A vacuum cleaner with a cyclone module assembly comprising a separation chamber for separating dust and debris from air, a dirt collection chamber for collecting dust and debris that is separated from the air in the cyclone separation chamber, wherein the separation chamber further includes an exhaust grill that is removable for cleaning.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to vacuum cleaners and in particular to vacuum cleaners having cyclonic dirt separation. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a cyclone separator with an improved exhaust grill.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum cleaners employing cyclone separators are well known. Some cyclone separators follow textbook examples using frusto-conical shape separators and others use high-speed rotational motion of the air/dirt to separate the dirt by centrifugal force. Typically, the cyclonic separation chamber is positioned above the dirt collection chamber in a vertically stacked orientation. Working air enters and exits at an upper portion of the cyclone separator and debris is collected in lower portion. Alternatively, the cyclone separator and dirt collection chamber can be oriented horizontally within the cyclone module. This orientation can reduce the overall height of the cyclone module, which is particularly desirable for canister vacuum cleaners to lower the center of gravity and improve stability of the unit as it rolls along the floor.
BISSELL Homecare, Inc. has developed a dual function canister vacuum cleaner that can accommodate a standard vacuum filter bag or an interchangeable bagless cyclone module. The cyclone module is configured so the cyclone separation chamber is positioned adjacent to the dirt receptacle along a horizontal plane. The air flowing through the cyclone separator passes through an exhaust grill before exiting the cyclone module through a filter assembly on the bottom of the module. The exhaust grill is configured to be easily removable by a user for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,236 to Lee discloses a cyclone module with a cyclone separation chamber and a cyclone dust collection chamber arranged in parallel where the dust collector has a backflow prevention member disposed at one sidewall of the dust chamber to prevent collected dust from flowing back into the cyclone chamber.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0130441 to Oh discloses an exhaust grill for a cyclone separator wherein the air passages in the grill have a leading surface facing toward the direction of air flow around the grill. It is said that the direct flow of air into the grill prevents stagnant vortices from forming in the grill air passages, thus preventing debris build-up.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,655 to Bock discloses a canister vacuum cleaner that can accommodate a filter bag or a dust collection container having a clip to hold a bag closure plate. A pivoting carrier in the dust compartment includes locking members which overlap an edge of the dust compartment so that the vacuum cleaner lid cannot be closed when either the filter bag or dust collector is absent.

Vacuum cleaner and cyclone module therefor


A Power amplifier circuit comprising an input, an output comprising:                means for sensing the input voltage; and        a set of n cascode circuits, each comprising a first transistor having a gate, a source and a drain terminal and further comprising a second transistor having gate, source and drain terminal; the source and gate of the first transistor of said cascode circuits being respectively connected to a first reference voltage and to receive the input signal, the drain of said first transistor being connected to the source of said second transistor, the drain of which being coupled to said output.

The development of wireless mobile communications and Radio Frequency (RF) standards have entailed the need of linear Power Amplifiers (PA) while reducing the power consumption on the battery.
Some techniques are already known for improving the efficiency of RF power amplifiers, based on the use of complex circuits, sophisticated linearization circuits and feedback loop.
Another simple structure which is known is based on the class AB power amplifier having an input 6 and an output 7, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, which comprises a MOS transistor 1 having a gate receiving, through a capacitor 4 an input signal Vin (RFinput) and a drain connected to a Vdd voltage via an inductor 2 and also connected to the RF out output terminal 7 (driving a load ZL 5) via an output capacitor 3.
FIGS. 2a and 2b are flow charts respectively illustrating both the current consumption Icons (as a function of the output power PPout) and the gain Gm of such amplifier depending on the size of the transistor. It can be seen that the current consumption follows a curve that is function of the input RF swing as presented in FIG. 1. For a targeted output power Pout, a load ZL is determined and Icons is then mainly driven by Pout. The quiescent current Iq has been represented in FIG. 2a and corresponds to the point of no or little RF input signal. This particular point is determined by an appropriate biasing circuit (not illustrated in FIG. 2) which is DC set regarding bias point at G and transistors size.
When one considers the situation of high levels of the input signal or, in other words when the output power becomes higher, one determines the particular size of the transistor accordingly, by considering current capabilities (electromigration for instance).
The Power Gain (PG) is mainly given by the ratio between the output voltage and the input voltage. Typically PG is around 8-10 dB. Moreover, because of a possible "oversizing", the typical gain (or gm) for a MOS transistor is not linear anymore with the size, as illustrated in FIG. 2b, especially once the cell is sized for current.
The drawback resulting from a high size of the transistor comes from the fact that the latter then shows an efficiency (Power Amplifier Efficiency PAE) which is no longer optimized because of higher quiescent current Iq. Linearity is also an issue because of too much capacitance at the transistor ports.
Clearly, the power amplifier is sized at high power but not at low power which represents 80% of the time.
There is therefore a dilemma to be considered with the simple amplification structure of FIG. 1.
Either the designer focuses on the power consumption and the transistor is then (under)sized so as to only draw minimal quiescent current Iq.
Or conversely, the designers may decide to (over)size the transistor so as to generate a high amount of power Pout, thus increasing the value of the quiescent current Iq.
There is therefore a desire for a new circuit which aims at reducing the power consumption and particularly Iq and also shows a high linearity even at high level of output power Pout.
Such is the aim of the present invention.

Amplification circuit having optimization of power

Abstract: By activating or deactivating one or more of the n cascode circuits, the total size of the amplification components can be adapted to the value of the output power to generate.


An LED lamp comprises: a first LED part, a second LED part that is connected to the first LED part in parallel and is configured to emit a light with a color temperature lower than that of a light to be emitted from the first LED part, and an impedance circuit that is connected to the first LED part in parallel while being connected to the second LED part in series.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a LED lamp configured to be lit up by application of an input current varying in response to a dimming operation with use of a phase control dimmer or so forth.
2. Background Art
In comparison with a well-known incandescent lamp (including a halogen lamp), a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as "LED") is more advantageous in its lower power consumption and longer lifetime. Therefore, with growing awareness of demanders for ecology, the LED has been rapidly prevailed as a countermeasure for energy saving in a wide range of usage. Moreover, needs to use the LED instead of the incandescent lamp have been also increased. In addition, brightness of a light from the LED has been generally varied by a dimming operation with use of a phase control dimmer or so forth.
Incidentally, the well-known incandescent lamp is configured to gradually dim a light by reducing the conduction angle of a commercial alternating-current voltage through a dimming operation with use of a phase control dimmer. When the incandescent lamp is gradually dimmed, the temperature of a filament configured to emit a light inside the incandescent lamp is lowered. Accordingly, the color temperature of a light to be emitted from the filament is also lowered (gets reddish).
By contrast, the color temperature of a light to be emitted from an LED is not varied even when the LED is dimmed by reducing a current. Therefore, it has been demanded to produce an LED lamp configured to vary its color temperature in response to a dimming operation as with the well-known incandescent lamp, whereby a desired atmosphere can be maintained in a guest room. This is because such LED lamps can be used as alternatives for halogen lamps to be used in hotels and so forth in which chances of dimming are relatively high.
Publication of Japanese translation of PCT international application No. JP-A-2008-507817 can be herein exemplified as a well-known technology of an LED driver circuit whereby a color temperature is varied. The LED driver circuit described in the Publication No. JP-A-2008-507817 includes lamp ballast circuits and a ballast control circuit. The lamp ballast circuits are respectively configured to supply a power to at least two LEDs that the color temperatures thereof are different from each other. The ballast control circuit is configured to output a lamp control signal in accordance with the value of an input supply voltage that varies in response to a dimming operation. Further, the magnitude of a voltage to be supplied from each lamp ballast circuit to its relevant LED lamp is configured to vary in response to the lamp control signal to be supplied from the ballast control circuit.
With reduction in input supply voltage, the LED drive circuit described in the Publication No. JP-A-2008-507817 is configured to reduce the ratio of a voltage to be supplied to an LED with a relatively high color temperature, while being configured to increase the ratio of a voltage to be supplied to an LED with a relatively low color temperature. Accordingly, the color temperature of a light to be emitted from the entire LED lamp can be reduced in accordance with reduction in light intensity just like a light to be emitted from an incandescent lamp.
As described above, in the LED driver circuit described in the Publication No. JP-A-2008-507817, each lamp ballast circuit is configured to supply a power to its relevant LED lamp. In other words, the required number of lamp ballast circuits is the same as the number of the LED lamps relevant to the lamp ballast circuits. This results in increase in circuit size of the LED driver circuit. It has been thus difficult to satisfy the demand for reduction in size of an LED lamp as an alternative of a halogen lamp.
In addition, the LED driver circuit described in the Publication No. JP-A-2008-507817 is of a voltage control type configured to: receive an input supply voltage that varies in response to a dimming operation; rectify the input supply voltage; and control LEDs with different color temperatures in accordance with a square wave of the resultant rectified voltage. Therefore, a drawback has been also produced that a current to be supplied to an LED contains a missing part roughly at a zero voltage and this is likely to be a cause of flicker. To solve such a drawback of flicker, conversion of voltage or current in accordance with a square wave is required for the lamp ballast circuits. Accordingly, another drawback is inevitably produced that the circuit size is increased and the circuit structure is complicated.
The present invention has been developed in view of the aforementioned drawbacks of the well-known art. Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide an LED lamp that is capable of dimming a light and emitting a light with a low color temperature with a simple circuit structure as with an incandescent lamp.


