An image processor includes a video input unit that counts the number of input pixel data and a command fetch/issue unit calculates, when a command including information concerning a relative position register in which a delay amount from input of pixel data until execution of a command is stored is fetched, a pixel position of processing target pixel data based on the delay amount and a count result and determines, based on the calculated pixel position, whether signal processing should be performed or specifies an operand used in arithmetic operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processor and a command processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among various kinds of signal processing executed by an image processor on input image data, there is processing executed according to pixel positions of processing target image data. For example, in some case, image data of a Bayer array in which a 2×2 pixel array (pattern) is "R", "GR", "GB", and "B" in order from the upper left is received as input image data and processing corresponding to pixel positions and colors of the pixels is applied to values (image data) corresponding to the pixels. As a more specific example, positions of GR, GB, and B pixels are filled with interpolated R pixels by using values of R pixels around the positions to form a single color image. In such a case, the image processor determines positions of the pixels and performs interpolation processing according to a determination result. Specifically, the image processor performs processing for determining a pixel position to thereby determine whether a pixel is an R pixel and, when the pixel is a G pixel (a GR or GB pixel) or a B pixel other than the R pixel, performs interpolation processing. The image processor performs the series of processing (the processing for determining a pixel position and the interpolation processing performed according to a determination result) by executing commands according to steps explained below.    Step 1: Execute a command for loading a vertical position (hereinafter represented as "v") and a horizontal position (hereinafter represented as "h") in an image of a processing target pixel to a general-purpose register.    Step 2: Execute a command for loading a relative processing position from image input of a present processing thread to the general-purpose register.    Step 3: Execute a command for performing arithmetic operation of values acquired at step 1 and step 2 to thereby calculate a pixel position of the processing thread and loading the obtained pixel position to the general-purpose register.    Step 4: Execute a command for checking, concerning the pixel position calculated at step 3, whether "v" of the pixel position is an even number position and "h" of the pixel position is an odd number position.    Step 5: Execute a command for checking, concerning the pixel position calculated at step 3, whether "v" of the pixel position is an odd number position.    Step 6: Execute a command for implementing the OR operation of results at steps 4 and 5.    Step 7: Execute a command for instructing, when a result at step 6 is correct, signal processing (interpolation processing) to be executed to branch to a described position and instructing, when the result is not correct, the signal processing not to branch (as a result, the interpolation processing is not performed).
The steps of the interpolation processing for filling the positions of GR, GB, and B pixels with interpolated R pixels using values of R pixels around the positions are explained. However, when the signal processing is applied to only a pixel in a specific position, processing equivalent to steps 1 to 6 is necessary as branch determination processing necessary before the signal processing is performed.
As explained above, to determine whether the signal processing should be applied to a pixel in a specific position (branch determination), the image processor in the past needs to execute the commands at steps 1 to 6 as processing at a pre-stage of the determination (processing for specifying a position of a processing target pixel and determining whether the signal processing should be executed). In other words, it is necessary to execute a large number of commands and an overall calculation amount increases. On the other hand, because the image processor tends to treat image data of a larger size, a reduction in the calculation amount is a problem. Therefore, it is requested to efficiently perform the signal processing and reduce such a calculation amount.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-49961 discloses a technology for determining a position (a coordinate) of a processing target and executing various kinds of processing according to a determination result and, specifically, a processor for three-dimensional graphic acceleration that determines three-dimensional coordinate information included in input data and performs rendering processing corresponding to a determination result. However, in this processor, a reduction in the calculation amount is not taken into account.

Image processor and command processing method


The present invention relates to fastening means for fastening a screen plate onto a screen carrier of a screen device for a comminuting device, comprising a first tensioning element, which is connected to the screen device, particularly to the screen carrier, and which is designed to exert a force on the screen plate; a second tensioning element, which is connected to the screen device, particularly the screen carrier, and which is designed to exert a force on the screen plate, wherein at least one of the tensioning elements is an elastic element, which is designed to exert an elastic restoring force on the screen plate such that the screen plate is tensioned between the first and the second tensioning elements. The invention further relates to a method for fastening a screen plate onto a screen carrier of a screen device for a comminuting device.

Commercial waste, industrial waste, domestic waste, etc., e.g. (hard) plastics, textiles, composites, wheels, rubber or scrap wood (such as pallets and particle boards) must be comminuted in corresponding comminuting devices before they are definitively disposed of or in particular before they are returned to the cycle of valuable substances.
A central element of a conventional comminutor is a rotor unit which comprises a rotor equipped with knives which can be provided e.g. with concavely ground circular cutting crowns. The knives are fastened to knife holders, for example by screwing, which are welded into knife recesses or can be screwed, for example, the recesses being milled into the rotor. The comminution of the loaded material is accomplished between the knives rotating together with the rotor and stationary bed knives (stator knives, wiper elements).
After comminution between the rotating knives and the stator knives, the material is discharged through a screen device. This screen device determines the comminution factor according to the mesh size (e.g. 5 to 150 mm). The comminuted material passed through the screen is conveyed further by means of a conveying belt, a spiral conveyor, a chain conveyor or an exhaust system. Typically, the screen device contains screen plates which are screwed at their ends to a screen carrier (a screen cassette) or to a machine housing. To securely fasten the screen plates to the screen carrier or the housing, inter alia a plurality of screws is required.
While the comminutor is operated, the screwed joints are subjected to high stresses, and thus, the bearing surfaces of the screwed surfaces must be as parallel as possible with respect to each other to prevent, if possible, the screwed joints from getting released or being broken, resulting in severe damages of the complete comminuting device in operation. The parallelism of the bearing surfaces of the screwed surfaces can only be achieved if the screen cassette and the screen plates are manufactured with very small tolerances. Thereby, the manufacture of these components is very expensive. Moreover, the tightening torques when the screen plates are connected with screws must be exactly observed, so that the assembly can be exclusively carried out by correspondingly qualified personnel.
A further disadvantage of the screwed fastening of the screen plates in prior art is that the screwed joints are sometimes very difficult to access. For example, some screwed joints can be accessed only e.g. by a serviceman descending to a discharge means underneath the comminutor which conveys the comminuted material passed through the screen plates. As the screen plates are subject to wear and thus must be maintained regularly, the possibly hardly accessible screwed joints must be released and replaced by a serviceman at regular intervals, which is very time-consuming.
As the downtime of the comminutor should be minimized for economic reasons, it is desirable to provide a fastening possibility for screen plates to a screen carrier of a screen device for a comminutor which permits a facilitated and quicker maintenance, in particular a facilitated removal of worn out screen plates and assembly of new screen plates.

Screen device and fastening means for screen plates


A support plate positioned on or within a construction block formed on the upper surface thereof a channel for the receipt and engagement of a short leg of an anchor bolt, there being two planar vertical upstanding panels adjacent the channel, said vertical upstanding panels engaging the outer circumference of the long leg of the anchor bolt in 180 degree relationship, thereby insuring its maintenance in a vertical orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to building construction, and more specifically, to a positioning plate cooperative with a foundation anchor bolt to allow contractors to quickly and accurately position and secure anchor bolts within the masonry construction block foundation in order to secure sill plates to the anchor bolts and hence the foundation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concrete blocks are used in the construction of foundations for both residences and commercial buildings. The blocks are constructed of two side walls, and two end walls, with a mid wall bisecting the block forming two hollow cores which extend in a vertical orientation when the concrete blocks are properly stacked.
The concrete blocks themselves are positioned on a base or footing and extend upwardly in rows, each successive row and each successive block being secured by mortar or cement, the blocks themselves being staggered over the two blocks immediately below.
The height of the foundation wall formed by the blocks may vary depending on whether or not the building is having a full basement or only a crawl space. Nevertheless, in all instances, the upper row of blocks must accommodate a sill plate, in the form of two by six wolmanized or treated wooden boards, or two by eight wooden boards, which are laid flat and which must be tied onto the foundation walls. This is accomplished through the use of anchor bolts which are secured into the hollow cores of the uppermost row of blocks by means of mortar or cement. The anchor bolt is generally L-shaped, having a short leg which forms its base with the long leg extending upwardly, out of the concrete, of sufficient length to pass through an aperture in the sill plate, this long leg of the anchor bolt being threaded at its end for receipt of a nut, thus securing the sill plate to the foundation.
Anchor bolts are required at the corners of any foundation on each side of any opening (access doors, windows) and are spaced pursuant to construction codes every several feet along a straight run of a foundation wall. Further, construction codes may allow for the anchor bolt to be secured in the uppermost row of the foundation wall, or more rigorous construction codes may require that the anchor bolt extend upwardly through two or more rows or layers of blocks.
Since the upper end of the anchor bolt is designed to pass through an aperture in a sill plate and be secured by a nut, and since there are multiple anchor bolts in spaced apart relationship for any one sill plate, if the anchor bolt is not properly positioned within the foundation wall, misalignment with the sill plate will occur, thus delaying construction and increasing the cost of labor.
Another problem associated with the prior art in the positioning of the anchor bolt was the filling of the core of the construction block. The core of the uppermost block on the top row may be in alignment with the core of blocks below it. Thus before positioning the anchor bolt, fill material of some sort must be positioned in this void defined by the cores of the construction block in order to provide support for the anchor bolt when positioned. Oftentimes scrap material, block pieces or other debris is pressed into these cores in an effort to provide a support base. This solution is haphazard at best. The contractor when positioning and securing the sill plate would often strike the anchor bolt with a hammer to determine its stableness. If the underlying support material was insufficient, then the anchor bolt would move, be displaced, or sink into the lower part of the wall and be unavailable for use in securing the sill plate.
Therefore there has been a need for a method and/or apparatus which allows for the accurate positioning of an anchor bolt in a foundation wall, which insures that the upwardly extending leg of the anchor bolt will be in a true orientation so that multiple anchor bolts can accurately engage and cooperate with a sill plate overlaid the upper foundation wall surface. Most importantly the bolt can no longer sink either because of gravity versus wet cement during bolt installation or when tested for strength with hammer by carpenter when installing the sill plate into the lower rows of block because the plate is beneath it.

