An optical amplifier, or optical repeater, for amplifying wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light A first demultiplexer demultiplexes the WDM light into first and second lights corresponding to different wavelengths in the WDM light. First and second optical amplifiers amplify the first and second lights, respectively. A first multiplexer multiplexes the amplified first and second lights into a multiplexed light. A dispersion compensator compensates for dispersion in the multiplexed light. A second demultiplexer demultiplexes the dispersion compensated, multiplexed light into the first and second lights. Third and fourth optical amplifiers amplify the demultiplexed first and second lights, respectively. A second multiplexer multiplexes the amplified first and second lights from the third and fourth optical amplifiers into a WDM light. The optical amplifier can be configured so that the first and second lights travel through the dispersion compensator in opposite directions.

This application is based on, and claims priority to, Japanese application 10-249658, filed Sep. 3, 1998, in Japan, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical amplifier and optical amplification method for amplifying wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light which includes light in different wavelength bands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Research and development in the area of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication systems has resulted in a steady increase in the number of wavelengths being multiplexed together. In addition, the wavelength bands for transmission are being widened.
Furthermore, research and development is also advancing the development of WDM optical communication systems which utilize optical amplifiers as linear repeaters. With such WDM optical communication systems, a plurality of signal lights in a wavelength band of, for example, 1.53 to 1.56 xcexc(hereinafter referred to as a 1.55 xcexcm band), can be collectively amplified with an optical amplifier, thereby enabling large-capacity and long-distance light transmission with a simple construction.
In addition, optical communication systems which address band expansion of an optical amplifier have also been proposed. For example, optical amplifiers which can amplify signal lights in a long wavelength band of, for example 1.57 to 1.60 xcexcm (hereinafter referred to as a 1.58 xcexcm band) have been proposed.
For example, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional optical amplifier for amplifying WDM signal light which includes both signal light in a 1.55 xcexcm band (1.53 to 1.56 xcexcm) and signal light in a 1.58 xcexcm band (1.57 to 1.60 xcexcm). With typical optical amplifiers, in particular optical fiber amplifiers, it is difficult to obtain an equal gain over a wide band exceeding 60 nm. Therefore, the optical amplifier in FIG. 1 divides the WDM signal light into, for example, two bands of 1.55 xcexcm and 1.58 xcexcm, and obtains equal gains over the respective bands.
Referring now to FIG. 1, WDM signal light from a single optical fiber is demultiplexed by a WDM coupler 1 into WDM signal lights of a 1.55 xcexcm band and a 1.58 xcexcm band. Then, the WDM signal lights of the 1.55 xcexcm band and the 1.58 xcexcm band are directed to a 1.55 xcexcm band optical fiber amplifier section 2 and a 1.58 xcexcm band optical fiber amplifier section 3, respectively. The respective WDM signal lights amplified by optical fiber amplifier sections 2 and 3 are then multiplexed in a WDM coupler 4, and output to a single optical fiber.
However, various problems can occur with an optical communication system which transmits signal light over a wide wavelength band. For example, assume signal light of the 1.55 xcexcm band is transmitted over a long distance using an optical transmission path comprising, for example, a single mode optical fiber (SMF) which transmits the wavelength close to 1.3 xcexcm with zero dispersion. In this case, there is a problem that the transmitted waveform becomes distorted if the signal light is transmitted at a high transmission speed. This distortion is due to the wavelength dispersion characteristics of the optical transmission path.
For example, with a general 1.3 xcexcm zero dispersion SMF, there is a wavelength dispersion of approximately 18 ps/nm/km in the vicinity of 1.55 xcexcm. For example, in the case where a signal light of 1.55 xcexcm is transmitted 50 km, then a wavelength dispersion of 900 ps/nm (=18 ps/nm/kmxc3x9750 km) accumulates. This is generally referred to as primary dispersion, and indicates that a delay difference of 900 ps per wavelength amplitude of 1 nm is produced.
Whether or not this delay difference exerts an influence on the transmission characteristics is related to the time slot of the signal light. That is to say, in the case where the time slot of the signal light is sufficiently longer than the delay difference due to the wavelength dispersion, the influence on the transmission waveform is minimal. However when the time slot approaches the delay difference, the influence of the wavelength dispersion increases so that the waveform becomes distorted. In general, it is considered that if the transmission speed of the signal light per unit wavelength exceeds approximately 2.5 Gb/s, then compensation for wavelength dispersion is required. For example, in the case where the transmission speed of the signal light is 10 Gb/s, the time slot becomes 100 ps, and the wavelength dispersion of 900 ps/nm for the above mentioned case exerts a considerable influence on the transmission characteristics.
To compensate for the wavelength dispersion characteristics of the optical fiber transmission path, the light signal may be passed through a dispersion compensator having opposite wavelength dispersion characteristics to the transmission path. In the case of compensating for a wavelength dispersion of 900 ps/nm, a dispersion compensator having a wavelength dispersion of xe2x88x92900 ps/nm is used. For example, a dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) is widely used as such a dispersion compensator.
However, in the case where compensation is performed with a wavelength dispersion of 1.55 xcexcm as a reference, as the wavelength band of the signal light is increased, the compensation error increases as the deviation of the wavelength from 1.55 xcexcm increases.
For example, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing wavelength dispersion characteristics for a 1.3 xcexcm zero dispersion SMF. As shown in FIG. 2, the wavelength dispersion characteristic of a 1.3 xcexcm zero dispersion SMF has an incline with respect to wavelength. As a result, for example, a wavelength dispersion with respect to a signal light of 1.53 xcexcm becomes 18xe2x88x92xcex94S ps/nm/km, and a wavelength dispersion with respect to a signal light of 1.58 xcexcm becomes 18+xcex94L ps/nm/km. Consequently in the case where 50 km transmission is performed, then even if a dispersion compensator having a compensation amount of the abovementioned xe2x88x92900 ps/nm is used, the xcex94Sxc3x9750 ps/nm component is excessively compensated for with respect to the signal light of 1.53 xcexcm, while the xcex94Lxc3x9750 ps/nm component is insufficiently compensated for with respect to the signal light of 1.58 xcexcm. The wavelength dispersion produced due to this situation where the wavelength dispersion characteristics of the optical fiber transmission path have an incline with respect to the wavelength is generally referred to as secondary dispersion, and when the number of wavelengths of the signal light is large and the wavelength band is wide, it is necessary to perform compensation not only for primary dispersion but also for secondary dispersion.
As mentioned above, a high speed WDM optical communication system with a transmission speed per unit wavelength exceeding 2.5 Gb/s, using a 1.55 xcexcm band or a 1.58 xcexcm band as the band for wavelength division multiplexed signal light is, currently being developed. In realizing such a system, an important consideration is how to compensate for the primary and secondary wavelength dispersion to improve efficiency. Furthermore, it is considered that when wavelength dispersion compensation in the above mentioned wide wavelength band is collectively performed, a signal light of large power is transmitted to the dispersion compensator. Therefore, for example, a nonlinear optical effect such as cross-phase modulation (XPM) or four-wave mixing (FWM) is likely to occur, so that there is the likelihood of degradation of the transmission characteristics.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical amplifier and optical communication system of simple construction which can compensate for wavelength dispersion with respect to WDM signal light of a wide band. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wavelength dispersion compensation method which reduces the probability of the occurrence of nonlinear optical effects when transmitting WDM signal light.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which demultiplexes light into a plurality of wavelength bands according to optical wavelength and respectively amplifies the demultiplexed lights of the respective wavelength bands with a plurality of optical amplifiers. More specifically, the apparatus includes a plurality of optical amplifiers for amplifying the plurality of wavelength bands, a wavelength dispersion compensator for compensating for wavelength dispersion, and an optical multiplexor/demultiplexor. The optical multiplexor/demultiplexor takes out and multiplexes lights of respective wavelength bands from inside the respective optical amplifiers, and then inputs the multiplexed light into the wavelength dispersion compensator, and also demultiplexes the light output from the wavelength dispersion compensator into the respective wavelength bands and returns the demultiplexed lights to the respective optical amplifiers.
Preferably the respective optical amplifiers incorporate a pre-stage optical amplifier section and a post-stage optical amplifier section connected together in series, and the optical multiplexor/demultiplexor takes out light from between the pre-stage optical amplifier section and the post-stage optical amplifier section of each of the respective optical amplifiers. By having such a construction, light signals of an appropriate power are input to the wavelength dispersion compensator. Therefore, the occurrence of nonlinear optical effects and degradation of the optical SN ratio is suppressed.
Moreover, as a specific construction for the respective optical amplifiers, a variable optical attenuator may be provided between the pre-stage optical amplifier section and the optical multiplexor/demultiplexor. Furthermore, with the variable optical attenuator, preferably the light attenuation amount is controlled so that the power of the light output from the post-stage optical amplifier section becomes a fixed level. Preferably, the gains of the pre-stage optical amplifier section and the post-stage optical amplifier section are controlled to be constant.
In addition, preferably, the wavelength dispersion compensator is a dispersion compensating fiber, and the optical multiplexor/demultiplexor has two optical multiplexing/demultiplexing devices respectively connected to both end portions of the dispersion compensating fiber. Lights of adjacent wavelength bands of the lights first taken out from the respective optical amplifiers are respectively input to the dispersion compensating fiber via the different optical multiplexing/demultiplexing devices. Moreover, the respective optical multiplexing/demultiplexing devices may be optical circulators.
With such a construction, the signal lights of adjacent wavelength bands are respectively input from the respective end portions of the dispersion compensating fiber via different optical multiplexing/demultiplexing devices, and propagated in mutually different directions inside the dispersion compensating fiber. As a result, the situation where signal light of large power is concentrated at a specific portion of the dispersion compensating fiber is avoided, and the propagation directions of the lights of adjacent wavelength bands are opposite. Therefore, the probability of the occurrence of nonlinear optical effects in the dispersion compensating fiber is further reduced.
Furthermore, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an apparatus which demultiplexes light into a plurality of wavelength bands according to optical wavelength and respectively amplifies the demultiplexed lights of the respective wavelength bands with a plurality of optical amplifiers, and then multiplexes the amplified lights. The apparatus further comprises a first wavelength dispersion compensator for compensating for wavelength dispersion with a dispersion amount for a previously set wavelength as a reference, an optical multiplexor/demultiplexor which first takes out and multiplexes lights of respective wavelength bands sent to the respective optical amplifiers and then inputs the multiplexed light into the first wavelength dispersion compensator, and also demultiplexes the light output from the first wavelength dispersion compensator into the respective wavelength bands and returns the demultiplexed lights to the respective optical amplifiers. A second wavelength dispersion compensator separately compensates for the wavelength dispersion which is not completely compensated for by the first wavelength dispersion compensator, for each respective wavelength band.
With such a construction, in the case where wavelength dispersion for the respective wavelength bands cannot be compensated for by a single wavelength dispersion compensator, a first wavelength dispersion compensator for compensating for wavelength dispersion with a dispersion amount for a previously set wavelength as a reference is provided, and a second wavelength dispersion compensator for separately compensating for the wavelength dispersion which is not completely compensated for by the first wavelength dispersion compensator for each respective wavelength band is provided. In this way, an optical amplifier which can perform wavelength dispersion compensation with respect to the respective wavelength bands is realized with a comparatively simple construction.
Objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an optical communication system for multiply repeating and transmitting wavelength division multiplexed signal light using a plurality of optical amplifier repeaters connected in series via an optical transmission path. The plurality of optical amplifier repeaters are optical amplifiers which divide the light into a plurality of wavelength bands according to optical wavelength, and respectively amplify the demultiplexed lights of the respective wavelength bands with a plurality of optical amplifiers and then multiplex the amplified lights. The plurality of optical amplifier repeaters have first and second constructions.
The optical amplifier repeater of the first construction includes a plurality of optical amplifiers for amplifying a plurality of wavelength bands, respectively. A wavelength dispersion compensator compensates for wavelength dispersion of the wavelength division multiplexed signal light with a dispersion amount for a previously set wavelength as a reference. An optical multiplexor/demultiplexor takes out and multiplexes lights of respective wavelength bands sent to the respective optical amplifiers and then inputs the multiplexed light into the wavelength dispersion compensator, and also demultiplexes the light output from the wavelength dispersion compensator into the respective wavelength bands and returns the demultiplexed lights to the respective optical amplifiers.
The optical amplifier repeater of the second construction includes a plurality of optical amplifiers for amplifying a plurality of wavelength bands, respectively. A first wavelength dispersion compensator compensates for wavelength dispersion of the wavelength division multiplexed signal light with a dispersion amount for a previously set wavelength as a reference. A second wavelength dispersion compensator separately compensates for wavelength dispersion which is not completely compensated for by the first wavelength dispersion compensator, for each respective wavelength band. Preferably, the first construction optical amplifier repeater and the second construction optical amplifier repeater are positioned alternately one after the other.
With such a construction, when the wavelength division multiplexed signal light, which is multiply repeated and transmitted by the plurality of optical amplifier repeaters, passes through the optical amplifier repeater of the first construction, the wavelength dispersion characteristics of the optical transmission path are compensated for by one wavelength dispersion compensator. With this wavelength dispersion compensation, the dispersion amount for the previously set wavelength is made a reference, and sufficient dispersion compensation is not performed for all of the respective wave bands. Therefore, when the wavelength division multiplexed signal light passes through the optical amplifier repeater of the second construction, the wavelength dispersion which has not been completely compensated for is separately compensated for each respective wavelength band. As a result, the wavelength dispersion characteristics of the optical transmission path can be compensated for all of the plurality of optical amplifier repeaters. Consequently, since the optical amplifier repeater of the first construction has a simple construction, it is easy to realize an optical communication system incorporating a wavelength dispersion function.
Furthermore, objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a wavelength dispersion compensation method in which wavelength division multiplexed signal light is demultiplexed into a plurality of wavelength bands according to wavelength. The lights of adjacent wavelength bands of the demultiplexed lights are respectively input from different end portions of the dispersion compensating fiber, and the lights of respective wavelength bands respectively output from the respective end portions of the dispersion compensating fiber are multiplexed.
With such a construction, the lights of adjacent wavelength bands are respectively input from the different end portions of the dispersion compensating fiber and propagated in mutually different directions inside the dispersion compensating fiber. As a result, the situation where signal light of large power is concentrated at a specific portion of the dispersion compensating fiber is avoided, and the propagation directions of the lights of adjacent wavelength bands are opposite. Therefore the probability of the occurrence of the nonlinear optical effect in the dispersion compensating fiber is further reduced.

