1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cool air circulation apparatus in a refrigerator. More specifically, the invention relates to a cool air circulation apparatus in a refrigerator having an upper curved lip formed at a front face of a lower shelf, by which the cool air contacting with ambient air is discharged outside of the refrigerator and only the cool air adjacent to a refrigerating chamber flows into the refrigerating chamber.
2. Prior Art
A conventional refrigerator is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which comprises a freezing chamber 1 and a refrigerating chamber 2. A compressor 10 is mounted on a rear lower portion of the refrigerator, and an evaporator 20 is provided at a rear portion of the freezing chamber 2. A refrigerant is compressed by operation of the compressor 10, and the compressed refrigerant flows toward the evaporator 20, thereby cooling the circulating air by the evaporation of the refrigerant.
Fans 23, 24 for circulating cool air are provided at the rear portion of the freezing chamber 1, and the air cooled through the evaporator 20 is supplied to the freezing chamber 1 and the refrigerating chamber 2 via each cool air duct which will be illustrated later.
The cool air duct 25 is provided in a rear portion of the freezing chamber 1, and the cool air forcedly enters into the cool air duct 25 by the operation of the fan 23, and further enters into the freezing chamber 1 through a plurality of openings 27 formed at a duct cover 25C provided between the freezing chamber 1 and the evaporator 20.
Another cool air duct 26 is formed behind the cool air duct 25 opposite to the freezing chamber 1. The duct 26 is branched in two passages 26A, 26B, preferably, and each passage is further extended down along each rear side of the refrigerating chamber 2. The cool air forcedly enters into each passage 26A, 26B by the operation of another fan 24, and further enters into the refrigerating chamber 2 through a plurality of openings 28 formed at a duct cover 26C. Preferably, other openings 29 channeled from corresponding passages 26A, 26B are provided at each inner side wall of the refrigerating chamber 2.
A cool air supply duct 42 is arranged under a partition wall 41 divided from the freezing chamber 1 and the refrigerating chamber 2, which extends from the rear portion of the refrigerating chamber 2 to the front portion of the refrigerating chamber 2. A chamber 42a for housing an air curtain fan 44 is formed at one end of the duct 42 proximal to the rear portion of the refrigerating chamber 2, and an air discharge opening 43 is formed at another end of the duct 42 opposite to the chamber 42a. The air discharge opening 43 is preferably formed along the entire width of the upper portion of an accessible opening 2C of the refrigerating chamber 2.
The fan 44 for generating the air curtain stream is housed in the chamber 42a, thereby enabling the air to flow smoothly. Preferably, the length of the fan 44 corresponds to the inner width of the chamber 42a, and is operated by additional motor 46.
Since the upper surface of the duct 42 is flatly extended, and the lower surface of the duct 42 is sloped up to the air discharge opening 43, the cross-section area of the duct 42 is decreased more and more toward the opening 43. The velocity of the cool air flowing along near the upper inner surface of the air duct 42 is faster than that of the air along the lower inner surface of the air duct 42. A front end of the bent discharge opening 43 of the duct 42 is straight which causes the discharging cool air to flow straight.
An air collecting duct 47 is extended down a long a rear center portion of the refrigerating chamber 2, and plural air collecting openings 48, 48A, 48B channeled from the air collecting duct 47 are formed at a duct cover 47C.
The refrigerating chamber 2 is divided by plural shelves 49, 49A, 49B, the upper surface of which is preferably flat-shaped to enhance effective air collection. A cross-section area of the opening 48 formed at the uppermost area of the refrigerating chamber 2 is smaller than that of the opening 48A formed at the middle height area of the refrigerating chamber 2, and a cross-section area of the opening 48A is smaller than that of the opening 48B formed at the lower height area of the refrigerating chamber 2. Height of each opening 48, 48A, 48B is determined according to volume of storage foodstuffs, but each opening 48, 48A, 48B is preferably formed at approximately halfway up each shelf 48, 48A, 48B. Further, each opening 48, 48A, 48B has a rectangular shape having a long longitudinal side or an oval shape.
The operation of the refrigerator configurated above is illustrated as follows. When a door (not shown) is opened, the fan 44 commences operation, and simultaneously the fan 24 terminates operation. The cool air is discharged through the opening 43 by the operation of the fan 44, thus forming the cool air curtain. The cool air circulating in the refrigerating chamber 2 does not escapes from the refrigerating chamber 2, thereby maintaining a constant temperature of the refrigerating chamber 2.
However, even if the cool air discharged from the opening 43 has the same low temperature between the distal layer and the proximal layer to the refrigerating chamber, the temperature of the distal layer of the air curtain increases greatly while the air stream flows downward in contact with ambient temperature air. Therefore, the air curtain flow has high temperature and the air enters into the refrigerating chamber. The high temperature air further flows into each air collecting opening, and recirculates in the refrigerating chamber. Thus, there is a problem in that the temperature of the refrigerating chamber increases, causing a decline in the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator.


A wireless mesh network is an autonomous collection of wireless devices that communicate with each other over wireless links. A wireless mesh network may be decentralized, and, as a result, network activity such as discovering the topology and delivering messages is performed by devices of the network.


The present invention relates to a sewing machines which include automatic needle threading and, more specifically, to apparatus for including in a sewing machine to provide automatic thread taking-up and threading.
Sewing machines including the capability to self-thread the needle thereof are known in the art and greatly appreciated by those using them as they are no longer required to manually insert the thread through the eye of the needle. Such a sewing machine is disclosed in Japan Published Unexamined Patent Application No. S63-89194 which is owned by the common assignee of this application. In that sewing machine, the operation of taking up the tread and threading it through the eye of the needle are simplified over manual threading. Specifically, the sewing machine semi-automatically threads the eye of the needle when an operating member provided at the front face of the sewing machine head is pressed. Since a thread taking-up member is connected to the operating member, the thread taking-up operation can be semi-automatically accomplished, too. In this semi-automated apparatus, however, the threading member, the thread taking-up member, and the operating member are interlocked using a complicated linkage mechanism and cam mechanism. The operator often has to quickly press the operating member with a rather strong force such that the linkage mechanism and the cam mechanism will operate smoothly. Unfortunately, sometimes only an experienced operator can do this successfully. In addition, the designing of the linkage mechanism and the cam mechanism and the adjusting of the interlocking of the various members is difficult and troublesome work.
Wherefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a needle-threading apparatus for a sewing machine with is fully automatic in design and operation.
It is another object of this invention to provide a needle-threading apparatus for a sewing machine which is simple in design.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a needle-threading apparatus for a sewing machine which is easy to operate and which does not require particular strength or skill on the part of an operator.
Other objects and benefits of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.


