A prosthesis socket material includes a pre-formed tubular sleeve-like reinforcement web of fibers pre-impregnated with an uncured, preferably water activatable, moldable, hardenable resin material, with an integrated prosthesis coupler at one end, the coupler provided with a central aperture. The material is moldable under compression using a one-step compressive molding system. The web of fibers preferably is constituted of a radially compliant tube made of bias braided carbon fibers.

Definitive sockets for fitting prostheses to residual limbs of amputees are made by various processes in accordance with prior art techniques, including molding thermosetting, thermoforming or other known resinous materials to obtain a final rigid socket shape that will receive a residual limb and structurally react loads between the prosthesis and the residual limb without discomfort to the user. Such molded sockets without and with reinforcements are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,965, granted Nov. 17, 1992 to Rasmusson and Fischl; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,990, granted Nov. 23, 1993 to Handal, respectively.
In accordance with a well known technique for molding definitive sockets of resinous materials, a male or positive mold of the residual limb area is made from a plaster of paris female or negative casting sleeve that has been formed by molding the sleeve directly against the residual limb, sometimes with the aid of a known pressure casting system of the type exemplified by the ICECAST.TM. system made by Ossur h.f. of Reykjavik, Iceland. The positive mold is then adjusted or "rectified" in accordance with well known techniques to provide relief for sensitive areas of the residual limb and to obtain a correctly sized socket that will properly fit the residual limb. The multiple step molding and rectification process is well known and has been extensively described in literature and texts known to prosthetists. The process is time-consuming, expensive and heavily dependent on the individual skills of the prosthetist.
Other procedures for molding interim or definitive sockets have been described in the prior art, including a procedure whereby SCOTCHCAST.RTM. tape made by 3M Company of Minneapolis, Minn., has been utilized to produce an interim prosthesis socket for below-knee amputees. The SCOTCHCAST.RTM. tape was wrapped directly over the residual limb after a tube sock was applied to the residual limb and manual compressive pressure was applied to the SCOTCHCAST.RTM. tape while it was curing to a hardened condition to provide relief for the patellar tendon area to form a PTB bar and to control the anterior-posterior diameter for weight bearing. (Wu et al., "SCOTCHCAST.RTM. P.V.C. Interim Prosthesis for Below-Knee Amputees", Bulletin of Prosthetics Research 10-36, Fall 1981, pp. 40-45). This process, however, has not been reported as being suitable for forming definitive prosthesis sockets suitable for continuous long-term use.

Process and apparatus for making prosthesis socket and prosthesis socket made thereby


A system, method, and computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for maintaining connections between a mobile device and a server are described herein. In an embodiment, the method operates by receiving a data request from the mobile device, the data request identifying at least a timeout interval. The method comprises sending the data request to a data server and then determining whether the timeout interval has passed. The method also comprises sending a keep alive message to the mobile device indicating that the request has timed out if it is determined that the timeout interval has passed. The method then receives a re post request from the mobile device, the re post request identifying a timeout interval. The method further comprises receiving a response from the data server, the response including at least data requested by the mobile device and then sends the response to the mobile device.

Mobile devices are in common usage, many featuring powerful processors, larger and more colorful displays, and wireless networking and internet browsing capabilities. Despite these advances in mobile technology, service providers for mobile devices typically place limitations on data connections that are more restrictive than connections from workstation computers. For example, wireless providers terminate or drop inactive data connections between mobile devices and servers upon the expiration of a fixed 'time out' period. Given the increasing versatility of mobile devices, it is helpful to implement a means by which these mobile devices can maintain active connections with servers during periods of inactivity on the mobile devices.
As wireless data networks mature and evolve, mobile devices are moving from having occasional data coverage to having near-constant data network connectivity. As a function of increasing wireless network data coverage and bandwidth, applications running on mobile client devices increasingly rely upon web server and enterprise server data provided in response to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests. Current techniques for establishing data connections between mobile devices and servers such as web servers and enterprise servers often result in connections which are dropped by wireless service providers before HTTP requests are fulfilled. For example, if a mobile device submits an HTTP request to a web server that takes five minutes to fulfill and the service provider for the mobile device data connection drops inactive connections after 3 minutes, the mobile device's data connection will be terminated before the HTTP request is fulfilled. Given the bandwidth limitations enforced by wireless providers, it is difficult for web servers to serve HTTP responses in request to HTTP requests from mobile devices. As mobile devices run a variety of operating systems, software suites, and internet browser applications, methods for maintaining data connections need to be platform independent.
Some current network connection limitations enforced by wireless service providers require that a connection between a mobile device and a server remain 'active' in order to avoid termination. Current techniques for connection management often fail to distinguish an 'inactive' connection from a connection that is awaiting an HTTP response to be fulfilled by a server in response to an HTTP request. For example, a timeout may occur while a mobile device is awaiting large amounts of data in a HTTP response to be sent from a web server. The data to be processed by a web server may include HyperText Markup Language (HTML) documents and linked objects such as scripts, audiovisual files (i.e., sound and image data).
Due to the fact that mobile devices are typically remote from the web servers and enterprise servers they submit HTTP requests to, data may be staged on a third server that mobile devices, the web servers, and the enterprise servers can readily access. Data sent from enterprise servers to roaming mobile devices is often inspected by a firewall server. In order to facilitate data security, firewall servers, like wireless service providers, often drop connections after a predetermined time period of inactivity.
In sum, current mobile data delivery techniques often result in response times that exceed wireless service provider and firewall timeout parameters, which results in connections that are terminated before data requests from a mobile device can be fulfilled.
Accordingly, what is desired is a means of letting mobile client devices and servers know that a connection is still active. What is further is desired are methods, systems, and computer program products for maintaining connections (i.e., keeping connections alive) between mobile devices and firewall servers without requiring user activity.
What is also desired is a means of efficiently and reliably maintaining data connections (i.e., keeping data connections alive) between mobile devices and enterprise servers without requiring user activity on the mobile devices. What is further desired are methods, systems, and computer program products that keep data connections between mobile devices and web servers from being terminated without requiring mobile device activity while HTTP requests are fulfilled.

Maintaining connections between mobile devices and servers


A computer-implemented method for providing interpretable predictions from a machine learning model includes receiving a data structure that represents a hierarchical structure of a set of features (X) used by one or more predictive models to generate a set of predictions (Y). An interpretability model is built corresponding to the predictive models, by assigning an interpretability to each prediction Yi based on the hierarchical structure. Assigning the interpretability includes decomposing X into a plurality of partitions Xj using the hierarchical structure, wherein X=U1NXj, N being the number of partitions. Further, each partition is decomposed into a plurality of sub-partitions using the hierarchical structure until atomic sub-partitions are obtained. A score is computed for each partition as a function of the predicted scores of the sub-partitions, wherein the predicted scores represent interactions between the sub-partitions. Further, an interpretation of a prediction is outputted.

The instant disclosure generally relates to programmable computers and, more specifically, relates to programmable computer systems configured to generate and run a set of predictive models that use decomposable hierarchical structures of utilized features grouped into different granularities to generate results that are more easily interpreted.
Many fields, such as the medical field, attempt to incorporate the use of predictive machine learning models to perform tasks that require the analysis of data, and that further requires using the results of that analysis as the basis of future actions. In general, predictive machine learning models are generated by and run on neural networks or other machine learning algorithms, which can be implemented as programmable computers configured to run a set of machine learning algorithms. Neural networks incorporate knowledge from a variety of disciplines, including neurophysiology, cognitive science/psychology, physics (statistical mechanics), control theory, computer science, artificial intelligence, statistics/mathematics, pattern recognition, computer vision, parallel processing and hardware (e.g., digital/analog/VLSI/optical).
The basic function of neural networks and other machine learning algorithms is to recognize patterns by interpreting unstructured data through a kind of machine perception. Unstructured real-world data in its native form (e.g., images, sound, text, or time series data) is converted to a numerical form (e.g., a vector having magnitude and direction) that can be understood and manipulated by a computer. The machine learning algorithm performs multiple iterations of learning-based analysis on the real-world data vectors until patterns (or relationships) contained in the real-world data vectors are uncovered and learned. The learned patterns/relationships function as predictive models that can be used to perform a variety of tasks, including, for example, predictions of real-world data. Prediction tasks often depend on the use of labeled datasets to train the neural network (i.e., the model) or other machine learning models to recognize the correlation between labels and data. This is known as supervised learning.
While simple prediction models can be self-explanatory using the generic linear models or decision tree models, machine learning model results generated for more complicated tasks can be challenging to understand for a more complex model structure. The machine learning models developed to perform complicated tasks (e.g., sentiment analysis of on-line posts) are often "black-box" models in that the relationship between the task assigned to the model and the results generated by the model is not clear. But as tasks become more complex, the relationship between the model's results and the task the model was designed to perform can be unclear.

