It is an object of the invention to provide a method of transmitting position information of a digital map which can enhance matching precision on a receiving side.

In recent years, the number of vehicles having a navigation machine onboard has rapidly increased. The navigation machine holds a digital map data base and displays a traffic jam or an accident position on a map based on traffic jam information or accident information which is provided from a traffic information center, and furthermore, executes a path search by adding their information to conditions.
The database of the digital map is created by several companies, and the map data include an error because of a difference in a basic view and a digitization technique and the error differs depending on a digital map created by each company. For this reason, in the case in which an accident position is to be transmitted through traffic information, for example, there is a possibility that the accident position might be identified on the wrong road depending on the type of the digital map data base held in the onboard machine if longitude and latitude data on the position are presented alone.
In order to improve the accuracy of the information transmission, conventionally, a node number is defined to a node such as an intersection present in a road system and a link number is defined to a link representing a road between nodes, each intersection and road are stored corresponding to a node number and a link number in a digital map data base created by each company, a road is specified based on a link number in traffic information, and a point on a road is displayed by an expression method, for example, a distance from a head. However, the node number and the link number which are defined in the road system should be changed according to the new construction or alteration of a road. Moreover, if the node number or the link number is changed, digital map data created by each company are to be updated. For this reason, a method of transmitting the position information of a digital map by using a node number and a link number requires a great social cost for maintenance.
In order to improve such a respect, the inventors of the invention have proposed the following method in JP-A-11-214068 and JP-A-11-242166.
In this method, when transmitting the position of a road on which an event such as a traffic jam or an accident occurs, the information providing side transmits, to the receiving side, "road shape data" comprising a coordinate string having (1) a node in which the road shape of a road section having a predetermined length including the event position is arranged on the road (2) and an interpolation point (the vertex of a polygonal line approximating the curved line of the road, which will be referred to as a "node" including the interpolation point if there is no notice in this specification) and (3) "event position data" indicative of an event position based on a relative position in the road section represented by the road shape data; and the side receiving this information carries out map matching by using the road shape data, specifies a road section on a self-digital map, and specifies an event generation position in the road section by using the event position data.
Moreover, the inventors of the invention have also proposed a method in which a procedure for the map matching is executed efficiently. This method employs a sequential matching technique, and the receiving side calculates the coordinates of an event position by using the received road shape data and event position data and adds the event position as a node in the node string of the road shape data. Then, the map matching is executed in order from a node on the start edge of the node string and a point which best matched with a node indicative of the event position is specified as the event position on the road of a self-digital map.
In the case in which the position information of the digital map is to be transmitted by these methods, there is an important problem in that matching precision on the receiving side is to be enhanced. In the sequential matching method, particularly, when the start point of the map matching is wrong, the error tends to propagate to the subsequent map matching so that mismatching is apt to be caused. Moreover, there is a problem in that the mismatching is easily generated in an intersection having a small intersecting angle.
The invention solves these problems and has an object to provide a method of transmitting the position information of a digital map which can enhance matching precision on the receiving side.

Digital map position information transfer method

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transmitting position information of a digital map in which a transmitting side transmits a vector shape on the digital map and a receiving side specifies the vector shape on a self-digital map by map matching, wherein the transmitting side selects a portion in which a plurality of candidate points are generated with difficulty during the map matching as an endpoint of the vector shape and transmits the vector shape having the endpoint in the portion to the receiving side. Mismatching on the receiving side can be prevented and the position information on the digital map can be transmitted accurately.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA


A communications method and a communications apparatus and system are provided, and are applied to smart home systems. The method includes: a home device sends operation information to a server, where the operation information is used to indicate an operation performed by a user on the home device; and after receiving the operation information from the home device, the server determines a target account, where the target account is one of accounts associated with the home device, and sends a notification message to a target terminal device, where the notification message includes status information used to indicate a status of the home device, the status information is related to the operation information, and the target terminal device is a terminal device on which the target account is logged in.

As shown in FIG. 1, an existing smart home system includes a smart home cloud, a smart home application (APP) installed on a terminal device, and smart home devices (for example, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and a rice cooker). Generally, a plurality of different accounts may be logged in on a plurality of smart home APPs to perform an operation on a same smart home device. When an account is logged in on a smart home APP to perform an operation on a smart home device, the smart home cloud only needs to push status information of the smart home device to the account.
However, currently, when a user directly performs an operation on a smart home device, the device reports status information to the smart home cloud. In this case, the smart home cloud does not know an account the status information should be pushed to. Consequently, the smart home cloud pushes the status information to all accounts that have subscribed to the status information of the device, or pushes, by default, the status information to all accounts that have been bound to the device. As a result, some unwanted information is inevitably received by some accounts, and this deteriorates user experience.

Communications method, and communications apparatus and system


This invention provides isolated nucleic acids which encode a wildtype and a mutant human homolog of RAD9. This invention also provides purified and mutant wildtype human homologs of RAD9. This invention also provides methods for determining whether a subject has radiosensitivity; for predicting the effect of radiation therapy or chemotherapy on a subject; for detecting whether a subject has a predisposition to cancer; for treating a subject who is radiosensitive and for preventing or treating cancer in a subject who is radiosensitive.

Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by Arabic numerals. Full citations for these publications may be found listed at the end of the specification immediately preceding the Sequence Listing. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein.
The product of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad9 gene is required for cell cycle arrest at the G2 checkpoint in response to incompletely replicated or damaged DNA. Cell cycle checkpoints are regulatory mechanisms that prevent cell cycle progression in the presence of DNA damage or incompletely replicated DNA (1-4). In the fission yeast S. pombe, loss of any of the rad1, rad3, rad9, rad17, or hus1 genes abolished the G2 checkpoint delays which usually follow exposure to DNA damaging or replication blocking agents (3-5). This result suggests that these five genes regulate a single common pathway linking aberrant DNA structures to cell cycle control. Evidence for the conservation of checkpoint control pathways at the molecular level is suggested by the similarity of the gene product of the human ATM (Ataxia telangiectasia mutated) locus and the proteins encoded by the checkpoint genes rad3 from S. pombe and MEC1 from S. cerevisiae (6). It is likely that the ATM gene product is involved in checkpoint control in human cells, as cell lines derived from AT patients exhibit a number of defects indicative of checkpoint deficiency, including sensitivity to ionizing radiation (8), and an increased rate of spontaneous mutation (8). However, the primary defect in AT seems to be at the G1-S rather than at the G2-M checkpoint (9, 10).

Human radioresistance/cell cycle progression gene

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York

The Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation


A helicopter rotor hub assembly for coupling a pair of helicopter blades to a helicopter mast. It includes a yoke assembly and a pitch assembly. The yoke assembly includes a central section and first and second sections extending respectively on opposite sides of the central section. Each one of the first and second sections has a pair of elongated arms defining inbetween a bearing-receiving interspace. The pitch assembly includes first and second attachment plates extending respectively along the first and second sections of the yoke assembly and first and second pitch bearing assemblies. Each attachment plate is connected to a respective one of the helicopter blades. Each pitch bearing assembly extends in the bearing-receiving interspace of a respective one of the first and second sections of the yoke assembly. Each pitch bearing assembly contacts a respective one of attachment plates to allow a pitch movement of the helicopter blades.

A helicopter main rotor comprises rotor blades and a control system that generates the lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and the thrust that counteracts the drag in forward flight. The main rotor is mounted on a vertical shaft, or mast, at the top of the helicopter.
Rotors are generally categorized with regards to the blade movement about the rotor itself. Rotors can typically be fully articulated, semi-rigid or rigid. Depending on the type of rotor, the blades are controlled or limited in up to three types of movements defined as pitch, lag and flap. Almost all helicopter rotors minimally allow the pitch movement. It represents a rotational movement of the blade around its longitudinal axis. The pitch rotation value can be adjusted over 360°, and it can vary between 0° and about 40° during flight. For different values of the pitch, the angle of attack of the blades will be different. Lag is defined as an angular fore and aft motion of the blade with respect to the mast. It is an optional movement, but it is frequently found on helicopters. Flap is a vertical movement of the blades and is also an optional movement. A simple rotor will allow movement of the blades as the pitch only, while more complex rotors will be fully articulated, meaning that the three types of movement of the blades are possible.
Sometimes, the deformation of the material of the blade will produce flap or pitch. Under the lift force, the blades will tend to move up and thus produce flapping. It is generally desirable to control the flap of the blades, especially to reduce the vibration transmission from the rotor hub to the fuselage and to reduce the control loads.
A helicopter rotor includes a rotor hub assembly that mechanically connects the blades to the mast and to a blade control system. To mechanically connect the helicopter blades to the mast, the rotor hub assembly includes a yoke assembly. During operation, the yoke assembly is put under high stresses that are due to the centrifugal effect that is generated during rotation of the blades. These stresses are variable during a rotation of the blades (360 degrees) due to the cyclic movements of the helicopter blades. Consequently, the yoke assembly is a critical part in the conception of the helicopter rotor. In order to be structurally efficient and resistant to fatigue, the stress distribution in the yoke assembly has to be as uniform as possible. There is thus a need for a rotor hub assembly that provides a relatively uniform stress distribution.
In view of the above, there is a need for a helicopter rotor hub assembly which would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

Helicopter rotor hub assembly and helicopter including same


A catheter constituted of a single-pipe tube, and provided with a tip end portion (10) implanted in an abdominal cavity and a projection portion (12) projecting outward from the outer wall of the abdomen. A pair of cuffs (16, 18) are attached to the projection portion (12) and a reinforcing tube (14). Side holes (20) are drilled in the tip end portion (10), and each side hole is allowed to communicate with each other along the axial direction of the single-pipe tube by means of a groove (22) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the single-pipe tube.

