Toner includes aggregated particles including at least resin particles, pigment particles, and wax particles. A fused film of the resin is formed on the surface of the toner. The wax is at least one selected from A: ester wax that has an iodine value of not more than 25, a saponification value of 30 to 300, and an endothermic peak temperature (melting point) of 50° C. to 100° C. based on a DSC method; and B: wax that is obtained by a reaction of alkyl alcohol having a carbon number of 4 to 30, unsaturated polycarboxylic acid or its anhydride, and unsaturated hydrocarbon wax and has an acid value of 1 to 80 mgKOH/g and an endothermic peak temperature (melted point) of 50° C. to 120° C. based on the DSC method. The toner and a two-component developer can achieve oilless fixing that prevents offset without using oil while maintaining high OHP transmittance, can eliminate spent of the toner components on a carrier to make the life longer, and can ensure high transfer efficiency by suppressing transfer voids or scattering during transfer.

In recent years, electrophotographic apparatuses, which commonly were used in offices, have been used increasingly for personal purposes, and there is a growing demand for technologies that can achieve, e.g., a small size, a high speed, high image quality, or high reliability for those apparatuses. Under such circumstances, a cleanerless process, a tandem color process, and oilless fixing are required along with better maintainability and less ozone emission. The cleanerless process allows residual toner in transfer to be recycled for development without cleaning. The tandem color process enables high-speed output of color images. The oilless fixing can provide clear color images with high glossiness, transmittance, and offset resistance, even if no fixing oil is used to prevent offset during fixing. These functions should be performed simultaneously, and therefore improvements in the toner characteristics as well as the processes are important factors.
For color printers, a color process employing a four-pass system has been put to practical use. In this color process, an image support member (referred to as a photoconductive member in the following) is charged by corona discharge with a charger, and then is exposed to light signals for a latent image of each color to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by a first color of toner, e.g., yellow toner, to form a visible image. Then, a transfer member charged with the opposite polarity to that of the charged yellow toner comes into contact with the photoconductive member so that the yellow toner image formed on the photoconductive member is transferred. The photoconductive member is cleaned by removing residual toner that has not been transferred, and the development and transfer of the first color toner ends with discharging the photoconductive member. Subsequently, the same operations as those for the yellow toner are repeated for toner of colors such as magenta and cyan. The toner images of the colors are superimposed on the transfer member so as to form a color image. Then, the superimposed toner image is transferred to paper charged with the opposite polarity to that of the toner.
A tandem color process employing the following configuration also has been proposed. A plurality of image forming stations, each of which includes a charger, a photoconductive member, and a developing unit, are arranged in a row. A first transfer process is performed by successively transferring each color of toner to an endless transfer member in contact with the photoconductive members, so that multilayer transfer color toner images are formed on the transfer member. Then, a second transfer process is performed such that the multilayer toner images formed on the transfer member are transferred collectively to a transfer medium such as paper, an overhead projector (OHP) sheet, or the like. Another tandem color process also has been proposed in which toner continuously is transferred directly to the transfer medium without using the transfer member.
In a fixing process for color images, color toner should be melted and mixed to increase the transmittance. A melt failure of the toner may cause light scattering on the surface or the inside of the toner images, and the original color of the toner pigment is affected. Moreover, light does not reach the lower layer of the superimposed images, resulting in poor color reproduction. Therefore, it is essential for the toner to have a complete melt property and transmittance high enough not to reduce the original color. The light transmittance for an OHP sheet also is a necessary property for the color toner.
When color images are formed, toner may adhere to the surface of a fixing roller and cause offset. Therefore, a large amount of oil or the like should be applied to the fixing roller, which makes the handling or configuration of equipment more complicated. Thus, oilless fixing (no oil is used for fixing) is required to provide compact, maintenance-free, and low-cost equipment. To achieve the oilless fixing, e.g., toner in which a release agent (wax) is added to a binder resin with a sharp melt property is being put to practical use.
However, such toner is very prone to a transfer failure or disturbance of the toner images during transfer because of its strong cohesiveness. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure compatibility between transfer and fixing. In the case of two-component development, spent (i.e., a low-melting component of the toner adhering to the surface of a carrier) is likely to occur by heat generated by mechanical collision or friction between the particles or between the particles and the developing unit. This decreases the charging ability of the carrier and interferes with a longer life of the developer.
Japanese patent No. 2801507 (Patent Document 1) discloses a carrier for positively charged toner that is obtained by introducing a fluorine-substituted alkyl group into a silicone resin of the coating layer. JP 2002-23429 A (Patent Document 2) discloses a coating carrier that includes conductive carbon and a cross-linked fluorine modified silicone resin. This coating carrier is considered to have high development ability in a high-speed process and maintain the development ability for a long time. While taking advantage of superior charging characteristics of the silicone resin, the conventional technique uses the fluorine-substituted alkyl group to obtain properties such as slidability, releasability, and repellency, to increase resistance to wearing, peeling, or cracking, and further to prevent spent. However, the resistance to wearing, peeling, or cracking is not sufficient. Moreover, when the negatively charged toner is used, the amount of charge is excessively small, although the positively charged toner may have an appropriate amount of charge. Therefore, the reversely charged toner (positively charged toner) is generated significantly, which leads to fog or toner scattering. Thus, the toner is not suitable for practical use.
Various configurations of toner also have been proposed. It is well-known that toner for electrostatic charge image development used in an electrophotographic method generally includes a resin component (binder resin), a coloring component including a pigment or dye, a plasticizer, a charge control agent, and an additive, if necessary, such as a release agent. As the resin component, natural or synthetic resin may be used alone or in combination.
After the additive is pre-mixed in an appropriate ratio, the mixture is heated and kneaded by thermal melting, pulverized by an air stream collision board system, and classified as fine powders, thus producing a toner base. In this case, the toner base also may be produced by a chemical polymerization method. Then, an additive such as hydrophobic silica is added to the toner base, so that the toner is completed. The single component development typically uses toner only, and the two-component development uses a developer including toner and a carrier of magnetic particles.
Even with pulverization and classification of the conventional kneading and pulverizing processes, the actual particle size can be reduced to only about 8 μm in view of the economic and performance conditions. At present, various methods are considered to produce toner having a smaller particle size. In addition, a method for achieving the oilless fixing also is considered, e.g., by adding a release agent (wax) to a resin with a low softening point during melting and kneading. However, there is a limit to the amount of wax to be added, and increasing the amount of wax can cause problems such as low flowability of the toner, transfer voids, or a fusion of the toner to the photoconductive member.
Therefore, various ways of polymerization different from the kneading and pulverizing processes have been studied as a method for producing toner. For example, toner may be produced by suspension polymerization. However, the particle size distribution is no better than that of the kneading and pulverizing processes, and in many cases further classification is necessary. Moreover, since the toner is almost spherical in shape, the cleaning property is extremely poor when the toner remains on the photoconductive member or the like, and thus the reliability of image quality is reduced.
Toner may be produced by emulsion polymerization including the following steps: preparing an aggregated particle dispersion by forming aggregated particles in a dispersion of at least resin particles; forming adhesive particles by mixing a resin particle dispersion in which resin fine particles are dispersed with the aggregated particle dispersion so that the resin fine particles adhere to the aggregated particles; and heating and fusing the adhesive particles together.
JP 10(1998)-198070 (Patent Document 3) discloses a method for producing toner for electrostatic charge image development. The method includes the following steps: preparing a resin particle dispersion by dispersing resin particles in a surface-active agent having a polarity; preparing a coloring agent particle dispersion by dispersing coloring agent particles in a surface-active agent having a polarity; and preparing a liquid mixture by mixing at least the resin particle dispersion and the coloring agent particle dispersion. According to this method, the surface-active agents included in the liquid mixture have the same polarity, so that reliable toner with excellent charge and color development properties can be produced in a simple and easy manner.
JP 10(1998)-301332 (Patent Document 4) discloses a method for producing toner with an excellent fixing property, color development property, transparency, and color mixing property. According to this method, a release agent includes at least one kind of ester that contains at least one selected from higher alcohol having a carbon number of 12 to 30 and higher fatty acid having a carbon number of 12 to 30, and resin particles include at least two kinds of resin particles with different molecular weights.
As the release agent, e.g., low molecular-weight polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutene, silicones, fatty acid amides such as oleamide, erucamide, amide ricinoleate, and amide stearate, vegetable waxes such as carnauba wax, rice wax, candelilla wax, Japan wax, and jojoba oil, animal waxes such as beeswax, mineral/petroleum waxes such as montan wax, ozocerite, ceresin, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, and Fischer-Tropsch wax, and modified waxes thereof are disclosed.
However, when the dispersibility of the release agent added is lowered, the toner images melted during fixing are prone to a dull color. This also decreases the pigment dispersibility, and thus the color development property of the toner becomes insufficient. In the subsequent process, when resin fine particles further adhere to the surface of an aggregate, the adhesion of the resin fine particles is unstable due to low dispersibility of the release agent or the like. Moreover, the release agent that once was aggregated with the resin particles is liberated into an aqueous medium. Depending on the polarity or the thermal properties such as a melting point, the release agent may have a considerable effect on aggregation. Further, a specified wax is added in a large amount to achieve the oilless fixing. Therefore, it is difficult to aggregate the wax with the resin particles that differ from the wax in melting point, softening point, and viscoelasticity and to fuse them together uniformly by heating. In particular, the use of a release agent having a predetermined acid value and a functional group may achieve the oilless fixing, reduce fog during development, and improve the transfer efficiency. However, such a release agent prevents uniform mixing and aggregation of the resin particles with pigment particles in an aqueous medium during manufacture. Thus, there is a tendency to increase the presence of release agent or pigment suspended in the aqueous medium.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 2801507
Patent Document 2: JP 2002-23429 A
Patent Document 3: JP 10(1998)-198070 A
Patent Document 4: JP 10(1998)-301332 A