Positioning plate for foundation anchor bolt


The invention provides a method and system for connect interoperation of multiple diverse file server or file locking protocols, using a uniform multi-protocol lock management system. A file server determines, before allowing any client device to access data or to obtain a lock, whether that would be inconsistent with existing locks, regardless of originating client device or originating protocol for those existing locks. A first protocol enforces mandatory file-open and file-locking together with an opportunistic file-locking technique, while a second protocol lacks file-open semantics and provides only for advisory byte-range and file locking.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to locking in a multi-protocol file server.
2. Related Art
In an integrated computer network, it is desirable for multiple client devices to share files. One known method is to provide a network file server for storing files, capable of receiving and responding to file server requests from those client devices. These file server requests are made using a file server protocol, which is recognized and adhered to by both the file server and the client device. Because the files are stored at the file server, multiple client devices have the opportunity to share simultaneous access to files.
One problem in the art is that there are multiple diverse file server protocols, each with differing semantics for file operations. It is known to provide a single file server that recognizes multiple file server protocols, but there is a particular difficulty in that many file server protocols have differing and incompatible semantics for file locking and file sharing. Incompatible locking semantics presents a hurdle in providing a single file system to multiple diverse client devices. If a first client device relies on a first file server protocol (having first file-locking semantics), a second client device using a second file server protocol (having different file-locking semantics) can cause applications at that first client device to fail catastrophically. Thus, correct operation of each file server protocol relies on conformity with its file-locking semantics by all other file server protocols.
For example, one protocol commonly used for devices using the Unix operating system (or a variant thereof) is the NFS ("Network File System") protocol. Devices using the Windows operating system (or a variant thereof) can also use the NFS protocol by means of the "PC NFS" implementation. The NFS protocol is designed to be stateless, and so does not provide any semantics for files to be locked against sharing or otherwise restricted to a single client device. In contrast, one protocol commonly used for devices using the Windows operating system is the CIFS ("Common Internet File System") protocol. The CIFS protocol has an extensive mandatory file-locking semantics, which CIFS client devices rely on and expect to be adhered to.
In known systems, the NFS protocol has been augmented with an adjunct file-locking protocol, NLM ("Network Lock Manager"), but the NFS protocol treats NLM locks as merely advisory. While this method achieves the purpose of providing file-locking semantics to those NFS applications that use it, it does not prevent NFS applications from ignoring those file-locking semantics, nor does it allow client devices to rely on the file-locking semantics of multiple diverse file server protocols.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and system for enforcing file-locking semantics among client devices using multiple diverse file server protocols. This advantage is achieved in an embodiment of the invention in which a uniform set of file-locking semantics is integrated into the kernel of a multi-protocol file server and enforced for client devices using any of the diverse file server protocols recognized by the server. In a preferred embodiment, specific file-locking semantics of the CIFS protocol are implemented so as to allow NFS client devices to inter-operate with CIFS client devices so as to protect data integrity during client access to a shared file system resident on a network file server.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Enforcing uniform file-locking for diverse file-locking protocols


A method may include receiving, by a switching engine, an optical signal that includes a channel. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, a first beam steering grating to direct a first portion of the channel to a first output port. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, one or more second beam steering gratings to direct at least one of a second portion of the channel to a second output port, or a third portion of the channel to a photodetector. The third portion may be approximately less, in power, than 10 percent of the channel.

In optical networks, signals may be transmitted at various wavelengths, with each wavelength corresponding to a transmission channel. Optical links may connect network nodes so that signals may be transmitted throughout the optical network. An optical route may use a series of network nodes and optical links to connect a source of an optical transmission with a destination for the optical transmission.
As optical link bandwidth demand increases, reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) have seen increasing usage as optical nodes. An optical network that is implemented using ROADMs can be reconfigured without physical modification of components of the ROADMs, which improves flexibility and peak bandwidth of the optical network. A ROADM may include a wavelength selective switch (WSS), which includes a switching array that routes optical signals to particular output ports based on wavelengths of the optical signal.

Optical network monitoring and protection using a phased array switching engine


A method for correcting faded colors in aged photographs or film. The method automatically restores the color of the image by analyzing the color variance in the image and determining tonal curve for each channel. First, the interior of the image is selected and the image is portioned into sub-images. The variance of each sub-image is calculated, and the parameters are evaluated for correcting the entire image during scanning. This method will provide good color quality and preserve good density of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color restoration method, and more specifically, to a method for restoring faded pictures or film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Almost everyone has old photographs of their parents, their grandparents, or of their childhood. When it comes to aging, photos fade in many different ways. In general, the aged photos often take a yellowish color, and the negatives also tend to have a reddish tone with time. As there are various considerable causes of fading, precious color photographic originals should be kept under safe conditions whenever possible. Keeping photographs and film in dark places with a low temperature and low moisture can help slow the effects of aging, but cannot entirely prevent them.

Method for restoring faded photographs and film


A method comprising treating a potato wastewater stream containing suspended free starch particles with a potato starch-complexing emulsifier to form agglomerated starch particle-emulsifier complexes, and separating the complexes from the remainder of said wastewater stream. Also the separated starch complex suitable for human or animal consumption alone or in combination with other food ingredients. In various embodiments, the products comprise (a) at least about 2000 mg/100 g, BDS, glutamic acid; and/or (b) at least about 2500 mg/100 g, BDS, aspartic acid; and/or (c) at least about 10 g/100 g, BDS, total protein.

In potato processing operations such as used in the dehydration of potatoes, water flows through various cookers, pre-cookers, blanchers, and transport systems. The overflow or effluent water from such processing operations is called potato wastewater or potato water. Such potato wastewater is difficult to filter due to dissolved starch which tends to block screens in the filtration equipment. Various regulatory agencies are instituting stricter standards for the disposal of such wastewater. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the potato solids in such wastewater and to recover the solids as a usable byproduct.
One potato wastewater treatment method for this purpose is disclosed in Ferro, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,003 (the '003 patent). There, the wastewater stream is treated with an alpha amylase enzyme to hydrolyze starch in the wastewater followed by ultra-filtration of the enzyme-treated wastewater to filter and remove suspended solids in a first concentrate stream followed by reverse osmosis-filtering of the ultra-filter permeate. However, there are disadvantages with the presence of the enzymes as an impurity in the concentrate for certain uses. Further, the most efficient use of certain enzymes may require the energy cost of heating the wastewater to the optimum effective range for the enzyme.
Another approach to the recovery of protein from potato wastewater streams is described in Gonzalez, J. M., et al., Food Hydrocolloids, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp 355-363, 1991. There, a hydrocolloid, specifically carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC), is stated to be used as a complexing agent. That paper also describes the use of pH adjustment and an added electrolyte which it states to be inferior to the use of CMC in that it is stated to be difficult to separate coagulated protein due to low sedimentation rates and poor filter ability.
Thus, there is a need to reduce the potato solids in potato wastewater and to recover the solids as a usable byproduct, particularly one useful as an ingredient for foods for human, animal, or microbiological consumption.
It is an objective of the invention to provide a method for treating potato wastewater and to provide a byproduct of such treatment suitable for use as an ingredient for food for human, animal, or microbiological consumption.

Potato wastewater treatment method using a starch-complexing emulsifier


A thermal interface unit includes a pedestal, a first contact surface below the pedestal to interface with a first die and a flat spring to enable the first contact surface to adapt to a variable height of a first die of a multi-chip package (MCP).

