A digital subscriber line (DSL) receiver includes a discrete multitone (DMT) receiver circuit operative to receive a DSL signal and to generate signal samples corresponding to respective frequency division multiplexed tones of the DSL signal. The receiver further includes a synchronization circuit operative to determine phase information for a crosstalk source indication signal, e.g., an integrated services digital network (ISDN) timing reference indication signal, carried by one of the plurality of frequency-division multiplexed tones from the signal samples generated by the DMT receiver circuit and to determine frame timing for the DSL signal responsive to the determined phase information. The DMT receiver circuit may include a buffer operative to receive and store samples of the DSL signal, and a fast Fourier transformer (EFT) operative to generate the signal samples for the respective ones of the plurality of frequency-division multiplexed tones from the stored samples of the DSL signal. The synchronization circuit may be operative to control transfer of stored samples of the DSL signal from the buffer to the FFT responsive to the determined phase information.

The present invention relates to communications systems and methods, and more particularly, to multicarrier communications systems and methods.
As demands for very high-speed communications applications, such as Internet applications, have increased, there has been a concomitant increase in demand for high-speed communication services that have relatively low installation and service charges. To meet those demands, various Digital Subscriber Line variants (xDSL) that use ordinary copper telephone lines installed in existing houses and offices have been offered and/or proposed. xDSL services include high data-rate DSL (HDSL) substituted for the existing T1 line, symmetric DSL (SDSL) substituted for T1 or E1 using one twisted-pair copper line, and asymmetric DSL (ADSL) capable of transmitting large-capacity data in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) environment.
ADSL is "asymmetric" in that greater bandwidth and larger amounts of data are transmitted downstream from a central office (CO) to a remote terminal (RT) than from the remote terminal to a central office. In typical ADSL applications, which often use existing telephone lines, it is possible to communicate data at a high speed and plain old telephone service (POTS) at the same time. A typical transmission rate for ADSL is 8 Mbps in the downstream direction and 640 kbps in the upstream direction.
Unfortunately, however, a modulated signal, such as a DSL carrier, can transfer electromagnetic energy to adjacent copper lines disposed within the same cable bundle. A cross coupling of such electromagnetic energy is called "crosstalk." In a typical telephone network, a pair of insulated copper lines is bound with what is referred to as a "cable binder." Adjacent channels that are carried on conductors disposed within the same cable binder and which transmit and/or receive information within the same frequency range often generate significant crosstalk. As a result, received signals may be somewhat altered from originally transmitted waveforms.
Such crosstalk can be classified into two types, near end crosstalk (NEXT) and far end crosstalk (FEXT). NEXT typically is more significant because high energy signals generated from a transmitter at one end of a cable can causes very large crosstalk in a signal received by a receiver coupled to the same end of the cable. In contrast, FEXT is generated by equipment disposed at the opposite terminal of the cable, and is generally smaller than the NEXT because the copper line typically attenuates remotely generated interference.
A Time Compression Multiplexing Integrated Service Digital Network (TCM-ISDN) repeatedly performs upstream and downstream transmissions of data during periods of a so-called TCM timing reference (TTR). During a first half period of the TTR, the ISDN central office transmits data to the ISDN remote terminal. During the second half period of the TTR, the ISDN remote terminal transmits data to the ISDN central office. In TCM-ISDN, sources of NEXT and FEXT noises are often referred to as "TCM-ISDN interference."
In order to communicate in a TCM-ISDN environment, an ADSL transceiver typically transmits a large amount of data during periods when FEXT is the main source of interference and transmits a relatively small amount of data or no data during periods when NEXT is the main source of interference. One technique for reducing NEXT interference is called the dual bit-map (DBM) technique, wherein different bit-maps are used in respective FEXT and NEXT periods. Another technique is called the single bit-map (SBM) technique, wherein data is transmitted only during FEXT-dominant periods. Yet another technique is the so-called SNR technique that selectively uses DBM and SBM techniques based on signal to noise ratio measurements.
In applications where an ADSL service is provided in a TCM-ISDN environment, accurate network time synchronizations can be performed between the ADSL service and the TCM-ISDN service. Additionally, in case where data is transmitted using the DBM method, a transmission rate can be maximized. In the ADSL system under the environment of the TCM-ISDN, one frame is 250*(68/69) μs in length, i.e., about 246 μs. One frame is provided with a series of 345 frames and is 250*(68/69)*345 μS in length, i.e., 85 ms.
Among supplementary provisions of the ADSL modem standard, ADSL Annex C requires that the receiving side (i.e., the remote terminal) should adopt hyperframe synchronization with respect to a sending side (i.e., the central office) at the beginning of an initialization process. This hyperframe synchronization is typically carried out after frame synchronization is achieved. According to the ADSL Annex C, the central office simultaneously transmits a pilot tone of 276 kHz and a TTR indication tone of 207 kHz during the initialization process. It is determined whether a received frame is a FEXT frame or a NEXT frame from the phase of the indication tone. Accordingly, after frame synchronization is achieved and the remote terminal determines whether a received frame is a NEXT frame or a FEXT frame by analyzing the phase of the TTR indication tone, it is possible to determine a sequence number of the received frame in the hyperframe.

DSL receivers for TCM-ISDN environments and methods of operating same


The invention provides a coupling and a method of manufacturing such a coupling for a shaft having at least one free traction resistant reinforcement framework, said drawn, wedge or plugged coupling including, in the immediate vicinity of the anchorage means, free threads of the tractive force resistant framework and an elastomer cushion through which the threads pass, said cushion increasing the resistance of the couplings and allowing a better use of the shafts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement to connections for rigid or flexible shafts, such as tubes or cables, having a reinforcement framework withstanding at least the tractive forces, said framework being formed of threads free to move with respect to each other over the part of the shaft external of the connection, as well as the method for producing such connections.
Such shafts may be fluid transfer tubes, such as oil effluents.
The invention is particularly well adapted to shafts subjected to high internal pressures and to fatigue due particularly to the differential pressure, traction or flexion variations. It applies to all kinds of framework thread materials such as metal, Kevlar, polyamide, glass or carbon fibers impregnated with stabilizable plastic material, disposed in layers of parallel threads or in braids.
By stabilizable plastic material is meant substances able to assume a stable form by a physical or chemical process such as fusion with cooling or cross-linking. These materials may, for example, be thermo plastic materials, heat hardenable materials, elastomers or metals.
2. Description of the prior art
The transfer of forces from one shaft section including free frameworks to the next section or to an anchorage point is achieved by means of couplings. There exist numerous types of couplings. Some couplings are called "drawn", others are called "wedged", finally others are called "plugged".
Drawn couplings use, at least for the traction framework, the embedment of the threads of this framework in a block of malleable material, this block is formed and self embedded in the conical internal form of the coupling by the so called wire drawing operation.
Wedge couplings provide the anchorage of at least the traction framework by jamming its threads between hard jaws which interfit.
Plugged couplings provide the anchorage of at least the traction framework by jamming, in an internal conical form of the coupling, a plug in which the ends of the framework threads are embedded, this plug may be obtained by casting, by injection, or by any other means for impregnating the threads. The triaxial compression of the plug in the conical shape provides holding of the threads. The products used for plugging are materials which are liquid at the time of shaping, solid and resistant to deformation at the time of use, such as metals or heat hardenable resins.
Whether the shafts are rigid or flexible, cables or tubes, the performances of these couplings are rarely equal to unity. That is to say that the cable or tube breaks flush with the coupling or even thereinside, for forces which rarely reach the value calculated from the proper strength of the strands or threads. As a general rule, the tube breaks at the level of the coupling for forces which are rarely greater than two thirds of the above mentioned calculated value.
Thus, it is only after a long period of static service that flexible cables or flexible tubes break in the current length, especially if they are subjected to bending. The current length of a shaft corresponds to the zone of the shaft insensitive to the influence of the couplings which it has at its ends. For a shaft of diameter D, the current length begins and finishes at about 2 to 3D from the flush position of each of the couplings. In somes cases, however, using resin plugged couplings, in suitably dimensioned cones, the efficiency is equal to unity and the breakage is obtained in the current length.
Despite everything it is rare for this favorable behavior to be maintained when the flexible shaft thus formed is subjected to alternating flexion or pulsed pressure fatigue, this fatigue resulting in breakage flush with the couplings, when it has not been previously induced in the current length by corrosion, wear or seizure phenomena.
The couplings plugged more particularly with resin do not damage the ends of the threads of the framework and allow shafts to be used under higher tractive forces. However, the dynamic attenuation phenomena of the performance of plugged couplings leads more particularly to reducing the load exerted on these couplings and, consequently, the other types of couplings are often preferred, although not having the same efficiency in use, for their efficency is then maintained during the whole lifespan of the equipment. The initial lower strength is thus maintained intact for a longer time.
With the device and method of implementation of the invention, an efficiency equal to unity for resin plugged couplings may be kept for periods equal to the lifespan of the flexible or rigid shaft, and the efficiency of drawn couplings and wedge couplings may be improved while maintaining their useful lifespan.

