A method for removing cholesterol and fat from egg and a reduced cholesterol egg product. An anionic chelating agent which forms a complex with the lipoprotein fraction of egg yolk is added to dilute egg yolk to form a precipitate comprising a complex of lipoprotein and the anionic chelating compound. The solid, complex-containing precipitate is separated from the aqueous fraction. Thereafter, lipids and cholesterol are separated from the precipitated lipoprotein-containing complexes to obtain protein-containing complexes. The egg product comprises the protein-containing complex, fat essentially free of cholesterol, and liquid egg white.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for removing cholesterol and fat from egg yolk by chelation and to a reduced-cholesterol egg product. More specifically, this invention relates to a method for removing cholesterol from egg yolk by separating lipoprotein-containing complexes from egg yolk and extracting cholesterol and fats from the complexes to form protein-containing complexes, which are incorporated into a reduced cholesterol liquid egg product.
2. Description of Related Art
Egg, especially chicken egg, is a popular and desirable component of the human diet. In particular, the nutritive quality of the protein content of egg is valued. Egg is organoleptically pleasing and useful in various manners and methods of food preparation.
Liquid whole egg consists, on the average, of about 64 percent white and about 36 percent yolk. The white contains approximately 12 percent solid matter of a primarily proteinaceous nature. The yolk contains about 50 percent solids, of which a major portion is fat and a lesser portion is protein, the fat and protein being present in approximately a 2:1 ratio. A large proportion of the fat appears to be bound to the protein in the form of lipoprotein complexes. Some of this lipid is easily extractable with fat solvents, such as hexane, and this portion of the lipid is conventionally called "free lipid." It is also referred to as "free fat." The remaining lipid typically is referred to as "bound fat." It can be extracted, but only under more rigorous conditions. The term "fat" is used here, in connection with egg yolk, to refer to both kinds of fat, in a generic sense.
Egg white or egg albumen is essentially an aqueous solution of proteins containing small amounts of other materials such as minerals and sugars, and only a trace of fat. The egg yolk, on the other hand, contains virtually all of the fat and cholesterol of whole eggs. These latter components are present in combination with egg yolk proteins as complex lipoprotein compounds. Consequently, many of the functional properties and nutritional aspects of the egg reside specifically in the yolk portion. This is evidenced by the incorporation of yolk alone as an ingredient in many basic food formulations.
Eggs contain a significant quantity of cholesterol and there is evidence that cholesterol from eggs raises human serum cholesterol level. Medical evidence relates high serum cholesterol levels to disease of the vascular system. Thus, despite the organoleptic appeal and nutritive value of eggs, consumers are becoming reluctant to eat eggs in any form.
Various methods have been proposed for removing cholesterol from eggs or egg yolks to produce a low-cholesterol egg product. However, typically these methods significantly alter the functional properties of eggs thus treated, destroying the suitability of the egg for use in traditional cooking processes and making the low-cholesterol product organoleptically unsatisfactory.
Some methods produce a solid product. One such method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,765, wherein "free fat" is extracted from dry egg yolk solids by mixing the solids with solvent and heating the mixture to a temperature below 160.degree. F., preferably below 120.degree. F., to avoid denaturation of the protein. A non-polar solvent such as hexane extracts non-polar lipids and cholesterol preferentially from yolk lipoproteins. This results in partial removal of yolk fat. The extracted solids must be heated to remove, by distillation, any solvent which remains in the egg solids.
Methods of replacing fat thus extracted typically incorporate addition of unsaturated fats so as to improve the ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats in egg products produced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,183 discloses a method for replacing the fats in a solid, low-cholesterol, egg-containing product by combining low-cholesterol egg yolk with unsaturated oil. The patent also discloses a method for preparing an egg food product comprising the re-fatted yolk solids.
Methods for producing low-cholesterol solids from liquid egg also are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,034 discloses that cholesterol and free fat can be removed from liquid whole egg by mixing egg with water and an organic solvent. The solvent is selected so that, during distillation separation of the solvent and fat dissolved therein form the egg product, the solvent forms an azeotrope with water at a temperature less than about 140.degree. F. Thus, the free fat and cholesterol are extracted from the egg fluid into the solvent, and the solvent and water are distilled off to leave dry egg powder which is free of cholesterol and of free fat.
Many practitioners find such solvent extraction objectionable because the extraction requires use of organic solvents, which must be separated from the egg product at a temperature less than about 140.degree.-160.degree. F. to avoid thermal denaturation of the egg proteins. Many solvents denature egg protein when extracting lipids from lipoprotein complexes. Denaturation of the egg protein degrades the organoleptic properties and qualities of the resultant product. The solvent also must be suitable for contact with food stuffs. Small quantities of solvent may remain in the egg product, even though the most stringent measures have been taken to remove the solvent. Remaining solvent is objectionable to many consumers, not only because of the health risks solvents are perceived to present, but also because solvents degrade the organoleptic properties of the product.
A method said to remove cholesterol from dried egg powder (whole egg or yolk) without leaving solvent residue in the egg product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,286. Dry egg powder is contacted with an aqueous ethanol solution (typically 95 percent ethanol) which extracts free fats and cholesterol from the egg powder. The low-cholesterol, low-fat powder is separated from the aqueous solution, which now contains fats and cholesterol. The aqueous solution is further treated to saponify fatty acids, and cholesterol and saponified fatty acids are separately recovered.
Vegetable oil has been utilized to extract cholesterol from egg. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,474 discloses that cholesterol can be extracted from liquid egg yolk simultaneously with addition of unsaturated fats thereto by using high shear agitation to emulsify and ensure contact between the liquid egg yolk and the unsaturated oil. The patent discloses that high energy mixing is required throughout the treatment to disrupt the water barrier surrounding the yolk fat globules which contain the saturated fat and cholesterol to be extracted. Disruption of the barrier affords the opportunity for the yolk fat droplets and the solvent to come into intimate contact. The period of high shear agitation, which is necessary to ensure that the barrier is disrupted, must be shorter than the time required for the heat generated by the agitation to raise the temperature of the mixture being agitated to the temperature at which egg protein becomes denatured.
In the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,959, the pH of liquid egg yolk is reduced to a value not below three, preferably between about four and six, to both destabilize and reduce the viscosity of the yolk. Then, the destabilized emulsion is treated with edible oil to form a fine dispersion and extract fat and cholesterol from the yolk droplets. The dispersion is formed by homogenization in an agitator mill utilizing the microballs, in a high pressure homogenizer, or by intense vibration such as that used in continuous disintegrators. The dispersion then is centrifuged to separate low-cholesterol egg yolk from the oil extractant. The patent further discloses that extraction under the same conditions of shear without reduction of the pH of the yolk produces lower, albeit significant, cholesterol reduction in the yolk.
These methods, although they do not require an organic solvent which is not an edible oil, are not entirely satisfactory, because intense agitation is required to destabilize the yolk and maintain the dispersion of yolk in the oil.
Methods of removing cholesterol together with other egg components, such as phospholipids and lipoprotein complexes (which contain the "bound" fat), often are utilized to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis on individual components or to obtain purified components. For example, the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,286 and described above further comprises recovery of pure cholesterol from the ethanol extractant.
Because the phospholipid concentration of chicken egg yolks is about 8 times the cholesterol concentration, such yolks often are utilized as a source of phospholipids. Yolk phospholipid can be recovered from egg yolk by zinc chloride precipitation of yolk lipids extracted by ethanol, or by other extraction processes known to skilled practitioners.
Typically, these phospholipid and lipoprotein complex extraction processes involve use of methanol and ethanol, which achieve complete lipid removal by denaturing the lipoprotein complexes. Thus-released lipids then are recovered from the extractant. The remaining egg product is not organoleptically satisfying, however, even when a portion of the lipids is replaced. Thus, such processes are not satisfactory for producing organoleptically pleasing low cholesterol egg products. Not only must an organic solvent which is not an edible oil be utilized, but also the texture of the yolk is unacceptable after denaturation of the lipoproteins.
A method for separating phospholipids from egg yolk so that the proteins are not denatured is described in Hatta, "Separation of Phospholipids from Egg Yolk and Recovery of Water-soluble Proteins," J. Food Sci. 53:425-427 (1988). In Hatta's method, sodium alginate aqueous solution is added to dilute egg yolk, the pH preferably is adjusted to between about 5.8 and 6.4, and the mixture is held at room temperature for about 30 minutes to form a precipitate comprising sodium alginate and lipoprotein. The aqueous fraction containing water-soluble protein is separated from the alginate/lipoprotein precipitate by centrifugation at 10,000 G for about 15 minutes. Thus, sodium alginate solution was utilized to separate water-soluble proteins from egg yolk, minimizing the lipid content and maximizing the protein content of the supernatant to avoid denaturation of the water-soluble protein.
The alginate/lipoprotein precipitate is extracted with ethanol to prepare a crude phospholipid extract. Crude extract is further separated, sometimes by centrifugation, into various fractions which are purified. For example, the crude phospholipid extract is treated with zinc chloride in ethanol to form purified phospholipid extract, which then is washed with acetone.

