The present invention provides methods for water conservation with AC, DC, or ambient light powered irrigation controllers without the use of complex ET (evapotranspiration) data or ET related service fees. Programming may consist of the operator entering a preliminary irrigation schedule, and entering the local zip code. The controller then periodically calculates a water budget by comparing current (non ET) local geo-environmental data with stored local geo-environmental data, and then modifies the preliminary schedule using the water budget. A number of embodiments are possible: stand-alone controllers with a temperature sensor attached directly to the microprocessor within that controller, or as a centrally placed CBM (Central Broadcast Module) which calculates a water budget percentage which is transmitted to one or more field controllers by wired or wireless means. Alternately, a TBM (Temperature Budget Module) that is separate from the controller is connected between the controller outputs and the valves, or mounted at the valves themselves. The TBM periodically calculates the ,water budget, monitors the controller outputs and adjusts the irrigation schedule based upon the water budget ratio. Because of its flexible capabilities with AC, DC, solar, or ambient light powered controllers, as a centrally broadcast water budget ratio in a wired or wireless configuration, or as an add-on to existing controllers or valves, its programming simplicity and close approximation to ET without its complications and cost, the present invention has the potential to save more water and minimize runoff than currently available ET methods.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management and conservation of irrigation water, primarily for, but not limited to, residential and commercial landscaping applications, and more specifically, to a greatly simplified method known as Temperature Budgeting (TB) for doing so based upon seasonal temperature variations and geographic locations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many regions of the United States lack sufficient water resources to satisfy all of their competing agricultural, urban, commercial and environmental needs. The "California Water Plan Update, Bulletin 160-98," published by the California Department of Water Resources using 1995 calendar year data, estimated that approximately 121.1 million acre feet (maf) of water is needed to satisfy the annual water needs of the State of California alone. Of this amount, approximately forty-six percent is required for environmental purposes, forty-three percent for agricultural purposes, and eleven percent (approximately 13.3 maf) for usage in urban areas. The Bulletin further estimated that California suffers a shortage of 1.6 maf during normal years, and 5.1 maf in drought years. These shortages are expected to increase steadily through the year 2020 due to expected significant increases in the state population.
At the Feb. 17, 2004, EPA-sponsored "Water Efficient Product Market Enhancement Program" in Phoenix, Ariz., for landscaping irrigation systems and controllers, it was projected that thirty-six states will have severe water shortages by the year 2010. A significant portion of this projected shortage was attributed to user neglect and irrigation controller inefficiency. The 2003 California census revealed that there were over twenty million single family residences and apartments within the state. The California Urban Water Conservation Council estimated that the average household utilized one-half acre foot of water (162,500 gallons) annually, and that fifty-five percent (89,375 gallons) of this amount was used for landscape irrigation. It further estimated that approximately one-third of the irrigation water was wasted, either due to inefficient irrigation systems or inadequate controller programming, oftentimes due in part to complicated controller programming procedures required of the operator. This results in a total annual waste of 1.81 maf of water for California households alone. Excessive water usages in municipal and commercial areas, golf courses and schools further contribute to the water shortage.
Such water shortages have forced many municipalities to enact strict water conservation measures. For its part, the agricultural industry has responded to this shortage by resorting to drip, micro and other low-volume irrigation systems. Urban communities have imposed strict irrigation schedules, and required the installation of water meters and auditors to enforce those schedules. Commercial and environmental users have enacted similar measures. However, there is no consensus among these various consumers as to the most effective water conservation method or automated control system.
Residential and commercial irrigation consumers are responsible for a significant percentage of wasted water. A report entitled "Water Efficient Landscaping" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dated September 2002, publication number EPA832-F-02-002, states the following: "[a]ccording to the U.S. Geological Survey, of the 26 billion gallons of water consumed daily in the United States (Amy Vickers, 2002 "Handbook of Water Use and Conservation"), approximately 7.8 billion gallons, or 30% is devoted to outdoor uses. The majority of this is used for landscaping"
A significant reason for this over-utilization of landscape water was revealed in a marketing study conducted by the Irrigation Association (IA) and presented at the 2003 IA "Smart Water Application Technology" conference in San Diego, Calif. The study indicated that most consumers typically adjust their irrigation schedule only two to five times per year, rather than on a daily or weekly basis, regardless of changes in environmental conditions. The relatively high cost of labor in many municipalities further prohibits frequent manual adjustments of irrigation controllers. This generally results in over-irrigation and runoff, particularly during the off-seasons, oftentimes by as much as one to two hundred percent. Furthermore, in municipalities that limit irrigation to certain days or intervals, the common practice is to over-water during the permitted watering periods in order to "carry over" until the next watering period. However, this practice is counter-productive, in that severe over-irrigation results in increased water run-off and evaporation.
Soil moisture sensing devices and other methods of water conservation, have been available for decades, but have enjoyed only limited success. Such devices and methods generally call for inserting moisture sensors into the soil to measure the soil moisture content. Newer soil moisture sensing technologies have more recently been developed, and claim to be theoretically accurate in measuring plant water needs. However, regardless of the level of technology, such devices and methods are often problematic due to the location and number of sensors necessary to obtain accurate soil moisture readings, the high costs of installing and maintaining the sensors, and the integrity and reliability of the sensors' data.
Other irrigation controllers utilize meteorological data to estimate the evapotranspiration, or ET, for a particular region. Some of these controllers are manufactured by Aqua Conserve, Weathermatic, Rain Master, and ET Water Systems, among others, whose ET methods were reviewed by the Bureau of Reclamation in their May 2004 report entitled "Weather Based Technologies for Residential Irrigation Scheduling". This ET represents the amount of water needed by plants to replace water lost through plant absorption and evaporation, and is expressed in inches or millimeters of water per day. The United States Food and Agriculture Office (USFAO), in its Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 24, entitled "Crop Water Requirements," noted that "a large number of more or less empirical methods have been developed over the last fifty years by numerous scientists and specialists worldwide to estimate ET from different climatic variables."
There are at least 15 different ET formulas. Each of these formulas provides a different result for the reference ET (ETo). In their paper entitled "Methods to Calculate Evapotranspiration: Differences and Choices," Diego Cattaneo and Luke Upham published a four-year comparison of four different ETo formulas—the Penman-Monteith formula, the Schwab formula, the Penman formula, and the Penman program. Using the same four year data but different weather parameters and algorithms, the four theoretical ET calculations shows results that sometimes vary by as much as seventy-percent (See FIG. 8).
Irrespective of these variations, the Penman-Monteith formula (which appears to vary as much as 70% at certain times from the other three ET calculations) is currently recognized as the "standard" by both the USFAO and California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS), with variances of less than twenty percent from this ET considered ideal. The Penman-Monteith formula is as follows:
  ETo  =                    Δ                          (                      Rn            -            G                    )                            λ        [                  Δ          +                      Y                                      (                              1                +                CdU2                            )                                            +                  y                          37                      Ta            +            273.16                                            U2                                (                          Es              -              Ea                        )                                      Δ        +                  Y                                (                          1              +              CdU2                        )
The variables within this formula represent the following:                ETo=grass reference evapotranspiration in millimeters per day.        Δ=slope of saturation vapor pressure curve kPa° C. at the mean air temperature.        Rn=net radiation (MJm−2h−1).        G=soil heat flux density (MJm−2h−1).        Y=psychrometric constant (kPa° C.).        Ta=mean hourly air temperature (° C.).        U2=wind speed at two meters (m s−1).        Es=saturation vapor pressure (kPa) at the mean hourly air temperature in ° C.        Ea=actual vapor pressure (kPa) at the mean hourly air temperature in ° C.        λ=latent heat of vaporization (MJkg−1).        Cd=bulk surface resistance and aerodynamics resistance coefficient.
The simplest ET formula is the Hargreaves formula proposed by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Its equation is described in the College's Fact Sheet Engineer's Notebook No. 106, published May 1997, in an article entitled "[a] Simple Evapotranspiration Model for Hawaii," as follows:                ETo=0.0135(T+17.18)Rs
The variables within this formula represent the following:                ETo=potential daily evapotranspiration in mm/day.        T=mean daily temperature (° C.).        Rs=incident solar radiation converted to millimeters of water per day (MJ).This formula relies upon the same ET theories and interrelationships as the other formulas disclosed above. As described herein, such reliance causes the Hargreaves formula to possess the same shortcomings as the other ET formulas.
In view of the significant discrepancies between various ET equations, as noted, the question is, which, if any, of these equations is the most accurate ET, or are they all merely theoretical estimations? The herein proposed invention is not so much theoretical as a practical and user-friendly alternative approach to water conservation with greater potential to save real rather than theoretical water.
In an October 2005 Assembly bill 2717 task force meeting in Sacramento, Calif., the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) was asked for their definition of "Smart" controllers. The DWR described "Smart" in the same manner as the. Irrigation Association, the. Center for Irrigation Technology, and the EPA, in that a smart controller is capable of adjusting itself daily based upon the time of the year and the current environmental conditions and that smart technology is not limited to ET controllers. A number of irrigation controller manufacturers currently offer ET based controllers. Several of them obtain the environmental data to calculate ET from historical records, while others utilize adjacently located weather stations to obtain real-time data. Others receive such information from a network of existing weather stations by radio, satellite or pager means for a monthly fee. The Irrigation Association announced at their November 2005 conference SWAT meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. that the Center for Irrigation Technology is continuing to test all climatologically based water saving systems to include ET, ground moisture sensing, and other types of smart technology.
The following U.S. patents all disclose various methods by which an irrigation controller calculates or adjusts an irrigation schedule based upon historical, distal, or local ETo: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,522; 5,097,861; 5,208,855; 5,479,339; 5,696,671; 6,298,285 and 6,314,340. All of these methods calculate ETo values or receive them from external sources, and use such values to adjust and regulate irrigation. Such external sources may be CIMIS ET databases, local sensors, cable lines or broadcast stations. Several of these methods also utilize other data, such as precipitation.
Unfortunately, methods incorporating ET formulas, and the installation, comprehension and programming of controllers utilizing such methods, including those cited in the referenced patents above, are far too complex for the average user to understand and implement. Such a conclusion was reached in a recent study of ET controllers by the Irvine Ranch Water District, entitled "Residential Weather Based Irrigation Scheduling Study." The study stated the following: "The water agency solution to date has been to conduct residential audits, leaving the homeowner with a suggested watering schedule, hoping it would then be followed. These programs have had limited effect and a short-term impact. A preferred solution would be to install irrigation controllers that automatically adjust watering times based on local weather conditions. Unfortunately, until now, these large landscape control systems have been far too complex and expensive for residential applications."
