A multiphase delay unit causes different delay times to a reference clock to generate a multiphase clock with different phases. A multiphase sampling unit samples the input signal using the multiphase clock, and outputs multiphase sampling data. A phase selecting unit detects a phase relation of the multiphase clock using the multiphase sampling data, and selects output data from the multiphase sampling data based on a result of detecting the phase relation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oversampling circuit and an oversampling method that are used for a receiver, etc., capable of high-speed serial communication, such as Serial-ATA and PCI Express.
2. Description of the Related Art
A demand for large-capacity and high-speed data transmission between devices, boards, and chips has been increasing recently. To meet the demand, a so-called high-speed serial transmission method has been adopted more frequently as a transmission interface standard. According to the method, a clock having the same frequency as that of transmission data is embedded in the transmission data (embedded clock), and the clock is extracted from the data received at a data receiving unit to recover the received data on the basis of the extracted clock. A circuit carrying out recovery of the clock and data is called a clock data recovery circuit (CDR circuit), which is usually provided as a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit. The PLL circuit makes control to synchronize an inner clock generated by a VCO (Voltage Control Oscillator) included in the PLL circuit with the phase of a received signal.
Nowadays, however, high-speed serial transmission pushes faster clock frequencies, leading to a demand for a clock frequency of several GHz. This invites such problems as increasing chip size in a PLL circuit, greater power consumption, raising cots, more complicated circuit design and layout, etc. In addition, the higher a clock frequency becomes, the smaller a PLL jitter tolerance. This brings the necessity that a clock used for data reception must synchronize with input data at an extremely precise level, which is very difficult work to do.
An oversampling type clock data recovery circuit has been suggested as a solution to the above problem, and is now in popular use. This clock data recovery circuit generates multiphase clock signals out of a reference clock by shifting the phase of the reference clock at equal intervals, samples input data at respective phases to obtain a bit string to detect timing of logic inversion from the bit string, and reproduces the clock and data on the basis of a detection result. This allows a circuit configuration dominantly composed of digital circuits except a multiphase clock generating unit, which circuit configuration is easy to achieve.
The multiphase clocks used in the above circuit configuration, however, pose a problem of phase differences between generated clocks. If the phase differences are not equal intervals, the recovered clock comes to have a shorter cycle, which could cause malfunction if worst comes to worst.
To solve such a problem, the inventor has suggested a data recovery method and a data recovery circuit.
According to the data recovery method and data recovery circuit, a clock included in input data is not recovered, but oversampling of the input data is carried out using multiphase clocks that have frequencies equal to or lower than the frequency of the clock and that are independent of the input signal, and the input data is recovered exactly by using the result of oversampling (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-192192).
The above method, however, is carried out on the assumption that the phase differences between the multiphase clocks are equal intervals. If the phase differences are not equal intervals, a resulting error gives an observation of an increase in the jitter of a reception signal, leading to the deterioration of reception characteristics.
Usually, a PLL circuit or a DLL (Delay Lock Loop) circuit is used to generate the phases of multiphase clocks necessary for oversampling. Both circuits are provided as a circuit constructed by connecting buffers circularly, such as a multiphase clock circuit shown in FIG. 31.
The circuit shown in FIG. 31 represents a case where four-phase clocks are generated using two differential amplifiers 51a and 51b, in which case the number of buffer stages and the overall configuration vary properly according to the number of clock phases required. In FIG. 31, generated multiphase clocks are denoted by CLK0 to CLK3. In generating the multiphase clocks, the circuits of the differential amplifiers 51a and 51b and load capacitances attached to wiring. etc., are designed to be identical so that every risetime and falltime of the clocks becomes identical at the differential amplifiers 51a and 51b, respectively.
In actual operation, however, devices mounted on the same chip show locally dispersed characteristics, and load capacities attached to wiring vary depending on the surrounding circuit, so that making phases completely uniform is difficult. Besides, as a frequency gets higher, an allowable error between the phases of multiphase clocks gets smaller, which increases current required by the differential amplifiers 51a and 51b used for clock generation, leading to a tendency of an increase in switching current. As a result, power voltage for the differential amplifiers fluctuates locally, thus the characteristics of each buffer stage fluctuate variously.
An effective means for knowing power fluctuation at a design stage is yet to be established. Reducing the phase dispersion between multiphase clocks to a size within a desirable error, therefore, is extremely difficult. When the risetimes and falltimes of respective clocks are uniform, multiphase clocks with phase differences of equal intervals can be generated, as shown in a timing chart shown in FIG. 32A. When the characteristics of respective buffers are dispersed as described above, however, the phase differences between the multiphase clocks are not formed as the equal interval.
To solve this problem, a clock and data recovery circuit and a clock control method for the same have been suggested (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3636657). According to this circuit and method, phase interpolators are used at a multiphase clock generating unit to carry out phase adjustment.
A phase adjusting circuit of Japanese Patent No. 3636657, however, puts out clocks having phases internally divided by the interpolators on the basis of multiphase clocks originally having phase differences of equal interval. When the phases of the original multiphase clocks are shifted, therefore, the phase adjustment does not have any significance. Besides, the interpolators are used in the number same as that of the phases of the clocks, and these interpolators show different delay times due to variations in device characteristics, local power voltage fluctuation, etc. Achieving completely identical phases, therefore, is difficult.
A phase shift quantity detecting circuit for multiphase clocks and a bit synchronous circuit using the phase shift quantity detecting circuit have been suggested (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3414700). According to the phase shift quantity detecting circuit and the bit synchronous circuit, multiphase clocks having phase differences of virtually equal intervals are generated on the basis of a reference clock, and each of the multiphase clocks is sampled using the reference clock to detect a phase shift quantity so that the phase shift quantity (delay quantity) of the multiphase clocks is corrected into a proper value.
The phase shift quantity detecting circuit of Japanese Patent No. 3414700 is provided on the assumption that a plurality of delay circuits incorporated in the detecting circuit has virtually equal delay characteristics. For the reason as described above, however, delay characteristics are dispersed, which brings difficulty in generating multiphase clocks having phase differences of equal intervals. Besides, the phase shift quantity detecting circuit compares edges of a clock with that of another clock. This makes exact detection of phases difficult as clock frequencies get higher.

Oversampling circuit and oversampling method


An air guide housing for an air supply for an input fan of an air conditioner, including a housing wall with a side wall having a first opening therethrough for circulating air, a second opening therethrough for fresh air, and a third opening in the side wall for air drawn in by the fan, where the first opening is adjacent the second opening. The housing also includes an adjustment element pivotally mounted in the housing wall, where the adjustment element includes a peripheral section defining a closure element of the air guide housing adapted to block selected portions of the first and second openings. The peripheral section has a cross-section smaller than the sum of the cross-sections of the first and second openings.

Air guide housings are provided, for example, to guide fresh and recirculated air to the passenger compartment of a vehicle. DE 197 33 052 A1 discloses one such air guide, which has a relatively costly and demanding mounting and guiding of the rotatable air vent body. The bell-like air vent body sits on the lower edge of the fan housing. The intake housing, which has the same bell shape but has two openings (one for fresh air and one for circulating air) is situated around the air vent body. The air leaves the intake housing downward, almost through the bottom of the bell, in order to be drawn in by the fan. When both housing openings are closed, no air is fed to the fan and the air is not circulated in the passenger compartment. In some conditions (e.g., in winter), fogging of the windshield and resulting dangerously poor driver visibility can occur. Also, a comfortable, persistent temperature in the passenger compartment cannot be guaranteed due to no air is passed through the heater or air conditioner. Overall, this is a relatively costly design which can be unreliable in everyday operation.
Another air guide housing, with a pivoting vent or semi-cylindrical drum vent, is described in DE 199 15 966 A1. This structure may be used to supply fresh air and/or circulating air to a fan by means of ribs integrated in the housing, which ribs are supposed to divert the air stream at the entry to the fan and prevent mixing of circulating air and fresh air in front of the fan. However, during slow rotation of the pivot vent or drum vent between the selected positions of fresh air to circulating air, fresh air may flow around the rib directly into the passenger compartment through the circulation inlet. This can be in different conditions be undesirable, particularly in winter.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


An expandable reamer for forming a space within a vertebral disc includes a pair of opposing blades which have a expanded state and a retracted state. The blades being pivotally positioned at the distal end of a shaft assembly. A shaft housing being substantially disposed about the shaft assembly. The proximal end of the shaft assembly being operatively engaged by a control device which when rotated allows the blades to be fully retracted for insertion into a pre-bored hole and then to be expanded incrementally until the cavity is bored as desired.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an expandable reamer for use in surgery, particularly in orthopedic applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,639 to Kuslich et al., describes an intervertebral reamer which is used to ream out the interior of a degenerated disc to clean the interbody space. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189 to Kuslich describes a device and method for stabilizing the spinal segment with an expandable, porous fabric implant for insertion into the interior of a reamed out disc which is packed with material to facilitate bony fusion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,239 to Mirza discloses a reamer which has a shaft and a cutting tip attached through a free rotating hinge such that high speed rotation allows the tip to be deflected outwardly to form a cavity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,170 to Spievack et al discloses a powered bone saw which inserts its cutting blade through a bored intramedullary canal.
The reamer of U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,639 is better suited to make a cylindrical bore than a spherical bore as is needed for the methods and apparatus of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,679 and 5,571,189, the disclosure of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. There exists, therefore, a need for an instrument which will simplify the surgeon's task of forming a chamber within the interbody space.
The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is "prior art" with respect to this invention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. § 1.56(a) exists.


