An image forming apparatus has a first unit for performing an image forming process on a sheet, a frame having a first surface facing the first unit and a second surface opposite the first surface. A second unit is mounted on the second surface of the frame and a high-voltage board is mounted on the second surface of the frame with the second unit located therebetween. A connecting mechanism electrically connects the first unit and the high-voltage board to supply high voltage to the first unit. The connecting mechanism includes a unit-side wire extending at a side of the first surface and a board-side wire connectable to the unit-side wire and extending at a side of the second surface. The unit-side wire and the board-side wire are connected with contacts thereof pressed into contact with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and particularly to a connecting structure for electrically connecting units for performing an image forming process on a sheet and a high-voltage board for supplying high voltages to the units.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile machine includes a plurality of built-in processing units for performing an image forming process on a sheet. The processing units include, for example, a photoconductive drum unit on which a toner image is to be formed, a developing unit for forming a toner image on the photoconductive drum by supplying toner to the photoconductive drum and an intermediate transfer unit including an intermediate transfer belt to which a color toner image is to be transferred when the image forming apparatus is of a tandem type.
The image forming apparatus further includes a high-voltage board for supplying high voltages to the above processing units. The high-voltage board and the processing units are electrically connected by connecting members. In a conventional image forming apparatus, coiled contacts of connecting members of processing units are pressed into contact with planar contacts of connecting members of a high-voltage board to electrically connect the processing units and the high-voltage board when the processing units are mounted into a housing.
Image forming apparatuses of recent years are required to be small in size. This not only reduces spaces around processing units, but also leads to such a structure that other constituent parts are incorporated between the processing units and the high-voltage board. Thus, connecting members for electrically connecting the processing units and the high-voltage board become complicated in shape. Considering that many connecting members are used for the electrical connection, the connecting members having complicated shapes is one of causes for cost increase.

Image forming apparatus with high-voltage board


The present invention is to provide a supporting mechanism disposed on a hammock for supporting a mattress, and the supporting mechanism includes a folding component and a plurality of supporting components. The folding component is disposed on a central position of the hammock, and the folding component includes an upper surface, a lower surface and an avoiding section passing through the upper surface and the lower surface. The plurality of supporting components is disposed around the folding component and for supporting the mattress. An end of each of the plurality of supporting components is pivotally connected to the folding component, and the other end of each supporting component is fixed on an edge position of the hammock. The operation of the supporting mechanism is easy so that the hammock and the bedstead can be folded or unfolded together. Accordingly, the present invention is to provide a crib therewith.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to and a supporting mechanism and a crib therewith, and more specifically, to a supporting mechanism for supporting a hammock of a crib and the crib therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An internal space of a crib is too deep to care a baby conveniently, Thus, the conventional crib includes a hammock connected with a bedstead of the crib for hanging the baby on the hammock. The hammock is installed on an upper side of the bedstead for providing the baby a playing space and for a carer to conveniently hold the baby out of the crib or put the baby in the crib. Meanwhile, a supporting mechanism is disposed on a bottom of the conventional crib so as to fold the crib for storage.
However, a supporting bracket is often disposed under a mattress on the hammock preventing the mattress from bending so as to support the baby stably. Therefore, the conventional supporting mechanism is often designed as a fixed structure. As folding the crib, the hammock has to be detached from the bedstead of the crib first, and then the folding mechanism can be operated to fold the crib. But, this folding operation is inconvenient for the carer. Therefore, it is necessary to providing a supporting mechanism capable of folding or unfolding the hammock together with the bedstead with an easy operation.


Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a thrust reverser of an aircraft, comprising: a wall having a first surface that partially forms a flow channel associated with an air flow, a blocker door having a second surface that partially forms the flow channel, and a dielectric elastomeric device that is configured to selectively expand and contract within a cavity formed between the wall and the blocker door where the cavity is substantially radially adjacent to the flow channel when the thrust reverser is in a stowed state.

On an aircraft, a nacelle is used to house an engine and a thrust reverser which can be of the cascade or pivoting type, among other types. FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a typical gas turbine engine inside a nacelle 22, which is attached via a pylon 21 to an aircraft wing 20. The nacelle 22 includes a forward fixed structure 23 and an aft fixed structure 12. The aft fixed structure 12 includes a thrust reverser.
A main jet stream F1 flows through the nacelle 22 from an approximate right-to-left direction in FIGS. 1A-1B. Whereas FIG. 1A shows the thrust reverser operating in a stowed state/mode, FIG. 1B illustrates the thruster reverser operating in a deployed state/mode with a radially outward deflected jet F1′ exiting doors 1 which pivot on two pivot bearings 27 (FIG. 1A), provided in lateral side beams 2 (FIG. 1A) which bound an opening 26 (FIG. 1B).
FIG. 1C provides additional details regarding a portion of a thrust reverser 82 (which may be incorporated in the nacelle 22 of FIGS. 1A-1B). As shown in FIG. 1C (which is representative of a thrust reverser operating in a stowed state/mode), a flow channel 53 is formed between a first wall (e.g., an inner wall) 51 and a second wall (e.g., an outer wall) 52. Arrows 54 represent a flow of air in the flow channel 53; the air flow 54 is generally in a left-to-right direction in FIG. 1C and may correspond to the main jet stream F1 of FIGS. 1A-1B. The wall 52 has associated therewith an inner surface 55 that is proximate/adjacent to the flow channel 53. The thrust reverser 82 includes a blocker door 56 (which may correspond to the doors 1 of FIGS. 1A-1B). An axis of rotation for the blocker door 56 is shown as reference character 57. An actuator 58 is used to control/drive the deploying or stowing of the blocker door 56. The blocker door 56 includes a front deflector 59 and an inner surface 60. The components/devices that have been described form a flow line 61 of the channel 53 and also form a flow cavity 62. Superimposed in FIG. 1C are reference characters 70, 71, and 72; reference character 70 is representative of an articulation point for the actuator 58, reference character 71 is representative of a fixed connection/coupling between the actuator 58 and the blocker door 56, and reference character 72 is representative of a resting lip for the front deflector 59.
The contour/shape of the flow channel 53 has a significant impact on operational parameters. For example, it is generally desirable to have a smooth flow line 61. However, the cavity 62 has been shown to contribute to total pressure losses, due at least in part to secondary flows recirculating behind the blocker door 56. The pressure losses lead to degraded performance in terms of, e.g., specific fuel consumption (SFC).

Dielectric elastomer device to fill steps or gaps in a thrust reverser


A support of a sole structure includes a base disposed in a middle region in a foot width direction and having an upper surface which follows a plantar surface of a wearer's foot, and upper and lower supports continuous with a side portion of the base on a medial side in the foot width direction. The upper support has an upper surface that is continuous with the side portion of the base such that the upper surface of the upper support, together with the upper surface of the base, follows the plantar surface. The lower support is continuous with the side portion of the base so as to be located under the upper support, and has a corrugated shape having peaks and valleys alternating with each other in a longitudinal direction along the side portion of the base.

The present disclosure relates to a sole structure for shoes and a shoe including such a sole structure.
A sole structure for sport shoes focusing on cushioning properties has been generally widely known, which includes, as major components, a midsole made of a soft elastic material and an outsole bonded to the lower surface of the midsole. As an improvement of said sole structure, a sole structure for sport shoes, such as one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-4905, has been suggested to prevent lateral swaying caused by excessive deformation of the shoes in the foot width direction at the time of contact of the shoes on the ground during walking or running.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-4905 discloses a sole structure including: an outsole having a ground surface on its bottom surface, a midsole made of an elastic material layered on an upper side of the outsole; and a corrugated sheet made of a thin layer harder than the midsole and provided in a middle portion, in the thickness direction, of the midsole at a position corresponding to a region from the hindfoot to the midfoot of the wearer's foot. The corrugated sheet has a corrugated upper surface having peaks and valleys alternating with each other in the longitudinal direction across the entire foot width. In addition, at least one of the medial side or the lateral side of the corrugated sheet has a double structure, where the corrugated sheet is comprised of upper and lower sheets apart from each other in the thickness direction of the corrugated sheet with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween.

Sole structure for shoes and shoe with the sole structure


A catalyst containment unit, includes two concentric perforate members defining an annular space in which a particulate catalyst may be placed, and process fluid-impermeable end members mounted on the ends of the perforate members, wherein one end member extends across the unit to provide a closed end and the other end member closes the annular space thereby providing an open end through which gases may enter or exit the unit, and suspending means attached to one or both end members for securing the unit within an ammonia oxidation vessel. The unit may be suspended, for example, below a precious metal ammonia oxidation gauze pack and may contain a particulate ammonia oxidation catalyst or nitrous oxide abatement catalyst. A catalyst combination includes a precious metal ammonia oxidation catalyst gauze on a supporting framework and a particulate catalyst disposed in a catalyst containment unit.

