Distance-based framing includes obtaining at least a video stream during an online conference session. The video stream, an audio stream received with the video stream, or both the video stream and the audio stream are analyzed and a framing that either focuses on a speaker in the video stream or provides an overview of participants in the video stream, the framing being is composed based on the analyzing. A potential error in the framing is detected based on further analysis of at least one of the video stream, the audio stream, or distance sensor data received with the video stream. The potential error may be contradicted or confirmed based on an amount of motion when the framing focuses on the speaker. If the distance sensor data contradicts the potential error, the framing is maintained, but if the distance sensor data confirms the potential error, a new framing is generated.

Online conference systems, sometimes referred to as videoconference, teleconference, telepresence, or collaboration systems, allow meetings between persons or groups of people at different locations. Online conference systems may include equipment configured to allow the persons or groups of people to communicate by at least simultaneous two-way video and/or audio transmissions. Additionally, online conference systems may allow participants in a session (i.e., a meeting) to converse via audio and/or video transmissions while sharing content, such as content shown locally on an endpoint (e.g., on a computer screen), writing or drawing on an electronic whiteboard, and/or other such materials.
Certain online conference systems include endpoints that are equipped with one or more cameras and displays that are configured to capture and present one or more video streams. Some endpoints may also track various participants, such as talking participants, and follow the tracked participants with a camera. Additionally or alternatively, video streams may be processed to compose different framings, such as a speaker framing and an overview framing, which can be utilized during different portions of a meeting. The video streams can be classified as participant streams (e.g., video captured by cameras and containing views of meeting participants) or data content streams (e.g., whiteboard content).

Distance-based framing for an online conference session


A write element for use in perpendicular magnetic recording. The write element including a write pole and a self aligned wrap around shield that can have a trailing shield gap thickness that is different from its side shield gap thickness. The materials making up the trailing shield gap and the side shield gaps can be different materials or can be the same material deposited in two different steps. The side or wrap around portions of the trailing shield can extend down to the level of the leading edge of the write pole or can terminate at some point between the levels of the leading and trailing edge to form a partial wrap around trailing shield.

Magnetic heads are used in disk drives to write information on to a moving magnetic media and to read the information stored thereon. Conventional magnetic heads include a write head and a read head. A write head should be capable of writing straight and sharp transitions. The write head should also be capable of writing the data on a given track without reducing the signal of adjacent or nearby tracks.
The write head may implement a longitudinal recording mode or a perpendicular recording mode for magnetically encoding data on a disk. A longitudinal write head, in accordance with the conventional art, is depicted in FIG. 1A. In longitudinal recording, a coil 105 wound around a toroid 110 generates a magnetic flux. The fringe field 115 proximate a gap in the toroid 110 causes orientation of a magnetic recording layer 120, having a horizontally orientated magnetic domain, on a disk as a function of the current through the coil 105.
A perpendicular write head, in accordance with the conventional art, is depicted in FIG. 1B. In perpendicular recording, a current flowing in the coil 155 creates a magnetic flux in a write pole 160. The magnetic flux 165 passes from the tip of the write pole 160, perpendicularly through the magnetic recording layer 170, having vertically orientated magnetic domain, and into a soft underlay 175. The bit cell recorded on the magnetic recording layer has a width representing track-width, a length representing linear density and a depth that provides the volume necessary to provide sufficient magnetization to be read by a sensor of the read head.
The areal density achievable by a write head is a product of the linear bit density and the track density. The linear bit density is the number of bits that can be written per linear inch along the track of the rotating magnetic disk. The track width density is the number of tracks that can be written per inch along a radius of the disk. The linear bit density depends upon the length of the bit along a track and the track-width density is dependent upon the width of the pole tip.
A perpendicular recording magnetic disk is thicker than a longitudinal disk and therefore provides sufficient magnetization for a bit cell having a decreased width and or length. Accordingly, the width and the length of the write probe at the tip (e.g., air bearing surface) can be reduced to increase the track-width density and/or linear bit density.
The flux field generated by the write pole is dependent upon the flare length, the flare point, the trailing edge and other structures of the write pole. Simultaneously controlling the flare point and control the track-width of the write pole, utilizing conventional methods of fabrication, such as ion milling, is problematic. Thus, reducing the width and/or length of the write pole tip may create a magnetic field adjacent to the bit but outside of the track in which the writing process is taking place, thereby corrupting the bits on adjacent tracks. Similarly, it becomes more difficult to simultaneously maintain the planarity of the trailing edge of the write pole as the width and/or length is decreased using an ion mill approach. A reduction in the quality of the trailing edge may reduce the quality of the linear transition between each bit. Accordingly, what is needed is a write pole structure characterized by a flux field having an improved field gradient to write into high coercivity media while minimizing adjacent track interference (ATI).

Self aligned wrap around shield for perpendicular magnetic recording

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A device for mixture of substances, whether in the form of a fixed or removable cap or in the form of emersion within a container, utilizing individual internal substance containment vessels, controlled by an external actuation mechanism. The system actuation mechanism can be placed in a locked position for storage, shipping or to ensure integrity of solutions. Multiple containment vessels may be utilized, as well as multiple compartments within an individual container to produce multiple mixtures. A further embodiment encompassing a pivotal actuator and removably attached mixing mechanisms is also illustrated.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of substance mixture and more specifically fluid or liquid mixture involving within a dispenser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, one design is illustrated by IPIFINI, Inc. at www.ipifini.com which utilizes buttons externally mounted to a soda bottle to mix flavors. However, the IPIFINI design illustrates an entirely different appartus and manner of operation than the instant invention.

Apparatus for internal mixture of substances


A vehicle such as a truck with a sleeping compartment includes a bed positioned within the sleeping compartment and most preferably at an upper berth position. A bed shifter is provided for shifting the bed between bed sleeping and bed storage positions. More specifically, the upper bed sleeping surface of the bed is raised toward the ceiling of the vehicle when the bed is shifted between the sleeping and storage positions, with the side portions of the bed similarly being raised as this shifting occurs. The bed shifter may be designed to tilt the bed as shifting occurs so that, when in the bed storage position, the upper bed surface more closely follows the contour of a vehicle with a downwardly sloped or otherwise configured ceiling. Bed shifting elements of variable length may be provided to shift the bed by varying the length of these elements. In one form, the elements comprise elongated straps which are wound and unwound from a rotatable shaft to raise and lower the bed between bed sleeping and bed storage positions. Guide tracks may be provided to guide the motion of the bed as it is shifted between such positions. Manual as well as motor powered bed shifting systems may be used.

The present invention relates to trucks or other land vehicles with sleeping compartments and, more specifically, to land vehicles with beds supported in such compartments in a manner that permits the beds to be stowed to free up space otherwise occupied by the bed.
It is known for vehicles, such as long-haul trucks, to include sleeping compartments rearwardly of the driver and passenger seat area of the truck.
A number of these sleeping compartments are of a raised roof configuration which provides sufficient head clearance, that is, space between the floor and interior ceiling, to allow a driver or a passenger of the truck to stand fully erect in the sleeping compartment area. Beds positioned in the sleeping compartment are known to have been hinged to a lower portion of the back wall of the truck for pivoting about a fixed pivot axis which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the truck. In some cases, storage compartments have been positioned under such beds so that when the beds are pivoted, access is provided to the storage spaces. In such configurations, the bed and storage compartment interferes with the area available for an individual to walk in the sleeping compartment. That is, the bed occupies floor space that would otherwise be available for someone to walk within the sleeping area.
Truck sleeping compartment configurations are also known where the bed is pivoted to a lower portion of the back wall so that it can be shifted against the back wall of a truck in a "murphy" bed style configuration. When against the back walls additional floor space is available in which a person can walk within the sleeping compartment. However, the bed still occupies space in a lower portion of the sleeping compartment, even when folded against the back wall. In addition, when the bed is lowered, no living space is available under the bed.
Sleeping compartment bunk configurations for trucks are also known where an upper and lower bunk are provided with both of the bunks or beds extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In these arrangements, the upper bunk prevents an individual from walking erect in the sleeping compartment area of the vehicle. In addition, the lower bunk limits space available for walking and other furnishings. In addition, the upper bed or bunk in such configurations interferes with the folding of the lower bunk against the back wall of the vehicle.
Therefore, a need exists for vehicles with beds which are constructed in a manner that frees up additional space within a vehicle for other purposes and, in particular, which is directed toward overcoming these and other problems of the prior art.

Vehicle with bed raising and lowering system


A foam mattress pad, and process for production, having a bottom surface, a convoluted top surface and apertures extending through the pad randomly placed in relation to the convoluted pattern of the top surface. The convoluted top surface of the pad comprises a repeating pattern of peaks and troughs wherein at least two peaks are in proximity to each other without a valley therebetween adjacent the same number of proximate valleys without a peak therebetween. The distance between proximate peaks is the same as the distance between proximate valleys. The mass of the proximate peaks combine to create an additive effect in supporting the user's body and the proximate valleys allow for increased air flow between the supporting proximate peaks.