Method for removing cholesterol and fat from egg yolk by chelation and reduced-cholesterol egg product


A new cosmetic carrying case having a removable tray for storing various sizes and shapes of cosmetic containers is disclosed. The device includes a bottom portion and a lid, the lid being hingedly attached to the bottom portion, the bottom portion and the lid forming a storage compartment, a first shelf hingedly and latchedly attached to a lid inside portion, a second shelf fixedly disposed within the bottom portion, the second shelf having an opening formed therein, and a removable tray having a plurality of container receiving apertures formed therein, the removable tray being removably receivable within the opening. The first shelf further includes a pair of spaced apart straps for securing a nail dryer. The second shelf includes a plurality of compartments and a plurality of apertures designed for receiving cosmetic vessels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cosmetic cases and more particularly pertains to a new cosmetic carrying case having a removable tray for storing various sizes and shapes of cosmetic containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cosmetic cases is known in the prior art. More specifically, cosmetic cases heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art cosmetic cases include U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,302; U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,463; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 354,622; U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,751; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 303,874 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,734.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new cosmetic carrying case. The inventive device includes a bottom portion and a lid, the lid being hingedly attached to the bottom portion, the bottom portion and the lid forming a storage compartment, a first shelf hingedly and latchedly attached to a lid inside portion, a second shelf fixedly disposed within the bottom portion, the second shelf having an opening formed therein, and a removable tray having a plurality of container receiving apertures formed therein, the removable tray being removably receivable within the opening.
In these respects, the cosmetic carrying case according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of having a removable tray for storing various sizes and shapes of cosmetic containers.


A printing device which prints onto a printing medium comprising: a printing head; a control section which moves the printing head in a scanning direction and relatively moves either of the head or the printing medium in a direction which intersects with the scanning direction; and a discharge control section, wherein the printing head is provided with a plurality of color nozzle rows which are arranged to line up in the intersecting direction and where a plurality of nozzles which discharge the same color of color ink are arranged in the intersecting direction for each of the color nozzles rows, and a black ink nozzle row which is a nozzle row, which is arranged to line up with the color nozzle rows and discharges black ink, and which has a black ink nozzle group of the same number as the number of rows of the color nozzles.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing device and a printing method.
2. Background Technology
A printer is known which is mounted with a printing head, which has nozzle rows which respectively discharge chromatic color inks such as cyan, magenta, and yellow and a nozzle row which discharges a non-chromatic color ink such as black. In such a printer, due to scanning with regard to a region which is a printing medium (movement which accompanies discharging of ink, also referred to as a pass) using each of the nozzle rows, a color image is realized in the region. As a related technique, an ink jet recording method is known (refer to Patent Document 1) where recording of cyan is performed from a color recording head in one scan, recording of 50% of the total number of dots of data for recording black is performed from a black recording head at the same time, recording of magenta and the remaining 50% of the black is performed in the second scan in a region where the recording of the cyan and black were performed in the first scan, and further recording of yellow is performed in the third scan in the region.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H7-237346 (Patent Document 1) is an example of the related art.


A gate opener has a gate that rotates between an open and a closed position in order to allow or retard ingress and egress through the gate. A plate is secured to the ground while a motor is secured to a post of the gate and is rotatably secured to the plate. Activation of the motor causes the post to rotate and thereby swing the gate open. Subsequent activation of the motor causes the post to counterrotate and thereby swing the gate closed. Appropriate limit switches delimit the arc of travel of the gate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus that automatically opens and closes a rotating gate assembly.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Gates are popular access control devices that help restrict vehicular and pedestrian traffic to a wide array of locations where control of such traffic is desired. Apartment complexes, houses, ranches, and various work sites are typical locations where gates are oftentimes found. Access control gates come in one of two broad categories.
Some gates are manual in that the gate must be opened and closed manually by an operator. A user opens the gate in order to allow a vehicle or a person to pass through the gate and thereafter closes the gate in order to again restrict access therethrough. Such gates are typically found in relatively remote locations, such as a side entrance to a ranch, wherein the frequency of ingress and egress through the gate is relatively sparse and in areas where an attendant is on duty to help control access through the gate. A military site and a delivery parking lot are examples of gate locations of the latter type.
The other major type of gates are automatic in that the gate, through an appropriate action of a user, automatically opens and closes. A user may use a remote control device, may punch in a code linked to a key pad, or swipe an access card, in order to activate the automatic opening or closing of the gate. Additionally, the gate may be activated by an operator on duty or by a person located at a site remote of the gate who has some form of audio or visual access to the gate area. Such persons operate the gate as they see fit depending on the nature of the person or vehicle desiring passage through the gate area.
Most automatic opening and closing gates fall into one of three types. Some automatic gates are sliding gates wherein the gate opens and closes by sliding or rolling back and forth through the gate access area. A motor controls the operation of the gate and is linked to the gate through some form of chain or gear drive, wherein upon activation of the motor the drive becomes operational and controls back and forth movement of the gate, or the motor is connected directly to the gate and has some form of drive wheels that allow the back and forth movement of the gate. Activation of the motor drives the wheels which move the gate in the appropriate direction. Such gates require a "pocket" to be available into which pocket the gate slides when it is opened. If appropriate space for such a pocket is unavailable, this type of gate is not a good candidate for access control.
A second type of gate is one that is raised and lowered in order to control access. Most of these types of gates are some form of swing arm that is raised to allow passage through the gate area and is lowered to restrict access. These types of gates, which tend to be relatively inexpensive, are often found at parking lots, roadway toll booths and railroad track crossings.
A third type of gate is a swinging gate that pivots between an open and a closed position. Typically, the pivoting of the gate is actuated by either a hydraulic or pneumatic piston or a solenoid rod wherein extension of the piston or solenoid rod places the gate into a closed position and retraction of the piston or solenoid rod swings the gate into an open position. These types of gates are often found at condominium parking lots and at exclusive houses and neighborhoods and are very popular. The problem with this type of gate lies in the actuation mechanism. The piston or solenoid that controls gate swing is located remote of the gate and is mechanically linked to the gate. Not only is this architecture less than aesthetically appealing, it requires additional real estate beyond that required for the gate to be set aside for the actuation device and its connecting hardware. Additionally, the piston or solenoid rod is exposed to the elements which tends to make the device more prone to failure and therefore such devices require relatively frequent maintenance in order to keep such devices properly operational. Furthermore, as the piston or solenoid rod is in an extended position whenever the gate is closed, the piston or rod can be bumped, nicked or otherwise jarred when in this position rendering the piston or rod unable to properly retract thereby preventing the gate from being opened and requiring a service call to repair the gate. Such rod or piston damage can be the result of passersby, falling objects such as a tree limb, or by wind loading. In any event, the users are inconvenienced by the lack of operability of the gate and the attendant repair costs.
In order to address these problems, swinging gates have been proposed wherein the gate swing is accomplished by the use of a motor that is housed within the main post of the gate. The motor, by being housed within the main post, is not exposed to the elements and is not subject to damage from outside influences such as falling objects and wind loading. As a result, the motor is less prone to fail from such influences. As the motor is located within the main post of the swinging gate, the need to provide additional real estate for the accuation and connection hardware is eliminated. However, the problem with such prior art devices is that they are unduly complex in design and construction making such devices relatively expensive to manufacture and maintain.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an automatic swinging gate that addresses the above-stated problems found in the art. Specifically, a gate opening and closing apparatus is needed wherein the gate actuation hardware is disposed within the main gate post in order to eliminate the unsightliness of the actuation mechanism and to eliminate the negative effects that can be occasioned from outside influences such as rain, wind, falling objects, and passersby. Such a gate opening and closing apparatus must be of relatively simple design and construction so that it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, install and maintain.


A transformer filter arrangement (30) for passing signals at a fundamental frequency and suppressing signals at one or more interfering frequencies is disclosed. It comprises a transformer (100) having a first winding (110) and a second winding (120), wherein the first winding (110) has a first end (112a) and a second end (122b) and the second winding (120) has a first end (122a) and a second end (122b). It further comprises one or more capacitors (130a-e). For each capacitor (130a-c) of a first set of at least one capacitor of the one or more capacitors (130a-e), the capacitor (130a-c) is connected between a pair of taps (a1, a2; b1, b2; c1, c2) of the first winding (110), wherein each tap (a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2) of the pair of taps (a1, a2; b1, b2; c1, c2) is located between the first end (112a) and the second end (112b) of the first winding (110), and the capacitor (130a-c), together with an inductive sub segment (140a-c) of the first winding (110), which is connected in parallel with the capacitor (130a-c) between the pair of taps (a1, a2; b1, b2; c1, c2), forms a parallel LC circuit which is tuned to resonate at one of said interfering frequencies for suppressing signals at said one of the interfering frequencies. A corresponding integrated circuit, a corresponding radio receiver circuit, a corresponding radio transmitter circuit, and a corresponding radio communication apparatus are also disclosed.

Due to the deployment of more and more frequency bands for cellular radio-communications applications, the complexity of radio front-end circuitry to be used in such applications increases. Normally, at least one relatively expensive external (or "off-chip") filter, usually a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) filter, has to be used for each frequency band to be received with the cellular radio. Therefore the size and cost of the external front-end components increase when introducing new frequency bands. Striving towards more flexible front-end solutions requires new circuit solutions that can handle strong interferers and prevent harmonic down-conversion without sacrificing any other performance.
It is thus desirable to provide radio front-end circuitry that eliminates the need for at least some of the off-chip filters, e.g. relatively expensive SAW filters, that are normally used in present cellular radio communications circuitry, or that at least relaxes the requirements on such off-chip filters, which in turn facilitates a reduction of manufacturing cost.
US 2009/0195324 A1 discloses an electronic assembly that includes a substrate, a balun transformer formed on the substrate and including a first winding and a second winding and a reaction circuit component formed on the substrate and connected between a center tap of the second winding and ground. The balun transformer and the reaction circuit component jointly form a harmonically suppressed balun transformer having a fundamental frequency, and the reaction circuit component is tuned such that the harmonically suppressed balun transformer resonates at the second harmonic of the fundamental frequency.


The present invention is concerned with a method and composition for use in the medical art. It relates to the prevention and/or minimization of Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) and/or SpA enthesitis. SpA are an important group of chronic inflammatory disorders, affecting both the axial and peripheral skeleton. A particular method and composition optionally including a suitable dispensing device for such compositions can be used for ameliorating or preventing SpA. The invention applies to human and veterinary applications. To date, no single therapeutic approach has proven universally effective in preventing SpA or ameliorating SpA. Therefore, there is a need for compositions and methods which may be used safely and effectively to prevent SpA in a variety of different contexts.

To date, no single therapeutic approach has proven universally effective in preventing SpA or ameliorating SpA. Therefore, there is a need for compositions and methods that may be used safely and effectively to prevent or treat SpA in a variety of different contexts. The invention applies to human and veterinary applications.
The Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are an important group of chronic inflammatory disorders, affecting both the axial and peripheral skeleton. Within the SpA group, several entities are recognized: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), Enteropathic Arthritis or Arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD-SpA), Reactive Arthritis (ReA) including Reiter's syndrome and the undifferentiated forms (UspA) and, possibly, also Whipple disease and Behcet disease. (John H. Klippel, et al., Rheumatology Mosby Saint Louis (Ill.) Publ Jaar: 1994 Ed. by John H. Klippel and Paul A. Dieppe.)
These diseases can be easily classified into the SpA group since they display a number of striking similarities: enthesitis, strong genetic predisposition in HLA-B27 positive individuals, involvement of the sacroiliacal and intervertebral joints, asymmetrical oligoarthritis in the peripheral joints mainly affecting the lower limbs. Enthesitis, leading to neochondro- or neo-osteogenesis and joint ankylosis, is the hallmark feature of all forms of SpA affecting synovial joints (e.g. knee joint), cartilaginous joints (e.g. discovertebral junction), syndesmoses (e.g. upper part of the sacroiliacal joints) and extra-articular enthesis (e.g. insertion of the Achilles tendon) (Ball J., Ann Rheum Dis. 1971 May; 30(3):213-23; Benjamin M. and McGonagle D., J Anatomy 2001; 199(5):503-526).
A therapy aimed at disrupting the enthesial process of proliferation, differentiation, cartilage and bone formation leading to ankylosis, is currently lacking. The actual treatment is solely aimed at controlling the inflammatory process by using steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and second-line antirheumatic immunomodulatory drugs, all with limited success and/or considerable side-effects without specific interference with the process of cartilage and bone formation. Presently, for end stage refractory diseases, surgical management in the form of for example hip replacement is advised. Therefore the need for specific treatments of ankylosing enthesitis remains high.
The present invention embodies that specific morphogens such as Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMPs) including BMP-2, BMP-6 and BMP-7 play a key role in steering the pathological process leading to joint ankylosis. There are now known to be at least 15 members of the family of the BMP's; all except BMP-1 have been classified as members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. The TGF-β superfamily is a large group of structurally related polypeptides, capable of regulating a wide array of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, lineage determination, motility, adhesion and death. BMP-7 has previously been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties (Vukicevic, S. et al., Journal of Clinical Investigation 1998; 102 (1): 202-214; Maric, I. et al. Abstract 4th International Conference on BMPs, Oct. 17-21, 2002, Sacramento, Calif.).
The invention therefore embodies the specific treatment of SpA or SpA enthesitis by using inhibitors of BMPs, or related family members, such as Noggin, Chordin, Gremlin and Follistatin, or cellular therapies directed against these specific morphogens. Treatment aimed at blocking these morphogens can be both locally administered as well as systemically. Chordin, for instance, binds to BMP-2 and BMP-4 in the extracellular space, blocking the interaction of BMPs with their receptor.
Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the use of molecules that can neutralize the activity of BMPs by interfering with its synthesis, formation, translation, transcription, receptor binding and/or receptor binding mediated signal transduction, for the treatment or prevention of SpA or SpA enthesitis.
A strikingly simple signaling pathway is used by BMPs and related factors (for review see Massague, J. Annu Rev. Biochem. 1998; 67: 753-791; Massague, J. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2000; 1:169-178). The enormous diversity of cellular responses is achieved by regulatory mechanisms on all levels of this pathway. The dimeric ligand assembles a receptor complex consisting of two different receptor serine/threonine kinases (type I and type II receptors). The type II receptor phosphorylates the type I receptor, resulting in the activation of this receptor kinase. The type I receptor subsequently phosphorylates specific receptor substrates (Smad molecules in vertebrates, Mad in Drosophila). The phosphorylated receptor-Smad (R-Smad) associates with common Smad-4 and translocates to the nucleus. The Smad complexes have DNA binding and transcriptional activity.
Vertebrate type I receptors can be divided into three groups. One group includes the TGFβ type I receptor (TβRI), formerly known as Activin-receptor like kinase-5 (ALK-5), Activin-receptor type Ib (ActRIb) or ALK-4 and ALK-7. The second group includes BMPRIa (ALK-3) and BMPRIb (ALK-6). The third group includes ALK-1 and ActRIa (ALK-2). Similar type I receptors are found in invertebrates: In vertebrates the type II receptors include TβRII, BMPRII, ActRIIa and ActRIIb.
Regarding the binding of BMPs with recptors, ActRI is binding BMP-2, BMP-6 and BMP-7 (Ebisawa et al. J. Cell. Sci. 1999; 112: 3519-3527) with BMPRII, and ActA, BMP-6 and BMP-7 with ActRII. BMPRIa is binding BMP-2 with ActRIIB. BMP-2, -4 and -7 are binding BMPRIb and BMPRII.
Most ligands interact with the receptors as homodimers. However, the existence of TGFβ (Ogawa, Y. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 1992; 267: 2325-2328) and Activin heterodimers (Ling, N. et al. Nature 1986; 321: 779-782) has been documented. BMP heterodimers have been constructed in vitro (Aono, A. et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 1995; 210: 670-677) but have not been demonstrated in vivo. TGFβ and Act type I receptors only bind ligands bound to type II receptors (Laiho, M. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 1990; 265: 18518-18524), BMP type I and type II receptors bind ligand with high affinity when expressed together and with low affinity when expressed separately (Liu, F. et al. Mol. Cell Biol. 1995; 15: 3479-3486).
The BMP receptors use Smad1, Smad5 and Smad8 as substrates and specific DNA-binding co-factors (FAST, OAZ, Mixer and Milk), as well as other transcription factors such as AP-1 and AML proteins (Massague, J. et al. Genes Dev. 2000; 14: 627-644) and additional co-activators (p300/CBp) or co-repressors (TGIF, c-Ski and SnoN) for interaction with genes.
FKBP12 is a cytosolic protein enhancing cytosolic calcium release and inhibiting TGFβ type I receptors by blocking TGFβ type II induced type I receptor phosphorylation (Chen, Y. G. et al. EMBO J. 1997; 16: 3866-3876). BMP receptor associated molecule-1 (BRAM1) may have a similar function on BMPRIa (Kurozumi, K. et al. Genes Cells 1998; 3: 257-264). BAMBI (BMP and activin membrane-bound inhibitor) was identified as a BMP inhibitor in Xenopus, hindering BMP—receptor heterodimerisation (Onichtchouk, D. et al. Nature 1999; 401: 480-485). A human homologue nma has also been identified (Wordinger, R. J. et al. Mol. Vis. 2002; 8: 241-250). Screening has identified several other receptor interacting proteins such as TRIP-1, STRAP, PP2A and TRAP-1, but their precise functions remains to be elucidated.
Inhibitors, antagonists, receptor and Smad modulation, as well as inhibitory Smads (Smad6 and Smad7) modulate BMP signaling pathways. Many antagonists of BMP signal transduction are already known in the art and they include Fetuin glycoprotein, also known as α2-HS glycoprotein in humans, Noggin and Chordin. Noggin, a 32 kD glycoprotein (Smith, W. C. et al. Cell 1992; 70: 829-840) and Chordin, a 120 kD molecule related to thrombospondin-1 (Francois, V. et al. Cell 1995; 80: 19-20), are secreted proteins specifically antagonizing BMP activity by blocking BMP interaction with cell surface receptors. Short gastrulation (Sog) is the Drosophila homologue of Chordin.nhibiting Dpp (protein encoded by the decapentaplegic gene). Noggin displays specificity, characterised in that binding is very tight to BMP-2 and BMP-4 (Kd=2×10−11 M) and weaker to BMP-5, BMP-6 and BMP-7. Fetuin has been shown to block osteogenesis, a function promoted by BMP, in a culture of rat bone marrow cells and that a Fetuin derived peptide binds BMP 2 (M. Demetriou et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1996; 271:12755-61.) The DAN family of BMP antagonists, containing vertebrate DAN, Dante, Gremlin, Cerl and 'Protein Related to DAN and Cerberus' (PRDC), as well as Xenopus Cerberus, Chick caronte and C. elegans CdCanl, also prevent interaction of BMPs with signaling receptors (Hsu, D. R. et al. Mol. Cell. 1998; 1: 673-683). Follistatin is a secreted glycoprotein that antagonizes Activin, but that also binds some BMPs (Iemura, S. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1998; 95: 9337-9342). Latency-associated protein is in fact the TGFβ propeptide non-covalently bound to the mature polypeptide inhibiting TGFβ receptor interaction (McMahon, G. A. et al. Biochem. J. 1996; 313: 343-351).


