A substantially spherical ball to be used in a cursor controlling mouse. The mouse ball is formed from a composition of silicone having zirconium dust dispersed uniformly throughout. The zirconium provides the added weight necessary to keep the ball rolling on a working surface, but is not sufficiently conductive to short electrical components in mouse. The uniform composition provides for the mouse ball to have its gravitional center coincident with its geometric center to inhibit cursor jitter when the mouse is manually moved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of cursor control devices for video displays, commonly referred to as a "mouse", and more particularly to a rotatable ball used in the mouse.
2. Prior Art
In many video display systems for computers it is desirable to control the positioning of a cursor on a video display screen by means other than a keyboard. Joy-stick controllers and rotating, tracking balls are just two examples of devices for controlling the positioning of a cursor on the display screen. Another commonly used cursor controlling device is referred to as a "mouse".
In a common embodiment of a mouse, a hand-held housing encases a substantially spherical ball which is free to rotate within the housing. The ball is also free to "float" in the vertical direction within the housing, but remains in contact with a working surface during use. When the mouse is placed onto the working surface, which is typically a friction pad, the ball makes contact with this working surface and rotates as an operator manually moves the mouse over the working surface. The mechanical movement of the mouse causes the ball to rotate within the housing of the mouse, wherein the direction of ball movement is relative to the mouse movement. The ball movement is then translated to electrical signals for controlling the position of the cursor.
In a typical mouse, roller shafts are located within the housing and are in contact with the ball. The rotation of the ball causes one or more roller shafts to rotate. The roller shafts are mechanically coupled to a photo-emitter and a photo-detector to convert the mechanical motion of the roller shaft to electrical signals. The output from the photo-detector provides the necessary translation for providing the cursor movement on the display screen corresponding to the mechanical movement of the mouse. One such example of a mouse is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,652.
Although improvements have been made to the mouse, the improvements were typically centered on the electrical-mechanical aspects of the mouse. However, a major disadvantage resides in the balls utilized with most mice. One such disadvantage of prior art mouse balls relates to the location of the center of gravity of a given ball. That is, the ball's center of gravity is at a point other than the actual geometric center of the substantially spherical ball. Whenever the ball's center of gravity is not at its geometric center, the ball will have a tendency of not rolling uniformly.
To illustrate, it is useful to visualize the ball rotated in place about its geometric center and above a reference plane created by the working surface. As the ball is rotated, the gravitational center point of the ball is located at different points in relation to the reference plane. The gravitational force between the working surface and the ball will either pull the ball towards the surface in the direction of the rotational movement or pull the ball in the opposite direction of the rotational movement. Depending on the direction of rotation and the location of the gravitational center in reference to the geometric center, the gravitational force will either increase or decrease the rotational velocity of the ball as it is rotated.
Therefore, when a user directs the mouse to move along the working surface, the ball's rotational velocity will vary periodically due to the above described defect and without regard to the speed at which the user moves the mouse. This causes the ball to "jump" along the working surface, which in turn causes the roller shafts to respond accordingly. This "jumping" or "jitter" effect causes the cursor to respond with a dis-continuous movement on the screen. As a result, an operator moving the mouse at a constant velocity will see the cursor moving at a varying velocity on the screen, instead of the desired constant velocity movement of the cursor. The amount of the variance of the velocity will dependent on the distance differential between the geometric center and the gravitational center of the ball. The operator will notice the cursor to "jitter" as it is moved across the display screen.
The above described problem, which is associated with some of the prior art balls, results because these balls are comprised of an inner core and an outer core (outer covering) surrounding the inner core. An inner core is necessitated by a requirement of having minimum weight associated with these mouse balls. Because the ball is free to "float" within the housing, a certain specified minimum weight is required for it to maintain frictional contact with the working surface. Below a minimum specified weight, the balls will "float" upwards from the working surface and will not rotate as the mouse is moved across the working surface.
The inner core is comprised of a material which provides the necessary weight. The outer core is comprised of a lighter weight material which is more suited for providing the surface which makes contact with the working surface. Also, it is essential that this outer surface be non-conductive, so that the ball does not become an electrical conductor within the mouse or between an electrical part of the mouse and the working surface.
During construction of these type of prior art balls, having an inner core and an outer covering, it is difficult to match the geometric and gravitational centers of the inner core and the outer covering. This problem associated with the coincidence of the center of gravity to the geometric center of the above described prior art ball has necessitated the testing of the ball to determine if the gravitational center is so removed from the geometric center as to cause the earlier described "jumping" phenomena to be noticeable. To make such a determination, each ball must be tested individually, such as by watching the ball's rotational action across a flat surface or actually using the ball within a mouse and watching the cursor response on a display screen. Such testing techniques are costly and time consuming. In addition, balls which do not meet the requisite criteria are deemed unacceptable and discarded. This discarding of unacceptable balls impacts on manufacturing production yield, leading to added manufacturing costs.
As a result, a uniform composition ball not having an inner core is desired. However, such a ball, which has uniform composition, must still meet the minimum weight requirement for use in a given prior art mouse. The ball must also have a non-conductive surface, so that it does not cause the mouse to electrically "short out". Conventional black rubber balls could possibly be adapted to meet this requirement, assuming that the density of the rubber is such that it meets the minimum weight requirement, however, conventional black rubber has a distinct disadvantage in that it tends to leave black marks on the working surface. Further it has the characteristically unpleasant odor associated with rubber.
Accordingly, it is appreciated that what is needed is a uniform composition, non-conducting mouse ball made from a material or materials other than black rubber, and has sufficient density to function as a mouse ball.

Silicone/zirconium ball for use in a cursor control device


An erase method of a charge trap flash memory device, the method including receiving a temperature detection result, and performing an erase operation based on the temperature detection result, wherein the erase operation includes an erase execution interval, an erase verify interval and a delay time between the erase execution interval and the erase verify interval, wherein the erase operation changes a level of a word line voltage applied to word lines during the erase execution interval, a length of the delay time, or a level of the word line voltage applied to the word lines during the delay time.

1. Technical Field
The present inventive concept relates to nonvolatile memory devices, and more particularly, to a charge trap flash memory device using an insulation layer as a charge storage layer and an erasing method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Flash memory is a non-volatile memory device that can be electrically erased and programmed A flash memory cell is made of a floating gate transistor that includes a floating gate electrically isolated between a control gate and a channel. A flash memory cell may store bit information by injecting an electric charge into a conductive floating gate insulated with an insulation layer. However, unwanted charges may migrate to the floating gate, due to capacitive coupling between memory cells or between a memory cell and a selection transistor, thus causing the stored electric charge to change. Further, the capacitive coupling may worsen as flash memories increase their degree of integration. To alleviate the effects of capacitive coupling between conductive floating gates, a charge storage layer of Si3N4, Al2O3, HfAlO, or HfSiO (e.g., a layer having a charge trap site) may be used in place of a conductive floating gate. A flash memory employing such a charge storage layer in its cells is called a charge trap flash (CTF) memory.
The CTF memory has a transient characteristic in which after a program or erase voltage is applied for a program or erase operation, electrons/holes in a charge storage layer become stabilized in terms of energy such that the injection/emission of the electrons/holes to/from the charge storage layer does not occur. According to the transient characteristic, a CTF memory cell may have a threshold voltage Vth that becomes stable after a predetermined time elapses from the time when a program or erase voltage is applied to the CTF memory.
The transient characteristic of the CTF memory may be changed according to external influences such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and electromagnetic force. For example, the transient characteristic of the CTF memory is dependent on a change in temperature. Therefore, a time for stabilizing electrons/holes in a charge storage layer is closely related to a time consumed by program and erase operations and consequently whether an error occurs or not.
For example, when the CTF memory operates at a cold temperature below that of its verified operating range, a time for stabilizing electrons/holes in a charge storage layer may change. Accordingly, an erase verify operation may be performed prior to stabilization is secured and therefore, an error occurrence frequency of an erase operation may be increased. This may cause malfunctions of the CTF memory and may deteriorate data reliability. Further, the increase of errors in an erase operation increases the number of repetitions of an erase loop, such that a high voltage stress (e.g., an erase voltage of 20V) applied to the CTF memory is increased. Further, the increased high voltage stress applied to the CTF memory also shortens the life span thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for the CTF memory to properly operate in temperature extremes outside its verified operating rage.

Charge trap flash memory device and an erasing method thereof


Provided is a system of varying a dead time of a converter, including a converter including a plurality of semiconductor switches to which a dead time is applied during an alternate switching operation; and a controller controlling ON/OFF of the plurality of semiconductor switches and setting the dead time, wherein the controller varies the dead time during an operation of the converter. According to the present invention, an over dead-time may be detected and varied to an appropriate dead time, thereby minimizing power loss of the converter and increasing efficiency thereof.

Recently, high density power circuits to make power devices compact and slim have been actively researched and high frequency driving may be essential to minimize a size and obtain high efficiency of reactive devices such as inductors, transformers, and capacitors that occupy a large space in power conversion converter circuits. Therefore, gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), which are wide band gap (WBG) devices for high frequency driving, have emerged, and research and development of high density and high efficiency circuits have actively been conducted.
In general, converters having a 100 kHz switching frequency are mainly used, and in the case of frequency controlling, a frequency control range from no load to a maximum load is about 20%. Therefore, in the case of driving at a frequency of 1 MHz for the purpose of high density, a frequency of 200 kHz is varied depending on a load when the frequency variable range is 20%.
Meanwhile, in the case of a half-bridge type converter, two semiconductor switches are connected in a bridge-arm structure and alternately operate with each other, and here, in order to prevent a short circuit due to simultaneous conduction between the two semiconductor switches, i.e., an arm short phenomenon, a dead time during which both semiconductor switches are turned off is applied.
Under light load conditions, in the case of driving at 1 MHz, a large dead time may be inevitably used to prevent gate malfunction due to high frequency noise, but as the load increases and the frequency decreases, a time required for satisfying zero voltage switching (ZVS) is shortened, leaving a large set dead time, which reduces efficiency of the converter.
That is, in order to minimize power loss and increase the efficiency of the converter, not only an appropriate dead time must be set but also the dead time needs to be varied according to situations during an operation. However, in a general dead time generating circuit of the related art, a resistor is connected to a ground at an IC DT pin and a dead time is determined based on a current amount flowing through the DT pin, and once the dead time is set, the set dead time is constantly held even under a condition in which an operating frequency is varied.

