A relay connection with at least two relays (K1, K2) connected in series or in parallel to a supply voltage (UV). In order to achieve a defined relay cut-out sequence should there be a dip in the supply voltage and consequently to increase safety, it is provided that the relays (K1, K2) have different minimum holding voltages (UHalt,min1; UHalt,min2) and/or inductive resistances (Rsp1; Rsp2).

The invention relates to a relay connection with at least two relays connected in series or in parallel to a supply voltage. In addition, the invention relates to a monitoring circuit for monitoring at least one signal input, such as an emergency stop signal, with at least two relays, which are connected in series or in parallel to a supply voltage and are controllable into an active or passive state in dependence on a signal applied at the at least one signal input.
A monitoring circuit of the abovementioned type is described in both DE-A-197 15 098 and DE-A-197 15 013.
Both cases are concerned with a safety and/or monitoring circuit for protecting a machine with several signal inputs that are monitored continuously and, if a fault occurs, the power supply to a machine is interrupted. The safety and/or monitoring circuit comprises at least two relays, which are controllable and connectable via the safety and/or monitoring circuit, as well as a start-up switch. The identical relays are series-connected and are started-up one after the other. A capacitor, the charge of which directly controls the relay, is positioned parallel to the relay to be started-up first, at least one transistor being series-connected to each of the relays, a first relay being connected to the base and a second relay connected to the collector of the transistor.
In the case of this type of circuit arrangement, identical relays, more especially with identical inductive resistance and/or identical minimum holding voltage, are used. If there is a short-term voltage dip, one of the relays may be dropped, whilst the other, however, remains operational so that the circuit arrangement has to be transferred manually into a normal state.
DE-C-43 37 665 discloses a contactor safety combination, which, through efficient utilisation of the switching members, enables a release circuit to be realised with three four-poled auxiliary contactors. In the case of the contactor safety combination, the safety or emergency stop contact is connected to the coils of the auxiliary contactors connected to the control voltage at one end. The series circuit formed by the break contacts of the second and third auxiliary contactors is connected upstream of the first coil and a series circuit formed by the make contacts of the second and third auxiliary contactors and a break contact of the first auxiliary contactor are connected upstream of the second and third parallel-connected coils. Parallel to the said series circuit, a make contact of the first auxiliary contactor is series-connected to a break contact of an ON switch.
DE-C-197 22 927 discloses a circuit arrangement with a safety function with at least two safety relays, which are connectable to a supply voltage via at least one emergency switch and the operating contacts of which are located in at least one release current circuit. In the normal operating state, the safety relays are automatically connected after excitation via a start-up switch. A capacitor is associated with each safety relay. The contacts of the safety relays are realised and positioned in such a manner that when the start-up switch is closed, one of the safety relays is excited and the capacitors are put to supply voltage and are charged, when the start-up switch is subsequently opened, the one safety relay is de-energised and the other safety relay is excited by the charging capacitor associated therewith, whereupon the one safety relay is excited by the charging capacitor associated therewith and both safety circuits move into automatic mode.
DE-A-102 16 226 discloses a device for the fail-safe disconnection of an electric consumer, more especially in industrial production plants. In a safety circuit, two contactors are connected in parallel to a single-channel connecting lead. The second connection of the contactors is connected to reference potential separately from the first safety switching device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,553 describes a safety relay, which has at least one input, which is monitored for closed and open state and is connectable to the safety device and actuator, and at least one output for connection to the machine or the process, one or several stop relays for generating an interrupt and a reset circuit with at least one capacitor and one reset input. The capacitors receive and store electric power in a first state, whilst in a second state they output the power in order to reset the safety relay into a normal operating state. The safety relay also has first means, which are connected to the capacitor, which, in a first state, establish an enclosed current path between a first and a second supply voltage for charging the capacitor and, in a second state, isolate the first means from the second supply connection. Second means are positioned parallel to the capacitor for conducting current, in a second state, from the capacitor via a second supply connection to the relay coil in the stop relay in order to reset the safety relay.
DE-A-199 13 933 relates to a circuit arrangement and a method for connecting a consumer, the circuit arrangement having the following features:—a start-up circuit having a switching means for preparing at least one first control signal that is dependent on a change in a switching position of the switching means and a second control signal that is dependent on an actuating duration of the switching means;—at least one release circuit with a first control element of a first switching device having contacts and with a first switching means series-connected to the first control element for connecting the control element to a supply voltage according to the first and second control signals.
A switching arrangement with safety function is disclosed in DE-A-197 51 674, for a safety circuit with at least two relays, which are connected to a supply voltage and the operating contacts of which are inserted in at least one release current circuit.
Exclusively identical relays or respectively relay coils are not used in any of the above-mentioned citations.


A temperature change vest is provided for fitting around a person's torso. The vest includes seperate front and back panels which attach to one another at respective shoulder strap portions. Hook and loop material is provided upon the shoulder straps for attaching the panels together and for providing a means of adjustment such that the vest can be worn by a variety of people of different sizes. A plurality of horizontally disposed pockets, having open and closed ends and each defining a separate cavity, are provided along outer layers of the front and back panels. Heat packs, capable of retaining a hot or cold temperature, insert within the pockets. Two pair of fastening straps attached to the back panel engage a single pair of fastening strips disposed upon the front panel and work together along a horizontal plane to fit the vest to the person's torso.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a body-worn vest. More particularly, it relates to a body-worn vest capable of affecting a change in the body temperature of the user wearing the vest.
2. Description of Prior Art
Body-worn vests are well known in the prior art and can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, a simple cloth vest is used under the sport jacket of a three-piece suit for aesthetic reasons. Baseball umpires wear vests underneath their shirts to prevent injury from the impact of a high-speed thrown baseball. Law officers wear bullet proof vests to prevent injury or death from a bullet striking the officer's torso. Vest-like structures are also used in scuba-diving (buoyancy compensator) and sky-diving (parachute harness). All of the above mentioned body-worn vests provide a certain function for the user wearing the vest.
Also seen in the prior art are vests used to affect change in the temperature of a body torso. Such can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,067 to Buonassissi. The device shown therein includes a pair of front panels (left and right) integrally attached to a back panel, inside pockets extending over inner surfaces of the back panel and inner surfaces of the left and right front panels for receiving hot or cool packs and a plurality of fasteners for fitting the vest upon the user. Although this prior art device can be used to affect change in temperature of a body torso, it has many deficiencies which warrant improvement thereupon. In particular, the vest uses inside pockets for receiving the cool or hot packs. In the case of cool packs, condensation quickly forms as the cool packs begin to melt. This condensation is then felt by the user against his or her body. This results in an uncomfortable wet feeling. There is no means provided in this prior art device for prohibiting the condensation from flowing from the cool packs to the user's body. Further, the inside pockets are disposed in a non-uniform arrangement. For example, two pockets are disposed in the lower portions of the left and right front panels, thereby leaving a great portion of the upper front torso of the user unaffected by the temperature change. As shown in FIG. 2 of the prior art device, four corner pockets are disposed leaving a large column-like portion unaffected along the back side of the user's torso.
The prior art device also relies on a single piece of material to form the back and pair of front panels. Accordingly, the device must be manufactured in various sizes to provide a vest which can fit a variety of different sized users. This results in waste.
An improved vest is needed which can affect a change in temperature of a body torso yet overcome the deficiencies seen in the prior art. In particular, an improved vest should provide for more uniform placement of the cool and hot packs. Such improved vest should also provide a means for adjusting the size of the vest providing a "one size fits all" garment. Further, the improved vest should prohibit any condensation from flowing from the packs to the body of the user wearing the vest.


An opening/closing direction restriction mechanism for a manual shutter device and an opening/closing direction restriction mechanism for a suspended sliding door device. This opening/closing direction restriction mechanism is provided with: a flange fixedly mounted on a fixed shaft; a bracket which is loosely fitted to the fixed shaft and can be integrally rotated with a winding member; and a two-way clutch which can be switched between a reverse rotation inhibited state in which the revolution of a planetary external gear along a winding direction of the winding member is allowed and the revolution of the planetary external gear along an unwinding direction is inhibited, and a forward rotation inhibited state in which the revolution of the planetary external gear along the winding direction of the winding member is inhibited and the revolution of the planetary external gear along the unwinding direction is allowed.

