Process for transferring a liquid from a passive tank (1) for storing the liquid to an active tank (2) using a pump intended for pumping the liquid held in the passive tank (1) and transferring it to the active tank (2), according to which the pump is commanded so as to transfer liquid from the passive tank (1) to the active tank (2) when said active tank (2) has a liquid level below a set point level Lsp and when the passive tank (1) contains liquid at a temperature above the freezing point of the liquid.

With the Euro IV standard on exhaust emissions from heavy goods vehicles coming into effect in 2005, devices for pollution control of NO (or nitrogen oxides) had to be put in place.
The system used by most heavy goods vehicle manufacturers for reducing NOx emissions to the required value generally consists in carrying out a selective catalytic reaction with reducing agents such as urea ("Urea SCR" or selective catalytic reduction using ammonia generated in situ in the exhaust gases by decomposition of urea).
In order to do this, it is necessary to equip the vehicles with a tank containing a urea solution and also with a device for metering the amount of urea to be injected into the exhaust line. Given that the aqueous urea solution generally used for this purpose (eutectic 32.5 wt % urea solution) freezes at minus 11° C., it is necessary to provide a heating device to liquefy the solution in order to be able to inject it into the exhaust line in the event of starting in freezing conditions.
For the purpose of increasing the autonomy of the vehicles, and considering the encumbrance/structure of the vehicles, it is sometimes desired to have at least two tanks for storing the urea solution. For the purpose of preventing the problems of freezing, of limiting the costs of the system and also the power consumed, it is moreover known to heat only one of the two tanks. Such a heating is required because the car manufacturers generally require the anti-polluting system to be effective during at least a given amount of km and/or time if possible also during freezing conditions. Such a specification is or will become more and more applied because of the more and more severe environmental standards. Such a specification implies a minimum volume of liquid to be available considering the consumption of said liquid by the system.
Urea systems with two tanks have already been proposed. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,475 describes the use of two urea tanks in series: a main (storage) tank and a secondary (low volume) tank (also referred to as an active tank) which is heated and which is used for starting in the case of freezing. A main urea feed pump sucks up the urea solution into the secondary tank. Patent US '475 does not describe how the situations are managed in which the secondary tank cannot be supplied with urea solution from the storage tank because the latter no longer contains enough urea or because the urea contained in the storage tank is frozen and cannot be transferred from one tank to the other. If the secondary tank cannot be supplied with urea solution so as to contain a sufficient quantity of solution to be injected into the exhaust line, there is a risk of the main pump operating when empty (which could damage it) and of the system not being supplied with additive. Besides, in this document, the main storage tank is heated (either because the entire system is heated (embodiment of FIG. 3) or because said tank is provided with a heater for instance consisting in a heat exchanger circulating engine coolant (embodiment of FIG. 4)), which adds an extra cost to the system.
Moreover, processes are also known from the prior art for transferring urea from a storage tank to a secondary tank using a transfer pump that is kept running throughout the process regardless of the operating conditions, in particular when the urea freezes or when the storage tank does not contain urea for supplying the secondary tank. Such processes may damage the transfer pump.

Process for transferring a liquid using a pump

Inergy Automotive Systems Research (Societe Anonyme)


The tool has an elongated, at least partly hollow body including a handle portion and a free end adapted for carrying a periodontic end effector. A shaft, powered by a motor and rechargeable battery, rotates within the hollow portion. A fixed ring is mounted transversely in the hollow portion of the body, and a gear member is rotated by the shaft along the ring. An eccentric weight is carried by the gear member and is displaced so that the center of gravity of the eccentric weight follows a substantially triangular path as the gear member moves through one cycle. This vibrates the tool, and the end effector, in a substantially triangular path which achieves advantages in cleaning the tooth proximal surfaces by closely following the shape of the embrasure.

The present invention relates to hand-held periodontic tools, and more particularly, to apparatus for imparting a vibratory motion to the end effector carried by such tool.
A variety of hand-held, vibrating periodontic tools are known in the art. These are driven either electrically or by a mechanical action, such as a wound spring. The shape and manner of mounting the end effectors to the housing or body, and the vibration path followed by the end effector, take many forms.
This variety in the manner of connecting and driving the end effector has resulted in five basic paths of tip movement. These include linear reciprocation either laterally to the tip (such as brush scrubbing action) or along the tip axis (such as a hammer action). Various complete or partial rotary paths have also been used, including circular, oval, or fan-shape, with the imaginary planes defined by these paths, being oriented either parallel or perpendicularly to the tip axis.
Although these various motions have relative advantages and disadvantages, none is optimized for cleaning the proximal, interdental surfaces where, for example, plaque is likely to accumulate.

Periodontic tool with triangular vibration path


A separating device is integrated in ammunition, with which a line is separated at the earliest possible time during a firing process. The separating device is composed mainly of a piston, which preferably has a sharp edge, is guided in a rigidly mounted cylinder, and, in the unloaded state, is positioned by a shear flange. The cable is preferably securely supported in a protective tube which is connected with a propellant charge primer, and in which the cable is guided as far as the tip of the propellant charge primer and is then further guided to the rear end of the projectile. In the upper area of the cylinder, the cable is guided through a bore, which preferably lies transversely to the direction of acceleration of the piston, so that when the piston moves forward, the cable is separated by the sharp edge of the piston.

Various approaches to data transmission are known for setting the fuse of ammunition or programming ammunition in cannon systems.
CH 691 143 A5 discloses a device for measuring projectile velocity at the muzzle of the barrel of a high-cadence cannon. After the velocity has been measured, the fuse is programmed immediately after the projectile has left the muzzle. For this type of programming, the fuse has a programming coil. CH 693 248 A5 describes a similar device.
In addition, EP 0 992 762 B1 discloses a method and a device for transmitting information to programmable projectiles. Here again, the information is transmitted inductively. With reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,795 A, this document addresses the problem that it is important to be able to reset the fuse even in the loaded state.
Especially in the case of large-caliber ammunition, which is stockpiled for extended periods of time and does not have its own voltage or power supply for integrated electronics, the power and/or data supply for the ammunition is realized by a galvanic connecting line between the system electronics of the weapon and the ammunition electronics. This line is located for this purpose inside the ammunition from the shell base to the electronics in the projectile. To allow the transmission of information, the line must be a continuous and secure connection that can be worked through the shell. This can lead to a problem if, upon firing, parts of the line are ejected rearward from the weapon together with the base of the shell, while other parts of the line must leave the barrel at the muzzle end. This can cause remnants of the line or parts of the line to remain in the barrel, which represents a danger especially with respect to the operation of the weapon, for example, in a tank.
In the past, in addition to cables or lines that were securely connected at one end with the propellant charge primer and at the other end with the projectile, exposed plug connections were also used, at which a disconnection of the line was to occur. There is no guarantee that some of the parts will not remain in the barrel.