Toner, process for producing the same, two-component developing agent and method of image formation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Y zeolites with an SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio in the framework of>100 with a high hydrothermal stability and resistance to aqueous, alkaline solutions are produced by treating a Y zeolite with a SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio between 8 and 50, partially dealuminized according to known methods from NaY zeolite by treatment with silicon tetrachloride, with water vapor at temperatures between 500.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C.

The present invention relates to a method of producing zeolite Y.
It is known that dealuminized Y zeolites with a ratio of SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 >100 obtained from NaY zeolite by treatment with silicon tetrachloride (DAY-S) have the advantage over aluminum-poor Y-zeolites obtained in other ways that their micropore system is largely intact. Thus, such materials have especially favorable properties for adsorption technology as regards their micropore volume and their selectivity (J. A. Martens, P. J. Grobet, P. A. Jacobs, Preparation of Catalysts V (Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal. 63), Elsevier, Amsterdam 1991, p. 355; WO 88/03437).
Y-zeolites DAY-S with high SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratios of the framework, especially those with >100, have only limited stability under drastic hydrothermal conditions like those which can occur, for example, during the regeneration using water vapor in a few adsorptive and catalytic methods. In addition, they dissolve in aqueous, alkaline systems with clear losses of crystallinity. Measures were therefore developed to subsequently increase the resistance of such zeolites to water vapor and aqueous, alkaline media. For example, the building up of an aluminosilicate layer on the crystals by reacting the zeolites with a sodium aluminate solution of silicon-rich Y zeolites results in protection against water vapor (DD 296 899 and DE 42 07 815).
The prior technique has the disadvantage that the treating of very silicon-rich Y zeolites can cause damage to the crystal structure if a careful procedure is not followed on account of the pH of sodium aluminate solutions, which is in the alkaline range.
The post treatment of Y zeolites very extensively dealuminized with SiCl.sub.4 (aluminum content .ltoreq.1.36%) with water vapor is known. As a result of this, amorphous silicon dioxide is either reinserted into the zeolite framework or converted into crystalline quartz (see G. J. Ray et al., ZEOLITES (1988), vol. 8, page 458 "Characterization of Defects in Deluminated Faujasite").
It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce Y zeolites with SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratios in their framework of >100 which have a high hydrothermal stability and are resistant to alkaline solutions.


A layered catalyst reactor system and process for hydrotreatment of hydrocarbon feedstocks. The layered catalyst system reactors comprise vertical bed layers including a demetallization catalyst layer, multiple layers of supported hydrotreating catalyst layer, and multiple alternating layers of supported hydrocracking catalysts and self-supported hydrotreating catalysts. The arrangement of the catalyst layers mitigates the risk of temperature run-aways, with improvements in hydrotreatment performance.

Catalytic hydroprocessing refers to petroleum refining processes in which a carbonaceous feedstock is brought into contact with hydrogen and a catalyst, at a higher temperature and pressure, for the purpose of removing undesirable impurities and/or converting the feedstock to an improved product. Examples of hydroprocessing processes include hydrotreating, hydrodemetallization, hydrocracking and hydroisomerization processes.
Hydrotreating processes are used to remove impurities, such as sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen for the control of a final product specification or for the preparation of feed for further processing. Supported mixed metal catalysts used for hydrotreatment of carbonaceous feedstocks comprise a porous alumina matrix impregnated with combinations of nickel, molybdenum, tungsten and/or cobalt. Self-supported mixed metal sulfide catalysts, which are not diluted by a support, pack more metal sulfide and therefore, more hydrogenation power into a smaller reactor volume as compared to supported mixed metal sulfide catalysts.
However, self-supported catalysts are more susceptible to localized "run-away" temperature increases than supported catalysts. Such run-away temperature increases occur when a hydrogenation catalyst generates more heat than its surroundings can absorb, becoming hotter than the bed or reactor temperature. The resulting temperature increase accelerates the hydrogen consumption, which further increases the catalyst temperature until the hydrogenation (hydrogen consumption) rate exceeds the hydrogen supply rate. At that stage the catalyst starts to dehydrogenate the feed, generating coke and hydrogen. This process leads to irreversible coke deactivation.
Supported hydroprocessing catalysts typically comprise one or more metals deposited on a support or carrier consisting of an amorphous oxide and/or a crystalline microporous material (e.g., a zeolite). A suitably sized top layer of supported hydrotreating catalysts can be used to protect a bottom layer of self-supported catalysts from excessive hydrogenation activity.
In view of the foregoing, there is an ongoing need to provide improved hydrotreating catalyst systems that minimize the risk of run-away temperature increases, while increasing the activity and efficiency of the hydrotreatment process.

Layered catalyst reactor systems and processes for hydrotreatment of hydrocarbon feedstocks


A temperature and flow rate controller consisting of a first bank of three-port solenoid-actuated valves for temperature control in series with a second bank of two-port on/off solenoid valves for flow rate control. Each three-port valve has two input ports connected to a cold and a hot stream source, respectively, and an output port connected to a common discharge chamber wherein the throughput from all valves is mixed and reaches an average temperature. These valves are always open, either to the cold or the hot source, and the temperature of the combined discharge is set by the relative position of each valve in the bank; therefore, the total flow rate through the first bank of valves remains constant regardless of the valve settings required to yield the desired temperature. The output of the first bank of valves is regulated by the second bank of on/off valves, which is disposed in series therewith. Each of these valves is either open or closed, thus permitting the setting of the downstream pressure and, correspondingly, of the flow rate to a desired throughput by incremental adjustments achieved by digital control means. In another embodiment of the invention, the flow rate is regulated with a globe or equivalent valve actuated either manually or by a stepper motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related in general to the field of temperature and flow controllers and, in particular, to methods and apparatus suitable for digital operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Everyone is familiar with the process of adjusting the water temperature out of a faucett or shower head by balancing the flow rate through hot and cold water valves. Obviously, in order to raise the outlet water temperature, either the hot water flow is increased or the cold water flow is decreased; and the opposite procedure is followed to lower the water temperature. This process necessarily affects the overall flow rate and often requires a readjustment of each valve to produce the desired total output as well as the desired temperature.
Thus, the process may lead to an undesirable waste of water and time, hardly acceptable in a modern world of heightened ecological consciousness, comfort and computerized appliances. Therefore, several devices have been developed to control both the flow rate and the temperature of water flowing to an outlet. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,245 to Haley (1979) describes a digital control valve comprising a plurality of parallel channels containing separate on/off valves actuated by individual solenoids. Each channel is sized in binary progression, so as to deliver flow rates compatible with computer logic for digital control. The overall flow rate can be adjusted to a desired quantity by selecting the appropriate channels of flow; the rate will be precise within a tolerance determined by the smallest orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,943 to Sperling et. al. (1988) uses the same concept in the design of a liquid-flow temperature controller. By combining a valve of the type described by Haley with a temperature sensor and digital controller, this invention provides an apparatus for automatically setting the liquid temperature to a desired level. The flow of both hot and cold water is regulated by separate flow controllers consisting of a plurality of digital, solenoid-driven on/off valves; the temperature of the resulting mixture is measured by a sensor and fed to a temperature controller; the controller determines an error with respect to a setpoint and actuates the appropriate solenoid/driven valves according to a predetermined feedback control scheme. This patent also takes into account the nonlinearity between flow rates and orifice diameters, and the effect of temperature on viscosity, in order to produce a precise balancing of flow rates to achieve a targeted temperature.
These systems utilize banks of on/off solenoid valves that are either completely open, thus allowing a flow proportional to the size of the orifice in the valve, or completely closed, thus allowing no flow at all. In regulating flow rate, the correct combination of valves to produce the desired rate is kept open, leaving the balance closed. This permits a binary system of control for achieving a precise flow rate within the capacity of the smallest valve. Similarly, in regulating temperature, the correct number of valves on the hot and cold water banks are opened to produce respective flow rates that yield the desired combined temperature. As each valve is either opened or closed, though, the total flow rate is affected, thus requiring the same process of temperature and flow rate balancing inherent with manual operation.
Even if the two inventions are combined for automatic flow and temperature control, the two units will necessarily affect one another and function dependently, so that the control of the two parameters will require an iterative control procedure converging to the desired setpoints. This is essentially what occurs when temperature and flow rate are set manually. Therefore, there still exists a need for a valve system that automatically and independently controls the rate of delivery and the temperature of a liquid to desired setpoints.


A wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving device by supplying drive signals with a duty cycle to a wireless power transmitting coil. The wireless power receiving device has a rectifier and a wireless power receiving coil that receives wireless power signals having the duty cycle from the wireless power transmitting device. The rectifier is coupled to an integrated circuit such as a battery charger integrated circuit. The amount of current drawn by the integrated circuit from the rectifier is adjustable. During operation, control circuitry in the wireless power receiving device sets the current to multiple different values while using sensor circuitry to measure output power from the rectifier. A satisfactory value for the duty cycle can be identified by adjusting the duty cycle while observing when peaks in the output power arise as a function of the different current values.

In a wireless charging system, a wireless power transmitting device such as a device with a charging surface wirelessly transmits power to a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device receives the wirelessly transmitted power and uses this power to charge an internal battery and power components. It can be challenging to regulate the flow of wireless power in a wireless charging system. If care is not taken, wireless power transfer efficiency may not be optimized and power delivery requirements may not be satisfied.

Wireless charging system with duty cycle control


A technique for performing configuration checking of a network is provided. A network data store is scanned for at least one transaction. At least one event is generated for the transaction. At least one configuration policy is associated with the event. The configuration policy is compared with configuration data associated with the event. It is determined whether the configuration policy has been violated based on the comparison.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to checking and repairing a network configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A storage area network (SAN) may be described as a high-speed network or subnetwork that interconnects shared data storage devices with associated server computers that may be accessed by client computers. SANs are becoming a preferred storage architecture model for block storage systems in comparison to direct attached storage models for several reasons. For example, SANs allow multiple servers to directly share a block of storage devices and allow storage to be separately managed from the servers. Additionally, system administrators managing SANs do not need to purchase additional servers to increase storage capacity because additional data storage devices may be independently added.
In a complex network environment, such as a SAN, there are many sources of incompatibilities between components in the network. For example, a Host Bus Adapter (HBA) firmware level may conflict with the firmware in a switch to which the HBA is connected. An HBA may be described as an I/O adapter that resides between a host bus and a Fibre Channel loop and that manages the transfer of information between the host bus and the Fibre Channel loop. A switch may be described as residing between segments of a network, and the switch receives data packets, determines the destination of the data packets, and forwards the data packets on to their destinations. A Fibre Channel loop may be described as a serial data transfer architecture. In another example, a device driver may not be configured properly to fully utilize the capabilities of a storage device. A device driver may be described as a program that controls a device. Determining all of the possible problems in a SAN is a manual and often error-prone task. Furthermore, applying the correct change to alleviate a problem is also error prone and may result in a problem becoming worse.
Also, configuring a SAN is a time consuming and difficult task because of many interoperability constraints between devices from different vendors that a system administrator needs to be aware of. Typically, vendors create SAN devices so that the SAN devices interoperate with devices and services of strategic partners of the vendors, and this is done to gain competitive advantage over other vendors. Also, the interoperability constraints are constantly changing, and, therefore, it is difficult for a system administrator to keep abreast of the changes.
Therefore, in order to leverage the benefits of SANs, system administrators should be able to easily manage SANs. Thus, SAN management software is usually deployed along with every SAN installation. One feature of a SAN management software tool is its ability to help a system administrator configure a SAN. One such SAN management software tool is IBM® Tivoli® Storage Area Network Manager (from International Business Machines Corporation), which provides topology discovery and display of the components and disk resources across the SAN and provides monitoring and problem identification to assist in the maintainability of the SAN.
Thus, a system administrator needs help selecting new storage devices to be purchased for a SAN to ensure that the new storage devices are compatible with the existing devices in the SAN. Also, when new storage devices are being configured into the SAN, the system administrator needs help configuring the new storage devices so that SAN configuration constraints that are specific to the particular SAN installation are not violated. For example, a SAN installation may have some specific rules pertaining to which devices should be grouped together in order to satisfy performance, reliability, and/or security concerns.
Although existing network management tools are useful, there is a need in the art for improved checking and repairing of a network, such as a SAN network.

