A method for improving drastically both the selectivity and yield of hydrogen peroxide in the direct oxidation of hydrogen to hydrogen peroxide over a solid catalyst comprising palladium, which comprises:                i) depositing on the solid catalyst at least two halogen containing compounds, one compound essentially comprising bromine and second compound essentially comprising fluorine with the bromine to palladium and fluorine to palladium atom ratios in the range from 0.02 to 20 and from 0.01 to 50, respectively;        ii) decomposing the halo compounds deposited on the solid catalyst by calcination at a temperature above 200° C. under inert, reducing or oxidizing gas atmosphere or under vacuum; and        iii) contacting the solid catalyst obtained from step (ii) with a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and oxygen or air or O2 enriched air in an aqueous reaction medium, comprising a mineral acid at the following reaction conditions: concentration of mineral acid in the reaction medium above 0.001 mol/dm3, concentration of the solid catalyst in the reaction medium above 0.01 g/dm3, H2/O2 mole ratio in the gas mixture in the range from 0.01 to 10, flow rate of the gas mixture in the range from 50 cm3/g catalyst/h to 50,000 cm3/g catalyst/h, gas pressure at least 0.9 atm, and temperature below 100° C. and contact period of the reaction medium at least 0.01 h, is disclosed.

Currently, commonly used commercial scale production of hydrogen peroxide is based on an auto oxidation process employing alkyl anthraquinone as the working material. This process involves reduction of alkyl anthraquinone dissolved in an organic working solution to alkyl anthraquinol. The alkyl anthraquinol is oxidized by air to produce hydrogen peroxide and alkyl anthraquinone, which is recycled in this process. This process comprises a number of operations involving reduction, oxidation, separation by aqueous extractions, refining and concentration, making the process complex. Apart from the requirements of high capital and operation costs, this process has following limitations and disadvantages:                Non-selective in hydrogenation, hence loss of anthraquinone.        Difficulties in separation hydrogenation catalyst and degradation products.        Need for the regenaration of used hydrogenation catalyst.        Need for the removal of organic matters from the extracted H2O2 solution.        Waste treatment and disposal of undesired side products of the cyclic process.
Demand for hydrogen peroxide has been continuously increasing in the field of oxidation of organic compounds to value added products, wastewater treatment and water disinfection. Hence, there is a great practical need for replacing the anthraquinone process by an environmentally clean and more economic process such as a direct partial oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to hydrogen peroxide with high conversion and selectivity.
Since the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 1,108,752 by Henkel et al. that palladium is a catalyst promoting the formation of hydrogen peroxide and water from a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, a number of palladium containing catalysts, useful for the direct oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to hydrogen peroxide, are disclosed in several granted patents and patent applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,938 by Gosser et al. discloses a Pt—Pd bimetallic catalyst supported on a carbon, silica or alumina support for making hydrogen peroxide from a direct combination of hydrogen and oxygen in an aqueous reaction medium. German Patent Ger. Offen. GE 4127918 A1 by Lueckoff et al. discloses a supported palladium gold catalyst for the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen in an aqueous medium; the catalyst contains 5-95 wt % Au and is supported on carbon. A number of platinum Group metal containing catalysts: (1) Pt-group metal on high surface area support, such as carbon, silica or alumina (Ref. U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,618); (2) Pt-Group element supported on solid acid carrier (Ref. Eur. Pat. Appl. EP 504,741, A1); (3) Pt-Group element supported on Nb- or Ta oxide (Ref. PCT Int. Appl. WO 9412428 A1); (4) Sn-modified Pt-Group metals supported on catalysts carriers (Ref. Eur. Pat. Appl. EP 621,235 A1); (5) Pt-Group metals supported on hydrophilic support (Ref. U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,334); for the oxidation of hydrogen to hydrogen peroxide are known in the prior art.
Japanese Patent Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 01133909 A2 by Kyora discloses a Pt-Group metal catalyst carried on a hydrophobic support such as porous and hydrophobic Teflon support. European Patent EP 366419 A1 discloses a Group VIII metal catalyst deposited on a hydrophobic support for the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in an aqueous medium. WO 93/14025 A1 teaches a Group VIII metal deposited on a partially hydrophobic and partially hydrophilic support, such as Pd on fluorinated carbon, as a catalyst for the oxidation of hydrogen-to-hydrogen peroxide.
While there are several disclosures regarding the formation of hydrogen peroxide, the applicants herein are unaware of any practice relating to the direct oxidation of hydrogen-to-hydrogen peroxide for the production of hydrogen peroxide. One reason for this is the poor hydrogen peroxide selectivity and yield observed in this process.
Choudhary et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,440 disclose a process for the activation of a catalyst comprising metallic palladium, useful for the direct oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to hydrogen peroxide, which comprises treating the catalyst with an oxidizing agent, preferably selected from perchloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide and oxygen or air, such that not only a surface oxidation but also at least a partial bulk oxidation of the metallic palladium, present in the catalyst, to palladium (II) oxide (PdO) occurs; and optionally calcining the treated catalyst at a temperature in the range from about 50° C. to about 500° C. However, the increase in the hydrogen peroxide selectivity and/or yield by this method is small.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,751; 4,772,458; 4,889,705; 5,135,731 of Gosser et al. disclose the use of halide promoters added to acidic liquid reaction medium employed for the direct oxidation of hydrogen to hydrogen peroxide over a metallic catalyst for improving the hydrogen peroxide yield in the process. However, because of the presence of halide anions, the acidic liquid reaction medium becomes highly corrosive, limiting the use of halides in the liquid medium for the purpose of improving selectivity or yield of hydrogen peroxide in the process.
It is therefore of importance to develop a method, which overcomes the limitations of the earlier methods, for drastically improving both the selectivity and yield of hydrogen peroxide in the direct oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to hydrogen peroxide.

Method for production of hydrogen peroxide with improved yield and selectivity by direct oxidation of hydrogen over palladium containing catalyst

Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research


A movable wind deflector assembly for use in an open roof construction for a vehicle comprises at least one pivoting wind deflector arm that with a first end is pivotally connected to the vehicle at a hinge point and at its opposite second end carries a wind deflector body extending in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The wind deflector assembly further comprises an operating mechanism for moving the wind deflector arm and wind deflector body forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
An aspect of the invention relates to a movable wind deflector assembly for use in an open roof construction for a vehicle, comprising at least one pivoting wind deflector arm that with a first end is pivotally connected to the vehicle at a hinge point and at its opposite second end carries a wind deflector body extending in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
In a known movable wind deflector assembly in which the wind deflector arm pivots around said hinge point such a pivoting causes the creation of a gap between the wind deflector body and a forward edge of a roof opening of the open roof construction. In many instances such a gap causes disturbing wind noises. As such, the geometry of such a known movable wind deflector assembly is far from optimal aerodynamically.


A suspension device can be used to support a musical instrument for display. The suspension device has a holder and a mounting portion. The holder may be a clamp, is able to clamp and hold a musical instrument in position. The mounting portion has a stationary hook and a movable hook. The movable hook is connected with a resilient element that provides a force to pull the movable hook to move toward the stationary hook and therefor engages stably two support bars or support members at any intervals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension device, and more particularly to a suspension device for banging at least one musical instrument to support members or strips of the musical instrument at any intervals.
2. Description of Related Art
Musical instruments are usually hung on a net support or a wall with at least one support member for display and sale. The net support normally has multiple support bars arranged in parallel on the net support. Each support member is elongated and has a slot with an inner surface formed longitudinally therein.
A musical instrument such as a guitar is hung on the net support or the wall with at least one support member via a suspension device. With reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, a conventional suspension device (50) comprises a rod with a holder to fasten a musical instrument, and has a mounting surface and a support element. The mounting surface has an upper end and a lower end. The support element is formed on the mounting surface and may be implemented with a pair of hooks (51) as shown in FIG. 6, a mounting portion (52) as shown in FIG. 7 or a mounting portion (52) with a fastener (53) as shown in FIG. 8.
The hooks (51) protrude out from the mounting surface separately, each hook (51) has a free end facing to the free end of the other hook (51). The hooks (51) are hooked respectively onto two support bars (60) arranged at an interval and slightly compressed by the hooks (51) to securely hold the suspension device (50) on the bars (60).
The mounting portion (52) protrudes perpendicularly from the upper end of the mounting surface and has a retaining plate (520) extend perpendicularly from the mounting portion (52), received in a support member (61) having a channel (610) and abutting against the inner surface of the channel (610) to securely hold the suspension device (50) on the support member (61).
With reference to FIG. 8, the fastener (53) mounted through the suspension device (50) and has an end secured with a bracket (54) received in a channel (610) in a support member (61). The fastener (53) can be rotated to make the bracket (54) abut against the inner surface of the channel (610) of the support member (61) to generate an additional friction for supporting the suspension device (50).
As described, conventional suspension devices with different support element are capable of holding a musical instrument, however, they have disadvantages respectively. The support element with hooks (51) is only applied with net supports having support bars (60) at a specific interval and is not versatile in use. The mounting portion (52) of the conventional support element cannot provide a strong supporting effect to hold a musical instrument. Even though the mounting portion (52) with a fastener (53) can provide a stable supporting effect, but to adjust the two support members (61) to a desired interval is time-consuming and inconvenient.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a suspension device to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problems.