Ammunition, especially programmable large-caliber ammunition


An apparatus and method are presented for testing the ability of a pair of serial data transceivers to transmit serial data at one frequency and to receive serial data at another frequency. A serial communication device of the present invention includes a first and second serial data transceivers and a multiplexer formed upon a monolithic semiconductor substrate. Each serial data transceiver includes a receiver and a transmitter which transmits serial data in response to a clock signal. The second serial data transceiver is coupled to receive a reference clock signal. The multiplexer facilitates testing, and is coupled to the first serial data transceiver. The multiplexer receives the reference clock signal, a test clock signal, and a test signal, and provides either the reference clock signal or the test clock signal to the first transceiver dependent upon the test signal. The reference and test clock signals have different frequencies. The multiplexer provides the reference clock signal to the first transceiver when the test signal is deasserted, and provides the test clock signal to the first transceiver when the test signal is asserted. During testing, the output of the transmitter of one transceiver is coupled to the input of the receiver of the other transceiver, and the test signal is asserted. Each receiver produces parallel output test data. A match between the two sets of parallel output test data and the parallel input test data demonstrates the abilities of both transceivers to transmit and receive serial data at different frequencies.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital data communication circuits, and more particularly to the operational verification of serial data communication circuits.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Electronic devices typically communicate via electrical signals (e.g., voltage and/or current) driven upon electrical conductors (e.g., metal wires). Simultaneous transmission of multiple signals is accommodated by several wires routed in parallel (i.e., buses). Most computer systems have a modular architecture centered around a bus which serves as a shared communication link between system components. The two major advantages of shared buses over direct communication links between system components are versatility and low cost. By defining a standard interconnection scheme for a given bus, new devices may be easily connected to the bus. The cost of the bus is low because it is shared among the number of components connected to the bus.
Due to technological advances, the signal processing capabilities of more modern electronic devices (e.g., microprocessors) are outstripping the signal transfer capabilities of conventional parallel buses. To their detriment, parallel buses have physical limitations which place an upper limit on the rate at which information can be transferred over the bus. For example, the electrical characteristics and loading of each wire of a bus may vary, causing signals transmitted simultaneously upon the bus to be received at different times. Bus timing must take into consideration worst case delays, resulting in reduced data transfer rates of systems employing parallel buses.
A serial data path, on the other hand, is a direct communication link between a single transmitter and a single receiver. Such a serial data path typically includes a transmission medium connected between the transmitter and receiver. The transmission medium may be, for example, a differentially-driven pair of wires or a fiber-optic cable. In cases where the transmission medium is a pair of wires, the communication link (i.e., channel) has a defined electrical loading and is typically optimized for minimum signal delay. As a result, the rate at which electrical signals can be transferred over such a serial data path exceeds the data transfer rate of a common shared parallel bus.
Serial data transmitter/receiver devices (i.e., transceivers) typically include a transmitter which transmits serial data and a receiver which receives serial data. The transmitter typically receives an external clocking signal used to synchronize the generation of a serial data stream. The serial data stream contains enough information to recover the external clocking signal. The receiver typically recovers the clocking signal used to transmit the serial data from the serial data stream, and uses the clocking signal to recover the data from the serial data stream. Thus the receiver is synchronous to the clocking signal inherent within the incoming serial data stream and not to the external clocking signal received by the transmitter.
Serial data transceivers offering digital signal transmission rates exceeding 1 gigabit per second are now commercially available. The testing of such transceivers at their normal operating speeds, however, presents many technical challenges. For example, consider two serial data links between transceivers of two different devices: a first serial data link between a transmitter of a first device and a receiver of a second device, and a second serial data link between a transmitter of the second device and a receiver of the first device. Each device receives a different clocking signal used to transmit serial data. Since no two clocking signals produced by two different sources have exactly the same frequency, each transceiver must be able to transmit serial data at one frequency and receive serial data at another (slightly different) frequency.
Now consider an integrated communications circuit including two or more serial data transceivers. The ability of each transceiver to transmit data at one frequency and receive data at another (slightly different) frequency must be tested and verified. A straightforward testing approach would involve individual testing of each transceiver. A test apparatus including a comparable serial data transceiver would be required, and the time required to test the integrated communications circuit would be proportional to the number of serial data transceivers of the integrated communications circuit.
It would be beneficial to have a testing apparatus which reduces the time and costs associated with the testing of an integrated communications circuit having multiple serial data transceivers. It would also be advantageous to incorporate as much of the testing apparatus as possible within the integrated communications circuit during manufacture in order to facilitate subsequent testing.

Apparatus and method for testing the ability of a pair of serial data transceivers to transmit serial data at one frequency and to receive serial data at another frequency


In an embodiment example of the present invention, an image sensor comprises a filter used for an extraction of a specific color component of an incident light, a light receiving element which observes the incident light via the filter, a compensating filter having a transmission restraining characteristic in a visible light wavelength range and a transmission characteristic in a wavelength range on a longer wavelength out of the visible light wavelength range, and a compensating light receiving element which observes the incident light via the compensating filter for compensating an observation result by the light receiving element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor comprising a light receiving element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light receiving element converts a light to an electric signal. For example, a light receiving element such as a CMOS or a CCD has a high sensitivity even in a range outside a visible light wavelength range (for example, a wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm) as the human visible range, in particular, it also has a high sensitivity in a wavelength range on the wavelength side longer than the visible light wavelength range (hereinafter, it is referred to as the "infrared range"). It is for example, a wavelength range of 700 nm to 1,200 nm).
An organic color filter used for extracting a specific color component from an incident light is disposed on the light incident side of the light receiving element. The light receiving element receives the incident light via the organic color filter. Since the color separation of the incident light is carried out by the organic color filter, the color component of an observation target is observed by the light receiving element.
However, since the organic color filter does not have an infrared ray cutting function, it is difficult to carry out the color separation in the infrared range.
In order to prevent the light observation in the infrared range, in some cases a reflection type infrared ray cutting filter comprising an inorganic multi layer film and an infrared ray absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter can be disposed on the light incident side of the light receiving element so as to be used in the optical system of a camera in combination.
FIG. 35 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the wavelength and the transmittance of the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter and the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter.
The reflection type infrared ray cutting filter is provided by forming the inorganic multi layer film on a glass plate.
According to the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter, the infrared ray is absorbed by a dye or a copper ion. There are a plurality of kinds of the infrared ray absorbing type infrared ray cutting filters such as a type using a glass including a metal ion or a type using an organic dye system.
Although the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter comprising the inorganic multi layer film has a high infrared ray cutting function with respect to an incident light in the direction perpendicular to the filter surface, it is difficult to realize a sufficient cutting function with respect to an infrared ray with an angle such as the oblique incidence.
Therefore, for the purpose of compensating the cutting function of the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter comprising the inorganic multi layer film and reducing the influence of the oblique incidence or a re-incidence of the infrared ray, the infrared ray absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter is used in combination with the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter comprising the inorganic multi layer film.
Comparing the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter and the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter, the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter is more inexpensive than the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter. Moreover, as mentioned above, the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter has a better infrared ray cutting performance of an incident light with an angle than that of the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter.
Therefore, in general, the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter tends to be used more frequently than the reflection type infrared ray cutting filter.
As the conventional image sensor, there is a solid image sensor comprising a color purity compensating filter having a function of compensating the color purity by selectively cutting a light in a specific wavelength range at the border between a red light and a green light and/or the border between a green light and a blue light, and furthermore, having a function of cutting the infrared ray (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-19322: hereinafter, it is referred to as the document 1).
Moreover, as the conventional image sensor, there is a color image sensor including an infrared ray absorbing agent for dramatically reducing the transmittance in an infrared ray range and transmitting a light in a visible light range for providing an infrared ray cutting ability, provided with a spectral filter in the front surface of the image sensor main body (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 63-73204: hereinafter it is referred to as the document 2).
However, in the case of using the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter, since the absorbing type infrared ray cutting filter has a thickness of about 1 to 3 mm, the miniaturization of a camera, or the like may be difficult.
Moreover, in the case of assembling the infrared ray cutting filter in a lens system as a camera part, a cost reduction may be difficult.
The image sensors of the above-mentioned documents 1, 2 comprise the infrared ray cutting filter for covering the entire front surface of the image sensor main body. Therefore, the infrared ray is cut with respect to the all light receiving elements included in the image sensor so that a difference may be generated between the observation by the light receiving elements and the human visual sensitivity.
For example, according to the document 2, as it is shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 of the document 2, the infrared ray cutting filter absorbs a light in the human visible light wavelength range of 550 nm to 700 nm. In the case where the infrared ray is cut with respect to all the light receiving elements included in the image sensor, the green sensitivity, and in particular, the red sensitivity may be deteriorated.


