When the DVD provided with the DVD substrate 2 having thickness t2 of 0.6 mm is installed in the optical disc apparatus, the light beam 4 having wavelength λ1=655 nm is used as luminous flux of numerical aperture NA=0.63 to be condensed on the information surface 2a on the DVD substrate 2. When the CD provided with the CD substrate 3 having thickness t2 of 1.2 mm is installed in the optical disc apparatus, the light beam 5 having wavelength λ2=790 nm is effectively used as luminous flux of approximate numerical aperture NA=0.45 to be condensed on the information surface 3a on the DVD substrate 3. The wavefront aberration caused by a thickness difference between the DVD substrate 2 and CD substrate 3 is canceled out by the chromatic aberration caused by a wavelength difference between the light beams 4 and 5. Therefore, in spite of the difference in the transparent substrates, the light beams are suitably condensed respectively on the information surface 2a and 3a.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design method for an objective lens installed in a recording and reproducing apparatus of a multiple wavelengths optical system using plural kinds of monochromatic lights which is compatible with optical storage medium of different types such as compact discs (CD) including a CD-R and digital versatile discs (DVD), an objective lens, a general-purpose multiple wavelengths lens, a multiple wavelengths optical system, an optical head, and an optical disc apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a compatible optical disc apparatus capable of reproducing different types of optical discs such as a CD and DVD has been proposed. The CD and DVD (which will be hereinafter collectively called an optical disc) both are provided with transparent substrates, and there is provided an information surface on one side thereof. The optical disc has two transparent substrates combined together, and their information surfaces face each other, or the information surface faces the other transparent substrate as a protection substrate. To reproduce information signals stored in the above optical disc, the optical disc apparatus condenses a laser beam from a light source on the information surface of the optical disc through the transparent substrates. As detailed later, a wavelength of the laser beam differs between a CD and DVD. The optical disc apparatus uses an objective lens for condensing the laser beam. Here, the thickness of the transparent substrate provided with the information surface differs according to a type of the optical disc (a difference in a laser beam wavelength). While the transparent substrate of a CD is 1.2 mm in thickness, that of a DVD is 0.6 mm. For the optical disc apparatus to reproduce optical discs of different types, it is required to condense the laser beam on the information surface while the thickness of the transparent substrate differs with the type of the optical disc. Besides, a new optical disc apparatus using a blue laser of approximately 400 nm wavelength for reproducing information is recently proposed. Therefore, it is desirable for the optical disc apparatus to be compatible with the new optical disc in addition to the CD and the existing DVD.
One approach for the above optical disc apparatus is to provide a pickup with objective lens for different types of optical discs to change the objective lens in accordance with the type of the optical disc in use, or to provide pickups for different types of the optical discs to change the pickups in accordance with the type of the optical disc in use. However, for miniaturization and cost reduction, it is preferable to have a single objective lens usable for any types of the optical disc.
Known as this kind of an objective lens is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-145995, for example. A lens surface of the objective lens disclosed therein is radially sectioned into more than two loop zones, and every other loop zonal lens surfaces and the other every other loop zonal lens surfaces are different in refracting power. For a laser beam of the same wavelength, the every other loop zonal lens surfaces condense the laser beam on the information surface of the optical disc (DVD) provided with the thin transparent substrates (0.6 mm), and the other every other zonal lens surfaces condense the laser beam on the information surface of the optical disc (CD) provided with the thick transparent substrates (1.2 mm), for example.
Another example is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-81566 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,594). It discloses the optical disc apparatus using a laser beam of the shorter wavelength (635 nm or 650 nm) for a DVD having the thinner transparent substrates while using a laser beam of the longer wavelength (780 nm) for a CD having the thicker transparent substrates. The optical disc apparatus is provided with the objective lens used in common for those laser beams. The objective lens has a diffractive lens structure having a plurality of minute loop zonal steps thickly formed on one side of a refractive lens having a positive refractive power. The diffractive lens structure is designed so that diffracted light of a laser beam having the shorter wavelength, and diffracted light of a laser beam having the longer wavelength, are condensed on the information surface respectively for the DVD provided with the thinner transparent substrate, and for the CD provided with the thicker transparent substrate. The lens is also designed to condense diffracted light having identical diffractive order for both the diffracted lights. The reason why a laser beam having the shorter wavelength is used for the DVD is because a storage density of the DVD is higher than that of the CD, thus requiring a smaller beam spot. As well known, the diameter of an optical spot is proportional to the wavelength and inversely proportional to the numerical aperture (NA).
There is also disclosed an objective lens of a loop zonal phase correction lens type provided with a loop zonal phase shifter formed on the lens surface thereof in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-51192. First, a lens surface designed to have no wavefront aberration for a laser beam having wavelength λ1 of 640 nm is set as a reference. A surface of the objective lens is then radially sectioned into plural loop refractive zones, which are formed to have predetermined steps (i-th step from a center of the lens is referred to as di) from the reference lens surface. Due to the step di, each of the refractive surfaces allows the laser beam of the DVD to phase-shift by integral multiple mi of the wavelength λ1 against the reference lens surface, thereby reducing wavefront aberration in a CD system.
In any of the above conventional techniques, it is possible to use a common objective lens for both DVD and CD. It eliminates the need for changing members including an objective lens for each use of a DVD or CD, which is effective in reducing costs and simplifying the structure.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H09-145995 uses different loop zonal lens surface of the objective lens from a DVD to CD. Accordingly, large area remains ineffective for an incident laser beam, which extremely lowers light use efficiency.
Also, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-81566 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,594) has a problem that diffractive efficiencies for different wavelengths are unable to become 100% at the same time because it uses the diffracted light by the diffractive lens structure. In the diffractive lens, for a laser beam having the shorter wavelength (635 nm or 650 nm) used for a DVD and for a laser beam having the longer wavelength (780 nm) used for a CD, the diffractive efficiency is designed to become 100% at intermediate wavelength between the two, in order to make the diffractive efficiency well balanced for the laser beams in use. Besides, the technique requires minute steps to be formed on the lens surface for the diffraction lens structure, which is vulnerable to processing error. In a case where the diffractive structure fails to be formed as designed, it causes a decrease in the diffractive efficiently. When the diffractive efficiency decreases or when it does not reach 100%, it means incapability of condensing all the incident light on the information surface on the transparent substrate of the optical disc, which results in the light loss.
Further, while having the high light use efficiency, the loop zonal phase correction lens type as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-51192 also has a problem. It sets the lens surface designed to have no wavefront aberration for the DVD laser beam as a reference surface, and forms the refractive surfaces in di step, mi integral multiple of the wavelength λ1 of the DVD laser beam, below the reference lens surface, in order to reduce the wavefront aberration for the CD laser beam. However, setting the reference for the DVD and then merely forming steps from there does not sufficiently decrease the wavefront aberration for the CD laser beam.

Objective lens design method, lens, and optical system, optical head, and optical disc apparatus using the same


A method of securely transferring data, such as program data, to a smart card (1) is disclosed. In order to be applicable in non-secure environments, the method of the invention involves a one-way authentication mechanism, comprising the use of a series of interrelated authentication values (R0, R1, R2, . . . ). Further security is achieved by using commands (INIT, TRAN) which are each provided with an authentication code (MAC0, MAC1, . . . ). In order to transfer data only to selected cards, the card may accept transfer commands only if a card profile (CP) matches a distribution profile (DP).

