An information processing apparatus includes a storing device and a processor. The storing device stores associated segment information indicative of two or more display unit segments having common data forming display contents among a plurality of display unit segments included in a screen of the client terminal. The processor instructs, when an update occurs on the data forming the display contents on a first display unit segment among the plurality of display unit segments, the client terminal to update data forming the display contents to be displayed on a second display unit segment associated with the first display unit segment among the plurality of display unit segments by referring to the associated segment information stored in the storing device.

In general updating a screen of a WEB application, the entirety of data being displayed on the screen is reloaded and data after the updating is obtained.
The accompanying drawing FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a scheme of automatically updating a screen of a Web application.
Examples of automatically updating a screen are the following three schemes (1) to (3) illustrated in FIG. 1. The schemes (1) to (3) in FIG. 1 each display a Dashboard panel displaying a usage status and capability information of, for example, a storage device, and segment the screen into four blocks A-D.
The scheme (1) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a pull scheme in which the entirety of the screen being displayed (in other words, the entirety of displayed data) is periodically reloaded.
The scheme (2) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a pull scheme in which the displayed data is reloaded in units of blocks at respective reloading intervals determined by considering a frequency of updating of each block of the displayed data.
The scheme (3) illustrated in FIG. 1 is a push scheme in which the server transmits the updated data to the client terminal and each updated block is reloaded. The number of times of reloading is increased for data having a high updating frequency to increase the Input/Output (I/O) load as compared to the pull schemes. Therefore, the scheme (3) of FIG. 1 is suitable for reloading data having a low updating frequency.
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. HEI 9-244993
However, the scheme (1) of FIG. 1 reloads a screen displaying there on data not updated and has a possibility of transferring also non-updated data.
Although reducing an amount of transferred non-updated data as compared to the scheme (1) of FIG. 1, the scheme (2) of FIG. 1 does not completely transfer non-updated data.
The scheme (3) of FIG. 1 transfers updated data from the server to the client terminal, and reloads the transferred updated data, and therefore has no possibility of transferring non-updated data.
However, the scheme (3) of FIG. 1 has a possibility of transferring updated data of a block not being currently displayed on the screen.
The accompanying drawing FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a problem of the scheme (3) of FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, in cases where the data 1 on the block B of the display screen is updated and the block B is reloaded, the block D, which has a dependent relationship with the block B because both blocks B and D have the data 1, may not be updated. This causes inconsistency of data between the block B and the block D.

Information processing apparatus, screen displaying system, and non-transitory recording medium having storing therein program


A method of dynamically allocating a task or a signal on a statically allocated and embedded software architecture of a vehicle includes identifying a faulty component. The faulty component may include a software component, a hardware component or a signal or communications link between components. Once the faulty component is identified, any tasks performed by or signals associated with the faulty component are identified, and the tasks performed by or the signals associated with the faulty component are re-allocated to an embedded standby component so that performance of the re-allocated task and/or signal for future system operations is performed by the standby component.

Embedded software architectures or platforms (middleware and real time operating systems) used in the automobile industry, such as OSEK and AUTOSAR, are statically configured at design time with a fixed set of operating system tasks. All tasks that will ever execute on a given computing hardware node are allocated at the time the executable image is built (compiled and linked).
Software-based electronic control systems are increasingly being used in the automobile industry to control active safety and autonomous driving features that impact the motion and dynamic stability of the vehicle. As the levels of control intelligence, automated decision making, and control authority over actuators implemented in software continues to increase, these control systems become more and more critical. The software, hardware, and system architectures of these control systems must therefore be fault-tolerant, and in some cases, even fail-operational. This requires that redundant software, computing hardware, sensors, actuators, and network communication components must be designed into the system so that if one component fails, another component is available to continue to provide a safe level of functionality, whether in a full-performance mode or in a degraded-performance mode.
Redundant hardware components must be statically designed into the system, because one cannot easily add new hardware (sensors, actuators, computers, communication links, wiring harnesses) into a vehicle that is in the middle of a driving cycle. Redundant software components, on the other hand, may be either statically or dynamically allocated into the system.
Each of the redundant instantiations of the critical software and/or hardware components must be capable of transmitting and/or receiving data and/or signal information across the vehicle network. These redundant instantiations of the software and/or hardware components which co-exist and transmit their respective own unique output signals requires duplication of network signal information at the data dictionary level, and receiver side processing/selection of redundant messages, thereby increasing network bandwidth, message priority and its allocation in the data dictionary. Additionally, data dictionary changes would be required to introduce scalability to create additional redundant instantiations of the critical software.

Method of dynamic allocation on a statically allocated and embedded software architecture


To reliably retain a filament (13) axially aligned in a bulb (2) of a halogen incandescent lamp, a first current supply lead (8) is shaped to engage the inner wall (14) of the bulb at spaced corners or bend points (16, 21, 22, 424), the corner or bend points being connected by connecting legs (17, 18, 425). The legs and corner points can be arranged in triangular configuration (FIGS. 1-3; FIGS. 10-13) or in cross shape (FIGS. 4-9), and the remote end (15) of the filament, weld or push-connected to the connecting legs or end portions of the current supply lead. The polygonal corner and bend point engagement with the inner wall of the tube provides for substantially improved resistance against vibration of the filament; the engagement of the first corner or bend point, which bends the upper portion of the current supply lead towards the interior of the bulb and towards the filament, upon vibration, results in axial deflection, thereby maintaining the filament in axial position and preventing lateral excursion.

Single-ended halogen incandescent lamps have, usually, a cylindrical bulb of transparent material, a base, and an axially extending coiled incandescent filament. The filament extends from a base end to a remote end, and is held in position by a filament mount which is coupled, electrically and mechanically, to the respective ends of the filament. The filament mount is retained in position in the lamp by a cross bar of non-conductive material, typically quartz, or a similar material. Two internal current supply leads pass through the cross bar and are retained in position thereby, the internal current supply leads and the cross bar together forming a filament mount assembly. One of the current supply leads extends along the inner wall of the bulb towards the remote end of the filament to provide an electrical connection therefor and possibly also to hold it in position. The other of the current supply leads is connected to the base end of the filament. The current supply leads which extend outwardly from the cross bar are connected to a standard connection arrangement which, for example, is formed by molybdenum foils, connected to external current supply leads, the molybdenum foils being held in the bulb by a pinch or press seal.
Halogen incandescent lamps of this type are suitable for operating voltages in the range of about 50 V to 250 V, and can be constructed with nominal power ratings of, for example, between about 40 W to 150 W.
It has been proposed to determine the position of the current supply lead which extends to the remote end of the filament, which will also be referred to as the first current supply lead, by securing it in, or on an exhaust tip formed at the remote end of the bulb (see, for example, German Utility Model DE-GM 68 04 136). Such a construction is expensive and difficult to make, and extends the overall length of the lamp. It is difficult to produce such lamps, particularly under mass production conditions. Difficulties arise upon fitting of the filament in the mount and when flushing the lamp and cleaning it; exact centering of the filament in the lamp axis is difficult to obtain, yet such centering is desirable for applications where reflection of radiation from the filament is of importance.
Some lamps have been proposed in which the first current supply lead connected to the remote end of the filament is bent, with its free end, in circular form, which is tightly engaged against the inner wall of the glass bulb, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,505, Danko (assigned General Electric). This arrangement improves the centricity of the filament, but requires precise manufacture of the loop to engage the wall. This loop must be somewhat springy to account for tolerances in the bulb. The springiness of the loop, which is considerable, will be transferred in the form of vibrations and oscillations to the filament if the lamp is retained in an unstable socket or fitting (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,145, Liptow, discussed below).
Circular loops to maintain a filament in position have also been proposed for lamps of the "Lumiline" type, which are double-ended lamps having an elongated filament. The filament is supported along the length of the lamp by several circular loops (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,145, Liptow, assigned General Electric). As an alternative to circular loops, the elongated filament can also be held in position in central loops which are placed within polygons, preferably seven-cornered polygons. It is very difficult to make such holders.
The German Utility Model Publication DE-GM 73 10 947 describes a holder for such elongated lamp filaments which engages the wall of the lamp at three points. The arrangement, in effect, is similar to a triangle within a circle. The filament is held from one of the sides of the triangle, which, rather than being one straight line, is formed of two radially directed leg portions. Alternatively, a part-circular loop, extending spirally towards the center, can be used in order to hold the filament. This holder, like the previous elongated lamp types, requires that the filament is threaded through a central holding portion of the holder structures. This is difficult to carry out in practice. The arrangement, further, will transfer vibration and shock forces affecting the filament to the holder structures. Upon being subjected to shock, the filament may shift substantially from the central or quiescent position, which changes the angular relationships of the triangle.
Holders for "Lumiline" or elongated type double-ended lamps are used to prevent sag of the very long filament structure, particularly if the lamp is operated in horizontal position. Such sag interferes with proper operation of the halogen incandescent lamp.
Single-ended halogen incandescent lamps have filaments which are substantially shorter than those of the double-ended lamp type. It is usually not necessary to provide extensive support systems for the filament to prevent sagging thereof in operation. On the other hand, however, the holder which at the same time also forms the current supply must unambiguously and reliably determine the position of the filament, for example the axial position thereof coaxial with the axis of the lamp. At the base end, this is simple since the associated current supply lead is fixed in position in the press seal and extends only a short distance therebeyond. To support the remote end of the filament in position, however, is much more difficult since it is supported and supplied by current from the free end of the first or internally extending current supply lead, which extends in parallel to the filament within the bulb itself.