A modular cooling plant for an internal combustion engine and accessory equipment installed on a motor vehicle provides a joint external frame supporting several heat exchangers and a centrally positioned centrifugal blower. The centrally positioned centrifugal blower is driven by a hydraulic motor through an impeller drive shaft, clutch and impeller. The hydraulic motor and dependent drive assembly are also mounted to the joint external frame to avoid risk of damage to the heat exchangers from the impeller should the vehicle engine shift.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooling systems for internal combustion engines and more particularly to a compact cooling system for a truck engine which is relatively immune to damage from accidental shifts in engine position.
2. Description of the Problem
Some compact cooling systems for medium and heavy duty trucks have arranged a plurality of heat exchangers in a box like configuration. Individual heat exchangers are aligned with the direction of movement of the vehicle, with air drawn into the box from an end opened to the vehicle grill. A multiple-vane centrifugal blower is positioned in the box, rotating on an impeller which is centered in the box and axially aligned longitudinally with the vehicle. The heat exchangers at least partially surround the blower. The heat exchangers have been fixedly mounted to the frame of the vehicle.
The impeller has been driven by an impeller drive shaft which has in turn been driven by an impeller drive pulley attached to the vehicle""s engine. No translation of the impeller drive pulley relative to the engine is possible in this arrangement. Thus, if the engine were to move relative to the heat exchanger, which can happen if an engine mount breaks and the engine moves relative to the frame of the vehicle, the impeller will move relative to the heat exchangers. Under these circumstances a collision between the impeller and one or more of the heat exchangers is possible with a high likelihood of expensive to repair damage to the heat exchanger.
According to the invention there is provided a vehicle having a modular compact engine cooling assembly. The modular compact engine cooling assembly comprises a multiple vane centrifugal blower centered in an arrangement of heat exchangers. An impeller for turning the multiple vane centrifugal blower is centered within the box and blower. An external frame supports the assembly from the frame of the vehicle. A drive motor for the impeller is mounted with respect to the external frame and coupled to the impeller for powering the impeller. The motor is preferably hydraulically pumped.
Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.

Modular engine cooling system with hydraulic fan drive

International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC


An improvement to an apparatus for receiving a sample of biological fluid containing non-fluid components. Prior art sample cell for use in conjunction with prior art analytical apparatus comprises two slidably engaged members, first member comprising a reservoir for holding fluid sample to be tested, second member adapted to receive fluid from an external filter in one section and adapted to receive reagent and exhibit reaction in another section. The improvement comprises means for preventing smearing of fluid when members are moved relative to each other. A channel collects overflow from reservoir in first member, conducting overflow to a barrier placed in gap between first and second member. A wiper shears excess fluid from behind barrier, generally out of gap between first and second member, when the first and second members are moved relative to each other.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,430 is directed to an apparatus for automatically performing analytical testing of biological fluids. Individual samples to be tested are introduced into sample cells, where they are injected with one or more reagents and the resulting reactions optically observed. The apparatus comprises a memory for storing a number of different test protocols. All of the tests are performed on the test samples within the sample cells.
During the course of analytical testing, the sample cells are transported to various parts of the apparatus. For example, in a typical test, a sample cell may be loaded with sample fluid at one point, transported to another point to receive reagent, and then transported to a third point to be optically scanned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,430 discloses two different types of sample cell. One type is designed to receive biological fluids that do not contain non-fluid components; the other is for receiving biological fluids that contain non-fluid components. The two types of sample cells are identical except that the second type is adapted to function with a filtering mechanism in the apparatus wherein the non-fluid components are removed, leaving only fluid to be tested. The improvement of the present invention is directed to the second type of sample cell.
Both types of sample cell comprise two parts, a body and a slide, slidable relative to each other. The slide comprises reservoirs for holding the sample of biological fluid to be tested and into which test reagents are added. The reservoirs and the slide may be moved relative to the body to one of two positions, depending on whether the sample of biological fluid is being introduced and the reagents are being injected and the reaction observed. Movement from the first position (loading) to the second position (analysis) is called "indexing".
The second type of sample cell is particularly well-suited for receiving whole blood for testing. Testing is done on plasma, however, and not whole blood.
When extracting plasma from whole blood it is largely unpredictable how much plasma will be obtained from a given quantity of whole blood. The hemocrit (or hematocrit) level of a whole blood sample-the percentage of whole blood volume occupied by red cell after centrifugation--may be anywhere from 15% to 70% among samples typically tested. Consequently, it is likely that a given quantity of whole blood will yield an amount of plasma in excess of the capacity of the reservoirs in the slide. When this happens, the excess plasma will tend to overflow and seep out into the gap between the body and the slide. Then, when the sample cell is indexed, the excess plasma will smear between the body and the slide, and surface tension may cause plasma to be drawn out of the reservoir, thus unpredictably varying the volume of plasma actually being tested, rendering analytical results meaningless.
It is an object of the present invention to prevent smearing of plasma between the body and the slide, by shearing the excess plasma from the gap between the body and the slide.

Apparatus for receiving a test specimen and reagent


A hardware implemented method for writing data to a cache is provided. In this hardware implemented method, a Block Initializing Store (BIS) instruction is received to write the data from a processor core to a memory block. The BIS instruction includes the data from the processor core. Thereafter, a dummy read request is sent to a memory controller and known data is received from the memory controller without accessing a main memory. The known data is then written to the cache and, after the known data is written, the data from the processor core is written to the cache. A system and processor for writing data to the cache also are described.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer memory and, more particularly, to system and method for writing data to a cache on a cache miss.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cache is a small, fast memory holding recently accessed data that is designed to speed up subsequent processor-memory access to the same data. When data is written to or read from a main memory, a copy of the data is also saved in the cache, along with the associated main memory address. The cache monitors addresses of subsequent reads and writes to see if the requested data is already in the cache. If the requested data is stored in the cache (a cache hit), then the requested data is returned immediately and the main memory read is aborted. If the requested data is not stored in the cache (a cache miss), then the requested data is fetched from main memory and saved in the cache.
If there is a cache miss during a write, the cache puts all writes into the appropriate cache line whenever a write is done based on the general assumption that the written data is likely to be read back again at some point in the near future. In other words, the cache will always retrieve the data from the main memory on a cache miss even on a write operation where the data from the main memory is not needed. Thus, retrieving the data from the main memory during a cache miss means that on a write cache miss, the cache controller must always update the cache. Updating the cache after fetching data from main memory increases latency, and takes up memory bandwidth and power.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide system and method for reducing latency, and reducing memory power and bandwidth consumption on a write operation missing the cache.

System and method for block write to memory


The disclosure relates to a diving mask comprising a body having a faceplate and a flexible skirt, and a snorkel extending a top portion of the body. The body includes an exhaled air exhaust device that puts the bottom chamber in fluid-flow connection with the air duct of the snorkel. The exhaled air exhaust includes at least a first check valve arranged to allow exhaled air from the bottom chamber to flow towards the air duct of the snorkel during a stage in which the user is breathing out, the first check valve being closed during a stage in which the user is breathing in.

