A process for producing a substituted phenoxyacetaldehyde oxime of the formula: ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined in the specification), which comprises reacting a substituted phenoxyacetaldehyde dialkylacetal of the formula: ##STR2## (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are as defined in the specification) with a hydroxylamine at a pH of from 0.1 to 1.0.

This invention relates to a process for producing substituted phenoxyethylamines, intermediates for synthesis of said amines and a process for producing said intermediates. Substituted phenoxyethylamines are useful as synthetic intermediates for substituted phenoxyethyl-aminopyrimidine derivatives exhibiting high activities as insecticides, acaricides (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 3667/1984 and 67/1987).
In the prior art, as the process for synthesizing substituted phenoxyethylamines, there have been known the processes shown by the following reaction schemes. In the formulae, Ar represents an aryl group.
(1) ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Br+NH.sub.3 .fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (2) ArOK+ClCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 .fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (3) ArOCH.sub.2 CONH.sub.2 +LiAlH.sub.4 .fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (4) ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Br+potassium phthalimide ##STR3## J. Chem. Soc. 1933, p. 270, U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,134 (5) ArOH+ethyleneimine.fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (6) ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 +hexamethylenetetramine .fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (7) NH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OK+ArX.fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (8) RCH.sub.2 NHOH+R'X.fwdarw.RCH.sub.2 NHOR'.fwdarw.RCH.dbd.NR'.fwdarw.R'NH.sub.2 Chem. Lett., 10, 1057 PA0 (9) ArSO.sub.2 NHCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH+NaOH.fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 (10) ArOCH.sub.2 CN+LiAlH.sub.4 .fwdarw.ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)-2-ethylphenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[4-(2-methoxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2-ethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2-ethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-acetaldehyde oxime; PA0 2-phenoxyacetaldehyde oxime, and the like. PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-ethoxyethyl)-2-ethylphenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-ethoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-methoxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2-ethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-methoxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-methylphenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2-ethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,3-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,5-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-[2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy]-ethylamine; PA0 2-phenoxyethylamine; and the like.
Chem. Ber. 70 (1937) 979 PA1 J. Pharm. Soc. Japan 63 (1943) 546 PA1 Helv. Chemica Acta. 31 (1948) 1397 PA1 J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 73 (1951) 2584 PA1 Roczniki Chem. 661 (1958), C. A. 1961, 2537 PA1 Khim. Prom-St., Ser.; Reakt. Osobo Chist. Ves chestva (2) 1-3 C. A. 92 (3) 22184 q PA1 Tetrahedron Lett., 26. 2289 PA1 J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 109, 4036 (1987)
ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Br, which is starting material of the above processes of (1), (4) and (6), can be synthesized only in poor yield because of producing much by-products.
The above processes of (1), (4) and (6) produce much byproducts products during synthesis of ArOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Br, and are poor in yield. The reactions for introducing a substituent into Ar group suffer from many restrictions due to the presence of halogen substituents, and the desired substituted phenoxyethylamines cannot be produced in most cases. The processes of (2) and (5) are extremely poor in yield. The processes of (3) and (10) are not suitable for commercial application because LiAlH.sub.4 is expensive. The process of (7) is dangerous in handling and also expensive, because metallic potassium is used. The process of (8) cannot extend in commercial scale because expensive reagents are used. The process of (9) is defective in that the reaction does not proceed unless the substituent on Ar is p-nitro or the like.
As described above, various problems have been involved in commercial application of the prior art processes. Although the process for producing oxime derivatives from corresponding aldehydes has not been known in the art, the reaction with hydroxylamine-0-alkyl ether is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 260054/1986. When the compounds of the present invention were adapted to be produced by this process, much by-products were formed to give poor yield. Also, when hydroxylamine sulfate, which is advantageous in commercial availability, handling, corrosiveness, etc., was used, there ensued the problem that substantially no reaction proceeded.

Process for producing substituted phenoxyethylamines oxime


A gas turbine combustor comprises a combustion chamber, a premixing chamber in which hydrocarbon fuel and air are premixed, a nozzle with swirler for swirling and injecting the premixed fuel and air into the combustion chamber, to effect premixed combustion, and a fuel nozzle projecting into the combustion chamber and adapted to inject fuel at region wherein the premixed combustion is completed, so as to effect low air-ratio diffusion combustion thereby to produce reducing substance. NOx produced by the premixed combustion is reduced by reducing reaction with the reducing substances, so that the NOx concentration in the combustion gas is reduced. The combustor further includes an after-air ports on a peripheral wall defining the combustion chamber to effect combustion of unburnt substances.

This invention relates to a gas turbine combustor and combustion method, and, more particularly, to a gas turbine combustor and combustion method wherein reducing substances for NOx are produced through combustion of fuel supplied to the combustor and NOx produced by premixed combustion is reduced with the reducing substances thereby enabling a reduction in NOx emission of the combustor.
Nitrogen oxides (referred to as NOx) produced by combustion in a gas turbine combustor and called thermal NOx is caused by nitrogen in air. A mechanism for producing the thermal NOx is explained by a Zerdovich mechanism. That is, this is caused by the following elementary reaction. EQU N.sub.2 +O.sub.2 .fwdarw.NO+N (1) EQU N+O.sub.2 .fwdarw.NO+O (2) EQU N+OH.fwdarw.NO+H (3)
It can be understood from these reactions that generation of nitrogen atoms by a dissociation reaction of nitrogen molecules in the equation (1) is an initiation reaction. More specifically, nitrogen atoms N produced in the equation (1) are oxidized by oxygen molecules and hydroxyl radicals in the equations (2), (3), respectively, to becomes NO. A series of these reactions increase as a flame temperature increases, whereby an amount of thermal NOx produced increases.
Therefore, the flame temperature must not be increased in order to reduce the production of thermal NOx. At present, a lean-combustion system described below is primarily employed as a low NOx combustion system using this principle, although there is available a system for supplying steam or combustion gas into a combustor or the like.
The lean-combustion system cools a flame temperature with a large amount of air to prevent temperature increase. More specifically, a combustor is controlled so as not to have any area wherein the air ratio, that is, the ratio of an amount of really supplied air to an amount of air necessary for perfect combustion of the supplied fuel or, in other words, the ratio of actual air supplied to the theoretical air required for stoichiometric combustion, is near 1.0 thereby effecting combustion with a high air-ratio of about 2.0 in all of the areas.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-154853 relating to a lean-combustion system discloses a system for effecting lean-combustion as stably as possible by supplying air into a combustor when an air pressure is low by use of a pressure in a gas turbine casing. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-150373 discloses an air introducing device for a combustor of a gas turbine.
The lean-combustion system for preventing an increase in a combustion temperature by supplying a large amount of premixed air and fuel for forming a high air-ratio premixed combustion flame (flame produced when premixed fuel and air are combusted) has a problem of blow-off. This is because a premixed combustion flame is generally most stable when an air ratio is in the vicinity of 1 and blow-off is liable to arise when the air ratio is greater than 1.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-41810 discloses a system wherein fuel is separately supplied into two first and second regions in a combustor, with the fuel in the first region being combusted at a high air-ratio of about 1.2 for perfect combustion, and then NOx produced there is reduced by a low air-ratio combustion flame in the second region including a small amount of oxygen and a large amount of reducing combustible gas. The combustible gas remaining in the second region is oxidized and combusted by air from an after-air port in a rear flow for thereby decreasing an amount of NOx.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-41810 does not describe whether the flame in the first region is a premixed combustion flame or a diffusion combustion flame and if the flame is the premixed flame, a problem of blow-off arises.
In addition, in the last-mentioned Patent Laid-Open, a flame interference should occur between a high air-ratio combustion flame and low air-ratio combustion flame, judging a relationship between the locations where both flames are formed from an embodiment disclosed in the Patent Laid-Open. More specifically, the positional relationship of the flames is such that excessive oxygen is diffused from the side of the high air-ratio combustion flame to the side of the low air-ratio combustion flame, while fuel is diffused from the side of the low air-ratio flame. Because of the flame interference, NOx produced from the high air-ratio combustion flame is not effectively reduced by the low air-ratio combustion flame. As a result, there is a problem that the respective flames cannot achieve their roles sufficiently.

Gas turbine combustor and a method of combustion thereby


A belt take-up for a conveyor is provided with an internal compression spring to adjustably bias the bearing support tube to control tension on the conveyor belt. A scale on the bearing tube can provide a readout of the tension. A load cell can be employed to control a circuit to stop the conveyor motor when extreme high or low tensions of the belt are sensed.

The present invention is a further development of the belt take-ups shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,832,910 and 4,803,804. These belt take-ups provide unyielding support for the bearings which support the pulley shaft. Some belts are stiff, strong and unyielding so that small incremental adjustment of the belt tension can over stress the belt and do major damage. Moreover, small foreign particles getting between the belt and a driver or idler pulley can untrack or destroy the belt. Additionally, product build-up on the pulley surface adversely affects the belt life and stress. Metal belts, in particular, are affected by heating and cooling which can cause contraction or loosening of the belt by expansion.


According to one embodiment, a heat radiating apparatus comprises a shielding case having holding panels thereof arranged at locations substantially opposite to a circuit component to extend from a flat panel of the shielding case, which extends substantially parallel to a circuit board, towards the circuit board so as to cover the surface of the circuit board on which a circuit component is mounted. The head radiating apparatus further comprises a heat sink attached to the holding panels of the shielding case for coming into direct contact with the heat conductive sheet on the circuit component when the circuit board is covered with the shielding case.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronic device such as a digital television broadcast receiving apparatus, and in particular, to a heat radiating apparatus and a heat radiating method for radiating the heat generated by its circuit components.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, digital television broadcasting is now being promoted. In Japan, digital terrestrial broadcasting and digital direct broadcasting by satellite (DBS) have begun.
A conventional digital broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving digital TV signals is required to conduct high-speed processing, particularly of the digital video data. As its large-scale integration (LSI) component devices generate considerable heat during high-speed processing, the digital TV broadcast receiving apparatus must include a scheme for radiating the heat.
Disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-64582 is an arrangement in which a shielding case has a planer surface provided with a through hole parallel to its circuit board surface and a separate metallic strip is installed around the through hole in direct contact with each heat generating component mounted on the circuit board. In this case, the separate metallic strip is attached to the shielding case with a pair of its projections clamping the inner edge at the through hole from both sides along the depth (thickness) direction, the projections projecting in parallel to the shielding case surface.
Also U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,583 generally discloses an arrangement in which a shielding case has a planer surface thereof provided with a through hole parallel to its circuit board surface and a cover member is installed around the through hole in direct contact with each heat generating component surface mounted on the circuit board. The cover member is attached by an elasticity aided cam construction to the inner edge at the through hole of the shielding case.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,114 discloses an arrangement in which a heat sink also acting as a shielding case is provided in direct contact with each heat-generating component by a gel pad which has a degree of flexibility. In this case, the heat sink remains pressed against the heat generating components by its yielding elastic force. Other arrangements for directly pressing a heat-radiating member by the action of a leaf or coil spring against the heat generating components are disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-359330 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,940.

Heat radiating apparatus in electronic device and heat radiating method


Apparatus including a vertical support including a tether line mounted to a top end of the support including a target cylinder mounted at a lower end of the flexible line. The target cylinder is formed as a semi-rigid polymeric tube including a support rod mounted therethrough. The cylinder includes a singular plurality of strips mounted medially of the surface of the cylinder for impact by an associated bat during a batting practice. Modifications of the invention include cylindrical weights adjustedly mounted within the cylinder to effect and exaggerate a spiral motion of a target cylinder subsequent to impact. Covering sheaths of a paper coated with a powdered coloring may optionally be utilized to indicate impact by the associated bat.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to batting practice apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved batting practice apparatus wherein the same utilizes a cylindrical target to effect a non-symmetrical arc of motion upon off center impact of the target by a bat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During batting practice, a primary goal is to properly impact an associated target with a baseball bat. A cylindrical sphere upon impact provides a limited target as utilized in the game but does not provide visual illustration of where impact occurs when the spherical target is missed. The instant invention attempts to overcome disadvantage of the prior art by providing elongate cylinder providing an elongate target that will effect a non-symmetrical arc of trajectory upon not properly striking the target. Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,694 to DOMROSKI setting forth a batting practice organization where a support rod includes an outwardly directed horizontal arm with a spherical baseball suspended from a forward end of the arm by a tether line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,375 to TETREAULT sets forth a baseball practice device wherein a framework includes a plurality of spherical baseballs mounted underlying an adjustable stand relative to the baseballs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,494 to BISKUP provides a spherical baseball mounted from a framework wherein the baseball is mounted to a loop end wherein the loop is displaceable along a support rod to indicate improper impact of the baseball by an individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,950 to VISOCKIS provides a baseball practice device wherein a horizontal support arm is selectively positionable about a plurality of supports mounted to a vertical wall surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,494 to KELLEY wherein a spherical baseball is suspended by a cord wherein the cord is of a variable length in association with a motor to vary the length of the cord as the ball moves through an arcuate path of travel towards the batter.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved batting practice apparatus wherein the same addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in indicating improper impact of a target by an individual utilizing a baseball bat.


A metal layer structure of a semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The metal layer structure includes: a first metal layer to be connected to a contact plug; and a plurality of a second metal layers that are formed in parallel at a second spaced distance around the first metal layer, wherein a spaced distance of the second metal layers nearest the first metal layer maintains the second spaced distance which is wider than a first spaced distance of the second metal layers around the contact plug, and the spaced distance of the second metal layer next to the first metal layer maintains a third spaced distance, which is narrower than the second spaced distance, and the spaced distance between adjacent second metal layers gradually decreases to eventually be equal to the first spaced distance, for the second metal layers farthest from the first metal layer. Accordingly, an alignment margin can be ensured without requiring more area, and the contact plug can be connected to the next metal layer, even if an alignment error is produced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a metal layer structure for a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a metal layer structure of a semiconductor device for securing an alignment margin between a contact plug and a metal layer.
2. Related Technology
In a semiconductor device, a metal layer is formed as a bundle, and a lower metal layer and an upper metal layer are electrically connected with a contact plug. As the degree of integration of a device is increased, spaces between metal layers become more narrow. Meanwhile, to form a metal layer, a conductive film for a metal layer is formed, and photoresist is applied thereon. The photoresist is then patterned through a photolithography and development process using a metal mask to define a region for a metal layer to be formed. Then, the conductive film for a metal layer is etched using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask. As a result, a metal layer is formed.
For a metal layer to be connected to another lower metal layer, alignment with a contact plug has to be made. However, as the width of the metal layer and the space between metal layers becomes more narrow, the alignment margin with a contact plug is decreased and thus it is difficult to accurately align a metal layer with a contact plug. In particular, in a photolithography process of the photoresist, in the case where a mask is not aligned accurately and thus the region for a metal layer to be formed is not defined accurately, the error of an alignment with a contact plug may be produced. As a result, the contact area between the metal layer and contact plug is decreased to increase the resistance thereof, or they are not in contact with each other, resulting in a failure. In addition, one metal layer adjacent to another metal layer to be connected to a contact plug, is connected to the contact plug resulting in a failure.
In addition, current photolithography equipment is limited in its ability to overlay and thus to form a metal layer, and it is difficult to form the metal layer to be connected accurately to a lower contact plug.
In a case of a memory device, more metal layers in a core region are formed than that in a cell region, and thus it is important to ensure an alignment margin therein and further the alignment margin had to be improved in taking into consideration of a pattern size to be smaller.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing conventional metal layers of a semiconductor device. A contact plug 11 is formed over a substrate on which a lower structure (not shown) such as a transistor is formed. Then, a conductive film for a metal layer is formed over the contact plug 11 and a patterning process is performed thereon to form metal layers 12a to 12c. At this time, some metal layers are connected to the contact plug 11. Here, it is an important aspect that the contact plug 11 is aligned accurately with the metal layer 12a and a predetermined space has to be formed such that the metal layer 12b or 12c, which is adjacent to the metal layer 12a, is not connected to the contact plug 11.
However, in the case where the space between the metal layers is very narrow and thus a mask is not aligned accurately in a photolithography process, the metal layer 12b or 12c, which is adjacent to the metal layer 12a to be connected to the contact plug 11, is connected to the contact plug 11 resulting in a failure. In addition, only a part of the contact plug 11 is connected to the metal layer 12a to decrease a contact surface, thereby increasing the resistance thereof.
Here, a method for widening the space between the metal layers may be proposed to solve the above drawback; however, it causes the chip size to increase, thereby reducing efficiency. In addition, in the case where an area of the contact plug 11 is decreased, it becomes difficult to align with the metal layer 12a to be connected to the contact plug 11, and in the case where an area of the contact plug 11 is increased, the space between metal layers has to be increased, which adversely affects the degree of integration.

