A sub-decoder element provided corresponding to each word line is constructed by the same conductive type MOS transistors. The sub-decoder elements are arranged in a plurality of columns such that the layout of active regions for forming the sub-decoder elements is inverted in a Y direction and displaced by one sub-decoder element in an X direction. The arrangement of the sub-decoder elements is adjusted such that high voltage is not applied to both of gate electrodes adjacent in the Y direction. A well voltage of a well region for forming the sub-decoder element group is set to a voltage level such that a source to substrate of the transistor of the sub-decoder element is set into a deep reversed-bias state. In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, the leakage by a parasitic MOS in a sub-decoder circuit or word line driving circuit to which a positive or negative high voltage is supplied, can be suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and, particularly to a configuration of a decoder and an associated circuit that select and drive a word line. Specifically, the present invention relates to a configuration of a highly-integrated decoder portion that operates stably even when a high voltage is applied.
2. Description of the Background Art
A flash memory is excellent in portability and impact-resistance, and has characteristics of being electrically and collectively erasable. Therefore, in recent years, demand for the flash memory has been rapidly increased as a file storage of small portable information equipment such as a portable personal computer and a digital still camera.
One example of an array configuration of such a flash memory is shown in Reference 1 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-141887). In the configuration shown in Reference 1, a plurality of blocks, each including sub-arrays each having memory cells arranged in rows and columns, are provided. In the sub-arrays of each block, word lines are provided for the memory cells aligned in a row direction. Sources and drains of the memory cells aligned in a column direction are connected in common by using diffusion layers, respectively.
Drain diffusion layer interconnection is coupled to a global bit (data) line through a first block selection transistor that responds to a first block selection signal. Source diffusion layer interconnection is connected to a common source line through a second block selection transistor that passes current in response to a second block selection signal. These global bit line and the common source line are provided in common for the plurality of blocks, and writing/reading of data with respect to memory cells is executed in a selected block. Through the use of the diffusion layers as the drain line and the source line, a contact between the memory cells and a global bit line or between the common source line and metal interconnection can be shared by a plurality of memory cells aligned in the column direction, which can reduce a layout area of the memory cells (only one contact is necessary for one memory cell column).
Moreover, in the configuration shown in Reference 1, a word line decoding circuit for driving a word line into a selected state is configured into a hierarchical structure of a block decoder, a gate decoder and a sub-decoder for high speed operation. The block decoder selects a block and also generates a voltage transmitted to the selected word line. The gate decoder selects an addressed word line in the selected block. The sub-decoder drives the addressed word line into the selected state in accordance with output signals (voltages) of these block decoder and gate decoder.
The sub-decoder is constructed by a complementary MOS (CMOS) inverter Power supply voltages (source voltages) levels on high and low sides of each sub-decoder are set in accordance with the output signal of the block decoder, and the output signal of the gate decoder is supplied to gates of the transistors of the sub-decoder.
The sub-decoder includes a P-channel MOS transistor (insulation gate field effect transistor), and an N-channel MOS transistor. Thus, in the sub-decoder, a well region is divided into an N-well region in which the P-channel MOS transistor is arranged and a P-well region in which the N-channel MOS transistor is arranged.
The P-channel MOS transistor and the N-channel MOS transistor constructing one sub-decoder element are arranged in alignment along a word line extending direction. By connecting the drains of the P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors of constructing one sub-decoder element to a word line extending linearly, a interconnection layout is simplified, and the arrangement of the transistors constructing the sub-decoder elements is simplified, which reduces a layout area of the sub-decoders.
However, in the case where the sub-decoder element constructed by the CMOS inverter is used, the following problem arises with the miniaturization of the memory cells. As the memory cells are more and more miniaturized, a length in size of one block in the column direction (source diffusion layer and drain diffusion layer) becomes smaller. In the sub-decoder constructed by the CMOS inverter, a source potential of the transistor is common to a well potential, and a common source voltage is supplied to the NMOS transistors and another common source voltage is to the PMOS transistors. Accordingly, between the adjacent sub-decoder elements, a source region can be shared by the N-channel MOS transistors and the source region can be shared by the P-channel MOS transistors. Thus, the transistors of the same conductivity type of two sub-decoder elements can be arranged in a common active region. However, since drain regions are connected to different word lines between the adjacent sub-decoder elements, the active region needs to be divided for each two sub-decoder elements. Therefore, an isolation region needs to be provided between the adjacent active regions, which causes a problem that shrinking of the layout of the sub-decoder cannot follow the miniaturization of the memory cells.
In a flash memory, an example of a memory cell configuration utilizing an assist gate is disclosed in Reference 2 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-028428). In Reference 2, a memory array is divided into blocks, writing/erasure/reading of data of memory cells are performed on a block basis. A sub-decoder for driving a word line has a CMOS configuration, and drives a word line in accordance with a gate signal and a block selection signal. Accordingly, in Reference 2 also, the problem with the layout of the sub-decoders also arises.
As an approach for solving this problem, in Reference 3 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-141887), there is suggested a method in which the elements of a sub-decoder are all constructed by N-channel MOS transistors. In the case where these sub-decoder elements are formed of N-channel MOS transistors, the diffusion layer (active region) is not needed to be divided for each two MOS transistors, and a common active region can be provided for a larger number of MOS transistors. In addition, the element transistors are all N-channel MOS transistors, and the region for implementing well isolation is not necessary, which can reduce a layout area of the sub-decoder.
However, in the flash memory, the memory cell is formed of a stacked gate type transistor having a floating gate. When data is written in a memory cell (electrons are injected to the floating gate), it is required to apply a high voltage of 17 V, for example, to a word line through the N-channel MOS transistor. In this case, in consideration of threshold voltage loss at the N-channel MOS transistor, a voltage higher than the word line voltage, for example, about 20 V is necessary to a gate of the N-channel MOS transistor. Thus, a voltage higher than breakdown voltage of the MOS transistor is applied, which can cause element destruction. In addition, in the case where such a high voltage is generated utilizing a charger pump circuit, for example, the number of stages of the charger pump needs to be increased, and accordingly, an area of an internal power supply circuit for generating the high voltage is increased.
By utilizing a high breakdown voltage transistor having a thick gate insulating film for the MOS transistor, the problem of the element destruction can be solved. However, when a high voltage is applied, a parasite MOS in an isolation region is produced, and leakage current is generated through such parasitic MOS, which increases power consumption. Further, there arises a problem that dielectric breakdown of the isolation region can occur.
A configuration for preventing such leakage current through the parasitic MOS of the sub-decoder is disclosed in Reference 3 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-243211). In this configuration shown in Reference 3, in an NAND type flash memory, in the erasure operation mode in which a high voltage is applied to memory cell well region, a negative voltage for preventing leakage current is applied to the well region of an X decoder. In the erasure operation, a power supply voltage Vcc of 4.5 V, for example, is applied to a gate of a high voltage transistor of the X decoder of a selected block. Also, a voltage lower than the power supply voltage by a threshold voltage of the high voltage transistor is applied to a gate of a transistor that selects a memory cell string to maintain the transistor in an off state, so that a ground line (source line) and a string line (drain) of the selected memory cell block are set into an electrically floating state. A well potential of the memory cell array is set to a high voltage of about 20 V in the erasure. In a non-selected memory block, the ground voltage is applied to the gate of the high voltage transistor, and similarly, the well potential is also set to a negative voltage to maintain the word line, the string line, and the ground line in the electrically floating state. This reduces leakage current by the high voltage transistor of the X decoder in the non-selected memory cell block. That is, in the non-selected memory block, by maintaining the word line in the electrically floating state, the non-selected memory cell is prevented from being subjected to erasure disturbance by the array well voltage due to a decrease in the word line voltage resulting from the leakage current in the high voltage transistor of the X decoder.
Further, a configuration in which leakage current between transfer gate transistors that transmit a word line driving voltage in X decoders is suppressed is disclosed in Reference 4 (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-185660). In this configuration disclosed in Reference 4, the arrangement of the transfer gate transistors that transmit a high voltage is devised to avoid the occurrence of a state where the transfer gate transistors, to which a ground voltage, a program voltage and a pass voltage are applied respectively, are arranged adjacently. Thus, a parasitic MOS transistor, to which an on-voltage higher than the ground voltage, the pass voltage and the program voltage is applied, is prevented from being formed between the adjacent transfer gates, thereby suppressing the generation of channel leakage in this element isolation insulating film.
In Reference 1, by equalizing the lower source voltage of two transistor source potentials of the N-channel type transistors to the well potential, the N-channel MOS transistors of the sub-decoder elements are formed in a common active region to suppress the provision of the element isolation region, which reduces a chip area and achieves a high-speed operation.
However, in the configuration shown in Reference 1, since high voltage is used in the writing, leakage current through a parasitic MOS is also generated in the sub-decoder, so that current consumption is increased, and memory characteristics are deteriorated. Accordingly, in the case where distances between an isolation region end and an isolation region end, and between the isolation region and a gate electrode end are increased in order to suppress the leakage current through the parasitic MOS, the layout area of the sub-decoder is increased, which makes the miniaturization difficult. In Reference 1, the layout of the sub-decoder following the cell miniaturization is not considered.
In the configuration shown in Reference 2, the cell isolating insulation film region is eliminated through the use of an assist gate. However, in Reference 2, the CMOS inverter is utilized for the sub-decoder element, and the reduction in layout area of the sub-decoder is not considered. In addition, although a hierarchical structure is used for the decoder configuration, a common source signal is supplied to the sub-decoder elements in a memory block, and a word line is selected by a gate signal. In the decoder configuration in which the source signal is applied to individual sub-decoder elements, no consideration is given to the problem of the parasitic MOS due to high voltage.
In the configuration shown in Reference 3, the well potential of the X decoder is changed in the erasure, to maintain the word lines of the non-selected block in the electrically floating state, thereby avoiding the problem that leakage current is generated in the high voltage transistor of the X decoder. However, in the configuration shown in Reference 3, the well potential is adjusted in common to the X decoders in all blocks. Accordingly, load on a well potential generating unit becomes large, which makes it difficult to change the well potential at high speed. In addition, in Reference 3, leakage current for the non-selected word line is considered, but leakage current through the parasitic MOS by high voltage in the isolation region between the sub-decoder elements, and breakdown voltage of the isolation region are not considered.
In the configuration disclosed in Reference 3, the configuration of the transfer gate type decoder using a high voltage transistor is merely considered, and no consideration is given to a decoder configuration having a word line driver such as a CMOS inverter.
Reference 4 considers an issue of the X decoder of the NAND type flash memory, and particularly, intends to avoid the occurrence of leakage current through the parasitic MOS between the adjacent transfer gates. The arrangement of the transfer gates of the decoder is adjusted such that even if a parasitic MOS is formed, such voltages are applied to the parasitic MOS as to reduce the leakage current by a back-gate bias effect at the parasitic MOS. In addition, a voltage of a selected gate that transmits a pass voltage is made lower than a programming high voltage, so that even when the pass voltage and the ground voltage are applied to the drain and the source of the parasitic MOS, respectively, element dielectric breakdown characteristics is maintained.
However, in Reference 4, similarly to Reference 3, no consideration is given to the decoder configuration having a word line driver unit such as a CMOS inverter. In addition, no consideration is given to the problem of deterioration in isolation characteristics depending on a distance between a gate electrode of the transfer gate and a distance of an isolation region. Further, no consideration is given to dielectric breakdown characteristics between an active region end and the gate electrode in the transfer gate itself. Furthermore, the miniaturization of the sub-decoder element is not considered.