The present invention relates to a method of securely modifying data on a smart card. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of securely loading or deleting data, and creating and deleting data structures, on a smart card, which method is also applicable in environments where so-called challenge--signed response authentications are not possible. The data concerned may comprise either executable (program) data, i.e. commands, or static (non-program) data, or both. The so-called static data may comprise file structures and/or data structures.
In modern payment systems, the use of electronic payment means becomes increasingly important. Electronic payment means, such as memory cards and smart cards (generally called IC cards), are gaining acceptance as their applications are expanded. In many countries electronic cards are being used for public telephones and the like. Advanced cards are capable of containing electronic "purses", in addition to other functionalities. Such advanced payment means contain, in addition to a memory, a processor capable of running suitable programs.
It should be noted that in this text, the terms smart card or card will be used to denote electronic payment means having at least one integrated electronic circuit comprising a processor and a memory. The actual shape of a so-called smart card is not of importance.
The programs running on the processor of a smart card determine the services offered by the card, that is, the functions and associated data structures (e.g. purse, user identification, loyalty program) of the smart card depend on the software present in the card. As time passes, the need often arises to update the programs of the card, for example in order to add a new function or to improve an existing function. To this end, the card should be able to accept new programs which may replace other programs. However, it must be ascertained that the newly loaded programs are valid. Authentication of programs can relatively easily be accomplished by using a secure data exchange protocol where data are exchanged between a card and a secure terminal (having, for instance, a so-called security module in which keys and other data are securely stored). Such a secure protocol may comprise a challenge-signed response protocol. Examples of protocols for exchanging data between a smart card and a terminal are disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,231 and European Patent Application 0,559,205 (corresponding with U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,760), which are incorporated by reference in this text.
However, in case a secure terminal is not present, such a secure protocol involving e.g. a challenge-signed response cannot be used, as the security of such a protocol depends on the trustworthiness of the terminal.

Method of securely modifying data on a smart card


A method of forming a memory device, where a first insulator layer and a charge trapping layer may be formed on a substrate, and at least one of the first insulator layer and charge trapping layer may be patterned to form patterned areas. A second insulation layer and a conductive layer may be formed on the patterned areas, and one or more of the conductive layer, second insulator layer, charge trapping layer and first insulator layer may be patterned to form a string selection line, ground selection line, a plurality of word lines between the string selection and ground selection lines on the substrate, a low voltage gate electrode, and a plurality of insulators of varying thickness. The formed memory device may be a NAND-type non-volatile memory device having a SONOS gate structure, for example.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory device and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A memory device, such as a non-volatile memory device with a SONOS gate structure, for example, includes a charge trapping layer which stores charges in an isolated trap within the charge trapping layer. The non-volatile memory device may operate at a low operation voltage of 5-10V, and may have a simple device structure. Thus, the non-volatile memory device with a SONOS gate structure may be more easily fabricated in an effort to improve or achieve higher integration within a circuit.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of a cell array area of a conventional NAND-type non-volatile memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, a ground selection line 11G and string selection line 11S are disposed in parallel on a semiconductor substrate 1. A plurality of parallel word lines 11W are disposed between the ground selection line 11G and the string selection line 11S. A ground selection gate insulator 8G is interposed between the ground selection line 11G and the semiconductor substrate 1, and a string selection gate insulator 8S is interposed between the string selection line 11S and the semiconductor substrate 1. Similarly, a cell gate insulator 8C is interposed between each of the word lines 11W and the semiconductor substrate 1. The cell gate insulator 8C comprises a tunnel insulator 3, a charge trapping layer 5 and a blocking insulator 7 which are sequentially stacked. In addition, the string selection gate insulator 8S and ground selection gate insulator 8G have structure identical to cell gate insulator 8C.
Since the string selection gate insulator 8S, ground selection gate insulator 8G and cell gate insulator 8C of the conventional NAND-type non-volatile memory device have identical structure, threshold voltages of a string selection transistor and a ground selection transistor may be identical with an initial threshold voltage of a cell transistor. As a result, a voltage, higher than a threshold voltage of a MOS transistor used for a peripheral circuit area should be applied to a string selection line and a ground selection line in order to turn on the string selection transistor and ground selection transistor. However, the string selection transistor and ground selection transistor may be weakly programmed when a voltage exceeding threshold voltages of the string selection transistor and ground selection transistor is applied to the string selection line and/or the ground selection line. This in turn may cause threshold voltages of the string selection transistor and ground selection transistor to increase, leading to higher power consumption when driving the string selection transistor and the ground selection transistor.

Memory device and fabrication method thereof


There is provided a head-up display device including: a display configured to emit a display light ray therefrom, a reflection member configured to pivot around a rotation axis and reflect the display light ray to project a display image; and a housing configured to accommodate the reflection member. The reflection member has a plurality of ribs protruding from a surface on an opposite side to a reflection surface which reflects the display light ray, and the plurality of ribs have a portion in which a height on an outer side in a rotational direction centered at the rotation axis is lower than that on an inner side in the rotational direction.

In a recent year, a head-up display device provided on an upper surface of a dashboard of a vehicle is known. This head-up display device has a display and a mirror which reflects an image or the like displayed on the display toward a windshield. A driver of the vehicle recognizes the display image projected on the windshield as a virtual image. Furthermore, in this head-up display device, the mirror includes a plurality of ribs to ensure its rigidity. See, for example, JP6107380B2.


Systems and methods can facilitate identifying 2D content in media that is suitable for conversion into 3D content, and converting the suitable 2D content into 3D content. The identifying can be based on quality criteria applied to the 2D content. For 2D content converted into 3D content, a user can be offered a choice between viewing the content in its original 2D form, or viewing the content in its converted, 3D form. The systems and methods can thereby provide users with greater choice of content and an enhanced viewing experience.

The technology of image capture and presentation has seen many advances over time. Early still photography led eventually to motion pictures on film, then the development of semiconductors and computers made digital photography and video possible. The evolution of imaging technology has involved the effort to make two-dimensional images look three-dimensional, and thus more "real." As the effort has acquired digital tools, techniques have become sophisticated. Nowadays, digital 2D-to-3D conversion systems with specialized hardware and software exist; the systems may run in real-time to convert 2D image data to 3D image data.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for 2D-to-3D conversion


A straw chopper includes a pair of shafts supported in a chopping chamber for rotation about respective longitudinal axes extending generally in a forward working direction of the chopper. Chopping blades are supported on each shaft, offset in a direction of the longitudinal axes in relation to the chopping blades of the other shaft so that the shafts can be positioned with a sweep area of the blades overlapping one another. The shafts are rotated in a common direction of rotation such that the blades of one of the shafts are displaced in an opposite direction to the blades of the other one of the shafts at the overlap of the sweep areas. Each chopping blade includes an impeller surface sloped forwardly into a direction of rotation so as to generate a rearward thrust of air in the chopping chamber in the longitudinal direction of the axes from the inlet to the outlet of the chamber as the shafts are rotated.

When harvesting grains and the like, it is a known practice to chop up the straw portion for redistribution over the ground. Redistributing the chopped up straw on the ground assists in maintaining moisture in the ground and also acts to return some nutrients back to the ground. In light soils, disc units are generally known to be effective to incorporate the straw into the soil and further break-up the straw to aid in its incorporation back into the soil. In heavier soils, for example clay type soils, known straw chopper attachments for combines and the like are generally known to not chop the straw finely enough to be effectively incorporated back into the soil by subsequent agricultural operations. The straw then interferes with subsequent seeding operations when replanting a new crop, and must be removed or burned.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,070,816 to Hirsch and 6,616,528 to Wolters et al. disclose examples of straw chopper attachments for a combine in which a pair of rotors carrying blades thereon are mounted for rotation about respective vertical axes in opposing directions. The rotors are positioned adjacent the discharge of the combine so that the straw must pass through the rotors to be distributed onto the fields. The configuration of the rotors readily permits straw to pass through the housing of the rotors in a single pass so that the straw is not necessarily effectively chopped.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,231 to Krone et al. discloses a harvesting machine comprising a self-propelled pickup chopper intended for chopping straw, however the machine involves a very complex arrangement of parts in order to effect this task.


Systems and methods of network monitoring are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving a first packet, creating a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, receiving a second packet, and storing the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance. The filter instance is based at least partially on the filter template. An exemplary system includes a network interface, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores program code which programs the network monitor device to receive a first packet, create a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, receive a second packet, and store the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance. The filter instance is based at least partially on the filter template.

Monitoring of network traffic has a broad range of applications, from network re-design and provisioning to detection of malicious network attacks. Conventional network monitors allow some degree of flexibility in choosing what type of traffic is captured. For example, a user can specify that all packets to a particular link-level or network-level address are captured. However, once a particular capture configuration is selected, conventional network monitors require redeployment or reinstallation of the network monitor to change the capture configuration. Yet it is often difficult for a user to foresee in advance what type of traffic will be useful to him if captured. This forces the user to take a trial-and-error approach. First the user selects a particular configuration to capture traffic and analyzes the captured traffic. If the user determines from this analysis that another type of traffic would be useful to him but was not captured, the user reinstalls the network monitor with another capture configuration and tries again. Therefore, a need exists for these and other problems to be addressed.