This invention relates generally to archery bow sights and, more specifically, to an archery bow sight which includes one or more sight pins securable thereto, the archery bow sight being mountable to an archery bow in a manner that allows gang movement of one or more sight pins relative to the bow.
Archery bow sights utilizing a plurality of sight pins have been known in the art for many years. Typically, these sights utilize a bracket or other mounting structure for mounting the sight to a bow. The sight is commonly comprised of a pin plate, a pin guard, and a plurality of sight pins securable to the pin plate. The sight is mounted to a bow in a manner so that when the bow is drawn, the archer can look through a peep sight provided in the bow cable and align the tip of a pin attached to the sight with a target. For sights utilizing a plurality of sight pins having their tips vertically aligned, each individual sight pin is typically provided for aiming the bow at a target at a particular distance from the archer. For example, one pin may be positioned in the sight for aiming the bow at a target 50 yards from the archer while another pin may be positioned for a target that is at 100 yards.
In addition to providing individual pin adjustment relative to the sight, many prior art archery sights are mounted to the bow in a manner that allows group or what is commonly termed "gang" adjustment of the pins. Such adjustment is useful when the individual pins are properly positioned for a particular type or weight of arrow and shooting of a another type or weight of arrow effects the flight path. For example, for an arrow having a different quill arrangement or configuration, the pin sights may be properly positioned to account for targets at the various distances, but the flight path may be affected to the left or to the right (commonly referred to as "windage"). In such a situation, it may be desirable to move the entire sight to the left or the right without repositioning the individual sight pins. There are two common types of sight windage adjustment mechanisms for archery bow sights, two point and single point. For two point adjustment, the sight is typically secured to its mounting bracket at two points and may be adjusted to the left or right by loosening fasteners at these two points. With a single point adjustment sight, the sight is typically secured to a mounting bracket by a single fastener arrangement and thus can be adjusted relative to the mounting bracket by loosening of the single fastener arrangement. Similar adjustment mechanisms have been provided in the art for providing gang adjustability of the entire sight in a vertical direction.
While the basic concept of securing a plurality of pins to a pin plate is known in the art, various techniques to accomplish this have been employed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,874 to Busch the sight pins are provided with external threads and are inserted through a longitudinally extending slot in the pin plate. An internally threaded fastener is threaded onto the sight pin in order to secure it to the pin plate. The tips of the sight pins thus extend into the sight window defined by the pin plate and the guard. By properly aligning the sight pins relative to the pin plate and the sight relative to the bow, the archer may utilize each sight pin for a target at a particular distance.
Such an arrangement of sight pins, however, necessarily limits the distance between adjacent tips of sight pins by the smallest transverse dimension of the structure securing the sight pin to the pin plate. For example, in the Busch patent previously discussed, the tips of the sight pins can be positioned no closer than that allowed when adjacent internally threaded fasteners are abutted against one another. For some higher power bows, it may be necessary, in order to properly sight the bow, to position the tips of adjacent sight pins closer than is physically possible if the sight pins are maintained in a parallel relationship. One approach known in the art to allow closer arrangement of the sight pins is to provide two slots in the pin plate and two different lengths of sight pins. Longer pins are secured to a back slot and shorter pins are secured to a front slot so that the tips of the longer and shorter pins extend from the front edge of the pin plate an equal distance. Accordingly, a narrow portion of the longer, back sight pins can be fitted between the wider portion of the shorter, front sight pins utilized for attaching the front sight pins to the pin plate. With such an arrangement, the distance between tips of adjacent sight pins is thus significantly decreased.
It is also common in the art, as shown by the sight disclosed in Busch, that a sight be comprised of several individual components including a guard, a pin plate, and various adjustment mechanisms. While each of these features provide vital features to the sight, employing separate components necessarily increases the overall weight of the sight and thus the bow to which the sight is attached. In addition, an increased number of components also increases the potential for vibration of components relative to one another which can affect the accuracy of the bow and can startle game being hunted.
Sight pins are commonly comprised of an externally threaded brass pin having a small ball formed on the tip thereof. The ball is often painted to provide for better visibility of the ball. Typically, when several sight pins are employed, each ball tip is painted with a different color indicating a different yardage for the archer. Sight pins are also known in the art which include fiber optic elements for illuminating the tip of the sight pin to make the tip more visible to the archer. The fiber optic type sight pins are commonly comprised of an elongated pin providing two transversely extending bores substantially parallel to one another, with one of the bores positioned proximate the tip of the pin. A fiber optic member having ends of a greater diameter than the bores extends from the tip of the pin, through the bore at the tip, to the second bore, and through the second bore effectively forming a partial loop on one side of the pin. The ends of the fiber optic member appear illuminated when exposed to light. With both brass and fiber optic sight pins, it is often advantageous to provide pins of different widths depending on the accuracy desired or needed.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an archery bow sight formed from a single piece of material, integrally forming a pin guard, pin plate, and a windage or vertical adjustment mechanism. It would also be advantageous to provide a pin plate that maintains the sight pins in a substantially parallel arrangement. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide an archery bow sight that allows the sight pins to be pivoted relative to the pin plate in order to allow the tips of adjacent sight pins to be positioned relatively closely to one another. It would also be advantageous to provide a two headed sight pin that provides two sight pins of different widths.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio field intensity measurement devices which can display radio field intensity of radio signals. In particular, the present invention relates to radio field intensity measurement devices which change color in accordance with radio intensity of a radio signal, utilizing a chromic material, and radio field intensity detectors and amusement devices (such as game consoles, game machines, toys or the like) using the radio field intensity measurement devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, wireless devices using radio communication have been spreading due to development of electronics and the coming of an advanced information society, and have been utilized in various fields such as military affairs, medical treatment, communication, education, and commercial transaction. Radio communication using a radiowave as a communication medium takes the maximum advantages of radiowave that information can be transmitted instantly independent from time and distance, and one of the most important bases for human life and industry in modern society.
A radiowave is a kind of electromagnetic waves, and a wave propagated in the air by energy exchange between an electric field and a magnetic field. Since a radiowave cannot be seen, there is a concern that a radiowave emitted from facilities using radiowave and wireless devices may adversely affect human bodies. Thus, there is a need to provide a device which can easily measure radio field intensity of a radiowave emitted from a radio emission device, and display information on the radiowave.
There are various methods for measuring radio field intensity. For example, Reference 1, Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2006-23817, discloses a radio field detector in which an antenna, a rectifier circuit and a lamp are connected and radio field intensity is detected by light intensity of a lamp. Further, Reference 2, Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2001-165973, provides an electromagnetic wave monitor in which an antennal, a storage device, and an informing means are connected, and the informing means is driven by the storage device to measure a radio field intensity.
FIG. 38 is a block diagram illustrating a typical configuration of a radio field intensity measurement device disclosed in Reference 1.
In the radio field intensity measurement device 3800 illustrated in FIG. 38, a received radiowave 3820 is converted to an induction signal and the induction signal is input to a rectifier circuit 3811. The rectifier circuit 3811 rectifies the induction signal and supplied power to the lamp 3812. In other words, electricity which goes up in proportion to the intensity of the received radiowave 3820 is supplied to the lamp, and the intensity of the radiowave appears in the light intensity of the lamp which is turned on.
In the electromagnetic wave monitor in Reference 2, as the informing means, a light-emitting diode, a discharge lamp, or a liquid crystal display device is used.


Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to welded aluminum-copper-lithium alloy products, and more specifically such products in the form of sections intended to produce stiffeners in aeronautical design.
Description of Related Art
Ongoing research is carried out to develop materials that can simultaneously reduce weight and increase the efficiency of high-performance aircraft structures. Aluminum alloys containing lithium are very beneficial in this respect, as lithium reduces the density of aluminum by 3% and increase the modulus of elasticity by 6% for each percent by weight of lithium added. In order for these alloys to be selected in aircrafts, the performance thereof must reach that of the alloys commonly used, particularly in terms of compromise between the static mechanical strength properties (yield stress, fracture strength) and damage tolerance properties (toughness, fatigue-induced crack propagation resistance), these properties being generally antinomic. Said alloys must also display a sufficient corrosion resistance, be able to be shaped using usual methods and display low residual stress so as to be able to be machined integrally.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,359 describes a large family of aluminum-copper-lithium alloys wherein the addition of magnesium and silver, particularly between 0.3 and 0.5 percent by weight, makes it possible to increase mechanical strength. Said alloys are frequently referred to using the brand name “Weldalite™”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,045 describes a family of Weldalite™ alloys comprising (as a % by weight) (2.4-3.5) Cu, (1.35-1.8) Li, (0.25-0.65) Mg, (0.25-0.65) Ag-(0.08-0.25) Zr. Welded products manufactured with said alloys combine a density less than 2.64 g/cm3 and a compromise between mechanical strength and advantageous toughness.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,509 describes a family of Weldalite™ comprising (as a % by weight) (2.5-5.5) Cu, (0.1-2.5) Li, (0.2-1.0) Mg, (0.2-0.8) Ag, (0.2-0.8) Mn—(up to 0.4) Zr or other refining agents such as Cr, Ti, Hf, Sc and V. Examples displayed exhibit an improved compromise between mechanical strength and toughness, but their density is higher than 2.7 g/cm3.
Published patent application WO2007/080267 describes a Weldalite™ alloy not containing zirconium intended for fuselage sheets (as a % by weight) (2.1-2.8) Cu, (1.1-1.7) Li, (0.2-0.6) Mg, (0.1-0.8) Ag, (0.2-0.6) Mn.
The patent EP1891247 describes a Weldalite™ alloy with a low alloy element content and also intended for the manufacture of fuselage sheets comprising (as a % by weight) (2.7-3.4) Cu, (0.8-1.4) Li, (0.2-0.6) Mg, (0.1-0.8) Ag and at least one element selected from Zr, Mn, Cr, Sc, Hf, Ti.
US Published Patent application WO2006/131627 describes an alloy intended to make fuselage plates comprising (wt. %) (2.7-3.4)Cu, (0.8-1.4) Li, (0.2-0.6) Mg, (0.1-0.8) Ag—and at least one element among Zr, Mn, Cr, Sc, Hf and Ti, wherein Cu and Li satisfy the condition Cu+5/3 Li<5,2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,003 describes a method to make aluminum-copper-lithium alloys having improved mechanical strength and toughness at cryogenic temperature. This method applies notably to an alloy comprising (in wt. %) (2.0-6.5)Cu, (0.2-2.7) Li, (0-4.0) Mg, (0-4.0) Ag, (0-3.0) Zn.
Alloy AA2196 comprising (in wt. %) (2.5-3.3)Cu, (1.4-2.1) Li, (0.25-0.8) Mg, (0.25-0.6) Ag, (0.04-0.18) Zr and at most 0.35 Mn, is also known.
It was generally acknowledged in said patents or patent applications that severe homogenization, i.e. at a temperature of at least 527° C. and for a period of at least 24 hours would make it possible to achieve the optimal properties of the alloy. In some cases of alloys with low zirconium contents (EP1891247) or free from zirconium (WO2007/080267), much less severe homogenization conditions, i.e. a temperature below 510° C., were used.
However, there is still a need for Al—Cu—Li alloy products having a low density and further enhanced properties, particularly in terms of compromise between mechanical strength, on one hand, and damage tolerance, particularly toughness and fatigue-induced crack propagation resistance, on the other, while having other satisfactory usage properties, particularly corrosion resistance.


There is a resurgence of interest in the US Navy in long range artillery as a replacement for missiles due to the cost savings involved. That is, even though the missile launcher is normally cheaper than a gun of similar caliber, each missile is much more expensive than the projectile and propellant for the gun and this soon outweighs the extra cost of the gun system.
To obtain greater range, the gun barrels must be longer or the chamber pressure must be greater. A combination of these two factors, together with optimum projectile design, provides the best opportunity for long range firings. However, the protrusion of the barrel above the deck is vulnerable to detection by enemy radar, hence it is of interest to reduce this to a minimum.
To maximize the length of barrel for a given protrusion of the barrel from the housing module, there should be a minimum of recoiled components behind the chamber/breech, and also, the recoil stroke should be as short as possible. The optimum space utilization is to have only enough room behind the back of the cannon assembly for recoiling. For this to be effected, the chamber must be separated from the barrel to allow for loading of the projectile and charge. This also allows a reduction in time between shots as the charge may be loaded at the same time as the projectile.
The gun described herein embodies the necessary features to allow for compact stowage as well as providing improved performance. A 5 inch caliber smooth bore barrel has been assumed, however the design can be readily scaled up or down.
The invention provides a gun system that incorporates a two piece cannon assembly that is separated between the chamber and the projectile forcing cone. The gun described has no traditional breech. It has a removable chamber instead which has a plug at one end that can accommodate any type of ignition system that may be required. The other end is open and is attached to the barrel with a connection fitting that is clamped to the barrel by a threaded collar. The high pressure gases created by the propellant combustion are sealed with a high-pressure gas compression seal at the interface between the chamber and the barrel. The lower side of the connection fitting has a locking collar screwed into it. The internal diameter of this locking collar has a bayonet feature or interrupted thread to suit the top end of the chamber. A torque plate, which extends out beyond the edge of the connection fitting, is attached to the lower face of the collar. A slot in the torque plate aligns with the pin of a slide actuator that is attached to a frame cross-member. When the cannon assembly is in battery position, the actuator pin is located inside the torque plate slot.
The connection fitting also provides the attachment for the rear cannon bearing slide which rides on rails attached to the main support structure. This also reacts any torque induced into the barrel from the actuation of the chamber/barrel locking collar.
To provide adequate clearance to the loading mechanism, the recoil cylinders are mounted in front of (above) the chamber/barrel connection fitting. The lower end of the cylinders are attached to the connection fitting. The structure necessary to support the front of the recoil cylinders and hence transmit the recoil force to the main support, provides a suitable mounting for the front barrel slide. The resultant extended xe2x80x9cwheelbasexe2x80x9d between the front and rear slides ensures improved shot repeatability.
A turntable upon which are mounted two chamber elevating/support mechanisms and two projectile loader/rammer mechanisms is positioned around one of the main support structure legs.


I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to sheet metal bending brakes and, more particularly, to a sheet metal bending brake with an improved hinge.
II. Description of Related Art
There are many previously known portable sheet metal bending brakes that are used in the building industry, typically for the installation of aluminum siding. These previously known sheet metal bending brakes typically comprise a frame having a planar work support surface which supports the sheet metal as well as a plurality of spaced frame members which extend over the work support surface.
A plurality of elongated pivot arms are pivotally secured at one end to the spaced apart frame members. An elongated clamping jaw is then mounted to the opposite end of each pivot arm such that upon pivoting of the pivot arms, the clamping jaw moves toward and away from the work support surface on the frame.
Any conventional means can be used to move the pivot arms with their attached clamping jaw between their clamping and unclamped position. In their unclamped position, the clamping jaw is spaced apart from the sheet metal support surface thus permitting the insertion and/or removal of sheet metal into the bending brake. Conversely, when the pivot arms are moved to their clamping position, the sheet metal is sandwiched in between the clamping jaw and the work support surface on the frame. Any conventional means may be used to move the clamping jaw between its clamping and unclamped positions.
An elongated bending arm is pivotally mounted to the frame such that the bending arm extends along the front edge of the workpiece support surface on the frame closely adjacent the front edge of the clamping jaw when in its clamped position. Consequently, with a piece of sheet metal positioned in between the frame and the clamping jaw such that a portion of the sheet metal protrudes outwardly from the front edge of the clamping jaw, pivotal movement of the bending arm in turn engages the outwardly protruding portion of the sheet metal and bends that outwardly protruding portion in the desired fashion.
There have been many previously known devices for pivotally mounting the bending arm to the frame. All of these previously known pivoting mechanisms, however, all suffer from one or more common problems.
More specifically, many of the previously known hinge mechanisms for pivotally securing the bending arm to the frame scuffed the surface of the sheet metal during the bending operation. In many situations, such scuffing is cosmetically unacceptable.
Similarly, many of the previously known hinge mechanisms for sheet metal bending brakes are incapable of bending the sheet metal when only a very small amount of sheet metal protrudes outwardly from the clamping jaw. For example, many previously known bending brakes are incapable of forming a bend in sheet metal of less than 3/16 of an inch in width. Similarly, many of the previously known hinge mechanisms for sheet metal bending brakes are incapable of producing hems of very small widths.


Document FR-2 376 919, for example, discloses a manhole which comprises a frame which is intended to be fixed in the ground and a lockable cover which closes the frame. The frame comprises an annular flat bottom plate and a substantially cylindrical skirt.
The cross-section of the bottom plate is substantially identical over the entire circumference thereof and, consequently, the frame is only weakly anchored in the fixing material.
The object of the invention is to provide a frame for a roadway device, in particular for a manhole, which allows better anchoring in the fixing material.


1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to electronic systems, and more particularly to electronic systems comprising an integrated circuit transceiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hand-held systems typically have a system power connection used to charge a rechargeable battery. Many newer systems support data transfer standards that specify a power connection as part of the standard. The use of a data transfer standard, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) Standard, in systems that are independently powered has resulted in the inclusion of at least two power pins on hand-held systems. While it is desirable that these systems be compliant with certain data transfer standards, such as the USB standard, the additional pin count is disadvantageous. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method and system for reducing the number of pins needed by such a system.


A mobile phone is a phone that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link, e.g., by connected to a tower of a cellular network. In addition to making calls, conventional mobile phones now support a variety of other electronic services, e.g., text messaging, email, web surfing, photography, and short-range wireless communications. Mobile phones and other mobile devices, e.g., laptops and tablet computers, are increasingly being carried everywhere by mobile device users. Since users are almost always carrying these mobile devices, the mobile devices can be used for various purposes in addition to communications purposes. For example, mobile devices that include electronic wallet application programs are gaining in popularity as an alternative to traditional wallets and physical payment cards.