Mattress pads have found wide favor in the bedding industry, and especially in the medical bedding area, by enhancing user comfort and reducing fatigue and bedsores. These mattress pads are generally made of a foamed polyurethane pad having a convolution pattern comprising a regular pattern of evenly spaced peaks and valleys on at least the side facing the user's body.
The advantages of such mattress pads are generally attributable to the increased air circulation between the mattress pad and the user's body. This air circulation is provided whereupon the user's weight compresses the peaks but the valleys are not so compressed and therefore allow for a degree of air flow.
The first such convoluted mattress pads had a regular peak and valley configuration on the top side with an opposed bottom side which was flat, or planar. These pads were formed by cutting a thick polyurethane foam sheet, having two flat sides, in half along a convoluted pattern resulting in two pads each having a convoluted top surface and a planar bottom surface. The peaks from the face of the bottom half cut into a convoluted pattern corresponded to the valleys of the face of the top half.
This design was later supplemented through the use of plugs punched in the valleys and removal of some of the plugs, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,724 to Bedford, or pin-pinching holes through the pad in the valleys as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,445 to Spann. The removal of some of the plugs left air channels which would increase air flow and also allow fluid run-off.
However, plugs or holes placed only in the valleys of a convoluted pad are difficult to properly position and predetermined removal of only some of the plugs, as suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,724, is time consuming and burdensome.
Another aspect which has been considered for use with mattress pads is additional support in the peaks to reduce compression in the valleys and thereby improve air circulation. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,724 support for providing additional circulation beneath a user is dealt with by providing hills having flat-tops, and channels or holes only in the valleys between the flat-tops, of at least 1 inch in diameter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,800, also to Bedford, the hills have flat-tops of a specific diameter for support but further include holes or air channels spaced in the valleys and in the peaks, only going through from one side of the pad to the other in the valleys but specifically not in all of the peaks.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,488, Bedford adds electric fans disposed through the pad, having flat-tops on the peaks but no holes or air channels, for improved air flow.
Another foam mattress pad is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,111 to Fenner, Sr. which has multiple layers, the top and bottom layers having increased density and depressions therein to minimize surface contact with the user's body.
However, each of the above items and methods of manufacture cause wasted materials and require precise or burdensome steps to manufacture.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mattress pad which enhances air flow between the mattress and the user's body while providing additional support to the user.
It is also an object to provide such a mattress pad which can be easily manufactured with minimum waste.
In a separate embodiment, it is an object of the invention to provide a mattress pad in conformance with the above objects having varying support sections along its length.

Convoluted mattress pad having multiple proximate peaks


An embodiment of a monolithic photovoltaic cell is provided. The photovoltaic cell comprises at least one junction; said at least one junction includes a base formed by an epitaxial doped semiconductor material of a first conductivity type and an emitter formed by a doped semiconductor material of a second conductivity type opposed to the first. Said emitter is stacked on the base according to a first direction, and the base of at least one of said at least one junction has a decreasing dopant concentration gradient along said first direction. Said base comprises a first portion far from the emitter, a second portion proximate to the emitter, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion. In the first portion, said decreasing dopant concentration gradient has a slope whose average value ranges from approximately −9*1017 cm−3/μm to −4*1017 cm−3/μm. In the second portion, said decreasing dopant concentration gradient has a slope whose average value ranges from approximately −3*1017 cm−3/μm to −9*1016 cm−3/μm. In the third portion, said decreasing dopant concentration gradient has a slope whose average value ranges approximately from −2*1017 cm−3/μm to −5*1016 cm−3/μm.

Solar cells are electronic devices capable of converting electromagnetic energy—such as the solar radiation—into electricity.
Such electronic devices are mainly comprised of semiconductor materials, which are characterized by solid crystalline structures having forbidden energy bands ("band gaps") located between the valence bands and the conduction bands. A band gap defines an energy interval which is normally unavailable to free electrons. However, when solar radiation hits a material of such type in a solar cell, the electrons that occupy lower energy bands may be excited to the point of making an energetic jump and exceeding the band gap, for reaching higher energy bands. For example, when electrons in the valence bands of a semiconductor absorb sufficient energy from the photons of the incident solar radiation, such electrons may exceed the band gap and reach the conduction band.
Reaching the higher energy bands, such electrons leave empty locations within the lower energy bands; such empty locations, often referred to as "holes", may move from atom to atom in the crystalline reticule. The holes act thus as charge carriers, in the same way as the free electrons in the conduction band, and contribute to the conductivity of the crystal.
In other words, each photon absorbed by the semiconductor generates a corresponding hole-electron pair. The set of electron-hole pairs formed by the photons absorption generates the so-called photocurrent of the solar cell. The holes and the electrons generated in this way may recombine with each others, subtracting their contribution to the maintenance of the photocurrent. In order to avoid (or at least to reduce as much as possible) this phenomenon for increasing the efficiency of the solar cell, a local electric field is generated within the semiconductor material. In this way, the holes and the electrons generated further to the absorption of the photons are accelerated by the local electric field toward opposite directions, and thus the probability that they will recombine before reaching the terminals of the solar cell drastically diminishes. Particularly, such electric field may be generated by means of the generation of a spatial charge region, such as the depletion region obtainable by means of a pn junction between a pair of oppositely doped semiconductor materials.
Such solar cells, generally used for space and terrestrial applications, may be of the single pn or np junction-type, or single-junction solar cells, or may be of the more-than-one pn or np junction-type, or multi-junction solar cells.
Single-junction solar cells are substantially constituted by the presence of a single pn or np junction. Conversely, multi-junction solar cells are implemented by stacking various pn or np junctions, presently from two to five junctions. The different junctions are made in different semiconductor materials, and are electrically coupled to each other in series by means of tunnel diodes interposed between each pair of adjacent junctions.
Each of the different superimposed junctions forms a so-called elementary cell, and the various elementary cells are capable of singularly converting the various portions of the incident solar radiation spectrum in a more efficient way compared to the one obtainable with a single junction.
Multi-junction cells may have the advantage of being capable of providing a higher output voltage with respect to single-junction cells, the overall voltage being equal to the sum of the voltages of the single elementary cells (minus a little voltage drop in the tunnel diodes serially coupling the cells).
In order to be manufactured, the various material layers directed to form the different junctions are typically obtained with an epitaxial growth technique through deposition (for example by means of the Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition technique, or MOCVD) on commercial germanium (Ge), silicon (Si), or gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates.
During the last few years, the performances of solar cells based on compounds of elements of Groups III and V of the periodic table of the elements, i.e. based on the III-V compounds, and in particular of GaAs solar cells, have been increasing, thanks to the progress of technologies that allow developing new materials for manufacturing three, four, and also five junction cells.
The cost of a multi-junction solar cell is slightly higher than the cost of a single-junction one, and its efficiency is significantly higher (in a condition of out-of-terrestrial-atmosphere illumination at 25° C., the efficiency is approximately equal to 28% for a triple-junction cell, compared to 20% for a single-junction one); for this reason, especially for aerospace applications, the market is oriented toward the use of these new, more efficient, devices. For example, the present big telecommunication satellites may require the use of triple-junction solar cells. These cells have, on the other hand, an employ in terrestrial applications, such as in optical concentration systems.
As already mentioned above, the efficiency of a solar cell strictly depends on the recombination phenomenon of the photo-generated hole-electron pairs. The hole-electron pairs generated outside of the depletion region may not be subjected to the action of any electric field, and thus may have a high probability of recombining, subtracting their contributions from the photo-generated current.
In order to improve the efficiency of a solar cell, a known technique provides for increasing the depth of the depletion region (and, thus, increasing the portion of the semiconductor material that is subjected to the electric field) by inserting a portion of an intrinsic (i.e., that is not doped) semiconductor material between the n-doped portion and the p-doped portion. This technique generally increases the efficiency of the solar cell, until the thickness of the depletion region reaches a value such as to limit the output voltage. Beyond this value, the efficiency of the device starts to diminish.
According to another technique, the semiconductor material portions of the solar cell that do not belong to the depletion layer may be subjected to local electric fields obtained by means of the use of proper doping gradients. Particularly, in "Semiconductors and Semimetals, Vol. II", by Harold J. Hovel, the semiconductor portion of the p type is doped according to a linear doping gradient. Thanks to the presence of the linear doping gradient, the semiconductor material portion of the p type may be subjected to a constant electric field capable of accelerating the hole-electron pairs that are generated therein but outside of the depletion region.

Photovoltaic cell having a high conversion efficiency

CESI—CENTRO ELETTROTECNICO SPERIMENTALE ITALIANO GIACINTO MOTTA S.P.A.


A three-phase resonant cyclo-converter comprising a power control module, wherein the power control module is arranged to develop a plurality of repeating switching periods within a cycle, the power control module further arranged to: control the length of a first switching period in the cycle to adjust the power flow, and control the relative length of two or more further switching periods in the cycle to adjust the power factor, wherein the relative length is controlled based on a cross-product of voltage and current values associated with the further switching periods.

