A digital image processor is provided. The digital image processor includes a deinterlacing processor that is implemented upon a digital processing unit. The deinterlacing processor is coupled to an input operable to receive an interlaced video stream, a digital memory for storing portions of the interlaced video signal, and an output operable to transmit a deinterlaced video stream. The deinterlacing processor is operable to perform frequency analysis upon the received interlaced video stream in order to generate the deinterlaced video stream having reduced motion artifacts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the processing of video images and, more particularly, to techniques for deinterlacing video images.
2. Description of the Related Art
All major television standards use a raster scanning technique known as xe2x80x9cinterlacingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cinterlace scanning.xe2x80x9d Interlace scanning draws horizontal scan lines from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen in two passes. Each pass is known as a field. In the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard used in North America, each field takes approximately {fraction (1/60)}th of a second to draw.
Interlace scanning depends of the ability of the cathode ray tube (CRT) phosphors to retain an image for a few milliseconds, in effect acting like a xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d to retain the previous field while the newer interleaved field is being scanned. Interlace scanning provides a benefit in television systems by doubling the vertical resolution of the system without increasing broadcast bandwidth.
FIG. 1 shows a number of parallel horizontal scan lines 10 on a conventional television display. A first set of horizontal lines 12 is scanned in a first field period and then a second set of horizontal lines 14 is scanned in a second field period. Thus, the first field is temporarily shifted by {fraction (1/60)}th of a second from the second field. When rapidly changing images are being displayed, an object in motion may appear to be fuzzy due to the temporal displacement between the two fields.
This temporal displacement typically does not create a problem on conventional television displays, primarily because the image of the xe2x80x9colderxe2x80x9d field quickly fades in intensity as the light output of the phosphors decays. A secondary reason is that the spatial displacement in the images caused by motion results in a fine detail that television displays resolve well. For these reasons, interlace scanning of motion pictures works acceptably well on conventional television displays.
FIG. 2 shows a set of progressively scanned horizontal lines 16. In progressive scanning, all horizontal lines 16, are scanned out in one vertical pass 18, so there is no time displacement of adjacent lines as in interlace scan. Progressive scanning requires a much higher bandwidth signal. Consequently, progressive scanning is typically used for applications where improved image quality and higher resolution are required, relative to conventional television systems. Progressive scanning is widely used in computer CRTs and liquid crystal displays (LCD).
If a motion picture formatted for an interlaced monitor device as in FIG. 1 is to be displayed on a progressively scanned device as in FIG. 2, then it must be converted from the interlaced format to the progressive format. This format conversion is known as deinterlacing. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a deinterlace process 19 of the prior art. A first series of interlaced video fields 20 is generated by a video source (not illustrated) at {fraction (1/60)}th second intervals.
In this example, each of the video fields 20 has a spatial resolution of 720 horizontal by 240 vertical pixels. Each field contains half the vertical resolution of a complete video image. The first series of video fields 20 are input to a deinterlace processor 22, which converts the 720 by 240 interlaced format to a second series of video fields 24. In this example, each of the second series of video fields 24 may have 720 by 480 pixels where the fields are displayed at 60 frames per second.
FIG. 4 shows a prior art method 25 of deinterlace processing. A video field 26 containing scan lines 30, and a previous video field 28 containing scan lines 32 is fed into a field combination deinterlace processor 34. The result is a combined frame 36 with scan lines 38 sourced from video field 26 and scan lines 40 sourced from video field 28. When this simple deinterlacing of the prior art is performed, and a motion picture formatted for an interlace display is converted to a progressive format, a noticeable xe2x80x9cartifactxe2x80x9d or error arises because the image content of vertically adjacent lines is time shifted by {fraction (1/60)}th second as noted previously. The error is most visible around the edges of objects that are in motion.
FIG. 5 shows a deinterlaced image 42 with a stationary object 43 that is rendered without distortion. FIG. 6 shows an image 44 with the object 43xe2x80x2 in motion. The edges of object 43xe2x80x2 create artifacts 45 on the edges of the image 44 because of the aforementioned temporal shift. These artifacts 45 are introduced into the image by the conventional field combination deinterlacing method 25 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is an illustration of an alternative prior art method 46 to deinterlace an image using a single reference field rather than two fields. The method 46 interpolates or doubles the number of lines of one field to produce a progressive frame. A video field 48 is scanned from an image to contain a half set of lines 50. The half set of lines 50 is deinterlaced by line interpolation in a deinterlacing interpolator 52.
The resulting frame 54 will have all the lines 50 of the original video field 48. The remaining lines 56 are created by interpolation of lines 50. The resultant image will not have motion artifacts because all the lines in the image will be created from lines 50 that are time correlated. This alternative method 46 of deinterlacing does not produce motion artifacts, but the vertical resolution of the image is reduced by half.
In summary, deinterlacing by combining two fields into a single frame preserves the vertical resolution in an image, but may result in motion artifacts. Deinterlacing by interpolation of a single field to produce a frame eliminates the motion artifacts, but discards half the vertical resolution of the original image. In view of the forgoing, it is desirable to have a method of deinterlacing that provides for preservation of the full resolution of an image, while at the same time eliminating motion artifacts.
The present invention fills these needs by providing a method and apparatus for deinterlacing a video input stream while reducing motion artifacts and maintaining vertical resolution in the deinterlaced video stream. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device or a method. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a digital image processor is provided. The digital image processor includes a deinterlacing processor that is implemented upon a digital processing unit. The deinterlacing processor is coupled to an input operable to receive an interlaced video stream, a digital memory for storing portions of the interlaced video signal, and an output operable to transmit a deinterlaced video stream. The deinterlacing processor is operable to perform frequency analysis upon the received interlaced video stream in order to generate the deinterlaced video stream having reduced motion artifacts.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for deinterlacing an interlaced video stream is provided. The method includes receiving a video frame including a number of pixels from an input of the interlaced video stream. The video frame is analyzed for frequency information inherent to the video frame in order to detect motion artifacts. A number of motion artifact detection values is determined for each of the pixels in the video frame. An ultimate detection value is then determined for each motion artifact detection values. The ultimate detection value corresponding to each pixel is mixed with a set of spatially corresponding pixels to generate an output pixel.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for deinterlacing an interlaced video stream is provided. The method includes receiving a first video frame including a number of pixels from an input of the interlaced video stream. The first video frame is analyzed for frequency information inherent to the first video frame in order to detect motion artifacts. A number of motion artifact detection values is determined for each of the pixels in the first video frame from which. An ultimate detection value is then determined for each motion artifact detection value. A second video frame, which includes pixels that spatially correspond to pixels of the first video frame, is determined from the input of the interlaced video stream. The ultimate detection value corresponding to each pixel is then mixed with a set of spatially corresponding pixels in the second video frame to generate an output pixel.
An advantage of the present invention is that it allows for detection and reduction of motion artifacts in video images. By reducing the effect of the motion artifact, the video image becomes much clearer and appears to be free of defects. Further, the deinterlacing is accomplished without loss of vertical resolution.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Method and apparatus for deinterlacing digital video images


The present invention provides a pressure vessel for exerting pressure on a repair to a component made of composite materials to cure the repair in the field. The pressure vessel includes a body having a chamber for receiving the repair to the component; a portal operable to permit a heating element of a heater located inside the chamber to be coupled with a power source located outside the chamber to power the heating element; and a pump operable to pressurize the chamber. By pressurizing the chamber, the pressure vessel may exert pressure on a repair placed inside the chamber that exceeds 14.7 psi, and thus, provide a better cure in the field to produce a stronger repair. Furthermore, the pressure vessel may be more easily transported from one location in the field to another than an autoclave.

