A method and optical system is disclosed for measuring an amount of stress in a film layer disposed over a substrate. The method includes steps of: (A) applying a sequence of optical pump pulses to the film layer, individual ones of said optical pump pulses inducing a propagating strain pulse in the film layer, and for each of the optical pump pulses, applying at least one optical probe pulse, the optical probe pulses being applied with different time delays after the application of the corresponding optical probe pulses; (B) detecting variations in an intensity of a reflection of portions of the optical probe pulses, the variations being due at least in part to the propagation of the strain pulse in the film layer; (C) determining, from the detected intensity variations, a sound velocity in the film layer; and (D) calculating, using the determined sound velocity, the amount of stress in the film layer. In one embodiment of this invention the step of detecting measures a period of an oscillation in the intensity of the reflection of portions of the optical probe pulses, while in another embodiment the step of detecting measures a change in intensity of the reflection of portions of the optical probe pulses and determines a time at which the propagating strain pulse reflects from a boundary of the film layer.

There is currently a great interest in the semiconductor industry in the determination of the mechanical stress in thin films. Films that are in a state of high stress can fracture, delaminate from a substrate or film onto which they are deposited, or can cause another film or the substrate to fracture. Any of these occurrences can result in the failure of an integrated circuit chip that includes the film. It is therefore desirable to have a technique for determining an amount of stress in a thin film, preferably by a non-contact and non-destructive method.
The stress that is present in a material is specified through a stress tensor .sigma.. The elements of this tensor are the coefficients .sigma..sub..alpha..beta., where the indices .alpha. and .beta. run from 1 to 3. Thus, for example, .sigma..sub.11 indicates the force per unit area acting in the x-direction on a surface of the material whose plane is normal to the x-direction. At a free surface of a material, i.e., a surface which is not subjected to any external forces, the normal component of the stress must vanish. A uniform planar film deposited onto a substrate whose surface lies in the xy-plane will have a surface normal to the z-direction. Thus, the component .sigma..sub.33 of the stress tensor must vanish at the top surface of the film. For a film in a state of stress the components .sigma..sub.11 and .sigma..sub.22 of the stress tensor may be non-zero. In many situations of interest these two components are equal. In such circumstances it is customary to specify the stress by the in-plane pressure P defined as EQU P=-.sigma..sub.11 =-.sigma..sub.22 ( 1)
In one known method for stress measurement a blanket film is deposited onto a substrate (see, for example, A. K. Sinha, H. J. Levinstein, T. E. Smith, J. Appl. Phys. 4, 2423 (1978)). The stress in the film is then determined from a change in the curvature of the wafer that is produced following the deposition of the film. The curvature is commonly measured either via a differential capacitance technique or by laser deflection. Thus, the radius of curvature R of the wafer is measured together with the thickness d.sub.f of the film and the thickness d.sub.s of the substrate. The stress P is then found from the relation EQU P=(Y.sub.s d.sub.s.sup.2)/6R(1-.nu..sub.s)d.sub.f !, (2)
where Y.sub.s is Young's modulus for the substrate and .nu..sub.s is Poisson's ratio for the substrate. If the substrate takes on a shape which is convex on the side where the film is deposited, this condition indicates that the stress is compressive, i.e. P is positive.
However, the measurement of wafer curvature can only be used to indicate the average stress over a large area of the film. It cannot be used to measure stress within a small region of a film, or to find the stress in a film deposited onto a small area of the substrate.
A second known method to determine the amount of stress in a film is by Raman spectroscopy. By means of a light scattering measurement a change in the photon frequencies is measured. The change in photon frequency is proportional to the stress, and the coefficient of proportionality has been measured for a number of materials. Hence, a measurement of the shift can be used to determine the stress. However, the Raman spectroscopy measurement can only be applied to crystalline materials, is of limited accuracy, and requires a considerable amount of time to perform, all of which limit its application to the measurement of film stress in an integrated circuit processing environment.
A third known method to determine the amount of stress in a film uses X-ray diffraction to measure the stress (see, for example, P. A. Flinn et al., Journal of Applied Physics 67, 2927 (1990)). The scattering of X-rays from the film is detected and the dimension of a unit cell of the film material is determined. By comparison of the measured dimension of the unit cell with the corresponding dimensions of the unit cell in an unstressed bulk sample of the same material, the elastic strain can be determined. From the strain the stress can be calculated using the equations of elasticity. However, this X-ray method has the following limitations: 1) it can only be applied to crystalline materials; 2) it is difficult to apply to determine the stress in very small areas of a film (for example, areas with linear dimensions 10 microns); and 3) the measurement cannot be made in short time. As a consequence, the X-ray technique has limited applicability to the measurement of film stress in an integrated circuit processing environment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,811, "Optical Measurements of Stress in Thin Film Materials", Rogers et al. disclose an optical method for measuring an effect of residual stress in an unsupported film. In the technique of Rogers et al. optical excitation is used to excite an unsupported region of the film thereby generating surface propagating waveguide or "Lamb" modes in the film. A measurement of time or frequency dependent properties of the film are compared to properties of a second unsupported thin film, having known residual stress properties. In a further embodiment a determined phase velocity is compared to one calculated from a mathematical model using equations of motion for a stressed, unsupported film system.

Optical method for the determination of stress in thin films


A power efficient hearing aid uses a programmable biasing technique to set the quiescent operating points of amplifiers used by the hearing aid to avoid excessive power usage by the hearing aid. The hearing aid also includes power supply circuitry which develops +1.25 volts and -1.25 volts relative to ground from a single +1.25 volt source. The hearing aid also conserves power by selectively disabling low frequency signal processing channels in the presence of relatively large amplitude ambient noise.

In the design of hearing aids, there is inherently a tradeoff between the functionality of the device on the one hand and its size and power requirements on the other hand. For example, it is known to include several signal processing channels in the design of a hearing aid, each channel separately processing a distinct band of audio frequencies. A device of this type can provide more flexible performance and, thus a better perceived performance among a group of users, having diverse hearing problems, than a device which amplifies all frequencies as a single band. In addition, the perceived performance among the group of users increases in direct proportion to the number of channels that are used, up to some limiting number. However, each channel that is added to a hearing aid increases the size of the device and its power consumption. Consequently, few hearing aids exist which use multiple frequency channels and those which do, use only a few channels.
In recent years, there has been a widespread use of linear very large scale integration (VLSI) in the design of hearing aids. These circuits allow a designer to increase the functionality of a hearing aid without significantly increasing its size. But this increase in functionality may be at the expense of an undesirable increase power consumption. VLSI devices have increased power consumption relative to smaller scale devices because they include a larger number of components. Moreover, one type of component, the amplifier, is often designed with a complex biasing network to overcome variations in performance that are attributable to variations in the processes used to produce the amplifiers. These biasing networks may trade inefficiencies in the use of the power source for consistent device performance.
The power requirements of a hearing aid are an important design parameter. Because hearing aid batteries are relatively expensive it is desirable for the hearing aid to use them efficiently. In addition, since the battery is one of the larger components of a hearing aid, it is desirable to design circuitry which uses few batteries as possible.


A lens barrel is proposed, in which the optical adjustment of its lens system can be performed easily and at a reduced cost, and also an optical instrument having such a lens barrel is provided. A lens barrel is provided, which comprises: a lens frame for holding a lens; a holding frame for holding the lens frame; and an adjustment mechanism which, while allowing the lens frame to be pressed and fit into the holding frame thereof with a predetermined abutting force resulting from an elastic force, and while retaining its fit-in state, can adjust a position of the lens frame with regard to said holding frame in the directions of an optical axis via a plurality of stepwise stages by rotating said lens frame around its own axis of rotation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens barrel provided with a mechanism to move the lens in the directions of an optical axis, and an optical instrument having the lens barrel thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional mechanism for adjusting respective gaps between a plurality of lenses for zooming or focusing in a lens barrel in optical instruments such as cameras or the like, generally there are such ones that make a fine adjustment by inserting a spacer in a lens frame, or that move a lens frame in the directions of an optical axis by use of a helicoidal screw.
However, there are such problems that, in the case of the former, a number of steps are required for removing and reattaching a lens frame in order to select and provide an optimal adjustment spacer, and also, in the latter case, a backlash of the helicoidal screw may affect various functions of the optical instrument.
In the meantime, there has been proposed a method for adjusting the position of a lens in the directions of an optical axis, comprising the steps of forming a reference plane in a hold frame for supporting a lens frame in a stepwise manner, and rotating the lens frame around its own axis so as to alter the reference plane to adopt as disclosed, for example, in the following.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-350702.
According to this technique described above, an optimum state of optical adjustment is achieved by abutting a protrusion provided on a rear side of the lens frame against either one of stepwise stages on the holding frame for holding the lens frame. After the optical adjustment having been completed, the lens frame is secured to the holding frame thereof by bonding or the like.
The aforementioned related art, however, is associated with such a problem that because its lens cannot be secured to any one of the reference planes selected during the optical adjustment, the lens is set afloat during the adjustment. Although it may be considered independently to provide an additional mechanism to press the lens frame against the reference plane, there may result in such drawbacks as of an increased number of parts, an increased cost of manufacture, and an increased space for installation thereof.