A parking assisting device including an image capturing unit for capturing at least an image behind the vehicle, a monitor for displaying the image obtained by the image capturing unit, a yaw angle detecting unit for detecting a yaw angle of the vehicle, a guiding unit for outputting guidance information to the driver and a controller for comparing a prescribed yaw angle corresponding to a predetermined vehicle position with the yaw angle of the vehicle detected by the yaw angle detecting unit, to identify a current position of the vehicle, and providing guidance information via the guiding unit while displaying at least one of a predicted path and a predicted parking position on the monitor so as to overlap with the image obtained by the image capturing unit to enable the driver to confirm whether the vehicle can be parked in target parking space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parking assisting device, and more particularly to a device for informing a driver of driving operations upon parking.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional parking assisting device, for example, as disclosed in JP 2001-322520 A, a yaw rate sensor or the like is used to detect a yaw angle of a vehicle, a turning angle for the vehicle is calculated, and guidance information relating to an operation method and operation timing in each step of reverse parking is outputted from a speaker.
According to this type of parking assisting device, the driver can guide the vehicle mounted with the device to the parking space simply by performing driving operations of the vehicle in accordance with the guidance information outputted from the speaker as a voice.
However, regarding the fact that when the driving operations cannot be performed exactly in accordance with the guidance information such as when obstructions are present in the path to the parking space, or when the driver commits an error in the driving operations, there are cases where the vehicle cannot be parked in the target parking space even if the driving operations are continued, it was difficult to confirm such situation in advance simply by performing the operations in accordance with the guidance information from the speaker. Therefore, there was a possibility that even when the vehicle has been brought close to the parking space, the driver could not park the vehicle and would have to repeat the driving operations for parking from the beginning.


A method for coregistration of multi-modal images obtained in different geometries includes acquiring multi-modal image data, wherein the multi-model image data includes image data of a first modality and image data of a second modality, wherein the image data of the respective modalities have different geometries, defining a volume of interest in the multi-modal image data, segmenting the image data of the first modality and incorporating segmentation data of the first modality into a reconstruction of the second modality, and applying a registration of the second modality image data to the first modality image data according to a similarity measure through the volume of interest, wherein an output of the registration comprises superimposed multi-modal image data.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to imaging, and more particularly to a system and method for multimodal imaging for research assessment and diagnosis.
2. Description of Related Art
Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse optical tomography (DOT) relies on functional processes, and provides unique measurable parameters with potential to enhance breast tumor detection sensitivity and specificity. For example, several groups have demonstrated the feasibility of breast tumor characterization based on total hemoglobin concentration, blood oxygen saturation, water and lipid concentration and scattering.
The functional information derived with DOT is complementary to structural and functional information available to conventional imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging MRI, x-ray mammography, and ultrasound. Thus the combination of functional data from DOT with structural/anatomical data from other imaging modalities holds potential for enhancing tumor detection sensitivity and specificity. To achieve this goal of data fusion, two general approaches can be employed. The first, concurrent imaging, physically integrates the DOT system into the conventional imaging instrument. This approach derives images in the same geometry and at the same time. The second approach, non-concurrent imaging, employs optimized stand-alone DOT devices to produce 3-D images that must then be combined with those of the conventional imaging modalities via software techniques. In this case, the images are obtained at different times and often in different geometries.
Few DOT systems have been physically integrated into conventional imaging modalities such as MRI, 18-22 x-ray mammography, and ultrasound for concurrent measurements. By doing so, however, these DOT systems can be limited by the requirements of the "other" imaging modality, for example, restrictions on metallic instrumentation for MRI, hard breast compression for x-ray mammography, limited optode combinations for ultrasound and MRI, x-ray, and time constraints. On the other hand, among the standalone DOT systems available today, few attempts have been made to quantitatively compare DOT images of the same breast cancer patient to those of other imaging modalities obtained at different times, because the non-concurrent co-registration problem presents many challenges.
Therefore, a need exists for quantitative and systematic methods for data fusion that utilize the high-quality data and versatility of the stand-alone imaging systems.