Vibration-resistant single-ended halogen incandescent lamp

Patent-Treuhand Gesellschaft fur elektrische Glum.b.H.


An apparatus for engaging with an outside diameter of a tubular comprises a device body having an internal surface that defines an internal diameter in a first position and allowing the tubular to pass therethrough and an actuator operable to move the internal surface of the device body from the first position to a second position, the second position defining an internal diameter less than the first position internal diameter. The internal surface of the device body is sized with a predetermined grip length for engaging with the outside diameter of the tubular. The grip length is determined by a function of the outside diameter of the tubular and the coefficient of friction between of the outside diameter of the tubular and the interior surface of the device body and the device body is operable to engage with a tubular having a predetermined range of outside diameters.

The present invention relates generally to tubular and downhole tool deployment systems and methods and, in particular, to riserless deployment systems.
In the course of constructing and maintaining oil and gas wells it is often necessary to convey various types of tools into the well. Many types of conveyance are commonly used, as are many types of tools. The most common types of conveyance, in order of increasing cost and decreasing speed of conveyance are: slickline, wireline, coiled tubing, snubbing units, workover rigs, and drilling rigs. The tools used on wells range from very short lengths (under one foot) to arbitrary lengths only limited by the method of putting them in the hole (as high or long as 3000 feet).
In many cases, the well does not have any wellhead pressure (a dead well or a well requiring pumping or other enhanced recovery methods) when the tools are placed in the well or the flow coming out of the well is small enough that the quantity of well bore fluids coming out can be collected or diluted enough to allow the deployment operation to continue as in a dead well. This type of operation is very quick and simple and the tools are typically supported during this operation by slips, a gripping band (also known as a wedding band) or by a C-plate. Slips consist of a set of segments with an external taper and an internal diameter close to the diameter of the tool section. These are placed in a matching tapered slip bowl. The taper combined with the weight of the tool causes them to move inward and grip the tool. With the proper combination of gripping surfaces and tapers the tool will be held reliably. A wedding band has a set of segments that can conform to the outside of the tool and a mechanism to tighten them circumferentially around it. With the correct combination of gripping surfaces and adequate tension in the band, the tool will be held reliably. A C-plate is a large washer with a slot cut through it matching the inside hole. This is slid around the tool and a shoulder on the tool bears on the washer. A keeper is often provided to prevent the tool from moving off of the center line of the C-plate. The tool can be inserted a section at a time, with the length limited by the lifting mechanism (typically a crane). Once a section is lowered into the well, the gripping means is set on the outside of the tool. Then, the lifting means is removed, leaving the tool hanging in the well. The next tool section is lifted and then attached to the section already hanging. The entire tool string is lifted slightly and the gripping means is released. Then, the tool string is lowered in and the gripping means is re-set on the tool. Once the entire tool is inside the well, the conveyance system is attached to it and the tool is run into the well.
For wells that have well head pressure, some method of getting the tools connected to the conveyance method and inside the pressure barrier is required. In order of decreasing frequency and increasing difficulty, the current methods are: direct riser deployment, indirect riser deployment, and pressurized connection.
In the direct riser deployment method, a riser is assembled that can contain the entire tool string. In no particular order the riser is assembled, the tool is installed in the riser, and the conveyance method is connected to the tool. Once everything is assembled and attached to the blowout preventers (BOPs) and the well head, the equipment is pressure and pull tested. Then, the riser pressure is equalized with the well and the well head valves are opened. The tool is then run into the well. The procedure is reversed at the end of the job. This method is quite efficient for short tool strings and for longer tool strings with low force conveyance methods (wireline and slickline) that do not require heavy equipment at the top of the riser. As riser lengths increase and heavy equipment is installed on the top of the riser, this method becomes difficult and dangerous.
The indirect riser deployment method splits the tool string into at least two pieces, which may have very different lengths. A riser is used to contain the first tool section. The top of the tool section is provided with a deployment bar with an outside diameter that matches the gripping and sealing diameters of at least one BOP (two may be used at high pressures) and has a connector on the top of it that can be disconnected. Some means must be provided to prevent any well bore fluids from coming through the deployment bar. In the case of purely electrical tools this is easily accomplished. This can be much more difficult in the case of flow through tools. One or more Kelly cocks and/or check valves are used in the case of a single flow through passage. A Kelly cock is an inline ball or plug valve with tool joint threaded ends. In the case of tools with more than one fluid passage through the joint (such as a straddle packer system with an equalizing line to balance the pressure above and below the straddle packer system), there are no commercially available valve assemblies to shut off the passages during deployment.
The first section of the tool is deployed in a manner identical to that of the direct riser method. Once the tool has been lowered such that the deployment bar is located across the appropriate BOP rams, the rams are closed. Pressure and/or pull tests are generally performed. The riser pressure is bled off and the conveyance method is disconnected from the first tool section above the deployment bar (and Kelly cock(s) if present). This disconnection is either accomplished by disconnecting the riser and lifting it to access the connection area or by using a device called a window to safely access the area. A window is a device that can support axial load at all times, but that has a section of the pressure barrier that can be opened and moved out of the way (generally upward) to gain access to the inside.
A special riser with a sliding section is also commercially available that allows the lower section of the riser to be slid upward onto the upper section, thus exposing the connection area without moving the conveyance method. However, this telescoping riser does not carry axial load when it is sliding and it can only contain pressure in its fully extended state. Once the conveyance method is disconnected, any number of additional tool sections may be attached to the conveyance method, installed in the riser, attached to the top of the deployment bar, be deployed, and hung off in the BOPs. The number of tool sections is limited only by the gripping capacity of the BOP (very high), the tensile strength of the deployment bar, and the lifting capacity of the conveyance method (generally the limiting factor).
At this point, a different conveyance method may be used to actually carry the tool down into the well. This is often done in the case of coiled tubing tools as the connection and disconnection step is quite challenging when using coiled tubing. The reasons for this are the residual bend in the coiled tubing pushing the end of the coiled tubing off center, the stiffness of the coiled tubing, and the very high push and pull forces available. Once the tool sections are all in place, the final tool section is attached to the final conveyance method, install in a (usually much shorter) riser, and connected to the deployment bar. Pressure and/or pull tests are generally performed. Once this is done, the riser is equalized with the well head pressure, the BOPs that are holding the deployment bar are opened, and the tool is run down into the well.
This method suffers from many faults. The deployment bars add significant length to the tool string (from three feet each to twelve feet each). Many tools are not suitable for deployment bars or special bars have to be designed. Many tools can only be split in certain places leading to long tool sections that have to be deployed. Some tools can not be used with a Kelly cock. In order for a Kelly cock to be used, the next section of tool must provide a complete pressure barrier above the Kelly cock so that it can be opened with the outside of the tool at atmospheric pressure. One key tool that does not meet this test is a perforating gun. Unfired perforating guns generally do not have a high pressure rated barrier between gun sections, but the gun housing is a very good pressure barrier. Also, the detonating means (generally detonating cord) must be run all the way through the tool and any deployment bars. Once the guns are fired, they do not provide any pressure barrier at all and any pressure barrier that the deployment bars provided has been exploded. This method also has considerable additional personnel risk due to the possibility of ejecting the tool if the correct steps are not followed in the exact sequence.
The final deployment method is generally very similar to the indirect riser deployment method. However, the key difference is that a special BOP is provided along with a special connection means, called a completion insertion and removal under pressure (CIRP) connector. The lower ram of the CIRP BOP can grip the bottom part of a CIRP connector and both locate and support the tool string. The upper ram locks the bottom part of the CIRP connector in place and unlatches the connector. The upper part of the CIRP connector (still attached to the conveyance means) is pulled up and two gate valves are closed, sealing off the well bore. Then, another tool section can be installed in the riser. Once it is in place a pressure and/or pull test is generally performed. The riser pressure is equalized with the well head pressure and the gate valves are opened. The next tool section is conveyed down until the CIPR connector on the bottom of it enters the CIRP connector held in the CIRP BOP. The connector is latched, pull and/or push tested, and the remaining CIRP BOP rams are opened. The tool string is lowered further into the well and the process is repeated at the next connector. This method allows perforating guns to be safely deployed and undeployed since it avoids the need for pressure containing pressure at the deployment section (CIRP connector instead of a deployment bar).
A special method similar to deployment is used in snubbing units. A snubbing unit consists of a fixed slip assembly and a moving slip assembly above it. The moving mechanism is generally capable of providing a very large force in both directions and the two slip assemblies are capable of carrying load in both directions. In these units, a ram type BOP is attached to the well head and a special type of BOP called an annular BOP is attached above it. An annular BOP can seal on a variable diameter and allow the object it is sealed on to move through it. It can generally also seal on an open hole, though this consumes a significant portion of the life of the element to do so. Also, the annular BOP can accommodate variations in the diameter of the object moving through it (such as the upsets on drill pipe). A riser may be provided between the two. The very short tool is inserted through the annular (and possibly the BOP). The upper slip assembly is closed on the drill pipe above the tool. The annular BOP is closed, a pressure test is generally performed, and the well head is opened. The moving mechanism moves the drill pipe downward, forcing the drill pipe through the annular against the wellhead pressure. This procedure is known as snubbing. When the moving mechanism has moved as far as possible, the lower slip is set on the drill pipe. The upper slip is opened and moved upward. The process is repeated.
Additional joints of pipe are torqued on as needed. One or more check valves on the bottom of the drill pipe must hold pressure perfectly if the drill pipe is going to be pumped through. If the drill pipe is only being used as a high force conveyance, the bottom of the drill pipe can be plugged or a sub can be used that doesn't have a hole through it. Snubbing units can be very dangerous to operate and the risk of having the drill pipe ejected due to an error in procedure is significant. This procedure is not capable of deploying anything besides very short, simple tools. If a multi-section tool were to be deployed this way, it would have to have a buckling load similar to the drill pipe and have a sufficiently smooth outside diameter for the annular to slide over it. Also, it could not have any sort of protrusions, grooves, holes, soft materials, etc that could damage the annular element. These requirements rule all but the most basic tools.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system, apparatus, and/or method for providing a tubular deployment apparatus that may reduce and/or eliminate the need for a conventional riser or the like or otherwise improve upon existing deployment methods and systems.