Stainless steel is improved in anti-microbial property by the addition of Cu in an amount of 0.4-5.0 wt. % and the precipitation of Cu-rich phase at the ratio of 0.2 vol. % or more. The Cu-rich phase is precipitated as minute particles uniformly dispersed in the matrix not only at the surface layer but also at the interior by heat treatment such as annealing or aging at 500.degree.-900.degree.. Since the anti-microbial property is derived from the material itself, the underlying stainless steel does not lose the excellent anti-microbial property even after it is polished or mechanically worked. Due to the anti-microbial property, the stainless steel is useful as material in various fields requiring sanitary environments, for example, kitchen goods, electric home appliances, devices or tools at hospitals, parts or interiors for building and grips or poles for electric trains or buses.

The present invention is related to stainless steel having an improved anti-microbial property, and also related to a method of manufacturing thereof.
Stainless steel represented by SUS 304 has been used as kitchen goods, various devices or tools at hospitals, interior parts for building, grips or poles provided in public transport vehicles, for example, buses or electric trains. However, at the present, time hospital infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus has become a serious problem and it has been demanded that stainless steels for hospital use have the necessary anti-microbial property which eliminates the need for periodic disinfection.
An anti-microbial property can be obtained by forming an organic film or an anti-microbial coating layer, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-10191.
However, such an anti-microbial film or layer has the disadvantage that the anti-microbial function disappears in response to the consumption of the film or layer. In addition, the organic film which loses the anti-microbial function also serves as a nutrition source to promote the undesirable propagation of bacilli or germs.
A complex plating layer containing an anti-microbial component exhibits poor adhesiveness to a substrate, resulting in a coated substrate which is inferior in workability. The external appearance and anti-microbial function become worse due to the dissolution, abrasion and defects in the plating layer.
Further, it is well known that metal elements such as Ag or Cu exhibit an effective anti-microbial function. However, Ag is expensive and unsuitable for a part to be used in a corrosive atmosphere. On the other hand, Cu is relatively inexpensive element and effective as an anti-microbial agent. In this regard, it has been investigated to apply an anti-microbial function to a material such as stainless steel by the addition of Cu.
The inventors have researched and examined the effect of Cu on the improvement of anti-microbial properties, and have determined that the anti-microbial function is enhanced by increasing the concentration of Cu in the surface layer of stainless steel, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open 6-209121 and 7-55069 corresponding to Publication Nos. 8-53738 and 8-225895, respectively.

Method of using stainless steel having anti-microbial property


The present invention provides inexpensively a planar antenna module that is able to realize a loss reduction, a reduction in characteristic variation caused by an assembling error, and an improved stability in frequency characteristics.

In a planar antenna module that has a plurality of antennas formed on the same plane and carries out transmission and reception in a milliwave band, a third waveguide opening (65) formed in a fourth ground plate (14) and a fourth waveguide opening (66) formed in a ninth ground plate (19) are connected by a waveguide slot portion (8) formed in the ninth ground plate (19), as illustrated in FIG. 1. Such a planar antenna is disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2002-299949.
In the planar antenna module using a prior art port-connection method illustrated in FIG. 1, when the fourth ground plate (14) and the ninth ground plate (19) illustrated in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) are not firmly attached on a separation portion for a waveguide slot portion (8) adjacent thereto, there will be an increased loss in a waveguide portion formed by the waveguide slot portion (8) of the ninth ground plate (19) and the fourth ground plate (14), and an electricity leak to adjacent waveguide portions. For example, when the desired frequency is in an extremely high frequency band such as a 76.5 GHz band, even if the separation portion of the waveguide slot portion (8) contacts the fourth ground plate (14) as closely-attached as possible by improving flatness of the contact surfaces, or the surface roughness of the waveguide slot portion (8) is improved as much as possible by producing the fourth ground plate (14) and the ninth ground plate (19) from a cutting work product, a loss of about 0.3 dB per unit length of 1 cm is inevitable. Since a waveguide that connects an input/output port of the antennas, that is, a third waveguide opening (65) formed in the fourth ground plate (14), and an input/output port of a milliwave circuit, that is, a fourth waveguide opening (66) formed in the ninth ground plate (19), needs to be up to 5 cm long, the insertion loss taking place over the length from the input/output port of the antennas to the input/output port of the milliwave circuit amounts to about 1.8 dB as a whole as illustrated in FIG. 3. In addition, when the fourth ground plate (14) and the ninth ground plate (19) are made by casting or the like with the aim of reduced costs, they can be warped and undulated. As a result, a contact accuracy between the separation portion of the waveguide slot (8) and the fourth ground plate (14) is not retained and the surface protection treatment or the like is required in order to prevent corrosion. Therefore, there exists a disadvantage in that the insertion loss becomes larger when using a casting method than when using a cutting work product to make the ground plates (14) (19) and thus cost reduction becomes difficult.
In a planar array antenna for use in an in-vehicle radar or high speed communications in a milliwave band, it is important to realize a high gain and wide band characteristic. The inventors of the present invention have configured an antenna illustrated in FIG. 11 as a high-gain planar antenna applicable to such a usage in order to examine a reduction in feeder loss and undesired feeder radiation (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. H04-082405).
In such an antenna, a traverse component of energy propagating in a traverse direction is generated between the ground plate and the slot plate, except for an energy component radiated directly outward from the slot, when the patch is excited via the feeder. It has been known that the traverse component is then radiated out from the adjacent slot, thereby placing an adverse effect on an array-antenna gain, the effect being caused due to a phase relation with the component radiated directly outward from the slot. Namely, the maximum in the array-antenna gain appears at a particular arrangement distance as illustrated in FIG. 13, thereby realizing a high gain and highly efficient antenna.
In addition, in such usages, in order to detect a direction of a vehicle ahead or automatically choose a direction that yields a high sensitivity, a transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas are integrally constructed as illustrated in FIG. 14 and a signal received by each antenna can be subjected to a phase control and a selective synthesis, thereby enabling a beam direction control and a selective extraction of the signal coming from a particular direction.
In this case, since detection accuracy for a particular direction and a detection range can be improved by making uniform a gain and directivity of a plurality of the receiving antennas, it is important to realize uniform characteristics over the receiving antennas.
As described above, in case of the triple plate planar antenna constructed integrally with the transmitting antenna and the plurality of the receiving antennas, it is difficult to make uniform the antenna gain and directivity, since a component of energy propagating in a traverse direction is different in a center portion of the antenna array from in a peripheral portion of the antenna array.
By the way, in recent years, an adoption of the system in which a feeder is configured into a triple plate type has become a main stream in a planar antenna in a microwave and milliwave band (See Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication No. H06-070305, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-215050, for example). In the planar antenna adopting the triple plate feeder system, feed electricity of each antenna element is synthesized by the triple plate feeder. In a connection portion of the synthesized electricity between a final output portion and an RF signal process circuit, a triple plate feeder—waveguide converter is used frequently, because it is easily assembled and has a high reliability. A structure of the conventional triple plate feeder—waveguide converter is illustrated in FIGS. 23(a) to 23(c). In this structure, in order to facilitate a conversion to the waveguide with low loss, a film substrate 4 on which a strip feeder conductor 3 is formed is arranged over the surface of the ground plate 1 via a dielectric 120a and an upper ground plate 5 is arranged thereabove via dielectric 120b so as to configure the triple plate feeder. In addition, when connecting a waveguide input portion 160 of the circuit system, a through hole having the same inner dimension as that of the waveguide is provided in the ground plate 111; a metal spacer portion 170a having the same thickness as the dielectric 120a is provided in order to support the film substrate 140; the film substrate 140 is sandwiched by the metal spacer portion 170a and a metal spacer portion 170b having the same dimension; an upper ground plate 150 having a through hole with the same inner dimension as the waveguide is arranged on top of the metal spacer portion 170b in such a way that the through hole formed in the ground plate 111, a waveguide portion formed by the inner wall of the metal spacers 170a, 170b, and the through hole formed in the upper ground plate 150 coincide with one another; and a short-circuit metal plate 180 is arranged so as to close the through hole formed in the ground plate 5. An insertion length A of the strip feeder conductor 130 that is inserted into the waveguide illustrated in FIG. 23(a) and a short-circuit distance L illustrated in FIG. 23(b) are set as desired, thereby realizing the triple plate feeder—waveguide converter having a low loss in a wider frequency band intended to be utilized.
In the conventional triple plate feeder—waveguide converter illustrated in FIGS. 23(a) to 23(c), since a wavelength of electromagnetic wave in a milliwave band, for example, an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of about 76 GHz, is short, only a slight degradation in mechanical accuracy of the insertion length A of the strip feeder conductor 3 and the short-circuit length L can lead to a deterioration in reflection characteristics. Therefore, a machining method realizing a high mechanical accuracy or an adoption of a structure yielding a high precision is prerequisite. Additionally, in order to adjust the short-circuit length L, a short-circuit length adjustment metal plate 190 (FIG. 24(c)) having a through hole with an inner dimension that is the same as that of the waveguide may be required, as shown in FIG. 23(c). Therefore, there exits a disadvantage in that a production cost is raised by an increased number of parts.
The objective of the present invention is an inexpensive provision of a planar antenna module that is able to realize a reduction in loss, a reduction in characteristic variation caused by an assembling error, and an improved stability in frequency characteristics.
Another objective of the present invention is a provision of a triple plate planar array antenna that is able to realize a uniform antenna characteristic between antennas in the center portion and those in the peripheral portion of the antenna array configured by arranging a plurality of compact-sized antennas therein.
Yet another objective of the present invention is an inexpensive provision of an easy-to-assemble triple plate feeder—waveguide converter that is able to make unnecessary the short-circuit metal plate 180 and the short-circuit length adjustment metal plate 190, both of which have been required in a conventional structure, without impairing a low loss characteristic that has been conventionally realized, and that has a high connection reliability.

