A method of applying a clear glass primer material and then a black glass primer material onto the marginal edge (40) of a vehicular window glass (42), such as a windshield and/or rear window of an automobile, in which a dispenser (38) is employed to discharge a clear primer material in discrete streams or drops and in which a black primer material is conformally coated onto the clear primer material by another dispenser (36). The clear and black primer materials are able to be applied to the window glass in a single pass operation.

The assembly of the windshield, rear window and other glass elements of a vehicle to their associated body flanges is an important operation in the manufacture of vehicles, particularly from a safety standpoint. The federal government requires vehicles to pass a windshield retention test, and the materials which are used to assemble the windshield to the body flanges of the vehicle must be properly applied in order to pass the test and avoid expensive recalls.
The preparation of the windshield and associated body flange of a vehicle for assembly involves a number of operations. With respect to the windshield, glass manufactures supply automobile windshields with a "blackened area", i.e., an area of predetermined width along the marginal edge of the windshield which is covered with a black, ceramic frit having a roughened surface. It is the responsibility of the automotive manufacturer to prepare this blackened area for assembly to the body flange of the vehicle. First, a clear glass primer material is applied to the blackened area, usually with a wet brush manipulated by a robot or other automated brush mover. The primer may be applied to the bristles of the brush by dispensing the primer through the center of the brush. Preferably, a felt wick is dragged by the robot immediately behind the wet brush to wipe dry the clear glass primer, and to force the clear glass primer into the roughened surface of the blackened area. The clear glass primer prepares the blackened area for receipt of a coat of black glass primer material.
The next step in the preparation of the windshield for assembly to the vehicle body flange involves the application of a black glass primer over the area which had been previously coated with the clear glass primer. One method of applying the black glass primer to the windshield involves a manual operation using a flow brush or the like. This method is labor-intensive, and human applicators are prone to dripping some of the black glass primer from the brush onto areas outside of the blackened, ceramic frit. Such drips onto the clear portion of the glass are unacceptable and may require rejection of the windshield for use. Alternatively, the black material may be applied similarly to that used for the clear primer.
Another method shown schematically in FIG. 1, is to provide a continuous stream or intermittent streams, or drops, of primer onto the windshield which are then distributed by a trailing pad of felt. A coating tool assembly 10 has been employed which carried two dispensing guns 12, 14 and a gripper assembly 16 which carries a pad or wick of felt 18. The dispensing guns 12, 14 have been oriented at an angle A which is substantially less than 45.degree. from the vertical centerline CL of the gripper assembly 16. For example, assemblies have been used wherein the angle A has been in the range of 20.degree.-25.degree.. In this manner, the stream or drops 20 of fluid are dispensed substantially in front of the felt 18, the direction of movement of the assembly being indicated by arrow 22, were the trailing pad of felt is used to distribute and wipe the excess of the material from the glass 24. One problem with this method is that splashing of the primer outside of the blackened area onto the clear portions of the window may occur. Another problem is that with a continuous stream of fluid, it is difficult to control the exact amount of fluid applied to the glass.
Another means of applying the black glass primer onto the marginal edge of the windshield is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,367 to Thorn et al. This patent discloses an apparatus which comprises a liquid spray nozzle, an air nozzle and a vacuum device which are movable as a unit upon a robot arm relative to the marginal edge of a windshield. The liquid nozzle sprays atomized black glass primer material in a triangular pattern onto the edge of the windshield. In order to prevent oversprayed, atomized black glass primer from being deposited onto the clear portion of the windshield, the air nozzle directs a stream of air from the interior of the windshield outwardly so as to force any oversprayed primer particles away from the interior or clear portion of the windshield. The vacuum device is located beneath and alongside the peripheral edge of the windshield to draw a vacuum and collect the oversprayed primer particles which do not adhere to the glass.
While systems of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,367 are intended to avoid the drippage problem obtained with manual application of the black primer, it has been found that the application of at least some black glass primer onto the clear portion of the windshield can still occur. The vacuum device is not completely effective in collecting the oversprayed, atomized black glass primer discharged from the liquid nozzle, and some of this oversprayed black glass primer can fall onto the clear portion of the windshield.
The function of the black primer is to bond to the clear glass primer and to provide a good bonding site to beads of adhesive or sealants, such as illustrated in EPO 379 908 assigned to Essex Specialty Products, Inc. in the assembly of automobile windshields. The black primer also acts as a blocking agent for blocking the transmission of ultra violet light to the beads of adhesive or sealant. The ceramic frit does not completely block the transmission of ultra violet light. Therefore, improper application of the black primer may result in improper bonding of the adhesive/sealant and/or the degradation of the seal due to the ultra violet light.
In an automotive assembly plant, the overall time necessary to manufacture a vehicle is important. Each phase of the assembly operation is reviewed to maximize efficiency. All of the above methods require two passes about the periphery of the glass, one pass for the clear primer and a second pass for the black. It is therefore desirous to reduce the number of passes necessary for preparing the glass, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary to prepare the glass for assembly.

Method of applying priming coating materials onto glass elements of vehicles


Methods of making a wood enhancement agent treated engineered wood product. The wood enhancement agent includes at least one of a preservative, a water repellant, a fungicide, an insecticide, a stabilizing agent, wax, an ultra-violet light inhibitor, and combinations thereof, and may also include an antioxidant. The wood enhancement agent is incorporated into the engineered wood product during a billet making process or after forming the billet. The wood enhancement agent may be applied simultaneously with a bonding agent or at a later time, for example applied to a scrim log mat during a pre-press process or inside a steam press chamber. Alternatively, the wood enhancement agent may be applied to a warm billet after steam press, or to a reheated billet, by dipping, spraying, flood coating, diffusion, vacuum impregnation, pressure, or a combination thereof.

In North America there are a wide variety of forest tree species. Many of these tree species make excellent durable building materials, while other tree species quickly decay or are prone to be riddled by insects. It has been found that a variety of tree species endure because they comprise natural preservatives that repel insects and discourage decay. Included in this grouping of naturally insect and decay resistant varieties of trees are cypress, cedar, chestnut, and live-oak trees. However, as the demand for housing has grown, the supply of these trees has proven to be insufficient to keep pace with the demand for durable products that are manufactured from the trees.
One approach to increasing the supply of structural wood products is to use younger tree stocks to make engineered wood products. Engineered wood products or "EWP," also referred to as "structural composite lumber" or "SCL," are fiber-glue composites made by various processes. EWP products are different from panel type products such as plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), particle board, and the like. EWP products can be manufactured to any length, offering an advantage over normal wood members which are limited in length by the size of available raw wood. Systems and methods for manufacturing engineered wood products are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/162,747 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0086427) entitled "A System and Method for the Manufacture of Reconsolidated or Reconstituted Wood Products," and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/162,748 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0060290) entitled "Systems and Methods for the Production of Steam-Pressed Long Fiber Reconsolidated Wood Products," the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
As described in the referenced and incorporated patent applications, the process of making engineered wood products initially involves crushing and scrimming of small logs into long strands or scrim. After drying and adding adhesives and/or bonding agents to the wood strands or scrim, the wood strands or scrim are reconstituted into billets, and then the billets are formed into beams and other engineered wood products by using steam press technology in which steam and/or pressure are utilized to produce high quality engineered wood products. Although engineered wood products are often made from scrim, those skilled in the art will understand that such products can also be made from strands, veneers, fibers, and combinations thereof.
In response to the limited supply of naturally insect and decay resistant trees for the production of lumber products and the use of less resistant tree stock for making EWP, modern builders have developed processes to add man-made preservatives to lumber products that are produced from non-insect and decay resistant tree species in order to produce large amounts of durable commodity building products needed today. Presently, there are processes that use pressure to introduce chemical preservatives into the structure of wood or a wood product. The wood or wood product to be treated is initially inundated in preservative chemicals, and thereafter placed into a pressure vessel and pressurized in order to force chemical preservatives into the wood structure and thus become a barrier against insects and decay. Common chemicals that are used in today's processes include water-borne chromated copper arsenate (CCA), ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA), and ammoniacal copper quat (ACQ).
The conventional methods that are used to chemically treat wood and wood products have limitations and drawbacks such as high costs in preserving a wood product, uneven distribution of biocides throughout the wood product, and the need for biocides that are not safe to use in habitable spaces or for framing around them. Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies, especially in connection with the manufacture of engineered wood products.