A method of operation of a navigation system includes: monitoring an audio source; capturing an audio segment from the audio source; converting the audio segment into a text segment; parsing the text segment for an information segment; and performing a guidance function based on the information segment for displaying on a device.

The ability of users to receive and consume information has been bolstered by rapid advances in consumer electronics, such as music players, digital camera, personal digital assistants (PDA), cellular phones, and notebooks. These advances have allowed users the ability to create, transfer, store, and consume information almost anywhere, anytime.
Navigation systems and location based services enabled systems have also become more portable and powerful. These systems have been incorporated in automobiles, notebooks, handheld devices, and other portable products. Today, these systems aid users by incorporating available, real-time relevant information, such as maps, directions, local businesses, or other points of interest. The real-time information provides invaluable relevant information, when available or in service areas. The relevant information is also invaluable when service is not available, as well.
Current personal navigation devices can display navigation information on a screen, such as: the location co-ordinates of the device at; the speed of the device; and the direction of movement of the device. While the navigation information can be displayed in any number of ways most users use a map mode, which causes a map to be displayed on the screen of the personal navigation device, indicating the location of the device on the map. However, users continue to look for ways to interact with navigation and location based devices.
Thus, a need still remains for a navigation system with audio monitoring capabilities. In view of the ever increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Navigation system with audio monitoring mechanism and method of operation thereof


A fixed wireless terminal (FWT) (12) identifies a request from a mobile radio user equipment (UE) (38) for a circuit-switched mobile telephony, service provided by a circuit-switched mobile core network (32). In response to the request, the FWT provides an internet protocol (IP) connection between the mobile UE and a generic access network controller (44) via a packet-switched (PS) mobile network (42) that includes a radio base station. The IP connection and the generic access network controller provide the mobile UE access to the circuit-switched mobile telephony service provided by the circuit-switched mobile core network.

The technology described in this application relates to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and Fixed Wireless Terminals (FWT). Another name for FWT is Mobile Broadband Router (MBR). FWA provides an end user with fixed line services by utilizing a wireless technology, e.g., GSM, UMTS/HSPA/WCDMA, SAE/LTE, CDMA or WiMAX technologies. Fixed Wireless Terminals offer, for example, a cost efficient way to provide high speed data, voice, and fax services to small office/home office and residential users. The following description typically refers to the SAE/LTE technology as an example of wireless technology providing the backhaul connection to core and other networks. However, the technology may also be applied other access technologies like UMTS/HSPA/WCDMA and WiMAX.
A FWT device is for example located in an end user's home or office, normally in the same location all the time. There is no real mobility related to the FWT itself except "nomadicity" where the FWT could be powered off in one place, moved to another location and then powered on again. The FWT provides local connectivity and services for end user equipment located in the home using for example WLAN/WiFi or Ethernet as the media. In addition, the FWT may provide support for multiple legacy services. For example, a black phone (a good old fixed phone) or a fax can be connected to the FWT. The FWT is directly connected to the mobile operator's radio access and core networks and can for example provide access towards the Internet.
The technology also relates to a Generic Access Network (GAN) based on Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) specifications. GAN provides a new Radio Access Network (RAN) and includes Generic Access Network Controller (GANC). GAN is specified in the 3GPP TS 43.318 and TS 44.318. In GAN, a mobile station (MS) is a dual-mode, dual radio handset including for example both WiFi and 3GPP-macro radio support (GSM, WCDMA or both). The MS connects to a WiFi Access point (AP) using the WiFi radio and can also function in a GAN mode to access cellular radio services, e.g., provided by the GSM CN (Core Network).
Wireless access technologies, as opposed to wired technologies like Ethernet, will likely be used in the future in the home LAN, e.g., between the FWT and the home devices). WLAN/WiFi (e.g., the different variants of IEEE 802.11) will likely become a commodity in mobile terminals. As a result, the FWT device can be used to access Packet Switched (PS) services for mobile terminals. But known FWT solutions or products do not provide mobile terminals with the ability to use the FWT device and the Home LAN for mobile telephony. In other words, there is no way for the mobile terminal to access the mobile telephony services provided by the Circuit-Switched (CS) Core Network (CN), (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC) node). This is a significant limitation of the FWT-based configurations because the existing CS CN services will likely be used for a very long time in the mobile networks as Voice-Over-Packet-Switched (PS) domain services (like IP Multimedia Services (IMS)) are still in their infancy. Accordingly, providing CS-domain based mobile telephony services as an integrated part of the FWT solutions is important for end users, mobile operators, and vendors.
Different approaches might be taken to allow mobile terminals to access and use CS-based mobile telephony CN services using FWT. For example, a UE could use IMS/SIP-signaling with the FWT, and the FWT could interwork that IMS/SIP-signaling with a CS-based mobile telephony service. A disadvantage with is approach is that the FWT services provided to the UE when in the IMS/SIP domain would be different from the services provided from the 3GPP CS domain. Any service interworking between an IMS/SIP-domain and the 3GPP CS domain is likely to be difficult to support in a transparent way. Another possible approach is to use a 3GPP macro network for CS access and FWT for data access. Drawbacks here include issues with the indoor voice coverage and the UE's simultaneous connection to both the 3GPP macro network and the local FWT network. The latter issue has a significant impact on UE battery lifetime. A better approach would be to connect simply to one of these networks at a time.

UE access to circuit switched-based mobile telephony services using a fixed wireless terminal


A compact and uncomplicated apparatus for safely restraining a child in an adult seat which is used during transportation, such as an automobile seat. The apparatus comprises a planar seat member designed to sit directly on top of the seat portion of an adult seat, a pair of safety straps attached to one end of the planar seat member which are pushed through the space between the seat and back portions of an adult seat and further pulled up and over the back portion of the adult seat, and a buckle or other means for connecting the pair of safety straps to the top surface of the planar seat member. When a child is placed in the apparatus, the straps cross the child's upper torso and connect to the planar seat member between the child's legs.

The present invention relates generally to a child seat restraint apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for safely transporting children who are at an age where they are too big for car seats and too small for adult seat belt restraints.
Several child restraint devices currently exist for automobiles. However, none of the existing child restraints are specifically designed for children of ages two and up who are too large for infant car seats and too small for the adult seat belt restraints contained in automobiles and other vehicles of transportation. Furthermore, none of the existing car restraints are made of a limited number of components which are simple to install and further easily engage and secure a child with a minimum number of straps and minimal effort on the part of an adult assisting the child.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,486, issued Jul. 30, 1963, discloses a safety car seat having a body sack which can be adjustably closed at the sides to accommodate different sized children and straps which extend from the sack to encircle the back of an automobile seat. When the seat is used, the child must be placed within the body sack and the body sack closures secured according to the size of the child. In addition, the straps extending from the body sack must be adjusted and secured around the back of a car seat and to a hanger draped over the back of the car seat. U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,280, issued May 4, 1976, discloses a child auto restraint harness which includes a crotch strap, a pair of waist straps, a rigid strap plate for holding a plurality of straps, an anchor strap, and adjustable shoulder straps. In use, the anchor strap is threaded through the rigid strap plate and passed under a clasped seat belt on the seat of the automobile and through the crack between the seat and back portions of the automobile seat thereby encircling the back of the seat. This car restraint requires an adult to manipulate the child and the straps such that the child is adequately and properly secured. Such manipulation proves to be cumbersome and difficult in that a number of straps, including the crotch, waist, anchor and shoulder straps, must be properly positioned before it is safe to travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,425, issued Dec. 30, 1986, discloses a passenger restraint system having a fabric envelope which fits snugly over a seat back, in particular the back of a bus seat, and seat belt type webbing stitched onto the envelope. However, this restraint involves a somewhat complicated installation in that some webbing segments are designed to attach to the seat frame which is hard to reach. A restraint vest is also disclosed which would require additional manipulation of the child in order to place the child within the vest. U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,960, issued Jul. 16, 1991, also discloses a vest for engaging the upper torso of a child.
There are also child car restraint devices which include a separate seat for the child which is further attached to the automobile seat. However, these type of restraints have cumbersome and bulky components which are not easily transported outside of the automobile. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,664,140, issued Dec. 29, 1953, discloses a child's automobile seat having a chair connected to a frame by hinges where the frame is further attached to an automobile seat. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,028, issued Nov. 16, 1976, discloses a child's seat which is hung on the back of an automobile seat and further secured to the seat by a strap which encircles the back of the seat.
Consequently, there are no available child car restraints with shoulder harnesses which are compact and uncomplicated, easy to install, and easy to transport. Furthermore, there is a need for child restraint devices which are adaptable for other methods of travel in addition to the automobile, such as airplanes, buses, and trains.