System and method of controlling dead time of converter


Various methodologies and related apparatus associated with mobility management issues within a packet-based multiaccess mobile communications system, which includes a plurality of mobile user stations and a plurality of network nodes, are provided. Location management techniques include tracking and/or locating mobile stations within the system. The invention makes use of home and visiting location registers in which information such as mobile station addresses and/or host names associated with mobile stations are stored. Mobile access methodologies include a complete mobile access method and a direct mobile access method. The former allows a mobile station to preferably include a unique address in the packets being transmitted, while the latter allows the station to merely use the host name of the destination station. The invention also includes various in-call mobility management techniques, including handoffs, which make use of the concept of an anchor.

The present application is related to U.S. Ser. No. 09/191,133, filed Nov. 13, 1998 and entitled xe2x80x9cSubnetwork Layer For A Multimedia Mobile Network;xe2x80x9d and U.S. Ser. No. 09/191,132, filed Nov. 13, 1998 and entitled xe2x80x9cAddressing Scheme For A Multimedia Mobile Network.xe2x80x9d
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile communications systems and, more particularly, to mobility management techniques in such systems that may include multimedia applications in a highly dynamic networking environment.
2. Background of the Invention
Several important mobility management issues need to be addressed in designing a communications system wherein the system is characterized by a dynamic network topology (e.g., mobile system access points or network nodes) and a relatively large number of mobile end users. Particularly, critical among them are issues such as: keeping track of mobile end users and access point locations in the system (i.e., location management); reaching and initiating communications with a mobile end user (i.e., mobile access); and continuity of service when a mobile end user moves between coverage areas associated with system access points (i.e., handoff management). Existing networks do provide solutions to these problems in their specific domains. As prior art, we discuss the solutions provided by Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) networks, Cellular/Personal Communications Services (Cellular/PCS) systems, and Mobile Internet Protocol (mobile IP) networks.
CDPD networks consist of Mobile Data Intermediate Systems (MDISs), Mobile Data Base Stations (MDBSs), Mobile End Stations (MESs). An MDBS offering CDPD services helps a roaming MES register with the MDIS (called the serving MDIS) with which the MDBS is associated by acting as a conduit for the registration message. The serving MDIS informs the home MDIS of the MES of the latter""s presence in its coverage area. When a host needs to send data to an MES, it does not have to be aware of the mobility aspect of the MES, it simply transmits data using the MES""s IP address as the destination address. The IP packets are terminated at the home MDIS which encapsulates them in new data packets using the serving MDIS address as the destination address. The encapsulated data packets for the MES are forwarded to the serving MDIS of the MES. At the serving MDIS, packets are de-capsulated to reveal the MES""s address. The serving MDIS sends the original data packets to the right channel where the MES is currently located. The MES receives the data packets. If the MES needs to reply, it directly sends data packets using the remote host""s IP address as the destination address.
Intra-MDIS (i.e., between the two MDBSs served by the same MDIS) handoffs in CDPD are quick and simple because the data link between the MDIS and the mobile remains intact. However, Inter-MDIS handoffs could interrupt service since the data link will most likely be torn down when a mobile moves between MDISs. In this case, users have to reregister with the new serving MDIS. CDPD systems are further described in K. Budka et al., xe2x80x9cCellular Digital Packet Data Networks,xe2x80x9d Bell Labs Technical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer 1997); xe2x80x9cCellular Digital Packet Data Systems Specification: Release 1.1, xe2x80x9d CDPD Forum, Inc., Chicago (1995); and M. S. Taylor et al., xe2x80x9cInternetwork Mobility: The CDPD Approach,xe2x80x9d Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, N.J. (1996).
In Cellular/PCS systems, Home Location Registers (HLRs) and Visitor Location Registers (VLRs) are used to handle mobility management. HLRs and VLRs potentially can reside anywhere in the network. An HLR contains profile information about each of its mobile subscribers and the address of the current VLRs of its mobiles. Each Mobile Switching Center (MSC) has a VLR which tracks all mobiles currently receiving service in the serving MSC""s coverage area. Whenever a mobile enters an area served by a new VLR and registers itself there, the latter informs the mobile""s HLR of the change in the mobile""s location. In addition, the VLR downloads the service profile of the roaming mobile as well as other information necessary for call termination at the mobile.
When a mobile terminated call is initiated, the first PSTN switch encountered by the calling party realizes that the called party number is a cellular/PCS number, thus it queries its HLR for the mobile""s location. The HLR in turn contacts the current serving system and obtains a temporary local directory number (TLDN) from the current VLR. Using the TLDN, the first switch sets up the circuit to the serving MSC.
Typically, there are two types of handoffs in cellular/PCS networks: hard and soft handoffs. During a hard handoff, a mobile prepares a new, better quality link but switches to it only after it drops the air link between itself and its communicating node. During a soft handoff, a mobile can simultaneously have several air links (some of these can be dropped later when they are no longer needed). This phase can last as long as necessary to maintain good quality for the call. Soft handoffs are widely used by CDMA while hard handoffs are widely used by North American TDMA and GSM (also a TDMA system), as well as by AMPS (an FDMA system). Cellular/PCS systems are further described in xe2x80x9cISDN Based C Interface Access for PCS CDMA,xe2x80x9d Special Report SR-3797, Issue 1, Bellcore (December 1995).
While CDPD and Cellular/PCS networks were driven by the need to support wireless end users that may move when they are in a dormant mode as well as in an active (i.e., communicating) mode, mobile IP has a different motivation. It was driven by the need to support end users that would access the network from different points at different times. A mobile IP network consists of mobile nodes, home agents and foreign agents. A home agent is a router that authenticates a mobile node, tracks a mobile""s location, and redirects data packets to the mobile""s current location. A home agent maintains a table of all the mobile nodes that are homed to it with fields such as mobile""s home address and mobile""s care-of-address. A foreign agent assists the mobile node in informing its home agent of its current location, routes data traffic sent by the mobile, and sometimes provides the care-of-address and data packet de-capsulation for the mobile node. A foreign agent also maintains a list of visiting mobile nodes and their information.
Similar to CDPD, mobile IP also uses triangle routing. A mobile""s home agent receives packets destined to the home address of the mobile and tunnels them to the care-of-address of the mobile node by encapsulating the original IP packets in new IP packets with the destination address set to the mobile""s care-of-address. At the care-of address, the original packets are extracted from the tunnel and then delivered to the mobile node. In the reverse direction, packets are sent by the mobile directly to the remote host without tunneling.
Mobile IP with route optimization and smooth handoff is still in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft stage, see C.E. Perkins et al., xe2x80x9cRoute Optimization in Mobile IP,xe2x80x9d draft-ietf-mobileip-optim-07.txt (Nov. 20, 1997). A mobile in handoff asks its new foreign agent to send a binding update to its previous foreign agent. During handoff, the previous foreign agent tunnels and the transient packets to the new care-of-address. In case the previous foreign agent has no fresh binding, it can forward the transient packets to the home agent through a special tunnel which prevents routing loops from forming between the home agent and the previous foreign agent. Mobile IP is further described in C. E. Perkins, xe2x80x9cMobile IP,xe2x80x9d IEEE Communications Magazine, pp. 84-99 (May 1997); and J. D. Solomon, xe2x80x9cMobile IP: The Internet Unplugged,xe2x80x9d Prentice Hall (1998). Mobility issues are further described in xe2x80x9cI. F. Akyildiz et al., xe2x80x9cMobility Management in Current and Future Communications Networks,xe2x80x9d IEEE Network, pp. 39-49 (July/August 1998). Also, mobile IP point-to-point communication is described in U.S. Ser. No. 09/150,403, filed on Sep. 9, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,496,491 issued on Dec. 12, 2002), and U.S. Ser. No. 09/074,582, filed on May 8,1998, both entitled xe2x80x9cA Mobile Point-to-Point Protocol,xe2x80x9d the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
However, there are several drawbacks to the individual approaches described above. For instance, as is known, mobile IP networks are typically hampered by route inefficiency problems. On the other hand, as is also known, cellular/PCS networks require significant signaling overhead during call setups and handoffs. As such, there is a need for a network architecture and mobility management techniques that yield an efficient, scaleable, and flexible communications system capable of handling various applications including multimedia applications.
The present invention provides a network architecture, an addressing scheme, and various mobility management methodologies, as well as apparatus for implementing them in a packet-based mobile communications system, which are capable of supporting various voice and data services including, for example, multimedia services.
In a first aspect of the invention, a new protocol layer is provided as part of a protocol stack associated with a packet-based multiaccess mobile communications system. The protocol layer is preferably located above a medium access control (MAC) protocol layer and a physical protocol layer of the system and below a transport/network protocol layer. Such a subnetwork protocol layer provides, inter alia, the communications system with various mobility management functions, for example, tracking mobile user stations throughout the system, mobile station access to the system, and connection/call continuity within the system. The subnetwork protocol layer of the invention also performs packet routing and forwarding functions associated with the system. Routing can be accomplished in many ways, for example, via source routing, connectionless routing, or tunneling. Further, it is to be appreciated that the new protocol layer of the invention is preferably located above a data link layer with respect to the protocol stack associated with communications between network nodes.
In a second aspect of the invention, an addressing scheme for a packet-based multiaccess mobile communications system, which includes a plurality of mobile user stations and a plurality of network nodes, is provided. In such addressing scheme, each mobile station is assigned an address which is a combination (preferably, a concatenation) of a unique identifier of a network node with which the mobile station is currently associated and an identifier of the mobile station. The network node identifiers may be uniquely assigned by a network administrator, while the identifiers of the mobile stations may, for example, be set to a universal MAC address assigned to the station. The address may also include a port identifier which indicates the particular application flow associated with the accompanying packets. Similarly, each network node is assigned an address which is a combination (preferably, a concatenation) of its network node identifier and, preferably, an interface identifier. Since a network node may have links with more than one other network node, the interface identifier uniquely identifies the link with which the packets are associated. The address may also include a port identifier which indicates the particular application flow associated with the accompanying packets. This unique addressing scheme is preferably implemented with respect to the subnetwork protocol layer.
Advantageously, the addressing scheme of the invention alleviates mobile user stations from needing to be concerned with the mobility of other mobile user stations within the system. That is, while the overall address of a mobile station may change due to the fact that it may become associated with a different network node, or a mobile station may have more than one address if it is associated with more than one network node, a correspondent mobile station (e.g., a mobile station with which a first station or initiating station is communicating with or wishes to communicate with) is still able to send and receive packets to and from the initiating mobile station since the identifier of a mobile station (e.g., universal MAC address) remains the same.
In a third aspect of the invention, various methodologies and related apparatus associated with mobility management issues within the system are provided, e.g., location management, mobile access, and in-call mobility management.
Location management techniques according to the invention, for example, include tracking and/or locating mobile stations within the system. The invention makes use of home and visiting location registers in which information such as mobile station addresses, preferably as described above, and/or host names associated with mobile stations are stored. Network nodes may query other network nodes to locate mobile stations based on such databases. Also, mobile stations themselves update such registers to inform them of their current locations. Subsequently, the updated network nodes update other network nodes of such location changes. Network nodes also preferably include a database containing the address for the home location register of each mobile station in the system.
Mobile access methodologies are also provided according to the invention. In one embodiment for use in a mobile station, a complete mobile access method includes searching a database for an address of a second mobile user station, the address being a combination of an identifier of the second mobile user station and an identifier of a network node with which the second mobile user station is currently associated. The first mobile station then transmits a packet containing the address of a second mobile user station and an address of the mobile user station itself, its address being a combination of an identifier of the mobile user station and an identifier of a network node with which the mobile user station is currently associated.
In another embodiment of mobile access according to the invention, a direct mobile access method includes inserting a host name associated with a second mobile user station in a packet, and transmitting the packet to a network node with which the station is in direct communication such that the network node (direct network node) can insert an address of the second station in place of the host name and then transfer the packet on to the second station. The initiating mobile station then preferably receives the address of the second station from the direct network node and replaces the host name with the address in a subsequent packet transmitted to the direct network node. The mobile station may alternatively receive the address of the second station from a home location register of the second station or the second station itself.
The invention also includes various in-call mobility management techniques which make use of the concept of an anchor. An anchor is a network node that is assigned to a mobile user station and acts as a permanent node (i.e., until deleted or changed) to which packets may be intermediately sent. The anchor then passes the packets on to the mobile station, regardless of where the mobile station has moved to in the system. Thus, preferably employing the unique addressing scheme discussed above, packets are directed to an anchor (via, for example, source routing or tunneling) which then directs the packets to the mobile station. If a mobile station moves a sufficient distance from its anchor, the system makes a decision to change the anchor of the mobile station to be a closer network node such as to optimize packet routing. It is to be appreciated that the use of anchors and the addressing scheme of the invention advantageously allow mobile stations to not be concerned with the mobility of another mobile with which it has established an existing connection or call. That is, correspondent mobile stations send packets to anchors which then forward them to the mobile station associated therewith, thus, effectively hiding one mobile station""s location change from another correspondent mobile station.