Optical amplifier for amplifying a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light including light in different wavelength bands


A system and method may include processing a task assignment request comprising a task type corresponding to a task and querying a database based on the task assignment request and on the task type to identify an agent profile and agent status information for the identified agent profile, the agent profile comprising identification information to identify an agent workstation. The system and method may further include determining whether to generate assignment information for assigning the task to the agent workstation based on the agent status information.

Effective communication is important for companies responding to the needs of their customers. Customers often use the telephone to call a company for ordering a service or for requesting assistance with a problem. Employing human customer service agents to respond to customer needs is expensive and hence companies seek to efficiently use their human capital. Companies may use call centers to distribute customer calls to customer service agents in an attempt to meets customer needs.
These and other embodiments and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the various exemplary embodiments.

Method and system for multimedia contact routing


One aspect of the invention provides a firing apparatus that provides an arcuate visual effect. The firing apparatus includes a motor, an enclosure housing the motor and an arm connected to a shaft of the motor for moving a pyrotechnic device such as a gerb. Another aspect of the invention provides a pyrotechnic system that includes a firing apparatus including a reciprocal motor, a firing arm having a first end connected to a shaft of the reciprocal motor and a second end adapted to emit an arcuate pyrotechnic effect, a control unit in communication with the firing apparatus for controlling operation of the reciprocal motor and an ignition unit in communication with the firing apparatus for initiating the pyrotechnic effect.

The fireworks industry has employed black powder-based pyrotechnic compositions in both stationary and projectile forms in the past to produce various different types of pyrotechnic displays. One common pyrotechnic that is used in pyrotechnic displays is a "gerb."
As known in the art, a gerb is a tube that is sealed at one end, has a nozzle at the other end and is filled with a pyrotechnic mixture containing at least an oxidant and a fuel. A gerb is somewhat similar to a rocket, providing a pyrotechnic effect that is similar to a vertical spray or fountain of flame, sparks or stars. However, unlike a rocket, a gerb is typically used as a stationary portion of a set piece and does not move. As is known, the nozzle, choke or restriction portion of the gerb increases the internal pressure to give more height to the spray of sparks and flame and to generally improve the burning efficiency of the pyrotechnic mixture. Gerbs typically include a clay nozzle with a prime situated adjacent the clay nozzle and in contact with an ignition source, such as an electric match, located within the nozzle opening. Other gerb structures are, of course, known and available in the marketplace.
In the past, gerbs typically have been used in stationary platforms to send sparks and flames upwardly from 5 to 45 feet and for short durations (e.g., less than thirty seconds). Although gerbs are generally used as stationary portions of set pieces, a specialized gerb known as a driver is used to provide motive force to a moving portion of a set piece, for example a wheel rotating in a vertical plane, such as a Catherine wheel or flying saucer. Such wheels and rotating pieces rely on an arrangement of gerbs, for example, three drivers arcuately separated from each other by one hundred twenty degrees about the wheel perimeter, to give sufficient motive force to turn the wheel, thereby providing a ring of fire visual effect.
While gerbs are commonly available and generally inexpensive, the range of pyrotechnic displays currently achievable with gerbs is fairly limited. Therefore, if a method and system were provided to substantially increase the range of visual effects achievable with gerbs, an important contribution to the art would be at hand.


Materials and methods for cell-mimetics having mechanical properties of biological neural axons are provided. A cell-mimetic device includes an array of fibers comprised of hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) or an HDDA derivative, and at least one derivative of polyethylene glycol (PEG) selected from the group consisting of: PEG-acrylate, PEG-diacrylate, and any multi-arm PEG-acrylate.

Currently available devices for the study of neurological diseases and neural cell interactions include two-dimensional (2D) stiff polystyrene tissue culture dishes, mixed neuronal-glial cell cultures, and organotypic culture using tissue slices. The first format, 2D polystyrene tissue culture dishes, oversimplifies an in vivo environment because it provides flat and stiff surfaces upon which cell cultures are grown, which are very different from three-dimensional (3D), topographically complex, and mechanically compliant neural tissue. The latter two formats are more similar to in vivo environments; however, there is inherent variability among neuronal cultures and tissue slices. Such cultures do not allow for systematic isolation of individual physical and chemical cues, which is necessary to understand underlying mechanisms. There is a strong need for devices that can provide an environment sufficiently similar to real neurons and neural tissue, while at the same time capable of delivering high reproducibility and reductionist structure. Such devices are critical to accelerate development of therapies for many currently incurable neurological diseases.


The present invention relates to the commercially viable process for in-vitro mass culture of Chlorophytum borivilianum. The present invention process for in-vitro mass culture of Chlorophytum borivilianum is simple, faster and suitable for production of disease free root tubers of uniform quality. The process of the present invention for in-vitro mass culture of Chlorophytum borivilianum employs media with low concentration of nutrients and phytohormones.

Chlorophytum borivilianum is a traditional medicinal plant in India, commonly known as Safed musali. It is partly a herb with sub-erect lanceolate leaves belonging to family Liliaceae, a family of 256 species distributed all over the world, with about 17 species found in India.
Predominantly Chlorophytum borivilianum is used as nutritive health tonic or health vitalizer especially for geriatric and general sexual weakness and also for motherhood where it is a curative for pre and postnatal problems as well as lactation enhancer. It is accepted as restorative for immunity improvement; hence it is also given for treating jaundice, gastro, and urinary track infection. Use of Chlorophytum borivilianum as a remedy for diabetes and arthritis has also been advocated. In Ayurvedic system of medicine, different preparations of Chlorophytum borivilianum are used for treatment of different symptoms or diseases. It is also a principal ingredient in many Unani and Tribal medicine mainly in Rajsthan and Gujarat. However the most popular use of Chlorophytum borivilianum roots is as Aphrodisiac and sex tonic for males
Moreover now it is being considered a neutraceutical and efforts are as to make chips and flakes from C. borivilianum roots in some countries
On account of its medicinal use in various disciplines like Ayurveda, Unani, and use in modern herbal products as well as its use by tribal healers, especially for its reputation as restorative tonic for males, there is a very vast demand for Chlorophytum borivilianum all over the world. To meet these huge demands there has been continuous ruthless depletion of Chlorophytum borivilianum. Although it was widely available in Indian forests demand is increasing rapidly in Indian and international drug markets. There is report for its foreign demand being estimated to be 300-700 tones annually, a quantity that Indian forests cannot support. In nature Chlorophytum is propagated through roots and roots are the medicinally useful part. Once the root is harvested from any place, the whole plant dies and reseeding never occurs at that place. Thus its depletion is much faster than the pace of its regeneration in nature.
Chlorophytum borivilianum is not under commercial cultivation as medicinal crop in any part of the world except in India. Due to ever-increasing requirement of Chlorophytum borivilianum and its high commercial value there have been attempts to in India to start commercial cultivation of Chlorophytum borivilianum. Cultivation by conventional propagation method is known to take long time for multiplication because of the low rate of fruit and seed set, poor seed germination and viability. It is reported that there is 8 months dormancy and seeds and germination percentage in the seeds of C. borivilianum is as low as 25-30 percent. Also often root and rhizome accumulate active ingredient only when they attain specific growth or development stage over a time. Furthermore the use of the root finger as means for propagating Chlorophytum borivilianum, as an alternate to seed would not be very good proposition since roots are the required organs for medicinal purpose.
However, the vegetative propagation through its fleshy roots is a very popular and easy method of commercial cultivation of Chlorophytum borivilianum. Two to five fingers along with the part of crown (depending on the length of finger) weighing between 8-15 gm is most suitable as planting material. Availability of the roots as a planting material at reasonable cost is one of the major problems of serious concern in large-scale multiplication of Chlorophytum borivilianum. Though there are some initiatives with respect to the commercial cultivation of Chlorophytum borivilianum, due to limited numbers of growers, the planting material is available at a very high cost which has made Chlorophytum borivilianum, very costly crop. There are also instances of many fungal species attacking this crop. The purchasers, that are new growers wanting to cultivate C. borivilianum unaware of these fungal infestations, buy and use these infested roots as planting material. Moreover in the name of the control, the farmers are reported to dip the infested roots in very high concentration of mercurial fungicide.
Besides high cost and poor availability of planting material, lack of technical information and proper market for the end produce are another restraint in large-scale cultivation of C. borivilianum.
Moreover, as per conventional cultivation practices, the C. borivilianum is a popular rainy season (kharif) crop in India and a commercial root harvest is obtained in 3-4 months. Thus limiting the cultivation of C. borivilianum only to specific period of the year that is monsoon, and thereby the fresh roots cannot be obtained round the year by such conventional cultivation methods. Moreover due to the uncertainty of rainfall, such rain dependant method of cultivation cannot always be relied upon for the market requirement.
Therefore, in view of the afore mentioned drawbacks associated with the conventional propagation methods, there exists a critical need for providing a method for Commercial propagation of C. borivilianum which is devoid of shortcoming of conventional cultivation, faster, and economical for large scale multiplication and can provide the planting material at an economical cost to the farmers.
Furthermore, due to the fact that there are more than 175 species of Chlorophytum reported in the world, they are used as ornamental plant, in India, it is treated as medicinal plant. There are about 13 species of Chlorophytum have been reported in India for example C. arundinaceum, C. tuberosum, C. laxum, C. breviscapum etc. All these species are totally different in medicinal properties but due to lack of correct information all species are known as Safed Musali in Indian drug market. In the reputed books of Ayurveda the plant mentioned as Safed Musali can be correlated only to Chlorophytum borivilianum.
Therefore in view of the above it is imperative to provide a means for in-vitro mass culture of Chlorophytum borivilianum for large-scale multiplication which is economical can also provide a reliable method specific to authentic Safed Musali that is correct species of Chlorophytum that is C. borivilianum and produce on the commercial scale the true to type clones of elite variety with disease free root tubers of uniform quality.