Methods and systems for signal analysis in multiple radio carrier environments are provided. In one embodiment, a radio receiver comprises: an adaptive pass band filter that operates over a pass band of frequencies, the adaptive pass band filter subdividing the pass band into a plurality of sub-channels each comprising a narrower bandwidth than the pass band; and a signal analyzer receiving the plurality of sub-channels, the signal analyzer providing feedback to the adaptive pass band filter, wherein the adaptive pass band filter divides the pass band into the plurality of sub-channels based on the feedback; wherein the signal analyzer selectively generates an output comprising of at least one of the plurality of sub-channels.

In certain regions aircraft and ground stations communicate over VHF radio using what is commonly known as a "multi-carrier technique." That is, multiple ground transmitters, each transmitting the same voice signal over a separate carrier, are positioned throughout a geographic area. Typically the transmitters are separated by a distance of 50 to 100 miles and transmit on carrier frequencies which are individually offset from the channel's nominal frequency by offsets such as +/−5 kHz or +/−7.5 kHz. Additional information regarding the details of VHF multi-carrier communication can be found in ICAO Annex 10 Volume III, dated July 1995 with Amendment 71, dated 7 Nov. 1996 (herein incorporated in its entirety by reference).
So that a pilot is not continuously exposed to static noise in the absence of active transmissions, the aircraft's VHF radio implements a noise-based squelch. Within the intermediate frequency (IF) section of the radio, the noise-based squelch listens for noise in a frequency band slightly offset from the nominal frequency (i.e., the information bandwidth) of the selected channel. The frequency band monitored for noise normally does not contain transmitted intelligence. In radios which incorporate a detector this same technique described for the IF can be applied after the detector by monitoring noise at audio frequency. When not receiving a signal within the channel, IF noise is generated within the radio that can be observed within this band. When the noise-based squelch observes this noise and determines that the noise is above a pre-define level, the squelch is applied to suppress the output of audio to the pilot. When a VHF radio signal is received, the noise level within the observed band is reduced. This reduction of the IF noise indicates reception of a radio signal which, if it is reduced below a predetermined level, triggers the noise-based squelch to allow audio output to the pilot.
A problem occurs, however, when using the noise-based squelch in multi-carrier regions. Reception of multiple VHF radio voice signals within the radio's pass band will cause beat-frequency tones to appear within the frequency band observed by the VHF radio's noise-based squelch. Under these conditions, the VHF radio's noise-based squelch will "see" the beat-frequency tones and misinterpret them as a high level of noise and continue to apply the squelch to the audio output. The beat frequency's appearance in place of the noise effectively "locks" the squelch for the duration of the multi-carrier transmission, preventing the pilot from receiving voice information from the VHF radio. One technique for mitigating this effect is to fall back to automatic gain control (AGC) based squelch in multi-carrier regions. However, an AGC-based squelch provides less inherent ability than the noise-based squelch to distinguish the presence of a valid signal from noise. If the AGC-based squelch is adjusted to provide the same sensitivity as the noise-based squelch then there is a possibility that the AGC-based squelch will provide false squelch openings, which cause static noise to reach the pilot and contributes to pilot distraction. To prevent this, the AGC-based squelch is typically set to a much lower sensitivity than the noise-based squelch.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems for signal analysis in multiple radio carrier environments.

Systems and methods for receiving and processing multiple carrier communications and navigation signals


A method for inducing stress within the channel of a semiconductor fin structure includes forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate; forming a fin hard mask layer, multiple isolation regions, and multiple spacers, on the semiconductor fin; forming a gate structure on the semiconductor fin; and oxidizing multiple outer regions of the semiconductor fin to create oxidized stressors that induce compressive stress within the channel of the semiconductor fin. A method for inducing tensile stress within the channel of a semiconductor fin by oxidizing a central region of the semiconductor fin is also provided. Structures corresponding to the methods are also provided.

The present invention relates generally to fin field effect transistor structures and methods for fabricating those structures. Particularly, the invention relates to a semiconductor fin structure having oxidation induced stress within the channel of the semiconductor fin and methods for fabricating a semiconductor fin structure having oxidation-induced stress within the channel of the semiconductor fin.
As semiconductor technology continues to advance and semiconductor device and structure dimensions continue to decrease, the utilization of field effect transistor (FET) devices of the fin type rather than planar-type has increased. A fin-FET device is characterized by a semiconductor fin that is positioned perpendicularly with respect to a semiconductor substrate, to provide a vertical channel within the fin-FET device. This vertical channel, rather than an exclusively planar channel characteristic of a planar-FET device, is covered with a gate structure.
The performance of a modern microelectronic device is highly dependent on the collective speed of the FETs found within the device's integrated circuits. One factor that affects the speed of a FET is carrier mobility, which determines the flow of electric current through the FET's channel between the source and drain. Consequently, improving the carrier mobility of the FETs within a microelectronic device's integrated circuits enhances the device's performance. One method to increase the carrier mobility in a FET is trough applying mechanical stress to the channel of the FET.
Field Effect Transistors (FETs), which lay at the core of an integrated circuit, typically are characterized by being of a hole conduction type, called pFET, or being of an electron conduction type, called nFET. And just as the conduction type differs between an nFET and a pFET, the methods for increasing carrier mobility with them differs. Accordingly, in order to maximize the performance of both nFETs and pFETs within integrated circuit devices, the stress components should be engineered and applied differently for nFETs and pFETs because the type of stress that benefits the performance of an nFETs is generally disadvantageous for the performance of pFETs. More particularly, when a device is in tension the performance characteristics of an nFET are enhanced while the performance characteristics of a pFET are diminished.
To selectively create tensile stress in nFETs and compressive stress in pFETs, distinctive processes and different combinations of materials are used. For example, liners on gate sidewalls have been utilized to selectively induce the appropriate stress in the channels of the FET devices. By providing liners the appropriate strain is applied to the device. While this method does provide tensile stresses to nFET devices and compressive stresses along the longitudinal direction of pFET devices, they can require additional materials and more complex processing, and consequently are more expensive. Further, the stresses that can be applied utilizing liners are typically limited to moderate levels (i.e. on the order of 100 s of MPa).
A method that has been implemented to increase the stress levels in a fin-FET device, is the creation of silicon-germanium (SiGe) lattice layers. When epitaxially grown on silicon, an unrelaxed SiGe layer will have a lattice constant that conforms to that of the silicon substrate. Upon relaxation though, the SiGe lattice constant approaches that of its intrinsic lattice constant which is larger than that of silicon. Accordingly, when a silicon layer is epitaxially grown thereon, the silicon layer conforms to the larger lattice constant of the relaxed SiGe layer which results in expansion via a physical biaxial stress to the silicon layer. This physical stress applied to the silicon layer is beneficial to nFET devices but degrades the performance of pFET devices.
Another method of inducing stress within the channel of a fin-FET device utilizes embedded stressor materials epitaxially formed in the source/drain regions of the device. The source/drain regions of the device are recessed while the channel is protected by the gate and spacers and a semiconductor with lattice constant different from that of the fin is epitaxially grown in the recess. If a semiconductor with equilibrium lattice constant larger than that of the fin is used, compressive stress is applied to the channel. Similarly, if a semiconductor with equilibrium lattice constant smaller than that of the fin is used, tensile stress is applied to the channel. Typically, SiGe and Si:C are used to apply compressive and tensile stress, respectively, to a Si channel.
However, as the transistor pitch is made smaller to obtain higher device density in advanced CMOS technologies, the volume available to form embedded source/drain stressors becomes smaller. Consequently, the amount of stress that can be applied to the channel of the transistor is reduced. Also, the three-dimensional structure of the fin-FET results in non-uniform stress distribution in the channel of the fin-FET. Typically, with embedded source/drain stressors maximum amount of stress is obtained at the top of the fin, where as stress is negligible at the bottom of the fin. So, there is a need to new stressor elements that are more efficient in inducing stress to the channel of Fin-FET devices.

International Business Machines Corporation


Antibodies, including monoclonal antibodies, specific for proliferating/angiogenic human endothelial cells such as human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human umbilical artery endothelial cells, and conjugates of these antibodies with a toxin material or label, are useful for inhibition of angiogenesis or for treatment of angiogenesis-dependent disease.