Many different industries require power supplies for supplying constant power based on a three-phase power source.
Cyclo-converters have been developed for use in efficient power supplies in order to provide a number of improvements over conventional rectifier power supplies and two stage power supplies.
A cyclo-converter provides an efficient single stage power converter. A benefit of adopting single stage power conversion is based on the fact that a single stage converter will have an efficiency similar to the efficiency of either of the individual stages of a conventional two-stage rectifier (e.g. 96%). In other words the losses from a single-stage converter are only half of that of a two-stage converter. This greater efficiency (lower losses) leads to a corresponding decrease in the size of components within the rectifier and hence a smaller product that costs less to produce. Other benefits are obtained by virtue that the exhaust air heat from the converter will be lower for a given system power (easing power system design) and in the fact that a single-stage converter can be realised with considerably fewer components than a conventional two-stage rectifier design.
The present applicants have developed a unique three-phase resonant cyclo-converter configuration as described in PCT publication WO2008/018802, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This present application relates to an improved method (and associated control system) for controlling the power transfer and power factor of a three-phase resonant cyclo-converter, such as the type described in WO2008/018802. It will be appreciated that although power converters such as those described in WO2008/018802 are particularly useful in the telecommunication industry that they may also equally be applicable in other industries.
Embodiments of the present invention provide an improved mechanism for controlling the power transfer and the power factor of a three phase resonant cyclo-converter.
An object of the present invention is to provide improved control over existing three-phase resonant cyclo-converters.
A further object of the present invention is to provide improved control of the power transfer function of a three-phase resonant cyclo-converter.
A further object of the present invention is to provide improved control of the power factor of a three-phase resonant cyclo-converter.
Each object is to be read disjunctively with the object of at least providing the public with a useful choice.
The present invention aims to overcome, or at least alleviate, some or all of the afore-mentioned problems.

Power factor control of a cyclo-converter


A method, a computer readable medium, and a system for tagging Natural language application. In the method, utterances are analyzed using one or more rules, and a tag is assigned to the analyzed utterances based on the one or more rules. The analysis of the utterances may include determining a frequency of the utterances, and grouping the utterances by their determined frequency and their assigned tag. The frequency may represent a number of occurrences in natural language where the utterances share semantic meanings, for example. Further, the one or more rules may be prioritized, and each of the utterances may be analyzed using the prioritized rules. In this manner, meaning may be assigned to utterances such that groups of utterances may be tagged simultaneously.

The present invention relates to an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system and method for recognizing and tagging a multitude of spoken strings of words, hereinafter known as utterances, as a single meaning within a natural language application. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to a system and method for assigning meaning to utterances such that groups of utterances may be tagged simultaneously.
In the related art, the creation and success of a natural language application may be tied to a speech recognition system's ability to understand a large list of transcribed utterances or sentences. The system must apply a complex set of rules referred to as semantic interpretation grammar. This grammar is based on a corpus which is tagged (a corpus is a collection of recorded utterances used for linguistic analysis). Therefore, before the grammar can be developed, each line in the corpus must be tagged. The Tagging process is performed by a subject matter expert (SME) who indicates the specific meaning of a sentence. For example, the sentence "I just received my bill today" could indicate "I want to pay my bill" in a bill payment context. In this example, the sentence would be tagged as "PAYBILL".
The Tagging process requires significant effort from the SME and grammar developers (together, commonly referred to as Taggers) primarily related to the mapping of utterances to specific meanings (semantics). As part of this effort, the Tagging process requires review of all possible combinations of utterances and assignment to a specific semantic upon which a natural language application can react.
The sample size of potential utterances that must be tagged can sometimes be too large for Taggers to process. Further, limiting the Tagging process to a single Tagger can lead to excessive time consumed in the Tagging process and/or an insufficient mapping between potential utterances and their associated semantic.
Therefore, what is needed is a collaborative solution that allows assigning meaning to utterances such that groups of utterances may be tagged simultaneously, thereby improving efficiency in the Tagging process.

Automatic speech tagging system and method thereof


The invention describes a composition and method of providing an improved recording material, such as an ink receptive recording material or thermally responsive record material useful for linerless labels. The record material comprises a support having provided thereon on one surface an adhesive material, and on at least one other surface, an ink receptive coating or a heat sensitive imaging coating. The method comprises applying to a first surface a first layer of a coating of an ink receptive material or of a heat sensitive color-forming composition comprising a binder material and a substantially colorless dye precursor and an acidic developer material in substantially contiguous relationship. The adhesive is heat activated. The record material exhibits substantially no tack at 23° C., 40% relative humidity when pressure is applied, however develops high peel strength (300 grams/inch) upon application of 7 mJ/mm2 to 13 mJ/mm2 of heat energy.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recording materials, particularly record materials having an ink receptive coating material or a thermally-responsive coating material. It more particularly relates to such record material in the form of sheets preferably coated with color-forming systems comprising chromogenic material (electron-donating dye precursors) and acidic color developer material, or such sheets having an ink receptive layer. The record materials are able to be used to record print-on-demand information.
This invention particularly relates to record material with an ink receptive coating or a thermally responsive record material in the form of linerless labels with an adhesive for bonding the label to another surface. The record material of the invention does not require a liner material and is useful for point-of-sale imaging, is particularly useful for thermally responsive record material, or point-of-sale printing.
This invention concerns a record material with an ink receptive coating, and alternatively, record materials where the ink receptive coating is thermally-responsive capable of forming a substantially non-reversible image and useful for producing functional bar codes, text, images or other indicia. The invention teaches compositions and methods for forming improved record materials, particularly thermally sensitive record materials which can be imaged without printhead debris, background discoloration, surface scuffing of the record material, dusting and other image defects.
Description of the Related Art
Record materials, particularly thermally responsive record materials are well known in the art and are described in many patents, for example. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,539,375; 3,674,535; 3,746,675; 4,151,748; 4,181,771; 4,246,318; and 4,470,057 which are incorporated herein by reference. In these systems, basic colorless or lightly colored chromogenic material and acidic color developer material are contained in a coating on a substrate which, when heated to a suitable temperature, melts or softens to permit the color-forming materials to react, thereby producing a colored mark.
Thermally-responsive record materials have characteristic thermal response, desirably producing a colored image of sufficient intensity upon selective thermal exposure.
Thermally-responsive record materials are increasingly utilized for labels for recording variable information such as text, bar code imaging, graphics, alphanumeric characters and the like since such labels can be readily created by printer equipment in the field nearer the point of use and application.
Bar codes provide a convenient means for computerized inventory or goods handling and tracking. To function properly, it is necessary that the bar code have high print contrast signal, and that the thermally-responsive material on which the bar code is imaged resist unwanted bar width growth after imaging. The characters or bars must not only be intensely imaged, but must be sharp, and unbroken or free of pin holes. It is also necessary that when read by a scanner that a high percentage of scans result in successful decoding of the information in the bar code. The percentage of successful decodes of the bar code information must be maintained at a high value for the thermally-responsive record material to gain wide commercial acceptance for use in bar coding applications.
Print contrast signal relates to image intensity. Bar width growth relates to imaged bar dimensional stability and character sharpness. Percent decode relates to image integrity. Background contrast must also be maintained at a high level.
Use of recording sheets in the form of adhesive labels has grown, as interest in printing or imaging point of sole information has grown. Conventional labels typically have an adhesive on one surface for affixing, permanently or removably, the label onto another surface, object or package depending on the end use. Conventional labels typically reply on pressure sensitive adhesives, solvent or water activated adhesives, blocking agents, hot melt adhesives, or reactive adhesives.
To improve resource conservation, interest has grown in linerless labels which can eliminate a liner material often employed with tacky or pressure sensitive adhesives which protect the adhesive layer prior to the label application.
Keeton (U.S. 2009/0169282) describes a heat activated linerless label where one or more printheads can selectively heat activate specific adhesive portions of a label. A subcoat isolation layer is taught to avoid adverse interaction between chemicals and/or impurities of the paper with the thermally sensitive coating. Additionally, a top coat is taught optionally applied over the thermally-sensitive coating.
Keeton focuses on thermal transfer ribbons or direct thermal print means of forming media for two-sided thermal printers. Keeton suggests that a printable surface or imaging means can be on one side and a heat activated can be on the other side. The reference supports activation with a thermal print lead of a two-sided printer but fails to provide an example outlining the chemistry of the thermal system, the adhesive or the energy requirements to realize such a system. Keeton suggests that the thermally sensitive materials can image at a first temperature, and the heat activated adhesives can image at a second temperature. Keeton, however, does not provide a single compound in any example. Keeton generally states any type of adhesive may be applied, and generically lists water based acrylics, tacky acrylic resins in water, hot melt rubber based adhesives, but provides no specific example illustrating coating compositions identifying workable adhesives.
Matsubayashi et al., 2007/0092665 references Japanese Patent Application Second Publication No. Hei 4-15110 as describing a heat sensitive recording adhesive label with a release agent layer on the surface of a heat sensitive recording sheet which also relies on a blocking layer. Hei 4-15110 describes a heat sensitive color-developing sheet on which a polyvinyl alcohol blocking or protective undercoat layer is first applied. Over the blocking layer, or isolation layer, a solventless ultraviolet curing silicone of organopolysiloxanes with mercapto and vinyl groups along with acetophenone curing initiator is applied, followed by ultraviolet irradiation to form a release agent. An adhesive such as an acrylic emulsion adhesive is coated on the undercoat isolation or blocking layer on the opposite surface.
It would be an advance in the art of linerless record materials, particularly thermally responsive record materials and ink receptive coated record materials, if the need for an isolation, insulating, or blocking layer could be eliminated without interfering background discoloration of the heat sensitive recording sheet, or interference with the ink receptive coating, or other adverse interaction. Often the constituents of conventional heat sensitive release coats, especially curable release coats, for recording sheets adversely affect the heat sensitive layer interfering with image formation or resulting in a light or faded coloration of the image or background or in some cases no image at all. A need exists for a recording sheet especially a heat sensitive or ink receptive linerless label that does not need a blocking or isolating layers and that is substantially free of dust residues that could affect printhead and image quality, and which does not suffer from layer lift off, abrading or scuffing, yet produces a high contrast, high intensity image useful for imaging and/or bar coding for point-of-sale applications.
It would be an advance in the art of linerless print-on-demand record materials if they were paper-like, non-tacky prior to activation, yet adhering strongly following activation using the heat of a conventional thermal print head.