An 802.16 family of standards have been developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) to provide for fixed, portable, and/or mobile broadband wireless access (BWA) networks (for example, the IEEE std. 802.16, published 2004 and subsequent revisions). The Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) forum facilitates the deployment of broadband wireless networks based on the IEEE 802.16 standard. In particular, the WiMAX forum ensures the compatibility and inter-operability of broadband wireless equipment.
In downlink transmissions, WiMAX networks may broadcast data packets from a base station (BS) to a subscriber station (SS) or mobile station (MS), whereas in the uplink transmissions, the scheduling services may be designed to support services with different traffic characteristics and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. A significant benefit of the converged wireless networks, such as a WiMAX network, is in the sharing of the most valuable resources—the wireless spectrum among different services. However, the wireless network convergence in a WiMAX network also comes with some challenges, due to the arbitration of uplink transmission between multiple SSs, as well as the allocation of uplink bandwidth with QoS needed for different services.
It is desirable to have a system and method for adaptively updating wireless uplink scheduling based on characteristics of the uplink data, to improve a user's experience, while minimizing impact on the wireless spectrum.


(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transgenic animal for the neuronal expression of HIV-1 gp160.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the causative agent of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). As a member of the lentivirinae subfamily of retroviruses, it is recognized for its ability to target the immune system and the nervous tissue (Navia, B. A. et al., 1986 b), Ann. Neurol., 19:525-535; Navia, B. A. et al., 1986 a), Ann. Neurol., 19:517-524).
A few weeks after the primary infection with HIV-1, a burst of virus replication with a high level of viremia occurs, it is during that phase of infection that the virus likely reaches the central nervous system (CNS) (Price, R. W. et al., 1988, Science, 239:586-592). In most cases it remains clinically silent for highly variable periods of time. Occasionally, it produces an acute meningitis or meningoencephalitis. However, in a large number of AIDS patients (30-40%) the virus entry in the CNS intiates a slowly progressive dementing syndrome termed HIV-1-associated motor/cognitive complex (Janssen, R. S., 1991, Neurology, 778:773-785), which impairs cognitive and motor functions and induces behavorial disorders. At autopsy, up to 96% of these patients show neuropathological changes (Budka, H., 1990a), In: Chopra J, Jagannathan K, Sawhney IMS (eds) Advancesin Neurology. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 193-202; price, R. W. et al., 1988, Science, 239:586-592; Weis, S. et al., 1993, Acta Neuropathol, 85:185-189) that typically define the HIV-1 encephalopathy (HIVE) or leukoencephalopathy (HIVL) (Villa, G. et al., 1993, J Neur Neurosurgery Psy, 56:878-884; (Weis, S. et al., 1993, Acta Neuropathol, 85:185-189).
HIVE is mainly characterized by brain atrophy and histological changes that include white matter pallor and multiple loosely delimitated inflammatory foci disseminated in the gray and white matter (Navia, B. A. et al., 1986 a), Ann. Neurol., 19:517-524; Weis, S. et al., 1993, Acta Neuropathol, 85: 185-189). These foci are composed of microglial cells, a few lymphocytes, reactive astrocytes and very charasteristic multinucleated cells of monocyte/macrophages origin (Budka, H., 1990 a), In: Chopra J, Jagannathan K, Sawhney IMS (eds) Advances in Neurology. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 193-202; Budka, H., 1990 b), Acta Neuropathol., 79:611-619; Budka, H. et al., 1991, Brain Patholo., 1:143-152). HIVL is characterized by diffuse myelin loss, gliosis and perivascular infiltration by monocytes and more rarely multinucleated microglia/macrophages. The deep white matter is preferentially and symmetrically affected (Budka, H., 1990 a), In: Chopra J, Jagannathan K, Sawhney IMS (eds) Advances in Neurology. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 193-202; Budka, H., 1990 b), Acta Neuropathol., 79:611-619; Budka, H. et al., 1991, Brain Patholo., 1:143-152). In HIVE as well as in HIVL, the giant multinucleated cells are considered as the pathological hallmark and in both, morphometric studies have clearly demonstrated a significant neuronal loss (Epstein, L. G. et al., 1986, Pediatrics, 78:678-687; Ketzler, S. et al., 1990, Acta Neuropathol. (Berl), 80:92-94; Masliah, E. et al., 1992, Lab. Investigation, 66:285-291; Weis, S. et al., 1993, Acta Neuropathol, 85:185-189). In addition to these CNS changes, the spinal cord of HIV-1 infected patients may also present alterations such as myelitis or a peculiar vacuolar myelopathy for which no clear etiology has been determined yet.
Several investigators have tried to identify the cells which support the expression and replication of the virus. These studies have demonstrated HIV-1 products in mononucleated and multinucleated macrophages glial cells (Cheng-Mayer, C. et al., 1987, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 84:3526-3530; Epstein, L. G. et al., 1986, Pediatrics, 78:678-687; Gyorkey, F. et al., 1987, J. Infect. Diseases, 155:870-876; Koenig, S. et al., 1986, Science, 233:1089-1093; Stoler, M. H. et al., 1986, JAMA, 256:2360-2364; Vazeux, R. et al., 1987, American J. Pathol., 126:403-410; Wiley, C. A. et al., 1986, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 83:7086-7093) endothelial cells and astrocytes (Epstein, L. G. et al., 1993, Ann. Neurol., 33:429-436; Wiley, C. A. et al., 1986, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 83:7086-7093) microglial cells, but not in neurons (Savio, T. et al., 1993, J. Neurosc. Res., 34:265-272; Sweetnam, P. M. et al., 1993, Eur. J. Neurosc., 5:276-283). Furthermore, HIV-1 has been rescued from brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid, but not from neurons (Pulliam, L. et al., 1993, AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, 9:439-444). These findings appear rather paradoxical, considering the cognitive/motor dysfunctions, the dementing illness and the neuronal loss observed in many HIV-1 patients.
In absence of evidence for neuronal infectivity, several direct and indirect mechanisms have been proposed to account for the motor/cognitive disorders. a) It has been postulated that HIV-1 infection of monocytes or macrophages may activate inappropriate secretion of cytokines, such as interleukine-1 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF), that may impair neuronal and/or glial cell function or compromise the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (Wigdahl, B. et al., 1989, AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses, 5:369-374). b) Based on experimental observations showing that HIV-1 glycoprotein gpl20 could inhibit the growth of neurons in the presence of neuroleukin, but not in the presence of nerve growth factor (Lee, M. R. et al., 1987, Science, 237:1047-1051), it has been suggested that the HIV-1 env protein may bind to and compete for neuroleukin receptors (Brenneman, D. E. et al., 1988, Nature (London), 335:639-642; Lee, M. R. et al., 1987, Science, 237:1047-1051). As a consequence, gpl20 could directly interfere with neuronal cell function and/or cause neuronal cell death. c) Recent studies have shown that both native and recombinant gpl20, added at very low concentrations to neuronal cultures produce a striking increase in free calcium within the cells and cause cell death within 24 hours, an effect which could be abolished by adding nimodipine (100 nM), the dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist (Dreyer, E. B. et al., 1990, Science, 248:364-367), vasoactive intestinal peptide (Brenneman, D. E. et al., 1988, Nature (London), 335:639-642), anti-gpl 20 antibodies (Dreyer, E. B. et al., 1990, Science, 248:364-367) or NMDA antagonists (Brenneman, D. E. et al., 1988, Nature (London), 335:639-642; Lipton, S., 1991, Brain Pathology, 1:193-199). The neurotoxicity of gpl20 may thus be conferred either through the NMDA receptor, via a second messenger, or directly by calcium channels (Levy, J. A. et al., 1985, Lancet, ii: 586-588; Lipton, S. A., 1992, Trends Neurosci., 15: 76-80; Sweetnam, P. M. et al., 1993, Eur. J. Neurosc., 5:276-283). Since gpl20 shares certain sequence homology with vasoactive intestinal peptide it might also compete for the same binding sites and block this neurotransmission (Lee, M. R. et al., 1987, Science, 237:1047-1051). All these studies carried out in vitro have indicated possible mechanisms by which HIV infection could lead to AIDS dementia. However, many aspects related to AIDS neurophysiopathology are still obscure and could not be approached by in vitro techniques.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with transgenic mice carrying the HIV-1 env gene under the neuron specific promoter of human neurofilament light gene (NFL) (Julien, J. P. et al., 1987, Genes & Development, 1:1085-1095) to further define the role of gpl20 in neurotoxicity. Such an animal model could provide some information on the effect(s) of gpl20 when expressed in neuronal cells and should help identify the mechanism(s) involved in AIDS clinical syndrome and neuropathology.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with transgenic animals with the neuronal expression of gpl20 and preliminary findings of the pathological evaluation.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rate-responsive pacemakers and, more particularly, to pacemakers that employ a minute volume metabolic demand sensor whose output is adjusted in accordance with a rate response dependent on the anaerobic threshold and physical condition of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many attempts have been made to control the heart rate of a pacemaker patient so that it will duplicate the intrinsic heart rate of a healthy person both when the patient is at rest and when the patient is involved in various levels of exercise. Metabolic demand related parameters heretofore proposed for controlling the pacing rate include the QT interval, respiration rate, venous oxygen saturation, stroke volume, venous blood temperature, and minute volume, among others. In addition, the use of mechanical and electrical sensors which detect patient motion have also been explored in such attempts at achieving improved rate-responsiveness. Of the various parameters available, it has been found that pacemakers using minute volume as a parameter for controlling pacing rate are particularly advantageous. However, a problem with these types of pacers has been the mapping of minute ventilation to an appropriate metabolic indicated rate in a manner which accurately reflects the intrinsic heart rate.
A further problem is that, in general, even though metabolically-related parameters used for controlling rate-responsive pacemakers, especially with the contribution of the tidal volume component of minute ventilation, react fairly rapidly to reflect changes in the patient's physical activity, the pacemakers' algorithm does not react with the same speed or time constant. This can result in the patient having a hemodynamic deficiency due to the lag time involved between the start of an increased level of exercise and the reaction thereto by the pacemaker. Of course, since linear mapping is easiest to implement, most mapping attempts so far tended to be straight line approximations, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. In FIGS. 1-5, both the vertical and the horizontal scales are normalized for ease of comparison. More specifically, in FIG. 1, the minimum and maximum values of the metabolic rate interval are disposed at 0 and 1 respectfully along the vertical axis. Similarly, corresponding minimum and maximum values of the minute ventilation are disposed at 0 and 1 respectively along the horizontal axis. The same convention is used in FIGS. 2-5 except that in the latter Figures the vertical axis indicates a normalized Metabolic Indicated Rate (MIR) as opposed to an interval.
It should be understood that rate responsive systems making use of the minute ventilation as a parameter, first calculate a long term average for the minute ventilation of a patient and then determine the difference between this long term average and an instantaneous minute ventilation obtained as described below, in conjunction with FIGS. 7-11. The resulting differential parameter is referred to as "the minute ventilation" for the sake of brevity. However, in the drawings, the parameter is identified as .DELTA.MV to indicate that, in fact, this parameter corresponds to the variation of the instantaneous minute ventilation from a long term average value.
An early attempt at mapping the minute ventilation was to use a straight linear conversion into a pacing interval, or metabolic rate interval (MRI), as shown in FIG. 1. The mapping of FIG. 1 was found to be undesirable because it led to a hyperbolic relationship between the minute ventilation .DELTA.MV and the metabolic indicated rate (MIR), as shown in FIG. 2. This relationship did not reflect the true correlation between the intrinsic heart rate and the minute volume. See "The Range of Sensors and Algorithms used in Rate Adaptive Cardiac Pacing" Chu-Pak Lau, PACE, Vol 15, pg. 1177, August 1992.
