An automotive wheel separation mechanism may include a hitting member that hits and breaks a lateral arm connecting a wheel to a vehicle body by being pushed back in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle due to a shock force from the outside in a front collision, and an anti-sliding protrusion that is disposed on the lateral arm to prevent the hitting member hitting the lateral arm from sliding on the lateral arm.

1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive wheel separation mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automotive wheel separation mechanism that induces separation of a wheel by hitting a lateral arm in a front collision.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, vehicles are equipped with various front collision compensating mechanisms to reduce damage to the vehicles and protect passengers when they are in motion and collide with another vehicle or object (hereafter, referred to as a hit-object) ahead.
As the front collision compensating mechanisms of the related art, there are a bumper beam elongated at the front in the width direction of a vehicle and a crash box disposed behind the bumper beam and absorbing and reducing shock energy transmitted through the bumper beam.
The bumper beam and the crash box are mounted and supported on a front side member elongated in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle and the front side member also absorbs and reduces shock energy transmitted though the bumper beam or the crash box by deforming rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
However, when a vehicle that is in motion does not hit a hit-object with a head-on collision, but the outer side in the width direction of the vehicle hits a hit-object (hereafter, referred to as 'small overlap collision'), the front side member fails to show its shock absorption ability by bending inward or outward in the width direction of the vehicle without deforming in the its longitudinal direction and the hit-object hits the fender apron and the wheels, around the front side member.
When the hit-object hits a wheel, the wheel is pushed to the interior of the vehicle by the hit-object and threatens the safety of the passenger in the interior, such that there is a need of a mechanism that can prevent serious damage to a vehicle body due to a wheel and injury of passengers by inducing the wheel to be appropriately separated in a front collision or an overlap collision.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the related art already known to a person skilled in the art.


A plasma display panel in which deterioration of luminance accompanied by an increase in resolution can be improved. The plasma display panel comprises a plurality of center slit surface discharge electrodes extending in a first direction, each of the center slit surface discharge electrodes having a pair of surface discharge electrode portions formed of a pair of transparent electrodes and a bus electrode which electrically couples said pair of transparent electrodes with each other, and a center slit between the surface discharge electrode portions. A plurality of data electrodes extend in a second direction which crosses the first direction of extension of the center slit surface discharge electrodes. A surface discharge gap is formed between adjacent the center slit surface discharge electrodes.