A three-component band has two outer rows of tighter contraction than a middle row which may be offset from the tops of the outer rows in order to provide a groove or recess. Stitching or the like may be sewn into the groove or recess and the top of such stitching may be flush with the tops of the outer two rows. In some instances no groove, recess or stitching are resorted to. The outer two rows are of generally greater contraction than the middle row such that the middle row may flex to a greater degree than the outer rows thereby forming a band for association with garments including hats, caps and underwear or the like. A moisture absorbing material, such as cotton, may be used in conjunction with the three-component band in order to provide absorption for perspiration or other moisture. A hat of generally non-stretchable and stretchable material may be attached to the three-component band. Bunching or the like of the non-stretchable hat material may occur to accommodate the elastic nature of the three-component band.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to elastic bands for garments and more particularly to a three-component band that may be used with particular advantage for hats, caps and the like and garments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Elastic bands are known in the garment industry for attaching articles of clothing to the wearer such as garters or the like. One example is the use of such elastic in socks, undergarments, athletic clothing, and the like.
Elastic bands, particularly elastic sweatbands, have been used in conjunction with hats, including baseball caps, to provide a sizable fit on a wide variety of head sizes as well as providing protection from sweat rolling into the eyes and onto the face of the cap wearer. Baseball caps often have a front bill which serves to shade the wearer""s eyes and are often used in conjunction with sporting and athletic events. Sporting and athletic events obviously include baseball, but can also include running, bicycling, volleyball, hiking, and the like. The baseball cap has certainly become a standard item to such an extent that they are used as promotional tems and favors and are often offered under the moniker of xe2x80x9cgimmexe2x80x9d caps. Prior sweatbands for hats have included elastic bands that optionally include an bsorbent material such as cotton. Generally, these elastic headbands are uniform in nature and add some type of material which forms the band circumscribing the head of the user. While such elastic headbands have been useful in the past, limitations have arisen with the increasing use of such bands and the additional features that are sometimes desired in such bands.
Once such optional and desired feature for such elastic headbands is the addition of lettering, such as for commercial, athletic, or other logos. When such lettering is added to an elastic band of a uniform nature, the additional threadings stand out from, or are proud, the generally uniform and flat surface of the underlying elastic headband. This can be an obstruction or annoyance to individuals wearing such an elastic headband in conjunction with a hat or cap.
Additionally, the use of uniform elastic material in constructing a headband may provide limited ventilation, as there is continuous contact with the wearer""s head over the course of the elastic headband. Also, the elastic properties of the headband may be affected by the uniform nature in that there is generally no degree of independence or freedom between, for example, the top part of the headband and the lower part of the headband.
It has also been found that elastic bands used in garments, particularly undergarments, become frayed after repeated washings and the herein disclosed elastic band overcomes this deficiency, while still providing adequate securement of the garment of the wearer thereof.
Consequently, it can be seen that there are improvements that may be made in the art with respect to elastic bands and the like. The present three-component band addresses many of these to advance the art, and provide a more useful and advantageous elastic band for garments and sweatband or headband for hats, caps or the like.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of elastic bands, sweatbands, and the like now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new elastic band configuration and construction wherein the same can be utilized for securing garments or a hat or cap to the head while simultaneously providing distinctive and advantageous compression qualities for holding the hat to the head as well as the absorption and obstruction of sweat and the like.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new three component elastic band configuration and construction which has many of the advantages of prior elastic bands, sweatbands and headbands preceding the present invention and/or known heretofore. Many novel features present in the new three component band result in a new elastic band which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art bands and the like, either alone or in any combination thereof.
The three-component band set forth herein has three rows of elastic material with the outer two rows being of tighter construction and contraction than the middle row for ease of comfort. The elastic band is generally comprised of polyester, cotton, and rubber and/or spandex with the outer two rows being approximately 44% polyester, 26% cotton, and 30% rubber spandex. The middle row is approximately 50% polyester, 29% cotton, and 21% rubber spandex. The top and bottom rows are approximately xe2x85x9c inch wide while the middle row is approximately {fraction (4/8)} inchxe2x80x94or one half inchxe2x80x94wide. Generally, there is a greater percentage of rubber overall in the outer rows so as to provide a tighter fit as compared to the center row which may flex somewhat more independently due to its diminished contraction when compared to the outer rows. The outer two rows are built up slightly and use rubber spandex of a greater diameter so that a groove effect is achieved by the middle row. A small groove is present due to the upstanding nature of the outer two rows as compared to the middle row. This provides, where desired, some space for lettering and the like which may then stand flush with the outer two rows and provide a generally even and uniform surface between the outer two rows and any letter stitched into the middle row. Nylon thread may be used for such lettering.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a useful band for elastically engaging and circumscribing a garment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an elastic band that has varying degrees of contraction or elasticity.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an elastic band which provides room for stitch lettering or logos.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an elastic band which may incorporate a sweatband or the like for the absorption of sweat or other moisture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.


A high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) apparatus for the purpose of lung airway clearance of people includes an inflated vest type garment worn around the chest of a person. An oscillating pressure generator with reduced power requirements and a power source is integrated with the garment so that the complete apparatus is wearable by the person. Improvements in pressure waveforms, safety and compliance to prescribed use are disclosed.

The present invention relates to high frequency chest wall oscillator (referred to hereafter as HFCWO) devices.
In a variety of diseases such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis, the mucus that collects in the airways is difficult to remove by coughing. This may be due to the viscosity or quantity of the mucus or because the patient does not have the strength or lung capacity to produce an adequate cough. Prior art HFCWO devices have been developed that are commercially available standards of care for airway mucus clearance. They promote airway mucus clearance by generating rapidly oscillating externally powered cough like air flows and pressures in the airways of a patient. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,762,967, 7,115,104, 6,254,556 and 6,036,662 disclose the designs of some popular devices. These are typically prescribed to be used once or several times per day, in sessions of up to about 30 minutes each.
Popular prior art devices are composed of an air pulse generator connected by pneumatic tubing to a vest like garment with an air bladder worn in contact with and surrounding a person's chest. Air pulses cyclically oscillate to alternately pressurize and depressurize the bladder to apply cyclic pressures to the person's chest. Cycle rates can typically be selected from between about 5 to 25 cycles per second. Many of these devices use an air pulse generator that cycles the bladder pressure between about 0 to 1 PSI. Power consumed by some of these devices at the high frequency settings has been measured to be over 200 watts. We have found that, at cycle rates above about 12 cycles per second, an increasing majority of this power is wasted due to inertial effects of the pressure pulses rapidly reversing directions through the tubes connecting the pressure generator and the vest as well as turbulent flow of the transferred volumes of air throughout the system.
A portable solution was attempted as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,785. This invention included a band wrapped around the chest of a person. The circumference of the band was oscillated by mechanical means to apply oscillating force on the person's chest. Several means for allowing chest movement during inspiration and expiration were also disclosed. This design eliminated the energy losses associated with the high air flows within and between the system components of the popular pneumatic systems which demonstrated significant power reductions. Also the mechanical oscillator was much smaller than the pneumatic oscillators. However, this design was not developed into a fully practical device. The chest band concentrated the pressure on the chest to a much smaller area than that of pneumatic vests disclosed in prior art. Because of this, for an effective amount of energy transfer to the person's chest, it was found that an intolerable level of discomfort resulted which would greatly reduce compliance to a prescribed usage routine. This was most severe at higher oscillation frequencies. With the disclosed chest band design the mechanism that oscillated the band produced chest pressure variations that were constant in amplitude over the range of oscillation frequencies. With this, as the frequency increased, the energy transfer to the chest increased proportionately. Allowing a 4:1 ratio of high to low frequency, the energy transfer became excessive and intolerable at high frequencies. Many of the other prior art devices use a constant displacement type pump or reciprocating diaphragms to generate the pressure pulses so, in theory, these would be expected to present the same problem of excessive energy to the persons chest at high frequencies. Measurements show that they actually do, but to a much lesser extent than theory would predict. This is because the substantial air flow related power losses of the pneumatic systems increase rapidly with increasing frequency and tend to attenuate the pulses delivered to the vest and person's chest at those higher frequencies. U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,280 discloses a means of varying the stroke length of a pneumatic type pressure oscillator that could correct this and provide other benefits. To solve this problem in a portable system something similar to the variable stroke mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,280 could, in concept, be included but the added complexity and size of the various linkages and control may be poorly suited to a compact wearable device.
Reliable and failsafe operation of all these devices is important. To be offered commercially for medical treatment of people, an FDA approval based on extensive safety analysis is required. This includes consideration of potential device malfunction and misuse. The potential to transfer injurious forces to the chest of the person due to improper use is possible with some prior art designs, as is the possibility of a device malfunction that prohibits the benefits of using such devices.
Efficacy of new devices is also a requirement for FDA approval. Experience with the application of these types of devices has proven that their efficacy is maximized when they have simple user controls, generate proven effective chest wall oscillation wave shapes, amplitudes and frequencies, and encourage compliance to a prescribed usage routine through optimized comfort, ease of use and vanity issues. The present invention provides improvements that encourage compliance to prescribed usage enhancing the long term efficacy of the device. It also provides improvements in the generation and control of the chest wall oscillation waveform to enhance the efficiency of each airway clearance session.
This disclosure provides a system including an air pulse generator, a power source and a vest that are uniquely small and efficient enough to be integrated into a wearable and transportable portable device for use on an ambulatory patient. Treatment sessions with this would be less intrusive allowing a person to stand and move about at will during the sessions rather than being confined to a support, such as a bed. Also, evidence shows that HFCWO is more effective when the person is standing. It is projected that exercise during treatment sessions could also increase the efficacy of HFCWO.
When the pressure generator and power source are integrated with the vest and worn on the person, additional safety features are needed in the design. Risks not present with a sedentary device arise when all these components are strapped to the person. The disclosed invention is a unique and effective solution that is portable, wearable, comfortable, safe and easy to use having the ability to vary the amplitude of the oscillating air pulses as needed to optimize efficacy as oscillation frequency, patient size and disease conditions vary.