System and method for the preservative treatment of engineered wood products


A ferroelectric liquid crystal shutter including two light transmitting substrates each having a transparent electrode formed on one surface thereof and an orientation film formed over the electrode, the substrates are arranged with their orientation films opposed to each other. A ferroelectric liquid crystal having spontaneous polarization is sandwiched between the two substrates. The orientation film of one of the substrates is a first polymer film capable of restricting to one direction the orientation of spontaneous polarization of liquid crystal molecules present in the vicinity of the interface between the film and the liquid crystal by a contact potential difference resulting from the contact therebetween. The other orientation film of the other substrate is a second polymer film capable of restricting to the one direction the orientation of spontaneous polarization of liquid crystal molecules present in the vicinity of the interface between the other orientation film and the liquid crystal by a contact potential difference resulting from the contact therebetween which is different from the first-mentioned potential difference.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ferroelectric liquid crystal shutters for use in three-dimensional stereoscopic televisions, frequency-modulatable stroboscopes, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liquid crystal shutters employing nematic liquid crystals usually have a response speed of several tens of milliseconds. Such shutters are known which have improved fall time due to a twist through 270.degree., or are adapted to have a response speed of about 1 msec by the two-frequency drive method. However, to obtain a shorter response time, it is suitable to use ferroelectric liquid crystals proposed by Clark and Lagerwall in (Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 36, p. 899, published in 1980. Ferroelectric liquid crystals generally in use are smectic C* phase liquid crystals which already afford response speeds of several tens of microseconds at room temperature.
The ferroelectric smectic C liquid crystal proposed by Clark et al. has a helical structure. When a cell having the liquid crystal enclosed therein is greatly decreased in thickness, the helical structure disappears, leaving only two domains which differ in optical axis. The ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules have spontaneous polarization, can be switched over between these two domains by the application of d.c. pulses and have such a memory effect that even when the voltage is turned off after the switching pulse application, the resulting state can be retained. Attempts are made to utilize these characteristics in liquid crystals of this type for use in liquid crystal shutters and large-capacity displays.
However, with liquid crystal shutters employing ferroelectric liquid crystals, the cell is likely to have two optical axes because the liquid crystal molecules therein include those having an UP state and a DOWN state due to spontaneous polarization. Generally, the optical axes can be lined up in either the UP state or DOWN state by the application of an electric field, whereas if there is zigzag disclination which is an orientation defect, there appears on opposite sides of the disclination a domain which is more stable in the UP state and a domain which is more stable in the DOWN state, and the optical axes of the cell are out of alignment.
Generally with liquid crystal shutters which are subjected only to on-off repetitions as specified, a rectangular wave is applied for driving. In the case of this waveform, however, unnecessary high d.c. voltage is continuously applied even after switching, seriously impairing the reliability of the cell. The result appears as a disturbance in orientation. Further, when a memory waveform is used for driving, in the cell which is prepared by rubbing, generally the liquid crystal becomes twisted, or the optical axis between the liquid crystal molecules being in the memory state fails to shift through an angle as large as the tilt angle of the liquid crystal, failing to give a high contrast.
Accordingly, there exists a driving method which is adapted to greatly shift the optical axis to give a high contrast by applying d.c. bias in order to maintain the optical axes after the application of a switching pulse. When the upper and lower orientation films having the same quality and treated by rubbing are provided on the respective two glass substrates for forming the cell, the cell optical axes in the UP and DOWN states are positioned generally symmetrically with respect to the rubbing axis, whereas the above method shows the drawback that when the drive voltage is applied for switching, variations in the d.c. bias for maintaining the axes shift the two axes of the cell. The shift of the two axes presents extreme difficulties in positioning the polarizing plate, further making it impossible to afford a high contrast with good stability.


A method of treating a fruit-based or vegetable-based beverage to remove chill haze components therefrom which comprises contacting the beverage with an effective amount of an amorphous hydrous precipitated synthetic magnesium silicate which has been treated to reduce the pH thereof to less than about 9.0. Such a method is particularly applicable to the treatment of beer and related beverages and provides for improved removal of chill haze components from such beverages.

This invention relates to the treatment of fruit-based beverages (e.g., fruit juice, cider, wine, etc.) or vegetable-based beverages (e.g., beer, ale, porter, stout, malt liquor, etc.) to remove chill haze components therefrom. More particularly, this invention relates to the treatment of such beverages with an amorphous precipitated synthetic magnesium silicate which has been treated to reduce the pH thereof to less than about 9.0, to remove chill haze components therefrom.
Many fruit- and vegetable-based beverages, such as those hereinabove described, tend to develop a haze, known as "chill haze" upon an elapse of time and/or changes in temperature. Such chill haze may be caused by the coagulation of various organic materials in the beverage. The chill haze components may include substantial amounts of proteins, polyphenols, and other materials.
A number of methods have been developed to remove at least some of the chill haze forming agents in fruit- or vegetable-based beverages, and in particular beer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,693, issued to Brenner, discloses the treatment of beer to improve the clarity thereof (i.e., by removing chill haze forming components) by contacting the beer with a composition which includes at least 70 percent by weight of calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, or zinc silicate. The silicate preferably is produced by hydrothermal reaction of diatomaceous silica with lime or magnesia.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,498, issued to Butterworth, et al, discloses the treatment of vinegar and beverages such as beer, ale, wine, cider, and fruit juices, and in particular beer, with a synthetic magnesium silicate. The magnesium silicate is prepared through the hydrothermal reaction of a silica, such as diatomite, with magnesia. The resulting magnesium silicate is treated with a light acid wash, followed by a water wash. The acid treatment reduces the magnesium content, on an oxide basis of the magnesium silicate to less than about 14%.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,742, issued to McLaughlin, et al, discloses the treatment of beer to remove chill haze and metal contaminants therefrom by contacting the beer with a combination of an inorganic chill-proofing agent, such as silica gel, and from 0.2 to 6 parts by weight of a porous, amorphous magnesium silicate for each 100 parts by weight of chill-proofing agent. The magnesium silicate may be formed through ion exchange of magnesium for metals of other insoluble silicates, or through precipitation formed upon the contact of a magnesium salt and a source of silicate ions in aqueous medium. Such a combination of silica gel and magnesium silicate is effective in removing metal contaminants in addition to being employed as a chill-proofing agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,294, issued to Berg, discloses the treatment of beer, ale, porter, or stout with a composition of 30% to 60% magnesium silicate and 40% to 70% silica gel. The magnesium silicate is an amorphous and porous magnesium silicate which may be formed by precipitation upon the contact of a magnesium salt and a source of silicate ions in an aqueous medium. This combination was found to be a more effective chill-proofing agent than that disclosed in the '742 patent hereinabove described.

Treatment of fruit-based or vegetable-based beverages with precipitated magnesium silicate


A connectable assembly is provided and includes a body defining a recess, a male conductive element supportively disposed proximate to the body and a conductive compliant (CC) plug disposed within the recess for establishing a radially compliant, axially free running electrical connection with the male conductive element.

The present disclosure relates to electrical and radio frequency (RF) connectors and, more particularly, to radially complaint, axially free-running electrical and RF connectors.
In electronics, radio frequency (RF) connectors are often used to transmit one or more signals from one circuit board to another and can be provided in arrays of hundreds of connectors per square inch of circuit board area. This need for small-pitch RF connector configurations is only increasing and leads to large increases in costs of RF connector assemblies or to RF connector assemblies that cannot be easily disassembled for service and repair.

Radially compliant, axially free-running connector


Provided are a method and apparatus, which, during video encoding and decoding processes, obtain chroma intra prediction mode information about a current chroma block, when the chroma intra prediction mode information indicates a direct mode (DM), determine a luma block including a luma sample corresponding to a chroma sample at a lower-right location with respect to a center of the current chroma block, determine a chroma intra prediction mode of the current chroma block based on an intra prediction mode of the determined luma block, and perform intra prediction on the current chroma block, based on the determined chroma intra prediction mode.

Image data is encoded by a codec according to a preset data compression standard, e.g., the Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG) standard, and then stored in a recording medium or transmitted in the form of a bitstream through a communication channel.
With the development and spread of hardware capable of reproducing and storing high-resolution or high-definition image content, the need for a codec that effectively encodes or decodes high-resolution or high-definition image content has increased. Encoded image content may be decoded and then reproduced. Recently, methods of effectively compressing such high-resolution or high-definition image content are used. For example, a method of randomly splitting an image to be encoded or a procedure of rendering data has been proposed to allow an image compression technique to be effectively implemented.
As one of techniques for rendering data, when a chroma prediction mode is a direct mode (DM), it is common to use a prediction mode of one luma block corresponding to one chroma block.

Video decoding method and apparatus, and video encoding method and apparatus


A method of manufacturing a laminated rotor core, includes a first process of placing segment dummy plates between an iron core and a die, each of each segment dummy plates covering one or more of plural magnet insertion portions and including a resin injection hole communicating to the one or more of the magnet insertion portions; a second process of injecting a resin from resin reservoir parts formed in any one of an upper die and a lower die holding the iron core through the resin injection hole of each segment dummy plate to the corresponding one or more of the magnet insertion portions; and a third process of detaching the segment dummy plates together with excess resin after the resin injected to the one or more of the magnet insertion portions is cured.

