The invention relates to apparatus and methods for performing automated assembly operations such as riveting, tacking, or the like, on large panel-shaped workpieces, using positioners that manipulate tool-supporting yokes or frames on which assembly tools are supported.
Large panel-shaped structures used in the construction of airframes commonly have reinforcing members, usually called stringers, attached to outer skins so as to form strong yet lightweight panels. The stringers are usually affixed to the skins by riveting. In a commonly used assembly technique, opposed riveting tools are positioned by two spaced legs of a yoke or C-frame such that the tools are on opposite sides of a workpiece. The C-frame is carried by a multi-axis positioner, which moves the C-frame along the workpiece for riveting at various locations of the workpiece. Typically, the C-frame can be positioned adjacent only one edge of the workpiece, and the legs of the C-frame are used to reach widthwise across the workpiece. In this type of assembly apparatus, if riveting is to be done near the opposite edge of the workpiece, the throat of the C-frame must have a depth about equal to the maximum width of the widest workpiece that is to be processed in the apparatus. Consequently, the C-frame becomes large and heavy. Because the C-frame has a high mass and inertia, the foundation and traversing mechanism that support and move the positioner on which the C-frame is carried must be made very substantial. Accordingly, the overall cost of the assembly apparatus is relatively high. The high inertia of the C-frame and positioner also means that the maximum acceleration of the positioner is relatively low, and thus the apparatus is slow.
As an alternative to sizing the C-frame large enough to reach across the full width of the workpiece, the C-frame positioner can be movable so that it can be positioned at either edge of the workpiece, or the workpiece can be turned 180xc2x0 so that each edge of the workpiece can be positioned adjacent the C-frame. The former possibility necessitates a significantly more complicated positioning system, and the latter possibility is cumbersome and inefficient, particularly where very large workpieces, such as wing panels or the like, are being processed.
A further drawback associated with C-frame type assembly machines, and other types of assembly machines using positioners for manipulating tool-supporting frames (whether C-shaped or of other shapes) that support assembly tooling, is that when the tool-supporting frame and/or its associated assembly tooling require maintenance or tool changes, the frame and its positioner must generally be positioned in a location near the workpiece, and this prevents other positioners from accessing the area of the workpiece near the inactive frame to continue the assembly operations. This same problem also affects gantry-type machines and other types of frame-based machines. Thus, while maintenance or tool changes are being performed, the utilization rate for the assembly cell drops significantly.
The above needs are met and other advantages are achieved by the present invention, which provides assembly apparatus and methods that, in a first aspect of the invention, enable the entire area of a panel-shaped workpiece to be accessed by assembly tooling while avoiding the necessity of using large and heavy C-frames.
To this end, an assembly apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a bed defining a support surface extending along orthogonal X- and Y-axes, and workpiece supports adapted to support a workpiece in a position spaced from the support surface with opposite first and second longitudinal edges of the workpiece extending generally parallel to the X-axis and a width of the workpiece extending generally parallel to the Y-axis. The apparatus also includes at least first and second positioners each supporting and positioning a C-frame having a pair of spaced legs adapted to support tooling for operating upon the workpiece when the workpiece is positioned between the legs. Each positioner comprises a platform operable to travel along the support surface of the bed in a direction parallel to the X-axis and a carriage on which the respective C-frame is mounted and which is supported on the platform so as to be movable relative thereto. The first positioner is arranged to carry its respective C-frame adjacent the first longitudinal edge of the workpiece such that free ends of the legs extend toward the opposite second longitudinal edge of the workpiece. The second positioner is arranged to carry its respective C-frame adjacent the second longitudinal edge of the workpiece such that free ends of the legs extend toward the first longitudinal edge of the workpiece. The legs of each C-frame have sufficient length to carry the tooling across at least about half of a maximum width of the workpiece, and the carriages are movable generally away from each other on the respective platforms to enable the positioners to pass by each other as they travel along the bed parallel to the X-axis. Thus, each positioner can access the entire length of the workpiece with interference from the opposite positioner. Because each C-frame need be no longer than necessary to reach halfway across the workpiece, each positioner and C-frame can be made relatively lightweight and, therefore, can be moved relatively quickly from one position to another.
In another aspect of the invention, apparatus and methods are provided enabling improved utilization rate of an assembly cell by allowing maintenance and/or tooling changes to be made to a tool-supporting frame in a location remote from the associated positioner, so that the positioner can be used with a replacement tool-supporting frame while the original tool-supporting frame is being serviced. To these ends, an apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a bed defining a support surface extending along orthogonal X- and Y-axes, and workpiece supports adapted to support a workpiece in a position spaced from the support surface with opposite first and second longitudinal edges of the workpiece extending generally parallel to the X-axis and a width of the workpiece extending generally parallel to the Y-axis. The apparatus also includes a first positioner supporting and positioning a tool-supporting frame that supports tooling for operating upon the workpiece. The first positioner comprises a platform operable to travel along the support surface of the bed in a direction parallel to the X-axis and a carriage on which the tool-supporting frame is mounted and which is supported on the platform so as to be movable relative thereto. The tool-supporting frame is releasably mounted on the carriage such that the tool-supporting frame can be removed and replaced. The apparatus further includes at least one additional replacement tool-supporting frame, a service station proximate the bed for storing tool-supporting frames and for performing work operations thereon, and a frame changer operable to remove the tool-supporting frame from the carriage, transport the replacement tool-supporting frame from the service station to the carriage and install the replacement tool-supporting frame into the carriage, and transport the removed tool-supporting frame to the service station such that work can be performed thereon.
The frame changer advantageously comprises a ground vehicle operable to travel to the service station and pick up the replacement tool-supporting frame, travel to a position proximate the positioner having the tool-supporting frame to be replaced, remove the tool-supporting frame from the carriage of the positioner, install the replacement tool-supporting frame into the carriage, travel back to the service station, and unload the replaced tool-supporting frame at the service station. The vehicle can be guided in its movements by any suitable position sensors and a controller.
Preferably, the assembly apparatus includes at least a second positioner supporting a carriage and a tool-supporting frame releasably retained in the carriage, whereby the second positioner can continue to perform work operations on the workpiece while the frame changer is removing and replacing the tool-supporting frame on the first positioner, and vice versa. The first and second positioners are arranged to carry the respective tool-supporting frames along opposite sides of the workpiece, and are preferably configured so they can pass each other as they travel in the lengthwise direction of the workpiece. Depending on the size of the workpiece, it may be advantageous to employ more than one positioner on a given side of the workpiece. Regardless of the number of positioners used, the invention enables improved efficiency and utilization rate by allowing service to be performed on the tool-supporting frames in an xe2x80x9coff-linexe2x80x9d fashion so that positioners are not tied up while the servicing is being performed.
The invention also provides a method for performing assembly operations on panel-shaped workpieces. A preferred method of the invention comprises engaging the workpiece with tooling members supported on a first tool-supporting frame so as to perform assembly operations on the workpiece; moving the first tool-supporting frame relative to the workpiece by a positioner, the positioner releasably supporting the first tool-supporting frame and being operable to travel along the bed to move the first tool-supporting frame lengthwise along the workpiece such that assembly operations are performed at a plurality of locations on the workpiece; taking the first tool-supporting frame out of action so that service can be performed thereon, by moving a frame changer into a position adjacent the positioner, activating a transfer mechanism to cause the first tool-supporting frame to be released from the positioner and to be transferred onto the frame changer and to cause a second tool-supporting frame to be transferred from the frame changer and to be installed into the positioner; moving the frame changer from the position adjacent the positioner to a service station remote therefrom, and transferring the first tool-supporting frame from the frame changer to the service station; and performing service operations on the first tool-supporting frame at the service station. Accordingly, service operations on the first tool-supporting frame and assembly operations on the workpiece with the second tool-supporting frame can be simultaneously performed.


Decorated food products, such as cakes, are popular items, particularly for special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, weddings, anniversaries and other celebratory events. These items are typically purchased from bakeries since the items generally require some skill and/or apparatus to create. Currently, these items are created from colored frostings applied manually by trained bakery chefs. In addition, pre-made decorative items may be placed on a food product. These pre-made items are generally produced in bulk in a factory and inventoried until use. The use of such pre-made decorative items precludes uniquely decorated and/or personalized decorations. Also, these pre-made decorative items are generally pre-ordered, which requires a long lead time, or stored in inventory at the risk of under-ordering or over-ordering, as well as the cost of such inventory.
Another alternative has been to utilize an automated system for decorating cakes. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,775, issued to Kitos. This system utilizes an integrated work surface controlled with a computer system. An image is scanned into the computer system. The computer system then uses a motion control system to manipulate a drop on demand colorant expulsion system over a cake carried on the work surface to reproduce the scanned image. This system produces the decorations and images directly onto the food product.
An automated system for printing images onto edible media, that can then be applied to a food product or consumed as is, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,286,258, issued to Schnoebeien et al. This system discloses a local processing unit and a number of image sources, including a scanner and a database of digital images stored on a local computer memory system. The user selects an image from one of the image sources and prints the image onto an edible media.
Various websites exist for allowing users to customize decorations. One such online website is www.genometri.com which allows users to decorate and purchase customized decorated cakes. Users can choose from pre-designed decorative templates or can choose to customize their cake decoration. Users can upload personal photographs to use in the cake decoration and can add text and clip art to the cake decoration. When the user is finished decorating the cake, the user purchases a cake decorated with the customized decoration. The purchase transaction is processed through the website.


