Methods and device are disclosed for data retrieval. At first images and reports are analyzed by respective parser units to detect both structures and text passages that are related to respective structures and text passages of a knowledge data-base. The detected structures and text passages are stored together with a unique resource located that identifies the respective structure and/or text passage at the knowledge database in a semantic annotation database. In addition a feature extraction can be performed to provide specific features of the images and/or regions of the images, whereby the features are stored in an image feature database. Finally an input query can ask questions that are used to provide a result to the query based on the semantic annotation database and the image feature database. The methods and devices may be used for data preparation and data retrieval of medical images and associated medical reports.

Diagnosis and treatment planning for patients can be significantly improved by comparing the patient's images with clinical images of other patients with similar anatomical and pathological characteristics, where the similarity is based on the understanding of the image content. There are two kinds of search: semantic search in patient records (=structured data) and similarity search on images using low-level image features.
The first requires semantically annotated images (i.e., labeled image regions) using a common vocabulary from a knowledge databases. This structured information is stored side-by-side with the images. For storing semantic information and background knowledge one often uses ontologies. The second search type uses similarity metrics based on pixel intensities.
With these two query methods the user can search the content of images, texts and other clinical values acquired at the hospital for similar medical cases.
Current systems show weak search capabilities. Therefore the user must remember a similar medical case and search by the patient's name.


A monomer composition comprising at least one polymerizable alkyl ester α-cyanoacrylate monomer. Specifically, the α-cyanoacrylate monomer is an alkyl ester α-cyanoacrylate monomer of the general formula having a spacer R1:

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new class of α-cyanoacrylate monomers which are useful as adhesives or sealants, and more particularly to compounds which are alkyl ester α-cyanoacrylate monomers. This invention further relates to the use of such alkyl ester α-cyanoacrylates monomers in α-cyanoacrylate compositions that are useful as tissue adhesives/sealants in surgical, medical and industrial applications, and to the production thereof.
2. State of the Art
Monomer and polymer adhesives/sealants are used in both industrial (including household) and medical/surgical applications. Included among these adhesives or sealants are the α-cyanoacrylates monomers and polymers resulting therefrom. Since the discovery of the adhesive/sealant properties of such monomers and polymers, they have found wide use due to the speed with which they cure, the strength of the resulting bond formed, and their relative ease of use. These characteristics have made α-cyanoacrylate compositions the primary choice for numerous adhesive applications such as bonding plastics, rubbers, glass, metals, wood, and, more recently, medical, biological or living tissues.
Medical and surgical applications of α-cyanoacrylate compositions include their use as alternates or adjuncts to surgical sutures, meshes and staples or other medical devices in wound closure, as well as for covering and protecting surface wounds such as lacerations, abrasions, burns, stomatitis, sores, and other surface wounds. When an α-cyanoacrylate composition is applied, it is usually applied in its monomeric form, and the resultant polymerization gives rise to the desired adhesive bond or sealant strength.
For example, polymerizable α-cyanoacrylate monomers and compositions comprising such monomers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,687 to Leung et al. Suitable methods for applying such compositions to substrates, and particularly in medical applications, are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,620,846 B1, 6,512,023B1, and 3,995,641, the contents each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,611 to Leung broadly discloses α-cyanoacrylate monomers having a large number of possible substituent groups. The disclosure focuses on α-cyanoacrylate monomers, with alternative representation of ester cyanoacrylate monomers having an organic radical substituent. However, the disclosure does not specify particular properties, such as absorbability, possessed by polymers formed with particular cyanoacrylate monomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,641 to Kronenthal et al. discloses carbalkoxyalkyl α-cyanoacrylate monomers that form absorbable polymer adhesives in mammalian tissue. Under some circumstances, absorbable polymer adhesives/sealants have benefits over non-absorbable polymer adhesives/sealants, particularly for some medical applications. However, some α-cyanoacrylate monomers have particularly slow reaction kinetics which reduce their practical value as surgical adhesives/sealants.
Therefore, there is still a need for α-cyanoacrylate compositions that exhibit a rapid cure rate sufficient for medical applications and produce an absorbable polymer adhesive/sealant. It is also desirable to have a monomer based internal adhesive or sealant composition that is capable of polymerizing in vivo to form an internal adhesive or sealant, in order to provide an opportunity for manipulation and re-alignment. Specifically, it is desirable that the adhesive or sealant composition fill internal cavities and voids, penetrating and conforming to the interstices and pores of the tissue, prior to curing or setting.
Additionally, it is desirable to have a monomer based internal adhesive or sealant composition that polymerizes in vivo, where the monomer, the composition thereof, and the resultant polymer are biocompatible. The resultant polymer should also be biodegradable.
Finally, it is desirable that the degradation products of the resultant polymer be both biocompatible and water soluble, so that the degradation products are completely eliminated from the human body as waste products.

Abstract: wherein

Abstract: n is from 2 to 12; R3 and R4 are each an alkyl group or a hydrogen, and at least one of R3 or R4 is an alkyl group (e.g. linear or branched, or cyclic) having from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 carbon atoms; R2 is an alkyl group (e.g. linear or branched, or cyclic) having from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 carbon atoms; and the combined number of carbon atoms (N) in the spacer R1 is at least n+1.


A combination door operator assembly and door, wherein the door operator assembly includes an operator unit mounted to the door on the pulling side or the pushing side thereof, an arm linkage having a driving arm and a driven arm, a mounting bracket preferably mounted on the frame to which the door is hinged, a rechargeable power storage pack having at least one of a rechargeable battery and one or more capacitors, and a controller, for monitoring a speed and a position of the door, wherein when the door moves faster than a predetermined speed, the motor is used as a generator to charge the rechargeable power storage pack and the speed of the door is reduced.

Low energy door operators as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are typically used as manual doors. The door opens automatically by an action such as pressing an activation switch.
Installation of a low energy door operator is usually very expensive, since a typical installation requires an installer attaching a header to the frame of the door, which often requires custom mounting work, installing the operator in the header and installing door arms. Then, a licensed electrician is required to provide power to the door operator. The installer then has to return to complete "tune-in" of the door, including for example adjustments to ensure the door meets standard requirements.
Wind is a common cause of failure for exterior application swing door operators. The force of the wind on the door can cause the door to rapidly accelerate. When the door reaches the full open position all of the energy of the door must be absorbed in a very short period of time. These impact forces cause high stresses on the door operator, door arms, doors, doorframes, and mounting hardware. FIG. 15(a) illustrates a standard door operator mounting above the door, which causes very high stresses on the door arm linkages when the door is fully open and is forced by wind or a user and often causes significant problems since the arms are loaded in bending as well as in tension, causing high stresses on the door operator, causing failure of the operator or requiring the installation of an additional door stop.
Most available door operators provide different finishing options on the header, under the form of a large box, which mounts above the door and contains all of the electrical and mechanical components, which is a structural member of the system. Each door operator must be custom ordered to meet a desired finish.
There is a need in the art for a door operator that mitigates the problems of the prior art.

ASSA ABLOY Accessories and Door Controls Group, Inc.


Described is a device (1) for displaying graphical symbols (2) comprising a screen (3) at least in part transparent on which at least one graphical symbol (2) is delineated and a support panel (5) connected to the screen (3). The support panel (5) has at least one through hole (8). Moreover, the displaying device (1) comprises at least one illumination body (9) emitting a light beam (10) passing through the hole (8) for illuminating the graphical symbol (2) on the screen (3). According to this invention, the illumination body (9) is connected to the support panel (5) at the hole (8). This invention also relates to a control apparatus (100) mounted on a wall (101) comprising a containment box (102), a front frame (111) connected to the containment box (102) and the displaying device (1) connected to the front frame (111).

More specifically, the displaying device is preferably used in wall-mounted control apparatuses for home automation management systems.
These wall-mounted control apparatuses are usually connected to multiple domestic systems (heating, air conditioning, lighting, etc.) and allow the status of these systems to be displayed, using the displaying device, and managed.
Normally, a wall-mounted control apparatus is installed in a housing made (during construction) on a wall, for example of an apartment. More in detail, the control apparatus comprises a containment box which is inserted in the housing and which has an open side and a bottom wall opposite the open side. In other words, the containment box is substantially shaped to match the housing.
Moreover, the displaying device is connected to the box at the open side in such a way as to close the box.
According to the prior art, the displaying devices used comprise a transparent screen (normally made from glass) on which at least one graphical symbol is delineated. Moreover, the displaying devices comprise two electronic cards: a first electronic card, positioned in contact with a rear surface of the screen, and a second electronic card, connected to the first card and spaced from it. The first electronic card also comprises through holes each positioned at a respective graphical symbol of the screen.
The second electronic card is equipped with illumination bodies (preferably LEDs) each generating a beam of light in the direction of a respective hole of the first card.
More specifically, the beam of light, passing through a respective hole, illuminates an area of the screen making the symbols delineated in that area visible on the screen. More in detail, the graphical symbols are visible by observing the screen at a front visible surface (opposite the rear surface). Normally, the symbols are delineated on the screen by xerographics or adhesive films and they represent both word symbols (for example, "C.°", "F.°", "Off", . . . ) and graphics (for example, a fan, a thermometer, . . . ).
In this context, moving an illumination body away from or towards a respective hole enlarges or narrows the illumination area on the screen.
For this reason, in order to illuminate sufficiently large graphical symbols (so as to guarantee a good visibility for the observer) it is necessary to have a sufficiently large area of illumination at the relative graphical symbol.
Therefore, the illumination bodies, and, consequently, the second card, must be adequately spaced from the holes.
More specifically, the distance between the two cards is preferably between 6 millimeters and 20 millimeters depending on the angle of emission of the beam of light by the illumination bodies.
For this reason, according to the pre-set distance between the cards, the displaying device defines an operating region on the screen which comprises all the illumination areas.
However, the prior art technique has several drawbacks.
In effect, the use of two electronic cards set apart from each other creates a predefined dimension in the box of the wall-mounted control equipment. Therefore, the illumination bodies must be positioned at a central area of the box in which the depth (measured from the open side to the bottom wall) is sufficient to house both the cards. More in detail, the depth of the box at the central area must be at least greater than the distance between the two electronic cards.
Consequently, the width of the operating region of the screen is limited by the width of the box (measured on a plane substantially parallel to the bottom wall) at the central area. In other words, the width of the operating region of the screen is substantially limited by the dimensions of the housing made on the wall.
Moreover, the use of two electronic cards set apart from each other creates a predefined dimension in the box of the wall-mounted control equipment thus reducing the volume available for other electronic devices (for example, thermometers, hygrometers, antennas, cables, etc.) which are positioned inside the box. This drawback is accentuated by the fact that the current control needs require the positioning inside the containment box of an ever greater number of electronic devices.