The present disclosure relates to the field of diving masks, and in particular masks used for underwater "snorkeling".
This underwater snorkeling activity allows the sea bottom to be observed while swimming at the surface of the water. The snorkeler must thus be able to keep the head underwater while breathing.
Generally, the snorkeler is equipped with a mask for viewing and a snorkel for breathing. The snorkel is constituted by a tube having a bottom end that is provided with a mouthpiece that is received in the user's mouth, and a top end that serves both to admit fresh air and to exhaust exhaled air.
Such equipment is known to present numerous drawbacks. Firstly, breathing through the mouth is not natural and some people have difficulty breathing properly with a snorkel. Another drawback is that it is not possible to speak underwater with a snorkel in the mouth.
Furthermore, the use of such masks and snorkel apparatus is not very comfortable. In order to remedy that drawback, Document FR 3 020 620 proposes a diving mask making it possible to breathe through the nose and through the mouth.
That diving mask comprises:
a body having a faceplate and a flexible skirt, said flexible skirt including a partition separating a top chamber for vision from a bottom chamber for breathing, the partition being arranged to bear on the user's nose so that the user's mouth and nose are situated in the bottom chamber while the user's eyes are situated in the top chamber, the partition including at least one passage arranged to allow fresh air to flow between the top chamber and the bottom chamber during a stage in which the user is breathing in; and
a snorkel arranged to extend a top portion of the body, the snorkel including at least one air duct;
wherein the body includes an exhaled air exhaust device putting the bottom chamber into fluid-flow connection with the air duct of the snorkel.
That mask also includes a snorkel having a plurality of channels and a plate that includes check valves in order to close the air outlet channels while breathing in and in order to close the air inlet channel while breaking out.
Although such a snorkel provides satisfaction in use, such a snorkel is relatively complex and expensive to fabricate.

Diving mask having a body provided with an exhaled air exhaust device including a check valve


The present invention relates to a method of treating patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with peripheral blood mobilized stem cells for hematological malignancies and for whom the risk for severe acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) is considerable.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) may occur after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and is usually a reaction of donor immune cells against host tissues. Activated donor T cells typically damage host epithelial cells after an inflammatory cascade that begins with the preparative regimen. Statistically, about 35%-50% of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients/patients may develop acute GVHD. The exact risk is usually dependent on the stem cell source, age of the patient, conditioning, and GVHD prophylaxis/treatment used.
Patients usually may have involvement of three organs such as skin (rash/dermatitis), liver (hepatitis/jaundice), and gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain/diarrhea).
Acute GVHD is typically staged and graded (grade 0-IV) by the number and extent of organ involvement. Patients with grade III/IV acute GVHD tend to have a poor outcome (life threatening). Generally a patient may be treated by optimizing the immunosuppression and for example by adding methylprednisolone. About 50% of patients may have a solid response to methylprednisolone. If patients progress after 3 days or are not improved after 7 days, they will get salvage (second-line) immunosuppressive therapy for which there is unfortunately no standard-of-care therapy.
Therefore there is a high unmet medical need to have further pharmaceutically effective drugs for preventing and/or treating GVHD.
In an embodiment the present invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in a patient undergoing HSCT, which method comprises:
1. Administering to the patient an effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
2. Conditioning said patient thereby destroying substantially the bone marrow and immune system wherein said conditioning includes treatment of said patient with an effective amount of a chemotherapeutic agent such as cyclophosphamide and/or by treating said patient with a high-dose chemoradiation therapy; and
3. Transplanting hematopoietic stem cells from a donor to said patient.
In a method as described above, a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is,

wherein
R2 is H, halogen, trihalomethyl, C1-4alkoxy: C1-7alkyl, phenethyl or benzyloxy;
R3 H, halogen, CF3, OH, C1-7alkyl, C1-4alkoxy, benzyloxy, phenyl or C1-4alkoxymethyl;
each of R4 and R5, independently is H or a residue of formula (a)

wherein each of R8 and R9, independently, is H or C1-4alkyl optionally substituted by halogen:
and n is an integer from 1 to 4; and
R6 is hydrogen, halogen, C1-7alkyl, C1-4alkoxy or trifluoromethyl.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in patient undergoing HSCT, wherein in the compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof R3 is chlorine, and wherein the remaining variables are as defined above. In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in patient undergoing HSC, wherein in the compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof R2 is H, R3 is chlorine, and R6 is hydrogen, and wherein the remaining variables are as defined above.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in patient undergoing HSCT, wherein in the compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof R2 is H, R3 is chlorine, R6 is hydrogen, each of R4 and R5, independently is H or a residue of formula (a)

and wherein each of R8 and R9 is H, and wherein the remaining variables are as defined above.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in patient undergoing HSCT, wherein the compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is a compound of formula (II).

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or
or a phosphate derivative thereof of the following formulae (IIa), (IIb):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of treating and/or preventing GVHD in patient undergoing HSCT, wherein the compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof 2-amino-2-[4-(3-benzyloxyphenylthio)-2-chlorophenyl]ethyl-propane-1,3-diol.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the use in the treatment and/or prevention of GVHD in a patient who was first conditioned as described above and who then received a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a donor.
As used herein 2-amino-2-[4-(3-benzyloxyphenylthio)-2-chlorophenyl]ethyl-propane-1,3-diol and/or its hydrochloride salt may also be referred to as KRP203.
As used herein, the term "halogen" or "halo" refers to fluoro, chloro, bromo, and iodo.
As used herein, the term "alkyl" refers to a fully saturated branched or unbranched hydrocarbon moiety having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, or 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Representative examples of alkyl include, but are not limited to, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, iso-butyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, n-hexyl, 3-methylhexyl, 2,2-dimethylpentyl, 2,3-dimethylpentyl, n-heptyl, and the like, A substituted alkyl is an alkyl group containing one or more, such as one, two or three substituents selected from halogen, hydroxy or alkoxy groups.
As used herein, the term "alkoxy" refers to alkyl-O—, wherein alkyl is defined herein above. Representative examples of alkoxy include, but are not limited to, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, 2-propoxy, butoxy, tert-butoxy, pentyloxy, hexyloxy, cyclopropyloxy-, cyclohexyloxy- and the like. Typically, alkoxy groups have 1-7, or 1-4 carbon atoms.
A substituted alkoxy is an alkoxy group containing one or more, such as one, two or three substituents selected from halogen, hydroxy or alkoxy groups.
The term "pharmaceutically acceptable salts" refers to salts that retain the biological effectiveness and properties of the compounds of this invention and, which typically are not biologically or otherwise undesirable. In many cases, the compounds of the present invention are capable of forming acid and/or base sails by virtue of the presence of amino and/or carboxyl groups or groups similar thereto.
Pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts can be formed with inorganic acids and organic acids, e.g., acetate, aspartate, benzoate, besylate, bromide/hydrohromide, bicarbonate/carbonate, bisulfate/sulfate, camphorsulfonate, chloride/hydrochloride, chlortheophyllonate, citrate, ethandisulfonate, fumarate, gluceptate, gluconate, glucuronate, hippurate, hydroiodide/iodide, isethionate, lactate, lactobionate, laurylsulfate, malate, maleate, malonate, mandelate, mesylate, methylsulphate, naphthoate, napsylate, nicotinate, nitrate, octadecanoate, oleate, oxalate, palmitate, pamoate, phosphate/hydrogen phosphate/dihydrogen phosphate, polygalacturonate, propionate, stearate, succinate, subsalicylate, tartrate, tosylate and trifluoroacetate salts.
Inorganic acids from which salts can be derived include, for example, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and the like. Organic acids from which salts can be derived include, for example, acetic acid, propionic acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, mandelic acid, methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, sulfosalicylic acid, and the like. Pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts can be formed with inorganic and organic bases.
Inorganic bases from which salts can be derived include, for example, ammonium salts and metals from columns I to XII of the periodic table. In certain embodiments, the salts are derived from sodium, potassium, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, iron, silver, zinc, and copper; particularly suitable salts include ammonium, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium salts.
Organic bases from which salts can be derived include, for example, primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, substituted amines including naturally occurring substituted amines, cyclic amines, basic ion exchange resins, and the like. Certain organic amines include isopropylamine, benzathine, cholinate, diethanolamine, diethylamine, lysine, meglumine, piperazine and tromethamine.
The pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the present invention can be synthesized from a basic or acidic moiety, by conventional chemical methods. Generally, such salts can be prepared by reacting free acid forms of these compounds with a stoichiometric amount of the appropriate base (such as Na, Ca, Ma, or K hydroxide, carbonate, bicarbonate or the like), or by reacting free base forms of these compounds with a stoichiometric amount of the appropriate acid. Such reactions are typically carried out in water or in an organic solvent, or in a mixture of the two. Generally, use of non-aqueous media like ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, isopropanol, or acetonitrile is desirable, where practicable. Lists of additional suitable salts can be found, e.g., in "Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences", 20th ed., Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., (1985): and in "Handbook of Pharmaceutical Salts; Properties, Selection, and Use" by Stahl and Wermuth (Wiley-VCH, Weinheirn, Germany, 2002).
As used herein the term "conditioning" or "conditioned" in the context of a patient pretreatment in need of HSCT typically means destroying substantially the bone marrow and immune system by a suitable procedure such as:
Reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) or myeloablative conditioning, e.g. Mini-Seattle Conditioning, e g. fludarabin or another chemotherapeutic agent typically at 30 mg/m3/day for three days followed by total body irradiation (TBI) typically at 1×200 cGy/day;
or
Myeloablative Conditioning,
e.g. high dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation (TBI) is typically performed according to national guidelines adapted to institutional practices, and includes the administration of fludarabin, busulphan, methotrexate, cyclosporin A and cyclophosphamide. The following dosing regimens are given as examples:
1) Fludarabin at 25 mg/m1/day i.v.×3 days (for approximately 2-3 days) for a total dose of 75 mg/m2.
2) Busulphan at 0.8 mg/kg/8 h (for approximately 2 to 4 days)
3) Cyclophosphamide at 60 mg/kg/day i.v.×2 days (approximately for 2 days) for a total dose of 120 mg/kg. To reduce the risk of CYC-induced hemorrhagic cystitis, patients will also receive high volume fluid flushes and mesna.
4) TBI will occur from approximately days 8 to 10 (days −8 and −1 relative to HSCT).
The recommended TBI dose is 200 cGy given twice daily for a total dose of 1200 cGy.