Planar antenna module, triple plate planar, array antenna, and triple plate feeder-waveguide converter

Abstract: A planar antenna module according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an antenna portion (101), a feeder portion (102), and a connection plate (18). The antenna portion (101) includes a first ground plate (11) having a first slot (21), a second ground plate (12) having dielectrics, an antenna substrate having a radiation element (41), a third ground plate (13) having dielectrics, a fourth ground plate (14). The feeder portion (102) includes the fourth ground plate (14), a fifth ground plate (15), a feed substrate (50), a sixth ground plate (16), a seventh ground plate (17). The connection plate (18) has a second waveguide opening portion (64). The connection plate (18) to be connected with a high frequency circuit, the seventh ground plate (17), the sixth ground plate (16), the feed substrate (50), the fifth ground plate (15), the fourth ground plate (14), the third ground plate (13) including the third dielectric (33) and the fourth dielectric (34), the antenna substrate (40), the second ground plate (12) including the first dielectric (31) and the second dielectric (32), and the first ground plate (11) are stacked in this order.


A method for implementing transaction-based data exchange. The method includes transferring information relating to a product via a transmission means selected by an individual at a computing device requesting the information. The information includes at least one of warranty information, accounting information, pricing information, and product details. The method further includes calculating a net worth relating to the product, and updating a financial application associated with the individual with results of the calculating.

The invention relates generally to data processing, and more particularly, to a method, system, and storage medium for implementing transaction-based data exchange.
Managing information can be a time consuming and often difficult task, particularly where large amounts of information are involved. Information can become outdated with the passage of time, change in response to new information or activities conducted, and may interrelate in important ways to other existing information in a manner that is undetected and unforeseen, causing it to be underutilized. One example is the purchase and sale of products. While a product purchased by an individual may be subject to a warranty, the validity of that warranty may be conditional upon the individual having the product serviced at specified time periods throughout the warranty period (e.g., a warranty for rust protectant applied to a new vehicle). The individual may keep records of payments made (e.g., per an installment contract), as well as the warranty paperwork, but unless the information concerning the warranty conditions is well organized and efficiently managed, the individual may neglect to service the product on time causing the warranty to become invalid.
A variety of useful information is available or accessible regarding purchases at the time of sale or pre-sale period. Product specifications, pricing, taxes, manufacturer warranty registration and rebates, and other data may be helpful to a purchaser in making purchasing decisions, as well as long-term decisions related to the purchase. Acquiring, organizing, and managing this information can be difficult and time-consuming, partly because the information is not centrally located but rather originates from various sources (e.g., manufacturer, seller, financial institutions, etc.). What is needed, therefore, is a way to acquire, organize, and maintain transaction-based information that is derived from a variety of disparate sources.

Method, system, and storage medium for implementing transaction-based data exchange

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a workpiece-transfer device that has functions for both loading and unloading workpieces, without requiring a workpiece-storage device to enable a function for replacing material and product workpieces with each other, and that requires only a simple configuration and low costs. A workpiece-transfer device loads a material workpiece W1 in a workpiece-machining device 1 and unloads a product workpiece W2 from the workpiece-machining device 1. A movement means with a rectangular coordinate system 30 is provided to move a traveling body 27 in a first direction along the direction in which the workpiece-machining device 1 and a workpiece-storage device 2 stand in a line (direction X) as well as in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction (direction Y). The traveling body 27 includes a gripping means 28 for gripping a material or product workpiece W1 and W2.

A loader or an unloader annexed to a workpiece-machining device conventionally comprises a traveling body that travels in the direction in which a workpiece-machining device and a workpiece-storage device are separated from each other, the traveling body having suction pads to suck the top surface of a workpiece for transfer. Such a loader and an unloader are designed to be independent of each other or to share rails for the traveling body.
The conventional loader and unloader execute loading and unloading exclusively, so both devices must be installed in order to perform both of these operations, resulting in the complicated configuration of the entire device and increased costs. Due to the use of shared parts, the loader and unloader sharing the rails for the traveling body simplifies the configuration and reduces costs compared to exclusive devices that are independent of each other, but the degree of simplification and cost reduction are insufficient.
Therefore, attempts were made to develop devices capable of loading material workpieces and unloading product workpieces using the same traveling body. Nonetheless, under a configuration in which the traveling body travels in only one direction along the direction in which the workpiece-machining device and the workpiece-storage device are separated from each other, as in the conventional loader and unloader, if the device is used for both loading and unloading, the position at which material workpieces are stored is also used as the position to which product workpieces are unloaded. Consequently, in the workpiece-storage device at which material workpieces and product workpieces are stored, a mechanism is required that can be frequently moved to move a pallet in the direction orthogonal to the direction for each material, complicating the configuration of the workpiece-storage device and increasing costs. Although the material and product housing positions can be located parallel to each other in the above direction, the resulting processing line overextends and undesirably occupies a large area of the factory.
In addition, since the conventional unloader is designed to move the traveling body in only the above direction, if product workpieces obtained by cutting a material workpiece are to be sorted depending on their type or blanking condition, a sorting device that is moved in the direction orthogonal to the above direction is required in the workpiece-storage device. This also increases costs.
Furthermore, in the conventional loader, the traveling body can be moved in only one direction, so when a material workpiece is positioned on a table of the workpiece-machining device, some of the suction pads must act as positioning pads that can be moved in diagonal directions relative to the traveling body, complicating the configuration.
An object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece-transfer device that has functions for loading and unloading workpieces without requiring the workpiece-storage device to have a function for replacing material and product workpieces with each other, and that requires only a simple configuration that entails low costs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a square layout of the entire facility, including the workpiece-machining device and the workpiece-storage device, in order to more effectively use the floor area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to enable material workpieces to be loaded and positioned on the workpiece-machining device without requiring an exclusive positioning means such as positioning pads.