Such complexity is underscored by the one hundred forty-five principal symbols and acronyms identified by the USFAO for use and description of the factors and variables related to ET theory and its various formulas, covering such variables as: the capillary rise; the resistance correction factor; the soil heat capacity; the psychrometer coefficient; and the bulk stomatal resistance of a well-illuminated leaf. The sheer number of variables renders ET theory difficult to explain, understand and apply, especially for an unsophisticated consumer with little or no scientific or meteorological background. For example, the manual for one ET-based controller currently on the market comprises over one hundred fifty pages of instructions and explanations. Such unfamiliarity and complexity increase the margins of error already associated with the various ET formulas, further diminishing their effectiveness.
Water districts, irrigation consultants, manufacturers, the Irrigation Association, the Center for Irrigation Technology and other attendees at the EPA's Water Efficient Product Market Enhancement Program estimated that, due to the complexity, cost, impracticality of installation and difficulty in programming current irrigation controllers, less than one percent of all commercial and residential landscape irrigation systems currently and effectively utilize some form of the ET or moisture sensing method. Such scattered adoption exists despite over fifty years of ET research, and over thirty years of ground moisture sensing technology. The magnitude of such ineffectiveness is underscored by the fact that there are over two million new controllers installed annually in the United States alone, and over fifty million controllers in use today. Even if the ET or ground moisture sensing methods provided one hundred percent efficiency, which they do not, the limited adoption of these methods renders them an ineffective means of significant water conservation, since only one percent of the runoff and water waste would be prevented under perfectly-efficient conditions.
A second shortcoming of the ET method is its dependence upon numerous categories of local, real-time meteorological data. As indicated above, many variables must be measured in order to calculate ET. Data for each variable must be obtained by separate sensors, each one installed in a particular location. Such particularity requires an understanding of local environmental conditions and meteorology. Furthermore, accuracy requires that the data be received from local sensors. Given the numerous microclimates existing within any one geographical area, data received from remotely located sensors may be inaccurate. The data must also be received and processed in real-time, since average or historical ET data may be inaccurate during periods of unusual or excessive heat, cold, or rain, or other deviations from historical climate patterns. Any inaccurate data would result in even greater ET deviations and inefficient irrigation.
ET measuring devices are generally also expensive to install and maintain. Sensors or weather stations must be placed within each microclimate to measure the different variables utilized by the formula of choice. Each weather station may cost up to several thousand dollars. Furthermore, all of these sensors or stations must undergo regular inspection, maintenance and calibration to insure that they continue to provide accurate data. This further increases the actual cost of each station. The sensors and stations must also be powered in some manner—depending upon the particular geographic location, AC power may not be readily available. All of these considerations increase the cost of implementing an ET-based irrigation system to a prohibitive level, and limit the widespread adoption of this method. Finally, all of this assumes that the weather station or sensors is even installable in a particular area. Some areas, such as street medians or parks, are not suitable for weather station or sensor installation due to aesthetic reasons or the likelihood of vandalism.
Another shortcoming of ET-based controllers is that all of the ETo formulas (including the Hargreaves formula) are generally expressed in hundredths of an inch, or millimeters, of water per day. Thus, ETo must be converted to an actual irrigation time of minutes. Such a conversion is dependent upon the characteristics of the particular hydraulic system, such as the valve sizes, water flow rates, and sprinkler or drip irrigation precipitation rates. One conversion formula, proposed by the Austin (Texas) Lawn Sprinkler Association, calculates the sprinkler run time in minutes (T) as follows:
  T  =            60      ×      ETo      ×      Kc              Pr      ×      Ea
The variables within this equation represent the following:                ETo=reference evapotranspiration rate, in inches.        Kc=the percentage crop coefficient.        Pr=the sprinkler precipitation rate, in inches per hour.        Ea=the percentage application efficiency of the hydraulics system.As an example of such complexity, the crop coefficient (Kc) is different for each crop or landscape plant or grass type. Determining the precipitation rate (Pr) requires knowledge of the hydraulic system specifications—the particular types of valves and sprinklers, the number of valves and sprinklers within the system, the water flow rate and operating pressure. Such information is not readily available to the average consumer. Instead, the consumer must expend additional time and money to retain an irrigation expert to configure and install the system.
Another ET-to-irrigation-time conversion method, the 'deficit irrigation practice,' was proposed by the IA Water Management Committee in Appendix G of its October 2002 article entitled "Turf and Landscape Irrigation Best Management Practices." This conversion method comprised ten separate formulas, and utilized a total of twenty-nine variables and constants, not including those utilized in calculating the ET value. Many of these variables represented concepts and relationships difficult for the average irrigation designer, much less a consumer, to understand, such as: the local landscape coefficient for the particular vegetation; available water depending upon the particular soil composition; allowable water depletion rate from the root zone; maximum percentage allowable depletion without plant stress; the water management factor necessary to overcome water management inefficiency; the whole day stress-based irrigation interval; water flow rates for the particular system; and, of course, ET.
Due to the urgency arising from severe national drought and environmental conditions, and the shortcomings of the various present technologies, the irrigation industry is currently researching alternative methods for water conservation and prevention of unattended runoff. The Center for Irrigation Technology in Fresno, Calif., recently renamed as the Irrigation Center for Water Technology (ICWT) along with other educational and research institutions and water conservation agencies, is conducting studies evaluating various water conservation methods. On the national level, the EPA is considering the introduction of a "WaterStar" irrigation efficiency rating program similar to the "EnergyStar" rating system currently in use for equipment energy efficiency. The purpose of such an irrigation efficiency rating program is to promote consumer awareness and compliance as an alternative to mandated water conservation measures which would severely and negatively impact the irrigation industry, landscape aesthetics and the ecology.
It is clear from the foregoing discussion that the irrigation water management industry, in view of a politically and economically sensitive, and urgent, water crisis, is pursuing highly scientific, mathematical and/or theoretical approaches for resolving the problems of wasted irrigation water and drought conditions. Unsurprisingly, such approaches have met with limited success. The EPA, United States Department of Energy (DOE), Bureau of Reclamation, ecologists, environmentalists, municipalities, water agencies, research institutions, irrigation consultants, and manufacturers, are all searching for new methods that provide practical (as opposed to theoretical) improved irrigation efficiency—methods that overcome the particular shortcomings of the prior art. The California Assembly bill 2717 task force established to propose new regulation concerning landscape irrigation has recommended that all irrigation controllers installed by the year 2010 be "smart". Their definition of a "smart" controller is not limited to ET controllers. A "smart" controller is one defined as capable of adjusting itself daily based upon local weather conditions and proven capable by means of third party testing (such as offered by the ICWT) to provide enough water for a healthy landscape by maintaining an adequate root zone water supply with minimal (if any) waste or runoff.
Landscape water conservation also provides additional benefits. As noted by the EPA in its "Water Efficient Landscaping" guidelines, landscape water conservation also results in "decreased energy use (and air pollution associated with its generation) because less pumping and treatment of water is required and reduced runoff of storm water and irrigation water that carries top soils, fertilizers, and pesticides into lakes, rivers, and streams, fewer yard trimmings, reduced landscaping labor and maintenance costs, and extended life for water resources infrastructures (e.g. reservoirs, treatment plants, groundwater aquifers), thus reduced taxpayer costs." Thus, there is an urgent need for irrigation systems that conserve water and energy, and minimize negative impact upon the environment, by automatically adjusting their schedules periodically in response to meteorological and seasonal changes.
The problem of irrigation mismanagement, and the main hurdle faced by these entities, can be simply summarized as follows: once a system is properly designed, most of the wasted landscape irrigation water and runoff is caused by not adjusting for daily, periodic, or seasonal changes. For example, in California, most homeowners and municipalities continue to irrigate their system in the fall based upon the summer schedule until the first rain storm of the year occurs followed by a sharp drop in temperature. If the summer schedule is assumed to be 100%, and November irrigation actually only requires, for example, about 20% of summer irrigation to satisfy the vegetation needs, this means that as much as 80% of the water is wasted in the fall. Such inaction is usually caused by the complexity and difficulty of determining the particular adjustment amounts and the significant inconvenience of daily adjustments.
As an alternative to costly and impractical to install weather stations, some manufacturers are offering an ET service that broadcasts the daily ET signal by means of a satellite or pager system. An example of this approach is the AccuWater system which takes weather data collected through a private network of weather stations and or sensors. Another example is the HydroPoint Weather TRAK that requires every controller to have a receiver that either receives ET that affects the controller irrigation programming, or one that receives separate weather sensor data that is then calculated locally into an ET value (such as provided by Irrisoft with its Weather Reach Receiver) that is again converted to a watering duration by the controller. A monthly service fee is charged for this service, which is objectionable to most residential users. A typical residential controller costs less than $100 retail. Users do not wish to pay a monthly fee ranging from $4-$12 a month for as long as they have the service. In addition, most of these methods operate by breaking the common to the valves as a means of altering the irrigation schedule. This approach of calculating an ET and breaking a common has several other problems:                1. The irrigation is either on or off, much like a rain switch breaking the common. It does not offer the gradual irrigation adjustment offered by the present invention, nor does breaking the common offer independent station scheduling changes.        2. It may shift the schedule into a day or time of day that is not desirable, such as gardening day or during a weekend backyard picnic, or during a "non permitted" irrigation time based upon local watering allowances.        3. The wireless receiver requires additional power for operation and is subject to malfunction or RF interference and the need for maintenance for another piece of equipment.        4. An override switch is required for either emergency watering, or system testing.
With all these considerations and ET related complexities, a simple, intuitive solution would be highly preferred over the existing highly theoretical and technical, but impractical, state of the art ET-based and ground moisture sensing control systems.
It is therefore desirable to provide a simple, user-intuitive, and therefore readily accepted water conservation approach, particularly for a clearly understood automated method of calculating and implementing irrigation schedules. It is further desirable to provide a method that does not necessarily rely upon ground or air moisture sensing means, weather stations, or ET (either directly, or as a basis for deriving the sprinkler operating times). It is further desirable to provide a method that minimizes the margins and sources of errors by minimizing the number of sensor inputs required by the variables in the formula. It is further desirable to provide a method that utilizes minimal local, real-time meteorological data that is not ET based. It is further desirable that such a method be cost-efficient, affordable, installable, and usable by a large number of people and entities within the irrigation industry with the widest range of applications possible. It is further desirable that such a method be understandable by the average consumer. It is further desirable that such a method be accomplished automatically, without requiring regular manual adjustments by the operator of the irrigation watering time settings or schedules.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Irrigation controller water management with temperature budgeting


A level shifter causes a switch to open or close by selecting one of two stored logical values to generate a gate-drive voltage to cause a transition in the switch.

Digital circuits rely heavily on having a constant source of voltage available. Unlike, for example, a flashlight that glows more dimly as battery voltage diminishes, a processor does not just slow down its processing when voltage diminishes. Once voltage is outside an acceptable range, it simply ceases to operate.
A power converter ensures the availability of a suitable voltage. Many power converters have switched-capacitor circuits or regulators that participate in maintaining a steady voltage. These circuits often rely on switches that open and close quickly and often.
A switch is often implemented as a MOSFET. A MOSFET has a channel that extends between a source and a drain. Assuming that a suitable voltage has been applied between the source and the drain, closing the switch causes current to flow through the channel between the source and the drain. Opening the switch halts this flow.
Opening and closing the switch involves controlling the properties of this channel. To close the switch, this channel must be made to support conduction. To open the switch, this channel must be made to inhibit conduction.
The transition between a channel that supports conduction and one that inhibits conduction is carried out by controlling a gate-drive voltage at a gate terminal of the MOSFET. To create a gate-drive voltage, charge is made to flow into the gate terminal so that it collects on a suitable surface and establishes an electric field in the channel. When the electric field is no longer needed, the charge is made to flow back out of the gate terminal. The presence or absence of this electric field is what opens and closes the switch.
The establishment of this electric field is not instantaneous. It takes some time for charge to flow into the gate. There is also a delay between the decision to change the state of the switch and the execution of that decision at the gate terminal.
For example, in order to change the state of a switch, a controller sends a signal to the switch. The signal makes its way through a switch driver, which then ultimately controls the voltage at the gate terminal. These delays place an upper limit on how fast the switch can be made to turn on and off. This upper limit, in turn, places limits on what the power converter can do.


Provided is a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal cell, a backlight side polarizer, an optical thin film which forms an air interface, and a backlight unit, in this order. The liquid crystal display device satisfies n (535)<nu (535) and n (535)×d is 1.15-1.25 μm, 1.42-1.52 μm or 1.69-1.79 μm in which n (535) and nu (535) represent a refractive index of the optical thin film and a layer directly adjacent to the optical thin film, respectively, and d represents a thickness of the optical thin film. The liquid crystal display device is capable of matching a peak of light transmittance to light emission peak wavelength of emission line light of RGB. The layer directly adjacent to the optical thin film is the backlight side polarizer or the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical film, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device with high light transmittance and high color reproducibility; an optical film used for this liquid crystal display device; and a polarizing plate using this optical film.
2. Description of the Related Art
The application of a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter, also referred to as an LCD) is widened as a space-saving image display device with low power consumption, every year. The liquid crystal display device has a configuration in which, for example, a backlight (hereinafter, also referred to as BL), a backlight side polarizing plate, a liquid crystal cell, and a viewing-side polarizing plate are provided in this order.
In the flat panel display market in recent years, improvement in saving of power, high definition, and color reproducibility has progressed in order to improve the performance of an LCD, and such improvement has occurred markedly in small-sized tablet PCs, smart phones, and the like. However, development of next-generation high-definition (4K2K, greater than or equal to 100% of EBU ratio) in the present TV standards (FHD: 72% of National Television System Committee (NTSC) ratio≅100% of European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ratio) is also progressing. However, in order, for the next-generation high-definition to become widespread in the market, reduction in costs with functions of members being more integrated in which the number of members is reduced is required.
A method for improving light utilization efficiency of a backlight which is required for saving power has been reviewed. For example, JP2012-169271A discloses a method for realizing high luminance and improving color reproducibility by realizing white light by emitting emission line light (blue light, green light, and red light with a small FWHM) of RGB using a quantum dot (hereinafter, also referred to as QD) which emits red light and green light, as a fluorescent body, between a blue LED and a light guide plate.
In SID'12 DIGEST, p. 895, a method in which light conversion sheets using a quantum dot enhancement film (QDEF) are combined in order to improve color reproducibility of an LCD is proposed.
In addition, devices for improving transmittance have been reviewed in order to improve light utilization efficiency of an optical film member used for a liquid crystal display device. For example, in JP2005-96108A, a method for achieving both of high total light transmittance and high barrier properties by adjusting the film thickness of each layer of barrier films, which are used for an optical member or the like of a FPD and have a substrate, a first inorganic layer, an organic film, and a second inorganic film in this order, is proposed.

Optical film, polarizing plate, and liquid crystal display device


A pressure sensor having a substrate and a first, deformable membrane, partially supported by the substrate, which generates a first sensor reading when deformed by pressure. A second membrane is contiguous to the first membrane. When the second membrane is energized, it deforms the first membrane to alter the first sensor reading.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to verification of output readings for pressure sensors and more particularly to pressure sensing compound membranes which are deformable both by ambient pressure and electrical activation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Human brain tissue includes gray and white matter suspended in cerebrospinal fluid within the cranium and nourished by blood delivered through cerebral arteries. The gray matter has closely spaced cell bodies of neurons, such as in the cerebral cortex, and the underlying white matter contains densely packed axons that transmit signals to other neurons. Brain tissue has different densities and comprises approximately eighty percent of the intracranial content, with blood and cerebrospinal fluid each normally comprising approximately ten percent.
Cerebrospinal fluid is produced at a rate of approximately 20 ml per hour by secretory cells in several connected chambers known as ventricles and typically is renewed four to five times per day. Cerebrospinal fluid in a healthy human flows slowly and continuously through the ventricles, propelled by pulsations of the cerebral arteries. The fluid then flows around the brain tissues and the spinal column, and through small openings into the arachnoid membrane, which is the middle layer of the meninges surrounding the brain parenchyma and ventricles, where the fluid is finally reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
Under normal conditions, bodily mechanisms compensate for a change in fluid volume within the cranium through tissue resilience and by adjusting the total volume of blood and cerebrospinal fluid so that a small increase in fluid volume does not increase intracranial pressure. Similarly, a healthy brain compensates for an increase in intracranial pressure to minimize a corresponding increase in intracranial volume. This volume- and pressure-relationship can be explained in terms of cerebral compliance, which term is intended to include herein the terms elastance and intracranial compliance.
The brain is compliant as long as a person's auto-regulatory mechanism can compensate for any change in volume. As soon as the brain's auto-regulation or compensatory mechanisms fail, or if too great a trauma to the head occurs, blood and cerebrospinal fluid cannot be displaced, and the brain can no longer adapt to any increase in fluid volume.
A reduction in cerebral compliance eventually will lead to an undesired increase in intracranial pressure, such as described by Seder et al. in "Multimodality Monitoring in Patients with Elevated Intracranial Pressure" from the book "Intensive Care Medicine" published by Springer New York (2008). Reduced cerebral compliance is also referred to as increased brain stiffness or as stiff brain. As more fluid volume is added, a threshold is reached beyond which small increases in volume lead to dramatic and unhealthy increases in intracranial pressure. Intracranial pressure can also increase due to secondary damage to the brain caused by hemorrhage, stroke, infection, tumor, or trauma from sports injuries, automobile accidents or other impacts to the head.
Intracranial pressure has been measured at a number of epi-dural and sub-dural locations, such as described by Steiner et al. in "Monitoring the injured brain: ICP and CBF", British Journal of Anaesthesia 97(1): 26-38 (2006) and by Brean et al. in "Comparison of Intracranial Pressure Measured Simultaneously Within the Brain Parenchyma and Cerebral Ventricles", Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing 20: 411-414 (2006). Implantable pressure sensors for intracranial pressure monitoring in Intensive Care Units and for long-term monitoring typically are based on deflection of thin membranes. The deflection typically is measured using capacitive or piezoresistive effects.
It is common for piezoelectric sensors such Codman™ MicroSensor pressure sensing probes which use an ASIC based half-bridge strain gauge technology, currently commercially available with ICP Express™ Monitor from Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. of Raynham, Mass., to be calibrated by personnel in the operating room or surgical suite by immersing the sensing probes in saline solution. This pre-implantation immersion corrects for drift which may be induced by water-uptake by polymeric materials used for biocompatible packaging, which can result in swelling effects, or mechanical relaxation effects due to contact with bodily fluids.
Other types of pressure sensors are zeroed during manufacture and the null point is transferred to a patient monitor which may introduce an error and increase the risk of a false pressure reading. Capacitive sensors suffer from drift due to electronic interference with fluids due to stray capacitive effects or changing electrical potentials of surrounding conductive bodily fluids.
Problems with sensor calibration and drift are described in a number of patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,206,762 and 4,281,667 to Cosman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,925 to Bullis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,218 to Tripp et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,901 to Wiegand et al. An implantable sensor with separate reference circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,547 to Lichtscheidl et al.
Two more recent examples of constructing allegedly self-calibrating pressure sensors, one relative to atmospheric pressure and the other absolute, are provided by Pons et al. in United States Patent Application Pub. No. 2009/0036754. In each example, an actuator is placed at a fixed distance from a deformable membrane of a sensor having at least one piezoelectric transducer, preferably two or four transducers. The sensor further includes a polarization contact such that an electrostatic force is exerted on the membrane when the actuator is charged. In other words, electrostatic actuation is used to deform the membrane in a defined way.
It is therefore desirable to verify the correct functioning of pressure sensors in situ and in an accurate, cost-effective, easy-to-use manner.

In situ offset compensation for pressure sensors


A lighting fixture retrofitting apparatus for retrofitting old technology lighting tube fixtures, with smaller high efficiency lighting tubes, and having a lamp socket housing attachable to the existing ballast cover plate of an existing lighting fixture, a lamp socket opening in the housing, a high efficiency electrical lamp socket supported on the housing, and, fastenings for attaching the housing to the ballast cover of the existing lighting fixture.

Recent developments and improvements in relation to fluorescent lighting tubes and also improvements in the so-called "ballasts" utilised to power such tubes, have provided for dramatic savings in the power consumption of such tubes. In the past, such tubes were typically of a diameter of about 1 and 1/2 inches, and were either provided with a single connection pin at each end or two connection pins. The tubes were also provided in various lengths, such as two foot, three foot, four foot, five foot, six foot lengths and also eight foot lengths.
Tubes in different lengths have been provided, but the most common lengths in use are four foot tubes and eight foot tubes.
Another factor in the use of such tubes is that whereas tubes of four foot or less commonly are provided with two electrical connection pins at each end, longer tubes such as eight foot tubes are commonly provided (with some rare exceptions in high power tubes) with only a single pin at each end. As a result, the electrical lamp sockets into which shorter tubes are fitted, provide two electrical contacts, to contact the two pins at each end. On the other hand the electrical lamp sockets into which the eight foot tubes are connected are provided with only a single contact at each end to contact the single pin.
New improved technology tubes having a reduced power consumption are presently available economically as two, three, and four foot tubes, having two pins at each end. Eight foot high efficiency tubes are now becoming available, but are not economical. They require two men for installation, and a costly new ballast. In the case of many office and commercial institutions, it is a relatively simple matter to simply remove the existing shorter tubes and replace them with the improved technology tubes assuming they are the same length. However, in the case of many industrial and commercial applications, longer tubes, particularly eight foot tubes are the standard. As yet, the new technology tubes have not been economically available in excess of four feet, and have not been provided in the "single pin" configuration.
In addition new higher efficiency ballasts are available which further reduce power consumption.
As a result, as at the present time, it is not possible to use the new high technology low-power consumption shorter tubes in other than existing fixtures of the same lengths.
Clearly, it is highly desirable to provide a system whereby the new high technology shorter tubes (i.e. four feet or less), and also the new high technology low power consumption ballasts, can be used in commercial and industrial situations, which are presently using longer old technology tubes of five feet or more. Obviously, this could readily be done by simply discarding the longer, i.e. eight foot tube lighting fixtures, and replacing them with twice the number of four foot tube, lighting fixtures.
However, the cost of doing this would be very substantial. The savings in power consumption would be offset by the very considerable increase in capital costs. Consequently, this simple obvious solution has not proved attractive.
Another solution is to remove the existing ballast cover plate and replace it with a new one, having openings to receive the high technology lighting receptacles. This is however a substantial expense, and requires specially designed new ballast cover plates to match various different makes of electrical fixtures. In some designs the ballast cover plate is not removeable, but is part of the box. In this case the whole fixture would have to be replaced.
Preferably, it would be desirable to provide a retrofitting apparatus which can be attached directly to the ballast cover plate of the old technology longer tube lighting fixture, adapting it to a receive two, or four or more, high technology tubes, in place of the single or multi old technology tubes presently in use, and also which permits a simple system for replacing the old ballast with the new high technology ballast.

Retro-fit lighting fixture and method of retro-fitting


Methods and apparatus for providing a power supply to a device, including an inductive rechargeable power supply for a data monitoring and management system in which a high frequency magnetic field is generated to provide power supply to a rechargeable power source such as a battery of a transmitter unit in the data monitoring and management system are provided.

Analyte, e.g., glucose monitoring systems including continuous and discrete monitoring systems generally include a battery powered and microprocessor controlled system which is configured to detect signals proportional to the corresponding measured glucose levels using an electrometer, and RF signals to transmit the collected data. One aspect of certain glucose monitoring systems include a transcutaneous or subcutaneous analyte sensor configuration which is, for example, partially mounted on the skin of a subject whose glucose level is to be monitored. The sensor may use a two or three-electrode (work, reference and counter electrodes) configuration driven by a controlled potential (potentiostat) analog circuit connected through a contact system.
The analyte sensor may be configured so that at least a portion thereof is placed under the skin of the patient so as to detect the analyte levels of the patient, and another portion of segment of the analyte sensor that is in communication with the transmitter unit. The transmitter unit is configured to transmit the analyte levels detected by the sensor over a wireless communication link such as an RF (radio frequency) communication link. To transmit signals, the transmitter unit requires a power supply such as a battery. Generally, batteries have a limited life span and require periodic replacement. More specifically, depending on the power consumption of the transmitter unit, the power supply in the transmitter unit may require frequent replacement, or the transmitter unit may require replacement (e.g, disposable power supply such as disposable battery).
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have an approach to provide a power supply for a transmitter unit in a data monitoring and management system.

Method and system for powering an electronic device


A rotary engine according to the present invention comprises a main housing assembly and a rotor assembly rotatably supported within the housing. The rotor assembly has two rotors, an intake/compression rotor rotatably disposed within the intake/compression housing, and a power/exhaust rotor rotatably disposed within the power/exhaust housing. The rotors have N number of apexes and sides, wherein N is an integer greater than 2. A rotating chamber is formed between each side of the each rotor and the inner wall of the respective housing. The stages of the thermodynamic cycle of the engine occur within these chambers. For example, if the rotors have three sides, the rotors will have a triangular-like shape with three apexes. The apexes form the outermost radial part of the rotors which engage the inner wall of the respective housing bore. Each of these chambers is split into two divided chambers by a reciprocating vane, thereby forming 2 times N divided chambers in each of the respective housing bores.

Most internal combustion engines convert the chemical energy of a fuel source, such as gasoline, to thermal energy, and in turn, convert the thermal energy to mechanical energy, utilizing a thermodynamic cycle, such as a form of an Otto cycle. While the Otto cycle is theoretically an idealized cycle, actual engines operate using the same four basic stages, namely, (1) intake of fuel and air, (2) compression of the fuel-air mixture, (3) combustion of the fuel and air causing expansion, (4) and exhaust of the products of combustion. In a reciprocating piston-type engine, these four stages are often equated with the four strokes of each piston to complete a full cycle, and are called (1) the intake stroke, (2) the compression stroke, (3) the power stroke (expansion following combustion), and (4) the exhaust stroke. Thus, the name "four-stroke" engine for the most commonly used internal combustion engine. Such engines are used in many automobiles and other vehicles, such as aircraft and marine craft, as well as industrial engines, stationary power plants, and small engine applications such as lawn mowers.
In many applications of piston-type, four-stroke engines, the reciprocating linear motion of the pistons is translated to rotational motion using piston rods and linkages to a crankshaft. In an automobile, for example, the crankshaft is then coupled to a flywheel, and the other end of the flywheel shaft is coupled to the transmission.
Rotary-type engines have also been developed which operate using the Otto cycle and its four stages. For instance, the Wankel rotary engine is probably the best known and most commonly used rotary internal combustion engine. Various Wankel rotary engine designs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,988,065; 3,918,413; 3,987,758, as examples. The contents of each of these patents is expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. Generally, the Wankel rotary engine utilizes a housing having an epitrochoid interior wall (oval-like) and a rotor within the housing. The rotor has a triangular shape with convex curved sides. The space between the three sides of the rotor and the inside surface of the housing creates three separate cavities. The rotor is supported by an eccentric shaft which passes through the interior of the rotor at a location displaced from the geometric center of a cross-section of the rotor. The rotor both rotates and orbitally revolves around the eccentric shaft. The motion (rotation and orbital revolution) of the rotor is controlled by a pair of synchronizing gears. An internal ring gear attached to the rotor engages a fixed spur gear mounted to the housing. The gears cause the rotor to revolve ⅓ of a rotation around the housing for each turn of the eccentric shaft.
As the rotor rotates and orbitally revolves, the three sides of the rotor move closer to and then away from the interior wall of the housing thereby compressing and expanding the three cavities, similar to the strokes of a piston in a reciprocating engine. Each cavity of the Wankel rotary engine experiences one combustion stroke for each driveshaft rotation. In other words, one cavity completes the four strokes of the Otto cycle for each orbital revolution of the rotor, and each of the three cavities completes an Otto cycle for each full rotation of the rotor.
There are a number of other types of internal combustion engines that have been developed. For example, internal combustion engines have been developed based on a two-stroke cycle or a six-stroke cycle. Some internal combustion engines operate on the Brayton cycle as opposed to the Otto cycle, such as gas turbines, jet engines, turboprops and the like. There are also compression ignition engines, also known as diesel engines.
Internal combustion engines are commonly used for mobile propulsion in vehicles and portable machinery because of their ability to attain high power-to-weight ratios in addition to excellent fuel energy density. Generally using fossil fuel (mainly petroleum), these engines have appeared in transport in almost all types of vehicles, including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and in a wide variety of aircraft and locomotives.
While a variety of engines have been previously developed, the prior art does not disclose or suggest an engine according to the present invention.


An image-forming apparatus providing connection which is capable of realizing a user-friendly system environment in connection of a print-control apparatus and an image-forming apparatus present on an identical network. It is determined whether the image-forming apparatus is connected to the print-control apparatus (201). When it is determined that the image-forming apparatus is connected to the print-control apparatus (201), the image-forming apparatus responds to, without responding an inquiry associated with a part of a plurality of service functions, an inquiry associated with another part of the plurality of service functions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus connectable to a network, a control method for the image-forming apparatus, and a storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute the control method for the image-forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a print-control apparatus connected to a network. The print-control apparatus is used when a network printer function is provided in an image-forming apparatus. The print-control apparatus is also used for the purpose of extending and supplementing the network printer function provided in an image-forming apparatus in advance. The network printer function is a function of printing out an image corresponding to an image signal inputted from an external apparatus through the network.
As an image-forming apparatus connectable to the network via such a print-control apparatus, for example, besides an image-forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-312140, there is an image-forming apparatus shown in FIG. 16.
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing connection of a conventional image-forming system.
As shown in FIG. 16, in the connection of the image-forming system, a terminal apparatus 5009 and a print-control apparatus 5001 are connected on a network 5011. An image-forming apparatus 5007 is connected to the print-control apparatus 5001 via a LAN 5005 and a dedicated line 5006.
The print-control apparatus 5001 includes connectors 5002 and 5003 and an interface 5004 for the dedicated line 5006. The connector 5002 is a connector for a NIC (Network Interface Card) which manages low-layer level connection to the network 5011. The connector 5003 is a connector for a NIC which manages low-layer level connection to the LAN 5005.
A data packet transmitted from the terminal apparatus 5009 to the print-control apparatus 5001 is propagated through the network 5011 and received by the print-control apparatus 5001 via the connector 5002. When the received data packet is determined as print data, the data packet is subjected to data processing by the print-control apparatus 5001. Data packets subjected to the data processing are forwarded from the connectors 5003 and 5004 to be transmitted to the LAN 5005 and the dedicated line 5006. The data packets forwarded to the LAN 5005 and the dedicated line 5006 are received by the image-forming apparatus 5007 via a network interface 5008 and a dedicated transfer interface 5010, respectively.
The image-forming apparatus 5007 receives the data packet and performs print processing on a recording medium such as paper according to a print processing procedure of the image-forming apparatus 5007 per se. When processing other than the print processing is performed, the data packet transmitted to the image-forming apparatus 5007 is also received by the print-control apparatus 5001. After receiving the data packet, the print-control apparatus 5001 applies processing necessary for transmission to the image-forming apparatus 5007 to the received data packet and transmits the data packet to the image-forming apparatus 5007.
The data packet transmitted from the image-forming apparatus 5007 is received by the print-control apparatus 5001. The print-control apparatus 5001 applies processing necessary for transmission to the terminal apparatus 5009 on the network 5011 to the received data packet and transmits the data packet to the terminal apparatus 5009. This is realized by using a network packet transfer technique (NAT/NAPT) for transmitting a data packet transmitted by an image-forming apparatus to a network assuming that the data packet is transmitted by a print-control apparatus.
Such a configuration of the conventional image-forming system provides the advantage that it is possible to use the image-forming apparatus and the print-control apparatus without being conscious of these apparatuses.
However, according to the technological progress in recent years, the related art described above cannot cope with some techniques. Examples of such techniques include techniques which the network transfer technique (NAT/NAPT) cannot cope with. Specifically, the techniques are techniques such as IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) and IPsec (IP Security Protocol).
When IPv6 is adopted, the network transfer technique (NAT/NAPT) used in the related art cannot be used. Therefore, it is necessary to use a new network transfer technique. Further, when IPsec is adopted, a terminal apparatus and an image-forming apparatus exchange keys and, when a network packet is has a rewritten address, communication is immediately finished. Such a technique is an extremely useful technique in view of significance of network security in these days. However, when the image-forming apparatus is connected to the print-control apparatus in the configuration described above, such a technique cannot be used between the image-forming apparatus and the terminal apparatus. This is because a network packet transfer technique implemented in the print-control apparatus is judged as disguising of a network packet by these techniques.
To make it possible to realize the techniques such as IPv6 and IPsec, it is conceivable to change the connection of the print-control apparatus and the image-forming apparatus. However, when the connection is simply changed, the system is user-unfriendly.
As an example, in a system in which a print-control apparatus and an image-forming apparatus are connected to an identical network, when a user performs print operation in the image-forming apparatus attached with the print-control apparatus from a terminal apparatus, problems described below occur. The user does not understand which of network addresses of the print-control apparatus and the image-forming apparatus should be designated. Therefore, the system confuses the user and is user-unfriendly. When, for example, the user performs device search using an application program and searches for a device on a network, since both the print-control apparatus and the image-forming apparatus are detected, the user is confused.

Image-forming apparatus, control method for image-forming apparatus, and storage medium


A steel sheet with a thickness of at least 0.30 mm is made of an ultra-low carbon steel with a chemical composition including C: at most 0.010 %, Si: at most 0.5 %, Mn: at most 1.5 %, P: at most 0.12 %, S: at most 0.030 %, Ti: at most 0.10 %, Al: at most 0.08 %, and N: at most 0.0080 %. The total number of non-metallic inclusions observed under a microscope in sixty fields in a sample prepared in accordance with JIS G0555 is at most 20. During manufacture of the steel, the amount of FeO+MnO in slag in a ladle at the time of continuous casting is controlled to at most 15 %, and the throughput at the time of casting is made at most 5 tons per minute. The steel sheet does not develop pin hole defects or press cracks caused by inclusions when used for applications such as motor housings or oil filter housings requiring severe press forming.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ultra-low carbon steel sheet and a method for its manufacture. More particularly, it relates to an ultra-low carbon steel sheet having a thickness of at least 0.30 millimeters and having a low tendency to experience forming defects such as pin hole defects or press cracks originating at inclusions even when subjected to press forming of products of complicated shape with large deformation, such as during the manufacture by press forming of products such as electric motor housings or oil filter housings, and to a method for manufacturing such an ultra-low carbon steel sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Annealed cold rolled steel sheet has typically been used as a material for the manufacture of products by press forming. The cold rolled steel sheet for this purpose has primarily been low carbon aluminum killed steel which has been annealed by batch annealing.
In recent years, in the manufacture of cold rolled steel sheet for press forming, there has been a shift towards the use of continuous annealing because of its higher productivity. Furthermore, there has been a shift towards the use of ultra-low carbon steel sheet having good formability in applications to products formed with large deformation.
However, when ultra-low carbon steel is used to manufacture products such as motor housings or oil filter housings requiring a high degree of pressing, there are cases in which forming defects such as pin hole defects and press forming cracks occur.
Can manufacture, which is similar to the manufacture of products such as motor housings or oil filter housings, typically employs cold rolled steel sheet having a thickness of less than 0.30 millimeters. Can manufacture entails an even higher level of forming than does the manufacture of motor housings or oil filter housings, and many measures have been proposed for suppressing forming defects during can manufacture.
For example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 6-172925/1994 and Hei 7-207403/1995 disclose methods for finely dispersing the amount of inclusions in a slab.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 6-17111/1994 discloses a method for reducing the amount of inclusions in steel by decreasing the amounts of FeO and MnO in slag using a Caxe2x80x94, or Mg-containing alloy or a reducing agent.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 11-36045/1999 and Hei 11-279678/1999 also disclose controlling the composition of inclusions as a method of preventing defects.
However, the above-mentioned disclosures relate to low carbon aluminum killed steel. These steels have many aspects which make them inappropriate as cold rolled steels to be subjected to severe forming in the manufacture of products having a complicated shape such as automotive components. In this specification, severe forming for such applications will be referred to as complex deep drawing.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 11-279721/1999 discloses a method of decreasing inclusions in a low carbon steel, but that steel is for use as tin plate or tin-free steel for can manufacture having a thickness of at most 0.26 millimeters.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application 2000-1746 discloses a method of preventing the formation of inclusions, but that method requires the addition of Ca and/or rare earth metals, so it has the drawback that even if oxide inclusions mainly comprising FeO or MnO are reduced, Ca-containing inclusions or rare earth metal-containing inclusions are increased.
An RH vacuum treatment apparatus is usually used for secondary refining during the manufacture of ultra-low carbon steel, as described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 11-36045/1999 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application 2000-1746. Vacuum decarburization and deoxidation after the decarburization employing an RH vacuum treatment apparatus are typical secondary refining methods.
An object of the present invention is to provide steel sheet having a thickness of at least 0.30 millimeters and formed of an ultra-low carbon steel having a carbon content of at most 0.010% and which can be subjected to heavy but fine forming, such as during the manufacture of motor housings or oil filter housings, with reducing the occurrence of forming defects such as pin hole defects and press forming cracks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing such a steel sheet.
The present inventors performed investigations as to why cold rolled steel sheet with a thickness of at least 0.30 mm for press forming is more subject to pin holes and press cracks when the sheet is made of ultra-low carbon steel than when it is made of low carbon aluminum killed steel. As a result, they made the following discoveries concerning means for suppressing such defects.
(1) Low carbon aluminum killed steel undergoes powerful deoxidation treatment when being tapped from a converter. In addition, considerable time elapses between tapping and the start of vacuum degassing as the ladle is being moved or other operations are taking place. As a result, the majority of the deoxidation products which are formed during tapping have already floated to the top of the molten steel in the ladle during the time until the start of vacuum degassing treatment, and they are absorbed and removed by the slag on the surface of the molten steel. Inclusions are removed during vacuum degassing treatment.
In contrast, ultra-low carbon steel does not undergo any deoxidation treatment at the time of tapping from a converter, or it undergoes only mild deoxidation treatment from the addition of a small amount of aluminum, and deoxidation is carried out after decarburization by vacuum degassing treatment. For this reason, the length of time between deoxidation and casting is short, and compared to the case of low carbon aluminum killed steel, a large amount of oxide inclusions remain in the steel. Such oxide inclusions act as starting points for the generation of pin holes and press forming cracks.
(2) Defects such as pin holes at the time of deep drawing are due not only to the presence of inclusions remaining in steel in the refining step described above in (1), but are also due to the presence of inclusions which are engulfed in slag during casting. These inclusions come from slag in a ladle or powder used at the time of continuous casting.
The present inventors obtained hot rolled steel sheet using slabs which were manufactured under conditions which solve the problems described above in (1) and (2). After descaling, cold rolling was carried out, and annealing treatment was then performed to obtain cold rolled steel sheet. It was found that this steel sheet could suppress the formation of forming defects such as pin hole defects and press cracks which originate at inclusions even when subjected to press forming of products of complicated shape with large deformation.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an ultra-low carbon steel sheet is made of a steel having a chemical composition containing, in mass percent, C: at most 0.010%, Si: at most 0.5%, Mn: at most 1.5%, P: at most 0.12%, S: at most 0.030%, Al: at most 0.080%, N: at most 0.0080%, and at least one of Ti: at most 0.10% and Nb: at most 0.05%, wherein the number of non-metallic inclusions observed in sixty fields under a microscope in a sample of the steel prepared in accordance with JIS G0555 is at most 20.
The steel may further include B: at most 0.0050%, V: at most 0.05%, and Ca: at most 0.0050%.
The steel will generally include various unavoidable components. In the present invention, Cu, Cr, Sn, and Sb may be present as unavoidable impurities, each in a maximum amount of 0.1%.
The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an ultra-low carbon steel sheet. According to this aspect of the invention, molten steel having the above-described chemical composition is produced in a converter. The molten steel undergoes secondary refining, and it then undergoes continuous casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, and then continuous annealing to form an ultra-low carbon steel sheet. After refining in the converter, the molten steel is tapped into a refining vessel, e.g., a ladle, a vacuum immersion pipe having an interior which can be controlled to a negative pressure is immersed in the molten steel in the refining vessel, and stirring gas is blown into the molten steel.
After the secondary refining, continuous casting is carried out. The amount of (FeO)+(MnO) in the slag in the ladle is preferably controlled to at most 15 mass %, and the throughput during casting is preferably at most 5 tons per minute.
As a result of such a treatment method, the number of cluster-type inclusions having a particle diameter of at least 35 micrometers in a slab can be made 15,000 or less per 10 kg, and the number of spheroidal inclusions having a particle diameter of at least 35 micrometers in a slab can be made 400 or less per 10 kg.
According to an embodiment of the invention, hot rolling of a continuously cast slab having the above-described chemical composition is commenced with a slab average temperature of at least 1100xc2x0 C., with the finishing temperature during finish rolling being at least the Ar3 point, and with the coiling temperature being 450-750xc2x0 C.
In the above-described hot rolling, heating or a short period of temperature holding process may be performed after rough rolling, and finish rolling is preferably completed at finishing temperature of at least the Ar3 point over the entire length of the hot rolled coil.
A hot rolled steel sheet which is obtained in this manner is subjected to descaling and then to cold rolling with a reduction ratio of at least 45% and then is subjected to annealing. At this time, soaking may be carried out at a temperature of at least 650xc2x0 C. when annealing is carried out by batch annealing and at a temperature of at least 750xc2x0 C. when carried out by continuous annealing. Subsequently, temper rolling may be carried out.
According to the present invention, a steel sheet is obtained which can prevent forming defects such as pin hole defects and press cracks even when used in applications requiring severe press forming.


Disclosed herein is a vaccine which provides immunity to mammals from infection and/or disease caused by a lentivirus, such as equine infectious anemia virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) said composition comprising a deletion in a gene that blocks replication of the virus in vivo. Preferably said composition encompasses at least one deletion in a lentivirus which provides protection from exposure to wild-type lentiviruses. It also encompasses a marker vaccine in which a foreign gene is inserted into the gene-deleted region, said inserted gene providing a diagnostic tool for use in vaccinated mammals. The scope of the invention encompasses an EIAV vaccine that allows equines to be safely vaccinated and protected from disease without converting to a seropositive status on the Coggin""s Test or any other test wich measures p26.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a vaccine composition which provides immunity from clinical disease signs and/or infections caused by lentiviruses including but not limited to Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Bovine Immunodeficiency (BIV) and Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) or any other similar lentivirus. More specifically, but without limitation hereto, the invention relates to an Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) composition which provides immunity from clinical disease signs and/or infection with EIAV, and which composition allows diagnostic differentiation between vaccinated and non-vaccinated but exposed or diseased mammals, and which allows the vaccinated animal to test negative using a Coggins test or other similar test that detects p26-specific antibodies
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Lentiviruses are a subfamily of retroviruses that cause persistent infection and chronic disease in numerous types of mammals including humans (HIV), equines (EIA), felines (FIV), bovines (BIV) and monkeys (SIV). All of the diseases are spread by blood transmission. EIAV causes persistent infection and chronic disease in horses world wide. With EIAV, the blood transmission occurs by biting flies and other insects carrying virus particles from one horse to another. The first cycle of disease (clinical episode) in an infected horse usually occurs within 42 days after exposure to the virus. This first cycle is usually referred to as the acute stage of EIA and is characterized by pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, anorexia, depression and high plasma viremia levels. Anemia is not usually detected at this stage. Resolution of this first febrile episode is normally observed after 1 to 5 days and occurs concomitantly with a dramatic drop in the amount of plasma-associated virus. Following the acute stage, some animals may remain clinically normal while others go on to experience multiple bouts of illness in which severe anemia may accompany pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, edema, and dramatic weight loss, and death. In instances of persistent infection by a lentivirus, as illustrated by EIAV, nucleotide sequence data has revealed a high mutation rate of the lentivirus genome as reported by Payne et al, Virology, 1987: 161, p. 321-331 which is incorporated herein by reference. With EIAV infections, it is generally thought that neutralizing antibodies aid in the selection of new antigenic virus variants during persistent infections. Also, with EIAV infections, serologically distinct variants of EIAV emerge possibly through immune selection pressure operating on random viral genome mutations. Without being bound to any particular theory, it is believed that horses that show no further clinical signs of disease have developed a mature immune response that can protect against the virus and its known mutations.
As a member of the lentivirus subfamily of retroviruses, EIAV is useful as a model for the pathogenicity, immunology, vaccinology, treatment and prevention of HIV. The disease is significant in its own right because horses that demonstrate exposure to EIAV as measured by testing for antibodies in the blood (Coggins Test or similar p26 detecting test) are either required to be destroyed or strictly quarantined. As a result of the Coggins Test requirement and its broad use throughout the world, especially in testing performance horses that are transferred into and out of the United States, it is critical that any effective EIA vaccine not be able to seroconvert horses to a positive Coggins Test or to any other test that detects p26. Therefore, for vaccines useful in protecting against EIA, it is important to either delete all or part of the gene expressing p26 or block its expression by deleting regulator genes or inserting stop codons or foreign genes. It is expected that use of the methods described herein can provide vaccines for the other lentiviruses (HIV, FIV, BIV and SIV) that can elicit immune responses that are effective and that can be distinguished from viral infections.
As with other lentiviruses such as HIV, BIV, FIV and SIV, the genetic organization of EIAV classifies it as a complex retrovirus. The EIAV genome contains the canonical gag, pol, and env genes common to all retroviruses, and three accessory genes (S1, S2 and S3). The gag gene encodes the core proteins of the virus designated as Matrix Antigen (MA), Capsid Antigen (CA), Nucleocapsid (NC) and a protein designated p9. The env gene encodes the viral envelope proteins (gp90 and gp45). The pol gene encodes the enzymes that replicate the viral genome, designated as Deoxy UTPase (DU), Reverse Transcriptase (RT) and Integrase (IN). The S1 open reading frame (ORF) encodes the viral Tat protein, a transcription trans activator that acts on the viral long-terminal-repeat (LTR) promoter element to stimulate expression of all viral genes. The S3 ORF encodes the Rev protein, a post-transcriptional activator that acts by interacting with its target RNA sequence, named the Rev-responsive element (RRE), to regulate viral structural gene expression. The S2 gene is located in the pol-env intergenic region immediately following the second exon of Tat and overlapping the amino terminus of the Env protein (see FIG. 1). It encodes a 65 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 7.2 kDa. S2 appears to be synthesized in the late phase of the viral replication cycle by ribosomal leaky scanning of a tricistronic mRNA encoding Tat, S2 protein, and Env protein, respectively.
The gag-encoded Capsid Antigen (CA) or p26 protein comprises the capsid shell of the virion that is enclosed in the viral envelope and that contains the viral RNA genome. Homologous CA proteins are present in HIV, FIV, BIV and SIV and are also encoded by the respective gag genes. As noted above, detection of antibodies to the p26 antigen is the basis for the Coggins Test and certain other commercial tests used to diagnose EIA in horses. To be compatible with current regulatory guidelines, it is critical that any EIAV vaccine not stimulate seroconversion in these diagnostic assays based on detection of serum antibodies to EIAV p26. The p26 antigen is highly antigenic in that extremely small amounts of its presence in a vaccine can stimulate antibody responses and seroconversion in diagnostic assays. Attempts to extract or delete p26 antigen from a pool of EIAV have not been practical for vaccine production. Therefore, it would seem that one could eliminate it by deletion of the gag gene, a segment of the gag gene that interferes with the expression of p26 or deletion or inactivation of a control gene that regulates the expression of p26. However, it has been determined by the inventors that deletion of the gag gene or segments thereof produces an EIAV particle that is unable to replicate in vitro (tissue culture) or in vivo. Therefore, simply deleting or blocking expression of p26 makes growth of EIAV for vaccine production impractical if not impossible.
To provide protection from disease and protection from infection, envelope proteins (Env) are considered the proteins of choice, as these proteins are the predominant immune targets during infection. By protection from disease is meant that a mammal exposed to the virus does not demonstrate clinical signs (fever, lethargy, anemia, death, etc.), but does carry virus particles in its blood, which particles are detectable by a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR). By protection from infection is meant that a mammal exposed to the virus does not demonstrate clinical signs of EIA and does not contain RT-PCR-detectable virus particles in blood. The major envelope proteins of EIAV are gp90 and gp45. These are proposed as the protective antigens or protective components of EIAV. By the term protective components is meant antigens from that produce either protection from disease or protection from infection as indicated above. It is therefore important that any effective lentivirus vaccine contain amounts of the lentiviral Env proteins (such as gp 120, gp90 or gp45) effective to protect mammals from disease caused by the lentivirus. The protective components from EIAV include but are not limited to gp90 and gp45. The Capsid Antigen (p26) is not a protective component of EIAV and, because of its ability to stimulate a significant antibody response, the vaccine of the present invention preferably lacks the ability to stimulate p26 antibodies in an equid.
It would seem obvious to prepare a vaccine by purifying out the Env proteins, especially gp90 and gp45 for EIAV. Indeed, vaccines comprising preparation from which gp90 and gp45 have been purified out of the EIAV have been attempted with extremely limited success. Issel et al (J. Virol. June 1992, p 3398-3408) reports that a gp90/gp45 vaccine protected ponies from infection caused by homologous EIAV (the subunits were derived from the same EIAV strain as was used for challenge). However, these subunit-containing vaccines did not protect horses from either disease or infection when challenged with a heterologous EIAV strain. In fact, the latter produced enhanced disease signs. The enhancement of disease by the subunit EIAV vaccine corroborates findings with SIV and FIV subunit vaccines that appear to enhance disease post challenge. Issel et al (ibid) concludes that perfecting a subunit vaccine for lentiviruses (e.g., HIV, FIV, EIA, BIV and SIV) poses a significant challenge because of the subunit enhancement effect.
Issel, et al (ibid) also reports the prevention of infection by a whole-virus EIAV vaccine. However, vaccination of horses with this vaccine produces horses that are Coggins Test positive (p26 positive). As mentioned previously, due to the eradication program in effect in the U.S., horses testing positive for p26 are either euthanized or strictly quarantined. Additionally, the amount of virus included in said vaccine was 1 milligram, an amount not commercially feasible. Therefore, this whole-virus vaccine is not compatible with regulatory requirements or commercialization.
A donkey virus vaccine has been in use by the Chinese for more than 20 years. This vaccine was developed by using total EIAV genetic material from donkey leukocyte attenuated EIAV infected cells and ribonucleic acid from virus in peripheral blood of donkey-adapted EIAV from infected donkeys (see Xinhua News Agency, May 6, 1999). As would be expected, this vaccine produces a; p26 positive response (Coggin""s Test positive) in vaccinated horses or other vaccinated equids. Such a vaccine is not acceptable in those countries where equids are tested by Coggins assays or other p26-specific antibody tests. In addition, numerous countries will not accept live vaccines for veterinary applications.
Since there has been no effective and safe method for immunizing mammals against disease or infection caused by lentiviruses, particularly equines against EIA, and since lentivirus diseases, especially HIV, FIV and EIA are such a wide-spread and significant diseases world-wide, there remains a long-felt need to prepare such a vaccine.
The vaccine of this invention provides a successful vaccine composition that effectively and safely immunizes mammals from diseases caused by lentiviruses. The vaccine of the present invention protects equines from EIA wherein vaccinated equines can be differentiated from wild-type infected equines, which does not convert said equines to Coggins Test positive and which does not replicate in vivo. It is fully envisioned that the vaccines taught by the present invention can be used for production of any lentivirus vaccines, including vaccines for HIV, FIV, BIV and SIV.

EIAV p26 deletion vaccine and diagnostic

University of Pittsburgh of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education


Apparatuses, systems, and methods for optimizing and adjusting water usage are described. An example method may include receiving water usage data and determining a peaking factor for water usage. The peaking factor may be associated with water usage at a flow controller. A flow controller can control various types of water outlets, such as a water sprinkler for a residential home. The flow controller may be positioned along a main water supply to a property or home. The method may also include determining that the peaking factor passes a threshold water usage for the flow controller and adjusting a watering schedule of the flow controller based partly on the determination that the peaking factor passed the threshold water usage.

Water infrastructure, such as water reservoirs, piping systems, and treatment plants are designed around a particular population, density, or water usage estimate. However, often, population growth or water demand vastly increases over the original design constraints of the water infrastructure. This can lead to various issues, including significant drops in water pressure at any particular water outlet (e.g., hose or shower in a house), damage to delivery pipes and other infrastructure, as well as overextension of certain water sources, such as reservoirs or other water stores. Currently, utility companies are limited in their ability to manage the water system and infrastructure and rebuilding or renovating such infrastructure is not only time intensive, but also expensive, and typically exceeds the budgets for any governing body.
Further, changes in landscape, climate, as well as water availability, water cost, and the like, may affect the watering demands or a desired watering schedule for a particular property. However, often times these variations are not readily available or apparent to a property owner and thus the property owners do not adjust watering schedules accordingly.

Optimized flow control for water infrastructure


A machining method and apparatus for machining a part comprises a machining head and motorized axes comprising a rotary axis for displacing the machining head in a working space. Apparatus comprises a mechanism for positioning a part and holding it in position the working space. The machining head comprises a support for supporting a material shaping tool and a supply device for supplying material.

Machining methods, both by adding and removing material, are known in the prior art. The Japanese patent application JP-A-2 010 2 801 73 describes a device and method comprising a combination, on the same machine, of an additive machining method and a machining method using the removal of material. In that prior art, the implementation of the method uses two distinct machining devices mounted on the same frame but using different movement axes. Thus, in the prior art, a first series of effectors is used to deposit a bed of powder and sinter part of that bed of powder by means of a laser beam whose trajectory in said bed is determined by the movements of a mirror, and a second series of effectors comprises a milling spindle, the movements of which are controlled by numerically controlled axes distinct from the axes that control the movements of the mirror. These are in fact two distinct machines sharing the same frame. Besides, the method for the removal of material according to that prior art is aimed at favoring the conditions of implementing the additive machining method by retouching the surface of deposited material so as to correct the geometry of the surface and clean it of all pollution in order to favor the bonding of the layer of material deposited during the following operation. Thus, the prior art is primarily aimed at ensuring the soundness of the material of the part made by additive machining, with no particular objective in respect of the precision of the combined machining operations, which precision cannot be achieved due to the change in phase between the operation of adding and that of removing material.

Method and machining device by combined addition of material and shaping


A mechanism for dispensing ice in each of three selected forms, namely, cubed, crushed and shaved. This mechanism includes a reservoir arranged to hold a supply of ice cubes, a dispensing zone, a delivery mechanism arranged for dispensing ice cubes from said reservoir to said dispensing zone, an ice crushing mechanism located in said dispensing zone arranged to selectively crush ice, an ice shaving mechanism located in said dispensing zone arranged to selectively shave ice, and a control mechanism arranged to selectively activate said ice crushing mechanism and said ice shaving mechanism upon receipt of an appropriate input from a user.

Appliances are known for dispensing ice in multiple forms, such as ice cubes and crushed ice. Some appliances that dispense ice in that fashion are domestic refrigeration appliances such as combined refrigerator/freezer appliances where the ice cubes and crushed ice are delivered through the door of the appliance, such as shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,176,527, 5,050,777, 6,050,097 and 6,082,130. Other devices are known for dispensing shaved ice, however, these are typically stand alone appliances that dispense only shaved ice, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,718,610, 4,745,773 and 5,513,810.
Many shaved ice dispensers require time to set up, clean and stow, and also require adult supervision, preventing them from being used independently by children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,771 discloses a mechanism for producing only shaved ice in a refrigeration appliance in which a dedicated ice container is used for the freezing of a discrete quantity of water, and which is manipulated and driven relative to a fixed blade for producing a quantity of shaved ice. Operation of the mechanism requires the manual manipulation of two separate pivotable or rotatable handles, which can only be accessed through the opening of a door of the freezer compartment of the refrigeration appliance.
It would be an improvement in the art if there were provided a mechanism for dispensing ice in multiple forms, including each of ice cubes, crushed ice and shaved ice. It would also be an improvement in the art if a refrigeration appliance were provided that dispensed each of ice cubes, crushed ice and shaved ice. It would further be an improvement in the art if a refrigeration appliance were provided that dispensed shaved ice through the door of the appliance.

Mechanism for dispensing shaved ice from a refrigeration appliance


Roof clamps and methods of securing roof clamps are provided. The roof clamps include a saddle, a wedge, and a securing member. The securing member facilitates engaging a seam of a roof with the clamp and removably fixing the roof clamp to the seam through the camming action of the wedge against a region of the saddle. The securing member also serves as the connection point for an auxiliary item, such as a solar panel or a snow guard. The placement of the securing member allows the roof clamp to be secured from, and the auxiliary item to be attached at, a top surface of the saddle.

Securing auxiliary components, such as a rail, a snow guard, or a solar panel, to a roof often requires a roof clamp. Certain traditional roof clamps damage the roof by piercing a seam or other portion of the roof with the fastener used to connect the roof clamp and the seam. Piercing the seam alters the integrity of the roof and increases the risk of the roof leaking and damaging the building and contents sheltered by the roof. These problems are compounded when the auxiliary component is to be secured to a metal roof.
Other conventional roof clamps are cumbersome to use and require multiple attachment points to secure a single clamp to the roof or to secure an auxiliary component to the roof. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,922 discloses a snow guard clamping unit that includes a retainer screw to secure a top piece and a shaped base via a first opening. The snow guard clamping unit also includes a second threaded opening formed in the top to attach the snow guard. During installation, the installer disadvantageously juggles multiple parts since multiple attachment points are used to secure the single clamp and a snow guard, for example, to the roof. This prolongs installation time and increases costs.
Further, the angle at which the roof clamp is installed is often awkward because only the small space where the roof clamp is designed to abut the roof or the small space along a side surface of the roof clamp is accessible. In certain installations, these small spaces provide a clearance of less than one inch in which to place tools or fasteners and to perform the installation. This limited clearance causes the installers to contort their hands and tools to access the limited space, causes inefficient work, and ultimately lengthens installation time and increases costs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,758,011 discloses an adjustable mounting assembly for standing seam panels and requires that one or more fasteners be used to secure the mounting assembly from a side surface of the assembly. These fasteners are placed in an area that has such limited clearance that the installation would be inefficient, cumbersome, and expensive.