Checking and repairing a network configuration


A receiver is used in decoding a received encoded signal. The received encoded speech signal is encoded using excitation linear prediction. The receiver receives the encoded speech signal. The encoded speech signal comprises a code, a pitch lag and a line spectral pair index. An innovation sequence is produced by selecting a code from each of a plurality of codebooks based on the code index. A line spectral pair quantization of a speech signal is determined using the line spectral pair index. A pitch lag is determined using the pitch lag index. A speech signal is reconstructed using the produced innovation sequence, the determined line spectral pair quantization and pitch lag.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital speech encoders using code excited linear prediction coding, or CELP. More particularly, this invention relates a method and apparatus for efficiently selecting a desired codevector used to reproduce an encoded speech segment at the decoder.
2. Background of the Invention
Direct quantization of analog speech signals is too inefficient for effective bandwidth utilization. A technique known as linear predictive coding, or LPC, which takes advantage of speech signal redundancies, requires much fewer bits to transmit or store speech signals. Originally speech signals are produced as a result of acoustical excitation of the vocal tract. While the vocal cords produce the acoustical excitation, the vocal tract (e.g. mouth, tongue and lips) acts as a time varying filter of the vocal excitation. Thus, speech signals can be efficiently represented as a quasi-periodic excitation signal plus the time varying parameters of a digital filter. In addition, the periodic nature of the vocal excitation can further be represented by a linear filter excited by a noise-like Gaussian sequence. Thus, in CELP, a first long delay predictor corresponds to the pitch periodicity of the human vocal cords, and a second short delay predictor corresponds to the filtering action of the human vocal tract.
CELP reproduces the individual speaker""s voice by processing the input speech to determine the desired excitation sequence and time varying digital filter parameters. At the encoder, a prediction filter forms an estimate for the current sample of the input signal based on the past reconstructed values of the signal at the receiver decoder, i.e. the transmitter encoder predicts the value that the receiver decoder will reconstruct. The difference between the current value and predicted value of the input signal is the prediction error. For each frame of speech, the prediction residual and filter parameters are communicated to the receiver. The prediction residual or prediction error is also known as the innovation sequence and is used at the receiver as the excitation input to the prediction filters to reconstruct the speech signal. Each sample of the reconstructed speech signal is produced by adding the received signal to the predicted estimate of the present sample. For each successive speech frame, the innovation sequence and updated filter parameters are communicated to the receiver decoder.
The innovation sequence is typically encoded using codebook encoding. In codebook encoding, each possible innovation sequence is stored as an entry in a codebook and each is represented by an index. The transmitter and receiver both have the same codebook contents. To communicate given innovation sequence, the index for that innovation sequence in the transmitter codebook is transmitted to the receiver. At the receiver, the received index is used to look up the desired innovation sequence in the receiver codebook for use as the excitation sequence to the time varying digital filters.
The task of the CELP encoder is to generate the time varying filter coefficients and the innovation sequence in real time. The difficulty of rapidly selecting the best innovation sequence from a set of possible innovation sequences for each frame of speech is an impediment to commercial achievement of real time CELP based systems, such as cellular telephone, voice mail and the like.
Both random and deterministic codebooks are known. Random codebooks are used because the probability density function of the prediction error samples has been shown to be nearly white Gaussian random noise. However, random codebooks present a heavy computational burden to select an innovation sequence from the codebook at the encoder since the codebook must be exhaustively searched.
To select an innovation sequence from the codebook of stored innovation sequences, a given fidelity criterion is used. Each innovation sequence is filtered through time varying linear recursive filters to reconstruct (predict) the speech frame as it would be reconstructed at the receiver. The predicted speech frame using the candidate innovation sequence is compared with the desired target speech frame (filtered through a perceptual weighting filter) and the fidelity criterion is calculated. The process is repeated for each stored innovation sequence. The innovation sequence that maximizes the fidelity criterion function is selected as the optimum innovation sequence, and an index representing the selected optimum sequence is sent to the receiver, along with other filter parameters.
At the receiver, the index is used to access the selected innovation sequence, and, in conjunction with the other filter parameters, to reconstruct the desired speech.
The central problem is how to select an optimum innovation sequence from the codebook at the encoder within the constraints of real time speech encoding and acceptable transmission delay. In a random codebook, the innovation sequences are independently generated random white Gaussian sequences. The computational burden of performing an exhaustive search of all the innovation sequences in the random code book is extremely high because each innovation sequence must be passed through the prediction filters.
One prior art solution to the problem of selecting an innovation sequence is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,925 in which the adjacent codebook entries have a subset of elements in common. In particular, each succeeding code sequence may be generated from the previous code sequence by removing one or more elements from the beginning of the previous sequence and adding one or more elements to the end of the previous sequence. The filter response to each succeeding code sequence is then generated from the filter response to the preceding code sequence by subtracting the filter response to the first samples and appending the filter response to the added samples. Such overlapping codebook structure permits accelerated calculation of the fidelity criterion.
Another prior art solution to the problem of rapidly selecting an optimum innovation sequence is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,157 in which the codebook of excitation vectors is derived from a set of M basis vectors which are used to generate a set of 2M codebook excitation code vectors. The entire codebook of 2M possible excitation vectors is searched using the knowledge of how the code vectors are generated from the basis vectors, without having to generate and evaluate each of the individual code vectors.
A receiver is used in decoding a received encoded signal. The received encoded speech signal is encoded using excitation linear prediction. The receiver receives the encoded speech signal. The encoded speech signal comprises a code, a pitch lag and a line spectral pair index. An innovation sequence is produced by selecting a code from each of a plurality of codebooks based on the code index. A line spectral pair quantization of a speech signal is determined using the line spectral pair index. A pitch lag is determined using the pitch lag index. A speech signal is reconstructed using the produced innovation sequence, the determined line spectral pair quantization and pitch lag.

Receiver for receiving a linear predictive coded speech signal


A polymer dispersed liquid crystal film comprises: a first substrate (1) and a second substrate (2) arranged opposing to each other; a first transparent conductive film (3) and a second transparent conductive film (4) arranged on opposing surfaces of the first substrate (1) and the second substrate (2), respectively; and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer (5) located between the first transparent conductive film (3) and the second transparent conductive film (4), wherein the polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer (5) comprises homogeneously dispersed bi-axis liquid crystal (51) and polymer (52). When no voltage is applied between the first transparent conductive film (3) and the second transparent conductive film (4), the bi-axis liquid crystal (51) exhibits a random arrangement, and the bi-axis liquid crystal (51) has perpendicular refractive index (n1) and the parallel refractive index (n2), wherein the perpendicular refractive index (n1) and the parallel refractive index (n2) are not equal to each other, and neither of them matches the refractive index of the polymer (np). A method of preparing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film and a display apparatus comprising a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film are also disclosed.

Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) refers to a material formed by: mixing a low molecular weight liquid crystal with a low molecular weight pre-polymer; allowing the low molecular weight pre-polymer to undergo polymerization to form a polymer in which the liquid crystal is homogeneously dispersed; and producing a material having an electronic-optical characteristic by means of electric anisotropy of the liquid crystal without using a polarizing plate. The optical characteristics of PDLC films depend to a great extent on the matching of effective refractive index of the liquid crystal with the polymer.
The existing PDLC films comprise only one-axis nematic liquid crystals so that they cannot scatter light to a desired extent in the absence of electric field, thereby reducing the contrast of the PDLC films and deteriorating the customs' feelings.

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal film, method of preparing the same, and display apparatus comprising the same


A variable-displacement lubricant pump for providing a pressurized lubricant includes a rotor with at least one radially slidable vane configured to rotate in a shiftable stator ring. A first plunger is configured to push the shiftable stator ring into a high pumping volume direction. A pressure control system is configured to control a lubricant discharge pressure of the pressurized lubricant. The pressure control system comprises a first control chamber with the first plunger being configured to move in an axial direction and a side wall. A pump outlet port is connected to the first control chamber via a first pressure conduit. A movable outlet opening is disposed in the side wall of the first control chamber, is connected to a low pressure, and is configured to move with an axial projection and to be actuated by a thermostatic element. The first plunger can cover and close the movable outlet opening.

WO 2005/026553 A1 describes variable displacement vane pumps with a pressure control system for controlling the discharge pressure of the lubricant. The pressure control system comprises a first control chamber wherein a first plunger is provided which is movable axially. The first control chamber is connected via a first pressure conduit with the pump outlet. The pressure control system also comprises a separate control element which is realized as a cylinder-piston-element which keeps the pressure of the pressurized lubricant provided by the pump at a more or less constant level. This is realized by opening and closing a control outlet of the control chamber, thereby allowing the stator ring to move into a low pumping volume direction or being pushed into a high pumping volume direction.
The pressure control is independent from other parameters, such as lubricant temperature or others.


A loading object putting apparatus (a, b, c, d, and e) puts a loading object (e) in mouth by movement of jaw. The loading object putting apparatus (a, b, c, d, e) includes a headgear (a), an arm connecting means (b), an arm (c), a lever apparatus (d) rocked by a jaw, and the loading object (e).

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for putting a Loading object in a wearer's mouth by movement of the wearer's lower jaw without using hands.
2. Prior Art
In order to make it easy to use, the whistle has been used by hanging on the head via strap.
However, there are the following problems with this general way.
                (a) Finding the whistle is hard, so it takes some time to blow the whistle.        (b) The whistle cannot be used if the user's hands are not free.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,943 describes a headgear having an attachable whistle.This conventional technology is able to blow the whistle quickly, but that the technology has a problems of actual use.        (a) The whistle can not be adjusted if a hand is not free.        (b) Without electric power, loud sound can't be made.
In general art, putting a in the mouth has been used for operation of electric equipments by persons having hand trouble.
There are the problems by this general way as following.
                (a) It is hard for the persons to put stick in mouth.        (b) It is hard for the persons to put the stick in mouth.        (c) When the persons interrupt the work for a second or talking, the stick must be removed from mouth.
3. Objects
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for solving the following problems.                (a) To provide an apparatus for putting an object in the wearer's mouth quickly when needed without using the wearer's hand, and removing the object from the wearer's mouth automatically when not needed.        (b) To provide an apparatus capable of use without power.        (c) To provide an apparatus which does not become interruption of other work.        (d) To provide an apparatus which can also use as an option operation of easy electronic equipment using electricity.