Coupling for a shaft having a reinforcement framework


The invention relates to a crankcase for an internal-combustion engine, particularly for a horizontally opposed engine, having two crankcase halves (10, 12) in which bearing sections (18) with bearing bores (24) for the crank pins of a crankshaft are arranged, the two crankcase halves (10, 12) being screwed to one another in the area of the bearing bores (24), as well as having cylinder bores (14, 16) for receiving the pistons.

The invention relates to a crankcase for an internal-combustion engine, particularly for a horizontally opposed engine, according to claim 1.
From German Patent Document DE 40 01 514 A1, a two-part crankcase for a horizontally opposed engine is known, whose two halves are screwed to one another in the area of the bearing blocks for the crankshaft which are integrated in the crankcase. Since the bearing blocks with the bearing bores for receiving the crankshaft extend at the level of the cylinder bores, the bores for receiving the bearing bolts must be placed at a corresponding distance from the circumference of the cylinder bore, as illustrated in the drawing of German Patent Document DE 40 01 514 A1. This results in a corresponding distance between the bearing bore for the crankshaft and the bores for fastening the two crankcase halves, which distance, under certain circumstances may result in an undesirable gaping of the bearing blocks during the operation of the internal-combustion engine.
It is therefore an object of the invention to implement the screwed connection of the two crankcase halves such that the bearing bolts can extend close to the bearing bore for receiving the crank pins.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of the characteristics of claim 1.
As a result of the fact that the screwing-together of the two crankcase halves takes place diagonally, that is, at an angle with respect to the center axis of the cylinder bore, the bores for the screwed connection of the bearing blocks may extend closer to be bearing bore. So that the transverse forces occurring in the case of a diagonal screwing-together are eliminated, the plane of division of the two crankcase halves extends essentially at the same angle at which the longitudinal axis of the bearing bolts is aligned with respect to the center axis of the cylinder bores. In other words, the longitudinal axis of the bearing bolts extends essentially at a right angle with respect to the plane of division of the two crankcase halves, so that advantageously no transverse forces occur in the case of the screwed connection according to the invention.
Additional advantages and advantageous further developments of the invention are contained in the subclaims and in the description.

Crankcase for an internal combustion engine, especially for a boxer engine

Abstract: It is suggested that the plane of division (30) of the two crankcase halves (10, 12) extend at an angle xcex1, and that the longitudinal axis (36) of the bearing bolts (26, 28) extend essentially at a right angle with respect to the plane of division (30).

Abstract: This results in a screwing-together of the two crankcase halves (10, 12) which is free of transverse force and is arranged close to the bearing bore (24).


A video encoder and decoder system includes a video decoder (220) converting in input HDR images in a luma and chrominance representation to SDR images in a luma and subsampled chrominance representation by directly applying dynamic range conversion gains in the luma and subsampled chrominance domain. An video encoder may perform the opposite operation and convert from SDR to HDR by directly applying dynamic range conversion gains in the luma and subsampled chrominance domain.