Coregistration and analysis of multi-modal images obtained in different geometries


A liquid crystal display device is provided which includes a substrate having a pixel electrode; and a color filter substrate having a color filter layer on a transparent substrate while having an alignment film formed on an uppermost layer thereof, the substrate and the color filter substrate each having a display region having a plurality of sub-pixels formed thereon, in which the color filter substrate has a liquid crystal layer thickness-adjustment layer formed of a transparent resin layer being partially formed on an inner side of the alignment film; and the liquid crystal layer thickness-adjustment layer has a trench being formed along and between adjacent ones of the sub-pixels, the bottom position of the trench of the liquid crystal layer thickness-adjustment layer being lower than a height of the color filter layer from a surface of the transparent substrate, and the transparent resin layer existing on the bottom of the trench.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device capable of achieving a good display quality, a high aperture ratio and a high display luminance even when a multi-gap layer (liquid crystal layer thickness-adjustment layer) formed of a transparent resin layer is provided on a color filter substrate.
2. Related Art
In recent years, as a liquid crystal display device used for portable apparatuses typified by cellular phones, a transflective type liquid crystal display devices employing both transmissive and reflective display modes has been widely used. The transflective type liquid crystal display device includes, within each pixel, a transmissive portion (transmissive region) having a transparent electrode and a reflective portion (reflective region) having a reflective layer. In a dark place, a backlight is turned on so that images are displayed using transmissive portions of individual pixels. On the other hand, in a bright place, images are displayed on reflective portions of the individual pixels using an external light without turning on the backlight. Therefore, since electronic apparatuses using the transflective type liquid crystal display device need not always turn on the backlight, an advantage can be obtained that the power consumption thereof can be reduced considerably.
The transflective type liquid crystal display device has an optical path difference between the reflective portion and the transmissive portion. This is because in the reflective display mode, light incident from the outside is emitted to the outside in a manner that it makes a round-trip in the liquid crystal panel, while in the transmissive display mode, light from an internal light source such as a backlight passes through the liquid crystal panel to be emitted to the outside. For the purpose of controlling the optical path difference, a method is generally performed in which a so-called multi-gap layer formed of a transparent resin layer is provided to the reflective portion of the transparent substrate so that an optical path in the reflective portion is adjusted by the multi-gap layer so that the length thereof becomes substantially equal to that of an optical path in the transmissive portion. In addition, in a general transmissive type liquid crystal display device, a multi-gap layer formed of a transparent resin layer is often formed in order to protect the color filter layer and improve the flatness.
However, when such a multi-gap layer is formed, a step is formed in a boundary region of the reflective portion in which the multi-gap layer exists and the transmissive portion in which the multi-gap layer does not exist. Moreover, when an electrode, a color filter layer, a multi-gap layer, a common electrode, a light shielding film, and the like are formed on a transparent substrate, and an material for alignment film is then applied by a roller, a surplus material for alignment film may remain close to a boundary of the step between the reflective portion and the transmissive portion due to the multi-gap layer, and thus, thickness unevenness of the alignment film may occur. Therefore, in JP-A-2006-267993, there is disclosed a transflective type liquid crystal display device in which a trench is formed in a multi-gap layer for each sub-pixel so as to extend along a signal line thereby to form a pathway for a surplus material for alignment film so that the congestion of the material for alignment film is suppressed.
A transflective type liquid crystal display device disclosed in JP-A-2006-267993 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. In the drawings below used in this specification for explanation purposes, individual layers or individual members are appropriately depicted with different reduced scales in order to make them large enough to be recognized on the drawings but not necessarily proportional to the actual size thereof.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the transflective type liquid crystal display device disclosed in JP-A-2006-267993 corresponding to one sub-pixel. FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a color filter substrate of the transflective type liquid crystal display device disclosed in JP-A-2006-267993. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIA-XIA in FIG. 10. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIB-XIB in FIG. 10.
The transflective type liquid crystal display device 10E includes an array substrate (substrate) AR and a color filter substrate CF. The array substrate AR includes an interlayer film 12, which is formed as necessary on a transparent substrate 11 such as a glass substrate, and a pixel electrode 13 formed thereon. A reflecting plate 14 is provided at the boundary of the interlayer film 12 on the left side of FIG. 9 and the pixel electrode 13, and this left portion corresponds to a reflective portion (reflective region) 15. Moreover, a portion on the right side of FIG. 9 where the reflecting plate 14 is not provided corresponds to a transmissive portion (transmissive region) 16. Further, an alignment film 17 is formed on a surface of the pixel electrode 13. In FIG. 9, a switching element, a gate insulating film, a passivation film, and the like are not illustrated.
A color filter substrate CF is disposed so as to face an array substrate AR having the pixel electrode 13, a gap between the array substrate AR and the color filter substrate CF is defined, for example, by a columnar rib (not illustrated), and liquid crystals LC are filled between the substrates. In the color filter substrate CF, as illustrated in FIG. 10, color filter layers 19 corresponding to three colors of F (red), G (green) and blue (B) arranged in a stripe form are arranged on a transparent substrate 18, such as a glass substrate, close to the array substrate AR. Moreover, on the color filter substrate CF, a multi-gap layer (also referred to as an overcoat layer) 20 formed of a transparent resin with a predetermined width is provided to the reflective portion 15 in order to adjust a cell gap between the reflective portion 15 and the transmissive portion 16.
The color filter layers 19 of the three colors R, C and B are formed with a predetermined gap 21e between them. The multi-gap layer 20 is formed to be located across adjacent ones of the reflective portions 15. Furthermore, since the color filter layers 19 of the three colors R, C and B form one pixel (one pixel), a trench 22e with a predetermined width is formed in the multi-gap layer 20 for each pixel in a width direction thereof so as to reach the transparent substrate 11. The trench 22e extends along the gap 21e of the adjacent color filter layers 19 and has a width larger than the gap 21e. In FIG. 10, the line denoted by a two-dot chain line is the outline of the multi-gap layer 20 when the trench 22e is not formed. Since the multi-gap layer 20 is formed with a resist according to a well-known photolithographic method, the trench 22e is formed at the same time with this. On the surfaces of the multi-gap layer 20 and the color filter layers 19, a common electrode 23 and an alignment film 24 are sequentially formed.
Then, liquid crystals LC are filled between the color filter substrate CF and the array substrate AR with the color filter substrate CF being disposed to face the array substrate AR, whereby a transflective type liquid crystal display device 10E disclosed in JP-A-2006-267993 is obtained.
According to the above-described transflective type liquid crystal display device 10E, although due to presence of the multi-gap layer 20, a step is formed at a boundary region of the reflective portion 15 and the transmissive portion 16, because when an material for alignment film is applied by a roller, a surplus material for alignment film may spread into the trench 22e, thickness unevenness of the alignment film 24 does not occur. However, since the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules by the alignment film 24 in the X part (see FIG. 11A) of the inclined surfaces of the trench 22e is different from the alignment direction in the flat part of the multi-gap layer 20, the X part becomes an abnormal alignment region of liquid crystal molecules, which is called a disclination. Therefore, although this part of the trench 22e is shielded by the light shielding film 25 similar to the gap 21e between the adjacent color filter layers 19, since this part does not contribute to display, there is a problem that the aperture ratio of the liquid crystal display device decreases. Such a problem is particularly so because the step of the trench 22e may increase in the case of a display panel configured to perform color display in a transmissive display mode and monochromatic display in a reflective display mode and having no color filter layer on the reflective portion. As a result, the display quality may deteriorate greatly compared with the case of a display panel configured to perform color display in both transmissive display mode and reflective display mode.


A food storage system including a secondary bowl that is adapted to be positioned at least partially on and/or in a main lid. The secondary bowl is adapted to be detachable from the main lid.

The present invention is generally directed to food containers and, more specifically, to containers that provide easy storage and transport of food.
Conventional food storage containers are configured to hold a single type of food. This can be disadvantageous when separate foods are to be transported due to the difficulty in packing, loading, and transporting multiple containers for use at a single meal.
It may be advantageous to provide a food storage system that is preferably adapted to allow different foods to be transported without using multiple separate, detached containers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Isoflavone-supplemented milk replacers fed to young animals during a pre-weaning provides isoflavones in the milk replacer at a level of about 700 mg per kilogram of the milk replacer, and/or provides about 450 mg of the supplemental isoflavone in at least about 1.5 pounds of the milk replacer by dry weight such that the animal ingests this amount of the isoflavone per day, and/or provides in the milk replacer at least about 50 mg of isoflavone per pound of the animal's birth weight is ingested per day. In response to ingesting the isoflavone-supplemented milk replacer, the young animal experiences improved performance.

The time it takes livestock animals to mature to a stage where the animal can produce milk or meat is important in the livestock commodity market. A number of feeding systems have been used to enhance weight gain of livestock beginning at a young age, and may include feeding techniques prior to and after weaning. Such techniques may involve providing milk replacers to the animals that generally mimic the milk produced from the post-partum parent animal in terms of protein, fat and carbohydrate content. The milk replacer may be supplemented with vitamins, minerals, medication and other compositions that may benefit the young animals. This may, for example, reduce the age of freshening or the onset of lactation of a dairy cow or sow, thereby reducing the cost of milk production. Increased weight gain of livestock from an early age may also reduce the cost of beef and pork production.