An Elevating Exercise Bicycle for fitness and amusement ride in one having occupant-seating station with frame attached to a support base frame through an articulating member providing angular rotation about lower pivot pins to create constant pitching angle and vertical movement for occupant-seating station. Hydraulic pressure powered by occupant's energy via foot pedal and a drive chain to the pump increased the pressure inside the hydraulic system. Hydraulic pressure from the pump transferred to a main cylinder lower port, extending the piston rod and pushing an articulating member to move. Angular movement of the articulating member caused an occupant-seated frame to follow in ascending or descending motion depending on piston rod movement.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of fitness industries which simulate exercise bicycle rides and amusement rides with ascending motion.
In particular "Elevating Exercise Bicycle" provides for independent speed and resistance control of vertical motion on upward and predetermined down ward motion.
(2) Prior Art
Existing exercise bicycles for workout and training are well known in the art. Conventional type bicycle simulators for use by the fitness industries and gym are stationary and simple. Elevating Exercise Bicycle offers movement of amusement ride and workout equipment in one. A typical system employs occupant seat with restraint seat belt to prevent accident at the elevated position during the exercise. The seat assembly is mounted on the tubular bicycle frame attached to the parallelogram mechanism to maintain upright position of the occupant back rest on various levels. The seat pitching angle changed some degree when the seat reaches the top most level of the ride to create some excitement. The upper and lower arm of parallelogram are mounted to base flame on one ends and to the bicycle frame on the other ends. The mounting locations of the actuators is determined in geometrical configuration, engineering tradeoffs, equation of motion and safety point of view to be used for the simulation. Three actuator systems for triangular pattern is the minimum on the sophisticated motion base system offering multiple axes of motion. For Elevating Exercise Bicycle, one actuator is required to perform lifting function and one additional actuator is installed to serve as safety cylinder. This cylinder has no lifting capacity.
The cost and complexity for this hydraulic system and frame structure is relative inexpensive for fitness industry and amusement field of applications. The initial and operating cost is in the same level as treadmills and other cardio equipment. In particular in the field of amusement rides, the vertical motion provides excitement and fulfill the purpose as workout machine. The conventional type of exercise bicycle does not offer this kind of function which will attracts the occupant to spent longer time on the equipment for the sake of their health.

Abstract: Each cycle of workout for occupant can be preset to required load level.


The disclosed invention is a method for controlling weeds belonging to the genus Cyperus comprising applying a herbicidal composition containing strain Ascochyta sp. FERM BP-5176 to the weeds in a field. The composition protects crops such as rice, wheat, maize, egg-plant, soybean, cabbage and cucumber in the field. Further, the weed belonging to the genus Cyperus encompasses the species Cyperus microiria, Cyperus serotinus, Cyperus difformis or Cyperus brevifolia var. leiolepsis.

As a method for controlling those weeds belonging to the genus Cyperus in Cyperaceae which are major weeds growing in the paddy fields and fields, a method using chemical herbicides is mainly employed. Recently, in view of the problem of environmental pollution caused by abundant use of agricultural chemicals, the development of herbicides not depending on agricultural chemicals and methods for using the same is desired In particular, the development of microbial herbicides using a plant pathogenic fungus are highly expected. To date, DeVine (U.S.A.; target weed: Stranglervine, Asclepiadaceae), Collego (U.S.A.; target weed: Northern jointvetch, Leguminosae) and BioMal (Canada; target weed: Round-leaved mallow, Malvaceae) have been registered as herbicides and commercialized. However, there has not been developed a microbial herbicide targetted at weeds belonging to the genus Cyperus in Cyperaceae.

Controlling Cyperus weeds with Ascochyta sp. FERM BP-5176


A resistance heating composition including a silicon emulsion particle, a carbon nanotube, and an aqueous medium.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a resistance heating composition, a heating composite using the same, a method of preparing the heating composite, and a heating apparatus and a fusing apparatus that include the heating composite.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printing apparatuses such as a laser printer, a photocopier, or the like, that print images by transferring fine solid toner particles onto paper, using a process other than ink jetting, print and display a desired image through a series of relatively complicated printing processes, including charging, exposing, developing, transferring, and fusing processes.
In printing, a fusing process is a process of fusing toner particles transferred onto paper by electrostatic attraction by applying heat and pressure thereto. Generally, the fusing process is performed by a fusing apparatus including a pair of opposite rollers, such as, a pressure roller and a heating roller.
To be used in a fusing apparatus, a resistance heating composite requires high electrical conductivity. However, in preparing a highly electrically conductive resistance heating composite, when an amount of a conductive filler such as carbon nanotubes is increased, a composition including the same may have markedly increased viscosity. Furthermore, a relative amount of silicon rubber, which is normally mixed with an inorganic additive in a constant ratio, is reduced, which may increase the difficulty of shaping the composition in a specific shape. Therefore, there is a need for a resistance heating composition with a high content of an electrically conductive filler and low viscosity, and that further may be readily shaped.

Resistance heating composition, heating composite using the composition, method of preparing the heating composite, and heating apparatus and fusing apparatus using the same


A reduced crosstalk microstrip transmission-line has a plurality of microstrips sandwiched between a lower base dielectric layer of flexible circuit material and an upper coverlay with higher permittivity and of different flexible circuit material than the base dielectric layer. With the higher permittivity of the coverlay, the thickness of the coverlay is selected such that the microstrip transmission-line retains practical flexibility and far-end crosstalk to a first neighboring microstrip from a driving channel is zero.

The present invention relates in general to transmission-lines, and more particularly to microstrip transmission-line cables with two or more microstrip signal lines.
Microstrip transmission-lines are commonly used for high-bandwidth (>1 Ghz) or high data-rate (>300 Mb/s) signal input/output subsystems. When multiple microstrips are combined in a cable, microstrip-to-microstrip interference (crosstalk) between adjacent channels often becomes a dominant cause of signal degradation and noise. The structure of a typical microstrip transmission-line includes two or more microstrip signal lines, a ground plane, a separating base dielectric, and an optional coverlay.
Far-end crosstalk refers to the crosstalk mechanism resulting from disparate propagation velocities of the various propagation modes of the microstrip transmission-line. When the signal asserted on a driving channel of the microstrip transmission-line excites multiple propagation modes, they recombine imperfectly at the far end of the cable resulting in difference signals (crosstalk) on the neighboring lines. Far end crosstalk is dominant in microstrips with lengths on the order of the wavelength of the highest frequency signal of interest or longer.
Addition of a coverlay to a microstrip transmission line reduces far-end crosstalk. Currently, to increase the reduction in crosstalk of microstrip transmission lines, the physical thickness of the coverlay material is increased. This solution is limited since the coverlay thickness must be increased infinitely to completely eliminate crosstalk, and this causes the cable to increase in thickness and decrease in flexibility.
Another type of multi-signal transmission line, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,306 U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,477 (Marshall), uses a jacket made of a dielectric material having a higher dielectric constant than the dielectric core material of the cable, thus reducing far-end crosstalk, but not eliminating it. Also, microstrip transmission-line cables are structured differently and optimally have a coverlay only on one side for high flexibility and low cost of manufacture. Conversely, the cable disclosed in Marshall is manufactured using an extrusion process. Optimally, microstrip transmission-lines are manufactured as flexible printed wiring boards because of the low cost of production and their specific use as extremely compact, ribbon cable interconnects between modules.
What is desired is a microstrip transmission line cable with no far-end crosstalk, with practical, finite coverlay thickness, and manufactured as a flexible printed wiring board.

Reduced crosstalk microstrip transmission-line


To facilitate interface navigation, accelerator keys are assigned to links within the interface. If the interface is a web browser, for example, accelerator keys may be associated with link elements, e.g., URLs, images, objects, scripts, etc., linking to a resource. Link indicators may be displayed to visually indicate the accelerator keys. If there are more links elements than accelerator keys, the accelerator keys may be shifted to other links, such as through activation of a shifting key.

