A method of packaging a bicycle having at least one wheel axle with exposed ends in a shipping carton. The method includes attaching a guard over at least one of the exposed ends of the axle by sliding the axle through a slotted opening in the guard and using the guard to tighten a fastener to positively secure the guard on the axle. A distal surface of the guard is aligned with a side of the carton and the bicycle is placed into the carton with the distal guard surface adjacent to a side of the carton.

Recently, the number of bicycles being shipped directly from a warehouse to a consumer through on-line purchases has been increasing. Typically, bicycles are shipped to consumers in standard corrugated cardboard cartons. FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary bicycle 20 packaged for shipping in a conventional carton 22. During the warehousing and shipping process, it is not uncommon for the shipping carton 22 to be subjected to a number of forces acting on the carton, as depicted by the arrows 24. These forces can cause exposed ends of the front wheel axle 26, rear wheel axle 30, or both axles of the bicycle 20 to rip and/or poke through the carton 22 as indicated at 32 and 34. Once an axle pokes a hole in the carton, typically the hole will continue to expand during the shipping process. The portion of the axle that protrudes through the carton represents a concern for consumers and warehousing personnel. In regard to the former, the exposed axle end can hit or scrape the arms or legs of the consumer potentially causing injury. In regard to the latter, the exposed axle end can catch on conveyor systems used to move goods around the shipping warehouse. The exposed axle can get caught on equipment and be a safety risk. Therefore, it is undesirable to have the axle poke through the carton in which the bicycle is packaged.
One known solution to this problem is to use an axle guard to shield the exposed ends of the axles during shipment. Traditional axle guards are intended to slide on to the axle or the axle nuts that hold the wheels to the frame and be held thereon by a simple friction fit. However, the slide on design of the existing guards does not function very well, easily falling off during insertion of the bicycle into the carton or movement of the shipping carton due to the loose friction fit of the guard on the axle or axle nut. When the protective guard falls off the axle, the exposed end of the axle often protrudes through the cardboard carton, causing damage to the carton and potentially giving rise to the other problems described above.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an apparatus and method for shipping bicycles in cardboard cartons that eliminates the problem of the axle poking through the side of the carton. In particular, it is desirable to have an improved axle guard which is securely attached onto the wheel axle to prevent the guard from falling off the axle during movement of the shipping carton. Further, it is desirable to have an axle guard which can be easily and securely applied to a conventional bicycle axle, prior to placing the bicycle in a shipping carton, without the need to remove the axle nut from the axle.


A method, system and computer program product for improving accuracy and experience of a game. Signals are sent from a computer system to appropriate sensors based on a player's or game object's position to activate connected light-emitting fibers that are blended with grass on a playing field. The light-emitting fibers are activated in such a manner to display light to indicate an infraction (e.g., a player was in an offside position), a successful play (e.g., team made a first down), appropriate maneuvers, boundaries for a play, etc., thereby ensuring the game is fair and accurate and enhancing the experience of the game.

Sports is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refers to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors. Sports are used as entertainment for the player and the viewer. It has also been proven by experiments that daily exercise increases mental strength and power to study.
Technology is playing an important role in sports, whether applied to an athlete's health, the athlete's technique, equipment's characteristics or even ensuring a fair game. For example, a system referred to as "instant replay" has been implemented in several sports (e.g., football, hockey, college football, basketball, tennis, rugby, etc.) where plays in a sporting match can be reviewed (or replayed) using recorded video feeds of the sporting match in order to ensure that the correct call is made on the play. However, instant replay is usually limited to being used in certain situations. For example, goals in hockey can only be reviewed in the following situations: puck crossing the goal line completely; puck in the net prior to the end of the period; puck in the net prior to goal frame being dislodged; puck being directed into the net by hand or foot; puck in the net after deflecting directly off an official; and puck deflected into the goal by the high stick by an attacking player. Hence, many calls are still subject to human error. Further, even with instant replay, mistakes may still occur as usually a referee, a replay judge, etc., can only overturn a call if the call is clearly in error. Hence, a call may be incorrect but if there is not enough evidence to show the call to be clearly incorrect, the call will stand.
Recently, a synthetic turf system used on a game field has been developed that includes blades of polyethylene grass blended with light-emitting fibers with the capability of reflecting light upwards. The fiber-optical laden blades are supposed to have the same look, feel and durability as non-illuminated blades. This system is commonly being referred to as "Turf TV" as the fiber-optical blades can be used to display team logos and even commercial viewing.
As technology continues to play an important role in sports, it would be desirable if this fiber optic field technology could be used to ensure the game is even more fair and accurate than under the current system of instant replay thereby enhancing the experience of the game.

Light-emitting fibers intertwined in grass related to a player's or game object's position

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed is a system and method that resolves a mismatch between software versions executing on redundant controllers. A mismatch between a first software version executing on a first redundant controller and a second software version executing on a second redundant controller is identified. By comparing software version identifiers associated with the first software version, the second software version, and a stored system software identifier, a preferred software version is selected. The preferred software version is copied from a controller running the preferred software version to the other controllers.

Mass storage systems continue to provide increased storage capacities to satisfy user demands. Photo and movie storage, photo and movie sharing, and "cloud" storage are examples of applications that fuel the growth in demand for larger and larger storage systems.
A solution to these increasing demands is the use of arrays of multiple inexpensive disks. These arrays may implement RAID functionality. These arrays may be configured in ways that may provide redundancy and error recovery without any loss of data. These arrays may also be configured to increase read and write performance by allowing data to be read or written simultaneously to multiple disk drives. These arrays may also be configured to allow "hot-swapping" which allows a failed disk or controller to be replaced without interrupting the storage services of the array. Multiple disk storage systems typically utilize one or more controllers that shields the user or host system from the details of managing the storage array. Redundant controllers may also be employed to increase reliability and allow for hot-swapping. The controllers may make the storage array appear as one or more disk drives (or volumes). This is accomplished in spite of the fact that the data (or redundant data) for a particular volume may be spread across multiple disk drives.


An electronic apparatus which reduces the size of an operating ring in a radial direction while ensuring good operability using a click mechanism of the operating ring. A rotary member which rotates integrally with the operating ring has click holes formed on an inner peripheral side of concave portions and convex portions formed alternately in an outer peripheral portion. As the operating ring is rotationally operated, a ball is repeatedly engaged with and pulled out from the click hole to generate a click feel on the operating ring, and the concave and convex portions are repeatedly detected to detect a rotating direction and a rotationally-operated amount of the operating ring. The click holes, concave portions, and convex portions are formed in the rotary member such that the click holes and the concave portions are not aligned in a direction perpendicular to a rotation center of the rotary member.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus including an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera, and in particular to an electronic apparatus having a rotationally-operated member that is able to be rotationally operated.
Description of the Related Art
In some electronic apparatuses such as digital cameras, generally, an operating ring in an outer peripheral portion of a lens barrel is rotationally operated to adjust the zoom and focus of a lens barrel or change setting parameters based on a rotational direction and a rotationally-operated amount of the operating ring. There are also known electronic apparatuses equipped with a click mechanism that makes it easier to grasp of a rotationally-operated amount of the operating ring so as to enhance operability.
Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique that forms a first hole for a click mechanism and a second hole for detecting a rotational direction and a rotationally-operated amount in a rotary member which rotates in conjunction with an operating ring such that the first hole and the second hole are connected together in a diametrical direction (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2011-8970).
According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2011-8970, however, the first hole, the second hole, and an outermost area for ensuring stiffness are formed in the rotary member which rotates in conjunction with the operating ring such that they are connected to one another in the diametrical direction, and this brings about an increase in the size of the operating ring in a radial direction, and by extension an increase in the size of an electronic apparatus.

Electronic apparatus with rotationally-operated member


The present invention relates to a detergent which comprises an aqueous solution containing not less than 2% by weight of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and which is capable of remaining transparent for one week or more at 5xc2x0 C.