Predictive models having decomposable hierarchical layers configured to generate interpretable results

International Business Machines Corporation


An image forming apparatus according to one aspect controls a light source such that first and second laser beams emitted from first and second light emitting elements respectively are incident on a BD sensor successively, and measures the time interval between two BD signals, output from the BD sensor, that correspond to the first and second laser beams. When performing the measurement, the image forming apparatus controls the light powers of the first and second light beams so as to be light powers determined in advance using APC. According to this, measurement errors when measuring the interval between the light beams emitted from the two light emitting elements are suppressed, and correction accuracy for the image writing start positions for the multiple light emitting elements is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses are known which form electrostatic latent images on a photosensitive member by deflecting a light beam emitted from a light source using a rotating polygonal mirror and scanning the photosensitive member using the deflected light beam. This kind of image forming apparatus includes an optical sensor for detecting the light beam deflected by the rotating polygonal mirror (beam detection (BD) sensor), and the optical sensor generates a synchronization signal upon detecting the light beam. By causing the light beam to be emitted from the light source at a timing that is determined using the synchronization signal generated by the optical sensor as a reference, the image forming apparatus keeps constant the writing start position for the electrostatic latent image (image) in the direction in which the light beam scans the photosensitive member (scanning direction).
Also, image forming apparatuses are known which include multiple light emitting elements as light sources for emitting light beams that each scan different lines on the photosensitive member in parallel in order to realize a higher image formation speed and higher resolution images. With this kind of image forming apparatus, a higher image formation speed is realized by scanning multiple lines using multiple light beams at the same time, and higher resolution images are realized by adjusting the interval between the lines in the sub-scanning direction.
FIG. 7A shows an example of a light source included in this kind of image forming apparatus, and in this light source, multiple light emitting elements (LD1 to LDN) are arranged in a row on a plane including an X axis and a Y axis (XY plane). Note that the X axis direction corresponds to the main scanning direction, and the Y axis direction corresponds to the rotation direction of the photosensitive member (sub-scanning direction). With this kind of image forming apparatus, the interval between the light emitting elements in the Y axis direction is adjusted by rotating the light source in the direction of the arrow on the XY plane in the assembly step at the factory, as shown in FIG. 7A. According to this, the interval in the sub-scanning direction of the scanning lines on the photosensitive member (exposure position interval), which are created by the light beams emitted from the light emitting elements, can be adjusted such that it corresponds to a predetermined resolution.
When the light source is rotated in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 7A, the interval between the light emitting elements in the Y axis direction changes, and the interval between the light emitting elements in the X direction changes as well. According to this, the light beams emitted from the light emitting elements each form an image on the photosensitive member at different positions S1 to SN in the main scanning direction, as shown in FIG. 7B. Because of this, with an image forming apparatus including a light source such as that shown in FIG. 7A, the writing start positions in the main scanning direction for the electrostatic latent images formed by the light beams emitted from the light emitting elements need to coincide with each other. For this reason, the image forming apparatus causes a light beam to be emitted from a specific light emitting element, an optical sensor detects the light beam and generates a synchronization signal, and the image forming apparatus uses the synchronization signal as a reference to determine the light beam emission timing for each light emitting element such that the writing start positions for the electrostatic latent images coincide with each other. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus causes the light beams to be emitted from the light emitting elements at emission timings determined for respective light emitting elements.
In the above-mentioned assembly step, the light source rotation angle by which the resolution of the image is adjusted to a predetermined resolution varies depending on the installation state of the light source in the image forming apparatus and optical characteristics of optical members such as lenses and mirrors. For this reason, the adjustment amount for the light source rotation angle sometimes varies for each image forming apparatus. In other words, the interval between the light emitting elements in the X axis direction in the light source after rotation adjustment is not always the same for different image forming apparatuses. Here, if the light beam emission timing for each light emitting element, which is obtained by using as a reference the synchronization signals generated by the optical sensor, is set to the same timing for all image forming apparatuses, there is a possibility that a shift in the writing start positions in the main scanning direction for the electrostatic latent images will occur between light emitting elements.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-89695 discloses a technique for suppressing shifts in the writing start positions in the main scanning direction for the electrostatic latent image that are generated due to light source attachment errors in the assembly step as described above. The image forming apparatus disclosed in this patent literature uses an optical sensor (BD sensor) to detect light beams emitted from a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element and generates multiple horizontal synchronization signals. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus sets a light beam emission timing for the second light emitting element relative to the light beam emission timing for the first light emitting element based on the difference in the generation times of the generated horizontal synchronization signals. This compensates for the light source attachment error in the assembly step and suppresses shifts in the writing start positions for the electrostatic latent images between the light emitting elements.
However, the following problems are present in the method for measuring the detection time interval of light beams (i.e., beam interval) by the BD sensor as described above. Generally, the response speed of the BD sensor when a light beam is incident on the BD sensor changes according to the incident light power. For this reason, there is a possibility that a measurement error will occur due to a change in the measurement result of the time interval (beam interval) between pulses (BD signals) generated by the BD sensor changing when the incident light power on the BD sensor changes.
Here, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example in which the time interval between pulses generated by the BD sensor changes in the case where the light power of a light beam that is incident on the BD sensor changes. In FIG. 8, the time interval between the pulses generated by the BD sensor in the case where light beams emitted by the light emitting elements 1 and N (LD1 and LDN) are incident on the BD sensor at a constant light power 801 is measured as a time interval 811.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the light power of the light beam that is emitted by the light emitting element N (LDN) and is incident on the BD sensor changes from light power 801 to light power 802, the measurement result of the time interval between the pulses generated by the BD sensor changes from the time interval 811 to a time interval 812. This is because the rising rates and the falling rates of the pulses generated by the BD sensor (i.e., the BD sensor response speed) depend on the light power of the light beam that is incident on the BD sensor. This kind of change in the light power incident on the BD sensor can occur due to a light power adjustment operation such as a density adjustment operation in the image forming apparatus, for example. As shown in FIG. 8, when the light power of a light beam that is incident on the BD sensor changes, an error occurs in the measurement result of the time interval between the pulses generated by the BD sensor, and as a result, it is no longer possible to appropriately control the laser emission timings of the light emitting elements.