Treatment of graft versus host disease in transplant patients


A technique for providing multiple undo and redo operations for flight management systems is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a method of providing multiple undo and redo operations for a flight plan in a flight management system, a temporary flight plan and a reference flight plan are created upon initiating a first revision on a created or default active flight plan. The temporary flight plan includes a copy of the active flight plan and the initiated first revision. The reference flight plan is a copy of the active flight plan. Further, multiple undo and redo functions are enabled upon initiating multiple revisions on the temporary flight plan for performing multiple undo and redo operations on the temporary flight plan.

Flight plans are documents filed by pilots or a flight dispatcher with a local civil aviation authority prior to departure. The flight plans include basic information such as departure and arrival points, estimated time en route, alternate airports in case of bad weather, type of flight (whether instrument flight rules or visual flight rules), pilot's name, number of people on board, and the like. In a flight management system, during a flight planning, the pilot can create and modify existing route by performing lateral or vertical revisions such as delete waypoint, insert next waypoint, constraints, over fly, new destination, arrival, departure, and so on. In existing flight management systems, even though the pilot performs multiple revisions on the flight plan, the pilot can only revert back route modifications made using lateral or vertical revisions once.

Technique for providing multiple undo and redo operations for flight management systems


An elongate substantially rectangular louver or assembly of louvers each comprising an elongate conformable web sleeve or web envelope which substantially or completely surrounds and conforms generally to the periphery of a slat inserted therein and which said louver has a depending means for removable attachment to a louver assembly support means and said slat is removably attached to said web sleeve or web envelope.

The present invention is directed to novel louvered assemblies for closing or obscuring an opening, and more particularly relates to modifications to conventional louver assemblies to improve the aesthetic appearance of the assembly without impairing its integrity of function.
An early louvered assembly, commonly referred to as a venetian blind, consists of a number of horizontal slats that can be set simultaneously to varying degrees of slant so as to change the amount of light admitted and the view seen through an opening. Recently vertical louvered systems have become popular. Recent improvements that have been suggested are directed toward aesthetic quality, appearance or fashion imparted to an otherwise drab but necessary mechanism for controlling light or privacy through the view of the opening in which it is placed. A fundamental requirement of the slats, which generally are thin, elongate members, employed in louvered systems is that they must sustain their shape when brought together in alignment so as to completely and continuously occlude the openings. In order to avoid curling, the louver slats can be curved laterally in the narrow dimension so as to provide additional rigidity to the slats. Decorating modifications of horizontal slats generally are restricted to lightweight, thin webs which are attached to the slats, but do not alter the slat structure and strength properties of the slats.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,074,482 granted in 1937 to Ernest Martens discloses a decorative improvement to the slats of a venetian blind. The slats are made of rigid, transparent composition wherein an opening or slot within the slat accepts a removable decorative filler or insert. The insert is opaque or translucent to an extent that a decorative design can be contrasted against the incident light through the opening. Many types of filler materials are described which permit changing the appearance of the assembly from time to time as one desires. The fillers impart a design or coloration to an otherwise transparent slat. Without the fillers, the slats would not serve the purpose of adjustable occluding the light or the view through the opening.
Vertical louvered assemblies, which recently have become popular comprise relatively thin, elongated vertical hanging slats which are suspended and depend vertically from a mechanism which aligns and orients the slats. Typically the depending slats overlap slightly and can be rotated in unison to infinitely adjust the light or view through the opening. The slats are made from a wide variety of materials including extruded vinyl strips and are optionally decorated by attaching webs, narrow woven or slit fabrics, or laminated films. Closely related to the present invention are elaborate vertical slat assemblies involving the familiar combinations of a slat member and a decorative member which is inserted thereupon to the face, back or both sides of the slat with attachment means.
The vertical louver described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,038 comprises lateral inwardly facing flanges on one or both faces of the slat which will receive an insert such as a strip of wallpaper or fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,980 incorporates improved transparent flange portions of a similar configuration. In commercial practice the louver is coextruded with the opaque flat portion positioned between the flanges. Materials employed for louvers of this type often are polyvinyl chloride polymers.
Owing to the commercial success of the flanged louver described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,038, there have been further enhancements which relate to improving the aesthetic appearance of the louvers. Current commercial approaches focus on the decorative treatment of inserts for vinyl or metal louvers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,958 is directed to laminated inserts for use in vertical blind slat assemblies. The method involves laminating a stranded layer such as a fabric to at least a second layer and adhering or removably joining this laminate to a slat member. Laminates can also be attached to both front and back faces of the slat member. The advantage to a retailer separately assembling the laminated inserts and the slat members enables one to inventory one or a relatively few number of slat styles in relation to a large number of insert laminates of varying design and appearance.
Another approach for changing the decor of louver panel inserts is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,680. Multiple clear or translucent tinted films for attachment to flanged louvers are disclosed. Variations in color are achieved by removably attaching one or more inserts each of which have different colors and together form a new color.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,435 discloses a method for making slats utilizing two folded fabric strips which make up the front and back faces of the louver. The strips may be joined by a heat activatable bonding material. An additional method of bonding that is described involves thermal or radio frequency bonding of the frontal and backing material directly. The frontal and backing material can be identical in substance, texture or color or they may be of dissimilar substance, texture or color. The bonding material used for bonding the backing and frontal strips is an adhesive or a separate lamina having adhesive properties which can be activated by heat sealing methods. A non-woven scrim fabric or bonding web is suggested. After the entire assembly is brought into position for instance, on a continuous assembly device, it is permanently bonded or set thus precluding movement of the components out of their assembled position. The laminated front and back panels have sufficient body and integrity so as to meet the general requirements of a slat for vertical louver system.
In those instances where inserts are combined with the slat member to modify its appearance, a portion of the slat member still is revealed such as along the side and outward face of the slat where only one insert is placed against the front side of the slat. Also, if the slat is flanged on both sides and frontal inserts are attached, the lateral edges of the slat nevertheless are visible. If the lateral edges are transparent, the edges may be unobtrusive, but still are visible. As such, the overall appearance is that of an elongate plastic member which has one or more decorative attachments. These assemblies, cannot provide the numerous aesthetic features of a continuous web such as a textile fabric web. Conversely, materials typically used for inserts such as textile fabrics or paper do not possess the desired physical properties such as rigidity and resistance to curling to function as a louver slat per se. If these flimsy materials are used as a slat structure, they must be treated with permanent sizing or laminated with reinforcing layers in order to meet the required performance requirements as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,435. Much of the aesthetic value and soft handle characteristics of the fabric are lost by such treatments.
It accordingly would be desirable to devise a louver assembly which provides the appearance and aesthetic qualities of a continuous web such as a fabric web structure, that possesses the necessary physical properties such as rigidity and resistance to curling without sizing or other treatment.