High frequency chest wall oscillation apparatus


A generic manufacturer-independent method to produce a metric of hard disk drive performance includes executing accesses from a reference sector on disk to several equidistantally-spaced target sectors, and recording the times of the accesses. These times are then ordered and used to generate shortest access times along with probabilities of achieving those access times, losing a disk revolution while accessing the target sector, and losing a disk revolution while executing a read/write operation.

In current hard disk drives (HDD), data is written in concentric circular tracks by a magnetic recording head which is positioned above a spinning disk. The magnetic recording head consists of a write head element which is used during writing, and a read head element which is used during reading. The position of the magnetic recording head above the disk is precisely controlled by a hard disk drive controller as required to execute a read or a write.
The time it takes for the head to be positioned to execute the desired read or write may be thought of as a combination of a "seek time" (the time it takes the actuator arm to move the head over the right track) and a rotational latency time (the time it takes the desired sector of the track to rotate to a position underneath the head). It is desirable to minimize these times to speed up data transfer to and from the HDD. It will readily be appreciated that the time it takes a HDD to complete a data transfer event is an important performance metric that can be used to compare one HDD to other HDDs.
The problem to which the present invention is directed is in providing a reliable generic metric of HDD performance. Currently, drive manufacturers advertise various HDD performance times that are derived using proprietary and differing algorithms, meaning that comparisons between two HDDs cannot be reliably made. Having recognized this drawback, the solution herein is provided.

System and method for determining hard disk drive performance

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A rotor is disclosed, which includes a plurality of axially extending slots disposed about the rotor; a plurality of conductors radially stacked within each of the axial slots; and an axially extending subslot at a radially inward end of each of the slots. In each slot, a cooling path is provided, extending radially outward from the subslot. The cooling path includes at least one manifold, each manifold including at least one ingress passage, at least one egress passage axially distanced from the ingress passage, and a plurality of axially extending passages in fluid connection at a first end with one of the at least one ingress passages, and at a second end with one of the at least one egress passages. Each of the plurality of axially extending passages is disposed at a different radial depth in the slot from each other axially extending passage.

The disclosure relates generally to the direct cooling of electrical conductors in rotors of dynamoelectric machines. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a cooling manifold, which may be used alone or nested with other cooling manifolds, to directly cool such electrical conductors.
Dynamoelectric machines such as, e.g., generators, include a rotor having a plurality of axially extending slots disposed about the rotor circumference, into which the electrical conductors are inserted. In a direct cooled dynamoelectric machine, i.e., a dynamoelectic machine in which the machine is cooled directly by the atmosphere in which it operates, each slot may further include an axially extending subslot at a radially inward end of the slot for ventilation and cooling. The subslots are part of a ventilation scheme as known in the art, for transferring gas coolant axially along the rotor.
Radial cooling methods have been used for communicating cooling gas in a radially outward direction from the subslot through the conductors. However, radial flow cooling systems have typically only provided sufficient thermal performance for lower rated dynamoelectric machines. Diagonal flow cooling systems have been used in higher rated dynamoelectric machines due to their greater thermal performance, due in part to increased surface area. Diagonal flow cooling systems are, however, costly to implement.


Methods of inducing pluripotency in human somatic cells and methods of maintaining pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are provided, as well as cells and uses of employing such cells. The methods comprise culturing cells in the presence of (i) OCT4 and SOX2; (ii) at least one of KLF4 and c-MYC; and at least one of PRDM14 and NFRKB.

The derivation of clinically relevant human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from human blastocysts represents one of the milestones in stem cell biology [1]. hESCs have the capacity for extensive self-renewal under in vitro culture conditions. A second hallmark of these cells is their ability to undergo multi-lineage differentiation; also defined as pluripotency. Hence, the robust self-renewal capability of these pluripotent hESCs makes them a renewable source for the generation of functional cell-types or tissues for potential therapeutic applications and drug discovery. Importantly, hESCs provide an opportunity to study early human developmental biology—an area of study where it is difficult to acquire experimental data.
In addition to the ability to self-renew and differentiate, hESCs share many similarities with mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) [2, 3]. Both of them express genes which are associated with pluripotency [4-6]. POU5F1 (coding for the protein OCT4) and NANOG, both key components of the core transcriptional regulatory network [7-9], are highly expressed in undifferentiated ESCs [10-15] and upon differentiation, the expression of these genes is reduced. These and other transcription regulators, including the co-activator p300, show extensive co-localization at genomic sites and this binding configuration may be important for the expression of pluripotency-specific genes [9, 16, 17].
However, there are significant and intriguing differences between hESCs and mESCs. One of the differences is the signaling pathways that promote ESC identity. The fibroblast growth factor/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase (FGF/MEK) pathway is important for the propagation of hESCs. In contrast, stimulation of the FGF/MEK pathway promotes differentiation of mESCs. The inhibition of FGF signaling using specific FGF receptor/MEK inhibitors, in combination with glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor, allows mESCs to be propagated in the absence of other growth promoting molecules [18]. The TGFβ/Activin/Nodal pathway maintains the self-renewal of hESCs but not mESCs, through the up-regulation of NANOG expression [19, 20]. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) are known to sustain mESCs, but LIF does not support hESCs and BMP4 induces hESCs to differentiate [4]. Moreover, hESCs and mESCs are morphologically distinct where mESCs form dome-shaped colonies while the hESC colonies are flat. In addition, certain surface molecules like SSEA-3 and SSEA-4 are present in undifferentiated hESCs but not mESCs [4].
The differences between both mouse and human ESCs could be due to species-specific differences in embryonic development. Alternatively, the ESCs could be derived from cells originating from different developmental stages. Consistent with this idea is the identification of post-implantation murine epiblast-derived stem cells which show characteristics of hESCs [21, 22]. Hence, it is useful to understand the differences between these ESCs and the molecular basis for the differences. Furthermore, to harness the full potential of hESCs, it is valuable to dissect the mechanisms that maintain the identity of hESCs.

Method for inducing pluripotency in human somatic cells with PRDM14 or NFRKB

Agency for Science, Technology and Research


A read module includes: a light source that applies light to an original to read an image; a photoelectric conversion section that converts reflected light from the original into an image signal of the image; and a connector to be electrically connected to a controller connector in a controller. The connector has a plurality of terminals placed side by side in a predetermined direction. The plurality of terminals includes an image signal output terminal section that outputs the image signal to the controller and a power terminal section that inputs electric power for lighting the light source supplied from the controller to the read module. The power terminal section is placed in the proximity of one end of the plurality of terminals in the predetermined direction thereof. The image signal output terminal section is placed in the proximity of an opposite end in the predetermined direction thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a read module including a light source and photoelectric conversion elements for detecting an optical image and a poor connection detection apparatus and a poor connection detection method for detecting poor connection between connectors for connecting the read module and a controller for controlling the read module.
2. Background Art
In related arts, a copy, a facsimile, a scanner, or the like includes a read module for reading an image from an original and the read module includes a light source for applying light to an original and photoelectric conversion elements for converting reflected light from the original in to an image signal. Each of the machines also includes a controller for controlling the operation of the read module, and the read module and the controller have connectors electrically connected to each other by a cable.
By the way, in the configuration of connecting the controller and the read module through the connectors, if poor connection of the connectors occurs, it is feared that it may become impossible to output the normal electric signal to the controller or it may become impossible to normally control the read module, namely, a malfunction may occur. Therefore, the connection of the connector of the read module and the connector of the controller requires high reliability.
Then, for example, in a related art, to detect poor connection between paired connectors for connecting circuit boards, first and second ground terminals are disposed at both ends of a plurality of terminals of the connector and a common ground terminal is disposed at an intermediate point of the plurality of terminals and then the potential difference between the first ground terminal and the common ground terminal and the potential difference between the second ground terminal and the common ground terminal are detected by a potential difference comparison section included in a circuit machine and poor connection is detected based on the difference between the former and latter potential differences. That is, if a pair of connectors made up of a male connector and a female connector is inserted in a mutually inclined state, the potential difference between the first ground terminal and the common ground terminal and the potential difference between the second ground terminal and the common ground terminal differ and therefore the difference between the former and latter potential differences is detected for detecting poor connection between the paired connectors. (For example, refer to JP-A-2001-142797 (p. 3-p. 4, FIGS. 1-4))
For example, in a related art, to detect poor connection between paired connectors in a video camera having a read module such as a camera head and a CPU connected by the connectors, a detection terminal for detecting poor connection between the connectors is further disposed in addition to input/output terminals for controlling the essential operation of the camera head and the CPU, and an electric current flowing through the detection terminal is detected, thereby detecting poor connection. (For example, refer to JP-A-6-339051 (p. 2-p. 3, FIGS. 1-3))
However, according to the detection method of poor connection between the connectors disclosed in JP-A-2001-142797, the connector needs to be provided with the first ground terminal, the second ground terminal, the common ground terminal, and the like in addition to the input/output terminals for inputting/outputting the essential operation signal of the circuit machine. Thus, the number of the terminals of the connector increases and it becomes difficult to miniaturize the connector and the space to which the connector is connected; this is a problem.
Also in the detection method of poor connection between the connectors in the video camera disclosed in JP-A-6-339051, to detect poor connection between the connectors, the detection terminal for detecting poor connection between the connectors needs to be further disposed in addition to the input/output terminals for controlling the essential operation of the camera head and the CPU. Thus, it becomes difficult to miniaturize the connector and the space to install the connector; this is a problem.

Read module, poor connection detection apparatus and poor connection detection method of read module


A support member for use with an article of furniture has cable management capabilities. The support member comprises an elongate leg member defined by a wall to form an elongate inner cavity therein. Preferably, the leg member has a substantially circular lateral cross-section. The wall has a slot therethrough providing access to the inner cavity. The slot has first and second ends where each end of the slot is spaced from its respective end of the elongate leg member. An access panel is hingedly attached to the support member to cover only an intermediate portion of the slot. The access panel is moveable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the access panel limits access to the inner cavity through the intermediate portion of the slot. In the open position the access panel allows access to the inner cavity along the entire length of the slot.

This invention relates to an article of furniture which utilizes a support member having wire management capabilities, and more particularly to a table leg having a cable management system whereby cables or wires may be concealed and contained within the table leg.
As the number of work related devices requiring wires, cables, and electrical cords become more prevalent, the need for managing cable and wiring becomes more important. This increase of electrical, communication and computer equipment requires its associated support furniture to be located near electrical and communication outlets. One major problem associated with numerous wires, cables and electrical cords is the unsightly and cluttered view of tangled wires and cables. A disorganized and unsightly article of furniture is not only aesthetically unpleasing but also creates a disorganized and chaotic work area which decreases work production. In addition, tangled cables and wires present a safety hazard under and around equipment and its associated furniture either by tripping or from electric shock. Further, if a person accidently dislodges an exposed cable, it may compromise the data integrity being carried by that cable, or damage the equipment or the cable itself. Thus, there exists a need to safely and orderly manage wires, cables and cords by organizing and concealing them within an article of furniture to address these types of issues.
Articles of furniture having wire management capabilities are known in the art. The articles include a variety of table or desk legs having open channels in which to run electrical or communication wires. One problem associated with the prior art is that the wires are often threaded through an opening on the desk or table top and then through the leg in order to reach the floor. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,935 to Newhouse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,981 to Hildebrandt and U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,761 to Frattini. These prior art patents disclose cable management systems that are both complicated and cumbersome to use as equipment is continually updated or removed from the article of furniture. Other prior art patents disclose channel assemblies for wire management in a table leg, which show the wire being threaded through a channel which extends the entire length of the table leg. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,874 to Palmer, cable extends out of openings at both the upper and lower ends of a leg assembly, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,028 to Pfister, cable exits a channel in a leg at both an upper access opening and lower access opening. While Pfister does provide a spring biased door to allow access to a cable channel in a leg, the door biasing arrangement is awkward to manipulate in use, which can be especially troublesome when the person seeking access to the cavity is working underneath a table or within some other confined and relatively inaccessible area.
The present invention is a support member for use with an article of furniture which has cable management capabilities. The support member, such as a leg member, is elongate with a substantially circular lateral cross-section. The leg member is defined by a wall to form an elongate inner cavity therein. The wall has a slot therethrough providing access to the inner cavity. The slot has first and second ends where each end of the slot is spaced from its respective end of the elongate leg member. An access panel is hingedly attached to the support member to cover only an intermediate portion of the slot. The access panel is moveable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the access panel limits access to the inner cavity through the intermediate portion of the slot. In the closed position, the respective ends of the access panel and the slot collectively define a lateral opening into the inner cavity at each end of the slot. The access panel is spring biased to the closed position. The access panel is movable to the open position by pushing the access panel inward which allows access to the inner cavity through the slot. Once access is provided to the inner cavity, cable may be placed within the inner cavity to be contained and concealed within the leg member.


An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus includes a speaker configured to output sound, a communication interface configured to receive sound data from an external device, a sound processor configured to process the received sound data and to output the processed sound data to the speaker, a display configured to display a state of a connection with the external device, and a microcomputer controller configured to control the display to display the state of the connection with the external device when the electronic apparatus is in a non-booted state.

With the recent development of computer technologies, all-in-one desktop type Personal Computers (PCs) that have display apparatuses just as notebook computers are being widely used.
These all-in-one PCs have high-performance speakers, and can provide Bluetooth communication. As a result users may appreciate sound data stored in an external device by transmitting the sound data stored in the external device to an all-in-one PC via Bluetooth communication.
Whether or not there is a Bluetooth connection with the external device is displayed using a display apparatus such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED). However, having an additional LED to display a state of the Bluetooth connection, in addition to a basic display apparatus such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), is not advantageous in terms of design appearance, power consumption, and cost of material.
Furthermore, since information that can be displayed and/or communicated through the LED is limited, it is generally difficult for a user to intuitively acknowledge a state of the Bluetooth connection with the external device based only on the display of the LED.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.