The present invention relates to a detergent with excellent transparency stability and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition suited for use for such a detergent.
Liquid detergents need to remain free from separating or precipitation of the constituents and be capable to maintain transparency stability, or the ability to remain transparent for a prolonged period of time, when placed under various environmental conditions in the market, especially in a cold district.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 6-340896 discloses a detergent containing an alkylene oxide adduct of a short-chain alcohol as a liquid detergent with improved transparency stability.
Polyglycerol fatty acid esters are a very mild surface active agent showing high performance in surface tension, emulsification, solubilization and foaming as well as high detergency, harmless to the human body and also little stimulant to the skin and hair, so that they are suited for cleaning foods, processed food materials, food producing equipment, tableware and such and actually used as a primary constituent of detergent compositions such as shampoo, body shampoo, cleanser, etc.
For instance, as a polyglycerol fatty acid ester with improved foaming ability, one containing not less than 70% of a fatty acid monoester obtained from an addition polymerization reaction of glycidyl and a fatty acid is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 8-109153, EP 0758641 A1).
The hitherto known detergents containing a polyglycerol fatty acid ester, however, are still unsatisfactory in their ability to retain transparency, and the development of a detergent with high transparency stability has been desired.
In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a transparent detergent which is capable of maintaining excellent transparency stability even if kept in storage for a long time, gives a good image as a commercial product, and is assured of high safety and thus anticipated to obtain high appraisal in the market.
As a result of the present inventors"" earnest study, to solve the above problem, it has been found that such a detergent can be realized by using a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition having a specific cloud point as a surface active agent.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detergent which comprises an aqueous solution containing not less than 2% by weight of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and which is capable of remaining transparent for one week or more at 5xc2x0 C.
In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detergent comprising a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition whose cloud point as determined in an 8 wt % sodium sulfate solution in a concentration of 1% by weight is not lower than 40xc2x0 C.
In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detergent as defined in the above first aspect or second aspect which is to be used for foods.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition whose cloud point as determined in an 8 wt % sodium sulfate solution in a concentration of 1% by weight is not lower than 40xc2x0 C., and which composition contains not less than 0.1% by weight of soap.
The polyglycerol fatty acid ester compositions whose cloud point as determined in an 8% sodium sulfate solution in a concentration of 1% by weight is not lower than 40xc2x0 C. are already known in the art as an emulsion stabilizer for foods, but their use for detergents is novel.
The detergent according to the present invention is an aqueous solution which comprises not less than 2% by weight of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and which is capable of remaining transparent for one week or more at 5xc2x0 C.
The polyglycerol fatty acid ester (which may hereinafter be referred to as xe2x80x9cPoGExe2x80x9d) used in the present invention is an ester obtainable by reacting usually polyglycerol (which may hereinafter be referred to as xe2x80x9cPoGxe2x80x9d) and a fatty acid. In the said polyglycerol fatty acid ester, the average degree of polymerization of the constituent polyglycerol is usually 4 to 20, preferably 8 to 14. The fatty acid forming another constituent of the ester is usually selected from the saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the molecule, but it is preferably a saturated fatty acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the molecule. Examples of such fatty acids include caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid and myristic acid, among which lauric acid is preferred. These fatty acids may be used as a combination of two or more depending on the purpose of use of the composition. The greater the content of the monoester, the more desirable. The average esterification degree is usually 1 to 1.5, preferably 1.
In the aqueous solution according to the present invention, usually water is used as medium, but it is possible to use a mixture of water and an alcohol such as ethanol, ethylene glycol, glycerin, propylene glycol or the like as medium. In case of using a mixture of water and an alcohol, their mixing ratio is not subject to any specific restrictions, but usually the content of water in the medium is not less than 70% by weight, preferably not less than 80% by weight, more preferably not less than 90% by weight.
The content of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester in the detergent is not less than 2% by weight. The content defined herein (not less than 2% by weight) is the content of the ester proper and does not indicate the content of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition which includes impurities such as the unreacted materials. The ester content is usually not more than 20% by weight, preferably not more than 15% by weight, more preferably not more than 10% by weight. Below 2% by weight, the content of the surface active agent (polyglycerol fatty acid ester) is too low to produce the desired detersive effect. It is to be also noted that supplementation of other surface active agent than a polyglycerol fatty acid for maintaining the detersive effect may prove detrimental to the safety of the composition. An ester content in excess of 20% by weight is also undesirable as it tends to induce precipitation.
xe2x80x9cwhich is capable to remain transparent for one week or more at 5xc2x0 C.xe2x80x9d means that the detergent can remain transparent for more than a week when it is allowed to stand at 5xc2x0 C. immediately after its preparation. xe2x80x9cBeing transparentxe2x80x9d means that the transmittance of the whole detergent is almost 100%, and such xe2x80x9ctransparent detergentxe2x80x9d does not include one which forms a precipitate at the bottom of the container. The period in which the detergent can remain transparent is preferably not less than 50 days, more preferably not less than 100 days, even more preferably not less than 150 days. It is considered that if the preparation can remain transparent for more than a week at 5xc2x0 C., it can well maintain high transmittance for a long time even in a cold district. On the other hand, in the case of a detergent which is not transparent from the time of its preparation or a detergent which can not keep transparency even for a week at 5xc2x0 C., it is considered that such a detergent is liable to precipitate heavily at the bottom of the container if it is stored for a long time in a cold district. In such a case, the user may hold doubt about safety and cleaning ability of the detergent, and also the image of the detergent as a commercial product will be impaired from the aesthetic point of view.
The content of soap in the detergent of the present invention is not less than 0.01% by weight. A soap content of not less than 0.01% by weight is preferable as it helps better transparency stability of the detergent. This is attributable to the fact that since the soap molecules are trapped in the micells formed by the polyglycerol fatty acid ester, the negative charge carried by the soap molecules is given to the micells to generate a static repulsion which discourages aggregation or uniting of the micells with each other, suppressing the tendency of the composition to precipitate. The soap content is more preferably not less than 0.03% by weight, even more preferably not less than 0.1% by weight, still more preferably not less than 0.3% by weight. Usually, it is not more than 1% by weight, preferably not more than 0.5% by weight. xe2x80x9cSoapxe2x80x9d referred to in the present invention means a fatty acid alkaline metal salt. The constituent fatty acid of this fatty acid alkaline metal salt is usually the same as that of the above-mentioned polyglycerol fatty acid ester. The alkaline metal in the said fatty acid alkaline metal salt is usually potassium or sodium.
Polyglycerol fatty acid esters are produced usually by esterifying polyglycerol with a fatty acid in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. In this process, a fatty acid alkaline metal salt is formed as a by-product from a side reaction between the fatty acid and the alkaline catalyst. Also, since polyglycerol fatty acid esters are hard to purify, they are usually used in the non-purified form. Therefore, it is preferable in terms of process efficiency to produce a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition containing the necessary amounts of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a fatty acid alkaline metal salt, and add this composition in the non-purified form. However, in case where the content of the fatty acid alkaline metal salt in the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition is low, the fatty acid alkaline metal salt alone may be added separately. The constituent fatty acid of the separately added fatty acid alkaline metal salt may be the same as or different from that of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester, but it is preferably one which has 8 to 14, more preferably 8 to 12 carbon atoms in the molecule.
The detergent of the present invention may contain an alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid. It is considered that an alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid acts to discourage aggregation or unifying of micells like soap. The preferred content of the alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid in the detergent is usually not less than 0.01% by weight. In case where both of soap and alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid are contained in the detergent, the combined amount of the two is usually not less than 0.01% by weight. As the fatty acid and alkaline metal constituting the said alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid, the same fatty acid and alkaline metal mentioned in the above explanation of xe2x80x9csoapxe2x80x9d can be used.
The detergent according to the present invention can be produced by containing a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition whose cloud point as determined in an 8 wt % sodium sulfate solution in a concentration of 1% by weight is not lower than 40xc2x0 C.
Various chemical analytical methods have been used for the analysis of PoGE. For example, such factors as acid value, saponification value and hydroxy value were used for determining the degree of esterification or the amount of residual fatty acid, and the evaluation methods such as analysis of the ash have been used for determining the amount of soap or residual catalyst.
However, polyglycerol used as base material of PoGE, which is a polycondensate of glycerol and hard to purify, has a distribution of degrees of polymerization and contains not only a straight-chain polymer but also a branched or cyclic polymer. Therefore, its esterified product PoGE is a composition containing PoGE of various degrees of esterification with different PoG skeletons and unreacted PoG. PoGE may also contain soap, which is a by-product of the reaction between the alkaline catalyst used for the esterification reaction and the base material fatty acid, and may further contain unreacted fatty acid in case where the esterification reaction is incomplete or the fatty acid is used in excess of the stoichiometrical amount.
PoGE being a complex mixture as described above, it has been difficult to specify the synthetic properties of PoGE by the conventional chemical analytical techniques. For example, even if PoGE preparations are close or equal to each other in average esterification degree, they may drastically differ in properties such as emulsion stability, so that it has been impossible to know their properties sufficiently only by the conventional chemical analytical means such as determination of average esterification degree or unreacted PoG, thus producing impropriety in property evaluation. So, recently, the rating system by xe2x80x9ccloud pointxe2x80x9d has come to be used for the specification of synthetic properties of polyglycerol fatty acid ester compositions.
Generally, xe2x80x9ccloud pointxe2x80x9d is defined as a temperature at which there takes place two-phase separation of an ethylene oxide-derived nonionic surfactant solution by rise of temperature to make the solution heterogeneous, and the system using this phenomenon is well known as a method for evaluation of properties of polyoxyethylenic surfactants [Yushi Yogo Jiten (Glossary on Oils and Fats), compiled by Japan Oils and Fats Association, pub. by Saiwai Shobo]. Cloud point is sensitive to the structure and composition of polyglycerol fatty acid esters and even reflects fatty acid soap, so that it allows accurate recognition of the degree of hydrophilicity or the difference of composition. Further, with ease of determination, this system is the best method for determining the properties which characterize the polyglycerol fatty acid ester compositions. Therefore, cloud point is a more useful index for polyglycerol fatty acid ester compositions than HLB (hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance).