In the past, a shutter device which opens/closes an entry door of a building and a suspended sliding door device which opens/closes the entrance of a room are known. Patent Literature 1 related to an electric shutter discloses an electric shutter in which slat is wound on a winding shaft by rotatably driving a wind-up shaft by an electric motor. The rotation of the winding shaft is controlled by a rotating direction and an ON/OFF operation of the electric motor input through an operation switch so that the slat comes to be stopped at an arbitrary position.
Patent Literature 2 related to a manual shutter discloses a manual shutter in which a torsion spring wound on a fixed shaft provides a torque in a winding direction in which a slat is wound on a wind-up shaft. In this manner, when a user slightly lifts up the slat, the torque of the torsion spring winds up the entire slat.
Patent Literature 3 related to a suspended sliding door device discloses an automatic opening/closing device for a sliding door in which a pinion directly coupled to an output shaft of an electric motor is meshed with a rack disposed on an upper side surface of a door, and the door moves in an opening direction when the electric motor drives to rotate the pinion the forward direction, and the door moves in a closing direction when the pinion rotates in the reverse direction.

Restriction mechanism for manual shutter device


A conductive portion of a display panel includes a plurality of strip electrodes each provided for at least one of the scan lines and electrically isolated from one another. A switch circuit is provided for selectively connecting each of the plurality of strip electrodes to the power supply. A reverse bias voltage generating circuit generates reverse bias voltage in a direction opposite to a voltage applied to light-emitting elements when emitting light, and a reverse bias voltage applying circuit selectively applies the reverse bias voltage to the plurality of light-emitting elements via the plurality of strip electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix display apparatus and, more particularly, to a display apparatus including an active matrix display panel having light-emitting elements such as organic electroluminescence elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
A matrix type display including a light-emitting panel is being widely developed. The light-emitting panel includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a matrix configuration. The light-emitting elements for use in such display panels include, for example, an electroluminescence (EL) element which employs an organic material as a light-emitting layer. The light-emitting luminance can be controlled by a current which flows through in the organic EL element. The light-emitting display panels using the organic EL elements may be classified into a simple matrix display panel and an active matrix display panel. The organic EL elements are merely arranged in a matrix configuration in the simple matrix light-emitting panel. On the other hand, a driving device including a transistor is added to each of the organic EL elements arranged in a matrix configuration in the active matrix light-emitting panel. The active matrix light-emitting panel has advantages such that electric power consumption is smaller and an amount of crosstalk between pixels is smaller as compared with those of the simple matrix light-emitting panels and the like are suitable as a display of a large screen or a high precision display.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a circuit configuration corresponding to a pixel 10 of an active matrix display panel according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a gate G of a FET (Field Effect Transistor) 11 (an address selection transistor) is connected to an address scan electrode (scan line) through which address signals are supplied. A drain D of the FET 11 is connected to a data electrode (data line) through which a data signal is supplied. A source S of the FET 11 is connected to a gate G of a FET 12 (a drive transistor) as well as to one terminal of a capacitor 13. A source S of the FET 12 is connected to a common anode 16 in conjunction with the other terminal of the capacitor 13. The drain D of the FET 12 is connected to the anode of an organic EL element 15, and a cathode of the organic EL element 15 is connected to a common cathode 17.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the common anode 16 and the common cathode 17 to which the cathode of each organic EL element 15 is connected are connected to a voltage source 18 for supplying power.
A light emission control operation of the circuit is described hereinbelow. Referring to FIG. 1, an ON voltage supplied to the gate G of the FET 11 causes a current corresponding to a data voltage supplied to the source S to flow from the source S to the drain D. When the gate G of the FET 11 is at an OFF voltage, the FET 11 is in a so-called cut-off state making the drain D of the FET 11 open. Therefore, the capacitor 13 is charged while the gate G of the FET 11 is kept at the ON voltage to supply the voltage of the capacitor 13 to the gate G of the FET 12. Then, a current caused by the gate and the source voltage flows through the organic EL element 15 from the source S to the drain D in the FET 12 to allow the organic EL element 15 to emit light. Moreover, when the gate G of the FET 11 is at the OFF voltage, the FET 11 is made open. Accordingly, the voltage of the gate G in the FET 12 is held with the charge accumulated in the capacitor 13 to sustain the drive current until the next scan and thus the light emission of the organic EL element 15. Incidentally, the same operation as the foregoing can be obtained without the capacitor 13, since gate input capacitance is available between the gate G and the source S of the FET 12.
The circuit corresponding to a pixel of a display panel for controlling light emission by active matrix addressing is configured as described above, and the light emission of the pixel is sustained when the organic EL element 15 of the pixel is driven.
As described above, the light emission of each light-emitting element in an active matrix display panel was controlled by means of a drive circuit that contained drive elements such as FETs.
However, the active matrix display apparatus according to the prior art provided only a limited degree of flexibility for the control of the light-emitting elements since the light emission of each light-emitting element was controlled only by means of a drive circuit.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the problem described above and to provide an active matrix display apparatus having a high degree of flexibility in controlling light-emitting elements.
According to the present invention, there is provided an active matrix display apparatus, which comprises a display panel including a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged at intersections of scan lines and data lines arranged in a matrix configuration, a drive circuit for driving each of the plurality of light-emitting elements, and a conductive portion connected to one terminal of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements, a display controller for controlling the drive circuit in response to an input video signal, and a power supply for supplying electric power to the plurality of light-emitting elements via the conductive portion, wherein the conductive portion includes a plurality of strip electrodes each provided for at least one of the scan lines or the data lines and electrically isolated from one another, and the power supply includes a switch circuit for selectively connecting each of the plurality of strip electrodes to the power supply.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises, a reverse bias voltage generating circuit for generating reverse bias voltage in a direction opposite to a voltage applied to the light-emitting elements when emitting light, and a reverse bias voltage applying circuit for selectively applying the reverse bias voltage to the plurality of light-emitting elements via the plurality of strip electrodes.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the display controller includes a timer and controls the switch circuits in response to an output of the timer to selectively connect each of the plurality of strip electrodes to the power supply.
According to the present invention, there is provided an active matrix display panel, which comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged at intersections of scan lines and data lines arranged in a matrix configuration, a drive circuit for driving each of the plurality of light-emitting elements, and a conductive portion connected to one terminal of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements, wherein the conductive portion includes a plurality of strip electrodes each provided for at least one of the scan lines or the data lines and electrically isolated from one another.

Active matrix light-emitting display apparatus


A sheet material cutting apparatus includes a cutting head and a knife frame rotatably coupled to the cutting head. A blade defining a cutting edge is coupled for reciprocation to the knife frame, as is a primary sharpener for sharpening substantially the entire cutting edge of the blade after it becomes dull from operation. A presser foot having a secondary sharpener mounted thereon, is also coupled to the knife frame for movement between a raised non-working and a lowered working position. The secondary sharpener includes a sharpening member engageable with the cutting edge of the blade via the action of an actuator, for sharpening a portion of the blade""s cutting edge between primary sharpening operations.