In a method for detecting analyte which is well-known in this field, latex or erythrocyte is sensitized with antigen or antibody beforehand, and, then, agglutination reaction with an analyte which exists in biological fluid such as protein or a certain specific organic material is utilized for detecting the analyte. An example of latex which has widely been employed for the above-mentioned method is polystyrene latex, which is being studied also as to what influence is exerted on analyte-detecting rate or the sensitivity of detection (e.g., non-specific adsorption of materials other than analyte, or the like) by factors such as particle size and functional group (carboxyl group and the like) on the surface of particle (see Journal of the Japan Society for Clinical Laboratory Automation, 12, 2, 121-124, 1987).
Agglutination of latex particles via analyte has a major influence on detecting rate. It takes, however, a considerable time for the agglutination, since the speed of said agglutination is determined by diffusion. Hence, it has been tried, for instance, to make latex particles carry magnetic particles and to raise the rate of agglutination or precipitation of latex particles by magnetic force (see, e.g., J. Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 50, 765-776, 1993).
Polystyrene latex particles and the like which are mentioned in the former of the above-mentioned documents are liable to agglutinate non-specifically, and are sometimes slightly inferior in dispersion stability. Furthermore, the surface of such particles is apt to non-specifically adsorb impure protein other than analyte. Thus, a part of the inventors of this invention has provided, as a quantum dot to detect analyte in biological sample, composite particles which are composed, for instance, of semiconductor-ultra fine particles-encapsulating fine particles whose surface is covered with chain of polyethylene glycol (hereinafter referred to also as PEG) or poly(ethylene oxide) (or wherein PEG having high mobility in an aqueous solution takes plural brush-like structures) (see pamphlet of WO 02/056020, pages 16-17). Although this type of quantum dot prevents non-specific adsorption of impure protein, it has generally a particle size up to hundreds of nanometers, and has high-mobility PEG on its surface. Thus, quantum dot makes a very stable dispersion in an aqueous solution, and has therefore not necessarily been considered to be suitable for use in a system to rapidly detect analyte with use of agglutination reaction.


1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates, generally, to the field of gaming, and more particularly to playing cards used in games.
2. Description of Related Art
Various games require the use of one or more playing cards. While there are many possible variations of playing cards, a standard deck of playing cards generally consists of fifty-two playing cards, each with different markings. The fifty-two cards may be categorized by their markings into four different suits with thirteen ranks in each suit. The four suits are generally hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. The thirteen ranks are generally Ace (A), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (I), Queen (Q), and King (K). The suits and ranks may have different values and/or significance in different games. Occasionally, a standard deck is packaged with one or more Joker cards.
Each playing card in a standard deck is generally constructed of a sheet of paper or plastic. One side, the face side, displays the suit and rank. The other side, the back side, generally does not indicate the markings on the face side. This back side may instead display a variety of designs. Possible designs may include a manufacturer's logo, a distributor's design, an artistic design, a novelty design, or any of various custom designs. In a standard deck of cards, all fifty-two cards generally display the same design on their back side.
Examples of games commonly played with at least one standard deck of playing cards includes poker, blackjack, bridge, gin rummy, go fish, and various others. Many of these card games may include elements of chance. To ensure a fair game in a game of chance, players must be dealt playing cards at random. Such randomization may be achieved through shuffling of the cards. Shuffling the playing cards randomly reorders a deck to produce a different permutation in the order of the playing cards of the deck, which contributes to the random distribution of playing cards to each player
There are a variety possible shuffling techniques and a wide range in the quality of randomization resulting from these techniques. Good randomization of a deck of cards may require multiple shuffles using different shuffling techniques. Some games require that a deck be randomized multiple times throughout the course of the game or series of games. These multiple acts of randomization may consume a good deal of playing time. Furthermore, shuffling skills may vary from player-to-player due to differences in experience and/or manual dexterity. There are also many opportunities for mistakes, such as inadvertently revealing the markings on one or more cards during the act of shuffling. In the event of such a mistake, the exposed card may simply be returned to the deck, which may be shuffled again or subjected to more extensive shuffling to ensure the randomization of the deck. Some games and/or the players of the same may regard such mistakes very seriously. As such, some players may choose to abort the current game and start a new one as a result of the card exposure. In, the hands of an inexperienced and/or unskilled player, shuffling may be even more time-consuming than it already needs to be and possibly even disruptive to the game.
Inexperienced and/or unskilled shuffles may also result in poorly randomized cards. Poor randomization may decrease the chance element in games of chance, which may give some players an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Poor randomization may also affect a player's ability to bluff if other players can predict what cards he or she actually holds. The ability to bluff may be a very important part of the strategy in various card games (e.g., poker). Bluffing depends, in part, on restricting players from seeing or knowing the suit or rank of the playing cards dealt to their opponents. Dealing playing cards face-down may be one way to allow a player to access and see only his or her own playing cards. Different types of playing cards, decks of playing cards, and/or card games may utilize different systems of markings, shuffling, and/or dealing.
Another possible danger with respect to randomization is intentional and illicit manipulation of the cards by a player who is highly skilled at shuffling and/or dealing. A player with a stake in the outcome of the game may be capable of manipulating that outcome by deliberately shuffling and/or dealing the cards into a non-randomized and/or predictable order to achieve a predetermined, unfair result. To minimize manipulation, players may perform a procedure commonly referred to as ‘cutting the deck.’ After the deck is shuffled, a non-shuffling party may ‘cut the deck’ by selecting a random number of contiguous cards from anywhere in the deck and moving those cards elsewhere in the deck, while keeping all cards face-down. This procedure, when combined with shuffling and dealing, further adds to the time-consuming nature of ensuring proper randomization of the deck of cards, especially if shuffling, dealing, and cutting have to be performed multiple times. There is, therefore, a need for improved systems and methods for efficiently maintaining the randomness and secrecy of playing card distribution.


The invention relates to the bonding of an electronic component to its molded package to render the package fluid-tight.
While various types of protective coatings for electronic components have been known and used for various reasons for a long time, it is only recently because of changes in technology and materials that it has become critical to seal completely these units against fluid penetration.
In the past, protective resilient coatings have found utility in providing stress and shock relief for components mounted in hollow shells. Resilient coatings have been used also with potted units to provide protection from vibration, thermal shock, and contamination (including moisture) and from the potting or encapsulating compositions.
Protective precoats have been used with electronic components because of differences in thermal expansion between the units and molded cases and to prevent contamination of the units by encapsulating materials.
As fully molded units became more popular, the seal between the leads or pins became more of a problem as the molding materials contain mold release agents to facilitate removal of the units from the molds. Unfortunately, these agents also prevent good adhesion to the metal leads or pins.
As water-soluble fluxes are replacing rosin fluxes in the reflow soldering of these units to circuit boards, because of environmental concerns, the sealing of the leads or pins to the covers or cases has become even more critical as these water-soluble materials are much higher in ionic material than prior rosin-based fluxes and eventually cause internal contamination and corrosion leading to failure of the unit. Thus, a need has arisen to find sealant materials which are compatible with the materials already in use in molded components and yet resist penetration by fluxes and ionic contaminants. One such solution to the above problem, described in copending application Ser. No. 863,545 filed Dec. 22, 1977, is to fill in the space between the unit (including leads) and the case with a sealant layer.


X-ray tubes are used in a variety of industrial and medical applications. For example, X-ray tubes are employed in medical diagnostic examination, therapeutic radiology, semiconductor fabrication, and material analysis. Regardless of the application, most X-ray tubes operate in a similar fashion. X-rays, which are high frequency electromagnetic radiation, are produced in X-ray tubes by applying an electrical current to a cathode to cause electrons to be emitted from the cathode by thermionic emission. The electrons accelerate towards and then impinge upon an anode. The distance between the cathode and the anode is generally known as A-C spacing or throw distance. When the electrons impinge upon the anode, the electrons can collide with the anode to produce X-rays. The area on the anode in which the electrons collide is generally known as a focal spot.
X-rays can be produced through at least two mechanisms that can occur during the collision of the electrons with the anode. A first X-ray producing mechanism is referred to as X-ray fluorescence or characteristic X-ray generation. X-ray fluorescence occurs when an electron colliding with material of the anode has sufficient energy to knock an orbital electron of the anode out of an inner electron shell. Other electrons of the anode in outer electron shells fill the vacancy left in the inner electron shell. As a result of the electron of the anode moving from the outer electron shell to the inner electron shell, X-rays of a particular frequency are produced. A second X-ray producing mechanism is referred to as Bremsstrahlung. In Bremsstrahlung, electrons emitted from the cathode decelerate when deflected by nuclei of the anode. The decelerating electrons lose kinetic energy and thereby produce X-rays. The X-rays produced in Bremsstrahlung have a spectrum of frequencies. The X-rays produced through either Bremsstrahlung or X-ray fluorescence may then exit the X-ray tube to be utilized in one or more of the above-mentioned applications.
In certain applications, it may be beneficial to lengthen the throw length of an X-ray tube. The throw length is the distance from cathode electron emitter to the anode surface. For example, a long throw length may result in decreased back ion bombardment and evaporation of anode materials back onto the cathode. While X-ray tubes with long throw lengths may be beneficial in certain applications, a long throw length can also present difficulties. For example, as a throw length is lengthened, the electrons that accelerate towards an anode through the throw length tend to become less laminar resulting in an unacceptable focal spot on the anode. Also affected is the ability to properly focus and/or position the electron beam towards the anode target, again resulting in a less than desirable focal spot—either in terms of size, shape and/or position. When a focal spot size or location is unacceptable, it may be difficult to produce useful X-ray images.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


