The present invention relates to hair thickening and conditioning compositions, and in particular to aqueous gelatin solutions, the application of which to the hair results in a significant increase in hair shaft thickness. The present invention also relates to methods for preparing the gelatin compositions of the present invention, as well as to methods for increasing hair shaft thickness by topical application to the hair of the gelatin compositions of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,684 discloses that the ingestion of gelatin promotes an increase in the linear growth rate of hair. Scala et al., Nutr. Rep. Int., 13(6), 579-92 (1976) discloses that dietary supplementation with gelatin produces an increase in hair thickness. The ability to increase hair thickness by the topical application of gelatin is unreported.
Hair coated with gelatin is difficult to comb in the absence of a conditioning agent, but stable solutions of gelatin with a conditioning agent have been heretofore unknown. Lindo et al., "Hair Processing and Conditioning," Hum. Hair Sym. [Pap.], 1st, (Brown, Editor, MEDCOM Press, New York 1974 (Meeting Date 1973)) pages 135-44 reports the capability of hair to absorb topically applied hydrolyzed gelatin, but with little substantivity, so that little gelatin remains after thorough washing with room temperature water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,402 discloses a topical solution for improving the appearance of oily hair or skin, including the scalp, containing from about 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of gelatin and from 0.15 to 0.45% by weight of partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate in aqueous or hydroalcoholic solution. The level of film-forming polymer disclosed is insufficient to provide a readily combable product. By the manufacturing process disclosed, aqueous solutions cannot be formed with higher concentrations of the film-forming polymer without the gelatin precipitating from the solution.
Topical application of gelatin to hair would be possible if stable aqueous solutions containing higher concentrations of film-forming polymers could be prepared. The inability to comb hair to which gelatin solutions have been topically applied has prevented the recognition that topical gelatin application increases hair shaft thickness.
There remains a need for stable aqueous gelatin solutions containing higher levels of film-forming polymer to provide gelatin solutions for topical hair application that do not resist combing.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to high voltage on-chip circuitry for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory EEPROMs or flash memory. More particularly a low power, high-voltage ramp-up rate control circuit is described which utilizes a current reference, a current controlled oscillator, a charge pump, a feedback transistor, a reference transistor, and a ramp-up transistor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 contains a circuit schematic which shows the prior art implementation of a ramp-up rate control circuit. A functional block labeled charge pump+oscillator+current reference 110 is shown. The output of this block 110 is a charge pump current, Icp 170. In addition, the voltage on the output node 195 of this block 110 is HV. (High Voltage). A reference current, Iref, 120 is developed in a current source. This current flows into the drain of an N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, NMOS FET, M1130. The gate 175 of FET M1130 is connected to its drain. The source of FET M1 is connected to ground 185.
The ramp current Ir 190 flows into the drain 165 of NMOS FET M2140. The gate of FET M2140 is connected in common to the gate of FET M1175. The source of FET M2 is connected to ground 185. The drain 165 of FET M2 is connected to the gate of NMOS FET M3150. The drain 180 of FET M3150 receives the leaking current Ileak. The source of FET M3 is tied to ground 185.
In this prior art circuit in FIG. 1, the leak transistor M3150 will tend to discharge the charge pump output node HV 195. The leakage current Ileak 180 depends on the gate voltage V1165 of FET M3150. The ramp-up rate (dV/dt) is equal to Ir/C where C is the capacitance of the capacitor 160 and V is the voltage across capacitor C. In FIG. 1, the leakage path will consume the extra current Ileak. If this extra leakage path 180 can be eliminated, then the power consumption can also be reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,060 (Simko) “High Voltage Ramp Rate Control Systems” describes high voltage ramp rate control systems. These systems are useful for on-chip EEPROM high voltage power supplies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,733 (Buti et al.) “Ramp-Up Rate Control Circuit for Flash Memory Charge Pump” describes a ramp-up rate control circuit. This circuit controls the ramp-up rate of a charge pump having an output which provides an output voltage and an output current.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,133 (Honnigford et al.) “Ramp Control Circuit” discloses an apparatus for providing an EEPROM programming signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,121 (Morton et al.) “Charge Pump with Controlled Ramp Rate” discloses a charge pump with a controlled ramp rate. It is made up of a charge pump, a differentiator circuit and a trigger circuit.


