System and method for asynchronous transmission of video images such as from a sending to a receiving terminal or from a sending processor to a storage medium like videotape. The system receives moving picture image information such as analog video digitized into 2D bitmap data and employs a modeling system such as a triangulated mesh modeling system to create an initial image consisting of a compact set of N elements (such as the data points of a triangulated mesh) where the number of elements is less than the number of elements necessary to display the image. In the exemplary embodiment the model elements are bitmap pixel assignments, however other elements such as wavelets, or Fourier component elements, or iterated function system (IFS maps) could also be used. As the images of the moving picture change, the sending computer compares data for each new image against the current model elements and will add elements to or remove elements from the model to update the model to make it current with the new image. The sending computer outputs a sequence of commands to replicate the model building and subsequent updating either to a receiving terminal (which displays the moving image in real time) or to a digital or analog storage medium such as a disk or analog tape. This entire video sequence can be compressed into a sequence of add and remove commands. These commands can be output across communication systems or stored for later playback. In creating each add or remove command, the present invention employs an encoding technique which indexes the spatial coordinate data and color pixel assignment data, so that an instruction can be encoded with an index rather than specifying a full longhand command. A decompress function of the present invention is comprised to decode each encoded command and execute the instruction. The modeling system presented is also adaptive to allow greater clarity or resolution in the images transmitted depending on the amount of bandwidth available in the communications or storage system.

The present invention relates to the fields of data compression, transmission, decompression, storage and display for graphic images such as film, video (television) and other moving picture image sequences. In particular, the present invention relates to systems for compressing and decompressing moving picture image sequences by an asynchronous, non frame-based technique. The system for compressing is reductive, i.e. xe2x80x9clossyxe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9clossinessxe2x80x9d is adjustable and can be tailored to suit factors such as available bandwidth, available storage capacity or the complexity of the image.
There has been slow progress in uniting the world of video and film with the power of the computer so that motion picture imagesxe2x80x94especially live videoxe2x80x94can be quickly transmitted to users within a computer network. The advent of the computer network has brought forth tremendous communications capability. Where computers were once seen only as whirring number crunchers and processing machines, they are now also seen as potential vehicles for entertainment, advertising, information access and communication. The potential of video technology holds tantalizing opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs and the public at large. In the workplace, the ordinary PC computer, a fixture on most office desks, could better maximize business resources with video conferencing and other interactive communications that link one worker or working group to another. Intraoffice computer networks could provide training, demonstrations, reports and news through broadcasts using one centralized computer to send live or taped video to workstations within the office or to linked office and customer sites. Previously, live visual communication links were not thought feasible without specialized video or television equipment.
The establishment of the Internet and its World Wide Web has also created demand for increased use of motion pictures in computer applications. Businesses see the Internet""s vast network potential as a boon for interactive communications with the public at large. Entrepreneurs have envisioned and have even attempted live, on-line broadcasts of news, concerts and other events; attempts frustrated by the current limitation of real-time computer video technology. Further, as more people communicate via the World Wide Web, there is a natural incentive to create polished information access sites. Internet users come steeped in the heritage of television, movies and other forms of highly produced motion picture entertainment. These users imagine communicating with that same clarity, expediency and visual power and have come to expect such standards.
The potential for such real-time video communications exists, but until this point there has been great difficulty in transmitting motion picture image sequences, live video (television) and previously recorded film and video through the computer. The limitations on computer speed, memory and disk storage have expanded enough to make the storage of digitized film and video clips possible. However, the inordinate amount of data that must be transmitted to display a digitized moving picture sequence on the computer has been one factor preventing the widespread use of video and film in real time applicationsxe2x80x94especially those in which speed is imperative, like video conferencing, live news feeds and live entertainment broadcasts.
The data problem pertains to the nature of the digital computer and network hardware, the method by which a computer generates images and the processing that is needed to handle the many, many images that make up a motion picture sequence. Since its invention, motion picture technology has followed a process of presenting a rapid sequence of still images to give the impression of motion to the eye. A film is essentially a xe2x80x9cflip bookxe2x80x9d of still camera photographs (i.e. frames) stored on a long strip used for playback through a projector. Current video technology follows the same frame-based concept as film, with some variation. A video camera rapidly collects a sequence of light images by scanning in horizontal movements across a light sensitive device and outputting a stream of xe2x80x9cbroadcast linexe2x80x9d data which describes the image. Typically, a camera scans every other available line on the light sensitive device and alternates between line sets (odd and even) to create two, one-half frame xe2x80x9cfieldsxe2x80x9d which, when interlaced, form a full-frame image. Video has typically been recorded by video camera in analog format, but cameras which can record video in digital format are available. To transmit analog video via a computer, each frame or field input to the computer must be converted into a digital format or xe2x80x9cdigitizedxe2x80x9d for use. A computer screen is made up of thousands of pixelsxe2x80x94programmable light units which can be instantly set and reset to emit light in one of the multitude of colors supported by the computer system. Typical monitors (ranging from 12-21 inches on the diagonal) contain matrices having resolutions of e.g. 640xc3x97512, 1,024xc3x97820, 1,280xc3x971,024 and 1,600xc3x971,280 pixels organized into rows of pixels stacked upon rows of pixels.
Each pixel in the screen display requires a color assignment from the computer to construct an image. Computer display controllers contain a large memory space, called a bitmap memory, which allocates an amount of memory for each pixel unit on the screen, e.g. 640xc3x97512, 1,024xc3x97820, 1,280xc3x971,024, etc. (Other screens which process and work on displays in background have the same size can also be defined in the bitmap memory.) The computer drives the monitor and creates images via the bitmap memory, writing pixel color assignments to its memory locations and outputting signals to the monitor based on those assignments. The digitization process creates a set of digital pixel assignments for each frame or field of video input.
During video capture a computer executes an analog-to-digital xe2x80x9cAIDxe2x80x9d conversion processxe2x80x94reading the provided film or video data (using specialized xe2x80x9cframe grabberxe2x80x9d hardware) and transforming the analog data into a stream of digital color codes, i.e. a bitmap data set for each frame or field of the motion picture. The data size of digital video stream depends upon the resolution at which the video was digitized. Resolution depends upon factors such as: i) frame resolution or frame size; ii) color depth; and iii) frame rate.
Frame resolution, or frame size, is the size in pixels of each digitized frame bitmap. Frame size does not need to be directly related to the monitor resolution in any computer configuration. Thus, while a monitor may have a resolution of 640xc3x97512 or 1,024xc3x97820, for example, a video can be digitized with a different resolution, such as 320xc3x97240. Video following the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) standard for analog resolution digitizes to frames of 640xc3x97480, 320xc3x97240, 160xc3x97120 or other resolutions. Such video could well be displayed on a computer having a monitor resolution of 1,280xc3x971,024 or other resolution.
Color depth specifies the number of bits used by the digitizer to describe the color setting for each pixel of a digitized frame bitmap. Computer pixel units typically output color following one of several color-generating systems. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is one system which permits all the colors of an available palette to be expressed as combinations of different amounts of red, green and blue. Red, green and blue light elements or xe2x80x9ccolor channelsxe2x80x9d are considered primary and can be blended according to color theory principles to form other colors. Electron guns fire beams to activate each of the light elements to different degrees and form colors that make up an image. The pixel assignments written to the bitmap memory control the settings used in the monitor to output colors using the pixels.
Computers vary greatly in the range of colors they can support, the number often depending on the size of the bitmap memory (an expensive item) and the size of the memory space dedicated to each pixel in the bitmap. Color systems that support a palette of 256 (or 28) different colors allocate 8 binary bits (or one byte) to each pixel in the bitmap memory and make pixel color assignments by writing 8-bit numbers to those locations. Such systems are said to provide xe2x80x9c8-bitxe2x80x9d color. More advanced systems support palettes of 65,536 (or 216) or 16,777,216 (or 224) colors and hence allocate either 16 or 24 bits (two or three bytes) per pixel in the bitmap memory. These systems are said to provide xe2x80x9c16-bitxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c24-bitxe2x80x9d color. A 24-bit color system is said to display in xe2x80x9ctrue color,xe2x80x9d or in as many colors as the human eye can discern. Video can be digitized to follow an 8-bit, 16-bit or 24-bit or other format. In the digitizing process, it is not necessary that the digitized video use the color format of the displaying computer. For example, it is possible using analog-to-digital conversion software to digitize a video in 16-bit color and display the video on a computer configured for 24-bit color. Most computers supporting color video have software available to make such translations.
Finally, frame rate is the speed at which the camera captures the video frames. Motion picture sequences give the impression of movement when images are displayed at a rates of more than 12-15 frames per second. Video cameras following the NTSC standard used in the United States output at 30 frames per second or 60 fields per second. Many frame grabbers can capture and digitize analog video at real time motion speeds of 30 frames a second. However, many frame grabbers digitize at lower speeds, such as at 15 frames per second. If the computer system depends on a frame grabber with a low frame processing speed, then frame rate would also be tied to the frame grabber""s processing rate.
Using the variables of frame size, color depth and frame rate it is possible to make calculations showing the speed at which digitized video in a bitmap form flows into the memory of the processing computer. Video digitized at a relatively small 320xc3x97240 picture size, with 24 bit (3 byte color depth) and a frame rate of 15 frames/seconds (sampling every other video frame) requires approximately 207 megabytes (Mb) of storage per minute. A video sequence digitized at a 640xc3x97480 frame size, a 24 bit (3 byte) color depth and a 30 frames/second rate would require approximately 1.54 gigabytes (Gb) of storage per minute of video. Both requirements clearly choke the disk storage capacity available on most commercially available hard drives which provide on the order of 1 Gb of space in total. Further, even if the processor available on the computers could feed the data for transmission directly to a remote terminal, the transmission capacity (i.e. the xe2x80x9cbandwidthxe2x80x9d) of most communications systems used today are not capable of handling such a data flow in real time.
Commercially available modems can transfer data at rates of e.g., 28,000 baud, which translates roughly to 28,000 bits (3500 bytes) per second or approximately 2 Mb per minutexe2x80x94clearly not sufficient capacity to handle the 207 Mb per minute or the 1.54 Gb per minute requirements outlined above. An Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection provides greater transmission capability than most commercially available modems but still does not provide the capacity necessary for transmitting streams of video in bitmap data form. A typical ISDN Internet connection transfers data at rates approaching 128 kilobytes (Kb) per second (approximately 5.6 Mb per minute). Local area networks (LANs) have data rates that vary depending on the size of the LAN, the number of users, the configuration of the LAN system and other factors. Although LAN transmission rates widely vary, a typical Ethernet system transfers information at a rate of 10 Mb/sec. Faster Ethernet systems can transfer information at a rate of 100 Mb/sec.
The large amount of space required by digitized video data in bitmap form makes it largely impossible to make real time transmissions of such data given the current bandwidth of most network systems. Thus, researchers have searched for ways to xe2x80x9ccompressxe2x80x9d bitmap dataxe2x80x94encode the data differently so that it will take up less space but still yields the same images. Compression algorithms reduce the amount of data used to store and transmit graphic images, while keeping enough data to generate a good quality representation of the image.
Data compression techniques are either xe2x80x9closslessxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clossy.xe2x80x9d A lossless compression system encodes the bitmap data file to remove redundancies but loses none of the original data after compression. A bitmap file which is compressed by a lossless compression algorithm and thereafter decompressed will output exactly as it had before it was compressed. Runtime length encoding (RLE) and LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) encoding are examples of lossless encoding algorithms.
Lossless data compression techniques are useful and achieve compression ratios in ranges typically from 2:1 to 3:1 on average and sometimes greater. To achieve higher compression ratios such as 30:1, 40:1 or 200:1 (for video) and higher it may be necessary to use a xe2x80x9clossyxe2x80x9d data compression algorithm. Lossy schemes discard some data details to realize better compression. Although a lossy data compression algorithm does lose pixel data within an image, good lossy compression systems do not seriously impair the image""s quality. Small changes to pixel settings can be invisible to the viewer, especially in bitmaps with high picture frame resolutions (large frame sizes) or extensive color depths.
Frame-based image data, such as film or video, is an excellent candidate for compression by lossy techniques. Within each image it is possible to remove data redundancies and generalize information, because typically the image is filled with large pixel regions having the same color. For example, if a given pixel in a digitized image frame was set to the color red, it is likely that many other pixels in the immediate region also will be set to red or a slight variation of it. Compression algorithms take advantage of this image property by re-encoding the bitmap pixel data to generalize the color values within regions and remove data code redundancies. Such compression is called xe2x80x9cspatialxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cintraframexe2x80x9d compression.
A second type of compression, xe2x80x9ctemporalxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cinterframexe2x80x9d compression, relies on the strong data correlations that exist between frames in a motion picture sequence. From frame to frame the images are nearly identical with only small changes existing between frame images. Where one frame is already described, it is possible to describe the next frame by encoding only the changes that occur from the past frame. A frame compressed by temporal or interframe compression techniques contains only the differences between it and the previous frame; such compression can achieve substantial memory savings.
Reduction of bitmap data using either intraframe (spatial) or interframe (temporal) compression techniques facilitates the efficient storage and transmission of the otherwise massive bitmap data that makes up a digitized video transmission sequence. Currently, there are several commercially available algorithms (available as software and hardware tools) for compression and decompression of video.
The standard promulgated by the Motion Picture Experts Group and known as xe2x80x9cMPEGxe2x80x9d (with its variants MPEG-1 and MPEG-2) is one lossy technique widely used for film and video compression. MPEG-1 was originally developed to store sound and motion picture data on compact discs and digital audio tapes. MPEG standard compression uses both intraframe and interframe compression. An MPEG compression algorithm compresses a stream of digitized video data into three types of coded frames: I-frames, P-frames and B-frames. I-frames are single, stand alone frames which have been compressed by intraframe (spatial) reduction only. An I-frame can be decompressed and displayed without reference to any other frame and provides the backbone structure for the interframe compression. According to the Encyclopedia of Graphic File Formats (second edition) at p. 608, an MPEG data stream always begins with an I-frame. In typical operation, MPEG creates other I-frames every twelve or so frames within a video sequence.
P-frames and B-frames are frames which have been compressed using interframe (temporal) compression techniques. MPEG supports the elimination of temporal redundancies in a bi-directional fashionxe2x80x94an MPEG standard system will encode a difference frame based on comparison of that frame to the previous frame of video data and/or the next frame of video data. A P-frame contains data showing the differences occurring between it and the closest preceding P- or I-frame. A B-frame encodes change values found between that frame and the two closest I- or P-frames (in either direction, forward or backward) to that frame.
For all the advancement that MPEG brings to the field, it has not been widely implemented for video conferencing and other live video transmissions. While MPEG decompresses in real time, its compression algorithm is time-consuming even when implemented in hardware. Moreover, most implementations require a user to select a skeletal sequences of I-frames, a time-consuming process which all but limits most MPEG compression applications to non-real time settings. An MPEG-2 standard has been more recently developed for use in the television industry. MPEG-2 for example, handles interlaced video formats and provides other features specific to the television industry.
ClearVideo compression by Iterated Systems is another lossy compression system currently available which provides both spatial and temporal compression of video. Like MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, ClearVideo compression also compresses on a frame-by-frame basis and compresses using a selection of xe2x80x9ckey framesxe2x80x9d (similar to I-frames) and xe2x80x9cdifference framesxe2x80x9d (similar to P- and B-frames). Using fractal compressionxe2x80x94a mathematical process of encoding bitmaps as a set of mathematical equations that describe the image in terms of fractal propertiesxe2x80x94for its encoding of still images, Iterated Systems states that it requires less key frames than its competitors, which results in smaller, more efficient files an requires less bandwidth to transmit.
Again, for all the promise and advancement ClearVideo compression offers, the system is not well suited for real time transmission of video images. While a Clear Video system may compresses well and allow for decompression in real time, it has limited utility for video conferencing and other live applications in its current implementation because its compression technique is slowxe2x80x94taking up to 30 seconds per frame, even when the compressing processor is a high-end Pentium(trademark)-type processor. Such a compression time is unacceptable for real time applications.
Thus, there is a need for an advanced system for real-time compression, transmission and decompression of video images, one that operates in real-time and within the constraints of computers that are used by the public and in the workplace. Such a system would provide rapid, real time processing of incoming video images and compress those images into a data stream that is easily and quickly transferrable across available networked communications systems. It would also be necessary that the compressed data be easily decompressed by a receiving computer and used to generate a high quality image. Such an advance would pave the way for real-time communications like those desired by the business and private users alike. Such an advancementxe2x80x94an easy format in which to store data more compactly than MPEG, ClearVideo or other available video compression techniquesxe2x80x94would also lead to better ways to store and access video data.
The present invention provides a meshing-based system and method for motion picture compression, decompression, transfer, storage and display which is capable of real-time processing. The invention is particularly suited for applications such as video conferencing and other applications where real time capture and storage or transmission of video data is needed. The system of the present invention is lossy, in that a geometric mesh structure which achieves good compression replaces the multitude of pixel values or other picture-making elements that make up a digitized image. However, the lossiness of the meshing system is easily adjustable and can be varied to suit factors such as available bandwidth, available storage capacity or the complexity of the image. With the system and method of the present invention compression ratios of on the order of 100:1 or higher are possible for real-time applications using available computer hardware.
To gain such compression, the present invention provides a technique for representing a motion picture sequence that is removed from the frame-based approach traditionally used to capture and process motion picture information. As described above, video technology is synchronous and frame-basedxe2x80x94meaning that most video devices supply and store a frame of image data for each video frame in the motion picture sequence. Thus, for typical compression systems currently available, there is a one-for-one synchronous approach taken in accordance with the frame-based nature of motion pictures.
The present invention breaks with that tradition and uses an asynchronous, non frame-based meshing technique to compress video data more swiftly and more compactly than the frame-based systems currently available. The system of the current invention constructs a model from the picture-making elements available to the computer. In the exemplary embodiment, the system of the current invention constructs the model using selected pixel points from the digitized video frames. However, it is understood that in addition to pixel point values, the system of the present invention could use other picture data in the model such as wavelets, Fourier components or IFS maps. The system builds the model by inserting the picture elements into a model structure and updates the model by changing picture elements (adding new picture elements or deleting old elements) so that the model reflects the current image of the motion picture sequence at any given instance. Using the mesh modeling system, the present invention does not need to represent video as a sequence of image frames, but can instead represent the video by a single model which is continuously updated by point addition or removal. A sequence of simple commands to add or remove image elements adjusts the model so that it reproduces the motion picture sequence.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention uses a triangulated polygonal mesh as the model structure. Traditionally, triangulated mesh constructions have been used to create computer models of objects and surfaces, typically in 3D. In those applications, a 3D object modeling system uses a set of 3D spatial (X, Y, Z) coordinates to create a xe2x80x9cwirefamexe2x80x9d mesh structure made up of interconnected, irregular triangles that describe the surface planes of the object. A 3D object modeling system builds the object model by connecting lines between the selected data points to form the triangles. Each triangle in the model represents a plane on the surface of the object.
The Co-Pending Application (which has been expressly incorporated by reference herein) shows that it is possible to incorporate color data and spatial data into a single triangulated mesh construction. For the creation of 3D object models, the Co-Pending Application describes a system that can merge spatial X, Y, Z, values with corresponding color values (such as RGB pixel settings) and use. those combined 6D (X,Y,Z,R,G,B) values to construct a mesh model which reflects both the spatial forms of the object and its surface details. In one embodiment of that system the computer adds points incrementally to a basic, initial mesh construction and increases detail of the model by adding additional points. The computer adds points based on the significance of the point in terms of contributing either spatial or color detail.
In the Co-Pending Application, it is also noted that the technique of creating mesh constructions for 3D objects using both spatial and color values can also be used to create mesh constructions for 2D images. In applying the 3D technique directly to the problem of modeling 2D images, it can be seen that the bitmap data, i.e., the x, y and RGB pixel data, from a 2D image is very much analogous to the 3D image data that would be available from a flat, planar object marked with many surface details. The set of xe2x80x9c5Dxe2x80x9d x, y, R, G, B pixel values which make up a bitmap image would largely correspond to the 3D values for the planar object. Thus, just as a surface of a 3D object could be represented in a set of colored triangles, 2D images can also be represented as a series of colored triangles. The triangle mesh provides the structure for that image in a way that dramatically reduces the amount of data needed to create a high quality representation of the image.
The present invention expands upon the teaching of the Co-Pending Application by applying the meshing technique to motion picture sequences. A computer compressing by the system and method of the present invention creates an image model using the pixel point data from the initial digitized field of video data, selecting pixel points which are most significant in describing the image and inserting them into the mesh. The compressing system then updates that model by adding and removing points from the mesh. For a video transmission, such as video conferencing, a sending and receiving computer both maintain image models. The sending computer processes the data to compress it as described above and then transmits to the receiving computer a sequence of encoded ADD and REMOVE commands. The commands provide information so that the receiving computer can maintain a triangulated mesh that is an exact copy of the mesh at the sending computer. Based on this model, the receiving computer outputs a display of the motion picture image.
As the sending computer captures and digitizes video (such as a live video feed), an add function scans the bitmap data input by the frame grabber and determines which points from that frame should be added (following a process to locate bitmap data points which would add significant detail to the mesh). The add function then inserts the points into the model and outputs an ADD command to the receiving computer so that it can update its mesh accordingly (as described below). To locate points of significance the add function orders all the points of the new frame in terms of their significance in adding new detail to the existing model through a process which evaluates the color of each new data point in relation to the color of the same point currently in the model. Through this ordering process, the points which effect the image most are discovered and added to the model immediately.
The second process is the remove function which, like the add function, scans data input from each new digitized video field. However, unlike the add function, the remove function determines which points must be removed from the current model by establishing that they no longer apply to the current image. In the {fraction (1/30)} of a second that exists between the input of data from each field the present invention, configured with the add and remove functions, can make point insertions on the order of magnitude of 1000 point insertions per interval (on currently available hardware) and any number of point deletions per interval. However, the number of point insertions and deletions made can be tailored to suit the desired image quality or the available bandwidth of the transmission system.
The addition and removal of points to and from the mesh creates corresponding changes to its structure. Adding a point also adds additional triangles. Deleting a point removes triangles. The addition and removal procedures will also cause related changes to the structure and configuration of the mesh in the areas around where the point addition or removal occurs. In mesh building, it is an aspect of the present invention that it follow a procedure to optimize the construction of structure throughout each point addition or deletion. Although the computer can be configured to optimize the mesh structure by many different procedures, in the exemplary embodiment the present invention optimizes by the principles of Delaunay optimization. When the triangulation follows Delaunay principles, a circumcircle defined by the vertices of a triangle will not contain another data point of the mesh. When the triangle in question does include another point within its circumcircle, that configuration must also be configured by xe2x80x9cflippingxe2x80x9d the common edge that exists between the two. The Delaunay triangulation optimality principle helps to insure that the mesh of irregular triangles maintains a construction of relatively evenly sized and angled triangles. It is currently recognized as one sound process for optimizing triangulated mesh constructions. The modeling process uses the add and remove functions with Delaunay principles as explained in further detail below.
The remove function works to update the mesh model at the sending computer and outputs REMOVE commands to the receiving computer. It is an aspect of this invention that the computer at the sending location specially encodes each ADD and REMOVE command so that each are in a very compact form before being sent to the receiving computer. Each ADD or REMOVE command contains information about the intended operation, e.g., xe2x80x9cADD x, y R G Bxe2x80x9d. However, before each function transmits a command, it first encodes the command (in the process described below) so that it takes up less space.
The receiving computer accepts each encoded ADD and REMOVE command and then outputs a display. The receiving computer also uses the model information to output the motion picture display. It is an aspect of the invention that it does not generate an entire new frame each time the images need to be updated. Instead, the present invention draws locally. Using the mesh model the computer draws (and redraws) triangles only as necessary to update the image. When a point is inserted or deleted the adding or deleting procedure will require an adjustment of the triangles that exist in that region of the mesh. To maintain the display after each addition or deletion, the present invention redraws the triangles which have been affected by the point addition or deletion. Since many triangles in the mesh are not affected, they do not need to be redrawn.
Using functions like Gouraud shading, the present invention can quickly render an image based on these triangle settings. The image shifts as the computer updates the triangles, thus making a motion picture display.
The system presented employs computer equipment, cameras, a communications system and displays in the exemplary embodiment, as well as computer programmed elements to control processing. The elements of the system are detailed in the description below.

System and method for asynchronous, adaptive moving picture compression, and decompression


The present invention is based upon the surprising discovery that the offering aqueous composition according to the invention is capable of being used as topical nail hardener. The present invention relates to a nail hardener that employs a composition of glycerin and water in the preferred concentration as the active components, in a solvent carrier mixture from a group of pharmaceutically acceptable solvents such as ethanol and Propylene glycol.

The present invention relates to an aqueous topical composition that includes Glycerine and water and is used as nail hardener to decrease brittleness and increase strength.
In some healthy people nails are brittle and or soft. Brittle nails break into layers anywhere along free edge. This will result in losing it's beauty. Meanwhile the resulting space will be a suitable place for microorganism's growth. Soft nails break from anywhere along free edge and don't have desired hardness and strength.
Different products have employed various types of compositions. Some of them add a film of different compositions with various thickness and color so improving the strength by increasing the thickness and some other mechanisms. Meanwhile using some colors can cover the area that has the problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,852 discloses a method and composition for enhancing the growth and strength of fingernails and toenails including the application of a protein-containing composition directly to the nails, followed by the application of a coating of silicon cream and lacquer containing nylon fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,095 discloses the use of a fiberglass sheet as a base for an artificial nail. The artificial nail is glued to the nail with acrylic resin, and a final coat of acrylic resin is applied to the artificial nail.
Other fabrics, such as flax, linen and silk are applied to human nails with adhesives and hardeners, to create artificial nails, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,453.
Those products has been efficient in many cases, But the need still exists for an improved composition for hardening nails. The present invention can be washed by water so does not leave any layer.

Topical aqueous composition as nail hardener to decrease brittleness and increase strength


Polymer electrolytes comprising co-polymers of vinylic, protonic acids and N,N' dialkyl substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides with high anodic stability, reduced acidity and high mechanical stiffness suitable for electrochromic devices, such as windows, mirrors and information displays. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a co-polymer with a composition of 30% 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, 50% N,N dimethyl acrylamide and 20% water by weight.

Electrochromic devices have important applications as variable transmission windows and eyewear, and as displays for watches, calculators, computers, price signs and updated schedule information in airports and train stations. Electrochromic devices change optical transmittance or reflectance in response to a voltage applied between two terminals on the device. Since the degree of optical modulation is directly proportional to the current flow induced by the applied voltage, electrochromic devices have the capability of continuous tunability of light absorption or reflectance. In addition, such devices exhibit long-term retention of an optical state once achieved, requiring no power consumption to maintain that optical state.
Electrochromic materials variably attenuate light in some region of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically the visible region, on electrochemical oxidation or reduction. The oxidation and reduction reactions must be reversible, as devices are usually required to operate for many switching cycles. Tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3) is a classic example of an electrochromic material. In an acid electrolyte, WO.sub.3, which is virtually colorless in thin film form, is reduced electrochemically to a deep blue color with the simultaneous insertion of charge compensating hydrogen ions, i.e., EQU xe.sup.- +xH.sup.+ +WO.sub.3 .fwdarw.H.sub.x WO.sub.3
In display applications, the WO.sub.3 is usually deposited as an amorphous (non-crystalline) thin film onto optically transparent, electrically conductive alphanumeric electrode segments. The electrode segments are usually comprised of thin films of optically transparent, electrically conductive oxides such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) or fluorine-doped tin oxide (SFO) patterned onto glass. In certain display or mirror applications, metals may be used for some of the thin film electrodes. The deposited WO.sub.3 film is placed in contact with an ion conducting electrolyte, which is in turn in contact with a counter electrode which also undergoes reversible oxidation and reduction reactions. The electrolyte typically contains a pigment against which the optical modulation of the electrochromic layer is contrasted. The pigmented electrolyte is generally opaque so that the counter electrode is masked from view. Typical counter electrode materials in display devices are carbon containing oxidizable and reducible surface groups as taught by Giglia (U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,252, August 1974), or a second film of the electrochromic material as taught by Beegie (U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,057, November 1972).
In electrochromic windows and light modulators for transmittance control, further restrictions on the electrode materials and electrolyte exist. The counter electrode must be, at the very least, transparent to light of the wavelengths being modulated during oxidation and reduction. Examples of such materials are Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 and TiO.sub.2 (S.Cogan et al., Proc. SPIE, vol 562, (1985), pp. 23-31) or "macroporous" crystalline WO.sub.3 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,329, Matsuhiro et al., July 1981). Alternatively, the counter electrode could undergo electrochromic reactions which are complementary to the first electrode, i.e., if the first electrode is colored on reduction, then the counter electrode is colored on oxidation. In this way, the light modulation of the electrochromic electrode and the counter electrode is additive and reinforcing. Examples of electrochromic devices with complementary counter electrodes include: Takahashi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,414, September 1982; Cogan et al., Proc. SPIE, vol 823, pp. 106-112 (1987); and, Cogan and Rauh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,420, January 1992. For most variable transmittance applications, a transparent and colorless electrolyte is preferred to avoid interference with the light modulation.
The ion conducting electrolyte is a very important feature of an electrochromic device. If the electrolyte is a liquid, then, in assembling the device, the electrochromic and counter electrodes may be separated facing each other using a spacer, and the liquid electrolyte injected into the space between them. The cavity may then be sealed, for example, using epoxy. Such seals may leak, however. In order to minimize leakage, gelating agents such as poly(vinyl alcohol) have been added to liquid electrolytes to form semi-solid gels (U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,220, Meyers, January 1973).
Polymeric electrolytes, however, can more effectively alleviate the problem of electrolyte leakage by allowing the fabrication of laminated electrochromic devices in which the polymer has the dual function of ion conducting electrolyte and mechanical adhesive. Such polymers can be formulatedas standalone films with a satisfactory combination of mechanical integrity and ionic conductivity. One class of such electrolytes is the ion-containing polymers known as ionomers. These macromolecules contain ionizable groups covalently linked to a polymer chain, typically a hydrocarbon. Thus, the compounds polystyrene sulfonic acid and poly (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (polyAMPS) are examples of ionomers, both incorporating the protonic acid -SO.sub.3 H group on the polymer chain. Ionomers are formed by polymerizing monomers bearing the ionizable group and also a C.dbd.C vinylic group, such reactions being initiated, for example, by heat, light or high energy radiation and frequently with the aid of an initiator added as a minor component.
There have been frequent references in prior art to ionomer-based electrolytes for electrochromic devices and for batteries. Giglia et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,938, June 1982) teaches a polymer electrolyte comprising polyAMPS and H.sub.2 O and further teaches (U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,318, Giglia, January 1983) a homopolymer of polyAMPS with an added organic "humectant" such as polyethylene oxide. Randin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,641, November 1980) teaches polystyrene sulfonic acid in electrochromic devices and further teaches (U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,929, Randin, January 1982) a polymeric electrolyte comprising a sulfonic protonic polymer and H.sub.2 O. A discussion of the relationship between polymer composition and performance in electrochromic devices can be found in "Performance Improvements in WO.sub.3 -Based Electrochromic Displays", Proc. SID, vol. 23, p. 1, 1982, by R.D. Giglia and G. Haacke.
In order to function effectively in an electrochromic device over a large number of switching cycles, a polymeric electrolyte should have the following properties:
High oxidative stability. Since electrochromic devices are electrochemical in nature, electrolytes are required which have a high degree of stability at negative and positive polarizations. Prior art concerning co-polymers of vinyl resins and acid-group containing monomers has not addressed oxidative stability in electrochromic devices. Many polymers in prior art are oxidatively unstable. For example, alcohols are readily oxidized in acidic media. An example of an alcohol used in prior art polymeric electrolytes is 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Giglia, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,152 November 1979, discloses electrochromic devices with binary co-polymer electrolytes prepared from 95-20% of a specified hydroxy alkyl acrylate monomer, of which HEMA is one, and 5-80% of an "acid-group-containing monoethylenically unsaturated monomer". The hydroxy group on the HEMA co-polymer, as demonstrated herein by example, is very susceptible to irreversible oxidation during the operation of an electrochromic device.
Low acidity. It has been demonstrated by Randin (J. Electrochem. Soc., vol 129, 1215 (1982)) that WO.sub.3, a ubiquitous and frequently used electrochromic material, is subject to acid hydrolysis leading to gradual dissolution of the electrochromic film and a decline in optical switching performance. Many prior art polymer formulations, particularly those comprised solely of hydrated sulfonic acid ionomers, were found to be deficient in that they caused excessive dissolution of WO.sub.3 and reduced the useful life of electrochromic devices. Several approaches to improving the stability of WO.sub.3 in acid electrolyte devices were reported. Randin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,929 op cit, teaches polymer compositions in which this hydrolysis is partly relieved by employing acidic ionomer electrolytes in which the water is of sufficiently low concentration as to be tightly bound to the anionic groups on the polymer chain. Other methods of minimizing dissolution of the electrochromic layer in contact with the polymer electrolyte include the use of thin layers of less hydrophylic polymers with lower ionic conductivity interposed between the electrochromic layer and the polymer electrolyte (Giglia and Haacke, Proc. SID, op cit) and the use of an inorganic insulator coating on the electrochromic electrode (U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,670, Giglia and Clasen, March 1980).
High mechanical stiffness. Mechanical stiffness differentiates true polymer and plasticized polymer electrolytes from "semisolid" and "gel" electrolytes often referred to in prior art. Mechanically stiff electrolytes are able to support their own weight and retain their shape as stand-alone membranes. They are thus able to act as separators in electrochromic devices. There is frequently a trade-off between mechanical stiffness, controlled by the amount of liquid phase plasticizer, and ionic conductivity. The conductivity increases with increasing plasticizer concentration but the polymer becomes increasingly less viscous, and eventually acquires a gel-like or liquid consistency. In addition, for proton conducting polymers, higher plasticizer concentrations, particularly when the plasticizer is H.sub.2 O, can lead to higher acidities and increased acid hydrolysis of electrochromic materials.
The long-term cyclability of electrochromic devices that employ polymer electrolytes, therefore, depends on achieving oxidative stability and low acidity in a polymer that has the requisite mechanical stiffness to act as a laminant or separator in the device. In addition, the ionic conductivity of the polymer must be high enough that electrochromic devices employing the polymer can switch at speeds fast enough for practical applications.

Solid polymeric electrolytes for electrochromic devices having reduced acidity and high anodic stability


A fastening device for connecting a garment article such as a shoulder bag which comprises only two separate component parts; viz., a main body and a retainer member. The main body includes a socket member, a belt connector and a "J"-shaped hook member, the socket member having lock windows, and a pair of guide slots with tapered portions extending beyond the lock windows toward one end of the socket, and the hook member having an arcuate bay for anchoring a link of a bag. The retainer member includes a plug portion with a pair of resilient arms and a downwardly projecting tongue dimensioned to cover the arcuate bay when the plug portion is held in locked relation with respect to the socket.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fastening device for fastening or connecting a strap, belt or similar web-like material to a bag or other garment articles.
2. Prior Art
There have been proposed numerous fastening devices having connecting means for connecting a loose end of a strap secured to for instance a shoulder bag or the like and a generally "J"-shaped hook means for releasably receiving a link end of the bag.
A typical example of such prior art device is disclosed for example in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-15938, the disclosed device comprising a base having a pivotable ring member on its top and a "J"-like hook member with one end secured to its bottom and with the opposite end spaced from the base across a gap forming a mouth of the hook member. Extending laterally through the base is a bore accommodating a compression spring and receiving movably therein a retainer pin with a knob to open and close the mouth of the hook. The pin is pulled in one direction against the tension of the compression spring to open the mouth so as to allow entry of a bag link into the hook member. Such prior art device having a total of five different component parts is less expedient in assembly and has a drawback in that when connecting the bag link, the user is required to hold the base with one hand while pulling the retainer pin with the other hand against the tension of the spring, thus rendering the operation of the fastening device rather tedious, if not difficult.


The present invention discloses a weighing scale having a lever assembly which includes a pair of levers. Each lever has first and second pivotal ends and an intermediate region for engaging a weight sensing mechanism. A platform is provided upon the lever assembly. Upon application of an object to the platform, a load is transmitted through the lever assembly to the weight sensing mechanism. The platform may include a top portion and a bottom portion for enclosing the lever assembly. The top and bottom portions of the platform may be secured together. A bearing insert for reducing friction in the lever assembly is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
One aspect of the invention relates to a scale lever assembly, and more specifically, relates to a scale lever assembly for a platform weighing scale.
2. Background Art
Platform weighing scales have been utilized to measure the weight of a user for many years. One variety of platform weighing scales is a mechanical analog scale, which includes a base and a platform moveable relative to the base. The mechanical analog scale also includes a lever structure that is moveable responsive to movement of the base. In certain embodiments of the mechanical analog scale, the lever structure causes rotation of a dial. In other embodiments, the lever structure causes rotation of a pointer relative to a fixed dial.
The lever structure usually includes a pair of primary levers, otherwise referred to as the long levers, and a pair of secondary levers, otherwise referred to as the short levers. The primary levers are pivotally mounted to corner stands or slots located near the rear side or the front side of the base and extend and converge to a nose plate, otherwise referred to as a nose iron, located between and offset from the corner stands or slots towards the opposite side of the base. The secondary levers are pivotally mounted to corner stands or slots located at the base side opposite the side having the corner stands or slots for the primary levers. Each secondary lever connects to a primary lever intermediate the lever's ends. Each of the primary and secondary levers has a V-shaped notch located near the pivoted end for supporting knife edge metal hangers fastened to the platform. The nose plate is operatively associated with and controls movement of either the dial or the pointer.
According to another proposal, the lever structure includes a pair of flat levers. The flat levers are spaced apart and generally aligned with the placement of the user's feet upon the platform. Each flat lever is associated with a strain gauge for collectively measuring the weight of the user thereon.
In light of the foregoing, what is needed is a simplified lever structure that is both cost effective and efficient for transmitting a load of a user.


A tissue processor (1) is described, having a retort (2) for processing histological samples with different reagents, having multiple reagent reservoir vessels (3), and having a conduit system and a control device (5) for delivering reagents out of the reagent reservoir vessels (3) into the retort (2). A suction conduit (11) projects into each reagent reservoir vessel (3) through the vessel opening (7) for reagent withdrawal. A closure system (12) having an externally tapered and internally hollow closure plug (13) is provided for closing off the vessel opening (7). The suction conduit (11) is guided through a cavity (14) of the closure plug (13) for reagent withdrawal.

Tissue processors are used for automatic processing of histological samples for subsequent section preparation with a microtome, followed by microscopic examination. The tissue of the sample must firstly, in multiple stages, be dewatered, purified, hardened, and then stabilized with paraffin. This is accomplished with various reagents to which the sample is exposed.
A tissue processor that permits large automatic processing of the samples is depicted and described in the Leica document "Leica ASP 300," Leica Microsystems Nussloch GmbH, order no. 0704-2-1-103, April 2001.
The tissue processor comprises a retort as a processing station for the samples. The retort is connected via a tubing or piping system to multiple standardized reagent reservoir vessels for the different reagents. By way of a pump system and an electronic control system, the respective reagents can be automatically pumped from the reservoir vessels into the retort and back.
The reagent reservoir vessels arranged in the tissue processor must from time to time be emptied and replaced with unused reagents. The tissue processor comprises for that purpose a connector for an external tubing system through which each individual reagent reservoir vessel can be emptied and refilled. This procedure of course requires a plurality of external vessels that must be stored separately in the laboratory. There also exists a risk of confusion in the context of vessels having fresh and used reagents.
Simple and direct exchange of the reagent reservoir vessels is also thwarted by the different dimensions of the external refill reagent vessels.


An orthopedic implant is specifically configured for use in osteotomies, in which part of the implant extends into an intramedullary portion of a first bone segment and a plate portion is external to the cortical surface of an adjacent bone segment to fix the segments to allow them to fuse. The body of the implant has a first end and a second end where the end which is inserted into the bone has a chamfer and a through hole having a hole axis optionally at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the implant, and which can receive a screw, peg or pin. The second end of the implant includes a plate portion with at least two offset screws.

There are several conditions, such as hallux valgus, or more commonly "bunions", which result from congenital deformation or which arise as a result of repeated use type injuries. Surgical intervention that includes surgical sectioning of bone or an "osteotomy" is often used to restructure the bones as a treatment for such conditions. For example, the chevron translational osteotomy, of the first metatarsal with which the present invention might be used, is typically used to treat a condition that is the result of adult acquired metatarsal deformity. The present invention is likewise useful for other conditions of the foot or hand that result from prior trauma, surgical intervention or defects from birth or that develop with age (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
Examples of some of the procedures with which the present invention could be used include hallus valgus and hallus rigidus corrections, and bunionectomies. Other applications which could use the present invention include first and fifth metatarsal chevrons, translational osteotomies, closing wedge osteotomies, pediatric femoral osteotomies, metacarpal and calcaneal rotational osteotomies, intraarticular osteotomies and hand and wrist realignment osteotomies.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Intramedullary implant with proximal plate and method for its use


An electronic assembly includes a printed circuit board mounted with an electronic component, a heat sink, and a clip securing the heat sink on the printed circuit board to enable the heat sink to have an intimate contact with the electronic component. The printed circuit board forms two engaging portions each defining a receiving hole therein. The heat sink includes a base and a plurality of fins. The clip includes a pressing member pressing the heat sink to the electronic component, two V-shaped operating members extending slantwise from ends of the pressing member, and two clasps extending outwardly from ends of the operating members. Height of each of the clasps is larger than that of each of the receiving holes of the engaging portions. The clasps of the clip lock with the engaging portions by manipulating the operating members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat sink assembly, and more particularly to a heat sink assembly having a wire clip and a heat sink, wherein the wire clip can firmly secure the heat sink to a printed circuit board on which a heat generating electronic component is mounted.
2. Description of Related Art
It is widely acknowledged that heat is produced during operations of electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs). The produced heat must be quickly removed to ensure the electronic components working normally. Typically, a heat sink is disposed on the electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board to dissipate heat therefrom.
Typically, wire clips are widely used for securing heat sinks on the printed circuit board. A wire clip, which is integrally made of a resilient metal wire, generally includes an elongated pressing portion and a pair of locking clasps extending downwardly from opposite ends of the pressing portion. The printed circuit board forms a pair of engaging portions. Each engaging portion defines a receiving hole to receive a corresponding locking clasp therein. When assembled, the pressing portion of the clip is located between fins of the heat sink, and the locking clasps are pressed inwardly and downwardly until the locking clasps are in level with the receiving holes of the engaging portions. The locking clasps are moved towards the receiving holes of the engaging portions and finally clasp the engaging portions. Thus, the heat sink is secured on the printed circuit board.
When a height of each of the locking clasps is smaller than that of the receiving hole of the engaging portion, the locking claps can easily enter the holes to lock with the engaging portions. However, for such a locking, the locking clasps of the clip are prone to disengage from the engaging portions when the heat sink is subject to a vibration or a shock. When a height of each of the locking clasps is larger than that of the receiving hole of the engaging portion, the locking clasps of the clip can not easily extend through the receiving holes to engage with the engaging portions.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat sink assembly having a heat sink and a clip, wherein the clip can be easily manipulated to firmly secure the heat sink to a printed circuit board.

