A vehicle control device comprises a processor configured to determine a target merge location where the vehicle is to make a lane change from a merging lane to a main lane, in a merge zone on a scheduled route where the merging lane merges with the main lane, as a location that is before the location at the minimum distance to the end point of the merging lane allowing the driver to whom control of the vehicle has been handed over to operate the vehicle for the lane change, and when the vehicle has not completed the lane change upon reaching the target merge location, give the driver a first notification notifying that control of the vehicle will be switched from automatic control to manual control, by using a notifying unit that notifies the driver of information, or by using a vehicle controlling device that controls operation of the vehicle to perform a predetermined operation of the vehicle.

Self-driving control for a vehicle is accomplished by creating a scheduled route for the vehicle based on the location of the vehicle, the destination of the vehicle and map data, and controlling the vehicle to travel along the scheduled route.
When a merge zone is included in the scheduled route, where a merging lane merges with a main lane, the vehicle is automatically controlled to change from the merging lane to the main lane of the merge zone.
When a vehicle changes lanes in a merge zone, its running motion is controlled so as to maintain a safe distance between itself and other vehicles.
International Publication No. 2017/159493, for example, proposes a method whereby the success probability of a lane change from a merging lane to a main lane is derived by referring to correspondence information in which success probability is matched both with information obtained from a traffic information source and the length of the merging zone, and based on the derivation success probability, it is judged whether or not a lane change can be made from the merging lane to the main lane.
When it cannot be ensured that the vehicle will have a safe distance between itself and other vehicles, travel on the current merging lane is continued without a lane change until the situation changes allowing a safe distance to be ensured between itself and other vehicles.
Since the vehicle travels in the merging lane while it is waiting to make the lane change, the vehicle proceeds toward the end point of the merging lane when a lane change cannot be made by automatic control.
International Publication No. 2017/159493 proposes switching the vehicle control from automatic control to manual control when it has been judged that a lane change from the merging lane to the main lane cannot be made by automatic control, so that the driver can operate the vehicle manually for lane change from the merging lane to the main lane.

Vehicle control device and storage medium which stores a computer program for vehicle control


In a moving body satellite communication apparatus for performing communication with a satellite by an antenna with a radome mounted on a moving body such as an aircraft, loss due to transmission through the radome, and distortion of polarization characteristics are compensated in the inside of the antenna. Variable phase shifters 9a and 9b and variable attenuators 19a and 19b, and variable phase shifters 10a and 10b and variable attenuators 20a and 20b are respectively controlled as one body in each channel, and the whole power EIRP radiated from the antenna is also optimally controlled by a common variable attenuator 21 inserted independently from the variable attenuators 19a and 19b, and therefore, radome correction and EIRP control can be simultaneously realized by a relatively simple circuit.

In general, in a case where a radome is placed over an antenna, in order to resolve the deterioration of antenna radiation characteristics due to the radome, a hemispherical radome curved surface is adopted so that even if the antenna is rotated, the incident angle of an electric wave becomes constant.
However, in an antenna with a radome mounted on a moving body such as an aircraft, since the height of the radome is restricted, the hemispherical curved surface of the constant incident angle as stated above can not be adopted, and accordingly, the loss due to the transmission of an electric wave through the radome, and the characteristic deterioration must be accepted.
That is, FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of an antenna with a radome mounted on an aircraft. Since an antenna 1 and a radome 2 are mounted on the outside of an airframe 3, the anisotropic radome is adopted which has the lowest possible air resistance and has a streamline shape as shown in the drawing. Thus, when an electric wave is transmitted through the radome, as shown in FIG. 2, attenuation occurs in the output of the electric wave radiated from the antenna, and a shift occurs in the plane of polarization. For example, with respect to the electric wave having the plane of polarization of a horizontal polarization H1 and a vertical polarization V1 before the transmission through the radome, the shift of the plane of polarization by a certain phase angle as indicated by H2 and V2 can occur by the transmission through the radome, or the attenuation of the output as indicated by V2 can occur by the transmission through the radome. The degree of the shift of the plane of polarization and the attenuation of the output is largely affected by the frequency and directivity of the electric wave at that time, not to mention the position and shape of the radome.
FIG. 3 is a structural view of a conventional moving body satellite communication apparatus having a polarization plane control circuit disclosed in JP-A-2002-141849. In the drawing, a radome 2 is the foregoing anisotropic radome, and an antenna apparatus 1 includes a well-known main reflecting mirror 4, a secondary reflecting mirror 5, and a horn antenna 6. Reference numerals 7 and 8 denote 90° phase combiners for performing division into/composition of two channels while a phase of 90° is kept; 9a, 9b, 10a and 10b, variable phase shifters each inserted in a control system divided into the two channels and for phase shifting output signals of the 90° phase combiners 7 and 8; 11a and 11b, high-power amplifiers (HPA) for amplifying output signals of the variable phase shifters 9a and 9b; 12a and 12b, low-noise amplifiers (LNA) for amplifying output signals of an after-mentioned 90° phase combiner 14; 13, a 90° phase combiner for phase combining output signals of the high-power amplifiers 11a and 11b; 14, a 90° phase combiner for phase combining selection signals from after-mentioned diplexers 15 and 16; 15 and 16, diplexers for switching between transmission and reception and for separating/combining signals; 17, an orthomode transducer for functioning as an interface between the signal circuit and the antenna, which is also called a positive mode transducer; and 18, an antenna control circuit for performing a polarization angle adjustment of the antenna and other satellite tracking control of the antenna.
Next, the operation of this circuit will be described. In the case where the moving body satellite communication apparatus is mounted on an aircraft, since the relative positional relation to a satellite changes from moment to moment, it is necessary that the direction of a beam is always pointed toward the satellite by adjusting the polarization angle of the antenna 1. Now, when a transmitter signal to be transmitted to the satellite is inputted to a transmission side Tx terminal of FIG. 3, it is divided by the 90° phase combiner 7 into two channels having components orthogonal to each other, and the respective phases are independently controlled by the variable phase shifters 9a and 9b. The antenna control circuit 18 calculates the pointing direction of the antenna on the basis of the absolute position information of the aircraft and the position information of the satellite, and adjusts the phase quantities of the variable phase shifters 9a, 9b, 10a and 10b to achieve a desirable antenna polarization angle. Incidentally, the output electric wave from the antenna, that is, the effective isotropic radiated power (hereinafter referred to as EIRP) is kept at a definite value determined by a setting instruction value.
In the conventional antenna system as stated above, consideration is not given to an influence on the attenuation of an electric wave and the shift of the plane of polarization when it is transmitted through the anisotropic radome, and accordingly, no measures against this have been taken.


A static random-access memory is disclosed which utilizes bit line pairs for each column of memory cells for communication of data between external data terminals and the memory cells. A precharge transistor is connected between each bit line and a precharge voltage, for example V , and an equilibration transistor is connected between the bit lines in each bit line pair. The precharge and equilibration transistors are controlled according to selection of the column, so that all columns which are not selected by the column address are precharged and equilibrated, including the unselected columns in the same sub-array as the selected columns. In an additional embodiment of the invention, a data transition detection circuit also controls the precharge and equilibration transistors, so that the precharge and equilibration transistors for the selected columns are turned on responsive to an input data transition during a write operation; this assists the write drivers in more quickly writing the new data onto the bit lines.

