This detection device is provided with: a chip including a detection region for detecting a substance to be detected; a light source which emits excitation light; a detector for detecting the fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance which labels the substance to be detected, and which is excited by the excitation light; and an optical fiber which includes a core, and a cladding covering the outer peripheral surface of the core, guides, to the detection region, the excitation light emitted from the light source, and guides, to the detector, the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance. The optical fiber is fixed to the chip directly or via a connector. The excitation light emitted from the light source is guided within the core, and reaches the detection region of the chip. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance is guided within the core and the cladding, and reaches the detector.

In recent years, in the field of food tests, laboratory tests, environment tests and the like, analysis of trace detection object substances such as protein and nucleic acid is performed. For detection of these detection object substances, detection apparatuses which can quantitatively detect the detection object substances with high sensitivity are used.
A known example of the detection apparatuses which can detect a detection object substance with high sensitivity is an apparatus which utilizes fluorescence emitted from a fluorescence material labelling a detection object substance (see, for example, PTL 1).
The detection apparatus disclosed in PTL 1 includes a light source section, a chip and a detection section. The light source section is disposed above the chip, and the detection section is disposed below the chip with a space therebetween.
The light source section includes an optical fiber, a rod lens disposed at one end portion of the optical fiber, and a light source which is optically connected with the other of end portion of the optical fiber and configured to emit excitation light. In addition, the chip includes a channel in which a capturing body capturing a detection object substance labeled by a fluorescence material is disposed. In addition, the chip does not allow excitation light to pass therethrough. The detection section includes a sensor and a computer connected with the sensor.
In the detection apparatus disclosed in PTL 1, excitation light sent by the optical fiber is applied toward the chip (fluorescence material) through the rod lens. The fluorescence material irradiated with the excitation light is excited, and emits fluorescence. At this time, the chip does not allow the excitation light to pass therethrough, and thus only fluorescence reaches the sensor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical fiber fluorescence detection device


The present invention relates to a dispersant composition comprising: a) at least one oligomeric acid A, which has i) at least one acidic group selected from COOH and PO3H2, and ii) at least one polyoxyalkylene-ether radical of the formula (I): R—(O-A)xO-G-, where A is an C2-C4-alkan-1,2-diyl radical; X is an integer having a number average value in the range from 2 to 20; and R is hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms; G is a chemical bond or a carbonyl group; and b) at least one polyamine B, which is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylamines, poly-C2-C3-alkyleneimines, modified poly-C2-C3-alkyleneimines, melamine compounds, modified melamine compounds, poly-(C2-C4-alkyleneether) amines, polyetheramine polyols, and modified polyetheramine polyols. The invention also relates to aqueous pigment compositions containing a dispersant composition as defined herein, a pigment component, selected from the group consisting of pigments and mixtures of at least one pigment and at least one filler, and an aqueous diluent.

Pigments are ordinarily organic or inorganic dry powders that incorporate a mixture of primary particles, aggregates and agglomerates. For both industrial and consumer coating compositions, whether solvent borne or water borne, the pigment should be dispersed homogeneously throughout the coating composition in order to ensure a uniform appearance of the final coating. To properly be dispersed, pigments are usually wetted, deaggregated and deagglomerated in a vehicle to obtain a dispersion of the pigment particles. Wetting involves incorporation of the pigment into the vehicle replacing pigment-air interfaces with pigment-vehicle interfaces. Wetting agents facilitate bringing pigments into a dispersed state as a result of surface activity at the pigment-solution interface. An ideal pigment dispersion consists of a homogenous suspension of particles, after reducing the size of any aggregates and agglomerates.
While some organic vehicles may be good pigment wetting agents themselves, surfactants are typically added to the liquid vehicle to ensure thorough pigment dispersion throughout the vehicle. Surfactants can also be used to temporarily stabilize the pigment dispersion from re-aggregating and re-agglomerating. Problems that occur with current available pigment compositions include (i) a separation or settling of the compositions into their components over time, which can require periodic remixing or stirring, and (ii) an undesirable change in rheological profile.
Producers of coating compositions typically distribute premixed coating compositions in a small number of popular colors. To accommodate consumer desires and to enable matching of existing coated surfaces, manufacturers typically also distribute a set of tintable base coating compositions and several concentrated colorants. These colorants are combined at point-of-sale outlets using colorant dispensing and shaker mixing equipment to make small batch lots of custom-tinted coating compositions in a much larger array of colors than the limited colors available in premixed products.
The colorants are liquid compositions containing stably dispersed pigments. These pigment compositions can be added, alone or in combination with other colorants containing different pigments, to a base coating composition and mixed in to achieve a desired color of a ready for use (RFU) coating composition. A base coating composition differs from a RFU coating composition in that the color has not been finally adjusted. By having a number of the colorants each formulated using pigments of different hues, a large number of colored coating compositions can be provided by simply mixing at least one of the colorant(s) with the appropriate base coating composition in accordance with a predetermined recipe. Even more colors can be produced by providing a plurality of base coating compositions, themselves varying in hue, including clear base coating compositions.
The utility of known systems comprising colorants and base coating composition is that paints of many colors may be produced very quickly by simply mixing the required colorant composition(s) with the selected base coating composition. This is especially important for small stores where a very large range of colored coating compositions may be supplied on demand without the need for keeping a stock of coating composition covering the complete color range. Such in-store or point of sale (POS) tinting systems usually comprise up to twenty colorants (also known as tinters) and, say, three base coating compositions in each category. In this way light, medium and deep colors can be made. This is also important for producers of coating compositions, which want to economically produce coating composition covering the complete color range from a small number of solvent borne and water borne base coating compositions (so called in-plant tinting).
The colorants are usually housed in a tinting machine from which the individual colorants are dispensed according to the manufacturer's recipe from containers connected to or fitted with exit nozzles. Dosage may be manual or controlled by a computer. The problem with this type of system is that after dispensing is completed there is inevitably a residue of the colorant left in or on the nozzle that dries over time and partially or completely blocks the nozzle making subsequent accurate dispensing impossible. This is an even more severe problem for open nozzle tinting machines, which have nozzles without a tap or valve system to isolate the colorant from the atmosphere once an addition has been made. In such machines colorants remain exposed to the atmosphere and, unless properly formulated, will eventually dry and block the nozzle.
From an economical point of view, colorants used in POS tinting systems and for in-plant tinting should be capable of used for tinting both water borne paints, also termed latex paints, such as wall paints or architectural paints, and solvent-borne paints, such as alkyd paints. Such colorants are also termed universal colorants or universal pigment compositions, as they can be used for both water-borne and solvent borne coating compositions. From an ecological point of view, colorants used in POS tinting systems should have a low content of volatile organics (VOC), such that they can be used in low VOC paints or coatings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,394 describes an aqueous universal pigment concentrate which can be used for tinting both water-borne and solvent-borne paints. The compositions contain, besides pigment and water, a polyethylene glycol, an alkyl polyglycosid and a non-ionic co-surfactant.
US 2006/0207476 describes an aqueous colorant composition containing a universal surfactant package comprising at least one alkyd-compatible surfactant and at least one latex-compatible surfactant.
WO 2011/151277 describes low VOC universal pigment compositions, which besides water and pigment, contain a non-volatile liquid, e.g. a polyethylene glycol, a stabilizing agent, such as fatty acid amide ethoxylates, alkyl glucosides, polyoxyethylene phosphate or phospholipids, such as soy lecithin, and a rheology modifying clay.
WO 2014/000842 describes aqueous universal pigment compositions, which besides water and pigment, contain an anionic or zwitterionic fatty acid condensation product and a nonionic surfactant.
Although a large number of stabilizing additives for universal pigment compositions have been described in the art, there is still a need for additives, which provide for a good rheological behavior of the pigment composition. The additives should allow for formulation of pigment compositions, which can be easily incorporated both in solvent borne and water borne coating compositions, which provide a high color strength, both in solvent borne and water borne coating compositions, and good rub out characteristics. Moreover, the additives should be compatible with other ingredients of the pigment compositions, such as humectants, and should not result in blocking the nozzles of a tinting machine. Moreover, the additives should be suitable for formulating low pigment compositions for low VOC coating compositions.


An optical encoder system includes a module that has a light emitting element and a light detecting element, wherein the light detecting element is operable to detect light at a wavelength emitted by the light emitting element. The optical encoder system also includes a code wheel that has facets on its surface. Each facet has a surface that provides diffuse reflectance, with adjacent facets being inclined by different amounts. The code wheel can be disposed with respect to the module so that at least some light emitted by the light emitting element is reflected by the facets back toward the module, wherein an amount of reflected light detected by the light detecting element in the module depends at least in part on the rotational position of the code wheel.

The present disclosure relates to optical encoder systems that include a structured code wheel.
Reflective optical encoders can be used to detect motion, for example, of a rotating code scale (e.g., a cylindrical code wheel) that includes a pattern of stripes to reflect light in a known pattern. Motion of the code scale can be detected optically using a light emitter and a light detector. As the code scale rotates, the intensity of light reflected by the code scale varies. In particular, light is reflected by the pattern on the code scale such that an alternating pattern of light and dark, or high and low intensity, can be detected by the detector. The detected pattern can be converted, for example by a signal processor, into a digital signal that is indicative of the movement, position, direction or velocity of the code scale.
In order to obtain a high quality signal at the light detector, it is desirable that the contrast between the levels of light reflected from the different regions of the code wheel be relatively high. Small changes in the relative positions of the code scale with respect to the light emitter or detector can contribute to a less-than optimal contrast.

Optical encoder system including a structured code wheel


Methods of using N,N'-disubstituted thiocarbamide compounds for reversibly inhibiting hyperthyroidism are provided. Active compounds reversibly inhibit catalytic iodination without producing sulfenic acid intermediates which can permanently inactivate thyroid peroxidase. By preventing sulfenic acid formation, side effects due to toxicity in liver and bone marrow can be reduced compared to currently used drugs. The compounds can be formulated for administration to a hyperthyroid patient until remission occurs with less risk of possible everdosing.

The thyroid gland, located in front of the windpipe, secretes the hormone thyroxine into the blood to regulate heart rate, body temperature and calorie consumption. When excess thyroid hormone is produced, a condition known as hyperthyroidism results.
Hyperthyroidism is usually caused by Graves' disease, a condition in which the body overproduces antibodies that specifically stimulate the thyroid gland. The majority of hyperthyroid patients are women. The typical patient becomes nervous, irritable, warm and has difficulty sleeping. The patient's skin is soft and velvety. Although appetite may increase, the patient still loses weight. Other symptoms include tremors, heavier periods and increased frequency of miscarriage. Fluid accumulation behind the eyeballs may move them forward, creating a wide-eyed appearance. Hyperthyroidism is lift-threatening if not treated.
There are presently three primary options for treating hyperthyroidism: 1) drug therapy to block production of thyroid hormones; 2) surgical removal of the thyroid gland; and 3) radioiodide treatment to permanently destroy thyroid gland function. A principal problem with either surgery or radioiodide treatment is that these procedures often cause irreversible hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, also known as myxedema, is a life-threatening disease state if untreated. Myxedema affects most major organ systems, for example, cardiovascular, renal, thermoregulation, digestion and respiratory. Since thyroid hormones play a vital role in normal cellular metabolism, treatment of hypothyroidism requires daily dosing of such patients with a pharmaceutical thyroid hormone preparation. Therefore, the more drastic and permanent therapies for hyperthyroidism are usually used only after drug therapy has been unsuccessfully tried or otherwise ruled out.
Drugs which inhibit the formation of thyroid hormones are usually administered orally. After taking the medicine for a few months to several years, about half the patients will exhibit remission of hyperthyroidism, 70 to 80% permanently. Wartofsky, L., McCall's, Nov. 1989, p.106. The primary advantage of anti-hyperthyroid drugs is that they do not cause permanent hypothyrodism and can be discontinued when remission of hyperthyroidism occurs. However, the anti-hypothyroid drugs typically cause permanent enzyme inactivation which can result in periods of hyperthyroidism after termination of drug therapy. The drugs which are most often used to treat hyperthyroidism are the thiourea derivatives propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI), both of which are available from Eli Lilly & Co.
There are two primary problems with anti-hyperthyroid drugs which are currently used today. The first problem is that PTU and MMI are "suicide" inhibitors of thyroid peroxidase (TPX) and the closely related model enzyme, lactoperoxidase (LPX). In this context, "suicide" means that once an enzyme molecule is inhibited by one of these drugs it is permanently inactivated. Thus, after three to four weeks of therapy, the doses of these anti-hyperthyroid drugs often require downward adjustment to prevent hypothyrodism.
A second problem with currently used anti-hyperthyroid drugs is their adverse side effects. Examples of side effects which are known to be caused by these drugs are skin rash, fever, arthralgias and life-threatening agranulocytosis. Cooper, D.S., Antithyroid drugs, The England Journal of Medicine, Vol.311, No. 21, Nov. 22, 1984 p. 1358.

Compositions and methods of inhibiting thyroid activity


In one example, a method and system for selecting a channel for use with a mobile communication device is described. A shared frequency band shared between a first wireless communications protocol and a second wireless communications protocol is scanned to identify an active second wireless communications protocol channel. One or more first wireless communications protocol channels corresponding to the active second wireless communications protocol channel are removed from a list of selectable channels. A first wireless communications protocol channel is selected from the list of selectable channels.

Multiple wireless communication protocols may often simultaneously operate within the same radiofrequency band. For example, a variety of wireless communication protocols operate in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band defined by the ITU-R in 5.138, 5.150, and 5.280 of the radio regulations. These wireless communication protocols operating in the ISM band include band converted variations of the digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (DECT) protocol, IEEE 802.11 (also referred to herein simply as "802.11"), and Bluetooth. Where multiple frequency-overlapping wireless communication protocols are simultaneously in operation in a given region, interference across networks can undesirably affect performance of one or more systems.
For example, a DECT system monitors channels using a least-interfered-channel/listen-before-talk algorithm to select a channel and timeslot to use, and a move-on-error algorithm to change channels when corruption is observed on a link already set up. Unfortunately, for the case of sharing spectrum between a DECT-protocol-derivative product and an 802.11-protocol service, DECT's least-interfered channel algorithm does not detect 802.11-protocol usage of 802.11 channels efficiently. The DECT scanning algorithm was designed for a dedicated band. The major problems with using such an approach in a band shared with other protocols are due to the fact that 802.11 traffic is bursty. A channel may be in use by the 802.11 protocol for short bursts only, and very irregularly. As a result, the typical DECT-standard monitoring process of periodically measuring the signal level in a channel and timeslot, while effective at determining the channel/timeslot occupancy by another DECT system, does not typically detect the presence of an 802.11 system using that channel.
FIG. 1A illustrates the detection method which DECT-derived products use to validate that a channel is free to use prior to starting transmissions on that channel. The DECT-derived system checks the candidate channel list periodically, looking at the signal level during one DECT timeslot, from time to time, to see if that timeslot is unused on that channel. The prior art DECT scanning system utilizes a round-robin scanning algorithm. The scanning algorithm tests twenty-four timeslots in one DECT TDMA frame on channel N, N+1, N+2 . . . N+M−3, N+M−2, N+M−1. The scan for other user activity repeats for M total channels. If the interference source is continuous, or if it repeats at 10 ms intervals, the testing will catch the usage of the channel by the other user. 802.11 usage, though, may be at other rates; commonly the 802.11 access points transmit a beacon every 100 ms, but data may be present or not at any time on the channel. The test of channel N may miss IEEE 802.11 activity on channel N in the round-robin period scanning algorithm.
In one prior art solution, more long-term observation time is dedicated to each channel and timeslot so as to increase the probability of observing a short burst. This approach is problematic in that there are up to 86 channels and 12 duplex timeslot pairs. If other-user bursts occur at the rate of one per second for a lightly loaded channel, the probability of detection remains low for any individual monitoring event if there are many timeslots and channels to scan, and usage of any channel/timeslot combination by an other-user service is irregular, so many monitoring events are required. With the high number of channels and timeslots to observe, reliable qualification and ranking of available native DECT protocol channels for the 802.11 interferer protocol interference is slow, resulting in undesirably-slow state-changes on entering service, coming into range, or in responding to changes in an agile 802.11 system.
In one prior art solution, an IT manager using a central management tool configures the DECT system by assigning certain channels for use. The IEEE 802.11 system is separately configured to use channels from its own selectable channel list which would not overlap with the selected DECT channels in use. While this approach addresses some of the technical issues, it requires action by the IT manager and does not result in an individual DECT unit being optimally configured for the environment in its physical proximity. The resulting implementation imposes inefficiencies on both the DECT system installation and on the 802.11 installation. On the 802.11 side, such manual planning prevents the 802.11 system from being frequency-agile in response to changes in load. With respect to the DECT system, locking out all 802.11-used-channels in a multi-DECT-unit deployment area precludes the use of channels that happen to be not in use by the 802.11 system in a particular DECT unit's locale, which reduces the possible density for the DECT system.
Thus, improved systems and methods for services in a shared frequency band provided by different protocols are needed.

Communications system with efficient multiprotocol-aware channel selection and interference avoidance


The present disclosure relates to a camera module, and a dew condensation prevention system of the camera module, and there is disclosed a camera module including a lens assembly; a lens barrel in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined height configured to accommodate the lens assembly; and a heat radiation member formed along an outer surface of the lens barrel to transfer heat to an outermost lens of the lens assembly, wherein the lens assembly has a field-of-view region formed in a first direction and a second direction crossed with the first direction, and at least one of the first and the second field of view is above 180 degrees, and a dew condensation prevention system using the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a camera module for preventing dew condensation from being generated and a dew condensation prevention system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, a camera performs the role of a key component in association with autonomous driving technologies in automobiles. However, technologies up to the present have been actively carried out for technological developments associated with the recognition of surrounding environments such as vehicle driving persons, things, and the like, and thus camera technology developments in consideration of the external conditions (dew condensation, droplets, etc.) of a vehicle are required.
In the related art, patent technologies associated with the dew condensation prevention of a camera have been applied to surveillance cameras, refrigerators, and the like, but have not been applied to cameras for vehicles.
In particular, an around view monitoring (AVM) camera for capturing the environment of a vehicle uses a number of wide-angle cameras for the parking assistance of the vehicle. Contrary to the surveillance cameras, cameras for refrigeration and other cameras for automobiles, the AVM camera has a field of view (FOV) above 180 degrees and thus requires to have a heat transfer structure capable of efficiently preventing or removing dew condensation without exerting influence on the field of view.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a typical camera module 10 for capturing a field of view, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cover 20 of a camera for capturing a field of view in the related art. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the camera module 10 has a structure in which a lens barrel 12 for accommodating a lens assembly 11 is supported by a support 15.
Here, when the field of view of the AVM camera exceeds 180 degrees, the camera module 10 may be covered by a glass cover 20 formed with a heating wire 21 to remove dew condensation formed on the outermost lens thereof.
However, in such a case, the heating wire 21 may be likely captured by the camera module 10. Furthermore, the AVM camera for vehicles may have a simple structure for which heat transfer efficiency is not considered or may be exposed to various environments that can occur during the driving and parking of vehicles, thus requiring a heat transfer structure capable of preventing and/or removing dew condensation generation due to external environmental factors.

Camera module and system for preventing of dew condensation in camera module


A scalpel is disclosed, having a conventional handle and a blade unit for releasable attachment to the handle. The blade unit includes a body, a slot within said body to releasably engage the finger protruding from the handle, a scalpel blade attached to said body, and a blade cover slideably engaged to said body and configured for movement between a forward, protective position fully covering said blade and a retracted position to expose said blade for use. The cover has open front and rear ends to permit said blade and said body respectively to protrude through opposing ends of said cover when said cover is moved between said positions.

The scalpel is a basic tool for surgeons. Scalpels are generally available in either a fully disposable or a re-usable form. The most common form of reusable (non-disposable) scalpel includes an elongate metal handle, with a blade mount projecting from an end of the handle. The conventional type of blade mount consists of a finger projecting from an end of the handle, with longitudinal grooves disposed on opposing sides thereof to receive a slotted opening in a blade. A disposable blade (referred to as a "sharp") is provided, usually in a foil package, which includes a slot configured to lock onto the finger. Opposing sides of the slot are received within the grooves to retain the blade to the handle. In order to mount the blade, the user must carefully remove the blade from its packaging and clip the blade onto the finger. In order to protect the user from contact with the blade during this procedure, the blade can be handled with forceps or other handling tool. Care must be taken to avoid dropping the blade, since even if the blade strikes a sterile tray or bowl and could in principle be used, the blade can be dulled. Removal of the blade after use also presents particular risks, since at this point the blade is contaminated. This step requires the user to manipulate the blade, which presents a risk of injury with potentially serious consequences to the user's health and safety. As well, careful and deliberate manipulation of the blade takes up valuable time in the operating theater.
Replacement of the blade is required with each new surgical procedure, and in some cases the blade may be replaced during the procedure itself, if it has become dulled.
In order to reduce the risk of injury, various means have been proposed to provide a temporary cover for the blade. In some cases, the cover consists of a sheath that slips over the blade during installation and removal of the blade, and which may be removed when the blade is to be used. However, the act of removing or installing the cover itself presents risks. Other proposed solutions have involved a scalpel with a retractable blade. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,382 to George et al. discloses a retractable scalpel device with two releasable latching elements. When the scalpel blade is in an extended position, each releasable latching element is accessible for depression by finger pressure to cause retraction of the extended blade.
Another device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,309 to Jolly et al., relating to a surgical scalpel having a movable blade guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is mounted inside the blade handle.
Systems that include a retractable guard as disclosed above generally require a specialized handle that is specially configured and adapted for use with the blade guard. In general, such systems are not adapted for use with conventional, commonly-available scalpel handles. This tends to add to the cost of such systems and requires hospitals to stock multiple handle types. More importantly, it can be difficult to overcome the reluctance of surgeons to use a new type of handle with which they are unfamiliar. There is thus a need to provide a system for protecting a blade which avoids drawbacks of conventional removable blade covers, and which is adapted for use with a conventional scalpel handle. Such a system thereby provides an increased level of comfort and familiarity to the surgeon, and permits hospitals to continue to use their supply of existing scalpel handles.


Methods and apparatus that enable a community of devices having differing underlying protocols to stream media data such as video or audio data. In one exemplary embodiment, this invention enables IEEE 1394-compliant (“FireWire” enabled) devices to communicate across an Ethernet infrastructure, such as one enabled by the Ethernet AVB Standard(s). This enhances connectivity, and also supports obviating one or more physical ports within the device(s). In another embodiment, or more wireless transports are utilized.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of data networks and device data sharing. More particularly, in one exemplary aspect, the present invention is directed to methods and apparatus enabling a heterogeneous community of devices (e.g., those which operate according to a FireWire or Ethernet AVB protocol) to interoperate seamlessly and transfer data and media (e.g., audio and video) there between.
2. Description of Related Technology
Modern electronic equipment has greatly enhanced the quality of life for many. However, as the use of such equipment has increased, so has the need to connect equipment of differing types purchased from different manufacturers. For example, while a computer and a digital camera may each be useful when used alone, the ability to connect the digital camera to the computer and exchange information (e.g., photos, video) between the two makes the combination even more useful. Therefore, a need was apparent for a serial bus standard that would allow for the connection and communication between such devices.
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard (and its associated trade names "FireWire™" (Apple Inc.), "i.LINK" (Sony), and "Lynx" (Texas Instruments), etc.) was developed to satisfy this need. This standard revolutionized the consumer electronics industry by providing a serial bus management system that featured high speeds and the ability to "hot" connect equipment to the bus; that is, the ability to connect equipment without first turning off the existing connected equipment. Since its adoption, the IEEE 1394-1995 standard has seen acceptance in the marketplace with many major electronics and computer manufacturers providing IEEE 1394-1995 connections on equipment that they sell. Several variants of IEEE 1394 have also been developed and widely deployed which improve and enhance various system characteristics (including e.g., higher speeds and longer connection paths).
In addition to IEEE 1394 based standards, a new standard being proposed at the time of the filing of the present application is herein referred to as the "Ethernet AVB standard". Ethernet AVB is a new standard being developed for transmitting audio and video data across an 802.1 Ethernet link. Existing Ethernet standards guarantee packet delivery; Ethernet AVB is expected to provide additional capabilities enabling isochronous data transfer. Specifically, Ethernet AVB provides guarantees on maximum latency and minimum bandwidth that enable "streaming" applications, which were previously limited due to requirements for low latency isochronous transfer of audio and video.
Unsatisfied Need for Interoperability
Due to the widespread existing deployments of existing IEEE 1394 devices, and the virtually universal Ethernet infrastructure, a solution for providing interoperability for the two standards seamlessly (with respect to various types of media) would greatly enhance the overall utility of both. Such a solution does not currently exist.
Another issue relates to the increasing "disappearance" of physical ports on hardware devices such as computers, video cameras, etc. over time. These physical ports (including FireWire ports) are becoming less prolific on new generation devices because, inter alia, aggressive form factor reductions no longer allow distinct connectors for all supported I/O technologies. Thus, physical space for the port and the extra cost of the port make it a strong candidate for removal. For example, in the MacBook Air product manufactured by the Assignee hereof, connectors include only a USB port, power port and a video port. Neither a physical FireWire port nor Ethernet port are present on the device. As the number of (FireWire and other) ports disappear, so do the connectivity opportunities for devices using that port specification. Hence, in order to maintain FireWire support and distribution over such devices, other "ways off of" and "ways onto" the device are needed.
Accordingly, improved methods and apparatus are needed for providing data stream delivery between two differing protocols, such as for example Ethernet AVB, and IEEE 1394. Such an improved solution should operate seamlessly and without adversely impacting user experience on existing apparatus. Moreover, such "multi-lingual" data stream delivery would be operable without requiring undue hardware or other modification to implementations already deployed. To these ends, such data delivery schemes should minimally support "master-slave" operation, where a dynamically bridging multi-lingual device performs all translation for its localized network, without requiring its non-enabled slave devices to do so.
Multiple clients would also advantageously work cooperatively to simultaneously source and sink isochronous datastreams, each independently capable of additionally splitting or merging multiple isochronous data streams.
Lastly, such improved apparatus and methods would enable the use of IEEE 1394-compliant devices across any geography or topology, such as by piggybacking on existing Ethernet infrastructure.

Methods and apparatus for transmitting data streams via a heterogeneous network


The invention provides a flame-shaped chip, characterized by comprising an upper flame-shaped piece, an umbrella and a needle. The umbrella is arranged at the bottom of the upper flame-shaped piece and used for covering, and the needle is arranged in the umbrella as the umbrella rod. The needle and the umbrella are integrally or separately arranged. The flame-shaped chip is convenient to assemble and disassemble. The invention also provides a flameless candle, wherein the flameless candle comprises a flame-shaped chip and a candle-shaped housing. The flame-shaped chip comprises an upper flame-shaped piece, an umbrella and a needle. The umbrella is arranged at the bottom of the upper flame-shaped piece and used for covering, and the needle is arranged in the umbrella as the umbrella rod. The needle and the umbrella are integrally or separately arranged, and the needle is arranged on and/or contacts with the housing.