Ultrasonic echoscopy provides information about an examined object which may be displayed in the form of an ultrasonic echogram. Such an echogram consists of a display of acoustic impedance discontinuities or reflecting surfaces in the object. It is obtained by directing a short pulse of ultrasonic energy, typically in the 1-30 MHz frequency range, along a line called the beam axis into the examined object where any acoustic impedance discontinuities in the object reflect and return some of the energy along the same beam axis in the form of an echo. This echo is received, converted into an electric signal and displayed as an echogram on a cathode ray oscilloscope, a film, a chart or the like.
The echogram may constitute either a one dimensional or a two dimensional representation and in both cases the information is contained in the position and magnitude of the echo displayed. In a one dimensional display, the position along a base line is used to indicate the distance to the reflecting surface whilst the magnitude of the echo is displayed, for example, as a deflection of the base line or as an intensity change. In a two dimensional display, the position along a base line is used to indicate the distance to the reflecting surface as in a one dimensional display, and the direction of the base line is used to represent the direction of propagation of the acoustic energy which is the beam axis. The two dimensional display is obtained by changing this direction of propagation of the acoustic energy and by instituting a similar but not necessarily identical movement of the base line of the display. The magnitude of the echo is displayed as for a one dimensional display; for example, as a deflection of the base line or as an intensity change.
The technique of ultrasonic echoscopy is used in medical diagnosis to obtain information about the anatomy of patients. The application of this technique is now widely investigated and is described, for example, by D. E. Robinson in "Proceedings of the Institution of Radio and Electronics Engineers Australia," Vol. 31, No. 11, pages 385-392, November, 1970, in his paper entitled: "The Application of Ultrasound in Medical Diagnosis". As pointed out in this article, ultrasonic echoscopy may be used to produce displays resembling anatomical cross-sections which have proved clinically useful when the desired information concerns physical dimensions, shapes of organs or structures or the like. Ultrasonic echography has proved of particular value as a diagnostic aid in the abdomen and pregnant uterus, eye, breast, brain, lung, kidney, liver and heart, these being areas of soft tissue with little bone and air. In general, the technique is considered to complement other techniques to provide a more complete picture of the patients condition, however particularly in pregnancies, ultrasonic echoscopy may be useful in place of X-rays where the latter may not give sufficient information or may be dangerous. In medical use, a pulse of ultrasonic energy is transmitted into a patient in a known direction and echoes are received from reflecting surfaces within the body. The time delay between a transmitted pulse and the received echo depends on the distance from the transmitter to the reflecting surface and the distance information so obtained may be displayed in a suitable way for interpretation and clinical use as a one dimensional range reading or as a two dimensional cross section as previously described.
This known system has sufferred from a disadvantage due to the time required to obtain a cross-sectional picture. The cross-sectional picture is made up of a multiplicity of lines of information corresponding to each beam axis position at which a pulse was transmitted and echoes received. The time required to obtain each line of information is fixed by the depth of the tissues of interest and the velocity of propagation of sound in the tissues to be examined. For a particular area of interest neither of these parameters is under the control of the operator and they form a basic limitation on the time required to obtain an echogram.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,833 to Bom, there is disclosed the formation of an array of transducer elements arranged in a line, each providing a separate ultrasonic line of sight. Each array element is pulsed in turn, returned echoes are received and displayed on a screen and then another array element is pulsed. One primed limitation of the system disclosed by Bom is that the line spacing fixes the size of the transducer elements and the resulting ultrasonic resolution. U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,466 to Wilcox discloses the use of a plurality of transducer elements to form each ultrasonic beam, thus breaking the link between line spacing and resolution. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,731 to Joy and 3,086,195 to Halliday disclose the application of time delays to signals associated with the various elements of a transducer element array in forming the ultrasonic beam, to cause an electronic steering and focusing action within the plane of scan.
It will thus be apparent that ultrasonic transducers consisting of an array of elements are being used to provide rapid cross sectional imaging, particularly in medical diagnosis. These transducers are usually rectangular piezo-electric ceramic elements sandwiched between two electrodes. The thickness of the element is selected so that the element resonates at the required megahertz ultrasonic frequency (that is, the frequency of the ultrasonic energy to be propagated into the object or medium to be examined). At megahertz frequencies, this means that the thickness of the element is approximately equal to half the wavelength. Imaging is obtained by energising either one or a group of elements to provide a single line of sight of ultrasonic information and a cross sectional image may be built up by sequentially energising the elements as described above. Because of considerations imposed by the number of lines used to form the image and lateral resolution requirements, the width of the elements forming the array typically ranges from the wavelength to two wavelengths, whilst the length dimension of the rectangular elements is usually greater than ten wavelengths.
A common method of constructing such transducer arrays is to use a relatively large rectangular ceramic transducer, corresponding in size to the transducer array, and to divide this transducer to form the individual transducer elements of the array.
One method of construction includes the scribing of fine lines on one or both of the surfaces of the relatively large transducer, to cut through one or both of the electrodes to provide electric insulation between individual elements of the array. This method of array construction results in an array with high sensitivity, for the unenergised transducer material lying alongside an activated array element damps and restrains the transfer of energy from the thickness mode (in which the element is energised) into other modes which could be forced into resonance due to the mechanical coupling that exists within the massive piezo-electric ceramic forming the elements of the array. Unfortunately, the presence of this material allows a small transfer of energy between adjacent elements, which results in a significant cross talk between elements.
In an alternative construction, the relatively massive piezo-electric ceramic transducer is cut through completely to forming form a series of rectangular elements. This method of construction reduces the degree of cross talk between elements since, due to the complete cut, there is no direct mechanical coupling between the adjacent transducer elements. However, as the thickness and the width of the transducer elements are now comparable, there is significant transfer or coupling of energy between adjacent elements due to resonance effects. Consequently, the sensitivity of the element, and thus of the array, is reduced.


1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to detecting and processing acoustic signal data and more specifically to reducing noise in acoustic systems.
2. Art Background
Acoustic systems employ acoustic sensors such as microphones to receive audio signals. Often, these systems are used in real world environments which present desired audio and undesired audio (also referred to as noise) to a receiving microphone simultaneously. Such receiving microphones are part of a variety of systems such as a mobile phone, a handheld microphone, a hearing aid, etc. These systems often perform speech recognition processing on the received acoustic signals. Simultaneous reception of desired audio and undesired audio have a negative impact on the quality of the desired audio. Degradation of the quality of the desired audio can result in desired audio which is output to a user and is hard for the user to understand. Degraded desired audio used by an algorithm such as in speech recognition (SR) or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) can result in an increased error rate which can render the reconstructed speech hard to understand. Either of which presents a problem.
Undesired audio (noise) can originate from a variety of sources, which are not the source of the desired audio. Thus, the sources of undesired audio are statistically uncorrelated with the desired audio. The sources can be of a non-stationary origin or from a stationary origin. Stationary applies to time and space where amplitude, frequency, and direction of an acoustic signal do not vary appreciably. For, example, in an automobile environment engine noise at constant speed is stationary as is road noise or wind noise, etc. In the case of a non-stationary signal, noise amplitude, frequency distribution, and direction of the acoustic signal vary as a function of time and or space. Non-stationary noise originates for example, from a car stereo, noise from a transient such as a bump, door opening or closing, conversation in the background such as chit chat in a back seat of a vehicle, etc. Stationary and non-stationary sources of undesired audio exist in office environments, concert halls, football stadiums, airplane cabins, everywhere that a user will go with an acoustic system (e.g., mobile phone, tablet computer etc. equipped with a microphone, a headset, an ear bud microphone, etc.) At times the environment the acoustic system is used in is reverberant, thereby causing the noise to reverberate within the environment, with multiple paths of undesired audio arriving at the microphone location. Either source of noise, i.e., non-stationary or stationary undesired audio, increases the error rate of speech recognition algorithms such as SR or ASR or can simply make it difficult for a system to output desired audio to a user which can be understood. All of this can present a problem.
Various noise cancellation approaches have been employed to reduce noise from stationary and non-stationary sources. Existing noise cancellation approaches work better in environments where the magnitude of the noise is less than the magnitude of the desired audio, e.g., in relatively low noise environments. Spectral subtraction is used to reduce noise in speech recognition algorithms and in various acoustic systems such as in hearing aids. Systems employing Spectral Subtraction do not produce acceptable error rates when used in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) applications when a magnitude of the undesired audio becomes large. This can present a problem.
In addition, existing algorithms, such as Spectral Subtraction, etc., employ non-linear treatment of an acoustic signal. Non-linear treatment of an acoustic signal results in an output that is not proportionally related to the input. Speech Recognition (SR) algorithms are developed using voice signals recorded in a quiet environment without noise. Thus, speech recognition algorithms (developed in a quiet environment without noise) produce a high error rate when non-linear distortion is introduced in the speech process through non-linear signal processing. Non-linear treatment of acoustic signals can result in non-linear distortion of the desired audio which disrupts feature extraction which is necessary for speech recognition, this results in a high error rate. All of which can present a problem.
Various methods have been used to try to suppress or remove undesired audio from acoustic systems, such as in Speech Recognition (SR) or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) applications for example. One approach is known as a Voice Activity Detector (VAD). A VAD attempts to detect when desired speech is present and when undesired speech is present. Thereby, only accepting desired speech and treating as noise by not transmitting the undesired speech. Traditional voice activity detection only works well for a single sound source or a stationary noise (undesired audio) whose magnitude is small relative to the magnitude of the desired audio. Therefore, traditional voice activity detection renders a VAD a poor performer in a noisy environment. Additionally, using a VAD to remove undesired audio does not work well when the desired audio and the undesired audio are arriving simultaneously at a receive microphone. This can present a problem.
Acoustic systems used in noisy environments with a single microphone present a problem in that desired audio and undesired audio are received simultaneously on a single channel. Undesired audio can make the desired audio unintelligible to either a human user or to an algorithm designed to use received speech such as a Speech Recognition (SR) or an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) algorithm. This can present a problem. Multiple channels have been employed to address the problem of the simultaneous reception of desired and undesired audio. Thus, on one channel, desired audio and undesired audio are received and on the other channel an acoustic signal is received which also contains undesired audio and desired audio. Over time the sensitivity of the individual channels can drift which results in the undesired audio becoming unbalanced between the channels. Drifting channel sensitivities can lead to inaccurate removal of undesired audio from desired audio. Non-linear distortion of the original desired audio signal can result from processing acoustic signals obtained from channels whose sensitivities drift over time. This can present a problem.


