A disk drive includes a drive housing, a storage disk, a slider and a drive circuitry. The storage disk has an inner and an outer diameter. The slider includes a read/write head and a slider mover that receives power from the drive circuitry to position the read/write head at a predetermined head-to-disk spacing during radial movement of the slider relative to the storage disk. The drive circuitry can direct a varying level of power to the slider mover during radial movement of the slider. In addition, the drive circuitry can increase the power to the slider mover as the read/write head nears a target track in order to decrease the head-to-disk spacing at the appropriate time. The drive circuitry can adjust the power to the slider mover so that the head-to-disk spacing remains within a predetermined range as the slider moves radially relative to the storage disk. The drive circuitry can also direct power to the slider mover so that the head-to-disk spacing is substantially the same at the start of a seek operation and when the read/write head arrives at a target track. The drive circuitry can also direct power to the slider mover based at least partially on the temperature of a portion of the slider.

Disk drives are widely used in computers, consumer electronics and data processing systems for storing information in digital form. The disk drive typically includes one or more storage disks and one or more head suspension assemblies. Each head suspension assembly includes a slider having an air bearing surface, and a read/write head that transfers information to and from the storage disk. The rotation of the storage disk causes the slider to ride on an air bearing so that the read/write head is at a distance from the storage disk that is referred to as a "head-to-disk spacing" (also sometimes referred to herein as a "flying height").
Because today's disk drives utilize storage disks having increasingly high densities of data tracks, decreasing the head-to-disk spacing has become of great importance. However, this desire for a very small head-to-disk spacing must be balanced with tribological concerns in order to avoid damage to the read/write head and/or the storage disk, as well as loss of data. Thus, the range between head-to-disk contact and a desirable head-to-disk spacing has become extremely small, requiring an increasingly more accurate control system.
The difficulties of achieving a high degree of accuracy and reliability are further complicated by a phenomenon known as "seek loss". As used herein, seek loss is a change in head-to-disk spacing that occurs as the read/write head moves radially in either direction over the storage disk, typically during a seek operation of the disk drive. Because the read/write head relies on rotation of the storage disk to create the air bearing, a change in velocity of the storage disk relative to the read/write head can cause a change in the head-to-disk spacing. The type of air bearing surface used as well as the velocity vectors of the read/write head relative to the storage disk can factor into changing the amount of support that the air bearing provides to the slider, even though the rotation rate of the storage disk may not be appreciably changing. Typically, this support changes during radial movement of the read/write head over the storage disk.
For example, with certain configurations of sliders, moving the slider toward the outer diameter can at least temporarily cause a decreased head-to-disk spacing, which can potentially result in undesirable head-to-disk contact. Conversely, moving the slider toward the inner diameter can at least temporarily cause too great of a head-to-disk spacing, making it more difficult to read servo track information during the seek process.

System and method for adjusting head-to-disk spacing in a disk drive


A secondary air supplier supplies secondary air to an exhaust passage, when an engine is in a predetermined condition. An oxygen sensor detects the air-fuel ratio (A/F) in the exhaust gas. The air-fuel ratio indicates either a rich condition or a lean condition. When the engine is cold, a time counter measures a lean period of time, while secondary air is supplied. When the lean period exceeds a predetermined period of time, a diagnostic system determines that the secondary air supplier is functioning properly. If the oxygen sensor detects that the ratio (A/F) indicates a rich condition during the diagnosis, then the time counter stops measuring the lean period, with keeping the total measured lean period. When the engine is hot, the ratio of the lean period to a predetermined period for the secondary air supply could be smaller than a predetermined ratio, and the diagnostic system determines that the air supplier is malfunctioning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a secondary air supplier for use in a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a diagnostic system for diagnosing the condition of the secondary air supplier. The air supplier supplies secondary air to an exhaust passage of the engine, in order to purify the exhaust gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional exhaust gas purification techniques generally utilize an oxygen sensor and a three way catalytic converter, in order to satisfy two requirements. The first requirement is to clear the legalistic regulation, and the other requirement is to minimize the engine fuel consumption. These conventional techniques include oxidizing and/or deoxidizing the carbon monoxide (CO), hydro-carbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), contained in the exhaust gas, in order to purify it. In order to efficiently complete these reactions, the air-fuel ratio in the engine should maintained at about a theoretical air-fuel ratio. The concept for maintaining the theoretical air-fuel ratio has been embodied in several engine systems.
An exemplary engine system of this type includes an engine control unit, an oxygen sensor disposed along an exhaust passage, and a secondary air supplier for directly supplying the secondary air from an intake passage to the exhaust passage. The control unit calculates the air-fuel ratio (A/F) of the air-fuel mixture in the engine cylinders, based on the output signal from the oxygen sensor. Further, the control unit executes a closed loop control operation (i.e., feedback control operation) for controlling the supplied amount of air and/or fuel. As a result of this control, the air-fuel ratio becomes closer to the theoretical air-fuel ratio.
When the engine is operating under specific conditions, the secondary air is supplied to the exhaust passage by means of the secondary air supplier, in order to prevent air-fuel ratio to be fuel-rich condition, and to minimize the generation of hydrocarbon.
The following are illustrative specific operation conditions of the engine: the coolant temperature is still cold; and the vehicle is decelerating. The control unit executes an open loop control operation for the air-fuel ratio (A/F), while the secondary air is being supplied. The control unit re-executes the closed loop control operation for the air-fuel ratio, simultaneously with the termination of the secondary air supply.
In this conventional engine system, the exhaust emission could become faulty, when the secondary air supplier malfunctions. TOYOTA technology publication No. 2801 (published on Oct. 28, 1988) proposed a diagnostic system for diagnosing whether or not the secondary air supplier is functioning properly.
A conventional secondary air supplier temporarily supplies the secondary air to the exhaust passage, even when the secondary air should not be supplied to the exhaust passage. If the secondary air supplier is properly functioning, the oxygen sensor should transmit a signal which indicates the air-fuel ratio (A/F) is "lean", that is the air content is greater then the fuel content. If the oxygen sensor does not transmit a signal indicative of the lean condition of the air-fuel ratio, the secondary air supplier might not function properly. Therefore, in this case, the conventional diagnostic system determines that the secondary air supplier is malfunctioning.
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-111256 discloses another system for diagnosing the secondary air supplier. When the oxygen sensor is transmitting a signal, which indicates the air-fuel ratio (A/F) is rich condition, that is the fuel content is greater than the air content, under specific engine conditions under which the secondary air should be supplied, the diagnostic system determines that the secondary air supplier is malfunctioning.
However, both conventional diagnostic systems might sometime determine that the secondary air supplier is malfunctioning, even when the oxygen sensor transmits a signal indicative of the rich condition of the air-fuel ratio (A/F), in response to the temporarily rich condition of the air-fuel ratio. Some examples of misdiagnosis will now be described.
The output signal transmitted from the oxygen sensor has characteristic of: radical change of signal state being made around the specific point of A/F (i.e., 14.6). Therefore, even when the air-fuel ratio temporarily becomes "14.5" (this value indicates that the air-fuel ratio is slightly rich), the diagnostic system thus determines that the air-fuel ratio is positively rich (i.e., the supplier is malfunctioning).
The exhaust gas discharged from the engine cylinders is mixed within the exhaust passage. Only one oxygen sensor determines the air-fuel ratio (A/F) in the exhaust gas. Therefore, when the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas discharged from the cylinders are differed, the oxygen sensor could give a fault indication, based on the exhaust gas discharged from a particular.
In other words, even when the mean value of the air-fuel ratio in the exhaust gas discharged from all cylinders, is lean, if the oxygen sensor detects a rich air-fuel ratio is in the rich condition, the diagnostic system then determines that the supplier is malfunctioning.
If the air-fuel ratio of the mixture in the combustion chambers is extremely rich, the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas could remain rich, even if secondary air is supplied to the exhaust gas. This condition could occur in any one of following conditions: (1) an additional amount of injected fuel is excessively large when the engine is still cold; (2) immediately after the simultaneous injection of fuel is executed; or (3) immediately after the vehicle starts decelerating.
Further, when the amount of exhaust gas is too large with respect to that of the secondary air, the air-fuel ratio (A/F) of the exhaust gas could become rich. Even under those conditions, the diagnostic system executes the diagnostic operation, only based on a signal transmitted from the oxygen sensor. Therefore, even when the secondary air supplier is functioning properly, the diagnostic system determines that the supplier is malfunctioning.
Furthermore, the oxygen sensor tends to transmit a signal indicative of the lean condition, when its sensing element is cold. As a result, even if the air-fuel ratio (A/F) is actually rich, the diagnostic system could determine that the air-fuel ratio (A/F) is lean, due to the cold element temperature of the sensing element. In such a case, the secondary air supplier should be diagnosed as malfunctioning, but the diagnostic system determines that the supplier is functioning properly.
The conventional diagnostic system determines whether or not the supplier is functioning properly, only based on the signal output from the oxygen sensor. Therefore, the conventional diagnostic system could misdiagnose the condition of the secondary air supplier, as described above.