An apparatus for sensing a laundry amount in a washing machine includes: a rectifier; an inverter receiving a DC voltage and converting it to a three-phase AC voltage, a BLDC motor driven by the three-phase AC voltage from the inverter, a rotor position detector detecting the position of a rotor of the BLDC motor; a microcomputer outputting a control signal for controlling a switching operation of the inverter according to the position detect signal of the rotor position detector and a current control signal; a gate driving unit receiving the control signal from the microcomputer and outputting a gate drive signal to the inverter; a torque command generator generating a torque command signal corresponding to a speed set by a user; a torque controller operating the torque command signal from the torque command generator and outputting a q-axis current command signal; a current controller outputting the current control signal according to the q-axis current command signal from the torque controller and a d-axis current command signal; a speed detector detecting a driving speed of the BLDC motor according to the position detect signal of the rotor position detector; a laundry amount sensor comparing the speed detect signal from the speed detector with a previously stored reference speed and sensing a laundry amount; and a current command unit applying the d-axis current command signal to the current controller according to the speed detect signal from the speed detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for sensing a laundry amount in a washing machine, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for sensing a laundry amount in a washing machine which is capable of improving the degree of sensing of the laundry amount to heighten an efficiency of a washing machine by controlling a current and detecting a speed to reduce an error of sensing the amount of the laundry caused due to an inconstant common AC power supply especially in an inverter washing machine using a brushless DC (BLDC) motor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, in view of improving a cleaning degree and reducing noise and energy consumption, washing machines mostly adopt an inverter which is able to control the speed of a motor therein. The operations of such a conventional washing machine will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the construction of a general BLDC motor driving apparatus in the conventional art.
As shown in the drawing, the BLDC motor driving apparatus includes a rectifier 10 receiving a common AC power supply voltage and rectifying it to a DC voltage, an inverter 20 receiving the DC voltage from the rectifier 10 through a smoothing capacitor C1 and converting it to a three-phase AC voltage according to gate drive signals from a gate driving unit 60 to be described, a BLDC motor 30 driven by the three-phase AC voltage from the inverter 20, a rotor position detector 40 detecting the position of a rotor of the BLDC motor 30, a microcomputer 50 receiving a position detect signal from the rotor position detector 40 and outputting a control signal according to the position detect signal, and the gate driving unit 60 receiving the control signal from the microcomputer 50 and outputting the gate drive signals to the inverter 20 in response to the control signal.
The operation of the BLDC motor driving apparatus constructed as described above will now be explained.
First, the rectifier 10 rectifies a common AC power supply voltage and outputs the DC voltage. The outputted DC voltage is smoothed by the smoothing capacitor and applied to the inverter 20.
Upon receipt of the DC voltage, the inverter 20 converts it to a three-phase AC voltage and drives the BLDC motor 30 with the three-phase AC voltage according to the gate drive signal from the gate driving unit 60.
At this time, the rotor position detector 40 detects the position of the rotor of the BLDC motor 30 by using a position sensor and applies it to the microcomputer 50.
Upon receipt of the position detect signal from the rotor position detector 40, the microcomputer 50 applies the control signal generated according to the position detect signal, according to which the gate driving unit 60 receives the control signal and applies the gate drive signals to the inverter 20 in response to the control signal.
Thereafter, the operations as described above are repeatedly performed to control driving of the BLDC motor 30.
In order to effectively control a washing/rinsing stroke, an inverter washing machine adopting the BLDC motor which performs the above operations should accurately detect the weight of the laundry, that is, the amount of the laundry.
There are two methods for sensing the amount of the laundry; one is to sense the amount of the laundry in such a manner that the motor is accelerated to a predetermined speed for a certain time period and then the power supply is cut off, during which the deceleration time period, that is, corresponding to the inertia according to the amount of the laundry; and the other is to sense the amount of the laundry by measuring the time taken to accelerate the motor to a certain speed.
Generally, the conventional system in which a pulsator receives a rotational force from a motor via a clutch and a gear or changes a direction adopts the method for sensing the amount of the laundry by measuring the inertia according to the amount of the laundry.
Meanwhile, in the case of a direct drive washing system in which a pulsator or a washing tub is driven by being directly connected with a motor, the time taken to accelerate the motor to a certain speed is measured to sense the amount of the laundry.
As shown in FIGS. 2A through 2E, the motor is initially positioned at a reference point and then the strength of a voltage applied to the motor is regularly increased. This is possible by controlling an inverter switch of the inverter 20 at an appropriate duty ratio as shown in FIG. 2A.
With reference to FIG. 2B which shows the amplitude of a voltage applied to the motor, when the duty ratio is increased, the interval where the inverter is switched on is extended. Thus, it is noted that an average value of the voltage applied to the motor becomes gradually higher as time goes by.
With reference to FIG. 2A, if the amount of the laundry is greater than a reference amount of the laundry, since the motor must develop more torque to reach a certain reference speed or a reference position, a longer time is taken compared to a reference time.
Conversely, if the amount of the laundry is less than the reference amount, the motor needs less energy, and thus, it reaches the reference speed or the reference position within a shorter time than the reference time.
That is, as described above, the amount of the laundry can be detected by computing a time during which the motor or the washing tub reaches a certain speed or a certain position after a certain voltage is applied to the motor.
In this method for sensing the amount of the laundry, factors affecting the accuracy of the sensed amount of the laundry include mechanical factors such as the deflection of a bearing housing, the vibration or imbalance or shaking of a washing tub and the deflection of a damper, motor factors such as the inductance and a rotor position sensing Hall-effect sensor, the factor of a voltage detector, the factor of a voltage variation and the factor of a control circuit vibration due to temperature, etc.
Among those factors, the most influential factor is the voltage detecting error caused due to a variation of the source voltage.
That is, in the case that the amount of the laundry is sensed by the time necessary for reaching a certain reference speed or a certain reference position, a certain source voltage is to be applied regardless of the amount of the laundry or the circumstances. If a certain source voltage is not applied according to the circumstances, the computed value of the amount of the laundry will exhibit a large error from an actual value.
FIGS. 3A through 3E are signal waveforms exhibiting an error in detecting the amount of the laundry in the case that a certain source voltage is not applied to the motor.
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D, in the case that, for the same laundry amount, if the source voltage is higher than the reference voltage, if the source voltage applied to the motor in a certain duty ratio is increased, more voltage than the reference voltage would be applied to the motor, so that the motor can reach the reference speed or the reference position earlier than the reference time.
That is, as the motor reaches the reference speed or position earlier than the reference time to by as much as xcex94t1, a laundry amount sensing error is generated corresponding to the time xcex94t1. Conversely, in the case that the source voltage is lower than the reference voltage, the motor reaches the reference speed later by as much as xcex94t2, so that it is detected that there is a greater laundry amount than the actual laundry amount corresponding to the time xcex94t2.
FIG. 3D shows an AC power source voltage variation and a corresponding variation of a voltage of a DC link terminal in an inverter. The DC link voltage directly affects an average AC voltage applied to the motor through the inverter.
In an effort to solve the laundry amount sensing error caused due to the variation of the source voltage, the DC link voltage is detected to compensate for the voltage applied to the motor.
In this case, however, the DC link voltage should be detected to be compensated on a real time basis, and due to property of the inner elements (the selection of an ideal element can obviate an error in the detected voltage) of the voltage detector or a deviation of a constant voltage regulated power supply for signal processing, there occurs an error in the detected voltage.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for sensing the laundry amount in a washing machine which is capable of sensing accurately the laundry amount by controlling an applied current and a torque of a motor of the washing machine.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an apparatus for sensing a laundry amount in a washing machine including: an inverter receiving the DC voltage from the rectifier through a smoothing capacitor and converting it to a three-phase AC voltage, a BLDC motor driven by the three-phase AC voltage from the inverter, a rotor position detector detecting the position of a rotor of the BLDC motor; a microcomputer controlling a switching operation of the inverter according to the position detect signal from the rotor position detector; a gate driving unit receiving a control signal from the microcomputer and outputting a gate drive signal to the inverter; a torque command generator generating a torque command signal corresponding to a speed set by a user; a torque controller operating the torque command signal from the torque command generator and outputting a q-axis current command signal; a current controller applying a current control signal according to the q-axis current command signal from the torque controller and a d-axis current command signal from a current command unit to the inverter; a speed detector detecting a driving speed of the BLDC motor according to the position detect signal from the rotor position detector; a laundry amount sensor comparing the speed detect signal from the speed detector with a previously stored reference speed value and determining a laundry amount therefrom; and a current command unit applying the d-axis current command signal to the current controller according to the speed detect signal from the speed detector.
To achieve at least these advantages in whole or in parts, there is further provided a method for sensing a laundry amount in a washing machine including the steps of: receiving a torque command signal, operating it and outputting a q-axis current command signal; receiving the q-axis current command signal and a d-axis current command signal and outputting a corresponding current control signal; applying a three-phase AC voltage to a BLDC motor of the washing machine according to the current control signal and detecting a position of a rotor of the BLDC motor; receiving a position detect signal and detecting a driving speed of the BLDC motor accordingly; receiving the speed detect signal, comparing the speed detect signal with a previously stored reference speed value and sensing a laundry amount therefrom; and receiving the speed detect signal, comparing the speed detect signal with the previously stored reference speed value and outputting a d-axis current command signal.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Apparatus and method for sensing laundry amount in a washing machine


To decrease the nitrate content of water, it is proposed to reduce nitrate to nitrogen in two stages. The first of these stages is a photochemical reduction to nitrite, and the second stage is a reduction of nitrite to nitrogen using amidosulphuric acid.

DE-A-42 12 604 discloses a process for conditioning organically polluted raw drinking water which is polluted with crop-protection agents, a UV treatment with light being performed. In this case, the technical problem underlying the disclosure is to provide a process, one of the purposes of which is to avoid sub-sequent oxidative treatment of the drinking water to be conditioned. In this case ultraviolet light having a wavelength of >240 nm is used. If light which also has components below 240 nm is used, nitrite-destroying substances are simultaneously added.
The purpose of the process is to destroy organic compounds, in particular crop-protection agents such as atrazine, without converting nitrate to nitrite.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,496 discloses a device which treats water contaminated with nitrate and/or nitrite. In this case catalysts are used which have defined pore radii. A UV lamp is used to kill off microorganisms.
Owing to more stringent legal stipulations for drinking water quality, the problem arises for many waterworks of forcing residual nitrate quantities of 50 mg/l and above, as occur in sources presently used, below the legal guide values of 25 mg/l, and, what is more, at economically justifiable costs and without introducing substances which are not in any case usually present in normal drinking water.
To solve this problem, the present invention proposes a two-stage process: in a first step, the nitrate-containing water to be treated is irradiated in a thin layer with UV treatment light whose spectrum is chosen so that it is absorbed by nitrate. As a result, in the aqueous environment, nitrate is reduced to nitrite with simultaneous release of oxygen.
The wavelength of the UV light used in the first process step simultaneously corresponds to an absorption maximum of nitrate ions in an aqueous environment and also to an absorption minimum of water, the wavelength of the UV light being in the range between 200 and 230 nm and the pH in the first process step being in the range between 8 and 11.
In a second process step, the nitrite thus obtained is then completely reduced to nitrogen using a chemical reducing agent.
For the second, chemical step, use may be made of industrially manufactured inexpensive chemicals which are acceptable with regard to the use of drinking water, such as amidosulphuric acid. Obviously, no undesirable chemicals whatsoever are introduced into the water by the first step either.
In this manner, an effective and inexpensive reduction of the nitrate content is achieved overall.
Advantageous developments of the process according to the invention are specified in subclaims.
For the first, photochemical, process step, it is advantageous if the volume of water to be treated by the treatment light utilizes the quanta given off by the treatment light source as completely as possible. For this purpose, the invention proposes a device for carrying out the process which comprises the features listed in Claim 9.
Advantageous developments of this device are in turn the subject-matter of subclaims.