Described herein are materials and methods for treating subjects having a HER-3 associated disease, by administering a first agent that binds to HER-3, in combination with a second agent that binds and/or inhibits another member of the HER family. The first and the second agent may be a biologic, such as an antigen-binding protein, or a small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for example.

1. Technical Field
This document relates to materials and methods for treating subjects having a disease associated with Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-3 (HER-3) by administering a first agent that binds to HER-3, in combination with a second agent that binds or inhibits another Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER) family member. The first and the second agent may be any kind of molecule that binds to HER-3 or binds to and/or inhibits another HER family member, respectively, including, but not limited to a biological compound, such as an antigen binding protein, a small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitor, an siRNA, or a natural substance.
2. Background
HER-3, also known as ErbB3, is a receptor protein tyrosine kinase that belongs to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R, also known as HER) family of receptor protein tyrosine kinases, which also includes HER-1 (also known as EGF-R or erbB), HER-2 (also known as erbB2), and HER-4 (also known as erbB4) (Plowman et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US 87:4905-4909; Kraus et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US 86:9193-9197; and Kraus et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. US 90:2900-2904). Like the prototypical epidermal growth factor receptor, the transmembrane receptor HER-3 consists of an extracellular ligand-binding domain (ECD), a dimerization domain within the ECD, a transmembrane domain (TMD), an intracellular protein tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), and a C-terminal phosphorylation domain.
The ligand for HER-3, known as heregulin (HRG), binds to the extracellular domain of HER-3 and activates receptor-mediated signaling by promoting dimerization with other human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family members, subsequent transphosphorylation of the intracellular HER-3 domain, and activation of downstream signaling cascades. Dimer formation with multiple HER family members expand the signaling potential of HER-3, and is a means for signal diversification as well as signal amplification.

Material and methods for treating or preventing HER-3 associated diseases


The motor apparatus includes a motor and an insulating device. The motor such as a spindle motor is driven with pulse width modulation. Then, the insulating device insulates an object to be protected, which should be protected from a noise current generated from the motor, from the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor apparatus, and more specifically relates to a motor apparatus including a motor driven with pulse width modulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in the case where information recorded on a reproduction-only optical disc such as CD (Compact Disc) is reproduced optically or in the case where information is optically recorded on a recording/reproduction optical disc such as a CD-R (CD-Recordable), it is necessary to rotate an optical disc which is subject for recording or reproduction at a preset rotating speed.
At this time, as a driving apparatus to be used for the rotation, a so-called spindle motor is used the most generally. As this spindle motor, conventionally a spindle motor which is driven by a linear driver has been used generally.
Here, there will be explained below a summary of the spindle motor driven by the linear driver with reference to FIG. 3A.
As shown in FIG. 3A, a general linear driver LD is constituted so that an amplitude of a driving signal to be applied from the outside (more concretely, a driving signal having a sine waveform, for example) is controlled based on a power-supply voltage Vcc and a load signal, which has a voltage VD of an amplitude smaller than that of the power-supply voltage Vcc and has a waveform similar to that of the driving signal and has a current value of ID, drives a load L (in the case of information reproduction or information recording, the spindle motor is the load L).
At this time, as for the conventional linear driver LD, the power-supply voltage Vcc is reduced to the voltage VD and a load signal which coincides with a characteristic of the load L is generated so as to drive the linear driver LD. However, as a result, in the linear driver LD, an electric power
PD which is represented by:
PD=(Vccxe2x88x92VD)xc3x97IDxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
is consumed as a dissipation power, and the linear driver LD itself is heated due to this dissipation power.
In the information reproduction apparatus, the information recording apparatus or the like in which the spindle motor is the load L, there arises a problem that since the current value ID of the load signal is large, a rise in temperature due to the heating of the linear driver LD itself occasionally becomes too large to be ignored (more concretely, for example, the rise in temperature has a bad influence upon another integrated circuit or the like).
Therefore, in recent years, a lot of researches in the structure in which a spindle motor which is driven by a PWM driver using a so-called pulse width modulation driving system instead of this linear driver LD is used to rotate an optical disc are being done.
There will be explained below a summary of the PWM driver with reference to FIG. 3B.
As shown in FIG. 3B, the PWM driver PD is constituted so that a switch in the PWM driver PD is switched to be controlled by using a driving signal having a pulse waveform applied from the outside as a switching signal, and a load signal in which a voltage changes in a pulse form between a power-supply voltage Vcc and a ground voltage is generated to drive the load L.
In the case where the load L is driven by the PWM driver PD, since a voltage of the load signal changes in a pulse form between the power-supply voltage Vcc and the ground voltage, the value of (Vccxe2x88x92VD) in the above equation (1) can be approximately zero. As a result, there is an advantage that the heating of the PWM driver PD itself can be reduced.
However, in the case where the PWM driver PD having the above structure is used, there arose a problem that an electric noise current is generated and this has a bad influence upon an operation of a pickup which emits and receives a light beam for recording or reproduction.
Namely, the PWM driver PD is driven by a pulse type driving signal as mentioned above, but in this case an electric current which flows through a motor coil in the spindle motor changes abruptly. A so-called dielectric magnetic field is generated around the motor coil due to this abrupt change in the electric current, and as a result, even if the motor coil is insulated from a metallic housing of the spindle motor, a dielectric current similar to an eddy current is generated in the metallic housing.
This dielectric current flows as a noise current into the pickup, and this has a bad influence upon the operation of the integrated circuit or the like provided in the pickup (particularly a bad influence as instability of a ground voltage).
At this time, in the case where a frequency of the noise current in the PWM driver PD coincides with an operational frequency of the integrated circuit or the like, a particularly remarkable influence appears.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor apparatus having a structure which is capable of effectively protecting a pickup or the like from a noise current generated from a motor driven with pulse width modulation.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following motor apparatus. The motor apparatus includes a motor such as a spindle motor driven with pulse width modulation, and an insulating device for insulating an object to be protected, which should be protected from a noise current generated from the motor, from the motor.
According to the motor apparatus, since the object to be protected is insulated from the motor driven with pulse width modulation, the object to be protected can be protected from the noise current generated from the motor effectively.
In one aspect of the motor apparatus, the object to be protected is supported by a frame member such as a frame, and the insulating device is a fixing member such as a spacer made of an insulating material for fixing the motor to the frame member.
According to this aspect, since the motor driven with pulse width modulation is insulated from the frame member which supports the object to be protected, the object to be protected can be protected from the noise current generated from the motor effectively.
In another aspect of the motor apparatus, the fixing member also serves as a spacer for forming a gap with a preset length between the motor and the frame member.
According to this aspect, since the motor is fixed to the frame member by the insulating fixing member which also serves as the spacer, a number of parts of the motor apparatus is reduced so that its structure can be simplified.
In another aspect of the motor apparatus, the insulating device is made of plastic resin.
According to this aspect, transmission of the noise current to the object to be protected can be cut off effectively.
In another aspect of the motor apparatus, the object to be protected is pickup device such as a pickup for optically recording information to an information recording medium or optically reproducing information from the information recording medium. Further, the motor is a spindle motor for rotating the information recording medium.
According to this aspect, a signal which is generated in the pickup device at the time of recording or reproducing information can be protected effectively from the noise current generated from the motor.