Cryptophycins are secondary metabolites belonging to the class of depsipeptide macrocycles produced by cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc. Their name refers to the fact that they are highly cytotoxic towards yeasts of the genus Cryptococcus. The first representative of this class of molecules, cryptophycin-1 (C-1), was isolated in 1990 from cyanobacterium Nostoc sp (ATCC 53789) (see Eiβler S., et al., Synthesis 2006, 22, 3747-3789). The structure, the general formula and the numbering of the carbon atoms of these compounds, as described in WO 98/08505, are recalled below:

Cryptophycins C1 and C-52, which are characterized by an epoxide function represented below, have anticancer properties. Phase II clinical trials in lung cancer were conducted with C-52 (LY 355073): see Edelman M. J., et al., Lung Cancer 2003, 39, 197-199; Sessa C., et al., Eur. J. Cancer 2002, 38, 2388-96. Cryptophycin C-55, a prodrug of C-52, is itself characterized by a chlorohydrin function instead of the epoxide function (Bionpally R. R., et al., Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2003, 52, 25-33). C-55 proved to be very active, but is not stable in solution. Derivatives of chlorohydrin glycinate type such as the compound C-55 Gly have also been described as gaining in stability (Liang J., et al., Investigational New Drugs 2005, 23, 213-224).

Conjugate chemistry has been known for many years and has been applied to several families of cytotoxic agents, for instance the maytansinoids (WO 04/103 272), taxanes (WO 06/061 258), tomaymycins (WO 09/016,516), leptomycins (WO 07/144,709), CC-1065 and analogues thereof (WO 2007/102 069); see also, with regard to conjugates, Monneret C., et al., Bulletin du Cancer. 2000, 87(11), 829-38; Ricart A. D., et al., Nature Clinical Practice Oncology 2007, 4, 245-255. However, it has not been applied to cryptophycin derivatives conjugated to antibodies or to other targeting agents.
The technical problem that the present invention intends to solve is that of proposing novel conjugates based on cryptophycin derivatives, and also novel cryptophycin derivatives that are suitable for being conjugated.
EP 0 830 136 and WO 98/08505 describe cryptophycin derivatives but do not describe cryptophycin conjugates. WO 98/08505 describes cryptophycin derivatives of formula (A):
in which Ar may represent a group Ar′ of formula:
in which R54 represents H, a group (C1-C6)alkyl, (C1-C6)alkyl(R57, R57′, R57″), aryl, phenyl, heterocycloalkyl, a halogen atom, COOR57, PO3H, SO3H, SO2R58, NR59R60, NHOR61, NHOR61′, CN, NO2, OR62, CH2OR62′, CH2NR96R96′, (C1-C6)alkylOR100,
SR63; R55 and R56 represent H, a group (C1-C6)alkyl, C(R57R57′R57″), aryl, phenyl, heterocycloalkyl, a halogen atom, COOR57, PO3H, SO3H, SO2R58, NR59R60, NHOR61, NHCHR61′, CN, NO2, OR62, CH2OR62′, CH2OCOR95, CH2NR96R96′, (C1-C6)alkylOR100, (C1-C6)alkylNR59R60. WO 98/08505 especially describes the following compounds:
which are characterized by the end group —NHC(═O)Ot-Bu. WO 98/08505 does not specify that these compounds are suitable for or intended to be conjugated.
US 2007/0 213 511 describes calicheamicin immunoconjugates. Among these, mention is made of Mylotarg® (or CMA-676), which is a calicheamicin immunoconjugate used in the treatment of AML (anti-CD33-calicheamicin). See also in respect of conjugates: WO 2006/042 240.
Al-awar R. S., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2003, 46(14), 2985-3007 and Al-awar R. S., et al., Mol. Cancer Ther. 2004, 3(9), 1061-1067 describe cryptophycin derivatives, and also their in vivo evaluations.
WO 08/010,101 describes an anti-EphA2 monoclonal antibody and also the corresponding conjugates comprising one or more molecules of a cytotoxic compound attached to the monoclonal antibody. WO 08/047,242 describes an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody and also the corresponding conjugates comprising one or more molecules of a cytotoxic compound attached to the monoclonal antibody. The cytotoxic compound may be chosen from maytansinoids, taxanes, tomaymycins, leptomycins and CC-1065 and analogues thereof.
WO 2009/126 934 describes anti-CD70 antibodies and their conjugates with cytotoxic compounds; cryptophycin is mentioned among the cytotoxic agents. WO 2009/134 976 describes conjugates with an optimized degree of substitution for delivering the required amount of cytotoxic agent into the cell; cryptophycin is mentioned among the cytotoxic agents.
WO 2005/116 255 describes conjugates of aptamers and of a cytotoxic agent that may be a cryptophycin (see [0037] and Table 2), the linker possibly comprising a PEG chain ([0038]). More particularly, the cryptophycin Cryp-NH2 is described:
and also its conjugates of aptamers with the following linkers: NHS-PEG-erythritol, pNP-PEG-erythritol, NHS-PEG-octaPEG, pNP-PEG-octaPEG and PEG-comb (Tables 3 and 4). The nature of the sequence on the phenyl ring (—CH2O—C(═O)—CMe2-CH2NH— . . . ) is different from that which is envisaged in the present invention. WO 2006/096 754 also describes conjugates of aptamers and of a cytotoxic agent that may also be a cryptophycin.
WO 2009/002 993 describes cytotoxic conjugates of formula B-L-A comprising hydrophilic linkers, for example the linker of formula:

The cytotoxic agent may be a cryptophycin (page 46), but the point of attachment of the linker is not specified. An example of a conjugate is EC0262:
whose linker and point of attachment are different from those envisaged in the present invention.


A memory module typically includes a small printed circuit board which is provided with memory chips, such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). Memory modules typically form or extend, for example, the working memory of electronic devices, such as computers or printers. A special type of memory module is a dual inline memory module (DIMM) which includes two rows of contact pins, one on the front side and one on the rear side of the printed circuit board respectively.
One or several memory modules are typically controlled by a memory controller. In order to design this memory controller, knowledge of the longest distance of a line (i.e., a trace) between the memory controller and a memory chip which is to be controlled by the memory controller, which is generally located inside a memory module, is of interest by reason of the running time which is to be taken into consideration by the memory controller. Accordingly, a distinction is made between: a short line (e.g., approximately 5 cm), such as for graphics applications; a medium length line (e.g., approximately 20 cm), such as for personal computers (PCs); and, a long line of more than, for example, 30 cm, such as for connections in a backplane.
Since the reuse of components plays a significant role in today's semiconductor industry, most memory controllers are currently designed for a medium line length, although assemblies which by reason of their configuration could operate with a memory controller designed for a short line length, would be advantageous by reason of their shorter running time and thus higher clock frequency of the memory controller with respect to a memory controller for a medium length line.
However, the length of the line is also typically determined in particular by the dimensions and designs of the memory modules.