With the popularity of networks, network application programs such as graphical browsers, e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer and the like, have become a common interface for accessing network resources. Typically, a web page or equivalent data construct is loaded from a network by the browser, and the web page contains data and links to resources obtainable over one or more networks, e.g., intranets, the Internet, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), etc.
Unfortunately, graphical browsers are typically limited in the ways in which they can receive input to indicate a selection of a link to a resource in the web page. Generally, a graphical browser can only be directed to a new resource by using a mouse to select a link, or by using keystrokes to move an input focus to the address bar of the browser so that an address can be manually (and generally tediously) entered. Requiring clicking on a link can be inconvenient for people having certain disabilities, as well as for people in restricted environments in which a mouse cannot be utilized. In some graphical browsers, one can use the tab key to single-step through all link of a web page, and then select a particular link by pressing the "enter" key.
In a non-graphical context, a browser called "Lynx" (developed by the Distributed Computing Group within Academic Computing Services of The University of Kansas), and typically used by way of a text terminal in Unix-type operating systems, e.g., Unix, Linux, etc., may be used to text-view graphical web pages. Since many links within a web page are graphical and inaccessible to Lynx, Lynx may be used to generate a new web page containing enumerated links for elements that would have been selectable in a web page being viewed, had a typical graphical-view and mouse been available. Unfortunately, this page of enumerated links is inconvenient as the numbered links are provided out of the context of the web page.


The invention concerns prosthetic knee joint devices, in particular of the meniscal type having femoral, tibial and meniscal components co-operable to allow congruence of the interfacing articulation surfaces while allowing close simulation of the natural joint in flexion-extension. The device features meniscal and tibial components each of one-piece bicompartmental construction having a pair of mutually spaced portions respectively defining condylar articulation surfaces, such portions being joined by way of an intercondylar portion, and the tibial and meniscal intercondylar portions being interengageable by means of complementary elements of a rib-and-groove joint arranged substantially in the antero-posterior direction, both the rib and the groove having curved side faces to allow limited long axis rotation between the components, and the groove being open at at least one end. With appropriate dimensioning, the device allows movement of the meniscal component in the antero-posterior direction, limited movement in the medio-lateral direction and limited long-axis rotation. It also provides in a simple and effective manner a securement against tibio-meniscal dislocation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns prosthetic knee joint devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various devices have been proposed in the past in attempting to provide a knee joint prosthesis which permits simulation of the natural joint function. Patent specification GB 1,534,263 describes a joint device referred to commonly and in this specification as a meniscal device which comprises femoral, tibial and meniscal components co-operable to allow congruence of the interfacing articulation surfaces while allowing close simulation of the natural joint in flexion-extension. Such devices can employ components of unicompartmental, bicompartmental or, in the case of the femoral component, tricompartmental form. The contents of patent specification GB 1,534,263 are included herein by reference.
In the case of the basic meniscal device, the joint components themselves offer no constraint against their mutual separation; freedom of movement being allowed under the control of the related soft tissues, which generally ensure that the meniscal component is retained in the desired manner between the associated components and cannot therefore dislocate. In some cases, however, it is appropriate to provide means to prevent or at least reduce the risk of dislocation of the meniscal component and some forms of the device have been developed to provide a mechanical coupling between the meniscal and tibial components with a view to ensuring the avoidance of dislocation. Patent specification GB 2,245,175 describes such a device, in which means are provided, separably connectable with the tibial component, to at least partially bridge the associated meniscal component to retain their interengagement. Other proposals have been put forward which feature some form of interengagement between a bicompartmental tibial component and a bicompartmental meniscal component, such as those described in EP-A-0 546 726 and EP-A-0 519 872.


The invention relates to a method for installing an executable computer program in an illumination system having a plurality of illumination devices which are controlled by means of a particular computer unit and have a lighting device and a transmitting device arranged in or directly on the lighting device, wherein the transmitting device wirelessly emits a signal having an item of identification information specific to the transmitting device, in which: data corresponding to the computer program to be installed are provided by a data source, the data are transmitted to the illumination devices and the computer program is automatically installed in the respective computer units of the illumination devices on the basis of the transmitted data, wherein a first of the illumination devices receives the data via a communication link, and in order to install the computer program in at least one second of the illumination devices, the first of the illumination devices transmits the data to the at least one second of the illumination devices.