Web covered vertical blind slat assemblies


Method of reducing register errors in multicolor offset printing machines having printing units driven by a common motor and having a register adjusting device, which includes determining and storing a functional relationship between a quantity of torque delivered by the common motor and a quantity characteristic of the torque, on the one hand, and a register adjustment necessary for maintaining satisfactory register, on the other hand, monitoring the quantity during operation of the printing machine, and setting the register adjustment to a value functionally associated with the respective torque.

The invention relates to a method and device for reducing register errors in multicolor rotary printing machines and more particularly, in multicolor offset printing machines having printing units driven by a common motor and having a register-adjusting device.
The production of satisfactory multicolor prints presupposes that the printing plates used for printing the different colors are in exact registry with one another i.e. they coincide or match up with great accuracy in the paper travelling through the printing machine. In order to achieve this exact coincidence, such printing machines are provided with register-adjusting devices which permit mutual adjustment about small angular values of the respective cylinders carrying the printing plates in the consecutive printing units.
A particular difficulty encountered in register adjustment is that the angular position of the cylinders carrying the printing plates is not rigid or fixed with respect to the drive shaft but rather, because of the unavoidable elasticity of the materials used, is dependent upon the torque which must be applied for driving the printing machine. This torque is greatest at the drive motor, and decreases therefrom along the drive chain extending to the individual printing units. Consequently, the torque-dependent angular displacement of the cylinder carrying the printing plates is different from that of the drive shaft, from which it also follows that the angular displacement of the cylinders carrying the printing plates is different from one another and is dependent upon the magnitude of the torque. Because, on the other hand, the torque to be applied by the drive motor is a function of the operating speed of the printing machine, an exact register adjustment can be effected only at the desired printing rate, which results in the production of considerable waste of paper before the correct register setting is attained, when the printing machine is being set up at high speeds.
To remedy this deficiency, automatic register-adjustment devices have been provided heretofore which include machine-readable markings on the cylinders carrying the printing plates, as well as sensors which are responsive to these markings and deliver signals to a control unit which enable the control unit to ensure good coincidence or matching of the printed images through suitable register adjustment. Such a device is very costly, however, and is, especially disadvantageously, not readily applicable for retrofitting on existing printing machines.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and a device for preventing register errors in multicolor rotary printing machines which, after precise adjustment or setting of the registry at any desired and especially low speed, permits the operating speed of the printing machine to be changed without again losing the registry setting.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for reducing register errors in multicolor offset printing machines having printing units driven by a common motor and having a register adjusting device, which includes determining and storing a functional relationship between a quantity selected from a group of quantities consisting of the quantity of torque delivered by the common motor and a quantity characteristic of the torque, on the one hand, and a register adjustment necessary for maintaining satisfactory register, on the other hand, monitoring the quantity during operation of the printing machine, and setting the register adjustment to a value functionally associated with the respective torque.
Because the torque-dependent angular displacement of the plate cylinders with respect to the drive shaft is dependent upon the mechanical construction and especially, upon the elasticity characteristics of the materials which are used, a specific characteristic of the respective printing machine is involved which is not subject to any appreciable variations with respect to time. Therefore, while the printing machine is operating slowly, the pressman can set up a satisfactory registry or coincidence of the individual printed images, and this registry or coincidence is maintained even if the machine is brought up to high speed, because the register adjustment necessary for maintaining the registry or coincidence is known and is performed automatically. Likewise, the invention prevents register errors which might otherwise occur due to fluctuations in operating conditions, for example due to a rise in the operating temperature with consequent reduction in the torque-requirement with increasing operating or running time after start-up of the printing machine. The method according to the invention, therefore, permits the printing machine to be set up at low speed with correspondingly low consumption or wastage of material, and ensures the maintenance of good registry at the desired printing rate even under changing operating conditions, without requiring recourse to be taken to heretofore known, complicated control equipment. On the contrary, a relatively simple control based upon the once-determined functional relationship between the torque delivered by the motor and the necessary register adjustment is sufficient.
Of particular advantage is that a device for implementing the method according to the invention can be installed on each printing machine, even retrofitted on already existing machines, because it is merely necessary to install a device for monitoring the torque delivered by the motor or a quantity characteristic of the torque and to connect it to a control device having a memory wherein register adjustment values are stored which are associated with different torques, the control device being connected to the register-adjustment device of the printing machine in such a manner that the control device, depending upon the measured torque, effects a setting of the register to the associated, stored value.
Therefore, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for reducing register errors in multi-color offset printing machines having printing units driven by a common motor and having a register-adjusting device, including means for monitoring a quanity selected from a group of quantities consisting of the quantity of torque delivered by the common motor and a quantity characteristic of the torque, and a control unit including a memory with register adjustment values associated with different torques stored therein, the control unit being actuatable for setting the register adjustment to the respective associated stored value in accordance with the monitored selected quantity. In this regard, it is believed to be readily apparent that, in offset printing machines, besides the cylinders carrying the printing plates, the blanket cylinders may also be adjusted in order to prevent image displacement on the rubber blanket and consequent spoiled prints.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, the method includes measuring the torque at the drive shaft. To accomplish this, the application of resistance strain gauges may be sufficient. It is also possible, however, to install, for example, piezoelectric torque sensors in the drive shaft of the motor. It is even simpler, in accordance with an alternative mode of the invention, to provide a method which comprises measuring the current consumption of the common motor in order to determine the torque. Even if the functional relationship between torque and current consumption or other operating variables of the motor is not linear, this is of no special importance if, as in accordance with other alternate modes of the invention, the method comprises determining the functional relationship either by at least one trial run or by computation or calculation.
With regard to a practical implementation of the method according to the invention, in accordance with yet an additional mode of the invention, the method includes storing the functional relationship between the torque or a quantity characteristic thereof and the register adjustment in the form of a table of values, because the data obtained in the table of values can then be processed by conventional computation devices, especially a digital processor.
In principle, the values corresponding to different register adjustments are then stored at addresses corresponding to different torques so that the measuring of a specific torque and a quantity characteristic thereof, respectively, results in the addressing of a specific memory location, while the value present at the memory location determines the register adjustment associated with the torque. The transfer of this value into the desired register adjustment can be effected readily with conventional control means. Likewise, it is apparent that it is readily possible to convert the measured torque into a digital value corresponding directly to a memory address.
Although the functional relationship between torque and register adjustment is a characteristic of the respective printing machine, this characteristic may also depend upon external factors, for example the temperature, since the elasticity of the materials is also temperature-dependent. Furthermore, the register adjustment depends upon the manner of distributing the loading over the device chain, so that the use of inks of different viscosity may also have an effect upon register adjustment. Furthermore, the register adjustment depends upon the material which is used as the printing carrier, thus for example upon the composition and thickness of the paper used, and perhaps also on film or plastic material or even pieces of textile material. Accordingly, the invention also includes a method which comprises determining the functional relationship between the torque or a quantity characteristic of the torque and the register adjustment for different conditions, such as different temperatures, using inks of different viscosities and/or using different materials as print carriers, and controlling the register adjustment for each of the different conditions prevailing. Such an influencing condition may be, for example, the shutting-down of one or more printing units, or general shifts in the torque due to changes of functions.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and device for reducing register errors in multi-color rotary printing machines, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Method and device for reducing register errors in multicolor rotary-printing machines


A magnetic recording medium comprising a nonmagnetizable substrate and a magnetizable layer coated onto the substrate. The magnetizable layer comprises about 83 to 89 percent by weight of acicular, substantialy dendrite-free, iron oxide magnetic pigment particles dispersed in a polymeric binder.

