An encoder having a light emitting device and a photo IC for receiving light emitted from the light emitting device. The encoder includes a driving unit having a first driving power output terminal, to which one of a pair of power supply terminals of the photo IC is connected, for outputting driving power. The driving power is used for intermittently driving the photo IC only for a desired time period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical rotary encoder, a control method therefor, and a coordinate input device using the optical rotary encoder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) have been employed so as to enhance the operability of PCs (Personal Computers). Coordinate input devices, such as mice and track balls, have been used to as to point at icons indicated on the screens of display units.
In such a coordinate input device, an optical rotary encoder is frequently used so as to resolve each of the amount and direction of rotation of a ball contained therein into orthogonal components respectively corresponding to two directions, that is, the X-direction and the Y-direction, and so as to measure the orthogonal components.
Generally, the optical rotary encoder has light emitting devices or elements, light receiving devices for receiving light emitted from the light emitting devices, and a slitted disk. The disk is disposed between the light emitting devices and the light receiving devices. When the disk rotates, the slits of the disk transmit the light emitted from the light emitting devices. Conversely, the remaining non-transparent parts of the disk interrupt the light emitted from the light emitting devices. The light receiving devices receive the light transmitted through the slits. The received light is converted into electric pulse signals corresponding to the speed and direction of rotation of the disk.
The coordinate input device using the optical rotary encoder detects the amount and direction of movement of the operated ball as the amount and direction of rotation of the disk of the optical rotary encoder.
Generally, a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and phototransistors is used as a set of the light emitting devices and the light receiving devices of the optical rotary encoder. The phototransistor is a device containing a photodiode and a transistor, and has a light or optical amplification function of amplifying a signal, which is obtained by a photoelectric conversion in the photodiode, by the transistor.
LEDs and transistors are analog devices, so that there is an individual difference in characteristic among the LEDs or the transistors. That is, there is an individual difference in, for example, luminous intensity among LEDs. Further, there is an individual difference in, for instance, light receiving sensitivity among phototransistors. When such an individual difference is large, the extraction of information on the amount and direction of rotation of the disk of the optical rotary encoder is difficult owing to a subtle change in temperature and to deterioration with time of devices. Especially, in the case of using an optical rotary encoder in the coordinate input device, a mouse cursor cannot move normally.
Therefore, generally, when an optical rotary encoder using LEDs and phototransistors is designed, a desired magnitude of the optical coupling between the LEDs and the phototransistors is obtained by adjusting the constants of the devices of various kinds of processing circuits and adjusting the distance between the LEDs and the phototransistors so as to eliminate the individual difference among the devices. Consequently, stable outputs of the optical rotary encoder are secured.
Moreover, generally, LEDs and phototransistors are classified into what are called xe2x80x9cranksxe2x80x9d based on the aforementioned individual differences. For example, LEDs are classified into ranks according to relative levels (or luminosity rank) of a luminous amount. On the other hand, phototransistors are classified into ranks according to relative levels (or reception light intensity ranks) of a photocurrent flowing therethrough when light of the same amount is irradiated thereon. When an optical rotary encoder is designed, the ranks of such devices are sufficiently taken into consideration. An optimal combination of LEDs and phototransistors, which ensures a stable operation of the optical rotary encoder, is selected.
The aforementioned circuit adjustment and the adjustment of the distance between LEDS and phototransistors at the time of fabricating an optical rotary encoder are costly and unreliable. Furthermore, when an optical rotary encoder is designed by considering the luminous ranks and the reception light intensity ranks, the range of choices of available devices is narrow. Consequently, the fabrication costs of the optical rotary encoder are high.
Besides, in the case of using, for example, the aforementioned optical rotary encoder as the coordinate input device, it is possible to input an output of the phototransistor directly to a microcomputer serving as a coordinate processing unit in the coordinate input device. However, the outputs of the phototransistors need adjustment because of the fact that the threshold voltage of the input port of the microcomputer changes according to the specification thereof.
In recent years, devices called photo ICs have been supplied to the market as light receiving devices obtained by improving the phototransistors that have such defects. Optical rotary encoders employing photo ICs as the light receiving devices are currently on the market.
An ordinary phototransistor has two photodiodes, while a photo IC has four photodiodes and hundreds of transistors. In a photo IC, two pairs of photodiodes are used and adapted so that each pair of photodiodes generates two signals, whose phases are inverted, from received light, that a differential signal representing the difference between the two signals is then obtained, and that an electric pulse signal is outputted by shaping the waveform of the differential signal into a rectangular waveform.
Therefore, photo ICs have an advantage in resistance to change in temperature and humidity and to variation in amount of a luminosity (that is, to deterioration with time of an amount of a luminosity) over ordinary phototransistors having only the optical amplification function.
Moreover, because output signals of a photo IC are electric rectangular pulse signals, namely, binary signals each having a high level or a low level, photo ICs have another advantage in that output signals of a photo IC can be inputted directly to a microcomputer of a coordinate input device when the photo IC is used in, for instance, an optical rotary encoder of the coordinate input device.
Photo ICs are integrated circuits, and have another advantage in that each photo IC can have various additional functions in addition to a light receiving function. For example, in the case that LEDs serving as light emitting devices are intermittently driven, and that light emitted by the LEDs is received by a photo IC, the photo IC can have a data holding function by which data obtained by the photo IC at the time of receiving light is stored in an internal memory even when the LEDs are turned off.
Thus, a device using photo ICs in an optical rotary encoder has many advantages over a device using phototransistors in an optical rotary encoder. However, the former device has many drawbacks.
First, the former device using the photo ICs has a drawback in that the photo IC is an integrated circuit and always consumes electric current even in the case of receiving no light, different from the latter device in which ordinary phototransistors fundamentally output no electric current when receiving no light.
Although the photo IC always consumes electric current, the value of the electric current varies from hundreds xcexcm to several mA and thus the photo IC does not impede an operation of a coordinate input device having an interface, such as a PS/2 (Personal System/2) interface, in the case that the photo IC is used in such a coordinate input device. However, in the case of the device using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface that has been becoming widespread in recent years, generally, electric current consumption in a suspended mode of a coordinate input device is prescribed by standards. The suspended mode is also referred to as a standby mode. In such a mode, for example, performance of a normally available function is temporarily paused, or such a function is tentatively disabled. Thus, the power consumption of the device is reduced in comparison with that in an ordinary operation mode of the device. Consequently, power saving is achieved. Incidentally, although the term xe2x80x9ca sleep modexe2x80x9d is used in a similar sense, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the power consumption in the suspended mode is much lower than the power consumption in the sleep mode.
The standards prescribe that electric current consumed in the suspended mode of a peripheral device, such as a coordinate input device using a USB interface, should be less than 500 xcexcA. However, the electric current consumed per photo IC is 200 xcexcA at most. Further, an electric current of about 250 xcexcA is consumed only by communication lines. Thus, the total consumption of electric current of the coordinate input device using two photo ICs is 650 xcexcA, which exceeds the value prescribed by the standards.
Although the coordinate input device using photo ICs as the light receiving elements of the optical rotary encoder thereof has many advantages over the conventional device using phototransistors, especially, a reduction in electric current consumed in the suspended mode of the device is still an outstanding problem.
Accordingly, in view of the aforementioned problem, a first object of the present invention is to provide a low power consumption optical rotary encoder employing photo ICs as light emitting devices.
In view of the foregoing problem, a second object of the present invention is to provide a coordinate input device having a low power consumption optical rotary encoder that employs photo ICs as light emitting devices.
In view of the aforementioned problem, a third object of the present invention is to provide a control method of controlling a low power consumption optical rotary encoder that employs photo ICs as light emitting devices.
To achieve the first object of the present invention, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an encoder having a light emitting device and a photo IC for receiving light emitted from the light emitting device. This encoder comprises driving unit having a first driving power output terminal, to which one of a pair of power supply terminals of the photo IC is connected, for outputting driving power to be used for intermittently driving the photo IC only for a desired time period.
To achieve the second object of the present invention, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coordinate input device that comprises the encoder according to the first aspect of the present invention and a slitted disk in which a plurality of slits are formed along a circumference at uniform intervals. This coordinate input device generates coordinate input data, which is to be inputted to a computer, according to slitted-disk rotation information.
To achieve the third object of the present invention, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of controlling an encoder that comprises a light emitting device and a photo IC for receiving light from the light emitting device. According to this control method, electric power for intermittently driving the photo IC for a desired time period is outputted from a first driving power output terminal to which one of a pair of power supply terminals of the photo IC is connected.
In the case of the optical rotary encoder employing the photo IC as the light emitting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the power consumption of the encoder can be reduced by intermittently supplying electric power to the photo IC as driving power therefor. Further, the power consumption can be reduced still more by intermittently driving the light emitting device of the encoder.
In the case of the coordinate input device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the encoder enabled to intermittently supply electric power to the photo IC as the driving power supply therefor is used for detecting the amount and direction of movement of the coordinate input device. The power consumption of the coordinate input device can be reduced.
In the case of the control method of controlling the optical rotary encoder, which employs the photo IC as the light receiving device, according to the third aspect of the present invention, electric power can intermittently be supplied to the photo IC as a driving power supply therefor. Further, the light emitting device of the encoder can intermittently be driven. The power consumption can be reduced still more.