The present invention relates generally to a plasma display panel (PDP) used in a flat panel type television set, a display for displaying information, and the like and a method of driving the plasma display panel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma display panel which has high resolution and high luminance, and to a method of driving such plasma display panel.
A plasma display is a display device which displays an image and so on by exciting fluorescent substance by using ultraviolet rays produced by gas discharge to emit light. The plasma display is expected to be applied to a large picture size television set, an information display, and the like.
Various types of color plasma displays have been developed. As typical types of the color plasma displays, there are a DC pulse memory type display and an AC memory type display. At present, the AC memory type is mainly used because of the lifetime and the luminous efficiency. The AC memory type display is also categorized into an opposed electrode discharge type, a surface discharge type, and the like, depending on the cell structure, the electrode structure and so on. In particular, a reflection type AC surface discharge type plasma display is superior in the luminance, easiness of panel fabrication, and the like.
FIGS. 16A through 16C illustrate a panel structure of a typical reflection type AC surface discharge color plasma display. FIG. 16A is an elevational structural view in which a portion of a rear substrate 200 is cut away. FIG. 16B illustrates a structure at a cross section of a front substrate 100. FIG. 16C illustrates a structure at a cross section of the rear substrate 200.
The front substrate 100 which is on the side of a viewer comprises a glass substrate 1 and many band shaped transparent electrodes 3 formed in parallel on the glass substrate 1, in a horizontal direction. On each of the transparent electrodes 3, a bus electrode 4 is formed which bus electrode 4 is a band shaped narrow electrode to lower resistance of the transparent electrode 3. The transparent electrodes 3 are formed of a thin film of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or tin oxide. However, the resistance of each transparent electrode 3 should be sufficiently small in order to conduct a discharge current sufficient to emit light in a large size panel, and, therefore, the bus electrode 4 made of metal having good conductivity is attached to each of the transparent electrodes 3 to lower the resistance thereof. The bus electrode 4 is made, for example, of a thick film of silver or a thin film of copper, aluminum, or chromium, and is formed on the transparent electrode 3 near the side of a non-discharge gap 12 where intensity of light emission is low.
On such structure including the transparent electrodes 3 and the bus electrodes 4, a dielectric layer 7 and a protective layer 8 are formed. The dielectric layer 7 is fabricated by applying a low melting point glass paste on the structure including the electrodes 3 and 4, and thereafter baking it at a temperature near 600 degrees Celsius. Thereby, the dielectric layer 7 is formed as a transparent insulating layer having a thickness of approximately 20 through 40 microns. The protective layer 8 is formed by vacuum evaporation and the like, and formed of a thin film of magnesium oxide (MgO) which has a large coefficient of secondary electron emission and has a superior anti-sputtering characteristic.
The rear substrate 200 comprises a glass substrate 2 on which band shaped data electrodes 5 are formed in a vertical direction and, thereafter, a dielectric layer 10 having low melting point glass as the basis is formed thereon. Thereafter, band shaped isolation walls 6 are formed in a vertical direction on the dielectric layer 10. Then, at a bottom portion and sidewalls of each groove formed by the isolation walls 6, powder type fluorescent substance 9 of red, green and blue colors are sequentially applied, and thereby the rear substrate 200 is completed. The isolation walls 6 secure discharge spaces, and serve to prevent cross talk of discharge and to prevent blotting of emitted light. Approximately, the isolation walls 6 are 30 through 100 microns in width and 80 through 200 microns in height.
The above-mentioned front substrate 100 and the rear substrate 200 are opposed to each other such that the protective layer 8 of the front substrate 100 is opposed to the isolation walls 6 of the rear substrate 200. Both substrates 100 and 200 are then sealed at the periphery thereof by a fritted glass to obtain a panel assembly. The panel assembly is heated and evacuated, and discharge gas having rare gas as the basis thereof is introduced, thereby the plasma display panel is completed.
On the front substrate 100, the transparent electrodes 3 with the bus electrodes 4 are disposed in pairs having a surface discharge gap 11 therebetween. One of the pair of transparent electrodes 3 with bus electrodes 4 is used as a scanning electrode 13, and the other of the pair is used as a retaining or holding electrode 14. Between the pairs of transparent electrodes 3 with bus electrodes 4, the non-discharge gaps 12 each having a relatively large width are provided to avoid cross talk of discharge. Various voltage wave signals are applied to three kinds of electrodes, including the data electrodes 5 mentioned above, in addition to these scanning electrodes 13 and the retaining electrodes 14, thereby the plasma display panel is driven to perform display operation.
FIG. 17 shows an example of waveforms of fundamental drive signals for the AC surface discharge type plasma display panel. Scanning pulses Sc1, Sc2, . . . , ScN are sequentially applied to the scanning electrodes 13-1, 13-2, . . . , 13-N. At the same timing as that of each of the scanning pulses Sc1, Sc2, . . . , ScN, a data pulse Dp is sequentially applied to each of the data electrodes 5 corresponding to a data to be displayed at each display cell. The data pulses have a polarity opposite to that of the scanning pulses. Thereby, a discharge, that is, an opposing electrode discharge, occurs between the scanning electrode 13 and the data electrode 5 opposing to each other. Also, the opposing electrode discharge triggers occurrence of the surface discharge between the retaining electrode 14 and the scanning electrode 13, thereby writing operation is completed. Due to the surface discharge, i.e., a writing discharge, wall charges are produced on the surfaces over the scanning electrode 13 and the retaining electrode 14. In a cell in which wall charges are formed, retaining discharge of the surface discharge, i.e., retaining surface discharge, occurs by retaining pulses Re applied between the retaining electrode 14 and the scanning electrode 13. However, in a cell into which data is not written, retaining discharge does not occur even if the retaining pulses Re are applied, because there is no superimposing effect of electric fields caused by the wall charges. By applying the retaining pulses predetermined times, display of image and so on by light emission is performed.
Also, in order to improve write operation characteristic, a preliminary discharge operation is performed in which a high voltage is applied to all cells before performing write operation, so that any previously stored signals of the cells are erased and discharge is performed forcibly. In FIG. 17, Pd designates a preliminary discharge pulse, and Pe designates preliminary erasure discharge pulse.
As mentioned above, drive operation of a plasma display panel comprises a series of preparing operation, write operation and retained light emission operation. In FIG. 17, a series of such driving operation is shown as an example, in which driving operation of a plasma display panel is separated into a preparing interval in a whole panel, a write interval and a retaining interval. Various driving systems other than the above-mentioned system in which write operation and retain operation are separated can be used, for example, it is possible to use a system in which these operations are mixed. However, when considered in an individual display cell, it is common to these systems that, after preparing operation, write operation is disposed and then retaining operation is disposed.
When tone or gradation of an image and so on is to be displayed in a plasma display panel, a so-called xe2x80x9csub-field methodxe2x80x9d is used. In the AC type plasma display, it is difficult to modulate luminance of display emission by using voltage control, and, in order to modulate luminance, it is necessary to change number of times of light emission. In the sub-field method, an image of one page is divided into a plurality of pages of binary images and these binary images are continuously displayed in a high speed so that, by using integrating effect of vision, an image having multiple gradation is reproduced.
However, the above-mentioned prior art plasma display panel has the following disadvantages.
Although the surface discharge type AC plasma display panel has a superior display characteristic, as seen from the structure of the surface discharge electrodes shown in FIG. 16A through FIG. 16C, this plasma display panel needs a pair of electrodes for light emission of one pixel row. The width of each of the surface discharge gaps 11 is approximately 50 through 100 microns and is relatively narrow. However, the non-discharge gap 12 between adjacent pixel rows, that is, between an upper pixel row and a lower pixel row, should be relatively wide to avoid cross talk of discharge. Usually, it is necessary that the width of the non-discharge gap 12 is approximately two or three times as that of the surface discharge gap 11. It is also necessary that the width of each bus electrode 4 made of a metal has a width of approximately 100 microns or more due to the limitation of specific resistance of the metal of the bus electrode 4 and of fabrication technology. By these restrictions, it becomes difficult to increase the area of the electrodes themselves, and to enlarge optically opening portions where light emitted from the fluorescent substance 9 is not obstructed. Therefore, in a plasma display panel having a high resolution and a narrow pixel pitch, it becomes difficult to realize high luminance.
Also, as the resolution of a plasma display panel becomes high, a number of pixel rows becomes large and it is necessary to shorten a scanning time required for writing data into pixels of one row. As a scanning time for one row, approximately 3 microseconds are usually permissible in a usual television system, for example, an NTSC system, or in VGA system having 480 rows, even if a full color image is displayed by using the sub-field method. However, in the high-vision television system or a high resolution digital television system each having approximately 1000 pixel rows, it is necessary to surely perform writing operation within a scanning time equal to or shorter than approximately 1.5 microseconds. To realize the write operation in such a short time, a high speed drive of a plasma display panel is one of major concerns.
As a measure of improving the above-mentioned items, there is provided a plasma display panel in which an isolation wall is provided in a central portion of each of wide transparent electrodes and thereby decreasing a number of the transparent electrodes by half. FIG. 18A illustrates a cross sectional structure of such plasma display panel. As shown in FIG. 18A, a bus electrode 4 is provided in the central portion of each of wide transparent electrodes 3, and an isolation wall 15 is disposed over each of the bus electrodes 4. Also, FIG. 18B illustrates a cross sectional structure of a conventional commonly used plasma display panel for reference. In the structure of FIG. 18A, the non-discharge gaps 12 in the plasma display panel shown in FIG. 18B are not provided, and a proportion of aperture, or an optically opening portion where light emitted from the fluorescent substance 9 is not obstructed, can be made relatively large. Therefore, it is expected that display having a high luminance can be realized. However, there is a disadvantage that the isolation walls 15 can not easily be fabricated. Also, when the isolation walls 15 are disposed in addition to the isolation walls 6 which are disposed in stripes and which are disposed perpendicular to the surface discharge electrodes, evacuation conductance is decreased greatly in a manufacturing process and, therefore, panel characteristics are deteriorated.
Considering the problems mentioned above, the present invention has been thought out.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of conventional plasma display panels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel in which a decrease in luminance accompanied by an increase in resolution can be improved.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel in which difficulty in driving the plasma display panel caused by an increase in resolution can be obviated.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel which has high resolution, but which has a simple structure and is inexpensive.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel comprising: a plurality of center slit surface discharge electrodes extending in a first direction, each of the center slit surface discharge electrodes having a pair of surface discharge electrode portions and a center slit between the surface discharge electrode portions; surface discharge gaps each formed between adjacent the center slit surface discharge electrodes; and a plurality of data electrodes extending in a second direction which crosses the first direction of extension of the center slit surface discharge electrodes.
In this case, it is preferable that each of the center slit surface discharge electrodes comprises the pair of surface discharge electrode portions which are formed of a pair of transparent electrodes and which are disposed parallel to each other via the center slit, and a bus electrode which electrically couples the pair of transparent electrodes with each other.
It is possible to provide the plasma display panel with isolation walls which are disposed parallel with the data electrodes and which define discharge spaces for display cells.
It is also preferable that the bus electrode comprises a pair of elongated bus electrode portions which are disposed parallel to the center slit on the pair of transparent electrodes and which are mutually connected on both ends thereof at the locations outside the center slit surface discharge electrode, thereby the pair of the transparent electrodes are mutually electrically coupled via the bus electrode.
In this case, the pair of elongated bus electrode portions can be electrically coupled via a plurality of coupling portions formed at locations facing the isolation walls, thereby the bus electrode constitutes approximately a ladder shaped conductor.
It is preferable that the bus electrode has approximately a serpentine shape and electrically couples the pair of transparent electrodes with each other via portions of the bus electrode extending approximately in the second direction and extending at locations facing the isolation walls.
Also, it is preferable that each of the pair of transparent electrodes is divided into a plurality of approximately oblong card shaped portions which are separated at locations facing isolation walls.
Further, it is preferable that each of the pair of transparent electrodes has approximately comb like shape in which a plurality of cut in portions are provided approximately at locations facing isolation walls from the surface discharge gap side toward the center slit side.
It is preferable that the pair of transparent electrodes have a pair of band shaped portions and a plurality of coupling portions which are located in the center slit and which electrically couple the band shaped portions at the locations facing the isolation walls, and the bus electrode is a band shaped bus electrode which is disposed approximately in the central portion of the center slit and which is electrically coupled with the plurality of coupling portions.
It is also preferable that the bus electrode is a fish-bone shaped bus electrode which is disposed approximately in the central portion of the center slit and which has a plurality of branch portions extending in the second direction at locations facing the isolation walls, and the pair of transparent electrodes are electrically coupled with each other via the plurality of branch portions.
It is possible for each of the data electrodes to have wide portions in the proximity of the surface discharge gaps between adjacent the center slit surface discharge electrodes, and to have narrow portions in the proximity of the center slits.
It is also possible to provide a colored layer is formed in the proximity of each of the center slits.
It is preferable that the center slit surface discharge electrodes are grouped alternately into S electrodes and C electrodes, a scanning driver for applying scanning pulses is connected to each of the S electrodes, and the C electrodes are grouped into a group of C electrodes of odd number and a group of C electrodes of even number, each of the groups of C electrodes being electrically coupled together.
According to another aspect of the present invnetion, there is provided a method of driving a plasma display panel comprising: providing a plurality of center slit surface discharge electrodes extending in a first direction, each of the center slit surface discharge electrodes having a pair of surface discharge electrode portions and a center slit between the surface discharge electrode portions; providing a plurality of data electrodes extending in a second direction which crosses the first direction of extension of the center slit surface discharge electrodes; forming surface discharge gaps each between adjacent the center slit surface discharge electrodes; and performing data write operation between the center slit surface discharge electrodes and the data electrodes by applying scanning pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes and by applying data pulses to the data electrodes depending on data to be displayed, thereby performing display operation.
It is preferable that the method further comprises: grouping the center slit surface discharge electrodes alternately into C electrodes and S electrodes; connecting a scanner driver to each of the S electrodes, the scanner driver supplying the scanning pulses; grouping the discharge gaps to be driven for display to those of odd field and of even field; in the odd field, applying the scanning pulses to the S electrodes of odd number to perform write operation between the S electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, alternately applying retaining pulses to the S electrode and the C electrode of a pixel row of odd number which corresponds to the odd field; applying in phase signals to the S electrode and the C electrode of a pixel row of even number which corresponds to the even field, thereby performing retained discharge of the pixel row of odd number; in the even field, applying the scanning pulses to the S electrodes of even number to perform write operation between the S electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, alternately applying retaining pulses to the S electrode and the C electrode of a pixel row of even number which corresponds to the even field; and applying in phase signals to the S electrode and the C electrode of a pixel row of odd number which corresponds to the odd field, thereby performing retained discharge of the pixel row of even number, thereby performing display operation in whole picture.
It is also preferable that the method further comprising: grouping the discharge gaps to be driven for display to those of odd field and of even field; in the odd field, applying the scanning pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of odd number to perform write operation between the electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, alternately applying retaining pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number and the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number; performing light emission by retained discharge which is the same in two rows in the pixel rows on both sides of the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number into which write operation is performed; in the even field, applying the scanning pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of even number to perform write operation between the electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, alternately applying retaining pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number and the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number; performing light emission by retained discharge which is the same in two rows in the pixel rows on both sides of the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number into which write operation is performed, thereby performing display operation in whole picture.
It is further preferable that the method further comprises: grouping the discharge gaps to be driven for display into those of odd field and of even field; in the odd field, applying the scanning pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of odd number to perform write operation between the electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, applying the same retaining pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of even number adjacent to an upper portion or a lower portion of the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number; alternately applying the retaining pulses whose phases differ by a half pitch to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of even number adjacent lower portion or upper portion of the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number; performing light emission by retained discharge in the pixel row located on the lower or the upper side of the center slit surface discharge electrode of odd number; in the even field, applying the scanning pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of even number to perform write operation between the electrodes and the data electrodes; in a retaining period of the scanning pulse, applying the same retaining pulses to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of odd number adjacent to an upper portion or a lower portion of the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number; alternately applying the retaining pulses whose phases differ by a half pitch to the center slit surface discharge electrodes of odd number adjacent to a lower portion or an upper portion of the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number; performing light emission by retained discharge in the pixel row located on the lower or the upper side of the center slit surface discharge electrode of even number, thereby performing display operation in whole picture.
It is also preferable that the above-mentioned various methods of driving a plasma display panel are switchable to perform display operation of a plasma display panel.