Techniques are described that provide a centralized system to coordinate the disparate teams involved in settling or reconciling the affairs of a given estate. These techniques provide a centralized estate resource system (ERS) to create, manage, track, and coordinate task checklists and actions for each of the teams including interactions between teams. The ERS may assign specific personnel within each team to a given estate, send notifications and warnings to appropriate team members when tasks are due or complete, and facilitate messaging between team members to communicate when information is needed or has become available. The ERS may provide updated status and information across teams without violating privacy or security regulations, as may be the case with email, text messages, or voice messages. In addition, the ERS may provide a centralized repository for information, thus avoiding repeated queries for the same information and documents to the decedent's representative.

When a bank customer dies, the decedent customer's representative (e.g., the executor) needs to work with the bank to settle or reconcile the assets held by the bank for the decedent's estate. In some examples, the bank may serve as the executor or trustee and may directly handle the estate settlement services. In other examples the bank may serve as an agent for the decedent's representative. As an example, an estate settlement services provided by the bank may include the tasks of paying funeral expenses out of the decedent's accounts, paying creditors and debts out of the decedent's accounts, making distributions to beneficiaries for any trusts or "payable-on-death" accounts held by the decedent at the bank, closing or transferring ownership of accounts and safety deposit boxes held by the decedent at the bank, managing the sale and distribution of tangible personal property of the decedent, filing tax returns for decedent's estate, and similar transactions.
The estate settlement services provided by the bank may include multiple teams to perform the different tasks listed above. Each of the teams may work on a different portion of the decedent's estate, e.g., will administration, tangible personal property, tax and relationship management. As such, each of the teams may perform completely separate tasks, access completely different resources, and keep completely separate records pertaining to the respective portion of the decedent's estate. Although each of the teams may ostensibly operate in a silo, the teams may be dependent on each other for at least some information. For example, an estate tax team may need to wait for a tangible personal property team to sell and distribute the decedent's tangible personal property before preparing and filing the estate taxes. To obtain the necessary information, a member of a first team typically emails, texts, calls, or otherwise messages a member of another team of the estate settlement services to request the information, which is time consuming, difficult to track and manage, and may violate privacy or security regulations.
When the decedent's executor or representative is not the bank, often the decedent's representative is close to the decedent, such as the decedent's spouse, child, sibling, or another of the decedent's surviving family members or friends. The representative may be grieving and dealing with many issues surrounding the death of their loved one. In working with the bank to settle the decedent's financial assets, the decedent's representative may be required to provide similar details and documentation to each of the different teams of the estate settlement services. As such, the estate settlement services provided by the bank may actually add to the representative's burden by effectively causing the representative to relive their loved one's death with repetitive requests for information from each estate services team.

Estate resource system for settlement of estate assets


The beta crystalline modification of 2,2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tertbutyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2 '-diyl) phosphite] is obtained by crystallizing said compound from the melt at elevated temperatures.. The beta crystalline form is an effective process stabilizer for polyolefins, particularly polypropylene.

2,2',2"-Nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2,2 '-diyl) phosphite] is a compound having the formula I ##STR1##
This compound of formula I is useful as a processing stabilizer for organic polymers as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,318,845 and 4,374,219. The compound of formula I is disclosed as being a white powder melting at 121.degree.-134.degree. C. As such, the powdery product has defects in terms of handling and apparent density, exhibiting poor flowability, meterability, storage stability and hydrolytic stability.
It has now been found that the compound of formula I can be obtained in a different crystalline modification as purified crystalline particles which exhibit acceptable properties in respect to handling, apparent density, flowability, meterability, storage stability and hydrolytic stability.
The new modification is characterized by a triclinic crystalline form, melting in the range of 200.degree.-207.degree. C. as given by the peak temperature of the endotherm recorded by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); and by an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained using Cu-K.alpha. which exhibits diffraction angles (2.THETA.) of very high intensity at 8.4 and 17; lines of high intensity at 9.9, 10.6, 11.4, 17.5, 19.1, 20.2; lines of medium intensity at 4.6, 4.9, 7.1, 12.7, 13.2, 13.6, 15.3, 15.8, 16.4, 16.7, 18.4, 19.7, 21.7, 23.4; and lines of weak intensity at 7.8, 8.8, 9.4, 12, 14.1, 14.6, 21, 22.3, 22.8, 23.9, 24.7, 25.3, 25.5, 26.4, 27.27.7, 28.4 and a relative absolute configuration of the three stereo axes of the dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepin rings of R*,R*,S*.
R* and S* follow the customary convention when the absolute configuration of a molecule is unknown. The nomenclature adopted here is based on recent Chemical Abstracts Service practice as described by L. C. Cross and W. Kylne, Pure Appl. Chem. 45, 11-30 (1976).
The instant invention also relates to processes for the preparation of this novel beta crystalline modification of the compound of formula I.
The instant invention also pertains to a composition stabilized against thermal, oxidative and actinic induced degradation which comprises
(a) a polyolefin, and
(b) an effective amount of the beta crystalline form of 2,2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1'-biphenyl-2, 2'-diyl)phosphite], characterized by melting in the range of 200.degree.-207.degree. C. and by an X-ray diffraction pattern exhibiting lines of very high intensity at 8.4 and 17; lines of high intensity at 9.9, 10.6, 11.4, 17.5, 19.1, 20.2; lines of medium intensity at 4.6, 4.9, 7.1, 12.7, 13.2, 13.6, 15.3, 15.8, 16.4, 16.7, 18.4, 19.7, 21.7, 23.4; and lines of weak intensity at 7.8, 8.8, 9.4, 12, 14.1, 14.6, 21, 22.3, 22.8, 23.9, 24.7, 25.3, 25.5, 26.4, 27.27.7 , 28.4 and a relative absolute configuration of the stereo axes of the dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepin rings of R*,R*,S*.
Preferably, the polyolefin is polypropylene.
One process for the preparation of the instant beta crystalline modification comprises heating a melt of the compound of formula I at a temperature in the range of 170.degree. to 200.degree. C. until the novel beta crystalline modification forms or optionally seed the melt with the novel beta crystalline form in order to increase the rate and efficiency of the melt crystallization. The melt crystallization is optionally carried out under reduced pressure of from 400 mm Hg to 0.1 mm Hg. The melt crystallization can also be carried out in an extruder or kneader as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,326, the relevant parts of which are herein incorporated by reference.
An alternative process for the preparation of the beta crystalline modification of the compound of formula I is crystallizing or recrystallizing the compound of formula I from a mixture of an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and an alcohol of 4 to 8 carbon atoms; from a mixture of an aliphatic ketone and an alcohol of 1 to 8 carbon atoms; or from a mixture of an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and an aliphatic ketone.
Examples of aromatic hydrocarbon solvents useful in the instant process are benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, cumene, o-cymene, m-cymene, p-cymene, o-diisopropylbenzene, m-diisopropylbenzene, p-diisopropylbenzene, and mixtures of such aromatic hydrocarbon solvents.
Examples of alcohols useful in the instant process are methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, isopropanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, tert-butyl alcohol, isobutanol, amyl alcohol, 1-hexanol, 2-ethylhexanol, 1-octanol and mixtures of such alkanols.
Examples of aliphatic ketones are acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 2-heptanone and the like.
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements are obtained on a TA Instrument Inc., 910 differential scanning calorimeter, with a 100 mL/min nitrogen purge, aligned aluminum pan, temperature scan at 5.degree. C./min to 230.degree. C.
X-ray diffraction patterns are recorded on a Philips Norelco X-ray Diffractometer unit, using Cu-K.alpha. radiation with a nickel filter.

Beta crystalline modification of 2,2',2"-nitrilo[triethyl-tris-(3,3',5,5'-tetra-tert-buytl-1,1'-biphenyl- 2,2'-diyl)phosphite]


A target substance detecting device, which is a device that has a substrate, a structure disposed on a substrate surface in isolation using a metal, and a target substance trapping substance disposed on the structure, and which is for detecting a target substance using localized plasmon resonance, characterized in that the above-mentioned structure is constructed by stacking at least two metal layers, sandwiching a non-conductive layer between the metal layers.