An air handler enclosure includes a sheet metal panel fastened to a frame of the enclosure with a gasket sealingly compressed between the frame and the face of the panel. The outer edges of the panel are folded over to create a hem that overlays the face of the panel. The gasket is placed against the face of the panel, just inside the inner periphery of the hem. When the panel is installed, the hem abuts the frame to serve as a spacer that keeps the face of the panel a certain distance away from the frame. In this way, the hem prevents the gasket from being over compressed or crushed between the frame and the face of the panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to enclosures for air handlers, and more specifically to an enclosure panel whose edge is formed for improving edge stiffness and for limiting gasket compression.
2. Description of Related Art
Air conditioning systems typically include an air-handler that provides conditioned air to a comfort zone, such as a room or a designated area within a building. The conditioning of the air may include, but not be limited to heating, cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying, filtering, ventilating, and their various combinations. Air handlers often include an enclosure that houses various components, such as a blower, filter, heat exchanger, controls, etc. The blower, which forces air through the system, may draw air from within the building and/or from outside.
The air-handler""s enclosure typically comprises a frame to which several sheet metal panels are attached. Installing compressible gaskets between the frame and the panels can help keep rain and outside air from leaking into the enclosure. The gaskets can also help keep conditioned discharge air from leaking out. Usually a series of screws or rivets around the panel""s perimeter fasten the panel to the frame, which sealingly compress the gasket between the panel and the frame.
To be effective, however, the fasteners should be uniformly tightened to provide a predetermined amount of gasket compression. Excessive tightening of the fastener can distort the panel and even damage the gasket. The distortion not only creates a wavy appearance along the edges of the panel but may also create leaks, as a wavy surface does not seal well against a generally flat gasket. An insufficiently tightened fastener, on the other hand, may also create leaks by providing insufficient gasket compression.
Currently, there is a need for an enclosure design that avoids the problem of improperly compressing a gasket between a sheet metal panel and the frame of the enclosure.
To help ensure a gasket is properly compressed underneath a panel of an enclosure, it is an object of the invention to provide the panel with a peripheral hem that limits the gasket""s compression.
Another object of some embodiments of the invention is fasten the panel to a frame of the enclosure using fasteners that extend through the gasket without extending through the hem.
Another object of some embodiments is to provide the hem of the panel with a surface that is generally flush with the gasket when the gasket is compressed up against the frame of the enclosure.
Yet, another object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a panel with a material thickness that is substantially equal to the compressed thickness of the gasket.
A further object of some embodiments is to provide a generally rectangular panel whose corners are designed to avoid interfering with properly compressing a gasket.
A still further object is to provide a panel for an enclosure that is particularly suited for housing air handling equipment, such as a blower.
Another object is to provide a panel that limits gasket compression to a point that helps prevent the gasket from taking on a detrimental set.
These and other objects of the invention are provided by a panel with a peripheral hem that limits a gasket""s compression.
The present invention provides an air handler enclosure for housing a blower. The air handler enclosure comprises: a frame; a panel that includes a face member with a hem extending along an outer perimeter of the face member; and a gasket adjacent the hem and compressed between the face member and the frame. The hem overlaps the face member and is held directly up against the frame.
The present invention also provides a panel assembly. The panel assembly comprises: a face member having an outer perimeter; a hem having a proximal edge and a distal edge; and a gasket disposed up against the face member and adjacent the distal edge of the hem. The proximal edge lies along the outer perimeter of the face member, the hem extends inward from the outer perimeter so that the distal edge overlaps the face member, and the hem and the face member comprise a unitary piece.
The present invention further provides an air handler. The air handler comprises: an enclosure that includes a sealing surface disposed around an opening in the enclosure; a blower disposed inside the enclosure; a face member having an outer perimeter; a hem having a proximal edge and a distal edge, wherein the proximal edge lies along the outer perimeter of the face member; a gasket adjacent the distal edge of the hem and compressed between the face member and the sealing surface of the enclosure; and a plurality of fasteners spaced apart from the hem, extending through the face member and the gasket, and attached to the enclosure to hold the gasket and the hem against the sealing surface of the enclosure. The hem extends inward from the outer perimeter so that the distal edge overlaps the face member, and the hem and the face member comprise a unitary panel that covers the opening of the enclosure.
The present invention additionally provides a method of sealing a flat panel to a linear support. The method comprises the steps of: hemming the flat panel; positioning a gasket adjacent a hem formed by the hemming step; and using the hem as a spacer to establish the maximum amount of compression for the gasket.
The present invention yet further provides an arrangement for sealing a flat panel to a linear support. The arrangement comprises: a flat panel having a hem; a linear support contacting the hem; and a gasket contacting the panel and linear support where the gasket is positioned adjacent the hem.

Panel optimized for edge stiffness and gasket compression


A system, method, and computer program is disclosed for managing integrated real-time information about air flight trips, providing that information to multiple users, and receiving feedback from multiple users. A plurality of user interfaces are provided for displaying a plurality of types of information about a real time progress air trips as planned by an operational center. A communication channel is provided for receiving feedback information from the users and associating that feedback with a particular aspect of the trip.

The present invention relates generally to dissemination of air travel information, and more particularly, to a system and method for selecting, compiling, retrieving, and displaying computer stored air travel information data.
Aviation service providers plan and execute air travel trips for clients by making arrangements with vendors who provide facilities and services necessary to carryout a trip. The provider typically receives from a client a request for specific services relating to a specific air travel trip along with the basic trip plan, including starting and ending points and schedule requirements. The provider must then create a comprehensive trip plan that includes arrangements with various vendors for a wide variety of services both for the aviator and for travelers. A comprehensive service package could include arrangements for airport landing space, fueling, ground transportation, security personnel, hotel accommodations and the like. To keep track of and manage the elements of the services package, providers have used various commercially available software packages and relational databases that enable the provider to organize and store data relating to the elements of the air travel trip. Those packages are generally static information storage and retrieval systems. An improvement on those static systems is disclosed and claimed in the commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,794 (application Ser. No. 09/421,167) entitled Air Travel Information and Computer Data Compilation, Retrieval and Display Method and System, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The Air Travel Information System includes a system and method that provides an air traveler, dispatcher, or vendor with direct access to a multiplicity of trip details, as they happen in real-time through a series of user friendly, well organized screen displays. The efficiency of the System in responding to customer concerns or changes is improved by providing a communication channel that incorporates customer supplied information into the Air Travel System. The invention disclosed and claimed in this application addresses that efficiency need by adding to the System an integrated, dynamic communications function that enables making changes to arrangements in response to changes in client needs or other factors affecting the comprehensive trip plan.
A system, method, and computer program is disclosed for managing integrated real-time information about air flight trips, making that information available to multiple users in real time with a communication channel integrated with the information system for incorporating information received from remote users into the System. A plurality of user interfaces are provided for displaying a plurality of types of information about real time progress of the at least one trip as planned by an operational center.
The present invention thus provides and manages integrated real-time flight information for multiple authorized users, dispatchers, vendors, and clients. With the help of a computer, a handheld device, or any similar computing device that can access a website, a remote user can log into a network based data service and have direct access to view trip plans and details as they happen in real-time. Information about airport, computerized flight plans, aircraft location customized weather maps, historical data, billing information, and the like, are all available at the fingertip of the users. Relevant users can access needed information pertaining to one or more scheduled, in progress, or completed flights for which they are responsible, at any time, in any place, by using a dial-up connection service or an Internet connection. In this way, critical information is available through the access connection about the status of all flight-related factors such as customs, permits, catering, ground transportation, slots, and flight plans at close to animation speeds. Remote users can provide in context feedback that is incorporated into the real time information database.

Air travel information and computer data compilation, retrieval and display method and system


A process is provided for preparing butadiene-styrene copolymers having cis-1,4 configuration of at least 80% of butadiene units, bound styrene contents of 2 to 55% and no homopolystyrene. The copolymers are prepared with a new catalyst system having high polymerization activity. The process involves carrying out polymerization of butadiene monomer and styrene monomer in the presence of the new catalyst system which is comprised of a nickel compound and an alkylaluminoxane compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel process for copolymerizing butadiene and styrene and to a process for preparing improved butadiene-styrene copolymers having a high cis-1,4 configuration of the butadiene units.
2. Description of the Related Art
High cis-1,4 polybutadiene rubber has many excellent properties such as high resilience, low heat-built-up and abrasion resistance, and is therefore used for tires.
However, this rubber tends to have undesirable processing characteristics such as poor banding on a roll mill, which therefore necessitates a multiplation mixing stage. Further, the rubber has poor tear resistance, which results in chipping or cutting of the rubber.
A butadiene-styrene copolymer, which has a high cis-1,4 configuration of the butadiene units and the suitable contents of styrene, may be the most desirable polymer to solve these drawbacks without adversely affecting the above-described excellent characteristic properties of cis-1,4 polybutadiene.
Further, it has been known in the prior art that polybutadienes having a high cis-1,4 configuration of the butadiene units can be produced with high activity catalysts such as a three-component catalyst system comprising a nickel compound, a Lewis acid and an organo aluminum compound, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,904 and others.
The copolymerization of butadiene and styrene was carried out with an aforementioned three-component catalyst having acetylacetone nickel compound as the nickel compound, titanium tetrachloride as the Lewis acid and triethylaluminum as the organo aluminum compound, as described above (U.S. Pat. No. 3,639,520 and Kogyo Kagaku Zasshi, Vol.72, p. 2081 (1969)).
In this case, the polymerization activity of the catalyst system becomes markedly lower. Further, resultant copolymers have a high cis-1,4 configuration of the butadiene units and have a very low content of bound styrene of the copolymer. As the resultant copolymers contain homopolystyrene, the desirable properties of the copolymer deteriorate.
Further, there are processes, which are well-known in the industry, for producing butadiene-styrene copolymers.
Main catalyst systems in such processes are as follows: an alkyllithium compound system and a radical type catalyst system. Further, in the well-known processes mentioned above, the cis-1,4 configuration of the butadiene units of the copolymer is less than or equal to about 60%.