Fundamentally, Illumination systems, illumination devices as well as also lighting devices and transmitting devices of the generic type are extensively known in the prior art such that a separate printed evidence is not required hereto. Rooms, for example outside of or also within buildings, are illuminated by illumination systems in presettable manner to allow or support intended use. Illumination devices are increasingly employed for the illumination systems, which besides a lighting device, which emits light in presettable manner, also comprise a transmitting device, which is at least formed to wirelessly emit specific identification information, for example in the manner of broadcast. Preferably, this transmitting device is formed to emit the signal in the manner of near-field radio. Such a transmitting device is also referred to as "beacon" in the prior art.
So-called beacons can be combined with lighting devices to provide lamp-specific or also other information by means of their signal. The beacon technology is based on a transmitter system or also a transceiver system. A beacon (in German also Leuchtfeuer, Bake or Peilsender) is a small, mostly battery-operated transmitter, which emits a signal in, preferably definable, time intervals, for example based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard. The signal of a beacon is characterized by the identification information, which for example includes a unique identification number, for example termed universally unic identifier (UUID) in English. Beacons can be used to assign an, in particular digital, identification to objects and/or locations. Objects, at which a beacon is installed, as well as also locations, at which a beacon is installed, for example on a wall or a ceiling, can be identified by communications terminals, for example smartphones, laptops and/or the like, in the signal field of the beacon in this manner.
Thereby, a location can for example be identified and localization can be performed, respectively, with the aid of a beacon. By arranging one or more beacons in a preset region, for example a building region or the like, a type of radio-based raster can be provided, which allows a communications terminal located in the region ascertaining the own position by means of its radio interface, in particular BLE interface, as well as corresponding evaluation possibilities. Therein, the individual identification numbers of the installed beacons give an identifier to a location, based on which the communications terminal can, at least approximately, determine the position. Anyway, a transmission area of a respective beacon can basically be ascertained. By suitable evaluation, for example using preset algorithms or the like, the accuracy of the ascertained position can be improved, for example by evaluating a signal strength and/or the like. Hereto, the communications terminal can preferably access data of a data storage, for example via a communication network like the Internet and/or the like. The data storage can for example be a Cloud server or the like. Here, the identification number and an associated position can for example be noted in a map.
If the communications terminal comes into the range of the transmitting device or the beacon, it can thus ascertain the own site for example via server query based on the ascertained identification number. Using further signals of further transmitting devices or beacons, the accuracy can be improved by means of localization algorithms, in particular a distance can be ascertained from a receiving field strength of the respective signal of the transmitting device or the beacon.
Basically, transmitting devices or beacons can be installed at illumination systems of the generic type in the light technology. Therein, the advantage is in particular utilized that a light installation provides a permanent energy access to supply the transmitting device or the beacon with electrical energy. An advantage results from it, namely that the transmitting device or the beacon does not require an own energy supply in the form of a battery and thus corresponding maintenance expenditure can be saved. Moreover, this configuration allows that settings of the transmitting device or the beacon can also be chosen, which entail high energy consumption without having effects on a lifetime of the beacon. Moreover, installation processes of such transmitting devices or beacons and the light technology can be unified. A further advantage is a defined locking position of the transmitting device or the beacon, which is preferably selected such that the transmitting device or the beacon is protected from manipulation. Thereby, a reliable secure identifier can thus be assigned to a location.
An overview over use potentials of the integration of a transmitting device or a beacon in an illumination device can be taken from the following enumeration:                The energy supply of the light installation can be used instead of an energy supply by a battery to for example reduce lifecycle cost of the transmitting device or the beacon.        The electrical energy supply of the illumination system can be used to adapt transmission parameters of the signal of the transmitting device or the beacon to the service and not to an available residual amount of energy or parameters of the battery. Frequent transmission cycles for example generate a high accuracy of a respective service, however, this also results in increased energy consumption.        The exchange of the battery of conventional transmitting devices or beacons bears risks, namely for example with regard to errors in the handling.        A non-availability of services can be avoided by an uninterrupted energy supply of the transmitting device or the beacon.        An installation location below a ceiling is advantageous for a signal propagation of the signal of the transmitting device or the beacon.        An installation location below the ceiling can make the overall system more robust against disturbances and shadings, respectively, by other objects at the level of a floor level in contrast to an installation of the transmitting device or the beacon itself at the level of the floor level.        The transmitting device or the beacon can be protected from manipulations and unauthorized accesses, respectively, whether unintentional or intentional.        An illumination system as well as also services such as for example localization services or the like can be offered as an overall system "from a single source".        Moreover, there is the possibility of using a secure communication network of the illumination system to for example configure the transmitting device or the beacon or to link the transmitting devices or the beacons with each other.        A unification of installation processes of transmitting devices or beacons and the illumination system can be allowed.        Furthermore, there is the possibility of coupling to further system elements of a peripheral building infrastructure via the communication network of the illumination system, for example to elements of the safety technology or the like.        An optically attractive illumination system can be provided since the transmitting device or the beacon can be non-visibly arranged in the respective illumination device or in the illumination system.
A beacon can be integrated in an illumination device of an illumination system as a transmitting device. The illumination system can include a plurality of illumination devices. The illumination device includes the lighting device besides the beacon, which provides the desired illumination function by means of one or more illuminants. The beacon and the lighting device are in communication link with each other. The beacon is preferably arranged integrated in the lighting device. Thus, a separate housing does not have to be provided for the beacon. Thereby, the beacon can be arranged protected at the same time such that the intended function can be provided with high reliability. Further illumination devices of the illumination system are preferably formed identical to the illumination device.
The beacon is formed to wirelessly emit a signal with identification information specific to the beacon. Preferably, the emission is effected by radio using a BLE standard. Further, the beacon preferably includes a control unit, which includes a computer unit as well as a storage unit. An executable computer program is stored in the storage unit, which is provided for the computer unit such that a preset control function can be achieved by means of the computer unit.
Further, the beacon can be connected to further local beacons via a communication link. The communication link is presently also formed as a wireless communication link according to the BLE standard. The communication link between the beacon and the further beacons is preferably bidirectional.
Moreover, the beacon can be connected to a data infrastructure device via a further communication link. The data infrastructure device can serve for controlling the illumination system, here in particular the illumination devices. The infrastructure device can for example be the Internet or else a central service server. The data infrastructure device can further serve for controlling and/or communicating data. The local beacon of the illumination device can be formed as a pure transmitting device in the manner of a broadcasting operation or also as a combined transmitting-receiving device.
The signal of the beacon can be received by means of communications terminals such as for example a smartphone, a LAPTOP and/or the like.
According to an example of use, humans and appliances, respectively, can optionally have the challenge to have to orient themselves, to navigate or to locate and use other local digital services, respectively, within a region, such as for example apps, app functions, Google Maps, Lightify, light control and/or the like. The illumination system with integrated beacons in a preset region can become a localization and orientation system, respectively, for these potentials of use. With a self-localization of the communications terminal realizable thereby, services can now be provided, for example a navigation, provision of location-specific information and/or the like.
An aspect of the beacon technology is the possibility of configuration of typical parameters such as for example a signal strength, a transmission interval and/or the like of the beacon. With different configurations, different scenarios of application can be individually supported. For example, if a high service quality with respect to an accurate localization in short intervals is desired, for example in indoor navigation, very short transmission intervals are for example able to be configured.
In particular in digitally controlled illumination systems, for example using Digital Addressable Lighting Interfaces (DALI), it should be possible to uniquely identify, which illuminant or which lighting device is arranged at which location, to allow an exact control of the lighting devices or the illuminants thereof in a certain region by means of digital light control. Hereto, the lighting devices require a unique address, which reflects their position in a preset region. The expert refers such an assignment of lighting devices to corresponding positions or addresses as to "commissioning". Herein, multiple information has to be combined, namely unique identification information of a respective lighting device, an installation location of a respective lighting device in a preset region, that is a physical address of the lighting device, as well as an identifier of the lighting device, that is for example its digital address.
The digital address of a lighting device can usually be communicated to a control or data processing via power line communication or a similar power-based communication solution via the energy distribution. The lighting device or a ballast of the lighting device thus signs up at the control with its digital address. However, the information is thereby not yet available, at which physical location in the preset region the lighting device is actually arranged. However, this information is required if only a defined region is to be lighted, for example only a conference room or a part thereof or the like.
At present, illumination systems and illuminants, respectively, and at the same time the site thereof usually cannot be readily electronically identified. Typically, it can only be recognized via a label or an impressing, for example on a housing of the lighting device, which type of the lighting device or the illuminant it is. Another expensive possibility is in causing each digitally signed up lighting device within the scope of the illumination system to individually blink and in manually marking position information in a layout.
In order to efficiently connect lighting devices and/or illuminants within the scope of the illumination system to a light management system (LMS), it would be advantageous to have available one or more electronic and digital identification numbers, respectively, for recognizing the overall system or individual components of the overall system.
Further, a specific problem is in that positions of the lighting devices or illuminants are usually set in an installation plan for an illumination region or service region. This presets to an installer, which of the delivered and commissioned lighting devices, respectively, for example with respect to a lamp type or the like, are to be arranged in which position of the region, for example the building, corresponding to the installation plan.
Location-related employments or services, such as for example navigation of a user or the like, by means of beacons are to be available to the user in a preset region, preferably in permanent manner and without restriction. Besides an uninterrupted electrical energy supply, this also requires regular maintenance and optionally also update of computer programs such as for example the firmware or the like, respectively. In particular, firmware updates of technical systems are of high importance. They usually serve for error elimination, power optimization as well as optionally also for functional extension of the technical system. Thus, errors, so-called bugs, can for example be fixed, whereby the reliability can be increased. Moreover, security gaps can be closed or technical functions of the system can subsequently be enabled or turned off. Thus, high demand of performing firmware updates in regular, in particular situation-specific intervals, is explained.
However, at present, firmware updates in transmitting devices or beacons require high effort for a respective service provider or operator of the technical system and thereby high lifecycle cost.
Thus, it is for example required to individually manually establish a communication link with each transmitting device or each beacon correspondingly to be processed to be able to transfer the data for the installation or the change of the respective computer program. This can result in the fact that required firmware updates are not performed caused by resources, for example due to personnel capacities or cost, and thus the respective services, in particular location-related services, are not available with the desired reliability on the one hand and potential security gaps are not closed on the other hand. Both substantially counteract a further market penetration because acceptance of the users or operators thereby suffers.
Therefore, it is desired to configure an expensive distribution of firmware updates to the transmitting devices or beacons as well as also a process of the firmware update for the respective service provider or the operator as simple and time-efficient as possible.
Therefore, it is the object of the invention to improve installing or changing an executable computer program in an illumination system with a plurality of illumination devices controlled by means of a respective computer unit.

Installing or changing an executable computer program in an illumination system


A music score display data arranging unit provides music score display data for displaying a music score by placing music score notational elements on a given display area in one or more staff tiers, each staff tier containing one or more measures of variable lengths based on inputted music performance representing data. The sizes of the music score notational elements and the size of the display area are determinable. A measures apportioning unit calculates, for each measure based on the sizes of the music score notational elements, a minimum horizontal length for placing at least one kind of notational elements in the measure without an overlap in the horizontal direction, and apportions a number of measures in each staff tier such that the notational elements of each measure shall be placed on the apportioned staff tier in a length of the calculated minimum horizontal length or more.

An apparatus which composes music score displaying data from the inputted musical performance representing data and displays a corresponding music score on a display screen is known in the art, as disclose, for example, in unexamined Japanese patent publication No. H10-198352.
A music score is displayed or printed by placing various musical notational elements or parts on staves of five lines. The notational element or parts refer to symbols, signs, marks and other indications for the musical notation such as clefs (G clef, F clef and C clef), bar lines, key signatures, time signatures, notes, rests, dynamic marks, repeat signs which are placed on the staves to visually describe music. Staves may be also termed as elements or parts.
The size of an element refers to the dimensions of the element which is displayed or exhibited on a display screen or on a sheet of paper to constitute a music score. In the above referenced patent publication (paragraph [0087]), the size of the notational elements is defined as the font size that is one tenth ( 1/10) of a measure size (i.e. height) VM which is obtained by dividing the size (i.e. vertical length) VW of the music score display area (or window) by the number n of tiers of the staves.
In this specification, a staff tier means a tier of music notation describing a music progression on a staff of five lines. The area of a staff tier also covers spaces for ledger lines above and below the five lines. In the case of a grand staff consisting of a five-line staff with a G clef and a five-line staff with an F clef placed in parallel and connected together vertically, or in the case of an orchestra score consisting of staves for various instrument parts, a group of staves for a simultaneous music progression may be termed as a staff tier.
The above referenced patent publication discloses (in connection with FIGS. 4, 6 and 13) an apparatus for creating music score display data to display a sheet music on a display screen based on the number of measures to be contained in each staff tier and the number of staff tiers to be contained in a page of the score as set by a user.
The above referenced patent publication also discloses (in connection with FIGS. 14 and 19) an example in which the number of measures and the sizes of the music score notational elements are respectively designated. The above referenced patent publication further discloses (in connection with FIGS. 20 and 26) an example in which the number of measures, the number of staff tiers and the sizes of the notational elements are designated, and the priority among those designations can be also designated.
In a known software product (sold by YAMAHA), which is a sequencer software product for a personal computer, the sizes of the notational elements are selectable among four ranks (large, middle, small, tiny) in a music score display window. During an automatic play back of the musical performance data, the displayed range of the music score is changed to the next range when the music progresses beyond the displayed range. When the scroll bar on the display screen is moved by the mouse, the displayed range of the music score is scrolled accordingly. The length (horizontal dimension) of a measure is of a fixed size irrespective of the sizes of the notational elements employed.
In both of the prior art embodiments, the number of notational elements such as notes to be placed in a measure varies from one measure to another. Further, the horizontal lengths of the notational elements to be placed vary among different kinds of notational elements. In this connection, as the number of notational elements to be placed in a measure is large, the notational elements may overlap with each other so that the music score will be less legible. Under such a circumstance with the above referenced patent publication, the designation of the number of measures will have to be changed, or the sizes of the notational elements will have to be changed to a smaller size. On the other hand, with the above referenced software product, the display magnification factor in the horizontal direction will have to be enlarged by clicking the horizontal zoom-in button by the mouse. Namely, the adjustment for better legibility of the notational elements on the musical staves will not be conducted automatically. Further, in the case of the above referenced patent publication (FIGS. 15 and 17), where a plurality of staff tiers are displayed on one page of a sheet music, the designation of larger sizes of notational elements will cause the notational parts of the vertically adjacent staff tiers may overlap with each other, and consequently the user will have to change the designation of the sizes.

