Author: claimsbot

1. A circuit design aiding apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store information about a first pin group to be wired to a second pin group, the information including logical connection data for wiring of pins in the first pin group; and
a processor configured to perform a procedure including:
selecting a set of pair candidates each specifying a pair of pins in the first pin group, wherein distance between the pins of each pair candidate is within a specified range,
determining which pins in the first pin group are to be wired in pairs, based on the selected set of pair candidates, and
assigning the logical connection data to pins in the second pin group, depending on the pin pairs chosen from the first pin group, so that the pins in the first pin group are to be wired to the pins in the second pin group according to the assigned logical connection data, wherein:
two pair candidates are said to be adjacent when the two pair candidates share a pin in the first pin group, and
the determining includes producing a graph whose nodes respectively represent the pair candidates in the selected set and whose edges represent adjacency of the pair candidates in the selected set, choosing a first node in preference to a second node in the produced graph when a smaller number of edges extend from the first node than from the second node, and determining that the pair of pins in the pair candidate represented by the chosen first node be wired in a pair.
2. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining includes removing the chosen first node, as well as the edges extending therefrom, from the graph.
3. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining chooses the first node in preference to the second node when the first and second nodes are equal in the number of edges, but the first node has a smaller distance of pins than the second node.
4. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
the determining includes calculating a total distance related to a specific node by adding up the distances of pins for all the nodes, except the specific node, that share a common pin with the specific node;
the determining executes the calculating of the total distance for each of the first and second nodes when the first and second nodes are equal in both the number of edges and the distance of pins; and
the determining chooses the first node in preference to the second node when the first node has a larger total distance than the second node.
5. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:
the determining chooses pairs of pins in the first pin group by repeating:
newly choosing one of the nodes in the graph, and
removing the chosen node, as well as the edges extending therefrom, from the graph;
the determining calculates, for each of the first and second nodes, the number of edges, inclusive of the removed edges to the nodes that have been chosen, when the first and second nodes are equal in the total distance; and
the determining chooses the first node in preference to the second node when the first node has a smaller number of edges than the second node.
6. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the pins in the first and second pin groups are each given an identifier indicating a category of signals assigned thereto; and
the selecting selects each pair candidate by combining two pins having the same identifier.
7. The circuit design aiding apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the selecting selects pair candidates by using a factor that is determined from a combination of the identifiers of two pins, the factor indicating likelihood that the two pins are chosen to be wired in a pair.
8. A circuit design aiding method, comprising:
selecting, by a processor, a set of pair candidates each specifying a pair of pins in a first pin group to be wired to a second pin group, by consulting information about the first pin group to find two pins whose distance is within a specified range, the information including logical connection data for wiring of pins in the first pin group;
determining, by the processor, which pins in the first pin group are to be wired in pairs, based on the selected set of pair candidates; and
assigning, by the processor, the logical connection data to pins in the second pin group, depending on the pin pairs chosen from the first pin group, so that the pins in the first pin group are to be wired to the pins in the second pin group according to the assigned logical connection data, wherein:
two pair candidates are said to be adjacent when the two pair candidates share a pin in the first pin group, and
the determining includes producing a graph whose nodes respectively represent the pair candidates in the selected set and whose edges represent adjacency of the pair candidates in the selected set, choosing a first node in preference to a second node in the produced graph when a smaller number of edges extend from the first node than from the second node, and determining that the pair of pins in the pair candidate represented by the chosen first node be wired in a pair.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to perform a procedure comprising:
selecting a set of pair candidates each specifying a pair of pins in a first pin group to be wired to a second pin group, by consulting information about the first pin group to find two pins whose distance is within a specified range, the information including logical connection data for wiring of pins in the first pin group;
determining which pins in the first pin group are to be wired in pairs, based on the selected set of pair candidates; and
assigning the logical connection data to pins in the second pin group, depending on the pin pairs chosen from the first pin group, so that the pins in the first pin group are to be wired to the pins in the second pin group according to the assigned logical connection data, wherein:
two pair candidates are said to be adjacent when the two pair candidates share a pin in the first pin group, and
the determining includes producing a graph whose nodes respectively represent the pair candidates in the selected set and whose edges represent adjacency of the pair candidates in the selected set, choosing a first node in preference to a second node in the produced graph when a smaller number of edges extend from the first node than from the second node, and determining that the pair of pins in the pair candidate represented by the chosen first node be wired in a pair.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-14. (canceled)
15. A method of inhibiting angiogenesis in a cell or tissue in vivo by administering to the cell or tissue an effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the cell or tissue is that of the eye.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the adiponectin or the functional fragment is administered intravitreally.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the adiponectin or the functional fragment is administered intraperitoneally
19. The method of claim 15 wherein the cell or tissue is not that of cancer.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising at least 18 amino acids.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
24. The method of claim 15 wherein the effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof is part of a pharmaceutical composition.