An information processing apparatus, which is configured to communicate with a server apparatus and an image forming apparatus, comprises a receiving unit configured to receive AR information that includes AR guidance for a first operation of an image forming apparatus, wherein the AR information superimposes the AR guidance on an image that was captured by the information processing apparatus; a display control unit configured to command the information processing apparatus to display the AR guidance to guide a user to operate the image forming apparatus, and an obtaining unit configured to obtain information that originated from performance of the first operation by the image forming apparatus, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive AR information that includes additional AR guidance that presents operations for recovering from the error.

1. Field
This application generally relates to management of image forming apparatuses.
2. Background
Image forming apparatuses (e.g., printers) sometimes have some errors and malfunctions. Repairing an image forming apparatus may be very complex, and some image forming apparatuses are so large that they are not easily carried to a repair facility.

Printing system, image forming apparatus, and method


A closure assembly for a vehicle pivotable between a closed position and a full open position, and a method of controlling its movement includes a closure, a hinge mechanism attached to the closure, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes a damper actuator and a pneumatic closure damper, with the closure damper including a hollow bellows extending from a support base, an orifice and an end opposite the support base. The damper actuator is attached to the hinge mechanism and the support base is attached to the body structure such that the damper actuator is spaced from the end when the closure is in the closed position and the damper actuator is in contact with the end and compresses the bellows when the closure is in the full open position.

The present invention relates generally to vehicle closures and more particularly to a damper for a vehicle closure.
Often, vehicle closures that pivot vertically have some type of assist mechanism to help an operator raise the closure. For example, a vehicle may have a trunk with a deck lid that pivots upward to provide access to the trunk. Gooseneck or single pivot type hinge systems may support the deck lid and may employ extension springs, torque rods, torsion springs or other types of spring mechanisms to assist in raising the deck lid to its full open position. The springs are sized to overcome the mass of the closure and friction, so a substantial amount of energy must be dissipated when the closure reaches the full up position. Rubber bumpers have been employed to account for this energy, but generally do not absorb the energy without causing a rebound, thus causing the closure to bounce. This bounce can result in poor perceived quality for the closure. Another solution is to employ hydraulic struts that control the rate of movement, but they may be too expensive for some applications and may take up more packaging space than is desirable.


A window type air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger and a motor disposed in the shell. Rotating shafts at two ends of the motor are provided with an indoor fan and an outdoor fan. A thermal insulation partition is disposed on a bottom plate of the shell and divides the shell into an indoor side and an outdoor side. The thermal insulation partition includes a front clapboard fixed on the bottom plate of the shell and a thermal insulation volute disposed on the front clapboard. The indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan are located in the thermal insulation volute. An integrated bracket is provided with a first mounting part for mounting and fixing the outdoor heat exchanger, a second mounting part for mounting and fixing the motor, and third mounting parts for connecting and fixing the front clapboard.

Currently, a window type air conditioner is widely used because of its integrated structure for easy mounting. A compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a motor are arranged in a shell of the window type air conditioner, wherein the motor coaxially drives indoor and outdoor fans to rotate. A Chinese patent (patent number: 201520484077.0) discloses a window type air conditioner, and a clapboard is disposed in a shell so as to divide the shell into an indoor side and an outdoor side, wherein a motor and a condenser are respectively located at the outdoor side and fixed on a bottom plate of the shell, and the clapboard is connected with an evaporator shield at the indoor side and a condenser shield at the outdoor side respectively through connecting columns so as to improve the connection reliability. However, in actual use processes, it was found that during transportation, the motor is prone to position deviation due to vibration, which will cause relative changes in positions of fans connected to two sides of the motor. In later use processes, the fans easily interfere with other parts, which will cause the phenomenon of abnormal noise or fan damage, so that the use reliability and the user experience are poor. How to design a window type air conditioner with high use reliability and user experience is a technical problem to be solved by the present invention.

CHONGQING HAIER AIR CONDITIONER CO., LTD.

QINGDAO HAIER AIR CONDITIONER GENERAL CORP., LTD.


A method of producing an ellipsoid form from an expanded metal foil net teaches the steps of placing a sheet of expanded metal net on a work surface adjacent an open-ended hollow cylinder having the interior shape of a semi-ellipsoid, moving a first piston having the exterior shape of a semi-ellipsoid against the expanded metal sheet and into said open-ended cylinder to form the sheet into a semi-ellipsoid piece having a closed end and an open end, and subsequently moving a second piston into the open-ended cylinder to close the open end of the semi-ellipsoid piece and thus complete formation of the ellipsoid form. The metal foil may be a continuous sheet transversely slip and fed in unstretched form from a roll to the edge of said work surface, then stretched across the work surface and detached from the continuous sheet to provide the expanded metal net sheet to be formed into an ellipsoid. A piece of floatable material may be inserted into the semi-ellipsoid piece through the open end thereof prior to closing said open end.

The present invention relates to a unique form of expandable metal foil and to expanded metal nets made therefrom. The invention also relates to methods and apparatus for producing the said products, and to uses thereof, particularly in the extinguishing of fires and the prevention of explosions.
Surface fires, such as grassland and forest fires, as well as fires on the surface of water and on the surface of fuels in fuel tanks, are a continuing threat to life and property throughout the world. Over the years, numerous methods for combating such fires have been developed. The use of water, foams, chemicals and other quenching materials are well known.
It is also known to use blankets, mats, nets and other sheet-like materials to smother surface fires. However, these are heavy, bulky materials, and their use in widespread surface fires extending over thousands of acres of land or water, are subject to obvious limitations. Firefighting methods today are still limited to the steps of containing the fire as much as possible until it burns out or until changing weather conditions no longer support the burning. There is a need for a more efficient, inexpensive means for extinguishing fires which extend over wide surface areas.
There is also a need for more effective ways of preventing explosions in containers for fuels or other flammable substances. Containers such as fuel depots, liquid petroleum gas tanks, airplanes, ships, transport tankers, pipelines, and the like, are at risk from explosion caused by overheating, static electricity build up, mechanical impacts, etc. In addition to precautionary measures such as avoiding the above causes, a more recent approach to the problem has involved placing in the container a quantity of filling material in the form of a honeycomb shaped metal net--either in sheets or crumpled into balls. The theory of such approach is that the metal net promotes heat conduction and avoids static electricity build up, and thus reduces the risk of explosion. Although the approach has merit, there is nevertheless a substantial need for improvement, mainly because of deficiencies in the physical characteristics of the metal nets and balls, and also because of inefficiencies in the methods and apparatuses for producing such materials.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a product which is substantially more effective than known products, not only in the extinguishing of surface fires but also in the prevention of explosions in fuel tanks and the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fire extinguishing product which can be transported to the site of a surface fire in compact, semi-manufactured form and then stretched to its fully manufactured form as it is applied to the surface of the fire over an extended area.
It is another object of the invention to provide a product for filling into containers for fuel and other flammable materials to provide a highly superior anti-explosive protection.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide unique methods and apparatus for production of the said new product.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

Method of producing an ellipsoid form from an expanded metal net


A pull cord deflector is comprised of a plate, having a channel, that is positioned between a ceiling fan housing and a switch locking nut. An extension arm is hingedly attached to the plate. The notched end of the extension arm is dimensioned to terminate beyond the periphery of a light globe of the ceiling fan. One or more optional springs extend between the plate and the extension arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pull cord deflector, typically used with ceilings having a light globe extending downwardly therefrom, and more particularly to a pull cord deflector for orienting a pull cord away from the light globe for avoiding contact between the light globe and pull cord for inherently preventing damage and injury to the globe.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Ceiling fans are manufactured in one of two general varieties--with or without attached lights. In ceiling fans having lights, the light extends downwardly from the centrally located fan housing. Typically a single light is covered by a globe. These ceiling fans normally have two pull-type cords, one cord for controlling fan power and speed and a second cord for controlling light activation. These cords emanate from the fan housing and hang downwardly across the light globe. Whenever one of the cords is pulled downwardly in order to activate its respective device, the cord is rubbed against the light globe. If sufficient pull force is exerted onto the cord, the cord can shatter the glass globe. Not only is this breakage financially and aesthetically undesirable, but as the user is typically looking upward toward the fan in order to pull the cord, the breakage has the potential to cause serious eye injury to the user. Even without eye injury, broken glass is an unwanted condition in any house.
A second problem associated with current pull cords is their tendency to break after repeated use. The cord rubs against its respective locking nut and in time breaks at the rubbing point.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a device that prevents light globe breakage whenever a fan cord is pulled. The device must steer the pull cord off of the globe, yet must permit full functionality of the cord. Furthermore, the device must prevent the cord from rubbing against the locking nut. The device must be of simple and straightforward design and must be capable of being retrofitted onto existing ceiling fans.