Conventional memory circuits which utilize static memory cells, such circuits including static random access memories (SRAMs), FIFOs, dual-port memories, and microprocessors and other logic devices with such memory embedded therein, are generally organized in rows and columns. In these conventional memories, a row select line, generally decoded from a row address value, connects each of a number of memory cells associated with the row address value to a pair of bit lines; each pair of bit lines are associated with a column of memory cells. During a read operation, the bit line pair communicates, to a sense amplifier or other output circuitry, a differential signal corresponding to the data state stored in the memory cell in its associated column which is also in the selected row. Conversely, during a write operation, the bit line pair communicates a differential signal from input circuitry to the memory cell in its associated column which is in the selected row.
An important factor in the performance of a particular memory circuit is the speed at which such read and write operations can be reliably performed. The reliability of such operations is improved where the differential signal communicated by the bit lines is as large as possible. For a read operation, the sense amplifier or other circuit can more accurately read the data state where the differential voltage between the bit lines is large. Especially where the memory cells are fabricated conventionally as cross-coupled inverters with resistive loads (the value of the resistors in the loads being as high as possible, for example on the order of Teraohms), noise immunity of the cell is improved by presentation of a large differential voltage on the bit lines during the write operation. Accordingly, the voltage swing of the bit lines in such memories is preferably as large as possible, occurring in as short a time as possible.
Conventional techniques for controlling the bit lines of such memory circuits to quickly accomplish voltage swings thereon include the precharging and equilibration (also referred to as equalization) of each bit line pair to a known voltage prior to each operation. The precharging and equilibration in such conventional techniques is performed by a clocked signal, which causes the precharge and equilibration for all bit lines at the same time, as described in Minato, et al., "A 20 ns 64K CMOS SRAM", Digest of Technical Papers, 1984 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (IEEE, 1984), pp. 222-23. In this way, the bit lines will not have to make a full transition from one differential state to the other in successive cycles, significantly improving the performance of the circuit. Conventionally, the bit lines are precharged to a high voltage, such as the V.sub.cc supply, and a transistor connected between the two bit lines in each pair is turned on to equilibrate the two bit lines, ensuring that they are precharged to the same voltage.
For a read operation in a static memory circuit as described hereinabove, it is desirable to precharge and equilibrate the bit lines to V.sub.cc, and then release the bit lines to respond to the memory cell in the selected row. The memory cell in the selected row will present a differential signal on the bit lines in the bit line pair, to communicate its stored data state. Release of the bit lines after precharge and equilibration allows the selected memory cell to establish this differential voltage without opposition from the precharge and equilibration of the bit lines. A conventional write operation is performed by a write circuit discharging one of the precharged bit lines in the bit line pair to ground. This is also preferably done after release of the precharge and equilibration of the bit lines, so that the write circuit also does not have to discharge a bit line in opposition to a static load attempting to pull the discharging bit line toward the precharge voltage.
However, it is desired that bit lines in unselected columns not be allowed to float, since a memory cell in each of the unselected columns is connected thereto by operation of the word line. If the bit lines in unselected columns are left to float, in sufficiently long memory cycles (e.g., on the order of 200 nsec), unselected floating bit lines would eventually discharge to ground. During the next cycle after these bit lines are discharged, one of the bit lines in each pair (or both, if the memory precharges bit lines high) is pulled up to a voltage near V.sub.cc in a read operation. This charging of the bit lines for all unselected columns in a block, or in the entire memory, requires significant current, resulting in increased power dissipation and increased noise effects.
A first prior method for addressing this problem is to provide pull-up devices, such as static or active loads, on the bit lines. Such loads will, of course, keep unselected bit lines from floating. However, the effect of such loads on the bit lines must be overcome in both the read and write operations, which slows the performance of the memory.
Another prior method prevents the discharging of unselected floating bit lines by way of a "time-out" of the write operation. This time-out precharges and equilibrates the bit lines after the expiration of a delay time after data has been received in combination with a write enable signal, ensuring proper bit line precharge and equilibration prior to the next operation. However, in the event of a long write cycle, transitions may appear at the data inputs sufficiently often to prevent the time-out period from elapsing. In this case, unselected bit lines which are left floating would have sufficient time to discharge to ground, resulting in the large current spike during the next memory cycle.
A prior memory arrangement has included static load devices in parallel with precharge transistor which are controlled by the column decoder. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 11, where complementary bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- serve a column of memory cells in an array. Each of bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- are connected to input/output lines I/O and I/O.sub.--, respectively via pass gates PG and PG.sub.--, respectively. Pass gates PG and PG.sub.-- each consist of parallel n-channel and p-channel transistors; the gates of the p-channel transistors in pass gates PG and PG.sub.-- for a particular column are connected to line SEL from the column decode, and the gates of the n-channel transistors in pass gates PG and PG.sub.-- are connected to line SEL from the column decode, after inversion. Further according to this conventional arrangement, a p-channel equilibration transistor EQX has its source-to-drain path connected between bit lines BL and BL.sub.--, and has its gate driven by an equilibration signal EQ.sub.-- generated by timing control circuitry; line EQ.sub.-- is generated in common for all columns in the same block or sub-array.
Also in this conventional arrangement, p-channel precharge transistors PC and PC.sub.-- have their source-drain paths connected between bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- and V.sub.cc, and each have their gates connected to inverted line SEL from the column decode. Static load devices L and L.sub.-- are also used in this embodiment, each being a small (relative to precharge transistors PC and PC.sub.--) p-channel transistor having its source-drain path connected between its associated bit line and V.sub.cc, and having its gate tied low.
Accordingly, in this conventional arrangement, each of the bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- are precharged to V.sub.cc when not selected by the column decode, but have a static pull-up load applied thereto at all times. While this arrangement prevents bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- from floating when not selected, equilibration is done by a common signal (EQ.sub.--). As a result, the bit lines BL and BL.sub.-- may still develop a differential voltage when unselected, as a memory cell will be connected thereto by the selected word line. In addition, the static loads cause static power to be dissipated, and also oppose the development of a differential signal on the bit lines in a read operation, and oppose the input data driven by the write drivers in a write operation.
The control of equilibration in a memory by the column decoder, and based on the column address, is described in Tran, et al., "An 8-ns 256K ECL SRAM with CMOS Memory Array and Battery Backup Capability", J. Solid State Circuits, Vol. 23, No. 5 (IEEE, October 1988), pp. 1041-47. The memory described in this paper, while providing an equilibration device controlled by the column select line (see FIGS. 3 and 5, and the accompanying description), also utilizes bit line pull-up transistors and resistors which serve as loads during read operations, pulling the bit lines to a voltage approximately V.sub.cc -V.sub.be ; these pull-ups are also controlled during write operations according to the input data, so that the pull-up transistor is turned off for the bit line being pulled down in the write operation. In this described memory, however, in a read operation the differential voltage on the bit lines must be established by the memory cell in opposition to the load of the bipolar transistors and resistors. Furthermore, the control of the bit lines during a write operation is quite complex, as the input data must be communicated to both ends of the column.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a circuit which maintains precharge and equilibration of the bit lines in unselected columns of a memory.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a circuit which allows for an architecture without static loads on the bit lines.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a circuit which also results in reduced active power dissipation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a circuit which allows for efficient disabling of a column when a redundant column is enabled, and such that shorting of the replaced column to a power supply voltage will not cause DC power dissipation.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having reference to the following specification together with the drawings.

Semiconductor memory with column decoded bit line equilibrate


A closed system suction catheter assembly has a valve which controls suction applied at the patient end of the assembly. The valve has a pinch tube connected in line with the catheter and secured at each end to the housing of the valve. An occluder bar midway along a pivoted lever is urged up by a spring to pinch the tube closed against a fixed occluder and close the valve. The valve has a button protected by a rotatable guard which bears on an end of the lever so that the valve can be opened by pressing down on the button. A snap mechanism engages the occluder lever.

This invention relates to suction catheter assemblies and valves.
The invention is more particularly concerned with medical suction catheter assemblies including valves which can be used for aspirating secretions from tracheal tubes or, for example, for removing blood and debris from surgical sites.
Suction catheter assemblies of this kind are connected to the inlet of a container, the outlet of the container being connected to a vacuum pump so that a reduced pressure is created in the container which in turn applies suction to the catheter. In such systems, the vacuum pump generally operates continuously and the catheter includes a valve by which suction at the tip of the catheter can be controlled. In its simplest form, the valve comprises an aperture in the wall of the catheter which, when open, allows air to enter the catheter and thereby prevents any significant suction effect at the tip. The aperture can be closed, when desired, by the thumb of the user, or by a movable flap, so that the suction effect is confined to the tip of the catheter.
Examples of such catheters are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,919 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,216. The problem with this form of valve is that the suction control aperture provides a path through which contaminated material sucked into the catheter can leak out. This is a significant disadvantage in view of the present concern about cross-infection and the transmission of infectious diseases.
In order to reduce the risk of escape of material, catheters have been made which include a sealed valve. Examples of suction catheters with a push-down spool valve are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,026, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,573 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,508. A suction catheter with a resilient valve member is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,344. Many other forms of suction catheter with different suction control valves are also known.
One problem with these valves is that they have as a part of their sealing system an obstruction to flow. The obstruction is created by the stem which connects the spool, plunger or other seal to the manually-actuable button by which the valve is operated. In some valves the stem itself creates the seal. The obstruction created by the stem causes the fluid flow path to be split into two paths around opposite sides of the stem. This does not permit the free flow of thick fluids, such as thick respiratory fluids.


A system for monitoring orders processed by order processing applications implemented on computer systems is provided. The order processing monitor comprises an application to process a portion of an order and to write application data to a log file, the application data related to the processing of the order by the application, a log adapter operable to communicate with the log file to obtain at least a portion of the application data, a log agent operable to monitor a resource data related to a computer system used by the application to process at least some of the order, and a monitor component in communication with the log adapter to obtain the portion of the application data and operable to obtain at least a portion of the resource data, the monitor component using the application data and resource data to determine order status information.

Some enterprises depend upon a multitude of computer programs or applications which execute on several different computer systems to conduct their business. The applications may be developed using different programming languages and may have been developed at different times. The computer systems may be from different manufacturers and may employ different operating systems. A telecommunications operating company, for example, may depend upon computer applications to enter a customer order for telecommunications service, to provide telecommunications services to the customer, to generate a customer bill for telecommunications services, and to record customer payments. In enterprises which depend heavily upon computer applications and computer systems to conduct their business it is important to monitor those computer applications and computer systems.