Another type of approach tried in the past was a straight linear correlation between MIR and .DELTA.MV. This method is shown in FIG. 3, and while it conformed more closely to the actual relationship between AMV and the intrinsic heart rate, it was still not satisfactory. More particularly, this straight line approach ignored important factors: first, that initially, at low levels of exercise the relationship between MV and rate is different than at a later stage after the patient has reached anaerobic threshold. Briefly, under anaerobic conditions, a patient's metabolism is operating at a level wherein the oxygen demand exceeds the oxygen intake.
Yet another mapping tried in the past was a two-slope interval-based mapping shown in FIG. 4. This method approximated the real response closely but was still not ideal.
Finally, the mapping, referred to as augmented rate response factor, shown in FIG. 5, was also tried in order to compensate for the slow rate response at low exercise levels. In FIG. 5, line A is the rate response factor (RRF) similar to that of FIG. 3. The rate response factor is a parameter selectable in some pacemakers by a physician based on his evaluation of the patient and his own experience. Profiles B, C and D in this Figure represent three dual slope profiles, each profile consisting of two line segments: an initial, or lower rate segment for the beginning of the exercise having a first slope, and a higher rate segment having a second slope. In order to define the profiles, the physician is given the choice of selecting a low, medium or high initial RRF as the first slope. Each of these initial RRF values is higher than the base RRF. In other words, line segment B1 had a slope equal to a low initial RRF, line segment C1 had a slope equal to a medium initial RRF and line segment O1 had a slope equal to a high initial RRF. In addition to the choice of the initial RRF, the maximum and minimum MIR rates were also left to the physician's discretion or choice based on his experience and physical evaluation of the patient. Next, the break points between the line segments, indicated for each profile as B', C', and D' respectively, was arbitrarily selected at 50% of the maximum MIR, as shown. The second line segment for each profile, i.e., B2, C2, and D2 were then extended from the respective breakpoint B', C', and D' to the upper limit of the base line A, as shown. Even though improved, however, this approach still did not correspond to the actual relationship between the intrinsic heart rate and minute volume, especially at more moderate higher exercise levels. Details of this mapping are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,390 incorporated herein by reference.
In summary, a mapping using a single RRF value as a slope is unsatisfactory because it ignores the need for a faster response during the initial or exercise level, and the need for a decreased response relative to minute ventilation at higher exercise levels. A mapping in which two line segments are used and the initial slope was set to a preselected RRF is still unsatisfactory because it relies on an artificial transition or break point between the line segments.
An ideal solution to the mapping problem would be to set the two slopes independently, as separate variables. However, this approach would be impractical because the transition point between the line segments would be indeterminate and, therefore, may result in responses with either abnormally extended or abnormally contracted initial slopes.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file folder, and more particularly to a file folder having a structure for preventing a clip from being disengaged from the file folder inadvertently.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical file folders comprise a front sheet, a back sheet, a folder strip formed between the front sheet and the back sheet and foldable relative to the front sheet and the back sheet, to receive paper sheets between the front sheet and the back sheet. A clip is further provided and engaged onto the edge portions of the front sheet and the back sheet, to clamp and retain the paper sheets between the front sheet and the back sheet.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,104 to Gloeckle discloses one of the typical file folders which also comprises a clip provided to clamp and retain the paper sheets between the front sheet and the back sheet. However, a long slit or cut is required to be formed in the folder strip to receive the clip, and the clip may not be easily engaged through or into the slit or cut of the folder strip. In addition, the folder strip may interfere with the operation of the clip.
The applicant has also developed a file folder which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,676 to Su, and which comprises three foldable strips coupled to a base sheet. One of the strips that is located close to the base sheet includes an opening formed therein to receive the clip. However, the foldable strips may be easily curled and may not be retained in position. In addition, the foldable strips may also interfere with the operation of the retaining clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,952 to Ho discloses another typical file folder which comprises two slits perpendicular to the slit or cut as shown in Gloeckle, to slidably receive two protrusions extended from the clip, and which comprises two holes formed in the ends of each of the slits, to receive the protrusions of the clip.
However, when the clip is slid away from the file folder or when the clip is completely engaged onto the file folder, the protrusions of the clip will be aligned with the holes of the file folder, and will be easily disengaged from the file folder.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional file folders.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vent and baffling devices for preventing the entry of rainwater and, more particularly, to a durable, rotating, water-diverting, small animal and insect entry-prohibiting sewer system ventilation cap.
2. Description of the Related Art
Within the related art, numerous applications exist for devices consisting of vents with panels which prevent the entry of water. However, restrictions to the practical application of these devices is governed by the Uniformed Plumbing Code, which prohibits any such cap from restricting the egress of methane gas from the plumbing system.
Similarly, it is a well-known fact that a great deal of rainwater enters the sanitary sewer system during a rainfall. While a portion of this rainwater enters from improperly connected storm drain systems, some of it obviously enters via the vent system located on the roofs of homes, offices, and any structure with a sanitary sewer connection. This influx of water is then routed to the septic system or to the nearest sewage treatment plant where it must be processed along with legitimate waste water. Such large amounts of water that require treatment, especially during heavy downpours, greatly reduce the efficiency of the treatment plants and in some cases may cause the discharge of raw sewage into our lakes, rivers and streams. Over sizing of the treatment facility has been one method of dealing with this problem in the past, but this leads to inefficiencies in the plant design and causes the waste of taxpayer dollars. Additionally, in areas where developments are taking place, expansions or new treatment facilities must be added just so surges when it rains can be handled. Finally, some locations have resorted to enforcement of criminal sanctions through inspections, both physical and robotic, for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or deterring illegal dumping or other intrusion of otherwise clean rain runoff into treatments streams.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which rainwater and other undesirables can be kept from entering sanitary sewer systems by way of roof vent openings.
In the related art, the following patents disclose a vent and baffle unit to provide an air passage to an attic. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,007 issued in the name of Ward, U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,510 issued in the name of Ward, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,971 issued in the name of Ward.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,059 issued in the name of Sells describes a ventilating cap for a roof including a cover, a baffle, batts, or foam rubber blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,964 issued in the name of Rheault discloses a static ventilator with louvers, a triangular base, and a cap for preventing anything from falling into it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,513 issued in the name of Thomas et al. describes a roof structure with a ventilation device and a plurality of baffles for preventing the entry of rainwater.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,776 issued in the name of Sakamoto et al. discloses an exhaust air hood for reducing backflows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,879 issued in the name of Steele describes a vent for enclosures that prevents the entry of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,647 issued in the name of Garries et al. discloses a ventilator system including an exterior panel and an interior baffle to prevent water from draining into it.
While ventilating cap and static ventilator devices are incorporated into this invention in combination, other elements are different enough as to make the combination distinguished over this related art.
Consequently, a need has therefore been felt for an improved but less complex mechanism that keeps rainwater out of sanitary sewer systems thereby reducing the loading on water treatment facilities and reducing pollution.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved sewer system ventilation cap.
It is a feature of the present invention to prevent the entry of rainwater into sanitary sewer systems thereby reducing the loading on water treatment facilities.
It is another feature of the present invention to prevent undesirables such as small animals, birds, insects and the like from entering the system.
Briefly described according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a durable, rotating, water-diverting, small animal and insect entry-prohibiting sewer system ventilation cap is disclosed, comprising a hollow main chamber forming a 90xc2x0 angle having an anterior end, a posterior end, and an upper portion. The upper portion of the main chamber is designed such that it measures 45xc2x0. The 45xc2x0 angle design prevents the entry of water through the main chamber. A screen of wire mesh is disposed within the interior of the anterior end of the main chamber to prevent the penetration of physical debris or particulates into the sewer system ventilation cap.
The posterior end is designed so as to slidably receive a secondary chamber of a generally linearly elongated tubular configuration. The secondary chamber comprises a first end and a second end. The first end slidably engages the posterior end of the main chamber in such a way to allow the main chamber to rotate 360xc2x0 around the secondary chamber when confronted by wind or storms. The main chamber""s ability to rotate 360xc2x0 allows for the evacuation of sewer gases, allows proper ventilation and prevents the entry of rain water through the main chamber. The warmth of the sewer gas prevents the main chamber from freezing.
The lower end of the secondary chamber is connected to a plumbing vent of a conventional sewer system.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a ventilation cap having grill work with a cover over the grill work is envisioned. The cover is of a dome-like configuration having a diameter so as to effectively shield the plumbing vent from the entry of rainwater and simultaneously allowing the sewer gases to vent. The grill work is comprised of several grill members of a linearly elongated rectangular configuration having a front end and a back end. The front ends of the grill members are coupled to the underneath portion of the cover and are collectively aligned so as to form a circular configuration. The back ends of the grill members are attached to the plumbing vent of a conventional sewer system.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sewer system ventilation cap having baffles, drain holes, and an interior lip is envisioned. The baffles are of an elongated oval shape defining a hole therethrough and are located along the external circumferential surface of the sewer system ventilation cap. The baffles allow for the evacuation of sewer gases and allows the system to vent properly. The interior lip is located at the base and inside of the sewer system ventilation cap. Drain holes rest along the interior lip so as to allow the exit of any rainwater that has entered.
An advantage of the present invention is that it conserves natural resources and reduces pollution.
Another advantage of the present invention is the savings in time and manhours represented by the decreased water throughput required by a wastewater treatment systems that can be achieved if a significant number of structures incorporate the teachings of the present invention.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it postpones the expansion of existing sewer treatment facilities or prevents the construction of new sewer treatment facilities, in turn saving tax dollars.