Low power consumption encoder, control method therefor and coordinate input device using the same


A video transmission method includes obtaining a target video data segment, obtaining t reference data sets, encoding the target video data segment using each reference data set to obtain t encoded data blocks that are in a one-to-one correspondence with the t reference data sets, where any k encoded data blocks in the t encoded data blocks and k reference data sets that are in the t reference data sets and that are in a one-to-one correspondence with the any k encoded data blocks can construct an equation set matrix, and data of a solution matrix of the equation set matrix is data of the target video data segment, and sending t first reference data groups to a video decoding device using n front-end servers, where each first reference data group includes one encoded data block and a corresponding reference data set.

Currently, network live broadcasting is becoming increasingly common in people's daily lives. The network live broadcasting means live video broadcasting performed using a live broadcasting network. In a network live broadcasting process, an anchor terminal may shoot a live video, and send the live video to a corresponding server, and then the server sends the live video to an audience terminal such that a user to whom the audience terminal belongs watches the live video. During network live broadcasting, both uplink and downlink of the live video are real time, and a live broadcasting network cannot cache the live video in advance. In addition, the user has a relatively high requirement for a delay degree and a freezing degree of the live video. Therefore, how to ensure an uplink rate and a downlink rate of the live video so as to ensure a low delay and low freezing of the live video becomes an important part of network live broadcasting.
In a related technology, the live broadcasting network may include a content delivery network (CDN). In an uplink process of the live video, the anchor terminal may send the live video to a front-end server in the CDN network, and the front-end server may forward the live video to a background storage server in the CDN network. In a downlink live broadcasting process, the audience terminal may request the live video from another front-end server in the CDN network, and the front-end server that receives the request may obtain the live video from the background storage server, and send the live video to the audience terminal. The CDN network can avoid, as much as possible, bottlenecks and processes on the Internet that may affect a data transmission speed and stability such that data is transmitted faster and more stably. Therefore, the related technology can ensure the uplink rate and the downlink rate of the live video to some extent.
In the uplink process of the live video, if a packet loss occurs, the anchor terminal needs to retransmit video data, and this easily causes freezing and a delay of the live video.

Video transmission method, apparatus, and system, and computer readable storage medium


Provided is a puff, which enables the user to apply and spread color cosmetics such as a compact or foundation evenly to the skin so as to be have a sensation of close contact, more specifically, a separable variation puff which is configured such that: various puff members are connectable to or separable from a lower side of a coupling main body having a holding part; an elastic moving body into which an oscillator is inserted is connected to and formed at an inner side of the coupling main body; power of the oscillator is controlled by a battery and a switch; and the battery is easily exchangeable through the lower side of the coupling main body. Thus, the puff is advantageous in that the user can effectively transmit vibration of the oscillator to the puff according to a contact degree of the puff to the user's skin.

In general, when a person wants to naturally cover blemishes or freckles on exposed areas of skin such as the face, or to have clean and bright skin or pure and soft skin, the person uses powder cosmetics (hereinafter referred to as "the cosmetics") such as a foundation, a skin cover or a twin cake.
The cosmetics should be evenly spread and applied to a region intended for makeup without being condensed so as to have a sensation of close contact. In addition, to satisfy an emotional sensation of use, the user puts on makeup by hand, and at this time, a puff for makeup is used.
The puffs used for makeup to which the cosmetics are applied are a puff, which is configured so that the user can spread and apply the cosmetics while lightly patting the region for makeup with a surface of the puff to which the cosmetics are applied by inserting the finger into a finger inserting band formed at one side of the puff, and a vibration puff, which enables the user to put on makeup while automatically patting the region for makeup with the puff.
Of the puffs, when the puff, which can be used in a state of the finger being inserted into the finger inserting band, is used, the user pats the skin with the puff by artificial power, so it is inconvenient to apply makeup. In addition, in the case of a person who does not apply makeup frequently, or applies makeup clumsily, because the person's patting power is not regular, a case in which makeup does not take is generated, and because a patting speed by hand has a limit, the person cannot rapidly put on makeup.
Thus, as a puff which is configured so that the user can apply makeup while automatically patting a region for makeup with the puff, vibration puffs were suggested by Utility Model Reg. No. 348032 and Utility Model Reg. No. 365249.
The vibration puff of the prior registered device is configured such that a puff head is installed at an operating shaft installed to protrude to one side of a sack type case, and the operating shaft performs a seesaw motion around a hinge due to a turning force of an electric motor, so the head puff installed at the operating shaft performs a reciprocating motion in front and rear directions.
However, as described above, the vibration puff of the prior registered device configured so as to apply makeup by automatically vibrating the puff is advantageous because it is convenient to apply makeup compared to the puff configured so as to use in a state of inserting the finger. However, because the head puff is installed at the operating shaft which moves in the front and rear directions due to the seesaw motion, a stroke length in which the puff head moves in the front and rear directions due to the seesaw motion can only elongate. Thus, it is disadvantageous because patting speed is slow and patting power is strongly generated, so the user cannot apply makeup while feeling a soft sensation of touch. Also, because of a distance between the puff head and the case to be held by hand, the sensations of touch which a person is able to feel in the region for makeup, and which is then transmitted to the hand, can only be different from each other. In addition, because the structure thereof is complex, there is a difficulty in realizing its small size and light weight.
Moreover, the vibration puff as described above requires excessive configurations and devices to have a vibration means, and thus is very different from a normal puff, namely, a circular puff in a round shape, with respect to the shape and method of use. Accordingly, the puff has a harmful effect which cannot by easily used by consumers.

Vibration puff having elastic moving body inside


Provided is a power storage device having a high discharge capacitance and a light-transmitting property. The power storage device includes a first current collector having a net-like planar shape; a first active material layer over the first current collector; a solid electrolyte layer over the first active material layer; a second active material layer over the solid electrolyte layer; and a second current collector over the second active material layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object (a product including a machine, a manufacture, and a composition of matter) and a method (a process including a simple method and a production method). In particular, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a power storage device and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, power storage devices such as nonaqueous secondary batteries (e.g., lithium secondary batteries), lithium ion capacitors, and air cells have been widely used as power supplies of consumer electric devices such as information terminals typified by mobile phones and smart phones, display devices like liquid crystal televisions, and game machines.
In particular, because of higher energy density than conventional batteries such as nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium secondary batteries are essential for information society these days as rechargeable energy supply sources for electric devices such as portable information terminals (e.g., mobile phones, smart phones, and laptop computers), portable music players, and digital cameras.
For example, lithium secondary batteries which are conventional nonaqueous secondary batteries each generally include positive electrodes and negative electrodes; the positive electrodes each include a positive electrode current collector made of sheet-like aluminum or the like and a positive electrode mix which includes a positive electrode active material capable of occluding and releasing lithium ions and which is applied to both surfaces of the positive electrode current collector, and the negative electrodes each include a negative electrode current collector made of sheet-like copper or the like and a negative electrode mix which includes a negative electrode active material capable of occluding and releasing lithium ions and which is applied to both surfaces of the negative electrode current collector. These positive electrodes and negative electrodes are rolled with a separator interposed therebetween to form a rolled body, a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab are connected to given portions of the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes, and an organic electrolytic solution and the rolled body where these tabs are connected to the given portions of the positive electrode and the negative electrode are sealed in an exterior body with a certain shape such as a cylindrical shape, a square shape, or a coin shape.
Further, in recent years, a solid secondary battery such as the solid secondary battery disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been actively researched. Such a solid secondary battery has a structure where an inorganic solid electrolyte or an organic polymer solid electrolyte is substituted for a conventional nonaqueous electrolytic solution and does not use a liquid material. Therefore, there is no concern for liquid leakage; further, since solid electrolytes are nonflammable, the danger of ignition can be avoided. The use of solid secondary batteries in this manner can increase safety and the structural strength of batteries. Further, simplification and enlargement of housings can be achieved. Therefore, solid secondary batteries have advantages over batteries using electrolytic solutions also in mass productivity.

Power storage device and electric device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A wall element, comprising two outer layers extending at least substantially parallel to each other, between which two or more intermediate layers are provided, characterized in that said intermediate layers extends between the outer layers in a zigzag fashion, wherein the intermediate layers are arranged in a nested fashion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wall element, comprising two outer layers extending at least substantially parallel to each other, between which at least one intermediate layer is provided. The invention furthermore relates to a method for manufacturing said wall element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art wall element is known from German patent no. 2 026 768 (Universal Papertech Corp.). Said patent discloses a building which is built up of many different constructional elements, such as a concrete floor, roof parts and sidewall parts made of a corrugated board intermediate layer, which is sandwiched between two flat outer layers, as well as clamps and corner elements. In practice it has become apparent that the constructional strength of the roof parts and the side wall parts is insufficient to give the building the required strength.


A fuel injector includes a tube member and a valve element to slide axially in the tube member. The valve element includes a center portion and a plurality of plate portions projecting radially from the center portion, and each including side surfaces extending axially; and a guide section including an outer portion defining a valve seat, and an inner portion which is located on a radial inner side of the outer portion, and which is formed with at least one injection hole. The guide section is arranged to divert the flow of the fuel conveyed along the plate portions, to a radial inward direction toward the injection hole.

The present invention relates to a fuel injector or fuel injection valve.
A fuel injector of one known type includes a valve seat member formed with a valve seat; a valve element slidably received in a tube member and driven by a drive section to move to and from the valve seat; and a nozzle plate formed with one or more injection holes to inject fuel after passage through the interspace opened between the valve element and valve seat in a valve open state. Fuel injectors of such a type are disclosed in Published Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H03-130571published on Jun. 4, 1991; Published Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. H03-108855published on Nov. 8, 1991; and Published Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-155547 published on Jun. 16, 2005. Fuel supplied into the tube member is conveyed through a hollow portion between the inside circumferential surface of the tube member and the valve element, thereafter guided to the nozzle plate and injected through the injection holes. In the fuel injector of Published Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-155547, the valve element includes a spherical valve body and a sliding portion slidably supported by the tube member.


An apparatus for providing a return current path for RF current between a chamber wall and a substrate support is provided comprising a low impedance flexible curtain having a first end and a second end, the first end adapted to be electrically connected to the chamber wall and the second end adapted to be connected to the substrate support, wherein the curtain further comprises at least one fold in the curtain material, located an axial distance between the first end and the second end, and at least one perforation cut into the curtain proximate the second end.

Liquid crystal displays or flat panels are commonly used for active matrix displays such as computer and television monitors, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones and the like. Generally, flat panels comprise two glass plates having a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched therebetween. At least one of the glass plates includes at least one conductive film disposed thereon that is coupled to a power supply. Power supplied to the conductive material film from the power supply changes the orientation of the liquid crystal material, creating patterns such as text or graphics that may be seen on the display. One fabrication process frequently used to produce flat panels is plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally employed to deposit thin films on a glass substrate such as those utilized to fabricate flat panels. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is generally accomplished by introducing a precursor gas into a vacuum chamber that contains the substrate. The precursor gas is typically directed through a distribution plate situated near the top of the chamber. The precursor gas in the chamber is energized (e.g., excited) into a plasma by applying RF power to the chamber from one or more RF sources coupled to the chamber. The excited gas reacts to form a layer of material on a surface of a substrate that is positioned on a temperature controlled substrate support. The substrate support is typically grounded to the chamber body. In applications where a layer of low temperature polysilicon is deposited onto the substrate, the substrate support may be heated in excess of 400 degrees Celsius. Volatile by-products produced during the reaction are pumped from the chamber through an exhaust system.
During this process, the substrate support is biased negatively with respect to the plasma to further enhance deposition. This is accomplished by providing a bias voltage to an electrode within the substrate support assembly. With a negative bias voltage applied to the substrate support, positively ionized material in the plasma is attracted to and deposits on the substrate in a highly perpendicular manner, improving the deposition characteristic known as "step coverage".
Ideally, the bias voltage on the substrate support remains stable as the ionized material is deposited onto the substrate. A stable bias voltage results in ionized deposition material being drawn and deposited uniformly across the width of the substrate. Voltage stability is realized when there is no appreciable voltage drop due to current flowing from the substrate support to ground. If the voltage drop is significant, the differential may induce plasma to strike between two points at substantially different voltages, such as the substrate support (at a high potential) and a nearby grounded feature (such as a chamber wall), thereby damaging the processing environment and possibly contaminating the substrate. Some systems employ a low impedance strap to couple the substrate support to the chamber body to facilitate grounding of the substrate support.
FIG. 10 is a simplified perspective, cutaway view of an exemplary conventional processing chamber 30 having a plurality of straps 20 for electrically coupling a substrate support 40 to a wall 32 or bottom 34 of the chamber 30. Four of eight straps 20 are shown in FIG. 10, two straps 20 coupled to each edge of the substrate support 40.
The substrate support 40 typically includes a plurality of lift pins 52, some of which are disposed along the edge of the substrate support 40 to lift the edges of the substrate during transfer. A lift plate 50 is disposed below the substrate support 40 and may be vertically actuated to extend the lift pins 52 through the substrate support 40 to space a substrate from the substrate support during substrate transfer.
Each of the straps 20 includes a first and second flexures 22, 24 separated by a bend 26. The straps 20 are generally aligned with the perimeter of the substrate support 40 and spaced to provide room for the lift pins 52 to extend below the substrate support 40. In order to provide clearance of a lift plate 50 positioned below the substrate support 40 that is utilized to vertically actuate the lift pins 52, the bend 22 of each strap 20 is oriented perpendicular to the proximate edge of the substrate support 40 (i.e., the edge of the support the strap is coupled to) to keep the bend 26 of the strap 20 from being positioned further inward relative to the substrate support 40 than the flexures 22, 24. As the straps 20 cannot extend into the area occupied by the lift plate 50 and lift pins 52, the number and size of the straps 20 are limited to the number that may be linearly aligned and nested along the edge of the substrate support 40, while remaining clear of those lift pins 52 positioned along the edge of the substrate support 40.
While this configuration has proven to be effective and reliable for smaller scale applications, it is less effective for larger area glass substrate processing applications which necessitate higher current flow for adequate grounding. As the next generation of large area substrates utilized for flat panel fabrication approaches 1100 mm×1300 mm, with even larger sizes envisioned for the near future, the substrate supports utilized to process these large area substrates have increased in size as well and would benefit from increased grounding capacity not currently available from conventional designs. The conductive straps such as those described above cannot be coupled between the processing chamber and the substrate support with sufficient density to adequately limit the voltage drop between the processing chamber and substrate support in such large scale processing applications. Additionally, because the straps are spaced around the perimeter of the substrate support to leave gaps for the lift pins and if the gaps are sufficiently wide, those portions of the substrate support between the straps may be biased at a higher potential relative to those portions that are directly coupled to a strap, which may adversely effect deposition uniformity.
Therefore, there is a need for a reliable low-impedance RF current return path suitable for use in large area substrate processing applications.

RF current return path for a large area substrate plasma reactor


Prior art terminals with operating buttons and a contact member movable against the force of a spring are relatively bulky and complex. It is proposed to provide a part of a curved leaf spring as the contact member having at least one aperture fitted in such a way above the conductor guide that an edge of the aperture acts as the contact member. This design also permits the contacting of thin conductors.

