A system and method are provided for creating a vector map in a hardware graphic pipeline. Initially, one of a plurality of transforms is selected in a hardware graphic pipeline. Further, input is processed in order to generate a vector map utilizing the selected transform in the hardware graphics pipeline. Subsequently, a plurality of pixel color values is rendered utilizing the vector map.

The present invention relates to computer graphics, and more particularly, to creating vector maps in a computer graphics processing pipeline.
In a computer graphics pipeline, three-dimensional objects are typically rendered by assembling a plurality of polygons in a desired shape. The polygons are conventionally triangles 100 (See Prior Art FIG. 1) composed of vertices which are defined by spatial coordinates, color values, and texture coordinates among other values. As this polygonal representation consists of a collection of flat facets of fixed size, a texture map 102 (See Prior Art FIG. 1) is often applied to the facets in order to provide greater detail. This texture map describes a pattern to be applied to the surface of each triangle to vary the color or other properties. The texture map itself is a matrix of values typically interpreted as color components, and the placement of values in the matrix describes a pattern which, when applied to the triangles, may vary the colors in accordance with the pattern. The texture map elements are accessed by a texture coordinate, and the values stored at each integral texture coordinate constitute one texel (texture element) within the texture map. The texture map is typically loaded as a file from disk or created and filled with values by the computer system central processor.
Texture maps may also be interpreted and used as vector maps, whereby the texture map values do not represent the colors of a pattern, but instead represent multi-dimensional vectors within a pattern. For example, rather than storing the surface color at each texel of a texture map, one could provide a texture map which holds a surface normal vector at each texel. This map then represents a geometric surface at a level of detail independent of the polygonal vertex geometry. A texture map of this type, referred to as a normal map 104 (See Prior Art FIG. 1), may then be used in lighting and shading calculations in the graphics pipeline, and the normal map provides a more efficient representation of surface detail than the polygonal vertex geometry.
In general, normal maps 104 (See Prior Art FIG. 1) are one formulation of vector maps. Other typical vector map formulations include displacement maps for environment-mapped bump mapping (EMBM), displacement maps for other texture perturbation techniques, and height maps 103 (See Prior Art FIG. 1). Displacement maps hold a vector used to perturb texture coordinates during rasterization, and height maps consist of a one-dimensional vector which represents the geometric height of a surface at each texel. The one possible differentiating feature of a vector map is that its values are not necessarily intended to be directly visible in pixels of the rendered scene. Rather than containing colors which are blended into pixels of the scene, vector maps contain values that are input to various graphics pipeline calculations. These calculations use the values to control aspects of rendering such as texture coordinate values, texture reads, surface lighting, and bump mapping. An example of this may be found with reference to: Moller, Tomas, and Haines, Eric, Real-Time Rendering, A K Peters, Ltd., 1999, p 136; which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 1 thus illustrates typical data used in computer graphics rendering. Geometry (i.e. triangles 100) may be combined with a plurality of color textures of a texture map 102 and vector maps to produce a rendered image. Color textures represent the physical appearance of the object as seen by the human eye, while vector maps do not necessarily have perceptual counterparts in the physical world. Instead, vector maps contain mathematical or geometric information about the surface. Such information may include the height of the surface of the object at each texel as in a height map 103 and the normal vector to the surface at each texel as in a normal map 104, displayed here through the use of a color map to make the data perceptible.
Vector maps are utilized in a graphics hardware pipeline as input data to a variety of rendering calculations. One such operation may be that of per-pixel lighting as illustrated in Prior Art FIG. 2, whereby illumination values 204 are computed at each pixel of the rendered object 205. This calculation involves, for each pixel rendered, a dot-product 201 between incident light vectors 200 and the surface normal vectors 202. The vector map, in this case a surface vector normal map, is useful only in the context of the rendering calculation. The vector map values do not necessarily appear in the output, though they determine, via calculation, the appearance of the output.
Vector map values may be stored in a variety of numerical formats including, among other formats, unsigned integers, signed integers stored in a biased and scaled range, signed integers stored in twos-complement format, integers of various bit precision including 8, 16, and 32 bits, and floating point formats.
Vector map values are typically, but not necessarily, derived from geometric values. A vector map may be calculated from the gradient of a scalar map, as in the case of calculating a surface normal map from a height field, or it may be calculated as a collection of difference vectors between two or more collections of vectors. As vector maps may thus encode geometric features of a surface or affect rendering in ways more sophisticated than those of the standard diffuse texture mapping, it is desirable to animate their values when used in rendering. In this way, animation of the vector map data is analogous to animation of the values, such as surface height, from which the vector map is derived. Unfortunately, animation of the vector map in a meaningful fashion without the underlying data from which it is derived is not practical and in some cases is not possible. To animate the vector map, the practical solution is to animate the data from which it is derived and recalculate the vector map from the data.
Such calculations to create a vector map are involved, and in the prior art were performed by a software program executing on the computer system central processor. Prior Art FIG. 3 illustrates a prior solution to the problem of creating a vector map 306 from a height map 302. To create a normal map texel value 304 corresponding to each height map texel 300, an area of neighbors t0, t1, t2, and t3 surrounding the height map texel 300 are sampled and their values differenced. The differences produce two slope vectors dZ/dU and dZ/dV, the cross product of which is the three-dimensional surface normal vector. This vector may be stored as one texel of a texture map and the texture map transferred to the graphics pipeline. This method of creating the vector map may be performed on the CPU according to the prior art method of FIG. 3A.
Under this scheme as shown in FIG. 3A, the resulting vector map 306 must be transferred via a bus to the hardware graphics pipeline 312 for use in hardware-accelerated rendering. The high CPU cost of the calculations and bandwidth required to transfer the vector map to the graphics hardware severely restrict the use of this prior method with animated vector maps. Also, under the prior method, both the CPU and hardware graphics pipeline are prone to fall into an idle state at various times while waiting for the other to complete its operations. These idle states reduce the performance of the overall system. Under the prior method, the vector map and source data from which it is derived cannot be updated rapidly or efficiently for use in hardware accelerated rendering.
What is needed is a system in which vector map data may be calculated as needed in the graphics pipeline itself, independent of the CPU and without having to travel across the system bus from the CPU to the graphics pipeline. Vector map data generated in this way is available for immediate use in the hardware graphics pipeline. Such a system eliminates an interdependence between the CPU and graphics pipeline, allowing both to operate efficiently which in turn allows for rapid generation, animation, and use of vector map data in computer graphics rendering. Given the ability to create vector maps in a hardware graphics pipeline, the maps may then be used to modify themselves or their source data in further hardware graphics pipeline operations.
A system and method are provided for creating a vector map in a hardware graphics pipeline. Initially, one of a plurality of transforms is selected in a hardware graphics pipeline. Further, input is processed in order to generate a vector map utilizing the selected transform in the hardware graphics pipeline. Subsequently, a plurality of pixel color values is rendered utilizing the vector map.
In one embodiment, the input may include a height map. Further, the height map may be generated by the hardware graphics pipeline. As an option, the height map may be stored in the hardware graphics pipeline and may be updated by a central processing unit. In such case, the height map may be capable of being updated while saving bandwidth between the central processing unit and the hardware graphics pipeline.
In another embodiment, the input (i.e. height map) may be generated based on geometry information. Further, the input may be processed utilizing a rendering process of the hardware graphics pipeline. As an option, the vector map may be directly generated by processing input in the form of geometry information. Again, this may be carried out in the hardware graphics pipeline. In still another embodiment, the input may include basis values. Of course, the input may include any other input capable of being used to generate a vector map.
In still another embodiment, the vector map may include a bump map, a normal map, an environment-mapped bump mapping displacement map, and/or a displacement map. Optionally, the displacement map may include both positive and negative displacements. Further, the vector map may include a biased and scaled displacement map.
In the case where the input includes a height map, the height map may include a plurality of height map values that are each received in the form of a texel. In use, the processing may include sampling a plurality of neighboring texels surrounding a texel corresponding with each height map value in order to generate vectors. The sampling may include calculating a plurality of offset values associated with each height map value of the height map. Such offset values may each be associated with one of the neighboring texels. Further, the offset values may each be calculated by adding a vector value and a centering value. Still yet, the sampling may further include generating a plurality of vectors based on the offset values.
As an option, the aforementioned generated vectors may include gradient values. Moreover, the processing may include generating vector map values associated with the height map values based on the vectors. The processing may also include normalizing the vectors, and/or any desired filtering.
In still yet another embodiment, the processing of the vector map may occur in multiple passes. This repetition may be facilitated by way of a feedback loop. Such feedback loop may be biased by a gravity or other influence vector or a plurality of vector maps. Further, the processing may be repeated in a programmable manner. As an option, a vector map may be used to modify the height map of a subsequent pass. As an option, the vector map may be filtered before using the vector map to modify the height map. The foregoing operation may even be replicated, and the processing may be based on additional input.
In still another embodiment, the processing further includes writing the vector map values to a texture map. As an option, the rendering may occur immediately following the processing.
Optionally, the hardware graphics pipeline may include programmable pixel shader hardware. Further, the hardware graphics pipeline may include programmable vertex processing hardware. One example of an application of the foregoing technique involves the use of the vector map for per-pixel fluid rendering.
In another example of use, a first height map may be generated in a hardware graphics pipeline. Next, the first height map may be fed back in the hardware graphics pipeline. Thus, a second height map may be generated in the hardware graphics pipeline utilizing the first height map.
Thus, rather than relying on a central processing unit (CPU) to calculate a vector map from a height map or other data, the foregoing technique is designed for configuring the rendering operations of a hardware graphics pipeline such that the act of rendering calculates the vector map.
The input data from which the vector map is calculated may be stored in one or more textures in video memory. These textures may be sampled and combined in optionally programmable vertex processing and pixel processing hardware. The resulting output of the calculations may be rendered to a video memory surface (i.e. a texture) for later use as an input texture for lighting, reflection or any other type of 3-D rendering.
Thus, the present embodiments provide a technique for configuring a hardware graphics pipeline such that the operations of rendering calculate the desired vector map data from a variety of source data input to the graphics hardware. The source data includes one or more texture maps applied to polygonal geometric primitives. In the process of rendering, the pipeline configuration first creates and samples sufficient information to calculate the desired vector data. As rendering progresses, the vector data is then available for use in further calculations. It may be used, discarded, and/or written to graphics pipeline memory for later use, typically in the form of a vector map texture. This method creates vector map data on demand as needed by the hardware graphics pipeline. Given the ability to queue a host of rendering operations for efficient pipelined execution, this method allows the hardware graphics pipeline to create and utilize vector map data independent of the computer system central processor (CPU).
Vector map data created in this manner may be fed back into further rendering operations that in turn calculate additional vector map data. The method of this invention enables cascades and loops of the data through multiple rendering operations such that vector maps in the graphics hardware may perturb and modify themselves over time and in so doing, give rise to useful animations. In addition, the input data or rendering loops may be modified or perturbed by the host program executing on the CPU, and the configuration of the graphics pipeline calculates vector map values as required.
This method has the additional benefit of abstracting the expression of vector map calculations from the details of the actual underlying calculations being performed by the graphics pipeline. This is to say the graphics pipeline is configured and instructed to perform certain rendering operations that are guaranteed to yield appropriate vector map values. The details of how the graphics pipeline chooses to perform these calculations at each element, the degree of parallelism of the calculations, the time at which each element is processed, the order in which each element is processed, and the method of storage of the input and output data may vary per the desires of the user.

