A fluorescent light fixture employing modular prewired endcaps as depicted herein. A one piece insulative body includes both fluorescent lamp supports and a junction block. Jumper assemblies comprising wires having socket terminals and junction interconnect terminals on opposite ends are assembled in cavities in the insulative body on the inner face of the insulative body. The insulative body can then be attached to the hood of the fluorescent lamp assembly and lead wires can be attached between the endcap assembly and other components such as ballasts on the fluorescent lighting fixture.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fluorescent light assembly and more particularly to a connector assembly for use in a fluorescent light assembly in which the connector subassembly can be mounted as part of the fixture before wires are interconnected between the connector subassembly and other subassemblies in the light fixture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluorescent lamp fixtures having a plurality of fluorescent tubes mounted in the same assembly are now fabricated by the assembly of a number of discrete components. One analysis of the manufacturing process currently employed in the construction of a four bulb fluorescent light fixture has established that assembly of one fixture requires forty-seven different operations. Among the individual components which must be assembled in a conventional fluorescent light assembly are individual fluorescent socket members, each of which have five parts; metal end caps to which the socket members must be attached; socket lead wires which must be attached to individual terminals in the socket; fluorescent ballasts which include a plurality of components mounted on a printed wiring board and have discrete wires extending from the encapsulated ballast. In a conventional assembly operation, lead wires are inserted into poke in terminals in the socket members.
For conventional fluorescent socket members, the poke in terminals are inserted into the rear of an insulative housing with spring members protruding into the socket interface section. The poke in terminals, have spring fingers located at the opposite end. Two terminals are loaded in each housing from the rear and a cardboard cover plate is then secured to the rear. Wires are inserted into engagement with the poke in terminals through openings in the insulative housing of the socket member below the socket interface. These wires are perpendicular to the face containing the socket interface to which the fluorescent tube is inserted.
Individual socket members can then be attached to the metal end frame with the wires leading to the individual socket members laced along the rear face of the metal plate. As shown in FIG. 20 which depicts the prior art configuration, these individual wires attached to the socket members can be laced through an opening in the middle of the metal cap. Alternatively, wires can be attached to separate pin and socket electrical connectors which are secured within openings on the metal end frame.
The metal end frame containing a plurality of sockets is then mounted to the fluorescent light fixture housing. Fluorescent ballasts, each comprising a plurality of components mounted on a printed circuit wire board encapsulated within a metal can, are separately mounted on the lighting fixture frame. In one prior art configuration the plurality of fluorescent ballasts are attached to a metal hood between end cap subassemblies which are attached adjacent the ends of the fluorescent lamp hood. At this point discrete wires attached to the ballast must then be attached to wires leading from the socket member located on the end of the fluorescent light assembly. A conventional means of forming this attachment is the use of standard wire nuts to interconnect the two sets of wires. Connectors can also be secured to the ends of the wires leading from the ballast so that the ballast connector can be attached to the mating connector mounted on the end cap frame. In any event, these assembly methods require a number of steps in which loose wires extending from the components, such as the ballast or the end cap frames, must be handled. Damage to the components, wiring errors and other assembly problems can have a serious effect on the quality and efficiency of the assembly operation.
One technique for simplifying the assembly of a fluorescent light fixtures is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,740. This patent shows a fluorescent ballast which is assembled with ballast end caps which include a connector having poke in terminals. This permits the ballast to be handled and installed prior to the attachment of discrete wires to the ballast. Poke in terminals are provided which allow stripped ends of discrete wires to be inserted into the ballast after it is attached to the fluorescent light fixture U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,822 discloses another such component. These interconnectable ballasts, however, solve only a part of the problems inherent in the assembly of a fluorescent light fixture. The instant invention, however, employs a modular end cap subassembly in conjunction with a ballast having poke in terminals, or alternatively insulation displacement terminals, to permit the assembly of the various subcomponents of a fluorescent light fixture prior to their interconnection by discrete wires. One advantage of this approach is that the discrete wires, used to connect individual subcomponents, do not need to employ electrical terminals. These wires can either be stripped adjacent there ends for poke in insertion into connectors located on the various subcomponents, or they can remain fully insulated and be attached to insulation displacement contacts contained within the subcomponent. Combinations of insulation displacement interconnections and poke in interconnections can also be employed. By making all wire interconnections after the mounting of components, wiring errors can be reduced, and damage to the components resulting from the presence of dangling lead wires can be avoided. Elimination of these dangling lead wires also results in simpler component handling and simpler assembly steps.
This invention also employs a simplified modular endcap assembly which eliminates the assembly of individual subcomponents to the endcap assembly with the exception of the insertion of preterminated jumper assemblies comprising discrete wires extending between fluorescent lamp sockets and a central junction block formed as part of the endcap subassembly. This invention also allows the endcap to be molded as a single insulative body containing both fluorescent lamp socket supports and a junction block. Assembly of all components to this one piece insulative body can be made from one side of the insulative body.


A video system for coding a stream of video data that includes a stream of video frames divides each video frame into a matrix of a plurality of subblocks, wherein each subblock includes a plurality of pixels. The video system operates in accordance with nine prediction modes. Each prediction mode determines a prediction mode according to which a present subblock is to be coded. One of the nine prediction modes is selected to encode the present subblock, wherein the selected prediction mode provides for a minimum error value in the present subblock.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a video system that compresses video data for transmission or storage and decompresses the video data for display. More particularly, the invention pertains to a video system and a method for intracoding video data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video systems transmit, process and store large quantities of video data. To create a video presentation, such as a video movie, a rendering video system displays the video data as a plurality of digital images, also referred to as xe2x80x9cframes,xe2x80x9d thereby simulating movement. In order to achieve a video presentation with an acceptable video quality, or to enable transmission and storage at all, a conventional video system modifies the video data prior to transmission or storage. For instance, the video system compresses and encodes the video data to reduce the bit rate for storage and transmission.
In a conventional video system a video encoder is used to compress and encode the video data and a video decoder is used to decompress and to decode the video data. The video encoder outputs video data that has a reduced bit rate and a reduced redundancy. That is, the technique of video compression removes spatial redundancy within a video frame or temporal redundancy between consecutive video frames.
The video encoder and video decoder may be configured to apply one of two types of coding to compress the video stream, namely intracoding and interceding. These two types of coding are based on the statistical properties of the video frames. When the video frames are coded using intracoding, the compression is based on information contained in a single frame (the frame that is compressed) by using the spatial redundancy within the frame. Intracoding, thus, does not depend on any other frames. In contrast, interceding uses at least one other frame as a reference and codes a difference between the frame to be compressed and the reference frame. Intercoding is thus based on a temporal redundancy between consecutive frames in the video data.
The field of video compression is subject to international standards, e.g., International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard H.263 that defines uniform requirements for video coding and decoding. In addition, manufacturers of video coders and decoders modify or build upon the international standards and implement proprietary techniques for video compression.
Despite the existence of the international standards and the proprietary techniques, there is still a need for improved techniques for video compression. For example, as the quality of a displayed video movie depends directly from the technique used for video compression, any improvement of the video compression technique makes the video movie more pleasing for the viewer.
An aspect of the invention involves a method of coding a stream of video data including a stream of video frames. The method divides each video frame into a matrix of a plurality of subblocks, wherein each subblock includes a plurality of pixels. The method further defines nine prediction modes, wherein each prediction mode determines a mode according to which a present subblock is to be coded. The method further selects one of the nine prediction modes to encode the present subblock. The selected prediction mode provides for a minimum error value in the present subblock.
Another aspect of the invention involves a video system for coding and decoding a stream of video data that includes a stream of video frames. The video system includes a video encoder and a mode selector. The video encoder is configured to receive a stream of video data including a stream of video frames and to divide each video frame into a matrix of a plurality of subblocks, wherein each subblock includes a plurality of pixels. The mode selector is in communication with the video encoder and is configured to define nine prediction modes. Each prediction mode determines a mode according to which a present subblock is to be coded. The mode selector is further configured to select one of the nine prediction modes to encode the present subblock, wherein the selected prediction mode provides for a minimum error value in the present subblock.
Once the video system has selected the best prediction mode to encode the pixels of the present subblock, the video system encodes the minimum error value and transmits the encoded minimum error value within a compressed bitstream to the decoder. The minimum error value represents a difference between predicted pixels of the present subblock and the original pixels of the subblock. The decoder uses the predicted pixels and the difference to the original pixels to accurately reconstruct the video frame.

System and method for intracoding video data


An exit window can include an exit window foil, and a support grid contacting and supporting the exit window foil. The support grid can have first and second grids, each having respective first and second grid portions that are positioned in an alignment and thermally isolated from each other. The first and second grid portions can each have a series of apertures that are aligned for allowing the passage of a beam therethrough to reach and pass through the exit window foil. The second grid portion can contact the exit window foil. The first grid portion can mask the second grid portion and the exit window foil from heat caused by the beam striking the first grid portion.