Conventionally, magnet-molding is known as a method of fixing a permanent magnet to an iron core of a laminated rotor core used for a motor. In this method, the iron core having the permanent magnet inside a magnet insertion portion (magnet insertion hole) is heated to a certain temperature, and thereafter molding resin is injected into the magnet insertion portion and is heated and cured. That is how the permanent magnet is fixed to the iron core.
In this method, however, the resin cured after the injection remains attached to a surface of the iron core, and thus a process for removing such residual resin is required, which is a factor preventing reduction in lead time.
In view of the above, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a metallic dummy plate 91 is placed on a surface (on a resin injection side) of an iron core 90, and molding resin (hereinafter simply referred to as resin) 93 is injected from a gate (small injection hole) 92 formed in the dummy plate 91 (see FIG. 13). In this method, the resin 93 cured after the injection remains attached not to the surface of the iron core 90 but to a surface of the dummy plate 91. Thus, by detaching the dummy plate 91 from the surface of the iron core 90, the residual resin can be removed together. Therefore, compared to the conventional method, lead time can be significantly reduced.
In the figure, a numeral 94 shows a permanent magnet. A numeral 95 shows a magnet insertion portion. Numerals 96, 97 show an upper die and a lower die for holding the iron core 90, respectively. A numeral 98 shows a resin reservoir pot. A numeral 99 shows a plunger for injecting the resin 93 from the resin reservoir pot 98 into the magnet insertion portion 95.