The circulatory system represents an extensive, branching, network of blood vessels which is essential for the supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues and for the removal of byproducts of metabolism. In adults the development of new blood vessels or "angiogenesis" rarely occurs except during wound healing or as a result of a number of pathological situations termed "angiogenesis-dependent diseases".sup.(1,2). The most important of these is the angiogenesis associated with the growth of solid tumours and with proliferative retinopathies. Angiogenesis may also play an important role in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
Angiogenesis inhibitors can, therefore, be of considerable value in the treatment of angiogenesis-dependent diseases. For example, in the case of solid tumours, the development of a blood supply is essential for the growth and survival of the tumour. Thus, inhibition of angiogenesis can provide a highly selective means of inducing tumour regression. Similarly, angiogenesis inhibitors may be used to prevent the blindness associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, one of the major complications of diabetes.
In work leading to the present invention, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed against proliferating/angiogenic human endothelial cells which can be used either to directly inhibit angiogenesis or to target cytotoxic drugs or radioisotope labels to sites of angiogenesis. Since angiogenesis does not occur in adults, except following tissue injury, such mAbs can be remarkably specific. Furthermore, unlike other lines of research which have produced cancer cell-specific mAbs to target cytotoxic drugs to tumours, the present invention is directed to producing mAbs against host antigens. This approach has the major advantage that generation of "resistant" variants of the tumour cannot occur and, in theory, one mAb could be used to treat all solid tumours. An additional advantage is that endothelial cells, by virtue of their vascular location, are very accessible to mAbs in the circulation.

Therapeutic compositions and methods for inhibition and treatment of tumor associated angiogenesis


A method for automatic initiation of a vehicle function of a vehicle includes ascertaining a first location of an object at a first time in a surrounding area of the vehicle, and ascertaining a second location of the object at a second time in the surrounding area of the vehicle. The method also includes calculating a movement vector depending on the ascertained first location of the object at the first time and the ascertained second location of the object at the second time, determining a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region, wherein the virtual vehicle region corresponds at least in part to a real vehicle region of the vehicle, and initiating a vehicle function of the vehicle in response to a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region being present.

The invention relates to a method for automatic initiation of a vehicle function of a vehicle, and a system for automatic initiation of the vehicle function of the vehicle and a vehicle comprising the system.
Vehicles may contain an automatic system with which a vehicle can be unlocked or locked without an active use of a vehicle key. If a vehicle user approaches the vehicle with a vehicle key, the vehicle can be unlocked automatically. If a vehicle user moves away from the vehicle with the vehicle key, the vehicle can be locked automatically. However, known systems also unlock or lock the vehicle when a vehicle user runs past the vehicle, without wishing to use the vehicle.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve an automatic initiation of vehicle functions. In particular, it is an object of the invention to efficiently reduce a number of automatically initiated vehicle functions.
According to one aspect, the invention is distinguished by a method for automatic initiation of a vehicle function of a vehicle. The method comprises ascertaining a first location of an object at a first time in a surrounding area of a vehicle, ascertaining a second location of the object at a second time in the surrounding area of the vehicle and calculating a movement vector depending on the ascertained first location of the object at the first time and the ascertained second location of the object at the second time. An object can be a vehicle key, a smart device, for example a smartphone, a smart watch, a smartcard, or augmented reality glasses, and/or a wireless communications device, which is able to communicate with a wireless interface of a vehicle. A vehicle function may comprise opening and/or closing of a vehicle access, for example a vehicle door, a tailgate, a front opening, a tank cap, an engine hood, and/or a window of the vehicle, an initiation of one or more visual signals, audio signals, and/or audiovisual signals of the vehicle. By way of example, lights and/or strip lights of the vehicle can be activated or deactivated and/or change their intensity and/or color. By way of example, display devices in the interior and/or on the exterior of the vehicle can display information, in particular changing information. The method further comprises determining a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region, wherein the virtual vehicle region corresponds at least in part to a real vehicle region of the vehicle. Preferably, the virtual vehicle region is rectangular and comprises the real vehicle region in its entirety. By way of example, the virtual vehicle region can be identical to the external dimensions of the vehicle. By way of example, the virtual vehicle region can map contours of the vehicle. The real vehicle region can comprise a length and a width of the vehicle. The real vehicle region can correspond to a real dimension of the vehicle. If a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region is present or if it was possible to determine a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region, the method comprises initiating a vehicle function of the vehicle. By way of example, initiation of the vehicle function can be initiated by a control device of the vehicle which carries out an appropriate vehicle function after an identification and/or authentication of the object, for example.
Advantageously, it is possible to better identify an intent of a user of the vehicle, be it approaching the vehicle or walking past the vehicle, and so it is possible to avoid an unnecessary initiation of vehicle functions. As a result, the security of a vehicle access can be improved, for example by virtue of a vehicle function such as the unlocking of a vehicle door only being initiated if there is the user of the vehicle, who is carrying the object, moving toward the vehicle, i.e. the movement vector forms a point of intersection with the virtual or real vehicle region. By avoiding the initiation or implementation of vehicle functions, it is further possible to save power that is linked to the initiation of the vehicle function. Consequently, the power of the object and of the vehicle can be used more efficiency, which can be reflected in a longer duration of use of the object and/or of the vehicle without a renewed power supply, for example. Further, it is possible to trigger vehicle functions proactively such that possible delays within the scope of initiating vehicle functions are avoided.
According to an advantageous configuration, the vehicle function can be initiated by the object and/or depending on a position of the point of intersection with the virtual vehicle region. In this way, a vehicle function can be determined efficiently by an object and/or by the point of intersection.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the first location of the object and/or the second location of the vehicle can be ascertained relative to a position of the vehicle and/or the first location of the object and/or the second location of the object can be ascertained relative to the virtual vehicle region of the vehicle. In this way, the location or the position of the object can be determined flexibly in relation to the position of the vehicle.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the vehicle function can be initiated depending on the first location of the object and/or depending on the second location of the object. In this way, a vehicle function can be determined and initiated flexibly on the basis of the location and/or on the basis of the movement between the locations.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, ascertaining the first location of the object and/or the second location of the object in the surrounding area of the vehicle can comprise: transmitting a query radio signal to the object and, if the object is in the surrounding area of the vehicle, receiving a response radio signal of the object, ascertaining a feature vector depending on the response radio signal, wherein the feature vector comprises at least one physical property of the response radio signal and/or of the query radio signal, determining one or more feature vectors from a set of predetermined, unique feature vectors depending on the ascertained feature vector, wherein a feature vector from the set of predetermined feature vectors is linked to a unique location in a predetermined grid in the surrounding area of the vehicle, and setting a location of the object as the location that is linked to the determined feature vector. In this way, the location of the object can be ascertained efficiently.
By way of example, the query radio signal and/or the response radio signal can be signals of a key search by the vehicle. By way of example, the signals can be standardized in order to facilitate a broad field of application. By way of example, the query radio signal and/or the response radio signal can be signals from a near field communication interface, e.g. near field communication NFC, Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth low energy.
The feature vector can contain physical properties of the query radio signal and/or of the response radio signal. Furthermore, the feature vector can comprise a unique identification of the object and/or of the vehicle. The predetermined feature vectors can be determined during a calibration of the vehicle and can be stored in a control device of the vehicle. The predetermined feature vectors can be ascertained on the basis of a grid. A feature vector can be ascertained for each point of the grid. The grid can be arranged in a coordinate system. Consequently, a unique location or a unique position in the coordinate system can be specified for each point of the grid. The origin of the coordinate system can be determined relatively, for example depending on a range of the radio signals of the vehicle.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method, if a feature vector from the set of the predetermined, unique feature vectors corresponds to the ascertained feature vector, can furthermore comprise setting the location of the object as the location that is linked to the determined feature vector. And/or, the method, if a feature vector from the set of the predetermined, unique feature vectors does not correspond to the ascertained feature vector, can furthermore comprise determining at least two feature vectors from the set of the feature vectors whose features are the most similar to the features of the ascertained feature vector and setting the location of the object as a line segment lying between the locations that are linked to the at least two determined feature vectors. In this way, a location in the grid can be efficiently assigned to an ascertained feature vector. The location in the grid can be a unique position if the ascertained feature vector is identical, or virtually identical, to a predetermined feature vector or it can be a line segment between two locations in the grid if the ascertained feature vector does not correspond to any predetermined feature vector but instead lies between two predetermined feature vectors of the grid.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the movement vector can be calculated should the first location and the second location of the object differ. In this way, it is possible to reduce the computational resources required for determining the movement vector since a movement vector is only calculated if a movement is present, i.e., if the first location and the second location of the object differ. No movement vector is calculated if the user of the vehicle or the carrier of the object stops in the surrounding area of the vehicle and moves no further. Consequently, the efficiency of the calculation of the movement vector can be improved.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method, if a point of intersection between the movement vector and a virtual vehicle region is present, can furthermore comprise determining a distance between the second location of the object and the virtual vehicle region and, if the distance drops below a first predetermined threshold value, initiating a first vehicle function. In this way, vehicle functions can be initiated flexibly depending on the distance of the object.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method, if the distance drops below a second predetermined threshold value, can furthermore comprise initiating a second vehicle function. In this way, vehicle functions can be initiated flexibly depending on the distance of the object.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method, if no point of intersection is present or if no point of intersection can be determined, can furthermore comprise suppressing an initiation of a vehicle function, wherein the vehicle function is preferably a first and/or a second vehicle function. In this way, the initiation of vehicle functions can be efficiently improved. A vehicle function is initiated only if the user of the vehicle or the carrier of the object approaches the vehicle, i.e. only if a point of intersection is present. Otherwise, i.e. if no point of intersection is present, the vehicle assumes the user of the vehicle or the carrier of the object is walking past the vehicle and said vehicle suppresses the initiation of one or more vehicle functions.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method, if no point of intersection is present and a first and/or a second vehicle function is initiated, can furthermore comprise deactivating the first and/or the second initiated vehicle function and suppressing an initiation of a further vehicle function. In this way, the security of the vehicle can be efficiently increased by virtue of the vehicle deactivating the already activated or initiated vehicle functions and the vehicle preventing the initiation of further vehicle functions should the vehicle recognize that the user of the vehicle or the carrier of the object is walking past the vehicle and/or moving away from the vehicle again. Furthermore, the number of initiated vehicle functions, and consequently the energy consumption for the vehicle functions, can be efficiently reduced.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the method can furthermore comprise determining a distance between the second location of the object and the virtual vehicle region and, if the distance drops below a third predetermined threshold value, wherein the third predetermined threshold value is less than the first and the second predetermined threshold value, and no point of intersection is present, initiating the second vehicle function. In this way, a vehicle function can be initiated even without a point of intersection being present should the distance between the user of the vehicle or the carrier of the object and the vehicle be very small, for example in the region of a few centimeters. If the user of the vehicle moves e.g. parallel to the vehicle in constricted surroundings, e.g. in a parking block, parking lot or parking garage, and hence no point of intersection of the movement vector with the virtual vehicle region can be determined, the vehicle function can nevertheless be initiated. Consequently, the functional reliability of the method can be increased.
According to a further, advantageous configuration, the first vehicle function can comprise a visual and/or audiovisual control of components of the vehicle and/or the second vehicle function can comprise an unlocking of a vehicle access. In this way, it is possible to flexibly combine various vehicle functions with one another. By way of example, vehicle functions with light effects and the unlocking of the vehicle can be controlled differently.
According to a further aspect, the invention is distinguished by a system for automatic initiation of vehicle functions of a vehicle, wherein the system is configured to carry out the above-described method.
According to a further aspect, the invention is distinguished by a vehicle comprising the system for automatic initiation of vehicle functions of a vehicle, wherein the system is configured to carry out the above-described method.
Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. All features and feature combinations specified in the description above and all features and feature combinations specified in the description of the figures and/or only shown in the figures below can be used not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or else on their own.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below on the basis of the attached drawings. From this, further details, preferred configurations and developments of the invention arise. In detail:
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method, system, and vehicle comprising the system for automatic initiation of a vehicle function of a vehicle