The invention relates to a terminal for electrical installations, particularly for applied computer science, having a contact member which can be moved in a housing and which, under the force of a spring, can be pressed against a guide for a conductor which is open in the direction of the contact member, the contact member being part of a leaf spring which is held in the housing and is provided with an opening which is arranged in such a manner with respect to the guide for the conductor that an edge is used as the contact member and can be placed against the conductor.
Terminals with actuating keys are known. As a rule, these consist of a U-shaped component which surrounds a guide duct for the conductor and, by way of the leg facing away from the key part, forms the contact member which, under the force of a spring, is pressed into the guide duct for the conductor for contacting it.
The manufacturing of such constructions requires relatively high expenditures. Mainly, they will no longer allow any reliable contacting when the diameters of the conductors become very thin, which is particularly the case in applied computer science and communications technology. The space requirement of the known construction is also relatively high. Therefore, if a large number of connections is required, which is the case in communications technology, the space requirement for such terminals will become considerable.
A terminal of the initially mentioned type is also known (U.S. Patent Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,638). There, a leaf spring is provided which is clamped on one side into a housing opening and which has an opening (or a recess) whose upper edge, as the contact member, rests in a clamping manner against the conductor which, on the other side, is held on the wall of a guide in the housing. Since, in this type of construction, only an opening for the guiding-through of the conductor is provided, it becomes necessary to clamp the end of the leaf spring which is not provided with the opening fixedly in the housing.
The invention is based on the object of developing a terminal of the initially mentioned type in such a manner that, while the space requirement is low, it can also be used for the secure contacting of thin conductors.
For achieving this object, the leaf spring of a terminal of the initially mentioned type is provided with rectangular apertures which are arranged below one another in an aligned manner. The leaf spring is placed in a curved shape on the guide for the conductors such that one of the apertures is used as a clamping member for fastening the leaf spring on the guide for the conductor, and an edge of the other aperture forms the contact member. The curved leaf spring is inserted between the bottom of a shaft in the housing and an actuating key. This embodiment is extremely simple. However, it permits the implementation of relatively high contact pressures since, as a result of the use of a leaf spring, high elastic forces are available and the contact member only has a small contact surface. This embodiment is therefore advantageous particularly for contacting thin conductors which are also held securely in terminals according to the invention.
The construction is particularly advantageous if, as a further development of the invention, the conductor guide, in each case, consists of two parallel strip profiles which are provided with an approximately V-shaped cross-section and which are connected with a connection contact. The leaf spring can be clamped in a simple manner by its aperture on these strip profiles. A conductor placed in the conductor guide can, on the one hand, be perfectly contacted with the edge of the second aperture forming the contact member, but, on the other hand, can also be fixedly pressed into the V-shaped indentation of the strip profile and can be held there.
In the case of this embodiment, it is advantageous as a further development of the invention to provide the actuating key with plug-in openings for the conductors to be connected which are aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip profiles. No additional space is therefore required transversely to the actuating direction of the actuating key.
In a further development of the invention, the leaf spring may be constructed in one piece with a second leaf spring and may be provided with a separating cut extending between the strip profiles. Despite the arrangement of only one leaf spring part, this construction also allows the contacting of conductors of different diameters, which naturally would also be possible when two leaf springs are used for the two strip profiles forming the conductor guide. However, the latter construction would require higher expenditures with respect to the manufacturing as well as with respect to the mounting.
In a further development of the invention, the connection contact may be constructed in one piece with the strip profiles and may be provided with at least one detent for the locking on the housing. This permits a relatively simple manufacturing.
In this case, the connection contact may be constructed as a solder lug projecting out of the housing. However, it may also be provided with two contact studs for the direct plugging of printed circuit boards, in which case these contact studs may also be arranged at 900.degree. or at 180.degree. with respect to the longitudinal direction of the conductor guides, that is, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strip profiles. This measure permits the plugging-in of printed circuit boards also at an angle with respect to the plug-in direction for the conductors. Finally, as a further development of the invention, the housing may be provided, on the side opposite the actuating key, with a plug-in opening for the counterplugging of conductors which are aligned with the conductor guides.


A system and method for managing codes during distributed software development. Code segments, or sections, are separated into logic units. Each logic unit contains one or more services. The logic units and services are registered at a registration management module, and added to the existing software code. When predefined automatic calling condition is satisfied, the corresponding service in every registered logic unit will be called automatically. Additionally, a unified interface is provided for calling services in the registered logic units. The calling of the logic unit may be affected by using the registration information of and/or a service definition defining the service of the logic unit maintained in the registration management module.

In modern authoring environments, development work for complex software systems can be done in parallel by a number of development teams around the world. Each development team may work on discrete portions of the system's overall functionality. The teams may work largely independently, in geographically diverse areas of the world, which renders day-to-day consultations between the teams impractical. Although the development teams may develop their sub-systems from a common high level design document, the team's design efforts may not be synchronized. At some point during development, however, the various teams' developments must be merged together and perhaps additional functionality will be developed based on the merged code.
The act of merging software developments from several independent design teams entails substantial expense. This dependency between the teams can hamper efficiency and code stability, among other issues. Further, there exists a fundamental dependency upon the code lines of the foundation or basic development team forming the base of the software program.
For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a current approach of software development in a distributed environment. As shown at box 101, the code of a foundation team, for example, includes procedure oriented code segments which are statements and function calling. During cluster functionality enhancement, modifications by one or more globalization teams, for example, are added to the procedure oriented code segments of the foundation team. The new code is mixed with the original code, as shown at box 102. Errors often arise when merging code, and functionality conflicts among code from different teams are essentially inevitable when synchronizing the codes.
In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, the source code for the new functions from the different globalization teams is embedded into the source code of the foundation team. Further, there is no unified mechanism for managing all new codes of a specific cluster.
In such situations, a procedure oriented interface and a subroutine called directly through the name of its interface are used to handle code integration and resulting conflicts as shown at boxes 103 and 104. This solution, however, is inefficient, prone to error, and inflexible. If the name of an interface is changed, everything referencing the interface must be modified, resulting in a huge workload and potential for error. Further, even if a logic enhancement is made, the caller cannot call the enhancement automatically.
Thus, it would be desirable to introduce a unified mechanism for managing codes from different sources or entities in a distributed software development environment.

Code management in a distributed software development environment


Attenuated recombinant viruses containing DNA encoding an immunodeficiency virus and/or CTL antigen, as well as methods and compositions employing the viruses, expression products therefrom, and antibodies generated from the viruses or expression products, are disclosed and claimed. The recombinant viruses can be NYVAC or ALVAC recombinant viruses. The DNA can code for at least one of: HIV1gag(+pro)(IIIB), gp120(MN)(+transmembrane), nef(BRU)CTL, pol(IIIB)CTL, ELDKWA or LDKW epitopes, preferably HIV1gag(+pro)(IIIB), gp120(MN) (+transmembrane), two (2) nef(BRU)CTL and three (3) pol(IIIB)CTL epitopes; or two ELDKWA in gp120 V3 or another region or in gp160. The two (2) nef(BRU)CTL and three (3) pol(IIIB)CTL epitopes are preferably CTL1, CTL2, pol1, pol2 and pol3. The recombinant viruses and gene products therefrom and antibodies generated by the viruses and gene products have several preventive, therapeutic and diagnostic uses. DNA from the recombinant viruses are useful as probes or, for generating PCR primers or for immunization. Also disclosed and claimed are HIV immunogens and modified gp160 and gp120.

Vaccinia virus and more recently other poxviruses have been used for the insertion and expression of foreign genes. The basic technique of inserting foreign genes into live infectious poxvirus involves recombination between pox DNA sequences flanking a foreign genetic element in a donor plasmid and homologous sequences present in the rescuing poxvirus (Piccini et al., 1987).
Specifically, the recombinant poxviruses are constructed in two steps known in the art and analogous to the methods for creating synthetic recombinants of poxviruses such as the vaccinia virus and avipox virus described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,769,330, 4,722,848, 4,603,112, 5,110,587, and 5,174,993, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
First, the DNA gene sequence to be inserted into the virus, particularly an open reading frame from a non-pox source, is placed into an E. coli plasmid construct into which DNA homologous to a section of DNA of the poxvirus has been inserted. Separately, the DNA gene sequence to be inserted is ligated to a promoter. The promoter-gene linkage is positioned in the plasmid construct so that the promoter-gene linkage is flanked on both ends by DNA homologous to a DNA sequence flanking a region of pox DNA containing a nonessential locus. The resulting plasmid construct is then amplified by growth within E. coli bacteria (Clewell, 1972) and isolated (Clewell et al., 1969; Maniatis et al., 1982).
Second, the isolated plasmid containing the DNA gene sequence to be inserted is transfected into a cell culture, e.g. chick embryo fibroblasts, along with the poxvirus. Recombination between homologous pox DNA in the plasmid and the viral genome respectively gives a poxvirus modified by the presence, in a nonessential region of its genome, of foreign DNA sequences. The term "foreign" DNA designates exogenous DNA, particularly DNA from a non-pox source, that codes for gene products not ordinarily produced by the genome into which the exogenous DNA is placed.
Genetic recombination is in general the exchange of homologous sections of DNA between two strands of DNA. In certain viruses RNA may replace DNA. Homologous sections of nucleic acid are sections of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) which have the same sequence of nucleotide bases.
Genetic recombination may take place naturally during the replication or manufacture of new viral genomes within the infected host cell. Thus, genetic recombination between viral genes may occur during the viral replication cycle that takes place in a host cell which is co-infected with two or more different viruses or other genetic constructs. A section of DNA from a first genome is used interchangeably in constructing the section of the genome of a second co-infecting virus in which the DNA is homologous with that of the first viral genome.
However, recombination can also take place between sections of DNA in different genomes that are not perfectly homologous. If one such section is from a first genome homologous with a section of another genome except for the presence within the first section of, for example, a genetic marker or a gene coding for an antigenic determinant inserted into a portion of the homologous DNA, recombination can still take place and the products of that recombination are then detectable by the presence of that genetic marker or gene in the recombinant viral genome. Additional strategies have recently been reported for generating recombinant vaccinia virus.
Successful expression of the inserted DNA genetic sequence by the modified infectious virus requires two conditions. First, the insertion must be into a nonessential region of the virus in order that the modified virus remain viable. The second condition for expression of inserted DNA is the presence of a promoter in the proper relationship to the inserted DNA. The promoter must be placed so that it is located upstream from the DNA sequence to be expressed.
Vaccinia virus has been used successfully to immunize against smallpox, culminating in the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980. In the course of its history, many strains of vaccinia have arisen. These different strains demonstrate varying immunogenicity and are implicated to varying degrees with potential complications, the most serious of which are post-vaccinial encephalitis and generalized vaccinia (Behbehani, 1983).
With the eradication of smallpox, a new role for vaccinia became important, that of a genetically engineered vector for the expression of foreign genes. Genes encoding a vast number of heterologous antigens have been expressed in vaccinia, often resulting in protective immunity against challenge by the corresponding pathogen (reviewed in Tartaglia et al., 1990a).
The genetic background of the vaccinia vector has been shown to affect the protective efficacy of the expressed foreign immunogen. For example, expression of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) gp340 in the Wyeth vaccine strain of vaccinia virus did not protect cottontop tamarins against EBV virus induced lymphoma, while expression of the same gene in the WR laboratory strain of vaccinia virus was protective (Morgan et al., 1988).
A fine balance between the efficacy and the safety of a vaccinia virus-based recombinant vaccine candidate is extremely important. The recombinant virus must present the immunogen(s) in a manner that elicits a protective immune response in the vaccinated animal but lacks any significant pathogenic properties. Therefore attenuation of the vector strain would be a highly desirable advance over the current state of technology.
A number of vaccinia genes have been identified which are non-essential for growth of the virus in tissue culture and whose deletion or inactivation reduces virulence in a variety of animal systems.
The gene encoding the vaccinia virus thymidine kinase (TK) has been mapped (Hruby et al., 1982) and sequenced (Hruby et al., 1983; Weir et al., 1983). Inactivation or complete deletion of the thymidine kinase gene does not prevent growth of vaccinia virus in a wide variety of cells in tissue culture. TK.sup.- vaccinia virus is also capable of replication in vivo at the site of inoculation in a variety of hosts by a variety of routes.
It has been shown for herpes simplex virus type 2 that intravaginal inoculation of guinea pigs with TK.sup.- virus resulted in significantly lower virus titers in the spinal cord than did inoculation with TK.sup.+ virus (Stanberry et al., 1985). It has been demonstrated that herpesvirus encoded TK activity in vitro was not important for virus growth in actively metabolizing cells, but was required for virus growth in quiescent cells (Jamieson et al., 1974).
Attenuation of TK.sup.- vaccinia has been shown in mice inoculated by the intracerebral and intraperitoneal routes (Buller et al., 1985). Attenuation was observed both for the WR neurovirulent laboratory strain and for the Wyeth vaccine strain. In mice inoculated by the intradermal route, TK.sup.- recombinant vaccinia generated equivalent anti-vaccinia neutralizing antibodies as compared with the parental TK.sup.+ vaccinia virus, indicating that in this test system the loss of TK function does not significantly decrease immunogenicity of the vaccinia virus vector. Following intranasal inoculation of mice with TK.sup.- and TK.sup.+ recombinant vaccinia virus (WR strain), significantly less dissemination of virus to other locations, including the brain, has been found (Taylor et al., 1991a).
Another enzyme involved with nucleotide metabolism is ribonucleotide reductase. Loss of virally encoded ribonucleotide reductase activity in herpes simplex virus (HSV) by deletion of the gene encoding the large subunit was shown to have no effect on viral growth and DNA synthesis in dividing cells in vitro, but severely compromised the ability of the virus to grow on serum starved cells (Goldstein et al., 1988). Using a mouse model for acute HSV infection of the eye and reactivatable latent infection in the trigeminal ganglia, reduced virulence was demonstrated for HSV deleted of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, compared to the virulence exhibited by wild type HSV (Jacobson et al., 1989).
Both the small (Slabaugh et al., 1988) and large (Schmidtt et al., 1988) subunits of ribonucleotide reductase have been identified in vaccinia virus. Insertional inactivation of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase in the WR strain of vaccinia virus leads to attenuation of the virus as measured by intracranial inoculation of mice (Child et al., 1990).
The vaccinia virus hemagglutinin gene (HA) has been mapped and sequenced (Shida, 1986). The HA gene of vaccinia virus is nonessential for growth in tissue culture (Ichihashi et al., 1971). Inactivation of the HA gene of vaccinia virus results in reduced neurovirulence in rabbits inoculated by the intracranial route and smaller lesions in rabbits at the site of intradermal inoculation (Shida et al., 1988). The HA locus was used for the insertion of foreign genes in the WR strain (Shida et al., 1987), derivatives of the Lister strain (Shida et al., 1988) and the Copenhagen strain (Guo et al., 1989) of vaccinia virus. Recombinant HA.sup.- vaccinia virus expressing foreign genes have been shown to be immunogenic (Guo et al., 1989; Itamura et al., 1990; Shida et al., 1988; Shida et al., 1987) and protective against challenge by the relevant pathogen (Guo et al., 1989; Shida et al., 1987).
Cowpox virus (Brighton red strain) produces red (hemorrhagic) pocks on the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken eggs. Spontaneous deletions within the cowpox genome generate mutants which produce white pocks (Pickup et al., 1984). The hemorrhagic function (u) maps to a 38 kDa protein encoded by an early gene (Pickup et al., 1986). This gene, which has homology to serine protease inhibitors, has been shown to inhibit the host inflammatory response to cowpox virus (Palumbo et al., 1989) and is an inhibitor of blood coagulation. The u gene is present in WR strain of vaccinia virus (Kotwal et al., 1989b). Mice inoculated with a WR vaccinia virus recombinant in which the u region has been inactivated by insertion of a foreign gene produce higher antibody levels to the foreign gene product compared to mice inoculated with a similar recombinant vaccinia virus in which the u gene is intact (Zhou et al., 1990). The u region is present in a defective nonfunctional form in Copenhagen strain of vaccinia virus (open reading frames B13 and B14 by the terminology reported in Goebel et al., 1990a,b).
Cowpox virus is localized in infected cells in cytoplasmic A type inclusion bodies (ATI) (Kato et al., 1959). The function of ATI is thought to be the protection of cowpox virus virions during dissemination from animal to animal (Bergoin et al., 1971). The ATI region of the cowpox genome encodes a 160 kDa protein which forms the matrix of the ATI bodies (Funahashi et al., 1988; Patel et al., 1987). Vaccinia virus, though containing a homologous region in its genome, generally does not produce ATI. In WR strain of vaccinia, the ATI region of the genome is translated as a 94 kDa protein (Patel et al., 1988). In Copenhagen strain of vaccinia virus, most of the DNA sequences corresponding to the ATI region are deleted, with the remaining 3' end of the region fused with sequences upstream from the ATI region to form open reading frame (ORF) A26L (Goebel et al., 1990a,b).