Plasma display panel and method of driving the same


Disclosed is a drum type washing machine, by which washing performance is increased as well as laundry damage and water pollution are reduced. The present invention includes a tub provided in a cabinet to hold water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub, at least one or more ceramics, and at least one or more ceramic receivers provided on an inside of the drum to hold the ceramic therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine, which is environment-friendly and has an excellent washing performance.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, in a drum type washing machine, the laundry, detergent, and water are put in a horizontally installed drum and washing is performed using both dissolving power of the detergent and friction between the water and the laundry rotated by a driving force of a motor. Hence, the washed laundry is almost damage-free, avoids entanglement thereof, and undergoes the washing effects of beating and rubbing.
Lately, a drum type washing/drying machine enabling to dry the washed laundry is widely used.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drum type washing machine according to a related art and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a drum type washing machine according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a drum type washing machine according to a related art consists of a tub 4, a drum 6, a driving unit 10, an inlet hose 12, a detergent box 14, an and outlet hose 16. The tub 4 is provided in a cabinet 2 enclosing an exterior of the washing machine, and the drum 6 is rotatably installed in the tub 4. A motor provided in the driving unit 10 is connected to the drum 6 through a rotational shaft 8 to rotate the drum 6.
Water is put in the tub 4 via the inlet hose 12, and a detergent is dissolved in the water supplied to the detergent box 14 connected to the inlet hose 12 so as to be supplied to the tub 4. Moreover, the outlet hose 16 is provided for discharging externally the water held in the tub 4.
A door 18 is provided to an opening 2a formed at a front side of the cabinet 2. In this case, the laundry is put in or pulled out of the drum 6 through the opening 2a. A control box 20, in which an electric unit for controlling an operation of the washing machine and displaying an operational status of the washing machine, is provided to an upper front side of the cabinet 2.
A multitude of perforated holes 6a, via which the detergent and water put in the drum 4 pass, are formed at the drum 6, whereby the laundry in the drum 6 is washed by the perforating power of the detergent and water.
Moreover, a plurality of lifts 22 protrude from an inner circumference of the drum 6. The lifts 22 are rotated together with the drum 6 to generate a current of the water. Moreover, the laundry is lifted up by the lifters 22 in a rotational direction of the drum 6 and falls down, whereby the washing of the laundry is performed by the friction with the water.
An operation of the drum type washing machine according to the related art is explained as follows.
First of all, the laundry is put in the drum 6 the door 18 is closed to cut off the opening 2a, and a washing mode is selected, in turn. Water and detergent are then supplied to the tub 4 via the inlet hose 12 and the detergent box 14. In this case, once the water is supplied to the tub 4 up to a predetermined level, the water supply stops. The driving force from the driving unit 10 is transferred to the drum 6 to rotate for performing a washing step.
After completion of the washing step, rinsing and dewatering steps are sequentially executed through the similar procedures to complete the entire washing course.
Meanwhile, in case of the drum type washing/drying machine, a drying step is further executed to dry the dewatered laundry, whereby the entire washing/drying course is completed.
However, in the related art drum type washing machine, the laundry undergoes the excessive friction with the water to enhance the washing performance, whereby damage is caused to the laundry. Moreover, if an input amount of the detergent is increased to enhance the washing power, water pollution becomes a serious problem.


Compositions and methods are provided for plugging a fracture network in a wellbore. Exemplary compositions comprise a mixture of particles, some of the particles being degradable and other particles being elongated, having good compressive strength, and not being readily degradable at the conditions of the formation. The mixture of particles can temporarily bridge or plug fractures within the formation, and thus acts as a temporary diversion agent. After the degradable particles dissolve, the particles which are not readily degradable can remain in the fracture, helping to keep the fracture open and acting as a proppant.

Treatment procedures are used in oil and gas production for a variety of purposes. For example, hydraulic fracturing is a form of stimulation treatment used to create conductive flow paths between the reservoir and the wellbore. Treatments which involve introducing a treatment fluid into the wellbore may be adversely affected by loss of the treatment fluid into highly permeable regions of the formation.
Several agents to prevent treatment fluid loss and/or divert treatment fluid have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,769 describes fluid loss control agents comprising a polyester polymer which is substantially insoluble in the wellbore fluid, but which degrades in the presence of water at an elevated temperature to oligomer which are at least partially soluble in a fluid present in the formation (e.g. oil and/or connate water dissolved in the subterranean hydrocarbon fluids). Polymers selected from the group of poly(D,L-lactide), cross-linked poly(D,L-lactide), and copolymers of glycolide and D,L-lactide are described as preferred.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2012/0285692 describes methods of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore by providing a treatment fluid comprising a blend including a first amount of particulates having a first average particle size between about 3 mm and 2 cm and a second amount of particulates having a second average size between about 1.6 and 20 times smaller than the first average particle size or a second amount of flakes having a second average size up to 10 times smaller than the first average particle size. The publication states that the particles(s) or flake(s) can be embodied as proppant.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2015/0041132 describes diversion of well treatment fluids from a high permeability zone to a low permeability zone within a fracture network by use of a mixture comprising a dissolvable diverter and a proppant.

Methods and materials for hydraulic fracturing


The present invention relates to an LSI in which functions can be changed, and realizes, particularly, a system LSI in which functions are changed by changing connections of the circuit by use of MEMS switches. A bistable MEMS switch which can maintain states, and exhibits optimal stitching property, i.e., the switch has a very small resistance of several Ω or less in an on-state, and has an infinite resistance in an off-state; is employed. An element in which functions can be changed during operation, is produced by utilizing a wiring layer of a CMOS semiconductor to form the MEMS switch. A semiconductor device exhibiting high-degree of freedom for changing functions, high-speed, and having small area, is realized.

Conventionally, there has been an art in which a computing circuit is composed by employing a variable logic unit, for example, that known as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or FPLD (Field Programmable Logic Device) (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-111790, hereinafter Patent Document 1). Also, there have been conventional arts relating to a method, structure, property, operation, and forming method onto CMOS, of a switch that realizes two stable states (bistable states), (for example, see "On a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Nonvolatile Memory Cell", written by Beat Halg, IEEE published in October 1990, "IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices", pp. 2230-2236, published by IEEE, and "Breaking the Resistivity Barrier", written by R. T. Edwards and C. -J. Kim, IEEE published in July 2001, "Proceedings of the Third NASA/DoD Workshop on Evolvable Hardware", pp. 167-171, published by IEEE, as Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, conventionally, a switch element for FPGA comprising wirings that are movable by the coulomb force, and capable of changing connections with low voltage, is provided (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-330254, hereinafter Patent Document 2).

Device and data processing method employing the device


A computer-implemented method for preventing strike-through and show-through in printing comprises grouping pages of an electronic document into at least one page pair, identifying an area of high ink density in a page of the page pair, adjusting ink density of an image object related to the area of high ink density to ameliorate the area of high ink density, and sending the electronic document to an output device.