Process of preparing butadiene-styrene copolymer with nickel compound and alkylaluminoxane compound catalysts


Disclosed is one example of a sliding device in which occurrence of damage of a member closing an opening of a fixed rail can be inhibited. The sliding device includes: a fixed rail including an opening opened upward, the opening being arranged in a longitudinal direction of the fixed rail; a movable rail slidable relative to the fixed rail in a state where at least part of the movable rail is exposed through the opening; and a first closure member slidable relative to the fixed rail and capable of closing at least part of the opening, the first closure member receiving a force from the movable rail to thereby slide in a state where an opposed surface opposed to the movable rail is spaced apart from the movable rail via a clearance. The movable rail includes a support portion that supports the first closure member in a slidable manner.

The present disclosure relates to a sliding device that supports a seat body of a vehicle seat in a slidable manner.
For example, there is disclosed, in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. H6-27296, a sliding device comprising an inner cover body and an outer cover body that slide in conjunction with an upper rail. The inner cover body and the outer cover body are members to cover the inside of a lower rail.
A longitudinal end of the upper rail and the outer cover body are coupled to each other with a coil spring. A protrusion provided to the upper rail is slidably fitted into an elongated hole arranged in the inner cover body. In such a configuration, when the upper rail slides with respect to the lower rail, the inner cover body and the outer cover body slide in conjunction with the sliding of the upper rail.


A dosage form is disclosed comprising a first composition comprising two different polyethylene oxide osmopolymers for delivering a drug at a controlled rate over time.

A primary purpose of the cardiovascular system is to sustain a normal flow of blood necessary to furnish oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells. The heart functions as the pump of the cardiovascular system, and it can change the strength of its contraction and the rate at which the heart contracts to regulate the flow of blood. If there is an abnormality in the heart's rate and in its rhythm, as in cardiac arrhythmias as evidenced by a loss of rhythm, or an irregularity of the heart beat, the biological consequence is a disruption of the cardiac output. This condition can lead to decreased tissue and organ perfusion. The atrial and ventricular arrhythmias can produce symptoms, induce heart failure, and lead to lethal arrhythmias such as asystole and ventricular fibrillation.
Recently, as reported in Clinical Pharmacokinetics. Vol. 14, pp 141-147, (1988), the drug encainide, chemically identified as (.+-.)-2'-[2-(1-methyl-2-piperidyl)ethyl]-p-anisanilide, and its therapeutically acceptable salts, became available to the medical profession for the prevention and the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The drug encainide is indicated for the treatment of ventricular premature complexes and for other ventricular arrhythmias. In most patients on encainide therapy, encainide undergoes hepatic biotransformation to its active metabolites 0-desmethyl encainide and 3-methoxy-0-desmethyl encainide as reported in Am. J. Cardiol. Vol. 58, 4C, (1986). The drug encainide in possessing electrophysiological effects shows intracardiac conduction and it is a potent sodium-channel blockers. In the reported study the drug encainide was administered as a tablet in an uncontrolled dose that was subjected to the changing adverse environment of the gastrointestinal tract.
In light of the above presentation, it will be appreciated by those versed in the dispensing art to which this invention pertains that a pressing need exists for a delivery dispenser which is a rate controlled dosage form that can deliver the valuable drug encainide to a patient in need of cardiac therapy. The need exists also for an oral dosage form that can deliver encainide at a controlled rate in a substantially constant dose per unit time over a prolonged period of time for encainide's beneficial pharmacological and physiological effects substantially independent of the changing environment of the gastrointestinal tract. Those versed in the dispensing art well appreciate that such a novel and unique delivery dispenser that can administer encainide in a rate controlled dose over time, and simultaneously provide cardiac therapy, would represent an advancement and valuable contribution to the dispensing art.

Delivery dispenser for treating cardiac arrhythmias


Automatic parameter value generation is disclosed. It is determined that a parameter value generation trigger associated with a parameter has occurred. A parameter value in accordance with a format of the parameter value is obtained. At least one location associated with a first component to which the parameter value is to be communicated is determined. The parameter value is communicated to the at least one location, and a parameter value refresh policy associated with the first component is determined.

It is often desirable, or necessary, to generate new parameter values associated with components. For example, to increase security, it may be desirable to periodically change a password that is required to access a database component, or to obtain a new certificate. In order to change the password, a new password is generated, and the database component is informed of the new password. Moreover, any other component that accesses the database component must be made aware of the new password so that the database component allows such other components to access the database component. Thus, in a relatively large distributed system, hundreds or even thousands of components may require notification of the new password.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can reduce the delay in the deceleration response of a vehicle to a deceleration command. The present invention modifies the distribution ratio of brake fluid pressure between front brakes and rear brakes on the basis of lateral motion information, vehicle information, and a collision risk or a traveling scene obtained from information pertaining to the external surroundings. The brake fluid pressure is distributed to only one of the front brakes or the rear brakes.

In recent years, technological development and mass production of advanced safety vehicles (ASV), which are vehicles equipped with systems that assist safe driving of drivers using advanced technologies, have been rapidly proceeding.
In the ASV technology, a collision-damage reduction brake is for predicting a collision with a preceding vehicle ahead of an own vehicle, a pedestrian, an obstacle, or the like obtained from a radar or a camera, and for automatically applying a brake to reduce a collision damage. In order to reduce such collision damage, the responsiveness from recognition of an obstacle and the like and issuing a deceleration command until the start of the actual braking of the vehicle is important.
In addition, as the ASV technology, Patent Literature 1 proposes a technique for improving the maneuverability and the stability of a vehicle by automatically accelerating and decelerating in association with lateral motion by steering wheel operation.


The present invention provides a target object elimination method based on a panoramic camera, the panoramic camera comprising at least two independent lenses, wherein the method comprises following steps: capturing one basic panoramic image by each of the independent lenses; recognizing a target object from each of the basic panoramic images; dividing each of the basic panoramic images into a plurality of image parts having a same or different size, wherein at least one of the image parts comprises the target object; deleting the one image part comprising the target object in each of the basic panoramic images; and combining all remaining image parts in each of the basic panoramic images to obtain a corrected panoramic image from which the target object is eliminated. By the present invention, the target object can be eliminated quickly and efficiently while ensuring the quality of the image.

The 3D modeling technology is a process of data representation of an object in a 3D space. A 3D model can be represented by point clouds formed by collecting 3D spatial points of the object. The point clouds can be connected by triangular meshes, lines and polygonal meshes to reconstruct the surface of the model. 3D models can be used in the fields of films, games, manufacturing, etc. The 3D modeling technology, belonging to the multidisciplinary research field, is an important application of computer graphics and image processing in engineering.
A panoramic camera is a camera capable of capturing panoramic images. The commonly used panoramic camera is a dome camera, i.e., fisheye camera. 3D modeling is generally applied to structured scenes such as wall surfaces or table tops, and is mainly suitable for taking photographs of large scenes such as architectures and landscapes. The dome camera can cover a wider scene when it is used to take photographs of landscapes and can cover more people when it is used to take group photographs. Due to a wider angle of view, it can cover a wide range of scenes and objects.
However, the panoramic camera also has some shortcomings. In the case of a large coverage, it is prone to capturing some undesired objects such as photographers, pedestrians or small animals, resulting in errors during 3D modelling. Therefore, there is a need for a method by which target objects can be eliminated.

Target object elimination method based on panoramic camera

CHINA-GERMANY(ZHUHAI) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INSTITUTE CO., LTD.


A circuit having a semiconductor device therein has a novel and improved circuit substrate comprising a layer of organic electrically insulating material having a layer of metal of relatively high electrical conductivity adhered to and supported on one side of the organic material layer forming electrically conductive circuit paths and forming a pad mounting the semiconductor device. A heat sink metal layer is adhered to and supported on an opposite side of the organic material layer for withdrawing heat from the semiconductor device. A multiplicity of particles of materials of relatively higher thermal conductivity than the organic layer material is dispersed in the organic material for enhancing heat withdrawal from the semiconductor device, and the heat-sink metal layer comprises a layer of a first metal of relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion having a plurality of apertures in therethrough and a second metal of relatively much higher thermal conductivity which is disposed in the apertures and on the opposite sides of the low expansion layer and which is metallurgically bonded to the low expansion layer material. The first and second metals in the heat-sink layer provide the heat-sink layer with heat-transferring properties and with an effective coefficient of thermal expansion which cooperates with the particles enhancing heat withdrawal from the semiconductor device for conducting withdrawn heat through the heat-sink layer to be rapidly dissipated while also providing improved reliability in the mounting and interconnection of the semiconductor device and the circuit during such enhanced heat withdrawal from the circuit.