Apparatus and method for engaging a tubular


A method and apparatus for producing labeled, plastic foam containers, such as a labeled EPS cup uses a heated pocket to thermally bond a label to a plastic cup. Also described is a labeled plastic foam container, such as a labeled EPS cup, having high quality printing capabilities, sufficient stiffness, acceptable insulation and barrier properties and reduced production cost.

Plastic foam containers, such as cups and other receptacles are widely used. Such containers can be made from different materials, including expanded polystyrene (EPS). Plastic foam containers, such as those made of EPS, are relatively inexpensive and have excellent insulating properties for holding both hot and cold fluids. Plastic foam containers, however, typically have poor printing capabilities. That is, it is difficult to apply print or graphical designs directly to the surface of plastic foam containers, such as EPS containers.
In order to improve aesthetics and other properties, it is desirable to apply a label to a plastic foam container. Traditional labeling devices suffer from certain limitations. For example, it is often complicated to apply labels to foam containers with conical surfaces, such as cups. It is particularly difficult to cover substantially the entire outer surface of such a container, such as the entire outer wall of a cup. It is also difficult to achieve proper and consistent bonding between the label and the cup.
It is therefore desirable to provide a process for forming a labeled plastic foam container in which: (1) labels are applied at sufficiently high speed; and (2) good bonding is obtained between the container and the label. In the latter case improving the bonding between the foam container and the label includes avoiding poor bonding, for example, from formation of air bubbles or loose edges; avoiding loose labels wrapped to the labeled foam container; and avoiding deformation on the geometries of the labeled foam container.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for producing labeled, plastic foam containers, and product of same


In order to control a technical system by means of control model a data container is received, in which data container a control model having a training structure and model type information are encoded over all the model types. One of multiple model-type specific execution modules is selected for the technical system as a function of the model type information. Furthermore, operating data channels of the technical system are assigned input channels of the control model as a function of the model type information. Operating data of the technical system are acquired via a respective operating data channel and are transferred to the control model via an input channel assigned to this operating data channel. The control model is executed by means of the selected execution module, wherein control data are derived from the transferred operating data according to the training structure and are output to control the technical system.

Meanwhile, the control of relatively large installations in particular places high requirements in terms of safety and flexibility on the control systems that are used, which in many cases have to be subjected to an extensive certification process. However, this generally makes the use of learning-based control systems more difficult, as their internal response relationships are often difficult to comprehend externally and may change depending on a training state. A multiplicity of control models having different implementation requirements also exist. Accordingly, using learning-based control models, especially in the case of relatively large technical systems, often proves cumbersome.

Method and device for controlling a technical system by means of control models


A mechanism modifies a deployment descriptor of each application component including at least one producer application component or consumer application component, by adding, for each producer application component or consumer application component, an application component identifier, a producer or consumer type, and a recipient identifier of a recipient the application component uses. Responsive to determining a match exists and the given application component is of producer type, the application server virtual machine logs an identifier of a recipient containing a message sent by the given application component, a correlation identifier of the given application component, and an execution start time. Responsive to determining a match exists and the given application component is of consumer type, the application server virtual machine logs an identifier of the recipient resource containing a message processed by the given application component, a correlation identifier of the given application component, and an execution end time.

This invention generally relates to transaction performance monitoring; more particularly, the invention aims at measuring response time of transactions tracked across asynchronous flows in a Java (Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates) 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.
In a production environment it is difficult to monitor J2EE application servers because of the debugging constraint problems. In this case it is not possible to use debugging and profiling tools and the most common technique to perform a deeper problem determination apart from browsing log and trace files is to record processing time in each of the components of the application server during a request to that application.
Currently available tools can collect transaction processing time and store in log or trace files for later retrieval and analysis or can send it to protocol agents such as an Application Response Measurement (ARM) (ARM is a trademark of ARM Ltd.) agent which is developed using an application programming interface (API) allowing to track resource consumption by a transaction when several elements in a network are contributing towards the completion of the transaction.
As a transaction flows through the system, these tools include additional information so that the log records from each component can be correlated, building up a complete picture of that transaction. The result provides processing time in each component, as in the following example in which processing time is provided for each software component participating in the completion of one transaction:
 HTTP request/trade/scenario - - - > 172 msServlet/trade/scenario - - - > 130 msEJB TradeEJB.getAccountData - - - > 38 msJDBC select - - - > 7 ms
The problem with such a solution is that it works only when the transaction within the application is a synchronous flow of calls among any number of components and or applications such as database servers, resource connectors, etc.
There is thus a need to collect processing time for a transaction when the application calls are made across asynchronous components. There is need for correlating the information collected when the application calls are made across asynchronous components like Java Message Service (JMS) resources for sending or receiving messages or when different applications perform independent read/write operations to/from an external data source or when there is the need to propagate a correlation information among different application components.
Known solutions to solve such kind of problems do not completely solve them and/or require to manually hard-code into the application the code that takes care of managing such correlation information. For example, in case of asynchronous transactions based on JMS queues, a typical way to solve this problem is to directly insert into the JMS message an additional parameter containing a correlator token. Such intrusive solution requires to write some custom code to be added to the applications that have to share the correlation information which is not possible when debugging applications operating in production mode and which cannot be modified.
Other solutions are based on on-the-fly instrumenting the application when it is being loaded into the runtime environment and intercepting specific method invocations corresponding to the start/completion of a transaction. But also such solution does not automatically take case of propagating a correlation information among different processes, both synchronous and asynchronous.
The US patent application published under the number US 2005/0039171 under the title "USING INTERCEPTORS AND OUT-OF-BAND DATA TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF JAVA 2 ENTERPRISE EDITION (J2EE) APPLICATIONS" discloses a runtime bytecode instrumentation of the application classes to locate static code points (always derived by a top level servlet invocation) where a transaction may occur. This prior art solution avoids modifying code source of applications running on a JVM application server, but it only supports transaction based on a pre-defined 'parent child hierarchy' which is static, meaning that the transaction flow is synchronous.
There is thus a need for a method to allow tracking of processing time of a transaction based on execution of a synchronous or asynchronous process flow.