Many different devices and/or structures, such as an aileron of an airplane wing, a flap on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, and a boat hull, include components manufactured with composite materials. One of the many reasons for this is that the components may be easily contoured into complex curves, like those found in a hull or leading edge of a flap, during the manufacture of the components. Another reason is that the components may be easily repaired in the field, and thus, the time spent completing a repair may be reduced.
Repairing a component with composite materials typically involves laying up two or more plies of material such as metal, woven and/or non-woven carbon, fiberglass, and/or Kevlar® fibers with an adhesive and then curing the adhesive to couple the two or more plies together and to couple the plies with the remainder of the component. To provide a strong repair, the adhesive should be properly cured; otherwise the repair and/or component could prematurely fail. Properly curing most conventional adhesives includes three elements: heating the adhesive, exerting pressure on the repair—typically about 200 psi—, and applying a vacuum to the repair. Heating the adhesive changes the adhesive's molecular structure to solidify and increase the material strength of the adhesive. Exerting pressure on the repair compacts the plies to increase the strength of the interlaminate bonds and increase the distribution of adhesive throughout the repair. And applying a vacuum draws out gas that would otherwise be trapped in the repair once the adhesive solidifies to reduce the number and size of voids in the cured adhesive. Although most conventional adhesives may be cured under a variety of different pressures, in general, as the pressure increases the strength of the repair increases.
Unfortunately, properly curing a repair to a component in the field is difficult because the amount of pressure that may be exerted on the repair is typically equal to or less than 14.7 psi. To cure a repair in the field, a heating blanket is typically placed on the repair, and then a bag is placed over the entire repair and sealed to the component. The air between the bag and the repair is then removed to generate a vacuum and the heating blanket is turned on to generate heat. Thus, the only pressure that is typically exerted on the repair is atmospheric pressure that results from the vacuum, which is about 14.7 psi.
A possible solution is to design a component that will withstand the stresses and strains encountered in service with a repair that does not contribute to the component's structural integrity. But this means that the component, when manufactured, will be more robust than is required. Consequently, the cost in material to manufacture the component and the weight of the component will be more than required to meet the expected stresses and strains encountered in service. This increase in cost and especially weight can be significant, for example, in an airplane predominately made of composite materials.
Another possible solution is to cure the repair in an autoclave, which is typically used to cure components during their manufacture. But using an autoclave in the field is often impractical because of its size. Most conventional autoclaves are expensive to build, and thus expensive to purchase, because they are designed to perform many complimentary curing functions. For example, most autoclaves are designed to pressurize an internal chamber to about 200 psi, and thus, specifically designed to withstand this pressure. Furthermore, most autoclaves include a pump or compressor to generate this pressure, a heater to heat the atmosphere, a fan to circulate the heated atmosphere, and a system to purge gases from the atmosphere, which may be released into the chamber as the adhesive cures. Consequently, most autoclaves are large to accommodate a wide range of component sizes.
The size of most autoclaves makes their use in the field impractical for many reasons. One reason is that large autoclaves are difficult to move from one location in the field to another. Another reason is that large autoclaves are expensive to operate because the volume of air that must be heated and circulated within the autoclave to cure a component and/or repair to a component is large. Consequently, about the same amount of power is required to cure a repair to a small component as a repair to a large component.

Vessel and system for curing a repair to a component made from composite materials


The present invention relates to a process for producing a nanocomposite material from    a) at least one inorganic or organometallic metal phase; and    b) an organic polymer phase;    comprising the polymerization of at least one monomer M which have            at least one first polymerizable monomer unit A which has a metal or semimetal M, and        at least one second polymerizable organic monomer unit B which is joined to the polymerizable unit A via a covalent chemical bond,            under polymerization conditions under which both the polymerizable monomer unit A and the polymerizable unit B polymerize with breakage of the bond between A and B, the monomers M to be polymerized comprising a first monomer M1 and at least one second monomer M2 which differs at least in one of the monomer units A and B from the monomer M1 (embodiment 1), or    the monomers to be polymerized comprising, as well as the at least one monomer M, at least one further monomer other than the monomers M, i.e. a conventional monomer which does not have a monomer unit A and is copolymerizable with the monomer unit B (embodiment 2).

The present invention relates to a process for producing a nanocomposite material which is formed from    a) at least one inorganic or organometallic phase; and    b) an organic polymer phase.
Nanocomposite materials, i.e. polymer-based composite materials which comprise, in an organic polymer phase, an inorganic phase, for example an inorganic (semi)metal oxide phase with dimensions below 500 nm, especially below 100 nm (hereinafter, also nanoscale phase or, in the case of a particulate phase, nanoscale particles), owing to the large interface between the nanoscale inorganic phase and the organic polymer phase, possess a high potential with regard to their chemical, physical and mechanical properties, which cannot be achieved by milli- or microscale dispersions of conventional inorganic constituents in polymer phases (R. P. Singh, et al., J. Mater. Sci. 2002, 37, 781).
The processes known to date for producing inorganic-organic nanocomposites are based on direct mixing of nanoparticles or exfoliated sheet silicates with a polymer in solution or the melt, the in situ preparation of the organic phase by polymerizing organic monomers in the presence of inorganic nanoparticles or exfoliated sheet silicates, sol-gel techniques and combinations of these measures (see, for example, for incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer melt: Garcia, M.; et al., Polymers for Advanced Technologies 2004, 15, 164; for polymerization of organic monomers in the presence of inorganic nanoparticles or exfoliated sheet silicates see: M. C. Kuo et al., Materials Chemistry and Physics 2005, 90(1), 185; A. Maity et al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2004, 94(2), 803; Y. Liao et al. (Polymer International 2001, 50(2), 207; and WO 2001/012678; for preparation of an oxide phase by hydrolysis of oligomeric alkoxysiloxanes in a polymer solution or melt see WO 2004/058859 and WO 2007/028563).
The established prior art methods are associated with a series of disadvantages. Firstly, many of them remain restricted to composites of organic polymers which are either soluble in organic solvents or melt without decomposition. In addition, it is generally possible in this way only to introduce small amounts of inorganic phase into the nanocomposite material. Owing to the usually high agglomeration of the nanoparticles and the enormously high shear forces which are necessary as a result, fine distribution of the nanoparticles in a relatively large amount is barely possible. A great disadvantage of nanocomposite production by in situ preparation of the organic polymer phase in the presence of nanoparticles is the formation of nanoparticle agglomerates which occurs, such that inhomogeneous products form. As a result, the advantage of the nanoparticles, that of forming extensive interfaces with the polymer as a result of their large surface area, cannot be utilized. In the case of use of pulverulent nanofillers, owing to the small particle size, there is additionally a high risk to health during compounding owing to the dust formation which occurs and the ability of the nanoparticles to reach the lungs. The in situ preparation of the inorganic phase by a sol-gel process in a polymer melt or solution generally leads to poorly reproducible results or requires complex measures to control the hydrolysis conditions.
Spange et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 46 (2007) 628-632 describe a novel route to nanocomposite materials by cationic polymerization of tetrafurfuryloxysilane TFOS and difurfuryloxydimethylsilane according to the following schemes:

Spange et al. propose the term "twin polymerization" for this kind of polymerization.
The polymerization of TFOS under cationic conditions forms a composite material which has a silicon dioxide phase and an organic polymer phase composed of polyfurfuryl alcohol PFA. The dimensions of the phase domains in the composite material thus obtained are in the region of a few nanometers. In addition, the phase domains of the silicon dioxide phase and the phase domains of the PFA phase have a co-continuous arrangement, i.e. both the PFA phase and the SiO2 phase penetrate one another and essentially do not form any discontinuous regions. The distances between adjacent phase interfaces or the distances between the domains of adjacent identical phases are extremely small and are on average not more than 10 nm. There is no macroscopically visible separation in discontinuous domains of the particular phase.
It is assumed that the specific phase arrangement and the small distances between adjacent phases are a consequence firstly of the kinetic coupling of the polymerization of the furfuryl units, and secondly of the formation of the silicon dioxide. Consequently, the phase constituents form more or less synchronously and there is a phase separation into the inorganic phase and the organic phase as early as during the polymerization of TFOS.
In the course of polymerization of DFOS, in contrast, no formation of a composite material is observed. Instead, PFA and oligomeric dimethylsiloxane are formed, the latter separating out as an oil.
The twin polymerization described by Spange et al. solves a series of problems in the production of nanocomposite materials and especially avoids the use of nanomaterials. However, the nanocomposite materials described by Spange et al. are unsatisfactory in various aspects and have only moderate strength and are comparatively brittle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for the production of composite materials