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


An electromagnetic touch-control screen structure, comprising: a display panel; a touch-control plate over the display panel; an electromagnetic induction plate over the touch-control plate; and a cover lens attached on the electromagnetic induction plate. The electromagnetic touch-control screen of the disclosure, by deploying reasonable structure and manufacturing technique, stacks an electromagnetic induction plate with a touch-control plate, a cover lens and a display panel. Compared with existing manufacturing techniques, it can reduce one time of lamination operation, and dramatically decrease the thickness and weight of the electromagnetic structure, so that it can meet the need of lightness and thinness, for touch-control display equipments, like cellphone.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a general tri-electrode switch (TRIAC) circuit. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the tri-electrode switch circuit applied in a lighting circuit. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the tri-electrode switch TRIAC is a gate-controlled switch and it is also called "bidirectional triode thyristor" which is conductible under forward voltage or reverse voltage. When the tri-electrode switch circuit 1 is applied in a lighting product, the tri-electrode switch circuit 1 can adjust the lightness of the lighting product by changing the resistance of a variable resistor R1. When an AC voltage passes through the tri-electrode switch circuit 1, the tri-electrode switch circuit 1 changes the resistance of the variable resistor R1 to adjust a conduction angle of the AC voltage to correspondingly change the lightness of the lighting product.
However, after the tri-electrode switch circuit 1 is disposed in current LED products as shown in FIG. 2, the operation of the tri-electrode switch circuit 1 will become unstable under a condition of low voltage and current, and an input voltage VIN will also become unstable at low conduction angle voltage. Therefore, voltage waveforms VS1 and VS2 with different sizes will be generated as shown in FIG. 3B. If the input voltage VIN is zero at low conduction angle voltage, the LED apparatus 24 will even flicker.
A common solution of the above-mentioned problem is to dispose a holding current circuit 20 in the lighting circuit 2. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a conventional holding current circuit 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a resistor RH is disposed between the input voltage VIN and a regulator REG, and a gate of a transistor MOS is coupled between the resistor RH and the regulator REG. Because the regulator REG will generate a voltage VF and a voltage about VF will be formed at a set resistor RSET, a current can be generated by adjusting the resistance of the set resistor RSET. This current can be applied in the lighting circuit to be a holding current to make the input voltage VIN stable at low conduction angle voltage; therefore, voltage waveforms VS1′ and VS2′ with the same size will be generated as shown in FIG. 3C.
However, when the conventional holding current circuit 20 of FIG. 4 is applied in the lighting circuit 2 having tri-electrode switch TRIAC, if the voltage becomes higher, more power will be consumed and serious problems of high power consumption and over-heat will occur. In addition, since the voltage and the current of the current source circuit 22 disposed under the LED apparatus 24 will become larger, the power consumption of the tri-electrode switch TRIAC will also become more (as shown in FIG. 5B) to cause a over-heat problem which is needed to be overcome.

Holding current circuit of LED driving apparatus and operating method thereof


The present invention relates to a novel linker based solid support, methods for generating the linker moiety on the solid support, and methods of using the supports to synthesize peptides and small molecule combinatorial library and the new solid support of this invention also comprises a functionalized linker covalently attached to the solid supports such as polystyrene.

The present invention relates to a novel linker based solid support for use in peptide synthesis and combinatorial library synthesis, methods for generating the linker moiety on the solid support, and methods of using the supports to synthesize peptides and small molecule combinatorial libraries. The new solid support of this invention also comprises a functionalized linker covalently attached to the solid supports such as polystyrene.
Rapid development of solid phase synthesis calls for the development of new and versatile solid support to meet the newer synthetic challenges. The solid supports for the synthesis of peptides have been very well established and even synthesis of cyclic peptides, peptide amides, peptide aldehydes etc are now possible directly on the support [(a) Barany, G. et al., Int. J. Peptide protein Res. 30, 705-739, 1987.; (b) Fields, G. B. et al., Int. J. Peptide protein Res. 35, 161-214, 1990. (c) Lloyd-Williams, P. et al., Tetrahedron, 49, 11065-11133, 1993 (d) Wang, S. S., J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 95, 1328, 1973 (e) Barlos, K., et al., Tetrahedron Letters, 30, 3947, 1989 (f) Beebe, X., et al., J. Org. Chem., 60, 4204, 1995 (g) Rink, H., Tetrahedron Letters, 28, 3787, 1987 (h) Rapp, W., et al., in xe2x80x9cPeptides 1988xe2x80x9d, Proc. 20th European Peptide Symposium, Jung G. and Boyer E. (Eds.), Walker de Gruyter, Berlin, pp 199 1989]. Further, synthesis of small organic molecules require more versatile and broad range solid supports. A number of supports are reported in the literature with a variety of functionalities to attach the synthons as well as their stability and susceptibility towards the synthetic reagents and experimental conditions used [Oesapay, G., et al, in xe2x80x9cPeptides Chemistry, Structure and Biology, Proc. 13th American Peptide Symposiumxe2x80x9d, Hodges, R. S. and Smith J. A. (Eds.), ESCOM, Leiden, pp 435, 1994, (b) Hermkens, P. H. H. et al, Tetrahedron, 52, 4527, 1996 (c) Hermkens, P. H. H. et al, Tetrahedron, 53, 5643, 1997 (d) Brown, R. C., J. Chem. Soc. Perkin-I, 3293, 1998]. Mostly, the available supports require drastic conditions for the cleavage of molecules from the solid support involving strong acids, which are harmful to the molecules. Further, aminolysis and reductive cleavage methods result in side reaction and racemization, particularly in the case of peptides. On the other hand, supports, which require relatively milder conditions, do not withstand various reagents and experimental conditions used in organic synthesis, particularly in the case of small organic molecules. Therefore, development of new and versatile supports, which are orthogonal compatible, will be highly beneficial.
Development of various supports essentially based on the strategy to incorporate a bi-functional linker between the solid matrix and growing molecule are in vogue. The first step involves attachment of linker molecule on the solid matrix and subsequently the desired synthetic scaffold is constructed on the linker bearing solid support. This allows utilization of the desired functionalities for the attachment of synthetic scaffold and to achieve desired chemical properties on the solid support. Based on this premise a number of linker based solid supports have been developed and are in commercial use [Oesapay, G., et al, in xe2x80x9cPeptides Chemistry, Structure and Biology, Proc. 13th American Peptide Symposiumxe2x80x9d, Hodges, R. S. and Smith J. A. (Eds.), ESCOM, Leiden, pp 435, 1994, (b) Hermkens, P. H. H. et al, Tetrahedron, 52, 4527, 1996 (c) Hermkens, P. H. H. et al, Tetrahedron, 53, 5643, 1997 (d) Brown, R. C., J. Chem. Soc. Perkin-I, 3293, 1998. And a) Blackburn, C. Biopolymers, peptide sciences, 47, 311, 1998 (b) Patek, M. and Lebl, M. ibid. 353 (c) Barany, G., et al, U.S. Pat. No.: 5,235,028 1993.(d) Barany, G., U.S. Pat. No.: 5,306,562, 1994 (e) Jensen, K. J., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,015, 1999].
Working on similar lines, the applicants also developed earlier a linker for solid phase synthesis of peptides [Katti, S. B. et al, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., 843-844, 1992]. The base labile linker as shown in FIG. II, formula VII was prepared using readily available raw materials and synthesized for each amino acid separately to be used at C-terminal. It was prepared according to the method used for the synthesis of PAM resin [Mitchell, A. R. et al., J. Org. Chem. 43, 2845, 1978]. This provides pre-loaded amino acid with linker on solid support for further synthesis of peptides. The synthesis started with the treatment of chloroacetic acid (I) with phenacyl bromide (II) to obtain corresponding ester (III). The ester III was treated with mercaptoethanol (IV) to obtain protected linker (V). The hydroxy group of the linker was acylated with suitably protected amino acid (Boc or Fmoc) with DCC and DMAP followed by the deblocking of phenacyl ester by Zn/AcOH to obtain free acid (VI). The sulfide group of the free acid VI was then oxidized to obtain corresponding sulphone (VII) by the treatment with oxone. The linker acid carrying the suitably protected amino acid was loaded on the amino methyl resin by DIC/HOBT procedure and quantitative loading was obtained. Having loaded the linker bearing first amino acid on solid support, the utility of linker based solid support was demonstrated by synthesis of peptides using Boc and Fmoc chemistry employing the known procedures. The cleavage of the peptide from the solid support was carried out under extremely mild conditions by treatment with dioxane:methanol:4N NaOH (30:9:1) for 30 min. This provides an opportunity to obtain protected peptide fragments, which are quite useful intermediates for the synthesis of large peptides and proteins [Kaiser, E. T., Acc. Chem. Res. 22, 47, 1989; Williams, P. et al. Tetrahedron, 49, 11065, 1993]. Thus, it was demonstrated that the linker was compatible with both, Boc and Fmoc chemistry protocols and can be synthesized easily in laboratory. Using this linker several peptides and protected peptide fragments have been synthesized.
In spite of the various advantages, there are certain limitations with the linker based solid support mentioned above. For the synthesis of peptides the linker with the amino acid at the C-terminus is to be synthesized separately for each synthesis [FIG. II shown in the accompanying drawings]. Therefore, the synthesis for each sequence requires additional steps and longer time. Further, the linker having protected amino acid is oxidized using oxone, a powerful oxidizing agent, before loading it on the solid support, therefore, amino acids, prone to oxidation can not be used as the first amino acid. Thus peptide sequences having cystein, methionine, tryptophan and tyrosine at the C-terminus pose problems as these amino acids are oxidized during the oxone oxidation. Secondly, it has been observed that the linker of formula VII, as shown in FIG. II of the accompanying drawings is not completely stable under the cleavage conditions used for the removal of Fmoc group, particularly for the synthesis of longer peptides. It was observed that prolonged exposure with 20% piperidine solution resulted in the cleavage of growing chain from the solid support. Since the cleavage of products from the solid support occurs via xcex2-elimination, the basicity of the 20% piperidine solution is enough to cause the xcex2-elimination of the linker and resulted in the partial cleavage of the peptide at each deblocking step.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide an orthogonally compatible linker based solid support for organic synthesis.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a new linker based solid support for peptide synthesis employing Boc and Fmoc chemistry protocols separately or in combination.
One more objective of the invention is to provide a new solid support comprising a functionalized linker covalently attached to the solid supports such as polystyrene.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of synthesis of hydroxyethyl-sulphenyl-acetamido resin.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide a new solid support for the synthesis of protected peptide fragments for use in solid phase convergent synthesis of longer peptides.
Yet, another objective of the present invention is to enhance the scope of the new linker based solid support for the synthesis of small organic molecules to generate combinatorial libraries

Linker based solid support for peptide and small molecule organic synthesis

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research


A glass composition for use as a sealant or otherwise bonded to a fuel cell component, including from about 40 mol % to about 60 mol % RO; from about 2 mol % to about 10 mol % M2O3; and from about 35 mol % to about 45 mol % SiO2. R is selected from the group including strontium, calcium, magnesium and zinc and combinations thereof. M is selected from the group including aluminum, boron, lanthanum, iron and combinations thereof. The glass includes at least about 5 mol % ZnO. Upon heat treatment, the glass at least partially crystallizes with the formation of at least one alkaline earth-zinc pyrosilicate crystalline phases.