In recent years, research related to surface plasmon resonance sensor using resonance excitation of a surface plasmon wave, which exists on a surface of a metal, by light has been advanced as one of the high sensitivity sensing systems. The wave number of the surface plasmon wave on a surface of the metal is determined by a dielectric constant of a medium that contacts the surface of the metal.
In a surface plasmon resonance sensor using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a metal thin film covering one aspect of a prism, since a surface plasmon wave cannot be excited by light that propagates through the air, evanescent light, which is generated at the time of total reflection and which is non-propagating light, is used. Therefore, such a sensor needs a total reflection optical system for generating the evanescent light. A surface plasmon resonance sensor, which excites a surface plasmon wave by stacking a metal thin film, a dielectric thin film, and a metal thin film in this order on a prism, and making light from a light source totally reflect on the metal thin film, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-267841.
A localized plasmon is excited by making light, spreading the air, enter nanometer size of metal structure. Hence, a sensor using the localized plasmon does not need a total reflection optical system, but is applicable to various forms of sensors. There is a known measuring method in which metal fine particles are fixed on a substrate surface and a substance near the metal fine particles is detected using the induced localized plasmon resonance. When light is incident onto metal fine particles, such as gold or silver, a characteristic resonance spectrum is produced by the localized plasmon resonance. The absorbance at a resonance peak becomes larger as a dielectric constant of a medium near the metal fine particles becomes larger and shifts toward a long wavelength.
The specification of Japanese Patent No. 3452837 discloses a sensor constructed using a plurality of metal fine particles arranged on a substrate in isolation from each other. Here, the localized plasmon resonance sensor, which detects a refractive index of a medium near the fine particles by radiating light on a sensor unit and measuring an absorbance of light that permeates the sensor unit, is disclosed. Specifically, a system using a gold colloid about 20 nm in diameter is proposed. In addition, European Patent Application Publication No. 1445601A2 discloses a localized plasmon sensor, which has a layer-like substrate in which a plurality of micropores are formed, metal fine particles are filled in the micropores, and a metal thin film is arranged around the micropores on a surface of the substrate. It is described that this sensor can detect a minute refractive index change and binding with specified substances by using an interaction between localized plasmon resonance of fine particles and surface plasmon resonance of the nearby metal thin film.
On the other hand, as proposed by Felicia Tam et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B., 2004, Vol. 108, No. 45, p. 17290-17294), there is an example of a device structure that aims to enhance the detection capability by producing core shell type fine particles that are made by coating gold thin films on dielectric cores.
There is disclosed, in European Patent Application Publication No. 0965835A2, a system in which an interaction between a metal thin film and metal fine particles is used. Here, a sensor system combining a gold thin film formed on a substrate and gold-coated fine particles of a polymer formed on the gold thin film is proposed. This system is aimed at enhancing sensor characteristics by the interaction between surface plasmon resulting from the gold thin film of a foundation and localized plasmon resulting from the gold coating on surfaces of the fine particles of the polymer.
Since a measuring method using localized plasmon resonance does not need tagged molecules, such as fluorophores, the assay procedure is simple in comparison with a fluorescent immunoassay or a chemiluminescence immunoassay. In addition, since direct real-time monitoring of a process of an adsorption reaction on surfaces of metal fine particles is possible, applications in various kinds of assays are expected. Nevertheless, sufficient detection sensitivity was not obtained in affinity assays, such as an immunoassay, using those conventional target substance detecting devices that employ plasmon resonance.

Target substance detecting device, target substance detecting method using the same, and detecting apparatus and kit therefor


Among other things, we describe a method that includes, on an electronic device, receiving, from a first location system of the electronic device, first data indicative of a first location of the device at a first time, comparing the first data to second data indicative of a second location of the device at a second time, the second data having been received from a second location system of the electronic device, and based on the comparison, determining whether the first data meets a threshold of location data integrity.

A mobile device can include one or more location-based applications that are configured to perform location-specific tasks. For example, location applications can indicate location information to a user of the device such as where she is, where she has been, what direction she is traveling, how fast she is traveling, and other location information. Location information can be determined based on one or more location systems.

Evaluating location based on multiple data sources


A system and method for directional sound sensing directs an optical sensing beam to an object of interest having a rough surface that vibrates acoustically. The light is reflected thereby and scattered as a speckle pattern that includes multiple speckles having a random distribution of phase offsets. A detector array having multiple detector elements receives and detects the speckle pattern and produces signals that are linearly proportional to phase modulation of the speckles. A summer receives signals from at least two of the detector elements that are offset at different phases and sums the received signals to generate a non-vanishing signal representative of an acoustic signal.

The invention can be implemented to advantage in a variety of sound pick up applications requiring sensing of a specific source within a background of other sound sources. The invention makes use of a directional optical beam to illuminate the acoustic source of interest and pick up its sound-related vibrations, thereby identifying the source of interest. As the acoustic impedance of essentially all sources of interest, ranging from the human body, through musical instruments to artificial sound generators, is several order of magnitude larger than that of air, airborne sound from other sources is almost entirely reflected by the surfaces of the source of interest so that the optical beam picks up only the sound generated by the source of interest. To overcome instances where the optical detection of the surface vibrations of the sound source generate a different acoustic signature from that normally generated into air, an ordinary microphone is added. By fusing the signals from the optical pick-up and the airborne detection with the microphone, the normal airborne sound quality is accomplished, but background sound is significantly suppressed.
The ability to pick up voice signals from a distant person is of special interest here. In this case the optical sensor must pick up the minute vibrations generated in the speaker's body during speech. The optical detection of such vibrations, with typically sub-nanometer amplitudes, on a human skin with multi-micrometer roughness is a challenge addressed in this invention. The challenge is further exacerbated by the necessity to track and alleviate the effects of the relative motion of the target. Even a person at rest is expected to move randomly on a millimeter scale. In other words the optical detection scheme must be capable of detection of sub-micrometer vibrations on a rough surface that moves randomly. The surface roughness generates speckles which degrade the sensitivity of standard detection schemes, the lateral relative motion of the target introduces variations in the speckle patterns and the axial relative motion of the target introduces variation in "work-point" of interferometric setups. The present invention alleviates these practical difficulties.

TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD.


A transmitter circuit, which transmits data by using an impulse, has a variable delay circuit and a logic circuit. The variable delay circuit takes a clock as an input, and delays the clock in accordance with the data. The logic circuit takes the clock and an output of the variable delay circuit as inputs, and outputs an impulse by performing a logic operation between the clock and the output of the variable delay circuit.

The embodiments relate to a transmitter circuit and a radio transmission apparatus and, more particularly to a transmitter circuit and a radio transmission apparatus for transmitting data via radio by using impulses.
Traditionally, radio transmission apparatus for transmitting data via radio by using impulses (impulse-based radio transmission apparatus) have been used in ultra-wideband radio transmission systems including UWB systems in the microwave and submillimeter-wave bands.
In recent years, impulse-based radio transmission has been attracting attention because of the advantages it offers over narrowband communication systems, such as the elimination of the need for oscillators and mixers and the simple configuration of the RF portion, enabling a low-cost implementation, and it is expected to achieve wideband radio transmission exceeding 10 Gbps in the millimeter-wave band where a wide bandwidth can be used.
In the prior art, an article by Y. Kawano et al. entitled "An RF Chipset for Impulse Radio UWB Using 0.3 μm InP-HEMT Technology," IEEE MTT-Int. Microwave Symp. Dig., pp. 316-319, June 2006 (non-patent document 1) discloses an impulse radio transmission apparatus comprising a transmitter part having an impulse generator, a band-pass filter, and a high-output amplifier, and a receiver part having a receiver amplifier (low-noise amplifier), a band-pass filter, and a detector.

Transmitter circuit and radio transmission apparatus for transmitting data via radio by using impulses


The present invention is applied to a portable personal computer or the like having a plurality of wireless communication means, for example, so as to provide a user with appropriate wireless communication means in a situation where a plurality of wireless communication means are available. According to the present invention, the wireless communication means is selectively used in accordance with an application program with reference to a communication management table in which at least wireless communication means allowed to be used is described with regard to respective application programs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal, a method of controlling a portable information terminal, a program of a method of controlling a portable information terminal and a recording medium having recorded therein a program of a method of controlling a portable information terminal, and, by way of example, may be applied to a cellular phone having a plurality of wireless communication means or the like. In the present invention, wireless communication means is selectively used in accordance with an application in correspondence with a management table in which at least wireless communication means allowed to be used with regard to respective application programs is described so as to allow a user to use appropriate wireless communication means in a situation that a plurality of wireless communication means are available.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a variety of wireless communication means including those used in a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a cellular phone network and the like have been provided for information processing apparatuses such as personal computers.
As an exemplary method using such a wireless communication means, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-274816 publication, for example, there is suggested a method in which a suitable access point is selected among a plurality of wireless access points by making use of functional information such as functional information of electric field strength, an IP (Internet Protocol) address, an access point and the like.