Techniques are described for reducing the false positive rate of regular expression attribute extractions via a specific data representation and a machine learning method that can be trained at a much lower cost (much fewer labeled examples) than would be required by a full scale machine learning solution. Attribute determinations made using the regular expression technique are represented as skeleton tokens. The skeleton tokens, along with accurate attribute determinations, are provided to a machine-learning mechanism to train the machine-learning mechanism. Once trained, the machine-learning mechanism is used to predict the accuracy of attribute determinations represented by skeleton tokens generated for not-yet-analyzed input text.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, are but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
"Attribute extraction" refers to determining specific pieces of information from text, where those specific pieces of information are not explicitly tagged as such within the text. For the purpose of explanation, the text from which attributes are to be extracted is referred to herein as "input text". The input text for an attribute extraction may be from any source. For example, in the context of an online shopping service, the input text may be product offerings. Some product offerings may be provided to the shopping service by merchants, and some product offerings may be obtained by crawling the websites of merchants.
Attribute extraction may involve, for example, determining the brand, size and color of a product from the text of an advertisement for the product. As another example, attribute extraction may involve determining the title, page length and author of a book based on a text description of the book. These are merely two examples of contexts in which attribute extraction may be useful. The techniques described herein are not limited to any particular attribute extraction context.
In many contexts, it is critical that attribute extraction yield accurate results. For example, it is very important for companies that distribute merchants' content on the Internet to accurately extract attributes of that content to allow customers to perform attribute-based searches for the products they desire. In one shopping system, for example, the offers from invoiced merchants are first categorized into a taxonomy of classes (e.g. Apparel, Jewelry, Home and Garden and deeper) and then are subjected to the category-dependent attribute extraction. For instance, offers falling into Apparel class may require attributes like BRAND, MODEL NUMBER, AGE, GENDER, SIZE extracted from them. These attributes are then used in many tasks, including matching of offers to catalogues by matching on the values of the key attributes. The attribute values may also be exposed to the users on a live site, to enable guided navigation browsing.
Extracted attributes may be "embedded" or "derived". Embedded attributes are attributes whose values are embedded in the text and require proper text segmentation to be extracted. An example of an embedded attribute is BRAND, which will typically be mentioned in the text explicitly (e.g. "Nike running shoes", where Nike is a brand).
Derived attributes, on the other hand, are attributes that can be semantically derived from text. For example, in the text "Sexy Lingerie", there is no explicit mention of gender, but the GENDER attribute value can be derived based on the knowledge of the token affinity to MALE/FEMALE values. In general, the judgment used to determine the values for derived attributes is not as straightforward as in this example.
One approach for performing attribute extraction is referred to herein as the "regular expression approach". In the regular expression approach, a value dictionary is created for each category/attribute combination. A value dictionary for a category/attribute combination contains entries that correspond to possible values of the attribute for items that belong to that category. For example, one value dictionary may be created for apparel/brands. An apparel/brand dictionary would contain entries that correspond to the brand names of apparel makers.
Within a value dictionary, each entry includes one or more terms or patterns. When the input text matches a term or pattern associated with an entry, the input text is presumed to have the attribute value associated with the entry. For example, an apparel/gender dictionary may include an entry for MALE and an entry for FEMALE. The terms associated with the male entry may include "boy", "man", "guy", "men", "men's" etc. The terms associated with the female entry may include "girl", "woman", "lady", "women", etc.
Once a value dictionary for a given category/attribute combination has been created, an automated attribute extractor may search input text that falls into the category associated with the dictionary to see if the input text matches the terms associated with any entry in the dictionary. If the automated attribute extractor finds a term from the dictionary within the input text, then the attribute value associated with the entry that contains the matched term may be presumed to be the value of that attribute for that text. For example, input text that includes the word "men" will be presumed to have the value MALE for the attribute GENDER. Similarly, input text that includes the word "women" will be presumed to have the value FEMALE for the attribute GENDER. As another example, if an apparel/brand dictionary has an entry for the brand name Nike, and an apparel advertisement includes the word Nike, then Nike may be presumed to be the brand of the apparel in the advertisement.
Unfortunately, under many circumstances the accuracy of the regular expression approach is low. For example, an advertisement for a sweater may mention colors other than the color of the sweater that is the subject of the advertisement. As a consequence, the advertisement may be erroneously identified with each of the mentioned colors. As another example, a perfume advertisement that includes the phrase "the scent men prefer" may be erroneously identified as a MALE product because of the presence of the word "men" within the advertisement.
Another approach for extracting attributes from input text is referred to herein as the "machine learning approach". The machine learning approach typically involves training a machine-learning mechanism to recognize attribute values within training text. Once trained, the machine-learning mechanism may then be used to recognize and extract the attribute values from input text. Unfortunately, for the machine learning approach to produce accurate results, the machine learning mechanism must be provided with large amounts of accurately-labeled data.
Producing accurately-labeled training data in the amounts needed to produce accurate attribute extraction may involve a prohibitively large amount of human labor. For example, to train a machine-learning mechanism to accurately extract SIZE values from product offerings, the machine-learning mechanism may have to be fed a large number of product offerings along with the correct SIZE values for those product offerings. Similarly, to train a machine-learning mechanism to accurately extract COLOR values from product offerings, the machine-learning mechanism may have to be fed a large number of product offerings along with the correct COLOR values from those product offerings. Thus, the training process must be repeated separately for every attribute that is to be extracted from input text.
Depending on the task and attribute at hand, these two techniques will vary significantly in their performance (measured by precision/recall), but there is also a clear differentiation between them with respect to cost. In many contexts, labeling the data in the manner required to use machine-learning approach would incur an unacceptably high cost. Therefore, the general tendency is to rely on the regular expression approach as a primary facilitator of extraction, for its time to production is very short and in many situations it tends to show reasonable performance. For example, in context of an online shopping service, the extraction of BRAND using regular expressions that in turn use a dictionary of brands for a given category, often yields acceptable levels of precision. However, the particular cases where regular expression extraction fails could be numerous and oftentimes disturbing for the users.

Attribute extraction using limited training data


An endoscope which allows a washing brush from an endoscope control section into all tubes, thereby facilitating washing works. In the endoscope control section, a water feeding pipe, for example, is separated into a front tube and a rear tube, and their openings are exposed as washing ports. A support portion of a tube unit is disposed so as to be attachable and detachable to and from the openings of these tubes, and a rear aspirating tube is disposed in the tube unit. This configuration makes it possible to detach and brush the tubes with a washing brush inserted from the openings into the front tubes on the side of a tip section and the rear tubes on the side of a cable. Further, control switches for opening and closing the tubes can be disposed on the tube unit, and elastic tube members may be disposed between the tubes on the side of the tube unit and the tubes on the side of the control section. Furthermore, the tube unit may be made of elastic rubber as a whole.

This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 9-65438 and 9-65435 filed on Mar. 3, 1997, and No. 9-60054 filed on Feb. 26, 1997, and No. 9-94664 filed on Mar. 28, 1997, which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention has been achieved for facilitating to wash tubes such as air feeding tubes, water feeding tubes and aspirating tubes disposed in endoscopes, and relates to an endoscope which has washing ports formed in a control section.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 23 schematically shows a conventional electronic endoscope (scope) portion 1 which is composed of a tip section 1A comprising a CCD (charge coupled device), an insert section 1B, a control section 1C and a cable 1D whose end is to be connected to a light source unit and a processor unit for image processing. Disposed on the control section 1C are an angle knob 3, an aspiration button (mechanical switching valve) 4A and an air/water feeding button 4B and a forceps port 5 which used for inserting treating implements toward the tip section to bend a tip section 1A.
Disposed in such an endoscope are an aspirating tube which is a treating tool inserting channel communicated with the forceps port 5 and serves for aspiration, an air feeding tube and a water feeding tube for feeding air and water to the tip section 1A, and so on.
The endoscope which is configured as described above illuminate an interior of a body to be observed with rays which are emitted from the light source unit and transmitted through a light guide and the tip section 1A, and the CCD picks up and observes an image of the interior of the body. During the image pickup and observation, the endoscope allows to feed air and water from the tip section 1A to an observation window, etc. through the air feeding tube and the water feeding tube by manipulating the air/water feeding button 4B, and insert treating implements and aspirate or discharge soiled matters, etc. out of the body through the aspirating tube.
However, the endoscope poses a problem that it does not permit performing efficient washing and disinfection though the endoscope is used in sites of medical treatments and requires to wash and disinfect the tubes. Speaking concretely, the tubes are washed using a brush, but it is difficult to pass the brush at a stroke from the tip section 1A to a tube connector at an end of the cable 1D. The washing brush cannot be inserted deep because the endoscope is long as a whole, and the tubes have remarkably bent parts in the control section 1C and are complicated (partially cut) in a mechanical control section when they are mechanically opened and closed with the aspiration button 4A and the air/water feeding button 4B.
Accordingly, it is conventionally required to flow washing water for a long time, perform tedious washing works and complicate a structure of each section though measures are taken to improve the switching valves so as to allow a washing brush to be inserted as deep as possible.


The present invention relates to a method for producing phase-separated glass, sequentially including a melting step of melting a glass, a phase separation step of separating phases in the glass, and a shaping step of shaping the glass, and to the phase-separated glass obtained by the production method.

For the chassis of electronic devices such as mobile phones, in consideration of a variety of factors such as decorativeness, scratch resistance, workability, and cost, an appropriate material selected from resins, metals, and other materials is used. In recent years, an attempt has been made regarding the use of glass, which was not used in the past, as a material for chassis (Patent Document 1). According to Patent Document 1, in electronic devices such as mobile phones, when the chassis main body is formed of glass, it is possible to exhibit a unique transparent decoration effect.
An electronic device includes a display device such as a liquid crystal panel on the outer surface of the device. For the display device, there is a tendency to high definition and high brightness and, accordingly, for backlights serving as a light source as well, there is a tendency to high brightness. Light from a light source is not only radiated toward the display device side but is also, in some cases, reflected in the inside of the device multiple times so as to arrive at the inner surface of the chassis covering the device.
Even for organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) displays requiring no light source, similarly, there is a concern of the leakage of light coming from a light-emitting element. When metal is used as a chassis material, no problem is caused; however, in the case of using the transparent glass, there is a concern that light from the light source may pass through the chassis and be sensed outside the device. Therefore, when glass is used for the chassis, a method for forming a coated film to impart shielding properties against visible light (hereinafter, simply referred to as shielding properties) to the glass has been used.
In order to form a coated film having sufficient shielding properties on the inner surface (facing the device) of the glass, it is necessary to form a thick coated film or form a film made up of a plurality of layers, which increases the number of steps and the cost.
In addition, in the case in which the coated film is not uniformly formed, there is a concern that the appearance of the device is impaired since light passes through only places having a thin coated film and the chassis is locally sensed to be bright. For example, for a recessed chassis, it is necessary to form a uniform film on the entire surface of the recessed surface. However, a step for uniformly forming a coated film having sufficient shielding properties on the recessed surface is complicated and thus causes an increase of the cost.