1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to reacting a fluid with a body, and more particularly to a body for reacting with a fluid.
2. Description of Related Art
Fluids (e.g., gases, liquids and the like) may be passed over or through a variety of substances in order to facilitate a reaction. The reaction of species in the fluid, the removal of species from the fluid, and the conversion of the fluid in some chemical or physical fashion may be enhanced by contacting the fluid with a suitable body. In some cases, reactions occur at the interface between the fluid and a surface of the body, and in such cases, it may be advantageous to maximize this surface area (e.g., by using a porous body). Reactions between a fluid and a body may also be used to modify the body itself.
Many suitable bodies are substantially porous (e.g., over 5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or even over 90% porous). Porosity may be continuous, and in such cases, the fluid may substantially saturate the body. When pushed by a suitable driving force (e.g., pressure, voltage, magnetic field or other gradient in thermodynamic potential) a fluid may be caused to pass through the body. In some cases, a species may be removed from a fluid by passing the fluid through pores that block the passage of the species (e.g., filtration). In other cases, a species may be removed or reacted to form another species (e.g., in heterogeneous catalysis) and/or combine with the body per se (e.g., gettering). A species may also be substantially adsorbed or absorbed by the body.
Many bodies have been fabricated by choosing relatively pure starting materials and mixing them, and increasingly complex bodies require the addition of more starting materials. For example, a catalytic converter substrate may be required to have certain thermal, mechanical, and surface area properties, so might be made of cordierite (Mg2Al4Si5O18), which may be made by mixing MgO, Al2O3 and SiO2 starting materials. Cordierite containing iron (Mg,Fe)2Al4Si5O18 may have some improved properties, and might be made by adding FeO or Fe2O3 to the aforementioned mixture. Sintering aids, grain boundary phases, and catalytic species could be similarly added, and improvements to many materials generally entail the addition of further components.
Many useful bodies, particularly bodies for high temperature applications, include several components, and in some cases, additional components may improve properties. For example, mullite (3Al2O3-2SiO2) materials often have high strength at fairly high temperatures (e.g., 1300 C), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,672 identifies certain cordierite-mullite compositions (i.e., of increased complexity) that have some improved properties over mullite. As such, materials having generally improved properties in an application may often be more complex than known materials typically used in the application.
Many useful bodies are fabricated from combinations of SiO2, Al2O3, FeO, MgO, CaO, TiO2 and other materials, and often include one or more useful phases (e.g, mullite, cordierite, spinels, perovskites, amorphous), each of which may include several components. Thus, the discovery of improved bodies for a variety of applications might be enhanced by basing those bodies on compositions known to have useful properties, then increasing complexity around these compositions.
Porous bodies may be used for filtration, including without limitation deep bed filtration, wall flow filtration, cake filtration, and other methods. Generally, an appropriate body for use in filtration may be chosen based upon a variety of factors, including required flow rates, viscosity of the fluid, phase assemblage of the fluid (e.g., suspended solids in a liquid, emulsions), concentration of species (to be treated) in the fluid, desired pressure differential (if pressure is driving the fluid through/past a body), temperature of the application, chemical reactivity (or lack thereof) and other factors. Available geometrical and mass constraints may also determine an appropriate filtration method. For example, large “ponds” of deep bed filtration bodies may be used to filter large amounts of wastewater, whereas catalytic removal of contaminants in an automotive exhaust gas stream may require a small, portable body.
In some applications, the mechanical behavior of the body may be important. Often, the driving force used to cause a fluid to pass through or past a body creates a mechanical stress in the body itself, and the body's resistance to this mechanical stress is a requirement in many applications. Some applications require that a body have sufficient mechanical strength to withstand an applied pressure exerted by the fluid (e.g., in a filter). Some applications may require a low thermal expansion coefficient (CTE), good thermal shock resistance, or good thermal shock damage resistance.
In many applications, channels or other substantially “open” regions of the body (offering minimal impedance to fluid flow) are used to substantially increase area for reaction or filtration (for example, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,992 and 4,276,071). In such applications, relatively thin walls separate regions having substantially minimal impedance to fluid flow. Walls separating the channels should have both high porosity to maximize surface area or permeability, but not so high porosity that mechanical properties are degraded, and the pore size distribution should provide for the desired treatment (e.g., actually filter the species being removed).
In some applications (e.g., a filter bed) a body may be essentially hydrostatically supported during operation, and so require little mechanical strength (e.g., shear or tensile strength) during filtration. Some applications also include backwashing, which often creates a different mechanical stress than that created during filtration. In such instances, some mechanical strength or appropriate containment may be necessary. Thermal stresses, thermal expansion mismatch, changes in crystallographic structure, physical impact, and other factors may also create certain requirements of a body in a given application.
Increasingly, cost may be an important factor in a given application. Costs may include capital costs associated with fabricating the body and associated fluid control system itself. Cost may also include operational costs. Costs may also include disposal costs, environmental costs, “cradle to grave” costs and other costs associated with implementing a particular treatment solution. The energy required to create and implement a particular body may be an important cost factor, and in such cases, reducing the energy required to make and use a particular device may be advantageous. Cost may include a cost associated with emitting global warming gases, environmental pollutants, or other contaminants. Often, minimizing the embodied energy associated with a product (e.g., the energy required to create and implement the product) and/or minimizing a total lifecycle cost of the product may be advantageous. The implementation associated with a treatment method, the method of treating the fluid with the body, the disposal of treated substances and/or the body itself, and other lifecycle costs may generally include both capital costs (including raw materials costs), operational costs (including lifetime) and disposal/recycling costs.


This invention relates to flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy, and more particularly the invention relates to a graphite tube assembly for use in measuring the flameless atomic absorption, particularly of liquid samples.
For atomic absorption measurements, it is conventional for a sample to be introduced into the interior of the graphite tube, dried at a relatively low temperature, ashed and, subsequently, atomized at a high temperature. The graphite tube is placed in the path of the rays of a spectrometer so that the absorption of light by the atoms present in the interior of the graphite tube can be measured.
It has been found that in measuring the atomic absorption of liquid samples disturbances may occur because the liquids spread out over wide portions of the inner wall of the graphite tube. The liquids also flow to the end portions of the graphite tube where there is incomplete evaporation, because of the relatively lower temperature thereat, so that the sample material is carried over and interferes with subsequent measurements of further samples. Because of the slightly porous structure of graphite, the sample may infiltrate the wall of the graphite tube to such an extent that an uncontrollable portion thereof will pass through the wall to the exterior when the tube is heated, and is thereby lost for the measurement. This results in substantially lowering the sensitivity of the measurement.
It is known, by virtue of German Offenlegungsschrift 23 23 774, that to avoid such problems the graphite tube may be provided with grooves, at least over a portion of its inner wall and extending transversely with respect to the tube axis. However, since the cutting of the grooves causes a substantial roughening of the inner face, additional infiltration of the sample material results therefrom, so that the improvement achieved does not reach the desired degree.
Further, it is known to manufacture graphite tubes of the aforementioned type from so-called pyrolytic graphite instead of from the usual graphite. This pyrolytic graphite is not porous and, therefore, is impervious to gases. Grooves may also be cut in the pyrolytic graphite without the sample infiltrating the walls of the tube. However, the use of pyrolytic graphite for this purpose is undesirable because of the high cost thereof.


Pateamine A (patA) was first isolated from the marine sponge Mycale found off the shores of New Zealand. The natural form bears a thiazole and an E,Z-dienoate within a 19-membered macrocycle and a trienylamine side chain. Two additional pateamines, pateamines B and C, were also isolated. Their structures differ from pateamine A only in the nature of the terminal group of the trienylamine side chain. The basic structure for these three isolated natural forms is shown below.