To provide a method for producing a toner, containing a milling step containing finely milling particles and classifying coarse particles by using at least a mill and a cyclone unit, and a classifying step containing classifying pulverized particles by using at least a classifier and a cyclone unit, wherein any of the pulverized particles and other particles, which are classified by the classifier in the classifying step and returned, are returned to the cyclone unit in the milling step, and a toner produced by the method for producing the toner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a toner and a toner produced by the method which is excellent in productivity and economic efficiency, in which in a milling and classifying step of the toner, pulverized particles contained more than required in the toner as a product are accurately classified, and the toner having excellent quality property can be stably and easily produced.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for the method for milling and classifying the toner (1) a pair of a classifier and a mill or two or more pairs thereof, (2) a combination of two classifiers and a mill or the like have been proposed (Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 2851872, Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-B) No. 6-66034, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2003-275685 and 11-15194, and JP-B No. 3748555). For example, a jet mill unit, so called jet mill, in which high pressure airflow is blown out from a jet nozzle to involve raw material particles therein, and then the particles collide each other, or collide to a wall or other impactor. In the jet mill, at first particles are milled by one or two milling units and two classifying units of coarse particles, and then pulverized particles are classified by at least one classifying unit.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a flow diagram of the milling and classifying step of the conventional toner. In the flow shown in FIG. 1, a raw material is supplied from a raw material supply part 1, introduced to a first classifier 2, and then classified into coarse particles and pulverized particles. The pulverized particles are recovered in a first cyclone unit 4, while the coarse particles are milled in a first mill 3 and then once recovered in the first cyclone unit 4. Next, the particles in the first cyclone unit 4 is introduced to a second classifier 6, and then classified into coarse particles and pulverized particles. The pulverized particles are recovered in a second cyclone unit 8, while the coarse particles are milled in the second mill 7, and then recovered in the second cyclone unit 8. The particles in the second cyclone unit 8 are introduced to a third classifier 10 and classified into coarse particles and pulverized particles. The coarse particles are recovered as a toner product 11, while the pulverized particles are once recovered in a third cyclone unit 12, and then further classified into coarse particles and pulverized particles in the fourth classifier 13. The pulverized particles are recovered in a fourth cyclone unit 14, while the coarse particles are returned to the third classifier 10 through a return pipe 13a, and the classification is repeated until the desired particle size is obtained. The pulverized particles are collected in the fourth cyclone unit 14 as a pulverized particles 16. Moreover, the pulverized particles are collected from the upper part of the third cyclone unit 12 and the fourth cyclone unit 14 as well as the upper part of the third classifier 10 and the fourth classifier 13 by the third collector 15. The collected pulverized particles are granulated and used or directly used again as a kneading product.
In the flow of the milling and classifying step shown in FIG. 1, the coarse particles classified in the fourth classifier 13 are returned to the third classifier 10, thus a burden to the third classifier 10 is increased. Moreover, because the amount of the particles returned from the fourth classifier 13 is not constant, the classified density of the third classifier 10 fluctuates, the stable particle diameter distribution cannot be obtained and the accuracy of classification may be decreased. When the toner obtained by the above-mentioned flow of the milling and classifying step is used to form an image, background smear may occur due to unstable image density and charge amount, and image quality may be decreased due to transfer failure.
To obtain a desired toner particle size, excessive removal of pulverized particles leads to the reduction of a yield of toner product. As a result, the amount of the collected pulverized particles is increased, and force loading for reuse is increased, and economic disadvantages may be invited, for example, worse productive energy efficiency, cost rise, and production of excess CO2.


An impeller according to an example of the present invention comprises a hub, and at least one blade supported by the hub. The impeller has a deployed configuration in which the blade extends away from the hub, and a stored configuration in which the impeller is radially compressed, for example by folding the blade towards the hub. The impeller may comprise a plurality of blades, arranged in blade rows, to facilitate radial compression of the blades. The outer edge of a blade may have a winglet, and the base of the blade may have an associated indentation to facilitate folding of the blade.

Conventional impellers are manufactured with a particular blade configuration, and significant deformation of the blades is generally undesirable. Conventionally, the impeller has the same configuration during storage, movement to its operating location, and use. However, there are situations where access to the operating location is through a restricted space, or space is otherwise at a premium during storage or transport of the impeller, in which case the use of conventional impellers can be problematic.


Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for performing grid morphing technique for computing a spreading of objects over an area such that the final locations of the objects are distributed over the area and such that the final locations of the objects are minimally perturbed from their initial starting locations and the density of objects meets certain constraints. The minimization of perturbation, or stability, of the approaches disclosed, is the key feature which is the principal benefit of the techniques disclosed. The methods described herein may be used as part of a tool for placement or floorplanning of logic gates or larger macroblocks for the design of an integrated circuit.

Placement remains a critical step in the RTL to GDS II or equivalents synthesis process. The exponential growth of complexity in integrated circuits designs has dramatically increased the demand for better optimization of the placement algorithms. Recent development of placement algorithms often ignores an important feature of all placement techniques—stability and thus leads to undesired waste of computation resources.
A placement tool is considered to offer stability if, for two starting designs which exhibit only small differences between them, the resulting final designs also have small or limited differences. That is, a small change in the input design results in a small change in the final output. For example, stability is important for an incremental design flow where a circuit designer who introduces small changes to a design will want to obtain a new placement incorporating those changes but with minimal effect on the unchanged portions of the design. Placement tools with good stability may also prevent undesired waste of computational resources and runtime that may increase the cost of the design as well as delay the intended time to market.
There are several existing approaches to address the overall placement problem, yet none of which have emphasized placement stability. Some of these approaches start by computing an initial placement, which may not be feasible in that many gates overlap each other. This initial placement is then modified so as to remove the overlaps between the gates. Typical placement tools tend to iteratively and incrementally remove a fraction of the overlaps at a time until the overlaps are reduced to an extent so the detailed placement tool can determine a completely legal and non-overlapping layout.
Existing approaches to remove overlaps from an initial placement have several drawbacks. For example, one approach is to use partitioning techniques, such as minimum-cut partitioning, in a divide-and-conquer fashion to split the die into smaller regions. The netlist is also divided among the subregions of the die so that each subregion represents a smaller spreading sub-problem which can be solved more easily, perhaps through recursive application of partitioning. Such techniques have a drawback in that small changes to the starting netlist may result in large changes to the final result. Such instability leads to relatively unpredictable performance of such algorithms.
Another approach to gate spreading is the so-called force-directed method. In algorithms adopting the force-directed method, the overlaps between the gates are used to generate repulsive forces which push the gates away from the areas of overlap. This key drawback to this approach is that it is difficult to determine a suitable magnitude of force necessary to resolve any particular overlap which can lead to excessive computational complexity and runtime of the algorithm.
A recently proposed approach to gate spreading is the grid-warping technique as first published by Large-Scale Placement by Grid-Warping by Z. Xiu, J. D. Ma, S. M. Fowler, and R. A. Rutenbar, Design Automation Conference 2004. The grid-warping technique relies on transforming small slicing structures to a regular grid using non-linear programming solver. The disadvantage of grid-warping algorithms is the relatively high computational cost and runtime involved. Moreover, the grid-warping algorithms optimize the placement solely for netlength minimization rather than for stability optimization.
Thus, a need exists for computing a spread of objects over an area such that the final locations of the objects are relatively uniformly spread over the entire area by grid morphing and such that the final locations of the objects are minimally perturbed from their initial starting locations and therefore minimizing the perturbation to the placement of the design features and thus maintaining the stability of the placement.
The present invention transforms a grid superposed on the placement area to another grid and subsequently re-computes the locations of the gates based on that transformation. One of the advantages of the grid morphing technique is that the computation for the new locations of the gates can be done more quickly. Another advantage of the grid morphing technique is the minimal or even no overlapping due to smoothly moving cells while preserving the relative positions of the cells during the grid morphing process to spread the gates. Moreover, some embodiments of the invention may incorporate various characteristics of the design in the grid morphing objective functions and/or the solver without significant increase in runtime overhead.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for grid-morphing techniques in placement, floorplanning, and legalization


A structural reinforcement comprising a rigid polymeric structure having a longitudinal axis and including a lower portion and an upper portion each of the lower and upper portions including a top surface and bottom surface, an expandable adhesive material located onto a portion of each of the top and bottom surface of each of the upper and lower portions, wherein the rigid polymeric stricture includes a plurality of ribs and the top edge of one or more of the ribs is co-planar with the expandable adhesive material prior to activation of the expandable adhesive material.

In various locations throughout transportation vehicles, recent years have seen the increased use of structural reinforcements in which vehicle cavities are commonly fitted with structural reinforcements that aid in controlling deformation from an impact. For some applications, it has become popular in recent years to employ a carrier structure in combination with a secondary material, such as an expandable adhesive material as part of the reinforcement. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,421; 6,921,130; 6,920,693; 6,890,021; and 6,467,834 all incorporated by reference.
In addition, there are specific locations on a vehicle where structural reinforcement is particularly crucial. For example, vehicle pillars (A pillar, B, pillar C, pillar) often experience significant stress during crash, especially at locations where the pillars are joined with the vehicle roof. It would thus be beneficial to provide additional support at such locations.


A system and method for series connecting electronic power devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a switching device system includes a first upper arm electrically coupled to a first lower arm and a second upper arm electrically coupled to a second lower arm. Each of the arms include a plurality of low voltage sub-modules connected in series and each plurality of low voltage sub-modules includes an auxiliary switching device, a series switching device, and a capacitor. Each plurality of low voltage sub-modules is configured to be sequentially switched using the auxiliary switching device and the series switching device separately in the upper arms and the respective lower arms to control change in voltage over time (dV/dt) while selectively blocking a desired high voltage. Further, a capacitor voltage balancing (sorting or rotating) algorithm may be used to actively balance voltage across each plurality of low voltage sub-modules.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to electronic power devices and, more specifically, to connecting low power electronic devices in series to achieve higher voltage.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Certain applications in the oil and gas, medical imaging, communications, and automation industries, among others, may require high voltage to operate. Some of these applications may use a single high voltage power device included in a motor drive, power factor controller, DC to DC converter, or the like, capable of blocking the desired high voltage. However, the high voltage power device may produce a high instantaneous rate of voltage change (dV/dt) due to the single switch and large amount of voltage applied, which may lead to issues such as electromagnetic interference (EMI). Other applications may utilize several power devices connected in series to block the desired high voltage. Typically, though, the series connected power devices are switched simultaneously, which may also produce a high dV/dt like the single high voltage power device and cause EMI. Further, the series connected power devices may utilize a passive network that inefficiently balances voltage, thereby causing higher loss.