Until a couple of years ago, all video was encoded according to the so-called low dynamic range (LDR) philosophy, also called standard dynamic range (SDR). That meant, whatever the captured scene was, that the maximum of the code (typically 8 bit luma Y′=255; or 100% voltage for analog display driving) should by standardized definition correspond to, i.e. be rendered on, a display with a peak brightness PB (i.e. the brightest white color it can render) being by standard agreement 100 nit. If people bought an actual display which was a little darker or brighter, it was assumed that the viewer's visual system would adapt so that the image would still look appropriate and even the same as on the reference 100 nit display, rather than e.g. annoyingly too bright (in case one has e.g. a night scene in a horror movie which should have a dark look).
Of course, for practical program making this typically meant maintaining a tight control of the scene lighting setup, since even in perfectly uniform lighting the diffuse reflection percentage of various objects can already give a contrast ratio of 100:1. The black of such a SDR display may typically be 0.1 nit in good circumstances, yet 1 nit or even several nits in worst circumstances, so the SDR display dynamic range (the brightest white divided by the darkest viewable black) would be 1000:1 at best, or worse, which corresponds nicely to such uniform illuminated scenes, and an 8 bit coding for all the required to be rendered pixel grey values or brightnesses, having a gamma of approximately 2.0, or encoding inverse gamma 0.5. Rec. 709 was the typically used SDR video coding. Typically also cameras had problems capturing simultaneously both very bright and rather dark regions, i.e. a scene as seen outside a window or car window would typically be clipped to white (giving red, green and blue additive color components R=G=B=max., corresponding to their square root coded values R′=G′=B′=255). Note that if in this application a dynamic range is specified firstmost with a peak brightness (i.e. the brightest rendered or renderable luminance) only, we assume that the lowest luminance value is pragmatically zero (whereas in practice it may depend on viewing conditions such as display front plate or cinema screen light reflection, e.g. 0.1 nit), and that those further details are irrelevant for the particular explanation. Note also that there are several ways to define a dynamic range, and that the most natural one typically used in the below explanations is a display rendered luminance dynamic range, i.e. the luminance of the brightest color versus the darkest one.
Note also, something which has become clearer during the HDR research, and is mentioned here to make sure everybody understands it, that a code system itself does not natively have a dynamic range, unless one associates a reference display with it, which states that e.g. R′=G′=B′=Y′=255 should correspond with a PB of 100 nit, or alternatively 1000 nit, etc. In particular, contrary to what is usually pre-assumed, the number of bits used for the color components of pixels, like their lumas, is not a good indicator of dynamic range, since e.g. a 10 bit coding system may encode either a HDR video, or an SDR video, determined on the type of encoding, and in particular the electro-optical transfer function EOTF of the reference display associated with the coding, i.e. defining the relationship between the luma codes [0, 1023] and the corresponding luminances of the pixels, as they need to be rendered on a display.
In this text it is assumed that when a HDR image or video is mentioned, it has a corresponding peak brightness or maximum luminance for the highest luma code (or equivalently highest R′, G′, B′ values in case of an RGB coding e.g. rather than an YCbCr encoding) which is higher than the SDR value of 100 nit, typically at least 4× higher, i.e. the to be rendered maximum display luminance for having the HDR image look optimal may be e.g. 1000 nit, 5000 nit, or 10000 nit (note that this should not be confused with the prima facie complex concept which will be detailed below that one can encode such a HDR image or video as a SDR image or video, in which case the image is both renderable on a 100 nit display, but importantly, also contains all information—when having corresponding associated metadata encoding a color transformation for recovering the HDR image—for creating a HDR image with a PB of e.g. 1000 nit!).
So a high dynamic range coding of a high dynamic range image is capable of encoding images with to be rendered luminances of e.g. up to 1000 nit, to be able to display-render good quality HDR, with e.g. bright explosions compared to the surrounding rendered scene, or sparkling shiny metal surfaces, etc.
In practice, there are scenes in the world which can have very high dynamic range (e.g. an indoors capturing with objects as dark as 1 nit, whilst simultaneously seeing through the window outside sunlit objects with luminances above 10,000 nit, giving a 10000:1 dynamic range, which is 10× larger than a 1000:1 DR, and even 100 times larger than a 100:1 dynamic range, and e.g. TV viewing may have a DR of less than 30:1 in some typical situations, e.g. daylight viewing). Since displays are becoming better (a couple of times brighter PB than 100 nit, with 1000 nit currently appearing, and several thousands of nits PB being envisaged), a goal is to be able to render these images beautifully, and although not exactly identical to the original because of such factor like different viewing conditions, at least very natural, or at least pleasing. And this needs what was missing in the SDR video coding era: a good pragmatic HDR video coding technology.
The reader should also understand that because a viewer is typically watching the content in a different situation (e.g. sitting in a weakly lit living room at night, or in a dark home or cinema theatre, instead of actually standing in the captured bright African landscape), there is no identity between the luminances in the scene and those finally rendered on the TV (or other display). This can be handled inter alia by having a human color grader manually decide about the optimal colors on the available coding DR, i.e. of the associated reference display, e.g. by prescribing that the sun in the scene should be rendered in the image at 5000 nit (rather than its actual value of 1 billion nit). Alternatively, automatic algorithms may do such a conversion from e.g. a raw camera capturing to what in the text will be (generically) called a (master) HDR grading. This means one can then render this master grading on a 5000 nit PB HDR display, at those locations where it is available.
At the same time however, there will for the coming years be a large installed base of people having a legacy SDR display of 100 nit PB, or some display which cannot make 5000 nit white, e.g. because it is portable, and those people need to be able to see the HDR movie too. So there needs to be some mechanism to convert from a 5000 nit HDR to a 100 nit SDR look image of the same scene.
FIG. 1 shows a couple of illustrative examples of the many possible HDR scenes a HDR system of the future (e.g. connected to a 1000 nit PB display) may need to be able to correctly handle, i.e. by rendering the appropriate luminances for all objects/pixels in the image. E.g. ImSCN1 is a sunny outdoors image from a western movie, whereas ImSCN2 is a nighttime image. What makes HDR image rendering different from how it always was in the LDR era which ended only a couple of years ago, is that the LDR had such a limited dynamic range (about PB=100 nit, and black level+−0.1 to 1 nit), that mostly only the reflectivities of the objects could be shown (which would fall between 90% for good white and 1% for good black). So one had to show the objects independent of their illumination, and couldn't at the same time faithfully show all the sometimes highly contrasty illuminations of the scene that could happen. In practice that meant that the highly bright sunny scene had to be rendered with approximately the same display luminances (0-100 nit) as a dull rainy day scene. And even the night time scenes could not be rendered too dark, or the viewer would not be able to well-discriminate the darkest parts of the image, so again those night time brightnesses would be rendered spanning the range between 0 and 100 nit. So one had to conventionally color the night scenes blue, so that the viewer would understand he was not looking at a daytime scene. Now of course in real life human vision would also adapt to the available amount of light, but not that much (most people in real life recognize that it's getting dark). So one would like to render the images with all the spectacular local lighting effects that one can artistically design in it, to get much more realistic rendered images at least if one has a HDR display available.
So on the left axis of FIG. 1 are object luminances as one would like to see them in a 5000 nit PB master HDR grading for a 5000 nit PB display. If one wants to convey not just an illusion, but a real sense of the cowboy being in a bright sunlit environment, one must specify and render those pixel luminances sufficiently bright (though also not too bright), around e.g. 500 nit. For the night scene one wants mostly dark luminances, but the main character on the motorcycle should be well-recognizable i.e. not too dark (e.g. around 5 nit), and at the same time there can be pixels of quite high luminance, e.g. of the street lights, e.g. around 3000 nit on a 5000 nit display, or around the peak brightness on any HDR display (e.g. 1000 nit). The third example ImSCN3 shows what is now also possible on HDR displays: one can simultaneously render both very bright and very dark pixels. We see a dark cave, with a small opening through which we see the sunny outside. For this scene one may want to make the sunlit objects like the tree somewhat less bright than in a scene which wants to render the impression of a bright sunny landscape, e.g. around 400 nit, which should be more coordinated with the essentially dark character of the inside of the cave. A color grader may want to optimally coordinate the luminances of all objects, so that nothing looks inappropriately dark or bright and the contrast are good, e.g. the person standing in the dark in this cave may be coded in the master HDR graded image around 0.05 nit (assuming HDR renderings will not only be able to render bright highlights, but also dark regions).
It can be understood that it may not always be a trivial task to map all the object luminances for all these very different types of HDR scene to optimal luminances available in the much smaller SDR or LDR dynamic range (DR_1) shown on the right of FIG. 1, which is why preferably a human color grader may be involved for determining the color transformation (which comprises at least a luminance transformation, or luma transformation when equivalently performed on the luma codes). However, one can always choose to use automatically determined transformations, e.g. based on analyzing the color properties of the image content such as its luminance histogram, and this may e.g. be a preferred option for simpler kinds of HDR video, or applications where human grading is less preferred e.g. as in real-time content production (in this patent it is assumed that without limitation grading could also involve the quick setting of a few color transformation function parameters, e.g. for the whole production quickly prior to the start of capturing).
Applicant has designed a coding system, which not only can handle the communication (encoding) of merely a single standardized HDR video, for a typical single kind of display in the field (with every end viewer having e.g. a 1000 nit PB display), but which can at the same time communicate and handle the videos which have an optimal look for various possible other display types with various other peak brightnesses in the field, in particular the SDR image for a 100 nit PB SDR display.
Encoding only a set of HDR images, i.e. with the correct look i.e. image object luminances for a rendering on say a 1000 nit HDR monitor, in e.g. a 10 bit legacy MPEG or similar video coding technology is not that difficult. One only needs to establish an optimal OETF (opto-electronic transfer function) for the new type of image with considerably larger dynamic range, namely one which doesn't show banding in the many compared to white relatively dark regions, and then calculate the luma codes for all pixel/object luminances.
Applicant however designed a system which communicates HDR images as LDR images, i.e. actually LDR (or SDR, i.e. referred to a 100 nit PB reference display, and often optimally color graded on such a reference display) images are communicated, which then can already immediately be used for rendering the correctly looking SDR look on legacy 100 nit PB SDR displays. Thereto, a set of appropriate reversible color transformation functions F_ct is defined, as is illustrated with FIG. 2. These functions may be defined by a human color grader, to get a reasonably looking SDR image (Im_LDR) corresponding to the HDR master image MAST_HDR, whilst at the same time ensuring that by using the inverse functions IF_ct the original master HDR (MAST_HDR) image can be reconstructed with sufficient accuracy as a reconstructed HDR image (Im_RHDR), or, automatic analysis algorithms may be used at the content creation side for determining suitable such color transformation functions F_ct. Note that instead of relying on a receiving side to invert the functions F_ct into IF_ct, one can also send already the needed functions for calculating Im_RHDR from the received and decoded SDR image Im_RLDR. So what the color transformation functions actually do is change the luminances of the pixel in a HDR image (MAST_HDR) into LDR luminances, i.e. the optimal luminance compression as shown in FIG. 1 to fit all luminances in the 100 nit PB LDR dynamic range DR_1. Applicant has invented a method which can keep the chromaticities of the colors constant, effectively changing only their luminances, as will be elucidated below.
A typical coding chain as shown in FIG. 2 works as follows. Some image source 201, which may e.g. be a grading computer giving an optimally graded image, or a camera giving a HDR output image, delivers a master HDR image MAST_HDR, to be color transformed and encoded. A color transformer 202 applies a determined color transformation, e.g. a concave bending function, which for simplicity of elucidation we will assume to be a gamma function with coefficient gam=1/k and k a number larger than 2.0. Of course more complex luminance mapping functions may be employed, provided that they are sufficiently reversible, i.e. the Im_RHDR image has negligible or acceptable banding. By applying these color transformation functions F_ct comprising at least luminance transformation functions, an output image Im_LDR results. This image or set of images is encoded with a legacy LDR image encoder, which may potentially be modified somewhat, e.g. the quantization tables for the DCT-ed transformations of the prediction differences may have been optimized to be better suited for images with HDR characteristics (although the color transformations may typically already make the statistics of the Im_LDR look much more like a typical LDR image than a typical HDR image, which HDR image typically has relatively many pixels with relatively dark luminances, as the upper part of the range may often contain small lamps etc.). E.g., a MPEG-type encoder may be used like HEVC (H265), yielding an encoded SDR image Im_COD. This video encoder 203 then pretends it gets a normal SDR image, although it also gets the functions F_ct which allow the reconstruction of the master HDR image, i.e. effectively making this a dual co-encoding of both an SDR and a HDR look, and their corresponding set of images (Im_RLDR, respectively Im_RHDR). There may be several manners to communicate this metadata comprising all the information of the functions F_ct, e.g. they may be communicated as SEI messages. Then a transmission formatter 204 applies all the necessary transformations to format the data to go over some transmission medium 205 according to some standard, e.g. a satellite or cable or internet transmission, e.g. according to ATSC 3.0, i.e. packetization of the data is performed, channel encoding, etc. At any consumer or professional side, a receiver 206, which may be incorporated in various physical apparatuses like e.g. a settopbox, television or computer, undoes the channel encoding by applying unformatting and channel decoding. Then a video decoder 207 applies e.g. HEVC decoding, to yield a decoded LDR image Im_RLDR. Then a color transformer 208 is arranged to transform the SDR image to an image of any non-LDR dynamic range. E.g. the 5000 nit original master image Im_RHDR may be reconstructed by applying the inverse color transformations IF_ct of the color transformations F_ct used at the encoding side to make the Im_LDR from the MAST_HDR. A display tuning unit 209 may be comprised which transforms the SDR image Im_RLDR to a different dynamic range, e.g. Im3000 nit being optimally graded in case display 210 is a 3000 nit PB display, or a 1500 nit or 1000 nit PB image, etc.
FIG. 3 shows how one can design such a chromaticity-preserving luminance re-calculation, taken from WO2014056679. One can understand this processing when seen in the gamut normalized to 1.0 maximum relative luminance for both the SDR and the HDR image (i.e. assuming that the SDR and HDR have the same e.g. Rec. 2020 primaries, they have then exactly the same tent-shaped gamut; as shown in FIG. 1 of WO2014056679). If one were to drive any display with e.g. the cowboy having in the driving image a luma code corresponding to a luminance of 10% of peak brightness of the display, then that cowboy would render brighter the higher the PB of the display is. That may be undesirable, as we may want to render the cowboy with (approximately) the same luminance on all displays, e.g. 60 nit. Then of course his relative luminance (or the corresponding 10 bit luma code) should be lower the higher the PB of the display is, to get the same ultimate rendered luminance. I.e., one could represent such a desire as a downgrading mapping e.g. from luma code 800 for the SDR image, to e.g. luma code 100 for the HDR image (depending on the exact shape of the EOTF defining the codes which is used), or, in luminances one maps the 60% SDR luminance to e.g. 1/40th of that for a 4000 nit HDR display or its corresponding optimally graded image. Downgrading in this text means changing the luma codes of the pixels (or their corresponding to be rendered luminances) from a representation of higher peak brightness (i.e. for rendering on a higher PB display, e.g. of 1000 nit PB) to the lumas of an image of the same scene in a lower PB image for rendering on a lower PB display, e.g. a 100 nit SDR display, and upgrading is the opposite color transformation for converting a lower PB image into a higher PB image, and one should not confuse this with the spatial upscaling and downscaling, which is adding new pixels respectively dropping some pixels or some color components of those pixels. One can do that for any color, in which a (RGB) triplet corresponds to some chromaticity (x,y) in the display or encoding code gamut, in a manner which will automatically scale to the maximum luminance available (renderable) for that chromaticity Lmax(x,y), by the apparatus of FIG. 3. Actually, one can demonstrate that this corresponds to applying a similar luminance mapping, which on the achromatic axis (i.e. of colors having no particular hue) which takes the input luminance L of the color in the SDR image, to the needed relative output luminance L* of the optimal HDR graded image. Without diving into details, what is relevant from this teaching, is that the corresponding color transformation can then be realized as a multiplicative transformation on the (preferably linear) RGB components, on each component separately, by a multiplier 311, with a constant g larger or smaller than 1.0, which corresponds to whatever shape of the luminance transformation function L_out=TM(L_in) one choses, which can also be formulated as a functional transformation of the maximum of the input red, green and blue color values of a pixel. So for each input color (R,G,B), the appropriate g-value is calculated for applying the desired color transformation which transforms Im_RLDR into Im_RHDR (or in an appropriately scaled manner into any other graded image, like Im3000nit), when luminance mapper 307 gets some SDR-luminance to HDR_luminance mapping function, e.g. a parametrically specified loggamma function or sigmoid, or a multilinear curve received as a LUT. The components of the exemplary embodiment circuit are: 305: maximum calculator, outputting the maximum one (maxRGB) of the R, G, and B values of a pixel color being processed; 301: luminance convertor, calculating the luminance of a color according to some color definition standard with which the system currently works, e.g. Rec. 2020; 302: divider, yielding Lmax(x,y) as L/max(R,G,B); 307 luminance mapper actually working as a mapper on maxRGB, yielding m*=TM(maxRGB), with TM some function which defines the luminance transformation part of F_ct; 308: a multiplier, yielding L*=(m*)×Lmax(x,y) and 310 a gain determination unit, being in this embodiment actually a divider, calculating g=L*/L, i.e. the output HDR relative luminance divided by the input SDR relative luminance L; and 311 is a multiplier arranged to multiply the three color components R,G,B with the same g factor.
This circuit may be appropriate for some color encodings. However, one would ideally like to work in typical SDR encodings as they are typically used. Im_LDR as it would come out of HEVC decoder 207, would typically be in a non-linear Y′CbCr encoding (wherein we can assume the non-linearity to be a square root approximately, i.e. ignoring the non-constant luminance issues then: Y′=sqrt(L) approximately). More of an issue for such novel SDR-communicated HDR video codings (or as explained above actually a set of gradings containing at least a SDR and a master HDR look) was the fact that in some situations the Cb and Cr coefficients may be sub-sampled spatially, e.g. in a 4:2:0 encoding. That was not really an issue in SDR, not just because any color errors wouldn't show up large on a 100 nit rendering, but also, because in the above explained technology, we have a color transformation for reconstructing the Im_RHDR (or the display tuned Im3000nit), which just doesn't exist in the SDR video coding paradigm. If one has the wrong RGB values (because one no longer has the full resolution correct RGB values per pixels at the decoding side), this leads to reading at the wrong place of the TM function, or in other words, getting the wrong g-factor in the decoder of FIG. 3. I.e., one might risk sometimes seriously incorrectly boosting or dimming the SDR color, e.g. at a boundary of an object, giving potentially visible artefacts, and no sufficiently accurate Im_RHDR reconstruction.


Swirl chamber units (31) allowing a first liquid chamber (14) and a second liquid chamber (15) to communicate with each other are formed in a partitioning member of a vibration-damping device (10) of the present invention. Each swirl chamber unit (31) includes a first communication hole (32a) opening to the first liquid chamber (14), and a second communication hole (32b) opening to the second liquid chamber (15); a first swirl chamber (33a) communicating with the first liquid chamber (14) via the first communication hole (32a), and a second swirl chamber (33b) communicating with the second liquid chamber (15) via the second communication hole (32b); and a flow regulation passage (34) that allows the first swirl chamber (33a) and the second swirl chamber (33b) to communicate with each other and opens to the swirl chambers (33a, 33b) in circumferential directions of the respective swirl chambers (33a, 33b). The first and second swirl chambers (33a, 33b) are formed so that a liquid flowing into the interiors of the chambers from the flow regulation passage (34) is swirled according to the flow speed of the liquid. By including the configuration as described above, simplification of structure and facilitation of manufacture can be achieved, while guaranteeing the product characteristics of the vibration-damping device.

As this type of vibration-damping device, for example, the configuration described in the following Patent Document 1 is known. This vibration damping device includes a tubular first attachment member that is coupled to any one of a vibration generating portion and a vibration receiving portion, a second attachment member that is coupled to the other thereof, an elastic body that couples both the attachment members, and a partitioning member that partitions a liquid chamber within the first attachment member having a liquid enclosed therein into a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber. This vibration-damping device further includes a first limiting passage and a second limiting passage that allows both the liquid chambers to communicate with each other, a cylinder chamber provided between both the liquid chambers, and a plunger member disposed within the cylinder chamber so as to be movable between an open position and a blocking position within the cylinder chamber.
For example, a plurality of kinds of vibrations having different frequencies, such as an idle vibration and a shake vibration, are input to this vibration-damping device. Thus, in this vibration-damping device, the respective resonant frequencies of the first limiting passage and the second limiting passage are set (tuned) to the respective frequencies of the different kinds of vibration. As the plunger member moves between the open position and the blocking position according to the frequency of an input vibration, a limiting passage through which a liquid flows is switched using the first limiting passage and the second limiting passage.