Metal layer structure of semiconductor device


An apparatus for the handling of shafts, particularly in the printing industry. A carriage will receive an assembly of a core of a paper roll with a shaft installed therein, at a receiving station. The carriage is moveable to a second position where the core is removed from the shaft by a transfer mechanism. A shaft retaining device will retain the shaft on the carriage during core removal. After the core has been removed, the same transfer mechanism will transfer the shaft into a core of a new roll positioned in the receiving station.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to paper roll handling apparatus used in a commercial printing operation and in particular it relates to an apparatus for transferring support shafts from the cores of used-up paper rolls to replacement paper rolls.
2. Background of the Invention:
Paper utilized in commercial printing processes for printing, e.g. computer paper forms is supplied in large heavy rolls, e.g. of several thousand pounds. The rolls have a center core into which expandable shafts are insertable. The shafts facilitate the handling, moving and transferring of the paper rolls into the paper feed mechanism of a printing press.
The shafts that are utilized are of the expandable type. The shafts are inserted into a center core of the paper roll and are expanded, generally by the application of air pressure. The shafts have fingers or lobes that are extendable when air pressure is applied to engage the internal diameter of the roll core. The shafts extend beyond the ends of the roll. A hoist engages the ends of the shaft protruding from the ends of the roll to transport the roll to the in-feed section of the printing press. The ends of the shaft are supported in journals at the in-feed section of the press. When the paper on the roll has been depleted, that is fed into the printing press, the assembly of the shaft and the core remaining is transferred by the hoist out of the in-feed section of the press.
Until now, the assembly of the shaft and remaining core was manually removed from the hoist. The assembly was generally carried to a support fixture where the applied air pressure was released and the core of the paper roll was manually removed from the shaft.
One of the problems encountered was the weight of the assembly (i.e., the shaft and attached core). It weighs in the vicinity of 110 to 120 pounds. It was found that injuries occurred from the manual handling of the shaft and core.
Another problem encountered was the removal of the core from the shaft. In many instances, the fingers or lobes of the shaft would have dug into the core material. The core material of the roll is of paper construction (e.g. cardboard) and the extended fingers or lobes would penetrate the core material. This generally happened when a braking was applied to the roll and the shaft would tend to rotate relative to the roll and the fingers or lobes would "dig" in to the core. When this occurred, it was very difficult to remove the core from the shaft. In many cases, the core would have to be cut off.
When the core was finally removed from the shaft, the shaft was then manually inserted into a new roll. This required the manual lifting of the shaft off of the holding fixture, carrying the shaft to the location of a new roll and inserting the shaft into the core of the new roll.

Handling apparatus for transferring support shafts to replacement paper rolls


Provided is a setting device and the like with which correct estimation of a communication band is possible. The setting device 101 has a transmission unit 102 that, on the basis of a first timing at which a first information processing device 401 transmits to a second information processing device 402 a first signal for measuring a communication band which pertains to a communication network 403, transmits to the second information processing device 402 a setting signal for setting a communication unit 407 of the second information processing device 402 to a communication-enabled state.

Examples of systems that are capable of estimating a communication bandwidth in a communication network include systems described in PTL 1 to PTL 6.
PTL 1 discloses a network bandwidth measurement system that estimates a communication bandwidth based on a sequence of a plurality of packets with gradually increasing size or gradually decreasing size. For convenience of explanation, a sequence of a plurality of packets with gradually increasing size or gradually decreasing size will be hereinafter referred to as a "packet train".
The network bandwidth measurement system includes a packet generation unit, a packet transmission unit, a reception interval measuring unit and a bandwidth computing unit. The packet generation unit generates a sequence of a plurality of packets with gradually increasing size or gradually decreasing size. The packet transmission unit transmits the plurality of generated packets at predetermined transmission intervals. The reception interval measuring unit sequentially receives each packet and measures reception intervals each representing an interval between timings at which packets are received. The bandwidth computing unit estimates a communication bandwidth in a communication network on the base of the largest packet size among packets whose reception interval is equal to their transmission interval.
PTL 2 discloses a usable bandwidth measurement system that estimates a communication bandwidth on the base of time needed to transmit and receive packets with increasing size by a fixed common difference. The usable bandwidth measurement system has the function of changing packet size on the base of the estimated communication bandwidth.
PTL 3 discloses a flow rate prediction device that generates a stochastic process model for estimating communication throughput based on the communication throughput of a communication network, for example. The flow rate prediction device determines, based on communication throughput changing over time, whether the communication throughput is in a steady state or non-steady state. The flow rate prediction device then selects a stochastic process model for estimating the communication throughput based on the determination result and computes parameters of the selected stochastic process model.
PTL 4 discloses a parameter estimating device that determines, based on communication throughputs acquired before a first time point, a probability density function for estimating a communication throughput at a second time point.
PTL 5 discloses a degradation avoiding method that identifies, based on transmission/reception qualities of a plurality of media, a medium with degraded quality of transmission/reception processing and determines whether to reduce the rate of communication flow on the medium or not. The degradation avoiding method identifies a medium with degraded quality of transmission/reception processing in accordance with correlation between priorities of a plurality of media and the degradation degree of transmission/reception quality of the media and reduces the rate of communication flow on the media correlated to the identified medium.
PTL 6 discloses a delay variation prediction device, relating to a packet, that identifies an ARCH type model on the base of a delay time difference that changes over time and estimates jitter on the base of the identified ARCH type model. ARCH type modeling is a well-known method for precisely modeling a transition of volatility in the fields of financial engineering and econometrics. The delay variation prediction device estimates changes in jitter as statistically estimated quantities concerning time series representing delay time differences in accordance with the ARCH model. The delay variation prediction device computes parameters of an ARCH type model on the base of delay time differences. ARCH is abbreviation of Autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity.

Setting device, setting method, recording medium to which setting program is recorded, communication system, client device, and server device


The present disclosure includes methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for receiving one or more user inputs from a user via a user interface, transmitting the one or more user inputs to a remote server, obtaining an expected user input interval and an expected response latency, and displaying, via the user interface, either one or more predicted inputs associated with a content of a local cache or one or more predicted inputs received from the remote server, based at least on whether the expected user input interval is greater than a product of the expected response latency and a factor.

Mobile devices are becoming popular and allow users to access countless information and entertainment easily. Given the portability, and therefore small sizes, of mobile devices, users may find it difficult to quickly and accurately type words and phrases using the interfaces in mobile devices. To assist users with typing, many mobile devices implement predictive text entry techniques, such as auto-correct. However, to accurately predict the words users intend to type, a large amount of data and computation are necessary. Since mobile devices emphasize portability and low power consumption, it may be prohibitive for mobile devices to rely on a large amount of data and computation necessary for accurate prediction. While it may be possible for mobile devices to receive predictive data from remote servers, typical network connection speed may be insufficient to sustain the bandwidth required during normal typing. The insufficient bandwidth may lead to delay in displaying predictive text to the users, which degrades user experience. Therefore, improvement in predictive text entry techniques may be desirable to assist users to enter text quickly and accurately.

Low-latency hybrid client-server cooperation


A winder for winding a web to produce a rolled product is provided. The winder includes a web transport apparatus that is used for conveying the web. Also included in one exemplary embodiment is a plurality of independent winding modules. The winding modules are independently positioned to independently engage the web as the web is conveyed by the web transport apparatus. The winding modules may be configured to wind the web to form a rolled product by center winding, surface winding, and combinations of center and surface winding. The winding modules are structurally and operationally independent of one another where if one module is disabled, another may still operate to produce the rolled product without shutting down the winder.