25. A method of treating wet type age related macular degeneration in a subject by administering to the subject an effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the adiponectin or the functional fragment is administered intraperitoneally
27. The method of claim 25 wherein the adiponectin or the functional fragment is administered intravitreally.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4.
29. The method of claim 25 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1.
30. The method of claim 25 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
31. The method of claim 25 wherein said administration of an effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof inhibits choroidal angiogenesis or choroidal neovascularization in the subject.
32. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for administration of said effective amount of adiponectin or a functional fragment thereof to treat wet type age related macular degeneration in a subject.
33. The composition of claim 32 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4.
34. The composition of claim 32 wherein the functional fragment is a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a micro-aperture comprising steps of:
forming a projection or a dent on a substrate;
forming a film on the surface of said projection or of the opposite side of said dent so as to make the film thin at and near the tip of said projection or said dent;
etching said film to expose said tip; and
producing a micro-aperture by etching the exposed tip.
2. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 1, wherein
the step of forming a dent on the surface of the substrate is carried out by forming an inverted-pyramid-shaped dent on a single crystal silicon substrate by crystal-axis-anisotropic etching.
3. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 1, wherein said film is formed by forming a film of a plastic material.
4. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is subsequently heat treated to produce a viscous flow of the material.
5. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is glass.
6. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 3, wherein said plastic material is phospho-silicate glass.
7. A method of forming a micro-aperture according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of micro-apertures are formed on the substrate.
8. A projection having a micro-aperture formed according to claim 1.
9. A probe having a projection according to claim 8.
10. A multi-probe comprising a plurality of probes according to claim 9 and formed on a substrate.
11. A surface scanner comprising a probe according to claim 9 or a multi-probe according to claim 10.
12. A surface scanner according to claim 11, wherein each of said probes comprises a light emitting device and a light receiving device as integral parts thereof.
13. An aligner comprising a probe according to claim 9 or a multi-probe according to claim 10.
14. An information processor comprising a probe according to claim 9 or a multi-probe according to claim 10.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-20. (canceled)
21. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a device, an input that identifies a domain;
retrieving, by the device and based on the identified domain, a map from a plurality of domain-specific reference application maps,
the retrieved map including a plurality of modules;

generating, by the device, a list of suggested modules, from the plurality of modules of the retrieved map, to include in a workflow;
receiving, by the device, a selection of a particular suggested module, from the list of the suggested modules, to include in the workflow;
determining, by the device, at least one of the suggested modules, from the list of suggested modules, that has not been selected as the particular suggested module;
providing, by the device and for display, the at least one non-selected module on a visual representation of the workflow;
providing, by the device and for display, an indication that the at least one non-selected module is relevant to the workflow;
determining, by the device, the workflow from the particular suggested module and the at least one non-selected module; and
generating, by the device, an end-to-end test script based on the workflow.
22. The method of claim 21, where generating the end-to-end test script comprises:
identifying modules from the workflow;
retrieving test scripts for the identified modules; and
combining the retrieved test scripts to generate the end-to-end test script.
23. The method of claim 22, where retrieving the test scripts comprises:
performing a lookup on an index using a module identifier for a module identified for the workflow; and
retrieving the test scripts according to the lookup.
24. The method of claim 21, where the visual representation of the workflow comprises a plurality of paths with the at least one non-selected module being on one of the plurality of paths.
25. The method of claim 21, where each of the plurality of domain-specific reference application maps includes another plurality of modules and associations between the other plurality of modules describing an order of execution of the other plurality of modules.
26. The method of claim 25, where the order of execution comprises a plurality of paths including at least one branch from a main path in the order of execution.
27. The method of claim 21, where each domain of the plurality of domain-specific reference application maps is industry specific and the map for each domain describes a process performed for the industry within the corresponding domain.
28. A device comprising:
a memory to store a plurality of domain-specific reference application maps, each map including a plurality of modules; and
one or more processors to:
receive an input that identifies a domain;
retrieve one of the plurality of domain-specific reference application maps from the memory based on the identified domain;
generate a recommendation of suggested modules, from the plurality of modules associated with the retrieved map, to include in a workflow;
receive a selection of a particular suggested module, from the recommendation of the suggested modules, to include in the workflow;
determine at least one of the suggested modules, from the recommendation of the suggested modules, that has not been selected as the particular suggested module;
provide, for display, the at least one non-selected module on a visual representation of the workflow;
provide, for display, an indication that the at least one non-selected module is relevant to the workflow;
determine the workflow from the particular suggested module and the at least one non-selected module; and
generate an end-to-end test script based on the workflow.
29. The device of claim 28, where, when generating the end-to-end test script, the one or more processors are further to:
identify modules from the workflow;
retrieve test scripts from the memory for the identified modules; and
combine the retrieved test scripts to generate the end-to-end test script.
30. The device of claim 29, where, when retrieving the test scripts, the one or more processors are further to:
perform a lookup on an index using a module identifier for a module identified for the workflow; and
retrieve the test scripts from the memory according to the lookup.
31. The device of claim 28, where the visual representation of the workflow comprises a plurality of paths with the at least one non-selected module being on one of the plurality of paths.
32. The device of claim 28, where each of the plurality of domain-specific reference application maps includes another plurality of modules and associations between the other plurality of modules describing an order of execution of the other plurality of modules.
33. The device of claim 32, where the order of execution comprises a plurality of paths including at least one branch from a main path in the order of execution.
34. The device of claim 28, where each domain of the plurality of domain-specific reference application maps is industry specific and the map for each domain describes a process performed for the industry within the corresponding domain.
35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:
receive an input that identifies a domain;
retrieve, based on the identified domain, a map from a plurality of domain-specific reference application maps,
the retrieved map including a plurality of modules;

generate a list of suggested modules, from the plurality of modules of the retrieved map, to include in a workflow;
receive a selection of a particular suggested module, from the list of the suggested modules, to include in the workflow;
determine at least one of the suggested modules, from the list of suggested modules, that has not been selected as the particular suggested module;
determine the workflow from the particular suggested module and the at least one non-selected module; and
generate an end-to-end test script based on the workflow.
36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35, where the one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to generate the end-to-end test script, further cause the one or more processors to:
identify modules from the workflow;
retrieve test scripts for the identified modules; and
combine the retrieved test scripts to generate the end-to-end test script.
37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, where the one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to retrieve the test scripts, further cause the one or more processors to:
perform a lookup on an index using a module identifier for a module identified for the workflow; and
retrieve the test scripts according to the lookup.
38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35, where the one or more instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
provide the at least one non-selected module for display; and
provide, for display, an indication that the at least one non-selected module is relevant to the workflow.
39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38, where the at least one non-selected module is provided for display on a visual representation of the workflow, and the indication that the at least one non-selected module is relevant to the workflow is provided for display on the visual representation of the workflow.
40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, where the visual representation of the workflow comprises a plurality of paths with the at least one non-selected module being on one of the plurality of paths.