Mobility management for a multimedia mobile network


A cooling device includes: a refrigerant circulation loop configured to depressurizing the inside thereof, the refrigerant circulation loop includes, an evaporator that vaporizes a part of refrigerant by heat generated by an electronic component, a condenser that cools the refrigerant, and a pump that circulates the refrigerant, wherein a filling ratio of liquid refrigerant to a volume of the refrigerant circulation loop is configured to maintain a refrigerant circulation capability of the pump.

An electronic component provided in an electronic equipment generates heat during an operation. Accordingly, various cooling devices cooling the electronic component have been proposed. For example, a boiling cooling device is known in which an evaporating portion container storing a liquid refrigerant and a condenser which condenses a vaporized refrigerant are connected by a single pipeline in which gas and liquid flow in multiphase.
However, the boiling cooling device in the related art utilizes only vaporization energy of a refrigerant, so that a filling ratio of the liquid refrigerant has been lowered in order to make it easy to vaporize the refrigerant. Therefore, when it is intended to secure a necessary cooling capability, the entire cooling device tends to become larger. Further, an exploitation of gravitational force is required in order to cause the refrigerant liquefied by the condenser to return to the evaporator and an arrangement of components is subjected to a positional restriction. Increasing in a size of the cooling device in its entirety or being subjected to positional restriction on the arrangement of components is disadvantageous for mounting the electronic equipments in a high density, so that there are rooms for improvement in a conventional boiling cooling device.
The following is a reference document.
[Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H6-224337.


A process for terminating an optical fiber with a ferrule includes the steps of: (a) providing an optical fiber and ferrule with an end of the optical fiber extending beyond a surface of the ferrule; and (b) directing a jet comprising an air-abrasive mixture at the end of the optical fiber to cleave the end of the optical fiber from the remainder of the optical fiber.

Termination of fiber optic cables is a predominantly manual process. This is largely due to the fragile nature of the glass fibers, and the mix of materials and processes required to form a stable interface. In other words, the process of gluing the small diameter fiber within a tight tolerance zirconia ferrule, cleaving it without damage, and polishing it to a defect-free surface involves a great deal of care, and multiple steps. Efforts to automate the process, and eliminate the craft necessary to achieve good performance, have been generally unsuccessful.
Traditionally, cleaving of the optical fiber is performed using a scribe tool with a sapphire, ruby or carbide tip. A careful operator has to scribe the fiber just above the cured epoxy and gently pull the tip of the fiber parallel to the fiber axis without producing a crack. When not done properly, this resulting crack often makes the termination unusable. This operator has to be one of the more careful and conscientious people in the factory, and may perform this same repetitive job for much or all of an entire shift. If a crack does result from the scribing procedure, the connector needs to be cut off and the entire process needs to be redone. On breakout cables with many fibers, cracks can create other problems. If breakouts are at precise lengths, all ends would need to be redone.
After the cleave, a manual denubbing process takes place to take the fiber stub down to the epoxy, so that it does not crack during the epoxy removal step. This step can be time consuming and very operator dependent. The connector end face can also be deformed if the procedure is not done properly, and such deformation is typically undetected until testing. With a manual cleave, traditional machine polishing requires four to five steps using silicon carbide, diamond and silicon dioxide lapping films with rubber pads after the denubbing—epoxy removal, multiple geometry end face forming, and the final—to reform the geometry of the connector.
A new cleaving technique, using a CO2 laser, largely automates the process. The operator simply places the connector into the laser cleaver, the laser scans across the fiber and epoxy bead, and it cleaves both together. The human factor is eliminated from the cleaving and denubbing steps. However, laser cleavers tend to expensive, and also may introduce a radiation hazard. Additionally, laser cleaves operate at relatively high temperatures and can require shielding to prevent damage to portions of an optical fiber near the laser cleave location thereby adding to system complexity.
In view of the foregoing, it may be desirable to propose additional cleaving techniques.


A transmitting UE schedules radio frequency resources for use in a data transmission. The transmitting UE determines the transmission bandwidth, subject to certain restrictions, such as allowed DFT sizes for the UE for a data transmission. The determination may be performed through autonomous resource selection operations and/or may be performed using information received through signaling received from the network node as part of a scheduling grant. The UE further determines the ALLOCATED BANDWIDTH. The ALLOCATED BANDWIDTH can be determined based on the TRANSMISSION BANDWIDTH, which has been determined, using a defined rule. Furthermore, the UE generates and transmits toward a receiving UE a scheduling assignment (SA) that indicates the number or the set of subchannels that are within, and conform to, the ALLOCATED BANDWIDTH which was determined. The UE can then perform the data transmission using the SA indicated number or set of subchannels.

During Release 12, the LTE standard has been extended with support of device to device (D2D) (specified as "sidelink") features targeting both commercial and Public Safety applications. Some applications enabled by Rel-12 LTE are device discovery, where devices may sense the proximity of another device and associated application by broadcasting and detecting discovery messages that carry device and application identities. Another application consists of direct communication based on physical channels terminated directly between devices.
D2D communications may be extended to support Vehicle-to-X (V2X) communications, which includes any combination of direct communication between vehicles, pedestrian carried devices, and infrastructure mounted devices. V2X communication may take advantage of available network (NW) infrastructure, although at least basic V2X connectivity can be possible in case of lack of available network infrastructure. Providing an LTE-based V2X interface may be economically advantageous because of the LTE economies of scale and it may enable tighter integration between communications with the NW infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, as compared to using a dedicated V2X technology.
V2X communications may carry both non-safety and safety information, where each of the applications and services may be associated with specific requirements sets, e.g., in terms of latency, reliability, capacity, etc.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has defined two types of messages for road safety: Co-operative Awareness Message (CAM) and Decentralized Environmental Notification Message (DENM).
A CAM message is intended to enable vehicles, including emergency vehicles, to notify their presence and other relevant parameters in a broadcast fashion. Such messages target other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure, and are handled by their applications. The CAM message also serves as active assistance to safety driving for normal traffic. Devices check availability of a CAM message every 100 ms, yielding a maximum detection latency requirement is not more than 100 ms for most CAM messages. However, the latency requirement for Pre-crash sensing warning is not more than 50 ms.
A DENM message is event-triggered, such as by braking, and the availability of a DENM message is also checked for every 100 ms, and the requirement of maximum latency is not more than 100 ms.
The package size of CAM and DENM message can vary from more than 100 to more than 800 bytes, although the typical size is around 300 bytes depending on the specific V2X use case, message type (e.g. DENM can be larger than CAM), and depending on the security format included in the packet (e.g., full certificate or certificate digest). The message is supposed to be detected by all vehicles in proximity.
The Society of the Automotive Engineers (SAE) has defined a Basic Safety Message (BSM) for DSRC with various defined messages sizes. Based on the importance and urgency of the messages, the BSMs are further classified into different priorities. In V2X, the system bandwidth is divided into subchannels. Each subchannel consists of several resource blocks (RBs). Different subchannels contain disjoint sets of RBs. The UE is allocated an integer number of subchannels for transmission. Within this allocation, the UE transmits both control information (i.e., a scheduling assignment) and data, which forms the allocated bandwidth.
In LTE (in general, and in particular in V2X), the transmission bandwidth used by a UE is limited by allowed Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) sizes, i.e., DFT sizes that the UE is allowed to use for transmission/reception. Allowed DFT sizes in LTE are products of powers of 2, 3, 5 in order to enable optimized DFT implementations for SC-OFDM transmission. This forms the transmission bandwidth.
Usually, the number of available RBs allocated to a UE for transmission (i.e., the number of RBs contained in an integer number of subchannels) does not correspond to an allowed DFT size. This problem is made worse by the fact that within its allocation, the UE may need to divide its RBs for transmission of control information and data. In addition, the overhead in signaling the data allocation from an SA is challenging and should be kept as compact as possible.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for efficient signaling in V2X communications


The disclosed invention comprises a method for assembling fuel bundles for service in nuclear reactors which minimizes damage to the assembled components of a nature that renders the components susceptible to destructive corrosion in service, and the enhanced product of the improved method. The invention includes the utilization of a temporary protective barrier, such as water soluble sodium silicate or gelatin, intermediate the components during assembly.

Fissionable fuel materials such as oxides of uranium, plutonium or thorium, and combinations thereof, are typically formed into small cylindrical pellets and housed within sealed tubes or elongated containers sometimes referred to in the art as "cladding". The sealed fuel containers protect the fuel from reacting with the coolant, or any foreign matter entrained therein, and prevent the escape of any fission products from the fuel, which are normally highly radioactive and corrosive, into the coolant and in turn contamination of the overall system. Thus the enduring integrity of the sealed container housing the fissionable fuel is therefore of the utmost importance.
Large capacity power generating nuclear fission reactor plants normally employ several hundreds of such sealed tubular containers housing fissionable fuel. To facilitate the periodic refueling, which commonly is performed by replacing fractional portions of the total fuel at intervals and rearranging other fractional portions, the tubular fuel containers, or fuel elements consisting of same, are conventional assembled into bundles or groups of approximately 40 to 90 elements which can be handled and manipulated as a single composite unit.
Elongated or tubular containers housing fissionable nuclear fuel materials are therefore assembled into a designed array conventionally comprising a group of spaced apart, parallel aligned tubular containers of fuel secured by mechanical means. A typical fuel bundle comprises, for example, an eight by eight or nine by nine array of spaced fuel containers. The tubular fuel containers usually are several feet in length, such as about 14 feet, and approximately one-half inch in diameter and are each spaced from the others a fraction of an inch. The spacing is required to permit an ample flow of heat removing coolant, such as water, over the full exterior surface of all tubular fuel containers for effective heat transfer and thus effective operation.
To inhibit such elongated fuel elements from bowing and vibrating due to high heat and velocities of coolant flowing thereabout, whereby they can contact each other and in any case impede or unbalance coolant flow, it is necessary to retain the tubular fuel elements in their spaced apart array or relation by means of a plurality of spacing units positioned at intervals along their length.
Typical spacing units for tubular fuel elements comprise a frame having a multiplicity of crossing components or lattice which form or provide a plurality of opening arranged in the designated pattern for spacing the parallel aligned fuel elements. A group of the tubular fuel elements are each inserted into and passed through the aligned opening of a series such spacing units positioned at the intervals along the length of the elements in a predetermined pattern or distance. Thus with each elongated fuel element of a group traversing several spacing units at intervals which provide intermediate restraint and support transverse of the group, the spaced apart, parallel aligned fuel elements are each restrained from lateral bowing and vibration which could damage their structure or impede effective coolant flow intermediate and around each fuel container. A common commercial embodiment of a nuclear reactor fuel bundle has about seven such spacer units securing all tubular fuel elements extending therethrough which are positioned at intervals along the length of the grouped array of elements.
Spacing units for securing bundles of fuel rod elements frequently contain spring and stop members which press against the fuel rod elements in metal to metal contact as a means of securely gripping and holding the fuel rod elements in position.
The assembled bundle of a group of spaced apart, parallel aligned array of the tabular fuel elements secured to each other by traversing through the openings of a series of spacing units positioned at intervals along their length additionally have each of their ends supported in sockets of tie plates. This bundle assembly is also typically surrounded by an open ended tubular channel of suitable cross-section such as square, to direct the flow of coolant longitudinally along the surface of the fuel elements and guide the neutron absorbing fission control rod units which move reciprocally longitudinally intermediate the channel surrounded bundle of fuel elements.
Typical fuel bundle assembles of the foregoing common construction are disclosed in Letters U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,275, issued October 1967 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,077, issued Apr. 4, 1972. The disclosed contents of said patents, and those cited therein, are incorporated herein by reference.
Structural components utilized within the reactor core of fissionable fuel, such as the tubular containers housing the fuel and their spacing units, etc. must be fabricated from a durable metal which has a low neutron absorbing capacity, or cross section, so as not to impede the neutron incited fission chain reaction. The preferred material most commonly used comprises alloys of zirconium which have a neutron absorption capacity in the order of about one-fifteenth of that of stainless steel. However zirconium alloys are under certain circumstances susceptible to corrosion which can result in its structural failure. To impede a destructive form of self-perpetuating corrosion peculiar to zirconium and its alloys referred to in the art as modular corrosion, components produced from zirconium alloys, such as fuel containers, are commonly treated to form a specific oxide surface layer which resists modular corrosion and surface attack under reactor conditions.

Scratch preventing method of assembling nuclear fuel bundles, and the assembly


The present inventions offer a nickel-based single crystal alloy which has a high strength, is easy in conducting the solution heat treatment, hardly gives a harmful phase and is resistant to corrosion at high temperature. A nickel-based single crystal alloy is offered where the composition consists of 7-15 of Co, 0.1-4 of Cr, 1-4 of Mo, 4-7 of W, 5.5-6.5 of Al, 5-7 of Ta, 4-5.5 of Re, 0-0.5 each of Hf and V, and 0-2 each of Ti and Nb in terms of % by weight and residual part substantially consists of Ni wherein said alloy may contain unavoidable impurities.