A bedding system, method and kit for the automation and ventilation of an existing duvet are disclosed. The system has an inflatable lining configured to be inserted and affixed into a cover together with the duvet, the inflatable lining comprising a network of pneumatic chambers defining a plurality of openings extending through the lining allowing air to circulate through the lining; and an air blower operatively connected to the inflatable lining for blowing air into the network of pneumatic chambers, so as in use, the inflatable lining is inflated to allow for the duvet and its cover to be straightened back into position after every use of the bed. The system can also include a sub-network for providing warm or cold air to control the temperature of the bedding. In contrast to traditional systems, the proposed invention is light weight and easily adaptable to current commercially available beds.

Controllable bed systems have been manufactured for many years, such as automated systems incorporated into the bed frame that adjust to a user wanting to sit up in bed to watch television with their partner lying down. As the controllable comfort of a user in their home becomes more and more important with the advent of networked and automated systems in the home, new ways of keeping the home in order with added comfort features becomes interesting to consumers. Several traditional systems offer a single, independent solution as a heavy weight bed system that is not adaptable to a user's current bed and is to be purchased as a single, whole bed apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,404 (Wilson) describes tubular members that are deflated and are non-rigid that causes bedding to straighten out over the surface of the bed by releasing a charge of gas under pressure into the tubular members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,222 A (Tascarella) describes an automatic bed maker, electrically-operated, with helical screw actions attached to the frame that smoothes bedding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,874 A (Browder) discloses an automatic bed maker using a the expansion of an inflatable bladder. However, the bladder cannot be used in combination with existing bedding and does not have air circulation built in.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,250,688 B2 (Mendez et al.), discloses a bedding straightening system attached to a base of an ordinary bed, including a blanket air distributor, bottom sheet side air distributors, connectors, bottom sheet, top blanket and sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,133 B2 (Van Houte) describes a bed making system with a U-shaped braced defined by two parallel arm and a connecting bar with a topping mattress and a base mattress.
International patent application no. WO 2007/060371 A3 (Clodic et al.) describes the distribution of hot and cold air throughout the whole surface of the blanket forcing the need for a lot of air distributed in places where the user doesn't feel it. It also does not help in the making of the bed nor helps humidity evacuation since it covers the whole area without any openings.
U.S. patent application no. US 2015/0223612 A1 (Mendez et al.) discloses an independent equipment for bedding straightening intended for automatically unfolding and straightening bed clothing by means of compressed air inflatable sleeves associated with bed clothes, such that when the air is introduced under pressure into such inflatable sleeves, these are unfolded and straightened pulling bedding along which become also straightened.
The main shortcomings of the prior art are that they do not offer a light weight system to provide several comfort and organizational features in one that are controllable by a user and that may be adapted to any currently commercially available bed apparatus.
The shortcomings are generally mitigated by the fact that the bedding system proposed herewith does not require any permanent installation or new hardware other than the device itself and allows the users to make their existing bedding in an automated and ventilated, way, furthermore controlling temperature and air circulation for different parts of the bedding to be accustomed to one or more users.

Self-making bedding system, method and kit thereof


Novel Saccharomyces Cerevisiae mutant strains are provided for producing human parathyroid hormone. The novel strains acre genetically disrupted in at least one of the genes encoding the yapsin family of proteases Yapsin 1, Yapsin 2 and Yapsin 3 and harbor a human parathyroid hormone gene in their genomes. Culturing the novel strains results in the secretion of intact hPTH into culture media at high yield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of human parathyroid hormone (hereinafter referred to as "hPTH"). More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strains which are genetically disrupted in at least one of the yapsin family of aspartic proteases YPS1, YPS2 and YPS3 and transformed with an expression vector anchoring a hPTH gene, in producing the hormone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
hPTH is a peptide consisting of 84 amino acid residues, produced by the parathyroid gland. hPTH maintains calcium homeostasis in the kidneys and bones, having the physiological function of promoting calcium metabolism and osteogenesis. In the U.S.A. and the Europe, estrogen or calcitonin have been predominantly used as therapeutics for osteoporosis, but are found to be obstructive of bone absorption. Accordingly, leading pharmaceutical companies of the world are intensively and extensively studying hPTH for the development of therapeutics for osteoporosis by taking advantage of the ability of hPTH to promote osteogenesis. Particularly, more earnest attention is paid to the prophylaxis and treatment of osteoporosis as modern society becomes an aging society. For above reasons, active research is now being directed to the development of biotechnology methods for the mass production of hPTH, which is expected to be a promising therapeutic substitutive for conventional therapeutics for osteoporosis.
For example, various attempts have been made to develop methods for mass-producing recombinant hPTH by using E. coli as a host cell because the prokaryotic bacteria shows relatively high expression efficiency. However, there is a great difficulty in refolding and purifying the recombinant proteins produced from E. coli. In contrast, yeast, a single cell eukaryote, has the advantage of expressing and secreting properly folded- and thus active-proteins because it is very similar to higher species in the gene transcription and translation systems, and its protein-secretion system. Additionally, yeast is advantageous as a host for producing proteins of interest in that yeast secretes few extracellular proteins making it easy to recover and purify exogenous proteins. Further, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) microorganism that is not pathogenic to the body and does not produce endotoxins. With the anticipation of being very useful as a producer of medicinal recombinant hPTH, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied in developing hPTH expression systems. In spite of its various advantage as an expression host for the production of recombinant hPTH, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not industrially utilized as such a host because the extracellularly secreted recombinant hPTH is degraded by endogenous proteolytic enzymes of the yeast's own, so that only a small amount of the intact molecule of hPTH can be recovered (Gabrielsen et al., Gene 90, 255(1990)).
In the last decade, extensive studies have been made for solving the proteolysis problem of recombinant hPTH. For instance, based on the finding that hPTH is cleaved between Arg-25 and Lys-26, which is identical to the recognition site of KEX2, a protease present in yeast Golgi bodies, a substitution mutant of hPTH, which has glutamine at position 26 of its amino acid sequence instead of lysine, was made with the aim of preventing the proteolysis by KEX2, which is a putative protease to cleave hPTH (Reppe et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266, 14198 (1991)). Using gene recombination technology, an hPTH-related protein was directly ligated to the 3′-end of the yeast ubiquitin gene to produce a non-cleavable hPTH-related protein (Rian et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 213, 641 (1993)). However, if protein mutants are medicinally used, there are required stringent tests to obtain permission for their medicinal use, because they are generally recognized as new medicines. When using gene fusion technology, it is necessary to remove the fusion site by expected digestion because proteins of interest may be produced at relatively yields owing to the presence of the fusion site.
As a result of the research for the prevention of hPTH degradation without resorting to hPTH protein mutants or fusions, the present inventors developed a method in which hPTH cleavage can be prevented to a significant extent simply by adding L-arginine at high concentrations to the culture media (Chung and Park, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 57, 245 (1998)). The fact that hPTH cleavage is prevented to a significant extent by the presence of L-arginine in the culture media indicates that hPTH cleavage is performed mainly by extracellular proteases rather than by the intracellular protease Kex2p. From this finding, the present inventors inferred that Yap3p (yeast aspartic protease 3), which, like KEX2, is able to cleave the C-terminal or middle sites of basic single or couple amino acids, and binds to the cytoplasmic membrane of yeast, is practically responsible for the cleavage of the hPTH secreted into yeast culture media. On the basis of this inference, the present inventors made a YAP3 gene-disrupted yeast strain (yap3Δ), and constructed an hPTH production system by use of the yeast mutant. Upon culturing in flasks, the hPTH production system was found to prevent the cleavage of hPTH at an efficiency of as high as 80%, thus producing the intact molecule of hPTH at high yield (Kang et al., Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 50, 187 (1998); Korean Pat. No. 0246932, yielded Dec. 8, 1999). Though exhibiting far higher hPTH productivity than the wild type strain, the yap3Δ mutant was observed to allow hPTH to be cleaved to a significant extent in the late stage of the high-concentration culturing (Song and Chung, Process Biochem 35, 503 (2000)), which indicates that hPTH is cleaved not by Yap3p, but by other proteases in the late culture stage. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is reported to have the aspartic protease MKc7p, which is very similar in structure and function to Yap3p (Komano and Fuller, Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA, 92, 10752 (1995)). The present inventors created a yeast mutant in which both of the genes are disrupted (yap3Δ/mkc7Δ) for use in the observation of the influence of the enzymes on the hPTH cleavage at the terminal culture stage. However, no significant differences were found between the mutants yap3Δ and yap3Δ/mkc7Δ (Choi, et al., J. Microbiol Biotechnol 9, 679 (1999)). These results demonstrated that the MKc7p protease, through having high homology with Yap3p (53% homology) and being involved in the processing of pro-α-mating factor in the absence of Kex2p, is not greatly responsible for hPTH cleavage.
Through the analysis of the recently disclosed genome information about Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a search was made for genes homologous to YAP3 (recently renamed YPS1), resulting in the finding that three novel genes coding for unknown aspartic proteases, in addition to PEP4 and BAR1, are present (Olsen et al., Biochem. J. 339, 407 (1999)). Assumed to encode new members of the yapsin family of aspartic proteases, like YPS1 and YPS2, the three novel genes were named YPS3, YPS6 and YPS7, respectively. YPS3 was found to have 50% homology with both of YPS1 and YPS2, while 35% and 25% homology was found between YPS6 and BAR1 and between YPS7 and PEP4, respectively. From the homology between YPS3 and YPS1, the present inventors drew the deduction that the hPTH cleavage occurring at the terminal culture stage of the yps1Δ (previous yap3Δ) strain might be performed by yapsin 3.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Yeast transformant producing recombinant human parathyroid hormone and method for producing the hormone


The polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or copolymer thereof used to produce one-piece intraocular lenses is modified by a compression molding process to produce a much tougher material with improved mechanical properties. The process takes material in rod form and compresses into lens blanks. The molded lens blanks receive little or no compression strain in the center 4 mm optic zone. The compression is limited to the periphery region outside the center 4 mm zone. The intraocular lens fabricated from the molded lens blank exhibits greatly increased haptic mechanical properties and resistance to breakage.

This invention relates to an improved intraocular lens for implantation in the eye following removal of the natural lens during cataract surgery. More specifically, it relates to a compression molding process for manufacturing an intraocular lens in which the supporting haptics exhibit an increased resistance to breakage during manipulation.
The filamentary haptic of an intraocular lens is designed to facilitate insertion of the lens into the eye and to provide stable fixation of the implanted lens to prevent the lens from decentering. The filamentary haptic is attached to and extends outwardly from the periphery of the optical lens body. Most intraocular lenses have two haptics displayed at positions 180.degree. apart from each other on the optic lens body.
Intraocular lenses are typically of two types: the threepiece lens where two haptics are mechanically fixed to the lens optic, and the one-piece lens where the haptics and optic are made as a single unit.
It is critical that the haptic of the lens exhibits significant resistance to breakage during use. Although certain haptic materials such as polypropylene used in construction of a three-piece lens offer acceptable resistance to breakage, other conventionally used haptic materials such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are brittle and frequently prone to breakage. This problem becomes especially acute when the haptics are lathe cut from a single lens blank to prepare a one-piece lens with integrally attached haptics. The problem of haptic breakage is a serious one, and efforts have been made to provide the haptics with an increased resistance to breakage.
Several thermoplastic forming techniques have been used to induce orientation in the material to impart enhanced mechanical properties in PMMA intraocular lens haptics. One such effort is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 5,169,569. This patent describes preparing intraocular lenses with haptics exhibiting greater ductility and fatigue resistance. The PMMA sheet plastic is modified by means of blowing the sheet into a hemispherical bubble followed by forming into a flattened circular portion.
A second effort is disclosed in European Patent Application 0,438,043 A2. The PMMA material is modified by multi-axis stretching to produce haptics with increased tensile strength, flexibility and resiliency.
Another previous method of making intraocular lenses was through a compression molding process which introduced deformation, and thus material orientation, throughout the entire lens. This type of lens demonstrated enhanced haptic mechanical property performance against breakage, but the particular method shows a less desirable Nd:YAG laser interaction characteristic.
The Nd:YAG laser is used for treatment of posterior capsular opacification. In this treatment the posterior capsule is ruptured after being hit with a focused laser beam. The rupture typically leaves a hole 2 mm-4 mm in diameter through which light can pass. Posterior capsular opacification usually occurs several months after intraocular lens implantation. During the laser procedure, the intraocular lens is frequently hit by the beam. This hit, depending upon the energy of the burst and the location of the hit, can cause varying degrees of damage to the lens. It has been shown in our work that the laser energy interacts differently with oriented and nonoriented materials. In the nonoriented material, referred to as conventional material, the laser energy is dissipated along the three axes of the lens. This typically results in distinct cracks which may propagate a significant distance through the thickness dimension of the lens. The oriented material typically retards crack propagation through the thickness dimension and therefore demonstrates more extensive lateral cracking.
While this is not a vision compromising condition, it is undesirable because it results in light scattering from oblique illumination making eye examinations considerably more difficult. The optic material described in this invention is oriented, but the degree of orientation is balanced such that the resulting crack propagation behavior is similar to the nonoriented material.
A method used to produce a one-piece intraocular lens having a low degree of orientation in the optic region is by injection molding. This previously employed method resulted in an optic region with acceptable characteristics under YAG laser irradiation, but the haptic region was also insufficiently oriented, resulting in an unacceptably high fracture rate.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved intraocular lens wherein the haptics exhibit enhanced mechanical properties and resistance to breakage while the optics exhibit the conventional Nd:YAG laser interaction characteristics, and a process for making such a lens.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a one-piece PMMA intraocular lens made by the compression molding process and exhibiting the above properties.

Method of making an intraocular lens with fracture resistant haptics


A cloud-based data integration system comprises a communication gateway, a system database including a ticket booking record, and a processor executing a plurality of service modules. The communication gateway is configured to receive a booking message from a distributor of a plurality of distributors connected to the integration system. A booking module of the service modules is configured to validate the booking message and determine a supplier of a plurality of suppliers connected to the integration system that corresponds to the booking message, create a booking in the ticket booking record based on the booking message, and transmit the booking to the supplier corresponding to the booking of the plurality of suppliers connected to the integration system.

Tickets available for events offered by a supplier are often sold by a distributor. The distributor is an entity other than the supplier and may be, for example, a ticket reseller selling tickets to the supplier such as a museum or a sporting event.
Many distributors are only able to sell vouchers to the consumer for supplier tickets; the distributors are not able to sell the actual supplier tickets to the consumer. When the consumer seeks to redeem the voucher at the supplier, the consumer must wait in line at the supplier to exchange the voucher for an actual ticket before entry. Further, for supplier events that are capacity or resource-limited, the voucher does not guarantee access to the event and, after waiting in line at the supplier, the consumer may be unable to exchange the voucher for a ticket to the desired event.
The only current alternative to the voucher process is for the distributor to build a software integration with each supplier for which the distributor offers a ticket. Given the number of suppliers commonly associated with one distributor, this series of one-off integrations is cost-prohibitive for distributors.


A method and an apparatus are provided for improving or optimizing the frequency at which the keep-alive messages are exchanged between a network device (e.g., network server) and a remote device (e.g., a PC) behind a router or gateway. By improving or optimizing the frequency at which these messages are exchanged, the amount of network bandwidth that is consumed as a result of the exchange of keep-alive messages can be reduced. This allows a network device to remotely access a remote device in a very efficient manner in terms of the number of keep-alive messages that are generated and processed and in terms of bandwidth consumption.

In a communications network, such as the Internet, for example, there is often a need for a network device, such as a server, to be able to remotely access a remote device on the network, such as a personal computer (PC) located in a person's home. Typically, a PC in the home resides behind a router that implements a configuration known as Network Address Translation (NAT). The NAT inherently prevents a remote server from accessing the PC unless a NAT mapping is established in the router that allows the server to access the PC.
The NAT mapping can be established by a user by manually configuring the NAT port address translation table or by manually configuring the router to place the PC or other device in the "demilitarized zone" (DMZ) of the router. However, the techniques that must be used to configure the router vary among different types of routers and are beyond the capabilities of many users.
When a NAT mapping is established to provide access to the device behind the router, the device has to periodically send "keep-alive" messages to the server to maintain the NAT mapping, i.e., to keep the mapping alive. The server responds to these messages. During the message exchange, the router will maintain a NAT port address translation entry in the NAT mapping that allows the server to access the device through the router. The exchanges must be sent frequently enough to keep the NAT entry alive. If the exchanges are not sent frequently enough, the NAT port address translation entry timer will timeout, and the server will not be able to access the device. This problem is compounded by the fact that different routers may have different timeout values for NAT port address translation entries.
The Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol provides a technique by which a software application program can configure a router on behalf of a user. However, many routers do not support UPnP or do not have UPnP enabled by default.
A need exists for a way to allow a network device, such as a server, to remotely access a remote device behind a router or gateway, such as a PC, without requiring the consumption or a large amount of network bandwidth.

