The present invention relates to the use of a naturally occurring group of biological compounds to produce a combustible fuel that may be used in either internal combustion engines or as a burnable heat source. These compounds are a set of biomolecules produced by some bacteria in nutrient limiting environmental conditions when storage of carbon is necessary. More specifically this invention envisions the use of polyhydroxy alkanoates (PHA), especially those ranging in size from C4 to C8, to produce the combustible fuel.

This present invention relates generally to the field of alternative fuels and more particularly the conversion of cellular biomass to combustible liquid fuels. Currently much effort in the alternative fuel sector is directed at making ethanol production an economical alternative to standard gasoline and diesel fuels. Previous work done in this field has been related to the use of biomass to produce ethanol or mixtures of varying alcohol compounds. Some work has been done to derive ethanol from readily available sources such as municipal waste streams. There has also been advancement in the field of novel alternative fuels from renewable sources. This has been done in municipal waste systems where native cellulose has been isolated and then is further converted into varying lengths of hydrocarbons. However, this composition of products is highly variable and depends greatly upon the waste stream obtained from the municipal waste. Currently, Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) recover energy from influent waste streams by generating electricity and heat from by-products of the wastewater treatment processes by burning biogas. Biogas is a mixed gas byproduct (primarily methane and carbon dioxide) of anaerobic sludge digestion.


A display device includes a driver connected to a display panel and transmitting scan signals or data signals to the display panel, a frame memory connected to the driver, storing image data and transmitting at least some of the image data to the driver, and a controller connected to the driver and the frame memory, generating a control signal and transmitting the control signal to the driver or the frame memory, wherein each of the sub-fields includes an address period in which the scan signals are transmitted to the respective pixel rows, the controller transmits the control signal to the driver to transmit the scan signals to the pixel rows during a current frame such that the scan signals corresponding to the current frame are transmitted after, among the image data corresponding to the current frame, the image data corresponding to the pixel rows are stored in the frame memory.

1. Field
The following description relates to a display device and a driving method thereof, and more particularly, to a display device and a driving method thereof, which can prevent or protect a tearing effect from occurring.
2. Description
Along with development of information communication technology and demand of diversified information society, there is increasing demand for displays. Instead of cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices, flat panel display devices (FPDs)are being developed according to the demand for compact and power-saving displays. Examples of the currently widely used FPD include an electroluminescent display (ELD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), such as TFT-LCD or TN/STN LCD, a plasma display device, and so on.
In the FPD, gray scales may be represented in an analog or digital manner. In the digital manner, the gray scales are represented by dividing one frame into a plurality of sub-fields and making pixels emit light or not during a period corresponding to each of the sub-fields. That is, according to the digital gray scale representing method, the gray scales are represented by adjusting the emission period of pixels within one frame.
The FPD may include a frame memory storing image data to be displayed. When a speed of writing the image data in the frame memory is different from a speed of reading the image data from the frame memory, the FPD may emit light from some of the plurality of pixels according to image data of the previous frame, and emit light from the other of the plurality of pixels according to image data of the current frame. In other words, a phenomenon that an image appears to be torn may occur, which is referred to as a "tearing effect."

Display device and driving method thereof


A vented wound dressing is disclosed comprising a thin conformable sheet material at least a portion of the surface area of which is intended for placement as a dressing over a wound, which portion carries a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on one surface thereof for adhering the dressing to skin, the coating being applied to provide repeating areas of the sheet material containing no adhesive, at least a portion of the repeating areas of no adhesive having slits extending through the thickness thereof to permit transfer of wound fluids through the sheet material unimpeded by presence of adhesive material which can clog the slits and thereby inhibit fluid transfer therethrough.

It is most desirable in wound treatment to provide an adhesive dressing which will maintain the desired moist environment promoting healing while preventing scab formation; and also permitting removal of wound fluid which can build up to a pressure bubble beneath the dressing, thereby undermining the adhesive seal to the skin and thus increasing the possibility of the wound being contacted by ambient contaminants, including, of course, microorganisms which can cause infection.
Seemingly, these two objectives are often at cross-purposes so that one of the two desired objectives is accomplished to the detriment of the other.
Yet, dressings fulfilling both objectives are heretofore disclosed in the art.
By way of illustration, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,426 issued to Webster whose discussion of the prior art as background to the invention is additionally worth mentioning.
As stated in Col. 1 of the patent:
It has long been a recognized problem that dressings are inclined to suffer from either or both the disadvantages that they sometimes tend to float away from a wound or else they sometimes tend to adhere to the wound surface. PA1 The first of these disadvantages generally occurs when the wound is one that produces large volumes of exudate. Generally the method of overcoming this problem is to provide the dressing with holes so that the exudate can escape and the dressing remain in contact with the wound. Certain attempts to achieve this end are disclosed in U.K. Pat. Nos. 778813, 1298011, 1408345 and Patent Application Nos. 2061732 and 2074029. One successful dressing is Melolin (Trade mark available from T. J. Smith & Nephew Ltd., Hull, U.K.) which comprises a perforated synthetic polymer film and an absorbent cellulosic pad. The perforated film is placed next to the exuding wound, the exudate passes through the perforations and is absorbed by the pad. A more recent suggestion has been to use a perforated polytetrafluoroethylene film in an effort to minimise the risk of any adherency of the dressing to the wound. PA1 Alternatively dressings have been suggested which comprise a thin hydrophobic film laminated to a fibrous absorbent layer. The film contains a number of apertures in the form of slits. Such dressings are described in, for example, British Pat. Nos. 815,121 and 1,163,452 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,220. However dressings of that type have not been found to be satisfactory because either the slits don not open or do not open wide enough to allow passage of exudate through the film to the absorbent. PA1 The second of the aforementioned disadvantages generally occurs when the wound has dried out due to lack of production of exudate. Generally the method of overcoming this problem is to provide the dressing with a continuous layer which retards the rate of loss of water. One effective method of achieving this end is described in British Pat. No. 1280631. PA1 However none of the known methods are free of disadvantages since what may be an excellent dressing for one kind of wound will be unsuitable for many other wounds since wounds differ greatly in their output of exudate. It has now been realised that, not only is there a need for a dressing which is suitable for use on a number of different wound types, there is also a need for a dressing which can better cope with the variation in rate of exudate production from a given wound. A dressing has now been discovered which allows passage of a greater amount of exudate from a wound which produces greater amounts of exudate and which aids in allowing the wound to remain a moist wound when it produces only smaller amounts of exudate so that it does not float away from the moist surface and has a reduced tendency to adhere to the wound. The new dressing has been found to aid in the re-epithelialisation of the wound.
Accordingly, the patented invention is said to provide a dressing comprising a conformable film with aperatures therethrough characterized in that the film comprises a first layer laminated to a second layer, the first layer comprising a material which swells when in contact with water and the second layer comprising a material which when in contact with water does not swell or swells less than the first layer. According to the patentee the apertures are enlarged when in use on a wet surface and otherwise not enlarged, the enlarged openings permitting passage of water, e.g. wound exudate, the apertures when not enlarged preventing the wound from drying out; i.e. providing a moist environment.
A particularly efficacious wound dressing permitting removal of wound fluids while maintaining a moist environment is described and claimed in copending application, Ser. No. 337,591 filed Apr. 13, 1989 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,362.
As discussed in the copending application, the dressing will comprise: a base sheet for contacting the skin, the base sheet having an opening for placement over a wound and adhesive means for securing the base sheet to the skin; and vent means for providing controlled leakage of fluid along a path from the wound through the opening of the base sheet, the vent means comprising cover means covering the opening, the cover means permitting passage of wound fluid therethrough while reducing evaporation through the opening and thereby helping to insure a moist environment when excess wound fluid is removed from the wound.
The task of the present invention is to provide a wound dressing of simplified design and construction which permits removal of of wound fluids while at the same time maintaining a moist environment promoting wound healing.


The present invention makes it possible to convert an NC program used for one processing into an NC program capable of securing appropriate processing accuracy in another processing machine. Provided is an NC program conversion process method by a conversion system which converts a conversion source NC program for executing a processing in a conversion source processing machine into a conversion destination NC program for executing a processing in a conversion destination processing machine, wherein an input of information relating to (1) stiffness of the conversion destination processing machine or (2) stiffness of the tool included in a conversion destination toolset is received, and on the basis of the received information relating to the stiffness, a conversion source NC program 1424 is converted into a conversion destination NC program 1425.