Method of manufacturing laminated rotor core


In two-way communication with a host apparatus, when packet data is received, a packet protocol is used, and when nonpacket data is received, a nonpacket protocol is used. Control is performed so that the destination of each data in the received data is switched between a printing-data buffer storage and a control-command buffer storage depending on whether or not the packet protocol is to be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication control apparatus for performing two-way communication processing with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined interface, a method for processing data of the communication control apparatus, and a storage medium storing programs capable of being read by a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, data communication between a host apparatus and an image input/output apparatus, such as a printer, a scanner or the like, is executed via a predetermined interface. A Centronics interface, serving as an interface of this type, is a main interface for transferring data from a host computer to a printer, and has the feature that inexpensive high-speed data transfer can be performed with standards for transmitting data from a computer to a printer which have been developed by Centronics Corporation of U.S.A. for its own printers. Although the Centronics interface is widely used as means for transmitting data from a personal computer (PC) to a printer, it is not standardized.
Although the Centronics interface has many variations depending on each combination of a host computer and a printer, the variations are basically similar. Basic controls are performed using three signal lines, i.e., DATA STROBE, ACK and BUSY. A transfer method using these three signal lines is called a compatibility mode in contrast to a nibble mode, a byte mode, an ECP (extended capabilities port) mode and the like (to be described later).
The compatibility mode will now be described in detail with reference to drawings. It is impossible to describe all of many variations which exist in the compatibility mode as described above. Hence, a description will be provided illustrating a laser-beam printer made by Canon Inc.
FIG. 22 is a plan view illustrating the pin arrangement of a printer interface in a printing system to which a communication control apparatus of this type can be applied. In FIG. 22, 36 pins are arranged.
Numerals in FIG. 22 represent the numbers of respective pins, each of which corresponds to one signal line. In FIG. 22, a pin 1 is a signal line for DATA STROBE, and usually assumes a xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state. When the state shifts to a xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state, a printer reads the states of pins 2-9 for data lines DATA1-DATA8, respectively.
The data lines DATA1-DATA8 represent information for the 0th-7th bits, respectively, of data transmitted from a host apparatus. On each of these data lines, data is xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d in the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d states, respectively. In a stationary state, data is indefinite. Data is effective only when the DATA STROBE line assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state.
A pin 10 is for an acknowledge line ACK, and assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state in a stationary state. A pulse for providing the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state is generated when the state shifts from the stationary state.
A pin 11 is for a busy line BUSY, on which a state signal indicating whether or not the printer can receive data from the host apparatus is provided. On this line, the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state represents a state in which a signal can be received, and the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state represents a state in which a signal cannot be received.
A pin 12 is for a printer error line PE, which assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state when an error is generated in the printer, and assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state in other states. A pin 13 is for a select line SELECT, which assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state when the printer is in an on-line state, and assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state in other states. A pin 14 is for a signal line AUTO FD, which is unused.
A pin 15 is for a signal line AUXOUT1, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state. The ground level of the printer is applied to a pin 16. A pin 17 is for a frame ground line Frame GND, which corresponds to the frame ground of the printer.
A voltage of +5 V is applied to a pin 18, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state. Pins 19-30 are connected to the ground. A pin 31 is for an input prime line INIT, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state. By making the input prime line INIT to the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state, input prime processing is performed.
A pin 32 is for a signal line FAULT, which assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state when the printer is in an on-line state, and assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state in other states. A pin 33 is for a signal line AUXOUT2, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state. A pin 34 is for a signal line AUXOUT3, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cLowxe2x80x9d state. A pin 35 is for a signal line AUXOUT4, which always assumes the xe2x80x9cHighxe2x80x9d state. A pin 36 is for a signal line SELECTIN, which is unused.
In the compatibility mode, the pins 1-11 for DATA STROBE, DATA1, DATA2, DATA3, DATA4, DATA5, DATA6, DATA7, DATA8, ACK and BUSY, respectively, are mainly used. FIG. 23 illustrates handshaking in the compatibility mode.
FIG. 23 illustrates a timing chart for explaining the state of data transfer processing in the printing system. The timing chart shown in FIG. 23 corresponds to handshaking in the compatibility mode. In this case, 1-byte data is transmitted.
The compatibility mode can only perform data transfer in one direction from the host apparatus to the printer, and cannot perform data transfer from the printer to the host apparatus.
In order to solve this problem, two-way Centronics communication handshaking is standardized by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) as a superior alternative of the compatibility mode (IEEE 1284-1994).
In the IEEE 1284-1994, a plurality of communication modes, such as the nibble mode, the byte mode, the ECP mode and the like, are newly provided in addition to the above-described compatibility mode (the conventional handshaking for transferring data from a host apparatus to a printer).
Connectors and cables having the same shape as in the compatibility mode can be used in all of the newly added modes. The nibble mode is for transferring data from a printer to a host apparatus. By alternately using the nibble mode and the compatibility mode, two-way communication between a host apparatus and a printer can be realized.
That is, by performing transmission from a host apparatus to a printer in the compatibility mode and performing transmission from the printer to the host apparatus in the nibble mode, two-way communication can be realized.
In the nibble mode, control is performed using the acknowledge signal line ACK and the signal line AUTO FD, and data is set on the four signal lines, i.e., BUSY, PE, SELECT and FAULT.
8-bit (1-byte) transfer is realized by dividing 1 byte of data into two 4-bit portions, and first transmitting lower-order 4 bits followed by transmission of higher-order 4 bits. The signal line FAULT is also used for indicating by the printer whether or not data to be transmitted to the host apparatus is ready at a specific timing. Handshaking is performed without using the signal lines DATA1, DATA2, . . . , DATA8 which are controlled only by the host apparatus in the compatibility mode. These signal lines DATA1, DATA2, . . . , DATA8 are called data buses. Since the data buses are not used in the nibble mode, the host apparatus side need not provide hardware for dealing with data transmitted through the data buses. Hence, mounting can be relatively easily realized.
The byte mode is also for performing communication from a printer to a host apparatus, as the nibble mode. By alternately using the compatibility mode and the byte mode, two-way communication between the host apparatus and the printer can be realized.
That is, by performing transmission from the host apparatus to the printer in the compatibility mode, and performing transmission from the printer to the host apparatus in the byte mode, two-way communication can be realized. In the byte mode, control is performed using the signal lines STROBE, ACK, BUSY, PE, AUTO FD and FAULT, and data is set on the data buses (the signal lines DATA1, DATA2, . . . , DATA 8). This mode is more efficient than the nibble mode because 1-byte (8-bit) data is simultaneously transmitted. However, since the data buses are controlled by the printer side, the host apparatus side must provide hardware for dealing with transmitted data.
The ECP mode is for performing two-way communication between a host apparatus and a printer, and vice versa. By performing switching between Forward Phase (from the host apparatus to the printer) and Reverse Phase (from the printer to the host apparatus), two-way data communication can be realized in the same ECP mode.
In the ECP mode, control is performed using the signal lines STROBE, ACK, BUSY, AUTO FD, INIT, FAULT and PE, and data is set on the data buses.
In this case, since the data buses are also controlled by the printer side, the host apparatus side must provide hardware for dealing with transmitted data. The ECP mode has the features that overhead for shifting between the modes is small, and a higher transfer speed can be provided in handshaking for transfer in the Forward Phase than in handshaking in the compatibility mode. The outline of the IEEE 1284 has been described.
Data transmitted from the host apparatus to the printer via the Centronics interface is interpreted only by an interpretation portion of the printer side, and the printer performs printing processing in accordance with the result of interpretation. During transmission of a series of data, it is impossible to transmit other data, control commands and the like until the transmission of the series of data is completed.
That is, since a command for asking the state of the printer cannot be transmitted to the printer until the transmission of a series of data is completed even if the host apparatus side intends to know the state of the printer during the transmission, the host apparatus side cannot know the state of the printer.
In order to solve such a problem which will occur when using an I/F (interface) having only a single data path as the Centronics interface, it is now intended to standardize packet protocols.
For example, IEEE 1284.4 is one of packet protocol standards. The IEEE 1284.4 assumes various serial or parallel I/Fs, such as RS232C, USB (Universal Serial Bus), IEEE1394 and the like, in addition to the IEEE 1284.4 as physical I/Fs. An outline of the IEEE 1284.4 will be described later.
The packet protocol is a protocol in which, for example, a series of data is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the data is provided in the form of a packet by adding a header indicating packet information, such as the data size, channel IDs and the like, to the head of each block, so as to logically realize a plurality of channels and allow independent information exchange without causing interference between the channels.
By using such a packet protocol, it is logically possible to exchange a plurality of independent information (data, control commands and the like) in parallel on different channels. For example, it is possible to transmit a command asking the state of the printer during transmission of a series of data without awaiting the completion of the transmission.
By preparing a reception buffer storage for each channel, even if the reception buffer storage in a certain channel is fully occupied, other channels can be used without being influenced by that channel.
For example, when it is intended to transmit 20-Kbyte (kilobyte, hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cKBxe2x80x9d (1 KB=1024 bytes)) data as printing data and 100-byte (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d) data as a control command, a protocol other than a packet protocol can select only one of two methods, i.e., a method of first completing the transmission of the 20-KB printing data followed by the transmission of the 100-B control command, and a method of first completing the transmission of the 100-B control command followed by the transmission of the 20-KB printing data.
To the contrary, in a packet protocol, it is possible to transmit a control command during transmission of printing data. For example, the 20-KB printing data is divided into 10 blocks, and the 100-B control command is transmitted after completing transmission of a 2-KB block and before transmitting the next 2-KB block. Hence, a packet protocol is useful, for example, in real-time control of a printer by a host apparatus.
An outline of the IEEE 1284.4, an example of division of data into packets, and an example of transmission of printing data and a control command will now be described.
It can be said that the IEEE 1284.4 mainly provides two features, i.e., flow control between two apparatuses (for example, a host apparatus and a printing apparatus) utilizing a concept of credit and using data transfer conforming to the above-described IEEE 1284 standards (or any other appropriate interface), and multiplexing (provision of multichannels) for simultaneously exchanging a plurality of information (for example, data and control information).
In internal processing in the host apparatus and the printing apparatus, control by the IEEE 1284.4 is performed in an intermediate portion between processing of performing printing using transferred data (generally called xe2x80x9capplicationxe2x80x9d) and the IEEE 1284, serving as actual data transfer portion. FIG. 24 illustrates the concept of such relationship.
FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the concept of relationship between each communication control program and application in the printing system.
As shown in FIG. 24, a control program according to the IEEE 1284.4 is present between the host apparatus and the printing apparatus which can communicate with each other via an interface cable, so as to perform communication between application and a control program according to the IEEE 1284.
Next, the configuration of data dealt with in the IEEE 1284.4 will be described. Data dealt with in the IEEE 1284.4 is always formed in units of a group comprising some bytes, which is called a packet. The configuration of the packet is defined as shown in FIG. 25.
FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication packet utilized in a communication interface of the printing system.
In FIG. 25, the communication packet is configured by a header portion H comprising 6 bytes, and data Data provided thereafter.
The header portion H will now be described in more detail.
The first byte represents Primary Socket ID (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cPSIDxe2x80x9d), which represents Socket ID of an apparatus where initialization of control according to the IEEE 1284.4 (to be described later) is started. The Socket ID will be described later.
The second byte represents Secondary Socket ID (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cSSIDxe2x80x9d), which represents Socket ID of another apparatus with respect to the above-described apparatus.
The third and fourth bytes represent the size of the entire packet inclusive of the 6-byte header. For example, in the case of a packet including 10-byte data, a value 16 (6 bytes for the header and 10 bytes for the data) is recorded in this portion. FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate data which is provided in the form of a packet, and data which is not provided in the form of a packet, respectively.
FIGS. 26A and 26B are diagrams, each illustrating communication data exchanged through a communication interface of the printing system: FIG. 26A illustrates data which is provided in the form of a packet; and FIG. 26B illustrates data which is not provided in the form of a packet.
In the case of FIG. 25, for a packet having 0-byte data, a value 6 which represents 6 bytes for only the header portion is recorded in the portion of the third and fourth bytes.
Actually, however, since each data is represented by hexadecimal notation, the above-described 16 and 6 are represented by 0x0010 and 0x0006, respectively (in the case of hexadecimal notation, the notation generally starts with xe2x80x9c0xxe2x80x9d, and 1 byte is represented by two digits).
The fifth byte represents Credit (to be described later). The sixth byte represents control data described as Control. One bit in this byte (one byte comprises eight bits) represents whether or not the packet is an ordinary packet (which is represented by xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d). Since the packet is an ordinary packet in most cases, the bit is 0. The remaining seven bits are used as a reserved region which is not used at present (represented by 0).
Accordingly, this byte is usually represented by xe2x80x9c0x00xe2x80x9d. The data portion includes transfer data formed by application of each of the host apparatus and the printing apparatus (printing data and control data), or a control command in the IEEE 1284.4 (to be described later).
Next, the Socket ID shown in FIG. 25 will be described.
When a plurality of processing (mainly the processing of the application portion) in two apparatuses connected by a single interface (for example, an IEEE 1284 interface) identify respective partners thereof (processing in another apparatus) and exchange data independently, an individual number provided for each processing within each apparatus for executing the data exchange is represented by Socket ID. An outline of the Socket ID will now be described.
For example, when two types of processing (processing A and processing B) are present in the application of the host apparatus, and two types of processing (processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d for the processing A and processing xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d for the processing B) are present in the application of the printing apparatus, it is assumed that the PSIDs for the processing A and the processing B are 0x10 and 0x20, and the SSIDs for the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d and the processing xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d are 0x10 and 0x20, respectively. By making the PSID and the SSID of the packet 0x10 and 0x10, respectively, when the processing A transmits data xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d, and making the PSID and the SSID of the packet 0x20 and 0x20, respectively, when the processing B transmits data xe2x80x9cKAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cKIxe2x80x9d, according to the control of the IEEE 1284.4, it is possible to recognize from which processing to which processing the transmitted packet is transferred, and therefore to assuredly transfer the data to corresponding processing. Hence, it can be said that a plurality of channels have been logically used so as to realize a multichannel operation.
FIGS. 27-31 are diagrams illustrating the concept of a multichannel operation in a communication interface in the printing system, and sequentially illustrate a manner in which data are independently transferred from a plurality of (two in this case) application of the host apparatus to a plurality (two in this case) of corresponding application in the printing apparatus via respective processing.
Particularly, in FIG. 27, two types of processing (the processing A and the processing B) are present in the application of the host apparatus, and each processing has data to be transferred (xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d for the processing A, and xe2x80x9cKAxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cKIxe2x80x9d for the processing B).
FIG. 28 illustrates a manner in which packets are formed in the IEEE 1284.4 processing in the host apparatus, and the above-described Socket IDs are provided for each of the packets. The procedure for transferring the packets will be described later.
FIG. 29 illustrates a manner in which each data in the form of a packet is transferred from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus via the processing of the interface (IEEE 1284 processing). As shown in FIG. 29, the order of transfer of the packets is not particularly defined. In the case of FIG. 29, four packets are transferred in the order of the first packet of the processing A (the packet having the data xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d), the first packet of the processing B (the packet having the data xe2x80x9cKAxe2x80x9d), the second packet of the processing A (the packet having the data xe2x80x9cIxe2x80x9d), and the second packet of the processing B (the packet having the data xe2x80x9cKIxe2x80x9d).
FIG. 30 illustrates a manner in which the packets transferred to the printing apparatus are received by the IEEE 1284.4 at the printing apparatus side, and data extracted from each packet is transferred to corresponding application in accordance with the Socket IDs. As a result, as shown in FIG. 31, each data is transferred to the processing of corresponding application (the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d and the processing xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) within the printing apparatus. A similar operation is, of course, performed for transfer in a direction reverse to the above-described case (from the processing in the printing apparatus to the processing in the host apparatus).
When Socket IDs are represented by 0x00 (i.e., both PSID and SSID are represented by 0x00), only Command and Reply Packet (to be described later) necessary for executing the IEEE 1284.4 processing are transferred.
Next, the procedure (the flow of processing) of basic control in the IEEE 1284.4 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 32-34, and examples of packets shown in FIGS. 35 and 36.
FIGS. 32-34 are flowcharts illustrating a data communication processing procedure in the printing system. In FIGS. 32-34, numerals (1)-(24) represent respective steps.
First, an apparatus intending to start control according to the IEEE 1284.4 provides another apparatus with an initial command packet Init Command Packet (step (1)) (since a host apparatus usually provides a printing apparatus with such a packet, the apparatus which has provided the packet Init Command Packet is called the host apparatus, and another apparatus is called the printing apparatus).
The structure of the packet Init Command Packet will now be described with reference to FIG. 35.
FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of an initial command packet notified from the upper apparatus to the apparatus of the communication partner (the printing apparatus) in the printing system. The packet Init Command Packet includes the first through eighth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 35, data in portions other than a portion Credit in the fifth byte are substantially fixed data.
The printing apparatus which has received the packet Init Command Packet determines if control according to the IEEE 1284.4 can be started (step (2)). If the result of the determination in step (2) is affirmative, a reply packet Init Reply Packet indicating the possibility of starting the control is formed (step (3)). If the result of the determination in step (2) is negative, a reply packet Init Reply Packet indicating the incapability of starting the control is formed (step (4)), and the process proceeds to step (5). At that time, if control according to the IEEE 1284.4 can be started, initialization for the start is also executed.
In step (5), the initial reply packet Init Reply Packet is transferred to the host apparatus. The data structure of the packet Init Reply Packet will now be briefly described with reference to FIG. 36.
FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of a reply packet notified from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus requesting communication in the printing system. The packet Init Reply Packet includes the first through ninth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 36, the eighth byte represents data Result. The reply packet Init Reply Packet notifies the host apparatus whether processing according to the IEEE 1284.4 can be normally started or the processing cannot be started because of some reason.
Then, the host apparatus determines if the processing according to the IEEE 1284.4 can be started, i.e., if data processing is to be normally continued, in accordance with the notified packet Init Reply Packet (step (6)). If the result of the determination in step (6) is affirmative, the host apparatus then provides the printer with a command packet Open Channel Command Packet having a data structure as shown in FIG. 37.
If the result of the determination in step (6) is negative, the packet Init Command Packet is again transferred to the printing apparatus, or control according to the IEEE 1284.4 is given up.
The data structure of the packet Open Channel Command Packet will now be briefly described with reference to FIG. 37.
FIG. 37 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of a packet Open Channel Command Packet notified from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus in the printing system. The packet Open Channel Command Packet includes the first through seventeenth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 37, the ninth byte represents a parameter, which corresponds to Secondary Socket ID. The tenth and eleventh bytes also represent a parameter Primary To Secondary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of a packet transferred from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus. The twelfth and thirteenth bytes represent a parameter Secondary To Primary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of a packet transferred from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus.
The fourteenth and fifteenth bytes represent a parameter which corresponds to information Credit Requested requested by the host apparatus. The sixteenth and seventeenth bytes represent a parameter which corresponds to information Maximum Outstanding Credit.
When the printing apparatus has received the packet Open Channel Command Packet, the printing apparatus confirms if the value of the parameter Secondary Socket ID in the received packet equals the value of the SSID possessed by the printing apparatus (step (8)). If the received SSID is confirmed to be the SSID possessed by the printing apparatus, the channel is established (opened).
It is possible to identify the opened channel based on the combination of Socket IDs (PSID and SSID). That is, as described above with respect to the Socket IDs, the channel connecting the processing A of the application in the host apparatus to the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d of the application in the printing apparatus can be identified based on the combination of the Socket IDs (PSID=0X10 and SSID=0x10). Similarly, the channel connecting the processing B of the application in the host apparatus to the processing xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d of the application in the printing apparatus can be identified based on the combination of the Socket IDs (PSID=0X20 and SSID=0x20).
Then, the parameter Primary To Secondary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of the packet when transferring data from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus, and the parameter Secondary To Primary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of the packet when transferring data from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus are checked, in order to determine if the checked size is a packet size which can be prepared by the corresponding apparatus (step (9)). If the result of the determination in step (9) is affirmative, a parameter indicating the fact is set in a packet Open Channel Reply Packet (to be described later). If the result of the determination in step (9) is negative, the packet sizes (Primary To Secondary Packet Size and Secondary To Primary Packet Size) which can be prepared by the respective apparatuses are set as the parameters.
Then, a parameter Credit Requested and a parameter Maximum Outstanding Credit representing information Credit requested by the host apparatus are analyzed (step (10)), and a reply for a request represented by the combination of the two parameters is performed using a parameter Open Channel Reply as in the above-described case of the packet size.
When the analysis of respective parameters Open Channel Command has been completed in the above-described manner, the printing apparatus forms a packet Open Channel Reply Packet shown in FIG. 38 (step (11)) and transfers the formed packet to the host apparatus (step (12)).
FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Open Channel Reply Packet notified from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus in the printing system. The packet Open Channel Reply Packet includes the first through sixteenth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 38, the eleventh and twelfth bytes represent a parameter Primary To Secondary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of the packet transferred from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus.
The thirteenth and fourteenth bytes represent a parameter Secondary To Primary Packet Size indicating the maximum size of the packet transferred from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus according to a request of the host apparatus.
Then, the host apparatus determines if the channel has been opened by analyzing the parameter Open Channel Reply Packet (step (13)). If the result of the determination in step (13) is affirmative, the data packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 25 can be transferred to the opened channel (step (14)).
The size of the data packet to be transferred is determined by comparing the packet size requested by the user (the host apparatus which has provided the packet Open Channel Command Packet) with the packet size requested by the printing apparatus side and indicated by the reply Open Channel Reply, and adopting the smaller packet size.
The transfer of the data packet in the reverse direction (i.e., from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus) may, of course, be performed, and the transfer of the packet Command Packet relating to Credit (to be described later) becomes effective in this case (the transfer may, of course, be performed before opening the channel, though such transfer is meaningless).
Any number of channels may be opened provided that processing can be performed within the apparatus (and combination of Socket IDs does not overlap), by repeating the return to step (7). In the above-described example of Socket IDs, two channels, i.e., the channel connecting the processing A of the host apparatus to the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d of the printing apparatus, and the channel connecting the processing B to the processing xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d, are opened.
The flow until the channel connecting the processing of application within the host apparatus to the processing of application within the printing apparatus is opened has been described. Since a channel for transferring various commands Command and replies Reply (Init. Open Channel and the like) (hereinafter termed a xe2x80x9ccommand channelxe2x80x9d) has been implicitly opened, the above-described procedure is unnecessary.
As has been described, the Socket ID for identifying the channel is xe2x80x9c0x00xe2x80x9d. It is possible to terminate (close) a channel where data exchange has been terminated (which is to be terminated) by a packet Close Channel Command Packet.
When the host apparatus intends to close a channel, a packet Close Channel Command Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 39 is transferred to the printing apparatus (step (15)).
FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of a packet Close Channel Command Packet notified from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus in the printing system. The packet Close Channel Command Packet includes the first through ninth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 39, the eighth and ninth bytes represent a parameter which is obtained by combining Primary Socket ID and Secondary Socket ID for indicating the channel to be closed.
The printing apparatus analyzes the parameter (step (16)), and determines if the channel assigned to be closed is closable (opened) (step (17)). If the result of the determination in step (16) is affirmative, the printing apparatus closes the channel, and prepares a reply for notifying the host apparatus of the fact using a packet Close Channel Reply Packet (step (18)).
If the result of the determination in step (17) is negative, a packet Reply Packet is formed (step (19)).
After thus forming the packet Close Channel Reply Packet, the printing apparatus transfers the formed packet Close Channel Reply Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 40 to the host apparatus (step (20)).
FIG. 40 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Close Channel Reply Packet notified from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus in the printing system. The packet Close Channel Reply Packet includes the first through tenth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 40, a parameter Result is set in the eighth byte. The ninth and tenth bytes represent a parameter including Primary Socket ID and Secondary Socket ID.
The host apparatus confirms that the channel is closed by receiving the packet Close Channel Reply Packet and analyzing the above-described parameter Result (step (21)).
After the channel has been closed, there is no problem to again open the channel by a packet Open Channel Command Packet if necessary (return to step (7)), or the control according to the IEEE 1284.4 may be terminated in that state.
In this case, the host apparatus provides a packet Exit Command Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 41 and transfers this packet to the printing apparatus (step (22)).
FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Exit Command Packet notified from the host apparatus to the printing apparatus in the printing system. The packet Exit Command Packet includes the first through seventh bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 41, a command Exit, Command is set in the seventh byte.
When the printing apparatus has received the packet Exit Command Packet, the printing apparatus terminates the processing according to the IEEE 1284.4 (data exchange on the opened channel, and the like) (step (23)), and then forms a reply packet Exit Reply Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 42 and transfers the formed packet to the host apparatus (step (24)).
FIG. 42 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Exit Reply Packet notified from the printing apparatus to the host apparatus in the printing system. The packet Exit Reply Packet includes the first through eighth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 42, a command Command is set in the seventh byte, and a result Result is set in the eighth byte.
The control according to the IEEE 1284.4 is thereby terminated, and the data transfer by the packet (conforming to the IEEE 1284.4) is also terminated.
When resuming the control according to the IEEE 1284.4, it is necessary to execute the control from processing of transferring the packet Init Command Packet. The command packet Exit Command Packet may, of course, be provided at any time while the control according to the IEEE 1284.4 is executed, as any other command packet Command Packet.
By executing the process until step (14) of the above-described flowcharts in order to open the channel, the transfer of the data packet can be started. However, the control is performed so that, when transferring the data packet, the transfer cannot be started unless acknowledging data Credit is not received from the processing of the apparatus where the data packet is to be transferred.
Thus, the IEEE 1284.4 realizes flow control of data (packet) (as for the Socket ID, when the processing A at the host apparatus side transfers the packet to the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d at the printing apparatus side, the processing A cannot process the packet unless a parameter Credit is not received from the processing xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d). When storing data transferred from the communication partner in resources (storage means, capable of reading and writing data, which is generally called a buffer storage or the like, and which is hereinafter termed a reception buffer storage assuming the printing apparatus) possessed by the user, the processing will not be normally operated by missing transferred data, unless control is performed so as not to receive data to an amount exceeding the capacity of the reception buffer storage. The flow control adjusts interruption and resumption of data transfer in order to prevent such a situation.
Next, a description will be provided of the concept of the parameter Credit used in the flow control of packet transfer in the IEEE 1284.4.
The parameter Credit is provided from the packet receiving side to the packet transmitting side in order to indicate to what extent the receiving side is ready to receive the packet. The packet receiving side guarantees that the packet provided as the parameter Credit can be assuredly received.
For the exchange of the parameter Credit, an acknowledgment command packet Credit Command Packet and an acknowledgment request command packet Credit Request Command Packet and a packet Reply Packet corresponding to these packets are mainly used. However, the parameter Credit may also be provided by a packet Data Packet or Open Packet, except for a command channel which already has two parameters Credit at initialization, in order to allow execution of Init or Error processing according to the IEEE 1284.4 in any case.
Next, state transition of a simple parameter Credit will be described with reference to FIG. 43.
FIG. 43 is a diagram illustrating state transition of the parameter Credit between the host apparatus and the printing apparatus in the printing system.
In an initial state in which power is supplied to the apparatuses (the host apparatus and the printing apparatus), the parameter Credit on the internal command channel is set to xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d, and the parameter Credit on the channel (which is not yet opened at this stage) for transferring data (a packet) is, of course, set to xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d.
In this example, only one channel for transferring data is shown. When a plurality of channels are opened, the control of the parameter Credit is performed for each channel.
When the host apparatus intends to start control according to the IEEE 1284.4 using an initial command packet Init Command Packet, the parameter Credit on the command channel at the host apparatus side is decremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d according to the provision of the packet Init Command Packet. At the same time, at the printing apparatus side, when the packet Init Command Packet has been received, the acknowledgment Credit on the command channel is incremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d. This is because it is promised that xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d is always present in the parameter Credit (the fifth byte of the header portion) of the packet transferred on the command channel. If the parameter Credit assumes xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d on the command channel and therefore the packet cannot be transferred, the succeeding processing cannot be performed. The above-described promise is provided in order to prevent such a case.
By transmitting a reply packet Init Reply Packet in response to the packet Init Command Packet from the printing apparatus, the parameter Credit on the command channel of the printing apparatus is decremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d, and the parameter Credit on the command channel of the host apparatus is incremented by one to return to xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d.
When the host apparatus intends to open a data channel according to the packet Open Channel Command Packet, and the printing apparatus normally transmits a reply Open Channel Reply in response to this operation, by providing the host apparatus with two parameters Credit using the parameter Credit (the fifteenth and sixteenth bytes) in the packet Open Channel Reply Packet, the parameter Credit on the channel for transferring data at the host apparatus side is incremented by two to assume xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d.
Since the host apparatus has been able to open the channel for transferring data and has received the parameter Credit for this channel from the printing apparatus, it becomes possible to transfer a packet Data Packet. Hence, the host apparatus transfers two consecutive packets Data Packet. For the second packet Data Packet, a parameter Credit on the channel for transferring data to the printing apparatus is provided using the parameter Credit (the fourth byte) of the packet Data Packet. At that time, the parameter Credit on the channel for transferring data in the printing apparatus is incremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d.
The parameter Credit on the command channel remains xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d because a packet Command Packet is not transferred (the printing apparatus does not transfer a packet Command Packet either). At that time, the printing apparatus can also transfer a packet Data Packet to the host apparatus.
The host apparatus has transferred two consecutive packets Data Packet and therefore used up parameters Credit on the channel for transferring data possessed by the host apparatus. Hence, in order to transfer the next packet Data Packet, the host apparatus requests a parameter Credit from the printing apparatus using a packet Credit Request Command Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 44.
FIG. 44 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Credit Request Command Packet for requesting a parameter Credit in the printing system. This packet includes the first through thirteenth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 44, a parameter request Credit Requested is set in the tenth and eleventh bytes.
The printing apparatus to which a parameter Credit has been requested by the packet Credit Request Command Packet analyzes the contents of the request (from the parameter), and transfers a reply Reply corresponding to the request. In this case, it is assumed that only one parameter Credit can be provided for the host apparatus. The provided parameter Credit is entered in the parameter Credit (the eleventh and twelfth bytes) of the reply Credit Request Reply, and is transferred to the host apparatus by a packet Credit Request Reply Packet having the data structure shown in FIG. 45.
FIG. 45 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the packet Credit Request Reply Packet in the printing system. This packet includes the first through twelfth bytes, and a header portion includes the first through sixth bytes.
In FIG. 44, the parameter Credit is set in the eleventh and twelfth bytes.
By thus receiving the packet Credit Request Reply Packet, the parameter Credit on the channel for data transfer of the host apparatus is incremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, so that it is possible to again transfer a packet Data Packet.
Since a parameter Credit for data transfer has been provided from the host apparatus, the printing apparatus can also transfer one packet Data Packet.
As shown in FIG. 43, if the printing apparatus transfers one packet Data Packet, the parameter Credit possessed by the printing apparatus is decremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d. It is, of course, possible to provide the host apparatus with a parameter Credit using the parameter Credit in this packet Data Packet. The number of parameters Credit possessed by the host apparatus increases by the provided parameter Credit.
In FIG. 43, the parameter Credit for data transfer is incremented by one to assume xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d.
An outline of the IEEE 1284.4 has been described.
However, since conventional nonpacket protocols are also used in addition to packet protocols in the current Centronics I/Fs, a packet protocol is used in certain data transfer, and data is transferred according to a conventional nonpacket protocol without using a packet protocol in another data transfer.
In such a case, if data transferred using a packet protocol is interpreted with a nonpacket protocol, a header portion is considered to be data, so that unnecessary extra data is received,
On the other hand, if data transferred using a nonpacket protocol is interpreted with a packet protocol, an ordinary data portion is considered to be a packet header, so that a part of data of the packet is not given to the translater, thereby causing various problems.
A single printer is often shared by a plurality of host apparatuses. In such a case, a certain host apparatus may transmit data using a packet protocol, and another host apparatus may transfer data using a conventional nonpacket protocol, so that the printer cannot determine whether or not a packet protocol is to be used.
From the structure of a packet protocol, it is difficult to shift to a nonpacket protocol when the packet protocol has been used, and vice versa.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication control apparatus, a communication control method and a storage medium storing a communication control program in which, when packet data has been received from a data processing apparatus, the packet data is stored in a first area or a second area of a memory in accordance with a type of data in order to use a packet protocol, and when nonpacket data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the nonpacket data is stored in the first area of the memory in order to use a nonpacket protocol.
According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a communication control apparatus for performing two-way communication processing with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined interface. The communication control apparatus includes storage means having a first area and a second area for storing data received from the data processing apparatus, and control means for storing, when packet data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the packet data in the first area or the second area in accordance with a type of data in order to use a packet protocol, and for storing, when nonpacket data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the nonpacket data in the first area in order to use a nonpacket protocol.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a communication control method in a communication control apparatus for performing two-way communication processing with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined interface. The communication control method includes the steps of storing, when packet data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the packet data in a first area or a second area of a memory in accordance with a type of data in order to use a packet protocol, and storing, when nonpacket data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the nonpacket data in the first area in order to use a nonpacket protocol.
According to still another aspect, the present invention relates to a storage medium storing a control program to be used in a communication control apparatus for performing two-way communication processing with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined interface. The storage medium includes a code of storing, when packet data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the packet data in a first area or a second area of a memory in accordance with a type of data in order to use a packet protocol, and a code of storing, when nonpacket data has been received from the data processing apparatus, the nonpacket data in the first area in order to use a nonpacket protocol.


A tailor-welded blank is made of two steels, one steel of Alloy A and one steel of Alloy B. Alloy A comprises 0.10-0.50 wt % C, 0.1-0.5 wt % Si, 2.0-8.0 wt % Mn, 0.0-6.0 wt % Cr, 0.0-2.0 wt % Mo, 0.0-0.15 wt % Ti, and 0.0-0.005 wt % B and wherein Alloy B comprises 0.06-0.12 wt % C, 0.1-0.25 wt % Si, 1.65-2.42 wt % Mn, 0.0-0.70 wt % Cr, 0.08-0.40 wt % Mo, 0.0-0.05 wt % V, and 0.01-0.05 wt % Ti.

Press hardened steels are produced via a hot stamping process in which the steel is deformed at high temperatures at which austenite is stable and then quenched in the stamping die at sufficient cooling rates such that martensite is formed. These steels are typically used in structural members in automotive applications where high strength and high intrusion resistance are required. Press hardened steels with tailored properties are attractive for such applications because they can provide both high intrusion resistance in addition to high energy absorption as the result of relatively hard and soft areas in the component. Tailored properties may be obtained through the use of tailor-welded blanks, which are blanks composed of two steel sheets with different compositions or thicknesses.
Typical commercial press hardened steels (for example, 22MnB5) have ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 1500 MPa with total elongations of approximately 6-8%. Conventional press hardened steel sheets may be joined to a steel with lower hardenability, and which transforms to a softer microstructure (ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 700 MPa) after press hardening. This combination of steel is typically called a tailor-welded blank (TWB). Press hardened TWBs result in components that have tailored properties with regions of high strength and relatively low elongation in areas that require intrusion resistance and regions of lower strength and higher elongation in areas that require energy absorption.

Press hardened steel with tailored properties


A method of attaching an electrical terminal to a flat flexible cable includes the step of deforming crimp wings on an electrical terminal to engage a flat flexible cable.

This invention relates to an electrical terminal adapted for use with a flat flexible cable. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of crimping an electrical terminal onto a flat flexible cable.
A flat flexible cable is a type of electrical cable that includes a flat, flexible plastic base that support one or more flat electrical conductors thereon. Flat flexible cables are typically used in devices having a large amount of electronics in a relatively small space. In such devices, the flat flexible cable can provide for easier cable management than a conventional round electrical cable.
The electrical conductors on the flat flexible cable are typically connected to an electrical terminal in a connector, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,262. As described therein, the conductor is pressed into engagement with the terminal. It would be advantageous to have an improved electrical terminal for attachment to a flat flexible cable.

Method of crimping an electrical terminal onto a flat flexible cable


A wireless UE device uses a method of radio technology and channel selection for transferring device traffic that includes detecting, at a wireless user equipment device, a condition related to at least one of temperature and radio interference and responsive to the detecting, determining to associate a data application on the wireless UE device with a radio access technology (RAT).

As wireless user devices become both smaller and more powerful, numerous issues emerge with regard to management of the user device to provide an optimal user experience. Two of the many issues include radio interference between multiple radios within a wireless device and the management of heat produced by components of the user device.

Mitigation of radio interference and thermal issues using radio access technology selection


Disclosed herein are methods for the detection and/or quantification of anionic surfactants. Also disclosed herein are test kits, which utilize the disclosed methods, to estimate the anionic surfactant concentration in samples, such as environmentally-derived samples. In some specific embodiments, the method and the test kit may be used to detect, among other things, aqueous film forming foams that comprise anionic surfactants.

Surfactants are a group of organic compounds that are of increasing concern. They are a group of chemicals that are in widespread use around the world with global production exceeding 9.86×109 kg per year. Surfactants are used in large amounts daily in households around the world in cleaning products and detergents, in industrial applications including the manufacturing of pesticides, plasticizers in the cement and concrete industries, mining, pharmaceuticals and many other products.
Anionic surfactants are the major class of surfactants that are used in detergents. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is published to be the most widely used anionic surfactant. Wastewater treatment facilities receive anionic surfactants in significant amounts due to the enormous use of detergents for washing purposes and from other sources. While most of the surfactants are able to be eliminated through conventional wastewater treatment, some surfactants have low biodegradability and, in others, undesired biodegradation products are formed and discharged with effluents into surface waters. Another route for introducing these chemicals into the environment includes the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. The surfactants can leach into the surrounding soils and be further transported to groundwater and surface waters.
One particular class of specialty surfactants, fluorinated surfactants, have properties that make them particularly well suited to fire-fighting applications. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate C8F17SO3) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid C7F15CO2H) are two commonly used fluorinated surfactants. These surfactants have been detected in human blood, water, soils, sediments, air, and biota samples. The compounds have been found to be globally distributed, persistent and bioaccumulative.
In order to be able to detect anionic surfactant contamination in the environment, various assays for the detection of anionic surfactants have been developed.
The Methylene Blue Active Substances (MBAS) assay is the current standard colorimetric test used to estimate the concentration of anionic surfactants in water. The water sample is acidified, 3 mL of chloroform and a methylene blue solution is added, then the sample is agitated. In the MBAS assay, the anionic surfactant complexes with the cationic dye. The higher the concentration of anionic surfactant, the more the dye is absorbed and the greater the colorimetric change. For method sensitivity, LAS is used to estimate the concentration of anionic surfactant, and concentrations are reported in LAS equivalents. The MBAS assay has a published detection limit of 0.025 mg/L.
While this method has been used extensively, the use of the assay is problematic since it uses chloroform as the extraction solvent, which is a suspected human carcinogen. Thus, a need exists for an improved assay for the detection of anionic surfactants. It would be desirable that such an assay would eliminate the use of the suspected carcinogenic solvent, chloroform. It would also be desirable if an improved assay was suitable for use in the field for the rapid detection of anionic surfactants in environmental samples.
Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country.


A tool for removing a retainer from the opposed tangs of a spring-type hose clamp is provided. The tool includes a first member adapted to fit between the retainer and the hose clamp and dislodge the retainer from the tangs of the hose clamp. The tool also includes a second member adapted to retain the retainer to the first member after the removal of the retainer from the hose clamp. A method for employing the tool is also provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to assembly tooling and more particularly to tooling for the installation of hose clamps.
2. Discussion
It is common place in the manufacture of modern vehicles to utilize flexible hoses to direct various vehicle fluids in a desired manner. As compared to rigid fluid conduits, flexible hoses are generally low in cost and easily installed and serviced. Despite the advantages of flexible hoses, several drawbacks have been noted.
One particular drawback concerns the labor required to subassemble and install a hose, particularly where engine or vehicle components are in close proximity to one another and render conventional hose clamp repositioning tools difficult to employ. The subassembly operation typically requires that a pair of hose clamps be opened or spread sufficiently and installed to the ends of the hose. Thereafter, the assembly is positioned in a desired manner, the ends of the hose are coupled to various fluid connectors and the clamps are opened a second time and repositioned over portions of the hose that are adjacent to the connectors.
In areas where engine or vehicle components are in close proximity to one another, a substantial amount of labor may be expended to reposition the hose clamp in a desired manner. The labor associated with the first opening of the clamps and their initial positioning does not add value to the device manufactured and as such, unnecessarily increases the cost of the vehicle. Furthermore, as the task of opening and repositioning each of the clamps is performed manually, this operation increases the risk that the device manufactured will have a defect, such as an improperly relocated clamp. Such defects require additional labor efforts to diagnose and repair.
To alleviate these problems, a retainer has been developed which engages the tangs of the spring-type hose clamps when the clamp is positioned in an expanded condition. The retainer effectively eliminates the need to re-open or spread the hose clamps to permit the hose to be installed to the connectors. Furthermore, the labor associated with repositioning has been eliminated through the use of retaining means which cause the hose clamp to be retained in a given area of the hose while it is being retained in an expanded condition. Such retaining means include adhesives or mechanical fastening.
While the use of the retainer has improved the efficiency with which a spring-type hose clamp may be installed in some situations, a new problem, the removal of the retainer in a controlled manner, was encountered. More specifically, while the retainer was easily pried from the tangs of the hose clamp, the energy released by the retainer as it was removed generally caused the retainer to be propelled away from the hose and clamp. Consequently, the issues with the uncontrolled removal of the retainer included the loss of the retainer, damage to the device manufactured as a result of the retainer impacting or becoming lodged into the device, and the safety of the technician installing the hose and those in the surrounding area.

Tool for safely removing clip on pre-opened hose clamps


A display device includes: a pixel array section; and a drive section, the pixel array section including scan lines, signal lines, pixels, and power lines, the drive section including a main scanner, a drive scanner, and a signal selector, wherein each of the pixels includes a light-emitting element, sampling transistor, drive transistor, and holding capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix display device using a light-emitting element in each of its pixels. The present invention also relates to electronic equipment having a display device of this type.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent years have seen a brisk development of self-luminous flat display devices using organic Electro Luminescence (EL) elements. An organic EL element relies on light emission from an organic thin film when applied with an electric field. This element is low in power consumption thanks to a small applied voltage of 10V or less. Further, this element is self-luminous and emits light, eliminating the need for illuminating members and permitting easy reduction of the weight and thickness. Further, this element offers extremely high response speed or approximately several μs, thus producing no afterimage during display of a moving image.
Among other self-luminous flat display devices using organic EL elements, the development of active matrix display devices having a thin film transistor integrated in each pixel as a driving element is going on at a brisk pace. An active matrix self-luminous flat display device is disclosed in Patent Documents, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-255856, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-271095, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-133240, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-029791, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-093682.