Measuring transaction performance across application asynchronous flows

International Business Machines Corporation


A continuous composite structure manufacturing apparatus which comprises a conveyor or conveyors for conveying one or more fabric webs along a conveying path. Each of the webs is comprised of a reinforcing fabric, a non-woven fabric, or a layered fabric. The fabric web is passed through the conveyor so that it defines an enclosed foam injection zone. A foam injection system is provided for injecting foam into the foam injection zone to form a foam core preform (or a plurality of same). One or more dies are positioned along the conveying path, to shape each of the foam core preform(s) to a desired cross-sectional profile. The individual stringers or multiple, spaced apart, stringers are produced concurrently in a continuous production process.

This invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing composite structures. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing composite structures which are especially adapted for simplifying fabrication of a number of articles such as boats, ships, body parts for automobiles, trucks, trailers and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,066 to Lewit et al. (hereinafter "Lewit et al.") discloses a composite structure and method of manufacturing same. Composite structures manufactured in accordance with Lewit et al. have met with substantial commercial success due to their superior structural characteristics and ability to simplify the fabrication of a number of articles such as boats and other reinforced plastic structures which are manufactured using similar techniques. Significantly, however, it has been found that the manufacture of composite structures in accordance with Lewit et al. can be time-consuming and therefore relatively expensive.
The composite structure disclosed in Lewit et al. is generally comprised of a structural foam core interior surrounded by an outer reinforcing fabric layer. A non-woven fabric layer, such as a mat fiber layer, is attached to the reinforcing fabric layer. A structural foam is attached to the non-woven fabric layer on the side of the non-woven fabric layer opposite the reinforcing fabric, by filling the interstices (pores) of the non-woven fabric layer.
Structural foams are commonly formed using two or more component parts which are mixed together immediately prior to the time that the foam is to be used. For example, the structural foam may be a two part, self expanding, self-curing urethane foam. The component parts are generally mixed together, either in a mixing fixture or in a container, prior to use. Subsequently the foam is deposited in a mold and allowed to cure. The component parts typically comprise a blowing agent which is combined with a resin.
One important factor which must be carefully monitored when manufacturing foam core composite structures is the mass ratio of component parts of the structural foam. If the mass ratio is incorrect, the structural integrity, stability, and water resistance characteristics will be undesirably altered. Due to variations in the consistency and viscosity of the constituent foam parts, it is often difficult to ensure consistent mixing of such parts in a proper mass ratio. In the case of composite structures requiring the injection of large amounts of foam in a mold, this does not create a substantial problem because the consistency and viscosity do not vary as much with high flow rates and are averaged out over time. However, where small amounts of foam are used, foam component ratio variations can create a serious problem.
In a continuous foam core production process as described herein, a second factor which must be carefully controlled is the total foam mass injected. If excessive amounts of foam are injected, the foam will have an undesirable tendency to expand through the non-woven fabric layers and into the reinforcing fabric layers when it is used for production of composite structures as described in Lewit et al.
A common type of structure which is fabricated using the techniques described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,066 to Lewit et al. (hereinafter "Lewit et al.") is an elongated beam or stringer (hereinafter "stringer") which may be formed with various cross-sectional profiles. Such stringers are commonly used as structural elements in boat construction and as component parts in many other larger fiber reinforced plastic structures which are manufactured using similar techniques. One method of manufacturing such elongated stringers involves use of elongated molds which can be lined with fabric layers as described above. The molds are then injected with structural foam which has been formed by mixing the proper ratio of constituent parts.
Due to the rather time-consuming process of forming stringers using elongated molds, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus capable of continuously producing a length of composite stringer, such as those which are described in Lewit et al. However, in order to manufacture a composite structure in this manner, careful control must be maintained over the instantaneous mass ratio of the component foam parts as well as the total instantaneous mass of foam injected. Particularly in those instances where the cross-sectional profile of the part defines a relatively small area, the rate of foam injection may be too low to ensure that any variations in the mass ratio of the constituent foam parts are averaged out over time.
Moreover, in the case of self-expanding foam of the type used in processes such as Lewit et al., at least one of the component foam parts is a blowing agent (such as nitrogen and HCFC's) combined with a resin, which must be maintained under pressure prior to use. The resulting component is a foamy, frothy mixture that is difficult to dispense accurately in terms of mass and volume. In fact, equipment of the prior art has generally been found to be capable of providing adequate control over foam component mass ratios only at flow rates above three pounds per minute when using pressurized foam.
Gear pumps such as those manufactured by Viking Pump, Inc. of Cedar Falls, Iowa, have been used to deliver a precisely controlled amount of component foam parts in those instances where the foam resin component parts are not pre-mixed with a blowing agent. However, it has been found that use of resin component foam material which has not been pre-mixed with a blowing agent can cause problems in the manufacture of products such as those described in Lewit et al. In particular, it has been found that where a blowing agent is not added to the resin foam component prior to mixing with the other foam component part(s), the combined component parts comprising the foam, which are expelled from a mixing nozzle, can soak through the layers of non-woven and reinforcing fabric layers lining a mold. This has the undesired result of occasionally allowing foam to penetrate through to the reinforcing fabric layer, which is preferably maintained free of such material in such applications.
Conversely, gear pumps have not been used in applications where pressurized foam components pre-mixed with a blowing agent are used, as such pumps have generally been perceived as redundant in a system where the materials are already under pressure and do not require a pump for causing a flow. Instead, adjustable valve or fixed orifice type flow controllers have been used to control the rate at which the pressurized foam component is allowed to escape. Significantly, however, such adjustable valve systems have been found to be ineffective at delivering a precisely controlled flow of foam component material which has been pre-mixed with a blowing agent, at flow rates of less than about three pounds per minute. Thus, there has arisen a problem with respect to controlling the flow rate of pressurized resin material which is pre-mixed with a blowing agent.
Further, the process of assembling a plurality of beams or stringers into a framework for manufacturing larger composite structures, such as boats and body parts for automobiles, trucks and the like has proven to be time consuming and expensive. One of the difficult and time consuming tasks associated with production of such products relates to the proper positioning of stringers for providing structural support. In manufacturing systems of the prior art, individual stringers are typically manufactured or cut to size, positioned by hand and finally laminated into place for providing any necessary structural support. Positioning jigs are also sometimes used for assisting in the positioning of the stringers. In either case, however, the process of locating the proper size stringer and ensuring that it is placed in the proper position, has proven to be a substantial source of labor expense in assembling these types of composite structures.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus capable of continuously producing a composite structure of the type disclosed in Lewit et al. It would further be desirable to provide such an apparatus with a foam mixing and injection system capable of accurately dispensing a relatively small volume of foam, and which provides sufficient control over the mass ratio of the constituent foam parts, so as to ensure that the resultant structural foam suffers no defects. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing composite stringer elements in attached multiple sets (i.e., production of more than one beam using a single reinforced fabric layer) so as to simplify construction of larger reinforced composite structures using said stringers and reduce production times for an end user of such stringers.

System for continuously manufacturing a composite preform


A flip-chip bump carrier type package is formed by providing a sheet of metal foil and forming cavities in a first surface of the sheet. The cavities are plated with a conductive metal to form external interconnects. An insulating film is formed over the metal foil first surface and the plated cavities and then vias are formed in the insulating film. The vias contact respective ones of the plated cavities. The vias are then plated and a solder resist film is formed over the insulating film and the plated vias. The solder resist film is processed to form exposed areas above the vias, which areas are then plated with a conductive metal. A bumped semiconductor die is attached to the first surface of the metal foil, where the die bumps contact respective ones of the plated, exposed areas, which electrically connects the die to the plated cavities. Finally, the sheet of metal foil is removed so that outer surfaces of the plated cavities are exposed. As stated above, the plated cavity outer surfaces form electrical interconnects between the die and a printed wiring board.

The present invention relates to the packaging of integrated circuits (ICs) and more particularly to a method of forming a flip-chip, bump carrier type package.
Modern consumer electronics, such as cellular phones, digital cameras, and digital music players are driving a demand for smaller integrated circuits. Thus, semiconductor manufacturers and packaging companies are continually shrinking the footprint of packaged electronic devices yet at the same time increasing circuit functionality. One way of reducing package size is to use a bumped die and electrically connect the die to a substrate or carrier in a face-down manner. This is known as flip-chip assembly because the chip is face down or flipped, as compared to wire-bonding technology, where the chip is face-up and wires are connected between bond pads on the top of the chip and the carrier to which the bottom of the chip is attached. Although flip-chip technology is not new, it is just now becoming increasingly popular.
FIG. 1 shows a packaged device 10 in which a semiconductor die 12 is electrically connected to stud bumps 14 with wires 16. The wires 16 extend from a top of the die 12 to the stud bumps 14. A plastic material 18 covers the wires and the top of the die 10 for protection. FIG. 2 shows a packaged device 20 in which a semiconductor die 22 is electrically connected to a carrier or substrate 24 with bumps 26. An underfill material 28 is disposed between the die 22 and the carrier 24. Solder balls 30 are attached to an opposing side of the carrier 24 to provide electrical connection to other electronic devices. A plastic material 32, indicated with dashed lines, is formed around the die 22 to complete the package 20.
The packaging process can be very complex due to the varying compositions of the materials, like the carrier, the die, the solder balls and the mold compound. Problems caused by excessive heat and tight tolerances are often encountered. For example, the solder balls 30 sometimes fall off or disengage from the carrier 24. It would be advantageous to provide a method of making a reliable flip-chip packaged device.

