Embodiments of the present disclosure a method, device and computer program product for storage management. The method comprises: determining, from a storage system, a plurality of storage areas corresponding to a plurality of files; selecting, from the plurality of storage areas, a pair of first storage area and second storage area, both the first storage area and the second storage area having non-empty available space; moving at least part of data stored in used space of the first storage area to available space of the second storage area; and in response to determining that the used space of the first storage area becomes empty after the moving, releasing the first storage area. In this way, the storage space can be effectively released and the storage efficiency is accordingly improved.

In recent years, the safety of data storage has attracted more and more attention with the development of the computer technology. Data backup also gradually becomes a common technique to guarantee safety of data. In the conventional data backup, redundant data backup is typically avoided by means like hash table etc. The scale of data that need to be backed up also grows with time. Therefore, how to effectively manage the backed-up data has become the focus of attention.

Method, device and computer program product for storage management


A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a switching signal generating circuit formed of a PMOS transistor, a resistor, and inverters which outputs an internal switching signal for switching an operating mode between a first operating mode and a second operating mode when an operating state satisfies a predetermined condition, a mode selection pad to which an external switching signal capable of selecting the first operating mode is input in priority to the internal switching signal, and a switching circuit formed of an OR circuit which switches the operating mode between the first operating mode and the second operating mode based on the external switching signal or the internal switching signal. An output from the switching signal generating circuit is input to the mode selection pad via a trimming fuse.

When an internal circuit of a semiconductor device is tested, pads and/or external terminals for inputting signals which are required for testing the semiconductor device must be provided in the semiconductor device. However, when the number of the pads is increased, the chip area of the semiconductor device is increased, in addition, when the number of the external terminals is further increased, in some cases, the package of the semiconductor device must be large, and these greatly influence the cost and the size of a product including the semiconductor device. That is, the number of the pads and the number of the external terminals for the signals which are used for only testing the semiconductor device are desired to be as small as possible.
Therefore, when signals of an internal circuit not directly connected to the pads and the external terminals need to be tested, signals output from existing pads and terminals are obtained instead, and states of the signals of the internal circuit have been estimated.
For example, in a constant voltage circuit shown in FIG. 3, an operating mode is switched between a normal operating mode and an energy saving operating mode based on an output current Io.
As shown in FIG. 3, the constant voltage circuit provides a first error amplifying circuit 11 which is always operated and a second error amplifying circuit 12 which is operated at only the normal operating mode.
The first error amplifying circuit 11 is an amplifying circuit whose response speed is slow but consumption current is small, and the second error amplifying circuit 12 is an amplifying circuit whose response speed is fast but consumption current is great. Input terminals of the first and second error amplifying circuits 11 and 12 are connected to each other, and output terminals of the first and second error amplifying circuits 11 and 12 are connected to each other. In the first and second error amplifying circuits 11 and 12, a reference voltage Vref is applied to inverting input terminals, a voltage Vfb in which an output voltage Vo is divided by resistors R11 and R12 is applied to non-inverting input terminals, and the output terminals are connected to the gate of an output transistor M11.
The second error amplifying circuit 12 further provides a control input terminal. The second error amplifying circuit 12 provides a built-in switching circuit which switches its own operating mode, and the switching circuit controls the operating mode of the second error amplifying circuit 12 corresponding to a signal applied to the control input terminal.
An output from an OR circuit 13 is input to the control input terminal. When a signal input to the control input terminal is a low level, the second error amplifying circuit 12 stops operating, and the consumption current becomes substantially a 0 ampere. In addition, when a signal input to the control input terminal is a high level, the second error amplifying circuit 12 operates, and the consumption current becomes substantially a normal value.
A first input terminal of the OR circuit 13 is connected to a mode selection pad MODE and also connected to ground potential via a resistor R14. Therefore, when a signal is not applied to the mode selection pad MODE, the OR circuit 13 is in a low level. In addition, a second input terminal of the OR circuit 13 is connected to an output terminal of an inverter 15.
A switching signal generating circuit is formed of a PMOS transistor M12, a resistor R13, and inverters 14 and 15.
A current mirror circuit is formed of the PMOS transistor M12 and the output transistor M11. The output current Io is detected as a drain current Id12 of the PMOS transistor M12, and the resistor R13 connected between the drain of the PMOS transistor M12 and ground potential converts the drain current Id12 into a voltage.
When the converted voltage is less than a threshold voltage of the inverter 14, an output from the inverter 14 becomes a high level and an output from the inverter 15 becomes a low level, and an input to the second input terminal of the OR circuit 13 becomes a low level. When no signal is input to the mode selection pad MODE, a signal input to the first input terminal of the OR circuit 13 is the low level; therefore, an output from the OR circuit 13 is a low level, and a signal input to the control input terminal of the second error amplifying circuit 12 becomes a low level. Then, the second error amplifying circuit 12 stops operating and enters the energy saving operating mode.
When the converted voltage is the threshold voltage of the inverter 14 or more, the output from the inverter 15 becomes a high level, and a signal input to the control input terminal of the second error amplifying circuit 12 becomes a high level via the OR circuit 13; therefore, the second error amplifying circuit 12 is operated and enters the normal operating mode.
Since the voltage input to the inverter 14 is a hysteresis voltage, the threshold voltage when the energy saving operating mode is switched to the normal operating mode is determined to be higher than the threshold voltage when the normal operating mode is switched to the energy saving operating mode. With this, jitter at switching the operating modes is prevented.
In addition, in the constant voltage circuit, when a signal of a high level is input to the mode selection pad MODE, an output from the OR circuit 13 is always a high level; therefore, the second error amplifying circuit 12 enters the normal operating mode regardless of the output from the inverter 15.
The output current Io is shown in Equation (1) when the operating mode is switched by the switching signal generating circuit.Io=Vth/(K×R13)  (1)
Where, Vth is a threshold voltage of the inverter 14, "K" is a mirror ratio (Id12/Io) between the PMOS transistor M12 and the output transistor M11, and R13 is a resistance value of the resistor R13.
The values of the Vth, K, and R13 in Equation (1) are dispersed while the semiconductor device is manufactured, respectively; therefore, in order to accurately determine the value of the output current Io when the operating mode is switched, the resistance value R13 in Equation (1) is adjusted by trimming. Specifically, the output current Io is measured when the operating mode is switched while the output current Io is increased or decreased, and the trimming amount of the resistor R13 is calculated from the measured output current Io.
However, an output from the inverter 15 which outputs an internal switching signal for switching the operating mode is not connected to a pad and/or an external terminal. Therefore, in order to obtain whether the operating mode is switched, a slight increase of a consumption current of a semiconductor device is detected by the operations of the second error amplifying circuit 12. However, the increase of the consumption current is a very small amount of the total consumption current; therefore, it is difficult to measure the output current Io when the operating mode is switched, and a high-cost testing instrument whose accuracy is high is required.
When a pad and/or an external terminal for only obtaining an internal switching signal output from the inverter 15 is provided, since the switching of the operating mode can be extracted as a logic level signal and can be tested, the output current Io at switching the operating mode can be accurately measured with the use of a low-cost instrument. However, as described above, since the internal switching signal is used only during the test, the pad and/or the external terminal for only the test undesirably influences the cost and the size of the product.
In order to solve the above problem, conventionally, a decrease of the number of testing terminals has been tried. For example, in a method of Patent Document 1, a signal of an internal circuit of a semiconductor device is output to a pad to which an output of a first circuit is connected, and an output from a second circuit whose output is to be tested is connected to the pad via a fuse. During the test of the second circuit, the output from the first circuit is made to be high impedance, and when the test of the second circuit is completed, the fuse is cut off.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-313797
However, in patent Document 1, only when the first circuit and the second circuit are not operated at the same time and the output from the first circuit can be made to be the high impedance during the operation of the second circuit, the method can be operated.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof


A form-fill-seal machine is capable of reducing poor sealing caused by a packaged article catching in lateral seal portions. The form-fill-seal machine is provided with an upper tube, a lower tube disposed therebelow, a former, a lateral sealing mechanism below the lower tube, and opening and closing sliding members. A packaged article is dropped through the interiors of the upper tube and the lower tube. The former winds a sheet of a film F around the circumference of the lower tube to convert same into a tubular film. The lateral sealing mechanism laterally seals the tubular film. The opening and closing sliding members, which are disposed between the upper tube and the lower tube, shut off an upwardly oriented flow of gas from the interior of the lower tube when in a closed state.