Dual suppression of the MAP kinase and PI3K/Akt pathways showed synergistic or greatly enhanced anti-melanoma cell effects, compared to suppression of a single pathway, including the inhibition of cell proliferation, transformation and invasion, induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and, importantly, cell apoptosis. Remarkably, suppression of either pathway induces the expression of thyroid iodide-handling genes and dual suppression of the two pathways synergistically and robustly induces expression of these genes, accompanied by uptake of radioiodine in the cells. These genes include sodium/iodide symporter, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor, thyroglobulin, thyroperoxidase, pendrin gene, thyroid transcription factors (e.g., TTF-1, TTF-2, PAX8) and other thyroid genes. Targeting major signaling pathways, such as the MAP kinase and PI3K/Akt pathways, for potent cell death, optionally coupled with induction of thyroid gene expression for adjunct radioiodine ablation therapy may be used for many human cancers, both thyroid and non-thyroid.

Cancer is a major cause of human death. There is currently no cure for many types of human cancers. Many cancers are very aggressive with a high mortality and some have an increasing incidence in recent years. For example, melanoma is a common skin cancer and recent decades have seen a markedly increase in its incidence worldwide (Jemal A, Devesa S S, Hartge P, Tucker M A. Recent trends in cutaneous melanoma incidence among whites in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst 2001; 93:678-83; Lasithiotakis K G, Leiter U, Gorkievicz R, et al. The incidence and mortality of cutaneous melanoma in Southern Germany: trends by anatomic site and pathologic characteristics, 1976 to 2003. Cancer 2006; 107:1331-9; Ries L A G, Melbert D, Krapcho M, et al. (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, Md., http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975—2005/, based on November 2007 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2008). In the United States alone, 62,480 new cases and 8,420 deaths from melanoma were estimated for the year of 2008 (Ries, supra). Although early-stage disease is curable through surgical excision, advanced metastatic melanoma is resistant to current treatments, with a rapidly progressive course and high mortality rate (Flaherty K T. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy combinations in advanced melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2006; 12:2366s-70s; Tawbi H A, Kirkwood J M. Management of metastatic melanoma. Semin Oncol 2007; 34:532-45).
A major effort in melanoma research has thus been to identify novel treatment strategies targeting major molecular pathways, particularly the Ras→Raf→MEK→MAP kinase/ERK (MAPK) and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, which are commonly over-activated by genetic alterations, such as the BRAF mutations in the MAPK pathway (Davies H, Bignell G R, Cox C, et al. Mutations of the BRAF gene in human cancer. Nature 2002; 417:949-54) and the PIK3CA amplification and PTEN mutations in the PI3K/Akt pathway (Wu H, Goel V, Haluska F G. PTEN signaling pathways in melanoma. Oncogene 2003 22:3113-22; Curtin J A, Fridlyand J, Kageshita T, et al. Distinct sets of genetic alterations in melanoma. N Engl J Med 2005; 353:2135-47; Marquette A, Bagot M, Bensussan A, Dumaz N. Recent discoveries in the genetics of melanoma and their therapeutic implications. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2007; 55:363-72). These two pathways play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis and progression of melanoma and are therefore important therapeutic targets for this cancer (Satyamoorthy K, Li G, Gerrero M R, et al. Constitutive mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in melanoma is mediated by both BRAF mutations and autocrine growth factor stimulation. Cancer Res 2003; 63:756-9; Stahl J M, Sharma A, Cheung M, et al. Deregulated Akt3 activity promotes development of malignant melanoma. Cancer Res 2004; 64:7002-10; Dai D L, Martinka M, Li G. Prognostic significance of activated Akt expression in melanoma: a clinicopathologic study of 292 cases. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23:1473-82; Meier F, Schittek B, Busch S, et al. The RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways present molecular targets for the effective treatment of advanced melanoma. Front Biosci 2005; 10:2986-3001; Meier F, Busch S, Lasithiotakis K, et al. Combined targeting of MAPK and AKT signalling pathways is a promising strategy for melanoma treatment. Br J Dermatol 2007; 156:1204-13; Kwong L, Chin L, Wagner S N. Growth factors and oncogenes as targets in melanoma: lost in translation? Adv Dermatol 2007; 23:99-129).
Radioiodine therapy based on the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) gene transfer has been widely investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy for extrathyroidal malignancies (Faivre J, Clerc J, Gérolami R, et al. Long-term radioiodine retention and regression of liver cancer after sodium iodide symporter gene transfer in Wistar rats. Cancer Res 2004; 64:8045-51; Dwyer R M, Bergert E R, O'Connor M K, et al. In vivo radioiodide imaging and treatment of breast cancer xenografts after MUC1-driven expression of the sodium iodide symporter. Clin Cancer Res 2005; 11:1483-9; Riesco-Eizaguirre G, Santisteban P. A perspective view of sodium iodide symporter research and its clinical implications. Eur J Endocrinol 2006; 155:495-512; Schipper M L, Riese C G, Seitz S, et al. Efficacy of 99mTc pertechnetate and 131I radioisotope therapy in sodium/iodide symporter (NIS)-expressing neuroendocrine tumors in vivo. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2007; 34:638-50; Willhauck M J, Sharif Samani B R, Klutz K, et al. Alpha-fetoprotein promoter-targeted sodium iodide symporter gene therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Gene Ther 2008; 15:214-23). NIS is normally expressed in the basal membrane of follicular thyroid cells, which transports iodide from blood stream into the cell for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormone (Riesco-Eizaguirre, supra; Nilsson M. Iodide handling by the thyroid epithelial cell. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2001; 109:13-17). This process also involves several other key molecules, including thyroglobulin (Tg), which incorporates iodide through organification that involves thyroperoxidase (TPO). Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1 or TITF1) and 2 (TTF2 or FOXE1) and PAX8 are involved in the regulation of these genes. Expression of many of these iodide-handling genes in the thyroid cell is up-regulated by the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which acts on the TSH receptor (TSHR) in the thyroid cell membrane. This is the molecular basis for the commonly used radioiodide ablation therapy for thyroid cancer, which is clinically facilitated by increasing the level of TSH in the blood of the patient either through thyroid hormone withdrawal or administration of recombinant human TSH (Mian C, Lacroix L, Bidart J.-M, Caillou B, Filetti S, Schlumberger M. Sodium/iodide symporter in thyroid cancer. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2001; 109: 47-51; Duntas L H, Cooper D S. Review on the occasion of a decade of recombinant human TSH: prospects and novel uses. Thyroid 2008; 18(5):509-16). In papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), BRAF mutation (and hence activation of the MAPK pathway) was associated with decreased radioiodine avidity (Xing M, Westra W H, Tufano R P, et al. BRAF mutation predicts a poorer clinical prognosis for papillary thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005; 90:6373-9; Riesco-Eizaguirre G, Gutierrez-Martinez P, Garcia-Cabezas M A, Nistal M, Santisteban P. The oncogene BRAF V600E is associated with a high risk of recurrence and less differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma due to the impairment of Na+/I− targeting to the membrane. Endocr Relat Cancer 2006; 13:257-69; Mian C, Barollo S, Pennelli G, et al. Molecular characteristics in papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) with no (131)I uptake. Clin Endocrinol 2008; 68:108-16), which can be explained by BRAF mutation-associated silencing of thyroid iodide-handling genes, such as NIS (Riesco-Eizaguirre G, Santisteban P, supra; Durante C, Puxeddu E, Ferretti E, et al. BRAF mutations in papillary thyroid carcinomas inhibit genes involved in iodine metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007; 92:2840-3), Tg (Durante, supra), and TPO (Mian, supra; Durante, supra; Giordano T J, Kuick R, Thomas D G, et al. Molecular classification of papillary thyroid carcinoma: distinct BRAF, RAS, and RET/PTC mutation-specific gene expression profiles discovered by DNA microarray analysis. Oncogene 2005; 24:6646-56; Di Cristofaro J, Silvy M, Lanteaume A, Marcy M, Carayon P, De Micco C. Expression of tpo mRNA in thyroid tumors: quantitative PCR analysis and correlation with alterations of ret, Braf, ras and pax8 genes. Endocr Relat Cancer 2006; 13:485-95). Several previous studies also demonstrated involvement of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the regulation of thyroid iodide-handling genes. For example, expression of a mutant Ras that selectively stimulated the PI3K/Akt pathway markedly decreased TSH-induced NIS expression (Cass L A, Meinkoth J L. Ras signaling through PI3K confers hormone-independent proliferation that is compatible with differentiation. Oncogene. 2000; 19:924-32) and IGF-I could inhibit cAMP-induced NIS expression through activating the PI3K/Akt pathway (Garcia B, Santisteban P. PI3K is involved in the IGF-I inhibition of TSH-induced sodium/iodide symporter gene expression. Mol Endocrinol 2002; 16:342-52) in thyroid cells.
In recent clinical trials on various human cancers, including melanoma, targeting an individual pathway, such as the MAPK pathway or the PI3K/Akt pathway, or use of a single agent generally failed to show significant clinical responses (Marquette, supra; Kwong, supra; Friday B B and Adjei A A. Advances in targeting the Ras/Raf/MEK/Erk mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade with MEK inhibitors for cancer therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2008; 14:342-6). A recent study showed common expression of TSHR in melanoma cells, but no or little expression in benign skin lesions (Ellerhorst J A, Sendi-Naderi A, Johnson M K, Cooke C P, Dang S M, Diwan A H. Human melanoma cells express functional receptors for thyroid-stimulating hormone. Endocr Relat Cancer 2006; 13:1269-77), raising the possibility that other thyroid iodide-handling genes might also be expressible in melanoma cells.
There is a continuing need in the art to develop more effective treatments for human cancers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Induction of thyroid iodide-handling gene expression in human cancers