Commercially viable process for in-vitro mass culture of


To authenticate a user of a mobile communication device for login or transaction authorization, a first application on the device directs transmission of a request for authentication of the user to a security server. A second application on the device receives the request for authentication from the security server and directs presentation of the received request for authentication to the user by the device. The second application receives a user input to the device indicating that the requested authentication should proceed and in response directs transmission of an indication that the requested authorization should proceed, to the security server. In response to this latter transmission, the second application receives a PIN from the authentication server. The first application directs transmission of the PIN received by the second application to the network site, which validates the transmitted PIN, in order to authenticate the user or the transaction to the network site.

User authentication using techniques such as passwords, one time passwords (OTPs), hardware or software smart cards, etc., have all proven to be either too weak and susceptible to man in the middle (MITM) or man in the browser (MITB) attacks, or else have proven too cumbersome and expensive. The use of single sign on techniques such as OpenID, FaceBook Connect, etc., only make the problem worse as once the attacker has compromised the master account they can now break into all other accounts that rely on that initial login. Further, the focus of attackers has shifted from trying to break the login process to using sophisticated techniques to come in after the act of login and to attack the transactions being performed. This has made transaction authentication, the act of confirming if the transaction seen at the back end web server is identical to that intended by the user, even more important.
Out of band authentication (OOBA), a technique by which a transaction is relayed to the user, and confirmation obtained, using an alternate form of communication, for instance by placing a voice phone call or a text message, is a promising alternative, but is also to inconvenient and costly to be used very often. It might be useful for the highest value transactions, or rare events like password resets, but using it for large number of transactions is too costly and cumbersome.
In prior work (see the related applications identified above), we described an innovation that addresses some of these problems. Specifically, we introduced the notion of the establishment of a security server that communicates with an independent pop-up window on the user's desktop that is being used to access the website. We described how this security server can alert the user, via communications to the pop-up as to the legitimacy of the web site the user is browsing via their browser. We also described how this pop-up window can provide a user with a one time password to enable login into the web site (i.e. authentication of the user to the website), based on a secret shared between the web site and the security server. Of particular utility in this invention was that it provided the security of one time passwords, but did not require a per user shared secret which all prior one time password systems have required.
It is common when users browse an eCommerce web site for them to see Payment Buttons such as that provided by Paypal. When the user clicks on that payment functionality, the user is typically interacting directly with the payment provider. This means the user does not reveal their credentials, for authenticating to the payment provider, to the eCommerce site. This is an important feature that is no longer available when a user is interacting with the eCommerce site using a smartphone app the site provides.
The innovations described herein further extend our prior work to provide for efficient and secure login authentication and transaction authorization using smart mobile communication devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Secure and efficient login and transaction authentication using iphones# and other smart mobile communication devices


The invention relates to a circular knitting machine with knitting needles (4) and sinkers (25) for the production of plush fabrics. Each of a plurality of knitting systems has a means (71) for controlling the knitting needles (4) into a knock-over position and pattern devices arranged in front of this means (71). According to the invention, a first pattern device provided with a ground-thread guide (38) serves for selectively controlling the knitting needles (4) into a knitting or tucking position intended for the pick-up of ground thread (39) or a non-knitting position intended for the non-pick-up of ground thread (39). A second pattern device provided with a plush-thread guide (40) serves for selectively controlling the knitting needles (4) into a pick-up position intended for the pick-up of plush thread (41) or an intermediate position intended for the non-pick-up of plush thread (41). A third pattern device serves for selectively controlling the sinkers (25) at least into a first position intended for the formation of shorter plush-thread loops or a second position intended for the formation of longer plush-thread loops (FIG. 5).