Ammonia oxidation is carried out industrially with air to generate nitric oxide, which used to make nitric acid (the Ostwald Process) or with air and methane to generate hydrogen cyanide (the Andrussow Process). In both processes, the reactant gases are mixed and passed at elevated temperature and pressure through a reaction vessel in which is placed a pack of platinum/rhodium gauzes that catalyse the oxidation reactions. The gauzes are typically circular and are supported on a frame or basket that holds them perpendicular to the flow of gases through the reactor. The catalyst pack may also comprise one or more palladium-rich gauzes, known as "catchment gauzes" that act to capture volatilised platinum.
In recent years there has been a desire to thrift the amount of platinum used in the catalyst packs and catalyst arrangements combining both precious metal gauzes and particulate metal oxide catalysts have been tested. WO 99/64352 describes a process wherein a mixture of ammonia and air at an elevated temperature is fed to a catalyst comprising one or more gauzes of at least one precious metal in elemental filamentary form, and the resultant gas mixture passed through a layer of a particulate oxidic cobalt-containing catalyst placed below the gauzes.
In addition, the evolution of nitrous oxide (N2O) from ammonia oxidation processes using has come under scrutiny as a potent greenhouse gas, and nitrous oxide abatement catalysts have also been included in the ammonia oxidation vessels as layers underneath the precious metal ammonia oxidation catalyst. For example, it has been proposed in WO 99/07638 to oxidise ammonia by combusting ammonia with air in the presence of a platinum gauze catalyst and passing the resultant gasses through a layer of nitrous oxide decomposition catalyst comprising a ceramic doped with specific metals or metal oxides disposed below the gauzes and above heat recovery means in the ammonia oxidation reactor. Similarly, WO 00/13789 describes a similar process whereby a metal oxide selected from those of La, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu was used as a nitrous oxide decomposition catalyst immediately after a platinum gauze in an ammonia oxidation reactor.
In each of these cases the problem exists that by placing a particulate catalyst in a layer below the precious metal gauzes an increase in the resistance to flow of the gases takes place. This increases the pressure drop through the reaction vessel thereby increasing compression costs. Furthermore in processes operated at high pressure, e.g. above 7 barg, the contact time between the reactants and the particulate catalyst may not be sufficient in the thin beds used in an attempt to alleviate the pressure drop problem. Therefore there is a need to provide a catalyst arrangement that overcomes these problems.


Methods and systems for selecting a tool for a project is described. In an example, a processor can run a machine learning model to generate a set of requirements to implement a project. The processor can identify a keyword from the set of requirements. The processor can search for the keyword on a search engine. The processor can receive a search result from the search engine corresponding to the keyword. The processor can identify, based on the search result, a tool that can be used to implement the project, where the tool can be in compliance with the set of requirements.

The present application relates generally to computers and computer applications, and more particularly to implementing machine learning models in technical tool selection for technical projects.
Technical tools, such as software programs and applications, can be utilized in various technical aspects of a technical project. These technical aspects can include programming, software development, testing, database creation and maintenance, website creation and maintenance, server setup and selection, network management, and/or other technical aspects of the technical project. One or more technical tools can be selected to handle these technical aspects of the technical project.

Machine learning for technical tool selection

International Business Machines Corporation


A structure which is transformable by inflation from a collapsed condition for storage to an erect condition for use has an inflatable tubular framework and at least one flexible web attached to and extending between two or more regions of the framework. The inflatable framework is formed by at least one inner inflatable tubular element (A, B) of flexible, elastic, air-impermeable material and having an inflation valve (13,15) accommodated within an outer sleeve arrangement of a material which is flexible but substantially non-elastic and restrained therein upon inflation. The outer sleeve arrangement is configured to include at least one branch point and/or at least one abrupt bend and the configuration of the inner tubular element or elements (A, B) corresponds to that (branch points (a, b) and abrupt bends (z)) so that the inner tube or tubes will substantially fill the outer sleeve arrangement upon inflation. Each inner tube (A, B) is formed by cutting and bonding of the air-impermeable material to provide a continuous inflatable compartment of relevant configuration and is inserted through an opening in the outer sleeve arrangement and fed through so as to fill it when later inflated in use.

Play structures, in particular, are often formed so that they can be transformed quickly from an erect condition for use, to a compact collapsed condition for storage. Many such structures include rigid support rods which must be assembled and dismantled, or are of the so-called pop-up kind and include cobble steel frame sections which when released from storage spring into an erect condition to support the structure, the steel sections being contained within sleeves to which are welded or stitched flexible webs of material forming the walls and roof of the structure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a structure which performs in a similar manner but which is transformed into its erect condition by inflation of one or more tubular sections forming a framework for the structure and to which are attached flexible webs to form, for example, walls and/or roof, and possibly also a base or groundsheet. Avoidance of the use of supports rods or steel frame sections results in the structure being lighter in weight and collapsible to a more compact form.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,418 discloses a tent transformable by inflation from a collapsed condition for storage to an erect condition for use, the tent comprising an inflatable tubular framework, which when inflated supports the structure in its erect condition, and a flexible wall structure attached to and extending between two or more regions of said inflatable framework. The inflatable tubular framework comprises a plurality of inflatable tubular elements, each of flexible, elastic, air-impermeable material and having a respective inflation valve, and each fitted inside a respective outer sheath of a material which is flexible but non-elastic. Each inflatable tubular element, when inflated, is a snug fit within its respective outer sheath and thereby restrained in outward expansion and prevented from rupturing. The inflatable tubular elements are formed by extrusion from thermoplastic material, such as PVC, and the outer sheaths are formed as separate curving sheaths which are separately cut to shape from woven material and stitched. Four such structural sections, each formed of an inflatable element inside its outer sheath provide four parabolic corner posts radiating out and down from a connector at a centre top location of the tent.


In a borehole logging tool, the flow of conductive fluid into or out of a wellbore at the wellbore wall is detected and measured with a sensor loop proximate the borehole inner wall. The sensor loop includes a series of contiguous sensors that act as electromagnetic flowmeters and provide fluid measurements covering the entire circumference of the sensor loop. The sensor loop includes an elastic element that forces the sensor loop outward to maintain pressure along the sensor loop circumference against the interior borehole wall. The sensor loop is designed to lie at a non-perpendicular angle to the wellbore axis, and mechanical arms press the top and bottom of the loop against the borehole inner wall.

An oil and gas well is shown in FIG. 1 generally at 60. Well construction involves drilling a hole or borehole 62 in the surface 64 of land or ocean floor. The borehole 62 may be several thousand feet deep, and drilling is continued until the desired depth is reached. Fluids such as oil, gas and water reside in porous rock formations 68. A casing 72 is normally lowered into the borehole 62. The region between the casing 72 and rock formation 68 is filled with cement 70 to provide a hydraulic seal. Usually, tubing 74 is inserted into the hole 62, the tubing 74 including a packer 76 which comprises a seal. A packer fluid 78 is disposed between the casing 72 and tubing 74 annular region. Perforations 80 may be located in the casing 72 and cement 70, into the rock 68, as shown.
Production logging involves obtaining logging information about an active oil, gas or water-injection well while the well is flowing. A logging tool instrument package comprising sensors is lowered into a well, the well is flowed and measurements are taken. Production logging is generally considered the best method of determining actual downhole flow. A well log, a collection of data from measurements made in a well, is generated and is usually presented in a long strip chart paper format that may be in a format specified by the American Petroleum Institute (API), for example.
The general objective of production logging is to provide information for the diagnosis of a well. A wide variety of information is obtainable by production logging, including determining water entry location, flow profile, off depth perforations, gas influx locations, oil influx locations, non-performing perforations, thief zone stealing production, casing leaks, crossflow, flow behind casing, verification of new well flow integrity, and floodwater breakthrough, as examples. The benefits of production logging include increased hydrocarbon production, decreased water production, detection of mechanical problems and well damage, identification of unproductive intervals for remedial action, testing reservoir models, evaluation of drilling or completion effectiveness, monitoring Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) process, and increased profits, for example. An expert generally performs interpretation of the logging results.
In current practice, measurements are typically made in the central portion of the wellbore cross-section, such as of spinner rotation rate, fluid density and dielectric constant of the fluid mixture. These data may be interpreted in an attempt to determine the flow rate at any point along the borehole. Influx or exit rate over any interval is then determined by subtracting the flow rates at the two ends of the interval.
In most producing oil and gas wells, the wellbore itself generally contains a large volume percentage or fraction of water, but often little of this water flows to the surface. The water that does flow to the surface enters the wellbore, which usually already contains a large amount of water. The presence of water already in the wellbore, however, makes detection of the additional water entering the wellbore difficult and often beyond the ability of conventional production logging tools.
Furthermore, in deviated and horizontal wells with multiphase flow, and also in some vertical wells, conventional production logging methods are frequently misleading due to complex and varying flow regimes or patterns that cause misleading and non-representative readings. Generally, prior art production logging is performed in these complex flow regimes in the central area of the borehole and yields frequently misleading results, or may possess other severe limitations. Often the location of an influx of water, which is usually the information desired from production logging, is not discernable due to the small change in current measurement responses superimposed upon large variations caused by the multiphase flow conditions.
The problems of production logging in multi-phase flow in conventional production logging are well known and described in the literature. Hill, A. D., et al., in an article entitled, "Production Logging Tool Behavior in Two-Phase Inclined Flow", JPT, October 1982, pp. 2432-2440, describe the problems of conventional production logging in multiphase wells, stating that for production logging purposes, a well is deviated if it has a deviation over two degrees. Virtually all producing wells have deviations of at least two degrees, and thus virtually all wells are subject to difficult multiphase flow conditions for production logging. Hill et al. also describe the four main types of measurements in use in conventional production logging practice, which are the spinner, dielectric constant, fluid density, and concentrating flowmeter.
A more extensive description of conventional production logging measurements and the problems encountered in multiphase flow is found in a monograph entitled "Production Logging—Theoretical and Interpretative Elements", by Hill, A. D., Society of Petroleum Engineers, Monograph Volume 14, Richardson, Tex., 1990. In addition, the following publications discuss the problems of measuring multiphase flow in deviated or horizontal wells: "Tests Show Production Logging Problems in Horizontal Gas Wells" by Branagan, P., et al., Oil & Gas Journal, Jan. 10, 1994, pp. 41-45; "Biphasic Fluid Studies for Production Logging in Large-Diameter Deviated Wells" by Kelman, J. S., November-December 1993, The Log Analyst, pp. 6-10; "A Comparison of Predictive Oil/Water Holdup Models for Production Log Interpretation in Vertical and Deviated Wellbores" by Ding, Z. X., et al, SPWLA 35th Annual Logging Symposium Transactions, June 1994, paper KK; and "Production Logging in Horizontal Wellbores" by Nice, S. B., 5th World Oil. Horizontal Well Technol. Int. Conf. (Houston) Proc., sect. 11, November 1993.
While very few wells are actually vertical, the following publication illustrates that conventional production logging may be misleading even in truly vertical wells: "The Effect of Flow From Perforations on Two-Phase Flow: Implications for Production Logging" by Zhu, D., et al., Proceedings SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, SPE 18207, October 1988, p. 267-75.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,287 entitled, "Method of Monitoring Fluids Entering a Wellbore", issued Sep. 3, 1996 to Maute et al. addresses the above problems. However, the invention has limitations in that it is mechanically complex, and is sensitive in different ways to all three fluids encountered downhole (water, gas, and oil), which results in complex log interpretation, and possibly misleading log interpretation. For example, the interpretation may be misleading if gas does not cool upon entry to the wellbore, as it usually but not always does. The interpretation is also complicated when the wellbore contains a significant amount of non-produced water as is generally the case, making the distinguishing of inflow of water from non-produced water difficult and ambiguous. In addition, the tool is designed for only one casing diameter, and cannot readily accommodate any significantly different diameter, as does occur in many wells. Furthermore, a large amount of data is needed from each of the multitude of pads (eight or more), each of which has three different sensors.

Fluid flow measuring device and method of manufacturing thereof


Embodiments provide for controlling functions of a Multi-Function Printer (MFP) by receiving, from one or more servers, a text or voice message expressed in natural language and received by the one or more servers from a mobile device of the user of the MFP, extracting text data or audio data of the received text or voice message, forwarding the extracted text data or audio data of the received text or voice message to the one or more servers, receiving, from the one or more servers, information indicating a language type for one or more portions of text within a document, dynamically adapting content of the document based on the language type for the one or more portions of text or content of the document, and performing one or more functions using the dynamically adapted content of the document.

Multi-Function Printers (MFPs) are common and well-known pieces of office equipment and can be found in most, if not all, offices and libraries, and even in many homes. These devices can offer the ability to print, scan, fax, and otherwise process documents in a wide variety of formats. While useful and convenient, these devices also create an avenue through which sensitive, private, or other controlled information can be compromised. For example, a user might print a document that includes financial information for a company that is considered to be confidential. Once printed, especially if the user printing the document does not retrieve it from the MFP quickly, this document and the information therein can be obtained by other users who may not be authorized to have that information. Similarly, a user may scan a document containing private information such as a social security number, bank account or credit card numbers, healthcare information, etc. Once scanning into electronic form, this document and the information is at risk of being copied and distributed to persons who should not have access to this information and who may misuse it, for example, to commit identity theft etc.
In other cases, documents being printed or scanned may be in a format that, while convenient to read in one form, are wasteful or inefficiently uses the space consumed by that content. For example, a document in electronic form may be formatted to present in a slideshow or on a webpage where widely spaced content is easier to read. However, when printed, this format contains significant amounts of blank space which is wasteful of paper. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for conveniently detecting content in a printed or scanned document and dynamically formatting that content to control the information therein.

Methods and systems for detecting and formatting sensitive information in a multi-function printer through natural language text or voice messages

Kyocera Document Solutions Development America, Inc.


An approach is provided in which the approach displays, on a user interface during a first user session, a set of objects with a first level of detail based on a prioritization model. The approach adjusts the prioritization model based on a set of user selections to the set of objects captured during the first user session that indicates a second level of detail of at least one object in the set of objects. The approach displays the set of objects to the user on the user interface during a second user session based on the adjusted prioritization model.

Electronic devices typically include a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows user interaction through graphical elements and audio indicators. GUIs were introduced in reaction to a perceived steep learning curve of command-line interfaces (CLIs), which require commands to be typed on a computer keyboard.
The actions in a GUI are usually performed through direct manipulation of the graphical elements. In viewing details on a GUI, an overwhelming amount of content may be displayed to a user, much of which is not relevant. Particularly when viewing a large number of objects that have multiple pieces of associated metadata. For example, in a website that provides streaming music, each song can include details such as the title, artist, album name, album cover image, lyrics, date of release, song length, and more. Each of the different detailed items associated with an object may appeal to a different subset of users.


Systems for monitoring and adjusting the air pressure in a rotating wheel in air-tight connection with a non-rotating axle. In one embodiment, a non-rotating tank air pressure system is separated from a wheel air pressure system by a fill-purge valve. Manipulating the fill-purge valve changes the air pressure in the wheel air pressure system, while the wheel may be rotating, and the change in air pressure is monitored by a gauge.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices and methods for monitoring and changing the air pressure in a rotating wheel that is attached to a non-rotating axle. In one embodiment, the invention allows bicycle riders to monitor and adjust the air pressure in bicycle wheels while riding the bike.
2. Description of the Related Art
Under certain situations, it may be desirable to monitor and change the air pressure in wheels. As a non-limiting example, bicycle or motorcycle riders may wish to adjust the air pressure in a rotating wheel, while riding. For example, a higher air pressure creates less friction between a bicycle or motorcycle and the terrain it traverses. And, a lower wheel tube air pressure creates more friction and more rolling resistance. Increased friction may be helpful when navigating a bicycle through rocks, sand, gravel, mud, snow, and ice or in any situation where more traction is desired.
Currently existing systems require the rider to dismount from the bike, open the tire valve stem, and adjust the tire pressure by either releasing or adding air. The ability to monitor and adjust tire pressure while remaining on the bicycle, motorcycle or other vehicle can enhance the riding experience.

Method and system for monitoring and changing air pressure in a rotating wheel


Disclosed is an oxide for a semiconductor layer of a thin-film transistor, said oxide being excellent in the switching characteristics of a thin-film transistor, specifically enabling favorable characteristics to be stably obtained even in a region of which the ZnO concentration is high and even after forming a passivation layer and after applying stress. The oxide is used in a semiconductor layer of a thin-film transistor, and the aforementioned oxide contains Zn and Sn, and further contains at least one element selected from group X consisting of Al, Hf, Ta, Ti, Nb, Mg, Ga, and the rare-earth elements.

As compared with widely used amorphous silicon (a-Si), an amorphous (noncrystalline) oxide semiconductor has high carrier mobility, a high optical band gap, and film formability at low temperature and, therefore, has been highly expected to be applied for next generation displays which are required to have a large size, high resolution, and high-speed drive, resin substrates which has low heat resistance, etc.
Examples of the oxide semiconductor include In-containing amorphous oxide semiconductors (In—Ga—Zn—O, In—Zn—O, etc.), however, since these oxide semiconductors use In which is rare metal, an increase in material cost is a serious concern in mass production process. Therefore, as an oxide semiconductor containing no In, produced at low material cost, and suitable for mass production, a ZTO-based oxide semiconductor made amorphous by adding Sn to Zn has been proposed (e.g. Patent Document 1).

Oxide for semiconductor layer of thin-film transistor, sputtering target, and thin-film transistor


An extensible, network-based user interface allows remotely located resources to serve multiple clients. The user interface can be upgraded as improvements in resource capabilities are made, and as new products become available. The user interface includes a controller and other processing units and databases that collect, collate and process product and user information to dynamically construct client-specific user interfaces. The user interfaces may be used to select and control print options for networked printers. The network may be a local area network or the Internet. The user interface may maintain statistical information that is useable to predict technology trends, identify user preferences, and plan for maintenance and upgrade operations.

Current printer systems rely on software mechanisms called printer drivers to control printing applications. In a typical networked computer application, the printer drivers are located on either local personal computers or network print servers. In a standalone configuration, the printer drivers are installed on a personal computer (PC). The printer drivers specify the manner in which the printing application is to be completed, and provide the user at the local terminal with various print options.
Currently, printer manufacturers develop printer drivers that are specific to a printer model and specific to each of the operating systems with which the printer will interface. The most widely used operating system in PCs is Windows®. An earlier, popular system was the disk operating system (DOS®). Both Windows® and DOS® are products of the Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. The DOS® operating system requires that applications include an embedded printer driver module that enables communications with a connected printer. An application, therefore, must have embedded in it an appropriate printer driver for a connected printer. If two or more printers of different kinds are connected to a computer having DOS® applications, each application requiring use of the printers must include embedded printer drivers for each printer type. By contrast, the Windows® operating system employs separate printer driver modules and all applications written for a Windows operating system are enabled to employ a printer driver module in a generic manner. Thus, Windows® applications have a standard interface that matches the preexisting printer driver module. If a computer is required to interface with two or more different types of printers, each requiring a separate printer driver, the Windows® operating system will require a printer driver module for each of the different type printers.
Other computers may use the Macintosh® operating systems, UNIX®, and other mechanisms. All these different operating systems, and the variations thereof, may require different printer drivers. For example, a Hewlett-Packard laser printer will have one printer driver for Windows® 95, but that printer driver will not work with the Macintosh® operating system. As a result, printers that support personal computers (PC) typically do not support Macintosh®. As a result, printer manufacturers typically make drivers for PCs and different drivers for Macintosh®. Developing, testing and marketing the different versions of the printer driver software is very expensive. In addition, delivery of the printer drivers to customers is expensive, and customers do not want to pay additional costs associated with software to allow printing.
Updates may be required because of changes to printer design, which is within the control of the printer manufacturer. Such updates may involve updating driver functionality and printer functionality. Other updates may be mandated because of changes or improvements in printer-related products and services. Some of these changes may also be controllable by the printer manufacturer. For example, a printer manufacturer may have a separate division that develops printer papers. The paper division may develop a new coating on photo glossy paper. Such paper may require modifications to the printer driver in order for a customer to print using the paper.
Some manufacturers have attempted to deliver printer driver upgrades over public networks, such as the Internet. However, such delivery mechanisms may fail if customers are not aware of the availability of the software, or if the customers install the software incorrectly.
Traditional PC printer drivers are designed to be used on the PC where the application that is generating the print request resides. One such driver system is shown in FIG. 1A. A PC with an operating system 10 may host an application 12 that converts desired print data into graphical device interface (GDI) 14 or other text commands and graphics primitives with associated page positions and/or forms controls. A print job may be spooled 16 (i.e., stored) to allow the user to resume working with the application 12. These commands may be formatted by a printer driver 20 into a recognizable industry defined data definition (e.g. printer control language (PCL)) or the printer driver 20 may use the application 12 and/or platform intermediate commands (e.g., Windows® GDI primitives) and act on these commands to create internal direct printer commands 25 to control a printer 30. The printer 30 does not necessarily need to be physically attached to the PC where the application 12 and the printer driver 20 reside, but may be remotely located such as on a local area network (LAN) (not shown).
One benefit of having a PC-side printer driver system is the movement of the processing into the PC itself (rather than at the printer), thereby permitting more flexibility and control. Another benefit of this system is that more advanced functions are possible by using a more powerful host PC, while permitting cost minimization of the printer hardware itself.
As one tries to fit the traditional host based printer driver models into a networked computer model (as shown in FIG. 1B), problems may occur because of limitation of the networked computers. These problems may be the result of limited random access memory (RAM) (to minimize costs). In contrast, almost all standard PC printer drivers use local spooling to the local permanent storage. If the RAM in a networked computer is limited, then there may be insufficient memory for the driver, application, and print data, especially if the print job entails color bitmaps or complex graphics images to be printed. Also, many networked computer devices that are being developed today have different operating systems and have different API and/or GDI interface definitions, which makes developing a printer driver extremely cumbersome.
Traditional printing implementations of networked computers 50 (see FIG. 1B) have followed the standard printing model. For example, in the networked computer system, a server 60 is used to load applications 12, communicate with the network, and store data needed by the networked computers 50. The networked computers 50 run the application 12, which might request printing. The other implementation details are the same as in the standard printing model for PCs (see FIG. 1A).
The benefits of this traditional networked computer printing model are that it is similar to current driver models and that user interface models are already known by platform. However, the networked computer system suffers from all the limitations described above for a PC system. In addition, the networked computer system raises other problems, such as severe memory and graphics limits on the networked computers. Also, networked computer hardware differences present unique issues with respect to operation of software thereon and the hardware that may be connected to a networked computer system. Furthermore, in a networked computer system where multiple networked computers are connected using a file server or interconnecting network to multiple printers, a number of administrative problems arise that are not present when a single PC is connected to a single printer. For example, if a new printer type is added to the networked computer system, each networked computer must be informed of the network configuration change and a new printer driver must be installed on each networked computer for the new print device. Otherwise, the networked computers are not able to use the newly added print device. Further, as new printer drivers are provided by manufacturers to correct previously discovered defects or to provide enhancements to previous printer drivers, each networked computer must receive a new printer driver. These actions can cause substantial network interruption while the new printer drivers are being installed.
In a network of the nature described above, wherein client computers employ the Windows® operating system, a separate file server installation is often used to enable communications between the client computers and network-connected printers. In order to determine network print function availability, a user of a client computer must have detailed information regarding precisely where to inquire to access network status information. In a network operating under the NetWare® environment (Novell Corporation, Provo, Utah), there are many pieces of status information that, together, affect an overall print operation. For instance, the Novell print server and queue management system both evidence status information regarding printer availability; however, their status information can only be accessed by knowing where (and how) to inquire. Further, even if the user knows how to obtain network status information, it is up to the user to understand the meaning of the status information.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An image processing apparatus generates code data by connecting a plurality of first compressed codes output from one or more threads. The image processing apparatus includes a compressing unit that compresses image data by using the threads corresponding to divided compression processes; an identification-information attaching unit that attaches identification information to the first compressed codes thereby generating second compressed codes; and a code-data generating unit that generates code data including the second compressed codes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is know in the art to compress image data to reduce data size. In a conventional technology, a compression process is divided into a plurality of compression processes corresponding to a plurality of threads. This technique allows the image processing to be performed speedily. In recent years, various hardware resources, such as high-speed processors and large capacity memories, have been developed in accordance with advances in the computer technology. A processor has been developed that logically functions as a plurality of processors. Such a processor can execute commands included in a plurality of threads in parallel and perform image processing in a divided manner.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-259042 discloses a technology for image processing in which a plurality of threads that performs image processing is generated, the generated threads are divided into groups for each process, and processes are assigned to the threads. This technique allows the image processing to be performed speedily.
Japanese Patent No. 3797013 discloses a technology for image processing in which image data is processed with different resolutions by using a plurality of processors. In this technique, if the image data is processed with a higher resolution, a proportion of the processor to be used is increased.
However, the technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-259042 and Japanese Patent No. 3797013 do not describe a method of connecting a plurality of pieces of processed data output from a plurality of threads or processors.
International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 15444-1 defines an order in which packets included in code data are connected and contents of header information included in the code data. When connecting compressed codes output from a plurality of threads to one another, it is necessary to rearrange the compressed codes in a predetermined order, or attach predetermined header information to the compressed codes, in order to meet a standard specified by ISO/IEC 15444-1.
However, the act of rearrangement of the compressed codes reduces the advantage of the high speed processing achieved by using a plurality of threads.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program product


Die assembly comprises a die plate having one or more die inserts therein. The die plate has a recess within which the insert is positioned. The die opening in the insert extends normally of the oppositely directed major surfaces of the insert so that the insert can be reversed. The original obverse surface of the insert thus becomes the reverse surface and the original reverse surface becomes the obverse surface. The necessity of sharpening the die insert in the conventional manner is thus eliminated. Also disclosed is an improved system for mounting die inserts in a die assembly.

A conventional punch and die set for punching holes in strip metal comprises a die assembly having a facial surface and having a die opening extending into the facial surface. The punch assembly, which is opposed to the die assembly, has a punch projecting therefrom which is dimensioned to enter the die opening so that when strip material is located between the punch and die and the punch and die are moved towards each other, a hole will be formed in the strip by the punch. The slug or scrap metal produced when the hole is formed is pushed by the leading end of the punch into the die opening and removed in any suitable manner.
After a die assembly has been in use for some time, the edges of the die opening at the facial surface of the die assembly become worn and the holes which are produced in the strip metal by the punch and die will not have the dimensional precision which may be required in the part that is being produced. It is therefore common practice to sharpen the die, a process which is carried out by grinding the surface of the die assembly so that the surface material is removed and the dimensional precision of the die opening is restored. A conventional die assembly has a die plate in which many die openings are provided. In order to avoid the necessity of grinding the surface of the die plate, it is common practice to provide die inserts in the die plate which have the die openings therein. The inserts are mounted in a recess in the die plate and held in position by a laterally extending projection on the insert which is received in a die backup block, or spacer, of the die assembly so that when the die plate is secured to the spacer or die backup block, the insert will be securely held in the recess in the die plate. Where die inserts are used, sharpening of a particular insert can be carried out by removing that insert from the die assembly and sharpening only that particular insert. The sharpening process, however, is time consuming and requires the services of a highly skilled machinist for the reason that when the surface of the insert is ground during a sharpening process, the thickness of the insert is thereby reduced and it is necessary to place a suitable shim beneath the insert so that the surface of the insert will be coplanar with the facial surface of the die plate. This means that the laterally extending ear or retaining portion of the insert must also be ground in a precision grinding operation. The advantages of using die inserts are, to some extent at least, nullified by the difficulty of sharpening a die insert.
The present invention is directed to the achievement of an improved die insert by means of which the necessity of sharpening the insert is eliminated and, at the same time, the useful life of the insert is extended. The invention is further directed to the achievement of an improved method of manufacturing die insert and improved methods of mounting die inserts in a die assembly.

Die assembly having improved insert retaining system and having reversible die inserts


The described embodiments relate to systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling a lighting unit to provide multiple different static and dynamic illumination patterns. The illumination patterns can be provided in response to changes in environmental conditions detected by sensors of the lighting unit. For instance, the lighting unit can provide a flame-like illumination pattern when the sensor is detecting a first threshold amount of motion, and a static illumination pattern when the sensor is detecting a second threshold amount of motion. The flame-like illumination pattern can be expressed using multiple light guides that extend from the lighting unit and receive different colors of light that imitate the motion of a flame. The light guides can be, for example, cylindrical or pipe-shaped, and etched with different patterns to absorb and reflect incident light.

Outdoor security and ambient lighting is commonplace in use for both residential and commercial environments. Many of these lighting systems are electrically connected to a power source and are powered to illuminate large areas after detection of movement utilizing proximity and/or motion sensors. Security lighting systems often have high wattage illumination lamps and function to provide low level lighting for a period of time after dusk and high level lighting upon detection of movement by the motion/proximity sensors.
Security lighting systems can be limited in that they typically employ high wattage lamps that can be distracting to users. Some prior art lighting systems address these problems by employing replacement bulbs, for example candelabra style lamps or E26 style screw-in lamps. These solutions, while functional, are not typically realistic looking and often don't provide suitable illumination for a given area or application.

Ambient flame style flicker lighting system and methods


Soft actuators are fabricated from materials that enable the actuators to be constructed with an open-celled architecture such as an interconnected network of pore elements. The movement of a soft actuator is controlled by manipulating the open-celled architecture, for example inflating/deflating select portions of the open-celled architecture using a substance such as compressed fluid.

In many ways, the sophisticated motion of organisms is enabled by the selective stiffening of soft tissue. Cephalopods rely on muscular hydrostats for structural support and locomotion without a skeletal system. Land based organisms also use hydrostatic mechanisms for selective stiffening of tissue (e.g., the trunk of an elephant or the spongy tissue of the corpora cavernosa).
The field of soft robotics endeavors to use compliant structures to reduce the complexity of machines while also increasing their sophistication towards that of biological analogs. One manifestation of this goal is embodied intelligence: instead of a central computer that commands multiple components in a prescribed way, distributed networks of materials automatically respond to their environment. An example of embodied intelligence in nature is that of a tree's leaves collapsing in a strong wind to prevent its branches from breaking. Soft elastomers that can deform at very low stresses (˜100's of kPa's) can program embodied intelligence into pneumatically actuated machines; a prime example is that of an "open-loop" gripper that wraps around objects based on their difference in stiffness. Another outcome of using easily deformable materials and structures in soft robotics is smooth and continuous motions during actuation—mobile robots move in similar fashion to biological organisms, with simple machine design. While these motions are similar, their functional mechanisms are completely different (i.e., muscle fibers vs. inflating members).
Thus, there is a need for soft actuators made of a construction that enables formation into any geometry and of a construction that facilitates controlled movement of the actuator. The soft actuators are made from materials that can be manipulated, for example to simulate selective stiffening. The invention satisfies this need.

Soft actuator and methods of fabrication


An optical assembly (16) for a precision apparatus (10) includes an optical element (234) and a housing (230) that defines a housing cavity (244). The housing (230) includes a body section (238), a removable section (240) and a fastener assembly (242). The body section (238) is secured to an apparatus frame (12) of the precision apparatus (10). The removable section (240) retains the optical element (234) with the optical element (234) positioned in the housing cavity (244). The fastener assembly (242) selective secures the removable section (240) to the body section (238). With this design, the removable section (240) can be selectively removed to repair or replace the optical element (234) and the optical element (234) is supported by a rigid mechanical housing (230) so that the optical element (234) is less susceptible to long term or operating misalignments.

Optical mirrors are commonly used in precision apparatuses to make precise adjustments to the path of a beam. For example, the precision apparatus can include a beam source that generates a beam, an object, and an optical mirror that redirects the beam at the object. In certain situations, the performance of the precision apparatus is enhanced if the beam travels in a controlled environment. With this design, one or more tubes extend between the beam source and the object and the mirror is positioned within and secured to one of tubes. Unfortunately, with this design, repairing or replacing the mirror is relatively difficult and requires serious disassembly of the precision apparatus. Further, the mirror is difficult to adjust and is susceptible to long term or operating misalignments.


A processor may comprise a core area, a control unit, an uncore area. The core area may comprise multiple processing cores and line-fill buffers. A first processing core of the core area may store a first weakly ordered transaction in a first line-fill buffer. The firs processing core may offload the first weakly ordered transaction to the extended buffer space provisioned in the uncore area after receiving a request from the uncore area. The first processing core may then de-allocate the first line-fill buffer after the first weakly ordered transaction is offloaded to the extended buffer space. The uncore may then post the first weakly ordered transaction to a memory or a memory system. The control unit may track the first weakly ordered transaction to ensure that the first weakly ordered transaction is posted to the memory or the system.

A computer system may comprise a processor, which may include a core area and an uncore area. The core area may include one or more processing cores, caches (L1 and L2, for example), line-fill buffers and the uncore area may comprise shared mid-level or last level cache, an integrated memory controller, and such other components. The line fill buffers (LFB) in the core area may be used to stage out or post transactions to the uncore area. LFBs may be used to stage load and store, weakly ordered transactions such as a write combining write transactions, and such other transactions. It may be desirable to reduce the time that a transaction resides in LFB to increase the performance of the processor and the computer system in which the processor is included.


The present invention relates to containers cooled by air from a vehicle air conditioning system and more particularly to such containers especially adapted for use in a commercial van utilized for the delivery of perishable foods over considerable distances. In this invention, means are provided internally of such containers to enhance the velocity and to control the direction of the air flow around and over the food contained therein, and to selectively direct and control exhaust air therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile coolers and more particularly pertains to such devices which may be connected to the air conditioning system of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of mobile coolers is known in the prior art. More specifically, coolers connected to the air conditioning systems of vehicles heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of keeping perishables fresh are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. The most pertinent art appears to be U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,478,052 and 3,505,830. U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,052 is directed to a tubular beverage cooler connected to an automobile air conditioning system designed to clip onto the door of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,830 discloses a picnic type cooler also tied-into the vehicle air conditioning system. Both of these references depend entirely upon the velocity and direction of flow of air imposed by the vehicle air conditioning system. In consequence the rate of air movement and the direction thereof is generally not suitable for uniformly cooling the interior of a fairly large container having one or more shelves for supporting perishable foods such as sandwiches thereon.
In this respect, the cooler according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of being placed in a van to handle perishables in commercial quantities.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved mobile coolers which can be used commercially, In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method for acquiring the node identifier of a node in a data processing input/output (I/O) system having a plurality of nodes. This procedure is part of the initialization of each node in the I/O system and may be used to establish the configuration of the I/O system such that if a connection breaks or a fault occurs between nodes, the configuration can be confirmed after the break or fault is corrected. This prevents data from being sent to the wrong device if lines were connected in a different configuration during the correction of a fault. The node identifier is a worldwide-unique identifier such that only one node is identified by a node identifier. The node identifier contains a validity code that specifies if the node identifier is valid. Also disclosed is a retry procedure for retrying the acquisition of a node identifier if the acquired node identifier is not valid, and a deferral procedure which defers the retry procedure if a link is not available.

The present invention relates to the identification of a node in a data processing input/output system, and more particularly relates to the identification of a neighboring node during the definition of a data processing input/output system.
Many times in the operation of a data processing input/output (I/O) system, it is desirable to know the identity of the neighboring node. Such information is particularly helpful in such applications as reporting a broken data transmission line or in selecting an alternate route through an I/O network to avoid a fault or suspected fault.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,161 to Price et al. issued Sept. 19, 1972 for Apparatus for Interrogating the Availability of a Communication Path to a Peripheral Device and discloses a computer system in which one or more processors interrogate the input/output system to determine whether communication paths are available to the respective peripheral units. A particular peripheral unit is identified by a coded signal from a processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,870 to McVey issued Nov. 23, 1982 for Programmable I/O Device Identification and discloses a computer system in which each I/O device is loaded with a unique assigned identifier. The identifiers are assigned in an ordered priority by device type.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,063 to Shah et al. issued May 13, 1986 for Data Processing System Having Automatic Configuration and discloses a method and apparatus for automatic configuration of a computer system. One or more of several I/O devices are interfaced to the system through I/O boards that plug into various option slots in a system motherboard Each of the I/O devices includes a controlling device driver module. Each driver module is self-identifying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,313 to Sherwood, Jr. et al. issued Jan. 20, 1987 for Addressing for a Multipoint Communication System for Patient Monitoring and discloses a method for dynamically assigning addresses to new modules as they are coupled to a communication system. At power up, a process is disclosed which is used by a primary station to assign an address to each module in an order derived from the serial number of the module.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,726 to Flammer et al. issued Jul. 3, 1990 for Method for Routing Packets in a Packet Communication Network and discloses a packet network method and system in which each node in the network is uniquely identified by absolute geographical coordinates or by a code indicating absolute location in an external coordinate-based reference system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,072 to Williams issued Aug. 28, 1990 for Node For Servicing Interrupt Request Messages on a Pended Bus and discloses an interrupt servicing node whose ID is generated using a unique set of wires from the backplane that are hardcoded with the particular ID for the slot in which the node resides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,508 to Hall issued Mar. 26, 1991 for Linear Nearest Neighbor Interconnect Bus System and discloses an apparatus for providing data communication between concurrently operating random access memory and processing devices including a set of interface nodes interconnected in series by bidirectional buses. Each node also includes means for receiving data from any nearest neighbor node to which it is connected, and to forward to nearest neighbor nodes messages generated by a processing device to which it is connected.

Method for requesting identification of a neighbor node in a data processing I/O system

International Business Machines Corporation


A reductant dosing manifold is disclosed. The reductant dosing manifold may have a housing with a pump interface configured to directly connect the reductant dosing manifold to a reductant pump, and a reductant supply passage in fluid communication with the pump interface. The housing may also have a reductant outlet port, and a pressurized reductant passage connecting the pump interface to the reductant outlet port.

Internal combustion engines, including diesel engines, gasoline engines, gaseous fuel-powered engines, and other engines known in the art exhaust a complex mixture of air pollutants. These air pollutants are composed of gaseous compounds including, among other things, the oxides of nitrogen (NOX). Due to increased awareness of the environment, exhaust emission standards have become more stringent, and the amount of NOX emitted to the atmosphere by an engine may be regulated depending on the type of engine, size of engine, and/or class of engine.
In order to comply with the regulation of NOX, some engine manufacturers have implemented a strategy called selective catalytic reduction (SCR). SCR is an exhaust treatment process where a reductant, most commonly urea ((NH2)2CO) or a water/urea solution, is selectively injected into the exhaust gas stream of an engine and adsorbed onto a downstream substrate. The injected urea solution decomposes into ammonia (NH3), which reacts with NOX in the exhaust gas to form water (H2O) and diatomic nitrogen (N2).
Depending on the application, some reductant dosing systems can include many different components fluidly interconnected by way of multiple reductant supply and return lines, pressurized air lines, and electrical communication lines. For example, a reductant dosing system can include a working tank of reductant, a supply tank of reductant, a reductant pump, a reductant injector, a supply of pressurized air, heaters, control valves, pressure regulators, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, fluid level meters, etc. Each of these components can require a dedicated mounting location, fluid connection to appropriate passages of the system, and electrical connections to a dosing controller. Because every engine system can have a different configuration, custom engineering is often required to appropriately package each dosing system component and route the required reductant, air, power, and communication lines. This custom engineering can be very expensive and time consuming.
The reductant dosing manifold of the present disclosure addresses one or more of the needs set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.


A process is provided for the production of titania rich slag from ilmenite. The ilmenite is fed together with carbonaceous reductant, and in the absence of fluxes, to the molten bath of a D.C. arc furnace. The molten bath of the furnace forms the anode and one or more electrodes in the roof of the furnace forms the cathode. A frozen lining is established and maintained between the refractory lining of the furnace and the molten bath and the process includes means to control the thickness of the frozen lining as well as the whole smelting process.

This invention relates to the production of high titania slag from ilmenite and control of such a process.
Natural rutile, owing to its high titanium content and low levels of problem-causing impurities, has traditionally been the preferred feed stock for the production of titanium tetrachloride as an intermediate towards the production of titanium dioxide. Natural rutile is becoming scarcer and, consequently more costly, and the alternative method that uses ilmenite is becoming more favoured.
Ilmenite concentrates have a relatively low titanium content (usually about 50% titanium dioxide compared to about 96% in the case of rutile) and the high impurity content in the balance renders ilmenite generally unsuitable for direct chlorination to titanium tetrachloride as in the case of rutile. In consequence, ilmenite has been used as feed stock for the production of pigment by the sulphate process, which is becoming increasingly environmentally objectionable.
The alternative to the sulphate route, namely the chloride route, has a major problem associated therewith in that the direct chlorination of ilmenite results in a large quantity of ferric chloride being produced with an associated waste disposal problem. The chloride production of pigment is however preferred over the sulphate route because it requires less processing energy and yields a pigment of superior quality.
In general, manufacturers of the intermediate titanium tetrachloride are economically unable to process feed stocks containing less than 80% TiO2 and, in addition, impose stringent limits on some impurities, in particular calcium and magnesium. The latter two elements are undesirable in fluidised bed chlorinators because they form high boiling point chlorides, which tend to clog both the bed itself and gas ducting leading from the reactor. The usual specification imposed on calcium and magnesium is that the sum of the oxides of these two elements should not exceed 1.2% by mass. In some cases the limits are imposed as not greater than 0.2% calcium oxide and not greater than 1.0% magnesium oxide.
In consequence of the unsuitability of ilmenite for direct use in the chloride process, processes involving the thermal reduction of ilmenite to produce a titania rich slag as well as a process involving combined prereduction and chemical leaching procedures to form a synthetic rutile have been proposed and used.
Of these the thermal reduction approach yields a product having a lower titanium grade but it does have the advantage of producing iron in a directly recoverable state.
Conventional alternating current open-arc smelting of various types of ilmenite ores is currently being carried out. The feed materials are introduced into a conventional six-in-line open-arc smelter via multiple feed ports (typically more than 20 feed ports are used) most of which are situated near sidewalls of the furnace in order to protect the furnace sidewalls from refractory erosion. This type of feeding renders process control extremely difficult and, as a result, irrespective of sophisticated computerised control that can be applied to such furnaces, localised regions of overreduced slag are periodically produced which gives rise to a foaming slag. This is regarded as loss of control and corrective measures, which need to be taken, lower the thermal efficiency and availability of the furnace.
Ilmenite has also been smelted in a direct current (D.C.) transferred-arc plasma furnace, on test level and also on commercial level. Some of the problems experienced in the testing of the D.C. smelting of ilmenite included wear of the furnace lining, which are normally magnesite based, that results in unacceptably high product contamination. It is also difficult to establish and maintain a frozen lining to act as a barrier between the refractory lining and furnace charge.
One of the problems with the frozen lining is that it is very sensitive to fluctuations in the power density in the furnace, which may result in a decrease in the frozen lining thickness and a simultaneous release of contaminants into the furnace charge, or an increase in the frozen lining thickness that reduces the internal volume of the furnace and lowers its efficiency.
It is an object of this invention to provide a process for the thermal reduction of ilmenite in which the problems mentioned above is at least partly obviated.
In accordance with this invention there is provided a process for the reduction of ilmenite in a D.C. transferred arc furnace having a refractory lining and operating with a molten bath, one or more electrodes situated in the roof of the furnace acting as cathode, the molten bath acting as anode, and a frozen lining at least partly between the refractory lining and the molten bath; the process comprising feeding the ilmenite simultaneously with carbonaceous reductant, in the absence of fluxes, to the molten bath, withdrawing titania rich slag and pig iron from the furnace, and means to control the operation of the furnace; the control means including means to take temperature measurements of a furnace wall adjacent the frozen lining, means to estimate the thickness of the frozen lining as a function of the temperature in the furnace wall and means to control the amount of titanium dioxide produced in the furnace to urge a thickness of the frozen lining towards a predetermined reference value.
There is also provided for the control means to include means to measure furnace gas flow rate, furnace gas temperature and furnace gas composition; means to measure furnace cooling water flow rate and furnace cooling water temperature, means to measure feed rates of the ilmenite and the carbonaceous reductant, means to measure the furnace electrical system variables including furnace power input and furnace resistance, and means to measure the ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant composition.
The invention further provides for means to estimate the frozen lining thickness and furnace hot face temperatures as a function of the furnace wall temperature measurements and furnace gas flow, furnace gas composition and furnace gas temperature measurements.
There is also provided for the means to control the amount of titanium dioxide produced in the furnace to include control over the rate of addition of carbonaceous reductant to the furnace, for the amount of titanium dioxide produced to increase with an increase in the rate of addition of carbonaceous reductant to the furnace to thereby urge the thickness of the frozen lining to increase; and for the amount of titanium dioxide produced to decrease with a decrease in the rate of addition of carbonaceous reductant to the furnace to thereby urge the thickness of the frozen lining to decrease.
There is also provided for means to calculating heat losses from the furnace as a function of the furnace gas flow, furnace gas composition and furnace gas temperature, the cooling water flow rate and cooling water temperatures; and for means to measure sensible heat changes of spray cooled roof panels, spray cooled off gas ducts, film cooled shell panels, air cooled hearth panels, hot gases and dust, and charge removed from the furnace.
The invention also provides for means to estimate a material balance of the furnace as a function of the estimated frozen lining thickness, the ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant feed rates, the ilmenite carbonaceous reductant, slag and pig iron composition measurements, and the furnace power input and furnace resistance measurements.
There is further provided for means to perform inventory control over the furnace using the material balance of the furnace.
The invention further provides for means to estimate a future titanium dioxide composition of the slag and carbon content of the pig iron as a function of the estimated frozen lining thickness and furnace wall temperatures, the calculated heat changes, the feed and product compositions and temperature measurements, the furnace gas composition, the furnace gas flow rate and furnace gas temperature measurements, the amount of slag and pig iron tapped from the furnace and the internal and sensible heat energy content of the tapped slag and pig iron, and power input to the furnace.
There is also provided for means to perform chemistry control of the furnace using the estimated material balance, the current and predicted slag titanium dioxide composition and pig iron carbon content, the ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant feed rate setpoints, the furnace power input, and the ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant composition measurements.
The invention further provides for means to perform start-up control of the furnace using the feed rate setpoints, the furnace power and resistance setpoints, the ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant composition measurements, and the calculated heat losses.
There is also provided for a process of error detection and validation to be conducted on all of the above measurements, for the process of error detection and validation to include analysis of the range of the measurements and the rate of change of the measurements to validate the measurements, and for invalid measurements to be labelled as bad quality, and also for further calculations using these invalid measurements to be labelled as bad quality, until such time as the error has been corrected.
The invention further provides for the furnace to be circular, for one or more of the electrodes to be hollow and to serve as a feed port for at least part of the ilmenite and the carbonaceous reductant, and for the ilmenite and the carbonaceous reductant to be fed to a central region of the furnace.
The invention also provides a method for controlling a frozen lining between a furnace lining and a molten bath in a D.C. transferred arc furnace used for the continuous reduction of ilmenite, the method comprising the steps of:
1. establishing the frozen lining,
2. measuring at least the temperature in a wall of the furnace adjacent the frozen lining,
3. estimating the thickness of the frozen lining as a function of the temperature in the wall, and
4. controlling the amount of titanium dioxide produced in the furnace to urge a thickness of the frozen lining towards a predetermined reference value.
There is also provided for step 2 of the method to include measuring furnace gas flow rate, furnace gas temperature and furnace gas composition, furnace cooling water flow and temperature, ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant feed rates, furnace power input and furnace resistance, and ilmenite and carbonaceous reductant composition measurements.
The invention also provides for the method to include performing a process of error detection and validation on the measurements, the process of error detection and validation including the steps of
a) analysing the range of the measurements and the rate of change of the measurements,
b) validating the measurements,
c) labelling invalid measurements as bad quality, and
d) labelling further calculations using the invalid measurements as bad quality until such time as the error has been corrected.
The invention further provides for step 3 of the method to include a step of estimating the thickness of the frozen lining as a function of the temperature in the furnace wall and the furnace slag and the furnace gas temperature.

Production of high titania slag from ilmenite


A composite microphone comprises a flexible and stretchable substrate (22, 122, 250, 350, 450) with a grid of flexible and stretchable first and second conductors (31a, . . . , 31e, 131a, 131g; 33a, . . . , 33h, 133a, 133g). The first conductors (31a, . . . , 31e, 131a, 131g) are arranged transverse to the second conductors (33a, . . . , 33h, 133a, 133g). A plurality of acoustic sensors (40, 140) is each in connection with a respective pair of conductors in the grid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite microphone.
The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a composite microphone
2. Prior Art
WO2006110230 discloses a composite microphone or microphone array. A microphone array has substantial advantages over a conventional microphone. For example a microphone array enables picking up acoustic signals dependent on their direction of propagation. As such, microphone arrays are sometimes also referred to as spatial filters. Their advantage over conventional directional microphones, such as shotgun microphones, is their high flexibility due to the degrees of freedom offered by the plurality of microphones and the processing of the associated beamformer. The directional pattern of a microphone array can be varied over a wide range. This enables, for example, steering the look direction, adapting the pattern according to the actual acoustic situation, and/or zooming in to or out from an acoustic source. All this can be done by controlling the beamformer, which is typically implemented in software, such that no mechanical alteration of the microphone array is needed.

Composite microphone with flexible substrate and conductors

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO


A high pressure water electrolysis system includes a high pressure water electrolysis device, a hydrogen storage device, a high pressure hydrogen pipe, a branch pipe, a non-return valve, a pressure detector, and a controller. The controller includes a threshold storage device, a threshold determination device, and a solenoid valve opening/closing operation device. The threshold storage device is configured to store a first threshold of a pressure value detected by the pressure detector and a second threshold lower than the first threshold. The threshold determination device is configured to determine whether or not the pressure value detected by the pressure detector has reached the second threshold. The solenoid valve opening/closing operation device is configured to open and close a solenoid valve if it is determined that the pressure value detected by the pressure detector has reached the second threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a high pressure water electrolysis system and a method for activating the high pressure water electrolysis system.
2. Discussion of the Background
In general, hydrogen is used as a fuel gas used for electricity generating reaction of fuel cells. The hydrogen is produced, for example, by a water electrolysis unit. The water electrolysis unit employs a solid polymer electrolyte membrane (ion-exchange membrane) for decomposing water to generate hydrogen (and oxygen). Electrode catalyst layers are provided on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to form an electrolyte membrane electrode assembly, and power feeders are disposed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane electrode assembly to form a unit cell.
A plurality of unit cells are stacked to form a cell unit. A voltage is applied to both ends of the cell unit in the stacking direction, and water is supplied to the anode-side power feeders. On the anode side of each electrolyte membrane electrode assembly, the water is decomposed to generate hydrogen ions (protons). The hydrogen ions move through the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to the cathode side, and combine with electrons to produce hydrogen. On the anode side, oxygen generated together with the hydrogen is discharged together with surplus water from the cell unit.
In order to generate high pressure hydrogen at several tens of MPa in this type of water electrolysis system, for example, a method and apparatus for producing high pressure hydrogen disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-100204 is known. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-100204 is characterized in that hydrogen obtained at the cathode by electrolysis of pure water using an electrolysis cell is taken out of the reaction system while maintaining the pressure of the hydrogen at a predetermined pressure or higher.
In a water electrolysis system generating high pressure hydrogen, when stopping the water electrolysis system, the high pressure hydrogen line in the water electrolysis unit (electrolysis cell) needs to be returned to the normal pressure (atmospheric pressure). The reason is that if the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is always subjected to the pressure difference, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is easily damaged.
So, actually, a pressure release line is provided on the downstream side of the water electrolysis unit, and a pressure reducing valve and an on-off valve (solenoid valve) are disposed in the pressure release line. The pressure reducing valve is preferably inexpensive and compact. Usually, a pressure reducing valve having a free valve structure in which a pin member is pressed against a seat is used.

High pressure water electrolysis system and method for activating same


A vertically integrated semiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments may include: a first semiconducting layer; a second semiconducting layer disposed over the first semiconducting layer; a third semiconducting layer disposed over the second semiconducting layer; and an electrical bypass coupled between the first semiconducting layer and the second semiconducting layer.

Protection devices may be needed in semiconductor technology to provide protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD). Among currently used protection devices, thyristors may have beneficial characteristics. ESD concepts based on laterally integrated devices as well as concepts based on vertically integrated devices are currently used in the art. Vertically integrated devices may have certain advantages compared to laterally integrated devices. However, vertically integrated devices may be manufactured by forming one or more layers above each other, the one or more layers including semiconductor material, e.g. doped or undoped semiconductor material, e.g. doped or undoped silicon.

Method for manufacturing vertically integrated semiconductor device


The present invention is a method and system for transmitting data between two objects via a free space optical data link. In an exemplary aspect of the present invention, the method may start with a step in which a laser beam modulated with data is transmitted to the vicinity of an optical collector. The laser beam may be transmitted by a modulated laser transmitter. The laser beam may cause atmospheric nitrogen in the vicinity of the optical collector to fluoresce and emit a set of characteristic line spectra. The set of characteristic line spectra may be received by the optical collector, and at least one characteristic spectral line may be obtained with an optical filter. Preferably, a wavelength of the at least one characteristic spectral line is selected from a group consisting of 3995.00 angstroms, 4630.54 angstroms, 5005.15 angstroms, and 5679.56 angstroms, which have high relative amplitude. The at least one characteristic spectral line may be detected and converted to electrical signal by a photodetector. The electrical signal may be amplified from a small signal to a large signal, and the amplified electrical signal may be processed with a communications receiver to obtain the data.

Traditional telecommunication systems that connect two or more sites with physical wire or cable are generally limited to relatively low-speed, low-capacity applications. In order to address these limitations, recently developed systems utilize optical fibers. However, fibers still require a physical cable connection. To remove this limitation, systems utilizing the free space transmission of one or more light beams modulated with data have been developed. Systems using such beams may greatly improve data speed and capacity rates, up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps), over traditional wire-based systems and, at the same time, may avoid the traditional communication system infrastructure cost of laying fiber cable to physically connect one site in the system to another site.
Instead of cables, a free space optical data communications system typically includes at least one transmit telescope and at least one receive telescope for sending and receiving information, respectfully, between two or more communications sites. Each of these telescopes contains optics comprising at least a mirror or lens. The transmit telescope uses its optics to transmit the light beam to the receive telescope. The receive telescope uses its optics to focus the incoming light beam onto the focal plane of the telescope. Generally, each telescope is communicatively coupled to a communications network or other source/destination of information. In operation, the transmit telescope receives information from its respective network via cable or wireless transmission, and then transmits a light beam modulated with this information to one or more destination receive telescopes. Each receive telescope then relays data to its intended destination in its respective network via a cable or wireless transmission.
The aforementioned free space communications systems would, therefore, appear to have the benefits of reducing costs associated with installing and maintaining physical hard-wired portions of networks while, at the same time, increasing transmission capacity. However, free space optical communications may be hampered by misalignment of the telescopes. For example, since the transmit and receive telescopes may be located a great distance from each other, initial alignment of the telescopes, to insure that the transmitted light beam is incident upon the focal plane of the receive telescope, may be difficult to achieve. Additionally, even if initially aligned, misalignment of the transmit and receive telescopes may result from any displacement of the light beam during transmission or any movement of either the transmit or receive telescopes or their respective physical mounting platforms. As a result of such misalignment, the transmitted light beam may not be incident upon the focal plane of the receive telescope, or may only be partially incident thereupon, leading to a loss or degradation of communications connectivity.
There is increasing interest in the use of free space optical communication methodology for tactical and other aircraft flying in close proximity or formation. Modulated lasers are a preferred transmission method for free space optical communications. However, very precise aiming is required for the laser beam to impinge upon relatively small optical collectors.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a prior art free space optical communications system 100 used by aircraft for transmitting data. The system 100 may include a modulated laser transmitter 102 for transmitting a laser beam modulated with data, an optical collector 104 for receiving the laser beam, a photodetector 106 for converting the received laser beam to an electrical signal, an amplifier 108 for increasing the electrical signal from a small signal to a large signal, and a communications receiver 110 for processing the amplified electrical signal to obtain the data. The modulated laser transmitter 102 may be located on a first flying aircraft. The optical collector 104, the photodetector 106, the amplifier 108, and the communications receiver 110 may be located on a second aircraft. In order to maintain high-quality communications connectivity between these two aircraft, the transmitted laser beam need be incident upon the optical collector 104. If the transmitted laser beam is not incident upon the optical collector 104 or is only partially incident upon the optical collector 104, there may be a loss or degradation of the communications connectivity. Suppose the distance L between the two aircraft is 1 mile and the height H of the optical collector 104 is 6 inches, then in order for the transmitted laser beam to be incident upon the optical collector 104, the required aiming accuracy a of the modulated laser transmitter 102 is about ±0.0027 degrees. Such precise aiming may be hard to achieve between two flying aircraft.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method and system for improving free space optical communication which may effectively solve the aforementioned misalignment problem.

Free space optical data link for aircraft


Ink in an ink ribbon contains per 100 parts by weight of ink, 0.1-10 parts by weight of an adsorption-type corrosion suppressor. The adsorption-type corrosion suppressor may be one or more of, the following compounds: amines of the formula R--NH.sub.2, RR'--NH, RR'R"--N (where R, R' and RR" are alkyl groups), thiourea and its derivatives, benzotriazole and its derivatives, thiazole, thioamides and thiosemicarbazide. In another aspect of the invention, the ink contains an organic pigment as coloring material, said ink containing 5.0-10.0 parts by weight of graphite per 100 parts by weight of ink.

This invention concerns ink ribbons.
In recent years, impact printers with cost advantages which are capable of high speed printing are finding wide application as man-machine interfaces, for example as peripheral terminal units in data processing systems.
Impact printers which print at high speeds constantly have to deal with a large volume of data, and so it is important that they have reliable print heads. It is moreover highly desirable that print wires operate stably over long periods without suffering corrosion or wear, and without damaging the ink ribbon. These print wires may be made of super-hard or other wear-resistant alloy or of ferrous material which is easy to process and is inexpensive (Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 59-79766).
However, even these wires suffered from the major drawback that when they were used over long periods, the metal constituents of the wire were sometimes chemically corroded.
The corrosion of the wires however also depends on the components of the ink in the ribbon.
The black ink used in conventional ribbons may contain carbon black as coloring material, as disclosed in Patent Application Publication No. 57-60956, and is in fact a mixture of vegetable oil and mineral oil vehicles, carbon black and oil-soluble dyes as coloring materials, and other components such as dispersing agents.
Carbon black normally contains 2-5 weight % ash as impurities, together with sulfur oxides and chloride ions. In the presence of moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere, these impurities cause chemical corrosion of the metal components of the print wire surface, and lead to serious damage such as wire tip wear and wire breakage.
In order to solve these problems, carbon black containing no more than 1% of impurities was used, or the impurities in the carbon black were eliminated in the process of manufacture of the ink ribbon. Pure carbon black is however very costly. Moreover, the elimination of impurities during manufacture of the ink ribbon led to an increase in the number of manufacturing steps, and so the cost of manufacturing the ribbon was again increased.
Another critical factor in high speed printing is that the print head and other moving parts should be lightweight, as is disclosed in for example the Technical Paper of the Institute of Electronics and Communications Engineers of Japan EMC84-2, pp. 9-16. The print wires of super-hard alloy mentioned above contain about 70-85 parts by weight of tungsten carbide, and their density attains 13.5-14.5 g/cm.sup.3. It is thus difficult to make these wires lightweight.
To realize high speed printing, therefore, ordinary ferrous printing wires with a density of approximately 8 g/cm.sup.3 have to be used. These ferrous wires are however not so reliable, as they easily wear down and the life of the print head is short.
The wearing of the print wires is actually a mechanical abrasion due to the ink ribbon. For example, the carbon black contained in the black ink in the conventional ribbons, as is disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 57-60956 has the same effect as minute particles of polishing powder, and in effect causes mechanical wear or "abrasion" of the print wire surface layer.
Instead of carbon black, some ribbon inks use organic pigments to avoid this abrasive wear. However, the print density with respect to near infra-red radiation (wavelength 780-1500 nm) of a print sample produced by these inks, is weaker than that of a sample produced by inks containing carbon black, and problems therefore occurred due to errors when reading the print with an OCR (optical character reader). The life of the ink ribbon was naturally shorter, and the greater length of ribbon necessary to compensate for it led to higher cost. In addition, the printer ribbon cartridge was larger, so that the printer as a whole had to be made bigger.