A double annular combustor having concentrically disposed inner and outer annular combustors is provided with inner and outer domes. A one-piece cowl is provided upstream of the inner and outer domes in order to form a high pressure region. The one-piece cowl has an inner annular portion, an outer annular portion, and a radial middle portion connecting the inner and outer annular portions. The inner and outer annular portions include scalloped areas therein to facilitate insertion and removal of fuel tubes and nozzles. The cowl middle portion includes a shield to isolate the scalloped areas and the fuel tube from the high pressure region, thereby preventing leakage of air flow and consequential pressure loss from the high pressure region.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the combustion system of a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a double annular combustor having concentrically disposed inner and outer annular combustors with inner and outer domes, and a one-piece cowl extending upstream of and connected to the inner and outer domes having an inner annular portion, an outer annular portion, and a radial middle portion connecting the inner and outer annular portions.
2. Description of Related Art
Efforts to reduce emissions in gas turbine engines have brought about the use of staged combustion techniques wherein one burner or set of burners is used for low speed, low temperature conditions such as idle, and another, or additional, burner or burners are used for high temperature operating conditions. One particular configuration of such a concept is that of the double annular combustor wherein the two stages are located concentrically in a single combustor liner. Conventionally, the pilot stage section is located concentrically outside and operates under low temperature and low fuel/air ratio conditions during engine idle operation. The main stage section, which is located concentrically inside, is later fueled and cross-ignited from the pilot stage to operate at the high temperature and relatively high fuel/air ratio conditions. The swirl cups of the respective pilot and main stage sections generally lie in the same radial and circumferential planes, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,801 to Wilkes, et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,374,466 and 4,249,373 to Sotheran.
However, as discussed in a development report to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on combustion system component technology for the Energy Efficient Engine (E.sup.3) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,358 to Stenger, the pilot stage and the main stage may be radially offset (i.e., lie in distinct radial planes). In both the '358 patent and E.sup.3 configurations, the effective length of the main stage section is relatively short and the effective length of the pilot stage section is relatively long. This configuration allows for complete or near-complete combustion to reduce the amount of hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions since there is a relatively long residence time in the pilot stage section and a relatively minimal residence time in the main stage section.
Whether the inner and outer combustors are radially aligned or not, and whether the outer annular combustor acts as the pilot stage or main stage, the prior art discloses the use of cowls immediately upstream of the dome region to control air flow coming into the combustor. This air flow is divided into three streams: an inner stream which flows into an inner liner passage defined by an inner liner of the combustor and a shell surrounding the liner; an outer stream which flows into an outer liner passage defined by an outer liner of the combustor and a shell surrounding the liner; and a center stream which flows into the combustor dome region defined by inner and outer cowling. Generally speaking, pressure losses occur in the regions where air flow is dumped into the liner passages. However, free stream diffusion occurs in the center stream upstream of the combustor cowlings, which produces a pitot tube effect for the air flow and results in low pressure losses in the region inside the combustor cowlings.
In applications where multiple combustor domes are used in conjunction with a prediffuser of conventional design, cowls which are designed to attain free stream diffusion tend to interfere with the insertion and removal of fuel tubes and nozzles and therefore require notches in the cowling known as "scallops." Such an arrangement is unacceptable due to an increase in pressure loss which occurs ahead of the domes and in the liner passages as air flow passes through the cowling as intended, but then passes back out through the scallops into the liner passages. Moreover, cowls which have been designed so as not to interfere with fuel tubes and nozzles (e.g., cowls having shorter length which do not extend as far upstream) also result in unacceptable pressure losses due to excessive flow spillage from inside the cowl caused by improper sizing of the cowl open area.
Accordingly, the present invention proposes a cowl design for combustors having multiple domes which eliminates the aforementioned problems of cowls heretofore known.

One-piece cowl for a double annular combustor


On the display screen of a video signal display device, when the emission amount is monotonically lowered toward the screen periphery from a certain point (screen center), if there are a plurality of regions that viewers notice easily (such as faces), then correction by monotically decreasing the emission amount cannot always raise the signal level in the regions that are noticed, and it may not be possible to obtain a sufficient sense of brightness. In the video signal processing device, a multiple object detection portion detects a plurality of objects that are included in a unit image, and a correction gain is calculated such that when the unit image is displayed on the display device, a point on the display screen at which an emission amount that is lower than the emission amount on the display screen at a point that is substantially in the center between any two objects is in a region between the points substantially in the center of the two objects, and the input video signal is corrected with that correction gain. Thus, it is possible to maintain a sense of brightness about a plurality of objects on the display screen that are readily noticed by viewers, while suppressing power usage by the display device that displays the video signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to self-emitting type video signal processing devices that emit light themselves and that have a display screen that permits light adjustment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there has been a demand for high-quality display devices, and one important element of such display devices is the brightness of their display screen. However, simply increasing the brightness of the display screen that is displayed on the display device requires a large consumption of power.
On the other hand, there is increased concern for the environment in recent years, and this has made it important to reduce power use.
It would be desirable to achieve a display device that can balance these opposing goals of increasing the brightness of the display screen and reducing power use.
To suppress power use, many self-emitting display devices have a control to restrict the power use when the video signal has a high average picture level (hereinafter, APL). When this control is active, control is performed such that the total light that is emitted by the display screen of the self-emitting display device is constant.
Accordingly, one technology for self-emitting display devices involves lowering the emission amount in parts of the display screen that viewers are relatively less likely to notice and increasing the emission amount at the display screen center, which viewers are more likely to focus on, by this amount that the emission has been lowered, so as to increase the overall sense of brightness of the display screen while keep a constant power consumption (for example, see JP H6-282241A, JP 2002-116728A and JP 2006-228199A).
FIG. 16 shows the configuration of a video signal display device 1600, which serves as an example of the conventional technology.
The video signal display device 1600 is made from a video signal processing device 1601 for performing predetermined processing on a video signal, and a display device 1602 that displays the video signal that has been processed by the video signal processing device 1601.
The video signal processing device 1601 is constituted by a mean luminance detection portion 1603 for detecting the APL of the video signal that is input, a gain creation portion 1604 for creating a gain for signal level adjustment based on the APL that has been detected, and a signal level adjustment portion 1605 for adjusting the signal level of the video signal that has been input based on the gain for signal level adjustment that has been created and outputting it to the display device 1602.
The operation of the video signal display device 1600 is described next using FIG. 16.
This explanation is made with regard to an example in which a video signal that forms an image such as that shown in FIG. 16B has been input to the video signal display device 1600, and the video signal forms the line between P and Q that is shown in FIG. 16B.
In this case, the signal level of the video signal that has been input is adjusted with the signal level adjustment gain based on the APL that has been detected by the mean luminance detection portion 1603, and the result is output to the display device 1602. Specifically, a signal level adjustment gain such as that shown in FIG. 16C is created for the video signal between P and Q, and the signal level of the video signal is adjusted by multiplying this signal level adjustment gain and the video signal between P and Q that has been input.
Thus, the signal level of the video signal that is output to the display device 1602 is higher near its center than at its periphery, and thus the display screen that is displayed on the display device 1602 is bright near the center between P and Q and becomes progressively less bright toward its periphery. Consequently, the video signal display device 1600 allows power usage to be lowered while preventing a drop in the display quality of the display screen.
With conventional video signal display devices, however, there is the problem that, because the emission amount is monotonically lowered from a certain point (for example, the display screen center) on the display screen of the video being displayed toward its periphery, if the display screen includes a plurality of regions that viewers readily focus on (such as faces), then correction by monotically decreasing the emission amount from the center of the display screen toward its periphery cannot always raise the emission amount in regions that are noticed, and it may not be possible to obtain a sufficiently bright feeling on the display screen.
The present invention was arrived at in light of these issues, and it is an object thereof to achieve a video signal display device, a video signal processing device, a video signal processing method, an integrated circuit, and a video signal processing program that can obtain a sufficient sense of brightness on the display screen, even if the display screen includes a plurality of regions that viewers a likely to focus on, and that also can suppress power usage.

Video signal processing device, video signal processing method, video signal processing program, integrated circuit, and video signal display device


A system to determine preference information of part worth values associated with a consumer and a product includes determination of a plurality of attributes of the product, each of the plurality of attributes associated with a plurality of attribute levels, determination of a plurality of piles of attributes based on a first indication of the consumer, each of the plurality of piles comprising one or more of the plurality of attributes, determination of a ranked order of a plurality of attributes of one of the plurality of piles, determination of a relative importance of one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a second indication of the consumer, determination of a scale value of one or more attribute levels of the one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a third indication of the consumer, and determination of a part worth value associated with an attribute level of one of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a determined scale value of the attribute level and a determined relative importance of the one of the plurality of attributes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for determining consumer preferences. More specifically, the invention relates to self-explicated trade-off analysis systems used to quantify consumer preferences with respect to product attributes and to product attribute levels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manufacturers are presented with many choices during the design of a product. For example, a manufacturer must choose from among several available product features, or attributes, when deciding which attributes to include in a product. Some attributes are optional while others must be included. In the case of a television set, "Chassis color" is an attribute that must be included and "Picture-in-picture" is an optional attribute. For each included attribute, a manufacturer must also choose an attribute level to associate with the attribute. Attribute levels which may be associated with the attribute "Chassis color" include "black", "white", "blue", etc.
Occasionally, a manufacturer produces several versions of a similar product by varying product attributes and/or attribute levels among the several versions. In such a case, the manufacturer must determine attributes and associated attribute levels to include in each version as described above. Moreover, the manufacturer must determine how many units of each version will be produced. For example, a manufacturer choosing to produce televisions having a black chassis and televisions having a blue chassis must also determine how many of each type of television to produce and offer for sale.
Product pricing represents a further choice presented to product manufacturers. In this regard, a manufacturer attempts to choose a price for each produced product that will maximize overall profit to the manufacturer. Of course, price may also be considered a product attribute, with associated attribute levels consisting of particular prices.
Each of the foregoing choices may be greatly facilitated if the manufacturer has detailed and accurate information relating to consumer preferences. A consumer, in this regard, is any entity to which a product and/or service may be offered. Such consumers include individuals, businesses, and purchasing managers. Consumer preference information can be used to determine the popularity and desirability to consumers of particular product attributes and attribute levels. Therefore, by using this information, a manufacturer is more likely to choose product configurations as well as production amounts and prices for each product configuration that maximize overall profit.
In view of its importance, manufacturers expend significant resources in their attempts to obtain detailed and accurate consumer preference information and to analyze marketplace choices. These resources are most commonly allotted to conventional consumer surveys. Such surveys typically consist of a list of predetermined questions designed to elicit information from a consumer regarding the consumer's feelings toward products, product attributes, and product attribute levels. Surveys may be administered randomly, for example by stopping consumers at shopping malls or other retail areas, or by contacting specific consumers who are targeted because they are members of a demographic group about which information is desired.
Conventional surveys present several inherent drawbacks. First, since survey results are compiled into general demographic categories, surveys merely determine, at best, preferences of a theoretical average consumer belonging to each demographic category. Accordingly, survey results are only marginally correlated to any one consumer's preferences. Therefore, such results lack predictive precision of a particular consumer's preferences with respect to marketplace choices available and not yet available. Second, although conventional surveys may indicate whether one attribute level (e.g. "black chassis color") is generally preferred over another level of the same attribute (white chassis color"), such surveys do not provide any reliable means for comparing preferences across attributes. For example, conventional surveys are generally unable to determine the degree to which a consumer prefers a black chassis over another color so as to enable comparison between that degree and the degree to which the consumer prefers a 27″ screen over another screen size. As a result of these drawbacks, conventional surveys are poor at producing useful quantified preference information of individual consumers.
Focus groups are another conventional vehicle used to obtain consumer preference information. In a typical focus group, certain consumers are randomly selected (or selected based on demographics as described above) to answer questions and/or to participate in a group discussion regarding a product or a type of product. Answers and comments put forth by the consumers are noted and tabulated to create preference information similar to that obtained using survey techniques. However, because of their interactive nature, focus groups tend to elicit information which is more pertinent than that elicited by surveys. Despite this advantage, focus groups still suffer from the drawbacks described above with respect to conventional surveys.
The field of trade-off analysis developed to address the above and other shortcomings in conventional techniques for determining consumer preference information. Generally, trade-off analysis techniques attempt to quantify a consumer's preference for a particular product's attributes and attribute levels. Such quantification is intended to allow a manufacturer to easily and accurately compare the attractiveness of various product configurations to a consumer. For example, trade-off analysis techniques allow a manufacturer to compare the attractiveness of a 27″ television with Picture-in-picture capability priced at $399 with that of a 35″ television with a digital comb filter priced at $599. This comparison is possible because the techniques associate a particular numerical value with a consumer's preference for each attribute and attribute level. Accordingly, the relative attractiveness of any attribute or attribute level with respect to any other attribute or attribute level can be determined simply by comparing the appropriate associated numerical values.
According to one classification scheme, four types of trade-off analysis techniques exist: conjoint; discrete choice; self-explicated; and hybrid. Conjoint analysis generally requires a consumer to rate or rank product configurations with respect to one another. Typically, the consumer is asked to rank twenty to thirty product configurations. Each ranked configuration includes different combinations of attributes and attribute levels being evaluated. By appropriately varying the configurations, a regression model can be estimated for each consumer.
Conjoint analysis is an improvement over conventional systems for determining consumer preferences. For example, determining preferences by observing consumer behavior is difficult because consumer behavior can usually be observed only with respect to a few combinations of attributes and attribute levels (i.e., the combinations that exist in the marketplace). Accordingly, it becomes difficult to separate and distinguish between the preferences of different consumers and to predict effects of changes in attributes and/or attribute levels on consumer behavior. On the other hand, conjoint analysis allows for improved learning of consumer preferences through controlled variation and controlled co-variation of attributes and attribute levels.
According to discrete choice analysis, a consumer is presented with a set of product configurations and asked to select either the configuration that the consumer is most interested in purchasing or no configuration if the consumer is not interested in purchasing any of the presented configurations. The process is then repeated for other sets of product configurations. In contrast to conjoint analysis, which may be used to estimate a regression model for individual consumers, discrete choice analysis may be used to estimate a mixture method (similar to a regression model) for a group of consumers.
While conjoint analysis and discrete choice analysis determine consumers' preferences indirectly, self-explicated analysis directly determines preferences by asking consumers how important each product attribute range and attribute level range is to their purchasing decisions. According to some self-explicated analysis models, consumers are presented with all attributes and attribute levels to be evaluated, and asked to identify attribute levels that are unacceptable. An unacceptable attribute level is one that, if included in a product, would cause the product to be completely unacceptable to the consumer, regardless of any other attributes and attribute levels included in the product. For example, a consumer may indicate that an automobile including an attribute level of "pink" associated with the attribute "color" is completely unacceptable regardless of any other attributes or attribute levels included in the automobile. Accordingly, "pink" is identified as an unacceptable attribute level for that consumer.
Next, the consumer is asked to identify, from the acceptable attribute levels, the most-desirable and the least-desirable attribute levels associated with each presented attribute. Assuming that the consumer's most important attribute has a rating of 100, the consumer is then asked to rank the relative importance of each remaining attribute from 0 to 100. Next, for each attribute, the desirability of each attribute level is rated with respect to all other acceptable attribute levels of the attribute. A consumer preference for an attribute level is then obtained by multiplying the relative importance of its associated attribute by its desirability rating.
Hybrid analysis techniques utilize a combination of features from the above-described techniques. The most common example of a hybrid analysis technique is Adaptive Conjoint Analysis (ACA), a product of Sawtooth Software, Inc. According to ACA, a consumer is taken through several rankings of attribute levels and ratings of relative attribute importance (similar to self-explicated techniques) and then asked to identify, for each of a series of pairs of product configurations, which one of the pair is the most desirable and the degree to which it is more desirable. Other examples of hybrid models include the Cake Method and the Logit-Cake Method developed by MACRO Consulting, Inc.
Each of these trade-off analysis techniques requires consumers to provide consistent, thoughtful responses to presented inquiries. A consumer may be able to provide such responses if presented with a small number of inquiries, but is unlikely to do so if presented with many inquiries. In this regard, the number of inquiries presented by each of the above techniques increases sharply as the number of evaluated attributes and/or attribute levels increases. Such an increase in the number of inquiries also causes a corresponding increase in the amount of time required to answer the inquiries. Therefore, as more attributes and attribute levels are evaluated, various forms of consumer bias are likely to increase, such as a waning attention span, a lack of time, a lack of patience, boredom, and haste. These increased consumer biases result in increased consumer error and inaccurate preference information. Also increased is a consumer's tendency to abandon the technique and to simply cease answering further inquiries, in which case the resulting preference information is partially or totally unusable.
Another form of consumer bias is caused by consumer attitudes toward particular attributes and/or attribute levels. As described above, conventional trade-off analysis techniques ask a consumer to evaluate the importance of an attribute or attribute level with respect to other attributes or attribute levels. However, if the consumer has an extreme dislike for one of the attributes or attribute levels, the consumer may overestimate the importance of the other attributes or attribute levels.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is a trade-off analysis system to quantify consumer preferences which addresses the forms of consumer bias experienced by conventional systems and which also produces an accurate and useful picture of consumer preferences with respect to product attributes and attribute levels.


A method, system and computer program product for appropriately distributing items using augmented reality. After receiving a list of detected items to be placed in a container(s), an optimal placement of the detected items in the container(s) is determined. Such an optimal placement may be determined by using the dimensions and a maximum weight of items the container(s) can hold, the dimensions of the detected items, a maximum amount of weight for the container the customer can carry as well as other factors. After determining the optimal placement of the detected items in the container(s), a visual representation of such an optimal placement is displayed on an augmented reality device.

Shopping, such as grocery shopping, is a part of most people's lives. Often times, a customer (also referred to as a shopper) puts the items to be purchased at the store (e.g., grocery store) in a cart (e.g., grocery cart). After the customer has completed shopping at the store, the customer purchases the items at the checkout counter (also referred to as the "point of sale" or "point of purchase").
At checkout, the cashier or a "bagger" helps put the purchased items (e.g., groceries) into containers, such as plastic or paper bags.
When packing or bagging items, it is important to ensure that certain items are not placed next to other items. For example, it is important to not pack raw meat in the same bag with other cooked food based on the general regulations for health considerations. In another example, a household cleaning product should not be placed in the same bag as with food items.
Typically, the cashier or bagger does not receive any training concerning the packing of items in a manner to comply with health regulations or considerations. As a result, items may be placed next to inappropriate items.
Furthermore, it is important to conserve natural resources, such as plastic or paper bags, used as containers for holding the purchased items. However, the cashier or bagger may not receive training concerning the packing of items in such a manner as to utilize the fewest number of containers without causing tears in the container from overweight of the items.
Hence, there is currently not a system in place that ensures that items are placed next to appropriate items in the containers and that ensures that the fewest number of containers are used to store the purchased items without causing tears in the container from overweight of the items.

Appropriately distributing items using augmented reality

International Business Machines Corporation


A mounting plate connects a first air channeling apparatus and a second air channeling apparatus. The first air channeling apparatus includes an air outlet and a flange projecting outward from the air outlet. The mounting plate is mounted to the second air channeling apparatus and comprises an opening, a first rail, alignment tabs, and a clamp member. The first rail on the mounting plate projects toward the first air channeling apparatus. The alignment tabs project toward the first air channeling apparatus and are configured to align with the air outlet. The clamp member has a first end and a second end. The first end is pivotally connected to the mounting plate and the clamp member includes a second rail. The flange of the first air channeling apparatus is secured between the first rail and the second rail as the clamp member is secured to the mounting plate.

Air moving apparatuses, such as centrifugal fans, are conventionally connected to ducts, distribution boxes or other air directing apparatuses through fastening means such as nuts and bolts, or screws. These fastening means require that the connected parts include apertures for installing the fastening means to. It is possible for the apertures to be defectively machined so that they are misaligned and the connection becomes difficult or even impossible. Moreover, such methods of connection require an installer to use tools or to hold onto the parts for a prolonged period of time in order to keep them aligned while the connecting procedures take place. Furthermore, under conventional methods of connection, air directing apparatuses, such as ducts, must often be routed after the air moving apparatuses, such as fans, are connected and this can lead to an excessive amount of duct that can hinder the air flow through kinks or other restrictions.
There is a need for a simple and time-saving way to connect air moving/directing devices that is also less prone to machining defects and may allow for pre-routing of air directing apparatuses.


A combustion control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, includes an exhaust purifier in an exhaust passage, and a combustion controlling actuator such as a fuel injector to cause main combustion, and to cause preliminary combustion prior to the main combustion. A controller controls fuel injection to produce the preliminary combustion at or near top dead center, and controls fuel injection to start the main combustion after an end of the preliminary combustion.

EP1035315 A2 (corresponding to JP2000-320386 A) shows a fuel injection system for a diesel engine, arranged to inject fuel in a basic fuel injection quantity corresponding to a required engine torque or in an increased fuel injection quantity, by three split injections near a compression top dead center of each cylinder, with a fuel injector, to promote warm-up of a catalyst.


Absorbent articles incorporating a wetness sensor for indicating the presence of a body fluid are disclosed. In particular, the absorbent articles include at least two conductive elements that form an open circuit within the article. Each conductive element is connected to a conductive pad member that has sufficient surface area in order to facilitate connection to a signaling device. In accordance with the present disclosure, various attachment mechanisms are disclosed for attaching the pad members to a signaling device. In particular, although the absorbent articles are disposable, the signaling device is intended to be used with multiple absorbent articles. Therefore, a simple and efficient method of connecting the signaling device to the pad members provides various advantages. In one particular embodiment, for instance, the pad members comprise a conductive loop-type material that is attached to a corresponding conductive hook-type material on the signaling device.

Absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence products, feminine hygiene products, swim undergarments, and the like conventionally include a liquid permeable body-side liner, a liquid impermeable outer cover, and an absorbent core. The absorbent core is typically located in between the outer cover and the liner for taking in and retaining liquids (e.g., urine) exuded by the wearer.
The absorbent core can be made of, for instance, superabsorbent particles. Many absorbent particles, especially those sold under the tradename HUGGIES™ by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, are so efficient at absorbing liquids that it is sometimes difficult to tell whether or not the absorbent article has been insulted with a body fluid.
Accordingly, various types of moisture or wetness indicators have been suggested for use in absorbent articles. The wetness indicators may include alarm devices that are designed to assist parents or attendants identify a wet diaper condition early on. The devices produce either a visual or an audible signal.
In some embodiments, for instance, inexpensive conductive threads or foils have been placed in the absorbent articles in the machine direction. The conductive materials serve as conductive leads for a signaling device and form an open circuit in the article that can be closed when a body fluid, such as urine, closes the circuit. In these embodiments, although the absorbent articles may be disposable, the signaling devices are not. Thus, the signaling devices are intended to be removed from the article and reattached to a subsequent article.
Problems, however, have been encountered in designing an attachment mechanism for the signaling device that does not appreciably increase the cost of the absorbent article but allows for a very reliable attachment of the signaling device to the conductive leads. Further, problems have been experienced in designing an attachment mechanism that can be incorporated into the absorbent article during high speed manufacturing processes.

Connection mechanisms in absorbent articles for body fluid signaling devices


A flexible, open-pored cleaning body having at least one scouring surface (2) provided in at least one subregion with continuously formed, raised projecting ridges (3), wherein the ridges (3) have regions C,D of different heights in the direction of their extension.

A cleaning body is described in German Utility Patent No. 7 612 130. In the patent, the ridges have an identical cross-section over their entire length; they are arranged close to one another and separated from each other by perpendicularly incised channels. They consist of the same material as the cleaning body and have a correspondingly high flexibility. When encountering adherent solid dirt laterally, a lateral buckling is often observed, which makes little contribution to detaching the dirt and subsequently removing it. Besides, the already detached dirt components which penetrate into the interspaces between the ridges have a tendency to become fixed therein. They are hard to remove.
Another German Patent No. 27 30 266 describes cleaning bodies in which a plurality of isolated protuberances are arranged on a flat surface in close proximity to one another. Such cleaning bodies do not make it possible to wipe off a surface to be cleaned without leaving streaks. Further, the resistance of the protuberances to buckling decreases with increasing height. Thus, to remove adhering dirt, it is necessary to make the height of the protuberances very low. However, in so doing, an impairment of the dirt uptake capacity of the interspaces must be reckoned with.


A method detects objects in an image. First, features are extracted from the image. A frequency transform is applied to the features to generate transformed features. A covariance matrix is constructed from the transformed features, and the covariance matrix is classified to determine whether the image includes the object, or not.

Detecting objects in images is a fundamental problem in computer vision. Object detection is a necessary first step before the objects can be tracked or identified.
One broad class of object detection techniques constructs a model of the object, and pixels in images are compared to the model. One problem in object detection is that the object can have various poses with respect to the image plane, e.g., rotational variation. Therefore, it is desired to have a model that is invariant to the poses of the object
In the following description, the example object to be detected is a vehicle license plate. However, it should be understood that the invention can be worked many different types of objects, e.g., human faces, vehicles, and the like.
Methods for detecting license plates are well known: L. Dlagnekov, "Car license plate, make, and model recognition," Proc. IEEE Conf. on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2005; W. Förstner and B. Moonen, "A metric for covariance matrices," Technical report, Dept. of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Stuttgart University, 1999; and C. Rahman, W. Badawy, and A. Radmanesh, "A real time vehicle license plate recognition system," Proceedings of the IEEE on Advanced Video and Signal Based Surveillance, AVSS03, 2003.
License plate detection can be used in security and traffic monitoring systems. Often the extracted information is used for enforcement, access-control, and flow management, e.g., to keep a time record on the entry and exit for automatic payment calculations or to reduce crime and fraud.
However, detecting license plates with varying poses, changing lighting conditions and corrupting image noise, without using an external illumination source is difficult.
Methods can be rule based or use a trained classifier. A simple method first detects license plate boundaries. An input image is processed to amplify the edge information using gradient filtering and thresholding. Then, a Hough transformation is applied to detect parallel line segments. Coupled parallel lines are considered as license plate candidates.
Another method uses a gray level morphology. That method focuses on local appearance properties of license plate regions such as brightness, symmetry, orientation, etc. Candidate regions are compared with a given license plate image based on the similarity of these properties.
Classifier based methods learn different representations of the license plates. In a color texture based method, a license plate region is assumed to have discriminatory texture properties A support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used to determine whether a candidate region corresponds to a license plate or not. Only the template of a region is fed directly to the SVM to decrease the dimensionality of the representation. Next, license plate regions are identified by applying a continuously adaptive mean-shift process to the results of the color texture analysis.
Another method poses the detection task as a boosting problem. Over several iterations, an AdaBoost classifier selects a best performing weak classifier from a set of weak ones, each classifier acting on a single feature, and, once trained, combines their respective votes in a weighted manner. A strong classifier is then applied to sub-regions of an image being scanned for likely license plate locations. An optimization based on a cascade of classifiers, each specifically designed using false positive and false negative rates, helps to accelerate the scanning process.
In addition to single frame detection techniques, there exist methods that take advantage of video data by processing multiple consecutive frames.
One main drawback of all the above methods is that their performance depends on strong assumptions made about the appearance of objects. Most methods cannot handle in-plane and out-plane rotations, or are incapable of compensating for imaging noise and illumination changes. Simply enlarging the training dataset using rotated training samples often causes a deteriorated performance and increased false positive rate.
The region descriptors used for object detection should be invariant to rotations. The descriptors should also be able to distinguishing objects from the background under uncontrolled conditions.
Many different representations, including aggregated statistics, textons, and appearance models, have been used for object detection. Histograms are popular representations of nonparametric density. However, histograms disregard the spatial arrangement of the feature values. Moreover, histograms do not scale to higher dimensions. Appearance models are highly sensitive to the pose, scale and shape variations.

Detecting objects in images with covariance matrices

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


Disclosed are a wavelet transformation-based image encoder, decoder and method for generating a thumbnail image. In the present invention, an original image is tiled according to a preset tiling scheme, and wavelet transformation is performed for each tiled image. An LL image is extracted from the tiled image and range mapping is performed for the color values of each pixel of the extracted LL images. After the range mapping of the color values according to the pixels, a thumbnail image is generated by reconstructing the LL images according to the predetermined tiling scheme. According to the present invention as described above, when an encoder using a wavelet transformation method encodes the original image into a wavelet image or a decoder using wavelet transformation method decodes the wavelet encoded image into the original image, the thumbnail image can be easily generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display presentation of thumbnail images and more particularly to a method for generating a thumbnail image according to a wavelet transformation scheme in the encoding or decoding of an image based on the wavelet transformation scheme.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a thumbnail image refers to a small size image used for image preview and so on.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a conventional JPEG encoder capable of generating the thumbnail image.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional JPEG encoder includes a block divider 100, a Frequency Discrete Cosine Transform (FDCT) 102, a quantization unit 210, a zigzag scanner 106, and an entropy encoding unit 108. The JPEG encoder further includes a discrete cosine transform value extractor 114 connected to the FDCT 102, and an assembling unit 116 in order to generate the thumbnail image.
According to a method by which the JPEG encoder encodes an original image, the block divider 100 divides the original image into blocks of a preset size (e.g. 8 pixel×8 pixel), and the FDCT 102 performs the discrete cosine transformation on each of the divided blocks. The discrete cosine transform value (DCT value) extractor 114 extracts the discrete cosine transform value. The quantization unit 210 receives the extracted DCT values, and performs quantization by using a predetermined quantization matrix. Here, the quantization matrix refers to an integer matrix randomly generated by a designer, etc. The original image is expressed in the form of a matrix with quantization values.
The zigzag scanner 106 receives the original image expressed in the form of a matrix with the quantization values and transforms the original image in the form of integer rows according to a normal zigzag scanning scheme. Then, the transformed original image is input to the entropy encoding unit 108 to be encoded according to an average code length per symbol, determined by an average information amount called 'entropy', based on the generation probability of data symbols. The entropy encoding method includes a Huffman coding, an arithmetic coding and the like. In this manner an original image is encoded according to the JPEG encoding scheme.
When the JPEG encoder generates the thumbnail image, the FDCT 102 performs a level shift process for each block to create a predetermined number of coding blocks, and computes the average values of discrete cosine values of the coding blocks. The assembling unit 116 configures an image using these computed average values. For example, in the case where a thumbnail image is generated in the form of a (128×128) pixel coding block including 256 blocks of (8×8) pixels through the level shift process, if the original image has a size of (1024×1024) pixels, the created thumbnail image has a size of (128×128) pixels and corresponds to ⅛th the size of the original image.
Though the JPEG encoding scheme the size of the original image can be reduced without data loss. Another proposed method, referred to as JPEG 2000, is a wavelet transformation method-based encoding scheme capable of improving the compression rate of JPEG encoding scheme by several orders of magnitude. However, the JPEG 2000 encoding scheme is still problematic in that it can not use the JPEG encoding scheme due to the use of the wavelet encoding scheme.
This is because the wavelet transformation applies a low pass filter and a high pass filter to each row of a two-dimensional image, generates four sub-images, (low-low (LL), low-high (LH), high-low (HL) and high-high (HH)), by performing down sampling, and combines the four sub-band images to generate an output image including the same number of samples as compared to the original image.
Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a method for generating the thumbnail image from the original image in the image encoding or decoding scheme such as a JPEG 2000 based on the wavelet transformation scheme.

Wavelet transformation-based image encoder, decoder and method for generating thumbnail image


A double-belt system for processing viscous melts includes a driven upper belt having a lower working run, and a driven lower belt having an upper working run spaced beneath the lower working run to form a gap therewith for receiving a viscous melt. A gap-adjusting mechanism includes upper rollers engaging an upper surface of the lower working run, and lower rollers engaging a lower surface of the upper working run. A distance between the upper rollers and lower rollers is adjustable to vary a size of the gap. A compensation mechanism is disposed over the lower working run to apply an upward force thereto for pulling the lower working run against the upper rollers, thereby resisting sagging of the lower working run. At least one delivery mechanism applies a temperature-controlled liquid across an entire width of the lower working run for controlling a temperature thereof. The liquid is extracted by an extraction mechanism disposed downstream of the delivery mechanism. Vertically adjustable stops are provided for determining a vertical position of respective ones of the upper rollers.

The invention relates to a double-belt system having continuously recirculating upper and lower belts, the mutually facing working runs of the belts delimiting a process gap, the height of the process gap being adjustable by means of calibration rollers which are associated with the working runs of the belts.
Double-belt systems for processing viscous melts into plastics in slab form are commonly known. A double-belt system has a continuously recirculating upper belt as well as a continuously recirculating lower belt, the mutually facing working runs of which delimit a process gap in which the melt product is cured into the slab form, under defined pressure and temperature conditions, in a continuous flow-through process through the double-belt system. Difficulties have previously been encountered, however, in the processing of, in particular, highly free-flowing (i.e., relatively low-viscosity) melts.
It is the object of the invention to create a double-belt system of the above-described kind which allows improved processing of highly free-flowing melts.

Double-belt system for processing viscous melts


A lighting system using a GPS receiver is provided. The lighting system includes: a GPS receiver for calculating sunrise time and sunset time from an inputted GPS signal and outputting an on/off signal and a satellite detection indicating signal according to the calculated sunrise time and sunset time; a security light configured to be turned on/off in response to the on/off signal; and an LED configured to be turned on/off in response to the satellite detection indicating signal. Accordingly, the GPS receiver itself receives GPS satellite signal, sunrise time and sunset time are automatically calculated from the received position information and reception information by using a baseband processor, and a security light is turned on/off at the calculated sunrise and sunset time, so that the number of components is greatly reduced.

Security light is attached to electric poles located between buildings or alleys for the purpose of illumination and crime prevention. A flasher is installed in each security light.
A photoelectric control method and an electric control method are widely used to control a flasher of a security light.
The photoelectric control method uses a photodiode (photoelectric transformation device). The photoelectric control method uses a characteristic that a reverse current in P-N junction or contact between a rectifying metal and a semiconductor increases a photovoltaic effect due to illumination of light.
However, when a dark current is generated or it is a cloudy day or a lot of dust accumulates in the photodiode, power may be dissipated and persons may complain.
For these reasons, the photodiode has been replaced with an electric flasher.
The electric control method is designed to memorize a year's sunrise/sunset time of an installation region in a memory of one-chip controller and read month, day and time from a clock chip to turn on/off the light at a corresponding month, day and time.
However, an X-TAL oscillator used in the clock chip is not precise and is sensitive to environment and temperature change. Thus, the light may be turned on/off earlier or later.
In order to solve these problems, time signal is received from a satellite radio and a fixed time is recognized only when a signal is received within two seconds from the time signal. When noise is mis-recognized as the time signal and the set time is out of three or more seconds in the clock chip, the time signal from the satellite radio cannot be received. Accordingly, the time is set incorrectly due to the noise.
In order to solve this problem, a lighting system is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 0461047, filed by the present applicant.
The lighting system using GPS includes: a GPS receiver 10 for receiving GPS satellite signal; a controller 20 for receiving position information and time information from the GPS receiver 10 and calculating a position of the sum, sunrise time and sunset time by substituting the position information and the time information into a calculation equation; an input unit 40 for receiving time difference in the sunrise time and sunset time through an operator's key manipulation; and an output unit 50 for outputting a turn on/off indicating signal and a satellite detection indicating signal at the sunrise time and sunset time, which is calculated by the controller 20.
An overall operation of the lighting system constructed as above will now be described. First, the GPS satellite signal is received through the GPS receiver 10, and the position information and the time information are transmitted to the controller 20 through RS-232C communication interface.
The controller 20 calculates the sunrise time and the sunset time, based on the information received from the GPS receiver 10, by substituting the position of the sun, the sunrise time and the sunset time into the calculation equation. Meanwhile, the controller 20 controls the light to turn on/off according to the calculated sunrise time and sunset time. The controller 20 receives information, such as alternate turn-on based on time zones and latenight turn-off when crops grow based on regions, through the input unit 40, and performs the turn on/off operation.
That is, the GPS satellite signal is received, and the position information and the time information are substituted into the calculation equation to automatically calculate the sunrise time and the sunset time. Accordingly, the light can be automatically turned on/off at the sunrise and the sunset.
Referring to FIG. 2, the GPS receiver 10 includes: a low noise amplifier (LNA) 11 for amplifying RF signal received from a GPS satellite through an antenna ANT; an RF filter 12 for filtering the amplified RF signal; an RF front-end IC 13 for converting an output signal of the RF filter 12 into an IF signal; a baseband processor 14 for down-converting the IF signal into a baseband frequency; and a flash memory 15 for storing information necessary for the system.
In such a lighting system, the GPS receiver, the controller, the input unit and the output unit are separately provided. Therefore, a lot of components are used, resulting in an increase of a manufacturing cost.


Various embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for improved performance for power amplifiers, particularly GaN power amplifiers. According to some embodiments, a power amplifier (e.g., GaN power amplifier) utilizes adaptive predistortion and adaptive closed-loop control of the drain current of the power amplifier to achieve improved power amplifier performance.

1. Technical Field
Some embodiments of the present invention(s) relate to power amplifiers, and more particularly, some embodiments relate to systems and methods for improved power amplifier performance.
2. Description of Related Art
Radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers and devices using Gallium Nitride (GaN) benefit over those using technologies such as gallium arsenide (GaAs). For example, GaN-based power amplifiers have exceptional power density (i.e., increased power per square millimeter of die) and exceptional power efficiency characteristics. Unfortunately, one of the challenges of using GaN-based power amplifiers is controlling the quiescent drain current (Iq) of such power amplifiers over time. FIG. 1 provides a chart depicting the drift of the quiescent drain current (Idq) of an example GaN power amplifier over time. Such drift impacts certain systems, because as the quiescent drain current (Idq) of a GaN power amplifier changes, so does the performance of the GaN power amplifier. One solution to this is a "burn-in" procedure, whereby a GaN power amplifier is energized until the quiescent drain current (Idq) of the GaN power amplifier stabilizes. The "burn-in" procedure is time consuming, it is difficult to tell how much time will be required for Idq stabilization in GaN power amplifiers (as it is difficult to predict the drift of the quiescent drain current over long periods of time), and a GaN power amplifier cannot be biased at a constant drain current for its drain current varies according with its RF power output.
Another one of the challenge affecting GaN amplifiers used in radio frequency (RF) transmitters (e.g., microwave transmitters) that need to comply with regulatory requirements, such as those of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), Unite States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Since GaN devices, such as GaN amplifiers, do not operate as in class-A operation (i.e., linear operation), RF transmitters that utilize GaN devices and operate on a high-order quadrature amplitude module (QAM) have difficulty operating in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Systems and methods for biasing amplifiers using adaptive closed-loop control and adaptive predistortion


A system and method for improving hearing enhancement solutions across a wide range of hearing devices, particularly for a wide-range of disparate user-provided hearing devices.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
The growth of consumer electronics has included many different portable computing systems that process audio data for a user. A user interface to such a system often includes a personal audio option which privatizes audiblized data so that only the user may hear. Such options include user-wearable devices that include one or two earphones. Often it is preferred that the audiblized data is presented by the device in stereo (e.g., an earphone for each ear). The earphones may be included in an industrial design for headphones, headsets, ear buds, and the like (collectively hearing devices).
Each user has a hearing profile characterizing how the user will actually perceive and process incoming audible information and a desired profile how the user would like to perceive and process incoming audible information.
Hearing impairment of users sometimes result in use of hearing prosthetics (aids, amplifiers, compressors) to amplify and/or tune ambient or telephonic communications frequencies to partially or wholly compensate for such impairment. A trained audiologist is often recommended to set and manage these prosthetics. It can be inconvenient for users of such prosthetics to use non-prosthetic devices in cooperation with their prosthetic. It can also be inconvenient for such users to avoid using non-prosthetics for any activity.
Often these industrial designs are configured with lightweight and small form factor implementations as a goal. Increasingly there is a desire for advanced functionality in these hearing devices which can be a conflict for the industrial design goals.
There may be several potential conflicts—the more functionality that is included, the hearing device may become less desirable because of cost, size, and or complexity. To minimize costs, it can be difficult to allow for upgradeability so users may need to consider replacing/upgrading their hearing devices more frequently.
As the desirability of these user-enhancements increases, disadvantages of custom interface controls for configuration and operation of enhanced features for different hearing devices may discourage acceptance.
A solution to some of these conflicts may improve user acceptance and expand a market for desirable solutions.


The medical instrument includes a male instrument connector, which includes at least one male fluid connector arranged on a flat face. A venting bore may also be arranged on the same face and disposed to act as pressure relief by which leaking fluids that accumulate in the instrument can be discharged. A cover cap may be attached to the face. The cover cap allows for sterilization of the instrument, including the male instrument connector.

In practice, medical instruments having an instrument head that can be used by a surgeon or by any other person providing medical treatment to achieve physical effects on human or animal patients are known, such effects include, for example, the changing, dividing or ablating of tissue. Instruments are known, where the instrument head used must be supplied with a fluid, e.g., a cryogenic fluid, in order to bring about the desired physical effect. To accomplish this, the instrument head must include a supply line that connects the instrument head with a male instrument connector. The male instrument connector is adapted to a medical apparatus that supplies the instrument with the desired media, in particular fluids, as well as with electrical parameters. To this extent, the male instrument connector includes at least one male fluid connector that can be connected to a corresponding female connector on the apparatus. In addition, the male connector is usually rotation-symmetrically configured and includes a lateral venting opening, from which fluids that have the potential to become liberated due to leaks within the supply line can be discharged without risk. In doing so, undesirable effects such as, e.g., the inflation of a protective sleeve of the supply line, are prevented.
The male instrument connector must satisfy a multitude of requirements. For example, the fluids to be supplied to the instrument head are frequently under considerable pressure. These fluids must not escape in an uncontrolled manner. Likewise, a sudden pressure reduction of the fluids that are used can result in the development of extreme cold and thus in the risk of injuries. Therefore, conventional male instrument connectors are mostly manufactured of robust, complex rotating elements, which is expensive.
Furthermore, the sterilization of the instruments must be taken into consideration in instruments that are to be used more than once. In this case, the sterilization applies to all of the surfaces that are accessible from the outside. However, washing fluids, rinsing fluids, or the like must be prevented from penetrating into the fluid channels of the instrument because residues of such washing or rinsing fluids, should they remain in the instrument may lead to considerable disruptions of the instrument and ultimately can harm the patient.

Medical instrument and male connector for said instrument