Diagnostic system for a secondary air supplier in an engine


A thermoelectric generator assembly may comprise a frame that may include a first frame member and a second frame member. The first frame member and the second frame member are adapted to retain one or more thermoelectric generator devices in position therebetween for transferring heat energy through the one or more thermoelectric generator devices from a heat source to a heat sink to generate electrical energy. The thermoelectric generator assembly may also include a spacer positioned between the first frame member and the second frame member. A power bus may be included to provide the electrical energy generated by the one or more thermoelectric generator devices for powering an electrical device.

A thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a device that can generate electricity when a temperature differential is applied across the device. One example of a TEG device is a thermal semiconductor chip, such as those manufactured by ENECO, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah. A TEG device is typically square or rectangular with the upper and lower end-caps having the same dimension and typically power generated by TEGs is transmitted via a set of power wires. TEG devices are typically thin (e.g., in the order of a couple of millimeters thick), small (e.g., a couple of square centimeters), flat, and brittle. Accordingly, TEG devices can be difficult to handle individually, especially for applications in vehicles, such as automobiles, aircraft and the like, where the TEG devices can be subject to harsh environmental conditions, such as vibration, constant temperature variations and other harsh conditions. Because of their size and the fact that each TEG device generates only a small amount of power, many TEG devices are bundled together in order to generate a useful amount of power. Further, TEG devices generally provide greater energy conversion efficiency at high temperature. This can cause relatively large thermal expansion in materials. Because of thermal gradients and different thermal coefficients of expansion associated with different materials, thermally induced stresses may result.
Efficiency of TEG devices generally increases with greater temperature differentials, i.e., delta temperature between two opposite sides, typically called the heat source (hot side) and heat sink (cold side) of the TEG device. Also, energy conversion efficiency is maximized for any installation that channels heat flow through the TEG devices only without any thermal energy leaks through the surrounding structural material or gaps. Thus, to simplify handling and achieve high performance in converting heat to electricity, multiple TEG devices can be encased into a module or assembly prior to final installation. FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary prior art thermoelectric generator assembly 100 or module. TEG devices 102 are sandwiched between two structural plates 104 and 106. Each of the two structural plates 104 and 106 may be made of a thermally conductive material, such as copper or Aluminum Nitride (AlN), to spread the heat on both hot and cold sides of the TEG module 100. One of the plates, such as upper structural plate 104 may define a cold spreader plate and may be thermally coupled to a cold side 108 of each of the TEG devices 102. The other plate, such as the lower structural plate 106 may define a hot spreader plate and be coupled to a hot side 110 of each of the TEG devices 102. Each of the plates 104 and 106 may be respectively thermally coupled to the cold side 108 and hot side 110 of each of the TEG devices 102 by a brazed interface 112 and 114. Vacuum gaps 116 or insulation material may be used to separate each TEG device 102 in the module 100 to maximize heat flow through TEGs 102. Additional insulation may be required to prevent heat losses through the sides.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of a prior art thermoelectric generator (TEG) module 200 for installation in an aircraft engine compartment or similar apparatus for generation of electrical energy. The TEG module 200 may also be referred to as an Extended Mission through Energy Conversion (EMTEC) module. Heat energy 202 may be received from a heat source 204, such as an interior of a gas turbine engine of an airplane. The heat energy 202 is received by a thermal interface or heat spreading plate 206 similar to that previously described which may be made of a material such as copper, aluminum nitride (AlN) or similar heat conductive material. The thermal interface or heat spreading plate 206 may be thermally connected to the TEG device 208 by brazing or by some other means to provide a negligible resistance to the transfer of thermal energy to the TEG 208. In this installation approach, portions of insulation material 210 and 212 may be used to fill the gaps between adjacent EMTEC modules to prevent heat escaping through the space between the modules. Another portion of insulation material 214 may also be disposed on each edge of the TEG 208 for efficient transfer of heat energy through the TEG 208 for generation of electricity. A cold side interface 216 or cold spreader plate similar to that previously described may be thermally coupled to the cold side of the TEG 208. Both the EMTEC module 200 and insulation material are attached to a stress buffer layer 218 which is attached to a cold sink 220 or heat sink. A stress buffer layer may also be used on the hot source as well. The stress buffer layer 218 acts as an absorption layer for thermal expansion mismatch induced stress and vibration. Such a "bridge" material between two materials that are incompatible in regards to coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is typically selected to have a CTE in between those of the two incompatible materials. Installation of the EMTEC module 200 to the cold sink 220, for example, the exterior wall of an aircraft engine compartment can be accomplished by various means, e.g., mechanical means by attaching insulation and the stress buffer layers 218 to the cold sink 220 or the engine compartment wall with bolts, etc. and bonding means by attaching EMTEC modules 200 to the stress buffer 218 using thermal grease, soldering, or brazing for high temperature application.
Each EMTEC module 200 needs to be individually attached or adhered to the insulation material or stress buffer layer 218. This is a labor intensive operation and adds cost to manufacturing. Additionally, brazing TEGs is a delicate process and damage during manufacturing can often occur. Because more power is generated when TEGs are installed in locations with the greatest temperature differentials, TEG devices are potentially subjected to high temperature. To avoid thermal stresses generated by uneven thermal expansion between TEGs and the structural material, the structural material is chosen based on its thermal expansion quality over its thermal conductivity. Less than desirable thermally conductive material leads to reduced power generation. For units that are installed in a system where periodic variations in temperature are common, such as an engine, thermal expansion for each material becomes a significant design challenge.
Each layer of material in the thermal path from the hot side to the cold side of a TEG module, such as module 200, adds thermal resistance to the overall thermal stack. Increased thermal resistance reduces effective temperature differential across the TEG, and loss of energy conversion efficiency can result. More layers in the thermal path of the TEGs results in higher thermal resistance, which in turn reduces the overall system efficiency.
Another drawback for some applications is that EMTEC modules are flat. The surface of the high temperature source may not be flat. For example, the surface of an aircraft turbo engine is cylindrical and the diameter of the cylinder varies along its length.

Thermoelectric generator assembly and system


An automatic speech recognition system and a method performed by an automatic speech recognition system are provided. The method includes performing at least two passes of speech activity detection on an acoustic utterance uttered by a speaker. The at least two passes include an initial pass and a subsequent pass. The method further includes estimating at least one of feature statistics and transforms for acoustic feature extraction and acoustic modeling based on an output of an initial pass. The method further includes performing automatic speech recognition using an output of the subsequent pass while bypassing an output of the initial pass to recognize the acoustic utterance.

Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to speech recognition and, in particular, to a multi-pass speech activity detection strategy to improve automatic speech recognition.
Description of the Related Art
Speech activity detection (SAD) is a first step in automatic speech recognition (ASR) tasks. This step is essential to identify regions in the audio signal that include speech. The identified regions are then "decoded" by a speech recognition engine to produce word sequences corresponding to the acoustic signal. In matched acoustic conditions, while the performance of ASR is often reasonably good, there are significant degradations in previously unseen noise. One potential reason for these degradations is the inclusion of noise/noisy regions in the estimation of feature statistics and transforms from the audio signal prior to decoding. For example, the means and variances for mean-variance normalization of acoustic features used with various acoustic models can significantly change if music or non-speech acoustic events such as door bangs are included in the data used for the estimation of these feature statistics. Thus, there is a need for improved speech activity detection.

Multi-pass speech activity detection strategy to improve automatic speech recognition

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A high integrity touch screen system includes, but is not limited to, a display screen, a first sensor array to detect a touch on the display screen and to generate a first set of touch position coordinates, a first processor connected to the first sensor array and configured to receive the first set of touch position coordinates, a second sensor array to detect the touch on the display screen and to generate a second set of touch position coordinates and a second processor connected to the second sensor array and configured to receive the second set of touch position coordinates. The first processor and the second processor cooperate to compare the first set of touch position coordinates with the second set of touch position coordinates and to invalidate the touch when the first set of touch position coordinates and the second set of touch position coordinates do not substantially coincide.