Alkali metal methoxides are prepared from aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, which may have been admixed with methanol, and methanol in a reaction column having at least 5, preferably from 15 to 30, theoretical plates between the feed point for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and the feed point for the methanol. The gaseous methanol/water mixture formed in the reaction is fractionated in a rectification column.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing alkali metal methoxides from aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, which may have been admixed with methanol, and methanol.
The preparation of alkoxides from alkali metal hydroxides and alcohols is known per se.
DE-C 968 903 has already described the continuous treatment of high-concentration aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solutions with a countercurrent of alcohol in a packed column, with the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide being able to be fed in at various places on the column in order to prevent blockage of the column by deposited alkali metal hydroxide. The alkoxide is formed by reaction of the alkali metal hydroxide located on the packing with the alcohol stream additionally passed through the column from the top downward.
However, low-boiling alcohols (methanol) can be used in this process only when a suitable auxiliary liquid is used for removing the water. This process also has the disadvantage that the deposits of solid alkali metal hydroxide which settle on the packing of the column can lead to blockage of the column. The procedure described in DE-C 968 903 does mention removal of the alcohol by azeotropic distillation using an entrainer, but in the procedure indicated the alcohol of the alcohol/water azeotrope which has been distilled off constantly has to be replaced, requiring a complicated recovery step.
SU-A 165 691 discloses a process for preparing sodium methoxide, which starts from a methanolic sodium hydroxide solution which is conveyed from a stirred vessel into the upper part of a continuously operated packed column in countercurrent to gaseous methanol.
The process requires a high energy input to achieve the appropriate product purity. It has the further disadvantage that solid sodium hydroxide is employed.
EP-A 0 299 577 describes a process for preparing alkoxides in which the water of reaction is removed by pervaporation. It is known that complete dewatering of the alcohol cannot be effected in this way.
DE-C 34 13 212 and DE-C 37 01 268 describe processes for preparing potassium tert-butoxide from aqueous potassium hydroxide and an excess of tert-butanol in a distillation column using an entrainer which, in contrast to the auxiliary liquid described in DE-C 968 903, does not form an azeotrope with water.
Furthermore, RO-A 60485 describes the isolation of sodium methoxide from anhydrous technical-grade methanol and technical-grade sodium hydroxide in a three-stage process with the aid of a hydrocarbon, in which process the water of reaction formed is removed by azeotropic distillation. The anhydrous hydrocarbon is recovered by fractional distillation with addition of Na2SO4. The sodium methoxide is obtained as a suspension in the hydrocarbon from which it can be filtered off.
These processes require additional separation operations and also leave extraneous materials in the alkali metal alkoxide solution. The latter interfere in further processing.
It has been found experimentally that the theoretical number of theoretical plates alone is not a sufficient criterion for an effective process for preparing substantially water-free alkoxide solutions. Thus, known processes for preparing alkoxides give only unsatisfactory qualities in which the water content is from about 0.5 to 2% based on the alkoxide, even in columns which have a high number of from 35 to 40 theoretical plates. These water contents are above those of commercial grades having a water content of about 0.1%.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing alkoxide solutions which makes it possible to obtain a substantially water-free end product with justifiable energy input and in which no deposits are formed on the packing when a packed reaction column is used.
We have found that this object is achieved by the known process for preparing alkali metal methoxides from aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, which may have been admixed with methanol, and methanol in a reaction column having at least 5, preferably from 15 to 30, theoretical plates between the feed point for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and the feed point for the methanol, where in the case of a reaction column configured as a bubble cap tray, valve tray or sieve tray column, the trays are selected so that not more than 5%, preferably xe2x89xa61%, of the liquid rains through the respective trays.
For this embodiment of the process of the present invention, suitable columns are essentially bubble cap tray, valve tray and sieve tray columns. Specifically in the case of valve trays and sieve trays, the trays should be configured so that the raining-through of the liquid is minimized. A person skilled in the art will be familiar with the constructional measures required for this. Particularly tightly closing valve types are selected and thus, in particular, the vapor velocity into the tray openings is increased to double the value which is customarily set. This is achieved by a reduction in the number of valves. In the case of sieve trays, it is particularly useful to reduce the diameter of the openings in the tray and to maintain or even increase the number of openings.
In a variant of the present invention, the reaction column is provided with random packing elements or ordered packing, with ordered packing being preferred over random packing elements with a view to uniform distribution of the liquid. In this embodiment of the invention, the average ratio of liquid flow to vapor flow must not be exceeded by more than 15%, preferably not by more than 3%, in all subregions of the column cross section which correspond to more than 2% of the total column cross section. This low amount of liquid to be maintained according to the present invention obviously makes it possible for the capillary effect on the wire meshes to prevent local peak values of the liquid trickle density.
Suitable methods of achieving this are known from EP A 0 684 060. The desired characteristics of the liquid distribution can be achieved when using columns with random or ordered packing by the liquid trickle density in the marginal region of the column cross section next to the column wall, which region corresponds to about 2-5% of the total column cross section, being reduced by up to 100%, preferably by from 5 to 15%, compared to the remaining cross section. This can be achieved in a simple manner by targeted distribution of the drip points of the liquid distributors or their holes.
In this mode of operation, it is advantageous for the internal wall of the reaction column to be at a temperature which is from 3 to 10xc2x0 C. above the temperature of the reaction column.
Owing to the very unfavorable position of the chemical equilibrium, breakthrough of even very small amounts of still water-containing liquid which have not come into contact with a sufficiently large amount of vapor obviously has to be prevented with certainty. Local breakthrough of water-containing liquid can obviously have a serious adverse effect on the quality of the product due to backreaction.
The combination of the process known per se for preparing alkali metal methoxides with the features of the invention which ensure that passage at the margins or stream formation or raining-through of liquid occurs at no point of the reaction column cross section results, in a surprising and synergistic fashion, in a purity of the alkali metal methoxide solution which has hitherto only been able to be achieved in the amalgam process or by the use of alkali metals.
It may be stated, and is advantageous for industrial implementation, that there are no additional constructional requirements in respect of the uniformity of the gas flow over the cross-sectional area of the column. It is not disadvantageous if the ratio of gas flow to liquid flow locally assumes higher values than the average value. Rather, increased gas flows locally improve water removal.
When carrying out the process of the present invention, no blockage occurs in a reaction column provided with random or ordered packing, and the methanol used can be recycled to the process without complicated work-up.
The process of the present invention can be carried out either batchwise or continuously.
In batchwise operation, the alcohol and the water are vaporized to the point at which the desired alkoxide concentration is present in the reaction mixture.
In the continuous process, an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide stream, which may have been admixed with methanol, is fed in at the top of the reaction column. The reaction column is operated as a pure stripping column. Methanol is fed in vapor form into the lower region of the column. In-specification alkoxide is obtained via the bottom offtake. The water-containing methanol stream leaving the top of the column is worked up in the rectification column. At the top of this column, the fresh methanol required is introduced. After partial condensation, a gaseous methanol stream having a very low water content is obtained at the top of the column and is recirculated to the lower region of the reaction column. The water is removed from the system via the bottoms from the rectification column.
The aqueous alkali metal hydroxide used in the process of the present invention is obtained by an electrochemical or a membrane process advantageously by a membrane process. In this way, it is possible to produce alkoxides which are completely free of mercury. In terms of the energy consumption, it is also advantageous for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide to have a concentration of at least 30% preferably concentrated to the solubility limit and for it to be heated by means of a heat exchanger to close to the boiling point at the pressure prevailing in the reaction column prior to entering the reaction column.
The methanol is used in such an amount that it simultaneously serves as solvent for the alkali metal methoxide obtained. This amount should be selected so that the desired concentration of alkali metal methoxide, preferably 30%, is present in the bottoms from the reaction column.
The abovementioned condition for the amount of methanol to be used is met when the amount is from 10 to 50 times, preferably from 35 to 40 times, the mass of water which is introduced with the aqueous sodium hydroxide, or from 10 to 50 times, preferably from 30 to 40 times, the mass of water introduced with the aqueous potassium hydroxide.
In the process of the present invention, the reaction column is operated without reflux.
In the rectification column, a reflux ratio of at least 0.5, preferably from 0.8 to 1.4, is advisable when the vapor taken off at the top of the reaction column is fed, preferably in gaseous form, into the rectification column and the methanol obtained at the top of this, which has a water content of from 20 to 100 ppm, is recirculated, preferably in gaseous form, through a partial condenser and is subsequently fed via a vapor compressor to the lower end of the reaction column.
In one variant of the process of the present invention, the reflux ratio of the rectification column is at least 0.6, preferably from 0.8 to 1.4.
In this case, the vapor taken off at the top of the reaction column is passed through a vapor compressor upstream of the rectification column and the methanol then obtained in the rectification column, having a water content of from 20 to 100 ppm, is fed, preferably in gaseous form, via a partial condenser to the lower end of the reaction column.
The dimensions of the reaction column can be reduced in the lower region of the column if part of the methanol is introduced in gaseous form at the upper end or in the region of the upper end of the reaction column.
In this mode of operation according to the present invention, only part of the methanol stream, namely from 10 to 70%, preferably from 30 to 50%, is fed in at the lower end of the reaction column and the remaining part is introduced, either as a single stream or divided into a plurality of substreams, in gaseous form from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 3 theoretical plates below the feed point for the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide.
The dimensions of the reaction column can be reduced in the lower region of the column by the optional installation of one or more intermediate vaporizers in the upper region of the reaction column. In this configuration, it is also possible to introduce substreams of the methanol in liquid form into the upper region of the reaction column.
It is advantageous to operate the reaction column at a pressure of from 0.5 to 40 bar, preferably from 1 to 15 bar, particularly preferably from 3 to 10 bar, since smaller heat inputs and smaller amounts of methanol can be achieved at higher pressure.
The pressure in the rectification column can be chosen freely within a wide range. It is advisable to work at from about 1 to 4 bar. In the case of vapor compression, the pressure change between the two columns is advantageously chosen so that vapor compression for the methanol/water mixture or alternatively the methanol stream is readily possible.
The methanol necessary for the reaction and for dilution of the alkali metal methoxide solution is introduced at temperatures up to the boiling point, preferably at room temperature, at the top of the rectification column.
In a further embodiment of the invention, which is advantageous in respect of capital cost, the reaction column and rectification column are accommodated within a single outer column wall in which the lower region of the column is divided by a vertical dividing wall installed between the column walls so as to prevent cross-mixing of liquid and vapor streams in this subregion of the column, both parts of this longitudinally divided region have their own vaporizer via which the alkoxide solution or the water is taken off, the methanol obtained at the top of the column at a reflux ratio of at least 0.5, preferably from 0.8 to 1.4, which has a water content of from 20 to 100 ppm, is passed through a partial condenser and vapor compressor and then introduced at the lower end of the column in the subregion from which the alkoxide solution is taken off.
In this mode of operation, it is found to be useful to operate the column at a pressure of from 0.5 to 10 bar, preferably from 1 to 8 bar, particularly preferably from 3 to 5 bar.

Abstract: In one variant of the invention, the trays chosen for the reaction column configured as a bubble cap tray, valve tray or sieve tray column are trays in which not more than 5%, preferably  less than 1%, of the liquid rains through the respective trays.

Abstract: In another variant of the process of the present invention, the double-wall reaction column has a temperature in the double wall which is from 3 to 10xc2x0 C. above the internal temperature in the column and is provided with random or ordered packing, where the average ratio of liquid flow to vapor flow is not exceeded by more than 15%, preferably not by more than 3%, in all subregions of the column cross section which correspond to more than 2% of the total column cross section.


A method for marking a specific tube in a shell and tube heat exchanger includes inserting a marker into a second tube adjacent to the tube to be marked and directing a directional pointer on the marker toward the tube to be marked.