Apparatus and computer program for arranging music score displaying data


The present disclosure relates to the use of AHSP to stabilize the α subunit of rHb. AHSP may be co-expressed with the hemoglobin genes. AHSP stabilization may be used to increase the production of intact rHb in various systems, such as E. coli, other microorganisms, or animal erythroid cells. This intact rHb may then be used as part of a blood substitute product.

Hemoglobin (Hb) is responsible for carrying and delivering oxygen to tissues and organs in animals and has been used in development of an effective and safe oxygen carrier as an alternative to blood transfusion. Hb can be obtained easily in large quantities from bovine sources, or can be produced transgenically, so the raw material is not limiting. Such forms of Hb, however, may have numerous serious side effects when transfused into a human patient. For example, raw Hb may cause vasoconstriction, abdominal pain, and acute kidney failure. In addition, products may cause elevation of blood pressure and other problems associated with interference with smooth muscle regulation.
Some of these effects may stem from the toxicity of Hb when it is outside of a red blood cell (erythrocyte). In addition, Hb outside of a red blood cell is rapidly broken down from its tetrameric form into dimers and monomers. These products may be taken up by the kidney and impair nephrological functions. Production of hemoglobin (Hb) may be limited by the stability of the globin chains (protein without the heme bound), particularly the α subunits which are generally less stable than the partner β subunits.

Enhancing recombinant hemoglobin production by co-expression with alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein


A touch screen apparatus and a processing method thereof. In the touch screen apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention, a frequency spectrum analyzing unit determines that a frequency domain signal of a signal received by a receiving unit in the touch screen apparatus or of a signal obtained by processing the signal received by the receiving unit for at least once includes a predetermined noise signal feature, and then a frequency control unit controls the frequency of the signal sent by a sending unit, so that there is as little interference of the noise as possible when the sending unit performs transmission.

Touch screens for electronic devices are mainly divided into resistive touch screens and capacitive touch screens. With the increasing size of the screen used in the electronic device, the capacitive touch screen is more and more widely used. The electronic apparatus of the capacitive touch screen (hereinafter referred to as touch screen apparatus) includes a receiving unit for receiving a signal, a sending unit for sending a signal, a mutual capacitance connected between the receiving unit and the sending unit and a data processing and analyzing module. The mutual capacitance forms a part of the touch screen. The data processing and analyzing module can detect the mutual capacitance by analyzing the signal received by the receiving unit and determine whether the touch screen is touched.
However, the detection of the mutual capacitance by the touch screen apparatus is susceptible to noise, i.e. the signal received by the receiving unit includes both the noise and the signal sent by the sending unit, and it is difficult to distinguish the noise from the sent signal, so it is difficult to eliminate the influence of the noise on the sent signal by filtering, and the detection of the mutual capacitance is directly affected.

Touch screen apparatus and processing method thereof


Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a multimode optical fiber for high data rate LAN using MCVD, which includes a deposition process for forming a clad layer and a core layer, doped with an additive for controlling a refractive index, on an inner wall of a quartz tube by injecting a deposition gas into the quartz tube and applying heat to outside of the quartz tube; and a collapse process, which is repeatedly conducted N times, for filling up a gap in the quartz tube by applying heat of a temperature over a deposition temperature to the quartz tube after the core layer is completely deposited. In the method, together with an N−1th collapse process, an etching process of injecting a reaction gas for etching into the quartz tube is conducted in order to eliminate a portion of which refractive index is transformed due to evaporation of the additive.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multimode optical fiber and its manufacturing method, and more particularly to a multimode optical fiber for high data rate LAN (Local Area Network), which improves transmission properties for high data rate LAN by eliminating defects in a core region and also suggests a criteria for minimum transmission performance required for gigabit level optical transmission, and its manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the number of Internet users is increased, more transmission capacity is needed for stable communication service, so more and more interests are taken in 1- or 10-gigabit level LAN system using a multimode optical fiber as a transmission line, which gives better transmission performance together with a relatively lower maintenance cost rather than the conventional system. However, in spite of such expectation, the existing gigabit-level LAN system is not easy to cope with subscriber's demand for bandwidth, which is explosively increased, due to its structural disadvantage that it generally uses LEDs as a light source. Accordingly, there is a need for a transmission system which may use a laser diode as a light source capable of receiving more transmission capacity.
The transmission system using a laser diode as a light source may be efficiently used in a system of more than 10-gigabit level. However, more preferably, the system should be specified to meet user's demand at a low cost through a suitable compromise between a system configuration cost and a system performance, which are essential factors of LAN. VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emission Laser) diode and Fabry-Perot LD (Laser Diode) may be used at a relatively low cost among the existing laser diodes supporting a data rate over 1 gigabit.
However, though advantageously supporting a high data rate communication over a gigabit level, the laser diode causes several problems when it is used together with a multimode optical fiber, differently from LED. Representatively, since a laser diode is configured to irradiate a light only to a partial area of a core center of an optical fiber when the gigabit-level system is used, fine defects and irregularity in the core may sensitively transform an output signal, thereby exerting serious effects on performance deterioration of the system.
Thus, it is understood that research for an optical fiber manufacturing process which may eliminate such drawbacks in the core region is most essential to configure a system which may realize high data rate optical transmission regardless of the kind of a light source.
FIG. 1 shows MCVD (Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition), which is a representative optical fiber manufacturing method currently used. Sections (a), (b) and (c) in FIG. 1 respectively show a deposition process, a collapse process and a drawing process, which configure MCVD in order.
Referring to the section (a) of FIG. 1, in the deposition process, deposition gas such as SiCl4, GeCl4, POCl3, He and O2 is injected into a quartz tube 10 which generally rotates at 20 to 120 rpm, and a heat source 5 is slowly moved along an axial direction of the quartz tube 10 to heat outside of the tube, thereby forming a deposition layer 12 composed of a core and a clad.
More specifically, the deposition gas injected and flowed in the quartz tube 10 is heated up to a reaction temperature at a position adjacent to the heat source 5. At this time, due to thermal oxidization, a fine silica particle layer 11 is generated on an inner wall of the tube positioned in front of the heat source 5 and having a relatively low temperature, and the fine silica particle layer 11 is sintered to form the core/clad deposition layer 12. Whenever the heat source 5 moves once along the entire length of the quartz tube 10, one layer of the particle deposition layer is obtained. Thus, if such procedure is repeated several ten times and constitution of the deposition is changed to give a desired refractive index distribution for each layer, the clad and core deposition layers 12 are subsequently formed in the quartz tube 10.
After the deposition process is completed, the collapse process as shown in the section (b) of FIG. 1 follows. That is to say, if the outside of the quartz tube in which the clad and core deposition layers 12 are formed is heated over a deposition temperature (e.g., at 2000 to 2300° C.) by means of the heat source 5 moving in an axial direction, viscous flow is generated in the quartz tube 10, so inner and outer diameters of the tube are gradually decreased due to the difference of surface tension and pressure between the inner and outer walls. If this procedure is repeated several times, a gap G in the quartz tube 10 is substantially filled up, thereby making an optical fiber preform of a quartz rod shape. For the optical fiber preform having experienced the collapse process, the drawing process as shown in the section (c) of FIG. 1 is accomplished to resultantly obtain an optical fiber.
Generally, GeO2 is doped as an additive to increase a refractive index while the core layer is formed in the deposition process. This additive is volatilized during the collapse process which is progressed at a higher temperature than the deposition process, as shown in the following reaction formula 1. In the reaction formula 1, (s) and (g) respectively indicate a solid state and a gas state of substance.
                              Ge                                                                                O              2                                                  (              s              )                                      ↔                              Ge                                                                                O                                            (                g                )                                              +                                    1              2                                                  O              2                                                          Reaction                                                  Formula                                                  1
Due to the reaction like the reaction formula 1, GeO2 concentration is decreased on the surface of the deposition layer of the core center, and an optical fiber preform finally made has a refractive index distribution with an index dip as shown in FIG. 2. In addition, GeO gas generated by the reaction is partially condensed again into GeO2 in front of the moving heat source 5. Thus, as the heat source 5 is moved, internal diffusion of GeO2 is activated again, so it probably cause an index peak that a refractive index is increased again at the core center as shown in FIG. 3.
Such index dip and index peak, and resultant axial irregularity of refractive index, significantly reduce a bandwidth of a multimode optical fiber, thereby deteriorating optical characteristics thereof. Thus, the index dip and peak are a problem which should be solved, particularly in the process of making a multimode optical fiber for a gigabit level transmission system in which an optical signal is irradiated only to a part of the core region. It is because deterioration of optical transmission characteristics is inevitable if the transformation of refractive index profile caused by volatilization or re-condensation of additives generated in the collapse process is not eliminated, even though the refractive index is ideally controlled in the deposition process.
In order to minimize the change of refractive index due to volatilization of GeO2 during the collapse process, a method for compensating volatilized GeO2 by injecting O2 and GeCl4 into a quartz tube just before the final collapse process as shown in the following reaction formula 2 has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,224 and No. 4,304,581 and by Akamatsu et al. (1977, Appl. Phsy. Lett, 31. 515˜517).GeCl4(g)+O2(g)GeO2(s)+2Cl2(g)  Reaction Formula 2
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,516 revealed that an overdoping process according to the reaction formula 2 should be conducted at a temperature lower than the collapse process so that a deposition layer exists in a colloidal state, and a thickness of the deposition layer should be gradually decreased in a forwarding direction of a heat source during the final collapse process in order to improve compensation effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,575 discloses that Al2O3 is used as an additive instead of GeO2. According to this document, when Al2O3 with a melting point of 2045° C. is used for controlling a refractive index of the optical fiber, diffusion of the additive out of the core is suppressed during the collapse process rather than the case of using GeO2 with a melting point of 1086° C., thereby decreasing an index dip, compared with the conventional processes.
Besides the aforementioned methods, a technique for making a final optical fiber preform after removing a volatilized portion of GeO2 by etching just before the final process among the collapse processes has been proposed. At this time, the etching process may use a reaction gas such as HF (Hopland, 1978, Electron. Lett., 14, 757˜759) or gaseous fluoric compound (Liegois et al., 1982, Non-Cryst. Solids. 117, 247˜250; Schneider et al. 1982, Conf. Proc. Eur. Conf. Opt. Fibre Commun. 8th., 36˜40). U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,843 discloses that an amount of fluorine per a unit area may be increased and an etching effect may also be improved by using a fluoric compound such as C2F6, C3F8 and n-C4F10 together with O2 in the etching process. However, this technique conducts several times of the etching process separatively just before the final collapse process, so a time gap exists between N−1th and Nth collapse steps and thus GeO2 is volatilized during the etching process. In addition, since there is a limit in decreasing an inner diameter of the tube just before the final collapse process due to the etching process, a volatilizing area of GeO2 is still large, so it is substantially not easy to effectively eliminate the index dip.
Though such various techniques are proposed, there is realistically not obtained a multimode optical fiber whose drawbacks are sufficiently eliminated to be suitable for a gigabit level high data rate transmission system, so there is still a need for a new method capable of more effectively eliminating drawbacks of the core center such as an index dip and an index peak.
Meanwhile, in order to use a multimode optical fiber for a gigabit level high data rate LAN, a transmission protocol which provides an optimal transmission performance regardless of the kind of a light source should be suggested.
As a conventional manner of indicating the transmission characteristics of a multimode optical fiber, there is a Restricted Mode Launching Bandwidth (RMLB) regulated by FOTP-204. However, the kinds of light sources to which RMLB may be applied are restricted, so, if a light source or a light-exciting condition is changed in the actual use, a critical error may arise since RMLB does not satisfy an actually demanded bandwidth.
FOTP-220 regulates a method for measuring DMD (Differential Mode Delay) having an improved accuracy in comparison with RMLB. FOTP-220 is known as a method which may evaluate transmission characteristics of a multimode optical fiber more accurately regardless of the used light source than any other existing method. A transmission characteristic evaluation criterion of a multimode optical fiber according to FOTP-220 is specified in TIA-492AAAC, which however has limitations that it is restrictively applied to a multimode optical fiber with a core diameter of 50 μm, a transmission distance up to 300 m and an application wavelength of 850 nm, among 10-gigabit level optical fibers.
As mentioned above, transmission characteristics of a multimode optical fiber, which may be applied to all of 1-gigabit level and 10-gigabit level high data rate optical transmission systems and may be used at both 850 nm and 1300 nm regardless of the kind of a light source, has not been proposed in the past, so there is a need for its alternative.