Integrated circuits are designed to operate under a variety of environmental conditions. For example, integrated circuits are designed to operate over a range of temperatures. To ensure that an integrated circuit operates correctly over a particular range of temperatures, the integrated circuit is coupled to a test unit for testing at different temperatures within the particular range. The test unit typically includes a thermal unit that facilitates thermal cooling and control for testing.
However, multi-chip electronic packages (MCPs) create a challenge of testing using conventional thermal units. An MCP includes multiple die, which may comprise logic die, memory die, platform control hub (PCH), and/or digital die, attached or assembled on a substrate. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a top view and a side view, respectively, of one embodiment of a three die MCP.
The problem with testing MCPs using conventional thermal units is an inability to simultaneously establish good mechanical and thermal contacts with each die due to a difference of die heights, a variation in height difference between each die, and warping of electronic packages. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate conventional thermal unit configurations for MCPs.
As shown in FIG. 2A, a rotating gimballing mechanism is included to accommodate die height difference. Nevertheless, the existing gimballing mechanism does not provide for sufficient contact across the entire die surfaces, which results in poor thermal cooling and control. FIG. 2B illustrates a three-die MCP in which an offset between the thermal unit and the nominal die height of two of the die creates an area of poor or non-contact.
FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional coil spring mechanism implemented to eliminate the height offset. However, as shown in FIG. 3 this mechanism, as well as the gimballing mechanism, requires large thermal unit profiles to eliminate the height offset.
An additional problem with testing MCPs using conventional thermal units is that inadequate contact coverage between the thermal unit pedestal and die may lead to over stressing and overheating of the die. Even when an interface material is applied, the die-pedestal gap may be large enough to drive over heating.
Currently, in order to compensate for inadequate die-pedestal contact coverage, the test program is changed (e.g., reducing the test power and extending the test time) in order to eliminate die damaged at test. These test program adjustments are undesirable because they often lead to longer test times.

Thermal interface for multi-chip packages


A micro point address is detected in response to an audio trigger. Audio data is detected at a mobile device and compared to at least one predetermined audio sample. In response to the comparison, location data is collected or a location stamp including the location data is made. A grid location identifier is stored in association with the location data in response to the comparison.

Map databases may be used to provide navigation based features such as routing instructions for an optimum route from an original location to a destination location and map based features such as section and display of maps to manually locate locations or points of interest. Map databases are used in vehicle, driver assistance systems and pedestrian or indoor routing systems.
Conventional procedures for map building are resource intensive. It requires human operators as map coders to manually pinpoint certain locations in the map. The amount of human input efforts increases dramatically with higher resolution maps with higher definition requirements. Conventional map coding procedures are neither cost efficient nor turnaround optimized. Collection of information about may require specialized systems, precise measurements and manual input to correctly represent venues. As the resolution of available maps and the accuracy of positioning services increase, the need for a more precise pairing of coordinates and addresses increases as well.

Micro point collection mechanism for smart addressing


In its preferred form the present invention provides a system of interconnecting wall panels, which in normal use provide horizontal parallel recesses along the length of the wall, into which shelf brackets can be fitted, the converse face of the recesses providing detents by which the panels can be attached to a supporting structure on the wall behind.

The present invention relates to the general field of shelf support systems, with particular application to wall cladding which provides a shelf support system.
Hitherto it has been known to provide wall panel systems which comprise a number of large square or rectangular panels, which are joined at the edges by vertical retaining strips, these retaining strips including a vertical channel or the like into which a shelf bracket can be affixed at any desired height. A problem is often encountered with such systems in that the shelf brackets must be in some way held at a particular position in the channel and be prevented from sliding down it, while still being adjustable as required. Furthermore, installation of such a system can present a number of difficulties. The spacing of the retaining strips is fairly rigidly prescribed by the width of the wall panels, and this spacing may be found inappropriate to a particular wall, taking into account the spacing between corners, and features such as pillars, windows or wall sockets. The two or more shelf brackets supporting any particular shelf must be positioned at the same height in the channel, and this may be difficult or time consuming to achieve. The spacing between channels may be inappropriate to the desired lengths of shelf, and while this problem is less likely to occur if the system uses narrower wall panels, and consequently increases the number of channels available, this solution increases the work required to install the system.
As illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,240--M. A. Strausheim 1987, it has been known to go partway towards overcoming these problems with the use of an extruded plastic panel having horizontal channels therein, which are flanged and shaped to retain shelving brackets in normal use. Such a system is however relatively expensive, and is more difficult to install on a wall surface than systems hitherto available. The span of the panel between adjacent channels is very limited, unless the plastic is thickened or otherwise braced in the intermediate zones, and the overall width of each panel is limited by the extrusion process. Furthermore in the system illustrated, a number of panels must be fitted together on "stiffener strips", which must then be attached by undisclosed means to a wall surface. The interconnected panels therefore in practice must be formed into a single large sheet, which presents many of the same installation difficulties as the panels described above.


A process for reducing free aldehydes in dispersions, suspensions, emulsions and solutions which comprises including therein thioamine compound of the formula IV and optionally a thioamine of the formula III:

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for removing free aldehydes from compositions containing them.
2. Background Art
Aldehydes, and especially formaldehyde, are known irritants. Furthermore, some aldehydes, for example formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, are considered possible carcinogens. The latter are among the most important industrial chemicals, are widely used and reacted, but are also inadvertently released.
Formaldehyde, for example, is frequently used in the production of woodbase materials as a phenol-formaldehyde resin or a melamine-formaldehyde resin. Woodbase materials employing such resins as adhesives or binders regrettably release formaldehyde into the environment after production. Owing to its high volatility, formaldehyde is also frequently to be found in the offgas of a variety of industrial processes. For example, when textiles are treated with formaldehyde derivatives such as dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) or other methylol-functional compounds, they will release a not inconsiderable portion of the chemically-bound formaldehyde into the environment as free formaldehyde. As a further example, houses built with formaldehyde-releasing materials may release formaldehyde into the rooms through the masonry. One method of addressing this problem is presented in DE 19809479 A1, which describes a method for remediating formaldehyde-polluted interiors through the use of sheep""s wool.
Polymer dispersions are frequently prepared using formaldehydic compounds as fungicides, monomers or polymerization initiators. As a result, the ready-produced dispersion will contain major amounts of formaldehyde which can be released in later use. For example, it is known to use polymer dispersions as binders for consolidating and coating fibrous structures such as wovens, nonwovens and waddings comprised of textile fiber, textile yarns, or woodbase materials. The polymer dispersions are frequently copolymer dispersions of (meth)acrylate or vinyl ester copolymers which contain self-crosslinking comonomer units with N-methylol or N-methylol ether functions to improve strength. The copolymers customarily contain up to 10% by weight of units derived from N-methylol(meth)acrylamide (NMAA). A disadvantage of these binders is the release of formaldehyde due to hydrolytic cleavage of the N-methylol functionality.
Various strategies are proposed in the literature for reducing the level of free formaldehyde in polymer dispersions. These strategies generally utilize alternative, formaldehyde-free initiator systems, for example ascorbic acid. Such systems are capable of lowering the formaldehyde content by up to 80%, but have the disadvantage that they are very costly. The dispersions thus produced, however, can be produced and processed using conventional formulations and equipment.
EP-0778290 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,418) describes a process in which formaldehydic polymerizable initiator systems are replaced by aldehydes masked by bisulfite. When no HCHO-containing monomers are used, this leads to almost HCHO-free dispersions ( less than 3 ppm HCHO).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,438, DE-A 3328456 (AU 8431608), U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,902, EP-A 0488605 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,954) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,814 disclose the use of N-methylolacrylamide as a crosslinker with conventional initiator systems, but with further addition of low molecular weight components as formaldehyde traps or acceptors to reduce free formaldehyde. The compounds chosen for use as formaldehyde traps react quickly and very quantitatively with formaldehyde to form harmless derivatives. Urea compounds, acetoacetates, dicyandiamide, and imidazoles have found application here. However, these formaldehyde scavengers work only over a limited pH range, lack stability in storage, or may have to be added in large quantities. Formaldehyde reductions of above 90% are achieved through use of such scavengers. The dispersions thus produced can likewise be produced and processed using conventional formulations and equipment. However, the scavenger may be responsible for adverse effects, for example discoloration in the course of the subsequent crosslinking or else an increased toxicity of the compounds added.
The present invention provides a process for reducing free aldehyde in aldehyde-containing or aldehyde-generating compositions without causing adverse consequences such as for example unpleasant odors, increased toxicity, or discoloration. These and other objects are surprisingly achieved by addition of thioamine compounds.
The present invention accordingly provides a process for reducing free aldehydes in dispersions, suspensions, emulsions or solutions, which comprises including therein thioamines of the general formula I or II:
where Y and Z are each a divalent organic radical of at least two carbon atoms and R1 is an organic alkyl or aryl radical of 1 to 15 carbon atoms or hydrogen, or mixtures thereof.
Preference is given to compounds of the formula III or IV or their salts or esters:
where R1 is an organic alkyl radical of up to 5 carbon atoms, an aryl radical, or hydrogen, R2 is xe2x80x94(COO)axe2x80x94E or xe2x80x94(CONH)axe2x80x94E, where a is 0 or 1 and E is an organic radical of up to 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen, R3 is a monovalent organic radical of up to 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen, R4 and R5 represent organic radicals of up to 10 carbon atoms or hydrogen and may be bonded to each other, subject to the proviso that R4 and R5 together must contain at least one carbon atom, and n is 0 or 1.
Particular preference is given to compounds of the formula III or IV or their salts or esters where R1 is hydrogen or acetyl, R2 is xe2x80x94COOH or hydrogen, R3 is hydrogen, R4 is hydrogen or methyl, R5 is xe2x80x94COOH, xe2x80x94COOR, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94COOR, xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CN, optionally substituted aromatic, and n is 0 or 1.
These compounds include, for example but not by limitation, L-cysteine, D-cysteine, D,L-cysteine, N-acetylcysteine, cysteamine, homocysteine or their salts, esters or amides thereof and also their addition products (aminothioacetals or aminothioketals) with glyoxylic acid and pyruvic acid and their esters and amides, benzaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, vanillin, anisaldehyde, piperonal, acetophenone, cinnamaldehyde, citral, glucose, fructose, acetoacetate ester and acetylacetone. These naturally occurring amino acid derivatives are particularly safe toxicologically.
In the process according to the invention, free aldehyde present or being formed in dispersions, suspensions, emulsions or solutions is effectively bound by chemical reaction according to the general equation (1):
Surprisingly, the equilibrium of the reaction is distinctly on the side of the bound aldehyde even in the presence of water, so that this reaction can be used for removing aldehydes in water-containing systems. In this context, the compounds of the general formula I have the advantage that they are capable of binding aldehydes very quickly by chemical reaction. However, some of the compounds of the general formula I have the disadvantage that they are readily oxidizable (cysteine for example).
Permanent reduction of free aldehyde, for example in polymer dispersions, is thus not always attainable through use of compounds of the formula I, for example cysteine, alone. However, permanent reduction of free aldehydes is attainable by using compounds of the general formula II alone or in admixture with compounds of the general formula I. This is because compounds of the general formula II, being the stable storage form of compounds of the formula I, cannot be oxidized and can react with the free aldehyde as per the general equation (2):
In addition to the bound aldehyde, the latter reaction produces a compound which is itself an aldehyde or ketone. However, these can be selected so that they have no unwanted odor, and/or are nontoxic. Representative examples are pyruvic acid and acetoacetate ester. The latter compound is especially advantageous in that it in turn can act as an additional aldehyde scavenger.
The process of the invention is generally useful for reducing aldehydes of the formula Rxe2x80x94CHO, where R may be an organic alkyl or aryl radical of 1-20 carbon atoms or hydrogen. The process of the invention is more preferably used for reducing butyraldehyde, acetaldehyde, chloral and formaldehyde and most preferably for reducing formaldehyde.
The process of the invention is generally useful for reducing aldehydes in dispersions, suspensions, emulsions and solutions, preferably dispersions and suspensions, more preferably polymer dispersions and suspensions, and most preferably, polymer dispersions.
Free aldehyde is reduced according to the invention by using compounds of the general formula I or their salts, amides or esters, in an amount preferably between 0.002% by weight and 20% by weight, or compounds of the general formula II or their salts, amides or esters in an amount preferably between 0.002% by weight and 20% by weight, or mixtures thereof, each percentage by weight being based on the aldehydic dispersions, suspensions, emulsions or solutions for which aldehyde reduction is sought.
In a preferred embodiment, polymer dispersions are mixed with the thioamine compounds of the invention. The dispersions thus obtained are stable in that they comprise only very low levels of free aldehydes, for example formaldehyde, even after prolonged storage. The dispersions thus treated provide unimpaired crosslinking performance, nor are the compositions colored after crosslinking. An advantage is the simplicity of use of the inventive process, in that the thioamine compounds of the invention may simply be added as an aqueous solution to the ready-produced polymer dispersion.
The combination of amino acids with vinyl ester dispersions is disclosed in JP-A 1192612. In contrast to the process of the subject invention, the addition of amino acids is used to stabilize the resultant polymer dispersion in order that a sedimentation may be avoided, and requires the presence of an acetoacetate-functionalized polyvinyl alcohol as a very specific protective colloid. The dispersions used in the subject process according to the invention are, in contrast sufficiently stable even without addition of cysteine or acetoacetate-functionalized polyvinyl alcohols. Sedimentation stability was not observed to improve on using cysteine, but also did not have any adverse consequences for the sedimentation stability of the dispersions. JP-A 1192612 does not mention the formaldehyde content in the dispersion being lowered, although the use of acetoacetates as HCHO scavengers is common knowledge in the literature. The present invention provides formaldehyde reduction even without the use of acetoacetate-functionalized polyvinyl alcohols, by sole use of cysteine as an HCHO scavenger. Thus, in the present invention, it is desirable that the polymer dispersion be stable with respect to sedimentation prior to addition of the formaldehyde scavengers of the present invention. It is also preferable that the polymer dispersions be free of acetoacetate-functionalized polyvinyl alcohols.
The process according to the invention is particularly suitable for use in polymer dispersions or polymer suspensions containing one or more monomer units of vinyl esters of branched or unbranched carboxylic acids of 1 to 12 carbon atoms; esters of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, for example the esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid or fumaric acid with branched or unbranched alcohols of 1 to 12 carbon atoms; ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; ethylenically unsaturated carboxamides; ethylenically unsaturated sulfonamides; styrenics; vinyl halides; alpha-olefins; or multiply ethylenically unsaturated compounds.
The vinyl ester copolymers or (meth)acrylic ester copolymers are preferably prepared by the emulsion polymerization process by known industrial processes. Useful dispersants include all emulsifiers and protective colloids customarily used in emulsion polymerization. The desired pH range for the polymerization, which is generally between 3 and 7, can be established in a known manner by means of acids, bases or customary buffer salts, such as alkali metal phosphates or alkali metal carbonates. Molecular weight reduction can be achieved in the polymerization by adding customary regulators.
Dispersions which have been admixed with thioalkylamines according to the process of the invention to reduce the level of free formaldehyde may be used to prepare dispersion powders. Dispersion powders are prepared by drying, preferably spray drying or freeze drying, most preferably spray drying, the dispersion. Conventional equipment is used, for example multi-component nozzles or disk sprayers dispensing into an optionally heated drying gas stream. The temperatures are generally not above 250xc2x0 C. The best temperature for the drying gas can be determined routinely; temperatures above 60xc2x0 C. have generally proven particularly useful.
The storability of powders having a low glass transition temperature (Tg) may be enhanced, and caking and blocking prevented, by adding antiblocking agents such as aluminum silicates, diatomaceous earth, or calcium carbonate, during the drying process. The dispersion may further include defoamers, for example silicone- or hydrocarbon-based defoamers, or atomizing aids, for example polyvinyl alcohols.
In preferred embodiments, the dispersion powders further contain up to 30% by weight, more preferably 1 to 15% by weight, based on base polymer weight, of a polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of 85 to 94 mol %, and/or up to 10% by weight of vinyl alcohol copolymers containing 5 to 35% by weight of 1-methylvinyl alcohol units, and/or up to 30% by weight, more preferably 4 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of polymeric constituents, of antiblocking agent and optionally up to 2% by weight, based on the base polymer, of defoamer.
Polymer dispersions or their powders incorporating the thioalkylamines of the invention may be used as compositions for coating aldehyde-emitting substrates, for example chipboard or materials of construction prepared therefrom. The coating may be effected directly or indirectly, for example by the dispersion being applied to a second substrate, and application or bonding to the formaldehyde-releasing substrate taking place before or after filming.
Aqueous solutions, for example wash solutions, can similarly incorporate the thioalkylamines of the invention in order to reduce aldehydes such as formaldehyde by, for example, washing textiles in these solutions, or by using such solutions to scrub aldehydic gases or gas mixtures, for example offgases.
In a further embodiment, emulsions as used for diverse applications, for example in the cosmetics industry, the pharmaceutical industry or the textile industry, may incorporate the thioalkylamines of the invention to reduce the level of undesirable aldehydes in these emulsions.
The examples below illustrate the invention, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Abstract: where R1 is a C1-5 alkyl radical, an aryl radical or hydrogen, R2 is xe2x80x94(COO)a xe2x80x94E or xe2x80x94(CONH)axe2x80x94E where a is 0 or 1 and E, R3, R4, and R5 are independently R4 and R5 together containing at least one carbon atom, and n being 0 or 1.

Consortium fuer Elektrochemische Industrie GmbH


Systems and methods for electrocardiographic waveform analysis, data presentation and actionable alert generation are described. Electrocardiographic waveform data can be received from a wearable device associated with a patient. A mathematical analysis of at least a portion of the electrocardiographic waveform data can be performed to provide cardiac analytics. In instances where (1) a pathologically prolonged QT interval and (2) an R on T premature ventricular contraction and/or a ventricular tachycardia are detected from the cardiac analytics of the at least a portion of the electrocardiographic waveform data, an actionable alert can be generated and displayed with a visualization of the cardiac analytics.