Winders are machines that roll lengths of paper, commonly known as paper webs, into rolls. These machines are capable of rolling lengths of web into rolls at high speeds through an automated process. Turret winders are well known in the art. Conventional turret winders comprise a rotating turret assembly which support a plurality of mandrels for rotation about a turret axis. The mandrels travel in a circular path at a fixed distance from the turret axis. The mandrels engage hollow cores upon which a paper web can be wound. Typically, the paper web is unwound from a parent roll in a continuous fashion, and the turret winder rewinds the paper web onto the cores supported on the mandrels to provide individual, relatively small diameter logs. The rolled product log is then cut to designated lengths into the final product. Final products typically created by these machines and processes are toilet tissue rolls, paper toweling rolls, paper rolls, and the like.
The winding technique used in turret winders is known as center winding. A center winding apparatus, for instance, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Reissue No. 28,353 to Nystrand, which is incorporated herein by reference. In center winding, a mandrel is rotated in order to wind a web into a roll/log, either with or without a core. Typically, the core is mounted on a mandrel that rotates at high speeds at the beginning of a winding cycle and then slows down as the size of the rolled product being wound increases, in order to maintain a constant surface speed, approximately matching web speed. Center winders work well when the web that is being wound has a printed, textured, or slippery surface. Also, typically, center winders are preferable for efficiently producing soft-wound, higher bulk rolled products.
A second type of winding is known in the art as surface winding. A machine that uses the technique of surface winding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,698. Typically, in surface winding, the web is wound onto the core via contact and friction developed with rotating rollers. A nip is typically formed between two or more co-acting roller systems. In surface winding, the core and the web that is wound around the core are usually driven by rotating rollers that operate at approximately the same speed as the web speed. Surface winding is preferable for efficiently producing hard-wound, lower bulk rolled products.
A problem found in both center and surface winders involves the winder shutting down when a condition such as a core load fault or a web break fault occurs. If a core on a turret winder, for instance, is not properly loaded onto the mandrel, the machine must shut down for the fault to be corrected. Similarly, a web break fault in a surface winder will also result in shutting the machine down. This results in a production loss and the immediate requirement to obtain repair services. The present invention provides a way of eliminating such problems by allowing the machine to continue to produce rolled product even though a fault condition has occurred. Additionally, the invention incorporates the advantages of both center and surface winding to produce rolled products having various characteristics by using either center winding, surface winding, or a combination of center and surface winding.
Another problem with both conventional center and surface winders is that the winders provide limited control over the properties of the resulting rolled product. For instance, with respect to center winders, the only control mechanism for controlling the roll bulk of the finished product is web tension. Thus, center winders can only produce products having a limited range of roll bulk without causing excessive delay or increasing product strength to undesirable levels.
Surface winders are also similarly limited in the ability to control the roll bulk of resulting products. Surface winders, for instance, depend on surface friction to drive the winding roll. Attempts to produce products with a relatively high roll bulk require that the contact pressure between the material being wound and the surface winding device be decreased. Decreasing contact pressure, however, also decreases friction and results in loss of control over the product being formed leading to quality issues and productivity issues associated with log instability in the winding pocket. Surface winders also have problems running at relatively higher speeds when producing products with higher roll bulks.
In view of the above, a need currently exists for a system and process that is capable of producing rolled products having a greater range of roll bulk characteristics. In addition, a need exists for a system and process capable of producing products either having a low roll bulk or a high roll bulk while also producing the products at relatively high speeds and without interruption.
In the prior art, a winder is typically known as an apparatus that performs the very first wind of that web, generally forming what is known as a parent roll. A rewinder, on the other hand, is an apparatus that winds the web from the parent roll onto a roll that is essentially the finished product. It is to be noted, the prior art is not consistent in designating what is and is not a winder or rewinder. For instance, rewinders are sometimes called winders, and winders are sometimes referred to as rewinders.


A cartridge assembly detachably mounted on a main casing of an image forming device includes a first cartridge having a first handle, a second cartridge having a second handle, and a lock member having a lock section and an operation section. The first handle and the second handle provide a relative position capable of realizing single-handed simultaneous access to the first handle and the second handle in case of an assembled state between the second cartridge and the first cartridge for integral attachment to or detachment from the main casing. The second handle and the operation section are configured to provide a relative position capable of realizing single-handed simultaneous access to the second handle and the operation section to move the lock section from the lock position to the unlock position for detachment of the second cartridge from the first cartridge.

In a conventional image forming device, such as a laser printer, a process cartridge (process unit) is detachably mounted to a main casing. The process cartridge includes, for example, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum. The developing cartridge is detachably mounted to the drum cartridge and includes a developing roller that supplies toner to a surface of the photosensitive drum.
In the image forming device provided with the process cartridge, the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge can be integrally detached from and attached to the main casing as an integral process cartridge. Further, only the developing cartridge can be detached from and attached to the main casing with separating the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge, while maintaining the drum cartridge in the main casing.
Further, such a conventional process cartridge is provided with a lock lever. The lock lever prohibits separation of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge in order to prevent undesired separation. The lock lever is disposed at one widthwise end portion of the drum cartridge. When the developing cartridge is assembled to the drum cartridge, a lower end portion of the lock lever is engaged with a predetermined portion of the developing cartridge from above. When an upper end portion of the lock lever is pressed down, the lower end portion is disengaged from the predetermined portion. Accordingly, the developing cartridge can be separated from the drum cartridge.

Cartridge assembly of an image forming device including a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge detachably mountable on the drum cartridge


Computing systems and input devices can include a chassis with a computing device and an input tool with a sensor, such as a pen- or rod-like input tool, that can be positioned relative to the chassis in multiple configurations. In one configuration, the tool can be spaced away from the chassis and its sensor output can cause a first output signal in response to input provided to the sensor. In another configuration, the tool can be contacting the chassis and its sensor output can cause a second output signal in response to input provided to the sensor. For example, an input tool can be stowed in a recess of a keyboard housing or device chassis, and the input tool can produce a first output when it is in the recess and a second input when it has been removed from the chassis.

A variety of handheld input devices are used to detect user input. For example, a stylus is often used to provide input by contacting a digitizer or touch-sensitive panel of an electronic device. The touch panel may include a touch-sensitive surface that, in response to detecting a touch event, generates a signal that can be processed and used by other components of the electronic device. A display component of the electronic device may display textual and/or graphical display elements representing selectable virtual buttons or icons, and the touch sensitive surface may allow a user to navigate and change the content displayed on the display screen. Typically, a user can move one or more input devices, such as a stylus, across the touch panel in a pattern that the device translates into an input command. Some styluses can be touch- and force-sensitive to provide writing or drawing input to the electronic device. Functions of the stylus or electronic device can also be remotely controlled by interacting with a sensor on the stylus while the stylus is handheld.


The invention relates to a method for processing signals which are generated by the reflection of ultrasonic waves by defects in the surface of objects during the non-destructive testing of objects such as pipes, bars, sheet metal, or uniform and complex carbon-fiber components. Said method comprises the following steps: emission of a complete wavefront onto at least one test section of the object, using a plurality of independent emission elements; receiving a wave reflected by the structure of the object by means of a plurality of receiver elements that are independent of one another; digitalization of the signals received by the receiver elements in digitizing steps; continuous modification of delay values and/or the number of receiver elements for each digitalization step (on-the-fly).

The invention relates to a method for processing signals, which are generated by the reflection of ultrasonic waves by defects in the surface of objects during the non-destructive testing of objects such as pipes, bars, sheet metal, or uniform and complex carbon-fiber components.
A method of the type mentioned at the outset is described in DE-A-10 2005 051 781, which relates to a method for the non-destructive inspection of a test piece using ultrasound. In the case of this method, ultrasound waves are coupled with one or a plurality of ultrasound transducers into the test piece and ultrasound waves reflected inside the test piece are received by a plurality of ultrasound transducers and converted into ultrasound signals. An ultrasound transducer is provided and activated on a surface of the test piece, such that the ultrasound waves coupled to the test piece are propagated spatially and distributed largely uniformly within the test piece. Subsequently, the ultrasound waves reflected within the test piece are received by a plurality m of ultrasound transducers provided on the surface and m ultrasound time signals are generated, in which time-resolved amplitude information is contained.
The m ultrasound time signals are saved. Subsequently, a 3-dimensional volume-image, a sector image in the form of a 2-dimensional ultrasound image through the test piece or an A-image in the form of a 1 dimensional time and location resolving ultrasound signal along a presettable intromission angle, is reconstructed exclusively using at least one part of the m ultrasound time signals.
DE-A-10 2006 003 978 relates to a method for the non-destructive inspection of a test piece having at least one acoustically anisotropic material area using ultrasound. The direction-specific sound propagation properties describing the acoustically anisotropic material area are determined and provided. Also a coupling of ultrasound waves takes place in the acoustically anisotropic material area of the test piece and a reception of ultrasound waves reflected in the interior of the test piece with a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
The ultrasound signals generated by means of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers are evaluated such that the evaluation takes place in a direction-selective manner using the direction-specific sound propagation properties.
In the case of the method, a test piece is employed with n ultrasonic transducers, of which a number i ultrasonic transmitters is established, which are activated at the same time. Via the number i of the ultrasonic transmitters and the concrete assembly of the transmitter group, in particular its arrangement on the surface of the test piece, the entire radiation characteristic (aperture) of the transmitter group and in addition the sensitivity and the resolution power of the measurements is determined. Certainly, the number i is smaller than the total number of the ultrasound transmitters of the test piece. The total radiation characteristic is determined exclusively via the number i of the ultrasonic transmitters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,143 relates to a coherent energy beam display and in particular to a new method for the improved adaptive formation of a coherent beam using interactive phase conjugating, in order to counteract effects of the inhomogeneous wave deflection. Details for the improvement of the signal energy and readout for phased array-applications for different defect depths cannot be learned from this publication.
A further method is described in EP-B-1 649 301. In the case of this method, a complete wavefront is emitted onto at least one test section of the object using a plurality of independent emission elements.
Subsequently, a wave reflected by the structure of the object is received by means of a plurality of receiver elements independent of one another. The signals received from the receiver elements are digitalized in digitalizing steps and processed further. A dynamic depth focusing or an aperture adaption is not raised in EP-B-1 649 301.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,888 a two dimensional phased array for the volumetric ultrasound testing as well as a method for the use of the phased array is described. The phased array consists of a plurality of ultrasound oscillators, which are arranged in a right-angled design. The two-dimensional array permits the electronic adjustment of combustion point properties and of the dimensions of the aperture/orifice both in lateral as well as in height directions, so that uniform and/or specified sound-field characteristics can be attained at any or all positions in the tested components.
A modulation can be applied to each of the ultrasonic elements, in order to form a sample beam and to scan at least one area of the test material with the sample beam.
Compared to a 1-dimensional linear array, the 2-dimensional phased array offers the advantage that this is separated and/or divided in a plurality of discrete ultrasound oscillators, which extend both in the X as well as in the Z-direction. As a result, the formation of a sample beam can occur both in the X-Y plane as well as in the Z-Y plane. This permits a 3-dimensional steering/control of the sample beam with regard to the focal distance depth, steering angle and focal distance geometry. The steering of the aperture also contributes to the formation of the sample beam. The aperture of the array can be selected by multiplexing the sample beam by connecting synchronous channels with individual ultrasonic oscillators of the array. Also, the dimensions of the aperture can be controlled and/or adjusted both in the X as well as in the Z direction.
A method and a device for the ultrasonic testing of different zones of a workpiece are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,401. A plurality of ultrasound transducers with focus zones with different sized depths is thereby arranged, in order to test a bar-shaped titanium-body with regard to its thickness. The focus zones partially overlap the adjacent focus zones, so that a complete inspection of the thickness of the entire bar section is ensured. The reflected signals of the transducer-receiver are processed in digital form, in order to generate an image of the bar-section.
Such a method, however, is expensive, since each probe must be adjusted individually and an adjustment of the surface unevenness is difficult.

Method for the non-destructive testing of objects using ultrasound


A device independent color control server and control methods provide color consistency services and improve consistent color document appearance between any number of connected color image forming devices and/or color display monitors on a distributed network.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to color reproduction.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, documents, including color documents, can be transmitted and received over a network. Furthermore, color documents can be sent to and output by a networked color image forming device, such as, for example, a color printer.
Additionally, if a color document is outputted on two different color image forming devices, the two outputted color documents, when compared side-by-side, can show variations in color tone, saturation, and hue. The level of variation can be slight, and barely noticeable, or the level of variation can be extreme and very noticeable. Furthermore, if either of the two outputted color documents is compared to an image of the color document displayed on a color display monitor of, for example, a computer, variations will be noticeable between the printed color document and the displayed color document.
Color matching techniques, or color matching, match the color characteristics of one color device to the color characteristics of another color device. Color matching is generally used when color images are transferred between different color devices, such as, for example, between color display monitors, color scanners, or color marking devices. Color matching is necessary because different color devices usually describe color in different terms, usually operate in different color spaces, and usually have different color capabilities.
For example, most color display monitors, such as, for example, color computer monitors, display colors in the red/green/blue (RGB) color space, i.e., with respect to the amount of red, green, and blue that a particular displayed color contains. Using this technique, the color yellow, for example, is displayed on a color display monitor by combining a red image value of 255 red with a green image value of 255 green and a blue image value of zero.
Furthermore, the red, green, and blue (RGB) color values associated with the particular colors for a color display monitor are device dependent. This means that the RGB values associated with a particular color, viewed on a specific color display monitor, are unique to that specific color display monitor or, at least, to that brand of color display monitor. Simply put, because RGB color values are device dependent, if identical RGB color values, such as, for example, a red image value of 255 red, a green image value of 255 green, and a blue image value of zero, are input and displayed on two different color display monitors, the resulting yellow color displayed on the two color display monitors will probably not appear exactly alike.
Similarly, most color image forming devices output colors in device dependent terms. However, unlike most color display monitors, most color marking devices use a cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) color space, i.e., a combination of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) to arrive at the color marking device""s outputted colors. Consequently, as with RGB color values, CMYK color values are device dependent as well. Thus, as described above with respect to colors being displayed on color display monitors, if identical CMYK colors are printed on two different color marking devices, the outputted colors will probably not appear exactly alike.
To add to the complexity of color matching between color image forming devices, different color image forming devices can use different types of toners, dyes, pigments, or inks to produce the outputted color images. Likewise, the color images can be produced on a wide range of copy media. Images can be produced, for example, on copy media ranging from paper to plastic, from fabric to metal. In each case, each combination of colorant and media produces a different optical appearance.
Moreover, different color devices have different color capabilities. Every color device, whether it is a color scanner, a color marking device, or a color display monitor, has a color gamut, i.e., a range of colors that it can capture, produce, or display. To illustrate the problems encountered when color matching is attempted between two different devices having two different color gamuts, consider color display monitors and color marking devices. Most color display monitors can display hundreds of thousands of colors. Conversely, color marking devices usually have a significantly smaller number of producable colors. Therefore, the gamut of a color display monitor usually exceeds the gamut of a color marking device. Thus, some of the colors that can be displayed on a color display monitor cannot be produced by a color marking device.
In an attempt to solve the problem of color matching, various color matching techniques have been developed that use models to translate colors from one color space to another color space. These models usually manifest themselves in the form of predetermined multi-dimensional look-up tables. These predetermined multi-dimensional look-up tables translate colors from one color space to another color space while attempting to maintain the translated color""s perceived appearance. For example, if a user creates an image on a color display monitor and subsequently outputs the created image without any color matching, the colors observed on the outputted image may differ significantly from the colors originally observed on the color display monitor. However, if some type of color matching model is used, the discrepancies between the originally observed colors on the color display monitor and the colors observed on the outputted image can be reduced.
One method of creating and updating a multi-dimensional look-up table is to is provide a color sensor inside each color marking device. This embedded color sensor is used to measure the color characteristics of the color marking device by measuring the color characteristics of an outputted color patch pattern. Feed-back information about the color characteristics of the outputted color patch pattern is then provided to the color marking device to improve further color reproduction. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/083,203, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a method of reducing and controlling color drift between a desired image and an output image printed by a marking device that is intended to match the desired image. In the 203 application a current output color in the output image is detected with a color sensing device. A difference between the current output color in the output image and a corresponding color in the desired image is then determined. A next output color in the output image is automatically set equal to a corrected color that minimizes the difference between the next output color and the corresponding color in an output image. Preferably, this is done on a real-time basis.
Additionally, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/083,202, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, the error in an output color of a colored output image in a marking device intended to match a desired image is reduced. In the 202 application, a current output color in the output image is detected with a color sensing device. A difference between the current output color and a corresponding target color under standard conditions is determined. A marking device input-output relationship for a next output color is automatically set based on the difference between the current output color and the corresponding target color under standard conditions to minimize the difference between the next output color and the corresponding target color.
Furthermore, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/083,114, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, colorants are mixed to achieve a target color by combining individual colorants, detecting an output color of the combined colorants with a color sensing device and automatically adjusting the output color based on comparison between the detected output color and the target color.
Using current color matching techniques, relatively close color matching can be achieved between marking devices if a properly calibrated device, such as, for example, a digital front end (DFE), is used to drive the marking devices. However, because uniformly producing correctly calibrated color documents is one of the most difficult aspects of color document services, the quality of color documents can not be guaranteed between different marking devices.
Thus, for a digital front end (DFE) to be effective, it must be either manually calibrated by a color specialist or calibrated using a color patch pattern and a color scanner, as described above. Unfortunately, allowing different color specialists to calibrate different digital front ends (DFEs) can lead to inconsistent calibration of the digital front ends (DFEs). Furthermore, even if the color patch pattern technique is used to help calibrate a color marking device, it still remains difficult to guarantee that a color marking device in another location has been properly calibrated. This inconsistent or unverifiable calibration, in turn, produces inconsistent color reproduction between marking devices. Thus, eventually, even calibrated marking devices often fail to maintain consistent color outputs.
Furthermore, once a particular marking device has been calibrated, it is difficult to determine how long the marking device will remain in calibration. Over time, the color quality of the documents printed by a previously calibrated marking device will deteriorate, or drift.
Additionally, when a marking device is calibrated, the marking device is calibrated with respect to a particular type of colorant and a particular type of copy media. Thus, each time a different type of colorant or copy media is used, the marking device must be re-calibrated. If the marking device is not re-calibrated, the marking device will function as an un-calibrated marking device.
Consequently, it is nearly impossible to guarantee that the color characteristics and quality of an outputted document, for example, downloaded from a network by two different users, and printed using two different printers, will have the same color appearance. Likewise, it is nearly impossible to guarantee that the color characteristics and quality of an outputted document, will match the color characteristics and quality of the document as it appears on a color display monitor.
This invention provides systems and methods that enable color matching or consistency between color image forming devices without requiring the intervention of either a user or a color specialists.
This invention separately provides a device independent color control (DICC) server that provides spectral or colorimetric matching of images printed on different color marking devices. This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that use a standalone device independent color control (DICC) server to provide improved color consistency between different marking devices and/or display devices. This invention separately provides device independent color control software installed on a general network server. This invention separately provides systems and methods that use a specialized hardware-independent device independent color control (DICC) printer-only server.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that use a standalone device independent color control (DICC) server and associated devices and techniques to provide color consistency services and to improve consistent document appearance between any number of connected image forming devices and/or display devices on a distributed network.
This invention separately provides a device independent color control server that is a separate hardware/software unit.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that analyze a color document printed by a particular color marking device, and, based on that analysis, calibrates that particular color marking device.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that analyze a color pattern displayed by a particular color display monitor, and, based on that analysis, calibrates that particular color display monitor.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that work over a network to service printers worldwide.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that work over a network to service color display monitors worldwide.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that improve globally consistent color reproduction.
This invention separately provides device independent color control systems and methods that render an xe2x80x9cexact matchxe2x80x9d or an xe2x80x9coptimal matchxe2x80x9d to color documents from the same or different image output terminals (IOT).
The color image forming devices can, for example, be color printers of similar or differing technologies. Thus, the device independent color control (DICC) server according to this invention will produce improved consistency of color outputs between separately outputted documents. Using the device independent color control (DICC) server according to this invention will result, for example, in five different color outputs of the same document having similar color characteristics, even if, for example, one copy of the color document is produced using a digital Xerox(copyright) printer, another copy is produced using a Xerographic printer, another copy is produced using a Xerox(copyright) DocuColor 40(trademark) printer, another copy is produced using a Cannon(copyright) CLC1000(trademark) printer, and yet another copy is produced using an ink jet NC20(trademark) printer.
Various exemplary embodiments of a device independent color control server according to this invention include a non-contact, high speed color sensing device in an output paper path or on the output tray of each marking device, a server, and interface hardware for communicating between the marking devices, the sensors and the server.
In various exemplary embodiments, the device independent color control server includes a high speed color sensing device on the display of each color display monitor, a server computing platform, and interface hardware for communication between the displays, the sensors and the server.
In various exemplary embodiments, the server-computing platform executes specialized color control methods. In various exemplary embodiments, the server-computing platform is a stand-alone server-computing platform. In other exemplary embodiments, the server-computing platform is embedded within each marking and/or display device.
In various exemplary embodiments, the interface hardware is a specialized network plug-in card. In various other exemplary embodiments, the interface hardware is a combination of wireless transmitters and one or more wireless receivers.
In various exemplary embodiments, the apparatuses, systems and methods of this invention function either automatically or by selection of a routine, such as, for example, a xe2x80x9ccolor warranteesxe2x80x9d routine.
These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods of this invention.