The invention relates to a circular knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics which have a ground knit produced from ground threads and plush threads tied into said ground knit and comprising a needle cylinder with knitting needles intended for stitch formation, a sinker ring with sinkers intended for the formation of plush-thread loops, and a plurality of knitting systems, each with a means for controlling the knitting needles into a knock-over position after the pick-up of ground and/or plush thread.
Numerous embodiments of circular knitting machines for the production of plush fabrics are known. They have, as a rule, a needle cylinder provided with knitting needles and a sinker ring provided with sinkers. The plush fabrics obtained by them consist of what may be referred to as a ground knit, which is usually a fabric produced with a special ground thread and by the right/left or plain type of knitting, and of plush threads tied into the ground knit.
In plush fabrics of this type, pattern effects may be achieved, in particular, in that differently coloured plush threads are used or the plush threads are processed into plush loops of different length. The patternings mentioned first are designated as coloured patternings and the others as structural patternings.
To achieve coloured patterns, for example, circular knitting machines of the generic type designated in the introduction are known (DE 31 45 307 A1), in which first a ground thread and then, according to the pattern, one of a plurality of differently coloured plush threads can be inserted into all the knitting needles accommodated in the needle cylinder.
A particularly full and dense plush fabric is thereby obtained. A particular feature which, as a rule, is undesirable in coloured patternings of this type is due to the fact that floats occur wherever the plush threads are not inserted into the knitting needles. If floats of this kind extend over more than a few stitch wales, they disturb the visual appearance of the fabric. They are therefore eliminated by means of a shearing operation carried out after the knitting operation, the result of this, moreover, being that the plush loops formed are automatically cut open. The same applies correspondingly when plush fabrics having coloured patterns are produced by the plush threads being tied in partial rows into the ground knit, that is to say when in each stitch row, according to the pattern, only plush threads of a single colour are processed into stitches and laid in a floating manner therebetween, so that less full and dense plush surfaces are obtained. Consequently, all the plush fabrics described have, as a rule, what may be referred to as a velours surface, that is to say, when this knitting technique is employed, it is not possible to produce plush fabrics which have terry cloth surfaces provided with uncut plush loops.
One advantage of the type of knitting described is that it can also be used for the production of structural or high/low patterns. For this purpose, floats are formed in selected regions of a knit by means of all the plush threads which occur, so that, after the shearing operation, only the ground knit remains in these regions and is visually apparent (DE 39 27 815 A1, DE 197 07 053 A1). The formation of floats is in this case the equivalent to formation of loop-free zones or to a selection xe2x80x9cno plush loopsxe2x80x9d. The plush fabrics produced in this way, moreover, may be provided to a restricted extent with a coloured or knitted pattern by means of the additional insertion of float threads or further ground threads.
Coloured and structural patternings may, in principle, also be produced by means of other known circular knitting machines of the generic type designated in the introduction. For example, it is known (U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,527) to feed ground threads only to those knitting needles into which a plush thread is also inserted according to the pattern such that coloured patternings can be produced, in principle, only with the aid of partial rows. In plush fabrics produced in this way, therefore, the ground threads also float in the regions free of plush threads, in addition to the plush threads, which, on the one hand, may lead to a visually ugly appearance and to undesirable material properties and, on the other hand, entails the risk that, during the shearing operation, the ground-thread floats are also removed together with the plush-thread floats. To avoid this disadvantage, circular knitting machines are known (DE 30 24 705 A1) which serve the purpose oft when relatively long ground-thread floats occur, of controlling some selected needles into a knitting or tucking position, in order thereby to process the ground thread in the region of the floats partially into a stitch or to anchor it as a tuck stitch in the ground knit. Since the floating ground thread is tied into the ground knit at only a few points, there is at the same time the advantage that the number of tie-in points is kept low and no ugly bare gaps occur during the production of coloured patternings by means of partial rows. In addition, although it is also possible to provide comparatively wide regions in the plush fabric which have no plush loops at all, nevertheless, in this type of knitting, the main preoccupation is always to avoid long ground-fabric floats in regions having plush loops.
The circular knitting machines described hitherto are therefore all used, in particular, for the production of plush fabrics with coloured patternings. Existing pattern devices for the independent individual selection of knitting needles serve in this case merely for the purpose of separating those knitting needles which are to pick up a plush thread from the remaining knitting needles. By contrast, for all other patternings, in particular for high/low patterns in plush-thread regions or for knitted patterns in ground-thread regions, only cam parts are available which act on pattern butts, assigned to them, on knitting needles or on jacks assigned to these, so that the patterning possibilities are in this respect highly limited. This would in no way be changed even by the use of interchangeable cam parts which allow patternings, such as, for example, 1:1 tuck/float or 1:1 knit/float, and which are exchanged, as required.
A hitherto unavoidable problem of the circular knitting machines described is that the selection xe2x80x9cno plush loopsxe2x80x9d is possible only by the production of floats and the subsequent elimination of the floats by shearing. Consequently, knitted fabrics produced on these circular knitting machines, in so far as they are provided with structural patterns, always contain regions with stitches formed from ground and plush threads and regions with stitches formed solely from ground threads. In this case, in the regions free of plush threads, it is only the ground threads which determine the appearance of the plush fabric.
To avoid these properties which are not always desirable, circular knitting machines are known (U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,832, GB 1,104,859) which have pattern devices for selecting the sinkers and partially also additional pattern devices for selecting the knitting needles picking up the plush threads. The sinkers can in this case be controlled, according to the pattern, at least into a first position, in which plush loops are formed by means of a lower-lying sinker edge, or into a second position, in which plush loops are formed by means of a higher-lying sinker edge. The lower-lying sinker edges usually correspond in this case to those with which the ground-thread stitches are produced or looped. The plush loops produced by means of the lower sinker edges may in these cases also be designated as xe2x80x9cneutral loopsxe2x80x9d or no loopsxe2x80x9d. By these are meant, within the scope of the present invention, plush-thread loops which have essentially the same length as the ground-thread loops or legs and therefore, in the finished knit, lead to double stitches consisting of ground and plush threads, but do not appear as plush loops projecting beyond the ground knit. This affords the advantage that the selection xe2x80x9cno plush-thread loopsxe2x80x9d can be implemented by controlling the sinkers into the position intended for forming the shorter loops or the xe2x80x9cneutral loopsxe2x80x9d and the plush threads are processed in the regions free of plush loops, in the same way as the ground threads, so as to obtain smooth right/left or plain surfaces which, with correct plating, have the colour of the respective plush thread. The properties of the zones free of plush threads are therefore determined predominantly here by the plush threads, this being advantageous in some patternings.
Circular knitting machines of this type, set up mainly for the production of plush fabrics with structural patterns, have the disadvantage that, in practice, no coloured patternings can be produced and, despite the use of pattern devices in the form of pattern wheels or the like, the possibilities of structural patterning are limited. Moreover, the knitting needles can be controlled only selectively into one of two positions provided (knitting and non-knitting position), so that the ground knit can be provided at most with simple float/stitch patterns. The same applies, in principle, to circular knitting machines likewise already known, in which the sinkers can not only be brought into three positions, in order to form middle, high or no plush loops according to the pattern, but to which are also assigned interchangeable cam parts, in order to allow patternings selectively in the knit/float, knit/tuck or tuck/float types of knitting.
Finally, circular knitting machines are known (EP 0 629 727 B1), which are to make it possible to have both coloured patternings by the selection of the knitting needles according to a pattern and structural patternings by the selection of the sinkers according to a pattern, in order thereby to produce a plush knit which, in the same stitch row, possesses not only differently coloured plush loops, but also plush loops of different height. If, in a subsequent shearing operation, only the long plush loops are cut open and the plush-thread floats formed on the high sinker edges are removed, plush knits will then be obtained which have velours-like surfaces with high cut plush loops and terry-like surfaces with uncut plush loops of lesser height. It must be doubted, however, that this known method actually functions, since, for example, it is not clear how, with one and the same sinker control and in the same knitting system, differently coloured plush threads can be processed selectively into long or short plush loops and/or how floats are to be treated which are laid via sinker edges provided for short plus-thread loops. Moreover, such a circular knitting machine does not readily provide regions in a knitted fabric which are completely free of plush loops.
In view of the above it is a main object of this invention to design a knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics in such a manner that impoved patterning is possible.
A further object of this invention is to design a knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics in such a manner, that various knitted, colored and structural patterns can be produced.
Yet a further object is to provide plush fabrics having regions with plush threads and ground threads and regions only with ground thread by using one and the same knitting machine without a need for changing cam parts.
A further object underlying this invention is to design the circular knitting machine described above such that plush fabrics can be produced with various patterns both in fabric regions comprising plush threads and ground thread as well as in regions only comprising ground thread.
Further, an important object of this invention is to design the circular knitting machine identified above in such a manner that plush fabrics having long and short plush loops can be produced and that that short plush loops can be made by using different techniques.
The invention solves these and other objects by suggesting a circular knitting machine substantially as described above and having knitting systems with means for controlling the knitting needles into a knock-over position after the pick-up of ground and/or plush thread, said machine being characterized in accordance with this invention in that each of these knitting systems has, at a point located in front of the means, in the knitting direction, a first pattern device, provided with a ground-thread guide, for selectively controlling the knitting needles into a knitting or tucking position intended for the pick-up of ground thread or a non-knitting position intended for the non-pick-up of ground thread, a second pattern device, provided with a plush-thread guide, for selectively controlling the knitting needles into a pick-up position intended for the pick-up of plush thread or an intermediate position intended for the non-pick-up of plush thread, and a third pattern device for selectively controlling the sinkers at least into a first position intended for the formation of shorter plush-thread loops or a second position intended for the formation of longer plush-thread loops.
The invention for the first time affords the possibility of fully utilizing the advantages of patterning by needle control and the advantages of patterning by sinker control in one and the same circular knitting machines for the production of plush fabrics. It is thereby possible, in particular, to combine, virtually as desired, coloured and/or structural and/or knitted patterns in plush fabrics which have regions provided with plush loops and regions free of plush loops. If, according to a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the shorter plush-thread loops are formed via the same sinker edges as the ground-thread stitches, it is possible, moreover, to produce regions free of plush loops selectively by the formation of plush-thread floats or a subsequent shearing operation or by controlling the sinkers into the position provided for forming the shorter or neutral plush-thread loops. As a result, the visal impression of a ground-fabric portion located between two plush regions can be determined selectively by the coloured and/or knitted pattern of the ground thread or by the coloured and/or knitted pattern of the xe2x80x9cneutral sinker loopsxe2x80x9d covering the round threads, with the result that numerous new patternings are possible. The fact that, on each knitting system, only a single plush thread can be fed and the production of partial rows is therefore necessary for coloured patternings does not constitute an appreciable disadvantage in view of the multiple patterning possibilities.
Further advantageous features of the invention may be gathered from the subclaims.