Touch sensing and multitouch sensing are key technologies in the implementation of sophisticated modern human-machine interfaces. Touch sensing can involve sensing the proximity, contact, and/or position of an object such as, for example, a finger, stylus or other object. Multitouch sensing can involve similar sensing with respect to multiple simultaneous input objects. As such, multitouch gestures are now being implemented in almost every electronic device that has a touch interface. Typical touch sensing and multitouch sensing systems are based on measures of absolute or mutual capacitance. One example of multitouch sensing is multitouch imaging, which can involve capturing transcapacitive images relative to an input interface/sensor.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods of providing synchronized information such as narratives, translations or other show related messages to individual patrons of rides, shows and exhibits.
2. General Background and State of the Art
There are several circumstances that may interfere with a person""s ability to hear, and thereby interfere with a presentation of information to the listener. For example, persons with hearing loss may miss narratives, sound effects, music and other sound material related to the presentation, and messages in live performances, films, television and special events. Persons who do not speak the language or languages used in the presentation may miss narratives and other related messages that are presented. The language barrier prevents many people from different cultures and languages from understanding, participating or interacting with the information being presented. Background environmental noise may also affect a person""s ability to hear, and thereby diminish the effect of the presentation. Persons with severely impaired vision also miss visual portions of these presentations.
Captioning systems have been used in venues including museums, theaters and other auditoriums to provide foreign language translation or captioning for the hearing impaired. The most common of these systems includes xe2x80x9copen captioningxe2x80x9d whereby text is displayed on a projection surface or large adjacent display area where the entire audience can see the captioning. Another common method of captioning is xe2x80x9creflective captioningxe2x80x9d which uses a transparent but reflective panel to display the text from a rear projection while allowing the viewer to see the display or performance through the panel. Yet another method utilizes individual hard-wired displays located in the back of a seat in front of the viewer.
Multiple channel assistive listening systems have also been used in venues including theaters, churches and auditoriums to provide amplified narration and foreign language translation. These systems have the content broadcast by infrared, radio frequency or inductive loops to the devices carried by the patrons. In these cases, the content is continuously streamed with the content source being located in the facility; the receiver simply played back the audio as it was received. In those instances where more than one language is provided, the multiple transmission frequencies sometimes cause interference with each other (crosstalk). The available number of suitable frequencies also limits the number of channels. Radio frequency and inductive loop technologies can also cause interference with other electronic equipment within the venue. Personal audio devices have also been used in venues including museums to provide narration in multiple languages. These are typically manually activated systems where the patron is required to activate the system, either by pressing a button or manually entering a numeric code.
Each of these systems has its own limitations. For example, open captioning can be obtrusive and distracting to other patrons. These systems are generally not convenient to the user and are limited to one or a few languages.
Moving ride vehicles in a venue such as an amusement park present an additional set of problems in providing captioning due to such factors as variations in vehicle speed, and lack of communications wiring to moving vehicles.
Additionally, presentations often could be made more effective if they included a method to provide interactivity between the audience and the presenter(s).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a convenient system and method of presenting audio and/or visual information for the purposes of captioning, language translation, assistive listening, and descriptive audio to individual patrons of rides, meeting areas, pathways, shows and exhibits without using intrusive open captioning or hard wired individual display systems. The present invention preferably makes use of infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) signals to wirelessly trigger portable devices.
Wireless transmitters are installed at various locations including waypoints, signs, display areas, entrances, exits, and theater seating areas. The transmitters are configured to send short messages, or codes, corresponding to waypoint location, type of sign, show time, time of day, etc. The transmitters may be freestanding transmitters that repeatedly transmit stored messages, or the transmitters may send data from other equipment such as computers, show controllers, devices with processors or controllers, other transmitters, etc. The transmitters may cover a large area such as a theater, or be precisely directed to cover a small area.
Guests carry portable devices loaded with content information such as location descriptions, sign contents, show content, alternate language content, event times, etc. Content may be audio, graphical, or a combination of both.
When the device is within range of a transmitter sending codes, the device should be capable of receiving codes. Upon receiving a code, the device searches its memory for appropriate content, tests any logic constraints, and presents content to the user. Logic can be based on user preferences, time of day, time of event, locations of transmitters visited, time of visits, sequence of transmitters visited, intended device type, etc.
All portable devices have the common elements of receiver, processor, memory, and power source. Other elements of the devices vary depending on intended applications. A portable captioning unit may have a display. A display, as used herein, may be defined as a visual display for text or graphics, or for audio information. For example, a portable audio device has an audio amplifier with speaker or earpiece. A portable captioning unit may have a visual display. Other devices may have both audio capability as well as a visual display, and further may have user input capabilities. Portable devices may also have transmitters for communication with other portable devices, with system docking stations, with receivers in shows or attractions, etc. Portable devices may have IR receivers, RF receivers, or both. Portable devices similarly may have IR transmitters, RF transmitters, or both.
Content information may be loaded into the portable device memory at any time prior to its use. A bulk storage device may be attached to the portable device, the portable device memory contents may be received via a docking station data interface, or content may be streamed into portable device memory via its wireless receiver. Examples of bulk storage are flash memory cards, micro-drives, hard drives, CD-ROM disks, etc.
Content may be loaded into a portable device by connecting a cable, or plugging the device into a cradle or docking station having a connector. Examples of docking station data interfaces are Ethernet-based serial, RS-232 based serial, IRDA infrared serial, etc. It is possible to provide docking stations at numerous locations available to the portable device user. It is also possible to provide large, multi-unit docking stations that load many portable devices simultaneously. A docking station may connect to a freestanding storage device, or may be linked to one or many remote content sources via a communications network. The network could include a local area network (LAN), Internet connection, satellite link, etc. The content could also be streamed to a device using a wireless network. For example, streamed content could be loaded at a theater to send blocks of caption text to portable units shortly before sending text synchronizing commands; the content is buffered in portable device memory shortly before its presentation.
One such system could use high-speed RF transceivers to transfer content to portable devices, while using an IR system to precisely aim location synchronizing codes to the portable device. It is also possible for a portable device to automatically request content download; as a user travels to a new area with a portable device and receives location codes for which it has no content, the device may transmit a request for new content. Such a content delivery system may connect to a freestanding storage device, or may be linked to one or many remote content sources via a communications network. The network could include a local area network (LAN), Internet connection, satellite link, etc.
In one embodiment of the present invention, text captions are synchronized with a theater presentation. A portable device with a text display receives time codes from a theater transmitter. Caption text for the entire theater presentation is stored in the device. The device receives the transmitter signals, extracts the current show time, and displays the appropriate text in time with the show.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a personal audio device receives location codes from transmitters mounted along a travel route. Transmitters are located at significant locations along the travel route; transmission coverage at each location is restricted. As the user nears a location, the device receives the transmitter signals, searches its memory for matching audio content, and plays the audio.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, a device plays speech translated into the user""s language. The theater transmitter sends time codes during the theater presentation. The device memory contains show speech content recorded in the user""s language. The receiver in the device extracts the current show time, and plays the matching speech. The received time codes will synchronize show speech even if the user has entered the theater mid-show.
The system and method of the present invention is designed for use in a wide variety of locations. For example, the present invention is suitable for a theme park that contains a large number of different attractions covering a large area and receives a large number of visitors, including tourists who may not speak the native language or visitors with specials needs due to audio or visual impairment. The invention could also be used in theaters, museums, shopping malls, exhibit halls, convention centers, meeting areas, walkways or roadways, and a wide variety of other locations.


Such a transformer and such a lamp base are disclosed, for example, in the laid-open specification WO 00/59269. This specification describes a toroidal core transformer, whose windings are surrounded by a housing, and which is arranged in a chamber of the lamp base of a high-pressure discharge lamp.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to inductor type dynamoelectric motors and, more specifically, to a support and positioning structure for conductors of a stator assembly of such a motor.
2. Background Art
Dynamoelectric machines are commonly used as motors for converting electrical to mechanical energy. Inductor type dynamoelectric motors may be used as adjustable speed drives for high speed operation. A dynamoelectric machine may also be used for electrical generation by driving its rotor in reverse thereby producing energy in the armature windings. Inductor type dynamoelectric machines are generally characterized by a stator which includes both AC armature and DC exitation coils surrounding a coil-less rotor. In this configuration, there are no rotating field or armature coils, slip rings, brushes and associated connections which are common to machines having rotating windings. Since inductor type dynamoelectric machines contain fewer rotating parts, have a more rugged rotor construction and are particularly suitable for high speed application. One version of such an inductor type dynamoelectric machine, employs a circumferentially distributed arrangement of C-shaped armature elements surrounding a generally cylindrical field coil which in turn encloses a transverse pole magnetic rotor. U.S. Pat. Nos. 437,501 and 2,519,697 and 3,912,958 describe earlier machines of this type of design.
More recent versions of such inductor type machines are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,786,834 and 4,864,176. In these patents, a spool-like support structure supporting field windings and armature elements is disclosed. The spool-like structure is made of a nonmagnetic material and has a hollow, elongated central portion extending concentrically about a longitudinal axis. This central portion supports a field coil and defines an interior longitudinal passageway for accommodating the insertion of a coaxial rotor. End portions are located at each end of the central portion and extend radially outward therefrom. Each of the end portions is preferably provided with radially oriented grooves in its axially outermost surface. The grooves are configured to receive and orient legs of generally C-shaped armature coil elements arranged in a circumferentially distributed pattern about the periphery of the spool-like structure. The armature elements are thereby positioned in three orthogonal directions.
Other features, advantages and benefits of these dynamoelectric machines, including the stator support structures thereof, are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,786,834 and in 4,864,176. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this disclosure.
The C-shaped armature elements contain armature windings thereon which carry an AC current and generate a magnetic flux which drives the rotor when the machine is used as a motor. In this situation, the current must be supplied to each of the circumferentially oriented C-shaped armature element's windings. Typically, low power, dynamoelectric machines require less current through the armature windings thereby requiring lighter gauge windings. Accordingly, the conductors transmitting current to the windings may also be of a relatively light gauge. Because lighter gauge conductors are used in these low power, dynamoelectric machines, there have been few problems connecting the armature windings to the conductors, supporting the conductors, and connecting the conductors from the windings to a power supply wire outside of the dynamoelectric machine. For example, a light gauge power supply wire is typically fed through the housing of a low power dynamoelectric machine. The wire is then connected to a printed circuit board which contains a network of conductors therein which distributes the current therethrough and into the armature windings which are typically soldered to portions of the network. In this situation, the conductors are of relatively light gauge and are supported within the circuit board.
In high power high speed rotation dynamoelectric machines, the power to supplied to the armature windings is greater than in low power machines. These machines require high frequency currents. However, at high frequency, the effective AC resistance of conductors increases with increasing frequency. To reduce the increase of conductor resistance at high frequency, the armature conductors may be multiple isolated ribbon-like strands. Therefore, heavier gauge conductors are needed to supply the necessary current. However, these higher gauge conductors are often too heavy and bulky to be supported by a printed circuit board or similar type support structure. Also, the conductors are not easily connected to the armature windings.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system for supporting conductors which supply current to the armature windings of a high power, high speed dynamoelectric machine. It is also desireable to provide a system for connecting the conductors to the armature windings and to provide a system which does not significantly increase the size of a dynamoelectric machine.


Conventional speech recognition systems attempt to convert speech from a user into text that represents the words that were actually spoken by the user. Such speech recognition systems typically suffer from a number of problems and are relatively inaccurate. That is, conventional speech recognition systems are often unable to determine what was spoken or incorrectly determine what was spoken. In either case, such problems limit the usefulness of these speech recognition systems.


Several service providers, such as those providing multicast services, e.g., Video over Internet Protocol (VoIP), IP television (IPTV), etc., deliver multicast content from one or more head-end nodes (e.g., Points of Presence, or POPs) to one or more tail end nodes (e.g., several tail-end nodes per head-end node) over a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) tunnel. In one scenario, the head-end node receives the multicast traffic from a multicast network and transmits the multicast traffic onto the P2MP tunnel. Also, the tail-end node receives the tunneled traffic, and forwards the received traffic to another multicast network located at the tail-end node, for example, to reach end-user devices (client televisions, etc.). Notably, the P2MP tunnel, e.g., established using Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering (TE), offers a tunnel connection through the service provider's (and others') network, which, as those skilled in the art will understand, allows for various tunnel advantages to be achieved through the network, such as bandwidth reservation, etc.
One particular benefit of a tunnel is its ability to provide “Fast Reroute” (FRR) functionality to protect against intermediate node failure along a primary tunnel. That is, an FRR backup tunnel may be established to protect one or more nodes (or links) along the primary tunnel and, in the event the node (or link) fails, the point of local repair (PLR) quickly reroutes the primary tunnel traffic onto the backup tunnel to circumvent the failed element. However, because the FRR backup tunnel generally needs to intersect the primary tunnel (i.e., the backup tunnel generally starts and ends at the primary tunnel), failure protection is generally not available to a head-end node and a tail-end node of the tunnel.
For instance, for P2MP tunnels receiving multicast traffic, in the event that a head-end node of a primary P2MP tunnel fails, then a backup head-end node is configured to rerouted the multicast traffic onto a corresponding backup P2MP tunnel. This process may require cumbersome configuration (e.g., manual configuration) to determine the backup head-end node that may be suitable to assume the responsibility of the failed head-end node. Particularly, the backup P2MP tunnel has generally already been established (i.e., prior to failure) from the backup head-end node to each of one or more tail-end nodes originally receiving tunnel traffic from the failed head-end node. In addition, the primary and backup (and other possible backup) P2MP tunnels from the multicast network to the tail-end nodes inefficiently reserve resources (e.g., bandwidth) since the tunnels are computed separately, without consideration for shared resources (i.e., where the primary and backup tunnels utilize the same links/nodes).


As is well known to those skilled in the art, alcohols such as ethanol may corrode metal surfaces with which they come into contact. This is particularly true of crude or commercially available ethanols which undesirably contain acidic components commonly acetic acid. In the case of fermentation alcohols, acetic acid may be present in amount of 0.003 w %-0.005 w % of the alcohol; and this may be responsible for the fact that the alcohol causes serious corrosion problems.
It is an object of this invention to provide a novel process for decreasing the corrosion of alcohol compositions. Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.


The present invention generally pertains to systems and methods for accessing a hosted service over a network. More specifically, the present invention deals with methods for providing secure access to a hosted service via a client application.
The functionality of certain software applications can be extended through services offered through a network such as the Internet. Communication with the provider of services should be secure in order to protect the interests of both the host of the application and the service provider.
Retail management systems are a specific area where securing communication with a remote service provider is challenging. In order to achieve some degree of automation, retail businesses often implement a specialized software application. Many of these applications are point-of-sale solutions that enable at least partial automation of any of a number of processes such as customer tracking and inventory management. One example of such a software application is Microsoft Retail Management System (MRMS) provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Other examples of such software applications include back office systems, store room and shipping applications, MRMS Headquarters and warehouse management software.
It is common for retail management software applications to be installed on multiple computers (e.g., connected by a Local Access Network) that operate in conjunction with a central database. In some instances, extended functionality is available to the retail application in the form of remote services delivered by a service provider through the Internet. Such extended functionality may include, by way of example, payment card processing, integration with e-commerce web hosting or merchandising services. These and other services may be provided for free or based on a payment scheme involving, for example, subscription or per access based charges such as billing per transaction and metered billing (e.g. based on disk usage, quality/speed/level of service).
User access is an important area of consideration for many of the described and other remote service systems. For example, distributing appropriate access rights to different users in some customized manner (e.g., different employees or employee roles are assigned different access rights) is often a desirable capability.
Some hosted web services are only designed to support a single user login account per application account. This can be impractical in many environments, such as a retail sales environment wherein there is often a high turnover in staff and a need to provide access to multiple users (e.g. more than one person doing shipping of product sold on-line, different users on separate shifts, more than one person needed to update e-commerce website product listings). Furthermore, it is conceivable for a software application to provide its own user authentication system that eliminates the necessity of user authentication with a hosted service. It is desirable to provide “seamless” integration of an application and a hosted web service without requiring unnecessary log-in steps and password transactions. For example, it is undesirable to maintain and update separate employee user accounts for an on-line service.


In general, open-roof designs for individualized transportation have been utilized for many years as established by carriages and the first engine-driven vehicles. Open driving was and is part of the culture of automobile driving with continued interest for contemporary designs. In the case of convertibles, it is primarily folding roofs, which are constructed in such a manner as to be able to be retracted and stretched out again, with a structure of bars and an external skin which is correspondingly foldable. Such types of folding roofs have disadvantages, particularly for reason of restricted suitability during bad weather and winter and are, due to construction, adversely affected by unpleasant wind noises at high speeds.
For increased suitability during bad weather and winter, rigid convertible folding tops, so-called hard tops were designed to provide a detachable roof, with the same paintwork and finish as the body. However, early designs were extremely expensive and complex, lending to limited production offerings.
Because of tendencies within the culture of motor vehicles at the present time, convertibles are no longer purely used as leisure-time vehicles, such as a second or third household car. Instead, such vehicles serve as a primary vehicle, leading to significant design options for hard tops which can be retracted into the vehicle space behind the passenger compartment. The most common areas for storage include a space between the passenger compartment and the trunk or within the trunk itself, thereby restricting use of the trunk space while retracted. This design is commonly referred to as an internal storage design. Alternative designs have also included storage of the hard top above the vehicle trunk for purposes of simplifying the design and maintaining a pleasing appearance. Such designs are commonly referred to as an external storage design. However, such designs impede or prevent use of the vehicle trunk while the hard top is retracted and noticeably change the appearance of the vehicle profile. Therefore, a need exists for providing a retracting system that will allow external storage of the vehicle hard top that will not significantly affect the side profile of the vehicle and permit full use of the vehicle trunk space.
The present disclosure provides a solution to this and other problems known in the art, and offers other advantages over the prior art.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical-like product. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical-like product.
2. Description of Related Art
Contemporary quality control methods for pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical-like product involve the use of batch sampling techniques. The batch-sampling techniques test samples from batches of the product, such as through the use of wet chemistry, after the product has been made. Contemporary batch sampling techniques use frequent and sometimes random batch sampling for various characteristics of the final product, such as, for example, quality, concentration and homogeneity. However, these batch-sampling techniques suffer from drawbacks because of their inefficiency and inaccuracy.
Batch-sampling assumes that all of the product attributes in a particular batch are normally distributed and have the same or very similar characteristics as the sampled product from the batch. Where the chosen samples do not meet the required tolerances, an entire batch can be discarded or re-processed for additional sampling and testing. If the chosen unacceptable samples do not have the same characteristics as other acceptable product in the batch, then acceptable product may be discarded along with the rejected samples or at least need to undergo more costly testing. Batch-sampling can be particularly inaccurate where the error or flaw in the process is random, non-repeating or of a non-linear nature. Such flaws or errors in the manufacturing process may provide for only a fraction of the product of the batch being unacceptable but result in an entire batch being discarded or re-tested, as a result of the use of batch sampling.
Another significant drawback of batch-sampling techniques is where the chosen samples meet the required tolerances, but where a fraction of the batch is actually unacceptable and not representative of the tested sample. In such a situation, unacceptable product may be provided to the consumer because of the inherent flaw in the quality control method.
An additional drawback in batch-sampling techniques is that the testing is done at the end of the process and provides little, if any, information for corrective action to be taken with regard to the manufacturing process and its various steps. The batch-sampling technique can provide overall information for sampled product, but does not indicate at which point or which particular step in the process that a flaw is occurring, such as, for example, inadequate dosing or detrimental heating.
Another drawback of batch-sampling technique is that it is done off-line of the manufacturing process, which adds time to the overall manufacturing process, and can also be labor intensive. The cost in time and labor is increased where more stringent standards are applied to a particular product so the batch-sampling technique utilizes a higher portion of samples for testing.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and process for manufacturing pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical-like product that reduce or eliminate these manufacturing and quality control drawbacks of the contemporary devices and techniques.