Process and device for reducing the nitrate content of water


For each current image output from a pixel matrix, the digital words relative to at least one masked line of the matrix are processed to generate a current correction digital code. From this code, a black level compensation signal is generated and applied as an offset control on pixel signal amplification. If the current correct digital code does not differ from the code calculated for a previous image output by a predetermined amount, then the code for the previous image is instead used to generate the black level compensation signal.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the processing of the signals delivered by a pixel matrix of an image sensor, and more particularly the processing of the black level.
2. Description of Related Art
An image sensor in conventional manner comprises a pixel matrix. Each pixel delivers an electric signal, the level of which depends on the quantity of light received by the pixel. This signal is conventionally stored in a pair of sampling capacitors and then is amplified in a read amplifier.
An analog/digital converter makes an analog/digital conversion of each information element read and, for each image, digital words corresponding to the pixels of each line of the pixel matrix are delivered sequentially.
The black level (which is a pseudosignal due to the stray currents in the photodiodes of the pixels) is extremely variable depending on the technology, the temperature and the amplification gain used.
There is a need in the art to abstract from this black level, after evaluating it, the unprocessed signal of the sensor in order to isolate the true information from the sensor.
Another need in the art is to match the black level with a deterministic code at the output of the analog/digital converter in order also to allow optimized use of the analog/digital converter by avoiding digitizing this portion of offset containing no information.

Method of processing the black level of a pixel matrix of an image sensor, and corresponding sensor


αβ-Unsaturated sulfoxides of Formula I:

Ionizing Radiation Health Risks
Ionizing radiation has an adverse effect on cells and tissues, primarily through cytotoxic effects. In humans, exposure to ionizing radiation occurs primarily through therapeutic techniques (such as anticancer radiotherapy) or through occupational and environmental exposure.
Therapeutic Administration of Radiation
A major source of exposure to ionizing radiation is the administration of therapeutic radiation in the treatment of cancer or other proliferative disorders. Depending on the course of treatment prescribed by the treating physician, multiple doses may be received by an individual over the course of several weeks to several months.
Therapeutic radiation is generally applied to a defined area of the individual's body which contains abnormal proliferative tissue, in order to maximize the dose absorbed by the abnormal tissue and minimize the dose absorbed by the nearby normal tissue. However, it is difficult (if not impossible) to selectively administer therapeutic ionizing radiation to the abnormal tissue. Thus, normal tissue proximate to the abnormal tissue is also exposed to potentially damaging doses of ionizing radiation throughout the course of treatment.
There are also some treatments that require exposure of the individual's entire body to the radiation, in a procedure called "total body irradiation", or "TBI." The efficacy of radiotherapeutic techniques in destroying abnormal proliferative cells is therefore balanced by associated cytotoxic effects on nearby normal cells. Because of this, radiotherapy techniques have an inherently narrow therapeutic index which results in the inadequate treatment of most tumors. Even the best radiotherapeutic techniques may result in incomplete tumor reduction, tumor recurrence, increasing tumor burden, and induction of radiation resistant tumors.
Numerous methods have been designed to reduce normal tissue damage while still delivering effective therapeutic doses of ionizing radiation. These techniques include brachytherapy, fractionated and hyperfractionated dosing, complicated dose scheduling and delivery systems, and high voltage therapy with a linear accelerator. However, such techniques only attempt to strike a balance between the therapeutic and undesirable effects of the radiation, and full efficacy has not been achieved.
For example, one treatment for individuals with metastatic tumors involves harvesting their hematopoietic stem cells and then treating the individual with high doses of ionizing radiation. This treatment is designed to destroy the individual's tumor cells, but has the side effect of also destroying their normal hematopoietic cells. Thus, a portion of the individual's bone marrow (containing the hematopoietic stem cells), is removed prior to radiation therapy. Once the individual has been treated, the autologous hematopoietic stem cells are returned to their body.
However, if tumor cells have metastasized away from the tumor's primary site, there is a high probability that some tumor cells will contaminate the harvested hematopoietic cell population. The harvested hematopoietic cell population may also contain neoplastic cells if the individual suffers from cancers of the bone marrow such as the various French-American-British (FAB) subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemias (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), or acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Thus, the metastasized tumor cells or resident neoplastic cells must be removed or killed prior to reintroducing the stem cells to the individual. If any living tumorigenic or neoplastic cells are re-introduced into the individual, they can lead to a relapse.
Prior art methods of removing tumorigenic or neoplastic cells from harvested bone marrow are based on a whole-population tumor cell separation or killing strategy, which typically does not kill or remove all of the contaminating malignant cells. Such methods include leukopheresis of mobilized peripheral blood cells, immunoaffinity-based selection or killing of tumor cells, or the use of cytotoxic or photosensitizing agents to selectively kill tumor cells. In the best case, the malignant cell burden may still be at 1 to 10 tumor cells for every 100,000 cells present in the initial harvest (Lazarus et al. J. of Hematotherapy, 2(4):457-66, 1993).
Thus, there is needed a purging method designed to selectively destroy the malignant cells present in the bone marrow, while preserving the normal hematopoietic stem cells needed for hematopoietic reconstitution in the transplantation subject.
Occupational/Environmental Radiation Exposure
Exposure to ionizing radiation can also occur in the occupational setting. Occupational doses of ionizing radiation may be received by persons whose job involves exposure (or potential exposure) to radiation, for example in the nuclear power and nuclear weapons industries. Military personnel stationed on vessels powered by nuclear reactors, or soldiers required to operate in areas contaminated by radioactive fallout, risk similar exposure to ionizing radiation. Occupational exposure may also occur in rescue and emergency personnel called in to deal with catastrophic events involving a nuclear reactor or radioactive material. Other sources of occupational exposure may be from machine parts, plastics, and solvents left over from the manufacture of radioactive medical products, smoke alarms, emergency signs, and other consumer goods. Occupational exposure may also occur in persons who serve on nuclear powered vessels, particularly those who tend the nuclear reactors, in military personnel operating in areas contaminated by nuclear weapons fallout, and in emergency personnel who deal with nuclear accidents. Environmental exposure to ionizing radiation may also result from nuclear weapons detonations (either experimental or during wartime), discharges of actinides from nuclear waste storage and processing and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, and from naturally occurring radioactive materials such as radon gas or uranium. There is also increasing concern that the use of ordnance containing depleted uranium results in low-level radioactive contamination of combat areas.
Radiation exposure from any source can be classified as acute (a single large exposure) or chronic (a series of small low-level, or continuous low-level exposures spread over time). Radiation sickness generally results from an acute exposure of a sufficient dose, and presents with a characteristic set of symptoms that appear in an orderly fashion, including hair loss, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, skin burns and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract and mucous membranes. Genetic defects, sterility and cancers (particularly bone marrow cancer) often develop over time. Chronic exposure is usually associated with delayed medical problems such as cancer and premature aging. An acute a total body exposure of 125,000 millirem may cause radiation sickness. Localized doses such as are used in radiotherapy may not cause radiation sickness, but may result in the damage or death of exposed normal cells.
For example, an acute total body radiation dose of 100,000-125,000 millirem (equivalent to 1 Gy) received in less than one week would result in observable physiologic effects such as skin burns or rashes, mucosal and GI bleeding, nausea, diarrhea and/or excessive fatigue. Longer term cytotoxic and genetic effects such as hematopoietic and immunocompetent cell destruction, hair loss (alopecia), gastrointestinal, and oral mucosal sloughing, venoocclusive disease of the liver and chronic vascular hyperplasia of cerebral vessels, cataracts, pneumonites, skin changes, and an increased incidence of cancer may also manifest over time. Acute doses of less than 10,000 millirem (equivalent to 0.1 Gy) typically will not result in immediately observable biologic or physiologic effects, although long term cytotoxic or genetic effects may occur.
A sufficiently large acute dose of ionizing radiation, for example 500,000 to over 1 million millirem (equivalent to 5-10 Gy), may kill an individual immediately. Doses in the hundreds of thousands of millirems may kill within 7 to 21 days from a condition called "acute radiation poisoning." Reportedly, some of the Chernobyl firefighters died of acute radiation poisoning, having received acute doses in the range of 200,000-600,000 millirem (equivalent to 2-6 Gy). Acute doses below approximately 200,000 millirem do not result in death, but the exposed individual will likely suffer long-term cytotoxic or genetic effects as discussed above.
Acute occupational exposures usually occur in nuclear power plant workers exposed to accidental releases of radiation, or in fire and rescue personnel who respond to catastrophic events involving nuclear reactors or other sources of radioactive material. Suggested limits for acute occupational exposures in emergency situations were developed by the Brookhaven National Laboratories, and are given in Table 1.
TABLE 1Whole BodyConditions for DoseLimitActivity RequiredConditions for Exposure10,000millirem*Protect propertyVoluntary, when lower dosenot practical25,000milliremLifesavingVoluntary, when lower doseOperation;not practicalProtect GeneralPublic>25,000milliremLifesavingVoluntary, when lower doseoperation;not practical, and the riskProtect largehas been clearly explainedpopulation*100,000 millirem equals one sievert (Sv). For penetrating radiation such as gamma radiation, one Sv equals approximately one Gray (Gy). Thus, the dosage in Gy can be estimated as 1 Gy for every 100,000 millirem.
A chronic dose is a low level (i.e., 100-5000 millirem) incremental or continuous radiation dose received over time. Examples of chronic doses include a whole body dose of ˜5000 millirem per year, which is the dose typically received by an adult working at a nuclear power plant. By contrast, the Atomic Energy Commission recommends that members of the general public should not receive more than 100 millirem per year. Chronic doses may cause long-term cytotoxic and genetic effects, for example manifesting as an increased risk of a radiation-induced cancer developing later in life. Recommended limits for chronic exposure to ionizing radiation are given in Table 2.
TABLE 2Annual OccupationalOrgan or SubjectDose in milliremWhole Body5000Lens of the Eye15,000Hands and wrists50,000Any individual organ50,000Pregnant worker500/9 monthsMinor (16-18) receiving training100
By way of comparison, Table 3 sets forth the radiation doses from common sources.
TABLE 3SourcesDose In MilliremTelevision<1/yrGamma Rays, Jet Cross Country1Mountain Vacation - 2 week3Atomic Test Fallout5U.S. Water, Food & Air (Average)30/yrWood50/yrConcrete50/yrBrick75/yrChest X-Ray100Cosmic Radiation (Sea Level)40/yr (add 1 millirem/100 ftelev.)Natural Background San Francisco120/yrNatural Background Denver50/yrAtomic Energy Commission Limit5000/yrFor WorkersComplete Dental X-Ray5000Natural Background at Pocos de7000/yrCaldras, BrazilWhole Body Diagnostic X-Ray100,000Cancer Therapy500,000 (localized)Radiation Sickness-Nagasaki125,000 (single doses)LD50 Nagasaki & Hiroshima400,000-500,000 (single dose)
Chronic doses of greater than 5000 millirem per year (0.05 Gy per year) may result in long-term cytotoxic or genetic effects similar to those described for persons receiving acute doses. Some adverse cytotoxic or genetic effects may also occur at chronic doses of significantly less than 5000 millirem per year. For radiation protection purposes, it is assumed that any dose above zero can increase the risk of radiation-induced cancer (i.e., that there is no threshold). Epidemiologic studies have found that the estimated lifetime risk of dying from cancer is greater by about 0.04% per rem of radiation dose to the whole body.
While anti-radiation suits or other protective gear may be effective at reducing radiation exposure, such gear is expensive, unwieldy, and generally not available to public. Moreover, radioprotective gear will not protect normal tissue adjacent a tumor from stray radiation exposure during radiotherapy. What is needed, therefore, is a practical way to protect individuals who are scheduled to incur, or are at risk for incurring, exposure to ionizing radiation. In the context of therapeutic irradiation, it is desirable to enhance protection of normal cells while causing tumor cells to remain vulnerable to the detrimental effects of the radiation. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide systemic protection from anticipated or inadvertent total body irradiation, such as may occur with occupational or environmental exposures, or with certain therapeutic techniques.
Pharmaceutical radioprotectants offer a cost-efficient, effective and easily available alternative to radioprotective gear. However, previous attempts at radioprotection of normal cells with pharmaceutical compositions have not been entirely successful. For example, cytokines directed at mobilizing the peripheral blood progenitor cells confer a myeloprotective effect when given prior to radiation (Neta et al., Semin. Radial. Oncol. 6:306-320, 1996), but do not confer systemic protection. Other chemical radioprotectors administered alone or in combination with biologic response modifiers have shown minor protective effects in mice, but application of these compounds to large mammals was less successful, and it was questioned whether chemical radioprotection was of any value (Maisin, J. R., Bacq and Alexander Award Lecture. "Chemical radioprotection: past, present, and future prospects", Int J. Radial Biol. 73:443-50, 1998). Pharmaceutical radiation sensitizers, which are known to preferentially enhance the effects of radiation in cancerous tissues, are clearly unsuited for the general systemic protection of normal tissues from exposure to ionizing radiation.
What are needed are therapeutic agents to protect individuals who have incurred, or are at risk for incurring exposure to ionizing radiation. In the context of therapeutic irradiation, it is desirable to enhance protection of normal cells while causing tumor cells to remain vulnerable to the detrimental effects of the radiation. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide systemic protection from anticipated or inadvertent total body irradiation, such as may occur with occupational or environmental exposures, or with certain therapeutic techniques.
Protection from Toxic Side Effects of Experimental Chemotherapy
Experimental chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment offered to patients diagnosed with surgically unresectable advanced cancers, or cancers refractory to standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Of the more effective classes of drugs, curative properties are still limited. This is because of their relatively narrow therapeutic index, restricted dosage, delayed treatments and a relatively large proportion of only partial tumor reductions. This state is usually followed by recurrence, increased tumor burden, and drug resistant tumors.
Several cytoprotective agents have been proposed to enhance the therapeutic index of anticancer drugs. For methotrexate toxicity, such agents include asparaginase, leucovorum factor, thymidine, and carbipeptidase. Because of the extensive use of anthracyclines, specific and non-specific cytoprotective agents have been proposed which have varying degrees of efficacy; included are corticosteroids, desrazoxane and staurosporin. The latter is of interest in that it includes a G1/S restriction blockade in normal cells. (Chen et al., Proc AACR 39:4436A, 1998).
Cisplatin is widely used and has a small therapeutic index which has spurred investigation and search of cytoprotectants. Among the cytoprotectants for cisplatin with clinical potential are mesna, glutathione, sodium thiosulfate, and amifostine (Griggs, Leuk. Res. 22 Suppl 1:S27-33, 1998; List et al., Semin. Oncol. 23(4 Suppl 8):58-63, 1996; Taylor et. al., Eur. J. Cancer 33(10):1693-8, 1997). None of these or other proposed cytoprotectants such as oxonic acid for fluoropyrimidine toxicity, or prosaptide for paclitaxel PC12 cell toxicity, appears to function by a mechanism which renders normal replicating cells into a quiescent state.
What are needed are new effective cytoprotective agents which are effective in protecting animals, inclusive of humans, from the cytotoxic side effects of chemotherapeutic agents.
α,β-Unsaturated Sulfone Compounds
Certain α,β-unsaturated sulfones, particularly styrylbenzyl sulfones have been shown to possess antiproliferative, radioprotective and chemoprotective activity. See, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,599,932, 6,576,675, 6,548,553, 6,541,475, 6,486,210, 6,414,034, 6,359,013, 6,201,154, 6,656,973 and 6,762,207, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein.
Metabolic Sulfoxide Oxidation
Sulfoxide functional groups are metabolically oxidized to the corresponding sulfones via the cytochrome P-450 family of oxidizing enzymes. Cytochrome P-450 enzymes are iron-based proteins that mediate redox reactions wherein a substrate, e.g., a drug molecule, is oxidized and the iron is reduced.
The oxidative metabolism of sulfoxide moieties has been employed by administering sulfoxide compounds that are metabolically converted to active metabolite sulfone compounds. One example of this strategy is the administration of sulindac sulfoxide, a commonly prescribed antiinflammatory drug that has been shown to additionally have cancer chemopreventative activity. See, Thompson et al., Cancer Research, 1997, Jan. 15; 57(2), pg. 267-271.
The sulindac sulfoxide possesses no antiinflammatory activity but is rather a prodrug that is converted metabolically to the active sulfide. Once administered, the sulindac sulfoxide is readily reduced to the antiinflammatory sulfide form in the liver and in the colon via bacterial microflora. However, the sulindac sulfoxide is also metabolically oxidized in the liver to the sulfone that is subsequently excreted in the bile and intestine. The sulfone metabolite has no antiinflammatory activity, however the sulfone still retains the ability to inhibit tumor cell growth and induce apoptosis. See S. M. Fischer, Frontiers in Bioscience, 2, pg. 482-500, (1997).