Manufacturing method for phase-separated glass, and phase-separated glass


A seat storage assembly is provided for an automotive vehicle having a floor, a roof, and a rear liftgate extending between the floor and the roof. A pair of spaced apart and parallel tracks is disposed along the floor and extends between fore and aft ends. A recess is formed in the floor rearward of the aft ends of the tracks. A second row seat is slidably engaged and pivotally coupled to the tracks for moving between forward and rearward seating positions, and a stowed position within the recess. A third row swing seat is pivotally coupled to the roof for moving between a seating position and a raised stowed position. Moving the third row swing seat into the raised stowed position enables the second row seat to move between the forward and rearward seating positions, and the stowed position within the recess.

Certain automotive vehicles, such as minivans and sport utility vehicles include second and third row seats for supporting vehicle passengers above a floor in the vehicle. There are times, however, when a vehicle operator will alternatively desire additional cargo space within the vehicle rather than the additional row or rows of seats. In these instances, storage or removal of the second and third row seats is required to provide the additional cargo space desired.
Space limitations leave few options for stowing both the second and third row seats within the vehicle. Attempts to fold both the second and third row seats into the floor can compromise seat design and comfort. In addition, stowing both the second and third row seats in the floor significantly compromises location of underbody components, including rear suspension, fuel system, exhaust system, spare tire storage and all-wheel-drive capability. It would therefore be desirable to provide a seat storage assembly for stowing both the second and third row seats, which would be compatible with new vehicle designs as well as existing vehicle underbody architecture.


This invention relates to the cylinder lock with a coded key for blocking the steering wheel shaft and the protection of motor vehicle from theft. The lock consists of the housing (1), which is fastened on the bush (2) placed on the shaft (3) of the steering system, inside of which there is a sliding cylinder (4) with a coded key (5). In the cylinder (4) there is a keyway (14) in which there is peak of the pin (13) fastened in the housing (1). On the core (8) by the linchpin (16) a bush (15) is fastened, on which there is a ring eccentre (17) with the area (18). On the bush (15) there is placed a spiral spring (20). In the housing (1) along the eccentre (17) the pin (19) and the inductive switch (27) are placed. Inside the bush (15) the spiral spring (24) and the piston (25) are placed, while the peak of the piston (25) is fastened by the linchpin inside the piston (26) for locking. The free end of the piston (26) is placed in the keyway (28) of the bush (29) fastened in the shaft (3). In order to unlock, the core (8) is rotated and the cylinder (4) is axially moved. In the unlocked position the ring eccentre (17) is secured by pin (19) and activates switch (27).

There are numerous lock solutions presented in patent and non-patent literature. The term lock should denote, apart from the usual door locks of various kinds, the lock for the vehicle steering wheels, as well as all kinds of special locks such as padlocks and other. Theoretically, there are several groups of locks that are different from each other by way of locking/unlocking. There are also locks with rotary keys which move the lamellar arresters perpendicularly to the key, locks having arresters which adjust by putting in the key, locks in which the slide valve is moved by means other than the key, locks with permutations, locks with display devices or time counters, locks for special purposes, etc. The most common types of locks are the cylinder locks with arresters in the shape of pins or small balls and cylinder locks with lamellar arresters.
One known solution of the lock is the Yugoslav patent application no. P-731/92 in which the cylinder lock made up of a cylinder and a key is presented. The cylinder is profiled as a semi cylinder and contains a cylinder housing that at its upper, essentially round cylinder part, contains longitudinal opening of the core for the installation of the cylinder core. The cylinder core bears the element for locking on its inwardly located end. The rotation of the cylinder core is in that manner conveyed to lock elements. The lock element remains axially immovable in the slit of cylinder housing. The flange part of the cylinder housing extends radially to the round cylinder part. The housing through-holes arranged in the succession, which also extend radially to the core of the cylinder, are to be put in the flange part. Their ends, far from the cylinder core, are sealed helped by the keys. These housing through-holes serve to hold the springs of keys as well as the keys themselves. The core through-holes are oriented radially in relation to the cylinder core to hold the linchpins, which are straightened with the housing through-holes. The housing keys and the core keys form a limiter, which prevents the rotating of the cylinder core and thus the lock elements, too, as the key is not put in. The core wedges move only by putting in the appropriate key in the channel in the cylinder core, so that the special link between the core wedges and the housing wedges is located on the level of the sliding link of the cylinder core.
Another known solution has been presented in the patent document YU PS 45139 entitled "Cylinder Lock with Double Locking of Cylinder". This solution relates to a cylinder lock with double locking of cylinder in which the locking of the cylinder is achieved from two sides, by different systems of linchpins and lifter by using a profiled key, so that from the lower part of the cylinder the standard system of shutting linchpins and lifters is used, under the influence of springs, and from the above the system of sealing linchpins and lifters placed in the upper part of the vertical plane, which passes through the cylinder axis, and is movable under the influence of the gravitation force. Apart from that, in the middle the cylinder grooves are made into which the plates are put, what serves for the purpose of preventing the unlocking of the upper system by various objects.
Other relevant known solutions are presented in Yugoslav patent applications P-500/98 in which the programmed cylinder lock with main keys is shown, P-1812/80 in which the profiled cylinder lock is presented, P-678/92 presenting the steering wheel lock, P-1487/86 presenting the blocking safety lock for motor vehicles, etc.
Main disadvantages of the known locks, some of which are in the above passage, are complicated construction, possibility of breaking, small number of coding combinations are limitation in use.

Cylinder lock with coded key for blocking the shaft of the steering wheel and protection of the motor vehicle from theft


A system for enhancing images from an electro-optic imaging sensor and for reducing the necessary focal length of a sensor while preserving system acuity. This system uniquely reduces the necessary focal length and enhances images by collecting a video sequence, estimating motion associate with this sequence, assembling video frames into composite images, and applying image restoration to restore the composite image from pixel, lens blur, and alias distortion. The invention synthetically increases the pixel density of the focal plane array. Thus it reduces the necessary size of the projected blur circle or equivalently it reduces the minimum focal length requirements.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention deals generally with an algorithm for increasing the spatial acuity of Focal Plane Array based Electro-Optic imaging systems by accumulating multiple frames of imagery into a single composite image and thus reducing the effective focal length of a viewing lens.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Single frame digital image restoration is a widely implemented mathematical technique that can compensate for known or estimated distortions endemic to a given digital image, improving the perceptual acuity and operational resolution of the constituent digital imaging sensor. (See Chapter 8 of Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing, A. K. Jain, Prentice Hall 1989)
The performance of such single-frame restoration techniques can be bounded by two limitations:                1) Insufficient spatial sampling of the projected optical image when measured by a single-frame capture of the projected optical image by a focal plane array. Depending on the F-number of the lens and the physical spacing (pixel pitch) of detectors, this situation may result in spatial alias distortion that is unrecoverable in a general sense.        2) Noise of the constituent pixel detectors in a focal plane array, and the associated read-out electronic microcircuits, which will limit the performance of any subsequent restoration filter.
When imaging an object of interest, a sensor may often stare at that object for sufficient time to create a video sequence of images that dwell, with the possibility to drift, over the particular object. For many applications, only a single frame is recorded and processed, discarding the statistically innovative information that may be contained in additional, but unexamined images captured by the focal plane array.
Straightforward implementation of resolution enhancement through multiple frames of imagery have been implemented by controlled micro-dither scanning of a sensor (W. F. O'Neal "Experimental Performance of a Dither-Scanned InSb Array" Proceedings on the 1993 Meeting of the IRIS Specialty Group on Passive Sensors), where a stationary scene is imaged by a sensor subject to a well controlled pattern of orientation displacements, such as an integer fraction of a pixel. Image recovery is then implemented by appropriately interlacing the constituent images into a composite image with an integer-multiple increase in sampling density. Such techniques are very effective in suppressing alias distortions of any single frame, but may come at the cost of stabilization requirements that limit their implementation in practical, man-portable sensor systems.
Without any deliberate dithering, such video sequences of images may still be subject to unknown displacements, which can be exploited to provide the same benefits as controlled dither. There has been a history of research in algorithms to implement a multi-frame image restoration on such data sets (T. S. Huang., "Multiple frame image restoration and registration," in Advances in Computer Vision and Image Processing, vol. 1, JAI Press, 1984.). The preponderance of these algorithms follows a common, non-linear approach to this problem:                1) Pre-suppose the existence of a high-resolution image, perhaps sampled at some integer multiple of the number of pixels of the constituent images. Seed this high resolution image with some initial guess, such as the interpolation of any single frame to the higher spatial sampling rate.        2) Derive some guess of the motion of the video sequence relative to the high resolution image. Displace and down-sample the high resolution image so as to create a synthetic video sequence consistent with the observed video sequence.        3) Determine some form of error between the synthetic and actual video sequence.        4) Adjust the estimates of both the high-resolution image and the scene motion so as to reduce the error between synthetic and actual video sequences.        5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until a convergence in error has been reached.
This approach to multi-frame image restoration is plagued by three limitations                1) Iterative algorithms often exhibit long convergence times and are computationally intense.        2) Numerical techniques for adjusting the estimates of step 4 often depend on specifying an underlying probability distribution model. Such Maximum Likelihood or Maximum A-Postori techniques prove to be numerically unstable if the underlying data deviates from such idealized statistical models.        3) Many such algorithms are constrained to cases of simple motion models, such as uniform displacements between frames of video, which may not fully represent the true motion of the sequence.        4) Final restoration of the high resolution image additionally depends on an empirical smoothing kernel with little or no analytic derivation.

Algorithmic technique for increasing the spatial acuity of a focal plane array electro-optic imaging system

United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A hybrid module includes a housing, an input intended for rotationally coupling to an internal combustion engine, an output intended for rotationally coupling to an input of a gearbox, an electric machine arranged in the housing and having a stator and a rotor arranged within the stator radially, a separation clutch and a torsional vibration damper. The separation clutch and the torsional vibration damper are arranged within the rotor in both the radial and axial directions.

The present invention relates to a hybrid module for use in vehicles.
A trend toward the "hybridizing" of conventional motor vehicle drives has been discernible for a relatively long time. Some manufacturers offer vehicles with an automatic gearbox, optionally with or without an upstream "hybrid module." For cost reasons, efforts are made to change or replace as few components as possible in the process of hybridizing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hybrid module of simple and compact design by which an internal combustion engine can be coupled to a gearbox and with which a conventional drive train can be hybridized.
A hybrid module according to the invention comprises a housing, a rotary input, a rotary output, an electric machine arranged in the housing, as well as a separation clutch and a torsional vibration damper. The rotary input, identified hereinafter as the "input," is provided for rotationally coupling the hybrid module with an internal combustion engine or a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The rotary output, identified hereinafter as the "output," is provided for rotationally coupling the hybrid module to an input of a gearbox. The gearbox can be, for example, an automatic gearbox, a dual clutch gearbox, a manual gearbox, an automated manual gearbox or a gearbox of another type.
The electric machine arranged in the housing of the hybrid module has a stator fixed to the housing and a rotor which is rotatable relative to the stator. The rotor is designed and dimensioned such that the separation clutch and the torsional vibration damper can be arranged within the region enclosed by the rotor. The separation clutch and the torsional vibrator are therefore arranged (at least partially) "within" the rotor of the electric machine both in the radial direction and in the axial direction, thus enabling a very compact construction. For example, it can be provided that the separation clutch is arranged—seen from the input of the hybrid module in the direction of the output of the hybrid module—in front of the torsional vibration damper.
The separation clutch can be, in particular, a dry multi-plate friction clutch with a plurality of friction plate pairs. By installing a dry multi-plate friction clutch within the rotor of the electric machine and by integrating the torsional vibration damper in the space within the rotor of the electric machine, a relatively short structural length is achieved for the hybrid module. The multi-plate friction clutch can have two, three or more friction plate pairs.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the clutch has a non-actuated basic state in which the clutch is closed, i.e. so as to enable torque transmission. In order to open the clutch, a corresponding clutch hydraulic system can be provided, which has a hydrostatic actuator configured to match demand and able to be supplied with hydraulic energy.
In order to optimize the efficiency of the hybrid module, the friction plates of the clutch are fully separated in the open state. Therefore, in the open state of the clutch, the friction plates of the clutch do not contact one another. As a result, no friction heat is generated in the clutch in the open state thereof.
The input of the hydraulic module can be connected via the torsional vibration damper to the first friction plates of the clutch. The first friction plates can be radially inner friction plates (internal plates). The first friction plates cooperate with second friction plates which are arranged radially outwardly (external plates) in relation to the first friction plates. The second friction plates can be directly or indirectly connected to the rotor. The second friction plates therefore always rotate at the rotary speed of the rotor of the electric machine.
The first or second plates can be lined plates which are provided on both sides with a frictional coating. The lined plates are arranged to oppose friction partners made as steel or cast plates (second or first plates) by which, primarily, the heat that is generated is conducted away. Since steel or cast plates have a greater inertia than the lined plates, steel or cast plates are preferably arranged (for dynamic reasons) on the shaft which is static when the clutch is open.
The rotor of the electric machine can also be connected directly or indirectly to the output of the hybrid module, which is provided for rotationally coupling to the input of the gearbox.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the housing of the hybrid module is flanged, on an input side, to a crankcase of the internal combustion engine and, on an output side, to a housing of the gearbox. The housing of the hybrid module can be flanged directly or via an adaptor ring to the crankcase. Using an adaptor ring, the hybrid module can be combined with a variety of gearbox types.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the rotor of the electric machine is mounted in the housing of the hybrid module via sealed bearings in relation to the stator. The electric machine or the stator of the electric machine can be screwed onto the housing of the hybrid module or onto the adaptor ring as one "unit."
In order to lift the friction plates on an internal plate carrier or external plate carrier, nodular washers or tangential leaf springs can be provided.
In order to actuate the separation clutch, as previously mentioned, a hydraulic system is provided. The hydraulic system is supplied with hydraulic pressure by a hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump is driven by an electric motor. The electric motor used to drive the hydraulic pump can also be used as a drive motor of a gearbox oil pump of the gearbox connected to the hybrid module. The concerned electric motor, the hydraulic pump and the gearbox oil pump can be arranged outside the housing of the hybrid module and outside the housing of the gearbox.
The invention achieves the following advantages:
(1) A conventional drive train can be hybridized with the hybrid module according to the invention, the "basic gearbox" remaining, as far as possible, unaltered.
(2) The system for rotary oscillation reduction arranged on the gearbox input side with a conventional drive train is retained in principle, but is integrated into the hybrid module.
(3) The hybrid module can be combined with any gearboxes.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Disclosed herein is a ready-to-use liquid formulation comprising ropivacaine, epinephrine, clonidine, and ketorolac (collectively referred to as RECK). Also disclosed herein is a process for preparing the RECK-containing liquid formulation, as well as methods for using the same.

The surgical reconstruction or replacement of a joint, known as arthroplasty, may be necessary to alleviate pain associated with osteoarthritis. A problem associated with arthroplasty is the management of post-operative pain. Indeed, it is generally recognized that failure to control pain adequately following an arthroplasty procedure may hinder physiotherapy and increase anxiety.
A RECK-containing solution may be used as a local anesthetic during an arthroplasty procedure. In fact, some hospitals use a RECK-containing solution during knee arthroplasty to improve immediate post-operative pain relief. See, e.g., Dalury et al., Current and Innovative Pain Management Techniques in Total Knee Arthoroplasty, JBJS (2011) 93(20): 1938-1943 (Dulury). Therein, Dulury describes an "anesthetic cocktail" containing ropivacaine, epinephrine, clonidine, and ketorolac in saline prepared from commercially available products. (Dulury at 1941.) Dulury describes the use of the anesthetic cocktail for patients during total knee replacement to improve immediate post-operative pain. (Id. at 1941-1942.) Dulury explains that the anesthetic cocktail "is premixed by the pharmacy and remains stable for twenty-four hours." (Id.)
In addition to the limited stability of the compounded RECK-containing solution, pharmacy preparation of a RECK-containing solution has the potential for microbial contamination and/or errors associated with compounding. Indeed, hospital personnel have stated that the RECK-containing solution sometimes turn pink, which is a sign of epinephrine degradation. There is a need for a ready-to-use liquid formulation containing RECK that overcomes the problems of the RECK-containing solution to ensure that patients have decreased pain during rehabilitation post-operative arthroplasty.


A torque wrench apparatus comprises a top wrench, a bottom wrench, and a middle wrench. The top and bottom wrenches are configured such that either one of them rotates a first joint in a first direction, and the middle wrench is configured to rotate a second joint in a second direction opposite the first direction; or the top and bottom wrenches are configured such that either one of them immobilizes a first joint, and the middle wrench is configured to rotate a second joint in a first direction; or the middle wrench is configured to immobilize a first joint, and the top and bottom wrenches are configured such that either one of them rotates a second joint in a second direction opposite the first direction. A method for making and breaking joints with the apparatus is also introduced.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention relate to a hydraulic tool for oil and gas drilling operations, particularly, a torque wrench apparatus and method for making and breaking tubular joints in drill pipe strings.
Description of the Related Art
Hydraulic tongs have been employed in making and breaking joints in drilling pipe strings instead of manually-operated rig tongs to achieve a higher standard of safety and efficiency in the field of oil and gas drilling operations. However, because the torques generated during making and breaking of the joints are enormous, and the tool contacts corrosive chemicals in mud directly, it is important to introduce a torque wrench apparatus and method for making and breaking joints which is more rugged, more easily maintained, and causes less damage to the joints.
A number of hydraulic apparatuses for making and breaking joints in drill pipe strings are known. Typically, the apparatus is basically composed of an upper tongs, a lower tongs, a torque cylinder and a linkage installed between the upper tongs and the lower tongs. The torque cylinder is installed between the upper tongs and the lower tongs. Each tongs include a similar structure comprising a tongs block, two jaws, a number of dies, and two clamp cylinders. Dies are installed to the jaws, and each jaw is fixed to the rod end of each clamp cylinder, and the clamp cylinders are formed in the tongs block. In operation, the upper tongs clamp the upper joint while the lower tongs clamp the lower joint, and the torque cylinder extends to make up or retracts to break out the joints respectively, wherein the clamp cylinders are pushing the jaws toward the joints so that the teeth of the dies bite into the outer circumference of the joints.
However, the enormous torque generated during making and breaking joints requests an enormous biting force between the dies and the joints to avoid a slippage, and shock loads perpendicular to the rod of the clamp cylinders are usually generated also which may cause failure to the rod seals, and further, the enormous clamping force set for the maximum torque load is excessive for normal making and breaking joints excessively bites the joints. In short, such apparatuses have limited lifetime, are time consuming and difficult to maintain, and cause excessive damage to joints in drill pipe strings.