The present invention relates to a conditioner, in particular for the production of conditioned foodstuffs or animal foods.
Conditioners are used individually as processors or in conjunction with pressing or expander plants in the preparation of animal foodstuffs or foodstuffs. These are generally mixers, in which a product for processing is processed over a certain period thermally or hydrothermally. This processing serves to render the products hygienic, and to improve the nutritional value and/or the product structure.
Such mixers are known for example from EP-B-231764 and EP-B-610789. In this example a dosing device is connected upstream of such a mixer and a compression mould or an expander is supplied from the mixer. The mixer is provided with a heating mantle and contains a rotating shaft, which is equipped with mixing and conveying elements.
Such units are either tailored to use in pressing or expander plants, or can be used stand-alone only, since the expense of adapting them is high.
According to EP-B-610789, for warming the product-guiding parts and units, an air cycle is provided with a ventilator, a connecting line, an air heater, a lower air connection arranged on the side of the product output channel with an air inlet channel, an air input channel with an upper air connection arranged on the side of the product supply channel, whereby the air is guided from the product output channel via the compression mould, the product supply channel, the feeder and mixer to the products input channel.
Solutions to energy recovery are also known in processors, in which for example the waste heat of an expander plant is utilized.


The present invention relates to poly[alkylene-4,4'-(ethylenedioxy)bis benzoate] copolymers as well as surgical devices formed therefrom. More particularly, this invention relates to flexible monofilament surgical sutures having unique handling and knot-tying characteristics.
Many natural and synthetic materials are presently used as surgical sutures. These materials may be used as single filament strands, i.e. monofilament sutures, or as multifilament strands in a braided, twisted or other multifilament construction. Natural materials such as silk, cotton, linen, and the like, do not lend themselves to the fabrication of monofilament sutures and are accordingly used mostly in one of the multifilament constructions.
Certain synthetic materials which are extruded in continuous lengths can be used in monofilament form. Common synthetic monofilament sutures include polypropylene, polyethylene and nylon 6. Such monofilament sutures are preferred by surgeons for many surgical applications due to their inherent smoothness and noncapillarity to body fluids.
Available synthetic monofilament sutures all suffer to a greater or lesser degree from one particular disadvantage, that is relative stiffness. Besides making the material more difficult to handle and use, suture stiffness or low compliance can adversely affect knot-tying ability and knot security. It is because of the inherent stiffness of available monofilament sutures that many suture materials are braided or have other multifilament constructions with better handling, flexibility and conformity.
Most monofilament sutures of the prior art are also characterized by a high degree of stiffness. This makes knot-tying difficult and reduces knot security. In addition, the low compliance and limited ductility prevent the suture from "giving" as a newly sutured wound swells, with the result that the suture may place the wound tissue under greater tension than is desirable, and may even cause some tearing, cutting or necrosis of the tissue.
The problems associated with the use of low compliance sutures in certain applications were recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,011, where it was proposed to fabricate a surgical suture composed of Spandex polyurethane. Such sutures, however, were too elastic and did not find general acceptance in the medical profession.
Recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,946 describes a monofilament suture with good flexibility and knot strength, which suture is composed of segmented polyetheresters which contain (1) a polymeric block of polyalkylene ethers and (2) a polymeric block of aromatic dicarboxylic acids or cycloaliphatic acids with short chain aliphatic or cycloaliphatic diols. Similar subject matter is disclosed in Belgian Pat. No. 880,486.
The ethylene glycol polyester of the subject diacid moiety, 4,4'-(ethylenedioxy)bis benzoic acid, has been known for some time, (C.A. Registry No. [24980-45-8] if prepared from the acid, [26373-72-8] if prepared from the dimethyl ester) and, in fact, its ethylene glycol/polytetramethylene oxide copolymers (C.A. Registry Nos. [9071-04-9] and [51884-53-8] have been prepared:
CA 76 11461Oy PA0 CA 80 83814u mentioned in index only PA0 CA 81 171028s PA0 CA 81 P12175g PA0 CA 83 P195002w manufacture of elastic fiber PA0 CA 84 P75556d polyester composite fibers with rubber-like elasticity) PA0 Knot strength--at least 20,000 psi PA0 Tensile strength--at least 30,000 psi PA0 Young's modulus--less than about 600,000 psi PA0 Elongation--from about 20% to 80% PA0 Knot strength--30,000 to 65,000 psi PA0 Tensile strength--45,000 to 100,000 psi (more preferably 60,000 to 100,000 psi) PA0 Young's modulus--75,000 to 600,000 psi (more preferably 75,000 to 250,000 psi) PA0 Elongation--from 20% to 55% PA0 a. burn dressings PA0 b. hernia patches PA0 c. medicated dressings PA0 d. fascial substitutes PA0 e. gauze, fabric, sheet, felt or sponge for liver hemostasis PA0 f. gauze bandages PA0 a. arterial graft or substitutes PA0 b. bandages for skin surfaces PA0 c. burn dressings (in combination with polymeric films) PA0 a. orthopedic pins, clamps, screws and plates PA0 b. clips PA0 c. staples PA0 d. hooks, buttons, and snaps PA0 e. bone substitutes (e.g., mandible prosthesis) PA0 f. needles PA0 g. intrauterine devices PA0 h. draining or testing tubes or capillaries PA0 i. surgical instruments PA0 j. vascular implants or supports PA0 k. vertebal discs PA0 l. Extracorporeal tubing for kidney and heart-lung machines PA0 m. artificial skin and others.
as well as copolymers based on polyethylene oxide. These polyesters have been described as possessing improved crimpability, dyeability, and moisture absorption properties.
The 1,4-butanediol polyester of the subject diacid moiety is disclosed in Chemical Abstracts [52826-06-9]. In a 1978 paper (C.A. 89 60077c) which relates to the transesterification of dimethyl esters of aromatic dicarboxy acids with .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy poly(oxyethylene)s and .alpha.,.omega.-alkanediols, a polytetramethylene oxide/1,4-butanediol copolymer based on the subject diacid moiety was made.
In spite of the fact that several polyethers could be incorporated chemically to toughen and lower the modulus of related polyesters, it is generally accepted that linear thermoplastics possessing a high initial modulus are more difficult to modify to increase compliance. Fibers of the (all hard) homopolymers of the subject invention were found to possess moduli in excess of 1.5 million psi, which renders it unsuitable for producing monofilament sutures.
Patents that relate to (2-alkenyl or alkyl)succinates are U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,737 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,279. None of these patents discloses the present copolymers or modifications thereof.
Theory and experience in the art of fiber chemistry predict that branching (such as that present in the instant copolymers) may inhibit fiber formation and will exert a deleterious effect on the tensile properties of any resulting fibers due to the inability of the unoriented branch to contribute to the load bearing capacity of the fiber; and by the stearic interference posed by the branch to chain alignment during fiber orientation. It is therefore surprising that strong fibers, in particular strong, flexible compliant fibers may be formed from the present copolymers with pendant hydrocarbon chains. As will be seen from Table 1, Example (i), homopolymers prepared from the 1,4-butanediol polyester of the subject diacid moiety, have a modulus of 1,678,000 psi. It is surprising that the modulus of certain of the copolymers of the present invention is reduced to only 64,000 psi.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel copolymer of poly(alkylene-4,4'-(ethylenedioxy)bis benzoate) as well as surgical devices formed therefrom. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel flexible, thermoplastic monofilament suture or ligature of said copolymer, having a diameter of from about 0.1 to 50 mil and possessing unique and desirable physical properties. Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a Cobalt 60 sterilizable monofilament with lower modulus, better hand and more desirable tie-down characteristics than those of monofilaments of polypropylene. It is a further object of this invention to provide a monofilament suture with a desirable degree of ductility to accommodate changing wound conditions. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a monofilament suture with the flexibility and knot-tying characteristics of a braided suture. These and other objects will be made apparent from the ensuing description and claims.


Within the realm of social networking, the number of friends/followers/recipients is an indication of the relative level of success a user will have at sharing information. Famous individuals, corporate entities and other well established user accounts on social networking websites are constantly identified and have the potential to reach millions of friends/followers/recipients (for simplicity purposes the friends/followers/recipients will be referred to as data recipients or ‘recipients’). However, when the number of recipients reaches into the thousands, the social networking paradigm begins to break down.
It may be said that small and obscure groups of people who are passionately interested in a specific subject may be more likely to focus on finite tasks and accomplish their goals. Online social networking tools should be capable of fostering these sorts of clusters. But, when the conversation grows too large the focuses are often expanded and the recipients may lose interest quickly. Not only do audiences of recipients feel estranged, the participants also start self-censoring. People who suddenly find themselves with really large audiences often start writing more cautiously and behaving like politicians or corporate drones.
In one example, if someone or one user account has obtained 1.5 million recipients on a data messaging application, clearly they are among the rare and famous online individuals. Their response and data messages may include anything as they have already reached instant fame. In another example, if you have a hundred followers, you may be considered to just be merely chatting with pals. The middle ground—when someone amasses, roughly several thousand recipients, the social aspect of social media begins to fall apart by trying to keep their interests perked.
FIG. 1 illustrates a graph depicting a number of data posts on a social networking user account in relation to a number of followers or data recipients of that particular user account. Referring to FIG. 1, it can be noted that the number of posts leveled-out after a user obtained 400 followers. According to the graph, it can therefore be theorized that once a user has more than 400 followers. The user account or sender did not increase the number of posts, but the number of posts remained around the 800 level.
The intimacy of the social network begins to change when the number of recipients grows into the thousands. For example, unlike when there are a limited number of followers, the user or sender begins to believe the recipients are satisfied with the content of the posts being sent. As the number of recipients grows, the user is hesitant to share the same intimate subject matter, but becomes naturally more political and concerned that the recipients may not be interested in the narrow scope of certain posts. As a result, the timeliness in receiving a response from a user's posts (feedback) may begin to diminish or disappear completely.
A British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, theorized that the maximum size of a social group in which everyone involved could maintain a mental record of all of the interpersonal relationships was 150. This is considered “Dunbar's number.” These are relationships in which an individual knows each person and how each person relates to every other person. Numbers larger than 150 generally require more restrictive rules, laws, and enforced norms to maintain a stable and cohesive group.
Dunbar's number is possibly one reason why users are more careful in posting messages to a large number of followers. Managing a large number of recipients is not easy, but the success and influence is directly proportional to the activeness of the recipients. Recognizing the behavior of the recipients may also provide insight into how to maintain their satisfaction with the content of the posts. Some of the factors that will determine the influential power of the posts and messaging may include the activeness of the recipients (feedback), the forwarding activity of the messages (sharing), the currency with which the recipients respond, etc.
Managing a large and possibly increasing number of recipients may require certain modifications to the messaging application used to share information (e.g., social networking website, blog, group messaging, etc.). For example, with short messaging service (SMS) applications, the notion of groups includes followers or recipients who are tagged into different groups. The leader is then enabled to send data messages to one of the groups without the need of sending individual messages to each person, or sending a single message to all of the followers. Groups are viewed as a way to organize many people within a single group and to obtain more followers for each group. When a group is organized, all members of the group automatically follow the data messages posted for that group, and the leader may automatically follow the individuals as well. A leader may obtain more followers by joining a group. When a group is created, it is unique and no one can replicate that specific group. Therefore, the “administrator” of that group may be viewed as the expert. Anyone who joins that group will follow the leader or administrator of the group.
Groups provide a social networking option for those leaders with a relatively small number of followers. The group situation becomes increasingly difficult to manage with a leader that already has a large number of recipients or is observing a significant increase in the number of recipients. Another concern is that the leader will not be able to divide all of the users into the correct group(s). The group strategy may be best utilized for leaders that do not have a large number of recipients.
Multiple user accounts is another strategy to allow the leader to obtain a number of updates from a subset of recipients who are controlled by the leader. There are existing applications that allow leaders to maintain multiple messaging accounts and centrally manage those accounts. For example, when the leader is replying to the recipients, there is a function (e.g., a button on the “compose” message screen) that permits the leader to switch the “sender” or leader's account. The leader can setup a “follow”-only account, and when replying to something from that account, a simple sending option may permit the reply to be sent form the leader's “real” account. None of these examples provide the success desired by the social networking leaders and recipients. Many leaders are not satisfied with having multiple user accounts or managing each individual recipient among many others. The efficiency and productivity of managing a social network requires additional measures to be enacted.


The present invention pertains to a professional-type chair such as used by dentists, ophthalmologists, and other types of medical or quasi-medical professions in which adjustable operatory chairs are useful. Also, details and features of mechanisms found in such types of chairs are frequently employed in chairs used in barbering and beauty culture. One of the most common features now found in this type of chair comprises an upholstered seat to the rear edge of which a back rest is pivotally connected, and power means are employed to operate the back rest between substantially upright and rearwardly extending horizontal positions. Appropriate control means are employed to effect operation of one or more electric motors which effect movements of the back rest relative to the seat. In addition, many types of chairs of this type include a leg rest and/or a foot rest, the leg rest being pivotally connected to the seat adjacent the forward edge thereof and movement of the leg rest frequently occurs simultaneously with pivotal movement of the back rest relative to the seat.
Effecting control of the back rest and/or leg rest relative to the seat is accomplished in certain modern types of chairs of the type referred to above by means of rather sophisticated electrical circuitry, batteries of push buttons by which various switches are operated to start and stop the movements of the back and/or leg rests relative to the seat, as well as raising and lowering the seat with respect to a supporting base. Examples of such control in chairs of this type are found in various patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,740 to Vaughn et al, dated Dec. 12, 1967, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,379 to Taylor, dated May 11, 1971. Notwithstanding such sophisticated control systems, especially for moving the back and leg rests relative to a seat, as disclosed in said patents, it now has been found that in adjustable operatory chairs of the type referred to above, it is desirable to provide adjustable, programmable control means by which, for example, any adjustable setting may be effected quickly and manually by the operator of the chair to dispose the back rest and/or leg rest at a desired position intermediately between the limits of movement thereof, such as between substantially vertical position and horizontally extending position, with respect to both the back rest and/or leg rest.


Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. In the United States, cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths. The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers patients diagnosed in 1996-2003 is 66%, up from 50% in 1975-1977 (Cancer Facts & Figures American Cancer Society: Atlanta, Ga. (2008)). This improvement in survival reflects progress in diagnosing at an earlier stage and improvements in treatment. Discovering highly effective anticancer agents with low toxicity is a primary goal of cancer research.
Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed noncutaneous cancers among men in the US and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths with over 180,000 new cases and almost 29,000 deaths expected this year. Patients with advanced prostate cancer undergo androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), typically either by luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists or by bilateral orchiectomy. Androgen deprivation therapy not only reduces testosterone, but estrogen levels are also lower since estrogen is derived from the aromatization of testosterone, which levels are depleted by ADT. Androgen deprivation therapy-induced estrogen deficiency causes significant side effects which include hot flushes, gynecomastia and mastalgia, bone loss, decreases in bone quality and strength, osteoporosis and life-threatening fractures, adverse lipid changes and higher cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction, and depression and other mood changes.
Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, accounting for about 75% of skin cancer deaths. The incidence of melanoma is rising steadily in Western populations. The number of cases has doubled in the past 20 years. Around 160,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year, and it is more frequent in males and Caucasians. According to a WHO Report, about 48,000 melanoma-related deaths occur worldwide per year.
Currently there is no effective way to treat metastatic melanoma. It is highly resistant to current chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Metastatic melanoma has a very poor prognosis, with a median survival rate of 6 months and a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. In the past 30 years, dacarbazine (DTIC) is the only FDA-approved drug for metastatic melanoma. However, it provides only less than 5% of complete remission in patients. In recent years, great efforts have been attempted in fighting metastatic melanoma. Neither combinations of DTIC with other chemotherapy drugs (e.g., cisplatin, vinblastine, and carmustine) nor adding interferon-α2b to DTIC have shown a survival advantage over DTIC treatment alone. Most recently, clinical trials with antibodies and vaccines to treat metastatic melanoma also failed to demonstrate satisfactory efficacy. Ipilimumab (Yervoy) is such a drug that uses your immune system to fight melanoma. Ipilimumab is used to treat advanced melanoma that has spread beyond its original location. Targeted therapy uses medications designed to target specific vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) is a targeted therapy approved to treat advanced melanoma that cannot be treated with surgery or melanoma that has spread through the body. Vemurafenib only treats melanoma that has a certain genetic mutation.
Tubulin/microtubule-interacting drugs are used successfully for treatment of a wide variety of human cancers. They are commonly classified into two major categories: microtubule-stabilizing (e.g., taxanes, epothilones) and microtubule-destabilizing drugs (e.g., vinca alkaloids, colchicine). Three major binding sites on α,β-tubulin subunits have been identified as taxane-, vinca alkaloid- and colchicine-binding sites. While antimitotic agents interacting with the taxane- or vinca alkaloid-binding sites in tubulin are tremendously successful in clinical oncology, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved colchicine-binding site drugs currently available for cancer treatment. Most of the colchicine-binding agents have high potency, relatively simple chemical structures for optimization, selective toxicity towards tumor vasculature, and show promising ability to overcome P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump mediated multidrug resistance.
Several outstanding agents for such an approach are listed in FIG. 1. Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) is the most active member of the combretastatins family, isolated from the African tree Combretum caffrum. CA-4 exhibits strong antitubulin activity by binding to the colchicine-site and has been the subject of Phase II and Phase III clinical studies. The replacement of the olefinic bridge of CA-4 with a carbonyl group yields phenstatin, which has similar potency and mechanisms of action with CA-4. BPR0L075 and Oxi-6196 are 2-aroylindole and dihydronaphthalene analogues of CA-4, which show strong inhibition on tubulin polymerization. Methylated chalcone SD400, which has an IC50 value of 0.21 nM against K562 human leukemia cells, is a potent tubulin inhibitor. Podophyllotoxin is a non-alkaloid toxin lignin, and it also possesses an anticancer property that can be attributed to the inhibition of tubulin polymerization through binding to the colchicine binding site. Accordingly, the colchicine-binding site compounds have attracted great interest from medicinal chemists in recent years.


The invention is based on a method for operating an electric power tool and an electric power tool according to the preambles to the independent claims.
In known electric power tools, a torque limitation is implemented in a known fashion in that either a mechanical overload clutch on the driven shaft of the transmission periodically interrupts the frictional engagement when a predetermined load moment is reached or the power consumption of the electric motor, which is proportional to the torque, is regulated to a constant value.
As a rule, the value of the desired load moment is preset and is not changed during operation. Usually, the user of the electric power tool makes changes when the motor is switched off. Through the actuation of a pushbutton of the electric power tool by the pressure of the user's finger, the speed of the motor is either changed by means of a pulse width modulation or is preset proportional to the pushbutton position by means of a regulator. When the load moment preset by means of the torque limitation is reached, the moment output by the motor is kept constant either by the mechanical clutch periodically interrupting the frictional engagement or by the motor current being regulated to a constant value.
In the case of the mechanical overload clutch, the motor continues to rotate at an undiminished speed; with the periodic engagement and renewed releasing of the overload clutch, a high torque peak is temporarily exerted on the work piece. In screwdrivers, this leads to the screw being turned a certain amount furthers e.g. with an impulse screwdriver, and can potentially lead to a stripping of the screw. The reaction of the overload clutch is also connected with a significant generation of noise that is often found to be unpleasant.
If the torque is electronically limited through regulation of the motor current, then after the preset load moment has been reached, the motor is supplied with current until the user releases the pushbutton. This also applies to the mechanical torque limitation.


This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for controlling energizing interval of an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine, and more particularly, the present invention relates to such a method and apparatus for increasing the energizing interval during acceleration of the engine which is equipped with an electronic control device.
Generally speaking, conventional electronic control systems for internal combustion engines comprise various sensors, such as a rotational angle sensor, a reference position sensor, coolant temperature sensor, suction vacuum sensor, ambient air pressure sensor, acceleration sensor and the like, which detect the operating condition of the engine; a control unit for obtaining various amounts to be controlled, such as ignition timing, energizing interval of the ignition coil, fuel injecting interval, the amount of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and the like by using, for instance, a microcomputer, in accordance with the information from the sensors; and various actuators, such as an ignition device, an EGR control valve, a fuel injection device and the like, which control the operating condition of the engine in accordance with the control amounts from the control unit.
In the above-mentioned conventional electronic control system, the energizing interval of the ignition coil is determined by detecting the rotational speed of the engine crankshaft. Namely, the energizing interval decreases as the engine rpm increases. However, when the engine is accelerated, the actual energizing interval is apt to be shorter than a desired interval, as will be described hereinlater, in the conventional devices. Because of the shorter energizing interval, the ignition coil cannot produce a sufficient voltage for properly igniting the air/fuel mixture in the cylinders of the engine. Although it is theoretically possible to set a basic value of the energizing interval longer in advance so that the energizing interval during acceleration is sufficient, such a longer energizing interval may cause the final stage transistor and the ignition coil, both included in the ignition device, to generate undesirable heat, resulting in deterioration of these elements because an electric current flows through the transistor and the ignition coil for an interval longer than required during normal or steady operating condition of the engine.