Since polyglycerols have many hydroxyl groups, cloud points of PoGE are generally higher than those of the polyoxyethylenic surfactants and may exceed the boiling point of water. In such a case, it is possible to make the determination easier to conduct by using an appropriate salt solution (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 9-157386). Usually, the higher the hydrophilicity is, the higher becomes the cloud point, and even when the esterification rate is the same, a higher monoester content provides a higher cloud point.
In determination of cloud point, usually the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition to be determined needs to be dissolved in a 1 to 30% sodium chloride or sodium sulfate solution and then subjected to the determination. The determination conditions are variable depending on the solubility of the sample to be determined, but in the case of the present invention, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition is first dispersed in an 8 wt % sodium sulfate solution to a concentration of 1% by weight to form a homogeneous aqueous solution. This solution is changed in temperature stepwise by 1 to 5xc2x0 C. at one time in the arbitrary temperature range from 0xc2x0 C. to 100xc2x0 C. and allowed to stand for a while at a fixed temperature, and the temperature at which the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is separated in the form of oil drops, oil layer or gel to form a heterogeneous aqueous solution is measured. This temperature is what is called xe2x80x9ccloud pointsxe2x80x9d in the present invention. When the temperature is lower than 0xc2x0 C. (as it becomes below the melting point of ice) or when the temperature exceeds 100xc2x0 C. (as it becomes higher than the boiling point of water), it becomes difficult to make correct determination of cloud point.
The cloud point (as determined in an 8 wt % sodium sulfate solution in a concentration of 1% by weight) of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition used in the present invention is not lower than 40xc2x0 C. The cloud point of xe2x80x9cnot lower than 40xc2x0 C.xe2x80x9d means that it is in the range of 40 to 100xc2x0 C. or may be higher than 100xc2x0 C. in case where no heterogeneous aqueous solution is formed at 100xc2x0 C. The higher the cloud point, the more preferable. When the cloud point is high, hydrophilicity of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester itself elevates correspondingly to discourage aggregation or uniting of the micells, suppressing the tendency for the composition to precipitate and consequently raising transparency stability of the aqueous solution. When the cloud point is below 40xc2x0 C., hydrophobicity of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester elevates to lower its water solubility, reducing transparency stability of the aqueous solution. Cloud point is preferably not lower than 45xc2x0 C., more preferably not lower than 50xc2x0 C., even more preferably not lower than 80xc2x0 C. Cloud point may be higher than 100xc2x0 C. (in case where no heterogeneous aqueous solution is formed at 100xc2x0 C.).
In the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition used in the present invention, soap is contained in an amount of preferably not less than 0.1% by weight. If the soap content is not less than 0.1% by weight, the soap molecules are taken up in the micells formed by the polyglycerol fatty acid ester, affording the negative charge of the soap molecules to the micells to generate a static repulsive force which works to suppress aggregation or uniting of the micells with each other, thus discouraging precipitation of the composition. The soap content is more preferably not less than 0.3% by weight, even more preferably not less than 1% by weight, still more preferably not less than 3% by weight. Usually, the soap content is not more than 10% by weight, preferably not more than 5% by weight.
The average polymerization degree of polyglycerol constituting the polyglycerol fatty acid ester in the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition is usually 4 to 20, preferably 8 to 14. The constituent fatty acid is usually selected from the saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the molecule, but it is preferably a saturated fatty acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms. Examples of such fatty acids are caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid and myristic acid, among which lauric acid is preferred. These fatty acids may be used as a combination of two or more depending on the purpose of use of the composition.
The ester content in the polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition is usually 10 to 60% by weight, preferably 20 to 50% by weight.
The PoGE composition having a cloud point of not lower than 40xc2x0 C. used in the present invention can be produced by a direct esterification reaction of polyglycerol and a fatty acid, the reaction being carried out at 150 to 300xc2x0 C., preferably 180 to 260xc2x0 C., by using an alkaline catalyst in an amount of 0.001 to 3% by weight, preferably 0.001 to 1% by weight, based on the combined amount of the reaction materials (polyglycerol and fatty acid). As the alkaline catalyst, for instance, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and the like can be used. The reaction is usually carried out by supplying polyglycerol, a fatty acid and a catalyst to a stirrer type reactor and heating them to a prescribed temperature with stirring, with the generated water being discharged out of the reaction system. It is preferable that an inert gas such as nitrogen gas be passed through the gas phase region of the reactor during the reaction. The molar ratio of the fatty acid to polyglycerol in the feed is usually not greater than 1, preferably not greater than 0.8, and usually not less than 0.4.
A PoGE composition with a soap content of not more than 0.1% by weight and a cloud point of not lower than 80xc2x0 C. can be produced by conducting the reaction for a long time at a relatively high temperature while confining the consumption of the alkaline catalyst in the esterification reaction to a small quantity. Specifically, in the direct esterification reaction of polyglycerol and a fatty acid, an alkaline catalyst is used in a very small quantity, i.e. 0.001 to 0.025% by weight, preferably 0.002 to 0.02% by weight, based on the combined amount of the reaction materials (polyglycerol and a fatty acid). When the amount of the alkaline catalyst used is less than 0.001% by weight, the esterification reaction does not proceed smoothly. On the other hand, when the amount of the alkaline catalyst exceeds 0.025% by weight, since the reaction temperature is high, there is a risk of incurring the undesirable phenomena such as tinting of the product, polymerization or cyclization of the starting polyglycerol, etc. The reaction temperature is usually 200 to 300xc2x0 C. Preferably, the reaction temperature is kept at 200 to 240xc2x0 C. at least until the fatty acid conversion reaches 70%, and thereafter the reaction temperature is further raised by 20 to 60xc2x0 C. In this case, the reaction time after elevation of the reaction temperature is usually 2 to 6 hours. In the PoGE composition produced in the manner described above, usually soap is contained in an amount of not less than 0.1% by weight. The molar ratio of the fatty acid to polyglycerol in the feed is usually not greater than 1, preferably not greater than 0.8, and usually not less than 0.4.
A PoGE composition with a soap content of not less than 0.1% and a cloud point of not lower than 40xc2x0 C. can be produced usually by carrying out the reaction for a short time at a relatively low temperature and using a relatively large quantity of an alkaline catalyst in the esterification reaction. Specifically, in a direct esterification reaction of polyglycerol and a fatty acid, an alkaline catalyst is used in an amount of 0.025 to 3% by weight based on the combined amount of the reaction materials (polyglycerol and fatty acid). When the amount of the alkaline catalyst used is less than 0.025% by weight, there is not provided a sufficient catalyst-derived soap content for obtaining low-temperature stability. On the other hand, when the amount of the alkaline catalyst exceeds 3% by weight, there is a risk of incurring the undesirable phenomena such as tinting of the product, polymerization or cyclization of the starting polyglycerol, etc. The reaction temperature is 160 to 240xc2x0 C., preferably 180 to 220xc2x0 C., and the reaction time is usually 3 to 10 hours. The molar ratio of polyglycerol to the fatty acid is usually not greater than 1, preferably not greater than 0.8, and usually not less than 0.4. For producing a PoGE composition with a soap content of not less than 0.1% by weight and a cloud point of not lower than 80xc2x0 C., the amount of the alkaline catalyst is adjusted to be usually 0.3 to 3% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 1% by weight, more preferably 0.3 to 0.85% by weight based on the reaction materials in the above process.
In the detergent according to the present invention, a PoGE composition such as described above is added so that a necessary amount of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester will be contained in the detergent. Usually, the composition is added so that the said ester will be contained in an amount of 10 to 40% by weight, preferably 10 to 20% by weight in the detergent.
In case of adding soap in addition to the PoGE composition obtained from the esterification, either the soap may be added separately from the PoGE composition or they may be mixed together to prepare a PoGE composition with an increased soap content. The same applies where an alkaline metal salt of lactylic ester of fatty acid is used in place of soap.
In the detergent of the present invention, in order to allow it to manifest its maximum detergency, a chelating agent may be added. Use of a chelating agent conduces to not only preventing clouding of the hard water solution due to formation of scales in hard water containing calcium, magnesium, etc., but also maintaining detergency, foaming ability and fine touch of foams in hard water. The chelating agent used in the present is not specified; it is possible to use the conventionally used ones such as, for example, citrates, malates, tartarates, glutamates, pyrophosphates, polyacrylates, polymaleates, glucolates, nitrilotriacetates, acrylic acid-maleic anhydride copolymer salts, maleic anhydride-methylvinyl ether copolymer salts, maleic anhydride-olefin copolymer salts, maleic anhydride-methacrylic acid copolymer salts, maleic anhydride-tartaric acid condensate, zeolite, tripolyphosphates, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylenediamine and the like. Among these chelating agents, citrates, malates, tartarates, glutamates and pyrophosphates are preferred as they are safe to the human body, do not cause environmetal pollution, have high compatibility with PoGE used therewith and with water, alcohols, etc., used as detergent components, and are also helpful for producing high detergency, contaminant dispersability, foaming ability and a fine touch of foams. One or more of these chelating agents is (are) contained in an amount of 0.01 to 50% by weight, preferably 1 to 30% by weight in the detergent of the present invention.
Other substances selected arbitrarily from those commonly used in the conventional detergents may be also added in the detergent of the present invention within limits not prejudicial to the object of the invention. Examples of such additive substances include sodium polyoxyethylenealkylethersulfate, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether, sucrose fatty acid esters, monoglycerides, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylenesorbitan fatty acid esters, fatty acid alkanol amides, surface active agents mild to the human body, such as carboxybetain type, imidasolium type, sulfobetain type and amino acid type surfactants, inorganic builders such as sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride, fluidity improvers such as glycerin, ethanol, propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol, thickeners such as carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose, perfumes, colorants, humectants, sterilizers, enzymes, anti-inflamatories, etc.
The detergent of the present invention can be obtained by dissolving the respective components homogeneously in an aqueous medium. The detergent of the present invention can be used for cleaning of foods, tableware, kitchen utensils, etc, and for cleaning of the skin and hair, or as various types of cleaning agents which have many opportunities of contact with the skin. It is especially suited for use as a cleaner for vegetables, fruit and foods such as broiler meat, fishes and shellfishes, etc.
The detergent of the present invention shows an excellent transparency stability even under the high-concentration conditions and can maintain a good image as a commercial product.
Further, the detergent of the present invention, beside high transparency stability mentioned above, also has high safety in use, is little stimulant to the skin, excels in cleaning performance such as detergency, foaming ability, hard water resistance, etc., and in the feel of use, and is also free of undesirable tinting or smelling, so that it is especially suited as a cleaner for foods, tableware and the like or as skin and hair cleaners such as shampoo, body shampoo, face cleanser, hand soap, etc. When used as a tableware cleaner, the detergent of the present invention is capable of expediting drying after rinsing, effecting finish free of waterdrop marks, and providing good gloss and sense of transparency of tableware after drying.
The detergent of the present invention can be easily produced by using a polyglycerol fatty acid ester composition having a specific cloud point.

Polyglycerol fatty acid ester for detergent and detergent containing the same


Articles including a layer comprising nickel and chromium as well as related methods are described herein.

Corrosion is a damaging process that occurs via when a metal is oxidized, altering the composition of the metal such that it no longer maintains the same properties of the original material. This process is typically accelerated at elevated temperatures and presents a challenge when instruments or machines containing metals must be used in applications that require high temperatures. Example of such applications include refining, petrochemical processes, power generation (e.g. fossil fuel, nuclear power), aerospace applications, gas turbines, heat treatments, chemical processing, waste incineration, and automotive processes, to name a few applications. Methods of producing metals or alloys of metals that can maintain strength and function at high temperatures remains an unsolved problem in the art.

Articles including a nickel and chromium layer and methods of forming the same


A MEMS microphone is capable of operating with less-than-one-volt bias voltage. An exemplary MEMS microphone can operate directly from a power rail (i.e., directly from VDD), i.e., without a DC-to-DC step-up voltage converter or other high bias voltage generator. The MEMS microphone has high mechanical and electrical sensitivity due, at least in part, to having high-compliance, i.e. low stiffness, springs and a relatively small gap between its diaphragm and its parallel conductive plate. In some embodiments, a diode-based voltage reference or a bandgap voltage reference supplies the bias voltage.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones are commonly used in mobile telephones and other consumer electronic devices, embedded systems and other devices. A MEMS microphone typically includes a conductive micromachined diaphragm that vibrates in response to an acoustic signal. The microphone also includes a conductive plate parallel to, and spaced apart from, the diaphragm. The diaphragm and the conductive plate collectively form a capacitor, and an electrical charge is placed on the capacitor, typically by an associated circuit referred to as a "bias circuit" or "bias generator." The capacitance of the capacitor varies rapidly as the distance between the diaphragm and the plate varies due to the vibration of the diaphragm caused by the acoustic signal. Typically, the charge on the capacitor remains essentially constant during these vibrations, so the voltage across the capacitor varies as the capacitance varies.
The varying voltage may be used to drive a circuit, such as an amplifier or an analog-to-digital converter, to which the MEMS microphone is connected. Such a circuit may be implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A MEMS microphone connected to a circuit signal processing circuit is referred to herein as a "MEMS microphone system" or a "MEMS system." A MEMS microphone die and its corresponding ASIC are often housed in a common integrated circuit package to keep leads between the microphone and the ASIC as short as possible, such as to avoid parasitic capacitances caused by long leads.
The sensitivity of a MEMS microphone depends, at least in part, on the bias voltage applied across the diaphragm and the conductive plate, with a higher voltage yielding a higher sensitivity. However, supply voltages ("rail" voltages) within battery-powered electronic circuits, such as hearing aids, mobile telephones and Bluetooth headsets, are typically insufficient to directly bias MEMS microphones. Therefore, DC-to-DC step-up converters, such as charge pumps, are utilized to generate the required bias voltages. However, DC-to-DC step up converters may be temperature sensitive, which causes the sensitivity of conventional MEMS microphones to depend on temperature.
Furthermore, charge pumps are inefficient, and in general, DC-to-DC step-up converters are significant sources of power drain in these circuits. Their use, therefore, negatively influences battery life. As a point of comparison, a typical hearing aid electret condenser microphone (ECM) draws approximately 50 microamps (μA) and does not require a bias voltage. In contrast, a typical MEMS microphone requires more than 100 μA to power its bias generator. Reducing the amount of power required by a MEMS microphone would, therefore, provide a significant advantage.


A specially designed sealing element (17) for a circular connector in which the sealing surface is subdivided into two areas, a first sealing section being designed to have a mainly radial sealing effect and a second sealing section being designed to have a mainly axial sealing effect. As a result, an effective sealing is achieved even in the case of counterparts having higher tolerances.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circular connector for industrial applications having a socket part which has a handle body with a cylindrical contact carrier that can be inserted into a sleeve-shaped receiving region which is provided on a plug part made as a mating part.
2. Description of Related Art
German Patent DE 10 2005 056 563 B3 discloses a circular connector with a vibration resistance. Connectors without vibration resistance are also used in various branches of industry. They ordinarily are formed of an elastic handle body and a contact carrier with cable set. The cable set is positioned in the longitudinal direction and at 90° to the plug-in direction. The handle body encompasses both the contact carrier and also the cable set in sections.
Designs are also known in which the user can connect the cable itself to a plug-in system. Here, the handle body is made as a housing with internal contact terminals.
A union nut with an internal thread is designed for connection to a corresponding mating part which can be provided, for example, on a sensor of industrial automation technology. Two versions of the connector are possible, male (plug) and female (socket).
In the operating state, the sensors are securely connected to a control/evaluation unit via the respective cable set. Often, in the control/evaluation units, not only are the sensor signals evaluated, but the voltage supply of the sensors is also made available from there.
Often, these connectors are used in very rough industrial environments. One area of application of these connectors is the food domain where strict hygiene regulations apply to the systems. Generally acid-containing or basic detergent/disinfection agents are used to clean them.
Another area of application is the production/tool domain (non-food) where the systems must meet other requirements. For connectors in this domain, especially coolant or lubricant resistance is of great importance.
In both applications (food/non-food) high pressure/steam jet cleaning methods can also be used.
Altogether, the penetration of liquids into the inner region of an installed connector can lead to corrosion on conductive components within the connector (for example, on the contact carrier).
A failure of a connector, for example, due to corrosion, depending on the application, can lead to shutdown of the entire system under certain circumstances, and thus, can cause major costs.
For small connectors, i.e., ≦M8, there is an industrial standard DIN EN 61076-2-104 which for M8 circular connectors among others specifies the dimensioning of the plug parts with the corresponding tolerances.
O-rings are often used for sealing in these connectors, which are smaller than the M12 plugs. However, since there is no defined support or stop surface for the plugs, the O-ring can be pinched or pushed out of its intended position when the screwed connection is established because there must be a certain axial play between the connector and the mating part. In both cases the sealing action can be adversely affected.
The O-rings are pinched to an intensified degree when deviations from the standard occur in the production of the connectors or their mating parts, as cannot be precluded in manufacturers around the world.
Nor can it be precluded that the O-ring will stick on the mating part and therefore will be lost unnoticed by the user when the plug and socket connection is broken on the actual connector. When another plug and socket connection is established, the sealing element is then missing and liquid can very easily travel into the inner region of the connector. Altogether, reliable sealing in connectors cannot be ensured via an O-ring as the sealing element.

Circular connector having a sealing element with a conical and a concave sealing surfaces


Disclosed herein is a printed circuit board for an optical waveguide, including: a substrate; an insulation layer having a through hole and formed on the substrate; a lower clad layer formed on a bottom of the through hole; core part formed on the lower clad layer; and an upper clad layer formed on the lower clad layer and the core part and thus covering an exposed surface of the core part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board for an optical waveguide and a method of manufacturing the same, and, more particularly, to a printed circuit board which can be efficiently used to fabricate an optical waveguide using a relatively small amount of a clad material and a core material by forming a lower clad layer only in a through-hole of an insulation layer and by applying a core material only on the inner surface of the through-hole and then conducting a patterning process to form a core part, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the demand for an optical substrate including optical wire enabling electrical signals and optical signals to be transmitted to mobile or network equipment has increased.
Generally, an optical wire is made of a polymer having low optical transmittance, and includes a square core part having a x-width of about 50 μm and a y-width of about 50 μm through which signals are propagated, and a clad part covering the square core part. The square core part is generally fabricated through a photo-etching process.
In relation to this, a conventional method of manufacturing a printed circuit board for an optical waveguide will be described as follows with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C.
First, a lower clad layer 13 and a core layer 14 are sequentially formed on a polyimide layer 12 of a flexible substrate including copper foil 11 and the polyimide layer 12 (see FIG. 1A).
Next, the core layer 14 is patterned through a general photo-etching process to form core parts 14a (see FIG. 1B).
Finally, an upper clad layer 15 is formed on the lower clad layer 13 including the core parts 14a formed thereon, thus producing a printed circuit board for an optical waveguide (see FIG. 1C).
However, the conventional method of manufacturing a printed circuit board for an optical waveguide is problematic in that, since the core layer 14 is formed by applying a core material on the entire work area of the substrate and then the core layer 14 is patterned through an exposure/development process to form the core parts 14a, a very large amount of the core material is unnecessarily removed compared to the amount of actually required core parts 14a, and thus the loss of material cost is increased.
Further, the conventional method is problematic in that, since the lower and upper clad layers 13 and 15 are formed throughout the substrate although it is sufficient that they cover the core parts 14a to such a degree that the core parts 14a can easily transmit optical signals, a clad material is excessively used unnecessarily.
Therefore, considering that an optical wire is expensive, it is keenly required to manufacture an optical substrate through an economical and efficient method.

Printed circuit board for optical waveguide and method of manufacturing the same


An FSK signal receiving device is constituted by a first phase shifting circuit for applying a first phase shift to a first reception base band signal of first and second reception base band signals having orthogonal phases to generate a third base band signal, and generating a fourth base band signal having a phase orthogonal to the phase of the third base band signal, a second phase shifting circuit for applying the first phase shift to the second base band signal to generate a fifth reception base band signal, and a logical gate circuit for performing an exclusive OR operation on the third and fourth base band signals to obtain a first output signal, on the third and fifth base signals to obtain a second output signal, and on the first and second output signals to generate a detection signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an FSK signal receiving device designed to receive and demodulate an FSK signal in a communication apparatus used in, e.g., a mobile radio communication system and an optical communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a mobile radio communication system, the FSK (Frequency SHIFT Keying) system is widely used as a modulation system for digital signals.
According to a conventional FSK signal receiving device, an FSK signal received through an antenna is amplified by a high frequency amplifier, and the amplified signal is input to two mixers. In these mixers, the received FSK signals are respectively mixed with a local oscillation signal generated by a local oscillator and a .pi./2-shifted local oscillation signal obtained by shifting the phase of the local oscillation signal by .pi./2 using a phase shifter, thereby performing frequency conversion. Since the frequency of the local oscillation signal is set to be substantially equal to the carrier frequency of the received FSK signal, base band signals are directly output from the mixers. The FSK demodulated signals output from the mixers are respectively input to low pass filters to remove their high-frequency components. Thereafter, the signals are respectively amplified by low frequency amplifiers and amplitude-limited by amplitude limiters. The resulting signals are input to a detector.
If the above-described conventional receiving device receives an FSK signal having a carrier frequency fc and a frequency shift .+-..delta. corresponding to the binary value represented by a digital signal, since a frequency fL of a local oscillation signal is set beforehand to be equal to the carrier frequency fc, and local oscillation signals to be supplied to the mixers have a phase difference .pi./2, two base band signals having frequencies, each of which is equal to the frequency shift .delta., and also having orthogonal phases can be obtained from the low pass filters. These base band signals can be expressed as follows: EQU a(t)cos(2.pi..delta.t) EQU a(t)cos(2.pi..delta.t+.pi./2)=-a(t)sin(2.pi..delta.t)
where a(t) is the amplitude determined by an input voltage to the receiving device, the gain of the high frequency amplifier, and the characteristics of the mixers and the low pass filters.
The base band signals output from the low pass filters are respectively shaped by the low frequency amplifiers and the amplitude limiters to be supplied to the detector. In the detector, the signal level of one of the base band signals is sampled in synchronization with an edge of the other base band signal to determine the phase relationship between the two base band signals, and the polarity of the frequency shift .delta. is discriminated on the basis of the phase relationship. Assume that the signal level of a first base band signal is detected at the leading edge of a second base band signal, and the exclusive OR between the detected first base band signal and the second base band signal is "0". In this case, it is determined that the second base band signal is delayed with respect to the first base band signal. For example, it is discriminated on the basis of this phase relationship that the frequency shift .delta. is positive. In contrast to this, if the exclusive OR between the detected first base band signal and the second base band signal is "1", it is determined that the second base band signal is advanced with respect to the first base band signal. It is then discriminated on the basis of this phase relationship that the frequency shift .delta. is negative.
That is, this receiving device is designed to discriminate whether the frequency shift .delta. is positive or negative by utilizing zero-crossing points (leading or trailing edges) of two base band signals whose phases are shifted from each other by .pi./2.
However, in the above-described FSK signal receiving device, since zero-crossing points of two base band signals are utilized to discriminate whether the frequency shift .delta. is positive or negative, discrimination timings are limited to the positions of zero-crossing points of the two base bands, and discrimination cannot be performed at other positions. If, therefore, the data transmission rate is high as compared with the shifted frequency, especially when one slot of data corresponds to 1/2 the shifted frequency or less, a given data slot transits to the next slot before the next zero-crossing points of the first and second base band signals come. As a result, changes in codes of reception data cannot be detected sometimes. That is, data transmitted at a high transmission rate cannot be completely received sometimes, thus limiting the transmission rate of data.
In addition, in order to handle data transmitted at a high transmission rate, the frequency shift .delta. must be set to be large as compared with a modulation wave frequency fm (a frequency at which the frequency shift of a received FSK signal is switched between +.delta. and -.delta. and which corresponds to 1/2 the data transmission rate). This, however, requires a wide transmission band.