Touch screen systems are control systems that are commonly used to control electrical, mechanical and computer systems (hereinafter, "commanded systems"). Touch screen systems present information to an operator with a display screen that is adapted to detect a touch (e.g., physical contact or near physical contact made using a body part, a stylus, and/or a light projector (infra red, laser, etc. . . . ). The operator provides an input into a touch screen system by touching the touch sensitive screen. For example, the operator may be presented with images on the display screen that include both text and collocated or associated graphics (e.g. a textual question and closely located "yes" and "no" boxes) and the operator may input a selection into the touch screen system by using a finger to touch the graphics that corresponds with the operator's choice.
Multiple technologies are used to detect the occurrence and location of the operator's touch on the display screen or to protect against false touch indications. Some of the more common technologies include resistive, surface capacitive, projected capacitive, infrared, surface acoustic wave, acoustic pulse recognition, and camera based technologies. Each technology, while generally reliable, has an associated error rate. Accordingly, each touch screen system employing any one of these technologies may occasionally incorrectly determine the location of the operator's touch or may detect a touch at a time when the operator did not touch the touch sensitive screen.
For some uses, such as selecting a radio station on a stereo, an occasional error may be inconsequential and thus the use of a touch screen system to control a commanded system in such instances may be acceptable. For other applications, however, an error could have very serious consequences. For example, the avionics system of an aircraft in flight would require a control system that has an exceedingly low error rate because the commanded system on the aircraft may directly control the aircraft's flight performance and could therefore have a direct impact on passengers and flight crew.
The Federal Aviation Administration (hereinafter, "FAA") has ranked various aircraft functions for safety needs on a sliding scale that ranges from minor to catastrophic events. If an aircraft function failure event is deemed to be "minor", then that function may be controlled by a control system having a postulated failure rate that exceeds 1/100,000 per flight hour. If an aircraft function failure event is deemed to be "major", then that function must be controlled by a control system having a postulated failure rate that is less than 1/100,000 per flight hour. If the function failure event is deemed to be "hazardous", then that function must be controlled by a control system having a postulated failure rate that is less than 1/10,000,000 per flight hour. And if the function is deemed to be "catastrophic" failure event, then that function must be controlled by a control system having a postulated failure rate that is less than 1/1,000,000,000 per flight hour. A minor event has a slight reduction in safety margins; a major event has a significant reduction in safety margins and may result in some occupant discomfort; a hazardous event has a large reduction in safety margins and may have adverse effects upon occupants; a catastrophic event can result in conditions which prevent safe landing and loss of aircraft. Similar definitions and categories are used in other industries such as industrial control.
Failure rate has several aspects. One aspect is simply failure to operate, but where the pilot either knows equipment is nonoperational and takes appropriate action, or the system is designed such that a failure of one element results in another part of the system compensating with or without the pilot's knowledge. An example is an automatic cabin temperature controller. If this equipment fails, the pilot would know by several means, even as crude as being uncomfortable, and switch to manual control or to another controller. Or, several controllers can operate in parallel and one automatically takes over for the failure of the other without pilot interference and perhaps even without the pilot's knowledge. As used herein, the term "failure" refers to failures which are both permanent and transitory in nature. For example, a permanent failure can be the breaking of a wire or the cracking of a resistor. A transitory failure includes many conditions including, for example, radiation or radio interference changing a bit in a register, components drifting in and out of specification due to environmental conditions, or other such short term variations.
Another more concerning aspect is an equipment failure but the pilot does not know it has occurred. This is typically called in the industry an "undetected hazard" or "undetected misleading data" or similar names. This has the possibility of providing misleading data or control commands with serious results. An example is an altimeter. If it has failed such that it is showing the wrong altitude yet there is no indication to the pilot that it is operating improperly, the resulting failure condition can be catastrophic. For that reason, typically there are several independent altimeters in the cockpit which the pilot scans to verify all are registering the same altitudes, within appropriate limits, or automatic systems perform such checks alleviating some of the pilot need to constantly scan.
The term "Integrity" has two aspects in the avionics industry of which undetected hazard caused by an equipment failure is one. Another is undetected failure conditions in flight caused by errors as opposed to equipment failures. Examples of such errors are improper software coding and improper hardware design. These errors are typically referred to as "generic errors".
Accordingly, a high integrity touch screen system is required to command, or to monitor, many of the systems employed onboard an aircraft. As used herein, the term "high integrity touch screen" refers to a touch screen that has an exceedingly low undetected failure rate, whether caused by equipment failures or by errors. For, example, with reference to the aviation industry, a high integrity touch screen which can support a major event is one which has an undetected failure rate of less than 1/100,000.
In the current state of the art, the use of touch screens in avionics is predominately for actions where failures result only in no flight events, minor events or at most limited number of major events. In the current state of the art, if a higher level event must be supported that requires a higher level of integrity, then a mitigating technique is for the pilot to observe that the command from the touch screen has reached the system to be controlled, but to allow the control action to take place only after the pilot confirms the requested setting is correct. This is referred to herein as the "arm/command" approach. For example, to turn a knob to set a temperature, the controller displays the temperature requested, and if the pilot agrees that was what was input via the knob, then the pilot pushes another device (e.g. button) to execute the temperature command. Thus, both the setting device (e.g. knob with a potentiometer) and the readout device must fail in order to have the incorrect data transferred, rather than just the knob.
Assuming the setting device and the readout device are independent, then the integrity probability can be computed by multiplying together the integrity of each device. For example, assuming both are working at the start of a flight, and both devices have a hardware failure rate of 10−5, then the integrity due to a failure of hardware is 10−5 multiplied by 10−5 which improves the integrity beyond a 10−9 per flight hour failure rate.
In many cases the "arm/command" is sufficient. This general approach is also used in many non-avionic systems where integrity must be high. However, this is an awkward approach in many flight situations. For example, currently in flight decks without a touch screen, the pilot simply toggles a switch or just turns a knob to command a system with high integrity—a single pilot action. To reach high integrity, the typical approach is for the switch to have two or more independent outputs and they are read by a system designed for high integrity usually with several independent processors and conversion devices. The term "independent" as used herein refers to freedom from common failures or errors as understood in the art.
Using the touch screen "arm/execute" approach requires more pilot actions:                1. The pilot must touch the simulated switch on the screen        2. The pilot must then await for the system to display, usually on the touch panel but perhaps on another cockpit display, that the system is "armed" to the on state        3. The pilot then needs to push a button or take other action to "command" the action.
This is much more awkward than simply using a common switch. It is cumbersome, inconvenient, and time consuming And, in some flight conditions it increases the pilot workload to unacceptable levels, such as in an emergency condition as in a fire or upon takeoff or landing. Here the pilot wants to take a single rapid action, not three actions. Even in other non-emergency situations, this is very awkward, such as setting or resetting of tens of electronic circuit breakers; rather than just "pulling out" or pushing in" the breaker, the pilot needs to perform several actions for each.
Also, the overall system is complex in that the controller system needs to be designed to provide the feedback to a display and to react to an "arm" and "command" condition.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a high integrity touch screen system suitable for the desired probability of avoiding a specified level of safety event that is not cumbersome, inconvenient, or time consuming. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a high integrity touch screen system that is suitable for use in various high integrity aviation applications that does not require a three step process in order to transmit a command to a commanded system. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.


A method for processing blockchain data is applied to a terminal device provided with a trusted execution environment and includes: acquiring, from a blockchain, data to be verified of a target service, the data to be verified including circulation data generated during execution of the target service and recorded in the blockchain; determining, based on the target service, a relevant third-party authority for verifying authenticity of the data to be verified, and acquiring benchmark circulation data generated during the execution of the target service and recorded in the third-party authority; transferring the data to be verified and the benchmark circulation data to the trusted execution environment through a first trusted application on the terminal device; and determining whether the data to be verified meets a verification rule, and outputting a verification result of the data to be verified.

A blockchain has been well applied in the direction of anti-tampering, anti-counterfeiting, and traceability of online data. In order to ensure integrity of data and prevent tampering, the data may be uploaded to the blockchain for deposition.
If relevant data in a certain service (such as a payment service, a logistics service, and a fundraising and funding service) is added to a blockchain, the data cannot be changed and repudiated. However, whether data uploaded to a blockchain is real data and how to verify the data in the blockchain safely and reliably have become an important problem that needs to be solved. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a technical solution for performing safe and reliable verification on data in a blockchain.

Method, apparatus, and device for processing blockchain data

Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd.


For use in a video recorder, there is disclosed a system and method for determining whether an incoming video program has been previously recorded by the video recorder. The system comprises a transcript processor that is capable of obtaining a transcript of the incoming video program from a number of different sources of text. The transcript processor is capable of assembling the transcript from closed caption text of the video program. The transcript processor compares the transcript of the incoming video program with transcripts of video programs that have been previously recorded by the video recorder in order to determine whether the incoming video program has been previously recorded by the video recorder. The incoming video program is not recorded a second time if it has been previously recorded.

