of construction and can be inserted into the optical port of what are known as small-form-factor (SFF) transceivers or small-form-factor-pluggable (SFP) transceivers of a small type of construction.
Two of the most popular SFF connectors are the LC connector and the MT-RJ connector. The LC connector has a ceramic pin with a diameter of 1.25 mm. The latching engagement is realized by an RJ-45 mechanism on one side. For the optical coupling to an optoelectronic SFF or SFP transceiver, it is envisaged to form an LC duplex connector from two LC simplex connectors by an interlocking means.
An MT-RJ connector has two glass fibers arranged with a spacing of 750 μm in a connector housing with an RJ-45 mechanism. Provided to the sides of the glass fibers are two guiding bores or two guiding pins.
It is endeavored to reduce the known SFF and SFP transceivers further in size, in particular to provide reduced SFF and SFP modules of half the width (SFF/2 and SFP/2 modules). Accordingly, there is also a demand for optical connectors which have an extremely compact structure and are suitable for coupling with such reduced SFF and SFP transceivers. So far, optical connectors of such a compact form of construction are not known.


An embodiment of the invention provides a processing circuit of a telecommunications device. The processing circuit includes a pre-buffer, a de-shuffler, and a processing module. The pre-buffer is configured to receive and buffer a plurality of sets of data of a transport block in a shuffled order. The sets of data correspond to a plurality of code blocks, respectively. The de-shuffler is coupled to the pre-buffer and is configured to retrieve the sets of data from the pre-buffer in a de-shuffled order. The de-shuffled order is different from the shuffled order. The processing module is coupled to the de-shuffler and is configured to receive the sets of data from the de-shuffler in the de-shuffled order to recover the code blocks.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to telecommunications, and more particularly, to processing circuits of telecommunications devices and related methods.
2. Related Art
A telecommunications device may use a processing circuit to process the data received from another telecommunications device. If the received data is shuffled and the processing circuit needs to handle several stages of processing, the processing circuit may need to have several large buffers to temporally store several intermediary versions of the shuffled data. The sizes of the buffers critically affect the overall costs of the processing circuit.
Apparently, processing circuits with smaller buffers, or no buffer at all, may help make telecommunications devices more affordable.

Processing circuits of telecommunications devices and related methods


Sound processing systems have been developed that create a surround effect without quality degradation experienced by known sound processing systems in non-optimum listening environments. The sound processing systems may include matrix decoding systems that manipulate input signals prior to converting them into a number of output signals so that the output signals are a function of a greater number of input signals. These sound processing systems may also or alternately include a bass management system that from the input signals preserves the low frequency components of the input signals in separate channels. Both the matrix decoding systems and bass management systems may also produce additional signals. Further, the matrix decoding and bass management systems may be implemented separately or jointly in vehicular sound systems.