Method of forming flip-chip bump carrier type package


Dry powder formulations for inhalation and their use in the treatment diseases and conditions. The formulation contains a uniform blend of a first spray-dried powder and a second spray-dried powder. The first spray-dried powder contains spray-dried particles of a therapeutically active ingredient dispersed in a pharmaceutically acceptable hydrophobic excipient. The second spray-dried powder contains spray-dried particles formed from a pharmaceutically acceptable hydrophobic excipient but are substantially free of any therapeutically active ingredient. The active ingredient in the first spray-dried powder is loaded sufficiently high to compensate for the second spray-dried powder being substantially free of any active ingredient. A process for preparing such formulations is also described.

Drugs are formulated as suspensions for different reasons, but the most common one is poor drug solubility. Suspensions may also be used to mask the poor taste resulting from the dissolved drug in solution. A suspension, however, unlike syrup in which the drug is fully dissolved, requires adequate shaking of the container to re-suspend the drug uniformly before dosing. Difficult re-dispersion of the drug from a sediment, or in the worst case, from caking, will result in under- and overdosing. This problem of variable dosing is also encountered when the patient or the caregiver forgets to shake the container before dosing. It is therefore desirable to produce a suspension that is able to maintain its homogeneity on prolonged storage without shaking.
Sonidegib is also known by its chemical name 2-methyl-4′-trifluoromethoxy-biphenyl-3-carboxylic acid [6-(cis-2,6-dimethyl-morpholin-4-yl)-pyridin-3-yl]amide or N-[6-(cis-2,6-dimethylmorpholin-4-yl)pyridine-3-yl]-2-methyl-4′-(trifluoromethoxy)[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide.
Sonidegib is a potent, selective, brain penetrating, and orally bioavailable Smoothend (Smo) antagonist and that positively regulates the Hedgehog (Hh) signal transduction pathway. Sonidegib passes through the blood/brain barrier and can thus be developed for Hh dependent brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma, a brain tumor predominantly seen in children.

Oral formulation and suspension of an oncology drug


A synchronous communication method is provided. The method includes: obtaining, by a first terminal, first configuration information, where the first configuration information includes a first parameter; determining, by the first terminal according to a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) clock, a transmission timeslot corresponding to a current moment in a device-to-device (D2D) communications system; determining, by the first terminal according to the transmission timeslot and the first parameter, whether the current moment is a synchronization-information-sending moment; if the current moment is the synchronization-information-sending moment, sending, by the first terminal, sidelink synchronization information at the synchronization-information-sending moment, where the sidelink synchronization information carries indication information, the sidelink synchronization information is used to synchronize a second terminal with the first terminal, and the indication information is used to indicate, to the second terminal, that the first terminal is a synchronization source that uses the GNSS clock.

With the continuous development of society, automobiles become increasingly popular. Driving makes it convenient for people to travel, but also has negative impact on human society. A rapid increase in a quantity of vehicles causes a series of problems such as urban traffic congestion, frequent traffic accidents, and environmental degradation. According to statistics, nearly 200,000 traffic accidents occur in China in 2013 with a death toll of 58,000 and a direct economic loss of 1.04 billion yuan. A perfect intelligent transportation system (ITS) is desired from many angles such as personal safety, traffic efficiency, environmental protection, and economic benefits. Currently, the ITS has naturally become a focus of global attention.
At present, a vehicle may obtain information about road conditions or receive an information service in time by means of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. Specifically, the vehicle may broadcast information such as a vehicle speed, a heading direction, and a specific location of the vehicle and information about whether brakes are slammed on to a surrounding vehicle by means of V2V communication. A driver can better know traffic conditions beyond a line of sight after obtaining the information, so as to predict and avoid a dangerous situation. During V2I communication, in addition to exchange of the foregoing safety information, roadside infrastructure may further provide the vehicle with all kinds of service information and an access to a data network. Functions such as electronic toll collection and in-vehicle entertainment greatly improve traffic intelligence. A network used by V2V/V2I communication is referred to as the Internet of Vehicles.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a mainstream wireless communications technology at present. A device-to-device (D2D) technology is considered as an important characteristic and is standardized in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (third Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP) LTE R12, and supports direct communication between user terminals. Considering that a V2V/V2I communication scenario also belongs to terminal direct communication, the D2D technology may be used for V2V/V2I service transmission.
In an existing LTE R12 D2D communications technology, if a terminal can find a cell on a D2D transmission carrier frequency of interest, it is considered that the terminal is within a network coverage area. Otherwise, it is considered that the terminal is beyond a network coverage area. The terminal within the network coverage area implements synchronization by using a synchronization signal of a base station. The terminal beyond the network coverage area needs to search for a surrounding synchronization source before performing D2D communication. If a synchronization source satisfying a signal quality requirement can be detected around, the terminal synchronizes with the synchronization source. Otherwise, the terminal serves as a synchronization source to determine a synchronization signal sending moment and send a synchronization signal at the corresponding moment. If a receiving terminal finds multiple synchronization sources, on the premise that the multiple synchronization sources satisfy the signal quality requirement, priorities for accessing different synchronization sources are distinguished as follows: A synchronization source within the network coverage area has priority over a synchronization source beyond the network coverage area.
In the prior art, when a terminal beyond a coverage area sends a synchronization signal as a synchronization source, different synchronization sources are probably asynchronized, and asynchronization between two synchronization sources causes asynchronization between receiving terminals covered by the two synchronization sources. Consequently, communication between the two receiving terminals is affected, and a problem of inability to communicate with each other or a miss in reception may occur, severely affecting communication performance.

Synchronous communication method and terminal


In order to spread a transformer having energy saving and environmental effects widely and quickly, a method for supporting received orders of a transformer is provided. In the method, a first response including a customer's desired inquiry relating to an installation date of a measuring circuit is issued from a sales department to a customer who accessed a web site of the sales department. A second response including the installation date of the measuring circuit is issued from a measurement department in charge of measurement of the transformer. Since cooperative communication is achieved between the sales department and the measurement department in charge of the transformer measurement, the system can quickly cope with the customer who accessed the web site of the sales department and a social demand of early realization of energy saving and CO2 reduction can be realized with highly excellent effects.

The present invention relates to methods for supporting the orders of a transformer and more particularly, to a method for supporting the orders of an amorphous transformer.
For the purpose of preventing global warming, various energy saving measures have been groped, studied and implemented in various fields.
After a transformer is installed by a power demander and a circuit breaker is once turned ON, it is few to frequently turn ON and OFF the transformer from the viewpoint of the life of the transformer itself and facilities. In the transformer, not only a load loss is generated by a load current flowing through the transformer when a load is imposed on the transformer, but a constant loss (no-load loss) is also generated constantly under a power receiving condition regardless of presence or absence of the load. Thus these losses are converted mainly to heat and become a wasteful output.
In order to reduce such losses, various improvements have been applied to the transformer. For example, there is known an amorphous transformer in which the core of the transformer is made of an amorphous alloy and a winding structure is improved to reduce a loss. The amorphous alloy is an amorphous solid which contains iron, boron and silicon as its raw materials and has a random structure of atoms randomly arranged. The alloy is obtained by abruptly cooling the solid from its melted state. When such an alloy is employed to the core, an energy loss (hysteresis loss) caused by magnetic flux passing through the core becomes low and the thickness of the laminates of the core can be made as thin as 0.03 mm, thus reducing an eddy current loss as well. When a transformer enabling realization of such an energy saving effect is employed, this also serves as a means for reducing the amount of CO2, which is also environmentally advantageous.
It is highly demanded that such a transformer having the energy saving effect is spread and widely popular. And when the economical effect of the power demander obtained by its loss reduction as well as the environmental effect of CO2 reduction can be quantitatively compared with those of an existing transformer being actually used, its large spread can be expected.
Meanwhile, communication sales based on the Internet or personal computer communications is getting popular in various fields. However, the means based on the communication sales has not been employed in the transactions of the transformer, because it is desirable to select a suitable transformer depending on customer's power demand or actual use condition, even when a transformer is newly installed (which will be also referred to as new installation, hereinafter) or when an existing transformer is replaced by a new one (which will also be referred to the renewal, hereinafter).
The reasons are estimated as follows. In the case of the transformer renewal, in particular, when an existing transformer being now used is replaced by a new one, the power demander cannot quantitatively know what degree of economical effect caused by the energy saving and what degree of CO2 reduction when compared with the existing transformer, which leads to the fact that the demander cannot decide "transformer purchase". In order to know the above economical and environmental effects caused by the renewal, on the other hand, it is considered to install a measuring circuit to the transformer now being used, to measure the power use condition of the power demander (which will be referred to as the customer, hereinafter), and to find a quantitative numerical value. In this case, however, a series of communications of (1) customer's order "renewal", (2) installation of a measuring circuit and setting of date, place and personals required for previous inspection therefor, and (3) contact of a renewal proposal including its economical and environmental effects must be done especially promptly from the viewpoint of social demand of early realization of energy saving and CO2 reduction.