System and method for series connecting electronic power devices


A method of forming an ink, the ink configured to form a conductive densified film is disclosed. The method includes providing a set of Group IV semiconductor particles, wherein each Group IV semiconductor particle of the set of Group IV semiconductor particles includes a particle surface with a first exposed particle surface area. The method also includes reacting the set of Group IV semiconductor particles to a set of bulky capping agent molecules resulting in a second exposed particle surface area, wherein the second exposed particle surface area is less than the first exposed particle surface area. The method further includes dispersing the set of Group IV semiconductor particles in a vehicle, wherein the ink is formed.

The Group IV semiconductor materials enjoy wide acceptance as the materials of choice in a range of devices in numerous markets such as communications, computation, and energy. Currently, there is interest in using Group IV semiconductor nanoparticle materials in a wide range of components and devices.
For example, due to the luminescent properties of small nanoparticles, silicon and germanium nanoparticles have been contemplated for use in light-emitting applications, including use as phosphors for solid-state lighting, luminescent taggants for biological applications, security markers and related anti-counterfeiting measures. Other potential applications of Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles include a variety of optoelectronic devices, such as light-emitting diodes, photodiodes, photovoltaic cells, and sensors that utilize their unique optical and semiconductor properties. Because of the ability to produce colloidal forms of semiconductor nanoparticles, these materials offer the potential of low-cost processing, such as printing, for producing a variety of electronic devices that is not possible with conventional semiconductor materials. In that regard, tantamount to dispensing Group IV nanoparticle materials is not only the formulation of stable dispersions of the materials, which dispersions enable printing in a number of formats, but in formulations of inks which are suitable for the fabrication of a variety of optoelectric devices, such as photovoltaic devices.
In WO04068536A2 [Harting, et al.; International Patent Application No. WO2004IB00221, filing date Jan. 30, 2003] formulations of nanocrystalline silicon particles of about 30 nm in diameter, and formulated in a solvent-binder carriers are described. The nanoparticles were mixed with organic binders such as polystyrene in solvents such as chloroform to produce semiconductor inks that were printed on bond paper without further processing. In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0154036 [Kunze, et al.; Ser. No. 11/373,696; filing date Mar. 10, 2006], composite sintered thin films of Group IV nanoparticles and hydrogenated amorphous Group IV materials are described. The Group IV nanoparticles are in the range 0.1 to 10 nm, in which the nanoparticles were passivated, typically using an organic passivation layer.
Additionally, a component in the ink formulation; a second cyclic Group IV compound, is a compound including organic ligands that are alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl ligands. In order to fabricate thin films from these organic passivated particles and carbon-containing cyclic compounds, the processing was performed at above 400° C. In both examples, significant amounts of organic materials are present in the inks used to fabricate Group IV thin film layers. Such organic-laden dispersions are known to be problematic in producing the well-accepted native Group IV semiconductor thin films known in the semiconductor industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,848 [Pan, et al.; Ser. No. 10/665,335; filing date Sep. 18, 2003] discloses a printable composition of nanoparticles composed of a liquid carrier, anisometric nanostructures, and in some embodiments, a stabilizing agent that reacts with the nanoparticles to produce a surface-attached ligand. The ligands are recited as being drawn from broad chemical classes, such as carboxylates, thiolates, alkoxides, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, diketonates, siloxanes, silanes, germanes, hyroxides, hydrides, amides, amines, carbonyls, nitriles, aryl, and combinations thereof. Likewise, examples of the liquid carrier was drawn from broad chemical classes including hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, organic acids, esters, aromatics, amines, as well as water, and mixtures thereof. Though anisomeric silicon and germanium nanoparticles are recited as subject nanoparticles, there is no disclosure for how to prepare stable dispersions of such Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles, which dispersions are suitable for making a variety of optoelectric devices, such as photovoltaic devices. Moreover, two examples are given for preparation of printable compositions of zinc oxide; one of which is passivated using carboxylate compounds, and the other preparation of zinc oxide where the ligand is only described as hydrophilic for the purpose of being prepared as an aqueous dispersion.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0237719 [Colfer, et al.; Ser. No. 10/533,291; filing date Oct. 30, 2003] though note is made of the problem of oxidation of Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles, nonetheless description is given for the preparation of Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles in aqueous dispersions containing about 30% of the surfactant polyethylene glycol (MW 200). In some embodiments, a capping ligand, such as octanol or a carboxylate terminal alkyl group is noted to assist in the dispersion of Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles in non-aqueous or aqueous solvents, though the preparation of dispersions of such capped Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles is not disclosed. Further, examples of the fabrication of a variety of optoelectric devices, such as photovoltaic devices, using such dispersions is not given.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for the preparation of Group IV nanoparticle materials, and dispersions of such Group IV semiconductor nanoparticles materials that are suited for the fabrication of a variety of optoelectric devices, such as photovoltaic devices. Such dispersions are not only amenable to printing using a variety of techniques for a range of print dimensions ranging from sub-micron to meters, but enable the ready fabrication of semiconductor devices.

Preparation of group IV semiconductor nanoparticle materials and dispersions thereof


A driving tool is provided with a nose portion 16 from which a fastener is driven out, and a contact arm 20 which is slidable along the nose portion. The contact arm 20 includes a U-type leading end portion 20a. A leading end of the nose portion 16 enters an inside of a U-type part of the leading end portion 20a of the contact arm 20 when the contact arm 20 slides toward a base end of the nose portion 16. The leading end portion of the nose portion 16 includes a receiving portion 22, 23 by which a load applied to the contact arm is received.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving tool.
2. Related Art
A driving tool including a contact arm has been known.
The contact arm is slidable with respect to a nose portion of the driving tool. A leading end portion of the contact arm is urged by a spring or the like so as to protrude in a driving direction of a fastener so that a leading end portion of the contact arm is easily pressed against a work-piece. The leading end portion protrudes forward more than a leading end of the nose portion. Moreover, the other end portion of the contact arm is indirectly or directly engaged with a trigger mechanism for operating the driving tool.
When the leading end portion of the contact arm is pressed against the work-piece, the contact arm is pushed in a direction opposite to the driving direction of the fastener, and the other end portion of the contact arm acts on the trigger mechanism, so that an operation of the trigger becomes effective. That is, by actions that the leading end portion of the contact arm is pressed against the work-piece and the trigger is operated, a driving of the fastener is performed. In other words, even though the trigger is operated in a state in which the leading end portion of the contact arm is not pressed against the work-piece, the driving of the fastener is not performed.
There is known various types of the contact arm. For example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, there is disclosed a wire-rod type contact arm which is made of a wire rod. In the case of using the wire-rod type contact arm, a lightweight and inexpensive contact arm is advantageously manufactured.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-10-286783
Patent Document 2: US2006/0191973
Since the contact arm protrudes forward further than the leading end face of the nose portion, the contact arm is likely to be deformed if it collides on a concrete surface or the like at the time of falling. In particular, the wire-rod type contact arm is likely to be deformed.
Although the deformation of the contact arm would be suppressed by increasing a wire diameter or complicating a wire shape, then an increased cost or an increased weight would occur.


A grounds maintenance vehicle has a vehicle frame defining a column opening having a first end and a second end. An implement is coupled to the vehicle frame. A height adjustment column has a base and distal end, where the base is fixed to the implement. The distal end of the height adjustment column extends through the column opening from the first end beyond the second end. The height adjustment column defines a first locking structure and a plurality of height setting locations. A height selection tool is couplable to the height adjustment column and is translatable to each of the plurality of height setting locations. A second locking structure is coupled to the vehicle frame, where the second locking structure is configured to releasably engage the first locking structure such that the plurality of height setting locations are positioned beyond the second end of the column opening.

Grounds maintenance vehicles such as lawn mowers, aerators, and spreader/sprayers are commonly used by homeowners and professionals alike. These vehicles are typically configured as walk-behind or ride-on vehicles having an attached implement (such as a grass cutting deck), where the implement is secured to a frame of the grounds maintenance vehicle. The height of the implement is generally adjustable relative to the vehicle frame and the ground. Some designs provide for manual adjustment of the height of the implement relative to the vehicle frame such as by a manually-adjustable position fastener associated with the implement that abuts the frame to set the desired height. The implement's weight exerts a force on the position fastener to, at least in part, secure the connection.
In some designs, to adjust the height of the implement, the implement is lifted by a user to release the weight of the implement on the vehicle frame so as to manually release the position fastener. Once the position fastener is released, the implement is then manually positioned by the user to the desired height relative to the vehicle frame and the ground, and then the position fastener is manually engaged at the proper location to position the implement at the desired height. Such a configuration requires that at least one hand or foot be used to lift and position the implement, and at least one hand be used to manually release and manually engage the position fastener. The implement's weight and shape can present challenges to this process, because some users may find it difficult to maintain or change the position of the implement with a single hand while manipulating the position fastener with the other hand.