The present invention relates to shell and tube heat exchangers and, in particular, to an arrangement for marking specific tubes, for example tubes that need to be repaired, serviced differently than other tubes, left alone or otherwise corrected. Shell and tube heat exchangers that are used as chemical reactors may have many thousands of open-ended tubes. Various methods have been used in the past to mark tubes. Usually, a marker cap has been inserted into the open end of the tube being marked, but those markers can come loose when people walk on top of the tube sheet, and they require the marker to be removed in order to treat the tube. Also, when the marker is removed in order to treat the tube, the location of the tube may be lost. Other methods of marking tubes have included using paint, tape, and permanent markers on the tube sheet. However paint, tape and ink can rub off as people walk along the tube sheet.
One or more of the tubes in the chemical reactor may have thermocouples to monitor the reaction temperature during operation. The catalyst in these thermocouple tubes is loaded separately with special attention to the thermocouples and their electrical leads. It is useful to be able to temporarily seal a thermocouple tube to prevent catalyst loading in that tube while the other tubes are being loaded. Once the other tubes are loaded with catalyst, it is useful to be able to readily identify the thermocouple tubes to be separately loaded with catalyst but without obstructing the thermocouple tube to be loaded.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for marking tubes in a shell and tube heat exchanger


A shared coupling facility contains system lock management (SLM) means for supporting a distributed locking protocol used by a plurality of sharing lock managers each executing on a processor having access to the shared memory and to any other processors in the processor complex. A request to lock a resource shared among the lock managers is first checked against a local hash table and then, if necessary, forwarded to the system lock management means in the shared memory for synchronous or asynchronous processing. List structures are maintained in the shared coupling facility to support the protocol, and are used by the system lock management means to record data recovery status. The sharing lock managers interact with the SLM means to control/manage lock contention, waiter queueing, and compatibility processing.

Data processing systems have long used "locking" as a means for insuring data integrity. At its most fundamental level, locking a resource is a technique used by a process to prevent its use by another process until the locking process is finished with it--this locking technique being termed "exclusive" locking. In large Data Processing (DP) systems, where data sharing and parallel transaction processing is the rule, it becomes increasingly important to insure that this locking does not result in unnecessary delay of transactions (e.g., because a critical resource in performing the locking becomes unavailable, or because the locking is not at a sufficiently low level of granularity, or because the locking protocol does not recognize requests that may proceed in parallel--e.g., simultaneous READ requests).
To deal with these and other problems in loosely coupled systems environments, a number of design approaches have developed: one approach, which employs IMS Resource Lock Managers (IRLM's) in each system of a loosely coupled environment, provides local hash tables to record information about hold and wait locks for local applications, and selective wait lock information for other applications; message protocols communicate lock information with other systems when necessary. Details of this approach may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,504, "Method and Means for the Sharing of Data Resources in a Multiprocessing, Multiprogramming Environment" by Obermarck, et al., issued Aug. 16, 1983; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,304, "Method and Means for the Retention of Locks Across Systems, Subsystem, and Communication Failures in a Multiprocessing, Multiprogramming, Shared Data Environment", by Carr et al., issued Oct. 30, 1984; both are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and are incorporated herein by reference.
An alternate approach (detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,719, "Method for Lock Management, Page Coherency, and Asynchronous Writing of Changed Pages to Shared External Store in a Distributed Computer System", by Shoens, et al., issued Oct. 23, 1990, assigned to the assignee of the present invention) shows the use of a single "interest manager" which is a mediator for lock requests, and a focal point for all lock requests.
Both the above approaches have some disadvantages, such as the need for frequent messages concerning locks among processors, and the potential loss of status information in the event of a failure of an individual IRLM or interest manager.
A different approach, called distributed global locking, is described in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Volume 31, No. 1, June 1988, p. 206, "Distributed Locking Facility for Multi-system Data Sharing". Here global locking information is maintained on a distributed basis, though, again, inter-system messaging is relied on to maintain the information, and a priority scheme is used to resolve locking contention.
Building upon these developments of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to minimize the overhead of global locking; that is, to reduce to a minimum the additional instructions needed to be executed to satisfy global locking protocols.
It is a further object of the present invention to limit the time that a transaction is delayed because of locking protocols--the transaction synchronous delay (TSD).
It is still a further object of the present invention to promote shared data availability by permitting (in the case of loss of local data) processing against undamaged data, while, at the same time, allowing recovery operations to proceed on the damaged portions.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible mechanism whereby lock managers can implement different locking compatibility matrices, priority queueing schemes, or other locking protocols so as to resolve locking contention in a way which most effectively meets the serialization requirements of their clients.

Method and apparatus for distributed locking of shared data, employing a central coupling facility

International Business Machines Corporation


The miniaturizable sensor comprises an insulating substrate (10) supporting first measurement electrode (24) and comprising a flexible measurement arm (18) of conductive or semiconductor material, one end of which is secured to the substrate (10) and the other end of which constitutes a second electrode facing the first electrode. The first end of the measurement arm is secured to the substrate via a beam (16) having a bending modulus at least ten times greater than that of the measurement arm (18) and substantially parallel to the measurement arm and via a foot (14) rigidly secured to the substrate (10) and situated between the two ends of the measurement arm, the connections of the beam (16) to the measurement arm (18) and to the foot (14) being of the fixed-end type.

The invention relates to capacitive acceleration sensors capable of being implemented in a small volume and is particularly applicable in all areas of industry where the use of low cost miniature sensors is necessary.
The invention relates particularly to sensors of the type comprising an insulating substrate supporting a first measurement electrode and comprising a flexible measurement arm of semiconductor material, one end of which is secured to the substrate and the other end of which constitutes a second electrode facing the first electrode, flexibility of the arm allowing the second electrode to be displaced towards and away from the substrate in response to acceleration in a direction transverse to the electrodes.
Such sensors are known in which the first end of the flexible arm is enlarged and secured to the substrate by, for example, soldering. The difference in thermal expansion between the substrate, which is usually constituted by a metal oxide such as alumina, and the arm, constituted for example by silicon, causes modification in the rest angle of the arm relative to the substrate and therefore in the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the electrodes. It is difficult to compensate precisely for this zero shift.

Capacitive acceleration sensor and its application in a non-servoed accelerometer

Societe d'Applications Generales d'Electricite et de Mecanique SAGEM


The subject matter described herein relates a microstrip antenna. In one implementation, the microstrip antenna comprises a dielectric substrate, a first metallic layer on a first side of the dielectric substrate and a second metallic layer on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the dielectric substrate. The first metallic layer on the dielectric substrate comprises one or more end-to-end slots to divide the first metallic layer into a plurality of microstrip patches. The microstrip antenna also comprises a feed circuit which is electromagnetically coupled to the plurality of microstrip patches and the second metallic layer.

Antennas are devices that are configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic (EM) radiations of predefined frequencies. The transmitted or the received EM radiations carry data for the purpose of wireless communication of data from one place to another. The antennas are coupled with a suitable transceiver which feeds electrical signals, coded with the data, which are converted by the antenna to EM radiations for transmission, and conversely, converts EM radiations that are received by the antenna, into electrical signals.
Microstrip antennas, also known as patch antennas, are a certain type of antennas that are known for transmission and reception of EM radiations in a radio frequency (RF) range. A typical microstrip antenna includes a dielectric substrate in the form of a slab, having a metallic microstrip patch on one surface and a metallic ground layer on the other. While operating in a transmission mode, the microstrip antenna is fed with electrical signals, through an RF transceiver, based on which the metallic microstrip patch radiates EM radiations of a predetermined RF. In a receiving mode, the metallic microstrip patch of the microstrip antenna receives the EM radiations of the predefined RF, based on which electrical signals are produced in the microstrip antenna and are supplied to the RF transceiver.
Microstrip antennas are popular for their use in wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, portable computers as they possess numerous advantages, like compact size, light weight, planar structure, conformal, compatible for embedded antennas, integrable with integrated circuits and low manufacturing cost.


A new Chrysanthemum plant named ‘CIDZ0032’ particularly distinguished by the red decorative-type inflorescences, strong vigorous growth with good branching, excellent flowering uniformity with an 8 week flowering response.

The present invention comprises a new Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'CIDZ0032'.
'CIDZ0032' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has red decorative-type inflorescences, strong vigorous growth with good branching, excellent flowering uniformity with an 8 week flowering response.
'CIDZ0032' originated from a hybridization made in January 1998 in a greenhouse in Salinas, Calif. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietary plant designated 'YB-6351'. 'YB-6351' has light pink spoon shaped inflorescences and a slower flowering response than 'CIDZ0032'.
The male parent of 'CIDZ0032' was a proprietary, unpatented plant identified as 'YB-6605' with bronze-red, single form, spoon-type inflorescences.
The resultant seed was sown in a shade structure in July 1998 in Fort Myers, Fla. 'CIDZ0032' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in December 1998, grown in pots under a shade structure in Fort Myers, Fla.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'CIDZ0032' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in March 1999 in a greenhouse in Fort Myers, Fla.


Reconfigurable circuits with configuration data loaders are described herein. The configuration data loaders are adapted to enable on circuit finalization of configuration data provided in symbolic form, not fully resolved.