In CAPD, a catheter made of silicone rubber having a diameter of 4 to 6 mm is implanted in an abdominal cavity of a renal insufficiency patient. A dialysate is injected into the abdominal cavity through this catheter, and dialysate that has stayed in the abdominal cavity is drained through the catheter after a few hours. In this way, a dialysis therapy is carried out.
A plurality of side holes, which are through-holes for draining, are formed at a tip end portion of the catheter. The catheter is implanted such that the tip end portion is positioned at a Douglas' pouch of the abdominal cavity. As the catheter is in an implanted state in the abdominal cavity for a long period of time, a membranous greater omentum that is within the abdominal cavity tangles with the tip end portion of the catheter to close side holes. Thus, there are problems in that draining from the abdominal cavity to outside becomes difficult, and consequently pain or discomfort occurs.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-10315 discloses a catheter in which a tip end portion of an inner tube, at which tip end portion a plurality of side holes are formed, is covered with an outer tube and a bypass path is formed by a groove formed at an outer surface of the inner tube or at an inner surface of the outer tube, and thus even if side holes are closed, a cerebrospinal fluid can be evacuated via the bypass path.
However, there has been a problem in that it is difficult to manufacture a conventional catheter because the tip end portion at the catheter is formed by a double tube. Further, there is a problem that, because there is a double tube, if an outer diameter of a catheter is made small in order to reduce volume and obtain excellent implantation in an abdominal cavity, an inner diameter is reduced and draining cannot be performed well. Moreover, there could also be a problem that total draining may become impossible if the tip end portion alone is closed.
Further, JP-A No. 8-206219 describes a medical drain tube in which a plurality of grooves are formed at an outer surface of the tube in a length direction thereof, and a plurality of side holes are formed at a bottom surface of each groove.
In JP-A No. 8-206219, as the side holes are formed at the bottom surfaces of the grooves, a width of the grooves is larger than the side holes. At a time of draining-out, body tissues in vicinities of the grooves enter a little into portions of the grooves. In the state in which the body tissues have entered a little into the portions of the grooves, the side holes are not closed, and a discharge fluid flows through the grooves from the side holes into a lumen. At this time, since the tissues enter the grooves and abut corner portions of the tube that form the grooves, pain is caused to a patient. Accordingly, lightening of discomfort such as pain at the time of draining cannot be expected.
Also, the side holes are formed at the bottom surfaces of the grooves and do not communicate with each other. Thus, if draining is performed by suction by air, the side holes are closed by body tissues, draining cannot be performed through the closed side holes and as the suction proceeds, the body tissues enter into the side holes, which causes pain to the patient.
The present invention was developed in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a catheter of which manufacturing is easy and in which, even if volume is made small, inner diameter does not become small and draining can be performed well.


The residual of an easy open can end is controlled by a band heater mounted on the anvil in conversion system tooling. The separation at closest approach of the score and anvil in the conversion tooling is altered as necessary by thermal expansion and contraction of the anvil as determined by the power supplied to the band heater. An electrical circuit supplies power to the heater and includes a thermocouple for maintaining the anvil at a set temperature. A loop control periodically diverts a finished end from the conveyor, measures the residual and adjusts power to the heater if necessary to bring the residual into specification.

This invention relates to multiple-lane conversion systems. It is particularly adapted for conversion systems making easy open can ends.
Presses for converting ends for cans generally comprise a press bed having columns supporting a crown. The crown houses a drive for a reciprocating ram which slides on ways formed in the columns. The ram carries upper tooling which cooperates with lower tooling mounted on the bed. The tooling defines a plurality of lanes and stations in which shells are progressively converted into easy open can ends. A conveyor carries the shells into and through the stations of the tooling. A press of this character is shown and described in Herdzina, U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,072, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
One of the stations is a score station wherein a score and anvil cooperate to partially cut through the end, thereby defining the frangible portion of the can that will open upon actuation of a tab. The thickness of the end at the scored line is called the residual. Obviously that thickness must be carefully controlled so that the end will properly protect the contents of a can until it is opened, at which time the scored portion must give way under the influence of the user's actuation of the tab.
The residual thickness depends on the separation of the score and anvil at their closest approach. In the past this distance was controlled by the use of mechanical shims placed in the support structure for one or both of the score and anvil. Obtaining the proper residual required installation of the correct thickness of shims and this was done by a process of trial and error. The press had to be stopped, the tools taken out, the shims put in, the tools reinstalled and the results tested. It was possible for adjustment of one lane to throw another one out of specification. Then that other one had to be adjusted, all with the consequent loss of production due to the downtime. Of course, redressing the scores required redoing the entire setup operation.
At a time when presses were running two lanes at about 225 strokes per minute the shim construction was acceptable. Now, however, presses having four to six lanes are running at 550 to 600 strokes per minute. At that rate of production it becomes very difficult to get the score stations in all lanes simultaneously set up and operating properly.


The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing apparatus for polishing the substrate to a flat finish. The substrate holding apparatus includes a vertically movable top ring body for holding the substrate, and an elastic membrane for defining a pressure chamber in the top ring body. A coating is applied to a surface of the elastic membrane which is brought into contact with the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate to be polished and pressing the substrate against a polishing surface, and more particularly to a substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a polishing apparatus for polishing the substrate to a flat finish. The present invention also relates to a polishing apparatus having such a substrate holding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, semiconductor devices have become smaller in size and structures of semiconductor elements have become more complicated. In addition, the number of layers in multilayer interconnects used for a logical system has been increased. Accordingly, irregularities on a surface of a semiconductor device become increased, and hence step heights on the surface of the semiconductor device tend to be larger. This is because, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a thin film is formed on a semiconductor device, then micromachining processes, such as patterning or forming holes, are performed on the semiconductor device, and these processes are repeated many times to form subsequent thin films on the semiconductor device.
When the number of irregularities on a surface of a semiconductor device is increased, a thickness of a thin film formed on a portion having a step tends to be small. Further, an open circuit is caused by disconnection of interconnects, or a short circuit is caused by insufficient insulation between interconnect layers. As a result, good products cannot be obtained, and the yield tends to be reduced. Furthermore, even if a semiconductor device initially works normally, reliability of the semiconductor device is lowered after a long-term use. At the time of exposure in a lithography process, if a surface to be irradiated has irregularities, then a lens unit in an exposure system cannot focus on such irregularities. Therefore, if the irregularities of the surface of the semiconductor device are increased, then it becomes difficult to form a fine pattern on the semiconductor device.
Accordingly, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, it becomes increasingly important to planarize a surface of a semiconductor device. The most important one of the planarizing technologies is CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing). Chemical mechanical polishing is performed with use of a polishing apparatus. Specifically, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is brought into sliding contact with a polishing surface such as a polishing pad while a polishing liquid containing abrasive particles such as silica (SiO2) is supplied onto the polishing surface, so that the substrate is polished.
This type of polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface constituted by a polishing pad, and a substrate holding apparatus, called a top ring or a carrier head, for holding a semiconductor wafer. A semiconductor wafer is polished by the polishing apparatus as follows: The semiconductor wafer is held by the substrate holding apparatus and then pressed against the polishing table under a predetermined pressure. At this time, the polishing table and the substrate holding apparatus are moved relative to each other for thereby bringing the semiconductor wafer into sliding contact with the polishing surface. Accordingly, the surface of the semiconductor wafer is polished to a flat mirror finish.
In such a polishing apparatus, if a relative pressing force between the semiconductor wafer being polished and the polishing surface of the polishing pad is not uniform over an entire surface of the semiconductor wafer, then the semiconductor wafer may be insufficiently be polished or may excessively be polished at some portions depending on the pressing force applied to those portions of the semiconductor wafer. In order to avoid such a drawback, it has been attempted to form a surface, for holding a semiconductor wafer, of a substrate holding apparatus with use of an elastic membrane (membrane) made of an elastic material such as rubber and apply a fluid pressure such as an air pressure to a backside surface of the elastic membrane so as to uniform a pressing force applied to the semiconductor wafer over an entire surface of the semiconductor wafer. In this case, the elastic membrane is made of ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), polyurethane rubber, fluororubber, or the like.
As described above, in the so-called floating-type substrate holding apparatus in which a holding surface for holding a semiconductor wafer is formed by an elastic membrane, since the semiconductor wafer is pressed by the elastic membrane, the elastic membrane and the semiconductor wafer are brought into close contact with each other. Thus, after polishing of the semiconductor wafer is finished, when the semiconductor wafer is removed from the substrate holding apparatus, the semiconductor wafer is difficult to be detached from the elastic membrane. In this case, if the semiconductor wafer is forced to be detached from the elastic membrane, then the semiconductor wafer is possibly damaged or broken. Further, the hardness of the elastic membrane is made low so that the elastic membrane can press the semiconductor wafer up to the outer peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer, and hence the degree of adhesion between the elastic membrane and the semiconductor wafer is further increased. Thus, the semiconductor wafer is more difficult to be detached from the elastic membrane.