Electrocardiography is a process of recording electrocardiographic waveforms from a patient's heart. The first known recording of electrocardiographic waveforms was obtained from the human body surface using galvanizing skin electrodes in the early 20th century. Since this first known recording, scientific advances have increased the diagnostic value of electrocardiographic waveforms for cardiovascular disorders. However, contemporary diagnostic tools using electrocardiographic waveforms provide only limited analytic capabilities that do not incorporate important changes in cardiac repolarization, and do not effectively account for confounding physiologic variables including sex, time of day, the presence of baseline abnormalities and individual heart rate variance—thereby limiting contextual interpretation for a given patient. In addition, contemporary tools provide very limited output displays and lack a dynamic tool for the purposes of exchanging, highlighting, annotating and editing key data elements according to clinical relevance for concise export into the electronic medical record.
To complicate matters, over 90% of telemetry alarms neither elicit nor merit clinical responses from bedside health care providers, while up to 44% of cardiopulmonary arrests (CPAs) are not detected appropriately. Only approximately 1 in 4 patients survive an in-hospital CPA according to survival statistics from the American Heart Association. However, advances in non-invasive cardiovascular risk stratification modalities have emerged, including ECG-based methods for real-time detection of cardiac arrhythmias for patients undergoing continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring (CCRM). Unfortunately, no cohesive methodology exists for the collection, processing, analytics, and mobile distribution of the CCRM data to provide advanced warning of sustained atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmias, cardiopulmonary arrest, critical metabolic derangements or impending heart failure deterioration.


Provided is a device and method for calculating a lesion feature. The device includes a border discriminator configured to discriminate a border of a lesion on an image of an image signal, a border sharpness normalizer configured to normalize a border sharpness based on the border determined by the border discriminator and output the normalized border sharpness as a feature, and a vector generator configured to generate a vector having the feature outputted from the border discriminator as a component. Therefore, by using the lesion feature calculating device and method according to embodiments of the present invention, types of lesions on ultrasonic images are classified based on the borders of the lesions.

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a device and method for calculating lesion features, and more particularly, to a device and method for calculating lesion features on ultrasonic images.
Breast cancer is currently one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. To determine whether a lesion of a breast is benign and whether a tumor thereof is malignant is important for early detection of the breast cancer. Mammography and breast ultrasonography are typically used for a radiological examination of a breast. According to the breast ultrasonography, a degree of reflection of ultrasonic waves is visualized to provide a cross-sectional image of breast tissue. Compared to the mammography, the breast ultrasonography provides an examination without exposure to radiation and has a high degree of diagnostic accuracy. Thus, the breast ultrasonography is recently widely used.
As an image processing technology is developed, a computer is more frequently used for processing medical images during radiation diagnosis. Therefore, for applying a computer diagnostic technology to the diagnosis of the breast cancer, a device and method for classifying tumors on an ultrasonic image by using a computer are required.

Lesion feature calculating device and method utilizing border sharpness

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


This invention is an automatic gunnery system, responsive to airborne acoustic shock waves produced by a projectile passing through a target area. Curved elongated acoustic energy conductors are located adjacent to one side of said target area with acoustic transducers attached to the end portions thereof. Said transducers produce an electrical signal when a shock wave from the projectile reaches them through said energy conductors. Electrical signal from the transducers is connected to electronic circuitry which determines the location of each "hit" on or near the target which is registered on display means.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to automatic shock wave scoring apparatus for scoring the "hit" on a supersonic projectile in a target area where the "hit" is determined from the detection of the acoustic ballistic shock wave. More particularly, this invention relates to the location and configuration of curved acoustic energy conductors (rod sensors) for detecting the ballistic shock wave where the rod sensors form a part of such automatic target scoring apparatus. This invention uses curved acoustic energy conductors to replace the mutually perpendicular acoustic energy conductors in said patent. These acoustic conductors are located only on one side of the target area. Radial lines from the center of curvature of the acoustic energy conductors intersect the target area and locate a "hit" when the projectile passes through the target area.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Two basic methods are employed for determining the "hit" location of a supersonic projectile using the acoustic shock wave generated by the passing projectile. The first employs point sensors arrayed around or near the target area and calculates the projectile's location based on the arrival times of the shock wave at the various sensors. The time of arrival of the ballistic shock wave at each sensor, the locations of the sensors, the speed of sound in air, and the velocity of the projectile are used to make the calculation of the "hit" coordinates. Examples of this method of scoring supersonic projectiles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,582 (Mattei) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,579 (Bowyer).
The second method employs mutually perpendicular metal rod sensors to detect the ballistic shock wave. The rod sensors are placed on the sides of the target area as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,059 (Rohrbaugh). The rod sensors replace the point sensors of the first method and determine the projectile's location based on the arrival times of the metalborne shock waves at transducers on the ends of the rod sensors. Only the speed of sound in the metal rods and the time of arrival of the shock waves at the transducers are needed to determine the "hit" coordinates. Since this new invention relates to the improvement of the scoring apparatus which uses the rod sensors, the following is an in-depth discussion of current target scoring which uses the metallic rod sensors.
The automatic gunnery system described in the Rohrbaugh patent detects the ballistic shock wave generated by a supersonic projectile with linear metallic acoustic rod sensors. The rod sensors, one vertical and one horizontal, are located on the perimeter of the target area to be defined. The two rod sensors are mutually perpendicular and describe an XY-coordinate grid within the target area. The ballistic shock wave from a supersonic projectile passing through the grid area impinges on the metallic rod sensors causing secondary acoustic shock waves to be generated in the metallic rods. The secondary shock waves in each rod move away from the impact tangent point where the airborne ballistic shock wave first intercepted the metallic sensor rod and travel in opposite directions toward the ends of the rod. Transducers located on the ends of the rod detect the shock waves in the metal rod and produce electrical signals which start and stop timing circuits. The relative time difference of the start and stop signals from the opposite ends of the rod sensor, coupled with the known velocity of sound in the metallic rod, allows calculation of the impact point on the linear rod. Each rod sensor, one vertical and one horizontal, acts independently of the other to produce one axis of the XY-coordinate grid which defines the target area. The intercept of the XY-coordinates defines the "hit" for a projectile which passes through that intercept point. The resulting "hit" data are displayed as digital numbers representing the distance from the target center or displayed in graphic form as a dot on a cathod ray tube screen.
A limitation of the system described in the Rohrbaugh said patent is the necessity for the vertical rod sensor to define one axis of the scoring grid in the target area. The vertical rod sensor is visible to the shooter, which makes camouflage of the target area very difficult when the target scoring system is employed for training with pop-up type targets. Also the vertical rod sensor is in the line of fire and can be damaged unless protected by armor plate. Such armor plate is unacceptable in most applications because of the weight and safety considerations from richocheting bullets.

Shock wave scoring apparatus employing curved rod sensors


A three-dimensional (3D) measuring instrument includes a registration camera and a surface measuring system having a projector and an autofocus camera. For the instrument in a first pose, the registration camera captures a first registration image of first registration points. The autofocus camera captures a first surface image of first light projected onto the object by the projector and determines first 3D coordinates of points on the object. For the instrument in a second pose, the registration camera captures a second registration image of second registration points. The autofocus camera adjusts the autofocus mechanism and captures a second surface image of second light projected by the projector. A compensation parameter is determined based at least in part on the first registration image, the second registration image, the first 3D coordinates, the second surface image, and the projected second light.

Scanners are 3D measuring instruments that determine 3D coordinates of objects by projecting light onto the objects and recording images of the projected light with cameras. Scanners may encounter difficulties measuring small features up close or large objects far away. An autofocus camera can provide ability to measure such nearby or distant objects, but problems arise in trying to maintain compensation when using an autofocus camera in this way.
Accordingly, while existing scanners and other 3D instruments are suitable for their intended purpose, a way is needed to obtain compensation parameters during scanner operation, particularly in response to changing environmental conditions or changing measurement distances.

Compensation of three-dimensional measuring instrument having an autofocus camera


The present invention discloses a saturated water explosive device, including a water intake pipe, a flow splitter for splitting a high-pressure liquid, a flow baffle for baffling the high-pressure liquid, a heat receiver having a cavity defined inside, a pillar connected with the heat receiver by a micro-channel wherein the high-pressure liquid is heated to be high-temperature saturated water, and a heat source for heating the cavity. High-pressure water is heated to produce high-temperature high-pressure saturated water, and then by using the saturated water explosive device of the present invention, the produced high-temperature high-pressure saturated water instantaneously explodes as being heated, and a high-temperature high-pressure steam flow is produced due to rapid vaporization, and expansion and is used as a power source.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present invention. The subject matter discussed in the background of the invention section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background of the invention section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background of the invention section or associated with the subject matter of the background of the invention section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background of the invention section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in the background of the invention section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
As to engines, traditional gasoline engines and diesel engines produce harmful exhaust gas, and approximately 50% of the fuel is converted to heat during combustion that overheats the engines. When such engines are applied to crankshafts, camshafts and valves, there are high technical requirements to the engines, which results in problems such as greater costs, and increase of abrasion and weight. Therefore, current trend is to mount a power supply device which converts heat energy of water vapor into mechanical power on an engine, so as to manufacture a piston steam engine and a turbine engine. The piston steam engine has been weeded out gradually due to low conversion efficiency and heavy pollution to the environment, while the turbine engine is widely used in thermal power plants. However, there has been no method or device using high-temperature high-pressure steam flow produced by saturated water explosion as the power source.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.


An air-conditioning device including a housing having at least one grill, an electrode assembly and a driver electrode. Both the electrode assembly and the driver electrode are supported by the housing. The electrode assembly includes a portion that is removable from the housing, and the driver electrode is removable from the housing independent from the removable portion of the electrode assembly.

The use of an electric motor to rotate a fan blade to create an airflow has long been known in the art. Although such fans can produce substantial airflow (e.g., 1,000 ft3/minute or more), substantial electrical power is required to operate the motor, and essentially no conditioning of the flowing air occurs.

Air conditioner device with a removable driver electrode


A power supply unit capable of varying power supplied to a light source at timings determined by synchronization signals is provided. The power supply unit comprises an interface that receives a plurality of types of synchronization signals with different pulse widths and a control unit that changes a setting of output power supplied by the power supply unit in accordance with the pulse widths of the plurality of types of synchronization signals. The control unit includes obtaining a standard time interval from a cycle of a standard type of synchronization signal that has a longest pulse width, parsing for determining type of each synchronization signal, redefining supply power values corresponding to respective types of synchronization signals, and changing the setting of output power of the power supply unit to a supply power value corresponding to a type of the synchronization signal.

The present invention relates to a power supply unit suited to lighting a light source, and to a method of controlling the same.
A power supply unit (or "stabilizer" or "ballast") that uses a back converter (a step-down converter) or the like is known as a power supplying apparatus for lighting a discharge lamp. Discharge lamp such as a high-pressure discharge lamp (or "high-intensity discharge" (HID) lamp) is one of types of light sources. Discharge lamps are used in a variety of applications. One application is the light source (provided as an illumination unit) of an image output system, with the concept of an "image output system" including a projector (a front projector or a rear projector) that displays color images on an image forming medium such as a screen. One method of displaying color images is to display pixels of multiple colors (for example, the primary colors R, G, and B) using time division. One means for producing light of the respective colors from light (a light beam) outputted by a light source for white or near white light according to time division uses a rotating color filter called a "color wheel". By modulating the light of the respective colors produced by the color filter according to time division in synchronization with the movement of the color filter, it is possible to form images of the respective colors. One example of a device that generates images by modulating light (variously referred to as a "light modulating device", a "light valve", or an "image generating device") is an image generating device that includes a plurality of optical elements that can modulate light in pixel units. Examples of this type of image generating device are both transmissive and reflective liquid crystal devices and DMDs (digital mirror devices).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-349912 discloses a projection system that is lighted using a DC current and includes a rotating color filter that is divided into a plurality of color segments that are red, green, and blue or a plurality of segments that includes segments for blue, green, red and others so as to subject a beam emitted from a light source to time division. This projector system generates synchronization signals with a plurality of ON/OFF patterns at a predetermined time in synchronization with optical elements and the rotation of the color filter. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-349912 also discloses a construction that realizes superior tonal reproduction across the entire tonal range by superimposing a current, such as "first negative pulses", of a certain current intensity in accordance with the ON/OFF patterns onto the applied DC current a fixed time (T0) after the timing of a falling edge corresponding to a red segment or a blue segment.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H02-119005 discloses an illumination device for an electronic endoscope where illumination light from a light source is emitted via a rotating color wheel including a plurality of filter areas. In this publication, the illumination device is also equipped with a position detecting means for detecting the respective filter areas provided on the rotating color wheel and a light source intensity adjusting means that adjusts the intensity of light emitted from the light source in accordance with the respective filter areas based on a signal from the position detecting means.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-227440 discloses a technology that is operable, when light of a plurality of colors such as RGB is repeatedly generated using a filter from light generated by an AC lamp for use in a projector device, to synchronize the timing of changes in the polarity of the lamp current (i.e., the AC current supplied to the AC lamp) with the timing at which the color of light changes. This publication states that by changing the magnitude of the lamp current in half cycles synchronized with the cycle for generating light of a specified color, the intensity of the light of that color can be increased and decreased. This publication also states that it is possible to adjust the intensity of light of any color and therefore possible to freely adjust the white balance of projected images projected by the projector device. To do so, power control signals are used in addition to synchronization signals.
There is demand for flexible control that can synchronize the output (intensity) of an illumination device with movement of a color filter (color wheel, etc.), an image signal, or the like. One method of controlling the output of an illumination device is to control the power supplied to the light source, for example the discharge lamp, of the illumination device. Since the voltage supplied from the power supply unit to the discharge lamp becomes substantially constant when discharge is stabilized, the supplied power is controlled by controlling the current supplied from the power supply unit to the discharge lamp. Accordingly, there is demand for a power supply unit that can easily change the value of the supply current in synchronization with a synchronization signal.
A power supply unit that can flexibly change the supply power in synchronization with predetermined signals has wide applicability for the various specifications of illumination devices. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to develop and design a power supply unit, which reduces costs. For example, to improve contrast, some color filters include segments that are white (openings, W) or another color in addition to segments of the colors red (R), green (G), and blue (B). The respective areas of the segments of a color filter differ according to how the illumination device is being applied, and the light intensity required by different segments often changes between illumination devices. In addition, when a sequence of segments of different colors such as RGB is treated as a unit, the cycle for controlling the light intensity does not need to match such unit, and the light intensity may be controlled with a plurality of such units as one cycle. The light intensity may be changed in synchronization with the segments of the respective colors on the color filter, or the light intensity may be changed in between such segments.
A power supply unit that can flexibly (dynamically) change (reconfigure) the power supplied in synchronization with predetermined signals during operation of an illumination device and/or during initial settings enables the illumination device to be put to a wider range of applications. For example, such power supply unit makes it possible to equip an illumination device with a function for changing the white balance and/or tones (combinations of colors) in accordance with the type of images displayed by the user. By doing so, it becomes possible to reduce the processing load of an image generating device and to display images of significantly higher quality.

Power supply unit for light source and method of controlling the same


Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for reverse couponing. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine user information and account information associated with a user; adjust offer information associated with an offer based on the user information and the account information, wherein the offer enables the user to receive at least one of a discount or a rebate on a purchase from a merchant; and transmit the adjusted offer to the user.

When an entity sends a targeted purchase offer to a potential customer, there is a greater likelihood that the potential customer actually takes advantage of the purchase offer. By sending purchase offers to potential customers who will likely use the purchase offers and excluding those who will likely not use the purchase offers, an entity can save millions of dollars in sending out purchase offers to those who will likely not use the purchase offers. Therefore, there is a need for a system to produce targeted purchase offers.


The present invention provides a method and a device for primary frequency regulation based on bang-bang control, the method comprises: obtaining in real-time a power grid frequency of a steam turbine generator set; performing a subtraction operation on a rated power grid frequency and said power grid frequency to generate a power grid frequency difference; performing a dead zone process on the power grid frequency difference according to a dead zone fixed value to generate a frequency difference; performing a frequency difference compensation operation on the frequency difference to generate a frequency difference compensation instruction; and combining an original primary frequency regulation output instruction with the frequency difference compensation instruction and outputting the result to a steam turbine speed regulation system when a selecting switch is 1.

Primary frequency regulation is an important means for frequency regulation of power grid. After the power grid frequency exceeds a preset dead zone, the steam turbine generator set releases boiler-stored heat via a fast-action regulating valve to change the mechanical work, to thereby change the mode of the active power.
Generally, there are two factors that decide the primary frequency regulation performance of a generator set: one is frequency regulation energy storage, and the other is fast release. If the generator set has sufficient energy storage, the exclusive factor deciding the fastness criteria (such as response time, rising time, etc.) of primary frequency regulation of the generator set is for the executing mechanism to fast release the energy storage.
In the prior art, primary frequency regulation of a thermal generator set is usually designed by the following principles:
(1) Designing requirements at the digital electric hydraulic control system (DEH) side: a designing process is employed whereby a speed difference signal is directly superimposed at the speed regulation valve instruction of a steam turbine (combustion engine) via a speed governing droop design function. Simultaneously, the power instruction of the DEH power circuit also compensates a frequency regulation power fixed value according to a speed governing droop design criteria, and the compensated frequency regulation power fixed value is not restricted by the speed, as shown in FIG. 1.(2) Requirements at the coordination control system (CCS) side: a generator set employing distribution control system (DCS) and having coordination control and AGC functions completes the primary frequency regulation function by DEH together with CCS; a designing process is employed at the DEH side whereby a speed difference signal is directly superimposed at the speed regulation valve instruction of a steam turbine (combustion engine) via a speed governing droop design function, while a frequency correcting circuit is designed in the CCS, and the correction instruction in the CCS is not restricted by the speed, as shown in FIG. 2.
By virtue of the aforementioned design, it is possible for the thermal generator set to achieve fastness of primary frequency regulation through the functions at the DEH side, and achieve constancy of primary frequency regulation through the design at the CCS side.
Although the primary frequency regulation function of a generator set is achieved in the typical designs shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the grid frequency slightly fluctuates, energy storage of the generator set usually cannot be effectively released because the action of the executor is extremely small or because there is dead zone of the action, and the design and assessment criteria of primary frequency regulation hence cannot be achieved, the typical solution fails to take into consideration the influence of slight fluctuation of the grid frequency against the realization of the primary frequency regulation function of the generator set.