The present disclosure relates to adjusting the printing conditions of a document during document creation to minimize the make-ready stage.
Publications, such as newspapers and magazines, are printed in large volumes by high-volume printing methods such as offset printing. Image objects, including text and images, are printed on both sides of each paper of such publications. Commercially available software, such as Adobe® InDesign® CS2 and Adobe® Illustrator® CS2, can be used to create the image objects to be printed. In offset printing, the image objects to be printed are often transferred to films or plates. Computer to plate (CTP) imaging technology is a method where an electronic document is transferred directly to a printing plate. Inked regions of the plates including the image objects are selectively transferred to the paper via intermediary rubber blankets. Primary colors, namely, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), along with spot colored inks are applied in predetermined concentrations to the paper to create image objects corresponding to the image objects in the electronic document. Inkjet based printing methods are also available to print high-volume publications.
Prior to printing large volumes of publications, printing conditions including paper thickness, absorbent quality of the paper, paper transparency, ink quality (e.g., seeping characteristics), and concentration of primary colors (C, M, Y, K) to obtain intended color, are monitored and modified manually at the make-ready stage to prevent undesirable phenomena such as strike-through and show-through. Strike-through results when the ink printed on the front side of the paper penetrates the paper and is visible on the back side. Show-through results when the printing on the back side of the paper can be seen through the front side. Strike-through and show-through are visible in areas of excessive ink density on a back side of a page relative to the front side of the page. Strike-through and show-through are also caused by paper of high absorbency used in printing newspapers and thin, glossy papers used in printing magazines.
One method to detect strike-through and show-through is printing the document on paper and visually detecting strike-through and show-through in a hard copy of the print. The printing conditions can then be modified and monitored to correct strike-through and show-through. Such modifying and monitoring prior to high-volume printing consumes resources including time, paper, and ink. The stage between commencement of printing and arriving at the final version of the publication is known as the make-ready stage. Several printing presses employ operators to alter the printing conditions during the initial printing stages. The operators rely on their extensive experience to make requisite adjustments to the printing conditions to prevent strike-through and show-through and minimize the make-ready stage.

Prevent strike-through and show-through in printing by object based ink density correction


Scheduling Direct Memory Access (DMA) operations. Blocks are provided in a first DMA chain, with each block in the first DMA chain corresponding to an operation and comprising a pair of pointers, a first pointer pointing to a command structure to be executed or a data structure to be moved, and a second pointer pointing to a next block in the first DMA chain. A DMA engine processes successive operations in the first DMA chain. Time remaining in an interval for processing the first DMA chain is tracked. A second DMA chain of conditional blocks are maintained, with each conditional block corresponding to a conditional operation and containing an estimate of time needed to complete the conditional operation. A conditional operation is executed from the second DMA chain if the remaining time in the interval is greater than the estimated time to complete processing of the conditional operation.

In NAND memory technology, the difficulty of scheduling operations often depends on the application. In single data stream environments, for example, scheduling reading and writing may not necessarily be difficult as long as the system can account for sufficiently high read/write bandwidths. In more complex environments, however, there may be multiple data streams being read and written to/from the NAND memory, with each stream having its own timing requirements. In such an environment, optimization in scheduling is not nearly as simple, because of the conflicting requirements between the streams and the various timings required to read, write or erase a page.
Moreover, numerous asynchronous operations complicate the real-time needs of a media system. For example, "garbage collection", in which a NAND platform reclaims unused or stale resources, can cause large deviations from a real-time schedule. Thus, to globally optimize performance, it is necessary to create a real-time schedule for such asynchronous operations.
One method to schedule such operations is to use the OS. However, this consumes system processor resources, and may complicate the power model for power-sensitive applications, such as in portable devices. Moreover, depending on the load that is being processed by the system processor, there may be considerable uncertainty in when the system processor is able to schedule such operations.

Periodic and conditional execution of DMA operations


A first stage tire building drum for building a run flat tire has a cylindrical central portion for receiving the strip components thereon for fabricating a first stage body ply carcass and has a pair of bead receiving areas adjacent the central portion for receiving bead rings thereon. The central portion and bead areas preferably are formed by a plurality of moveable arcuate segments. A spacer or sleeve is formed by a plurality of arcuate segments and is mounted on the center of the cylindrical drum portion and forms a pair of adjacent recesses. The spacer has a smooth outer cylindrical surface. The spacer has a height equal to the thickness of run flat tire sidewall inserts and a width equal to the distance between the inside edges of the opposed sidewall inserts. The elastomeric inserts are placed in the recesses adjacent the central spacer, and in combination with smooth outer surface of the spacer, provide a substantially smooth continuous flat surface for receiving the various tire components thereon without interruption.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to tire building drums, and more particularly, to a first stage tire building drum for run flat tires having a central spacer which forms a pair of adjacent recesses for accommodating elastomeric inserts which form the elastomeric crescent shaped inserts in the sidewalls of run flat tires.
2. Background Information
Various tire constructions have been devised over the years which enable a tire to run in an under-inflated or non-inflated condition, such as after receiving a puncture and loss of pressurized air, for extended periods of time and at relatively high speeds. This enables the vehicle operator to safely drive the vehicle to an appropriate location for repair or replacement of the punctured tire. Certain of these safety tires, referred to as xe2x80x9crun flat tiresxe2x80x9d, have been successful for certain applications and certain types of tire constructions. Most of these run flat tires achieve their run flat capability, by the placement of reinforcing layers or crescent shaped members of a relatively stiff elastomeric material in the side walls of the tire which enable the tire to support the vehicle weight even with the complete loss of internal air pressure. Examples of such sidewall inserts are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,911,987; 3,949,798; 3,954,131; 4,067,372; 4,202,393; 4,203,481; 4,261,405; 4,265,288; 4,287,924; 4,365,659; 4,917,164; and 4,929,684.
However, problems develop when manufacturing such run flat tires having the sidewall inserts when using usual fabrication equipment and techniques due to the extreme care that must be taken to prevent air from being trapped between the uncured tire components and the creating of undesirable bulges and projections in the tire, without excessively increasing the cost of tire manufacture. This problem was recognized and was attempted to be solved by the forming of spaced depressions, in a specially constructed tire building drum for receiving the uncured material to form the sidewall inserts as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,288. However, this required constructing a special drum for receiving the rubber inserts and is limited to a particular size of tire produced thereby due to the size and location of the recesses in which the inserts are installed. Also, if the inserts are wider than the grooves they may ride out of the grooves creating a uniformity problem.
The present invention provides a first stage run flat tire building drum and method using a spacer or sleeve mounted on the center of a usual tire building drum, wherein the spacer has a width the same as the distance between the inside edges of the inbound and outbound sidewall rubber inserts of a run flat tire and a height equal to that of the rubber insert at its thickest point.
The tire building drum of the present invention enables the building of a uniform first stage tire carcass free of interruptions from the sidewall inserts and which provides a relatively smooth body contour for receiving the other tire components.
The tire building drum of the invention enables the inner liner to be placed radially inwardly or outwardly of the sidewall inserts without changing the structure of the tire building drum and without special assembly procedures.
Another aspect of the invention includes forming the spacer sleeve in same number of arcuate segments as is the expandable tire building drum so as to be compatible therewith, and in which the spacer segments can be formed of a rigid, lightweight material such as polyurethane.
Another feature of the invention is to provide building the first stage body ply without trapping air between the plies and inserts and without bumps or protrusions being formed thereby.
A further advantage of the invention is to enable a usual first stage tire building drum to be usable for building various sizes of run flat tires, having various size sidewall inserts, by changing the axial length and height of the spacer sleeve placed on the tire building drum, and without changing the method of manufacture of the first stage body ply carcass.
The foregoing advantages, construction and operation of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

First stage run flat tire building drum and method of using same

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC


A truck cap hoisting system includes a winch, at least one pulley, a pair of support channels, a pair of lifting strap assemblies, and a lifting line. The truck cap lifting system is preferably installed in a garage. The winch and a guide pulley are attached to a wall of the garage. The lift pulley is attached to a ceiling or an overhead beam. The lifting line is fastened to a lift ring and a reel of the winch. Each lifting strap assembly is threaded through one end of the pair of support channels. The truck cap is hoisted off the pick-up truck by first placing spacers between the truck and truck cap and sliding support channels in the gap. The same procedure is repeated for the opposite side. Four S-hooks extending from the pair of lifting assemblies are attached to the lift ring. The winch is then rotated until the truck cap is hoisted to a suitable height. The pair of support channels could be eliminated by forming at least four slots in the bottom of the truck cap sides. The lifting strap assemblies would be threaded through the slots in the bottom of the truck cap sides. Support lines may be attached to the sides of the truck cap instead utilizing strap assemblies and slots. The truck cap hoisting system may be modified to accommodate the removal of a water craft from the top of a vehicle by attaching support bars to each end of the support channels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hoisting devices and more specifically to a truck cap hoisting system which allows a single person to lift a truck cap off a pick-up truck and store thereof above the pick-up truck.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A problem frequently encountered with pick-up trucks is how to remove a truck cap and store thereof. It takes at least two persons to remove a truck cap from a pick-up truck, because of the truck cap weight and awkwardness. Moreover, most people do not have sufficient space in a garage or elsewhere to store a truck cap.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a truck cap lift system which allows a single user to remove a truck cap and have a place to store thereof after removal.