The inventions of the present application relate to a nickel-based single crystal alloy and also to a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, they relate to a novel and highly strong nickel-based single crystal alloy having excellent strength at high temperature and anti-corrosive property at high temperature which is useful as a material to be used under high temperature and high stress such as turbine blades and turbine vanes for jet engines and gas turbines for industrial purposes.
Nickel-based single crystal alloys have been known as heat-resistant alloys used for high-temperature machinery and tools such as jet engines and gas turbines for industrial purposes.
For example, in order to promote the efficiency of gas turbine, it is the most effective method to raise the inlet gas temperature and, for such a purpose, it is essential to improve the high temperature strength of the materials used at high temperature and high stress. From such a viewpoint, there have been more and more improvements in the high temperature strenght of nickel-based superalloy year by year and, at present, with regard to the nickel-based single crystal superalloy, commercial alloys such as ReneN6 and CMSX10 which are called the third generation single crystal alloys have been developed and used.
Actually, however, those nickel-based single crystal superalloys of the third generation have problems. The first problem is that their solution heat treatment is not easy. In the nickel-based single crystal alloys of the third generation, the amount of chromium is reduced as much as possible and, in place of that, rhenium is added in large amount so that a decrease in corrosion resistance by a reduction of the amount of chromium is compensated by rhenium whereby good corrosion resistance at high temperature is maintained and a high strength at the medium temperature of up to 1,000xc2x0 C. is achieved.
However, the heat treatment of those nickel-based single crystal alloys of the third generation is becoming to higher temperature and becoming complicated as well. For example, in the case of CMSX-10, about ten steps of solution treatments for 45 hours in total at 1,360xc2x0 C. at the highest are necessary.
Accordingly, there has been a practical demand for new technical means whereby strength at high temperature can be improved without deteriorating the corrosion resistance at high temperature and, in addition, the solution heat treatment is easy.
In addition to the above problem, there is another problem that, as a material for high temperature for actual use, a harmful phase is formed within a short period during the use at the temperature of as high as not lower than 1,000xc2x0 C. Then, the third problem is that, due to said harmful phase, the strength lowers to the level of same as or even lower than that of the second generation single crystal superalloys at conditions of high temperature for long time.
Under such circumstances, the inventions of the present application are to solve the above-mentioned problems in the nickel-based single crystal alloys of the third generation and to offer novel nickel-based single crystal alloy where the solution heat treatment is easy and strength at high temperature and corrosion resistance at high temperature are excellent and also to offer a method of manufacturing the same.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention of the present application offers a nickel-based single crystal alloy, characterized in that, the composition consists of 7-15 of Co, 0.1-4 of Cr, 1-4 of Mo, 4-7 of W, 5.5-6.5 of Al, 5-7 of Ta, 4-5.5 of Re, 0-0.5 each of Hf and V, and 0-2 each of Ti and Nb in terms of % by weight and residual part substantially consists of Ni where said alloy may contain unavoidable impurities.
The present application further offers a nickel-based single crystal alloy according to the above-mentioned first invention wherein said alloy contains 10-14 of Co, 2-3 of Cr, 1.5-2.5 of Mo, 5-6.5 of W, 5.7-6.3 of Al, 5.5-6.5 of Ta, 4.5-5 of Re and 0.01-0.3 of Hf in terms of % by weight.
The present application furthermore offers a method of manufacturing a nickel-based single crystal alloy as mentioned in the above first or second invention, characterized in that, a solution heat treatment is conducted at the temperature range of 1,310-1,350xc2x0 C. and a aging heat treatment is conducted at the temperature range of 850-1,200xc2x0 C.
The prevent application still furthermore offers a method of manufacturing the nickel-based single crystal alloy according to the above-mentioned method wherein the solution heat treatment is conducted within ten hours and the aging heat treatment is conducted within thirty hours; a method of manufacturing the nickel-based single crystal alloy wherein each of the solution heat treatment and the aging heat treatment is conducted in a single step or by means of temperature changes in two to four steps; and a method of manufacturing the nickel-based single crystal alloy wherein a preliminary thermal treatment at from 1,290xc2x0 C. to lower than 1,310xc2x0 C. for two hours or shorter is conducted prior to the solution heat treatment.

Nickel-based single crystal alloy and a method of manufacturing the same


A device for recovering electric energy in a DC motor-driven electric vehicle. The device includes a battery; a first inverter; an inductor; a first rectifier bridge or a second inverter; a DC motor; a second rectifier bridge or a third inverter; and a charger. The anode and the cathode of the battery are connected to input ends of the first inverter, respectively. One output end of the first inverter is connected to one end of a primary coil of the inductor. Another output end of the first inverter is connected to one input end of the first rectifier bridge or the second inverter. Another end of the primary coil of the inductor is connected to another input end of the first rectifier bridge. The charger is connected to the anode and the cathode of the battery for supplying power from an external power supply.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for recovering electric energy in a DC motor-driven electric vehicle that employs an inductor to recover the electric energy in the process of current rectification. The invention is particularly applicable to electric bicycles, electric tricycles, electric cars, electric boats, household electric appliances, industrial electric appliances, and electric motor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical electric vehicle adopts a rectifier to compensate for its start and operation. However, the rectifier consumes a large amount of energy in the start and the operation of the electric vehicle, thereby resulting in an energy loss of a battery or the power grid. Although electric energy can be reserved by using a flywheel, a double-layer capacitance, or an electric generator, all these devices have a high energy consumption and low energy recovery efficiency thereby resulting in a high energy consumption of the electric vehicle.

Device for recovering electric energy in DC motor-driven electric vehicle


The improved urinal apparatus is configured for insertion in an outlet of a urinal. The urinal apparatus includes a hollow body defining an upper housing and a clamp ring/lower housing. The upper housing provides an open chamber configured to receive and retain a consumable detergent/malodour counteractant and the clamp ring/lower housing is configured to support and retain a resealing valve, which is operable to allow flow of fluid, such as urine, from above, but is operable to prevent backflow from below the resealing valve. The urinal apparatus also includes a consumable cap element, which includes an axial opening at least partway through, wherein the opening is configured to receive at least part of the upper housing. A body of the cap element comprises a plurality of radially extending fins. One of the upper housing or the consumable cap element comprise an upper member comprising an array of holes, which facilitate fluid flow and insertion and extraction of the urinal apparatus as a unit.

Waterless or low water usage urinals have become popular in recent years as the financial and environmental cost of supplying water becomes more important to water consumers. However, where there is no rinsing there is concern about smells and odours of urine and how to maintain such systems.
Using waterless/low water urinals is expected to reduce overall expenditure because spending on a waterless/low water urinal is considered to be less in comparison with fitting and maintaining flushed (water using) urinals. Waterless/low water urinals are intended to meet environmental goals because their use reduces water usage because water is only used periodically for washdown/to aid cleaning the system. In terms of current environmental goals, the waterless/low water urinal, by implication, reduces the implementation site's carbon footprint.
In the UK the water supply in many areas is "hard water". It will be appreciated that this has a negative implication of using water to flush urinals because the limescale content in the "hard water" can cause problems in urinals because supply pipes and cisterns can become 'furred up' over time. When this happens the pipes and cisterns require descaling to ensure efficient flushing of the urinal. In this regard, it will be appreciated "furring up" occurs due to the limescale combining with the uric acid salts in urine to form a hard scale, which gradually, through time, builds up and can, if not maintained, block the waste pipes. The scale build-up provides a foundation to which bacteria can adhere, and multiply. This is particularly problematic and undesirable when the scale/limescale deposits are on the surface of the urinal bowls.
In view of the above, it will be appreciated, a waterless or low water urinal saves water, reduces expenditure on water and related sewerage costs, improves hygiene because the urinal is easier to clean, lowers maintenance costs because there is no flush control system, cistern or water supply pipes to maintain, no flood risk and reduced incidence of waste pipe blockage; we say reduced because often foreign objects find their way into the waste pipe system.
From the above, it will be appreciated a waterless/low water urinal is a urinal which requires no flushing and may include a specially designed trap which utilises urine to form a liquid seal to prevent back odours from the soil stack being emitted through the urinal. Other waterless urinals may feature oil filled traps or non-return valves which do not rely on a liquid based seal. Conventional waterless urinals include a disposable cartridge which contains a consumable deodoriser. The deodoriser gives off a pleasant odour which masks the smell of the urine contained within the trap. The physical size of the deodoriser reduces through contact with air and urine, and the cartridges are replaced periodically as part of a maintenance schedule. There are problems associated with such a regime however; for example, where there is more than one urinal, the time period between cartridge changes is determined by the requirements of the urinal which is used most heavily as the consumable deodoriser in this urinal will be consumed most quickly. In such a situation, the cartridges of other urinals in the same toilet may be replaced unnecessarily if they are changed as part of the periodic maintenance. Furthermore, when the cartridge is changed there is a significant amount of material which has to be disposed of.


An antimicrobial composition for extending the shelf-life of water, feed or feed ingredients, comprising: water, a mixture of CrC18 organic acids, a mixture of CrC24 aldehydes, 5-25 wt. % pelargonic acid, and 5-30 wt. % trans-2-hexenal.