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining the location of rows of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The apparatus senses the position of a planting machine 102 during a planting operation. The apparatus transforms the planting machine position to seedling row locations and creates a database of the locations.. In another aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the location of row of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The method includes the steps of planting seedlings using a planting machine, sensing the position the planting machine and transforming the machine position to seedling row locations.

The production of sugar cane presents certain unique problems. To plant a new field today, the ground is prepared by initially breaking up the ground using a tractor with a ripper attachment, harrowing or leveling, and marking the ground for a planting machine to follow. The planting machine is generally a modified tractor with seedling and drip line laying attachments. The seed and drip line laying attachments may be pivotally attached to the machine such that the attachments may move laterally relative to the machine as the machine traverses the field. Specifically, a seed laying attachment includes one or more seed heads. The seed heads are pivotally attached to the seed laying attachment. The seedlings being planted are dispensed onto the ground through the seed heads. Drip lines are buried 1-3 inches below the surface between rows of plants and are used to deliver water and fertilizer to the plants. The seedlings are then covered with a thin layer of soil. To ensure the proper amount of water reaches the seedlings from the drip lines, a ripper shank is used to break up the hard pan to allow the water to drain away from the roots. Hard pan is hard soil that may lay several inches up to several feet below the surface. If the hard pan is not broken up, the water will accumulate on top of the hard pan and cause the roots to rot.
The field is then watered and fertilized via the drip lines and generally maintained for a period of two years before the initial harvest. Four months before harvest, the sugar cane plants are sprayed with a defoliant and the plants are no longer watered. The plants become stressed and begin ramping up sap production. The sap contains a high concentration of sugar. The leaves of the plants dry up while the stalks are filling with sap. The field is then burned to eliminate the bulk of the leaves, i.e., the non-sugar containing mass. This makes processing more efficient. The stalk which contains the sap is generally unaffected by the fire.
After the fire, the remaining plant stalks are dozed into wind rows by a harvesting machine. For example, a harvesting machine may include a tractor with a multi-shank rake attached to the front. The sugar cane stalks are intertwined and practically cover the ground, making identification of the original plant rows nearly impossible. By dozing, and then raking the field to harvest the stalks, the roots of the plant may become uprooted. Thus, the field may require partial replanting. To reduce the risk of uprooting, the harvesting machine is operated at a 45.degree. angle from the plant rows. This reduces the number of uprooted roots (root balls) but does not eliminate the problem.
Loading machines, for example modified hydraulic excavators with logging and grappling attachments, are then used to load the wind rows into haulage machines for transport.
After harvest, the sugar cane plants will normally grow back. However, if some roots or root balls were pulled out of the ground, the field may need to be partially replanted. Additionally, new drip lines will need to be laid because they are burned. However, immediately after harvest it is difficult to see the locations of the plant rows. Typically, laying of the drip lines is delayed 4-6 weeks until new plants begin to emerge, which allow the row locations to be seen.
Unlike a field such as a rice field, the terrain covered by the planting machine is not flat. A rice field is flat in order to provide proper irrigation when the fields are flooded. In contrast, a sugar cane field is not flat. There are several issues associated with developing a sugar cane field that are not addressed when a rice field is developed, because the sugar cane field is not flat. Guiding the harvesting or ripping machine along the same path that the planting machine traversed, without knowing the location of the seedlings, is not an adequate solution. A row of seedlings do not inherently lie in a straight line, and do not inherently follow the path of the planting machine. For example, the location of seedlings may deviate 3 to 6 inches from side to side, within a row. Deviations may occur for example, if the planting machine traverses a rock causing the body of the machine to pitch or tilt. The positioning system of the machine, such as a GPS antenna, will tilt with the machine. However, because the seed heads are pivotally attached the body of the machine, the position of the seed heads may not change relative to the ground. The database containing the path of the machine would indicate a change in direction, or location of the machine which is not accurate. A seed head may also encounter a rock which causes the seed head to pivot to one side temporarily. Therefore the position of the row of seedlings has changed relative to the path of the machine. Therefore simply using the path traversed by the planting machine is inadequate to determine the location of the seedlings.
If the location of the row of seedlings is known, then a cutting machine can be used instead of a push dozer, to detach the stalk from the plant seedlings. A cutting machine will reduce the number of root balls that were uprooted during harvesting. Additionally, the length of time the seedlings have been planted may be taken into account to predict the size of the rootballs. As the rootballs grow over the years, the placement of the groove cut by the ripper shank may be adjusted to account for the size of the root ball.
The present invention is aimed at solving one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Method and apparatus for determining the location of seedlings during agricultural production


An apparatus for assembling a tube and a part has a polymeric tube with an axis along the longitude thereof. The part has a cross sectional shape and size to be near an inside surface of the tube when the part is at least partially therewithin. The part or tube is supported so that relative movement along the axis places the part at least partially within the tube located between the ends or in the tube near the distal or proximal end thereof. The part and/or the tube is a thermoplastic polymer made by a process that develops within the polymer a memory of the polymer prior to forming so that residual stresses remaining in the part can be relaxed by changing temperature causing expansion. A form of a relatively nonconductive material is positioned for relative movement along the axis and for placement about the tube. The form is shaped and sized to fit and contain the outside surface of the tube. A heater has an electrically resistive element wrapped about the form for changing the temperature of the tube and the part. A method of assembly of the tube has the steps of supporting it and/or the part for relative movement along the axis placing the part at least partially within the tube, positioning the form for relative movement along the axis for placement about the tube whereinside the part is located to thereby contain the outside surface, changing the temperature of the tube and the part sufficiently to relax residual stresses of the manufacturing processes used to make the tube and/or the part for causing engagement of the inside surface of the tube and the part.

Described herein are an assembly of, an apparatus for and a method of assembly of a tube and a part located at least partially within the tube. Release of residual stresses so the memory of the manufacturing process used to make the part and the tube permits expansion thereof for engagement therebetween that is not found in the literature or practiced in the field. The literature is of interest for its teachings of the knowledge of skilled artisans at the time of this invention of an assembly of, apparatus for and method of assembly of a tube and a part located at least partially therewithin. The assembly of microscopic sized tubes and parts presents additional difficulties.
Typically tubes are stoppered, plugged or sealed by application of a press fit, shrink fit or wedging component into the bore thereof. Chemicals such as adhesives, sealants or glues are frequently applied to make a fluid tight joint. The accurate application of chemicals to make a small joint fluid tight presents added difficulties of placement and clean up. Often the chemicals used can interfere with the operation of the assembly being made therewith.
Optical fibers or fiber optic chemical sensor used in vivo as probes must be sensitive to slight changes in gas or ion concentrations. Chemicals can also leach into the blood stream. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,110 has a fiber optic probe with an ion permeable membrane enclosure about the distal ends of a pair of fiber optics. Change in color of a pH sensitive dye is detected. The addition of sealants and the like is something to be avoided.
U.S. Pat. No. Re 31,879 has a method for measuring concentration of an analyte in a sample that changes color and/or the intensity of light emitted from a fluorescent indicator attached to the fiber. U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,208 has an optical sensor for blood gas measurement with a pH sensitive absorption dye between the end of the fiber and the mirror. The mirror is located by a tube which carries a mirror spaced from and coaxially aligned with the fiber so the dye can be in the space. These and other patents are typical of the microscopic constructions required for in vivo blood analysis and the manner in which structures have been made.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,576 has an optical sensor for blood gas measurement capable of measuring pH and pCO.sub.2 with light absorption dyes between the end of the fiber and the mirror. The mirror is located in the distal end of the sheath with a silicone glue to close off the end of the probe.
U.S Pat. No. 5,047,627 has an optical sensor for blood gas measurement capable of measuring pH, pO.sub.2 and pCO.sub.2 with light absorption or fluorescent dyes between the ends of the fibers and the mirrors. The mirrors attached to the dye pellet for each fiber with glue and seal the fiber end. Certainty and consistency of assembly is not always repeatable with adhesive attachment and chemicals in the adherent may adversely influence the chemistry of the sensor and therefor measurement accuracy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,407 has an optical fiber with arrayed cells to substantially cover the cross sectional area of the fiber. An indicator sensitive to an analyte in a medium is used to determine pH and pCO2 in vivo in blood. That commonly assigned patent is incorporated herein by reference since the disclosure herein may be applicable to that fiber distal end.

Assembly of a tube and a part and apparatus and method of manufacture


When an information signal is recorded by irradiating a laser beam onto an optical recording disc, a carriage error signal corresponding to a deviation of an irradiating position of a carriage in the disc radius direction and a disc error signal corresponding to the deviation in the radial direction of the disc are combined, thus obtaining a composite error signal for controlling the translation of the carriage.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording an information signal onto an optical recording disc such as a glass master disc or the like.
2. Description of Background Information
In the case where a laser beam is irradiated onto an optical recording disc such as a glass master disc or the like and tracks are concentrically or spirally formed and an information signal is recorded, the signal must be recorded so that the distance between adjacent two tracks is always maintained constant. To realize such a recording state, recording of the signal is performed while a carriage, from which the laser beam is irradiated, is translated in a radial direction of the disc at a predetermined feed rate. In FIG. 1, a disc 1 is supported by a turntable 2 and is rotated by a rotary shaft 4 of a spindle motor 3 as rotational driving means. A carriage 5 is arranged so as to be movable in the radial direction of the disc 1 and it generally serves as irradiating means for relaying a laser beam carrying an information signal and irradiating the laser beam onto the disc 1, thereby recording the information signal.
In the figure, a laser length measuring apparatus 6 serving as position detecting means is provided, and a laser beam emitted from a laser light source 61 is reflected by a mirror 62 and enters a light interferometer 63. The light interferometer 63 is constructed of a polarization separating filter, a corner cube prism, etc. (all not shown). A part of the incident laser beam is irradiated on the side of the carriage 5 and is also irradiated on the corner cube prism. Two return beams which have been reflected by the side face of the carriage 5 and the corner cube prism, that is, an interference light is supplied to a carriage position detecting section 64. In the carriage position detecting section 64, by counting the number of light and dark interference fringes occurring in the two return beams, a detection signal is produced by accurately detecting the amount of displacement of the moving carriage 5. The detection signal is compared with a carrier signal of a DC voltage which is given by a carrier signal generating circuit 8 as carrier signal generating means, so that a carriage error signal is produced.
The carriage error signal is supplied to a driving circuit 7 as driving means and is power amplified and a driving signal corresponding to the carriage error signal is supplied to the carriage 5. By a feedback loop constructed as mentioned above, the carriage 5 is conveyed at a rate to completely eliminate the carriage error signal. In the case of conveying the carriage 5 at a constant velocity, there is a proportional relation between time t and the position of irradiation, namely, a position r in the radial direction of the disc 1 as shown in FIG. 2A. The spacing P between tracks, therefore, when the information signal is recorded on the tracks in a range from a point A to a point B on the disc is always constant as shown in FIG. 2B.
In the case where the recording density is made high, however, such a track spacing is narrowed and a deviation of relative position between the disc 1 and the position of irradiation becomes larger than a negligible level due to a deviation of the rotary shaft caused by the vibration of the spindle motor 3. When the deviation of the rotary shaft occurs periodically in synchronism with the rotation of the spindle motor 3, the deviation of the irradiating position also becomes periodic in a predetermined range as shown in FIG. 3A. Consequently, the tracks take the form of eccentric circles as shown in FIG. 3B. However, the track spacing P is maintained constant. In the case where the deviation of the rotary shaft occurs irregularly, on the other hand, the deviation of the irradiation position exceeds a predetermined range as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, so that the constant track spacing is not maintained. Accordingly, there arises a problem that it is difficult to record the signal with the constant track spacing being maintained, only by measuring the amount of displacement of the moving carriage 5.

Optical recording apparatus with two tracking error signals


A telecentric lens comprises a front optical group adapted to receive rays coming from an observed object, a rear optical group, adapted to convey said rays towards an image plane of a sensor, and a lens aperture positioned between the front optical group and the rear lens group, wherein the lens aperture lies on the focal plane at least of the front optical group. The front optical group is devoid of lenses and is consists of a concave curved primary mirror adapted to receive and reflect the rays coming from the observed object, and at least one secondary mirror adapted to receive and reflect towards the rear optical group the rays coming from the primary mirror.

Telecentric lens are optical systems widely used in the field of artificial vision to perform the contactless measurement of objects due to their specific properties to collect cones of light rays coming from the illuminated object whose axis, or main beam, is parallel to the axis of the optical system itself. In this way, in fact, the size of the image created by the lens is independent of the distance at which the observed object is placed and this allows a more accurate measurement thereof, as it is devoid of the characteristic perspective effects of any other type of optics.
This property, called telecentricity, is implemented as is known with a lens in which the aperture pupil of the lens is placed optically at infinity, with respect to the observed object. This feature is made possible by making sure that the optical elements placed between the stop of the lens, or the lens aperture, and the observed object create as a whole an optical group with positive focal the focus position whereof coincides with the stop position.
FIG. 1 shows, following the conventions in use in optics, the diagram of a telecentric lens 100, with main optical axis k, which creates an image 50 of an object 10 of dimension y1 by means of a front optical group 20, with positive focal f1 and diameter d1, positioned so that the focus thereof coincides with the position of stop 30, and a second rear optical group 40 and placed between stop 30 and image 50.
In reality, each of the two front 20 and rear 40 optical groups consists of several optical elements (FIG. 1a), is therefore provided with a thickness and has two main planes, which define the reference planes for the computation of the optical distances between the same two groups and the other elements of the system.
In the diagram in FIG. 1, the front optical group and the rear optical group 40 are indicated with a double arrow which provides an idealized representation in which each of the two optical groups is devoid of thickness and the positions of the two main planes of each group coincide with each other and with the position of the double arrow itself. In this representation, therefore, distance f1 coincides with both the air space AS which is present between the element of the front optical group 10 closest to stop 30 and stop 30 itself, and with the front dimensions L1, namely the distance between the outermost element of the front optical group 20, which is the element of said group closest to object 10, and the position of stop 30.
According to a particular embodiment of this scheme, it is possible to obtain a bi-telecentric lens, or a lens in which the cones of rays incident on the image plane 50 have their axis or main beam parallel to the main optical axis k.
The realization of telecentric lens is only possible if at least one optical element forming part of the front optical group 20 has a diameter d1 greater than the maximum dimension y1 of the observed object 10. This condition is necessary so that the front optical group 20 is able to collect the rays coming from object 10. In common practice, d1 can be considered as the maximum diameter of one or more lenses that are part of the front optical group 10.
It should be noted that, with increasing dimension y1 of object 10, dimension d1 as well as the focal length f1 increase. Since an increase in the focal length f1 involves an increase of the front dimension L1, the result is that as the size of the object observed increases, the lens will become larger in diameter and length.
This adds up to the fact that the end part of the telecentric lens, in the vicinity of the rear optical group 40 and the plane where image 50 is formed is normally connected to a camera 60, which contributes to further increase the overall length of the assembly.
The reduction in weight, size and cost of telecentric lenses is a recurring request of manufacturers of artificial vision systems.


An exterior element for portable objects including a support, on which is arranged a first material, the first material being chosen to be capable of reflecting different visible wavelengths as a function of applied stress.

There are known portable objects such as watches that are equipped with coloured exterior elements. Generally, the exterior elements are coloured with a colour or a particular pattern and this colouring is permanent.
However, there is a need for a watch provided with an exterior element whose colour can vary. This need arises from the wish of consumers to be able to change the colour of their watch or portable device according to their desires or moods.
An obvious solution consists in providing accessories such as telephone cases or replacement parts that can easily be replaced by the user.
Nonetheless, the drawback of this solution is that it becomes necessary for users to have a stock of replacement parts, these parts may be lost, and it then becomes necessary to renew the stock each time that the watch or telephone is changed.
Another solution consists in using colour changing pigments; these pigments may be photochromic or thermochromic. These pigments are incorporated in ink or directly in the material forming the exterior element. A change in temperature or light is then sufficient to change the colour of the exterior element.
A drawback here is that this configuration is not controllable. Indeed, these pigments react at specific temperature or light values, so that the consumer has little control over these elements and is dependent thereon.
There is therefore a need for an exterior element whose colour variation can be controlled.

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


The present invention relates to a method of vitrification of a biological cells. According to the method of the present invention, biological cells are directly exposed to a vitrifying material. Upon exposure to the vitrifying material, the biological cells undergo vitrification. The biological cells which have undergone vitrification may be stored for a period of time, and then devitrified at a later date. The devitrified biological cells remain viable. Preferred biological cells according to the present invention are developmental cells.

This invention relates to a method for vitrification of a biological specimen, such that the biological specimen remains viable after it is thawed.
The ability to cryopreserve oocytes, embryos, sperm and other similar biological specimens is critical to the widespread application of assisted reproductive technologies. However, due to the large volume of the cells and the high chilling sensitivity of oocytes and early embryos, cryopreservation techniques are not well developed in most species.
Traditionally, embryos are cryopreserved using xe2x80x9cslow freezing techniquesxe2x80x9d. Low concentrations of cryoprotectants and slow controlled rates of cooling usually in the range of 0.1-10.3xc2x0 C./min. slowly dehydrate the cell during freezing to prevent intracellular crystallization. Because of this, cryopreservation of oocytes, embryos and other developmental cells using such procedures results in a reduced ability to both establish and maintain pregnancy following transfer. Oocytes are particularly susceptible to cryopreservation damage because of disruption of the metaphase spindle microtubule integrity during cooling.
Alternative prior cryopreservation methods have relied on vitrification with high concentrations of cryoprotectants, which when rapidly cooled result in a glass-like state. However, a disadvantage of this vitrification technique is that the cryoprotectants are very toxic to oocytes, embryos and other delicate developmental cells. Cryoprotectant toxicity can be minimized by increasing the cooling rate, which has been accomplished by plunging oocytes held on electron microscopy grids, or within thinly walled straws (known as open pulled straw) directly into liquid nitrogen. However, both of these procedures are cumbersome and recovery of embryos is problematic.
Therefore a need remains for a method for the vitrification of a biological specimen which is able to maximize the cooling rate of the cells of the specimen; maintain viability of the specimen during vitrification and subsequent thawing; prevent mechanical stress to the specimen; and provide ease of manipulations during cryopreservation and recovery.
The present invention relates to a method of vitrification of a biological specimen. According to the method of the present invention, a biological specimen is directly exposed to a freezing material. Upon exposure to the freezing material, the biological specimen undergoes vitrification. The biological specimen which has undergone vitrification may be stored for a period of time, and then thawed at a later date. The thawed biological specimen remains viable. Preferred biological specimens according to the present invention are developmental cells.
The present invention is also drawn to a method of vitrification of a biological specimen, which includes using a transfer instrument to place the biological specimen into a freezing material, such as liquid nitrogen, such that the biological specimen is directly exposed to the freezing material. The biological specimen then undergoes vitrification while held by the transfer instrument, with a loop being a preferred transfer instrument. The transfer instrument and biological specimen are then preferably kept within the freezing material, and transferred into a container which holds a freezing material. The container is preferably a vial. The vial is then sealed containing the freezing material, loop and the vitrified biological specimen, and may be cryopreserved until such time as the biological specimen is required for further use.
Another aspect of the present invention is the treatment of the biological specimen in a cryoprotectant prior to vitrification.
The invention also relates to a method for thawing a biological specimen which has undergone vitrification. The thawing methodology comprises the removal of the biological specimen from the freezing material wherein it has been cryopreserved, and placing the biological specimen in a warmed thaw solution. The thaw solution may be present in any suitable container, and is preferably located within a culture dish or a straw.
A further aspect of the present invention is a method of vitrification of developmental cells, wherein one or more developmental cells are placed directly into a freezing material, such that each developmental cell is directly exposed to the freezing material thereby undergoing vitrification, wherein the vitrified developmental cells, when thawed, cultured and implanted into suitable host organisms, will result in a fertility rate equal to that of the same developmental cells which had not been vitrified. Preferably, the developmental cells are contained within a loop when exposed to the freezing material.
The present invention also relates to a method of vitrification of a mammalian blastocyst or mammalian cleavage stage embryo which comprises placing one or more blastocysts or cleave stage embryos directly into a freezing material, such that each blastocyst or cleavage stage embryo is directly exposed to the freezing material thereby undergoing vitrification, wherein at least 80 percent, and more preferably, 90 percent, of the vitrified blastocysts or cleavage stage embryos will be viable after being thawed and cultured, preferably in the appropriate base medium. Preferably, the blastocyst or cleavage stage embryo is contained within a loop when exposed to the freezing material.
The present invention also relates to a method of vitrification of a horse embryo or pig embryo which comprises placing one or more embryos directly into a freezing material, such that each embryo is directly exposed to the freezing material thereby undergoing vitrification, wherein at least 25 percent, and more preferably, 50 percent, of the vitrified embryos will be viable after being thawed and cultured, preferably in the appropriate base medium. Preferably, the embryo is contained within a loop when exposed to the freezing material.
The present invention also relates to a kit for the vitrification of a biological specimen. The kit will generally contain instructions describing the vitrification of a biological specimen wherein the specimen is directly exposed to a freezing material. The kit will also include one or more optional ingredients, including, but not limited to, a transfer instrument, most preferably a loop, a vial which is of the proper size and shape to hold the loop and the vitrified specimen it contains, a base medium, a transfer solution, and a cryoprotectant.
The present invention is also drawn to biological specimens which have undergone vitrification by the methods of the present invention.

Method for vitrification of biological cells


The present invention provides methods of inhibiting or sequestering 14-3-3 protein from binding to the insulin receptor substrate xe2x88x921 or xe2x88x922 by administering a substance which inhibits the interaction of these two proteins.