Apparatus for putting a loading object in mouth by motion of jaw


In an optical packet-switched network provided with one or more nodes (1), a transmitter (6, 17) transmits polarized packet signals (P) over optical connections (4, 5). A polarized packet signal comprises an address signal (A.sub.1) and a data signal (I.sub.0), which are generated by the transmitter with different, preferably mutually orthogonal, polarization states (;, .cndot.). In a node (1), the address signal (A.sub.1) from a packet signal (or from a power portion (P1) thereof), is separated from the data signal (I.sub.0), in a polarization beam splitter (9). From the separated address signals, a control unit (11) derives control signals by means of which an optical switch (7) is switched for further routing of the packet signals (or of the remaining power sections (P.sub.2) thereof). In a second embodiment, polarized packet signals are switched through after they have been provided with an altered address signal in a polarization beam combiner.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of optical signal processing systems. More specifically, the invention relates to the address field recognition in an optical packet-switched network.
2. The Prior Art
In an optical packet-switched network, data, often in digital form, are transported through the network in optical packets. An optical packet is an optical signal, modulated with data, of a certain frequency and having a certain defined structure. It is customary that such a packet, such as, for example, an ATM cell, comprises a header section and a data portion, hereinafter referred to as address field ("header") and information field ("payload") respectively. The address field comprises, among others, coded routing and/or destination information, while the information field contains the actual data which are to be transported through the network. Once the packet arrives in a node of the network, that packet must, on the basis of the information in the address field of the packet, be switched through to either a receiver connected to the node or to a following node. The address field of the packet must thereto be read and possibly altered for transport to a following node, while the information field remains (or can remain) unread and unaltered. In principle, the optical packets from the optical domain can, for that purpose, first be converted to the electrical domain; in the electrical domain, after analysis and possibly modification of the address field, the packets can then be switched; and subsequently, the switched packets can again be converted to the optical domain. In light of the desire for ever higher bit speeds, however, this switching procedure is much too slow. Another possibility is to leave the optical packets in the optical domain as much as possible, and to switch optically. The optical switching means which need to be applied thereto, however, require an electrical driver. For that reason, a relatively small portion (for example, 10%) of the optical power which the optical packet contains is split off in order to derive therefrom, after analysis in the optical or electrical domain of the address and routing information in the address field, electrical control signals for driving the optical switching means. If necessary, the optical packet (that is, the remaining portion of the signal power, which contains the full packet information) is meanwhile, via temporary storage means such as, for example, a delay line, conducted to an input of the switching means.
A technique in which the address filed analysis is carried out in the electrical domain in known, for example, from reference 1! (for further bibliographical data relating to the references quoted, see hereinafter under section C). In this case, the split-off portion of the packet signal containing the full packet information is completely converted into an electrical signal. Since the length of the address field signal is in general much shorter than the information field signal (for an ATM cell, for example, the length ratio of the address field and information field signal is approx. 1:10), in fact an unnecessarily long time occurs before the actual analysis can start.
From reference 2!, a technique is known in which, of the split-off portion of the optical signal of an ATM cell, with the aid of a synchronization signal obtained simultaneously from the split-off portion, only the first 5 bytes (the address field) are converted into an electrical signal, i.e., an "electrical address field". From analysis of the electrical address field signal, a driver signal is derived for the switching means. The analysis also results in a new address field signal which is converted into an optical signal. Via a beam coupler, the new address field signal is coupled synchronously to the other portion of the ATM cell signal, in order to replace the old address field signal therein.
From reference 3!, a network is known in which from the split-off portion of the optical packet signal, in the optical domain, the address field signal is separated. This reference describes, an optical telecommunication system in which transmitted packets are composed of an optical data signal of a first wavelength, modulated with the data to be transmitted, and an optical control signal of a second wavelength. The second wavelength is specific for a certain destination, and therefore in fact forms the address field signal of the packet. A network node of the system is provided with an optical switch and with control means which selectively react to signals of the second wavelength for the routing of a related packet by the switch. In that case, a portion of the signal power of a packet is split off and examined by filtering in regard to a signal of the second wavelength which is specific for the node. When the node-specific signal is detected, the signal is converted into the electrical domain and applied as control signal for the switch. The system known from reference 3! has a number of limitations. As a result of the application of signals of various wavelengths within one packet, extra measures are required to counteract dispersion problems. The wavelength range from which the node-specific wavelengths are chosen is no longer available for a possible extension of the transmission capacity of the network. No possibility is indicated of giving the packet another destination while it is under way.
Besides the limitations previously noted above, the known techniques discussed above further have the disadvantage that, due to the splitting off of the signal for the purpose of analyzing the address field of the packet, a portion of the packet signal power is lost. In the technique of reference 2!, such a loss of signal also occurs in the beam coupler to which the new address field signal is synchronously coupled for the purpose of replacing the old address field in the packet signal. Such signal losses demand additional signal amplification, especially if packets are to be routed via various nodes.
From references 12! and 13!, an inter-connection technique for a multiple stage optical switching network is known in which transmission of data and address information takes place by means of optical signals which propagate in free space, and which are mutually orthogonally polarised. For switching purposes an address signal, at any rate a portion of the power of an address signal, is separated from the corresponding data signal in a so-called partial polarization beam splitter (PPBS). This address signal is compared, in the electrical domain, with a reference address signal, which can be an address signal of another data signal. Based on the result of the comparison, the related data signal, with the thereto preceding address signal (with reduced power), is switched through. As a great advantage of the application of mutually orthogonal polarization states for the address signal and the data signal, these references mention that these signals can be separated in a straightforward manner by application of passive optical devices. However, a restriction of this technique is that a good optical separation on the basis of polarization requires that the polarisation beam splitters continually have the proper orientation with respect to the polarisations of the signals to be separated. In inter-connection applications this is not a problem, since the distances to be bridged are often in the order of centimeters. In optical packet-switched networks, such as those applied for telecommunication purposes, and in which optical signal transmission takes place over distances which are more likely in the order of kilometers, and via transmission lines such as glass fiber connections which are usually not polarization-maintaining, this technique can not be utilized without further measures.

Optical packet-switched transmission network

Van Der Tol; Johannes Jacobus Gerardus Maria


A crepe process includes applying an adhesive composition to a nonwoven web, drying, and creping the nonwoven web on a creping drum. The improvement includes using an adhesive composition that includes an aqueous copolymer dispersion obtained by emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture including 65 to 94.5% by weight of vinyl acetate, 5 to 30% by weight of ethylene, (meth)acrylamide, and 0.1 to 4% by weight of an N-methylol functional monomer. The N-methylol functional monomer constitutes from 25 to 85% by weight of the combined amounts of acrylamide and N-methylol functional monomer, which combined amounts constitute from 0.5 to 5% by weight of the monomer mixture. The emulsion polymerization is performed in the presence of 1 to 10% by weight of polyvinyl alcohol, based on the total weight of all monomers used for the polymerization. The adhesive composition does not include alkylphenol ethoxylates, phosphate ester surfactants, or sodium laureth sulfate.

Disposable paper products have been used as a substitute for conventional cloth wipers and towels. In order for these paper products to gain consumer acceptance, they must closely simulate cloth in both perception and performance. Softness is highly desirable for any wipers and towels because consumers find soft paper products more pleasant. One of the prior art attempts to increase softness in the paper products without sacrificing strength is creping the paper from a drying surface with a doctor blade. Creping disrupts and breaks the above-discussed interfiber bonds as the paper web is fluffed up. As a result of some broken interfiber bonds, the creped paper web is generally softened.
Crepe processes, especially double recrepe (DRC) processes, involve creping a base sheet or nonwoven web on a drum, printing a polymeric adhesive composition on one side of the sheet, flash drying the adhesive composition, creping the base sheet on a drum again, printing a polymeric adhesive composition on the other side of the base sheet, flash drying the adhesive composition, and then creping the base sheet a third time. The base sheet is printed while traveling through gravure nip rolls. Various crepe processes and binding materials used in the processes are known, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,590.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,625 discloses creping adhesive compositions comprising an aqueous vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer dispersion and a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,146 describes the improvement of the adhesion between the tissue sheet and the creping cylinder during creping by applying one adhesive (polyether or polyamide) to the sheet and another adhesive (polyacrylic acid) to the cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,544 discloses crosslinkable creping adhesives composed of non-self-crosslinkable polymers with crosslinkable groups like hydroxyl group and an ionic crosslinking agent like zirconium compounds.
A creping adhesive formulation comprising polyvinyl alcohol and a polyhydric alcohol like pentaerythritol, and optionally a phosphate salt is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,434. Emulsifier-stabilized aqueous dispersions of vinyl acetate ethylene N-methylol acrylamide copolymers for the use in creping adhesives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,824,635 and 8,012,285 and 6,908,524 and 6,974,520 and 8,273,414.
Aqueous dispersions of vinyl acetate ethylene copolymers with comonomer units derived from N-methylol acrylamide and acrylamide, which are stabilized with polyvinyl alcohol, are used only as nonwoven binders (U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,978, US 2013/0149929), but not as adhesives in a crepe process. US 2003/0176133 A1 discloses use of such polymers having high N-methylol acrylamide content as binders for providing wet strength to fibrous substrates and for use in double recreped paper.

Polyvinyl alcohol stabilized acetate ethylene copolymer dispersions as adhesives for creped webs


The present invention relates to particulate compositions comprising controlled release particles wherein discrete elements of flavouring-containing fat are dispersed in a gelatine matrix, the particles containing; 0.1-40 wt %, preferably 5-30 wt % of flavouring; 10-70 wt %, preferably 20-50 wt % of gelatine; and 0.1-75 wt %, preferably 5 -0 wt % of fat, the fat having a melting point of at least 35° C.; the particles having a volume weighted average diameter of 50-1500 μm. The particulate composition according to the present invention will release the flavouring comprised therein under specific conditions e.g. under the influence of shear forces, heat and/or moisture. The release rate upon consumption can be affected by varying the relative amounts of gelatine and fat and the gelling strength of the gelatine. These compositions are therefore particularly suitable for imparting longer lasting taste sensation to confectionaries, in particular chewing gum, and to toothpaste.

Encapsulation systems represent an important field of interest for the flavour industry. Encapsulated systems are designed to achieve two kinds of objectives.
The first goal relates to the function of protecting the ingredients entrapped in such systems. In fact, these systems must be capable of protecting an active material encapsulated therein from different kinds of retrogradation and at the same time of preventing the escape of the active material, especially of volatile flavouring component(s). Oxidation of flavours, such as essential oils, resulting in off-notes, poses serious problems for the food industry. Carbohydrates as a class offer a food-acceptable substrate in which volatiles and aromatics have been encapsulated with a certain degree of success. However most water-soluble carbohydrates are hygroscopic and will not reliably hold the encapsulate for long periods. The stabilisation of encapsulation systems therefore remains a critical issue in the field.
Another objective, that is always targeted for an encapsulated system, is to control (depending on the final application) the release of the active ingredient. In particular, if the active is volatile, it is generally of much importance to effectively prevent its release during storage, but at the same time to ensure that the encapsulation system will release the volatile active ingredient during use, triggered by conditions that are typical of such use.
A considerable amount of work has been performed relating to flavouring orally consumed compositions such as chewing gum, chewable medicinal tablets, chewing tobacco and toothpaste, whereby such orally consumed substances produce a flavour impact both initially and over an extended period of time. Problems have arisen in attempting to create encapsulates wherein part of the flavour is released immediately during e.g. mastication, whereas another part provides a sustained release of such flavour.
It is well known that the chewing gum base acts as a 'sink' for the added non-encapsulated flavour. In fact, the addition of non-encapsulated flavours to gum bases, as is still conventionally practised in the field, results in the release of only 20-40% of the total flavour during consumption, while the rest remains entrapped in the gum base. Moreover, chewing gums presently on the market have the following problems: (1) 1.0% or more of expensive flavour oil is required to obtain acceptable initial flavour perception (10 times that required in other confections) due to the fact that flavour oils have a great affinity for the chewing gum base, become locked in, and are thus not perceptible, as shown by analysis of cud after 4 hours of chewing wherein 80% of the added flavour still remains; and (2) even at 1.0% or more flavour oil levels, acceptable perception levels last only about 2-3 minutes.
Instead of simply adding flavour ingredients as such to gum bases, encapsulation in colloids such as gum arabic, maltodextrin or proteins has been proposed in the art as an alternative route to improve the efficient delivery of flavour.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,526,039, for example, teaches that if an essential oil or flavouring is combined with chewing gum base in a finely divided condition, and the particles of the flavouring or oil are encased in a suitable matrix so as to prevent contact with the gum base during manufacture, the deleterious effect of this contact on the flavour properties of the gum is thus prevented or largely reduced. By preparing an emulsion of the essential oil and an emulsifying material, which includes e.g. common gums and gelatine, the essential oil is divided into fine particles and these particles are encased in the emulsifying material, so that when the emulsion is added to the gum mass, the essential oil is prevented from coming into direct contact with the base. The physical form of these particles and the properties of the ingredients prevent the control of the flavour release and intensity.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,440 teaches a method of preparing a chewing gum characterised by "extended flavour perception time" and high degree of flavour release by incorporating therein a spray-dried composition comprising a volatile, water-immiscible flavouring agent encapsulated within finely divided particles of gelatine, and substantially uniformly distributing said gelatine encapsulated flavouring agent within an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base. The use of separate "fixed" and "unfixed" flavour portions is also taught.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,446 teaches a chewing gum comprising (i) smaller particles of gelatine characterised by fast release of flavour and (ii) larger particles of gelatine characterised by slower release of flavour, each of the gelatine particles containing dispersed therein, in dried emulsion form, discrete micro-droplets of a volatile water-immiscible flavouring agent, and an all-enveloping mass of a chewable gum base within which the particles are substantially uniformly distributed whereby the flavour is released substantially evenly and uniformly over the extended chewing time. This document further discloses that the grade, type or bloom strength may vary widely. When a rapid release is desired it is preferred to use a gelatine having a Bloom less than 50. When slower release is desired the Bloom preferably will be above 200, according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,446.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,106 controlled, delayed release encapsulated flavour particles are disclosed comprising a base powder of partially hydrophilic and slowly soluble material, e.g. a combination of gelatine with gum arabic and a plasticizer such as glycerol, which entraps the flavour and a coating material that is insoluble in but has affinity for the chewing gum base. The essential features of these encapsulates are: (I) the core matrix which entraps and prevents loss of the volatile flavour component during drying and yet which is partially hydrophilic to give quick and sustained release of flavour; and (II) the water insoluble coating which delays flavour release and prevents the flavour from dissolving, and thereby being indefinitely entrapped, in a chewing gum base. The time of flavour release can be controlled by varying parameters such as particle size, the choice of flavour, the bloom strength of the gelatine used in the base matrix, as well as the use of other components in the matrix, such as maltodextrin and/or gum arabic, the amount of water insoluble coating and by treating the outer surface of the base powder matrix to seal and insolubilize the outer surface thereof, e.g. by the use of cross-linking agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,627 discloses chewing gum compositions comprising a chewing gum base having dispersed therein sweetener-bearing polymeric particles and/or flavour-bearing polymeric particles, which polymeric particles comprise a water-soluble polymer and a water-insoluble polymer being physically associated with each other and in such a manner that one is in the form of discrete entities in a matrix of the other. The active ingredient, e.g. a flavour oil, is incorporated in either or both of the water-soluble and the water-insoluble polymer. The particle size and relative ratio of water-soluble to water-insoluble polymer can be varied to release a lesser proportion of the flavour and/or sweetener composition during mastication initially and a greater quantity on continuous mastication of the chewing gum.
In WO 91/17821 microcapsules containing a flavour component embedded in a matrix material comprising a colloid, such as a gum, modified starch, gelatine, or a dextrine; and optionally saccharides and waxes are disclosed. The wax can be added in order to extend the release of flavour from the matrix, and is preferably a relatively hard, water-insoluble wax. These microcapsules are suitable for use in confectionery products such as chewing gum.
US 2003/082272 discloses a method of preparing water insoluble gel beads consisting of a porous alginate matrix containing entrapped flavour solvent, such as fat or vegetable oil. The beads are loaded with flavour by mixing a liquid flavour with the particles. Since alginate gels have relatively large pores, other macromolecules may be added as a filler material. Suitable filler materials according to US 2003/082272 include dextrins, gums, cellulose derivatives and proteins such as gelatine. Beads having a matrix comprised of approximately 6.5 wt % of gelatine, 6.5 wt % of alginate and 82.5% of miglyol are disclosed in this document.
In spite of all prior-art attempts to provide satisfying controlled-release flavouring compositions as mentioned above there is thus still a need for improved flavouring compositions for use in orally consumed compositions, particularly in chewing gum, which are capable of further extending the satisfactory chewing time thereof, and/or which require the use of less flavouring.


A pick-up system is provided that can be suitably used irrespective of the type of the guitar by means of an arrangement of a plurality of pick-up coils that can appropriately conform to the curvature of the strings that are arranged in a stringed instrument. In accordance with the pick-up system of the present invention, it is possible to adjust the curvature of the roof surfaces of the pick-up coils in conformance with the bending of a pick-up board on which the pick-up coils have been mounted. Therefore, a distance that is always an appropriate distance can be maintained between each of the pick-up coils that are arranged on the pick-up board and each of the strings by means of the suitable adjustment of the curvature of the pick-up board. Accordingly, there is the advantageous result that the vibrations of each of the strings can be appropriately detected irrespective of the type of guitar.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pick-up system that is mounted on a stringed instrument and, in particular, it relates to a pick-up system, which is mounted on a stringed instrument such as a guitar and the like that has a plurality of strings, and can be adjusted such that it is possible to appropriately detect the vibration of each string. Further aspects of the present invention relate to corresponding processes.
2. Related Art
For some time there have been pick-up systems, which are mounted on the body of a stringed instrument such as a guitar and the like, that detect the string vibrations and convert the vibrations into an electrical signal. In particular, the pick-up systems that are used with an electronic stringed instrument, such as a guitar synthesizer and the like, are furnished with a pick-up coil for each string such that the vibrations of each string can be processed individually.
In particular, in Japanese Patent Publication Number 2985061, a pick-up system is cited in which a plurality of pick-up coils are arranged such that the coils have a specified curvature in order to detect the vibration of each string that is arranged on the body of a stringed instrument, such as a guitar and the like. Specifically, the pick-up system that is cited in Japanese Patent Publication Number 2985061 is formed such that it has a specified curvature that is set in advance inside the top case and the bottom case, and the pick-up board, which possesses flexibility, is sandwiched between the top case and the bottom case. As a result, the pick-up coils that are attached to the pick-up board are arranged along the curvature that has been formed on the inside between the top case and the bottom case.
In order for the pick-up system to properly pick up the respective vibrations of each of the strings, it is necessary to appropriately arrange the pick-up coils with respect to each of the strings.
However, for example, in a guitar, the curvature of the string arrangement is different for each type of guitar in conformance with the shapes of each of the finger boards, bridges, and the like. In those cases where pick-up coils that are arranged at a specified curvature are used, such as is cited in Japanese Patent Publication Number 2985061, because the distance between the pick-up coils and the strings becomes unsuitably separated, there has been a problem in that the vibration of the strings cannot be properly picked up.


A low-coherence interferometer apparatus for determining information on interfaces of an object including: a polychromatic light source; an optical system generating a measurement optical beam and a reference optical beam; a delay line introducing a variable optical delay between the optical beams; detection optics combining the beams, and producing a spectral signal representative of an optical-power spectral density of the resulting interference signal; a control and processing module acquiring a plurality of spectral signals for a plurality of optical delays, determining, for each spectral signal, optical retardation information between interfering beams within a spectral measurement range, analyse the variation in the retardations, and assign the optical retardation determined on the basis of the different spectral signals to interface curves, corresponding to straight lines with positive, negative, zero or almost-zero gradient, depending on the respective optical delay of the acquisition of the spectral signals, and to deduce information of the object.

The present invention relates to a low-coherence reflectometry device and method with time-frequency detection.
The field of the invention is more particularly, but non-limitatively, that of optical devices for measuring structures of objects, distances and thicknesses.
Different optical techniques are known, based on low-coherence interferometry, for measuring distances or thicknesses of materials or of internal structures. These techniques are generally known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) or optical coherence reflectometry (OCR).
Techniques are known based on time-domain detection (TD-OCR for time-domain OCR). A delay line introduces a variable delay between a reference beam and a measurement beam originating from the object to be measured. The two beams interfere on an intensity detector and produce interferograms when the delay between the measurement beam reflected in the object and the reference beam is shorter than the coherence length of the optical source. The position of the interferograms over the course of the delay line is representative of the position of the interfaces.
These techniques have the advantage that the measurement range is only limited with respect to large distances by the course of the delay line, and can easily achieve several tens of centimetres.
On the other hand, they have the drawback that the measurement rates are limited by the speed of displacement of the delay line, and as a result they are sensitive to vibrations. Moreover, they require the use of wide-spectrum optical sources emitting continuously, because of the high rate time sampling requirements of the interference signal. In fact, the pulsed or frequency scanning sources have repetition frequencies that are too slow and incompatible with the required time-sampling frequencies. Now, the continuous sources available in practice are limited in terms of spectral width, which limits the minimum measurable thicknesses.
Techniques are also known based on detection in the frequency or spectral domain. Light originating from reflections on interfaces of an object to be measured is directed towards a detector, which makes it possible to measure the intensity of the interference signals generated at a plurality of wavelengths. Sometimes, a reference beam is also used to define a position reference.
In particular, techniques are known based on a wide-spectrum light source and detection of the spectral type, with a detector of the spectrometer type that makes it possible to measure the luminous intensity received as a function of the optical wavelength (Frequency Domain OCR (FD-OCT)).
Techniques are also known based on a tunable or scanning wavelength laser source and intensity detection (Swept Source OCR (SS-OCT)).
In both cases, at the exit of the detector a measurement of the power spectral density of the light received is obtained that corresponds to the spectrum of the source, modulated depending on the contributions and differences in optical paths of the different reflections contributing thereto. Analysis of this spectrum, for example by Fourier transform, makes it possible to measure the thicknesses between the interfaces of the object, and/or to locate these interfaces.
The techniques with detection in the spectral domain have the advantage of allowing better measurement sensitivity than the techniques with detection in the temporal domain, and very fast measurement rates limited only by the measurement rates of the detectors. They also have the advantage of allowing the use of pulsed or scanning sources that make it possible to obtain greater spectral widths than continuous sources, and which thus make it possible to measure fine thicknesses.
However, they have the drawback that it can be difficult to interpret the measurements for objects with a complex structure, in particular because the distance measurements deduced from the power spectral density are unsigned values.
Moreover, the spectral techniques only allow a limited measurement range with respect to large distances, in particular with a signal-to-noise ratio which deteriorates towards large distances due to effects of sampling of the spectrum and the coherence length of the detected light.
Thus, for example, a squared spectrum source centred on a central wavelength λ0 with a width Δλ has a coherence length of the order of:Ic=(½)(Δ02/Δλ)
This coherence length defines the minimum measurable optical depth Lmin.
In a spectral detection device with a spectrometer making it possible to acquire N measurement points in the range of wavelengths Δλ (for example over N pixels of a linear sensor), or in a device using a tunable laser source making it possible to generate N different wavelengths in the range of wavelengths Δλ, the maximum measurable optical depth Lmax is:Lmax=(N/4)(Δ02/Δλ)
Thus, the measurement range of a spectral system corresponds to:Lmax/Lmin=Lmax/Ic=N/2
It is therefore directly limited by the number of measurement points of the spectrometer (or, with a tunable source, by the number of distinct wavelengths which can be generated).
In practice, spectrometers comprise sensors with a few hundreds of points, and the measurement ranges of the spectral systems are generally of the order of approximately one hundred times the coherence length of the source.
The TD-OCR or FD-OCR type techniques can be implemented in different forms. For example, the document U.S. Pat. No. 7,426,036 is known, which describes a device of the FD-OCR type. This device utilizes a Fizeau-type or common-path interferometer configuration which makes it possible to generate an optical reference beam in the same arm of the interferometer as the measurement beam. The reference beam is used to generate an optical reference from which the distances of the interfaces of the object to be measured are determined. It also comprises a delay line that makes it possible to set the position of the optical reference statically.
Among the existing sources that can be used for low-coherence interferometry, and in particular which can be effectively coupled in single-mode optical fibres, optical sources of the ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) type or superluminescent diode (SDL) type are known. These sources allow continuous emission of light. They can therefore be utilized with techniques of the TD-OCR and FD-OCR type. However, they have the drawback of having a limited spectral width, for example less than 100 nm around 1310 nm, which corresponds to a minimum measurable optical depth (or in air) of the order of 10 μm.
Optical sources which make it possible to generate wider spectra, and which therefore have shorter coherence lengths, are also known. These sources make it possible to achieve finer minimum measurable thicknesses (for example of the order of 5 μm or less). However, they are either pulsed (such as supercontinuum laser sources that generate a wide spectrum by injecting light pulses originating from a laser in a highly non-linear medium such as a photonic crystal fibre) or scanning (tunable lasers), with repetition or scanning frequencies often of the order of a few kilohertz. They are therefore incompatible with signal acquisition frequency requirements of TD-OCR type detections, and are only used with spectral detection techniques.
Now, some industrial applications, in particular in the semiconductor industry, need to be able to measure both thicknesses of a few microns and optical distances of the order of a few millimetres, which requires a measurement range which cannot be achieved with the known systems.
An object of the present invention is to propose a device and a method for measuring distances and thicknesses which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is also to propose such a device with an increased measurement range.
An object of the present invention is also to propose such a device that makes it possible to measure very small thicknesses or distances.
An object of the present invention is also to propose such a device that allows very precise measurements.

Low-coherence reflectometry method and device employing time-frequency detection


A method of processing an error frame that occurs in packet data communication between a mobile station and a communication server which exchanges packets with the mobile station over a radio network may be carried out by a mobile station. The method carried out by the mobile station includes the steps of: a) detecting an error having occurred in received packet data during communication in a radio network; and b) requesting the communication server to retransmit the packet data without reducing the congestion window size. In addition, the method carried out by a communication server includes the steps of: a) detecting an error having occurred in transmitted packet data during communication in a radio network; and b) retransmitting the packet data without reducing the congestion window size.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication technique used in a mobile communication network and, more particularly, to a method of processing an error frame that occurs in packet data communication between a mobile communication terminal and a communication server which exchanges packets with the mobile communication terminal over a radio network (RN).
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a well-known 3GPP2 network topology. A mobile station (MS) 10 is indicative of a mobile communication terminal, such as a personal computer with wireless adapters, a mobile handset, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) terminal, or a mobile communication modem.
A radio network (RN) 20, also called a radio core network, is comprised of a base transceiver system (BTS) 21, a base station controller (BSC) 23, and a packet control function (PCF) 25. The RN 20 manages the mobility of the MS 10 and may authenticate the MS 10 using a Visitor Location Register (VLR) and a Home Location Register (HLR), which are connected to a mobile switching center (MSC) 30. The RN 20 controls data transmission between the MS 10 and a packet data serving node (PDSN) 40, and performs data buffering between the MS 10 and the PDSN 40. Furthermore, the RN 20 performs a paging process when data is transferred to the MS 10 over an Internet Protocol (IP) network.
Once a basic authentication process of a data call has been completed, a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) protocol establishes a virtual connection between the RN 20 and the PDSN 40.
The BSC 23 provides call control and signaling function in addition to providing remote management function and hand-off function between BTSs and BSCs.
The BSC 23 communicates to the PDSN 40 through the PCF over the GRE tunnel. The PCF 25 and the PDSN 40 communicate with each other using a standard interface known as the RN-to-PDSN interface (R-P interface), which has two components: the A11 interface, used for control messages, and the A10 interface, used for user data. The PCF 25 provides data buffering and packet segmentation functions so that link layer packets received from the PDSN 40 can be transmitted to the MS 10 over an air interface. While the PCF 25 may be incorporated in the BSC 23, the PCF 25 is usually configured as a separate system.
The PDSN 40 provides access to the Internet, intranets, and WAP servers for the MSs that use the RN 20. The Point-to-Point Protocol, or PPP, is commonly used to establish a direct connection between the PDSN 40 and the MS 10. The PDSN 40 uses a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server 50 for user authentication and traffic management, then forwards traffic to a gateway router/home agent at the designated IP network.
The RADIUS server 50 interacts with the PDSN 40 to perform AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) functions. That is, the RADIUS server 50 verifies that a user is a valid subscriber, determines what services are available for the user, and tracks usage for billing.
A Home Agent (HA) 60 maintains mobile user registrations and tunnels packets destined for the mobile client to the PDSN 40. The HA can perform dynamic home address assignment for the MS 10 from address pools configured locally, through Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), or from the RADIUS server 50. Upon receiving a registration request message from the MS 10, the HA 60 allows a corresponding IP address to be used when a method of statically assigning the IP address is employed. On the other hand, when a method of dynamically assigning the IP address is employed, the HA 60 allows an IP address to be used by assigning the IP address and transmitting a registration reply message. When the MS 10 moves to another PDSN area, it notifies the HA 60 of the PDSN area.
A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server/Domain Name System (DNS) server 70 is indicative of a server capable of automatically assigning users IP addresses. The DHCP server/DNS server 70 is used for establishing an IP address, a domain name, etc.
The DNS server is used for converting a host name into an IP address and vice versa. The DNS server may update an IP address for a specific host name upon receiving a DNS update message according to the RFC2136 protocol.
When the MS 10 capable of using a packet data service over the above-mentioned mobile communication network requests the packet data service, the BSC 23 and PCF 25 determine which PDSN should transmit packet data. At this time, a radio traffic channel and a radio link protocol (RLP) are established between the MS 10 and the BSC 23. The A8 interface is used to provide a path for user traffic between the BSC 23 and the PCF 25 for packet data services. In addition, the A10 interface is used to provide a path for user traffic between the PCF 25 and the PDSN 40 for packet data services. In this case, the packet data service in an 'active' state implies that the MS 10 occupies a radio traffic channel, maintains the RLP link and the A8 link, and transmits/receives packet data.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a protocol stack for data call transfer in a conventional mobile communication system. The protocol stack includes a physical layer, a Radio Link Protocol (RLP), a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), an Internet Protocol (IP), a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a User Datagram Protocol (UDP), etc.
The physical layer is the lowest layer of the Open System Interconnection Reference Model (OSI Reference Model), an International Standards Organization (ISO) standard for worldwide communications that defines a framework for implementing protocols in seven layers. The physical layer, which is implemented in hardware, defines all electrical and physical specifications for devices. IS-953/2000 protocol 109 corresponds to the physical layer.
The RLP 107 is used to provide reliable data service over the air interface between the MS 10 and a base station. The RLP 107 also employs an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) scheme to request retransmission of messages which have errors or fail to arrive in order to ensure reliable transfer of data.
The PPP 105 is a method of connecting a computer to the Internet using a phone line. Working in the data link layer of the OSI Reference Model, the PPP 105 sends the computer's TCP/IP packets to a server that puts them onto the Internet.
The IP 103 is a data-oriented protocol used by source and destination hosts for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork. The IP 103 specifies the format of packets, also called datagrams, and the addressing scheme.
The TCP is a connection-oriented, reliable delivery byte-stream transport layer protocol. Whereas the IP 103 protocol deals only with packets, the TCP enables two hosts to establish a connection and exchange streams of data. The TCP guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.
The UDP is an alternative to the TCP and, together with IP, is sometimes referred to as UDP/IP. Like the TCP, the UDP uses the IP 103 to actually get packets from one computer to another. Unlike TCP, the UDP does not provide the service of dividing a message into packets (datagrams) and reassembling it at the other end. Specifically, the UDP does not provide sequencing of the packets that the data arrives in. This means that the application program that uses UDP must be able to make sure that the entire message has arrived and is in the right order. Network applications that want to save processing time because they have very small data units to exchange may prefer UDP to TCP.
The MS 10 establishes a session with a communication network connection unit such as the PCF 25 using the physical layer and the RLP. The MS 10 establishes a PPP session with the PDSN 40.
The MS 10 establishes a session with a supplementary service unit, which is provided in a mobile communication service system, using the TCP/IP or UDP/IP. Wireless data communications using the TCP/IP or UDP/IP is available only when a PPP connection is established between the MS and the PDSN.
Examples of applications required for accessing the Internet via the mobile communication terminal include a browser and a software platform such as JAVA, Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW), or Graphics Virtual Machine (GVM).
In the case when the MS or a communication server detects one or more errors during TCP communication in the above-mentioned communication network, a congestion control scheme widely used in typical wireline network communications has been used for error processing. Specifically, in the case when a communication error is detected from a received TCP packet or an acknowledgement (ACK) response to a transmitted packet is not received until a TCP's retransmission timer expires, the MS or the communication server determines the packet to have been lost due to congestion, and reduces the congestion window size of a transmission side to retransmit the packet.
The reduction in congestion window size leads to a significant decrease in the effective transfer rates of the transmission side. The occurrence of packet losses in a typical wireline network is mainly caused by a waiting time based on a priority logic mechanism in a routing process. However, in case of the radio network, the packet losses may occur due to a high bit error rate (BER) compared to that of the wireline network, or multi-path fading. In addition, the packet losses in the radio network may occur due to the rerouting of packets during handoff. Consequently, determining the packet losses in the radio network to have occurred due to congestion causes a problem in terms of transmission efficiency.

Method and apparatus for performing data communication between mobile communication terminal and wireline communication server