A variety of spontaneous (Altenburger et al., 1989; Drillien et al., 1981; Lai et al., 1989; Moss et al., 1981; Paez et al., 1985; Panicali et al., 1981) and engineered (Perkus et al., 1991; Perkus et al., 1989; Perkus et al., 1986) deletions have been reported near the left end of the vaccinia virus genome. A WR strain of vaccinia virus with a 10 kb spontaneous deletion (Moss et al., 1981; Panicali et al., 1981) was shown to be attenuated by intracranial inoculation in mice (Buller et al., 1985). This deletion was later shown to include 17 potential ORFs (Kotwal et al., 1988b). Specific genes within the deleted region include the virokine N1L and a 35 kDa protein (C3L, by the terminology reported in Goebel et al., 1990a,b). Insertional inactivation of N1L reduces virulence by intracranial inoculation for both normal and nude mice (Kotwal et al., 1989a). The 35 kDa protein is secreted like N1L into the medium of vaccinia virus infected cells. The protein contains homology to the family of complement control proteins, particularly the complement 4B binding protein (C4bp) (Kotwal et al., 1988a). Like the cellular C4bp, the vaccinia 35 kDa protein binds the fourth component of complement and inhibits the classical complement cascade (Kotwal et al., 1990). Thus the vaccinia 35 kDa protein appears to be involved in aiding the virus in evading host defense mechanisms.
The left end of the vaccinia genome includes two genes which have been identified as host range genes, K1L (Gillard et al., 1986) and C7L (Perkus et al., 1990). Deletion of both of these genes reduces the ability of vaccinia virus to grow on a variety of human cell lines (Perkus et al., 1990).
Two additional vaccine vector systems involve the use of naturally host-restricted poxviruses, avipoxviruses. Both fowlpoxvirus (FPV) and canarypoxvirus (CPV) have been engineered to express foreign gene products. Fowlpox virus (FPV) is the prototypic virus of the Avipox genus of the Poxvirus family. The virus causes an economically important disease of poultry which has been well controlled since the 1920's by the use of live attenuated vaccines. Replication of the avipox viruses is limited to avian species (Matthews, 1982) and there are no reports in the literature of avipoxvirus causing a productive infection in any non-avian species including man. This host restriction provides an inherent safety barrier to transmission of the virus to other species and makes use of avipoxvirus based vaccine vectors in veterinary and human applications an attractive proposition.
FPV has been used advantageously as a vector expressing antigens from poultry pathogens. The hemagglutinin protein of a virulent avian influenza virus was expressed in an FPV recombinant (Taylor et al., 1988a). After inoculation of the recombinant into chickens and turkeys, an immune response was induced which was protective against either a homologous or a heterologous virulent influenza virus challenge (Taylor et al., 1988a). FPV recombinants expressing the surface glycoproteins of Newcastle Disease Virus have also been developed (Taylor et al., 1990; Edbauer et al., 1990).
Despite the host-restriction for replication of FPV and CPV to avian systems, recombinants derived from these viruses were found to express extrinsic proteins in cells of nonavian origin. Further, such recombinant viruses were shown to elicit immunological responses directed towards the foreign gene product and where appropriate were shown to afford protection from challenge against the corresponding pathogen (Tartaglia et al., 1993a,b; Taylor et al., 1992; 1991b; 1988b).
In 1983, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV1) was identified as the causative agent of AIDS. Twelve years later, despite a massive, worldwide effort, an effective HIV1 vaccine is still not available. Recently, however, several reports have suggested that an efficacious HIV1 vaccine may be attainable. For example, macaques have been protected against a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) challenge by a vaccination protocol involving a primary immunization with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the SIV gp160 glycoprotein and a booster immunization with purified SIV gp160 glycoprotein (Hu et al., 1992). In addition, chimpanzees have been protected against an HIV1 challenge with an HIV1 gp120 subunit vaccine (Berman et al, 1990). Chimps have also been protected against an HIV1 challenge by a vaccination protocol involving multiple injections of either inactivated HIV1, gp160 and/or V3 peptide or gp160, p17 (a Gag protein) and/or V3 peptide (Girard et al., 1991). A similar protocol involving multiple injections of gp160, p17, p24 (a Gag protein), Vif, Nef and/or V3 peptide has also protected chimps against a challenge of HIV1-infected cells (Fultz et al., 1992). Furthermore, chimps have been passively protected by the infusion of HIV1 V3-specific antibodies (Emini et al., 1992).
Most of these vaccination protocols have focused on eliciting an immune response against the HIV1 or SIV envelope glycoprotein, or more specifically, against the V3 epitope of the envelope glycoprotein. Unfortunately, different strains of HIV1 exhibit extensive genetic and antigenic variability, especially in the envelope glycoprotein. Therefore, an effective HIV1 vaccine may need to elicit an immune response against more than one HIV1 antigen, or one epitope of one HIV1 antigen.
Contrary to the extensive sequence variability observed in B-cell epitopes, T-cell epitopes are relatively conserved. For example, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) clones, isolated from an HIV1-seronegative individual vaccinated with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing HIV1 gp160 (LAI strain) and boosted with purified HIV1 gp160 (LAI), lyse target cells expressing the HIV1 MN or RF envelope glycoprotein as efficiently as cells expressing the HIV1 LAI envelope glycoprotein (Hammond et al., 1992). Therefore, a vaccine that elicits an immune response against relatively conserved T-cell epitopes may not only be more efficacious against a homologous challenge, but also more efficacious against a heterologous challenge.
HIV1-seronegative individuals have been vaccinated with an ALVAC recombinant (vCP125) expressing HIV1 gp160, in a prime-boost protocol similar to the regimen used to vaccinate macaques against SIV. These ALVAC-based protocols demonstrated the ability of vCP125 to elicit HIV1 envelope-specific CD8.sup.+ CTLs and to enhance envelope-specific humoral responses observed following a subunit booster (Pialoux et al., 1995). These results justify the rationale for a recombinant ALVAC-based HIV1 vaccine.
Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV1) initially generate a relatively dynamic and extensive antiviral immune response, including HIV1-specific neutralizing antibodies and HIV1-specific CTLs. Despite these responses, however, the vast majority of HIV1-infected people eventually succumb to HIV1-associated diseases. Since the immune response generated by most HIV1-infected people is not protective, generation of an effective immune response may necessitate that the immune response be modulated or redirected against HIV1 epitopes that are not normally or efficiently seen by HIV1-infected individuals.
Approximately 40% of the HIV1-specific antibody in HIV1-seropositive individuals capable of binding HIV1-infected cells is specific to the third variable region (V3) of the HIV1 envelope glycoprotein (Spear et al, 1994). These results indicate that the V3 loop is 1) highly immunogenic and 2) exposed on the surface of infected cells. The amino acid sequence of the V3 loop varies considerably between different HIV1 isolates. Therefore, a moderate level of sequence variation does not appear to alter the structure or immunogenicity of this region of the envelope glycoprotein. Since the V3 loop is highly immunogenic and its structure and immunogenicity is not severely affected by sequence variation, this region of the envelope glycoprotein may be useful as an immunogenic platform for presenting normally non-immunogenic linear HIV1 epitopes or heterologous epitopes to the immune system.
Sera from HIV1-seropositive individuals can neutralize lab-adapted strains of HIV1. These sera can also neutralize primary HIV1 isolates (although 100.times. higher titers are required). Conversely, sera from individuals vaccinated with HIV1 gp120 can neutralize lab-adapted strains of HIV1 (although 10.times. higher titers relative to sera from seropositive individuals are required), but can not neutralize (at assayable levels) primary isolates (Hanson, 1994). A significant portion of the neutralizing activity found in sera from seropositive and gp120-vaccinated individuals appears to be specific to the V3 loop (Spear et al., 1994; Berman et al., 1994). Since the V3 loop is hypervariable and since antibodies against this region may not neutralize primary isolates or heterologous strains of HIV1, it may be necessary to develop vaccines that elicit an immune response against epitopes other than the V3 loop, epitopes that can neutralize a broad spectrum of HIV1 strains, including primary isolates.
A monoclonal antibody capable of neutralizing primary HIV1 isolates, as well as a broad spectrum of lab-adapted HIV1 strains, has been isolated (Conley et al., 1994; Katinger et al., 1992). The epitope recognized by this monoclonal antibody has been mapped between amino acids 662 and 667 of HIV1 gp41 and has the amino acid sequence, ELDKWA (Buchacher et al, 1994). Approximately 80% of the HIV1 strains from which sequence information has been derived, including strains from the various HIV1 clades, express the core binding sequence of this epitope, LDKW (Conley et al., 1994). Therefore, unlike the V3 loop, this epitope appears to be relatively well conserved. Unfortunately, this epitope does not appear to be very immunogenic in its normal configuration. Only approximately 50% of HIV1-seropositive individuals have a detectable antibody response to the region of gp41 containing this epitope (Broliden et al., 1992).
It can thus be appreciated that provision of an immunodeficiency virus recombinant poxvirus, and of an immunogenic composition which induces an immunological response against immunodeficiency virus infections when administered to host, particularly a composition having enhanced safety such as NYVAC or ALVAC based recombinants containing coding for any or all of HIV1gag(+pro)(IIIB), gp120(MN)(+transmembrane), nef(BRU)CTL epitopes, pol(IIIB)CTL epitopes; for instance, HIV1gag(+pro)(IIIB), gp120(MN)(+transmembrane), nefCTL1, nefCTL2, pol1(PolCTL1), pol2(PolCTL2), pol3(PolCTL3), ELDKWA or LDKW epitopes, (SEQ ID NOS:.147 and 148) especially in an immunogenic configuration, or any combination thereof, for example all of them in combination, would be a highly desirable advance over the current state of technology. ALVAC, TROVAC, NYVAC, and vCP205 (ALVAC-MN120TMG) were deposited under the terms of the Budapest Treaty with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md., 20852, USA: NYVAC under ATCC accession number VR-2559 on Mar. 6, 1997; vCP205 (ALVAC-MN120TMG) under ATCC accession number VR-2557 on Mar. 6, 1997; TROVAC under ATCC accession number VR-2553 on Feb. 6, 1997 and, ALVAC under ATCC accession number VR-2547 on Nov. 14, 1996.