The traditional candle is a kind of daily lighting tools. It is made of paraffin wax and can burn to give off light. Candles have important uses in birthday parties, religious festivals and other activities. At present, there is a kind of electronic flameless candle on the market, which simulates the light of candles through switch control, blow control, remote control and other control methods. This kind of electronic flameless candle is getting more and more popular on the market. It can be used in romantic, sentimental appeal, sweet, and happy times and festivals, meeting the special demands of festivals and household articles for people at all levels.
When assembling the existing electronic flameless candle, first fix the flame-shaped chip inside the candle, and then wrap the candle-shaped housing through the flame-shaped chip through the central opening to finish the assembly. As the existing flameless candle adopts the above assembly mode, the opening in housing is large, at least larger than the flame-shaped chip, resulting that the internal structure of the assembled candle can be seen from the opening. This affects the overall appearance of the candle and is unfavorable to protecting the internal structure, meaning that there is a great space for improvement.

FOSHAN INNOVATION AND QUALITY ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A sheet product dispenser for dispensing sheet product from a supply of sheet product reduces accumulation of the sheet product in the chute. The dispenser comprises a housing including a chute having a sheet product dispensing opening, a sheet product feed roller assembly disposed in the housing and configured to feed sheet product from the supply of sheet product into the chute, and a pusher disposed in the housing and configured to engage the sheet product fed from the sheet product feed roller assembly at a location downstream from the sheet product feed roller assembly and push the sheet product fed from the sheet product feed roller assembly toward the dispensing opening to reduce accumulation of the sheet product in the chute. A related method of reducing accumulation of the sheet product in the chute also is provided.

Various types of sheet product dispensers are known in the art, including mechanical and automated dispensers configured to allow a user to obtain a length of sheet product from a roll of sheet product disposed within the dispenser. Sheet product dispensers generally are configured to dispense a particular type of sheet product, such as bath tissue, facial tissue, wipes, napkins, paper towels, foils, wraps, or the like. Additionally, sheet product dispensers often are configured for use in a certain environment, such as a home, commercial, industrial, or medical environment, taking into account the operating conditions, expected user traffic, and distinct performance requirements. For example, in some medical or clean manufacturing environments, such as the patient rooms of hospitals or other medical, laboratory, or manufacturing facilities, user traffic at the dispenser may be relatively low, but performance requirements of the dispenser may be great, due at least in part to an increased need for hygienic operation as well as efficiency demands of personnel who wash their hands frequently.
According to certain configurations, sheet product dispensers may be automated devices configured to rotatably support the roll within the dispenser for dispensing sheet product therefrom. During operation of such dispensers, a dispensing mechanism such as a feed roller assembly inside a housing may advance a length of sheet product through a chute and out of the dispenser through a dispenser opening for a user to grasp and separate from the roll, as may be facilitated by a tear bar disposed in the dispenser housing or a predefined area of weakness, such as a line of perforations, defined in the sheet product. In this manner, during use of the dispenser, the user touches only the sheet product that is removed, while the roll remains protected within the dispenser.
Due to the flexibility of many sheet products, however, sheet product dispensed by a feed roller assembly inside a dispenser housing may buckle, bunch, and jam inside the dispenser and accumulate in the chute of the dispenser if a leading edge or any portion of the sheet product experiences sufficient resistance downstream of the feed roller assembly. Resistance may be caused by static charge, directional changes to the paper path, obstructions such as a tear bar, or other factors. If the resistance is more than the strength of the sheet product, the sheet product may buckle, and if it does, movement of the leading edge may stop, while the feed roller assembly continues to advance a trailing edge of a sheet product, thus accumulating, or bunching, the sheet product between the leading edge and the feed roller assembly. Bunching continues until the feed roller assembly stops or the leading edge of the paper is removed from the dispenser chute. Bunching can make it difficult for a dispenser user to retrieve sheet product and can also leave an undesirable perception with users. Bunching can also lead to jamming in which the dispenser is no longer able to deliver product to a user until a technician opens the dispenser and removes the jamming to restore functionality.
Thus, improved sheet product dispensers and related methods for dispensing sheet product through a dispenser chute with reduced accumulation of the sheet product in the dispenser chute are desirable.

Sheet product dispensers with reduced sheet product accumulation and related methods


A method of evaluating for the presence of a target polynucleotide in a sample, using an addressable array of multiple polynucleotide probes linked to a substrate. The sample is exposed to the array and a set of polynucleotide target probes, such that target polynucleotide which may be present will bind to a predetermined feature of the array through multiple target probes of the set by forming at respective target regions on a target molecule, simultaneous hybrids with anti-target regions of the multiple target probes. A binding pattern on the array is observed and the presence of the target polynucleotide evaluated based on the observed binding pattern. Kits using such arrays, and methods for selecting target probes are further provided.

Arrays of biopolymers, such as arrays of peptides or polynucleotides (such as DNA or RNA), are known and are used, for example, as diagnostic or screening tools. Such arrays include regions (sometimes referenced as features or spots) of usually different sequence biopolymers arranged in a predetermined configuration on a substrate. The arrays, when exposed to a sample, will exhibit a pattern of binding which is indicative of the presence and/or concentration of one or more components of the sample, such as an antigen in the case of a peptide array or a polynucleotide of particular sequence in the case of a polynucleotide array. The binding pattern can be detected, for example, by labeling all potential targets (for example, DNA) in the sample with a suitable label (such as a fluorescent compound), and accurately observing the fluorescence pattern on the array.
In one application, arrays of oligonucleotide probes provide useful tools for simultaneous evaluation of the levels of expression of large sets of genes ("expression profiling"). The probe arrays used in expression profiling can be produced in two ways: (i) oligonucleotide probes can be synthesized in situ on the array surface, using location-addressable adaptations of phosphoramidite chemistry (for example, photo-deprotection, or printing of phosphoramidites using an inkjet type printer); (ii)whole oligonucleotide probes synthesized either by phosphoramidite chemistry or enzymatic methods (for example, PCR) can be deposited on a surface designed to form either a strong non-covalent attachment to DNA (for example, poly-L-lysine) or a covalent attachment to a chemically unique group added to the oligonucleotide during synthesis (for example, a modified base containing a primary aliphatic amine). Noncovalent attachment may be subsequently turned into covalent attachment by methods such as UV photo-cross linking. Chemical synthesis is used to produce probes shorter than 50 nucleotides, while enzymatic methods are used to produce longer probes (100-1000 nucleotides).
Synthetic nucleotide probes (either synthesized in situ or deposited whole) can potentially discriminate between closely related mRNA's, because they can be designed to probe the most different portions of the target sequences, and because the effects of these differences are proportionately greater for shorter probes. This ability is important, because many genes in higher organisms are members of families of related genes. However, shorter probes suffer from the difficulty that they do not associate with their targets as strongly as longer probes (that is, they have a lower binding constant or binding affinity). This weaker association makes it very difficult to produce oligonucleotide probes that can unequivocally detect concentrations lower than about 0.1 pM for the best cases, and typical detection limits are in the range of 1 pM-10 pM. This results in a sensitivity gap. For example, if all of the mRNA in a sample of 106 cells (a typical size for sampling a precious specimen, such as a biopsy sample) is converted into labeled cDNA, and the resulting material is resuspended in a volume of 100 μl, then the final concentration of the cDNA derived from a message present at 1 copy per cell is
                    (                              10            6                                                                        cells                )                          (                              1                        copy                    cell                )                            (                  6.02          ×                      10            23                                          copies            mole                          )                          (                              10                                          -                4                                                                                liters                )              =            1.66      ×              10                  -          14                                                    M        =          0.017                                      pM      This is a factor of 5 lower than the lowest limit of detection achieved with current oligonucleotide probe—polynucleotide target combinations, and a factor of 50-500 below more typical detection limits.
The sensitivity gap can be closed by employing a target amplification scheme, such as linear amplification by RNA transcription or asymmetric PCR. However, this adds both complication and cost to the assay. In addition, losses of mRNA during sample preparation, amplification, inhibition by sample-derived impurities and problems with probe specificity (which necessitate more stringent conditions and lower signal levels) can together use up most or all of the sensitivity margin provided by target amplification. Finally, lowering the number of cells required per sample would greatly improve the applicability of arrays, since it would then be possible to perform entire array analyses on samples provided by microsampling methods, such as needle biopsy and laser-assisted micro-dissection.
Arrays which utilize longer probes can exhibit binding constants high enough to yield detection limits in the 10−15 M range. However, this improved performance comes at the costs of lost specificity within gene families and loss of the ability of design probes to hybridize to the most unique target subsequences.
Solutions to the sensitivity gap from using synthetic oligonucleotide probes, include target amplification, signal amplification, the use of high sensitivity labels and the use of modified probe nucleotide chemistries. Target amplification, described in the previous section, is a well established method for overcoming an intrinsic binding constant that is too low. It solves the problem directly, by increasing the amount of target by a well-controlled factor that is relatively independent of the target sequence. The disadvantages of target amplification are the complication and cost added to sample preparation. Another solution is signal amplification, which is achieved by multiplying the number of detectable labels attached to a given target molecule that binds to an array feature. Many sample labeling schemes incorporate a basic form of signal amplification by the simple expedient of attaching the label (for example, a fluorophore) to one or more of the nucleotide triphosphates used by the transcription-based system that produces labeled target oligonucleotide. More elaborate schemes, such as binding of labeled biotin-streptavidin complexes and the formation of sandwiches between surface-bound probes, unlabeled targets and highly labeled second probes (for example, branched DNA probes) have also been employed. These methods, like target amplification, are relatively costly and complicated and further rely on the binding of a very small number of molecules. This can result in an added source of noise derived from the probabilistic binding of small numbers of target molecules. High sensitivity labels (for example, radioisotopes, chemiluminescent labels) are a special case of signal amplification. The main advantage of such methods is that they generate signal against a very low intrinsic background. The disadvantage is that these labels are not as convenient or safe as fluorescent probes. In addition, radioisotopes provide lower spatial resolution than optical probes.
Probes that incorporate modified bases or backbones into polynucleotides may be capable of providing much higher per base binding free energies than conventional DNA probes. The main disadvantages of this approach are the relatively poor state of development of synthetic schemes for producing probes that incorporate nucleotide analogues and the relatively poor state of characterization of the benefits derived from the use of such alternate chemistries. At present most of the performance enhancement available from modified polynucleotide chemistries is theoretical.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,325 describes an arrangement using two or three identifying nucleic acid fragments homologous to a nucleic acid to be identified. The patent states that if simultaneous identification of several different nucleic acids is desired, it is necessary to use separate filters to which are attached the required fragments. A paper by Gentalen et al., "A novel method for determining linkage between DNA sequences: hybridization to paired probe arrays" Nucleic Acids Research, 1999, Vol. 27, No. 6 1485-1491 describes co-operative hybridization to establish physical linkage between two loci on a DNA strand. These reference, and all other references cited in this application, are incorporated in this application by reference. However, cited references or art are not admitted to be prior art to this application.
It would be desirable then, to provide a means for detecting a target using probes, particularly in the form of an addressable array, which can provide good binding affinity for the target. It would also be desirable that any such means be relatively simple to fabricate. It would further be desirable that a means be provided for aiding in the selection of such probes.


The present invention enables efficient matrix multiplication operations on parallel processing devices. One embodiment is a method for mapping CTAs to result matrix tiles for matrix multiplication operations. Another embodiment is a second method for mapping CTAs to result tiles. Yet other embodiments are methods for mapping the individual threads of a CTA to the elements of a tile for result tile computations, source tile copy operations, and source tile copy and transpose operations. The present invention advantageously enables result matrix elements to be computed on a tile-by-tile basis using multiple CTAs executing concurrently on different streaming multiprocessors, enables source tiles to be copied to local memory to reduce the number accesses from the global memory when computing a result tile, and enables coalesced read operations from the global memory as well as write operations to the local memory without bank conflicts.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of computing devices and more specifically to a technique for performing efficient matrix multiplication operations on a parallel processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern computing applications oftentimes require matrix operations, such as linearly scaling a matrix, transposing a matrix or computing the product of two matrices, to be performed when carrying out certain tasks such as solving complex sets of simultaneous linear equations. Commonly, these individual matrix operations are combined into larger processing steps and executed from a scientific computing library such as the Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms ("BLAS") library. The BLAS library includes a function that performs a dot product operation on matrices "A" and "B" in memory, scales the dot product result matrix by a linear scaling factor alpha ("α"), scales a matrix "C" in memory by a linear scaling factor beta ("β"), adds the scaled dot product of "A" and "B" to the scaled "C" matrix and stores the result in matrix "C" ("C=αA·B+βC"). Additionally, one or more of matrices A, B and C may be transposed before performing the aforementioned operation.
As is well-known, matrix operations are computationally expensive, and the performance of an application may be limited by the processing time required for the matrix operations within the application. Further, as the size of the referenced matrices increases, the approximate computational cost of matrix multiplication increases with the cube of one dimension (i.e., where "n" is the number of elements in one dimension of a square matrix, the computational cost is proportional to n3).
One solution to the matrix operation problem involves using the microprocessor in a personal computer to perform the matrix operations. One drawback of this approach is that such microprocessors typically have a limited amount of arithmetic and memory access logic, thereby limiting the number of concurrent arithmetic and memory operations that the microprocessor can perform as well as the overall performance of the matrix operation. Another solution involves using a multiprocessing computing device to perform the matrix operations. These devices typically have far more arithmetic and memory logic than personal computers, enabling multiprocessing computing devices to perform more concurrent arithmetic and memory operations, thereby increasing the performance of the matrix operations relative to personal computers. Such multiprocessing computing devices, however, are far more expensive than personal computers and therefore are not a cost-effective solution to the matrix operation problem.
Yet another solution to the matrix operation problem involves using a graphics processing unit within a graphics adapter to perform matrix operations since these systems are configured to rapidly execute sophisticated graphics algorithms on large video data sets and are thus capable of delivering high computational bandwidth and high memory bandwidth. Although such capabilities seem attractive for performing complex matrix operations, typical graphics processing units impose a streaming or serialized computational model, which requires a large memory bandwidth to efficiently transmit matrix data between the memory and the individual processing units. In short, the memory bandwidth requirements for efficient matrix operations typically outstrip the actual memory bandwidth provided in conventional graphics processor designs, and such limitations decrease the performance of conventional graphics processing units when executing matrix operations.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a computing device that performs matrix operations in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Hardware resource based mapping of cooperative thread arrays (CTA) to result matrix tiles for efficient matrix multiplication in computing system comprising plurality of multiprocessors


A digital broadcast signal is received to a digital television receiver in a computer. The digital broadcast signal is processed to extract enhanced content data. The enhanced content data is stored in a web browser cache. The web browser cache is interrogated with an application programming interface. Responsive to the application programming interface interrogating the web browser cache, the enhanced content data is provided to a personal web server. The enhanced content data in the personal web server is stored and providing to at least one client device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and in particular, relates to digital broadcast systems.
2. Background Information
The television broadcasting industry is expanding into digital broadcast technologies that promise new features, higher resolution video and audio, and other technological enhancements. Digital television (DTV) broadcasting provides several advancements in broadcast content enhancement. One type of content enhancement is the addition of supplemental information to the regular broadcast transmission. Supplemental information can take many forms such as hypertext markup language (HTML), meta-data, and other information carrying data structures. Enhanced or interactive television incorporates the broadcast supplemental information into the viewing experience through interactive displays, links to Internet pages and other features.
The Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) has published the Enhanced Content Specification, version 1.1, revision 26, 1998-1999 (hereinafter refered to as "ATVEF specification") to promote consistent methods for providing enhancements in both analog and digital broadcasting enhancements. The ATVEF specification provides standards for the transmission and processing of triggers, resources, anouncements and content that are associated with an enhanced television transmission. Such enhancements are often suitable for use by a computer connected to the Internet. For example, one type of supplemental information is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) to a television network's website where additional programming information can be acquired.
Convergence of consumer electronics such as televisions and video cassette recorders (VCRs) provide convenience to consumers. The personal computer (PC), now a vital part of many homes is also enjoying convergence with other electronic devices. One such integration is with a broadcast television receiver, so that the computer may be used as a television or for enhanced television broadcasting. Integration of DTV broadcast television reception with a personal computer is made possible by including a DTV receiver card in the computer. Personal computer users therefore may benefit from enhanced DTV broadcasts for both viewing of programs and for shopping online and other Internet experiences that may be tied to the enhanced content provided with the broadcast signal. It is necessary to have a digital broadcast receiver to enjoy the many enhancements of digital broadcasting. Generally, a television receiver is required of every computer or electronic device that might benefit from enhanced resources available from an enhanced digital television broadcast.

Enabling a PC-DTV receiver to share the resource cache with multiple clients


A medical stent is sized for placement in a ureter. The stent includes a first section which includes a first material, defines a lumen, and includes a first coil completing at least one revolution. A second section of the stent includes a second material, defines a lumen, and includes a second coil completing at least one revolution. A third section defines a lumen and is located between the first and second sections. The third section includes a co-extrusion of the first and second materials. One of the first or second sections is harder than the other section.

Fluid sometimes needs to be drained from a body. For example, urine formed in one or both kidneys might need to be drained into the bladder. One way to accomplish such drainage is to use a medical device that conveys the fluid (e.g., urine) through a lumen. Such devices include stents and catheters. Existing stents can be uncomfortable for the patient, especially when they reside in the ureter between the kidney and the bladder, or can be difficult for a medical professional to place in a patient.


A notification device, configured to notify an accommodation area that can accommodate a moving body, in which the performance of the moving body that can be accommodated in the accommodation area is predetermined; includes: a first determination unit configured to determine a first accommodation area that can accommodate the moving body with the current performance, based on the current performance of the moving body; a second determination unit configured to determine a second accommodation area that can accommodate the moving body with the performance after rewriting, based on the performance after the rewriting the software of the moving body; and a notification unit configured to separately notify the first accommodation area and the second accommodation area.

Vehicles in recent years have been digitized and in-vehicle devices are controlled by a control device called an electronic control unit (ECU). Such a control device controls an in-vehicle device by executing a control program stored in advance in the own device. Further, a technique capable of updating the control program of such a control device is also known.
For example, JP-A-2017-218019 discloses the technology in which when the automatic driving system can be updated, the user is notified of the amount of money required for updating the automatic driving system and the difference in the hourly unit price of the charged automatic driving before and after the update of the system.
In the related art, it may not be possible to urge the user to rewrite the software of the mobile body and there is room for improvement in such view.


A foot support for supporting a foot of a person and inhibiting slipping of the foot down a wall when the person is shaving a leg includes a base plate being mountable to a wall of a shower. A mounting system is coupled to the base plate. The mounting system engages the wall to mount the base plate to the wall. A foot pad is coupled to the base plate opposite the mounting system. The foot pad receives the foot to support the foot and inhibit the foot from sliding along the wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footrests and more particularly pertains to a new footrest for supporting a foot of a person and inhibiting slipping of the foot down a wall when the person is shaving a leg.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of footrests is known in the prior art. The prior art commonly teaches the footrest being of rigid construction with a friction enhancing coating to inhibit slipping of a foot positioned on the footrest.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features that cushions a foot positioned in the device while inhibiting slipping of the foot from the device. Additionally, the device includes a receiving ring and a basket to hold items commonly used in shaving.


A media stripper for use with a pair of first and second, opposed rotary members includes a stripper finger and a rotation restriction mechanism. The stripper finger has an operational edge thereof disposed adjacent to the first rotary member to strip a recording medium from the first rotary member. The stripper finger is rotatable around a pivot axis parallel to a rotation axis of the first rotary member either in a first rotational direction in which the operational edge approaches the first rotary member, or in a second rotational direction in which the operational edge approaches the second rotary member, so as to establish an operational position thereof relative to the first rotary member. The rotation restriction mechanism is disposed for contact with the stripper finger to restrict rotation of the stripper finger in the second rotational direction upon establishment of the operational position of the stripper finger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a media stripper, and a fixing device and an image forming apparatus employing the same, and more particularly, to a media stripper for use with a pair of rotary members disposed opposite each other to form a nip therebetween, and a fixing device and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such as a photocopier, facsimile machine, printer, plotter, or multifunctional machine, employing such a media stripper.
2. Description of the Background Art
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, such as photocopiers, facsimile machines, printers, plotters, or multifunctional machines incorporating several of those imaging functions, an image is formed by attracting toner particles to a photoconductive surface for subsequent transfer to a recording medium such as a sheet of paper. After transfer, the imaging process is followed by a fixing process using a fixing device, which permanently fixes the toner image in place on the recording medium by melting and settling the toner with heat and pressure.
Various types of fixing devices are known in the art, most of which employ a pair of generally cylindrical looped belts or rollers, one being heated for fusing toner ("fuser member") and the other being pressed against the heated one ("pressure member"), which together form a heated area of contact called a fixing nip through which a recording medium is passed to fix a toner image onto the medium under heat and pressure.
One such fixing device includes a multi-roller, belt-based fuser assembly that employs an endless, flexible fuser belt entrained around multiple rollers, one of which is equipped with an internal heater, such as a radiant halogen heater, to heat the length of the fuser belt through contact with the heated roller. The fuser belt is paired with a pressure roller pressed against the outer surface of the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween, at which a toner image is fixed in place with heat from the fuser belt and pressure from the pressure roller.
Owing to the fuser belt which exhibits a relatively low heat capacity and therefore can be swiftly heated, the belt-based fuser assembly eliminates the need for keeping the heater in a sufficiently heated state when idle, resulting in shorter start-up time and smaller amounts of energy wasted during standby, as well as a relatively compact size of the fuser assembly.
One important factor that determines imaging quality of a fixing device is the ability to properly convey a recording medium through the fixing nip without causing the recording medium to wrap around the rotary fixing member. Media wraparound occurs where the toner image heated through the fixing nip becomes sticky and thus adheres to the surface of the fixing member upon exiting the fixing nip. If not corrected, a recording medium wrapping around the fixing member would cause jam or other conveyance failure in the fixing nip.
For obtaining a fixing process with high immunity against media wraparound and concomitant conveyance failure, a fixing device may use a fuser roller or belt coated with a release agent such as fluorine resin where it contacts a heated, sticky toner image in the fixing nip, while equipped with a media stripping mechanism that allows a recording medium to properly separate from the fuser member at the exit of the fixing nip.
For example, in multi-color printing, a non-contact media stripping mechanism is used to strip a recording medium without touching a fuser roller, which often includes a cylindrical body covered by an outer elastic layer of silicone rubber or the like with a coating of oil or fluorine resin deposited thereon. Using the non-contact media stripper prevents the rubber-covered fuser member from damage due to continuous contact with the media stripping mechanism, which would otherwise result in streaks or other imperfections in a resulting image.
One example of such non-contact media stripper is a stripping plate having a thin-edged, wedge-shaped configuration with its thin operating edge directed toward a fuser member to engage a leading edge of a recording medium to strip it off the fuser member. The stripping plate may be provided with a flange or positioning mechanism, such as one that can contact the fuser member outboard of a maximum compatible width of recording medium, so as to maintain the operating edge in position spaced apart from the rotary member. Maintaining a spacing or gap between the stripping mechanism and the fuser member prevents damage to the fuser member as well as undesired offset or re-transfer of toner adherent, if any, from the stripping mechanism to the fuser member to potentially smear and degrade a resulting image.

Media stripper, and fixing device and image forming apparatus employing same


A power plant including a compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine, and a compressor air line, which connects the compressor to the combustion chamber, a first heat exchanger connected into the compressor air line and into an exhaust line branching off the turbine. A first expander is arranged between the first heat exchanger and the combustion chamber in the compressor air line, and the first expander and the compressor are arranged on a common shaft.

Owing to changing market requirements in many countries, it appears that maximizing plant efficiencies will in future not exclusively promise success. Considering the requirements for the German or European market, it can be assumed that, owing to the increased expansion of renewable energy production, conventional power plants will have considerably fewer operating hours, and an enormous cost pressure is accordingly to be expected when building new power plants.
A reduction in plant complexity, with an associated reduction in costs, and, in addition, an improved quick-start capability specifically from the cold state appear to be an entirely promising approach in this context, even though they result in a deterioration in the plant efficiency.
As yet there are still no truly convincing answers to the above-mentioned problem. Although gas engine power plants provide an alternative, which in particular ensures quick-start capability, the investment costs for such a plant are comparatively high compared with combined cycle (GuD [gas and steam]) power plants, which have hitherto often been preferred, and, in addition, their efficiency is significantly lower.
A reduction in the plant complexity can be achieved in the case of GuD plants by omitting the uD part, that is to say the steam turbine part, of the power plant. However, a simple gas turbine process without a steam circuit leads to a drastic and economically non-viable deterioration of the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,172,708 therefore discloses a process in which air is compressed and the compressed air is further heated before it is first expanded and then fed to a combustion, wherein the further heating of the air takes place in heat exchange with exhaust gases which follow directly from the combustion.
WO 2007/141101 A1 discloses a further possibility for utilizing the heat of the exhaust gas from a first combustion, in which this exhaust gas, after expansion in a first turbine, is fed to a second combustion chamber.
A recuperated Joule process with intercooled compression results in a moderate drop in efficiency compared to the GuD reference process when the process is configured optimally. The complexity is drastically reduced, so that a significant cost reduction appears possible. It is expected that the economy of this concept will contrast very favorably with the current GuD concepts, and also with gas engine power plants, in the case of future market requirements. Another reason for this improved economy is that the extended gas turbine process has a similar start time to the simple gas turbine process and accordingly is significantly quicker than a GuD process. In addition, if the process is appropriately designed, it is not important for the start time or for the component lifetime whether the start has been preceded by a prolonged downtime with corresponding cooling of the plant components. Specifically after prolonged downtimes (cold-start conditions), the extended gas turbine process advantageously displays its particularly good quick-start capability compared to the GuD process. Furthermore, it is expected that improvements in terms of efficiency and load-change speeds will be achieved in respect of the part-load behavior.

Extended gas turbine process having an expander


Aliphatic C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 hydrocarbon(s) are converted to olefin(s) and/or aromatic(s) in the presence of a low acidity Group VIII metal-containing zeolite MCM-22 catalyst, said zeolite exhibiting an Alpha value of not greater than about 150.

This invention relates to a process for converting a paraffinic feed, e.g., a naphtha feedstock, to olefins and/or aromatics employing a particular low acidity zeolite catalyst.
Zeolitic materials, both natural and synthetic, have been demonstrated in the past to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion. Certain zeolitic materials are ordered, porous crystalline aluminosilicates having a definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction, within which there are a large number of smaller cavities which may be interconnected by a number of still smaller channels or pores. These cavities and pores are uniform in size within a specific zeolitic material. Since the dimensions of these pores are such as to accept for adsorption molecules of certain dimensions while rejecting those of larger dimensions, these materials have come to be known as "molecular sieves" and are utilized in a variety of ways to take advantage of these properties. Such molecular sieves, both natural and synthetic, include a wide variety of positive ion-containing crystalline silicates. These silicates can be described as a rigid three-dimensional framework of SiO.sub.4 and Periodic Table Group IIIA element oxide, e.g., AlO.sub.4, in which the tetrahedra are cross-linked by the sharing of oxygen atoms whereby the ratio of the total Group IIIA element, e.g., aluminum, and silicon atoms to oxygen atoms is 1:2. The electrovalence of the tetrahedra containing the Group IIIA element, e.g., aluminum, is balanced by the inclusion in the crystal of a cation, e.g., an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal cation. This can be expressed wherein the ratio of the Group IIA element, e.g., aluminum, to the number of various cations, such as Ca/2, Sr/2, Na, K or Li, is equal to unity. One type of cation may be exchanged either entirely or partially with another type of cation utilizing ion exchange techniques in a conventional manner. By means of such cation exchange, it has been possible to vary the properties of a given silicate by suitable selection of the cation. The spaces between the tetrahedra are occupied by molecules of water prior to dehydration.
Prior art techniques have resulted in the formation of a great variety of synthetic zeolites. Many of these zeolites have come to be designated by letter or other convenient symbols, as illustrated by zeolite Z (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,243); zeolite X (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,244); zeolite Y (U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,007); zeolite ZK-5 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,195); zeolite ZK-4 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,752); zeolite ZSM-5 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886); zeolite ZSM-11 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979); zeolite ZSM-12 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,449); zeolite ZSM-20 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,983); zeolite ZSM-35 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,245); and zeolite ZSM-23 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,842), merely to name a few.
The SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio of a given zeolite is often variable. For example, zeolite X can be synthesized with SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratios of from 2 to 3; zeolite Y, from 3 to about 6. In some zeolites, the upper limit of the SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is unbounded. ZSM-5 is one such example wherein the SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is at least 5 and up to the limits of present analytical measurement techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,871 (U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,948) discloses a porous crystalline silicate made from a reaction mixture containing no deliberately added alumina in the recipe and exhibiting the X-ray diffraction pattern characteristic of ZSM-5. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,724, 4,073,865 and 4,104,294 describe crystalline silicates of varying alumina and metal content.
Catalytic reforming of naphtha feedstocks has long been known in the petroleum industry. Most naphtha feeds contain large amounts of naphthenes and paraffins and consequently have low octane numbers. By means of various hydrocarbon conversion reactions, catalytic reforming has improved the octane number of naphtha feedstocks. Some of the more important conversion reactions that take place during catalytic reforming are dehydrogenation of naphthenes to aromatics, dehydrocyclization of paraffins to naphthenes and aromatics and isomerization of normal paraffins to isoparaffins. A less desirable reaction which also occurs during reforming is the hydrocracking of paraffins, naphthenes and dealkylation of alkylaromatics to gaseous hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane.
The above reforming reactions have previously been catalyzed by catalysts comprising porous supports, such as alumina, which possess dehydrogenation promoting metal components impregnated or admixed therewith. Platinum on alumina and, more recently, multimetallics, including bimetallics, such as platinum and rhenium on alumina, are examples of such catalysts. Representative multimetallic reforming catalysts are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,848,377; 3,415,737; and 3,953,368, among others.
Conventional reforming catalysts, e.g., platinum and rhenium, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,859 in admixture with a zeolite such as ZSM-5.
A reforming process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,808 which utilizes as catalyst, a mixture of a noble-metal component, e.g., platinum, on a refractory inorganic oxide such as alumina and a non-noble metal-containing component, e.g., rhenium, on a large pore zeolite such as mordenite which has been disposed within a refractory inorganic oxide such as alumina.
Certain zeolites have also received considerable attention in recent years for their ability to catalyze the conversion of paraffins to aromatics.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,486, C.sub.6-10 hydrocarbons undergo dehydrocyclization to benzene and alkylbenzenes in the presence of a Li, Na or K zeolite X or Y or faujasite impregnated with 0.3 to 1.4 percent Pt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,942 describes a process for the conversion of a feed containing liquid paraffins, olefins or naphthenes and mixtures thereof to aromatic compounds employing a porous synthetic synthetic crystalline silicate such as ZSM-5 as catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,024 discloses the aromatization of a feed containing C.sub.2-4 paraffins and/or olefins in the absence of added hydrogen employing ZSM-5 as catalyst.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,115, aromatization of hydrocarbons is accomplished employing rhenium-exchanged ZSM-5.
Aliphatic naphthas are upgraded to products of increased aromatics content by the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,218. The process employs a zeolite catalyst such as ZSM-5 into which one or more metals which increase the aromatization activity of the zeolite, e.g., zinc or cadmium, have been incorporated.
In the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,394, light straight-run naphthas and similar mixtures are converted to highly aromatic mixtures, principally benzene, employing a Group VIII metal-containing intermediate pore size zeolite, e.g., ZSM-5, which has been rendered substantially free of acidity by treatment with an alkali metal compound, e.g., NaOH.
Gaseous feedstocks containing ethane are converted to a mixture of benzene, toluene and xylene ("BTX") in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,835 utilizing a gallium-containing zeolite such as ZSM-5. A similar catalyst further containing thorium is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,818.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,283 describes a method for dehydrocyclizing alkanes employing as catalyst, a Group VIII metal-containing large pore zeolite which further contains an alkaline earth metal, e.g., zeolite X, Y or L containing Pt and barium.
In accordance with the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,602, C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 aliphatic hydrocarbons are converted to aromatics over a zeolite catalyst, e.g., ZSM-5, which has been activated with zinc.

Process for the conversion of paraffins to olefins and/or aromatics and low acidity zeolite catalyst therefor


A multi-dimensional audio processor receives as an input either a single channel signal or a two channel signal from an audio signal source; for example a musical instrument or an audio mixer. The processor is programmable to divide the input among at least 3 output channels in a user-defined manner. The processor is also user programmable to provide a variety of effect and mixing functions for the output channel signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio processing apparatus for receiving an at least one channel input signal and providing a plurality of user-defined effect and mixing functions for processing the input signal to generate an at least 3 channel output signal.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past it has been known in the art of audio processing to use so-called effect units for enriching the sound quality of an audio signal through the application of effects processing; i.e., the application of effects such as chorus, flange, delay, pitch shift, compression and distortion, among others; and for providing simulation of physical audio phenomena, such as speaker characteristics and room reverberation. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary use of a prior effect unit. Effect processor 10 receives input signal 12 from audio source 11a-c, typically input signal 12 is either a single channel; i.e., mono; signal or a two channel stereo signal from musical instrument 11a-b or audio mixer 11c. Effect unit 10 provides user definable analog and/or digital signal processing of input signal 12 and provides output signal 13, which is either a mono signal or a stereo signal, to amplifiers 14a-b or audio mixer 14c. Recently it has become standard to provide effect unit 10 with the functionality of several effects which the user; e.g., a musician; can arrange into a desired processing order; i.e., a user defined effects chain; thereby allowing the user to tailor the operation of effects unit 10 to achieve a desired audio result for output signal 13. As a particular example of the prior art, guitar systems have been known and used for years that provide guitar signal processing to simulate the characteristics of the tube guitar amplifier and speakers. With digital signal processing, currently available systems offer both the guitar signal processing (amplifier simulation) and effects processing. The systems of today lack any aspect of multi-dimensionality in the reproduction of the processed output. That is, all of the commercially available systems offer only stereo outputs which lack the requirements to offer a multi-dimensional reproduction of the sound. Custom system builders have built guitar systems for some of the professional touring guitarists with a three channel setup. Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram of the prior art three channel custom system is shown. These systems have typically been configured with amplifier stack 20 in the middle to reproduce the direct guitar signal. Typically the line output of direct guitar amp 21 is fed to the input of stereo effects processor 22. The output of stereo effects processor 22 is fed to stereo power amplifier 23 which powers two speaker cabinets 24a-b placed one on each side of direct guitar amplifier 21. In these systems the center channel will provide what is referred to as the dry guitar signal while the side speakers provide effect enhancement. For example, many of the stereo effects processors include echo algorithms where the echo will "ping-pong" between the two output channels and multi-voice chorus or pitch shifting algorithms. While these custom systems start to approach the potential of a multi-dimensional guitar audio processor they fall short in that there is not total flexibility for the user to define the location of the various effects within the three channel system. In summary, the prior art in this area lacks the ability to provide more than two output channels which are each derived from an at least one channel input signal and internally effected signals.
A second area of prior art related to the present invention is the commonly known surround sound audio system which has been finding wide application in the movie/home theater environment. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary surround sound system which includes audio signal source 31, which is typically recorded audio, for providing input signal 35 to surround decoder 30 and speakers 32a-c, 33a-b, 34 which receive dedicated signals from the outputs of decoder 30. Input signal 35 is typically a stereo signal, which may be encoded for surround playback, and decoder 30 processes the input signal to generate dedicated output channels for the left, center, and right front speakers 32a-c, the left and right rear; i.e. surround; speakers 33a-b and subwoofer 34. In one particular prior art surround sound decoder, the DC-1 Digital Controller available from Lexicon, Inc., additional signal processing is provided which simulates the reverberation characteristics of any of several predefined acoustic environments with fixed source and listening positions, where the source and listening positions are modeled as points in the simulated environment. The user/listener can then create the acoustic ambience of; e.g., a concert hall in a home listening environment. Limited user editing of environment parameters is also provided so that custom environments can be defined. The prior art in this area lacks multi-effect functionality/configurability and mixing functionality which would allow the user/listener to independently define the signal for each output channel in terms of input signal 35 and internally effected signals and is typically limited to stereo input signals from prerecorded audio sources. Additionally, this area of prior art lacks the flexibility of being able to vary source and listening positions in a simulated acoustic environment.

Multi-dimensional processor and multi-dimensional audio processor system


Auto-loader apparatus for tape cartridges comprises a cartridge deck having an exposed or exposable supply hub; a device that moves a cartridge along a first, preferably linear, path from an initial position in a cartridge rack and moves the cartridge along a second path which passes through the supply hub of the cartridge deck until the cartridge engages the exposed supply hub.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to auto-loading of magnetic or optical tape cartridges or cassettes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cartridges such as 3480 style half-inch cartridges were originally designed to be used in manual load decks. These manual load decks have an enclosed supply hub for driving the tape reel, and a slot in the side of the deck through which the cartridge may be inserted. The manual loading operation is shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c of the accompanying drawings. Referring to FIG. 1a, the cartridge 1 is gripped, between the thumb on top of the cartridge and the index and second fingers underneath the cartridge, and the cartridge is pushed part-way into the slot 2 in the side of the manual load deck 3. The cartridge 1 is then either manually pushed further into the deck 3 into a position over the supply hub 4 as shown in FIG. 1b, or the cartridge 1 is gripped by a powered device 5 in the deck 3 and pulled into position over the supply hub 4 as shown in FIG. 1c. In the system of FIG. 1b, once the cartridge 1 is positioned over the supply hub 4, a spring-loaded device (not shown) is triggered to lower the cartridge down onto the teeth of the supply hub 4. In the system of FIG. 1c, the powered device 5 drives the cartridge down to engage with the supply hub 4.
As manual load decks became established, auto-loaders were designed to load cartridges automatically into the decks. Such auto-loaders are mechanical substitute hands designed to perform the complete sequence of loading operations originally done manually. FIGS. 2a and 2b of the accompanying drawings show the operation of such an auto-loader.
FIG. 2a shows a mechanical hand 10 transporting a cartridge 1 From a magazine of rack 11 to a deck 3, illustrating three successive stages of this operation. The cartridges 1 ape stacked vertically in the rack 11 with sufficient space between each cartridge to allow insertion of the mechanical hand 10 to grip a cartridge as shown in the Figure. Once the hand 10 has gripped the cartridge 1, the First stage of the operation is movement of the hand 10 in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 2a to remove the cartridge from the pack 11. The next stage in the operation is rotation of the hand 10 through 180.degree. as shown by the arrows B in the figure. The hand 10 is then lowered to the level of the slot 2 and moved in the direction of the arrow C to insert the cartridge 1 partially into the slot 2 of the deck 3. If the deck mechanism is of the type shown in FIG. 1c, the powered device 5 then takes over to draw the cassette 1 into the slot and drive the cassette down onto the supply hub. If the deck system is of the type shown in FIG. 1b, the hand 10 must release the cartridge after it has been partially inserted into the slot 2, pull back away from the cartridge, close on itself and then continue to push the cartridge into the slot 2 as shown in FIG. 2b whereupon the spring-loaded device lowers the cartridge onto the teeth of the supply hub 4.
There are a number of disadvantages associated with existing auto-loader systems such as that previously described. For example, there is inefficient use of potential storage space in the rack due to the need to space the cartridges vertically sufficiently to enable access by the mechanical hand to grip a cartridge. There must also be sufficient space for the auto-loader to perform all the various separate manoeuvres of the loading procedure. In addition to inefficient use of space, the multiple operations involved in the loading process increase the complexity of the apparatus and the time taken to carry out the process.
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows schematically the successive stages of movement of a cartridge 1 during a typical multi-stage loading operation performed by known auto-loader apparatus, the apparatus being omitted for clarity. The cartridge 1 is first moved out of the rack (not shown) by horizontal movement as indicated by the arrow A. The cartridge is next moved vertically downwards, as indicated by the arrow B, until level with the slot 2 of the deck 3. The cartridge 1 is then partially inserted into the deck 3 as shown by the arrow C. The cartridge is then pushed fully into the deck 3, or is drawn in by a powered device in the deck, as shown by the arrow D. Finally, the cartridge is lowered vertically into engagement with the supply hub of the deck as shown by the arrow E. Depending on the way in which the cartridge 1 is grasped by the auto-loader apparatus, and the orientation of the cartridge in the rack, rotation of the cartridge, for example through 180.degree. as shown in FIG. 2a, may also be required. Thus, it can be seen that known loading processes require at least five stages of horizontal and vertical movement to perform the task of loading the cartridge 1 into the deck 3.


A preparatory molding roll 4 having a convex push surface 41 is pushed to an outer peripheral surface of a work 1A while the work 1A is chucked by a pair of molds 2 and 3 and is rotated by applying axial propelling force, to bend inward the outer peripheral surface of the work in a radial direction. The work is then chucked by the preparatory molding roll and the upper and lower molds. Next, the preparatory molding roll is moved back and the work is crushed in the axial direction to form a bent portion 1a. A molding roll 5 is pushed to mold the outer shape of the work. A grooved roll 6 is next pushed to the outer peripheral surface of the work and a groove 1b is formed on the outer peripheral surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method, and an apparatus, for producing a cylindrical component having a bent portion, and is particularly suitable for producing a bearing sleeve of a resin pulley.
2. Description of the Related Art
To acquire driving force from an engine in a compressor used for a car air conditioner, a pulley B is fitted to a housing side of the compressor through a bearing A in such a manner as to be capable of rotating as shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand, a hub C is fixed to a rotary shaft of the compressor and a power transmission system is formed between the pulley B and the hub C. A belt is wound on an outer peripheral surface of the pulley B. The pulley B is rotated by power from outside such as the engine and this turning force is transmitted to rotate the rotary shaft of the compressor and to operate the compressor.
In this case, the pulley B and the bearing A are fixed through a bearing sleeve D. FIG. 2 shows a detailed construction of this bearing sleeve D. The bearing sleeve D corresponds to a cylindrical component having a bent portion according to the invention and has a portion D1 protruding inward (corresponding to a bent portion 1a) to inhibit movement of the bearing A in the axial direction. To firmly fix the pulley B, the bearing sleeve D has a rotation stop groove D2 (groove 1b of cylindrical component 1) that is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bearing sleeve D.
A cylindrical component having such a bent portion (bearing sleeve) has been produced in the past by pressing a coil material. In this case, a sheet thickness is corrected, and an unnecessary portion is cut off, by pressing in a predetermined shape. Therefore, because scrap occurs, a work for processing the scrap is necessary and the material yield is as low as about 40%. A large number of working steps are necessary, a large investment is necessary for molds and a production preparation period is long.

Method and apparatus for producing cylindrical components having bent portions


An audio player assembly comprising a housing, at least one speaker mounted in the housing, a recess formed in the housing and defining a bottom wall, a pair of oppositely disposed side walls and an angled rear wall. A digital sound storage device connection port, electrically connected to the speaker, is formed in the recess. A slot is formed in the angled rear wall, with a wedge member slidably connected to the slot, wherein the wedge member may move along the slot to effectively vary the depth of the recess, snugly engaging digital sound storage devices of varying dimensions.

A large number of digital sound storage devices are currently offered in the marketplace. One of the most popular is the IPOD® MP3 player commercially produced by Apple Computer, Inc. (1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, Calif. 95014). Such digital sound storage devices are popular largely because of their portability and ease of use. However, digital sound storage devices have typically been restricted to personal use, by way of headphones, and have generally not been desirable for transmitting music to a group of persons.
Recently, however, a number of audio player assemblies have entered the market for usage with digital sound storage devices that allow the transmitting of music to a large group of people. These audio player assemblies typically consist of a stand-alone or unitary speaker system with a "docking" port. The docking port is meant to receive a digital sound storage device, and audio signals from the digital sound storage device are transferred to the speaker system by various means and amplified by the speakers.
For example, the BOSE® SoundDock™ is an audio system with a unitary speaker system and a docking port (The Mountain, Framingham, Mass. 01701). The docking port is compatible with the IPOD MP3 player. However, the SoundDock system is only compatible with specific sizes of the IPOD. To accommodate smaller or larger digital sound storage devices, the SoundDock system would require extra hardware for consumers to purchase to adapt the SoundDock system to receive smaller or larger digital sound storage devices, thus adding additional expense and effort.
Another current "dockable" sound system is the ALTEC LANSING® InMotion™ system (Route 6 and 209, Milford, Pa. 18337). The InMotion system is also compatible with the IPOD. Similarly, the InMotion system has the same disadvantage as the SoundDock, in that it only accommodates digital sound storage devices of a specific, predetermined size and will require consumers with digital sound storage devices of other sizes to purchase additional adaptor hardware at additional expenses.
Currently, there is offered no audio player assembly that effectively eliminates the need to locate and retain independent hardware when changing the size or configuration of digital sound storage devices.
There is thus a need for a stand-alone or unitary speaker system that provides long-term customer satisfaction and eliminates the need to locate and retain independent hardware when changing the size or configuration of digital sound storage devices. The present invention addresses this need.

Adjustable receiver for digital sound storage devices