Due to recent high interest of the 4th generation mobile communication system at home and abroad, developments of systems that satisfy the requirements thereof are being actively progressed. In particular, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been attracted by one of systems that are adapted to use in the 4th mobile communication system because of high transmission efficiency and simple channel equalization.
As typical multiple access schemes based on OFDM, there are OFDM-Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM-FDMA), OFDM-Code Division Multiple Access (OFDM-CDMA) and OFDM-Time Division Multiple Access (OFDM-TDMA). Among them, the OFDM-FDMA scheme allocates a different subchannel every user; and therefore, no Multiple Access Interference (MAI) is issued in intra cell and the number of subchannels and modulation level can be effectively changed depending on a transmission rate required by each user and channel circumstance. Thus; this scheme is advantageous to adaptive loading. In addition, since the OFDM-FDMA scheme is suitable for use of a great number of subcarriers, it can be applied to wireless communication systems with cells of wide area having relatively large time delay spread. And also, the OFDM-FDMA has drawn attention as a multiple access scheme for the 4th mobile communication system because it is suited to systems that support high vehicular speed.
Meanwhile, duplex schemes are largely classified into Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).
The FDD scheme allows an uplink and a downlink to use different frequency bands wherein an interval between the frequency bands is enough as large as interference therebetween is negligible. This FDD scheme is mainly employed in macro cells that must provide relatively high time delay spread and high vehicular speed.
The TDD scheme shares a same frequency band for an uplink and a downlink, which is distinguished by setting a different time. This scheme can support services with asymmetric data transmission rate by modifying the number of slots of uplink and downlink and doesn't need to do a separate channel estimation of uplink and downlink by reciprocity characteristic of channel. However, such a scheme needs a guard time owing to round trip time and is mainly utilized in cells such as micro cells or hot-spot due to power problem.
The 4th mobile communication system is required to support high transmission rate and secure a variety of service qualities by using limited wireless resources. For this, there has been a need for developments of cell planning and resource allocation algorithms to increase cell capacity and efficiently allocate wireless resources to users.
On the other hand, new services are needed for mobility guarantee and high speed transmission under wireless environments. According to this need, technical development and standardization works for portable internet service of 2.3 GHz band and Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) service are being progressed in the country.
As mentioned above, the OFDM scheme is one of the most spotlighted techniques due to the high transmission efficiency and simple channel equalization.
Meanwhile, the most important property, which decides the performance of an OFDM multiple access-based system in cellular environments where mobility is considered, is Frequency Reuse Factor (FRF). This FRF implies the number of frequency sets used per cluster of mobile phone cells. In mobile phone business, it is important to accommodate the maximum subscribers with limited allocation frequencies, which is indirectly meant by FRF. As property of wireless scheme itself, an increase of FRF is possible by dividing service area into cells, micro-cells, pico-cells, etc. and again subdividing antenna sectors within a same cell, and with technique such as smart antenna, except for its own improvement.
If FRF is set as “1,” it may be most ideal in view of throughput of base station because it uses all wireless resources; but there May be serious performance degradation due to inter-cell interference caused by FRF “1.”
To implement FRF “1” while solving the performance degradation problem by the inter-cell interference, there is developed a flash-OFDM system by the Flarion company. This flash-OFDM system employs a scheme that maximally prevents the performance degradation by the inter-cell interference with Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) channel code by using a frequency hopping scheme that changes subcarriers of OFDM with a constant pattern. In addition, there is a scheme that randomly punches subcarriers to decrease collision of themselves and their adjacent cells and so as to implement FRF “1.”
In the systems that maintain FRF as “1”, however, the performance degradation still exists at the boundary of cells where channel condition is poor due to the inter-cell interference by increase of traffic load. Accordingly, as method for securing the performance of user terminals in an area where channel condition is poor such as the boundary of cells, together with improvement of frequency efficiency, there is a frequency reuse partitioning scheme.
The frequency reuse partitioning scheme is one of effective methods capable of elevating the frequency efficiency.
FIG. 1 is a view of describing a general frequency reuse partitioning scheme.
Basic idea of the frequency reuse partitioning scheme is that cells 111 to 117 are divided into an inner cell 101 and an outer cell 102 based on the length between a base station and a user terminal or an intensity of pilot signal sent from the base station to the user terminal, and then different FRFs are applied to the inner cell 101 and the outer cell 102.
As may be seen from FIG. 1, if the user terminal exists in the outer cell 102 area, subchannels with FRF “7” are allocated to cells 111, 112, 113, 116; and if the user terminal is within the inner cell 101 area, subchannels with FRF “1” are assigned to cells 114, 115, 117.
As mentioned above, the reason the channels with different FRFs are allocated to the inner cell 101 and the outer cell 102 is because it may be an importance factor that restricts cell radius of cellular system for the following: in case of terminals near to a base station, channel state is good since power loss by path loss is less than that of terminals far from the base station, while, in case of terminals around the boundary of cells, performance degradation is occurred and data transmission rate is constrained due to serious affection by power loss by path loss and inter-cell interference.
Therefore, in use of the frequency reuse partitioning scheme, channels with low FRF are assigned to the user terminals 114, 115, 117 in the inner cell 101 area to secure a proper level of service quality since their channel state is generally good, thereby enlarging the capacity of cell. Meanwhile, channels with high FRF are allocated to the user terminals 111, 112, 113, 116 in the outer cell 102 area because their channel state is relatively poor so that a radius of cell can be expanded and thus the same level of service quality and data transfer rate as that of the terminals in the inner cell can be secured, in case of the user terminals located at the boundary of cells.
In addition, wireless resource allocation methods have been recently studied to effectively employ limited frequency resources while alleviating inter-cell interference.
If it is assumed that channel is stationary and channel response of user is accurately perceived by transmission end, it is known that a combined scheme of water filtering and adaptive modulation technique is optimal one. This water filtering technique has been mainly developed only in single-user systems or multi-user systems that support constant resource allocation: for example, a system using TDMA or FDMA allocates slots or frequency channels for a given time for each user and then applies an adaptive modulation technique for channels of each user.
In the multi-user OFDM scheme that adopts the adaptive modulation technique based on the constant resource allocation as described above, however, there is a drawback in that it cannot know optimal resource allocation that can be provided by actual system. The reason is because there are many unused channels when water filling algorithm is applied due to presence of subchannels that suffers from deep fading or subchannels to which high power cannot be given in view of frequency selective channel characteristic.
However, there may be an instance where channel appeared as deep fading to one user may not be appeared as deep fading to another user. Generally, if the number of users is increased, a probability that each of subchannels constituting OFDM is appeared as deep fading channel to all users is gradually decreased. In other words, a multi-user diversity gain can be acquired by bearing independent channel as the number of users is increased.
Consequently, there has been required a study of an improved scheme capable of enabling an optimal resource allocation by dynamically allocating relatively good channel to each user based on channel information of all users and then applying an adaptive modulation scheme using those channels.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to connectors which can be mated and unmated in very harsh environments, such as underwater, and is particularly concerned with a robotically mateable, rotary joint electrical connector usable in such environments.
2. Related Art
There are many known electrical rotary joint connectors which function in dry environments, but not many that are suitable for harsh or underwater environments. Harsh environment rotary joint connectors are currently in use only for limited applications, such as down-hole drill strings, but they are not intended for general use, or for mating while completely submerged in a hostile environment.
Modern underwater systems, particularly sea floor systems, are generally of modular architecture with individual modules added and removed in-situ, and these modules are typically electrically interconnected by various jumper cables which have underwater mateable and demateable connectors on one or both ends. The connectors consist of two mating halves or units, specifically a plug unit and a receptacle unit. When these connector units are brought together in the mating process, the following relative alignment aspects must be controlled: axial offset (along the mating axis), axial tilt (of the mating axes), and rotation about the mating axis. The last of these, which requires rotational keying, is the most difficult to control.
All jumper cables have some resistance to torque, so that if one end is fixed, or substantially fixed due to great length, it is often very difficult to rotationally orient the free end into mating position, particularly if using the robotic manipulator of robot or robotic vehicle, such as an underwater vehicle or remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The problem is increased for very short jumper cables which cannot support much twist. Even in conditions where there is little cable torque, the problem of finding the mating key/key slot position increases the difficulty of connecting the jumpers. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a system where no keying of the mating connector portions or units is required, and which avoids the problem of twisting of the jumper cable when the connector on the cable's free end is rotated, as happens due to underwater vehicle maneuvering.
Most current underwater connectors designed for mating while completely submerged need to have the plug and receptacle parts keyed into rotational alignment for mating. Many of the connectors used for the oil and gas industry's subsea operations are connected and disconnected remotely, either by being mounted to large, opposed plates (stab plates) that come together during the mating process to join arrays of connectors, hydraulic couplers, and the like, or by robotic manipulators such as manipulators of remotely operated vehicles (ROV's). Mating remotely is made more difficult and expensive by the requirement to control the rotational alignment of the individual components to be mated.
In the early 1980's two-contact fluid-filled electrical connectors that required no rotational alignment were made commercially available. One example of such a connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,603 of Cairns. These connectors did solve the rotational alignment problem, but one problem with such connectors was that two contacts were not enough to satisfy the needs of most operations. Another problem was that the receptacle's circular end-opening, which had to be pinched tightly closed before and after mating, had to be stretched several hundred percent to receive the plug's pin. If mated for a long time, particularly at low ocean temperatures, the opening did not close upon de-mating, and the connector subsequently failed.
In the late 1980's, multiple pin, fluid-filled connectors were once again introduced. They have all the required barriers, are robust, and exceptionally reliable. One such connector is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,377 of Cairns. These connectors are manufactured by Teledyne ODI. They replaced the two-contact, single pin fluid-filled connectors described above as the high-reliability standard for the offshore industry. These connectors still have the rotational alignment problem, however, which somewhat limits their use, and requires special keying provisions for rotational alignment.
In the early 1990's a keyless, coaxial, oil-filled, wet-mateable connector was introduced that required no rotational alignment. This connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,158 of Cairns (hereinafter '158 patent). It consisted of multiple ring-like contacts spaced along a constant diameter portion of the plug pin. The receptacle had corresponding ring-like contacts spaced along a rubber bore to receive the plug contacts. The overall layout of the contacts was very similar to the first type of connector described above. The main differences were that the connector of the '158 patent housed the receptacle contacts in a pressure-balanced, fluid-filled chamber; and, when mated, the individual pin/socket pairs were separated from each other by a single rubber seal. Unlike the coaxial connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,603 (hereinafter '603 patent), the anterior sealed opening through which the plug's probe passed when entering the receptacle's chamber was occupied by a spring loaded piston before and after mating. That removed the necessity of the sealed opening to be pinched closed to a zero diameter as in the '603 patent.
The connector shown in the '158 patent was reasonably successful technically and quickly gained a dedicated customer base, but it was discontinued after being on the market for just a couple of years. It proved to be too expensive and difficult to manufacture. It also still had the problem of cross-connection during mating and de-mating as the plug's contacts wiped across receptacle contacts which were not their intended counterparts.
Underwater and other harsh environment connectors today typically require rotational alignment or keying for connection in a harsh environment, which makes robotic mating and demating difficult to accomplish, and also often results in torque or twisting of the flying lead jumper cables.


