A camera assembly includes a time-of-flight module and a circuit board. The circuit board is provided with an avoidance space. The time-of-flight module includes a transmit module and a receive module. The transmit module is configured to emit a detection optical signal. The receive module is configured to receive an induction optical signal formed after the detection optical signal is reflected by a to-be-measured object. The receive module is located in the avoidance space. A connection end of the receive module is fixed to the circuit board. The transmit module is located around the receive module and fixed to the circuit board.

A main component for electronic devices to implement an imaging function is a camera module. A time-of-flight (time of flight, TOF) module is a common depth camera module, and may be configured to measure depth of field information. The time-of-flight module includes a transmit module and a receive module. To ensure detection performance of the time-of-flight module, the transmit module and the receive module usually need to be close enough, so that an overlapping area between a field of view of the transmit module and a field of view of the receive module is relatively large. On the conventional time-of-flight module, the transmit module and the receive module are fixed to a same printed circuit board, to meet a requirement of proximity of the transmit module and the receive module. In this way, because a relative location of the transmit module and the receive module is fixed and a cable outgoing direction of the printed circuit board is fixed, a location of an interactive hole that directly faces the transmit module and the receive module and that is on a cover plate of an electronic device to which the time-of-flight module is applied is also fixed. Consequently, the time-of-flight module can only be applied to electronic devices that have a specific appearance form, but is hardly applied to electronic devices that have other appearance forms, and the applicability is poor.


A mechanism for managing power in a virtual machine system is disclosed. A method for a host-based power management system may include monitoring a plurality of VMs in a VM system to detect user activity associated with each of the plurality of VMs, identifying a VM of the plurality of VMs that is inactive based on the user activity associated with the VM, and applying a power reduction policy to the VM.

In computer science, a virtual machine (VM) is a portion of software that, when executed on appropriate hardware, creates an environment allowing the virtualization of an actual physical computer system. Each VM may function as a self-contained platform, running its own operating system (guest OS) and software applications (processes). Typically, a virtual machine manager (VMM) manages allocation and virtualization of computer resources and performs context switching, as may be necessary, to cycle between various VMs.
A host machine (e.g., computer or server) is typically enabled to simultaneously run multiple VMs, where each VM may be used by a remote client. The host machine allocates a certain amount of the host's resources to each of the VMs. Each VM is then able to use the allocated resources to execute applications, including guest operating systems. The VMM virtualizes the underlying hardware of the host machine or emulates hardware devices, making the use of the VM transparent to the guest operating system or the remote client that uses the VM.
Recently, solutions providing centralized hosting for VMs that run (virtual) desktops have been developed. Such solutions consist of centralized servers that are partitioned into multiple VMs that host the virtual desktops, thereby providing a desktop for each user. The centralized hosting provides the manageability of sever-based computing, while the dedicated environment provides the flexibility and compatibility with applications that a desktop enables. In general, VMs therefore enable remote access to a host or server computer by a remote client computer, which mimics or reconstructs the events taking place on the host computer.
However, one problem that arises with the centralized hosting solution for VMs is excessive power consumption. Currently, centralized data centers attempt to save power in a non-virtualization environment by using several power management mechanisms and policies to reduce power. For example, a data center may selectively switch off computing machines, or part of the computing machines, so that the data center is consuming less power overall. Some examples of existing power management mechanisms and/or policies include shutting off an operating system (OS), placing the OS in a low power consumption mode, placing the OS in a hibernation mode, placing the OS in a suspend mode, selectively shutting down a system display, system networking component, reducing a frequency of an operating CPU, and so on.
However, with a virtualized system, these currently-existing power management mechanisms and policies are not effective in the VM hosting environment. The current power management mechanisms and policies cannot be used because, from the host view, each VM is a component that is always working. It becomes practically impossible to use any prior art power management method to reduce power, as the host needs computing power for the working VMs.
In addition, another problem associated with currently-existing power management mechanisms as applied to a VM hosting environment is that individual users of VMs in the VM hosting environment may maintain control over the power management mechanisms and policies. For example, a user of a VM is able to set time limits for when the system will implement a screen saver, go into hibernate mode, shut off, and so on. In such a case, a user of a VM can effectively override the power management mechanisms and policies by setting unrealistic limits for power saving policies to be implemented, thereby nullifying their effects. Therefore, a mechanism to manage power in a VM system that is beyond the scope of end user influence would be beneficial.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mechanism for managing power in a virtual machine system


A soundproof part that covers a compressor includes a side surface cover including two or more sound absorbing materials and two or more sound insulating materials, and configured to cover a side surface of the compressor. The two or more sound insulating materials include sound insulating materials having different specific gravities. The side surface cover is formed such that one sound absorbing material is disposed adjacent to the compressor, and a sound absorbing material and a sound insulating material are alternately arranged. The side surface cover is also formed such that as a distance from the compressor increases, the sound insulating materials having relatively lower specific gravities are disposed.

In outdoor units of air-conditioning devices, particularly in side-flow-type outdoor units, a compressor is mounted in a machine chamber disposed adjacent to an air-sending device chamber in which an air-sending device and a heat exchanger are mounted. The air-sending device chamber and the machine chamber are partitioned by a separator. The compressor is covered by an outer shell part of the outdoor unit made of sheet metal, or other materials. However, it is difficult to sufficiently prevent sound generated from the compressor by only covering the compressor by the outer shell part. Therefore, in general, a soundproof part is provided around the compressor for the purpose of insulating and absorbing sound.
Recently, dramatic improvements in performance and reductions in the size of the compressor have been achieved and hence, there is a tendency that sound generated from the compressor increases. Sounds with a frequency of 1 kHz or more are acoustically recognized as noise, thus tending to cause discomfort. Generation of such sounds from the compressor directly leads to users' complaints in the market. For this reason, hitherto, a soundproof part is attached to the compressor to prevent leakage of sound to the outside (see Patent Literature 1, for example). The soundproof part disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is formed such that sound absorbing materials and sound insulating materials are accommodated in a sealed non-woven fabric sheet having a bag shape.

Soundproof part and outdoor unit of air-conditioning apparatus


A computer implemented method for image verification comprises receiving, by a processor, a plurality of image frames, comprising at least one test frame and one or more control frames; mapping, by the processor, each image frame onto a hue-saturation colour space; generating, based on the mapped image frames, a colour distribution for each image frame; calculating, by the processor, a correlation between the colour distributions generated for the at least one test frame and the one or more control frames; and generating, by the processor for output to a user, a verification output based on the calculated correlation.

Consumer devices which capture data from their physical surroundings are now ubiquitous. For example, most modern mobile telephones include a camera for capturing both stills and video, and a microphone for capturing sound recordings, either as a sound channel to a video recording or a separate sound recording.
Special-purpose devices are also increasingly common, for example dashboard-mounted cameras designed to record the view out of a vehicle windscreen to provide evidence in case of an accident, and body-worn cameras used by police to evidence their interactions with the public.
News organisations often receive submitted photographs and videos from members of the public, but these organisations have to be careful to verify the authenticity of what they are being presented with—in particular that the photograph (for example) is a direct unaltered capture from a camera and that it was taken at the time and place claimed. In the past, even reputable news organisations have fallen victim to falsified submitted photographs and published then as genuine.
Proving that a particular photograph is a direct and unaltered capture from a camera on a particular device, made at a particular time and in a particular geographical position, could be invaluable in a variety of circumstances—for example when relying on photographs to support an insurance claim.
Known devices often not only record primary data, for example photographs or video, but also record metadata relating to the capture and, in some systems, the integrity of data captured by a consumer electronic device may be verified based on such metadata, in particular to verify that primary data is unaltered and truly corresponds to particular metadata. However, such devices may still be vulnerable to so-called 'injection attacks'.
For example, a false or 'spoofed' image frame, such as a computer generated or computer manipulated image, can be injected directly into the frame buffer of a camera. Since the image enters the system prior to image processing and metadata generation, the spoofed image frame is processed and recorded with metadata as a real image frame, and is indistinguishable from a real image frame.
Methods of detecting such injection attacks have been proposed using, for example, pixel velocity tracking, but a generally computationally expensive and are unsuitable for real-time execution, e.g., in a mobile device with limited computation resources. Furthermore, many solutions rely on correlating spatial information within the image frame, but for security and privacy reasons it is desirable that any such reconstructive image data is not accessible through the system backend.
It is an object of the present invention to provide means by which captured image frames can be verified, in order to counter such 'injection attacks'.

Computer vision based approach to image injection detection


An image forming apparatus includes following components. A printing device prints on a recording medium. A reading device reads an image from an original document. An advertisement storage unit stores an advertisement. An advertisement-printed medium holding unit holds an advertisement-printed medium. An advertisement-printable medium holding unit holds an advertisement-printable medium. A copy control unit controls copying and enables the printing device to print the image on the recording medium. The copy control unit performs, in response to an instruction for advertisement-attached copying, one of the following: i) advertisement-printable medium copying in which the stored advertisement is printed on the advertisement-printable medium, and ii) advertisement-printed medium copying in which the advertisement-printed medium is used if a specific condition is satisfied.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling advertisement-attached copying. Further, some methods may relate to reading an image from an original document and printing the image. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
2. Description of the Related Art
When performing advertisement-attached copying, typical image forming apparatuses may print an advertisement stored in memory. Some image forming apparatuses may use original document data with the advertisement when printing on the same surface of a printing medium. As such, the printing medium may be conveyed from a holding unit.
In some cases involving copying, printing may be performed on a plurality of printing media. In such cases, typical image forming apparatuses may print the same advertisement on all the printing media.

Method for controlling advertisement-attached copying


A device produces plastic pipes by extrusion, involving an extruder, a pipe head connecting to the extruder in production direction, having a base material, mandrel, and sheath. A melt channel, formed between the mandrel and sheath in production direction, promotes flow at least at the mandrel and sheath end, the mandrel and sheath being adjustable forwards and backwards relative to one another, and the outer mandrel surface and/or the inner sheath surface at least partially having a material with greater sliding capacity than the base material. Mandrel diameter at the end conically widens or narrows, and/or the mandrel end is curved so the diameter widens, narrows, or remains constant, and the inner sheath diameter at the end conically widens, narrows, or remains constant, and/or the sheath end is curved so the diameter widens or narrows, or two further surface sections, parallel and cylindrical, extend at the mandrel and sheath end.

The latest state of the art shows a multitude of apparatus for the production of plastic tubes, among them also pipeheads with lines for molten material that feature an improved sliding quality.
DE 102 05 210 B4, for instance, shows a pipehead comprising a mandrel and a sleeve of which both, the mandrel and the sleeve, consist of segments that are manufactured from different materials, which causes different sliding qualities throughout the melt channel.


Embodiments of methods and laser-computer graphics systems for producing images such as portraits and 3-D sculptures formed from laser light created etch points inside an optically transparent material are disclosed. One or more embodiments of the invention comprise a method and system for simultaneously producing one or more etch points in first and second objects. In accordance with a method, a main beam is split into first and second beams, each beam having an energy level greater than that necessary to cause a breakdown in the material comprising the first and second objects. The first and second beams are directed at focal points within the first and second objects, generating etch points simultaneously therein. One or more embodiments of the invention comprise methods and systems for generating images in first and second objects. In one or more embodiments, the images are comprised of etch points having multiple gray shades and/or of etch points having iridescent qualities.

A number of techniques for creating a variety of patterns on the surface and inside of transparent substrates using pulsed laser radiation are well known.
One publication disclosing such techniques is the Russian invention document #321422 to Agadjanov et al., published on Nov. 16, 1970 (#140454529-33). The disclosed invention concerns a method of manufacturing decorative products inside a transparent material by changing the material structure by laser radiation. As disclosed, by moving a material relative to a focused laser beam, it is possible to create a drawing inside the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,518 to Merard discloses a method for decorating transparent plastic articles. This technique is carried out by directing a pulsed laser beam into the body of an article by successively focusing the laser beam in different regions within the body of the article. The pulse energy and duration is selected based upon the desired extent of the resulting decorative pattern. The effect of the laser is a number of three dimensional "macro-destruction" (fissures in the material of the article) appearing as fanned-out cracks. The pattern of the cracks produced in the article is controlled by changing the depth of the laser beam focus along the length of the article. Preferably, the article is in the form of a cylinder, and the cracks are shaped predominantly as saucer-like formations of different sizes arranged randomly around the focal point of the optical system guiding a laser beam. The device used to carry out this technique is preferably a multi-mode solid-state, free-running pulse laser used in conjunction with a convergent lens having a focal length from 100 to 200 mm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,207 to Urbanek et al. discloses a method of creating controlled decorations on the surface of a hollow symmetrical transparent article. This technique is preferably carried out on glass. The glass is preconditioned with a coating on the outer surface of the glass being approximately 1.2 mm thick and made of a material having at least 75% absorption of laser radiation. The technique is also carried out using a laser having a wave of length of 0.5 to 2 microns acting upon the external coating through the wall of the cylindrical glass article. The laser beam moves so that it is focused on the surface of the cylinder, and moves about the axis of symmetry of the cylinder to irradiate the aforementioned surface coating. As a result, the irradiated portions of the surface coating go through a phase change and a pattern is formed.
True interior laser-etching of a transparent article is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,496 to Clement et al. This patent discloses a method and apparatus for providing in a transparent material, such as glass or plastic, a mark which is visible to the naked eye or which may be "seen" by optical instruments operating at an appropriate wavelength. The Clement et al. patent describes a method and apparatus for producing a subsurface marking which is produced in a body such as bottle by directing into the body a high energy beam and bringing the beam to focus at a location spaced from the surface, so as to cause localized ionization of the material. In the preferred embodiment the apparatus includes a laser as the high energy beam source. The laser may be a N-YAG laser that emits a pulsed beam of laser radiation with a wavelength of 1.06 microns. The pulsed beam is incident upon a first mirror that directs the beam through a beam expander and a beam combiner to a second mirror. A second source of laser radiation in the form of a low power He—Ne laser emits a secondary beam of visible laser radiation with a wavelength of 638 nm. The secondary beam impinges upon the beam combiner where it is reflected toward the second reflecting surface coincident with the pulsed beam of laser radiation from the Nd-YAG laser. The combined coincident beams are reflected at the reflecting surface via reflecting two other surfaces to a pair of movable mirrors for controlling movement of the beam. The beam then passes through a lens assembly into the body to be marked.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,936 to Goldfarb discloses a process and apparatus where a focused laser beam causes local destruction within a solid article, without effecting the surface thereof. The apparatus for etching an image within a solid article includes a laser focused to a focal point within the article. The position of the article with respect to the focal point is varied. Control means, coupled to the laser, and positioning means are provided for firing the laser so that a local disruption occurs within the article to form the image within the article.
European Patent Application No. 624421A2 to Erokhin (priority based upon U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/110,048 and Russian Patent Application No. 29023) discloses a technique which depends on a particular optical system including a diffraction limited Q-switched laser (preferably a solid-state single-mode TEM00) aimed into a defocusing lens having a variable focal length to control the light impinging on a subsequent focusing lens that refocuses the laser beam onto the transparent article being etched. The laser power level, operation of the defocusing lens, and the movement of the transparent article being etched are all controlled by a computer. The computer operates to reproduce a pre-programmed three-dimensional image inside the transparent article being etched. In the computer memory, the image is presented as arrays of picture elements on various parallel planes. The optical system is controlled to reproduce the stored arrays of picture elements inside the transparent material.
In the prior art arrangements, neither the characteristics of the transparent material or physical phenomenon of laser-matter interaction are taken into consideration. As a result, the distance between image etch point elements is selected with no consideration for the material strength. Therefore, the article may be damaged if the elements are too close to each other. On the other hand, the image resolution may be unacceptably low if the elements are too far from each other.
The first computer graphic system for producing an image inside optically transparent material which takes into account the characteristics of the transparent material is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/643,918 to Troitski et al. An image reproducible inside optically transparent material is defined by potential etch points, in which the breakdowns required to create the image in the selected optically transparent material are possible. The potential etch points are generated based on the characteristics of the selected optically transparent material. If the number of the potential etch points exceeds a predetermined number, the system carries out an optimization routine that allows the number of the generated etch points to be reduced based on their size. To prevent the distortion of the reproduced image due to the refraction of the optically transparent material, the coordinates of the generated etch points are adjusted to correct their positions along a selected laser beam direction.
Images comprising laser-generated etch points produced by all known systems and methods generally suffer from having a lower resolution than the real image (such as a picture) or the computer processing image from which it is derived. As such, some of the details of the original image are lost. It is known that the number of pixels covering the area of the image determines the resolution of the computer image. On the other hand, the resolution of the reproducible image is determined by the number of its etch points. A value "d" comprises a minimum distance between adjacent etch points in optically transparent material for a selected energy of laser radiation which avoids an internal split or other undesirable damage or weakening of the material. Therefore, such a system should produce adjacent etch points in the same plane separated by a distance greater than d, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/643,918 to Troitski et al.
An image reproduced in an object may be derived from a computer-generated image of the object. Adjacent pixels of a computer processing image touch each other. Not all pixels, but only part of them (usually less than ¼ of their number), can be corresponding etch points in reproducible image if one is to avoid their being spaced closer than distance d. On the other hand, the greater the number of pixels which are lost, the lower the resolution of the reproduced image in comparison to the computer image.
Another problem is that for typical values of d, a viewer of the-object may discern the individual etch points formed in the material. As a result, an image reproducible in optically transparent material comprising widely spaced etch points appears rough visual to the naked eye (see FIG. 2). This roughness is generally undesirable, and may be unacceptable for portrait and similar images requiring high resolution.
The inability to transform all image pixels into etch points in material has a profound effect on the quality of a reproduced image, such as a portrait. In addition, however, any inexact transformation of gray shades can also make a significant difference in quality of the produced image. One method of transforming the gray shades of a displayed image into gray shades of an image reproduced inside of material, using corresponding sizes of etch points created by adjusting the laser radiation power, has been described in European Patent Application No. 624421 A2 to Erokhin. The disclosed method permits only the reproduction of a "half-tone picture" with considerable fluctuation in the appearance of the gray shades. This is due in part to the face that there is considerable fluctuation in the appearance of etch points produced by even the same laser energy. Consequently, to produce a portrait or other image with high quality it is very important to produce etch points with the same shape. In order for the etch points to have a high brightness, it is desirable for the etch points to have the shape of a sphere.
Further, the number of points required to produce a portrait with a required level of detail increases when producing a 3-D image. For instance, FIG. 2 shows a portrait of Abraham Lincoln which has 5 times as many points than the 3-D image of the Lincoln Memorial, shown in the same figure.
Another problem is that it is often desirable to produce several duplicate works of a particular image or portrait in different objects. Known laser systems which are used to produce an image inside of an optically transparent material use only one beam, treat only one article and make only one etch point for one pulse of the laser. It is an object of the invention to create a laser system that allows for the production of multiple portrait images, simultaneously creating etch points inside every image at the same time.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a system and method which permits the production of an image, such as a portrait, inside optically transparent material with a number of points or pixels and gray shades (i.e. the same resolution) similar to the computer processing image.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for generating etch points inside a material which are other than shades of gray, such as iridescent (i.e. etch points having a multi-color appearance as a result of their expansion of white light into a color spectrum).
It is also an object of the invention to provide a laser-computer graphics system for creating a sculpture or the like which combines methods of production 3-D images and portrait images, so that each viewer observing the sculpture sees the image with a similar resolution to the computer image and without a defined point structure.

Laser-computer graphics system for generating portrait and 3-D sculpture reproductions inside optically transparent material


A phase comparator that is configured with a fewer number of gates in an ECL circuit configuration as compared to conventional phase comparator circuits. The phase comparator also operates with lower current consumption, and can achieve a suitable detection of small phase difference by substantially suppressing the influence of spike noises which may arise in the signals input to the phase comparator.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase comparator which is suitable for detecting small phase differences of high-speed pulses used in, for example, tracking correction of optical discs, by suppressing the influence of spike noises occurring in the signals as much as possible.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Phase comparators have been used in various fields, such as PLL-circuits or various other fields in which a phase comparison result is used for control. The simplest way of configuring a phase comparator is direct use of an exclusive-OR (EX-OR). However, this configuration provides only the phase difference, without any information of phase lead and phase lag. To overcome this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 4 No.234226, proposed a comparator which outputs phase lead and phase lag, independently by detecting leading edges of pulses using flip-flops having an edge-triggered property, as shown in the circuit diagram of this publication.
FIG. 1 shows the circuit diagram of this conventional phase comparator.
FF601 and FF602 are leading-edge triggered D-type flip-flops while FF603 and FF604 are trailing-edge triggered D-type flip-flops. G601 and G602 are AND gates while G603 and G604 are NOR gates.
The D-inputs of all the flip-flops are connected to a power source. The clock inputs to FF601 and FF603 are connected to a lead-phase input terminal Inlead 6 while the clock inputs to FF602 and FF604 are lag-phase input terminal Inlag6. The reset inputs to FF601 and FF602 are connected to the output from G601 while the reset inputs to FF603 and FF604 are connected to the output from G602. The inputs to G601 are the outputs Q601 and Q602 from FF601 and FF602, respectively. The inputs to G602 are the outputs Q603 and Q604 from FF603 and FF604, respectively. The inputs to G603 are the outputs Q601 and Q603 from FF601 and FF603, respectively. The inputs to G604 are connected to the outputs Q602 and Q604 from FF602 and FF604, respectively. The output from G603 is connected to a phase lead output terminal OUTlead6 while the output from G604 is connected to a phase lag output terminal OUTlag6.
In the case where input signal Inlead6 leads input signal Inlag6, upon first transitions (leading edge) of the input signals, the Q-output from FF601 becomes `H` during only the time (phase difference) between the two first transitions (leading edge). Upon second transitions (trailing edge) of the input signals, the Q-output from FF603 becomes `H` during only the time between the two second transitions (trailing edge). Similarly, in the case where input signal Inlead6 lags behind input signal Inlag6, the Q-output from FF602 becomes `H` upon first transitions (leading edge) of the input signals and the Q-output from FF604 becomes `H` upon second transitions (trailing edge) of the input signals. Accordingly, when input signal Inlead6 leads input signal Inlag6, output signal OUTlead6 becomes `L` during only the time of phase difference between two first transitions (leading edge) of the input signals and during only the time of phase difference between two second transitions (trailing edge) of them. When input signal Inlead6 lags behind input signal Inlag6, output signal OUTlag6 becomes `L` during only the time of phase difference between two first transitions (leading edge) of the input signals and during only the time of phase difference between two second transitions (trailing edge) of them.
CMOS circuits need less current consumption, but produce the problem of a large signal delay. So, ECL circuits have been used in the fields where high-speed operations are needed, though the current consumption is high. A leading-edge triggered flip-flop is configured of six gates as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the phase comparator shown in FIG. 1 is composed of many gates, that is, twenty-four NAND gates, two AND gates and two NOR gates. If this phase comparator is constructed of ECL circuits, the current consumption for the whole circuit amounts to as much as the current for twenty-eight units of the gate driving current for one gate, so a considerably high current consumption is needed.
When flip-flops having an edge-triggered property are used, if a spike noise arises on the input signal to be edge triggered, it can readily cause malfunction because of the circuit's inherent features. Referring to the timing chart shown in FIG. 3, for example, If a spike noise 1 arises and is input to input terminal Inlag6 during interval t1 to t2, the positive logic, output pulse width PW1 from Q601 is shortened as shown in the chart (the output pulse width PW2 from OUTlead6 is also shortened). Since most phase difference comparators operate by integrating the output pulses, this will not cause fatal influence if a single pulse only is shorted in its pulse width by a spike noise.
However, if, for example, a spike noise 2 arises and input to input terminal Inlag6 during interval t4 to t5, there is a fear that the positive logic, output pulse width PW3 from Q602 might become markedly longer than the original pulse width PW as shown in the chart (the output pulse width PW4 from OUTlag6 also becomes long). In the case where the output is integrated, extremely long pulse widths as in this case produce an erroneous integral.


A system for adjusting the alignment of ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement may include a first toolbar configured to support a first plurality of tools aligned along a first tool axis, and a second toolbar configured to support a second plurality of tools aligned along a second tool axis. The second toolbar may be movable relative to the first toolbar between a first toolbar position and a second toolbar position such that the second tool axis is movable relative to the first tool axis. The system may additionally include an actuator configured to actuate the second toolbar between the first toolbar position, where the first and second tool axes are substantially coincident, and the second toolbar position, where the second tool axis is substantially spaced apart from the first tool axis.

It is well known that, to attain the best agricultural performance from a field, a farmer must cultivate the soil, typically through a tillage operation. Modern farmers perform tillage operations by pulling a tillage implement behind an agricultural work vehicle, such as a tractor. Tillage implements typically include one or more ground engaging tools configured to engage the soil as the implement is moved across the field. For example, in certain configurations, the implement may include one or more harrow disks, leveling disks, rolling baskets, shanks, tines, and/or the like. Such ground engaging tool(s) loosen and/or otherwise agitate the soil to prepare the field for subsequent planting operations.
Adjacent disk blades of disk assemblies of a tillage implement may be aligned and spaced apart along a tool axis. Typically, such alignment and spacing is fixed such that the performance of the tillage implement is not adjustable, which may affect the overall tillage quality and subsequent agricultural operations within the field, such as a planting operation.
Further, during tillage operations, field materials, such as residue, soil, rocks, and/or the like, may become trapped or otherwise accumulate between adjacent ground engaging tools, particularly between disk blades of disk assemblies. Such accumulation of field materials may inhibit the operation of the disk blades in a manner that prevents the disk blades from providing adequate tillage to the field. In such instances, it is necessary for the operator to take certain corrective actions to remove the material accumulation. However, it may be time consuming for the tillage implement operator to manually remove the material accumulation between the disk blades.
Accordingly, an improved system for adjusting the alignment of ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement and a related method would be welcomed in the technology.

System and method for adjusting the alignment of ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement


A method for thermoelastic logging in a borehole of a subterranean formation. The method includes generating, by a computer processor, a reference dispersion based on a borehole wave dispersion measurement of the borehole, wherein the reference dispersion represents far-field elastic properties in the subterranean formation, analyzing, by the computer processor, a difference between the reference dispersion and the borehole wave dispersion measurement based on a thermoelastic model of the subterranean formation to generate an analysis result, and determining, by the computer processor and based on the analysis result, a temperature dependent parameter of the subterranean formation.

Operations, such as geophysical surveying, drilling, logging, well completion, hydraulic fracturing, steam injection, and production, are typically performed to locate and gather valuable downhole fluids. Surveys are often performed using acquisition methodologies to acquire information of underground formations. These formations are often analyzed to determine the presence of subterranean assets, such as valuable fluids or minerals, or to determine if the formations have characteristics suitable for storing fluids. The subterranean assets are not limited to hydrocarbons such as oil, throughout this document, the terms "oilfield" and "oilfield operation" may be used interchangeably with the terms "field" and "field operation" to refer to a site where any types of valuable fluids or minerals can be found and the activities required to extract them. The terms may also refer to sites where substances are deposited or stored by injecting them into the surface using boreholes and the operations associated with this process. Further, the term "field operation" refers to a field operation associated with a field, including activities related to field planning, wellbore drilling, wellbore completion and/or production using the wellbore.


A rebound board for returning projected balls toward a person practicing a ball sport. The rebound board has a textured surface subdivided into squares, each square including a shallow pyramid including an array of four triangular walls. The pyramids project from a vertical plane, and each pyramid side inclines in a different direction so as to return a ball upwardly, downwardly, to the right, or to the left. Preferably, the rebound board is two faced, each face including pyramids of different heights. Two preferred ranges of inclination of sides, one range for each face, are 2 to 6 degrees from vertical, and 5 to 9 degrees from vertical. The invention may be attached to an environmental surface. Alternatively, a supporting frame is provided to enable the device to be erected and used on a playing court.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a practice aid used in a ball game, the aid comprising a surface which returns a hit ball in the direction of origin. Usable with diverse games such as tennis, racquetball, baseball, handball, and similar games, the device enables a solitary player to hit a ball and have the ball rebound back to the player, as it would be by a human adversary.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ball game practice devices providing a ball rebound surface are well known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,402, issued to William Hopwood on Sep. 30, 1924. Hopwood discloses a practice device having a flat rebound surface intended for the game of lawn tennis.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,066,159, issued to Charles E. Post on Dec. 29, 1936, discloses a practice rebound device having two rebound surfaces of different characteristics disposed upon a vertical wall member. One surface is curved and flat, and the other is textured. The wall member is reversible so as to present one of the two rebound surfaces to the person using the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,735, issued to Theodore W. Clark on May 7, 1963, discloses a rebound board which is mountable on a table for playing table tennis. Clark configures the board to return a ball to a predetermined area corresponding to a playing field or court.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,307, issued to Francis B. Henry on Sep. 29, 1972, discloses a practice backboard which is augmented by visual simulation of human adversaries.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,585, issued to Alex Semon on Jan. 16, 1979, discloses a rebound board for a table tennis table which board is curved and bears projections which alter trajectory of a ball hit thereinto. U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,108, issued to David McLean on Apr. 25, 1989, discloses a substantially spherical rebound board for a ball game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,027, issued to George K. Thaxton on Aug. 29, 1989, discloses a tennis practice apparatus having a rebound surface which controls rebound by damping.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,056, issued to Kevin R. Bowers on Jul. 24, 1990, discloses a table tennis practice apparatus having two rebound surfaces enabling two players to play solo simultaneously. The surfaces are independently adjustable to vary rebound angle.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


The invention relates to a fitting with a handle for operating the lock follower of a lock fitted in a door or the like. The fitting comprises a fixing device for its fixing to the door or the like and for rotary mounting of the handle, which device is passed through by an operating rod mounted without play in the follower and inserted into a receiving opening of the handle. The receiving opening is so formed that it--going from a datum position--transfers directly to the operating rod rotary movements of the handle taking place in a first direction of rotation but is without influence on the operating rod with rotary movements of the handle taking place in the opposite direction of rotation, commencing from the datum position, at least within a predetermined range of rotation. The fixing device comprises a transmission mechanism which converts rotary movements of the handle, taking place in the opposite direction of rotation, commencing from the datum position, into rotary movement of the operating rod likewise taking place in the first-mentioned direction of rotation. Accordingly it is possible to turn the follower in the sense of rotation necessary for opening the lock both through right turning and through left turning of the handle.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fitting of the kind with a handle for operating the lock follower of a lock fitted in a door or the like, transmitting rotary movements of the handle in both directions of rotation to the lock follower.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Locks of doors or the like can as a rule only be opened by turning the handle in a selected direction of rotation. It is however often desired and in some countries even prescribed that a door lock or the like can be opened by turning the handle both in the clockwise sense and in the anticlockwise sense. Hitherto such a double or left/right action has only been possible using a special, expensive lock construction. Since locks with a single function cannot readily be converted from the single function to the double function or vice versa, different lock constructions are always necessary for the two applications, which is undesirable, above all for reasons of cost. Moreover the subsequent conversion of a lock with single function cannot readily to a lock with the desired left/right action frequently involves difficulties, because the housing dimensions of the old and the new lock must agree which, especially when changing old locks, is frequently not possible or only with corresponding constructional expense or even with visible damage to the door or the like.

Fitting with a handle for operating the lock follower of a lock fitted in a door or the like


Attempts by drivers of a virtualized legacy computer game to communicate with nonexistent legacy game system hardware are converted into calls to actual hardware of the host computer game system. An access control list (ACL) restricting and/or reducing page permissions is used to explicitly forbid the drivers of the legacy computer game operating on the virtualized legacy computer game platform from writing to the MMIO addresses of the legacy computer game system. When the operating system of the virtualized legacy computer game platform attempts to touch its driver memory by writing to the MMIO addresses, the operating system of the host computer game system perceives a memory access violation, suspends the virtual machine implementing the virtualized computer game platform, and passes the intended write to an exception handler of the host operating system. The exception handler of the host operating system translates the attempted hardware access command into the command language of the host operating system and then returns control to the operating system of the virtualized legacy computer game platform. The legacy game is completely unaware of this address translation in that it sees only a successful hardware result and proceeds.

When updating hardware architectures of computer systems such as game consoles to implement faster, more feature rich hardware, developers are faced with the issue of backwards compatibility to the legacy computer system for application programs or games developed for the legacy computer system platform. In particular, it is commercially desirable that the updated hardware architecture support application programs or games developed for the legacy hardware architecture. However, if the updated hardware architecture differs substantially, or radically, from that of the legacy hardware architecture, architectural differences between the two systems may make it very difficult, or even impossible, for legacy application programs or games to operate on the new hardware architecture without substantial hardware modification and/or software patches. Since customers generally expect such backwards compatibility, a solution to these problems is critical to the success of the updated hardware architecture.
Recent advances in PC architecture and software emulation have provided hardware architectures for computers, even game consoles, that are powerful enough to enable the emulation of legacy application programs or games in software rather than hardware. Such software emulators translate the title instructions for the application program or game on the fly into device instructions understandable by the new hardware architecture. This software emulation approach is particularly useful for backwards compatibility for computer game consoles since the developer of the game console maintains control over both the hardware and software platforms and is quite familiar with the legacy games.
However, to enable emulation of the host hardware, computer game systems, such as Xbox, pose a particular problem. Unlike an operating system (OS) of a personal computer (PC), the operating system of a computer game system is generally not stored entirely within the console of the computer game system itself. Instead, many of the drivers and middleware layers are shipped on each and every game disc and statically linked in to ensure perfect compatibility between the game and the computer game system software. Unfortunately, this means that when the computer game platform for a legacy computer game system is virtualized using software emulation, the legacy games will continue to attempt to communicate with non-existent legacy computer game system hardware. For example, in the legacy Xbox computer game system, drivers from the game discs communicate with hardware devices by writing to memory-mapped device I/O (MMIO) addresses. However, once the legacy Xbox computer game system is virtualized using software emulation, these MMIO addresses are meaningless.
Accordingly, a technique is needed to enable the legacy computer games drivers to communicate with the hardware of the new host game system even when the legacy computer game system is virtualized using software emulation. The present invention addresses this need in the art.

Virtual operating system device communication relying on memory access violations


A surface-enabled, metal ion-exchanging battery device comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a metal ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metal ion is selected from aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), or bismuth (Bi), and at least one of the electrodes contains therein a metal ion source prior to the first charge or discharge cycle of the device and at least the cathode comprises a functional material or nanostructured material having a metal ion-capturing functional group or metal ion-storing surface in direct contact with the electrolyte. This energy storage device has a power density significantly higher than that of a lithium-ion battery and an energy density dramatically higher than that of a supercapacitor.

Supercapacitors (Ultra-Capacitors or Electro-Chemical Capacitors):
Supercapacitors are being considered for electric vehicle (EV), renewable energy storage, and modern grid applications. The high volumetric capacitance density of a supercapacitor (10 to 100 times greater than those of electrolytic capacitors) derives from using porous electrodes to create a large surface area conducive to the formation of diffuse double layer charges. This electric double layer (EDL) is created naturally at the solid-electrolyte interface when voltage is imposed. This implies that the specific capacitance of a supercapacitor is directly proportional to the specific surface area of the electrode material, e.g. activated carbon. This surface area must be accessible by electrolyte and the resulting interfacial zones must be sufficiently large to accommodate the EDL charges.
This EDL mechanism is based on surface ion adsorption. The required ions are pre-existing in a liquid electrolyte and do not come from the opposite electrode. In other words, the required ions to be deposited on the surface of a negative electrode (anode) active material (e.g., activated carbon particle) do not come from the positive electrode (cathode) side, and the required ions to be deposited on the surface of a cathode active material do not come from the anode side. When a supercapacitor is re-charged, local positive ions are deposited onto or close to a surface of a negative electrode with their matting negative ions staying close side by side (typically via local molecular or ionic polarization of charges). At the other electrode, negative ions are deposited onto or close to a surface of this positive electrode with the matting positive ions staying close side by side. Again, there is no exchange of ions between an anode active material and a cathode active material.
In some supercapacitors, the stored energy is further augmented by pseudo-capacitance effects due to some electrochemical reactions (e.g., redox). In such a pseudo-capacitor, the ions involved in a redox pair also pre-exist in the same electrode. Again, there is no exchange of ions between an anode active material and a cathode active material.
Since the formation of EDLs does not involve a chemical reaction or an exchange of ions between the two opposite electrodes, the charge or discharge process of an EDL supercapacitor can be very fast, typically in seconds, resulting in a very high power density (typically 5,000-10,000 W/kg). Compared with batteries, supercapacitors offer a higher power density, require no maintenance, offer a much higher cycle-life, require a very simple charging circuit, experience no "memory effect," and are generally much safer. Physical, rather than chemical, energy storage is the key reason for their safe operation and extraordinarily high cycle-life.
Despite the positive attributes of supercapacitors, there are several technological barriers to widespread implementation of supercapacitors for various industrial applications. For instance, supercapacitors possess very low energy densities when compared to batteries (e.g., 5-8 Wh/kg for commercial supercapacitors vs. 10-30 Wh/kg for the lead acid battery and 50-100 Wh/kg for the NiMH battery). Lithium-ion batteries possess a much higher energy density, typically in the range of 100-180 Wh/kg, based on the cell weight.
Lithium-Ion Batteries:
Although possessing a much higher energy density, lithium-ion batteries deliver a very low power density (typically 100-500 W/kg), requiring typically hours for re-charge. Conventional lithium-ion batteries also pose some safety concern.
The low power density or long re-charge time of a lithium ion battery is due to the mechanism of shuttling lithium ions between an anode active material and a cathode active material, which requires lithium ions to intercalate into the bulk of anode active material particles during re-charge, and into the bulk of cathode active material particles during discharge. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 1(A), in a most commonly used lithium-ion battery featuring graphite particles as an anode active material, lithium ins are required to diffuse into the inter-planar spaces of a graphite crystal at the anode during re-charge. Most of these lithium ions have to come all the way from the cathode side by diffusing out of the bulk of a cathode active particle (e.g. lithium cobalt oxide, lithium iron phosphate, or other lithium insertion compound) through the pores of a solid separator (pores being filled with a liquid electrolyte), and into the bulk of a graphite particle at the anode. During discharge, lithium ions diffuse out of the anode active material, migrate through the liquid electrolyte phase, and then diffuse into the bulk of complex cathode crystals.
These intercalation or diffusion processes require a long time to accomplish because solid-state diffusion (or diffusion inside a solid) is difficult and slow. This is why, for instance, the current lithium-ion battery for plug-in hybrid vehicles requires 2-7 hours of recharge time, as opposed to just seconds for supercapacitors. The above discussion suggests that an energy storage device that is capable of storing as much energy as in a battery and yet can be fully recharged in one or two minutes like a supercapacitor would be considered a revolutionary advancement in energy storage technology.
Partially Surface-Controlled Lithium Ion-Exchanging Batteries or Lithium Super-Batteries:
Instead of using an inorganic lithium intercalation compound, such as LiCoO2 and LiFePO4, that requires lithium insertion into and extraction from the bulk of an inorganic particle (typically 100 nm-20 μm, but more typically 1-10 μm in diameter), several attempts have been made to use organic molecules or polymers as an electrode active material for the cathode (lithium metal alone as the anode). For instance, Le Gall, et al investigated Poly(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone-3,6-methylene) as an organic polymer cathode [T. Le Gall, et al. J. Power Sources, 119 (2003) 316-320] and Chen, et al used LixC6O6 organic cathode, obtained from a renewable source, in a lithium ion battery [H. Chen, et al. "From biomass to a renewable LixC6O6 organic electrode for sustainable Li-ion batteries," ChemSusChem, 1 (2008) 348-355]. In addition, X. Y. Han, et al. studied carbonyl derivative polymers ["Aromatic carbonyl derivative polymers as high-performance Li-ion storage materials," Adv. Material, 19, 1616-1621 (2007)] and J. F. Xiang, et al. studied a coordination polymer as a cathode ["A novel coordination polymer as positive electrode material for lithium ion battery," Crystal Growth & Design, 8, 280-282 (2008)].
Unfortunately, these organic materials exhibit very poor electronic conductivity and, hence, electrons could not be quickly collected or could not be collected at all. Although these organic molecules contain carbonyl groups (>C═O) that could readily react with lithium ions (forming a redox pair), this redox mechanism was overwhelmed by the poor electronic conductivity. As a result, the battery cells featuring these organic molecules exhibit poor power densities. Le Gall et al added a large proportion of conductive acetylene black (typically 40-60% by weight) to partially overcome the conductivity issue; but, acetylene black significantly dilutes the amount of the active material. Further, the best achievable specific capacity of 150 mAh/g is far less than the theoretical specific capacity of 705 mAh/g of Poly(2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone-3,6-methylene).
Recently, more electrically conducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) containing carbonyl groups were used by Lee, et al to replace the organic molecules for use as a cathode material [S. W. Lee, et al, "High Power Lithium Batteries from Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes," Nature Nanotechnology, 5 (2010) 531-537]. The significantly higher electronic conductivity of CNTs does serve to overcome the poor conductivity problem of organic molecules. However, the CNT-based electrodes prepared by the layer-by-layer (LBL) approach still suffer from several technical and economical issues. Some of these issues are:                (1) CNTs are known to be extremely expensive due to the low yield, low production rate, and low purification rate commonly associated with the current CNT preparation processes. The high material costs have significantly hindered the widespread application of CNTs.        (2) CNTs tend to form a tangled mass resembling a hairball, which is difficult to work with (e.g., difficult to disperse in a liquid solvent or resin matrix).        (3) The so-called "layer-by-layer" approach (LBL) used by Lee, et al is a slow and expensive process that is not amenable to large-scale fabrication of battery electrodes, or mass production of electrodes with an adequate thickness (most of the batteries have an electrode thickness of 100-300 μm). The thickness of the LBL electrodes produced by Lee, et al (a noted MIT research group) was limited to 3 μm or less.        (4) One might wonder how the thickness of the LBL CNT electrodes would impact their performance. The data provided by Lee, et al (e.g. FIG. S-7 of the Supporting Material of Lee, et al) show that the power density dropped by one order of magnitude when the LBL CNT electrode thickness was increased from 0.3 μm to 3.0 μm. The performance is likely to drop even further if the electrode thickness is increased to that of a useful battery or supercapacitor electrode (e.g., 100-300 μm).        (5) Although the ultra-thin LBL CNT electrodes provide a high power density (since Li ions only have to travel an extremely short distance at the cathode), Lee, et al showed that the CNT-based composite electrodes prepared without using the LBL approach did not exhibit particularly good performance.        (6) CNTs have very limited amount of suitable sites to accept a functional group without damaging the basal plane or graphene plane structure. A CNT has only one end that is readily functionalizable and this end is an extremely small proportion of the total CNT surface. By chemically functionalizing the exterior basal plane, one could dramatically compromise the electronic conductivity of a CNT.
Most recently, our research groups have reported, in two patent applications, the development of lithium ion-exchanging super-batteries and two new classes of highly conducting cathode active materials for use in these super-batteries. Each class of cathode active material has a functional group that is capable of rapidly and reversibly forming a redox reaction with lithium ions. These materials are nanographene (both single-layer graphene and multi-layer graphene sheets, collectively referred to as nanographene platelets, NGPs) and disordered carbon (including soft carbon and hard carbon). These two patent applications are: C. G. Liu, et al., "Lithium Super-battery with a Functionalized Nano Graphene Cathode" (US Patent Publication No. 2012/0045688, filed Aug. 19, 2010) and C. G. Liu, et al, "Lithium Super-battery with a Functionalized Disordered Carbon Cathode" (US Patent Publication No. 2012-0077080, filed Sep. 23, 2010).
These new types of cathode active materials (used in the so-called lithium super-battery or, in the present context, a partially surface-controlled lithium ion-exchanging battery) include a chemically functionalized nanographene platelet (NGP) or a functionalized disordered carbon material (such as soft carbon and hard carbon) having certain specific functional groups capable of reversibly and rapidly forming a redox pair with a lithium ion during the charge and discharge cycles of a battery cell. An NGP is a single-layer graphene sheet or a stack of several graphene sheets with each sheet being a hexagonal structure of carbon atoms (single layer being as thin as 0.34 nm). In these two patent applications, the functionalized disordered carbon or NGP is used in the cathode (not the anode) of the lithium super-battery. In this cathode, lithium ions in the liquid electrolyte only have to migrate to the edges or surfaces of graphene sheets (in the case of functionalized NGP cathode), or the edges/surfaces of the aromatic ring structures (small graphene sheets) in a disordered carbon matrix. No solid-state diffusion is required at the cathode. The presence of a functionalized graphene or carbon enables reversible storage of lithium on the surfaces (including edges), not the bulk, of the cathode material. Such a cathode material provides one type of lithium-storing or lithium-capturing surface. Typically, this surface has a functional group thereon capable of forming a redox pair with a lithium ion. Another type of lithium-storing surface is based on simple lithium deposition on a surface of a nanostructured functional material.
In conventional lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions must diffuse into the bulk of a cathode active material during discharge and out of the bulk of the cathode active material during re-charge. In these conventional lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions must also diffuse in and out of the inter-planar spaces in a graphite crystal serving as an anode active material. The lithium insertion or extraction procedures at both the cathode and the anode are very slow. Due to these slow solid-state diffusion processes of lithium in and out of these intercalation compounds, the conventional lithium ion batteries do not exhibit a high power density and the batteries require a long re-charge time. None of these conventional devices rely on select functional groups (e.g. attached at the edge or basal plane surfaces of a graphene sheet) that readily and reversibly form a redox reaction with a lithium ion from a lithium-containing electrolyte.
In contrast, the lithium super-battery as reported in our two earlier patent applications relies on the operation of a fast and reversible reaction between a functional group (attached or bonded to a graphene structure at the cathode) and a lithium ion in the electrolyte. Lithium ions coming from the anode side through a separator only have to diffuse, in the liquid electrolyte, to reach a surface/edge of a graphene plane at the cathode. These lithium ions do not need to diffuse into or out of the interior of a solid particle. Since no diffusion-limited intercalation is involved at the cathode, this process is fast and can occur in seconds. Hence, this is a totally new class of hybrid supercapacitor-battery that exhibits unparalleled and unprecedented combined performance of an exceptional power density, high energy density, long and stable cycle life, and wide operating temperature range. This device has the best of both battery and supercapacitor worlds.
In the lithium super-batteries described in these two patent applications, the anode comprises either particles of a lithium titanate-type anode active material (still requiring solid state diffusion at the anode), as schematically illustrated in FIG. 1(B), or a lithium foil alone (without a nanostructured material to support or capture the returning lithium ions/atoms during recharge), as illustrated in FIG. 1(C). In the latter case, lithium has to deposit onto the front surface of an anode current collector alone (e.g. copper foil) when the battery is recharged.
Since the specific surface area of a current collector is very low (typically <<1 m2/gram), the over-all lithium re-deposition rate is relatively low and this process still can become surface area-limited.
Fully Surface-Controlled (Surface-Enabled), Lithium Ion-Exchanging Battery Device
Another superior energy storage device that also operates on lithium ion exchange between the cathode and the anode was reported in a co-pending patent application of ours [A. Zhamu, et al., "Surface-Controlled, Lithium Ion-Exchanging Energy Storage Device," US Patent Publication No. US20120164539A1, filed Dec. 23, 2010.] In this new device, both the cathode and the anode (not just the cathode) have a lithium-capturing or lithium-storing surface (typically both being nanostructured with many lithium-storing surfaces) and both electrodes (not just the cathode) obviate the need to engage in solid-state diffusion. Both the anode and the cathode have large amounts of surface areas to allow lithium ions to deposit thereon simultaneously, enabling dramatically higher charge and discharge rates and higher power densities. The uniform dispersion of these surfaces of a nanostructured material (e.g. graphene, CNT, disordered carbon, nanowire, and nanofiber) in an electrode also provides a more uniform electric field in the electrode in which lithium can more uniformly deposit without forming a dendrite. Such a nanostructure eliminates the potential formation of dendrites, which was the most serious problem in conventional lithium metal batteries (commonly used in 1980s and early 1990s before being replaced by lithium-ion batteries). Such a device is herein referred to as a fully surface-controlled (or surface-enabled), lithium ion-exchanging battery.
Sodium Ion Batteries and Sodium Compound-Based Supercapacitors
Aqueous electrolyte-based asymmetric or hybrid supercapacitors with a sodium ion intercalation compound (NaMnO2) as the cathode and activated carbon as the anode were investigated by Qu, et al [Q. T. Qu, Y. Shi, S. Tian, Y. H. Chen, Y. P. Wu, R. Holze, Journal of Power Sources, 194 (2009) 1222]. Similar compounds (sodium birnessite, NaxMnO2) were used as the electrode materials of another supercapacitor [L. Athouel, F. Moser, R. Dugas, O. Crosnier, D. Belanger, T. Brousse, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112 (2008) 7270]. At least the cathode in these supercapacitors involves solid state diffusion (intercalation and deintercalation) of Na ions in a NaxMnO2 solid. Furthermore, these supercapacitors do not involve exchange of Na ions between the anode and the cathode. They still exhibit relatively low energy densities.
Sodium ion batteries using a hard carbon-based anode (Na-carbon intercalation compound) and a sodium transition metal phosphate as a cathode have been described by several research groups: Zhuo, X. Y. Wang, A. P. Tang, Z. M. Liu, S. Gamboa, P. J. Sebastian, Journal of Power Sources 160 (2006) 698; J. Barker, Y. Saidi, J. Swoyer, US Patent Application US2005/0238961, 2005; J. Barker; M. Y. Saidi, and J. Swoyer, "Sodium Ion Batteries," U.S. Pat. No. 7,759,008 (Jul. 20, 2010 and J. F. Whitacre, A. Tevar, and S. Sharma, "Na4Mn9O18 as a positive electrode material for an aqueous electrolyte sodium-ion energy storage device," Electrochemistry Communications 12 (2010) 463-466.
However, these sodium-based devices exhibit even lower specific energies and rate capabilities than Li-ion batteries. These conventional sodium-ion batteries require lithium ions to diffuse in and out of a sodium intercalation compound at both the anode and the cathode. The required solid-state diffusion processes for sodium ions in a sodium-ion battery are even slower than the Li diffusion processes in a Li-ion battery, leading to excessively low power densities.
Partially and Fully Surface-Enabled, Metal Ion-Exchanging Battery Devices (not Including Li Ions Alone)
Parallel to our work on the development of surface-controlled lithium ion-exchanging battery devices and lithium super-batteries, we have also conducted diligent research and development on batteries based on the exchange of other types of alkali ions than lithium, and other types of metal ions (such as alkaline-earth metals, transition metals, non-transition metals, such as aluminum, tin, and gallium, etc.). No prior art had anticipated that these non-lithium ions, having vastly different ionic sizes and electron affinity, electronegativity, electrochemical potential, or valency than lithium, could form a redox reaction or chemical complex with any functional group at the cathode or at both the cathode and the anode material. Specifically, no prior art had taught about or suggested that a divalent ion (e.g. Ca+2) or trivalent ion (e.g. Al+3) could rapidly and reversibly form a redox pair or chemical complex with a surface-borne functional group, such as carbonyl (>═O), on a surface (or edge) of a nanostructured material (e.g., NGP, CNT, or porous disordered carbon) for a battery application. No one had indicated that large ions like Na+, K+, Ca+2, Zn+2, and Al+3 (all larger than Li+ ions) could be exchanged between the anode and the cathode in a fast and reversible manner, with or without intercalation. There had been no previous scientific basis to predict if a super-battery or surface-enabled battery device could be based on these non-lithium ions. Our extensive and in-depth research has led to very surprising, ground-breaking results that are herein reported.
The present invention provides partially or fully surface-enabled, metal ion-exchanging battery devices, based on non-lithium metals such as non-lithium alkali metals (Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Fr), alkaline metals (e.g., Be, Mg, Ca, and Ba), transition metals (e.g., Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn), and other metals (e.g. Al, Sn, Pb, etc). The instant application claims surface-enabled battery devices based on non-lithium alkali metal ions (Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, and combinations thereof) and their mixtures with Li (but not Li alone). This application also claims surface-enabled battery devices based on alkaline-earth metal ions, transition metal ions, and other types of metal ions that have a suitable electrochemical potential (e.g., not more than 3.0 volts lower than the reference Li/Li+ potential).

Partially and fully surface-enabled transition metal ion-exchanging energy storage devices


Disclosed are mammalian tumor and/or cancer cell conditioned substrate preparations having tumor inhibiting activity. In some embodiments, the mammalian tumor and/or cancer cell conditioned substrate preparations are essentially free of cellular components. These preparations comprise a conditioned heterologous acellular collagenous tissue preparation, and may be prepared using a mammalian extracellular matrix substrate. The conditioned substrates include many different anti-tumor and/or anti-cancer biomolecules, such as that population of anti-tumor biomolecules that are secreted and/or produced by mammalian tumor and/or cancer cells as they grow on a substrate, thus imparting the anti-tumor and/or anti-cancer properties to the conditioned substrates of the invention. The present disclosure also provides methods for preparing the mammalian tumor and/or cancer cell conditioned substrates, as well as methods for using the preparations to inhibit tumor growth, such as in a vaccine or wound dressing. Methods for inhibiting prostate tumors and melanoma with the described conditioned substrates are also described. The conditioned mammalian tumor and/or cancer cell substrate preparations are essentially free of viable and/or carcinogenic or invasive tumor and/or cancer cells. The conditioned substrates and substrate preparations include anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties that may be used in preparations and formulations for the treatment of cancer.

There is a great interest in therapeutic and prophylactic cancer vaccines. A variety of methods have been examined. For example, vaccines derived from whole cells have been examined and found to have a larger number of antigens, and reported to have met with some success. Tissue vaccines are derived from tumor material harvested directly from tumor-bearing individuals, and contain not only antigens associated with neoplastic cells, but also a menu of antigens associated with the tumor connective tissue and extracellular matrix.
A material known by the acronym SIS, comprised of an extracellular matrix material derived from porcine small intestinal submucosa, has been described as a material useful as a tissue scaffold. (Cook Biotech Inc., West Lafayette, Ind.).
By way of further background, a variety of extracellular matrix materials have been proposed for use in medical grafting, cell culture, and other related applications. For instance, medical grafts and cell culture materials containing submucosa derived from small intestine, stomach or urinary bladder tissues have been proposed. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,508, 4,956,178, 5,281,422, 5,554,389, 6,099,567 and 6,206,931.) In addition, Cook Biotech Inc. (West Lafayette, Ind.), currently manufactures a variety of medical products based upon small intestinal submucosa under the trademarks SURGISIS®, STRATASIS® and OASIS®.
Medical materials derived from liver basement membrane have also been proposed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,710. As well, ECM materials derived from amnion (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,552 and 6,576,618) and from renal capsule membrane (see, e.g., WO003002165) have been proposed for medical and/or cell culture applications.
Some investigators have reported that small intestinal submucosa (SIS) material has an improved biocompatibility that makes it a useful tissue scaffolding material. (Woods, et al., (2004), Biomaterials, 25 (3):515-525.) In Woods, it is hypothesized that the human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured on SIS (HUVEC) deposited human basement membrane proteins to create what was termed a "conditioned" SIS (c-SIS). The surface properties of the c-SIS were hypothesized to be changed in such a way that, upon re-seeding of human umbilical vein endothelial cells on the c-SIS substrate, the cells exhibited enhanced organization of cellular junctures and an increase in metabolic activity, compared to HUVEC cells cultured on a native, non-conditioned SIS (n-SIS) substrate. The HUVEC cells cultured on c-SIS were reported to release lower amounts of pro-inflammatory prostaglandin PGI2 into the media, compared to HUVEC grown on n-SIS substrate. These effects were concluded to provide an SIS with improved properties as a tissue scaffolding material.
One group of researchers describe a conditioned cell culture media prepared from a culture of non-cancerous, non-tumor elasmobrach fish immune cells (i.e., cells obtained from epigonal organ or Leydig organ of elasmobrach fishes (e.g., sharks, skates, and rays)), and report the media to demonstrate anti-tumor activity (U.S. Pat. No. 7,309,501). The non-tumorous, non-cancerous fish immune cells are described as having released immune substances into the media of these cultures. These preparations do not describe the use of cells other than non-tumor, non-cancerous fish immune cells. Further, these preparations did not involve or reference the growth of cells on an extracellular matrix.
Carcinoma cells have been described as depositing fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is not converted to fibrin in the tumor stroma. The microenvironment of a tumor is composed of an amalgam of secreted soluble factors, solid material and tumor cells. Secreted soluble factors include chemokines such as CXCR-4 and CXCL-2, matrix altering enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), protease inhibitors, and growth factors (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)), all of which are stored in the surrounding ECM and released when required by the tumor cells (via protease-mediated degradation of the ECM). The surrounding ECM itself, which is composed of the interstitial matrix and basement membrane, constitutes the noncellular solid material, which is critical in the anchorage and migration of malignant cancer cells. (Alphonso, et al. (2009), Neoplasia, 11:1264-1271).
Cancer cells have been described as producing proteases (e.g., matrix metalloproteases, elastase, cathepsin-L) that remodel the ECM associated with a tumor. (Sund, et al., (2009), Cancer Metastasis Rev., 28:177-183). This remodeling leads to the release of substances sequestered in the ECM, as well as bioactive cleavage fragments from ECM proteins, such as collagen and proteoglycans. Sequestered substances which may be released into the tumor ECM include VEGF, which further influences tumor progression. Cancer cells also interact with the microenvironment through the release of soluble factors and through cell-matrix interactions. Examples of secretions or by-products include cadhereins, integrins, cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, PDGF, EGF and TGF-β). Additional secreted molecules include endothelins, plasmin and uPA. (Zigrino, et al. (2005), Biochimie, 87:321-328).
Human breast cancer cells are shown to synthesize, secrete and deposit fibrinogen into the ECM. (Rybarczyk, et al. (2000), Cancer Res., 60: 2033-2039). Prostate cancer cells, in particular, have been reported to secrete bFGF, PDGF and TNF-α. (Kaminski, et al. (2006), Expert Opin. Ther. Targets, 14, 77-94). These and other products synthesized by various types of cancer cells have been described to contribute to the growth/spreading of cancer cells. However, it remains unknown whether tumor/cancer cell secretions and/or by-products demonstrate any anti-tumor and/or anti-cancer activities.
A need continues to exist in the medical arts for improved anti-cancer/anti-tumor preparations. In particular, improved preparations that are essentially cell free (acellular) that posses a tumor and/or cancer inhibiting activity continue to be pursued in the quest for improved anti-cancer and anti-tumor pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Improved tools for treatment and containment of cancer and tumor growth remain to be developed, and present the promise of a new generation of vaccines.

Anti-tumor/cancer heterologous acellular collagenous preparations and uses thereof


A passenger seat back recline assembly, including a seat bottom chassis including a plurality of leg modules and section assembly modules, a plurality of beam elements carrying the leg modules and section assembly modules in spaced-apart relation to each other to define a ladder frame assembly, a seat back unit pivotally-mounted between two of the section assembly modules for permitting the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom chassis to be varied as desired by the passenger, a recline unit for controlling movement of the seat back and locking the seat back in a desired recline position, an occupant-activated seat back recline control for maintaining the seat back in a normally-locked condition relative to the seat bottom chassis and for permitting the occupant to release the normally-locked condition of the cylinder assembly by activating the seat back recline control to thus permit movement of the seat back to a desired position and deactivating the seat back recline control to lock the seat back in the desired position. Respective first and second pivot tubes are provided on which the fluid cylinder assembly is mounted, the first and second pivot tubes being positioned in respective first and second pivot holes formed in the section assembly module. First and second locking spacer collars are positioned in surrounding position on respective first and second pivot tubes intermediate the section assembly module and the seat back unit pivoted thereto.

This invention relates to a locking collar for a passenger seat back recline assembly. Passenger seat frames are constructed from modular sets of components designed to be lightweight and conformable to various aircraft cabin conditions. The lower seat chassis is constructed of leg modules. The upper seat chassis is constructed of section assembly modules. The leg modules and section assembly modules are assembled by attachment to lateral tubular beam elements to form a ladder frame assembly, a seat bottom and a seat back are mounted to the ladder frame assembly to form the passenger seat. The seat back typically includes a recline unit which allows the seat back to be moved between relatively upright and reclined positions for passenger comfort and ingress/egress requirements. The location of the section assembly modules is controlled by the aircraft fuselage lines and statutory aisle requirements. The section modules carry pivots for both sides of the seat back and an additional pivot on one side to carry the reaction loads of the recline unit of the seat back.
Due to large variations in the amount of space allowed by various air carriers for passenger occupancy, it is presently necessary to make three sizes of seat back and to provide some form of variation in spacing between the sides of the seat backs and the adjacent section assembly modules. This is normally done by manufacturing specific components that locate the seat back and hold it between the section assembly modules. These components vary from installation to installation.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a locking collar for passenger seat back recline assembly.
It is another object of the invention to provide a locking collar which is easily locked to a pivot member.
It is another object of the invention to provide a locking collar which may be made in varying thicknesses.
It is another object of the invention to provide a locking collar which permits easy and quick adaptation of aircraft seat spacing to accommodate aircraft seat spacing and aisle requirements.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a passenger seat back recline assembly, comprising a seat bottom chassis including a plurality of leg modules and section assembly modules, a plurality of beam elements carrying the leg modules and section assembly modules in spaced-apart relation to each other to define a ladder frame assembly, a seat back unit pivotally-mounted between two of the section assembly modules for permitting the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom chassis to be varied as desired by the passenger, a recline unit for controlling movement of the seat back and locking the seat back in a desired recline position, an occupant-activated seat back recline control for maintaining the seat back in a normally-locked condition relative to the seat bottom chassis and for permitting the occupant to release the normally-locked condition of the cylinder assembly by activating the seat back recline control to thus permit movement of the seat back to a desired position and deactivating the seat back recline control to lock the seat back in the desired position. Respective first and second pivot tubes are provided on which the fluid cylinder assembly is mounted, the first and second pivot tubes being positioned in respective first and second pivot holes formed in the section assembly module. First and second locking spacer collars are positioned in surrounding position on respective first and second pivot tubes intermediate the section assembly module and the seat back unit pivoted thereto.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second collars include an attachment device for locking the respective first or second collar to the section assembly module against both axial and radial movement relative thereto.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the attachment devices each comprise an elongate member positioned through an attachment hole in the collar and a mating attachment hole formed in the section assembly module.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the elongate members each comprise a screw.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, each the collar is pear-shaped and the attachment hole therein is radially offset from the pivot hole therein.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the section assembly module includes a stepped surface underlying the attachment hole in each of the first and second collars whereby when the portion of each of the collars surrounding the respective pivot hole is in contact with the section assembly module, the portion of the collar surrounding the pivot hole is spaced-apart from the attachment hole in the section assembly module, and by tightening the attachment member, each of the collars is deflected inwardly towards the respective attachment screw hole in the section assembly module and locked against the respective pivot tubes.
A method according to an embodiment of the invention for securing a passenger seat recline assembly to a passenger seat section assembly module comprises the steps of providing a seat bottom chassis including a plurality of leg modules and section assembly modules, a plurality of beam elements carrying the leg modules and section assembly modules in spaced-apart relation to each other to define a ladder frame assembly, and a seat back unit pivotally-mounted between two of the section assembly modules for permitting the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom chassis to be varied as desired by the passenger.
A recline unit is provided for controlling movement of the seat back and locking the seat back in a desired recline position, and an occupant-activated seat back recline control is provided for maintaining the seat back in a normally-locked condition relative to the seat bottom chassis and for permitting the occupant to release the normally-locked condition of the cylinder assembly by activating the seat back recline control to thus permit movement of the seat back to a desired position and deactivating the seat back recline control to lock the seat back in the desired position. Respective first and second pivot tubes are provided on which the fluid cylinder assembly is mounted. The first and second pivot tubes are positioned in respective first and second pivot holes formed in the section assembly module. First and second locking spacer collars are positioned in surrounding position on respective first and second pivot tubes intermediate the section assembly module and the seat back unit pivoted thereto. A stepped surface is formed in the section assembly module underlying the attachment hole in each of the first and second collars whereby when the portion of each of the collars surrounding the respective pivot hole is in contact with the section assembly module, the portion of the collar surrounding the pivot hole is spaced-apart from the attachment hole in the section assembly module. By tightening the attachment member of each of the collars, the collars are deflected inwardly towards the respective attachment screw hole in the section assembly module and thereby locking the collars against the respective pivot tubes.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of providing collars in thicknesses specific to a particular installation for varying the seat width and spacing without the necessity of varying the design or size of other components.

Locking collar for passenger seat back recline assembly