Vertically adjustable sights, for example, those used in the field of archery, are known to be adjustable to account for many external factors, e.g. the distance to the target. Some current sights use cam members or other such mechanisms to adjust the sighting element, such as a sight pin, which can be inaccurate and/or hinder the ability to lock the sight pin at a select adjustment. Some current sights are also not adaptable to many different sizes of firearms, bows or other similar type of weapon or equipment.
One sight designed to overcome such problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,313, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes, and shares common inventorship and ownership with the present invention. The sight disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,313 utilizes a gearing system to adjust the sight pin, includes a locking mechanism to prevent the sight pin from undesired movement and is adaptable for number of different sized bows. However, the sight includes a number of moving pieces to translate the desired adjustment as indicated by the use of an adjustment mechanism, e.g. a dial, to the sight pin.
Having many moving parts in such a sight increases the cost to manufacture both from a materials and assembly perspective. Having many moving parts also increases: (1) the failure rate by having an increased number of parts that could have defects, (2) the wear on the moving parts and (3) the opportunity for external elements to affect a part of the mechanism, e.g. dirt or debris. For example, having a number of slots within which selected parts move presents multiple opportunities for dirt, debris, rain, snow or other elements to interfere with the operation thereof. Having many moving parts can also increase the weight of the sight and, thereby, the weight of the object to which the sight is attached, for example a bow, which can affect accuracy due to fatigue in holding the bow.
As such, there is a need for a selectively lockable, geared, adjustable sight that has a minimum number of moving parts.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in this summary and descriptions of the disclosed embodiment, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom.


The present disclosure relates generally to the battery systems for vehicles deriving at least a portion of their motive power from an electrical power source. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods used to pre-charge a bus capacitance in vehicles using parallel battery packs.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and vans, are widely used to facilitate the movement of people and goods in modern society. Vehicles may utilize a number of different energy sources (e.g., a hydrocarbon fuel, a battery system, a capacitance system, a compressed air system) to produce motive power. For example, certain vehicles may include a battery system and use electric power for part or all of their motive power.
In general, such vehicles may provide a number of advantages as compared to traditional, gas-powered vehicles that solely rely on internal combustion engines for motive power. For example, such vehicles may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to vehicles using only internal combustion engines to propel the vehicle.
To conserve stored energy, the battery systems used to provide motive power for vehicles may be disconnected from the vehicle's power systems when the vehicle is not in operation. Because of the large voltage difference and the bus capacitance between the battery systems and the disconnected power systems, immediately reconnecting a battery system to a disconnected power system on the vehicle may cause a large inrush of current into the bus capacitance, potentially damaging both the battery and the power system. Hence, pre-charging systems have been developed that are designed to limit the inrush current of a battery system until the bus capacitance is sufficiently charged. These pre-charging systems often include a pre-charge resistor that may be connected in series between the battery system and the bus capacitance until the bus capacitance is charged. The capacitance of the bus capacitance and the resistance of the pre-charge resistor effectively form an RC circuit, causing a delay in the pre-charge system in relation to the RC time constant of the RC circuit.