The field of this invention is that of electronic circuits and relates more particularly to an improved circuit board substrate and a circuit using that substrate.
Conventional electronic circuit boards are concerned with mounting silicon semiconductor devices and the like in a compact and efficient manner on printed circuit pads and pads formed on a circuit board substrate and in withdrawing heat generated during the circuit operation to improve the operating characteristics and service lives of circuit components and the reliability of component mounting and interconnection in the circuit. Such circuit boards or substrates typically include an electrically insulating layer of organic material or the like which supports a thin sheet of electrically conductive metal on one side of the insulating layer to form the circuit paths and device mounting pads on the substrate. The substrates frequently include a heat-sink layer supported in electrically insulated relation to the circuit paths and device components on an opposite side of the electrically insulating layer for withdrawing heat from the circuit and from the circuit components during circuit operation. In such conventional circuit arrangements, there is usually a substantial mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion between the silicon semiconductor devices and the like, the circuit paths and mounting pads in the substrate, and the heat-sink layer in the substrate but the thicknesses of the substrate layers and the amount of heat generated in the circuit are such that suitable circuit operation is achieved. In addition, the electrically insulating layer in the substrate to some extent retards heat-withdrawal from the circuit and circuit components into the heat-sink layer so that the thermal expansion mismatch of the heat-sink layer is not fully effective to warp or distort the substrate so as to interfere with reliable device mounting and interconnection. However, it is now proposed to substantially increase the heat-transfer properties of the electrically insulating substrate layers for permitting substantially increased circuit component mounting densities and the like resulting in increased-generation by the circuit so that thermal coefficient of expansion mismatch between the substrate layers create difficulties in circuit operation.

Circuit substrate and circuit using the substrate


An accumulator piston is formed as a two-piece plastic molding for simplifying its construction and for cost reduction and weight reduction purposes. The piston has a radially stepped construction in which each step includes a radial flange carrying an annular elastomeric sealing element. The sealing elements have deformable, resilient lips which slidably engage the side surfaces of a stepped cylinder in which the piston reciprocates. One of the elastomeric sealing elements is molded to an annular insert member that is seated in an annular recess formed in one end of the main piston body. The two-piece piston construction facilitates installation and removal of mold cavity members relative to the respective elastomeric sealing elements such that the mold cavity members can be of simplified economical construction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pistons, and particularly relates to a plastic accumulator piston constructed from separate components so as to facilitate its manufacture.
2. Description of Prior Developments
An automotive transmission often includes one or more pumps for supplying pressurized hydraulic liquid to clutch actuators located within the transmission. Such transmission actuators perform somewhat better if the pressurized liquid is free from pressure spikes or surges. In order to remove such pressure spikes from the pressurized liquid, the principal liquid passage containing the pressurized liquid is often connected to an accumulator.
The accumulator can include a cylinder containing a floating piston, and some means to bias the piston in a direction opposing the pressure surge. Each pressure spike deflects the piston so as to slightly increase the cylinder volume in communication with the flow passage. The increased cylinder volume dissipates the pressure surge, whereby the liquid is relatively free from pressure pulses or spikes after its passage beyond the accumulator.
In one particular known accumulator construction, the accumulator piston and associated cylinder are of a radially stepped design such that the piston has a first annular sealing element sliding on the cylindrical surface of a larger diameter chamber and a second sealing element sliding on the cylindrical surface of a smaller diameter chamber. A pressurized control liquid is supplied to an annular space surrounding the piston between the two sealing elements.
Due to the area differences between the two chambers, the pressurized control liquid exerts an axial biasing force on the piston, whereby the piston acts as a movable, resilient absorption device for pressure surges in the associated flow passage.
In the described accumulator design, the piston is of cast aluminum construction and each sealing element is an O-ring. It has been found that the O-ring sealing elements tend to fail after a relatively short period of use. Seal failure may be due to the fact that the piston is subject to cyclical motion back and forth in the stepped cylinder.
Turning and flexing of the seal element materials around the cylinder contact points tend to product fatigue failure of the seal element materials.

Accumulator piston having multiple elastomeric seals


The present technology pertains to a distributed server system for verifying vendors. The distributed server system comprises one or more nodes on a distributed network; a communication interface of a first node that communicates over a communication network with the one or more nodes on the distributed network, wherein the communication interface receives information about a unique seal associated with a product in response to a query; and a processor of the first node that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor verifies that a vendor is associated with the unique seal has been appended to a distributed ledger, determines a match between the unique seal and the vendor; and, after determining the match, confirms that the vendor is a certified vendor of the product.

The rise of the Internet has seen with it a mass market of peer-to-peer marketplaces. eBay, Craigslist, and other sites are known for providing users a platform to sell new and used goods. However, customers in these marketplaces have uncertainty that these products come from reputable vendors or even that the advertised product matches the actual product.
Many companies will honor agreements whereby systems and products can be repaired or replaced for a given period of time (or in some cases indefinitely—e.g., lifetime guarantees). However, it is difficult to keep track of every end user, especially since products may be resold or sold as counterfeit. Some companies, moreover, sell most of its products not to the end user, but through distribution channels (e.g., in some companies, more than 80% of products are sold this way). The distribution channels can be spread globally throughout numerous vendors.
This provides an opportunity for counterfeiters to pass knockoff products as original products. These knockoffs can be returned to the original companies to be serviced, resulting in revenue loss and lower quality products to the end user. Currently, there is no way for a company, end user, or any entity within the supply chain to confirm whether the product is an authentic product.

System, method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for certification of vendors using distributed ledger technology


The invention discloses a method of dynamically controlling application function at the client, comprising: initiating an application program which merely contains framework function codes; loading a security module after initiating the application program, wherein the security module sends a request regarding scanning configuration file to a server; scanning the application environment of the client according to the configuration file received from the server, and sending the result of scanning to the server so as to generate a risk score; and receiving the function codes that are allowed to be loaded in the current application environment from the server, wherein the function codes are generated by the server based on the generated risk score. The invention also discloses a method of dynamically controlling application function at a server.

Currently, on the Android platform, users are being faced with severe security threats, and viruses, bugs, wooden horses or the like are significantly affecting the security of applications, especially payment applications. At present, various Android clients have a certain self-protection function which, however, is still limited to the thought of increasing the complexity of applications and improving the difficulty in cracking. For a known unsafe environment, no fundamental protection is provided.

Method for dynamically controlling application function based on environment detection


Described herein are compounds of the formula (I), as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods for using such compounds/pharmaceutical compositions for treating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Caspases comprise a family of cysteine protease enzymes with a well-known role as key mediators in apoptosis signaling pathways and cell disassembly. Interleukin converting enzyme (ICE), also known as Caspase-1, was the first identified caspase. In humans, 11 other known caspases have been further identified. Caspases have been classified in two general groups according to their effects: proapoptotic (caspase-2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) and proinflammatory (caspase-1, 4, 5, 11, 12) caspases. The proapoptotic caspases have been divided in initiators (caspase-2, 8, 9, 10) also known as group II, and executioners (caspase-3, 6, 7) of the apoptotic process or group III. The Interleukin converting enzyme (ICE), also known as Caspase-1, appears to have a proinflammatory role only.
There is growing evidence demonstrating the role of caspases in very diverse pathologies. For instance, increased levels of apoptosis and caspase activity are reported to be frequently observed at sites of cellular damage in both acute (e.g., Sepsis, myocardial infarction (MI), Ischemic Stroke, Spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)) and neurodegenerative disease (e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, and multiple sclerosis (MS)). And because of the significant impact of such diverse pathologies on the world's population, and the apparent paucity of therapeutic agents that treat those pathologies by targeting (e.g., inhibiting) caspases (e.g., caspase-6), there is a need for compounds designed for inhibiting caspases. Capsase-6 plays a central role in the development and pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, due to cleavage of microtubule associated protein Tau and polygluatimine expanded huntingtin protein.

Furoxan-based compounds and uses thereof


A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle face on which nozzles which eject liquid onto a medium are formed; a first region with a liquid repelling property which is connected to a peripheral edge of the nozzle when planarly viewed; and a second region with a liquid repelling property lower than that in the first region, which is connected to a peripheral edge of the nozzle when planarly viewed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technology of ejecting liquid such as ink.
2. Related Art
In a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid such as ink from a plurality of nozzles which are formed on a nozzle face, there is a problem in that part of liquid (for example, fine liquid droplets which are misty) ejected from the plurality of nozzles is attached to the nozzle face. In order to solve the problem, for example, in JP-A-2007-331127, a configuration in which a voltage is applied between a liquid-repellent layer which surrounds each nozzle over the entire periphery thereof and a portion with no liquid-repellent processing in which liquid-repellent processing is not performed has been disclosed.
Incidentally, since a fluorine-based liquid-repellent layer which is located on a negative side on a charging column, for example, is easy to be charged with a negative polarity, there is a case in which ink ejected from a nozzle is charged with a positive polarity. Accordingly, in a state in which a medium such as a printing sheet is charged with a positive polarity, ink resists in the vicinity of a surface of the medium, and is attracted to the liquid-repellent layer, and as a result, the ink can be attached to the nozzle face. In addition, when ink is attached to the nozzle face, it causes an ejecting failure such as clogging of a nozzle, or staining of a medium. In a technology in JP-A-2007-331127, since a liquid-repellent layer is formed so as to be connected to a peripheral edge of a nozzle in the entire periphery of the nozzle when planarly viewed, in practice, it is difficult to effectively prevent attaching of ink to the nozzle face by sufficiently suppressing charging of ink which is caused by the liquid-repellent layer.

Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus


The invention is drawn to an intake manifold for an internal combustion engine. The manifold is made of an aluminum plenum chamber having an air inlet and a plurality of air outlets with a plurality of wrought aluminum branch pipes extending from the respective plenum outlets. The branch pipes have an inner peripheral surface of circular cross section. At least one of the branch pipes is deformed at an intermediate portion along its length thereby forming a clearance area so that the branch pipe is free from contact with the adjacent branch pipe.

The present invention relates to an intake manifold, for example, for use with motor vehicle engines.
The term "aluminum" as used herein and in the claims includes pure aluminum, commercial pure aluminum containing small amounts of impurities and aluminum alloys. The term "wrought aluminum" as used herein and in the claims refers to an article of aluminum prepared by plastic working. The term "center line average height" is used herein and in the claims according to the definition of JIS B0601-1982.
Conventional intake manifolds, for example, for use with motor vehicle gasoline engines equipped with an electronically controlled fuel injection system comprise a plenum and branch pipes and are entirely prepared by casting. With the cast intake manifold, however, it is impossible to reduce the wall thickness thereof below a certain limit owing to the flow characteristics of molten metal to be cast, so that the manifold has the problem of inceased weight. Further since the surface of the casting is rough and has voids, the casting must be finished to a smooth surface at least internally to decrease the air resistance for an improved intake efficiency. Thus, the manifold has the problem of necessitating a cumbersome finishing procedure. Moreover, since it is impossible to finish the entire inner surface of the manifold in view of its configuration, the air resistance still remains to be reduced to achieve a higher intake efficiency.
To solve this problem, we have already proposed the intake manifold disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,944.
For improved performance, some motor vehicle engines having intake ports and exhaust ports are recently so adapted that at least the intake ports provided are two in number for each cylinder, and these ports are each provided with a valve. In this case, each intake manifold has connected thereto one branch pipe of the intake manifold, so that the number of branch pipes required is twice the number of cylinders, hence a large number of branch pipes. Because the engine rooms of motor vehicles are limited in size, the intake manifold must be compacted, whereas the increase in the number of branch pipes imposes a limitation on compacting.


Aspects of the invention can relate to an image layout device and an image layout method. The image layout device of the invention can be a device that automatically arranges a plurality of images within a particular area, and can include a layout angle determining device that determines the layout angle for each of the images based on an angle that is an integer multiple of a golden angle, and a layout position determining device that determines the layout position for each of the images depending on the overlap between each of the images due to the angle determined by the layout angle determining device.

1. Field of Invention
Aspects of the invention can relate to an advantageous image layout device and method used when automatically determining the layout of a plurality of images to a predetermined region.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of electronics in photography is steadily progressing due to the spread of digital cameras and camera equipped cell phones. Thus, in photograph albums, the tedious work of attaching photographs developed on conventional photographic paper to albums made of paper has become undesirable. That is, many users lay out electronic pictures in an electronic photograph album that is realized by using, for example, a computer and software. Furthermore, when publishing the photographs on the Internet, and as necessary, using a high quality output device, such as a color printer, an electronic photograph album is used. It is believed that from now the demand or electronic photograph albums will gradually increase.
However, whether the photograph album is paper or electronic, the user himself considers the layout positions of the images until a satisfactory layout is obtained, and positions the image manually or carries out layout commands.
As can be seen in the Photoshop Album (an application software produced by Adobe Systems Incorporated; a registered trademark in the United States and other countries), an electronic photograph album is produced by using a template in which the layout and background of the photographs are determined in advance. In this case, in this method, when the layout of the template is unsatisfactory, the only other option is to choose another template.
In addition, in other examples, the location of each image is calculated, then the net force exerted on individual images due to all the images is calculated, this interpreted as the distance and direction, and the positioning of the image is carried out. In the technology of this related example, the new position of individual images is calculated by simulating the electrostatic action that can be imagined to be present if there were an electrostatic point charge at the center of each of the individual images. This calculation is repeatedly carried out, and a layout that is aesthetically satisfactory can be obtained at each converging steps.
However, in the case of this related technology, although the layout of the images is determined automatically, complicated calculation processing is required. Thus, there are the problems that the processing requires time and a high capacity computer is necessary.
In addition, in the case of other related examples, although layout of the images is determined automatically, there can be no guarantee that the layout obtained as a result thereof will one that is satisfying to the user.


A tire building drum and a method of building a tire carcass is disclosed. The tire building drum has a center section comprised of a plurality of segments that are radially and axially movable. The building drum further comprises shoulder sections that are axially movable. The shoulder sections include radially expandable bead locks. The method employs the steps of applying one or more carcass layers, locking the bead locks and moving the center section radially outwardly while moving the bead locks axially inwardly.

The manufacture of tires typically involves a tire building drum wherein numerous tire components are applied to the drum in sequence, forming a cylindrical shaped tire carcass. This stage of the tire building process is commonly referred to as the "first stage" of the tire building process. The tire carcass is then typically removed from the tire building drum and sent to a second stage, expandable tire shaping drum where the carcass is expanded into a toroidal shape for receipt of the remaining components of the tire such as the belt package and a rubber tread. The completed toroidally shape unvulcanized tire carcass or green tire is then removed from the second stage drum and subsequently molded and vulcanized into a finished tire.
The prior art process thus requires two tire building drums and the transfer of the carcass from one drum to the other. Further, a problem often arises in precisely locating and anchoring the tire beads on the unvulcanized tire carcass, especially during the transportation of the tire beads from the first stage drum to the second stage drum. Variations in bead positioning can result in ply distortion in the tire.
Tire manufacturers have recently begun moving towards the utilization of a single tire building drum, for both the first and second stage tire building. This requires that the tire building drum be capable of axial expansion and contraction as well as radial expansion/contraction. Further, it is important to maintain a positive bead lock during the entire tire building process, including the tire shaping, so that the ply cord length is maintained, resulting in good tire uniformity. Due to the fact that the tire building drum axially and radially expands, it is important that both sides of the tire building drum move in synchronization. If one side of the drum is out of synchronization with the other side of the drum, problems in tire uniformity can occur. It is additionally desired to support the apex and bead assembly in a vertical manner while avoiding unwanted displacements of the tire components, particularly the ply.

Method of making a tire using a high crown uni-stage tire building drum


To wipe an elongated, raked windshield, two of fixed length wipers are oscillated about pivot points located midway along the side edges of the windshield.. Consequently, a larger area wipe pattern is achieved than that which could be achieved by equivalent length wipers mounted in conventional locations. In addition, in the embodiment disclosed, the wiper pivot points are located beneath the housings of a pair of side mirrors. This allows a portion of the wipers to be covered when the wipers are parked, for aesthetic purposes.

As vehicle windshields have become more aerodynamic, they have become more difficult to wipe. Coefficients of drag can be lowered by steeply raking the windshield, sweeping it back dramatically so that it slices the air, rather than buffeting it. As a consequence, the windshield becomes relatively much longer, measured from top to bottom, as compared to its side to side width. There is a vertical area in front of the driver's line of sight that must, by regulation, be wiped. This is the so called legal area. Conventional wiper systems have one or more oscillating wipers pivoted at points near the lower windshield edge. With short, conventionally sized windshields, relatively short wipers are sufficient to wipe the legal area. With long, swept back windshields, extremely long wipers must sometimes be used to wipe the same effective vertical area. With even more steeply raked windshields in the future, it might not be possible to make conventionally located wipers long enough to wipe a sufficient area of the windshield.


A neural network-based image processing method may include receiving, by a trained neural network, a first image including a first object, the first object being partially covered by a second object. The method may also include generating, by the trained neural network, a second image based on the first image. The second image is a representation of the first image with the second object substantially removed, and the first object is a human face.