Method for supporting the orders received of transformer


This invention relates to a method of producing enhanced strength portland cements. Under the process of this invention, certain portland cements, in particular those containing at least 4% C.sub.4 AF and up to 0.2% of a strength enhancing additive comprising triisopropanolamine, exhibit a marked increase in 7 and 28 day compressive strength. The triisopropanolamine strength enhancing additive may be admixed with cement powder or may be interground as a grinding aid with cement clinkder during finish milling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved portland cement, and more specifically to a hydraulic portland cement containing a strength enhancing additive. The strength enhancing additive of this invention comprises triisopropanolamine, which may be added to cement clinker as a grinding aid and pack set inhibitor or may be added as an admixture to cement powder to enhance the 28-day strength of the mix.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The term cement is used to designate many different kinds of materials useful as binders or adhesives. Hydraulic cements are powdered materials which, when mixed with water, form a paste that hardens slowly to form rock-hard products such as mortar or concrete. Portland cement is distinguished from other cements by the different components of which it is composed, and the requirement that it meet particular standard specifications established in each country (see Cement Standards of the World, Cembureau, Paris, Fr.) For example, in the U.S., the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, as well as other government agencies, have set certain basic standards for cement which are based on principal chemical composition requirements of the clinker and principal physical property requirements of the final cement mix. For purposes of this invention the term portland cement is intended to include all cementitious compositions which meet either the requirements of the ASTM (as designated by ASTM Specification C150), or the established standards of other countries.
Portland cement is prepared by sintering a mixture of components including calcium carbonate (as limestone), aluminum silicate (as clay or shale), silicon dioxide (as sand), and miscellaneous iron oxides. During the sintering process, chemical reactions take place wherein hardened nodules, commonly called clinkers, are formed. Portland cement clinker is formed by the reaction of calcium oxide with acidic components to give, primarily tricalcium silicate dicalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate, and a ferrite solid solution phase approximating tetracalcium aluminoferrite. The conventional cement chemists notation uses the following abbreviations:
CaO=C PA0 SiO.sub.2 =S PA0 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 =A PA0 Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 =F PA0 tricalcium silicate=C.sub.3 S PA0 dicalcium silicate=C.sub.2 S PA0 tricalcium aluminate=C.sub.3 A PA0 tetracalcium aluminoferrite=C.sub.4 AF
thus:
After the clinker has cooled, it is then pulverized together with a small amount of gypsum (calcium sulfate) in a finish grinding mill to provide a fine, homogeneous powdery product known as portland cement. Due to the extreme hardness of the clinkers, a large amount of energy is required to properly mill them into a suitable powder form. Energy requirements for finish grinding can vary from about 33 to 77 kW h/ton depending upon the nature of the clinker. Several materials such as glycols, alkanolamines, aromatic acetates, etc., have been shown to reduce the amount of energy required and thereby improve the efficiency of the grinding of the hard clinkers. These materials, commonly known as grinding aids, are processing additives which are introduced into the mill in small dosages and interground with the clinker to attain a uniform powdery mixture. In addition to reducing grinding energy, the commonly used processing additives listed above are frequently used to improve the ability of the powder to flow easily and reduce its tendency to form lumps during storage.
Various other additives may be incorporated into the cement to alter the physical properties of the final cement. For example, alkanolamines such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and the like are known to shorten the set time as well as enhance the one-day compressive strength of cements. However, these additives usually have little beneficial effect on the 28-day strength of the finished cement, and in some cases may actually diminish it. Various other polymeric amines and imines have been used as 28-day cement strength enhancers, however, due to the high costs of these additives, their use is somewhat limited. In many countries, a portland cement may contain up to 5% fillers or clinker substitutes. As used herein, the term "filler" refers to an inert material that has no later age strength enhancing attributes; the term "clinker substitute" refers to a material that may contribute to long term compressive strength enhancement, but usually exhibits little or no enhancement of 7 or 28-day compressive strength values. The 28-day compressive strength has particular significance and will be emphasized throughout this invention since it is the strength at this age which is most commonly used to assess the engineering properties of the final cement products.
It has now been discovered that triisopropanolamine (TIPA), which was previously believed to possess the equivalent cement additive properties as triethanolamine (TEA) (i.e. shortening set times and enhancing one-day compressive strengths), surprisingly exhibits unique strength enhancing properties, namely a marked increase in the 7 and 28-day compressive strengths of certain hydraulic portland cements. The portland cements suitable for use in this invention are those containing at least 4% tetracalcium aluminqferrite (C.sub.4 AF) by weight. The enhanced 7 and 28-day strengths exhibited by these cements were unexpected and unobvious since C.sub.4 AF was believed to have no cementing value.

Strength enhancing additive for certain portland cements


A container sealer and associated method are disclosed for successively applying a sealing tape to a seam between a lid and a container body for a plurality of containers and their respective lids. The sealer comprises a conveyor for advancing a plurality of generally circular containers along a substantially linear and substantially horizontal predetermined path of travel; idler rollers for temporarily holding a single container in an upright and stationary position along the predetermined path of travel; and a movable tape head operatively associated with and adjacent the idler rollers, the movable tape head being movable between a tape-applying position adjacent the predetermined path of travel and a retracted position removed from the predetermined path of travel, for applying a predetermined length of sealing tape to a held and rotating container adjacent idler rollers, the length of the sealing tape being measured in relation to a circumference of each container.

The present invention relates to applying tamper evident seals to relatively large diameter lidded circular containers. Typical examples are those containers used for popcorn, pretzels, or potato chips. In general, the seal for such containers takes the form of an adhesive tape covering the seam between the lid and the body of the container.
Particular problems arise when sealing such containers. One problem arises from the typical rolled lip construction of the lid, and the lipped or ridged shape of the upper portions of the cylindrical container which receive the lid. Because of these typical structures, the containers cannot always be handled as perfect cylinders.
Some previous sealing devices have tended to use a turntable type arrangement in which the cylinder to be sealed, travels in a circular path during which a strip of sealant material such as tape is applied to it. Although useful in certain circumstances, the turntables tend to occupy significant space and offer very little flexibility in terms of different sizes of containers. Such containers, however, vary widely in their dimensions--height and diameter--and these and other devices are often limited to handling only a single size of container.
Other devices are appropriate for sealing one container at a time, but require constant manual attention to remove a sealed container and replace it with an unsealed container to be sealed.
In other arrangements, the containers to be sealed must be raised or lowered during the sealing and lidding process, a procedure which greatly complicates the mechanical design of the resulting device.
In yet other arrangements, the adhesive tape sealing the container is moved in an orbital fashion around a stationary container. This likewise takes up a great deal of space and complicates the necessary arrangements.
Such prior devices have also lacked simple and effective indexing elements; i.e. elements that present the containers for sealing at regular intervals even when they arrive at irregular intervals.
Therefore, the need exists for a fairly simple and straightforward method and associated apparatus for applying a sealing tape to lidded containers. In particular, the need exists for a method and apparatus which can appropriately index and then seal containers of different diameters and different heights, but without the need for overly complex techniques.