System and method for creating a vector map in a hardware graphics pipeline


A belt cleaner includes one or more cleaner unit (6) which has a support plate (8) providing a scraping portion (7), an upper resilient block (9), and a lower resilient block (10), wherein said support plate (8) is supported by said upper resilient block (9) to be held in a forward leaning posture to make the scraping portion oppose to the belt running direction (X) so that the support plate (8) may be shifted to an upright posture by deformation of the upper resilient block (9), and wherein said lower resilient block (10) may deform resiliently to move said upper resilient block (9) including the scraping portion (7) upon application of pushing forces, such as bumping shocks or the like thereto so that shocks may be absorbed.

Conventionally, a belt cleaner provides one or more cleaner units mounted on a frame extending in a transverse direction of a conveyor belt. Each cleaner unit provides a scraping portion which contacts with the belt surface and scrapes off leavings stuck thereon. The cleaner unit comprises a support plate which provides said scraping portion and a resilient block which supports resiliently a lower portion of said support plate. The resilient block is formed of rubber and adhered to the support plate.
Prior art cleaners for a conveyor belt are disclosed in the following documents.    Patent document 1: JP 2829498 B    Patent document 2: JP 3893510 B    Patent document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,470 B


A method for manufacturing a rack bar having a first rack and a second rack is provided. The first and second racks have an angular positional difference around an axis of the rack bar. The method includes forming a first flat surface and a second flat surface on an outer circumference of a single hollow shaft member, with the angular positional difference being provided between the first and second flat surfaces, and forming the first rack on the first flat surface and the second rack on the second rack surface by press-fitting one or more mandrels into the hollow shaft member in a state in which one or more teeth dies corresponding to the first rack and the second rack is pressed against the first flat surface and the second flat surface.

A related art rack bar is a dual-pinion rack bar to be used in a steering apparatus of a vehicle such as an automobile. A dual-pinion rack bar has racks at two locations, one rack being provided to engage with a steering pinion of a steering shaft, and the other rack being provided to engage with an auxiliary pinion of an assist mechanism. The dual-pinion rack bar may be made from one solid shaft member, or by joining a hollow first shaft member and a solid or hollow second shaft member (see, e.g., JP2014-124767A and JP2014-234882A).
Depending on a positional relationship between a steering shaft and an assist mechanism in a vehicle, racks may be provided at two locations having different angular positions around an axis of a rack bar. When manufacturing a rack bar from one solid shaft member, racks may be formed at two locations having different angular positions by, for example, NC cutting.
JP2014-124767A discloses a rack bar formed by joining a hollow first shaft member and a solid second shaft member. The first shaft member and the second shaft member may each have a rack formed in advance, and are coaxially disposed in a state in which their end faces are butted against each other, and the first shaft member and the second shaft member are rotated relative to each other for friction pressure welding. The relative rotation of the first shaft member and the second shaft member is stopped such that a desired angular positional difference is provided between the respective racks of the first shaft member and the second shaft member.
JP2014-234882A discloses a rack bar formed by joining a hollow first shaft member and a hollow second shaft member. The first shaft member and the second shaft member may each have a rack formed in advance, and are coaxially disposed at respective sides of a joint member in a state in which they have a desired angular positional difference. The joint member is then rotated so that the first shaft member and the joint member, and the second shaft member and the joint member, are frictionally pressure-welded to each other. By rotating the joint member while holding the first shaft member and the second shaft member in a stationary manner, the accuracy of the angular positional difference between the respective racks of the first shaft member and the second shaft member is improved.
Making at least a portion of the shaft member hollow can reduce the weight of the resulting rack bar. However, with the related at rack bar manufacturing method described above, additional steps of joining of the first shaft member and the second shaft member and finishing the joined portion are needed, and it is also necessary to ensure joining strength.


A data processing system for processing planar-oriented computer output data to provide customized output for each user. The system, called phaser, specifies two-dimensional portions of such planar-output for processing to permit page-oriented editing of the planar output. Portions of pages can be identified by column and line numbers, by box and block coordinates, and by matching plane-oriented patterns. Prior to processing, such varied page specifications are converted to segment lists of line segments to permit uniform processing. Phaser statements are compiled and executed in working sets which can be invoked in series or in parallel (on the same data input) to permit union and intersection operations.

Many digital data processing application programs in use today produce output in the form of a sequence of two-dimensional images or planes, exemplified by the printed page or the display on a cathode ray tube. Typical examples of such application programs include word processing programs, spread-sheet programs and data base manager programs. The contents of these images include all of the information obtained from the operation of the application program, arranged or formatted in a manner believed to be useful by the application programmer. Some limited ability to control or edit these output images are sometimes included in the application package. Unfortunately, however, such alternate output formats must be provided either by laborious, line-by-line manual editing of the original output, by hard coding of the new format by the application programmer, or else a large and complex report generator must be included in the application program to allow the user to format his or her own output.
The major disadvantage of the inflexible output format is that it sometimes serves to conceal rather than reveal the desired data, due either to the sparsity of the desired data among the total data output, or due to the indirect manner in which it is displayed. The disadvantages of report generators associated with application programs are the time and difficulty in learning how to use the report generator, only to find that it is then necessary to learn a new report generator for a new and different application program. The disadvantages of manual editing are obvious.