Method and device for primary frequency regulation based on bang-bang control

North China Electric Power Research Institute Co. Ltd.


Antigen binding fragments, chimeric antigen receptors, and bi-specific T-cell engagers having specificity for MICA and methods for using the same in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders associated with MICA and/or MICB expression are provided.

Natural Killer Group 2D (NKG2D) is a member of the NKG2 family of HLA class I C-type lectin receptors and is expressed as a homodimer by natural killer (NK) cells (Burgess, et al. (2008) Immunol. Res. 40:18-34; Jonjic, et al. (2008) Eur. J. Immunol. 38:2927-68) and cytotoxic lymphocytes (Wrobel, et al. (2007) Scand. J. Immunol. 66:320-28; Saez-Borderias, et al. (2006) Eur. J. Immunol. 36:3198-06). The ligands for NKG2D are induced-self proteins that are absent or present at very low levels on the surface of normal cells, but can be expressed in increased amounts in infected, transformed, senescent, and stressed cells, and include the human major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) and MICB ligands (Mendoza-Rincon (2007) In Advances in Cancer Research at UNAM, Mas-Oliva, et al. eds. Mexico City, Manual Moderno, pg. 127-135), which are stress-induced molecules often expressed by various tumors, including those of epithelial origin (Paschen, et al. (2009) Clin. Cancer Res. 15:5208-15; Unni, et al. (2008) Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 105:1686-91) and leukemias (Kato, et al. (2007) Leukemia 21:2103-08), as well as by virus-infected cells (Chalupny, et al. (2006) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 346:175-81; Tosh, et al. (2006) Hum. Mol. Genet. 15:2880-87). The recognition of the MICA and MICB ligands on tumor cells by the NKG2D receptor, found on NK cells, induces the cytotoxic activity of NK cells (Santoni, et al. (2007) Am. J. Reprod Immunol. 58:280-88) and the subsequent lysis of their tumor targets (Papazahariadou, et al. (2007) Int. J. Biol. Markers 22:144-53). The secretion of MICA and MICB by cancer cells has been suggested as a mechanism for tumor cell immune escape through the saturation of NKG2D receptors on cytotoxic cells (Salih, et al. (2006) Hum. Immunol. 67:188-95; Marten, et al. (2006) Int. J. Cancer 119:2359-65), thus abrogating their ability to recognize tumor cells. In fact, higher amounts of these molecules were found in the sera of human cancer patients compared to healthy individuals (Salih, et al. (2008) Front. Biosci. 4A:2041-45), and a direct correlation was found between increased serum concentrations of these molecules and tumor stage (Holdenrieder, et al. (2006) Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 55:1584-89). Patients responding to immunotherapy have been shown to mount antibody responses targeting MICA, which permits re-engagement of immunity (May, et al. (2012) J. Clin. Oncol. 30(suppl.):abstract 2502). Moreover, antibodies targeting MICA and MICB have been shown to block the MICA/NKG2D interaction and mediate complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) toward MICA expressing cells (Bonnafous, et al. (2013) J. Immuno Ther. Cancer 1(Suppl 1):P41). See also, WO 2014/144791 and WO 2013/117647.

Anti-MICA antigen binding fragments, fusion molecules, cells which express and methods of using


.beta.-hydroxyhistidine, 4-(1-hydroxy-1-alkyl)imidazole or derivatives thereof can be used as a bidentate ligand in the chelation of iron(III), Al(III), Cr(III), Ga(III) and the actinides(IV), such as plutonium 238. .beta.-hydroxyhistidine is found in a pyoverdine-type siderophore produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens 244.

Diseases such as thalassemia which require repeated blood transfusions result in a build up of iron in the body which is deposited in the heart, liver, endocrine glands, as well as other organs. The iron overload, if not controlled, is fatal. To reduce iron overload the patient is treated with selective iron chelators, the usual one being desferrioxamine B (Desfetal). Unfortunately, Desfetal is orally inactive and treatment is difficult. Hence considerable effort has been expended in developing new iron(III) chelating agents that would be suitable for chelation therapy.
Numerous metal-ion chelators exist but unfortunately their lack of specificity often makes their use in chelation therapy more detrimental than beneficial. The microbial world however produces an array of low-molecular-weight molecules whose specific purpose is to bind iron(III), desferrioxamine is in fact one of them. These ferric-ion chelators, termed siderophores (Gr. "iron bearer"), for the most part contain three bidentate ligands, which octahedrally bind the metal ion. The bidentate ligands found in the siderophores are quite limited in number. They are hydroxamic acid (as in desferrioxamine), catechol, occasionally .beta.-hydroxyaspartic acid, and in one case hydroxypyridinone. These bidentate ligands have been used as models for the design of new iron-chelating drugs. See Dobbin et al, "Iron Chelation Therapy", Chemistry in Britain, pages 565-57, June, 1990 (the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein).
Pseudomonas and Azotobacter species often produce pyoverdine (also termed pseudobactin or azobactin)-type siderophores which consist essentially of the same yellow-green fluorescent chromophore, identified as 2,3-diamino-6,7-dihydroxyquinoline, linked to the N-terminus of an oligopeptide of six to twelve amino acids. Structures of many pyoverdines have been reported. Although these siderophores are strain specific, with differing amino acid composition and sequence, each, with the exception of the present case, contains the same limited range of three ferric-specific bidentate ligands: (1) the catechol group of the chromophore, (2) a hydroxamic acid, N.sup..delta. -hydroxyornithine, present in cyclized form or as a formyl or acetyl derivative, and (3) an additional hydroxamic acid or a .beta.-hydroxyaspartic acid. These bidentate groups octahedrally bind the ferric ion through oxygen atoms.
The use of .beta.-hydroxyhistidine as in the present application is not disclosed or suggested by the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,136 to Grossmith relates to chelates consisting of .alpha.-hydroxy-carboxylic acids with magnesium, aluminum and iron and are suggested for use as antacids or for the treatment of iron deficiencies in plants or animals. U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,176 to Grossmith relates to chelates formed from salicylato bidentate or 5-hydroxysalicyato ions with or without additional carboxylic acids (tartaric, citric or .alpha.-hydroxy) and aluminum, magnesium, iron or calcium, which were tested for analgesic and antipyretic activity. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,936, Pseudomonas putida NRRL-B-12537, isolated from soil adjacent to an oil well, is proposed as a plant growth protector by virtue of its ability to suppress phytopathogenic microorganisms. Prior art has established similar behavior for Pseudomonas fluorescens B10 by virtue of the siderophore produced by this species. The structure of the B-10 pseudobactin siderophore is known. See, for example, Biochemistry, volume 20, pages 6446-57 (1981), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Thin layer chromatography was used to indicate that the siderophores produced by these two species were in fact different, but no structural information regarding the NRRL-B-12537 is presented. Although the structure of NRRL-B-12537 is not given, it is known in the art that the peptide moiety of pyoverdines and pseudobactins generally differ from strain to strain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,963 to DeVoe provides specific examples of waste treatment and metal recovery with respect to potential applications of the .beta.-hydroxyhistidine ligand of the present application. Although DeVoe may initially (column 6, lines 48-52) imply that the proposed use of organic chelating compounds includes "any suitable functional derivatives. analogs or enantioforms" of microbial siderophores, some examples of which are listed, nothing therein discloses or suggests a chelating agent comprising .beta.-hydroxyhistidine or any other imidazole derivative, as in the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,667 to Orser deals specifically with the fluorescent siderophores from Pseudomonas syringae, not Pseudomonas fluorescens 244, as in the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,068 to Abrams relates to ferrocene related iron (III) complexes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,899 to Miller relates to the treatment of plant chlorosis using rhodotorulic acid, a hydroxamate siderophore. The entire disclosures of the aforementioned U.S. patents are all expressly incorporated, in their entireties, by reference

Ion specific chelating agents derived from .beta.-hydroxyhistidine, 4-(1-hydroxy-1-alkyl)imidazole and derivatives thereof

The Unites States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce


A handheld device includes: a transmitter or receiver of a signal beam for quantum key distribution; and a source of alignment beams that diverge from each other in a pattern that matches sensors on a station containing a receiver or transmitter for the quantum key distribution. The alignment beams from the handheld device are of sufficient intensity to produce on the station visible spots that facilitate manual alignment of the handheld device. The station can measure a position and a direction of respective alignment beams and dynamically steer the signal beam according to the measurements.