Method and apparatus for sealing a lid and container with sealing tape


A distance estimation system is disclosed for estimating a distance between two electronic devices. The system includes a power adjustable transmitter that is capable of having its power level adjusted between successive transmissions of packets of data, a remote device that is remote from the power adjustable transmitter for receiving the packets of data, and a distance estimation unit. The distance estimation unit is for generating a distance estimation signal responsive to the packets of data received at the remote device such that the distance estimation signal is associated with a power level at which the power level adjustable transmitter is not able to sufficiently transmit the packets of data to the remote device.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for determining or estimating the distance between objects, and relates in particular to systems and methods for estimating the distance between objects that include digital electronics.
Many systems and methods have been developed for estimating the distance between electronic devices. For example, a received-signal-strength-indication (RSSI) method of estimating the distance between two communicating analog electronic devices employs measuring the strength of the received signals. The power of a radio signal for example, falls off exponentially with distance, and the receiver can measure this attenuation in order to estimate the distance to the sender. This cannot be applied directly to digital devices however, without significant change to the hardware, in part, because noise and interference easily affect the measured results.
Another method for estimating the distance between devices includes using sonic transceivers, but the use of sonic transceivers also increases hardware costs as well as power consumption. Global position systems (GPS) may also be used to determine distance, but such systems also increase hardware cost.
A further type of distance determining system relies on a pre-deployed sensor network. The distance between the device and pre-deployed sensors are estimated first, and the sensor network calculates the location of the device. Again, such a system increases hardware cost.
Conventional systems for estimating the distance between two wireless communication devices include time-of-arrival (ToA) and angle-of-arrival (AoA). The ToA method is based on the speed of radio wave propagation and the measured time it takes for a radio signal to move between two objects. Combining this information allows the ToA system to estimate the distance between sender and receiver. ToA offers high levels of accuracy, but also requires relatively fast processing capabilities to resolve timing differences for fine measurements. This problem is amplified over short distances, making ToA a poor choice for a ranging technique for positioning in wireless, ad-hoc sensing networks. ToA measurements may be combined with acoustic measurements to achieve accuracy of a few percent of the transmission range. Acoustic signals, however, are temperature dependent, require unobstructed line-of-sight, are reliant on directionality, and require additional hardware.
The AoA techniques make use of antenna arrays to measure the angle at which a signal arrives. Angles can be combined with distance estimates or other angle measurements to derive positions, but this requires multiple antennas that may be located far apart, which also increases hardware cost of the devices. A major disadvantage of the AoA techniques is the hardware requirement. The antenna arrays are expensive to be implemented and maintained, making AoA a poor choice for inexpensive applications.
There remains a need, therefore, for an efficient and cost effective system and method for providing accurate estimated distances between wireless digital electronic devices.

Systems and methods for distance estimation between electronic devices

Board of Governors for Higher Education, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations


A self-pressurizing gas supported bearing includes a cylindrical bearing sleeve having a longitudinal axis and a cylindrical inner surface forming a first bearing surface with a random surface texture having a first R.sub.a roughness profile. A cylindrical bearing shaft is positioned coaxially within the bearing sleeve and includes a cylindrical outer surface forming a second bearing surface with a random surface texture having a second R.sub.a roughness profile. The sum of the first and second R.sub.a roughness profiles falls within the range of from about eighteen to sixty. A drive system establishes a relative rotational velocity between the bearing sleeve and the bearing shaft, generating a bearing stiffness force which causes the overlapping bearing surfaces to lift off and break contact. The bearing sleeve and shaft are dimensioned to maintain a predetermined means spacing between the sleeve and shaft. The bearing may also take the form of a linear bearing or other cylindrical configurations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to self-pressurizing gas supported bearings, and more particularly to high precision, high speed gas supported bearings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a polygon mirror scanning system having a rotating polygon mirror 10 mechanically coupled to a rotating cylindrical shaft 12. The lower end of shaft 12 is rotatably coupled to the scanner housing 14 by ball bearing 16; the upper end of shaft 12 is coupled to housing 14 by ball bearing 18. Seals 20 minimize the circulation of liquid lubricant discharged from ball bearings 16 and 18 during high speed operations.
A permanent magnet 22 is rigidly coupled to shaft 12. When energized, motor field windings 24 interact with magnets 22 to rotate shaft 12 and polygon mirror 10.
Such prior art ball bearing supported motor driven loads respond to dimensional irregularities in the ball and race assemblies of the ball bearing and adverse interaction with the liquid lubricant can generate polygon mirror scanning errors of ten arc seconds or greater depending on the spacing between the two supporting bearing assemblies. Even when selected elements of the ball bearing scanning assembly are custom machined and custom fitted, scanning errors generally cannot be reduced below about five arc seconds. Lube redistribution can contribute to rotational period instability (velocity stability).
The unpreventable circulation of liquid lubricant discharged by the ball bearings enters the interior of housing 14, contaminates the reflective facets of polygon mirror 10, particularly along the leading edge of each facet, and thereby degrades the reflectivity of the mirror. Periodically, the individual facets of polygon mirror 10 must be cleaned to remove contaminating lubrication.
The prior art herringbone bearing assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a cylindrical bore 26 and a shaft 28. Shaft 28 includes discrete herringbone patterns designated by reference numbers 30 and 32. Each herringbone pattern must be formed with the highest possible precision in the outer surface of shaft 38. As illustrated by the edge of the sectional view of shaft 28 as designated by reference number 34, approximately fifty percent of the shaft surface area within the herringbone pattern area is removed so that only approximately fifty percent of the remaining shaft surface can form a load supporting surface between the rotating shaft and the uninterrupted, cylindrical surface of the sleeve bore 26. This sharply limited load supporting surface area drastically reduces the load supporting forces or bearing stiffness generated between shaft 28 and sleeve 26. As a direct result, the closely spaced surfaces of shaft 28 and sleeve bore 26 do not lift off and become airborne until the grooves become pressurized. From 0 RPM to lift off velocity, these two surfaces operate as a contact bearing and mechanically rub against each other generating significant frictional forces and bearing surface wear.
The herringbone air bearing depicted in FIG. 2 relies upon the air pumping action generated by the interaction between the relatively rotating sleeve bore 26 and shaft 28. Such pumping forces generate a flow of pressurized air in the direction indicated by arrows 36 flowing upward through the bearing surface and are discharged from air discharge port 38. Once appropriate pressurization has been established by the rotating sleeve assembly, the sleeve bore 26 becomes airborne relative to the crowned top of the shaft 28. Until liftoff occurs, the top of shaft 28 rubs upon and can create surface wear at the interface between the top of shaft 28 and the base of air discharge port 38.
Another disadvantage of herringbone air bearings of the type depicted in FIG. 2 is that they must be operated in a vertical orientation. Deviation from the desired vertical alignment on the order of ten degrees of inclination can create rapid bearing surface wear and can result in failure of the herringbone bearing assembly.
The high level of mechanical precision required to create the herringbone pattern in the surface of bearing shaft 28 contributes to a high manufacturing cost.

Self-pressurizing gas supported surface-roughness bearing


A wireless communication terminal having a radio section that performs switching between a first communication system and a second communication system to execute wireless communication by a shared antenna, and a control section for controlling the wireless communication executed by the radio section, wherein the control section monitors an incoming call in the second communication system during communication by the first communication system, when the incoming call is detected, the control section switches from the first communication system to the second communication system for a predetermined first time in which communication by the first communication system is not disconnected, and after the predetermined first time elapses, the control section switches from the second communication system to the first communication system to resume the communication by the first communication system.

The wireless communication terminal of the system (dual system) that executes communication with a base station by switching two communication systems is known. As the wireless communication terminal of such dual system, a mobile terminal equipped with means for switching a CDMA2000 1× communication system and a CDMA2000 1× EVDO communication system has been proposed (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
Also, as the dual system wireless communication terminal, a wireless communication terminal has been proposed that shares one antenna with two communication systems and communicates by either of the communication systems by switching the communication system that uses the antenna as required (hybrid system).
Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2003-298762

Wireless communication terminal apparatus and computer readable medium therefor


Electric machines can be improved or uprated to reduce core-end losses using lower core loss material such as high grade iron silicon. A machine uprating entails removing at least a last one of the stacked lamination packages at each end of the stator core, and re-stacking the removed lamination packages with the lower core loss material.

The present invention relates to methods and structures for uprating or improving electric machines and, more particularly, to reducing core-end losses of dynamoelectric machines using lower core loss iron silicon.
Generator power output is limited by significant heat buildup on the extreme ends of the generator field due to high eddy current losses. The flux associated with the field induces eddy currents in the stator teeth, and penetrates several inches into the stator core. The heating caused by the eddy currents is a limiting factor in the design of large electric machines. In addition, the axial fluxes add onto the normal radial fluxes in the end packages, increasing the level of saturation in the end teeth and yoke. The effect of reducing radial flux entering the first and second packages is to lower the level of saturation in these packages, enabling the axial flux to turn radially closer to the core end. The resultant effect is to lower the axial flux densities, and therefore the iron temperatures.
Many ways are being used to reduce the electromagnetic flux normal to the stator core-end that causes eddy current losses and heating. Increasing the air-gap length toward the end of the stator core reduces such core end flux. Core-end stepping is one of the commonly used techniques to modify the air-gap length in the core-ends (see FIG. 1). Reducing the relative axial length of the rotor with respect to the stator is another way to reduce the core end fringing flux. The amount of stepping is limited, however, by the need to support the lamination "teeth" from flexing. Loose lamination teeth will flutter and break off causing machine failure. These fixes also increase the excitation needs contributing to lower efficiencies and potentially a bigger thermal challenge.

