In a printer having a function of automatically finding out a paper feeder satisfying the condition that the paper size specified in print data and the paper size set in the printer match and then printing, if they match and it is made impossible to find out any paper feeder in which paper remains although print data processing is not complete (paper error state), the user can change the paper size set in the printer and if the paper size is changed to the correct size (print enable state), the printing is continued.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-133709 filed on May 9, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printer and a print system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most of printers each including a plurality of paper feeders in recent years enable the user to specify the paper feed to be used for printing or specify automatic selection of the paper feeder (without directly specifying the paper feeder) for printing.
Specifically, such a printer is an apparatus, upon reception of print data specifying the paper feeder to be used, for checking that paper of the size specified for use in the print data is set in the paper feeder specified for use and then using paper in the paper feeder for printing, and upon reception of print data specifying automatic selection of the paper feeder, for searching for the paper feeder setting paper of the size and type (or only size) specified for use in the print data among the plurality of paper feeders included in the printer and using paper in the found paper feeder for printing. Further, if the used paper feeder becomes empty of paper after the printer starts printing upon reception of print data specifying automatic selection of the paper feeder, the printer can also switch the paper feeder used for printing to any other paper feeder setting paper of the size and type specified for use in the print data being processed and continue printing.
To make possible the described operation, the printer is configured so that the user can set information indicating the size and type of paper set in each paper feeder, which will be hereinafter referred to as paper size and paper type. Some printers eliminate the need for the user to set the paper size because each paper feeder is provided with a mechanism for detecting the paper size (a mechanism for detecting the paper size from the paper press position, which will be hereinafter referred to as paper size detection mechanism). Some printers require that the user should set the paper size only for each paper feed provided with no paper size detection mechanism because only some paper feeders are provided with a paper size detection mechanism.
If print data processing is interrupted because information set concerning paper in the printer in the related art (paper size, paper type) contains information not representing the size or type of paper actually set in the paper feeder (if a paper-out error, etc., occurs), the printer is an apparatus hard to restart the processing (intricate work being involved).
Specifically, when the paper size set for a paper feeder X (provided with no paper size detection mechanism) is xe2x80x9cB5xe2x80x9d although paper actually set in the paper feeder X is xe2x80x9cA4,xe2x80x9d upon reception of print data specifying use of the paper feeder X and printing on xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d-size paper, the printer in the related art interrupts processing for the print data assuming that a size mismatch error has occurred.
When the size mismatch error has occurred, the printer in the related art is an apparatus which requires that the user should perform print stop work and again set the correct paper size for the paper feeder X before again printing
Further, upon reception of print data specifying automatic selection of the paper feeder and printing on xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d-size paper in the state described above, the printer in the related art does not use the paper feeder X and uses any other paper feeder for which setting of xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d-size paper is set (or the paper size detection mechanism detects xe2x80x9cA4xe2x80x9d-size paper being set) and which includes paper to start printing. If such a paper feeder runs out during the printing, the printer interrupts processing for the print data assuming that a paper-out error occurs. If such a paper feeder does not exist from the beginning, the printer interrupts processing for the print data assuming that a paper-out error occurs.
If print data processing is interrupted in such a mode, the printer in the related art enables the user to add paper to any other paper feeder than the paper feeder X for continuing the printing, but cannot use paper in the paper feeder X to continue the printing unless the printing is once stopped.
The printer in the related art (for checking paper type match) is an apparatus in which a similar problem can also occur concerning the paper type.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a printer and a print system that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because information concerning paper is not precisely set.
To the end, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer for receiving print data containing a specification value specifying specifications of paper to be used for printing and operating, the printer including paper storage means being capable of storing paper of various specifications; print execution means for printing on paper stored in the paper storage means; specification setup value storage means for storing a specification setup value; specification setup value change means for storing a specification setup value specified by the user in the specification setup value storage means; and print control means for monitoring reception of print data, upon reception of print data, determining whether or not the specification value contained in the print data and the specification setup value stored in the specification setup value storage means match, if they match, starting print control processing of causing the print execution means to print in response to the print data, if they do not match, interrupting the print control processing, waiting for the specification setup value change means to change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means, and if the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the value matching the specification value contained in the print data, restarting the print control processing.
That is, the printer according to the first aspect of the invention starts to print after checking that the specifications concerning paper to be used, specified in the print data and the specifications concerning paper, stored in the printer (set by the user) match. If they do not match (although the user sets paper of specifications different from those set so far in paper storage means, the user forgets about changing the specifications in the specification setup value storage means to the correct specifications), the user can change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means and if the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the correct value, the printing is continued. Therefore, the printer can function as a printer that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because the information concerning paper is not precisely set.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer for receiving print data containing a specification value specifying specifications of paper to be used for printing and operating, the printer including a plurality of paper storage means each being capable of storing paper of various specifications; paper presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper in each of the plurality of paper storage means; print execution means being capable of printing on paper stored in any of the plurality of paper storage means to print on paper specification setup value storage means for storing a specification setup value for each of the plurality of paper storage means; specification setup value change means for changing the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means concerning the paper storage means specified by the user to user-specified specification value; and print control means for waiting for print data to be received, upon reception of print data, repeating print control processing of finding the paper storage means satisfying a selection enable condition of a condition that the specification value contained in the print data and the specification setup value stored in the specification setup value storage means match and paper remains among the plurality of paper storage means using the paper presence/absence detection means and causing the print execution means to print the contents responsive to the received print data on paper stored in the found paper storage means until printing of all pages requested to be printed on the print data is complete or the printer is placed in a state in which the plurality of paper storage means do not contain any paper storage means satisfying the selection enable condition, if the printer is placed in the state in which the plurality of paper storage means do not contain any paper storage means satisfying the selection enable condition before printing of all pages requested to be printed on the print data is complete, interrupting the print control processing and waiting for the specification setup value change means to change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means, and if the specification setup value concerning one paper storage means in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the value matching the specification value contained in the print data, restarting the interrupted print control processing.
That is, the printer according to the second aspect of the invention automatically selects the paper storage means satisfying the condition that the specifications concerning paper to be used, specified in the print data (specification value) and the specifications concerning paper, stored in the printer (specification setup value set by the user) match, and then prints. If they match and it is made impossible to find out paper storage means in which paper remains although the print data processing is not complete, the user can change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means and if the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the correct value, the printing is continued. Therefore, like the printer according to the first aspect of the invention, the printer can function as a printer that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because the information concerning paper is not precisely set.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer including a plurality of paper storage means each being capable of storing paper of various specifications; paper presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper in each of the plurality of paper storage means; print execution means being capable of printing on paper stored in any of the plurality of paper storage means to print on paper; specification setup value storage means for storing a specification setup value for each of the plurality of paper storage means; specification setup value change means for changing the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means concerning the paper storage means specified by a user to user-specified specification value; and print control means for receiving print data which always contains a specification value specifying specifications of paper to be used for printing and may or may not contain paper storage means specification information specifying any of the-plurality of paper storage means and causing the print execution means to print.
In the printer according to the third aspect of the invention, upon reception of the print data not containing the paper storage means specification information, the print control means repeats print control processing of finding the paper storage means satisfying a selection enable condition of a condition that the specification value contained in the print data and the specification setup value stored in the specification setup value storage means match and paper remains among the plurality of paper storage means using the paper presence/absence detection means and causing the print execution means to print the contents responsive to the received, print data on paper stored in the found paper storage means until printing of all pages requested to be printed on the print data is complete or the printer is placed in a state in which the plurality of paper storage means do not contain any paper storage means satisfying the selection enable condition, if the printer is placed in the state in which the plurality of paper storage means do not contain any paper storage means satisfying the selection enable condition before printing of all pages requested to be printed on the print data is complete, interrupts the print control processing and waits for the specification setup value change means to change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means, and if the specification setup value concerning one paper storage means in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the value matching the specification value contained in the print data, restarts the interrupted print control processing. Upon reception of the print data containing the paper storage means specification information, the print control means determines whether or not the specification value contained in the print data and the specification setup value concerning the paper storage means specified by the paper storage means specification information contained in the print data in the specification setup value storage means match, if they match, causes the print execution means to print in response to the print data, if they do not match, waits for the specification setup value change means to change the specification setup value concerning the paper storage means specified by the paper storage means specification information in the specification setup value storage means, and if the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the value matching the specification value contained in the print data, causes the print execution means to print in response to the print data.
The printer according to the third aspect of the invention having the configuration functions as an apparatus having both the function of the printer according to the first aspect of the invention and the function of the printer according to the second aspect of the invention. Therefore, like the printer according to the first, second aspect of the invention, the printer can function as a printer that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because the information concerning paper is not precisely set.
To implement the printer according to each aspect of the invention, the specification setup value change means may receive specification of the specification setup value, etc., from the user through a control panel, etc., placed on the printer; the specification setup value change means of the printer according to the first aspect of the invention may be means having a function of storing the user-specified specification setup value contained in received information in the specification setup value storage means; the specification setup value change means of the printer according to the second aspect of the invention may be means having a function of keeping track of user-specified paper storage means and user-specified specification value from received information and changing the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means concerning the user-specified paper storage means to the user-specified specification setup value. Using such means as the specification setup value setup means, there can be provided a printer enabling the user to change the specification setup value without the need for the user to go to the installation place of the printer.
To implement the printer according to each aspect of the invention, to make it possible to interrupt printing, when the print control processing is interrupted, the print control means may be means for waiting for the specification setup value change means to change the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means and also waiting for a print cancel command to be given, and if the specification setup value in the specification setup value storage means is changed to the value matching the specification value contained in the print data, the print control means may be means for causing the print execution means to print in response to the print data and if a print cancel command is given, the print control means may be means for canceling processing for the print data and making a transition to a state in which new print data can be received.
To implement the printer according to each aspect of the invention, the specification value and the specification setup value may be information concerning paper; for example, the specification value and the specification setup value may be paper size specification information or may be paper size and type specification information.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer including a plurality of paper storage means each being capable of storing paper of various specifications; print execution means being capable of printing on paper stored in any of the plurality of paper storage means to print on paper; and print control means for waiting for reception of print data containing paper supply source specification information that can specify one or more paper storage means of the plurality of paper storage means, upon reception of print data, starting print control processing of causing the print execution means to print the contents responsive to the print data on paper stored in the paper storage means specified in the paper supply source specification information contained in the print data, when the paper storage means specified in the paper supply source specification information becomes empty of paper, interrupting the print control processing and waiting for new paper supply source specification information to be given, and if new paper supply source specification information is given, restarting the print control processing in a mode in which the printing is continued using paper stored in the paper storage means specified in the new paper supply source specification information.
That is, after printing is started in accordance with the paper supply source specification information contained in the received print data (information directly specifying the paper storage means to be used for printing or information indirectly specifying the paper storage means to be used for printing according to the specifications of paper), when paper runs out, the printer according to the fourth aspect of the invention waits for a paper supply source specification information change command (new paper supply source specification information) to be given. When new paper supply source specification information is given, the printer continues the printing in accordance with the new paper supply source specification information. Therefore, the printer functions as a printer that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because the information concerning paper is not precisely set or for any other reason.
A print system of the invention includes a printer according to each aspect of the invention and a host for transmitting print data to the printer and therefore functions as a system that can easily restart print data processing interrupted because the information concerning paper is not precisely set or for any other reason.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


An automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system signal processing technique which provides improved performance and reliability and which substantially eliminates the adverse effect of ambient noise signals on the detection of permissible code sequences by an AVI receiver. Input signals to an AVI receiver are filtered to strip off all frequency components except those at the carrier frequency. The filtered signals are subjected to variable gain amplification over a substantially linear operating range with the maximum amplitude of the amplified signals limited to a maximum value below the supply voltage and within the linear range of the variable gain amplifier. The amplified signals are converted to a binary pulse train signifying the temporal length of each active carrier period and the temporal length of each quiescent carrier period. The binary pulse train is decoded and a valid vehicle signal is generated if the decoded binary pulse train matches a permissible code sequence.

This invention relates to automatic vehicle identification (AVI) systems used to detect a specific vehicle over an inductive loop embedded in a roadbed. More particularly, this invention relates to a technique for improving the performance and reliability of such systems.
AVI systems have been used for a substantial period of time to generate information specifying the presence or absence of a specific vehicle at a particular location sometimes termed a detection zone and to control access to restricted areas, such as an area providing restricted access via an automatically operated gate. Such systems have been used, for example, to limit ingress and egress at police impound lots to only authorized vehicles, to enable emergency vehicles (such as fire trucks and ambulances) to gain access to a gated residential or industrial area, and to monitor the progress of omnibuses along a city route.
A typical AVI system has a transmitter mounted on a vehicle which broadcasts over a limited range an encoded signal, usually a modulated carrier signal at a predetermined specific frequency (e.g., 375 kHz.), serving to identify the vehicle. A receiver connected to a loop antenna detects signals sensed at the specific frequency when a vehicle having such a transmitter is within the detection range of the loop-receiver combination. The receiver processes the detected signal to recover the encoded information, determines whether the encoded information matches a permissible code sequence stored in the receiver (which specifies a vehicle authorized in the system), and generates appropriate supervisory and control signals depending on the result of this determination. For example, in a system application in which access to a gate-guarded area is controlled by a receiver, the receiver may generate a gate operating signal in response to a match between the encoded information detected by the receiver and the permissible code sequence stored in the receiver. In a vehicle progress monitoring application, the receiver may time stamp the passage of the specific vehicle through the loop and store this time information and the identity of the vehicle in a local memory or transmit this information to a central processing unit, either instantaneously or on a periodical batch processing basis.
In a typical U.S. AVI system, information is encoded on a single frequency carrier signal by carrier burst modulation using a serial bit trinary encoding technique. According to this trinary encoding technique, a bit clock having a period of 0.1706 msec. Is used to define a bit period of 0.68250 msec. (four bit clock cycles); a trinary bit period of 1.3650 msec consisting of two consecutive bit periods. (eight bit clock cycles), and a nine bit trinary sequence of 12.285 msec (seventy-two bit clock cycles). The bit clock is also used to define two different types of bits—a short bit and a long bit. A short bit is defined as a binary signal asserted for the duration of one-half of a bit clock cycle (0.08530 msec.). A long bit is defined as a binary signal asserted for the duration of three and one-half cycles of the bit clock (0.59720 msec.). A ZERO value is defined as a two short bits during a trinary bit period consisting of a short bit at the beginning of a bit period followed by another short bit at the beginning of the next consecutive bit period. A ONE value is defined as two long bits during a trinary bit period consisting of a long bit at the beginning of a bit period followed by another long bit at the beginning of the next consecutive bit period. A TWO value is defined as one long bit followed by one short bit during a trinary bit period consisting of a long bit at the beginning of a bit period followed by a short bit at the beginning of the next consecutive bit period. In a nine bit trinary sequence, the least significant bit is transmitted first, followed by the next most significant bit, etc., until the most significant bit has been transmitted. The order of the bits is weighted according to the trinary encoding system, so that a transmitted value of ONE for the first trinary bit in the trinary sequence (bit 0) is interpreted as ONE, and a transmitted value of TWO for trinary bit 0 is interpreted as TWO; a transmitted value of ONE for the second trinary bit in the trinary sequence (bit 1) is interpreted as THREE, a transmitted value of TWO for trinary bit 1 is interpreted as SIX; etc. (For the last trinary bit in the trinary sequence [bit 8], a transmitted value of ONE is interpreted as 6561, and a transmitted value of TWO is interpreted as 13,122). As an example, to transmit a permissible code sequence of 13, 762, the sequence of transmitted values, beginning with the least significant bit, is ONE, ZERO, TWO, TWO, ONE, TWO, ZERO, ZERO, TWO.
The binary code values are encoded on a single frequency carrier in the following manner. A zero is signified by a short carrier burst followed by a short carrier burst; a one is signified by a long carrier burst followed by a long carrier burst; and a two is signified by a long carrier burst followed by a short carrier burst. The timing and positioning of the carrier bursts follow precisely the timing and sequencing constraints noted above. Each trinary sequence is separated from the next by a guard band consisting of a time period during which the carrier is inactive.
An AVI receiver determines the numerical value of a valid received code by adding the values for the trinary bit sent at each bit position in the trinary sequence using the weighting factors noted above. In order to validate the reception of a permissible code sequence, known AVI receivers are designed to require that the identical code sequence be decoded from two or more successive received trinary sequences.
In many loop locations, ambient electro-magnetic radiation can be present, either continuously or sporadically. This radiation is usually referred to as electrical noise signals, or simply noise signals. Some of these noise signals can contain a frequency component having the same frequency as the frequency of the AVI carrier signal generated by AVI transmitters. Given the precise timing constraints resident in the standard AVI trinary encoding process, the presence of such ambient noise signals at the AVI carrier frequency can adversely affect the operation of the AVI detection system, since the AVI receiver must be configured to detect all signals at the predetermined specific frequency. If present at a given loop, these carrier frequency noise signals will pass through the AVI receiver processing circuitry (since it must accept signals at the carrier frequency). The AVI receiver will attempt to process these noise signals, usually with a negative result—e.g., no comparison match with a permissible code sequence. These carrier frequency noise signals can possess sufficient amplitude to mask a permissible code sequence encoded in the carrier frequency. When the carrier frequency noise signals appear at the receiver during the same time as the carrier frequency signals, the AVI system cannot detect and take appropriate action in response to the arrival of an authorized vehicle at the loop. In the case of a fire truck responding to an emergency call in a gate-guarded community, for example, the AVI receiver can fail to generate the necessary gate operating control signal, thus denying the fire truck immediate access to the secured area. In the case of a bus route monitoring application, the AVI receiver can fail to detect the passage of a particular bus, resulting in the loss of important bus location information.
Efforts to devise an AVI system devoid of the above noted disadvantages have not met with success to date.

AVI system with improved receiver signal processing


Cardiac stroke volume and output are estimated using an arterial pressure signal, which may be obtained either invasively, using a catheter-mounted pressure sensor, or non-invasively, with an external plethysmographic sensor mounted with a finger cuff. Both pulsatile and non-pulsatile (continuous) components of the sensed pressure signal are analyzed. Stroke volume is estimated as a function of the ratio between the area under the entire pressure curve and a linear combination of various components of impedance. Depending on the embodiment, first and/or second time derivatives of the pressure signal are used to determine the impedance components. The estimated stroke volume is preferably corrected based on the amount of deviation from a reference pressure of the mean pressure, which itself is determined from the sensed pressure signal. The invention is thus able to estimate stroke volume and cardiac output from the pressure signal alone, with no need for calibration using other highly invasive techniques.

This invention relates to a method for determining the stroke volume and, hence, the cardiac output of a patient, as well as to a system that implements the method.
Accurate measurement of the cardiac output (CO) of a patient has proven to be a valuable diagnostic tool. Accordingly, several methods for determining CO have been developed, of which thermodilution, the direct oxygen Fick method, and the pulse contour method (PCM) are at present the most prevalent. These known methods for measuring CO, however, are affected by several drawbacks that greatly limit their application in the clinical setting as well as for purposes of research.
Measurement of CO using thermodilution, which is described, for example in Ganz, W. and Swan, H. J. C. (1972), xe2x80x9cMeasurement of blood flow by thermodilution,xe2x80x9d Am. J. Cardiol. 29, pp. 241-246, has become routine in the hemodynamic evaluation and management of critically ill patients. As is well known, this method is based on the law of conservation of energy and on the application of the Stewart-Hamilton equation, for which a number of conditions must be fulfilled. These conditions include complete mixing of the thermal indicator with blood, no loss of indicator within the dilution volume, and constant blood flow during the dilution time.
Inaccuracy in the determination of CO may result from the inconsistency of these assumptions in many clinical conditions. In particular, variability of blood flow may occur as a consequence of hemodynamic instability related to changes in heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, valvular or congenital heart disease, and application of mechanical ventilation. Additional limitations of the thermodilution method are its invasiveness and the impossibility of monitoring CO beat-to-beat in critical conditions and during the course of acute pharmacological interventions.
The direct oxygen Fick approach is the standard reference technique for CO measurement. See, for example, Fagard, R. and Conway, 3 (1990), xe2x80x9cMeasurement of cardiac output: Fick principle using catheterization,xe2x80x9d Eur. Heart J. 11, Suppl. I, pp. 1-5. According to the Fick principle, CO can be determined by the ratio of oxygen uptake to the difference in oxygen content between arterial and mixed venous blood. The validity of the principle depends upon the assumption that pulmonary blood flow is approximately identical to systemic blood flow and that the lungs themselves do not extract oxygen. Although this method appears to be the most accurate among those currently available, its use is limited by a series of practical problems. These problems include the need for right heart catheterization to obtain truly mixed venous blood, the assumption of the availability of appropriate analytical techniques for measuring oxygen uptake and content, and the attainment of a steady state in which apparent oxygen consumption matches tissue oxygen utilization. The fulfillment of these conditions makes the method unsuitable for repeated measurements and, consequently, not apt to follow rapid changes in flow over time.
The pulse contour method (PCM), which has been developed from an original idea by J. A. Herd et al. dating back to 1864 and from a theory commonly referred to as the xe2x80x9cWindkesselxe2x80x9d (German for xe2x80x9cair chamberxe2x80x9d) theory of Franck (Franck O., 1930), derives CO from the arterial pressure pulse wave. The PCM method is based on the existence of a relationship between the volume of blood expelled by the left ventricle (LSV) or the volume of blood expelled by the right ventricle (RSV) and the area under the pressure curve P(t). Unlike the thermodilution and Fick methods, which measure mean CO over a limited time span, the PCM operates on a beat-to-beat basis. The primary assumption of PCM is that the pressure rise during systole is related, in a complex way, to the systolic filling of the aorta and proximal large arteries. Various approaches have therefore been devised to approximate, by means of different models of the arterial system, the relationship between aortic pressure and flow.
One of the most famous models used in PCM was developed by Wesseling and his co-workers and is described in, among many other references:
Wesseling, K. H., Dc Wit, B., Weber, J. A. P. and Smith, N. T. (1983), xe2x80x9cA simple device for the continuous measurement of cardiac output. Its model basis and experimental verification,xe2x80x9d Adv. Cardiol. Phys. 5, Suppl II, pp.16-52;
Wesseling, K. H., Jansen, J. R. C., Settels, J. J. and Schreuder, J. J. (1993), xe2x80x9cComputation of aortic flow from pressure in humans using a nonlinear, three-element model,xe2x80x9d J. Appl. Physiol. 74, pp. 2566-2573;
Jansen, J. R. C., Wesseling, K. H., Settels, J. J. and Schreuder, J. J. (1990), xe2x80x9cContinuous cardiac output monitoring by pulse contour during cardiac surgery,xe2x80x9d Eur. Heart J. 11, Suppl 1, pp. 26-32;
Sprangers, R. L., Wesseling, K. H., lmholz, A. L., Imholz, B. P. and Wieling, W. (1991), xe2x80x9cInitial blood pressure fall on stand up and exercise explained by changes in total peripheral resistance,xe2x80x9d J. Appl. Physiol. 70, pp. 523-530;
Jellema, W. T., Imholz, B. P. M., van Goudoever, J., Wesseling, K. H. and van Lieshout, J. J. (1996), xe2x80x9cFinger arterial versus intrabrachial pressure and continuous cardiac output during head-up tilt testing in healthy subjects,xe2x80x9d Clin. Sci. 91, pp.193-200;
Stock, W. J., Baisch, F., Hillebrecht, A., Schulz, H. and Karemaker, J. M. (1993), xe2x80x9cNoninvasive cardiac output measurement by arterial pulse analysis compared to inert gas rebreathing,xe2x80x9d J. Appl. Physiol. 74, pp. 2687-2693;
Harms, M. P. M., Wesseling, K. H., Pott, F., et al. (1999), xe2x80x9cContinuous stroke volume monitoring by modelling flow from non-invasive measurement of arterial pressure in humans under orthostatic stress,xe2x80x9d Clin. Sci. 97, pp. 291-301;
Houtman, S., Oeseburg, B. and Hopman, M. T. E. (1999), xe2x80x9cNon-invasive cardiac output assessment during moderate exercise: pulse contour compared with C02 rebreathing,xe2x80x9d Clin. Physiol. 19, pp. 230-237;
Jellema, W. T., Wesseling, K. H., Groeneveld, A. B. J, Stoutenbeek, C. P., Thjis, L. G. and van Lieshout, J. J. (1999), xe2x80x9cContinuous cardiac output in septic shock by simulating a model of the aortic input impedance. A comparison with bolus injection thermodilution,xe2x80x9d Anesthesiology 90, pp.1317-1328;
Langewouters, G. J., Wesseling, K. H. and Goedhard, W. J. A. (1984), xe2x80x9cThe static elastic properties of 43 human thoracic and 20 abdominal aortas in vitro and the parameters of a new model,xe2x80x9d J. Biomech. 17, pp. 425-435; and
Stock, W. J., Stringer, R. C. 0. and Karemaker, J. M. (1999), xe2x80x9cNoninvasive cardiac output measurement in orthostasis: pulse contour analysis compared with acetylene rebreathing,xe2x80x9d J. Appl. Physiol. 87, pp. 2266-2273.
The Wesseling method is based on a model of the elastic properties of the aorta and has been found to be satisfactory under certain hemodynamic circumstances. According to the xe2x80x9cModelflowxe2x80x9d method developed by Wesseling and coworkers, uncalibrated values of CO are obtained by relating the area under the pulsatile systolic portion of the pressure wave to parameters derived from a nonlinear three-element model of the arterial system. In PCM, in order to establish a relationship between pressure and flow, the mechanical properties of the arteries, as function of arterial pressure, are approximated either by several empirical formulae or by using a model based on age- and sex-predicted values not directly pertaining to the subject under study.
The three elements of the model used in Modelflow are aortic characteristic impedance (i.e., the relationship between the rise of pressure in the aortic root in opposition to the flow of blood ejected from the left ventricle), arterial compliance (i.e., the relationship between changes in blood volume and changes in pressure in the aorta), and peripheral vascular resistance (i.e., the relationship between mean pressure and mean flow). The first two elements of the modelxe2x80x94impedance and compliancexe2x80x94depend mostly on the elastic properties of the aorta. In Modelflow, these elements are predicted by an experimentally derived arctangent function that relates aortic pressure and cross-sectional area; however, this prediction has, as required input variables, the age and sex of the subject. The third elementxe2x80x94vascular resistancexe2x80x94is derived from the model simulation and is calculated and updated for the next heartbeat by the ratio between mean pressure and the computed flow.
Compared to other methods, the major advantage of PCM is the ability to monitor CO beat-to-beat over prolonged periods without the need of an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter for recording temperature changes or for blood sampling. Indeed, measurements can be derived from the pressure recordings in a systemic peripheral artery or even from the pressure signal detected noninvasively at the finger. The results of the method rely on the aortic pressure-cross-sectional area relationship, which is approximated from unrelated in vitro measurements on segments of human thoracic aorta. To obtain absolute values of CO, it is then necessary to determine, at least once for each patient, a calibrating factor of the model parameters by comparison of the PCM result with an absolute CO estimatexe2x80x94without such calibration, PCM can provide only relative changes in CO. The need for comparison with a reference method greatly limits the usefulness of PCM since the calibrating technique is either invasive (e.g., thermodilution) or cumbersome (e.g., inert gas rebreathing) and it must be repeatedly applied when changes in the experimental procedure, which may alter the physical properties of the arteries, are induced.
The estimates of CO by Modelflow thus depend more on fixed predicted parameters than on actual measurements obtained from the subject under evaluation. In fact, the parameters to measure CO derived directly from the pressure wave are limited to pulsatile systolic area, mean blood pressure, and heart rate. Other parameters that characterize the elastic properties of the arteries and that can be derived from the shape of the pressure curve, such as the time of attainment of peak systolic pressure, the presence of sudden slope changes, and the length of the diastolic phase, are not taken into consideration for the computation of CO. As a consequence, different forms of the pressure signal and different end-diastolic pressure levels can result in pulsatile systolic areas with comparable integral value. It is likely, however, that pressure waves with markedly different contours and end-diastolic pressure levels may reflect definite differences of arterial vessels physical characteristics even though they have similar pulsatile systolic areas. As such, accurate computation of CO using Modelflow and related methods is highly dependent on the measurement of a calibrating factor derived by comparison with an independent standard reference method, rather than on the actual pressure wave morphology.
What is needed is therefore a method for measuring accurately an absolute value of CO, that is, which does not require calibration using some other absolute method, and that can do so continuously for prolonged periods. The method should preferably be able to accomplish this without the level of invasiveness of, for example, thermodilution methods, and it should not depend on such patient-specific parameters such as weight, height, body surface area, sex, age, the diameter of the aorta of the patient, etc. This invention provides such a method, and a related system for implementing it.
The invention provides a method for measuring cardiac output (CO) of a patient, as well as a system that implements the method. According to the invention, arterial blood pressure is sensed and is converted to a pressure signal. An estimate of stroke volume is then calculated as a function only of selected characteristics of the sensed pressure signal and of predetermined, patient unspecific constants. The invention then calculates an estimate of CO as a function of the estimated stroke volume and a current heart rate value.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the estimate of stroke volume is calculated by calculating an area (A) under the entire pressure signal, including both pulsatile and non-pulsatile portions of the pressure signal, over a cardiac cycle; estimating selected impedance values from the pressure signal; and calculating the estimate of stroke volume as a function of the ratio between the calculated area and the estimated selected impedance values.
As part of calculating the estimate of stroke volume, the invention preferably also calculates a mean pressure value of the pressure signal and then corrects the estimated stroke volume as a predetermined function of the mean pressure value and of a reference pressure.
The preferred embodiment of the invention detects the times and corresponding pressure values of a systolic peak and of a dicrotic notch in the pressure signal. A second derivative of the pressure signal is then evaluated between the systolic peak and the dicrotic notch. The time and corresponding pressure value of at least one intermediate point in the pressure signal are then detected between the systolic peak and the dicrotic notch at which the second derivative has an extreme value and at least one of the selected impedance values is then estimated as a predetermined function of the time and corresponding pressure value of the intermediate point.
A systolic peak pressure Psys, a diastolic pressure Pdia, and a dicrotic pressure Pdic are preferably detected and the estimated stoke volume is then preferably scaled by a factor proportional to the ratio between the difference between Pdia and Pdic and the difference between Psys and Pdia.
In addition to detecting a dicrotic notch in the pressure signal, in some embodiments of the invention, a post-dicrotic first derivative of a post-dicrotic portion of the pressure signal is also evaluated at times after the dicrotic notch. In these cases, the time and corresponding pressure value of at least one local maximum pressure are detected in the post-dicrotic portion of the pressure signal and at least one of the selected impedance values is estimated as a predetermined function of the time and corresponding pressure value of the local maximum pressure.
Using the preferred embodiment of the invention, the CO estimate may be calculated based on the pressure signal during a single cardiac cycle.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure signal is uncalibrated, whereby the steps of calculating the estimate of the stroke volume and of calculating the estimate of CO are independent of external calibration.
The invention thus provides for direct calculation of cardiac flow (or, equivalently, cardiac output) and arterial impedance (Z) from a measured pressure signal. The pressure signal may be measured either invasively, for example, in the ascending aorta, or in the pulmonary, femoral, brachial, or radial artery, or non-invasively, for example from the arteriole of the finger using a cuff meter. A composite impedance value Ztot of the pressure signal is calculated directly on the basis of characteristics of various resonance points, preferably by means of an analysis of the first and second time derivatives of the pressure signal.
In determining stroke volume SV, from which the invention calculates cardiac output, the invention takes into account both pulsatile and non-pulsatile (continuous) components of the recorded pressure signal. Accordingly, in calculations of SV, the invention considers the area A under the entire pressure signal, that is, the pulsatile portion above the diastolic pressure as well as the continuous portion below the diastolic pressure. Moreover, with respect to the composite impedance Ztot, in addition to the pulsatile portion between the time of diastoly and the dicrotic notch, the invention also takes into consideration the influence of the non-pulsatile, continuous portion of the pressure curve that occurs after the dicrotic notch.
The invention is therefore able to calculate the cardiac flow with no need to calibrate the recorded pressure signal, and no need to incorporate patient-specific, anthropometric data. Rather, the invention determines SV exclusively from an analysis of the characteristics of the pressure wave itself. These characteristics include not only the xe2x80x9cprinciplexe2x80x9d balancing points (systolic and dicrotic points) of pressure of ventricularly ejected blood, but also of additional points of balance.

Method and apparatus for measuring cardiac output


A beverage storage apparatus including an outer container housing an internal flexible and collapsible bladder serving to hold the beverage and a means to regulate the pressure of gas in a head space between the outer container and the internal bladder. The apparatus can further dispense fluid such as beverages whereupon the bladder is under pressure to assist in dispensing the fluid and by use of an appropriate gas maintain the composition of the beverage.

Beverage products come in a variety of packaging styles. For example, carbonated beverages are supplied in traditional glass bottles, in plastic bottles and in aluminium cans. Wine, by contrast has been traditionally sold in glass bottles, although the use of a cardboard cask container enclosing a bladder is also known and there have been more recent attempts, as yet not commercially widespread, to promote wine in alternative packages such as aluminium cans or even cartons of the type typically used for milk and fruit juice products.
There are underlying reasons driving demand for alternative packaging methods to those traditionally used including the cost of manufacture, the volume able to be stored for domestic applications, the issue of oxidation and/or microbial contamination. We deal with each in turn.
First, it has been recognized that the traditional packaging methods are energy and resource intensive. The extraction and refining of aluminium and subsequent production of aluminium cans is extremely energy intensive. Manufactured aluminium products are therefore regarded as having a very high embodied energy. The environmental consequences of using aluminium in the manufacture of a single use throwaway item are now being subject to significant scrutiny and there is a general desire to move away from such products towards those products that are more sustainable.
Similarly, wine has traditionally been sold in glass bottles. As with aluminium, glass production is also an energy intensive process and the demand exists for more environmentally responsible methods of packaging.
Secondly, long term storage of liquids or beverages is readily achievable in packaging. The success of such packaging has been attributed to the fact that it is cheap to produce and maintains the packaged liquid sterile and free from oxygen ingress and microbial spoilage. However, once opened for consumption, this packaging type offers no protection against oxidation or microbial contamination and the liquid deteriorates rapidly. This is why such packaging is only suitable only for smaller volumes that will be consumed immediately or shortly thereafter upon opening the package.
A further driver for the development of alternative packaging methods is the demand for a packaging method that will allow the user to consume only a portion of the contents of the package without compromising the quality, or reducing the longevity of the remaining package contents.
In the case of carbonated drinks the consumer is inevitably presented with a dilemma on the opening of a can or bottle. Carbonated drinks, as their name implies, rely for their effervescence and taste on the dissolution of carbon dioxide in the liquid drink product. In solution, carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid which also contributes to the taste and feel of the product. In the case of soft drinks the carbon dioxide is added to a base syrup solution and maintained, in the can or bottle, under a head space of carbon dioxide at above atmospheric pressure. The carbon dioxide in solution in the drink is in equilibrium with the carbon dioxide in the head space.
However, once the can or bottle has been opened, the atmosphere above the liquid contents of the package changes. The overpressure carbon dioxide gas escapes (giving the familiar rush of air from the can or bottle) and air in the can or bottle is replaced with air having the typical atmospheric constitution and, at equilibrium, the gas content of the liquid, and more particularly, the carbon dioxide content of the liquid is substantially reduced. This results in the familiar flat drink, generally considered to be unpalatable.
In the case of wine the issues are slightly different. Wine is produced from the fermentation of plant sugars into alcohol by yeasts. Typically the alcohol content of a wine is in the region of 9-15% alcohol by volume. In addition to the alcohol content wines typically contains a myriad of complex organic compounds that contribute to the taste and flavour of the product. Most but not all of these organic compounds, including the alcohol, may be subject to chemical reaction on exposure to atmospheric oxygen producing a chemically altered product. The chemistry of wine is complex and there is merit, in some cases, of exposing a wine to atmospheric oxygen—generally known as allowing a wine to 'breathe'. However, extended exposure to oxygen can result in the wine being 'oxidised', and, as a result, becoming unpalatable. Although various reactions may be involved, oxidation does at least affect the alcohol present in the wine in that prolonged exposure to oxygen will result in alcohol being oxidised to aldehydes and ultimately to acetic acid. Thus, wine from a standard 750 ml narrow necked bottle will deteriorate slowly, but appreciably, after opening such that, in most cases, a noticeable drop in quality of a red wine may be perceived after only a few days at the very most.
As an alternative to the use of a wine bottle, the wine cask has been developed and used successfully, also known as the bag in box (BIB). A wine cask consists of a flexible metallised polymer bladder holding wine attached to a dispensing tap. In use, a wine cask has a limited life span of around 9 months, as the polymer bag is to some degree permeable to oxygen. The BIB is the most common and popular bulk liquid storage packaging that offers intermittent liquid dispensing. The principle of operation of the BIB involves the liquid being contained within a collapsible bag that requires gravity to push the contents out of a dispensing tap.
There are several limitations to the BIB. These are:                (a) Liquids sensitive to oxidation have a limited shelf life in the BIB due to oxygen ingress through the collapsible bag during storage. Forty percent of the oxygen ingress in the BIB occurs as a result of direct oxygen permeability into the stored liquid through the bag itself.        (b) Oxidation further increases by another 60% when the consumer begins dispensing liquid as a result of oxygen ingress through the dispensing tap.        (c) Microbial contamination can enter through the dispensing tap during use.
The problem of storage and dispensing of a beverage from a larger vessel, without compromising product quality also occurs in connection with beer. Carbon dioxide is, of course entrained in beer during the fermentation process; however, in addition to this many beers are now stored and dispensed from a pressurized keg in which an overpressure of carbon dioxide is used to exclude air from entering the keg. Kegs used for commercial breweries are typically made of aluminium or stainless steel hold around 50 L and require properly maintained equipment to tap and dispense the product. Commercial kegs are essentially unsuitable for domestic use.
However, the demand for domestic at home beer consumption has driven the development of the single use keg, typically of 5 L volume. Each keg comes with an internal C02 compressor, which pushes the beer up the line and prevents the contents of the keg from coming into direct contact with the air. Beer stays fresh for at least 30 days after the keg is tapped. This technology relies on a gas blanket to compress the fluid and results in gas diffusion of carbon dioxide into the fluid. The beverage then acquires excessive gas and can suffer loss of aroma. Accordingly, this technology is unsuitable for non carbonated beverages. The relatively short life of a product stored in a single use keg, after the keg has been breached is also a limitation on the more wide spread use of such a product.
Thus the above solution is an advance from the BIB in that oxidation is reduced effectively due to the liquid being stored within an impermeable container (tin can). However, this packaging design creates other limitations and as mentioned, does not eliminate microbial invasion through the dispensing valve. The principle of operation of such kegs involves a supply of constant gas pressure (from a gas cylinder and regulator) provided within the packaging to push out the liquid contents through the dispensing valve. The design limitations of this packaging are:                (a) The gas used to push out the liquid is in direct contact with the liquid, effectively equilibrating with the liquid and changing its gaseous composition continuously, affecting the taste so that it becomes undrinkable within 30 days of consumer activation.        (b) A further contributing factor that causes the liquid quality to reduce is the formation of headspace within the packaging as a result of liquid volume reducing during consumer dispensing. This headspace further cause's aroma to be lost from the liquid due to the law of equilibrium.        (c) The packaging concept is not suitable for still liquids as gas acquisition affects the liquid specifications and taste.        (d) The dispensing tap allows microbial ingress that can cause spoilage of the liquid.        (e) The packaging concept is not suitable for all carbonated liquids.
Thus whilst specialised packaging aimed at reducing oxidation post opening and during consumer dispensing have allowed for larger liquid volumes to be packaged and sold, other factors that contribute to stored liquid deterioration, such as microbial contamination, have not been addressed in any of these packaging solutions.
An attempt to overcome microbial contamination and the ingress of oxygen through the tap of the BIB has resulted in the development of aseptic taps. Whilst such a tap can reduce oxygen ingress into the BIB by 60% the additional 40% due to oxygen permeability through the surface of the collapsible bag itself is not addressed by such a tap.
There is no known solution for current kegs that suffers from contamination, loss of volatile aroma from the liquid due to headspace formation and over gassing due to direct contact between the liquid and the pressurised gas.
The present invention is addressed to the above problem and seeks to provide an alternative to current storage solutions for dispensing of beverages or even just for storage of beverages.


A flue gas desulfurization according to the present invention includes a desulfurization absorber that removes SOx and dust contained in flue gas, spray pipes that are provided in the desulfurization absorber, an absorbent feeding means that feeds an absorbing-agent-slurry containing absorbent, in which limestone is used as an absorbing agent, into the desulfurization absorber, nozzles that are provided in the spray pipe to spray the absorbent into the desulfurization absorber, an alkaline-agent feeding means that feeds an alkaline-agent containing solution into the desulfurization absorber, and an waste-water discharge pipe for discharging filtrate obtained by solid-liquid separating the absorbent discharged from the desulfurization absorber as waste water. A feed amount of the alkaline-agent containing solution into the desulfurization absorber is adjusted based on a discharge amount of the waste water.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx), dust and the like generated by combustion of fossil fuel in a thermal power plant are contained in exhaust gas (flue gas). Such NOx, SOx, dust and the like cause air pollution, and therefore a NOx removal apparatus that removes NOx and a flue gas desulfurization for removing SOx are provided in a thermal power plant and the like having a coal combustion boiler. A wet limestone/gypsum method predominates in such a flue gas desulfurization installed in thermal power plants. In this technique, a spray method in which a limestone slurry is sprayed from a nozzle to bring the limestone slurry into gas-liquid contact with flue gas has high reliability, and has been frequently adopted as a spray method of the limestone slurry into a column.
In a conventional flue gas desulfurization adopting the spray method, flue gas from a boiler or the like is introduced from a gas inlet duct into an absorber, limestone as an absorbent of sulfur oxide is supplied to the desulfurization as a limestone slurry, and the absorbent is sprayed from spray nozzles installed in the absorber.
Flue gas is introduced from an opening provided on a side face or the like of the absorber to flow toward an opening provided in an upper part of a column of the absorber. An absorbent containing limestone slurry is sprayed from each nozzle installed in the absorber toward flue gas flowing in the column. Gas-liquid contact is made between flue gas supplied into the absorber and droplets of the absorbent, and SOx in flue gas is removed on the surfaces of the droplets of the absorbent along with NOx, dust, and acidic gas such as hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride. Mist entrained in flue gas is removed by a mist eliminator, reheated as required, and then discharged from a stack through a gas outlet duct provided at the top of the column as clean flue gas.
The absorbent having absorbed SOx accumulates in a lower part of a main body of the absorber. SOx removed from flue gas in the absorber reacts with limestone in the absorbent to become calcium sulfite as an intermediate product. Air for oxidation is supplied to the absorber by a blower or the like, so that calcium sulfite is oxidized by oxygen in the air supplied into the absorber, thereby generating calcium sulfate (gypsum).
In a wet-type FGD (Flue Gas Desulfurization) adopting a wet-type limestone/gypsum process, the limestone reactivity decreases due to NOx, SOx, dust and the like contained in flue gas flowing into the absorber.
Therefore, for example, in the conventional flue gas desulfurization, absorbing activity of the absorbent is increased by feeding an absorbing agent having higher absorbing activity with respect to NOx, SOx, dust and the like such as magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or the like into a desulfurization absorber (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).


A router which facilitates a simplified load balancing is provided. The router contains at least one buffer memory for the intermediate storage of pointers for information packets in at least two different buffer memory areas, a readout unit for reading out the different buffer memory areas one after the other in predetermined time windows, and at least one RED processing unit. A feedback loop is provided from the readout unit to at least one RED processing unit in order to control the activation and de-activation of the RED processing unit. Indirect information about the occupancy levels of the buffer memory areas is passed via the feedback loop to the at least one RED processing unit. The readout unit operates with the weighted round robin mechanism and transmits information about buffer memory locations processed in the time slots to the at least one RED processing unit.

Routers are used in telecommunication networks as an interface, for example, between a backbone network based on an Internet protocol and an access network, for example a DSL network; DSL=Digital Subscriber Line. DSL networks are constructed as ADSL, SDSL, VHDSL, for example, where A stands for Asymmetric, S for Symmetric and VH for Very High.
A router usually contains a packet memory and a readout unit and is used to route and receive information packets. The received information packets are temporarily stored in the packet memory. Routers which do not distinguish between service qualities operate on the FIFO (first in first out) principle, that is to say each packet is forwarded immediately on receipt. Routers which distinguish between different service qualities and have to handle each individual data flow separately, evaluate parts of each packet and compares it with a list of classifications which enable the assignment of the packet to a data flow. After the assignment, only pointers to the information packets are temporarily stored in a buffer memory. The classifier is provided in order to extract the pointers of the information packets from the received data flow, to evaluate them and to feed them to at least one buffer memory. The readout unit is used to read out the temporarily stored pointers and, by means of the read-out pointers, to detect and read out the information packets assigned to the read-out pointers. A so-called weighted round robin (WRR) mechanism is used for the readout procedure. In this case, different buffer memory areas are read out one after the other and in predetermined time windows. This process ensures that, at the outputs of the router, each data flow and each service class receives the bandwidth provided for it. The sequence of the packets between the various data flows can certainly change, but the packet sequence does not change within a data flow.
Information packets are usually transmitted in different, so-called Quality of Service (QoS) classes. A quality of service class specifies the so-called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), for example. Another quality of service class specifies the so-called Best Effort (BE) service, for example. Voice, data, video, Internet web pages, etc., can be transmitted as information in information packets.
The routers which support a service-specific charging system, have to classify and route each information packet individually while taking different requirements into account.
The overall bandwidth of a transmission channel is distributed among the types of services on offer, and is comparable to the division of a circle into sectors. "Weighted" signifies that the sectors can be of unequal size to meet the specified traffic profile. The trick for QoS is that the sectors for VoIP are always slightly larger than the requirement, and that they follow one another sufficiently quickly. For best effort traffic, there is no quality guarantee and the provided bandwidth can be less than that requested. The sectors in the WRR may be too small in comparison with the emerging traffic. Best effort packets can therefore collide, be delayed or disappear altogether.
The search for pointers requires time, thereby impairing the processing speed of the router. In addition, a longer search can lead to gaps occurring in the output information packet stream, in which no information packets are transmitted, which leads to a lower information rate. Furthermore, a predetermined time slot is reserved for the readout of a stacking area, so that the processing of the stacking area is impaired by a longer search, which can cause an overflow of the stacking area, leading to information loss.
In addition, a process is implemented, which removes under random control the individual information packets that were temporarily stored but not yet read out, if the data transfer rate of the received information packets exceeds the data transfer rate of the read-out information packets. This process is termed RED=Random Early Discard, or also RIO=RED with In and Out. Received information packets can also be removed instead of the temporarily stored ones. The removed information packets are not transmitted to the destination address and are irretrievably lost. The process is used for so-called load balancing, that is to say a controlled throughput in relation to traffic volume, in order to prevent blocking, in particular. In order to facilitate RED, a knowledge of the occupancy levels of the stacking areas is necessary. The occupancy levels of the stacking areas are monitored by means of one or more separate detection units. Scanning, in particular, of the stacking areas at short time intervals is necessary to achieve this. The detected occupancy levels are transmitted to the RED processing units, which arrange removal of information packets if an occupancy level exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Router which facilitates simplified load balancing


An optical signal adjustment apparatus detects an optical signal intensity level of signal light components with multiple different wavelengths for each of the wavelengths in an optical detection unit and adjusts the signal light components with the wavelengths for each of the wavelengths in a variable optical attenuator to make the optical signal intensity levels of the signal light components uniform. The apparatus includes a control unit configured to successively select a detection signal associated with each of the wavelengths from the optical detection unit and generate a control signal for the wavelength based on the selected detection signal. The control signal generated by the control unit is supplied to the variable optical attenuator associated with the selected detection signal.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments discussed herein are directed to an apparatus and method for adjusting optical signals by adjusting signal light components with multiple wavelengths for each of the wavelengths.
2. Description of the Related Art
In WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexer) transmission systems, when the number of optical wavelengths (accommodating ports) or span loss in transmission channels varies in an OADM (Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer), an optical amplifier or others, a VOA (Variable Optical Attenuator) is used in an optical signal level adjustment unit to keep a constant intensity (power) of an optical signal in order to maintain a certain communication quality.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary conventional WDM transmission apparatus. In this illustration, an optical signal transmitted in an optical channel and multiplexed with wavelengths λ1 through λN is amplified in an optical amplifier 11 and then is wavelength-demultiplexed in a wavelength demultiplexer (DMUX) 12. After optical signals with different wavelengths are switched in an optical switch (OSW) 13, the optical signals are adjusted in respective optical signal level adjustment units 14-1 through 14-N to make the respective intensity (power) levels of the optical signals uniform. Then, the adjusted optical signals are wavelength-multiplexed in a wavelength multiplexer (MUX) 15, amplified in a transmission amplifier 16 and then supplied to an optical channel.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary conventional optical signal level adjustment unit. In this illustration, an optical signal level adjustment unit includes a monitor (PD) unit 14a for detecting the intensity of an optical signal, a control (CNT) unit 14b for generating a control signal corresponding to the detected intensity of an optical signal and an adjustment (VOA) unit 14c.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-140631 proposes that VOAs associated with respective multiple different wavelengths are controlled depending on output levels of the VOAs and analyzed levels of the respective wavelengths by monitoring wavelength-multiplexed light components of outputs of the VOAs associated with multiple different wavelengths.
Recent explosive growth of optical communications traffic has promoted larger-scale WDM transmission systems and demanded more compact circuits for adjusting power of optical signals.
In such a larger-scale WDM transmission system, however, the control unit 14b for level adjustment of optical signals must include a number of correction units 14b1 and VOA control unit circuits 14b2 corresponding to the number of wavelengths, resulting in a larger-scale circuit.

