A hydraulic hammer includes a powercell housing that defines a hydraulic inlet and a hydraulic outlet. A work tool is partially received in, and movable with respect to, the powercell housing. A switching spool valve member is positioned in the powercell housing and is movable between a first position and a second position, and includes a control hydraulic surface. A sleeve/liner assembly is positioned in the powercell housing and defines a centerline. A piston with a plurality of hydraulic surfaces is positioned in the sleeve/liner assembly and is movable along the centerline between positions in and out of contact with the work tool. The control hydraulic surface of the switching spool valve member is exposed to fluid pressure in a switching passage, which includes a segment defined by the sleeve/liner assembly.

Hydraulic hammers are one of an assortment of work tools that may be attached to the boom of an excavator, backhoe loader, skid steer or a like machine for breaking large rocks, concrete, etc. In a typical application, the hydraulic hammer is mounted to the machine boom in place of a bucket, and connected to the hydraulic system of the machine. When activated, high pressure hydraulic fluid is supplied to the hydraulic hammer to drive a reciprocating piston into and out of contact with an impact end of a work tool partially received in a powercell housing of the hydraulic hammer. U.S. patent application publication 2008/0296035 shows an example hydraulic hammer for use with an excavator.
Although the internal plumbing of hydraulic hammers from different manufacturers can vary, they often share several features in common. Among these are the use of a switching spool valve that moves between a first position that fluidly connects a downward hydraulic surface of the internal piston to high pressure from the hydraulic inlet, and fluidly exposes the downward hydraulic surface to the low pressure of the hydraulic inlet at a second position. Movement of the switching spool valve is often controlled by a switching volume defined by the piston. As the piston moves, the switching volume connects a control surface of the switching spool valve to either high pressure or low pressure. As a result, each cyclic action of the hydraulic hammer involves one reciprocation of the piston and an associated reciprocation of the switching spool valve.
Although hydraulic hammers have been generally known for many years, they can often be expensive to manufacture. For instance, the hydraulic fluid connections of the hydraulic hammer are often located near the boom mounting features of the hydraulic hammer. In order to plumb fluid connections deep into the powercell housing, fluid passageway drillings with relatively large length to diameter ratios must be made in order to facilitate the assorted fluid connections for the hydraulic hammer. Making these deep drillings is often problematic and extremely expensive.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems set forth above.

Sleeve/liner assembly and hydraulic hammer using same


An instrument and method for measuring chemical properties, the instrument having electrodes suitable for immersion in a chemical solution. A voltage source and a current-sensing circuit are connected to the electrodes to measure the current produced in the solution in response to a voltage applied to the electrodes to determine a value of the chemical in the solution. The instrument and method further include background compensation for offsetting the value of the analyte by an amount which is reflective of the background value of the solution. The background value is stored in an internal memory of the instrument so that when new experimental measurements are taken, the measurements are immediately offset by the background portion of the new experimental measurements. This allows operation of the instrument at high gain levels, resulting in a broad dynamic range and greater useful precision in the output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the use of measuring instruments for chemical analysis and more specifically to the use of an instrument which uses the voltage and current characteristics of a sampling of a solution to determine the concentrations of various materials in the solution, i.e., a voltammetric instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of techniques and devices are currently used to analyze the concentrations of various analytes in a solution. One such technique is voltammetry. Voltammetry is an electrochemical method for quantitative and qualitative analysis based on the relationship between a changing applied voltage and the resulting current through the solution being analyzed.
Like other chemical analysis techniques, voltammetry of solutions causes a background value (signal) upon which the response of the analyte of interest is superimposed. If the technique employed entails a systematic change in a controlled parameter such as wavelength or electrode potential, generally there is a different background value at each value of the controlled parameter, i.e., a background curve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,463 to Starrock et al., for RAPID-SWEEP ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTOR FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF FLOW STREAMS, discloses a data acquisition system with some ability to obtain accurate response peaks. However, the system is limited at low analyte concentrations by the background signal.
For many years, a technique known as background subtraction has been used to correct the measured values after data acquisition. In a typical background subtraction technique, raw data is collected with a measuring instrument, converted from analog-to-digital form, and passed to a digital computer, wherein the computer can subtract a previously or subsequently measured background value from the present measurement. While background subtraction is a useful approach, it is not adequate when the background curve changes over a wide range and the analyte response, i.e., the response of interest, is small in comparison to the change in the background. In such a situation, it has been necessary to operate the instrument or measuring device at low sensitivity, and the analyte response is then so small that it cannot be measured with adequate precision, if it can be detected at all.
This problem is especially troublesome in digital instruments in which an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is used to convert the signal to a digital value to make it compatible with a computer. In such cases, the dynamic range of the instrument is limited by the number of bits of the ADC and possibly by the number of bits of the computer bus and processor. For example, a 12-bit ADC has only 4096 response levels (i.e., levels of precision). Almost all of these levels might be used by the changing background curve (the background value), and only a very few bits (levels) of precision might be used for the small analyte response. Thus, the measured analyte response is poorly defined and imprecise.
One way to address this situation is to use an ADC with more bits. However, this solution can be very costly and can inconveniently require a longer computer word (data) format, resulting in slower processing times and the requirement of more computer memory for storage capacity.
Thus, it can be seen that a need yet exists for a voltammetric instrument with a large dynamic range, without requiting the use of a larger data format. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is primarily directed.

Digital electrochemical instrument with background compensation


A system of Wi-Fi terminals and a channel operation method for the same are provided. The method includes selecting a user function of a sending terminal including a Wi-Fi module, determining whether the selected user function is a Wi-Fi related function, performing, when the selected user function is the Wi-Fi related function, by the sending terminal, a search for a terminal capable of handling the user function, selecting, by the sending terminal, a found terminal as a receiving terminal, automatically establishing, by the sending terminal, a Wi-Fi channel to the receiving terminal by automatically sending a Probe Request message containing a Personal Identification Number (PIN) code, sending, by the sending terminal, data generated by the user function to the receiving terminal through the Wi-Fi channel, and outputting, by the receiving terminal, the received data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system of Wi-Fi terminals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system of Wi-Fi terminals and a channel operation method for the same that automatically establish a Wi-Fi communication channel and automatically perform subsequent operations after an occurrence of a channel setup failure, to thereby support rapid and convenient Wi-Fi operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals supporting mobility and various functions have been widely popularized. Mobile communication terminals and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) are representative examples of mobile terminals. A mobile communication terminal equipped with a wireless communication module may send and receive voice and non-voice data to and from another mobile communication terminal via a base station. A personal digital assistant including a central processing unit, a memory, an operating system, and programs and devices running on the operating system may perform various operations related to information collection, storage, editing, and search.
A mobile terminal having a Wi-Fi module may connect to a server on the Internet via a nearby Access Point (AP), and may connect to a Wi-Fi device having an AP unit for data transmission and reception. For Wi-Fi operation, a mobile terminal having a Wi-Fi module performs a channel setup procedure with another mobile terminal having a Wi-Fi module. However, during channel setup, the two mobile terminals may be unable to perform other user operations. That is, to setup a Wi-Fi channel, both the requesting mobile terminal and the responding mobile terminal must perform a separate operation to permit channel setup, but may be unable to support other user functions before completion of the separate operation. Additionally, the mobile terminals may fail to establish a channel when the separate operation does not generate an accurate signal for channel setup. Hence, a system of Wi-Fi terminals and an operation method for the same are needed to support flexible channel setup.

System of Wi-Fi terminals and channel operation method for the same


The inverted L antenna with fixed polarization is disclosed. The inverted L antenna with fixed polarization includes: a printed circuit board (PCB) including an metal layer, a dielectric layer and a ground layer; and an antenna element coupled to a predetermined shaped of one side of the PCB, wherein the predetermined shape is a form for directing an electric field excited at edge of PCB to match with a direction of the antenna element.

In an ultra wideband (UWB) communication system receiving a lot of interest in a recent communication system, there has been a need for developing an antenna having a more wide band characteristics, since an impulse signal is radiated and received to/from an air.
Conventionally, an inverted L antenna has been introduced for use in an UWB system.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one of conventional inverted L antennas in accordance with a prior art.
As shown, the conventional inverted L antenna 100 includes an antenna element 120 coupled to an edge portion A, represented by a dotted circle, of a printed circuit board (PCB) 110. The PCB 110 includes a metal layer 111, a dielectric layer 113 and a ground layer 115. An output signal is electrically passed to the antenna element 120 through a feeding line 130.
The conventional inverted L antenna 100 radiates a microwave for communicating with other communication system by using an electric field excited at the edge portion A, which is called as an exciting area of the PCB 110.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing a performance of the conventional inverted L antenna based on a S11 parameter characteristic, wherein the graph is plotted the change of S11, representing a ratio between an amount of signal inputted the inverted L antenna and an amount of signal reflected from the inverted L antenna, in response to a frequency.
As shown, although a height-to-length (H/L) ratio of the inverted L antenna becomes very low, the inverted L antenna is outperformed in antenna efficiency, a voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR) and an antenna gain deviation.
FIG. 3 is a graph of a gain of a conventional inverted L antenna versus a radiation frequency thereof, wherein a solid line represents an absolute value of the gain, whereas a dotted line represents gain characteristics of a component of radiation wave polarized along a direction of the antenna element.
In FIG. 3, the gain of absolute value is compared to the gain of the component of radiation wave polarized along a direction of antenna element. The gain characteristic of the conventional inverted L antenna shows that a mass electric field of a polarization component vertically polarized to the direction of the antenna element is strongly excited at a high frequency range. That is, the electric field strongly excited at the edge portion A of the PCB 110 generates an interference with the polarization of the antenna element. The gain characteristic causes to reduce a receiving performance.
Therefore, a receiving sensitivity of the conventional inverted L antenna becomes to decrease, which will, in turn, limit a communication area when the conventional inverted L antenna is applied to the UWB communication system.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The present application for Patent of Invention describes a strand guide module which enables the use of locks to be fully eliminated for adjusting the waist, considerably improving the quality and comfort of the footwear, besides economizing raw materials and improving productivity. The purpose of the object of the invention is to allow for longitudinal, latitudinal and angular adjustment of the pulling vector of the strands, particularly the longitudinal positional adjustment along the last (F), including modularity characteristics.

After developing the equipment that is the object of patent application BR102015013357-0, entitled SHOE UPPER MOUNTING MACHINE WITH STRAND PULLER, the inventor began working on the applicability of the assembly method.
Initially, the method proved to be efficient. However, the irregularities in the position of the fabric locks, led the inventor to seek an alternative solution. Thus the X-cross stitching was born, which needed to be improved in terms of execution and position.
At this time, an "X" for flat footwear was used and more than one "X", as necessary, for footwear with a greater number of negative angles, that is, heeled shoes and boots.
During testing, it was noted that by changing the strand pull angle and the position of the "X", it was possible to determine which part of the footwear should first undergo the pulling force of the strand. Adding these factors to the strength of the edges of the last, it was possible to achieve, in a single strand pulling procedure, the perfect and simultaneous adjustment of the shoe upper to the last, copying the lines of the last, without causing tension lines.
It was thus possible to see that for each footwear model, for each negative angle, there is a most suitable position of the "X", in addition to the most suitable pulling angle, that is, in most cases, only one cross-stitch is sufficient for properly seating the shoe upper on the last.

String guide module and use thereof in a machine with a string puller

I.S.A. INDÚSTRIA DE TECNOLOGIA E AUTOMACÂO LTDA. (INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY LTDA)


Among others, the present invention provides novel methods for extending lifespan or improving healthspan in a mammal, which include administration to the mammal of a composition containing a therapeutically effective amount of ergothioneine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, acid, ester, analog or derivative thereof.

Ergothioneine ("Ergo") is a naturally occurring amino acid and is a thiourea derivative of histidine, containing a sulfur atom on the imidazole ring. This compound occurs in relatively few organisms, notably Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and certain fungi. In humans, ergothioneine is acquired exclusively through the diet and accumulates in erythrocytes, bone marrow, liver, kidney, seminal fluid, and eyes.
Resveratrol is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol. Sources of resveratrol in food include the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, and peanuts. Resveratrol is thought to act like antioxidants, protecting the body against damage that can put you at higher risk for things like cancer and heart disease. There is extensive evidence in experimental models (e.g., yeast, fruit flies, fish, and rodents) that resveratrol extends lifespan (K. Pallau et al., Curr. Med. Chem., 2016; 23(41):4639-4680; T. Liu et al., Rejuvenation Res., 2015; 18(3):225-33). In addition, there is evidence that resveratrol improves risk factors for chronic diseases that are consistent with increased lifespan in humans.
C. elegans is a transparent worm about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It has been extensively used as a model organism because it has all the physiological properties of an animal, the ability to replicate human diseases, and a fast life cycle. A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are widely used to research human disease when human experimentation would be unfeasible or unethical. This strategy is made possible by the common descent of all living organisms, and the conservation of metabolic and developmental pathways and genetic material over the course of evolution.
In vitro, ergothioneine requires a specific transporter, ETT, also known as OCTN1 (gene symbol SLC22A4), to enter cells. Although the effect of ergothioneine in vivo is an active area of research, its physiological role in humans is undetermined (Cheah I K, Halliwell B, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)—Molecular Basis of Disease. 2012, 1822 (5): 784-93).

Use of ergothioneine for extending lifespan or improving healthspan

Nanjing Nutrabuilding Bio-tech Co., Ltd.


The compounds are of class of chromophoric 1,2,3-triazolyl equipped silyl linking groups that are useful in the chemical synthesis of RNA. An example of a nucleoside comprising this group is

Protecting groups are critical and ubiquitous features of modern synthetic organic chemistry, due to the need to carry out site-specific transformations in the presence of potentially numerous similar reactive functionalities. Since the early 1980's, research into protective groups for virtually any reactive functionality—amine, alcohol, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, thiol, phosphate to name a few—has produced thousands of reagents having a wide variety of chemical stabilities and applications. Indeed, the choice of compatible and orthogonal protection for complex organic syntheses is often one of the key factors in designing a successful synthetic scheme (see, e.g., Greene's Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, (Wuts et al., fourth edition, Wiley Interscience, John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2007) herein incorporated by reference).
The use of silyl protecting groups for the temporary blocking of reactive hydroxyl functionalities has become commonplace in synthetic organic chemistry. Groups such as trimethylsilyl, t-butyldimethylsilyl, phenyldimethylsilyl and triphenysilyl are routinely used for the protection of hydroxyl groups as silyl ethers in the preparation of simple alcohols as well as of complex natural products. These groups have the advantage of being removable by treatment with fluoride ion, a reagent to which most other protecting groups exhibit good to excellent stability.
Silyl ether protecting groups have also been applied to the synthesis of oligonucleotides (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,889,136, 6,008,400, 6,111,086, 6,590,093; Scaringe, Methods 23, 206-217 (2001); Scaringe, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 11820-11821 (1998); herein incorporated by reference).
Despite the significant improvements realized with the 5′-silyl-2′-orthoester synthesis invention, 5′-silyl ether protecting groups described in the literature are not visibly colored and do not provide the convenient colorimetric capability, an attribute that is advantageous for assessing coupling efficiency and is a feature of, for example, the traditional dimethoxytrityl (or DMT) 5′-protecting group. Thus, currently available reagents do not allow for visual detection of the deprotection step (i.e, via release of the silyl protecting group) which would allow evaluation of the coupling step. Additionally, it is desirable that each deprotection solution be collected in its entirety and the quantity of the protecting group released determined spectrophotometrically. Each value so obtained could then be ratioed with the immediately preceding value to obtain a nearly quantitative measure of the coupling efficiency for each cycle.
Thus, a need exists for a complement to the efficient chemical synthesis of RNA utilizing the 5′-silyl-2′-orthoester synthesis platform with a colorimetrical assay to monitor the individual coupling efficiencies of each synthesis cycle.

Chromophoric silyl protecting groups and their use in the chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides


A laser aiming and illumination device is configured to be mounted onto a shot shell firearm such that mounting the device onto the shot shell firearm does not require permanent alteration of the shot shell firearm, the shot shell firearm having a trigger, a grip, a lower portion and an upper portion having a side surface, the laser aiming and illumination device. The device includes an illumination module, including at least one of an illumination source and a laser source mounted directly to the side surface of the shot shell firearm, an illumination mode selector configured to select an operating mode of the at least one of the illumination source and the laser source, a power module including a power source, the power module electrically connected to the illumination module and residing in a same housing as the illumination module, and an activation switch electrically connected to the power module, the activation switch disposed adjacent the trigger of the shot shell firearm and configured to operate the at least one of the illumination source and the laser source in the selected operating mode.

The AK-47 rifle, tactical shotgun and recently introduced shot shell firearm, such as those produced by Remington® and Mossberg® are popular firearms, but have limited options for laser and light accessories. They do not have an upper rail system, or only have available poor-quality, after-market accessories known to rapidly lose zero.
Another issue arises because the few good options available require mounting to the front portion of the firearm, requiring both hands on the firearm to perform two functions while attempting to accomplish one task. The user must use one hand to hold the fore grip of the firearm and the other to activate the accessory, with neither hand in the ready position to fire.
In some instances, a firearm may have a wire and bladder switch applied with duct tape or electrical wire ties to allow locating the activation switch near the firing hand. However, this causes a potential snag point and exposes the wire and electrical path to possible damage, deactivating the accessory.
As used here, the term "AK" refers to rifles based upon the original AK-47, or AK. The term "AK" comes from Avtomat Kalashnikova, which means essentially 'Kalashnikov's Automatic Rifle,' named for Mikhail Kalashnikov who invented the rifle. It is a gas-operated 7.62×39 mm assault rifle. The name "AK" has become a standard type of firearm, now manufactured by multiple companies across the world.
One of the most popular laser, light or laser/light combination accessories is a self-contained carrier that includes the illumination/laser element(s) and can be affixed to a standard top of receiver picatinny accessory rail of the firearm. These self-contained units contain the power source for the illumination/laser elements and the various associated switch and electrical circuitry to control functioning of the illumination/laser elements.
To select an operating mode of the illumination/laser element(s), the operator often must manipulate the firearm into an un-ready position to access the device to select a desired operating mode or to activate the device. Once the operator has selected the desired operating mode or activated the device, the operator can then reshoulder, or manipulate, the firearm into a ready position. Having the firearm in an un-ready position makes the operator vulnerable and unable to respond quickly and/or accurately to threats that may arise. Additionally, the activation of the illumination/laser element(s) prior to hostile engagement can reveal the operator's location, negating any stealth, or surprise the operator may have had.
One approach that solves these issues is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,766,038, "LASER AIMING AND ILLUMINATION DEVICE FOR AR-15 STYLE WEAPONS PLATFORM," for top-rail firearms on which the modules are mounted to a rail attached to the upper portion of AR-15 type firearms. However, the firearms described above do not have an upper rail, nor the ability to install an upper rail. Those available will lose their zero after several shots or when removed for cleaning and replaced rendering them useless. The accessories as mentioned require two hands or exposed wires to operate.
There exists a need for a device that integrates a laser and/or light source into a singular package for firearms with side receivers as described. Devices that have protected wires, can be activated single-handedly while allowing the user to maintain the firearm in a ready position or accurately direct the firearm from an unready position.

Receiver mounted laser aiming and illumination device for firearms


A motor vehicle seat back structure comprising a backrest support frame which consists of a surface turned towards the seat user's back, a lordosis support which is arranged on the front part of the backrest support frame for supporting the user's back and an adjusting device for vertically adjusting the lordosis support position with respect to the extension plane of said backrest support frame. The adjusting device comprises at least one adjusting element operably connected to the lordosis support and at least one sliding element which is displaceable with respect to said adjusting element and interacts therewith in such a way that when the sliding element moves, the adjusting element is displaced with a directional component perpendicularly to the displacement direction of the sliding element and performs an action on said lordosis support in the direction.

The invention relates to a backrest structure for a motor vehicle seat.
A backrest structure of this kind comprises a backrest frame which has a front side facing the back of the seat user and along which the spinal column of the seat user extends in the longitudinal direction of the seat back when the seat is in use; a lordosis support mounted on the front of the backrest frame for supporting the back of a seat user, as well as an adjusting device for adjusting the position of the lordosis support perpendicular to the extension plane of the backrest frame in order to adjust the curvature of a backrest cushion which is mounted in front of the backrest frame and the lordosis support and through which the back of a vehicle occupant is supported on the lordosis support.
The object of the invention is to improve a backrest structure of the type mentioned at the beginning with regard to the structural space required, namely in particular with regard to the structural space required in the adjusting direction of the lordosis support, i.e. along a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension plane of the backrest frame.

Motor vehicle seat back structure for a motor vehicle seat

Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Coburg


An approach is provided that retrieves organization information that pertains to a computer system operated by an organization and a set of current cyber security threat data that pertains to the organization. A security simulation is generated based on the current cyber security threat data and the organization data with the simulation including any number of decision-linked simulation segments. The simulation is then performed during which a user makes decisions based on the decision-linked simulation segments. The result of the simulation is an evaluated cyber security threat that corresponds to the organization's computer system.

A data breach is the intentional or unintentional release of private or confidential information to an unauthorized party. Data breaches might result from concerted attacks by hackers or other malevolent individuals for personal or other type of gain. Data breaches are often associated with organized crime and political activists or national governments. Data breaches can often result from careless disposal of used computer equipment or data storage media. Data breaches may involve financial information such as credit card or bank details, personal health information (PHI), Personally identifiable information (PII), trade secrets of corporations or intellectual property. Data breaches often involve overexposed and vulnerable unstructured data such as computer files, documents, and other sensitive information.
To combat data breaches, organizations can employ authorized testing, or simulation, of computer systems. Some of these tests are referred to as "penetration tests" as they test the possible weakness of computer systems that may be attacked, or penetrated, by unauthorized individuals seeking to illegally access the organization's sensitive data. Traditional simulations are often large, expensive, non-portable systems that are designed for large well-funded organizations. These challenges leave smaller organizations with smaller security budgets less secure and more prone to data breaches as the traditional penetration tests are not quickly and automatically altered based on such smaller organization's needs.

Testing simulation sequence using industry specific parameters

International Business Machines Corporation


A touch switch layout for a hob having several hotplates is described. For said hotplates is in each case provided a separate selection switch with which the power can be selected in each case. There is also a single, common touch switch for power reduction for all the hotplates. According to the associated operating method, on operating the common power control switch only the power of a selected hotplate is modified or reduced. The power of a hotplate is increased by briefly operating a selection button as selection and renewed operation of the selection button as an increase. This then functions as a power increase switch. It is obvious that the function can also be reversed.

The invention relates to a touch switch layout according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 20. Such touch switch layouts are advantageously used for electrical appliances having several electric loads. The electric loads can be adjusted with regards to their electric power. By means of a selection switch, they can be selected for a power setting or control to be performed.
Such known touch switch layouts have a selection switch for each electric load, as well as a positive and minus button for the power setting. This means that three touch switches are required for each electric load, which is very complicated, also from the standpoint of the control method.
The problem of the invention is to provide a touch switch layout and a control method for electrical appliances having several electric loads, which can be manufactured with less effort and expenditure, whilst ensuring a high operational reliability and safety.
This problem is solved by a touch contact layout having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 20. Advantageous and preferred further developments of the invention form the subject matter of the further claims and are explained in greater detail hereinafter. By express reference the wording of the claims is made into part of the content of the description.
According to the invention the selection switch can be used for a specific electric load also or simultaneously for a power setting, e.g. in the plus or minus direction. A power setting can take place in such a way that firstly the selection switch is briefly operated in order to select the specific load. By operating the same selection switch again, it is possible to carry out the power change, e.g. in the form of a power increase. Reference should also be made to the following explanation of the method according to the invention. Thus, a maximum of only two switches per load are required. Thus, for the touch switch layout it is possible to economize one switch, which offers considerable advantages during manufacture and with regards to the operational reliability.
In a preferred development of the invention a common setting or control switch can be provided for several electric loads for a power setting in the other direction compared with that of the selection switch. This permits a further reduction in the number of touch switches, namely an individual selection and power control switch for one direction and a common control switch for the power setting in the other direction. Thus, in this case for the specific electric load, apart from the common control switch it is only necessary to provide a single, individual or specific selection switch. This is more particularly preferred for all electric loads of the electrical appliance.
In order to facilitate operation and control, particularly with one hand, the selection switches or the individual switches can be grouped around at least one common control switch. This particularly advantageously takes place in the form of a polygon corresponding to the number of selection switches. A regular polygon is considered advantageous both optically and from the control standpoint. Preferably there is a touch switch in every angle of the polygon. The touch switches should not be too far apart and are advantageously roughly identical. A one-hand operation is possible for an adult at a distance of max 15 cm, a distance of approximately 5 cm being particularly ergonomic. In this case there can be a simultaneous operation of a central control switch and at least one selection switch as a safety lockout against undesired operation.
With the selection switches can be associated optical or visual display means for displaying the status or switching state of the particular electric load. Preferably individual display means are associated with each selection switch. In a further development of the invention the display means can have several different functions, particularly relative to said electric load. These functions can e.g. be a power display, a hot display and/or a programming which has taken place. A difference between different functions can be provided by an activating LED or specific, different display or representation modes of the display means. Possibilities are e.g. a flashing at different frequencies or different brightness stages.
According to a development of the invention, at least two electric loads are operable and can be adjusted with respect to specific criteria, preferably their power. For this purpose the touch switch layout can have at least three touch switches, which are preferably arranged around a central point or area, preferably in a regular or uniform layout. The display means for displaying the load state can then be located in the area within the layout of the touch or contact switches or in the area of said central point. They are advantageously constructed in such a way that the state of several loads can be displayed in alternating form.
It is fundamentally possible with the display means to display the state of several or all the loads. Since preferably for ease of operation in each case only the state of one load is simultaneously displayed, a state display of the loads should take place in alternating manner. Thus, it is a major advantage of the invention that for several loads only a single display means has to be provided and that the costs for further display means are saved. This expenditure saving is considerable, because it is not only possible to economize on the components per se, but also on their fitting and possible control. It also makes it possible to keep the printed circuit boards carrying the layouts smaller and simpler.
The display alternation can on the one hand take place automatically or in automatically following time intervals for the different loads. Advantageously only those loads which are activated are displayed.
Alternatively a display of the state of a specific touch switch can be polled as required or the display thereof adjusted. For this purpose, e.g. by a single operation of the touch switch individual to each load there can be a change to the display of the state of said load.
According to an embodiment of the invention a control for a hob with several, in particular four hotplates can be created. At a central point or area can be provided a common power control switch and alongside the same a LED display. In a substantially rectangular arrangement about said central point, selection switches can be provided for each of the hotplates. These selection switches have a complimentary function to the common power control switch. If e.g. with the common power control switch the power can be decreased, then with the individual selection switch it can be increased as a power control function and vice versa.
An indication of the particular touch switches or loads for which the central display means are at present active can advantageously take place by means of a display associated with the individual touch switch. In a simple form this can e.g. be a LED. It is possible to use it by different luminous intensities or possible flashing frequencies, both as a general active display and as a selection display for the particular touch switch or the associated load.
In a simple embodiment the display means can have at least one filament lamp or LED. There are preferably several LEDs juxtaposed in line, bar or circular arc form.
Alternatively or additionally the display means can have a seven-segment display. With such an alphanumeric display figures and most letters can be displayed in a clear and readily readable form, so that more information can be displayed.
The method according to the invention for the control of a touch switch provides for the selection of the electric load by a single contact of the touch switch or sensor surface. By contacting again the electric power can be set in a specific direction, so that an easy operation of the touch switch or setting of the electrical appliance load can take place.
In the other direction the power or a similar characteristic of the electric load can be adjusted by a further touch switch. This further touch switch does not necessarily require a selection function, so that the means can be rendered more simple.
Preferably there is a touch switch for the power setting in the other direction jointly for several loads. For a particular power setting in each case one load can be selected by the selection switch and then the power can be adjusted.
The switching in of an additional load associated with the selected load in a hotplate of an electric hob, e.g. an additional heater, can take place by setting the highest power stage for said load. Conventionally such additional heaters are constructed as two-circuit heaters. This is followed by a further raising of the electric power by operating the corresponding touch switch, so that the additional load is activated. A deactivation can be brought about by power reduction or by completely switching off the load.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, either singly or in the form of subcombinations, can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions for which protection is claimed here. The subdivision of the application into individual sections and the subtitles in no way restrict the general validity of the statements made thereunder.

Touch switch layout and method for the control of a touch switch


A diagnosis support system for cancer is disclosed that comprises: a measurement value acquiring section for acquiring a measurement value of a first cancer patient; a sample data memory for storing sample data of a plurality of cancer patients different from the first patient; a reference range determination section for determining a reference range based on the measurement value of the first cancer patient; a display unit; and a display controller for controlling the display unit to display a diagnosis support screen showing the clinical information included in the sample data having measurement value within the reference range. A method of providing cancer diagnosis support information and a computer program product are also disclosed.

Serum diagnosis for examining the tumor marker in the serum, as well as tissue diagnosis and cell diagnosis by biopsy are conventionally known for cancer diagnosis. However, the reliability thereof is low, or the determination by individuals or determination by medical facilities varies. Thus, a molecular diagnosis based on genes and protein expressed in the living body is recently being reviewed as a standardized diagnosis method for cancer in which variation among diagnostician is small. Various methods such as a method of using cyclin-dependent kinase (hereinafter also simply referred to as "CDK") have been proposed as a molecular diagnosis based on protein (see e.g., International Publication WO 2005/116241 and International Publication WO 2003/078662).
International Publication WO 2005/116241 discloses a method of measuring a ratio obtained from an activity value and an expression level of the CDK1 (CDK1 specific activity) and a ratio obtained from an activity value and an expression level of the CDK2 (CDK2 specific activity), comparing CDK2 specific activity/CDK1 specific activity with a threshold value set in advance, and determining the malignancy of cancer based on such result. International Publication WO 2003/078662 discloses a method of normalizing the expression level of a predetermined gene such as p52BP2 gene, cathepsin B gene, cathepsin L gene, Ki67/MiB1 gene, thymidine kinase gene, and p27 gene, and an expression product thereof with respect to a control gene, and predicting the clinical result of the patient to compare with the amount derived in a reference cancer tissue set.
In the above methods, the predetermined threshold value set in advance and the measurement value of the parameter are compared, and the state of cancer is predicted and the clinical result is predicted based on the comparison result. However, in such methods, determination is made with the threshold value as the reference even if the measurement value of the parameter is very close to the threshold value. Thus, for example, even with a clinical sample that actually has a high recurrence risk, the determination result different from the actual result is sometimes obtained since the measurement value of the parameter obtained from the clinical sample is slightly lower than or greater than the threshold value. In this case, an accurate determination is not said to be made with the above method, and an accurate diagnosis may not be made if such determination result is used in diagnosis of cancer.

Diagnosis support system for cancer, diagnosis support information providing method for cancer, and computer program product


A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a plurality of color filters for four color components arranged in a matrix correspondingly to a plurality of pixels, respectively, every group of four color filters that are arranged adjacently in horizontal and vertical directions being corresponding to different four color components, wherein each of the plurality of color filters has a generally rectangular shape that has a cutout portion in each of four corners thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus that is provided with color filters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, in order to perform color display, color filters corresponding to the prescribed color components are formed in respective pixels. As the color components, red, green and blue—the three primary colors—have been used. The color filter of the red component, the color filter of the green component and the color filter of the blue component are respectively formed in that order with respect to three pixels that are arranged successively. The LCD apparatus performs color display using these three pixels as a unit. The respective color filters are formed by patterning appropriate photosensitive color resists in turn.
In the meanwhile, recently, a sub-pixel rendering technology that achieves a pseudo high resolution display using a relatively small number of pixels has been developed. In the sub-pixel rendering technology, a white color component is added to the three primary colors of red, green and blue. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the color filters corresponding to the respective color components are formed sequentially in four pixels that are located successively in a row, and the color filters are formed such that the same color components are shifted in position by two pixels between the adjacent two rows of pixels.
When the respective color components are arranged as shown in FIG. 12, the four pixels that are adjacently located vertically and horizontally have four different color components. Accordingly, when the color filters for the respective color components are patterned in turn and when a misalignment and the like occur, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, three or more of color filters may be overlapped at certain corners of the respective pixels (the maximum of four color filters may overlap). When such overlap occurs, because of the large difference between the thickness of the overlapped portions and that of the single color filter that is not overlapped, the injected liquid crystal layer may not achieve its target thickness, thereby causing a thickness error in the liquid crystal layer.


An apparatus and a method for remote control at a mobile communication terminal includes a display unit that outputs a remote control screen when a remote control event occur; a communication unit either transmits or receives a remote control signal to or from an object terminal as well as data for storage when a remote control event occurs; a remote control processor processes the remote control signal received from the communication unit, and controls either the transmitting or receiving of data for storage; and a controller controls the remote control processor according to the received remote control signal, so as to transmit a storage data transmission or reception request message to the object terminal in response a respective on of a transmission or a reception request for the data for storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for remote control between mobile communication terminals. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for remotely controlling a mobile communication terminal, which is adapted to be able to one of either transmit or receive data for storage between terminals, while also performing a remote control event.
2. Description of the Related Art
As mobile communication terminals rapidly develop, the mobile communication terminal is evolving into a terminal capable of performing various additional functions while maintaining the basic functions of wireless voice communication and information exchange.
The mobile communication terminal enables a user to perform web surfing with introduction of the wireless Internet, enables a user to capture an image with introduction of a digital camera, and transmits a captured image file to a different terminal via the Internet network as well as performing a basic function of voice communication with a counterpart mobile terminal.
Furthermore, a mobile communication terminal can be used for accessing a specific server and receiving a service. Recently, because the mobile communication terminal can generate and store various contents, and includes a large capacity storage unit so that a large capacity of data can be processed, the mobile communication terminal emerges as a useful service tool. In addition, as the processing ability and network speed improve, the possible uses as a service tool increases even more.
Additionally, a remote control function operable between terminals is also emerging. For example, as part of the remote control, an access between the same operating systems realized in a personal computer (PC) exists. In remote control between PCs, a control PC may access a target PC as an object to directly view a screen of the accessed PC, and may directly execute a program. In addition, the control PC may use a peripheral device of the accessed PC, receive a result thereof, and connect the peripheral device with a peripheral device of the control PC and use the same.
The above-described remote control function may be applied between mobile communication terminals. For example, a control terminal may share a screen and voice of a controlled terminal via an authentication procedure and simultaneously, control a function of the controlled terminal.
However, the above-described remote control function of the mobile communication terminal only shares a screen and voice of the controlled terminal, and does not provide a function of receiving data for storage (for example, a file, etc.) inside the controlled terminal, or transmitting the data for storage which is inside the controlled terminal, to the control terminal. Accordingly, in the event of urgently transmitting or receiving of the data for storage, the terminal is inconvenient because it must connect to an Internet network for transmission or reception of data for storage.

Apparatus and method for remotely controlling in mobile communication terminal


A family of airfoil cross sections, termed SC21xx, for use in a helicopter blade is disclosed. The airfoil (36) achieves maximum lift performance equivalent to prior art airfoil configurations without incurring increased aerodynamic drag at high velocities. The airfoil (36) was developed by thickening and drooping the leading edge region (38) of the prior art airfoil (30) improving lift in the leading edge region (38) and delaying the formation of sonic shock waves at high velocities.

Rotorcraft, such as helicopters, are supported vertically by a plurality of driven blades which rotate about a vertical axis. It will be appreciated that, since both the lift and propulsive force of the helicopter are supplied primarily through the large rotating blade system, it is advantageous to provide a main blade configuration which achieves a high lifting force at a given airspeed and which does not experience a high aerodynamic drag.
The prior art contains many examples of blades and airfoils attempting to achieve this high lift-low drag performance ideal, most notably U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,045 issued Apr. 17, 1973 to Balch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,837 issued Mar. 6, 1979 to de Simone and U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,633 issued Feb. 11, 1986 to Flemming, Jr.
The Balch airfoil, designated SC1095, provides an airfoil cross section which achieves both higher maximum lift and lower zero lift aerodynamic drag at high velocity conditions as compared to the then-existing airfoils. These improvements were realized by selectively shaping the airfoil surface for both higher lift and lower drag by delaying separation of the airflow boundary layer over the airfoil, as well as decreasing the local Mach number at high freestream velocities.
The de Simone airfoil, also referred to as the SC1095-R8 configuration, is characterized in the referenced patent as an improvement over the SC1095 airfoil wherein the airfoil upper surface is shaped to distribute the surface static pressure peak over a greater area thereby reducing the likelihood of airfoil boundary layer separation. The SC1095-R8 airfoil achieves higher maximum lift than the SC1095 configuration at lower velocities, but is subject to higher zero lift drag forces at high velocity conditions.
The Flemming, Jr. configuration is an improvement over the SC1095-R8 design and is particularly well adapted for use in high speed applications, such as in the radially outer tip portion of the main blade. The Flemming, Jr. airfoil, also termed the SSC-Axx family, further reduces the zero lift drag force at high air speeds by delaying the creation of shock waves in the local airflow. This further reduction in aerodynamic drag at high air speed is achieved at the expense of some maximum lift at lower velocity operation.
As will be apparent from considering the above mentioned references as a group, prior art blade designers combine several types of airfoil cross sections along the span of an individual blade in an attempt to maximize the lift and minimize the drag over the range of expected airflow velocities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,572 issued Feb. 3, 1981 to Fradenburgh shows a single helicopter blade which utilizes the high lift SC1095-R8 airfoil configuration in the lower velocity central span region of the blade and the lower lift SC1095 airfoil section radially outward thereof in that portion of the blade which encounters higher air velocities. The Flemming, Jr. patent provides a still further modification wherein members of the SSC-Axx family of airfoils is used in the rotor tip portion due to its still greater resistance to shock wave formation at high airflow velocities.
As can be seen, the twin goals of high lift and low drag in prior art airfoils are exclusionary, leading designers to specify high lift airfoil configurations only in the lower speed regions of the rotorcraft blade while being content with reduced lift in the radially outer high speed portions in order to avoid excessive aerodynamic drag. What is needed is an airfoil configuration able to produce high lift without experiencing unacceptably high drag force under high airflow velocity operation.


A paper transporting device for an image recorder for transporting, after a visible image formed on the surface of an image carrier by an electrophotographic procedure has been transferred to a paper sheet by an image transferring device, the paper sheet separated from the image carrier to a fixing device by orienting one surface of the paper sheet carrying the visible image downward and by sucking the other surface by a suction source. A guide member has a transport surface for transporting the paper sheet while guiding it. A number of holes for suction are formed through the transport surface. A plurality of guide ribs protrude from the transport surface. The holes are positioned at opposite sides and in close proximity to the guide ribs. A ground plate covers the entire transport surface and is connected to ground. During transport, the paper sheet slides on and along the edges of the ribs while being spaced apart from the transport surface at opposite sides of the guide ribs. The holes of the transport surface are so positioned as to align with the spaced portions of the paper sheet and, so long as the paper sheet has ordinary elasticity, they are prevented from being stopped up by the paper sheet.

The present invention relates to a paper transporting device for an image recorder and, more particularly, to a paper transporting device of the type causing a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet in an upper portion of a photoconductive element of an image recorder and then transporting the paper sheet face down to a fixing unit.
In a laser printer, electrophotographic copier, facsimile machine or similar image recorder implemented with a dry process electrophotographic procedure, a toner image formed on a photoconductive element is transferred to a paper sheet, and then the paper sheet is separated from the photoconductive element. The paper sheet carrying the toner image thereon is transported to a fixing unit for fixing the toner image. With a laser printer which belongs to a family of image recorders of the type described, it is not necessary to lay an original document on a glass platen for reproduction. Hence, an optical writing station for writing data in a photoconductive element can be readily provided below the photoconductive element, in turn allowing a toner image to be transferred to a paper sheet in a position above the photoconductive element. When imagewise transfer is performed over a photoconductive element as stated, it is possible to provide a linear paper transport path in the image recorder and to stack paper sheets face down one upon another, i.e., in order of page. Further, such a configuration allows a jamming sheet to be removed with ease and eliminates an occurrence that toner particles drop onto a paper sheet. With these advantages in view, there has been proposed a paper transport system of the type transporting a paper sheet face down above a photoconductive element, allowing a toner image to be transferred to the paper sheet in a position above the photoconductive element, and then transporting the paper sheet face down to a fixing unit.
The above-described type of paper transport system, however, has some problems left unsolved. Specifically, the photoconductive element is spaced apart from the fixing unit by a certain distance so as to protect the former against heat which the latter generates. This, coupled with the fact that a toner image is simply electrostatically deposited on the underside of a paper sheet before the latter reaches the fixing unit, it is not desirable to guide a paper sheet by a guide member of the kind making direct contact with the underside of a paper sheet. A sufficiently thick or sufficiently elastic paper sheet would be successfully transported as far as the fixing unit without the need for such a guide member. However, a majority of paper sheets usable with an image recorder does not have such a thickness or elasticity. Specifically, a paper sheet is usually sustained in a cantilever fashion before its leading edge reaches a fixing roller of the fixing unit or after its trailing edge has been separated from the photoconductive element. In this condition, an ordinary paper sheet necessarily bends downward due to gravity resulting in the leading edge thereof missing the fixing roller or in an image portion adjacent to the trailing edge rubbing against another member. In the light of this, a number of holes may be provided above a paper transport path in order to cause a fan to suck a paper sheet from above during the transport of the paper sheet, as already proposed in the art.
However, a prior art paper transporting device adopting the above-mentioned suction scheme is not satisfactory for the following reasons. Since a paper sheet is transported while being sucked from above through the number of holes, once it stops up the holes with its upper surface, not only the load acting on the fan but also the intensity of vacuum are increased. The intensified vacuum sucks the paper sheet strongly against the holes and thereby increases the resistance to the sliding movement of the paper sheet on and along a guide member which is formed with the holes. Furthermore, the holes are apt to catch the corners of the leading edge of a paper sheet having a particular size, bending them or causing the paper sheet to jam the transport path.

Paper transporting device for an image recorder having guide ribs on a transport surface


A portable electronic device comprises an image sensor configured to capture at least one image. The at least one image may be output via an optical output device. A processing device is configured to retrieve geographic information associated with the at least one image, and to identify at least one contact included in a set of contacts of the portable electronic device, the at least one contact having captured at least one other image in a geographic area in which the at least one image was captured. An identifier for the at least one contact is displayed.

A variety of portable electronic devices nowadays are provided with components for capturing images. Examples of such electronic devices include portable communication devices which may include a camera. For illustration, modern mobile telephones or personal digital assistants may be equipped with a camera. With increasing data transmission bandwidths, the transmission of an image or of a video sequence which includes plural images over a mobile communication network is becoming increasingly popular. There is a wide variety of applications for transmitting images taken with a portable electronic device. In one approach, images may be received at a portable communication device before an image is captured, so as to allow the user of the portable communication device to identify a camera position and attitude which matches a viewing angle used for capturing the older image, or which is complementary with the viewing angle of the older image.
A portable communication device may also be used to download images from image libraries which are publicly accessible, for example by accessing the image library over a wide area network. Such approaches may be of limited value to a user of a portable electronic device when the user is interested in knowing whether someone he or she knows has taken an image, rather than merely retrieving an image taken by a person unknown to the user.

Portable electronic device and method of providing location-based information associated with an image


A method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material is disclosed. Fogging caused by the color developer contaminated by heavy metal ions is surpressed by the processing method. The processing method is excellent in the point that stable photographic propertied can be obtained for long while of running. The processing method comprises a step for developing with a color developer an imagewise exposed light-sensitive material which comprises a support and a photographic layer being provided on the support and including at least one silver halide emulsion layer, wherein the photographic layer has a swelling ratio within the range of from 1.5 to 3.5 and the silver halide emulsion layer comprises a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of not less than 90 mole %, and the developing step is performed for a time of not less than 90 seconds with a color developer containing a compound represented by the following Formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group provided that R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are not hydrogen atoms at the same time, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 may be combined to form a ring.

Ordinarily in a processing method for silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials to obtain a color picture, the light-sensitive material is exposed image-wise to light and then, developed with color developer to form a color picture by reaction between a p-phenylenediamine series developing agent and a color-picture forming coupler. In this method subtractive color reproduction system is ordinary applied and color picture images of cyan, magenta and yellow are formed on the red-, green- and blue-sensitive layers, respectively. Recently, the high-temperature developing and the simplification of the process are progressing for the purpose to shorten the developing time in this color picture image formation. Especially, the increase of developing speed in color development is highly demanded for the shortening of developing time. Developing speed is affected by two conditions: the silver halide color light-sensitive material and the color developing agent. The composition of silver halide grains in the silver halide emulsion is an important factor in the former and the composition and condition of develop developer are important in the latter.
Hydroxylamine and sulfites are usually used as the preservatives. Especially, hydroxylamine is useful as the preservative of p-phenylene diamine type color developer. However, hydroxylamine has a disadvantage to generate ammonia by decomposition with oxidation. Generated ammonia acts on silver halide color light-sensitive materials and causes ammonia fogging. Decomposition of hydroxylamine is especially accelerated when heavy metal ion such as iron or copper exists in the color developer.
This problem can be avoided by making complex compounds of these heavy metal ions using various kinds of chelating agents. Aminopolycarboxylic acid, polyphosphoric acid and organic phosphoric acid may be usable as the chelating compounds. These chelating agents are effectively used for iron ion but are not very effective for copper ion. Moreover, recently the amount of replenishing liquor tends to decrease economize the developing process and for reducing the amount of waste water. Because of the use of reduced volume of replenishing liquor, the concentration of heavy metals accumulating in the color developer is apt to increase. A way to reduce the effect of the metal ion present in the developer is thus becoming to be important.
On the other hand, a silver halide color light-sensitive material which is mainly composed of silver chloride emulsion (hereinafter, it is called silver chloride color light-sensitive material) is very useful because it has excellent properties such as to be developed quickly and accumulation of bromide and iodide ions both of which suppress the developing reaction is prevented compared to the conventional silver halide emulsions containing silver bromide and iodide (silver-chlorobromide, -chloroiodobromide and -iodobromide emulsions). The present inventors examined this silver chloride color light-sensitive material which is favorable to the quick development and found the following shortcoming. Firstly, hydroxylamine which has been used as the preservative acts as developing agent for silver chloride and progresses the development without color formation resulting in the degradation of coloring density of the finally obtained color image.
Secondly, sulfite salt, which is another preservative, acts as the solubilising agent for silver chloride and it results in the quick progress of physical development while the balance of the silver developing reaction and the coupling reaction is retarded; namely, the silver development goes first and the coupling reaction goes late to the development, such phenomenon causes the degradation of color density.
Thirdly, fogging is easily causable when a heavy metal ion is mixed with the developer. This fogging shows a tendency to increase with the reduced replenishing amount now used in processing as a whole, especially. Furthermore, density of image also shows a tendency to be reduced. The existence of a heavy ion is important problem especially for the continuous processing of large amounts of light-sensitive material.
In case of processing by an automatic developing machine which uses a silver halide color photosensitive material for continuous processing, it is necessary to keep the concentration of the components of color developer in a prescribed range so as to avoid the change of finished properties of the light-sensitive material caused by the change of concentration of components. For this purpose, a replenisher is used so as to supplement the deficient component and to dilute the excess component concentration. With the addition of the replenisher the overflow of the solution is inevitable. This is not favorable from either an economical or pollution-preventive standpoints. So as to cope with the social demand the use of highly-concentrated replenisher to decrease the volume of the overflow as well as the recycling of developer by using electrodialysis process or ion-exchange resin are recommended. This results in a decrease of the supply of replenisher. In such cases, the accumulation of heavy metal ions are unavoidable. It is strongly required to solve the problem of heavy metal effect in the development.
Another drawback was also found. Reduction of the amount of replenisher results the increase of the concentration of color developer because of vaporization of the solution. It causes the difficulty to obtain a good stable photographic characteristics, especially, the maximum density of yellow image. In case of mini-labs, small scale photofinishing workshop, this problem is especially not negligible since discontinuous running treatment is carried out over a long time.

Processing method of silver halide photographic light-sensitive material


An apparatus and method for high voltage discharge testing of a tire is disclosed. In particular embodiments, a high voltage probe is maintained against the surface of a tire. The high voltage probe is energized and relative motion is provided between the surface of the tire and the high voltage probe. At the presence of an anomaly that penetrates the insulating material of the tire surface, an electrical discharge will occur between the conductive spring electrode and a reference electrode. The reference electrode is positioned adjacent the bead portion of the tire such that the electrical discharge will travel from the high voltage probe through the anomaly in the surface of the tire to one or more carcass plies in the tire. The carcass plies will carry the electrical discharge to the bead portion of the tire, where the electrical discharge will pass to the reference electrode.

Tire repair operations, such as tire retreading operations, are generally used to extend the useful service life of a tire. Typical tire retreading operations include removing previously worn tread from a tire and bonding new tread in its place. Tires may be retread or repaired one or more times as a less expensive alternative to purchasing new tires, providing particular advantages for large-scale operations such as trucking, bussing and commercial aviation.
Generally, some level of non-destructive testing (NDT) of the tire prior to repair is conducted to determine whether it is appropriate to perform the repair operation. Visual inspection methods can be used to validate the integrity and, subsequently, the viability of retread and/or repair of tire casings for retread. For instance, the inside and outside surface of a tire can be visually inspected by an operator using special lighting to inspect for defects such as crazing, cracks, snags, bulges, depressions, gouges, abrasions, marbling, bubbles, blisters, separations, and other defects. Visual inspection methods, however, are subjective, inconsistent, and can require extensive training. Moreover, due to high operator turnover, difficulty exists in retaining expertise.
High voltage discharge (HVD) testing can be performed in place of or supplemental to visual inspection. HVD testing can be used to identify anomalies in the inner liner of a tire that penetrate the insulating material of the inner liner. In HVD testing machines, the tread portion of a tire is typically disposed between a pair of electrodes across which a high voltage electrical potential is generated. The voltage applied across the electrode will cause electrical discharge at the location of a defect in a tire. U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,136, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, for instance, discloses a HVD test machine that employs electrical discharging to detect defects in the inner liner of a tire.
On a traditional HVD test machine, the probe assembly typically includes a series of wire loops and small chains that are positioned to hang inside the tire in a manner to distribute high voltage from bead to bead on the inside surface of the tire. The correct width probe must be chosen for the tire size. The ground path for the discharge at an anomaly is provided by contact of the tread on a metallic driven roller. When the probe passes over an anomaly, an electrical discharge passes through the tread at the location of the anomaly to the metallic driven roller.
Traditional HVD test machines suffer from several disadvantages. For instance, the detection capability of typical HVD test machines depends on many variables, including the thickness and chemical makeup of the tread portion of the tire. In particular, in typical HVD testing machines, the electrical discharge must pass through the tread portion of the tire from the high voltage probe to the metallic driven roller which acts as the reference electrode for the HVD testing machine. Variations in tread thickness result in variations in resistance due to more or less dielectric material in the electrical discharge path. This variability may be further enhanced by variations in tread compounds, such as, for instance, variations in tread compounds used for winter tires and tread compounds used for summer tires. This variability can require higher voltage to be applied to the high voltage probe to generate an electrical discharge and can lead to reduced accuracy in the detection of anomalies by the HVD testing machine.
Thus, a solution is needed for automated HVD testing of tires that provides for more uniform detection capability of anomalies. A solution that is less susceptible to tire variables, such as the thickness and chemical makeup of the tread portion of the tire, would be particularly useful. A solution that provides for a reduced voltage to be applied to a high voltage probe would also be particularly useful.

Tire inner liner anomaly probe grounding apparatus and method

Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin


The present invention relates to a novel method for solvent-free preparation of a polymer of (meth)acrylic acid in solution, said polymer having a molecular weigh of less than 8,000 g/mol and a polydispersity index (PI) of 2 to 5 by radical polymerization.

Radical polymerization methods conventionally require that the monomers to be polymerized, a chain transfer agent, a source of free radicals and, optionally, a catalyst are brought into contact in at least one solvent.
The principal objective of a polymerization method is to obtain a polymer having a molecular mass suited to the application for which it is intended. The present invention aims to obtain polymers having a molecular mass of less than 8000 g/mol, for example of about 6000 g/mol.
Various methods of radical polymerization exist.
Mention may be made first of methods employing organic solvents, such as secondary alcohols like isopropanol. These methods are unsatisfactory today because they generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs). On the one hand, these solvents must be removed at the end of the reaction, thus complicating the industrial polymer preparation process. On the other hand, these solvents are recognized as having very harmful effects on health and on the environment, such that their production is sought to be avoided. Lastly, even after purification (distillation), traces of solvent still remain in the polymer solution.
Other methods for synthesizing polyacrylic polymers take place in water and do not generate volatile organic compounds.
Among the various radical polymerization methods, mention may also be made of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-type controlled radical polymerization for carrying out the living polymerization of a monomer. Such a method also makes it possible to obtain polymers having low polydispersity (polymolecularity) indices (PI), which makes them particularly effective for certain applications.
To implement a RAFT-type controlled radical polymerization, and thus to obtain a polymer of expected molecular mass having a good PI, it is important to add to the reaction medium an available amount of chain transfer agent, i.e., to employ an amount of chain transfer agent such that each chain to be polymerized is functionalized by a chain transfer agent. Moreover, it is important that this chain transfer agent is already available when polymerization is initiated, i.e., when the polymerization reactor is heated and radicals are generated. This implies that large amounts of chain transfer agent must be employed in a RAFT-type controlled radical polymerization method.
Despite all the advantages of RAFT polymerization, the use of such amounts of chain transfer agent have a certain number of disadvantages.
First, chain transfer agents prove to be expensive products, significantly increasing the cost of the polymer obtained.
Moreover, when sulfur-containing chain transfer agents as described in the documents WO 02/070571, WO 2005/095466 and WO 2006/024706 are used, it is noted that a fraction of these compounds will be broken down to free sulfur-containing by-products of the CS2 and H2S type and be found in the aqueous solution of the final polymer and in the run-off water of the process, and thus can have a negative impact on humans and on the environment. Moreover, the presence of these sulfur-containing by-products in the aqueous solution, during the use of the polymer, generates gaseous emissions harmful to humans.
Alternative RAFT-type methods of controlled radical polymerization exist. According to one, hydrogen peroxide is used as initiator and, for example, copper sulfate as catalyst and chain transfer agent. Nevertheless, to obtain a polymer having a molecular mass of less than 8000 g/mol, for example of about 6000 g/mol, it is necessary to use a large amount of catalyst, which generates a large amount of polluting by-products.
Alternately, thiolactic acid or another RSH mercaptan is used as an additional chain transfer agent, but, again, in order to obtain a polymer having a molecular mass of less than 8000 g/mol, for example of about 6000 g/mol, it is necessary to use large amounts of thiolactic acid or, more generally, transfer agent.
Still other methods rely on sodium hypophosphite, having the chemical formula NaPO2H2, as chain transfer and reduction-oxidation agent, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or radical generator. The document GB 771 573 A1 notably describes one such method. It has the major disadvantage of requiring large amounts of sodium hypophosphite, a phosphorus fraction being found grafted in the polymer, another phosphorus fraction being found in the form of phosphate salts in the process water. This is, first, a disadvantage during the use of the polymer and, second, an environmental pollutant.

Method for polymerizing meth(acrylic) acid in a solution, polymer solutions obtained and uses thereof


A piston pump for brake systems employs a pulsation-smoothing device that functions especially well in the region of the outlet valve. As a result, substantially less noise occurs, and the durability of the piston pump is substantially better. The piston pump is used essentially in traction-controlled motor vehicle brake systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a piston pump intended particularly for a hydraulic traction-controlled vehicle brake system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Published, Nonexamined Patent Application DE 42 26 646 A1 shows a hydraulic vehicle brake system with a pump, in which a pressure damper is provided downstream of an outlet check valve. For the pressure damper provided in the pressure line to have an adequate effect, the pressure damper must be made suitably large. Because of the pressure damper, the known vehicle brake system is relatively large as well, and increased production cost is necessary. Upon actuation of the brake pedal, some of the pressure medium positively displaced via the driver's foot is forced into the pressure damper. Because the pressure damper must be relatively large for an adequate effect, upon actuation of the brake pedal a relatively large quantity of pressure medium has to be positively displaced, which must be taken into account by suitable dimensioning of the components involved in this process. As a result, the known brake system is rather large in size.


A method for delocalizing an error checking on a data in a pipelined processor from the data checked. A first check-data is generated at a first location on a first data. A second location receives the first data and the first check-data. A second check-data is generated on the first data and the first check-data is compared with the second check-data at the second location. A second data is generated from the first data and a third check-data is generated on the second data at the second location. A third check-data is generated on the second data at the second location and the second data is transferred to a third location. The third check-data is transferred to a fourth location. A fourth check-data is generated on the second data and is transferred to the fourth location. The fourth check-data and the third check-data are compared at the fourth location.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer processor microarchitecture and more particularly to error checking in processor systems.
Error correcting code (ECC) and parity checking are techniques used to detect and, in the case of ECC, correct a subset of possible errors in information systems. These techniques are especially useful in computer systems. As the voltages and the dimensions of semiconductor logic are reduced and the areas consumed by semiconductor chips are increased, the opportunities for errors in a computer system increase. Common causes of errors in semiconductors are noise (e.g., power supply noise and EMF-induced noise), logic failure, and the effects of energetic particles, which can flip bits and destroy logic. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) can be generated by high semiconductor clock rates, fast changes in current magnitude and direction, and external fields generated in the local environment (e.g., lightning strikes and microwave radiation). Low voltages used to power semiconductors decrease energy consumption and facilitate small semiconductor dimensions but decrease the voltage difference between a logic 1 and a logic 0, increasing a circuit's susceptibility to noise. Soft failures are transitory while hard failures are permanent.
Parity is a widespread technique used to check data for an error whereby a bit is appended to the end of a bit-pattern to indicate whether there is an odd or even number of logic 1's in the bit-pattern. For example, the bit-pattern 10101010 can have a logic 0 appended to it, called the parity bit, to indicate that it has an even number of 1's. If one of the bits in the bit-pattern is flipped, the parity bit will be incorrect, and indicate an error. However, if two bits are flipped, the errors will go undetected as the parity bit will be correct. ECC uses a more complicated encoding with which multiple bit errors can be detected but it requires that multiple bits, called check bits or check-data, be associated with the bit pattern.
While error checking can significantly increase the reliability of computations, a disadvantage of ECC and parity checking is that their functions consume logic and therefore chip area that is often located in a region of a processor whose fast operation is critical to high performance. The area consumed by parity and ECC checking logic tends to physically spread out and separate critical logic that would otherwise be in close proximity (e.g., register file and functional unit logic), increasing signal propagation delay across the logic. This decreases performance and/or requires an increase in energy consumption to maintain a short signal transfer time over a larger chip area.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Non-local error detection in processor systems


Systems and methods of selecting a media path for data packets bearing the media of a telephone call to traverse during a voice over Internet protocol telephone call include testing the call quality of multiple potential media paths immediately before a call is setup. The potential media path with the highest call quality is used as the initial media path for the call. If the call quality of the media path currently in use declines below a threshold value during a call, potential alternate media paths are identified and tested for call quality. If one of the alternate media paths has better call quality than the media path presently in use, the call is switched to the alternate media path with the highest call quality.

The invention is related to Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems. More specifically, the invention is related to systems and methods for routing the data packets that carry communications enabled by an IP telephony system, such as telephone calls and text or video messages.
Existing IP telephony systems allow users to place and receive telephone calls or to send and/or receive other types of communications, such as text messages, SMS messages, MMS messages and the like. The communications are transmitted, at least in part, by data packets that traverse a private and/or public data network.
For example, a calling party can place a telephone call to a called party using an IP telephony device that is coupled to a private or public data network. When the user requests that the call be placed, an IP telephony system receives the request and sets up the call between the calling party's telephony device and the called party's telephony device. The called party's telephony device can also be an IP telephony device that is coupled to a private or public data network. Alternatively, the called party's telephony device could be an analog telephone that is coupled to a publicly switched telephony network (PSTN). In still other instances, the called party's telephony device could be a cellular telephone or a mobile computing device with cellular telephone capabilities that is coupled to a cellular telephony network.
Typically, an IP telephony system receives a call setup request from the calling party's telephony device at an inbound proxy server (or an originating gateway). The inbound proxy server consults a routing engine to determine how to setup the telephone call to the called party's telephony device.
If the called party's telephony device is another IP telephony device coupled to a data network, this would typically mean determining the identity of another server that can deliver data packets to the called party's IP telephony device. The server that is capable of delivering data packets to the called party's IP telephony device may be referred to as a destination Proxy Server or Session Border Controller (SBC).
If the called party's telephony device is an analog telephone coupled to a PSTN or a cellular telephone coupled to a cellular telephone network, this would typically mean determining the identity of a destination gateway that is capable of interacting with the relevant PSTN or cellular telephone network. In this instance, the IP telephony system would deliver data packets bearing the media of the telephone call to the PSTN or cellular telephone network, and the PSTN or cellular telephone network would convert the data packets into appropriate signals, and then send those signals to the called party's telephony device.
The quality of a telephone call, or any other type of communication carried in this fashion, is highly dependent on how well the data packets carrying the media of the telephone call are being transmitted over the relevant private and/or public data networks. If data packets are being lost, call quality will deteriorate. If transmitted data packets are being significantly delayed, call quality will deteriorate. Another problem is jitter, where the latency or delay is variable in nature. If jitter becomes a problem, call quality also will deteriorate.
Presently, IP telephony systems have only limited control over the physical path that the data packets bearing the media of a telephone call travel as they pass over public and private data networks. In some cases, the only aspect that can be controlled is the identity of the inbound and outbound gateways, Session Border Controllers, or media servers.
For these reasons, some IP telephony systems track the quality of data transmissions passing through the inbound and outbound gateways, SBCs, or media severs that it routinely uses to transmit data communications. This can be accomplished by periodically conducting testing to determine data packet transmission statistics for data packet transmissions passing through individual gateways or servers. As noted above, the data packet transmission statistics can include delay, packet loss, jitter, and other measures. The results of such testing is correlated in databases which provide information on the relative quality provided by each of the gateways or servers.
When a new call setup request is received at an inbound proxy server of an IP telephony system, the inbound proxy server consults a routing engine to determine the best outbound gateway or server to use to complete the call to the called party's telephony device. If multiple outbound gateways or servers are capable of completing the call, the routing engine typically takes the call quality provided by each of the outbound gateways or servers into account when determining which outbound gateway or server to recommend to the inbound proxy server.
Databases indicating the call quality provided by various gateways or servers are necessarily based on historical data which has been collected over an extended period of time. As a result, the historical databases are really a prediction of the likely call quality that the various gateways or servers can presently provide, based on how well the gateways or servers performed in the past. But there is no guarantee that a gateway or server that performed well in the past will perform well for a new call that is just being setup.
Moreover, the data packets that carry the communications between a calling party's telephony device and a called party's telephony device may traverse multiple private and/or public data networks. For example, a call established between a calling party's IP telephony device and a called party's analog telephone might traverse three separate data networks.
During a first hop, the data packets would traverse the public Internet between the calling party's IP telephony device and the inbound gateway or media server of the IP telephony system. The traversal of the public Internet could itself involve multiple separate hops between various nodes of the public Internet. Two consecutive data packets generated by the calling party's telephony device could traverse vastly different paths as they make their way between the calling party's telephony device and the inbound gateway or media server of the IP telephony system.
During a second hop, the data packets could traverse a private data network maintained by the IP telephony system as the data packets travel between the inbound gateway or media server and the outbound gateway or media server. In other instances, the inbound gateway or media server may be controlled by the IP telephony system, and the outbound gateway or media server could be operated and controlled by a separate partner service provider. In that instance, the IP telephony system will likely route the data packets from the inbound gateway or media server to the outbound gateway, SBC, or media server (maintained by the partner service provider) over the public Internet. Here again, this would likely involve multiple separate hops between different nodes of the public Internet.
If the call is directed to a called party's analog telephone that is connected to a PSTN, the outbound gateway or media server would deliver the data packets to the PSTN. But the PSTN itself might carry the call as data packets through a private data network until the data packets arrive at a gateway or server that is located near the called party's analog telephone. At that point, the data packets would be converted into analog signals that are transmitted to the called party's analog telephone over the PSTN. Thus, the data packets may also be carried over a private data network maintained by the PSTN. This same basic process also occurs if the called party's telephony device is provided with service from a second IP telephony system.
The multiple hops along all these various transmission devices can lead to significant transmission delays that negatively affect call quality. Also, when so many different devices are responsible for the delivery of the data packets, there are many potential sources of error which can result in delay, lost packets, and problems with jitter. And, as noted above, with the present system of routing telephone calls, about the only aspect that the IP telephony system can control is the quality of the transmission path between the inbound gateway or media server and the outbound gateway or media server. Further, even that control is exerted using only historical call quality data that provides no guarantee that the inbound and outbound gateways or media servers selected for a new call will provide the same call quality for the new call as they did for previous calls.
In an attempt to address the above-discussed problems a new Voice over Internet Protocol routing specification has been developed that provides greater control over how data packets bearing the media of an IP telephone call are routed between a calling party's telephony device and a called party's telephony device. The new specification, which is called Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) is explained in detail in IETF RFC 5245, by Jonathan Rosenberg, published Apr. 1, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
When the ICE specification is used to route an IP telephone call, the signaling that sets up the call still traverses the lengthy, multiple hop path described above. However, the ICE specification makes it possible to route the data packets bearing the media of the telephone call in a more direct and controlled fashion. Under the ICE method, the calling party's telephony device and the called party's telephony device communicate with one another during call setup to determine the best way to route data packets between each other. During this process, each of the telephony devices will compile a list of media relays that could be used to route data packets to and from itself. The calling party's telephony device sends its candidate list to the calling party's telephony device, and vice versa.
Each telephony device then creates a list of candidate pairs that could be used to communicate data packets between the calling party's telephony device and the called party's telephony device. Each pair includes one candidate from the calling party's list and one candidate from the called party's list. The candidate pairs are ranked based upon some ranking scheme that is intended to predict which candidate pairs will likely result the best communications. Note, these rankings are not based upon any real world or real-time testing. The rankings are simply based upon a predetermined rules that attempt to predict which candidate pairs will provide the best communication paths.
At least one of the telephony devices will then attempt to send a message to the other telephony device using the highest ranked candidate pair on the list. If the message is received by the other telephony device, it sends back a response. The telephony devices start with the highest ranked candidate pairs. And as soon as one of the candidate pairs succeeds in providing a communication path in both directions, the telephony devices will use that candidate pair to communicate data packets bearing the media of the telephone call. If the highest ranked candidate pair fails to provide an effective two-way path between the telephony devices, the telephony devices move on to the next-highest ranked candidate pair.
While the ICE specification ensures that the pair of media relays that is initially used to route data packets between a calling party's telephony device and a called party's telephony device will be operable, there is no guarantee that the selected pair of media relays will provide high call quality. As noted above, no real time or real world testing is performed to verify which of the candidate pairs will provide the best quality. Instead, the rankings are only based upon predicative predetermined rules. Also, the first candidate pair that provides two way communications is used as the path for the call. This means that if the first candidate pair works, but provides poor call quality, and the second candidate pair on the list would have provided excellent call quality, the call will still be established over the lower quality path between the first candidate pair.

Systems and methods of routing IP telephony data packet communications