Multimode optical fiber for high rate LAN, method for manufacturing the same, and test bed thereof


The invention concerns a powder metallurgical composition containing, preferably a coarse, soft magnetic iron or iron-based powder, wherein the particles are surrounded by an insulating inorganic coating and as lubricant at least one non-drying oil or liquid having a crystalline melting point below 25° C., a viscosity (η) at 40° C. above 15 mPas and wherein said viscosity is temperature dependent according to the following formula:10 log η=k/T+C wherein the slope k is above 800    T is in Kelvin and    C is a constant    in an amount between 0.05 and 0.4% by weight of the composition.

In industry, the use of metal products manufactured by compacting and heat-treating soft magnetic powder compositions is becoming increasingly widespread. A number of different products of varying shape and thickness are being produced, and different quality requirements are placed on these products depending on their final use. In order to meet the different requirements the powder metallurgy industry has developed a wide variety of iron and iron-based powder compositions.
One processing technique for producing the parts from these powder compositions is to charge the powder composition into a die cavity and compact the composition under high pressure. The resultant green part is then removed from the die cavity and heat-treated. To avoid excessive wear on the die cavity, lubricants are commonly used during the compaction process. Lubrication is generally accomplished by blending a solid, particular lubricant powder with the iron-based powder (internal lubrication) or by spraying a liquid dispersion or solution of the lubricant onto the die cavity surface (external lubrication). In some cases, both lubrication techniques are utilized.
Lubrication by means of blending a solid lubricant into the iron-based powder composition is widely used and new solid lubricants are developed continuously. These solid lubricants generally have a density of about 1-2 g/cm3, which is very low in comparison with the density of the iron-based powder, which is about 7-8 g/cm3. Additionally, in practice the solid lubricants have to be used in amounts of at least 0.6% by weight of the powder composition. As a consequence the inclusion of these less dense lubricants in the composition lowers the green density of the compacted part.
In modern PM technology, lubrication with only liquid lubricants has not been successful due to poor powder properties and handling. However, liquid lubricants have been suggested for use in combination with solid lubricants. Thus, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,389 discloses a method of manufacturing a soft magnetic composite material. In this method punching oil or rapeseed oil methyl ester are mentioned as examples of suitable lubricating additions in the powder composition to be compacted. These compounds are suggested to be used in combination with the solid stearic acid amide lubricant but nothing is taught about the physical nature of the punching oil or rapeseed oil methyl ester and no actual examples demonstrate the use of these compounds. The use of liquid lubricants is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,110 which teaches that the liquid lubricant should be used in combination with a porous silica gel. Also in this case the liquid lubricant should be combined with a solid lubricant.
It has now unexpectedly been found that when soft magnetic iron or iron-based powders of a certain type are combined with a specific type of liquid organic substances as lubricants, it will be possible to obtain compacted bodies having not only high density but it has also been found that these compacted bodies can be ejected from the dies with comparatively low ejection forces. Furthermore, it has turned out that these lubricants are effective in preventing wearing of the walls of the die and providing the compacted bodies an excellent surface finish. No silica gel is needed for the lubrication.

Lubricants for insulated soft magnetic iron-based powder compositions


Whether or not a received drawing instruction is an instruction which needs an arithmetic operating process with a background portion is discriminated. When it is determined that the received drawing instruction is not the instruction which needs the arithmetic operating process with the background portion, the drawing instruction is converted into a drawing command and transmitted to a printing apparatus, and the received drawing instruction is stored as intermediate data. When it is determined that the received drawing instruction is the instruction which needs the arithmetic operating process with the background portion, the intermediate data which relates to the received drawing instruction is extracted from the intermediate data stored by the storing step, a drawing command in which the arithmetic operating process of the received drawing instruction has been executed to the extracted intermediate data is formed and transmitted to the printing apparatus.