Conventional simulation methods to solve structural dynamics problems are in the domain of finite element technology where the problem is solved in the modal domain and then the results are mapped into the time domain by appropriate transformations.
Limitations of the prior art have been in the difficulty in deriving new three-dimensional elements for different applications of interest and the lack of ease in obtaining the temporal solution directly from the solution of governing elastodynamic pdes.
The need to know the state of a structural system during its operation in terms of the physical output variables such as stresses and the geometric configuration of the system itself is essential for monitoring the system health. Such systems can be tested, prior to launching them in their operational domain, in a laboratory or through relatively inexpensive computational simulations.
Such systems when subjected to space and time varying loads during their operation can throw the system into unsafe states from the system's health perspective. It is therefore essential to have a prior knowledge of such system states before the systems are commissioned.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative modeling and simulation methods for structural systems.


Today, companies and persons rely on having consistent supply of power to electronic devices more than ever. Without power, companies may be unable to manufacture goods, or to operate at all, such as if the company is in the business of supplying information over the Internet. Without power, businesses and individuals may be completely incapacitated regarding critical activities, such as making goods, providing services, and transacting personal finances (e.g., filing tax returns, and paying bills).
Frequently, individuals and companies monitor the supply of power to electronic devices or facilities to ensure that their affairs and/or businesses are not significantly affected by a power outage, a change in status or some other power alteration. Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) are often used to provide backup power in case of a power outage. UPSs are commonly used on computing equipment to guard against data being lost due to a power outage before the data are saved. UPSs used with computing equipment also help to guard against a loss in service by providers of information over the Internet, such as by servers, e.g., hosting web pages.
Device status is often monitored and reported to the individual or company owning a device using email notification or the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS), which requires the installation of a remote monitoring unit at the customer site and is physically dialed into to get updates and specifics. Frequently, companies are obligated to provide manpower at substantial cost so that electronic devices can be monitored and reported on a regular basis.


In the past, many corn-based products were prepared using continuous deep-fat frying techniques. However, products cooked using oil contained cholesterol or fat and are generally deemed to be less wholesome than those without such by-products. To remove such undesirable contents, the industry attempted to produce the same type of product without using oils for cooking by baking the product. However, by changing the cooking processes, the taste of the product also changed.
Many factors play a role in the way a product tastes. These factors include ingredients, moisture content, and cooking time. The same factors also affect the texture of the product such as crispness, crunch, or bite, and the like. No matter whether the product was cooked by deep-fat frying or by baking, the industry has always thoroughly mixed the ingredients to produce a homogenous dough. To produce the dough, the ingredients were mixed sufficiently prior to sheeting so that the resulting dough was readily workable and would form an even sheet.
Fully gelatinizing the dough by thoroughly mixing and cooking the ingredients produces a glassy sheet of dough having a high moisture content, which requires longer baking and drying periods to drive off the moisture. Typically, such results produce a product which is brittle and has a less-desirable texture and taste.


For some years there has been a move for limiting and restricting smoking in certain public areas. For example, there has long existed smoking and non-smoking areas on commercial airlines. Moreover, the Civil Aeronautics Board is now considering totally banning smoking on short flights. Smoking restrictions such as those presently found on commercial airlines exist in other public areas as well. Many State and local governments have considered and are presently considering legislation aimed at restricting smoking in certain public areas, especially public areas where individuals find themselves in close quarters. Thus in the future it is likely that such restrictions on smoking will have a substantial effect on smoking and the right and ability to smoke in public areas.
While restricting smoking in public areas may be effective, it is interesting to consider that very little effort has been made in the area of designing a smoking apparatus or a smoking system that will enable an individual to smoke tobacco material or a cigarette and not bother individuals in and around the individual smoking. In this regard, what is being alluded to is a smoking apparatus that can be deemed to be a closed or generally closed smoking system. Such a closed smoking system entails a smoking apparatus wherein the smoking material or cigarette contained within a structure and during the smoking process the resulting smoke from the cigarette and/or the individual smoking is somehow confined.
There has been some very limited efforts at designing such a generally closed smoking system. For example, see the disclosures found in U. S. Pat. Nos. 4,198,992; 4,211,244; 4,198,992 and 1,792,279. However, these smoking devices are not truly totally closed smoking systems. In addition they have tended to be large, bulky and hard to handle. In addition besides being large and bulky, such smoking devices of the prior art have tended to be complicated and hence expensive.