In recent years, a workpiece is machine-processed by inputting an NC program to an NC machine tool.
For example, PTL 1 discloses a technique of correcting a feed rate on the basis of a cutting resistance applied to an end mill by performing trial cutting before starting cutting of a workpiece for the purpose of making cutting resistance uniform in order to reduce wear or damage of the end mill attached to an NC machine tool. According to the technique of PTL 1, it is considered that, with it, it is possible to deal with a case where the physical properties of a workpiece are different from the nominal physical properties and deal with variation in the characteristics of the cutting edge of the end mill.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

NC program conversion process method and processing treatment system


The present invention provides microencapsulated hydrosilylation catalysts for one-part heat curable organosiloxane compositions. Compositions containing these exhibit long-term storage stability yet cure rapidly when heated above the melting point of the encapsulating polymer. At least a portion of these microcapsules are less than one micron in diameter, and substantially all are less than about three microns in diameter. Compositions containing the preferred platinum group metals as catalysts are optically transparent.. The microencapsulated curing catalysts of this invention are prepared by irradiating with UV light in the wavelength range of from 300 to 400 nanometers a solution containing (1) at least one of a specified group of photocrosslinkable organosiloxane compounds derived from propargyl esters of carboxylic acids containing a terminal aromatic hydrocarbon radical and at least two ethylenically unsaturated carbon atoms and (2) a liquid or solubilized hydrosilylation catalyst.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to curable organosiloxane compositions. More particularly, this invention relates to one-part organosiloxane compositions that cure by means of a hydrosilylation reaction and contain a novel microencapsulated curing catalyst. The compositions exhibit long term storage stability under ambient conditions yet cure rapidly at elevated temperatures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Organosiloxane compositions cure by a variety of reactions. Some of the more common curing means involve 1) a free radical reaction initiated by the heat-induced decomposition of an organic peroxide or the decomposition of a photoinitiator in the presence of ultraviolet light and 2) the reaction between a hydroxyl-containing polyorganosiloxane and an organosilicon compound containing two or more hydrolyzable groups that occurs under ambient conditions in the presence of moisture and a suitable catalyst.
One of the more useful classes of polyorganosiloxane compositions cures by a reaction between silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms and either silicon bonded alkenyl radicals or hydroxyl groups. These reactions are catalyzed by metals from the platinum group of the periodic table or compounds of these metals. The advantages of these compositions include their rapid curing rate, particularly at elevated temperatures, the absence of objectionable by-products produced during the curing of compositions containing organic peroxides or silanes with hydrolyzable groups such as acetoxy or methoxy, and the difficulty of achieving complete curing of moisture-curable organosiloxane compositions applied in thick layers.
Compositions that cure by a hydrosilylation reaction typically contain a polydiorganosiloxane with at least two ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon radical per molecule, an organohydrogensiloxane containing at least two silicon bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule in an amount sufficient to achieve curing of the composition and a platinum-or rhodium-containing catalyst in an amount sufficient to promote curing of the composition. Fillers and other additives may be present for the purpose of modifying physical and/or chemical properties of the composition either prior to or following curing.
Because organosiloxane compositions that cure by a platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction begin to cure even at ambient temperature once the reactants are combined, the catalyst and the organohydrogensiloxane reactant are usually packaged in separate containers and are not combined until it is desired to cure the composition. Even if the composition contains one or more of the known platinum catalyst inhibitors it cannot be stored in a single container for more than a few hours.
One of the alternatives proposed in the prior art to supplying platinum-catalyzed curable organosiloxane compositions as two-package materials is to isolate either the catalyst or the organohydrogensiloxane within a matrix of a material that is solid under the conditions encountered during storage of the curable composition, yet allows the entrapped reactant or catalyst to escape and mix with the other ingredients when it is desired to cure the composition.
The prior art discloses a number of different one-part curable organosiloxane compositions containing microencapsulated reactants or catalysts. An example of this type of composition is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,354, which issued to McDougal and Dougherty on Jul. 9, 1985. This patent describes one-part peroxide curable silicone rubber compositions. The compositions include a microencapsulated liquid phase containing an organic peroxide in a shell of a resinous thermosetting material that is impervious to the peroxide.
The capsules are designed to rupture under a given internal vapor pressure that is generated by the encapsulated liquid when the curable composition containing the microcapsules is heated.
Because release of the peroxide is dependent upon rupturing rather than melting of the shell separating the peroxide from the other ingredients of the organosiloxane composition, the composition and thickness of the shell must be carefully controlled to ensure that the rupture of the capsules will occur reproducibly within the temperature range used to cure the organosiloxane composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,444, which issued to Donnadieu on Aug. 5, 1986 describes storage stable polyorganosiloxane compositions comprising a polyhydroxylated polyorganosiloxane, a polyfunctional acyloxysilane and a microencapsulated accelerator that either contains or generates water. The encapsulated material can be released using heat and/or irradiation. Suitable encapsulating materials include polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, and poly(methyl methacrylate). This patent does not suggest using microencapsulated materials in organosiloxane compositions curable by means other than the reaction of polyhydroxylated polyorganosiloxanes with acyloxysilanes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,854, which issued to Smith on Jul. 24, 1984 teaches two-part curable organosiloxane compositions. One part contains a silanol-terminated polyorganosiloxane and the second component contains a curing agent, a filler and an encapsulated catalyst. The catalyst is a specified group of metal salts of carboxylic acids where the metal is, for example, tin, lead or zirconium. The encapsulating material is preferably a salt of a carboxylic acid that does not promote room temperature curing of the composition. The encapsulated catalyst prolongs the bath life of the curable composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,341, which issued to Schlak et al. on Nov. 6, 1984 and Japanese published application No. 49/134,786, published on Dec. 25, 1974 describe thermosetting organosiloxane compositions comprising a polyorganosiloxane containing at least two ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals per molecule, a polyorganohydrogensiloxane containing at least two silicon bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule and a platinum-containing catalyst that is dispersed in a finely divided, solid matrix, such as a silicone resin or an organic resin. The concentration of catalyst is from 0.001 to 5 percent by weight of platinum metal.
The finely divided material in which the catalyst is dispersed is virtually insoluble in either the aforementioned polyorganosiloxane or polyorganohydrogensiloxane and melts or softens at a temperature between 70 and 250 degrees C. The alleged advantage of the compositions disclosed in the patent to Schlak et al. is that the catalyst remains isolated from the other ingredients of the curable composition until the composition is heated sufficiently to melt the material in which the catalyst is dispersed. Because the organosilicon compounds present in the composition will not cure in the absence of the catalyst, the composition can allegedly be stored for long periods of time without undergoing curing or even an increase in viscosity.
A disadvantage of the curable organosiloxane compositions described by Schlak et al. and the published Japanese patent application is the method taught to prepare the catalyst/resin composition. A solid block or sheet of resin containing the platinum composition dispersed throughout is ground to a fine powder. Based on the random nature of the grinding operation there is a reasonable probability that some of the particles will contain platinum catalyst on their surface. Even trace amount of platinum have been shown to cause premature curing of the type of organosiloxane composition exemplified in this patent.
One way to avoid the inherent disadvantages of the catalyst compositions described in the Schlak et al. patent, is to completely microencapsulate finely divided particles or droplets of a catalyst composition within a material that is impermeable to the catalyst and effectively isolates it from the reactive ingredients of a curable organosiloxane composition. The encapsulant melts or softens at the desired curing temperature of the composition. A variety of methods for microencapsulating materials are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,667, which issued on Oct. 17, 1989 to Lee et al. and is assigned to the same party as the present application discloses one-part organosiloxane compositions that cure by a platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction. The platinum catalyst is microencapsulated in one or two layers of a thermoplastic organic polymer. The diameter of the microencapsulated catalyst particles are less then 100 microns.
A disadvantage of the preparative methods described in the Lee et al. patent and related U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,176, issued on Aug. 23, 1988 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,879, issued on Nov. 15, 1988, is the inability of these methods to yield microcapsules of sufficiently small size that curable compositions containing these microcapsules are optically transparent. Curable compositions containing these microcapsules are translucent or opaque.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,699, which issued on Nov. 19, 1991 describes a method for preparing a microencapsulated platinum-containing hydrosilylation catalyst. A solubilized hydroxyl-containing ethylenically unsaturated organic compound is photopolymerized in the presence of the catalyst, a photoinitiator for the polymerization and an optional surfactant. Substantially none of the microcapsules is larger than 3 micrometers in diameter. This patent also discloses storage stable one-part curable organosiloxane compositions containing a microencapsulated catalyst prepared as described in the patent. The compositions are cured by heating them at a temperature that is at least equal to the softening temperature of the polymer portion of the microencapsulated catalyst.
One objective of this invention is to provide a novel type of microencapsulated platinum group metal-containing curing catalyst that does not detract from the optical transparency or the cure rate at elevated temperatures of curable organosiloxane compositions containing the catalyst.
A second objective is to provide a novel method for preparing microencapsulated hydrosilylation reaction catalysts that are effective curing catalysts for organosiloxane compositions.
Another objective is to provide optically transparent one-part storage stable organosiloxane compositions containing the microencapsulated curing catalysts of this invention. The compositions can be cured either by heating them or exposing them to ultraviolet radiation in the range of from 200 to 260 nanometers (nm).

Storage stable heat curable organosiloxane compositions containing a microencapsulated catalyst and method for preparing said catalyst


An assembly. The assembly reduces damage to a related electronic package during attachment to a related electronic interconnect structure. The assembly includes an interposer. The interposer has a first side and an opposing second side and has multiple holes formed in the interposer that extend from the first side to the second side. The electronic package is configurable to comprise one or more electronic structures; the interposer is configured for placement between the electronic package and the electronic interconnect structure; the locus of a wall of each of the holes is configured to facilitate insertion of a matching coupling component configured for electrically coupling the electronic package to the electronic interconnect structure; the wall of each hole is configured to provide complete encirclement of that hole; and the interposer mechanically inhibits physical contact between the electronic package and the electronic interconnect structure.

A number of different types of electronic packages are used to mount integrated circuits and other electronic devices. Such packages are used because they often provide the advantages of physical protection, electrical interconnect, and thermal dissipation for the mounted device. However, thermal fatigue, solder ball creep under compression loading, and other related issues are items of concern due to thermal stresses resultant from variations in thermal coefficients between the various components of the package and its mounted device(s) and due to the nature by which these completed packages are assembled. This is especially the case for the larger area packages.
In order to reduce the risk of a failure in the package, mechanical stops or interposers have been included to provide some support to the package substrate. These designs typically use metal or plastic spacers inserted under the package corners or edges. Since ceramic substrates have a high mechanical strength and can usually withstand the high stresses exerted on the package corners and edges, they may be relatively effective for ceramic packages. However, for other types, such as laminate packages, the substrates cannot withstand the high stresses typically involved in the assembly process. A large mechanical load on the package can easily break the laminate substrate at its corners or edges or can result in excessive warp of the substrate.

Damage prevention interposer for electronic package and electronic interconnect structure

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


One microphone of a binaural Completely-In-Canal ("CIC") hearing aid is located at the distal end of the retrieval line. This reduces coupling between the microphones and receiver. Additionally, by locating the microphone at the distal end of the retrieval line, the faceplate need not be enlarged.

The invention relates to binaural hearing aids, and more specifically relates to small binaural hearing aids. In its most immediate sense, the invention relates to binaural CIC and ITE aids, i.e. hearing aids which are worn Completely In the Canal of the patient's ear or In The Ear of the patient.
Conventional hearing aids have only one microphone, and that microphone is generally of a nondirectional type (so the patient can hear sound from any direction relative to the patient's head). This nondirectionality impairs the patient's ability to determine the direction from which a sound originates. This can cause difficulties for the patient. For example, when a patient is addressed by another person and seeks to face the speaker, the patient may turn in the wrong direction. Similarly, if a patient hears a directive to e.g. move out of the way of danger, the patient may move in the wrong direction and toward the danger. For these reasons, binaural hearing aids have been developed.
A binaural hearing aid is an aid having two or more microphones. When a sound is detected by more than one microphone, the outputs of the microphones will almost always be different because the microphones will only seldom be precisely equidistant from the sound source. As a result, the directionality of the sound produces changes in the electrical signals from the microphones. By appropriate design of the hearing aid circuit, these changes can be used to vary the audio output from the hearing aid, thereby making it possible for the patient to assess, at least approximately, the direction from which a sound originates.
As a practical matter, a binaural hearing aid cannot provide useful information unless the microphones are sufficiently spaced apart. At a minimum, the microphones must be 12 mm apart. Such a spacing is very difficult to achieve with a CIC aid and with certain ITE aids.
A CIC aid is very tiny because it is worn deep within the patient's ear so as to be inconspicuous and indeed almost invisible. The small size of a CIC aid makes it difficult to provide a CIC aid with binaural capability.
This difficulty comes about because a conventional single-microphone CIC aid has the microphone ported through the faceplate. If a conventional CIC aid design is modified to provide two microphones ported through the faceplate, the faceplate must be enlarged. Such an enlargement makes the aid less marketable, because fewer patients have ear canals that are sufficiently large to accommodate the aid. Furthermore, adding an additional microphone to the faceplate of a conventional CIC design increases the risk of feedback. This is because faceplate space is limited, and when an additional microphone is added to the faceplate, one or both of the microphones may be well coupled to the receiver. An ITE aid, while being larger than a CIC aid, is also relatively small and is subject to the same problems (although the problems are somewhat less severe).
It would be advantageous to provide a binaural hearing aid having the cosmetic advantages of a CIC aid or a small ITE aid without being unduly large. And it would also be advantageous to provide a binaural CIC or ITE hearing aid that would not be unduly subject to feedback.
The invention proceeds from the realization that the retrieval line that is always provided on a CIC aid can support an additional microphone to thereby produce a binaural hearing aid. A retrieval line is a thin filament of e.g. skin-colored plastic that is fixed to the hearing aid housing and that is sufficiently long to extend out of the patients ear canal. A retrieval line may be, and conventionally is, enlarged at its distal end to make it more easily graspable.
In accordance with the invention, a binaural hearing aid is provided. The aid has a housing; the housing has a faceplate and contains a hearing aid circuit. An elongated flexible line is provided. The line has a proximal end fixed to said housing and a distal end remote from said housing, and the line extends from the housing in such a manner that a patient wearing the hearing aid in an ear can grasp the line and can pull the hearing aid out of the ear by pulling on the line.
A first microphone is located within the housing. The first microphone is operatively connected to the hearing aid circuit and is ported through the faceplate. A second microphone is also provided. The second microphone is operatively connected to the hearing aid circuit and is fixed to the distal end of the line.
Because the second microphone is located at the distal end of the line, it occupies no additional space on the faceplate. Consequently, the overall size of the faceplate (and therefore of the aid) need not be increased. Furthermore, the coupling between the microphones and the receiver is substantially less than it would be if both microphones were ported through the faceplate. This reduction in coupling makes the aid less subject to feedback.
When the distal end of the line is enlarged, this makes it easier for arthritic and nondexterous patients to grasp the end of the cable.

Binaural hearing aid with integrated retrieval line and microphone


A workbench holder system comprising a stop piece having a height and a thickness and a length in a generally rectilinear configuration with a first end having a first angled cut and with a second end having a second angled cut, one cut being at an obtuse angle and the other cut being at an acute angle. The system also comprises a cutting guide and a support bracket each coupled to the stop piece, the cutting guide and support bracket each having an upper horizontal component and a downwardly extending vertical component with a slot formed in the horizontal component of the cutting guide extending away from the stop piece and with apertures formed in the vertical components for coupling to the stop piece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved workbench holder system and, more particularly, pertains to a workbench holder system for the cross cut of lumber with an electric hand circular saw and portable workbench.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of workbench systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, workbench systems of known designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of facilitating accurate crosscuts in lumber are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of workbench systems of known designs and configurations. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,523 to Hopla, issued Dec. 11, 1956, discloses a guide device for portable power saws. U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,028 to Patterson, issued Nov. 1, 1977, discloses an apparatus for guiding a portable power saw. U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,479 to Eberhardt, issued Dec. 22, 1981, discloses a portable power driven cutting tool guide. International Publication Number WO 91/01838, published 21 Feb., 1991 to Kirbach et al., discloses a self aligning guide system for one or more circular saw blades. U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,975 to Warner, issued Feb. 2, 1993, discloses a guide for portable power saw. Lastly, U.S. Design Pat. No. 387,782 to Letendre, issued Dec. 16, 1997, discloses a guide assembly for conventional bench saw.
In this respect, the workbench holder system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of a workbench holder system for the cross cuts of lumber with an electric hand circular saw and portable workbench.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved workbench holder system which can be used for a workbench holder system for the cross cuts of lumber with an electric hand circular saw and portable workbench. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A headlight testing system includes a target screen upon which an image of headlight illumination is projected. Reference indicia for intensity and positioning are also placed upon the screen. A video camera captures an electrical image of the screen, which is digitized to allow for analysis thereof. A second video camera is directed at the vehicle headlights, its generated image similarly being digitized. The digitized data are processed, reference being made to the reference indicia, to determine positioning and intensity of the headlights. An overhead monitor, viewable from the vehicle may be utilized to provide information to an operator positioned within the vehicle under test, the operator communicating with the system by a wireless link communications.

Automobile safety testing, as mandated by state authorities and as may be employed to maintain an automobile in proper operating condition, includes a plurality of procedures which test a variety of the operating systems of the vehicle. To provide increased test facility throughput, as well as to provide more accuracy and consistency in the testing procedures, there has been an emphasis on automated test programs and routines. Present day test facilities are accordingly increasingly automated, with many test functions being carried out under the control of a computerized test system.
The checking of headlights for alignment and output is often a component of such test routines. It has heretofore been difficult, however, to develop and adapt automated procedures to such headlight testing. Typically, manual test equipment has been unsuccessfully adapted to automated systems. Such attempts have failed to sufficiently automate the procedure, and still require significant operator intervention and accordingly introduce the risk of significant error into the procedure.
It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to provide an automated system for automobile headlight testing which avoids the shortcoming of the prior art.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated headlight testing system and apparatus which can be implemented and utilized without the need for significant operator assistance. Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a test system and apparatus which allows headlight testing to be performed in a rapid manner.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a headlight test system which can easily compensate for variations in headlight location, and which is adaptable for a wide variety of headlight configurations and positioning.
Another object of the invention is to provide a headlight test system which can be incorporated into or utilized in association with automated vehicle test apparatus.


A combination sensor module for a vehicle, having at least two sensor submodules which are situated in the combination sensor module and able to be connected to the electronics system of the vehicle, wherein the at least two sensor submodules are able to be operated independently of each other.

Modern vehicles commonly include a multitude of driver-assistance systems and expanded safety devices such as belt tighteners or airbags. To ensure proper functioning of these assistance or safety systems, precise knowledge of the current movement situation of the vehicle is required in most cases.
For example, acceleration sensors may detect the acceleration or deceleration of a vehicle in a certain direction, while rate-of-rotation sensors may detect twisting or a rotation of the vehicle about an axis.
Normally, a three-dimensional coordinate system X,Y,Z is used for this purpose, X denoting the longitudinal axis, Y the transverse axis, and Z the vertical axis of the vehicle. Roll-rate sensors, on the other hand, are able to detect a rotation of the vehicle about the X,Y,Z axes.
Conventional micromechanical combination modules may include a plurality of sensors, in particular three sensors, which have associated degrees of freedom, are frequently disposed. These may not necessarily be three acceleration sensors exclusively, or three roll-rate sensors or rotation sensors, but a combination of acceleration and rotation sensor is possible as well.
Different driver assistance system or safety systems may feature very individualized sensor combinations in this context.
For an ESP module, for example, a sensor having three degrees of freedom, i.e., generally a 3D sensor element, may be provided, which is able to detect an acceleration in the X and Y directions, as well as a rotation about the Z-axis. For a rollover sensor, on the other hand, a 3D sensor may measure an acceleration in the Y and Z-axes, and furthermore a rotation about the X-axis.
Such sensor modules, however, are mostly designed or optimized for a particular use. A simple exchange is therefore often impossible.

Flexible combination sensor module for a vehicle


A per sub-pixel luminance information-generating unit enters per-pixel luminance information, and generates respective pieces of luminance information on target pixel-forming three sub-pixels using luminance information on the target pixel and an adjacent pixel. A per sub-pixel chroma information-generating unit enters per-pixel chroma information, and generates respective pieces of chroma information on the target pixel-forming sub-pixels using chroma information on the target pixel and an adjacent pixel. The target pixel and the pixel adjacent to the target pixel are used to generate respective pieces of the luminance information on the target pixel-forming three sub-pixels. Since the pixels used to generate the luminance information on a per sub-pixel basis are the same ones used to generate the luminance information, the occurrence of color irregularities is inhibited between an original image and a multi-value image displayed on a per sub-pixel basis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for displaying an image on a display device having light-emitting elements with three primary colors (RGB) aligned with each other, and display equipment including the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display equipment that employs various types of display devices have been in customary use. One known type of display equipment heretofore includes a display device such as a color LCD and a color plasma display, in which three light-emitting elements for illuminating three primary colors (RGB) are aligned in certain sequence to form a pixel. A plurality of pixels are aligned in series in a first direction, thereby forming a line. A plurality of lines are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, thereby forming a display screen on the display device.
A large number of display devices have display screens reduced in size to a degree that they fail to provide a sufficiently fine display. This problem is commonly seen in the display devices disposed in, e.g., a cellular phone, a mobile computer. In such display devices, small characters and photographs, or complicated pictures, are often smeared and rendered obscure in sharpness.
In order to provide improved display sharpness in such a small display screen, a reference entitled "Sub-Pixel Font-Rendering Technology" is open to the public on the Internet. The reference discloses per sub-pixel display based on a pixel formed by three light-emitting elements (RGB). The present Inventors downloaded the reference on Jun. 19, 2000 from a web site (http://grc.com/) or a subordinate thereof.
The above technology is now described with reference to FIGS. 28 to 32. In the following description, an alphabetic character "A" is used as an example of a displayed image.
FIG. 28 is a simulated illustration, showing a line that includes a chain of pixels, each of which consists of the three light-emitting elements. A horizontal direction, or a direction in which the light-emitting elements are aligned with each other, is called a first direction. A vertical direction, perpendicular to the first direction, is referred to as a second direction.
In the prior art as well as the present invention, the light-emitting elements are not limited to alignment in the order of R, G, and B, but may be arranged serially in any other alphabetical sequence.
A plurality of the pixels, each of which is formed by the three light-emitting elements, is arranged in a row in the first direction to form a line. A plurality of such lines are aligned with each other in the second direction, thereby providing a display screen.
The sub-pixel technology as discussed above addresses an original image as illustrated in, e.g., FIG. 29. In this example, the character "A" is displayed over a display screen area that consists of seven pixels-by-seven pixels in the horizontal and vertical (first and second) directions, respectively. Meanwhile, a font having a resolution as much as three times greater than that of the previous character is provided as illustrated in FIG. 30 in order to provide a per sub-pixel display. In FIG. 30, assuming that each of the light-emitting elements (RGB) is viewed as a single pixel, the character "A" is displayed over a display screen area that consists of twenty-one pixels (=7*3 pixels) horizontally by seven pixels vertically.
As illustrated in FIG. 31, a color is determined for each of the pixels of FIG. 29, but not the pixels in FIG. 30. However, color irregularities occur when the determined colors are displayed without being processed. The determined colors must be filtered using factors as shown in FIG. 32(a) to avoid the color irregularities. As illustrated in FIG. 32(a), the factors are correlated with luminance, in which a central target sub-pixel is multiplied by, e.g., a factor of 3/9. Contiguously adjacent sub-pixels next to the central sub-pixel ae multiplied by a factor of 2/9. Sub-pixels next to the contiguously adjacent sub-pixels are multiplied by a factor of 1/9, thereby adjusting the luminance of each of the sub-pixels.
Apart from the above, anti-aliasing has been practiced in order to provide improved image visibility over a small display screen area. However, a drawback to anti-aliasing is that the entire image is rendered obscure in sharpness in order to alleviate jaggies, resulting in proportionally reduced image quality.
In view of such shortcomings, the use of the sub-pixel technology as discussed above provides better image visibility than anti-aliasing.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method for producing a non-human mammalian model for neurogenic pain is provided, which includes altering a peripheral nerve of a non-human mammal by non-surgically placing a gel substance into the fascial tunnel through which the peripheral nerve passes. The placement of the gel substance leads to one or more pain behaviors thereby producing the pain model. Also provided is a non-human mammalian model for neurogenic pain so produced. Further provided is a method for screening a treatment or a therapeutic agent for efficacy in treating neurogenic pain as well as a method for screening an analgesic agent for analgesic effect in neurogenic pain.

The nervous system routinely sends coded signals that result in sensation. Certain types of lesions to either the central or peripheral nervous system can result in an alteration of sensation which leads to pain. Research into persistent or chronic pain has focused mainly on the spinal cord and brain, with little being done to examine the peripheral nervous system. This is so even though researchers and physicians who treat persistent pain syndromes believe that the peripheral nervous system is the origin of much of the pain that needs treatment.
Even though the peripheral nervous system may be considered as the origin of the majority of persistent pain, such pain usually has no known cause. No evidence exists of nerve damage, inflammation or of a biophysical etiology. The lack of knowledge concerning the cause of persistent pain hinders research and development of therapeutics to treat such pain. Many researchers refer to the puzzle of pain when referring to persistent neurogenic pain. The cause of neurogenic pain is only well-defined when there has been a history of direct trauma to a nerve. The majority of persistent neural pain, however, develops slowly near an area of soft tissue injury, without evidence of direct trauma.
Neurogenic pain is pain attributed to a functional disturbance of a nerve or a transitory pertubation, which can occur as a result of alterations and/or injury to nerves. It may occur by a variety of mechanisms including irritation, injury and compression of the peripheral nerves. The symptoms of neurogenic pain may include a burning sensation, tingling, or electric-shock-like feelings that may be triggered by even a very light touch. Human persistent pain conditions are organized into two categories: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I (CRPS I) and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome II (CRPS II). CRPS I refers to pain without obvious nerve injury, while CRPS II refers to pain with known nerve injury (Merskey and Bogduk, 1994, Classification of Chronic Pain, Second Edition, IASP Press). Current animal models do not represent CRPS I, persistent pain without obvious nerve injury.
Any physical change to a nerve can cause physiologic alterations depending on the nerve's receptor organ and the direction of its electric current. For example, pressure on a nerve is capable of causing nondestructive (non-traumatic) alterations or injury to the nerve that can be seen as changes of characteristics such as in the blood flow of the vasonavorum, in the accumulation of edema within the nerve, in the axonal flow, and in the electrical conductivity and immune cell populations of the nerve. Such changes of pressure on a nerve can result in observable signs and symptoms of nondestructive nerve injury such as behavioral changes of pain with increased sensitivity to light touch and painful sharp touch, licking of paws, edema, and increased sensitivity to heat and cold. Other physical examination signs commonly seen that are associated with more traumatic and/or destructive nerve injury would include sensory numbness and/or hyperalgesia to heat, paw edema, dragging of limb, chewing of paws, tremors, spasms, weakness due to neural loss, and/or paralysis. The functional change in a nerve may depend on the area and force of pressure applied and the resultant changes in extracellular matrix, glial cells, blood flow, lymph circulation, and electrical conductance secondary to the pressure. The consequent alterations in a nerve and their subsequent sensory and behavioral changes may not be immediate, as is seen in a quick high-pressure crush-type injury. In fact, there may be a delay of a few days to several weeks before the onset of neurogenic pain after a tissue injury in humans. Such delayed onset pain conditions can include cervical whiplash, post-traumatic regional persistent pain, post-surgical pain and repetitive trauma syndromes such as radial neuritis. Therefore, animal models of nerve pain must consider the physiological changes occurring in tissue during healing and remodeling after a soft tissue injury, since such changes can result in the delayed onset of persistent neurogenic pain.
Current animal models have focused on production of pain through strategies such as irritating, cutting, crushing, ligating, or freezing the nerves in order to model a human peripheral nerve injury with neuropathic pain. However, such injuries are rarely noted as an initiating etiology in humans. In clinical practice the majority of occupational injuries involving such direct trauma as crush, nerve transection or burns heal without developing chronic neurogenic or neuropathic pain conditions. Examples of animal models using direct neural trauma include: use of chemical irritants injected into a limb or paw (Liu-Chen, et al. 1991, Eur. J. Pharmacol. 15:195-202); transient nerve crush by compressing the nerve with a micro-cuff (Attal, et al. 1994, Pain 59:301-312); freezing the sciatic nerve using the technique of sciatic cryoneurolysis (Willenbring, et al. 1994, Pain 58:135-140; Wagner, et al. 1995, Physiol. Behav. 58:37-41); sciatic nerve partial injury induced by dissecting the nerve lengthwise into two pieces and only ligating one (Seltzer, et al. 1990, Pain 43:205-218); sciatic nerve partial cut where only a part of the nerve is transected (Dougherty, et al. 1992, Brain Res. 20:109-115); sciatic nerve full cut where the nerve is completely transected (Kingery, et al. 1999, Pain 80:555-566); nerve root ligatures where the lumbar nerve roots are ligated (Kim, and Chung, 1992, Pain 50:355-363; Choi, et al. 1994, Pain 59:369-376); polyethylene cuffs to produce a compression injury (Mosconi and Kruger, 1996, Pain 64:37-57); use of hemostatic oxidized cellulose that on one side was saturated with an inflammatory stimulus, carrageenan, or complete Freund's adjuvant (Eliav, et al. 1999, Pain 83:169-182); bee venom injected into rat paw (Chen, et al. 2000, Neurosci. Lett. 284:45-48); scalding of rat paw (Lofgren, et al. 1997, Acta Physiol. Scand. 161:289-294); photochemically-induced laser lesion of sciatic nerve (Gazelius, et al. 1996, Neuroreport. 4:2619-2623); use of zymosan on the sciatic nerve (Chacur, et al. 2000, American Pain Society Poster Presentation); and a spared nerve injury model where two or three terminal branches of the sciatic nerve are transected (Decosterd and Woolf, 2000, Pain 87:149-158). All of these animal models rely on production of a destructive nerve injury through direct nerve trauma, irritation, or an acute immune response. A model extensively studied for chronic pain is the Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) model where a sciatic nerve injury is induced by tying four chromic gut sutures loosely around the nerve (Bennett and Xie, 1998, Pain 33:87-107). However, this model produces animals that have difficulty walking due to the immediate, acute pain and swelling seen in the leg on which the procedure is performed. As a result, special attention to animal care is needed for these animals for 3 to 4 days. None of the current models create persistent neurogenic pain in animals that are fully ambulatory within minutes of the procedure and require no special care.
In addition, current animal models of neuropathic pain result in sudden acute inflammatory pain and do not mimic the prolonged normal tissue repair physiology which occurs after many human injuries. Perineural tissue changes can occur after an injury that leads to altered functioning of a nerve and to the ultimate development of pain-related behaviors. In this regards, none of the current models represent the gradual onset of neurogenic pain, since the neuropathic pain they represent is initiated with a very direct injurious method.
Furthermore, all current animal models involve some type of known nerve injury. Yet, the majority of persistent "nonmalignant" pain treated by physicians has no known nerve injury as a cause, although the origin is attributed to being neurogenic or neuropathic. Persistent pain can develop as a response to often clinically, non-detectable tissue injury, not only as a response to direct trauma. After a soft tissue injury, there appears to be a functional disturbance of an associated nerve, which can lead to the demonstration of pain behavior. The cause or location of this disturbance, perturbation or ectopic firing on a nerve is not currently identified.
There is a long-standing need for an animal model representing patients with chronic pain without nerve damage. The need for an animal model for pain without clinical evidence of nerve injury has been recognized and preliminary attempts have been made. Reyna et al. (ICLAS, Palma de Malloren, May 26-28, page 226, 1999) developed an open surgical rat model for CRPS I that involved surgical placement by the tibial nerve of collagen. This surgical model produced pain responses characteristic of known neurogenic pain in the rats. For example, the responses were delayed in onset by about 14 days. The responses included sensitivity to light touch (mechanical allodynia), and persisted for up to 43 days. In addition, these animals exhibited an analgesic response to morphine sulfate and gabapentin. However, the creation of this animal model involved a surgical procedure to expose the posterior tibial nerve on one leg of the animal. The open surgical procedure could cause a certain degree of direct tissue injury. Thus, additional models for persistent neuropathic pain are needed, in particular, models that involve minimal tissue injury.


Methods are disclosed for generating antibodies and an expression vector used to express protein(s) which provoke the antibody response. The expression vector may be useful in generating an antibody directed to an antigen, comprising a gene in operable linkage with a promoter, which gene encodes upon expressing a fusion protein comprising (i) CD134L, a fragment or homologous protein thereof as N-terminal moiety of the fusion protein; and (ii) all or part of an antigenic protein as C-terminal moiety of the fusion protein. To generate the antibodies, the vector is injected into a subject animal, which produces a fusion protein, against which antibodies are generated.

Since the development of recombinant DNA techniques in the late 1970s, gene fusion technology has been used for generating multifunctional proteins for a broad range of applications. Fusion proteins are utilised in protein science research for diverse applications. In order to construct such fusion proteins, two types of connection are possible. One is 'end to end' fusion in which the N-terminus of one domain is linked to the C-terminus of the other domain. The second is "insertional" fusion in which one domain is inserted in-frame into the middle of the other parent domain.
Antibodies have widely been utilized as reagents for the research for the purpose of detection, purification, elimination, inhibition of a protein or the like, because it has property of recognizing specific protein and binding thereto. Recently, it has widely been used not only as reagents for the research but also as drugs or diagnostic agents.
In producing antibodies, it has so far been general to use a method that a large amount of protein as an antigen is purified and injected to an animal or animals such as rabbits or mice to collect antibodies generated in sera. It required, however, much time and a great deal of labor to obtain a large amount of a purified antigenic protein. It is desired to provide a more convenient method for producing antibodies, accordingly.
It was reported that when a gene coding for an influenza virus nucleoprotein is integrated into an expression vector and intramuscularly injected directly as DNA to mice, then virus proteins are produced in the murine bodies and additionally the antibody against these proteins are generated in the sera (Ulmer et al., Science 259: 1745-1749, 1993). As a result, this expression vector received much attention for the use to produce antibodies. Thus, it has been designated as gene immunization that an expression vector for an antigenic protein is inoculated directly to an animal to generate and prepare antibodies. In using gene immunization, however, in some cases, the titer of the generated antibody is very low or no antibody is generated depending on the kind of the antigen used.
It was reported as an example of gene immunization that ovalbumin was fused in the downstream of transmembrane domain of transferrin receptor to form a membrane type and it was injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously to mice in order to investigate an effect of the expression site of antigenic protein on the efficacy of gene immunization. The titer of the antibodies generated, however, rather decreased since the protein was converted into a membrane type. (Boyle et al., Int. Immunol. 9: 1897-1906, 1997).
The document EP 1 304 375 refers to a method for producing an antibody against an antigenic protein, wherein the antigenic protein is fused with the C-terminal side of a transmembrane domain of which the N-terminal side is located in the cell and the C-terminal side is out of the cell and the fusion protein is inoculated in a non-human animal.
The purpose of the invention of the present application is to provide an improved method for producing antibodies directed to proteins, for which it was difficult to produce antibodies in so far known gene immunization methods.
Additionally, the purpose of the invention is to provide an expression vector useful to express an immunogen which is applied in the above-mentioned method for producing an antibody.
How these and other aspects of the invention are achieved will be seen from the disclosure which follows.

Method for producing antibody using “naked” expression vector expressing type II transmembrane fusion protein


A remote diagnostic center configured to receive vibration data, field notes information, and diagnostic reports over a communication network from one or more vibration analysis units located at one or more machine sites, including a data center configured to receive, store, and provide secure backup for received vibration data and field notes information, the data center including a communication module, a database management module, a diagnostic analysis module, and a portal module to enable one or more remote analysts to review and collaborate on the received vibration data, field notes information, and diagnostic reports to monitor and report to a diagnostic center manager whether the vibration data and field notes information corresponding to a particular machine-under-test is being processed by an analyst and will be completed within a specified time interval specific to the machine-under-test.

Predictive Maintenance, or PdM, programs in industrial plants are frequently implemented by assigning a technician to use portable instrumentation, such as a vibration analyzer, an ultrasonic gun, and/or an IR camera, along a predetermined route to collect data related to the operation of the equipment on this route. This information, in turn, may then be used to diagnose problems or potential problems associated with the health and/or operation of the equipment, and to predict equipment availability.
For example, a PdM program may include a technician, i.e., operator carrying a vibration analyzer device to each machine located along a defined route. Upon reaching a particular machine that desired to be analyzed, a vibration sensor, such as an accelerometer, is physically coupled to the machine at one or more measurement locations. Specific measurements are acquired at each location on the machine as specified in the route instructions. The vibration sensor and analyzer then receive vibration data from the measurement locations, and may output this information on a display of the analyzer. Once the information on all machines on the route has been collected, this information is transferred to a host workstation which contains the entire database and the analysis software.
Most PdM programs are conducted by a team of a few individuals. The key functions to be performed are data collection and data analysis resulting in a status report identifying healthy machines and those in need of maintenance. In many cases, the same person may perform both functions, and in larger plants, program personnel will be assigned to different areas of the plant to provide coverage for all machines in the program. In other cases, one or more technicians may perform all of the data collection and other individuals may perform the analysis/reporting function. In either case, the individuals are typically in close proximity to each other, sometimes in the same office. If the analyst desires to inspect the machine or collect additional data to be more certain of his diagnosis, then he would typically travel to the location of the machine to perform more in depth troubleshooting. Many practitioners in the industry will not allow others to perform data collection for the machines that they must analyze because they believe that information picked up by the five senses when you are at the machine will not be effectively communicated back to them and that the technicians will not know when or how to collect more sophisticated measurements that could be needed to isolate the fault condition. Quality of remote analysis can be greatly improved when verifiable observations from the field are included with routinely collected data. Although this need for close communication between the analyst and the data collector is recognized, it has typically been handled by face-to-face verbal exchanges or text field notes attached to the route data.
The scheduling of both data collection and data analysis is also handled by word-of-mouth methods when the PdM personnel are located in close proximity to each other. It is common for vibration data to be collected periodically, for example once per month; however, equipment and personnel availability may cause the timing of the collection task to vary each month or even be omitted. Clearly, analysis cannot begin until data has been collected. As might be expected, the exchange of this information is typically handled verbally or via emails between team members.
Another important communication exchange should occur between the analyst and the maintenance planner. The analyst will commonly prepare a report which identifies machines in need of correction or maintenance. In many cases, the planner will have months of forewarning during which he can schedule work orders to be performed. The planner should schedule the maintenance actions in such a way as to minimize the impact of these repairs on the production of the plant. Thus, in many cases, an analyst may call a problem at a very early stage of degradation and track it for several months before a repair is performed. It is important to verify that the maintenance performed on the machine has corrected the problem. Further, it is important to know whether the faults that were identified were correct and if not, what was the fault condition discovered. It is also important to attempt to document the root cause of the fault which may be determined from an inspection of the damage parts removed from the machine or machine conditions noted during the removal process. It is common practice for this communication exchange to occur via verbal exchanges or emails; however, the occurrence and fidelity of this exchange is often compromised by departmental priorities, physical separation, and the significant time delay which may occur between the identification and the correction of the fault.
When PdM programs were executed by small teams in close proximity to each other, the ad hoc communication methods were adequate. However, a new model for PdM programs has been developed which offers significant opportunities to improve the effectiveness and to reduce the cost of executing these programs. The new model utilizes a geographically diverse staff that relies upon the internet to communicate data and information between team members. There are many factors important to executing and sustaining a PdM program in a plant; however, one of the hardest factors to manage and maintain is the need for diagnostic expertise. A skilled analyst typically takes a number of years to learn his trade and the pool of those with this skill is in diminishing supply. Bringing the data to the analysts, rather than bringing the analysts to the machines, can improve the effectiveness and reduce the overall cost of these programs.

Remote diagnostic systems and methods for predictive maintenance programs


A method and system for identifying a vehicle type of a vehicle having an electric drive and a traction battery, in which a charging behavior of the vehicle that occurs during a current operation of charging the traction battery at a charging column is captured. A current charging profile is created for the current charging operation on the basis of the captured charging behavior. The current charging profile is compared with respective charging profiles which are retrievably stored in a storage unit and are each specific to a respective particular vehicle type. A probability of a presence of a particular vehicle type from the plurality of vehicle types is determined on the basis of the comparison. The vehicle type most likely to be present is identified as the vehicle type and the current charging operation is adapted to the vehicle type which is most likely to be present.