The present invention is directed, in general, to the recording of a video program in a video recorder and, more specifically, to a system and method for determining whether a video program has been previously recorded by a video recorder.
A wide variety of video recorders are available in the marketplace. Most people own, or are familiar with, a video cassette recorder (VCR). A video cassette recorder records video programs on magnetic cassette tapes. More recently, video recorders that use computer magnetic hard disks rather than magnetic cassette tapes to store video programs have appeared in the market. For example, the ReplayTV(trademark) recorder and the TiVO(trademark) recorder digitally record television programs on hard disk drives using, for example, an MPEG video compression standard. Additionally, some video recorders may record on a readable/writable, digital versatile disk (DVD) rather than a magnetic disk.
Video recorders are typically used in conjunction with a video display device such as a television. A video recorder may be used to record a video program at the same time that the video program is being displayed on the video display device. A common example is the use of a video cassette recorder (VCR) to record television programs while the television programs are simultaneously displayed on a television screen.
A video recorder may also be used to record a video program even though the video program is not being displayed on the video display device. A common example is the use of a video cassette recorder (VCR) to automatically record television programs while the viewer is not present.
When a viewer wishes to record a video program the viewer gives instructions to (or xe2x80x9cprogramsxe2x80x9d) the video recorder to record the video program. The viewer gives the video recorder information concerning the date, the time, and the channel information of the desired program. Alternatively, the video recorder automatically selects a video program based upon information from the program profile in the viewer""s personal viewing history. When the video recorder determines that a desired program (or an automatically selected program) is being received, the video recorder records the program.
In many instances, however, a video program may be shown more than once. For example, it is not uncommon for a video program to be shown in a particular time slot and then be shown again on the same channel in a different time slot later the same day (or on another day). When a desired video program is shown more than once, the video recorder also records the additional showings of the desired video program. This occurs even though the video recorder has previously recorded an identical version of the desired video program.
Some video recorders (e.g., the TiVO(trademark) recorder) are capable of using Electronics Program Guide (EPG) information to determine the identity of the video programs. Whenever the video recorder detects a second video program that has the same EPG information as a previously recorded first video program, the video recorder will not record the second video program.
This method does not always produce a desired result. EPG information may often be unavailable or inaccurate, especially in the case of live television broadcasts. In addition, it is known that instances have occurred in which the first and second parts of a xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d program were assigned the same EPG information. A video recorder using EPG information recorded the first part of the xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d program but did not record the second part of the xe2x80x9cpilotxe2x80x9d program because the two parts had identical EPG information.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved system and method in a video recorder for identifying a repeated transmission of a video program that has already been recorded. That is, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method in a video recorder for recognizing that a video program that is presently being received is identical to a video program that has already been recorded by the video recorder.
There is also a need in the art for an improved system and method in a video recorder for ceasing to record an additional version of a video program that has already been recorded. There is also a need in the art for an improved system and method in a video recorder for resetting a video recorder to discard any recorded portion of an additional version of a video program that has already been recorded.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide, for use in a video recorder utilizing recording tape, hard disk, solid state memory, or other types of recording devices, a system and method for identifying a repeated transmission of a video program that has already been recorded in a video recorder. In other words, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a system and method for determining whether a video program has been previously recorded in a video recorder.
The present invention comprises a transcript processor that is capable of obtaining a transcript of an incoming video program by assembling the transcript from closed caption text of the video program, or from text from a speech to text converter, or from text from a third party source, or from extracted video text, or from embedded screen text. The transcript processor compares the transcript of the incoming video program with transcripts of video programs that have been previously recorded by the video recorder in order to determine whether the incoming video program has been previously recorded by the video recorder. The incoming video program is not recorded a second time if it has been previously recorded.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the transcript processor is capable of assembling a transcript from a source of text (e.g., from closed caption text) of a video program by executing computer software instructions in a video recorder controller.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the video recorder controller is capable of sequentially assembling a transcript of a video program from individual closed caption text portions of a video program.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the video recorder controller is capable of excluding the text of commercial messages from the transcript of a video program.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the video recorder controller is capable of comparing a transcript of a video program with transcripts of video programs that have previously been recorded by the video recorder.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the transcript processor is capable of stopping the process of recording a video program when the transcript processor determines that a video program has previously been recorded by the video recorder.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms xe2x80x9cincludexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccomprise,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term xe2x80x9cor,xe2x80x9d is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases xe2x80x9cassociated withxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cassociated therewith,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term xe2x80x9ccontrollerxe2x80x9d means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. In particular, a controller may comprise one or more data processors, and associated input/output devices and memory, that execute one or more application programs and/or an operating system program. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

System and method for determining whether a video program has been previously recorded


A refrigerant loss prevention system is disclosed that monitors a number of variables within a refrigerant circuit including both environmental and refrigerant conditions and arrives at expected refrigerant conditions utilizing the sensed environmental conditions. The sensed refrigerant conditions are compared to the expected refrigerant conditions, and alarms are actuated should the two differ by more than a preset amount. The refrigerant loss prevention system continues to operate when the refrigerant circuit is off to identify leaks even during long periods of down time, such as winter.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring refrigerant conditions within a refrigerant circuit and comparing the monitored conditions to desired conditions. More particularly, the present invention discloses a method and apparatus for actuating a signal should the monitored conditions differ from desired conditions.
Modern air conditioning systems are relatively complex and may comprise a number of monitors and controls. These systems have compressors that can operate at various gradations of capacity between zero and 100 percent, depending on the load on the air conditioning system. Thus, if the load on the system is high, the compressor will be operating near full capacity, while if the load is low, the compressor will be at a relatively low capacity. In addition, air conditioning systems are typically in an off state for a large portion of the calendar year. During the winter months, air conditioning systems remain inactive for long periods of time.
Recently, it has become a major concern to prevent leakage of refrigerant, and in particular chlorofluorocarbons such as freon, into the environment. Among the steps taken to address this concern are devices for changing the refrigerant within an air conditioning system in which the refrigerant within the system is captured when changed. These steps are taken to prevent the escape of refrigerant into the environment, since refrigerants may damage the ozone layer. Preventing escape of refrigerant into the environment is thus a problem faced in the air conditioning field.
However, many modern air conditioning systems do not monitor the refrigerant accurately in order to determine whether there may be leakage. In a large air conditioning system, even a relatively small leak can amount in a great deal of refrigerant reaching the environment. Also, the loss of refrigerant affects the efficiency of the air conditioning system resulting in greater power usage.
Some prior art air conditioning systems do monitor a refrigerant condition, typically the pressure, and actuate an alarm should that condition reach a preset alarm level. A leak will normally cause a pressure loss and thus can be identified by monitoring pressure. The prior art may monitor a refrigerant condition such as the pressure at a low-pressure point in the air conditioning system and compare that pressure to a preset alarm level. If the low-pressure is beyond that preset alarm level, a determination is made that there is some problem in the air conditioning system, and an alarm is actuated, often shutting the system down. These types of systems may monitor both high and low-pressure at various points within the air conditioning system.
These prior art systems do not adequately address the problem of refrigerant leakage, instead, they merely compare the actual refrigerant condition to a preset alarm level. The preset alarm level does not vary with varying environmental conditions even though the conditions within the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning system do vary with varying environmental conditions. Also, these preset alarm levels do not vary for variable operating conditions of the air conditioning systems, such as full or partial capacity of the compressor, or an off condition of the air conditioning system. They do not operate at all when the system is off. The low-pressure expected at a particular point in an air conditioning refrigerant system may be different for a full capacity condition as opposed to a 50 percent capacity condition. Prior art systems that do not vary the alarm levels necessarily set the alarm levels at the lowermost or highermost condition which could reasonably be expected during normal operating conditions of the air conditioning system. Thus, these preset alarm limits cannot accurately monitor the refrigerant circuit and detect a small leak.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to disclose a refrigerant loss prevention system which is sensitive to leakage and actuates an alarm signal when leakage is detected.


The planar optical structure forms an evanescent-field measuring platform. A body is made from the thermoplastic plastic with a three-dimensionally structured surface, wherein molding is performed directly from a master made of glass coated with metal oxide, without deposition of further coatings on a surface of the master. The planar optical structure forming an evanescent-field measuring platform has a first essentially optically transparent, waveguiding layer (a) with a refractive index n1 and a second essentially optical transparent layer (b) with refractive index n2, where n1>n2, in a case of an embodiment of a planar optical film waveguide, or a metal layer (a′) and a second layer (b), in a case of an embodiment for generating a surface plasmon resonance, wherein the second layer (b) includes a material from a group of cyclo-olefin polymers and cyclo-olefin copolymers.

The invention described herein comprises a novel planar optical structure. The structure is formed by a process for manufacturing a body from a thermoplastic plastic with a three-dimensionally structured surface, wherein molding is performed directly from a master made of glass coated with metal oxide, without deposition of further coatings on a surface of the master. The method according to the invention thus comprises fewer operational steps than corresponding conventional molding processes, which will lead to decreases in manufacturing costs. Furthermore, as a result of a smaller number of processing steps to be performed before molding on a corresponding master, risk of damage to the surface of the master, which is inevitably carried over as defects in molded bodies, is markedly reduced, which means a substantial advance in a production process.
A surface free of defects is especially important for optimization of planar waveguides, especially for applications in bioanalytics, in order to avoid scatter of guided excitation light at scatter centers and/or as a result of high surface roughness. A goal is to achieve a lowest possible surface roughness of a planar waveguide.
If in-coupling of excitation light into a waveguide takes place by use of a diffractive relief grating, then an extraordinary uniformity and reproducibility of these structures with dimensions of often only a few nanometers is necessary. In a case of manufacture of such waveguides from plastic substrates, high requirements are thus placed on corresponding molding processes.
Such periodic structures like surface relief gratings, in combination with thin metal layers deposited thereon (typically layers of gold or silver with thicknesses on the order of magnitude of about 40 nm-200 nm) on an underlying dielectric layer with a lower refractive index are also suitable for creating conditions for a surface plasmon resonance which, similar to waveguiding in an optical waveguide, is associated with formation of an evanescent field (with exponential decay in intensity in a direction of adjacent media), along propagation of the surface plasmon (instead of a guided wave). The formation of the evanescent field is explained more precisely below in an example of an optical waveguide. The term waveguiding is understood here to mean that a propagation length of a wave "guided" in a highly refractive layer shall correspond, expressed in a ray model of classical optics, at least to a distance in this layer between two total reflections at interfaces of this layer to adjacent low-refractive media or layers, opposite to one another. In a low-loss waveguide, propagation length may amount to several centimeters (or even kilometers, as in telecommunications); in a waveguide with a large-area modulated grating structure (depending on the depth of the grating) it may also measure some micrometers to a few millimeters, which is comparable with a typical propagation length of surface plasmons (typically on the order of magnitude of 100 μm). Such essentially planar optical structures, such as optical film waveguides and structures with a thin metal coating on a dielectric substrate of lower refractive index, which are described more closely below and which are suitable for generating an evanescent field, should be commonly described as "planar optical structures for generating evanescent field measuring platforms".
The invention also relates to variable embodiments of "planar optical structures for generating evanescent-field measuring platforms", wherein a layer (b) comprises a material from a group comprising cyclo-olefin polymers and cyclo-olefin copolymers. In particular the invention relates to a planar optical film waveguide, comprising a first essentially optically transparent waveguiding layer (a) with refractive index n1 and a second essentially optically transparent layer (b) with refractive index n2, where n1>n2, wherein the second layer (b) comprises a material from a group formed by cyclo-olefin polymers and cyclo-olefin copolymers.
The invention relates also to an analytical system with a planar optical structure according to the invention for generating an evanescent field measurement arrangement as a main component, as well as methods for manufacturing such planar optical structures and methods based on use thereof for detecting one or more analytes in one or more samples.
To achieve lower limits of detection, numerous measurement arrangements have been developed in recent years, in which detection of an analyte is based on its interaction with an evanescent field, which is associated with light guiding in an optical waveguide, wherein biochemical or biological recognition elements for specific recognition and binding of analyte molecules are immobilized on a surface of the waveguide.
When a light wave is in-coupled into an optical waveguide surrounded by optically rarer media, i.e. media of a lower refractive index, the light wave is guided by total reflection at interfaces of a waveguiding layer. In this arrangement, a fraction of electromagnetic energy penetrates into the optically rarer media. This portion is termed an evanescent or decaying field. A strength of the evanescent field depends to a very great extent on a thickness of the waveguiding layer itself and on a ratio of refractive indices of the waveguiding layer and surrounding media. In the case of thin-film waveguides, i.e. layer thicknesses that are the same as or thinner than a wavelength of light to be guided, discrete modes of guided light can be distinguished. Analyte detection methods in an evanescent field have an advantage in that interaction with an analyte is limited to a penetration depth of the evanescent field into an adjacent medium, on the order of magnitude of some hundred nanometers, and interfering signals from a depth of the medium can be largely avoided. First proposed measurement arrangements of this type were based on highly multi-modal, self-supporting single-layer waveguides, such as fibers or plates of transparent plastic or glass, with thicknesses from some hundred micrometers up to several millimeters.
Planar thin-film waveguides have been proposed in order to improve sensitivity and at the same time facilitate mass production. A planar thin-film waveguide in a simplest case comprises a three-layer system: carrier material, waveguiding layer, and superstrate (i.e. a sample to be analyzed), wherein the waveguiding layer has the highest refractive index. Additional intermediate layers can further improve action of the planar waveguide. Essential requirements placed on properties of the waveguiding layer itself and on a layer in contact therewith in a direction of the substrate or carrier material or on the substrate or the carrier material itself are in this case a maximum possible transparency at a wavelength of light to be guided, together with a minimum possible intrinsic fluorescence and a minimum possible surface roughness, in order for the light to be guided as free from interference as possible. Suitable substrate materials are therefore, for example, glass or plastics with corresponding properties, as has been widely described (e.g. in WO 95/33197 and WO 95/33198), with glass having proved more advantageous to date with regard to poverty of fluorescence (on excitation in a visible spectrum) and low surface roughness. A reason for the low surface roughness which can be achieved for glass substrates is in particular a possibility of heating these up to high temperatures so that formation of a roughness-enhancing microcolumn structure can be largely prevented.
In the case of plastic substrates, deposition of an intermediate layer between a substrate and a waveguiding layer is often necessary e.g. in order for contribution of the substrate's intrinsic fluorescence to be reduced for fluorescence measurements.
An optical waveguide with a substrate of plastic or a high organic portion and with an inorganic waveguiding layer, as well as methods for manufacture of this waveguide, are described in EP 533,074. Thermoplastically processable plastics, in particular polycarbonates, polymethylmethacrylates (PMMA) and polyesters, are preferred here.
Within this group of plastics, PMMA is known for having the best optical properties, i.e. in particular a poverty of fluorescence. A disadvantage of PMMA that has been described, however, is its low temperature stability, which does not permit continuous operating temperatures above 60° C. to 90° C., as required in some cases e.g. for nucleic acid-hybridization assays.
Less favorable physicochemical, especially optical, properties of known film waveguides comprising plastics as substrate (=essentially optically transparent layer (b)), contrasts with easier processability of these substances versus glass substrates, especially for producing a structured surface, e.g. through molding of a suitably structured master. Such molding processes for producing structured plastic surfaces generally cost less than a usual photolithographic surface structuring of glass substrates.
There is thus a need for optical waveguides, or general optical structures for generating an evanescent field measuring platform, which have similarly favorable optical properties, such as waveguides based on glass substrates, but which can be produced at lower cost.
Surprisingly it has now been found that, by using substrates of cyclo-olefin polymers (COP) or cyclo-olefin copolymers (COC), which are not mentioned in EP 533,074, it is possible to manufacture optical structures for generating evanescent-field measuring platforms and especially film waveguides, which are characterized by especially low intrinsic luminescence or fluorescence, with this being of great advantage in particular for fluorescence-based measuring methods, and which also show very low propagation losses of guided light. A new method was also surprisingly found for manufacturing film waveguides according to the invention by means of which these can be molded especially easily and in very good quality from a master.
Some favorable properties of optical components based on COP, compared with other plastics used in optics, which are listed in a product brochure of Nippon Zeon Co. Ltd., under the heading "Zeonex", include very low water absorption, high heat resistance, low content of impurities and relatively good chemical resistance.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,886, various cyclo-olefin copolymers and components manufactured therefrom by injection molding are claimed, especially for optics. However, there are no references to their use for optical waveguides with associated highly specific requirements. Also no information at all is given to indicate possible molding processes for generation of three-dimensional structures of COC.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,870, an optical "disk", based on COP, and a molding process for manufacturing this (structured) disk from a silicon master are described, wherein a resin layer between the master and a COP disk to be structured is used in each of specified variants of a molding process, with this layer being cured either photochemically, by UV light, or thermally.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,287, microtiter plates ("multi-well plates") are described in which COC or COP is used as material for a floor of wells in order to reduce intrinsic fluorescence of such a plate for fluorescence-based tests. Manufacturing processes described include reaction injection molding (RIM) and liquid injection molding (LIM).
RIM (reaction injection molding) is a low-pressure mixing and injection process in which two or more liquid components are injected into a closed mold, where a plastic body is formed during rapid polymerization. Possible problems of an RIM process that have been described are in particular blister formation during a curing process, poor mold filling and difficult demoldability of a manufactured plastic body (H. Vollmer, W. Ehrfeld, P. Hagmann, "Untersuchungen zur Herstellung von galvanisierbaren Mikrostrukturen mit extremer Strukturhöhe durch Abformung mit Kunststoff im Vakuum-Reaktionsgiessverfahren", Report 4267 of the KfK, Karlsruhe, Germany, 1987; P. Hagmann, W. Ehrfeld, "Fabrication of Microstructures of extreme Structural Heights by Reaction Injection Molding", International Polymer Processing IV (1989) 3, pp. 188-195). Even if these problems are largely solved, a disadvantage of the RIM process which remains is a relatively long cycle time of several minutes (T. Bouillon, "Mikromechanik—Bedeutung und Anwendung von Mikrostrukturen aus Kunststoffen, Metallen und Keramik", study paper at the IKV, RWTH Aachen, cited in A. Rogalla, "Analyse des Spritzgiessens mikrostrukturierter Bauteile aus Thermoplasten", IKV Berichte aus der Kunststoffverarbeitung, Vol. 76, Verlag Mainz, Wissenschaftsverlag Aachen, Germany, 1998). An LIM process (liquid injection molding) is described as even more time-consuming, with typical cycle times of 5 to 10 minutes.
In contrast to the molding processes described above, a variotherm injection process (A. Rogalla, "Analyse des Spritzgiessens mikrostrukturierter Bauteile aus Thermoplasten", IKV Berichte aus der Kunststoffverarbeitung, Vol. 76, Verlag Mainz, Wissenschaftsverlag Aachen, Germany, 1998) is preferred for the process according to the invention in order to mold from a master of glass coated with a metal oxide, as part of a molding tool, and to manufacture a planar optical film waveguide. This purely physical process, based on liquefying at elevated temperature of plastic initially provided as pellets, enables plastic bodies to be manufactured with even very fine structures in very short cycle times (W. Michaeli, H. Greif, G. Kretzschmar, H. Kaufmann and R. Bertulait, "Technologie des Spritzgiessens", Carl Hanser Verlag Munich Vienna 1993, p. 69).

Planar optical structure forming an evanescent field measuring platform that includes a layer molded by a master


The present invention relates to methods for the isolation and purification of immunoglobulins or fragments thereof or other biologically active factors from non-immune or immune egg yolk, by extracting the yolk with a composition containing one or more medium-chain fatty acids. The present methods provide egg immunoglobulin of high purity and high yield.

Although antibiotics have been used successfully to prevent infection, constant use of these agents has been discouraged because some have side effects (DuPont et al., Rev. Infect. Dis. 4:533 (1982); Sack, R. B., Rev. Infect. Dis. 8:S160 (1986)). It has also been found that some microbes develop resistance to antibiotics, rendering them ineffective (McDougald, L. R., Control of Coccidiosis in Chickens: Chemotherapy. in Coccidiosis of Man and Domestic Animals, P. L. Long, ed., CRC Press, Florida, 1990, p.307). Passive immunization is an alternative method of protection from infection. Antibodies are safe, natural products that bacteria will not build up resistances against and therefore can be fed continually. No side effects were observed by Tacket et al., New Eng. J. Med. 3;18:1240 (1988) when using milk immunoglobulin concentrate as an effective prophylactic against traveler's diarrhea. Fortification of food products with specific immunoglobulins or oral vaccines containing immunoglobulins would be an innovative way to help alleviate the problems associated with antibiotics.
Egg yolk is recognized as a very good source of specific antibodies. The advantages it offers over conventional antibody production are well documented. These include the potential of producing more specific antibodies against antigens in birds and mammals (Jensenius et al., J. Immunol. Methods 46:63 ( 1981 )), low cost, convenience ( Polson et al., Immunol. Commun. 9:475 (1980)) and, what is becoming more important, compatibility with modern animal protection regulations (Gottstein, B. et al., Z. Parasitenkunde 71:273 (1985)). It has also been reported that production and maintenance of higher levels of specific antibodies is relatively easy (Orlans, E. Immunology 12:27 (1967); Rose et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 4:521 (1974)).
Hen serum IgG is transferred to its egg yolk and provides its offspring with acquired immunity. Thus, it is possible to obtain pathogen-specific egg yolk antibodies from eggs laid by hens immunized against the specific antigens. Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) content of chicken eggs is about 100-150 mg/egg (Rose et al., Develop. Comp. Immunol. 5:115-20 (1981)), an amount which is remarkably higher than the antibody (IgG) content in the same volume of mammalian serum or milk. IgY differs from mammalian IgG in molecular size (168,000), isoelectric point (more acidic) (Schmizu et al., Biosci, Biotech. Biochem. 56:270-274 (1992)) and in binding ability with mammalian complement and protein A (none) (Martin et al., Can. J. Biochem. Physiol. 35:241 (1957)). IgY is also known as .gamma.-livetin and exists in egg yolk together with two other important water-soluble proteins, .alpha.-livetin (chicken serum albumin) and .beta.-livetin (.alpha.-2-glycoprotein) and various I ipoproteins (LDL and HDL) which are the major components of egg yolk (Martin et al., Can. J. Biochem. Physiol 35:241 (1957)). Therefore, the first step in the isolation of IgY is to separate the water-soluble proteins from lipoproteins. Water-soluble proteins constitute 42.4% of the total proteins in egg yolk (Osuga et al., "Egg Proteins: In Food Proteins, J. R. Whitaker and S. R. Tannenbaum eds., AVI Pub. Co., Westport, Conn. (1977)).
Many methods have been used for the isolation and purification of immunoglobulins from egg yolk (Martin et al., Can J. Biochem. Physiol. 35:241 (1957); Martin et al., Can. J. Biochem Physiol. 36:153 (1958); Jensenius et al., J. Immunol. Methods 46:63 (1981); Bade et al., J. Immunol. Methods 72:421 (1984); Polson et al., Immunol. Invest. 14:323 (1985); Hassl et al., J. Immunol. Methods 110:225 (1988)). Hatta et al. (Agric. Biol. Chem. 54:2531 (1990)) used food-grade natural gums (e.g., carrageenan) to remove yolk lipoprotein as a precipitate and to recover IgY in the water-soluble fraction from egg yolk. Kwan et al., J. Food Sci. 56:1537 (1991) used water dilution to fractionate water-soluble from water-insoluble components of egg yolk. About 15-21% of the total proteins were recovered in the supernatant of ten-fold diluted yolk, with approximately 60% recovery of IgY activity. Recently, Akita et al., (J. Food Sci. 57:629(1992)) reported that egg yolk diluted six-fold with water at pH 5.0-5.2 and incubated at 4.degree. C. for 6 hr yielded 100 mg of electrophoretically-pure IgY per egg by a combination of ultrafiltration, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography.
Passive protection of neonatal piglets against fatal enteric coli bacillosis was achieved with powder preparations of specific antibodies against K88, K99, and 987P fimbrial adhesions of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (Yokoyama et al., Infect. Immunol. 60:998 (1992)). The antibody powders were obtained by spray-drying the water-soluble protein fraction of egg yolks from immunized hens after the lipid components were precipitated with an aqueous dispersion of acrylic resins (Eudragit L30D-55; Rhom Pharma).
Using the small animal model, passive protection of suckling mice against human rotavirus infection was achieved with the use of immunoglobulin from the yolks of eggs of rotavirus-immunized hens (Ebina et al., Microbiol. Immunol. 34:617 (1990)). Egg yolks separated from albumen were mixed with the same volume of distilled water. After homogenization, yolks were filtered through gauze. The precipitate fraction was found to be composed of lipoprotein, and the supernatant fraction was composed of water-soluble protein. Water-soluble protein fractions (0.123 mg IgY/mg protein) were applied to a DEAE-Sephacel ion-exchange chromatography column and eluted with 200 mM phosphate buffer, pH 8.0. Fractions of a 280 nm peak (0.562 mg IgY/mg protein) were precipitated by saturated ammonium sulphate 3 times and dialyzed with 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 8.0. Purified IgY fractions were finally filtered through a 0.45 .mu.m membrane filter and freeze-dried.
Most of the methods mentioned, while perhaps satisfactory on a laboratory scale, are unsuited to scaling to a high volume procedure for the production of kilogram levels of food-grade antibodies. Chanutin and coworkers (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 89:220 (1960)) observed the precipitation of plasma proteins by short-chain fatty acids at pH 4.2. Steinbuch and Audran (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 134:279 (1969)) indicated that precipitation of the bulk of plasma proteins with caprylic (octanoic) acid can be done without adversely affecting IgG, ceruloplasmin, and part of the IgA.
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are the basis of a new group of fats known as structured lipids which have advantages in clinical nutrition and the treatment of disease (Kennedy, J. P., Food Technol. 45:76 (1991)). MCT oil is a saturated fat composed of C8 (caprylic) and C10 (capric) fatty acids. It is manufactured from the fractionated medium-chain fatty acids of vegetable oils such as coconut and palm kernel oil. Medium-chain fatty acids are not incorporated into chylomicrons, therefore they are not likely to be stored in the adipose tissue of the body. Instead, they are oxidized for energy in the liver as are carbohydrates and provide a dense source of calories which the body can readily use. This makes MCT ideal for anyone with high energy requirements. In the flavor industry, MCT's are frequently used as a solvent, carrier or diluent to cut concentrated essential oils and flavors when high stability, low viscosity and blandness are desired. MCT's are also used as carriers for colors, vitamins, and pharmaceuticals. Caprylic acid is a natural component of chicken eggs, found at 0.6% in the whole egg and 0.15 % in egg yolk (Cotterill et al., Poult. Sci. 56:1927 (1977)).

Large-scale purification of egg immunoglobulin


Method and systems for characterizing an optical signal propagating along a communication link are disclosed. The signal includes a data-carrying signal contribution, modulated at a symbol frequency, and a noise contribution. The method includes measuring an optical power spectrum of the signal, which includes a data-carrying signal spectrum component and a noise spectrum component. The method also includes determining a measured spectral correlation function within pairs of spectral components of the signal as a function of center frequency of the pairs, the spectral components in each pair being spectrally separated from each other by the symbol frequency. The method further includes obtaining a solution for the data-carrying signal spectrum component based on the measured optical power spectrum, such that a calculated spectral correlation function based on the solution matches the measured spectral correlation function. In some embodiments, the spectral correlation function is measured as a low-frequency beatnote amplitude function.

The performance of long-haul fiber-optic communication systems depends largely on the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). The OSNR is a conventional measurable characteristic of the quality of a signal carried by an optical telecommunication link. The dominant noise component in an optical communication link is typically unpolarized amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise. ASE noise is a spectrally broadband noise source contributed by the optical amplifiers in the link. In practice, the OSNR must therefore be measured somewhere along the link, for example at the receiver end. Current state-of-the-art systems achieve high spectral efficiency using both sophisticated modulation schemes and polarization multiplexing (PM). However, traditional OSNR measurement techniques fail in cases where both densely-packed channels and PM signals are combined. That is, the ASE noise spectrum generally cannot be measured outside of the signal-spectrum bandwidth because the channels are too closely spaced. Meanwhile, in-band measurement methods of the polarization-nulling type, which rely on the fact that the signal is 100% polarized whereas ASE is unpolarized, also suffer from drawbacks because the overall PM signal is also unpolarized.
A method of measuring noise level on PM signals using an acquired optical spectrum trace of the signal was proposed in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,112,604 B2, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This method is based on the knowledge of the spectral shape of the data-carrying signal contribution provided by a reference signal. From this knowledge, the data-carrying signal contribution and the ASE-noise contribution, which otherwise appear as merged together on the optical spectrum trace, may be mathematically discriminated from each other. Knowledge of the spectral shape of the signal contribution may be derived from a prior acquisition of a reference signal taken. For example, the reference signal can be acquired at a different point, generally upstream, along the same optical communication link, where the OSNR is known or where the signal can be considered free of ASE noise. As such, the reference signal originates from the same optical transmitter as the signal under test. The method described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,112,604 B2 assumes that, within the optical signal bandwidth, the spectral shape of the signal does not significantly change along the communication link. The signal contribution of such a reference signal is therefore considered to be spectrally representative of the signal contribution of the signal under test. U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. Nos. 2014/0328586 A1 and 2016/0127074 A1, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, include provisions to account for spectral shape variations originating, for example, from nonlinear effects.
A method for determining in-band OSNR and other quality parameters in optical information signals, for example PM signals, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2016/0164599 A1. The method involves measuring an optical power spectrum of a noisy signal, for example by means of a conventional optical spectrum analyzer, and subsequently measuring correlations between a predetermined pair of spaced-apart time-varying frequency components in the optical amplitude or power/intensity spectrum of the signal by means of two optically narrow-band amplitude or power detectors. The in-band noise in the signal may be determined from the correlation measurement. A measurement of the signal power may be used to determine the OSNR based on the determined in-band noise. A drawback of this method is the complexity and high cost of the required apparatus, notably involving two full coherent receivers.
Challenges therefore remain in the development of techniques for discriminating signal from noise in optical signals used in telecommunication applications.

Noise-free measurement of the spectral shape of a modulated signal using spectral correlation


A cladded optical fiber is secured in a slot in a substrate which is ground and polished to access the evanescent field. A thin electro-optically active layer of PLZT is deposited on the top of the fiber substrate. A pair of parallel electrodes is then deposited on top of the crystal PLZT film. An electric field distribution parallel to the electro-optical film is generated at the center of the electrode gap by applying a voltage to the electrode pair so as to effect a phase shift of the light wave propagating in the fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the fiber optics technology, particularly with respect to a phase modulator for modulating the phase of light waves propagating in an optical fiber. The invention has particular application in the fiber optics rotation sensor technology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An all fiber optical phase modulator with a high operating frequency, wide modulation bandwidth and high modulation efficiency (modulation index) is a desideratum that is not available in the prior art. Existing fiber optical phase modulators, such as the PZT stretcher and PVF.sub.2 coated fiber, have either narrow bandwidth or poor modulation efficiency. The PZT stretcher phase modulator is constructed by winding the fiber around a piezoelectric cylinder. The cylinder stretches the fiber, changing the fiber length when a voltage is applied to the cylinder electrodes. Such devices exhibit low operating frequency and narrow bandwidth. An optical fiber coated with a piezoelectric plastic jacket, such as PVF.sub.2, is also utilized as an optical phase modulator. The piezoelectric jacket squeezes the fiber by applying a voltage across the inner and outer electrodes thereof thereby changing the optical path length and hence modulating the phase. Such devices exhibit low modulation efficiency even though the frequency response thereof is broad. Non-fiber integrated optical devices, such as LiNbO.sub.3 channel waveguide phase modulators, are available in the prior art with both high modulation efficiency and wide bandwidth. When endeavoring to insert such devices into the fiber system, the coupling of light to and from the fiber with respect to the device suffers from high insertion loss and large backscattering which generally results in severe instability in the fiber optic apparatus in which the phase shifter is utilized. Additionally, mechanical and thermal instabilities of such devices and the coupling thereof into the fiber system seriously degrade performance of the fiber optical system in which the phase shifter is utilized.
An all fiber phase modulator having a large modulation bandwidth and index is highly desirable in a fiber optical rotation sensor (gyro) for providing dynamic phase bias and closed-loop operation. Such a phase modulator is required to provide a dynamic bias for maximizing the sensitivity of the rotation sensor when it is utilized to measure very small rates. In the closed-loop configuration, a loop closure transducer, such as a frequency or phase shifter, is located at the end of one fiber to produce a non-reciprocal phase shift. The non-reciprocal phase shift offsets the rotation-induced Sagnac effect phase shift. The closed-loop architecture provides a rotation sensor with wide dynamic range from which a digital output can be obtained.
For both the dynamic phase bias and closed-loop applications, an all fiber optical phase modulator having large modulation bandwidth and index is highly desirable in a fiber optical rotation sensor. When endeavoring to utilize the integrated optical devices, as described above, the coupling of light to and from the fiber with respect to the device suffers from high insertion loss and large backscattering resulting in severe instability in the rotation sensor. Additionally, the mechanical and thermal instabilities described above seriously degrade the operation of the sensor. Thus, for the reasons described above, utilization of the prior art phase shifters in the fiber optical rotation sensor is rendered impractical.
It is appreciated that an all fiber optical phase modulator with large modulation bandwidth and index has very significant applications in fiber optical technologies, and in particular, in fiber optical gyros. The fiber optical gyro has the potential to satisfy the performance requirements for high accuracy applications. The closed-loop fiber optical gyro exhibiting large dynamic range and linear output requires a broadband phase modulator or a pure frequency shifter. It is desirable to utilize an all fiber phase modulator or frequency shifter in the closed-loop gyro for the reasons described above. A wide band fiber optic phase modulator capable of providing a large bandwidth and modulation index is suitable for utilization in a closed-loop fiber optic gyro employing the serrodyne modulation technique to shift the optical frequency. Since an all fiber device can be directly spliced into any fiber optical system, the mechanical and thermal instabilities suffered when utilizing the prior art phase modulators can be eliminated and the rate sensor performance substantially improved.

Fiber optic phase modulator using electro-optic material in evanescent field


The present invention includes a differential housing and a method for forming the differential housing. The method includes the step of cold-working a first housing preform by one of a group consisting of spin-forming or flow-forming the inner surface of the preform into conformance with a contour of a first mandrel to form the differential housing. The method also includes the step of installing a differential mechanism subassembly including a plurality of gears and a pin in the differential housing. The method also includes the step of releasibly connecting a housing portion of the differential housing with one of a lid and a second gear assembly.

A differential housing supports a differential mechanism having gears that transmit torque from a transmission of a vehicle to axle shafts of the vehicle. Generally, bevels gears of the differential mechanism are housed in the differential housing. Alternatively, planetary gears can also be housed in the differential housing. The typical differential mechanism of the vehicle transmission is designed to transmit torque from a transmission output to the opposing axle shafts allowing right and left wheels to rotate at different speeds, particularly important when negotiating a turn. While performing generally the same function, differential mechanism have different dimensional requirements for rear wheel and front wheel drive vehicles. Specifically, differentials intended for use on the front wheel drive vehicles require a beveled and even annular shape in order to compensate for both the smaller packaging area available and to account for the steering characteristics of the front wheels of the vehicle.
Rear wheel drive vehicles are typically larger and require more torque production than the front wheel drive vehicles and include sport utility, pick-ups, and even heavy duty vehicles. Therefore, the rear wheel drive differential is typically dimensioned larger with heavier gauge steel than is a front wheel drive differential. Iron castings presently used to form a housing of a differential requires a large number of machining operations to produce finished parts having the dimensions necessary to provide adequate tolerances to support the gears disposed within the housing.
Given the high torque requirements that is typical of the rear wheel drive vehicle, it is believed that the differential housing should include a more dimensionally stable and durable configuration than what is required of a front wheel drive differential housing. Furthermore, many of the manufacturing drawbacks of cast differential housings have resulted in excessive cost of a typical vehicle transmission.
The art is replete with various designs of the differential housings and methods of forming the differential mechanisms, which are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,045,479 to Victoria et al; 6,061,907 to Victoria et al; 6,176,152 to Victoria et al.; and 6,379,277 to Victoria et al. Each of the aforementioned United States Patents discloses a method of forming a differential housing using a cold flow-forming process. While the differential housing formed by the process disclosed in these prior art references are believed to be effective for use in a front wheel drive transmission, it is believed that the differential housings will not be as effective for use in a rear wheel drive vehicle. However, the dimensional improvements produced by the cold flow-forming process that enable sheet steel to be used to form the differential housing can also be used to form a differential housing for a rear wheel drive differential. Therefore, the cold flow-forming process disclosed in these prior art patents are included by reference herein.
The differential housings, as disclosed in the aforementioned prior art references, are formed from a single casting that is machined subsequent to casting. In particular, a housing portion is formed in a series of steps starting with a cup-shaped workpiece. The cup-shaped workpiece is fitted over a chuck and flow-formed into a housing preform. Operations such drilling and surface finishing are performed on the housing preform subsequent to the flow-forming process. Gears are placed in the differential housing and the housing is permanently sealed. After being sealed, the entire assembly cannot be serviced and must be replaced if one of the internal components fails.
There is a constant need in the area of differential housings, formed by the cold flow-forming process and by forging and the like, for an improved design of the differential housing that is easily disassembled and is easily serviceable in a short period of time, particularly when one or more of the gears need to be replaced without having to replace the entire differential housing.

Releasable enclosure for differential housing


A fluid dispersion system and method used for spraying large areas with near-monodispersed, aerosolized fluid droplets. More specifically, the system creates and distributes a cloud of near-monodispersed droplets of fluid by pumping pressurized air and fluid through fluid dispersion machinery and into, and out of, a fluid dispersion nozzle. The fluid dispersion machinery is a combustion engine-driven air compressor system that includes an engine, radiator, fuel tank, fluid tank, fluid piping system, fluid pump, air compressor, air compression intake, one or more fluid dispersal nozzles, air ducting, clutch, and control system. The method of fluid dispersion is implemented at night during a nighttime air inversion when there is a temperature difference between the temperature of air at the top of an object and the temperature of air near the ground surface.

There are several situations, both outdoor and indoor, in which a fluid needs to be sprayed over large areas. For example, spraying is currently used to protect agricultural and forestry activities, to control wild plants for zero tillage farming, to control psychoactive plants, to manage pests in insecticidal processing or other environments where pest control is desired, to apply fertilizer to plants' leaves, to deliver fertilizer through stalks and leaves, to desiccate plants, to treat plants with fungicides, to manage mosquito and vector disease, and other broad-range applications.
However, current dispersers are limited in the range in which they can reach and the method of fluid application to the plants. Additionally, they unevenly cover the land being sprayed, waste the fluid being dispersed, and create environmental hazards through, for example, runoff of excess chemicals. Therefore, a fluid dispersion system and method is needed that is capable of spraying and dispersing fluid materials evenly, over longer distances, and without unnecessary chemical waste.

Product delivery method to the treatment object and the device for its implementation


A wireless response system includes a base unit and a plurality of handheld response units communicating with the base unit over a wireless communication link. The base unit sends polling commands to the response units over the wireless communication. The response units send the response data to the base unit over the wireless communication link in response to the polling signals. The response data is entered in the respective response units by a user.

The present invention is directed to remote response systems for retrieving user responses at a base unit and, in particular, to a wireless response system which utilizes wireless communication between response units and one or more base units.
Wireless response systems are desirable because they may be utilized at various locations without requiring wiring between the individual response units and the base unit. This makes wireless response systems especially attractive for their portability and ability to be used in various venues. While applications for response systems vary, it is known to utilize systems to monitor the progress of students during a lesson, monitoring the reaction of individuals to the presentation of a commercial advertisement to or a debate, or the like.
Wireless response systems require that data be exchanged between the response units and the base unit over a wireless communication channel or channels. Therefore, any data exchange is limited by the bandwidth, or data transmission capability, of the wireless communication link(s). This becomes especially important as the number of response units increases. Moreover, variations in physical structures of the venue in which the response system is located can affect the ability of response units in certain areas of the venue to reliably communicate with the base unit.


The disclosure provides a needle-electrode anchor system having a needle and an optional electrode with one or more anchors. The system can provide an electrical cutting current to the needle-electrode to create an opening in a tissue portion. An anchor coupled to the needle-electrode can be pushed through the opening with a pusher and pulled into position to set the anchor on a distal surface of the opening. If the tissue portion is to be approximated to another tissue portion, the system can be relocated to another tissue portion and another opening created with the cutting current with another anchor pushed through the opening and secured on a distal surface. Lines coupled to the anchors can be pulled together, approximating the tissue portions. If the tissue portion is to be retracted, an anchor line can be grasped to retract the tissue portion from an adjacent tissue portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure medical procedures. More particularly, the disclosure relates to setting tissue anchors for tissue approximation and retraction in medical procedures.
2. Description of Related Art
During medical procedures on tissues surfaces, it is often desirable to pull tissue portions toward each other, generally known as "approximation". For example, the tissue portions can be adjacent to a wound that needs suturing or other closure. The gap between adjacent sides of the wound may be so large as to make the closure tenuous and time consuming. Other medical procedures often benefit from pulling tissue portions away from each other, known as "retraction." The tissue surfaces may benefit from such retraction for medical diagnosis, enhanced viewing and placement during surgical removal, and other medical procedures.
Known medical instruments, such as surgical hemostats and dressing forceps are routinely used for such procedures external to a body of an organism. However, the current endoscopic, laparoscopic, and other medical procedures performed internally to the body create an order of magnitude in complexity. The limited viewing and access during these internal procedures typically prohibit the use of such known instruments for tissue approximation and retraction. The size of the typical instruments is prohibitive for the internal procedures, but more importantly most procedures need to be done with one instrument inserted into the area.
When closing a gap after an excision or created by a wound, an internally inserted and actuated surgical clip can close a relatively small gap through its known mechanisms by the same instrument inserted into the area. However, a gap that exceeds the capabilities of the clips needs special and time consuming efforts to close. One known method is to start at one end of the gap and slowly close small sections progressively to the other end of the gap with a large number of clips, similar to the operation of a zipper. One recent procedure required about five hours to excise and close a 5 cm tumor.
To approximate large gaps in tissues or retract the tissues often requires inserting an anchor through the wall of the body portion, such as an abdominal wall, where a line, such as a suture, is attached to the anchor. The line can be pulled toward another anchor and line in another portion of the tissue to approximate the respective tissue portions, or toward another portion of the body to retract the tissue portion with the anchor away from an adjacent tissue portion. A needle with an anchor is used to push through the wall and locate the anchor on a distal side of the wall. However, inserting the anchor through the wall can be technically challenging due to the thickness of some portions of the wall. A significant amount of force is needed to push the needle and anchor through the wall and often bends the flexible endoscope or other scope through which the needle is inserted. The amount of force complicates the procedure and at time requires placement of the anchor to a less desirable location.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved method and device to insert an anchor into a tissue portion to approximate and retract the tissue portion.

Needle-electrode and tissue anchor system

Board of Regents of the University of Texas System