A circuit for detecting a synchronous word signal from a moving picture experts group (MPEG) bit stream in a video-audio decoding system which is capable of more easily detecting a synchronous word by detecting a data start position of an input bit stream used for a multimedia system using the moving picture experts group (MPEG) detecting identical level bits from a bit stream inputted, and comparing the bits at a time. The circuit includes a serial/parallel converter for converting a data of a synchronous signal transmitted thereto in series in a bit stream form into a parallel data in accordance with a clock signal inputted thereinto, a separating and comparing unit for separating identical level bit signals of a synchronous word from an output signal from the serial/parallel converter and generating a flag signal when the signal is detected, a controller for judging an input of a synchronous word as a flag signal and generating a data processing control signal, and a data processor for processing a parallel output signal from the serial/parallel converter in accordance with a data processing control signal from the controller and outputting a data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synchronous word detection circuit, and in particular, to an improved synchronous word detection circuit which makes it possible to more easily detect a synchronous word by detecting a data start position of an input bit stream used for a multimedia system using an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), detecting identical level bits from a bit stream inputted, and comparing the bits at a time.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, when transmitting in series a data in a bit stream form, a synchronous word having a predetermined value is carried on a start position of a data.
In addition, a decoder which decodes a data transmitted thereto in a bit stream form detects a synchronous word from the data transmitted in a bit stream form, thus converting the data into an original data.
In the conventional art, the value with respect to bit of the synchronous word is set a reference value, and then the data inputted is compared with the bit of the reference value.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional synchronous word detection circuit, and FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional synchronous word detection circuit.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional synchronous word detection circuit includes a serial/parallel converter 1 for outputting a parallel data by sequentially shifting a data serially inputted thereto a bit stream form in a state that a clock signal CLK is inputted thereto, and a one-to-one comparator 3 for receiving a data from the serial/parallel converter 1 and a reference value from a reference value generator 2 and applying a flag FG to the decoder when the parallel data and reference value are identical.
FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed configuration when the data of a synchronous word detected in the circuit of FIG. 1 is "1111 0000". As shown therein, in the serial/parallel converter 1, flip-flops FF1 through FF8 are connected in series in such a manner that the input terminal D of a first flip-flop FF1 receives a data transmitted thereto in a bit stream form, and the clock terminals CK of the flip-flops FF1 through FF8 receive a clock signal CLK, respectively.
In addition, in the one-to-one comparator 3, the output terminals Q of the flip-flops FF1 through FF8 are connected with input terminals of AND-gates AND1 through AND4 and OR-gates OR1 through OR4, and a reference value from the reference value generator 2 is inputted into other input terminals of the AND-gate AND1 through AND4 and the OR-gates OR1 through OR4, respectively. In addition, the output terminals of the AND-gates AND1 through AND4 and the OR-gates OR1 through OR4 are connected with the input terminals of a NOR-gate NOR1 and a NAND-gate NAND1, respectively, so that flag signals FG1 and FG2 are outputted from the output terminals of the NOR-gate NOR1 and the NAND-gate NAND1.
In the thusly constituted conventional synchronous word detection circuit, when a data is inputted in series in a bit stream form in a state that the clock signal CLK is inputted, the thusly inputted data are sequentially shifted through the flip-flops FF1 through FF8 of the serial/parallel converter 1 in accordance with a clock signal CLK, thus outputting a parallel data.
In addition, the data from the flip-flops FF1 through FF8 are transmitted to the input terminals of the AND-gates AND1 through AND2 and the OR-gates OR1 through OR4 of the one-to-one comparator 3, respectively, and the other input terminals of the AND-gates AND1 through AND4 and OR-gates OR1 through OR4 receive a reference value in accordance with the synchronous word from the reference value generator 2.
Assuming that the data of the synchronous word is configured in a form of "1111 0000", the reference value generator 2 outputs a synchronous word data of "1111 0000", and the thusly outputted data of "1111 0000" is transmitted to the other input terminals of the AND-gates AND1 through AND4 and the OR-gates OR1 through OR4.
When the synchronous word of "1111 0000" is inputted, the data of "1111 0000" are outputted from the output terminals Q of the flip-flops FF8 through FF1 of the serial/parallel converter 1, and then are transmitted to the input terminals of the OR-gates OR4 through OR1 and the AND-gates AND4 through AND1.
Thereafter, since the AND-gates AND1 through AND4 all output low level signals, and the OR-gates OR1 through OR4 all output high level signals, the NOR-gate NOR1 outputs a high level flag signals FG1, and the NAND-gate NAND1 outputs a low level flag signal FG2, thus judging that a predetermined data inputted is a synchronous word.
In addition, on the contrary, when another data except for the synchronous word is inputted, one of the AND-gates AND1 through AND4 outputs a high level signal, or one of the OR-gates OR1 through OR4 outputs a low level signal.
Therefore, the NOR-gate NOR1 outputs a low level signal or the NAND-gate NAND1 outputs a high level signal, so that it is judged that the data inputted is not a synchronous word.
However, in the conventional art, logic gates are used for each bit signal for comparing the bit signal of the synchronous word with a previously set reference value.
Therefore, in an MPEG I in which the synchronous word is configured in a form of "0X000001BA.sub.HEX " (where X denotes a predetermined value, and HEX denotes hexadecimal number), 32 logic gates are required for comparing the synchronous words by the bits. In addition, a transport stream of an MPEG II in which the synchronous word is configured in a form of "0X47.sub.HEX " needs 8 logic gates. Therefore, in the system for decoding the MPEG I and the MPEG II, 40 logic gates are needed. Therefore, many logic gates are disadvantageously used in the circuit, so that the construction of the circuit is complicated, and the fabrication cost is high. Furthermore, in other systems, the logic gages are required as many as the number of bits of the synchronous word, so that the construction is complicated, and the fabrication cost is high.

Circuit for detecting a synchronous word signal from a MPEG bit stream in video-audio decoding system

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


In order to image test objects by electromagnetic waves, in particular millimetric waves, a test object is illuminated with the electromagnetic waves, the scattered waves are received, and are evaluated for a representation of the test object in the form of an image based on the principle of “synthetic aperture radar” (SAR). In order to allow as large an area as possible to be imaged with high resolution in a short time, the phase centres of the transmitting and receiving antennas are, according to the invention, moved on a circular path parallel to the respective digital focus planes of the imaging system, and are at the same time shifted linearly in a further direction parallel to the respective focus plane. The method can be used for monitoring people for suspicious objects, for example for monitoring airline passengers at an airport.

1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the invention relates to a method for high-resolution imaging of test objects by electromagnetic waves, in particular for inspecting individuals for suspicious items, in which the test object is illuminated with electromagnetic waves, and the scattered waves are received and analyzed using the synthetic aperture radar principle (SAR) to display an image of the test object.
2. Description of the Background Art
In order to inspect individuals or pieces of luggage (hereinafter referred to as test objects) for hidden dangerous items (weapons, explosives), imaging systems are known in which the test objects (individuals, pieces of luggage) are scanned with millimeter waves in order to detect suspicious items (U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,609). The advantage of these imaging systems is that nonmetallic items as well as metallic items can be easily detected due to their material-specific dielectric properties. Similarly, the use of radar-based millimeter wave imaging systems in the field of nondestructive testing of materials (NDT) has increased sharply.
To ensure reliable detection of dangerous items when used in the security field, or of defects in nondestructive testing of materials, the imaging systems require high spatial resolution. Furthermore, it is desirable, especially in applications in the field of security, for the system to be capable of scanning the largest possible area in a short period of time.
High resolution in one plane (lateral resolution) can be achieved with focusing elements, for example elliptical mirrors or dielectric lenses, which sharply focus the measurement signal on the surface of the test object. However, this type of focusing has inadequate depth of focus. High resolution is only provided in one plane, the focal plane. A further disadvantage is that when implementing fast scanning systems using large dielectric lenses or mirrors to concentrate the measurement signals, rapid motion of the large masses can be accomplished mechanically only with difficulty.
German patent application 10 2005 042 463, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method of the generic type in which a test object is successively illuminated along its circumference with millimeter waves, and the scattered millimeter waves are received and analyzed using the synthetic aperture radar principle (SAR) to display an image of the test object. A synthetic aperture is created by the means that the waves emitted by an antenna are first spatially concentrated, wherein the location of high concentration is manipulated such that it serves as a moving virtual antenna for SAR analysis.
In this imaging system using the SAR principle, it is known to use no other focusing components for beam forming beyond one antenna (monostatic) or multiple adjacent antennas (quasimonostatic), for example horn antennas, for transmitting and receiving radar signals reflected from the test object. The actual focusing here is performed after the fact by digital signal processing using the SAR principle. This type of data processing permits digital focusing of the raw data for any desired distance of the antenna from the test object. Additional focusing elements such as mirrors or lenses can be omitted, thus drastically reducing the mass of the millimeter wave sensors to be moved.
If a high lateral resolution in two dimensions (vertical and horizontal) is to be achieved with the SAR processing, then the phase center of each transmitting and/or receiving antenna must also be moved in two dimensions. This is achieved in a known manner by a linear motion in the horizontal and vertical direction. The motion of two axes (a raster scan, for example) would be too slow for a fast imaging system.

Method and device for high-resolution imaging of test objects by electromagnetic waves, in particular for monitoring people for suspicious items


Hemoglobin conjugates useful as a hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers are prepared by reacting hemoglobin with oxidatively ring-opened polysaccharides such as hydroxyethyl starch or dextran, and storing the resultant conjugate under conditions which allow it to transform to a lower molecular weight product, after conjugation. The conjugate is then reductively stabilized to form secondary amino bonds between the hemoglobin and the polysaccharide, and formulated as an BOC.

This invention relates to biocompatible oxygen carriers for administration to patients as a supplement for or a partial replacement for whole blood. More specifically, the invention relates to hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) for administration to mammals as a blood substitute or supplement, and processes for their preparation.
Hemoglobin, as the natural oxygen transporter component of blood, is an obvious candidate to form the basis of a blood substitute, e.g. as an aqueous solution. Extensive scientific work has been done and reported, on attempts to provide a satisfactory hemoglobin solution to act as a blood substitute. The chemical properties of hemoglobin outside the red blood cells are, however, markedly different from its properties inside the red blood cells, e.g. as regards its oxygen affinity. The need for some form of chemical modification of hemoglobin to render it suitable for use as a blood substitute has long been recognized and has been quite extensively investigated.
It is well known that hemoglobin comprises a tetramer of four sub-units, namely two a sub-units each having a globin peptide chain and two xcex2 sub-units each having a globin peptide chain. The tetramer has a molecular weight of approximately 64 kilodaltons, and each sub-unit has approximately the same molecular weight. The tetrameric hemoglobin in dilute aqueous solution readily dissociates into xcex1-xcex2 dimers and even further under some conditions to xcex1-sub-unit monomers and xcex2-sub-unit monomers. The dimers and monomers have too low a molecular weight for retention in the circulatory system of the body, and are filtered by the kidneys for excretion with the urine. This results in an unacceptably short half life of such a product in the body. The benefit of chemical bonding between the sub-units to ensure the maintenance of the tetrameric form (xe2x80x9cintramolecular cross-linkingxe2x80x9d) has previously been recognized. Also, the linking together of two or more tetrameric units to form hemoglobin oligomers and polymers of molecular weight greater than 64 kilodaltons (xe2x80x9cinter-molecular cross-linkingxe2x80x9d) has also been recognized as desirable in many instances.
Accordingly, one approach to developing HBOCs for clinical use has been intramolecularly cross-linking the hemoglobin units into stabilized tetramers, of molecular weight c. 64 kilodaltons, and optionally oligomerizing these tetramters into oligomers of 2-6 such tetramers, by intermolecular cross-linking. A variety of cross-linking reagents have been proposed for this purpose, including oxidatively ring-opened saccharides such as o-raffinose (U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,636 Hsia and U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,352 Pliura et al., for example), bifunctional imidates such as diethyl-malonimidate hydrochloride (U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,344 Muzur), halogenated triazines, divinylsulphones, diisocyanates, glutaraldehyde and other dialdehydes (U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,200 Bonsen et al.), bis-diaspirin esters (U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,719 Tye), bis- and tris-acyl phosphates (U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,665 Kluger et al.) and others
Another approach to the preparation of HBOCs with appropriate molecular weight for clinical use has been the coupling of hemoglobin to a biocompatible polysaccharide. Such conjugates would have the advantage as compared with cross-linked and oligomerized hemoglobins of requiring lower quantities of hemoglobin per unit of HBOC, and hence would be more economical to prepare, and have diminished hemoglobin-related toxicities. Conjugation of a colloid to hemoglobin in preparing an HBOC also permits control of fluid properties such as viscosity and colloid osmotic pressure by adjusting the size of the colloid, its degree of modification and the colloid-to-hemoglobin ratio. These same parameters can be used to control :he final molecular weight and vascular retention time of the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,118 Wong proposes the preparation of a blood substitute or blood extender by chemically coupling hemoglobin with a polysaccharide material selected from dextran and hydroxyethyl starch of molecular weight from about 5 kDa -2,000 kDa. Only the use of dextran is exemplified in this patent, however.
Baldwin et al. xe2x80x9cTetrahedronxe2x80x9d 37, pp 1723-1726 (1991) xe2x80x9cSynthesis of Polymer-Bound Hemoglobin Samplesxe2x80x9d describe the chemical modification of dextran and hydroxyethyl starch (HES) to form aldehyde-substituted polymers, and their subsequent reaction with hemoglobin, to form soluble, polymer-bound hemoglobin. Whilst the products so formed were capable of binding oxygen, they are reported as unsuitable for use as blood substitutes, since their oxygen-binding curves were considerably left-shifted, indicating that they have too high an oxygen affinity (P50 too low).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel HBOC.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate useful as an HBOC.
It is a further object to provide a process for preparing a novel polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate useful as an HBOC.
In the process of the present invention, a polysaccharide is used, in oxidatively ring-opened form. In this oxidative form, at least a portion of the saccharide monomeric units are oxidized to present aldehyde groups. The oxidized polysaccharide so formed is then reacted with extracellular hemoglobin, so that the hemoglobin, through primary amine groups of the globin chains reacting with the aldehyde groups of the oxidized polysaccharide, covalently binds to the polysaccharide through Schiff base linkages. Initially and very rapidly there is formed a product which includes species of very high molecular weight, of the order of 500 kDa or higher, in substantial amounts and a wide molecular weight distribution (128xe2x86x92500 kDa).
On maintaining this product under appropriate conditions, in aqueous solution, it can be transformed, to a controlled extent, over a relatively short period of time (e.g 4-48 hours depending upon the conditions) to a much lower molecular weight product (90-200 kDa) with a much narrower molecular weight distribution. This product, after chemical reduction to reduce the Schiff base linkages between the hemoglobin and the polysaccharide to secondary amine bond, turns out to have properties such as oxygen affinity in the range P50=4 to 50 mmHg at 37xc2x0 C., depending on the ligand state of the hemoglobin at the time of conjugation, which makes it eminently suitable as a candidate for a hemoglobin based oxygen carrier for clinical use in mammals. The degree of transformation can be controlled by the timing of the application of the reduction step. Moreover, the resulting product contains no detectable unreacted hemoglobin which, if present, would dissociate to give xcex1xcex2-dimers suspected of causing renal injury, and no detectable amounts of excessively high molecular weight products (over about 500-600 kDa).
Thus according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate useful as a hemoglobin based oxygen carrier and having an oxygen affinity, expressed as partial pressure of oxygen environment required to maintain 50% oxygen saturation, P50 of =4-50 mmHg, at 37xc2x0 C., and containing no detectable residual unbound hemoglobin and no detectable residual amounts of components of molecular weight higher than about 500 kDa, said conjugate having been prepared by reacting hemoglobin with oxidized polysaccharide to form a high molecular weight conjugate complex, and allowing the high molecular weight conjugate complex to degrade by storage in solution at a suitable pH value, readily determinable by simple, routine experiments, and at a temperature from 2xc2x0 C. to about 45xc2x0 C. to form said polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate.
A further aspect of the invention provides a polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate useful as an oxygen transporter, comprising hemoglobin covalently linked through secondary amine linkages from amino groups on the hemoglobin to residues of aldehyde groups on the polysaccharide, said aldehyde groups having been formed by oxidative ring-opening of saccharide monomeric units of the polysaccharide.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a process of preparing a hemoglobin based oxygen carrier which comprises reacting an oxidatively ring-opened polysaccharide carrying aldehyde groups with hemoglobin to form a Schiff based-linked conjugate thereof, allowing the conjugate to stand under conditions which effect molecular weight reduction of the conjugate, stabilizing the conjugate by reduction of the Schiff base linkages to stable, secondary amine linkages, and recovering a solution of the polysaccharide-hemoglobin conjugate so formed which has no detectable unbound hemoglobin residue and no detectable product residue of molecular weight greater than about 500-600 kDa,


A device, system, and method performs a Voice over Long Term Evolution (LTE) (VoLTE) call setup procedure. The device includes a transceiver establishing a connection with a LTE network and an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The device includes a processor executing a VoLTE call application with a further user equipment, receiving an input to execute the VoLTE call application, and generating a data packet including an indication to trigger a dedicated bearer establishment procedure. The transceiver transmits the data packet to one of the LTE network and the IMS. The indication triggers the dedicated bearer establishment procedure to be performed during a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signal exchange procedure.

A first station may be configured to communicate wirelessly with a second station. Specifically, the first station may transmit data to and receive data from the second station through a wired or wireless communications network. The first and second stations may use the network to communicate using a variety of different applications. For example, the first station may be a mobile originating (MO) user equipment (UE) while the second station may be a mobile terminating (MT) UE for a voice call. The voice call may be performed in a variety of different manners. For example, when the MO or MT UE is connected to a legacy network, the voice call may be performed using circuit switching. In another example, when the MO or MT UE is connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) data transmission network, the voice call may be performed using Voice over IP (VoIP). More specifically, when the network is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the VoIP call may be a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) call.
When the VoLTE call is performed, the MO and MT UEs may perform a setup procedure. Initially, when the MO and MT UEs connect to the LTE network, each UE may be associated with one or more default bearers that provide a best effort service in the exchange of data with the LTE network. Furthermore, when a particular application is being utilized such as the VoLTE call, each UE may be associated with a dedicated bearer that provides a dedicated tunnel for data to be transmitted with regard to the VoLTE call (e.g., the voice data). The dedicated bearer may provide a variety of functionalities such as improving throughput or guaranteeing a bit rate for the data to be transmitted. The setup procedure utilizes various operations that are performed. However, due to an ordering of the operations, a timing of the operations, an execution of the operations, etc., a user experience may be negatively impacted such as delays being introduced.

Device, system and method for VoLTE setup


The present invention features helper-dependent adenoviral vector elements, and helper adenoviral elements, that enhance the production and isolation of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors. Such elements include a modified packaging signal having low homology to, and preferably less activity than, a wild-type packaging signal, an E4 non-coding segment directly joined to the 5′ ITR that confers a selective advantage, and stuffer region(s) that provide a helper-dependent adenoviral vector with a GC content of about 50% to about 60%. The modified packaging signal is preferably used in a helper virus to decrease recombination and generation of the virus. The E4 non-coding segment and the stuffer region(s) are preferably used in a helper-dependent adenoviral vector to provide the vector with a growth advantage over a helper virus.

The references cited herein are not admitted to be prior art to the claimed invention.
Adenoviral vectors provide a vehicle for introducing nucleic acids into a cell in vitro and in vivo. Over 100 different serotypes, of which 47 are of human origin, have been reported. (Hierholzer, et al., J. infect. Dis. 159:804–813, 1988.) Adenoviruses type 2 and 5 used to produce adenoviral vectors are well characterized.
A human adenovirus contains a 5′ inverted terminal repeat (ITR); a packaging signal; region E1 made up of the early regions E1A and E1B; region E2; region E3, region E4; the late regions L1–L5; and a 3′ ITR. Regions E1 and E4 contain regulatory proteins, region E2 encodes proteins required for replication, and the L region encodes for the structural proteins of the virus. The E3 region is dispensable for virus growth in vitro. (Hitt, et al., Advances in Pharmacology 40:137–206, 1996.)
A replicating viral vector based on the adenovirus must contain adenovirus cis elements needed for replication. Packaging also requires cis elements on the vector whereas the necessary proteins can be supplied in trans. In trans supplementation can be brought about by specialized cells and/or additional viruses producing the needed proteins. (Hitt, et al., Advances in Pharmacology 40:137–206, 1996.)
Different types of adenoviral vectors have been developed including those lacking one or more components of the adenoviral genome. An adenoviral vector produced without components of the adenoviral genome provides advantages such as in increasing the amount of foreign nucleic acid that can be included with the adenoviral vector and removing adenoviral genes whose expression can have detrimental effects. (Hitt, et al., Advances in Pharmacology 40:137–206, 1996.)
Adenoviral vectors lacking all viral protein-coding sequences have been developed. These vectors require supplementation of viral regulatory and structural proteins supplied in trans for packaging and rescue. A second adenovirus carrying genes necessary for virus growth can be used to provide in trans the required supplementation of proteins. (Mitani, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:3854–3858, 1995; Fisher, et al., Virology 217:11–22, 1996; Kochanek, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:5731–5736, 1996; Parks, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:13565–13570, 1996; Parks, et al., J. Virology 71(4):3293–3298, 1997; and Schiedner, et al., Nature Genetics 18:180–183, 1998.)

Helper dependent vector system for gene therapy


Supply units for providing a high-frequency RF voltage and an RF current to electrosurgical instruments so that they can be used for cutting and/or coagulating tissue, while providing regulation of the RF current and the RF voltage and providing a corresponding feedback for the treating physician. A supply unit includes an RF generator unit for generating the RF output voltage, a measuring unit for determining an electrical load while an RF output current is being applied, a signal unit for outputting a haptically perceivable (e.g., tactile) signal and a control unit that is in communicative connection at least with the measuring unit and the signal unit to activate the signal unit as a function of the electrical load.

In radiofrequency surgery (RF surgery), a high-frequency alternate current is conducted through the human body in order to cut or coagulate tissue in a targeted manner. A general distinction is made between a monopolar application and a bipolar application of the treatment current. In a monopolar application, usually only one application electrode is provided, with a high-frequency alternate current usually being applied to the application electrode, which may, for example, be located in an electrosurgical instrument used for cutting and/or coagulating tissue. Furthermore, a large-surface neutral electrode is attached to the body of the patient. When RF current is applied, an RF voltage is applied to the application electrode and to the neutral electrode, thus closing the electric circuit across the interposed tissue. The shape of the application electrode depends on the respective field of application. The contact surface of the application electrode across which the alternate current is conducted into the tissue is relatively small, resulting in a high current density being formed in the direct environment of the application electrode and, consequently, also a great development of heat.
As the distance from the application electrode increases, the current density greatly decreases, unless there are also high current densities at other sites of the body due to considerable variations in tissue conductivity. In bipolar applications, the RF voltage is applied to two application electrodes that are located close to each other, e.g., bipolar coagulation forceps. This means that the current mainly flows through tissue located between the application electrodes. Preferably, the application electrodes are arranged on one instrument. However, often, hard to access tissue sites can only be reached and treated with difficulty, or not at all, with such instruments.
Supply devices supply the electrosurgical instruments with a suitable RF voltage and a suitable RF current, so that a problem-free treatment of the patient is possible. Desired RF current and RF voltage vary as a function of the tissue that is to be treated and also as a function of the mode of operation that is used (e.g., coagulation mode, cutting mode). Other modes of operation for different types of tissue are conceivable. Therefore, the supply device must constantly regulate the RF output voltage and/or the RF output current in order to ensure an appropriate operation of the electrosurgical instrument. Consequently, it is necessary, at times, that the operating parameters be adaptable, since the quality of the tissue that is treated with the use of an instrument changes constantly. Considering this, for example, when the conductivity of the tissue decreases, the resistance thus increases on account of the applied RF current. Conversely, untreated tissue types (e.g., fatty tissue, muscle tissue, nerve tissue) also display different resistances that must be taken into consideration in voltage or current regulation.
This regulation is desired so that the treating physician is able to safety cut and/or coagulate tissue, regardless of the type and quality of the tissue. Therefore, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the electrosurgical instrument, the supply device must control or regulate the power of the RF generator or the RF generator unit. The power that is provided in this case is usually restricted by the capacity of the generator that is being used and by the corresponding safety guidelines. Thus, it may happen that too high a power output is used without the physician noticing this. This is dangerous and can result in unwanted tissue damage. Furthermore, physicians may not be used to handling such an electrosurgical instrument because they are used to a haptic feedback (e.g., tactile feedback) when performing cutting operations.
Considering this prior art, it is the object of the disclosed embodiments to provide a supply device that allows a safe and functional operation, and facilitates the handling of an electrosurgical instrument. Furthermore, disclosed embodiments also include a corresponding RF apparatus, a method for the operation of an RF generator unit, and a method for performing an electrosurgical operation.

Supply device for providing an HF output voltage, HF surgical instrument comprising a corresponding supply device, and method for the operation of an HF generator unit


A vehicle seat has a scissor-type stand vibratable and adjustable in height, with a pneumatic spring and cranks, intersecting at a scissor shaft. A control device for level control and for height adjustment of the stand has a control element, a valve device controlled by the control element, for controlling the spring, a switching element movable relative to the control element or the valve device, and a bearing. The control element and valve device are kinematically assigned to different parts of the stand movable relative to one another. The control element is linked to a first crank. The bearing is spaced from the shaft and connected with a second crank. The valve device is connected with the switching element movable relative to the control element.

The invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a utility vehicle seat, having the features of the generic term of claim 1.
DE 28 49 700 A1, DE 33 33 604 A1, DE 43 35 199 C1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,145 A or DE 10 2006 017 774 A1 describe known vehicle seats of this kind There is provided in each case for the level control a control circuit which comprises the scissor-type stand, the pneumatic spring and the control device including a control element, valve device and a switching element. The control element and the valve device are arranged on different parts of the vehicle seat which are movable relative to one another. If the actual value of height deviates from the desired value, generally owing to a deflection of the stand, the pneumatic spring is controlled in such a manner that it acts counter to the deflection, and the actual value again reaches the desired value. For the height adjustment, the desired value is modified by means of the switching element in accordance with the height which is to be newly adjusted, so that the level control treats the current actual value as a deviation from the desired value and moves the scissor-type stand to the desired new height. In the case of technical implementation, known vehicle seats have a partially complex structure. In addition, an increase in the precision of the level control and the height adjustment would also be desirable.