The present application is a 371 of PCT/JP98/04293 filed Sep. 25, 1998.
The present invention relates to a drug, particularly a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance, such as diabetes, as well as to a screening method for the remedy.
Insulin is a hormone which regulates the concentration of blood sugar and blood lipid through the promotion of glucose and lipid intake into cells and utilization and storage of them. Insulin resistance indicates the condition in which insulin does not act normally on cells, and this condition causes elevation of the concentration of blood sugar or blood lipid. Examples of diseases caused by insulin resistance include diabetes, diabetic microangiopathies (diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy), impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipemia, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, ischemic heart diseases, ischemic brain disorders, and peripheral arterial embolism (Tamio Teramoto, et al., (1995) Biomedicine and Therapeutics 29, 8-96). The cause of insulin resistance has not yet been fully elucidated, and causal therapy thereof has not been developed.
Recently, abnormality of intracellular signal transduction induced by insulin has become of interest as a cause of insulin resistance. In signal transduction of insulin, the first response induced by insulin is activation of insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. Subsequently, several intracellular substrates including insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) (Sun, X. et al., (1991) Nature 352, 73-77) and insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) (Sun, X. et al., (1995) Nature 377, 173-177) are phosphorylated. IRS-1 and IRS-2 have potential tyrosine-phosphorylated sites in amounts of 21 and 23, respectively, and they function as xe2x80x9cdocking proteinxe2x80x9d which transmits insulin signals to several proteins having Src-homology 2 domains (SH2-protein) (Sun, X. et al., (1993) Mol. Cell. Biol. 13, 7418-7428).
However, the function of IRS-1 and IRS-2 relating to insulin signal transduction in the aforementioned action is not necessarily fully elucidated, and elucidation of novel function thereof and development of drugs on the basis of the function are demanded.
An object of the present invention is to elucidate novel function of IRS-1 and IRS-2, and to provide a drug based on the function.
In view of the foregoing, the present inventors have focused on the relation between IRS-1 or IRS-2 and 14-3-3 protein.
14-3-3 Protein is widely distributed in eucaryotes such as animals, plants, ahd yeast, and is a protein family which is supposed to act as a regulatory factor by binding to a particular target protein in a variety of signal transductions depending on phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins (Fumiko Shinkai, et al., (1996) Protein Nucleic Acid Enzyme 41, 313-326). Recently, it has been reported that 14-3-3 protein binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and inhibits its activity in T lymphocytes (Bonnefoy-Berard, N. et al., (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 92, 10142-10146). PI3K plays an important role in signal transduction of insulin (Masato Kasuga, (1996) Saishin-Igaku 51, 1564-1572), and thus 14-3-3 protein has been supposed to effect some type of regulation against signal transduction of insulin (Humiko Shinkai, et al., (1996) Protein Nucleic Acid Enzyme 41, 313-326). In addition, very recently, it has been reported that the xcex5 isoform of 14-3-3 protein binds to IRS-1, but the physiological significance has not been elucidated (Craparo, A. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272. 11663-11669).
The present inventors have performed extensive studies on the relation between 14-3-3 protein and IRS-1 or IRS-2; have elucidated that IRS-1 or IRS-2 binds to 14-3-3 protein at a particular site and that the binding effects negative regulation against insulin signal transduction; and have found that a substance inhibiting the binding is useful for a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of these findings.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance, which comprises, as an active ingredient, a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same.
The present invention also provides a screening method for a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance, which comprises assaying activity for inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same.
The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition for diseases caused by insulin resistance, which comprises a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The present invention also provides use of a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same for producing a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance.
The present invention also provides a method for treating diseases caused by insulin resistance, which comprises administering to a patient in need thereof an effective dose of a substance exhibiting activity for, inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same.
Active ingredients of the remedy of the present invention include a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding of the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same to the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same in screening for assaying the inhibiting activity.
As described below, the present inventors were the first to elucidate that the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 or IRS-2 effects negative regulation against insulin signal transduction.
Firstly, in order to identify a unique protein that binds to IRS-1, the present inventors used 32P-labeled recombinant IRS-1 as a probe in order to screen a cDNA library derived from human heart, to thereby obtain two isoforms (xcex5 and xcex6) which belong to a 14-3-3 protein family. In addition, they found that 14-3-3 protein associates with IRS-1 in L6 muscular cells, HepG2 hepatoma cells, and Chinese hamster ovary cells, in which IRS-1 is overexpressed by means of an adenovirus expression system, as well as in the brain tissue of cow in a natural state.
The present inventors also elucidated that 14-3-3 protein associates with IRS-1 or IRS-2 in SF9 cells in which 14-3-3 protein and IRS-1 or IRS-2 are overexpressed by means of a baculovirus expression system.
The present inventors also elucidated, by use of HepG2 hepatoma cells in which IRS-1 is overexpressed in the same manner as described above, that the amount of 14-3-3 protein binding to IRS-1 is not changed by insulin stimulation, and that the amount is significantly increased by okadaic acid, which is an inhibitor of serine/threonine phosphatase.
The present inventors also elucidated that IRS-1 has three putative binding sites (Ser-270, Ser-374, and Ser-641) for 14-3-3 protein, on the basis of the finding that, in a cell lysate of L6 muscular cells, the binding of IRS-1 to 14-3-3 protein fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST) is inhibited by three types of 15-residue oligopeptide shown in sequence Nos. 2-4 which contains a serine residue and several amino acid residues in the vicinity of it corresponding to the amino acid sequence of IRS-1, and the serine residue is phosphorylated. Of the above three binding sites, the motif around of Ser-270 are located in the phosphotyrosine binding domain (PTB domain) of IRS-1, and the domain is known to play an important role in interaction with insulin receptors (Wolf, G. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 27407-27410). The present inventors elucidated that, in practice, truncated IRS-1 containing the PTB domain and 205 amino acids adjacent to its C-terminal side associates with GST-fused 14-3-3 protein, by overexpressing the IRS-1 in HepG2 hepatoma cells by means of an adenovirus expression system.
In addition, the present inventors found that IRS-1 that has been coprecipitated with an antibody against 14-3-3 protein is insusceptible to phosphorylation of serine and tyrosine residues by insulin stimulation as compared with IRS-1 that has been coprecipitated with an antibody against IRS-1, by analyzing the effect of the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 on phosphorylation of IRS-1 induced by insulin, and analyzing phosphorylated amino acids in a HepG2 hepatoma cell in which IRS-1 is overexpressed by means of an adenovirus expression system. As described above, it was elucidated that 14-3-3 protein effects negative regulation against insulin signal transduction by inhibiting the association of insulin receptors with IRS-1.
Therefore, abnormal promotion of the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 or IRS-2 is a primary cause for insulin resistance, and thus insulin resistance may be suppressed and diseases caused by insulin resistance may be treated by inhibiting, suppressing, and dissociating the binding. In order to inhibit the binding, direct inhibition may be effected against the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 or IRS-2. Alternatively, indirect inhibition may be effected; for example, phosphorylation of a particular serine residue in the amino acid sequence of IRS-1 or IRS-2, which phosphorylation is considered to play an important role in the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 or IRS-2, may be inhibited, or dephosphorylation may be promoted.
The full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same used in the present invention may be obtained, for example, by means of the following procedure: cDNA coding for the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same is introduced into baculovirus by means of known methods, and the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same is isolated from the insect cells infected with the virus and purified by means of known methods. The amino acid sequence of IRS-1 is shown in sequence No. 1. When a portion of IRS-1 or IRS-2 is oligopeptide, the portion may be synthesized by means of known peptide synthesis methods. A portion of IRS-1 or IRS-2 may be peptides containing a serine residue in the amino acid sequence of IRS-1 or IRS-2, or phosphorylated products of the peptides. Preferably, a portion of IRS-1 or IRS-2 may be peptide containing the PTB domain (amino acid 161-517 in sequence No. 1 in the case of IRS-1, the amino acid sequence in sequence No. 5 in the case of IRS-2 (corresponding to amino acid 196-354 of IRS-2)), more preferably oligopeptides containing Ser-270, Ser-374, or Ser-641 of IRS-1, or phosphorylated products of the peptides. The length of the portion is not limited so long as activity for inhibiting the binding can be assayed with high sensitivity, and the portion may be 5-50 amino acids, preferably 10-30 amino acids, more preferably 15 amino acids containing serine which is phosphorylated.
The full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same used in the present invention may be obtained, for example, by means of the following procedure: cDNA coding for the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same is introduced into baculovirus by means of known methods, and the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same is isolated from the insect cell infected with the virus and purified by means of known methods. A portion of 14-3-3 protein may be the box-1 region which is the binding site to tryptophan hydroxylase (Ichimura, T. et al., (1997) FEBS Lett. 413, 273-276), or a peptide containing the region.
In order to obtain the full-length IRS-1 or IRS-2 or a portion of the same, and the full-length 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same, they may be advantageously expressed as a fusion protein in a variety of gene expression systems. Fusion protein expression systems such as those including lactose and glutathione S-transferase may also be used.
In order to prepare the aforementioned screening system, the full-length labeled IRS-1 or labeled IRS-2 or a portion of the same, or the full-length labeled 14-3-3 protein or a portion of the same is preferably used. 125I or an enzyme which is often used in enzyme immunoassay, such as alkaline phosphatase, is appropriately used for labeling. Such a substance for labeling is bonded to the protein by means of known methods. When the labeled protein is not used, a primary antibody specific to the unlabeled protein and a secondary antibody which is labeled and recognizes the primary antibody are necessary. The primary and secondary antibodies may be commercially available ones.
Next will be described a preferred embodiment for effecting screening for a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding of 14-3-3 protein to IRS-1 or IRS-2 by means of the above-described system. Firstly, IRS-1 or IRS-2 (the full length or a portion thereof), or 14-3-3 protein (the full length or a portion thereof) is prepared by immobilization thereof onto a plastic material (a microplate or beads) by means of a known method. Subsequently, the other protein to be bonded which is labeled is dissolved in an appropriate buffer, and the resultant solution is added to each well of a microplate (when a microplate is used) or to test tubes containing the beads (when beads are used). A test compound is also added thereto. Independently, a solution containing a very large amount of unlabeled protein is prepared in order to determine the amount of non-specific binding (NSB). The solution containing the labeled protein is incubated under appropriate conditions, and the material (each well of the microplate, or the beads) is washed with the buffer. The amount of the labels attached to the protein binding to the well or beads is measured by means of known methods. When the labeled protein is not used, the solution containing the unlabeled protein is incubated in the same manner, an antibody specific to the unlabeled protein (the primary antibody) is added, and the solution is incubated under appropriate conditions. Furthermore, the secondary antibody which is labeled and recognizes the primary antibody is added, and the solution is incubated under appropriate conditions. Thereafter, the substrate is washed with the buffer, and the amount of labels attached to the protein binding to the substrate is measured in the same manner. When the value of xe2x80x9cBoxe2x80x94NSBxe2x80x9d xe2x80x94which is obtained by subtracting NSB from the amount of labels attached to the protein to be bonded in the absence of a binding-inhibitory substance (Bo)xe2x80x94is regarded as 100%, a test compound providing the value (amount of specific binding) of 10% or less may be chosen as a substance exhibiting activity for inhibiting the binding.
A substance source which is considered to exhibit the binding inhibitory activity may be tested by means of the above-described screening system. Examples of such a substance source include synthetic peptides, low-molecular organic compounds, and natural products, preferably substances having applicability as drugs. Specific examples include combinatorial libraries of different chemical substances and synthetic peptide libraries.
A substance exhibiting the binding inhibitory activity which is obtained by means of the above-described screening suppresses negative regulation against insulin signal transduction in cells. Therefore, the substance is useful for producing a remedy for diseases caused by insulin resistance. Examples of such diseases include diabetes, diabetic microangiopathies (diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy), impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipemia, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, ischemic heart diseases, ischemic brain disorders, and peripheral arterial embolism.
A dosage of the remedy of the present invention depends on the age, sex, and pathological condition of a patient, and is 5 mg-2 g per adult per day, preferably 50-100 mg as reduced to an active ingredient. The aforementioned dosage per day may be administered in a single portion once a day, or in divided portions 2-3 times a day. If necessary, a dosage per day may exceed the aforementioned dosage.
No particular limitation is imposed on the administration method and the dosage form of the remedy of the present invention, and any dosage form suitable for an administration method may be obtained by means of a conventionally used technique for preparing products.
Examples of products for oral administration include tablets, powders, granules, capsules, solutions, syrups, elixirs, and oily or aqueous suspensions.
For preparation of injections, a solution may be stored in a container and freeze-dried, to thereby provide a solid product, and the solid product may be prepared into an injection just before use. If necessary, the product may contain a stabilizer, a preservative, and a solubilizer. A single dosage of the injection product may be stored in a container, or a plurality of dosages may be stored in the same container.
Examples of external-use products include solutions, suspensions, emulsions, ointments, gels, creams, lotions, and sprays.
Solid products may contain pharmaceutically acceptable additives together with an active ingredient. If necessary, the remedy may optionally contain fillers, expanders, binders, disintegrants, dissolution-promoting agents, humectants, and lubricants, to thereby prepare products.
Examples of liquid products include solutions, suspensions, and emulsions, and the products may contain additives such as suspending agents and emulsifying agents.