Conventionally, there have existed form-fill-seal machines for producing bags by shaping a sheet of a packaging material into a tube and, in a state where the interior thereof has been filled with a snack food or other packaged article, laterally sealing the upper and lower end parts of the packaging material. For example, an upright form-fill-seal machine uses a shaping member or the like to shape a sheet of a packaging material into a tube, and then vertically seals both vertically overlapping edges of the tubular packaging material. During a state where a dropped packaged article is located in the interior space of the tubular packaging material, the upper and lower end parts of a portion of the tubular packaging material serving as a single bag are laterally sealed in sequence, forming a lower sealed part and an upper sealed part in a state where the packaged article is present within the tubular packaging material. To be specific, a lateral seal is made across the leading portion of the bag serving as the upper end part and the following portion of the bag serving as the lower end part, and immediately thereafter (or, alternatively, at the same time) the middle of the lateral seal portion is vertically separated by a cutter, thus forming the tubular bag material into a lower sealed part and an upper sealed part. By repeating such an operation, a form-fill-seal machine continuously produces bags filled with packaged articles.
In a case where potato chips or other articles having a low specific gravity are the packaged article with which the bag is filled, articles in a group may undergo greater vertical separation as they fall, and get caught in the lateral seal portions. Various companies have been devoted to innovations for preventing poor sealing caused by this "catching" phenomenon, such as the technology disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-59905.


Waffle-style cutter for slicing fruit, vegetables or the like, comprising a blade-holding plate at whose front edge a wave-shaped cutter blade is arranged, comprising two frame ledges arranged essentially parallel, and comprising a slide plate adjoining the frame ledges and introduceable parallel to the blade-holding plate, whereby a narrow gap remains between the trailing edge of the slide plate and the cutter blade. In accord with the invention, a support plate fashioned as a closed surface is arranged under the slide plate.

This invention is directed to a waffle-style cutter for slicing fruit, vegetables or the like. More particularly, the cutter includes a blade-holding plate at whose front edge a wavy cutting blade is arranged, two frame ledges arranged essentially parallel, and a slide plate that adjoins the frame ledges and can be placed parallel to the blade-holding plate, whereby a narrow gap remains between the trailing edge of the slide plate and the cutter blade.
The prior art from which the present invention proceeds is schematically shown in the drawings with reference to FIG. 1.
As shown, the known waffle-style cutter comprises two frame ledges 2 that are joined in their back part by a blade-holding plate 3 and are joined in their front part by two cross-stays 4 as well as a diagonal stay 5 arranged at the underside of the waffle-style cutter. A slide plate (not shown) arranged parallel to the blade-holding plate 3 can be placed in the front part of the waffle-style cutter. This slide plate has noses arranged at its underside engaging in front of projections 7 arranged at the level of the stays 4 and 5 or lying thereupon. For fixing the slide plate in two possible latched positions, a nose 8 is provided at the front end at at least one frame ledge 2. This nose 8 engages corresponding lateral notches in the slide plate. In the two possible latched positions of the slide plate, this is arranged such that a narrow gap, that allows the cut material to fall through, remains between the trailing edge of the slide plate and a cutter blade 9 that is secured to the leading edge of the blade-holding plate 3.
The known waffle-style cutter is disadvantageous insofar as the slide plate sags when pressed onto the material to be cut and thereby deforms over time or even breaks in an extreme case.
It is therefore the object of the invention to improve the known waffle-style cutter to such effect that a sag of the slide plate when pressed onto the material to be cut is no longer possible and, thus, to improve the functionability and useful life of the waffle-style cutter overall.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.

Waffle-style cutter for cutting fruit, vegetables or the like


A method for automatically producing a defined face opening in a longwall mining operation in underground coal mining, using a face conveyor, at least one plow, as an extraction machine, guided on the face conveyor, and respective hydraulic shield support frames having, as main components, a floor skid arrangement, a gob shield, a top canopy and support connection rods. Inclination sensors are disposed on at least three of the floor skid arrangements, the gob shield, the support connection rods and a gob-side region of the top canopy. From the sensors, an inclination relative to a horizontal is ascertained. From the inclination data, by comparison with base data defining a geometrical orientation of the components and movement thereof during a stepping process, a respective shield height of the shield support frames perpendicular to a bed thereof is calculated and is compared with a machine-dependent fixed cutting height of the plow to establish if deviations exist. By means of a boom controller disposed between the shield support frame and the face conveyor, a height control of the plow is initiated to correct established deviations and is maintained, in the sense of a location-synchronized evaluation, until the shield support frame, which trails the plow with a time delay, has reached the position at which the plow was located at the point in time when the height control of the plow was initiated.

The instant application should be granted the priority date of Feb. 19, 2008, the filing date of the corresponding International patent application PCT/EP2008/001268.
The invention relates to a method for automatically producing a defined face opening in the case of longwall operations, comprising a face conveyor, at least one plow guided on the face conveyor as an extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support, in underground mining.
A problem in the automatic control of longwall operations both in the mining direction and also in the extraction direction of the extraction machine used is, inter alia, producing a sufficiently large face opening to ensure the passage of the longwall equipment without collisions between extraction machine and shield support frames as the extraction machine travels past, for example, on the one hand, and keeping the rock collapse during the extraction work as limited as possible, and accordingly restricting the extraction work to the coal layer as much as possible, without also cutting excessive country rock, on the other hand. The mineral deposit data which is essentially available before the extraction about seam thickness, level of footwall or overlying stratum, and the presence of saddles and/or troughs both in the mining direction and also in the longitudinal direction of the longwall equipment, i.e. in the extraction direction of the extraction machine, are too imprecise to be able to support automated control of the extraction and support work thereon.
This problem results in particular in the case of so-called plow operations, during which a plow moves back and forth along the longwall front on a fixed guide attached to the face conveyor. The plow, which is equipped with chisels, has a setting-related fixed cutting height and a comparatively low cutting depth in a magnitude of approximately 60 mm, so that in contrast to an extraction with a disc shearer loader, the cutting height is not variable during extraction travel in any case. In plow operations, a height control of the plow is set up as a so-called boom or delivery controller via a control cylinder situated between the face conveyor as a fixed guide to the plow and the shield support frame attached thereon. Via the inclination of the face conveyor, which is changeable using the boom controller, in addition to a level-neutral control, a plunging movement in the mining direction can thus also be given to the face conveyor and thus the plow guided thereon, even during the extraction travel, in which the plow tilts into the footwall by cutting of its floor chisels, or also a climbing movement, in which the plow executes a rising extraction.
In that damage to the footwall by the plow is to be avoided as much as possible during the extraction work, the height control of the plow is essentially performed according to the known method of boundary layer plowing on the footwall. In this method, it is ascertained by a sensor carried at the level of the floor chisel of the plow whether the floor chisel of the plow cuts into the country rock, i.e. into the footwall, or into the coal. This method is primarily fragile on its hardware side, because the relevant sensor and the associated evaluation computer are installed in an extremely rough environment in or on the plow and are thus subject to corresponding stresses and/or occurring defects. Furthermore, the mobility of the plow requires a power supply of the hardware via battery and a data transmission via radio using multiple transponders situated in the longwall, the radio conditions being very difficult to control in particular in low longwalls having higher proportions of ferromagnetic components of the longwall equipment. In addition, this method is also subject to uncertainties in its information and/or also causes a corresponding time delay in the case of possibly required regulation, because a somewhat reliable statement about the material cut by the plow is only to be made after several plow passes, i.e., after it travels past a shield support frame several times, typically approximately 5 times.
The invention is therefore based on the object of disclosing a method of the type cited at the beginning, using which automation of the extraction and support work with respect to the production of a defined face opening is possible even in plowing operation.

Method for automatically producing a defined face opening in plow operations in coal mining


A storage and display rack which has a base plate, a spreader plate thereabove, and a holder at the top which is provided with devices to engage electronic remote control devices and the like to permit storage, display and ready removability of remote control devices for accessibility and use.