Ceramic materials are finding increasing utility fuel cell applications. Although their inherent resistance to high temperature and chemically corrosive environments are well suited for such applications, there remains the problem of joining and/or sealing separate ceramic elements or joining ceramic and metal components. In the case of solid oxide fuel cells, ceramic electrolytes are useful for oxygen separation and charge transport at high temperatures. However, such electrolytes typically must be sealed to prevent the mixing of the fuel gas and oxidant gas species on either side of the electrolyte. The seal should not only be gas-tight, but is often also used to bond fuel cell components together. Thus, the seal has to be suitable for use in chemically and thermally extreme environments, and must also have thermal expansion characteristics comparable with those of the electrolyte.
Currently, the solid oxide electrolyte material is selected from variations on a few basic compositions. The most commonly chosen basic electrolyte materials are yttria stabilized zirconia, ceria, bismuth oxide and lanthanum gallate. The thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of these materials can range from about 100×10−7 to about 150×10−7/degree Celsius, depending on the type and concentration of dopants included therein. Fuel cells are typically operated at temperatures ranging from about 700 degrees Celsius to above 1000 degrees Celsius, depending on the type and configuration of the fuel cell. Accordingly, any sealant composition must have thermal expansion characteristics similar to those of the electrolyte (or other fuel cell components) to which the sealant is applied such that a gas tight seal is maintained at temperatures ranging from the ambient to the maximum fabrication and/or operating temperature of the resultant fuel cell device. Further, it is important that the coated substrate and the sealant not have undesired and detrimental chemical interactions. Moreover, the sealant composition must also be stable at the anticipated fuel cell operating temperature (i.e., 700-1000 degrees Celsius) for extended periods of time (i.e., the desired operating life of the fuel cell, typically about 10,000 hours) in a highly chemically reducing environments.
Various solid oxide fuel cell seal compositions have been attempted and have met with varying degrees of success. Silica, boron, and phosphate base glasses and glass-ceramics have been tried. Phosphate glasses tend to volatilize phosphates that react with the fuel cell anode to form nickel phosphide and zirconiumoxyphosphate. Further, phosphate glasses tend to crystallize to form metaphosphates and/or pyrophosphates, which are not very stabile in a humidified fuel gas at fuel cell operating temperatures.
Primarily borosilicate glasses/glass ceramics have the problem of reacting with humidified hydrogen-rich atmosphere at elevated temperatures to form the gaseous species B2 (OH)2 and B2 (OH)3. Therefore, high boron seals are apt to eventually corrode in a humidified hydrogen environment (common in fuel cell operation) over time.
Silica-based glasses and glass-ceramics fare somewhat better as fuel cell sealant material, but still have drawbacks. Although silica-based glassy materials are typically more chemically stable in a fuel cell operating environment, high-silica content glasses may have coefficients of thermal expansion sufficiently mismatched with fuel cell electrolytes and components that the seals are rapidly degraded with thermal cycling. Many of the silicate-based glasses include a BaO component to give the glass the desired CTE. BaO participates in deleterious interfacial reactions with the chromium-containing interconnect materials commonly found in solid oxide fuel cell devices, producing interfacial reaction products that compromise the mechanical integrity of the seal and/or joint.
At fuel cell operating temperatures, most glasses will crystallize relatively quickly. Thus, it is important that the coefficient of thermal expansion of not only the glass but also of the eventually formed crystallized material be compatible with the solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte. Once the glass is fully crystallized, the resultant crystalline material is typically very stable over time. Further, crystallized glasses tend to exhibit increased mechanical strength at operating temperature, translating to improved seal/joint reliability.
Fuel cell technology is becoming increasingly important as the world demand for traditional hydrocarbon fuels increases and supplies of the same decrease. As the demand for fuel cells increases, so increases the demand for sealant materials with suitable thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. There remains a need for a sealing material composition that can operate at a temperature of up to about 1000 degrees Celsius, has a thermal expansion between 80×10−7 and 130×10−7/degree Celsius, and has no detrimental chemical interactions with the fuel cell components. The present invention addresses this need.

Glass and glass-ceramic sealant compositions


In an active pixel sensor cell, the blue response of the cell is balanced by utilizing a photodiode in lieu of a photogate, and the noise is reduced by quickly reading the voltage on a node, transferring the collected charge from the photodiode onto the node, and then again reading the voltage on the node.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to active pixel sensor cells and, more particularly, to an active pixel sensor cell with a balanced blue response and reduced noise.
2. Description of the Related Art.
Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) have been the mainstay of conventional imaging circuits for converting a pixel of light energy into an electrical signal that represents the intensity of the light energy. In general, CCDs utilize a photogate to convert the light energy into an electrical charge, and a series of electrodes to transfer the charge collected at the photogate to an output sense node.
Although CCDs have many strengths, which include a high sensitivity and fill-factor, CCDs also suffer from a number of weaknesses. Most notable among these weaknesses, which include limited readout rates and dynamic range limitations, is the difficulty in integrating CCDs with CMOS-based microprocessors.
To overcome the limitations of CCD-based imaging circuits, more recent imaging circuits use active pixel sensor cells to convert a pixel of light energy into an electrical signal. With active pixel sensor cells, a conventional photogate is typically combined with a number of active transistors which, in addition to forming an electrical signal, provide amplification, readout control, and reset control.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional and schematic view of a conventional CMOS active pixel sensor cell 10. As shown in FIG. 1, cell 10, which is formed in a p-type substrate 12, includes a pair of spaced-apart n+ regions 14 and 16 formed in substrate 12, a polysilicon (poly) photogate 18 formed over and insulated from substrate 12 adjacent to n+ region 14, and a poly transfer gate 20 formed over and insulated from substrate 12 between n+ regions 14 and 16. In addition, photogate 18 is formed to receive a photogate signal PG, while transfer gate 20 is formed to receive a transfer signal TX.
As further shown in FIG. 1, cell 10 also includes a reset transistor 24 having a source connected to n+ region 16 and a gate connected to receive a reset signal RST, a source-follower transistor 26 having a gate connected to n+ region 16, and a row-select transistor 28 having a drain connected to the source of source-follower transistor 26 and a gate connected to receive a row-select signal RS.
The operation of cell 10 begins with an integration period during which light energy in the form of photons penetrates substrate 12 and forms a number of electron-hole pairs. Throughout the integration period, a positive voltage is applied to photogate 18 via photogate signal PG to attract the newly formed electrons to the surface of substrate 12 directly below photogate 18.
Following the integration period, the voltage on n+ region 16 is reset to an initial transfer voltage by pulsing the gate of reset transistor 24 with a positive voltage via reset signal RST. The initial transfer voltage placed on n+ region 16, in turn, defines an initial intermediate voltage on the source of source-follower transistor 26.
Immediately after the gate of reset transistor 24 has been pulsed, the gate of row-select transistor 28 is pulsed with a positive voltage via the row-select signal RS. The positive voltage on the gate of row-select transistor 28 causes the initial intermediate voltage on the source of source-follower transistor 26 to appear on the source of row-select transistor 28 as an initial integration voltage which, in turn, is read out and stored by an imaging system.
Following this, a positive voltage is applied to transfer gate 20 via the transfer signal TX to slightly invert the surface of substrate 12 under transfer gate 20. At the same time, a negative voltage is applied to photogate 18 via the photogate signal PG.
The negative voltage applied to photogate 18 in combination with the positive voltage on n+ region 16 causes the charge collected under photogate 18 to flow through the inverted surface region under transfer gate 20 via n+ region 14 to n+ region 16 where each incoming electron reduces the initial transfer voltage on n+ region 16 to a final transfer voltage.
The final transfer voltage on n+ region 16 is then read out via source-follower transistor 26 as a final integration voltage by again pulsing the gate of row-select transistor 28. As a result, a collected voltage which represents the total charge collected by photogate 18 can be determined by subtracting the final integration voltage from the initial integration voltage.
One of the advantages of cell 10 is that the collected voltage is relatively free from noise. There is essentially no noise associated with photogate 18, and the noise associated with n+ region 16 is minimized by quickly reading the first integration voltage, transferring the charge to n+ region 16, and then reading the second integration voltage.
One problem with cell 10, however, is that photogate 18, which is formed from polysilicon, tends to block 50% or more of the highly energetic blue photons. As a result, the reduced number of blue photons leads to an unbalanced blue response.
One technique for improving the problem of an unbalanced blue response is to utilize a conventional photodiode, which does not require a layer of polysilicon, in lieu of a photogate. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional and schematic diagram that illustrates a photodiode-based active pixel sensor cell 50.
As shown in FIG. 2, cell 50, which is formed in p-type substrate 52, includes an n-type region 54 formed in substrate 52, an n+ contact region 56 formed in substrate 52 adjacent to n-type region 54, and a p+ region 58 formed in n-type region 54. Although not required to form a photodiode, p+ region 58 is commonly used to passivate the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface.
As further shown in FIG. 2, cell 50 also includes a reset transistor 60 having a source connected to n+ region 56 and a gate connected to receive a reset signal RST, a source-follower transistor 62 having a gate connected to n+ region 56, and a row-select transistor 64 having a drain connected to the source of source-follower transistor 62 and a gate connected to receive a row-select signal RS.
Operation of active pixel sensor cell 50 is performed in three steps: a reset step, where cell 50 is reset from the previous integration cycle; an image integration step, where the light energy is collected and converted into an electrical signal; and a signal readout step, where the signal is read out.
During the reset step, the potential on n-type region 54 and n+ contact region 56 is raised to an initial transfer voltage by pulsing the gate of reset transistor 60 with a positive voltage via the reset signal. As above, the initial transfer voltage placed on n+ region 56 also defines an initial intermediate voltage on the source of source-follower transistor 62.
Immediately after the gate of reset transistor 60 has been pulsed, the gate of row-select transistor 64 is pulsed with a positive voltage via the row-select signal RS. The positive voltage on the gate of row-select transistor 64 causes the initial intermediate voltage on the source of source-follower transistor 62 to appear on the source of row-select transistor 64 as an initial integration voltage which, in turn, is read out and stored by an imaging system.
Following this, the integration step begins. During integration, light energy, in the form of photons, penetrates into p+ region 58, n-type region 54, and substrate 52, thereby creating a number of electron-hole pairs.
The photogenerated electrons formed in p+ region 58 and substrate 52 which diffuse into the junction regions are attracted to n-type region 54 and n+ contact region 56 under the influence of the junction electric fields, while the photogenerated electrons formed in n-type region 54 remain in n-type region 54 where each additional electron reduces the potential on n-type region 54 and n+ contact region 56.
Thus, at the end of the integration step, the potential on n-type region 54 and n+ contact region 56 will have been reduced to a final transfer voltage where the amount of the reduction represents the intensity of the received light energy.
Following the image integration period, the final transfer voltage on n+ region 56 is then read out via source-follower transistor 62 as a final integration voltage by again pulsing the gate of row-select transistor 64. As a result, a collected voltage which represents the total charge collected by cell 50 can be determined by subtracting the final integration voltage from the initial integration voltage.
One of the problems with active pixel sensor cell 50, however, is that the period conventionally used to integrate the image, i.e., the time between reading out the initial and final integration voltages, which is approximately 30 mS, introduces noise into the collected voltage.
Thus, there is a need for an active pixel sensor cell that provides a balanced blue response and at the same time minimizes the introduction of noise into the collection voltage.