Substrate holding apparatus and polishing apparatus


A memory device is provided, the memory device having a memory cell, a programming unit for programming the memory cell, and a switching unit for optionally connecting or isolating a terminal of the memory cell to or from a potential which serves for altering an electrical property of the memory cell and for thereby effecting an altered programming state of the memory cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a memory device whose memory information is stored in fuse memory cells. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating such a memory device and a use of the memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
So-called fuse memory cells are increasingly being used in integrated circuits, particularly in semiconductor memories, such as dynamic random access memories or DRAMs for example. A fuse memory cell essentially comprises a metal-metal connection having a low contact resistance, which can be interrupted after the actual production process, whereby the contact resistance of the fuse memory cell is increased. The fuse memory cell can thus assume the programming states "conducting" and "non-conducting", that is to say that it represents either a logic 1 or a logic 0.
The metal-metal connection of a fuse memory cell is interrupted as required either by the application of a current or by the action of a laser beam. Depending on the method by means of which their metal-metal connections can be interrupted, fuse memory cells are referred to as electrical fuse memory cells or as laser fuse memory cells.
One useful application of fuse memory cells in integrated circuits relates to the storage of secret keys for cryptography purposes and of data which are required for system configuration. Since the fuse memory cells used for this purpose are generally electrical fuse memory cells, for a corresponding programming, the respective fuse connections have to be interrupted by means of a fusing voltage that is high enough to melt the fuse resistance. For this purpose, a programming unit is provided, which is arranged on the same chip as the fuse memory cells and which has a terminal to which an external fusing voltage can be applied. After the programming has been concluded, 0 V is applied to the said terminal again.

Fuse memory cell with improved protection against unauthorized access


Carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber and sheets formed by a specialized gas assembly pyrolytic reactor method that permits gas phase integration of nano and micro particles (NMPs) are processed into yarn and fabric used in the manufacture of personal protective clothing and equipment that can be tailored via selection of NMPs for a wide variety of functionality depending on target application. The CNT-NMP hybrid fabrics may be designed to exhibit enhanced electrical and thermal conductivity, moisture wicking, air filtering, and environmental sensing properties.

In 2014, eighty-seven firefighters died in the line of duty in the US, and 63% of those fatalities were from heat-related complications. Ninety firefighters died on-duty in 2015, and the numbers continue to rise (FEMA U.S. Fire Administration Reports). Further, due to evidence of greater than expected rates of cancer, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) undertook a five year study of nearly 30,000 firefighters from the Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco Fire Departments between the years 2010 and 2015 and found that: (i) firefighters had a higher rate of cancer-related deaths from digestive, oral, respiratory, and urinary cancers than controls; (ii) firefighters suffered from malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, at significantly higher rates; and (iii) bladder and prostate cancer was diagnosed at a much younger age in firefighters than in the general population.
Specialized fibers and fabrics developed to protect firefighters and other high-risk/exposure groups such as military combatants and high-altitude pilots from excess heat entered the market more than 40 years ago (Kevlar®/Nomex™). However, while these "traditional" specialized protective fabrics provided considerable improvement, they were designed to be thermally insulating and are therefore relatively non-thermally conductive; the materials cannot dissipate heat as a cooling mechanism. Thus traditional protective fibers remain deficient in two key material properties for determining suitability for firefighter garments—Thermal Protection Performance (TPP), which is the flame and radiant heat test before pain and 2nd degree burns, and Total Heat Loss (THL), which reflects the ability of fire fighter turnout gear to remove user core heat through conduction or evaporation.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT's) are a relatively new material. Studies indicate that using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a fire retardant material might extend the operational time of an article in a fire almost two-fold. Thus research and development of CNT fabrics for protective gear has intensified. Most of the published methods use CNTs dispersed in a matrix having a loading of a few weight percent. For example, Janas et al. (Flame-retardant carbon nanotube films, Applied Surface Science, 411, 177 March 2017), discloses a CNT layer used as a fire retardant material with the CNT sheet formed using powdered CNT sprayed onto a base fabric. Nonetheless, the composite fabric was more effective in stopping fire from spreading than Nomex™, Twaron™, and Kevlar® alone. However, the sprayed-on CNT fabrics were not satisfactory for use in responder apparel because the CNT skin did not survive laundering and or ordinary wear conditions.
CNT yarns and sheets formed by a free-floating catalyst method in a pyrolytic reactor are also known, however the CNT sheets produced in these protocols have not been strong or flexible enough for consideration as protective fabrics, and generally have a higher than acceptable load of impurities. Further, the CNT produced is not capable of conferring functionality to the fabric not imparted solely by CNT.
More recently, the present investigators developed a novel method for integrating particles directly into CNT materials during a gas phase synthesis process with the resulting CNT sock/sheet exhibiting high load, as the particles could be incorporated throughout the material and not just on the surface (see PCT/US18/19427, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein). This discovery opened the door to the development of CNT materials designed with specific target functionality based on properties of the incorporated particle. If a garment could be designed both to resist flames and to filter toxic chemicals and particles from the environment, it could not only reduce heat-stress-related fatalities, but could also reduce the incidence of longer term health problems experienced by fire fighters as a result of exposure to toxic airborne chemicals.
Clearly, there remains a compelling need in the art for improved protective fabrics, articles and garments that reduce heat stress and confer additional functionality such as filtering toxic gases and particles from an extreme environmental condition such as that imposed by a structural or wilderness fire.

Carbon nanotube hybrid material fabric, composite fabric, and personal protective apparel and equipment


A Position and Orientation Measurement Engine (POME) is a mobile camera system that can be used for accurate indoor measurement (e.g., at a construction site). The POME uses a plurality of cameras to acquire images of a plurality of targets. If locations of the plurality of targets are precisely known, images of the targets can be used to determine a position of the POME in relation to the plurality of targets. However, to precisely determine locations of the plurality of targets can be time consuming and/or use expensive equipment. This disclosure discusses how to use the POME itself to determine locations of the plurality of targets.

This disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate positioning points and objects in a workspace or at a worksite, such as for example at a construction site. When the interior of a building is being finished, connectors, anchors, and the like are attached to the floors, ceilings and other structures in the building and cuts are made and holes drilled using power saws and drills. This can be accomplished using special power tools at numerous precisely defined positions in the building. For example, nail guns, power saws, powder anchor tools, and the like are used to nail, cut, install fasteners, and perform other operations at predetermined points within the building with little error. In a building, a large number of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC components are to be properly sited and installed, usually with power tools. Additionally, finishing a building interior can also include a number of different tools, to be used at precisely defined positions, such as for example reinforcement bar scanners. Positioning both power tools and non-power tools is to be accomplished quickly and with some precision with respect to the surrounding walls, ceilings and floors as they are roughed in. Typically, it has required a significant amount of labor to lay out various construction points at such a construction site. Teams of workers have been needed to measure and mark predetermined locations. It will be appreciated that this process has been subject to errors, resulting from measurement mistakes and from accumulated errors. Further, the cost of this layout process and the time needed to perform the layout process have both been significant.
Various location determining systems, including systems that incorporate one or more robotic total stations, have been used for building layout. The total station in such a system, at a fixed, known position, directs a beam of laser light at a retro-reflective target. As the target moves, robotics in the total station cause the beam of laser light to track the target. By measuring the time of travel of the beam from the total station to the retro-reflective target and then back to the total station, the distance to the target can be determined. The directional orientation of the beam to the target is also measured. Since the dimensional coordinates of the total station are known, the dimensional coordinates of the retro-reflective target can easily be determined. Based on the measured position of the retro-reflective target, and the desired position of some building feature, such as a drilled hole, or a fastener, the operator can move the reflector to the desired position, and mark the position.
Although position determination systems, such as ranging radio systems and robotic total station systems, can facilitate and speed the layout process, nevertheless the layout process has continued to be lengthy, tedious, and expensive. Previous applications have been filed addressing systems and/or methods to reduce construction expense and/or labor. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/800,350, filed Mar. 13, 2013, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/676,023, filed Aug. 14, 2017, which are incorporated by reference.