An acoustic system is disclosed to help conceal the location of a shooter. The system comprises one or more acoustic decoys and an activating module for sending one or more triggering signals from a weapon to the acoustic decoys. The acoustic decoy comprises a processor, a sound generating module capable of producing a weapon discharge sound, and a receiver connected to an antenna. The decoy processor causes the sound generating module to produce a weapon discharge sound when the receiver receives a triggering signal through the antenna. The activation module comprises an activation processor, an imminent discharge sensor for sensing motion indicative of an imminent weapon discharge, a signal generator, and a transmitter. The activation processor causes the signal generator to generate a triggering signal when the imminent discharge sensor senses an imminent weapon discharge and causes the transmitter to send the triggering signal to the acoustic decoy.

Systems and devices exist that can locate the position of a shooter by acoustic or ultrasonic means. For example, a stationary or mobile acoustic location system with multiple listening devices can determine the location of a weapon's discharge by acoustic means. An observation post protecting a target can use human or electronic acoustic means to identify the location from which a weapon has been discharged.
Currently, silencers or frequency shifters may be used to try to conceal the location of a shooter. Silencers are not ideal because they are heavy and affect the balance of the weapon. In addition, they do not completely mask the discharge sound made by a shooter, particularly when supersonic ammunition is used that creates a noise when the bullet breaks the sound barrier. Frequency shifters are not ideal because they are also heavy and affect the balance of the weapon. In addition, because frequency shifters merely change the frequency of the recoil sound, acoustic sensors can be designed that listen for recoil in known shifted frequencies.
Thus, alternatives are desired to help conceal the location of a shooter against the systems and devices that exist for locating shooters.

Acoustic decoy system to conceal shooter location


In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) system for the creation of an artifact-free image data set of an imaging area located in a measurement volume of the MR system, measurement data are acquired from which an image data is to be reconstructed, with gradients for spatially coding of the measurement data are ramped continuously over time to a strength desired for the acquisition of the measurement data, without abrupt changes in the gradient strength. The actual gradients present in the measurement volume are measured by a field mapping device in the measurement volume of the MR system. The trajectories along which k-space is scanned during the acquisition of the measurement data are calculated on the basis of the measured actual gradients. An artifact-free image data set is reconstructed from the acquired measurement data under consideration of the calculated trajectories, and is displayed and/or stored.

Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method to create an artifact-free magnetic resonance image data set, as well as a magnetic resonance system and an electronically readable data medium for executing such a method.
Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic resonance (MR) is a known modality with which images of the inside of an examination subject can be generated. Expressed in a simplified form, the examination subject is positioned in a strong, static, homogeneous basic magnetic field (also called a B0 field) with a field strength from 0.2 Tesla to 7 Tesla or more in a magnetic resonance apparatus, such that the nuclear spins of the examination subject orient along the basic magnetic field. To trigger nuclear magnetic resonances, radio-frequency excitation pulses (RF pulses) are radiated into the examination subject, and the triggered nuclear magnetic resonance signals are entered into an electronic memory organized as k-space data, on the basis of which MR images are reconstructed or spectroscopy data are determined. For spatial coding of the measurement data, rapidly switched (activated) magnetic gradient fields are superimposed on the basic magnetic field. The acquired measurement data are digitized and stored as complex numerical values in a k-space matrix. An associated MR image can be reconstructed from the k-space matrix populated with values, for example by means of a multidimensional Fourier transformation.
MR examinations are most often very loud. The main reason for this that is the rapidly changing gradient magnetic fields (also called just gradients) used for the measurement, cause eddy currents, distortions and oscillations in the gradient system that is used, in particular the gradient coil that is used. This energy also transfers to the housing of the magnetic resonance system, which then likewise oscillates and therefore itself emits noise.
In order to design an MR examination to be as quiet as possible, pulse sequences for the acquisition of magnetic resonance measurement data can be used in which the changes of the gradients over time (dG/dt)—also called the slew rate—are as small as possible.
An example of such a "quiet sequence" is known as the PETRA sequence as described in the article by Grodzki et al.: "Ultra short Echo Time Imaging using Pointwise Encoding Time reduction with Radial Acquisition (PETRA)", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 19 (2011), Page 2815.
In the reconstruction of image data sets from the measurement data acquired by means of a pulse sequence, it is important to know the gradients switched in the acquisition of the measurement data—and therefore the trajectories along which k-space corresponding to the examination subject has been scanned—as optimally as possible.
Techniques known as field mapping and associated field mapping devices are known in order to measure gradient fields in the measurement volume of a magnetic resonance system. A particularly robust field mapping technique and device is described in, for example, the article by Dietrich et al.: "A stand-alone system for concurrent gradient and RF sequence monitoring", Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 20 (2012), Page 700.

Method and magnetic resonance apparatus to generate an artifact-free magnetic resonance image data set


A bath towel for babies includes a body portion which has a longitudinal length large enough to cover a baby when being folded upward and auxiliary portions integral with the body portion and having a size large enough to wipe the head and face of the baby.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bath towel for toweling off a baby or a child of up to about four years.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bath towels of this type generally have a length of about 120 cm and a width of about 60 cm. A baby cannot towel itself and after bathing tends to perspire profusely, particularly from the head. Therefore, its mother, for example, has to wipe the perspiration from its head.
A typical conventional bath towel is shown in FIG. 4 and designated by reference numeral 1. The baby is laid face up on the towel 1 and the lower half 2 of the towel is folded upward to cover the baby. For this reason, the triangular portions 3 of the towel 1 defined by the phantom lines in FIG. 4 on the opposite sides of the head of the baby become the areas used for wiping the baby's head and face. The areas 3 have to be folded along the phantom lines when used to wipe the baby's head. This is troublesome and, moreover, the triangular areas 3 are too small for the job.
This invention has been proposed to solve this problem encountered by the prior art and has as its object to provide a bath towel enabling the head and face of a baby to be wiped free of perspiration.


A method and apparatus of remotely accessing a computer system by a remote console includes receiving, by an emulation device, pointer position data representing a position of a first pointing device of the remote console. The emulation device emulates a second pointing device that is of a different type than the first pointing device. The emulation device generates data representing a position of the second pointing device based on the received pointer position data representing the position of the first pointing device.

Server computer systems are utilized to provide, among other uses, computing resources for software applications and storage repositories for data. System administrators perform maintenance and upkeep of the server's hardware and software. System administrators may access the server by using a display device, a keyboard, and a pointing device connected to the server.
Graphical-user-interface (GUI) based software applications executing on the server may be used by system administrators to perform maintenance and upkeep of the server hardware and software. Each software application GUI generally allows input and interaction with the software application using the keyboard and pointing device.
Alternatively, in a KVM (keyboard video monitor) arrangement, a display device, keyboard, and mouse are connected to a server management device, which in turn is connected to one or more ports of the server. A system administrator can access the server through the use of the display device, keyboard, and mouse connected to the server management device.
Remote management consoles such as a computer system or personal digital assistant (PDA) may also be used to remotely access and administer servers. Remote management consoles may be connected to the server management device to allow a system administrator to remotely access a server or one server in a group of servers and monitor the status of or administer the server from a remote location. Access to the server may be through dedicated dial-in to the server management device, or by using the world wide web (WWW) via a local area network (LAN) connection, wide area network (WAN) connection or dial-up service to an Internet service provider (ISP) for connection to the server management device.
Remote management consoles may have a pointing device such as a mouse that along with a GUI allows interaction with the server management device. The GUI may be displayed in a WWW browser such as Internet Explorer® or Netscape Navigator®. Software executing on the server may be available to the system administrator through the GUI on the remote management console. Thus, the GUI in the remote management console may allow the system administrator to view software as if the system administrator was in front of the actual server display screen. The administrator may use the keyboard and pointing device of the remote management console to interact with software running on the server.
One issue with using a pointing device of the remote management console to interact with the server is lack of pointer synchronization. Mis-synchronization is primarily due to the inexact nature of pointing devices such as a mouse. A mouse typically signals relative movement to an operating system executing on the computer system to which the mouse is attached. The operating system interprets this data according to various user settings and changes the position of the pointer on the GUI of the computer system display screen. However, when the output signals from the mouse of the remote management console are also directed to the server through the server management device, the operating systems on the remote management console and server may interpret the output signals differently. This difference in interpreting the mouse output signals is because each operating system may have different settings for mouse sensitivity, acceleration, and so forth. Since the operating system of the remote management console and server may transform the relative movement of the mouse into different pointer display coordinates, the pointer within the two GUIs may no longer be synchronized.
In addition, the server may re-position the pointer based on user specified settings. For example, if the user configures the server operating system to move the pointer to the "OK" button when a pop-up dialog box is displayed, the remote management console may not be communicated this change to adjust its pointer. Although additional software could be employed on the server to communicate pointer changes back to the remote management console, this technique requires additional software to be installed on every managed server. Additionally, such software may not be present during operating system initialization or installation. Thus, it is difficult for the pointer position on the remote management console to remain synchronized to the pointer position on the server.
Server management devices typically perform input redirection by creating a virtual input device that may temporarily replace or enhance an input device of the server. This virtual device typically is designed to model the input device used on the remote management console by presenting the same device to the server thus redirecting the input device from the remote management console to the server.

Generating pointer position data from position data of a pointing device of a remote console

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A collapsible stringed instrument having a body with a soundboard, a back face, a neck, and a spacer. The perimeter of the soundboard is connected to the perimeter of the back face by the spacer. The volume between the spacer, the soundboard, and the back face define a sound chamber. The neck is pivotally and laterally coupled to the body which has a door in the back face. The neck is able to pivot and slide through the door and into the sound chamber.

The present invention relates generally to transporting stringed musical instruments. Transporting stringed musical instruments is an endeavor with many perils. This is especially true for stringed musical instruments such as guitars, cellos, violas, violins, and basses. Because these instruments have elongated necks with tensed, exposed strings extending between the neck and the body, they are extremely susceptible to imprudent handling. However, those desiring to transport their instruments are not entirely without recourse.
Transporting stringed musical instruments in hard shell cases does help alleviate several of the problems associated with travel. Unfortunately, for some instruments, such as the upright bass, these hard shell cases are often too bulky to fit in cars. Moreover, air travel is no less vexatious. The hard shell cases are typically larger than the mandates, promulgated by the air lines, concerning carry-on baggage. However, even if the instrument is allowed on the airplane, whether as carry-on baggage or stored in the cargo compartment, transporting it in a hard shell case does not ensure that it will arrive at its destination undamaged.
Another option is traveling with the musical instrument in a soft bodied bag. Although these soft travel bags maybe accommodable in places the hard shell cases are not, they offer very little protection. A third option is to rent an instrument at your destination. In addition to expending funds to rent an instrument, rental instruments are often of inferior quality, dissimilarly configured, and of unfamiliar "feel."
Thus, what is needed is a stringed musical instrument that collapses into a completely self-contained enclosure. Allowing the instrument to collapse into a smaller form factor alleviates many of the problems discussed above. Additionally, it would be desirable to have a collapsible instrument that securely stores all of the components removed during the collapsing process. Furthermore, it would be expedient for the collapsible instrument to retain sound characteristics similar to those of its standard, non-collapsible counterparts. The problematic nature of traveling with stringed musical instruments is not a conundrum that has gone unnoticed. Prior attempts to solve this dilemma are described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,164 issued Mar. 5, 2002 to Stephen David Corsi discloses a stringed instrument with a neck pivotally attached to the body so as to allow the neck to rotate from an extended playing position to a folded traveling position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,548 issued Feb. 15, 2000 to Raymond Seth Ehrlich discloses an acoustic guitar having a body divided into an upper and lower half, and a detachable neck. The upper and lower halves may be separated to allow the detachable neck to stow therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,578 issued Feb. 21, 1995 to Thomas G. Raymer discloses a guitar having a pivotally mounted neck that may pivot from a normal playing position to a fully stowed position within the perimeter of the guitar body. The guitar body contains a recess complementary to the neck in which the neck is received, after the neck pivots inside the perimeter of the guitar, so that the guitar is then in a travel configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,385 issued Jan. 24, 1995 to Clifford W. Gilbert discloses a multi-segmented articulatable guitar having a neck pivotally attached wherein the neck is able to pivot towards the playing face of the guitar body and rest thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,896 issued Aug. 10, 1993 to Bradford P. Worthington and Christian Allgor also discloses a stringed instrument having a neck pivotally connected to the body wherein the neck is allowed to pivot from a playing position over towards the playing face of the stringed instrument and rest thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,882 issued Aug. 18, 1987 to Eric D. Shaw also discloses an acoustic guitar having a neck pivotally attached to the guitar body so as to allow the neck to pivot over onto the soundboard portion of the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,211 issued Feb. 14, 1978 to Allan C. Jorgensen describes a guitar having a hinged neck and a recess in the body of the guitar shaped to receive the neck when the neck folds towards the back portion of the guitar on its pivot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,085 issued Mar. 4, 1980 to Bradley N. Litwin discloses a stringed musical instrument having three detachable portions-the sound box, the neck, and a removable portion of the upper surface of the sound box. The upper surface of the sound box can be removed allowing the detachable neck to be stored inside the sound box.
Although the prior art discloses a plethora of collapsible stringed music instruments, none provide a collapsible stringed musical instrument that is travel friendly; completely self contained; preserves the rich sound characteristics of a standard, non-folding acoustic musical instrument; and transitions from a collapsed travel form into a playing configuration, and vice versa, without requiring special skills or the aid of any tools.


A fluid working apparatus (100) including a housing structure (130) with an inlet (132) and an outlet (133). A working assembly positioned in the housing (130) has an inlet side and an outlet side with the at least one rotor (114) having a plurality of blades (115) positioned between the inlet and outlet sides. At least one return assembly (140, 142) is configured to return fluid flow from the outlet to the inlet side of the working assembly whereby a working fluid passes through the housing inlet (132), from the inlet side of the working assembly to the outlet side thereof while workingly engaging a first subset of the rotor blades (115), through the at least one return assembly (140, 142), from the inlet side of the working assembly to the outlet side thereof while workingly engaging a second subset of the rotor blades (115), and out of the housing outlet (133). A method of working a fluid is also provided.

Statement of the Technical Field
The invention concerns fluid working, and more particularly systems and methods for wrapping fluid flow in a fluid working apparatus, for example an expander or compressor, which results in an increased capacity to perform work by the fluid or on the fluid.
Description of the Related Art
A turbo-expander is a machine which continuously converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy by harnessing the pressure and heat of pressurized fluid to rotate a shaft. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exemplary axial turbo-expander 10. Each stage of the expander 10 includes a rotatable rotor 12 and a stationary stator 14. Inlet vanes 16 and outlet vanes (not shown) may be provided to help guide the path of the flowing fluid and the vanes may serve as the stator for one or more of the stages. The rotors 12, stators 14 and vanes are supported in a housing 18. To ensure proper flow and rotation, each of the rotors 12 must be manufactured within tight tolerances relative to the housing 18. As illustrated by the arrows, the fluid passes through each stage a single time, interacting with the rotor 12 and stator 14 for only the period of time it takes for the fluid to pass through the stage. As the fluid passes through a given stage, the fluid expands and exerts a force to rotate the rotor 12, which in turn rotates the shaft (not shown).
Turbo-expanders are utilized in various applications, for example, a compressor-drive, power generator, brake drive, or cooling system. In the first three examples, the power transmitted to the shaft is used to drive a compressor, drive an electrical generator or is dissipated through an oil brake or air brake, respectively. In a cooling or refrigeration system, the gas exiting the expander, which is colder and lower-pressure than it was when it went in, is directed to a heat exchanger. Expanders and compressors may comprise or take on many different physical configurations, all of which are easily found in literature. The axial flow example shown provides the most useful architecture for the purpose of contrasting the difference. These applications are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.
An axial compressor works just like the turbo expander but in reverse. Power is supplied to the shaft which in turn rotates the rotors. The rotors accelerate the fluid and the stators diffuse the flow to obtain a pressure increase. That is, the diffusion in the stator converts the velocity increase gained in the rotor to a pressure increase. As with the expander, the fluid passes through each stage a single time, interacting with the rotor and stator for only the period of time it takes for the fluid to pass through the stage.

System and method of wrapping flow in a fluid working apparatus


Disclosed herein is a computer system which includes a plurality of objects stored in a memory, a plurality of actions such as printing actions stored in the memory, and an action tool. Application of the action tool executes a subset of the plurality of actions on a subset of the plurality of objects. A method of outputting computerized objects by identifying a plurality of objects to be printed or otherwise manipulated, selecting an action tool which includes multiple actions and applying the action tool to the identified objects also is disclosed. The system and method of the invention are particularly useful for printing sets of documents or other files.