Isolated pateamine A (native pateamine A) is a novel marine product that promises to be quite useful as a biochemical probe and which displays potent immunosuppressive properties with low cytotoxicity. In MLR (mixed lymphocyte reaction) assay, IC50=2.6 nM while the LCV (lymphocyte viability assay)/MLR ratio is >1000. In comparing native pateamine A to cyclosporin A in a mouse skin graft rejection assay, native pateamine A resulted in a 15-day survival period as opposed to cyclosporin A having only a 10-day survival of the skin graft. Additionally, at high doses, toxicity was at 17% in these studies. For other dose levels, there was no toxicity. All doses were active.
It has also been found that native pateamine A specifically inhibits an intracellular step of the T-cell receptor signal transduction pathway leading to IL-2 transcription. Two syntheses of native pateamine A have been reported. The utility of these molecules as an immunosuppressant or immunostimulant is severely restricted because the molecule lacks stability. Additionally, natural sources of the molecule are limited. Thus, continuous development of synthetic pateamine derivatives having the same or lower toxicity, potent activity and increased stability is required.
Potent activity of native pateamine A in a mixed lymphocyte reaction and also in a mouse skin graft rejection assay have been observed. Native pateamine A originally showed activity in a mixed lymphocyte reaction, (IC50 2.6 nM) and in the mouse skin graft rejection assay. Native pateamine A was found to be more potent than cyclosporin A with only low toxicity at high doses but all doses were active. Native pateamine A may also inhibit a specific intracellular signaling pathway involved in T cell receptor-mediated IL-2 production. In addition to its effect on TCR signaling pathway, native pateamine A has been found to induce apoptosis in certain mammalian cell lines, especially those that are transformed with the oncogene Ras.
Analysis of native pateamine A structure reveals a rigid eastern half (C6-C24) including the thiazole, dienoate, and the triene sidechain, due to extended conjugation, and a more flexible western half (C1-C5). Furthermore, C3-Boc-PatA was found to have only 3-4 fold lower activity than native pateamine A.
Natural products have proven to be extremely useful as probes of biological processes. Examples include the immunosuppressive, microbial secondary metabolites, cyclosporin A, FK506, and rapamycin. Marine organisms have also been a rich source of bioactive compounds, which are proving useful as drug leads and biological probes. For example, bryostatin, epithilone, discodermolide and ecteinascidin show great potential as anti-cancer agents and have revealed novel biological mechanisms of action.
Immunomodulators are useful for treating systemic autoimmune diseases, such as lupus erythematosus and diabetes, as well as immunodeficiency diseases. Immunomodulators are also useful for immunotherapy of cancer or to prevent rejections of foreign organs or other tissues in transplants, e.g., kidney, heart, or bone marrow. Examples of immunomodulators include: FK506, muramylic acid dipeptide derivatives, levamisole, niridazole, oxysuran, flagyl, and others from the groups of interferons, interleukins, leukotrienes, corticosteroids, and cyclosporins. Many of these compounds, however, have undesirable side effects and/or high toxicity in a subject in need thereof. New immunomodulator compounds are, therefore, needed to provide a wider range of immunomodulator function for specific areas with a minimum of undesirable side effects.
Unfortunately, many immunomodulators available currently have undesirable side effects and/or high toxicity and are often difficult to synthesize in pharmacologically effective amounts. What is needed is one or more immunomodulative compounds that may be synthetically produced in effective amounts and provide a broad spectrum of activity (e.g., immunomodulator function) with increased stability and with less undesirable side effects.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuit functional testing and, more particularly, to system level functional testing of microprocessors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) devices are manufactured using many complex processing steps. In many cases, more complex ICs may require more processing steps. During any of which one or more defects may be introduced into the IC. For example, microscopic airborne particulates that find their way onto the device during manufacture may cause either latent or hard defects. Many ICs are typically manufactured on one wafer (i.e., semiconductor substrate). To reduce manufacturing defects and improve product quality and yield many manufacturers have implemented ongoing quality control in the wafer fabrication and device assembly facilities.
However, there are still a fair number of IC s that are either defective from the start or may have latent defects. Thus, device manufacturers typically test the ICs using various test strategies during the various manufacturing phases. For example, to screen out bad ICs prior to assembling the ICs into device packages, ICs may be tested while still part of the wafer. This type of testing is sometimes referred to as wafer-level test or wafer probe. In addition, since defects may be introduced during the assembly process, each IC may be tested again, after assembly, during what is sometimes referred to as production or final testing.
Production testing may take many forms depending on the various factors including customer requirements. The goal is to screen out all devices that have defects. In some cases, the ICs may be operated under various operational and environmental stresses to allow latent defects to manifest.
The type of testing performed during wafer-level and production final test typically includes the use of testing machines designed to provide necessary voltages and stimuli to the inputs of an IC. During a type of testing referred to as Functional testing, the voltages and stimuli attempts to place the device in as many operational modes as possible thereby simulating device operation. While the device is operating, the IC outputs are monitored and compared against a theoretically known good output signature that is typically stored in a test file in the tester memory. Functional testing uses a large number of test files (also referred to as test patterns) that define the stimulus and response patterns. Functional testing may generally be expected to screen a large number of defects in many fault classes.
An alternative and sometimes complementary test method used to screen defects is referred to as scan testing. Scan testing also uses test patterns. However, unlike functional testing, scan testing doesn't attempt to operate the device in all of its operational modes. Instead scan testing relies on test logic and testability features that have been designed into the IC that enable scan chains consisting of many clocked circuit elements such as flip-flops and some latches, for example, to be loaded with special test patterns. The scan chains may loaded in one mode (e.g., scan) and clocked in another mode (e.g., run). The test patterns are propagated through the IC logic. The scan patterns are clocked out of the device and compared to response patterns stored within tester memory. For certain fault classes such as stuck at faults, for example, scan testing has been known to obtain fault coverages as high as 99% and in some cases 100%.
However, regardless of the test methods used, as IC operating speeds have increased, it has been increasingly difficult to develop testing machines that can adequately operate at the required speeds. This is especially true for microprocessor testing. Testing machines that can operate at the required frequencies are very expensive. Furthermore, neither functional testing nor scan testing may screen all defects in any fault class without using enormous test patterns requiring long test durations. To obtain very high fault coverage for all fault classes, combinations of test methods may be used. For example, due to the parallel nature of superscalar microprocessor core logic, certain types of failures, such as certain speed paths, may not necessarily manifest when an IC is run through a conventional production test flow.


Modern computer systems typically consist of a CPU to process data, a networking interface to communicate to other computer systems, and one or more durable storage units. The system may stop processing due to power failure, program incorrectness, or a hardware fault. Such failures are often called process failures. The durable storage units are able to keep the data intact while the fault is repaired.
A set of these computer systems can be networked to form a cluster. Although the network is generally reliable, occasional faults may occur to disrupt communication between certain nodes or sets of nodes. This disruption in communication is often called a network partition.
Each of these nodes runs a transactional storage system that both reads and writes data (a database management system). Some of this data is concurrently accessed by applications operating on different nodes. To guarantee data consistency, transactional database replication techniques are used to manage and regulate access to that data. However, such conventional replication techniques are associated with a number of problems.
For instance, conventional replication systems typically require an administrator to stop all applications, then stop the databases running at each of the nodes in the replicating group, then go to each node and notify it about the change in membership (usually by editing a table), then restarting the databases on each of these machines, then restarting the applications. This necessity of having to stop the databases running in the system can be undesirable.
What is needed, therefore, are transactional database replication techniques that do not require stopping of databases during replication.