Recombinant attenuated ALVAC canaryopox virus containing heterologous HIV or SIV inserts


Embodiments of the subject invention relate to an electropermanent magnet core (EPM core) having two permanent magnets (or two permanent magnet portions where each portion can have one or more permanent magnets), including a fixed permanent magnet portion and a switching permanent magnet portion, where a switching magnetic field is used to switch the magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion, but not switch the magnetization of the fixed permanent magnet portion. In this way, the fixed permanent magnet portion has a fixed magnetization, such that the direction of magnetization of the fixed permanent magnet portion remains the same during switching of the magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion, given the magnitude and duration of the switching magnetic field used to switch the magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion, and the switching permanent magnet portion has a switching magnetization, such that the direction of magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion is switched during switching of the magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion, given the magnitude and duration of the switching magnetic field used to switch the magnetization of the switching permanent magnet portion.

The first switchable magnet included two permanent magnets positioned between two soft magnetic shunt plates made of a magnetically permeable material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material), where one of the permanent magnets was mechanically rotated to align the directions of magnetization of the two permanent magnets in the same direction, or align the directions of magnetization of the two permanent magnets in opposite directions, in order to turn the switchable magnet "on" or the switchable magnet turn "off," respectively, where a magnetic latching field extended from the switchable magnet when the switchable magnet was on, and little or no magnetic latching field extended from the switchable magnet when the switchable magnet was off [3, 16].
An electropermanent magnet (EPM) is a type of switchable magnet where a switchable magnet is a magnet device where the magnetic field external to the device is switchable between an "on state" and an "off state". Rather than physically rotating one of two permanent magnets to switch the alignment of the directions of magnetization of the two permanent magnets, an electropermanent magnet includes a pair of permanent magnets positioned between two soft magnetic shunt plates made of a magnetically permeable material, where a pulse of electric current passing through a coil in a first direction is used to create a magnetic field that flips the direction of magnetization of the switchable permanent magnet to align the directions of magnetization of the two permanent magnets in the same direction, or a pulse of current passing through the coil in a second direction opposite to the first direction flips the direction of magnetization of the switchable permanent magnet such that the directions of magnetization of the two permanent magnets are in opposite directions, in order to turn "on," or "off," respectively, a magnetic latching field of the EPM [14, 17]. In this way, an EPM is a switchable magnet that only consumes power during transitions between the on/off states, i.e., transitions from the on state to the off state and transitions from the off state to the on state. Switching the electropermanent magnets from the on state to the off state, and from the off state to the on state, controls the EPM's external magnetic (latching) field.
Electromagnets also can be used to create adjustable external magnetic fields, where the adjustable magnetic fields are created by driving an adjustable current through a coil. However, in contrast with an electromagnet, which requires continuous electric current to create an external magnetic field, using a single pulse of electric current to switch the EPM from one state to the other state limits the energy needed for magnet control when compared to electromagnets. Accordingly, EPMs can be advantageous in certain applications, such as when the amount of energy use is important.
Many of applications for EPMs benefit from the miniaturization of EPMs, such as the use of EPMs as: switchable magnetic components with application in MEMS; actuators/latches for microrobots and programmable matter [1]; and ferrofluid droplet manipulations in microfluidic devices [15].
EPMs are typically constructed using two adjacent permanent magnets and a soft magnetic material at each end of the two permanent magnets [1]. FIG. 1 shows a prior art EPM, where two permanent magnets, namely an Aluminum-Nickel-Cobalt (Alnico) magnet (Sintered Alnico 5 with a coercivity of 48 KA/m and a residual induction of 1.26 T) and a Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnet (Grade N40 NIB with a coercivity of 1000 KA/m and a residual induction of 1.28 T), are attached to a soft magnetic material, namely iron pole pieces, at each end of the two permanent magnets [1]. The soft magnetic material, which is a magnetically permeable material such as a ferromagnetic material, is used to guide the magnetic flux from the ends of the two permanent magnetics, such that when the EPM is in the on state, magnetic flux external to the EPM can latch the EPM to an object, such as an object having a ferromagnetic material, and when the EPM is in the off state, magnetic flux circulates in the soft magnetic material of the device and there is little or no external magnetic flux.
FIG. 2 shows another orientation of two permanent magnets and two pieces of soft magnetic material (e.g., steel plates) that can be used to create a switchable magnet, where the external magnetic flux, in the on state, extends from the EPM from a side of the EPM further away from one of the two permanent magnets than the other permanent magnet. The structure of FIG. 2 differs from the structure of FIG. 1, as the external magnetic flux of the structure of FIG. 1, in the on state, extends from the EPM from a side of the EPM that is the same distance away from both permanent magnets. The alignment of the poles of the two permanent magnets controls the external magnetic field of the EPM, as shown in FIG. 2. When the poles of the two permanent magnets are parallel, such that the N and S poles of the two permanent magnets are oriented in the same direction (directions of magnetization are the same), the magnetic flux will escape the steel plates, creating an external magnetic field [2]. This orientation of the poles of the two permanent magnets (i.e., oriented in the same direction) will be considered the "on state" of the EPM, noting that if the poles of both of the two permanent magnets were reversed, i.e., N and S reversed for both permanent magnets, the EPM would also have an external magnetic field and would be in a "second on state", where the direction of the external magnetic field in the "second on state" is opposite to the direction of the external magnetic field of the "on state". However, once the direction of magnetization is established for one of the permanent magnets (the fixed magnet), this direction of magnetization does not typically change during operation of the EPM. When the poles of the permanent magnets are antiparallel, such that the N and S poles of the two permanent magnets are oriented in opposite directions (directions of magnetization are opposite), the magnetic flux is contained in the steel plates, such that there is no external magnetic field (or a substantially reduced external magnetic field). This will be considered the "off state" of the EPM, noting that if the poles of both of the two permanent magnets were reversed, i.e., N and S reversed for both permanent magnets, the EPM would still not have an external field and would be in a "second off state."
The alignment of the poles of the two permanent magnets is controlled for the prior art device shown in FIG. 1 using a single coil that wraps around both permanent magnets, through which a pulse of electric current passes in order to switch the magnetization of the switching magnet, without switching the magnetization of the fixed magnet. The two permanent magnets in FIG. 1 include an NdFeB (fixed) magnet and an Alnico (switching) magnet, in which the Alnico magnet has such a low coercivity relative to the coercivity of the NdFeB magnet that the electric current required to reverse the magnetization of the Alnico magnet is 1/100 of the electric current required to reverse the magnetization of the NdFeB magnet [1]. The magnitude and duration of the electric current passed through the single coil positioned around both the fixed permanent magnet and the switching magnet are selected such that the magnetic field created by the coil will only change the direction of magnetization of the Alnico (switching) magnet, and not the NdFeB (fixed) magnet. Switching the magnetization of the switching magnet, and not the fixed magnet, switches the EPM from on/off to off/on.