Alpha, beta-unsaturated sulfoxides for treating proliferative disorders

Abstract: αβ-Unsaturated sulfoxides of Formula I:

Abstract: are useful as antiproliferative agents including, for example, anticancer agents, and as radioprotective and chemoprotective agents.

Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education


A traveling drive device for a dump truck is provided with an axle housing mounted to a vehicle body, a wheel mounting tube rotatably provided on the outer periphery side of the axle housing, a disk holding cylinder provided on the axial outside of the wheel mounting tube, a brake disk mounted to the disk holding cylinder, and a brake device for applying braking to the brake disk. The disk holding cylinder is configured by a cylindrical body to be mounted to the wheel mounting tube and a plurality of disk mounting legs provided on the cylindrical body. A plurality of U-shaped projections are provided on the outer periphery side of the brake disk at positions corresponding to the respective disk mounting legs. A recessed groove which fits on the disk mounting leg so as to hold a distal end thereof is provided in each of the U-shaped projections.

In general, the large carrier which is called the dump truck is provided with a vessel (a loading platform) which is made liftable on a frame of a vehicle body. This dump truck is adapted to travel in a state of loading a large amount of crushed stones on the vessel.
The traveling drive device which drives a driving wheel of the dump truck for traveling is provided with a tubular axle housing which is mounted to a vehicle body in a non-rotational state and in which a drive source is provided, a rotational shaft which is provided so as to axially extend in the axle housing and is rotationally driven by the drive source, a wheel mounting tube which is rotatably provided on the axial outside (the side axially opposite to the drive source) of the aforementioned axle housing and on its outer periphery side via a wheel support bearing and to which a wheel is mounted, a reduction mechanism which is provided between the wheel mounting tube and the aforementioned axle housing to decelerate and transmit rotation of the aforementioned rotational shaft to the wheel mounting tube, a disk holding cylinder is provided on the axial outside (the side axially opposite to the axle housing) of the wheel mounting tube, an annular brake disk which is mounted to the disk holding cylinder to rotate together with the wheel, and a brake device for applying braking to the aforementioned wheel mounting tube by pressing a friction pad against the brake disk (See, Patent Document 1).

HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.


A method includes receiving hardware description code that generically describes circuitry, and translating the hardware description code into one or more configuration files specific to a programmable system. The method further includes generating program code for a microcontroller of the programmable system based, at least in part, on the hardware description code, and configuring the programmable system to implement the circuitry according to the configuration files and the program code.

Microcontroller manufacturers and vendors often supply their customers with development tools that allow programmers to create software for the microcontrollers to execute. Similarly, many configurable hardware manufacturers will provide their customers with specialized hardware configuration tools that allow designers the ability to configure their hardware devices.
Some electronic systems include both configurable hardware components and a processing device, which can be programmed and configured to work together to implement various functions. When configuring these electronic systems, designers often will utilize software tools to program the processing device and utilize the specialized hardware configuration tools to configure the hardware components. In other words, the system designers manually manage multiple projects, e.g., the use of the multiple development tools, with differing development methodologies when attempting to cohesively develop, program, and debug these electronic systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Development, programming, and debugging environment


Color image data of which background is removed is converted into monochrome data and noise in the monochrome data is roughly discriminated in a first noise discrimination process. At the same time, the color and density of an attentional pixel, information area including a character or a picture, and others are checked, according to which operations the resulting first noise discrimination data is corrected in a second noise discrimination process. Substitute data is created from the image data of which background is removed according to the first noise discrimination data, and the substitute data substitutes for a pixel regarded as noise in the second noise discrimination process to obtain an image from which noise is eliminated. With the above arrangement, noise having a high density and noise having a size greater than the scanning window are eliminated without receiving influence from the surrounding noise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a noise elimination apparatus for use in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine or facsimile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, noise elimination has been an indispensable scheme for improving an image quality in the field of image processing. Particularly lately, recycle paper has been increasingly used for the protection of environment in the field of image processing of static images in a copying machine, facsimile, and printer, which leads to a growing need for eliminating noise contained in recycle paper. For instance, when a great amount of documents produced with recycle paper is subject to copying, noise contained in the recycle paper is also undesirably copied to result in image quality deterioration. In the above-mentioned case, supposing that a document is copied onto recycle paper, the resulting copy on the recycle paper is destined to have noise approximately doubled. In other words, the more recycle papers mediate in copying, the more noise increases to further deteriorate image quality.
Furthermore, for a variety of reasons other than the noise in recycle paper, noises are included in image data. For instance, dust on a platen cover in a copying machine causes a high-density noise to deteriorate an image quality.
In order to give solution to the above-mentioned problems, there have been several noise eliminating methods of smoothing an image by means of a smoothing filter, removing an isolated pixel by means of a scanning window, and appropriately setting a noise cut level as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication HEI-1-160173. According to the method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication HEI-1-160173, a histogram of an image signal is firstly obtained, and then a hill of the histogram with respect to the background is detected. Thereafter, a background noise cut level is set around a right or left foot portion of the hill on the side of a signal level containing image data to eliminate noise.
According to the conventional method of smoothing an image by means of a smoothing filter, a noise component occupying a great area exerts significant influence on pixels other than an attentional pixel (core pixel for processing), the noise elimination processing cannot be performed effectively and character edges blur.
According to the method of removing an isolated pixel by means of a scanning window, a noise component having a size greater than that of the scanning window cannot be removed and yet necessary pixels may be undesirably eliminated.
According to the method of setting a noise cut level, a noise component which has a density lower than the densities of necessary image components of a document as located on the background of the document is only eliminated. In other words, there is a problem that any noise component of which density is higher than the background noise cut level is not eliminated.

Noise elimination apparatus for eliminating noise components having a high density and a low density

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A vehicle includes a transmission having an electric machine, a park ring fixedly coupled to the electric machine, and a parking pawl engageable with the park ring to hold the park ring stationary when the transmission is in PARK. A vehicle is programmed to, responsive to a request to shift from PARK, command disengagement of the parking pawl and concurrently command a torque to the electric machine to counteract driveline torque on the park ring.

Vehicles such as battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fully hybrid-electric vehicles (FHEVs) contain a traction battery assembly to act as an energy source for one or more electric machines. The traction battery includes components and systems to assist in managing vehicle performance and operations. A power inverter is electrically connected between the battery and the electric machines to convert direct current coming from the battery into alternating current compatible with the electric machines. The power inverter may also act as a rectifier to convert alternating current from the electric machines to direct current compatible with the battery.
Vehicles with automatic transmissions include a parking pawl configured to prevent rolling of the vehicle when the transmission is in PARK. The parking pawl is typically grounded to a housing of the transmission and engageable with a park ring fixed to a transmission shaft. The pawl locks the transmission when the pawl is engaged with the park ring to prevent rolling of the vehicle.

Method and system for disengaging parking pawl in hybrid transmission


The invention provides a restraint and transfer device for restraining a seated passenger, such as a child, for transport in a vehicle and for mechanically lifting the passenger in and out of the vehicle. A mounting frame is secured to a passenger seat of the vehicle with standard lap and shoulder seat belts. A cushioned transfer seat insert is used to seat the passenger in a suitably adapted wheelchair, during lifting in and out of the vehicle, and within the vehicle securely mounted to the frame. As a result, the passenger remains seated in a rigid supporting transfer seat insert. The passenger is not subjected to physical handling and the risk of injury to the caregiver and passenger is reduced during transfer. Releasable body postural positioning belts secure the passenger to the insert and the configuration of insert cushions, supports and postural belts can be flexibly adapted to suit the needs of each individual passenger. Mounting mechanisms on the frame and insert releasably mount and secure the insert to the frame. Restraint belts secure the passenger to the frame sufficiently to satisfy crash survival requirements. Suspension mechanisms attach to the lateral sides of the insert back and insert seat for suspending the insert and passenger seated therein from the vehicle roof top surface during lifting between a standby position outside the vehicle and a mounted position on the frame within the vehicle.

There has long been recognized the need for a simple device to aid in the transferring movement of a wheelchair assisted passenger in and out of the passenger compartment of an automobile.
In the case of small children or infants, the child's weight may be low enough to enable a parent or caregiver to simply lift the small child between a wheelchair and a conventional child car seat. This stage in a child's life is generally quite short and as the child grows the caregiver may be subject to back injury due to the lifting and turning movements required.
In the case of adolescents and adults, such passengers may be physically able to enter the passenger compartment with some assistance, or may require the use of specially designed vans with wheelchair elevators. The physical capabilities, weight and size of adolescents and adults generally dictates the choice between use of a specially designed vehicle, or use of a conventional passenger car with the wheelchair passenger substantially assisting in movement between the wheelchair and passenger compartment.
The invention is directed to the need for a transfer device for use with a conventional roofed passenger vehicle which will allow passengers to be transferred from a wheelchair to the passenger compartment without subjecting the passenger to physical handling, and which substantially eliminates risk of injury to the passenger and caregiver.
Prior art responses to this need have been partially successful. However, widespread adoption of such devices has proved to be elusive. In practical terms the choice remains between manual handling of passengers and purchase of a relatively expensive specially designed wheelchair transport van.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,725 to Hoyer et al provides a roof mounted lift for transferring a wheelchair passenger into a car passenger compartment. The passenger is fitted with two slings around the back and knees and is lifted with a manually operated hydraulic lift.
The disadvantages of the Hoyer system are the positioning of a rigid lifting hook immediately in front of the passenger's face, which poses a safety risk especially with children and those with limited muscular control, and the use of slings which increases the labour and handling involved. Hoyer's lifting device is stored on the roof rack exposing it to vandalism, damage, weather, corrosion, and detracts visually from the car appearance. Hoyer's device is also heavy and since it is manually positioned and operated, the device is relatively difficult for caregivers to use.
Furthermore, Hoyer's device does not adequately address the postural support needs of individuals requiring specialized seating during the transfer and while being transported in a motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,539 to Wolfman et al provides a transfer chair that is lifted with a hydraulic elevator arm bolted to the body and door of a passenger car. The requirement of modifying the vehicle to install a relatively large structural element such as the lift arm involves significant cost and labour. Clearly, such a permanently installed device is not practical for use with rental cars, or when temporary use of a vehicle is required.
Several prior art devices include a frame mounted to a car seat, with a removable insert seat to eliminate the need to manually handle children when transferred between carriages or wheelchairs and a passenger vehicle. For example, such prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,265,931 to Ryan, one of the present inventors; 5,385,386 to Beamish et al; 4,874,203 to Henley et al; and 4,750,783 to Irby et al. However none of these prior art devices include integral means to lift the passenger, but rather manual lifting is contemplated.
It is desirable therefore to produce a simple relatively inexpensive mechanical transfer device that can be used in association with a conventional roofed passenger vehicle. Preferably, the device is easily installed and removed with minimal disruption to the vehicle structure and minimal labour.


A small molecule compound IODVA1 has been found to have cellular inhibitory activity against several transformed cell lines including Ras-driven cells. IODVA1 decreases cell-cell and cell-extra cellular matrix interactions and reduces growth of Ras-driven tumors. Applicants also synthesized compound NIRA2 and showed in vitro and in vivo efficacy and potency against models of Ph+(BCR-ABL1) B-ALL and of colon adenocarcinoma xenografts.

Cancer is a serious public health problem in the United States and other developed countries. Currently, one in four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. However, many cancers are not responsive to existing treatments, or are only minimally responsive, such that existing therapies are not effective. In addition, appearance of resistance mechanisms to current therapies and relapse continue to be a major impediment in the clinic. The leading therapies for cancer are currently surgery, radiation, targeted and immunotherapies, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic approaches such as antitumor antibiotics, alkylating agents, nitrosourea compounds, vinca alkaloids, steroid hormones, and anti-metabolites form the bulk of therapies available to oncologists. They have undesirable side effects because they don't distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue. Despite advances in the field of cancer treatment, cancer remains a major health problem.
Thus, there is an urgent need in the art for compositions and methods for treatment of cancer. The present disclosure seeks to address this need in the art.

Compositions and methods for treating cancer


A method and apparatus for ensuring fair and efficient use of a shared memory buffer. A preferred embodiment comprises a shared memory buffer in a multi-processor computer system. Memory requests from a local processor are delivered to a local memory controller by a cache control unit and memory requests from other processors are delivered to the memory controller by an interprocessor router. The memory controller allocates the memory requests in a shared buffer using a credit-based allocation scheme. The cache control unit and the interprocessor router are each assigned a number of credits. Each must pay a credit to the memory controller when a request is allocated to the shared buffer. If the number of filled spaces in the shared buffer is below a threshold, the buffer immediately returns the credits to the source from which the credit and memory request arrived. If the number of filled spaces in the shared buffer is above a threshold, the buffer holds the credits and returns the credits in a round-robin manner only when a space in the shared buffer becomes free. The number of credits assigned to each source is sufficient to enable each source to deliver an uninterrupted burst of memory requests to the buffer without having to wait for credits to return from the buffer. The threshold is the point when the number of free spaces available in the buffer is equal to the total number of credits assigned to the cache control unit and the interprocessor router.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the distribution of buffer space between multiple sources. More particularly, the invention relates to a fair and efficient method of controlling allocation of a shared buffer pool.
2. Background of the Invention
In computer systems and networks, buffers are a convenient means of storing commands, requests, and data that are in transit from one location to another. Buffers may be used in a variety of applications. They may be used in network switching devices to temporarily hold data packets while networks congestion subsides or while the switch determines the location to which the data must be forwarded. It is not uncommon for network switches to manage traffic for a plurality of sources. Buffers may also be used in memory and data allocation. An example of the latter would be a data read/write request buffer that must allocate requests from multiple sources. A common problem in systems using a shared buffer space is signal traffic that creates congestion and may lead to buffer overflow and monopolization by one or more of the buffer sources.
Ideally, a system comprising a buffer with multiple sources should accomplish several tasks. First, the system should not deliver data, commands, or requests to the buffer if the buffer does not have any free space. This prevents data loss or packet drops which may require that the data packet be re-sent resulting in even greater bandwidth loss than simply holding the data until buffer space becomes available. Secondly, access to buffer space by the multiple sources should preferably be allocated in a fair manner. The sources should have fair access to the buffer so a source does not become backlogged while other sources are able to deliver data freely. This does not necessarily imply that the allocation needs to be equal for each source. For instance, one source may be given priority over the others. However, even in this scenario, it is important to prevent complete monopolization by the source that has priority.
One conventional solution to the problem of fair allocation of a shared buffer space is hard partitioning of the buffer space. For example, if a buffer has 16 data spaces and the buffer is shared among 4 sources, each source may be allocated four buffer slots. This method of allocation is certainly fair but may be horribly inefficient. If one of the sources has a string of data that ideally could be burst to the buffer, congestion may occur because the source only has four buffer spaces available. The remaining 12 buffers could be used to hold the burst of data, but instead may lie dormant because of the hard partitioning.
If prior knowledge exists about the type of traffic that can be expected from the sources, the hard partitioning may be altered to allocate more buffer space to one source or another. For instance, in the example given above, seven buffer spaces may be allocated to one source while the other three sources are allocated three spaces each. This allocation may alleviate congestion for the prioritized source, but does not prevent the burst congestion for of the other sources. In either case, hard partitioning tends to preclude use of at least a fixed percentage of the buffer space unless all sources are continuously accessing the buffer.
Another conventional solution to the problem of fairly and efficiently allocating buffer space is with stop and go commands issued by the buffer. In this type of system, the buffer is configured to keep track of available spaces within the buffer. During normal operation with light traffic, each source receives a "go" signal from the buffer indicating that buffer space is available. As buffer space becomes limited, the buffer may send "stop" signals to the individual sources to halt data transmission to the buffer. This approach offers better use of the buffer space because the sources are not limited to a fixed percentage of the buffer space. However, some risk is involved in this type of embodiment because a finite time exists between the moment the buffer sends out a stop command and the moment the source receives and responds to the stop command. During this finite time, it is possible for additional data to be transmitted to the buffer from the various sources. If the buffer was sufficiently close to being full and enough data was sent to the buffer before the stop commands were received by the sources, buffer overflow may occur and data may be lost. To prevent this, stop commands are usually sent well in advance of the buffer filling to capacity. Thus, if all buffer sources are bursting data to the buffer, the stop command is preferably timed so that the sources stop sending data to the buffer before the buffer capacity is filled. Unfortunately, the side effect of sending the stop commands early is that the maximum capacity of the buffer will not be used when the buffer sources are not simultaneously sending bursts of data. The stop/go command solution to this buffer allocation problem is an improvement over the hard partitioning solution, but presents problems of either overflow or inefficient use of the whole buffer.
It is desirable therefore to develop a fair and efficient means of allocating buffer space among several sources. The allocation preferably prevents monopolization by any of the buffer sources. The allocation method also preferably takes advantage of the full capacity of the buffer space without the possibility of buffer overflow. The system may advantageously be applied to a plurality of buffer sources and may also be applied to a variety of applications.

Mechanism to control the allocation of an N-source shared buffer

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An integrated journal bearing (IJB) includes a shaft extending in an axial direction, a housing through which the shaft extends in the axial direction, the housing surrounding the shaft in a radial direction, an active magnetic bearing (AMB) arranged within the housing and surrounding the shaft in the radial direction, and at least a first fluid film journal bearing (JB) arranged within the housing and surrounding the shaft in the radial direction. The first JB is axially adjacent to the AMB such that first JB and the AMB do not share a common radial clearance, while both are commonly flooded with oil. A controller in signal communication with the AMB can be variously configured to supply current thereto to operate the AMB by controlling a magnetic force generated thereby.

Fluid Film Bearings (FFBs) and Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) are competing devices in the marketplace. FFBs, in particular Journal Bearings (JBs), are superior load carrying elements due to their larger load carrying capacity and their ability to introduce passive damping to the rotor system. However, JBs exhibit an unstable vibration at high speed, called oil whip, which is excited when the rotor speed reaches about twice the first critical speed. This instability limits the possibility of increasing the rotor speed of rotation.
AMBs, on the other hand, provide contactless rotor support, at high speeds and are free from whip instabilities. They have an added feature which is their capabilities as controlling elements. AMBs can provide variable and controllable stiffness and damping and additionally can provide unbalance control and many other control features. However, AMBs suffer from certain shortcomings. In particular reliability issues are always a concern for AMB designers. In fact, AMBs are always designed with a redundant bearing system, called a "backup bearing", such that the backup bearing carries the rotor in case of AMB failure.


A liquid dispensing cleaning or scrubbing device that includes a handle and a scrubbing head. The handle is hollow and holds a cleaning liquid. The head twists from an open position to a closed position. When the head is an open position, the user pushes a button on the back of the head to deliver a substantial amount of cleaning liquid to the bottom of the scrubbing head. The head receives liquid through a re-sealable inset screw cap filler port. The filler port is on the bottom of the head, and when the scrubbing device is fully assembled the filler port is completely and conveniently out of the user's way.

A back brush is a bathing tool used for the purpose of personal hygiene. Back scrubbers are useful for washing the back or other hard to reach areas of the body. The typical back brush has a wooden or plastic handle and a sponge, mesh, or brush head on one end of the handle.
There are many references that disclose handled back brushes, including, U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,790, issued to Kay. Kay discloses a back brush with a hollow, soap filled handle that releases soap on to the brush head by engaging a dispensing knob. After the soap flows onto the brush head, the user may then scrub the desired area of the body. The dispensing holes disclosed and claimed in Kay are two small holes in the center of the brush that are twisted to align with two brush head apertures. When the holes are aligned with the apertures, soap is allowed to flow through the holes and out through the apertures. The problem with this design is that the user is uncertain when the brush is an open or closed position. Because of this, the user may accidentally leave the brush in the open position and have the soap leak out when not in use. Additionally, the user may accidently bump the brush knob to the closed position and cut off the soap flow while in use.
Other references that disclose handled back brushes include U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,364, issued to Katz, U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,715, issued to Khubani, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,701, issued to Jacobs. These devices all disclose a hollow, soap filled handle with a hole in the brush head to dispense the soap. However, the mechanism for dispensing the soap in these references is a standard pushing or pumping mechanism and does not allow the user to twist the brush head to shut off the flow of soap. Additionally, these brushes do not have a plurality of holes and apertures that align in order to allow the free flow of a substantial amount of soap onto the brush head or that unalign to completely cut off the flow of soap. Furthermore, the filler valves disclosed in these references are generally inconvenient and inadequate for repeated fillings. Finally, the prior art does not afford the user efficiency of operating the components of the brush. For example, the prior art does not make it easy for the users to change cleaning heads, open and close the fluid holes, or hide the filler openings.
Thus, what is needed, is a hollow brush that has a discreet filler valve and that allows the user to twist the brush head open to allow the soap to flow out and closed to completely cut off the flow of soap.


A metal cylinder head gasket of the invention is basically formed of a metal plate extending substantially throughout an entire area of an engine to be sealed, and a plurality of cylinder bores and bolt holes. The cylinder bores are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the metal plate, and the bolt holes are situated around the respective cylinder bores. At least one shim is located at at least one of four corner areas of the metal plate without extending outwardly from the corner area where the shim is located. The shim supports a tightening pressure of bolts to thereby prevent deformation of the cylinder head. Sealing means for the cylinder bores and other holes can be equally compressed to help sealing of the cylinder bores and other holes.

The present invention relates to a metal cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine, which is provided with an edge support shim to prevent deformation of a cylinder head.
An engine and a gasket installed therein for an automobile include cylinder bores, water holes, oil holes, bolt holes and so on. Since high pressure and temperature are formed in the cylinder bores when the engine is actuated, bolts for securing the engine parts together with the gasket are generally arranged around the cylinder bores to securely seal therearound. Other holes, such as water holes and oil holes, are situated near the cylinder bores, and are sealed by the tightening pressure of the bolts for sealing the cylinder bores.
Therefore, the other holes, i.e. water holes and oil holes, do not generally receive equal tightening pressure from the bolts. As a result, although the other holes have sealing means in the gasket, various sealing problems occur in these other holes.
On the other hand, in an engine where the cylinder bores are arranged linearly, since the sealing means are formed around the cylinder bores of the gasket, when the engine is assembled, the center area of the cylinder head is liable to bend upwardly while the longitudinal end areas are compressed close to the cylinder block. This causes an unbalanced tightening pressure to the sealing means for the cylinder bores and other holes, which may cause leakage of a fluid from the engine. Also, high tightening pressures are concentrated at the longitudinal end areas of the gasket.
In order to solve the problems, various attempts have been made. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,389, beads are formed at longitudinal end portions of the gasket to support high tightening pressures applied thereto. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,263, shims are located at the longitudinal end portions of the gasket to support the high tightening pressures. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,234, beads around the cylinder bores located at the longitudinal end portions are doubled to support the strong tightening pressures applied thereto.
The support beads and the shims support the high tightening pressures applied to the longitudinal end areas of the engine to improve the unbalanced tightening pressures. However, since the tightening pressures applied to the longitudinal end portions may not be equal even in the longitudinal end portions, it is desirous to improve the supporting system for the tightening pressures at the longitudinal end portions.
The present invention has been made in view of the conventional gaskets, and an object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine, which can properly support the tightening pressures applied to the longitudinal end portions of the engine
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head gasket as stated above, which allows sealing means for the cylinder bores and other holes to securely seal therearound.
A further object of the invention is to provide a metal cylinder head gasket as stated above, wherein the tightening pressures applied to the longitudinal end portions can be adjusted as desired.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


A backplane, a manufacturing method thereof, a backlight module and a display panel are provided. The backplane includes a base substrate; a first conductive layer located on the base substrate and including a wire; a first protection layer located at a side of the first conductive layer facing away from the base substrate; a second conductive layer located on the first protection layer and including a conductive sub-layer, the conductive sub-layer penetrating the first protection layer to be connected with the wire; a second protection layer located at a side of the second conductive layer facing away from the base substrate; a micro light-emitting diode (LED) penetrating the second protection layer to be connected with the conductive sub-layer; and a metallic reflective layer, located on the second protection layer and configured to reflect light irradiated onto the metallic reflective layer from the micro LED.

Mini-Light Emitting Diode (Mini LED) technology refers to LED technology in which an area size of a light-emitting chip is in a range of 100 μm-200 μm. Display products obtained by applying the Mini LED technology into a backlight unit (BLU) are advantageous in good contrast ratio, high brightness, small thickness and the like as compared with conventional display products.

Backplane and manufacturing method thereof, backlight module, and display panel using micro light-emitting diodes

Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A positive photosensitive resin composition comprising (A) a polyamic acid, (B) a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative represented by the general formula (II):

Generally, positive photosensitive materials are said to be positively tapered and to have high resolution. As these photosensitive materials, a photoresist obtained from diazonaphthoquinone and novolak resin, and a chemically amplified material using a photoacid generator have been actually used. However, the above photoresist is poor in mechanical strength and electrical characteristics when used as a structural material such as cover insulation material and interlayer dielectric material. Also, as to the chemically amplified material, a photoacid generator is used, thereby making it difficult to use the material in applications requiring electrical reliability.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, the present inventors have previously proposed a positive photosensitive material comprising a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative and a polyimide precursor resin, and a process for preparing the same (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Hei 05-005995 and Hei 05-281717).
However, in the positive photosensitive material described above, image contrast was low during formation the fixed image at a film thickness of 5 μm or more, and it has been difficult to provide a material having low elasticity.
Accordingly, in view of overcoming these disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a positive photosensitive resin composition having low elasticity, high heat resistance, and high resolution.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

Positive photosensitive resin composition

Abstract: wherein R2 is a monovalent organic group; each of R3, R4, R5, and R6 is independently hydrogen or a monovalent organic group; and Ar—NO2 is an aromatic hydrocarbon group having a nitro group at ortho-position, and (C) an amine compound.


A looseness resisting screw formed with an external thread includes a first thread area having a substantially uniform outer diameter and a second thread area extended from the first thread area toward a leading end of the screw. The second thread area has a plurality of fractional lead parts each of which has an outer thread diameter increasing along a helical direction of the fractional lead part from a start point to an end point, and the outer thread diameter is substantially equal to a thread root diameter at the start point, while the outer thread diameter is equal to a thread top diameter at the end point. The fractional lead part has a thread sectional area increasing along the helical direction from the start point to the end point, and the thread top diameter of the fractional lead part is slightly larger at the end point than the substantially uniform outer diameter of the first thread area so that the second thread area provides a tapping thread section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screw (bolt) and a stud hole with a looseness resisting function, which are applied to various types of electronic instruments such as a cell phone, a digital camera, a liquid-crystal or plasma television, and a personal computer, as well as office equipment including a copy machine and a printer. The screw requires an adequate screwing torque to be screwed with ease and has an appropriate securing force to surely prevent loosening thereof.
2. Background Art
Recently, an extremely thin metal sheet or a low-friction plastic material is used for a chassis or a housing to realize lightweight properties or compact designs in various types of electronic instruments such as a cell phone, a digital camera, a liquid-crystal or plasma television, and a personal computer, as well as office equipment including a copy machine.
Particularly, an instrument having a high-voltage heat source such as a condenser like a liquid-crystal or plasma television, a copy machine, and a printer requires a heat transfer passage. To allow such a heat transfer passage, compact screws and stud nuts (spacers) are to be provided for assembling such an instrument.
In such an industrial field, a looseness resisting screw is needed to secure elements on a thin metal plate of about 0.5 mm or on a low-friction plastic member.
A conventional looseness resisting screw engages at a frank (opposing) angle of about 1° 20′ to 3°30′ with an associated internal thread, and top and root parts of the screw and the internal thread contact each other.
The conventional looseness resisting screw is screwed into the internal thread so that the thread top part of the screw is pressed against the internal thread. This prevents loosening of the screw. Such a screw is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open NO. S-61-286605.
However, the conventional looseness resisting screw and the associated internal thread each have a uniform thread section with a predetermined dimensional allowance. Therefore, a fastening friction force increases with advancement of the screw into the internal thread, since the top part of the screw thread is pressed into the internal thread. This increases a securing torque of the screw, causing a difficult fastening and securing operation of the screw.
Furthermore, the conventional looseness resisting screw and the associated internal thread produce a larger amount of cut-off chips since all the top parts of the screw thread are pressed into the internal thread. This prevents a smooth and quick securing operation of the screw into the internal thread.
Furthermore, the conventional looseness resisting screw and the associated internal thread have a predetermined dimensional difference between thread profiles of the screw and the internal thread. To improve a looseness resisting function of the screw and the internal thread, the dimensional difference needs to be improved.

Kabushiki Kaisha Suzuki Rashi Seisakusho