The invention relates to compounds of Formula (I):

Thermotropic liquid crystals are generally crystalline compounds with significant anisotropy in shape. That is, at the molecular level, they are characterized by a rod-like or disc like structure. When heated they typically melt in a stepwise manner, exhibiting one or more thermal transitions from a crystal to a final isotropic phase. The intermediate phases, known as mesophases, can include several types of smectic phases wherein the molecules are generally confined to layers; and a nematic phase wherein the molecules are aligned parallel to one another with no long range positional order. The liquid crystal phase can be achieved in a heating cycle, or can be arrived at in cooling from an isotropic phase. A comprehensive description of the structure of liquid crystals in general, and twisted nematic liquid crystals in particular is given in "The Physics of Liquid Crystals," P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, Oxford University Press, 1995.
An important variant of the nematic phase is one wherein a chiral moiety is present, referred to as a twisted nematic or cholesteric phase. In this case, the molecules are parallel to each other as in the nematic phase, but the director of molecules (the average direction of the rodlike molecules) changes direction through the thickness of a layer to provide a helical packing of the nematic molecules. The pitch of the helix is perpendicular to the long axes of the molecules. This helical packing of anisotropic molecules leads to important and characteristic optical properties of twisted nematic phases including circular dichroism, a high degree of rotary power; and the selective reflection of light, including ultraviolet, visible, and near-IR light. Reflection in the visible region leads to brilliantly colored layers. The sense of the helix can either be right-handed or left-handed, and the rotational sense is an important characteristic of the material. The chiral moiety either may be present in the liquid crystalline molecule itself, for instance, as in a cholesteryl ester, or can be added to the nematic phase as a dopant, with induction of the cholesteric phase. This phenomenon is well documented, see e.g. H. Bassler, M. M. Labes, J. Chem. Phys., 52 p 631 (1970).
There has been significant effort invested in the synthesis and polymerization methods for preparing stable polymer layers exhibiting fixed nematic and/or cholesteric optical properties. One approach has been to synthesize monofunctional and/or polyfunctional reactive monomers that exhibit a nematic or cholesteric phase upon melting, formulate a low melting liquid crystal composition, and polymerize the liquid crystal composition in its nematic or cholesteric phase to provide a polymer network exhibiting stable optical properties of the nematic or cholesteric phase. Use of cholesteric monomers alone, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,896, provided cholesteric layers with the desired optical properties, but the polymer layers possessed relatively weak mechanical properties.
Many efforts have been made to improve the physical properties and thermal stabilities by formulating twisted nematic monomer phases that are capable of crosslinking polymerizations to provide polymer networks. Examples of these crosslinking monomers are his (meth)acrylates with ether groups (—O—) linking a core mesogen to flexible spacers and the polymerizable (meth)acrylates. Their synthesis and use in forming polymer networks are disclosed in Makromol. Chem. 190, 2255-2268 (1989); Macromolecules, 1988, 31, 5940; Makromol. Chem. 192, 59-74 (1991); WO 1998/047979; J. Polym. Sci.: Part A: Polym. Chem., Vol. 37, 3929-3935 (1999); Makromol. Chem. 190, 3201-3215 (1989); U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,880; DE 4,408,170; EP 261,712; EP 331,233 B1; EP 397,263 B1; and JP 1994/016616A. Although many of these references also claim ester groups (—C(O)—O—) linking the core mesogen to flexible spacers and the polymerizable (meth)acrylate, there is limited disclosure in any reference useful in relation to the teaching of how to make and use bis(meth)acrylates with ester groups (—C(O)—O—) linking the core mesogen to flexible spacers and the polymerizable (meth)acrylates. Furthermore, there is limited disclosure in relation to their specific physical or chemical properties.
The preparation of monofunctional (meth)acrylate liquid crystal monomers having an aliphatic ester group (—C(O)—O—) linking the mesogen to a flexible spacer and the polymerizable (meth)acrylate is disclosed by Shibaev, et al, in Polymer Bulletin, 6, 485-492 (1982), and similar compounds linking a (meth)acrylate to a cholesteryl mesogen via a flexible spacer and an ester moiety are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,619. However, since his (meth)acrylate mesogens with ester linkages have not been prepared, any benefit of the utilities and properties previously thought to exist for them is difficult to realize.
A need thus remains for a process to make bis(meth)acrylates with esters linking the mesogen to a flexible spacer and the polymerizable (meth)acrylates. There is also a need for crosslinking monomers that exhibit nematic and/or cholesteric phases over broad temperature ranges, and there is a need for polymer networks that exhibit cholesteric optical properties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Liquid crystal compositions, polymer networks derived therefrom and process for making the same

Abstract: The invention further relates to liquid crystal compositions comprising compounds of Formula (I); compositions further comprising one or more chiral compounds; and polymer networks derived from the polymerization of the liquid crystal compositions. Another embodiment relates to processes for providing compounds of Formula (I).


A device (40) for generating a watermarked stream (39), comprising: at least one input interface (41) configured to receive encrypted control messages (20) and conditional access streams (30) including a main stream (33) and protected watermarking data streams (35) from which a watermarking information (38) can be embedded in said watermarked stream (39); a security module (43) configured to process said control messages (20) and to control access to said conditional access streams (30); a descrambler (45) configured to remove protection applied on at least some of said conditional access streams (30); a watermarking unit (47) configured to generate the watermarked stream (39) from said conditional access streams (30) by selectively processing said watermarking data streams (35) depending on access data (AC, AR) included in some of said control messages (20).

The present description relates to watermarking of multimedia content provided by a server to a client device. Watermarking techniques aim to embed specific information within the multimedia content. This information usually aims to identify the owner of the content and/or to identify the client device onto which the multimedia content has been processed. This information can be perceptible or imperceptible to humans.
Most solutions rely only on the client device to watermark an identifier in the multimedia content. In this way, the content is altered on the client device before being displayed. This alteration is controlled by the client device. However, such a control remains unreliable because there is no certainty that the client device has not been tampered.
Other solutions rely on the server for watermarking the multimedia content by embedding the registered identifier of the client device before sending the content to the end user. However, since the content is watermarked using the identifier of the client device, such a solution is not convenient for broadcasting multimedia content, namely for transmitting the same content to a plurality of client devices.
Therefore, there is a need to suggest a solution for watermarking content provided to a plurality of client devices, while overcoming, at least in part, the aforementioned concerns.

Methods, devices and system for generating a watermarked stream


A device and a method for cutting through the adhesive bead of panes that have been fixed by bonding is specified, said device having a motor-drivable winding device, a coil for winding-on a separating means for cutting through the adhesive bead, a suction plate for fixing the winding device by means of negative pressure on a pane to be removed, wherein the winding device is mounted so as to be rotatable on the suction plate and wherein at least one guide roller for guiding the separating means is provided, which is preferably placed in a corner region of the pane in order to hold the cutting angle between separating means and adhesive bead extensively ≦90° during the removal operation.

The invention relates to a device for cutting through the adhesive bead of panes that have been fixed by bonding, the device having a motor-drivable winding device, a coil for winding-on a separating means for cutting through the adhesive bead, a suction plate for fixing the winding device by means of negative pressure on a pane to be removed, wherein the winding device is mounted so as to be rotatable on the suction plate.
The invention also relates to a method for cutting through the adhesive bead of panes that have been fixed by bonding, where a winding device, which has a motor-drivable coil for winding-on a separating means for cutting through the adhesive bead, is fastened by means of a suction plate on an inner side of a pane to be removed, wherein the winding device is mounted so as to be rotatable on the suction plate and wherein the adhesive bead is cut through by winding-on the separating means.
A device of this type and a method of this type are known from DE 10 2008 060 812 A1.
In the case of the known device and of the known method, the winding device is couplable by means of a detachable coupling to a suction plate, which is fixable on the inner side of a vehicle, in such a manner that the winding device is accommodated so as to be rotatable on the suction plate. During the driving of the winding device, the winding device is consequently automatically aligned on the cutting means.
A disadvantage here is that the angle between the separating means and the adhesive bead for a large part of the adhesive bead to be cut through is clearly greater than 90°, which leads to a large amount of tensile loading on the separating means and brings about either a non-clean cut or in the case of extreme tensile loading can even lead to the separating means tearing.
DE 40 12 207 C1 discloses a further device and a further method for cutting through the adhesive bead of panes that have been fixed by bonding. In this case, a winding device is fastened by means of two suction plates on the pane to be removed. In addition, a guide roller each is fastened by means of a suction plate in the region of the two bottom corners. The two ends of a cutting wire pierce the adhesive bead, one end is fixed and the other end is guided around the guide rollers and around the adhesive bead and is finally fastened on a first coil of the winding device. By driving the coil, the cutting wire is now gradually pulled through the adhesive bead such that the adhesive bead is cut through. When the adhesive bead of approximately half the circumference of the pane has been cut through, the wound-on end portion of the cutting wire is fixed and the other, previously fixed end portion is wound-on in order to detach the other half of the pane in the same way. Two separate winding drums, which are drivable in opposite directions of rotation and are selectively lockable, are provided for this purpose. In this case, each winding drum receives one of the two end portions of the cutting wire.
A disadvantage in the case of the known device and in the case of the known method is that different winding devices have to be provided for winding-on the cutting wire in the one and in the other direction.

Device and method for cutting through the adhesive bead of panes