Method and apparatus for selectively processing paginated output


An image forming apparatus having: an image support that supports a toner image; a transfer member adapted to sandwich with the transfer member and the image support; a voltage application unit that applies a transfer bias voltage to the transfer member; a current detecting unit that detects transfer current flowing from the voltage application unit to the transfer material after transfer processing on the transfer material starts; and a control unit that sets an upper limit of transfer current on the basis of a value of the transfer current detected by the current detecting unit, and thereafter further acquires a transfer current value from the current detecting unit to control a transfer bias voltage generated by the voltage application unit, such that the transfer current value during transfer does not exceed the upper limit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a transfer member which is adapted to sandwich with the transfer member and an image support on which a toner image is supported, so that the toner image is transferred onto the transfer material.
2. Description of Related Art
In a printing process of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, toner images in their respective colors are transferred onto one another on a transfer belt, which is an example of the image support, (primary transfer), so that a composite toner image is formed. The composite toner image is transferred (secondary transfer) onto a transfer material at a nip (referred to below as a transfer nip) between the transfer belt and a secondary transfer roller, which is an example of the transfer member. Here, examples of the type of the transfer material include plain paper, OHP film, and heavy paper.
At the time of secondary transfer, a transfer bias voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller. A method for controlling the transfer bias voltage as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-275946 (see, for example, FIGS. 2 to 5) will be described below in summary.
In the image forming apparatus, for example, constant current control is performed when the transfer material is not at the transfer nip (referred to below as during non-transfer time), such as at the time of warm-up. During the constant current control, a voltage from a power supply is applied to the secondary transfer roller. An ammeter detects current from the power supply to the secondary transfer roller (referred to below as transfer current). Moreover, a control unit continually monitors the voltage outputted by the power supply. The control unit holds a voltage value Vout of the power supply so that the value detected by the ammeter can be kept at a constant value Icc (e.g., 20 μA).
Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus, a memory unit has a plurality of first tables stored therein. For example, the first table is prepared for each type of transfer material. Moreover, each first table lists a transfer bias voltage calculation formula for each range of absolute humidity. The calculation formula is created in advance on the basis of experiments, etc.
In determining the transfer bias voltage, the control unit initially receives information concerning the type and the size (at least the width) of the transfer material to be used in the current printing process. Specifically, the information is inputted by the user manipulating an operating panel (not shown) of the image forming apparatus before pressing a print start button. The control unit receives a print command, which includes the information, from the operating panel.
Furthermore, the control unit derives absolute humidity around the secondary transfer roller by a well-known method. The control unit refers to the first table to identify a calculation formula on the basis of a combination of the type of the transfer material and the absolute humidity, and assigns, to the calculation formula, a voltage value Vout that is currently being held, thereby calculating a transfer bias voltage.
Thereafter, for example, a scanner included in the image forming apparatus reads an image of a document set by the user, and the control unit acquires image data that represents the read document image.
Furthermore, the memory unit has a plurality of second tables stored therein. For example, the second table is prepared for each combination of a type of transfer material and a coverage. Here, the coverage refers to a proportion of an area occupied by the composite toner image (referred to below as a toner area) to a printable area of the transfer material. Each second table lists at least an upper limit of transfer current for each combination of a width of the transfer material and absolute humidity. The upper limit is obtained in advance on the basis of experiments, etc.
In determining the upper limit of transfer current, the control unit initially analyzes the acquired image data to identify the coverage. The control unit identifies the second table to be used for the current secondary transfer on the basis of the combination of the type of the transfer material and the coverage, and thereafter, the control unit reads the upper limit of transfer current from the identified second table on the basis of the combination of the absolute humidity and the width of the transfer material.
As described earlier, the transfer belt supports the composite toner image thereon. Moreover, the power supply applies the transfer bias voltage to the secondary transfer roller. The composite toner image on the transfer belt is transferred onto the transfer material introduced to the transfer nip (secondary transfer). The above operation from "the constant current control during non-transfer time" to "the derivation and application of the transfer bias voltage" is the same as in a well-known active transfer voltage control (ATVC) method.
During secondary transfer, the ammeter continues to detect the transfer current. If the value detected by the ammeter exceeds the determined upper limit, the control unit performs upper limit current control, thereby gradually changing the transfer bias voltage to the secondary transfer roller. As a result, the transfer current value is kept below the upper limit.
The image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-275946 performs upper limit current control, so that toner images on the image support can be transferred onto transfer materials of various resistance values with high transfer efficiency. However, suppliers of transfer materials do not necessarily manage resistance values, and some transfer materials distributed in the global market have considerably lower resistance values than transfer materials distributed in the Japanese domestic market. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus is required to transfer a toner image onto such a transfer material with high transfer efficiency.

Image forming apparatus having transfer bias control


An optical disk apparatus driving an optical disk includes a tilt-angle adjusting unit configured to adjust a tilt angle indicating the tilt of an optical axis of laser light emitted from a pickup to detect an optimal tilt angle at which a traverse signal has the maximum amplitude and a storing unit configured to store information about the optimal tilt angle. When the optical disk has multiple recording layers on one side, the tilt-angle adjusting unit adjusts the tilt angle with respect to each of the multiple recording layers to detect the optimal tilt angle and the storing unit stores information about the optimal tilt angle with respect to each of the multiple recording layers. The tilt angle with respect to each of the multiple recording layers is controlled in accordance with the information about the optimal tilt angle with respect to each of the multiple recording layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical disk apparatuses, methods of controlling the apparatuses, and programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical disk apparatus, a method of controlling the optical disk apparatus, and a program capable of rapidly adjusting a tile angle indicating a tilt of the optical axis of a pickup irradiating an optical disk with laser light. The optical disk has multiple, for example, two recording layers on one side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disks that are irradiated with laser light to record and play back data include compact discs (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), and magneto-optical (MO) disks.
High-capacity and high-density optical disks called Blu-ray (Registered trademark) discs (hereinafter also referred to as BDs) have been put to practical use in recent years.
The BDs include Blu-ray discs-Read Only Memory (BD-ROMs) used only for playback, Blu-ray discs-Recordable (BD-Rs) on which data can be recorded only once, and Blu-ray discs-Rewritable (BD-RWs) on which data can be recorded multiple times.
Optical disks having multiple, for example, two recording layers are made practical in order to further increase the recording capacities of the optical disks. Of the two recording layers, a recording layer near the cover layer is called an "L1" layer and a recording layer far from the cover layer is called an "L0" layer.
In such an optical disk apparatus that records data on an optical disk and plays back data on the optical disk, if the optical axis of the (optical) pickup (the optical axis of laser light), which irradiates the optical disk with the laser light and receives reflected light of the laser light to output a radio-frequency (RF) signal etc., does not form an appropriate angle (for example, an angle of 90°) with the recording layer of the optical disk, the spot of the laser light on the recording layer of the optical disk can be distorted to prevent normal playback or recording.
In order to resolve such a problem, the optical disk apparatus performs a startup process to, for example, adjust the tilt angle indicating the tilt of the optical axis of the laser light emitted from the pickup to an optimal tilt angle when, for example, the optical disk is loaded in the optical disk apparatus.
Specifically, in the startup process, the optical disk apparatus adjusts the tilt angle at a position toward the inner circumference of the optical disk to detect an optimal tilt angle toward the inner circumference (an inner-circumference-side optimal tilt angle) and adjusts the tilt angle at a position toward the outer circumference of the optical disk to detect an optimal tilt angle toward the outer circumference (an outer-circumference-side optimal tilt angle).
In recording or playback, the optical disk apparatus calculates the optimal tilt angle at each position in the radial direction of the optical disk by interpolation using the inner-circumference-side optimal tilt angle and the outer-circumference-side optimal tilt angle to control the tilt angle so as to be equal to the optimal tilt angle at the position where the recording or playback is performed on the optical disk.
In other words, the (radial) tilt angle of the objective lens (the tilt of the optical axis of the objective lens) of the pickup is controlled in the optical disk apparatus.
The control described above allows the optical disk apparatus to perform the normal playback or recording even if optical disks that are used are individually varied or the curvature of the optical disks are varied across the ages.
In a typical DVD having the two layers: the "L0" layer and the "L1" layer on one side, the distance from (the surface opposing the pickup of) the cover layer to the "L0" layer is around 0.6 mm and the distance from the cover layer to the "L1" layer is around 90% of the distance from the cover layer to the "L0" layer. Accordingly, the ratio between the distance from the cover layer to the "L0" layer and the distance from the cover layer to the "L1" layer is about 10:9, which is close to 1:1. In other words, the distance to the "L0" layer with respect to the pickup is approximately the same as that to the "L1" layer with respect to the pickup.
In addition, as for the DVD, the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens of the pickup is not so high (around 0.6).
For the above reasons, when the pickup forms a certain angle with the DVD (when the optical axis of the pickup forms a certain angle with the recording layer of the optical disk), the spot of the laser light formed on one of the "L0" layer and the "L1" layer has the same shape as the spot of the laser light formed on the other layer.
Consequently, in the DVD having the two layers: the "L0" layer and the "L1" layer on one side, the optimal tilt angle detected by adjusting the tilt angle with respect to only one of the "L0" layer and the "L1" layer can be used for the other layer. Accordingly, it is sufficient to detect the optimal tilt angle with respect to only one of the "L0" layer and the "L1" layer and it is not necessary to detect the optimal tilt angle with respect to the other layer.
However, technologies for adjusting the tilt angle with respect to each of multiple recording layers on a DVD to detect an optimal tilt angle at which an RF signal output from the pickup has the largest amplitude are proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-095151).
The degree of a variation in amplitude of an RF signal with respect to a variation in tilt (in the radial direction) of a typical DVD (hereinafter referred to as a disk tilt sensitivity) coincides with the degree of a variation in amplitude of the RF signal with respect to a variation in tilt (in the radial direction of the optical axis) of the pickup (hereinafter referred to as a lens tilt sensitivity) whereas the disk tilt sensitivity does not coincide with the lens tilt sensitivity in a typical BD.

Optical disk apparatus, control method, and program


A clutch apparatus includes an input shaft having a bore portion extending in an axial direction thereof, a stator shaft formed in a cylindrical shape and provided so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the input shaft, and a sleeve formed in a cylindrical shape and provided so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the stator shaft, wherein the stator shaft includes an internal hydraulic passage, a clearance formed between an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve and the outer circumferential surface of the stator shaft serves as a first hydraulic passage, the internal hydraulic passage serves as a second hydraulic passage, a clearance formed between an inner circumferential surface of the stator shaft and the outer circumferential surface of the input shaft serves as a third hydraulic passage, and the bore portion of the input shaft serves as a fourth hydraulic passage.

Generally, a vehicle having an automatic transmission apparatus is provided with a torque converter, which serves as a clutch apparatus and which is provided on a power transmission path between an internal combustion engine and the transmission apparatus. The torque converter is configured so as to continuously transmit a torque generated by the internal combustion engine while the torque converter is shifted from a stalled state to a directly connected state. There exists a torque converter having a lock-up clutch, which is configured so as to directly connect a pump impeller and a turbine runner in order to absorb a rotational difference between the pump impeller and the turbine runner when the rotational difference therebetween is relatively small, which may result in improving fuel consumption. The torque converter having the lock-up clutch is configured to include three hydraulic circuits. More specifically, the torque converter having the lock-up clutch is provided with a supply hydraulic circuit for supplying oil between the pump impeller and the turbine runner, a release hydraulic circuit for discharging the oil existing between the pump impeller and the turbine runner, and a lock-up clutch actuating hydraulic circuit for supplying the oil in order to actuate the lock-up clutch.
Disclosed in JP2003-028271A is an example of a torque converter (a clutch apparatus) having three hydraulic circuits. The torque converter disclosed in JP2003-028271A is configured so that a first hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the lock-up clutch actuating hydraulic circuit) includes a hollow portion of a pipe member provided within a hollow portion of an input shaft in a concentric manner, a second hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the release hydraulic circuit) includes a clearance formed between an outer circumferential portion of the pipe member and an inner circumferential portion of the input shaft, and a third hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the supply hydraulic circuit) includes a clearance formed between an outer circumferential portion of the input shaft and an inner circumferential portion of a stator shaft facing the outer circumferential portion of the input shaft.
There exists a torque converter that has a lock-up clutch, which has the above-mentioned configuration, and furthermore, a mechanism (an impeller clutch), which is configured so as to disengage a pump impeller from an internal combustion engine, in order to reduce a fluid resistance generated between a turbine runner and the pump impeller, which is aimed to reduce fuel consumption while the internal combustion engine is in an idle state. The converter having the lock-up clutch and the impeller clutch generally needs four hydraulic circuits, more specifically, a supply hydraulic circuit, a release hydraulic circuit, a lock-up clutch actuating hydraulic circuit and an impeller clutch operating hydraulic circuit, which is used to supply oil in order to actuate the impeller clutch.
A configuration of the hydraulic circuits of the torque converter disclosed in JP2003-028271A may be modified as follows in order to include four hydraulic circuits. For example, the first hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the lock-up clutch actuating hydraulic circuit) may include a hollow portion of a second pipe member, which is provided within the hollow portion of the pipe member in a concentric manner, the second hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the release hydraulic circuit) may include a clearance formed between an inner circumferential portion of the pipe member, which is provided within the hollow portion of the input shaft in the concentric manner, and an outer circumferential portion of the second pipe member, the third hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the supply hydraulic circuit) may include a clearance formed between the outer circumferential portion of the pipe member and the inner circumferential portion of the input shaft, and a fourth hydraulic circuit (which corresponds to the impeller clutch actuating hydraulic circuit) may include a clearance formed between the outer circumferential portion of the input shaft and the inner circumferential portion of the stator shaft facing to the outer circumferential portion of the input shaft.
However, according to the torque converter disclosed in JP2003-028271A in which the pipe member is arranged within the hollow portion of the input shaft, a diameter of the input shaft may be accordingly enlarged. Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the case where the torque converter disclosed in JP2003-028271A is modified so as to arrange the second pipe member within the hollow portion of the pipe member in order to form four hydraulic circuits within the torque converter, the diameter of the input shaft is further enlarged.
Still further, in the case where the torque converter disclosed in JP2003-028271A is modified so as to provide the second pipe member within the hollow portion of the pipe member in order to form four hydraulic circuits, additional passage bores need to be formed at the input shaft. The passage bores need to be formed at the input shaft so as to be displaced from each other in an axial direction of the input shaft. Therefore, providing the additional passage bores on the input shaft may result in elongating a length of the input shaft in the axial direction. Furthermore, in the case where the additional passage bores are formed on the input shaft, an additional sealing member needs to be provided between the neighboring passage bores, which may result in further elongating the length of the input shaft in the axial direction.
A need thus exists to provide a clutch apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


A user interface is displayed to an administrator (or other user) and allows the administrator to walk through a workflow performed by a user in a given role. Data access steps performed in walking through the workflow are recorded and a set of permissions is identified, based upon the recorded workflow. The set of permissions corresponds to the role.

Many different types of computer programs and computer systems employ a wide variety of different types of security. Some security measures limit the access that different users have to the computer program or computer system, based upon the role that the individual user plays with respect to the computer system. For example, a manager may have different access than a sales representative. In these types of situations, it can be difficult to determine exactly what access individual users (who have individual roles) should have to the computer system.
As one example, there are many different types of business computer applications or computer systems. Some of those different types include enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer resource management (CRM) systems, line-of-business (LOB) applications, or other systems that involve business data. In this example the computer system is an ERP system. In an ERP system, different users of the system are given different levels of access to the information stored in the system. For instance, a user that is employed in a human resources position may have access to the personal files (such as salary information, security clearance information, etc.) for the employees of the company. That same person, however, may have no access to the sales data for the company. On the other hand, a sales manager may have access to a great deal of customer data and sales data in the ERP system, but may not have access to the personal information files for the employees in the company. It can thus be seen that the role that an individual plays in the company can determine what types of access or privileges the user is given to the ERP system. This can be referred to as a system with role-based access.
These types of systems present certain challenges. For example, it can be difficult to determine exactly what permissions or privileges a given user requires for that user to perform the work necessary to carry out his or her position. For instance, if a user is employed as an accounts payable clerk, it can be difficult to identify exactly which types of data that user should have access to in the ERP system and which components of the system the user needs access to in order to perform the workflow required of an accounts payable clerk. Identifying permissions can take many hours, and can be both inefficient and error prone.
These problems can be exacerbated in certain ways as well. When the business needs of a company change, it would commonly require some modifications to existing role definitions or creation of new roles related to a company When a new role is created, someone must normally create new privileges and permissions within the ERP system for an individual employed in that new role or identify which existing privileges and permissions can be reused. This may also mean that previously-existing roles need to have their permissions or privileges changed as well, in order to accommodate the employee in the new role.
In any of these scenarios mentioned above, an administrator or other person assigning privileges or permissions in the system must normally have intricate knowledge of both the computer system and the way each given user performs the business process workflow required of his or her role in the company. In addition, the process is an intensively manual process. These types of problems exist for substantially any systems that use role-based access control.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Creation of security roles through user walkthrough of business process workflow


Aspects of the present invention relate to the creation of an ink font. Based on characteristics of handwritten characters, the collection of characters may be scaled so as to adjust the size of the font to match predefined size values or relationships.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to computer systems. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to creation of a font based on a user's handwriting.
2. Description of Related Art
Typical computer systems, especially computer systems using graphical user interface (GUI) systems, such as Microsoft WINDOWS, are optimized for accepting user input from one or more discrete input devices such as a keyboard for entering text, and a pointing device such as a mouse with one or more buttons for driving the user interface.
Some computing systems have expanded the input and interaction systems available to a user by allowing the use of a stylus to input information into the systems. The stylus may supplement or replace the keyboard (for data entry) or mouse (for control). Some computing systems receive handwritten electronic information or electronic ink and immediately attempt to convert the electronic ink into text. Other systems permit the electronic ink to remain in the handwritten form.
Users are now able to personalize notes and other documents with their handwriting. In some situations, users may convert their handwriting into a font. However, fonts created by merely capturing handwriting lead to shifted characters (shifted up or down, left or right). In other situations, extraneous data may be included in handwritten fonts that prevent clean fonts from being generated.
An improved font creation process and system is needed.


An insert for use in a rod elevator assembly. The insert is coated with a fusion-bonded nylon coating which is resistant to damage from the rod and which does not damage the plastic coating on the rod. Both inserts in a two-insert assembly are coated, and all surfaces of the inserts may be coated.

Rod elevators have long been used to support sucker rods as they are run into and out of a well. Their basic design has remained substantially the same over that period of time. The elevator assembly is provided with a vertically oriented opening that extends out to one side of the assembly. The opening is larger than the diameter of the rod to allow the elevator to be positioned by moving it laterally onto the rod. Typically, the elevator includes an insert which also contains an opening aligned with the main elevator opening. Commonly, a standard size elevator is provided with a number of inserts of varying sizes, enabling a single elevator to be used to lift or lower sucker rods of different diameters. The width of the insert opening is somewhat smaller than the width of the elevator opening so as to fit more snugly about the sucker rod at the juncture between the elongated rod shaft and the thicker head portion. Thus when the elevator is raised, the insert structure surrounding the rod engages the bottom of the head portion of the rod to support the weight of the rod.
The heavy weight of the sucker rod against the small supporting area of the elevator insert during the rod raising or lowering operation causes high compressive forces to exist at this support area. In addition, if the elevator insert opening is not aligned with the rod during relative lateral movement between the rod and the elevator, the insert tends to scrape and bump against the rod during this operation. These actions are undesirable because they often result in damage to the plastic rod coating used to protect the metal rod against corrosion caused by contact with well bore fluids. If such coatings are damaged, the resulting corrosion will normally result in rod failure.
Since damage to the rod coating is inevitable when there is contact between the metal elevator and the sucker rod, repair procedures are commonly employed. This usually involves patching the rod coating by brushing a two-part epoxy onto the damaged area. The patch is not entirely effective, however, because of the difficulty in cleaning and drying the damaged area of the rod to the point required for proper adhesion of the epoxy.
Since the nature of the lifting operation is such that damage to the rod coating is likely to occur during the raising or lowering of sucker rods and since the conventional repair operation does not produce consistently acceptable results, some other means is needed to either better repair damaged rod coatings or prevent the damage from occurring in the first place.


When a transfer signal according to ultrasonic echoes is wirelessly transmitted from an ultrasonic probe to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, the main body and the probe are reliably connected without false recognition. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, and the ultrasonic probe includes a probe ID transport unit having a transport distance shorter than that of a first wireless communication unit for transporting a probe ID for identification of itself in contact or noncontact to an outside, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body includes a probe ID acquiring unit for acquiring the probe ID transported from the probe ID transport unit, and a second wireless communication unit receives the transfer signal from the ultrasonic probe having the probe ID acquired by the probe ID acquiring unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which an ultrasonic probe transmits a signal, which is obtained by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and thereby imaging organs and so on within a living body, to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body via wireless communication. Further, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe to be used in such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
2. Description of a Related Art
In medical fields, various imaging technologies have been developed for observation and diagnoses within an object to be inspected. Especially, ultrasonic imaging for acquiring interior information of the object by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves enables image observation in real time and provides no exposure to radiation unlike other medical image technologies such as X-ray photography or RI (radio isotope) scintillation camera. Accordingly, ultrasonic imaging is utilized as an imaging technology at a high level of safety in a wide range of departments including not only the fetal diagnosis in obstetrics, but also gynecology, circulatory system, digestive system, and so on.
The principle of ultrasonic imaging is as follows. Ultrasonic waves are reflected at a boundary between regions having different acoustic impedances like a boundary between structures within the object. Therefore, by transmitting ultrasonic beams into the object such as a human body and receiving ultrasonic echoes generated within the object, and obtaining reflection points, where the ultrasonic echoes are generated, and reflection intensity, outlines of structures (e.g., internal organs, diseased tissues, and so on) existing within the object can be extracted.
Generally, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic probe including plural ultrasonic transducers (vibrators) having transmitting and receiving functions of ultrasonic waves is used. The ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body are often connected via a cable. However, in order to remove the burden of using the cable, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses of a wireless communication type for performing wireless information communication between the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body are being developed. In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses of a wireless communication type, reception condition of a radio signal varies depending on arrangement situations of the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body.
As a related technology, Japanese Patent Application Publication JP-P2007-275087A discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for establishing wireless connection between an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body and a specific ultrasonic probe by wirelessly transmitting probe identification information from an ultrasonic probe to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body so that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body identifies the ultrasonic probe corresponding to the probe identification information.
However, in the case where there are plural connectable ultrasonic probes and plural ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main bodies in a range where wireless communication is enabled, an operation for setting or the like is complicated in order to reliably establish wireless communication between a specific ultrasonic probe and a specific ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body to be used, and there is a danger of improper connection when an error occurs in the operation. Further, in the case where wireless communication condition is poor, false recognition of the ultrasonic probe may occur at establishment of wireless communication. In this case, a different kind of control is made by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body and an abnormal movement may occur, and therefore, there is a possibility that a problem such as a defective image may occur.
By the way, in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, there is a request for forcible management of availability of connection between an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body in order to prevent, for example, unwanted infection caused when an ultrasonic probe, which was used by one operator and requires sterilization treatment, is carelessly used by another operator.
As a related technology, Japanese Patent Application Publication JP-P2008-61938A discloses a technology for managing a condition of an ultrasonic probe when the ultrasonic probe is disconnected from an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body and not used. The ultrasonic probe includes a handle part for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a connector connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, for mediating supply of power and transmission and reception of signals for ultrasonic diagnoses, an internal power supply capable of supplying power to the inside when the connector is detached from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus main body, and condition managing means supplied with power from the internal power supply, for managing a condition of the ultrasonic probe.
The ultrasonic probe disclosed in JP-P2008-61938A has a function of managing the condition of the ultrasonic probe when not used, and notifying an operator of the condition. However, an operation for sequentially detecting the condition of the ultrasonic probe is necessary, and attention should be given to reduction in the remaining power of the internal power supply.

Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and ultrasonic probe


A horizontal casting tray with one or more slidable blocks for sealing at least one open end of the tray is provided to accommodate the casting of solidifiable separation media in variable lengths for use in electrophoresis. Methods for using the casting device to prepare solidified medium having a concentration gradient are disclosed.

Horizontal electrophoresis has been an enduringly popular choice for separation of nucleic acids and proteins and offers several advantages over vertical electrophoresis. Generally, horizontal gels used as separation media are easier to cast than vertical gels. Further, thicker gels can be provided in a horizontal format than in a vertical system, and a lower concentration of separation medium, such as agarose, can be used in horizontal gels than in vertical gels allowing for better separation of high molecular weight molecules. Also, in a horizontal format, sample wells may be provided within the interior of the gel as well as at the top edge, increasing the number of samples that can be loaded per gel.
The typical system for casting horizontal gels utilizes a gel-casting tray with a flat bottom surface, two opposing parallel sides and two open ends that must be blocked at set points to retain the separation medium until the medium solidifies, resulting in a gel of limited dimensions. The open ends are usually sealed with an adhesive tape or sealed by the placement of casting gates in pre-cut grooves in the sidewalls and bottom surface of the tray. Whatever method is used, the gel is formed only in specific, predetermined lengths.
Several horizontal gel systems, in particular, catalog numbers HG-12, HLB-12, HG-20 and MG-10, available through Tyler Research Corporation, Alberta, Canada, utilize an adjustable gate-placement design. The design allows a casting gate to be placed into one of three placement grooves at pre-set lengths. Although the design increases the flexibility of a system in that it provides for some choice of length to be made, it is still limited to pre-determined lengths. Thus, there is a need for a horizontal gel-casting device that permits the selection of length from along a continuum of lengths.
A further disadvantage of systems with pre-determined gate settings is that each setting requires a groove cut in the sidewalls and the otherwise smooth bottom surface of the casting tray for gate placement. Because the grooves are machined for a tight fit with the casting gate, additional grooves add to the cost of manufacturing. Moreover, when a relatively longer gel is poured, the grooves cut in the bottom surface of the casting tray cause variation in gel thickness leading to possible distortion of the separation pattern in the gel.
Another limitation associated with using trays with only preset gel dimensions is that the preparation of a gradient gel, in which the concentration of agarose or other ingredients is varied from one end of the gel to the other, is not possible using existing casting tray systems with placement of casting gates only at the ends of the trays, and is not practical using systems with only a few pre-determined gate settings along the length of the tray. Gradient gels are advantageous when separating specimens containing macromolecules over a wide range of sizes. There is a need for a horizontal gel casting system that permits incremental increases, as desired, in the concentration of the separation medium along the length of the gel.

Horizontal gel casting device and method


The present invention provides an efficient system for providing vending information from vending machines to a central processing system. Difference indicia representing changes in vending information from a previous update is sent to the central processing system from a vending machine. The difference indicia provides sufficient information for the central processing system to update the data kept at the central processing system to reflect new vending information. Preferably, reference vending data is kept at the vending machine and at the central processing system. New vending data is compared with the reference vending data to identify differences between the new vending data and the reference vending data. These differences are used to generate the difference indicia sent to the central processing system. Upon receipt by the central processing system, the difference indicia is used to modify the reference vending data stored at the central processing system to reflect the new vending data.

The present invention generally relates to collecting information from vending machines in the vending industry, and in particular relates to efficiently collecting such information on an ongoing basis.
In an attempt to more efficiently service and stock vending machines, vending machines have been equipped with communication electronics to provide information to a central location for processing. Communicating vending information to and from vending machines is generally referred to as xe2x80x9conline vending.xe2x80x9d For online vending, the information collected from a vending machine is transmitted across large distances to a central server computer by telephone line, radio signal, or the like, where it is used for management purposes. The costs associated with such data transmission have a major impact on the profitability of the vending operation, since the data is normally sent on a daily basis. If the amount of data to be transmitted can be significantly reduced, the cost of data transmission is correspondingly reduced, and the viability of the vending operation is enhanced. Electronically controlled vending machines provide a large quantity of sales and fault related data, and the challenge has been to reduce the data transmitted without compromising the quality or quantity of data available at the central server computer.
Previous attempts have included selective sending of the data. For example, information is sent to the central server computer only on selected days of the week, or only certain types of information are sent. The disadvantages of these methods are that while data volume and hence costs are reduced, the available data at the central server computer is also reduced. For example, if a vending data collection unit is set up to call only on week nights, the machine may run low on stock during a weekend, and the machine will not be serviced because it does not call in over the weekend. There is also a reduced amount of data available for the technical maintenance of both the vending machines, and the data reporting system. Furthermore, if the unit only reports sales information, then when a vending machine fault occurs, it will not be communicated, and the vending machine may be left in a condition where it is unable to sell for some period of time before a dissatisfied customer reports the machine malfunction.
In a system that only reports certain types of vending machine data, there is often manual overhead involved with managing which types of data are to be returned and which are not as the vendor operators extend their ideas as to what data is now essential. Many systems require periodic changes in memory, such as a read only memory (ROM). These changes often require the memory to be physically replaced with one reprogrammed with a new set of software in order to make changes in the types of data reported, and this is a costly and time consuming operation in the light of the large number of vending machines that exist.
As such, there is a need to provide a vending machine or related interface that overcomes the above disadvantages while significantly reducing the quantity of data transmitted.
The present invention provides an efficient system for providing vending information from vending machines to a central processing system. Difference indicia representing changes in vending information from a previous update is sent to the central processing system from a vending machine. The difference indicia provides sufficient information for the central processing system to update the data kept at the central processing system to reflect new vending information. Preferably, reference vending data is kept at the vending machine and at the central processing system. New vending data is compared with the reference vending data to identify differences between the new vending data and the reference vending data. These differences are used to generate the difference indicia sent to the central processing system. Upon receipt by the central processing system, the difference indicia is used to modify the reference vending data stored at the central processing system to reflect the new vending data.
Preferably, the reference vending data and the new vending data at the vending machine are compared on a line-by-line basis. Each line will represent a record having a record type and associated data for the record type. Based on the comparison between the new vending data and the reference vending data, insert, delete, and replace commands are generated to form the difference indicia. An insert command will insert the corresponding line to reflect new vending data in the reference vending data at the central processing system. A delete command will cause a corresponding line to be deleted from the reference vending data at the central processing system when the new vending data no longer has a corresponding line or record. The replace command is preferably used when lines in the new and reference vending data have a similar record type, but different data associated therewith can also be used as a simultaneous delete and insert. As such, the replace command may provide information to change the data associated with a given record in the reference vending data at the central processing system.
The present invention may be implemented in a vending machine control system or in a vending machine user interface associated with a vending machine controller in a vending machine. Either the vending machine controller or the vending machine user interface is preferably associated with communication electronics to communicate the difference indicia via direct or wireless communications to the central processing system, over any number of networks. The concepts of the present invention may be implemented in the hardware of the vending machine, vending machine controller, or vending machine user interface as well as in software, process, or method. The software of the present invention may be implemented in various types of computer readable media, including, but not limited to programmable memory devices, magnetic disk, optical disk, and the like.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present invention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.

Efficient collection of information from vending machines


A rotary end face seal assembly to seal a fluid under pressure includes a pair of annular mating ring seal faces with one of the faces defining a sealing interface between radially inner and radially outer peripheral edges. A plurality of hydro-pad recesses are formed radially inwardly from the peripheral edge of one of the seal faces at the pressure side of the seal assembly at peripherally spaced intervals and a plurality of feeder grooves are formed radially inwardly from the same peripheral edge of the seal face between at least some hydro-pad recesses. The radial extent of the feeder grooves is longer than the radial extent of the hydro-pad recesses. In one form a feeder groove is disposed between adjacent hydro-pad recesses. In another form a feeder groove is disposed between adjacent pairs of hydro-pad recesses.

Rotary mechanical end face seals find wide application in pumps for pumping a liquid process fluid. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,512, owned by John Crane Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., hydro-pad relieved areas, or depressions, on one of the relatively rotating seal faces is a configuration to enhance flow of process fluid between the relatively rotating sealing faces to provide a liquid film for lubrication. Typically, hydro-pad reliefs or depressions take the form of arcuate (scalloped) areas positioned at periodic intervals open at the peripheral edge of a seal face exposed to operating pressure of the process fluid. Typically such relieved areas have been formed to a depth of approximately 1.0 mm from the sealing face of the annular seal ring.
One common usage of rotary mechanical end face seals is found in power plant boiler feed water pumps. This application presents generally severe operating conditions, usually process fluid operating temperatures of 390° F. (200° Centigrade) at a pressure of 30 bar (450 psi).
Water at these pressures and temperatures is not a good lubricant. Because of the pressure drop across the seal face, the process fluid flashes to steam. It is common practice in such applications to provide separate cooling water flush for the seal to maintain its functionality, maintain reasonable durability and prevent excess leakage. Such auxiliary equipment and processing adds to both installation and incremental operating expense.
The arrangement disclosed here provides a seal for a boiler feed pump that does not require external cooling. It is configured to operate without any separate cooling water delivery system. It is an uncooled seal.

Mechanical seal with hydro-pad face profile


The present invention relates to a fire resistant glazing unit (10), and in particular to novel curable gelling compositions which may form a fire-resistant hydrogel interlayer (3) between the glass panes (1) of the glazing unit (10). The gelling compositions of the invention comprise 5-40% w/w of a curable hydrogel-forming component (typically an acidic vinyl monomer such as acrylic acid or its metal salt); 20-60% w/w of one or more salts (e.g. magnesium salts); 40-90% w/w of an aqueous vehicle; and the gelling compositions have an acidic p H between p H 1 and 7. Such gelling compositions, when cured to form a hydrogel interlayer, provide excellent fire-resistant properties and also an excellent radiation barrier in the event of a fire.

Glazing, such as "insulated glazing units" (IGUs) and the like, are widely used in both domestic environments (e.g. double-glazed windows for homes) and in industrial settings.
Typically glazing is not well suited to environments where an inherent fire risk exists.
In general, glazing suffers from poor fire resistance due to the vulnerability of glass to thermal shock and the resultant loss of integrity. This can be a problem when considering the safety of users of the building in the event of a fire. Furthermore, in many countries safety regulations specify the fire resistance that needs to be exhibited by glazing used in a particular location.
Fire resistance is the ability of a barrier to control the passage of the products of fire from one side of the barrier to the other, to a defined level for a defined time under standard conditions of test. Three properties are commonly defined: Integrity (termed E)—The ability to control the passage of flames and hot gases, (thus preventing ignition on the unexposed face), Radiation (termed W)—The ability to control radiated heat emerging from the unexposed face and Insulation (termed I)—The ability to control conducted heat arriving at the unexposed face
This has led to classification systems for fire resistant glazing. For example, in much of Europe, regulations classify the fire resistance of glazing by the measurement of the minimum time for which the glazing maintains: (i) its structural integrity (termed E); (ii) its structural integrity and radiation reduction (within specified limits) (termed EW); and (iii) its structural integrity and insulation (within specified limits) (termed EI); when exposed to a fire. Standard tests to determine the classification of the fire resistance of glazing are defined and typically involve exposing the one side of the glazing unit to a fire and monitoring the integrity of the glazing, and/or temperature levels on the opposing side of the glazing, over time.
Fire resistant glazing in which the internal space between the transparent glass panes is filled with an interlayer of aqueous fire-resistant gel are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,681 (SAINT GOBAIN), WO 03/061963 (FLAMRO), and WO 2009/071409 (FLAMRO). Fire resistant glazing comprising silicate based fire-resistant interlayers are also known (see, for example, WO2008/084083 (PILKINGTON)). These are commonly referred to either as glazing units or glazing laminates.
However, there remains a need for new and improved fire resistant glazing. In particular, there is a growing need for fire resistant glazing that meets the most stringent fire resistant criteria. Commonly, in Europe this means that the glazing maintains its integrity provides a barrier from radiation emitted (the radiation measured at 1 m from the sample is to remain below 15 kW/m2) and provides insulation from the fire (the temperature of the cold side of the glazing unit remains less than 140° C. on average and no individual spot exceeds a temperature of 180° C. above ambient) for a minimum of 10 minutes or more but usually for much longer. In addition, there are emerging market requirements for glazing that can maintain its integrity and radiation reduction for over 60 mins.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide glazing units that meet these stringent fire resistant criteria. Specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide glazing units which provide excellent insulation whilst also providing an excellent integrity and radiation barrier extending beyond the duration of insulation.


An electronic valve controller for an open-loop and closed-loop control of a valve island includes four or eight valve disks having pneumatic valves configured to perform a motion task. Applications for the open-loop and closed-loop control of the valve island can be loaded onto the electronic valve controller. The invention further relates to a valve assembly, which is controlled in an open-loop and closed-loop manner by an electronic valve controller, to a corresponding method, and to a system.

In the related art, it is known to activate fluidically operable actuators via an electronic control device, e.g., in the form of a memory-programmable controller, in that an activation signal is provided by control electronics to a valve device. The memory-programmable controller can be used to provide pre-configured desired valves which can be selected for controlling the valve functions.
It is known from WO 2013/107466 to specifically configure a fluid control unit with individual fluid control valves. To this end, it is necessary to record pneumatic parameters relating to the fluid control valves and a piston-cylinder assembly, on which a movement task is to be executed. After a user has determined a valve function, a configuration file can be produced which contains open-loop control and closed-loop control parameters for the activation of the valve disk.
In this connection, it has proven to be disadvantageous that the amount of executable pneumatic movement tasks is already pre-configured. Therefore, the previous system does not prove to be flexible enough to be able to implement different technical applications.

Application-based control of pneumatic valve assemblies


A titanium or titanium alloy material for a fuel cell separator has a surface shape in which a plurality of projections are distributed, and a titanium oxide film on a surface of the projections. Fine projections are assumed to increase the contact conductivity remarkably. By increasing contact conductivity with carbon and durability of a titanium or titanium alloy material for a fuel cell separator, the lifetime of a fuel cell may be increased. The material has high usability in the cell manufacturing industry.

In recent years, as fuel cells for automobiles, polymer electrolyte fuel cells have started to progress rapidly. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell is a fuel cell that uses hydrogen and oxygen, and also uses an organic film (composites with inorganic materials are also being developed) of a hydrogen-ion-selective-transmission type as electrolyte. Examples of hydrogen used as a fuel include pure hydrogen and a hydrogen gas obtained by modifying alcohols.
However, current fuel cell systems use components and members having high unit costs, and the cost for components and members needs to be lowered largely for consumer use. Further, for use in automobiles, the current fuel cell systems need not only to lower the cost, but also to downsize a stack, which serves as the center of the fuel cell. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell has a structure in which a membrane electrode assembly (hereinafter also referred to as MEA) including a solid polymer film, electrodes, and a gas diffusion layer, is sandwiched between separators, and a large number of MEAs are laminated to form a stack.
Examples of characteristics required for the separator include electron conductivity, a property of isolating an oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas at the respective electrodes, low contact resistance with the MEA, favorable durability in the environment inside a fuel cell, and the like. Here, the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in the MEA is generally formed with a carbon paper consisting of integrated carbon fibers, and accordingly, the separator is required to have favorable contact conductivity with carbon.
Since a stainless steel, a titanium material, and the like, which is used as materials for a separator, generally has low contact conductivity with carbon without any treatment, many techniques have been proposed to increase the contact conductivity with carbon. A passivation film having low conductivity can serve as an obstacle to higher contact conductivity with carbon. Although this problem could be solved at the expense of the durability, extremely high durability is still required for a separator in the environment inside the fuel cell, which is a highly corrosive environment.
For this reason, currently, it is quite difficult to develop a satisfactory metal material for a separator. Carbon separators have been the mainstream so far; however, if meal separators become available, the fuel cell itself can be downsized, and further, a break will not occur in the manufacturing process of the fuel cell. Accordingly, metal separators are strongly demanded to enable mass production and diffusion.
Under such circumstances, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that makes it possible to lower contact resistance of a stainless steel effectively, in terms of thinning, reducing weight, and the like, by use of a special stainless steel obtained by precipitating a conductive compound in a steel material.
Highly durable titanium is also being studied to be used for a separator. In the same manner as a stainless steel, titanium has high contact resistance with the MEA by the presence of a passivation film on the outermost surface of titanium, and accordingly, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that enables a TiB-based precipitate to be diffused in titanium and the contact resistance with the MEA to be lowered.
Patent Document 3 discloses a titanium alloy for a separator. The titanium alloy contains, by mass %, 0.5 to 15% Ta and a limited amount of Fe and O as necessary. Further, in the titanium alloy, a range from the outermost surface to 0.5 μm in depth has an average nitrogen concentration of greater than or equal to 6 atomic %, and contains tantalum nitride and titanium nitride.
Patent Document 3 also discloses that, in a method for manufacturing a titanium alloy for a separator, it is preferable to heat the titanium alloy at temperatures of 600 to 1000° C. for three seconds or more under a nitrogen atmosphere.
Patent Documents 4, 5, and 6 disclose a technique to thrust a conductive material into the superficial layer by a blasting method or a roll processing method in a manufacturing process of a titanium or stainless steel metal separator. In this technique, a surface microstructure in which the conductive material is disposed to penetrate a passivation film formed on the metal surface secures both contact conductivity with carbon and durability.
Patent Document 7 discloses a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, including converting impurities including titanium carbide or titanium nitride formed on the surface of titanium into oxide by anode oxidizing treatment, and then performing plating treatment. Titanium carbide or titanium nitride formed on the surface of titanium is dissolved while being exposed to a corrosive environment and is re-precipitated as oxide that inhibits contact conductivity to lower the contact conductivity.
The above method suppresses oxidation of these impurities during generation of electricity (during use) and increases durability. However, to secure conductivity and durability, an expensive plated film is necessary.
Patent Document 8 discloses a technique to form an oxide film as a corrosion-resistant film by coating the surface of a titanium-based alloy with BN powder and by performing heat treatment thereon, the titanium-based alloy being used as a base material and being obtained by alloying Group 3 elements in the periodic table.
This is a technique to increase conductivity by doping, with impurity atoms, a position of a titanium atom in a crystal lattice of the oxide film serving as a passivation film of the titanium alloy.
Patent Documents 9 and 10 disclose a technique to form, in rolling processing of a fuel cell separator made of titanium, an altered layer containing titanium carbide on the superficial layer by rolling using carbon-containing rolling oil, and to form a high-density carbon film thereon to secure conductivity and durability.
In this technique, although conductivity with a carbon paper is increased, since durability is maintained by the carbon film, a fine carbon film needs to be formed. The interface between simple carbon and titanium has high contact resistance, and accordingly, titanium carbide that increases conductivity is disposed therebetween. However, in a case in which the carbon film has a defect, the altered layer (including titanium carbide) and the base material cannot be prevented from being corroded, and a corrosion product that inhibits contact conductivity may be generated.
Patent Documents 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 disclose a titanium fuel cell separator that has a structure similar to that disclosed in Patent Document 9, which is a structure mainly including a carbon layer, a titanium carbide intermediate layer, and a titanium base material in this order. Although a manufacturing process is different from that in Patent Document 9 in that the titanium carbide intermediate layer is formed after the carbon layer is formed in advance, a mechanism of increasing durability by the carbon layer is similar.
Patent Document 16 discloses a technique to apply graphite powder to perform rolling and annealing for mass production. This technique enables the function of a conventional carbon separator by adding the carbon layer and the titanium carbide intermediate layer to the surface of an unbreakable titanium base material. However, since the titanium carbide intermediate layer has low durability, there remains a concern that this surface structure can generate a corrosion product that inhibits contact conductivity because the titanium carbide intermediate layer and the base material cannot be prevented from being corroded in a case in which the carbon film has a defect.
Under such circumstances, Patent Document 17 discloses a technique to dispose titanium carbide or titanium nitride, which is a conductive material, on the surface of titanium, and to cover not only titanium but also the conductive materials with titanium oxide having a passivation function.
This technique secures contact conductivity, and in addition, increases durability. However, it is necessary to further increase environmental deterioration resistance of the titanium oxide film covering the conductive materials in order to further lengthen the lifetime of the fuel cell.
Accordingly, the present applicants proposed, in Patent Document 18, a titanium or titanium alloy material for a fuel cell separator having high contact conductivity with carbon. This technique mainly increases durability by performing passivation treatment on a titanium oxide film in which the titanium oxide film is immersed in an aqueous solution containing an oxidizing agent such as nitric acid or chromic acid. In this technique, in addition, titanium compound particles including carbon or nitrogen that is a fine conductive material are dispersed in an oxide film on the surface of the titanium or titanium alloy material.
Patent Document 19 proposes to perform stabilization treatment after the passivation treatment in an aqueous solution using carbide, nitride, carbonitride, or boride of tantalum, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, or chromium as the fine conductive material. This stabilization treatment uses an aqueous solution including rice flour, wheat flour, potato starch, corn flour, soy flour, a pickling corrosion inhibitor, and the like, which are natural products and artificial synthetic substances containing one or more selected from amine-based compounds, aminocarboxylic-acid-based compounds, phospholipid, starch, calcium ions, and polyethylene glycol.
The internal environment and simulating and evaluating conditions of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell will be described later.
Patent Documents 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 disclose that fluorine is eluted when using fluorine-based solid polymer for an electrolyte film, and it is known that a minute amount of hydrogen fluoride environment is generated in this case. Meanwhile, in a case of using a hydrocarbon polymer, it is considered that fluorine is not eluted from the electrolyte film.
Further, Patent Document 24 discloses that pH of an exhaustion liquid is about 3 in experiment. Patent Document 10 employs constant potential corrosion tests in which a potential of 1V is applied in a 50° C. aqueous sulfuric acid having a pH of 4, and Patent Documents 11, 12, 13, and 14 employ durability evaluating tests in which a potential of 0.6V is applied in a 80° C. aqueous sulfuric acid having a pH of about 2.
Patent Document 25 discloses that the driving temperature is about 80 to 100° C., for example, and Patent Documents 21 and 24 employ 80° C. as an evaluation condition. From the above, it is easily assumed that the evaluation conditions for simulating a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is an aqueous solution in which fluorine is dissolved by a solid polymer of an electrolyte film having a pH of 2 to 4, temperatures of 50 to 100° C., cell voltage changes of 0 to 1V (the voltage is 0 before power generation).
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of environment resistance of titanium, it is commonly known that titanium is dissolved by a hydrogen fluoride aqueous solution (hydrofluoric acid). Non-Patent Document 1 discloses that the addition of about 2 ppm or about 20 ppm fluorine to a pH3 aqueous sulfuric acid promotes discoloration of titanium. This discoloration is caused in a manner that titanium is dissolved and re-precipitated as an oxide on the surface, the oxide film grows, and an interference color is generated. As described above, the re-precipitated oxide is a material that inhibits contact conductivity. Accordingly, an environment in which fluorine is eluted in a fuel cell is a more harsh condition for titanium, so that durability needs to be further increased so as not to increase contact resistance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Titanium material or titanium alloy material for fuel cell separator having high contact conductivity with carbon and high durability, fuel cell separator including the same, and fuel cell

NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION


The present disclosure provides a conductive bridge semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The conductive bridge semiconductor device includes a lower electrode, a resistive switching functional layer, an ion barrier layer and an active upper electrode from bottom to top, wherein the ion barrier layer is provided with certain holes through which active conductive ions pass. Based on this structure, the precise designing of the holes on the barrier layer facilitates the modulation of the quantity, size and density of the conduction paths in the conductive bridge semiconductor device, which enables that the conductive bridge semiconductor device can be modulated to be a nonvolatile conductive bridge resistive random access memory or a volatile conductive bridge selector. Based on the above method, ultra-low power nonvolatile conductive bridge memory and high driving-current volatile conductive bridge selector with controllable polarity are completed.

With the continuous innovation of microelectronics and semiconductor technology, FLASH storage technology is facing a series of bottlenecks, for example, floating gates cannot be unrestricted thinning with the development of technology, data retention time is limited, operating voltage is too large and so on. Among many new types of memories, a resistive random access memory has now become the research focus of the new non-volatile memory due to its low operating power consumption, good endurance, simple structure and small device area, etc. If the conductive path can be maintained after the external bias is removed, the conductive bridge based device, acting as the non-volatile device, can be applied to the resistive random access memory; if the conductive path cannot be maintained after the external bias is removed, the conductive bridge based device, acting as the volatile device can be applied to the selector in the resistive random access memory cross array to eliminate read and write crosstalk caused by leakage channels in the cross array. However, the random formation of the conductive path of the non-volatile resistive random access memory greatly impairs the memory characteristics of the conductive bridge resistive random access memory, that is, the retention characteristics of the resistive state, and is not facilitated to the low power consumption characteristics of the device under low current limit.
At the same time, the cross array architecture based resistive random access memory has a problem of crosstalk in the read operation in the array, resulting in erroneous reading of the stored information. The most common solution to the problem of crosstalk is the choice of a selector integrated with a resistive random access memory, including a transistor with a RRAM (1T1R) structure, a unidirectional diode with a RRAM (1D1R) structure, and a bidirectional selector with a RRAM (1S1R) structure. The area of the memory cell in the 1T1R structure mainly depends on the area of the transistor, and it cannot take advantage of the excellent shrinkability of the RRAM; the diode in the 1T1R structure usually has only one-way conduction characteristics; the selector in the 1S1R structure is divided into two types. One type is an electronic type selector dominated by electronic conduction. This type of selector usually has a slowly changing electrical characteristic and a small selectivity ratio, and cannot provide a high operating current to the resistive random access memory. The other type is a conductive bridge selector dominated by an active metal conductive bridge. This type of selector is based on the fragile retention characteristics of the conductive bridge, and typically has an abrupt electrical characteristic and a high selectivity ratio. However, when this type of selector operates at a large operating current, the retention characteristics of the conductive bridge change, become not easily broken and become a non-volatile storage characteristic, and thus cannot perform strobing of the device.

Conductive bridge semiconductor component and manufacturing method therefor

INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES


A communication apparatus includes a temperature sensor, a memory, and a processor. The temperature sensor measures temperature. The memory stores association groups of packet transmission rates associated with at least one of individual ports and individual transmission flows. The processor selects, based on the measured temperature, one of the association groups for suppressing heat generation, and controls reception rates using the packet transmission rates of the selected association group.

In regard to networks provided by telecommunications carriers, communication of a telephone audio signal using the synchronous optical network (SONET) or the synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) has conventionally been the mainstream. However, packet communication based on the Internet protocol (IP) has increasingly gained popularity in recent years. An increase in traffic due to a rapid increase in the number of Internet users has encouraged the establishment of high-speed and large-capacity networks (40 Gbps and 100 Gbps, for example). As packet communication increases in speed and capacity, processing frequency of individual functional blocks in each communication device increases. This leads to an increase in power consumption, which in turn causes heat generation in the device. If the heat generation exceeds a predetermined value, thermal runaway occurs in the device and causes device failures, such as abnormal operation. Accordingly, it is important to implement an adequate heat suppression measure.
International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2008/129638A1
As a measure for suppressing heat generation associated with an increase in power consumption, a conventional technology proposes to perform transmission rate control according to a measured temperature. For example, there is a disclosed technique for controlling a frame sending quantity according to a measured temperature (see International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2008/129638A1, for example). However, the conventional technology does not have a system for managing variably configurable association groups (profiles) of transmission rates associated with individual ports or individual transmission flows. As a result, the conventional technology is not capable of readily making changes in settings of the transmission rates in order to vary the transmission rates according to the heat generation temperature.

Communication apparatus and heat generation suppressing method