Vehicle seat, in particular utility vehicle seat


Oil seed protein isolates, particularly canola protein isolate, are produced continuously from oil seed meals, preferably at a high purity level of at least about 100 wt % (Nx 6.25), by a process wherein oil seed protein is continuously extracted from oil seed meal, the resulting protein solution is continuously concentrated, preferably to a protein content of at least about 200 g/L, and the concentrated protein solution is continuously mixed with chilled water having a temperature below about 15° C. to form protein micellar, which are settled in the settling vessel to provide a protein micellar mass (PMM) while supernatant overflows the vessel. The PMM, when accumulated to a desired degree, may be separated from supernatant and dried. The supernatant may be processed to recover additional oil seed protein isolate.

In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,086 and 6,005,076 ("Murray II"), assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, there is described a process for the isolation of protein isolates from oil seed meal having a significant fat content, including canola oil seed meal having such content. The steps involved in this process include solubilizing proteinaceous material from oil seed meal, which also solubilizes fat in the meal and removing fat from the resulting aqueous protein solution. The aqueous protein solution may be separated from the residual oil seed meal before or after the fat removal step. The defatted protein solution then is concentrated to increase the protein concentration while maintaining the ionic strength substantially constant, after which the concentrated protein solution may be subjected to a further fat removal step. The concentrated protein solution then is diluted to cause the formation of a cloud-like mass of highly aggregated protein molecules as discrete protein droplets in micellar form. The protein micelles are allowed to settle to form an aggregated, coalesced, dense amorphous, sticky gluten-like protein isolate mass, termed "protein micellar mass" or PMM, which is separated from residual aqueous phase and dried.
The protein isolate has a protein content, on a dry weight basis, (as determined by Kjeldahl Nx 6.25) of at least about 90 wt %, is substantially undenatured (as determined by differential scanning calorimetry) and has a low residual fat content. The term "protein content" as used herein refers to the quantity of protein in the protein isolate expressed on a dry weight basis. The yield of protein isolate obtained using this procedure, in terms of the proportion of protein extracted from the oil seed meal which is recovered as dried protein isolate was generally less than 40 wt %, typically around 20 wt %.
The procedure described in the aforementioned patents was developed as a modification to and improvement on the procedure for forming a protein isolate from a variety of protein source materials, including oil seeds, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,323 (Murray IB). The oil seed meals available in 1980, when U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,323 issued, did not have the fat contamination levels of canola oil seed meals, and, as a consequence, the procedure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,323 cannot produce from the current oil seed meals processed according to the Murray II process, proteinaceous materials which have more than 90% protein content. There is no description of any specific experiments in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,303 carried out using rapeseed (canola) meal as the starting material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,323 itself was designed to be an improvement on the process described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,169,090 and 4,285,862 (Murray IA) by the introduction of the concentration step prior to dilution to form the PMM. The latter step served to improve the yield of protein isolate from around 20 wt % for the Murray IA process.
In copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 60/288,415 filed May 4, 2001, 60/326,987 filed Oct. 5, 2001, 60/331,066 filed Nov. 7, 2001, 60/333,494 filed Nov. 26, 2001 and 60/374,801 filed Apr. 24, 2002 and filed May 3, 2002, all assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference, there is described further improvements on these prior art protein isolation procedures as they apply to oil seeds to obtain improved yields of dried isolated product protein in terms of the proportion of the protein extracted from the oil seeds which is recovered as protein isolate and to obtain protein isolate of high purity, usually at least about 100 wt % at a Kjeldahl nitrogen (N) conversion rate of Nx 6.25. As used herein, protein content is determined on a dry weight basis. The procedure is employed particularly to produce a canola protein isolate.
In the procedure described in the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 60/288,415, 60/326,987, 60/331,066, 60/333,494, 60/374,801 and 10/137,391, the oil seed meal is extracted with an aqueous food grade salt solution. The resulting protein extract solution, after an initial treatment with colorant adsorbent, if desired, is reduced in volume using ultrafiltration membranes to provide a concentrated protein solution having a protein content in excess of about 200 g/L. The concentrated protein solution then is diluted into cold water, resulting in the formation of a white cloud of protein micelles which are allowed to separate. Following removal of the supernatant, the precipitated, viscous sticky mass (PMM) is dried.
In one embodiment of the process described above and as specifically described in application Ser. Nos. 60/326,987, 60/331,066, 60/333,494, 60/374,801 and 10/137,391, the supernatant from the PMM settling step is processed to remove a protein isolate comprising dried protein from wet PMM and supernatant. This procedure may be effected by initially concentrating the supernatant using ultrafiltration membranes, mixing the concentrated supernatant with the wet PMM and drying the mixture. The resulting canola protein isolate has a high purity of at least about 90 wt %, preferably at least about 100 wt %, protein (Nx 6.25).
In another embodiment of the process described above and specifically described in application Ser. Nos. 60/331,066, 60/333,494, 60/374,801 and 10/137,391, the supernatant from the PMM settling step is processed to recover a protein from the supernatant. This procedure may be effected by initially concentrating the supernatant using ultrafiltration membranes and drying the concentrate. The resulting canola protein isolate has a high purity of at least about 90 wt %, preferably at least about 100 wt %, protein (Nx 6.25).
In copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/339,350 filed Dec. 13, 2001 and Ser. No. 60/391,046 filed Jun. 25, 2002, assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there is described a procedure in which enhanced levels of protein from canola oil seed meal is achieved by employing a meal which has been desolventized at a temperature of about 100° C. or less. Such meal may be the starting material for the process of this invention.
In copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/401,782 filed Aug. 8, 2002, assigned to the assignee hereof and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, there is described the recovery of canola protein isolate from the residual meal from solvent extraction of canola oil seed to remove residual quantities of oil, commonly known as "white flake" or less commonly as "marc" meal. Such meal may be used as the starting material for the process of the invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Continuous process for production of oil seed protein isolate


Streaming video to a wireless device is described. For example, one embodiment of a computer-implemented method for providing a multimedia stream to a wireless device over a wireless network comprises: receiving a request for a video stream from a wireless device; requesting the video stream from a streaming server on behalf of the wireless device; streaming the video stream from the streaming server and storing the video stream or portions thereof in a buffer; streaming the video stream from the buffer to the wireless device; detecting that the wireless device has lost communication with the wireless network; sending a command to the streaming server to pause the streaming of the video stream and maintaining a network connection to the remote streaming server; detecting that the wireless device has regained communication with the wireless network; determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication; and resuming streaming of the video stream to the wireless device at the determined point within the video stream.

The set of network protocols which enable communication over the Internet is sometimes referred to as the TCP/IP protocol suite, after its two most well known protocols: the Transmission Control Protocol ("TCP") and the Internet Protocol ("IP"). The TCP protocol, which resides at the "transport" layer of the Internet protocol stack, is a reliable, connection-oriented protocol which ensures that data arrives at its destination undamaged and in order. In addition, the TCP layer continuously measures network load and throttles its sending rate in order to avoid overloading the network. The IP protocol performs the basic task of moving packets of data from source to destination using IP addresses. IP can carry data for a number of different higher level protocols, each of which are identified by a unique IP Protocol Number.
In order to establish communication with a remote host on a TCP/IP network, a "socket" connection to the remote host must be established. A socket is defined by the combination of the IP address of the remote host and a port number identifying a remote application type. For example, port 80 is the standard port number for Hypertext Transport Protocol ("HTTP") traffic, and port 80 packets are typically processed by a Web server.
A variety of wireless messaging and personal information management (PIM) devices have been introduced over the past few years including, for example, the T-Mobile Sidekick LX designed by the assignee of the present application. The TCP/IP protocol is used by many of these devices to communicate over wireless networks (e.g., the General Packet Radio Service ("GPRS") used on GSM networks). Consequently, in order to communicate with a remote host, these devices must open and maintain a socket connection to the remote host in the same manner as wired computer systems (e.g., PC desktops and notebooks).
One problem with this scenario is that, due to the inherent unreliability of wireless networks, wireless socket connections may not be suitable for certain types of applications. For example, stream-based applications such as Secure Shell ("SSH") connections require a significant amount of initialization overhead in order to establish (e.g., negotiating encryption variables, user authentication data, etc) and must be maintained over a relatively long period of time (i.e., in comparison to transaction-based applications such as Web browsing). Similarly, when a user is viewing a video or audio stream over a wireless network and the wireless connection is temporarily broken, the user must reconnect to the remote server and start the video or audio stream from the beginning. For these types of connections, when a socket is closed (e.g., due to an unreliable wireless network) it is typically quite burdensome on the end user, who loses all state information associated with the connection and must then take the time to reestablish the connection with the remote server.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved mechanism for maintaining connections with remote servers over a wireless network.