Torque wrench apparatus and method for making and breaking joints


Methods for allowing a user to customize an interface for a computer program are provided The methods allow a user of the computer program flexibility in organizing commands into a menu structure The methods also allow a user of a computer program to assign a keystroke sequence to a command. The user can then invoke the command by entering the keystroke sequence. A command assigned to a keystroke sequence does not need to be associated with a menu. The methods allow the user of a computer program to predefine parameters for commands. The predefinition allows the user to invoke a command without reentering the parameters. In a preferred embodiments, the methods use a command array that contains an entry for each command. The methods use an array associated with each menu. The arrays contain unique identifiers of the commands that are associated with the menu. These unique identifiers are used to reference entries into the command array. The entries in the command array include a reference to the program code that implements the commands.

Computer system design has recently progressed wherein a large amount of effort has been devoted to improving the ease of using computer systems. One aspect of computer utilization where this is especially evident is in the area of computer user interfaces. For example, the use of windows, icons and pull-down, pop-up, or tear-off menus greatly enhance the ease of using a computer system. For example, pull-down menus often contain commands which are logically grouped so that specific commands may be located and executed quickly. While application programmers strive to arrange pull-down menus in a logical and efficient manner, the specific organization of pull-down menus may not be desirable to many users. Furthermore, in addition to executing commands through pull-down menus, many application programs provide keyboard equivalents for executing certain commands. Since keyboard equivalents may differ from application program to application program, the keyboard equivalents provided by application programmers for one application may often confuse many users accustomed to executing another application program.
One computer system which makes extensive use of pull-down menus and keyboard equivalents is the Macintosh computer system manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. In the Macintosh operating system, a mechanism is provided wherein plurality of pull-down menus may be used at the operating system level or by application programs. In this system, each individual menu and each menu command is defined by embedded computer code which is compiled at the time of creating a program or whenever updating the computer operating system. In order to modify any menu in this system, the corresponding menu code must be rewritten and recompiled. Thus, it is essentially impossible for users to modify these menus while executing an application program or when using the system for even basic operations.
One popular application program which also makes extensive use of pull-down menus is the Macintosh version of the Microsoft Word word processing application program, available from Microsoft, Inc. Early versions of Microsoft Word provided some flexibility in configuring menus items and associated keyboard equivalents. Specifically, in early versions of Microsoft Word, users were provided with the option of either displaying or hiding items or commands in specific menus. However, it provided no mechanism to modify in which specific menu commands are displayed, to modify the mapping between keystrokes and command or menu items.
Furthermore, while various macro recorders for computer systems allow users to record specific actions such as selecting certain menu items or executing a specific series of keystrokes by invoking those actions with a keystroke, the use of macro recorders is limited to commands which appear on menus or dialog boxes and does not give full access to all commands available for use within application programs. At the same time, currently available macro recorders are not typically fully integrated within an application program, and functions implemented with macro recorders require several additional steps to initiate a desired function.
No computer system or application program user interface is known which allows a user to fully configure a plurality of menus wherein virtually any command available to a user may be assigned to any menu in the system and further wherein virtually any keystroke or sequence of keystrokes may be assigned to execute virtually any command without the need for exiting an application program currently in use. The present invention further provides a method and system for allowing users to create custom commands and assign those commands to any menu available in the system and assign virtually any keystroke or sequence of keystrokes for executing a user defined custom command.

Method and system for customizing a user interface in a computer system


An axle assembly having a housing, a ring gear received in the housing, a ring gear bearing, a pair of shafts, a differential mechanism and a pair of inboard bearings. The ring gear bearing contacts the housing and the ring gear to support the ring gear for rotation about an axis. The shafts are received in the housing and rotate about the axis. Each of the shafts has a bearing mount and a male splined segment. The differential mechanism has a pair of output members, each of which having a splined internal aperture into which the male splined segment of one of the shafts is slidably received. Each shaft bearing is disposed on the bearing mount of one of the axle shafts and supports the shafts for rotation on the housing. The differential mechanism is supported for rotation about the axis by the ring gear bearing and the inboard bearings.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Automotive axle assemblies typically include a differential mechanism having a differential case that is supported by a pair of differential bearings for rotation within an axle housing. The differential bearings are typically mounted on trunnions formed on the differential case. The axle shafts of these axle assemblies have an inboard end that is typically engaged to an output member of the differential mechanism and supported indirectly by the differential case. While this type of arrangement is suited for its intended purpose, there remains a need in the art for an improved bearing arrangement that supports the axle shafts and the differential mechanism.

Axle assembly with inboard axle shaft bearings that support a differential mechanism


A rotary atomizing head assembly employing a main body and a hub member which can be easily disassembled and reassembled whenever necessary. A ring engaging surface is provided on the inner peripheral side of a recessed hub socket on the main body, while a ring fitting groove is provided on the outer peripheral side of a cylindrical body portion of the hub member. With an O-ring set in the ring fitting groove, the cylindrical body portion of the hub member is fitted into the recessed hub socket, whereupon the hub member is resiliently retained on the main body of the rotary atomizing head by resilient retaining force of the O-ring. In this instance, the O-ring is pressed against the ring engaging surface to prevent dislocation of the hub member. On the other hand, the hub member can be disassembled from the main body by pulling the hub member in the axial direction to such a degree as to cause elastic deformation to the O-ring.

It has been well known in the art to provide a rotary atomizing head on paint coating machines of the sort as mentioned above. Generally, in rotary atomizing heads, a paint is supplied to a cylindrical or bell-shaped main body which is put in high speed rotation for atomizing and spraying the paint toward an object to be coated. By way of example, a couple of prior art paint coating machines with a bell type rotary atomizing head (hereinafter referred to as "rotary atomizing head type paint coating machines" for the convenience of explanation) are shown in the drawings.
Shown in FIG. 16 is a first prior art rotary atomizing head 100 which is mounted on a paint coating machine. The rotary atomizing head 100 is largely constituted by a main body 101, and a hub member 102 which is located within the main body 101 and securely fixed to the latter by means of set screws 103. Indicated at 104 is a housing of the paint coating machine, and at 105 is a rotational shaft which supports the atomizing head 100. Through a paint feed tube 106, a paint is supplied to the rotary atomizing head 100 which is supported at the fore end of the rotational shaft 105.
Shown in FIG. 17 is a second prior art rotary atomizing head 200 which is mounted on a paint coating machine. Similarly, this rotary atomizing head 200 is largely constituted by a main body 201 and a hub member 202 which is mounted within the main body 201 and securely fixed to the latter by means of a rear screw portion 203. Denoted at 204 is a housing of the paint coating machine and at 205 is a rotational shaft which supports the atomizing head 200. A paint is supplied to the atomizing head 200 at the fore end of the rotational shaft 205 by way of a paint feed tube 206 which is extended axially through the rotational shaft 205.
In some cases, more particularly, in coating operations using paints of different colors, the rotary atomizing heads of this sort need to be dismantled and disassembled for washing them clean and reassembled each time when changing the paint color.
In this regard, the hub member 102 in the above-described first prior art rotary atomizing head 100 is fixed to the main body 101 by means of set screws 103, while the hub member 202 in the second prior art rotary atomizing head 200 is fixed to the main body 201 by threaded engagement therewith of the screw portion 203. Accordingly, whenever there arises a necessity for washing the rotary atomizing head 100 or 200 clean, the hub member 102 or 202 need to be disassembled from and reassembled with the atomizing head body 101 or 201 by loosening and tightening the set screws 103 or the screw portion 203 before and after washing. However, a problem with the above-described prior art rotary atomizing heads has been that the disassembling and reassembling jobs require a tool for loosening and tightening the screws 103 or the screw portion 203 and usually take a long time.
Besides, in most of rotary atomizing head type paint coating machines which are currently in use, the rotary atomizing head is put in high speed rotation of 20,000 r.p.m. or higher to produce higher atomization effects on the spray of paint particles, so that meticulous skills are required in setting the rotary atomizing head precisely in a rotationally balanced state substantially free of radial run-outs in high speed rotation.
In this regard, in case a hub member 102 and 202 is detachably or separably fixed to a main body 101 and 201 in the above-described prior art, the rotary atomizing head could lose rotational balances depending upon the degree of tightening of a screw or screws in a reassembling process even if the rotary atomizing head 100 and 200 were once set in a rotationally balanced state. Therefore, the rotary atomizing heads as in the above-mentioned prior art constructions 100 and 200 give rise to another problem that a great deal of time and cost has to be spent for checking and readjusting rotational balances.
In this connection, it may be conceivable to maintain initial rotational balances of a rotary atomizing head by inseparably fixing a main body and a hub member to each other by the use of pins or by press-fitting. In such a case, however, it will require toiling efforts to wash off paint deposits which persistently remain in solidified state on various parts of the rotary atomizing head.
In view of the problems inherent to the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary atomizing head assembly which can be easily disassembled, washed and reassembled, and yet which can easily restore rotational balances after reassembling.


The present invention provides canine heavy chain and light chain (both λ and κ) variable domain nucleic acids and polypeptides. The present invention also provides caninized antibodies comprised of the presently disclosed canine variable domain framework sequences and CDRs specific for an antigen obtained from antibodies from other than canines (preferably mouse). The invention also provides methods of making caninized antibodies and using them. This disclosure specifically describes caninized antibodies that are useful in the treatment of canine allergy. The general process of caninization permits the development of useful therapeutics, which includes but is not limited to allergy, osteosarcomma's and lymphomma's.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of immunology. More specifically, the present invention relates to canine immunoglobulin light and heavy chain variable domains, caninized antibodies, and methods for making and using them.
2. Summary of the Related Art
The process of modifying a monoclonal antibody from an animal to render it less immunogenic for therapeutic administration to humans (humanization) has been aggressively pursued and has been described in a number of publications (e.g. Antibody Engineering: A practical Guide. Carl A. K. Borrebaeck ed. W.H. Freeman and Company, 1992). However, this process has not been applied for the development of therapeutic or diagnostics for canines. In fact, very little has been published with regard to canine variable domains at all.
Wasserman and Capra, Biochem. 16, 3160 (1977), determined the amino acid sequence of the variable regions of both a canine IgM and a canine IgA heavy chain.
Wasserman and Capra, Immunochem. 15, 303 (1978), determined the amino acid sequence of the κ light chain from a canine IgA.
McCumber and Capra, Mol. Immunol. 16, 565 (1979), disclose the complete amino-acid sequence of a canine mu chain.
Tang et al., Vet. Immunology Immunopathology 80, 259 (2001), discloses a single canine IgG-A γ chain cDNA and four canine IgG-A γ chain protein sequences. It describes PCR amplification of a canine spleen cDNA library with a degenerate oligonucleotide primer designed from the conserved regions of human, mouse, pig, and bovine IgGs.
The paucity of information available on canine antibodies prevents their development as therapeutics for the treatment canine disease.
All publications recited in this specification (e.g., patent publications and scientific journal articles) are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Methods for using canine immunoglobulin variable domains and caninized antibodies


The invention relates to a chair with a seat, a base support and a backrest, wherein the seat is pivotably mounted on the base support and the backrest is pivotably mounted on the seat, and a first spring system is provided between the base support and the seat and a second spring system is provided between the seat and the backrest. Furthermore, means are provided for adjusting the spring behavior of the two spring systems so that the pivotability of the seat in relation to the base support and the pivotability of the backrest in relation to the seat can be adapted to different requirements, especially to users of different weights.

Many different chair designs are known in practice. In the so-called three-point mechanism, the seat, the base support and the backrest are coupled together via three articulation points in such a way that a predetermined synchronous relationship is established between the inclination of the seat and the inclination of the backrest. With respect to the location of the pivot point, three-point mechanisms of this type represent a compromise between different ergonomic requirements, which cannot be satisfied independently of one another.
DE-B-103 18 759 describes a two-point mechanism in which the seat is pivotably mounted on the base support with the interposition of a spring system. Furthermore, means are provided for adapting the spring behavior of this spring member to different requirements. The backrest is connected to the seat via an articulation axis, wherein synchronization between the inclination of the seat and the inclination of the backrest is rendered possible by means of a cable construction provided between the base support, the seat and the backrest.
A chair which has a two-point mechanism is known from DE-A-43 31 987, wherein the seat is pivotably mounted on the base support and the backrest is pivotably mounted on the seat, and a first spring system is provided between the base support and the seat and a second spring system is provided between the seat and the backrest. The special feature of this chair consists in that the pivoting axis of the seat is provided in the region of the user's ankles, and the pivoting axis of the backrest extends at least approximately through his hip joints. In this arrangement, the pivoting movement of the backrest in relation to the seat is not mechanically coupled to the pivoting movement of the seat in relation to the base support.
The object of the invention is to develop the chair further so that it can be adapted in a simple manner to different requirements, especially to users of different weights.

Wilkhahn Wilkening + Hahne GmbH + Co. KG


An object of the present invention is to provide a data transfer system capable of maintaining synchronization of the data during the operation of apparatus by performing the periodical adjustment for a DLL circuit without using a method of 8B10B. In a transmitting apparatus, a control portion switches a selector to start a readjustment for the DLL circuit in a receiving apparatus, if a counter indicates a readjustment interval time. In performing there adjustment for the DLL circuit, a pattern generator sends a pattern making a signal waveform a stationary wave through the selector for a certain time, and if the signal is made stationary, a readjustment pattern is sent to the DLL circuit. The DLL circuit resets the sampling timing, based on this readjustment pattern. The selector switches the normal data A and the readjustment pattern to be sent to the DLL circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transfer system and a readjustment control method for use with the system, and more particularly to readjusting the sampling timing for a DLL (Delay Locked Loop) circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, a DLL circuit has been incorporated for maintaining synchronization of data. Conventionally, if an input signal was taken in at a false timing before the phase adjustment of the DLL circuit at the time of turning on the power or returning from the power down operation, the internal circuits possibly might cause a malfunction.
A method for solving this problem has been proposed in which in an integrated circuit device having a self timing control circuit for generating an input take-in timing signal in phase adjustment with the internal clock, during the period of phase adjustment of the self timing control circuit, input signals such as a command input signal, an address input signal, a data input signal and the like, supplied externally to an input circuit, are inhibited from being taken into the inside (e.g., refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-163963).
In this case, when the phase adjustment of the self timing control circuit is ended to some extent, the operation of taking in the input signals using an input take-in timing signal in the input circuit are permitted. To perform this operation, the input circuit generates an input take-in control signal, employing a lock-on signal, an adjust signal or an input stop signal for the DLL circuit, for example.

Data transfer system and readjustment control method for use with the system


A network condition prompts a hybrid device to select a new path for a packet stream. A path update may occur in response to a change in network topology or a traffic loading condition (e.g., congestion or saturation of a link in the current path). Path selections may be made at each hybrid device in the path from a source hybrid device to a destination hybrid device. A path update procedure may be dependent upon path selection procedures that are optimized for a hybrid network in which multiple hybrid devices may be utilized for a particular path. Path update for load balancing may be dependent upon whether a packet stream is elastic or non-elastic.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of communication systems, and, more particularly, to updating paths for packet streams in a hybrid network.
Traditional routing or bridging protocols are capable of determining paths through particular networks. For example, IEEE 802.1aq defines a Shortest. Path Bridging (SPB) protocol for Ethernet networks. Other routing protocols may exist for other network technologies.
For a hybrid network, traditional routing and bridging protocols may be inefficient or unusable. Hybrid communication networks typically comprise multiple networking technologies (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, powerline communication technologies, Ethernet, etc.) that may be interconnected using bridging-capable devices that forward packets between devices utilizing the different network technologies and media in order to form a single extended communication network. The hybrid network can comprise hybrid devices and conventional (or legacy) communication devices. Moreover, the hybrid network may use multiple network technologies in a variety of topology configurations.
The complexity of hybrid networking has increased as a result of mixed network technologies and expanding topology options. Traditional methods for managing communications paths in a hybrid network are inadequate.

Distributed path update in hybrid networks


A tire size reduction/wire separation system comprising a drive shaft; a plurality of rotors mounted on the drive shaft, each rotor having axial slots with a rotor mounted knife removably secured within each slot; and an independent housing supporting the drive shaft and rotors. The independent housing has a central region with stationary knives. The roots and crests of the stationary knives are matingly oriented and respect to the roots and crests of the rotor mounted knives The independent housing also has lateral regions including an annual wear ring vertically secured to the axial ends of the rotors. Each lateral region also includes a wear liner with a circular opening with a diameter greater than the exterior diameter of the wear rings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire size reduction/wire separation system and more particularly pertains to the safe and efficient tire size reduction and/or wire separation of scrap tire material, cable and wire along with other materials that have properties that are commingled which need to be separated for means of recycling and recovery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of tire reduction and separation devices of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, the reduction and separation devices of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art, which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objective and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,106 issued Oct. 26 1965 to German discloses carbide tipped chipper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,123 issued Dec. 18, 1973 to Chafee discloses a knife holder and knife therefore. U.S. Pat. No. 1,423,867 issued Jul. 25, 1922 to Mitts and Winston discloses a cutting machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,386 issued Jun. 18, 1991 to Morris discloses a tire converting method and apparatus.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a tire size reduction/wire separation system that allows safe and efficient tire size reduction and/or wire separation of scrap tire material, cable and wire along with other materials that have properties that are commingled which need to be separated for means of recycling and recovery.
In this respect, the tire size reduction/wire separation system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs for the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of safe and efficient tire size reduction and/or wire separation of scrap tire material, cable and wire along with other materials that have properties that are commingled which need to be separated for means of recycling and recovery.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved tire size reduction/wire separation system which be used for the safe and efficient tire size reduction and/or wire separation of scrap tire material, cable and wire along with other materials that have properties that are commingled which need to be separated for means of recycling and recovery. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Tire size reduction/wire separation system


A semiconductor wafer design and process having test pads (36) reducing cracks generated during the wafer saw process from extending into and damaging adjacent die. The present invention provides a plurality of circular test pads (36) in a wafer scribe street (34) such that any cracks generated in the test pad during wafer saw self terminate in the periphery of the circular test pad. By providing a curved test pad periphery, cracks will tend to propagate along the edges of the test pads and self terminate therein. The circular test pads avoid any sharp corners as is conventional in rectangular test pads which tend to facilitate the extension of cracks from corners to extend into the adjacent wafer die (32). The present invention utilizes existing semiconductor fab processing and utilizes new reticle sets to define the curved test pads.

Integrated circuits are typically defined on a semiconductor wafer using a variety of wafer fab processes. Each of the formed active circuit areas, later forming integrated circuits after dicing and packaging, are physically separated from one another on the wafer by an elongated region commonly referred to as a scribe street. These wafers are typically cut along the scribe street after circuit testing using a conventional saw process.
In addition to the active circuitry formed on the semiconductor wafer, test pads are also provided to facilitate the active testing of the formed circuitry prior to the wafer saw process. Typically, these test pads are formed in the scribe streets, and are cut away during the wafer saw process after the wafer level die test.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown at 10 a portion of a fabricated semiconductor wafer having a plurality of active circuit areas 12, commonly referred to as die, each being separated from one another by an elongated scribe street 14. Defined within these scribe streets 14 are a plurality of rectangular test pads 16, which test pads may be electrically connected to one or more of the adjacent die 12 to permit wafer level die testing using conventional test equipment. This test equipment, such as via electrical probes, provides signals to and analyzes signals from the test pad 16 to electrically operate and test the functionality of the respective die 12 at the wafer level. Conventionally, these test pads 16 have square profiles and are defined using conventional reticle sets.
With the improvements in silicon technology, scribe street widths are being shrunk to increase the number of chips per wafer that can be manufactured at wafer fab. Referring to FIG. 2, this reduction in scribe street width has reduced the distance from the sawing line 18 to the active circuitry 12 of the die. Accordingly, even slight propagation of cracks in the scribe street formed during the wafer saw process eventually results in damaged circuitry since the design of conventional test pads does not prevent them from extending into the active circuitry area 12, as depicted in FIG. 2. As shown at 20, the wafer saw process typically generates cracks in the scribe street which extend along an edge and from a corner of the square test pad 16 and further extend into the die 12. These cracks render the particular die 12 non-functional, thus reducing the overall yield of the die which can be fabricated from the wafers.
FIG. 3 depicts an actual wafer after wafer saw along the scribe street 18, whereby cracks 16 are generated which extend outward from the corner of the original test pads and into the active circuitry 12. As can be appreciated in FIG. 3, the cracks are irregular, some extending into the active die area 12, and others not. However, with the continued reduction in scribe street widths with the introduction of new technologies, and in an effort to maximize wafer yield, these cracks are becoming an increasing problem and a reduction in wafer yield.
It is desired that an improved wafer fab design of the test pads 16 and process which reduces the generation of cracks during wafer saw which damage active circuit areas, and increases wafer yield.

Circular test pads on scribe street area


An exhaust emissions prediction system includes a catalytic device configured to receive a flow of exhaust and a downstream NOx sensor located downstream of the catalytic device. The downstream NOx sensor is sensitive to NOx and ammonia, and is configured to generate a measured value. The system also includes a controller connected to the downstream NOx sensor. The controller is configured to determine a predicted value for the downstream NOx sensor, determine a mass flow rate of the flow of exhaust into the catalytic device, adjust the mass flow rate based on the predicted value and the measured value, and determine at least one emissions characteristic downstream of the catalytic device using the adjusted mass flow rate.

Internal combustion engines, including diesel engines, gasoline engines, gaseous fuel-powered engines, and other engines known in the art, may exhaust a complex mixture of emissions. The exhaust emissions may be composed of gaseous and solid compounds, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur compounds. Due to heightened environmental concerns, exhaust emission standards have become increasingly stringent. The amount of exhaust emissions from an engine may be regulated depending on the type, size, and/or class of the engine.
One method that has been implemented by engine manufacturers to comply with the regulation of NOx exhausted to the environment has been to implement a strategy called selective catalytic reduction (SCR). SCR is a process by which gaseous or liquid reductant (e.g., a mixture of urea and water) is injected into the flow of exhaust from the engine. The combined flow may form ammonia (NH3) which may then be absorbed onto an SCR catalyst. The ammonia may react with NOx in the flow of exhaust to form H2O and N2, thereby reducing the amount of NOx in the flow of exhaust.
The ability of the SCR catalyst to reduce NOx depends upon many factors, such as catalyst formulation, the size of the SCR catalyst, exhaust gas temperature, and urea dosing rate. With regard to the dosing rate, the NOx reduction efficiency tends to increase linearly until the dosing rate reaches a certain limit. Above the limit, the NOx reduction efficiency may increase at a slower rate because the ammonia may be supplied at a faster rate than the NOx reduction process can consume. The excess ammonia, known as ammonia slip, may be expelled from the SCR catalyst.
It may be useful to monitor the emissions, such as the NOx and ammonia, discharged from the SCR catalyst. One method of estimating NOx and ammonia downstream of the SCR catalyst is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,858,060 (the '060 patent) issued to Gady et al. The '060 patent describes a dosing control module for controlling a mass flow rate of a dosing agent for an SCR catalyst. The dosing control module includes an SCR analysis module that estimates NOx and ammonia downstream of the SCR catalyst. Inputs to the dosing control module include signals from NOx sensors that are cross-sensitive to ammonia and that are located upstream and downstream of the SCR catalyst.
Although the system of the '060 patent may estimate NOx and ammonia downstream of the SCR catalyst, the estimates may not be accurate. For example, because the NOx sensors are sensitive to both NOx and ammonia, the system may not process the signals from the NOx sensors effectively to produce reliable information for determining the estimates for NOx and ammonia, and therefore, may provide inaccurate estimations.
The disclosed system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Exhaust emission prediction system and method


The inventive system comprises a housing for receiving a flow of fluid. The invention for the first time uses a modular assembly of UV lamps. The modular assembly comprises at least two UV sources substantially parallel to each other and transverse to said flow. In an embodiment, one of the UV sources is disposed in a plane below all such other lamps and adapted to be run at a power higher than that of all such other lamps. The inventive arrangement is combined with a baffle arrangement wherein the baffles are preferably positioned in such a way to direct the fluid flow into the treatment area.

The use of UV radiation to kill microorganisms in air or in fluid systems is well known. Often such systems comprise UV reactors that have rows of UV lamps. It is known to offset successive rows so that the fluid passes through the spaces between the lamps in the first row and contacts the lamps in the second row. A patent to Wedekamp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,156, ("Wedekamp") discloses one such system. The primary concern disclosed in Wedekamp was offsetting the lamps so that the light can pass upstream and downstream unobstructed.
However, the system disclosed in Wedekamp and other traditional UV systems have failed to provide a apparatus that is able to equally distribute UV dose throughout the system, and that is therefore capable of achieving uniformity in dose. The failure of those traditional systems relates to a phenomenon that has been, up until now, ignored. That phenomenon is that the UV lamps that are used to treat fluids emit less UV in the downward direction than in the upward direction. This is particularly relevant with large medium pressure mercury arc lamps. Therefore, in traditional systems wherein the UV light sources are arranged next to one another and sometimes in offset rows, there could be areas in the reactor where the dose is low. This is especially so in the area below the lamps, where, as described above, the lamp output is reduced, thereby contributing to a low dose in this zone and hence a wide dose distribution. Therefore, a traditional system may provide some of the fluid with a low dose of UV and some of the fluid with a high dose. Ideally, UV treatment systems and methods would provide a narrow dose distribution.
It would therefore be desirable to eliminate the undesirable effect of a non-uniform dose distribution. It would further be desirable to increase uniformity in dose distribution by causing more of the fluid to flow into the treatment area.
Another problem in designing UV reactors for treatment of fluids is that in an installed system, the fluid quality and flow rate may vary from one system to another and from moment to moment. Thus, there is a need for modular assemblies that can be incorporated into a reactor in any number to account for such variations.