Active pixel sensor cell with balanced blue response and reduced noise


A motherboard testing apparatus for automatically turning on or off a motherboard includes a pulse signal generating circuit for outputting a pulse signal, a first control circuit for outputting a first control signal to an I/O controller on the motherboard according to the pulse signal, and a second control circuit. The first control circuit outputs a low level first control signal when it receives a low level pulse signal, the I/O controller turns the motherboard on when it receives the low level first control signal. The second control circuit outputs a second control signal to the first control circuit which controls the motherboard to turn on again when the first control circuit receives the low level pulse signal a next time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motherboard testing apparatus, and especially relates to a motherboard testing apparatus for automatically turning on or off a motherboard.
2. Description of Related Art
In computer systems such as personal computer (PC) systems, operators usually need to press a power bottom of the PC system to ground a sixth terminal of a computer front panel header, thereby turning on the computer system, which is inconvenient and time consuming for operators manually performing a motherboard test, in which it is common to power up the motherboard about a thousand times.
What is desired, therefore, is to provide a simple low-cost motherboard testing apparatus for automatically turning on or off a motherboard.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A bicycle is configured for conversion between expanded and folded arrangements and includes a main frame assembly comprising a main frame member coupled with the front assembly, rear wheel carriers extending from the main frame member along a first orientation and a bottom bracket protruding from the main frame member along a second orientation. A front assembly of the vehicle includes a quick release, a head tube configured to receive a fork and a seat tube configured to receive a saddle. The main frame assembly further includes elongate seat stays coupled with the rear wheel carrier and each seat stay includes a latch configured for locking with a quick release provided to the front assembly. With seat stays latches released the head tube and seat tube pivot together relative to the main frame member on a single hinge during conversions between the expanded and folded arrangements.

Today, a great variety of folding bicycles and other folding vehicles are available. However, these bicycles are still too bulky when folded to be conveniently portable for mixed-mode commuting in a city. This is particularly noticeable when commuting includes travel on a crowded bus or mass rapid transit train. Further, folding or unfolding bicycles often involves multiple steps that are tedious as well as time-and labor-intensive.

Compact folding bicycle with single frame hinge


A clutch system has a clutch device, an actuating device for the hydraulic actuation of the clutch device, and a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system includes a master cylinder that is actuated by the actuating device, a slave cylinder for actuating the clutch device fluidically connected with the master cylinder through a pressure line. A first branch line is connected to the pressure space of the master cylinder or between the pressure spaces of the master cylinder and slave cylinder. The first branch line is also connected to a compensating tank volume. A second branch line is connected to the pressure space of the slave cylinder or arranged between the pressure spaces of the master and slave cylinders. The second branch line is also connected to the compensating tank volume. A device is disposed to blocking the second branch line during an actuation of the clutch device by way of the actuating device. This provides for an inherently safe, self-ventilating hydraulic system.

Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to a clutch system with a clutch device, an actuating device for the hydraulic actuation of the clutch device, and a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system has a master cylinder which can be actuated by way of the actuating device, a slave cylinder, which is connected to the master cylinder by way of a pressure line, for actuating the clutch device, a (first) branch line which is connected to the pressure space of the master cylinder or is disposed between the pressure spaces of the master cylinder and slave cylinder, and a compensating tank volume to which the first branch line is connected.
Use is made largely of hydraulic releasing systems for actuating the clutch in vehicles with shift transmissions, in particular manual shift transmissions. The systems are composed in particular of the pedal arrangement, the master cylinder, the line and the slave cylinder with releasing or a central releaser. The master cylinder is actuated by the driver via the clutch pedal and the slave cylinder actuates the clutch via the release lever and the release bearing or the central releaser directly actuates the clutch. The clutch hydraulics are connected via the master cylinder to a compensating tank.
On account of different phenomena, air inclusions can occur in the clutch hydraulics. In the majority of motor vehicles, sufficient self-ventilating is possible via the master cylinder and compensating tank by means of a rising pressure line from the slave cylinder to the master cylinder.
If self-ventilating of the clutch hydraulics via the master cylinder is hindered by a long pressure line, line sections with a small gradient and/or siphons, this can lead to an accumulation of the air inclusions and therefore to a displacement of the release force characteristic curve of the clutch. The displacement causes inter alia a change in the resulting pedal restoring force and a reduction of the free movement of the clutch. The correct functioning of the clutch system, in particular of the pedal arrangement, release system and clutch, is therefore no longer ensured.
A clutch system of the generic type specified in the above text is known from practice.
European patent EP 1 356 212 B1 and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,811 B2 describe an hydraulically actuable clutch system which is provided with a ventilation device for the hydraulic system. In that clutch system, two valves—a supply valve and a discharge valve—are opened together for the ventilation of the hydraulic slave cylinder, such that flow passes through the hydraulic system for a certain period of time and the resulting oil flow ventilates the slave cylinder.
German published patent application DE 101 01 438 A1 discloses a ventilation device for a hydraulic system in a clutch system. That ventilation device is characterized by an automatic mode of operation. There, the ventilation takes place if a pressure is built up in the initially unpressurized hydraulic system. For this purpose, a ventilation valve is arranged at the highest point of a line of a slave cylinder. An electromagnetic control valve is situated between the ventilation valve and a pressure accumulator, with the ventilation valve being connected via a recirculation line to a compensating tank. The ventilation valve comprises a valve housing, a valve body and a preload spring. The mode of operation of the ventilation valve assumes that the system to be ventilated is at least briefly unpressurized. In the unpressurized state, the valve body of the ventilation valve is pressed under the force of the preload spring against a lower sealing surface of the valve housing, and thereby prevents the infiltration of air from the recirculation line. If the control valve is opened, the valve body rises up from the lower sealing face and air present in the recirculation line can escape.

Clutch system with a hydraulically actuated clutch device

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft