A mayonnaise product in which the oil phase includes a combination of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and a saturated fat such as butter oil, coconut oil, or palm oil, and further in combination with a high oleic oil. The MCT and high oleic oil reduces crystallization of the saturated fat when cooled, and consequently this improves emulsion stability. The oil phase preferably comprises at least about 70 or 75% saturated fat and less than 7%, 10% or 15% linoleic acid (omega-6), which provides exceptionally high resistance to lipid oxidation.

Awareness has been growing that saturated fats are not unhealthy and do not cause heart disease. Recent scientific papers have contradicted the long-held belief that saturated fats cause disease. See for example "Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease" Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 10.3945/ajcn.2009.27725 and "Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease: The discrepancy between the scientific literature and dietary advice" Nutrition Vol. 28 (2012) 118-123. Further, some studies demonstrate beneficial effects from saturated fat consumption, especially the medium chain triglycerides (with chain lengths of 8 carbons and 10 carbons, C:8 and C:10).
Also, in recent years there has been growing awareness of the dangers of excessive intake of omega-6 unsaturated fats, and oxidized fats. Omega 6 fats tend to promote inflammation. Also, omega-6 fats increase lipid oxidation in the body. These effects are harmful and promote diseases such as heart disease, metabolic disorders and cancer.
Almost all mayonnaise products are made with oils containing large amounts of omega-6 fats (linoleic acid), such as soybean oil, canola oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil or the like. A growing number health-conscious people are avoiding the use of these high omega-6 vegetable oils. For example, those following a "paleo" diet avoid omega-6 vegetable oils, and prefer saturated fats.
Also, mayonnaise made with high omega-6 content is highly susceptible to oxidation. High omega-6 mayonnaises (with more than 40% or 50% omega-6) have high levels of health-damaging oxidation products unless preservatives are used. EDTA is a common and effective preservative for preventing iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation, but EDTA is synthetic (i.e., non-naturally occurring), and therefore not welcome in the natural foods industry. For example, EDTA is forbidden by the Whole Foods grocery store chain and other natural foods retailers.
Mayonnaise can be made with olive oil, which has a relatively low omega-6 content of about 10%. However, unrefined olive oil has a strong flavor that can be overpowering in mayonnaise, since mayonnaise typically comprises at least about 65% oil. And the high omega-9 content of olive oil is susceptible to oxidation.
Mayonnaise cannot be made with a highly saturated fat (e.g. butter oil, coconut oil, or palm oil) because these fats crystallize strongly when refrigerated. This crystallization breaks the emulsion and causes the oil droplets to coalesce, which is highly undesirable in a mayonnaise product. Also, a mayonnaise made with butter oil, coconut oil, or palm oil will become too hard to spread when refrigerated; it can only be served after warming to room temperature. For these reasons, a mayonnaise made with highly saturated oils is not marketable.
Also, it is known in the food industry that coconut oil and other oils with a high medium chain triglyceride content do not form stable oil-in-water emulsions. These oils tend to produce emulsions that leak oil, even in the absence of oxidation or vibration.
Accordingly, there is a need for a stable mayonnaise with a high saturated fat content.


Methods for providing adaptive equalization in the presence of a burst error are provided. If an equalization algorithm has converged and burst errors are present during a symbol interval, the equalizer coefficients remain unchanged during the symbol interval. If the burst error is no longer present during the next symbol interval, the equalizer coefficients are updated based on the previously converged coefficients.

In a communication system, information is transmitted through a physical channel from a source to a destination. For example, a DOCSIS system can be used to deliver high-definition digital entertainment and telecommunications such as video, voice, and high-speed Internet over a cable network between a headend and a cable modem located at a subscriber premise. The cable network can take the form of an all-coax, all-fiber, or hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network. Unfortunately, physical channels are imperfect and, therefore, distort the transmitted signal causing transmission errors in the receiver.
An equalizer can be used to compensate for the distortion caused by a physical channel. However, the performance of existing equalizers degrades in the presence of burst errors.

Adaptive equalization in the presence of burst errors


An air conveyor for a gas-sampling tube that is used for detecting foreign gases or suspended substances in air is described. The air conveyor comprises a body, serving as a handle, that has a control rod which is guided and lockable in a through-duct therein, and which is connected at one end to a bellows that serves as a suction element. The beginning and the end of the suction stroke is uniquely determined by a locking and releasing mechanism connected to the control rod thereby ensuring an exactly reproducible stroke volume. The locking and releasing mechanism utilizes two lever-like linkages, each provided with a hook, which are pivotally disposed in the body one under the other and parallel to the control rod. The free end of the control rod has at least one recess which is in operative connection with the hook on the first lever to secure the control rod in position at the beginning of a suction stroke and with the hook on the second lever to secure the control rod in position at the end of the suction stroke.

An air conveyor for a sampling tube is disclosed in German Patent No. DE 333057 C2. In this device, a spring-loaded counting ring is disposed around the axis of the body and, by rotation, unlocks the control rod for releasing the suction stroke of the bellows. The control rod is locked in the body in both end positions by means of a radially extending spring-loaded stop cam disposed in the control rod. Depending upon the end position taken up, the spring-loaded stop cam engages in radial locking recesses in the wall of the body or, in the case of the end position when the bellows is vented, it cooperates with a spring-loaded locking element disposed under the counting ring. This device, however, may result in disadvantageous inaccuracies in determining the beginning and the end of the suction stroke due to the inaccuracies in stopping the control rod.
It would be desirable, therefore, to develop an air conveyor wherein the beginning and the end of the suction stroke is uniquely determined by an improved locking and releasing mechanism thereby ensuring an exactly reproducible stroke volume.


A skateboard for helping hold a rider's feet on the board. The skateboard includes a board with upper and lower faces, a pair of opposite ends, and ground engaging wheels mounted to the lower face of the board. The board also has a pair of toe clips with one of the toe clips located at one end of the board and the other of the toe clips located at the other end of the board. Each toe clip has an upper portion and an arcuate lower portion. The upper portion of each toe clip is spaced above the upper face of the board. The lower portion of each toe clip connects the upper portion of the respective toe clip to the adjacent end of the board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to skateboards and more particularly pertains to a new skateboard for helping hold a rider's feet on the board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of skateboards is known in the prior art. More specifically, skateboards heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,919; U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,121; U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,454; U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,553; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 257,052; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,9590,118.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new skateboard. The inventive device includes a board with upper and lower faces, a pair of opposite ends, and ground engaging wheels mounted to the lower face of the board. The board also has a pair of toe clips with one of the toe clips located at one end of the board and the other of the toe clips located at the other end of the board. Each toe clip has an upper portion and an arcuate lower portion. The upper portion of each toe clip is spaced above the upper face of the board. The lower portion of each toe clip connects the upper portion of the respective toe clip to the adjacent end of the board.
In these respects, the skateboard according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of helping hold a rider's feet on the board.


An infinitely adjustable level with a least one extender that extends outward from the end of a central body. The level indicating devices can be attached to the extenders, to the central body, or to the extenders and the central body. In this manner the level indicating devices will never be obscured as the extenders are adjusted, no matter what the length of adjustment might be. The infinitely adjustable level provides a method of positioning a level indicating device in a manner such that the level indicating device can be moved to a location for best and most accurate viewing by the operator. The infinitely adjustable level provides a method of locking the central body with the extenders so that relative lateral movement is eliminated.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates in general to levels that are used in the construction trades and in particular to levels which are used primarily in a vertical position, and are of an adjustable length.
2. Prior Art
In the construction trades, the framed walls of a structure, both interior and exterior, are composed of vertical members commonly called studs, and horizontal or sometimes sloped members commonly called plates. Typically, a wall will have an upper plate and a lower plate with vertically positioned studs fastened between the two plates. In order for the stud wall to be perfectly "plumb", the upper plate must be directly over the lower plate, that is the plates must be in the same plane. The most accurate procedure for the measuring and adjusting the plumbness of the wall is to place a level against the upper and lower plates, adjusting the wall until the level indicates that the wall is perfectly vertical, and then securing the wall in that position. However, studs are usually longer than a conventional level, causing the stud wall to be taller than the length of a conventional level. Therefore, a conventional level is too short to reach from the bottom plate to the top plate. This shortcoming necessitates that the level be positioned against one of the studs of the erect wall, adjusting the wall until the level indicates plumbness of that stud, and then securing the wall in that position. All is fine if the chosen stud is perfectly straight. To those skilled and experienced in the construction trades, it is common knowledge that studs, whether they are of metal or wood, but especially those made of wood, are seldom perfectly straight. The plumbness of the wall then becomes dependent upon the straightness of the studs and placement of the level on the crooked stud.
The present invention provides the solution to the problem of plumbing a stud wall that is composed of crooked studs, by providing a device that can be adjusted to a sufficient length to quickly and accurately span the distance between the upper plate to the lower plate.
In the prior art, various types of adjustable levels are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,943 discloses an adjustable level which is extendible in 6-inch increments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,838 discloses a level with a sliding scale. U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,908 discloses an adjustable level with offset members to plumb warped studs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,437 discloses an adjustable level with extension legs that are extendible perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the level. U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,475 discloses an extension level with a spring-loaded member that allows the level to be retained in a wall opening. U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,395 discloses an extensible level in which the extenders are locked in longitudinal tracks on the level. U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,917 discloses a collapsible pocket level. U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,365 discloses a level with telescoping extenders. U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,641 discloses an adjustable length level with no provision for locking the ends in place. However all of the prior art levels suffer from various drawbacks. For example, the level in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,943 is adjustable only in lengths of fixed increments. If the user wants a level of a length somewhere in between the fixed increments, the level is incapable of obtaining such a length. U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,641 discloses an adjustable length level with no provision for locking the ends pieces in place. U.S. Pat. No. 6,915,585 discloses a spirit level which can extend in length, but has a very limited range of less than twice its original length.


A pre-combustion chamber for an engine is made more simply removable from the cylinder head by integrating the chamber design and not threading the assembly to the head. The assembly is provided as an integrated design using a seal that helps dissipate heat from the spark plug and a cover that is held down by flange bolts that extend into threaded bores into the head in a location more removed from the heat generated in the chamber. As a result the chamber is more simply installed and removed without damage to the head.

Normally, in internal combustion engines that burn natural gas, the spark plug is received by a pre-combustion chamber. The gas is fed into the pre-combustion chamber, and the ignited gas enters the cylinder when the piston is at top dead center to initiate the power stroke for that piston. The use of a pre-combustion chamber improves combustion stability within the engine, for instance.
FIG. 1 is a view of the prior art design. The pre-combustion chamber 10 has a generally cylindrical shape with an exit port 12 that is specifically oriented with regard to the cylinder where the piston reciprocates. The chamber has a flange 14 that rests on a shoulder 16 that surrounds a receptacle or opening in the cylinder head 20. A retaining ring 18 is attached to the cylinder head 20 via thread 22 that extends into the opening in the head 20. After the ring 18 is threaded using a tool that engages internal notches (not shown), a cover 24 is threaded into the same thread 22 in the head 20. Cover 24 has a receptacle 26 with a thread 28 to accept a spark plug 30. A passage 32 leads into chamber 10 to allow fuel, such as natural gas to enter when the plug 30 is fired. The combusted fuel leaves through port 12 to enter the cylinder for the power stroke of the piston (not shown).
The problem with the prior design just described occurs when it is time to remove the cover 24 and extract the retaining ring 18. Both of these items need to be removed to get the chamber 10 out of the head 20. The problem is that removal can become problematic as either the ring 18 or the cover 24 can get stuck on thread 22. If the thread 22 is damaged during this removal, the entire head 20 may require complete replacement. Because these engines can be quite large, the delay in obtaining another head can be lengthy. Moreover, the expense of replacing the head 20 can also be significant. The problem is aggravated by the enormous heat repeatedly generated in the vicinity of the spark plug, which over time seemingly fuses the thread 22 to the head 20 making disassembly difficult without damaging the head 20. In addition, the ring 18 and the cap 24 operate under a predetermined torque, which when combined with the heat cycling and exposure to combustion products and deposits aggravates the removal process. These chambers are a component that must be periodically replaced and it is desirable to be able to remove these chambers without damage to the head 20.


A communication system for a vehicle is described. The communication system includes a microphone array having a plurality of microphones mounted within the vehicle for receiving acoustic signals and converting the acoustic signals to electrical signals. An antenna is mounted proximate to the microphone array. The antenna communicates a radio frequency signal to a wireless device. The communication system also includes a controller having a first input that is electrically coupled to at least one microphone in the microphone array and a second input that is electrically coupled to the antenna. The controller processes the electrical signals and transmits the processed electrical signals to the antenna.

Automobiles have included a hands free cellular system with a remote microphone located in the automobile to receive acoustic signals, and an antenna as part of a wireless RF link to connect hardware components with the user's cellular telephone. The automobile sound system reproduces the audio signal received by the cellular telephone.


A flame-retardant magnetic composite resin composition is provided which comprises 10 to 50% by weight of a binder resin mixture containing 100 parts by weight of a polyamide resin and suitable amounts of the following components (A) to (G), and 50 to 90% by weight of a magnetic powder of which the surface is treated with a surface-modifying agent.. ______________________________________ (A) Phenol 0.01 to 2.0 parts by weight (B) Thiophosphate compound 0.001 to 0.5 parts by weight (C) Copper compound 0.0001 to 0.05 parts by (based on copper weight content) (D) Bromine or nitrogen 10 to 30 parts by weight containing flame- retardant agent (E) Flame-retardant 2.5 to 7.5 parts by weight synergist ______________________________________. The composition of the present invention, which is endowed with a high heat resistance and significantly improved physical properties and processability, may also include 0.001 to 0.5 parts by weight of an alkali metal halogenide compound and 0.2 to 1.0 parts by weight of a lubricant.

Known conventional permanent magnets include an alnico magnet as a casting magnet, a sintered ferrite magnet utilizing iron oxide, a rare earth metal magnet utilizing a transition metal, and the like. Among these magnets, a sintered ferrite magnet has been widely used in the field of household electric appliances, electronic equipment and heavy electric equipment.
However, in recent times electronic equipment require miniaturization and accuracy together with high performance and confidence. However, since the magnets prepared from a conventional permanent magnet have a simple shape and low dimensional stability, they cannot satisfy the above-mentioned requirements. Therefore, in order to overcome the limitations of permanent magnets and obtain complicated and various shapes and good dimensional stability, plastic magnets have been generally used.
Meanwhile, in the recent electric or practical electronic fields efforts to provide a flame-retardant property to plastic magnets as above have continued. Thus, when the plastic is contacted with flame, the so-called UL-94 standard which requires that flaming time and glowing time reach a certain level, should be satisfied.
Developments of such technique are revealed in some patents, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,498. In this patent, a polyolefin resin such as polypropylene powder was used as a binder resin, and a composition consisting of a halogen flame-retardant agent such as decabromodiphenyl ether, antimony trioxide, zinc borate hydrate and magnetic ferrite powder was utilized. The characteristic of this technique resides in improving a glowing combustion resistance by adding zinc borate hydrate.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Publication No. (sho)58-41643 a copolymer of hexamethylene adipamide and .epsilon.-caprolactam as a binder resin with ferrite was used. In the detailed description of the invention of this Japanese Patent it was disclosed that a halogen-base or nitrogen-base flame-retardant agent can provide a flame-retardant property.
However, the method of the above U.S. Patent is not suitable for use in electric or electronic products due to the intrinsic heat resistance limit of olefin resins including polypropylene and further to their insufficient mechanical strength. The technique of the Japanese Patent Publication the disadvantages that the dispersibility of magnetic powder is low and, therefore, deterioration of physical properties is serious, in addition to the disadvantages as mentioned above.
Accordingly, the present inventors have conducted extensive research to overcome the disadvantages of the prior techniques and thus have discovered a novel flame-retardant magnetic composite resin composition which has an improved heat resistance, does not show deterioration of physical properties by addition of a flame-retardant agent, and has significantly improved physical properties and processability due to good dispersibility of magnetic powder.

Flame-retardant magnetic composite resin composition


A selector for a bicycle gear mechanism. The selector has a housing fastened to a portion of a bicycle frame, a cable inlet, and a rotatable drum having a control cable wound onto for effecting cable travel. The selector also includes a rotary bushing for operating the selector and a mechanism for superimposing a correction or overshift travel on the cable travel. The mechanism includes a pivoting lever for guiding the control cable and a correction cam having a profile configured to provide the requisite correction travel for each gear stage as the rotatable drum is rotated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to selectors for actuating bicycle gear mechanisms including hub gears or derailleur gears.
2. Description of the Related Art
EP-0 686 552 A2 discloses a rotatable grip for actuating bicycle gear shifts, in which the conversion of the rotational movement of the grip into a longitudinal movement of a control means is carried out in such a way that the control means is fastened to the grip, deflected in a helical manner about the bicycle handlebar or a sleeve encasing the handlebar, and guided in a longitudinal guide that is stationary in relation to the bicycle handlebar, at a sufficiently great distance, in the rotational direction of the grip, from the fastening of the control means to the grip. This means that the travel of the fastening point of the control means that is covered when the grip is rotated along a circular path is considerably greater than the travel of the control means in its longitudinal guide. The result is thus favorable conversion of wide angles of rotation at the grip into small longitudinal movements of the control means. The grip is fixed in the positions for the respective gear stages of the bicycle gear shift by a detent so that it is possible to vary the holding force and the necessary actuating force of the detent.
The above-mentioned rotary shift grip has a detent which must be oriented to the predefinitions in the respective gear mechanism of the bicycle. This condition leads to the situation in which different shift travels may result in the various gears, and individual gears may lie closer together and other gears may lie further apart from one another. Where the gears lie closely adjacent one another, shift stages may be skipped inadvertently if the rider does not pay close attention to shifting.


An apparatus of controlling a hybrid vehicle may include: an engine; a drive motor to assist the power of the engine and selectively operate as a generator to generate electrical energy; a battery to supply electrical energy; a first intake valve disposed in a first intake line; a second intake valve disposed in a second intake line; a first electric supercharger disposed in the first intake line; a second electric supercharger disposed in the second intake line; a connecting valve disposed in a connecting line for connecting the first intake line and the second intake line; and a controller that determines a driving mode of the first and second electric superchargers. In particular, the controller controls the drive motor and the first and second electric superchargers based on a supercharger consumed energy, an additional fuel energy, and a drive motor consumed energy.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle using two or more power sources and generally refers to a hybrid electric vehicle driven using an engine and a motor. A hybrid electric vehicle may form various structures using two or more power sources including an engine and a motor.
In general, a hybrid electric vehicle uses a power train in a manner of a transmission mounted electronic device (TMED) in which a drive motor, a transmission, and drive shaft are connected in series to each other.
In addition, a clutch is disposed between an engine and a motor, and the hybrid electric vehicle is driven in an electric vehicle (EV) mode or in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode, depending on whether the clutch is engaged. The EV mode is a mode in which a vehicle is driven by only driving torque of a drive motor, and the HEV mode is a mode in which the vehicle is driven by driving torque of the drive motor and the engine.
In the conventional hybrid vehicle, it uses a control strategy that calculates a required torque of a driver based on a position of an accelerator pedal and distributes an engine torque and a drive motor torque in consideration of a SOC (state of charge) of a battery and a load of electric components.
Recently, an engine provide with a plurality of electric superchargers has been developed to increase the amount of supercharged air supplied to the engine. We have discovered that if the conventional control strategy is used as it is, there are difficulties in determining operating points of the engine and the drive motor, and thus a new control strategy of controlling the hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and a drive motor including an electric supercharger is desired.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Apparatus of controlling hybrid vehicle and method thereof


This specification discloses an electronic distribution type ignition system wherein at least two ignition coils are provided, and wherein the secondary voltage of the ignition coils is directly supplied to spark plugs. An ignition system according to this invention comprises switching circuits for controlling the supply of a primary voltage to said, ignition coils, a resistance element wherein a current flows selectively which corresponds to a primary current for each of two ignition coils, supplied through two of said switching circuit, current control circuits for detecting a terminal voltage of said resistance element and for controlling, according to said terminal voltage, the primary current flowing through each said igniton coil so as to be at a target value, and a board having said resistance element formed thereon.

This invention relates to a so-called electronic distribution type ignition system which has done away with the distributor for supplying a high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs, and more particularly to an electronic distribution type ignition system suitable for multicylinder engines such as automotive gasoline engines.
In engines incorporating a plurality of cylinders, such as automotive gasoline engines, for example, it has been a general practice to use a distributor for high-voltage power supply from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. Lately, an electronic distribution type ignition system has been used commercially which has one-to-one or two-to-one combinations of spark plugs and ignition coils by which ignition is controlled without using a distributor.
In the electronic distribution type ignition system, it is necessary to provide each ignition coil with a power transistor for control of power supply to the ignition coil, and a current-detecting resistance element and a feedback control circuit to control the primary current flowing through the ignition coils at a predetermined value.
In designing an ignition system to comply with the above requirement, it has been practiced to put the control circuit and circuit elements into common use for a plurality of ignition coils in order to realize a whole ignition control circuit in a reduced size and decrease production cost.
One example of this can be seen in JP-A-60-09667 for which the patent application has been filed on Apr. 2, 1984 and laid open later.
According to the disclosure of this publication, it has been proposed to provide a common current detection circuit for a plurality of power transistors for power supply control of the ignition coils and for feedback control circuits.
The circuit configuration disclosed in this publication has one current detection circuit, and at a glance, the circuit looks as if it has been simplified so that the circuit area can be reduced. However, the use of one current detecting circuit requires longer wires to provide detection signals from the current detection circuit to the four feedback control circuits. Stretching wires around increases wire intersections and closeness of wires, which increase the occurrence of electromagnetic interference and noise. Furthermore, in such a circuit configuration, it is necessary to use additional elements such as diodes to prevent interference among the circuits. In consequence, the common use of a current detection circuit rather increases the whole area of the circuit and production cost, giving rise to an increase in noise on top of that. This problem becomes more serious as the number of cylinders increases.

Electronic distribution type ignition system


A nonwoven fabric, including fibers, in which the fibers have an elongational viscosity, as measured under conditions at an elongational strain rate of 2.5×102 (1/s) and a temperature of 160° C., of from 430 Pa·s to 1200 Pa·s, and a ratio of the elongational viscosity (Pa·s) to a shear viscosity (Pa·s) of the fiber, as measured under conditions at a shear strain rate of 2.5×102 (1/s) and a temperature of 160° C., is from 35 to 65.

In a nonwoven fabric manufactured by a melt blowing method (hereinafter, also referred to as a "melt blown nonwoven fabric"), the diameter of fibers that constitute the nonwoven fabric can be reduced as compared to that of fibers in a general spunbond nonwoven fabric. Therefore, the melt blown nonwoven fabric is superior in flexibility, uniformity, and fineness. Thus, the melt blown nonwoven fabric has been used alone or as a layered fabric, in which the melt blown nonwoven fabric has been layered on a different nonwoven fabric, for a filter such as a liquid filter or an air filter, sanitary materials, medical materials, coating materials for agricultural use, construction materials, building materials, oil absorption materials, automobile materials, electronic industry materials, a separator, clothing, wrapping materials, sound-absorbing materials, and the like.
As fibers that constitute a nonwoven fabric, fibers of thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene are known.
In general, filters are used for the purpose of collecting fine particles present in a liquid, gas, or the like, and removing the fine particles from the liquid, gas, or the like. It is known that the efficiency of a filter to collect fine particles (hereinafter, also referred to as "collection efficiency") tends to increase as the average fiber diameter of fibers of a nonwoven fabric that constitutes the filter becomes smaller. It is also known that the collection efficiency decreases as the particle diameter of the fine particles becomes smaller.
For example, in International Publication WO 2000/22219 and International Publication WO 2015/093451, as nonwoven fabrics having a small average fiber diameter, nonwoven fabrics obtained by shaping resin compositions containing polyethylene and polyethylene wax using a melt blowing method are proposed, for example.
In addition, for example, in International Publication WO 2012/111724, a nonwoven fabric layered body in which a nonwoven fabric, which is obtained by shaping a resin composition containing polyethylene and polyethylene wax using a melt blowing method, is layered on a spunbond nonwoven fabric, which includes a composite fiber formed from a polyester and an ethylene-based polymer, is proposed.


In an image forming apparatus in which images are formed on one type of sheets, such as OHP sheets, and at the same time another type of sheets, such as tab sheets, are output and inserted between the former type sheets, the invention makes it possible to avoid the user operation from becoming complicated, to keep users from suffering an increased burden, to provide a desired output result easily handled by the users. To that end, when a storage unit storing tab sheets is designated and the inter-OHP insertion mode is selected, the tab sheets are automatically fed from the storage unit designated by a tab-sheet storage unit designating unit, and are each inserted between OHP sheets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, which has the function of inserting another type of sheet between one type of sheets on which images are formed, e.g., the function of inserting another type of sheet, such as an ordinary sheet, between every two OHP sheets on which images are formed, and which can efficiently handle several types of sheets including media-type sheets such as tab sheets. The present invention also relates to a control apparatus and a control method for the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional image forming apparatus, the so-called inter-OHP inserting function is performed as follows. Users set a plurality of OHP sheets in a manual feed tray associated with the image forming apparatus, and also set a plurality of ordinary sheets, which have the same size as the OHP sheets, in a sheet supply cassette loaded in the apparatus. Then, each time a read document image is copied on one OHP sheet, one ordinary sheet is fed from the sheet supply cassette and then ejected while it remains blank or after an image has been formed on it. In this mode, the OHP sheet and the ordinary sheet are alternately output in the order of OHP, ordinary sheet, OHP, ordinary sheet, and so on.
Meanwhile, an image forming apparatus having the so-called tab sheet mode has also been proposed recently. In the tab sheet mode, an image can be copied (printed) on a tab sheet having a tab (projection for index) formed at a part of the sheet along a side edge. After the formation of an image, the tab sheet is ejected such that it is inserted between ordinary sheets.
The inter-OHP inserting function is a mode for enabling the output OHP sheets to be easily turned over (separated). If a tab sheet having a tab can be inserted in the mode of inter-OHP inserting function, it would be more convenient for uses because they can more easily turn over the copied OHP sheets.
In the conventional image forming apparatus, however, the inter-OHP insertion mode and the tab sheet mode are handled as independent modes. Also, when the inter-OHP insertion mode is set, sheets having the same size as OHP sheets are automatically selected as sheets to be inserted. Extra and troublesome setting work is therefore required for users. Specifically, for example, when using tab sheets as inserted sheets, users must change the setting such that a sheet feed stage for the inserted sheets is set to the sheet feed stage on which the tab sheets are placed, and also must designate setting items on the independent setting screens while paying due consideration to the mode change.
Thus, when attempting to realize an image forming apparatus which can form images on one type of sheets, such as OHP sheets, and at the same time can output and insert another type of sheets such as tab sheets, it is desired to avoid the user operation from becoming complicated, and to keep users from suffering an increased burden.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus, a control apparatus and a control method for the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium product, which have succeeded in overcoming the problems set forth above.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, a control apparatus and a control method for the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium product, which can form images on one type of sheets, such as OHP sheets, and at the same time can output another type of sheets, such as tab sheets, to be inserted between the former type sheets, while avoiding the user operation from becoming complicated and keeping users from suffering an increased burden, and which can present a desired output result easily handled by the users.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Image forming apparatus, control apparatus and control method for the same, and storage medium product


A travel controller which controls the travel of a vehicle includes a road information acquisition unit which acquires road information of a scheduled travel route, a temporary target travel control pattern generation unit which generates a temporary target travel control pattern of the scheduled travel route on the basis of the road information, an engine state transition section estimation unit which estimates an engine state transition section where the state of an engine transits when the vehicle travels using the temporary target travel control pattern, a speed difference calculation unit which calculates a speed difference resulting from variation in engine output in the engine state transition section, a target travel control pattern generation unit which corrects the temporary target travel control pattern on the basis of the speed difference to generate a target travel control pattern, and a travel control unit which performs travel control on the basis of the target travel control pattern.

In the related art, as a device which controls the travel of a vehicle, a device is known which generates a travel control plan and controls the travel of the vehicle on the basis of the generated travel control plan (for example, see Patent Literature 1). The device described in Patent Literature 1 generates the travel control plan (a travel locus pattern, a travel speed pattern, or the like) on the basis of road information or the like, evaluates the travel control plan on the basis of safety, comfort, mileage, or the like, and controls the vehicle on the basis of the travel control plan with excellent evaluation.


The present invention is directed to a disposable shank trap for use with a pipe to filter smoke from the burning chamber. The shank trap can include or be associated with other filters to further filter smoke. The advantage of the shank trap is that it can be easily replaced, avoid problems with the cleaning of the pipe, provide efficient filtering of the smoke and efficient usage of the tobacco.

When smoking tobacco from either a pipe, cigarette holder or cigarette, the smoke includes nicotine, moisture, tar and other burnt tobacco byproducts. The pipe and holder usually includes a filter in the stem to limit the amount of burnt byproducts being inhaled by the smoker. With the pipe and holder, the elongate stem also assists in limiting the amount of burnt byproducts reaching the smoker, because the smoke loses heat and the suspended waste changes from a gaseous phase to a solid or liquid phase and consequently is trapped by the filter.
With time, the waste byproducts clog the pipe preventing smoke from passing through the internal passage. Consequently, the pipe and cigarette holder require regular cleaning. The cleaning of pipes and cigarette holders is a laborious task repeated on a regular basis. Furthermore, the cleaning of pipes and cigarette holders usually leaves some waste thereby contaminating subsequent smoke passing through the stem and lessening the enjoyment derived from smoking.
In addition, the area immediately in communication with the exit portal of the burning chamber is often burnt as a consequence of the high temperature of the smoke reducing the ability of the area to filter the smoke. Eventually the pipe or holder must be replaced because of the damaged area adjacent the burning chamber.
These problems are an ongoing source of frustration to smokers as effective filtering of the smoke is reduced. Where filtering is reduced over a period of time, the smoker's health can be adversely affected. As well, the regular ongoing requirement to clean the pipes and holders before a person can enjoy having a smoke often turns the person away from using such smoking devices.


A method and apparatus of orienting a tool in a wellbore includes running an orientation string into the wellbore, the orienting string including a positioning device, a measurement device (e.g., a gyroscope), and the tool. The orientation string is positioned in a predetermined interval in the wellbore. The azimuthal orientation of the orientation string is measured with the measurement device. The orientation string is removed from the wellbore, and a tool string is run into the wellbore, the tool string including substantially similar components as the orientation string such that the tool string follows substantially the same path as the orientation string.

The invention relates to orienting downhole tools.
To complete a well, one or more formation zones adjacent a wellbore may be perforated to allow fluid from the formation zones to flow into the well for production to the surface. A perforating gun string may be lowered into the well and guns fired to create openings in casing and to extend perforations into the surrounding formation.
When performing downhole perforating operations in a wellbore, there may be a need to orient the perforating gun string. This need may arise, for example, if perforations are desired to be shot in alignment with a preferred fracture plane in the surrounding formation (e.g., generally normal to the minimum stress plane of the formation) to help in fracture stimulation of the well to improve well performance. By aligning perforations properly with respect to the preferred fracture plane, improved fluid flow occurs through the formations.
Other situations also exist in which oriented perforating or other downhole operations may be desirable. Thus, a need exists for improved mechanisms and techniques to orient perforating equipment or other downhole equipment in a wellbore.


A method of controlling a retractable stairway assembly for a vehicle includes monitoring at least one vehicle status condition such as (a) whether the vehicle is stopped, (b) whether the parking brake is set, (c) whether the cab is tilted in excess of a threshold, and (d) whether excess current is being required by a motor used to shift the stairway between stowed and deployed positions in the event an electric motor is used for this purpose. In the event any of these monitored conditions are not in a predetermined state, deployment of the stairway from a stowed position is blocked. Deployment and stowing of the stairway may also be interrupted depending upon vehicle status and other conditions. Interior and exterior vehicle alarms may be activated depending on vehicle status conditions and the mode of operation of the stairway.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a retractable stairway assembly for a vehicle such as a truck, the stairway being deployable for use in entering and exiting the vehicle and being stowable when not in use.
The design of many large vehicles, in particular cab-over-engine trucks, does not allow easy access into the cab of the vehicle. Often, the cab is positioned at a substantial height above the ground, making it difficult for a driver or passenger to enter and exit the cab. Therefore, steps or some type of foot support structure are often provided for use by an individual when climbing up into the cab as well as when exiting from the cab.
Although various approaches have been used to facilitate the entry and exit of an individual from a vehicle, a need nevertheless exists for a control method and apparatus for a retractable stairway assembly wherein the method and apparatus are novel and non-obvious improvements ways.

Method of controlling a retractable stairway assembly


Server for use in directing a mail element or package delivery is configured for determining if a mail element or package is destined for a location inside a local market or outside the local market, wherein the local market includes a plurality of post offices within a distance from a post office where the mail element or package initially arrives upon, and wherein a route determination is executed by sorting the mail element or package with an automated or robotic machine directed by the server. When the mail element or package is destined for a location inside the local market, the server directs transport of the mail element or package to a destination post office within the local market. When the mail element or package is destined for a location outside the local market, the server directs transport of the mail element or package to a regional center.

Centrally located mail element and package sorting systems typically involve transporting packages received at a package receiving office to a regional sorting center so as to realize unified sorting of mail elements and packages prior to shipment to each of their ultimate destinations. The regional sorting center receives mail elements and packages arriving from a plurality of mail element and package receiving locations, sorts the mail elements and packages, and dispatches the sorted mailed elements and packages for delivery through a delivery vehicle. This procedure has the benefit of unified consolidation at a single processing location. However, this procedure may result in a mail element or package with a delivery destination juxtaposed or otherwise close to the mail element or package receiving office being shipped all the way to the regional sorting center, get sorted at the regional sorting center only to be dispatched for delivery back to the delivery destination juxtaposed to the mail element or package receiving office that originally received the mail element or package, thereby introducing inefficiencies in the delivery process including an unnecessary delay in the delivery of the mail element or package.
Accordingly, a need exists for a solution to overcome such problems.

Server and related method for managing parcel delivery


A fastener driving apparatus is disclosed and which includes a fastener driving device into which fasteners are sequentially introduced from a feed assembly. The driving device incorporates a control member which regulates the timing of the introduction of fasteners into the device, and which also limits longitudinal and rotative relative movement between fixed and movable concentric, slotted barrel members of the device. The control member is mounted by a pair of guide tracks, each having abutment surfaces at adjacent ends thereof, for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with the abutment surfaces and the actuating lever of a control switch.

Power operated apparatuses for driving fasteners into a workpiece are known in the art. Such an apparatus typically includes a pneumatically powered fastener driving device having a movable barrel member which extends in generally concentric relationship to a fixed barrel member and to a fastener driver member, and that is axially movable relative to them between extreme forward and rearward positions. The device further customarily includes switch-actuating control means for causing fasteners to be introduced at desired times into the movable barrel member of the device. Illustrative fastener driving devices of the aforesaid general type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,875,982 and 3,946,926.
The control means employed in certain of the prior art fastener driving devices are of unduly complex, expensive and delicate construction. Other prior art devices, such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,926, have control means of a more durable and less costly type for controlling when fasteners are fed to the device. However, such control means does not perform the additional function of limiting forward and other movement of the movable barrel member of the device, and separate means are provided for that purpose.

Control means for fastener driving device


A heat pump refrigerant system is provided with at least two sequential stages of compression. An intercooler is positioned intermediate the two stages. The refrigerant flowing through the intercooler. is cooled by a secondary fluid such as ambient air. The intercooler is positioned to be in a path of air flow passing over an outdoor heat exchanger, and preferably upstream of the outdoor heat exchanger, in relation to this air flow. Benefits with regard to efficiency and capacity are achieved due to proposed system configuration in both heating and cooling modes of operation, while no additional circuitry or components are required to provide the intercooler function for the heat pump refrigerant system. This invention is particularly important for the CO2 heat pump refrigerant systems operating in the transcritical cycle.

This application relates to a heat pump refrigerant system, wherein the compressor is a two-stage compressor, and wherein an intercooler is provided between the two compression stages. The intercooler is preferably subjected to the ambient airflow and is placed upstream of an outdoor heat exchanger with, respect to this ambient airflow, such that the cooling in the intercooler is preferably provided by the circuitry and components that are already part of the refrigerant system.
Heat pumps are known in the air conditioning art, and are utilized to provide both heating and cooling of a secondary fluid, such as air, delivered into an environment to be conditioned. A typical heat pump includes a compressor, an expansion device, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger. Typically, a four-way valve reverses the flow of refrigerant throughout the system between a cooling and heating mode of operation. The refrigerant flows from the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger when the refrigerant system is in a cooling mode, and from the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger when the refrigerant system is in a heating mode.
To obtain additional capacity, enhance system efficiency and achieve higher compression ratios, it is often the case that a two-stage compressor is provided in a refrigerant system. With a two-stage compressor, two separate compression members or two separate compressor units are disposed in series in a refrigerant system. Specifically, for instance, in case of a reciprocating compressor, two separate compression members may be represented by different banks of cylinders connected in series. Refrigerant compressed by a lower stage to an intermediate pressure is delivered from a discharge outlet of this lower stage to the suction inlet of the higher stage. If the compression ratio for the compressor system is high (which is typically the case for two-stage compression systems) and/or refrigerant suction temperature is high (which is often the case for a refrigerant system equipped with liquid-suction heat exchanger), then refrigerant discharge temperature can also become extremely high, and in many cases may exceed the limit defined by the safety or reliability considerations. Thus, it is known in the art to provide an intercooler heat exchanger (or a so-called intercooler) between the two compression stages to extend the operational envelope and/or improve system reliability. In an intercooler, refrigerant flowing between the two compression stages is typically cooled by a secondary fluid. Quite often, additional components and circuitry are required to provide cooling of the refrigerant in the intercooler. As an example, a fan or pump is supplied to move a secondary cooling fluid from a cold temperature source to cool the refrigerant in the intercooler.
Recently, new generation refrigerants, such as natural refrigerants, are being utilized in refrigerant systems. One very promising refrigerant is carbon dioxide (also known as CO2 or R744). However, particularly with the CO2 refrigerant systems, the intercooler becomes even more important as these systems tend to operate at high discharge temperatures due to high operating pressures, frequent use of liquid-suction heat exchanger, and, in general, by the transcritical nature of the CO2 cycle, as well as a high value of the polytropic compression exponent for the CO2 refrigerant. However, the additional cost of the circuitry and components associated with the intercooler, along with the limited benefits for the prior art refrigerant systems utilizing conventional refrigerants, made the provision of an intercooler in the conventional refrigerant systems less desirable.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an intercooler for a multi-stage compressor refrigerant system, and particularly for a CO2 heat pump refrigerant system, that essentially does not require any additional circuitry or components beyond the intercooler itself.


A method of implanting a fabric into a body to repair a pelvic floor includes preventing wrinkle formation in the fabric with a bio-absorbable support, and implanting the bio-absorbable support and the fabric into the body.

Pelvic organ prolapse refers to a disorder related to the dropping down (prolapse) of the bladder, rectum, or uterus caused by weakness or injury to ligaments, connective tissue, or muscles of the pelvis. The various forms of pelvic organ prolapse are categorized according to the organ affected. For example, a rectocele develops when the rectum drops down and protrudes into the back wall of the vagina. An enterocele develops when the small intestine and the lining of the abdomen bulge downward between the uterus and the rectum or, if the uterus has been removed, between the bladder and the rectum. A cystocele develops when the bladder drops down and protrudes into the front wall of the vagina. In prolapse of uterus, the uterus drops down into the vagina.
Surgical procedures have been developed to repair pelvic organ prolapse, for example through the use of support materials implanted within the pelvis to strengthen the ligaments, connective tissue, or muscles of the pelvis. While the surgical procedures are generally effective, the patient can at times experience dysparunea (pain or the sensation of pain during vaginal intercourse), which is thought to be related to the undesired wrinkling or gathering of the implanted support material in the pelvic region.

Method of implanting a fabric to repair a pelvic floor


File migration is allowed to be properly performed while suppressing an adverse effect caused by the migration on other users. A first server apparatus 3a is communicatively coupled to a first storage apparatus 10a, and a second server apparatus 3b that is communicatively coupled to a second storage apparatus 10b, and performs management based on user quota such that a file owned by a user having a used amount exceeding a threshold based on the user quota is set as a target of migration to the second storage apparatus 10b. A file used by a plurality of users out of the files set as targets of migration is excluded from a target of the management based on user quota, and is set as a target of management based on a file quota that is the user quota supplied from a plurality of users who use the file. If the capacity of the file exceeds the file quota, the file is again set to a target of the management based on user quota.

PTL 1 discloses a technology relating to migrating file data between two servers (file servers), and describes a system including a client, a first server having a primary storage, a second server having a secondary storage, and a control device. In this system, a stub file in which location information of a real file migrated from the primary storage to the secondary storage has been recorded is located in the primary storage. Upon receipt of a file access request to the primary storage of the first server from the client, the control device determines whether the access target file is a stub file. When determining that the access target file is a stub file and that the file access request requires access to the real file, the control device accesses to the real file in the secondary storage based on the information of the stub file and returns a response to the client.
According to PTL 1, a file stubbing is triggered when the storage capacity reaches a threshold, stubbing is performed from a file that has not been accessed, and a file accessed at an earlier time is migrated to a lower layer according to an assigned quota value.

Server apparatus and control method of the same


An imaging lens includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, an aperture stop, and a fourth lens, sequentially arranged from the object-side of the imaging lens. The first lens has negative power, and an object-side surface is convex and an image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the second lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the second lens has negative power, and the object-side surface is convex and the image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the third lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the third lens has positive power, and the object-side surface is convex, and the image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the fourth lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the fourth lens has positive power, and the object-side surface is concave, and the image-side surface is convex.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging lens and an imaging apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a wide-angle imaging lens that is appropriate for use in an in-vehicle camera, a monitor camera, or the like that uses an imaging device, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). Further, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including the imaging lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the size of an imaging device such as a CCD and a CMOS became very small, and the resolution of the imaging device became very high. Therefore, the size and the weight of the main body of imaging equipment and an imaging lens mounted on the imaging equipment also need to be reduced. Meanwhile, imaging lenses used in the in-vehicle camera (on-vehicle camera), the monitor camera (or a surveillance camera) and the like need to have excellent weather-resistance characteristics. Further, the imaging lenses need to have wide angles of view and excellent optical performance so that an excellent view is ensured for a wide range.
Further, since it is desirable to reduce the cost for producing the imaging lens in the aforementioned fields, an optical system composed of a small number of lenses is desirable. Conventionally, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-244031 (Patent Document 1), U.S. Pat. No. 7,280,289 (Patent Document 2), U.S. Pat. No. 7,375,906 (Patent Document 3), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-227426 (Patent Document 4), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,518,809 (Patent Document 5) disclose imaging lenses, each composed of four lenses, in the aforementioned fields.
Meanwhile, in the fields of the in-vehicle camera, the monitor camera, and the like, a demand for wider angle lenses increased in recent years. For example, lenses having full angles of view exceeding 180° became desirable. Further, as the size of the imaging device became smaller, and the resolution of the imaging device became higher in recent years, an imaging lens that has high resolution and high optical performance that enables obtainment of excellent images for a wide image formation range became desirable. However, in the conventional lens system, it was difficult to realize an imaging lens that has a wider angle of view and high optical performance, and which can satisfy the demand in recent years, while the lens system is constructed at low cost and in small size.
Patent Document 1 describes, as a wide angle lens in Example 3 thereof, a lens system composed of four lenses of first through fourth lenses, which are sequentially arranged from the object side of the wide angle lens. In the wide angle lens, an aperture stop is arranged between the third lens and the fourth lens. Patent Document 1 is silent about the F-number of the lens system and the angle of view of the lens system. However, since the refractive index of the first lens is approximately 1.52, and the negative power of the first lens and the negative power of the second lens are relatively weak, it is improbable that the lens system can cope with a specification in which a full angle of view exceeds 180°.
The full angles of views of the lenses disclosed in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are in the range of approximately 140° to 165° and in the range of approximately 152° to 164°, respectively. Therefore, they do not satisfy a need for a wider angle lens that has a full angle of view exceeding 180° in recent years. Further, in the lens disclosed in Patent Document 4, the F-number is in the range of 2.5 to 2.8, and the full angle of view is greater than or equal to 180°. However, when a projection method, in which an ideal image height is represented by 2×f×tan (φ/2) using focal length f of the entire lens system and half angle φ of view, is adopted, distortion (distortion aberrations) sharply increases on the minus side when the half angle of view exceeds 80°. Therefore, the lens disclosed in Patent Document 4 has a disadvantage that an image in the most peripheral area thereof becomes small. Further, Patent Document 5 discloses an example in which a full angle of view is close to 190°. In Patent Document 5, both of the distortion and the lateral chromatic aberration of the lens are corrected in an excellent manner. However, astigmatism remains. Further, when the lens is used in combination with a higher-resolution imaging device, a deeper depth of field is required in some cases.


A fax document can be either uploaded to a fax server in a vPBX network or generated dynamically. For dynamic generation, pre-configured templates can be stored either on a mobile device or on a fax server. A user can use a mobile device connected to a vPBX network as a controlling device to direct generation of faxes on a fax server. The generation of faxes can be customized based on a geographic location of the mobile device. The generated fax can be downloaded onto a mobile device. The user can digitally sign the fax using a touch-screen input device on the mobile device. The digitally signed fax can be transmitted to a destination device.

A private branch exchange (PBX) is a telephone network that serves a business or an office. A virtual PBX (vPBX) allows a business or office to be served by a PBX system hosted on remote servers. The service is provided through a combined voice network (e.g. telephone network) and data network (e.g. Internet). A vPBX typically involves one or more voice-over-IP ("VOIP") servers, a call management program, a network, a gateway that links the voice network and data network, and one or more extensions. Conventional implementation of a vPBX system is not well suited for permitting mobile devices to send authenticated faxes.

Authenticated facsimile transmission from mobile devices


A display driving apparatus according to an implementation of the present invention includes: a first delay circuit that generates latch control signals changing with different timings; a second delay circuit that generates falling delay signals and rising delay signals by delaying the latch control signals; a delay selection circuit that (i) selects the falling delay signals or the rising delay signals when pixel data for adjacent display output terminals have changed in different directions and (ii) selects the latch control signals when pixel data for adjacent display output terminals have changed in the same direction; and a step control circuit that drives the display output terminals with timings of the signals selected by the delay signal circuit.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display driving apparatus, a display module package, a display panel module, and a television set. The present invention relates in particular to the display driving apparatus that outputs n drive signals each of which drives a panel electrode, to n display output terminals in a predetermined cycle according to display data for a single line including n pixel data.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a plasma display panel (PDP) has been attracting attention as a high-definition display panel having a flat large screen. This PDP is provided with, as pixels, discharge cells arranged in a matrix. Furthermore, the PDP displays an image using emission of light resulting from electric discharge of the discharge cells.
A PDP of a general AC-type includes display electrodes arranged parallel to one another and data electrodes arranged perpendicular to the display electrodes. A display driving apparatus of the PDP drives the data electrodes, which means a drive-target of the display driving apparatus is a capacitive load.
In the meantime, along with advancements in the PDP, such as a larger screen, a higher definition, and a higher luminance, a display driving apparatus that drives the PDP has also been required to achieve a multi-output, a lower electromagnetic interference (EMI), and lower power consumption. Therefore, it has been becoming more important to suppress power consumption when driving a data electrode and resultant heat of driving, and reduce an EMI noise resulting from a change of data.
Furthermore, when different voltages are applied to two data electrodes, the electrodes function as a capacitance. In other words, a capacitive load is generated. The display driving apparatus consumes a lot of power when driving the capacitive load. In order to address the above, a display driving apparatus disclosed by Patent Reference 1: U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,137 is known as a conventional technique for reducing power consumption of the display driving apparatus.
The display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 converts display data to a predetermined voltage level and outputs the converted display data to a display output terminal connected to a data electrode. Furthermore, the display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 can reduce driving power with a two-step voltage driving method.
Specifically, the display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 includes a common floating potential line connected to plural display output terminals in a floating state via a selection switch in a form of wired OR connection.
Furthermore, the display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 detects a change in a voltage level prior to and subsequent to a change of the display data. The display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 controls: the display output terminal of which the voltage level changes to temporarily enter a high-impedance (Hi-Z) state, with a predetermined timing (within a panel-nondisplay period for switching the display data); and at the same time, the selection switch so that the display output terminal is connected to the common floating potential line. The control causes all of the display output terminals where data changes depending on the switching of the display data to have temporarily blocked display output and connected to the common floating potential line.
Accordingly, the display output terminals of which the voltage level changes are short-circuited, so that capacitive charge accumulated between the display output terminals to which an H (High) level or an L (Low) level is outputted immediately before is moved. This allows the display output terminal of the H level and the display output terminal of the L level to be balanced in number, causing the common floating potential line in a floating state to stay at a certain voltage.
For example, in the display output terminals of which the voltage level changes, when the H level display output terminal and the L level display output terminal are the same in number, the common floating potential line ideally becomes VDD/2 (VDD is the H level voltage of the display output terminal). Therefore, it is sufficient for the display driving apparatus to drive from VDD/2 to GND or to VDD. With this, the display driving apparatus according to the Patent Reference 1 can reduce driving power consumption.
Further, a conventional technique that reduces the EMI when display data changes is disclosed by Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent No. 2953342.
In the technique disclosed by the Patent Reference 2, plural data electrodes that display pixel data for a single line is divided into plural groups of data electrodes, and a timing for a display output is sequentially shifted between the groups of data electrodes. With this, the technique disclosed by the Patent Reference 2 can group the number of data that changes at the same time into group units, thereby reducing a peak current. According to the above, the technique disclosed by the Patent Reference 2 can reduce the EMI that occurs.

Display driving apparatus, display module package, display panel module, and television set


A customized random access memory circuit is provided to allow the processing of extremely high amounts of data in an area of very small physical size. The chip contains a group of interconnected registers with a set of input ports and a set of output ports. The input ports have individual write enable signals to allow them to write to selected address locations. A switching circuit is provided to ensure that the proper data from the proper input port goes to the chosen address location. A first and second set of latches are provided where the first set of latches are connected to a multiplexor first and the second set of latches are connected to a second multiplexor. The chip also contains a cycle skipping chip to allow the data to maintain its position and not be transferred through at least one clock cycle. Selected data sets which are going to be outputted have the data internally swapped to prepare it for use in floating point operations.

The present invention relates to digital processing. The present invention finds particular application in tomographic image reconstruction and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also applicable to other types of image and data processing.
In the field of computerized tomographic scanners, the accurate reconstruction of images is of utmost importance. One of the major drawbacks in accurate image reconstruction has been the amount of time necessary to complete the image reconstructions for each scan of a multi-scan procedure. The longer the time necessary to complete the image and initiate the next scan of the procedure, the more likely procedure degrading occurrences, such as patient movement, become.
Improving the speed of data acquisition or once data has been acquired, increasing the speed at which it is manipulated increases the speed of reconstruction of the scanned image. Central to the reconstruction of an image is a convolution process which prepares the data for backprojection into image. The speed of the convolution process is a constraint on the speed of the total system. Faster convolution achieves faster image reconstruction allowing for more accurate scans and less scans which must be re-performed.
As part of this convolution processing, data is stored at memory locations until it is needed for necessary mathematical computations. In the past, the conventional random access memory structure was used. It normally had a single port structure such that only one memory location could be accessed during a single clock cycle. While others have proposed using a dual port random access memory, only two memory locations could be processed per clock cycle. Both access speeds were so slow that mathematical operators in the system functioned below their theoretical top speeds.

Medical imaging system including means to increase data transfer speeds by simultaneously transferring data from latches to registers and from registers to latches


A method and an apparatus are provided. The method includes receiving a video with a first plurality of frames having a first resolution; generating a plurality of warped frames from the first plurality of frames based on a first type of motion compensation; generating a second plurality of frames having a second resolution, wherein the second resolution is of higher resolution than the first resolution, wherein each of the second plurality of frames having the second resolution is derived from a subset of the plurality of warped frames using a convolutional network; and generating a third plurality of frames having the second resolution based on a second type of motion compensation, wherein each of the third plurality of frames having the second resolution is derived from a fusing a subset of the second plurality of frames.

Video super resolution is a process for recovering a high resolution (HR) video from a low resolution (LR) video. Video super resolution improves quality and retrieves information from low-resolution videos that have been used in mobile/smart phone cameras. Among some typical video super resolution systems, a deep CNN is used.
The accuracy of a conventional video SR system is limited since temporal motion information is not used well. Conventional video SR methods only use the motion in the LR domain.
An issue in constructing a CNN-based video super resolution system is related to the use of temporal information to align frames. Most conventional methods receive an optical flow in LR only, and apply image warping for motion compensation. The performance is limited because only LR motion is considered.

Method and apparatus for video super resolution using convolutional neural network with two-stage motion compensation


The invention discloses a visible light responsive tricobalt tetraoxide dodecahedron/carbon nitride nanosheet composite and an application thereof in exhaust gas treatment. The preparation method of the composite comprises the following steps: with urea as a precursor, carrying out twice calcination to obtain carbon nitride nanosheet; dispersing the carbon nitride nanosheet into methanol, sequentially adding cobalt nitrate hexahydrate and 2-methylimidazole, and carrying out a reaction to obtain a carbon nitride nanosheet composite; and calcining the carbon nitride nanosheet composite in an air atmosphere at a low temperature to obtain the tricobalt tetraoxide dodecahedron/carbon nitride nanosheet composite. The in-situ growth synthesis method can ensure that the tricobalt tetraoxide obtained by follow-up calcination is uniformly coated on the carbon nitride nanosheet to improve the catalytic performance; the low temperature calcination ensures that the carbon nitride can maintain its wrinkle state and chemical structure during the calcination process.

Due to the burning of chemical fuels, the production of chemical intermediates and the uncontrolled emission of automobile exhaust, global exhaust emissions have increased year by year, accounting for about 90% of the total anthropogenic emissions, causing great harm to humanity, animals and plants. In addition, the exhaust gas also causes environmental pollution such as acid rain, acid mist and photochemical smog. The problem of exhaust gas pollution needs to be solved urgently.

Tricobalt tetraoxide dodecahedron/carbon nitride nanosheet composite and application thereof in exhaust gas treatment


This invention relates to automating a process for manufacturing articles from plastic, particularly recyclable plastic waste. A lengthened separator head is flanged to a plasticizer to supply melting serially to several molds, by way of mold inlet shut-off mechanism. A preprogrammed control device monitors the filling of a respective mold by way of a pressure sensor in the mold. When the desired filling of the mold has occurred, the inlet shut-off mechanism is closed by the control device and another mold that is ready to be filled is filled with melting by the opening of the corresponding inlet shut-off mechanism at the another mold. In addition, the control device controls the locking and tightening of the mold as well as its opening and emptying.

This invention relates to a process and a mechanism for the automatic manufacturing of articles made from plastic, particularly recyclable plastic waste. The mechanism comprises several stationary divided compression molds flanged to a plasticizer. Each of the divided compression molds is locked in a closed position during the process. The locking function allows for a tight closing of the flanged divided molds.
The processing of the plastic material takes place in a plasticizer which may be constructed as a screw-type extruding machine or as a roller-type extruding machine. The weight of the very viscous melting is determined with respect to the size of the object to be molded and then the melting is pressed in a mold. In another arrangement constructed for this purpose, the melting may also be filled directly from the plasticizer into a mold, in which case a sensor can measure the filling pressure in order to ensure that the mold is filled.
In order to let the plasticizer operate continuously, a separator head is connected and disconnected sequential to each of the several molds by means of an inlet shut-off mechanism. Nevertheless, a considerable number of operating sequences are necessary which must be carried out manually and which therefore result in considerable expenditures.
A locking and opening mechanism for a plastics mold is disclosed in the European Patent Document 0 221 872 A2. There a hydraulic cylinder pivotedly arranged on a lower mold half to lift off the upper mold half, whereby the opening and closing of the plastics mold is achieved. Another hydraulic cylinder, which is disposed on the upper mold half, is articulated with a double-armed lever which is rotatably disposed on the upper mold half. The lever carries a disk-shaped closing body on its other free end. This closing body extends behind a projection, which is fixedly connected with the lower mold half, whereby the plastics mold can be locked in the closed position.
The closing motion of the mold can be stopped by means of a limit switch. This mechanism can only be used for plastics molds of fairly small dimensions. In the case of larger molds, a lifting-off of the upper mold must have as horizontal a movement as possible to avoid damage to the molded article. This is true during the removal from the mold as well as during the tightening of the locking mechanism in order to withstand the high filling pressure of the mold.
The U.S. Patent Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,663 describes a divided mold, wherein the movable mold half is brought into a closing or emptying position by means of one or several hydraulic cylinders. However, a locking and tightening of the locking is not provided. Hence that arrangement is not suitable for large molds filled with recyclable plastics.
In contrast, European Patent Document EU-PS 381 770 A1 shows a mold where the movable mold half is brought into its open and closed positions by four threaded spindles which correspond with an equal number of lift nuts which are rotatably but vertically unshiftingly disposed in the movable mold half and which are driven synchronously by a gear motor. Here there is no locking and no tightening of the two mold halves so that this construction is also not suitable for the manufacturing of large-surface articles made of recyclable plastics.
It is an object of the invention to let all operating sequences--from the processing of the plastic material by means of the plasticizer, to the ejection of finished molded object--occur automatically in order to produce low-cost articles because of an efficient utilization of the mechanism. Also when used with large molds, the mold is a lockable in a tightenable manner in the closed position.
This object is achieved by means of the following sequence of process steps:
a) Mold release and indication of the readiness to be filled; PA1 b) Opening of the locking mechanism on the separator head assigned to the mold; PA1 c) Filling of the mold and refilling of a plunger device, which filling is indicated by filling pressure monitoring; PA1 d) Closing of the locking mechanism on the separator head; PA1 e) Subsequent pressing of additional melting into the mold by means of the plunger device; PA1 f) Cooling of the mold; PA1 g) Opening of the mold cover and removing the molding; and PA1 h) Closing of the mold cover, locking, tightening and switching on the heater. PA1 a) The separator head may be lengthened in a linearly elongated manner; PA1 b) the intermediate pieces between the inlets and the plasticizer may be heatable by means of an additional heater; and PA1 c) the plasticizer may be constructed as a screw-type extrusion machine or as a roller-type extrusion machine.
Several stationary molds can be connected to a separator head which is preferably flanged to the plasticizer. A shut-off mechanism is connected between the separator head and the mold.
The mold release and the filling readiness may be initiated by a pressure monitoring sensor which causes the opening of the inlet shut-off mechanism connected with the mold. The melting can then flow from the separator head directly into the corresponding mold. A plunger device which is arranged oppositely to the inflow opening of the mold may also fill up after the filling of the mold. The sensor monitors the filling pressure and cause the closing of the inlet shut-off mechanism as soon as the desired pressure is reached. However, at the same time, another inlet shut-off mechanism on the separator head leading to another mold is opened so that no delay occurs in the continuous ejection of the melting by the plasticizer.
As soon as the inlet shut-off mechanism of the latter, already filled, mold is closed, the additional pressing of melting into the mold, which is caused by the sensor, can take place by means of the plunger device. The pressing of melting into an already filled mold has the advantage that complicated molds, such as molds which tend to have bubbles or otherwise not completely filled contours of the articles, are filled in a perfected manner. The rate of rejections is reduced considerably.
In addition, the switching-on of the cooling device for the mold, may be carried out by a signal of the sensor. The mold can be emptied earlier if it is cooled. The cooling and intermediate heating of the mold may take place several times consecutively by means of the switching on and off of the corresponding heating and cooling devices. This has the advantage that the removal from the mold can take place in an easier and simpler manner.
In addition, the opening of the mold may take place within a predetermined time interval by means of a control device and the molding may be removed from the mold at the same time.
The molding may be ejected onto a conveyor belt, which is not shown, and may be transported away.
In addition, the closing of the mold cover and the intermediate heating of the mold may be caused by a signal of the control device. A sensor may signal the readiness of the emptied mold to be filled.
The mechanism for carrying out the process comprises a plasticizer, a separator head with several blockable inlets to the individual molds, with one afterpressing device for each mold for the adding of additional melting to the individual molds.
The possibility therefore exists of also transporting the prepared melting along a longer path to the individual molds and to therefore connect a plurality number of molds to one separator head.
In addition, a melting delivery pump may be connected between the plasticizer and the separator head. A pressure of approximately 400 bar will sometimes be required, for a complete filling of the mold with melting, in the case of a separator head which is linearly lengthened in the manner of a strand and has several individual molds flanged to it. Here a melting delivery pump may be constructed as a gear pump. At the end of the separator head, which is linearly lengthened in the manner of a strand, a pressure of approximately 100 bar is still required for the filling of the mold. The end of the separator head may be closed off by means of a shut-off mechanism which, if required, may be switched to a flow-through position, should there be a disturbance in the course of the manufacture.
In addition, the shut-off mechanism may be constructed as an electrically actuated rotary disk valve, or may also be designed as a needle shut-off nozzle. These two shut-off devices have been successful in practice. However, the shut-off mechanism may also be constructed as an electrically or hydraulically operable shut-off slide valve.
Furthermore, the molds may form a unit with the pertaining shut-off mechanism and may be flanged to the linearly elongated separator head. A compact construction may be achieved in this manner.
In an advantageous development of the invention, a plunger device for a subsequent pressing of additional melting into the mold may be arranged on every mold. This plunger device is arranged diametrically with respect to the inlet opening for the melting on every mold and has the result that, after the desired filling pressure in the mold has been reached and the inlet shut-off mechanism is then shut, a predetermined amount of melting is then additionally pressed into the mold in order to compensate for possible bubbles or incompletely filled contours of the molding, particularly in the case of fairly large and complicated molds. The plunger devices fill with melting which has flown through the mold and are caused by a sensor to press this melting back into the mold in a recirculating manner.
In addition, a controllable heating and cooling device may be connected to every mold. During the cooling operation, this device is frequently connected and switched on. This not only accelerates the cooling operation but also considerably facilitates the removal from the mold.
Also, the intermediate pieces between the outlets on the separator head may have an additional heater. As a result, heat losses are compensated in the case of the flow through the separator head to the molds arranged at the end of this separator head, which is linearly lengthened in the manner of a strand.
In addition, the molds may be equipped with a sensor which closes the shut-off mechanism when the desired pressure is reached in the mold.
A control device may be arranged for each mold which causes the subsequent pressing of additional melting into the already filled mold.
In addition, the control device can switch the heater to cooling in a time-staggered manner and, after a certain time interval, may cause the opening of the mold cover and the removal of the molding from the mold. In this case, the moldings may be ejected onto a conveyor belt or may be removed manually.
Furthermore, the control device may cause the closing of the mold cover. The opening and closing may take place hydraulically.
In addition, the control device may signal the release of a molded product and the closing of the mold at the inlet shut-off mechanism. By means of a preprogrammed control sequence, the emptied and closed mold may again be included in the operating cycle. The automatic sensor monitoring device reports to the control device when a mold is free for filling. Each of the molds may be designed differently, and the plasticizer should have a capacity of approximately 200 to 250 kg/h.
Another mechanism for carrying out this process comprises a plasticizer, a separator head with several inlet shut-off mechanism for the individual molds. The molds are equipped with one heating and cooling device respectively and one afterpressing device respectively for the subsequent filling of additional melting into the individual molds.
In order to reduce the length of the arrangement and to avoid a cooling of the melting in an excessively extended separator head, the separator head, particularly in the case of smaller individual molds, may have a circular construction. There, each of the molds with their inlet shut-off mechanism are flanged to the separator head in a star-shaped manner.
A mechanism for the automatically closing, locking and tightening as well as opening of the divided mold is provided by a programmable central control. The mold is in two pieces--a firmly anchored lower mold half in a lower supporting frame and an upper movable mold half arranged in an upper supporting frame. Opening and closing of the mold takes place in the perpendicular direction. This mechanism is more advantageous for the removal of the molded article from the mold.
Furthermore, a yoke bridge or at least a threaded spindle may be fastened to the lower supporting frame. The yoke bridge is used for accommodating a working cylinder or lift nuts for the moving of the upper supporting frame which supports the movable mold half. If the threaded spindles are fastened to the lower supporting frame, the lift nuts are installed in the movable mold half or are installed in the upper supporting frame. The lift nuts are rotatably but vertically unshiftingly disposed in the above-mentioned parts and are synchronously driven by a gear motor.
However, the threaded spindles may also be fixedly connected with the upper supporting frame. Here, the lift nuts are rotatably but vertically unshiftingly disposed in the yoke bridge and are driven synchronously by a gear motor.
The gear motor or the operating cylinder may be shut-off by a stop switch. In order to ensure a certain contact pressure in the end positions of the closing and emptying position, the gear motor may be equipped with a torque coupling.
Moreover, the locking elements may mesh in tightening devices when the mold halves are closed, whereby the two closed mold halves become firmly locked and braced with respect to one another.
The locking elements can be actuated by one or more hydraulic cylinders or by a lever arrangement. The operation of the actuators can be automatically controlled and coordinated with the mold coolers so that the degree of cooling of the filled mold can be determined.
The moveable supporting frame together with the upper movable mold may slide in a guide way attached to the mold frame. This provides necessary meshing accuracy between the mold halves in the closed position.
The locking elements may be tightened by means of tightening devices arranged on the movable mold half. The tightening devices may consist of eccentric shafts moved by a hydraulic cylinder.
Locking bolts may be arranged on the upper mold half. The locking bolts may have semicircular recesses for cooperation with locking mechanism of the lower mold half or the mold frame.
Hydraulically rotatable locking shafts may be arranged on the lower mold half. The locking shafts may have milled-out recesses which correspond to the recesses in the locking bolts. A locking of the two mold halves as well as a tightening of the locking can also be achieved by means of this mechanism.
Alternatively, the locking bolts may have a ring groove in an end area that cooperates with a slidably arranged locking frame disposed on the lower mold half or on the lower supporting frame. This locking frame can be operable either hydraulically or pneumatically. The locking frame has bores which correspond to the locking bolts and which are expanded to form oblong holes. The expanded oblong hole portion being smaller in its inner width than the bore. By shifting of the locking frame when the mold halves are closed, the lateral portions of the narrower oblong hole engage the ring grooves of the locking bolts. By means of a slanting of the lateral portions of the oblong holes engaging in the ring grooves, a tensioning of the two mold halves may be achieved.
According to another embodiment, grooves, preferably in a ring shape, may be arranged in the area of the mold seam of the two mold halves. This grooves become narrower toward the inside of the mold and reach over the mold seam. Links, which have the same geometrical shape as the grooves, can be moved in and out of these grooves by means of a moving element. The moving element may be operated hydraulically, pneumatically or mechanically by way of an eccentric lever or by way of a toggle joint. As a result, it is possible to control the locking elements from a central control. The flanks of the groove may narrow down by a central angle of approximately 14.degree.. With a bipartition angle of approximately 7.degree., the selflocking will stop so that the link will not bind in the groove and can be easily moved. The link itself may also be conically formed in the same central angle, specifically on the outer contour of the conical part. This allows for tightening of the connection of the two mold parts.
Also, a feed head and a cut-off slide may be arranged on the lower mold half. This has the advantage that when the inlet filling valve is closed, the melting, which is subjected to a high filling pressure, cannot continue to flow and lead to disturbances during the subsequent filling operation.
Finally, the timing of the drive assemblies can be controlled from the central control.
Naturally, a fully automatic operation of the system also includes the automatic removal of molded articles from the mold. The articles removed from the mold can be ejected to a conveyor belt which is not shown.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Mechanism for the automatic manufacturing of articles made from plastic, particularly from recyclable plastic


Rather than merely carrying out a BIST test by verifying whether a memory cell accurately stores a “1” or “0” under normal read/write conditions, aspects of the present discloser relate to BIST tests that test the read and/or write margins of a cell. During this BIST testing, the read and/or write margins can be incrementally stressed until a failure point is determined for the cell. In this way, “weak” memory cells in an array can be identified and appropriate action can be taken, if necessary, to deal with these weak cells.

Semiconductor memories store digitally encoded data for personal computer systems, embedded processor-based systems, video imaging circuits, communication devices, and the like.
Typically, memory devices include an array of memory cells arranged in a series of columns and rows, wherein each memory cell includes a data storage element that stores at least one bit of data (e.g., a logical "1" or a logical "0"). Although these data storage elements provide generally reliable data retention, data errors can occur in some situations. Such a data error, for example, can cause a logical "1" that was expected to have been written to a cell to be read as a logical "0", or vice versa. Because data errors can lead to undesirable consequences in the system, engineers strive to limit the number of data errors in memory devices.
Built-in-self-test (BIST) modules are one technology that has been developed to limit or prevent data errors. BIST modules typically write a pattern of "1"s and/or "0"s into the array, and then subsequently read the memory cells of the array to check whether the same pattern of "1"s and/or "0"s are read back. Often BIST testing is carried out before the memory devices are shipped to end customers (e.g., BIST testing is carried out in a fabrication facility), however, BIST testing can also be performed from time to time after customers have used the devices. In either case, if a faulty cell is identified, the BIST module can map the address of the faulty cell to that of a redundant (reliable) memory cell, such that memory operations intended to access the faulty cell are, unbeknownst to the end user, re-routed to the redundant (reliable) cell. This helps to ensure the end user receives a reliable memory device that accurately stores data.
Although conventional BIST methods are useful, the inventors have appreciated that more detailed information about the reliability of the memory cells of the array would be beneficial in many instances. For example, the inventors have appreciated that it would be helpful to generate data about read and/or write margins for the memory cells to help ward off future data errors due to "weak" memory cells. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure provide for techniques for verifying the reliability of memory cells.

Memory reliability verification techniques