A semiconductor structure, particularly a pFET, which includes a dielectric material that has a dielectric constant of greater than that of SiO2 and a Ge or Si content of greater than 50% and at least one other means for threshold/flatband voltage tuning by material stack engineering is provided. The other means contemplated in the present invention include, for example, utilizing an insulating interlayer atop the dielectric for charge fixing and/or by forming an engineered channel region. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating such a CMOS structure.

In standard silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, p-type field effect transistors (pFET) use a boron (or other acceptor) doped p-type polysilicon layer as a gate electrode that is deposited on top of a silicon dioxide or silicon oxynitride gate dielectric layer. The gate voltage is applied through this polysilicon layer to create an inversion channel in the n-type silicon underneath the gate dielectric layer.
For a pFET to work properly, the inversion should begin occurring at slightly negative voltages applied to the polysilicon (poly-Si) gate electrode. This occurs as a consequence of the band alignment for the gate stack structure as depicted in FIG. 1. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the approximate band alignment across a poly-Si/gate oxide gate stack in a typical pFET at zero gate bias. In FIG. 1, Ec, Ev and Ef are the conduction band edge, valence band edge and the Fermi level in the silicon, respectively. The poly-Si/gate oxide/n-type silicon stack forms a capacitor that swings into inversion at around 0 V and into accumulation around +1 V (depending on the substrate doping). The threshold voltage Vt, which can be interpreted as the voltage at which the inversion starts occurring, is therefore approximately 0 V and the flatband voltage, which is the voltage just beyond which the capacitor starts to swing into accumulation, is approximately +1 V. The exact values of the threshold and flatband voltages have a dependence on the doping level in the silicon substrate, and can be varied somewhat by choosing an appropriate substrate doping level.
In future technology, silicon dioxide or silicon oxynitride dielectrics will be replaced with a gate material that has a higher dielectric constant. These materials are known as "high k" materials with the term "high k" denoting an insulating material whose dielectric constant is greater than 4.0, preferably greater than about 7.0. The dielectric constants mentioned herein are relative to a vacuum unless otherwise specified. Of the various possibilities, hafnium oxide, hafnium silicate, or hafnium silicon oxynitride may be the most suitable replacement candidates for conventional gate dielectrics due to their excellent thermal stability at high temperatures.
Unfortunately, when p-type field effect transistors are fabricated using a dielectric such as hafnium oxide or hafnium silicate, it is a well known problem that the flatband voltage of the device is shifted from its ideal position of close to about +1 V, to about 0+/−300 mV. This shift in flatband voltage is published in C. Hobbs et al., entitled "Fermi Level Pinning at the Poly-Si/Metal Oxide Interface", 2003 Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers. Consequently, the threshold voltage of the device is shifted to approximately −1 V. This threshold voltage shift is believed to be a consequence of an intimate interaction between the Hf-based gate oxide layer and the polysilicon layer. One model (See, for example, C. Hobbs, et al., ibid.) speculates that such an interaction causes an increase in the density of states in the silicon band gap at the polysilicon-gate oxide interface, leading to "Fermi level pinning". Alternatively, oxygen vacancies in the high k dielectric may cause fixed charge, moving the threshold voltage. The threshold voltage therefore is not in the "right" place, i.e., it is too high for a useable CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology.
One possible solution to the above problem of threshold voltage shifting is by substrate engineering in which channel implants can be used to shift thresholds. Although substrate engineering is one possible means to stabilize threshold voltage shift, it can do so to a limited extent, which is inadequate for FETs, particularly pFETs, that include a gate stack comprising a poly-Si gate electrode and a hafium-containing high dielectric constant gate dielectric.
Another possible solution to the problem of threshold voltage shifting mentioned above is by providing an insulating interlayer between the conductive material and dielectric material such as is described, for example, in co-pending and co-assigned in U.S. Ser. No. 10/845,719, filed May 14, 2004, U.S. Ser. No. 10/863,830, filed Jun. 4, 2004, and U.S. Ser. No. 11/035,889, filed Jan. 14, 2005. The entire contents of each of the aforementioned U.S. Patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
A yet other possible solution to the above problem of threshold voltage shifting is to increase the Si content of the dielectric material. This solution has been described by E. Cartier, et al., entitled "Systematic study of pFET Vt with Hf-based stacks with poly-Si and FUSI gates", 2004 Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers, 2004 IEEE, pp. 44-45; C. Hobbs, et al., entitled "Factors Influencing the Threshold Voltages of Metal Oxide CMOS Devices", ECS2004; W. Deweerd, et al., entitled "Potential remedies for the VT/Vfb-shift problem of Hf/polysilicon-based gate stacks: a solution-based survey", Microelectronics Reliability 25, (2205), pp. 786-789; C. Hobbs, et al., entitled "Fermi Level Pinning at the PolySi/Metal oxide Interface", 2003 Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers, 2003 IEEE; and C. Hobbs, et al., entitled "Fermi-Level Pinning at the Polysilicon/Metal Oxide Interface—Part I", IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 51, No. 6, June 2004, pp. 971-977.
Although the various techniques alone have been used to improve the problem of threshold voltage shifting, further improvement is still needed. For example, the use of an insulating interlayer such as Al(O)N deposited onto a HfO2 and a low Si content HfSiO (Si content of lower than 50%) dielectric has provided Vt improvement by up to 0.35 V. Additional measures are needed that can bridge the remaining cap to provide a total of 0.6 V; the total magnitude Vt observed for gate stack including polySi and HfO2 or a low Si content HfSiO. Similar measures are also needed when high Si content dielectrics are used alone. Implant channel engineering can also move the threshold voltage, but may cause performance degradation and/or enhanced short channel effects.
To date, the prior art utilizes only a single means to reduce the threshold voltage shift described above. The applicants of the present invention have determined that by combining a high k dielectric with a high Si or Ge content with an insulating interlayer and/or by channel engineering, the shift in threshold and flatband voltages are almost eliminated.

Low threshold voltage semiconductor device with dual threshold voltage control means

International Business Machines Corporation


A high speed, high precision laser-based semiconductor lead measurement system for use on surface mount component placement machines. A laser system is used to accurately sense the position and condition of each of the many leads used on integrated circuits prior to their placement on a surface mount circuit board by a pick and place machine. Using one, two or three laser beams, the non-contact sensor system can, with the highest degree of resolution, determine lateral orientation and coplanarity of leads for integrated circuit components, even those having an ultra-fine pitch. Determination of the lead position by the invention is based on the integrated circuit leads occluding the light of one or more precisely directed and focused laser light sources. Each integrated circuit lead is passed through the focal point of a laser beam. The position of each lead is determined when it blocks all or a portion of the light of the laser beam. A processor means is used to calculate the actual position of each lead. The difference between the actual position of the lead and the nominal position of the lead can then be computed. The position of each lead is then sorted to determine the greatest deviation of any lead from a best fit plane. The processor may then either generate a reject or a repositioning signal to the component placement machine for proper placement of the integrated circuit upon the surface mount circuit board.