Target positioning with bundle adjustment


A manufacturing method for a display module is provided. The method comprises following steps. A module structure comprising a cover plate, a substrate, and a front plate disposed between the cover plate and the substrate is provided. A space is defined by a lower surface of the cover plate, an upper surface of the substrate, and a side surface of the front plate. A holding structure comprising a holding layer disposed under the module structure is provided. A sealant is filled into the space. Portions of the package layer and the holding structure disposed outside a side surface of the cover plate and a side surface of the substrate are removed.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a manufacturing method for a display module, and more particularly to a manufacturing method in which sealant is used for packaging display module.
Description of the Related Art
Along with the advance in flat panel display technology, more and more electronic products, particularly, portable electronic products, such as mobile phone, e-book apparatus, digital cameras, and personal digital assistant (PDA), are equipped with display device. Since the design of portable electronic products is directed towards lightweight, small volume and slimness and thinness, the display devices using portable electronic products also need to possess the features of lightweight, small volume and slimness and thinness.
Display devices, such as flexible electrophoretic display (flexible EPD) and flexible liquid crystal display (flexible LCD), further possess flexibility and break proof in addition to the features of lightweight, small volume, slimness and thinness.
A module packaging requires a reserved width, hence restricting the development is in slim bezel of display devices.


An embodiment method is disclosed for deriving an estimation value of a clock-error for a slave clock, wherein the slave clock is set at a nominal slave period and outputs a sequence of slave clock signals at an actual slave period, and wherein a difference between the actual slave period and the nominal slave period is approximated by the estimation value of the clock-error.

For the concepts disclosed herein, an electronic device includes two clocks that are operating at different frequencies. The clocks are used to provide time information and may be required to be synchronized externally but may also be configured to perform an internal synchronization.
Some systems that use two-clock electronic devices, such as location systems, require a high level of synchronization at specific time intervals, during which they may operate a very high frequency clock. However, during some time intervals, those systems only may use the low power clock to save power.
The importance of accurate timing is in particular given for location systems, such as indoor location systems. Indoor location systems were in particular developed to provide position information for a large number of mobile tag devices (slave devices) and to track the same with an accuracy down to several centimeters or millimeters. For example, in indoor environments, such location systems can be used, for tracking workpieces, worktools, workers, packages, shopping carts etc. An example for a location system that uses high precision with respect to the timing of exchanging signals is a UWB location system that uses UWB signals to measure the distance between components of the UWB location system, specifically the mobile tag devices and stationary devices.
UWB location systems are usually based on well-defined emission time points of the UWB signals and a precise measurement of reception time points. Precise timings of the emission and reception of the UWB signals are required to allow measurements such as time-of-flight (ToF) measurements (also referred to as time-of-arrival (ToA) measurements) or time-difference-of-arrival (TDoA) measurements with a required accuracy. The emission and reception of the UWB signals and the related measurements are repeated at a location rate to further track a movement of the mobile tag device. A location rate frame defines the various slots for emitting and receiving the UWB signals, generally performing the respective activities associated with operating one or both clocks of a two-clock electronic device. As specific slots may be associated to specific devices, sleep mode operation needs to be terminated precisely with respect to the associated slot. Power consumption can be optimized, the closer the wake-up point in time can be moved to the beginning of the associated slot.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Clock-error estimation for two-clock electronic device


A self latching input buffer is disclosed which includes an address input buffer which is responsive to a first clock signal so as to produce an output signal. data in the input buffer is latched in connection with the receipt of a second clock signal which is produced by a detector which is responsive to the output signal.

As densities of memories increase it is important that power consumption be minimized and that memory timing schemes be maximized to ensure good speed and efficiency of memory operation.
FIG. 1a illustrates a block diagram of a conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) multiplexing input buffer circuit which may lie on an intergrated circuit chip. As shown, input buffer 2 for receiving a row address selection (RAS) signal is connected to a node, such as bond pad 3, for receiving address signal ADD. Likewise, input buffer 4 for receiving a column address selection (CAS) signal is connected to the same node, or rather bond pad 3. The output from RAS input buffer 2 is transmitted to and decoded by a row decoder (not shown). In a similar manner, the output from CAS input buffer 4 is transmitted to and decoded by a column decoder (not shown). Alternatively, the outputs of buffers 2 and 4 may be sent to other circuitry internal to the memory, i.e. a driver preceding a row decoder and etc. The address placed on bond pad 3 is multiplexed to either RAS input buffer 2 or CAS input buffer 4 in connection with clock signals ORAS1 and OCAS1 to their respective input buffers. For instance, when ORAS1 is at a logic high level, RAS input buffer 2 will accept the address information from bond pad 3. Similarly, CAS input buffer 4 accepts address information from bond pad 3 when OCAS1 is at a high level. Information to the respective input buffers is latched in connection with the receipt of second clock signals ORAS2 and OCAS2. For example, RAS input buffer 2 latches the address presented at bond pad 3 when it receives a logic high ORAS2 signal. Likewise, CAS input buffer 4 latches the address presented at bond pad 3 upon receipt of a logic high OCAS2 signal. Thus, an input buffer, after latching the information from bond pad 3 will no longer respond to further address changes. Additionally, upon latching its information, the buffer will turn off to avoid further d.c. power consumption. Clock signals ORAS1 and ORAS2 are generated by a clock 6. Additionally, clock signals OCAS1 and OCAS2 are generated by a clock 8.
In order to explain the problems associated with prior art input buffer circuits, reference shall now be made to FIG. 1b which illustrates a timing diagram for operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 1a. Clock signals ORAS1, ORAS2, OCAS1, OCAS2 and address signal ADD are shown changing between logic high levels, represented by V.sub.H, to logic low levels, represented by V.sub.L, with respect to time. An arrow from one graph to another indicates that the signal associated with the graph from which the arrow terminates, is derived from the signal associated with the graph from which the arrow originates. For example, ORAS2 is derived from ORAS1, and OCAS2 is derived from OCAS1. Thus, clock 6 must generate a timing delay between signals ORAS1 and ORAS2. Similarly, clock 8 must generate a timing delay between signals OCAS1 and OCAS2. These timing delays between clock signals for each input buffer are derived without feedback from the input buffers. Prior art schemes which implement a timing delay between clock signals to an input buffer have consisted of circuitry which inherently loads the clock. This heavy loading results in timing delays between the ORAS1 and ORAS2 signals as well as between the OCAS1 and OCAS2 signals which are not accurate. Such inaccuracies can result in unnecessary delay which slows the overall operation of the memory and more specifically, input buffer operation.


An image sensor includes a pixel array divided into two or more corresponding sub-arrays. The pixel array includes an imaging area having a plurality of pixels and one or more reference areas each having a plurality of reference pixels. A continuous non-uniform light shield overlies, or individual non-uniform light shields overlie, each reference pixel in a row or column of reference pixels. An image sensor can include one or more rows or columns of reference pixels. An output channel is electrically connected to each sub-array for receiving the signals generated by the plurality of pixels and reference pixels in each sub-array. The pixel signals generated by the reference pixel pairs in one or more rows or columns in corresponding sub-arrays are used to determine one or more correction factors that compensate for the differences or mismatches between the output channels.

As the demand for faster and higher resolution image sensors continues to increase, image sensors having multiple output channels are becoming more prevalent. This is due to the increased frame rate that can be achieved when two or more output channels are used to read out signals from the pixels. Differences or mismatches in the performance of each individual output channel, however, can introduce non-uniform effects in the operation of the image sensor. These differences or mismatches can be created during the fabrication of the output channels, or the differences can be caused by the circuitry that processes the signals read out of the image sensor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,603 addresses the mismatches in output performance by using known test targets to calibrate the mismatches between multiple outputs. The calibration is typically conducted during camera manufacturing. When the calibration is complete, all of the gain and offset settings for the camera electronics, including the image sensor, are determined and saved in a non-volatile memory in the camera. Unfortunately, the accuracy of the calibration can be less than desirable because the image sensor is sensitive to the surrounding environmental or operating conditions, such as the temperature, power supply biases, or clock timing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,423,668 calibrates an image sensor having multiple outputs through the use of an electrical-injection structure that includes a row of pixels and a reversed biased injection diode. The signal capacity of one phase in the injection structure is varied by varying the size of one barrier region within the pixels in the injection structure. Pixel signals are injected into that one phase of the injection structure by clocking the injection diode. The injected signals are used to calibrate the output channels.
Limitations to the injection structure include the need for an additional DC power supply that is turned on and off by camera electronics. The varied barrier region must be fabricated within each pixel in the injection structure, thereby adding to the cost and complexity of the fabrication process. And finally, the accuracy of the calibration can be compromised by the noise introduced by the electrical injection process itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,960 illustrates vertical optical injection structures disposed in the leading and trailing edges of a CCD image sensor. Charge is injected from the vertical optical injection structures into the single horizontal register. The injected charges are used to test the charge transfer efficiency of the CCD image sensor. These vertical optical injection structures cannot be used to calibrate multiple output channels to compensate for differences or mismatches between the output channels.