The present invention relates generally to machines that employ reciprocating blades for cutting sheet-type work materials, and deals more particularly with an apparatus for performing a dual sharpening operation on the cutting edge of the blade, whereby a primary sharpener is used to sharpen the entire cutting edge of the blade, and a secondary sharpener is utilized between primary sharpening operations to sharpen only a portion of the cutting edge that initially becomes dull.
Reciprocating blades are used to cut sheet type work materials in a variety of high-speed, large-volume cutting operations. For example, such blades are employed in reciprocating blade cutting heads used on cloth cutting machines where pattern pieces are simultaneously cut from one to several sheets of fabric stacked one-on-top-of-the-other. Due to the high throughput rates of this type of cutting machinery, the cutting edge of the blade becomes dull and requires sharpening at regular intervals.
In addition to the cutting edge becoming dull, another difficulty that sometimes occurs in high-speed, large-volume cutting machinery is that the geometry of the leading edge portion of the cutting edge becomes displaced relative to the remainder of the cutting edge. This is especially problematic in machinery where closed complex shapes are cut requiring the blade to turn in the same cutting direction in order to follow the outline of the closed piece shape. This overall net unidirectional change imparts a significant lateral load on the cutting edge of the blade causing a concomitant distortion in geometry, a phenomena referred to as xe2x80x9cedge rollover.xe2x80x9d This loss of geometric integrity causes further degradation of the blade""s cutting edge to occur at an accelerated rate such that a complete sharpening of the entire cutting edge is required at an interval considerably shorter than that which would occur simply as a result of dulling. Each time the cutting edge is completely sharpened a significant amount of material is removed from the blade, causing a concomitant reduction in the blade""s useful life. In addition, the time spent sharpening reduces throughput of the machine.
Based on the foregoing, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for sharpening or reforming the cutting edge of a blade used in reciprocating blade cutting machines that overcomes the above-described drawbacks of prior sharpening devices.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for prolonging the period between which the entire surface of the cutting edge of a reciprocating blade used in cutting machines must be sharpened.
The present invention is directed to a sheet material cutting apparatus including a frame having a work supporting surface for carrying sheet-type work materials, such as one or more layers of fabric stacked one-on-top-of-the-other. The apparatus also includes a cutting head coupled to the frame adjacent to the work supporting surface. The cutting head includes a knife frame rotatably mounted thereon for rotation relative to the frame. An elongated blade is coupled for reciprocation to the knife frame and includes cutting surfaces that together define a cutting edge. The blade is movable between a lowered position, whereby the blade can engage the work material, and a raised position whereby the blade is located above the work material. Drive means are also associated with the cutting head for rotating the knife frame about an axis perpendicular to the work supporting surface to orient the cutting edge of the blade in a particular cutting direction. A primary sharpener is coupled to the knife frame and can be selectively engaged with at least one of the cutting surfaces while the blade reciprocates, thereby sharpening the blade by removing material along substantially the entire cutting edge.
A secondary sharpener, for maintaining the sharpness of the cutting edge of the blade between primary sharpening operations is also provided. The secondary sharpener is coupled to a presser foot, which in turn is coupled to the knife frame. The presser foot is moveable between a lowered working position where it engages and exerts pressure on the sheet-type work material, and a raised non-working position whereby the presser foot is located above the work material. Between primary sharpening operations, with the presser foot in the non-working position, and the blade in the raised position, the secondary sharpener can be selectively engaged with a portion of at least one of the cutting surfaces of the blade to sharpen only that portion of the blade where degradation of the cutting edge generally initiates. Use of the secondary sharpener prolongs the life of the blade by extending the time between primary sharpening operations thereby minimizing the amount of material which must be removed from the blade""s cutting edge to maintain sharpness. While the secondary sharpener is described above as being coupled to the presser foot, the present invention is not limited in this regard as the secondary sharpener can be mounted to the cutter head or frame without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary sharpener includes at least one abrasive grinding wheel coupled to the knife frame adjacent to the cutting edge of the blade. The grinding wheel can be selectively engaged with at least one of the cutting surfaces to remove material from the surface and thereby sharpen the blade. The secondary sharpener preferably includes a sharpening member slidably coupled to at least one guide-rail which in turn is coupled to the presser foot adjacent to the cutting edge of the blade. Biasing means mounted on the guide rail are interposed between the presser foot and the sharpening member to urge the sharpening member away from the cutting edge during a cutting operation. In addition, means for causing the secondary sharpener to selectively engage a portion of at least one of the cutting surfaces of the blade in response to commands issued from a controller are also included.
In one embodiment, the means for causing the secondary sharpener to selectively engage at least one of the cutting surfaces includes an actuating arm extending from the knife frame and having a tapered surface positioned adjacent to the sharpening member. As the presser foot is moved from the working to the non-working position, and the blade is moved to the raised position, the actuating arm progressively engages the sharpening member, urging it into contact with a portion of the cutting edge of the blade. As the blade is reciprocated, material is removed from the portion of the cutting edge by the sharpening member thereby sharpening the blade.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the means for causing the secondary sharpener to selectively engage the cutting edge of the blade includes an actuator, preferably in the form of a solenoid, a pneumatic cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the presser foot and in communication with the sharpening member. The actuator moves the sharpening member into engagement with a portion of the blade""s cutting edge, in response to commands issued from the controller.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the secondary sharpener is slidably positioned on the guide rail; biasing means, preferably in the form of a spring are interposed between the presser foot and the sharpening member for urging the sharpening member away from the blade during a cutting operation. The secondary sharpening operation is performed by moving the presser foot to the non-working position, and the blade to the raised position and then rotating the knife frame at a rate adequate to impart centrifugal force to the sharpening member of a magnitude sufficient to overcome the force exerted on the member by the spring. This in turn causes the sharpening member to engage and sharpen a portion of the cutting edge of the blade during reciprocation.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, at least one swing arm is pivotally coupled to the presser foot and the sharpening member. During a cutting operation, biasing means interposed between the swing arm and the presser foot, urge the sharpening member away from the blade""s cutting edge. To perform a secondary sharpening operation, the presser foot is moved to the non-working position, the blade is raised, and the knife frame is rotated such that centrifugal force, adequate to overcome the force exerted against the swing arm by the biasing means, is imparted to the sharpening member causing the sharpening member to engage and sharpen a portion of at least one of the cutting surfaces of the reciprocating blade.
The sharpening member of the secondary sharpener can also include first and second blade shaping surfaces selectively engageable with opposing cutting surfaces which together define the cutting edge of the blade. Rotation of the knife frame in a first rotational direction imparts centrifugal force to the sharpening member causing the swing arm to pivot and the first blade shaping surface to engage a portion of one of the edge surfaces defined by the blade. Rotation of the knife frame in a second rotational direction, opposite to the first rotational direction, causes the second blade shaping surface to engage a portion of an opposite edge surface defined by the blade, thereby sharpening a portion of the cutting edge.

Dual sharpener apparatus for maintaining the sharpness of the cutting edge on blades used to cut sheet-type work materials


A method of modeling a segment of a pipeline transporting a product comprising defining within the segment a plurality of discrete cells, each disposed between knots, preparing a system of equations relating the conservations of mass, momentum and energy for each cell along with equations for the liquid phase flow area of cells with tight, slack and minimum area flow modes, providing data relating to the product and the location and elevation of the cells, sensing a plurality of conditions within known cells, solving the system of equations, initiating a re-stepping process by re-assessing the flow modes of each cell and re-setting flow modes for cells with unstable flow modes, and resolving the system of equations using stable flow modes. An embodiment of the method includes excepting one or more cells from the re-stepping portion where a recurrent pattern of flow mode change is detected.