The invention relates to vision systems for accurately sensing the position and condition of leads used on integrated circuits prior to placement of the integrated circuit on a circuit board by a surface mount pick and place machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a non-contact laser-based sensor system which can, with the highest degree of resolution, determine lateral orientation and coplanarity of leads for all such integrated circuit components, even those having an ultra-fine pitch.
As electronic devices get smaller and smaller, and yet more complex, electronic components which are connected together to achieve the electronic functions of such devices are also decreasing in size. Additionally, many functions are being incorporated in single unitary monolithic integrated circuits. These integrated circuit components, which are also called semiconductor packages or chips, have a number of leads or elements providing electrical connections. As a consequence of their small size, integrated circuits are created in a configuration referred to as quad flat packs (QFPs) or quad packs with closely spaced leads emanating from each side of the quad pack. QFPs are particularly configured for surface mount placement with special leads which are referred to as gull wings. The QFPs are precisely placed by a pick and place machine upon the surface of a circuit board with the gull wing leads making proper contact with the circuit connections or pads which are subscribed on the circuit board or work piece. Similarly, more and more manufacturers are creating integrated circuits with even more delicate lead structured on tape, which is used in a process called tape automated bonding (TAB).
The separation between the centers of any pair of adjacent leads on such components is referred to as the pitch. Currently, a commonly manufactured component separation is 25 mil pitch, the center of each lead spaced at 25 thousandths of an inch intervals. However, advances in component manufacturing technology have produced integrated circuits having 15 and 10 mil pitches and TAB components have been created having several hundred leads spaced with a 4 mil pitch.
For automated manufacturing of electronic devices using these micro-electronic components, the highest degree of accuracy in positioning and placing such components is required. To perform this delicate task, precision surface mount component placement machines have been developed.
There are two types of component placement machines in common use today. One of which is a cartesian system where one or more vacuum quills are used to travel to a bin, pick up a component, properly orient the component and carry it to a circuit board or other work piece to precisely place the component in its proper location. The proper location is the one where the leads make proper contact with the circuit connections which are subscribed on the circuit board or work piece. Another type of placement system in use is a carousel or turret placement system where components are picked up from the bin and stepped through stations located around the perimeter of a circular component carrying mechanism for placement on the circuit board. The components are not aligned in the component bins. Typically, gull wing type components may be out of position by plus or minus 50 mils and plus or minus 5 degrees angular orientation. Therefore, the orientation of components from bins must be determined prior to placement. The present invention is useful with both types of systems which must accurately place components with the highest degree of speed and accuracy.
Surface mount circuit boards have a number of small individual pads. Each lead from each electrical component must be placed precisely on one circuit board pad, to ensure proper electrical contact, thus requiring correct angular orientation and lateral positioning of the component. The dimensions of components to be placed normally vary between 0.02 inch and 2.0 inches.
In a surface mount component placement machine, a transport arm picks up the component from a component bin utilizing a vacuum quill as the primary instrument which gently picks up the component to be placed and transports it between the component bins and the circuit board. The transport arm moves the component from the bin to the circuit board located on a work table. During transport, the angular orientation of the component and the offset of the component from the center of the quill are determined. The condition of the leads is also checked to determine whether any are bent or skewed. Any necessary corrections in placement are then calculated and the placement head is adjusted to accommodate the corrections. The vacuum quill is then precisely lowered to fit the component on the circuit board. In current component placement machines, the transport arm and quill move at approximately one meter per second. At this speed, it is difficult for current systems to handle the fine pitch and range of components that must be placed and to achieve the accuracy required for alignment.
For quality manufacturing, component leads must be placed with at least 80% overlap of lead onto the corresponding pad of the circuit board. A device having a 20 mil pitch generally has 10 mil wide leads. With an 80% overlap, at least 8 mils of the lead width must be on the pad with no more than 2 mils of the lead width off the pad. In general, sensing systems used to align parts for placement must have five to ten times better resolution than the accuracy required. Therefore, 0.2 to 0.4 mil image resolution is required to achieve the maximum placement error of 2 mils specified for quality manufacturing methods.
Conventional vision systems used in conjunction with component placement machines for lead determination use a solid state television camera having a resolution of 512.times.512 picture elements or pixels. A two inch part and a corresponding two inch field of view with 512 elements produces a basic resolution of 4 mils or 4 thousandths of an inch. This is not a sufficient resolution and, in fact, as pointed out above, it is necessary to achieve a resolution which is at least an order of magnitude greater. One solution that has been suggested is the use of multiple lenses. Using different lenses to achieve the requisite magnification provides multiple fields of view. However, changes in the lens system consumes time, slowing the placement process and, thus, trades speed for accuracy.
Another solution that has been proposed is the use of super-resolution. With backlighting, a shadow is cast on the solid state pixel elements of a detector array and, by applying gray scale image processing algorithms to the intensity information of shadow edges cast upon the detector array, a super-resolution can be achieved which is approximately four times the resolution that can be achieved with binary processing.
Yet another solution proposed is a two-dimensional detector array having as many as 2,000.times.2,000 elements. Such a product is manufactured by Eastman Kodak of Rochester, N.Y. However, this solution is prohibitively expensive.
Finally, the use of linear arrays having 1,000-2,000 detector elements is also possible. Using such a system, the motion of the part is synchronized with continuously read successive frames from the array to build up a two-dimensional image. With super-resolution, an accuracy of resolution is achieved equivalent to that needed for a 20 mil pitch device.
What is needed is an economical system which can accurately locate leads having 15, 10, and even 4 mil pitch. These systems must have an accuracy of resolution in the range of at least 0.02 mils. The present invention is addressed to fulfill these needs.

Laser-based semiconductor lead measurement system


Methods and systems for operation in a wireless communication system are provided. A first transmission may be initiated using at least a first portion of physical layer resources. A second transmission may be initiated using at least a second portion of the same physical layer resources. The first transmission may be any one of a puncturing transmission, interfering transmission, delay-sensitive transmission, or short transmission. The second transmission may be an on-going transmission or a long transmission.

Over the years there have been a number of advancements in the methods, apparatuses, and systems used to address problems that arise in the world of wireless communication. Mobile communication progressively advances in generations of wireless communications to address new, and improve old, uses as industry demands. For example, fifth generation (5G) technologies may attempt to address problems relating to improved broadband performance (IBB), industrial control and communications (ICC) and vehicular applications (V2X), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC). These areas have requirements that relate to ultra-low transmission latency, ultra-reliable transmission, MTC operation, and a plurality of spectrum operating modes (SOMs). Therefore, 5G and other generations of wireless communication technology may efficiently support the transmission of data with different requirements in terms of latency, throughput, and reliability.

Methods for enhanced multiplexing in wireless systems


A monitoring circuit which allows for the complete monitoring, at short intervals, of several signal inputs and consequently of signal outputs without having to take into account external interference, like for instance the execution time in the case of light barriers, is obtained in that the signal inputs are connected through two capacitors to at least one relay, in that the signal inputs apply a potential to the capacitors while oscillating and in that the capacitors discharge into the relays while oscillating.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a monitoring circuit for constant monitoring of several signal inputs, at least two, particularly four.
2. Discussion of Background
This type of monitoring circuit is known from the state of the art. For example, they are used for monitoring reflective light barriers and polarisation filters. For this purpose, at least two sensors are tested cyclically at a frequency of for example 300 Hz. If during this test procedure, an obstacle is detected in one of the two beam paths, or an interference at one of the two redundant chains of the electronics or at one of the two sensors, two safety relays drop, which switch off a dangerous machine connected thereto. The whole system can be monitored via an external test input, the monitoring also including the relays. After a disruption of the protective field, i.e. after the machine has been switched off, switching on again is only possible through a manual release. A disadvantage of the above described monitoring circuit is that the relays used operate relative slowly due to their mechanical components, so that only specific monitoring frequencies can be reached. Moreover, the relays are basically subject to wear, i.e. burn out or the like can cause circuit modifications.

Monitoring circuit for a constant monitoring of a plurality of signal inputs


A novel anti-dandruff conditioning shampoo contains at least one suspending agent, and a buffer system, with the shampoo formulation having an active detergent content of at least 18%. Preferably the buffer system contains sodium citrate and citric acid. Preferably the shampoo contains two detergents with the two detergents being ammonium lauryl ether sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate. Preferably the shampoo contains two suspending agents with the two suspending agents being di(hydrogenated) tallow phthalic acid amide and a suspending agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and magnesium aluminum silicate.

In modern society there is a great deal of emphasis on the appearance and manageability of hair. For example, over time, human hair acquires a dirty look and feel as a result of its contact with the atmosphere and as a result of sebum secreted by the head. Therefore, conformity with current societal norms requires that the hair be kept clean, and shampooed regularly. However, in practice, the tendency is for individuals to shampoo their hair daily.
Shampooing the hair cleans by removing excess soil and sebum. However, the shampooing process often leaves the hair in a tangled and generally unmanageable state. To improve the manageability of washed hair, conditioning aids were developed such as hair rinses. Initially such conditioning aids were applied to the hair following the step of shampooing the hair. However, there are disadvantages associated with such conditioning products.
With respect to hair rinses, they must remain on the hair for a length of time and then the hair must be rinsed with fresh water an additional time. With respect to leave-on hair conditioners, the amount of conditioner to apply is often difficult to determine based on the amount and thickness of the hair to be conditioned, and even then the uniform distribution of conditioner throughout the hair can be a problem. Therefore, to cope with the above problems it became desirable to formulate a combined shampoo and conditioner.
Although shampoos and conditioners in theory could be combined in the same product, in actuality problems arose concerning the compatibility between the detergents and the conditioners present in the product. This problem was addressed by the development of suspension agents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,855 discloses a shampoo composition comprising a detergent, a silicone conditioner, water and a suspension agent, with choices for the suspension agent including long chain esters of ethylene glycol, and esters of long chain fatty amine oxides. However, the conditioning shampoo is not an anti-dandruff shampoo.
Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,415 discloses a conditioning shampoo comprising a certain phthalic acid and phthalic acid ammonium salts or mixtures thereof incorporated into a shampoo base with a silicone conditioner. In Cosmetics, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) nomenclature, phthalic acids may be designated as amido carboxy benzoic acids, and phthalic acid ammonium salts may be designated ammonium amido carboxy benzoates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,563 discloses a selenium sulfide shampoo containing a mixture of xanthan gum and magnesium aluminum silicate as a suspending system. Still another known suspension system comprises xanthan gum, glycerol distearate and cetyl alcohol.
The entire matter encounters additional complications when the product is desired for use as an anti-dandruff conditioning shampoo. Typical anti-dandruff agents include colloidal or powder sulfur, coal tar derivatives, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulfide and mixtures thereof. With respect to selenium sulfide, its anti-dandruff effectiveness was established when U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,669 was awarded for an invention in a stabilized selenium disulfide therapeutic shampoo.
Although selenium sulfide is effective in controlling dandruff, its use in a shampoo, much less in a conditioning shampoo, creates additional problems. The first problem that is created concerns the stability of the shampoo. One of the constant concerns with a selenium sulfide shampoo is that the pH be kept below 6.5 during its shelf life. When the pH becomes greater than 6.5, the selenium sulfide starts to break down, with the result being that potentially toxic sulfides may be formed. The approach to that problem in the past has been to formulate the shampoo with a strongly acidic pH, and then hope that over the shelf life of the shampoo the pH does not drift above 6.5.
The second problem concerns the specific density of selenium sulfide. The high specific density of selenium sulfide makes it difficult for it to remain suspended in liquid shampoos. Selenium sulfide tends to precipitate out of solution. In the past it was found that two or more suspending agents often had to be used to overcome this problem. Examples of such suspension systems included ones comprising bentonite and magnesium aluminum silicate, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and magnesium aluminum silicate.
It is thus apparent that a need exists for an improved anti-dandruff conditioning shampoo containing selenium sulfide.