The present invention relates to cooling mechanisms and, more particularly, to an apparatus for containing and cooling an integrated circuit device.
It is well known that the performance of some electronic devices can be improved by cooling them to a low temperature, and even to a temperature below 0.degree. C. As a result, a variety of devices have been designed to cool integrated circuit devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,665 discloses an apparatus for cooling a high-density integrated circuit device. This apparatus includes a housing in which the circuit device is sealingly mounted in an internal chamber of the housing. The chamber is at least partially filled with a plurality of thermally conductive spheroids which are biased into thermally conductive contact with each other and with the integrated circuit device to maximize the heat exchange surface. This apparatus further includes an inlet and an outlet for passing a dielectric immersion coolant through the chamber in direct heat exchange relationship with the spheroids and with the high-density integrated circuit device. Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,926 which describes a device for enclosing, protecting and cooling semiconductor integrated circuit chips. The device includes a generally planar substrate with the chips positioned thereon. Signal connections are provided between at least some of the chips. A heat sink is positioned in contact with the chips and includes microchannels through which a cooling fluid flows for purposes of transferring heat generated by the chips to such fluid. Manifolds are provided to direct the fluid to and from the microchannels, and microcapillary slots may be formed on the heat sink surface adjacent the chips to receive liquid to generate attractive forces between the heat sink and chips to facilitate heat transfer. Circuitry is provided to distribute power through the device and to the chips. Yet another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,897 which discloses a thermoelectrically cooled integrated circuit package which includes an insulative module which defines a cavity. A thermoelectric cooler is positioned within the cavity, and an integrated circuit chip is connected to the thermoelectric cooler.
However, a problem which may be encountered with the aforementioned devices is the formation of frost on the surface thereof during low temperature operation, Such problem may result in water developing on the printed circuit board which may cause structural damage thereto or shorting of the electrical circuitry thereon. Also, the aforementioned devices may be relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.


Thrombocytosis is a condition in which there are an increased number of platelets in the peripheral blood. Thrombotic thrombocytosis, in which the increased platelet count results in intravascular clotting, is most commonly associated with chronic myeloproliferative diseases. Examples of myeloproliferative diseases include primary thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera and chronic myelogenous leukemia. Primary thrombocythemia, also known as essential thrombocythemia, idiopathic thrombocythemia, hemorrhagic thrombocythemia and megakaryocytic leukemia, may result in spontaneous hemorrhages, both external and into the tissues. Polycythemia vera involves both an increase in red cell mass and an increase in total blood volume. An increase in circulating platelets is also often associated with reactive processes. In reactive processes to splenectomy, surgery, inflammation, iron deficiency or hemorrhage, the platelets typically exceed one million per microliter. This level of thrombocytosis is accompanied by little tendency toward thrombosis unless there are additional risk factors such as preexisting arterial disease or prolonged immobility. In chronic myeloproliferative disease, circulating platelets often approach 5 million per microliter. In addition to hemorrhage, thrombosis is often observed in association with such a high number of platelets. It has been postulated that thrombosis is due to spontaneous platelet aggregation in the circulation of patients with chronic myeloproliferative disease. Left untreated, the thrombosis may lead to ischemic lesions of the toes, pulmonary embolism, apoplexy, and even death.
Current clinical practice in these neoplastic-thrombocytosis patients is to lower the platelet count when values exceed one million per microliter. The treatment of choice is presently concomitant platelet pheresis in association with marrow suppressive therapy using radioactive phosphorus or alkylating agents. The disadvantages to this concomitant therapeutic approach is that the former therapy requires hospitalization and technical assistance and the latter treatment is well recognized to enhance leukemogenic responses.
A more desirable pharmaceutical approach to this condition would be administration of a drug with a direct, specific effect on lowering the platelet population without any side effects. Currently, at least two drugs with the desired thrombocytopenic effect are being evaluated in the treatment of thrombocytosis associated with chronic myeloproliferative disease: hydroxyurea and anagrelide. In the case of hydroxyurea, granulocytopenia is an undesired side effect and there is also a theoretical concern that this drug may have leukemogenic potential. Anagrelide, 6,7-dichloro-1,5-dihydroimidazo-[2,1-b]quinazolin-2(3H)-one monohydrochloride, which is currently being given 4 times a day with maintenance doses of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/day, has been reasonably effective in lowering platelet counts beginning about 5 days after initiation of treatment. However, in addition to transient side effects of headache and nausea, higher doses of this drug may cause potent aggregation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,445, indicates that alpha interferon may be used to treat thrombocythemia, but that it also reduces the white blood cell count.


The present invention relates to a lock assembly, and more particularly to a mounting arrangement for a universal core assembly into multiple lock housings.
Numerous types of conventional lock assemblies are utilized for various applications. Homes and commercial establishments are protected predominantly by key-actuated pin tumbler locks. In a typical lock, a core assembly houses a rotational cylindrical plug having a longitudinally extending keyway. A driving member such as a cam is connected to the rear face of the plug. Rotation of the plug rotates the cam, which thereby rotates a driving member. The driving member actuates a bolt-throwing or latch-moving mechanism.
The interface between the plug and the case is called the shear line. A plurality of radially extending, parallel chambers is formed in the case and the plug. Spring-biased pins are disposed in each chamber. Under normal conditions, the drivers block the shear line, thereby preventing the plug from being rotated relative to the case. However, when a properly configured key is inserted into the keyway, the drivers and lower pins are moved so that the top of the lower pins and the bottom of the drivers meet at the shear line. The plug can then be rotated to cause rotation of the driving member and subsequent retraction or extension of the bolt or latch.
Locksmiths frequently must re-key or replace residential or commercial locks on short notice. To this end, interchangeable core assemblies are manufactured by various lock makers. Disadvantageously, the interchangeable core assemblies are relatively complicated. Typically, the interchangeable core assembly, even those from a single manufacture, is specific to a particular lock type and including mounting structure specific thereto. For example, a knob lock assembly, a lever lock assembly, and deadbolt lock assembly each utilize a core assembly and mounting arrangement particular to a knob, a lever, and a deadbolt, respectively. Such an arrangement complicates re-keying and replacement of residential and commercial locks.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an uncomplicated mounting arrangement for a core assembly that is readily mounted into multiple lock types.


Healthcare providers, such as doctors and nurses, frequently use handheld devices when providing healthcare. Many of these handheld devices include electrical devices that must be powered by electricity. One example of such a handheld device is an otoscope, which includes a light to illuminate a patient's ear canal during an examination.
Some handheld instruments include a power cable that can be plugged into a wall receptacle to deliver power to the handheld device. The power cable limits the use of the handheld instrument to locations near a wall receptacle. The power cable is also inconvenient because it can inhibit free movement of the handheld device.
Batteries are sometimes used in handheld devices to overcome the drawbacks of power cables. While batteries do allow the healthcare provider to freely move the device independent of a wall receptacle, batteries have their own limitations. Batteries must be periodically recharged or replaced. Batteries are also slow to recharge, and so the handheld device may be out of service for some time. In addition, batteries have a limited life, and can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of or recycled properly.


Automatic card shuffling machines were first introduced by casinos approximately ten years ago. Since then, the machines have, for all intents and purposes, replaced manual card shuffling. To date, most automatic shuffling machines have been adapted to shuffle one or more decks of standard playing cards for use in the game of blackjack. However, as the popularity of legalized gambling has increased, so too has the demand for new table games utilizing standard playing cards. As a result, automatic shuffling machines have been designed to now automatically “deal” hands of cards once the cards have been sufficiently rearranged.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,411 (“the '411 patent”) to Breeding and assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc., describes an automatic shuffling and dealing machine. The '411 patent describes an automatic method of interleaving cards as traditionally done in a manual fashion. Once interleaved, the entire stack of shuffled cards is positioned above a roller that removes and expels a predetermined number of cards from the bottom of the stack to a card shoe. Once the predetermined number of expelled cards are removed from the shoe by a dealer, a second set of cards is removed and expelled. This is repeated until the dealer has dealt each player his or her cards and has instructed (e.g., pressed a button on the shuffler) the shuffling machine to expel the remaining cards of the stack.
The '411 patent and related shufflers, having a dealing means, suffer from the same shortcomings—slowness, misdeals and failure. However, the machines currently marketed are still favored over manual card shuffling. On the other hand, since casino revenue is directly proportional to the number of plays of each wagering game on its floor, casinos desire and, in fact, demand that automatic card shufflers work quickly, reliably and efficiently.
Accordingly, the present invention utilizes a proprietary random card ejection technique, in combination with a novel card separation and delivery unit, to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings. The present invention uses random ejection technology to dispense individual cards from a card input unit to a card separation and delivery unit of the shuffler. A card stop arm and floating gate control the number of ejected cards that may, at any one time, travel to the card separation and delivery unit. The ejected cards are then separated by a feed roller system which propels the cards to a collection unit. Once a predetermined number of cards are propelled to the collection unit, additional cards are ejected from the card input unit. A shuffler processing unit in communication with internal sensors controls the operation of the shuffler.
An audio system is adapted to communicate internal shuffler problems and shuffler instructions to an operator. Preferably, the audio system is controlled by the shuffler processing unit in communication with a second local processing unit.