In computerized graphical user interfaces, the user may want to perform the same set of manipulations or changes to several objects, such as files or documents. Using current computer systems and software, in some cases the user will select multiple objects and then apply a single action to all of the objects simultaneously. In other cases, the user will select a single object and apply a series or set of actions to that object. For example, in printing a single document, a user will typically specify a set of print parameters for the document at the time the print command is entered, or will use the set of default print settings. In managing e-mail, a user may highlight a set of messages and subsequently execute a "move to" command which results in the movement of all of the check-marked messages to a different folder. Only one action can be performed at a time and the collection of items to be moved generally are within a single mailbox or folder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,293 is directed to a system having a plurality of user interface elements for finding and manipulating data within a document. Elements can be compounded together to cause a combination of tasks to be performed within a single document by activating one element.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,577 is directed to a method and apparatus for interacting with an application program using drag and drop type functionality. An item can be dragged from a first area on the screen which is controlled by a first process to a second area on the screen which is controlled by a second process. The second process may negotiate with the first process to provide certain data types. Based upon these data types, the second process will determine a list of actions in hierarchical fashion which may be performed on data. Such actions include printing and sending e-mail. The processes and actions are pre-defined. The actions are applied, for example, when the objects are moved into and out of a container.
Computer software known as Adobe® PhotoShop® uses a "magic wand" to edit documents or files. The wand is used to select a portion of a document which will be acted upon by subsequent commands or actions using conventional buttons and menu choices. For example, when the document is a digital photograph, the magic wand can be used to select contiguous or non-contiguous areas of a particular color range, such as to reduce red-eye or enhance the colors of a sunset. The wand does not perform the editing or any action other than selecting elements to be manipulated.

Computerized action tool for managing print parameters, queuing actions and archiving actions for a document output management system


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for determining clock desynchronization. The method includes: detecting a cell with exceptional IN information or power information among all cells of base stations throughout a network according to network measurement data sent by a base station, and using the cell as a first cell, where the network measurement data includes interference and noise (IN) information or power information; and sorting the first cell according to different types of exceptions of the IN information or power information, so as to determine that one or more of the base stations throughout the network are in clock desynchronization.

A clock reference source is an indispensable function module of a TDD (an acronym of Time Division Duplex) system, and is used to synchronize cells of all base stations throughout a network and avoid uplink/downlink cross timeslot interference caused by desynchronization of the TDD system. The loss of the clock reference source tends to cause clock desynchronization of the TDD system and strong interference between a current cell and an intra-frequency cell of a base station that neighbors the base station of the current cell, which results in that a terminal cannot access the network or leads to deteriorated services such as call drops, handover failures, failures of implementing services, and the like. Deteriorated quality of the wireless communication network affects network user experience directly. The intra-frequency cell of the neighbor base station may be briefly referred to as an intra-frequency neighbor cell.
Generally, after a clock reference source is lost, the base station clock still remains for a time period without causing desynchronization or inter-cell interference, but will drift gradually and eventually lead to clock desynchronization. When a base station is in clock desynchronization, all cells of the base station are clock desynchronization cells. Common clock reference sources include the GPS (an acronym of Global Position System) system, the BeiDou system, and the like.
Generally, in a base station, when a clock reference source is lost, a corresponding alarm prompt will be provided, and a corresponding re-synchronization or reset operation will be performed. On the base station side, after a period of time after the clock reference source is lost, the base station automatically blocks carrier-sectors to prevent the base station from causing interference onto other intra-frequency neighbor cells.
However, the practice of using loss of a clock reference source to indicate whether a base station is in clock desynchronization is not timely or accurate enough, which leads to a delay of response made by the base station, thereby affecting network user experience directly.

Method and apparatus for determining clock desynchronization


A dispensing orifice for free-flowing, liquid condiments is provided. The dispensing orifice is adapted to be provided as a fitment for a container, especially for a bottle containing liquid condiments. The dispensing orifice provides for two modes of dispensing, a dropwise dispensing pattern, and a streamwise dispensing pattern.

Fluid devices of many types are well known. Particularly, fluid dispensers and delivery devices useful for the delivery of liquid compositions, more specifically condiments are known to take a variety of forms. These include for example narrow necked bottles or flasks wherein the condiment is dispensed by tilting or over turning said flask and allowing the contents to pour out; flexible bottles or flasks which include a flow directing cap or tip, particularly a nozzle cap wherein compression of the bottle forces the delivery of its contents through said nozzle, as well as open-mouth bottles and jars which may be provided with a liquid dispensing means as complex as a pump, or as simple as a spoon.
Notwithstanding the present variety of such dispensing arrangements, there is still a need in the art for further improvements to liquid delivery devices especially as may be used in condiment dispensers. Further, there is a concurrent need in the art for improved processes for the delivery of liquids, particularly condiments.

Dispensing orifice for liquid condiments


A fuel injection control method for controlling fuel injection to a plurality of cylinders of an engine is disclosed. The method involves the use of a fuel injection control device that includes a key switch, an engine rotation sensor, and a controller, wherein the key switch initiates an engine stopping operation, engine rotation sensor recognizes fuel injection to a specific cylinder, and then the controller stops fuel injection. A phase difference is provided between fuel injection of the specific engine and that of another engine so as to control fuel injection.

Recently, common rail systems (CRS) have been adopted so as to achieve more precise fuel injection control. A CRS controls fuel injection timing and fuel injection volume by controlling an electromagnetic valve of an injector according to engine rotation speed and loading conditions. With regard to the starting control of the engine having a CRS, an injection start cylinder is determined by a specific crank (TDC) signal and a signal indicating an explosion process. Thus, a fuel injection cylinder is not determined based merely on mechanical characteristics, such as a jerk type; the injection start cylinder is determined via the input of the electric signals.
Accordingly, fuel injection can be started at a first cylinder when signals indicating the TDC and explosion process of the first cylinder are received, and the engine is always started by fuel injection at the first cylinder. As another example, a method is also known for shortening discrimination time by analyzing the explosion process signal of each cylinder.
A construction of an electronic control injection device for an internal-combustion engine whose injection order of cylinders is previously determined is also known. This construction comprises an engine rotation sensor, a cylinder discrimination sensor and a cylinder discrimination part (Patent Literature 1). At the rotation of 720° of crank angle of the engine, the engine rotation sensor generates a rotation pulse signal comprising two toothless pulses distant from each other for 360° of crank angle and a plurality of pulses. The cylinder discrimination sensor generates one pulse at the rotation of 720° of crank angle, and this signal is generated simultaneously with one of the two toothless pulses. The cylinder discrimination part determines the engine cylinder to which fuel shall be injected based on the cylinder discrimination pulse signal at the time of generation of the toothless pulses.
Patent Literature 1: the Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette Hei. 6-93917


Monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments that specifically bind to matrilin-3, conjugates including these molecules, and nucleic acid molecules encoding the antibodies, antigen binding fragments and conjugates, are disclosed. Also disclosed are compositions including the disclosed antibodies, antigen binding fragments, conjugates, and nucleic acid molecules. Methods of treating or inhibiting a cartilage disorder in a subject, as well as methods of increasing chondrogenesis in cartilage tissue are further provided. The methods can be used, for example, for treating or inhibiting a growth plate disorder in a subject, such as a skeletal dysplasia or short stature.

A child's growth is dependent on the proper functioning of the growth plate, a specialized cartilage structure located at the end of long bones and within the vertebrae. The primary function of the growth plate is to generate new cartilage, which is then converted into bone tissue and results in the lengthening of bones (i.e., the growth of the child). Mutations in one or more of the many genes that control growth plate function can cause severe skeletal growth disorders in children.
Current treatments for skeletal cartilage disorders are limited. One method of treatment involves the administration of recombinant growth hormone, but the results are less than optimal and systemic treatment using growth hormone carries a risk of increased intracranial pressure, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, insulin resistance, and possibly type II diabetes mellitus. Thus, there is a need for therapeutic agents and treatment methods that avoid the systemic risks of current therapies.

Monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to matrilin-3 and their use

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services