Remedies for diseases caused by insulin resistance


A voltage supplying apparatus is provided for supplying an output voltage to an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a first voltage-drop device. The voltage supplying apparatus includes a current source for supplying a constant current, a second voltage-drop device, and a regulator. The second voltage-drop device is coupled with the current source and has the same feature in process deviation with the first voltage-drop device. The regulator for stabilizing the output voltage includes a voltage input terminal and a voltage output terminal. The voltage input terminal is coupled with the current source and has a first voltage corresponding to the output voltage. The voltage output terminal provides the output voltage and a corresponding output current. When the output current is deviated due to the process deviation of the first voltage-drop device, the first voltage will be shifted accordingly to offset the output current deviation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a voltage supplying apparatus, and more particularly to a voltage supplying apparatus preventing the breakdown of the electronic circuit coupled thereto due to the process deviation of a voltage-drop device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ordinary electronic circuits such as a voltage control oscillator (VCO) must use a voltage supplier to provide a stable operating voltage Vcc. Referring to FIG. 1, a circuit diagram of a conventional voltage control oscillator coupled with a voltage supplier is shown. The conventional voltage supplier 100 includes a voltage generator 110 and a regulator 120. The voltage generator 110 is for providing a constant voltage Vs, i.e., a band gap reference voltage. The regulator 120 includes an amplifier 122 and a P-typed metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor P1. The amplifier 122 has its negative input terminal (−) coupled with the voltage generator 110 for receiving the constant voltage Vs and has its output terminal coupled with the gate electrode of the transistor P1. The resistor R2 and the resistor R1 are serially connected to the drain electrode of the transistor P1. The amplifier 122 has its positive input terminal (+) connected to the joint of the resistor R2 and the resistor R1 to form a feedback circuit. The drain electrode of the transistor P1 is for outputting an output voltage Vo. Therefore, the relation between the output voltage Vo and input voltage Vs is expressed as Vo=Vs*(R1+R2)/R1 according to the feedback circuit inside the regulator 120.
However, during wafer manufacturing process, the voltage-drop device included in VCO 130, a resistor R3 or a transistor N1 (or N3) for instance, normally requires a process of multi-layer masks. During the lithography manufacturing process, the resistor or the transistor located in the middle part of the exposure region of the same wafer can be manufactured with a higher accuracy than otherwise. That is to say, for transistors and resistors located in the middle part of the exposure region, their respective threshold voltage and resistance value are more accurate than those located in other parts thereof. The exposure region located in the edges of a mask is likely to have deviation in resistance value or threshold voltage due to the diffraction or reflection of the light. Besides, during the ion doping process, the density of the doping ions may vary with their locations on the wafer and thus the features of the devices on the wafer may also vary with their locations on the wafer. Normally, the deviation in resistance value or threshold voltage generated due to the process deviation is approximately ±20%. Since the voltage-drop devices have the process deviation, deviation in an input current Io of the VCO130 occurs. Moreover, when the input current Io is too weak, the normal operation of VCO130 will even be affected.


A breather including desiccant for humidity control includes an electronic end of life detection system. A temperature sensor and humidity sensor provide a temperature and humidity of the desiccant to a controller. The controller determines the relative humidity of the desiccant. The controller determines that the desiccant, and thus breather, has reached its end of life (i.e., end of useful life) when the relative humidity reaches a predetermined relative humidity (e.g., 40%). Optionally, a pressure sensor provides a pressure of the reservoir to the controller. The controller determines a fault condition or end of life condition of the breather when the pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure.

The present invention relates generally to breathers for liquid reservoirs. More particularly, the present invention relates to humidity controlling breathers for liquid reservoirs.
Breathers allow for expansion of liquids and gases (e.g., air) in liquid (e.g., lubricant) reservoirs while preventing contamination of the liquid. For liquid reservoirs such as engine crank cases and lubricant storage reservoirs, water vapor and dust particles in the air can be pulled into the liquid by the expansion and contraction action of the air and liquid in the reservoir with changes in temperature or barometric pressure of the surrounding environment and the contents of the reservoir (i.e., fluid level changes in the reservoir). Currently, breathers are replaced on a schedule, whether the breathers are at the end of their useful life or not because it is difficult to tell when a breather has reached the end of its useful life. Alternatively, breathers utilize color changing desiccants to indicate when the breather has reached the end of its useful life and needs replacement. The color changing desiccants require transparent breather housings which are generally weaker than opaque breather housings, present chemical incompatibility issues, and the chemicals used to change color may be considered toxic under some guidelines. Further, the color change may be faint, difficult to see depending on the location and environment of the reservoir and breather, and therefore difficult to interpret. For example, breather dryers (e.g., desiccant breathers) are commonly mounted on lubricating fluid reservoirs in large format wind turbines. The nacelles in these turbines are typically cramped and include many poorly lit, hard to reach areas near lubrication reservoirs where breathers are located. Visibility of the breather and any color change is therefore difficult to see. Additionally, the nacelle may typically only be accessed when the wind turbine is shut down (i.e., stopped and not generating power).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Systems and methods for obtaining 3D point-level segmentation of 3D point clouds in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes: at least one processor, and a memory containing a segmentation pipeline application. In addition, the segmentation pipeline application configures the at least one processor to: pre-process a 3D point cloud to group 3D points; provide the groups of 3D points to a 3D neural network to generate initial label predictions for the groups of 3D points; interpolate label predictions for individual 3D points based upon initial label predictions for at least two neighboring groups of 3D points including the group of 3D points to which a given individual 3D point belongs; refine the label predictions using a graph neural network; and output a segmented 3D point cloud.

Scene understanding is a core problem in Computer Vision and is fundamental to applications such as robotics, autonomous driving, augmented reality, virtual reality, and the construction industry. Among various scene understanding problems, 3D semantic segmentation allows finding accurate object boundaries along with their labels in 3D space, which is useful for fine-grained tasks such as object manipulation, detailed scene modeling and analysis.
Semantic segmentation of 3D point sets or point clouds has been addressed through a variety of methods leveraging the representational power of graphical models. A common paradigm is to combine a classifier stage and a Conditional Random Field (CRF) to predict spatially consistent labels for each data point. Random Forests classifiers have shown effective performance on this task, however the Random Forests classifier and CRF stage are often optimized independently and put together as separate modules, which limits the information flow between them.

Systems and methods for semantic segmentation of 3D point clouds

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University