Reduction of core-end losses of dynamoelectric machines by using lower core loss iron silicon punching


An unmanned aerial vehicle has an internal combustion engine, and a fuel and lubrication system comprising a fuelling system for fuelling the engine and a lubrication system for delivering lubricating oil to the engine. The fuelling system comprises a fuel reservoir from which fuel can be delivered to the engine. The fuel reservoir comprises a main tank and a header tank. The lubrication system comprises an oil tank. The oil tank is accommodated internally within the main tank to provide an integrated assembly. The arrangement provides for warming of lubrication oil for the UAV engine using several available heat sources. Further, the arrangement facilitates a configuration and layout intended to minimise or negate any undesirable moments of inertia for the UAV during flight as fuel and oil is consumed.

The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
As mentioned above, the invention is particularly applicable to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Accordingly, the invention will primarily be discussed in relation to that application. However, it should be understood that the invention may have application to various other vehicles, machines, apparatus and devices having internal combustion engines which require fuel and lubrication.
Operation of a UAV on missions likely to encounter high altitude conditions or likely to involve prolonged operation in cold environments can present challenges in relation to oil lubrication requirements for an internal combustion engine powering the UAV. This can be particularly so in circumstances where extremely low ambient air temperatures are experienced (say, for example, temperatures in the order of 30° C. below freezing). In such low temperature conditions, it can be difficult to adequately and reliably pump lubrication oil, which is likely to have a very high viscosity owing to the extremely low temperature, in sufficient quantities to satisfy the lubrication requirements of the engine.
Accordingly, there is a need to heat (warm) the lubrication oil to facilitate pumping of the oil in an effective and robust manner.
For this purpose, it may be advantageous to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with the capacity to heat (warm) lubrication oil for the UAV engine relatively rapidly using heat sources onboard the UAV.
In the design of a UAV, the position of the centre of gravity and moments of inertia can also be very important in relation to the stability and performance of the UAV in flight. In this regard, an important consideration is the configuration and layout of the engine system for propulsion of the UAV, particularly for a UAV having an engine system incorporating an internal combustion engine.
Distribution of mass within a UAV is very important, and mass of onboard fuel contributes to the total mass of the UAV. Fuel consumption throughout a flight leads to progressive changes in the mass of the onboard fuel and so affects the total mass of the UAV. In view of this, it is common design practice to locate a fuel tank at or close to the centre of gravity such that any variation in the fuel mass does not cause a significant shift in the position of the centre of gravity and hence affect moments of inertia for the UAV.
In the design of a UAV, regard must also be had to lubrication requirements of a UAV internal combustion engine. With certain fuelling systems for two-stroke internal combustion engines, the lubrication oil is supplied with the fuel, the lubrication oil being mixed with the fuel to provide what is known as a "pre-mix". With this arrangement, the fuel tank is filled with the pre-mixed oil and fuel, and accordingly there is only one liquid volume (being the pre-mix within the fuel tank) that needs to be accounted for in the design process.
However, not all fuelling systems can operate effectively using pre-mixed oil and fuel, and in certain cases it is common to deliver lubrication oil to the engine separately of the fuel. This is typically done by way of an engine lubrication system comprising an oil tank and an oil pump for delivering oil from the oil tank to the engine. While this can be effective in satisfying lubrication requirements for the engine, it does introduce additional mass factors into UAV design considerations, and in particular it introduces another liquid volume (being oil within the oil tank) that needs to be accounted for in the design. As with fuel, the lubrication oil is typically consumed during flight and so regard must be had to the progressively varying mass within the oil tank.
A UAV may need to accommodate not only the engine system, but also avionics and often payloads. Where there are size constraints for a UAV, there can be challenges in accommodating these various requirements, particularly in a configuration and layout which is required to satisfy design considerations with respect to the centre of gravity and moments of inertia for the UAV.
Accordingly, it may be advantageous for there to be some integration of the fuel system and the oil lubrication system to provide a compact arrangement which assists is satisfying design considerations.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.


An adjustable ventilation mattress including an inflatable upper filling layer consisted of rows of inflatable plastic tubes arranged in the longitudinal direction, an inflatable lower filling layer consisted of rows of inflatable plastic tubes arranged in the transverse direction below the inflatable upper filling layer, an air permeable covering covered over the inflatable upper and lower filling layers, and a controller controlled to inflate or selectively inflate the inflatable plastic tubes of the inflatable upper filling layer and/or the inflatable lower filling layer according to a predetermined setting for changing the configuration of the mattress.

The present invention relates to mattresses and more specifically to an adjustable ventilation mattress which can be arranged into any of a variety of forms by for different purposes.
The mattress of a normal bed is not adjustable on its configuration once it was made. The beds for patients are commonly made foldable. A foldable bed can help the patient to sit comfortably, however, it can not help the patient to turn the body over.


An advance is made over the prior art in accordance with the principles of the present invention that is directed to a new approach for a system and method of Single Rate Three Color Marker (srTCM) and Two Rate Three Color Marker (trTCM) methodology. The invention eliminates deficiencies present in existing standards that allow a user to defeat the traffic meter that is used to ensure bandwidth usage is within limits imposed by the provider. Adoption of these invention will ensure compliance with the goals of an ideal Single Rate Three Color Marker (srTCM) and Two Rate Three Color Marker (trTCM) scheme.

RFC 2697 and RFC 2698 define a Single Rate Three Color Marker (srTCM) and Two Rate Three Color Marker (trTCM), respectively, which can be used as components in a Diffserv traffic conditioner [RFC2475, RFC2474].
A meter and a marker process each incoming packet stream. The Meter operates in one of two modes. In the Color-Blind mode, the Meter assumes that the packet stream is uncolored. In the Color-Aware mode the Meter assumes that some preceding entity has pre-colored the incoming packet stream so that each packet is either green, yellow, or red. The Marker (re)colors an IP packet according to the results of the Meter. The color is coded in the DS field (RFC 2474) of the packet in a PHB (Per-Hop Behavior) specific manner
RFC 2697 provides the standard for existing solutions of the srTCM and RFC 2698 provides the standard for existing solutions of the trTCM.

Single and dual rate three color marker systems


The invention concerns a film, in particular an embossing film, a laminating film or a sticker film, and an optical security element. The film has a carrier layer and a replication layer. The film also has a layer of a liquid crystal material, which is applied to the replication layer. A diffractive structure is embossed into the surface of the replication layer, which is towards the layer of a liquid crystal material, for orientation of the liquid crystal material, said diffractive structure having at least two partial regions with different directions of orientation of the embossed structure.

The invention concerns a substrate, in particular a film, embossing film, laminating film or sticker film, which has a carrier layer and a replication layer. The invention further concerns an optical security element for safeguarding banknotes, credit cards and the like, which has a replication layer.
In the area of liquid crystal display technology, the orientation of liquid crystal polymers (liquid crystal polymers=LCP) in relation to orientation layers is known. Here a polyimide layer is mostly oriented by means of a mechanical brushing process. In a second step in the process liquid crystal polymers are applied to the orientation layer and are then oriented at that orientation layer.
In addition EP 1 227 347 describes the orientation of LCPs at a photopolymer layer.
In that case, a first orientation layer is applied by printing to a substrate by means of an inkjet printer, the orientation layer comprising a photopolymer which can be oriented in a given orientation direction by irradiation with polarized light. That layer is now irradiated with polarized light. A layer of a liquid crystal material is then applied by means of an inkjet printer to the orientation layer and conditions are afforded, under which the liquid crystal material is oriented. The liquid crystal layer is then hardened by means of UV light.
In that respect it is also possible for two orientation layers to be applied in mutually superposed relationship to a substrate. In that case the two layers are respectively irradiated with light polarized in different ways, and then fixed, thus affording orientation layers involving a differing orientation, the layers being arranged in mutually superposed relationship. Regions involving a different orientation can be achieved by virtue of that multiple coating procedure in combination with a corresponding pattern-shaped configuration for the individual, mutually superposed photopolymer layers.
WO 01/60589 proposes forming mutually crossing grooves in an orientation layer for LCD displays, by means of a cutting tool. That produces in that region orientation of a part of the molecules in the one direction and orientation of another part of the molecules in the other direction.

Film and optical anti-counterfeiting element