Alternatively, a coil can be positioned around only the switchable magnet and not the fixed magnet. Specifically, in other EPMs, the alignment of the poles of the two permanent magnets is controlled using a coil that wraps around only one of the two permanent magnets (the switching magnet), such that the magnetic field produced by the electric current passing through the coil is only applied to the switching magnet, and the magnetic field created by the coil will only change the direction of magnetization of the switching magnet. Switching the magnetization of the switching magnet, and not the fixed magnet, then switches the EPM from on/off to off/on.
EPMs have been used since the late 20th century on a macroscopic scale, such as on cranes to lift large pieces of metal without a continuous energy source [3]. In 2010, EPMs were first built on a significantly smaller scale, measuring at approximately 3 mm2, for creating programmable matter blocks [2]. Controlling the external magnetic field of the EPM forced the blocks to attract, connect, and disconnect to form basic two-dimensional structures. Programmable matter has since been developed into more advanced structures beyond cubes [4]. The new programmable matter uses EPMs to assemble complex, abstract three-dimensional structures. However, these structures cannot be made smaller because the size of the EPMs restricts the scale (size) of the structures.
The controllable magnetic field of EPMs allows EPMs to be used in transportation. Legged robots have been developed with EPMs that connect to ferromagnetic materials, permitting the robots to climb structures made from steel [5]. The ability to control the strength of the external magnetic field also permits a circular wheel shape to be used to climb ferromagnetic structures for increased gripping and mobility [6][7]. In addition, EPMs can be used in connecting mechanisms in transportation. EPMs have been used in docking systems for underwater robots because the external magnetic field of the EPM can pass through the water [8]. EPMs have also been used in drone delivery systems, similar to how EPMs are used in a crane, where the EPMs on the drone, such as a quadcopter, can connect to a ferromagnetic material to attract, connect, and release an object [9].
EPMs have also been used in medical settings, where the properties of EPMs can help to anchor surgical instruments without inadvertently attracting other instruments [10]. Unlike permanent magnets, in which anchoring causes other magnets to be attracted to instruments, the electropermanent magnet can anchor instruments without affecting (attracting) other medical instruments.
EPMs were initially going to be used to assemble Google's Project Ara modular cell phone [11]. In the original design, EPMs were going to be used to connect modules to a skeleton and to remove them, without requiring a constant power source. This design allowed for a customizable smartphone that could be adapted without turning off the phone. After a series of failed drop tests in which the modules were unable to stay connected to the skeleton with EPMs, Google determined that their EPMs could not both be decreased in size and still retain strong magnetic fields [12]. Accordingly, there is a need for EPMs that are both small and retain strong magnetic fields.

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A power situation indicator configured to provide power information in a rotorcraft is presented. The power situation indicator includes a detection unit configured to detect a current value of each of a plurality of control parameters, each of the plurality of control parameters including a pre-determined operating limit; a calculation unit configured to normalize on a common power scale (a) the current value and (b) the pre-determined operating limit of each of the plurality of control parameters, and a display unit configured to dynamically display on the common power scale a first moveable indicator and a second moveable indicator. The first moveable indicator is driven by one of the plurality of control parameters having the highest normalized current value and the second moveable indicator is driven by one of the plurality of control parameters having its normalized current value that is the closest to its corresponding normalized pre-determined operating limit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft power situation indicator.
2. Description of Related Art
Flight instrumentation continues to improve, as more and more information becomes available. Terrain elevation data, mapping data, traffic avoidance, and weather information are examples of data that are now routinely provided to pilots during flight. However, as more information becomes available, information overload has increased. It is therefore desirable to limit the display of information only to when it is relevant. This, in turn, has increased the need for the information display to be intuitive, since any information that is presented "part time" is not afforded the luxury of continuous training through familiarity.
While all of these improvements have occurred in the flight instrument regime, power management remains relatively unchanged. This is understandable in the fixed-wing environment, since, simplistically viewed, power is merely an ingredient that ultimately shows its effect in altitude or airspeed.
However, for a rotorcraft, power indication is akin to flight instrumentation in importance. Understanding power in a rotorcraft is essential to properly manage performance, maintain power situational awareness, and prolong component life. Statistics reveal that "internal loss of situation awareness" and "real-time aircraft performance exceeded" are still among the highest causes of fatal helicopter accidents. "Reported power loss" is also among the highest causes of fatal helicopter accidents, although many of these are shown to be unsubstantiated, suggesting that perhaps the pilot did not have a true understanding of how close the power situation was to the limits of operation or authority.


A molded case circuit breaker has modular crossbar members which connect the contact arm carriers of a desired number of poles for opening and closing the separable contacts of all of the poles simultaneously by a single spring powered operating mechanism. The modular crossbar members comprise shaft sections which engage openings in the contact arm carriers of adjacent poles. Bearings support the shaft sections and mount the contact arm carriers for rotation about a common pivot axis. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the modular crossbar member is a single continuous metal shaft overmolded with an electrically insulative resin which also forms the bearing. Alternatively, separate metal shaft sections seat in sockets on either side of the molded bearing. In both instances, the shaft sections are keyed to the openings in the contact arm carriers for transmission of torque. In the exemplary crossbars, the shaft sections are hexagonal in cross-section.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to molded case circuit breakers, and in particular, to such circuit breakers in which a modular crossbar is used to assemble circuit breakers with a selected number of poles from standardized components.
2. Background Information
Molded case circuit breakers include for each pole a stationary contact and a movable contact forming a set of separable contacts. The movable contact is mounted on a moving conductor assembly which includes a contact arm having the movable contact affixed at a free end of the arm. The other end of the contact arm is supported by a contact arm carrier for rotation between a closed and an open position of the contacts by a spring powered operating mechanism. All of the poles in a multi-pole molded case circuit breaker are connected by a crossbar so that a single operating mechanism opens and closes the separable set of contacts of all of the poles simultaneously. Typically, the crossbar is a molded bar which is formed integrally with part of the contact arm carrier. Different composite molded parts are provided for two, three and four pole molded case circuit breakers.
There is a need to reduce the cost of manufacturing and assembling molded case circuit breakers.
There is a particular need for molded case circuit breakers which can be assembled with a selected number of poles from standardized parts.
There is a related need for such a molded case circuit breaker in which the standardized parts connecting the individual poles are robust enough to transmit the required torque from the common operating mechanism to the individual poles.

Molded case circuit breaker with modular crossbar