Method and apparatus for conserving bandwidth between a network device and a remote device


A radiation detector is described which includes first circuitry having at least one operational parameter associated therewith which is operable to change in response to radiation exposure. Second circuitry is operable to detect a change in the at least one operational parameter based on a predetermined relation between the at least one operational parameter and at least one type of radiation. The second circuitry is also operable to encode detection information representative of the radiation exposure in response thereto.

The present invention relates to radiation detection and, more specifically, to radiation detection solutions which rely on indirect effects of radiation exposure to detect radiation events rather than the counting of electric charge produced by such events.
Conventional radiation detectors are characterized by several problems, some of which are related to the fact that the operation of such devices is typically based on counting the electric charges produced by incident radiation, either directly (by sensing the resulting currents), or indirectly (by converting the resulting electric energy into photons that are sensed separately). The need for counting efficiency typically translates into bulky detectors and/or long counting times. These issues conflict with the goals of miniaturization and high throughput. The need for cryogenic environments for some detectors further exacerbates the size and portability issue.
Conventional radiation detectors are also generally ineffective with the short range and/or low penetrating power of radiation emitted by some isotopes. Moreover, they have difficulty in discriminating between photons and neutrons, and distinguishing legitimate radioactive sources from illicit ones.
In view of these shortcomings and the increasing demand for more portable and effective radiation detectors, new radiation detection solutions are needed.

Radiation detector having all-metal circuitry operation of which is based on electron spin


A device for anchoring a belt buckle (10) comprises a fitting (12) including a first end portion (20) and a second end portion (22) as well as a central portion (18) provided between the two end portions (20, 22). The central portion (18) has an opening for fastening the fitting (12) in a way affixed to the vehicle by means of a screw (16). The device further comprises a connecting strap (14) connected on the one hand to the belt buckle (10) and on the other hand to the fitting (12). According to the invention, the connecting strap (14) extends along the first end portion (20) and the central portion (18) of the fitting (12) and is threaded via a loop (30) into an eyelet (24) of the second end portion (22).

The invention relates to a device for anchoring a belt buckle. The invention further relates to a device arrangement comprising at least two of said devices.
Belt buckle anchoring devices in which a belt buckle is fastened to an anchoring point via an elastic connecting strap—usually belt webbing—are used to permit high flexibility of connection. The belt webbing is usually fastened via a first loop to the belt buckle and via a second loop to a retaining bracket affixed to the vehicle. The length of the connecting strap between the two loops specifies the maximum distance between the anchoring point and the position of use of the belt buckle. This distance is intended to be as short as possible for particular applications. Such specification cannot be easily realized, however, as in the case of very short belt webbing the stitching process for forming the loops is very difficult or is no longer feasible at all.
In order to solve this problem DE 10 2009 010 781 A1, which illustrates a generic device for anchoring a belt buckle, suggests retaining the connecting strap in clamping connection between the legs of a clamping bracket U-shaped in cross-section on the vehicle body. The clamping bracket is fastened to the vehicle body by a screw penetrating the two leg ends. The connecting strap is fixed by clamping. In addition, the screwed connection can extend through the connecting strap, wherein also in this case the connecting strap is fixed by clamping. By the clamping of the connecting strap between the legs of the clamping bracket the second loop of the connecting strap and the strap portion required for stitching the connecting strap ends can be dispensed with. In the case of tensile load of the belt buckle the tensile forces are transmitted via the clamping into the clamping bracket and via the screw into the vehicle body.


A robot system includes a speech recognition unit for converting speech information into text information, and a database retrieval unit for extracting a keyword included in the text information from a database. By designating a plurality of basic actions on a speech basis, and storing an action record, a combined action formed by combining the plurality of basic actions in time-series order can be named as a new action only in voice-based interaction. A user can designate complicated continuous actions by using only one word, and can easily have a conversation with the robot.

Conventionally, many proposals and developments have been made regarding walking robot apparatuses and articulated robots that perform actions in response to commands from a user and surrounding environments, or animations using characters that perform actions by computer graphics (CG), etc. These robot apparatuses or animations (hereinafter collectively referred to also as "robot apparatuses or the like") perform continuous actions in response to commands from users.
By way of example, a robot apparatus that is similar in shape and structure to a four-legged animal such as a dog, that is, a "pet robot", takes a DOWN posture in response to the command "DOWN" (e.g., a voice input) from a user, and performs a "HAND" action when the user puts out his or her hand in front of the mouth of the robot.
It is preferable that the robot apparatuses or the like which imitate an actual creature, such as a dog or a human, be similar in action and emotion to real creatures as much as possible. Also, it is preferable for the robot apparatus or the like not only to perform a predetermined action based on a command from the user or the external environment, but also to perform an autonomous action similarly to a real creature. This is because the user becomes bored with repeated actions of the robot apparatus or the like which are unrealistic and because the ultimate object of developing the robot apparatus or the like, that is, symbiosis with the human under the same environment, cannot be achieved.
Recent intelligent robot apparatuses or the like are provided with functions such as speech input/output, speech recognition, and speech synthesis, and can have a conversation/interaction with a user on a speech basis. Also, in this conversation/speech, it is preferable for the robot apparatus not only to perform a predetermined action based on a command from the user or the external environment, but also to perform an autonomous action similarly to a real creature.
Among robot apparatuses or the like which have a speech recognition function of the related art, most execute a specific preprogrammed action when a specific preset command is spoken.
In this case, words enabling interaction with the robot apparatus or the like are limited. Thus, in other words, there is no expansibility in the interaction with the robot apparatus or the like and in the actions which can be ordered.
In addition, when the robot apparatus or the like is controlled to perform a combined action, in time-series order, by combining separate actions assigned to commands, it is necessary to order the robot with a command corresponding to each action, which is inconvenient, and therefore it is difficult to control the robot apparatus or the like to perform the desired combined action.
Also, in order to program a combined action, several motion-editor-type programming tools have already been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-175159, Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-295719, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-295719, which have already been assigned to the present Applicant). However, in order to fully utilize the above type of tool, at least a certain level of computer-related knowledge is required. In other words, this prevents widespread use of robot apparatuses or the like since the range of users is limited.

Action teaching apparatus and action teaching method for robot system, and storage medium


An optical apparatus according to the present invention includes a cylindrical holding barrel, a lens moving mechanism including a cylindrical cam which is rotatably fitted on an outer surface of the holding barrel in such a manner that a plurality of moving lens frames held in the holding barrel are moved in an optical axis direction, a light quantity adjusting mechanism held in the holding barrel, for adjusting a quantity of light passing therethrough, lens moving mechanism driving sources for driving the lens moving mechanism, and light quantity adjusting mechanism driving sources for driving the light quantity adjusting mechanism. The lens moving mechanism driving sources and the light quantity adjusting mechanism driving sources are held in the holding barrel.

The present invention relates to an optical apparatus such as a camera and, more particularly, to an optical apparatus including a lens barrel unit with a lens moving mechanism and its driving source, and a light quantity adjusting mechanism and its driving source.
In an optical apparatus such as an electronic camera including a lens barrel unit having a lens moving mechanism for moving a moving barrel frame in an optical axis direction and its driving source, and a light quantity adjusting mechanism such as an aperture shutter and its driving source, the driving sources or flexible printed boards for signal transfer between the driving sources and external circuits are partly exposed outside a holding barrel serving as a main body of the lens barrel unit. The number of the flexible printed boards corresponds to that of driving sources, and they are connected to external electric circuits.
The exposure or protrusion of driving sources and flexible printed boards from the holding barrel causes the following problems.
The shape and position of a cylindrical cam, which is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the holding barrel as a member for driving a moving lens frame, is greatly restricted. The flexible printed boards are generally flexible but sensitive to an external force and durability. If, therefore, part of the flexible printed board is exposed outside the holding barrel, it is likely to be broken or disconnected in contact with other elements when the apparatus is assembled. The elements have to be mounted outside the holding barrel with a considerably large space so as not to interfere with the flexible printed boards, thus reducing efficiency of mounting on the apparatus.
If the plural driving sources inside the holding barrel and the electric circuits outside it are connected by a plurality of flexible printed boards, the following problem will arise:
When the driving sources in the holding barrel are assembled, a single flexible printed board can be used for each of the driving sources, thus improving in workability. If, however, the holding barrel is treated as a unit, the plural flexible printed boards obstruct the assemblage of the apparatus, and the space is increased. Jpn. UM Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 7-5657 discloses a technique of transmitting a signal by bringing conductors of flexible printed boards into contact with each other. This technique is not however effective in resolving the above problems.


An integrated circuit package that receives power from a connector clipped to an edge of the package. The IC package has at least one pair of contact strips that extend along an edge of the package. The strips are connected to the power and ground pads of the integrated circuit by internal routing of the package. The connector has a plurality of conductive spring fingers that clip onto the contact strips of the package. The connector supplies power to the package through a cable connected to an external power supply. The package may have a number of separate connectors that provide different voltage levels to the integrated circuit. The IC package may have a plurality of contacts that extend from the package and are mounted to a printed circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit package.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuits (ICs) are typically located within a package that is soldered or socketed to a printed circuit board. The IC package may have contacts that extend from the package and are soldered or plugged into a socket of the board. The contacts are coupled to the integrated circuit by internal routing and wiring within the package. Some of the contacts are dedicated to electrical power and ground. The remaining contacts are dedicated to the input/output (I/O) signals of the IC. Integrated circuits are continually being developed with more and more functions. The additional functions typically require more power that must be provided by the integrated circuit package. Increasing the power provided by an integrated circuit package is typically accomplished by increasing the number of contacts dedicated to power and ground. Increasing the number of contacts increases the size and cost of the package. It would be desirable to provide an integrated circuit package that receives power through means other than the conventional contacts of the package.

High performance power and ground edge connect IC package


The compound secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), obtained from flaxseed is used for treating hypertension or for reducing or preventing the development of elevated blood pressure in humans or animals. These uses include the treatment of ischemic heart disease, heart failure and intermittent claudication.

This invention relates to the use of purified SDG (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside) as a hypotensive (vasodilator) agent in treating hypertension or reducing or preventing the development of elevated blood pressure.
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of deaths in this society. According to a survey done between 1986-1992, the overall prevalence of hypertension in the Canadian population was 22% and was higher in men (26%) than in women (18%). There is overwhelming evidence that elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure or both, increases the probability of ischemic heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and overall mortality. The causes of death in hypertensive are heart failure (45%), heart attack (35%), stroke (15%) and kidney failure (5%). Treatment and control of high blood pressure reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke. Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death and hospitalization.
The present treatments of hypertension and ischemic heart disease have side effects and are expensive. The drugs used for treating hypertension include diuretics, antiadrenergic agents, vasodilator, central agonists, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
Diuretics reduce blood potassium, increase serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, are diabetogenic, and produce gout. Beta-adrenergic blockers produce insomnia, fatigue, sexual dysfunction and exacerbation of asthma, increases serum cholesterol and triglycerides, and produce cold hands. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors could cause cough, angioedema, urticaria and loss of white blood and other blood cells. Calcium channel blockers produce flushing, headaches, palpitation and swelling of ankles.
For treatment of ischemic heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction) the physiologic basis of treatment with drugs are to reduce oxygen demand and increase oxygen supply. For this purpose, the vasodilator (nitrites and nitrates), beta-adrenergic blocker, calcium channel blockers are generally being used.
Nitrites and nitrates produce headache, flushing face, and reflex tachycardia. Reflex tachycardia would increase the oxygen consumption of the heart and hence would counteract to some extent the beneficial effect of nitrites and nitrates in ischemic heart disease. Also nitrites and nitrates produce tolerance.
The drugs used for the treatment of hypertension and ischemic heart disease are also very expensive. Side effects common to drugs, especially antihypertensive drugs, together with high cost of the drugs, have always been a major cause of noncompliance and concern. It is particularly difficult to accept treatment-related symptoms for a life-long disease, especially hypertension. For example, a research conducted by J. Menard [Improving hypertension treatment. Where should we put our efforts: new drugs, new concepts, or new management? (1992) Am. J. Hypertens. 5(12 Pt 2): 252S-258S] revealed that current treatment failure is frequent and side effects are common. The results showed that in the systolic hypertension in the elderly program, 28 to 35% of patients did not reach the goal blood pressure, 13% stopped treatment because of side effects, and 21% required medication other than a diuretic and a beta-blocker.
Therefore, despite the availability of numerous antihypertensive agents, a concerted research effort to develop new approaches to hypertension treatment is necessary.
Prasad, U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,944 describes the use of purified SDG for the treatment of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis and for reducing total cholesterol, as well as for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Atherosclerosis is lipid deposit in the arteries and hence narrowing of blood vessels, resulting in ischemic heart disease.
The literature also describes the beneficial effect of flaxseed to reduce ascites and pulmonary hypertension in broiler chickens [J. Bond et al. (1996) Effect of dietary flax oil and hypobaric hypoxia on right ventricular hypertrophy and ascites in broiler chickens. British Poultry Science 37(4): 731-741]. Researchers have also inferred a role for flax in diet of patients with ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure. [I. A. Rozanova et al. (1997) Effect of antiatherosclerotic diet, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 family from flax oil, on fatty acid composition of cell membranes of patients with ischemic heart disease. Vopr. Pitan. (5): 15-17]. It has been shown that alpha-linolenic acid has a beneficial effect in coronary heart disease, hypertension, and inflammatory disorders [E. Mantzioris et al. (1995) Differences exist in the relationships between dietary linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids and their respective long-chain metabolites. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 61(2): 320-324]. Yet, little is known about the hypotensive effect of the lignan components of flaxseed. Moreover, use of whole flaxmeal or oil components of flaxseed has been found to result in progressive weight gain due to the high caloric value of the oil components.
Flaxseed is known to contain a myriad of molecules including lignan and oil fractions. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the principal lignan from flaxseed.
Although flaxseed has been used as an edible grain in different parts of the world since ancient times, use of flaxseed was limited due to the presence of cyanogenic glucosides and diglucosides in the seeds as they may release cyanide upon hydrolysis. Also, flaxseed has to be used in large quantity to be effective.
In Westcott and Muir U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,618, issued January, 1998, there is described a practical method of extracting and purifying SDG. By this technique, SDG can be obtained in a purity of greater than 95%.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of using flaxseed for medical purposes without the aforementioned drawbacks of cyanogenic glycosides, and caloric loads. SDG compound is obtained from natural food product (flaxseed), and hence it is expected to have non or minimal side effect if any. It is also an inexpensive drug as compared to other conventional drugs used in the treatment of hypertension and ischemic heart disease.
In accordance with this invention, it has been found that by administering SDG from flaxseed in substantially pure form to a human or non-human animal, elevated blood pressure can be reduced and hypertension can be prevented. The SDG serves to lower blood pressure by dilation of blood vessels. Its vasodilator (hypotensive) effect appears to be mediated primarily through the inhibition of guanylate cyclase, partly through inhibition of angiotensin I converting enzyme and blockade of angiotensin II receptor, and through histamine.
SDG is also useful for the treatment of ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) where the SDG serves to dilate the coronary blood vessels to supply more blood to the heart muscle. This abolishes ischemia of the heart and hence abolishes or prevents chest pain and other signs and symptoms associated with an ischemic heart. Also, by reducing the afterload (aortic pressure) because of lowering blood pressure, SDG serves to decrease the myocardial oxygen consumption thereby reducing ischemia of the heart.
A further associated use of SDG is for treating intermittent claudication, which is a leg pain while walking due to narrowing of the blood vessels of a leg muscle. Decreased blood flow to the leg muscle initiates the pain. SDG by dilating blood vessels increases the blood supply to the leg muscle and relieves the leg pain.
A still further associated use of SDG is for the treatment of heart failure, where it serves to reduce the afterload to the heart by lowering blood pressure. Thus, the heart is able to work against low arterial pressure thereby increasing the cardiac output.
Diabetic patients are known to suffer hypertension and SDG is effective in lowering the blood pressure of hypertensive patients with diabetes.
Unlike the uses of SDG described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,944, in the uses according to the present invention the SDG acts primarily to dilate blood vessels. This is achieved without the undesirable side effects of cyanogenic glycosides and caloric loads.
The SDG is preferably used at a high degree of purity of over 90%, with a purity of over 95% being the preferred. It can be administered orally, intraperitoneally or intravenously. It has been found to be highly effective in normotensives when given intravenously in the doses of 10-30 mg/kg body weight and in hypertensives when given intravenously in the doses of 1-15 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally in the doses of 5-200 mg/kg body weight, and orally in the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. The oral doses may conveniently be in the form of tablets or capsules and the SDG may be used together with a variety of pharmaceutically cceptable diluents or carriers.

Use of purified SDG as a hypotensive (vasodilator) agent

University of Saskatchewan Technologies Incorporated


When a connector of a power cord is connected to an inlet of a printer, an RFID reader of the printer acquires rating information of the power cord by reading the rating information from an RFID-IC of the power cord. Then, a controller of the printer judges whether the rating of the power cord conforms to the rating of the printer based on the rating information of the power cord and rating information of the printer. If it is judged that the rating of the power cord does not conform to the rating of the printer, the controller sets the printer to a sleep mode, in which the printer is operated with a current value within the rating range of the power cord, and also causes relevant parts of the printer such as an alarm generator to issue an alert/alarm to the operator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation control system for performing a proper control operation based on a judgment as to whether a power cord having a predetermined rating range is connected, and an image forming apparatus for use in the operation control system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been proposed a power supply control system for supplying, to an electrical apparatus, an electric power conforming to a rating. As an example of the power supply control system, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-160462 proposes, for instance, an arrangement that in response to insertion of a power plug into an inlet of a power supply device, the power supply device reads out power source information from a power source information barcode attached to the power plug, and the power supply device is operative to prohibit power supply to an electrical apparatus if the power supply does not conform to the rating of an electrical apparatus.
In the above power supply control system, the electrical apparatus is usable after proper power supply from the power supply device to the electrical apparatus is secured. However, the power source information barcode is attached to an electrode of the power plug. A barcode reader provided on the power supply device reads out the power source information in contact with the barcode attached to the power plug. Accordingly, the insulating performance of the power plug is poor, which needs further improvement in securing a normal operation of the power plug. Also, the above power supply control system is designed to control power supply between the power supply device and the electrical apparatus which is operated by power supply from the power supply device, and is not designed to perform a control operation based on a judgment as to whether the rating of the electrical apparatus and the rating of a power cord to be connected to the electrical apparatus conform to each other.

Operation control system and image forming apparatus


A network management and administration system provisioning data links in an optical networking environment is provided. The network management and administration system makes use of connectivity information in establishing and monitoring data links. The connectivity information includes data link termination specifications. Data link termination specifications include port and channel specifications. Each port may have a channelized or an unchannelized configuration. A virtual channel having a data transport capacity substantially equal to that of a corresponding unchannelized port is defined therefor. The advantages include a standardized, concise and comprehensive provisioning and presentation of data links.

In the field of data transport, Synchronous Optical NETwork (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) are a set of related standards for synchronous data transmission over fiber optic networks. SONET is the North American version of the standard published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). SDH is the international version of the standard published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
SONET/SDH data transport technologies are enabled by SONET/SDH data switching equipment, data transport equipment, interface equipment, etc. each supporting the SONET/SDH transmission protocols. SONET/SDH technology was developed and initially used for high capacity data transport in the core of data transport networks and in particular at the physical Layer 1 (ref. Open Systems Interconnection hierarchy—OSI).
Physical Layer 1 connectivity is implemented hop-by-hop between data ports. Cables are connected physically (Layer 1) to the ports to convey data therethrough. The conveyance of data includes unidirectional and bi-directional data transfers. Each port has a physical data transport capacity.
TABLE 1Data transport capacity hierarchy showingSONET - SDH equivalents.Over-OpticalElectricalLine RatePayload Ratehead RateSDHLevelLevel(Mbps)(Mbps)(Mbps)EquivalentOC-1STS-1 51.840 50.112 1.728—OC-3STS-3 155.520 150.336 5.184STM-1OC-9STS-9 466.560 451.008 15.552STM-3OC-12STS-12 622.080 601.344 20.736STM-4OC-18STS-18 933.120 902.016 31.104STM-6OC-24STS-241244.1601202.688 41.472STM-8OC-36STS-361866.2401804.032 62.208STM-12OC-48STS-482488.3202405.376 82.944STM-16OC-96STS-964976.6404810.752165.888STM-32OC-192STS-1929953.2809621.504331.776STM-64
A group of Layer 1 data transport capacities are defined for SONET/SDH ports. The group of data transport capacities forms a data transport capacity hierarchy known as Optical Carrier Hierarchy (OC) or the Synchronous Transport Mode (STM) capacity hierarchy respectively and is presented in the Table 1. Correspondingly, the ports are referred to as: OC-3/STM-1 ports, OC-48/STM-16 ports, etc. For the remainder of this presentation, reference will only be made to SONET technologies and it is understood to include SDH technologies.
Typically SONET ports are implemented on interface cards. Exemplary configurations include interface cards having: 2 OC-192 ports, 4 OC-48 ports, 8 OC-12 ports, 16 OC-3 ports, etc. SONET ports may also form an integral part of a data network node.
Data network nodes (data switching equipment, data transport equipment, etc.) may have Layer 1 implementations including at least one shelf to receive a plurality of interface cards. The connectivity between a node and an interface card is provided via a slot connector. Slots are keyed shelf recesses into which physical interface cards are inserted. Typically there is a one-to-one correspondence between slots and slot connectors while no implied one-to-one
TABLE 2Exemplary port configurationsPortTypePartitioningOC-192unchannelizednonechannelized 1 × OC-192 channel 4 × OC-48 channels16 × OC-12 channels64 × OC-3 channelsOC-48unchannelizednonechannelized 1 × OC-48 channel 4 × OC-12 channels16 × OC-3 channelsOC-12unchannelizednonechannelized 1 × OC-12 channel 4 × OC-3 channelsOC-3unchannelizednoneetc.correspondence exists between interface cards and slots. An interface card may occupy several slots in a shelf although using only one slot connector.
Typically a variety of interface cards supporting data transport technologies other than SONET may be connected to a node either to provide distribution side connectivity and/or provide bridging across data transport networks.
Recently however, the bandwidth demand for data transport in the edge and/or access portions of data transport networks has increased such that the use of SONET technologies has extended beyond the core of data transport networks for which SONET technologies were initially designed.
The migration of SONET technology beyond the core of data transport networks is paralleled by Packet-over-SONET (POS) technologies which are being developed to enable SONET data network nodes to convey Internet Protocol (IP) packets directly over SONET frames. A SONET port enabling the conveyance of IP data traffic is known as a POS port. SONET data links conveying IP data traffic are know as POS links.
In order to address data service specific bandwidth requirements, it is common for the raw bandwidth of a POS port to be partitioned. An unpartitioned POS port is known as an unchannelized port. The unchannelized configuration of a POS port enables access to the full OC/STM bandwidth thereof. The channelization is a Layer 1 logical bandwidth partitioning enabling a more efficient utilization of the raw bandwidth of a POS port. Table 2 shows exemplary Layer 1 POS port configurations.
OSI Data Link Layer 2 connections are setup to convey data traffic between nodes. At the core, Layer 2 connectivity includes port specifications for both ends of a data connection. A data connection having an allocated bandwidth, represents a data link. The variety of data link configurations include:                POS data links between two channelized POS ports, each end of each POS data link being associated with a channel on a corresponding channelized POS port; and        POS data links between two unchannelized POS ports, each end of each POS data link being associated with a corresponding unchannelized physical POS port.
Since Layer 1 physical connectivity is made between ports via port connectors, a hybrid type of connectivity including:                POS data links between a corresponding unchannelized POS physical port at one end and a corresponding channel on a channelized POS port at the other end,is enabled at Layer 1 by the use of intermediary devices providing multiplexing and demultiplexing functionality such as: add/drop multiplexers, resilient packet ring nodes, etc.
The provisioning of data transport over SONET technologies in a data transport network requires the establishment of POS data links. For network core data transport provisioning, the POS data links tend to be relatively few in number and at the same time tend to have large data transport capacities. The relatively small number of POS data links renders a manual provisioning thereof adequate. The complexity of POS data link connectivity presented above is balanced by the relatively small number of POS data links required to be maintained and administered.
The number of POS links necessary to be set up and maintained increases with the migration of SONET technologies beyond the core of data transport networks as IP packet switching technologies are used to deploy end user services. The complexity of the connectivity of POS links therefore introduces a large overhead no longer lending itself to manual provisioning and management thereof.
Further, the configuration physical Layer 1 complexity of POS ports into channelized configurations or unchannelized configurations is relevant for POS data link connectivity at set-up. However, as it pertains to data network administration and management, the actual physical port configuration, once physical and data link connectivity is established, has a lower importance in providing network management solutions.
Prior practice in data transport provisioning includes the management of Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) links and particularly what are known as T1 connections. Correspondingly, T1 ports can also be configured as channelized or unchannelized. The current field practice treats these two types of T1 port configurations as being incompatible for physical Layer 1 interconnection purposes. A distinction is made between Layer 2 data links: those provisioned between unchannelized ports as opposed to those provisioned between channels on channelized ports.
In providing network management solutions, the migration of SONET technologies beyond the core utilizes an increased number of intermediary SONET physical layer data transport devices. A network management workstation providing an administration and management interface to an analyst is cluttered by the multitude of physical layer SONET devices used in provisioning POS data links. Physical layer SONET devices include: physical long haul optical cables, add/drop multiplexers, physical short haul copper links, (optical) interconnects, (optical) switches, aggregation/deaggregation nodes, Wavelength Division Multiplexers (WDM), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexers (DWDM) etc.
There is a need to solve the above mentioned issues. Concise and comprehensive methods are necessary for provisioning, administering and managing POS data connections.

SONET/SDH data link administration and management