A vehicle remote-operation apparatus is provided which transmits a regular authentication request signal from a vehicle-outside antenna and simultaneously transmits an interference wave for negating this authentication request signal from a vehicle-inside antenna, so that the communicable range can be limited between a radio portable unit allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle and the vehicle-outside antenna. Thereby, authentication communication is established only for a regular communication request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle remote-operation apparatus which includes a radio portable unit allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, a remote-operation apparatus for a vehicle has been rapidly developed which is capable of opening and closing a door lock of the vehicle without inserting a key in a door of the vehicle.
FIG. 4, FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 are top views of a conventional vehicle remote-operation apparatus installed in a vehicle, showing its configurations. FIG. 5, FIG. 7 and FIG. 9 are diagrams, showing operational sequences of the conventional vehicle remote-operation apparatus.
In FIG. 4, in a vehicle, vehicle-outside antennas 11, 12, 13, 14 are provided near the door on the driver's seat side, near the door on the passenger-seat side, inside of or near a rear bumper on the driver's seat side and inside of or near the rear bumper on the passenger-seat side, respectively. Inside of the vehicle, vehicle-inside antennas 15, 16 are provided.
Herein, a conventional operation method will be described. First, a vehicle owner 5, holding a radio portable unit 4 allocated an identification code unique to a vehicle, comes close to the driver's seat and touches the door on the driver's seat side. Thereby, a door outside switch 2 on the driver's seat side is turned on, and this on-signal is transmitted to a control unit 1. Then, the control unit 1 transmits an authentication request signal, using the vehicle-outside antenna 11 (see FIG. 5(a)). At this time, if the portable unit 4 is located within a range 11A where the authentication request signal from the vehicle-outside antenna 11 can be communicated, the portable unit 4 transmits an authentication response signal (see FIG. 5(b)). Then, an authentication-signal receiver 8 receives this authentication response signal. If this is a code on record, a door-lock switch signal is transmitted to the control unit 1 (see FIG. 5(c)). Thereby, the door lock is opened.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the portable unit 4 is located in the rear of the vehicle, the control unit 1 transmits the authentication request signal using the vehicle-outside antenna 11 (see FIG. 7(a)). At this time, the portable unit 4 is out of the communicable range 11A of the authentication request signal from the vehicle-outside antenna 11. This disables the portable unit 4 from transmitting the authentication response signal. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 1 transmits the authentication request signal using the vehicle-outside antenna 13 (see FIG. 7(b)). Then, the portable unit 4 located within a range 13A where this authentication request signal can be communicated transmits the authentication response signal (see FIG. 7(c)). Sequentially, the authentication-signal receiver 8 receives this authentication response signal. This result is checked, the door-lock switch signal is transmitted to the control unit 1, and the door lock is opened (see FIG. 7(d)).
Furthermore, in the same way, if the vehicle owner 5 who is holding the portable unit 4 comes close to the passenger seat, a door outside switch 3 on the passenger-seat side is turned on, as well. Then, this on-signal is transmitted to the control unit 1. Sequentially, the control unit 1 transmits the authentication request signal, using the vehicle-outside antenna 12. At this time, if the portable unit 4 is located within the range where the authentication request signal from the antenna 12 can be communicated, the portable unit 4 transmits the authentication response signal. Then, the authentication-signal receiver 8 receives this authentication response signal. If this is a registered code, the door-lock switch signal is transmitted to the control unit 1, so that the door lock is opened.
Moreover, if the vehicle owner 5 holding the portable unit 4 approaches the vehicle from behind it, a door outside switch 7 on the vehicle-rear side is turned on. Then, this on-signal is transmitted to the control unit 1. Sequentially, the control unit 1 transmits the authentication request signal, using the vehicle-outside antenna 13 or 14. At this time, if the portable unit 4 is located within the range where the authentication request signal from the vehicle-outside antenna 13 or 14 can be communicated, the portable unit 4 transmits the authentication response signal. Then, the authentication-signal receiver 8 receives this, and if this is a registered code, the door-lock switch signal is transmitted to the control unit 1, so that the door lock is opened. Incidentally, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-106019 specification is known as a prior-art document related to the present invention.
However, in the above described conventional method, for example, when the vehicle owner 5 stays in the vehicle with holding the portable unit 4, if a third person touches the door outside switch 2 or the like as a switch for starting communication, communication may be executed to establish an authentication. This can fall into the opening of a door lock.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, let's assume the vehicle owner 5 who is holding the portable unit 4 sits within a communicable range 15A of the vehicle-inside antenna 15, and that a third person 6 who does not have the portable unit 4 comes close to the vehicle and touches the door outside switch 2. At this time, using the vehicle-inside antennas 15, 16, the control unit 1 transmits a communication standby signal for not responding to the portable unit 4 to the communicable ranges 15A and 16A, respectively (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)). Thereby, even if the door outside switch 2 is turned on, the door lock is not opened. Thereafter, in order to detect the portable unit 4 being located within the vehicle-outside communicable range, the vehicle-outside antenna 11 transmits the authentication request signal to the portable unit 4 (see FIG. 9(c)). At this time, the portable unit 4 is within the range of the vehicle-inside antenna 15, so that an authentication response is not made. This prevents the door lock from being opened, and thus, the third person 6 from opening the door.
However, even in this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the authentication time taken to communicate for the standby is equivalent to a time (T1×2+T2). Herein, T1 denotes the transmission time of the communication standby signal, and T2 designates the transmission time of the authentication request signal. As a result, even if the vehicle owner 5 who is holding the portable unit 4 touches the door outside switch 2, the total transmission time (T1×2) of the communication standby signal is added to the transmission time T2 of the authentication response signal. Hence, more time is taken, thus lengthening the processing time.


A generally C shaped power tool handle has two ends for releasably engaging the power tool housing, with a gripping portion between the ends. One of the handle ends has a release lever, while the other of the ends has an attachment arm. The release lever has an actuating end operable to detach the handle from the tool housing. Additional power tool handle embodiments are directed to a tool handle that has a gripping layer and a storage compartment in the handle, with a pliable lip in the handle for resisting movement of stored tools.

The present invention is related to power hand tools. More particularly, the present invention is related to handles for power hand tools as well as methods for making power tool handles.
Many power tools have handles for holding them when in use. Some power tools have detachable handles. Detachable handles may be desirable for use with a power rotary cutting hand tool, for instance, to be able to hold the tool in different positions. A rotary cutting tool may require significant force to move it about in operation to cut into material such as drywall. Two handed operation and directly gripping the tool housing may therefore be desired. It may be inconvenient, however, to grip the tool housing directly or to use two hands when using the tool to operate in other positions. When using the tool to cut into an overhead surface, for example, it may be useful to have a handle attached to the tool for gripping. Detachable handles are advantageous so that a user may have the option of holding the tool directly by its housing or by the handle.
Although some examples of detachable handles for power tools are known, these examples have problems associated with them. One problem, for example, is that some detachable handles require tools to remove them or are otherwise difficult to attach and remove. Use of tools such as a wrench, pliers, or the like disadvantageously requires time and effort. Although a more easily detachable handle would be desirable, this desirable feature must be balanced against the need to securely attach the handle to minimize the chances of accidental disengagement.
Examples of tool handles having a tool storage compartment are also known. It is convenient to provide for storage of a wrench and the like so that these tools are close at hand when using the power tool. Known handle storage compartments have problems associated with them, however. For example, the tendency of stored tools to move about and rattle in the compartment is disadvantageous.
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a detachable handle for a power tool. A detachable handle invention embodiment is generally C shaped, and has opposite end portions with a gripping portion therebetween. A release lever is proximate one handle end portion, and pivots between two lever ends. One of the lever ends is for engaging the tool housing first portion. The detachable handle also has an attachment arm on the other end for engaging another portion of the tool housing.
An additional invention embodiment is directed to a power tool handle having a storage compartment. The tool handle has a gripping portion with a gripping layer thereon, with at least a passage communicating between the gripping portion and the storage compartment. A pliable lip is located in the storage compartment for resisting the movement of a stored tool. The pliable lip is formed of the same material as the gripping layer, and is continuous with the gripping layer through the passage. Yet an additional invention embodiment is directed to a method for making a power tool handle, and comprises steps of forming a gripping layer on a handle exterior surface and forming a pliable lip in a handle interior storage compartment that is continuous through a passage with the gripping layer.