Portable information terminal, a control method for a portable information terminal, a program of a method of controlling a personal information terminal and a recording medium having recorded therein a program of a method of controlling a personal information terminal


An LED light shaping device and illumination system are provided. According to one embodiment, a light shaping lens is configured to shape light emitted from a light source and direct the light on a display panel for projection. The light shaping lens comprises a light input surface configured to receive light emitted from the light source a reflective surface configured to reflect at least part of the light received by the light source; and a light output surface having a first curvature in a first direction and a second curvature in a second direction, wherein the light output surface is configured to emit the light that is received by the light input surface and reflected by the reflective surface, and wherein the first curvature and the second curvature are configured to shape the light such that the emitted light has an oval cross section.

Advances in high-brightness light emitting diodes (LED) have created opportunities for the use of LED in different lighting technologies, including small mobile data projectors. Light from the LED is projected onto a micro-display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) or digital micro-mirror device (DMD). One challenge of the micro projector technology is that the micro-displays generally have a rectangular shape, and LED emit light in a rounded, hemisphere shape, which does not conform to the shape of the micro-display. Accordingly, since the shape of the light emitted from the LED does not conform to the shape of micro-display devices, the efficiency and uniformity of the LED light and the projected image is poor. Some approaches have attempted to address this problem. However, some of these known approaches require multiple lenses and thereby increase the size of the projection system, resulting in substantially larger projection devices.
Therefore, existing LED light shaping systems have these and other limitations. Accordingly, there is a need for an LED light shaping device and illumination system that solves these and other shortcomings.

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.


A hydroxyformamidine compound represented by the following formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof

With regard to physiologically active substances produced from arachidonic acid, there have been widely known prostaglandins produced by cyclooxygenase and leucotrienes produced by lipoxygenase while, in recent years, it has been becoming clear that 20-HETE produced from arachidonic acid by enzymes belonging to cytochrome p450 genus has varieties of actions in vivo (J. Vascular Research, volume 32, page 79 (1995)). Until now, it has been clarified that 20-HETE contracts or dilates the microvessels and also induces cell proliferation in main organs such as kidney and cerebrovascular vessels, and it has been suggested that 20-HETE deeply participates in pathology of various renal diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, circulatory diseases, etc. while playing an important physiological action in vivo (J. Vascular Research, volume 32, page 79 (1995); Am. J. Physiol., volume 277, page R607 (1999); Physiol. Rev., volume 82, page 131 (2002), etc.).
An object of the present invention is to provide a drug which inhibits the production of 20-HETE which participates in the contraction or dilation of microvessels, the induction of cell proliferation, etc. in main organs such as kidney and cerebrovascular vessels.

20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid production inhibitors

Abstract: [wherein R1 represents a substituted morpholino group, a substituted piperidino group, a piperazin-1-yl group, a substituted piperazin-1-yl group, a thiomorpholin-1-yl group, a perhydroazepin-1-yl group, a perhydroazocin-1-yl group, a tetrahydropyridin-1-yl group, a pyrrolin-1-yl group, etc.; X represents a nitrogen atom or a group represented by CR5; and R2 to R5 are the same or different and each represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-4 alkyl group, a C1-4 alkoxy group, a trifluoromethyl group or a halogen atom.]

Abstract: There is provided a drug which inhibits an enzyme producing 20-HETE participating in a contracting or dilating action for microvessels and an inducing action for cell proliferation in main organs such as kidney and cerebrovascular vessels.


A self-assembling micron-sized mechanical device is described. The device comprises hinged plates attached to a support. A beam having a first end free to move in an upwardly-directed arc is associated with each hinged plate comprising the device. The beam has a first engagement member, including a first angled edge, disposed at its freely-movable first end. Each hinged plate includes a second engagement member, including a second angled edge. In the unassembled state, at least a portion of the first engagement member lies beneath the second engagement member on the support. Actuation force is applied to the beam by an actuator, the force causing the first end of the beam to lift. As it does so, the first and second angled edges slide over another, and the hinged plate is rotated upwardly about its hinges away from the support. The mechanical advantage provided by the angled edges allows a hinged plate to be rotated fully ninety degrees away from the support.

In a significant advance in micro-mechanical device technology, a micron-sized hinge was developed. The hinge, which can be used for forming hinged plates, has provided the art with a means for fabricating complex micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) devices. Presently, micron-sized analogs of many macro-scale devices can be fabricated. Applications of MEMS and MOEMS include, for example, data storage devices, laser scanners, printer heads, magnetic heads, micro-spectrometers, scanning-probe microscopes, near-field optical microscopes, optical scanners, optical modulators, micro-lenses, optical switches, and micro-robotics.
Forming a MEMS or MOEMS device begins with patterning hinged plates in appropriate locations on a substrate. As patterned, the various hinged plates lie flat on top of the substrate. Assembling the device involves lifting the unhinged end of each plate off of the substrate. For many devices, assembly requires that the hinged plates are placed in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the substrate.
An operator can assemble MEMS and MOEMS devices using a microprobe station to lift the various hinged plates into their required position. But, manual assembly of a large number of such devices, or even a single complex device, is impractical for commercial scale operation. Manual assembly of such devices limits the utility of the technology to little more than a laboratory curiosity.
Coupling actuators with micro-mechanical devices allows for automated assembly. A typical assembly system uses a "vertical" actuator that imparts an upwardly-directed force to lift a hinged plate off of the substrate. One such actuator is described by Cowan et al. in "Vertical Thermal Actuator for Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems," v.3226, SPIE, pp. 137-46 (1997). Conventional actuators, such as described by Cowan et al., are limited in their usefulness, however, because they cannot rotate or lift hinged plates substantially more than forty-five degrees out of plane in a single actuation step. Nor has it been possible to achieve lift angles substantially greater than forty-five degrees only using an assembly motor.
Lift angles substantially greater than forty-five degrees are achieveable with a dual-stage assembly system. A dual-stage assembly system typically consists of a vertical actuator and an assembly motor. The vertical actuator lifts the hinged micro-mechanical device off of the substrate to a maximum angle not substantially greater than forty-five degrees. The assembly motor, which has a drive arm connected to a lift arm of the micro-mechanical device, completes the lift. One such dual-stage assembly system is disclosed by Reid et al. In "Automated Assembly of Flip-Up Micromirrors," Transducers '97, Int'l Conf. Solid-State Sensors and Actuators, pp. 347-50 (1977).
The dual-stage assembly system is complex, however, thereby increasing the cost of chips containing MEMS and MOEMS devices assembled thereby. As such, there is a need for a single-stage assembly system for micro-mechanical devices capable of rotating a hinged plate as much as ninety degrees out-of-plane.


Disclosed is a key sheet helping to solve problems caused by a rubber-like elastic material filling dividing grooves. A key sheet is provided with protrusions swelling from the back surface of an operation plate toward dividing grooves. The protrusions, which are formed by a film sheet formed of a thermoplastic resin, can prevent the problems when the rubber-like elastic material filling the dividing grooves are exposed, that is, separation or severance of the rubber-like elastic material. Further, nails or fingertips are not easily allowed to enter the dividing grooves of the operation plate. The protrusions in the grooves formed by the film sheet are not easily worn out through repeated depressing operation, thus realizing a thin and safe key sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pushbutton switch key sheet for use in an operating portion of an apparatus such as a mobile phone, a PDA, a car navigation apparatus, or a car audio apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Electronic/electric apparatuses for personal use have been reduced in size and thickness. Further, they have come to be endowed with various additional functions for enhancement in convenience for the user. However, for the better commercial value, in addition to the abundance in functions, it is important for this kind of product to have a unique and novel design. With regard to the mobile phone and the like, there is a tough competition for a design of a pushbutton switch key sheet forming a surface portion.
In a conventional example of such a pushbutton switch key sheet, a single operation plate having a plurality of depressing operation portions is exposed through an operational opening of a casing having no frame. Despite the absence of a frame, this key sheet does not suffer distortion or deflection. However, since the depressing operation portions are separated from each other by dividing grooves formed in the operation plate, nails or fingertips may get deep into the dividing grooves of the frame, and the nails or the fingertips may be injured by edges of the dividing grooves. To avoid this problem, the present applicant has proposed filling the dividing grooves with a rubber-like elastic material in JP 2006-156333 A (the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-133414).
However, the rubber-like elastic material filling the dividing grooves is subject to wear; as depressing operation is repeated, the rubber-like elastic material is gradually worn out by the fingertips, and there is a fear of the dividing grooves becoming gradually deeper. Then, nails or fingertips are allowed to enter the dividing grooves to suffer injury by edges of the dividing grooves. To prevent wear of the rubber-like elastic material filling the dividing grooves, a method is available according to which the operating surface of the operation plate is covered with a resin film. However, covering the operating surface with a resin film will lead to a kind of operational connection between adjacent depressing operation portions, and make it rather difficult to recognize the division between the depressing operation portions by the touch of the fingertips, resulting in erroneous input.