Reconfigurable circuits such as those that include Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are circuits that can be programmed to execute some sort of application. Typically, reconfigurable circuits include reconfigurable logic resources, such as reconfigurable function blocks, and reconfigurable interconnect resources, such as reconfigurable connection matrices. Each of the reconfigurable function blocks typically includes reconfigurable logic cells, while each of the reconfigurable connection matrices includes reconfigurable interconnect devices (e.g., crossbar devices).
Actual programming of a reconfigurable circuit so that it can be configured in a particular manner is generally performed using a software tool suite that may be run on a computing device such as a workstation, and storing the resulting finalized configuration data into a nonvolatile storage such as a programmable read-only memory (PROM). In order to program the reconfigurable circuit, the software tool suite typically converts a high-level description of a circuit design implementing an application into finalized configuration data. The finalized configuration data will typically be a collection of bits that can be provided to the reconfigurable circuit and ready to be acted on by the reconfigurable circuit to configure itself, without further processing and/or resolution. The configuration data may be provided upon start-up of the reconfigurable circuit or upon request by the user.
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional process for configuring a conventional reconfigurable circuit and for executing an application on the resulting configured reconfigurable circuit. The process 100 begins when register transfer logic (RTL) synthesis is performed transforming a high level description (RTL description) of a circuit design implementing an application into a low level description at 102. The RTL synthesis, in brief, involves synthesis of the circuit design. The resulting low-level description includes netlists of elementary functions that execute the same global functions as the initial RTL description. Next, the elementary functions are placed and routed (place and route) at 104. In place and route, the logic resources included in the reconfigurable function blocks of the reconfigurable circuit are assigned to implement the elementary functions, and the routing of the signals between the assigned logic resources, using the connection resources (that are included in the reconfigurable connection matrices) is determined.
Following place and route, a finalization operation is performed whereby a collection of bits that can be directly read and acted on by the reconfigurable circuit to configure itself (without further processing and/or resolution) is generated at 106. This operation typically includes generation of the bitmaps of the reconfigurable connection matrices and the configuration data of the reconfigurable function blocks present in the reconfigurable circuit. Once the configuration data is generated, it is typically stored in some nonvolatile storage such as a PROM.
Upon power-up of the reconfigurable circuit or upon user request, the reconfigurable circuit is configured using the bit information stored in the nonvolatile storage, which is typically external to the reconfigurable circuit at 108. Once the reconfigurable circuit has been properly configured, the application may be executed on the configured reconfigurable circuit at 110.
At least two issues arise when a conventional process such as the one depicted in FIG. 1 is used in configuring a reconfigurable circuit. First, since the amount of finalized configuration data in bit form can be substantial, such a process 100 typically calls for a large nonvolatile storage (i.e., PROM) for storing the finalized configuration data. Second, the bit information generated by the workstation is often unable to take into account the precise characteristics of the reconfigurable circuit being configured. For example, the software tool suite may not be able to recognize defective function blocks that may be present in the reconfigurable circuit. Further, the software tool suite may not be able to take into account the varying array sizes of different reconfigurable circuits or accommodate newer arrays not recognized by the software tool suite.

On circuit finalization of configuration data in a reconfigurable circuit


Methods and systems for simultaneously forming and filling a container from a preform with fluid, adjusting a fill point of the fluid, and removing air and/or foam from within the container. One of the methods includes injecting fluid from a fill source into the preform through a nozzle passage defined between the nozzle and a seal pin of the forming and filling system to simultaneously form the container from the preform and fill the container. After the container is formed and filled, the seal pin is actuated to close the nozzle passage and prevent fluid and air from exiting the container through the nozzle passage, thereby trapping fluid and air within the container under pressure. Air, fluid, and/or foam is extracted out from within the container through a passageway defined within a stretch rod to adjust a fill point of the container.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
As a result of environmental and other concerns, plastic containers, more specifically polyester and even more specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, are now being used more than ever to package numerous commodities previously supplied in glass containers. Manufacturers and fillers, as well as consumers, have recognized that PET containers are lightweight, inexpensive, recyclable and manufacturable in large quantities.
Existing container forming and filling methods and systems are suitable for their intended use, but are subject to improvement. For example, there is a need for improved systems and methods for forming and filling a container with fluid, adjusting a fill point of the fluid, and removing air and/or foam from within the container. The present disclosure advantageously includes improved methods and systems for simultaneously forming and filling a container from a preform with fluid, adjusting a fill point of the fluid, and removing air and/or foam from within the container, which provides numerous advantages as explained herein and as one skilled in the art will recognize.

Foaming and fill level control through stretch rod


Apparatus and methods for bill integration are provided. Checks issued by a bill-pay vendor may be integrated into a daily issue file and be presented to a user for review. The review may include selecting one or more check service to be applied to a check. The presenting may including marking checks and images corresponding to items received from a bill-pay vendor. Credit card transactions initiated via a bill-pay vendor may be integrated into the daily issue file. Checks received from the bill-pay vendor may be numbered into a range that is not a user-generated range. Bill-pay integration may include just-in-time funding of payments initiated through the bill-pay vendor. The daily issue file may be accessed via a mobile device, and may be filtered based on an entitlement associated with the mobile device.

Although transactions are increasingly executed online and using transaction cards, negotiable instruments continue to be used for executing transactions. A negotiable instrument, such as a check, includes an instruction of a customer of a financial institution. The instruction may include an order instructing the financial institution to pay an amount to a payee.
A financial institution that is subject to an order to pay the amount may be a drawee bank. The customer that orders the drawee bank to pay the amount may be a drawer or a payer.
The payee may receive the check as payment for services or goods provided to the payer. The payee may receive the check directly from the payer.
The check may be issued by a bill-pay vendor. The bill-pay vendor may provide check issuing services to the payer. The bill-pay vendor may receive instructions from the payer. The instructions may direct the bill-pay vendor to generate one or more paper checks. The bill-pay vendor may transmit the paper check to the payee.
The payee may present the check received from the bill-pay vendor for deposit at a depositary financial institution (hereinafter, "depositary bank"). The payee may request that the amount noted on the check be credited to an account of the payee. The depositary bank may provide financial services to the payee. A service provided by the depositary bank may include processing of a check issued by the payer.
Processing of a check may include receiving a check from the payee. Processing may include receiving a request from the payee to credit an account of the payee. The credit may correspond to a handwritten amount indicated in a segment of the check.
The depositary bank may receive the check and transmit a copy of the check to the drawee bank. The depositary bank may request that the drawee bank transfer funds to the depositary bank. The funds may correspond to the amount indicated on the check. The funds may be credited to an account of the payee held at the depositary bank.
The drawee bank may provide services to the payer. The services may include check services. The check services may include fraud detection services. The popularity of checks has been accompanied by check fraud. Check fraud may include a printing of a check that is not authorized by the payer or the bill-pay vendor. Check fraud may include presenting an unauthorized check for deposit.
Upon receiving the copy of the check, the drawee bank may attempt to assess an authenticity of the check. To assess authenticity, the drawee bank may attempt to detect a fraudulent check. A fraudulent check may be detected by examining one or more segments of a check template. For example, upon inspection, a signature segment of a check template may include a signature that does not correlate to a known signature of the payer. A visual inspection of the check may indicate that a numerical segment stating the amount may not correlate to a segment describing the amount in words.
Check services provided by a depositary or drawee bank may include presenting a deposited check to the payer or payee for confirmation. Check services may include stopping payment on a check or temporarily suspending processing of the check. Check services may include, prior to debiting an account of the payer, reconciling a deposited check with a ledger of checks maintained by the drawee bank on behalf of the payer. Check services may include filtering deposited checks for suspicious or out of pattern checks.
Various check services provided by the drawee bank may streamline a processing of checks and reduce incidents of check fraud. However, a drawee bank may not have access to all checks issued in the name of the payer. For example, check issued on behalf of the payer by a bill-pay vendor may not be available to the drawee bank. The drawee bank may be unable to provide a variety of check services to the payer.
It would be desirable to provide a treasury management system that provides check services independent of an issuing source of a check. It would be desirable, therefore, to integrate apparatus and methods for bill-pay services into a treasury management system.


The invention relates generally to methods for determining the likelihood that targeted somatic mutagenesis of a nucleic acid molecule by a mutagenic agent has occurred, and the likelihood that a mutagenic agent is a cause of targeted somatic mutagenesis of a nucleic acid molecule. The invention further relates to methods for diagnosing cancer in a subject and/or determining the likelihood that a subject has or will develop cancer, and methods for treating subjects diagnosed with cancer or determined to be likely to have or to develop cancer. In further aspects, the invention relates to methods for identifying motifs in nucleic acid molecules that are recognized or targeted by mutagenic agents.

The progression of normal cells to cancer cells can be influenced by a variety of factors, including changes in the immune system, hormonal status, gene expression and signalling between tissues. A particularly important factor in cancer progression is somatic mutation, which plays a role in cancers of most, if not all, tissue types.
The accumulation of somatic mutations in various genes appears directly related to cancer progression. This has been demonstrated using various animal models in which an increase in somatic mutagenesis resulting from, for example, impaired DNA polymerase proofreading or DNA repair, was associated with accelerated tumor progression (see e.g. Venkatesan et al. (2007). Mol. Cell. Biol. 27: 7669-7682; and Albertson (2009) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 17101-17104). Increased somatic mutagenesis of various genes has also been associated with a variety of cancers. For example, somatic mutations in the TP53 gene are one of the most frequent alterations in human cancers. Somatic TP53 mutations occur in almost every type of cancer at rates from 38%-50% in ovarian, esophageal, colorectal, head and neck, larynx, and lung cancers to about 5% in primary leukemia, sarcoma, testicular cancer, malignant melanoma, and cervical cancer, and advanced stage or aggressive cancer subtypes (such as triple negative or HER2-amplified breast cancers) are associated with an increased frequency of somatic mutations in TP53 (reviewed in Olivier et al. (2010) Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2:a001008). Other genes associated with cancer that accumulate somatic mutations include, for example, BRAF, HRAS, KRAS2 and NRAS, although over 25000 genes are now included in COSMIC, the online database of somatically acquired mutations found in human cancer.
Somatic mutagenesis can be caused by environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke, UV light and radiation, and/or biological factors or processes, such as chromosome translocation, DNA mis-repair or non-repair, and enzyme-initiated somatic hypermutation (SHM). Determining the cause and extent of somatic mutagenesis in cells can not only assist in diagnosing conditions associated with somatic mutagenesis or predicting the risk of developing such conditions, but can also assist in developing the most appropriate treatment or prevention protocols. Thus, there is a need for accurate methods for determining the presence of somatic mutagenesis and identifying which mutagenic agent or agents are responsible for somatic mutagenesis in a subject.

Methods for determining the cause of somatic mutagenesis


In the preparation of a characteristic word list as one method of text mining, means for selecting an unnecessary word group that requires to be removed in advance is provided. Document IDs and a user ID are received from a client, and a characteristic word list is prepared from the document IDs and document information obtained in advance. Next, selected book IDs are obtained referring to the user ID and a user attribute table. On the basis of the obtained book IDs, unnecessary words are removed from the characteristic word list prepared by characteristic word list preparation program, and the characteristic word list from which the unnecessary words are removed is returned to the client as mining results.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a text mining server and a text mining program for automatically extracting characteristic words.
2. Background Art
Text mining is an effective means for obtaining significant information from a mass of document information. Among various methods of text mining, one effective method extracts characteristic words and makes a list of them. In this method, words are extracted from documents relative to inputted document IDs and weighted, and then words having high weight are listed as characteristic words. The weighting can be realized by using tf (Term Frequency) and idf (Inverse Document Frequency) as weight, for example. The tf and idf is a method in which when T(W) represents the total number of documents that include a word W, N represents the total number of documents, and F(W, Q) represents the frequency of appearance of the word W in a document Q, the level of importance of the word W in the document Q is defined by "F(W, Q)*Log[N/T(W)]". F(W, Q) corresponds to the tf, and Log[N/T(W)] corresponds to the idf.
The following is a flow of text mining where characteristic words are listed. Document IDs are transmitted from a client computer to a server computer. The server computer extracts characteristic words from document information that has the received document IDs using a characteristic word extraction program and the server computer obtains a characteristic word list. The characteristic word list is transmitted to the client computer, and the client computer receives the transmitted mining results and displays them, thereby ending mining. Documents relating to the text mining include the following Patent Document 1.
Patent Document 1: JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-152035 A


The slope angle of a blade on an earthmoving machine is automatically controlled based on measurements from a three-axis gyroscope, a blade slope angle tilt sensor, and a blade tip angle tilt sensor mounted on the blade. A three-axis gyroscope has high dynamic response and high resistance to mechanical disturbances but is subject to potentially unbounded errors. A tilt sensor has bounded errors but has a slow dynamic response and a high sensitivity to mechanical disturbances. The combination of a three-axis gyroscope and two tilt sensors provides an advantageous measurement system. Algorithms for performing proper fusion of the measurements account for the lack of synchronization between the three-axis gyroscope and the tilt sensors and also screen out invalid measurements from the tilt sensors. The blade slope angle is controlled based on a reference blade slope angle and an estimate of the blade slope angle computed from properly fused measurements.

The present invention relates generally to earthmoving machines, and more particularly to automatic blade slope control.
Construction machines referred to as earthmoving machines are used to shape a plot of land into a desired ground profile. Examples of earthmoving machines include bulldozers and motor graders. Bulldozers are used primarily for coarse movement of earth; motor graders are used primarily for fine control of the final ground profile. Bulldozers and motor graders are equipped with a blade to move earth. The blade position and blade attitude are adjustable. Blade position can be specified by parameters such as blade elevation and blade sideshift. Blade attitude can be specified by parameters such as blade tip angle and blade slope angle.
Blade position and blade attitude are often manually controlled by a machine operator. To improve operational speed and precision, automatic control is desirable. Various automatic control systems have been deployed. They vary in complexity, cost, number of parameters controlled, response time, and precision.


A system and a method for automated process management of software in a computer network having a plurality of computers, including for deployment. The automated process management optionally and preferably includes modeling the software application according to one or more requirements of the computer network. The modeling also preferably includes operational modeling. This modeling bridges the gap between development and operation teams. The automated process management is preferably controlled at a management server via a console, such that one or more users may more preferably adjust the process management or at least optionally view progress of any actions within the automated process performance. Such management server preferably enables the software product to be deployed, managed, verified, monitored and tracked from a single location. More preferably, the system and method provide management reports, for generating deployment and/or other automated process management reports for the technical (software professional and/or deployment professional) and management level.

Computer-based networks, in particular the Internet, have expanded the possibilities for operation of software. Rather than restricting the operation of such software to a single computer, a multi-tier architecture has become popular. Multi-tier architecture (often referred to as n-tier architecture) is a client-server architecture in which an application is executed by more than one distinct software agent. For example, an application that uses middleware to service data requests between a user and a database employs multi-tier architecture. The most widespread use of "multi-tier architecture" refers to three-tier architecture. Three-tier is a client-server architecture in which the user interface, functional process logic ("business rules"), computer data storage and data access are developed and maintained as independent modules, most often on separate platforms. The three-tier architecture is intended to allow any of the three tiers to be upgraded or replaced independently as requirements or technology change. For example, a change of functionality in the presentation tier may only affect the user interface code. Typically, the user interface runs on a desktop PC or workstation and uses a standard graphical user interface, such as an Internet Browser, functional process logic may consist of one or more separate modules running on a workstation or application server, and an RDBMS on a database server or mainframe contains the computer data storage logic. The 3-Tier architecture has the following three tiers:
Presentation Tier
This is the top most level of the application. The presentation tier displays information related to GUI (graphical user interface) services. For example, for an e-commerce application, this tier relates to such services as browsing merchandise, purchasing, and shopping cart contents. It communicates with other tiers by outputting results to the browser/client tier and all other tiers in the network.
Application Tier
The logic tier is separable from the presentation tier and, as its own layer, it controls an application's functionality by performing detailed processing.
Data Tier
This tier consists of services for providing data, as well as hardware such as Database Servers. Here information is stored and retrieved. This tier keeps data neutral and independent from application servers or business logic. Giving data its own tier also improves scalability and performance.
Multi-tier applications are usually divided into modules that are typically distributed between the tiers. Each tier might be implemented by several servers. The modules communicate with each other in order, for example, to exchange data or for synchronize activities. These complicated applications are hard to deploy, maintain and operate. The operators, who maintain the system, have to be assisted by specialized individuals who understand the application. Therefore, maintaining, upgrading, deploying and implementing such applications have become a cumbersome and time consuming process.
Currently there are no fully automated, centrally controlled solutions to this problem. Instead, currently available solutions rely upon manual execution of at least a part of the process, such that a complicated plan for managing such an application must be prepared and performed by highly skilled computer software programmers, significantly raising the cost and complexity of the deployment of new software. Currently there are no fully automated, centrally controlled solutions for controlling and monitoring the activation software.
The situation is further complicated by the recent move in many organizations to SaaS (Software as a Service) and Web Applications, in which a software application is delivered as a service through the Internet (typically through the Web). The deployment and management of SaaS and Web Applications operation is highly complex, dynamic and expensive. Furthermore, for such software deployments, the data center is an important part of the business organization, thereby increasing the requirement for manageable and faultless deployment.

System and method for application process automation over a computer network


An acoustic device includes an acoustic assembly that defines a first acoustic volume. The acoustic assembly includes at least one passive radiator in acoustic communication with the first acoustic volume. A first electro-acoustic driver is configured to acoustically energize the first acoustic volume so as to drive the piston in oscillatory motion. The acoustic device also includes a housing within which the acoustic assembly is disposed. The housing has a curved inner surface. The passive radiator has a curvature which conforms to the curvature of the curved inner surface of the housing so as to reduce unused space between the at least one passive radiator and the curved inner surface of the housing.

This disclosure relates to an acoustic device with curved passive radiators.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/076,547 discloses a portable loudspeaker that includes an electro-acoustic driver which creates sound waves when operated and a housing having a front side to which the driver is secured. An internal part of the housing defines a first portion of an acoustic volume in which at least a portion of the driver is located. A passive radiator is secured to the housing and is located on the same side of the housing as the driver. The sound waves from the driver are capable of energizing the acoustic volume which causes the passive radiator to vibrate and emit sound waves.

Acoustic device with curved passive radiators