Field of the Invention
This application relates to mathematical modeling of pipelines to transport hydrocarbons and other products with volatile components.
Background of the Related Art
Pipelines are used to transport liquid hydrocarbon products to ports, processing facilities or refineries. Pumps move the product through the pipeline. Pump stations are deployed at intervals along the pipeline route to compensate for friction head loss and to move product from lower elevations up to and beyond peak elevations. Conditions along the pipeline are monitored using sensors to detect pressure, temperature, flow rate and other measurable properties. Transmitters coupled to the sensors send data to a central processor that uses the data to help drive a model of fluid flow between sensors. One of the key factors in determining the flow is the head, which is related to the pressure, elevation and density of the fluid.
Factors affecting the hydraulic head at any given point along the pipeline include friction head loss and elevation. Friction head loss occurs when product pumped through a pipeline physically interacts with an interior wall of the pipeline and with pipeline features such as expansion loops, bends and valves that may impair flow of product through the pipeline. Friction head loss generally increases with increased flow rates and/or with increased product viscosity, and accumulates with distance along the pipeline downstream of a pump station. Friction head loss per length of pipeline is generally constant for a pipeline of constant diameter and at a steady flow rate. Computer programs may be used to model pipeline flow between sensors by solving the equations of motion which include simulating friction head loss and elevation head.
An elevation profile indicates the elevation of the pipeline at all points along the pipeline route, and indicates the head required to move product through the pipeline. For example, higher elevations downstream of a pump require greater pump discharge head because the product must be moved up to and over peak elevations against the force of gravity.
In purely liquid-phase flow, called "tight" flow, the physics is well understood and is often written as equations of conservation of mass, momentum and energy as well as the physical properties of the fluid being transported, typically referred to as equations of state. Computer modeling of tight flow regions of pipelines is well known in the art.
Products transported by pipelines, such as oil, are often volatile. The vapor pressure of a volatile product generally depends on the chemical composition and on the propensity of lighter components in the product to evaporate to form a vapor phase within the pipeline. For example, oil may comprise a range of hydrocarbons including pentane (C5H12), hexane (C6H14), heptane (C7H16) and octane (C8H18). The lighter (lower molecular weight) components (e.g., pentane and hexane) will, at a pressure below the vapor pressure, evaporate to form a vapor phase within the pipeline. Evaporation of lighter components of volatile products is promoted by low pressures (below the vapor pressure) and high temperatures.
A vapor phase within a pipeline generally resides above the remaining (un-evaporated) liquid which will, in the presence of a vapor phase, flow through the pipeline with a free surface in contact with the vapor phase. This is known as open channel flow (OCF) or, in the pipeline industry, as slack flow. A slack region of a pipeline is a portion of the pipeline where OCF or slack flow occurs. The classical example of OCF is a river flowing through a river bed. In OCF, the liquid phase flows downstream through the pipeline under the influence of gravity and under generally constant pressure. In a river bed, the pressure at the surface of the liquid phase is equal to atmospheric pressure. In a closed pipeline, however, the pressure at the surface of the liquid phase in a slack region is equal to the vapor pressure of the volatile component. The mass of the volatile component (vapor phase) contained within a finite section of the pipeline, being gaseous and at low pressure, is negligible compared to the mass of the liquid component within that same finite section. Slack flow generally begins within a pipeline at points downstream of peak elevations where the head is lower than the vapor pressure (due, for example, to a high elevation profile), and slack flow continues downslope until the pressure within the pipeline again rises above the vapor pressure of the product. It is also possible, although rare, for slack conditions to begin where the downward slope increases, without actually having a local maximum elevation. Sections of the pipeline where slack flow is occurring are referred to as slack regions.
Because the pressure at the surface of the liquid phase is constrained to be equal to vapor pressure in slack regions, the standard "tight line" version of the equations of motion do not adequately describe the behavior of product flowing through slack regions of the pipeline. Hence, conventional pipeline flow models accurately predict pipeline flow in tight flow regions but are insufficient for modeling pipeline flow in slack regions. In tight flow regions, pipeline head decreases with increased elevation and increases with decreased elevation, and the magnitude of change in head for a given change in elevation depends on the density of the product. The pump discharge head needed to move product up to and over a peak elevation depends on the elevation of the peak, the density of the product and the friction head loss from the pump to the peak elevation. The substantially incompressible liquid phase in tight flow regions provides a direct correlation between elevation and head. Slack flow, by contrast, allows product to move through elevation changes without change in pressure and independently of changes occurring in downstream regions of the pipeline.
FIG. 1 is a graph 10 illustrating relationships among the maximum operating pressure (MOP) profile 12 of a pipeline, the actual pipeline head 14 and the elevation profile 16 of the terrain traversed by the pipeline. The pipeline head 14 must remain below the MOP profile 12 to prevent from damaging the pipeline or exceeding a safe operating pressure. To maintain tight line flow, the pipeline head 14 must remain above the elevation profile 16. However, it may not be possible or economical to provide sufficient head to remain above peak elevations indicated at points B and D without unwanted encroachment upon the MOP profile 12. An interval or band formed between the MOP profile 12 and the elevation profile 16 is the targeted operating zone. As long as pipeline head 14 remains within this zone, the product will move through the pipeline without damage to the pipeline.
The hydraulic head profile 14 generally lies along a straight line from point A to point F, but there are features of the hydraulic head profile 14 that reveal the effects of friction and slack flow. For example, line segments A-B, C-D and E-F exhibit a generally common, constant, and negative slope corresponding to the friction head loss per unit distance for a given product flowing at a given product flow rate. A different product and/or a different flow rate will generally exhibit a different slope in these same portions of the pipeline because the amount of friction head loss per unit distance would be different. Deviations from the generally linear decline in head occur at line segments B-C and at D-E as a result of slack flow. Slack flow causes the hydraulic head 14 to track along and equal the elevation profile 16 until tight flow is restored.
Modeling in slack flow regions adds complexity. Pressure becomes decoupled from frictional loss and instead is pegged to the vapor pressure of the product. The model should be adapted to calculate and account for the reduced liquid cross-sectional flow area within such slack flow regions. None of these factors are present in tight flow regions that conform to conventional tight-line models. The liquid phase of the product flows in open channel flow in slack flow regions of the pipeline. Under steady state conditions, the cross-sectional area occupied by the vapor phase of the product in a slack flow region of the pipeline depends solely on the elevation and the slope, but certain changes in the product flow will cause the slack region to expand or contract in cross-section as well as to longitudinally retract or extend along regions of the pipeline.
FIG. 2 is an elevation section view of a descending portion 20 of a pipeline having a diameter 25. The vapor phase 22 meets the liquid phase 24 along an interface 23, and the vapor phase 22 and the liquid phase 24 of the product co-exist with the liquid phase 24 moving in OCF, meaning that the head is equal to the vapor pressure of the product and the descending portion 20 is in a slack flow region of the pipeline. The liquid phase 24 moves along the descending portion 20 of the pipeline in the direction of arrow 26. A discrete mathematical model of the pipeline considers the pipeline as a contiguous set of "computational cells" over which reasonable approximations to the continuum equations describing the flow of product within the pipeline can be written. The primitive variables to be tracked and approximated will be prescribed to the upstream and downstream ends of the cell, and these upstream and downstream cell boundaries will be referred to henceforth as "knots."
A model relies on using a series of determinations of the conditions existing at different times within a common set of computational cells. A model having this structure takes into account that there may be changes over time that occur in one or more of the factors that determine the conditions existing within any given computational cell in a pipeline. The term "time step," as that term is used herein, means the difference in time from a determination of the conditions within a computational cell to a subsequent determination of the conditions within the computational cell.
A computational cell 21 as illustrated in FIG. 2, referred to herein below as a "cell," may lie, for example, within the descending portion 20 as defined between upstream (and upslope) knot 28 and downstream (and downslope) knot 29. It will be understood that knot 28 is also the downstream knot of an upstream cell (not fully shown in FIG. 2) adjacent to cell 21 and knot 29 is the upstream knot of a downstream cell (not fully shown in FIG. 2) adjacent to cell 21.
Pipelines are dynamic, and changes in flow rates, elevation and physical properties of the product moving through the pipeline can cause tight flow regions to change to slack flow regions and slack flow regions to change to tight flow regions. For example, in one instance, rapid transitioning from tight flow to slack flow may occur along gently descending portions of the pipeline at elevations that cause the head to be generally equal to the vapor pressure of the product, just as rapid transitioning from slack flow mode to tight flow mode may occur along gently ascending portions at the same elevations. In another instance, rapid transitioning from tight flow to slack flow may occur along both the ascending and descending portions of a pipeline straddling a peak elevation where a product pump is shut down, thereby causing depressurization of the pipeline both upstream of and downstream of the peak elevation. In yet another instance, rapid transitioning from slack flow to tight flow may occur along portion of a pipeline downstream of a pipeline junction where a product provided from a supplemental pump is suddenly introduced into the pipeline, or rapid transitioning from tight flow to slack flow may occur along this same portion of the pipeline where the supplemental pump is suddenly deactivated or isolated from the pipeline. In another instance, rapid transitioning from tight flow to slack flow may occur along portions of a pipeline upstream of an off take when the flow rate at the off take is increased, or rapid transitioning from slack flow to tight flow may occur along this same portion of the pipeline when the flow rate at an off take is decreased. Under these and other circumstances, multiple cells within the pipeline being modeled can change from being tight to being slack in a single time step. A change from tight to slack, or vice versa, is referred to a change in flow "mode." Conventional tight-line pipeline flow models produce non-physical results (e.g., calculates an impossible negative pressure) under these conditions. Similarly, conventional slack line models can become computationally unstable under these circumstances. The result is compromised surveillance in transitioning regions of the pipeline and a corresponding loss of leak detection capacity, product batch tracking capability, and loss of other important pipeline surveillance and control functions that depend on accurate modeling of the pipeline.
FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the cell 21 within the descending portion 20 of FIG. 2, again illustrating the dual phase nature of product flowing in a slack flow mode. As in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 illustrates the vapor phase 22 and the liquid phase 24 co-exist in open channel flow, with an interface 23 there between. It should be noted that the cross-sectional flow area of the liquid phase 24 is calculated using the angle 27 formed between a first radius (directed from the center of the pipe diameter 25 to an endpoint of the phase interface 23) and a second, vertical radius (directed from the center of the pipe diameter 25 to the bottom of the descending portion 20 of the pipeline). Using θ for the angle 27 (in radians) formed between a first radius and the second, vertical radius, and using D for the diameter 25 of the interior of the pipeline, the equation for the cross-sectional flow area, A, of the liquid phase 24 in FIG. 3 is:
  A  =                    D        2            4                  (              θ        -                              1            2                              sin                                                              2                                                              θ                    )
The liquid flow cross-sectional area is used to model conditions of state at each cell not in tight flow mode. It will be noted that tight flow requires that θ=π and, therefore, the cross-sectional flow area of the liquid phase 24 in tight flow regions is simply the cross-sectional area of the descending portion 20 of the pipeline. It should be understood that these concepts apply equally to ascending or horizontal portions of the pipeline where slack flow may also occur.
Transitions from slack flow to tight flow, and transitions from tight flow to slack flow, occur under circumstances other than sloping (ascending or descending) portions of the pipeline at high elevations. Other circumstances that cause these transitions to occur include liquid product drain-down on both sides of an elevation peak, start-up and/or shut-down of a pump discharging into the pipeline, or the opening or closure of a valve hydraulically connected to the pipeline. FIGS. 4-6 illustrate these circumstances where conventional models yield poor modeling results.
FIG. 4 depicts elevated terrain 37 traversed by a pipeline segment 30 disposed, for example, between an upstream pressure sensor 42 and an upstream temperature sensor 43 on a first side and a downstream pressure sensor 40 and a downstream temperature sensor 41 on a second side, the pipeline segment 30 comprising a peak elevation 35 disposed between an ascending portion 31 and a descending portion 32. A pump 81 is disposed upstream of the ascending portion 31 to move product received from a source 45 up the ascending portion 31 and beyond the peak elevation 35. Upon shutdown of the pump station 81, the hydraulic head throughout the pipeline segment 30 downstream of the pump station 81 will decrease. In some cells where the head falls below the vapor pressure of the product, a transition from tight flow to slack flow will occur in the pipeline segment 30. As the slack region expands, the slack region will migrate upslope in both the ascending portion 31 and the descending portion 32 of the pipeline segment 30 and the liquid will drain downslope in both the ascending portion 31 and the descending portion 32 and in the direction of arrows 33 and 34, respectively. It will be understood that under certain conditions the shut down of pump 81 causes a range of cells within the pipeline segment 30 to transition from tight flow to slack flow.
FIG. 5 illustrates an ascending portion 31 of a pipeline segment in fluid communication with a first pump 82 receiving product from a first source 46 and a second pump 83 receiving product from a second source 47, the second pump 83 being isolatable from the ascending portion 31 of the pipeline by closure of a valve 54. Product flow is along the direction of arrow 38. Upon start-up of the first pump 82 or the second pump 83 (with valve 54 open), or upon opening of valve 54 (with second pump 83 active), a positive pressure surge will move through the ascending portion 31 of the pipeline raising the hydraulic head and, within a range of cells with head at the vapor pressure of the product, transition from slack flow to tight flow mode will occur. Similarly, upon shut-down of the first pump 82 or second pump 83 (with valve 54 open), or upon closure of valve 54 (with second pump 83 active), a negative pressure surge propagates through the ascending portion 31 of the pipeline lowering hydraulic head and, within a range of cells with head at the vapor pressure of the product, transition from tight flow mode to slack flow mode will occur. A pressure sensor 48 and a temperature sensor 49 may be disposed on a first pipeline feed lateral 52 to provide data relating to the conditions of the product within the first pipeline feed lateral 52, and a pressure sensor 50 and a temperature sensor 51 may be disposed on a second pipeline feed lateral 53 to provide data relating to the conditions of the product within the second pipeline feed lateral 53.
FIG. 6 illustrates a descending portion 32 of a pipeline in fluid communication with a first storage tank 90 and a second storage tank 91, the first tank 90 and second tank 91 being isolatable from the descending portion 32 of the pipeline using the first valve 58 and/or second valve 57, respectively. A first tank discharge pipe 92 and a second tank discharge pipe 93 may be provided to drain the first tank 90 and the second tank 91. Product flow is along the direction of arrow 39. A pressure sensor 94 may be provided near the junction of the first tank feed pipe 55 and the second tank feed pipe 56 to provide data relating to the conditions of the product at or near the junction. Upon opening of the first valve 58 or second valve 57, or both, a negative pressure surge propagates up the descending portion 32 and, in a range of cells with head just above the vapor pressure of the product, a transition from tight flow mode to slack flow mode will occur. Upon closure of the first valve 58 or the second valve 57, or both, a positive pressure surge propagates up the descending portion 32 of the pipeline and, in a range of cells with head at the vapor pressure, transition from slack flow to tight flow mode will occur.
It will be understood that these and other changes in pipeline operating modes can cause transitions between tight flow mode and slack flow mode to occur and it is important that these transitions be accurately modeled in order to sustain certain pipeline surveillance and control capabilities. It is feasible to construct a pipeline with a greater number of pumps or robust pumps having greater discharge head and with higher rated valves and pipe materials in order to maintain the product in the liquid phase at all points along the pipeline route. However, such a robust pipeline would be prohibitively expensive to build due to the great cost of the pumps, valves and pipe, and due to the increased construction cost, and it would be prohibitively expensive to operate due to the increased requirement for pump drivers and input power. The product delivered to a port, tanker or refinery by such a robust pipeline system would have the same value as the product shipped through a conventional pipeline that tolerates the formation of slack regions at remote, higher elevations.
It is therefore advantageous to tolerate and manage the formation of a slack region within the pipeline in order to dramatically reduce both the cost of the pipeline system and the cost of operating the pipeline. There is a need for a method of modeling pipeline conditions in: regions affected by changes from tight flow mode to slack flow or from slack flow mode to tight flow; zero flow (shut-in) conditions in slack flow regions; transitions from flowing conditions to shut-in conditions in slack flow regions; transitions from shut-in conditions to flowing conditions in slack flow regions; transitions from forwards flow conditions to backwards flow conditions in slack flow regions; transitions from backwards flow conditions to forwards flow conditions in slack flow regions; and drain down conditions on both sides of an elevation peak.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A game device including: a substituted-for character recognizing unit which recognizes a character to become a substitution object by bringing a finger 107 into contact with the character; a substituted-for character determination unit which determines the recognized character to be a substituted-for character by causing the recognized character to be moved to a substituted-for character determination region (an edge of a monitor 3a); and a candidate character list display unit which displays a candidate character list 109 on an image display unit based on the determination of the substituted-for character, wherein after determining a character who enters the game by bringing the finger 107 into contact with a character on the candidate list, the entering character is displayed on the image display unit in place of the substituted-for character.