In recent years, a number of applications draw images with attractive "transparent data". Although there is a device which can process the "transparent data", there are many devices such as a reasonable device and the like which cannot process the "transparent data".
Even the device which cannot process the "transparent data" executes a process for eliminating a "transparent portion" prior to transmitting the data to the device by a printer driver so that a desired output can be performed. To process the transparent data, a drawing image of a background is necessary and drawing images of one whole page are necessary.
In a "transparent data" processing method in the related art, there is such a technique that drawing images of one page are spooled and divided into a "transparent data portion" and a "portion in which the transparent data portion has been hollowed out" and drawing commands are formed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-293936).
However, there are the following problems in the related art.
In the related art, since it is necessary to form the drawing command after the drawing images of one page were spooled, timing for starting the transmission of the drawing command is delayed.
There is also a case where a white stripe (gap) occurs between the "transparent data portion" and the "portion in which the transparent data portion has been hollowed out" due to a calculation error in a printer.
An efficiency deteriorates in the case where there are a number of objects which overlap the transparent data.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program


The invention provides FIAT nucleic acids and proteins, and methods of using such nucleic acids and proteins.

The activating transcription factor (ATF)/cyclic adenosine monophosphate responsive element-binding (CREB) family consists of transcription factors that bind the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element (CRE) through highly related, carboxy-terminal basic leucine-zipper (bZip) dimerization domains (Hai et al. (2001) Gene 273, 1-11). Several cDNA clones encoding proteins that can bind to the ATF/CRE site have been isolated. All these cDNAs encode proteins with the bZip DNA binding domain, and the proteins can be grouped into subgroups on the basis of their amino acid similarity. Proteins within each subgroup share significant similarity both inside and outside the bZip domain. Proteins between the subgroups, however, do not share much similarity other than the bZip "motif." The ATF4 subgroup includes ATF4 (also known as CREB2, TAXREB67, mATF4, C/ATF, or mTR67) (Chevray et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:5789-93; Hai et al. (1989) Genes Dev. 3:2083-90; Karpinski et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89:4820-4; Mielnicki et al. (1991) Nucleic Acids Res. 19:6332; Tsujimoto et al. (1991) J. Virol. 65:1420-6; Vallejo et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:4679-83) and ATFx (also known as ATF5) (Hai et al. (2001) Gene 273:1-11; and Persengiev (2002) Genes Dev. 16:1806-14).
ATF4 is a 381 amino acid protein containing 3 acidic regions, a hallmark of transactivation domains. Its mRNA is ubiquitously expressed and the protein exhibits a short half-life controlled through ubiquitination. ATF4 can form homodimers, but can also heterodimerize with a variety of partners, including transcription factors and kinases. It interacts with transcriptional coactivators and components of the basal transcriptional machinery. Although ATF4-dependent transcriptional repression has been reported, it is thought that the repressive activity was an experimental artifact, and it is generally assumed that ATF4 acts as a transcriptional activator. Disruption of ATF4 activity has been shown to cause severe microphthalmia, anemia, runting, and reduced bone mass in mice.

FIAT nucleic acids and proteins and uses thereof


A protective cover for use on motor vehicle radiators while the vehicle is being serviced, fits over a radiator to protect it from damage which might otherwise be caused by inadvertent impact of a tool or engine component being removed or replaced, and to protect hands and other body parts of service personnel from cuts resulting from contact with sharp heat exchanger core fins of the radiator, or burns resulting from contact with hot radiator components, comprises a flexible pad having a front section that is adapted to lie on and remain in place on the upper tank portion of a radiator, and a rear core section adapted to drape downwards from the front tank section, over the heat exchanger core section of a radiator. Transversely disposed, sealed tubular weight-containing pockets are provided near the front peripheral edge of the cover, to maintain the tank portion of the cover in place by the force of gravity. In the preferred embodiment, a transversely disposed, sealed tubular rib or lip, which may also contain weights, protrudes upwards from the upper surface of the pad, between the front tank section and rear core section of the cover. The lip defines a transversely disposed channel or tray section between it and the front weight pocket, the tray providing a convenient temporary storage area for tools and small parts, the weight pocket and lip preventing tools or parts from sliding or rolling off the tray.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to articles for use in conjunction with the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a protective cover that fits over the radiator of a motor vehicle while the vehicle is undergoing maintenance or repair, the cover protecting the radiator from damage, and the hands of service personnel from injuries.
B. Description of Background Art
It is well known to use protective covers placed over a fender of a motor vehicle while it is being serviced, to protect the finish of the vehicle from cosmetic damage by inadvertent impact of dropped or dragged tools. Representative of such protective covers are U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,712, Greenstadt, which discloses a fender pad made of a soft material that is readily drapable over an automobile fender, the pad containing a zipper pocket for holding tools.
Radke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,824, discloses a protective fender cover including in an upper marginal portion thereof means for securing the cover to a vehicle fender by frictional, mechanical and magnetic connections.
Olson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,618, discloses an automobile fender protector that includes flexible terminal hooks at opposite ends of the upper margin of the protector to secure the protector to structural elements under the raised hood of the vehicle.
Gurbacki, U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,678, discloses a dirt and grease protective cover for the rear of an automobile, which is mounted in the trunk of a vehicle by hook and loop fasteners so that it may fold out and cover the rear of the automobile when loading or removing articles from the trunk, thereby protecting a person from coming into contact with a dirty automobile surface while loading and unloading the trunk.
Dismuke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,778, discloses a car utility apron having a central front section and two side sections which are draped over the front and fenders respectively, of an automobile with the hood raised, the apron being held in place by hooks at the top edge and an elastic band and another set of hooks at the bottom edge. The front of the apron has the upper half cut out and replaced with a "webbing" of open mesh material, allowing air to flow through the radiator if the engine is running while the apron is in place. The sides of the apron contain pockets for storing tools.
The protective covers cited in relevant prior art references above may serve their intended functions, of protecting fenders and other external portions of a vehicle while it is being serviced. However, the present inventor has identified another problem area in servicing motor vehicles, that motivated his development of a protective cover of substantially different structure and function from the protective covers disclosed in the prior art.
In performing routine maintenance, replacement or repair of engine components located in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, the radiator of the vehicle is often problematic. Since the radiators of most modern vehicles utilize a heat exchanger core comprising a myriad of honeycomb cells made of sharp, thin, fragile aluminum or copper sheet metal, the radiators may be easily damaged by inadvertent impact by a wrench handle or other tool part. Such damage can necessitate costly and time consuming repairs. Moreover, radiator cores present a hazard to mechanics, the sharp heat exchanger fins being responsible for numerous cuts and hand injuries, when accidently contacted by a mechanic performing maintenance or repair near the radiator. Also, it is sometimes necessary to perform maintenance tasks on a vehicle while the radiator is still hot, resulting in the possibility of inflicting burns as well as cuts. Aside from the discomfort and inconvenience to the mechanic, such injuries are costly to vehicle repair facilities, because of down-time, medical and insurance expenses. In view of the potential for injuries to mechanics, and/or damage to the radiator of a motor vehicle by inadvertent contact with the radiator, the present invention was conceived of.