The properties of photons make them useful in quantum information systems. In particular, photons are easily generated, can be manipulated using well known and inexpensive optical elements, and have quantum states that can maintain coherence during transmissions over large distances. Accordingly, photon states have been employed for communications in many quantum information systems.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) systems are one type of quantum system that can use photon states, and one example of a QKD system uses the well known BB84 process. With the BB84 process, a sending party generates a set a of random bits ai and represents the bits ai using respective photon states (e.g., single-photon states) having polarization encoding based on one of two pairs of orthogonal polarization axes. Conventionally, these two pairs of polarization axes are offset by 45° relative to each other and are respectively referred to as vertical/horizontal and diagonal/anti-diagonal axes. The sending party also generates a second set b of random bits bi that determine whether respective bits ai are represented using photon states with vertical/horizontal or diagonal/anti-diagonal polarization encoding. The receiving party measures the polarization of each photon state corresponding to each bit ai, and for each measurement uses a detector that distinguishes between horizontal and vertical polarizations or a detector that distinguishes between horizontal and vertical polarizations. The detector that the receiver uses for measuring a photon state corresponding to bit ai depends on a corresponding random bit bi′ from a set b′ that the receiving party generates. On average, about half of the bits bi that the sending party used to select the polarization encoding will match the corresponding bits bi′ that the receiving party used for polarization measurement. After the measurements, the sending and receiving parties can exchange sets b and b′, and the parties can separately identify a subset a′ of set a for which the sending and receiving parties happened to used the same polarization bases. Eavesdropping and error rates can be detected by exchanging a portion of the set a′ between the sending and the receiving parties. The remaining portion of set a′ is shared random data that can be kept secret and used as classical encryption keys or for other secure communications purposes. The BB84 process has a high probability of detecting any eavesdroppers, so that if no eavesdroppers are detected, the parties can have a high degree of confidence that the shared random data is secret.
Quantum information systems such as QKD systems using photonic signals must be aligned. In particular, the transmitted photonic signal can be very weak, e.g., a series of single photon states, so the position of the transmitted beam must be precisely aligned with a receiver. Additionally, where polarization encoding is employed, as in a typical application of the BB84 QKD process, the polarization axes of the transmitter and the polarization axes of the detector or detectors in the receiver must be precisely aligned to avoid unacceptable error rates in the polarization measurements. Alignment can be more difficult in some quantum information systems in which at least one of the parties is mobile, in which case, a transmitter and a receiver must be precisely aligned for signal beam position, direction, and orientation when the transmitter and receiver are brought into proximity.
Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.

Photonic quantum system alignment using multiple beams

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A storage system includes an expander sequence including a plurality of expanders coupled in series, a plurality of storage devices coupled to the expander sequence, first and second initiator devices coupled to the expander sequence, and a processor. The processor selects an optimal path, with respect to a transmission destination device of a command among the plurality of storage devices and the plurality of expanders, between the optimal path which is an initiator device with fewer expanders in a distance to the transmission destination device and a roundabout path which is an initiator device with more expanders in a distance to the transmission destination device, and transmits the command to the transmission destination device through the selected optimal path.

A storage system including a plurality of SAS expanders (hereinafter, referred to as expander) has been known. In this kind of storage system, a storage device is coupled to the expanders, and a command from an initiator device to the storage device passes through the expanders.
This kind of storage system is disclosed, for example, in PTL1. According to PTL1, initiator devices are coupled to both ends of a plurality of expanders coupled in series (for example, see FIG. 10).

Storage system and storage control method to select path for transmitting command via SAS expanders


The application discloses a lamp-control apparatus with multiple input modes including a housing, a circuit board arranged in the housing, a flash mode switching module, a sound-controlled flash mode input circuit for receiving external environment sound waves and sending a control command to a control circuit. The control circuit for controlling a light emitting mode of a lamp is arranged on the circuit board. The flash mode switching module and the sound-controlled flash mode input circuit are respectively and electrically connected to the control circuit. The sound-controlled flash mode input circuit includes a pickup device that is located inside the housing. One or more through holes for transmitting the sound waves to the pickup device are formed in the position where the pickup device is mounted on the housing. which has the advantages that the pickup device does not need to be led out of the housing through a lead wire, so that the connection between the pickup device and the circuit board is prevented from being damaged due to pulling the lead wire.

An LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp string or lamp strip is commonly connected to a driving power supply. The driving power supply includes a housing, a circuit board, and a button. The circuit board generates a control signal by pressing the button, so as to change a flash mode of the LED lamp string or lamp string and achieve different flash effects. The button is arranged on the driving power supply. During an operation, the flash effect is operated through the button.
With the development of intelligent communication, a mobile phone communicates with a wireless communication module on the driving power supply, and a control instruction sent by operating on the mobile phone controls the flash mode of an LED lamp, so as to be applied to the inside of the power supply or used independently. The LED lamp has a plurality of flash modes, and has the functions of setting on and off of a time point, dimming and changing the flash speed and brightness of the lamp along with the rhythm and volume of music played by the mobile phone. Through the regulation and control of the mobile phone, the remote control distance of a product is ensured to reach 30 m in the open air, the interconnection of the mobile phone and the driving power supply is realized, and the light emitting state of the LED lamp is operated through the mobile phone, so that the operation of the product is not mechanized or limited, and the user can remotely and visually operate the light emitting state of the LED lamp.
The premise of intelligent communication of the abovementioned driving power supply is that the mobile phone and the driving power supply need to maintain a communication state. Once the communication between the mobile phone and the driving power supply is interrupted, the flash mode of the lamp cannot be changed.

Lamp control apparatus with multiple input modes and power supply


Methods, systems, and computer readable media for routing a message service message through a communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes, at a signaling node upstream from a sending party message server, receiving a message service message that includes a sending party identifier and a receiving party identifier. A number translation database is queried to determine a routing identifier associated with the receiving party identifier. The method also includes modifying the message service message to include the routing identifier, and routing the message service message to the sending party message server.

A local wireless mobile network is typically able to send and receive message service messages, such as short messages service (SMS) messages, to and from a plurality of different foreign wireless mobile networks. For example, the communication of SMS messages between the different wireless mobile networks is made possible by utilizing a short message peer-to-peer protocol (SMPP) connection that couples the mobile networks' short message service centers (e.g., via SMPP gateways). By communicating SMPP messages containing SMS messages between short message service centers (SMSCs), SMS messages can be delivered to a receiving party subscribed to a foreign mobile network. For example, a mobile network operator can configure an SMSC to utilize receiving party number ranges to determine whether a receiving party is a subscriber of another mobile network operator as well as a subscriber of its own network. If the receiving party number is determined to be associated with the "home" mobile network, global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol (or IS-41 protocol) can be used to deliver the SMS message. If the receiving party number is subscribed to a foreign mobile network, SMPP protocol is instead utilized for communicating the SMS message to an appropriate foreign mobile network SMSC.
Delivery of SMS messages by an SMSC typically requires that the SMSC query a Home Location Register (HLR) associated with the recipient mobile subscriber in order to determine a forwarding or delivery instructions associated with the message recipient. Location of the HLR to be queried is typically determined by an SMSC based on the recipient mobile a mobile subscriber identifier (e.g., MSISDN) that is contained in the SMS message being delivered. However, in number portability enabled telecommunication networking environments, the mobile subscriber identifier contained in the SMS message being delivered may have been ported into or out of the SMSC's network. This presents a problem for an SMSC that is attempting to deliver messages in a number portability enabled network environment.
One solution that has been implemented by a network operator to address this problem involves simply querying the network operator's HLR during each SMS delivery attempt. In cases where the recipient mobile subscriber has been ported out of or is not a subscriber of the home network, the HLR responds with an error message/code, which indicates that the message recipient is a foreign subscriber. The SMSC then forwards the SMS message to a foreign network based on the mobile subscriber identifier contained in the SMS message. In cases where the recipient mobile subscriber has been ported in or is a subscriber of the home network, the HLR responds with delivery instructions (e.g., serving mobile switching center address), which the SMSC uses to facilitate routing of the message towards the recipient mobile subscriber.
This solution, while operable, is highly inefficient with respect to the usage of HLR resources in the SMSC's home network. Each query transaction consumes expensive communication and processing bandwidth at the HLR. Hence, it is desirable from a network cost standpoint to minimize the number of HLR query transactions initiated by SMSC nodes in the home network.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for efficiently routing a message service message through a communications network.


A computer apparatus including: a reception unit adapted to wirelessly receive signals associated with key inputs transmitted from a keyboard; an attachment unit capable of attaching the keyboard; and a power transfer unit adapted to transfer power in a non-contact manner to a battery incorporated in the keyboard if the keyboard is attached to the attachment unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system and particularly to a computer system in which signals are wirelessly exchanged between a keyboard and a computer apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a computer system, a keyboard serves as a basic input device to input characters. The keyboard is often connected to a computer apparatus via a wired interface such as PS/S (Personal System/2) or USB (Universal Serial Bus).
In contrast, computer systems have been proposed recently which transfer input signals from the keyboard to the computer apparatus via an infrared or other wireless interface rather than a wired interface (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1996-286791 (FIG. 1)).