To transparently transport an incoming clock signal (CLK2) with a known frequency over a network segment wherein transmission between a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX) operates synchronous to a transmit clock signal (CLK1) and receiver clock signal (CLK1xe2x80x2) which are synchronized, the transmitter measures the phase difference (P) between the incoming clock signal (CLK2) and a reference signal (R) obtained from the transmit clock signal (CLK1). The measured phase difference (P) is communicated to the receiver (RX) and used therein to generate a copy (CLK2)

The present invention relates to a method to transparently transport an incoming clock signal over a network segment and to a transmitting unit and a receiving unit equipped to perform this method.
As is well known in the art, such a method is to be used for instance in telecommunication networks wherein a network timing reference signal is to be transported over the network but wherein data are transported over a network segment synchronised to a timing reference signal internal for this network segment. The network timing reference signal has to be transmitted over this network segment although it may not be used therein. Within a segment of an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network, data may for instance be transmitted over a telephone line in accordance with the ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) specifications. The transmission of data packed in ADSL frames over the telephone line between a transmitting and a receiving modem is synchronised to the modem clocks. Nevertheless, network layer specifications require that the ATM network timing reference signal be transparently transported over this ADSL network segment. From the point of view of the network segment, the ATM network timing reference signal thus is an incoming clock signal which unaffectedly has to appear at the exit of the ADSL network segment, i.e. at the output of the receiving modem. This could be done by sending the network timing reference signal over a separate transmission means or over the telephone line thereby using part of the transmission capacity of this line. Moreover, this way of transmitting the network timing reference signal implies a considerable complexity increase for the transmitter and receiver.
An object of the present invention is therefore to realise the transmission of the timing reference signal in an efficient way, i.e. without huge complexity increase of the transmitter and receiver in the network segment over which the clock signal is to be transported.
The object is also realized by a transmitting unit to a first input of which data are applied and to a second input of which an incoming clock signal is applied, the transmitting unit including: embedding means, coupled between the first input and an output of the transmitting unit, and adapted to embed the data in data frames and to apply a data frame to the output of the transmitting unit upon triggering by a reference signal derived from a transmit clock signal applied to a clock input of the transmitting unit by a transmit clock, wherein the transmitting unit further includes: phase measurement means to a first and a second input of which the incoming clock signal and the reference signal are applied respectively, and which is adapted to measure a phase difference value between the incoming clock signal and the reference signal, and to apply the phase difference value to an output of the phase measurement means; and further that the embedding means is provided with an additional input terminal connected to the output of the phase measurement means, the embedding means further being adapted to embed the phase difference value in a data frame.
The object is still further realized by a receiving unit to an input of which data frames are applied, the receiving unit including: de-embedding means with an input coupled to the input of the receiving unit, the de-embedding means being adapted to retrieve data to a first output of the receiving unit, and to retrieve a phase difference value out of a reserved field of the data frames and to apply the phase difference value to a phase output of the de-embedding means, wherein the receiving unit further includes: generating means, to whose first input connected to the phase output the phase difference value is applied, and to whose second input a second reference signal obtained from a receive clock signal applied to a clock input of the receiving unit by a receiver clock is applied, the generating means being adapted to generate an outgoing clock signal equal to the well-known frequency and with a phase difference compared to the second reference signal equal to the phase difference value.
According to the invention, this object is realised by a method to transparently transport an incoming clock signal with a well-known frequency over a network segment consisting of a transmitting unit to an input of which the incoming clock signal is applied and to a clock input of which a transmit clock signal is applied by a transmitter clock, a transmission medium, and a receiving unit to a clock input of which a receive clock signal is applied by a receiver clock synchronised with the transmitter clock, wherein the method includes the steps of measuring a phase difference value between the incoming clock signal and a reference signal obtained from the transmit clock signal; transmitting the phase difference value from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit; and generating in the receiving unit an outgoing clock signal with a frequency equal to the well-known frequency, the outgoing clock signal having a phase difference with a second reference signal, similarly obtained from the receive clock signal as the reference signal is obtained from the transmit clock signal, equal to the phase difference value.
Indeed, since transmission over the network segment is synchronised to transmit the clock signal, and since both clock signals, the transmit clock signal and receive clock signal, are synchronised, the receiving unit only has to become aware of the phase difference between the incoming clock signal and a reference signal synchronous to the transmit clock signal to be able to generate a copy of the incoming clock signal, provided that it also has a reference signal similarly synchronous to the received clock signal. The reference signal may be obtained by frequency dividing the transmit clock signal. Obviously, a similar reference signal obtained by frequency dividing the receive clock signal then has to be used at the receiver""s side in combination with the measured phase difference value to generate the outgoing clock signal there. Determining the phase difference and using it in the receiver and generating a reference signal obviously requires less additional complexity in the transmitter and receiver than would be needed using known methods.
In a particular implementation of the present method wherein the additional required complexity is even more reduced, the reference signal equals the data frame clock signals.
In this way, the phase difference value is determined by measuring the time interval between the incoming clock signal and the data frame boundary each time a data frame is transmitted. The phase difference value is measured and transmitted once per data frame. If the data frame is sufficiently large (e.g. an ADSL superframe with a length of 68xc3x97250 xcexcs), the additional overhead due to transmission of the phase difference value from transmitting to receiving unit is negligible. As will be seen later, the phase difference can easily be measured by means of a counter in this particular implementation.
An advantageous feature of this particular implementation is where the phase difference value is measured with a precision equal to one period of the transmit clock signal.
Indeed, as will be described in detail later on in the description, the just mentioned implementation with a counter can be realised so that the phase difference value is measured as an integer amount of transmit clock pulses. Since the transmit clock and the receive clock are synchronous, the phase difference to be realised in the receiving unit will also be an integer amount of receive clock pulses.
A further specific feature of the present method is that the phase difference value may be embedded in fields of the date frames.
In this way, no additional overhead is added to the data frames to transport the phase difference information. This technique is particularly recommended if in the network segment, data are transmitted packed in data frames wherein some fields are reserved for special use.
If the data are transmitted in the network segment in accordance with the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) specifications, the phase difference values may occupy fields reserved for so called fast bytes of Discrete Multi Tone symbols.
Indeed, an ADSL superframe contains several fast byte fields only a part of which are used for transporting operation channel related information. Consequently, the remaining fast byte fields may be used to transport the phase difference values.
Another additional feature of the present method is where the phase difference value is transmitted only when it differs from the previously measured and transmitted phase difference value.
Hence overhead occupancy by phase difference values is further reduced by transmitting phase difference values only if they differ from a previous transmitted value. Since the receiver is aware of this previous transmitted value, it can continue generating the outgoing clock signal without precision decrease when it receives no new phase difference values for a certain time period.
In an alternative embodiment, not the phase difference itself but the deviation from the previous phase difference is transmitted. Again, the overhead can be reduced further by transmitting phase difference deviation values only if they differ from a previous transmittal value. This technique is especially advantageous in case of a fixed clock offset of the incoming clock signal relative to the reference signal synchronous to the transmit clock. In this case the phase difference deviations are (almost) constant and thus need not be transmitted.

Transmitter and receiver for a very high speed digital subscriber line


A tool for viewing data in a software environment is disclosed. The data may be a multi-dimensional data set. The viewer tool provides various features for viewing and exploring the data set. The viewer tool may be coupled to a test environment that generates data from the tests of a unit under test (UUT). The data may be generated from one or more sequences of tests that can be divided into batches. The viewer tool may receive the data from the test environment and analyze the data to provide a user with useful information on the data. The viewer tool may display the data with the information so that the user can obtain the information on the data. In particular, the viewer tool may enable the user to understand the relationship between the measured test data and the various test conditions under which the test data has been measured.

Data is often stored in a tabular (i.e. matrix) format or in a multiple dimensional array format. The resultant data structures are often referred to as look-up tables. Basic look-up tables are two-dimensional and have a matrix-like structure, such as found in spreadsheets. Typically, each element of a matrix is a numerical quantity, which can be precisely located by two indexing variables. At higher dimensions, multiple dimension data sets are represented as a collection of matrices or one or more cubes, whose elements are described in terms of a corresponding member of indexing variables.
Many software environments provide a viewer for viewing data generated or utilized in the software environments. The software environment may include or be coupled to a test environment for testing an operational feature of a unit under test (UUT). The test environment may include a test executive for managing execution of code used for testing the UUT. The test executive is capable of launching, editing, debugging, managing and recording data for programs designed to test UUT. The test executive may perform a test for testing the UUT and generate a data set from the test of the UUT. The viewer may receive the data from the test executive and analyze the data to provide a user with information on the data. The data can be multi-dimensional. When the viewer displays the data, it is useful for the user to view the data in a way that the user can understand the relationship between the measured data set and the test conditions under which the data set is generated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Viewer for multi-dimensional data from a test environment


A liquid crystal display apparatus comprises a PLL circuit, a phase adjuster, a picture-data-sampling circuit, a liquid crystal display driver, a video signal processor, and a liquid crystal display panel. The phase adjuster comprises a delay circuit, a comparator, a counter, and a controller. The PLL generates a dot clock which is delayed by the delay circuit by a delay time designated by the controller to be a sampling clock. The counter counts the number of sampling edges of the sampling clock from a negative edge of a horizontal synchronization signal to a positive edge of a binarized video signal supplied from the comparator. The controller observes the number of sampling edges while adjusting the delay to determine the worst sampling clock and sets the best sampling clock whose phase is at a straight angle to the phase of the worst sampling clock.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit for generating a sampling clock to stably sample a video signal and a display apparatus having the; circuit and in particular, to a circuit for generating a sampling clock to sample a video signal at the optimum timing to avoid edge business or jerkiness of a picture and a liquid crystal display apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, a circuit for generating a sample clock used in a liquid crystal display apparatus which inputs a video signal from a personal computer adjusts a phase of the sampling clock in accordance with a switch operation by a user who intends to optimize the phase while watching the picture on the display panel. Such an adjustment is troublesome for the user. Therefore, automating the adjustment of a sample clock is required.
For example, JPA 10-161598 discloses a pixel synchronization apparatus in which a video signal is sampled with a sampling clock having a frequency multiple times as high as a reference clock, wherein a stable voltage period of the video signal is observed from the sampled video signal, and a phase of the sampling clock is adjusted.
FIG. 4 shows the structure of a liquid crystal display apparatus comprising the pixel synchronization apparatus disclosed in JPA 10-161598. Referring to FIG. 4, PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) circuit 1 outputs a reference clock which is synchronized with an input horizontal synchronization signal and is N times as high as a dot clock. Sampling circuit for detection 13 samples an analog video signal with the reference clock to output sampled data as DATA to stable-period-detecting circuit 14.
Stable-period-detecting circuit 14 detects whether a voltage of the sampled video signal varies and if the voltage does not vary, outputs a CS signal indicating a stable voltage period to controller 15. Controller 15 analyzes the CS signal and outputs a phase control signal for ensuring a setup time and a hold time in pixel data sampling circuit 3 to delay circuit 12. On the other hand, frequency divider 11 generates a first sampling clock having a frequency 1/N times as high as the reference clock to output the first sampling clock to delay circuit 12. Delay circuit 12 delays the first sampling clock by a delay time controlled by the phase control signal to output a second sampling clock SCLK to pixel-data-sampling circuit 3.
In the pixel synchronization apparatus disclosed in JPA 10-161598, although a quick adjustment to cope with a moving picture is realized, a disadvantage arises that an expensive PLL circuit and an expensive A/D converter, each of which operates at a frequency N times as high as a dot clock, are required. Moreover, because an internal operation frequency becomes high, another disadvantage arises that radiation of EMI noise increases.
In order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, the present invention has been made and accordingly, has an object to provide an inexpensive circuit for generating a sampling clock to stably sample a video signal which can automatically adjust a phase of the sampling clock without increasing the operation frequency thereof.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a circuit for generating a sampling clock to stably sample a video signal in a pixel-data-sampling circuit, comprising: a sampling clock generator for generating a sampling clock which has the same frequency as a sampling frequency of the pixel-data-sampling circuit and is synchronized with a horizontal synchronization signal except for being delayed by a delay time designated by a control signal; a detector for detecting the worst sampling clock whose sampling edge coincides with a transition edge of the video signal; and means for generating the control signal to have the sampling clock generator generate the best sampling clock whose phase is at a straight angle to the phase of the worst sampling clock.
The sampling clock generator may comprise: a phase-locked loop for generating a dot clock which has the same frequency as the sampling frequency of the pixel-data-sampling circuit and is synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal; and a delay circuit for delaying the dot clock by a delay time designated by the control signal to output a sampling clock which is delayed from the dot clock by the delay time.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a counter for counting the number of sampling edges of the sampling clock from a positive edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a positive edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by the counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a counter for counting the number of sampling edges of the sampling clock from a positive edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a negative edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by the counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a counter for counting the number of sampling edges of the sampling clock from a negative edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a positive edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by the counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a counter for counting the number of sampling edges of the sampling clock from a negative edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a negative edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by the counter.
The determiner may determine the worst sampling clock by detecting a delay of a sampling clock when the number of sampling edges is decremented by one while increasing the delay.
The determiner may determine the worst sampling clock by detecting a delay of a sampling clock when the number of sampling edges is incremented by one while decreasing the delay.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a circuit for generating a sampling clock to stably sample a video signal in a pixel-data-sampling circuit, comprising: a sampling clock generator for generating a plurality of sampling clocks, each of which has the same frequency as a sampling frequency of the pixel-data-sampling circuit and is synchronized with a horizontal synchronization signal except for being delayed by a delay time, the delay times for a plurality of sampling clocks being shifted one another; a detector for detecting the worst sampling clock whose sampling edge coincides with a transition edge of the video signal among a plurality of sampling clocks; and means for selecting the best sampling clock whose phase is at a straight angle to the phase of the worst sampling clock among a plurality of sampling clocks.
The sampling clock generator may comprise: a phase-locked loop for generating a dot clock which has the same frequency as the sampling frequency of the pixel-data-sampling circuit and is synchronized with the horizontal synchronization signal; and a delay circuit for delaying the dot clock to output a plurality of sampling clocks which are delayed from the dot clock by delay times different from each other.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a plurality of counters, each for counting the number of sampling edges of the corresponding sampling clock from a positive edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a positive edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by each counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a plurality of counters, each for counting the number of sampling edges of the corresponding sampling clock from a positive edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a negative edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by each counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a plurality of counters, each for counting the number of sampling edges of the corresponding sampling clock from a negative edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a positive edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by each counter.
The detector may comprise: a comparator for comparing a voltage of the video signal with a threshold voltage to output a binarized video signal; a plurality of counters, each for counting the number of sampling edges of the corresponding sampling clock from a negative edge of the horizontal synchronization signal to a negative edge of the binarized video signal; and a determiner for determining the worst sampling clock by examining the number of sample edges counted by each counter.
The determiner may determine the worst sampling clock by detecting a delay of a sampling clock when the number of sampling edges is decremented by one while the examined counter is shifted from the counter of a shorter delay time to the counter of a longer delay time.
The determiner may determine the worst sampling clock by detecting a delay of a sampling clock when the number of sampling edges is decremented by one while the examined counter is shifted from the counter of a longer delay time to the counter of a shorter delay time.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display apparatus, comprising: the above circuit for generating a sampling clock; a picture-data-sampling circuit for sampling a video signal with the sampling clock generated by the circuit for generating a sampling clock; a video signal processor for processing a sampled video signal; a driver for generating a drive signal on the basis of a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal; and a display for displaying a picture on the basis of said sampled video signal by using said drive signal.
The display may be a liquid crystal display panel.

Circuit for generating sampling clock to stably sample a video signal and display apparatus having the circuit


The present invention relates to an apparatus, device and a method for harvesting blood vessels, and in particular, to such an apparatus, device and method in which the internal mammary artery (IMA) is harvested for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using a minimally invasive approach or a conventional procedure.

Heart disease is known as the leading cause of death in the United States. The National Center for Health Statistics reported over 2.4 million deaths in the US in the year 2001, with heart disease being the leading cause with 700,142 cases. This accounts for 38.5% of all deaths in the United States in that year. According to the National Institutes of Health, heart disease is also the leading chronic preventable disease in the US today, outpacing all other preventable conditions. In statistical terms, the number of US cases affected by heart disease is 64,400,000, or 22.6% of the US population, with an associated cost of the disease for 2004 exceeding $368.4 billion.
Heart disease is defined as any disorder that affects the heart's ability to function properly, and is most commonly caused by narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart itself. The treatment for coronary artery disease is mainly by angioplasty and surgical revascularization, known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Due to the nature of the disease, CABG has become one of the most commonly performed procedures in the world. According to the American Heart Association's Heart Disease and Stroke statistics, 467,000 CABG surgeries comprising 346,000 men and 121,000 women were performed in the United States in 2003. This number increased to about 600,000 cases in 2005.
During a CABG surgery, vessels are connected to the heart to bypass the coronary artery blockages. Of those vessels, or conduits, the internal mammary artery (IMA) is the primary and the most preferred by surgeons for the bypass procedure. The IMA is harvested from the chest wall near the sternum and attached to the heart to supply blood to the area supplied by the blocked vessel experiencing hypo-perfusion.
The IMA (also known as the internal thoracic artery or ITA) is a major conduit for use in coronary artery bypass graft. The IMA is located on the interior surface of the chest on each side starting from the neck down, originating at the subclavian artery and ending at the superior epigastric artery. The IMA supplies blood to the chest wall including the ribs, sternum and breasts.
The mammary artery is an important conduit for bypass surgery as it is an artery rather than a vein; accordingly it has the lowest risk of thrombosis and occlusion among all other conduits. Consequently the state of the mammary artery has important prognostic value, and a well harvested and good flowing mammary artery determines the successful outcome of the surgery.
One of the reasons the IMA is a preferred conduit for CABG is due to its special properties and characteristics that differentiates it from other vessels. For example, in the inner layer of the IMA, the endothelium is thicker in this artery compared to other arteries; therefore, this vessel is rich in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells are responsible for the arterial features of a vessel, being active in production of multiple substances that actively mediate the arterial wall activity and maintenance of the vessels integrity. Due to these specific properties, the mammary artery has the best outcome as a graft in CABG. These outcomes are translated as the patency rate of 90% in 10 years when a mammary artery is used as a graft compared to 50% patency rate of a vein graft. Therefore, when planning a CABG, a mammary artery graft is always preferred and is almost always attached to the most important coronary artery, the left anterior descending artery (LAD).
The first stage of CABG is the preparation of the conduits for bypass. This stage includes harvesting the mammary artery (IMA) from the chest wall and harvesting veins from the leg. Surgeons primarily use the conventional method where the chest cavity is opened.
During conventional CABG the surgeon opens the chest by sawing the sternum at the midline. The pleura covering the artery and the lungs is then opened or retracted laterally exposing the IMA. This procedure provides the surgeon with a direct visual of the IMA, while half of the chest is pulled back and elevated with a retractor. Once the IMA is exposed, the surgeon uses electrocautery to divide the artery with its accompanying veins and some tissue as a pedicle or as a single vessel (skeletonized). The IMA side branches are usually divided following the application of a metal clip close to their origin on the artery and cauterization on the chest side. When the artery is divided superiorly up to its origin and inferiorly down to its bifurcation, it is cut at its lower end and at this time its tip is prepared and ready to be attached to the coronary artery that is being bypassed
This traditional technique can be used to harvest each of the mammary arteries, left and/or right. The conventional harvesting procedure takes 15 to 40 minutes. Complications associated with the conventional technique include injury to the vessel itself or to the chest wall. Vessel injuries include bleeding during or following the harvest, direct injury to the artery or thermal injury with decreased flow, while the thermal injury to the chest wall causes sternal wound hypoperfusion with and infection. Any such complications might impede vessel flow and leave it unusable as a conduit for bypass. Furthermore, opening the chest cavity itself is detrimental to the patient, both increasing the risk of the operation and also increasing the recovery time required.
Although minimally invasive techniques are available for harvesting the artery, such as the endoscopic technique which is used as part of the totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) surgery, these techniques have many drawbacks. For example and without limitation, the procedure requires extensive training, it is very time consuming and it requires expensive and specialized equipment. In this method robotic arms are used to harvest the IMA through small incisions on the side of the chest wherein visualization is facilitated by video means. Harvesting using the robotic technique lasts for 60 to 70 minutes. When compared to the conventional technique and despite the cosmetic advantageous, the risk of injury using the robotic technique is higher. The increased risk is primarily due to the limited field of view and limited range of motion of the robotic arms provided by this method. Furthermore, there is also a higher risk of bleeding during the harvest that may require further medical intervention, such as chest opening to control the bleeding.
A well harvested artery obtained with minimal damage to the chest wall has significant effects on postoperative course. As being a major blood supplying artery to the chest wall, there is some compromise of the chest wall blood supply after harvesting the artery and diverting the flow to the heart instead of the chest wall. The combination of this relative hypo-perfusion with surgical intervention serves as a risk for surgical wound infection, a complication that results in high morbidity and mortality rates. This risk is significantly higher in patients with diabetes (40% of CABG patients), who already suffer a microcirculation damage associated with diabetes.


The present invention provides an image printing apparatus comprising: a tray on which printing paper sheets are placed; a job storage section storing a predetermined job and a forthcoming post-determined job; a priority level setting section setting execution priority levels of jobs; and a control unit. When a tray set to be occupied for the predetermined job is the same as that selected for the post-determined job, the control unit allows to store the post-determined job in the job storage section only if the execution priority level set for the post-determined job is lower than that set for the predetermined job.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image printing apparatus and, more particularly, to an image printing apparatus which has a tray for placing printing media thereon and prints an image, on the basis of a job, on a printing medium supplied from the tray.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image printing apparatus having an interrupt function of interrupting execution of a predetermined job and executing another interrupt job and a job management function with which the execution priority levels of jobs stored in a storage section can be changed, when a post-determined job such as an interrupt job or priority level-changed job is executed first, the predetermined job must be complete without any error.
When a given user sets special paper sheets such as coated paper sheets or embossed paper sheets in a tray of an image printing apparatus, he wants to use these paper sheets only for himself. When the image printing apparatus is used by a plurality of users in a network environment, the special paper sheets set in the tray may be used by a post-determined job of another user. The given user wants not to allow another user to use the tray designated by the given user.
To solve the above problems, according to one proposal, in an image printing apparatus having an interrupt function of interrupting execution of a predetermined job and executing another interrupt job, when a tray selected by an interrupt job is the same as that selected by the predetermined job, printing of the interrupt job is inhibited, or the interrupt job is inhibited from selecting the tray selected by the predetermined job. For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-331064 (patent reference 1). Patent reference 1 also proposes that the tray selected in printing the predetermined job is physically locked and cannot be unloaded.
According to another proposal, when selecting a tray for a post-determined job, selection of a tray already selected by a predetermined job is inhibited. For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-292329 (patent reference 2). The tray selected by the predetermined job will not be selected by the post-determined job. The predetermined job is always printed on the desired paper sheet.
Still another image printing apparatus is proposed in which when a predetermined job which uses a tray designated by a user but does not allow use of this tray by another job is complete, the selection inhibition can be automatically canceled. For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-106424 (patent reference 3). This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in use efficiency of the tray.
Still another image printing apparatus is proposed in which in job reservation, a sheet set in a manual feed tray is fed by a paper feed section to an apparatus main body. For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-228204 (patent reference 4). A sheet selected by a given user can be prevented from being changed by the next user. This makes it possible to reliably ensure the priority on sheet selection by the given user.
In patent references 1 to 3, however, the post-determined job which designates the tray coinciding with that of the predetermined job cannot be accepted until the end of the predetermined job. The user of the post-determined job, who wants to use the same tray as that of the predetermined job, must wait for setting a job for selecting the tray occupied for the predetermined job until the end of the predetermined job. This scheme is very poor in working efficiency for the user who sets the post-determined job. This also results in disadvantages from the viewpoint of mental hygiene. While the user who wants to set the post-determined job proceeds another job until the end of the predetermined job, he may forget to set the post-determined job, resulting in a large delay in delivery of printing products. The use efficiency of the tray occupied for the predetermined job often decreases greatly.
In patent reference 1, tray unloading is inhibited after the image printing operation of the predetermined job is complete. However, before the predetermined job is executed, another user may unload the tray and replace the paper sheets with desired paper sheets.
In patent reference 4, a holding device which temporarily holds sheets is required in addition to the tray. The apparatus becomes bulky in producing a large number of printing products.

Image printing apparatus for performing job based printing in which an interrupt job is stored as a job in accordance with a priority level

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A method for deterring unauthorized use of an electronic device is described. The method includes installing security data in a protected storage area, installing a security routine operable to check for the security data, and prompting a user for identity information if the security data is found, before permitting use of the device. In an implementation, the device is shut down if the identity information is incorrect, and manufacturer contact information may be displayed before shutting down. But if the user responds correctly, the activation process is continued to enable normal operation of the device.

The invention pertains to a method for deterring unauthorized use of electronic devices.
Several methods of theft prevention, theft deterrence, and device tracking for retrieval of electronic devices have been developed. For example, commercially available tracking agent software resides on a personal computer (PC) and automatically calls in the location of the PC at preset intervals to a monitoring center. If the PC is lost or stolen, a recovery service mode is implemented. When the PC next calls the monitoring center, a location is determined. A recovery service procedure can then be put into action.
Electronic devices may be stolen from the distribution channel (e.g. while the products are being shipped to warehouses, retail outlets or wholesalers). These devices may be stolen before any registration process has been initiated.

Deterring unauthorized use of electronic devices


According to the invention there is provided a hydraulic brake coupled to a rotary shaft. It includes a hydraulic pump connected to the shaft, the pump having a pump inlet, and a pump outlet, a hydraulic loop having an inlet part connected to the pump outlet and an outlet part connected to the pump inlet, a flow control device positioned in the hydraulic loop between the inlet part and the outlet part for controlling flow of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic loop, and a brake actuator connected to the flow control device for reducing the flow of hydraulic fluid in response to operation of the brake actuator. The pump is advantageously a gearwheel pump, and may include a gearwheel housing having one side formed as a flow-control plate.

The braking systems of the known art are composed of brake shoes with a brake lining of compressed asbestos in a matrix of binding material that operate on a brake drum or brake disc. The conventional brakes are subject to wear, and the wear products introduce hazardous materials into the environment. The brake drum or disc is also subject to wear, and requires periodic machining or replacement in order to restore braking. The conventional brakes also suffer from the drawback that they lose braking effect if they get wet, and they get very hot after prolonged hard braking. Conventional brakes also tend to "fade" after prolonged hard braking.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a braking system that does not have the drawbacks of the existing braking systems, such as wear, susceptibility to overheating and fading after long braking, and loss of friction when exposed to wetness.
Applicant is unaware of any pertinent prior art relating to the invention.