Systems and methods for device independent color control to achieve accurate color proofing and reproduction


Receiver circuitry for receiving a data signal includes summation node circuitry that predicts an error value of the received data signal. The receiver circuitry also includes adaptation engine circuitry coupled to the summation node circuitry. The adaptation engine circuitry determines a transmitter adjustment based on the error value and sends a freeze signal to one or more components of the receiver to cause the receiver to continue operating without changing current settings of the one or more components. The receiver circuitry further includes a user interface and sequence controller, coupled to the adaptation engine circuitry, wherein the user interface and sequence controller sends a signal indicative of the transmitter adjustment to the transmitter.

This disclosure relates generally to improving signal quality by recovering data from a serial data signal received by circuitry, and more particularly to adapting a transmitter sending the serial data signal based on receiving the serial data signal.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it may be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Communicating data between components of a system using high speed serial data signals is of increasing interest and importance to electronic system designers and users. The high speed serial data signals may convey data from one programmable logic integrated circuit (IC) in a system to another programmable logic IC in the system or between components of the same IC. The system may include a single computing device or multiple computing devices connected via wire or wirelessly (e.g., using the Internet).
One problem when using high speed serial data signals is that the signals may be subject to loss of clarity or fidelity when propagating through a medium used to transmit the signals. The loss of fidelity (which may be characterized as signal degradation, attenuation, loss, noise, inter-symbol-interference (ISI), and the like) tends to become more significant as a data rate (e.g., serial bit rate) of the signal increases. The higher the data rate of the serial data signal, the more the signal/transmission degrades. Signal degradation (e.g., as described above from a programmable logic IC transmitting that signal through a transmission medium to another programmable logic IC receiving the signal) increases the difficulty of the receiving IC to correctly interpret the data in the received signal.
To compensate for at least some of the signal degradation that may cause or contribute to receiver data interpretation errors, the receiving IC may be equipped with equalization and/or adaptation circuitry for processing the received high speed serial data signal (e.g., prior to any attempt to recover data information from that signal in more downstream circuitry). In particular, specialized adaptive recovery circuits may compensate for signal degradation due to ISI. For example, Forward Equalization (e.g., R-C/FFE) circuitry and/or Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) circuitry may be used at the receiver end. DFE is generally regarded as the most effective at removing post-cursor ISI. A DFE may have multiple "taps," each of which may include a circuit for multiplying a respective earlier (previously received) data bit value (e.g., the kth data bit value prior to a current bit) of an incoming signal by a respective tap coefficient Ck and combining the resulting products with the incoming signal for the current bit. The DFE may determine effective sets of DFE tap coefficient values such that an acceptably low bit error rate is achieved by the receiving IC in recovering data from the received serial data signal.
A DFE may include a summation node that uses the coefficient value to filter the received signal. The summation node may be a partial summation node, which may use a data slicing level (dLev) to "slice" or predict an error value representative of errors in a received serial data signal caused by ISI. (The value dLev may be used to determine whether a symbol in a received signal is a logic one or a logic zero.) In general, dLev is a static setting (e.g., set via configuration bits) in a programmable logic IC. This static setting may limit the quality of the results of signal conditioning adaptive recovery circuitry and may also make performance prone to environmental variations, such as variations in temperature, voltage, or noise. Although dLev adaptation may be used with full response/full rate DFE structures, the timing of these type of DFE structures may not be closed for high speeds such as 28 Gbps for a 20 nanometer process node. Moreover, using half rate DFE structures may require an excessive number of high speed multipliers and sense amplifiers (that may cause excessive loading on the summation node, increase intrinsic kickback noise generated on the summation node, and increase cost and area required for the receiver), as well as high speed multiplexers.
Furthermore, the summation node may employ a defined signal amplitude level for the received signal. The dynamic range of the received signal may be undefined, and may include transmitter output voltage variations, channel loss characteristics that cause amplitude variation, and amplitude uncertainty due to the frequency response of any receiver buffers used to receive the incoming signal.
As used herein, a bit is a binary digit, typically having a value of either 1 or 0. Also as used herein, the singular term "serial data signal" may be used as a generic term for both single-ended and differential serial data signals (even though a differential serial data signal includes two complementary signal constituents).