In the modern home, there are many electronic devices which can be remotely controlled. Most of these are entertainment electronic devices. Television sets, video cassette recorders, laser disc players, audio tape players, and compact disc players are each available with an electronic control system which can be remotely controlled. There are also other types of home entertainment electronic devices and other types of electronic devices which can be and/or are equipped with remote control devices. In a well-equipped home entertainment center, there are thus many different controllable electronic devices for audio and/or visual entertainment. In most cases, each of these devices has its own remote controller. It is a burden to attempt to keep the remote controllers organized so that they are each readily accessible, as needed. When all of the electronic control devices are placed together on a table for convenient accessibility, finding the right one is difficult. Thus, there must be a way to keep them organized, visible and accessible within easy reach so as to provide full convenience for the utilization of the control devices.


A multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system the multiplicity of which can be changed. The system performs control operation as quickly as possible by suppressing the output fluctuation within a narrow range so as to perform constant power transmission. A gain-variable amplifier is provided at the succeeding stage of a modulator and the gain of the amplifier is controlled by a control signal generated based on the detection signal of the output of a power amplifying section. A detecting and control section detects the RF output of a delay multiplexing spread signal by a diode, finds the average power by an integrator, and equalizes the output of the amplifier to a comparation voltage by a control signal which is generated on comparing the average power with the comparation voltage. However, when the output of the amplifier is equalized to the comparation voltage, the time constant of the integration performed by the section is kept small for a fixed period of time by using a control signal representing a simplex/multiplex part. Consequently, a multiplexing switching section can quickly control the power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spectrum spread communication and in particular to a (multi-rated) multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication having a variable multiplicity in which the transmission power is made constant.
2. Description of the Relates Art
Recently spread spectrum communication systems have attracted attention as new communication systems. The modulation schemes used for general data transmission are narrow band modulation scheme. Although they can be implemented by a relatively small circuit, they have a disadvantage that they are susceptible to multipath phasing and colored noise in a narrow band indoors (offices, factories).
In contrast to this, the spread spectrum communication systems are advantageous in that the above-mentioned disadvantage is overcome since the spectrum of data is spread with a spreading code for transmission in a broad band.
However, high rate data transmission is hard to conduct since the wider band is required for the higher data transmission rate. For example, if data transmission using QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) scheme by spreading data with a 11 chips is contemplated, 22 MHz band is required for 2 Mbps data transmission. 110 MHz band is required for data transmission at a rate of 10 Mbps.
Further, regulation of bands in which radio wave transmission is permitted also makes it harder to conduct high rate data transmission.
Accordingly, in order to conduct high rate transmission in a restricted band, a multiplexing scheme in which spread signals are delayed (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cdelay multiplexing scheme) is proposed (refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-55714).
Use of this scheme makes it possible to conduct high rate transmission in a restricted band. If the scheme which is disclosed in the cited publication No. 9-55714 is used for the former example (2 Mbps data, 22 MHz band), duplexing and quintuplexing in the same band enables data transmission at 4 and 10 Mbps, respectively.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary circuit used for heretofore proposed delay multiplexing scheme.
In FIG. 1, data which is generated by a data generating portion 110 is differentially coded by a differential encoding portion 111 and then parallel-converted into numbers to be multiplexed by an S/P converting portion 112.
Subsequently, the parallel data is spread by being multiplied by a PN code from a PN generator 114 by respective multiplying portions (113-1 through 113-4) and then delayed by respective delay elements (115-1 through 115-4).
Then, the delayed data are combined into multivalued digital signals by a combiner (frequency combining device) 116. The digital signals are modulated by an oscillated signal from an oscillator 120 in a modulator 119. The signal is transmitted via a frequency converting portion 122 and power amplifier 123.
As a result, high rate data transmission in a limited band is made possible.
In a telecommunications system using such a spectrum spreading, the transmission signal assumes +1 or xe2x88x921, and the multiplexed signal assumes multivalue in the multiplex part. For example, the quintuplexed signal assumes values of xe2x88x925, xe2x88x923, xe2x88x921, 1, 3, 5.
This is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the multiplexed operation values differ largely in simplex and multiplex parts.
On the other hand, in the communication system, the signal, the frequency of which is converted to a radio frequency range is usually transmitted. In this case, the operation value assumes 1 and xe2x88x921 in the simplex part and xe2x88x925, xe2x88x923, xe2x88x921, 1, 3, 5 in the quintuplex part, so that the transmission outputs are not identical in the simplex and multiplex parts.
For the spread spectrum communications in Japan, the communication system using ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band is permitted as special low power communication system in an assigned band in Japan. A standard RCR-STD-33 (RCR: Research and Development Center for Radio System) is established.
In this standard, usable bands, physical specifications such as allowed power are determined. As to transmission power, it is regulated that the filed transmission power should be kept except for several tolerances.
Accordingly, there is the risk of transmission of the power exceeding the standards if the signal as multiplexed is amplified with the same amplification and is output.
It is also preferable for a high power amplifier in a transmitter system and for an amplifier in a receiver that the power is equal in the simplex/multiplex parts. Use of the system which can not satisfy these requirements provides problems.
The other circuit systems in the communication system in interest are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
The differences between the circuits of FIGS. 1 and 3 reside in the difference in the multiplication and in that detection and control portion 121c and gain-variable amplifier 121 are additionally provided in the latter circuit.
FIG. 4 shows a variation of the configuration of FIG. 3 for conducting the spreading, delaying and adding operations in a digital manner and is substantially identical with the configuration of FIG. 3 except that the signal is delay-multiplexed by means of multipliers 113xe2x80x2-1 through 113xe2x80x2-5, delay elements 115xe2x80x2-1 through 115xe2x80x2-5 and operating portions 117, and is thereafter D/A converted by a D/A convertor 118 and is input to a modulator 119.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, some communication systems have a gain-variable amplifier 121, the gain of which is changed in response to a signal from the detection and control portion 121c which detects the power of the transmission system for controlling the transmission output to a constant output.
The gain-variable amplifier 121 is disposed at the succeeding stage of the modulator 119 for reducing or eliminating variations of elements in the system such as lowering of output which may be caused by variations in characteristics such as temperature characteristics among the elements and aging of elements.
The detection and control portion 121c usually determines the power of RF or IF signal after the modulator 119 as a signal to be controlled for controlling the gain-variable amplifier 121 to keep the power of the signal after detection in response to determined power.
Since the control operation inherently contemplates to absorb the variations among systems, the time constant of integration is set comparatively longer so that the characteristics will not be varied due to noise. The characteristics when a signal having the simplex/multiplex part is input to this circuit is shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5(A) shows the changes in the output power on the input side of the gain-variable amplifier 121. FIG. 5(C) shows the output when the gain is variably changed. FIG. 5(B) shows the control voltage when the above-mentioned time constant of integration is set comparatively longer.
As shown in FIG. 5(C), there is a problem that in the transient period, the transmission power will largely increase by the amount corresponding to the integration interval at the transient although the transmission power is kept constant after the lapse of the considerable period of time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a direct spread spectrum communication system using a multi-rated delay multiplexing scheme, the multiplicity of which is changed, the system performing control operation as quickly as possible by suppressing the output fluctuation within a narrow range so as to perform constant power transmission.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a transmitter for a multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system including delay multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of series of signals which are obtained by delaying, by a desired number of chips, each of the signals. The signals are directly spread with the same spreading code. Transmission processing means is included for generating transmission signals by modulating the signals which have been multiplexed by the delay multiplexing means and by changing the frequency band of them, in which multi-rated transmission signals are generated in a format having a simplex part and a multiplex part having a given multiplicity. There is also provided control means for controlling the transmission power so that it is constant, and in which the control means performs a control operation depending upon the multiplicity of the format.
In accordance with the present invention, said control means changes its control operation in response to a multiplicity representing signal which is determined by said format when the multiplexing operation is switched in response to the multiplicity representing signal for making the transmission power constant for each multiplicity.
In accordance with the present invention, the transmitter comprises: detecting means for detecting the output transmission power in said transmission processing means; and means for controlling the amplified output of said transmission processing means in response to the detection output of said detecting means; and in that the time constant of the integration of said detecting means is reduced in response to a multiplexing switching signal which is defined by said format at the transient at which multiplexing is switched.
In accordance with the present invention, the transmitter comprises: detecting means for detecting the output transmission power in said transmission processing means; and means for controlling the amplified output of said transmission processing means in response to the detection output of said detecting means; and the time constant of the integration of said detecting means is reduced in response to a signal representing a simplex part in said format and a multiplexing switching signal which is defined by said format at the transient at which multiplexing is switched.
In accordance with the present invention, the transmitter comprises: detecting means for detecting the output transmission power in said transmission processing means; control means for controlling the amplified output of said transmission processing means in response to the detection output of said detecting means; and means for converting the amplitude of the control signal from said controlling means in response to a multiplexing signal which is defined by the format.
In accordance with the present invention, if a digital operation is performed in the delay multiplexing means as one of the control means, changing of a multiplier for the data to be multiplexed in the digital operation depends upon a signal representative of the multiplicity. The signal is determined by the format, so that the average amplitude is constant in a square root among multiplicity including simplex.
In accordance with the present invention, if a digital operation is performed in said delay multiplexing means, a numerical value table which is referenced by the multiplexing data of the result of said digital operation is used as one of said control means; and data is output which makes the transmission power constant by changing said numerical value table in response to a signal representative of the multiplicity which is determined by said format.
In accordance with the present invention, for each multiplicity, there are the numerical value tables having numerical values which make the converted transmission power constant even if the numerical values which are given to a D/A convertor for D/A data conversion after referencing to one of the numerical value tables are discrete values, and the numerical value table is selected depending upon a signal representative of the multiplicity which is determined by the format.
In accordance with the present invention, if the Barker code of 11 chips is multiplexed and a 8 bit D/A convertor is used, the numerical value which is provided in each of said numerical value tables is
xe2x88x9238, 38 when simplexing
xe2x88x9254, 0, 54 when duplexing
xe2x88x9266, xe2x88x9222, 22, 66 when triplexing
xe2x88x9276, xe2x88x9238, 0, 38, 76 when quadruplexing
xe2x88x9285, xe2x88x9251, xe2x88x9217, 17, 51, 85 for quintuplexing.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a receiver for multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system having receiving and processing means for receiving signals. The signals are transmitted at a equal transmission output irrespective of the multiplicity, by multi-rating the signals which are a spreading-code-spreaded, in a format having a multiplex part. A plurality of series of signals are each delayed by a desired number of chips and a simplex part. Also, the gain adjustment in the receiving and processing means, on reception, is conducted depending upon a correlation output value. A reference comparison value is compared with the correlation output value for generating a control signal of the gain adjustment which is preset to a comparison value depending upon a power ratio of the multiplicity by a multiplexing switching portion based upon the format.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a receiver for multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system having receiving and processing means for receiving signals. The signals are transmitted at a equal transmission output irrespective of the multiplicity, by multi-rating the signals which are a spreading-code-spreaded, in a format having a multiplex part. A plurality of series of signals are each delayed by a desired number of chips. The gain adjustment in the receiving and processing means on reception is conducted depending upon a correlation output value. The correlation output value is compared with a reference comparison value and used for generating a control signal for gain adjustment. A correlation output value, which is obtained by converting a correlation signal received from a multiplexing switching portion based upon the format, depends upon the power ratio of its multiplicity.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system comprising: the inventive transmitter; and the inventive receiver.

Transmitter and receiver for multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system, and multi-rated delay multiplexing direct spread spectrum communication system


A workflow executing method to execute a workflow of a plurality of steps according to a workflow definition. The method includes obtaining setting information of a user instructing execution of the workflow, which is setting information related to the execution of the workflow. The method also includes modifying the workflow definition corresponding to the workflow of which the user instructed execution, based on the obtained setting information. The method continues by dividing the workflow definition modified with the modifying unit for each workflow executing apparatus that executes the workflow definition. The method also includes executing at least one of the divided workflow definitions and sending at least one divided workflow definition to another workflow executing apparatus that executes processing based on the workflow definition, whereby workflow definitions are modified to match user settings, and the modified workflow definitions are divided to match apparatuses executing the workflow definition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a workflow executing apparatus, workflow executing method, and computer program, particularly suitable for executing a workflow.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the office environment, various types of devices such as a multifunctional peripheral (MFP), printer, server, and so forth are connected to a network, and the devices thereof are shared and used by users. Systems also exist wherein not only are devices connected to the network used, but multiple devices connected to the network collaboratively execute processing. Content of processing performed with multiple devices collaborating is a workflow job, the specific processing flow is a workflow, and the definitions/regulations of the processing flow are workflow definitions.
A system to execute workflow jobs is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-195847. With this system, the server obtains information about a device that can execute processing from a discovery apparatus, and using processing speed, cost, network traffic and the like as determination factors, selects the optimal device from the obtained information, and executes the workflow.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-129580 describes a system. With the system therein, when executing a workflow to collaboratively process multiple tasks, execution parameters for each task for each user to execute (e.g. email address of transmission destination) are customized, whereby a workflow job according to the user is realized.
To ease the use of device functions, which have become highly functional and sophisticated in recent years, customizing the device functions for each user is preferable. In the case of customizing device functions for each user, the user performs settings for him/her to use, such as performing settings on a device that the user uses often or a device that is closest to the user.
As customizing of the device by the user advances, the following environment may be realized by way of example. An environment where "the certificate of user A is set in the device A closest to the seat of user A, the certificate of user B is set in the device B closest to the seat of user B, and the dedicated storage region of user A and user B is set in the device C having the greatest storage region."
However, if device settings differ for each user or processing that can be executed by the device differs by user, certain functions may not be permitted when executing a workflow job. That is to say, with techniques according to related art, in the case of searching for a device that can execute a workflow processing, selecting the device based on device functionality is a prerequisite thereof.
Therefore, with the techniques according to the related art, the searched device may have the function to execute the workflow processing, but the user instructing the execution of the workflow may not have permission to use such function. Accordingly, there may be cases wherein the function thereof can be used or cannot be used, depending on the user. Further, with the related art described above, the settings performed by the user are performed for each device. Therefore, in order to execute the workflow processing along with settings unique to a user, there have been cases wherein workflow processing for an identified device must be executed, and otherwise the workflow processing could not be correctly executed.

Division, linking and sequential execution of workflows based on the fewest number of divided partitions


A system for treating groundwater contaminated with acidity or other contaminants is disclosed. The system involves excavating a trench into the aquifer in the path of the contaminant plume, and placing a body of active material in the trench. The active material depends on the particular contaminant: organic carbon may be used when the contaminant is ferrous sulphate, or hexavalent uranium oxide, or dissolved nitrate; pyrite or elemental iron may be used when the contaminant is e.g. chromium oxide. The active material causes the contaminant to transform or break down by chemical reaction into harmless precipitates and substances.

Groundwater in its native aquifer may contain many kinds of contamination. As will become clear, the invention may be used against a variety of contaminants, but the invention will be described mainly as it relates to the treatment of the kinds of contaminants emanating from the tailings impoundments associated with mine workings.
The conventional manner by which such contaminants have been treated has involved removing the groundwater from the aquifer and treating the water, at an above-ground treatment facility, with such filters, chemicals, etc as may be required. The treated water may be allowed to re-enter the aquifer, or the water may be led away to a stream or other drainage means.
With the different kinds of conventional treatment process, the process may be such as to break down the contaminant and render it harmless, or the process may simply extract the materials from the water, leaving the contaminant material itself intact, in which case the material still may constitute a hazard; the former type of process of course is to be preferred.
Removing groundwater from its native aquifer on a large scale is enormously expensive. The invention is aimed at providing a practical economical system whereby groundwater may be treated against a wide variety of contaminants while the water remains in-situ, i.e. within its native aquifer.

System for treating contaminated groundwater


A developing roller having a rubber elastomer layer on the outer periphery of a shaft core metal, having a coating layer formed from a binder (A) and silicone rubber particles (B) on the surface of the rubber elastomer, and having an electrostatic capacitance of 4 to 20 nF; wherein the binder (A) is formed from a diluting solvent solution of a terminal hydroxyl group-containing prepolymer (a) obtained by reaction of an isocyanate compound, an isocyanurate modified product thereof and a reactive silicone oil, and an isocyanate compound and/or an isocyanurate modified product thereof (b). This developing roller suppresses banding by suppressing electrostatic capacitance even if the nip width between the developing roll and the photoreceptor changes due to distortion of peripheral members in the development apparatus, and stick slip (vibration) of gears.

In a development apparatus of a nonmagnetic one-component development system, a developing roller and each member of a photoreceptor drum, a feed roller, and a toner regulating blade are rubbed through a toner layer during operation of the development apparatus. The toner is charged by electrostatic friction at the developing roll and the toner regulating blade, and transferred to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor, and development is performed.
In order to stably feed the toner to the surface of the photoreceptor, the developing roll rotates at a higher speed than the photoreceptor to form images. In this case, distortion occurs between the developing roll and contact members in pressure contact with the developing roll. When the distortion is removed, stick slip (vibration) occurs.
Accordingly, the nip width between the photoreceptor and the developing roll changes, and the amount of toner fed to the electrostatic latent image changes. Further, vibration and rotation unevenness by gears of the developing roll, photoreceptor, etc., cause stick slip, transfer of the toner from the developing roll onto the photoreceptor changes, and banding (horizontal stripes) of a constant period occurs in the printed image.
For the occurring stick slip, changes in the contact area by stick slip are reduced by releasing the vibration of the constituent material of each member in the development apparatus, and improving driving members (gears); thus, improvements are made for banding.
Regarding developing rollers, the following prior arts have been proposed.
Patent Document 1 proposes a developing roller having a shaft core body and at least one resin layer provided around the shaft core body, wherein the outermost layer of the developing roller comprises a polyurethane resin (A) as a binding resin and polyurethane resin particles (B) dispersed in the polyurethane resin. For distortion generated between the developing roller and the contact member during rotation, the loss tangent of a second layer configured to have a two-layer structure is set within a fixed range, whereby recovery from deformation is slowed down to suppress rotation unevenness, thereby forming stable images.
Patent Document 2 makes the same proposal by forming the second layer from butyl rubber.
Patent Document 3 proposes a developing roller comprising a conductive shaft, an elastomer layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and a surface layer, wherein the elastomer layer contains spherical silica particles, and the spherical silica particles are unevenly distributed so that they are contained in large amounts on the interface side with the surface layer at the axial both ends of the developing roller. Because the spherical silica particles in the elastomer layer are thus unevenly distributed, gaps are formed between the spherical silica particles, and an increase in stick slip is suppressed. Moreover, because regions that contain a large amount of spherical silica particles are present at the ends of the developing roll, toner deterioration is suppressed, and the occurrence of banding is suppressed.
However, the causes for expressing banding include, in addition to rotation unevenness with peripheral members, clearance between the gears of each member, and influence of stick slip caused by abrasion. These may cause banding.
The present applicants have proposed a rubber member for coating a developing roll obtained by curing a coating layer component around a developing roll; wherein the coating layer component comprises (A) a liquid binder comprising a polyol, an isocyanate compound and a reactive silicone oil, (B) specific silicone rubber particles, and (C) a diluting solvent and the ratio of the rubber particle diameter to the thickness of the coating layer after curing (rubber particle diameter/coating layer thickness) satisfies <0.3 (Patent Document 4).
The present applicants also have proposed a method for producing a rubber member for a developing roll obtained by applying a coating layer component comprising silicone rubber particles and a binder around a developing roll having a rubber base layer, and curing the coating layer, wherein a reactive silicone oil, an isocyanate compound, and a diluting solvent capable of dissolving both the reactive silicone oil and the isocyanate compound are placed in a reaction vessel, allowed to react in the diluting solvent to perform a prepolymerization reaction while dissolution in the solvent is maintained, then the reaction solution is mixed with a polyol and an isocyanate compound solution, further silicone rubber particles are mixed to prepare a coating liquid of a coating layer component comprising silicone rubber particles and a binder, and the coating liquid is applied around the developing roll and cured (Patent Document 5).


A bell cup (3) of a rotary atomization-type coating device (1) is provided. This device has a rotary shaft (13) and a feed tube (15) inserted in the rotary shaft. The bell cup is fitted to a tip end part of the rotary shaft and has a coating material spreading surface (31) on an inner surface of the bell cup. The feed tube discharges a coating material to the coating material spreading surface. The coating material spreading surface includes a region extending from a predetermined position on a proximal end side to a distal end edge. The region is constituted of a convex curved surface toward an extension of the rotary shaft. The outermost surface of at least part (31B) of the coating material spreading surface is covered by a diamond-like carbon film (50) free from silicon at least on its outermost surface.

A bell cup of a rotary atomization-type coating device is known, in which the cup inner surface has a coating material spreading surface that is constituted of a convex curved surface toward the axis of rotation (Patent Document 1: JP1998-52657A). It is said that the use of this bell cup allows the particle diameter distribution of a coating material to be sharp.

Bell cup of rotary atomization type coating device


A trailer apparatus for transporting a harvest header has a main beam on wheels. A bed assembly is pivotally attached to the main beam above the main beam such that when one side of the bed assembly moves up, an opposite side moves down. The bed assembly is supported at a desired tilt angle by adjustable tilt. The bed assembly includes a movable side extension along one side that is movable through a range from an extended position to a retracted position and can be releasably locked in the range. The tilt angle can be adjusted independently of the position of the side extension. A middle portion of the main beam and bed assembly can be laterally offset to form a recess to accommodate lift arms of a self propelled swather when the swather header is loaded on the bed assembly.

This invention is in the field of trailers and in particular trailers for transporting agricultural harvesting headers.
Agricultural harvest headers are used at the front end of various kinds of harvesters, such as combines and swathers, for cutting crops for harvest. These headers typically include a knife assembly to cut the crop, a bed to receive the cut material, and a reel to force the standing crop plants into the knife and then onto the bed. As with virtually all agricultural equipment, harvesters have become larger and the headers that feed the harvesters have become wider. Driving a harvester with the header attached anything but a very short distance on a road is therefore not feasible, as the headers block the road completely.
Other very wide agricultural equipment is designed to fold to a much narrower width for transport, however harvest headers are quite complex with many moving parts and so designing them to fold is problematic. It is therefore known to place the header on a trailer, detached from the harvester, and carried lengthwise down the road.
To detach the header from a typical harvester, the harvester moves toward the trailer bed with the header raised and maneuvers the header into position over the trailer bed and then lowers the header onto the bed. Various latches, drives, hose connections, electrical wiring connections, and the like must be disconnected in a typical modern harvester in order to detach the header, and once disconnected the harvester is moved away and the header resting on the trailer bed is secured to the trailer bed.
A problem arises with some types of harvest implements, notably self-propelled swathers, because lift arms extend forward under the header to support the header. These lift arms contact the various parts of the trailer bed when the swather moves the header over the trailer bed to drop the header, making it awkward and difficult to place the swather header onto the bed.
Since harvest headers are of various types, and also vary in their structure depending on the manufacturer it is desirable to provide some adjustability so that the trailer can be adapted to carry a variety of headers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,825 and 5,333,904 to Kuhns disclose a combine header trailer that includes a variety of adjustable support brackets to support the header on the trailer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,989 to Wood discloses a header trailer that is adjustable for carrying different types of grain headers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,472 to Smith shows a header wagon with adjustments allowing same to carry different equipment, such as a corn header and a grain header.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,047 to Kaderabek discloses combine header transport that rotates the header to a generally vertical orientation to reduce the travel width of the header on the trailer.


The present disclosure illustrates a system for reducing power consumption in a computer processor. Included is a 16-bit instruction decoder for decoding instructions with 16-bit words, a 32-bit instruction decoder for decoding instructions with 32-bit words, a word length select for indicating a present instruction's word length, and a first selector for routing the instruction into the 16-bit decoder when the present instruction is 16-bits long. The first selector is also configured to route a previous instruction into the 16-bit decoder, maintaining the 16-bit decoder's present state. A second selector is configured to route the instruction into the 32-bit decoder when the present instruction is 32-bits long. The second selector is also configured to route a past instruction into the 32-bit decoder to maintain the 32-bit decoder's present state.

Processors (e.g., microprocessors, CPUs, etc.) are used in a wide variety of products and applications, from desktop computers to portable electronic devices, such as cellular phones, laptop computers, and PDAs (personal digital assistants). Some processors are extremely powerful (e.g., processors in high-end computer workstations), while other processors have a simpler design, for lower-end, less expensive applications and products.
There is a general dichotomy between performance and power. Generally speaking, high-performance processors having faster operation and/or more complex designs tend to consume more power than their lower-performance counterparts. Higher power consumption generally leads to higher operating temperatures and shorter battery life (for devices that operate from battery power). The ever-increasing demand and use of portable electronic devices is driving a demand to produce processors that realize lower-power operation, while at the same time maintaining satisfactory performance levels.
One method for reducing the power consumption of devices is to provide modes of reduced-power operation (sometimes referred to as "sleep states") when the devices (or certain portions thereof) are not in use. However, there is also a desire to reduce the power consumption of devices even during active operation. This is often accomplished by providing more efficient designs to the operational components of the devices.
There are a number of power-consuming components in various electronic devices, and the processor is one of them. Even within a processor, there are a number of functional sections, and decoder logic is one such area. The decoder logic of a processor decodes an encoded instruction into a number electrical signals for controlling and carrying out the function of the instruction within execution logic provided in the processor. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a processor design, which includes a decode stage.
Processor circuitry, however, has certain drawbacks. More specifically, when the word length in an instruction changes from one length to another, excessive power is dissipated due to the parallel structure of multiple instruction decoders. For each length word and computer language the processor is configured to handle, the processor utilizes a separate decoder. When the instruction is loaded into decode stage, each instruction decoder attempts to decode the instruction. With each instruction decoder trying to decode the same instruction, excessive power is dissipated and battery life is shortened.
Accordingly, there is a heretofore unaddressed need to overcome the deficiencies and shortcomings described above.

System for reducing power consumption in a microprocessor having multiple instruction decoders that are coupled to selectors receiving their own output as feedback


Conventional short pulse optical parametric oscillator systems have relatively low repetition rates and cannot be pumped by continuous-wave lasers. The invention describes passively mode locked parametric oscillators, consisting of a continuous-wave laser pump source, an optical resonator which is resonant for only one of the two parametrically generated waves, a non-linear medium, and a saturable absorber or a medium for formation of a Kerr lens and an aperture. The repetition rate of such an oscillator system can be selected within a large range through selection of the resonator length. Fields of use are measuring technology and optical spectroscopy.

Short pulse optical parametric oscillators (OPO) are used as sources of short laser pulses whose wavelength can be tuned, e.g. for applications in optical measuring technology and time-resolved linear and non-linear spectroscopy. Trains of short pulses trains are obtained through synchronous pumping of the oscillator with a likewise mode-locked pump laser (see e.g. P. Loza-Alvarez et al., Journal of the Optical Society of America B, Volume 16, No. 9, pages 1553-1560 (1999)). This conventional procedure has a plurality of disadvantages. In practice, the repetition rate of the oscillator is usually equal to the repetition rate of the pump laser. Although sub-harmonics of the repetition rate are also possible, reduction of the amplification of the pulses and hence a higher threshold and lower output power of the oscillator are associated therewith. Oscillators are required having repetition rates in the range of e.g. 1 GHz. However, conventional mode-locked pump lasers have repetition rates of 80 MHz. This does not permit efficient matching. In addition, continuous-wave pump lasers cannot be used for pumping conventional short pulse OPOs although they are often available. Purchase of an expensive mode-locked laser is therefore necessary.
For actively mode-locked OPOs, high repetition rates are also difficult to achieve. Moreover, devices for active mode locking disadvantageously require special electronics (see e.g. S. A. Diddams et al., Optics Letters, Volume 24, No. 23, pages 1747-1749 (1999)).
The invention, as articulated in the independent claims, eliminates these disadvantages. In accordance with the invention, passively mode-locked optical parametric oscillators are implemented through use of a passive mode-locking (mode-coupling) method in the resonator and of a suitable continuous-wave laser. The mode-locking method can be a saturable absorber or a Kerr lens having low losses in the saturated state and with low power of the resonated wave, respectively. The oscillation threshold can be reached using a non-linear medium of high non-linearity and a powerful continuous-wave pump source.
The repetition rate of the mode-coupled pulse train is determined by the optical path length of the oscillator resonator and can be selected throughout a large range, in particular up to the GHz region. Advantageously, the repetition rate can be adjusted to different user applications through modification of the resonator by the user.
Users of short pulse lasers often use continuous-wave lasers, since they are required for pumping other continuous-wave lasers (e.g. a neodymium:Yttrium vanadate laser for pumping a continuous-wave titanium sapphire laser). The emission power and beam direction of continuous-wave lasers, in particular diode pumped continuous-wave lasers, are highly stable over time. These properties are advantageous since they have a positive effect on the corresponding properties of the radiation emitted by the oscillator and facilitate use. Diode-pumped continuous-wave lasers have high electrical efficiency, require little maintenance and are compact. These properties provide additional reasons for advantageous use in pumping short pulse optical parametric oscillators.
To avoid the consequences of the different phase speeds in the resonator at the wavelengths of the two parametrically generated waves (signal and idler wave), the resonator of the invention is a singly-resonant OPO. For high power applications, the reflectivity of the resonator for that wave (signal or idler wave) which is required for the application, is suitably chosen to be small. The peak output power and the average output power are considerably higher for the non-resonant wave than for the resonant wave.
In a preferred embodiment, the resonator is provided with a device which initiates the pulse formation in the resonator.
External initiation of the pulse formation may be advantageous in certain cases to reliably start the pulse train.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the compensating system comprises dispersion-compensating dielectric mirrors with particular dispersion properties which partially or largely compensate for the group velocity dispersion of other elements in the resonator. This system advantageously exhibits simplicity and compactness compared to e.g. prisms.
To generate very short pulses, the non-linear medium in the resonator must have a correspondingly large amplification bandwidth. For media with homogeneous non-linear coefficients, this width is determined, among others, by the dispersion of the refractive index. It can be increased by implementation of a suitable inhomogeneity of the non-linear coefficient. This can, in particular, be realized through use of a non-linear crystal whose non-linearity is spatially modified through a poling process. A suitable series of regions in the non-linear medium having high and low non-linearity, optimizes the shape and width of the spectral phase adjustment curve with respect to the pulse duration requirements.
In certain cases, the power of the pump laser is not sufficient to exceed the oscillation threshold of the OPO or to provide sufficient output power of the OPO, e.g. due to high losses in the OPO resonator or in consequence of low non-linearity of the non-linear medium. In these cases, the pumping power can be increased by resonant enhancement. Towards this end, the resonator is provided with mirrors of sufficiently large reflectivity at the wavelength of the pump laser. When using a single-frequency pump laser (of angular frequency xcfx89P), either the length of the OPO resonator is continuously controlled by a control system such that one of its longitudinal mode frequencies is always in resonance with the frequency of the pump laser or the frequency of the pump laser is continuously controlled such that it is resonant with a mode frequency. In either case, a pumping power increase is produced and values greater than 10 can be obtained.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a pump laser is used which emits at several longitudinal modes of the laser resonator. The optical length of the OPO resonator is thereby dimensioned to equal the optical length of the laser resonator or is a multiple thereof. A pumping power increase can thereby be obtained via a device which controls the length of the OPO resonator to a sufficiently precise degree that simultaneous resonance between a major portion of the longitudinal modes of the pump laser and corresponding longitudinal modes of the OPO resonator can be continuously maintained. In this configuration, the repetition rate of the OPO equals the frequency separation of the pump laser modes or a simple fraction thereof (xc2xd, {fraction (1/3)}, etc.).
In a further embodiment of the invention the saturable absorber is a saturable Bragg reflector. Saturable Bragg reflectors are particularly simple and advantageous saturable absorbers. They are mirrors made from artificially structured semiconductors. Their reflectivity in the saturated state is very high, up to approximately 99%. This keeps the loss in the OPO resonator small, as is required for a low pump threshold.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the non-linear medium is a periodically poled crystal with non-linear susceptibility of second order. Periodically poled crystals have a higher non-linearity than crystals which are phase-adjusted through double refraction, since with suitable period, larger coefficients of the non-linear tensor can be utilized. A high non-linearity advantageously reduces the pump threshold.
In addition to non-linear media of second order, non-linear media of third order can also be used to produce parametric amplification. These have the advantage that a considerably larger number of such materials is available. In this case, the mean frequencies of the signal and idler pulses xcfx891, xcfx892 are constrained by 2xcfx89P=xcfx891+xcfx892. An obvious extension would be the use of two continuous-wave pump sources of different frequencies xcfx89P1 and xcfx89P2 instead of one single frequency. This is advantageous in that one additional free parameter, the difference xcfx89P1xe2x88x92xcfx89P2 is provided to meet the phase adjustment condition. In this case xcfx89P1+xcfx89P2=xcfx891+xcfx892 for the waves concerned.
In accordance with a particularly advantageous embodiment, the non-linear medium is an optical fiber. Optical fibers produce a large interaction length and a small mode cross-section and therefore strong parametric interaction. Additionally, the group speed dispersion properties can be strongly influenced through special fiber geometries, e.g. with photonic crystal fibers. In addition, they are relatively inexpensive to produce.
Further advantages of the invention can be extracted from the description and the drawing. The features mentioned above and below can be used in accordance with the invention either individually or collectively in any arbitrary combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as exhaustive enumeration but rather have exemplary character for describing the invention.
The invention is shown in the drawing and explained in more detail by means of embodiments.

Short pulse optical parametric oscillator system


A process for the preparation of copolymers of carbon monoxide and one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds by contacting the monomers, under polymerization conditions, with a catalyst system comprising a) a source of cations of one or more metals of Group VIII of the Periodic Table and b) a bidentate ligand, and c) a minor amount of a compound containing a hydride moiety. Copolymers made by this process generally have low molecular weights.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of copolymers of carbon monoxide with one or more compounds containing an ethylenically unsaturated bond.
Linear copolymers in which units originating from carbon monoxide substantially alternate with units originating from ethylenically unsaturated compounds, have been extensively described in the patent literature. Convenient methods for the preparation of these copolymers are disclosed in, inter alia, EP 181014 and EP 248483.
In these and similar preparation methods the monomers, i.e. carbon monoxide and one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds, are contacted with a suitable catalyst, usually a catalyst system based on a metal of Group VIII of the Periodic Table.
The copolymers obtained typically have an average molecular weight, calculated as number average (Mn), of more than 10,000, and have established utility as thermoplastics. They may be processed by means of conventional techniques into films, sheets, plates, fibers, shaped articles such as containers for foods and drinks, and parts for the car industry.
For obtaining copolymers with optimal properties for the intended use, it is advantageous to minimize variations in the average molecular weight of the copolymers produced. Therefore, it would be desirable to perform the copolymerization process under such conditions that the average molecular weight of the product can be controlled and substantially remains at the desired value.
For other uses of thermoplastic polymers other than those previously mentioned, it is preferred to utilize polymers having considerably lower average molecular weights, e.g. of 2500 or lower. These polymers, such as oligomers and low molecular weight copolymers, may be used as such, or may be applied as starting materials for the preparation of other valuable products, e.g. as intermediates for the production of plastics, as blending components or as plasticizers for other polymers. It would therefore also be of advantage if the polymerization process could be carried out under such conditions that copolymers with lower molecular weight are predominantly formed.
It has already been proposed to subject the copolymers with an average molecular weight of more than 10,000 to a fractionation treatment and to separate the low molecular fraction therefrom. This method has the disadvantage of being time-consuming and moreover, the yield of the desired low molecular fraction is generally very low. It has further been proposed to increase the temperature at which the copolymerization is carried out. Although the formation of products with lower molecular weight is thus enhanced, the stability of the catalyst system often becomes a problem.
The molecular weight of the copolymers produced can also be reduced by addition of molecular hydrogen during the reaction. It appears that with most catalyst systems a significant reduction in molecular weight only occurs by applying large amounts of hydrogen, say of 60 mol % or more, based on carbon monoxide. Apart from the unattractiveness of a high-hydrogen consumption, the use of large quantities of hydrogen moreover often results in a reduction of the metal of Group VIII, accompanied by inactivation of the catalyst system. Only in exceptional cases, by selection of specific ligands in the catalyst system, the desired reduction in molecular weight of the copolymers can be achieved, without impairing the activity of the catalyst system.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that an adequate control of the average molecular weight of the formed copolymers can be achieved and that products having a relatively low molecular weight can be prepared, when the copolymerization reaction is carried out in the presence of a minor amount of a compound containing a hydride moiety.


A composite resistive to high-temperature corrosion and abnormal oxidization, maintains original excellent high-temperature characteristics of Ni alloys over a long period of time, and suitable for applications in a high-temperature such as gas turbines, jet engines, and elements for exhaust-gas systems. A heat-resistant Ni-alloy composite has excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance, including a Ni-alloy substrate that has been subjected to an Al-diffusing treatment. The surface coat has a multi-layer structure including an inner layer composed of an α-Cr phase and an outer layer composed of a β phase (Ni—Al—Cr) and a γ′ phase (Ni3Al(Cr)) on the substrate surface. The Al content in the outer layer is at least 20 atomic percent. The α-Cr phase functions as a diffusion-barrier layer. The outer layer retains and secures a high Al content required for self-regeneration of a defective portion of the Al2O3 layer damaged in an operating condition.

Heat-resistant Ti alloys such as TiAl intermetallic compounds and Ti alloys; superalloys such as Ni-based, Nb-based, Ir-based, and Re-based superalloys; carbon materials; and a variety of intermetallic compounds are used as structural materials exposed to a high-temperature atmosphere, such as turbochargers, jet engines, and gas turbines. Among them, Ni-based alloys, and Ni—Cr-based alloys such as Ni—Cr binary alloys mainly composed of Cr and Ni—Cr multicomponent alloys containing other alloying elements are applied to gas turbines, jet engines, chemical plants, and the like because of high strength and high creep resistance at high temperatures.
The high-temperature atmosphere that the heat-resistant material is exposed to may contain oxidizing or corrosive components such as oxygen, steam, and the like. When the heat-resistant material is exposed to a corrosive and high-temperature atmosphere, the heat-resistant material is easily susceptible to oxidization and high-temperature corrosion caused by reactions with the corrosive components in the atmosphere. When O, N, S, Cl, H, C, or the like in the atmosphere penetrates the heat-resistant material, internal corrosion may occur in the heat-resistant material surface, decreasing the strength of the material.
The high-temperature oxidation and high-temperature corrosion of the heat-resistant material are prevented by coating the surface of the heat-resistant material with a protective film having a high atmospheric blocking capability (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 8). A typical protective film is composed of Al2O3, which is formed on a heat-resistant material surface by diffusing Al to the surface from the base metal of the heat-resistant material in an oxidizing atmosphere, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), thermal spraying, reactive sputtering, or the like. The Al2O3 film prevents the metal components in the heat-resistant material from reacting with oxidizing agents in the atmosphere and maintains the original excellent high-temperature characteristics of the heat-resistant material.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 3-44484    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-195188    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-183373    Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-192258    Patent Document 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-81577    Patent Document 6: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-192887    Patent Document 7: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-295076    Patent Document 8: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-355081

Heat-resistant nickel-alloy composite excellent in high-temperature oxidation resistance


Techniques are provided for cyber warning. One technique includes a cyber warning receiver (CWR). The CWR includes a bus sensing circuit to sense traffic on a communications bus over time, an anomaly detecting circuit to detect anomalous behavior in the sensed bus traffic, a data fusing circuit to fuse the detected anomalous behavior into groups having similar characteristics, a decision making circuit to decide if the fused anomalous behavior is normal or abnormal, and a behavior logging circuit to log the detected anomalous behavior on an electronic storage device. In one embodiment, the CWR further includes a behavior alerting circuit to alert an operator to the fused anomalous behavior identified as abnormal. In one embodiment, the communications bus is an embedded communications bus, such as a MIL-STD-1553 bus, and the CWR is a standalone device configured to connect to the MIL-STD-1553 bus as a bus monitor.

Recent world events demonstrate that no industry is immune to the disruptive effects of cyberattacks. Systems of systems architecture, commonly used in both information systems and defense weapons systems, provides greater opportunity for software vulnerabilities to spread the negative effects of cyberattacks across the system. Abnormal behavior of a system or subsystem is often attributed to faulty equipment or software. Post-mission malfunction analysis traditionally focuses on system functionality rather than determining if a cyber-adversary is responsible for the abnormal behavior. Despite the demonstrated and growing threat of cyberattack against legacy commercial and military platforms, these systems do not presently support passive monitoring, active defense, or forensic data collection capabilities focused on enhancing cyber security. These systems are not well-suited to existing cyber intrusion detection or prevention technologies, due to their prevalent use of communications busses and networks that are not standard within traditional Information Technology (IT) environments. Furthermore, current approaches from the IT industry involving signature-based detection are not suitable for threat mitigation in the highly critical applications served by these platforms. Existing techniques can only identify a threat after it has been initially observed and categorized on another (e.g., compromised) system. Defense against zero-day attacks, which can leverage vulnerabilities, exploits, techniques, and code entirely unknown to the defenders, is crucial to commercial and government security.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those in light of the present disclosure.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


Sound producing apparatus (20) is disclosed which simulates a fire cracker. The apparatus comprises a selectively actuatable aerosol (24) which fills a chamber (35) with compressed fluid which, when a certain pressure is reached, blows off a cap (38) creating a shower of confetti (39) and a loud bang. In other embodiments, a plurality of elastomeric members filled with compressed air which are ruptured or a selectively operable compressed fluid container formed by the apparatus housing, art used to create a similar effect.

This invention relates to sound producing apparatus more particularly, but not exclusively, to fireworks and fire crackers.
Fireworks and, in Chinese culture, fire crackers form an integral part of many celebrations, such as at Chinese New Year, opening ceremonies and birthdays. In recent years, however, the use of fireworks and fire crackers has been restricted and in some countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore such use is forbidden, due to the inherent safety hazards of such products.
It is the object of the invention to provide a sound producing apparatus which alleviates this disadvantage of conventional fireworks and fire crackers.
According to the invention, there is provided sound producing apparatus comprising a container arranged to contain compressed fluid; and a chamber in selective fluid communication with the container, the chamber having an outlet arranged to open when fluid pressure in the chamber exceeds a threshold.
The apparatus preferably further comprising a housing which either forms or contains the container and/or the chamber.
The container may be a pressure pack dispenser or an aerosol having an outlet valve and may further comprise a housing in which the container is movable between a first position in which the valve is opened and a second position in which the valve is closed and a stop member which engages and opens the valve in the first position.
The container may be formed from an elastomeric material and the apparatus preferably further comprises a rupture member for rupturing the container, the rupture member preferably being a pin member or a piston member. At least one further container may be provided, the containers being openable one after the other.
The container and chamber are preferably connected by at least one selectively operable valve means which may comprise (1) a valve member slidable in a valve sleeve, the valve member and sleeve having openings which in an open position align to allow fluid transfer through the valve or (2) a valve member slidable between open and closed positions relative to a sealing element, the valve member having a fluid passageway which in the open position allows fluid transfer past the sealing element and/or (3) a sleeve of elastomeric material covering a fluid transfer opening, the sleeve forming a one-way valve member.
The apparatus further preferably comprises means for controlling opening of the container and the controlling means may comprise a control fluid inlet for receiving a fluid control signal for opening the container or may comprise means for receiving an electrical control signal for opening the container.
The apparatus preferably farther comprises a sealing member covering the outlet, the sealing member being displaceable when the fluid pressure exceeds the threshold.
The sound producing apparatus is preferably in the exterior form of a fire cracker (or other explosive device) and confetti and/or a powdered material is/are preferably disposed in the chamber.
The compressed fluid may be gaseous such as air or liquid such as liquid petroleum gas or liquid propellant.
The invention extends to a plurality of sound producing apparatuses which may be connected together to resemble a string of fire crackers.
One sound producing apparatus is preferably associated with a delay means for delaying actuation of another sound producing apparatus.
The delay means may comprise a valve includes a valve member resiliently biased towards a valve seat, the valve being openable in response to increased pressure against the valve member to force the valve member away from the valve seat or a rupture disc.
A source of compressed fluid is preferably connected to the sound producing apparatuses and a resilient elastomeric member may further be provided, the resilient elastomeric member being inflatable to beyond the point of rupture in response to introduction of fluid from said fluid source.
The delay means may comprise an electrical delay circuit.
In the described embodiments of the invention, a housing of the sound producing apparatus is in the exterior form of a fire cracker, the outlet being covered by a displaceable cap and a region adjacent the cap being filled with confetti and a fine powder, so that when the cap is displaced, a loud bang is heard as the fluid under pressure escapes and, at the same time, a shower of confetti and the powder, which simulates smoke, is expelled. The apparatus thus simulates a fire cracker without the associated dangers.
A plurality of sound producing apparatuses may be connected together to resemble the tree-like formation of a typical fire cracker. Each sound producing apparatus is connected to the next and actuated via a respective delay means so that one sound producing apparatus is actuated before the next and so on, to give a staggered series of bangs like a conventional fire cracker tree.


A method for digital communication includes generating time-domain symbols having a predetermined symbol duration in accordance with a discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation scheme. A cyclic extension is added to each of the time-domain symbols so as to form data blocks having a block length that is not an integer multiple of the symbol duration. A training pattern is generated on one or more tones of the DMT modulation scheme, wherein the training pattern is periodic over a sequence of the data blocks with a period equal to the symbol duration. The sequence of the data blocks is transmitted over a communication channel to a receiver, which processes the training pattern so as to determine a response of the channel to the one or more tones.

Discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation is used in many types of data communication systems, among them Multi-carrier Very-high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) modems, as well as Asymmetric DSL (ADSL). In these systems, N tones are modulated by QAM two-dimensional input frequency-domain symbols. A 2N-point Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) then produces a corresponding time-domain symbol, expressed as a real baseband time-domain output signal of 2N real samples in each symbol period. At the receiving side, 2N samples are extracted from the time-domain signal during each symbol period. A FFT is used to demodulate the signal and recover the original QAM symbols on the N tones.
In order for this scheme to work, the timing of the receiver must be symbol-aligned with the transmitter, so that the N tones are mutually orthogonal. This means that for any given tone, only the energy transmitted on that tone will contribute to the received energy on that tone. The received signal, however, may still include interference due to echo and crosstalk. Ordinarily, these interfering signals would not be orthogonal to the tones of the received signal.
To mitigate this problem, VDSL provides a mechanism of digital duplexing, in which the transmissions in both directions on a DMT link are mutually synchronized so as to maintain orthogonality of the signal and echo. This feature, referred to as "MCM duplexing," is described in Annex D of Technical Specification TS 101 270-2 V2.0.8 (2003-05), entitled Transmission and Multiplexing (TM); Access transmission systems on metallic access cables; Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL); Part 2: Transceiver specification, promulgated by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI, Sophia Antipolis, France, 2002), which is incorporated herein by reference. Digital duplexing techniques may also be used to synchronize neighboring links in a common "binder," so as to orthogonalize crosstalk, as well. Further details of digital duplexing are described by Cioffi et al., in "G.vdsl: Digital Duplexing: VDSL Performance Improvement by Aversion of Frequency Guard Bands" (ITU Temporary Document NT-041, Nashville, Tenn., 1999), which is incorporated herein by reference.
In order to synchronize the transmitters at both ends of the VDSL DMT link, a cyclic prefix (CP) and cyclic suffix (CS) are added to each DMT symbol. The CP and CS together are referred to as the cyclic extension of the symbol, having a total length (in samples) CE. Thus, each symbol of length 2N is transmitted within a time-domain data block of length 2N+CE. The length of the cyclic extension is determined by the round-trip delay of the link and is typically much less than 2N. In addition, to reduce the effect of crosstalk among VDSL links in the same binder that are not mutually synchronized, the transmitters apply time windowing to the signals that they transmit.

Periodic DMT signals with cyclic extension


A multilayer article including a film layer having a textured first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the film layer is printable, and a nonwoven material layer bonded to the second surface of the film layer. The film layer may include a semi-crystalline polylactic acid and may be receptive to inkjet printing.

Remodeling of workplaces or living spaces often involves modifying the appearance of vertical surfaces, such as walls and doors. One manner of modifying these surfaces involves painting or otherwise coating one or more layers of paint or another material onto existing surfaces to achieve an updated appearance. When a different or more specialized visual effect is desired, however, it is common to apply wallcovering materials such as wallpaper having patterns, designs, and/or colors that would not be achievable by paint alone.
In some cases, the surfaces to be covered include blemishes or other surface imperfections that are visually detectable and therefore detract from the wall appearance even after the application of paint or wallpaper. In such situations, it may be advisable to perform substantial repairs or rework of the surfaces to provide a more blemish-free surface prior to the application of paint or wallpaper. Such preliminary work can be time consuming and expensive.
Thus, while currently available materials can be acceptable for many wallcovering applications, there is a desire to provide surface coverings having additional options for visual appearance that may also be adaptable to disguise certain surface imperfections. In addition, there is a desire to use wallcoverings that simulate the look of more expensive materials in order to provide upscale appearances at a lower cost to the consumer.