In a face recognition process, an image representing a face to be identified may be matched with ID photos from a database and a plurality of matching scores may be generated. Basing on the matching scores, the owner of the face may be determined. However, the covering objects on the face to be identified may affect the matching score and in turn affect the result of the face recognition. These covering objects may include a pair of glasses, makeups, scars, tattoos, accessories, etc. Thus, before the recognition process is carried, it may be preferable to remove the covering objects from the face to be identified and generate the covered face part as realistic as possible basing on some features of the image.


A hot-melt molding apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cylinder, a molding head, a heating device, a conveyor screw, a heat transport section, a thermoelectric element, and a power storage section. The cylinder communicates with the apparatus body and is configured to receive thermoplastic material. The molding head is provided at one end of the cylinder. The heating device is configured to heat the cylinder and the molding head to melt thermoplastic material therein. The conveyor screw is provided inside the cylinder to convey thermoplastic material to the molding head. The heat transport section has a first end connected to at least one of the cylinder and the molding head. The thermoelectric conversion element is connected to a second end of the heat transport section. The power storage section is connected to the thermoelectric conversion element and is configured to store power generated by the thermoelectric conversion element.

Hot-melt molding apparatuses such as extrusion molding machines and injection molding machines are used to mold thermoplastic material(s) such as plastic into desired shapes through hot melting. The hot-melt molding apparatus requires a lot of power in processes for manufacturing molded articles. Thus, particularly in a process where the apparatus itself needs to be increased in temperature, power consumption should be kept to a minimum.
To minimize power consumption of such apparatuses, attempts have been made to improve the production efficiency by increasing the manufacturing speed, setting the preset temperature to which the temperature of the apparatus is to be increased to a lower limit value, and the like.
Recently, reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from production facilities or factories is considered as one measure to address global environmental issues. Thus, there is a demand to improve the efficiency of energy used in production facilities or factories.
However, when thermoplastic material is molded using existing hot-melt molding apparatuses, heat energy dissipating from the hot-melt molding apparatus is not recycled in a process where the hot-melt molding apparatus is heated to a predetermined set temperature by a heater or the like and maintained at the temperature, for example.


The work memory of a programmable logic controller (PLC) is loaded with only one instruction at a time from the PLC's load memory which contains the entire instruction set to control a process. Each instruction has a format which contains at least one option code which must be evaluated to be true by the PLC interpreter before the corresponding instruction can be executed. If the interpreter evaluates the at least one option code to be false, the instruction is not executed and the next instruction is transferred from the load memory to the work memory and its corresponding option codes are then evaluated.

The present invention pertains to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and more particularly, to PLCs that utilize a sequential interpreter approach in executing their control logic.
The use of PLCs has revolutionized the process control industry. One example of the use of PLCs in process control is in the manufacture of semiconductors. The blending of two or more fluids to form a blended gaseous mixture for combining a semiconductor liquid or gas with a carrier gas for delivery to a fabrication tool requires precise process control. Typically, controlling this type of process by PLC involves using sequence control logic (i.e., opening/closing valves, checking alarm setpoints, etc.) in the PLC and is accomplished via sequential ladder logic programming. This is the standard approach and works well for a fixed control scheme architecture. However, any changes to the control scheme requires ladder logic modifications by an individual with this skill set. Moreover, the memory usage by such fixed control scheme architecture is inefficient.
In particular, classical PLC software utilizes a ladder logic design, which has accounted for a large portion of programming for standard automation applications. The hierarchy of this type of application is shown in FIG. 1. Applications can be constructed which are fairly complex using this programming technique, and the applications which result are able to be maintained by a large cross-section of the process control community, as well as local engineers and technicians with a minimum of training. Although this programming technique is easily constructed, it is not particularly efficient in memory usage when compared with other available languages. There has remained a need to construct code segments that could be used for multiple gas stream control such as first and second input flows of a gas cabinet where the input flows are blended Unfortunately, ladder logic does not easily accomplish this.
By way of example only, the Assignee of the present invention, namely, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., has used PLCs in its product line and with the release of its Gasguard® 450 (approximately 1990) product line, the technique of using external configurable data to control system operation has been used for gas cabinet-related equipment. Subsequent generations of Gasguard®, including Gasguard® 250, 500, AP2 and AP3, have all used this same method. However, the primary difference is that each of the aforementioned products utilizes an embedded control system of various types and manufacturers.
Attempts at overcoming these problems included developing a code for a PLC application for a mass-customized (MC) gas cabinet but that application rapidly ran out of memory when using this direct programming method. It was suggested to use custom STL (statement list) routines and SCL (structured control language) routines to supplement a basic top-level ladder logic routine in areas that would result in a savings of memory and would allow code segment reuse when possible. One of the areas of the memory usage problem is the standard call sequence in the PLC. Each call to a routine resulted in a large overhead memory usage and a low level STL routine was constructed that allowed multiple-called code to be used without this overhead memory usage. This reduced the memory usage by a significant amount. The second area of the memory usage problem was the lack of timers available in the chosen hardware set. Because of the low number of timers available, a custom timing routine was constructed in STL. Although the inclusion of STL in the application was not desired, it was included because of memory limitations. Many of the analog scaling and alarm functions would be coded using SCL, which, although less desirable than ladder logic, was clearly more desirable than the STL segments. The resulting hierarchy is shown in FIG. 2.
The resulting PLC application software utilized ladder logic for the overall execution loop, with SCL custom sequences and low-level STL service routines. The application configuration data was used to customize the individual application with selected options and alarm limits, etc. However, even with these compromises in programming approach, the application clearly was not able to fit within the constraints of the selected hardware. The resulting code consisted of three separate programming languages and the STL segments were seen as a potential problem for code maintenance.
Thus, there remains a need for a PLC that utilizes the external control data technique on a PLC-based control system which is not typically utilized in this manner.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Method and apparatus for utilizing a sequence interpreter approach to control logic of a programmable logic controller


There are provided an electrophoresis device and a display unit which are capable of realizing high contrast. The electrophoresis device includes a plurality of electrophoretic particles and a porous layer that are contained in an insulating liquid, the porous layer being formed using a fibrous structure including a plurality of non-migrating particles. An average particle size of the electrophoretic particles is equal to or less than one-fifth of an average pore size of the porous layer.

The disclosure relates to an electrophoresis device in which a plurality of electrophoretic particles are contained in an insulating liquid, and to a display unit including the electrophoresis device.
In recent years, low-power display units (displays) with high image quality have been in increasing demand, as mobile equipment represented by portable telephones and portable information terminals has become widespread. Above all, portable information terminals provided for the purpose of reading character information for a long time (namely, electronic book terminals) have been attracting attention recently since the appearance of distribution service of electronic books. Therefore, displays having display quality suitable for this purpose have been desired.
Displays such as a cholesteric liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an electric-redox-type display, and a twisting ball display have been proposed as displays for reading purpose. Above all, a reflection-type display is desirable. This is because, in this type of display, bright display is performed using reflection (scattering) of external light in a manner similar to paper and thus, display quality close to that of paper is achieved. In addition, since backlight is unnecessary, power consumption is low.
A strong candidate of the reflection-type display is an electrophoretic display that produces contrast using an electrophoretic phenomenon. The reason is that the electrophoretic display is superior in rapid response while consuming low power. Thus, various studies have been made for a display method of the electrophoretic display.
Specifically, there has been proposed a method in which two kinds of charged particles which are different in optical reflection property are dispersed in an insulating liquid, and the charged particles are moved in response to an electric field (for example, see Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. S50-015115 and Japanese Patent No. 4188091). In this type of method, the two kinds of charged particles are of opposite polarity and therefore, distribution of the charged particles changes in response to an electric field.
In addition, there has been proposed a method in which a porous layer is arranged and charged particles are dispersed in an insulating liquid, and the charged particles are moved through pores of the porous layer in response to an electric field (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005-107146, 2005-128143, and 2002-244163, and also Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. S50-015120. In this type of method, a polymeric film in which pores are formed by perforation processing using a laser, a cloth woven of synthetic fiber, a continuous-bubble porous polymer, or the like is used for the porous layer.


A glow plug for a diesel engine includes a first resistor serving as a heating element, second and third resistors, a sheath which incorporates the first, second, and third resistors, a heat-resistant insulating powder filled in the sheath to insulate the first, second, and third resistors from each other, and a cylindrical housing for holding the sheath. The second and third resistors are connected in series with the first resistor, are made of a material having a positive resistance-temperature coefficient, and have a positive resistance-temperature coefficient larger than that of the first resistor. The heat capacity of a given sheath portion having the third resistor therein is set larger than that of the other sheath portions.

The present invention relates to a glow plug used for preheating a subcombustion or combustion chamber of a diesel engine and, more particularly, to a self-temperature control diesel engine glow plug which performs fast heating, has a self-temperature saturation characteristic, and achieves after glow for a long period of time.
A diesel engine generally has a poor ignition characteristic at low temperatures. Therefore, a glow plug is attached to each subcombustion or combustion chamber. The glow plug is supplied with a current to increase an air intake temperature or serves as an ignition source so as to improve the ignition characteristic of the engine. Various types of conventional glow plugs are known. For example, the present applicant proposed a self-temperature control glow plug elaborately incorporating a resistor consisting of two types of materials, thereby obtaining stable heating characteristics so as to obtain a fast heating characteristic and prevent overheating of a heating element, as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-182026.
In a glow plug of this type, a first resistor serving as a heating element and a second resistor connected in series therewith and consisting of a material having a positive resistance-temperature coefficient larger than that of the first resistor are embedded in a heat-resistant insulating powder in a sheath. A gap is formed between the first and second resistors to provide a time lag of heat conduction from the first resistor. A necessary high power is supplied to the first resistor upon its energization to quickly heat the first resistor, thereby assuring fast heating. At the same time, an increase in resistance of the second resistor upon an increase in temperature causes reduction of the power supplied to the first resistor after a lapse of a predetermined period of time. Melting of the first resistor which is caused by overheating can therefore be prevented, thus achieving the self-temperature saturation characteristic. With the glow plug having such a structure, a temperature control means or the like for controlling power supply to an energization circuit for a conventional glow plug must be arranged, and the total cost of the preheating unit becomes high.
In the conventional glow plug described above, although the fast heating function and the self-temperature saturation function can be assured to some extent, it is difficult to provide a heating characteristic for reducing a heating temperature in an after glow state upon starting of the engine. An after glow state lasts about several tens of seconds in the conventional glow plug. Strong demand has arisen for prolonging the after glow time over 10 minutes. No conventional glow plug can satisfy this demand. In order to perform the after glow operation for such a long period of time while the heating temperature is gradually reduced, a voltage drop resistor, a relay, and the like must be arranged in the energization circuit for the glow plug, and the circuit cost becomes high.
In order to allow the after glow for a long period of time by a glow plug itself without adding elements to the circuit, the energization power supplied to the heating element must be self-controlled to greatly improve the heating characteristics so as to prevent overheating of a heater portion. At the same time, a saturation temperature must be reduced to an appropriate temperature or less to assure durability of the heating wire and to maintain its temperature, thereby providing the self-temperature control function. In consideration of the above situation, demand has arisen for a glow plug having a heater portion having fast heating and self-temperature saturation functions and excellent reliability such as high heat resistance.
The present applicant proposed a glow plug structure to solve the above problem in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-117030. In this glow plug, second and third resistors made of a material having a positive resistance-temperature coefficient larger than that of a first resistor serving as a heating element are connected in series with the first resistor. The temperature rise of the third resistor is lagged from that of the second resistor, Therefore, the power supplied to the first resistor serving as the heating element in the after glow state is lower than that corresponding to the saturation temperature at the time of the start of the engine. In this structure, however, since a sheath in which the first, second, and third series-connected resistors are embedded in a heat-resistant insulating powder is straight, and the sheath has the same diameter along its longitudinal direction, a heat capacity of the second and third resistors serving as a control side is almost equal to that of the first resistor serving as the heating element. In addition, energization control is performed without considering the magnitudes of the positive resistance-temperature coefficients of the second and third resistors. Therefore, the increases in temperature of the second and third resistors do not cause a great time lag. This conventional glow plug is insufficient to obtain appropriate heating characteristics for reducing a heating temperature, assuring durability of resistors, and realizing the after glow for a long period of time.
Still another conventional glow plug is proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-181957. In this glow plug, a second resistor having better heat-resistant, anti-corrosion properties than those of a third resistor and having a positive resistance-temperature coefficient is interposed between the third resistor located on the control side and a first resistor serving as a heating element. This glow plug solves a durability problem posed by the fact that the second resistor is excessively heated by a thermal influence of the first resistor and heat generated by the second resistor itself. This glow plug cannot achieve the after glow for a long period of time and cannot provide necessary heating characteristics. Some countermeasures must be taken to solve the problems described above in consideration of the above situation.

Diesel engine glow plug with self-temperature saturation characteristic and extended after-glow-time


A control system of an exhaust sensor controlling an exhaust sensor comprises a heater control part controlling a heater and a temperature estimating part estimating a temperature of an exhaust pipe around the exhaust sensor. The heater control part sets the target temperature to a first target temperature after startup of the internal combustion engine and until the estimated temperature of the exhaust pipe reaches a first exhaust pipe temperature, sets the target temperature to a second target temperature from when the estimated temperature of the exhaust pipe reaches the first exhaust pipe temperature to when it reaches a second exhaust pipe temperature, and sets the target temperature to an operating temperature of the electrochemical cell when the estimated temperature of the exhaust pipe reaches the second exhaust pipe temperature.

In the past, it is known to arrange an exhaust sensor in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine to detect a specific component in an exhaust gas (for example, see PLTs 1 to 3). This exhaust sensor is provided with an element body provided with an electrochemical cell, and a protective layer formed on the outer surface of the element body and comprised of a porous ceramic. The exhaust sensor is fastened to an exhaust pipe so as to be exposed to the exhaust gas. Part of the exhaust gas passes through the protective layer to flow into the element body. Further, the exhaust sensor is provided with a heater heating the element body so that the electrochemical cell becomes a predetermined operating temperature or more.
In this regard, when the temperature of the exhaust pipe is the dew point of water or less, the water vapor in the exhaust gas condenses and condensed water is produced. If there is condensed water in the exhaust passage, drops of condensed water strike the protective layer of the exhaust sensor together with the exhaust gas. If the protective layer does not have water repellency, the drops of water striking the protective layer penetrate the protective layer. If the temperature of the protective layer is high due to heating by the heater, the drops of water penetrating the protective layer evaporate inside the protective layer. As a result, thermal shock is given to the protective layer and element body and the element cracks.
Therefore, PLTs 1 and 2 describe to prevent cracking of the element of the exhaust sensor by utilizing the Leidenfrost phenomenon to impart water repellency to the protective layer of the exhaust sensor. The "Leidenfrost phenomenon" is the phenomenon wherein when drops of water strike a high temperature protective layer, a film of water vapor is formed between the protective layer and the drops of water whereby conduction of heat between the protective layer and drops of water is suppressed. If the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs, the drops of water are repelled from the protective layer, so penetration of water to the protective layer is suppressed.
In the invention described in PLT 1, at the time of startup of the internal combustion engine, the Leidenfrost phenomenon is used so that the temperature of the sensor surface is held at an impact countering temperature higher than the operating temperature until the temperature around the exhaust sensor reaches the dew point so as to prevent cracking of the element.


A method for handling network I/O device virtualization is provided. The method comprises, translating, by a virtual machine monitor, a guest physical address of a virtual machine to a host physical address in response to an I/O request from at least one virtual machine among a plurality of virtual machines, transmitting, by a virtual machine emulator, an instruction request including the translated address information to an extended device driver associated with the virtual machine from which the I/O request is forwarded, inserting, by the extended device driver, the translated address into a transmission queue, and performing a direct memory access for the I/O request using a physical I/O device according to the transmission queue.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for handling network I/O device virtualization.
Virtualization technology is a technology that abstracts various physical resources and present them to users and it is the most important technology when constructing a cloud computing environment. There are various virtualization technologies including system virtualization technology, which is a virtualization technology for hardware devices existing in physical servers such as a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and I/O device, operating system virtualization technology, which is a technology for isolating or distributing shared resources based on containers while sharing the kernel, and so on.
Among the various virtualization technologies, system virtualization technology provides the flexibility of the infrastructure of the cloud and has the most significant impact on the performance of the physical server. In system virtualization technology, virtualization is performed on the central processing unit, memory, I/O device, etc. through system software called 'hypervisor' or 'virtual machine monitor'. According to the system virtualization technology, virtualized resources can be allocated to a logical space called a virtual machine, thereby providing an environment capable of operating a plurality of logical devices in one physical device.
System virtualization technology can be divided into paravirtualization technology that improves performance through modification of guest operating system instruction set and full virtualization technology which performs emulation for all instructions without modifying instruction set. Recently, technologies such as Intel's VT (Virtualization Technology) and AMD's SVM (Secure Virtual Machine) have been widely used to minimize the cost of central processing unit and memory virtualization with the help of hardware.
Still, there are various limitations in using conventional virtualization technology, and a new virtualization method is desired to improve it.

Method and apparatus for handling network I/O device virtualization