A detachable photoalbum, which comprises two opposite casings, covered by related covers with folding lines; a side casing connected between the opposite casings, a binder means with at least two sticks, and a plurality of loose bags. Each bag has inserted therein a sheet to divide the bag into two halves and has formed thereon at least two holes so as to be hanged on the sticks.. The combinations of opposite casings and side casing, and the binder means and the side casing are finished by the technique of pins and holes. And above casings and binder means are made of elastic material, such as plastic or acryl resin, therefore the photoalbum is easily detached and assembled as an ordinary cassette.

The present invention relates to a kind of photoalbum, and more particularly to the one which comprises a binder means and is detachable.
A conventional photoalbum has its shortcomings of limited volume and fixed binding or bags to contain pictures. Therefore, it is not convenient for those picture collectors, especially to those own a great number of pictures to frequently change their album when the former one is filled with pictures, or to rearrange the pictures collected in above photoalbum because they have to draw the picture out of one bag than put it in another one.


A soil cover that when installed around the base of an existing plant or tree, forms a cone-like shape, truncated at the top to allow stem or trunk to pass through. Thus installed, the cover prevents over watering of the soil around the plant due to excessive rain and consequential loss of soil nutrients, loss of soil, root exposure. It gives the plant owner thee capability to control the moisture conditions of a plant's soil.

Outdoor plants in pots are easily overwhelmed with rain. Rain on unprotected potted plants leaches away soil nutrients and sometimes washes away the soil itself. It does not seem probable that an owner of outdoor plants would be able to protect plants very well because the owner is not present at all times to bring the plant under shelter. During periods of excessive rain, it is also not always possible or practical because of size, weight, or quantity, to take plants under shelter. Hence, there can be considerable reductions in plant healthiness, beauty, production, and plant death due to the lack of control. Plants that are in the ground may also benefit from this invention since it may also be otherwise impractical to give them shelter during periods of excessive rain. This invention relates to protecting plants by providing cover for the soil around the base of the plant. The cover provides several protective and controlling qualities that are aimed at making the plant healthy and productive.
Other protective covers have been suggested for potted plants. U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,845, granted to E. Markowitz, suggests a cover that aims at keeping the soil moist, and keeping the soil from spilling if the pot is tipped over. It is a disk-like cover that fits inside of the rim of the pot. This cover does not embody the capability to protect soil from excessive rain because is it flat and provides no run-off capacitiy. This cover also does not provide for controlled admittance of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,453 to J. Morehead suggests a cover that aims at protecting a plant in its early life. It is a truncated cone cover that allows filling cover with a fluid to provide thermal storage that would influence the growing environment. This cover does not embody the capability to protect large or mature plants because it does not accommodate installing on an existing plant which has larger foliage than its hole since it is one-piece construction. This cover also does not allow for controlled admittance of water.
Neither of the two referenced U.S. Patents have variances in construction, size, shape, or material to accommodate varying degrees of admittance of water, differing plant stem sizes and pot sizes, and differences in fitting for indoor or outdoor plants.

Soil cover for potted or in-ground plants


Various embodiments of a system and method for enabling electronic discovery (e-Discovery) searches to be performed on backup data in a computer system are disclosed. The system and method may operate to receive backup data for a set of files and backup catalog information indicating meta-data for the files, such as the data locations of the files within the backup data. The system and method may also receive event data indicating access history for the files, and may create e-Discovery mapping information based on the event data and the backup catalog information. The e-Discovery mapping information may map file access events specified by the event data may to the meta-data for the respective files in the backup data. The e-Discovery mapping information may enable the backup data to be searched to find files relevant to a legal proceeding or investigation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of computer storage systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for implementing electronic discovery searches on backup data or archived data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many civil litigation and investigative procedures require attorneys and paralegals to find and preserve electronic information relevant to the litigation. The process of finding, preserving, and analyzing electronic information as required by litigation or investigation is referred to as electronic discovery, or e-Discovery. E-Discovery often requires the legal team to search an organization's backup or archive storage systems to find archived information relevant to the case. Once the files are found the legal team may then evaluate them and place a legal hold on the ones that are deemed to be relevant to the investigation.
A large organization can have hundreds or thousands of computer users, and enormous amounts of backup data or archived data. The process of performing an e-Discovery search to find the relevant files from the organization's backup data can be difficult to implement.

System and method for enabling electronic discovery searches on backup data in a computer system


Derivation of a fingerprint includes generating feature matrices based on one or more training images, generating projection matrices based on the feature matrices in a training process, and deriving a fingerprint for one or more images by, at least in part, projecting a feature matrix based on the one or more images onto the projection matrices generated in the training process.

Media clips or media content are segments of audio media, video media, or audio/visual (AV) media and include information that is embodied, stored, transmitted, received, processed, or otherwise used with at least one medium. Common media clip formats include FLV format (flash video), Windows Media Video, RealMedia, Quicktime, MPEG, MP3, and DivX. As used herein, the terms "media clips", "media content," "information content," and "content" may be used interchangeably.
Media clips may be defined with one or more images. For example, video media may be a combination of a set of temporally related frames or images at particular points in time of the video media. Additionally, audio media may be represented as one or more images using many different techniques known in the art. For example, audio information may be captured in a spectrogram. In the spectrogram, the horizontal axis can represent time, the vertical axis can represent frequency, and the amplitude of a particular frequency at a particular time can be represented in a third dimension. Further, in a two dimensional spectrogram, the amplitude may be represented with thicker lines, more intense colors or grey values. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different modifications to the above example and other representations may be used to represent an audio clip as an image.
Images that define media content (audio and/or video) may be associated with a corresponding fingerprint ("fingerprint" used interchangeably with and equivalent to "signature"). Some fingerprints of media content may be derived (e.g., extracted, generated) from information within, or which comprises a part of the media content. A media fingerprint embodies or captures an essence of the media content of the corresponding media and may be uniquely identified therewith. Video fingerprints are media fingerprints that may be derived from images or frames of a video clip. Audio fingerprints are media fingerprints that may be derived from images with embedded audio information (e.g., spectrograms). Further, the term media fingerprint may refer to a low bit rate representation of the media content with which they are associated and from which they are derived.
Most applications of content identification using media fingerprints rely on a large database of media fingerprints. Any query fingerprint that is extracted from query media is compared against this database of media fingerprints to identify matches. As the size of database increases in terms of number of hours of media, it is desirable that the uniqueness of fingerprint codewords is not reduced. A fingerprint codeword generally represents a sequence of fingerprint bits that is used for indexing (e.g., in a hash table) the media fingerprints. The fewer number of fingerprints/media files that correspond to a fingerprint codeword, the more unique the fingerprint codeword is. This uniqueness property of the fingerprint codewords allows for scaling of the fingerprint database to a large number of hours. However, if certain fingerprint codewords are more likely to occur than others, then as the database size grows the uniqueness reduces since the more likely fingerprint codewords will each link to a large number of fingerprints/media files. The large number of fingerprints/media files corresponding to fingerprint codewords results in more computations to perform content identification. For example, in a hash-table based searching method a fingerprint codeword of a query fingerprint may be used to identify all fingerprints/media files in a fingerprint database that are linked to the same fingerprint codeword. Multiple fingerprints/media files being linked to the same fingerprint codeword is referred to as collisions. The larger the number of collisions (i.e., fingerprints/media files) for the same fingerprint codeword, the greater the computations required to determine which one of the fingerprints/media files corresponding to the fingerprint codeword are equivalent or the best match to the query fingerprint. The fewer the number of collisions (i.e., fingerprints/media files) for the same fingerprint codeword, the lesser the computations required to determine which one of the fingerprints/media files corresponding to the fingerprint codeword are equivalent or the best match to the query fingerprint. Thus, the fingerprints that have a small number of average collisions per fingerprint codeword will result in shorter search duration. Such fingerprints are scalable for searching through a larger database of fingerprints than fingerprints for which the average number of collisions is higher.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section. Similarly, issues identified with respect to one or more approaches should not assume to have been recognized in any prior art on the basis of this section, unless otherwise indicated.

Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation


A start-up circuit for a resonant converter is arranged such that, during start-up of the resonant converter, the start-up circuit provides a drive signal that is to be applied to a switching transistor of the resonant converter and that has a variable duty cycle and a variable frequency. A converter includes a voltage source, a capacitor connected to the voltage source, a first switching transistor connected to the voltage source, a transformer connected to the capacitor, and a start-up circuit arranged to drive the first switching transistor with the drive signal during start-up of the converter. A start-up method for a resonant converter including a first switching transistor includes driving the first switching transistor with a variable duty cycle and a variable frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to DC-to-DC converters. More specifically, the present invention relates to resonant DC-to-DC converters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sun et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,018,740) teaches operating an LLC resonant converter in a fixed-frequency and variable-duty-cycle operation mode during startup of the LLC resonant converter. The LLC resonant converter of Sun et al. switches to a variable-frequency and fixed-duty-cycle operation mode once startup is completed (e.g., when a predetermined voltage is reached at a load connected to an output of the LLC resonant converter). That is, during startup, the LLC resonant converter of Sun et al. operates in a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) mode, such that only the duty cycle is controlled and the frequency of the resonant converter remains fixed, and then switches to a pulse-frequency-modulation (PFM) mode after startup. Accordingly, precise control is needed in Sun et al. to determine a threshold for switching from the PWM mode to the PFM mode, which requires a complex control scheme provided by, for example, a digital controller. Further, conventional PFM controllers do not support controlling an LLC resonant converter as required by Sun et al.
The following problems can occur during startup of a resonant converter, for example, an LLC converter with PFM control.
The output voltage of the resonant converter can abruptly reach its maximum value within hundreds of micro-seconds of starting the resonant converter. Since a load of the resonant converter is typically capacitive, if the voltage of the resonant converter abruptly reaches its maximum value, a large inrush current can occur at the output of the resonant converter. Further, the voltage of the resonant converter abruptly reaching its maximum value can cause a voltage overshoot at the output of the resonant converter. The large inrush current and the voltage overshoot can damage both the resonant converter and the load.
Output voltage overshoot of the resonant converter can exceed a desired specification value.
A large inrush current in an output capacitor can decrease the life of components such as the output capacitor, switching elements of the resonant converter, a current transformer of the resonant converter, and a capacitor for detecting a resonant current. Further, a large inrush current can also damage the load connected to the output of the converter.
Over-current protection (OCP) can be activated by startup transients.
A large ripple voltage can appear at the output of the resonant converter due to a burst mode (i.e., the resonant converter quickly turning on and off for certain periods of time) at light load unless the switching frequency of the resonant converter can go very high. For example, if a normal operating frequency is about 200 kHz, at light load the operating frequency can reach about 800 kHz.


A fluid treatment device for reducing the level of a chemical compound in a fluid. The device comprises: a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; a flow-through fluid treatment zone having comprising: a radiation source, an adsorbent and a photocatalyst. The fluid treatment zone is reversibly operable between: (i) a first mode in which the fluid flows in a first direction and at least a portion of the chemical compound is adsorbed on the adsorbent; and (ii) a second mode in which the fluid flows in a second direction different from the first direction in which the absorbed chemical compound is exposed to radiation from the radiation resulting in photooxidation of the chemical compound.

1. Field of the Invention
In one of its aspects, the present invention relates to a novel fluid treatment device. In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a novel process for reducing the level of a chemical compound in a fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluid treatment devices and processes are known.
Two approaches used in such devices and processes relates to adsorption and/or photocatalysis. Alone or in combination, these approaches are particularly suitable to remove or reduce the levels of a target contaminant in a fluid. In some cases, it is know to support a photocatalyst on an adsorbent. These approaches have met with some success to treat water containing one or more chemical compounds such as organic contaminants.
Much of the prior art has been devoted to improving the materials used to adsorb and/or photocatalyze the chemical compound(s) contained in the fluid. Generally, it has been seen to be desirable to increase one or more of the following properties of the material: adsorption capacity, adsorption rate and rate of photocatalysis.
Despite the advances made in the art, there is still room for improvement. For, example it would be desirable to have a practical and efficient device and process for treating fluid which did not necessarily require the use of high end adsorbents and photocatalysts. It would be further advantageous if the adsorption and photocatalysis could be conducted in the same fluid treatment zone.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid treatment device which obviates or mitigates at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel process for treatment of fluid which obviates or mitigates at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the present invention provides a fluid treatment device for reducing the level of a chemical compound in a fluid comprising:
a fluid inlet;
a fluid outlet;
a flow-through fluid treatment zone-having comprising: a radiation source, an adsorbent and a photocatalyst;
the fluid treatment zone reversibly operable between a first mode in which the fluid flows in a first direction and at least a portion of the chemical compound is adsorbed on the adsorbent; and a second mode in which the fluid flows in a second direction different from the first direction in which the adsorbed chemical compound is exposed to radiation from the radiation resulting in photooxidation of the chemical compound.
In another of its aspects, the present invention provides process for reducing the level of a chemical compound in a fluid, the process-comprising the steps of:
feeding the fluid to a fluid treatment device comprising a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet and a flow-through fluid treatment zone disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the fluid treatment device comprising: a radiation source, an adsorbent and a photocatalyst,
feeding the fluid in a first mode in which the fluid flows in a first direction and at least a portion of the chemical compound is adsorbed on the adsorbent; and
feeding the fluid in a second mode in which the fluid flows in a second direction different from the first direction in which the adsorbed chemical compound is exposed to radiation from the radiation resulting in photooxidation of the chemical compound.
The present invention deviates from the conventional approaches to improve materials in that the present invention relies on practical and efficient cycling between adsorption mode and photocatalysis mode (this can also be consider to xe2x80x9cde-adsorptionxe2x80x9d mode or xe2x80x9cregenerationxe2x80x9d mode). Thus, the present fluid treatment device is operable between a first adsorption mode and second photocatalysis (or regeneration or de-adsorption mode). In the adsorption mode, the chemical compound of interest is removed from the fluid being treated and is loaded onto the adsorbentxe2x80x94in this mode the adsorbent preferably is in the form of a fixed bed. When the loaded adsorbent reaches a predetermined threshold, fluid flow through treatment zone is, in a preferred embodiment, reversed and radiation from the radiation source serves to photocatalyze the loaded adsorbentxe2x80x94in this mode the photocatalyst preferably is in the form of a fluidized bed. Preferably, the adsorbent and the photocatalyst are comprised in the same material (e.g., the photocatalyst is supported on the adsorbent).


Apparatus and method for use with a power saw or router in cutting workpieces to form a lap joint or a routed groove, involves at least one channel-forming member forming an elongated channel having an open side to receive at least one workpiece and having a cutter-receiving opening, and one or more guides on the channel-forming member and extending in a direction transverse to the channel so as to guide a saw or router in a manner that a cutter thereof is guided to cut across the workpiece residing in the channel.

In the construction of homes, apartments, offices, and other buildings, the use of lap joints is common to provide an asethetically pleasing joint between abutting end regions of adjacent wooden or plastic workpieces. For example, in finishing the interior of a building, lap joints are provided between abutting wall moldings, chair railing, wainscoting railing, and the like to impart a pleasing appearance to the joint. In finishing the exterior of a building, lap joints are provided between abutting siding boards, fascia boards, deck boards, and the like to this same end.
In the past, a carpenter installing wall molding, chair railing, or wainscoting railing, typically would measure the wall for dimension and attempt to cut two separate molding or railing pieces to proper dimension with an angled cut at the ends thereof to be overlapped to form a lap joint when the molding or railing pieces are fastened to the wall. However, for even a skilled carpenter, the measuring and cutting of the separate molding or railing pieces sometimes occurs in a trial and error manner in order to achieve the desired aesthetically pleasing lap joint after the pieces are fastened on the wall. For example, should the measured dimension and/or angled cutting be in error even to a small extent, then the resulting lap joint between the molding or railing pieces after fastening on the wall is less than visually appealing and may require recutting additional molding or railing pieces and/or in touching-up of the lap joint with filler, both of which are time consuming and add to the cost of installing the molding or railing on the wall.
Moreover, in construction of shelving and other structures, the sides of one or more workpieces can be routed out using a power router to form a groove or routed region in a side of workpeice in order to receive an interconnecting member such as a shelf board.

Apparatus and method for cutting workpiece


Systems and methods for simplified message grouping and display are provided. In example embodiments, a plurality of messages are received within a conversation which is accessible by a plurality of client devices. It is determined that respective messages of the plurality of messages are unread by a first client device. One or more of the unread messages are grouped into a first message group. A first overlaid card is generated by arranging the first message group on the first overlaid card, and the first overlaid card is caused to be displayed using the screen of the first client device.

Various computing devices including mobile technologies such as smartphones provide the ability for users to send messages between devices. Group messaging applications provide a convenient way for users to keep in touch with others. In various devices, different systems may be used to manage a potentially large number of messages received by a single user.