Investigators have developed a variety of technical approaches to the generation of coordinate pairs of signals from electrographic devices. Industrial requirements for these devices are increasing concomitantly with the evolution of computer graphics, computer-aided design, and computer-aided manufacturing systems. Thus, a considerable degree of accuracy in pinpointing physical positions upon the surfaces of the digitizers is required for many applications. Other applications of the electrographic services include touch screen devices wherein the operator's finger or a stylus or the like is used to touch a portion of the accessing surface such that it emulates a key of a keyboard.
The operation of a digitizer or graphics tablet generally involves the same manual procedures as are employed in conventional graphics design, a stylus or tracer representing a writing instrument being drawn across or selectively positioned upon the position responsive surface of the digitizer. In turn, the electrographic device responds to the position of the stylus to generate paired analog coordinate signals which are digitized and conveyed to a host computer facility.
Early approaches to digitizer structures, for example, have looked to employing compostie structures wherein a grid formed of two spaced arrays of mutually orthogonally disposed fine wires is embedded in an insulative carrier. One surface of this structure serves to yieldably receive a stylus input which yielding causes the grid to read out coordinate signals. More recent and improved approaches to achieving readouts have been accomplished through resort to a capacitive coupling of the stylus or locating instrument with the position responsive surface to generate the paired analog coordinate signals. Such capacitive coupling can be carried out either with a grid layer which is formed of spaced linear arrays of conductors or through resort to the use of an electrically resistive material layer or coating.
An immediately apparent advantage of developing position responsive surfaces or digitizers having writing surfaces formed of a continuous resistive material resides in the inherent simplicity of merely providing a resistive surface upon a supportive substrate such as glass or plastic. Further, unlike conventionally encountered grid structures, the resistive coatings as well as their supportive substrates may be transparent to considerably broaden the industrial applications for the devices. For example, the digitizers may be placed over graphics or photographic material for the purpose of tracing various profiles.
A variety of technical problems have been encountered in the development of resistive coating type digitizer devices, one of which concerns the non-uniform nature of the coordinate readouts achieved with the surfaces. Generally, precise one-to-one coorespondence or linearity is required between the actual stylus or tracer position and the resultant coordinate signals. Because the resistive coatings cannot be practically developed without local resistance (thickness) variations, for example of about .+-.10%, the non-linear aspects of the otherwise promising approach has required a considerable amount of investigation and development. Exemplary of such development is the border treatment or switching technique of Turner in U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,439 entitled "Electrical Probe-Position Responsive Apparatus and Method" issued Oct. 17, 1972, and assigned in common herewith. This approach uses a direct current form of input to the resistive surface from a hand-held stylus, the tip of which is physically applied to the resistive surface. Schlosser et al describes still another improvement wherein an a.c. input signal is utilized in conjunction with the devices and signal treatment of the resulting coordinate pair output signal is considerably improved. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,787 entitled "Electrographic System and Method", issued June 26, 1984, also assigned in common herewith. Position responsive performance of the resistive layer devices further has been improved by a voltage waveform zero crossing approach and an arrangement wherein a.c. signals are applied to the resistive layer itself to be detected by a stylus or tracer as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,726 by Turner et al. entitled "Electrical Position Resolving by Zero-Crossing Delay" issued Oct. 25, 1977, and also assigned in common herewith. Substantially improved accuracies for the resistive surface type digitizer devices have been achieved through a correction procedure wherein memory retained correction data are employed with the digitizer such that any given pair of coordinate signals are corrected in accordance with data collected with respect to each digitizer resistive surface unit during the manufacture of the digitizers themselves. With such an arrangement, the speed of correction is made practical and the accuracy of the devices is significantly improved. The correction table improvements for these services is described, for example, in application for United States patent, Ser. No. 664,980, filed Oct. 26, 1984, by Nakamura et al. and assigned in common herewith as well as in application for United States Pat. Ser. No. 742,733, entitled "Electrographic System and Method," filed June 7, 1985, by Nakamura et al. and assigned in common herewith.
Capacitive coupling using a stylus or locating device has been employed with grid layers which are formed as adjacent but spaced-apart arrays of elongate thin conductors. For example, these grid conductors may be provided as lines of silver ink deposited in orthogonally disposed relationships upon the opposite faces of a sheet of insulative material such as Mylar. As described in Rodgers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,819, issued Jan. 8, 1985, this grid surface may be employed with a stylus which injects an a.c. signal capacitively at the surface thereof. To detect this signal, a ladder form of resistance network is employed with each of the conductor arrays such that a predetermined resistance is coupled between each conductor from first to last and a discrete resistor is coupled from the union of two successive resistors to ground. Generally these devices operate in a current mode such that current values are determined at the peripherally disposed resistor strings. As is apparent, because of the necessity of employing a conductive form of grid line, these devices are limited to opaque position responsive surface applications. While discrete matched resistors are required to couple the grid line nodes, a conductive or carbon loaded ink advantageously may be employed to provide the grid-to-grid resistive components of the unit, however, at the expense of a resistance value deviation for each discrete increment of resistance between adjacent parallel grid lines.
Investigations have determined that there are operational trade-offs occasioned with the various design approaches to grid-type digitizers. For example, where a.c. signals are injected from the stylus into a passive orthogonal grid, the grid structured surface electrically appears as a high impedance to the stylus or pick-up. Thus, the presence of moisture at the tablet or digitizer surface will cause severe inaccuracies. Further, this type device is prone to react adversely in terms of readout accuracy to slightly conductive materials including certain forms of paper.
On the other hand where the grid-type digitizers are excited by a.c. signals emanating from the peripheral resistor strings or multi-nodal stripes, a potential gradient is established for coordinate identification. The stylus or pick-up, in turn, receives analog coordinate signals in an arrangement desirably immune from hand effects, moisture effects and the like. However, the linearity of these devices becomes severely impaired to essentially negate the advantages otherwise sought.
Where it is desired to provide the above-noted grid structures in a transparent embodiment for a digitizer, limitations may be observed. To achieve transparency of the grid lines themselves, a transparent material must be employed, for example an indium tin oxide. These materials, however, may exhibit an impedance or resistivity which establishes a finite resistance between the oppositely disposed ends of a tablet or position responsive surface. Such finite resistance, unless accommodated for, will impose debilitating error unless somehow corrected. The finite resistance further may impose ambiguities within the system such that a voltage at one position along one trace or grid line will occur in equal value at a different location in another grid line. A practical implementation, therefore, of grid type tablets requires a minimization of the chance of occurrence of such ambiguities.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing method in which an image forming apparatus is connected with an information processing apparatus via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, multifunction peripherals in each of which a scanner function and a printer function are implemented inside one housing, an image is read using the scanner function, and the read image is formed on a sheet of paper using the printer function has wide spread. A system in which the multifunctional peripheral is connected with a computer via a network, and setting for reading by the scanner function or setting for printing by the printer function in the multifunction peripheral is performed using the computer is being developed.
In this system, a technique of determining a layout of image data (contents), which is read from an original document by the scanner function of the multifunction peripheral, on a sheet of paper through the computer connected with the multifunction peripheral via the network has been proposed.
That is, the image data obtained by reading an image through the scanner function in the multifunction peripheral is transmitted to the computer via the network, and the layout on a sheet of paper is determined at the computer side by using a layout technique. As an algorithm for arranging a plurality of contents having different sizes on a sheet of paper (a page), for example, a first-fit decreasing-height (FFDH) disclosed in E. G. Coffman, JR., M. R. Garey, D. S. Johonson, R. E. Tarjan (Bell Lab. & Stanford Univ.) “Performance bounds for level-oriented two-dimensional packing algorithms,” SIAM J. Comput., vol. 9, pp 808-826, No. 4, 1980, may be used. The computer generates drawing data using, for example, a page description language (PDL) according to the determined layout and transmits the drawing data to the multifunction peripheral via the network. The multifunction peripheral performs image formation based on the received drawing data.
In the conventional system described above, the image data obtained by reading the original document through the scanner function of the multifunction peripheral is transmitted, and the process of extracting contents from the received image data or the process of determining the layout of the extracted contents is performed at the compute side. That is, the computer deals with the image data whose size corresponds to the size of the original document and whose resolution is the read resolution that is set by the scanner function. Therefore, there is a problem in that a load of the computer side increases.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of in-flight entertainment systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a seat electronics unit and corresponding replacement technique designed to reduce the amount of time required for removal and/or installation of the seat electronics unit.
2. Description of Art Related to the Invention
Over the last few decades, commercial aircraft has become a necessary mode of travel for personal and business reasons. In order to improve passenger comfort, many commercial airlines now offer on-board telephony as well as in-flight entertainment such as video games, pay-per-view movies, hotel reservations services, and the like. These telephony and entertainment services are controlled by a plurality of seat electronics units "SEUs" as shown in FIG. 1.
Typically, a first SEU ("SEU.sub.1 ") 10 is used to control the transfer of information between a telephone handset 30 and telephony transmitter/receiver circuitry (not shown) in order to establish and maintain audio-based communications with a telephone remotely located from the aircraft. A second SEU ("SEU.sub.2 ") 20 is connected to a number of hand-held control units (e.g., control unit 40) and their corresponding liquid crystal displays ("LCD") 50, mounted onto the back of one of a group of passenger seats 60 as shown, or to an armrest of the passenger seat. SEU.sub.2 20 receives control signals from each handheld control unit of passenger seats 70 to signal other electronic devices to provide video content (e.g., movies) for display on its associated LCD or to select a menu representing one of a number of in-flight entertainment activities. Both of these SEUs 10 and 20 include electrical circuitry encapsulated within its protective cover.
Referring to FIG. 2, each SEU (SEU.sub.2 20 for example) is connected to a pair of legs 75 of one of the passenger seats 70 by mounting hardware. The mounting hardware includes a mounting plate 100 with a number of pre-drilled mounting holes 110 arranged in a predetermined pattern. This pattern enables the mounting plate 100 to support a variety of SEU sizes provided by different original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"). Bolts 120 are inserted through a flange element 125 of the SEU and mounting holes 110 of the mounting plate, and subsequently secured by hexagonal nuts (not shown). As a result, the SEU is secured to the mounting plate 100 and the flange element 125, adjacent to a first lateral side 121 of a protective cover 120 of the SEU, rests flush against the mounting plate 100.
A plurality of communication connectors 130.sub.1 -130.sub.m ("m" being a positive whole number), normally multiple-pin female connectors, are implemented on a back side 122 of the protective cover 120. Collectively, as shown, connectors 130.sub.1 -130.sub.6 provide an electrical interface so that information can be transferred into or from the SEU via communication cables 140.sub.1 -140.sub.6. Of course, the communication cables 140.sub.1 -140.sub.6 are mechanically and electrically adaptive to connectors 130.sub.1 -130.sub.6.
Over the last few years, it has been determined that the conventional SEU architecture possesses a number of disadvantages. One disadvantage involves design inflexibility in which the mounting plate is incapable of accommodating a variety of seat designs and SEU sizes. Another disadvantage is that it is time consuming to remove a conventional SEU for any number of reasons (e.g., scheduled servicing, repair after becoming completely or partially nonfunctional, etc.) as well as to install a SEU. More specifically, in order to remove the SEU, the communication cables 140.sub.1 -140.sub.6 would be initially disconnected from the SEU. After disconnecting the communication cables 140.sub.1 -140.sub.6, the bolts 120 are loosened and removed from the mounting holes 110 of the mounting plate 100. This allows the SEU to be disconnected from the mounting plate 100 and subsequently substituted with another SEU or repaired and reinstalled. Conversely, in order to install a new or repaired SEU, it is re-connected to the mounting plate 100 by re-attaching the bolts 120 and the communication cables 140.sub.1 -140.sub.6.
The replacement technique associated with the conventional SEU architecture clearly is labor intensive. This creates havoc with flight schedules because, if a few SEUs need to be replaced, it may result in aircraft downtime and subject commercial airline passengers to long flight delays. Such delays further increase maintenance costs creating an adverse tradeoff between maintenance costs and customer satisfaction. This tradeoff would pose adverse financial effects on the commercial airline. Moreover, this replacement technique may indirectly cause additional installation problems if the repair person accidentally damages a connector upon disconnecting and re-connecting its communication cable, mistakenly leaves the cables unconnected or improperly connected, and other related problems.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a SEU and corresponding replacement technique which overcomes the above-identified disadvantages.