Circular knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics

SIPRA Patententwicklungs-und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH


A printing-plate making apparatus is constructed such that a mode selecting switch adapted to change a master supplying process depending on properties of a master X is disposed on a housing 1 of the printing-plate making apparatus and various conditions, e.g., a master supplying process, locking member 4 for a master supplying roller 3, a temperature preset for a panel heater 33 and a compressing force given by press rollers 35a and 35b are automatically changed to optimal conditions corresponding to masters selected by the mode selecting switch. The printing-plate making apparatus is provided with a master heating switch on the housing 1 of the printing-plate making apparatus and when the master heating switch is actuated, applying of a certain voltage to at least a charger is stopped so that the panel heater 33 arranged at a fixing step is kept in the heated state so as to serve as a master heating unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a printing-plate making apparatus for making a master on which an original image for printing operations is formed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing-plate making apparatus of the foregoing type including master heating means for effectively performing a subsequent treatment for the purpose of removing a photosensitive layer on a non-image portion of a master made of an aluminum sheet as a base sheet wherein an image of an original is formed on a master plate coated with an organic photosensitive material.

Printing plate making apparatus for two different kinds of masters


An apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts has a raw material tank for storing and feeding raw materials, a belt for transferring raw materials, a level control guide for defining a thickness of raw materials on the belt, and a belt cover. The apparatus further includes a reversible belt drive motor for controlling a rotation direction of the belt forward and backward and a device for removing raw materials arranged at a backward side of the belt. In the case of supplying the raw materials at constant amounts, a normal operation of supplying the raw materials is performed by rotating the belt in a forward direction. In the case of removing the raw materials arranged on the belt and in the raw material tank, the raw materials are transferred to the device for removing raw materials arranged at a backward side of the belt by rotating the belt in a backward direction so as to remove the raw materials from the belt and the raw material tank.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts having a raw material tank for storing and feeding raw materials, a belt for transferring raw materials, a level control guide for defining a thickness of raw materials on the belt, and a belt cover, which can supply at constant amounts wet raw materials used when ceramic honeycombs are extruded.
(2) Prior Art Statement
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a known apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts, which can supply at constant amounts wet raw materials used when ceramic honeycombs are extruded. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts 51 comprises a belt 54, belt drive rollers 56 connected to a motor (not shown), a belt cover 52 for covering a roller 57 for measuring a weight of the raw materials on the belt 54 (weight measuring device is not shown) and so on, and a raw material tank 53 for feeding the raw materials arranged through the belt cover 52. The belt 54 functions to transfer the raw materials from the raw material tank 53 to a forming apparatus (not shown). Moreover, a numeral 55 is a level control guide provided to an under portion of the raw material tank 53. A level of the raw materials on the belt 54 can be controlled by varying a position of a tip portion of the level control guide 55 with respect to the belt 54. The level control guide 55 is preliminarily fixed by a bolt and so on to have a predetermined height prior to an apparatus operation start.
In the known apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts 51 having the construction mentioned above, after the level control guide 55 is set, the raw materials such as for example ceramic powders are supplied from the raw material tank 53 on the belt 54 moved in a forward direction. On the belt 54, the supplied raw materials are defined to have a constant width. Therefore, a constant amount of the raw materials can be transferred by setting the level control guide 55. Then, the raw materials are transferred to a raw material supply path 58 for the forming apparatus, which is arranged at a forward side of the belt cover 52. In this manner, the raw material supplying at constant amounts is performed.
In the known apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts 51 having the construction mentioned above, since the belt 54 is moved only in a forward direction, the raw materials to be removed due to a raw material change or a maintenance are once discharged to a forming apparatus side through the raw material supply path 58, and then new raw materials are supplied or a maintenance is performed. In this case, if the raw materials to be removed are supplied to the forming apparatus, it is not possible to perform the raw material supplying at constant amounts. Therefore, in the case of varying the raw materials or in the case of performing the maintenance, the raw materials to be removed are discharged through another path to an outside or the forming apparatus is once detached from the apparatus for supplying at constant amounts.
Moreover, if clods of the raw materials are generated, the clods get stuck on the level control guide 55 and a thickness of the raw materials becomes partly thin, so that it is not possible to perform the raw material supplying at constant amounts. Therefore, it is necessary to make a height of the level control guide 55 higher so as to pass the clods through the level control guide 55. In this case, there is a drawback such that a part of the belt cover 52 is detached. Further, the level control guide 55 is fixed after height adjustment prior to the raw material supplying. Therefore, there occurs a case such that the raw materials are not supplied at constant amounts if a supplying amount of the raw material is varied during operations. In this case, it is also necessary to adjust a height of the level control guide 55 again after the operations are stopped. Moreover, there is a drawback such that a thickness of the raw materials on the belt 54 is varied and thus becomes uneven. Further, there is a drawback such that, since the belt cover 52 is made of non-transparent plate, a raw material state on the belt is not observed, so that a stableness of supplying the raw materials at constant amounts with respect to the clods is not checked.
An object of the invention is to eliminate the drawback mentioned above and to provide an apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts which can remove the raw materials easily without supplying the raw materials to a forming apparatus, vary a thickness of the raw materials during operations, perform a visual observation of a raw material supplying state and make even a thickness of the raw materials on the belt, even if the raw materials to be removed due to a raw material change or a maintenance are discharged.
According to the invention, an apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts having a raw material tank for storing and feeding raw materials, a belt for transferring raw materials, a level control guide for defining a thickness of raw materials on the belt, and a belt cover, comprises: a reversible belt drive motor for controlling a rotation direction of the belt forward and backward; and a device for removing raw materials arranged at a backward side of the belt; wherein, in the case of supplying the raw materials at constant amounts, a normal operation of supplying the raw materials is performed by rotating the belt in a forward direction, and, in the case of removing the raw materials arranged on the belt and in the raw material tank, the raw materials are transferred to the device for removing raw materials arranged at a backward side of the belt by rotating the belt in a backward direction so as to remove the raw materials from the belt and the raw material tank.
In the present invention, since use is made of a reversible belt drive motor for controlling a rotation direction of the belt forward and backward and a device for removing raw materials arranged at a backward side of the belt, in the case of a raw material change or a maintenance, a belt rotation direction can be reversed and the raw materials to be removed remaining on the belt is supplied to the device for removing raw materials. Therefore, it is possible to remove the raw materials easily without supplying the raw materials to a forming apparatus.
As one preferred embodiment, a door member, which can be opened and closed, is arranged to a part of an under portion of the raw material tank. In this embodiment, during the raw material removing operation, clods do not get stuck on the under portion of the raw material tank if the door member is opened. Therefore, it is possible to perform the raw material removing operation more easily. Moreover, as the another preferred embodiment, inside raw material supplying states are directly observed from the outside by making a part of or an overall part of the belt cover transparent. In this embodiment, it is possible to observe the raw material supplying states on the belt more effectively. Further, as the further another preferred embodiment, an operation portion of the level control guide is arranged outside of the belt cover so as to operate the level control guide from the outside, and a level of the raw materials on the belt is controlled from the outside. In this embodiment, it is possible to control the raw material level from the outside easily. In addition, if a tip portion of the level control guide is inclined at a predetermined angle, it is possible to reduce an unevenness of the raw materials on the belt, and it is possible to perform a smooth raw material supplying operation.

Apparatus for supplying raw materials at constant amounts


The invention concerns a microscope (5) with a stand (1), in which an ARES component (71) is arranged for vibration compensation. A steady subject image is thereby guaranteed in particularly effective fashion.