Selenium sulfide shampoo with conditioning properties


A process for restoring responsiveness to medication in eye tissue, namely retinal tissue, that is unresponsive to medication. The process utilizes a laser source for generating a confluent, contiguous laser light beam. The laser light beam is preferably a subthreshold diode micropulse laser beam which is optically shaped through an optical lens or mask. The tissue is then exposed to the confluent, contiguous laser light beam and allowed to recover for thirty days before administering medication to which the tissue was unresponsive.

Medical use of lasers is a long-standing and well known practice. Uses include photocoagulation (burning or scarification); photodisruption (explosive destruction of tissue); photolysis (cutting or separation of tissue); phototherapy (generation of photochemical effects including ionization and breakage of molecular bonds); photostimulation (inducing molecular aggregation, conformation change, pH change, usually via induced tissue hyperthermia); and photodynamic therapy (laser-induced activation or catalysis of a photosensitive pharmacologic agent). Photocoagulation, photodisruption, photolysis, phototherapy, and photostimulation all describe direct effects of a laser on tissue to achieve a therapeutic effect. These laser-induced therapeutic effects may be employed separately, or in combination with any other therapeutic measure including but not limited to surgery, drug therapy, gene therapy, stem-cell therapy, etc. In photodynamic therapy the laser produces little to no effect of its own and by itself is therapeutically ineffective. Instead, the therapeutic effect of the laser in photodynamic therapy is simply to activate a photo-sensitive drug which is also, by itself, therapeutically ineffective and/or inactive. Thus, the target of the laser in photodynamic therapy is not the tissue or organism, but the drug which has been introduced into the tissue or organism.
With reference now to FIG. 1, a diagrammatic view of an eye, generally referred to by the reference number 10, is shown. When using phototherapy, the laser light is passed through the patient's cornea 12, pupil 14, and lens 16 and directed onto the retina 18. The retina 18 is a thin tissue layer which captures light and transforms it into the electrical signals for the brain. It has many blood vessels, such as those referred to by reference number 20, to nourish it. Various retinal diseases and disorders, and particularly vascular retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, are treated using conventional thermal retinal photocoagulation, as discussed above. The fovea/macula region, referred to by the reference number 22 in FIG. 1, is a portion of the eye used for color vision and fine detail vision. The fovea is at the center of the macula, where the concentration of the cells needed for central vision is the highest. Although it is this area where diseases such as age-related macular degeneration are so damaging, this is the area where conventional photocoagulation phototherapy cannot be used as damaging the cells in the foveal area can significantly damage the patient's vision. Thus, with conventional photocoagulation therapies, the foveal region is avoided.
Photobiology teaches that near-infrared (NIR) lasers have little effect on healthy cells, but tend to restore, by various means, normal function to diseased cells or cells made dysfunctional by pathologic or abnormal environments such as disease. NIR can do this without damaging the cell in any way, instead revitalizing the cell. The inventors proposed this as the mechanism of action of high-density, low-intensity subthreshold diode micropulse laser (SDM), shown to be an effective therapy for retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (see U.S. Publication No. 2013/0317570). In this sense SDM is a clinically harmless form of retinal photostimulation or phototherapy.
Turning to medication therapy, no drug is always effective, and despite initial efficacy, drug tolerance may develop. Due to biologic complexity, safe and effective targeted drug therapy like vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) medication is difficult and expensive to develop, generally narrow in focus, and often offered late in the disease process due to treatment risks, adverse effects, and expense. Despite application to chronic conditions, drugs are typically short acting. Exemplified by current intravitreal anti-VEGF agents for retinal disease, drug therapy may present extraordinary burdens in terms of clinical access, social resources and economic costs. Thus, despite the great benefits of modern pharmacotherapy, its future as a sustainable global disease management strategy for common and important diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and diabetic retinopathy, appears inevitably limited. Such considerations underscore the need for more widely applicable and accessible treatments. Early and preventive treatments will offer the greatest benefits.
Drug therapy of various disease states is often associated with tachyphylaxis or drug tolerance. In these instances, the target tissue of the drug becomes less or completely unresponsive to the drug effects despite initial effectiveness. Various mechanisms for these processes have been proposed. Drug tolerance is the most common cause of treatment failure in eyes with neurovascular, age-related, macular degeneration (NAMD). The development of drug tolerance may cause failure of treatment medication. Drug tolerance is most often addressed by changing drug dosage (generally increasing); changing drugs; or adding new drugs directed at suppressing the cause of drug unresponsiveness. For instance, in some cases, drug tolerance is thought to be due to an immunologic response to the drug. Thus, additional drugs may be tried to suppress the immune response, permitting the primary drug therapy to become effective once again. However, in many cases none of these options to address unresponsiveness are either available or effective. In such situations treatment is rendered ineffective with subsequent loss of function or life.
A common example of drug tolerance is the treatment of age-related choroidal neovascularization complicating macular degeneration ("wet" ARMD) with various anti-VEGF medications. Pharmacologic inhibitors of VEGF have become the mainstay of treatment for NAMD. They are currently the most effective intervention to reduce macular exudation, choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) growth, and most importantly, the risk of visual loss. Thus, ineffectiveness of anti-VEGF medication presents a serious and sight-threatening problem for which there are currently no comparably effective alternatives. Current intravitreal anti-VEGF medications employ pharmacologic (large) doses of medication designed to temporarily remove, by binding, VEGF from the vitreous cavity, retina and submacular space. The main source of VEGF in the retina is the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). VEGF production is linked to expression of many other factors, the absolute levels and balance of which may be altered with great effect in various disease states, and in response to various treatments, including drugs and retinal laser treatment.
Anti-VEGF injections, typically administered on a near-monthly basis for years, tend to lose effectiveness with repeated use. Use of higher dosages may temporarily improve effectiveness in some cases. The gradual loss of drug effect that may, at times, respond to increased drug dosing—drug tolerance—is generally a permanent condition. This is distinguished from "tachyphylaxis", in which the loss of drug response tends to develop almost immediately, is not dose-dependent, and may resolve after a period of non-treatment. Thus, "tolerance" appears to best describe the typical loss of response to anti-VEGF treatment of NAMD; and the development of proliferative disease in some eyes despite long-term therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME). Some patients who become unresponsive (tolerant) to one anti-VEGF drug will respond to a different anti-VEGF drug. However, some of these patients eventually become tolerant and unresponsive to all available anti-VEGF medications. Photodynamic therapy with medications such as Verteporfin has been reported to be beneficial as "rescue therapy" in such cases. But, at this point in time, loss of anti-VEGF monotherapy effectiveness generally bodes ill for the visual prognosis.
In the example of "wet" ARMD treatment, one mechanism for the development of tolerance/tachyphylaxis to drugs is "up-regulation". Typically, drug treatment employs dosages of chemicals that are biologically active but administered in massive quantities compared to the physiologic production of biochemicals normally produced in the body tissues. A common example is VEGF, which is a cytokine (powerful locally acting extracellular protein) produced by various ocular tissues including the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium. As a normal and innate cytokine, VEGF is associated with both salutary and pathologic effects, depending on the tissue and setting. In "wet" ARMD, VEGF production is pathologically locally elevated by, or causing, the disease process and massive intraocular dosages of anti-VEGF medications are used to bind and/or block VEGF or its action, resulting in a positive therapeutic effect. It has been shown that serial administration of anti-VEGF agents in "wet" ARMD results in progressively less robust therapeutic effectiveness. In some patients, anti-VEGF drugs stop working all together and, absent other effective therapy, loss of vision ensues.
It has been proposed that by repeatedly and chronically extinguishing VEGF produced by retinal tissue, anti-VEGF medications induce the target tissue, by feedback mechanisms, to increase VEGF production. While this "up-regulated" VEGF production may continue to be effectively neutralized by massive and repeated doses of anti-VEGF drug, other clinically harmful effects may occur that are not addressed by the typically narrowly focused inciting drug. For instance, VEGF production is often tied to production of other cytokines which may have similarly potentially clinically harmful effects, such as interleukins (IL) or tissue matrix metalloproteinases (TMMP); and is often associated with decreased production of potentially beneficial cytokines such as Pigment Epithelial Derived Factor (PEDF). It is thought that drug-induced alteration in the cellular expression of these and possibly many other cytokines and other factors known and unknown may be one cause of tolerance/tachyphylaxis observed in the treatment of "wet" ARMD with anti-VEGF drugs. Thus, in this case, initially effective drug therapy has induced a specific state of retinal abnormality eventually rendering the drug ineffective.
Elaboration of cytokines (such as VEGF, IL, TMMP, PEDF, etc) by the retinal pigment epithelium is thought to be a prime driver and determinant of retinal disease. Thus it is reasonable to hypothesize that "normalization of retina function" might include a return toward the cytokine production profiles characteristic of native, normal retina. Thus, in diabetes mellitus, exposure to chronic hyperglycemia and attendant endocrine disturbances may induce chemical changes within the retinal pigment epithelium that lead to altered cytokine expression and a subsequent dysfunction and/or dysregulation of the retina defined as a disease state (diabetic retinopathy).
General laser treatment of the retina for various disorders has been employed for over 50 years. Traditionally, laser photocoagulation characterized by intentional laser-induced thermal destruction and scarification of the retina, has been employed. Due to the clinical effectiveness of retinal laser photocoagulation, the long-held view in medicine was that the beneficial effects of treatment were due to the retinal damage created by photocoagulation. In 2000, one of the named inventors developed a new method of retinal laser treatment (SDM) that did not employ photocoagulative tissue damage or destruction. He demonstrated therapeutically effective treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) without laser-induced retinal damage or adverse treatment effect detectable by any means presently known. His findings revealed that prior theories of laser mechanism of action for retinal vascular disease, such as diabetic retinopathy, were incorrect as they assumed laser-induced retinal damage as a prerequisite for therapeutic effectiveness. Subsequently, he proposed a new mechanism of retinal laser action based on his observations of SDM. He proposed that SDM worked by "normalizing" retinal function without cellular damage or injury, much as has been shown in prior work in other tissues examined in photobiology. This might occur in many ways including those as yet unknown.
Accordingly, there is a need for a treatment method for the sensitization or re-sensitization of medically unresponsive or diseased tissue. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

Process for restoring responsiveness to medication in tissue of living organisms


An imaging system can include an antenna apparatus configured to transmit toward and receive from a subject in a subject position, millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation. A subject may include a person and any object or objects with the person. A controller can include a transceiver configured to operate the antenna apparatus and produce an output representative of the received radiation, and a processor adapted to produce from the transceiver output, image data representative of an image of the subject. At least a first portion of an image signal representative of radiation received by an antenna apparatus may be used to produce first image data representative of a first image of at least a portion of the subject. Second image data representative of a second image having resolution that is different than that of the first image may be produced from at least a second portion of the image signal.

Millimeter wave signals are used for radar and telecommunications. They are also capable of being used to produce an image of a subject by directing millimeter-wave signals at the subject and detecting the reflected signal. Examples of such imaging systems have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,455,590; 5,557,283; 5,859,609; and 6,507,309; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/607,552 filed Jun. 26, 2003; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/697,848 filed Oct. 30, 2003; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/301,522 filed Nov. 21, 2002; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/697,965 filed Oct. 30, 2003 which patent references are incorporated herein by reference.
When imaging systems are used for surveillance of persons in a security system, the safety of the facilities and patrons of the facility for which the surveillance is being conducted may depend on the effectiveness of the system. The imaging of persons subjected to surveillance may be more willing to allow the surveillance if it is performed in a manner that protects the person's privacy. This is particularly true in situations where the surveillance delays the intended progress of the person or persons being surveilled, such as prior to boarding a public transportation vehicle, or prior to entering a public or protected facility.


The invention is a method for handling material which may be in the form of semiconductor wafers, bars, and/or chips. The material is mounted to a flexible film which is heated so as to result in an adhesion strength sufficient to hold the material in place, but low enough so that the material can be removed easily when desired.

In the fabrication of semiconductor components, for example laser chips, handling of the material during various phases of the fabrication can become critical due to the possibility of damage to the material. Usually, the semiconductor material is in the form of a wafer including a two dimensional array of devices, and the wafer is cut up into bars including a row of devices and finally into chips comprising individual devices. This cutting up of the wafer can be done by any of a number of cleaving, scribing and/or breaking methods known in the art.
In a typical process, the wafer is held in place by mounting to a tape during the cleaving operation. A problem arises in attempting to remove the resulting bars or chips for further processing. Since the adhesive strength of the tape is high, the bars or chips are removed by inserting a sharp blade between the tape and the surfaces of the bars or chips. This can cause damage to the devices included within the bars or chips.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a method whereby the material can be held in place during certain processing, and then easily removed without a significant amount of damage to devices included in the material.

Method of handling semiconductor wafers, bars and chips


An acoustical wall covering assembly (10) with pleats (11) formed and attached in situ to a trim member for covering a wall of a movie theatre, in which a panel (22) of an acoustical wall covering attaches to a pleating member (22) having groups (20) of scores (32, 34, 36, 38) for folding to define the pleats (11). An end of the pleated assembly (10) attaches to a ceiling trim (16). Each pleat (11) is formed and attached in situ to the ceiling trim. Subsequently, each pleat in the attached panel is pulled longitudinally away from the ceiling trim (16) to form an extended pleat in the panel and then secured to a bottom trim (18) to cover a portion of the wall with the pleated assembly. A method of forming and securing an acoustical pleated panel in situ to cover a wall is disclosed.

Movie theatres provide viewers a facility for escape from everyday events. Movie theatres typically include large viewing screens for presentation of films ranging from drama, adventure, comedy, suspense and mystery, and other such fair. In addition to the visual presentation of the film, theatres also include powerful sound systems with amplifiers and speakers positioned within the auditorium of the theatre to enhance the visual effect of the film being shown.
Often the auditorium of the theatre is housed in buildings with high ceilings, which have broad wall surfaces extending from the screen to the back of the theatre past the many rows of seats. To accommodate the acoustical characteristics of movie theatres, the walls typically include dampening material as an exterior surface. The damping material absorbs the sound so that sound does not repeat and echo through the auditorium during the course of the film but rather the sounds of the continuing scenes may be clearly heard.
Typically, movie theatre interior walls are covered with drapery material placed as curtains along the walls of the theatre. The drapery material dampens the sound. A common drapery or curtain used in many theatres is pleated from the ceiling to about four to six feet off the floor. A carpet covers the lower portion of the wall. The pleated curtain provides not only the acoustic effect, but an ornamental appearance as well. Typically the drapery curtains on walls of theatres have four-inch box pleats at nine-inch spacing, extending from approximately four feet off the floor to the ceiling.
The labor to prepare, handle, and install drapery curtains in theatre interiors is significant. A special sewing shop is required. Large tables are necessary to receive the elongate sheets of drapery fabric. Typically the drapery fabric is provided in 54 inch widths. The length of the fabric is sufficient to extend between a ceiling trim near the ceiling and a wall trim vertically spaced from the floor. Often these lengths are 30 or 40 feet or more. The entire length of a fabric has to be pleated.
The drapery fabric is measured for length and cut from a bolt of fabric. The fabric then is laid on the table where the pleats are measured, marked with pens, and sewn across the top to form the pleat. A jute backing often is applied using a top and bottom stitch. The pleated length of fabric is then marked so that installers can identify the portion of the wall on which the pleated fabric drapery is to be installed. The completed drapery is packed and shipped to the job site. At the job site, workers unpack the boxes and install the drapery curtains in the appropriate sequence.
The measuring, cutting, and sewing is extensively labor intensive and time consuming. This results in significant costs associated with installing or replacing interior drapery treatments for movie theatres.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus of preparing and installing acoustical wall coverings for sound dampening of walls in movie theatres. It is to such that the present invention is directed.

Acoustical wall covering assembly pleated and secured in situ for covering walls in movie theatres and method


In an interdigital electrode of a surface acoustic wave device having nonexciting portions formed by removing fingers, fingers having an excitation source located nearest to a nonexciting portion in between are so positioned as to approach the nonexciting portion as compared with arrangement pitch of other fingers. Fingers having an excitation source located nearest to an end of the electrode in between are so positioned as to approach the end of the interdigital electrode as compared with arrangement pitch of other fingers. Fingers having an excitation source located in the central portion of the electrode group in between are so positioned as to approach each other as compared with arrangement pitch of other fingers.

The present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave device (SAW device), and in particular to a surface acoustic device using a withdrawal weighted electrode.
As electrodes for surface acoustic wave devices such as SAW filters, electrodes of normal type, in which comb-like electrodes each having electrode width equivalent to gap width are interdigitated with equal finger overlap length everywhere, have conventionally been used.
If such an electrode of normal type having a uniform electrode finger overlap is used, it is known that a surface acoustic device has a frequency response H(f) represented by the following equation as described in Impulse Response Model Design of Acoustic Surface-Wave Filters (C. S. Hartmann et al.; IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, vol. MTT-21, No. 4, pp. 162-175, April, 1973) EQU H(f)=(sinX)/X*exp(-j.omega.N/2f.sub.0) EQU X=N.pi.(f-f.sub.0)/f.sub.0
where N, .pi., f, f.sub.0 and .omega. denote the number of pairs of the electrode, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, frequency, center frequency and angular frequency, respectively.
In case a surface acoustic wave device using such an electrode of normal type is utilized as a filter, however, small attenuation of side lobes brought about inconvenience in practical use.
On the other hand, overlap length weighted transducers having adjacent electrode fingers of comb-like electrodes changed in overlap length (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,899) are known as a technique for improving the attenuation of side lobes.
However, such overlap length weighted electrodes tend to be affected by diffracted waves. In general, overlap length weighted electrodes can be used in only one of two interdigital transducers provided in a surface acoustic wave device, and the other one of the two interdigital electrodes must be the above described electrode of normal type. That is to say, if a multistrip coupler is used, the above described overlap length weighted electrodes can be used in both of two interdigital electrodes of a surface acoustic wave device. In that case, however, the chip dimension of a piezoelectric surface acoustic wave substrate becomes large (F. G. Marshall et al., IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES, vol. MTT-21, No. 4, pp. 206-215, 1973).
Therefore, a technique of a surface acoustic wave device in which parts of impulse excitation sources are removed by partly cutting away fingers of comb-like electrodes, i.e., a technique of a surface acoustic wave device using withdrawal weighted electrodes has been proposed (C. S. Hartmann; 1973 Ultrasonic Symposium Proceedings, pp. 423-426, 1973).
Such a surface acoustic wave device using withdrawal weighted electrodes can be used jointly with overlap length weighted electrodes without needing a multistrip coupler.

Surface acoustic wave device and communication device using the same


Inhibition of the expression and/or function of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) can reduce, prevent or reverse the pathophysiological vascular changes associated with the onset and progression of Pulmonary Fibrosis. Compositions and methods to inhibit the expression and function of NAMPT for treating and preventing Pulmonary Fibrosis in a subject in need are provided. The compositions and methods are useful for the modulation of pathophysiological processes that contribute to the development and progression of Pulmonary Fibrosis by reducing lung inflammation, aberrant myofibroblast accumulation and deposition of collagen in fibrotic foci.

Human fibrotic disorders affect many organ systems including the heart, blood vessels, kidney, liver, and lungs. An estimated 45% of deaths in the U.S. are attributable to disorders that are characterized by varying degrees of fibrosis. The most severe form of lung fibrosis is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal and relentlessly progressive disorder. IPF is characterized by excessive scar tissue formation and irreversible destruction of the lung parenchyma, resulting in gas-exchange abnormalities and respiratory failure. The disease course of IPF is relentlessly progressive; the median survival rate is less than three years. IPF affects approximately 200,000 people in the U.S. and five million worldwide.
Pulmonary fibrosis can develop from acute or chronic injurious exposures, even after the exposure cease. Thus, patients who have experienced these inhalational exposures are at a higher risk for developing IPF. Aging is a well-recognized risk factor for IPF (mean age=66 at the time of diagnosis), leading to a significant healthcare burden amongst the aging population. The prevalence of IPF is 20.2 per 100,000 for men and 13.2 per 100,000 for women. IPF is most prevalent among elderly males, and cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for IPF. Tobacco use has been reported for 20% of the US adult population.
Despite the well-recognized role of oxidative stress in fibrosis and aging, the ability to precisely target key mediators of this process has proved difficult. Given this shift in demographic, it is critical to understand the contribution of aging to the cellular/molecular mechanism(s) leading to the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, such as IPF. A major limitation to identification of effective treatments for IPF has been the failure of pre-clinical animal models to reliably reflect human IPF, and to predict efficacy of therapeutic agents in clinical trials. One important reason for this failure is that fibrosis spontaneously resolves in the conventional model of fibrosis in young mice. In resolving fibrosis, lung myofibroblasts (the key 'scar tissue generating' cell) undergo apoptosis to promote healing. In contrast, myofibroblasts from aged mice with non-resolving fibrosis acquire a senescent and apoptosis-resistant phenotype, mediated in part by persistent expression of NADPH-oxidase-4 (Nox4). Similarly, lung myofibroblasts from IPF patients exhibit senescence and apoptosis-resistance, associated with elevated Nox4 expression. However, the mechanisms that drive persistence of Nox4 and apoptosis-resistance of myofibroblasts in the context of aging/IPF remain unknown.
Although two drugs have recently gained FDA-approval for IPF, no drug treatment has been shown to definitively improve quality of life for IPF patients and they have only been shown to delay death by six months. The current drugs only moderately slow the progression of lung decline. There are no available therapies which can 'reverse' fibrosis. Existing treatment interventions are largely preventative (dosing before or at the time of injury), rather than curative. Clearly, improved therapies for the treatment of IPF and other fibrotic diseases are needed in order to improve the patient experience and outcomes.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide compositions and methods of use thereof for reducing and reversing the pathophysiological processes associated with the onset and progression of pulmonary fibrosis in a subject.
It is also an object of the invention to provide compositions, devices, grafts, and methods of use thereof to reduce or prevent inappropriate or deleterious fibrosis in a subject having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
It is a further object of the invention to provide dosage formulations of compositions effective to treat one or more symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis in a subject.

Method of treating one or more symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis by administering inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribotransferase

Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of The University of Arizona

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


A lamp and a hardscape structure illuminated by the lamp are disclosed. The lamp is formed from a plate to which a light fixture is attached. The plate may have a flange, a decorative face plate and side panels attached to direct light from the fixture along the hardscape on which the lamp is mounted. Mounting is effected by positioning the plate between discrete hardscape elements that are stacked one atop another. A portion of the plate projects out from the structure allowing the fixture to cast light on the structure surface. A light transmitting cover is also provided.

Masonry structures used as a part of a landscape design are known as the "hardscape". The hardscape incorporates structures such as pathways, steps, driveways, retaining walls and the like into an aesthetic installation generally, although not exclusively, in an outdoor setting which combines plant, masonry, and lighting elements to enhance the visual environment of a residence, commercial facility or school campus to cite but a few examples.
The hardscape may be formed of natural stone, bricks or blocks manufactured from concrete which are available in various colors, shapes and textures that simulate natural or quarried stone. Such products, for example, those provided by companies such as EP Henry of Woodbury, N.J., constitute structural systems which allow for the construction of structures such as retaining walls using discrete masonry elements that may be positioned atop one another to form a wall without the use of mortar. The structure is, nevertheless, a substantially permanent structure due to the weight, regular shape, friction and quasi-interlocking nature of the discrete elements.
As lighting is often an important component of the landscape design, it is desirable to incorporate lighting elements, such as lamps, into the design. Present practice features stand alone lamps that mount in the ground adjacent to the hardscaping. It would be advantageous to provide lamps that form an integral part of the hardscape.


Methods for converting prethrombin-1 to thrombin are disclosed. An aqueous solution of prethrombin-1 is applied to oscutarin-C immobilized on a solid support so as to provide from 500 mg to 4000 mg of prethrombin-1 per mL of the solid support and a contact time between the prethrombin-1 and the oscutarin-C of from 1.8 to 3.5 minutes. The resulting active thrombin may be captured on an ion exchange chromatography medium or an affinity chromatography medium.

The penultimate step of the coagulation cascade is the Factor Xa-complex-catalyzed conversion of the zymogen prothrombin to the active enzyme thrombin. Prothrombin is a single-chain, vitamin K-dependent glycoprotein that is synthesized in the liver. It contains a gla domain, two kringle regions, an A chain, and a serine protease domain (B chain). Conversion to thrombin requires that prothrombin be cleaved in two places, removing the gla domain and kringle regions and cleaving between the A and B chains to produce the active protease, termed "α-thrombin."
Thrombin is used therapeutically to promote hemostasis in surgery and as a component of tissue adhesives and sealants. Human and bovine thrombins, both derived from plasma, are currently approved for therapeutic use.
It would be advantageous to obtain thrombin from a recombinant source to avoid the potential for contamination that is inherent in plasma-derived products. Bovine thrombin has been associated with hemostatic abnormalities resulting from immunogenicity of the bovine thrombin itself and/or contaminant proteins (Ortel et al., Ann. Surg. 233(1):88-96, 2001; Lawson et al., Ann. Thorac. Surg. 79(3):1037-1038, 2005) and carries a "black box" warning cautioning against repeat use in patients who have developed antibodies to bovine thrombin. However, production of recombinant prothrombin has proven problematic and yields have remained low.
As an alternative to purification from plasma, thrombin can be prepared from a recombinant prethrombin (e.g., prethrombin-1) as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,777. Prethrombin-1 is an inactive thrombin precursor that does not contain the gla domain or the first kringle region of prothrombin, which can be produced by expression of a truncated prothrombin DNA in recombinant cells. Active thrombin is produced from prethrombin-1 by treatment with any of several activating proteases, including prothrombin activators obtained from snake venom. See, for example, Speijer et al., J. Biol. Chem. 261:13258-13267, 1986; Masci et al., Biochemistry International 17:825-835, 1988; and Morita et al., Meth. Enzym. 80:303-311, 1980.
Activation of prethrombin-1 to thrombin is complicated by the proteolytic activity of α-thrombin on prethrombin. This activity, which can reduce overall yield of α-thrombin, can be enhanced by conditions needed to stabilize the protein. There remains a need in the art for methods of efficiently activating prethrombin-1 to α-thrombin.