Some known conventional baseball games have specifications that allow substitutions of player characters participating in a game. With a baseball game according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-28217, in a case where a game player wishes to substitute a player character such as by using a pinch hitter for a next batter, the game player first presses a "time-out" button on a screen showing a game in progress. As a result, a transition is made from the game-in-progress screen to a bird's-eye view screen showing only enlarged close-ups of a plurality of players that are substitution objects (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-28217. The game player then selects and decides a player character (in this case, a batter) that the game player wishes to use as a substitute from the players shown in the bird's-eye view screen. Subsequently, by returning to the game screen, the game can be restarted from a state where the substitution with the pinch hitter has been made.
However, with the player substitution method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-28217 described above, displaying substitution candidate players requires a screen transition step in which the game-in-progress screen is first switched to another screen, a player is then selected and decided, and the original screen is subsequently restored. Therefore, there are problems in that in addition to a substitution requiring a time-consuming operation, a substitution causes a game-in-progress screen to be temporarily switched to a completely different screen and gives an impression that a flow of the game has been abruptly disrupted.

Game device which recognizes and replaces a substitution object participating in a competition game in a virtual space


There are provided: a surface-treated aluminum material including an aluminum base material and an alkali alternating current electrolytic oxide coating film formed on at least a part of a surface of the aluminum base material, wherein the alkali alternating current electrolytic oxide coating film includes a porous-type aluminum oxide coating film layer formed on a surface side and a barrier-type aluminum oxide coating film layer formed on a base material side, and plural working grooves perpendicular to the direction of plastic working are formed; a method of producing the surface-treated aluminum material; a bonded body of the surface-treated aluminum material and a member to be bonded, including the surface-treated aluminum material and the member to be bonded, such as resin; and a method of producing the bonded body.

Aluminum materials are used in various structural members, heat exchanger members, containers, packages, electronic instruments, machines, and the like because such aluminum materials are lightweight, have appropriate mechanical characteristics, and have excellent features of aesthetic sense, conductivity, heat dissipation properties, corrosion resistance, and recyclability. The aluminum materials, imparted with and improved in properties such as corrosion resistance, insulation properties, intimate contact properties, antibacterial properties, and wear resistance by subjecting a part or the whole of each of the aluminum materials to surface treatment, are also often used.
In recent years, resource conservation and the reduction of energy consumption have progressed mainly in the automobile industry, and structural members in which a part or the whole of an aluminum material is bonded to resin in order to further reduce a weight in the case of applying the aluminum material to each structural member have been proposed. The structural members are used in transportation instruments, and therefore require high intimate contact durability in atmospheric and corrosive environments. The structural members may also be subjected to bending working, press working, and/or the like, and may also be bonded to resin after having been subjected to plastic working.
When a member, a coated member, or the like in which such an aluminum material is bonded to resin is produced, surface treatment is also required for improving the property of intimate contact with resin of the aluminum material. For example, such an alkali alternating current electrolytic method as in Patent Literature 1 is proposed. In other words, alternating current electrolysis treatment is performed at a current density of 4 to 50 A/dm2, a frequency of 20 to 100 Hz, and an electrolysis time of 5 to 60 seconds using, as an electrolytic solution, an aqueous alkaline solution in which the concentration of an acrylic acid compound polymer is 0.1 to 10% by weight at a liquid temperature of 35 to 85° C. It is described that as a result, an aluminum material is obtained, including a surface provided with an oxide coating film in which pores having a size of 5 to 50 nm are formed.
For example, such a method as in Patent Literature 2 is proposed for enhancing working followability in the case of bringing an aluminum material into intimate contact with resin and the like, and then performing bending working and the like. In other words, alternating current electrolytic treatment is performed using a waveform in which an anodic peak voltage at the time of the end of electrolysis is 25 to 200 V, with the use of, as an electrolytic solution, an aqueous alkaline solution having a pH of 9 to 13 and a liquid temperature of 30 to 90° C. It is described that as a result, an aluminum material is obtained, in which the area occupancy rate of pores on a surface of a porous-type aluminum oxide coating film layer is 5 to 50%.
These conventional technology literatures relate to methods in which an aluminum material is subjected to surface treatment, immediately followed by bringing the aluminum material into intimate contact with resin. However, a step may also be adopted, in which after formation of an oxide coating film on an aluminum material, the aluminum material is subjected to plastic working such as press working, bending working, or tensile working before bonding of resin, and the resin is then bonded to a worked portion.
However, there has been a problem that when such a surface-treated aluminum material as described in Patent Literature 1 is subjected to plastic working, an oxide coating film may be peeled from an aluminum base material prior to bonding of resin, and as a result, the bonding of the resin becomes impossible.
In the surface treatment described in Patent Literature 2, there has been a problem that although it is possible to perform the bending working after the aluminum material is brought into intimate contact with the resin and the like, the plastic working prior to the bonding of the resin after the surface treatment results in propagation of cracks on an entire surface of the porous-type aluminum oxide coating film layer regardless of the direction of the working, thereby preventing desired bond strength from being obtained.

Surface-treated aluminum material and method for manufacturing same; and bonded body of surface-treated aluminum material and bonding member comprising said surface-treated aluminum material, and bonding member such as resin, and method for manufacturing said bonded body


The cockpit access protection system relies upon pass codes for an aircraft and utilizes the galley area as a security area to verify a person""s identity before allowing access to the cockpit. The system includes normal operation to ensure that unauthorized personnel do not gain access to the cockpit. Upon breach of security, the cockpit door is automatically locked by a computer on the ground. A false signal of security breach can be overcome by an authorized flight crew member communicating with ground control upon verification that the report of a false security breach is not made under duress. The system also allows emergency access to the cockpit in the event of a medical or other similar emergency.

The invention relates to a system for preventing unauthorized access to airplane cockpits.
Safety of airplane crew and passengers often depends on preventing unauthorized access to the airplane cockpit. Presently, only a weak cockpit door separates the cockpit from the remainder of the aircraft. Preventing unauthorized personnel from gaining control of the cockpit prevents control of the aircraft from being turned over to unauthorized personnel.
The prior art discloses several methods for preventing unauthorized access. U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,644 (Diaz) discloses a control chamber security system having first and second doors defining an access control vestibule. Magnetic locks are provided on the doors and are controlled by a control panel. A video camera monitors the vestibule.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,828 (Benore et al.) discloses an electronic security system having a lock system controlling access to a plurality of enclosures. The lock mechanism has a specific access code allowing opening and closing of the locks on the door to each enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,845 (Ord) discloses an airplane hijacking prevention system preventing access to a cockpit by a door which can be opened only from the cockpit.
The cockpit access protection system relies upon pass codes for an aircraft and utilizes the galley area as a security area to verify a person""s identity before allowing access to the cockpit. Upon breach of security, the cockpit door is automatically locked by a computer on the ground. A false signal of security breach can be overcome by an authorized flight crew member communicating with ground control upon verification that the report of a false security breach is not made under duress. The system also allows emergency access to the cockpit in the event of a medical or other similar emergency.
An aircraft cockpit security system has an aircraft cockpit, the cockpit having a cockpit door to grant access to the cockpit and a lock. A control center, remote from the aircraft cockpit, may be able to lock the cockpit door.
A system for securing a cockpit includes providing a cockpit door to block access to the cockpit and a galley door to form a galley. The galley may be located between the cockpit and the remaining portion of the aircraft. An indicator may be placed on the galley door to signal when the galley door is locked. Authorized personnel are allowed into said cockpit and the cockpit door is locked.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system for preventing non-flight personnel from entering the cockpit. It is another object of the invention to provide a cockpit security system that may be installed on any new or existing aircraft.
It is yet another object of the invention to enable pilots and other flight personnel to have use of the galley area of an aircraft under normal operating conditions.
It is still another object of the invention to provide pilots with a monitor to view activities outside the cockpit.
It is still another object of the invention to provide ground control with the ultimate authority to control cockpit access.
It is yet another object of the invention to allow for cockpit intervention by use of a security code in pilot medical emergencies or other similar hazardous situations.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a system that operates to insure against human error, poor judgement, or human intervention actions driven by compassion.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure of the invention.


This present invention compositions and methods of treating cancer and methods of accessing/monitoring the responsiveness of a cancer cell to a therapeutic compound.

DNA repair refers to a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as UV light can cause DNA damage, resulting in as many as 1 million individual molecular lesions per cell per day. Many of these lesions cause structural damage to the DNA molecule and can alter or eliminate the cell's ability to transcribe the gene that the affected DNA encodes. Other lesions induce potentially harmful mutations in the cell's genome, which will affect the survival of its daughter cells after it undergoes mitosis. Consequently, the DNA repair process must be constantly active so it can respond rapidly to any damage in the DNA structure.
The rate of DNA repair is dependent on many factors, including the cell type, the age of the cell, and the extracellular environment. A cell that has accumulated a large amount of DNA damage, or one that no longer effectively repairs damage incurred by its DNA, can enter one of three possible states: an irreversible state of dormancy, known as senescence; cell suicide, also known as apoptosis or programmed cell death or unregulated cell division, which can lead to the formation of a tumor.

Treating cancer deficient in FANCA, FANCD2, FANCE, or FANCG with an ATM inhibitor


In many data communications systems, crosstalk is a significant channel impairment. If all transmitters in such a system must utilize the same shaping function, and if the transmitters are furthermore nominally Nyquist bandlimited, then the crosstalk generally cannot be mitigated by equalization. However, by extending the bandwidth of the transmitted signal in accordance with the principles of the invention, the resultant crosstalk can be efficiently mitigated by equalization. This extended bandwidth signal is produced by adding significant additional energy outside the traditional Nyquist band.

The present invention relates to techniques used in data communications for mitigating the effects of crosstalk in communications channels.
Crosstalk is the unintentional coupling of signals in a communications system. In many communications systems, crosstalk is a significant impediment to reliable transmission. For example, telephone service to the home is typically provided over a simple `twisted pair` of wires, often referred to as a `loop`. A particular customer's loop is typically bundled with loops of other nearby customers in a common cable. The proximity of the loops within the cable results in electromagnetic coupling between the loops. If the coupling is sufficiently strong, it is possible for the voice signals on one user's loop to interfere with the intelligibility of conversations on other users' loops.
The degree of coupling between loop pairs within the cable increases with frequency, and generally speaking, at the low frequencies used for voice transmission, objectionable crosstalk between telephone loops is not a significant problem. Even modems which transmit data using signals in the voice-frequency band (at rates up to approximately 24 kbps) are not seriously affected by cable crosstalk. However, there are several applications presently under consideration for which unloaded bundled telephone loops or other twisted-pair cables would be used to provide megabit-per-second (and higher) data transport. At the high signaling rates necessary for these applications, crosstalk is the dominant impairment to reliable transmission.
Data signals generated by many commonly employed forms of linear modulation are known as cyclostationary signals. For example, see "Exploitation of Spectral Redundancy in Cyclostationary Signals, W. A. Gardner, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 14-36, April 1991. Thus, assuming such modulation techniques are used in the applications mentioned above, both the desired data signal and the crosstalk signals are cyclostationary. It has been realized that the effects of crosstalk among mutually interfering cyclostationary signals can be reduced by employing an adaptive fractionally-spaced equalizer (FSE) at the data receiver. For example, see "Minimum Mean-Square Equalization in Cyclostationary and Stationary Interference Analysis and Subscriber-Line Calculations," B. R. Petersen and D. D. Falconer, IEEE J. on Select. Areas Commun., August 1991; "Equalization in Cyclostationary Interference", B. R. Petersen, Ph.D. thesis, Oct. 31, 1991, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. The degree to which an FSE can mitigate the crosstalk depends strongly on the spectral relationships between the desired signal and the crosstalk signal at the input to the FSE; these spectral relationships in turn depend on the spectra of the transmitters. Furtherefore, for reasons of practical simplicity, it is desirable to impose the constraint that each transmitter use the same shaping function. Consequently, an important practical issue for these applications is to determine the particular transmitter spectral shaping function to be used for a given channel. For example, see "Suppression of Nearand Far-End Crosstalk by Linear Pre- and Post-Filtering", M. L. Honig, P. Crespo, and K. Steiglitz, IEEE J. on Select. Areas Commun., April 1992.
For the `classical` linear communications channel in which only noise, but not crosstalk, is present, the optimum transmitter shaping function under the minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) criterion has Nyquist spectral support. However, it is generally appreciated that the optimum MMSE transmitter for mitigation of crosstalk under the above constraints requires a transmitted spectral support greater than the Nyquist rate. This type of transmitter will be referred to as an `extended bandwidth` (EBW) transmitter. Unfortunately, analyses and simulations of crosstalk systems in the known prior art have provided no known general solution to the design of the spectral shapes for EBW transmitters which realize the near-optimum performance that is theoretically possible.

Extended bandwidth transmitter for crosstalk channels


A system for unloading a railcar includes an imaging system for generating a model of features of the railcar as the railcar enters an unloading station, and an actuation device in communication with the imaging system for identifying a capstan using model information and engaging the capstans to cause the discharge of material from the railcar.

Trains are used to transport a variety of different types of cargo, including granular or particulate bulk material such as feed, grain, soda ash, and sugar to name a few. Such bulk material is typically carried in hopper-style railcars which include at least one hopper discharge gate assembly. Hopper discharge gate assemblies are generally attached to the bottom of the railcar and include straight sidewalls and sloping end walls that together define a rectangular outlet opening. The gate assembly (or simply "gate") is operable to controllably discharge the bulk material contained in the railcar. More specifically, the gate may be moved laterally between an open position and a closed position by the operation of a rack and pinion drive mechanism powered by an actuation shaft.
The actuation shaft normally includes one or more pinion gears supported by the frame of the gate. Rotation of the shaft about its axis causes lateral movement of the rack coupled to the gate door, thereby opening or closing the gate. The actuation shaft extends laterally outwardly beyond the gate and includes a handle or capstan at one or both ends. The capstans may include any of a plurality of different drive surfaces such as a drive recess or a drive periphery. The drive surface is engaged by a gate opener configured to rotate the actuation shaft and operate the gate.
As is known to those familiar with the industry, it is highly desirable to unload the contents of railcars as quickly (and safely) as possible. In a conventional unloading operation, a railcar is directed through (or parked in) an unloading station. As the railcar moves through the station, a power gate opener, such as a pneumatic gate opener, is moved along with the railcar on a parallel track. The power gate opener is aligned manually with the capstan of the gate, and actuated to rotate the actuation shaft. The bulk material then falls through the gate under the force of gravity and/or is vibrated using a vibrating device to assist the flow of the material through the gate. The falling material lands on a conveyor situated under the railcar and is transported to a storage or shipping location. After the material has been removed from the railcar, the gate opener is again used to close the gate by rotating the actuation shaft in a reverse direction. This process is repeated for the other gates on the railcar and for other cars moving through the unloading station.
Even in unloading stations where the railcars are stationary during unloading, the alignment of the gate opener with the capstan is a difficult task. Moreover, because of the heavy equipment involved, the risk of injury is very high. These concerns are increased when railcars are moved through the unloading station during the unloading process.


A method and an apparatus for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers which realize high accurate nonlinear coefficient and wavelength dispersion value without influence of emitting power at measurement, length of test optical fiber, wavelength spacing of light source, and varying wavelength dispersion value of light source are provided. An apparatus is comprising a spectrum analyzer for measuring four wave mixing optical intensity generated in test optical fiber by emitting pump light and signal light to test optical fiber for each peak wavelength spacing, and for measuring optical intensity of a plurality of line spectrum constituting pump light and a plurality of line spectrum constituting signal light respectively, and an operating circuit for obtaining nonlinear coefficient and/or wavelength dispersion value by calculating so that maximum value of four wave mixing optical intensity in each spectrum wavelength spacing calculated from optical strength of line spectrum of pump light and signal light measured by spectrum analyzer coincides with measured value of four wave mixing optical intensity in each spectrum wavelength spacing measured by spectrum analyzer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers.
2. Prior Art
Recently, accompanied with explosive increase in data communication such as internet, rapid increase of data transmission capacity has been required. At present, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission system which transmits simultaneously a plurality of signal lights differed slightly in wavelength through an optical fiber has been used practically, and applied to a trunk transmission line and an undersea optical cable. According to this, enlargement of transmission capacity has been progressed rapidly, however, increase of wave number and increase of bit rate of signal light have been caused various problems. For example, different dispersion is occurred at both ends of using wavelength band width by inherent wavelength dispersion value of an optical fiber, therefore, problems of wave form deterioration after transmission and of nonlinear phenomenon are caused. The nonlinear phenomenon is caused by change of reflective index of an optical fiber constituting a transmission line, and four wave mixing (FWM) corresponds to this phenomenon. Especially, the problem is serious in case of a plurality of different wavelength signal lights are transmitted at long distance such as WDM transmission. These dispersion and nonlinear phenomenon may become main factor which deteriorates transmission quality. In order to solve these problems, development of an optical fiber suppressing nonlinear phenomenon is required, and accompanied with this, establishing a method for measuring nonlinear refractive index or nonlinear coefficient is required. Nonlinear refractive index n2 is a characteristic of an optical fiber constituting material, and nonlinear coefficient N2 is a characteristic of an optical fiber, by defining an effective core area of an optical fiber is Aeff, relation between n2 and N2 is expressed as equation (1).
N2=(n2/Aeff)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
According to equation (1), if effective core area Aeff is known, nonlinear refractive index n2 is calculated from nonlinear coefficient N2, therefore, method for measuring nonlinear refractive index n2 and method for measuring nonlinear coefficient N2 are substantially the same.
As a method for measuring nonlinear coefficient of an optical fiber, a method of emitting a pulse light to an optical fiber from a pulse light sauce, measuring phase shift from change of power spectrum wave form caused to signal light by self phase modulation, and obtaining nonlinear refractive index has been reported (R. H. Stolen and Chinlon Lin, Physical Review A, vol. 17, no. 4, p. 1448-1453 (1978)). This method is generally called self phase modulation (SPM) method.
Further, a method of emitting probe light and pump light modulated sinusoidally at predetermined frequency to an optical fiber, detecting probe light by delayed self heterodyne detecting, measuring phase shift of probe light caused by pump light, and obtaining nonlinear refractive index has also been reported (A. Wada et al, ECOC 92, p. 45 (1942)). This method is generally called mutual phase modulation (XPM) method.
Further more, a method of emitting two continuous wave (CW) light to an optical fiber, measuring optical intensity ratio between first siderove wave generated by SPM effect and measuring light, and obtaining nonlinear coefficient from relation between average input strength and optical intensity ratio has been reported (Boskovic et al, Optics Letters, Vol. 21, no. 24, p. (1996)). This method is called CW-SPM method, it became to be used mainly at present.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing measuring apparatus using CW-SPM method.
Signal lights from CW light source 1, 2 are arranged polarization state by polarization controller 3, 4, and coupled by optical fiber coupler 5. The coupled signal light is amplified by an optical amplifier 6 such as, for example, erbium (Er) added optical fiber amplifier. At this tome, since noise level is also amplified, noise level is lowed by bandpass filter 7. The signal light is amplified again by an amplifier 8, and emitted to a test optical fiber 10 through an optical fiber coupler 9. Wave form spectrum emitted from a test optical fiber 10 is measured by optical spectrum analyzer 13.
The optical fiber coupler 9 is to distribute emitted light, a power meter 12 is to measure emitted power, and a power meter 11 is to consider attenuation of emitting power by measuring rear Brillouin scattering.
FIG. 2 shows observed wave form measured by apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal axis showing wavelength and the vertical axis showing light intensity.
Measuring optical power intensity I0, I1 as shown in FIG. 8, and substituting obtained data for equation (2) and equation (3) with input power P measured by the power meter 12, n2/Aeff is obtained.
(I0/I1)={J02(xcfx86SPM/2)+J12(xcfx86SPM/2)}/{J12(xcfx86SPM/2)+J22(xcfx86SPM/2)}xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
xcfx86SPM=(4xcfx80n2/xcexAeff)LeffPxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
Where Jn is the first kind Bessel function, xcfx86SPM is the maximum phase shift and Leff is effective length of the test optical fiber 10.
In a conventional method for measuring nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers, there is a problem that high accuracy measurement is difficult.
In SPM method, nonlinear coefficient is determined by relation between maximum phase shift xcfx86SPM obtained by comparing output power spectrum wave form with theoretical wave form and optical power.
However, theoretical spectrum wave form shows time wave form of emitting light pulse being Gaussian as well as wave form having phase shift xcfx86SPM=0 to pulse peak, it is obtained by assuming condition that frequency chirp is not exist and can ignore effect of group velocity distribution of optical fiber. Therefore, in order to generate pulse light closing to an ideal, complicated adjustment work is needed.
Since, frequency chirp is included in actually generated optical pulse, generating complete ideal wave form being impossible, and difference from theoretical spectrum wave form being arisen, therefore, it is difficult to raise measurement accuracy.
XPM method is an indirect method for improving problem that SPM method is difficult to generate ideal pulse light. However, in XPM method, phase shift depends on relative polarization state of pump light and probe light, in a measurement of usual optical fiber which does not maintain polarization state, operation to take average of many polarization state is necessary to raise measurement accuracy. Further, because of indirect measuring method using two wavelength signal lights, measuring apparatus and analysis of measured data are complicated. Further more, since effect of group velocity distribution of optical fiber is ignored as well as SPM method, group velocity distribution of optical fiber may actually influence to measuring result.
Also in CW-SPM method used mostly at present, since effect of group velocity distribution of optical fiber is ignored, obtained nonlinear coefficient is differed greatly by emitting power at measurement, length of a test optical fiber, wavelength interval of two CW light sources, and wavelength dispersion value of light source wavelength.
It is pointed out that these three methods do not give coincident measurement results to the same optical fiber.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers which realize high accurate nonlinear coefficient and wavelength dispersion value without influence of emitting power at measurement, length of test optical fiber, wavelength spacing of light source, and varying wavelength dispersion value of light source.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers comprising, a process for emitting a pump light emitted from a first continuous wave light source and a signal light emitted from a second continuous wave light source to a test optical fiber by varying peak wavelength spacing between said pump light and said signal light, and measuring four wave mixing optical intensity generated in said test optical fiber at every peak wavelength spacing, a process for measuring optical intensity of a plurality of line spectrum constituting said pump light and a plurality of line spectrum constituting said signal light respectively, and a process for calculating so that maximum value of four wave mixing optical intensity in each line spectrum wavelength spacing calculated from said measured optical intensity of line spectrum of said pump light and said signal light coincides with measured value of optical intensity of four wave mixing in each peak wavelength spacing, and obtaining nonlinear coefficient and/or wavelength dispersion value.
Further, there is provided a method for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers comprising, a process for emitting a pump light emitted from a first continuous wave light source and a signal light emitted from a second continuous wave light source to a test optical fiber by varying peak wavelength spacing between said pump light and said signal light, and measuring four wave mixing optical intensity generated in said test optical fiber at every peak wavelength spacing, a process for measuring optical intensity of a plurality of line spectrum constituting said pump light and a plurality of line spectrum constituting said signal light respectively, and a process for calculating so that maximum value of four wave mixing optical intensity P1 (L) in each line spectrum wavelength spacing calculated from substituting measured optical intensity of line spectrum of said pump light and said signal light, and nonlinear coefficient N2 and wavelength dispersion value D(fk) as variable numbers for the equation
P1(L)=xcex7xe2x80x2(2xcfx80N2/xcexp)2Pp2Psexp(xe2x88x92xcex1L)[{1xe2x88x92exp(xe2x88x92xcex1L)}/xcex1]
(where, xcexp is wavelength of pump light, Pp is optical intensity of line spectrum of pump light, Ps is optical intensity of line spectrum of signal light, xcex1 is transmission loss of optical fiber, and L is length of test optical fiber)
coincides with measured value of optical intensity of four wave mixing in each peak wavelength spacing, and obtaining nonlinear coefficient and/or wavelength dispersion value from the value of said substituted nonlinear coefficient N2 and wavelength dispersion value D(fk) as variable numbers.
Where, xcex7xe2x80x2 is four wave mixing (FWM) efficiency expressed by equation,
                              η          xe2x80x2                =                                  {                                                    P                1                                                          (                                  L                  ,                                      Δ                                                              xe2x80x83                                                                                k                      xe2x80x2                                                                      )                                                                                P                1                                                          (                                  L                  ,                                                            Δ                                                                    xe2x80x83                                                                  k                                        =                    0                                                  )                                              }                                        =                                              [                                          α                2                            /                              {                                                      α                    2                                    +                                                            (                                              Δ                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                                k                          xe2x80x2                                                                    )                                        2                                                  }                                      ]                    [                      1            +                                          {                                  4                                                        exp                                                              (                                                                        -                          α                                                                                xe2x80x83                                                                        L                                            )                                                                                sin                      2                                                                                (                                              Δ                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                                k                          xe2x80x2                                                                                L                          /                          2                                                                    )                                                                      }                            /                                                                                {                                                exp                                                        (                                                                  -                        α                                                                                xe2x80x83                                                                  L                                        )                                                  -                1                            }                        2                    ]
where, xcex94kxe2x80x2 is phase adjustment factor expressed by equation,
xcex94kxe2x80x2=xcex94kxe2x88x92(2xcfx80N2/xcexp)(2Ppxe2x88x92Ps)[{1xe2x88x92exp(xe2x88x92xcex1Leff)}/xcex1Leff]
where, xcex94k is expressed by equation,
xcex94k=2|fpxe2x88x92fs|32xcfx80xcexs2D(fk)/c
(where, fp is frequency of line spectrum of pump light, fs is frequency of line spectrum of signal light, and xcexs is wavelength of line spectrum of signal light)
and Leff is effective length of test optical fiber expressed by equation.
Leff={1xe2x88x92exp(xe2x88x92xcex1L)}/xcex1
Further more, there is provided an apparatus for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers comprising, a first continuous wave light source for emitting a pump light, a second continuous wave light source for emitting signal light with different peak wavelength from said pump light and varying peak wavelength, a spectrum analyzer for measuring four wave mixing optical intensity generated in test optical fiber by emitting said pump light and said signal light to test optical fiber for each peak wavelength spacing, and for measuring optical intensity of a plurality of line spectrum constituting said pump light and a plurality of line spectrum constituting said signal light respectively, and an operating circuit for obtaining nonlinear coefficient and/or wavelength dispersion value by calculating so that maximum value of four wave mixing optical intensity in each spectrum wavelength spacing calculated from optical strength of line spectrum of said pump light and said signal light measured by said spectrum analyzer coincides with measured value of four wave mixing optical intensity in each spectrum wavelength spacing measured by said spectrum analyzer.
In the present invention, it is preferable that operating circuit is mounted in spectrum analyzer.

Method and apparatus for measuring wavelength dispersion value and/or nonlinear coefficient of optical fibers