Surgical microscopes are supported by stands that either rest on the floor or are mounted on the wall or ceiling. As a result of utilization of the microscope with its functions such as X/Y displacement, zoom adjustment, and release of the brakes in the articulated arms; or because of external oscillations caused e.g. by the vibrations of passing trucks or insufficiently vibration-isolated air conditioning systems, the microscope can be caused to vibrate, resulting in a visible unsteadiness of the microscope image.
In order to eliminate a visible unsteadiness, there are solutions that are used in photographic lenses and field glasses such as those published e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,458 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,813 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,630, U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,498, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,032, U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,378, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,462, U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,671, U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,561, U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,293, U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,230, U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,540, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,862, and in "Zeiss Information" 4 (1995) No. 6, page 24. With these known solutions, the troublesome vibration is sensed either electronically or mechanically, and an optical constituent (e.g. a lens or a prism) is then moved or adjusted in order to compensate for the vibration. This motion or adjustment occurs in regulated fashion, by means of either a motorized drive or mechanical lever forces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,896, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,936, DE-A-43 42 717, and DE-A-43 42 538 also describe comparable systems for surgical microscopes. Here as well, vibrations of the system are measured so as thereby to counter-control an optical element, in this case the main objective.
The description below, especially that of disadvantages, is confined to surgical microscopes, although the invention can also be used successfully with other devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,896, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,936, DE-A-43 42 717, and DE-A-43 42 538 describe a solution for surgical microscopes in which vibrations of the system are measured. Motors that can move the main objective relative to the microscope in the X/Y plane compensate for this vibration, so that the subject image appears relatively steady in the eyepiece.
An important disadvantage with this known solution occurs because the objective's vibration is compensated for only in the X/Y plane. In the Z direction it continues to vibrate in undamped fashion. Vibrations that can no longer be compensated for by the depth of focus of the objective therefore have a severe impact on the contrast and sharpness of the subject image.
A further disadvantage is also that the entire microscope can continue to vibrate relative to the observing surgeon; in some circumstances, as a result of excessive vibration he or she can lose the exit pupil or be presented with a vignetted image.
In order to eliminate the latter disadvantage, an obvious choice is to compensate for vibrations of the entire optical system. Such solutions have been proposed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,896, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,936, DE-A-43 42 717, and DE-A-43 42 538.
Here motors move the entire microscope in the X/Y plane in order to compensate for vibrations, so that the subject image appears relatively steady in the eyepiece. Here again, however, no compensation is performed in the Z direction, and it is disadvantageous that the motors must move greater masses.


Photoemulsion is reduced with a combination of reducing sugar and sodium borohydride, resulting in increased silver recovery.

For both economic and environmental reasons, silver is recovered from photoemulsions. The photoemulsion may be from exposed and developed film, undeveloped film (green film), or unused emulsion, e.g., emulsion which does not meet specifications. The silver exists in the emulsion primarily as silver halide. The emulsion also comprises gelatin which encapsulates silver halide particulates and generally a latex, such as acrylic latex or styrene/butadiene latex. Photoemulsions are aqueous; water comprising upwards of 80% by weight.
Silver recovery involves reduction of the silver in the silver halide to its zero-valance, metallic state to produce a silver-containing sludge, drying and burning the sludge in a kiln to remove organic components, and successive melting/purification of the metallic silver content obtained thereby.
The present invention is directed to reduction of the silver halide content by the combination of sodium borohydride (NaBH.sub.4) (SBH) and reducing sugar, which combination achieves a greater recovery of silver than reduction obtainable with either reducing agent alone. Reduction of silver halide using either reducing sugar or SBH alone are known. Reducing sugars are those sugars that give positive oxidation tests in Tollens' or Benedicts' solutions and are generally mono- or di- saccharides capable of reducing copper or silver salts in alkaline solutions. Also included as reducing sugars are polysaccharides which hydrolyze to yield polyhydroxy aldehydes and ketones. Generally, all carbohydrates containing a hemiacetal group or hemiketal group are classified as reducing sugars. Common examples of reducing sugars are sucrose, fructose, and glucose.
Sodium borohydride reduces sugar halide according to the formula: EQU 8AgX+NaBH.sub.4 +2 H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.NaBO.sub.2 +8HX+8Ag.sup.0,
where X is a halide. Thus, one mole of SBH reduces 8 moles of silver halide. SBH in aqueous solution is typically at about 12% by weight in about 40% by weight NaOH (e.g., VenMet.sup.R solution sold by Morton International, Inc.); stoichiometrically, about 8 parts by weight of silver metal are reduced by 1 part by weight of 12% SBH solution.
There are disadvantages with reduction by either reducing sugar alone or sodium borohydride alone which limit silver recovery. While either will reduce a major portion of the silver halide, it is to be appreciated that in silver recovery, each additional percent recovery is significant from economic, environmental and apparatus standpoints. Reduction by reducing sugar is highly pH-dependent, being optimal at a pH of about 12. However, due to hydrogen halide being produced by the silver reduction, it is difficult to maintain such a high pH. Consequently, reduction of silver halide by reducing sugar may be less than desired.
SBH efficiently reduces silver halide that is freed from emulsion; however, it is found that SBH does not reduce silver halide which remains emulsified, e.g., in gelatin. Applicants have found, for example, that a silver halide reduction with SBH may produce a reduced sludge which titrates to a very low silver halide content, but that the sludge, when roasted, takes a heavy corrosive toll on the kiln. This is attributed to residual silver halide content which remains encapsulated in the latex or gelatin.
One way to break the emulsion is to dry the emulsion to a powder and then reconstitute the silver halide in water prior to adding the silver halide. Because a photoemulsion is largely water, i.e., upward of about 80% by weight, substantial energy is required to produce the powder. In reconstituting, it is typical to use large volumes of water so as to provide a viscosity consistent with standard mixing apparatus. The present invention is directed to providing enhanced silver halide reduction from photoemulsion which need be neither dried nor reconstituted and to which a minimal amount of water is added.

Reduction of silver halides in photoemulsion using sodium borohydride and reducing sugars


A developer zone is provided for use by developers. A method for providing a developer zone may include receiving a request, initializing a provisional computing device, initializing a development computing device, copying data to the provisional computing device, then to the development computing device. A method for providing a developer zone may include copying data from a secured computing device to a provisional computing device, initializing a development computing device, loading at least a portion of the copied data from the provisional computing device to the development computing device, and developing a software package on the development computing device. Using a developer zone may include logging into a terminal server, requesting a copy of at least a portion of secured data, wherein the portion of secured data is first copied onto a provisional computing device and then loaded onto the development computing device, and inputting instructions at the terminal server.

Organizations typically create a secure computing environment to create, test, and run programs using secured source code. A secure or protected computing environment may be necessary because during the creation and testing phase, sensitive information such as protected source code and systems such as protected servers may be exposed to the developer. If a developer has access to these protected resources, there exists the possibility that malicious or destructive code may be introduced into the organization's systems that may hinder or completely halt business operations as well as release confidential information to unknown sources. The threat of exposure is an issue because organizations may use outside resources to develop, test, and implement computing programs. These outside resources, which may not have the same level of controls placed upon inside resources, may include developers as well as third party commercial off-the-shelf software packages (COTS).

Systems and methods for a development environment

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


A pleated stand-up packaging pouch has a rib in a pinch form which is formed by adhering inner faces of end edges of the packaging material and at least one pleat which is formed by folding the pleated stand-up packaging material in a three-ply strip form in the orthogonal direction to its longitudinal direction and adhering inner faces of the folded portions, and is characterized in that the pleat formed on an edge between a folded bottom face portion and a peripheral portion extends from the peripheral portion in the same plane as the peripheral portion, and the bottom face portion and an upper end of an underside face of the pleat form a substantially right angle, and the pleat has a cut-off portion at the portion where the pleat and the rib cross.

Conventionally, the stand-up packaging pouch which includes a rib in a pinch form formed by adhering inner faces of end edges of a packaging material and on which at least one pleat extends in the direction orthogonal to its longitudinal direction has been used. In the conventional stand-up packaging pouch, edges are formed between a folded bottom portion and front, rear, and side face portions, and the pleat extends in the same plane as the front, rear, and side faces (refer to the patent publication 1).
Further, in the conventional stand-up packaging pouch, the pleat is formed at its lower end by folding it in a three-ply strip form and applying a heat seal to the folded inner faces to conceal its bottom face portion. This causes the hermetical pleat with no wrinkles to be obtained.
However, as shown in FIG. 10, in the packaging material which includes a rib in a pinch form formed by adhering inner faces of its end edges, there was a technical problem that it is difficult to apply a heat seal to a cross portion between the rib and the pleat which is positioned orthogonal thereto and to sharply bend the cross section. In FIG. 10(a), the rib 71 is formed in a pinch form by adhering inner faces of end edges of the packaging material 70. In addition, at least one pleat 72 is formed by folding the packaging material 70 in a three-ply strip form in the direction orthogonal to its longitudinal direction and adhering the folded inner portions. As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the rib 71 is inclined in one direction. The portion 73 where the rib 71 and the pleat 72 cross is formed. As shown in FIG. 10(c), the cross portion 73 is positioned to be edges between a bottom face portion and an outer peripheral portion in a case where the packaging material 70 is folded in order to form the bottom face portion on its lower end. FIG. 10(c) shows a situation in which the plane packaging pouch is formed into a packaging body in a three dimensional form.
There are two technical problems with respect to the packaging body in FIG. 10(c).
Firstly, the heat seal can be imperfect due to the crossed rib. Such technical problem is explained with reference to FIG. 11 (b). FIG. 11 (b) shows a cross section at the cross portion 73 where the rib 71 and the pleat 72 cross, more specifically, a cross section along with X(b)-X(b) in FIG. 10(c). The reference numbers 72a to 72f indicate pleats, and the inner faces of the pleats 72a and 72b, the inner faces of the pleats 72c and 72d, and the inner faces of the pleats 72e and 72f, are heat sealed, respectively. The inner faces of the rib 71a and 71b are heat sealed in a pinch form to form a rib. In a case where the end edges of the packaging material are heat sealed in a pinch form after the pleat is formed by the heat seal, the side of the rib 71a are heat sealed from above the pleats 72a and 72b, while the side of the rib 71b are heat sealed from above the pleats 72c and 72d. In general, the heat seal is applied in such a way that an outer face of the packaging material is pressed by a heated heat sealer. In a case where the ribs 71a and 71b are heat sealed, the pleats 72a and 72b, and the pleats 72c and 72d are positioned so as to sandwich the ribs 71a and 71b in a pinch form, whereby the heat transmission from the heat sealer to the ribs 71a and 71b can be blocked. If the heat seal is applied in such a situation, the heat seal can be imperfect due to the fact that the heat transmission from the heat sealer only to the cross portion 73 where the rib 71 and the pleat 72 cross can be insufficient.
Secondly, the lower end of the packaging material 70 is bent in order to form the bottom face portion and the pleat is positioned to be the edge between the bottom face portion and the outer peripheral portion. The rib is formed by substantially laminating a plurality sheets of the packaging material, since the pleats where two sheets of the packaging material are substantially laminated are adhered in a pinch form at the bent portion. In a case where the bottom of the packaging material is formed, it is necessary to fold the rib at a substantially right angle. In such a case, seven sheets of the packaging material are laminated at the bent portion, since the rib is bent in either right or left direction to be inclined. As shown in FIG. 11(b) showing the cross section of the bent portion, the seven sheets 71a, 71b, 72c,72d,72e,72f, and 74 of the packaging material are folded. More specifically, the ribs 71a and 71b press the pleats 72c, 72d, 72e and 72f from outside (FIG. 11(b)), so that the pleats 72c,72d,72e and 72f are forced to be curved, and as a result, a stability and an aesthetic appearance are worsened.
The patent publication: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 2003-191963

Pleated stand-up packaging pouch, pleated stand-up packaging body, feed roll for pleated stand-up packaging body, and method of manufacturing pleated stand-up packaging body


A fuel supply apparatus for an engine in which calculation of a manipulated variable of a fuel pump in response to a deviation between a fuel pressure detected by a fuel pressure sensor and a target value is carried out, is configured in a manner such that when the fuel pressure sensor is failed, a change in the fuel pressure is estimated based on a required fuel flow amount of an engine, a discharge amount of the fuel pump and a fuel pressure detected immediately before the fuel pressure sensor is failed, so that deciding of the manipulated variable of the fuel pump is made, based on the estimation value. A method of controlling the fuel supply apparatus to realize the controlling of the fuel pump based on the manipulated variable is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply apparatus for an engine, for controlling a fuel pump so that a fuel supply pressure applied to a fuel injection valve approaches a target value, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent National Publication of Translated Version No. 2000-511992 discloses that, in a fuel supply apparatus for operating a fuel pump based on both a fuel pressure detected by a pressure sensor and a reference pressure, in the case where an abnormality in the pressure sensor is detected, the fuel pump is operated based on a required engine fuel amount and an engine rotating speed.
When the abnormality in the pressure sensor is detected, a discharge amount required for the fuel pump after an occurrence of the sensor abnormality depends on whether or not a pressure inside a fuel piping is boosted to the vicinity of a target pressure.
However, in the case where the fuel pump is operated based on both the required engine fuel amount and the engine rotating speed as in the conventional technology, since the fuel pump is operated so as to compensate for the fuel consumption, there is a problem in that the pressure inside the fuel piping cannot be boosted, resulting in the significant discrepancy between an actual fuel pressure and the target pressure.
Namely, in the fuel pump controlling operation based on both the required engine fuel amount and the engine rotating speed, although the fuel pressure can be held constant, the fuel pressure cannot be changed and consequently, sometimes, the fuel supply at the target pressure cannot be achieved.

Fuel supply apparatus for engine and control method of same


Voice feature data extracted from an input voice signal are stored in a first memory. Of the stored voice feature data, feature data having a predetermined duration defined by the output from a word boundary detection section are read out by a re-sampling section, and are stored in a second memory. The voice feature data which are normalized along the time base in this manner are supplied to a similarity computing section together with reference pattern data, and a category pattern corresponding to the resultant maximum similarity is determined in a determining section and outputted as a recognition result of the input voice.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pattern recognition apparatus for recognizing an input signal and, more particularly, to a pattern recognition apparatus suitable for implementation of an integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional arrangement of a speech recognition apparatus as one type of pattern recognition apparatus. A voice signal input by a voice signal input means such as microphone 10 is supplied to acoustic analysis section 11. In section 11, voice features such as frequency spectra are analyzed in units of predetermined frame lengths (normally, several ms to several tens of a ms), and feature data is time-serially extracted. The time-series data is stored in memory device 12, and a word boundary, i.e., start and end points of an effective voice is detected by word boundary detection section 13. The start and end points of the effective word detected by section 13 are supplied to address table 14 of memory device 12. Based on an output address from the address table 14, a data string in a specific voiced period or with a set of word boundaries is fetched from memory device 12 as recognition data, and is supplied to similarity computing section 15.
Reference pattern memory device 16 stores a large number of reference pattern data. Similarity computing section 15 performs similarity computation between these reference pattern data and the data strings fetched from memory device 12. The computation result is supplied to determining section 17, and voice data corresponding to the reference pattern having the maximum similarity is output as a recognition result.
A word period duration when the reference pattern data is stored in memory device 16 does not often coincide with an input word period duration to be recognized. For this reason, when data to be recognized is fetched from memory device 12, the fetched data is time-serially normalized in correspondence with the duration of the reference pattern data, and then, the similarity computation must be performed.
Various time-series normalizing methods of input pattern data have been proposed. However, these methods must use complicated apparatuses, and a high recognition accuracy cannot be obtained.

Pattern recognition apparatus using a plurality of candidates