Image sensors having non-uniform light shields


A process for producing a liquid composition containing at least one active component and a diluent by mixing the active with diluent and/or liquid active to produce a liquid crystal mixture and incorporating diluent into it such that the mixture remains substantially homogeneous to produce a composition in which the concentration of active components is lower than the concentration of active components in the liquid crystal mixture. Novel apparatus for use in the process is also described.

Structured liquid compositions are found in many products including foods, for example margarines and low fat spreads, cosmetics and personal care products and detergents products, for example liquid detergent compositions and fabric conditioning compositions.
Generally, liquid compositions, which include solutions, gels and dispersions, are produced by simple mixing of the components of the composition. The active materials which may be liquid or solid are typically added to a liquid solvent, for example water in the case of aqueous compositions, and agitated and optionally heated to produce the liquid composition. Many liquid compositions are generally produced using a stirred batch mixer.
Simple mixing to produce a liquid composition conventionally involves subjecting the components to relatively low deformation rates in the mixing process whereby a mechanical shear effect is imparted to the composition. A typical process for the production of a liquid, for example a liquid detergent composition, may involve a shear deformation rate for example of the order of 10.sup.4 sec.sup.-1 being applied to the components of the composition.
Conventional liquid compositions generally contain a relatively low level of active material due to difficulties encountered in processing. Such difficulties arise as the viscosity of the mixture of the active and liquid solvent generally increases with a higher level of active which may lead to production of an inhomogeneous mass of highly viscous and shear thinning intermediate compositions. Such compositions are difficult to disperse in mixing processes and conventional apparatus as uncontrolled phase separation may occur. Moreover, the effective functioning of the mixing apparatus may be compromised or the required energy input may be prohibitively high at high viscosities.
In some processes, the active components for example oil and surfactant may be mixed initially prior to mixing with the liquid solvent and may be solid. In order to secure adequate mixing, the active mixture is typically heated to a temperature above the melting point of the active components if solid. Heat transfer in such mixtures is typically poor due to the generally high viscosity of the active mixture and thus presents further processing difficulties.
Thus, the conventional processes in which the active components are incorporated into the liquid solvent and the concentration of the actives remains constant or increases during the process exhibit several drawbacks. These problems include shear thinning effects, inefficient operation of the mixing apparatus and poor heat transfer. Consequently careful selection of active components and the levels to be incorporated is required especially if the active component comprises a solid. As a practical drawback, the flexibility in formulation may be somewhat limited due to the sensitivity of the process to variations in formulation.
EP 580,263 discloses a process for preparing a concentrated liquid aqueous solution of a salt of an alkyl ether carboxylic acid salt and optionally adding thereto an ethoxylated and optionally carboxymethylated product derived from a polyhydric alcohol The mixture may then be diluted with water. In the Examples, a homogeneous "paste" is produced which is then diluted with water to the desired concentration. On the basis of the components disclosed, it appears that the "paste" is a concentrated solution of surfactants some of which may act as a hydrotrope. It is noted that the water is incorporated by a simple mixing process and controlled addition of the water to the paste to maintain homogeneity and avoid uncontrolled phase separation does not appear to be necessary.
GB1523678 discloses a process in which oil is added to water to produce an oil in water concentrated emulsion and then diluted with water to the desired composition. The process steps are conducted over a long period (hours) and this may represent a serious disadvantage.

Process for the production of liquid compositions


The present invention relates to 3′-OH, 5′-OH polynucleotide sequence compositions and methods for activating an immune response in an individual, and more preferably, for activating antigen presenting cells in the individual. In one embodiment, the antigen presenting cell is a dendritic cell. The present invention also includes compositions and methods for activating dendritic cells in vitro. These dendritic cells may then be administered to an individual. Preferred 3′-OH, 5′-OH polynucleotide sequences comprise six bases wherein at least 50% of the bases are guanine and the 5′ base is guanine. The compositions may comprise a phosphodiester or phosphorothioate backbone.

Dendritic cells (DC) are antigen-presenting cells (APC) involved in the initiation of primary immune responses. Their functions vary with maturation. Immature DC are very effective in processing native protein antigens but lack sufficient cell surface MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules for antigen presentation. Mature DC are less able to capture new proteins for presentation but are more efficient in the stimulation of resting CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes. Morphologically, mature DC increase in cell size and granularity. Mature DC have increased levels of cell surface molecules MHC II, CD40, CD83 and co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. Activation of mature DC results in the synthesis of high levels of IL-12 that enhance both innate and acquired immunity.
Synthetic oligonucleotides are polyanionic sequences. Synthetic oligonucleotides are reported that bind selectively to nucleic acids, to specific cellular proteins, to specific nuclear proteins or to specific cell surface receptors. Synthetic phosphorothioate oligonucleotides of 8 to 100 bases containing a least one unmethylated CpG dinucleotide have been shown to stimulate the immune system (U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,116). In particular, synthetic phosphorothioate oligonucleotides containing a CpG motif (5′purine-purine-Cytosine-Guanine-pyrimidine-pyrimidine3′) have been found to stimulate the synthesis of cytokines such as IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and GM-CSF, the lytic activity of natural killer cells and the proliferation of B lymphocytes (Krieg, Annu. Rev. Immunol. 2002, 20:709-760). Synthetic phosphorothioate oligonucleotides including a CpG motif wherein the number of bases is greater than 14 have been reported to trigger maturation and activation of dendritic cells: increase in cell size and granularity; synthesis of IL-12; increase in endocytosis; and, up-regulation of cell surface molecules MHC II, CD40, CD80, CD83 and CD86 (Sparwasser et al. Eur. J. Immunol. 1998, 28:2045-205; Hartman et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1999, 96:9305-9310; Askew et al. J. Immunol. 2000, 165:6889-6895). Synthetic phosphodiester oligonucleotides including a CpG motif wherein the number of bases is 30 have been reported to stimulate the synthesis of IFN and to up-regulate the expression of CD80 and CD86 on DC precursors (Kadowaski et al. J. Immunol. 2001 166:2291-2295).
We have previously described a composition comprising a 2 to 20 base 3′-OH, 5 ′-OH synthetic oligonucleotide selected from the group consisting of (GxTy)n, (TyGx)n, a(GxTy)n, a(TyGx)n, (GxTy)nb, (TyGx)nb, a(GxTy)nb, and a(TyGx)nb, wherein x and y is an integer between 1 and 7, n is an integer between 1 and 12, a and b are one or more As, Cs, Gs or Ts, wherein the oligonucleotide is between 2 and 20 bases. These compositions induce a response selected from the group consisting of induction of cell cycle arrest, inhibition of proliferation, induction of caspase activation, induction of apoptosis and stimulation of cytokine synthesis by monocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (see PCT Publication No. WO 01/44465).
What is needed are new oligonucleotide compositions and methods for using these compositions to modulate the function of immune cells, including dendritic cells.

Oligonucleotide compositions and their use for the modulation of immune responses


Permissiveness of human cells to replication of susceptible pathogenic human viruses is reduced by treating the cells with a selective inhibitor of prenylation of a host cell protein. Target viruses, especially Flaviviridae, are predetermined to lack a CXXX box and prenylated viral protein, and to be replication-dependent on host protein prenylation. The general method comprises (a) contacting human cells subject to infection by the virus with an effective amount of a selective inhibitor of a prenylation enzyme of the cells; and (b) confirming a resultant reduction in permissiveness of the cells to replication of the virus. Targeted enzymes include prenyl biosynthetic enzyme like HMG CoA reductase farnesyl and/or geranylgeranyl transferase enzymes.

Approximately 170 million people worldwide are persistently infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and these individuals account for a majority of all cases of chronic liver disease (1). The public health impact of HCV is compounded by the overall low response rate to current interferon (IFN)-based therapies for treating HCV infection, underscoring the need for new therapeutic strategies to combat the HCV pandemic. HCV is a single-stranded positive sense RNA virus and member of the Flaviviridae (2). The 9.6-kilobase HCV genome encodes a single polyprotein that is post-translationally processed into at least 10 individual structural and nonstructural (NS) viral proteins, the latter of which are sufficient to support HCV RNA replication (3). Current studies support a model in which HCV infection results in assembly of the viral RNA and NS proteins into a replication complex that associates with the host cell endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Viral-directed processes convert the ER into a membranous web conducive to virus replication (4-6). The cellular co-factors and membrane constituents that contribute to assembly and maintenance of the HCV replication complex are not known.
West Nile (WN) virus is a member of the Flavivirus genus, which encompasses small spherical enveloped viruses harboring a single (+) RNA genome. Flavivirus genomic RNA is the only virus-specific mRNA in infected cells, encoding a single polyprotein, which is processed into structural and nonstructural viral proteins. Human infections with WN virus generally result in mild undifferentiated fever; however recent outbreaks of WN infection in North America, Europe and Israel have been characterized by relatively high rates of potentially fatal neurological disorders. See, Shi et al., 2002, J Virol 76, 5847-56; Yamshchikov et al., 2001, Virol 281, 294-304.
Cell membrane composition is subject to modification through the mevalonate pathway, which produces cholesterol and non-sterol isoprenoid products (7). Two of the mevalonate-derived isoprenoids, farnesyl (15 carbons) and geranylgeranyl (20 carbons), are attached to membrane proteins via formation of a cysteine thioether (7, 8). This process, called protein prenylation, targets certain proteins to cell membranes where they regulate many cellular functions, ranging from vesicle budding and fusion to growth regulation. Therapeutic control of the mevalonate pathway has proven effective for the clinical treatment of hypercholesterolemia and is achieved in part through the use of statin compounds (7, 9). Statins block mevalonate production by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG CoA reductase), resulting in a block in the subsequent steps of cholesterol synthesis (7, 9). At the high concentrations that are attainable in tissue culture cells, statins deplete mevalonate sufficiently to lower the cellular pools of farnesyl and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphates, which are the donors in the protein prenylation reactions (7, 10).
Here we disclose that HCV replication requires host protein prenylation. We further disclose that WN virus replication also requires host protein prenylation. We further disclose that prenylation inhibitors can be used to reduce host cell permissiveness to these and other viruses, particularly Flaviviridae, that do not have any prenylated viral proteins. The strict dependence of viral replication upon host protein prenylation provides a therapeutic approach for treating infection by these viruses.
Relevant Literature
Bordier et al. (2003, J. Clin. Invest. 112:407-414, 2003) report in vivo antiviral efficacy of prenylation inhibitors against hepatitis delta virus (HDV), building on prior work suggesting that HDV encodes farnesylated viral proteins, and that replication of this virus may be inhibited by an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor and a farnesyl transferase inhibitor. Bordier et al. suggests that targeting viral prenylation may provide a strategy for other medically important viruses, citing Glenn, J. S. (1995, Prenylation and virion morphogenesis. In The unique hepatitis delta virus. G. Dinter-Gottlieb, editor. R.C. Landes Publishing Co. Austin, Tex., USA. 83-93). This chapter suggests that CXXX prenylation boxes are found in hepatitis A virus, foot and mouth disease virus, and the white clover mosaic virus.
Glenn has issued several U.S. Patents describing HDV inhibition and further suggesting extrapolating their HDV treatment to other viruses that have prenylated proteins. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,939 suggests screening sequence banks for viral proteins containing a C-terminal CXXX box, and suggests inhibiting the prenylation of prenylated viral proteins of such viruses (col.7, lines 23-26). However, screening the recited viruses for CXXX boxes reveals that none of them contains a C-terminal CXXX box, nor do any of them encode a prenylated viral protein: reports of prenylated viral protein are limited to HDV and ECV (below).
Thome et al. (2001, JCB 152, 1115-22) report that equine herpes virus (ECV) encodes a protein (v-E10) that contains a C-terminal geranylgeranyltransferase II consensus site and that lovastatin can reduce membrane localization of v-E10. ECV is a DNA virus with distinct structure and replication mechanisms from RNA viruses such as Flaviviridae.
Gower and Graham (2001, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 45, 1231-37) report antiviral activity of lovastatin against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and suggest that RSV replication is dependent on RhoA geranylgeranylation. RhoA geranylgeranylation is mediated by GGTase II, and RSV structure and replication are distinct from Flaviviridae and Picornaviridae.

Prenylation inhibitors reduce host cell permissiveness to viral replication

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


The present invention provides a process of quantifying the number of viable cells in an aqueous suspension of cells using an energy-emitting non-hazardous probe and a probe-trigger. The process provides quantification data in short periods of time without the use of hazardous materials. A process of the present invention can also be used to quantify negatively charged particle number, assay for cytotoxicity, assay for cell proliferation and assay for cell differentiation. Still further, the present invention provides an assay kit for quantification of cells or negatively charged particles.

Typically, cell number is determined, directly, by microscopic or electronic enumeration, or indirectly, by the use of chromogenic dyes, incorporation of radioactive precursors or measurement of metabolic activity of cellular enzymes. These methods are often insensitive, labor intensive, or hazardous (.sup.3 H-thymidine incorporation).
A recent colorimetric assay is based on the cellular conversion of a tetrazolium salt into a blue formazan product that is detected using a ELISA plate reader. (Mossmann T., J. Immunol, Meth. 65:55-63 (1983)
Despite numerous attempts to reduce several technical problems related to this method (e.g., protein precipitation and incomplete solubilization of the formazan product), the assay is still time consuming (4 hours incubation at 37.degree. C.) and still requires the use of highly toxic materials (e.g., dimethyl formamide and thiazoyl blue).


An apparatus and method for resending a request in a computer system using a delay value is provided. In response to receiving a request, a target device in a computer system may detect that it is temporarily unable to process the request. The target device can send a response to the sending device to indicate that it is temporarily unavailable. The response can include a delay value that can provide a hint to the sending device as to when to resend the request. The target device may generate the delay value according to the type of condition that is causing it to be temporarily unavailable. The delay value may be generated according to a static heuristic or a dynamic algorithm based on previous temporarily unavailable conditions. The delay value may also be used by an error recovery mechanism where a sending device exceeds a retry limit for a particular request.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of computer systems and, more particularly, to communication protocols within computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
High speed, low latency communications networks that include unreliable transport media often rely on a communications protocol to implement a reliable message transport.
Examples of such communications protocols include TCP, NGIO 1.0, and PCI 2.x. In some of these protocols, a request can be sent from a sending device to a target device and an acknowledgment (ACK) can be sent in response from the target device back to the sending device. The sending device may include a timeout mechanism such that it can resend the request if an ACK is not received from the target device within a timeout duration set by properties of the communications network.
Some protocols may use a negative acknowledgement (NAK) to indicate that the target device or the communications network has detected an error. Errors can include data corruption, an illegal packet type, etc. The NAK can give a positive indication that an error has occurred and may also indicate the type of error that occurred. A sending device may, depending on the communications protocol, resend the request in response to a NAK.
In some communications networks, certain types of errors may temporarily prevent a target device from processing an incoming request. These types of errors can include a temporary loss of system resources (e.g., a dynamic reconfiguration of a node), a temporary lack of processing resources on the target device, or a lack of a valid virtual to physical address translation in cases where the contents of the request are to be written in the virtual address space of the target device's node. While these errors may be temporary, the time required to resolve them can vary widely. For example, a dynamic reconfiguration of system resources in a server may take on the order of hundreds of milliseconds to resolve, a page miss in the virtual memory system may take on the order of tens of milliseconds to resolve, and a temporary resource unavailability in the network interface may take on the order of hundreds of microseconds to resolve. Thus, the time that the temporary unavailable condition persists may vary by four orders of magnitude or more.
When a target device is temporarily unable to process a request, it can send a NAK to the sending device. The sending device can later resend the request, but it may again receive a NAK from the target device if the temporarily unavailable condition has not been cleared. This process could potentially repeat a large number of times and result in a large increase of traffic on the communications network. Alternatively, the sending device may delay the resending of the request too long (i.e. well beyond the time needed for the target device to resolve the temporarily unavailable condition). As a result, unnecessary latencies may result in the sending device as the processing of its request is delayed. A system and method is needed to more efficiently handle conditions where a target device may be temporarily unavailable.

System and method for enhancing communication between devices in a computer system


A novel method of driving an LCD simultaneously provides improved viewing angle and improved contrast. Multiple driving voltages are applied to the LC cell to optimize both the viewing angle and the contrast. A first voltage that is optimized for wide viewing angle is applied to the LCD. A second voltage that is greater than the first voltage is selected to provide maximum contrast in the LCD. The first and second voltages are alternately applied to In the LCD, resulting in a display that has high contrast and a wide viewing angle.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) in general, and twisted-nematic (TN) LCDs in particular, exhibit a strong effect of viewing direction on their optical properties. FIG. 1 shows two light rays traveling through an LCD cell 10 at normal 11 and oblique 12 directions. Since the properties of the linear polarizers on the exterior of the cell and the length of the optical path through the LCD both change with incidence angle, the light intensity and the contrast of the LCD are strongly affected by the direction under which the observer views the display. Thus, the traditional problem of narrow viewing angle arises.
Some have attempted to solve this problem by increasing the contrast of the LCD. This has been done by adjusting the driving voltage to the liquid crystal (LC) cell. Typical TN LCDs are driven with AC-voltage using square wave signals of constant amplitude. When the display is driven with standard multiplexing signals the modulations in the liquid crystal fluid become pronounced. Stimulated by the selected pulse, the optical axis of the liquid crystal rotates towards the direction of the electrical field at the beginning of the frame period and it relaxes toward the initial state during the rest of the frame. This modulation of transmitted or reflected light is called the frame response. Though the human eye averages these modulations if their depth and frequency are within certain limits, frame response severely reduces the contrast of highly multiplexed LCDs by brightening up the `dark` state of positive contrast LCDs. Increasing the driving voltage improves the contrast of the LCD, but decrease the effective viewing angle.
In the ideal situation, the display of an LCD would appear the same no matter what the position of the observer is relative to the LCD. This concept of appearance over a wide range of positions is known as the `viewing cone`. FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the ideal viewing cone, where an LCD 20 situated in the center of the cone 22 appears the same to an observer 24 positioned anywhere on the hemisphere. Practical considerations such as those enumerated above severely distort the viewing cone so that it is often very narrow. Present day LCDs are designed to have various shaped viewing cones, depending on the location of the display relative to the user. Increasing the contrast ratio, as described above, results in narrowing the viewing cone. Thus, traditional attempts to improve one of these properties have degraded the other. It would be desirable if one could create an LCD that has high contrast and a wide viewing cone.

Method of improving viewing angle and contrast of liquid crystal displays


A new and distinct hybrid of Heuchera plant characterized by medium sized, lobed, slightly ruffled leaves with a distinctive white veil, red gold to amber to khaki leaf color, and a small, mounding habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the name of 'TNMT'. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera 'TNMT' originated from a whole plant mutation in tissue culture of Heuchera 'Amber Waves' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,348). This whole plant was found in the production area of the nursery in Canby, Oreg., in a plant out of Heuchera 'Amber Waves'.
Compared to the parent, Heuchera 'Amber Waves', the new cultivar has leaves that are wavier and have a white veil rather than no veil.
This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:                1. medium sized, lobed, slightly ruffled leaves with a distinctive white veil,        2. red gold to amber to khaki leaf color, and        3. small, mounding habit.
This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.


A media storage bin has a guide member mounted via a hinge adjacent to a wall of an enclosure and a second free end. The guide member directs inserted media items downward and pivots around an axis of the hinge. A base plate is mounted below the guide member in the enclosure and is arranged to hold a stack of inserted media items on a top surface thereof. A motor is coupled to move the base plate up and down within the enclosure. A controller is coupled to control movement of the motor and is configured to provide signals to the motor to move the base plate to a predetermined home position adjacent to the guide member upon startup and move the base plate upward to compress any deformed inserted media items on the base plate until an input feedback signal reaches a predetermined level.

Self-service terminals, such as automatic teller machines, may include one or more bins for receiving media items. These media items may include, for example, checks or cash (banknotes) for deposit. When the deposited media items are in good condition, the media items stack neatly in the bin and allow the full bin capacity to be consistently reached. However, when the deposited media items are not in good condition, i.e., worn or with heavy creases or folds, the media items can deform, e.g., folding or curling in a manner that would require more horizontal space than a non-deformed media item, upon insertion into the bin and stacked onto a previously inserted media item. This causes the deformed media item (or items) to take up too much bin volume and significantly reduces the capacity of the bin—requiring, inter alia, more frequent service visits to empty the bin.
Accordingly, there is a need for a media storage bin for a self-service terminal which addresses the drawbacks recited above.


Improvements in a mount for attaching a television of projector to an overhead or ground structure is disclosed. The mount allows for spin, side to side and front to back angle adjustment. The adjustment components are formed from the present projector mount uses metal component having a rack comprising a plurality of formed teeth that are engageable in the recessed side of a crosshead screwdriver that is trademarked as a Phillips screwdriver. The recesses of the crosshead screwdriver act as a pinion gear in the rack to adjust the mounted angle of a projector on the projector mount. This configuration reduces parts count, size and cost without compromising functionality. The axis of rotation of both the side-to-side and front-to-back pass through the projector mount.

Television and computer projectors are either placed on a table or are mounted to the ceiling. When these devices are mounted they must often be adjusted to project the image onto a screen or wall. The adjustment often requires changing the vertical and or rotational angle of the projector. Minor angular changes will have a great effect on where the image is being shown because the distance from the adjustment point to the pivot is amplified based upon the distance the image is being projected. Early projector mounts used frictional slides or jack screws where an installer would loosen or turn one or more threaded clamps and rotate or move the projector on the slides. Later versions of projector mounts used gears that a user turned to alter the angle. The use of gears improved the installers' ability to make minor changes, but the addition of the gears increased the mounting height and complexity of the projector mount. Exemplary examples of projector mounts using this technology are disclosed below herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,654 issued Oct. 19, 1982 to Franz Werner et al and U.S. Design Pat. No. D552,454 issued Oct. 8, 2007 to Shaun Fynn disclose frictional slides or swivels where the angle is adjusted by manually gripping the monitor or projector and physically rotating or turning the monitor or projector. While these patents disclose adjustable projector mounts, because of the backlash that is associated with frictional systems these mounts do not allow for finite positioning of the projected beam of a projector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,068 issued Mar. 28, 2000 to Joseph Tcherny discloses a Low Profile LCD Projector Mount. The projector stand can be slid and locked into a base or lower element. This patent only provides front to back rotation of the mounting bracket. Adjustment is performed by loosening a screw clamp and manually rocking the LCD projector to achieve the desired angle. There are no provisions to alter the side to side orientation and because of mechanical backlash re-positioning of the projector would require several attempts.
U.S. Published Application 2007/0257181 published Nov. 8, 2008 to Jay Dittmer et al., discloses an Adjustable Projector Mount using integrated rack and integrated pinion gears to make adjustments to the angle of the LCD projector. The inclusion of the gears makes angular adjustment simpler with minimal backlash, but the integration of the gears, rack and pinion creates additional height and complexity to the projector mount.
What is needed is a projector mount where adjustment of the front to back and side to side is made with the head of a screw driver providing the function of the pinion gear. The proposed projector mount provides this function using integrated rack gears on the projector mount that are engageable and adjustable with a standard cross point screw driver.

Projector mount with Phillips screw driver angle adjustment


A method for testing electrical loads in a vehicle electrical system is provided, in which the loads, which are fed by a vehicle battery, are selectively switched on and off. The load-specific current consumption in the switched-on state is determined and assessed in each case. The battery voltage is measured immediately before and shortly after the switching-off of a previously switched-on load in order to determine the load-specific current consumption value from the load-specific battery voltage difference. The internal resistance of the battery serves indirectly as the measuring resistance, which is determined by loading the battery with a known load on a trial basis.

The invention relates to a method for testing electrical loads and, more particularly, to a method for testing electrical loads in a vehicle electrical system, in which the loads, which are fed by a vehicle battery, are selectively switched on and off. The load-specific current consumption in the switched-on state is determined and assessed in each case. Such a method is particularly suitable for computer-aided functional testing of the vehicle electrical system and components.
German patent document DE-B 21 42 860 discloses a method of the above-mentioned type which uses a battery adapter having integrated therein a measuring resistor and, connected thereto, an A/D converter which is connected as a voltmeter. Provided with appropriately matched connections, the battery adapter is clamped to an exposed battery terminal, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to the battery cable previously removed from the battery terminal. The battery adapter is connected to diagnostic computer via an input/output unit. During the functional testing, the service engineer charged with testing the vehicle activates the electrical loads in the vehicle in accordance with test specifications which are prescribed to him by the diagnostic computer via a screen. The current consumption is simultaneously measured by means of the battery adapter and compared with load-specific desired values in the diagnostic computer. A fault message is issued in the event of a significant deviation.
A similar method is described in German patent document DE 39 23 545 A1. This document provides for the temporary insertion of a precision measuring resistor (shunt) into the main current path between the battery of the vehicle and the loads, for example in the place of a previously removed main fuse. The voltage drop across the resistor is evaluated for the purpose of measuring the current. The loads are activated by a diagnostic computer which issues corresponding commands to a vehicle-internal diagnostic line via a diagnostic socket outlet.
The previously described methods require a measuring resistor on which the measurement voltage is tapped. This results in additional costs irrespective of whether this measuring resistor is installed permanently or just temporarily for measurement purposes. The installation and removal are time-consuming, particularly in the case of modern vehicle types whose fuse box and, to an even greater extent, battery are often accessible only with great difficulty. Furthermore, the reconnection of the battery cable to the battery terminal or the reinsertion of the fuse often hides additional fault sources.
A further method of the above-mentioned type which, however, circumvents the installation and removal of a measuring resistor is disclosed in German patent document DE 41 30 978 A1. In this document, the fuses connected upstream of the loads are used as measuring resistors whose voltage drops are picked-off by a test plug engaging on the fuses. The voltage drops are evaluated by an external test instrument which beforehand carries out a conventional resistance measurement at the respective fuse for the purpose of normalizing the current values. This method may be deemed to suffer from the disadvantage that reliable handling of the test plug depends on the easy accessibility of the fuse box.
Furthermore, German patent document DE 43 38 462 A1 discloses a method of the above-mentioned type in which, in order to determine the current consumption of a selectively switched-on load to be tested, use is made of the voltage drop across the load which is caused by an impressed constant current. This method suffers from the disadvantage, inter alia, that a separate constant-current source is required in addition to the battery.
There is therefore needed a method which can be used to determine the current consumption of selectively switched-on loads in the vehicle in a simple and reliable manner.
These needs are met by a method for testing electrical loads in a vehicle electrical system, in which the loads, which are fed by a vehicle battery, are selectively switched on and off. The load-specific current consumption in the switched-on state is determined and assessed in each case. In order to determine the current consumption, the battery voltage is measured, immediately before and shortly after the switching-off of the previously switched-on load and the load-specific current consumption is determined from the voltage difference.
The invention exploits the fact that every load switching instance in the vehicle electrical system produces a slight sudden voltage change at the battery. Since the method according to the invention evaluates the battery voltage or vehicle electrical system voltage directly in order to determine the current consumption, with the internal resistance of the battery serving indirectly as the measuring resistance, a separate measuring resistor provided for measurement purposes is not required. For this reason, measurement lines for picking-off a voltage drop are also eliminated. The battery or vehicle electrical system voltage can be tapped remotely from the battery, for example at a diagnostic socket outlet, and is usually monitored in any case. The adaptation outlay is therefore low and independent of the accessibility of the battery. A further advantage is that the signal voltages of the sudden changes in the battery or vehicle electrical system voltage are significantly larger than the voltage drops across a measuring resistor which are evaluated in the known methods, for which reason the method according to the present invention is more sensitive and less susceptible to interference. The method according to the invention is cost-effective and can be employed during the production of the vehicle, during after-sales service or in a self-diagnostic system integrated in the vehicle (on-board diagnosis).
In an equivalent circuit diagram, the battery essentially comprises an electrochemical voltage source, a large parallel discharge resistance and a small series internal resistance, which is designated below as battery resistance or internal resistance. When current flows, the battery terminal voltage is therefore reduced by the voltage drop across the battery resistance in comparison with the voltage of the electrochemical voltage source.
In the event of a quantitive evaluation of the battery voltage for the purpose of determining the current, it should be taken into account, however, that when current is drawn for a relatively long time, the voltage of the electrochemical voltage source also decreases non-linearly as a function of the residual capacity, the temperature and the discharge current. When the load is removed, the voltage gradually rises again due to chemical processes. This slow response of the electrochemical voltage source overlies the influence of the battery resistance and is difficult to detect.
However, if the immediate response of the battery to rapid current changes considered is then it is found that only the internal resistance of the battery is effective during this brief time. On account of the high capacity and the slowly proceeding chemical processes, the voltage of the electrochemical voltage source can be regarded as being constant at that moment.
The invention therefore provides for the evaluation only of rapid load current changes in the vehicle electrical system, since these changes bring about a proportional sudden voltage change which is essentially determined solely by the battery resistance. The current consumption of a load can be acquired in a reproducible manner, in particular, by measuring the voltage difference at the changeover instant, that is to say at the instant when the load is switched on or off.
Furthermore, the method according to the present invention advantageously provides for the evaluation only of the sudden voltage change when the load is switched off. An evaluation of the sudden voltage change when the load is switched on would be inaccurate, since some loads exhibit a pronounced transient response. For example, vehicle lamps require a high switching-on current when they are switched on, on account of the initially cold incandescent filament of the lamp. The voltage difference measured during switching on would then be greatly dependent on the time interval between the two measurements. A reproducible measurement of the battery voltage is therefore not produced until after the transient processes have died away. This also applies to evaluation of the sudden voltage change when the load is switched off. The switched-on time prior to switching off must therefore be selected to be long enough for the transient processes which are typical of some loads to be able to take place.
In an advantageous development, the measured, load-specific voltage differences are normalized by means of a reference value, which is formed by a voltage difference emerging when the battery is loaded on a trial basis with a known load. The reference value can be determined anew at any time as required, with the result that the influence, which varies slowly with time, of battery capacity, charge state and aging of the battery on the internal resistance of the battery is eliminated from the evaluation of the load-specific voltage differences.

Method for testing electrical loads in a vehicle electrical system


The invention is a method and system for assigning notes to be played by a musical synthesizer to a predetermined number of channels of said musical synthesizer, so that the musical synthesizer may emulate the note allocation of a live orchestra section. The method includes the steps of selecting a note/channel assignment table corresponding to the number of notes to be played and the number of channels allocated to the playing of such notes, and assigning notes to the channels pursuant to the assignment table. The number of channels would typically be the same as the number of instruments in the orchestra section being emulated As new note events occur, notes are dynamically reassigned to channels so that hard and soft attacks are taken into account and, to the extent practicable, each channel plays a single note at a time.

There are fundamentally two categories of musical synthesizers: (a) samplers (or "sampling synthesizers"), in which stored digitized recordings (or samples) of actual instruments are reproduced when notes are played on a keyboard connected to the sampler, and (b) synthesizers, in which sounds are created at the time they are played based on analog or digital electronic circuitry which creates the sound without reliance upon previously recorded actual instruments. These instruments today are predominantly polyphonic, meaning they can play more than one note at a time. While the nature of the invention is immediately more applicable to samplers, it will function in connection with synthesizers as well. For simplicity the discussion herein will focus primarily on sampling applications.
When samples are initially recorded, there may be one or many instruments actually playing the sound (and each may be playing one or more notes). Typically with orchestral or large band sounds, entire sections of instruments play each sampled note, with all instruments in a given section concurrently playing a single note. Thus, in the prior art a sample of an orchestra section of eight cellos would be a single recording of eight cello players playing the same note. When this sample of one note is played back on a sampler, all eight instruments are heard playing the same note. Similarly, a sample of an orchestra section of sixteen violins would be made by recording sixteen individual violin players all concurrently playing the same note, and when this sample is played back the sound of all sixteen violins would be heard playing that note concurrently.
Depending upon the nature of the technology used in a prior art sampler, there may be a separate source recording (initial sample) in its library for each note the sampler is capable of reproducing, or a single note sample may be electronically interpolated to higher and lower pitches corresponding to various notes. The first option yields optimum sound quality, at maximum cost and complexity, to create the library and reproduce it in the sampler, whereas the second option yields lesser sound quality at a reduced cost and complexity.
In the prior art, when multiple notes are concurrently played on a sampler, multiple instances of the sampled recording are sounded. Thus, if one has a cello sample in the library made from eight cellos, and two notes are played together on the sampler, the sampler would play the sound of sixteen cellos playing, eight instruments per note. If one plays a triad (i.e., three notes concurrently) on the sampler, the sampler would play the sound of twenty-four cellos (i.e., three times the eight cellos per sample). This is called additive polyphony. Although this is what is available in professional studios, it results in an unrealistic sound quality which does not reflect how an actual orchestra would sound. By way of example, with a real orchestra, the power (or volume) of a cello section stays relatively constant whether the cello players play one or several notes simultaneously (e.g., the power is about the same whether eight cellists of an eight cello orchestra section all play the same note or if five are playing one note while three are playing a different note). With a prior art sampler, the power is multiplied approximately by the number of notes played. By way of another example, as more and more notes are played simultaneously with a sampler, the density of the harmonics sounded tends to create an organ-like effect rather than preserve the clarity and concise sound definition afforded by a reasonable and fixed number of instruments playing at once. (Note that there may be valid reasons to use additive polyphony, but optimum orchestral sound is not obtained using additive polyphony exclusively.)

System and method for dynamic note assignment for musical synthesizers


To attain a high efficiency plant production activity and further to contribute to the earth environment protection, the disclosed plant operation control system, comprises means for producing energy in a plant; means for producing products in the plant by use of the energy produced by the energy producing means; means for scheduling energy production on the basis of the production schedule of the products; means for adjusting the energy production scheduled by the energy production scheduling means on the basis of information relative to the energy; and means for outputting the energy outside of the plant according to the energy production schedule adjusted by the energy production schedule adjusting means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plant operation control system, and more specifically to a plant operation control system which can control both producing products and trading electricity cooperatively in various plants provided with a local electric power generating function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In various industrial plants, such as petroleum refining, petrochemical, iron and steel, cement, paper and pulp, and the like, a large quantity of energy, such as combustible byproducts, steam, heat, and the like, is produced with surplus energy being occasionally discharged to the outside of the plant. One effective method of utilizing the surplus energy is to convert it into electric energy using a private electric power generator so that the generated electric power can be consumed in the plant.
In the various plants, however, since the plant is operated in accordance with a production planning schedule, the energy required for plant production fluctuates according to time. In other words, since the required energy increases or decreases at times determined by the production cycle, a great quantity of surplus energy is inevitably produced temporarily due to the above-mentioned energy demand fluctuations, thus causing a problem in that the plant production cost increases and the plant operation efficiency decreases.
On the other hand, in each electric power company, the power demand fluctuates in a cycle of 24 hours, one week, or one year, and a great amount of labor and energy loss result from attempting to control the electric generating machines and the power systems so as to follow the fluctuations of electric power demand.
Accordingly, if the salable electric energy converted from surplus energy of the various industrial plants can be increased in accordance with the fluctuation of the electric power demand cycle, it is possible to increase the efficiency of electric power production so as to contribute to the protection of the environment.