Protective cover for motor vehicle radiators


Database updates are transmitted from a primary site to a remote site. The technique includes: destaging modified data to a first volume at the primary site for a current database update, performing a first point in time virtual copy of the modified data on the first volume to a second volume at the primary site, synchronizing the second volume with a third volume, at the remote site, by transmitting the modified data of the second volume to the third volume, and performing a second point in time virtual copy of the modified data on the third volume to a fourth volume, at the remote site. Database updates at the primary site are thus decoupled from the transmission of the database updates to the remote site, so the first volume remains accessible to a host at the primary site, and the fourth volume remains accessible to a host at the remote site.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to remote database synchronization. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system and method for providing asynchronous incremental database update from a primary site to a remote recovery site, which completely decouples database updates at the primary site from the transmission of the database updates to the remote recovery site, thereby facilitating efficient data backup of business-critical data and disaster recovery thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the contemporary business environment, which is so heavily dependent upon relatively uninterrupted access to various kinds of information (i.e., business-critical data), disaster recovery is often of critical importance. Explosive growth in e-commerce and data warehousing has resulted in an exponential growth of data storage, which has ripened the need for disaster recovery. Disaster recovery schemes guard the business-critical data in an event that an entire system or even a primary site storing the business-critical data is destroyed, such as for example, by earthquakes, fires, explosions, hurricanes, and the like. System outages affecting availability of data may be financially devastating to businesses in a variety of business types. For example, brokerage firms and other financial institutions may lose millions of dollars per hour when the systems are down or destroyed. Ensuring uninterrupted access to the information and guaranteeing that business data are securely and remotely updated to avoid data loss in the event of an above-described disaster are critical for safeguarding the business-critical data and business operations.
Efficient disaster recovery requires that updates to business-critical data at a primary site be synchronized at a location that is remote to the primary site (i.e., remote recovery site) in order to ensure safety of and uninterrupted access to the business-critical data. However, if business-critical data at the remote recovery site is not kept current with the business-critical data at the primary site, any updates since a last periodic backup may be lost, thus significantly impacting business operations. Thus, a key feature of the efficient disaster recovery is the frequency of resynchronization of the business-critical data from the primary site to the remote recovery site.
Generally, resynchronization of data (i.e., database updates) at a remote site principally involves two techniques: synchronous and asynchronous. Variants of the two techniques are also possible. In the synchronous technique, application host writes by an application host are forwarded to the remote site as part of the input/output (i.e., "I/O") command processing. Typically, the application host writes await remote confirmation before signaling I/O completion to the application host. There is a write latency associated with the synchronous technique because the application host awaits completion confirmation, which is further exacerbated by a physical separation of the primary site from the remote recovery site. Thus, the synchronous technique is invariably limited to relatively short distances because of the detrimental effect of a round-trip propagation delay on the I/O response completion signaling. Furthermore, until the I/O response completion signaling is received at the primary site, the application host is unable to access the data at the primary site. To the contrary of the synchronous technique, the asynchronous technique delivers application host writes over high-speed communication links to the remote recovery site while allowing the application host at the primary site to access the data. That is, the asynchronous technique signals I/O completion to the application host at the primary site before updating the remote recovery site. The asynchronous technique is often utilized when the distance between primary and the remote recovery sites (as well as possibly a relative low-bandwidth telecommunication link) would introduce prohibitive latencies if performed synchronously. However, it is clearly evident that a long-distance communication link may become a bottleneck that forces local I/O writes to be queued for transmission to the remote site. The queuing of I/O writes at the primary site negatively affects efficient disaster recovery since the queued I/O writes may be destroyed in an above-described disaster before they are transmitted to the remote recovery site.
The frequency for the resynchronization of the business-critical data from the primary site to the remote recovery site takes into account a space and a time dimension. The space dimension ultimately accounts for the amount of data, while the time dimension accounts for the time period when resynchronization occurs. A resynchronization that involves copying all of the data represents a full database backup, while an incremental database backup copies only a portion of the data that has changed since the last full or incremental database backup. Whether full or incremental, either backup method represents a time-consistent view of the data at the primary site. While individual host application I/O writes may be synchronously or asynchronously transmitted to the remote recovery site as they are made at the primary site, this fact presents a cost inefficiency in that the communication link between the primary site and the remote recovery site must be maintained (i.e., reserved or leased) to transfer the application host writes on a continuous basis.
A particularly useful resynchronization system is a Peer to Peer Remote Copy (i.e., "PPRC") system offered by International Business Machines, Corporation (i.e., "IBM"), the assignee of the subject patent application. The PPRC provides synchronous copying of database updates from a primary Direct Access Storage Device (i.e., DASD) controller at a primary site to a remote DASD controller at the remote recovery site. That is, the PPRC system includes a primary controller and an associated primary DASD at the primary site and a remote controller and an associated DASD at the remote recovery site. Generally, each of the controllers includes a non-volatile storage (i.e., "NVS") for maintaining data in the event of power or system failure. During resynchronization, the data is first written (or buffered) to the NVS of the primary controller at the primary site, the data is then transferred to the NVS in the remote controller at the remote recovery site. At later points in time, the data at the primary and remote NVS is destaged to the attached DASD storage devices (i.e., disk), i.e., the data is written from the NVS to the associated DASD storage device. It should be noted that a single DASD storage device may include more than one volume or a single volume may span more than one DASD storage devices. It should further be noted that with the PPRC system, the remote recovery site's DASD volume(s) are synchronously updated with data updates to the primary DASD volume(s).
One persistent problem with the PPRC system is that the volumes, which are synchronized between the primary and remote DASD storage devices, are unavailable for use while the PPRC data updates are serviced. The PPRC system does not consider the transfer of data to the remote recovery site complete until all the data updated at the DASD of the primary site has been updated at the DASD of the remote recovery site. Thus, data updates to the DASD of the primary site invariably delay response times to user requests to the volumes involved in the data updates because synchronous updates must be made to the DASD of the remote recovery site before the volumes involved in the updates are available to service the user requests. Response time delays may occur with respect to user requests to the DASD of the primary and remote recovery sites. Therefore, the user requests to volumes of either the primary or remote recovery site's DASD are subject to the data updates between the primary and the remote recovery sites and must therefore wait until the completion of the data updates before the requests can access the updated data.
Therefore there is a need in the art for providing a system and method that efficiently performs asynchronous incremental database updates from a primary site to a remote recovery site, thereby completely decoupling data updates at the primary site from the transmission of the data updates to the remote recovery site.

Incremental update control for remote copy

International Business Machines Corporation


A system and method for entity management is provided. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system administrator is given control over device(s) that can be installed on a computer system(s), and/or how the installation can be performed. Thus, a system administrator can specify device installation policy that prevents the computer system from automatically installing device(s) (e.g., even when an appropriate driver is available to be installed). For example, this policy can be applied to substantially all new devices and/or only a subset of devices. Optionally, policy can also control how device(s) that are already installed will be made available to the computer system.

In conventional computer systems, when a device (e.g., plug and play device) is discovered by the operating system, the operating system (e.g., a plug and play manager) automatically attempts device installation without user intervention. If the operating system provides default support for the device, or there is already a matching third-party driver for the device present on the computer system, the device will be automatically installed and immediately available to the user(s) of the computer system.
There are many scenarios with conventional computer system(s) where the large number and wide variety of devices, as well as the ease of installation that operating systems provide, is a liability to the administrators of those computer systems. Device installation has been very successful at making any device that can be supported by the computer system work when discovered, at the expense of not providing adequate support for system administrators to control that experience.
This mechanism effectively allows any user with physical access to the computer system to plug in a wide range of hardware devices and access them without requiring special administrative privileges. However, in many scenarios, this behavior can be undesirable.

Privileged used control of device installation and/or availability


System and methods are provided for loop process suspension. One or more loop instructions associated with a loop process are loaded in a code cache. One or more branch instructions associated with a branch of the loop process in the code cache are determined. A suspension event is detected. The branch instructions are replaced with one or more jump instructions in the code cache upon the detection of the suspension event. If the jump instructions are executed in the code cache, the branch instructions in the code cache are restored, and the loop process is suspended. One or more suspension instructions associated with the suspension event are executed in an interpreter.

Java programs may be run on any machine on which a Java virtual machine (JVM) is executing. In a JVM (e.g., Dalvik), Java bytecodes may be executed using an interpreter at the start of a Java program. For example, before a Java program is executed, source codes of the program are broken down into Java bytecodes. At runtime, the Java interpreter of the JVM interprets the bytecodes. As an alternative, the JVM may choose not to interpret the bytecodes, but rather compile the bytecodes down into native codes. The JVM then causes the native codes to be executed directly by one or more processors. For example, frequently-used bytecodes are compiled into native codes to improve the running performance.
Just-in-time compilation (JIT), also known as dynamic translation, is compilation done during execution of a program or an application at run time, rather than prior to execution. Often JIT involves translation/compilation to native codes for Java programs. For example, native codes (e.g., trace) are put into a JIT code cache for execution. As shown in FIG. 1, a JIT code cache 100 includes commonly-used subroutines (e.g., TEMPLATE_CMP_LONG) and native codes (e.g., Trace-1).

Systems and methods for loop suspension in java programming


The JRT Harmonica Holder is a hands-free device for playing the harmonica and is made to fit in any typical microphone holder that is attached to a microphone stand. There are no springs, clamps, bolts or screws involved in order to install the JRT Harmonica Holder. The JRT Harmonica Holder is made out of poly vinyl chloride (pvc) and chlorinated poly vinyl chloride (cpvc) and is completely electrically shock proof. The JRT Harmonica Holder is 1 inch in width and makes it easy and clean to install other key harmonicas in seconds. Its design purpose is to enable a person to play more than one instrument at a time. A support plate for the microphone stand pedestal is designed to stabilize any backward motion which is a typical problem when a microphone stand is used for this purpose.

There have been a few inventions with the best of intentions to solve the hands free harmonica holder attached to a microphone stand like U.S. Pat. No. (4,541,321), it's too big and it totally hides the person's face while playing the harmonica creating a bad stage presence. The plastic clamp wears out loosing its holding strength. Similar problems with Hubbard's U.S. Pat. No. (4,212,219), this harmonica holder goes back to the spring clamp method with a wind screen that has too many parts that can fail. Strand U.S. Pat. No. (4,545,277) is still using a clamp but bolts and nuts secure the clamp and the microphone is inside his device which only allows one type of microphone used for amplification. Other types of microphones that many players prefer to use wouldn't even fit in to this invention.
Objects And Advantages
The JRT Harmonica Holder addresses all the problems of the past and is able to play a harmonica and another musical instrument at the same time. First it's a small device, aesthetically perfect for stage performance. Second, it is clean looking with no rusty springs, screws, bolts, plates or rubber parts to look at. There are no moving parts to wear out except stainless set screws. There is no metal to electrically shock a person. It is adaptable to many different types of microphones and easy to clean from human saliva. It is easy to work with for the guitar player, singer, and harmonica player.