1. Field of the Invention
An antimicrobial formulation consisting of a mixture of organic acids and aldehydes where such combination resulted in synergistic response as compared to the addition of high levels of the other component.
2. Background
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly one out of six Americans or 48 million people are sickened by food borne illnesses each year. Another 128,000 are hospitalized and approximately 3,000 die of food borne disease every year. In a 2011 report the CDC estimated that 20,000 cases of Salmonella resulted in hospitalization, and that 378 of these cases resulted in death. It has also estimated that E. coli 0157:H7 causes approximately 62,000 cases of food borne disease and approximately 1,800 food borne illness-related hospitalizations in the United States.
A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts of Georgetown University suggested that food borne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year.
As the world trends toward more natural and/or organic antimicrobials, the need to find them has resulted in a great amount of research, as well as increased cost for new raw materials due to the low commercial availability of these new natural/organic products.
Formaldehyde has been use as an antiseptic for many years. Two patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,547,987 and 5,591,467, teach the use of formaldehyde to control Salmonella in animal feed. These patents do not suggest that a combination of formaldehyde and an organic acid would provide a synergistic effect, as described in the present invention.
New antimicrobials have been found in many plants. These antimicrobials protect plants from bacterial, fungal, viral and insect infestation. These antimicrobials, which are components of the plant essential oils, can be acidic, alcohol or aldehyde-based chemicals.
One of the volatile compound used in this invention is trans-2-hexenal, which is six-carbon aldehyde with a conjugated double bond, C6H10O and MW=98.14. Aldehydes are represented by the general formula RCHO, where R is can be hydrogen or an aromatic, aliphatic or a heterocyclic group. They are moderately soluble in water and solubility decreases as the molecular weight increases. Unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes includes, propenal, trans-2-butenal, 2-methyl-2-butenal, 2-methyl-(E)-2-butenal, 2-pentenal, trans-2-hexenal, trans-2-hexen-1-ol, 2-methyl-2-pentanal, 2-isopropylpropenal, 2-ethyl-2-butenal, 2-ethyl-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenal, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenal, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, (2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2-6-octadienal, (2Z)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, trans-2-nonenal, (2E,6Z)-nonadienal, 10-undecanal, 2-dodecenal, 2,4-hexadienal and others.
Trans-2-hexenal is present in many edible plants such as apples, pears, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, olives, etc. The use of plants and plant extracts have been successful in studies looking for new anti-microbials. For example, cashew apple was effective against Helicobacter pylori and S. cholerasuis (50-100 ug/ml). The two main components were found to be anacardic acid and trans-2-hexenal. The minimum inhibitory activity and minimum biocidal activity of trans-2-hexenal were determined to be 400 and 800 ug/ml, respectively (Kubo, J.; Lee, J. R.; Kubo, I. Anti-Helicobacter pylori Agents from the Cashew Apple. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1999, v. 47, 533-537; Kubo, I. And K. Fujita, Naturally Occurring Anti-Salmonella Agents. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, v. 49, 5750-5754). Kim and Shin found that trans-2-hexenal (247 mg/L) was effective against B. cereus, S. typhimurium, V. parahaemolyticus, L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 (Kim, Y. S.; Shin, D. H. Volatile Constituents from the Leaves of Callicarpa japonica Thunb. and Their Antibacterial Activities. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, v. 52, 781-787). Nakamura. and Hatanaka (Green-leaf-derived C6-aroma compounds with potent antibacterial action that act on both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, v. 50 no, 26, 7639-7644) demonstrated that (3E)-hexenal was effective in controlling Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium at a level of 3-30 ug/ml. Trans-2-hexenal completely inhibited proliferation of both P. syringae pathovars (570 ug/L of air) and E. coli (930 micrograms/L of air) (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). It was observed that trans-2-hexenal at 250 ug/ml was effective at inhibiting the growth of Phoma mycelium (Saniewska, S. and M. Saniewski, 2007. The effect of trans-2-hexenal and trans-2-nonenal on the mycelium growth of Phoma narcissi in vitro, Rocz. A R. Pozn. CCCLXXXIII, Ogrodn. V. 41, 189-193). In a study to control mold in fruits it was found that trans-2-hexenal was not phytotoxic to apricots, but it was phytotoxic for peaches and nectarines at 40 μL/L (Neri, F., M. Mari, S. Brigati and P. Bertolini, 2007, Fungicidal activity of plant volatile compounds for controlling Monolinia laxa in stone fruit, Plant Disease v. 91, no. 1, 30-35). Trans-2-hexenal (12.5 μL/L) was effective on controlling Penicillium expansum that causes blue mold (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, v. 41, 101-108. Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in 'Conference' pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193). Fallik, E. et. al. (Trans-2-hexenal can stimulate Botrytis cinerea growth in vitro and on strawberries in vivo during storage, J. ASHS. 1998, v. 123, no. (5, 875-881) and Hamilton-Kemp, et. al, (J. Agric. Food Chem. 1991, v. 39, no. 5, 952-956) suggested that trans-2-hexenal vapors inhibited the germination of Botrytis spores and apple pollen.
US Published Application No. 2007/0087094 suggests the use of at least two microbiocidally active GRAS compounds in combination with less than 50% alcohol (isopropanol or isopropanol/ethanol) as a microbicide. Trans-2-hexenal could be considered one of the GRAS compounds (Schuer. Process for Improving the Durability of, and/or Stabilizing, Microbially Perishable Products. US Published Application No. 2007/0087094). Also, Archbold et. al. observed that the use of 2-hexenal at 0.86 or 1.71 mmol (100 or 200 microliters neat compound per 1.1 L container, respectively) for 2 weeks as for postharvest fumigation of seedless table grapes showed promise for control of mold (Archbold, D.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Clements, A.; Collins, R. Fumigating 'Crimson Seedless' Table Grapes with (E)-2-Hexenal Reduces Mold during Long-term Postharvest Storage. HortScience. 1999, v. 34, no. (4, 705-707).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,599 suggests a method to inhibit mycotoxin production in a foodstuff by treating it with trans-2-hexenal. Trans-2-hexenal completely inhibited the growth of A. flavus, P. notatum, A. alternate, F. oxysporum, Cladosporium species, B. subtilis and A. tumerfaciens at a concentration of 8 ng/L air. When comparing trans-2-hexenal to citral in controlling yeast (105 CFU/bottle) in beverages it was found that 25 ppm of trans-2-hexenal and thermal treatment (56° C. for 20 min) was equivalent to 100-120 ppm citral. In beverages that were not thermally treated, 35 ppm of trans-2-hexenal was necessary to stabilize them (Belletti, N.; Kamdem, S.; Patrignani, F.; Lanciotti, R.; Covelli, A.; Gardini, F. Antimicrobial Activity of Aroma Compounds against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Improvement of Microbiological Stability of Soft Drinks as Assessed by Logistic Regression. AEM. 2007, v. 73, no. 17, 5580-5586). Not only has trans-2-hexenal has been used as antimicrobial but also been observed to be effective in the control of insects. Volatiles (i.e. trans-2-hexenal) were effective against beetles such as Tibolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granaries, Sitophilus orazyzae and Cryptolestes perrugineus (Hubert, J.; Munzbergova, Z.; Santino, A. Plant volatile aldehydes as natural insecticides against stored-product beetles. Pest Manag. Sci. 2008, v. 64, 57-64). U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,026 (Hammond et al. Volatile Aldehydes as Pest Control Agents) suggests of an organic aldehyde of 3 or more carbons for the control of aphides.
Several patents suggest the use of trans-2-hexenal as a fragrance or perfume. U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,681 suggests the use of trans-2-hexenal as a fragrance in a wipe for surface cleaning. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,387,866, 6,960,350 and 7,638,114 suggest the use of essential oil or terpenes (for example trans-2-hexenal) as perfume for antimicrobial products. U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,044 demonstrates an antibacterial solution comprising an anionic surfactant, a polycationic antibacterial and water, where an essential oil is added as perfume. This perfume could be a terpene such as trans-2-hexenal or other type of terpenes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,171, 6,121,224 and 5,911,915 demonstrate an antimicrobial purpose microemulsion containing a cationic surfactant where an essential oil is added as a perfume. This perfume can contain various terpenes including trans-2-hexenal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,350 demonstrates an antifungal fragrance where a synergistic effect was found when different terpenes were used in combinations (for example trans-2-hexenal with benzaldehyde).
The mode of action of trans-2-hexenal is thought to be alteration of the cell membrane due to a reaction of the unsaturated aldehyde with sulfhydryl or cysteine residues, or the formation of Schiff bases with amino groups in peptides and proteins (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). Trans-2-hexenal is reported to act as a surfactant but it likely permeates by passive diffusion across the plasma membrane. Once inside the cells, its α,β-unsaturated aldehyde moiety reacts with biologically important nucleophilic groups. This aldehyde moiety is known to react with sulphydryl groups mainly by 1,4-addition under physiological conditions (Patrignani, F.; Lucci, L.; Belletti, N.; Gardini, F.; Guerzoni, M. E.; Lanciotti, R. Effects of sub-lethal concentrations of hexanal and 2-(E)-hexenal on membrane fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. International J. Food Micro. 2008, v. 123, 1-8).
It was suggested that the inhibition of Salmonella typhimurim and Staphylococcus aureus by trans-2 hexenal is due to the hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding of its partition in the lipid bilayer. The destruction of electron transport systems and the perturbation of membrane permeability have also been suggested as modes of action (Gardini, F.; Lanciotti, R.; Guerzoni, M. E. Effect of trans-2-hexenal on the growth of Aspergillus flavus in relation to its concentration, temperature and water activity. Letters in App. Microbiology. 2001, v. 33, 50-55). The inhibition of P. expansum decay may be due to damage to fungal membranes of germinating conidia. (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, v. 41, 101-108; Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in 'Conference' pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193).
Studies have been performed to compare trans-2-hexenal to similar compounds. Deng et. al. showed that unsaturated volatiles, trans-2-hexenal and trans-2-hexen-1-ol, exhibited a greater inhibitory effect than the saturated volatiles, hexanal and 1-hexanol (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). Trans-2-hexenal was more active than hexanal, nonanal and trans-2-octenal against all ATCC bacterial strains (Bisignano, G.; Lagana, M. G.; Trombetta, D.; Arena, S.; Nostro, A.; Uccella, N.; Mazzanti, G.; Saija, A. In vitro antibacterial activity of some aliphatic aldehydes from Oleo europaea L. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2001, v. 198, 9-13). Others have found that (E)-2-hexenal had lower minimal fungal-growth-inhibiting concentrations than hexanal, 1-hexanol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol as determined for several species of molds, basically aldehydes>ketones>alcohols (Andersen, R. A.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Hilderbrand, D. F.; McCraken Jr., C. T.; Collins, R. W.; Fleming, P. D. Structure—Antifungal Activity Relationships among Volatile C6 and C9 Aliphatic Aldehydes, Ketones, and Alcohols. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1994, v. 42, 1563-1568). Hexenal and hexanoic acid were more effective than hexanol in inhibiting salmonella (Kubo, I. And K. Fujita, Naturally Occurring Anti-Salmonella Agents. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, v. 49, 5750-5754).
Muroi et al suggested that trans-2-hexenal exhibited broad antimicrobial activity but its biological activity (50 to 400 μg/mL) is usually not potent enough to be considered for practical applications (Muroi, H.; Kubo, A.; Kubo, I. Antimicrobial Activity of Cashew Apple Flavor Compounds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 1106-1109). Studies have shown that trans-2-hexenal can potentiate the effectiveness of certain types of antimicrobials. Several patents suggest the use of potentiators for aminoglycoside antibiotics (U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,152), and potentiators for polymyxin antibiotic (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,776,919 and 5,587,358). These potentiators can include indol, anethole, 3-methylindole, 2-hydroxy-6-R-benzoic acid or 2-hexenal. A strong synergic effect was observed when trans-2-eptenal, trans-2-nonenal, trans-2-decenal and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal were tested together (1:1:1:1 ratio) against ATCC and clinically isolated microbial strains (Bisignano, G.; Lagana, M. G.; Trombetta, D.; Arena, S.; Nostro, A.; Uccella, N.; Mazzanti, G.; Saija, A. In vitro antibacterial activity of some aliphatic aldehydes from Oleo europaea L. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2001, v. 198, 9-13).
Humans are exposed daily to trans-2-hexenal through consumption of food and beverages. Human exposures to trans-2-hexenal are ˜350 μg/kg/day, with 98% derived from natural sources and 2% from artificial flavoring. It is unlikely that trans-2-hexenal would be toxic to humans since toxic levels in rats are 30 times higher than normal intake by humans (Stout, M. D.; Bodes, E.; Schoonhoven, R.; Upton, P. B.; Travlos, G. S.; Swenberg, J. A. Toxicity, DNA Binding, and Cell Proliferation in Male F344 Rats following Short-term Gavage Exposures to Trans-2-Hexenal. Soc. Toxicologic. Pathology Mar. 24 2008, 1533-1601 online). In another rat study, feeding trans-2-hexenal at dietary levels of 0 (control), 260, 640, 1600 or 4000 ppm fed for 13 wk did not induce any changes in hematological parameters or organ weights. At 4000 ppm there was a reduction in body weight and intake, but it was not significant (Gaunt, I. F.; Colley, J. Acute and Short-term Toxicity Studies on trans-2-Hexenal. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1971, v. 9, 775-786).
Even in fruits, twenty four hours to seven days exposure of pears and apples to trans-2-hexenal (12.5 μL/L did not affect fruit appearance, color, firmness, soluble solids content or titratable acidity. In a trained taste panel, no significant differences in the organoleptic quality of untreated and trans-2-hexenal treated "Golden Delicious" apples were observed, while maintenance of off-flavors was perceived in "Bartlett", "Abate Fetel" and "Royal Gala" fruit (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, 41, 101-108; Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in 'Conference' pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193).
Citral and cinnamaldehyde, have been found to be antifungal. The mode of action of these aldehydes is by reacting with the sulfur group (—SH) from fungi (Ceylan E and D Fung. Antimicrobial Activity of Spices. J. Rapid Methods in Microbiology. 2004 v. 12, 1-55).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,256 and RE 39543 suggest the use of aromatic aldehydes like α-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde for the control of ant population but does not suggest any synergistic effect of the aldehyde in combination with a organic acid to improve effectiveness or a reduction on the active ingredient or their effectiveness on bacterial control.
The essential oil of Coriandrum sativum contains 55.5% of aldehydes which has been effective on preventing growth of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. These aldehydes include: n-octanal, nonanal, 2E-hexenal, decanal, 2E-decenal, undecenal, dodecanal, 2E-dodecenal, tridecanal, 2E-tridecene-1-al and 3-dodecen-1-al (Matasyoh, J. C., Z. C. Maiyo, R. R. Ngure and R. Chepkorir. Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil of Coriandrum sativum. Food Chemistry. 2009 v. 113, 526-529).
Furfural, a cyclic aldehyde, is currently used as fungicide and nematicide but there are no reports of its use in combination with an organic acid i.e., nonanoic acid, as demonstrated in the present invention.
Two aldehydes, n-decanal and nonanal were effective at controlling fungal growth (Dilantha Fernando, W. G., R. Ramaranthnam, A. Krihnamoorthy and S. Savchuck. Identification and use of potential organic antifungal volatiles in biocontrol. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2005 v. 37, 955-964)
The prior art has not suggested or observed that the use of aldehydes in combination with organic acids improved the antimicrobial activity of either of the components by themselves. It has suggested synergy with the combination of essential oils and as potentiators of antibiotics.
Commercial mold inhibitors and bactericides are composed of single organic or a mixture of organic acids and formaldehyde. These acids are primarily propionic, benzoic acid, butyric acid, acetic, and formic acid. Organic acids have been a major additive to reduce the incidence of food borne infections. The mechanism by which small chain fatty acids exert their antimicrobial activity is that undissociated (RCOOH=non-ionized) acids are lipid permeable and in this way they can cross the microbial cell wall and dissociate in the more alkaline interior of the microorganism (RCOOH->RCOO−+H+) making the cytoplasm unstable for survival. (Van Immerseel, F., J. B. Russell, M. D. Flythe, I. Gantois, L. Timbermont, F. Pasmans, F. Haesebrouck, and R. Ducatelle. 2006. The use of organic acids to combat Salmonella in poultry: a mechanistic explanation of the efficacy, Avian Pathology. v. 35, no. 3, 182-188; Paster, N. 1979, A commercial study of the efficiency of propionic acid and acid and calcium propionate as fungistats in poultry feed, Poult. Sci. v. 58, 572-576).
Pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid) is a naturally occurring fatty acid. It is an oily, colorless fluid, which at lower temperature becomes solid. It has a faint odor compared to butyric acid and is almost insoluble in water. Pelargonic acid has been used as a non-selective herbicide. Scythe (57% pelargonic acid, 3% related fatty acids and 40% inert material) is a broad-spectrum post-emergence or burn-down herbicide produced by Mycogen/Dow Chemicals. The herbicidal mode of action of pelargonic acid is due first to membrane leakage during darkness and daylight and second to peroxidation driven by radicals originating during daylight by sensitized chlorophyll displaced from the thylakoid membrane (B. Lederer, T. Fujimori., Y. Tsujino, K. Wakabayashi and P Boger, 2004. Phytotoxic activity of middle-chain fatty acids II: peroxidation and membrane effects. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 80: 151-156).
Chadeganipour and Haims (2001) showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of medium chain fatty acids to prevent growth of M. gypseum was 0.02 mg/ml capric acid and for pelargonic acid 0.04 mg/ml on solid media and 0.075 mg/ml capric acid and 0.05 mg/ml pelargonic in liquid media. These acids were tested independently and not as a mixture (Antifungal activities of pelargonic and capric acid on Microsporum gypseum" Mycoses v. 44, no 3-4, 109-112). N. Hirazawa, et. al. (Antiparasitic effect of medium-chain fatty acids against ciliated Crptocaryon irritans infestation in the red sea bream Pagrus major, 2001, Aquaculture v. 198, 219-228) found that nonanoic acid as well as C6 to C10 fatty acids were effective in controlling the growth of the parasite C. irritans and that C8, C9 and C19 were the more potent. It was found that Trichoderma harzianum, a biocontrol for cacao plants, produces pelargonic acid as one of many chemicals, which was effective in controlling the germination and growth of cacao pathogens. (M Aneja, T. Gianfagna and P. Hebbar, 2005).
Several US patents disclose the use of pelargonic acids as fungicides and bactericides: US Published Application 2004/026685 discloses a fungicide for agricultural uses that is composed of one or more fatty acids and one or more organic acids different from the fatty acid. In the mixture of the organic acids and the fatty acids, the organic acid acts as a potent synergist for the fatty acid to function as a fungicide. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,995 discloses a method to eradicate fungal and bacterial infections in plants and to enhance the activity of fungicides and bactericides in plants through the use of fatty acids and their derivatives. This formulation contains 80% pelargonic acid or its salts for the control of plants fungi. The fatty acids used are primarily C9 to C18. U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,630 discloses a novel pesticide for plant use containing an inorganic salt that enhance the efficacy of C 8 to C22 fatty acids. One of the examples shows a powdered product with 2% pelargonic acid, 2% capric acid, 80% talc, 10% sodium carbonate and 5% potassium carbonate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,124 discloses a fungicide and arthropodice for plants comprising of alpha mono carboxylic acids and their salts. Preferably the fungicide consists of the C9 to C10 fatty acids, partially neutralized by active alkali metal such as potassium. The mixture described consists of 40% active ingredient dissolved in water and includes 10% pelargonic, 10% capric acid and 20% coconut fatty acids, all of with are neutralized with potassium hydroxide. U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,763 discloses a method to control skin infection comprised of C6 to C18 fatty acids or their derivatives. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,103,768 and 6,136,856 discloses the unique utility of fatty acids and derivatives to eradicate existing fungal and bacterial infections in plants. This method is not preventive but showed effectiveness in already established infections. Sharpshooter, a commercially available product, with 80% pelargonic acid, 2% emulsifier and 18% surfactant showed effectiveness against Penicillium and Botrytis spp. U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,978 discloses an antimicrobial preservative composed of a glycerol fatty acid ester, a binary mixture of fatty acids (C6 to C18) and a second fatty acid (C6 to C18) where the second fatty acid is different from the first fatty acid for preservation of food. WO 01/97799 discloses the use of medium chain fatty acids as antimicrobials agents. It shows that an increase of the pH from 6.5 to 7.5 increased the MIC of the short chain fatty acids containing 6-8 carbons chain.
Pelargonic acid is used as a component of a food contact surface sanitizing solution in food handling establishments. A product from EcoLab consist of 6.49% pelargonic acid as active ingredient to be use as a sanitizer for all food contact surfaces (12CFR178.1010 b). The FDA has cleared pelargonic acid as a synthetic food flavoring agent (21 CFR 172.515), as an adjuvant, production aid and sanitizer to be used in contact food (12 CFR 178.1010 b) and in washing or to assist in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables (12 CFR 173.315). Pelargonic acid is listed by the USDA under the USDA list of Authorized Substances, 1990, section 5.14, Fruit and Vegetable Washing Compounds.
The present invention relates only to the use of some of the aldehydes extracted from plants or chemically synthesized that synergistically improve the antimicrobial capacity of these compounds by the addition of organic acids especially nonanoic acid.