When charging a vehicle having an electric drive, in particular when charging electric vehicles, it is currently not possible to identify which vehicle is currently being charged at the respective charging column on account of a standardized communication protocol (CPP). The OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is a generally used application protocol which standardizes communication between a charging station or a charging column for electric vehicles and a central management system. This enables manufacturer-independent communication between a charging station for electric automobiles and various accounting and management systems of charging infrastructures. It is also ensured that vehicles, charging stations and communication and network systems can act in accordance with one another.
Not all aspects relating to the charging of a vehicle at a charging column are covered by the IEC 61851-23, incorporated by reference herein, standard for conductive charging systems for electric vehicles, for example communication between a respective charging column and a vehicle to be charged. Therefore, the IEC 61851-23 standard leaves room for interpretation. Vehicles from different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) generally exhibit a different behavior during charging, that is to say a different charging behavior. In this case, current and/or voltage values which are requested from the charging column by the vehicle at the start of the charging operation and/or over the further course of the charging operation may vary from vehicle type to vehicle type. The same applies to the type of a connection set-up between the charging column and the vehicle, in which case the time sequence (timing), the set-up and the emitted and received signals can vary here from vehicle type to vehicle type, for example.
In order to be able to ensure reliable charging, manufacturer-specific implementations of a charging operation may be required. In order to change over between different implementations of this type or parameter sets or branches with respect to progress of the charging of a vehicle, it is advantageous to be able to reliably identify the vehicle currently connected to the charging column.
US 2013/0214737, incorporated by reference herein, discloses a data transmission apparatus which is used between a charging device and an electric vehicle. In this case, an internal interface which is compatible with messages of a first protocol, an external interface which is compatible with the messages of a second protocol and an external conversion module are provided, wherein the conversion module is configured to receive and convert messages of the second protocol from the electric vehicle in order to transmit corresponding messages of the first protocol to the charging device. An in-to-out transformation module is also provided and is configured to receive and convert messages of the first protocol from the charging device and to transmit them as a message of the second protocol to the electric vehicle.
US 2013/0110296, incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method for controlling and regulating an operation of charging an electric vehicle. The method described comprises receiving a charging order from an electric vehicle via a network connection between a charging station and a cloud server, wherein the network connection comprises a mobile device which is designed to simplify communication between the charging station and the cloud server.
CN 106058980, incorporated by reference herein, discloses an automatic voltage detection charging pile which can be used to automatically identify the battery model of an electric vehicle to be charged, with the result that a suitable charging voltage can be calculated and a suitable charging voltage is automatically selected.
However, none of the documents mentioned discloses a possible way of identifying a vehicle type of an electric vehicle to be charged and adapting a charging operation according to the identified vehicle type.
In view of the foregoing challenges, a method and a system are disclosed for identifying a vehicle type of a vehicle. Further configurations of the system and of the method are apparent from the description.
The method according to aspects of the invention is provided for the purpose of identifying a vehicle type of a vehicle having an electric drive and a traction battery. In the method according to aspects of the invention, a charging behavior of the vehicle that occurs during a current operation of charging the traction battery at a charging column is captured using sensors during said charging operation, and a current charging profile is created for the current operation of charging the vehicle on the basis of the captured charging behavior. The current charging profile is then compared with respective charging profiles which are stored in a storage unit and are each specific to a respective particular vehicle type from a plurality of vehicle types. A probability of a presence of a particular vehicle type from the plurality of vehicle types is determined on the basis of the comparison which has been carried out. The vehicle type most likely to be present is identified as the vehicle type of the vehicle and the current charging operation is adapted to the vehicle type which is most likely to be present.
When calculating the probability of a presence of a particular vehicle type by comparing the currently created charging profile with the retrievably stored charging profiles, it is conceivable, in one configuration, for the charging profile to be evaluated with regard to predefined features included in the charging profile.
In another configuration, charging profiles of vehicles which have previously been charged, in particular at the charging column, and from which a respective charging profile has accordingly been created are stored as the retrievable charging profiles in the storage unit. Therefore, a history of created charging profiles for various vehicle types is used to create a database of charging profiles for various vehicle types, which database is in turn used to compare currently created charging profiles with the charging profiles stored in the database. The database is preferably continuously updated, that is to say, in a further configuration, the created current charging profile in the storage unit or in the database included in the latter is retrievably stored and is therefore provided for a future comparison with a corresponding charging profile to be created in future.
In yet another configuration of the method according to aspects of the invention, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the vehicle a series of the vehicle and/or a derivative of the vehicle is/are identified on the basis of the identified vehicle type of the vehicle. This makes it possible to ensure that OEM-specific implementations of a charging operation can be adjusted in order to make it possible to reliably charge the corresponding vehicle at the respective charging column. This means that a multiplicity of implementations or parameter sets or branches for charging respective vehicles of different vehicle types are provided in the charging, column or the charging station, in which case it is possible to change over between the implementations or parameter sets. In order to usefully change over between different implementations, it is therefore necessary to reliably identify the vehicle type of the vehicle to be currently charged, which is enabled in a simple manner with the aid of the method according to aspects of the invention.
In one possible configuration, the charging operation is adapted specifically to the identified vehicle type with respect to the charging time and/or costs and/or charging reliability.
In further configuration, the capture of the charging behavior comprises capturing characteristic values typical of charging. In this case, the characteristic values are selected from the group at least comprising: parameters of a connection set-up between the charging column and the vehicle, required current and/or voltage values at the start of the charging operation and/or over the further course of the charging operation. This means that the charging behavior is defined by said characteristic values typical of charging and the charging behavior of the vehicle itself can be sufficiently characterized by capturing said characteristic values.
The present invention also relates to a system for identifying a vehicle type a vehicle having an electric drive and a traction battery.
The system according to aspects of the invention at least comprises a sensor or capture unit which is configured to capture a charging behavior that occurs during a current operation of charging the traction battery at a charging column, a computer unit which is configured to create a current charging profile for the current charging operation on the basis of the captured charging behavior and to compare the current charging profile with respective charging profiles which are retrievably stored in a storage unit and are each specific to a respective particular vehicle type from a plurality of vehicle types and to determine a probability of a presence of a particular vehicle type from the plurality of vehicle types on the basis of the comparison and to identify the vehicle type which is most likely to be present as the vehicle type of the vehicle, and an optimization unit which is configured to adapt the current charging operation to the vehicle type which is most likely to be present, wherein the charging column, the sensor or capture unit, the computer unit, the storage unit and the optimization unit have a technical communicative connection to one another during operation of the system.
In this case, the wording "have a technical communicative connection" means that said components, that is to say the charging column, the sensor or capture unit, the computer unit, the storage unit and the optimization unit, can transmit and/or receive data and/or signals in a wired and/or wireless manner among one another. It is conceivable for the respective communication between the various components to all be based on the same technology, for example on a selected radio technology using specific communication protocols such as GSM, UMTS, IEEE 802.11 (WLAN) or Bluetooth. It is also conceivable for a first group of said components to interchange data and/or signals with one another in a wired manner, while a second group of said components communicate in a wireless manner with one another.
In one configuration of the system according to aspects of the invention, the system also comprises the charging column itself, wherein the charging column comprises connection means (e.g., a cable having a plug that is configured to be connected to the vehicle) and technical communication means (e.g., transmitter, receiver, transceiver, electrical wire cable, etc.) and is configured to be connected to the traction battery by means of the connection means and to charge said traction battery and to transmit signals to the sensor unit, the computer unit, the storage unit and/or the optimization unit and/or to receive signals from the sensor unit, from the computer unit, from the storage unit and/or from the optimization unit by means of the communication means.
In another configuration, the system according to aspects of the invention also comprises said storage unit which is configured to retrievably store charging profiles which are each specific to a respective particular vehicle type or to a network of vehicle types.
In another configuration, the storage unit and/or the computer unit and/or the optimization unit is/are implemented in a computer cloud, that is to say a so-called cloud, wherein the charging column and/or the sensor or capture unit is/are connected to the computer cloud via a network connection and can transmit and/or receive signals thereby.
The computer cloud is substantially an IT infrastructure which provides storage space, computer power or else application software as a service, generally via the Internet. This IT infrastructure, that is to say the cloud, is accessible via technical interfaces and protocols and possibly via a web browser. Therefore, the charging column and/or the sensor or capture unit must be connected to the computer cloud via said network connection and a corresponding interface using a predefined protocol in order to be able to transmit and/or receive signals thereby.
In a further configuration of the method according to aspects of the invention, the sensor or capture unit is integrated in the charging column, that is to say the sensor or capture unit is part of the charging column.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product having a computer-readable medium and a computer program which is stored on the computer-readable medium and has program code means which are suitable, when the computer program runs on a computer, in particular on the computer unit mentioned above, for carrying out a method according to aspects of the invention described above.

Method and system for identifying a vehicle type of a vehicle


This invention relates to transition metal compounds, catalyst systems comprising said compounds and polymerization processes using such catalyst systems, where the transition metal compound is represented by the formula:

There is a need in industry for new transition metal compounds useful as polymerization catalysts.
Bridged monocyclopentadienyl transition metal compounds have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,055,438 and 7,163,907 (and other patents by the instant inventor J. M. Canich), that when activated with methyl alumoxane or a non-coordinating anion produce polyolefins.
U.S. 2006/0160968 discloses a process to make substituted metallocenes where the ligand has been halogenated prior to reactions with the metal complex.
U.S. 2007/0135594 discloses halogenated mono-cyclopentadienyl-amido transition metal compounds.
U.S. 2007/0135597 discloses bridged bis cyclopentadienyl transition metal compounds where on ligand is an indene and the other ligand is a cyclopentadiene, indene or fluorene and the bridge is located at the 4, 5, 6, or 7 position of the indene or the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 position of the fluorene.
U.S. 2006-0160967 disclose bridged indenyl compounds where the bridged is at the 4, 5, 6, or 7 position of the indene and at least one of the two ligands is substituted with a halogen.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,863 and WO 2003/000744 disclose bridged and unbridged bis indenyl compounds substituted at the 4, 5, 6, or 7 positions by a siloxy or germyloxy group. Also disclosed is one mono-indenyl amido titanium complex where the indenyl ligand is bridged to the amido ligand via an O—SiMe2 bridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,301 discloses bridged monocyclopentadienyl compounds where the bridging group —ZAA1- is bonded to the "cyclopentadienyl" ligand by both Z and A1 forming a multicyclic structure. The compounds exemplified are mono-fluorenyl species that are bridged via the 1 and 9 position of the fluorenyl ligand.
JP 3497920(B2) discloses bridged mono-indenyl transition metal compounds, where the indenyl ligand is connected to the metal via an ortho phenyl heteroatom linkage where the heteroatom appears to be —O—, —S—, —NR— or —PR—.
JP 2009-119681A and JP 2009-019035A discloses bridged monocyclopentadienyl compounds were the bridging group R2Si(PhR4) links the indenyl ligand to an oxygen atom bound to the metal.
Thus there is a need in the art for new transition metal compounds that can be used as pre-catalysts to produce very high to ultra high molecular weight polymers with narrow or broad polydispersities. Also needed is a general synthetic pathway to make bridged mono-indenyl amido group 4 transition metal complexes where the bridge is to the 6-membered ring of the indenyl ligand, and where the synthetic pathway is applicable to many substituted indenyls, substituted amides, and types of bridging groups.

Mono-indenyl transition metal compounds and polymerization therewith

Abstract: This invention also relates to process to produce such compounds.


Provided is an information processing device capable of issuing a notification of an occurrence of an event depending on a current operation mode in a case where the information processing device operates in a plurality of operation modes. An information processing device operates in a plurality of operation modes including at least a first mode and a second mode, receives event information output by an event output program, and notifies a user that the event information has been received, and the information processing device changes a pattern of notification between a case where the event information is received during the operation in the first mode and a case where the event information is received during the operation in the second mode.

There are information processing devices, such as a personal computer and a game machine, for executing a plurality of programs at the same timing. Some information processing devices as described above have a function of notifying a user of an occurrence of an event through a pop-up on a screen or other such method when some event to which the user's attention is to be attracted occurs in processing of a program running in a background. Patent Literature 1 discloses an information processing system for displaying an execution result of a given program while displaying an execution result of another program.


A support structure is connected with a base and supports a carrier for movement along a linear path relative to the base. The base includes inner and outer panels. A pair of Hall effect devices are mounted on the inner panel. A magnet is mounted on the carrier. An actuator member is mounted on the outer panel and extends through the inner and outer panels into engagement with the carrier. The actuator member is movable relative to the inner and outer panels to move the carrier and magnet relative to the Hall effect devices. The support structure includes a generally U-shaped support member having a pair of legs which are connected with the inner panel. The carrier is disposed between the legs of the U-shaped support member. The carrier is supported for movement relative to the Hall effect devices by tracks which are disposed on the legs of the U-shaped support member and extend parallel to the inner panel.

The present invention relates to a switch assembly and more specifically to a switch assembly of the non-contact type.
A known switch assembly of the non-contact type includes a pair of Hall effect sensors which are mounted on a circuit board. An actuator member of the toggle type, is pivotally mounted on a front plate disposed in front of the circuit board. The actuator member extends through both the front plate and the circuit board and has a pair of magnets mounted on an end of the actuator member disposed behind the circuit board. A spring loaded detent mounted on the actuator member engages a cam connected with the circuit board. The actuator member is pivotal relative to the cam to move the magnets relative to the Hall effect devices.
Since the actuator member is pivotally mounted on the front plate, the magnets on the inner end of the actuator member, in the known switch, move along an arcuate path relative to the Hall effect devices. This results in imprecise activation of the Hall effect devices during movement of the magnets. Since the actuator member is supported by the front plate and the magnets are mounted on the actuator member, the front plate must be accurately positioned relative to the rear plate and the Hall effect devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved switch assembly which is operable between a plurality of conditions. The switch assembly includes a base and a carrier which is movable relative to the base. An actuator member extends through the base and engages the carrier. One or more sensor components mounted on the base are actuated by one or more sensor components mounted on the carrier during movement of the carrier relative to the base.
The sensor components which are mounted on the base may be Hall effect devices. If the sensor components mounted on the base are Hall effect devices, the sensor component mounted on the carrier may be a magnet.
A support structure supports the carrier for movement along a linear path. The linear path extends parallel to an inner major side surface of the base on which the Hall effect devices are mounted. Since the magnet moves along a linear path, there is precise activation of the Hall effect devices by the magnet during movement of the carrier.
The base includes a front panel and a rear panel or circuit board on which the Hall effect devices are mounted. An actuator member which moves the carrier is pivotally mounted on the front panel and extends through an opening in the front panel and the circuit board on which the Hall effect devices are mounted. The support structure for the carrier is mounted on the circuit board on which the Hall effect devices are mounted. By mounting the support structure for the carrier on the circuit board on which the Hall effect devices are mounted, accurate positioning of the carrier and magnet relative to the Hall effect devices is facilitated. An index member may be provided to yieldably hold the carrier in a desired position relative to the Hall effect devices.

Multiple position hall effect switch with lever actuator biasing mechanism


The present invention provides a composition for neurotrophic action which comprises a compound of the formula:

This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP99/02144, filed on Apr. 22, 1999.
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for neurotrophic action having an excellent properties.
Proteins such as nerve growth factor (NGF), ciliary neurotrophic factor, insulin growth factor-I and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are known as neurotrophic factors (NTF). They are related to homeostasis of neurons in vivo and have (1) action of survival and retention of neurons, (2) action of synaptic proplasia, (3) action of protecting against cell death and (4) long term potentiation in the hippocampus. It is known that NGF, BDNF, etc. increase choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and that compounds increasing ChAT activity have protective action on nerve cells and neurotrophic action [The Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.16, No.21, pages 6665-6675, (1996) and Neuroscience, Vol.55, No.3,pages 629-641, (1993)].
Therefore, through the above actions, medicines having neurotrophic like action are useful for preventing and/or treating (1) neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. senile dementia, Alzheimer""s disease, Down""s syndrome, Parkinson""s disease, Creutzfelt-Jakob disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, etc.), (2) neuropathy in cerebrovascular diseases (e.g. impairment of cerebral blood flow based on cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral sclerosis, etc.), brain trauma, spinal cord injury, cerebritis sequela and cerebral palsy, (3), dysmnesia (e.g. senile dementia, amnesia, etc.), (4) mental diseases (e.g. depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, etc.), etc.
As cyclic amine derivatives activating ChAT, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 169569/1990(H2) describes a compound of the formula:
wherein J means
(a) a substituted or unsubstituted; {circle around (1)} phenyl, {circle around (2)} pyridyl, {circle around (3)} pyranyl, {circle around (4)} quinolyl, {circle around (5)} cyclohexyl, {circle around (6)} quinoxalyl or {circle around (7)} furyl,
(b) the following monovalent or divalent group which may be substituted with phenyl; {circle around (1)} indanyl, {circle around (2)} indanonyl, {circle around (3)} indenyl, {circle around (4)} indenonyl, {circle around (5)} indanedionyl, {circle around (6)} tetralonyl, {circle around (7)} benzosuberonyl, {circle around (8)} indanonyl and {circle around (9)} a group of the formula:
(c) monovalent group induced from cyclic amide compounds,
(d) a lower alkyl group, and
(e) a group of the formula R1xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94 in which R1 is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkoxycarbonyl group;
B means a group of the formula xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94(C(R2)H)nxe2x80x94, etc, wherein n is 0 or an integer of 1 to 10 and
R2 means an alkylene group of the formula xe2x80x94(C(R2)H)nxe2x80x94 in which the groups do not have substituents, or means a hydrogen atom or methyl group which have one or more methyl;
T means a nitrogen atom or a carbon atom;
Q means a nitrogen atom, a carbon atom or a group of the formula  greater than Nxe2x86x92O;
K means a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted
phenyl group, an arylalkyl group which may be substituted with phenyl, a cinnamyl group which may be substituted with phenyl, a lower alkyl group, a pyridylmethyl group, a cycloalkylalkyl group, an adamantanemethyl group, furylmethyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group or an acyl group;
q means an integer of 1 to 3; and
 means a single bond or a double bond;
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
As cyclic amine derivatives, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 140149/1993(H5) discloses a fused heterocyclic derivative of the formula:
wherein X represents R1xe2x80x94N less than  (R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted or an acyl group which may be substituted), an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted; ring A represents a benzene ring which may be substituted; k represents an integer of 0 to 3; m represents an integer of 1 to 8; and n represents an integer of 1 to 6; or a salt thereof, which inhibits cholinesterase activity.

Pharmaceutical composition for neurotrophic action

Abstract: wherein

Abstract: Ar is an optionally condensed phenyl group which may be substituted;

Abstract: n is an integer of 1 to 10;

Abstract: R is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted; and

Abstract: Y is an amino group which may be substituted or a nitrogen-containing saturated heterocyclic group which may be substituted; or a salt thereof,

Abstract: which compounds are useful for preventing and/or treating (1) neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. senile dementia, Alzheimer""s disease, Down""s syndrome, Parkinson""s disease, Creutzfelt-Jakob disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, etc.), (2) neuropathy in cerebrovascular diseases (e.g. impairment of cerebral blood flow based on cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral sclerosis, etc.), brain trauma, spinal cord injury, cerebritis sequela and cerebral palsy, (4) mental diseases (e.g. depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, etc.), etc.


Methods, systems, and devices are described for transmitting scheduling requests for uplink transmission resources following a handover. A user equipment (UE) may determine that a handover from a first base station to a second base station has occurred, and may implement one or more processes to enhance efficiency in communications following the handover. A UE, for example, may wait for successful acquisition and/or derivation of timing information from a base station before attempting to schedule uplink resources with the base station.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to scheduling request transmission via a wireless communication device following handover between base stations. Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple mobile devices. Base stations may communicate with mobile devices on downstream and upstream links. Each base station has a coverage range, which may be referred to as the coverage area of the cell. As mobile devices move between coverage areas, a handoff occurs, in which communications with the mobile device are handed off from one base station in an initial coverage area to another base station in another coverage area.
A handoff procedure often includes exchanging information between the base stations, as well as providing instructions and information to the mobile device related to the handoff. Information exchanged between base stations may include, for example, context information related to data and/or other communications between the initial base station and the mobile device. The mobile device may be instructed that a handover is to be completed via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. In some handover cases, a mobile device may be located at an edge of a base station's coverage area, which may result in reduced signal quality and increased numbers of retransmissions in order to successfully transmit certain communications. In some instances, such retransmissions may result in inefficiencies in the event that a mobile device attempts to take certain actions before transmissions related to handover are successfully received.

Delaying a trigger of a scheduling request after handover