Support mechanism for implement height adjustment of grounds maintenance vehicles

Exmark Manufacturing Company Incorporated


Apparatuses and methods for asymmetric bi-directional signaling incorporating multi-level encoding are disclosed. An example apparatus may include first and second channels, a receiver coupled to the first and second channels, and first and second transmitters coupled to the first and second channels, respectively. The receiver may be configured to receive differential data signals to receive write data at a rate, and each of the first and second transmitters may be configured to encode a plurality of bits into a respective data signal and provide the respective data signals at the data rate.

Many electronics systems include multiple devices communicating with one another via a connection, such as conductive traces on a printed circuit board on which the devices are mounted or conductive traces connecting different areas of an integrated circuit on a single die. While the various devices included in an electronics system may be internally operating at different speeds, the communications that occur between the devices may be operating based on a system clock. This system clock may determine input/output (I/O) speeds of the host system and may also be limited by the slowest device in the system. For some devices, a logic device for example, a fast system clock may pose no problems because the internal components of the device, e.g., transistors, may operate based on a higher clock rate than the system clock. For other devices, however, a system clock that begins to reach their maximum internal operating speeds begins to pose problems for I/O operations and/or general functionality.
The differences between the internal operating speeds of the various devices of the electronics system may be influenced by their respective fabrication processes. For example, a logic fabrication process used to fabricate logic devices (e.g., systems on a chip, processors, controllers, etc.) may be optimized for operating speed. The logic fabrication process optimized for operating speeds may thus produce transistors and circuits that are capable of performing at high clock rates. The fabrication process therefore provides fast transistors that may display fast switching times. The transistors may also be more sensitive to input voltage changes and may further be able to distinguish between a larger variety of input voltages. Accordingly, devices built using logic fabrication processes may be able to provide data at high data rates and be able to distinguish between different inputs at varying voltage levels.
Other devices, on the other hand, may have comparatively slower transistors, which may result in comparatively slower internal operating rates and I/O rates. Memories, for example, may be fabricated using a memory fabrication process that is optimized for data retention, not transistor speed. Consequently, the transistors built on a memory fabrication process may require larger voltages for enabling/disabling transistors and may drive signals at comparatively slower data rates, for example. As such, the input circuits may require input signals of larger voltage swings compared to logic devices so that the inputs are reliably detected. Further, the output circuits may drive large voltage swing signals at comparatively slow rates. As a consequence, a maximum I/O rate the output circuits are capable of reaching may be limited due to the transistor capabilities.
At higher I/O rates, a memory output circuit may not be able to drive signals accordingly or meet desired data transfer rates. As such, a device receiving outputs from the memory, e.g., a memory controller or a system on a chip, may not receive reliable signals at those higher I/O rates.


Provided is a fuel cell system capable of supplying electric power to external loads without excess or deficiency even when switching occurs between operation states. A warm-up timing judgment part judges whether it is time to operate warm-up based on the temperature of a fuel cell stack. A target shift voltage determination part determines a target output voltage of the fuel cell stack used during a warm-up operation, and a voltage change speed determination part determines a voltage change speed based on electric power required from the fuel cell stack, the target output voltage of the fuel cell stack used during the warm-up operation which is output from the target shift voltage determination part and a current output voltage detected by a voltage sensor. A voltage decrease execution part operates voltage decrease processing according to the voltage change speed indicated by the voltage change speed determination part.

A fuel cell is a power generation system which oxidizes a fuel through an electrochemical process and directly converts an energy released as a result of the oxidation reaction to an electric energy. The fuel cell has a stack structure which has a plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies stacked therein, the membrane-electrode assemblies each being configured from: an electrolyte membrane which selectively transports hydrogen ions; and a pair of electrodes which are made of porous materials and which sandwich both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane. Among fuel cells of this type, it has been expected, in particular, that a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell which uses a solid polymer membrane as an electrolyte will be used as an in-vehicle power source due to its low cost, ease of downsizing, and high power density.
In general, the optimum temperature range for a fuel cell of this type to generate electric power is considered to be 70 to 80° C. However, in cold regions or similar environments, where it often takes a long time to reach the optimum temperature range after starting the fuel cell, various types of warm-up systems have been studied. For example, patent document 1 below discloses a technique for warming up a fuel cell while allowing a vehicle to travel by carrying out a low-efficiency operation with a lower power generation efficiency as compared to a normal operation and thereby controlling the amount of self-heat generation of the fuel cell. In such a technique, since the output voltage of the fuel cell is set to a voltage value lower than a voltage value obtained based on its current-voltage characteristics (hereinafter referred to as the "I-V characteristics") to increase heat loss of the fuel cell and a warm-up operation is carried out through self-heat generation, the technique does not need installation of a warm-up system and thus is very convenient.
Patent document 1: Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2002-313388


A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a body region and a drift region formed in the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a bulk region and a source region formed in the body region. Further, the semiconductor device includes a drain region and a first shallow trench isolation structure having a ladder-like bottom formed in the drift region. Further, the semiconductor device also includes a gate structure spanning over an edge of the body region and an edge of the drift region formed on the semiconductor substrate and covering a portion of the first shallow trench isolation structure.

Currently, lateral double diffused MOSFETs (LDMOSFETs) and lateral insulated gate bipolar transistors (LIGBTs) are widely used in the circuits of logic power managers, electrical chargers, DC-DC converters or AC-DC convertors, etc. With the continuous shrinkage of the critical dimension of CMOS processes, in order to improve the efficiency and reduce the chip size of the LDMOSFETS and the LIGBTs, the on-resistance (Ron) of the LDMOSFETs and the LIGBTs should be as small as possible.
Further, with the continuous shrinkage of the critical dimension of the CMOS processes, the ability of the transistors for sustaining a high voltage and a high current continuously decreases. Deep sub-micron CMOS integration circuits (ICs) are more volatile to electrostatic charge (ESD); and easier to fail, thus the reliability of IC products may be reduced. In order to prevent the failure of the IC products caused by the ESD, ESD protection devices having a significantly good performance and an ability to sustain high voltage are used in the CMOS ICs. Currently, the ESD protection devices may include diodes, gate grounded NMOS transistors (GGNMOSFET), silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs), LDMOSFETs, and LIGBTs, etc. In order to increase the safety of IC circuits, devices including LDMOSFETs and the LIGBTs, etc., may need to have a significantly large breakdown voltage.
For the LDMOSFETs and the LIGBTs, an on-resistance and a breakdown voltage are two important electrical parameters. The on-resistance is reversely proportional to a doping concentration of the drifting region; and the breakdown voltage is proportional to the doping concentration of the drifting region. That is, a higher doping concentration of the drifting region may aid to reduce the on-resistance of a LDMOSFET or a LIGBT and to increase an on-current of the LDMOSFET or the LIGBT, but it may reduce the breakdown voltage of the LDMOSFET or the LIGBT, which may affect the safety of the circuit. The disclosed device structures and methods are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods thereof

SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION


A remote user interface (RUI) system, an RUI server, an RUI terminal apparatus and a controlling method are provided. The controlling method of the RUI server includes receiving stream data from an external server in response to streaming service request information being received a requesting RUI terminal apparatus among a plurality of RUI terminal apparatuses, determining whether it is possible perform, in the RUI server, trans-coding of the received stream data, and performing, based on a result of the determining, at least one of trans-coding the stream data, and transmitting trans-coding process information regarding the received stream data to RUI terminal apparatuses that can perform trans-coding among the plurality of RUI terminal apparatuses, other than the requesting RUI terminal apparatus.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a remote user interface (RUI) system, an RUI server, an RUI terminal apparatus and a controlling method thereof, and more specifically, to an RUI system configured to utilize trans-coding resources of an RUI terminal apparatus, an RUI server, an RUI terminal apparatus and a controlling method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an RUI service environment, an RUI server generally receives stream data regarding contents related with a service request from an external server according to a streaming service request of an RUI terminal apparatus. Thereafter, the RUI server trans-codes and transmits the stream data received from the external server in a format supported by the RUI terminal apparatus requesting the streaming service. Thus, when the trans-coded stream data is received from RUI server, the RUI terminal apparatus may perform signal-processing, such as decoding the received stream data, and output the same as image and audio signals.
The RUI server may simultaneously trans-code stream data in formats supported by a plurality of RUI terminal apparatuses using resources available for trans-coding. However, the RUI server has limited resources available for trans-coding. Thus, when another RUI terminal apparatus requests a streaming service while the RUI server is simultaneously trans-coding stream data in formats supported by a plurality of RUI terminal apparatuses, the RUI server may not be able provide the requested service to the corresponding RUI terminal apparatus because of a lack of available trans-coding resources.

RUI system, RUI server, RUI terminal apparatus and controlling method thereof