1. Technical Field
The invention generally relates to sound processing systems. More particularly, the invention relates to sound processing systems having multiple outputs.
2. Related Art
Consumer expectations of sound quality in audio or sound systems are increasing. In general, such consumer expectations have increased dramatically over the last decade, and consumers now expect high quality sound systems in a wide variety of listening environments, including vehicles. In addition, the number of potential audio sources has increased. Audio is available from sources such as radio, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), super audio compact disc (SACD), tape players, and the like. While sound systems have traditionally supported two-channel ("stereo") formats, today many sound systems include surround processing systems that create a perception that sound is coming from all directions around a listener (a "surround effect"). Such surround sound systems may support formats using more than two discrete channels ("multi-channel surround systems"). Creation of the surround effect in a wide variety of listening environments requires consideration of a different set of variables depending on the listening environment.
Surround sound systems generally use three or more loudspeakers (also referred to as "speakers") that reproduce sound from two or more discrete channels to create the surround effect. Successful development of the surround effect involves creating a sense of envelopment and spaciousness. Such a sense of envelopment and spaciousness, while very complex, generally depends on the spatial properties of the background stream of the sound being reproduced. Reflective surfaces aid the sense of envelopment and spaciousness in the listening environment because reflective surfaces redirect impacting sound back towards the listener. The listener may perceive this redirected sound as originating from the reflective surface or surfaces, thus creating the perception that the sound is coming from all around the listener is enhanced.
Many digital sound processing formats support direct encoding and playback of sounds using multi-channel surround processing systems. Some multi-channel surround processing systems have five or more channels, where each channel carries a signal for conversion into sound waves by one or more loudspeakers. Other channels, such as a separate band limited low frequency channel, also may be included. A common multi-channel surround processing format (referred to as a "5.1 system") uses five discrete channels and an additional band limited low frequency channel that generally is reserved for low frequency effects ("LFE"). Recordings made for reproduction by 5.1 systems may be processed with the assumption that the listener is located at the center of an array of loudspeakers that includes three speakers in front of the listener and two speakers located somewhere between and including the sides of the listener and about 45 degrees behind the listener. In five channel multi-channel surround systems, both the channels and the signals carried by the channels may be referred to as left-front ("LF"), center ("CTR"), and right-front ("RF"), left-surround ("LSur"), and right-surround ("RSur"). When seven channels are implemented, LSur and RSur may be replaced by left-side ("LS"), right-side ("RS"), left-rear ("LR") and right-rear ("RR").
Most recorded material is provided in traditional two-channel stereo. However, a surround effect can be achieved from two-channel signals through the use of matrix decoders. Matrix decoders may synthesize four or more output signals or outputs from two input signals, which may include a left input signal and a right input signal. When used in this manner, matrix decoders mathematically describe or represent various combinations of input signals in an N×2 or other matrix, where N is the number of desired outputs. In a similar manner, matrix decoders may also be used to synthesize additional output signals from three or more discrete input signals using an N×M matrix, where M is the number of discrete input channels.
When used to create a surround effect from a two-channel signal, a matrix usually includes 2N matrix coefficients that define the proportion of the left and/or right input signals for a particular output signal. The values of the matrix coefficients generally depend, in part, on the intended direction of the recorded material as indicated by one or more steering angles. Each steering angle may be a function of two signals. In general, one steering angle is a function of the left and right input signals (the "left/right steering angle" or "lr"), and another steering angle is a function of two signals derived from the right and left input signals (the "center/surround steering angle" or "cs"). Each steering angle indicates the intended direction of the recorded material in terms of an angle between the two signals from which it was derived.
The design of audio or sound systems involves the consideration of many different factors, including for example, the position and number of speakers and the frequency response of each speaker. The frequency response of most speakers traditionally has been limited such that many speakers cannot reproduce low frequencies accurately, if at all. Therefore, most surround processing systems also include a separate speaker or speakers designed and dedicated to producing these low frequency signals. To direct the low frequency signals to this separate low frequency speaker, surround sound systems may employ a process known as "bass management." Traditional bass management separates the low frequencies from each channel using a crossover filter and adds them together to create a single channel ("mono") signal. This procedure may lead to degradation of the surround effect because the combined low frequencies are not decorrelated. Unfortunately, foregoing the traditional bass management may also lead to undesirable results because the low frequencies sound quite unnatural when steered by most matrix decoders.
In another example, the physical properties of a listening environment and/or the manner in which a listening environment will be used dictate the factors that need to be considered when designing sound systems. Most surround sound systems are designed for optimum listening environments. Optimum listening environments generally are reverberant and center the listener among an array of speakers, facing forward in a position known as the "sweet spot." However, the physical properties of non-optimum listening environments can be much different and generally require that different factors be considered when sound systems are designed. One example includes, listening environments that are enjoyed simultaneously by more than one listener, none of whom may be stationary or located in the "sweet spot." Another example includes, listening environments that are quite small and are not very reflective. Such listening environments present a challenge in creating the surround effect. In yet a further example, the listening environment may be such that the listener or listeners are located near one or more of the speakers. Most surround sound systems were simply not designed with these factors in mind.
A vehicle is an example of a non-optimum listening environment in which listener placement, speaker placement and lack of reflectivity are important factors in the design of surround sound systems for that listening environment. A vehicle may be more confined than rooms containing home theatre systems and much less reflective. In addition, the speakers may be in relatively close proximity to the listeners and there may be less freedom with regard to speaker placement in relation to the listener. In fact, it may be nearly impossible to place each speaker the same distance from any of the listeners. For example, in an automobile, the front and rear seating positions and their close proximity to the doors, as well as the size and location of kick-panels, the dash, pillars, and other interior vehicle surfaces that could contain the speakers all serve to limit speaker placement. In another example, when the center speaker is placed in the dash, the size of the center speaker is limited due to the space constraints within the dash. These placement and size restrictions are problematic considering the short distances available in an automobile for sound to disperse before reaching the listeners or the walls. Due to these factors, multi-channel surround processing systems suffer serious quality degradation when implemented in non-optimum listening environments.