Isoflavone-supplemented milk replacers and systems and methods of feeding same to young animals


The glass fiber-reinforced resin molded article includes a glass fiber fabric and a transparent resin. The average resin unimpregnation ratio in proximity to filament of the glass fiber fabric is more than 2.0% and 50.0% or less, the warp yarn width Bt and the weft yarn width By of the glass fiber fabric each are from 0.50 to 8.50 mm, the warp yarn weaving density Wt and the weft yarn weaving density Wy of the glass fiber fabric each are from 3.0 to 50 yarns/25 mm, and the degree of widening of warp yarn Et and the degree of widening of weft yarn Ey of the glass fiber fabric each are from 0.70 to 1.10.

Conventionally, glass fiber fabrics have been widely used to impart strength, rigidity, insulation properties, non-flammability, and the like to resin materials in a sheet form.
In recent years, an entirely transparent glass fiber-reinforced resin molded article (transparent composite sheet) has been suggested, in which a transparent resin is combined with a glass fiber fabric having a refractive index close to that of the transparent resin to thereby lower the visibility of the glass fiber fabric in the transparent resin (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1).

Glass fiber-reinforced resin molded article, housing of electronic device, interior component for mobility product and exterior component for mobility product


Preparing an electronic submission is disclosed. A document is received. Submission preparation information to be used by a submission kernel for processing is identified based at least in part on information from the document. The document is processed based at least in part on the submission preparation information to produce one or more derived document outputs.

Electronic submission of documents is becoming more common. In some cases, documents that are to be submitted have requirements in terms of the organization of attached documents, associated summary documents, associated form documents, etc. The submission requirements are typically dependent on where the documents are to be submitted. One solution is to construct a submission package of documents manually, for example, by using a word processing or other general software application to create a submission package of documents that includes required content and table of contents in a prescribed format. However, manual construction requires a knowledgeable operator and does not scale efficiently. Another solution to meeting the requirements is to build a custom application that produces from input documents a submission package of documents. However, although building a customized application does capture submission preparation knowledge enabling scaling, it may be burdensome to build and maintain and try to integrate into other processes a custom submission preparation application for each different type of submission preparation requirement. It would be beneficial to enable automated creation of a submission package of documents without building a custom application for each different type of submission preparation requirement.


A rotary security seal assembly is disclosed for sealing container closures, meters, equipment and various other articles. The assembly is configured to reveal surreptitious entry or attempted access into or to a sealed area or article and comprises a housing body and a locking filament. The housing body includes a socket and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket. The locking filament has a first end area and a second end area. The first end area of the locking filament is permanently secured to the housing body by hardened molding material forming the housing body. The second end area of the locking filament is dimensioned and configured to be received in and extended at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside the housing body when so received.

Security seals for sealing container closures, meters, equipment and various other articles are used to reveal surreptitiously attempted or actual entry by damage to the seal. One conventional type of security seal includes a loop of locking filament that can seal an article when the loop of locking filament is threaded through the article and the loop is permanently secured at its opposite ends to the security seal by a one-way rotatable rotor within a socket of the housing body. Both of the free ends of the locking filament are irreversibly threaded and wound on the rotor through different bores.
Conventional rotary security seals such as these are typically made as an assembly of at least three pieces, namely a seal housing body having a socket, a rotor that is placed into a socket during assembly and a locking filament element of desired length that is initially separate from and independent of the security seal housing body and rotor. The rotor and socket in the housing body are arranged so that the rotor is irreversibly rotatable only in one direction within the socket.
For shipping to a customer, the manufacturer or shipper may irreversibly wind one end of the filament element on the rotor, and the customer is then expected to irreversibly wind the other end of the filament on the rotor. This can be problematic because irreversibly winding one end of the locking filament to the rotor prior to shipping can be labor intensive and time-consuming, increasing shipping and/or production costs. Moreover, because the manufacturer or shipper is partially assembling each security seal, the manufacturer or shipper typically packages, and/or ships the security seals as individual assemblies, which, in turn, can lower the efficiency of the production process.
If appropriate, the locking filament element may be shipped as a separate piece. Disadvantageously, this requires the person installing the security seal to irreversibly wind both ends of the filament on the rotor in the field to permanently secure both filament ends to the seal housing body. For instance, the person may be required to wind two ends of the filament sequentially or simultaneously through multiple bores through the housing and rotor to secure a container, closure, article or the like, which can be burdensome, frustrating and time consuming in the field.
In such known rotary seals, provision must also be made to enable two ends of the locking filament to be inserted through the housing body and the rotor and wound on the rotor, which requires extensive handling and manipulation to prepare the seals for shipment and for use in the field. Such a configuration thus typically requires two bores to be made in the housing body and the rotor to accommodate the two ends of the locking filament that must be inserted into and wound on the rotor.
In view of the shortcomings of conventional rotary seals, there exists a substantial need for a rotary security seal that is considerably improved in terms of actual handling in the field, production cost, and efficiency of shipping and packaging.


A method for rendering participating media effects is disclosed. At least one object having a surface is defined and a lattice, aligned with a camera, is also defined that encompasses the at least one object. A volumetric line integral is computed from the camera to lattice points in a neighborhood of a particular point on the surface of the object to obtain a value. The obtained value is filtered to obtain a volumetric line integral value for the particular point on the surface. Additionally, the set of values may be cached in memory and may be used in computing additional volumetric line integrals when applicable. The set of values determined for lattice points is filtered to determine the volumetric line integral value for a particular point on the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to depiction of objects through the use of a computer and more specifically to the depiction of objects in computer animation. The present invention is also directed to a technique for efficiently computing effects of participating media, such as volumetric effects and atmospheric effects, in the context of a high-quality renderer, such as a Reyes-based renderer or a ray tracer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional animation techniques allow the animator to create the apparent motion of animated characters, to be viewed by a viewer of the animation. The use of computers to simplify the animation process has provided many benefits to the traditional hand-drawn process. Computer animated scenes are well known in the prior art and have been used in many different capacities. Such animation is utilized in traditional movies, videos and online streaming of moving pictures, as well as interactive movies where the motion of characters is often initiated by a user.
In computer graphics, an image can be created from three-dimensional objects modeled within the computer. The process of transforming the three-dimensional object data within the computer into viewable images is referred to as rendering. Single still images may be rendered, or sequences of images may be rendered for an animation presentation.
Typically, rendering is performed by establishing a viewpoint of a viewing camera location 10 within an artificial "world space" containing the three-dimensional objects to be rendered. This is illustrated in FIG. 1. A "view plane," comprising a two-dimensional array of pixel regions, is defined between the viewing camera location and the objects to be rendered (also referred to herein as the "object scene") To render a given pixel for an image, a ray is cast from the viewing camera 10, through the pixel region of the view plane associated with that pixel, to intersect a surface of the object scene 12. Image data associated with the surface at that point or region is computed based on shading properties of the surface, such as color, texture and lighting characteristics. Multiple points, sampled from within a region of the object scene defined by the projection of the pixel region along the ray, may be used to compute the image data for that pixel (e.g., by applying a filtering function to the samples obtained over the pixel region). As a result of rendering, image data (e.g., RGB color data) is associated with each pixel. The pixel array of image data may be output to a display device, or stored for later viewing or further processing.
One effect that is often desirable in an animation scene is the depiction of atmospheric effects such as fog or smoke. A Reyes image rendering architecture is often used to provide fast high-quality rendering of a scene. (See, "The Reyes Image Rendering Architecture", R. L. Cook et al. Computer Graphics, Vol. 21, No. 4, 1987). While the Reyes algorithm is primarily designed to resolve visibility and appearance of surfaces, it also provides a framework for computing atmospheric effects such as fog or smoke. At each surface point being shaded, illustrated in FIG. 1, the contribution of the atmosphere can be computed (usually as definite line integrals of scattering and absorption) and combined with the surface shading value. Computing these line integrals generally involves sampling many points along each line, and can be quite costly, in terms of time and computer processing.
Because atmospheric computations are performed once for every surface shading point, the cost of the atmospheric computations is tied to the surface shading rate. This means that even simple, low-detail fog, or other volumetric effect, can be very expensive if scene geometry is complex. Often the desired effects cannot be achieved in the timeframe needed and for reasonable requirements of cost and time. Thus, there is a need in the prior art to have an improved method for rendering atmospheric effects in computer graphics and animation.

Incremental frustum-cache acceleration of line integrals for volume rendering


A system includes a first processor, a second processor and a circuit. The first processor includes a first terminal and enters a first test mode in response to the first terminal having a first signal state. The second processor includes a second terminal. The second processor enters a second test mode in response to the second terminal having a second signal state. The circuit may regulate the timing of the first and second signal states to place both the first processor in the first test mode and the second processor in the second test mode at approximately the same time. The circuit may regulate the timing of the signals to cause the first and second processors to resume normal modes of operation at approximately the same time.

The invention generally relates to controlling the timing of test modes in a multiple processor system.
A circuit typically undergoes a debugging process for purposes of finding errors, or "bugs," in the operation of the circuit and correcting these bugs. As an example, the circuit may be a microprocessor, and debugging the microprocessor may involve placing the microprocessor in a debug, or test mode to prevent the microprocessor's execution unit(s) from prefetching and decoding instructions. In this manner, when the microprocessor is in this mode, external circuitry may control the execution unit(s) of the microprocessor and examine the various states of registers of the microprocessor. This ability to observe and control the microprocessor's states facilitates the design and evaluation of a system that incorporates the microprocessor.
Some systems may include multiple microprocessors. In such a system, placing one microprocessor in a test mode may not be beneficial because the other microprocessors and other processing elements of the system continue to operate. Therefore, a precise evaluation of the system and/or the particular microprocessor that is in the test mode may be hindered due to the operations of the other microprocessor(s) and other processing elements of the system.
Thus, a multiple processor system presents challenges relating to debugging such a system. Therefore, there is a continuing need for better ways to debug a multiple processor system.

Controlling the timing of test modes in a multiple processor system


A cutting insert includes: a polygonal shaped upper surface; a lower surface; a side surface connected to each of the upper and lower surfaces; and an upper cutting edge located at the intersection of the upper surface and the side surface. The upper surface alternately includes three major corners and three minor corners. The upper cutting edge includes: a corner cutting edge; a minor cutting edge inclined toward the lower surface as separating from the corner cutting edge at a first inclination angle; and a major cutting edge inclined toward the lower surface as separating from the minor cutting edge at a second inclination angle. The corner cutting edge, the minor cutting edge and the major cutting edge are located sequentially from a first major corner to each of first and second minor corners, both of which are adjacent to the first major corner.

Conventionally, as a cutting insert (hereinafter referred to as "insert" in some cases) used for performing a face milling process, an insert whose both hexagonal shaped surfaces are usable has been proposed (for example, refer to International Publication No. 2007-037733A1).
However, according to the insert of the International Publication No. 2007/037733A1, a major cutting edge 16 and a minor cutting edge 17 that are located with a corner cutting edge 20 interposed therebetween differ from each other in configuration as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1E thereof. Consequently, three corners of the hexagonal shape are respectively usable only in the same rotation direction (for example, the forward rotation direction), and hence there is a need to separately prepare a reverse rotation insert for ensuring a proper use.
On the other hand, a tip has been proposed which is usable in both the forward and reverse rotations by making both sides of a corner part 4 have the same cutting edge structure (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Publication No. 9-216113).
However, according to the tip of the Publication No. 9-216113, a portion 10 of a cutting edge used mainly during a cutting process is inclined in a straight line shape as shown in FIG. 2 thereof. It is therefore difficult to ensure sufficient cutting edge strength in the vicinity of the corner part 4 subjected to a large cutting force during the cutting process, and consequently a fracture may occur there. This is also true for the insert of the International Publication No. 2007/037733A1.
Hence, there is a need for an insert having both low cutting resistance and excellent fracture resistance.

Cutting insert, cutting tool, and method of manufacturing machined product using the same


Systems and methods that provide for collection of sensor data in a wireless network with a dynamically changing structure. A data collection protocol exploits the self-awareness capabilities of nodes in selection of tree structures that form the wireless network during communication with a base station. The data collection protocol can further include a topology control component (which regulates how nodes are distributed among various tree structures and associated communication channels with the base station) and data retrieval component (which coordinates among the sensors to transmit data packets containing sensor data to efficiently employ available bandwidth).

Computing and networking technologies have transformed many important aspects of everyday life. Computers have become a household staple instead of a luxury, and provide users with a tool to manage and forecast finances, control household operations like heating, cooling, lighting and security, and store records and images in a permanent and reliable medium. Networking technologies like the Internet provide users with virtually unlimited access to remote systems, information and associated applications.
Networked devices both wired and wireless are becoming increasingly prevalent. Conventionally, a number of different networking technologies have been employed for managing and controlling networked devices. For example, network printers are commonly implemented utilizing network-printing protocols over Ethernet. Another example is the X10 network protocol, which is utilized to remotely control devices (e.g., light switches, video cameras . . . ) using a power line network. While these technologies allow devices to be accessed and controlled remotely, many consumers have not availed themselves of the benefit of network devices.
In addition, as such networking technologies become robust, secure and reliable, more industries are shifting paradigms and employing such networks to perform sensing and control operation. For example, network of sensors can be employed to effectuate completion of most industrial controllers and processes. Such industrial controllers can function as special-purpose computers utilized for controlling industrial processes, manufacturing equipment, and other factory automation processes, such as data collection through networked systems. These operations involve front-end processing of materials such as steel production to more intricate manufacturing processes such as automobile production that involve assembly of previously processed materials. Oftentimes, such as in the case of automobiles, complex assemblies can be manufactured with high technology robotics assisting the industrial control process. Such assemblies require close monitoring of operations and data collection.
To achieve fine-grain monitoring, sensors are deployed in a dense setting on the scale of hundreds, so the sensor network can generate a significant amount of data. For data to be useful, these kinds of applications require reliable data collection. In general, a node in a sensor network is a special purpose computer, which can have at least one sensing component, at least a microcontroller (CPU), at least a network interface, such as a wireless radio transceiver. In most wireless network standards, the node can choose to use one of multiple wireless channels.

Data collection protocol for wireless sensor networks


4-Cyano-4-deformylsordarin derivatives are antifungal agents useful in the treatment and/or prevention of human and animal fungal infections, as well as in the control of phytopathogenic fungi in crops.

Sordarin is an antifungal antibiotic isolated from the mould Sordaria araneosa (see GB 1,162,027 and Helvetica Chimica Acta, 1971, 51:119-20). Other compounds having the sordarin skeleton have also been reported as antifungal agents. Japanese Kokai J62040292 discloses the compound zofimarin isolated from Zofiela marina sp.; Japanese Kokai J06157582 discloses the compound BE-31405 isolated from Penicillium sp.; and SCH57404 is reported in J. Antibiotics, 1995, 48:1171-1172. Semi-synthetic sordarin derivatives are reported in PCT Applications WO96/14326 and WO96/14327.


A bumper for a vehicle is provided where the bumper adapted to induce torque of the bumper during a collision, the bumper having a crush box. The bumper includes a bumper beam having an outer surface, a moment inducer extending away from the outer surface of the bumper beam, the moment inducer positioned adjacent to the distal end of the bumper beam. The moment inducer is rigid and adapted to transfer force (energy) rather than absorbing it.

Bumper beams are commonly provided behind a bumper fascia to provide structural support during a collision. The bumper beam is connected to a crush box adapted to crush and deform in a small overlap (SOL) crash condition. Furthermore, it is desirable for the bumper beam to bend in an angled rigid barrier (ARB) collision situation. In an ARB collision situation, it is desirable for the crush box not to deform but rather have the bumper beam bend. However, the current bumper beam does not easily provide for both collision conditions. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to provide a bumper beam which can function properly to meet both deformation modes. More specifically, a bumper beam having no bending in the SOL deformation mode and bending before crush box for ARB deformation mode is strongly desired.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A medical risk assessment method and computer program product resident on a computer or a hand-held device that allows a physician to determine the best strategy for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention utilizing current guidelines and published medical literature. The computer program product evaluates a number of risk factors to determine specific recommendations for an individual patient, including Framingham risk scoring (FRS), pertinent medical history, individual lipid panel and advanced lipoprotein profiling, patient laboratory test results, and published literature on the effects of anti-lipid medicines on plasma concentration and/or composition of lipoprotein molecules and clinical outcomes. The risk assessment method establishes a cardiovascular treatment therapy strategy for a patient by determining a cardiac risk classification group, determining a cardiovascular treatment therapy based on the patient's lipoprotein profile and the patient's cardiac group risk classification, and presenting the cardiovascular treatment therapy for the patient to a medical practitioner on a patient evaluation display.

The present invention relates generally to analysis of patient specific medical history and laboratory results, and more particularly to computer-implemented methods and products for assessing a patient's medical risks and formulating a treatment strategy.
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for approximately 500,000 deaths per year, and an associated annual morbidity cost of more than $200 billion. Over the past several decades, numerous clinical and epidemiological studies have shown that an elevated blood cholesterol level is one of the major modifiable risk factors associated with the development of coronary heart disease. These studies have demonstrated that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a primary lipoprotein mediating atheroscelorsis. Cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and a low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are other risk factors that have been implicated in coronary heart disease.
The National Institutes of Health established the National Cholesterol Education program in 1985. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel I (NCEP-ATP I) developed its first set of guidelines in 1988. The guidelines establish clear goals for patients with lipid abnormalities. Revised guidelines were developed in 1993 (NCEP-ATP II) and in 2001 (NCEP-ATP III). Risk stratification continues to determine LDL goals and the intensity of LDL-lowering therapy. Dietary therapy remains the first line of treatment with drug therapy reserved for use in patents at high risk for coronary heart disease or patients who do not respond to non-pharmacological therapy.
Under the current guidelines, optimal cholesterol screening now includes a lipoprotein profile, preferably using blood drawn in a fasting state. The lipoprotein profile includes total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. The lipoprotein profile cannot be interpreted without knowledge of the patient's risk factors. The major risk factors that modify low-density lipoprotein goals include age (men over 45, women over 55 having normal onset menopause), smoking status (current tobacco user or within the last 5 years), hypertension (blood pressure exceeding 140/90 mmHg), high-density lipoprotein levels, and family history of coronary artery disease. Patients with diabetes and those with a ten year cardiac event risk of 20% or greater are considered coronary heart disease equivalents. An additional step in the determination of coronary heart disease risk involves the calculation of the Framingham risk score (FRS) for persons with two or more risk factors. The ATP III Guidelines also raise the threshold of low HDL cholesterol from less than 35 mg/dL to less than 40 mg/dL. An HDL level of 60 mg/dL or higher is considered to be a negative risk factor.
The FRS is a risk assessment tool that has been derived from data collected in the Framingham heart study. The ATP III Guidelines recommend that patients with two or more risk factors have their FRS calculated. The FRS consist of points that are allocated based on various degrees of risk associated with five categories: age, total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level, tobacco smoking status and hypertension and whether this condition is treated. The FRS point total results in a percent risk of having a cardiac event in the next ten years.
In the ATP III Guidelines, the target LDL level for patients with established coronary heart disease is still 100 mg/dL or less. Patients with diabetes and patients with an FRS of 20% or higher are considered coronary heart disease equivalents. Since patients with diabetes and patients with an FRS of 20% or higher are in the same risk category as coronary heart disease patients, it is recommended that they maintain an LDL level of 100 mg/dL.
The extent of LDL lowering therapy depends on the patient's coronary heart disease risk. The two major modalities for lowing the LDL level advocated by the ATP III Guidelines are therapeutic lifestyle changes and drug therapy. Patients are classified in one of three categories of risk: (1) coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD equivalents, (2) two or more risk factors, or (3) zero or one risk factors. The two or more risk factors category can be further subdivided into patients having an FRS score 12 or higher and patients having an FRS score less than 12.
Therapeutic lifestyle changes encompass diet, physical activity and weight loss. The ATP III Guidelines continue to stress the importance of non-pharmacological treatment, but recognize its limitations by reducing the trial of these modalities from six months to twelve weeks before considering the use of medications to assist in achieving recommended LDL goals.
The failure of therapeutic lifestyle changes to modify LDL cholesterol levels or the presence of high CHD risk levels warrants the use of drug therapy. Several drugs have specific effects on lipoprotein metabolism, including bile acid sequestrants (resins), fibric acids, nicotinic acid, and statins. Bile acid sequestrants include cholestyramine, colestipol, and colesevelam. Fibric acids include gemfibrozil and fenofibrate. Nicotinic acid includes extended-release nicotinic acid (Niaspan) and sustained release nicotinic acids. The statins include lovastatin (Levitor), pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol), atorvastatin (Mevacor), synvastatin (Zorcor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor). If the LDL goal based on established risk is not achieved, therapy should be intensified with an increase in drug dosage or the addition of another LDL-lowering drug.
The ATP III Guidelines recognized the increasing number of studies correlating elevated triglyceride levels with increased coronary artery disease risk. The ATP III Guidelines lowered the acceptable triglyceride level from the ATP II Guidelines. The primary modes of treating hypertriglyceridemia are diet and exercise. If indicated, nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives are the most effective drugs in lowering triglyceride levels. Triglyceride reduction is also a secondary benefit of statins.
Niapsan is one of only two products in the United States approved for increasing HDL levels. Low HDL cholesterol levels have been shown to be one of the highest risk factors contributing to coronary heart disease. Most of the drugs for treating cholesterol problems are designed to reduce LDL levels. Niaspan's active ingredient, niacin, is most effective in elevating HDL levels. The increase in HDL has been shown to significantly reduce the chances of coronary heart disease.
Statins work by slowing down the liver's production of cholesterol, high levels of which are implicated in atheroschelorsis, a disease process that leads to clogging of the arteries. Heart attack patients typically are given one of the FDA-approved statins at the time of discharge or within months of discharge from the hospital as a preventative measure against future heart attacks. Because of their effectiveness as a class for reducing LDL cholesterol and their favorable safety profile, statins are by far the most frequently used drugs as first line therapy for patients with high LDL cholesterol. Statins generally raise HDL cholesterol levels and lower plasmatriglycerides.
Three bile acid-binding sequestrants are currently available in the United States: cholestyramine (Questran), colestipol (Colestid), and colesevelan hydrochloride (Welchol). These resins significantly decrease LDL cholesterol and can produce small increases in HDL cholesterol. Bile acid sequestrants should generally not be used in patients with triglyceride levels above 200 mg/dL, and should not even be considered for use in patients with triglyceride levels exceeding 400 mg/dL.
Fibrates that are currently available in the United States include gemfibrozil (Lopid) and fenofibrate (TriCor). Gemfibrozil and fenofibrate can decrease triglyceride levels, increase HDL cholesterol levels and shift small, dense LDL particles toward larger, more buoyant sizes, improving and potentially correcting the lipoprotein abnormalities commonly found in Type II diabetes. Since neither fibrate drug adversely affects glycemic control, either can by used in patients with diabetes.
There is a need for a computer-implemented method and computer program product that can enable a physician to quickly assimilate all the pertinent medical data and guidelines recommendations necessary to evaluate a patient's medical risk for cardiovascular disease and determine a patient care management program that is best suited for an individual patient.

Medical risk assessment method and program product


A stereoscope in which a digitally stored image can be seen through either or both eyepieces and compared with an object which can also be seen through either or both eyepieces. Digital images of objects can be stored. Both the images to be stored and the stored images can be digitally manipulated, i.e. magnified, rotated or warped.

The present invention relates to stereomicroscopes, and more particularly to stereomicroscopes used to detect differences between substantially identical photographs, either aerial photographs or photographic masks used by the semi-conductor industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,107, issued to Chaban Apr. 22, 1975, discloses a stereomicroscope of the type used to compare aerial photographs. The disclosed stereomicroscope has two optical systems with each system having a rhomboid arm used to position the respective objective over the pertinent portion of a respective aerial photograph. Each rhomboid arm contains an independent zoom system to produce an intermediate image which is then relayed through the respective optical system to a respective image rotator. A beamsplitter or mirror selectively placed at the intersection of the optical axes of the optical systems permits either mono or stereo presentation of the respective image from each rhomboid arm.
Stereomicroscopes of the type disclosed in the Chaban patent are conventionally used to compare two aerial photographs or a mask with a master, in connection with the preparation of semi-conductor wafers. The comparison is conducted by placing one of the photographs or wafer or mask under one rhomboid arm and the other photograph or wafer or mask under the other rhomboid arm. The rhomboid arms are then moved until substantially the same object is located in each photograph. The fields of view are then angularly adjusted by the operator, using the image rotators to rotate either or both images until they both have an identical orientation. The operator then adjusts either or both zoom systems until the sizes of the two images are identical. It may then be necessary to slightly reposition the rhomboid arms or one of the photographs or wafers or masks until the two fields of view are identical, which may also require a further repetition of the above described adjustment steps. Although not disclosed in the Chaban patent, it is conventional in such stereomicroscopes to permit superimposition of the images. That is, the image from one rhomboid arm is presented to both eyepieces and the image from the other rhomboid arm is presented to both eyepieces. Many operators prefer to use this superimposed mode to conveniently obtain proper orientation, image size and identical fields.
It is an object of the present invention to provide means for recording, as digital images, visual images being observed through a stereoscope.
It is another object of the present invention to provide means for magnifying, rotating and/or warping visual images as they are digitally recorded.
It is still another object of the present invention to permit means for introducing digitally recorded images as visual images into a stereoscope.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for magnifying, rotating and/or warping digitally recorded images as they are introduced as visual images into a stereoscope.


The present invention provides systems and methods for enhancing the delivery and display of medical images over a network. Authorized users may access and view images by accessing a secure server and selecting images for viewing. Various characteristics of the image or images being viewed may be manipulated. Additionally, measuring devices, such as a goniometer, may be placed on an image to measure distances, angles and the like. In one embodiment, one or more templates, for example of medical devices, may be placed on an image and manipulated. In another embodiment, two or more users may view the same image simultaneously, while also viewing a template, measuring device, image manipulations and the like simultaneously. In yet another embodiment, two or more users may discuss one or more images via a discussion board.

Medical images, such as conventional radiographs ("X-rays"), computed tomography ("CT") scans, magnetic resonance images ("MRIs"), sonograms, mamograms, nuclear medicine studies and the like, are a vital tool in diagnosis, treatment planning and other aspects of healthcare delivery. One of the more recent advances in medical imaging was the ability to acquire digital images or to scan and digitize images which were originally acquired on radiographic or other non-digital film. Another advance enabled physicians and other healthcare workers to distribute those digital images over a network. One technology which has enhanced the transfer of radiologic images and other medical information between computers is DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), which is the industry standard for transferring such images and information. Digitization often allows radiologists and other physicians and healthcare workers to more easily manipulate a given image for easier viewing. Distribution over a network allows those healthcare workers to view images from remote locations, such as a another hospital, an office or even a home.
One system and method for uploading medical images to a server or secure server for distribution over a network is provided by, for example, U.S. application Ser. No. 09/219,956, filed Dec. 23, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Using that system, currently marketed under the trade name Remote Image™, a hospital, urgent care facility or other healthcare provider may upload images to a secure server and distribute the images over a network. While Remote Image™ has improved the way medical images are viewed and evaluated, some problems with remote viewing still exist.
For example, physicians in many different specialties, especially surgeons, often implant devices into patients to repair the effects of trauma, disease, deterioration and the like. Since each patient has a unique anatomy, device manufacturers offer various styles, shapes and sizes of devices for any given surgical procedure. As device technology has advanced, manufacturers have greatly increased the variety and number of different devices available. This variety has often caused hospitals and other surgical facilities to keep very large inventories of devices on hand to ensure that the optimal device for each patient will be available. To address the problem of unwieldy inventories, device manufacturers and surgeons typically began utilizing pre-operative planning, wherein manufacturers provide "templates" of the available devices. Templates, in one embodiment, are images of devices which can be placed over patient images (such as X-rays) in order to determine the appropriate type, size and placement of a device prior to surgery. A template is typically an outline of a device, printed on clear film.
One issue that should be considered when using such templates is magnification. An X-ray of a bone, for example, often becomes magnified as a result of the distance between the bone and the X-ray cassette (which holds the film). This magnification is generally between 5% and 25%, depending upon the technique used and the anatomy of the patient. Thus, to help surgeons develop more accurate pre-operative plans, device manufacturers typically offer templates in multiple magnifications, such as 105%, 110%, 115% and 120%, to compensate for the X-ray magnification.
For proper pre-operative planning, a surgeon typically obtains multiple images of the affected anatomical area, such as a broken bone, from multiple views, such as frontal, side and oblique views. The surgeon may then compare multiple templates by placing each one in succession over the images of the broken bone. This pre-operative planning process helps surgeons determine the optimal type, size and placement of a device before operating. The process also reduces device inventory that a hospital or other surgical facility often keeps on hand. However, a surgical facility often acquires templates with several magnifications for each size and style of device from each device manufacturer. Although managing and storing an inventory of templates is preferable to managing and storing an inventory of devices, a large inventory of templates can become unwieldy as well. The orthopedic device industry alone, for example, includes hundreds of different manufacturers with several thousand different device systems currently on the market. The total number of parts included in all these orthopedic device systems thus easily numbers in the hundreds of thousands. These include hip joints, knee joints, shoulder joints, ankle joints, elbow joints, finger and toe joints, spinal implants, rods, plates, screws, pins, and countless other parts.
Thus, a need exists for systems and methods to enable surgeons and other healthcare providers to more efficiently view and evaluate images to conduct pre-operative planning A need also exists for systems and methods to enable healthcare providers to accomplish pre-operative planning from locations remote from a particular hospital. A need also exists for systems and methods to reduce the inventories of medical devices and medical device templates that hospitals and other surgical facilities typically keep on hand for operative procedures and pre-operative planning.

Systems and methods for enhancing the viewing of medical images


Allowing a wireless network application to execute, as during development and testing, as if connected to a wireless network using wireless modems without requiring physical access to or presence of a wireless network or devices for accessing the same, by simulating a wireless modem or device. The simulation of commands for a type of wireless communication device with a predefined attention command set may entail receiving, at a wireless communication device simulator, attention commands of the attention command set. For received attention commands, responses may be automatically determined or selected in response to receiving the command without using a wireless communication device to determine the appropriate response. And, the determined attention command responses may be provided from the wireless communication device simulator.

In the field of testing and managing wireless services, and in particular testing and developing software therefor, it has been required to provide access to a wireless network. Such access requires the deployment and use of wireless access devices such as wireless modems. However, this presents problems when developing and testing software such as network testing and management software. One problem has been that the use of a wireless network or service provided by a commercial service provider is expensive and the behavior of the network or devices for connecting thereto is generally nondeterministic. That is, it is difficult to predict a wireless response at any given time. However, development and testing often requires deterministic control of test conditions. Furthermore, some conditions or network device responses may not be ordinarily available, for example, rare or unusual error conditions. This makes testing of a program's response to such conditions difficult.
Another problem has been that wireless services may not be readily available when development and testing software for the same. For example, some services may only be physically available in Europe or other geographic regions. This can make it difficult to develop and test software for these networks or services from distant locations or regions such as the United States. It may be necessary to deploy hardware or personnel at remote locations to facilitate testing and development. A wireless network service may be in the process of being deployed, making it difficult to develop and test software for use with the same. Furthermore, the cost of network access devices such as wireless modems makes it prohibitively expensive to test and develop software for conditions where a large number of network access devices are available.
There is a need to enable testing and development of software that uses a wireless network or service without requiring physical access to the wireless network and without requiring actual communication with wireless modems. There is also a need to allow software developers to control test conditions of wireless modems. There is also a need to test network applications under the condition of large numbers of network access devices such as wireless modems.


A device for use in the fastening of a panel or cladding to a wall is disclosed. The device includes a base plate, a panel connecting plate, and a connecting assembly that connects the panel connecting plate to the base plate and that is constructed and arranged so as to provide minimal thermal bridging between the base plate and the panel connecting plate through an insulation layer that covers the base plate and the wall while simultaneously providing structural integrity for attaching the panel or cladding to the wall.

Recent changes in the International Energy Code require "continuous insulation" in many exterior wall assemblies. These requirements were added in an effort to reduce the amount of thermal bridging that occurs in many assemblies due to these assemblies containing conductive materials that extend from the warm side of the wall to the cold side of the wall. In many assemblies, thermal bridging can reduce the effectiveness of the insulation in the assembly by up to 50% and more depending on the frequency of the bridging.
The present state of the art for attaching many cladding systems to buildings is via the use of what is commonly called "Z-furring" or similar metal devices. These devices are installed in a continuous manner usually in horizontal or vertical orientations and at predetermined spacings. Insulation is then installed between the devices resulting in the devices bridging through the insulation from the warm side of the insulation to the cold side of the insulation in a continuous manner thus reducing the effectiveness of the insulation.
In using the present state of the art devices, adjustability to compensate for construction tolerances, out of plumb framing and out of plane substrates is achieved via the use of shims installed between the device and the substrate. Also the devices provide a means of retaining the insulation installed between the devices in place. This is usually achieved via a retaining element or a friction fit.
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide a new and novel means of fastening cladding systems to buildings in a way that substantially reduces thermal bridging. Another objective of the present invention is to provide adjustability of the fastening system within the device. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a mean of mechanically fastening rigid and semi-rigid insulation in the exterior wall assembly.

Adjustable bracket for the attachment of building cladding systems


A method for transmitting surveillance image data over a wireless network includes associating an authorized identification with a surveillance device, and transmitting the surveillance image data and the authorized identification to a mobile telecommunications switching station.

Surveillance or monitoring apparatuses often use at least one video camera allowing surveillance images to be viewed at a remote location. For example, an industrial facility may have several video cameras at various locations throughout the facility, each camera being communicatively coupled to a respective video screen at a central security station operated by one or more guards.
More recently, video cameras have been developed that can be coupled to a computer hosting any number of software programs capable of converting video images received from the video cameras into a document in hypertext mark-up language (HTML) format, or in other words a document compatible with the Internet standard known as the world wide web (www). Further, personal communication devices such as cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are becoming increasingly popular commercial products, as wireless communication technology becomes widespread and affordable. Additionally, a number of cellular phone manufacturers are manufacturing and selling camera phones or other smart phones having video displays capable of displaying received images or camera capabilities capable of generating desired images.
Moreover, home security systems have become more common. However, even the most sophisticated home security systems are limited by rudimentary provisions for remote access by the property owner. Further, false alarms are relatively common with traditional home security systems. Even if the owner is made aware of an alarm, there is no convenient and cost-effective way for the owner to determine whether the alarm is a false alarm. For example, existing systems may notify an owner of a possible break-in or other event through an automated phone call or page message, but the owner has no way of verifying whether there is a genuine emergency or merely a false alarm.
While these existing monitoring systems have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all respects. For example, and as mentioned above, even if an owner is notified by a page or telephone call of a problem or other event of interest, there is no convenient way for the owner to determine whether the event represents a true problem or just a false alarm, still less from virtually any remote location. Further, existing systems do not allow for convenient monitoring of locations outside traditional cell phone service areas. Moreover, traditional methods that incorporate the Internet for data transmission may suffer from network slowdowns and crashes that often accompany data transmission over the Internet.

System and method for performing wireless remote monitoring


The present invention provides a solar cell module comprising a photovoltaic device and a production method thereof. Since photovoltaic device has high electrostatic withstand voltage and high reliability, a high yield is obtained in a production process before a step of sealing the photovoltaic device in a resin. The solar cell module of the present invention is a solar cell module produced by sealing with a resin a photovoltaic device having at least one layer of a semiconductor photoactive layer as a light converting member, and collector electrodes formed on a light-receiving surface side of the semiconductor photoactive layer, wherein the photovoltaic device before the resin sealing has the electrostatic withstand voltage of not less than 5 kV. The production method of solar cell module comprises sealing with a resin the photovoltaic device provided with the thin-film resin layer, wherein the photovoltaic device is placed on a support substrate with the light-receiving surface side facing up, thereafter a filler and a fluorine film are successively stacked on the light-receiving surface side of the photovoltaic device, and the resin sealing is effected by heating in vacuum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photovoltaic device that can be protected from electrostatic voltage even when touched by a charged worker.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, increase in awareness of environmental problems has been spreading on a worldwide scale. Among others, concern is deep over the global warming phenomenon due to emission of CO.sub.2, and desires for clean energy source have becoming stronger and stronger. At present, solar cells can be considered to be one of hopes as a clean energy source because of their safety and easiness to handle.
There are a variety of solar cells, for example, typified by crystal silicon solar cells, polycrystal silicon solar cells, amorphous silicon solar cells, copper indium selenide solar cells, compound semiconductor solar cells, and so on. Among them, the thin-film crystal silicon solar cells, compound semiconductor solar cells, and amorphous silicon solar cells are recently under active research and development in various fields, because they can be formed in a large area at relatively low cost.
The cost of the solar cells now available is, however, still high, and it is thus necessary to further decrease the cost thereof. For that purpose, problems to be solved are, for example, as follows.
(i) Efficient utilization of electric power-generating region
(ii) Reductions in costs for connecting members at connecting portions and labor costs for connection
In order to improve above (i), it is necessary to increase the percentage of the electric power-generating region with regard to the area where the solar cell is installed. In order to improve above (ii), it is necessary to increase the area of solar cell.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views to show a conventional photovoltaic device improved in above (i) and (ii).
In FIGS. 8A and 8B, reference numeral 800 designates a photovoltaic device, 801 a flexible substrate, 802 a semiconductor layer, 803 a transparent electrode layer, 804 a positive electrode busbar, 805 collector electrodes, 806 negative electrode busbars, 807 an insulating tape and 808 solder. One end of the positive electrode busbar 804 of one photovoltaic device is soldered to a portion of the negative electrode busbar 806 of another adjacent photovoltaic device, thereby connecting these two photovoltaic devices. This connection is repeated with a plurality of photovoltaic devices to obtain a solar cell module.
The photovoltaic devices described above, however, has a low electrostatic withstand voltage and therefore causes the following problems. Here, the electrostatic withstand voltage in the present invention means a value of applied voltage that causes 10% decrease of Voc under 200 Lux between before and after application thereof when an arbitrary voltage is applied to the electric power-generating region of light-receiving surface.
(1) The electrode busbars-leading structure as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B can decrease the non-electric power-generating region on the light-receiving surface side as compared with a case of leading both of the positive and negative electrode busbars on the light-receiving surface side. However, in order to minimize the effect of a flux used in soldering on the light-receiving surface of photovoltaic device in a series connection step, the series connection needs to be conducted while keeping the light-receiving surface side of photovoltaic device facing down. On that occasion, a tool used for the series connection might rub the light-receiving surface of photovoltaic device to generate the static electricity. When the charged tool or worker touches the photovoltaic device, the electricity will be discharged to the photovoltaic device in some cases. This sometimes resulted in damaging the semiconductor layer of photovoltaic device.
(2) For sealing the photovoltaic device with a resin, filler films or glass fibers are stacked on the light-receiving surface side, and thereafter the filler film is shifted for adjustment of alignment or the stacking is done over again, whereupon the static electricity will be generated. This sometimes resulted in damaging the semiconductor layer of photovoltaic device and thus failing to achieve sufficient electrical characteristics. It is the present status that countermeasures against the static electricity rely on facilities such as a wrist band, a table mat, a floor mat, or installation of the earth for prevention of charging, but they are far from sufficient.
(3) The photovoltaic devices are sometimes packed and conveyed before the sealing thereof with the resin. On that occasion, a spacer of slipsheet or foam is interposed between photovoltaic devices. When the photovoltaic devices are moved or taken out, friction generates the static electricity. The use of spacer of slipsheet or foam for prevention of charging was the cause of increase of cost as a result of the fact that reuse thereof was difficult.


A meat encasing machine has a meat emulsion pump in communication with a stuffing tube which terminates in a twister housing adjacent a linker. A stuffing tube with power means associated with the twister housing rotates a strand of sausage extruded from the stuffing tube. A motor is provided for rotating the looper horn. The motor associated with the twister housing is adapted to rotate the sausage strand in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and the motor associated with the looper horn is adapted to rotate the looper horn in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The foregoing structure is used in sausage making machines arranged in a sausage making station comprised of pairs of machines and conveyors arranged in spaced parallel positions to create a mirror image of each other.

Sausage making machines such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,668 include a meat emulsion pump connected to an elongated stuffing tube which extrudes into a shirred casing thereon a strand of sausage into the rotatable chuck of a twister housing. The strand then moves through a conventional linker and the linked strand discharged therefrom typically moves into a rotatable looper horn and deposits on the hooks of a moveable conveyor.
It would be advantageous to use such machines in spaced parallel relationship, to be attended by a single operator. However, conventional sausage making machines do not make this possible because the chuck and the looper horn can only be rotated in a single direction.
It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a sausage making machine which has power means associated with both the twister housing and the looper horn to permit the chuck in the twister housing and/or the looper horn to be rotated in both clockwise or counterclockwise directions.

Dual machines for making sausages at a single sausage making station