The present invention relates to methods of reducing serum lipids in insulin resistant subjects comprising administration of synergistically effective amounts of D-chiro-inositol and lipid lowering medications. The present invention provides methods to treat a hyperlipidemic subject with insulin resistance comprising administration of D-chiro-inositol and a lipid lowering compound, either as concurrent single agents or as a combined composition. The methods and compositions of the present invention are particularly efficacious in treating insulin resistant subjects with a fasting blood glucose level of less than or equal to 180 mg/dL.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides methods to reduce serum lipids in insulin resistant subjects comprising administration of therapeutically effective amounts of D-chiro-inositol and lipid lowering medications. The present invention provides methods to treat a hyperlipidemic subject with insulin resistance comprising administration of D-chiro-inositol and a lipid lowering compound, either as concurrent single agents or as a combined composition. The methods and compositions of the present invention are particularly efficacious in treating insulin resistant subjects with a fasting blood glucose level of less than or equal to 180 mg/dL.
2. Related Art
Non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM, or type 2 diabetes) is a worldwide health problem. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 30 million people worldwide had diabetes in 1985. This number increased to 135 million people by 1995 and the WHO predicts a rise to 300 million people by 2025. The insidious nature of type 2 diabetes progression and medical complications that arise from hyperglycemia extract a heavy toll on the individual, healthcare resources, and society. As such, there is a continuing need for new therapeutic agents and therapeutic regimens that prevent diabetes, prevent or delay the progression of diabetes, or prevent or delay diabetic complications.
It is generally desirable to treat a subject with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes in ways that reestablish or maintain the balance between insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. It is highly desirable to employ methods that avoid administration of exogenous insulin. Therefore a regimen of diet and exercise is primarily used to attempt to establish more physiologic glycemic control. Sadly, however, pharmacological intervention becomes necessary. The current xe2x80x9csecond linexe2x80x9d of therapies includes administration of pharmacological agents including sulfonylureas (e.g. GLUCOTROL(copyright)), biguanides (e.g. metformin), and PPAR gamma agonists (e.g. rosiglitazone) alone or in combination, which are used to increase endogenous insulin production, decrease hepatic glucose output, and increase periperial insulin sensitivity (Kobayashi, Diabetes Obes. Melab., 1(Suppl 1): S32-S40 (1999); Brown et al., J. Natl. Med. Assoc., 91(7): 389-395 (1999)). Sulfonylureas are compounds that stimulate insulin secretion from beta cells in islet tissue of the pancreas and are currently the most frequently prescribed oral hypoglycemic drugs. Increased insulin secretion by sulfonylureas may lead to hypoglycemia (Imura, N. Engl. J. Med., 338: 908-909 (1998)). Unfortunately, prolonged use of sulfonylureas results in unfavorable side effects, particularly desensitization and/or apoptosis of the beta cells resulting in decreased insulin production. The effect is particularly manifest in subjects who have more severe insulin resistance in conjunction with less insulin production (Kobayashi, Diabetes Obes. Metab., 1(Suppl 1): S32-S40 (1999); Kolterman et al., Diabetes Care, 7(Suppl 1): 81-89 (1984)). Biguanides are compounds that decrease hepatic glucose output, and thus aid in controlling hyperglycemia. PPAR gamma agonists are insulin-sensitizing compounds that increase the cell""s ability to respond to smaller quantities of insulin. Eventually these therapies fail and exogenous insulin is required to maintain a balance of glucose metabolism.
Many diabetic subjects are obese and exhibit elevated levels of free fatty acids and other serum lipids. Elevated free fatty acids and other serum lipids are associated with increased insulin resistance as well as other diabetic complications including hypertension, renal failure, and cardiovascular disease inter alia.
Currently there is intensive investigation into beneficial combinations of therapies that maximize the benefit to the diabetic subject, while minimizing the side effects of the individual therapeutic agents. Despite limited in vitro and in vivo models, it is currently difficult to predict the synergistic interaction in a human of any two drugs or classes of drugs a priori.
Lipid lowering medications, principally HMG-CoA inhibitors are a well known class of drugs that are commonly used to control serum levels of lipids. Although reasonably safe, these drugs have demonstrated a significant side effect, rhabdomyolysis, a condition that results in muscle cell breakdown and release of the contents of muscle cells into the bloodstream. One drug, cerivastatin, has been withdrawn from the market. Other statins demonstrate evidence of this same side-effect, though to much less severity. Therefore it would be desirable to maintain or increase the efficacy of these drugs while administering smaller quantities of the compounds to the subjects.
There is therefore, a need for new means to control lipid levels in diabetic subjects and thus prevent the progression of diabetes and prevent or delay the onset of diabetic complications. This need and others are provided in the present invention that describes methods of treating subjects suffering from insulin resistance comprising administration of a therapeutically effective amount of D-chiro-inositol (DCI) and a therapeutically effective amount of a lipid lowering drug.
The present invention provides a method of treating a subject in need thereof comprising: (a) administration of a pharmaceutically effective amount of a D-chiro-inositol-like compound; and (b) administration of a pharmaceutically effective amount of a lipid lowering drug, wherein the effective amounts of the D-chiro-inositol and the lipid lowering drug are administered in concurrent regimens.
The combination of D-chiro-inositol and lipid lowering drugs surprisingly results in greater serum lipid control than could be achieved with either DCI alone or lipid lowering drug alone. Thus the combination of D-chiro-inositol and lipid lowering drugs allows a pharmacological treatment that enhances lipid control, prevents progression of type 2 diabetes, and ameliorates diabetic complications related to elevated lipid levels. This beneficial effect is particularly effective in insulin resistant subjects having a fasting blood glucose of less than or equal to 180 mg/dl.
The present invention provides a method of treating dyslipidemic subjects with a combination of D-chiro-inositol, or a derivative or metabolite thereof, and a lipid lowering compound. The subject may be insulin resistant and/or clinically diagnosed with a medical condition such as impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, obesity, HIV-AIDS, cachexia or other such conditions.
The present invention also provides medicinal compositions comprising (a) a pharmaceutically effective amount of a D-chiro-inositol-like compound; (b) a pharmaceutically effective amount of a lipid lowering compound; and (c) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
These compositions are useful in the methods of the present invention because they provide the convenience of a single dosage unit, and therefore increase patient compliance.

Compositions comprising D-chiro inositol and lipid lowering compounds and methods of treatment thereof


According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermal management system for electronic components includes a plastic coldplate having a mounting surface for mounting one or more electronic components, one or more passageways configured to have a fluid flow therethrough disposed within the plastic coldplate, and a highly conductive material disposed within the plastic coldplate and thermally coupled to the mounting surface. The highly conductive material is operable to transfer heat from the mounting surface to the fluid flow.

A trend for electronic equipment is lighter weight and lower cost. Lighter weight electronic equipment is especially important for aerospace applications, such as Active Electronically Scanned Arrays ("AESAs"). These AESAs often have significant power dissipation due to the type of electronic components involved. To control the thermal gradients and temperature of these systems, liquid flows through the coldplates to which they are attached may be utilized. These liquid cooled coldplates are typically formed from aluminum, which is a major contributor to the system weight rollup but possesses good thermal conductivity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thermal management system and method for electronic equipment mounted on coldplates


The invention addresses the disadvantage of automated vehicle traffic management systems by providing a solution for predicting and avoiding traffic congestion before the congestion is experienced. The invention includes a decentralized mechanism for predicting congestion. An exemplary embodiment of the invention uses a system of sensors to determine current traffic flow; the sensors communicate their state to a network of servers and then an algorithm is applied to the collected data to predict traffic congestion; upon detection of congestion, signals are communicated to the system controllers to prevent the traffic congestion.

Vehicle traffic management involves the policies and infrastructure used to manage vehicular traffic flow in a large-scale road system such as a roadway system associated with a municipality or a government controlled highway system. The goal of a vehicle traffic management system is to maximize traffic flow through the system while maintaining a safe environment.
Vehicle traffic management systems consist of roads that intersect and such intersections offer vehicles the opportunity to choose between several routes to their final destination. Throughout a roadway system, controllers may exist for controlling flow between routes; an exemplary embodiment of a controller may be a traffic light which repeatedly modifies its state to determine how vehicles should proceed.
Vehicle traffic management may involve manual as well as automated techniques. An exemplary embodiment of a manual vehicle traffic management system may involve human administrators that monitor traffic flow from a central location and manipulate the system's controllers in response to traffic congestion. An exemplary embodiment of an automated vehicle traffic system may involve a computer system that monitors traffic flow and uses algorithms to automatically manipulate the system's controllers in response to traffic congestion.
As populations expand and the number of vehicles on roadways continues to increase, the process of managing traffic becomes an increasingly difficult task. The disadvantage of manual vehicle management systems is that they are limited in response time by the human operators. As roadway systems grow in complexity, the human response time becomes a formidable limitation. Automated vehicle traffic management systems are not constrained by the speed limitations that manual systems face. One advantage of automated vehicle traffic management systems is that they can be implemented in a distributed manner. A distributed implementation of an automated vehicle management system can enable very fast operation.
A plethora of controllers are available for use by vehicle traffic management systems. An exemplary traffic controller is a direction routing system such as Yahoo!Maps, MapQuest, Google Maps and other online tools. The current realization of these tools is to formulate the complete route prior to the beginning of a vehicle's trip. A modification of these tools may involve incorporation of real time traffic so that the route can be iteratively updated as the trip progresses. An automated system in which real time traffic allows for iteratively updated routes offers many advantages such as quick response to encountered congestion. One key feature that such a system would not offer is a technique for preventing traffic congestion.

Proactive mechanism for supporting the global management of vehicle traffic flow