Antimicrobial formulations with pelargonic acid


Privacy-preserving federated learning apparatuses, systems, computer program products, and methods are provided that generate an updated global model based on a set of client models while maintaining privacy regarding the data values embodying each client model and the updated global model. In this regard, masked client models are utilized, which cryptographically obfuscate data values embodying the client model while still enabling combination, or “aggregation,” of the masked client models to generate a masked updated global model. The masked updated global model similarly includes obfuscated data values embodying the updated global model, but may be unmasked to reveal the true values of the updated global model for use. Some embodiments utilize specific steps for communication between environments, systems, devices, and/or the like, to ensure the masked models can only be unmasked by intended entities.

Federated learning enables building of a global model based on various distributed models at a client-level, for example each associated with a different participant(s). The global model may be built without exposing the data samples used in generating each of the distributed models. However, at various stages of building of the global model, a system generating the global model from the distributed models could readily generate various inferences regarding the sample data based on parameter values representing, and/or associated with, each of the distributed models or the combination thereof. Such inferences may reflect personally identifying information regarding participants, or otherwise be privacy-sensitive data that may be legally barred from exposure to third-parties or associates of a commercial connection. Applicant has discovered problems with current implementations of federated learning. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, Applicant has solved many of these identified problems by developing embodied in the present disclosure, which are described in detail below.

Apparatuses, computer program products, and computer-implemented methods for privacy-preserving federated learning


A housing includes a first mounting portion having a first through hole penetrating in a first direction and a second mounting portion having a second through hole penetrating in the first direction. The second mounting portion is disposed separately from the first mounting portion to one side in a second direction and is disposed closer to one side in a third direction than the first mounting portion. The first fixed terminal includes a first fastening portion that is exposed outside the housing closer to one side in the third direction than the first mounting portion. The second fixed terminal includes a second fastening portion that is exposed outside the housing closer to an opposite side in the third direction than the second mounting portion and that is disposed closer to the opposite side in the third direction than the first fastening portion.

Conventionally, an electromagnetic relay that opens and closes an electric circuit is known. The electromagnetic relay described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-201286 includes a fixed terminal connected to an external terminal. The fixed terminal is arranged so as to protrude from a housing to the outside. The housing is provided with a mounting portion that is fixed to another member by a fixing member such as a screw.


A method and an apparatus for generating a face rotation image are provided. The method includes: performing pose encoding on an obtained face image based on two or more landmarks in the face image, to obtain pose encoded images; obtaining a plurality of training images each including a face from a training data set, wherein presented rotation angles of the faces included in the plurality of training images are the same; performing pose encoding on a target face image based on two or more landmarks in the target face image in the foregoing similar manner, to obtain pose encoded images, wherein the target face image is obtained based on the plurality of training images; generating a to-be-input signal based on the face image and the foregoing two types of pose encoded images; and inputting the to-be-input signal into an face rotation image generative model to obtain a face rotation image.

Computer vision is an integral part of various intelligent/autonomic systems in various application fields, for example, fields such as a manufacturing industry, inspection, document analysis, medical diagnosis, and military affairs. The computer vision is knowledge about how to use a camera/video camera and a computer to obtain required data and information of a photographed subject. To be vivid, eyes (the camera/video camera) are mounted and a brain (an algorithm) is installed on the computer to replace human eyes to identify, track, and measure a target, and the like, so that the computer can perceive an environment. The perceiving may be considered as extracting information from a perceptual signal. Therefore, the computer vision may also be considered as a science of studying how to make an artificial system perform "perceiving" from an image or multi-dimensional data. In conclusion, the computer vision is to replace a visual organ with various imaging systems to obtain input information, and then replace a brain with a computer to process and interpret the input information. A final study objective of the computer vision is to make a computer observe and understand the world through vision in a way that human beings do, and have a capability of automatically adapting to an environment.
Face rotation means that for a given 2D face image, an authentic face image that is obtained after the face is rotated and that complies with a geometric mapping principle of the face in three-dimensional space is obtained by using a computer vision-related method, such as image processing, machine learning, or computer graphics. The face rotation is mainly to resolve a problem that profile face recognition is inaccurate due to large-angle rotation of a face. In addition, the face rotation may further resolve a problem of insufficient face data during facial recognition model training, to be specific, may be used to expand the face data.
There are many methods for resolving the profile face recognition problem, and a face rotation technology is one of them. For the face rotation technology, common methods are: a 3D/2D model and generation of sparse subspace. In the 3D/2D model, a 3D model parameter of a face is estimated by mapping a 2D face image to a 3D face model, and then a projected image of the rotated face is obtained by changing a visual angle, so that a rotated 2D face image is obtained. A problem of face image rotation in any pose can be theoretically resolved by using the 3D face model. However, at present, 3D face calculation amount is large, and authenticity precision is not high. The sparse subspace generation method is solving a frontal face image with a lowest rank by using a low-rank constraint after different poses of a same face are considered as linear subspace by using a sparse and low-rank learning method. This method is mainly used to resolve a technical problem of rotating a face from a profile face to a frontal face. The rotation from a profile face to a frontal face is a special case of face rotation.
To resolve the foregoing problem, in the prior art, pose encoding of a face image is guided by using a generative adversarial network and a one-dimensional one-hot pose encoder, to generate different pose features of the face image. The generative adversarial network is a method for training a face generative model by using a deep learning model in a generative adversarial manner. However, in the prior art, a pose is inaccurately represented in a one-hot pose encoding manner, and the manner does not have continuity. In addition, in an existing solution, a structure of an adversarial discriminator network in a generative adversarial network makes adversarial discrimination insufficiently robust. Consequently, an effect of a rotation image generated by using the generative adversarial network is poor.

Method and apparatus for generating face rotation image

Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences


A system and method for management and evaluation of one or more human activities is disclosed. The method includes receiving live videos from data sources. The live videos comprises activity performed by human. The activity comprises actions performed by the human. Further, the method includes detecting the actions performed by the human in the live videos using a neural network model. The method further includes generating a procedural instruction set for the activity performed by the human. Also, the method includes validating quality of the identified actions performed by the human using the generated procedural instruction set. Furthermore, the method includes detecting anomalies in the actions performed by the human based on results of validation. Additionally, the method includes generating rectifiable solutions for the detected anomalies. Moreover, the method includes outputting the rectifiable solutions on a user interface of a user device.

Human activity recognition in videos is an essential task in processing systems as to it records people's behaviours with data that allows the processing systems to monitor, analyse, evaluate and assist their daily life. Traditionally, in order to understand a certain complex human activity with multiple conditional steps, one still needs a team of PhD-level computer vision or embedded systems engineers for writing a customized code representing that specific human activity. This specific human activity may be, for example, changes in human pose with respect to nearby object movements over time. This customized code helps build a temporal causation structure on top of visual recognition capabilities, usually provided by existing platforms. Although these platforms provide capabilities to estimate the human poses, locate objects, and even classify or segment simple actions in video (such as "take" or "twist"), the platforms rely heavily on human experts to evaluate these poses, or objects or actions in the video. For example, an average medical procedure needs six person-months to construct such a customized model, in addition to requiring hundreds of recorded video demonstrations to train machine learning models.
In some conventional approaches, a bank of mathematical functions are computed to obtain "features" on small video clips, which act as a "signature" of sub-action depicted in a video clip. These approaches in turn train the machine learning models to classify a small video clip as belonging to a certain "action" class. Unfortunately, merely classifying a group of video frames as belonging to a step in the human activity does not indicate whether the objective of the step was met or not. It also does not scale to variations of the human activity not seen in training dataset, for example, alternative product configurations, or semi-repetitive maintenance scenarios as opposed to strictly repetitive assembly tasks.
In yet another conventional approach, combining language with visual recognition is used for visual question answering of the video clips. Unfortunately, these approaches are hard to incorporate prior knowledge about quality checks in order to evaluate the human activity performed in the video clips. Actions and objects on a factory floor are significantly more diverse than internet videos, and hence these approaches rely on very large datasets and sometimes overfit to the language used. Therefore, these approaches are not immediately relevant to industrial processes.
In still another conventional approach, scoring quality of a human activity using machine learning models are used. These approaches typically train the machine learning models to directly predict (i.e., "regress") a score of the human activity such as an Olympic event. These approaches reason about activities at a coarse-grained level and cannot finely analyse whether individual steps were performed correctly.
Hence, there is a need for an improved system and a method for management and evaluation of one or more human activities in order to address the aforementioned issues.

System and method for management and evaluation of one or more human activities


A multidimensional system for generating a multimedia search engine is provided. A computer device identifies a plurality of independently separable aspects of a multimedia file. The computing device provides at least one independently separable aspect of the plurality of independently separable aspects as input into an object detection model. The computing device receives, from the object detection model, an identification of at least one object and a corresponding level of confidence that the object is present in the multimedia file. The computing device classifies the object as either confident or not confident, based on whether the level of confidence meets a threshold level of confidence. The computing device generates a multimedia search engine based, at least in part, on the object and the classification.

The present invention relates generally to the field of digital media, and more particularly to using neural networks to identify objects in digital media.
In general, image recognition can be utilized for object recognition in digital media formats. Often, the object recognition is used to annotate the digital media with respect to the identified objects, which can lead to a lack of perspective towards the various dimensions in which an object appears in the digital media.

International Business Machines Corporation