Harman International Industries, Incorporated


A surveying instrument (11) comprises a telescope unit having imaging optics and an array of optical detector elements, orientation sensors detecting an orientation of the telescope unit, rotation drives for rotating the telescope unit about a horizontal and a vertical axis, a controllable distance-measuring unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit comprises a memory storing instructions and calibration data for relating the location of each optical detector element to a sighting direction and a processor for: obtaining target region data; obtaining projection surface data (133) representing a projection surface (135), acquiring a set of pixel data representing a two-dimensional image of a target region, transforming the set of pixel data to a set of projected image data representing a projection of the image to the projection surface using the calibration data, and storing the projected image data as surveying data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of providing survey data using a surveying instrument, means for performing the method and a corresponding surveying instrument.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Surveying often includes determination of angles or of positions of points, e.g. reflectors (triple reflectors) or targets in the terrain. Those angles or positions may be measured by surveying instruments such as theodolites or tacheometers.
Positions in space can be defined by coordinates in a suitable coordinate system. For example, the position of a point may be defined by its Cartesian coordinates which are defined with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system having three axes which are orthogonal to each other. For measuring positions, however, spherical coordinates are more appropriate. As shown in FIG. 1, the position of a point P may be defined in spherical coordinates by its distance d to the origin of an orthogonal coordinate system, an angle α between one of the horizontal axes of the coordinate system and a line connecting the origin of the coordinate system with a projection of the point P onto the horizontal plane and finally a vertical angle θ between the coordinate system axis orthogonal to the horizontal plane and a line connecting the origin of the coordinate system and the point. As well known in the art, Cartesian coordinates can be transformed into spherical coordinates and vice versa.
Surveying instruments such as theodolites or tacheometers, also known as tachymeters or total stations, make use of spherical coordinates. As schematically shown in FIG. 1, known theodolites or tacheometers comprise a telescope 1 which is rotatable about a vertical axis 2 which is fixed to a base element 3 of the theodolite or tacheometer and a tilting axis 4, also termed horizontal axis, which is rotated with rotation of a telescope 1 about the vertical axis 2. Angles of rotation about the vertical axis 2 and angles of tilting about the tilting axis can read from a corresponding horizontal circle 5 and a vertical circle 6.
In an ideal tacheometer as shown in FIG. 1, the tilting axis 4 is orthogonal to the vertical axis 2 and both axes intersect in one point. Further, a line of the sight 7 of the telescope 1, also called sighting axis or sight axis, is orthogonal to the tilting axis 4 and further runs through the intersection point of the tilting axis 4 and the vertical axis 2.
For measuring the position of a point, ideally, the tacheometer is oriented such that the vertical axis 2 is perfectly perpendicular, i.e. it points in the direction of gravity. Then, a spherical coordinate system can be defined by a plane orthogonal to the vertical axis 2, the origin being the intersection point of the of the tilting axis 4 and by the vertical axis 2. By the horizontal circle 5 one axis of the coordinate system can be defined which is fixed with respect to the base element 3. For measuring the above-mentioned angles α and θ, the sighting axis 7 of a telescope 1 is directed to the point to be measured by rotating the telescope 1 about the vertical axis 2 and tilting the telescope 1 about the tilting axis 4. The angle α can than be read from the horizontal circle and the angle θ from the vertical circle 6. For measuring the distance of a target point from the instrument a tacheometer has a distance measuring unit which allows measurement of the distance of a target point sighted at from the instrument. Knowing the distance of the point from the instrument, the Cartesian coordinates can be easily obtained.
Video-tacheometers differ from traditional tacheometers in that they comprise a camera which may for example replace the whole telescope or just the eyepiece of the telescope or may be provided in addition to the telescope. As schematically shown in FIG. 2, the camera 8 comprises an optical system 9 and an image sensor 10. The optical system 9 forms images of points in a scene on the image sensor 10. A point P to be measured is thus imaged onto a certain position P′ on the image sensor 10. The image sensor 10 comprises an array of photo-detector elements 10′ which are responsive to the image formed on the sensor and produce respective detection signals.
If known tacheometers or even video-tacheometers are used to survey a target region the telescope unit has to be redirected to all points of interest in the target region separately to obtain survey data about the target region. Thus, surveying of a target region, in particular of given objects in a target region, can be quite time consuming.
It has been found that the conventional method of providing survey data and the conventional surveying instrument could still be improved to obtain survey data more rapidly and comfortably.

Surveying instrument and method of providing survey data of a target region using a surveying instrument


A method of sharing usage data of multimedia content is provided. The method comprises providing a set of media channels, providing access, to one or more pre-selected remote users, to usage data regarding consumption of the multimedia content, and selectively restricting access of at least a portion of the usage data to at least a portion of the remote users.

Television sets have become commonplace in homes, businesses and institutions offering diversified digital content, with viewing considered as a passive and relaxing experience, limited to the place itself.
During the last few years, with advancement of technology, various developments have been made to provide television services on a social basis taking advantage of the relationship between individuals, connecting users watching public television content in different locations. The vast amount of new electronic display devices adds to social television the concept of shared-viewing trends in creating a shift in television viewing from passive to active experience.
Social television introduced advanced technology which combines communication and social environment in the context of watching digital content, enabling the most common social television activity of watching digital content with others, allowing instant sharing of favorite digital media content with a social group. Such systems may, for example, provide text chat, indicating the presence and context consciousness, integrate voice communication, viewing of recommendations, ratings or video-conferencing related to viewing digital content either directly on screen or by using supplementary devices.
Furthermore, the media viewing experience is turning richer with video content becoming available on increasingly diverse devices such as television, personal computers, tablets, mobile communication devices, telephones, hand held devices and the like. In parallel, the social environment is changing, taking advantage of new emerging technologies and yielding a whole new world of experiences. Television broadcasting networks continue to deliver digital content in diverse areas of interest, answering different tastes and flavors. Combining the digital media, specifically the television as a platform, with the social environment increases the demand for sharing digital content and views.
Television is a wide reaching vehicle and a highly significant player in the digital media content domain. Recent studies of consumer behavior and television measurements (eMarketer—Digital Intelligence, Nielsen) claim that 99% of American households watch television on a regular basis, with the average adult spending more time watching television than surfing the internet. The report reveals that in 2010, the average adult spent about four and half hours per day watching television, compared to an average of just two and a half hours per day spent online.
Additionally, the percentage of American homes having at least one television set is reaching 99%, with two thirds of them owning at least three sets. These numbers highlight the fact that television is still a most widespread and premier entertainment platform.

System and method for providing personalized channel setting to social television viewer


Disclosed herein is a system and method for enabling creating and managing structured tables on a blockchain thereby facilitating retrieval of data records with standard database operational commands and in a structured manner. Creating structured tables as per a defined schema provides for data storage in a manner which enables easy integration with existing business applications. Further, the system and method provides for storing unstructured data records in a structured manner in the blockchain.

Database Management Systems (DBMS) generally use relational techniques for storing and retrieving data. Data is stored in a database according to a defined database schema, which specifies the pattern of data storage. Any database will typically have data stored in a structured fashion. Databases have been helping businesses to obtain valuable new business insights by using methods for storing, accessing and viewing data in a structured form that supports combinations, re-combinations, or analyses of both existing data elements and structures, combinations, or relations of said data elements. Databases, in addition to having a defined data structure are optimised for faster query processing; but are not resistant to data modifications. Recently, more and more businesses are using blockchain to decentralize their applications (to make it intermediary free and secure from unauthorized data modifications) and as a result more transaction data is being added to the blockchain. While block chain provides extreme levels of security by removing intermediary in data processing, users face problems in data processing including querying and retrieval of data records, since blockchain doesn't store and allow querying of data records in a structured manner due to absence of data definition language in blockchain. Hence, one of the limitations of blockchain is its inherent deficiency in search query processing primarily due to the linked data storage and the absence of a well-defined data indexing structure for various queries. Presently, in order to aggregate and query data records from the blockchain, each of the one or more transactions on the plurality of blocks of a blockchain are processed. The transactions comprise information in raw format and not in a structured manner. Hence, in return for enhanced security, selectively querying and updating data from and to the stored blocks on the blockchain is restricted. Further, said technical challenge restricts the application of blockchain for direct integration with one or more business applications configured for structured data querying. Furthermore, direct analytics on data stored in one or more transactions within a block of a blockchain is currently not supported.
One of the commonly used methods for querying data records stored on blockchain is fetching all the data records stored in the one or more transactions added to the plurality of blocks of the blockchain. The fetched data records are stored on an external database, separate from the blockchain, with defined schema and querying the external database for retrieval of data records in a structured manner.
The abovementioned method of querying data records stored on a blockchain results in large amount of data exchange with the intermediary platform which is time consuming and inefficient. Further, such method of data extraction from the blocks of the blockchain platform is against the spirit of blockchain which strives to make information processing and management intermediary free. Hence, use of external database for querying data records in a structured manner eliminates all advantages associated with a blockchain.
In light of the above-mentioned shortcomings associated with existing methods and systems for querying of data records stored on blockchain platform, it is highly desirable to have a system and method that allows data records, added to blocks on a blockchain, to be stored in a structured manner with a defined data schema.
The present invention, as described below, allows enable real time creation and management of structured repositories so that any new data record that gets added via new transaction blocks can be structured for easy retrieval and management.

System and method for intermediary-less database management


A chilled beverage dispenser has a “holeless” bowl and uses a cradle evaporator to achieve cooling of the beverage. In one exemplary embodiment, the cradle evaporator comprises three panels—a bottom panel and two side panels, the side panels being bolted or similarly fastened to the edges of the bottom panel in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the bottom panel. The bottom and side panels each define a continuous and sinuous channel, which carries a cooling medium. The dispenser bowl preferably is constructed of a thin-walled plastic, such that when the dispenser bowl is received in the cradle evaporator, heat transfer is achieved through the bottom wall and portions of the side walls of the bowl.

The present invention relates to beverage dispensers for cooling a beverage to an acceptable temperature for consumption. In this regard, there are various distinct types of chilled beverage dispensers in the industry. Each, however, requires some sort of cooling system, typically a source of a cooling medium, such as a compressor and pump, a heat exchanger, and connecting tubing between the heat exchanger and cooling medium source. The heat exchanger itself is generally in contact with the beverage or the bowl containing the beverage. For example, one common type of dispenser incorporates a heat exchanger consisting of one or more continuous sinuous tubes submerged within the beverage in the dispenser bowl. The tubes form a heat exchanger bank that carries the cooling medium. The beverage is caused to circulate about the bank, allowing its heat to be transferred across the walls of the tubing to the flowing cooling medium. However, in such a dispenser, there must be a hole or opening through the bottom wall of the dispenser bowl to allow the tubes submerged in the beverage to be in fluid communication with the compressor and pump. Furthermore, such a construction creates a sanitation problem as the internal surfaces of the bowls and the heat exchanger bank must be cleaned with regularity, and the very shape of the heat exchanger bank poses a significant challenge to cleaning.
Therefore, alternative dispenser constructions have attempted to avoid the sanitation problem by creating a "holeless" dispenser bowl, in which the heat exchanger abuts an external surface of the bowl, commonly, the bottom wall of the bowl. Accordingly, the bottom wall of the bowl acts as an intermediary heat conductor and transfers the heat from the beverage to the flowing cooling medium of the heat exchanger. However, this is often an ineffective or inefficient cooling technique.
Thus, there remains a need for chilled beverage dispenser that avoid sanitation problems of the prior art, but without sacrificing the effectiveness and efficiency of the cooling of the beverage.

Chilled beverage dispenser with cradle evaporator


Subject matter disclosed herein relates to enhancing an operational lifespan of non-volatile memory.

1. Field
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to enhancing an operational lifespan of non-volatile memory.
2. Information
Phase change memory (PCM) may operate based, at least in part, on behaviors and properties of one or more particular phase change materials, such as chalcogenide glass and/or germanium antimony telluride (GST), just to name a few examples. Crystalline and amorphous states of such materials have different electrical resistivities, thus presenting a basis by which information may be stored. The amorphous, high resistance state may represent a stored first binary state and the crystalline, low resistance state may represent a stored second binary state. Of course, such a binary representation of stored information is merely an example: PCM may also be used to store multiple memory states, represented by varying degrees of phase change material resistivity, for example.
Among other possibilities, PCM may fail to operate properly because of a set failure or a reset failure. Such failures may lead to a shortened operational lifespan of a PCM memory.

Maintenance process to enhance memory endurance


Methods and compositions for enhancing the activity and/or duration of action of loteprednol etabonate and other soft anti-inflammatory steroids of the haloalkyl 17α-alkoxycarbonyloxy-11β-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one-17β-carboxylate type and the corresponding Δ1,4-compounds are described. The enhancing agents have the formula:

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates to enhancing the activity and/or the duration of action of particular anti-inflammatory steroids for topical or other local application.
2. Background Art
Topical or other local application of potent glucocorticoids can produce severe toxic effects such as Cushingoid features, pituitary-adrenal suppression, skin atrophy, immunosuppression, weight gain and inhibition of wound healing. Other kinds of toxic responses, including allergies and cataracts, have resulted from long term use of drugs of this type.
Ophthalmic application of glucocorticosteroids presents additional problems. The protective mechanisms built into the eye allow only small amounts of doses applied to the eye to reach the target sites within the eye; generally, over 90 percent of the total dose will find its way into the general circulation. This in turn leads to serious systemic side effects of the type described above. Moreover, there is a more serious and specific side effect when these drugs are used in the eye, which is an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP). Corticosteroid-induced chronic or acute glaucoma has in fact been reported since the early 1960's. Generally, the corticosteroid is needed only topically to control the inflammation. However, the absorbed steroid is responsible for the serious side effects noted above. It is believed that the effect of the corticosteroid on the aqueous outflow pathway and adjacent tissue glycosaminoglycans (GAG's) is important in the development of glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension.
The natural glucocorticosteroids and many of their marketed derivatives are Δ4 and Δ1,4 pregnenes having 21-hydroxy substituents. There are, however, a number of anti-inflammatory Δ4 and Δ1,4 androstenes described in the literature; note, for example, British Patent Specification No. 1,384,372; Phillipps et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,080 and Kalvoda et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,937.
In recent years, soft steroids have been developed in an effort to provide compounds having potent anti-inflammatory activity with minimal systemic activity. One series of soft steroids which is described as having potent anti-inflammatory activity with minimal systemic activity consists of the 17α-carbonates of Bodor U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,335. These compounds include as preferred embodiments haloalkyl 17α-alkoxycarbonyloxy-11β-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one-17β-carboxylates and the corresponding Δ1,4 compounds, optionally bearing 6α- and/or 9α-fluorine and 16α- or 16β-methyl substituents. One of these compounds is chloromethyl 17α-ethoxycarbonyloxy-11β-hydroxyandrosta-1,4-dien-3-one-17β-carboxylate, also known as loteprednol etabonate. Loteprednol etabonate is presently marketed in the United States by Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as Alrex® and Lotemax® and combined with tobramycin as Zylet® for ophthalmic use. Other uses of loteprednol etabonate are currently in clinical trials (for rhinitis and various dermatological conditions).
Despite the development of steroids having less systemic toxicity, however, there is a serious need for improvement in topical and other local applications. The newer, less toxic, locally/topically active compounds are more expensive to synthesize than the long-established compounds. Moreover, the most potent anti-inflammatory steroids are those which have substitution at the 6, 9 and/or 16-positions and thus also not only are farthest removed structurally from the natural corticosteroids but also have the greatest toxicity. Thus, there is a need for enhancing the activity or duration of action or both of the 17α-carbonate type soft androstenes which lack the 6-, 9- and/or 16-substitution pattern. Further, it would be desirable to allow these steroids to undergo easier metabolism and concentrate them at the desired site of action.
One of the major, inactive metabolites of hydrocortisone is cortienic acid, i.e. 11β,17α-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one-17β-carboxylic acid. Cortienic acid and the corresponding Δ1,4 acid have been previously described as synthetic intermediates useful in the preparation of the soft steroids described in Bodor U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,495 and 4,996,335. The 17β-methyl, ethyl and isopropyl esters of Δ1-cortienic acid have been described as putative inactive metabolites of the anti-inflammatory androstene derivatives of WO 97/42214 and Bodor U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,517. The '517 patent also describes the use of Δ1-cortienic acid as a competitor (with [3H]-triamcinolone acetonide as a tracer) for in vitro receptor binding studies of the androstene derivatives of that patent and notes similar studies of loteprednol etabonate. Druzgala et al., J. Steroid Biochem. Molc. Biol., Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 149-154 (1991), reports earlier in vitro receptor binding studies of loteprednol etabonate and two putative metabolites, Δ1-cortienic acid and the corresponding 17α-ethyl carbonate, in a medium containing 10−5M cortienic acid as competitor, along with [3H]-triamcinolone acetonide as tracer. Druzgala et al. further note that loteprednol itself is intrinsically active, whereas the putative metabolites are indeed inactive. Neither these acids nor their esters have been suggested as active ingredients for use in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of inflammation because they are not themselves active as anti-inflammatory agents. However, such inactive metabolites have been described as enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity and duration of action of loteprednol etabnoate and related soft steroids in Bodor United States Application Publication No. 2005/0026892A1, published Feb. 3, 2005. Such inactive metabolites have also been described as enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity and duration of action of selected other corticosteroids, for example, hydrocortisone; see Bodor United States Application Publication No. 2005/0020551A1, published Jan. 27, 2005.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for alternate methods and compositions for enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity and duration of action of loteprednol etabonate and related soft steroids.

Transporter enhanced corticosteroid activity

Abstract: wherein Z1 is carbonyl, β-hydroxymethylene or methylene; R2 is H, —OH or —OCOR3 wherein R3 is C1-C5 alkyl; Y is —OH, —SH or —OCOR4 wherein R4 is C1-C5 alkyl, cyclopentylethyl or diethylaminoethyl; and the dotted line in ring A indicates that the 1,2-linkage is saturated or unsaturated.


The hanger of present invention comprises of an integral hook and anchor sections in the upper and lower parts of hanger respectively. The hook section forms an U-hook for suspending and retaining the hanging wire of a picture frame. The anchor section guides a fastener such as a nail to drive through the anchor section and into the wall in inclined position. The hanger of present invention allows the hanging wire of the picture frame to directly engage into the U-hook without interference when a person holds the picture frame against the wall, and slides the picture frame downward to approach the hanger from the top of hanger.

This invention relates to wall-mounted hangers for hanging a picture frame that is provided with a hanging wire at the back of picture frame.
More specifically, this invention relates to picture frame hangers that can be fabricated from continuously bending of a metal strip, and can be attached to walls, such as dry walls by driving a nail through the hanger and into the wall in inclined position.
Many picture frames have a hanging wire attached to the back of the picture frame. A variety of wall-mounted hangers in prior art have been proposed for suspending the hanging wire of the picture frame onto the wall. The hangers in prior art mainly consist of an anchor section in the upper part of the hanger, and a hook section in the lower part of the hanger. The anchor section allows a fastener such as a nail to drive through the hanger, and mount the hanger onto the wall. The hook section forms an U-hook for suspending and retaining the hanging wire of the picture frame. In prior art, a lateral projectile is commonly provided in the anchor section, which guides the nail driving through the hanger and entering into the wall in inclined position. The inclined position of the nail offers the advantages of enhancing the loading capacity of the hanger, preventing the hanger from swiveling or pivoting about the nail, and preventing the nail from sliding out of the wall. The anchor section of the hanger is located directly above the hook section of the hanger. The hangers are commonly fabricated from continuously bending of a metal strip. The above described hangers in prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,675,281, 3,226,065, 2,137,837, 2,454,813, 2,940,712, and 5,267,719, . . . etc. FIG. 1 illustrates the hanger in prior art that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,675,281.
There is a significant drawback of the above hangers in prior art because the anchor section of the hanger is located directly above the hook section of the hanger. When hanging a picture frame onto the hanger, a person can hardly see the hanger behind the picture frame when he or she is holding the picture frame against the wall and the hanger. Therefore, it is a common practice for a person to hold the picture frame against the wall and above the hanger, and then slide the picture frame downward against the wall in an effort to approach the hanger from the top of the hanger. Unfortunately, the lateral projectile in the anchor section becomes an obstacle that blocks the entrance to U-hook in the hook section of the hanger. As a result, it requires a person to take time and effort to engage the hanging wire into the U-hook of the hanger. Frequently, the hanging wire can be mistakenly hung onto the top of lateral projectile of the anchor section rather than the U-hook of the hook section. The picture frame is therefore unstably hung onto the hanger, and can easily slip out of the hanger.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a picture frame hanger capable of being fabricated from continuously bending of a metal strip, capable of being attached to wall by driving a nail through the hanger and into the wall in inclined position, and capable of engaging the hanging wire of the picture frame into the hook section of the hanger without interference from the anchor section of the hanger.


A computer implemented method of assessing sub-graphs proposed for constructing a concept map, comprising using one or more processors for executing code for receiving a proposed sub-graph from one or more user client terminals used by users, where the proposed sub-graph comprises concept nodes and edges defining conceptual relationship between the concept nodes and searching a database comprising stored sub-graphs to determine a match of the proposed sub-graph with one of the stored sub-graphs each associated with a stored feedback record. In case of a match, selecting the stored feedback record associated with a matching stored sub-graph and in case of no-match, forwarding the proposed sub-graph to a reviewer client terminal of reviewer(s) and receiving from the reviewer client terminal(s) a generated feedback record and responding to the user client terminal(s) with the selected stored feedback record or the generated feedback record according to the match.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to assessing sub-graphs proposed for constructing a concept map graph and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to assessing sub-graphs proposed for constructing a concept map graph by applying automated assessment.
The use of concept maps in a plurality of fields, in particular education is constantly growing as part of the ever going progress in learning, teaching, and tutoring methodologies.
A concept map is a graphical tool that may be used for visualizing concepts and relationships among the presented concepts. The concept map may typically be associated with a specific topic, knowledge domain, a subject, a process, a system and/or the like. The concepts may include, for example, ideas, entities, objects, processes, actions and/or the like which may be expressed through sematic representations, for example, a word, a phrase, a sentence, a picture, a video, a sound track and/or the like.
The concept map may typically be presented as a graph comprising a plurality of concept nodes each associated with a concept and one or more edges connecting two or more nodes which represent suggested relationships between the connected concept nodes.


The robustness of discriminating results at each stage is improved in discrimination processing in which a plurality of stages of discriminators are used to identify an object. An information processing apparatus in which a plurality of stages of the discriminators are used to identify a class of an object, comprises a candidate class output unit that acquires as a candidate class a class discriminated at a first stage of the discriminators, and an extended class setting unit that sets in a second stage of the discriminators, a class of a second stage of the discriminators, which is defined as an extended partial space of a partial space defined by a candidate class in a discriminating space used in discriminating the candidate class by the first stage of the discriminators, as a class to be discriminated at this second stage of the discriminators.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing technology that can be applied to recognition processing in which an object is recognized from an image obtained by capturing said object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally there has been active research into recognition methods in which a computer learns characteristic quantities extracted from images obtained by capturing various objects, and the type of objects included in a newly input image is recognized.
There has also been research into using model information and so forth about an object to recognize not only the type of object, but also its position and orientation.
For example, in "Robust Object Detection with Interleaved Categorization and Segmentation" (IJCV Special Issue on Learning for Vision for Learning, August 2007) by B. Leibe, there is proposed a method in which characteristic points extracted from a learning image and made into a codebook are associated with characteristic points extracted from an inputted image, and the center position of an object is identified by probabilistic voting (implicit-shape-model). With this method, it is possible to identify not only the type of object, but also the position and orientation of the object.
Also, with the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-257649, first a characteristic quantity is calculated for each characteristic point extracted from an input image, these are contrasted with the characteristic quantities of characteristic points calculated for a learning image, and similar characteristic points are set as corresponding points. Then, reference points are calculated for the characteristic points of the input image by using the vector from the characteristic points to the reference points calculated ahead of time with learning images having mutually different types, positions, and orientations. Then, the positions of the calculated reference points are voted on a specific image plane, and it is decided whether or not at least a specific number of the calculated reference points are present within a small region in a specific image plane. If they are present, then a learning image having vectors used in the calculation of these reference points is determined to be a learning image that is similar to the input image, and this identifies the type, position, and orientation of the object.
However, if the user tries to identify not only the type of the object, but also its position or orientation, a problem encountered with the above recognition method was that recognition was difficult when the input image was small or when there were few characteristic points that were effective for the recognition of position or orientation. Because of this, when there are a plurality of recognition categories (type, position, orientation, etc.), a recognition technique is generally used in which a plurality of stages of discriminators are used to gradually narrow down the candidates, and research has also been underway into recognition technology such as this.
A coarse-to-fine method is an example of such recognition technology. With a coarse-to-fine method, a class identified by the first stage of discriminators is set coarser than a class that is ultimately identified. More specifically, in the discrimination of the type of an object, the first stage of discriminators performs discrimination processing upon combining a plurality of type classes into a single class. Similarly, in the discrimination of the orientation of an object, the first stage of discriminators performs discrimination processing upon combining a plurality of orientation classes into a single class. That is, whatever the discrimination category may be (type, orientation), the first stage of discriminators narrows down the candidate class through coarse setting of the class, and the second and subsequent stages of discriminators are used to further narrow down the class from among this candidate class, and thereby identifies the final class.
As an example of a coarse-to-fine method, Japanese Patent 3,925,011 proposes a method in which pattern recognition is performed by using a plurality of stages of discriminators to gradually narrow down the candidate class at each stage. In the case of Japanese Patent 3,925,011, a reference pattern to be used in narrowing down the stages is decided ahead of time for every discrimination category, and these reference patterns are used to perform learning processing and produce a dictionary. The various classes here are set so that there are more reference patterns in higher-numbered stages. A candidate class is detected for an discrimination object during discrimination processing at each stage, and the candidate class closest to the discrimination object is narrowed down by using a dictionary configured to become more detailed in stages. After this, if the result of discrimination processing at each stage up to the K-th stage is the same candidate class, then that candidate class is output as the discrimination result.
Furthermore, in the case of Japanese Patent 3,447,717 an entire learning template is used to perform a rotation coarse search and narrow down the search range in template matching. Also, the orientation of an object is ultimately identified by using a partial template of a preset learning template. In Japanese Patent 3,447,717, there are a plurality of partial templates, and a characteristic portion of the object is specified in each of the partial templates. A partial template is subjected to template matching within a narrowed search range, and the final orientation is identified on the basis of the positional relation of the partial templates.
However, when any coarse-to-fine method is used, as the number of stages of discriminators increases, minute differences require the matching of templates and a decision about class, etc, so a problem is that discrimination becomes more difficult. Because of this, when a plurality of stages of discriminators are used to perform recognition processing on an object, it is necessary to raise the robustness for a candidate class that is narrowed down as the stage number of discriminators increases, so that there will be no drop in recognition accuracy.

Information processing method, information processing apparatus, and recording medium for identifying a class of an object by using a plurality of discriminators