In order to perform cipher communication in a secret key cipher system, both parties which make communication are required to hold in common a key in advance. Hitherto, sharing of the key has been performed by a system as shown in FIG. 11 for example. Referring to FIG. 11, numeral 41 designates a coder which is used by a sending party of a message (hereinafter is simply referred to as a sending party), and 42 designates a decoder which is used by a receiving party of the message (hereinafter is simply referred to as a receiving party), and the coder 41 comprises a random number generating means 43, a first enciphering means 44 and a second enciphering means 45, and the decoder 42 comprises a first decoding means 46 and a second decoding means 47.
Operation of the conventional common ownership system of the key composed like this is described hereafter. Since the key for enciphering a plain text of a message (hereinafter is simply referred to as a plain text) m is required to be changed frequently from the aspect of safety, a random number which is generated by the random number generating means 43 is used. Hereinafter, this is described as a session key. The sending party sends an output r1 (it is called a session key as another name) of the random number generating means 43 which is held in the coder 41 to the receiving party in order to hold in common with the receiving party; but if r1 is sent as the sate of raw data it is liable to be tapped on the communication line between the coder 41 and the decoder 42, and hence 41 is enciphered by the enciphering means 44 and is sent. The key which is used to encipher r1 is called as a master key km, and it is the key which is held in common by the sensing party and receiving party in advance. The master key is used only when the session key is sent by enciphering, and is generally fixed during a long time period. The decoder 42 of the receiving party decodes the enciphered random number by the master key km and restores r1 by using the first decoding means 46. Thereby, since the sending party and receiving party have held in common the session key r1, thereafter, cipher communication of the plain text m can be accomplished by the session key r1 by using the second enciphering means 45 and the second decoding means 47. In the event that the session key is changed, a new random number r2 (not shown) is generated by the random number generating means 43; and in the same manner as described above, r2 is held in common by the cipher communication by means of the master key km and is made to the session key.
Now, the case of cipher communication between two communication parties A and B is assumed. The communication party A and the communication party B encipher the session key r1 by using the master key km and send. When another communication party C holds the master key km, all cipher text which is exchanged between the communication parties A and B can be deciphered since the communication party C can decipher the session key r1. Therefore, it is required that the master key km is known by only the communication party A and the communication party B, and in the event that, for example, the communication party A carries out cipher communication with the communication party C, a master key which is other than km is used. Namely, the communication party A must hold the master keys which are identical with the number of the parties which carry out the cipher communication.
In such conventional system, there is no problem in the event of a small number of parties are to be communicated; but in a network having unspecified many subscribers, communication parties to be communicated become large number, and management of the key becomes a big problem. As a means for solving it, the method in which a center for performing management of the key is provided, and prior to prosecution of the cipher communication, the center delivers (or transmit) the common session key to both the parties, is generalized, but there is a defect that the center must intervene in every common holding operation of the key. On the other hand, as other solution, there is a method using the public key cipher system which is superior in management of the key, but the public key cipher system entails a much longer processing time in comparison with the secret key cipher system. As mentioned above, in the conventional cipher communication method, a big problem has existed with respect to the management of the key.
In view of such a problem, the present invention is directed to provide a data carrier which is safely, easily and speedy realizable common ownership of the key, on the basis of the futures in which an internal data is physically safety and calculation ability exist, and a data communication apparatus using it.


This invention relates to an electrically powered actuator of the type which includes a bidirectional electrically powered drive member a driven member coupled to the electrically powered drive member to be driven thereby, and a travelling member engaged with the driven member so as to be displaceable in opposite directions relative to the driven member between limits of displacement and in accordance with direction of drive of the drive member.
A known electrically powered actuator of the type described above is manufactured by Fortune Engineering Limited of Blantyre, Glasgow G72 9BR, Scotland, and marketed under the trade mark Rolaram.
An application in which it is desirable to use an electrically powered actuator is in a device for supporting and moving the cabin of a vehicle simulator such as a flight simulator. However, because the total moving weight in such an application may be as much as 17,000 kilograms and may be supported by six actuators to give six degrees of freedom, it is essential that the device for supporting and moving the weight be safe in the event of an electrical supply failure or cutting off of the supply to the electrically powered drive member.


The invention relates to coils and has particular application to wound bobbin coil apparatus typically used in small electric motors.
Wound bobbins are widely used in the fabrication of small electric motors. The bobbins are typically automatically wound, by various types of machinery, with relatively small copper wire. Such copper wire typically is provided with only a varnish type insulation. The wires are provided with extensions or "terminations" which are typically multistrand wires having a substantially greater outside diameter and having conventional insulation disposed over most of the axial extent thereof. Such terminations are necessary to provide durability which would not be possible with the relatively fragile wire which is used for the windings of the coil itself.
The prior art techniques for providing such terminations commonly include the utilization of a so-called "saddle" which holds the terminations (typically two in number) while the various connections are made. While the prior art method has been widely used it does not appear to offer the maximum efficiency.
It is an object of the invention to provide a coil construction which will be extremely durable and which more specifically, will provide substantial strain relief for the terminations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a construction which will require substantially less labor than is necessary to assemble apparatus of a more conventional design.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide apparatus which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost both for labor and material.


The present invention relates to a technique for adding an inherent item, which is to be referred to or to be updated by a particular organization, to information (such as a table) shared among a plurality of organizations in a Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS).
The RDBMS is a system to manage data shared among a plurality of organizations. For example, in an information system of a firm or a company, corporate information of firms as its customer is stored in the RDBMS to share the corporate information among organizations (e.g., divisions) of the firm. The corporate information is stored in the RDBMS in the form of a table including a plurality of items (columns). A business application (AP; program) accesses the table to refer to or to update the corporate information. The items are, for example, names and locations of the firms.
In such data processing system, the respective organizations desire to use mutually different items depending on cases. FIG. 2 shows an example of this situation in a customer corporate information management system. In the customer corporate information management system 100, in-house organizations such as a sales division and a supply division share customer corporate information 130. However, the respective divisions desire to use different items. A customer management application (sales division customer management AP 110) of the sales division refers to information 111 to use items which store a salesperson and a contact address, e.g., a contact phone number (salesperson contact phone number) of the salesperson of an associated firm. On the other hand, an order application (supply division order AP 120) of the supply division refers to information 121 to use a state of approval and an approval number of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001, i.e., the international standard for quality certification, to thereby determine whether or not a firm under consideration is appropriate as a supplier.
Assume that items shared among the organizations are referred to as shared items and items used only by a particular organization are referred to as inherent items. In the example of FIG. 2, the firm names and the firm locations are shared items. The salesperson and the salesperson contact phone number are inherent items used only by the sales division.
It is not assumed that the one-to-one correspondence exists between the business applications (sales division customer management AP 110 and supply division order AP 120 in this example) and the organizations. Depending on cases, a business application is used by only one organization or by a plurality of organizations. In the former situation, the business application uses inherent items of a particular organization. In the latter case, the business application uses inherent items of organizations to which the users of the application belong. That is, even one business application uses different inherent items depending on users.
In the conventional RDBMS, the inherent items are managed in three methods as below.
According to a first method, for each organization, a table is prepared to store inherent items (which will be described in conjunction with FIG. 25). In a second method, for each organization, a table is prepared to store both of shared items and inherent items (which will be described in conjunction with FIG. 26). In a third method, a table is prepared to store both of shared items and inherent items for the respective organizations (which will be described in conjunction with FIG. 27).
These three methods have been introduced as three mapping patterns provided by Hibernate which is an object/relational mapping tool in wide use, in Section 3.6 “Class Inheritance Mapping” of “Hibernate In Action”. Reference is to be made to pages 121 to 131 of “Hibernate In Action” written by Christian Bauer et al, translated by Akira Kurahashi et al, and published from Softbank Creative on Jan. 15, 2006.
Methods 1 to 3 respectively correspond to “3.6.3 Table per subclass”, “3.6.1 Table per concrete class”, and “3.6.2 Table per class hierarchy” of the article described above.
In general, according to the class structure (logical data structure) of objects to be mapped, shared items are designated as attributes of a main class and inherent items of each organization are designated as attributes of a subclass for each organization. FIG. 24 shows an example of the class structure for the data items of FIG. 2. The main class having a shared item as an attribute is associated with an in-house shared corporate attribute 2401, and the subclass having an inherent item as an attribute is associated with a sales division inherent corporate attribute 2402 and a supply division inherent corporate attribute 2403. The sales division inherent corporate attribute 2402 has, as attributes, inherent items to be used by the sales division. The supply division inherent corporate attribute 2403 has, as attributes, inherent items to be used by the supply division.
Description will be given of FIGS. 25 to 21 based on the above assumption. In FIG. 25, shared items are stored in an in-house shared table 2501, inherent items to be used by the sales division are stored in the sales division inherent table 2502, and inherent items to be used by the supply division are stored in the supply division inherent table 2503.
In FIG. 26, shared items 2602 and inherent items to be used by the sales division are stored in a sales division inherent table 2601, and shared items 2612 and inherent items to be used by the supply division are stored in the supply division inherent table 2611.
In FIG. 27, a shared item 2711, a sales division inherent item 2712, and a supply division inherent item 2713 are stored in one in-house shared table 2701.