Magnetic recording media generally comprise a magnetizable layer supported upon a nonmagnetizable substrate. There are two major forms of magnetic recording media. These are particulate magnetic recording media and continuous thin-film magnetic recording media that are deposited onto the substrate using the various chemical and physical vapor deposition techniques. For particulate magnetic recording media, the magnetizable layer generally contains magnetic pigment particles dispersed in a polymeric binder. Examples of magnetic pigment particles include iron oxides such as gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, cobalt-modified iron oxides, chromium dioxide, and metallic particles such as Fe, Co, or CoCr.
Of these types of magnetic pigment particles, magnetic iron oxides such as gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 are the most widely used. The iron oxides useful as magnetic pigment particles have an acicular shape, which is the major source of the magnetic anisotropy of these particles.
Conventional magnetic media formulated with gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 typically contain from 70 to 80 percent by weight of the oxide dispersed in the polymeric binder based on the total weight of the magnetizable layer. It has become desirable to achieve higher weight loadings, e.g., at least 83 percent by weight or more, of gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 in the polymeric binder while maintaining critical physical and mechanical properties such as durability, coating adhesion, cohesion, modulus, and impermeability. Such higher weight loadings would offer the potential for improved electromagnetic performance, namely superior magnetic remanence and output than can be achieved with currently available media.
Until now, however, it is believed that no one else has achieved such higher weight loadings of iron oxide magnetic pigments while maintaining critical physical and mechanical properties, such as durability, coating adhesion, cohesion, modulus, and impermeability. Indeed, it is well known that merely increasing the weight loading of the gamma-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 magnetic pigment in the polymeric binder tends to reduce the durability and composite strength of the resulting media. This failure is documented in the literature as oxide shedding, dusting, head clogging, and dirty running tape.
It is also desirable to achieve improvements in electromagnetic performance, such as simultaneous improvements in maximum output level, signal to print ratio, signal to noise ratio, and sensitivity. Often, however, obtaining an improvement in one of these electromagnetic properties is accomplished at the expense of at least one of the other electromagnetic properties or at the expense of durability. In particular, an improvement in the signal to noise ratio, "S/N", either by signal increase or by noise decrease, previously has been obtained at the expense of the signal to print ratio, "S/P". Bertram et al., J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 28, pp. 690-705 (October 1980).
In short, nothing in the prior art expressly teaches the skilled worker how to achieve higher magnetic oxide loadings and simultaneous improvements in the various electromagnetic properties while, at the same time, maintaining critical physical and mechanical properties, i.e., durability, adhesion, cohesion, and modulus. Our investigations have focused on this problem.

Magnetic recording medium comprising acicular dendrite free iron oxide magnetic pigment particles

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


Apparatus for increasing stiffness in a seal are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes a first flexible member having a curved sealing surface and a second flexible member adjacent to a retainer side of the first flexible member. The second flexible member is configured to increase a stiffness of the first flexible member in one of a plurality of flow directions.

Typically, it is necessary to control the transmission of fluids in industrial processes, such as oil and gas pipeline distribution systems, chemical processing plants, etc. In some process control systems, process fluid control devices, such as butterfly valves, provide a means to control the transmission of the fluids and, in particular, may provide shut-off capabilities in a forward fluid flow direction and a reverse fluid flow direction. Although many process fluid control devices provide shut-off capabilities in both forward and reverse flow directions, these process fluid control devices may not provide the same degree of shut-off in both flow directions. For example, a butterfly valve may provide shut-off capabilities for up to a 300 psi pressure drop in a forward flow direction but may only provide shut-off capabilities for up to a 100 psi pressure drop in a reverse flow direction.
Process fluid control devices may not provide equal shut-off capabilities in both fluid flow directions due to mechanical tolerances in the construction of the process fluid control device and the design of the process fluid control device. In a forward flow direction, a movable flow control member used to control and/or stop fluid flow through the process fluid control device (e.g., a disk of a butterfly valve or any other mechanical element used to control and/or stop fluid flow) may have tapered edges so that the diameter at one end of the movable flow control member is larger than the diameter of the flow control member at an opposite end. The movable flow control member may be coupled to the process fluid control device so that the end of the movable flow control member having the larger diameter is configured to prevent a sealing member from flexing too far the in the forward fluid flow direction. In particular, in response to fluid pressure in the forward flow direction, the increasing diameter of the movable flow control member allows the sealing member to flex and maintain contact with the outer surface (e.g., the tapered edge) of the movable flow control member. In a reverse flow direction, the amount the sealing member flexes in the reverse flow direction may be too large to maintain contact with the tapered edge of the movable flow control member. As a result, a fluid seal between the sealing member and the movable flow control member may be compromised (e.g., broken) and fluid is allowed to pass by the movable flow control member.


An image display apparatus having a wide view angle of an observed image with a small (thin) structure, which includes: two image forming elements; and an optical system guiding a beam from the image forming elements to two observation areas, wherein the system includes curved reflecting surfaces, and is symmetrical about a symmetry plane intermediate between the observation areas, in which a beam from the image forming element on a side of the symmetry plane is reflected on a curved reflecting surface on the side, reflected on a curved reflecting surface on the other side, is reflected on the surface on the side, and transmits a surface SLa to be guided to the observation area on the side; and an area, in the surface Sla, which a beam LLa traveling along an optical path closest to the symmetry plane transmits, has a shape having positive refractive power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus for displaying an image, which is formed on an image forming element such as a liquid crystal display element, to an observer via an optical system, and more particularly, to an image display apparatus suitable for a head-mount display (HMD).
2. Description of the Related Art
An image display apparatus such as a head-mount display (HMD) is desired to have presence enhanced by widening a view angle of an observed image, and to be miniaturized and lightened in general in order to be mounted on a head of a user. In particular, when a weight balance and an appearance of the entire apparatus are taken into account, it is desirable that the image display apparatus have a small thickness in a visual axis direction (front direction) of an observer.
In order to widen the view angle using a small liquid crystal panel, it is preferable to form an intermediate real image of an image displayed on the liquid crystal panel serving as an optical system for observation to observe a virtual image of the intermediate real image as an enlarged image. U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,909 proposes an HMD in which a decentering reflecting surface, in which light passes through a turn back reflecting surface and a periphery thereof, is used as an intermediate imaging optical system, a back-and-forth optical path is formed, and intermediate imaging is performed in the optical path, to thereby widen a view angle.
Further, the HMD preferably has a favorable appearance when the HMD is mounted on a head of an observer. In particular, when the observer wearing the HMD is viewed from the front, it is preferable that the entire apparatus be elongate in a horizontal direction in a case where the same projected area is used. For example, with respect to an observer 81 shown in FIG. 8A, it is more preferable to use an apparatus 83 which has a shorter vertical width and a longer horizontal width as illustrated in FIG. 8C than to use an apparatus 82 which has a longer vertical width and a shorter horizontal width as illustrated in FIG. 8B. Thus, in order to obtain the apparatus having a longer horizontal width, it is preferable to use a lateral optical system in which each eccentric direction of a plurality of decentering reflecting surfaces is not developed in a vertical direction of a face of an observer, but is developed in a horizontal direction of the face.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-341324 proposes an HMD in which a reflecting surface is arranged between an optical device for forming a reciprocating optical path formed by a turn back reflecting surface, and an image forming element, to thereby reduce the size of the entire apparatus. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-341324, the entire apparatus is reduced in size by adopting an optical system in which optical paths for light beams made incident on left and right eyes intersect with each other between the image forming element and the reflecting surface and between the reflecting surface and the optical device.
The optical system in which intermediate image is formed in the optical path to widen the view angle requires a large number of components and a long optical path length, so the size of the entire apparatus tends to become larger.
In addition, when the apparatus is structured to have a short vertical width and a longer horizontal width in order to obtain a favorable appearance of the apparatus in a case where the HMD is mounted on the head of a user, the thickness of the apparatus in the visual axis direction of the observer tends to be increased.


Various technologies described herein pertain to defect pixel correction for image data collected by a pixel array of an image sensor. Neighborhood statistics for a given pixel from the image data are computed based on values of neighbor pixels of the given pixel from the image data. Whether the value of the given pixel is defective is detected based on the neighborhood statistics. The value of the given pixel is replaced when detected to be defective to output modified image data. Correction of the given pixel is a function of whether the given pixel is in a flat region or a non-flat region. When the given pixel is defective and in a non-flat region, a minimum edge across the given pixel is identified and the value of the given pixel is replaced with an average of values of neighbor pixels that belong to the minimum edge.

An image sensor is a device that can convert an optical image into an electronic signal. Image sensors are often times utilized in still cameras, video cameras, video systems, and other imaging devices. Cameras and other imaging devices commonly employ either a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
CMOS image sensors include an array of pixels, each of which can comprise a photodetector. CMOS image sensors also include circuitry to convert light energy to an analog voltage. Moreover, CMOS image sensors can include additional circuitry to convert the analog voltage to digital data. Thus, a CMOS image sensor can be an integrated circuit that comprises various analog, digital, mixed-signal, etc. components associated with capturing light and processing imaging related information; accordingly, a CMOS image sensor can be a system on chip (SoC). For example, components integrated into the CMOS image sensor oftentimes include a processor module (e.g., microprocessor, microcontroller, or digital signal processor (DSP) core), memory, analog interfaces (e.g., analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters), and so forth.
Visible imaging systems implemented using CMOS image sensors can reduce costs, power consumption, and noise while improving resolution. For instance, cameras can use CMOS image sensors that efficiently marry low-noise image detection and signal processing with multiple supporting blocks that can provide timing control, clock drivers, reference voltages, analog to digital conversion, digital to analog conversion, key signal processing elements, and the like. High-performance video cameras can thereby be assembled using a single CMOS integrated circuit supported by few components including a lens and a battery, for instance. Accordingly, by leveraging CMOS image sensors, camera size can be decreased and battery life can be increased. Also, dual-use cameras have emerged that can employ CMOS image sensors to alternately produce high-resolution still images or high definition (HD) video.
Image sensors oftentimes have defect pixels, which can appear as undesirable outliers when a final image is formed. Defect pixels can have a variety of root causes such as high dark current, faulty transistors, or the like. Moreover, a number of defect pixels may change from image to image as a function of conditions in which a camera is operated such as scene, camera temperature, amount of light, and so forth. For instance, an image obtained by an image sensor may have 1000 defect pixels and a different image obtained by the same image sensor may have 100 defect pixels.
Conventional image processing pipes oftentimes include some type of static pixel correction or dynamic pixel correction. However, performances of conventional approaches vary widely from algorithm to algorithm. For instance, typical static pixel correction approaches are oftentimes inflexible, and thereby unable to mitigate defects that occur intermittently. Moreover, conventional dynamic pixel correction techniques commonly attempt to detect defective pixels as an image is processed, and replace pixels detected to be defective with fair approximations based on a remainder of the image.

Dynamic, local edge preserving defect pixel correction for image sensors


Embodiments relate to monitoring the temperature of a transducer and controlling the temperature as a function of adjusting one or more characteristics of the transducer.

As detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,369,458, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference, sonar devices have widespread use in sport fishing, navigation, scuba diving, as well as any number of other recreational or commercial activities. A sonar system often includes a sonar unit and a transducer. The sonar unit includes a display for providing information to the operator. The transducer is often mounted under the waterline and is responsible for generating a sonic pulse (or sound pulse) and receiving echoes from objects in the water, from the bottom surface, or both.
The sonar unit often includes the electronic circuitry that produces a sonar pulse consisting of several cycles of a sonic signal at a fairly high output power. This pulse is delivered to the transducer usually via a shielded twisted pair cable. After transmission of the pulse, the transducer is typically used to "listen" for echoes. Received echoes produce very small signals, on the order of a few milli-volts, which are sent via a transmission line to a receiver circuitry in the sonar unit. In the sonar unit, the received echoes are amplified, filtered, and analyzed.

Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of an acoustic transducer


A method includes: an inner pipe insertion step of inserting an inner pipe to between a cored bar and a metal movable claw; a designated section corrugated portion formation step of forming a corrugated portion in a first designated section by pressing the first designated section of the inner pipe radially inward by the metal movable claw and plastically deforming the first designated section; a movable claw moving step of moving the metal movable claw outward in the radial direction of the inner pipe; and an inner pipe moving step of moving a second designated section that is the next designated section to between the cored bar and the metal movable claw.

Patent Literature 1 recites a known method for manufacturing a double-pipe heat exchanger in which an inner pipe is provided inside an outer pipe and grooves are formed in a surface of the inner pipe to extend in a longitudinal direction.
These grooves are formed to increase the heat transfer area and improve efficiency in heat exchange. The grooves are formed by performing rolling by using a grooving tool.

Method for manufacturing double-pipe heat exchanger


A hair extension integration system having a plurality of hairpieces, a headband and a plurality of barrettes, the system selectively integrating with the user's natural hair without the need of any other attachment devices. Hook and loop fastener material attaches the hairpieces to the headband and barrettes. The hook and loop fastener material faces away from natural hair and skin of the user, protecting the hair from snags and friction. The hair extensions are not limited to one size or color. The hook material is preferably on the hairpieces and the loop material is preferably on the headband and barrettes. The system has a kit comprising the hairpieces, the headband and at least one barrette.

People have used hairpieces to enhance the appearance of their natural hair since Roman times. Hairpieces are worn to add volume or length to the natural hair or to cover thinning or bald spots. Hairpieces can be made from human hair or synthetic polymers.
Some hairpieces are attached permanently to the natural hair. Hair weaves are a technique in which base of a hairpiece is woven into whatever natural hair the wearer retains. While this (it is often promised) results in a less detectable hairpiece, the wearer can experience discomfort, and sometimes hair loss from frequently retightening of the weave as one's own hair grows. After about six months a person can begin to lose hair permanently along the weave area, creating a larger problem that the weave was trying to ameliorate.
In addition to hair weaves, wefts of hair, called hair extensions, are often attached to the natural hair to increase the length and volume. Hair extensions cannot be used in bald spots. In the simplest attachment technique, the hair wefts have small clips that snap into place onto a small section of natural hair. These hair extensions are not permanent and must be removed daily. Others use metal micro loops that remain in the hair for months.
Others glue the wefts onto the natural hair with a special glue. These last weeks, but must be removed carefully or permanent damage to the natural hair will result.
Many other attachment variations are available such as skullcaps, lace fronts, strings, ribbons, tracking and netting, to name a few, each with advantages and disadvantages to the wearer.
While these systems may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.