Provided is a function of minimizing a delay time of a packet call disconnect due to a handover between communication networks providing a communication service using different mobile communication technologies. To do this, even though a handover situation is generated during a packet service, the packet service is continuously provided by maintaining a current mode and performing a mode change after registration in a handover target network succeeds. Accordingly, since the packet service is not provided only while a packet call connecting process is performed, a delay time according to a packet call reconnection can be minimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a handover method for minimizing a packet call reconnection delay time between different mobile communication schemes when a packet call is disconnected due to a handover between communication networks providing a communication service using different mobile communication technologies and a multi-mode terminal for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, mobile communication networks are being upgraded from second generation (2G) networks, such as code division multiple access (CDMA) networks and European global systems for mobile communication (GSM) networks, to third generation (3G) networks such as wideband CDMA (WCDMA) networks. Since service areas using 2G schemes are widely distributed and their infrastructures are completely equipped at the present time, while the infrastructures of the 2G networks are transitionally used, areas in which the 3G networks are installed are gradually widening. Thus, in this transitional state, terminals designed to support services specified to the 3G networks are manufactured as multi-mode terminals to also support the existing 2G schemes.
Some main characteristics of such a multi-mode terminal are an idle handover function for changing to a CDMA mode or a WCDMA mode, a traffic handover function for seamlessly changing to the CDMA mode when the multi-mode terminal moves to a WCDMA shadow area while engaged in communication, and a packet call reconnection function for reconnecting a packet type data call by changing to the CDMA mode or the WCDMA mode when a handover occurs. Although these functions are economical because an existing 2G CDMA network can be used, since the multi-mode terminal must quickly perform a handover between different modems, hardware and software implementation of the multi-mode terminal is complicated.
FIG. 1 is a signaling diagram illustrating an operation of a multi-mode terminal performing the packet call reconnection function.
Referring to FIG. 1, in response to a packet service connection request from a user, an application processor, i.e., a controller 30 transmits a Packet-Switched (PS) CALL ORIGINATION message to a WCDMA modem 20 in step 100. In response to the PS CALL ORIGINATION message, the WCDMA modem 20 sequentially transmits a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Mobility Management (GMM) SERVICE REQUEST message in step 105 and an ACTIVATE Packet Data Protocol (PDP) CONTEXT REQUEST message in step 110 to a WCDMA Base Transceiver Station (BTS) 10 and receives an ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message from the WCDMA BTS 10 in step 115. In this case, the service request is achieved through protocol layer GMM. Then, the WCDMA modem 20 recognizes that a packet call is connected through the ACTIVATE PDP CONTEXT RESPONSE message and transmits a CALL CONNECT message to the controller 30 in step 120. Accordingly, a packet type path (packet bearer) is established in step 130.
However, if the multi-mode terminal moves to a shadow area or a boundary area in the middle of packet data transmission, the multi-mode terminal may not communicate with the WCDMA BTS 10, thereby occurring a radio link failure state in step 140. Then, to reconnect a packet call from a WCDMA network to a CDMA network, the multi-mode terminal must disconnect the packet call from the WCDMA network, change to a handover target mode, and reconnect a packet call to the CDMA network. Accordingly, the WCDMA modem 20 activates a timer, and if the timer expires, the WCDMA modem 20 transmits a RADIO LINK FAILURE INDICATION message to the controller 30 in step 145. Then, a mode change, such as a switching process, is performed to change to the CDMA mode under the control of the controller 30 in step 150. Then, a CDMA modem 40 establishes a packet type path (packet bearer) with a CDMA BTS 50, which is a handover target network, in step 155 by connecting to the CDMA BTS 50. As described above, a delay because of the reconnection occurs before the packet type path (packet bearer) with the handover target network is established after the radio link failure. It is important in the packet call reconnection function to reduce the delay time of the reconnection process.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of disconnecting a radio link among the process described in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, in a packet call connection state, if a radio link between the WCDMA BTS 10 and the WCDMA modem 20 is disconnected in step 200, a physical layer 22 of the WCDMA modem 20 transmits an OUT-OF-SYNC message to a radio source control layer 24, which is an upper layer of the physical layer 22, in step 205. The radio source control layer 24 determines in step 210 whether the number of received OUT-OF-SYNC messages is N313, and if N313 OUT-OF-SYNC messages are consecutively received, the radio source control layer 24 activates a T313 timer in step 215. The physical layer 22 consecutively transmits an IN-SYNC message to the radio source control layer 24 in step 220, and the radio source control layer 24 determines in step 225 whether the T313 timer expires. If N315 IN-SYNC messages have not been received when the T313 timer expires, the radio source control layer 24 generates a RADIO LINK FAILURE event in step 230 and disconnects a relevant packet call. Thus, the multi-mode terminal performs nothing during a NO SERVICE period until the multi-mode terminal generates the RADIO LINK FAILURE event based on N313, T313, and N315 in a shadow area. Herein, since N313, T313, and N315, which are reference values used to define RADIO LINK FAILURE in WCDMA, are included in a System Information Base (SIB) 1 provided by a WCDMA BTS when the multi-mode terminal in the WCDMA mode registers in the WCDMA BTS and are defined in the standard, a detailed description is omitted.
As described above, if a radio link is disconnected, only after a packet call is successfully connected to a handover target network, can the user use a packet service again. That is, a delay time for which the user cannot use the packet service occurs from when communication with a WCDMA BTS in the WCDMA mode is disconnected to when a packet call is reconnected in the CDMA mode. The delay time is around 20˜40 seconds including a network state, parameters defined in SIB1, and a switching time in a mode change. Although the packet call reconnection function has an advantage that the user does not have to directly perform a reconnection process, since the user cannot use a service for a very long time, the multi-mode terminal may seem to be in a malfunctioning state.
As described above, conventionally, it is important to perform a handover without disconnecting a packet call when the handover is required in a multi-mode terminal communicating with networks using different mobile communication technologies, e.g., a CDMA network and a WCDMA network. Accordingly, when a packet call is disconnected due to a handover in a conventional dual-mode terminal, an application in use can no longer provide a service. Thus, to continuously use a previous service, a packet call reconnection is performed. However, a delay time according to the packet call reconnection may be as long as around 20˜40 seconds, and a user must wait with a fixed screen image until a packet call is reconnected, thereby causing great inconvenience to the user.

Handover method for minimizing packet call reconnection delay time between different mobile communication schemes and multi-mode terminal for the same


Flicker in a projector using a plurality of phosphor wheels is reduced. The light source device according to the present invention includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body that each include a phosphor; and a rotation body controller that rotates the first rotating body and the second rotating body so that a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of combined light of first fluorescence obtained by the first rotating body and second fluorescence obtained by the second rotating body becomes smaller.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a projector using a phosphor as a part of a light source.
In the projector shown in FIG. 1, excitation light generated by excitation light source 101 is reflected by dichroic mirror 102, and enters phosphor wheel 103 which is a rotating body to excite the phosphor formed on phosphor wheel 103. Fluorescence that is generated by the excited phosphor and whose wavelength is different from the excitation light passes through dichroic mirror 102 to irradiate display device 104. Image light formed by irradiate display device 104 is projected by projection lens 105.
The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is for generating image light of a fluorescent color, for example, green. Actually, image light of each color is generated by using a plurality of configurations shown in FIG. 1. Color image light is projected by projection lens 105.
Video processing circuit 106 sends a video signal to display device 104, and outputs a driving periodic signal indicating the driving cycle of display device 104 to phosphor rotation controller 107. Phosphor rotation controller 107 sets an appropriate rotation speed for motor driving circuit 108 in accordance with the driving periodic signal. Motor driving circuit 108 drives motor 109 to rotate phosphor wheel 103.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary to cool phosphor wheel 103 in order to avoid burning due to heat generation when fluorescence is generated. As shown in FIG. 2, phosphor wheel 103 is configured to prevent the same portion of phosphor 201 from being excited by rotating disk 202 on which phosphor 201 is applied in an annular shape by motor 109; and to efficiently perform light emission and cooling.
However, since it is difficult to make the coating thickness of phosphor 201 shown in FIG. 2 uniform, more than a small amount of uneven coating occurs. The amount of fluorescence generated by phosphor wheel 103 varies depending on the coating thickness. Therefore, the phosphor wheel having coating unevenness has maximum value Pmax and minimum value Pmin as shown in the graphs of FIG. 3, for example. Due to interference between the period in which the amount of fluorescence changes and the driving cycle of display device 104 of FIG. 1, flicker that can be recognized by the human eye may be caused.
Therefore, the flicker has been reduced by synchronizing the rotational speed of phosphor wheel 103 with the driving cycle of display device 104 or by driving them so that the flicker is recognized by the human eye.
Patent Document 1 (WO2015/181913) discloses a technique for reducing flicker by detecting the rotation of a phosphor wheel and changing the intensity of exciting light according to the detection result and the fluorescence characteristics of the phosphor wheel.

Light source apparatus, projector, light source module, and rotation control method of rotating body


The present invention relates to a composite powder, preparation and use thereof. The composite powder according to the present invention is prepared by intimately mixing an irradiated or non-irradiated rubber latex with a slurry of inorganic particles in a ratio corresponding to that of rubber particles to inorganic particles in the composite powder according to the present invention, and then drying the resultant mixture. The composite powder according to the present invention comprises agglomerates composed of powdery rubber particles and inorganic particles, with inorganic particles being uniformly distributed either inside the agglomerats or both inside the agglomerates and on the surfaces thereof. The composite powder according to the present invention can be easily dispersed in plastic matrixes and thus can be compounded with plastics to produce toughened plastics and thermoplastic elastomers.

The International Patent Publication WO 01/40356A1 (filed on Sep. 18, 2000, claiming the benefit of the Chinese Patent Application No. 99125530.5 filed by the present applicants on Dec. 3, 1999) discloses a fully vulcanized powdery rubber, which means discrete, fine rubber powders having a gel content of 60 percent by weight or more and freely flowing after drying without any partitioning agents. Such powdery rubbers are obtained by irradiating a rubber latex in the absence or presence of a cross-linking agent so as to cross-link them and fix the particle size of the rubber particles, and then subjecting the irradiated latex to precipitation or spray drying. The fully vulcanized powdery rubber thus obtained has a particle size in the range of from 20 to 2000 nm and can be used as tougheners for plastics, with excellent toughening effects being achieved. However, when such a powdery rubber is used for toughening plastics, the strength, modulus and thermal properties inherent in the plastics are frequently reduced.
Since 1980s, inorganic particles have been proposed for modifying plastics. However, inorganic particles have a very high surface energy, thus if no special treatment is conducted, they are apt to agglomerate when blending with plastics, which will significantly decrease their modification effects on plastics. For example, nano-clay materials are now being used for enhancing the rigidity of polyamides, with polyamide/clay nano-composites being obtained (see, for example, "Polymers-Inorganics Nano-composites", Series of Nano-materials and Application Technologies, the Chemical and Industrial Press, December, 2002). The clays used for preparing polyamide/clay nano-composites are conventionally sheet clays, which possess a layered structure in a nanometric scale, are natural nano-materials and are very suitable for preparing nano-composites. However, the gaps among the layers of the sheet clays are very small, thus it is impossible for organic polymers to enter said gaps to exfoliate the sheet clays in a nanometric scale. Therefore, before used for preparing such polymer/clay nano-composites, clays must be subjected to a special treatment, i.e., displacement by various organic substances, thereby obtaining nano-precursor materials containing organic functional groups, which are then compounded with polymers to form nano-composites. The process for preparing such nano-precursor materials is also called organo-modification of clays. After such an organo-modification, organic functional groups, such as organic cations and the like, are introduced to the gaps of the sheet clays, which facilitates the insertion of monomers or polymers (see, for example, "Polymer-Inorganics Nano-composites", pp. 21-22). By intercalation-compounding, the layers of sheet clays subjected to organo-modification can be dispersed in polymer matrix in a nanometric scale, thereby obtaining polymer/clay nano-composites, which possess high strength, modulus, heat distortion temperature. The organo-modification of montmorillonite facilitates the intercalation-compounding and however, renders the preparation of composites complicated.

Composite powder, preparation and use thereof

Sinopec Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry


A method of providing with precision a number of long and narrow through holes (11) in a body (1) made of a high-density material. The body (1) is made in the form of a number of partial bodies (2, 2xe2x80x2, 2xe2x80x3), which are arranged close to each other and from the body (1). Each partial body (2, 2xe2x80x2, 2xe2x80x3) is defined by an outer surface (5), which is part of the outer surface of the entire body (1), an inner surface (6), which is part of the inner surface of the entire body (1), as well as a pair of boundary surfaces (7, 8), which extend from the outer surface (5) to the inner surface (6). Holes (11) are produced by machining at least one of the bounding surfaces (7, 8) adjacent partial bodies (2xe2x80x2, 2xe2x80x3). Each hole (11) extends from the outer surface (5) to the inner surface (6) along said at least one boundary surface (7, 8). The thus machined partial bodies (2, 2xe2x80x2, 2xe2x80x3) are fixedly attached to each other.

The present invention relates to a method of providing with precision a number of long and narrow through holes in a body made of a high-density material.
Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the production of an integrated multichannel collimator for use in a device for radiation treatment of a human being or an animal, for instance, ELEKTA AB""s gamma knife.
There are various technical suggestions on how to produce an integrated multichannel collimator and solve the problem of providing many hundreds of geometrically focussing long and narrow conical holes (length of about 200 mm) in a radiation-proof material, such as tungsten, uranium or lead. The narrow through holes or apertures preferably have different size or diameter. It is a technical challenge to produce the length and the small diameter of the conical holes as well as their great number and close spacing with geometric precision. In addition, the materials are difficult to work. In the case of, for instance, sintered tungsten, the largest single pieces which are commercially available weigh about 200 kg, and therefore a massive collimator of 1 tonne is an extremely large dimension challenging the sintering industry.
In the case of a collimator in one single piece, the only existing production alternatives are long-hole boring, spark machining and/or blanks with moulded holes. Boring as well as spark machining are time-consuming and expensive production methods and the required number of long conical holes with said dimensions and strict precision requirements constitute an economically nightmarish problem, which is further aggravated by the risk of rejection in the case of machining errors in an undivided collimator in one piece. Massive sintered tungsten has technical dimensional limitations in commercial production. Uranium has been moulded in single-piece weights of a few tonnes and is the most interesting choice of material from a technical/theoretical point of view, but relatively unknown in non-military production. The alternative production method of precision-moulding holed blanks is also very time-consuming and requires after-treatment, in particular as the long and narrow holes in the dome-shaped collimator build-up expand (converge) from the outside to the inside of the collimator.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing with flexibility and great precision a number of long through holes with an optional, small diameter in a body made of a material which is difficult to machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide a comparatively inexpensive and functional method of producing long, narrow holes in a high-density material.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method which allows production of elongated holes with an optional section in the transverse as well as the longitudinal direction.
According to the invention, these objects are achieved with a method according to the introductory part, which is characterised in that the body is made in the form of a number of partial bodies, which are arranged close to each other and form said body, that each partial body is defined by an outer surface, which is part of the outer surface of the entire body, an inner surface, which is part of the inner surface of the entire body, as well as a pair of boundary surfaces, which extend from the outer surface to the inner surface, that said holes are produced by machining at least one of the boundary surfaces of adjacent partial bodies, each hole extending from the outer surface to the inner surface along said at least one boundary surface, and that the thus machined partial bodies are fixedly attached to each other.
Further developments of the invention will appear from the features stated in the dependent claims.


A printing device has a print unit that ejects fluid from ejection nozzles and prints; an ejection test unit that checks if fluid is ejected from the ejection nozzles; a cleaning unit that performs a cleaning process in either a timed cleaning mode that performs a cleaning process at a predetermined interval, or an ejection test cleaning mode that performs a cleaning process based on a test result; a decision unit that determines whether to use the timed cleaning mode or the ejection test cleaning mode based on an operating condition of the print unit; and a mode changing unit that switches the mode between the timed cleaning mode and the ejection test cleaning mode according to the decision by the decision unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing device with an ejection head maintenance function, and to a method of controlling the printing device.
2. Related Art
Printing devices that have a recovery means for ejecting fluid in the ejection head to the outside to restore the fluid ejection performance of the ejection head, and control the recovery means according to how the user uses the printing device, are known from the literature. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2009-066849. This printing device (printer) detects how frequently the power turns on/off, the print count, and the most frequent types of printing (monochrome or color printing) as indicators of how the user uses the printer, and based on the detected results changes the frequency of the recovery operation performed by the recovery means, and the type of fluid used in the recovery operation.
The recovery operation that restores the ejection performance of the ejection head by discharging fluid from the ejection head to the outside requires a specific amount of fluid, and a large amount of fluid may therefore be consumed by operations other than printing. Printers with an ejection head maintenance function ideally minimize fluid consumption by non-printing operations. However, because the printer cannot check confirm the actual ejection status of the ejection head before performing the recovery operation, the recovery operation that discharges fluid from the ejection head may be performed even though there is no problem with the ejection head and the recovery operation is unnecessary. In other words, fluid is consumed more than required by non-printing operations.

Printing device and method of controlling a printing device


A carrier lock detector for a QPSK or 4-QAM system implements a lock detection algorithm that maps detected signals onto one of first and second areas associated with nominal states defined by (I2⊕I3)·(Q2⊕Q3) and Q1⊕Q2·(I1 I2I3+ I1I2I3)+( I1⊕I2)·(Q1 Q2Q3+ Q1Q2Q3), or alternatively, by ( I1⊕I2· Q2⊕Q3)+( Q1⊕Q2· I2⊕I3), respectively. When detected signals map onto one of the first areas, a first signal is generated. When detected signals map onto one of the second areas, a second signal is generated. When a difference between the first and second signals exceeds a threshold, a carrier lock detection signal is generated to enable a decoder. The carrier lock detector is able to detect carrier lock at a raw BER of 1e-2 or greater at a very low signal-to-noise ratio.

Digital communication systems modulate an electromagnetic carrier signal to convey binary information from a transmitter to a receiver. Two well-known digital modulation techniques are QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying). Both QAM and QPSK are forms of I/Q Modulation because both of these modulation techniques compose a signal from two independent components: an in-phase component (I) and a quadrature component (Q). Since the in-phase and quadrature components are orthogonal to each other, they do not interfere with each other during transmission. The I and Q components are represented graphically by plotting I and Q on a plane Cartesian coordinate system, known as a phasor diagram, in which the I value is conventionally the abscissa while the Q value is the ordinate.
Demodulation of the in-phase and quadrature components of the received signal recovers the I bits and Q bits, respectively. When plotted on the phasor diagram, the signals form an I/Q constellation, or a signal point constellation. For good reception, the signal points should cluster tightly around discrete points, or "nominal states", which are then readily demodulated into binary 1's and binary 0's. When the signal points cluster tightly around the nominal states, the carrier is said to be locked.
A coherent receiver, such as an optical coherent receiver, must be locked, or "in lock", to ensure that binary data is received at a minimal rate of error, usually expressed in terms of bit-error rate, or BER. Bit-error rate is customarily defined as the average probability that the receiver will incorrectly identify a bit. Raw BER is BER before decoding by FEC (forward error correction). With the use of powerful FEC, the BER can be reduced by many orders of magnitude compared to the raw BER.
A carrier can go "out of lock" when severe distortion occurs. For an optical coherent receiver, distortion may occur because of PMD (Polarization-Mode Dispersion), PDL (Polarization Dependent Loss), ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) or any combination thereof.
In communication systems using QAM or QPSK, carrier lock is necessary to permit accurate decoding of the signals and recovery of the baseband I and Q bits. In other words, to enable the modulated signals to be correctly decoded, the phase and frequency of the receiver LO (local oscillator) must be locked to the incoming carrier.
In microwave communication systems, fading is a common and well-known phenomenon. During a fade, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal falls to a low level, such that the signal and/or carrier lock may be lost. At the end of a fade, carrier lock must first be established before the signal can be correctly decoded. A carrier lock detector is used to detect whether the carrier is locked or unlocked. The carrier lock detector enables the decoder only when carrier lock is detected.
It is desirable to maintain carrier lock, and to detect carrier lock with a high degree of reliability, at the lowest possible levels of SNR, so that the system can tolerate deep fades with minimal loss of decoded data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,386 (Nichols) entitled CARRIER OUT-OF-LOCK DETECTOR APPARATUS teaches a carrier lock detector which is responsive to I and Q (in-phase and quadrature) amplitude error bits to provide an out-of-lock indication when, on average, more than half of the detected I and Q amplitudes are in error. During an out-of-lock condition the detected signal point positions rotate about the I and Q axes of the phase plane diagram, the rate of rotation of the detected signal point positions being dependent upon the carrier phase error.
A disadvantage of this known carrier lock detector is that, at low levels of SNR during fading, it can indicate an out-of-lock condition even though the carrier is still locked. For example, for a 512-QAM system such a known detector fails to operate correctly for a SNR of less than about 29 dB, whereas it is desirable to have a detector which operates correctly at lower levels of SNR, for example down to about 25 dB.
An improved carrier lock detector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,375 entitled CARRIER LOCK DETECTOR FOR A QAM SYSTEM (Wu et al.), illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier lock detector includes a QAM demodulator 10, which splits the signal into analog I and Q components on respective output lines 14. A pair of analog-to-digital converters (ADC) 12 convert the analog I and Q components into I bits and Q bits on lines 16. The carrier lock detector further includes a gating circuit 18, an encoder 20, an integrating circuit 22, and a comparator 24. The gating circuit 18 has two EXCLUSIVE-OR gates 26 and 28 as well as two AND gates 30 and 32. The integrating circuit 22 includes an integrating capacitor 34 coupled via resistors 36 to the outputs of the encoder 20 and via resistors 38 to the differential inputs of a differential amplifier 40, having a negative feedback resistor 42 and a resistor 44 between its non-inverting input and ground, and having a smoothing circuit with a resistor 46 and a capacitor 48 coupled to its output. The resistors 42 and 44 have the same resistance, and the resistors 36, 38 each have half that resistance. The comparator 24 compares the smoothed output of the integrating circuit 22 with a reference voltage Vref to produce an output Vout which constitutes a carrier lock detection signal.
FIG. 2 shows an I/Q plot 50 of a prior-art lock detection algorithm implemented on a QPSK or 4-QAM system. Centered about four nominal states 52 are four first areas 54 defined by (I2⊕I3)·(Q2⊕Q3). Adjacent to the first areas are second areas 56 defined by I2⊕I3· Q2⊕Q3. If a detected signal has I and Q components that map onto one of the four areas 54 surrounding the nominal states 52, a first signal is generated. If the detected signal has I and Q components that map onto one of the second areas 56, then a second signal is generated. The difference between the first and second signals is compared with a threshold value. If the difference exceeds the threshold, then a carrier lock detection signal is generated.
Although the carrier lock detector described by Wu et al. worked well for large constellations, such as 16-QAM to 512-QAM, for lower-level QAM such as 4-QAM or for QPSK, the method and apparatus described by Wu et al. is not effective. In light of the very important optical applications such as 2-pol QPSK, due to the effect of laser linewidth and other distortions such as PMD and PDL and the use of powerful FEC, there is a need-for a much more robust carrier lock detector that can operate at raw BER of 1e-2 or higher. Furthermore, due to the high speed of optical modems (circa 10 GBaud), it is highly desirable that the hardware implementation of this carrier lock detector be simple.


In an underpants type disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable top sheet, a liquid impermeable back sheet, an absorbent member disposed therebetween, an elastic expansible member for forming a gather each to a pair of leg portions and front and rear waist body portions formed around the absorbent member, the front and rear waist body portions being connected and fixed together at both sides to form a waist opening portion and a pair of leg opening portions, respectively, at least a part of each area formed between the waist opening portions and the pair of leg opening portions at both side portions of the waist portion is provided with a vertical split portion, respectively and connection means are provided to each of the side portions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disposable diaper for the use of infants, adults or incontinent persons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, many kinds of disposable diapers have been proposed. One typical disposable diaper is a so-called flat type which comprises a liquid permeable top sheet, a liquid impermeable back sheet, an absorbent member disposed therebetween, and a pair of side flaps, a pair of tape fasteners, disposed at both side edges of a waist portion on the back side of the side flaps, being fastened to the wearer's stomach side. Another example of such flat type disposable diaper is a disposable diaper 1 shown in FIG. 11. As is shown in FIG. 11, the disposable diaper 1 comprises, like the above-mentioned flat type disposable diaper, a top sheet 2, a back sheet 3, an absorbent member 4, and a pair of side flaps 15, 15, waist portions 15A, 15A in the back side of the side flaps 15, 15 being expanded sidewardly respectively, thereby forming a pair of expanded portions for covering the wearer's body portion, a pair of tape fasteners 16, 16 each provided to the corresponding expanded portions being fastened to an area-to-be-fastened 18 formed on a waist body portion 7 in the stomach side. Leg portions 15B and waist body portions 17 in the side flaps 15, 15 are provided with elastic members 19 and 110, respectively, in order to enhance fitness when the wearer wears the disposable diaper (Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 52-40267).
Recently, a so-called underpants or drawers type disposable diaper was proposed, in which both side edges in the stomach side and back side of a pair of side flaps are attached and fixed together to form a pair of leg opening portions and a pair of waist opening portions, respectively (Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 61-207606). This drawers type disposable diaper is expansible at the leg and waist opening portions respectively so that it is intimately fitted to the wearer regardless of the wearer's figure. The wearer can usually wear such drawers type disposable diaper in the wearer's standing attitude. Therefore, this is very useful when used as toilet training, or for the-use of incontinent persons or adults who have difficulty in walking. Such drawers type disposable diaper also has an appearance of sewing finish which a good sewn product usually has and is intentionally made as a disposable underwear.
However, although the conventional drawers type disposable diaper has a flexible fitness to infants of high months age who moves actively, it has as a shortcoming that since the size of the waist opening portion is limited, it is difficult for the wearer to insert legs smoothly and the wear usually gives a feel of being narrow and tight. When the wearer flutters the feet, even more difficulty is encountered for wearing such drawers type disposable diaper. Moreover, the conventional drawers type disposable diaper has also a shortcoming that the wearer is always compel led to keep an awkward attitude when wearing whether the disposable diaper is for the use of infants or adults.
Furthermore, the conventional drawers type disposable diaper has as a shortcoming that it is not easy to tell whether there are waste materials discharged in the diaper while the wearer wears the diaper, which requires relying on the wearer's expression as an indication in order to make sure that the waste materials are already therein. Moreover, since no tape fastener is provided, it has another shortcoming that when the used disposable diaper is disposed, it is impossible to fasten the diaper using a tape fastener after waste materials are wrapped up within the diaper.


The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring temperature, using a thermocouple such as a ceramic thermocouple which has no compensating lead wire or has only such a compensating lead wire that is difficult to manufacture. More specifically, the invention is intended to provide a method and an apparatus for accurately measuring temperature even if a temperature difference exists between both cold junctions of the main thermocouple. An auxiliary thermocouple is connected to one leg of the main thermocouple to provide cold junction compensation. Extension lead are connected to both cold junctions to take thermo emf from the thermocouple. The leads are made from a material having a thermo-electromotive characteristic agreeing with the thermo-electromotive characteristic of the other leg at low temperatures at which the cold junction compensation is provided. The invention also provides a converter used to convert the thermo emf of the above-described composite thermocouple into temperature. The converter can set interpolation equations (1) and (2) separately. Equation (1) is used to convert the thermo emf of the auxiliary thermocouple into thermo emf of the main thermocouple. Equation (2) is used to convert the sum of the converted thermo emf and thermo emf of the main thermocouple into temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of measuring temperature, using a thermocouple such as a ceramic thermocouple both cold junctions of which cannot be maintained at the same temperature, in cases where no compensating lead wires exist for the thermocouple or where, if any compensating lead wire for the thermocouple exists, it is difficult to manufacture for technical or economical reasons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The relation between the fundamental structure of a thermocouple and the thermoelectromotive force measured by the thermocouple is conceptually illustrated in FIG. 1. The thermocouple, indicated by X, comprises two dissimilar metals A and B joined at each end to form a hot junction P. The other ends of the metals A and B are maintained at 0.degree. C. or room temperature to form cold junctions q and r. In the illustrated example, these ends of the metals are kept at 0.degree. C. When the hot junction P is located on or in a material being tested, a thermoelectromotive force is developed between the cold junctions q and r. This force is measured to determine temperature.
The graph of FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates the thermo emf produced between the cold junctions q and r of the thermocouple X of the aforementioned structure. The thermoelectromotive power (in mV/.degree.C.), i.e., the rate of change with temperature of the thermo emf of the thermocouple, is plotted against the Centigrade scale. The temperature of the hot junction P is T.sub.0. The thermo emf is given by the product of the difference in thermoelectromotive power between the two wires of the thermocouple and the temperature. As an example, the thermo emf produced between the hot junction retained at T.sub.0 .degree. C. and the cold junctions maintained at 0.degree. C. corresponds to the area of the portion of the graph which is delineated by the thermoelectromotive characteristic lines of the two metals of the thermocouple within the temperature range from 0.degree. to T.sub.0 .degree. C. The thermoelectromotive characteristic is uniquely defined by the characteristic of the thermoelectric power. Therefore, if the two metals have the same thermoelectric power characteristic, then they have the same thermoelectromotive characteristic. The thermoelectric power characteristics (FIG. 1) of the two metals A and B were measured with calibrating thermocouples each having a wire of platinum as its one metal as shown in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 1, the thermo emf produced by the thermocouple X is denoted by the rectangular hatched region n.sub.1 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.3 delineated by the thermoelectromotive power characteristic lines of the metals A and B as mentioned previously.
FIG. 3 illustrates a method adopted in cases where the hot junction P is remote from a measuring instrument or where long metal wires coupled together to form a thermocouple are difficult to manufacture for technical or economical reasons. Compensating lead wires A' and B' are connected with the cold junctions q and r, respectively, of the thermocouple X. The wires A' and B' are made from dissimilar materials having thermoelectromotive characteristics agreeing with the thermoelectromotive characteristics of the two metals A and B at low temperatures. The thermo emf measured between the open ends q' and r' of the compensating lead wires A' and B', respectively, corresponds to the area of the portion n.sub.1 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.3. In this example, the temperature of the hot junction P of the thermocouple X is T.sub.0. The cold junctions q and r are at the same temperature of T.sub.1. Therefore, the thermo emf directly generated by the themocouple X corresponds to the area of the portion which is delineated by the thermoelectromotive characteristic lines of the two metals A and B in the temperature range from T.sub.0 to T.sub.1, i.e., the portion n.sub.5 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.6. The thermo emf corresponding to the remaining portion n.sub.1 n.sub.5 n.sub.6 n.sub.3 is compensated by the compensating lead wires A' and B'. Since the thermoelectromotive power characteristics of the wires A' and B' agree with the thermoelectromotive power characteristics of the two metals A and B at low temperatures, the connection of the lead wires A' and B' with the metals A and B produces no further thermo emf. Hence, the temperature of the hot junction can be measured precisely.
Referring to FIG. 4, compensating lead wires are not connected with the cold junctions q and r of the thermocouple X but an auxiliary thermocouple Y consisting of metals is coupled to either the cold junction q or r to provide cold junction compensation. Because the cold junctions q and r are at the same temperature, the auxiliary thermocouple Y can be connected to any of the cold junctions q and r. The auxiliary thermocouple Y acts as a means for connecting a measuring instrument to the cold junction q or r but it develops no thermo emf. The two wires R of the auxiliary thermocouple are made from the same material. In this case, the thermo emf to be measured corresponds to the area of the portion n.sub.1 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.3. This portion is divided into a region n.sub.5 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.6 and a region n.sub.1 n.sub.5 n.sub.6 n.sub.3 at a temperature of T.sub.1. The thermo emf corresponding to the area of the region n.sub.5 n.sub.2 n.sub.4 n.sub.6 is directly measured by the thermocouple X. With respect to the remaining region n.sub.1 n.sub.5 n.sub.6 n.sub.3, cold junction compensation is provided by the auxiliary thermocouple Y. The temperature of the hot junction of the main thermocouple X is the sum of the temperature measured by the main thermocouple X and the temperature of the hot junction of the auxiliary thermocouple Y measured by the auxiliary thermocouple Y. The conventional thermocouples have been summarized thus far. These devices are used primarily to measure the temperatures of materials lower than 2000.degree. C.
In recent years the industry has tended to require measurement of higher temperatures used in heat treatment such as HIP and hot pressing. Presently, there is a demand for a thermocouple capable of measuring high temperatures exceeding 2000.degree. C. A tungsten/tungsten-rhenium thermocouple and other thermocouples have been available to measure such very high temperatures. However, these conventional thermocouples are low in mechanical rigidity and so they easily break. Also, the operation suffers from instability because of thermo emf drift. Further, they have the fundamental disadvantage that they cannot be used stably over a long period due to metallurgical problems. In an attempt to solve these problems, thermocouples consisting of combinations of semiconductor ceramics, such as B.sub.4 C/C (graphite), C (graphite)/ZrB.sub.2, and C (graphite)/TiC, which are stable at high temperatures were fabricated in 1950s, for enabling reliable measurement of temperatures. As a result, excellent ceramic thermocouples have now begun to be commercially available. However, various problems must still be solved to measure high temperatures using ceramic thermocouples as described below.
(1) Since ceramic thermocouples produce larger thermo emfs than the conventional metallic thermocouples, appropriate compensating lead wires for providing cold junction compensation do not exist or, if exist, they are difficult to manufacture for technical or economical reasons. Consequently, no practically usable compensating lead wires are available.
(2) Therefore, it is necessary to water- or air-cool the cold junctions from which a thermo emf is taken, by the use of cooling equipment. Thus, the temperature of the cold junction is made uniform, and the cold junctions are temperature-compensated.
(3) Since constraints are imposed on the manufacture, long ceramic thermocouples cannot be fabricated. This forces the use of short ceramic thermocouples. Where such a short ceramic thermocouple is used while subjecting the cold junctions to forced cooling, the cooling action of water- or air-cooling reaches the hot junction, since the two elements of the thermocouple are short. The temperature of the hot junction may be rendered lower than the temperature of the material being tested. The result is that an error is introduced to the measured temperature. Also, where the cold junctions are subjected to forced cooling, a temperature difference is produced between the cold junctions because the two elements of the thermocouple differ in heat capacity and thermal conductivity. As a result, the measured temperature involves an error.
In addition, ceramic thermocouples differ greatly in thermoelectromotive characteristic and, therefore, when the obtained thermal emfs are converted into temperature, compensations should be made, taking the characteristics of individual ceramic thermocouples into account. However, any converter is not found which can appropriately establish translation tables used for conversion of thermo emf into temperature according to each individual ceramic thermocouple.

Method and apparatus for measuring temperature using thermocouple


An ocular disease detection device is constructed having a defocusing mechanism that causes eyes of a subject to be defocused. This is primarily accomplished by providing a beamsplitter at a first focal distance from the eyes and projecting an image at a second focal distance to the beamsplitter and then to the eyes. This presents an image having two focal lengths therein to the subject, which defocuses the eyes. A beam generator and camera are mounted so that their respective axes are closely proximate each other and serve to illuminate and receive images of the defocused eyes via the beamsplitter, respectively.

In preschool children, detection of maladies of the eyes that cause amblyopia, or strabismus (a deviation of the optical axis of one eye from the optical axis of the other eye), is particularly important. As an untreated child becomes older, neural development in the brain tends to permanently suppress vision in the diseased eye. This prevents proper binocular vision and is irreversible. In order to correct this condition, treatment must begin in the early years of life to be effective. As about five percent of children are either born with or develop strabismus or amblyopia, diagnosis and treatment of this condition at as early an age as possible, preferably prior to about 12 months, is highly desirable. However, considerable difficulty may be encountered in properly administering an ocular screening test to pre-verbal children of such a young age.
Additionally, other conditions of the eyes relating to errors of refraction of the transparent media of the eye, such as nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hypermetropia), and conditions relating to opacities of the eyes, such as cataracts, scars on the cornea, and tumors, as well as problems such as detachment of the retina, need to be diagnosed and treated so as to provide higher quality vision for the patient.
Screening devices for screening a large number of subjects over a relatively short period of time have been proposed for detecting strabismus and other abnormal conditions of the eyes. These devices function by directing light from a light source to the eyes of a subject, which are fixed and focused at a point defined by a fixation light mounted about one degree off-axis with respect to the light source. Generally, a camera utilizing photographic film is positioned as close as possible to the fixation light. As such, off-axis light from the light source enters the eyes and is refracted by the transparent media, which includes the lens, of each of the eyes.
In an individual with normal eyes, an incoming image of the light source is refracted and perfectly focused as a tiny image upon the retina. As the light is off-axis with respect to an optical axis of the eyes, the tiny image of the light source falls generally on the macula, a pigmented structure of the retina, and the fovea, which is coincident with the optical axis of the eyes. A portion of the light is reflected, generating a retinal reflection, or reflex. This retinal reflection is re-refracted by the lens as it exits the eyes and is collimated, thereby to be directly coincident with respect to light from the light source.
In the individual with normal eyes, the camera records a small, well-defined point of light in the center of the pupil, this point being a reflection from the cornea, or outer transparent covering of the eye. The reflection from the macula is not seen due to the refracted reflection being perfectly focused and directed back toward the light source; however, faint illumination of the macula is observed around the reflection from the cornea due to scattering of light within the eye. This faint illumination of the macula with a small, centered reflection from the cornea is the optical signature of a normal eye.
With the flash positioned above the camera lens and separated from the lens and fixation light by about one degree of angular separation, a nearsighted eye (myopia) refracts the outgoing reflection to be diverging and inverted, as opposed to being collimated. If the angle of divergence of the retinal reflection from the myopic eye is large enough, then a portion of the retinal reflection is intercepted by the camera lens. This results in the camera recording a bright crescent from each eye generally in the lower quadrants of the pupil, the crescents appearing in the lower quadrants due to inversion of the retinal reflection effected by the myopic eye. Of course, the distance between the subject and the flash, fixation light, and camera determines sensitivity of the device, with a longer distance allowing greater divergence of the retinal reflection, meaning that a bright crescent will be recorded at lower errors of refraction of the eyes. Conversely, a shorter distance between the subject and the flash, fixation light, and camera allows less divergence of the retinal reflection, causing the camera to record a bright crescent at higher errors of refraction of the eyes. Generally, and irrespective of the sensitivity of the device, the larger the bright crescent, the greater the severity of nearsightedness.
In the instance where the eyes are farsighted (hypermetropia), the retinal reflections diverge as described and are not inverted as they leave the eyes. As such, the bright crescents appear on the same side of the pupil as the flash with respect to the camera lens. With the flash located above the camera as described, the camera records a bright crescent in the upper quadrants of the pupil. Again, the size of the crescent correlates with severity of the farsighted condition.
In the instance where an individual is afflicted by strabismus, a deviation of the optical axis of one eye with respect to the optical axis of the other eye, the point of light reflected by the cornea in the deviating eye is not equidistant from upper and lower and right and left sides of the eye, as compared with the non-deviating eye. Additionally, the retinal reflection or a portion thereof may appear in the deviating eye as a bright source of light from the pupil.
With respect to astigmatism, which is usually associated with nearsightedness or farsightedness, the crescent will be rotated around edges of the pupil in a positive or negative direction a number of degrees corresponding to the particular combination of the axis and optical power of the astigmatic eyes of that individual.
Opacities of the transparent media of the eyes, such as cataracts or scars on the cornea, produce darkened regions in the reflections wherever they are located.
In some of these devices of the prior art, the fixation light is positioned about 18.9 feet from the subject, a distance such that when the eyes are focused on the fixation light, the optical axes of the eyes are essentially parallel and focused on optical infinity. At this distance, slight divergence of the retinal reflection corresponding to about 0.25 diopters refractive error of the eyes is recorded by the camera. However, size of these devices is a drawback; devices of this length are awkward to handle and move and require a table or support of about 18.9 foot length when in use. Further, since these devices are extremely sensitive to refractive errors, children having only minor refractive error defects of 0.25 or 0.5 diopters and who would derive only dubious benefit from corrective lenses were selected during screening as having defective vision.
Finding the length of these longer screening devices to be cumbersome to move and temporarily install, others have proposed reducing size of these devices by shortening the optical path between the camera, light source, and eyes of the subject. However, when eyes of a subject are focused on a relatively near fixation light, the optical axes of the eyes converge on the fixation light, rotating the retinal reflection about the optical axes of the eyes and causing the appearance of an astigmatic condition. Further, normal convergence of the eyes on a relatively near fixation light prevents differentiation of some ocular misalignment disorders.
One of these proposed screening devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,836 to Richardson et. al. and includes a foldable base which, unfolded, measures about 2.4 meters in length. At one end of the base is an upwardly extending head positioning station for positioning the head, and thus eyes, of an individual being screened in relatively precise vertical and horizontal planes. At an opposite end of the device is a camera focused in a plane of the head positioning station. An electronic flash unit is mounted below the camera, and a blinking fixation light to draw the gaze of an individual is mounted just above the camera lens.
Problems with this device are, as stated, its length, which, in spite of the fact that it may be folded for storage or transport, requires that it have in excess of 2.4 meters of unobstructed floor space. When folded, its mass is about 22 pounds. Further, since images of subjects eyes are photographically made on film, there is no immediate feedback as to whether eyes of the subject were correctly positioned, if the test was correctly administered, or if the subject was cooperative in looking at the fixation light, a requisite condition for obtaining a satisfactory screening result. Additionally, since the device is less than half the 18.9-foot length required for a subject to focus his/her eyes on infinity, optical aberrations are introduced in the recorded images due to the eyes converging on the fixation light. This impairs accuracy of the device. Further yet, the bright flash may startle very young children.
A screening device similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,836 is described in a paper entitled "The Remote Sensing of Eye Disorders Utilizing the Retinal Reflex Photometer" by S. Hutson Hay and Rhonda Wharry, which was published in Volume 601, pages 107-111 of the 1985 Proceedings of The Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers and discloses a device also having a camera and off-axis flash at one end, a fixation light closely proximate the camera, and a head positioning station located 18.9 feet distant at the opposite end of the device. The photographic images may be subjected to limited computer enhancement.
Problems with this device are its length, which requires more than 18.9 feet of unobstructed floor space during use. Additionally, as in the prior device, photographic images are recorded on film which must be developed before the results are obtained. Again, the bright flash may be uncomfortable for small children.
Another paper entitled "Retinal Reflex Photometry as a Screening Device for Amblyopia and Preamblyopic States in Children" by S. Hutson Hay, M.D., Joseph H. Kerr, Robert Rhea Jayrose Jr., Ph.D., James C. White II, and Michael Funke, which was published in the March 1983 edition of the Southern Medical Journal, discloses a hand-held camera with a 1,000-mm telescopic lens, with an off-axis flash mounted below the lens. A light-emitting diode (LED) serves as a fixation light and is mounted just above the lens. The subject's head is carefully stabilized 18.9 feet from the lens; and with the subject gazing at the LED, a photograph with simultaneous flash is taken.
Again, this device requires more than 18.9 feet of unobstructed floor space in order to perform the screening, and photographic images are recorded on film which must be processed in order to obtain a result, and the flash may disturb small children.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,968 to Howard L. Freedman discloses a camera having an internal light path of about one meter, the light path being folded by mirrors. The camera utilizes a small, slit aperture and a light source positioned 0.5 mm from the slit aperture. Both the slit aperture and the light source are mounted in rotatable relation with the optical axis of the camera so that they may be rotated through at least a 90-degree arc. A series of LED fixation lights, which may be red or any other color, are mounted just below the slit. Provisions are made to place two photographs on a single sheet of self-developing film. Further, a parallax aiming system is provided which projects two light images onto the forehead of the subject and the distance between the subject and camera adjusted until the light images touch, indicating proper alignment and focusing. In use, two photographs are taken of a single subject, the second photograph taken with the slit aperture and light source rotated 90.degree. from a position used to take the first photograph. This allows observation and recording of two discrete meridians of refractive error juxtapositioned 90.degree. with respect to each other.
Problems with this device are that two photographs are required, increasing the probability that the second photograph will be incorrectly taken due to the subject's vision being disrupted by persistence of the image of the first flash. Additionally, the necessity of taking two photographs with accompanying bright flashes in relatively quick succession may cause problems with small children who, after being startled by the flash during the first photograph, may be somewhat less cooperative during the second photograph. Further, it is necessary for an operator of the device to be actively involved with precise focusing and positioning of the camera and rotation of the slit aperture and flash between photographs, this all making for a relatively complicated and trying procedure, especially when groups of very young children, such as in day care centers, are being screened.
Accordingly, objects of this invention are to provide an ocular disease detection device which is relatively compact, occupying in a longest embodiment only about four feet of space in length and about two feet of space in width, and which during use causes the subject's eyes to become defocused as though the subject were looking at a distant object. Additionally, the device of this invention is uncomplicated in its use. Further, the device does not direct a bright flash of light into eyes of those being tested.


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to ancillary game data. Ancillary game data, including game state events and/or visual/audio elements, is generated from and stored in association with raw or original game play footage by a game state data (GSD) service. The ancillary game data is available for subsequently composition back with the corresponding original media stream, thereby generating a smart media stream, for viewers to consume. Game state events are available for searching and sorting archived media streams or for performing general data mining.

There exist video game streaming services that allow users to play games and broadcast game plays online for viewers to consume, either in realtime or at a later point in time. Viewers can follow streams for specific games. However, these streams are simply raw game play footage that do not provide the viewers with highlights and do not include any added value. Thus, there is a need for an enhanced viewer experience while viewing game plays.


A method is described for processing fruit or vegetables, e.g., cranberries, into two different juices. One of the two juices has a relatively high level of acids. The other of the two juices has a relatively low level of acids. The method of the invention entails providing three juice streams. The first juice stream is passed through a nanofiltration apparatus or some other apparatus that is capable of preferentially removing acidic compounds from the raw fruit or vegetable juice feedstock. This process creates two juice fractions: a juice fraction that is relatively enriched in acids and a juice fraction that is relatively reduced in acids. The second juice stream is combined with the juice fraction that is relatively enriched in acids to create a juice that has a relatively high level of acids. The third juice stream is combined with the juice fraction that is relatively reduced in acids to create a juice that has a relatively low level of acids.

Fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of compounds including sugars, acids, and phytochemical compounds. Depending on the product desired, it can be beneficial to have a relatively high level or a relatively low level of each of these compounds.
A method is described for processing fruits or vegetables, e.g., cranberries, into two different juices. One of the two juices has a relatively high level of acids (e.g., acids such as malic acid, quinic acid, and citric acid). The other of the two juices has a relatively low level of acids. The method of the invention entails providing three juice streams. The first juice stream is passed through a nanofiltration apparatus or some other apparatus that is capable of preferentially removing acidic compounds from the raw juice feedstock. This process creates two juice fractions: a juice fraction that is enriched in acids (xe2x80x9can acids-enriched juice fractionxe2x80x9d) and a juice fraction that is reduced in acids (xe2x80x9can acids-reduced juice fractionxe2x80x9d). The second juice stream is combined with the juice fraction that is enriched in acids to create a juice that has a relatively high level of acids. The third juice stream is combined with the juice fraction that is reduced in acids to create a juice that has a relatively low level of acids.
Fruit or vegetable juice that has a relatively high level of acids can be used for a variety of purposes. Generally, it can be used in product applications where increased acidity is deemed to be a desirable finished product attribute. For example, it can be used in its pure form or combined with other juices to provide a juice or blended juice product that is less sweet and more tart.
Fruit or vegetable juice that has a relatively low level of acids can be used for a variety of purposes. Generally, it can be used in product applications where decreased acidity is deemed to be a desirable finished product attribute. For example, it can be used in its pure form or combined with other juices to provide a juice or blended juice product that is more sweet and less tart.
The invention features a method comprising: providing a fruit juice that is substantially free of insoluble fruit solids; treating a first portion of the fruit juice to preferentially remove acidic compounds from the raw fruit juice feedstock, whereby an acids-enriched juice fraction and an acids-reduced juice fraction are produced; and combining the acids-reduced juice fraction with a second portion of the fruit juice to create an acids-reduced fruit juice.
In various embodiments the method further comprises: combining the acids-enriched juice fraction with a third portion of the fruit juice to create a acids-enriched fruit juice; concentrating the acids-reduced fruit juice by removing a portion of the water therein; and concentrating the acids-enriched fruit juice by removing a portion of the water therein. In one embodiment the fruit juice is cranberry juice. In one embodiment the step of treating a first portion of the fruit juice comprises nanofiltration.
In another aspect, the invention features a method comprising: providing a fruit juice that is substantially free of insoluble fruit solids; treating a first portion of the fruit juice to preferentially remove acidic compound from the raw fruit juice feed stock, whereby an acids-enriched juice fraction and an acids-reduced juice fraction are produced; and combining the acids-enriched juice fraction with a second portion of the fruit juice to create an acids-enriched fruit juice.
In various embodiments the method further comprises: combining the acids-reduced juice fraction with a third portion of the fruit juice to create an acid-reduced fruit juice; concentrating the acids-reduced fruit juice by removing a portion of the water therein; and concentrating the acids-enriched fruit juice by removing a portion of the water therein. In one embodiment the fruit juice is cranberry juice. In one embodiment the step of treating a first portion of the fruit juice comprises nanofiltration.
Other aspects of the invention include: an acids-enriched fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention; an acids-reduced fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention; a blended juice product comprising an acids-enriched fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention; a blended juice product comprising an acids-reduced fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention; an acids-enriched fruit juice powder prepared by drying an acids-enriched fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention; and an acids-reduced fruit juice powder prepared by drying an acids-reduced fruit juice prepared by a method of the invention.
The invention also features a method comprising: providing a vegetable juice that is substantially free of insoluble vegetable solids; treating a first portion of the vegetable juice to preferentially remove acidic compound from the raw vegetable juice feedstock, whereby an acids-enriched juice fraction and an acids-reduced juice fraction are produced; and combining the acids-reduced juice fraction with a second portion of the vegetable juice to create an acids-reduced vegetable juice.
In various embodiments the method further comprises: combining the acids-enriched juice fraction with a third portion of the vegetable juice to create an acids-enriched vegetable juice; concentrating the acids-reduced vegetable juice by removing a portion of the water therein; and concentrating the acids-enriched vegetable juice by removing a portion of the water therein. In one embodiment the vegetable juice is tomato juice. In another embodiment the vegetable juice is pepper juice. In one embodiment the step of treating a first portion of the vegetable juice comprises nanofiltration.
In yet another aspect, the invention features a method comprising: providing a vegetable juice that is substantially free of insoluble vegetable solids; treating a first portion of the vegetable juice to preferentially remove acidic compound from the raw vegetable juice feedstock, whereby an acids-enriched juice fraction and an acids-reduced juice fraction are produced; and combining the acids-enriched vegetable juice fraction with a second portion of the vegetable juice to create an acids-enriched vegetable juice.
In various embodiments the method further comprises: combining the acids-reduced juice fraction with a third portion of the vegetable juice to create an acids-reduced vegetable juice; concentrating the acids-reduced vegetable juice by removing a portion of the water therein; and concentrating the acids-enriched vegetable juice by removing a portion of the water therein. In one embodiment the vegetable juice is tomato juice. In another embodiment the vegetable juice is pepper juice. In one embodiment the step of treating a first portion of the vegetable juice comprises nanofiltration.
Other aspects of the invention include: an acids-enriched vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention; an acids-reduced vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention; a blended juice product comprising an acids-enriched vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention; a blended juice product comprising an acids-reduced vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention; an acids-enriched vegetable juice powder prepared by drying an acids-enriched vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention; and an acids-reduced vegetable juice powder prepared by drying an acids-reduced vegetable juice prepared by a method of the invention.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawing, and from the claims.

Process for producing acids-enriched juice and acids-reduced juice


An optical film including a transparent film having a hard coating layer provided on one side thereof, the hard coating layer including a repetitive prismatic structure having formed therein optical-path changing slopes oriented substantially toward certain directions at an angle of 35 to 48 degrees relative to the transparent film, and an adhesive layer laid on the other surface of the transparent film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical film which has superior durability, efficiently changes the optical path of light having entered from a sidewise direction to a viewing direction, and enables formation of a slim, lightweight, bright, and easily-viewable transmission-type or dual-purpose reflection-and-transmission-type liquid-crystal display device.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-25365, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a view toward preventing an increase in the weight of a TV set or a personal computer display, which would otherwise be caused in association with an increase in the size of the TV set or the personal computer display, or toward miniaturizing a portable personal computer or a cellular phone, demand exists for a slimmer and lighter-weight transmission-type liquid-crystal display device. Against such a backdrop, difficulty is encountered in miniaturizing a related-art liquid-crystal display device with direct backlight or a related-art liquid-crystal display device with backlight of a side light-guide plate. In the case of a liquid-crystal display device with direct backlight, a light-scattering plate and a reflector are disposed immediately below a liquid-crystal display panel, and the display device usually has a thickness of about 4 mm or more. Even in the case of a liquid-crystal display device with backlight of a side light-guide plate, a thickness of 1 mm or more is required for effecting light transmission. If a light-scattering plate, a reflector, and a prism sheet are laid on the display device, the thickness of the display device assumes a thickness of 3 mm or more.
There has also been known a dual-purpose reflection-and-transmission liquid-crystal device which has a half-transmission type reflector interposed between a liquid-crystal display panel and a backlight and enables viewing under external light in a reflection mode. The half-transmission type reflector is intended for enabling viewing in a reflection mode. Without use of the half-transmission type reflector, the view under external light in the reflection mode becomes dark, thereby rendering the reflection-type liquid-crystal display device substantially nonfunctional. However, use of the half-transmission type reflector results in an increase in the weight of the liquid-crystal display device. Moreover, as a result of light being separated into transmitted light and reflected light by means of the half-transmission type reflector, the view in a transmission mode becomes dark. Further, the view in the reflection mode also becomes dark, and the brightness of the view falls short of the brightness of view obtained by a reflection layer of high reflectivity specifically designed for only a reflection purpose.
FIG. 12 illustrates a film of scattering and reflection type, such as a scattering sheet 6 having rough surfaces. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-158033 describes a reflection-type liquid-crystal display device, in which illumination light is caused to enter from the side surface of a liquid-crystal display panel, and the thus-entered light is subjected to total reflection by a viewing-side cell board. The thus-reflected light is subjected to scattering on a rough reflector, and the scattered light is utilized for display.
In this case, the light which can be utilized for display is light which is emanated from the panel after having been scattered and which has not been subjected to total reflection. Scattered light usually exhibits a normal distribution showing a peak in the direction of regular reflection (the 20th Liquid-Crystal Forum Lecture Proceedings 3 G510, Tohoku University, UCHIDA Hitoshi). The display light is tilted sharply relative to the front direction (i.e., the vertical direction), and effective utilization of such light for display is difficult. Hence, dark display appears in the front direction. Even if the scattering characteristic of the rough reflector is made more intensive, the amount of light which exits in the front direction in a reflection mode is decreased. Such light is also unfavorable for display (SID 96 DIGEST pp. 149 to 152). In the liquid-crystal display device utilizing the scattering and reflection characteristics of the rough surface, the intensity of scattering required in the transmission mode is contrary to that required in the reflection mode. Hence, difficulty is encountered in achieving a single intensity of scattering satisfying both modes.
The present invention is aimed at developing an optical film which efficiently changes the optical path of light having entered from a sidewise direction to a viewing direction and which enables formation of a slim, lightweight, bright, and easily-viewable transmission-type or dual-purpose reflection-and-transmission liquid-crystal display device.
The present invention provides an optical film that has a transparent film having a hard coating layer provided on one side thereof, the hard coating layer including a repetitive prismatic structure having formed therein optical-path changing slopes oriented substantially toward certain directions at an angle of 35 to 48 degrees relative to the transparent film; and an adhesive layer laid on the other surface of the transparent film.
If the optical film according to the present invention is placed on a view surface of a liquid-crystal display panel having an illumination device disposed on the side thereof, the optical path of light having entered from the side or the optical path of transmitted incident light is efficiently changed to the viewing direction of the liquid-crystal display panel by way of the optical-path changing slopes formed in the optical film, thus effectively utilizing the light for liquid-crystal display. Thus, there can be formed a slim and lightweight liquid-crystal display device providing good display quality. By means of forming a flat plane between the optical-path changing slopes, external light can be efficiently introduced into the liquid-crystal display panel. The incident light is subjected to reflection by way of a reflection layer. Thus, the incident light can be utilized for liquid-crystal display in a reflection mode. In addition to the transmission mode mechanism, there can also be formed a reflection mode mechanism. Consequently, there can be formed a slim, lightweight, and bright dual-purpose reflection-and-transmission liquid-crystal display device which provides superior display quality.
The above-described advantage is primarily ascribable to an optical film which controls an optical path by means of slope reflection. The light having entered from the side or transmitted incident light is subjected to reflection by way of the optical-path changing slopes, whereby the optical path of the light can be changed with superior directivity. Accordingly, good view can be achieved in a transmission mode. Further, a flat plane can be readily formed between the optical-path changing slopes. External light is caused to transmit through the flat plane, thus ensuring entrance of a sufficient amount of external light. Good view is achieved even in a reflection mode.
Thus, the optical film according to the present inventionxe2x80x94which controls an optical path by means of slope reflectionxe2x80x94primarily utilizes light appearing in the direction of regular reflection in which a peak appears, thus controlling an optical path of reflected light. Hence, directivity useful for display; particularly, directivity in the front direction, can be readily imparted to reflected light. Thus, a bright transmission mode can be achieved. Even in a reflection mode, efficient entrance, reflection, and transmission of external light can be ensured by means of utilization of flat plane sections of the optical film other than the optical-path changing slopes. Hence, the optical film according to the present invention can readily attain a balance of advantageous brightness between the reflection mode and the transmission mode. The optical-path changing slopes are formed in a hard coating layer, and hence the slopes are less vulnerable to flaws and can sustain an optical-path changing function over a long period of time. Flaws may scatter transmitted incident light and are apt to cause uneven illumination or brightness lines.


An exercise apparatus that has:                a frame;        a curved ramp comprised of a non-articulating, non-pivoting curved member that defines a unitary curved path of travel between a selected forward and selected rearward position;        a foot support adapted to travel along the unitary curved path from the selected forward position to the selected rearward position and to travel along the same unitary curved path from the selected rearward position to the selected forward position; and        a handle interconnected to the foot support and adapted to move in the same direction, forward or rearward, as the foot support via the interconnection to the foot support.

Exercise machines for simulating walking or running are known and used for directing the movement of a user's legs and feet in a variety of repetitive paths of travel. Machines commonly referred to as elliptical path machines have been designed to pivot the foot pedals on which the user's feet reside causing the pedals and the user's feet to travel in an elliptical path. The path of travel of the foot pedals in such prior machines is different from front to back and the angular degree of pivoting of the foot pedals changes as the foot pedal travels from back to front and front to back by typically more than about 3 degrees and more typically more than 10-30 degrees.


A hose comprising a tubular body of flexible material arranged between an inner and an outer helically wound wire, the tubular body serving to transport fluid through the hose and to prevent fluid leakage through the body, the tubular body comprising a reinforcing layer and a sealing layer, wherein the hose further comprises axial strengthening strips extending along the length of the hose.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hose, and more particularly relates to hose having improved axial strength. The invention is especially concerned with hose which can be used in cryogenic conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical applications for hose involve the pumping of fluids from a fluid reservoir under pressure. Examples include supplying of domestic heating oil or LPG to a boiler; transporting produced oilfield liquids and/or gases from a fixed or floating production platform to the cargo hold of a ship, or from a ship cargo hold to a land-based storage unit; delivering of fuel to racing cars, especially during refuelling in formula 1; and conveying corrosive fluids, such as sulphuric acid.
It is well known to use hose for the transport of fluids, such as liquefied gases, at low temperature. Such hose is commonly used to transport liquefied gases such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied propane gas (LPG).
In order for the hose to be sufficiently flexible, any given length must be at least partially constructed of flexible materials, i.e., non-rigid materials.
The structure of such hose generally comprises a tubular body of flexible material arranged between the inner and outer helically wound retaining wires. It is conventional for the two wires to be wound at the same pitch, but to have the windings displaced by half a pitch width from one another. The tubular body typically comprises inner and outer layers with an intermediate sealing layer. The inner and outer layers provide the structure with the strength to carry the fluid therein. Conventionally, the inner and outer layers of the tubular body comprise fabric layers formed of a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate. The intermediate sealing layer provides a seal to prevent the fluid from penetrating the hose, and is typically a polymeric film.
The retaining wires are typically applied under tension around the inside and outside surfaces of the tubular body. The retaining wires act primarily to preserve the geometry of the tubular body. Furthermore, the outer wire may act to restrain excessive hoop deformation of the hose under high pressure. The inner and outer wires may also act to resist crushing of the hose.
A hose of this general type is described in European patent publication no. 0076540A1. The hose described in this specification includes an intermediate layer of biaxially oriented polypropylene, which is said to improve the ability of the hose to resist the fatigue caused by repeated flexing.
Another hose is described in GB-2223817A. The hose described in this publication is a composite hose comprising an inner helical metallic core, a plurality of layers of plastics material fibres and films wound on the core, at least one layer of glass cloth and at least one layer of aluminium foil disposed adjacent one another and wound onto the plastics material, and an outer helical metallic former. This hose is said to be suitable for transporting flammable fuels and oils. Various improvements to composite hose are described in our WO01/96772, WO 2004/044472 and WO 2004/079248, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.
Another hose structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,052.
Broadly, we provide an axial strengthening means for hose, whereby the hose can withstand greater axial tension than has previously been possible, without impairing the other properties of the hose.


A storage system provides highly flexible data layouts that can be tailored based on reliability considerations. The system allocates reliability values to logical containers at an upper logical level of the system based, for example, on objectives established by reliability SLOs. Based on the reliability value, the system identifies a specific parity group from a lower physical storage level of the system for storing data corresponding to the logical container. After selecting a parity group, the system allocates the data to physical storage blocks within the parity group. In embodiments, the system attaches the reliability value information to the parity group and the physical storage units storing the data. In this manner, the underlying physical layer has a semantic understanding of reliability considerations related to the data stored at the logical level. Based on this semantic understanding, the system has the capability to prioritize data operations on the physical storage units according to the reliability values attached to the parity groups.

Network based storage (or simply, "network storage") is a common approach to backing up data, making large amounts of data accessible to multiple users, and other purposes. In a network storage environment, a storage server makes data available to client (host) systems by presenting or exporting to the clients one or more logical containers of data. There are various forms of network storage, including network attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN). In a NAS context, a storage server services file-level requests from clients, whereas in a SAN context a storage server services block-level requests. Some storage servers are capable of servicing both file-level requests and block-level requests.
The technology marketplace has been experiencing several trends that impact existing network storage technologies. For example, the density of magnetic storage media continues to grow in network storage systems, but performance of such media, measured as input-output operations per second (IOPS) per spindle, has not exhibited a similar growth rate. That is, magnetic media have increased in density at a rate greater than the rate at which their speed has increased. As a result, data operations, such as backup, maintenance, recovery of failed drives, etc., take longer to complete, resulting in myriad performance and reliability issues. For example, the longer recovery time of a failed drive presents a window of vulnerability, during which the ability to protect new data is compromised. Moreover, the processing cycles spent in the longer recovery time also affects the overall performance of the storage system.
Presently, the underlying physical layer of a storage system does not have a semantic understanding of the stored data. That is, for example, the underlying physical layer does not distinguish data corresponding to important business information versus data corresponding to scratch-space information. Consequently, the physical layer does not make any effort to distinguish or otherwise prioritize the data for the various data operations. This lack of semantic understanding further exacerbates the performance and reliability issues associated with the various data operations.

Reliability based data allocation and recovery in a storage system