Apparatus and method for adjusting optical signals


A manufacturing process of a concrete product includes: (1) extracting calcium from solids as portlandite; (2) forming a cementitious slurry including the portlandite; (3) shaping the cementitious slurry into a structural component; and (4) exposing the structural component to carbon dioxide sourced from a flue gas stream, thereby forming the concrete product.

Electricity generation from coal-fired power plants represents about 25% of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the United States (about 1.4 billion tons of CO2 emitted in 2015). In view of regulations that seek to restrict CO2 emissions in support of climate change goals, it is expected that such emissions will be financially penalized. The expected restriction is of great consequence to emission intensive sectors such as coal-fired power generation, which are expected to be substantially burdened by such penalties.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been proposed as a solution to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, CCS is not always a viable solution, for: (i) reasons of cost which is estimated to range from about $60-to-$150 (in terms of US dollars) per ton of CO2, (ii) the permanence (or lack thereof) of a sequestration solution, and/or (iii) the lack of suitable geological features in a local vicinity where CCS can be favorably achieved. This is further complicated by increasing levels of anthropogenic CO2 emissions which render current proposals of CCS a short-term solution.
Technologies have been proposed to produce concrete products by utilizing CO2 to carbonate portlandite or wollastonite. However, the proposed technologies specify the use of newly mined or produced materials as precursors, and involve energy-intensive processing and, hence, high costs, which can impede the propagation of such technologies as a viable solution to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Moreover, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) based on mineralization of carbon dioxide (CO2) (carbonation) relies on achieving a high reaction speed (thus a high production throughput) with a low energy input. However, in a typical carbonation reaction, CO2 is consumed and removed from a gas mixture continuously during the reaction. Therefore in a closed system, the CO2 concentration and its partial pressure reduce as the reaction proceeds. This substantially impacts the late stage reaction speed and restricts a final carbonation extent.
It is against this background that a need arose to develop the embodiments described herein.

Efficient integration of manufacturing of upcycled concrete product into power plants

The Regents of the University of California


An internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes an oil circuit and a pump in fluidic communication with a supply line and at least one lubricant receiving component and a liquid cooling system including a coolant circuit having an oil pressure actuated coolant valve and a coolant valve control line in fluidic communication with the pump and having a first configuration in which coolant may flow therethrough and a second configuration in which coolant is inhibited from flowing therethrough, the first and second configurations triggered in response to a change in oil pressure in the coolant valve control line.

Internal combustion engines may be used to provide motive power to a vehicle. Cooling may be provided to internal combustion engines, in principle, in the form of air cooling systems or liquid cooling systems. However, the addition or integration of various components into the engine may increase thermal loading on the engine. Specifically, it may be desirable to increase the compactness of the engine to decrease vehicle size and/or increase internal space in the vehicle via the integration of certain parts into others, such as the integration of the exhaust manifold into the cylinder head and/or cylinder block. This may in turn lead to increased thermal loading on the engine beyond acceptable levels. Therefore, it may be desirable to utilize liquid cooling systems as opposed to air cooling systems to remove heat from the engine due to the greater quantity of heat that may be removed via liquid cooling systems when compared to air cooling systems.
Liquid cooling systems may include at least one cooling jacket having cooling channels traversing a cylinder head. The coolant in the liquid cooling system may include water mixed with additives. The liquid cooling system may also include a pump for circulating coolant through the cooling jacket. The heat delivered to the coolant in the cooling jacket may be discharged from the cylinder head via discharge lines, which may be in fluidic communication with a heat exchanger.
To reduce the fuel consumption, rapid heating of the engine oil is expedient for the purpose of reducing friction in lubricated components, in particular after a cold start. Heating the engine oil reduces the viscosity of the oil and thus reduces friction in the lubricated components, in particular in bearings supplied with oil, such as crankshaft bearings.
Therefore, in some prior art engines oil is actively heated, for example, by an external heating device. Alternatively, the engine oil which has been heated during engine operation may be stored in an insulated tank, so that during start-up, oil which has been already heated is ready for use. Alternatively, a coolant-operated oil cooler may be diverted from its intended purpose in the warm-up phase and utilized for heating the oil. This, however, requires coolant which has already been heated. The engine oil may be heated in an accelerated manner via decreasing the amount of heat removed from the coolant in the cooling system during a warm-up phase.
To adjust the liquid cooling system automatically controlled temperature-dependent valves have been used. Specifically, the automatically controlled temperature-dependent valves may be used to decrease (e.g., inhibit) coolant flow during warm-up to increase the rate of heating of the engine. The automatically controlled valves are commonly thermostats that comprise a temperature-reactive element subjected to coolant in the cooling system. The automatically controlled valves are positioned at an inlet of the cooling jacket or upstream of the inlet in a supply line and may open or close based on the temperature of the coolant.
In some examples, the temperature-dependent valve may be positioned so that the coolant bypasses a heat exchanger when the valve is closed. In other examples, the temperature-dependent valve may be positioned in a supply line so that coolant flow through the cooling jacket is inhibited when the valve is closed. Opening the valve may enable coolant to flow through the heat exchanger and/or cooling jacket. In this way, the temperature of the engine may be adjusted by the temperature dependent valve. It will be appreciated that coolant flows through the valve even when it is closed to subject the temperature-reactive element to the coolant. It will be appreciated that when coolant flow is inhibited in the cooling jacket, the engine temperature increases more rapidly during warm-up. Specifically, the temperature-dependent valve is opened when the coolant temperature exceeds a specific threshold temperature. Likewise, the temperature-dependent valve is closed when the coolant temperature falls below the threshold temperature. Generally, the thermostat opens and closes repeatedly during the warm-up phase. Such a control would additionally promote the heating of the engine oil and further reduce the friction in lubricated components. In some examples, the temperature-dependent valve may be configured to flow coolant into a compensation tank when closed to inhibit coolant flow through the cooling jacket. Coolant valves of the aforementioned type are controlled by engine control systems which may include memory executable by a processor.
The German published patent application DE 10 2004 058 864 A1 discloses electronically controlled valves which may be arranged in connection with a cooling system. In addition to simple opening/closing valves with a vacuum cell or with a magnet as an actuator, a valve is disclosed which uses a redundant safeguard system. In this case, an electromagnet is actuated by the engine control system and, when current flows through a valve plate, lifts, i.e. opens, against a spring force, wherein a sufficiently high vacuum prevailing at high engine speeds also moves said plate. Additionally, a safety expansion element opens the valve, when a limit temperature is reached, in turn by lifting the valve plate.
The Inventors have recognized several drawbacks with the aforementioned cooling system. Firstly, the high cost of electrically controlled and actuated valves increase the cost of the engine. As a result, it may not be desirable to use the electrically controlled valves in mass produced engines where cost is a concern. Another drawback of the electrically controlled valve is the complexity of the control system and valve. Specifically, the electromagnet in the valve may fail and/or malfunction. As a result, thermal overloading of the internal combustion engine may occur, thereby degrading engine operation.
As such in one approach, an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes an oil circuit and a pump in fluidic communication with a supply line and at least one lubricant receiving component and a liquid cooling system including a coolant circuit having an oil pressure actuated coolant valve and a coolant valve control line in fluidic communication with the pump and having a first configuration in which coolant may flow therethrough and a second configuration in which coolant is inhibited from flowing therethrough, the first and second configurations triggered in response to a change in oil pressure in the coolant valve control line.
In this way, the valve may be passively adjusted to alter the coolant flow in the liquid cooling system passively in response to changes in oil pressure. It will be appreciated that the cost of the oil pressure actuated coolant valve may be lower than electronically controlled valves due to the decreased complexity of the oil pressure actuated coolant valve. Moreover, the oil pressure actuated coolant valve may be more robust than electronically controlled valves due to the decreased complexity.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.
The invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1-5.

System and method for an engine comprising a liquid cooling system and oil supply


Nitriding process of a steel strip is performed. Next, annealing is performed to form a forsterite based glass coating film at a surface of the steel strip. Heating is performed up to 1000° C. or more in a mixed gas atmosphere containing H2 gas and N2 gas, and a rate of N2 gas is 20 volume % or more, next, the atmosphere is switched into H2 gas atmosphere at the temperature of 1000° C. or more and 1100° C. or less, when the annealing is performed. An oxygen potential P (H2O)/P (H2) is set to be 0.05 to 0.3 when the temperature is 850° C. or less during the heating in the mixed gas atmosphere.

In a conventional manufacturing method of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, an insulating film called as a glass coating film is formed at a surface of a steel strip at finish annealing, and a control of a crystal orientation using AlN precipitates as an inhibitor is performed. A tensile tension acts on the steel strip by the glass coating film, and thereby, a core loss of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is reduced. There is a case when the glass coating film is called as a forsterite film or a primary coating film. Besides, excitation properties improve owing to the control of the crystal orientation.
However, there is a case when a number of defects occur at the glass coating film in the conventional manufacturing method as stated above. A size of the defect in a direction parallel to the surface of the steel strip is several dozen μm to several hundred μm. If the defect as stated above occurs, an external appearance deteriorates because the steel strip exposes from the glass coating film. Besides, the defect of the glass coating film leads to the core loss and/or deterioration of the excitation properties.
A study to reduce the defects of the glass coating film has been made, but it is impossible to fully reduce the defects by the former technologies.

Grain-oriented electrical steel sheet and manufacturing method thereof

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation


A hydraulically-actuated system includes a fixed displacement pump with at least one piston that reciprocates in a pump housing that defines a high pressure area and a low pressure area. A control valve is attached to the pump housing and moveable between a first position in which the piston displaces fluid in a first proportion between the high pressure area and the low pressure area, and a second position in which the piston displaces fluid in a second proportion between the high pressure area and the low pressure area. At least one hydraulically-actuated device is connected to the high pressure area of the pump. A source of low pressure fluid is connected to the low pressure area of the pump. An electronic control module is in communication with and capable of controlling the position of the control valve.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,829 to Wear et al. describes a variable displacement actuating fluid pump for a hydraulically-actuated fuel injection system. In this system, a high pressure common rail supplies pressurized lubricating oil to a plurality of hydraulically-actuated fuel injectors mounted in a diesel engine. The common rail is pressurized by a variable displacement swash plate type pump that is driven directly by the engine. Pressure in the common rail is controlled in a two-fold manner. First, some pressure control is provided by electronically varying the swash plate angle within the pump. However, because variable angle swash plate type pumps typically have a relatively narrow band of displacement control, pressure in the common rail is primarily controlled through an electronically controlled pressure regulator. The pressure regulator returns a portion of the pressurized fluid in the common rail back to the low pressure fluid sump in order to maintain fluid pressure in the common rail at a desired magnitude.
While the Wear et al. hydraulically-actuated system using a variable displacement pump has performed magnificently for many years in a variety of diesel engines manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. of Peoria, Ill., there remains room for improvement. On the overall level, the Wear et al. system is relatively more complex in that the control scheme in its electronic control module must simultaneously control both the angle of the swash plate within the high pressure pump and the amount of fluid spilled via the pressure regulator. Also, variable angle swash plate type pumps are relatively complex, and thus more prone to mechanical breakdown relative to simple fixed displacement type pumps. Finally, the Wear et al. system inherently wastes energy that inevitably results in a higher than necessary fuel consumption for the engine. In other words, energy is wasted each time the pressure regulator spills an amount of pressurized fluid back to the low pressure sump.
In another class of fuel injection systems, an individual unit pump supplies pressurized fuel to each individual fuel injector. In still another class of fuel injection systems, an individual unit pump supplies actuating fluid to each individual hydraulically-actuated fuel injector. In both of these classes of fuel injection systems, the individual unit pumps are of a fixed displacement and fixed output type such that a substantial amount of energy is wasted in those instances where an amount of fuel injected corresponds to less than the full stroke of the individual unit pumps. In most instances, these fuel injection systems utilize electronically controlled spill valves on the fuel injectors themselves in order to control injection timing and/or quantity. However, because of space constraints at and around the engine head, compromises must often be made in order to accommodate such a spill valve in or on the fuel injector body, as well as the associated plumbing, etc.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other problems associated with, and improving upon, fluid pumps and their associated hydraulically-actuated systems.

Hydraulically-actuated system having a variable delivery fixed displacement pump


Method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence. A method for screening a mixture of potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to at least one target binder involves flow-separating a solution of chemicals and target binders into separated components, exposing them to an x-ray excitation beam, detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from the components, and determining from the signals whether or not a binding event between a chemical and target binder has occurred.

Pharmaceutical chemicals are the active ingredients in drugs such as the now popular Prilosec™, Lipitor™, Zocor™, Prozac™, Zoloft™, and Celebrex™, and it is believed that their pharmaceutical properties are linked to their ability to bind to the "binding site" of one or more proteins. The binding properties of a protein largely depend on the exposed surface amino acid residues of the polypeptide chain (see, for example, Bruce Alberts et al., "Molecular Biology of the Cell", 2nd edition, Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1989; and H. Lodish et al., "Molecular Cell Biology", 4th edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, 2000). These amino acid residues can form weak noncovalent bonds with ions and other molecules. Effective binding generally requires the formation of many weak bonds at the "binding site" of the protein. The binding site is usually a cavity in the protein formed by a specific arrangement of amino acids. There must be a precise fit with the binding site for effective binding to occur. The shapes of binding sites may differ greatly among different proteins, and even among different conformations of the same protein. Even slightly different conformations of the same protein may differ greatly in their binding abilities. For these reasons, it is extremely difficult to predict which chemicals will bind effectively to proteins.
It can take many years to identify an effective pharmaceutical chemical. The desire to hasten the identification of important pharmaceutical chemicals is a constant challenge that has prompted the use of screening strategies for screening a large number of structurally or chemically related materials, known in the art as a "library," for binding properties to proteins.
Screening methods generally involve combining potential pharmaceutical chemicals with target binders and determining which, if any, of the potential pharmaceutical chemicals bind to any of the target binders. Potential pharmaceutical chemicals are preferably water-soluble organic compounds that can dissolve into the blood stream. Target binders are generally biological materials such as enzymes, non-enzyme proteins, DNA, RNA, microorganisms (e.g. prions, viruses, bacteria, and the like), human cells, plant cells, animal cells, and the like. Potential pharmaceutical chemicals that bind to at least one target binder are likely candidates for further investigation of pharmaceutical properties (e.g. efficacy and toxicity).
Some of the known screening methods are described in the following three patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,344 to D. Allen Annis et al. entitled "Method for Identifying Compounds in a Chemical Mixture", which issued Nov. 14, 2000, describe a method for automatically analyzing mass spectrographic data from mixtures of chemical compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,334 to Jonathan A. Ellman et al. entitled "Pharmacophore Recombination for the Identification of Small Molecule Drug Lead Compounds," which issued Feb. 5, 2002, describes a method for identifying a drug lead compound that inhibits binding of target biological molecules by contacting these target biological molecules with a library of cross-linked, target, binding fragments.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,169 to Ole Hindsgaul et al. entitled "Apparatus for Screening Compound Libraries," which issued May 28, 2002, describes an apparatus that employs frontal chromatography combined with mass spectrometry to identify and rank members of a library that bind to a target receptor.
Screening methods sometimes employ tagged materials because the analogous untagged material is otherwise not visible using the analytical technique chosen for the screening method. Tagging may involve attaching a labeled chemical portion to a chemical. An example of a screening method requiring tags is fluorescence activated cell sorting. An example of this method involves preparing a solution of cells and antibodies bearing a fluorescent tag. Some of the antibodies bind to some of the cells. One at a time, the cells flow past a laser beam and a detector (such as a ultraviolet/visible fluorescence detector). Cells that fluoresce (are bound to the tagged antibodies) and are then deflected into a collector (see, for example, Bruce Alberts et al., "Molecular Biology of the Cell", 2nd edition, Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1989, pages 159-160).
It is generally assumed that the attachment of a fluorescent tag only serves to make visible the otherwise invisible chemical and/or target binder, and does not alter the binding properties of the untagged analog. Since it is well known that even small changes to the structure of a chemical or target binder may affect its function, this assumption may not be a valid one. Tagged surrogates are structurally different from their untagged counterparts, and these structural differences could affect their binding properties.
An efficient method for screening potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to target binders remains highly desirable.

Flow method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence