A traveling vehicle, wherein a power transmission system for traveling straight forward, a power transmission system for turning, a power transmission system for PTO, and a power transmission system for driving a pump are disposed in a transmission part integrally with each other and a transmission device for traveling straight forward and a continuously variable transmission device for turning are interlockingly installed in the transmission part continuously with each other in a parallel state, whereby the transmission systems can be compactly disposed in the transmission part, and all of the power transmission system for traveling straight forward, the power transmission system for turning, the power transmission system for PTO, and the power transmission system for driving the pump can be easily assembled by merely installing the transmission part on a body frame.

As one mode of a conventional traveling vehicle, there has been known a traveling vehicle in which power can be transmitted from a continuously variable transmission device for turning which is interlockingly connected with an engine to a power transmission system for turning which is disposed in the inside of a front transmission part, while power can be transmitted from a continuously variable transmission device for traveling straight forward which is interlockingly connected with the engine to a power transmission system for traveling straight forward which is disposed in the front transmission part by way of a rear transmission part, and these powers of the power transmission system for turning and the power transmission system for traveling straight forward are combined by a planetary gear mechanism which is disposed in the front mission part, and a resultant force is transmitted to left-and-right-side drive wheels respectively.
Then, a PTO shaft is interlockingly connected with the rear transmission part by way of a PTO transmission part, and a power transmission system for PTO is disposed in the PTO transmission part so that the speed of the PTO shaft can be changed in plural stages due to the power transmission system for PTO.
Further, a parking brake is provided to the outside of the front transmission part.
However, in the above-mentioned traveling vehicle, the front transmission part, the rear transmission part and the PTO transmission part are respectively formed as separate bodies and hence, it is necessary to provide transmission means such as transmission shafts for interlockingly connecting these transmission parts with each other and hence, time and efforts are necessary for an operation to interlockingly connect these transmission parts and, at the same time, it is difficult to arrange these transmission systems in a compact manner as a whole.
Further, since the parking brake is provided outside the front transmission part, it is necessary to provide a protective cover to protect the parking brake from splashed mud, soil and the like.
Further, while a steering wheel is interlockingly connected with the continuously variable transmission device for turning by way of an operation mechanism for turning, a forward/backward traveling changeover lever is interlockingly connected with the transmission device for traveling straight forward by way of an operation mechanism for traveling straight forward. The continuously variable transmission device for turning is operated by a steering wheel by way of an operation mechanism for turning and, at the same time, the transmission device for traveling straight forward is operated by the forward/backward traveling changeover lever by way of the operation mechanism for traveling straight forward thus enabling a given steering operation.
However, in the above-mentioned traveling vehicle, when the respective transmission devices are operated using the steering wheel and the forward/backward traveling changeover lever, an operator receives an operation load from the respective transmission devices or a reverse load (a so-called kickback) acts on the respective operation mechanisms due to a load applied to the respective transmission devices. Accordingly, the operator cannot perform the swift and light operation thus giving rise to a drawback that the operator easily becomes tired.


A casing which accommodates an electric circuit for generating sounds of different tones or voice sounds has a recess 11 defined in its upper panel and a loudspeaker 12 disposed therein and mounted on the upper panel for reproducing and radiating sounds or voice sounds. A plurality of tone plates can selectively be placed, one at a time, in the recess. Each of the tone plates has dots and a bar code indicative of a sound or voice sound of its own. When one of the tone plates is inserted in the recess, the dots or bar code is detected by a sensor in the recess, and the electric circuit enables the loudspeaker to reproduce and radiate a tone or voice which is indicated by the inserted tone plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auditory playing device for use in auditory education or as a toy.
2. BACKGROUND
For auditory education to teach children absolute pitches, for example, it has been customary to let them hear the sounds of a tuned piano so that they can memorize the tones. However, it is difficult with this method to keep the children interested in the training even if some game-like element such as guessing of tones is added. The method is therefore not an effective educational process.
It is known that the younger the children who are given auditory education for absolute pitches, for example, the more effective the education process becomes.


A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a time of flight mass analyzer. The time of flight mass analyszr comprises an ion guide comprising a plurality of electrodes which are interconnected by a series of resistors forming a potential divider. Ions are confined radially within the ion guide by the application of a two-phase RF voltage to the electrodes. A single phase additional RF voltage is applied across the potential divider so that an inhomogeneous pseudo-potential force is maintained along the length of the ion guide.

The present invention relates to a mass spectrometer and a method of mass spectrometry.
A known mass spectrometer comprises an Electron Impact ("EI") ion source in combination with a reflectron Time of Flight mass analyser. The known reflectron Time of Flight mass analyser comprises a series of ring electrodes which are connected to a potential divider or resistor chain. A RF voltage and a static DC voltage are applied across the ends of the potential divider or resistor chain so that a static axial DC voltage gradient and an inhomogenous axial RF voltage are maintained along the length of the mass analyser. The mass spectrometer further comprises an electron multiplier ion detector which is arranged in line with the central axis of the mass analyser at the position of zero field. At a predetermined phase of the RF voltage applied to the ring electrodes, ions formed by the Electron Impact ion source are pulsed into the Time of Flight mass analyser by applying a voltage pulse to an acceleration grid which is arranged adjacent to an entrance aperture of the mass analyser. Ions which are accelerated into the Time of Flight mass analyser travel a proportion of the length of the mass analyser before being reflected back towards the entrance of the mass analyser. The ions then exit the mass analyser, pass through the acceleration grid and are subsequently detected by the ion detector. The time of flight of the ions from the time that the voltage pulse is applied to the acceleration grid to the subsequent detection of the ions by the ion detector is related to the mass to charge ratio of the ions and the field parameters within the Time of Flight mass analyser.
One problem with the known Time of Flight mass analyser is that ions are not effectively confined radially within the mass analyser. Therefore, the ion transmission efficiency is relatively low.
Another problem with the known Time of Flight mass analyser is that the ions entering the mass analyser have a relatively large spread of initial velocities and initial positions which results in the resolution of the known Time of Flight mass analyser being relatively poor.
A further problem with the known Time of Flight mass analyser is that the mass analyser is only arranged to operate with an Electron Impact ion source which operates at a low pressure and hence the mass analyser is not arranged to operate with an atmospheric pressure ionisation ion source.
It is therefore desired to provide an improved mass spectrometer and method of mass spectrometry.


A process for solvent welding pure polybutene-1, or blends or copolymer of polytbutene-1 to polybutene-1 where the polybutene-1 items are contacted with a solvent such as methylene chloride, tetrahydrofuran or cyclohexane and then contacted together within a variable period of time after solidification of the polybutene-1 items.

Polybutene-1 is widely used for production of flexible pipe, pipe fittings and various injection molded articles. Flexible pipe is generally manufactured by extrusion. However, difficulties arise in joining polybutene-1. Joining polybutylene articles has been accomplished by conventional mechanical means such as threaded joints and flange connections, by thermal means such as flame or electrical resistance welding, or fusing with a welding sleeve, where external pressure is applied to articles being joined at predetermined times during the welding process so that the articles in the welding sleeve are held in contact throughout the operation. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,519.
Fusion welding is a commonly employed method of joining thermoplastic materials. Heat is applied or generated by any of a wide variety of methods at the two surfaces to be joined until they become molten. The surfaces are then brought together while they are still in the molten state, whereafter polymer chain segment interdiffusion proceeds and the interface between the two original surfaces becomes diffuse or altogether disappears. Subsequent cooling then restores the material strength and the bonded region may have strength equal to that of the surrounding material. The strength of amorphous polymers develops upon vitrification or passing below the glass transition temperature of entangled chains whereas that of semicrystalline polymers develops by the crosslink-like network of crystalline domains. It is common practice to join polybutylene by fusion welding.
Non-crystalline, amorphous polymers such as polystyrene or polycarbonate can be readily solvent welded to form strong joints simply by the application of an appropriate solvent to the surface, followed by the bringing together of two such surfaces for a certain length of time. This process generally occurs without the application of heat, by slow solvation of the amorphous polymer at the two surfaces which increases the chain segment mobility, effectively lowering the glass transition temperature locally to ambient temperature. Subsequently, chain entanglement across the interface can follow and diffusion of solvent into the surrounding material then gradually restores the polymer to its original properties. This process leaves the two surfaces effectively welded together with very high strength, often approaching the full strength of the material. This process is analogous to fusion welding but has the advantage that it can be accomplished more leisurely and at ordinary temperatures.
In contrast to non-crystalline, amorphous polymers, however, semicrystalline polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyethylene and polybutylene, generally cannot be successfully joined by solvent welding. In these materials the amorphous polymer segments are constrained by participation in nearby crystallites. The response of this type of crystalline-amorphous structure to solvents is analogous to that of a crosslinked network. Swelling of the amorphous phase by good solvents can occur, but unless the crystallites dissolve or are melted, the chain segments are not free to diffuse across the interface and to entangle into the adjacent surface. In the process of fusion welding, on the other hand, the crystallites are not longer present and intersegment diffusion is facile. There has been a long felt need in the thermoplastic industry for a method of solvent welding semicrystalline polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,804 claims various polybutene-1 compositions that can be solvent welded and that can be used with solvent to form adhesives for those compositions. However, all of these compositions must contain EPDM interpolymer elastomer of ethylene, polyene and monoolefin, an amorphous, non-crystalline ingredient. Column 3, line 50 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,804 reveals that the amorphous elastomer is present in an amount which enhances the adhesive qualities of the polybutene-1, indicating clearly its role in affecting weldability. Column 3, line 47 reveals that the amorphous elastomer may be present in amounts greater than the polybutene-1. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,804 in column 12, line 10 discloses more rapid crystallization of the aforementioned blends than occurs with pure polybutene and claims that as an advantage. Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,804 reveals in column 9, line 24 that, prior to welding, the plastic article may be treated with an oxidizing material but nowhere mentions the time window immediately after solidification from the melt as a necessary parameter of the invention. No examples are given showing the effectiveness of solvent welding of these amorphous EPDM compounds.


To provide an exhaust gas analysis system that can accurately analyze exhaust gas discharged from an engine of a hybrid vehicle and can also be applied to a test that continues sampling into a sampling bag over a predetermined sampling time, a sampling apparatus is adapted to include a main flow path through which the exhaust gas flows, a sampling flow path that is connected to the main flow path to sample the exhaust gas into a sampling bag, and a constant flow rate mechanism that is provided in the main flow path and configured to be able to change a main flow rate that is an exhaust gas flow rate through the main flow path. Additionally, a control device is adapted to control the constant flow rate mechanism to change the main flow rate and change a sampling flow rate that is an exhaust gas flow rate through the sampling flow path.

As this sort of exhaust gas analysis system, there is one including a constant volume sampling apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a CVS apparatus) that controls mixed gas produced by mixing diluent gas in exhaust gas discharged from an engine to have a constant flow rate, and samples the mixed gas into a sampling bag.
When analyzing exhaust gas from a hybrid vehicle (HEV or PHEV) using the CVS apparatus, if even at the time of stopping an engine, mixed gas continues to be sampled into the sampling bag in the same manner as at the time of operating the engine, only the diluent gas is sampled at the time of stopping the engine, and therefore the exhaust gas in the sampling bag is diluted. As a result, an S/N ratio at the time of analyzing the sampled exhaust gas decreases to reduce analysis accuracy.
Therefore, Patent Literature 1 describes a method for, in order to prevent sampled exhaust gas from being diluted when an engine is stopped, stopping sampling into a sampling bag when the engine is stopped.
However, since the method as described above stops the sampling into the sample bag when the engine is stopped, a sampling amount in the sampling bag decreases, and therefore there occurs a problem that on occasions such as when introducing sampled exhaust gas into, for example, various analyzers, the amount of the exhaust gas is insufficient.
Further, the sampling into the sampling bag is stopped when the engine is switched from an operation state to a stop state, and therefore the exhaust gas remains in a flow path and the like constituting a CVS apparatus, thus possibly causing a measurement error.
In addition, some test may prescribe the continuation of sampling into a sampling bag over a predetermined sampling time (e.g., 505 seconds) at, for example, a flow rate proportional to a main flow rate of a CVS apparatus, and for such a test, the above method cannot be employed.

Exhaust gas sampling apparatus, exhaust gas analysis system, exhaust gas sampling method, and exhaust gas sampling program


A method for representing records includes, assigning a unique identifier to a record stored at a record collection site, entering the unique identifier in a hierarchical tree structure, and sending the hierarchical tree structure to a central storage site.

This invention relates to representing records.
Data storage systems receive, store, and provide access to data with software applications such as database applications and the like. Some data storage systems are allowed only a limited amount of time for archiving records that include the data pertinent to a business enterprise. So not to interrupt the operations of the enterprise during normal business hours, record archiving is typically scheduled for over-night hours. During each archiving session, individual records are retrieved and entered into a single record list that is transmitted to a central storage site. The record list provides a listing of each record and can be searched to find a particular record. Along with being searchable, the record list can also be used to determine how recent an individual record was accessed along with how much storage space is currently being used and how much space is available based on current storage capabilities.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A coherent optical receiver Includes an electro-optic module coupled to an electronic signal processing Integrated circuit (IC) via a parallel analog transmission line bus. The electro-optic module receives and detects an optical channel light including a high-bandwidth signal modulated thereon. The electro-optic module includes: a single optical hybrid for mixing the optical channel light with a corresponding continuous wave local oscillator light to generate a mixed light containing the high-bandwidth data signal, at least one photodetector; and an analog frequency decimator for generating a set of parallel analog signals, each analog signal representing a respective portion of the high-bandwidth signal. The electronic signal processing IC includes a respective Analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for sampling each one of the set of parallel analog signals, and for generating corresponding parallel digital sample streams; and a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing the parallel digital sample streams to extract the high-bandwidth signal.

FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively illustrate optical transmit and receive modules of a type typically used in coherent optical transmission systems. Referring to FIG. 1A, a transmit module 2 typically comprises a connector 4, digital driver 6, analog driver 8, and an optical modulator 10, all of which are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate 12. The connector 4 is typically a multi-pin connector which enables digital data signals to be supplied to the module 2 for transmission, as well as electrical power supply and ground connections for the digital and analog drivers. The digital driver 6 is typically provided as a digital signal processor (DSP), for computing digital driver signals based on the received digital data signals. For example, the digital driver 6 may process the received digital data signals to implement an encoding scheme such as Phase Shift Keying (PSK), so that the digital drive signals will take the form of encoded symbols. More complex signal processing functions may be implemented as desired. The analog driver 8 comprises digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog signal conditioning circuits (such as power amplifiers, and filters) for converting the digital diver signals into analog driver signals that are suitable for driving the modulator 10. The modulator 10, which may, for example, be a Mach-Zehnder modulator) receives narrow-band optical carrier light from a laser 14, and outputs a modulated optical channel signal based on the analog driver signals. In the illustrated embodiment, the laser 14 is located remotely from the transmit module 2, and the narrow-band optical carrier is supplied to the modulator 10 via an input optical fibre "pig-tail" 16. The modulated optical channel signal output by the modulator 10 is directed to downstream optical devices (such as optical multiplexers etc., not shown) via an output optical fibre pig-tail 18.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a receiver module 20 typically comprises an optical hybrid 22, photodetector block 24, analog receiver stage (A-Rx) 26, digital signal processor (DSP) 28, and a connector 30, all of which are mounted on a PCB substrate 32. The optical hybrid 22 receives an input optical channel signal through an optical fibre pig-tail 34 connected to upstream optical devices (such as an optical de-multiplexer, not shown) and narrow-band light from a local oscillator 36 via a respective LO pig-tail 38. The photodetector block 24 receives mixed light from the optical hybrid, and outputs corresponding analog electrical signals. The analog receiver stage 26 comprises analog signal conditioning circuits (such as power amplifiers, filters etc.) and analog-to-digital (A/D) converters (not shown) for converting the analog electrical signals from the photodetectors into raw digital sample streams which are processed by the DSP 28 to detect and recover digital data signals modulated on the received optical channel signal. The connector 30 is typically a multi-pin connector which enables recovered digital data signals output from the DSP 28 to be supplied to further data recovery and processing systems, as well as electrical power supply and ground connections for the photodetector array 24, analog receiver stage 26, and the DSP 28.
In both of the transmit and receive modules described above, the PCB substrate 12, 32 provides both a structural support for each of the other elements of the module, and the electrical interconnections between them. In the case of the transmit module (FIG. 1a), a digital data bus 40 is provided between the connector 4 and the digital driver 6, which is designed to carry data signal traffic at the intended bit-rate; a high-speed digital interface 42 is provided between the digital driver 6 and the analog driver 8, for conveying encoded digital signals at a desired sample rate. Finally, an analog transmission line bus 44 is provided for carrying the (typically radio frequency) analog drive signals from the analog driver 8 to the modulator 10. In the case of the receive module 20 (FIG. 1b), the optical hybrid 22 and photodetector block 24 are optically connected via optical waveguides 46 which are often supported independently of the PCB substrate 32. An analog transmission line bus 48 is provided for carrying the (typically radio frequency) analog signals from the photodetector block 24 to the analog receiver stage 26. A high-speed digital interface 50 is provided between the analog receiver stage 26 and the DSP 28, for conveying the raw digital sample stream at the A/D convertor sample rate. Finally, a digital data bus 52 is provided between the DSP 28 and the connector 30, which is designed to carry recovered digital data signals at the intended bit-rate.
Typically, the various active components of the transmit and receive modules are provided as separate Integrated Circuit (IC) devices, which are assembled together on the PCB substrate 12, 32, for example using known surface mounting techniques. This arrangement enables each of these components to be separately manufactured (e.g. by different manufacturers) which increases the design freedom in selecting components for each module, and reduces costs. However, this arrangement suffers a disadvantage in that each of the digital and analog buses 40-44 and 48-52 are relatively long, and the impedance of theses electrical interconnections means that each of the active components (principally the digital and analog drivers on the transmit module 2, and the analog receiver stage and the DSP on the receiver module 20) must have suitable impedance-matching and power-driver circuits in order to drive the buses 40-44 and 48-52 and so transmit the required signals. This increases both the cost and power consumption of each of these devices, as well as presenting an additional source of noise. The severity of these problems tends to increase rapidly with increases in either data signal bit rates and complexity of the digital signal processing implemented by the digital driver and DSP components.
For appropriate impedance control at high bandwidths, expensive waveguides and connectors may be required.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/721,876 filed Mar. 19, 2010 and entitled Integrated Transmit and Receive Modules, teaches techniques for of addressing this problem, by combining the optical and electronic components into respective Integrated Circuit (IC) elements, which are then connected together (both electrically and mechanically, via solder balls or bumps. Thus, for example, in the case of a receiver, an electro-optical IC includes the optical hybrid 22 and the photodetector block 24, while the analog receiver stage 26 and the DSP 28 are fabricated together in an electronic signal processing IC. The electronic signal processing IC is then connected to a package base (also using solder bumps, for example) which provides an integral pin-connector. A transmitter may be constructed in a similar manner, in which the digital and analog driver stages 6 and 8 are combined in a single electronic IC, which is electrically connected via solder bumps to an electro-optical IC (composed primarily of the modulator 10) and a package base.
An advantage of this arrangement is that the electro-optical IC and the electronic IC can be separately fabricated, and the use of solder bumps to connect to two ICs together eliminates the need for impedance-matching and power-driver circuits in order to drive signals between the two components. However, the use of solder bumps to connect the two ICs together means that they must be fabricated using the same materials, in order to avoid undesirable thermal stress during operation.
For low bandwidth transmission systems, this limitation can be accommodated because the associated (lower) performance requirements mean that the designer has greater latitude for selecting IC materials. However, next generation optical transmission systems are expected to require high bandwidth, low noise, optical modulators and hybrids, and ND converters and DSPs operating at on the order of 100 Giga-Sample per second. In order to achieve satisfactory performance, it is expected that that the electro-optical and electronic signal processing ICs will have to be constructed using materials that are optimized for each function. For example, the electro-optical IC may be fabricated in Indium-Phosphide (InP), and the electronic IC may be fabricated in silicon using Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. However, the use of different materials raises the difficulty in that the two ICs have different, and generally incompatible thermal characteristics. This can make it challenging and expensive to package the two IC components in close proximity to each other.
On the other hand, an analog transmission line connection interposed between the (InP) electro-optical IC and the (silicon) electronic signal processing IC would require a bandwidth on the order of 50 GHz, or higher. Achieving this bandwidth requires very careful control of S21, S11, and S22 parameters of the transmission line out to the desired bandwidth (e.g. 50 GHz), which is also challenging and expensive.
Techniques enabling low-cost interconnection between electro-optical and electronic ICs in high bandwidth optical transmitter and receiver modules remain highly desirable.

Parallel conversion between optical and digital


Systems and methods for microbial processes of generating products such as electrical power, hydrogen gas and methane, are provided according to aspects of the present invention which include a reaction chamber having a wall defining an interior of the reaction chamber and an exterior of the reaction chamber; an anode at least partially contained within an anode compartment of the reaction chamber; a plurality of exoelectrogenic microorganisms disposed in the anode compartment; a cathode at least partially contained within a cathode compartment of the reaction chamber; a conductive conduit for electrons in electrical communication with the anode and the cathode; and a reverse electrodialysis stack comprising a plurality of plurality of alternating anion selective barriers and cation selective barriers disposed between the anode and the cathode defining one or more saline material compartments and one or more lower-saline material compartments.

A microbial fuel cell (MFCs) is a type of bioelectrochemical system (BES) where current is generated by bacteria from the oxidation of organic and inorganic matter. Compounds are reduced at the cathode, such as oxygen or protons, through inorganic catalysts or bacteria and electrical power is generated in an MFC.
Ordinary fuel cells (i.e. PEM hydrogen fuel cells) can be linked in series to increase voltage, but when MFCs are electrically linked in series there is a voltage reversal, and the power output from the stack (multiple cells in series) is not consistently increased in proportion to the number of cells. This electrical linking of MFC reactors in series has limited applications where higher voltages are desired.
Hydrogen gas is generated by addition of voltage to an MFC, in which case the system is termed a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Exoelectrogens are used to drive electrochemical H2 production in an MEC. However, the potential generated by substrate oxidation (−0.30 V vs. NHE; 1 g/L acetate; pH 7) is not sufficient to drive H2 evolution (−0.41 V vs. NHE at pH 7). Thus, additional energy (˜0.11 V in theory) is needed to overcome this thermodynamic threshold, and an external voltage of >0.4 V is typically applied to MECs. This additional energy could be provided by, for instance, a renewable source of energy, such as solar, wind, or waste organic matter. However, no method or device is believed to have been developed prior to the present invention to directly achieve H2 production in one biotic process without an external voltage supply.
Reverse electrodialysis (RED) holds great promise as a method for generating electricity from the salinity gradient between seawater and river water. RED systems are built as stacks of alternating cation- and anion-exchange membranes situated between two electrodes. When seawater and river water are provided into the RED stack, counter-ions (selected ions) to the membranes are driven from seawater to river water due to the salinity difference, creating an electric potential across the ion-exchange membrane. A salinity ratio of 50 between seawater and river water can theoretically create 0.155 V (open circuit) per pair of anion- and cation-exchange membranes.
Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a power generation system based on the salinity-driven electromotive force, especially between salty sea water and fresh river water (Huang, et al., 2006). The concentration difference across the ion-exchange membrane drives the ionic transport in the system, and this driving force can be quantified by Eq. (1) as electromotive force (Bard, et al., 2001).
                                        Δϕ                          =                              RT            zF                                          [                                                            t                  counter                                                                  ln                                                        (                                                                  a                                                  counter                          ,                          high                                                                                a                                                  counter                          ,                          low                                                                                )                                                              -                                                t                  co                                                                  ln                                                        (                                                                  a                                                  co                          ,                          high                                                                                a                                                  co                          ,                          low                                                                                )                                                                        ]                                              (        1        )            where Δφ is the electromotive force driven by the concentration difference, t is the transport number (defined as the fractional contribution of the ionic flux to the current density in the membrane), R is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature, z is the ionic charge, f is the activity coefficient, and c is the ionic concentration. The subscripts high and low mean the high- and low-concentration cells, respectively. Also, the subscripts counter and co denote the counter- and co-ions to the membrane, respectively. Note that the counter- and co-ions are selected and excluded ions by the ion-exchange membrane; for instance, with a cation-exchange membrane, sodium or magnesium ions are counter-ions, while chloride or sulfate ions are co-ions, and vice versa with an anion-exchange membrane.

Reverse electrodialysis supported microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells


A cross-bar array includes one or more input row lines, one or more output column lines, one or more resistive processing units (RPUs) coupled at one or more intersections of the input row lines and the output column lines, and a control circuit. A given one of the RPUs includes an analog memory element including a first terminal coupled to a given one of the input row lines and a second terminal coupled to a given one of the output column lines. The analog memory element includes a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor structure including an n-type field-effect transistor and a p-type field-effect transistor. A gate of the n-type field-effect transistor is coupled to a gate of the p-type field effect transistor to provide a floating gate. The control circuit is configured to read a synaptic weight value of the given RPU by measuring a stored electrical charge of the floating gate.

The present application relates to semiconductors, and more specifically, to techniques for forming cross-bar arrays. Arrays of trainable resistive crosspoint devices may be used to provide a cross-bar array. The trainable resistive crosspoint devices, or resistive processing units, may be used in a wide variety of application areas, including performing machine learning computations in an analog domain.

Resistive processing units with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor non-volatile analog memory

International Business Machines Corporation


In a staring infrared countermeasures system, wherein the improvement comprises a semiconductor material emitter for providing a specific infrared wavelength to provide protection against an infrared radiation guided missile.

There is broad recognition of the threat posed by heat (IR energy) seeking missiles to both military and commercial aviation. In the mid 1970's, defensive systems were rapidly developed and deployed to increase military aircraft battlefield survivability. These systems were highly successful in countering IR-missile threats and have proven themselves invaluable to both military and commercial sectors. These older prior art systems are based on a multi-spectral sources filtered to provide desired IR-missile jam wavelengths. The source must provide significant modulated energy emission, to provide appropriate jamming effectiveness. A major benefit of many older systems is that they are always "ON" and continually providing "staring" protection. The source emission can be tailored to the signature of the platform being protected or provide radiated fields of protection dictated by the geometry of the emitter. The "staring" characteristic ordinarily provides "JAM in the TUBE" protection. That is, missiles affected by such prior art staring systems typically can not launch since the missile's guidance system can not 'lock' onto the desired target.
A drawback to some such prior art systems is that they may be specifically designed for protection against what is referred to as Band I IR missile threats. IR missile technology has evolved to include improved jamming rejection and changes in spectral sensitivity (wavelength); this necessitates new methods to oppose the new threats. These newer IR-missiles are referred to as Band IV threats. To address the advanced technology, infrared countermeasures (IRCM) have followed with increasingly complex and sophisticated protection solutions that basically discards the older technologies. Today's advanced IRCM includes integrated missile warning and precision guided laser jamming technology. The latest Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) systems direct high intensity modulated IR lasers on the incoming missile's dome, thus jamming the guidance control system. DIRCM systems differ from Staring systems in that they are significantly more complicated than the older staring systems. In addition, DIRCM systems must be cued by an advanced missile warning system prior to attempting to point and jam with sufficient precision and apply Energy on Target (EoT) to defeat the threat in a moving and turbulent environment. These complexities and the addition of many interrelated subsystems (i.e. Missile Warning, Gimbal, Tracking Camera, Cryogenic Coolers, and Lasers etc.) inherently increase life cycle cost and reduce system reliability. Consequently, the bulk of our military force's aircraft fleet is unprotected against advanced IR missiles. Many aircraft in our current military aircraft fleets, however, are still protected with such older staring IRCM systems.
A need, therefore, exists for still better and economic ways to protect aircraft from the more advanced IR guided missile threats being developed.

Semiconductor IR lamp replacement providing bands IV, II and band I for staring infrared countermeasures system

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


According to one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to apply a filter to each of a first real-part image and a first imaginary-part image of a first complex image generated based on acquired magnetic resonance data and thereby generate a second complex image that includes a second real-part image and a second imaginary-part image. The processing circuitry is configured to generate a phase image denoised by the filter, the denoised phase image generated based on the second real-part image and the second imaginary-part image. The processing circuitry is configured to generate an intensity image related to an absolute value of the first complex image based on pixel values of the denoised phase image, the first real-part image, and the first imaginary-part image.

A magnetic resonance imaging (hereinafter referred to as "MRI") apparatus generates a grayscale image (also referred to as an "intensity image" or an "absolute-value image") from a complex image by performing non-linear transformation (also referred to as "polar coordinate transformation") {(ReI)2+(ImI)2}1/2 on a real-part image ReI and an imaginary-part image ImI of the complex image. At this time, the nature of noise changes due to the polar coordinate transformation from the complex image to the grayscale image, that is, the sum of squares and square root. Namely, a Gaussian noise, which is an additive noise that follows a Gaussian distribution in the complex image, is transformed, through the polar coordinate transformation, into a noise that follows a Rayleigh distribution in the grayscale image. A difference between a Gaussian distribution and a Rayleigh distribution is that an average of a probability density distribution function of the Gaussian distribution is zero, whereas an average of a probability density distribution function of the Rayleigh distribution is not zero, that is, the probability density distribution function representing the Rayleigh distribution does not have negative values. Thus, a bias of noise whose average is not zero is superimposed on the grayscale image. Accordingly, the grayscale image resembles a haze with unnaturally whitish parts (hereinafter referred to as "black floating").
The black floating is caused by the non-linear transformation used when generating a grayscale image from a complex image, as described above. Namely, since a pixel value that should originally be a negative value is distorted to be a positive value through the non-linear transformation because of noise, black floating proportional to the noise amount occurs. Therefore, even if a smoothing filter is applied to the grayscale image in order to denoise the grayscale image, the issue of black floating cannot be resolved because the bias having the Rayleigh distribution in which a noise average is positive is superimposed on the grayscale image.
To suppress black floating, the measures described below can be taken. First, the noise amount of the grayscale image is estimated from a mode value of a histogram of a variance (or standard deviation) of pixel values in a local region that includes a pixel of interest in the grayscale image generated from the complex image through the non-linear transformation. Next, if the variance in each local region of the grayscale image is smaller than a threshold determined based on the noise amount, the pixel value of the pixel of interest corresponding to the local region is multiplied by a coefficient smaller than 1, to suppress the black floating in the grayscale image.
The measures described above compensate for the black floating by estimating the noise amount from a standard deviation of a portion of the grayscale area where a variation of the pixel value is flat (i.e., flat portion). When the noise amount is estimated in the complex image using a standard deviation of a texture in the edge and the body tissue in order to discriminate between the texture and the noise, a region of sufficient breadth is needed in order to improve the accuracy of noise amount estimation. However, if a region of the flat portion of the pixel value of the complex image is small, the accuracy of the noise amount estimation may degrade. Therefore, if the noise amount is overestimated in the grayscale image, a pixel value of a bright portion of the grayscale image decreases, and if the noise amount is underestimated in the grayscale image, the black floating may not disappear.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and medical complex image processing apparatus


A nasal splint is described to separate the mucoperiosteum within a nasal cavity. The splint includes an elongate base sized and shaped to separate the inferior conchae. A flexible wing extends away from the base to separate the walls of the middle conchae when the splint is in place within the nasal cavity. A hollow tube is also provided on the base for defining an air passage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a splint used in a nasal cavity after surgery or injury to prevent mucosal membranes lining the nasal septum and conchae from scarring and adhering to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frequently after surgery or certain injuries, various mucosal membranes of the nasal cavity scar and/or adhere to each other thereby impeding the nasal passages and normal breathing of the patient. This occurrence may be prevented, at least partially, by the use of commercially available nasal splints. One such splint consists of a trapezoidal, planar device made of polyethylene or Teflon.RTM. and which is inserted into the nasal cavity beneath the lateral turbinate. The splint is sutured in place. After several weeks the splint is removed. Another type of splint consists of an oval, planar member sutured in place with a semicircular lumen attached thereto to form an airway path. This splint, shown in the FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, is made of a medical grade silicon rubber. The problem with these splints is that they only serve to protect the mucosal membranes covering the concha nasalis inferior ossea (referred to hereinafter as the inferior turbinate). The membranes covering the other concha nasalis ossea (turbinates) remain unprotected.


A plunger pump includes a cylinder section having a cylinder chamber and a spacer section sliding against a portion of the plunger closer to a proximal end side than a portion of a plunger advancing and retracting into the cylinder chamber. The cylinder section is made of a material having first hardness, and the spacer section being made of a resin material having second hardness softer than the first hardness. A length in an axial direction from a proximal end of a sliding portion of the spacer section sliding against the plunger to a distal end of the spacer section is larger than a maximum stroke length of reciprocation of the plunger.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plunger pump that transfers fluid by rotating and reciprocating a plunger in a cylinder chamber to let a suction port and a discharge port alternately communicate with the cylinder chamber.
Description of the Prior Art
As disclosed in JP 2001-248543 A and JP 2008-51392 A, for example, a conventional plunger pump has been known that transfers fluid by rotating and reciprocating a plunger having a cut face on the outer periphery of its distal end in a cylinder chamber to let a suction port and a discharge port alternately communicate with the cylinder chamber.
If fluid that has characteristics of precipitation or depositing is transferred by such a plunger pump, precipitation or depositing may occur and disable sliding of the plunger in the cylinder and stop the pump. A plunger pump 100 disclosed in JP 2001-248543 A and JP 2008-51392 A as illustrated in FIG. 7, for example, includes depositing prevention ports 104a and 104b provided in a cylinder 101 at locations closer to the proximal end side than a suction port 102 and a discharge port 103 provided on the outer circumference of the cylinder 101 in the vicinity of the distal end.
Washing liquid is supplied from external to the depositing prevention ports 104a and 104b. The washing liquid washes away the fluid that has characteristics of precipitation or depositing from the clearance between the inner circumferential face 105 of the cylinder 101 and the outer circumferential face 106 of the plunger to prevent stopping of the pump caused by precipitation or depositing.
Under some operating conditions, such as the place where the pump is set and the operating environment, the washing liquid cannot be used or an additional flow passage for the washing liquid, including the depositing prevention ports 104a and 104b, cannot be provided. A plunger pump having a structure that can prevent stopping of the pump caused by precipitation or depositing regardless of the operating condition of the pump is desired.


A reclining chair including a support base, a chair having seat and back portions integrally formed, a lever arm fixed to and extending from a bottom and forward portion of the seat portion, a means for pivotally coupling the forward portion of the seat portion to the base portion such that the seat portion pivotally moves substantially about a pivoting axis passing through an expected vicinity of a pivoting axis of a knee joint of a person sitting in the reclining chair, a roller engaging with a surface of the lever arm, a mechanism for moving the roller along the surface of the lever arm and a coil spring pivotally coupled at one end to the support base and rotatably coupled to the roller at the other end.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reclining chairs and more particularly, to mechanisms for reclining the seat of such reclining chairs.
II. Prior Art
In the prior art there exists several different types of reclining chairs. All of these reclining chairs essentially perform the same function, that is the function of reclining; however, these prior art reclining chairs all have certain deficiencies.
In particular, when the chairs recline the feet of the person seated in the chair generally rises off of the floor as the front portion of the seat rises. Such a condition is particularly undesirable in reclining chairs utilized in offices.
The reclining mechanism is usually further provided with a spring which can be adjusted for preload for varying the biasing force against the reclining motion of the chair so that the chair does not fall backward; however, this spring can be adjusted only for preload and nothing else. Preload adjustability alone does not provide the capability for equal starting positions for large and small persons and does not provide the same feel throughout the reclining travel for large and small persons. As a result, chairs with only preload adjustability are optimized essentially for only one person. As a result, the chairs which are designed for people who are heavy cannot be utilized by people who are light in weight and vice-versa.
There does exist reclining chairs in the prior art which reduce or eliminate the first above described disadvantage; however, while these prior art reclining chairs may reduce or eliminate this disadvantage, they have disadvantages of their own. Examples of such disadvantages are that they are complex in structure and difficult and expensive to manufacture and do not feel equally comfortable during reclining motion for both light and heavy persons.
Examples of prior art reclining chairs which possess one more of the above disadvantages and which may have attempted to solve some of the above described disadvantages are described in the United States issued patents as follows:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. Nos. ______________________________________ 910,357 2,479,175 2,611,420 2,616,483 2,925,122 3,856,346 4,372,608 4,386,805 4,402,546 4,529,247 4,779,925 4,804,277 4,865,385 4,889,384 4,889,385 4,911,501 5,033,791 5,046,780 ______________________________________


A transmission wire connector includes a first wire contact member and a second wire contact member mounted in bores in a base unit wherein the first and second contact members may slide to make contact with an exchange linked wire, and a consumer linked wire respectively, the first and second wire contacts within the base unit being isolated from one another; together with a separable module unit cable of coupling with the base unit and providing direct or indirect electrical connection between the first and second contacts when the module unit is coupled to the base unit, the separable module unit being one of a plurality of such module units arranged to provide different functions to the connector or a wire it connects.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transmission wire connectors and assemblies thereof, and more particularly, although not exclusively, to connector assemblies for linking telecommunication wires together, particularly wires from a telecommunications exchange to wires leading to subscribers.
2. Related Art
It is known to provide such connectors and assemblies in which a plurality of contacts having wire insulation penetration capability are electrically connected at one end to insulated wires from a telecommunications exchange. Insulated wires leading to the telecommunications subscribers are then electrically connected either directly or indirectly to the other end of the contacts. Commonly such terminals are mounted at the top of an outdoor telecommunication pole and act as distribution points for telecommunication wires to subscribers.
Typically a twenty pair exchange cable is permanently connected to contacts at one level of the assembly, whilst the wires linking the pole top and subscribers premises (commonly referred to as drop wires) are connected, disconnected or reconnected at a separate level of the assembly as may be required from time to time.
It is to be understood that the assembly, although commonly mounted on a telecommunications pole, may also be mounted on the outside wall of the building, in a building service area, or on a lower pedestal mount. It may vary in size typically from 5 to 50 pairs of wires, each pair servicing one piece of equipment (such as a telephone, a fax, or an alternative form of modem).
Connector assemblies of the pole top distribution point (PTDP) kind have traditionally proved a convenient location to hold ancillary equipment such as surge arresters to reduce the damage to plant caused by lightning strikes, and contact between electrical power lines and telephone wires. Technically the main problem with such PTDP assemblies and such ancillary equipment has been to protect the individual components, such as the surge arrester and its housing, from the environment, especially from water contaminated with chemicals such as salt.
It has been proposed to house additional passive, and to introduce active electronic devices to the PTDP. These include, for example, xe2x80x9csoft dial tonexe2x80x9d components (which enable the wires to be tested even though no subscriber is connected) and xe2x80x9cremote interface devicesxe2x80x9d (which allow the wire to be tested from exchange to the PTDP and, quite separately, from the PTDP to a subscriber and also allows for disconnection of the subscriber by remote control). Other similar components have been proposed for inclusion in the PTDP.
However, not only does the addition of a multiplicity of function components add to the problems of protection from the environment of the PTDP point and its constituents, but also most seriously can effect the complication of the layout of the assembly if it is to accommodate the various components.
There are in service, 40 year old PTDP and the longevity of modern designs should be even greater than this. Unimaginable advances in electronics will be made in the lifetime of a PTDP but it may not be economically viable to discard existing plant in order to take advantage of new technologies.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector and an assembly of connectors which overcomes or at least significantly reduces the above-mentioned difficulties.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a transmission wire connector including a first wire contact member and a second wire contact member mounted in bores in a base unit wherein the first and second contact members may slide to make contact with an exchange linked wire, and a consumer linked wire respectively, the first and second wire contacts within the base unit being isolated one from the other; together with a separable module unit capable of coupling with the base unit and providing direct or indirect electrical connection between the first and second contacts when the module unit is coupled to the base unit, the separable module unit being one of a plurality of such module units arranged to provide different functions to the connector or a wire it connects.
The first and second contacts may be of the kind sliding over and gripping the relevant wire and at the same time displacing insulation about the wire to provide good electrical contact with the conductor. The contacts are preferably of the kind carrying bifurcated blades strongly urged together to contact electrically the relevant cables.
The contacts may slide directly in ways formed in the base unit or alternatively may be mounted in carriers which in turn may slide linearly within the base unit. The carrier is particularly advantageous when a plurality of contacts is to be moved by some means of mechanical advantage.
The connector may be sealed such that the totality of base unit and module unit are water repellent or water resistant.
The base unit and the module unit of the connector may be provided with components such as to enable the provision of pairs of first contacts and pairs of second contacts with pairs of exchange linked wires and user linked wires respectively in accordance with normal practice.
The base unit may include means to provide mechanical advantage in the contact making sliding movement of one or a pair of the contacts with the associated relevant wires. In addition, the exchange wire contact or contacts may be pushed into insulation displacement electrical contact with the exchange wire by manual means upon the coupling of the module unit with the base unit.
The module units may include one having a straightforward electrical connection between the first and second contacts or pairs of contacts, and may include alternative modes of connection therebetween together with additional utility units built in such as a three pole arrester, a soft dial tone test facility, a five pole arrester, a remote interface device, as well as a common earth pole capable of linking through the base unit to earthing contact with and beyond the casing of the connector when in its assembly.
The module may have no contacts, but from an insulating blanking plug which completes the waterproofing of the connector until it is joined to a subscriber.
It is envisaged that modules may be produced in a variety of colours to donate their function, and the function that they bestow upon the connector.
The interface between modules and base unit ideally may include polarising features, the negative (hole) being on the base unit and if all base units include the polarising feature, and only those modules which are orientation sensitive include the feature, then the system is secure without being unnecessarily restrictive.
The first and second contacts may, at least upon full assembly, be located wholly within the base unit.
A latching arrangement may be provided to ensure that coupling between the module unit and the base unit is secure, and even in some circumstances permanent.
The invention includes within its scope an assembly of connectors as hereunder defined:

Transmission line connectors with interchangeable module units


A tube scraper for removing deposits from the interior surface of heat exchange tubes, the scraper being fitted with a set of diverging scraper blade arms mounted on an arbor in nested relationship such that scraper blades have overlapping scraping edges.

This invention relates to and provides a tube scraper for cleaning the interior surface of heat exchanger tubes such as boiler tubes and condenser tubes.
In normal operation, hard deposits such as rust and scale containing calcium, and soft deposits including slime and loose dirt build up on the interior surface of heat exchanger tubes that diminishes thermal efficiency and restricts fluid flow through the tubes. To maintain thermal efficiency and design flow in operation of the heat exchanger, it is necessary to remove such deposits.
These deposits are removed by mechanical scraping using a projectile driven through the tube by pressurized media including air, water, steam, or other gas. The pressure media acts on a projectile seal or piston for propelling the projectile through a tube. The projectile is fitted with scrapers engaging the tube interior wall for removing deposits as the projectile transits the tube. Preferably, the projectile pushes removed deposits ahead through the tube so both projectile and deposits are ejected from the far end of the tube.
The chief objective of the present invention is to provide an improved scraper for removing hard deposits from the interior surface of heat exchanger tubes.


A device for heating a liquid food with steam, having a liquid-transporting and a steam-transporting pipe (5, 7), where in order to effect the connection of both pipes for the purpose of heating the liquid directly in the pipe in a constructively simple manner, a coupling device (4) for connecting the pipes (5, 7) is provided, which contains at least one perforating needle (11), which is connected to one of the pipes (7, 5) and can pierce a perforable wall section (5a) on the other pipe (5, 7).

With drink dispensing devices, in particular automatic drink machines, which discharge liquid food, such as for example hot drinks, soups and milk products, the liquid food is often heated by steam which is introduced into the liquid. Here, the condensing steam dissipates its energy into the liquid to be heated without a significant amount of water being transported into the liquid. Using steam, a relatively large amount of energy can be efficiently introduced into the liquid to be heated in a very short time. Therefore, heating using steam is particularly suitable for liquid foods which are only heated portion by portion on request.
With known drink dispensing devices the heating takes place using steam in a heating chamber in which the liquid and steam are introduced. These heating chambers must however be cleaned at regular intervals, which is cost-intensive, in order to prevent unwanted germ growth and/or contamination of the following prepared drinks.

WMF Wuerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG


An Input/Output (IO) Virtualization (IOV) system provides a mechanism for sharing computer peripheral devices or resources between multiple host computers by presenting a single resource multiple times to numerous host systems. The IOV system provides IO virtualization and host-to-host communication services to the host computers. The system comprises device interfaces coupled to the IO devices. Each IO device comprises at least one endpoint function (EPF). Host interfaces are each coupled to one of a number of host computers. Each host interface includes a proxy, and each proxy comprises configuration data.

Conventional technologies include a standard known as single-root input/output virtualization (SR-IOV) for PCI Express® (PCIe) devices. The SR-IOV allows multiple operating systems running simultaneously within a single computer to natively share PCIe devices by providing native input/output (IO or I/O) virtualization in PCIe topologies where there is a single root complex. The single root complex typically indicates a central processing complex with a single chipset, where the PCIe root complex resides. Therefore, SR-IOV allows multiple guest operating systems running in a virtual machine environment on a single processing complex to access multiple functions in a SR-IOV capable device.
Multi-root IOV (MR-IOV) has also been specified, which builds on SR-IOV to provide native I/O virtualization in topologies in which multiple root complexes share a PCIe hierarchy. The MR-IOV, however, requires implementation at the fabric, endpoint, and system levels that has not been realized to date.
Additionally, conventional technologies include proprietary systems that have been developed to implement IO virtualization. However, these systems do not provide native, transparent PCIe connections to the hosts and IO devices in the system and, further, require proprietary IO resource modules or drivers to run on the hosts.
Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is another conventional technology that allows for tunneling storage traffic using a Fiber Channel protocol to be encapsulated in ethernet frames and transported on an ethernet fabric. However, extensive infrastructure replacement will be necessary to implement FCoE, like required replacement of the switching fabric, IO devices, and drivers associated with the client-server (ethernet) and storage (fiber channel) networks.
Conventional systems also include ExpressEther, which is a system architecture that provides a mechanism to transport PCIe traffic over an ethernet fabric. However, the system does not provide sharing of PCIe devices at the function level, but only serial assignment of an entire device to a given host. Moreover, the system does not provide for a centralized management entity.

Assignment of resources in an input/output (I/O) virtualization system


Virtually fraud-proof authentication for wireless mobile financial transactions. A mobile telephone, genius card or dongle may capture multiple biometrics, such as fingerprint, voiceprint, retinal recognition data, facial biometric data, ear biometric data and bio print, iris scanning data, pupil movement recognition data, and send segments of each of them to a server computer that re-constitutes them and stores them for matching during an attempted financial transaction. A purchasing individual has multiple biometrics read by separate readers integrated into a single hand-held device. An automatic process of the server computer has previously sent a command packet to the hand-held device defining percentage and portion of each biometric to select and the sequence and channel of transmission for matching along with other out of band security data. During the charging phase, the hand-held device may utilize a slidable antenna for swiping a magnetic strip of a charge card reader or may display credit card data for a limited amount of time.

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for biometric authentication and, more particularly, to using fractional components of different biometrics in a multi-layer authentication process for mobile financial transactions.
It has been estimated that the magnitude of credit card fraud in the United States alone is $8.7 billion annually. Identity theft in the context of wireless mobile communication devices used to make financial transactions is even more difficult to prevent since mobile networks are less secure. Despite the risks of fraud, there is a strong demand to use mobile communication devices to make purchases of goods and services. For many people such purchases are more convenient than those made from a fixed location, just like for many people mobile telephones are more convenient to use than land line phones.
There is therefore a compelling need for a method and a system for stopping credit card theft and other identity theft using improved authentication methods in the context of mobile financial transactions.

Variable fractions of multiple biometrics with multi-layer authentication of mobile transactions


Method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions for implementing a method for providing automated collateral eligibility services implemented by one or more collateral management service (CMS) devices between a client and at least one other party. The method includes receiving a collateral eligibility schedule setup request from a client device. The collateral eligibility schedule setup request includes one or more attributes and one or more rules. The method further includes initiating a current collateral eligibility schedule based on the received collateral eligibility schedule setup request; transmitting a notification to the at least one other party to review the current collateral eligibility schedule; receiving approval of the current collateral eligibility schedule from the at least one other party; and activating the approved current collateral eligibility schedule.

Collateral is used across the financial markets in order to manage risk and exposure. A collateral provider and collateral receiver will agree upon the types of eligible collateral for their underlying transaction, which will be memorialized in the eligibility schedule. The rules of the eligibility schedule govern the relationship between the collateral provider and collateral receiver. It is critical that a collateral management service provider (e.g., various financial institutions, banks, etc.) manages and maintains eligibility rules per the client's agreement with their counterparty.
Unfortunately, historic collateral management applications are unintuitive to use, resulting in challenges with respect to a lack of intuitiveness regarding the terms of the eligibility schedule. Furthermore, data is historically fragmented and held in siloes, resulting in limited access by the collateral receiver, collateral provider and collateral management service provider to eligibility schedule data, which is of important in the time of a stressed market event.

Methods for providing automated collateral eligibility services and devices thereof


Self-compressing asphalt mixtures, in particular according to the mastic asphalt principle, and in particular mastic asphalt mixtures for roadway topcoats, asphalt intermediate layers, asphalt binder layers and/or asphalt sealing layers used in road construction. Roadway topcoats, asphalt intermediate layers, asphalt binder layers, and/or asphalt sealing layers containing such asphalt mixtures, methods for forming the same, and methods for transporting the asphalt mixtures, such as to an installation site, are also disclosed.

General information on the laying of roadway topcoats, asphalt intermediate layers, asphalt binder layers and/or asphalt sealing layers from asphalt mixtures is presented in "Technical delivery conditions for asphalt mixtures for the construction of public thoroughfare paving" (TL Asphalt StB 07, 2008 version). Classifications for grain sizes from stones to stone dust (fillers) are found in "Technical delivery conditions for stone sizes in road construction" (TL Stones-StB 04, 2007 version). There one also finds the designations for the different stone classifications.
Roadway topcoats, intermediate layers, binder layers and/or sealing layers made of asphalt are differentiated between two installation methods, rolled asphalt and mastic asphalt.
Rolled asphalt gets its name because it must in general be compressed by heavy rollers, with or without vibration, after installation and precompression. On the other hand, mastic asphalt can be poured, distributed, and installed in its final position with an installation machine (mastic asphalt screed or road paver), and thus need not be compressed. Due to its properties during installation, mastic asphalt is already prepared so that compression by heavy rollers is not required.
With rolled asphalt the mixture already contains the aggregate (stone chippings and sand) to create a textured road surface of the roadway topcoat that is rich in stone chippings causing it to have good gripping properties. Rolled asphalt must nonetheless be compressed by means of heavy rollers to the degree of compression required by rules and standards. Incomplete compression of rolled asphalt after installation is a primary cause of damage to roadway topcoats. It is often the case that installation errors occur due to unfavorable installation conditions, e.g., incomplete compression.
The technical shortcomings of rolled asphalt installation argue in favor of using mastic asphalt to lay roadway topcoats, intermediate layers, binder layers and/or sealing layers, especially for road construction. Roadway topcoats, intermediate layers, binder layers and/or sealing layers are thus all types of covering layers, intermediate layers, binder layers, and sealing layers encountered in road building, including situations in which the respective layers are not driven on in the narrower sense. It also includes all types of miscellaneous surfaces, even on bridges and in tunnels.
Mastic asphalt is a mixture of stone chippings, sand, filler, and binding agent. The filler is formed from the smallest grain sized powdered stone <0.063 mm (TL stone-StB 04, 2007 version), which is generally used as the binding agent in bitumen. This mixture is composed so that it can be poured and coated during installation, and can thus also be used as a mastic asphalt floor screed. No further compression is required after installation and finishing of the mastic asphalt layer.
Mixtures, and particularly mineral mixtures, general aggregate mixtures of class 0/8 (with a maximum grain size of 8 mm) or 0/5 (with a maximum grain size of 5 mm) or even 0/3 (with a maximum grain size of 3 mm) are appropriately used in road construction as a function of the surface properties. These mixtures are of special significance for roadway topcoats optimized for low noise properties. The grain size is important for determining the surface properties, tire gripping characteristics, rolling properties and noise produced by the roadway topcoat. They play a subordinate role with regard to stability, since this is primarily determined by the coating, which consists mainly of sand, filler, and binding agent.
Due to its favorable installation and flow properties, a roadway topcoat made of a mastic asphalt mixture would have a closed, smooth surface. This would not be well suited for driving. Stone chippings must therefore be provided for a roadway topcoat. In order to increase the roughness and tire gripping capability of the surface, it is conventional practice with mastic asphalt to scatter stone chippings or sand, which must be worked into the surface.
The application of scattered stone chippings with mastic asphalt requires the operational steps of heating, encasing with bitumen, transport and storage at the jobsite, scattering a specified quantity (12-15 kg/sqm), kneading with a rubber roller, rerolling with a smooth roller, sweeping, collecting, and transporting the excess scattered stone chippings away. Risks to tire gripping capability, noise production, and driving comfort also result from this sequence of procedures. If the mastic asphalt mixture has too much mortar on the surface, then the scattered stone chippings will sink into it. If too thin a coating is applied to the surface, then the subsequently scattered stone chippings will not adhere. This can also produce rough surfaces due to different installation thicknesses and excessively low temperatures, or even improper rolling.
Nonetheless, mastic asphalt is the most economical and most durable roadway topcoat made of asphalt for high traffic areas. The binding agent, namely bitumen, is protected from oxidation and subsequent embrittlement by the impermeability of mastic asphalt, and water is prevented from penetrating into the road structure.
More recently mastic asphalt mixtures have also been adapted in a modified procedure to make roadway topcoats. This mastic asphalt, which has improved noise qualities, is processed at 10 to 13 kg/sqm of scattered stone chippings (coarse aggregate) having special properties with respect to grain size and shape. These scattered stone chippings are not yet rolled. The installation of this type of mastic asphalt mixture is very difficult, however, since all installation parameters, such as installation temperature, absence of precipitation even on the day before the installation, proper temperature of the hot scattered stone chippings, must be maintained.

Self-compressing asphalt mixture, in particular mastic asphalt mixture, for roadway topcoats, asphalt intermediate layers, asphalt binder layers and/or asphalt sealing layers


Disclosed is a rotary transformer transmitting signals without any physical contact between its rotary part and its stationary part. In the rotary transformer, cores having different frequency characteristics are integrally combined so that signals having a plurality of different frequency ranges can be selectively transmitted by cores having frequency characteristics optimum for such frequency ranges, thereby improving the signal transmission efficiency and reducing the size of the rotary transformer system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotary transformer used in a rotary magnetic head unit having a magnetic head such as that used in, for example, a VTR so as to transmit a signal between a rotary part and a stationary part of the VTR without any physical contact between these parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A rotary core and a stationary core having a frequency characteristics most suitable or optimum for a signal to be transmitted for recording and reproduction (which signal will be referred to hereinafter as a record/reproduce signal) and made of a ferrimagnetic material such as a ferrite are disposed opposite to each other while defining a very small gap of about several ten microns between them. Coil grooves are formed on the confronting surfaces of the rotary core and the stationary core respectively. A coil of an electrically conductive material having one to several turns is disposed in the coil groove of the rotary core, and the ends of this coil are connected to a magnetic head which acts to record/reproduce the signal. Similarly, a coil of an electrically conductive material having its number of turns determined according to a predetermined step-up ratio with respect to the coil of the rotary core is disposed in the coil groove of the stationary core, and the ends of this coil are connected to a circuit, etc. mounted on the stationary part.
It is the recent trend that an spparatus such as a high-vision TV set or a digital VTR that can record a signal having a very high frequency becomes more and more popular. Therefore, in order to minimize a signal transmission loss which is undesirable, it is a common practice to mount a signal amplifier on the rotary part in the vicinity of the magnetic head so as to amplify the signal reproduced by the magnetic head. As a result, electric power is required for driving the signal amplifier.
Heretofore, a contact type method using a slip ring and a brush has been used to supply required electric power from the stationary part to the rotary part. However, the slip ring and the brush contacting each other generates pulse-shaped low-frequency noise called brushing noise that adversely affects the picture quality. Also, the slip ring and the brush are subjected to heavy wear. Further, with the increase in the rotation speed, the phenomena described above tend to become more and more marked. Therefore, another rotary transformer of a non-physical contact type is recently used for the purpose of electric power signal transmission too. That is, a rotary transformer having its frequency response different from that of the record/reproduce signal transmission purpose rotary transformer is located at a specific position different from the position of the latter rotary transformer.
The operation of the rotary transformers constructed as described above will now be described.
In the signal record mode, a recording signal is supplied to the coil of the stationary core of the record/reproduce signal transmission purpose rotary transformer, so that a magnetic flux path is formed between the stationary core and the rotary core. As a result, a voltage is induced in the coil of the rotary core due to mutual induction, and the signal is transmitted from the stationary core to the rotary core not physically contacting the stationary core.
In the signal playback mode, a reproduced signal induced by the magnetic head is supplied to the coil of the rotary core in a relation contrary to the record mode, and a voltage is induced in the coil of the stationary core by mutual induction too, so that the signal is transmitted from the rotary .part to the stationary part without any physical contact between them. Further, in order to supply electric power to the signal amplifier on the rotary part from the stationary part by the electric power signal transmission purpose rotary transformer, this electric power signal is converted into a direct current by a direct current converter mounted similarly on the rotary part and drives the signal amplifier.
However, the prior art construction has had various problems as will be pointed out now.
(1). The record/reproduce signal transmission purpose rotary transformer and the electric power signal transmission purpose rotary transformer must be separately provided. Therefore, connecting members which are twice as many as those used hitherto will be required so that coils led from the cores are to be connected to the circuit, etc. Thus, the overall construction will not meet the requirement for the size reduction, and the degree of freedom of the system design will be quite lowered. Also, the cost will be inevitably increased.
(2). When the record/reproduce signal having a high frequency and a low signal level and the electric power signal having a low frequency and a high signal level are transmitted by the use of the same kind of cores, the frequency characteristics of the cores is necessarily limited to a certain predetermined value, and those signals having substantially the same frequency range can only be efficiently transmitted. Therefore, even when it is desired to use the same kind of cores for the transmission of a plurality of signals having extremely different frequency ranges, such as, the record/reproduce signal and the electric power signal, it becomes difficult to efficiently transmit one of these signals because the frequency characteristics of the cores are not optimized to deal with both of these signals.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Butt joints between materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion are prepared having a reduced probability of failure of stress facture. This is accomplished by narrowing/tapering the material having the lower coefficient of thermal expansion in a direction away from the joint interface and not joining the narrow-tapered surface to the material having the higher coefficient of thermal expansion.

Making joints between materials as dissimilar as metals and ceramics generally requires high temperature joining methods such as brazing or diffusion bonding. When such a joint is cooled to a lower temperature for use or for later manufacturing processes, stresses inherently develop within the joined materials. This occurs because the higher coefficient of thermal expansion material near the joint is precluded, by being joined to a lower coefficient of thermal expansion material, from contracting as much as would be expected from the temperature change. The bond forces the two joined materials to retain the same dimension along the area of the joint. Therefore, the joined material having the lower coefficient of thermal expansion develops a compressive stress in the interior of the joint and a tensile stress near the bond terminus of the joint.
Quantification of the stress patterns in a joint can be obtained by the established method of finite element analysis, hereinafter referred to as "FEA." A standard reference work for this method is O. C. Zienkiewicz, The Finite Element Method, 3rd Ed., McGraw Hill, London, 1977. Computer programs are available commercially for efficient practice of FEA. An example of such a program is ANSYS.TM. leased by Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc., Houston, Pa.
FEA involves calculating the mechanical characteristics of actual bodies by a series of approximations, in each of which the actual body is treated as if it were divided by a "mesh" into distinct elements. The behavior of the entire body is then determined by summing the contributions of the individual elements. Such calculations are performed with successively finer mesh sizes until the values reach a finite value without changing, within a predetermined tolerance limit, as the mesh size is made finer, or else grow ever larger as the mesh size is made finer. The latter behavior is described in the art as "singular" or "a singularity" and the former as convergent or finite.
If a material is made of a high quality single crystal without significant surface damage, or if the material is ductile, as are most metals, its mechanical properties will normally be highly consistent from sample to sample and will be determined by the strength of the chemical bonds in the material. In the more usual case of a brittle polycrystalline material, or even of single crystal material with less than meticulous surface preparation, the MOR will be less precisely reproducible and will be lower on average than for a flawless single crystal of the same nominal chemical composition. The difference arises from microscopic irregularities or flaws present at almost any interface, including the external surface and the numerous internal interfaces in the interior of polycrystalline materials. Brittle materials are known to behave as if rupturing forces were concentrated at flaws rather being uniformly distributed over the entire stressed area of the material.
The stress required to rupture practical non-ductile polycrystalline materials often show a wide statistical fluctuation, but for reproducibly prepared materials, fairly consistent failure statistics can be obtained, and they serve as an adequate guide to engineering design with the materials involved. One of the most often used methods of statistically treating the variability of the modulus of rupture is given by W. Weibull, "A Statistical Theory of the Strength of Materials," Ingeniors Handl. (Proceedings of the Royal Swedish Institute for Engineering Research), No. 151, 1939. This method allows calculation of a probability of failure for an object made of a specified material, given the distribution of stresses in the object and certain statistical parameters designated as the Weibull modulus and the characteristic strength of the material.
Metal to ceramic joints with the metal tapered at the bond terminus or edge of the joint have been occasionally used in the prior art, apparently on an empirical basis. In addition, ceramics and metals have been tapered in a matching fashion such that the tapered ceramic surface fits inside a tapered metal surface and is joined thereto (U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,960, Mizuhara). However, no prior use of ceramic to metal joints with the ceramic tapered away from the bond terminus and wherein the tapered surface is not bonded to the metal is known to applicants.


A diaper changing and disposal kit is disclosed. The diaper changing and disposal kit has a diaper with a pocket. The pocket stores a variety of diaper changing supplies such as baby wipes, disposable gloves, and an airtight disposal bag. The diaper also has a wetness indicator strip to aid a user in determining when the diaper needs to be changed. Preferably, the diaper changing and disposal kit is stored in a package until it is ready to be used.

In today's world, many parents and families are on the go. When a parent is leaving the house, baby supplies are needed and babies require numerous supplies. This can be a cumbersome process as the parents or other caretakers have to gather the supplies and place the supplies in a diaper bag or other carrying receptacle. Once the parents or other caretakers get to the desired location, the bag or receptacle with the supplies has to be carried in transport or to the destination. If the parents or other caretakers are going to a park, museum, shopping establishment, or other establishment or event, they may have to carry the bag or receptacle around the entire day. The bag or receptacle can be cumbersome, heavy, or burdensome. A diaper changing kit that is portable and easy to pack and carry will be a useful invention.
Family members and other caretakers may also have the baby with them while in transit. While a parent may have a pre-packed diaper bag or other receptacle and the supplies readily available, a caretaker such as an aunt or uncle may not. It can be inconvenient for a non-parent caretaker to purchase these supplies, and then transport them. Also, it can be expensive for a non-parent caretaker to purchase the supplies as they are normally sold separately and are sold in larger quantities or volumes. The non-parent caretaker may only use a small portion of the purchased supplies. A diaper changing kit that provides the essentials for changing a diaper that is portable and easy to transport will be a useful invention.
Moreover, it can be difficult to determine if a diaper needs changed without taking off the diaper. This is inconvenient at home and especially inconvenient in public places. A diaper that has a wetness indicator to determine if a diaper needs to be changed will be a useful invention.
Also, changing a diaper in a public place, such as a public restroom, can have sanitary issues. Once a soiled diaper is changed, it has to be disposed of. Also, changing a diaper in general can raise sanitary concerns for the baby as well as the caretaker. The baby and caretaker can transfer microorganisms or diseases between each other. A diaper changing kit that provides the essentials for changing a diaper in a sanitary manner will be a useful invention.


Systems, devices and methods for the compression, expansion, and/or storage of a gas are described herein. An apparatus suitable for use in a compressed gas-based energy storage and recovery system includes a pneumatic cylinder having a working piston disposed therein for reciprocating movement in the pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic actuator coupled to the working piston, and a hydraulic controller fluidically coupleable to the hydraulic actuator. The apparatus is fluidically coupleable to a compressed gas storage chamber which includes a first storage chamber fluidically coupleable to the pneumatic chamber, and a second storage chamber is fluidically coupleable to the first storage chamber. The first storage chamber is disposed at a first elevation and is configured to contain a liquid and a gas. The second storage chamber is disposed at a second elevation greater than the first elevation, and is configured to contain a volume of liquid.

The invention relates generally to systems, devices and methods for the compression, expansion, and/or storage of a gas, such as air or natural gas, and particularly to systems, devices and methods for optimizing the efficiency of such compression, expansion, and/or storage of air or natural gas, including optimizing the efficiency of controlling the temperature and/or water content of natural gas during such compression, expansion, and/or storage.
Compressed air energy storage systems (CAES) are a known type of system in limited use for storing energy in the form of compressed air. CAES systems may be used to store energy, in the form of compressed air, for example, when electricity demand is low and then to release the energy when demand is high. Such systems include at least one compressor that operates to compress air for storage; and at least one expander (such as an air turbine) that operates to extract power from expansion of the stored, compressed air. Known CAES-type systems for storing energy as compressed air may have a multi-stage compressor that may include intercoolers that cool air between stages of compression and/or after-coolers that cool air after compression. In such a system, however, the air may still achieve substantial temperatures during each stage of compression, prior to being cooled, which will introduce inefficiencies in the system. Thus, an improvement to known CAES type systems for compressing and/or expanding air is needed, and the applicants have appreciated the improvements needed to benefit gas storage using CAES type systems.
Natural gas providers are subject to fluctuating consumer demand for natural gas. For example, the demand for natural gas may be lower in warmer months and higher in cooler months. During periods of lower demand, natural gas in excess of demand may be burned at a flare, thus wasting this natural resource. During periods of higher demand, natural gas supply may lag behind demand. As such, an energy storage system capable of storing natural gas during periods of low demand for use during periods of high demand may improve overall operating costs and reliability for natural gas suppliers.
Current systems for storing natural gas include filtering the natural gas from a pipeline for dust or small particles, and then measuring the gas for quantity and quality. The natural gas is then either directly injected into a storage chamber, if the pipeline pressure is greater than the chamber pressure, or the natural gas is compressed with conventional compressors and then injected into the storage chamber. Such conventional compressors can include intercoolers and/or aftercoolers to disperse excess heat produced during the compression process.
Natural gas can include water, which may cause corrosion of natural gas distribution pipelines and/or which is in excess of regulatory requirements. As such, the excess water should be removed from the natural gas prior to distribution of the gas through the natural gas distribution pipelines. In some known systems, stored natural gas withdrawn from a storage chamber is expanded to pipeline pressure, processed to ensure pipeline gas quality, metered for quality and volumetric flow, and delivered to a pipeline system. The applicants have appreciated that a natural gas storage system may benefit from a compression and/or expansion system that has improved efficiencies.
Known storage chambers for storing natural gas include depleted natural gas reservoirs, and, to a much lesser extent, salt caverns. Additionally, some CAES systems utilize underground storage caverns to store compressed air. Such known devices and systems that utilize underground storage caverns may require that the storage cavern be maintained at some minimum pressure to prevent damage to and/or collapse of the storage system. For example, in salt cavern storage, one concern is preserving the structural integrity of the cavern. Each cavern may be required to be maintained above a minimum pressure, below a maximum pressure, and/or operated within a maximum high-pressure to low-pressure pressure range. Some guidelines (e.g., cavern operation regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Texas Railroad Commission) are that the pressure range over which a cavern may be operated is dependent on the depth of the cavern. For example, some caverns have a maximum allowable operating pressure of 0.75 psi per foot of depth of the top of the cavern below the surface and a minimum allowable operation pressure of 0.2 psi per foot of depth of the top of the cavern below the surface. This results in a operational pressure range of 0.55 psi per foot of depth of the top of the cavern below the surface. Thus, a cavern that is 3,000 ft below the surface would have a maximum allowable pressure operation pressure of 2,250 psi, a minimum allowable operation pressure of 600 psi, and an operational pressure range of 1,650 psi. Thus, a minimum quantity of gas (at a given temperature) would need to be maintained in the cavern—removal of too much gas could lead to collapse of the cavern and/or lead to a violation of operation regulations. This requirement of retaining a certain pressure/quantity of stored gas in the cavern limits the effective working capacity of the storage structure. Other caverns may have a maximum allowable operating pressure less than 0.75 psi per foot of depth and/or a minimum allowable operation pressure greater than 0.2 psi per foot of depth and thus, further limiting the effective working capacity of the storage structure. The requirement to maintain a minimum gas pressure, and thus a minimum quantity of gas, in the storage cavern means that a significant quantity of stored gas may not be recovered from the storage cavern, and thus not available for use or sale. Thus, there is a need to improve the storage of compressed gas, and of natural gas in particular.

Compensated compressed gas storage systems