An assembly includes an engine output concentric with an axis, an input, a starting gear, a first drive plate secured to the engine output, including a rim supporting the starting gear, and arms extending radially outward from the axis, and a second drive plate rotatably secured to the input, and secured to the first drive plate at a location spaced radially outward from the axis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a powertrain of hybrid electric vehicles, particularly to a powertrain module that can be installed between and secured to an engine output and a transmission input.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have both an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, which are alternately, or in combination, used to propel the vehicle. A variety of different powertrains are used in hybrid vehicles such as a parallel configuration, in which the engine is connected to the motor by a disconnect clutch with the motor driving a torque converter input of an automatic power transmission. The transmission has an output which is connected to a differential coupled to the two driven wheels of the vehicle.
A need exists in the industry for a hybrid electric powertrain that includes a modular subassembly for use with a variety of engines and transmissions, such that the module can be installed between and secured to an output of one of a number of engines and to an input of one of a number of transmissions. The assembled powertrain may then be employed in a variety of vehicles. The module should include a hydraulically actuated disconnect clutch, the electric machine and suitable power paths between the engine and electric machine to the transmission input. Preferably, the module provides for hydraulic communication from the transmission's hydraulic system to the clutch, a balance dam and the electric machine. The module must provide an oil sump containing hydraulic fluid delivered to the module, and a path for continually returning that fluid to the transmission's oil sump so that the transmission pump is continually supplied reliably with fluid.
The module should require low manufacturing and assembly costs, no vehicle body modification, and reliable performance.
This module is sometimes call a front module (FM), since it is part of the MHT and is bolted in front of the transmission. Since this module is purely a length addition to the base powertrain, it is desired to make the module as short as possible. The connection between the engine and the FM usually has a damper to protect the FM input shaft spline from engine torsional vibrations. The damper adds length and cost of the powertrain.
The damper has a natural frequency that is passed through every time the engine starts and stops. The damper also increases powertrain inertia protentially reducing fuel economy and performance.

Dual drive plate damper for hybrid electric vehicles


A shutter device, which is capable of achieving power-saving when holding a shutter opening in an open state for a long time by mechanically inhibiting an operation of a second light shielding plate in a direction to close the shutter opening, is provided. The shutter device has a second light shielding plate locking member 37 displaceable to a locking position to inhibit a shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding plates 10 to 13 and an unlocking position to allow the shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding plates. The second light shielding plate locking member displaces to the locking position at a point of time when first light shielding plates 2 to 5 fully open the shutter opening, and displaces to the unlocking position immediately before the second light shielding plates start running.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a construction of a shutter of an image pick up apparatus such as a digital camera having a function of displaying a visual image picked up by an image pick up element on a visual image display device of liquid crystal or the like.
2. Related Background Art
Various kinds of shutter devices as follows are used in conventional digital cameras each having a function of displaying an object image picked up by an image pick up element on a monitor such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) as a finder image for observing an object.
A first prior art example is a conventional shutter device used in a silver camera. As is well known, the conventional shutter device holds curtain groups divided into two or more with two arms to be rotatable to form a parallel link. This shutter device has a front curtain which shifts a shutter opening to an open state from a shielded state at a time of exposure, and a rear curtain which shifts the shutter opening to the shielded state from the open state at the time of exposure. The front curtain is connected to a front driving member having a driving source for running a blade such as a spring, and an armature which is suction-held by a magnet. Then, in a preparation state for image pick up and recording, the armature is brought into contact with a yoke suction surface of a magnet for the front curtain by a charge lever, and the front curtain is held in a state in which it shields the shutter opening. The rear curtain is connected to a rear driving member of the same construction as that of the front curtain. In the preparation state for image pick up and recording, the armature is brought into contact with a yoke suction surface of a magnet for the rear curtain by the charge lever, and the rear curtain is held in a state in which it opens the shutter opening. After release, the charge lever retreats from the curtain holding position, and the front curtain and the rear curtain are held in a start position by a magnetic force of the energized magnet. Then, energization for the magnet for the front curtain is cut off first, the front curtain releases the shutter opening, then, predetermined seconds later, energization for the magnet for the rear curtain is cut off, and the rear curtain shields the shutter opening. Exposure time is thus formed and the screen is exposed. After completion of running, the front curtain and the rear curtain move to the image pick up preparation position by the charge lever, and wait for the next photographing. The first prior example is constructed as above.
A second prior art is a focal plane-shutter device for a digital camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-215555 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-23220. When power is applied to a camera including a shutter device of this kind, a front curtain is in the state to open a shutter opening, so that an object can be normally observed with a monitor such as an LCD.
A third prior art example is a shutter device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S57-17935, in which when running of a front curtain is not detected by a detecting device which detects running of the front curtain, running of the rear curtain is inhibited by an inhibiting member.
In the above described first prior art, on the occasion of observing an object with a monitor such as an LCD, the object image is caught by an image pick up element, and therefore, the front curtain needs to fully open the shutter opening. In the shutter device of the first prior art example, the armature is sucked by energizing the coil of the magnet for the front curtain, and the front curtain is held in the running start position. When a start signal to operate the front curtain to open the shutter opening is inputted, energization for the coil of the magnet for the front curtain is cut off, the armature is released from suction to the yoke, and the suction surface of the above described magnet is in the uncovered state. When the rear curtain is held in the running start position, the armature is sucked by energizing the coil of the magnet for the rear curtain. When the object is observed with the monitor such as an LCD, the object image is picked up by the image pick up element, and therefore, in the state in which the front curtain fully opens the shutter opening, the charge lever which mechanically holds both the front curtain and the rear curtain in the overcharge state returns to the retreat position. Therefore, the coil of the magnet for the rear curtain has to keep energized so that the rear curtain does not close the shutter opening. Therefore, there is the disadvantage of wastefully consuming electric power. Further, when the time to observe the object with the monitor such as an LCD is long, the temperature of the coil of the magnet for the rear curtain which is kept energized becomes considerably high. When the photographer picks up an image in this state, there is the disadvantage of lowering control accuracy of the exposure time at a high-speed exposure time due to instability of the operation characteristics of the magnet for the rear curtain.
Besides, the above described second prior art has a high risk of dust attaching to a low path filter and the like disposed at a front surface of the image pick up element, because when it is used for a system camera capable of replacing a lens, the shutter opening is kept open at the time of replacement of the lens. When dust attaches to the low path filter and the like, quality of the picked up image is degraded. It is conceivable that the image pick up element is irradiated with sun light for a long time when the camera is left in the bright outdoors or the like without a lens cap or the like put on, which easily causes deterioration such as color fading of the color filter provided at the image pick up element.
Besides, in the above described third prior art example, movement of the inhibiting member which inhibits running of the rear curtain uniquely links to the movement of the detecting device which detects running of the front curtain, and therefore, only the position for releasing the running inhibition of the rear curtain can be taken in the state in which running of the front curtain is completed.
Therefore, it is conceivable that the shutter devices are susceptible to improvement to solve these problems.

Shutter device and image pick up apparatus


The present invention provides a simple and robust human liver cell-based system in which persistent hepatitis C infection, persistent hepatitis B infection or ethanol exposure induces a clinical Prognostic Liver Signature (PLS) high-risk gene signature. The cellular model system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)/cirrhosis development and progression may be used in the screening of compounds useful in the treatment and/or prevention of cirrhosis and/or HCC as well as in the identification biomarkers for the prediction of liver disease (especially cirrhosis) progression and HCC. The present invention also relates to specific compounds that have been identified, using such screening methods, as useful in the treatment and/or the prevention of HCC/cirrhosis.

Chronic liver diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are major challenges for global health. HCC is the second leading and fastest rising cause of cancer death worldwide (International Agency for Research on Cancer; GLOBOCAN 2012: Estimated Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide in 2012—webpage: globocan.iarc.fr). HCC accounts for more than 500,000 new cases per year and nearly as many deaths due to poor disease prognosis. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most important risk factor for developing liver cirrhosis and HCC (El-Serag, N Engl J Med., 2011, 365(12): 1118-1127). It is estimated that approximately 3% of the world population is chronically infected with HCV (World Health Organization). Other major risk factors for HCC include infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A common form of chronic liver disease in Western countries is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which encompasses a clinic-pathologic spectrum of diseases ranging from hepatic steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the more aggressive form of fatty liver disease, which can progress to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and its associated complications, including end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Less common causes include hereditary hemochromatosis, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, auto-immune hepatitis, some porphyrias, Wilson's disease, and aflatoxin exposure. The distribution of these risk factors among patients with HCC is highly variable, depending on geographic region and race or ethnic group. Most of these risk factors lead to the formation and progression of cirrhosis, which is present in 80% to 90% of patients with HCC. The 5-year cumulative risk for the development of HCC in patients with cirrhosis ranges between 5% and 30%, depending on the cause, region or ethnic group, and stage of cirrhosis. In 2011 (see NIH webpage: optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/latestData/step2.asp), end-stage liver disease and HCC resulted in 6,342 liver transplants associated with costs of more than 1 billion US dollars for the procedure alone.
Although HCC may be avoided by addressing the underlying cause in the early stage of the disease, strategies to prevent liver cirrhosis progression and HCC development in patents with established cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis, in which the risk of liver cirrhosis progression and HCC development persists despite treatment of the underlying cause, are lacking. Indeed, even curing HCV infection does not eliminate the risk of HCC development when advanced fibrosis is already present (van der Meer et al., JAMA, 2012, 308(24): 2584-2593). Currently, curative treatment options for patients with cirrhotic HCC are mainly limited to liver transplantation, an impractical, invasive and resource-intensive solution. Given the extremely frequent tumor recurrence after surgical treatment and the absence of efficient medical treatment strategies, prevention of cirrhosis progression and HCC development in patients with advanced liver fibrosis is considered to be the most effective strategy to substantially impact on patient survival (Hoshida et al., J Hepatol., 2014, 61(1S): S79-S90; Hoshida et al., Curr Cancer Drug Targets, 2012, 12(9):1129-1159).
Molecular biomarkers of liver disease progression in cirrhosis could facilitate the identification of cirrhosis and HCC chemoprotective drugs. Indeed, the Applicants have previously defined and validated a 186-gene stromal liver signature predictive of cirrhosis progression, HCC development, and liver-specific and overall death (as well as a subset thereof comprising 32 genes) in multiple independent cohorts of patients with cirrhosis and HCC caused by HCV and other etiologies including HBV, alcohol and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Hoshida et al., New Engl. J. Med., 2008, 359: 1995-2004; Hoshida et al., Gastroenterology, 2013, 144: 1024-103; King et al., Gut, 2015, 64: 1296-1302). This signature was also found to be present in cirrhosis-driven HCC rodent models (Fuchs et al., Hepatology, 2014, 59: 1577-1590), confirming its functional relevance for liver disease and hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo. Pharmacological inhibition of the EGF pathway by a small molecule inhibitor, erlotinib, resulted in chemoprevention of cirrhosis progression and HCC development with subsequent inition of a proof-of-concept clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02273362), although the known toxicities of the drug suggest the need to explore less toxic alternatives. However, the discovery of signature drivers, biomarkers and candidate compounds for the prevention and treatment of cirrhosis progression and HCC development has generally been hampered by the absence of tractable model systems.
In light of the increasing economic burden of patients with cirrhosis and associated HCC, experimental systems modelling HCC-specific gene expression are needed to understand the disease biology and enable disease-specific drug discovery.

Clinical gene signature-based human cell culture model and uses thereof

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale Institut


Disclosed is a compact zoom lens system having a image stabilizing function. This zoom lens system is provided with a plurality of lens units of which the interval between adjacent ones is changed during zooming. Shake correction is effected by a part of a lens unit of negative optical power of the plurality of lens units. Specifically, the lens unit of negative optical power is comprised of two lens components of negative optical power, and one of these two lens components is moved so as to have a component in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis to thereby change the imaging position of the zoom lens system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a zoom lens system, and is suitable, for example, as the photo-taking optical system of a photographic camera, a video camera, a digital still camera or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a shake is accidentally transmitted to a photographing system, blur occurs to a photographed image. There have heretofore been proposed various zoom lenses provided with a function of compensating for the blur of an image (image stabilizing function) due to such accidental shake. There are known, for example, optical systems which compensate for image blur due to a shake with a part of a lens unit constituting the optical system (zoom lens) moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis thereof (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-136862 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,972), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H07-325272, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H09-230237 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,189), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-039210 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,272), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-231220 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-090601 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,962).
Generally, when a photographing system is inclined by a shake, a photographed image is displaced by an amount conforming to the angle of inclination thereof and the focal length of the photographing system. Therefore, in an image pickup apparatus for a still image, there is the problem that a photographing time must be made sufficiently short to prevent the quality of image from deteriorating, and in an image pickup apparatus for a moving image, there is the problem that it becomes difficult to maintain the setting of composition. Therefore, in case of such photographing, it becomes necessary to correct so that the displacement of a photographed image, i.e., the so-called blur of a photographed image, may not occur even when the photographing system is inclined by a shake. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-136862 discloses an embodiment suitable for being applied chiefly to a standard zoom lens for a single-lens reflex camera. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H08-136862 discloses a construction which compensates for the blur of a photographed image by moving a second lens unit in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis thereof, in a four-unit zoom lens comprised, in succession from the object side, of a first lens unit having positive refractive power, the second lens unit having negative refractive power, a third lens unit having positive refractive power and a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power.
Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H07-325272, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H09-230237, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-039210 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-231220 disclose a form in which a movable lens unit is divided into two lens components to make shake correction performance and other performance compatible, and one lens component is a lens unit for shake correction.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-90601 discloses a construction which compensates for the blur of an image by moving the fourth lens unit having negative refractive power of a five-unit zoom lens comprised, in succession from the object side to the image side, of a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, a third lens unit having positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having negative refractive power and a fifth lens unit having positive refractive power.
In recent years, in single-lens reflex cameras, a digital single-lens reflex camera using a solid-state image pickup device such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor as an image sensor is becoming a mainstream instead of a conventional silver-halide film camera. As this digital camera, there is demanded one of a simple construction.
Also, there have been manufactured a number of digital single-lens reflex camera using an image sensor of a size similar to APS size smaller than the same 135 size as silver-halide film, and a photo-taking optical system suitable therefor is also demanded. When the size of the image sensor becomes small, the field angle becomes narrow as compared with the 135 size and therefore, if in a zoom lens covering a wide angle to medium telephoto focal length, a zoom lens in which the image size is the 135 size is intactly made to have the same field angle, the entire optical system becomes bulky. For example, if in a zoom lens used in a camera of APS size, an attempt is made to obtain the same field angle as that of a zoom lens having a focal length of 28–135 mm and directed to the 135 size, the focal length will become 17.5–85 mm. If a zoom lens having a focal length of 17.5–85 mm is designed at an image size of the 135 size, the optical system will become bulky.
So, there is demanded an exclusive zoom lens corresponding to an image size smaller than the 135 size, for example, APS size.
On the other hand, of a mechanism which shakes some lens units of a photographing system to thereby eliminate the blur of an image and obtain a still image, it is required that the correction amount of the blur of the image be great, that the amount of movement or the amount of rotation of a lens unit to be shaken in order to correct the blur of the image (image stabilizing lens unit) be small, that the entire apparatus be compact, and the like.
Now, assuming that the ratio |Δx/Δh| of the correction amount Δx of the blur of an image to the unit movement amount Δh of the image stabilizing lens unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis thereof is defined as eccentricity sensitivity TS, the eccentricity sensitivity TS is defined asTS=|Δx/Δh|. Also, letting f be the focal length, and BS (degrees/mm) be shake correction sensitivity which is defined asBS=(180/π)×TS/f, the shake correction sensitivity BS is indicative of a shake correction angle relative to the unit movement amount of the image stabilizing lens unit in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis thereof. The accuracy with which the image stabilizing lens unit is controlled depends greatly on the resolution of an actuator which moves the image stabilizing lens unit, and when the shake correction sensitivity BS is too high, a problem occurs to stopping accuracy. Also, when the shake correction sensitivity BS is too low, the amount of movement of the image stabilizing lens unit for the purpose of shake correction becomes great, thus resulting in an increase in electric power consumption and the bulkiness of the optical system.
FIG. 18 of the accompanying drawings is an illustration showing the field angle characteristic of the shake correction sensitivity BS.
Generally, as shown in FIG. 18, it is necessary for the shake correction sensitivity BS be within a desired value range in conformity with the field angle of the optical system.
Further, in the case of an optical systems of the same field angle, it is preferable that the shake correction sensitivity BS be of a value within the same range irrespective of the size of an image circle.
In a zoom lens provided with a image stabilizing function directed to an image pickup device of an image circle smaller than the 135 size, if an attempt is made to design an optical system of the same field angle as the 135 size, there is the problem that the eccentricity sensitivity BS of the image stabilizing lens unit at the telephoto end becomes too high and highly accurate shake correction performance becomes unobtainable. If an attempt is made to intactly apply an optical system for the 135 size to an optical system of an image circle of a size smaller than the 135 size, for example, APS size, shake correction sensitivity becomes high in inverse proportion to the difference in the focal length. That is, assuming that in an optical system of the 135 size and having a focal length of 28–135 mm, the shake correction sensitivity BS at the telephoto end is 0.7 degree/mm, the focal length is 17.5–85 mm for APS size and the shake correction sensitivity at the telephoto end is 0.7×135÷85=1.1 degree/mm. The field angle is the same and therefore, even in the case of APS size, it is necessary to provide the same degree of shake correction sensitivity BS, but if an attempt is made to make the eccentricity sensitivity TS low, it is necessary to make the optical power (inverse number of the focal length) of the image stabilizing lens unit small, and this results in the aggravation of aberrations and an increase in the entire length of the optical system.
A construction in which a movable lens unit of negative refractive power is divided into two lens components having negative refractive power is disclosed in a first embodiment and a second embodiment of the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H07-325272, a first embodiment and a fourth embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H09-230237, a first embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-039210 and first to seventh embodiments of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-231220.
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H07-325272, disclosed is a zoom lens comprised of a plurality of lens units including a first lens unit having positive refractive power and in which a lens unit having negative refractive power is constituted by two lens components having negative refractive power and shake correction is effected by one of the lens components, and this lens unit having negative refractive power is a second lens unit disposed on the object side with respect to an aperture stop. Also, the eccentricity sensitivity TS of the lens component effecting shake correction is −1.615 in the first embodiment, and −17.43 in the second embodiment.
Also in the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H09-230237, disclosed is a zoom lens constituted by a plurality of lens units including a first lens unit having positive refractive power, and in which a lens unit having negative refractive power is constituted by two lens components having negative refractive power and shake correction is effected by one on the lens components, and this lens unit having negative refractive power is also disposed on the object side with respect to an aperture stop. Also, the shake correction sensitivity of the lens component effecting shake correction is −1.644 in the first embodiment, and −1.650 in the fourth embodiment.
In the first embodiment of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-039210, disclosed is a zoom lens in which a lens unit having negative refractive power is constituted by two lens components having negative refractive power and shake correction is effected by one of the lens components, and the eccentricity sensitivity TS of the lens component effecting shake correction is 1.631.
In the first to seventh embodiments of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-231220, disclosed is a zoom lens in which a lens unit having negative refractive power is constituted by two lens components having negative refractive power and shake correction is effected by one of the lens components, and the eccentricity sensitivity TS of the lens component effecting shake correction is 1.692, 1.553, 1.551, 1.716, 1.691, 1.687 and 1.623 in the respective embodiments.
As described above, in these conventional examples, disclosed is a zoom lens in which the lens unit having negative refractive power is divided into two lens components and shake correction is effected by one of the lens components, but in any one of these conventional examples, the eccentricity sensitivity of the image stabilizing lens component is 1.5 or greater, and this is considerably great. This has led to the problem that it is very difficult to manufacture each lens unit.

Zoom lens system and image pickup apparatus having the same


The betting apparatus is configured such that the numbers of a number display portion forming BET areas are displayed in a second BET screen with the same number as those of number plates disposed on a roulette wheel and in a wheel shape in the common array, and such that not only the designated BET area but also the BET areas around the former can be simultaneously bet by setting the bet width in a BET width select unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a betting apparatus for use in a gaming machine such as a roulette game machine and, more particularly, to a betting apparatus, in which the amusements of the gaming machine are diversified by forming the betting areas to be displayed on the betting apparatus, on the basis of the same symbols arranged in a common array as those of a roulette wheel and by making it possible to bet chips simultaneously for a plurality of bet areas including a selected bet area.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the so-called "medal game"using medals as the game media of a slot machine, a roulette game machine or a card game machine, the player can start the game by purchasing or borrowing a plurality of medals from a medal lending machine and by inserting the medal or medals into the game machine. If the player wins the game, the player is awarded by a predetermined number of medals. Therefore, the player having acquired many medals can enjoy the game continuously without purchasing or borrowing new medals. Especially the roulette game machine is played by betting the medals purchased or borrowed from the medal lending machine, for the number expected to win.
In the betting method of the prior art for the player to bet in the roulette game machine, moreover, the betting board displayed on a monitor display is used, as disclosed in JP-A-2003-325726. In this betting board, a plurality of numerals (including letters) are arrayed in a checker shape as the figure letters including the same numerals as those displayed on the wheel. By using the betting board arrayed in the checker shape, moreover, the numeral to win is expected and bet for the chips.
In the roulette game machine disclosed in JP-A-2003-325726, however, no relation exists in the array between the symbols arranged on the roulette wheel and the symbols displayed on the betting board. The player expects the symbol and bets the chips with reference to the betting board. Even if, therefore, the player expects the symbol to be bet by observing the roulette wheel visually, the player has to look for the corresponding symbol on the betting board before the betting, and this is troublesome works for the player.
Even in case the chips are to be bet for all the symbols arranged within a predetermined range on the roulette wheel, the array of the symbols on the betting board are absolutely different from that of the symbols on the roulette wheel. This absolute difference makes it difficult to bet all the desired symbols within a limited time period.


The present application suggests an electronic device and method for generating clock signals with and without frequency jitter for one source clock signal generated by a single narrow-band source clock signal. The device comprises a random number generator to generate a random number signal varying in time which represents a divisor fraction signal; a signal mixer to mix the timely varying random number signal and a clock divisor signal and to output a mixed divisor signal; and a fractional clock divider to generate an output clock signal from a source clock signal, wherein the output clock signal has a frequency fout(t), which is substantially equal to the frequency fsource of the source clock signal being a narrow-band clock signal divided by a divisor D(t) represented by the mixed divisor signal.

Reducing the electromagnetic emission is still a major concern in a wide field of applications including in particular electronic circuitries to be used in electromagnetic emission sensitive environments such as automotive applications and aviation applications. All electronic systems emit some unwanted radio frequency energy. Emitted energy may cause any unwanted interference in particular within tightly packed integrated circuits or electronic circuits arranged nearby. The emitted noise generally appears at sharp spectral peaks usually at the operating frequency of the device, and a few harmonics thereof. The problem of radio-frequency emission and interference caused thereby gets further worse in view of microprocessors and microcontrollers as well as communication interfaces required to operate at high frequencies in order to meet performance requirements and.
A system designer can use a spread-spectrum clock signal generator such as a spread-spectrum PLL to reduce interference by spreading the energy over a larger portion of the spectrum. For example, by changing the operating frequency up and down by a small amount (about 1%), a device running at e.g. hundreds of megahertz can spread its interference evenly over a few megahertz of spectrum, which drastically reduces the emitted energy at a given frequency. Frequency modulation of a clock signal is a well-known and efficient way to spread clock harmonics around a center frequency, thus reducing emitted narrow-band RF energy.
For instance US 2009/0135885 A1 suggests a spread spectrum clock generator which makes use of a random number generator, which controls a voltage-controlled oscillator, in a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,319 B1 suggests a use of a random number generator to randomly gate off individual clock cycles generated by a crystal oscillator. A reference clock signal is transmitted in parallel, which allows reconstructing the off-gated clock cycles. The clock signal with gated-off clock cycles is spectrum-spread and may be provided as a high power signal, whereas the reference clock signal is provided as low power signal causing less narrow-band emission.
Further examples of spread spectrum clock generators are suggested in "Dithered Timing Spread Spectrum Clock Generation for Reduction of Electromagnetic Radiated Emission from High-speed Digital System", Jonghoon Kim et al, Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2002; "Spread Spectrum Clock Generator for reducing Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) Noise in LCD Driver IC", Jaehong Ko et al, Circuits and Systems, 2007; and "A Synchronization-Free Spread Spectrum Clock Generation Technique for Automotive Applications", Junfeng Zhou et al, IEEE Transactions On Electromagnetic Compatibility, Vol. 53, No. 1, February 2011. The spread spectrum clock generators suggested in the above mentioned scientific articles use selectable delay lines to shift edges of the clock signal in accordance with predefined functional relationships.
Some communication interfaces such as inter-chip communication protocols do not tolerate variations of the frequency of a clock signal such as those variations generated by the above mentioned spread spectrum clock generators. Hence, one or more additional unmodulated clock signal generators such as narrow-band PLLs are used to generate the clock signals for the inter-chip communication and/or peripherals connected through communication interfaces. The implementation of additional clock generator circuits is expensive with regard to the required die area and power to operate the additional clock generator circuits.

Electronic device and method for generating clock signals with and without frequency jitter for one source clock signal generated by a single narrow-band source clock signal