An electron beam emitter typically includes an electron gun or generator, positioned within a vacuum chamber for generating electrons. The generated electrons can exit the vacuum chamber in an electron beam through an electron beam transmission or exit window that is mounted to the vacuum chamber. The exit window commonly has a thin metallic exit window foil, which is supported by a metallic support plate or grid. The support plate has a series of holes which allow electrons to reach and pass through the exit window foil. The support plate dissipates heat from the exit window foil caused by electrons passing through the exit window foil. However, electrons that are instead intercepted by the support plate areas between the holes cause heating of the support plate, which can reduce the ability of the support plate to dissipate heat from the exit window foil.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electron beam exit window in electron beam emitter and method for forming the same


A method for acquiring luminance compensation data, which includes: collecting an image of a first grayscale value and an image of a second grayscale value displayed by a display panel to be compensated; calculating a luminance difference between the image of the first grayscale value and image of the second grayscale value for each display unit of the display panel; determining a target luminance difference based on the luminance difference between the image of the first grayscale value and the image of the second grayscale value for each display unit; determining a preset compensation data calculation scheme corresponding to the display panel and acquiring images of grayscale values required by the preset compensation data calculation scheme, based on a preset condition that the target luminance difference meets; and determining the luminance compensation data for the display panel, based on the determined images of grayscale values.

A display panel may have a Mura defect caused by factors, such as production techniques, during a production process of the display panel. Mura refers to a phenomenon of various traces caused by uneven luminance of the display panel. In order to remedy the Mura defect of the display panel, it is usually necessary to perform luminance compensation for the display panel. However, in the related art, multiple grayscale images are generally used to acquire luminance compensation data, so as to compensate all display panels in the same manner. In this manner, each of the display panels cannot be matched optimally, and the manner is time consuming and has a low efficiency.
How to optimize the approach for luminance compensation for each of the display panels has become an urgent problem to be solved at present.

Method, apparatus and device for acquiring luminance compensation data

Bazhou Yungu Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides a computer-implemented software tool that is adapted to listen continuously to data streams from a drilling operation and to process the data to generate a situation description for a current drilling situation in a form useful for automated continuous matching with a set of past cases stored in a knowledge database. The invention implements a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to match the current drilling situation as defined by the situation description with one or more stored past cases having a degree of similarity above a predetermined threshold level. Matching cases are displayed to the drilling engineer as symbols on a case “radar”, allowing the drilling engineer to retrieve and view the details of a past case and take appropriate action based on drilling advice provided within the past case.

Many industries, including the oil and gas industry, have access to large amounts of electronic data and information, and advanced software tools for displaying various types of information. As the amount of available data increases, the need for software tools to extract, or filter out, the relevant information in a given situation increases correspondingly.
As part of their normal work, oil well drilling engineers and other operational personnel both offshore and in support centres onshore have at their disposal a large set of sophisticated sensor measurements and other drilling parameters. The bulk of this data are continuous (real time) data streams from the drilling operation. Software tools for keeping track of data from these drilling logs help the personnel to perform graphical comparisons through time-indexed or depth-indexed graphs. However, as powerful as these visualisation tools are, the drilling operation is fundamentally reliant on the experience and training of the individual drilling engineer to interpret the data and take appropriate action.
As the world's reserves of fossil fuel diminish, wells are becoming increasingly difficult and correspondingly expensive to drill, and operational mistakes have potentially more serious, not to mention extremely expensive, effects. The typical running costs for an offshore drilling platform can be up to $200,000 per day. Any loss of drilling time caused by unwanted events is undesirable.
Case-based reasoning (CBR) is an approach to problem solving and decision making where a new problem is solved by finding one or more similar previously solved problems, called cases, and re-using them in the new problem situation. It has been recognised that CBR might find a practical application in the offshore drilling industry where there is a wealth of stored information on operational drilling experience from around the world but which drilling engineers find difficult to access and use for the purpose of decision making in real time. In particular, European publication EP1297244 describes a computer implemented CBR system in which a drilling engineer manually enters data describing a current drilling situation into a database query which is used to search for and identify similar past cases stored in a database adapted for CBR. The past cases contain associated drilling data and user experience for a similar drilling situation, typically from a different drilling site, that might help the drilling engineer predict and avoid an unwanted event. The core of this system is the structuring of a knowledge database in order to represent cases as well as general relationships, so that the system can permit the user to manually enter a query in the specified database query language, and get the collection of cases that match the query items in return. The input query is entered by the user, and the retrieved cases are returned, in a structured text format. The database query language allows the user to retrieve cases that perfectly match the query given as input.

Method and system for monitoring a drilling operation


Highly expressive and flexibly programmable foot-operated controllers are described. Specific implementations are intended for musical applications and allow musicians an unprecedented degree of control of a wide variety of musical components and subsystems for recording and/or performance.

The present invention relates to programmable controllers and, more particularly, to foot-operated controllers configured to control a wide variety of systems including, for example, musical components and subsystems in the context of recording and performance.
Almost all foot-operated effects switches employed by musicians to date have been large and heavy with limited displays, limited input capabilities, and limited control capabilities. These switches, which typically only have "on" and "off" states, are generally only capable of controlling a single effect. As a result, a musician needs one switch for each effect being controlled. Given the size and weight of these conventional switches, there are obvious and serious limitations to their effective use; particularly for musicians who travel a considerable amount, i.e., most musicians. This outdated technology also prevents artists from taking full advantage of the myriad electronic and software tools now available to musicians to push the boundaries of artistic expression.

Piezoresistive sensors and sensor arrays


A test assembly for testing regulators and rectifiers. The assembly includes two main components: a modified alternator and a test board. The test board has a regulator test station, which is electrically connected to the rotor of the modified alternator, and it has a rectifier test station, which is electrically connected to the stator of the modified alternator. The modified alternator is run on a conventional alternator tester and its meter observed. This testing assembly allows regulators and rectifiers to be tested individually at a high amperage (full load) before they are assembled into an alternator.

When rebuilding alternators, such as General Motors' CS-130, there is a need to test salvaged regulators and rectifiers before they are installed into rebuilt units. Presently, regulators and rectifiers can only be tested under full load after they are installed in a rebuilt alternator or by using equipment which is much more costly than the invention presented here. The former method has several disadvantages, especially in terms of labor and time.
If a rebuilt alternator tests bad, the unit must be disassembled to replace the salvage regulator with another regulator. The unit would then be re-assembled and tested again. If the unit fails again, the unit must be disassembled to replace the salvage rectifier with another rectifier. Once again, the unit would be re-assembled and tested. The unit has to be taken apart and re-assembled each time to replace and test each individual part, so that the problem can be identified through the process of elimination.
It would be desirable to eliminate the excessive labor and time involved in testing regulators and rectifiers, as described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive testing assembly which will test regulators and rectifiers before they are installed into a rebuilt alternator.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a testing assembly that includes a modified alternator, a regulator test station, and a rectifier test station.

Assembly for testing rectifiers and regulators of automotive alternators


A channel information sending method, a data sending method, and a device are provided, to improve feedback precision of a precoding matrix. A first device includes: a receiving module, configured to receive a reference signal; a processing module, configured to measure the reference signal to obtain first channel information and second channel information; and a sending module, configured to send the first channel information and the second channel information. When generating the precoding matrix, the second device may perform weighted combination on M first vectors based on the weighted combination factor indicated by the received second channel information, instead of selecting only one eigenvector from a plurality of eigenvectors, so that the generated precoding matrix is more precise.

Currently, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) frequency division duplex (FDD) system, user equipment (UE) performs channel estimation based on a reference signal sent by a base station, then determines channel state information, and feeds back the channel state information. The channel state information includes a rank indicator (RI), a precoding matrix index (PMI), and a channel quality indicator (CQI).

Channel information sending method, data sending method, and device


A recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink onto a recording medium from a plurality of recording heads include a conveying roller that conveys the recording medium that is continuously fed; the plurality of recording heads arranged in the conveying direction of the conveying roller; a skew sensor that detects the amount of displacement of the position of the recording medium skewed in the widthwise direction perpendicular to the conveying direction relative to the recording heads when the recording medium is skewed with respect to the conveying direction; and an angle adjusting mechanism that rotates the recording heads relative to the recording medium on the basis of the amount of displacement detected by the skew sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records on a recording medium, such as roll paper, by ejecting ink thereon, as well as a recording method for the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus and method capable of recording under little influence of skew of the recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, some of image forming apparatuses, in particular, color-image forming apparatuses, are capable of high-volume printing at a time using roll paper to record a plurality of recording sheets. Known examples of this type of recording apparatus that record using roll paper adopt a dry silver-salt system and an inkjet system. A roll of recording medium, such as long recording paper, is generally called roll paper. In the following description, the rolled portion of the roll paper is referred to as a roll, and a sheet-like portion drawn from the roll is referred to as a recording medium.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a known image forming apparatus; and FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views showing a conveying mechanism of the known image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of recording heads 107 in which nozzle trains are disposed in parallel. A recording medium P drawn from a roll R is conveyed to the recording heads 107 while connected with the roll R. A driving roller 133 that is rotationally driven to generate a conveying force to move the recording medium P in the direction of the arrow (shown) is disposed downstream of the recording heads 107. A conveying roller 131 is disposed upstream of the recording heads 107. The recording medium P having a fixed width is conveyed under a predetermined tension by these rollers 131 and 133. The recording heads 107 eject ink in synchronization with the conveying operations of the rollers 131 and 133 to perform recording.
First, a recording medium P conveying operation will be described from the paper feed side. The recording medium P is held by a feed rotating member 122. The recording medium P is conveyed in the conveying direction by the rotation of the feed rotating member 122. One side edge of the recording medium P held by the feed rotating member 122 is adjacent to a recording-medium reference guide 125 disposed at one widthwise edge perpendicular to the conveying direction. The opposing side edge of the recording medium P is adjacent to a recording-medium moving guide 124 disposed at the other widthwise edge, so that the recording medium P is aligned with respect to the widthwise direction. The recording medium P is conveyed while stretched by a loop detection flag 129 and is introduced in between a reference aligning guide 115 and a moving aligning guide 116 that aligns the widthwise position of the recording medium P. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the recording medium P is prevented from being conveyed in a direction skewed with respect to the conveying direction using the reference aligning guide 115 and the moving aligning guide 116.
The loop detection flag 129 is provided to swing in the direction of the arrow C. The loop detection flag 129 gives a fixed tension in the conveying direction to the recording medium P. When the recording medium P is conveyed to reduce the amount of loop, the loop detection flag 129 swings. The swing of the loop detection flag 129 is detected by a sensor. A controller rotates the feed rotating member 122 in accordance with the detection signal of the sensor, so that the recording medium P is conveyed toward the aligning guides 115 and 116. As a result, the amount of loop increases, so that the loop detection flag 129 returns to the initial position, and the detection is cancelled; thus, the operation of the feed rotating member 122 is stopped, and the fixed tension of the recording medium P is maintained again. By repeating this operation during the conveying operation, the recording medium P is conveyed, with a stable tension generated on the recording medium P at the upstream side of a conveying roller 131.
The recording medium P, whose one side edge is positioned by the reference aligning guide 115, is conveyed into the nip between the conveying roller 131 and a driven roller 132. The recording medium P is given a fixed conveying force by the conveying roller 131 and the driven roller 132 that rotates following the conveying roller 131 while applying pressure thereto and is conveyed in a recording area at which recording is performed by recording heads 107.
The recording area has the recording heads 107 (107K, 107C, 107M, and 107Y) arranged in the conveying direction, in which a large number of nozzles are arrayed in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to spatter the ink. The recording area further has a plurality of upper rollers 134, from the upstream side to the downstream side, for preventing the recording medium P from floating up. The upper rollers 134 decrease the interval between the recording heads 107 and the recording medium P to about 1.00 mm to reduce the displacement of the ink landing positions due to the spattering of the ink, thereby allowing high definition of the image.
The recording medium P on which a high-definition image is formed in the recording area is conveyed by the driving roller 133 and the upper rollers 134 into a cutter area that is a back end process area. The upper rollers 134 are in contact with upper roller cleaners 135 at upper positions, and when coming into contact with the upper surface (recording surface) of the recording medium P, the ink transferred from the recording surface is wiped out by the upper roller cleaners 135. This prevents the ink sticking to the upper rollers 134 from being transferred to the recording medium P when the upper rollers 134 rotate again into contact with the recording surface of the recording medium P. The upper roller cleaners 135 are placed at portions corresponding to the individual upper rollers 134 that are disposed at the region in which the plurality of recording heads 107 are disposed.
The four recording heads 107 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are fixed to an elevating head frame 106 and are disposed at positions having a fixed interval from the recording medium P during recording. For storage of the recording apparatus or for a head recovery operation, the elevating head frame 106 is moved to vertically move the recording heads 107. Examples of the structure for the vertical movement include a structure for pulse control using a stepping motor (not shown) and a structure in which the height of the recording heads 107 is held fixed by butting the elevating head frame 106 to a height reference provided in the vertical direction.
In the cutter area, the continuously conveyed recording medium P is stopped during a cutting operation, and after the cutting operation, the recording medium P is conveyed to the next cutting position at a relatively high speed about three times the conveying speed. This operation is repeated, so that the recording medium P is cut to a fixed length in the cutter area. Thus, the recording medium P is conveyed intermittently. The cutter area is therefore provided with a loop region, in which a loop is formed in a portion where the recording medium P is continuously fed to thereby temporarily hold the recording medium P while the recording medium P is stopped during the cutting operation. The cut recording medium P is output from the cutter area, and the series of recording operation is completed.
Although the thus-configured recording apparatuses have generally been used as low-resolution printers for post cards, calling cards, labels, etc. the use for recording high-definition high-quality picture images is considered with the recent remarkable improvement of the inkjet recording system and the material of recording media. In particular, recording apparatuses in which a plurality of long recording heads having nozzle trains having a width equal to the recording width of recording media are disposed in the conveying direction are capable of high-speed recording of about 30 to 100 per minute, thus having a tendency to increase in demand.
The technology for conveying a recording medium on the conveying path, with the side edges of the recording medium positioned, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-133540.
However, with the above-described configuration, if the angle of the reference aligning guide 115 with respect to the nip between the conveying roller 131 and the driven roller 132 is not a right angle with high accuracy, the skew of the recording medium P occurs at the beginning of the feeding operation. If the recording medium P skewed with respect to the conveying direction is fed to the conveying roller 131, the conveying roller 131 conveys the recording medium P in the direction of the skew, so that the recording medium P is continuously skewed. However, the skew is corrected owing to the influence of a tension generated in the recording medium P between the feed rotating member 122 and the conveying roller 131, and is gradually settled. However, if the conveying force at the nip is strong, the skew of the recording medium P is not settled, so that the recording medium P is continuously skewed, causing a paper jam.
To convey the recording medium P smoothly, a slight gap is needed between both widthwise edges of the recording medium P and the guides 115 and 116. The side edge faces of the roll R are not sometimes flat due to an error of the width of the recording medium P to cause deviation of the positions of the side edges between the vicinity of the outer circumference and the vicinity of the center. Therefore, gaps are needed between the recording medium P and the guides 115 and 116. Thus, even after the skew at the beginning of the feeding operation is settled during a conveying operation, as described above, the conveyed recording medium P is skewed at a low frequency due to the gaps.
The skew generated at the low frequency is caused by the gaps that are necessary to convey the recording medium P, described above. However, to reduce the conveying resistance of the recording medium P, these gaps should not be eliminated. Therefore, to reduce the skew at the beginning of the feeding operation, various configurations are proposed for bringing the widthwise direction of the recording medium P perpendicular to the conveying direction using a skewing roller that conveys the recording medium P in a direction skewed from the conveying direction.
In particular, high-quality printing using a plurality of long inkjet recording heads is affected by even high-frequency skew generated after the first skew is settled. Therefore, the configuration using a plurality of long recording heads has the problem that the skew induces the displacement of ink landing positions among the parallel nozzle trains, so that high-quality images cannot be formed.
To constitute the nozzle trains of the recording heads at relatively low cost, there is also a configuration in which a plurality of chips each having relatively short nozzle trains are arranged in the column direction to constitute long recording heads. However, this configuration is required to reduce the skew more because when the recording medium is skewed, a phenomenon in which the gaps between the individual chips change to generate alternate white and black stripes on the recording surface of the recording medium is caused depending on the amount of skew. In general, the amount of widthwise displacement of the recording medium p when the recording medium P is skewed must be held within ±20 μm or less, which is difficult to achieve with the present configuration of the conveying mechanism.

Recording apparatus and recording method


A method for generating boot tables for a device having access to device information. It is determined whether there exists at least one system boot table stored in a memory. If it is determined that a system boot table does not exist, the device information is retrieved, and the device information is converted to at least one boot table. The converting includes generating a first boot table by populating the first boot table with information of components of the device that have a correspondence to a computer system boot information standard. The generating also includes generating a second boot table for another component of the device that does not have a correspondence to the computer system boot information standard, by creating an entry in the second boot table that is populated with an identifier used to find a compatible component defined in the computer system boot standard.

Bringing enterprise virtualization solutions to the edge of a network, such as an enterprise network, can be challenging. The edge of a network is typically a purpose-built infrastructure, with network devices deployed next to data sources and sinks within the constraints of a specific environment, and in which the edge devices typically run business-specific workloads.
The combination of business-specific workloads and specific environment constraints of a network leads customers to specific hardware platform solutions. These hardware platform solutions span a large range of performance, memory, storage, Input/Output (I/O), and power requirements. Some use cases may involve extremely low-end CPUs and/or System-On-Chips (SoCs), including chips that are not compatible with the common platform definitions that have been defined in the enterprise. Such common platform definitions include server base system architecture (SB SA) and server base boot requirements (SBBR). Instead of being compatible with SBSA and SBBR, such low end CPUs and/or SoCs are by their very nature compatible with the basic embedded base boot requirements (EBBR) specification.
SBSA provides constraints on how hardware implementations work and how much platform knowledge is necessary for an Operating System (OS) or a Hypervisor running on a machine, and may enable a single binary distribution of an OS/hypervisor to work, unmodified, on an entire set of SBSA-compliant systems. This is similar to the degree of compatibility seen on x86-based computer platforms.
SBBR regulates how an OS/hypervisor boots and discovers hardware, bringing it in line with the way it is done for x86-based computer platforms that use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) standard that incorporates a computer system boot information standard such as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which uses ACPI tables when booting a computer platform. UEFI has been developed as a successor to the Basic Input/Output system (BIOS), and aims to address technical shortcomings of BIOS. Today, new PC hardware predominantly ships with UEFI. UEFI is applicable across a wide range of devices (servers, workstations, etc.) and central processing units (CPUs), such as x86_64, ARM64®, x86, etc. ACPI tables are a set of data structures, passed from firmware to the OS/hypervisor by the boot code, and that describe the platform hardware in a common and well-defined manner.
Low-end and deeply embedded devices on an enterprise network, such as a WiFi router on an edge of a network, are frequently not SBBR compliant, whereby ACPI cannot be used to properly abstract the system hardware due to the hardware not being SBSA compliant. Therefore, EBBR exists for such low-end and deeply embedded devices on the enterprise network, to cover the majority of low-end SoCs that are used for such virtualized Edge solutions. EBBR does not mandate ACPI support, because ACPI may not be descriptive enough for a platform in question (e.g., Raspberry Pi 3 single board computer). Device Tree, which is an industry standard that provides a general purpose way of describing arbitrary hardware configurations and topology, is a common alternative in the low-end and deeply embedded space.
As such, there is a problem with supporting EBBR for an OS/hypervisor running on a device in an enterprise network due to the lack of support for ACPI. In particular, multiple layers of an OS/hypervisor have ACPI requirements, from low-end bootloaders (for logging), to early kernel initialization (for CPU, memory, and cache topology), to device drivers that includes public Driver Development Kit Application Program Interface (DDK API) support. To add device tree support at each of these multiple layers is very exhaustive, complex and time consuming, and as such is not an effective solution.

Method for converting device tree data into ACPI data for edge device operating in a network


Both a system and method for simultaneously heat treating a plurality of heat exchanger tubes in the tubesheet of a steam generator are disclosed herein. The system generally comprises a plurality of heater probes receivable within the open ends of the tubes, each of which has a bladder means for detachably securing the probe within the tube, a plurality of hose-like probe guide assemblies positionable over the open ends of the tubes for guiding the heater probes into the tubes, and an end effector having a cup-shaped coupler connected to a robotic arm for delivering the probe guide assemblies over the open ends of different tubes. The ability of each of the heater probes to detachably mount itself into proper position within its respective heat exchanger tubes advantageously frees up the robotic arm so that it can quickly and sequentially install a number of probe guide assemblies and heater probes in different locations within the tubesheet. Because the probe guide assembly installation time is a relatively small part of the entire heat-treating operation of a single tube, the system and method of the invention allows a plurality of non-adjacent tubes to be substantially simultaneously heat treated, thereby advantageously shortening the total amount of time necessary to perform the heat-treatment maintenance operation.

This invention generally relates to the heat treatment of metallic conduits, and is specifically concerned with the simultaneous heat treatment of a number of non-adjacent heat exchanger tubes in a steam generator.
Systems and methods for heat treating the heat exchanger tubes in nuclear steam generators are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,359 assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation discloses and claims a method for the heat treatment of the U-bends in such heat exchanger tubes. Still another example of known heat treatment systems and methods is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,089 which is also assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In this last patent (the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), a heater probe is oscillated within the section of a heat exchanger tube that is circumscribed by a support plate in order to relieve stresses generated by the accumulation of sludge and other debris in the annular space between the tube and the bore in the support plate through which the tube extends. Devices for heat treating a number of heat exchanger tubes simultaneously are also known in the art. Such a device is disclosed and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 213,923 filed June 30, 1988 by Paolo R. Zafred and also assigned to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. This device is capable of implementing the stress relief process disclosed and claimed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,089.
While such prior art devices and methods work very well for their intended applications, recent refinements in the maintenance of heat exchanger tubes have created a need for a device capable of quickly and reliably heat treating a number of non-adjacent heat exchanger tubes simultaneously. Specifically, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation has recently pioneered new ways to reinforce damaged or cracked heat exchanger tubes by welding metal sleeves within these tubes, thereby creating a "hydraulic bridge" across the damaged sections thereof. While the installation of such sleeves by welding or braising techniques has been known for some time in the prior art, the new techniques developed by Westinghouse involve the use of a small, rotating mirror to direct a laser beam against the inner diameter of such a sleeve, thereby creating a weld between the outer diameter of the sleeve and the inner diameter of the heat exchanger tube which surrounds it. While such welding techniques have been found to create a high quality, water-tight weld joint between the ends of the sleeve and the sections of the heat exchanger tube to which they are welded, such welds also create tensile stresses in the tube due to the tendency of fused metal to draw-up upon re-solidification. If these tensile stresses are not relieved, they may promote stress corrosion cracking at this site, in the upper weld zone, thereby jeopardizing the integrity of the water-tight seal between the sleeve and the damaged section of the heat exchanger tube. While the aforementioned devices and stress relief methods can be successfully used to relieve stresses in the upper weld zones of such tubes, these prior art stress-relief techniques take up relatively large amounts of time. To understand why this is so, one must first understand some of the constraints that the working environment imposes on maintenance operations.
Because such stress-relief procedures take place within steam generators that have been operational for some time, the working environment is highly radioactive, and therefore the stress relief procedures must be remotely implemented by robotic arms such as the ROSA developed by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Moreover, because access to the open ends of the heat exchanger tubes can only be had through the relatively small and cramped confines of the channel head of the generator, there is, as a practical matter, room for only a single robotic arm. Since only one robotic arm is available to implement such heat treatment techniques, and since the arm must be used at all points in time to support the heater probe within the tube being heat treated, the tubes must be heat treated sequentially, with each heat treatment costing about nine minutes in time. While the device disclosed and claimed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 213,923 might be used to simultaneously heat treat a pair of tubes, it can only do so if these tubes are adjacent to one another. Since this is often not the case, little if any savings in time can be realized by the use of such a previously known multiple probe manipulating device. As steam generator down-time can cost the electric generating utility over $500,000 a day in lost revenues, the long lengths of time necessary for the heat treatment of a number of non-adjacent tubes poses a formidable problem.
Clearly, what is needed is a system and method that is capable of simultaneously heat treating a number of non-adjacent heat exchanger tubes in a reliable and expeditious manner. Ideally, such a system should be compatible with known robotic devices, and should be simple to operate and manufacture.

System and method for stress-relief of welds in heat exchanger tubes


Among other things, an apparatus includes a wheelchair control device sensitive to motion and adapted to attach to a user's head, and includes a wheelchair interface device in communication with the wheelchair control device and adapted to manipulate a control system of a motorized wheelchair in response to communication from the wheelchair control device. Among other things, a method includes causing a motorized wheelchair to change velocity in response to changing a position of a head-mounted wheelchair control device.

This description relates to wheelchair guiding.
Individuals who have limited or no use of their legs can use a motorized wheelchair for mobility. Some of these individuals (for example, paraplegics) have the use of their arms and can control a wheelchair using traditional hand controls, such as buttons or joysticks. Other individuals (for example, quadriplegics, amputees, some stroke victims, or individuals affected by cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, or severe arthritis) may not be able to use their arms and only have the use of the body above the neck, for example. Thus, instead of hand controls, some wheelchairs have controls customized to the needs of quadriplegics. For example, some wheelchairs use controls that respond to sipping and puffing and some use controls that respond to tongue movements.


Methods and systems to apply motion estimation (ME) based on reconstructed reference pictures in a B frame or in a P frame at a video decoder. For a P frame, projective ME may be performed to obtain a motion vector (MV) for a current input block. In a B frame, both projective ME and mirror ME may be performed to obtain an MV for the current input block. The ME process can be performed on sub-partitions of the input block, which may reduce the prediction error without increasing the amount of MV information in the bitstream. Decoder-side ME can be applied for the prediction of existing inter frame coding modes, and traditional ME or the decoder-side ME can be adaptively selected to predict a coding mode based on a rate distribution optimization (RDO) criterion.

Motion estimation (ME) in video coding may be used to improve video compression performance by removing or reducing temporal redundancy among video frames. For encoding an input block, traditional motion estimation may be performed at an encoder within a specified search window in reference frames. This may allow determination of a motion vector to minimize the sum of absolute differences (SAD) between the input block and a reference block. The motion vector (MV) information can then be transmitted to a decoder for motion compensation. The motion vector can be determined for fractional pixel units, and interpolation filters can be used to calculate fractional pixel values.
The motion estimation can be forward, backward or bi-directional, where backward and bi-directional ME may be used in the coding of bi-predictive frames (referred to herein as B frames) while forward ME can be used for both B frames and predicted frames (referred to herein as P-frames). FIG. 1 shows an example of ME for a B frame 110, where MV0 is a forward motion vector obtained by a forward motion search within a search window 160 in a forward reference frame 120. MV1 may be a backward motion vector obtained by a backward motion search within a search window 170 in a backward reference frame 130. In forward ME, the reference block 150 pointed to by MV0 is used as the prediction associated with a current block 140. In backward ME, the reference block 180 pointed to by MV1 may be used as the prediction, in the backwards direction, of the current block 140. In bi-directional ME, the average of the two reference blocks pointed to by MV0 and MV1 may be used as the prediction of the current block 140. Considering that a current block such as block 140 has motion similar to its temporal and spatial neighboring blocks, MV prediction can be performed using the MVs of neighboring blocks to get a predicted MV for a current block. The predicted MV can be used as the search center, and in an entropy coding process, only the difference between the searched MV and the predicted MV is encoded to reduce MV redundancy.

Methods and systems to estimate motion based on reconstructed reference frames at a video decoder


An apparatus for controlling an air-fuel ratio in a lean burn internal combustion engine, such that three different air-fuel ratio zones are set, the three zones being an ultra lean zone with a low load, a medium lean zone with a medium load, and a non-lean zone with a high load. When the engine is under low load conditions, a map FLEANPM is selected to obtain an ultra lean air-fuel ratio based on detected intake pressure PM values and engine speed NE. When the engine is under medium load conditions, a map FLEANTA is selected to obtain a medium lean air-fuel ratio based on a detected throttle opening values TA and engine speed NE. When the engine is under high load, conditions the lean correction control is canceled, thereby obtaining a theoretical air-fuel ratio or an air-fuel ratio smaller than the theoretical air-fuel ratio, and when the engine remains at a point in the medium lean zone, the air-fuel ratio decreases gradually toward the theoretical air-fuel ratio as time elapses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine, wherein the engine operates, in accordance with the load of the engine, between a combustible mixture of lean air fuel ratio and a combustible mixture of theoretical or rich air fuel ratio mixture.
2. Description of Related Art
A so-called "lean burn internal combustion engine" is known, where the engine, under low load conditions, is operated by supplying a lean air fuel mixture having an air fuel ratio as high as, for example, 20.0. In such a known internal combustion engine, under high engine load conditions, where high engine output power is required, the engine is supplied with an air fuel mixture having a theoretical air fuel ratio or a rich air fuel mixture having an air fuel ratio with a value smaller than the theoretical air fuel ratio. Under low load conditions, where the engine is supplied by a lean air fuel ratio that is higher than a theoretical air fuel ratio, a basic fuel injection amount is first calculated to be an amount of fuel capable of obtaining the theoretical air fuel ratio under particular engine operating conditions determined by a combination of an engine speed value and an intake pressure value or a ratio of the intake air amount to the engine speed, and a lean correction factor (<1.0) is multiplied to the calculated basic injected fuel amount to obtain a final fuel amount to be injected to an intake system of the internal combustion engine from respective injectors. Correcting the basic injected fuel amount by multiplying the lean correction factor by the basic fuel amount produce a lean air fuel mixture that is suitable under particular engine operating conditions.
A determination of the value of the lean correction factor for obtaining an ultra lean air fuel mixture in accordance with the value of the intake pressure and generating no torque increase can be obtained irrespective of a depression of the accelerator pedal to a degree of throttle valve opening larger than a predetermined value, where the value of the intake pressure is substantially maintained and unchanged irrespective of depression of the accelerator pedal. In order to obtain a necessary increase in engine torque upon depression of the accelerator pedal, the air fuel ratio of the air fuel mixture introduced into the engine is changed from a lean air fuel ratio value to a theoretical air fuel ratio. Such a change in the air fuel ratio from a lean air fuel ratio (a large air fuel ratio value) to a theoretical air fuel ratio causes the engine torque to abruptly increase, thereby generating a shock in the engine. In order to prevent such a rapid increase in torque, a second map is made for calculating a lean correction factor based on a combination of throttle valve opening degree values and engine rotational speed. This second map is used for calculating the lean correction factor at an engine load area operating with an intermediate lean air fuel mixture, which is located between a value of the engine load above, with the value of the intake pressure not substantially varying irrespective of depression of the accelerator pedal and another engine load value, above which the engine operates with a theoretical air fuel ratio. The setting of the air-fuel ratio at this intermediate lean area is, for example, between about 16.0 and 18.0. See Japanese Un-Examined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 3-24244.
In the prior art, under low engine load conditions, an ultra lean air fuel mixture of an air fuel ratio as high as, for example, 18.0 to 20.0 is obtained for reducing the amount of nitrogen oxide emission in the exhaust gas. Under middle load conditions, an intermediate lean air fuel mixture of an air fuel ratio in a range, for example, between about 16.0 and 18.0 is obtained in response to a slight increase in engine output power. Under high load conditions, the engine is operated under a theoretical air fuel ratio or an air fuel ratio slightly richer than the theoretical air-fuel ratio. The provision of a medium lean air fuel ratio area between the ultra lean air fuel ratio area and the rich air fuel ratio area permits a smooth increase in engine output torque along the entire load range of the engine, while preventing the occurrence of shock caused by acceleration of the vehicle.
However, the intermediate lean air fuel ratio can generate a large amount of nitrogen oxide in the exhaust gas, and as a result, when the engine is operating in a mode such that it remains with in the intermediate air fuel ratio zone, there is a large amount of nitrogen oxide emission in the exhaust gas which is not suitable in view of recent environmental restrictions concerning emission of nitrogen gas in the exhaust gas of internal combustion engines.

Air-fuel ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine


The invention relates to a process for obtaining a cellular sprinkling compound and to the respective method of application to provide a therapeutic treatment for skin injuries, based on the implantation, by sprinkling and/or spraying, of human mesenchymal stem cells and microvascular endothelial cells that have been pre-expanded in vitro and resuspended in a regenerative solution for cellular implantation of biocompatible biomaterials. The solution is formed by blood plasma rich in growth factors obtained from the patient to be treated and, in some cases, by medical-grade type I collagen and by medical-grade hyaluronic acid, which potentiates the regeneration, re-epithelialization, and reconstruction of skin tissue.

Currently, the use of allogeneic grafts and xeno transplants limits the skin regeneration due to inflammatory processes that originate from the immunological rejection that involves the use of the donor skin and the use of animal skin. This causes the low availability of said biological material for the treatment of cutaneous wounds, and there is the disadvantage of the susceptibility to infections. Currently, there are patents for printing techniques of living human cells called Bioprinting where mesenchymal stem cells and microvesicular endothelial cells are printed on cutaneous wounds. This technique is based on mechanically depositing by means of a robotic arm (with the freedom to move in the 3-dimensional axes) autologous cells on the wound. In addition to this, we can find dermal substitutes based on the in vitro culture of human microvascular endothelial cells on decellularized skin matrices of bovine origin. Its use is based only on the increase in the healing time of the wound by transplanting this decellularized matrix of bovine origin with human microvascular endothelial cells previously planted on its surface.
However, in addition to using an animal origin product (decellularized matrix) that is not 100% compatible with the human being, the use and transplantation of this product is based only on increasing the use of epithelization and regeneration of the wound and omitting the regeneration of the functionality of said skin, to create again the pigmentation and hair induction. Added to this, a severe trauma to this organ (skin) can cause partial or incomplete regeneration and atrophy by using these meshes with microvascular endothelial cells and a total lack for the generation of color and hair. Another approach to the epithelization and wound regeneration that has been developed in the laboratory is based on the in vitro culture of human keratinocytes from the prepuce of newborns on layers of fibroblasts (known as 3T3 cell line) from mouse embryos with a high degree of proliferation. This system created in vitro has disadvantages such as the low production of the extracellular matrix of the biograft created, a two-dimensional size very limited in thickness and support to cover the damaged area as a protective barrier to the wound, a low regeneration of the functionality of the skin during the healing of the wound (pigmentation and hair induction) and the use of animal cells for its production.
Currently, a process for generating a cellular spraying compound based on in vitro culture of human fibroblasts and combined human keratinocytes in autologous platelet-rich plasma obtained from the patient to be treated can be found with the patent application MX/a/201/001356 for the treatment of skin sessions such as burn, diabetic ulcers, and tissue reconstruction. In turn, this application entered into the patent cooperation treaty can also be found with application PCT/MX2015/000001. Also, we can mention the patent application MX/a/2015/07577 to which is a process of obtaining a compound for cellular spraying of mesenchymal stem cells and human microvascular endothelial cells in a regenerative solution and its method of application as a therapeutic agent of skin lesions. In all the above-mentioned applications of the present inventor, and the present invention originates from these patent applications, wherein the present invention describes substantial improvements not described in the aforementioned as the incorporation of mesenchymal stem cells and microvascular endothelial cells to the spray compound.
This new cellular combination will originate the formation of all damaged tissues from the implantation of mesenchymal stem cells capable of differentiating into different mesodermal tissues including dermis, epidermis and blood vessels. However, the novel incorporation of microvascular endothelial cells results in neovascularization of the new tissue, early angiogenesis and a new and rapid formation of capillaries and blood vessels for early irrigation of the formed tissue.

Process for obtaining a sprinkling compound of microvascular endothelial skin cells and mesenchymal stem cells and method of application for tissue regeneration


A distributed comment moderation service is arranged to help mediate the moderation of blog comments using a (for example) centralized moderation queue. The centralized moderation queue can be used to automatically (including semi-automatically) outsource blog comment moderation to third party resource providers. The distributed comment moderation service is optionally arranged to provide an indication of an assessment of the quality of the third party resource providers.

Network-enabled applications are applications that use communication networks to share information between various devices, each of which might be operated by the same or different user(s). The network-enabled applications include applications such as browser engines, messaging interfaces, remote desktops, and the like that allow users to easily browse, select, and manipulate items being viewed using a network-enabled application. The network-enabled application receives one or more communications (such as code for instantiating webpages) from a service provider that is often encoded in the form of a language (such as the hypertext markup language HTML), which contains elements that describe the structure and functionality of the content that is received by the content user.
The networked-enabled application are often used to access blogs ("web logs") and websites that accept user comments, which provide a forum for users (and the blog host) to provide comments on a posting by a blog and/or website host, for example. Thus, the blog (which term, as used herein, includes the meaning of websites, HTML markup forums, wikis, "blikis" (blog-wikis), and the like that accept user comments) provides a collective forum in which to conduct a multi-party discussion about a blog posting (including the original blog posting by the blog host) as well as the attendant comments that are posted by interested parties having access to the blog. Often, the discussion is centered on (or around) a topic of mutual interest to the participants who post to the blog.
However, certain third parties, who gain access to a blog (through overt or covert means), attempt to use postings to a blog to further the interests of the poster, as compared with participating in and serving the collective interests of the blog audience as a whole. Such adverse posts are variously described as "high jacking threads," "posting 'spam'" (where voluminous postings to various blogs are made with the hope that at least some of it will "stick"), "posting (age-) inappropriate content," and the like. Thus, one abuser of the blog commenting facility is capable of consuming a relatively large portion time of multiple blog users while only expending a relatively very little amount of personal time. The problem is compounded when multiple such-abusers post adverse posts to a same blog (or multiple different blogs).
The incidence of the adverse posts can be so high that valid users of the blog are deterred from participating in the blog, which is often detrimental to the purpose for which the blog was established. Also, a high incidence of the adverse posts to a particular blog can cause the blog to be ranked poorly in by typically used search engines. Attempts by administrators to block out adverse posters such as "web-bots" (or "bots") often entail extra burdens upon users and administrators alike who, in an attempt reduce automated adverse postings, use challenge-response tests such as the CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) test.
Blog moderators often attempt to "clean up" and remove adverse posts (and/or undesired contents of the adverse posts). However, the greater the popularity of a blog, the greater the likelihood of attracting such adverse posts, and the difficulty of moderating such posts also increasingly compounds.


Aspects of the present disclosure provide synchronization techniques for user equipment (UEs) that may be otherwise unable to support sidelink communication a synchronized UE and may have also lost global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and/or Evolved Node Base Stations (eNBs) as a synchronization source. In such instance, the unsynchronized UE may utilize reference signals (RS) from the data packets received from other UEs to track the timing and perform autonomous timing adjustments based thereon for synchronized packet transmission or reception.

The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, techniques for distributed synchronization of user equipment (UE) in 5G New Radio (NR).
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example telecommunication standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with Internet of Things (IoT)), and other requirements. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. There exists a need for further improvements in 5G NR technology. These improvements may also be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.
One such example may include device-to-device (D2D) communication such as, but not limited to, cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) communications that may be implemented as part of the 5G NR technology deployment. In such system, user equipment (UE) may directly communicate with other UEs by directing radio signals in specific directions. Generally, in such systems, the synchronization mechanism (e.g., timing and/or frequency) for the UE may be based on the UE connection to one or more of global navigation satellite system (GNSS), a cellular base station (also referred to as Evolved Node Base Stations (eNBs)), or a sidelink synchronized SyncRef UEs (e.g., one or more UEs that may synchronized to GNSS or eNB and with which the first UE has a sidelink synchronization). In an absence of connection with GNSS or eNB, the synchronization for the first UE may require a sidelink synchronization with a second UE (e.g., SyncRef UE). However, not all UEs support sidelink synchronization capabilities. Thus, the UEs that suffer a signal loss with GNSS and/or eNB coverage and are unable to support sidelink synchronization with another UE are adversely impacted, as their timing will eventually drift out of synchronization and they will no longer be able to communicate effectively.


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying similar images. In some implementations, a method is provided that includes receiving a collection of images and data associated with each image in the collection of images; generating a sparse feature representation for each image in the collection of images; and training an image similarity function using image triplets sampled from the collection of images and corresponding sparse feature representations.

This specification relates to identifying similar images.
Search engines aim to identify resources (e.g., images, audio, video, web pages, text, documents) that are relevant to a user's needs and to present information about the resources in a manner that is most useful to the user. Search engines return a set of search results in response to a user submitted text query. For example, in response to an image search text query (i.e., a query to identify image resources), the search engine returns a set of search results identifying image resources responsive to the query (e.g., as a group of thumbnail representations of the image resources).
However, in some cases users may want to enter a query that is not textual. For example, a user that has an image may wish to search for similar or related images. Additionally, a user can be interested in refining the results of a previous image search to identify images similar to an image in the presented search results.
Some conventional techniques for learning image similarity rely on human raters that determine the relative similarity of image pairs. For example, a human rater can be presented with several object pairs and asked to select the pair that is most similar. Relative similarity can also be identified using common labels associated with images or that are provided in response to a common query.
Learning semantic similarity for images becomes difficult as the number of images increases. For example, learning pairwise similarity for image set including billions of images results in a quadratic number of pairs to compute, which is typically time and resource prohibitive using conventional techniques.


A vehicle-to-vehicle communication device installed on a subject vehicle includes a detection function, a transmission function, a report function and a signal-processing function to display position information of surrounding vehicles as well as the subject vehicle. In a process of displaying the position information of the vehicles, the device communicates with the devices installed on other vehicles within a reach of the communication function to reflect the position information of the surrounding vehicles including vehicles not equipped with the device.

In recent years, vehicle-to-vehicle communication devices are used to determine vehicles that may possibly be affecting a subject vehicle's traveling condition by exchanging driver's intention in both ways between the subject vehicle and the affecting vehicle. For example, a conventional vehicle-to-vehicle communication device disclosed in Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2002-183889 captures a driver's voice indicating that the affecting vehicle should be stopping for a short time, and transmits a stop request to the affecting vehicle, when the subject vehicle having the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device enters into a traffic on a road from a shoulder of the road. More practically, the vehicle is determined by the device on the subject vehicle as possibly colliding with the subject vehicle. The device on the affecting vehicle having received the stop request displays positions of the affecting vehicle and the subject vehicle requesting a stop on a display of the device to inform the driver of the affecting vehicle of the stop request.
If a driver of the affecting vehicle responds to the stop request by indicating an acknowledgement by voice, the device on the affecting vehicle sends back the acknowledgement to the device on the subject vehicle. The device on the subject vehicle entering the traffic with the acknowledgement having received from the affecting vehicle also displays the positions of the subject vehicle and the affecting vehicle on the display of the device to inform the driver of the subject vehicle of reception of the acknowledgement of the stop request.
However, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device is not necessarily installed on all of the vehicles on the road. That is, the driver of the subject vehicle cannot get hold of the position of the affecting vehicle by the communication between the devices if the affecting vehicle does not have the device. For example, in a situation having three vehicles A, B and C involved, where the device-equipped vehicle A is stopping at a shoulder of a main street for entering traffic on the main street from a side road, and the device-equipped vehicle B and the device-not-equipped vehicle C are traveling on the main street, a driver of the vehicle A can only get hold of the precise position of the vehicle B by using the device, and can recognize the position of the vehicle C only by sight if it exists in a viewable area of the driver of the vehicle A.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication device and method of controlling the same


A video processing system is disclosed that separates and separately encodes and decodes the low and high spatial frequency coefficients of images for transmission or storage. Each block of an image is transformed into the frequency domain. High frequency coefficients of the resulting transform matrix are separated from the low frequency coefficients. The low frequency coefficients are motion prediction compensated to derive motion vectors and a prediction error signal. The motion vectors, prediction error signal and high frequency coefficients are channel encoded for storage or transmission. In a receiver, the motion vectors and prediction error signal are used to reconstruct a low frequency motion-compensated version of the image. The high frequency coefficients are inverse transformed into the pel domain and are combined with the reconstructed low frequency verison of the image to reconstruct a version of the original image.

Prior video signal interframe coding, transmission and reproduction systems initially encode a base frame image. This base frame image incorporates both the low and the high spatial frequency components of the image. The base frame image is transmitted and thereafter only information representative of the difference between the base frame and each subsequent image is transmitted. Both low and high frequency spatial components are contained within the difference information. Using the base frame image and the subsequent difference information a high quality version, i.e., an accurate or error free representation, of any desired subsequent image can be reconstructed. If difference information is lost during transmission, only a low quality version of the desired image, i.e. an inaccurate or error strewn representation, can be reconstructed. Such prior arrangements are inefficient because they lack the ability to rapidly reproduce high quality images in random access applications. Similarly, this prior arrangement requires a long time to recover from loss of the difference information caused by transmission errors. The inefficiency and delays are caused by the leveraged encoding of each image beyond the base frame since all of the information prior to the selected frame is required, i.e., all the information contained in the base frame and all the difference information relating to each sequentially subsequent image. However, it is known that interframe coding tends to reduce the number of bits that are required to be transmitted.
In a prior attempt to reduce the reconstruction difficulty a new base frame is periodically incorporated into the bit stream. However, this technique dramatically increases the average number of bits required to represent all the information in an average frame because each base frame is encoded using intraframe coding and all of the information representing a base frame is used by each subsequent image. It is known that intraframe coding tens to require a larger number of bits than intraframe coding. In intraframe coding, characteristics of neighboring picture elements (pels or pixels are predicted based on the values of those characteristics of neighboring pels in the same frame, and the error or difference between the actual value and the predicted value is encoded. This type of encoding is illustrated in an article entitled "Adaptive Coding of Monochrome and Color Images", IEEE Trans. Communication, Vol. COM-25, pp. 1285-1292, Nov. 1977.

Embedded coding system for video signals


An assembly such as an anchor screw, bone plate, offset hook, post, transverse connector or other spinal anchor for anchoring to bone and clamping a linkage such as a rod, wire cable or the like. The assembly has a top member with an open slot to receive the linkage, and a twist-lock closure cap to close the open end, capturing the linkage in the slot. One closure cap fits over and around the top member, with a set of segmented protrusions that extend through a corresponding set of protruding flange segments spaced about the circumference of the top member. The cap is configured to rotate and lock against the top member like a flange-locking bayonet mount when turned through a limited degree of rotation. Slots may be provided through the face of the closure cap allowing reduction tabs to project through the cap, and the locking cap may be adapted to a range of screw, eye, hook, post, connector and other anchor assemblies to securely clamp the linkage by use of a rotation tool disposed along an access path aligned with the axis of the screw, thus requiring no lateral clearance along the longitudinal direction of the linkage element. Locking is effected by a set screw that passes through the cap and tightens against the linkage to firmly immobilize it in the anchor assembly. Another cap embodiment fits into the center of the head with a partial twist locking motion. Opposed locking surfaces prevent slippage in the radial direction, and a sloping contact floor surface may apply torque to further increase pressure on urge mating detent features in an adjacent wall.

The present invention relates to orthopedic fastening systems and to mechanisms for securing and locking a linking or stabilizing element, such as a rod, to a bone screw having a slotted head that receives the rod therein. It also relates to structures or anchor assemblies having such a slotted or open head for receiving a rod, wherein the slotted portion extends from a hook, plate, bracket or positioning arm.
A number of such structures are known. Thus, for example, the widely used Harms T-plate used for stabilizing the cervical vertebrae has a projecting slotted bolt adapted to receive a rod or cable through the slot and clamp down by screwing a nut along the bolt to bear down against the rod. Several patents show holding structures for a fixation rod that are incorporated in the head of a screw, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,176, or into a small offset plate which itself may be fastened to the bone, as shown in published International Application WO96/28105. Other systems involve hooks, transverse rod connectors, or tandem connectors. Various tools have been provided for these systems to enable the surgeon to bend and shape the rod to a desired contour in situ, to position the rod in the slot of a bolt or head, and to secure the rod in position.
Because the rod is the stabilizing member which provides a precise contour, spacing or connection between one or more vertebrae, bones or bone fragments, alignment is quite critical, and the ability to pass the rod through two or more connecting assemblies requires various actions to form and shape the rod, or align the receiving structures at defined positions or path before final clamping is effected. This may involve positioning and removing the rod several times to check and adjust the degree of alignment. Thus, it is, generally desirable to have a closure or secure locking mechanism that may be effected with simple installation steps.
One generally accepted locking mechanism simply involves an internally threaded locking nut that may be tightened down along the axis of the screw or slotted shaft, using a tool such as a socket wrench. Another commercial device employs a bayonet-mount cap that captures or is captured by the screw head, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,346,493 and 5,257,993. Another system utilizes a cap element with a dovetail or dovetail channel that slides over the rod to close the top of the slot and wedge the rod firmly in position. This latter construction involves no rotation of threaded members, but has the disadvantage that a certain amount of unobstructed lateral space along the rod adjacent to the connection point is necessary for the sliding installation of the closure cap. Furthermore, the cap inserts or sliding wedge closures, while they eliminate the need for awkward screwing or rotational motion during installation, cannot be used with some existing reduction screws, translation hooks or other common hardware having lengthy protruding guide members, reduction tabs or the like. Moreover, the wedge/cap closures are a specialized component that may require the user to switch entirely over to a proprietary line of orthopaedic hardware if he is to utilize the full range of hook, tab, plate and screw fixation points that may be required in spinal surgery.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a closure cap for a bone screw or similar anchor assembly to secure a fixation linkage such as a rod or cable.
It would further be desirable to provide a rod-securing closure mechanism for a screw or anchor that installs simply by a partial turn.
It would further be desirable to provide a rod-securing closure mechanism for a screw or anchor that requires minimal lateral clearance along the rod for its installation.
It would further be desirable to provide a rod securing cap or closure mechanism adaptable to diverse reduction screws.
One or more of these and other desirable traits are achieved in accordance with the present invention by a fixation assembly wherein a closure cap fits over an opening to close a rod-receiving slot of a fixation screw, hook, post or other anchor assembly, and capture the rod therein. A set screw threads through the cap and tightens against the rod to further clamp it in the assembly. In one embodiment, the closure cap extends over and around the head of the rod-receiving assembly, which may, for example include a slotted shaft, post or head, and the cap is adapted to lock together therewith by limited rotation. This may be accomplished in one embodiment construction by arranging the cap to have a set of sector rim protrusions positioned to fit through a corresponding set of protruding bosses or partial flange segments located on the head, and to rotate into opposition therewith for securing the cap onto the top of the fixation screw. The protrusions or flange segments are angled, along the radial direction, so that they bear against each other and jam when rotated, thus cannot slip out of engagement. The opposed segments tighten and lock the cap against the head when the cap is rotated through a partial turn of about twenty-three degrees of arc, like a flange-locking bayonet mount. The cap may have a rim that extends over the outside of the bolt head to engage external flange segments on the head. In a preferred embodiment, the mating portions may located internally in the head, with flange segments projecting radially inward from the perimeter, and the cap fitting between segments in the head of the bolt and locking with a twist-in motion to capture a rod in the opening. A hold-down set screw threads through a central opening in the cap and tightens down against the rod to clamp the rod firmly in place. The closing and clamping may each be effected by a driver tool that operates along the axis of the assembly and requires little or no side clearance to rotate either the cap or the set screw. In the case of the external, twist-on cap, the limited degree of rotation allows the cap to also include slots through the cap to accommodate reduction tabs extending upwardly from the underlying screw or anchor member. The quick-twist closure cap assemblies of the invention may be adapted to a wide range of screw, hook, eye, plate, connector and other anchor assemblies for rod, cable and other linking elements.

Lock cap anchor assembly for orthopaedic fixation


This invention provides a novel diphosphine compound which is useful as a ligand of catalysts for asymmetric synthesis reactions, particularly asymmetric hydrogenation reaction. Particularly, it provides a diphosphine compound represented by a general formula (1): ##STR1##. wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represents a cycloalkyl group, an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group or a five-membered aromatic heterocycle residue.

A large number of transition metal complexes have been reported, which can be used in asymmetric syntheses such as asymmetric hydrogenation reaction, asymmetric isomerization reaction and asymmetric hydrosilylation reaction. Particularly, a complex in which an optically active tertiary phosphine compound is coordinated to a transition metal complex such as of ruthenium, rhodium, iridium or palladium has excellent performance as a catalyst of asymmetric synthesis reactions.
In order to further improve this performance, a large number of phosphine compounds having various structures have so far been developed (Chemical Review 32 "Chemistry of Organic Metal Complex", pp. 237-238, 1982, edited by The Chemical Society of Japan; "Asymmetric Catalysis In Organic Synthesis", edited by R. Noyori, A Wiley-Interscience Publication).
Particularly, 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (to be referred to as "BINAP" hereinafter) is one of the excellent optically active phosphine compounds, and a rhodium complex (JP-A-55-61973; the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and a ruthenium complex (JP-A-61-63690), which contain the BINAP as a ligand, have already been reported.
Also, it has been reported that a rhodium complex (JP-A-60-199898) and a ruthenium complex (JP-A-61-63690), which contain 2,2'-bis(di-(p-tolyl)phosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (to be referred to as "p-TolBINAP" hereinafter) as a ligand, give good results in asymmetric hydrogenation reaction and asymmetric isomerization reaction. In addition, it has been reported in JP-A-3-255090 that a ruthenium complex of 2,2'-bis(di-(3,5-dialkylphenyl)phosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl gives excellent results in asymmetric hydrogenation of .beta.-ketoesters.
However, since their selectivity (chemical selectivity or enantio-selectivity) and catalytic activities are not sufficient depending on the intended reactions or reaction substrates thereof, there are cases in which these catalysts have to be improved.

Optically active diphosphine compound, production intermediate thereof, transition metal complex containing the compound as ligand and asymmetric hydrogenation catalyst containing the complex


Aspects generating a container structure wherein processors are configured to compare attributes of a new container to attributes of each of plurality of existing containers within a container model as a function of a weighted Jaccard co-efficient distance matrix. The aspects identify a neighbor subset of the model containers that each have attributes that are nearest to the new container attributes, relative to remaining others of the model containers; select, as a nearest container, a container of the neighbor subset that has closest matching statistical properties to statistical properties calculated for the new container attributes; and generate a sizing recommendation for the new container to meet future utilization needs predicted as a function of usage pattern data of the nearest container.

A container is a data structure that envelops ("wraps") wraps a piece of software (or a component of an application) in a complete filesystem that contains everything needed to run: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, generally anything that can be installed on a server. The container is intended to contain enough information to ensure that the contained software or application will always run the same, regardless of its environment.

International Business Machines Corporation


An improved blowout preventor actuator is provided for opening and closing a ram block within a blowout preventor body to control the flow of well fluid. The working or power piston within the actuator cylinder is provided with one or more axially extending cavities each for receiving a locking rod secured at one end to the cylinder head. To prevent inadvertent opening of the ram block, locking segments carried by the power piston repeatedly disengage one locking surface and re-engage an adjacent locking surface on the locking rods as the power piston and ram block secured thereto move to the ram closed position. To unlock the power piston from the locking rods, fluid pressure is applied to an unlocking piston which radially moves the locking segments out of engagement with the locking rods. The locking surfaces on the locking rods extend axially along a length which allows different ram blocks to be substituted for sealing with various diameter tubular members passing through the blowout preventors. The simple yet highly reliable technique for preventing opening of the BOP ram block increases safety and reduces manufacturing and operating costs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to actuators having safety mechanisms for locking the axial position of the actuator piston with respect to the actuator cylinder. More particularly, the invention relates to a simple and reliable fluid-powered BOP actuator which mechanically locks the ram secured to the piston in multiple closed positions to maintain the flow path through the BOP sealed off even though fluid pressure to the actuator is interrupted.
2. Description of the Background
Blowout preventors (BOPs) are used in oil field operations to close off the flow path either through a tubular string or through an annulus between the tubular string and the BOP body. The BOP actuators are typically fluid-powered to effect both closing and opening of the ram shafts which each axially move within a respective actuator cylinder. Actuators on opposing sides of the BOP body typically press ram blocks together simultaneously to close off the desired flow path through the BOP. BOPs are often actuated to seal off a well during an emergency or during well shutdown operations prior to anticipated inclement weather at offshore installations.
Since the supply of pressurized fluid to the BOP may become interrupted after closing of the BOP, actuators have been designed with the various types of safety mechanisms to lock or fix the ram shaft in its closed position and thereby prevent inadvertent release of the closing pressure on the ram. Since BOPs are often located in sub-sea or other remote environments, BOP actuators and lock mechanisms associated therewith must be highly reliable. Those skilled in the art appreciate the significant safety and environmental risks resulting from the inadvertent opening of the BOP rams, and accordingly both primary and backup systems have been devised to prevent this occurrence.
Prior art BOP ram actuators were initially equipped with locking mechanisms which fixed the position of the piston at a single axial location within the actuator cylinder, and thus fixed the ram in a single closed position. An example of BOP actuator with such a lock mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,826. The lock mechanism includes expandable locking segments which engage an annular recess in the cylinder wall and thereby lock the ram shaft position with respect to the actuator cylinder. A single position lock mechanism has several drawbacks, however, since wear of the ram block components requires continual adjustment of the lock mechanism to achieve a lock condition and thereby seal off the flow path through the BOP at a reliable sealing pressure.
Another problem associated with BOP lock mechanisms concerns the goal of minimizing the frictional drag during normal operation of the actuator between the locking elements which axially fix the ram shaft within the actuator cylinder, while simultaneously providing a locking mechanism which cannot be overcome and thereby allow opening of the ram shaft before the locking mechanism is intentionally disengaged. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,571 discloses actuator locking elements which are wedged outwardly along a locking shoulder of the cylinder as the ram is moved towards its closed position. Unless fluid pressure is available to maintain the locking elements in their closed position, however, the locking elements can be disengaged by overcoming frictional forces between the locking components. The above patent discloses a locking mechanism capable of achieving a lock at various axial locations, although within a relatively narrow range. While locking mechanism adjustment for ram block component wear is minimized, the same BOP actuators cannot be reliably used with different ram blocks for locking about different sized pipes passing through the BOP. Moreover, the reliability of the locking mechanism is dependent on maintaining fluid pressure to the BOP to keep the locking elements in their closed position.
A multiple-position locking mechanism commercially offered by Hydril allows BOP actuator lock at various positions, so that the ram block may seal off with a high closing force although the seals on the ram block wear. The ram is closed by hydraulic pressure, and is maintained closed by a unidirectional clutch, lock nut, and threaded tail rod assembly. Forces attempting to open the ram are transmitted through the tail rod to the lock nut and then to the locked clutch plates. Hydraulic pressure is used to disengage the clutch plates and thereby permit the lock nut to rotate on the tail rod to allow the ram shaft to open. This locking mechanism is complex and is thus considered costly to maintain. The locking mechanism undesirably increases the diameter of the BOP assembly since the tail rod and clutch assembly are axially aligned with and extend from the actuator cylinder at a location opposite the ram blocks.
Each of the prior art BOP actuators with locking mechanisms thus has significant disadvantages relating to reliability, versatility, and/or cost. Single or dual position locking mechanisms do not provide the desired lock closing pressure once ram seals wear. Locking devices which effect locking at multiple axial locations along a narrow range cannot be used with interchangeable ram blocks to seal off various diameter tubular passing through the BOPs. Since fluid pressure to the BOPs may become interrupted either during an emergency or during a long delay after a BOP is closed, actuator locking mechanisms which require fluid pressure to ensure locked engagement of the ram shaft within the cylinder do not offer the desired high reliability. Locking mechanisms which rely on frictional engagement of components are undesirable since the lock device may fail if sufficient opening pressure is applied to the actuator ram. A locking mechanism which includes a unidirectional clutch, lock nut, and threaded tail rod assembly is costly and undesirably increases the size and complexity of the BOP. Most prior art locking mechanism cannot practically be incorporated into existing BOP actuators, and accordingly high replacement costs are required to provide a BOP with a versatile actuator locking device.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and an improved blowout preventor actuator is hereinafter disclosed which simply and reliably locks the position of a BOP ram at multiple locations extending axially over a relatively long range. The actuator need not be repeatedly readjusted for ram block wear, and the same actuator may be used with replaceable ram blocks to close off various diameter flow passageways through the BOP.