Generally, in language, a word is the smallest element with meaning. A written language is the representation of a language by means of a writing system. An alphanumeric writing system may use a set of symbols, letters, and/or numbers, to form a word. In a logographic writing system, a logogram, which is a single written character, is used to represent a complete grammatical word or morpheme. A morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. For example, some Chinese characters are logograms.
Text is the representation of written language. Printed text can be scanned, for example, using optical character recognition (OCR), to create an electronic image of the text. OCR is the electronic conversion of scanned images into machine-encoded text. The converted machine-encoded text may then be electronically searched and/or used in various machine processes, such as text mining, machine translation, etc. When running an OCR application on a scanned image, boundary information for the text is created. In character recognition, boundaries can be a real or imaginary rectangle which serves as the delimiter between consecutive letters, numbers, and/or symbols in alphanumeric words and between lines in character words (e.g., Chinese character words). The boundary information can include the rectangular coordinates for the lines that make up Chinese character words, and letters, numbers, and/or symbols in alphanumeric words.
Typically, when a scanned image is of poor quality or if the scanned image contains logographic characters (e.g., Chinese characters), the OCR application may make mistakes in detecting the boundaries, and applications and processes, which may rely on the boundary information, may generate incorrect results. For example, a Chinese character word or an alphanumeric word may be split into multiple parts, causing typographical and grammatical errors. Editors may spend a significant amount of time in trying to detect and correct the errors.


A user of a video camera may be moving, have unsteady hands or hold the camera at one or more different angles while shooting a video. As a result, a recorded video may include one or more frames of the same scene that are rotated at different angles with respect to a reference (e.g., horizontal or vertical). The rotated frames may make the recorded video difficult to view or edit.


Today, some software programs contain one million lines of code (LOC) or more. In order to ensure the reliability of these software programs, the software programs undergo testing before releasing the software programs to consumers. A first phase of testing is commonly referred to as verification testing. Verification testing attempts to find errors in the source code of the program. The identified errors may then be corrected before the software program undergoes another phase of testing, commonly referred to as run-time, or beta testing.
One approach for performing verification testing of software programs is based on dataflow analysis. In dataflow analysis, a property that is being tested is analyzed through each path of the program. The analysis determines a state for the property at each point in the program and maintains information regarding the state of the property. Upon traversing two paths of a branch statement, the analysis may determine that the property could be in multiple states at the end of the branch statement. These multiple states are combined and carried forward in the analysis. Later, when another branch statement occurs, the analysis traverses both paths of the branch statement using the combined multiple states. This method of analysis is extremely efficient. However, the results are not very accurate. Typically, the results indicate an error in the source code even when the source code does not have errors. A programmer is then responsible for reviewing the source code and for determining which reported errors are actual errors. Even though dataflow analysis provides inaccurate results, it is commonly performed on both small and large software programs.
Another approach for performing verification testing of software programs is commonly referred to as path-sensitive analysis. Briefly, path-sensitive analysis tracks a concrete state of the program (e.g., values of variables). Therefore, when a branch statement occurs in the program, path-sensitive analysis uses the concrete state to determine which paths of the branch statement are feasible. The feasible paths are then traversed. Whenever the analysis cannot determine which path of the branch statement to traverse based on the concrete state, the analysis duplicates the concrete state so that both paths may modify their copy of the concrete state as needed. This duplication of the concrete state at each branch statement greatly increases the search space and is commonly referred to as “search space explosion”. For example, if a program has one hundred (100) branches, the search space may grow exponentially by 2100. This exponential growth of the search space limits path-sensitive analysis to small software programs.
Until the present invention, full-scale reliable verification of a software program having a large code base was unattainable.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of secure software rental systems.
2. Background Art
The use of personal computers (PC) and communication modems (CM) has increased significantly in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. Using electronic mail capabilities, PC users communicate more frequently amongst themselves. Additionally, centralized computer systems have evolved allowing PC users to access large databases. Such databases include various information libraries: news, weather, sports, stock markets, entertainment, education, and so on. Access to such databases is commonly controlled so that users must subscribe to the centralized computer systems. In a typical session, the user connects to the centralized computer system using the PC, transfers information to the user's PC, and is further useable without being connected to the database of the centralized computer system. The centralized computer system enables a large number of users to concurrently access the database of the central computer system.
While centralized computer systems frequently provide access to information databases, such systems less frequently provide access to copyrighted application software. The primary reason for not providing copyrighted application software from databases of centralized computer systems is due to a lack of tamper-proof security methods and apparatuses for preventing unauthorized copying of copyrighted application software. Prior art systems do not provide a comprehensive method or apparatus for permitting the rental of copyrighted application software without having any possibility of the copyrighted application software being copied and used without being connected to the database.
A prior art system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,181 and 5,047,928 issued to John D. Wiedemer on Jan. 3, 1989 and Sep. 10, 1991, respectively, implements a computer software security and billing system that enciphers an application program using a numeric key. The computer of the user requires a hardware security device and a removable billing device. Both devices carry unique codes. The security device containing the billing device is coupled to the user's computer. A security program accesses the application software and writes billing information into the billing device. The billing module must be periodically replaced so the user can be charged for the software usage. Thus, the system of Wiedemer is directed to a security device including a billing device that is installed in a user's computer for enciphering/deciphering software and billing for usage of the software. This system disadvantageously requires special hardware for billing use of application software and does not use a dynamic password for preventing unauthorized use of application software.
Another prior art system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,806 issued to Fred Chernow, et al., on Mar. 12, 1991, is a system for distributing software by telephone. A central station accepts credit card information, transmits an acceptance code to a caller, and terminates the call. The central station first verifies the caller's credit card, and then calls back the caller. The transaction is continued after receiving the acceptance code. The central station transfers a control transfer program and initialization program to the caller. The caller (or purchaser) executes the initialization program so that the central station can control the caller's computer. The control transfer program then transfers a protection program for ensuring that a copying program is not resident in the memory of the caller's computer. A storing program is then transferred to the caller's computer for modifying the purchased program for storage on the caller's computer. The purchased program is then transferred to the caller's computer. During execution of the system for distributing software, the various transmitted programs are erased so that only a copy of the purchased software remains on the caller's computer. Thus, the system of Chernow, et at., is directed to a system of transmitting copy protected versions of software to a caller's computer for a limited amount of time similar to a demonstration. The system of Chernow et al., is similar to copy protection of software and does not use a dynamic password for preventing unauthorized use of application software.
A further prior art system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,712 issued to John R. Corbin on Aug. 11, 1992, implements a method and apparatus for licensing software on a computer network. Encrypted license information is stored in a license token, and is sorted in a database controlled by a license server. To access a program, the license server locates the correct license token for a software application and transmits the license token to a license library. The application has an attached application specific license access module that decodes the licensing token. The license information is verified by license library routines coupled to the software application. The license is then checked out and the license token is updated. The application specific license access module encodes the updated license token before returning it to the license server. Thus, only a single application can be breached by unauthorized cracking of an encrypted application. Thus, the system of Corbin is directed to providing network protection against unauthorized use of software in a computer network.
Thus, the prior art is not able to provide a dynamic secure software rental system.